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diff --git a/40563.txt b/40563.txt deleted file mode 100644 index c5d619d..0000000 --- a/40563.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8484 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, Captain Calamity, by Rolf Bennett - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - - - - -Title: Captain Calamity - Second Edition - - -Author: Rolf Bennett - - - -Release Date: August 22, 2012 [eBook #40563] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CAPTAIN CALAMITY*** - - -E-text prepared by sp1nd, Mary Meehan, and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made -available by Internet Archive (http://archive.org) - - - -Note: Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - http://archive.org/details/cu31924011107400 - - - - - -CAPTAIN CALAMITY - -by - -ROLF BENNETT - -Author of "The Adventures of Lieut. Lawless, R.N." - -Second Edition - - - - - - - -Hodder And Stoughton -London New York Toronto -MCMXVI - -Printed in Great Britain by Hazell, Watson & Viney, Ld., -London and Aylesbury. - - - - - To - MY WIFE - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER I. THE PARTNERS 13 - - CHAPTER II. THE DEPARTURE OF THE "HAWK" 21 - - CHAPTER III. MUTINY 29 - - CHAPTER IV. THE CASTAWAYS 36 - - CHAPTER V. DORA FLETCHER 44 - - CHAPTER VI. MR. DYKES RECEIVES HIS LESSON 53 - - CHAPTER VII. THE AGITATOR 61 - - CHAPTER VIII. THE PRIZE 69 - - CHAPTER IX. TRAGEDY 78 - - CHAPTER X. THE CAPTAIN'S "APPEAL" 86 - - CHAPTER XI. THE FIGHT 95 - - CHAPTER XII. A DESPERATE VENTURE 103 - - CHAPTER XIII. THE EBB TIDE 114 - - CHAPTER XIV. THE ATTACK 120 - - CHAPTER XV. MCPHULACH EXPLAINS 129 - - CHAPTER XVI. CALAMITY KEEPS HIS WORD 135 - - CHAPTER XVII. THE CONFESSION 147 - - CHAPTER XVIII. DORA FLETCHER'S CHANCE 155 - - CHAPTER XIX. AT THE WHEEL 163 - - CHAPTER XX. IN COMMAND 171 - - CHAPTER XXI. THE SIGNAL GUN 179 - - CHAPTER XXII. MR. SMITH SEEKS A PARTNER 185 - - CHAPTER XXIII. DORA FLETCHER ANSWERS "NO" 194 - - CHAPTER XXIV. THE MACHINATIONS OF MR. SOLOMON 201 - - CHAPTER XXV. THE ARREST 209 - - CHAPTER XXVI. THE TRIAL 217 - - CHAPTER XXVII. THE LETTER 228 - - CHAPTER XXVIII. HOME 239 - - CHAPTER XXIX. NOBLESSE OBLIGE 248 - - - - -CHAPTER I - -THE PARTNERS - - - "_Know all men that we do by these presents issue forth and grant - Letters of Marque and reprisals to, and do license and authorise - John Brighouse to set forth in a warlike manner the ship called the - 'Hawk,' under his own command and therewith by force of arms to - apprehend, seize and take the ships, vessels and goods belonging to - the German Empire, wherefore it may and shall be lawful for the - said John Brighouse to sell and dispose of such ships, vessels and - goods adjudged and condemned in such sort and manner as by the - course of Admiralty hath been adjudged._" - -The man who had been reading aloud from the closely written parchment -laid it down on the table and glanced inquiringly at his companion. He -was a man of between forty and fifty, a little over five feet in height, -but so squarely built that, without exaggeration, he was well-nigh as -broad as he was long. His head was small and bullet-shaped with a thatch -of wiry black hair, and his face, bronzed to a copper-hue, was -clean-shaven. A pair of thick, shaggy eyebrows brooded over eyes that -usually produced a shock when first seen; for while one was steely-grey -and possessed extraordinary mobility, the other was pale green and gazed -upon the beholder with the fixed and stony stare of a dead fish. But -this alarming optical phenomenon admitted of a simple explanation. At -some period in his eventful career, Captain Calamity--for thus he was -known throughout the length and breadth of the Pacific--had had the -misfortune to lose an eye. After experiencing some difficulty in -obtaining a glass substitute, he had at last managed to secure one -second-hand from the relative of a gentleman who no longer required it. - -The other man, Isaac Solomon by name, might have been any age from forty -to sixty. He was lean and angular, with features of a pronounced Hebraic -cast and a pair of beady black eyes that conveyed the impression of -mingled cunning and humour. His upper lip was shaven, but he wore a -beard which, like the few remaining hairs upon his head, was of a dingy -grey colour. - -This oddly assorted pair were seated in a small room, half parlour, half -office, at the rear of the premises wherein Mr. Solomon carried on the -business of ship-chandler. The one window, partly shuttered to keep out -the fierce glare of the sun, looked out upon Singapore Harbour, with its -forest of masts and busy fleet of small craft darting to and fro across -the sparkling, unruffled surface of the water. - -"That good enough for you, Solomon?" inquired Captain Calamity, tapping -the parchment. - -"Vell----" the other paused and meditatively rubbed the palms of his -long, skinny hands together. "I suppose," he went on hesitatingly, "it -is all O.K.; genuine--eh?" - -"What; this letter of authority?" - -Mr. Solomon nodded in a deprecating, half-apologetic sort of way. - -"I thought that the British Government did not issue any Letters of----" - -"Listen!" interrupted his companion, snatching up the document. "'In the -name and on the behalf of His Britannic Majesty, King George the -Fifth----'" - -He stopped abruptly and, pushing the parchment across the table with an -impatient gesture, pointed to a signature just above the large red seal. - -"Look at that," he said. - -Mr. Solomon scrutinised the signature as a bank clerk might scrutinise a -doubtful cheque. - -"Yes," he murmured at last, "it is not a forg--I mean," he corrected -himself hastily, happening to catch the Captain's eye, "it seems quite -genuine. Oh yes, quite. Still, I would like to know----" - -"How I came by this authority--eh?" broke in the other with a -contemptuous laugh. "And you'd like to know why I'm referred to there as -John Brighouse and not as Captain Calamity. You're itching to know, -aren't you, Solly?" - -"Merely as a matter of pissness." - -"Exactly. Well, as a matter of business, I'm not going to enlighten you. -How I obtained the Letters of Marque is my concern; the reason why I am -referred to therein as John Brighouse is not your concern. For the rest, -to you and to every one else in these parts, my name remains what it -always has been--Captain Calamity. Savvy?" - -"A tree is known by its fruit--eh, Captain?" And Mr. Solomon -laughed--that is to say, his throat emitted a strange, creaking noise -which suggested that his vocal organs needed oiling, while his lips -twitched convulsively. - -"And your ship," he went on when this mirthful mood had passed, "vere is -she?" - -"That is a question which you can answer better than I." - -Mr. Solomon's face was eloquently interrogative. - -"I mean that, if you intend to join in this little venture with me, you -must solve the problem." - -"But I don't understand," said the other anxiously. "You tell me you -have a ship called the _Hawk_, and now----" he shrugged his shoulders -with a helpless gesture. - -"I'm afraid your enthusiasm's carried you away, friend Solomon. I never -said anything of the sort. The _Hawk_ referred to in that document is a -legal fiction--an illegal fiction some might call it. If you want to go -in for pigeon-plucking, you must provide the bird of prey," and Captain -Calamity chuckled grimly at his own facetiousness. - -"Me! Provide a ship! Out of the question!" cried Mr. Solomon, backing -nervously from the table as though the mere suggestion alarmed him. - -Calamity reached across the table and took from a box a big, fat, -Burmese cigar. This he proceeded to light, which done, he leaned back in -his chair and emitted huge clouds of smoke with obvious satisfaction. - -"You must think of something else, Captain," went on his companion, -drawing still farther away from the table to escape being suffocated by -the Captain's smoke. - -"Now see here," said Calamity, taking the cigar from his mouth and -speaking with great deliberation. "You're a clever business man; a -damned clever business man, or you wouldn't have kept out of jail all -these years. Well, here's a business proposition after your own heart. -You provide the ship and fit her out, and I'll provide the crew. Then, -within three months, I'll undertake to earn a bigger dividend for each -of us than you, with all your rascality, could make in a year. Doesn't -that tickle your palate, my friend?" - -He paused and watched with a smile the obvious signs of perturbation on -his companion's face. It was clear to him that in the mind of Mr. -Solomon a terrific battle was in progress between exceeding avarice and -excessive caution. - -"Vat security could you give?" asked the Jew at last. The struggle must -have been fierce, for he drew from his pocket a large, yellow silk -handkerchief and mopped the beads of perspiration from his face. - -"Security!" echoed Calamity fiercely. "Why, the security of my name. -Have you ever known me break my word, Solomon? Is there, in the whole of -the Pacific to-day, a man living whom I've sworn to kill?" - -Mr. Solomon started uneasily and edged towards the window as though to -be in readiness to call for help if necessary. - -"But there aren't many enemy ships to capture now," he protested in a -feeble voice. "They have all been driven off the seas." - -"I'll wager there are enough ships left to pay a healthy dividend on -your capital, Solomon. Besides, if the supply does run short we're not -dainty and----" He concluded his sentence with a grimly significant -laugh. - -For some moments there was silence, broken only by the Captain's puffing -as he exhaled cloud after cloud of fierce tobacco-smoke. Mr. Solomon's -expressive countenance was again exhibiting signs of deep mental -agitation, and his brow was wrinkled by a perplexed frown. Suddenly this -cleared away and into his shifty eyes there came the triumphant look of -one who has unexpectedly found the solution to a seemingly impossible -problem. The change was so marked that Calamity regarded him with -undisguised suspicion, for when Solomon looked like that it generally -meant that somebody was going to be made wise by experience. - -"I vill dink it over," he said at last. - -A bland smile came over Calamity's face. He had not had intimate -business relations with his companion during the past ten years for -nothing, and knew that this was mere bluff, a sort of playful -coquettishness on Mr. Solomon's part. But he, also, was an old hand at -this game as his next remark proved. - -"Please yourself," he answered indifferently, rising as if to go. "You -think it over as you say, and in the meantime I'll trip over to Johore -and see your pal Rossenbaum. He may be glad of the chance to----" - -"Vait a minute! Vait a minute!" interrupted Mr. Solomon, starting to his -feet. "Vat you in such a 'urry for?" - -In moments of excitement he was apt to drop the _h's_ which at other -times he assiduously cultivated. - -"Well, you don't suppose I'm going to hang about Singapore and get drunk -on the local aperients while you make up your mind, do you?" inquired -Calamity. - -"Now just you sit down, Captain, and ve'll talk the matter over," said -Mr. Solomon in a mollifying tone. "Make yourself at home now." - -With an appearance of great reluctance, Captain Calamity reseated -himself and took another big, rank cigar from the box on the table. - -"Go ahead," he said laconically as he lit the poisonous weed. - -"Vat I propose," began Mr. Solomon, "is that you give me a bond...." - -He continued for over half an hour to state his conditions, Calamity -never once interrupting him. When he had got through the Captain threw -the stump of his third cigar out of the window and drew his chair closer -to the table. - -"Now you've used up your steam, and, I hope, feel better, we'll talk -business," he said in a cool, determined voice. - -Two hours elapsed before Captain Calamity rose to his feet and prepared -for departure. It had been a tremendous battle, for Mr. Solomon's -demands had continued to be outrageous and he had resisted every -reduction tooth and nail. But they had at last come to an agreement, -though, even so, each felt that he was conceding far too much to the -other. The main points were, that Isaac Solomon was to procure a ship -and fit her out; that the profits of each privateering expedition were -to be divided into four equal shares, of which the partners each took -one. The remaining two shares were to be used for refitting, -victualling, bonuses for the crew, wages, and so forth. Mr. Solomon's -connection with the venture was to be kept secret from every one but his -partner, for, with a modesty that had its root in wisdom, the -ship-chandler avoided publicity as much as possible. - -"I suppose you're going to wet the contract?" remarked Calamity as he -picked up his hat. - -Mr. Solomon affected not to understand. - -"Vet it?" he inquired innocently. - -"Yes, drink to the prosperity of the venture, partner." - -With no great show of alacrity, Mr. Solomon crossed to a cupboard and -was about to bring out a bottle of red wine, when Calamity stopped him. - -"Damn you!" he cried. "I'm not going to drink that purple purgative; -save it for your fellow Sheenies. Come, out with that bottle of rum, you -old skinflint!" - -Mr. Solomon made a chuckling noise in his throat, and, replacing the red -fluid, brought forth a square bottle and two glasses. He was about to -dole out a modest measure, when Calamity took the bottle from him and -more than half filled one of the glasses. - -"Now help yourself, partner," he said, handing back the bottle. - -The other carefully poured out about a teaspoonful of the spirit, -deluged it with water, and then held up his glass. - -"Long life and success to Calamity and Co!" cried the Captain, and -tossed off the raw spirit with no more ado than if it had been milk. - -"Calamity and Co!" echoed Mr. Solomon in a thin, shrill voice. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -THE DEPARTURE OF THE "HAWK" - - -Captain Calamity appeared to be one of those men who, for various -reasons and often through force of circumstances, have drifted into the -backwaters of civilisation to a life of semi-barbarism. Men of this sort -are to be found all over the New World, but more particularly in the -luxuriant islands of the South Pacific, where life can be maintained -with a minimum of effort. Some are mere beachcombers, derelicts for whom -the striving, battling world has no further use. Some are just -"remittance men," social outcasts, bribed to remain at a safe distance -from their more respectable relatives. - -A few, a very few, are men obsessed by a spirit of adventure; men who -can find no scope for their superabundant energy and vitality in the -overcrowded, over-civilised cities of the world. Of such as these was -Captain Calamity. Yet his past was as much a mystery to those who knew -him as was the origin of the suggestive name by which he was known -throughout the Pacific. No one--until to-day, not even Isaac -Solomon--had the slightest inkling of his real name. And, as might be -expected under such circumstances, various stories, each more incredible -than the last, were current among the islands concerning him. Still, the -one most generally believed, no doubt because it sounded romantic, -described him as an ostracised member of an aristocratic English family -upon whom he had in earlier years brought disgrace. - -But, whatever the truth might be, Calamity never by any chance referred -to his past, and, as to the stories concerning himself, he did not take -the trouble to deny or confirm them. - -For some days after his interview with Mr. Solomon Calamity was busily -engaged in collecting a crew--a crew which, as the _Hawk_ was to be a -fighting ship, would have to consist of about thrice the number which -she would have carried as a merchantman. So far as deck-hands and -firemen were concerned this was fairly easy, but when it came to finding -officers and engineers the task proved much more difficult. Men of this -class, who, for some reason or other, found themselves adrift in -Singapore without a ship, fought shy of the notorious skipper. They -believed--and probably with very good reason--that to sail under him -would ruin all prospects of getting a job with a reputable firm again. -So, while willing enough to absorb "pegs" at the Captain's expense, they -politely declined his offers of a berth on the _Hawk_. - -Eventually, he ran across an engineer who had made several voyages with -him on trading and pearling expeditions; one Phineas McPhulach, a -little, red-haired Scotsman with no professional prospects, but an -unlimited capacity for death-dealing drinks. McPhulach, being in his -customary state of "down and out," and having no future that -necessitated consideration, eagerly accepted the berth of chief-engineer -which Calamity offered him. Moreover, he was able to introduce a -companion in misfortune named Ephraim Dykes. Mr. Dykes was a lean, -lanky individual, with a cast in one eye, and an accent that proclaimed -him a native of New England. He had once held a master's certificate, -but this, it appeared, had been suspended indefinitely owing to his ship -having piled herself up on a reef off New Guinea. Therefore, when -Calamity proposed that he should ship as first mate, he was quite -willing, as he put it, to "freeze right on." - -Partly through the instrumentality of this latter acquisition, Calamity -was able to secure a second mate in the person of Mr. Sam Smith, a -little Cockney of