_ CHAPTER TWENTY.
For a few moments I could not utter a word in that black darkness. I heard Mr Frewen give a sudden start and his elbow jar against the partition, but he too was silent, save that I could hear his hurried breathing.
Then some one spoke again--
"Can't you hear me there? I says, how are you getting on?"
"Bob Hampton!" I cried excitedly.
"Pst! Steady, my lad. Bob Hampton it is. But don't shout, or some 'un 'll hear you, and 'll come along the deck overhead and cut me adrift."
"But what are you doing there?"
"Hanging on to a bit o' line made fast to a belaying-pin."
"But why? What do you want, sir?"
"Will yer keep quiet, my lad?" whispered the man, excitedly. "I don't want to hear old Jarette sawing through this rope. What do I want? Come, I like that, arter risking all this here to get a word with you."
"Go back to your friends, you scoundrel," whispered Mr Frewen; "you have come to spy upon us!"
"Wheer's my lantern, then? Man can't spy a night like this, when it's as black as inside a water-cask in a ship's hold."
"Mr Frewen is right," I said. "Go back to your friends."
"Arn't got none forrard, leastwise only two; I've come to say 'how de do.'"
"Don't trust him, Mr Frewen, he's a traitor," I whispered; only Hampton evidently heard.
"Come, I like that, Mr Dale, sir. But I say, how could you be so easily took in? Theer was nothing else for a man to do but to go with the bad beggars, and when I seemed to jyne 'em, why of course Neb Dumlow and old Barney joined at once."
"Bob!" I ejaculated, as a feeling of delight sent a flush of blood to my cheeks, and I felt hot and excited once more, "you don't mean to say that--"
"But I just do, sir. 'Tarn't likely I should run all this risk if I didn't mean it."
"You hear, Mr Frewen," I whispered.
"Yes, but--"
"Look here," said Bob Hampton, angrily, "am I to creep in and stuff something into your mouth, Mr Dale, sir? You don't know how sounds run on a still night like this. It's grim death for me if I'm found out."
"Then you are true to us all the same, Bob?" I cried, reaching out to lay my hand upon the man's shoulder.
"True as gorspel, sir; and ready along with Neb Dumlow and Barney Blane to pitch old Frenchy overboard, or drown him in a water-cask, if you say the word, or Mr Frewen either, though I'd rayther take it from you, my lad, as you're one of the officers of the Burgh Castle and it'd come better like than from our doctor, and no disrespectment either."
"How are we to know that we are to trust you, Hampton?" said Mr Frewen.
"Tell you dreckly, sir, soon as I can get foot-hold. I'm pretty strong in the arms, but you can't hang by them as long as you can stand on your legs, 'less you're born a monkey, which I warn't. You see there's no board nor nothing to get a foot on, and I knows without trying that I couldn't get through that window."
"How can we help him, Dale?" whispered Mr Frewen. "I suppose we must trust him?"
"Trust him? Yes, of course. Stop a moment. Yes, I know." Then thrusting my arms out--"Hold hard a minute, Bob," I whispered. "Let me get hold of the rope and haul up the end."
"What for, lad?"
"For us to draw in here and make fast, then you can stand in the bight like a stirrup."
"Well, you are a wunner, Mr Dale, sir," he replied. "Haul away, there's plenty down below; I should never have thought of that."
In a very few seconds I had pulled in the lower part of the rope by which he was swinging, got hold of the dripping end and passed it to Mr Frewen, letting the rest fall back like a big loop, but not so quietly as I could have wished. Then we hauled in slowly, till after a little management we had the bight so exactly adjusted that Bob Hampton's feet rested upon it while we held the rope tight.
"Hah!" he whispered, with his face close to the cabin-window, "that rests my flippers. Mind, I'm going to ease off a bit now, but if you two slacken down I shall go, and there won't be time to say good-bye."
"You may trust us, Bob," I said.
"Ay, ay, my lad, I will, and the least thing as you can do is to trust me and my mates."
"I will, Bob, and I'm sure Mr Frewen will, but we couldn't help thinking you were a traitor."
"Course you couldn't, lad. On'y nat'ral. But you see now as it was on'y make-believe."
"There's my hand, Hampton," said Mr Frewen.
"Thankye kindly, sir. That sounds English, on'y I can't give it a grip, 'cause I'm holding on. But if you'd just stuff one finger in my mouth I'll bite it if you like, to show I mean square and honest by you all."
"Never mind that, Hampton," said Mr Frewen; "we'll take it as being all right."
"Right it is then," said Bob Hampton, with a satisfied grunt, "on'y let's speak gently."
