CHAPTER XIII.
AFTER THE BATTLE IN THE FELUCCA.
We left the second master of the Tritonia andthe two runaway seamen in a rather criticalsituation on board of the felucca. We regret thenecessity of jumping about all over Spain to keep therun of our characters; but we are obliged to conformto the arrangement of the principal,—who was absolutein his sway,—and follow the young gentlemenwherever he sends them. Though Mr. Lowington wasinformed, before his departure with the ship’s companyof the Prince, of the escape of Raimundo and the two“marines,” he was content to leave the steps for the recoveryof the runaways to the good judgment of thevice–principal in charge of the Tritonia.
Raimundo had managed his case so well that thedeparture of the three students from the vessel was notdiscovered by any one on board or on shore. If the_alguacil_ was on the lookout for his prisoner, he hadfailed to find him, or to obtain any information in regardto him. The circumstances had certainly favoredthe escape in the highest degree. The distance acrossthe harbor, the concealment afforded by the hulls ofthe vessels of the fleet, and the shadow of the sea–wallunder which the fugitives had placed themselves, hadprevented them from being seen. Indeed, no onecould have seen them, except from the deck of theTritonia or the Josephine; and probably those onboard of the latter were below, as they were on theformer.
Of course Mr. Salter, the chief steward of the Tritonia,was very much astonished when he found thatthe prisoners had escaped from the brig. Doubtless hemade as much of an excitement as was possible withonly one of his assistants to help him. He had noboat; and he was unable to find one from the shoretill the felucca was well out of the harbor. ProbablyHugo was as zealous as the occasion required in theinvestigation of the means by which the fugitives hadescaped; but he was as much astonished as his chiefwhen told that Bill Stout and Bark Lingall were gone.The brig was in its usual condition, with the doorlocked; but the unfastened scuttle soon disclosed themode of egress selected by the rogues. Mr. Pelham,assisted by Mr. Fluxion, vice–principal of the Josephine,did all they could to find the two “marines,”without any success whatever; but they had no suspicionthat the second master, who had disappeared thenight before, was one of the party.
The next morning all hands from the two consortswere sent on board of the American Prince. Mr.Fluxion was the senior vice–principal, and had the commandof the vessel. The ship’s company of the Josephineformed the starboard, and that of the Tritoniathe port watch. The officers took rank in each gradeaccording to seniority. Mr. Fluxion was unwilling tosail until he had drilled this miscellaneous ship’s companyin their new duties. He had a superabundanceof officers, and it was necessary for them to know theirplaces. In the morning he had telegraphed to theprincipal at Saragossa, in regard to the fugitives; andthe order came back for him to sail without them. Mr.Lowington was not disposed to waste much of his timein looking for runaways: they were pretty sure to comeback without much assistance. At noon the Princesailed for Lisbon; and all on board of her weredelighted with the novelty of the new situation. As itis not necessary to follow the steamer, which safelyarrived at Lisbon on the following Sunday morning, wewill return to Raimundo and his companions.
Filipe, struggling, and swearing the heaviest oaths,was bound hand and foot in the bottom of the felucca,and lashed to the heel of the mainmast. Juan layinsensible in the space between the cuddy and themainmast, where he had fallen when the young Spaniardhit him with the spare tiller. The boat hadbroached to when the helm was abandoned by theboatman’s son, to go to the assistance of his father.Of course Raimundo and Bark were very much excitedby this sudden encounter; and it had required theunited strength of both of them to overcome the boatman,though he was not a large man. Bill Stout haddone nothing. He had not the pluck to help secureFilipe after he had been thrown down, or ratherdragged down, by Bark.
As soon as the victory was accomplished, Raimundosprang to the helm, and brought the felucca up to hercourse again. His chest heaved, and his breathing wasso violent as to be audible. Bark was in no bettercondition; and, if Juan had come to his senses at thatmoment, he might have conquered both of them.
“Pick up that knife, Lingall,” said Raimundo, assoon as he was able to speak.
He pointed to the knife which the boatman haddropped during the struggle; and Bark picked it up.
“Now throw it overboard,” added the second master.“We can handle these men, I think, if there areno knives in the case.”
“No; don’t do that!” interposed Bill Stout. “Giveit to me.”
“Give it to you, you coward!” replied Raimundo.“What do you want of it?”
“I will use it if we get into another fight. I don’tlike to tackle a man with a knife in his hand, when Ihave no weapon of any kind,” answered Bill, who,when the danger was over, began to assume his usualbullying tone and manner.
“Over with it, Lingall!” repeated Raimundo sharply.“You are good for nothing, Stout: you had not pluckenough to touch the man after your friend had himdown.”
