CHAPTER IX.
THE HOLD OF THE TRITONIA.
Raimundo was in the hold of the Tritonia.He had made for himself a hiding–place underthe dunnage in the run, by removing a quantity ofballast, and arranging a number of empty casks so asto conceal his retreat from any who might search thehold for him. The task had been ingeniously accomplished;and those who looked for him had examinedevery hole and corner above the ballast, that couldpossibly hold a person of his size; and they had nosuspicion that there was room even for a cat underthe dunnage.
The young Spaniard had fully considered his situationbefore he ventured into the waters of Spain. Hewas fully prepared for the event that had occurred.The plan of his hiding–place was his own; but heknew that he could not make it, or remain in it for anyconsiderable time, without assistance. If he spent aweek or even three days in his den, he must have foodand drink. He did not believe the squadron wouldremain many weeks in Spanish waters; and it was hispurpose to stay in the hold during this time, if hefound it necessary to do so. A confederate was thereforeindispensable to the success of the scheme.
Certain work required to be done in the hold, suchas getting up stores and keeping every thing in order,was divided among the stewards. Those employed inthe cabin attended to the after–hold, and those in thesteerage to the fore–hold. One of the former was aCuban mulatto, a very bright fellow, who spoke Spanishas well as English. Raimundo had become quite intimatewith him, because they both spoke their nativetongue, which it was pleasant to each to hear, and thesteward had become very fond of him. His name wasHugo; and Raimundo was confident the man would behis friend in the emergency.
During study hours, the vice–principal and the professorswere employed in the steerage. When thequarter–watch to which the young Spaniard belongedwas off duty, instead of spending his time on deck ashis companions did in fine weather, he remained inthe cabin, which at times was entirely deserted. Hefound that Hugo was willing to listen to him; and bydegrees he told him his whole story, as he had relatedit to Scott, and disclosed the plan he intended toadopt when his uncle or his agents should put in aclaim for him. Hugo was ready and anxious to takepart in the enterprise. There could be no doubt inregard to his fidelity, for the steward would have perilledhis life in the service of the young Spaniard.
At a favorable time they visited the hold together;and Raimundo indicated what was to be done in thepreparation of the hiding–place. Both of them workedat the job. The ballast taken from the hold was carefullydistributed in other places under the dunnage.Hugo had charge of the after–hold, and his being thereso much excited no suspicion.
When the ship’s company returned, after the lecture,Raimundo waited in the cabin till he was alone withHugo; for all hands were on deck, observing thestrange scenes around them. He then descended tothe hold, and deposited himself in the den preparedfor him. His faithful confederate had lined it withold garments and pieces of sail–cloth, so that the placewas not as uncomfortable as it might have been. The“mysterious disappearance” had been duly effected.
Hugo carried food and drink to his charge in themorning, and left a pail of water for his ablutions, ifhe chose to make them. Of course the steward wasvery nervous while the several searches were in progress;but, as he spoke Spanish, he was able to misleadthe _alguacil_, even while he professed to desire thatevery part of the vessel should be examined. Hugonot only provided food and water for the self–madeprisoner, but he informed him, when he could, whatwas going on; so that he knew when all hands hadgone on shore, and was duly apprised of the fact thatthe Josephines and Tritonias were to proceed to Lisbonin the Prince. But the steward dared not remain longin the hold, while Salter was in the cabin. Raimundowanted to get on board of the steamer that day ornight, if it were possible; but the chances were allagainst him.
Hugo assured him that it would be entirely safefor him to leave his hiding–place, as he could easilykeep out of the way of any chance visitor in thehold, and he would notify him if another search waslikely to be made. Availing himself of this permission,Raimundo crawled out of his hole. It was arelief to his limbs to stretch them; and he exercisedhimself as freely as he could. While he was thus engaged,he saw the fore–scuttle opened, and some onecome down. The fugitive stepped behind the mainmast.He saw the figure of one of the students, as hejudged that he was from his size, moving stealthily inthe gloom of the place. In a moment more, he rushedup the steps, and disappeared. In an instant afterwards,Raimundo saw a flame flash up from the pile ofrubbish.