"Can you help us to escape, Bob?" I whispered. "Can't we re-take the ship?"
"Steady, my lad, don't get out o' breath. That's what we come about, and Neb Dumlow's bylin' over to do it."
"Tell us first what is the state of affairs," said Mr Frewen.
"State of affairs is, that all the orficers and you the doctor, along with the passengers, is prisoners, and Frenchy Jarette's skipper of the Burgh Castle, with that there rat of a 'prentice or middy, or whatever he calls hisself, first mate."
"But where are we going?" said Mr Frewen.
"Nobody knows but Frenchy, and there is times when I think he don't know. For he's as mad as a whole cargo o' hatters or he'd never ha' done what he has. But look sharp, sir, I can't stop long. If he found out, he'd cut the rope and send me adrift as soon as look at me, and that would be a pity, 'cause if there's one man as I do respeck and like it's Bob Hampton, mariner, spite of his looks."
"Yes, we'll be quick," said Mr Frewen.
"Is anything the matter?" came in a loud whisper.
"Oh lor'! Here I goes," groaned Bob Hampton.
"No, no; it's all right," I whispered. "That was only Mr Preddle."
"I thought it was Frenchy, sir."
"Hush! No, nothing wrong. Help come," whispered Mr Frewen. "Wait!"
Then coming back to the window--
"Now, Hampton, what can you suggest?"
"Well, sir, I've been thinking that if you gents--Pst!"
He ceased whispering in at the cabin-window, for just then we heard steps overhead as if two people were walking along the deck, and directly after I could make out voices in eager conversation fairly loud for a few moments, and then they died away, and I knew by the sounds that the speakers had gone right aft. Then Jarette's voice was heard making inquiries of the man at the wheel, to whom he stopped talking for a few minutes, which seemed to extend into an age of anxiety to me who listened so anxiously and in such dread lest the scoundrel should return and lean over the bulwark, or run his hand along, feel the rope, and so discover poor Hampton. Then I felt sure that he would have no hesitation in cutting him adrift, and that meant death to a brave and true man.
I felt a horrible pang of dread at these thoughts, and softly thrusting out my hand, I felt for and gripped Bob Hampton's great paw as it held on to the rope, and then whispering to Mr Frewen to do the same, I took tightly hold of the man's wrist with some idea of saving him if the scoundrel on deck should hear, and cut the rope.
The next minute, to my horror, as with one hand grasping the rope and the other Bob Hampton's arm, Mr Frewen and I stood face to face close to the cabin-window, we heard the voices on deck come nearer, then stop just overhead, and as far as I could judge, the speaker stood leaning against the bulwarks, so that we could distinctly hear Walters say--
"Why don't you send them all adrift in one of the boats?"
"Because we are not near enough to land, my son," replied Jarette; "and I am so anxious about my young lieutenant. It would grieve me to death to see him hung for a pirate."
"I wish you would talk common-sense, Jarette, and not be so fond of chaffing me. You'll make me wish some day that I had not joined you."
The Frenchman laughed derisively. "Why, my little brave," he cried, "what a dust-filled-eyed one you think me. Do I not know that you have been in a tremble ever since?"
"No, you don't," said Walters, sharply. "I'm sure I've done everything I can."
"My faith, yes; we will say it is so," said Jarette, with another sneering laugh. "It is wonderful how nervous men are who have their necks in the noose--boys too."
At that moment we felt Hampton softly loosen his hold of the rope with one hand, and pass it and his arm in at the window so as to get a grip inside, for evidently he expected that the rope would be discovered and cut. Though even then, unless Jarette were willing to save him, it would only be prolonging his existence for a few minutes, since it would have been impossible for us to draw so bulky a man through the circular hole which lit and ventilated Mr Frewen's cabin.
But he was safe for the time, come what might, and we remained there listening to the conversation overhead, gathering that there was very little friendship existing between Walters and his new captain, who let us know that he was in great perplexity about his prisoners, and certainly not in the mind then to end their lives. What might happen afterwards we could not say.
At last, after some minutes that felt like hours, they went on and down the ladder to the lower deck.
"Phew!" panted Bob Hampton. "Oh, my lad, my lad, why didn't you whistle a jig out of the window?"
"Why didn't I what?" I cried.
"Whistle a toon, my lad. That would ha' let 'em know you could hear 'em talking, and they'd ha' gone. Hold me tight, please, for I'm 'bout spent."
The man spoke so faintly that we took alarm.
"No, no, Bob," I whispered. "Don't say that. Rest for a few moments, and then climb back on deck."
"Rest?" he said, in so pitiful a tone that I tightened my grasp all I possibly could, and felt how absurd my advice was to a man in such a position.