Bark waited for no more, but tossed the knife intothe sea. He never “took any stock” in Bill Stout’sbluster; but he had not suspected that the fellowwas such an arrant coward. As compared with Raimundo,who had risen vastly in his estimation withinthe last few hours, he thoroughly despised his fellow–conspirator.If he did not believe it before, he wassatisfied now, that the gentlest and most correct studentscould also be the best fellows. However it hadbeen before, Bill no longer had any influence over him;while he was ready to obey the slightest wish of thesecond master, whom he had hated only the day before.
“See if you can find the other knife,—the one theyoung man had,” continued Raimundo.
“I see it,” replied Bark; and he picked up the uglyweapon.
“Send it after the other. The less knives we haveon board, the better off we shall be,” added the secondmaster. “I don’t like the habit of my countrymen incarrying the _cuchilla_ any better than I do that of yoursin the use of revolvers.”
“I think it was stupid to throw away those knives,when you have to fight such fellows as these,” saidBill Stout, as he glanced at the prostrate form of theolder boatman, who was writhing to break away fromhis bonds.
“Your opinion on that subject is of no value justnow,” added Raimundo contemptuously.
“What do you say, Bark?” continued Bill, appealingto his confederate.
“I agree with Raimundo,” answered Bark. “Idon’t want to be mixed up in any fight where knivesare used.”
“And I object just as much to knifing a man as Ido to being knifed,” said Raimundo. “Though I ama Spaniard, I don’t think I would use a knife to savemy own life.”
“I would,” blustered Bill.
“No, you wouldn’t: you haven’t pluck enough to doany thing,” retorted Bark. “I advise you not to sayany thing more on this subject, Stout.”
At this moment Filipe made a desperate attempt tofree himself; and Bill retreated to the forecastle, evidentlydetermined not to be in the way if anotherbattle took place. Bark picked up the spare tiller thesecond master had dropped, and prepared to defendhimself. Another club was found, and each of thosewho had the pluck to use was well prepared foranother attack.
“Lie still, or I will hit you over the head!” saidBark to the struggling skipper, as he flourished thetiller over him.
But the ropes with which he was secured were strongand well knotted. Bark was a good sailor, and he haddone this part of the work. He looked over the fastenings,and made sure that they were all right.
“He can’t get loose, Mr. Raimundo,” said he.
“But Juan is beginning to come to his senses,”added the second master. “He has just turned halfover.”
“I hope he is not much hurt: we may get into ascrape if he is.”
“I was just thinking of that. But I don’t believehe is very badly damaged,” added Raimundo. “Ifthe old man can’t get away, suppose you look himover, and see what his condition is.”
Bark complied
with this request. Filipe seemed tobe interested in this inquiry; and he lay quite stillwhile the examination was in progress. The youngsailor found a wound and a considerable swelling onthe side of Juan’s head; but it was now so dark thathe could not distinctly see the nature of the injury.
“Have you a match, Mr. Raimundo?” he asked.
“I have not. We were not allowed to have matcheson board the Tritonia,” replied the second master.
“_Tengo pajuelas_,” said Filipe. “_Una linterna en elcamarote de proa._”
“What does he say?” inquired Bark, glad to findthat the skipper was no longer pugnacious.
“He says he has matches, and that there is a lanternin the cuddy,” replied Raimundo. “Here, Stout, lookin the cuddy, and see if you can find a lanternthere.”
Bill had the grace to obey the order, though he wastempted to refuse to do so. He found the lantern, forhe had seen it while he lay in the cuddy. He broughtit to Bark, and took the lamp out of the globe.
“You will find some matches in Filipe’s pockets,”added Raimundo.
“I have matches enough,” answered Bill.
“I forgot that you used matches,” said the secondmaster; “but I am glad you have a chance to makea better use of them than you did on board of theTritonia.”
“You needn’t say any thing! You are the firstofficer that ever run away from that vessel,” growledBill, as he lighted a match, and communicated the blazeto the wick of the lamp.
It was a kerosene–lamp, just such as is used at home,and probably came from the United States. Barkproceeded to examine the wound of Juan, and found itwas not a severe one. The young man was rapidlycoming to himself, and in a few minutes more he wouldbe able to take care of himself.
“I think we had better move him into the cuddy,”suggested Bark. “We can make him comfortablethere, and fasten him in at the same time.”
“That’s a capital idea, Lingall; and if Stout willtake the helm I will help you move him,” answeredRaimundo.
“I will help move him,” volunteered Bill.
“I supposed you were afraid of him,” added thesecond master. “He has about come to himself.”