unsober habits. A second engineer named Sims, a -taciturn man of middle age, was also picked up, and thus Calamity -succeeded in collecting a ship's company suitable in quantity if not in -quality. - -In the meantime, Mr. Solomon had also been busy. On the day following -his entry into partnership with Calamity, he went to Johore and paid an -afternoon call on Mr. Rossenbaum, a gentleman of similar persuasions to -his own. For some weeks past they had been haggling over a business -deal, which, up to that day, had not been settled. Mr. Rossenbaum -possessed a steamer which he wanted repaired, and Mr. Solomon had the -docking facilities necessary for the job, and the only thing which had -so far stood between them was a difference of opinion as to price. - -The meeting between these two gentlemen afforded a magnificent piece of -acting. Both appeared to have forgotten all about the subject over which -they had been negotiating, and conversed amicably on neutral topics. The -war, of course, came up for discussion, and this led Mr. Solomon to -remark that money was scarce. Mr. Rossenbaum agreed, not only because it -was the truth, but because he had always maintained this view, even -when money was plentiful. - -Mr. Solomon went on to say that, in consequence of the said scarcity of -coin, he was now obliged to undertake contracts on unremunerative terms, -simply for the sake of the cash. Mr. Rossenbaum expressed his sympathy -and added, as though the matter had never before been mentioned between -them, that he had a steamer laying up, solely because he was unable to -pay the extortionate prices demanded by ship-repairers for overhauling -her. - -This was tantamount to a challenge, and Mr. Solomon accepted it. For a -time they fenced and dodged, but at last, casting aside all pretence, -came to grips over the bargain. It was a combat of wits between two men -as well matched as any in the world, and it lasted well into the -afternoon. Eventually Mr. Solomon made a great business of giving way -and agreed to accept the contract on the amended terms if half the money -were paid in advance. Mr. Rossenbaum reluctantly consented on condition -that he was allowed 5 per cent discount on the advance. Mr. Solomon -nearly fainted, and, with tears in his eyes, declared that if he agreed -ruination would stare him in the face. Finally, he consented to a 2-1/2 -per cent discount, and the business was concluded at last. Each, on -parting, assured the other that he had spent one of the most enjoyable -days of his life, and this was probably the only truthful statement -either had made throughout the interview. - -Over a week elapsed before Calamity and his partner met again, and, -contrary to the Captain's expectations, Mr. Solomon evinced no desire to -back out of the venture. On the contrary, he exhibited an almost painful -desire to see the expedition set out with as little loss of time as -possible--a fact which his partner regarded with not unreasonable -suspicion. - -"It depends on the ship," he said in reply to Mr. Solomon's eager -inquiries. "How long am I to wait for her?" - -"No need to vait at all; the ship is vaiting for you," said the other, -pointing towards a newly painted steamer in the harbour. - -Calamity gazed at the vessel and then at his companion with an air of -mistrust. Such promptitude on Mr. Solomon's part was, to say the least, -unusual. - -"What about provisions, coal, guns, and so forth?" he demanded curtly. - -"Everything's ready, and as to guns----" Mr. Solomon put his hand on the -Captain's shoulder and whispered the rest in his ear. - -"H'm," grunted Calamity, "I hope she's not some cursed old derelict -you've picked up for a song." - -"Picked up for a song!" echoed Mr. Solomon indignantly. "Vat you mean? -She cost me----" - -"Well?" inquired Calamity with interest as the other paused abruptly. - -"Nodding--I mean," Mr. Solomon corrected himself hastily, "it has -noddings to do with the matter. She is a peautiful ship." - -"We shall see," said the Captain, rising to leave. "I'll go and have a -look at your hooker now and see what she's like. Meet you this evening." - -Mr. Solomon nodded, and stood watching the short, squat figure of his -partner disappear in the direction of the harbour. Then, rubbing his -hands together and chuckling wheezily, he turned away from the window. - -On reaching the harbour, Calamity engaged a sampan and was taken to the -steamer. There being no one on board, he was able to make an -uninterrupted and very thorough examination, and, to his surprise, found -that she was all that Solomon had claimed her to be. She was -comparatively new--not more than five years old at most--of about 3,000 -odd tons and with every indication of being seaworthy and sound. The -food, too, was not as bad as it might have been; some of it, indeed, -seemed quite eatable. Moreover, Mr. Solomon, in an extraordinary fit of -liberality, had not only re-painted the ship, but had also caused the -name _Hawk_ to be emblazoned on her stern in letters of gold--which, by -the way, Calamity had painted out the very next day. Nor had Solomon -forgotten the primary object of the expedition, for in the after-hold -were six machine-guns--rather antiquated as such weapons go, perhaps, -but most decidedly serviceable. Ammunition and small-arms were there in -plenty, the latter a somewhat miscellaneous collection of varying -degrees of deadliness. - -The Captain, as he noted all this, felt a growing sense of perplexity. -It was so utterly unlike Mr. Solomon to do anything thoroughly--always -excepting his clients, of course--that he felt almost apprehensive. He -was like an animal, sniffing an appetising morsel, while fearing that it -was merely the bait of some concealed trap. For some time he stood -leaning on the bulwarks thinking hard, but at last the worried -expression left his face and was succeeded by a smile; a smile that -would not have made Mr. Solomon any the happier had he seen it. - -Having made himself acquainted with the ship, Calamity decided to waste -no further time. Going ashore again, he collected his crew and sent -them aboard under Mr. Dykes, the mate. Those who were not sober enough -to walk were carried by those who were and flung unceremoniously into -the boats--a joyful, polyglot crowd with complexions as varied as their -sins. On reaching the _Hawk_, the firemen were kicked below to get up -steam and the deck-hands set to holy-stoning and polishing. - -When Calamity came on board a little later, he sent for Mr. Dykes, and -the two had a brief conference appertaining to the work of the ship. - -"What's the crew like, Mr. Dykes?" asked the Captain presently. - -"Like!" echoed the mate. "I reckon the devil's opened hell's gates -somewheres around here and we've picked up a few of them what's got out. -There'll be red, ruddy, blazin' mutiny before a week's out, and, with -the number we've got on board, we shan't stand a yaller dog's chance." - -Calamity smiled. - -"Don't worry yourself, Mr. Dykes, I don't think we shall have very much -trouble with them. One or two, I know, have sailed with me before and -they, probably, will give the others the benefit of their experience." - -Mr. Dykes having been dismissed, chief-engineer McPhulach was summoned -to the cabin. Asked his opinion of the men under him, his reply varied -in terms but agreed in spirit with that already given by the mate. - -"The scum of the bottomless pit," was how he put it. - -"They may not be a liner's crew exactly," said Calamity in an almost -gentle voice, "but I think we shall understand one another before long." - -Whereat McPhulach departed with an almost happy smile and knocked down -an insolent fireman for the good of his soul. - -That evening, according to his promise, Captain Calamity arrived at Mr. -Solomon's store, accompanied by Mr. Dykes, whom he duly introduced. This -done, he informed his partner that he was sailing that night. - -"Vat, so soon!" ejaculated Mr. Solomon. - -"You don't want your capital lying idle longer than necessary, do you?" - -"No, no, but----" - -"Then sign these bills of lading and don't waste my time." - -Mr. Solomon turned up the smoky little oil-lamp which inadequately -illuminated the room, put on his spectacles, and proceeded to examine -the papers Calamity had thrust before him. He scrutinised each one so -long and so carefully that at last the Captain lost patience and swore -he would not sail at all unless the remainder were signed without delay. -So, much against his better judgment, Mr. Solomon put his name to the -rest without doing more than glance over the contents. - -That night the _Hawk_ weighed anchor and steamed unostentatiously out of -Singapore Harbour without troubling the customs authorities or any other -officials whatever. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -MUTINY - - -By dawn the _Hawk_ was churning her way at full speed towards the Java -Sea and a destination unknown to any one but the Captain. It was too -early to judge of the qualities of the ship, but those of the crew were -already becoming manifest. Indeed, it looked as if the prophecies of the -mate and the engineer were likely to be fulfilled sooner than even they -expected. The men did not work with a will; worse still, they didn't -even grumble. They maintained a solid, stolid, sullen silence that had -the same effect on the nerves as a black and threatening cloud on a -still day. They quarrelled amongst themselves, but for the officers they -only had lowering glances and threats muttered below the breath. One -would imagine that they had all been shanghaied or shipped under false -pretences. Besides the boatswain, his mate and a couple of -quartermasters, there were very few white men amongst them, and between -these and the rest of the crew a state of hostility already existed. - -When the boatswain's mate put his head inside the forecastle door to -call the morning watch no one swore at him, and that was a very bad sign -indeed. - -"Now then, my sons, and you know the sons I mean! Show a leg, show a -leg, show a leg!" he called. - -Nobody threw a boot at him, nobody consigned him to the nether regions, -nobody told him what his mother had been. The men tumbled out of their -bunks with surly, glowering faces and with scarcely a word spoken. - -"Rouse out! Rouse out! You hang-dog, half-caste, loafing swine!" roared -the boatswain's mate, hoping that he might thus goad them into -cheerfulness and induce a homely feeling. - -He failed, however, and though one man made a tentative movement with -his hand in the direction of a sheath-knife at his hip, nothing came of -it. - -The matter was reported to Mr. Dykes, who shook his head gloomily. - -"You ought, by rights, to be half-dead by now," he said, looking -resentfully at the boatswain's mate. - -The latter evidently felt his position and tried to look apologetic. - -"Can't even get an honest curse out of 'em," he said. "They've had three -feeds already, and the cook says not one's threatened to kill 'im. He -don't like it because, of course, he feels something's wrong. 'Tain't -natural that men should just fetch their grub and go away without -telling the cook just what they think of 'im. I've never see'd anything -like it before." - -"Something's going to bust, and pretty soon," remarked the mate. "An' -it'll be a gaudy shindy when it does." - -Later on he reported the state of affairs to Calamity, who merely -smiled. - -"The men are doing their work, aren't they?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"Well?" - -"The fact is, sir, things ain't settlin' down as they ought to. The ship -feels like a theatre when the boys are loosenin' their guns before the -curtain goes down. I've been in the foc'sle and there ain't so much as a -photo nor a picture-postcard nailed up. There's nothing homely about it, -sir, like you'd expect to see; no cussin' nor rowin' nor anything -cheerful." - -"Probably the men will be more cheerful later on, Mr. Dykes," answered -the Captain. "They are new to the ship, remember." - -The mate went away in deep dudgeon. So this was the notorious Captain -Calamity; the man whose name, he had been told, was sufficient to cow -the most disorderly ruffians that ever trod a ship's decks. Here he was, -with a crew who were on the very verge of mutiny, making excuses for -them and talking like some mission-boat skipper with the parson at his -elbow. It was disgusting. - -That evening he confided his opinions to McPhulach, in the latter's -cabin. - -"I reckon we've got this old man tabbed wrong," he said. "He ain't no -bucko skipper as they talks about; a crowd of Sunday School sailors is -about his mark. When I told him the men were only waitin' a good -opportunity to slit all our throats, he jest coo'd like a suckin' dove. -'Remember they're new to the ship,' says he, as soft as some old -school-marm." - -"Aye, but he's a quare mon till ye ken him," remarked the engineer -thoughtfully. - -"Queer! He'll let us all be dumped into the ditch before he raises a -finger." - -"I wouldna go sa far as tae say that. Yon's a michty strange mon, I'm -telling ye, and the lead-line hasna been made that can fathom him." - -Mr. Dykes gave a contemptuous grunt, and, as he walked away, opined that -the skipper and the chief engineer were a pair, and about as fit to -control men as their grandmothers would have been. - -As he had anticipated, matters were not long in coming to a head. At the -machine-gun drill and rifle exercise, which occupied several hours each -day, the men grew increasingly slack. On the fourth day out it was as -much as he could do to get the men to obey orders, and if ever a crew -showed signs of mutiny it was the crew of the _Hawk_. But, early in the -morning of the following day, an incident occurred which, if it served -to distract everybody's attention for a little while, had the ultimate -effect of bringing about the long-threatened crisis. - -The grey mist of dawn still lay upon the waters, when the sound of -firing was heard, apparently coming from the eastward. The _Hawk's_ -course was changed slightly and an hour later those on the bridge were -able to make out, with the aid of glasses, a small German gunboat -"holding up" a French liner. - -"Guess we could sink that little steam can as easy as swallowin' a -cocktail," remarked the mate. "Say, Cap'n, do we butt in here?" - -Instead of answering, Calamity stepped up to the engine-room telegraph -and rang down "Stop!" By this time the Germans could be seen conveying -things from the liner to their own vessel, and, somehow or other, the -rumour spread among the _Hawk's_ crew that they were bullion cases. -Presently the liner was allowed to proceed on her way, and the German -steamed off in a north-easterly direction. Then Calamity rang down, -"Full speed!" to the engine-room and turned to the mate. - -"Follow that packet," he said, indicating the German, "but don't -overhaul her." - -"Then we're goin' to let that square-head breeze away?" asked Mr. Dykes -in a tone of acute disappointment. "Durned if this lay-out don't get me -stuck," he went on. "We could have froze on to them bars ourselves." - -His opinion of Captain Calamity had touched zero by now, and he hardly -troubled to conceal his contempt. He, like the remainder of the _Hawk's_ -company, knew that she was engaged on a privateering expedition, and was -eager to "taste blood." And it must be admitted that Calamity had -induced many of the men to ship with him by holding out promises of fat -bonuses, with, perhaps, the opportunity of a little plundering thrown -in. Now, when chance had thrown what appeared to be a rich prize under -their very noses, the skipper was calmly letting it slip through his -fingers. - -It was pretty obvious that the mate's resentment was shared by the crew. -For the last half-hour they had lined the bulwarks, watching the Germans -transfer their plunder from the liner. Every man-Jack of them felt -certain that, in the course of a very short time, that same plunder -would find its way on board the _Hawk_ with material benefit to -themselves. When, however, it was seen that the Captain had no intention -of carrying out their notion, scowling faces were turned towards the -bridge, and there were angry mutterings. Soon the muttering grew louder, -and at last one of the men, a huge serang, stepped out of the crowd, and -shook his fist at Calamity, who was watching from the bridge. - -Then, urged on by the others, he demanded that the ship should be put -back to Singapore and the men discharged with a month's wages. They did -not like, he said, being on a ship without knowing what port she was -bound for. They did not like the officers, and, more than anything -else, they did not like the Captain. The spokesman wound up his -peroration in broken English by hinting that, unless the _Hawk_ was put -about at once, the crew would take charge of her. - -All this while Calamity had stood leaning on the bridge-rail, listening -to the serang with an expression of quiet, almost anxious, attention. -The mate, watching him out of the corner of his eyes, saw no sign of -that terrible berserker rage with which he had so often heard the -Captain credited. In fact, a member of Parliament could not have -listened to a deputation of constituents with more polite attention. - -"I reckon if we don't do what they want they'll hand out some trouble," -said the mate. "Them that ain't got one knife ready at their hips has -got two." - -Calamity made no answer, but a peculiar pallor had overspread his face. -He turned away from the bridge-rail, and, without any sign of haste, -descended the companion-ladder and stepped calmly into the midst of the -snarling rabble. - -"What are you doing on deck?" he asked the serang quietly. "Your place -is in the stokehold." - -The man started to make an impudent reply, but before he had uttered two -words the Captain had snatched him off his feet as easily as if he had -been a child and flung him bodily into the crowd of astonished men, -knocking several of them over. Then, as the serang landed against a -steam-winch with a terrible crash, Calamity snatched up a capstan bar -and dashed into the crowd. - -Then the mate, standing on the bridge, witnessed such a spectacle as he -had never seen before and devoutly hoped he would never see again. -Swinging the heavy iron bar above his head as though it were a flail, -the Captain smashed left and right among the men, hitting them how and -where he could--on the head, body, limbs--no matter where so long as he -hit them. Two or three drew their knives and made a desperate rush at -him, but there was no getting through the swinging circle of iron. In -two minutes the forward deck bore a horrible resemblance to a shambles, -for it was littered with injured men and blood was trickling down the -white planks into the scuppers. Groans, shrieks, and curses resounded on -all sides; the men scurried for shelter in every direction like rats, -and two or three, reaching the forecastle, locked themselves in. But a -couple of blows from the iron bar smashed the door to splinters and then -cries rang out again and with them the sound of the terrible weapon as -it crashed against a bulkhead or smashed a bunk to splinters. One man -managed to escape out of the forecastle and was running for his life -towards the poop when Calamity, his face distorted with demoniac fury, -flung the bar at him. It caught the man on the back of the head and he -pitched forward on the deck, where he lay weltering in his own blood. - -Then, without so much as a glance at the fearful havoc he had wrought, -the Captain returned to the bridge. - -"What were you saying before I left, Mr. Dykes?" he inquired calmly. - -"Er--I was saying that it looked as if the wind would change round to -the nor' west before long, sir," answered the mate in a subdued and -extremely respectful tone. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -THE CASTAWAYS - - -The following morning, at eight bells, those of the crew not on duty or -on the sick-list were assembled upon the forward hatch. Many of them had -heads or limbs in bandages, and they were as meek as little lambs. As -the ship's bells were struck, Calamity mounted the bridge, accompanied -by the mate, and walked up to the rail. - -"I'm not going to waste my breath by telling such a crowd of doss-house -and prison scum as you are what I think about you," he said in a harsh, -grating voice, that seemed to emphasise the insults. "What I want to say -is this: the first man who raises a murmur about anything or hesitates -in carrying out an order, that man I'll string up at the end of a -derrick with a hawser for a collar. And remember this: I like a cheerful -crew, and if I see a man who doesn't look as cheerful as he ought, by -God, I'll clap him in the bilboes. Now get out of my sight." - -The Captain stepped back from the rail and turned to the mate. - -"I always believe in exercising patience and in using persuasion, Mr. -Dykes," he said. "If, however, we should have any more trouble--and I -don't somehow think we shall--it will become necessary to deal -drastically with the offenders." - -Without waiting for a reply, he walked into the chart-room, leaving Mr. -Dykes and the second-mate gasping. - -"What in thunder would he call 'drastic,' I'd like to know?" inquired -the former. "He's already maimed half the crew and calls that -persuasion. The Lord stand between me and his persuading, that's all I -say." - -"He's a bloomin' knock-aht, swelp me Bob," replied the second-mate in a -tone of subdued admiration. "I thought the yarns I'd heard about him was -all kid, but now--help!" - -Later on, when Mr. Dykes conveyed his impressions to the chief engineer, -the latter merely nodded without evincing the slightest surprise. - -"I told ye he was a michty quare mon," he remarked calmly. "I wouldna -advise ye to run athwart him even if ye've got liquor as an excuse." - -"You bet I won't, not after this. I guess I'll have to load up pretty -considerable on liquor before I try to hand him a song and dance." - -"Talkin' about liquor, ye'll find a bottle o' rum under the pillow o' my -bunk, Meester Dykes. We'll jest have a wee drappie an' I'll tell ye hoo -I marrit me fairst wife." - -"Your first wife?" repeated the mate. "Say, how many have you had?" - -"I couldna tell ye off-hand, mon. Ye see, the saircumstances in mony -cases were compleecated, if ye ken me," answered McPhulach thoughtfully. -"Me fairst, now ..." - -Mr. Dykes listened for some time to the engineer's account of his -matrimonial complications and then turned in. For the first time since -leaving Singapore, he closed his eyes without an uneasy suspicion that -he and the rest of the officers might have their throats cut before the -morning. Indeed, the crew might henceforward have served as a model for -the most exacting skipper that ever sailed the seas. The men could not -have turned out for their respective watches with more promptitude had -they been aboard a battleship, and their language on such occasions was -such that even the boatswain's mate had no cause for complaint. And they -were cheerful, laboriously cheerful. Whenever Calamity happened to -approach a man, that man would start to hum a tune as if his life -depended on it; he'd smile if he had a ten-thousand-horsepower -toothache; everybody was happy, and only the ship's cat led a dog's -life. - -"It's a bloomin' wonder," said the second-mate to Mr. Dykes, "that the -old man don't put up a blighted maypole and make all us perishers dance -round it." - -For two days the _Hawk_ kept the smoke-trail of the German gunboat in -view, but made no attempt to overhaul her. Every one agreed that the -_Hawk_, with her four-inch guns, could sink the German. They were -puzzled, therefore, as to the Captain's seeming reluctance to engage -her. But never a word of wonder reached Calamity, never a hint or a -question from his officers; every one was certain that he knew his -business, or, if they weren't, carefully kept it to themselves. And the -Captain himself vouchsafed no explanation. - -On the third morning the look-out reported that the gunboat was chasing -a large steamer. Immediately afterwards the men, even those who were not -on watch, came tumbling up on deck, in the hope that at last they were -going to sniff the promised booty. But not a word was spoken, not a man -so much as glanced at the bridge where the skipper stood with his -glasses focussed on the chase. They were patiently cheerful. - -Presently there came the faint echo of a shot and the steamer lay-to, -apparently waiting for the pirates to board her. At her stern fluttered -the red ensign of the British Mercantile Marine. - -The _Hawk_ had slowed down to quarter speed, and Calamity, through his -glasses, continued to watch events. In a remarkably short space of time -the Germans transferred a portion of the cargo, whatever it might be, to -their own vessel, after which the steamer was allowed to pursue her way. -One thing seemed clear, which was that the Germans cared less for -sinking enemy ships than for laying hands on the more valuable and -portable articles of cargo they happened to carry. The gunboat, having -captured and dismissed her prey, continued on her course, and so also -did the _Hawk_. - -Calamity, no doubt, had fully developed his plans, but he appeared, -also, to have developed a very bad memory. For the instructions -accompanying his commission contained, among numerous other clauses, one -which laid it down that "if any ship or vessel belonging to us or our -subjects, shall be found in distress by being in fight, set upon, or -taken by the enemy ... the commanders, officers, and company of such -merchant ships as shall have Letters of Marque shall use their best -endeavours to give aid and succour to all such ship and ships...." - -Which, of course, for reasons known only to himself, the Captain of the -_Hawk_ had not done, nor attempted to do. - -The morning had been unusually hot, even for such latitudes, and, as the -day advanced, the heat became almost unbearable. The pitch boiled and -bubbled up between the deck-seams and the exposed paintwork became -disfigured with huge blisters. An awning had been rigged up over the -bridge, but, despite this and the fact that it was high above the decks, -the atmosphere was like that of a super-heated bakehouse, dry and -shimmering, nor was there a breath of wind to stir it. Occasionally a -whiff of hot, oily vapour came up through the engine-room gratings and -helped to make the air still more heavy and oppressive. Even the sea, -calm as a pond, looked oily and hot under the glare of a burning noonday -sun set in a sky of metallic blue. - -Then, towards eight bells in the afternoon watch, a faint breeze sprang -up; the sky changed imperceptibly from blue to grey, and the sun became -a red, glowing disc with a slight haze round it. The sea had taken on a -yellowish-green tint and angry little wavelets began to chase each other -and to dash themselves viciously against the _Hawk's_ sides. Presently -the breeze died away as suddenly as it had arisen, but the sky became -more and more overcast and the wavelets grew into boulders, -white-crested and threatening. The sun disappeared behind a bank of -black, evil-looking clouds, while the atmosphere became still more -oppressive and the decks and awnings steamed. A strange, uncanny silence -had settled over everything, so that the least noise sounded curiously -distinct. The throb of the engines, usually mellow and subdued, came now -in sharp, staccato beats; the clang of the furnace-doors and the rattle -of rakes and shovels in the stokehold could be plainly heard on the -bridge. - -"Strike me pink, if we ain't in for a bloomin' typhoon, a reg'lar -rip-snorter," muttered the second-mate as he mopped his perspiring -forehead. - -The quartermaster set his teeth and gripped the wheel more -tightly--something was going to happen. A moment later, Calamity stepped -on to the bridge and gave a quick, comprehensive glance around him. - -"Everything lashed up and made secure, Mr. Smith?" he asked. - -"Yes, sir," answered the second, and added: "We're runnin' into a proper -blazer; none of your bloomin' twopenny-ha'penny breezes this time." - -Already the awnings had been taken in, spars and loose gear made fast, -derricks secured, and ports screwed down. Every moment it grew darker -and the _Hawk_ was beginning to roll in an uncomfortable fashion. - -Suddenly the sky was split by a blinding flash of lightning followed by -a crashing peal of thunder that seemed to shake the vessel from stem to -stern. There was a moment's interval, during which rain-spots the size -of pennies appeared on the deck and a grey haze settled over the sea. -Then came another flash of lightning, a terrific roar of thunder, and -the storm burst in all its fury. The rain came down now in solid sheets -of water, pouring off the bridge and deck-houses in cascades and -flooding out the scuppers which could not drain it fast enough. The sea -had gained in fury with the hurricane and now broke over the bulwarks, -mounted the forecastle, and swept along the decks from bow to stern. One -great wave even leapt up to the bridge, tearing away the awning spars, -smashing the woodwork to splinters, and very nearly wrenching the wheel -from the quartermaster's hands. - -Another great roller struck the _Hawk_ amidships and she reeled till her -port bulwarks were under water. Gradually she righted, her funnel-guys -twisted into a mass of tangled wire, her boats carried away or stove in, -her decks, fore and aft, littered with wreckage and gear which had been -swept loose. Between the deafening peals of thunder, the shouts and -curses of the poor wretches in the stokehold could be heard as they were -thrown against the glowing furnace doors, or the firebars slipped out, -shooting great masses of red-hot coal and clinker among their half-naked -bodies. - -Sometimes a wave would catch the vessel under the stern, lifting her so -that her bows plunged forward into the boiling sea ahead, her propeller -racing high in the air until the plates quivered with the vibrations. Or -she would lift her nose to an oncoming billow, and, rising with it, bury -her stern in the seething vortex till the wheel-house disappeared from -view beneath the turbid, foaming water. It seemed impossible that any -ship could live through such a storm. - -But at last the lightning began to grow less vivid, the thunder -gradually died away in the distance and the sea, little by little, -subsided. Firemen, black from head to foot, staggered along the deck to -the forecastle and threw themselves just as they were upon their bunks; -the second engineer came off duty, a bloody sweat-rag twisted round his -head, and reeled, rather than walked, to his cabin. Then McPhulach -appeared at the fiddley, mopping his face with a lump of oily waste. - -"Are you all right below?" shouted Calamity from the bridge. - -"Aye, but some of the puir deils will carry the mairks o' this day upon -their bodies as long as they live," answered the engineer. "Hell must -be a garden party to what it was down yon a wee while aback." - -As he spoke, two injured firemen, the upper parts of their bodies -wrapped round with oil-soaked waste, were brought on deck and carried to -the forecastle. Their faces, which had evidently been wiped with -sweat-rags, were of a corpse-like whiteness that was accentuated by the -circles of black coal-dust round their eyes. - -"Half roasted," said McPhulach, indicating with a jerk of his head the -two injured men. "If they hadna rinds like rhinoceros hide, they'd be -dead the noo. Mon, the stokehold smelt like a kitchen wi' the stink o' -scorching meat." - -The engineer disappeared and Calamity turned to Mr. Dykes, who had -relieved Smith on the bridge. - -"Serve out a tot of rum to all hands," he said. "It's been a trying -experience." - -"Trying experience!" echoed the mate. "It was as near hell as ever I -touched, sir." - -The Captain was about to make some remark when he suddenly snatched a -pair of binoculars out of the box fastened to the bridge-rail. He -focussed them upon the seemingly deserted waste of tossing grey waters -and then handed them to the mate. - -"What do you make of that, Mr. Dykes?" he asked, indicating a point on -the port quarter. - -The mate stared through the glasses for some minutes, then handed them -back to the Captain. - -"It's a boat with a man and a woman in it, or I'm a nigger," he said. - -"So I thought," answered the Captain. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -DORA FLETCHER - - -A signal was immediately hoisted to let the castaways know that they -were observed and the steamer's course was changed to bring her as near -as possible to the drifting boat. But there was still such a heavy sea -running that a near approach would have involved the risk of the boat -being dashed against the _Hawk's_ side before the occupants could be -rescued. So the bos'n, standing on the foc'sle head, cast a line which, -after three vain attempts, was caught by the young woman in the stern -sheets, who made it fast to one of the thwarts. Then one of the -steamer's derricks was slung outboard with a rope sling suspended and -half a dozen men laid on to the line attached to the boat. - -"Catch hold of that sling as you pass under it!" roared Calamity from -the bridge. - -After some difficult manoeuvring, boat and steamer were brought into -such a position that the former passed immediately under the sling. - -"Quick now, my girl, or you'll lose it!" shouted the Captain. - -But, to the amazement and indignation of everyone, it was the man and -not the girl who caught the sling and was hoisted safely out of the -boat. - -"Oh, the gory swine," growled the second-mate. "Get the derrick inboard, -men," he added aloud. - -The derrick swung round and the sling was let go with a run that -deposited the man on the deck with a terrific bump. - -"Outboard again!" cried Calamity. "Stand by, bos'n." - -"Get up, you swab!" ejaculated the second-mate, administering the -rescued man a heavy kick. "If the skipper wasn't lookin' I'd pitch your -ugly carcass back into the ditch." - -The fellow staggered to his feet and cast an ugly look at the Cockney. -He was a great, hulking brute over six feet tall and broad in -proportion, with a sullen, hang-dog countenance that was far from -prepossessing. - -"What d'you want to kick me for?" he asked truculently. - -The second-mate was so astounded at what he regarded as super-colossal -impudence and ingratitude, that he just gasped. Then, before he could -recover his speech, the boatswain's mate came up, and, gripping the man -by the collar of his jersey, ran him into the foc'sle. - -Meanwhile two unsuccessful attempts had been made to repeat the first -manoeuvre, but at the third the sling passed over the boat and the -girl caught hold of it. Next moment she was swung on board and lowered -gently to the deck. - -"We ain't no stewardesses aboard this packet, Miss," said Mr. Dykes, who -had arrived just in time to frustrate the second-mate in assisting the -young woman to her feet. "Still, if you'll come to my cabin I'll send -you somethin' hot and you can make