"You couldn't haul me in?" he whispered faintly.
"No," I said despairingly. "It is impossible."
"Impossible it is," he groaned. "Well, I shall have to face it."
"What do you mean, man?" whispered Mr Frewen.
"What we've all got to face, doctor. I couldn't swarm up that rope again."
"Dale, could we get the rope round his waist, and hold him?" whispered Mr Frewen.
"Here! hist! quick!" came through the opening where Mr Preddle was listening all the time.
"Silence!" cried Mr Frewen, sternly. "What do you say, Hampton?"
"I says as if you takes the line from under my feet for half a moment down I goes, for all the feeling's gone out of my arms. I'm done."
"No, no," I whispered in desperation. "Hold on, Bob; we must--we will save you."
"Ay, lad," he said dolefully, "I'll hold on as long as I can; but if you two are going to save me, you'll have to be very smart about it, I'm afraid."
"Mr Frewen! Dale!" came from the opening.
"Silence, I say!" cried the doctor, fiercely.
"I won't be silent," cried Mr Preddle. "Here, Dale, take this; I've pushed it through as far as I can reach. Give it him. Brandy."
"Ah!" ejaculated Mr Frewen. "Quick."
I had already reached out with the hand which I had taken from Hampton's wrist, and was fishing about with it in the dark, but without a bite.
"Where is it?" I cried; but as I spoke my knuckles came in contact with the leather-covered flask so sharply, that I knocked it out of Mr Preddle's hand, and it fell with a bang on the floor, upon which the spirit began to gurgle out.
Bob Hampton groaned, and I felt that all was over; but hanging on to the rope I bent down, and guided by the sound seized the flask, gave it a shake, which told me that there was yet a good deal inside, and the next moment I was holding it to the poor fellow's lips, and listening to the gurgling the spirit made as he gulped quite a couple of mouthfuls down.
I knew he had taken it all, for I had at last raised the flask quite upright, and he drew his lips away.
"Now, Hampton," whispered Mr Frewen, "hold on for a little till the spirit begins to stimulate you."
"It's begun a'ready, doctor," was the answer. "It's put new life into me, sir, and I'm going to make a try for it directly."
"Not for a minute, man, not for a minute."
"In half a minute, sir, or it's of no good, for I'm a heavy man."
I tried to speak, but no words would come, for I felt as if my mouth and throat were quite dry, and there I stood hanging on to the rope, till in a curious hoarse whisper the man said--
"I'd say make fast the end o' the rope about me; but--"
"Can you hold on the while?" I said; for my voice came back at this.
"Try, lad."
I don't know how I did it in so short a time; but it was Bob Hampton's teaching that made me so quick, as, leaving Mr Frewen to hold up the bight, I seized the end, passed it round the man's chest, and made it fast, and as I finished he said softly--
"Here goes!"
Then he began to climb, and as he went up I soon found that the rope was being drawn through our hands. But we kept our touch of it, so that if he fell we could still let it glide till he reached the water, and then hold on till a boat was lowered to save him. Up he went, breathing very hard, higher and higher, with a loud, rustling noise. Then he stopped a little, and we tightened our hold, for we thought he was gone; but he struggled on again, up and up, and at last hung quite still, and now we felt that it was all over, for he was exhausted. I listened for the horrible splash, but it did not come, for he began again, and we heard one of his hands give a sharp smack.
"What's that?" whispered Mr Preddle through the opening, but neither of us replied.
We could not, though we knew that Bob Hampton must have loosened his grip of the rope with one hand to make a dash at the top of the bulwarks. Then there came a faint scraping sound, and I turned giddy from the cessation of the intense drag upon my brain. For I knew that the poor fellow had reached the deck. In proof thereof the rope was shaken sharply, and then jerked out of our hands. A faint scraping sound followed, and I knew it was being drawn up.
I heard no more till Mr Frewen spoke to me; his voice sounding strange through a peculiar, loud, humming noise in my ears.
"Feel better, my lad?"
"Better!" I said wonderingly. "I'm not ill."
"Oh no," he said, "not ill; only a little faint."
"Here," I said sharply, "why did you lay me on the floor?"
"You fell," he said; "or rather you slipped down. There, drink a little of this water."
"Is he all right again?" came out of the darkness in a sharp whisper.
"Yes, coming round now," I heard Mr Frewen say.
"Yes, I remember now," I cried quickly. "But Bob Hampton, did he get up safely?"
"Yes, quite safely."
Just then there was a sharp rattling of the door, and it was thrown open, while I closed my lids, so dazzling did the light of the lanterns which were held up above the heads of Jarette and Walters seem to my aching eyes. _