Juan spoke then, and complained of his head. Barkand Bill lifted him up, and carried him to the cuddy,where they placed him on the bed of old garments uponwhich they had slept themselves during the afternoon.Bark had some little reputation among his companionsas a surgeon, probably because he always carried asheet of court–plaster in his pocket, and sometimes hadoccasion to attend to the wounds of his friends. Perhapshe had also a taste for this sort of thing; for hewas generally called upon in all cases of broken heads,before the chief steward, who was the amateur surgeonof the Tritonia, was summoned. At any rate, Bark,either from genuine kindness, or the love of amateursurgical dressing, was not content to let the woundedSpaniard rest till he had done something more forhim. He washed the injury in fresh water, closed theugly cut with a piece of court–plaster, and then boundup the head of the patient with his own handkerchief.
The wounded man tried to talk to him; but he couldnot understand a word he said. If his father spokeEnglish, it was certain that the son did not. When hehad done all this, Bark relieved Raimundo at the helm,and the latter went forward to talk with the patient,who was so quiet that Bark had not thought of fasteningthe door of the cuddy.
“I am well now,” said Juan, “and I want to go out.”
“You must not go out of this place; if you do, weshall hit you over the head again,” replied the secondmaster sternly.
“Where is my father?” asked the patient.
“He is tied hand and foot; and we shall tie you inthe same way if you don’t keep still and obey orders,”added Raimundo. “Lie still where you are, and noharm shall be done to you.”
Raimundo, taking the lantern with him, left thecuddy, and fastened it behind him with the padlock hefound in the staple. Putting the key in his pocket, hemade an examination into the condition of Filipe, withthe aid of the lantern. He found him still securelybound, and, better than that, as quiet as a lamb.
“How is my son?” asked he.
“He is doing very well. We have dressed hiswound, and he will be as well as ever in a day or two,”replied Raimundo.
“_Gracias, muchos gracias!_” exclaimed the prisoner.
“If we had been armed as you were, he might havelost his life,” added Raimundo, moving aft to the helm.“I think we are all right, Lingall.”
“I am very glad of it. We came very near gettinginto a bad scrape,” replied Bark.
“It is bad enough as it is. I have been afraid ofsomething of this kind ever since we got well out ofthe port of Barcelona,” continued the second master.“The villain asked me so many questions about mymoney that my suspicions were excited, and I was onthe watch for him. Then he was so anxious that weshould drink wine, I was almost sure he meant mischief.”
“I am very sorry I drank any wine. It only makesmy head ache,” replied Bark penitently.
“I have heard my uncle speak of these men; and Iknow something about them.”
“The wine did not make my head ache,” said Bill.
“That’s because there is nothing in it,” answeredRaimundo, who could not restrain his contempt for theincendiary.
“But I do not understand exactly how the fight wasbegun,” said Bark. “The first I knew, the boatmansprang at you.”
“That’s the first I knew, though I was on the lookoutfor him, as I had been all the afternoon. Heunderstood what I meant when I told you this manmeans mischief.”
“But he told you he could not speak English.”
“Most of the boatmen speak more or less English:they learn it from the passengers they carry. Hewanted to know whether we had money before he didany thing. He was probably satisfied that we hadsome before he attempted to assault us.”
“I know you have money,” cried Filipe, in English;and he seemed to be more anxious to prove the correctnessof his conclusion than to disprove his wickedintentions.
“You have not got any of it yet,” replied Raimundo.
“But I will have it!” protested the villain.
“You tempt me to throw you and your son overboard,”said Raimundo sternly, in Spanish.
“Not my son,” answered the villain, suddenly changinghis tone. “He is his mother’s only boy.”
“You should have thought of that before you broughthim with you on such business.”
The boatman, for such a villain as he was, seemed tohave a strange affection for his son; and Raimundo wasalmost willing to believe he had not intended till sometime after they left the port to rob his passengers. Perhaps,with the aid of the wine, he had expected an easyvictory; for, though the students were all stout fellows,they were but boys.
“I will not harm you if you do not injure my boy,”pleaded Filipe.
“It is not in your power to harm us now; for wehave all the power,” replied the second master.
“But you are deserters from your ship. I can tellwhere you are,” added Filipe, with something liketriumph in his tones.
“We expect you to tell all you know as soon as youreturn.”
“I can do it in Tarragona: they will arrest you thereif I tell them.”
“We are not afraid of that: if we were, we shouldthrow you and your son overboard.”