free with my duds." - -"Or you can go to my cabin," put in the second eagerly. "Sorry I 'aven't -any 'airpins," he added with an admiring glance at the tawny mane of -hair which had become unfastened during her passage from the boat to -the ship's deck. "But I've a----" - -"The young lady'll find better accommodation in my cabin, Smith," -interrupted the mate. "This way, please," he added in the tone and -manner of a shop-walker, and departed with his prize. - -"Talk about nerve," muttered the disgruntled Smith. "That Yank's got -more bloomin' nerve than a peddlin' auctioneer." - -Calamity had sent word that, as soon as the survivors had been given -food and dry clothes, they were to be brought into his cabin. Half an -hour later, the man was ushered in by the mate and stood in front of the -Captain with the same hang-dog air that he had exhibited when first -rescued. - -"Your name and all the rest of it, my man," said the skipper curtly. - -"I'm Jasper Skelt, bos'n of the barque _Esmeralda_, London to -Singapore," answered the fellow in a surly voice. "We were hit by that -there typhoon and so far's I know she's at the bottom of the sea by -now." - -"What about the Captain and the rest of the crew?" - -"The skipper was knocked overboard by a boom. Then the crew took to the -boats and only me and Miss Fletcher, the Cap'n's daughter, was left. We -tried to keep the ship head-on to the seas, but she sprang a leak and we -had to abandon her." - -"You don't know whether any of the other boats survived?" - -"No, sir." - -"And the ship's papers?" - -"Miss Fletcher's got 'em." - -"And now I want to know why you caught on to that sling before the woman -had a chance?" - -"She told me to, and anyhow my life's as good as hers," answered the man -defiantly. - -"I see. Well, by your own confession you're a coward, and by your looks -you're a scoundrel," answered Calamity. "Mr. Dykes," he added, turning -to the mate, "take this blackguard to Mr. McPhulach with my compliments -and tell him to give the rascal the worst job he's got in the -stokehold." - -"I'm not going into no blasted stokehold!" cried the man fiercely. -"You've no right to make me work, damn you!" - -"Very good," answered Calamity in that quiet voice which those who knew -him dreaded more than the most curseful outpourings. "You shall be a -passenger as long as you wish. Take him back to the foc'sle, Mr. Dykes, -and send the carpenter to me." - -"Very good, sir," replied the mate, greatly wondering. - -By the time the carpenter had received his instructions and departed to -carry them out, the mate reported that the girl, whose clothes had been -dried in front of the galley fire, was ready to be interviewed. - -"Fetch her along then, Mr. Dykes," said the Captain. - -A few moments later Miss Fletcher entered the cabin accompanied by the -mate. She was, without doubt, the most remarkable young woman that -either Calamity or his mate had ever set eyes on. Tall, and almost as -powerfully built as a man, her face was nearly the colour of mahogany -through constant exposure to the weather. Her eyes, a clear, cold grey, -had an almost challenging steadiness and directness of gaze, and she -held her head high as one who is accustomed to look the whole world -squarely in the face. Her whole manner was a curious blending of -authority and aloofness, suggesting a very difficult personality to deal -with. But, if lacking much of conventional feminine charm, there was a -freshness and vigour about her that was eminently pleasing. One womanly -attraction she certainly did possess in abundance, and that was a -wonderful mass of chestnut hair which she now wore tightly plaited round -her head. For the rest, this extraordinary young woman was attired in a -short, blue serge skirt, a man's blue woollen jersey, and a pair of -rubber sea-boots. - -"Sit down," said the Captain. - -The girl obeyed, looking at Calamity with an expression of mingled -perplexity and resentment. This may have been due to a little feminine -pique at his seeming indifference to her sex--for he had not risen to -his feet, nor had his face relaxed from its usual stern grimness. Or it -may have been due to the fact that his glass eye was cocked fully upon -her with its unswerving, disconcerting stare. The other eye--the -practical one--was not looking at her at all, but was meditatively -gazing down at the table. - -"The man who was with you in the boat tells me that you are the daughter -of the Captain of a barque," he said. "His story was not altogether -satisfactory, so I should like to hear your version--as briefly as -possible," he added with a snap. - -A slight flush of annoyance tinged the girl's face. Evidently she was -not used to being treated in this curt, unceremonious manner, and -resented it. Mr. Dykes, who was very impressionable where the opposite -sex was concerned, mentally compared the Captain's attitude with what -his own would have been under similar circumstances. - -"My name is Dora Fletcher, and my father, who was killed during the -recent storm by being knocked overboard, was John Fletcher, master and -owner of the barque _Esmeralda_ of Newcastle," said the girl in a voice -as curt as Calamity's own. "We were bound from London to Singapore with -general cargo. During the height of the storm, the vessel sprang a leak -and the crew took to the boats, but I doubt if any of them survived." - -"So you and the bos'n, Jasper Skelt, were left on board?" said the -Captain as the girl paused. - -"Yes; Skelt would have gone with the men, only they threatened to throw -him overboard if he did. He's a damned rascal." - -Mr. Dykes started and even looked shocked. It was not so much the -expletive itself which had disturbed his sense of propriety, but the -cool, forceful manner in which it was uttered; obviously it was not the -first time that Miss Fletcher had availed herself of this, as well as of -other masculine prerogatives. - -"You have the ship's papers?" asked Calamity. - -For answer the young woman drew from beneath her jersey a packet of -papers which she handed to the Captain. He glanced through them and then -handed them back to her. - -"I should prefer to leave them in your charge till I am put ashore," -said the girl. "What port do you touch first?" - -"I can't say. This is not an ordinary merchant ship, but a licensed -privateer." - -"A privateer! Then you expect to fight?" - -"You will arrange what accommodation you can for Miss Fletcher, Mr. -Dykes," said the Captain, ignoring her question. - -"Yes, sir; I suppose she will have her food in the cabin, sir?" - -"Not in this one, Mr. Dykes." - -Again the hot, angry blood rushed to the girl's face and she turned a -pair of blazing eyes on the Captain. - -"Thank you for that privilege, at any rate!" she said with furious -sarcasm. - -"Not at all," murmured Calamity imperturbably, and made a gesture to -signify that he wished to be alone. - -As the mate escorted Miss Fletcher from the cabin, he was very nearly as -hot and indignant as herself at the Captain's behaviour. Here was a -handsome, strapping girl who had unexpectedly come into their midst and -Calamity treated her as if she were a derelict deck-hand. He had not -even expressed a word of sympathy for the death of her father. - -"I'm real sorry you should have been treated like this," he said -awkwardly. "The skipper ain't no dude, but I did think----" - -"I assure you it makes no difference to me," interrupted the girl. "I am -only too glad to think that I shan't have to see more of him than is -necessary." - -"An' you ain't the only one who thinks that way, Miss," answered the -mate thoughtfully. "I wouldn't envy the man who took the inside track -with him; it'd be as pleasant as takin' your grub in a den with a hungry -lion." - -Passing out of the alleyway, their ears were suddenly assailed by the -sound of oaths, curses, and blasphemies, intermingled with threats, -groans, and appeals for mercy. They emanated from Jasper Skelt, whose -demands to be treated as a passenger were now receiving attention -according to the Captain's instructions. Resting on two trestles placed -one on each side of the after-hatch was a thick wooden beam, inclined so -that one of its sharp edges was uppermost. Astride this unpleasant -perch, his feet about six inches from the deck, was the ex-bos'n of the -_Esmeralda_. His ankles were tied together beneath the beam, his wrists -securely fastened behind his back, and to a cord round his neck was -suspended a spit-kid--this last for the benefit of any man who felt a -desire to expectorate. To judge from Skelt's condition, there were many -indifferent marksmen aboard the _Hawk_. - -"That guy was fool enough to sass the old man and now he's learnin' -better," explained Mr. Dykes to his companion. "He ain't a pretty sight, -is he?" - -Seeing Miss Fletcher, the misguided Jasper had suddenly checked his -output of assorted profanity and now wildly appealed to her for help. - -"Surely you ain't going to stand by, Miss, and see me tortured like -this!" he cried. - -"You're a coward and it serves you right," answered the girl. - -"Oh, you----" began the man, but someone interrupted him by shoving a -wet deck-swab into his face. - -"He'll be there four hours," said the mate as they walked aft. "By that -time he won't have spirit enough to utter a cuss, not if you offered him -a dollar for the pleasure of hearin' it. When the skipper does hand out -trouble, he does it with both fists." - -Mr. Dykes's prognostication was only partly correct, for the ex-bos'n, -though a strong man, lost consciousness after the third hour and had to -be carried into the foc'sle. - -"Repeat the treatment to-morrow and every day until he volunteers to -work," said Calamity when this was reported to him. - -The "treatment" was not repeated, however, for, on recovering his -senses, Mr. Skelt eagerly and anxiously begged to be allowed to share in -the work of the crew. - -On the following morning they picked up the smoke-trail of the German -gunboat and the chase--if chase it could be called--was resumed. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -MR. DYKES RECEIVES HIS LESSON - - -For three days the _Hawk_ continued to follow in the gunboat's trail, -and everybody was asking everybody else in hushed whispers what the -Captain's plans were. The consensus of opinion now was that he intended -the German to play the part of the cat in the fable and pull the -chestnuts out of the fire: in other words, to wait till the enemy had -got all the plunder he could carry and then swoop down upon him. The -question was, when would the swooping start? - -During all this time, Calamity had not spoken a single word to Miss -Fletcher, or, indeed, betrayed any sign that he was aware of her -existence. He had never even mentioned her or asked how she was -accommodated, and, for all he knew to the contrary, she might have been -sleeping on deck under a steam-winch. Mr. Dykes had not told him that he -had given up his own cabin to the girl and was sharing the -second-mate's. He feared, not without reason, that, had he done so, -Calamity would have ordered him back to his own quarters. As to the -ex-bos'n Skelt, he had become a very unobtrusive member of the crew, and -nothing further had been heard from him concerning his right to be -treated as a passenger. It is true that he once let out a dark hint to -the effect that he was "biding his time," but no one paid the slightest -attention to him. - -Meanwhile, a change had come over the lives and habits of the two mates -and the chief engineer. The refining influence of feminine society--as -McPhulach poetically termed it--was already beginning to tell on them. -The mate, for instance, now used up two clean shirts a week and quite a -number of white pocket-handkerchiefs; the second followed the good -example by having his shoes cleaned every day, and substituting, -whenever he happened to think of it, "blooming," for the sanguinary -adjective he had hitherto favoured, and the engineer not only washed his -face every night when coming off watch, but, on his own confession, -changed his socks rather more frequently than he had done in the past. - -Whether the lady on whose behalf these sacrifices were made was aware of -them, and duly appreciative, the three dandies had no means of -determining. McPhulach, who was a practical man and saw no merit in -hiding his light under a bushel, did once suggest that Miss Fletcher -should be tactfully made aware of the astonishing changes she had -wrought. The suggestion, however, was promptly sat upon by the mates, -who wanted to convey the impression that their present exemplary mode of -life was in nowise abnormal despite the strain it entailed. - -"I've had twa pairs o' socks washed sin' we started, and that's no' a -month ago," grumbled the engineer, when his publicity proposition was -opposed. - -"You've got to remember you're a--bloomin' gentleman nah," answered -Smith. - -"It's awfu' expenseeve," murmured McPhulach plaintively. - -Although Miss Fletcher was the last person to encourage familiarity, she -was capable of a certain _camaraderie_ through having lived so much -among men. She had, it seemed, lost her mother at an early age, and -since then had accompanied her father on nearly all his voyages. -Therefore she exhibited neither the coy timidity nor coquettish lure -which might have been expected from a girl of her age under -circumstances like the present. Her manner towards the three men who -had, as it were, appointed themselves her hosts was disarmingly frank; -as a woman she kept them at arm's length, as a companion she was as free -and easy as a man. Smith, when discussing her one day with the mate, -remarked that she only remembered she was a woman when something was -said which any decent man would resent. Mr. Dykes alone occasionally -assumed a patronisingly masculine attitude, towards which, so far, the -girl had shown no resentment. This, he sometimes tried to believe, was a -tacit admission that she regarded him with special favour, if not with -some degree of awe, though at other times common sense prevailed and he -realised that it was due to sheer indifference. - -But Mr. Dykes was becoming very dissatisfied with things as they were. -For no particular reason, unless it was that he had given up his cabin -to her, the mate somehow felt that he had a prior claim to Miss -Fletcher's respect and esteem. He was, therefore, secretly aggrieved to -think that Smith and McPhulach, whose sacrifices on her behalf had not -exceeded a little extra personal cleanliness, were as much in favour as -himself. In short, Mr. Dykes was in danger of falling a victim to the -tender passion--if, indeed he had not already done so--hence the jealous -feelings that were beginning to ferment in his bosom. He suffered most, -however, when it happened that he was taking the second dog-watch, and, -from his post on the bridge, could see Miss Fletcher, Smith, and -McPhulach, laughing and chatting on the after-hatch as though he, -Ephraim Dykes, had never existed. - -It was during one of these "free and easys," as Smith called them, that -the girl suddenly began to discuss the Captain of the _Hawk_. Hitherto -she had ignored him as completely as he had ignored her, though a keen -observer might have noticed that she frequently cast a curious glance -towards the bridge when he happened to be on it. - -"Bless you, he's a bloomin' bag of mystery, he is; a reg'lar -perambulatin' paradox," replied the second-mate in answer to a question -which the girl had put regarding the skipper. "There ain't no gettin' -the latitude nor longitude of him." - -"He's a michty quare mon," corroborated the engineer. - -"But is his name really Calamity?" asked the girl. - -"Meybe it is and meybe it isna," answered McPhulach cautiously. "Some -say he's a mon o' guid family, and others declare the revairse is the -truth; but which is right I dinna ken." - -"Well, I've never sailed with him before," put in Smith, "but from the -little I've see'd of his gentle habits I should say he'd die of throat -trouble all of a sudden." - -"Throat trouble?" queried the girl. - -"Yes; the throat trouble that comes of wearin' a rope collar too tight. -Why, we'd only been out a few days when he starts to half murder the -whole bloomin' crew. A roarin', ravin', rampin' lunatic he was," and -Smith proceeded to relate, in pungent, picturesque language, the manner -in which Calamity had quelled the mutiny single-handed. - -"I wish I'd been here to see it," murmured the girl almost fervently, -while a light leapt to her grey eyes which made Smith think of firelight -seen through a closed window in winter time. - -"Blimey! I don't admire your taste, Miss," he ejaculated. "The decks -were like a blood--yes, they were--like a bloody slaughter-house. -There's no other way of puttin' it." - -"At any rate, he's a man," retorted Miss Fletcher with a queer note of -defiance in her voice, "and I admire him for it." - -Smith gazed at her for a moment in utter perplexity. He had confidently -expected that, after the way in which the Captain had treated her, the -girl would be only too ready to accept anything that could be said to -his disadvantage. Yet she was actually expressing admiration for him and -his bloodthirsty methods! Her attitude not only amazed him, but struck -him as being shockingly unfeminine. As a woman she ought to have -expressed the strongest disgust at the skipper's brutality, and not -gloried in it. - -"Lummy! You're a queer'n and no error," he murmured. - -He rose to his feet, and, going to the taffrail, expectorated over the -side with unnecessary