STORY ONE, CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN.
"GOOD-BYE."
Rasp had placed a man at the pump and a supply of air was being kept up,a supply now augmented by another man being sent to help turn the wheel,while with a grim look of satisfaction Rasp took hold of the life-lineand tightened it a little, to feel the unwilling diver's movements.
"He'll be pulling hard directly," chuckled the old fellow. "Only lethim see a shark--one of his first cousins--a villain. Wonder what MrDutch'll say when he knows how we've been serving out the scoundrelas--"
"What does all this mean?" exclaimed Dutch, coming so suddenly upon thegroup that they started asunder, and the air-pump stopped.
"On'y giving that rascal a lesson in diving," growled Rasp.
"Whom? What do you mean? You surely don't mean to say that Laure, theprisoner--"
"They're on'y having a lark with him, sir," said Oakum.
"Quick, there! Pump, you scoundrels," exclaimed Dutch; and the wheelspun round once more. "Rasp, Oakum, pull here. You dogs, if mischiefhas befallen that man I can never forgive you."
Setting the example he hauled upon the life-line, and 'Pollo running tohis help, the Cuban was dragged to the surface, and lay motionless onthe deck as Dutch freed him of his helmet and exposed his livid face.
"Quick! Call up Mr Meldon," cried Dutch; but that gentleman wasalready on deck, and, to the great relief of Dutch, declared the Cubanto be still alive.
It had been a narrow escape for him, as, between dread and the want ofair, another few seconds would have sufficed to finish his career. Asit was, quite an hour escaped before he recognised those who had workedhard to restore him, and then it was with a malignant grin ofdisappointed malice.
"He'll do now," said the doctor; and as the patient seemed disposed tosleep, they left him--Oakum, who was exceedingly penitent for the parthe had taken, being stationed as sentry at the door.
Meanwhile Captain Studwick had taken advantage of the breeze and tide,and the schooner was once more under way, threading her course amongstthe rocks, and gradually leaving the cocoanut-fringed strand behind.
Everyone was on deck watching the receding shores, and in fullexpectation of some new danger springing up to hinder their homewardjourney, for with the treasure they had on board it was determined totempt fortune no more, but to make all speed across the Atlantic as soonas they had cleared the inland sea.
Favourable winds sped the schooner at a rapid rate through the water,and all seemed so peaceful and happy that it raised a feeling of dreadin those who had found the other portion of the voyage so rife withperil. Rasp shook his head, and said that they were not safe home yet,while Oakum was away; but as soon as Oakum began to croak andprognosticate evil, he changed his tone, and declared that they wouldsoon be safely home.
The voyage home to Hester and Bessy seemed like a glimpse of heaven, forHester was ever by the latter's side, striving hard to make her forgetthe past, and revelling in her loving, grateful looks; while Bessy,though no words passed, knew that Meldon loved her with all his heart,though for her sake and lest he should arouse the jealoussusceptibilities of her brother, he maintained silence. But she knewthat the day must come when he would speak, and her heart leaped withjoy as she saw his patient assiduity in attending to her brother, whonow turned daily more and more towards him, and sought his help.
But the presence of two sick men was not without its influence on thelittle crew of the ship, and Captain Studwick, looked with nervous dreadfor what he saw must come ere long, and felt that the events might againbe looked upon as an ill omen.
For though Mr Meldon said it not in so many words, he gave him fully tounderstand that poor John Studwick's days were growing very few.
In fact the doctor felt that it was an open question whether Laure orJohn Studwick would be the first to leave them, for the former seemednever to have recovered from the shock of his descent, but lay in ahelpless, raving state, evidently growing weaker day by day, till, inplace of getting up to sit and watch the sea from the cabin window, henow rarely rose, and then only with the assistance of old Rasp, who, asa kind of recompense for being the cause of his state, constitutedhimself his nurse, and waited on him night and day.
"I hate him like the very old 'un," growled Rasp, when talking about himto Oakum; "but as I've had my bit of a go at him for what he did, Iain't going to see him die like a dog for want of help."
And so the days glided on till the schooner, with her freight of silver,was in mid-ocean, and still the fates favoured them. It was a lovelyevening, and the sun was descending fast in the west, turning the seainto one heaving mass of orange and gold. Nearly every one was ondeck--Mr Parkley and the captain together talking of the future of thevoyage, and Mr Wilson seated with his chin resting on his hand gazingpensively at Bessy, who was kneeling beside the mattress on which herbrother lay, his great eyes looking towards the golden-flooded sky.Dutch and Hester, too, were together, silent and thoughtful, while thesolemn grandeur of the scene seemed to impress even the men forward, forthey sat about the deck almost without a word.
It was with quite a start, then, that Dutch saw the doctor come upsoftly from below and approach him with a solemn look upon his face.
"Is anything wrong?" said Dutch, though he almost read what the otherhad to say.
"Your enemy will soon be powerless to work you evil, Mr Pugh," was thereply; "he is dying, I think, fast."
Hester shuddered and clasped her husband's arm.
"Poor wretch!" exclaimed Dutch. "There," he cried, impetuously, "don'ttalk of enemies at such a time. I forgive him the ill he did to me.May God be merciful too!"
"Amen," said Hester beneath her breath; and then she shuddered and clungmore closely to her husband, for so shaken had her nerves been that itseemed to her even now they were not free from the Cuban's influence.
"Can you not save his life?" said Dutch. "He should have time torepent."
"But would he?" said Mr Meldon. "I fear life to him would only be theopportunity to work us all more ill."
"For heaven's sake, don't think of that, man," cried Dutch. "Have youtried all you could to save him?"
"I have tried all I know," said the doctor earnestly. "I cannot thinkof one hour's lapse of duty."
"No, no, of course not," said Dutch, holding out his hand. "I insultyou by such a supposition."
"Miss Studwick is beckoning to you, Mr Meldon," exclaimed Hestersuddenly; and turning they saw her upon her knees evidently in alarm.
"Poor fellow!" muttered the doctor almost in a whisper; but the youngcouple heard him, and stood watching anxiously, for though JohnStudwick's death was expected, they had hoped that he might first reachhome.
He had been gazing for quite an hour at the glorious sky, and hadapparently been no worse than usual; but now the change had comesuddenly, and no one knew it more than he.
For just as Bessy was bending over to speak to him, startled slightly byhis lengthened silence, he turned to her and smiled lovingly andtenderly as his thin hand pressed hers.
"Kiss me, Bessy," he said, in a low, strange voice; and as she gazed athim with dilating eyes, and pressed her lips to his, he said gently,"The doctor!"
It was then that Bessy beckoned anxiously to Mr Meldon, who camehastily across the deck and knelt down, taking the hand feebly stretchedout to him.
"Not the pulse, doctor, the palm," said John Studwick, his face lightingup with a strange unearthly smile.
"I'm not jealous now. Be kind to my darling sister. Good-bye."
As Bessy burst into a fit of sobbing and lowered her head upon hisbreast, he laid his hand upon her glossy curls. Then seeing his fatherbending eagerly over him, he tried to raise his other hand, but it fellback, his lips formed the words "Good-bye" once more; and, as his eyessmiled up in his father's face, the lines around them graduallyhardened, the pupils dilated in a fixed stare, and those who gazed downupon him knew that the spirit had fled to its lasting home.