CHAPTER XXVII
The Mutiny of the _Neptune_
Having carried out my instructions, I directed the boat's crew torow back to the shore, and having secured the little craft andremoved her oars, the men followed me to the stockade.
It was now night, but the open space within the palisade was lit bythe glare of a huge fire. Seated around on upturned casks, orsprawling on the ground, were as many of the crews of both brigs ascould be spared, besides the garrison of the stockade; and, to mysurprise, I recognized Joe Clemens, who had been sent ashore,presumably ill with the ague, and also the four men who ought,according to the list of names, to have been keeping watch on boardthe _Neptune_.
Having reported myself to Captain Jeremy, I walked over to whereClemens was seated, and asked him how he felt.
"Never better in my life, Master Hammond," was his astonishingreply; from which, coupled with the fact that the other absenteesfrom the _Neptune_ were not ashamed to be seen away from theirposts, I concluded that 'twas all part and parcel of CaptainJeremy's plans.
The casks of spirits had been broached, and with rousing song themen, to use Captain 'Enery's expression, "let themselves go". Thefirelight gleamed on their bronzed, hearty features, and castfantastic shadows upon the encircling wooden fence, where, likeghostly shapes against the dark sky, stood the sentinels who hadbeen posted to keep watch while their comrades feasted and caroused.The air was thick with the reek of burning logs and the odour ofstrong waters.
Yet, in contrast to the general festivity, Captain Jeremy and hisofficers maintained the strictest abstinence, though they applaudedwith the rest as a ballad went well, or joined in a volley of chaffwhen a seaman broke down in a partly forgotten song.
Frequently the Captain would slip quietly away and mount theparapet, whence he would gaze steadfastly across the harbour towhere the anchor lamps of the two ships glimmered like stars on thepoint of setting.
It was well after midnight ere the fire had burnt itself low, andthe glowing embers played on the faces of men who were too tiredeven to join in a chorus.
"My lads," exclaimed Captain Jeremy, "'tis too late to return onboard. Make yourselves as comfortable as you can here, and reportyourselves to me to-morrow at eight bells."
"Three cheers for Captain Miles!" shouted a hoarse voice, and themen, having expended their last remaining energy in paying thistribute to their popular chief, trooped off to rest in thebarrack-like shelters that had been erected for the comfort of thelittle garrison.
When all was quiet, Captain Jeremy, 'Enery, Silas Touchstone, and Iwalked down to the beach, followed by the boat's crew, and wererowed off to the _Golden Hope_.
"Turn in now, Master Clifford," said Captain Jeremy, as we gainedthe deck; "you must be tired out with the day's excitement and thenight's revelry."
He had donned his thick peajacket, so I knew that, though he had notslumbered on the previous night, he meant to keep on deck. Somethingwas in the wind.
Tired as I was, I could not sleep. For hours I lay awake, listeningto the dull roar of the breakers on the reef and the periodicalnotes of the ship's bell, which, with faithful precision, wererepeated on board the _Neptune_; while, borne on the soft air, asthe land breeze blew across the bay, I could distinguish the "All'swell" of the men on guard at the stockade.
Overhead I could hear a measured tramp, as the two captains pacedthe deck, for they had left the quarter-deck and were patrolling thepoop, talking in earnest tones, though their words were inaudible.
Six bells! Would sleep never come? I sprang out of my bunk, andwalking over to one of the open stern ports, I leant out.
Grey dawn was beginning to glimmer in the east, and with it came themoaning of a rising wind. Barely distinguishable against the palenight mists, I could see the outlines of the _Neptune_. Did my eyesdeceive me? Her sails had been shaken loose and were being sheetedhome.
The footsteps overhead were still. The captains had ceased theirmonotonous walk. Had they, too, noticed the mysterious andunauthorized manoeuvre?
Even as I watched I heard the splash of the cut cable, and, listingover to the now stiff breeze, the _Neptune_ began to forge ahead.
I waited no longer; but rushed on deck, and gained the poop just asCaptain Jeremy hailed, in a voice like the bellowing of a bull:
"What are ye up to, ye rascals? Heave-to, I say, or I'll sink you!"
Still the _Neptune_ came on, moving with increasing pace as she drewfarther from the lee of the land.
"Below there," shouted the master gunner, "stand to your guns!"
The newly awakened members of our scanty crew passed through thefore hatchway in all states of clothing. They needed no secondbidding, but, rushing to the guns, began to load.
Suddenly one of the gunlayers gave an exclamation of angry surprise.
"Spiked!" he shouted, with an oath.
"Same here," announced another, and a hasty examination revealed theunpleasant fact that every gun on the starboard side had an ironnail wedged into the touch-hole and broken off short.
Silas Touchstone disappeared, only to return with a box ofarmourer's tools. If anything was to be done it must be donespeedily, for the _Neptune_ was now close to our quarter.
"Oh, for a single gun!" exclaimed Captain 'Enery. "We could wing hernow."
Then, to my unspeakable dismay, I saw, gripping the weather-pooprail of the _Neptune_, the figure of my enemy, Ned Slater. He hadproved his words concerning his friends on the ship by takingpossession of her, thanks to the aid of the mutineers.
The light was now sufficiently strong to distinguish the hideousleer of insolent triumph on his features..
"Farewell, Captain Miles!" he shouted. "A thousand thanks for havinghanded over the _Madre_ treasure, to say nothing of having providedthe means to find the way out," and with an ostentatious flourish hedisplayed the well-known chart.
"May you be much beholden to it, you villain!" returned CaptainJeremy, and, laying hold of a musket, he fired at the double-dyedrogue.
Now, in all my experience I had never known Captain Jeremy to misshis mark at that comparatively short distance, and I fully expectedto see the murderous thief fall dead on the deck. But the bulletwent wide, so wide indeed that Slater never so much as ducked hishead, which he would assuredly have done had it 'scaped himnarrowly.
"Try again, Cap'n," came the taunting cry.
"I'll be even with you yet," shouted Captain Jeremy, as he proceededto reload his piece.
Meanwhile our men worked their hardest to run one of the larboardguns over to the other side, but owing to the shortage of hands andthe encumbered state of our decks 'twas evident that the _Neptune_would be well out of range ere a single gun was in position to openfire.
Having passed well ahead of us, the disloyal brig smartlystarboarded her helm and stood out for the open sea, followed by adesultory cannonade from the stockade, which, however, did little orno harm, though it proved that the men were fairly alert, in spiteof their overnight carouse.
"She's off, right enough," exclaimed one of the men.
"And the treasure with her!" shouted another, in a paroxysm of rage."Where's my share now? All lost! All lost!"
"Peace, you fool!" said Captain Jeremy sternly.
"If you have lost your share, have I not lost far more? Wait andsee."