violence. Like most men whose lives have been -spent in rough places and whose knowledge of women is limited, he -cherished a pathetic belief in their legendary gentleness and timidity. -It was true that this particular young woman had not displayed these -qualities in any marked degree, but he had never doubted their existence -even so. He felt now that, in being a woman, she was living under false -pretences, so to speak. It was a very real grievance in his eyes, more -especially when he reflected on the noble restraint he had exercised -over his speech and manners out of regard for her sex. - -He returned moodily to the hatch and sat down. The girl was still -discussing Calamity with McPhulach, her voice defiantly enthusiastic. - -"If I were a man I'd ask for no better Captain to sail under," she was -saying. - -"It's a pity you ain't, then," growled Smith, who had returned just in -time to overhear this remark. - -"I've often thought so myself," she retorted. "Men are getting too soft -nowadays." - -"Meybe so," put in the engineer soothingly. "But ye'll hae no cause to -complain o' the saftness aboord this packet, I'm thinkin'. And gin it's -devilry ye're so muckle fond of, ye've no need to fash yersel' aboot -missin' any here." - -"Not half you needn't," added Smith with a grim chuckle. "When the old -man----" he broke off abruptly as the ship's bell struck. "Holy Moses! -eight bells already!" he ejaculated, and, rising to his feet, went off -to relieve Mr. Dykes. - -As the latter descended the companion-ladder after handing over the -watch to the second-mate, he paused suddenly before reaching the deck. -He was not an imaginative man and had never made a study of beauty -except as represented by the female crimps and spongers who infested the -various ports he had visited. But for a moment the sight of the girl -sitting on the hatch, her beautiful hair softly radiant in the -moonlight, and her figure in its close-fitting jersey so strangely -alluring in the half-concealment of the shadows, held him spellbound. -The splendour of the night, with its star-powdered sky of deepest, -limpid blue; the brilliant moon whose beams made an ever-widening track -of molten silver with shimmering tints of bronze, across the blue-black -waters; the wake of foaming, sparkling iridescence in the steamer's -track,--all these things moved him not one jot for he had witnessed them -times without number. He saw nothing, in fact, but the girl, sitting -with her face resting on her hands, gazing pensively out to sea. Never -before had he realised that she was beautiful and intensely feminine -despite all her affected masculinity. - -"Durned if she don't look like a picture postcard," he murmured -ecstatically. - -He walked up to the hatch and sat down near her, but she did not turn -her head nor show any sign of being aware of his presence. He coughed to -attract her attention, but without result; she continued gazing with -sad, thoughtful eyes into the distant mingling of crystal blue and -glistening silver-grey which marked the junction of sea and sky. - -"Say, ain't it a dandy night?" he observed, unable to keep silence any -longer. - -The girl made no answer, but the remark aroused McPhulach from the -reverie into which he, also, had fallen. Rising to his feet, he knocked -the ashes out of his pipe and yawned. - -"Gin I bide here any langer, I'll be consooming anither pipe o' bacca; -so I'll wish ye a verra guid nicht, Miss Fletcher," he said. - -"Good-night, McPhulach," answered the girl, who rarely used the prefix -"Mr." when addressing her companions. - -The engineer strolled off towards his cabin and the mate, to his great -satisfaction, was left alone with her. For some time he sat fidgeting, -anxious to speak, yet unable to think of anything to say. He watched -her furtively out of the corner of his eye, secretly gloating over the -outlines of her shapely figure, the delicate poise of her head, and the -fascinating profusion of her wonderful hair. - -Suddenly the girl rose to her feet, and, seeing the mate, started. - -"I didn't know you were there," she said. - -The mate made as if to speak, but uttered no sound. He rose unsteadily, -and as the girl was about to move away, strode to her side. - -"I want you," he said in a hoarse, quivering voice. - -He made a movement as if to encircle her waist with his arm, but, before -he could do so, her left fist shot out and, catching him unexpectedly -squarely between the eyes, sent him reeling into the scuppers. - -When he recovered himself and sat up he was a different man. All the -passionate ardour, all the irresistible desire had left him, and he was -conscious only of a singing in the head. - -"No," he remarked thoughtfully, addressing himself to an iron stanchion, -"she ain't no dime novel heroine, she ain't." - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -THE AGITATOR - - -It was Sunday morning and those of the crew who were not on watch lay -upon the foc'sle head, sat on the for'ad hatch, or still lay snoring in -their bunks. A favoured few were lounging round the galley, some peeling -potatoes--for which they would receive their reward in due course--and -others helping them with good advice. From within the galley came the -voice of "Slushy," the cook, bellowing out snatches of hymns -intermingled with pungent profanities, each equally sincere. - - "There is a fountain filled with blood, - Drawn from Emmanuel's veins," - -he roared. "Get to hell out o' this, you perishin' son of a swab!" he -added to a fireman who was making a surreptitious effort to get at the -hot water. - -"Damn your 'ot water, you pasty-faced dough-walloper!" retorted the -fireman. - -Then followed a scuffle, more profanities, and the fireman performed an -acrobatic feat which landed him in the scuppers. - -"Put your lousy 'ead in 'ere again and I'll murder you," said the cook. -"I won't 'ave no bloomin' bad language in 'ere," he added warningly to -the others. "There's a damned sight too much of it on this bug-trap." - -He again lifted up his voice in song. - - "And sinners plunged beneath the flood, - Lose all their guilty sta--a--ains." - -He paused to administer a cutting admonition to one of his assistants. - -"Lose all their guilty stains," he trilled forth, pouring the hot water -in which potatoes had been boiled, into the iron kettle that held the -crew's tea. - -In another part of the ship, under the lee of the forecastle a second -and somewhat different meeting was in progress. Jasper Skelt, -ex-boatswain of the _Esmeralda_, was addressing half a dozen men in -fierce whispers, emphasising his remarks with violent gestures of the -head and hands. The men listened, placidly smoking their pipes and -occasionally turning a nervous glance towards the bridge to make sure -that they were not being observed by the Captain. - -"What proof have we that this boat is a licensed privateer?" Skelt was -saying--or rather, whispering--"only the Captain's word. We ain't seen -his Letters of Marque and ain't likely to. Why?" - -The orator paused as if for a reply. It came. - -"'Cause the first man 'as asked to see 'em 'ud get murdered," said one -of the audience. - -For a moment Skelt was disconcerted by the subdued laughter which -followed this answer. But he pulled himself together and went on: - -"No; and I'll tell you why we ain't likely to see his Letters of Marque: -because he ain't got any." - -This statement, delivered with all the confidence of one who knew, -produced an effect. The men stared at each other with puzzled faces. - -"'Ow the blazes do you know?" asked one of the men angrily. - -"Because the British Government haven't granted any for this war," -answered the agitator. "They're chartering merchant steamers and arming -'em themselves. Commerce-destroyers they call them, but they're really -Government-owned privateers." - -"Who told you so?" queried a sceptic. - -"Don't ask me, read the papers and see for yourself," answered Skelt. - -"Ho yus, I forgot all about me Sunday paper!" ejaculated another member -of the audience sarcastically. "Boy, give me a _Lloyds_ and the -_Observer_." - -A roar of unrestrained laughter went up at this witticism, and the -orator had some ado to master his wrath. - -"It's all very well to laugh about it now," he said heatedly. "But wait -till later on; wait till this lunatic who calls himself a Captain sinks -one or two vessels; wait till he's called upon to show his papers--then -you'll change your tune, my merry clinker-knockers!" - -"What the 'ell does it matter to us, anyway?" asked someone. - -"I'll tell you, my innocent babe. If we start in to sink ships, commit -murder and rob the cargoes without having the proper authority--that is -Letters of Marque--we're not privateers at all; we're blooming, God-damn -pirates, that's what we are," answered Skelt. "What's more, if any -brainless swab here doesn't know what the punishment is for piracy, I'll -have much pleasure in telling him." - -"'Anging, ain't it?" - -"Right first time; hanging it is." - -"It ain't nothin' to do with us, any'ow," said one of the objectors. "We -ain't responsible for what the skipper does." - -"P'raps not, but if he orders you to shoot a man and you do it, you're a -murderer and will be treated as such. You won't save your neck by -telling the beak that you thought you were a privateer. No, my son, -it'll be a hanging job, you can take your Davy on that. Maybe they'll -put a photo of your handsome dial in the newspapers, but your gal will -soon be looking for another jolly sailor-boy to sponge on, and mother'll -lose her curly-headed darling." - -There was a constrained silence for some moments, during which Skelt -grinned at his audience sardonically. Despite the affected incredulity -of his listeners, they were evidently beginning to feel nervous. To even -the most ignorant among them, piracy was an ugly word, much akin to -murder. - -"S'posing what you say's right, what are we to do?" asked one of the -hecklers at last. - -"Ask the skipper to let us get out and walk," suggested someone amidst -laughter. - -"If any of you had brains a fraction of the size of your guts you -wouldn't ask me a fool question like that," answered Skelt. "If a bloke -came up and said 'I'm going to hang you in five minutes,' what would you -do?" - -"Knock 'is bloomin' light out," said a fireman. - -"Shove a knife between 'is ribs," suggested another. - -"Of course you would," said the ex-boatswain. "But here's a man who gets -you on board his ship and then tells you to do something that'll get you -hanged as sure as infants eat pap. And you'd sooner risk your necks than -tell him that, if he wants any murdering done, he'd better do it -himself. You're a perishing set of heroes, strike me blind!" - -"Why don't you tell that to the old man yourself?" asked one of the -audience. "Your neck's as much in danger as ours." - -"Aye, aye, tell 'im yourself," echoed the others. - -"So I would if I thought you'd stand by me. But you're such a set of -white-livered skunks that, at the first word from this one-eyed skipper, -you'd turn on me. Why, if you were men instead of a damned pack of -slaves, you'd take charge of this packet yourselves and clap that -lunatic aft in irons. Then you'd take the ship into the nearest port and -claim salvage, and a nice little fortune you'd make out of it. It'd be -every man his own pub then and don't you forget it." - -"What about the orf'cers, old son?" inquired someone. - -"Treat 'em the same if they refused to come in with us. One of them -would have to do the navigating, and if he had any objections we'd soon -get rid of them. A bit of whipcord tightened round a man's head is a -wonderful persuader." - -"So's the wooden 'orse," cried a fireman, referring to the manner in -which the fiery orator had been induced to waive his claim to be -regarded as a passenger. - -There was another burst of laughter at this sally, but the would-be -righter of wrongs, though annoyed, was not to be put down. - -"Whose fault was that?" he demanded. "One man couldn't fight the whole -crowd of you, and if that swivel-eyed swine had given the word you'd -have been on me like a pack of dogs. But I haven't forgotten, and I'll -lay my life against a mouldy biscuit that I get even before I leave this -stinking slave-dhow." - -"You oughter be in 'Ide Park, you ought," said the sceptical fireman. -"You'd look fine on a Sunday afternoon standin' on the top of a tub." - -"If it pleases you to be funny, it doesn't hurt me," retorted Skelt. -"But wait till you're up before the beak on a charge of piracy on the -high seas; maybe you'll sing a different tune." - -He stuck his hands in his pockets and, with an expression of utter -contempt on his face, turned away. But, despite the scornful incredulity -with which his remarks had been received, they had not fallen on -entirely barren soil. As a general rule, the sailor-man is hopelessly -ignorant of the law, and, in consequence, has a vague but very real -dread of it. For him, it possesses all the terrors of the unknown; its -very jargon cows him, and the wording of a summons sounds more terrible -in his ears than the worst abuse of the worst skipper that ever sailed -the seas. Skelt, it was true, had not served out any fear-inspiring -legal phrases, but he had mentioned piracy, which is an ugly word to use -on a ship whose character and mission savour somewhat of that offence. - -So, while they pretended to laugh at the ex-boatswain's words, those who -had heard them began to feel a new and unpleasant sense of dread. This -quickly communicated itself to the rest of the crew, and before the -first dog-watch was called that day there was hardly a man who was not -obsessed by it. Many of them would have cut a person's throat for the -price of a drink; not a few had seen the inside of a prison for some -offence or other, but piracy, the greatest crime of which a sailor can -be guilty, made them shudder. It belonged to the highest order of crime, -and, though the punishment could not be greater than that meted out for -stabbing a man in the back, the fact that it was vaster and infinitely -more daring than anything their coarse minds had ever conceived, made it -seem appallingly stupendous. - -During the afternoon those who were off watch discussed the subject in -whispers. Some were for sending a deputation to the skipper, but no one -could be found whose courage was equal to the task. Skelt, who was -approached on the subject, flatly declined to act as the crew's -representative. He had done his part, he asserted, by warning them of -their danger; let somebody else have the privilege of bearding Calamity. - -"You didn't help me when I was strung across that damned spar and I'm -not going to help you," he said. "Still," he added, "I'll give you a bit -of advice. When the time comes for you to man the guns and start blazing -away at some ship or other, stand fast. Let the swivel-eyed blighter do -his own murdering." - -"That's all right," growled a voice, "but 'e'll start doin' it on us." - -"Yes, and you'll ask his kind permission to take off your jumpers so's -he can cut your throats easier," sneered Skelt. - -"No, by God, we won't!" exclaimed someone truculently. - -The new note of defiance was taken up. It was one thing to face the -terrible skipper in his cabin, but quite another to swear to disobey his -orders, when there was no immediate prospect of those orders being -given. Their courage went up by leaps and bounds, and they discussed -plans for defying the Captain's commands--in whispers. - -"That's the right spirit," said Skelt encouragingly. "This skipper may -be a holy terror, but he can't murder us all if we stick together. Just -show him that you don't mean to put your necks in the hangman's rope for -his sake, and he'll soon calm down, I'll swear. I know them bucko -skippers: all froth and fury so long as they think you're afraid of 'em; -but once they see you don't care a Dago's damn for all their bullying, -they become as meek as lambs. Oh, I know 'em! Sailed with one----" - -The ex-boatswain's reminiscence was cut short by the sound of a whistle -on deck. Next moment the foc'sle door was flung open and the second-mate -put his head in. - -"To your stations, every man!" he shouted. "Uncover the guns and stand -by for orders!" - -There was a rush from the foc'sle, and the first man to take his station -and start peeling the tarpaulins off the machine-gun, was the fiery and -defiant Jasper Skelt. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -THE PRIZE - - -A slight haze hung over the water, so that sea and sky were merged in a -film of brooding grey. Through this, looking strangely flimsy and unreal -by reason of the mist, could be seen a large cargo-steamer of about five -thousand tons. She was steaming in the opposite direction to the _Hawk_ -at something like ten knots, and from her triatic stay fluttered a hoist -of signal-flags indicating the question: "What ship are you?" - -"What shall I answer, sir?" inquired Mr. Dykes of Calamity. - -"'British steamer _Hawk_. Singapore for London.'" - -The signal was hoisted and the reply came: "British steamer _Ann_, Rio -for Hongkong." At the same time the red ensign was hoisted at the stern. - -"You say that when you first saw her she was flying the German flag?" -Calamity inquired of Mr. Dykes. - -"Yes, sir. I think she must have just passed another German ship, for -the ensign was being hauled down when I sighted her." - -"H'm, she was German a few minutes ago; now she's British. Signal her to -stop, Mr. Dykes." - -The signal was duly hoisted, but the steamer paid no attention and -proceeded on her course, while from her funnel arose a thick cloud of -black smoke, showing that the stokers were firing up. Although the -skipper of the _Ann_ might resent being called upon to stop by what -looked like another merchant vessel, this sudden attempt to accelerate -speed, coupled with an unusual freedom in the use of national flags, was -suspicious to say the least of it. - -"Put a shot through her funnel, Mr. Dykes," said Calamity. - -With his own hands, the mate sighted the quick-firer on the bridge and -then nodded to the boatswain, who was also chief gunner. Next moment a -sheet of flame leapt from the muzzle, there was a terrific roar, and a -shell struck, not the _Ann's_ funnel, but the supporting guys and passed -through a ventilating cowl above the engine-room. Despite this -unequivocal hint, the steamer did not stop, and the foam under her stern -showed that she was putting on speed. - -"Aim for the chart-room and make a better shot of it," said Calamity. - -Mr. Dykes, greatly chagrined at his first shot having gone wide of its -mark, again sighted the gun. Meanwhile the Captain was bringing round -the _Hawk_ in the arc of a circle to get her in the wake of the -retreating steamer. - -Bang! - -This time the mate had better luck, his second shot smashing through the -chart-room and completely wrecking it. - -"That ought to bring them to reason," he remarked complacently. - -It did. Before the thin veil of smoke had drifted away a man was seen on -the _Ann's_ stern, frantically calling up the _Hawk_ in the semaphore -code. A man on the privateer's bridge answered and then the other -started to flap his flags about. - -"Don't fire, stopping," read the message. - -The foam under the stranger's stern was subsiding and an arrow of white -steam shot into the air out of her exhaust-pipe. Already the distance -between the two vessels was rapidly diminishing and soon they were -within hailing distance. The skipper of the _Ann_ was the first to avail -himself of this, for, making a funnel of his hands, he demanded to know -what the sanguinary blazes was meant by this hold-up. - -"I demand to see your papers," bellowed Calamity. - -The other appeared to execute a sort of complicated war-dance on the -bridge, wildly waving his clenched fists above his head. No words came -for a second or more, and then a burst of raw, pungent, and -kaleidoscopic profanity hurtled across the intervening space, evoking by -its wonderful variety the admiration even of the _Hawk's_ crew. - -"Blimey!" murmured Smith in an awed tone, "it's a treat to 'ear a bloke -handle cuss-words like that." - -Even Mr. Dykes, who rather prided himself on his mastery of the -refreshing art of invective, was moved to wonder. Indeed, he made a -mental note of several vituperative combinations whose force and -originality impressed him. - -When, at last, the master of the _Ann_ paused, presumably for want of -breath, the crew of the _Hawk_ looked expectantly towards Calamity. -Would he be able to rise to the occasion and wither his opponent by a -scorching blast of even deadlier profanity, or would he humiliate them -by using the commonplace swear-words of everyday life? He did neither. - -"I'm going to board you!" he shouted. "Make one attempt to hinder me and -you go to the bottom." - -His words, backed by the guns which were trained on the _Ann_, brought -an immediate reply: - -"Come aboard if you must, but for the love of God don't sink me." - -"Fizzled out like a damp squib," muttered Smith. - -"I guess he's played his long suit," remarked the mate, who also felt -disappointed at the ignoble collapse of the _Ann's_ skipper after such -brilliant promise. - -A boat was quickly lowered from the _Hawk_, and the Captain, before -getting into it, gave Mr. Dykes certain instructions. - -"And remember," he added, "if you see any sign of trickery put a shot -under her water-line amidships." - -"Very good, sir," answered the mate. - -A few minutes afterwards Calamity had reached the deck of the _Ann_, -where he was met by the Captain and the first mate. - -"I demand an explanation of this outrage!" blustered the former. "Are -you aware that you are committing piracy? that----" - -Calamity cut him short. - -"I know perfectly well what I'm doing, or I shouldn't be here. Your -papers, Captain." - -"By what right do you ask for my papers?" demanded the other, who showed -signs of again becoming truculent. - -"That," answered Calamity shortly, pointing to the _Hawk's_ guns. - -"This is outrageous, and I shall----" - -"Your papers, Captain," interrupted Calamity peremptorily. - -There was something in his voice which made the _Ann's_ skipper realise -that argument was not only useless, but probably dangerous as well. He -shrugged his shoulders and led the way to his cabin, where he invited -Calamity to sit down. Then he unlocked a drawer and took from it a metal -deed-box which he placed on the table. - -"Where the devil are the keys?" he muttered, and, stooping over the box, -began to fumble in his pockets. - -Suddenly stepping back, he raised his head, and, as he did so, gave a -sharp exclamation of mingled rage and fear. He was staring right into -the barrel of a nasty-looking automatic pistol which Calamity was -pointing directly at him. - -"I've seen that game played before," said Calamity with a quiet smile. -"Hand me your pistol; butt first, please." - -And the discomfited skipper of the _Ann_ reluctantly handed over a fully -loaded revolver, which he had been in the act of drawing from his pocket -when he chanced to look down the barrel of the automatic pistol. - -"Thanks," said Calamity as he took it. "Now for those papers, if you'll -be so kind." - -Without a word, the other unlocked the box and handed over a bundle of -documents. Calamity glanced over them hastily and then smiled. - -"Your other papers, Captain," he said. - -"Other papers! What other papers d'you mean? They're all there." - -"I think not. If you wish to avoid trouble, you will fetch out your -alternative papers at once. You didn't hoist the German ensign without -having something to justify it." - -"I swear that----" - -"Don't," broke in Calamity. "I can do all the swearing I want for -myself." - -"But I can't give you what I haven't got!" - -Calamity leant across the table till his face almost touched the -other's. - -"The papers," he said in a low, menacing voice. "Understand me?" - -The other did, apparently, for, with a muttered curse, he unlocked one -of the table drawers and took therefrom a second bundle of documents. - -"Take them and be damned to you," he said, flinging them on the table. - -Calamity picked up the papers, and, as he glanced at them there was a -look of grim satisfaction on his face. - -"Will you be good enough to explain to me, Captain Noel, how it is that -you happen to have two different sets of papers?" he inquired. "The -first state that the _Ann_ is a British ship, owned by Masters and Ready -of Sunderland, and that she has cleared for Hongkong from Rio. The -second batch declare her to be a German vessel, cleared for Bangkok from -Bremen. They give the owner as----" - -He stopped abruptly as he glanced again at the paper he was holding. A -look of incredulous astonishment appeared on his face, but it was almost -immediately succeeded by one of the keenest satisfaction. - -"----Isaac Solomon of Singapore," he concluded. - -The other made no answer, and for a moment or two Calamity regarded him -thoughtfully. - -"It's a clever trick and how you managed to obtain these two sets of -papers I don't pretend to guess," he went on. "It may interest you, -however, to know that the esteemed Mr. Isaac Solomon is a dear--one -might almost say, expensive--friend of mine, and no doubt he will let me -into the secret later on. What is your cargo, Captain?" - -"Sand ballast and Portland cement," growled the other. - -"No doubt the cargo you took out was rather more interesting. But what's -this?" he added, holding up a document heavily sealed. - -"I don't know." - -"Still, it would be as well to find out," and without hesitation he -calmly broke the seals. - -To the astonishment of them both, the document was absolutely blank; to -all appearances a virgin sheet of paper. - -"H'm, this is strange," murmured Calamity. "It is not usual to enclose -and seal a blank sheet of paper with the ship's documents. Have you got -a candle?" - -Captain Noel produced one from a shelf and lit it. He seemed as eager to -find out the meaning of this mysterious enclosure as Calamity himself. -The latter held the paper in front of the flame and, as he had expected, -writing began to appear. When the whole communication became legible he -spread the document out on the table and commenced to read. - -It was, in effect, a letter from a German official to Mr. Isaac Solomon -of Singapore, informing him that his last cargo had reached its first -destination, a neutral port, without mishap. This was followed by some -very valuable advice concerning the manner in which another -cargo--referred to as "Eastern merchandise"--might be delivered at the -same port. There were also other matters of even greater interest, but -Calamity decided to study these at a more convenient time. - -"I have only one more question to ask you, Captain," he said. "What was -the exact nature of this 'Eastern merchandise'?" - -"Copper and nickel," answered the other. - -"A very profitable cargo, I should imagine; yet not as profitable as -this one little piece of paper should prove to me--eh, Captain Noel?" - -"I'll take my oath I knew nothing of this," answered the latter eagerly. - -"You knew about the cargo, at any rate. However, that's a matter which -doesn't concern me. I shall hand you back your German clearance papers, -but the English ones, together with this interesting little document, I -shall keep." - -"You--you're going to keep the English papers?" faltered the other. - -"Yes." - -"But, good God, man, I shall be captured! I can't reach a port with -German papers. I'm at the mercy of the first British cruiser I meet!" - -"Exactly. And dear Isaac Solomon, bless his gentle heart, will have his -ship confiscated. Still, I'll wager he'd sooner the authorities took his -ship than this piece of paper." - -Calamity rose to his feet, and, leaving the German papers on the table, -put the others in his pocket. - -"I'll wish you good-day, Captain Noel," he said. "I may capture a few -prizes during my cruise, but I can never hope to get another like this. -If you should meet Mr. Solomon during the next week or so kindly -remember me to him. Captain Calamity; he'll not have forgotten the -name." - -He left the steamer, and, returning to the _Hawk_, told Mr. Dykes to -continue the original course. - -"Very good, sir," answered the mate. "I suppose," he added, "there -weren't nothin' worth freezin' on to aboard that packet?" - -Calamity made no answer, and, going to his cabin, locked himself in. -Meanwhile, to the surprise and disappointment of the crew, the _Ann_ was -permitted to proceed on her way and the _Hawk_ resumed her course. - -"Don't savee what it means, don't you?" Jasper Skelt was saying in the -foc'sle. "It means this, my jolly sailor-boys. The skipper's helped -himself to the money-chest on that blooming barge and he's going to -stick to it. Yes, my festive deck-wallopers, all the prize-money and -plunder that comes your way you'll be able to stick in a hollow tooth." - -A low, angry murmur went up, and then a man, bolder than the rest, rose -to his feet. - -"If I b'lieved you, Jas Skelt, I'd 'ave a go at that un'oly swine aft, -and chance it." - -"Aye, aye," growled some others. "We ain't goin' to be done out of our -rights." - -"Then you stand by me," answered Skelt, "and I'll see that you get 'em." - -"We'll stand by you, mate," said the first speaker. "And, what's more, -we'll make you skipper of the _'Awk_. Ain't that so?" he added, turning -to the others. - -There was a low murmur of approval. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -TRAGEDY - - -As Calamity sat in his cabin reading the secret document which had so -unexpectedly fallen into his hands, he chuckled grimly. It proved, -beyond any vestige of a doubt, that Mr. Isaac Solomon was playing an -extremely profitable, but also extremely hazardous game. It was not -simply a case of blockade-running, it was a matter of trading with the -enemy--in effect, treason. He was, by devious tricks and dodges, -supplying the enemy with war material, and, it went without saying, -making a gigantic profit on each rascally transaction. His method was -wonderfully ingenious, for, by providing German and English clearance -papers for his ships, he was reasonably sure of their getting through, -whether stopped by British vessels or those of the enemy. Moreover, the -cargoes were shipped to neutral ports and their real nature disguised, -to lessen further the risk of discovery. But how the astute Solomon had -managed to get these papers Calamity could not imagine; still, he had -done so. - -This remarkable document also shed a light on the character and variety -of some of Mr. Solomon's numerous business activities, and seemed to -show that he was even wealthier than rumour had alleged. Until now, -Calamity himself had never guessed that his partner possessed any -ships, and certainly Singapore knew nothing of it. - -"Inscrutable are the ways of Solomon," he murmured with a smile. - -He would not have parted with the incriminating document for a fortune -because it meant that, henceforward, Solomon would be in his power. In -all his transactions with the wily ship-chandler, he had always been -made to feel that it was the latter who held the whip-hand. He had been -conscious of it when he left Singapore on this privateering expedition -and had more than suspected that Solomon's motives for financing him had -been only partly concerned with the making of a profit out of possible -prizes. He felt even more sure of it now, but it only increased his -sense of grim satisfaction. The tables had been turned, and it was he -who held the whip-hand, for it was in his power not only to ruin his -partner financially, but to have him sent to prison for what, in all -probability, would be the term of his natural life. - -While Calamity was gloating over these matters, and while Jasper Skelt -was doing his best to incite the crew to mutiny, Mr. Dykes was -ventilating a grievance to the chief engineer. What puzzled and -irritated him, as it did nearly everyone else on the _Hawk_, was the -Captain's seeming folly in letting the _Ann_, admittedly an enemy ship, -get away. Even if she carried no cargo of any value, she could have been -escorted into Singapore and claimed as a prize. The Admiralty award -would surely have been generous, and well worth all the trouble. - -This view he explained at some length to McPhulach, who was absorbing a -fearful concoction of gin and rum. The engineer was not a very -sympathetic listener at any time, but as both the second-mate and the -second-engineer were on watch, there was no one else to whom Mr. Dykes -could unburden himself with anything like freedom. - -"I ain't saying but what he mayn't have his reasons, and very good -ones," said the mate; "but, if he has, he ought to tell us. The crew are -startin' to look nasty again, and who's to blame 'em? Three times -already we've had a chance to rope in a prize and he's let every one -breeze away. It gets by me, and that's a fact." - -McPhulach, who had been dozing between drinks, opened his eyes as the -speaker paused. - -"He's a michty quare mon; a verra michty--hic--quare mon," he murmured, -and closed his eyes again. - -"Mind you," went on the mate, "I ain't grouchin', but, all the same, I'd -like to know where this dance is going to end. Is he goin' to tote us -all over the Pacific for the fun of stoppin' ships and letting 'em go -again? And where's the prize-money that we were goin' to get such -lashings of?" - -A stentorian snore was the only reply, and Mr. Dykes, realising that the -engineer was fast asleep, suppressed a desire to administer him a hearty -kick, and left the cabin. Outside he came upon Miss Fletcher sitting on -a camp-stool at the door of the cabin that had once been his. - -"What's the matter? You're looking very serious," she said. - -Mr. Dykes paused, and, leaning his back against the opposite bulkhead, -stuck both hands in his pockets and assumed an air of weary resignation. - -"I was jest tryin' to figger out whether we're on a yachtin' trip or -whether the old man is jest dodgin' about for the sake of his health," -he answered. - -The girl looked puzzled. - -"I don't understand," she said. - -The mate heaved a sigh and sat down on the cabin step beside her. In -spite of that past episode when he had forgotten himself, they were on -very friendly terms. She did not appear to resent or even to remember -the incident, probably because she knew that Mr. Dykes had learnt his -lesson and would be more discreet in future. Certainly she had not -reported the matter to Calamity, as he had at first feared she would, -and this fact raised her in his esteem as much as the blow between the -eyes had done. In fact, he had a very healthy respect for this -self-possessed young woman. - -"I don't understand what you mean," she reiterated. - -Whereupon Mr. Dykes repeated more or less what he had said to the -engineer concerning the Captain's apparent want of enterprise. - -"You may be sure he knows what he's about," she said, when the mate had -finished. - -"I'm willin' to allow that," he answered; "but it don't help us any. We -didn't sign on this packet for a pleasure