CHAPTER IX.
A New Plan.
Weeks had passed since the happenings told of in the previous chaptertook place, and nothing of any importance had occurred. Redfox had notagain ordered Willy to climb the mast with him, and even when the shipwas becalmed and lay with slackened sails on a sea smooth and clear asa looking-glass, he would not allow him to go up to the crow's nest.
"Oh, no, no, if you were to get dizzy and fall, you'd tell that Ipushed you," he sneered at every possible opportunity. Green heavoided as much as possible.
"The boy was perhaps mistaken, and my suspicions of the Captain andRedfox may be wholly unfounded," thought honest Green, when week afterweek went by without their taking revenge on either him or Willy. Thevoyage had been an extraordinarily quick and fortunate one. The dayswhich ships usually spend in being becalmed under the Equator the 'St.George' spent under full sail with favoring winds. Everything onshipboard was going very well, yet the Captain was always sullen andmorose. He and Redfox sat in the cabin and gambled and drank most oftheir time. Rarely did they finish one debauch before they began onanother. Redfox seemed to exercise hypnotic power over the Captain.
Willy, the darling of the crew, at first was much grieved over hisuncle's behavior and the aversion which the first officer showed forhim, but he soon became accustomed to their ways. The companionship ofGreen, who initiated him into the mysteries of the compass and thepractical work of steering the ship, was pleasant, and he had Peppo.The Captain had allowed the boatswain to put up another hammock inWilly's cabin, so that Peppo could sleep there instead of going downinto the steerage. Together the boys said their morning and eveningprayers, just as they were accustomed to do in the pension in Hongkong,and slept like nabobs in their little hammocks while the ship wentploughing its way through the placid ocean.
The "St. George" was at this time in the sea between the New BritainArchipelago, as the group of islands which now goes by the name of theBismarck Archipelago was at that time called, and the Soloman Islands.With full sail the boat was running before a stiff northwest breeze.The fiery tropical sun burned in the heavens, and far as the eye couldreach the waters rolled in a long swell on the deep blue southern sea.A pair of screaming sea-gulls circled round the top of the mast, thesails flapped, the rigging creaked, and the waters swished and dashedagainst the sides of the vessel. Other sounds there were none. Thevessel might almost have been a phantom ship upon an enchanted sea.
Green sat near the wheel in the shade of one of the sails smoking hispipe and with difficulty keeping his eyes open sufficiently to glanceat the big compass and the distant horizon occasionally. "If ourreckonings are right we shall sight the Soloman Islands now at anyminute," he said to himself, and was about to call to the man on watchin the crow's nest to see that he was not asleep, when Willy came outfrom the cabin and motioned to Green that he had something important totell him.
"Hello, Willy, what's the matter? Any one would think from theexpression on your face that you had seen 'The Klabautermann'!"
"The Klabautermann" is a spirit of the sea similar to the brownies ofthe mountains and the goblins which play such a part in children'sstories. Ordinarily unseen this spirit helps the sailors in their workwhen they are good and true, but when he appears with a fiery head andgreen teeth, attired in riding boots, yellow hose, and pointed hat,--asthe sailors assert they have seen him--then look out. Beware ofmisfortune. Some awful fate awaits the ship, so the superstitioussailors solemnly swear.
"I have not seen 'The Klabautermann'," answered Willy, "and I don'tbelieve there is any such spirit, although you are so positive aboutit; but I have something to tell you that will surprise you more than avisit from the Flying Dutchman's haunted ship, that you told me about."
"Well, let's have the surprise."
"Can any one play eavesdropper here?"
"No; no one at all. We are here all by ourselves aft and who is therethat would want to listen to us?"
"Redbeard and my uncle, but they are in the cabin, drinking andgambling as usual. Last night, you know, Peppo had toothache all nightand couldn't sleep, so this afternoon I took his place in the kitchenwhile he went up to have a nap in his hammock. He just came and toldme that he had overheard Redbeard plotting some dreadful thing againstus. Peppo couldn't understand it all, but he got this much, that atthe island to which we are coming today, or at the latest tomorrowmorning, he is going to send you ashore for drinking water. He has letthe water leak out of the casks. 'When Green goes ashore,' he said, 'Ihaven't a doubt in the world but that the young one, who stands in yourway, will want to go with him, and the little Chinaman, whom I do nottrust, will also want to go--We can just send them, even if you don'thanker after this plan. And--well--if they don't come back, why thewild Soloman Islanders will know what to do with them.' Peppo heardthe first officer say this."