Filipe did not like this side of the argument, and hewas silent for some time. It must be confessed thatRaimundo did not like his side any better. The fellowcould inform the police in Tarragona that the partywere deserters, and cause them to be sent back to Barcelona.Though this was better than throwing theboatman and his son overboard, which was only an idlethreat, it would spoil all his calculations, and defeatall his plans. He studied the case for some time, afterhe had explained to Bark what had passed betweenhimself and Filipe in Spanish.
“You want more money than you were to receivefor the boat; do you, Filipe?” asked he.
“I have to pay five hundred _reales_ on this boat inthree d
ays, or lose it and my small one too,” repliedthe boatman; and the passenger was not sure he didnot invent the story as he went along. “I am not abad man; but I want two hundred _reales_ more thanyou are to pay me.”
“Then you expect me to pay what I agreed, afterwhat has happened, do you?”
“You promised to pay it.”
“And you promised to take me to Tarragona; andyou have been trying to murder me on the way,” exclaimedRaimundo indignantly.
“Oh, no! I did not mean to kill you, or to hurtyou; only to take two hundred _reales_ from you,”pleaded the boatman, with the most refreshing candor.
“That’s all; is it?”
The villain protested, by the Virgin and all the saintsin the Spanish calendar, that he had not intended anything more than this; and Raimundo translated whathe said to his companion.
“There are a lot of lights on a high hill ahead,”said Bill Stout, who had been looking at the shore,which was only a short distance from them.
“That must be Tarragona,” replied the second master,looking at his watch by the light of the lantern.“It is ten minutes of seven; and we have been sixhours on the trip. I thought it would take about thistime. That must be Tarragona; it is on a hill eighthundred feet high.”
“We have been sailing very fast, the last threehours,” added Bark. “But how are we to get out ofthis scrape?”
“I will see. Keep a sharp lookout on the starboard,Lingall; and, when you see a place where you think wecan make a landing, let me know.—Can you steer,Stout, and keep her as she is?”
“Of course I can steer. I don’t give up to anyfellow in handling a boat,” growled Bill.
Raimundo gave him the tiller; but he watched himfor a time, to see that he made good his word. Thebully did very well, and kept the felucca parallel withthe shore, as she had been all the afternoon.
“There is a mole makes out from the shore,” continuedthe active skipper to Bark, who had goneforward of the foremast to do the duty assigned tohim.
“Ay, ay! I can see it,” replied Bark.
“I think we need not quarrel, Filipe,” said Raimundo,bending over the prisoner, and unloosing therope that bound his hands to the mast; but they werestill tied behind him. “We are almost into Tarragona,and what we do must be done quickly.”
“Don’t harm Juan,” pleaded Filipe.
“That will depend on yourself, whether we do ornot,” replied Raimundo, as fiercely as he could speak.“We are not to be trifled with; and Americans carrypistols sometimes.”
“I will do what you wish,” answered Filipe.
“I will give you what I agreed, and two hundred_reales_ besides, if you will keep still about our beingdeserters; and that is all the money we have.”
“_Gracias!_ I will do it!” exclaimed the boatman.“Release me, and I will land you outside of the mole,and not go near the town to speak to any person.”
“I am afraid to trust you.”
“You can trust a Catalan when he promises;” andFilipe proceeded to call upon the Virgin and the saintsto witness what he said.
“Where can we land?” asked the second master.
The boatman looked over the rail of the felucca;and, when he had got his bearings, he indicated a pointwhere a safe landing might be made. It was not aquarter of a mile distant; and Filipe said the mainsailought to be furled. Raimundo picked up the sparetiller,—for, in spite of the Catalan’s oath and promise,he was determined to be on the safe side,—and thenunfastened the ropes that bound the prisoner.
“If you play me false, I will brain you with thisclub, and pitch your son into the sea!” said Raimundo,as tragically as he could do the business.
“I will be true to my promise,” he replied, as hebrailed up the mainsail.
“You see that your money is ready for you as soonas you land us,” continued Raimundo, as he showedthe villain five _Isabelinos_ he held in one hand, while hegrasped the spare tiller with the other.
“_Gracias!_” replied Filipe, who was possibly satisfiedwhen he found that he was to make the full sum hehad first named as his price; and it may be that he wastempted by the urgency of his creditor to rob his passengers.
“Have your pistol ready, Lingall!” added Raimundo,as the boatman, who had taken the helm from Bill, threwthe felucca up into the wind, and her keel began tograte on the rocks.
“Ay, ay!” shouted Bark.
The boat ran her long bow up to the dry land, andhung there by her bottom. Raimundo gave the fivehundred _reales_ to Filipe, and sprang ashore with thetiller in his hand. Calling to Bark, they shoved off thefelucca, and then ran for the town.