The vessel was on fire, or she soon would be; forthere was fire near her timbers. Grasping the bucketof water Hugo had left for his ablutions, he pouredenough on the fire to extinguish it, and then retreatedto the covert of the mainmast. A second time theincendiary–match was applied; and again the fugitiveput it out with the contents of the pail. For the thirdtime the incendiary pile that was to doom the beautifulTritonia to destruction was lighted; and this timethe wretch who applied the match evidently intendedto remain till the flames were well under way. Thefugitive was greatly disturbed; for, if he showed himselfto the incendiary, he would betray his secret, andexpose his presence. But he could not hesitate to savethe vessel at whatever consequences to himself; and,as soon as he saw the blaze, he rushed aft, accostedthe villain, and stamped out the fire, for he had entirelyemptied the pail.
“What are you about, you villain? Do you mean toburn the vessel?” demanded Raimundo, who did notyet know who the incendiary was.
Bill Stout was startled, not to say overwhelmed, bythis unexpected interference with his plans. He recognizedthe second master, whose mysterious disappearancehad excited so much astonishment. But hewas prompt to see, that, if Raimundo had detected himin a crime, he had possession of the fugitive’s secret.Somebody on shore wanted the second master, and anofficer had come on board for him. Perhaps he wasguilty of some grave misdemeanor, and for that reasonwould not allow himself to be caught; for none of thestudents except Scott knew why the young Spaniardwas required on shore. Bill Stout did not care: heonly saw that it was an even thing between himself andRaimundo.
“Who are you?” asked the fugitive, when he hadwaited a moment for an answer to his first question.
“I advise you not to speak too loud, Mr. Raimundo,unless you wish to have the chief steward know you arehere,” replied Bill, when he had recovered his self–possession,and taken a hurried view of the situation.
“Stout!” exclaimed Raimundo, identifying the familiarvoice.
But he spoke in a low tone, for he was not disposedto summon Mr. Salter to the hold, though he had feltthat he sacrificed himself and his plan when he showedhimself to the incendiary.
“That’s my name,” replied the young villain.
“I understand what you were scheming at in yourwatch on deck. Lingall, Pardee, and Gibbs are yourassociates in this rascality,” added Raimundo.
Stout, who was not before aware that he had beenwatched by the second master or by any other officer,was rather taken aback by this announcement; but hepromptly denied that the students named were concernedin the affair.
“Lingall is with you, I know. I see how you havemanaged the affair. He is your companion in the brig,which was built over the midship scuttle,” continuedRaimundo. “But why do you desire to burn the vessel?”
“Because I want to get out of her,” replied Bill sullenly.“But I can’t stop here to talk.”
“Do you really mean to burn the Tritonia?”
“That’s what I did mean; but, since you have foundme out, I shall not be likely to do it now.”
“Whatever you do, don’t do that. You are in thewaters of Spain now, and I don’t know but you wouldhave to be tried and punished for it in this country.”
Bill Stout had no idea of being tried and punishedfor the crime in any country; and he had not even consideredit a crime when he thought of the matter. Hedid not expect to be found out when he planned thejob: villains never expect to be. But he was alarmednow; and the deed he had attempted seemed
to be ahundred times more wicked and dangerous than at anytime before.
“I can’t stop here: Salter will miss me if I do,”added Bill, moving up the ladder.
“Wait a minute,” interposed Raimundo, who waswilling to save himself from exposure if he could.
“I’ll come down again, after a while,” answered Bill,as he opened the scuttle, and got into the brig.
“Why did you stay down so long?” demanded BarkLingall nervously.
“It’s all up now, and we can’t do any thing,” repliedBill sullenly, as he seated himself on his stool,and picked up one of his books.
