CHAPTER XXXV
THE SURRENDER--CONCLUSION
Great was the consternation in the little fortress when it wasdiscovered that Drew was absent. And as the time dragged by and he didnot return, his friends knew that either he had been killed or was aprisoner in the hands of the mutineers. And if the latter, they knewonly too well what mercy he had to expect from the mate. One murdermore or less was nothing to that scoundrel now.
Grimshaw and Captain Hamilton were abnormally grave, and Ruth's eyeswere wild with anguish and terror. She no longer had any doubt of herfeeling for Allen. She knew that she loved him with all her heart.
At the first sign of daylight, the master of the _Bertha Hamilton_ puthis little band on a war footing. The ammunition was distributed, andhe rejoiced to see how abundant it was. That he had Drew to thank for.Ruth prepared lint and bandages for the wounded from supplies whichAllen had also brought, then she stood ready to reload the extra riflesand small arms, or, at need, to use a revolver herself. Her eyes wereclear and dauntless, and if her father looked at her with graveanxiety, it was also with pride.
Breakfast despatched, the men took the places assigned to them. Thecaptain had formed his plan of battle.
"They'll rush us after a few volleys," he asserted. "Wait till theyget within thirty feet before you fire. Then let them have it, and aimlow. If they waver, and I think they will, jump over the breastworkswhen I give the word, and we'll charge in turn. If we once get them onthe run, they'll never rally and we'll hunt them down like rats untilthey surrender. We're going to win, my lads!"
The answer was a cheer, and Captain Hamilton had no doubt as to thespirit with which his little force was going into the fray.
The outposts came hurrying in with the news that the mutineers werecoming. And not long after, this was confirmed by a spatter of bulletsagainst the rocks.
The defenders made a spirited reply, and several volleys wereexchanged. But the mutineers were in the shelter of the wood.
Ditty knew that the pistol bullets of his men would do little damage atlong range.
There came an ominous pause.
"They're getting ready now," said Captain Hamilton quietly. "Mind whatI told you, my lads, about shooting low. And when you see me jump overthe rocks, come close on my heels. I'll be up in front."
It was a nerve-trying wait. Then, suddenly, the mutineers emerged fromthe wood and rushed toward the fort, yelling as they came.
They had covered nearly half the distance when Captain Hamilton gavethe word and the rifles spoke. Some of the bullets went high and wide,but several of the attacking force staggered and went down. Theircomrades hesitated for a second, and the master of the _BerthaHamilton_ seized his opportunity.
"Follow me!" he yelled. "Come on!"
He leaped over the rocky breastwork, and with a cheer the seamenfollowed him.
The check of the mutineers had been only temporary. Ditty raged andstormed and swore at them and they regained some semblance of order.By the time the captain and his force had fairly cleared the lavabarricade and had got into the full momentum of their charge, themutineers had reformed. In another instant the lines had met and werelocked in deadly combat.
There was no longer any pretense of discipline. When their guns wereempty, every man singled out his antagonist and grappled with him. Theforces were now about evenly divided, and for a time the issue wasdoubtful.
Then came a diversion.
Out from the wood leaped Drew, whirling a heavy club, his eyes blazingwith rage and the lust of battle. Here was the chandlery clerk,metamorphosed indeed! He was followed by Parmalee, plucky, but for themoment breathless from the struggle through the jungle.
"Shoot him, you bullies! Pull him down!" yelled Ditty, seeing thecharging Drew.
He aimed his own revolver at the young man and fired. Drew felt asthough his head had been seared by a red-hot iron. He staggered, but,nevertheless, kept on, charging directly at the one-eyed mate.
They met. As Drew struck at his enemy with the club, the latter flunghis emptied revolver full in the face of the younger man. Drew ducked,but could not avoid it. But the bodies of the two came together, andthey clenched.
Back and forth they strained, each struggling for a wrestler's hold inorder to enable him to throw the other. For half a minute or moreneither was successful.
But the mate was the better man in the rough-and-tumble fight. Hesuddenly lifted Drew from the ground and flung him to the ground. ButDitty fell too, landing heavily on his victim.
The shock almost deprived Drew of breath. The wound in his head hadconfused him. His grasp on Ditty relaxed, and with a yell of triumphthe latter released himself, leaped to his feet, seizing the club as hearose.
"Now I've got you!" he yelled, and swung the club aloft.
At that moment Captain Hamilton shot Ditty through the breast. With asnarl, the mate, losing the club, hurled himself toward the captain andgrappled with him. They went down, the latter's head striking theground so that he was dazed for a moment.
The mutineer jerked the knife from his belt and raised it to strike;but Tyke Grimshaw, who had been fighting furiously, kicked the knifefrom his hand and the captain, recovering, threw his enemy from him andarose.