cruise, and good intentions -don't cut no ice." - -"Then you don't trust the Captain?" she inquired, with a touch of scorn -in her voice. - -"Now you're gettin' a hitch on the wrong cow. I didn't say anything of -the sort. What I want to know is, when are we goin' to start biz, the -real biz? I ain't out to study the beauties of the deep; none of us are; -we've seen 'em too often, and they ain't none too beautiful neither." - -"Why don't you ask the Captain?" - -"That ain't all," went on Mr. Dykes, ignoring the question, "it won't do -to bank too much on this here crew. They're gettin' ugly, and when they -do stampede it won't be like last time. There'll be real, genuine -trouble accompanied by corpses--you can put your shirt on that." - -"But you told me he quelled a mutiny single-handed when you were only a -few days out." - -"Yes; but this is different. Then the men were unprepared, they didn't -know what to expect, and so the old man was able to raise Cain before -they'd got their bearin's. This time it'll be different; it'll be a -real, genuine, bloody mutiny, with hell to pay." - -"Personally, I have no fear. I would back your Captain against any -number of such scum," answered the girl a little contemptuously. - -Mr. Dykes shook his head gloomily. - -"This ain't the sort of ship for a woman to be on," he remarked. - -"I am quite capable of taking care of myself." - -The mate made no answer, and, realising that his forebodings were not -meeting with any sympathy, rose slowly from the step and yawned. - -"Guess I'll turn in for a spell," he said; "mine's the middle watch." - -She made no attempt to detain him, and he lounged away towards the -second-mate's cabin to get some sleep before going on duty. - -The brief twilight of the tropics had given place to night, and, though -there was no moon, the sky was ablaze with myriads of brilliant stars, -some in clusters like groups of sparkling gems, others strewn, as it -were, promiscuously over the translucent blue dome and a few isolated -and outstanding by reason of their wonderful brilliance. The cool -night-air was filled with a subtle, intoxicating perfume, and the sea -was like a vast steel mirror save for the expanding streak of bubbling, -foam-flecked water in the steamer's wake. And the only sounds to be -heard were the steady, rhythmic beat of the engines and the gurgling -swish of the water as it swept past the ship's sides, clear, cool, and -enticing. The mast-head light shone out steady and bright like a star of -enormous magnitude and on either beam the navigating lights cast red or -green reflections on the placid sea. - -Dora Fletcher retired to her cabin, where she sat watching, through an -open port, the beauty and wonder of the starlit night. She had -extinguished the lamp the better to enjoy this and the sense of peace -which the darkness induced. Presently, however, she turned away with a -sigh to prepare for bed, and, as she did so, glanced carelessly out of -the port which looked across the deck towards the foc'sle. The door of -the latter was shut, but through the chinks a yellow ray of light -penetrated, and, listening intently, she caught the murmur of voices. - -For a moment she forgot all about the beauty and peacefulness of the -night, and her thoughts turned to the lugubrious forebodings of the -mate. On such a night, and under such conditions, it was almost -impossible to imagine a scene such as he had hinted; impossible to -picture the silent and deserted decks aswarm with savage, bloodthirsty -men, intent upon murder and destruction. Yet she, who had been afloat -before most children have left the nursery, knew that it was possible, -just as she knew that it was only the iron mastery of one man which kept -this horde of ruffians in check. Since babyhood, almost, she had -listened to tales of mutiny and crime on the high seas; had sailed with -men who had witnessed such things, and some who even boasted of the -parts they had played therein. - -Suddenly she was roused from the vague, waking dream into which she had -fallen by the sound of a man's voice raised almost to a shout. It -dropped abruptly as though the speaker had suddenly recollected himself -and was conscious of having committed an indiscretion. It was evident, -however, that something unusual was going on in the foc'sle which, -ordinarily, should have been silent till the relief watch was routed out -and the off-going watch tumbled in. After a while she again heard -voices, and then sounds that seemed to suggest subdued quarrelling. -These sounds again died down, all was silent, and soon afterwards the -light in the foc'sle was extinguished. - -For some moments the girl lingered at the port, wondering what the -commotion for'ad portended, wondering also whether the officer on the -bridge had noticed it. The chances were that he had not, for the noise -of the engines coming through the gratings would probably have drowned -the sounds in the foc'sle, and the fact that it had been lighted up was -not in itself suspicious; a dim light was always kept burning there. - -She was just about to move away and turn in, when she saw the foc'sle -door open and a man creep stealthily out. Had he stepped out boldly she -would have thought nothing of it, but his furtive movements at once -roused her curiosity. Keeping well in the shadow of the bulwarks, he -crept forward till at last he reached the alleyway between the cabins -amidships and disappeared. Next moment the girl heard soft footsteps -approach her cabin, pass the door, and die away. - -She kept quite still for a few seconds in order to let the man pass, -then softly opened her door and peered out. At the other end of the -alleyway, giving upon the after-deck, she caught sight of the shadowy -figure making its way aft, and still keeping well in the shadows. -Stepping noiselessly out of the cabin, she followed him in obedience to -an insistent desire to find out what he was about to do. On reaching the -deck-house aft which led to the Captain's quarters, the man stopped and -the girl had barely time to sink behind a steam-winch before he turned -round and gazed furtively about him. - -Then, apparently satisfied that he was not being watched, the man did an -extraordinary thing. Climbing over the taffrail, he began to lower -himself gently towards the water. A wild fear that he intended to commit -suicide took possession of the girl, and she was about to cry out, when -his next action arrested her. With his feet on the iron wind-shoot that -projected from the scuttle of the Captain's cabin, he lowered himself -still farther and then, grasping the shoot with his hands, let himself -down till he was nearly up to the waist in water. - -Then, and not till then, the girl guessed what his intention was. The -Captain's bunk was situated immediately beneath the porthole, a fact she -had noticed during her first and, so far, last interview with Calamity. -From his present insecure position, the man could, by putting his arm -through the open port, reach the Captain as he lay asleep, and, -providing he had a weapon, a knife for instance, stab him before he -could utter a cry for help or defend himself. - -And, even as she looked, Dora Fletcher saw the gleam of a knife in the -man's hand; saw it raised for the murderous blow. Involuntarily she -closed her eyes and was about to shriek for help when she felt herself -seized from behind and a hand pressed tightly over her mouth. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -THE CAPTAIN'S "APPEAL" - - -"Not a word," whispered a harsh voice which, to her astonishment, she -recognised as belonging to Captain Calamity. - -He removed his hand from her mouth. - -"Go back to your bunk," he said in a low tone. "And not a whisper of -what you have seen to a soul. Understand?" - -She nodded. - -He jerked his head in a manner signifying that she was to go, and the -girl crept back to her cabin, feeling very much like a school-boy who -has been discovered breaking bounds. What she had thought to be a -horrible tragedy had, so far as she was concerned, turned out to be a -farce. Yet, with feminine inconsistency, her secret admiration for -Calamity was increased a hundredfold. His extraordinary preparedness, -his calm, unshakable self-reliance, his independence of everyone else, -fascinated her. There was nothing picturesque or heroic in his manner or -appearance, yet he had proved himself a match, and more than a match, -for the desperadoes who surrounded him. There was not a man on board his -equal in resourcefulness, watchfulness, or strength of purpose; he was -master of them all. - -Even while she felt deeply humiliated at his treatment of her, she -realised the absurdity of such a feeling. To him she was of less -consequence even than the most inefficient fireman or sailor on board; -for all she knew to the contrary, he had, until this brief and -unexpected encounter, forgotten her very existence. She felt that to -nourish resentment on this account would be childish; a wave might as -well nourish resentment against the rock on which it ineffectually -dashed itself. For the first time in her life Dora Fletcher had met a -man who was as indifferent to her feelings as he was to her sex, and, -curiously enough, she was not altogether displeased by this. - -Calamity, meanwhile, was playing his own game in his own way. -Withdrawing into the shadows, he awaited the return of Skelt from his -murderous errand. He had not long to wait. A moment or two after Dora -Fletcher had been so curtly ordered back to her cabin, the head of the -ex-boatswain appeared over the taffrail. He cast a hurried glance right -and left, then cautiously clambered over the rail and lowered himself on -to the deck. As he did so a hand shot out from the darkness and clutched -his throat with a grip of steel. Not until he was on the verge of being -suffocated did the choking grip relax, and then a hand fastened upon his -shoulder. - -"Silence. Come with me," said a voice which sent a thrill of terror -through him. - -Skelt had no alternative but to obey, and so, with the Captain's heavy -hand still upon his shoulder, accompanied him into the cabin. - -"Now," said Calamity as he seated himself and surveyed his prisoner, "be -good enough to explain this disobedience to orders." - -The fellow looked at him in astonishment. It was disconcerting enough to -find himself a prisoner in the hands of the man he had intended to -murder, but it was amazing to be accused by him of what sounded like a -minor offence. - -"I don't understand," he answered sullenly. - -"Is that how you have been in the habit of addressing your Captain?" - -"Sir," growled the man. - -"Remember that the next time you speak. Now then, what is your excuse -for being on the after-deck when, as you know, no men are allowed there -after sunset unless by express command?" - -Something akin to hope arose in the ex-bos'n's breast. Could it be -possible, he thought, that the Captain was unaware of his real intention -and thought that he had merely disobeyed one of the ship's regulations? -And, being wholly ignorant of the extraordinary methods of the terrible -skipper of the _Hawk_, Jasper Skelt permitted himself the luxury of a -little secret contempt. - -"I didn't know anything about the orders, sir," he answered. - -"Indeed? Do you know the penalty for disobedience on board a privateer?" - -"No, sir." - -"Death." - -The man started nervously and turned a shade paler. Things were not -going quite so well as he had thought, after all. - -"I've never been aboard a privateer before, sir," he replied humbly. - -"So I presume. What's more, I don't think you're likely ever to be -aboard another." - -Again the ex-boatswain glanced nervously at the skipper. The last remark -struck him as being unpleasantly ominous. The question which followed -confirmed his worst fears. - -"Did the men know why you came aft to-night?" - -"I--I can't say, sir," faltered Skelt. - -"You mean to say that you told none of them what you intended to do?" - -The man's knees were trembling. He made an attempt to speak, but seemed -to choke before he could get the words out. - -"Answer me!" rapped out the Captain, and Skelt started as if at the -sound of a pistol-shot. - -"N--no, sir," he faltered, hardly realising what he said. - -"Then I am to understand that they didn't know you intended to murder -me?" - -Skelt's last hope deserted him. His face turned an ashen grey. He tried -to speak, but only a dry sob of abject terror escaped him. - -"If you don't answer my question, you die inside two minutes," said -Calamity quietly. - -"Not all of them, sir," replied the wretched man. - -"You admit that you meant to kill me, then?" - -"God forgive me, sir, I----" - -"Never mind about God," interrupted the Captain grimly. "It's me you're -up against at the moment. Answer me, did all the men know of this?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"And they were all quite willing you should do it." - -"Only two objected, sir." - -"Who were they?" - -"Li Chang and Brunton, sir." - -"But they made no effort to warn me." - -"The others said they'd kill them if they did." - -"I see." - -Calamity leant back in his chair and surveyed his prisoner with the -calm, questioning scrutiny of a scientist surveying some new and -interesting specimen. - -"So," he remarked at length, "it never occurred to any of you that I -might be acquainted with everything that went on in the foc'sle; you -even felt sure that I knew nothing of the little indignation meeting you -held last Sunday. You were actually such fools as to suppose that, -having shipped the worst gang of port vermin that ever soiled a ship's -decks, I should remain quietly in my cabin in the hope that they were -behaving themselves like decent men. I never thought that rascality and -faith went hand in hand." - -Skelt made no answer, and the Captain rang a little hand-bell on the -table. Next moment the steward, a huge Chinaman called Sing-hi, entered -the cabin. - -"You lingee?" he inquired. - -"Yes." Calamity turned to the prisoner. "Have you anything to say?" he -asked. - -"For God's sake don't be hard on me," implored the would-be murderer -with abject piteousness. "Give me a chance, sir, and I'll do anything -for you. Only one chance, sir, only one, and, before Christ, I'll be -your slave." - -A queer smile came over Calamity's face as he regarded the cringing -servility of the ruffian. - -"You would, would you?" he observed. "If I asked you to kill a certain -man fora'd while he was asleep, would you do it?" - -"Yes, sir, if you'll spare my life. I'll do anything, sir!" cried the -man, with grovelling eagerness. - -"You'd swear to do it?" - -"I'll take my oath on the Bible, sir." - -"I thought you would," answered the Captain grimly. "Steward, lock the -man up in your room and don't hesitate to kill him if he tries to -escape. Savee?" - -"Savee plenty muchee," answered the huge Chinaman with a grin, whereupon -he caught hold of the ex-boatswain's collar, swung him round, and -hustled him out of the cabin. When they had gone, Calamity arose and -made his way to the bridge, where Mr. Dykes was on watch. - -"Anything to report?" asked the Captain. - -"No, sir." - -"How are you managing with the crew?" - -"Well, sir, they ain't quite as peaceful as they might be; not since we -met the _Ann_." - -"Indeed? why?" - -"They seem to think we might have made her a prize and taken her into -port. In fact," added the mate, warming up, "I may as well tell you -there's going to be trouble, sir." - -"Mutiny, you mean?" - -"Yep, and when they start there'll be blue murder. It's that swine we -picked up that's been workin' the mischief." - -"Then we must deal with him, Mr. Dykes." - -"I guess it'll be a stiff proposition, Cap'n; he's gotten all the crew -behind him. D'rectly you lay hands on him, it'll be like a spark in a -powder-barrel." - -"Then you regard him, virtually, as Captain of the ship?" - -The mate made no answer, but shrugged his shoulders significantly. He -believed that, in utterly disregarding the wishes of the crew, and, at -the same time, maintaining an iron discipline, Calamity had bitten off -"a bigger chunk than he could chew." However, he considered it prudent -to keep this opinion to himself, and therein he was undoubtedly right. - -"By to-morrow morning," went on the Captain after a pause, "all signs of -mutiny will, I think, have disappeared." - -"I hope to God they will, sir." - -"I feel sure that an appeal to the men's reason, such as I shall make -to-morrow, will not fail in its effect." - -"An appeal to their reason, sir!" gasped the mate. - -"Yes. A mild demonstration of the absurdity of attempting to mutiny." - -"I don't get you, sir." - -"No? Well, muster all hands on deck at eight bells. Good-night, Mr. -Dykes." - -"Good-night, sir," answered the mate, and, walking to the bridge-rail, -expectorated over the side. "Well," he muttered, "if it ain't enough to -make a feller spit blood. An appeal to their reason! Gee, he'll be -holdin' family prayers in the cabin next." - -At six bells, which was an hour before his watch was up, the mate -perceived a man mounting the bridge-ladder. - -"Hello!" he exclaimed, "who are you?" - -"Brunton, sir," answered the man. - -"Well, what d'you want? It's not your watch." - -"Have you seen Skelt, sir?" - -"Seen Skelt!" roared the mate. "What the hell do you take me for? D'you -think I know where every perishin' son of a cock-eyed monkey aboard this -packet is?" - -"He was going to murder the Captain, sir. I couldn't get away before, as -all the others were watching me. I only got out now because they think -he's funked it." - -"Goin' to murder--here, fetch the second-mate up, quick!" - -The man hurried to Smith's cabin and roused out the sleeping occupant, -who stumbled up to the bridge vomiting profanity of varied hues. - -"Get aft!" shouted the mate, "they're murderin' the old man." - -Smith turned and dashed off to the Captain's cabin, which he entered -without even the ceremony of knocking. It was empty, but from a small -room adjoining came the sound of stentorian snores. - -"Blimey!" muttered Smith, glancing round him. "He don't sound as if he -were dead." - -His eye fell on the ship's log which lay open on the table. -Instinctively he glanced at it and, under the entry for the day, read -the following: - -"Jasper Skelt, boatswain of the barque _Esmeralda_. Died at sea. Cause, -misadventure." - -He slowly returned to the bridge and told the mate what he had seen. - -"You're sure he was alive?" asked the latter. - -"Well, he was makin' a noise like a motor-'bus climbin' a hill," -answered Smith. - -At eight bells that morning Mr. Dykes, in quite a different frame of -mind to that of a couple of hours ago, sent the bos'n to muster all -hands on deck. The men tumbled out sullenly, muttering among themselves -in a manner which seemed to justify the mate's recent warning to the -Captain. - -Suddenly one of them gave a cry. - -In the clear, grey morning light, they beheld, hanging from one of the -derricks, the lifeless body of Jasper Skelt. His hands and feet were -tightly bound with cords, and he was suspended from the boom by a rope -round his neck. - -Judging from the men's faces as they stared at the ghastly spectacle, -Calamity's "appeal" was not likely to prove a vain one. