CHAPTER VIII.
A Very Real Danger.
Meanwhile the "St. George" under full sail and well over on her sidewas running before a strong west wind. The waves washed over the deck;the sea was so rough that it was hard for an experienced seaman to makehis way, and only those sure of foot and hand dared venture on therigging. Nevertheless Redfox ordered Willy to climb the mainmast withhim to help unfurl the sail at the very top.
"If you want to be a good seaman like your father you must learn toclimb the rigging not only in a light breeze like this but also in ahurricane. You want to get so that you can run around up there like asquirrel in a Christmas tree. There is no danger; just hold tight tothe rigging with one hand and don't get frightened when the boatpitches. You can't learn to do any climbing that's worth whilestanding around here on deck. Up, my little man, let's see if you haveany nerve."
"Yes, I have nerve, and lots of times in pleasant weather I've been upthe mast, but when the ship rocks as it does now, my father would neverlet me think of going up," answered Willy.
"And he had good reason, too," put in the helmsman, who was standingnear Redfox and had heard all the conversation.
"I never heard of such a thing as asking the cabin-boy to climb therigging when the sea is rough, and before he has had a chance to provehimself a good climber in pleasant weather. Master Willy, don't obeyany such foolhardy order. The Captain, I am sure, does not want you totry any such thing."
"Oho, helmsman, you dare to order this boy to be insubordinate, do you?I'll have you put in irons for your impudence," cried Redfox, givinghim a wicked look.
"Green, don't be frightened. I can climb much better than you think,and then besides my guardian angel will watch over me and keep me fromfalling. I am sure I won't come down any more of a corpse than I didfrom the dome of the cathedral. I must obey this man. Let me go. Youjust see my guardian angel will take care of me."
"Mr. Redfox, I tell you plainly it's a foolhardy game you are playingwith that boy," said the helmsman earnestly. "If anything happens tohim you'll answer for it on a charge of criminal carelessness at thefirst port we put into."
"Wait till you get a chance," growled the officer to Green; to Willy hesaid, "Go on up."
Willy crossed himself, then swung himself without fear up on the ropeladder leading from the side of the vessel to the crow's nest. Rightafter him followed Redfox. With anger and fear Green watched how thewind blew Willy's blonde hair and the officer's red beard; for a momentthe two disappeared behind the sails, then they appeared scaling thetopmost ladder. The wind had increased; the vessel tipped still moreto the side. Willy clambered on courageously higher and higher up, butthe real danger was yet to come.
"Now see, he is astride the yard sliding out fully twelve feet from themain mast--now he is loosening the rope by which the top-sail isfastened to the arm! Redfox ought to do that himself," said thehelmsman to himself. "But no, he forces the boy before him out on theyard, orders him to stand up and unfasten the rope. The inhumanwretch!--That means the boy's death. It is no easy task even for anexperienced seaman. And he is not even holding him by the belt, onlyby the bottom part of his jacket.----Now he is holding him tighter.There----O holy Mother of God the boy is falling!" Green closed hiseyes for a moment and gasped. "No, he is sliding along the yard. Holdfast, Willy, hold fast for two or three minutes. I'll come to helpyou."
He threw the rope over the wheel and ran like a cat up the rigging.Willy, in utmost danger of falling, was sliding and swinging alongbetween the sails of the fore and mainmast, every moment expecting thathis strength would give out and that he would fall on the planks of thedeck below or into the sea.
"Holy guardian angel," he cried, "take me; I cannot hold on anylonger!" Everything swam before his eyes, and in a moment he wouldhave fallen, if the helmsman had not, almost miraculously reached himand seized him in his arms. He carried him down to the deck and laidhim in a dead faint on a pile of rope, and began working over him.Before Redfox came down from the rigging Willy had recovered. "Yousee," he said to Green, "my holy guardian angel did not leave me."
"Indeed, Master Willy, you speak the truth, for without the help ofyour guardian angel I should not have been able to save you," affirmedGreen, wiping drops of cold sweat from his forehead. Then he thunderedat Redfox:
"Thank God, that you lay yourself down to rest tonight without a murderon your conscience. It is no fault of yours that that boy came downfrom the rigging alive."
"I forbid any such talk," answered Redfox without meeting the gaze ofthe helmsman. "The stupid youngster got dizzy when I let go of hisjacket and started to get a better hold of his belt."
"No, no, Mr. Redfox," answered Willy firmly, "you pushed me instead ofgetting hold of my bolt. I did not get dizzy."
"Ridiculous! Your fear put that notion into your head. Now if you goto telling that story round here--even once--I'll have the Captain shutyou up in the steerage with the Chinamen. You go to telling the wrongsyou suffer from your superior officer and you'll get yourself intotrouble. No more of this."
Redfox went to the Captain's cabin. Indignantly the helmsman lookedafter him, and then he again asked the boy if he was very sure thatRedfox had pushed him.
"Quite sure," he replied, "and he looked at me more wickedly than Ithought any man could look. What has he against me? I have never donehim any harm. And my uncle, too, acts so strangely, he has never oncegiven me a pleasant word or look."
"I understand well enough," answered the helmsman. "Be on your guardwith Redbeard and your uncle; I don't dare to tell you any more. I'dlike to open your eyes, but I can't. Trust in God and your holyguardian angel who saved you almost miraculously today. In the firstport that we put into Redbeard will answer for what he did today--andfor a few other things, too."
To the Captain Redfox reported, "I did not think it possible for thatboy to come down from the rigging alive, and now he is telling that Itried to push him off the yard, and, of course, that numbskull of aGreen is only to ready to believe him. That fellow has got wind ofsome things, too. We must see to it that he gets no chance to tellwhat he knows or thinks he knows."
"You are my bad angel, Redfox, and want to drag me deeper and deeperinto crime," said the Captain. "Haven't I told you again and againthat I will not have that boy put out of the way?"
"Oh, you are always for half-way measures. I take no account of themin my reckonings. It would have been very fine for you,if--accidentally--he had fallen from the rigging," growled Redfox.
"No, no, I won't have any bloodshed," said the Captain most earnestly."There are enough things now for which I have to answer,--and therewill be more when we wreck the 'St. George' on one of the many reefsoff the east coast of Australia, as we have planned to do. Now, ifagainst my will, you do anything to that boy, I'll have you turned overto the authorities, even if I run the danger of being arrested as youraccomplice. You may know what to expect."
With these words the Captain left Redfox standing at the door of thecabin. He muttered to himself, "Well, do you know, I really believehis conscience is troubling him--the mushhead! I must deal with himmore firmly.--No, no, Captain, after what happened this morning theonly thing to do is to get him out of the way,--and the helmsman alongwith him. I'll tend to that. Ha, ha! Mr. Captain, you'll get up inthe morning early to turn Redfox over to the authorities!"