Ditty did not rise. The remaining mutineers wavered when their leaderfell, then turned to flee.
"After them, my lads!" cried Captain Hamilton. "We've got 'em on therun!"
But the battle ended abruptly.
In the excitement of the fight, none had noticed the black cloudshooting up from the crater so close at hand. There was a stupendousroar, and the earth shook again as though twisted between the fingersof a Titan. The crashing of trees in the forest, and the bursting ofhot lava spewed out of the volcano, grew into a cannonade.
Prone on the ground, terrified and bewildered before this awful seismicphenomenon, neither belligerent party thought of fighting. Not untilthe uproar and quaking had subsided some minutes later, could theyreconcile themselves to the conviction that by a miracle only were theyalive.
The mutineers crept away into the forest unmolested. Gradually theothers regained self-control. Tyke nursed the lame foot which had donesuch timely service in thwarting Ditty, while the captain tallied uphis losses. Two of the faithful seamen were dead, Ashley and Trent,and several were rather badly wounded, while none had emerged from thestruggle without some injury. Five of the mutineers had been killed,and three more were severely though not mortally wounded.
Drew had at first thought that the wound inflicted by Ditty's bulletwas slight. But suddenly a deadly weakness came over him. He seemedto be falling into a stupor from which he tried desperately to savehimself. Ruth was bandaging his wound when she noticed his growingfaintness. She cried out in alarm.
"Allen, dear, Allen!" she begged. "Rouse up! Don't faint!"
"I--I'm going, Ruth," he answered.
"No, no;" she cried desperately. "I won't let you!"
"I'm going," he muttered, clinging to her.
"You mustn't!" she exclaimed wildly. "Don't go, Allen! Not until Itell you----"
But the next moment Drew slipped into unconsciousness.
When he awoke to find himself between snowy sheets in his old berthwith Ruth's cool hand upon his forehead and her tender eyes lookinginto his, he had many things to learn. She pieced out for him thehappenings after that stark fight on the island. She told how Parmaleehad picked up a revolver from the field and played his part in thefight; how, after the burial of the dead and aid to the wounded, thetreasure chest had been transferred to the schooner; how the remnant ofthe mutineers had evaded capture and had fled to the remote parts ofthe island; and, greatest of all, how that last earthquake shock hadtipped the reef again and made a new opening in the barrier that hadhemmed in the schooner. She told him, too, that in an hour the _BerthaHamilton_ would be ploughing the waves of the Caribbean.
To all these things he listened with unutterable conte
nt and peacebeyond all telling. He was alive! His name was stainless! His futurewas secure! And Ruth was beside him! It was heaven just to lie there,drinking in the beauty of her eyes and breathing the fragrance of herhair when she bent over to adjust his pillow.
"And we shall soon have bidden good-bye to Earthquake Island!" Ruthexclaimed gaily.
"Is that what you've dubbed it?" he asked, smiling. "It couldn't bebetter christened. Earthquakes seem to be its chief stock in trade."
"Except doubloons," she reminded him. "Don't be ungrateful."
Tyke came in and sat patting Drew's hand, too deeply moved at first totrust himself to speak. The captain, too, was a visitor, confidentlyattributing the salvation of the party to Drew's pluck and daring. AndParmalee--a vastly stronger and healthier Parmalee than before he hadbeen compelled to "rough it"--showed himself exceedingly friendly.
"It has been a great voyage for me," he said. "I'm open tocongratulations, Drew. My health is so much improved, that I shall bemarried as soon as we reach New York."
Drew's heart suddenly turned to ice. He knew he ought to saysomething, but for the life of him he could not speak. He lookedunseeingly at Parmalee, his face the color of ashes.
"Her name is Edith," continued Parmalee, with the egotism of a lover."Beautiful name, don't you think? We've been engaged for more than ayear, but I didn't want to marry until I was stronger."
The blood flowed into Drew's face once more.
"Beautiful?" he cried. "I should say it was! And I bet she's asbeautiful as her name. Parmalee, I congratulate you. With all myheart I congratulate you. You're a lucky dog. Shake hands."
Parmalee's eyes twinkled.
"Upon my word! you're a fellow of sudden and wonderful enthusiasms," heexclaimed. "But I can guess why. I'm not blind. Go in and win, oldfellow."
Ruth came back just then, gay and radiant.
"Seems to me there's a lot of noise here for a sick man's room," sheremarked, looking smilingly from one to the other. "I'll have to driveyou out, Mr. Parmalee, if you get my patient too greatly excited," shewent on, shaking her finger at him with mock severity.
"I imagine I haven't done him any harm," laughed Parmalee slyly.
