CHAPTER TEN.
DESCRIBES A RESCUE, A CONSPIRACY, AND A TRIAL.
Proverbially a stern chase is a long one. Happily, there are exceptionsto proverbs as well as rules. The chase of the war-canoe, however, withthe captured queen on board, did not promise to be exceptional at first,for the canoe was light and sharp, and powerfully manned, so that thesavages could relieve each other frequently, whereas the settlers' boatwas heavy and blunt, and not by any means too full of men. It soonbecame apparent that the latter was no match for the former under oars.The distance between the two visibly increased.
Dr Marsh steered. He was deadly pale, and there was a peculiarlyintense expression of anxiety in the steady gaze, with which he watchedthe ever-diminishing canoe.
"No chance?" muttered Jabez Jenkins, who happened to form one of thecrew and pulled the bow oar.
"No chance?" repeated Dominick, who also pulled one of the oars."There's _every_ chance. We're sure to tire them out. Ho! lads, giveway with a will!"
Although labouring already with all his might, indignation at Jenkins'sremark enabled him to put on a spurt, which the others imitated. Stillthe distance between boat and canoe increased.
"They are three to one," growled Malines, who, up to that time, had beendoing his best.
"Silence!" thundered the doctor, drawing a revolver from his pocket andcocking it.
Beads of perspiration stood on the doctor's brow, and there wassomething so terrible in the look of his white face that no one venturedto utter another word, but all pulled as if for their lives.
For some minutes no sound was heard save the regular rattle of the oarsin the rowlocks, the swish of the foam as it flew from the cutwater, andthe occasional sob or gasp of the men as they exerted themselves to theutmost limit of their powers in the hopeless pursuit.
Suddenly Teddy Malone cried eagerly, "Look out--astarn!"
All turned their gaze as directed, and observed a dark line on thehorizon.
"Thank God!" murmured the doctor, "a breeze!"
It was indeed true. Just at this critical moment of profound, despair,a gleam of hope was sent to sustain them! Is it not often thus in thedealings of God with man?
There was no relaxation of effort, however, on the part of the crewuntil the breeze bore down on them. Then the mate and Hugh Morrison,drawing in their oars, set up the mast and hoisted the sails. Instantlythe good craft bent over, as if bowing submissively to her rightfullord, and the gurgling water rolled swiftly from her prow. Still themen plied the oars, but now with the strength of hope, until the breezefreshened so much as to render their further use unnecessary.
"Now, indeed, the tables are turned," said Dominick with a great sigh ofrelief, as he drew in his oar.
"Yes; if the wind holds," said the doctor, glancing back anxiously.
"It'll howld," said Malone firmly.
"Who made you so sure a judge of weather?" demanded Jenkins.
"Sure it isn't me as is judge. It's the widdy. She says to me thismornin', says she, `The'll be a stiff breeze afore night, Teddy,' an' Inivver found the widdy wrong in her forecasts o' the weather."
"The distance decreases rapidly! Hurrah! boys, we'll catch them yet,"cried Dominick.
This was obviously the case. With her large sails filled by a stiffbreeze almost directly astern, the boat went through the water like "athing of life." The savages, perceiving this, redoubled their efforts,but in vain. The pursuers gained on them rapidly.
An exclamation of surprise burst from those in the boat as they observedtwo splashes, one on either side of the canoe, as if some one had fallenor leaped overboard. A great shout from the savages followed, and theysuddenly ceased to paddle. The canoe was still too far off for thepursuers to make out what had occurred; but in another minute theyobserved that two round black objects emerged from the water somedistance astern of the canoe. The savages also saw these, and uttered afrightful yell as they backed their craft towards them.
"They've jumped overboard!" exclaimed Dominick. "Now, boys--ready withyour guns!"
No need for this order. All were ready in a second, but none dared tofire for fear of hitting the swimmers.
Just then a savage rose in the stern of the canoe and poised a shortspear.
Instantly every gun in the boat was pointed.
"Not a shot!" shouted Dr Marsh, as he sprang forward with adouble-barrelled rifle in his hand.
"Keep her away two points!" he cried, as he knelt to take aim. Everyone was well aware of the doctor's power of shooting, and waited theresult with bated breath. The savage seemed to bend backward for thecast of the spear. At that moment the crack of the doctor's rifle washeard, and the right arm of the savage fell.
Another savage caught up the spear, and urged his comrades, apparently,to back the canoe still further; but they had got a fright, and wereevidently unwilling to do so. Before they could make up their minds,another shot from the doctor's rifle sent the second savage headlonginto the bottom of the canoe.
"Give them a volley now, lads," he said, turning round and resuming hisplace at the helm; "but fire high."