“What’s the matter?”
“We are found out.”
“Found out!” exclaimed Bark; and his heart roseinto his throat at the announcement. “How can thatbe?”
“I was seen doing it.”
“Who saw you?”
“You couldn’t guess in a month,” added Bill, whofixed his gaze on his book while he was talking.
“Didn’t I hear you speaking to some one in thehold, Bill?” asked Bark, as he picked up a book, inorder to follow the studious example of his companion.
“I was speaking to some one,” replied Bill.
“Who was it?”
“Raimundo; and he knew that you were concernedin the job without my mentioning your name;” andBill explained what had passed between himself andthe second master.
“Raimundo!” exclaimed Bark, in a musing manner.“Then he mysteriously disappeared into the hold.”
“He did; and he has us where the hair is short,”added Bill.
“And perhaps we have him where the hair is longenough to get hold of. All we have to do is to tellSalter, when he comes to look at us, that Raimundo isin the hold.”
“We won’t do it; and then Raimundo won’t say weset the vessel on fire,” protested Bill.
“Wait a bit, Bill. He is a spooney, a chaplain’slamb. He may keep still till he gets out of his ownscrape, whatever it may be, and then blow on us whenhe is safe himself.”
“I don’t know: I shall see him again after Salterhas paid us another visit.”
The chief steward came into the steerage a fewminutes later; and seeing both of the prisoners engagedin study, as he supposed, he probably believed the hourof reformation had come. As soon as he had gone,Bill opened the scuttle again, and went down into thehold; but he was unwilling to leave the brig for morethan a few moments at a time, lest some accident shouldbetray his absence to the chief steward. He arrangeda plan by which he could talk with Raimundo withoutdanger from above. Returning to the brig, he lay downon the floor, with a book in his hand, so that his headwas close to the scuttle. Bark was seated on the floor,also with a book in his hand, in such a position as toconceal the trap–door, which was raised a few inches,from the gaze of Mr. Salter, if he should happensuddenly to enter the steerage. Raimundo was to standon the steps of the ladder, with his head on a levelwith the cabin floor, where he could hear Bill, and beheard by him.
“I think we can’t afford to quarrel,” said Bill magnanimously.“We are all in the same boat now. Isuppose you are wanted on shore for some dido you cutup before you left your home.”
“I did nothing wrong before I left my home,” repliedRaimundo; and it galled him terribly to beobliged to make terms with the rascals in the brig.“My trouble is simply a family affair; and, if captured,I shall be subjected to no penalty whatever.”
“Is that all?” asked Bill, sorry it was no worse.
“That’s all; but for reasons I don’t care to explain,I do not wish to be taken back to my uncle in Barcelona.But I will give myself up before I will let youburn the Tritonia,” replied Raimundo, with no littleindignation in his tones.
“Of course, as things stand now, we shall not burnthe vessel,” added Bill: “we will make a fair tradewith you.”
“I shall make no trades of any kind; but I leaveyou free to do what you think best, and I shall remainso myself,” said Raimundo, who was too high–toned tobargain with fellows wicked enough to burn the beautifulTritonia. “It is enough that I wish to get awayfrom this city.”
“If you clear out, you won’t blow on us,” addedBill, willing to put the best construction on the statementof the second master.
“I promise nothing; but this I say: if you burn theTritonia, whether I am on board or a thousand milesaway, I will inform the principal who set the fire.”
“Of course we should not do any thing of that sortnow,” added Bark, whose head was near enough to thescuttle to enable him to hear all that was said.
“I shall be obliged to keep out of the way of all onboard, for the present at least,” said Raimundo.
“We are satisfied with that,” replied Bill, whoseemed to be in haste to reach some other branch ofthe subject.
“Very well: then there is nothing more to be said,”answered Raimundo, who was quite willing to closethe interview at this point.