"Harm!" cried Drew. "You've given me a new lease on life. I'll getwell now in no time. I've just got to get well!"
"I was telling him about Edith," explained Parmalee.
"Edith!" exclaimed Ruth. "Isn't she just the dearest girl? So you'vetaken Allen into the secret too? Go and get her picture and let himsee what a darling she is."
Parmalee, nothing loth, rose and left the room.
"You'll simply fall in love with her when you see her picture,"prophesied Ruth, as she adjusted the pillow.
"No, I won't," declared Drew with emphasis.
"She's one of the dearest friends I have," Ruth continued, teasinglykeeping her hand just out of Allen's reach. "Of course, I knew allabout their engagement, and Mr. Parmalee's talked to me a lot about herduring this voyage. The poor fellow was so lonely without her that Isuppose he had to have some one to confide in."
A great light broke upon Drew's mind.
"So that's what you two used to talk about when I was so----" hehesitated, seeking for a word.
"So what?" she asked demurely, with a glint of the old mischief in hereyes.
"Oh, you know," he answered, hardly knowing how to proceed. He wasdoing his best to catch her eye but could not.
He raised up and caught her by the forearm, but he was too weak to holdher and she drew herself gently away.
"I told Mr. Parmalee that he must not excite you, and now I'm actingjust as badly," she said. "You must rest or you'll never get well."
"Oh, I'm bound to get well now!" he declared. At that moment TykeGrimshaw's face appeared at the doorway.
"How are you making it, Allen?" he questioned.
"First rate," was the answer. The young man was rather put out overthe interruption, yet he could not help but remember what Grimshaw haddone for him and he gave the old man a warm look of gratitude.
"We're going to have some rough sailing for a little while," announcedGrimshaw. "We're going to sail through that there gap in the reef--ifit can be done."
From a distance they could hear the voice of Mr. Rogers giving orders.And the stamp of the seamen's feet announced that the _Bertha Hamilton_was getting under way. Short-handed as she was, never did sailorsswing into the ancient chantey in better tune and with morecheerfulness.
"Oh, haul the bowline, Katy is my darling, Oh, haul the bowline, the bowline _haul_!
"Oh, haul the bowline, London girls are towing, Oh, haul the bowline, the bowline _haul_!
"Oh, haul the bowline, the packet is a-rolling, Oh, haul the bowline, the bowline _haul_!"
With anchor apeak, topsails jerked aloft and flattened, the schoonertook the wind. Although the earthquake had subsided, the waters bothinside the reef and outside were much troubled. Where the two jaws ofthe rocky barrier still remained, the waves pounded and foamedfuriously.
Would they be able to get out safely? That was the question in themind of every man who trod the deck of the schooner. Soundings hadbeen made, and they had learned that the lane to safety was both narrowand winding.
"If we hit, it will be all up with us," said one of the tars to hismates.
"We got ter take a chance," was the answer. "Keelhaul me, if I want tostay at this island any longer!"
Closer and closer to the jaws of the reef sped the _Bertha Hamilton_.Then up and down like a cork danced the schooner. For one briefinstant as she plunged through the waves and the foam, scattering theflying spray in all directions, it looked as if nature might force herupon the rocks, there to be battered into a shapeless hulk. But then,as if by a miracle, she righted herself, answered her helm, and shotthrough the miraculously opened lane into the blue waters of the oceanbeyond.
They were homeward bound.
A week later as the schooner was running up the Florida coast, Drew,who had gained strength magically after his enlightening interview withParmalee, was standing with Ruth near the rail. Dusk was coming on,and a crescent moon was already showing its horns in the sky, stilltouched by the sun's aftermath.
In the hush of the twilight they had fallen silent. Ruth's hand wasresting on the rail. Allen reached over gently and took it in his own.It was quivering, but she did not withdraw it.
"Ruth, look at me," he said, somewhat huskily. She lifted her eyes tohis, but dropped them instantly.
"Ruth," he continued, "when I was hurt and was losing consciousness onthe island, do you remember what you said to me?" She was silent."Tell me, Ruth," he urged. "Do you?"
"How can I?" she said evasively. "I--I said so many things. I was soexcited----"
"I remember," he said softly. "I will never forget. You said: 'Don'tgo, Allen, not until I tell you----' What was it you wished to tellme, Ruth?"
"Don't make me say it, Allen," she murmured, her gaze downcast.
"Was it this?" he asked; and now his voice was shaking. "Was it: Don'tgo, Allen, not until I tell you that I love you? Was that it, Ruth?"
She looked at him then, and her eyes were wonderful.
With a stifled cry he opened his arms, and she crept into them in shyand sweet surrender.
His lips met hers.
He had gained the Doubloons--and the Girl.
THE END
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