The rattling volley which followed, and the whistle of the leaden hailover their heads, quickly settled the savage minds. One of theirpaddles, which chanced to be held aloft at the moment, was shot intosplinters, and precipitated their decision. With a howl of rage andterror they dipped their paddles into the sea and flew ahead.
"Be ready there," cried the doctor, as he anxiously guided the boat.
Teddy Malone, Morris, Dominick, and Jabez leaned eagerly over the bowswith outstretched arms and clawlike fingers. Another moment and QueenPina with Otto were rescued from the deep, as well as from severalsharks, which, doubtless, had been licking their lips at the prospect ofthe royal feast in store for them.
"Ain't you goin' to carry on, an' sink the varmints?" exclaimed Jabez insurprise, as the doctor put the helm hard down, and prepared to returnhome.
"No," replied the doctor sharply.
During the voyage out the crew of the wrecked ship had become intimatelyacquainted with the doctor's qualities, among others that there was acertain quiet tone in his "no" which was final. To put the belligerentsof the party more at rest, however, Dominick backed his friend up byadding that he had no ill-will to the miserable savages; that they hadbeen punished enough already; that they had got all they wanted fromthem; and that as their own party consisted chiefly of settlers, notwarriors, there was no occasion for fighting.
"Speak for yourself, Dom," cried Otto, as he wrung the water out of hisgarments. "If I was in that canoe with a good carving-knife, I'd bewarrior enough to give a settler to the baboon wi' the swelled nose whocrammed me into a--"
The remainder of the speech was drowned in laughter, for Otto spoke withintense indignation, as he thought of the injuries and indignities hehad so recently suffered.
"Why, what did they do to you, Otto?" asked his brother.
"Oh! I can't tell you," replied the other; "I'm too mad. Tell 'em,Pina."
Queen Pina, who had also been engaged for some minutes in wringing thewater from her skirts, sat down, and, in the sweetest of voices, toldhow they had been surprised on the islet, how Otto had flattened achief's nose with an oar, and how they had afterwards been carried off.
"Then," she added, "when they saw that you were unable to overtake them,the chief with the swelled nose began to beat poor Otto and pull hishair savagely. I do believe he would have killed him if a man, whoseemed to be the leader of them all, had not ordered him to desist.When you put up the sail and began to overtake us, the chief with theswelled nose got out a rough kind of sack and tried to thrust Otto intoit. While he was struggling with this chief--"
"Fighting," interrupted Otto; "fighting with the baboon."
"Well, fighting, if you prefer it--he asked me if I was brave?"
"No, I didn't; I said game."
"Well--if I was game to jump overboard at the same moment that he did?I quickly
said yes. He twisted himself out of the man's--"
"Baboon's! baboon's!"
"Well--baboon's grasp, and went over the side like an eel, and--"
"And she," interrupted Otto, "she went plump on the other side like asack of potatoes, and we met under the canoe and dived well asternbefore coming up for breath. You know what pains you took with ourswimming and diving, Dom; it helped us then, I can tell you; and so herewe are, all alive and hearty. But I saw the black fellow goin' to senda spear at Pina, and can't think why he didn't let fly. P'r'aps he did,and missed."
"No, he didn't; for Dr Marsh shot him in the arm," said Dominick, "andthus saved Pauline's life."
"Three cheers for the Queen!" cried little Buxley, who had done goodservice at the oar, and whose little bosom was filled with enthusiasm atthe recital of this adventure.
The invitation was heartily responded to.
"An' wan more for the doctor!" shouted Malone.
In this rejoicing frame of mind they returned to Big Island, wherePauline was received with a warm embrace by the widow Lynch, who hadbeen dancing about the settlement in a more or less deranged state eversince the boat left.
That same evening two meetings of considerable importance took place inthe palace. The first was a cabinet council in the hall; the other ameeting of conspirators in the back-kitchen. Both were brief, for eachwas interrupted. We will take the cabinet council first.
The ministers present at it were the premier, Dominick and Dr Marsh,both of whom Joe had called to his aid.
"Now, my dear queen," said the premier, "we have met to consider theconstitution; but before saying a word about it myself, I would like tohear what your majesty has to say about it."
"I'm not sure," said the queen gravely, "that I have the faintest notionas to how a constitution should begin or end. But I will give you amotto to set in the forefront of our constitution, which may also formthe foundation on which it is to be built--the pattern to which itsparts must conform. It is this: `Whatsoever ye would that men should doto you, do ye even so to them.'"
"I will set that down with pleasure," said Dominick, who acted as clerk,but, before he could write a line, a knock at the door interrupted them.Then the door opened, and Otto's head appeared with eagerness in theeyes, and a beckoning hand in advance.