The conspirators were not so willing; for the chanceof escape held out to them by the burning of thevessel was gone, and they were very much dissatisfiedwith the situation. It would be madness to repeat theattempt to destroy the vessel; and the future lookedvery unpromising. All hands were going off on a verydesirable cruise in the steamer. Ben Pardee and LonGibbs had apparently deserted them when tempted bythe voyage to Lisbon. They had a dismal prospect ofstaying in the brig, under the care of Marline andRimmer, for the next three weeks.
The second master had plenty of time to think overhis arrangements for the next week or two; and he wasnot much better satisfied with the immediate prospectfor the future, than were the occupants of the brig.His accommodations were far less comfortable thantheirs; and the experience of a single night had causedhim to fear that he might take cold and be sick.Besides, he had not calculated that the Tritonia was tolie at this port for two or three weeks, thus increasingthe danger and discomfort of his situation. If he hadto abandon his hiding–place, he preferred to take hischances at any other port rather than Barcelona. Itwas more than probable that Marline and Rimmer wouldoverhaul the hold, and re–stow the boxes and barrelswhile the vessel was at anchor; and possibly the principalhad ordered some repairs at this favorable time.
His chance of getting on board of the Prince beforeshe sailed was too small to afford him any hope. Thechange the principal had made in the programme interferedsadly with his calculations. Mr. Lowington hadmade this alteration in order to enable the students tovisit the northern and central parts of the peninsulabefore the weather became too cold to permit them todo so with any degree of comfort. The fugitive waswilling, therefore, to change his plans if it was possible.
“Hold on a minute,” interposed Bill Stout, whenRaimundo was about to descend the ladder. “Whatare you going to do with yourself while the vessel lieshere for the next three weeks?”
“I shall have to keep out of sight in the hold,”replied the second master.
“But you can’t do that. You will starve to death.”
“I have looked out for that.”
Though Bill Stout asked some questions on thispoint, Raimundo declined to say in what manner hehad provided for his rations.
“Do you know who are in charge on board now?”asked Bill.
“Only Mr. Salter and one of the stewards,” repliedthe fugitive.
“Why don’t you use your chance while Marline andRimmer are ashore, and leave the vessel? You canget away without being seen.”
“I can’t get out of the vessel without going throughthe cabin where Mr. Salter is,” answered Raimundo;but the suggestion gave him a lively hope.
“Yes, you can: you can get out by the fore–scuttle, goover the bow, and roost on the bobstay till a shoreboat comes along,” added Bill. “Only you musn’t letthe steward see you. Salter is in the cabin, and hewon’t know any thing about it.”
Raimundo was grateful for the suggestion, thoughhe was not willing to acknowledge it, considering thesource from which it came. Hugo would help him,instead of being a hinderance. The steward w
ould calla boat, and have it all ready for him when he got outof the vessel. He could even keep Mr. Salter in thecabin, while he made his escape, by engaging his attentionin some matter of business.
“I will see what I can do,” said the fugitive as heleft the ladder.
He went aft to the cabin ladder, and raised thescuttle an inch. Hugo was setting the table for Mr.Salter’s lunch. He saw the trap–door raised, and heimmediately went below for a jar of pickles. In fiveminutes Raimundo had recited his plan to him. Infive minutes more Hugo had a boat at the bow ofthe Tritonia, waiting for its passenger. At half–pasttwelve, Hugo called Mr. Salter to his lunch; and,when this gentleman took his seat at the table, Hugoraised the trap, and slammed it down as though it hadnot been in place before. Raimundo understood thesignal.
The fugitive went forward, and ascended to thedeck by the fore–scuttle. He was making his way overthe bow when he found that he was followed by BillStout and Bark Lingall.
“What are you doing here?” demanded Raimundo,astonished and annoyed at the action of the incendiaries.
“We are going with you,” replied Bill Stout. “Overwith you! if you say a word, we will call Salter.”
Raimundo dropped into the boat that was waitingfor him, and the villains from the brig followed him.