"Oh, the traitor!" said Green. "And so he is going to furnish thecannibals with a nice juicy stew for their pots, is he? And pray tell,what did that nice uncle of yours, the Captain, say to all this?"
"At first he would not listen to a word of it; then Redfox threatenedhim with something which Peppo could not understand, and at last hesaid, 'Oh, you are my bad angel. I am in your power. Do what youmust, but I won't have any part in it.'"
"Pontius Pilate made similar remarks when he gave Our Lord over todeath, but handwashing of that sort is of no use. As for the rest youare right. Redfox is the chief sinner and forces the Captain intothings which he would never think of doing otherwise.--But what are weto do? Here we are helpless in the power of these monsters. We mightgive them over to the authorities at the first port at which we touch,but the trouble with that plan comes in just here: Gray will not listento or believe what that little Chinaman says. It couldn't be donewithout a life and death struggle. I must win over the Chinamen--andif I fail, by so much as a hair-breadth, I'll go to the gallows as arebel.--And yet--I must risk my life for you as well as for the rest ofus. Quick, bring your little friend here. I'll tell him what to sayto the men in the steerage. They will be on our side for they havebeen badly treated."
Willy did not understand all that the honest helmsman said for he washalf talking to himself, but he got enough to realize that they were ingreat danger, and that Green scarcely knew what to do. Why didRedbeard wish their death? Green had told him a number of times, butthe boy could not understand the question of the property, even afterit was explained to him, and now there was no time to talk about it."Be quick, go get Peppo for me," repeated the helmsman, instead ofanswering his questions. "The crisis may come any moment. In themeantime pray to your guardian angel, who once saved you miraculouslyfrom the power of these monsters."
A few minutes later Peppo slipped down to the steerage and deliveredGreen's message to his uncle, and he in turn held a secret counsel withthe most resolute of his companions. They talked much of the warningwhich the God of the Golden Fish had given them about keeping out ofbroils without arriving at any conclusion, though their feelingsprompted them to wreak vengeance on the Captain for his rough treatmentof them. While they were talking a voice from the crow's nest called,"Land--ahoy!" and in a moment the ship was all life. The boatswainsounded his pipe calling every sailor to his place and the Captain cameon deck to give orders. On the left in the South Sea a wooded hillrose from the water, and quickly became larger, as the ship flewtowards it like a bird. The Captain and Redfox stepped up to the wheeland the Captain said to Green, "We must heave to."
"What? Heave to in such a fine breeze as this? What have we got forthe cannibals over there?"
"We must have water," said the Captain without looking at the helmsman."Redfox says that the cask has leaked and that there is not enoughwater to last us through to Australia."
"I saw the cask yesterday, and then there was no leak in it. If it isempty now there has been foul play."
"Hello! What ails the man?" cried Redfox. "Who has been doing thefoul play?"
"Since you ask I'll tell you. You have. And as you let the water runout you can see to getting more to put in. Under no circumstances willI do it."
"Well, Captain, what do you think of the fellow's impudence? I say hebelongs in chains," cried Redfox in a rage.
"Quite right. Insubordination on shipboard cannot be tolerated.Either you take a small boat and go for water to fill the cask or I'llput you in irons. A dozen Chinamen and the small interpreter are toaccompany you."
"Just as I thought. And your nephew is to go, too, and when we are onshore the 'St. George' is to take advantage of favoring breezes, and weare to be left for the cannibals. You'll have to murder the boy and meright here; we'll not run our heads into any such trap. Heda! mylittle Chinaman, now is the time for your countrymen to defendthemselves. The responsibility is mine," and with these words he threwhimself upon Redfox who drew out his knife with a curse. Green struckhim a blow that knocked him senseless, and then turned on the Captain,who called loudly for help. The sailors to a man rushed to his aid,while the Chinamen refused to mix in the white men's quarrel. Greenwas quickly overpowered and was thrown into chains in the steerage.There the Captain also put the boys who had openly taken the helmsman'spart.