Dominick rose and went out.
"I've just overheard Morris and Jabez in the back-kitchen making anappointment. Shall I tell our squad to be ready?"
"Where is the appointed place?" asked Dominick.
"On the reef. They start this very night, for the wind suits, and Iheard Hugh say that all was ready."
"Good! I didn't think the game was so nearly played out. Well for usthat we are prepared. Yes, call up the squad. We'll give themcheckmate to-night."
It must be explained here that ever since the night of the discovery ofthe plot organised by Morris to seize and carry off the wrecked ship,Otto and his brother had kept a close watch on the men, and were awareof all their plans and intended movements. They had also communicatedtheir knowledge to a select few, whom Otto styled the squad, who hadpledged themselves to be ready at a moment's notice to do their best tocircumvent the conspirators. Among other things Otto had discoveredthat Malines had agreed to join them, professing himself quite willingto act as second in command under Morris.
It may also be explained that though we have hitherto spoken of thevessel which had been cast on the reef as a wreck, it was in realityvery slightly injured about the hull, and much of the damage done to thespars and rigging had been quietly repaired by the conspirators.
When darkness shrouded land and sea, two expeditions started from thesettlement that night--one following the other. The conspirators in thelargest boat set off first. As it was no unusual thing for a nightexpedition to the reef in order to transport supplies from the wreck inthe morning, the departure of the large boat attracted little notice.
When it had got well away a smaller boat set off, containing the"squad," which numbered among its members Dominick, the doctor, Otto,Joe, and his brother David, Teddy Malone, little Buxley, John Nobbs theblacksmith, and others, all of whom were armed with revolvers.
They steered for a different part of the reef, so as to avoid being seenby the conspirators. On landing they passed through the oldburial-ground and made for the Golden Cave. This place had, since thesettlement on Big Island, been given over entirely to Pauline's use, andbeing styled the Queen's seaside palace, no one ever thought of enteringit without permission. Hence the party of observation knew that itwould be a secure place of ambush.
When safe inside, Dominick and Otto were deputed to go out as quietly aspossible, note what Morris and his men were doing, and bring back areport.
"For," said the doctor, "if we interrupt them too soon they may pretendthat this is one of their ordinary visits to the ship for supplies, andif we are too late they may get clear away in spite of us. We muststrike when the iron is hot."
"Yes," said Otto, looking back as he followed his brother, "we'll lookwell to the heating process and let you know when they're white hot, sohave your revolvers ready, my braves!"
"Och! shut your tatie-trap," cried Malone, but Otto, having shut thedoor, lost the advice.
The night was neither decidedly light nor dark. There might, indeed, tohave been moonlight, but clouds veiled the light though they could notaltogether obscure it; thus there was just enough to render objectsdimly visible.
"All the better," whispered Dominick, as they turned the point of rockthat hid the wreck from view. "We'll go down by the thicket. Keepclose to my heels, boy, and drop on your hands and knees when you see medo so."
"All right, captain."
Gliding cautiously down in the direction indicated, they came at lengthto the seaward edge of the thicket, where the bushes, being less dense,permitted them to partially see the wreck. Here Dominick went onall-fours, appearing, as he crept slowly forward, like some sort of hugebear with no tail, and its hind feet turned the wrong way. Ottofollowed like a little bear with similar undignified peculiarities.Having advanced far enough to obtain a clear view of the wreck, thespies sank into the grass and crept forward a little way. Then they laystill a few moments and listened. They then raised their headscautiously and looked. What they heard and saw puzzled them not alittle.
First, they noted that the wreck did not seem to lie in the position,with which they had been so long familiar. Then, as their eyes becameaccustomed to the faint light, they observed that a small boat wasmoving busily about the vessel's bow, and that a group of darkscarce-distinguishable forms of men was standing on the shore.Presently there was heard a low, yet not unfamiliar growl. This wasfollowed by a high yet not unfamiliar shriek, accompanied by a gratingsound.
"Lions and cockatoos!" whispered Otto, who had crept up alongside of hisbrother by that time, "what _can_ they be about?"
"Is that a line I see athwart the sky?" asked Dominick, "look--justbetween the wreck and the big ledge there."
Said Otto, "It's more than a line. _I_ see it. Half a dozen lines atleast, and something like a round lump in the middle of 'em. Don't yousee it?--against the sky like a black moon--"
"Hush! boy--the growl again!"
"Ay, man, also the cockatoo."
"Oh! I have it now," whispered Dominick, with a low laugh; "they'verove blocks and tackle from the ship to the rocks, and are working themsoftly. Evildoers fear to be overheard, even when there's no chance ofbeing so! Your lion, Otto, is the subdued yo-heave-ho of the men."
"I see," said Otto, with a grin so broad that his white teeth glistenedeven in the dark, "and my cockatoo is the unsubdued screeching of theblock-sheaves! They must be trying to get the ship off the reef."
A heavy plunge at that moment told that the conspirators were not onlytrying but had succeeded, for the plunge was followed by an irresistiblethough powerfully suppressed cheer.
"We have not a moment to lose, Otto," whispered Dominick. "The
ship isfree, and they will only take time to carry the tackle aboard beforeembarking. Do you run back and bring the squad down at the double. Iwill keep our friends here in play till they come."
Not a word did Otto reply. He had acquired that first of requisites ina soldier or servant--the habit of prompt obedience. Somewhat like aNorth American savage, he sank into the grass and wriggled from thescene. A few moments later Dominick rose, and walked down towards theconspirators with the easy off-hand manner of a man who saunters forthto enjoy the night air. So busy were they getting the tackle into theboat that he was not observed until quite close to them.
"You seem busy to-night, friends," he said, in his usual pleasant tones,as he took his stand close beside Hugh Morris, who was near the bow ofthe boat.
"Mr Rigonda!" exclaimed Malines in great surprise, coming forward atthe moment.
"Why are you surprised? It is not unusual for me to take a row on afine night."
This reply seeming to imply that Dominick had come to the reef alone--perhaps in the dinghy--emboldened the men; some of them laughed.
"Well, I confess to being a little surprised, sir," replied the mate,"for it so happened that we were preparing something in the nature of asurprise for you and the rest of the settlers."
"Yes, I see," returned Dominick, in the same pleasant tone. "You'vemanaged to get the ship off the ledge in a very creditable manner, andyou mean to take her into the lagoon and cast anchor off thesettlement?"
Again the men laughed lightly.
"No, sir, we don't," broke in Hugh Morris at this point, "we intend totake her in quite the opposite direction, and clear off to sea withher."
"Oh no, you don't, Hugh," returned Dominick, with an agreeable smile,which was a little perplexing as well as exasperating. "You are goinginto the lagoon; you know you are, and I have come to help you."
"But I say we are _not_!" retorted Morris, in rising wrath, "and what'smore, you'll have to go along with us, now that you've had the ill-luckto fall in with us."
"Quite right, Hugh; didn't I _say_ that I came off on purpose to goalong with you?"
As he spoke there was heard a rushing sound of feet and a number of darkforms were seen approaching from the bushes.
"Betrayed!" shouted Malines. "Jump in, lads, and shove off!"
He sprang forward, but was instantly arrested by the muzzle of arevolver within a foot of his head.
"It's of no use, boys," said Dominick, laying his hand on the bow of theboat. "You'll have to enter it as dead men if you do so without mypermission."
Had the men been armed it might have gone hard with Dominick at thatmoment, but so sure had they been of accomplishing their purposeunmolested, that the idea of arming had never crossed their minds.Before they could recover from the surprise or decide what to do, thearmed squad was upon them.
"Halt! boys," cried Joe Binney, when close to the boat. "Now, look 'eehere. It warn't o' my seekin' that I was made prime minister, but nowthat it's bin done I'll stick to it an' do my duty. If ye knock underlike good boys I'll recommend ye to the queen's marcy. If not I'll have'ee strung up, every man jack of 'ee. Moreover, the first man asdisobeys my orders I'll blow his brains out. Now, jump aboard, boys(turning to his own men), an' keep your revolvers handy. You lads aswanted to run away will follow."
The mixture of humour and resolution in Joe's manner, coupled with hiswell-known decision of character and his commanding size, had itseffect. The squad instantly jumped into the boat, and the conspiratorsmeekly followed without a word. They saw--as Hugh afterwards expressedit--that the game was up, and made up their minds to submit to theinevitable.
The conspirators were ordered to take the oars. Afterwards they weremade to work the ship round into the channel leading to the lagoon,while their armed friends mounted guard over them.
It was daybreak when the ship sailed calmly over the lagoon towardsSilver Bay.
"Och! man," said Teddy Malone, in a low voice, to Jabez Jenkins, whostood near him, "why did ye want to run away wid the owld ship? It wora sneakin' sort o' thing, warn't it, seein' that the poor littlechilders, an' the women, depind so much on what's inside of her?"
"To tell 'ee the truth, Teddy," replied the man, an improved expressioncoming suddenly over his face, "I ain't sorry that we've bin stopped inthis business, and, wot's more, I believe that most of us ain't sorry.We was more than half led into it, d'ee see, by lies as to what theleaders was goin' to do, an' arterwards we didn't like to draw back."
"I'm sorry for yez," returned Malone, "for I'm afeared we'll have toskrag the wan half of ye to keep the other half in order. In a spik an'span noo settlement, where ivvery wan thinks he may do as he likes, thelaws has to be pritty stiff. We've wan comfort, howivver--the quane ismarciful."
The Irishman was right in both his views on this subject, as the sequelwill show.
Great was the surprise and joy among the settlers that morning when thefine ship in which they had traversed the ocean sailed grandly over thelagoon, and let go her anchor in Silver Bay. Some viewed her as a meansof continuing the voyage, and escaping from a secluded life, of whichthey were beginning to tire. Others thought of her as a means ofreopening intercourse with home, while not a few thought only of theconvenience of having her and her useful cargo so near to them.
But great was their surprise when Malines, Morris, Jabez, and the restof them were landed with their hands bound behind their backs; and stillgreater was that surprise when, in open court, that is, in the midst ofthe entire colony in the open air, these men were charged with theircrime.
A regular criminal court was instituted on the spot, as regular, atleast, as was possible, considering the almost total ignorance of allconcerned in regard to matters of law. Queen Pauline appointed DrMarsh to be judge, he being supposed to be the best acquainted with, orleast ignorant of, legal matters and forms. A jury of twelve men wereselected by lot, and little Buxley was appointed public prosecutor. Injustice to the prisoners it was thought that they ought to have anadvocate to defend them, but as no one would undertake the duty, thatalso was settled by lot, and the lot fell upon Redding, who, being agentle and meek man, was perhaps best suited for it.
We may not go into the details of this celebrated trial, which lastedthe greater part of the day, and was watched with intense eagerness bythe entire population, including some of the older children, who hadbecome impressed with the delightfully-horrible idea that a hanging orshooting, if not flaying and roasting, of some of the criminals would bethe certain result. Suffice it to say that there was grievousirregularity in the proceedings: the public prosecutor not only provedthe guilt of the men, but in the fervour of his indignation suggestedthe nature of their punishment; the jury not only listened to the factsof the case, but commented on them freely throughout, and, usurping thejudge's office, pronounced sentence on the criminals three or four timesover; while the judge himself had the greatest possible difficulty inkeeping anything like order all round.
The only man who performed his duty calmly was Redding, who, in a speechthat quite surprised and transfixed the hearers, sought to point outthat the men on trial had not actually committed the crime, with whichthey had been charged, that of seizing the ship, but had onlycontemplated it, as had been alleged, though even that had not beenclearly proved; that, supposing the crime to have been committed, it wasa first offence, and that justice should always be tempered with mercy,as was taught in that best of all law-books, the Bible.
The pleading of this man had considerable effect, but it could not turnthe tide of feeling in favour of the principal prisoners for more thanone reason. They had been domineering, turbulent fellows all along;they had meditated a crime which would have robbed the settlers of manyof the necessaries and all the luxuries of life, and this displayed ameanness of spirit which, they thought, deserved severe punishment.
Accordingly, after they had been pronounced guilty by the unanimousvoice of the jury, and after the judge had consulted earnestl
y with somemembers of the privy council, Malines and Morris were condemned to afortnight's imprisonment on short allowance of the poorest food, and theother criminals to the same for a week.
When Malines had been seized and bound on board the ship, he hadsubmitted, partly from prudence, and partly from a belief that the wholeaffair was a sort of half joke but when he found himself rebound, afterthe trial, and cast with his companions into a solid wooden buildingwith a strong door and no window, which had been erected as a sort offortress in which to put the women and children in case of attack by thesavages, and there provided with maize and water for food and straw forbed, he began to realise the fact that he had indeed fallen into thehands of resolute men and under the power of law.
"I wouldn't mind it so much if they'd only not cut off our baccy," hegroaned, on the afternoon of the following day, after a prolonged fit ofsullen silence.
"After all it sarves us right," growled Hugh Morris.
"Speak for yourself," said Jabez Jenkins sulkily.
"That's just what I do," retorted Hugh.
"Hear, hear!" from some of the others.
What this conversation might have grown to no one can tell, for it wasinterrupted by the opening of the prison door and the entrance of aparty of armed men.
"I am directed," said Otto, who was in command of the party, "to bringyou fellows before the queen, so, come along."
Half amused by and half contemptuous of the leader, who gave his ordersas if he were a powerful giant, the prisoners rose and marched out.
While this scene was taking place in the jail, the widow Lynch washolding a private interview with the queen in the palace.