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -THE FIGHT - - -The German gunboat, that the _Hawk_ had been following so assiduously, -had disappeared in the fog of the Sunday on which the _Ann_ was stopped. -Nevertheless, Calamity set the course each day with an unhesitating -decisiveness which seemed to suggest that he had some definite plan in -view. A day or two after that encounter a large steam-yacht painted -war-grey, and flying no ensign, was sighted steaming in a northerly -direction. Calamity, who was on the bridge at the time, examined her -through his glasses and then handed them to Smith, the mate being below. - -"What do you make of her?" he asked. - -The second-mate, after a long and careful scrutiny, handed the glasses -back. - -"Looks like a commerce-destroyer," he said, "but blowed if I can tell -what nationality she is." - -"H'm, we'll soon find out," answered the Captain. "Go for'ad and send a -shot after her as soon as I've altered the course." - -Smith left the bridge, and, mounting the foc'sle, took the tarpaulin -cover off the quick-firer which was mounted there. Meanwhile Calamity -had brought the _Hawk's_ nose round so that he was now in the wake of -the strange ship. - -"All ready, sir!" shouted Smith. - -"Then let her have it." - -The second-mate carefully laid the gun and next minute a shell went -hurtling over the yacht's stern; too high to do any damage, yet near -enough to make any nervous persons on board feel more nervous still. The -noise brought the privateer's crew tumbling on deck, eager to see what -was happening. Then, before the sound of the shot had died away, the -yacht was observed to be changing her course--steaming round in the arc -of a circle to starboard of the _Hawk_. Obviously she was not running -away, and the inference was that she intended to fight. - -"Pipe to quarters!" cried Calamity from the bridge; but before the bos'n -had time to obey the order the men were rushing to their places. It -seemed as if there was going to be a fight at last. - -The yacht, a steamer of about 3,000 tons, came round with her bows -pointing towards the _Hawk's_ starboard quarter, and, as she reached -that position, there came the sullen boom of a gun. A shell whistled -above the privateer's upper works, smashing to splinters one of the -boats which the carpenter had been repairing on the davits. A second -shot followed hard upon the first, and then a third, which smashed one -of the raised skylights above the engine-room, sending a shower of -broken glass upon the men below. - -"Blimey!" ejaculated Smith as he stood by his gun, lanyard in hand, -"this looks like the real thing--not half it don't." - -The damage done by the last two shots would have been greater still had -not Calamity thrust the quartermaster away from the wheel and taken it -himself. Under his control, the _Hawk_ slewed round so that she -presented only her bows as a target for her opponent. As the sound of -the latter's guns died away, she was seen to hoist the German naval -ensign at her stern, while a signal hoist was run up to the mast-head -signifying "Surrender or I sink you." - -There was a lull, the two vessels facing each other bows-on like a -couple of fierce dogs about to fight. Then a little bundle trundled up -to the _Hawk's_ triatic stay, broke, and two burgees, one blue and -white, the other red, fluttered out in the breeze. It was Calamity's -answer: "Stand by to abandon ship." As his men looked up and read the -signal there was a burst of hoarse laughter, followed by a ringing -cheer. They realised the grim humour of the message, and thoroughly -appreciated it. - -During the next half-hour the engagement consisted only of the exchange -of a few shots, one or two of which did damage on both sides. The -belligerents were manoeuvring for position, each trying to force the -other to fight facing the sun, which would, of course, place him at a -serious disadvantage. While these tactical evolutions were in progress, -a couple of the _Hawk's_ men received wounds and Miss Fletcher, who had -been watching the spectacle through her cabin porthole, rushed on deck, -in spite of the risk she ran of being hit herself. She was helping to -remove one of the injured men, when Calamity caught sight of her. - -"Send that fool-woman to her cabin!" he roared to Mr. Dykes. - -The mate hesitated. He was extraordinarily impressed by the girl's -plucky act, but the Captain's order, though a wise one, struck him as -being unduly harsh. Besides, he was loth to miss such a unique -opportunity of, perhaps, doing daring deeds under her very eyes. - -"D'you hear what I say?" shouted the Captain. - -"Excuse me, sir," he answered; "but who's to look after the wounded if -Miss Fletcher doesn't?" - -"If the girl wants to make herself useful she can dress the men's wounds -in the hold. But I won't have a woman on deck during a fight." - -It was an ungracious order, but Mr. Dykes had nothing for it but to -leave the bridge and acquaint Miss Fletcher with the Captain's -instructions. - -"The skipper's compliments," he said, "and would you attend to the -wounded when they're taken down to the hold?" - -The girl glanced at him sharply; probably the hesitating manner in which -he spoke roused her suspicions. - -"That's not what he said?" she challenged. - -"Well, I guess it's as near as no matter." - -"You mean he has ordered me off the deck?" - -The mate made a deprecatory gesture and turned away. For a moment the -girl hesitated, half inclined to defy the Captain's orders and remain on -deck. Then the futility of any such act of defiance occurred to her, and -she returned to her cabin, locking the door behind her. - -"Oh!" she exclaimed, stamping her foot with rage, "I hate him!" - -She continued to hate him ardently for a while, and then, as this gave -little real satisfaction, she opened her cabin door and peered out just -as Smith was passing. - -"Are you going on to the bridge?" she asked. - -"Yes," he answered, pausing. - -"Then be good enough to tell the Captain that he can tend the wounded -himself," she burst out, and slammed the door before the astonished -second-mate could recover from his surprise. - -He duly delivered her message, but it was doubtful if Calamity heard it; -certainly he made no comment, and Smith thought it wise to let the -matter go at that. - -The two vessels were still fencing and manoeuvring, getting a shot in -when and wherever they could. But at last both the commanders tired of -these fruitless tactics, and then the engagement began in real earnest. -The yacht was armed with lighter guns than those of her opponent, but -she had more of them, and, in addition, possessed the advantage of -speed, being capable of answering her helm twice as quickly as the -privateer. This enabled her to swing round at all angles, catch the -_Hawk_ broadside-on and sweep her decks fore and aft. Notwithstanding -this, she by no means had it all her own way, for the privateer kept up -a steady, well-trained fire that made things aboard her adversary more -than lively. - -As only those men who served the guns were allowed on deck, the -casualties were relatively small on the _Hawk_. Whenever a man fell, his -place was taken by another from the reserve men in the foc'sle and thus -unnecessary losses were avoided. A hospital of sorts had been rigged up -in the for'ad hold and here the wounded men were carried and placed on -mattresses until such time as they could be attended to. - -Calamity had thrown off his jacket, and, with arms bared to the elbows, -was working the quick-firer on the bridge, three of the gun's crew -having been killed or wounded. - -"Hit her amidships, in the engine-room!" he shouted to Mr. Dykes, who -had charge of the gun on the poop. - -A minute or two later there was a loud explosion on the yacht, owing to -one of her guns being hit while loaded, by a shell from the _Hawk_. A -wild cheer went up from the privateers' men, and Calamity, thinking he -might board his adversary in the confusion, bellowed an order to the -quartermaster. - -"Hard a starboard! Quick, damn your eyes!" - -"Hard a----" the quartermaster started to echo, but before he could -finish a fragment of shell struck him, and Calamity, swinging round to -see what had happened, was bespattered with blood and brains. He sprang -to the wheel, and, pushing aside the dead body with his foot, altered -the helm. But it was too late, the other had divined his purpose and was -drawing off. Instantly the _Hawk_ started in pursuit, but, as she came -round in the yacht's wake, a ricocheting shell dropped through the -engine-room skylight and there was an explosion below which shook the -vessel from stem to stern. Volumes of hissing steam ascended through the -gratings and ventilators, while, above the roar, came the agonised -shrieks of some wretched firemen who were being scalded to death in the -stokehold. - -A man, his face a wet, shapeless, raw mass of flesh, stumbled out of the -fiddley, staggered a few paces, and fell sprawling on the deck. Another -followed whose hair, still attached to the skin, was falling off in -lumps, and he, too, collapsed on the deck. At the same moment the steady -throb of the engines ceased and the _Hawk_ began to lose way. Meanwhile -the German had drawn off, and, for the time being, firing ceased on both -sides. The enemy, it would seem, was in little better condition than the -privateer, for she was steaming at a rate of certainly not more than -five knots. Calamity, watching her from the bridge, cursed aloud as he -saw his hoped-for prize slowly but surely getting away while he was -unable to prevent her or to go in pursuit. - -"Send for McPhulach!" he cried; but, before anyone could obey, the -chief-engineer mounted to the bridge. - -"I'm sair dootin' we'll hae to bide where we are," he remarked placidly. - -"Do you mean to say the engines are wrecked?" demanded Calamity. - -"I wouldna go sae far as tae say that," answered the engineer. "Ye micht -speak o' them as assorted scrap-iron." - -The Captain laid a firm hand on McPhulach's arm. - -"You've got to repair those engines," he said quietly. - -"Eh!" - -"You heard me." - -"Losh presarve us, mon, the A'michty Himsel' couldna do it!" - -"The Almighty's not chief engineer of the _Hawk_, so you needn't worry -about that. Get those engines going or I'll string you up at the end of -a derrick." - -"Guid God, are ye mad, mon!" gasped the engineer. - -"Mad or sane, I'll do what I say." - -"I tell ye the engine-room's like a steam-laundry," wailed McPhulach. -"There isna a pipe that isna squairting steam out of some crack or itha, -and it'll take all the cotton-waste in the ship to bind up the leaks. -It's a plumber's job, no' an engineer's." - -"Well, if you can't do your job, I'll undertake to do mine," said the -Captain grimly. - -McPhulach emitted a groan, then took from his pocket a short and very -rank briar pipe. A look of phlegmatic resignation had come over his -face. - -"Maybe ye're richt, skipper," he said. "Hae ye got sic a thing as a plug -o' tobaccy on ye'r pairson?" - -Calamity handed him a pouch of tobacco. McPhulach filled his pipe, and, -remarking that he might run short, also put some tobacco loose in his -pocket. - -"Gin ye hae a match, I'll go below and see what can be done," he said. - -The Captain produced a box of vestas. The engineer lit his pipe, and, -absent-mindedly dropping the matches into his own pocket, left the -bridge. - -The mate, meanwhile, had been superintending the removal of the wounded -and the washing down of the decks. Three men had been killed, not -including two firemen scalded to death in the stokehold, and the wounded -numbered eleven. The latter were made as comfortable as possible in the -hold and the former were carried into the wheel-house pending burial. - -Gradually the commerce-destroyer became smaller and smaller, until, by -evening, all that was visible of her was a feathery smoke-trail on the -horizon. - -Soon after eight bells that night, McPhulach succeeded in performing a -miracle--the _Hawk's_ engines began to move. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -A DESPERATE VENTURE - - -Slowly, like a convalescent taking his first walk and as yet doubtful of -his strength, the _Hawk_ began to push the seas aside and move ahead. -The engines, instead of working with rhythmic regularity, were banging -and thumping in jerky spasms--still, they were working--the bridge shook -with their ponderous vibrations, while the wire funnel stays tautened -and slacked as the smokestack quivered. - -The first duty accomplished after the clearing up of the decks was the -disposal of the dead, which were placed in canvas bags weighted with -firebars to ensure their sinking. There were no prayers, services, or -ceremonies of any kind; they were simply dropped over the side.... - -In the hold Calamity and the mate were at work with their coats off and -shirt-sleeves rolled up. Some of the hatch-covers had been removed to -secure better ventilation and a couple of lanterns suspended from the -girders flickered feebly in the semi-twilight. Against the bulkheads -were two rows of mattresses arranged so as to leave a passage between -them, and on some of these lay wounded men, each with a coarse, black -blanket thrown over him. The Captain, assisted by Mr. Dykes, was -attending to the more serious cases in a manner which caused the mate -considerable secret astonishment. He had expected to see the skipper -perform the duties of surgeon in a rough and ready if not a brutal way, -and had felt a strong sympathy for his prospective victims. Instead, -Calamity handled the men with almost professional skill, performing even -serious operations with deft, quick fingers, and without either -nervousness or hesitation. A smile, a cheery word of encouragement, a -full-flavoured joke worked wonders, and a man, even in excruciating -pain, would grin feebly at some broad jest uttered by the Captain. - -Dora Fletcher, who had thought better of her first hasty decision, was -dressing some of the minor wounds. To her, Calamity's new role came as a -startling revelation of a hitherto unsuspected phase of his character. -She, who had seen him commit acts of unquestionable brutality, now -watched him pass from bed to bed with an air of quiet assurance that -inspired even the worst cases with new confidence and hope. Men flinched -apprehensively as he approached to examine their injuries, but his -touch, though firm, was as gentle as a woman's, and their fears were -quickly set at rest. - -He scarcely even glanced at the girl, and when he did so it was to give -some curt directions as from a surgeon to a nurse. Yet she felt -strangely happy and triumphant, for at last he had been forced to -recognise and to demand her assistance. She felt herself necessary to -him, and the terse orders, involving her co-operation in the work of -succour, seemed to her a tacit admission of the fact. Henceforth she -would at least be an entity in his eyes; he would have to acknowledge -her existence, even if he resented it. - -After the Captain and Mr. Dykes had gone; throughout the whole night, -indeed, the girl remained at her post. She found plenty to do; giving -cooling drinks to those whose throats were parched with fever, -readjusting dressings which had worked out of place, and performing the -hundred and one offices which fall to the lot of a watcher of the sick. -At intervals during the night the mate or Smith would enter the dim -hold, which now reeked with the pungent odour of antiseptics, to proffer -their services, and once Mr. Dykes tried to persuade her to turn in. But -she rejected the suggestion indignantly, and ordered him out of the -place, whereupon he departed sheepishly. At about five o'clock in the -morning Calamity looked in again and seemed surprised to find her there. - -"How long have you been on watch?" he asked. - -"Since you left," she answered. - -"Then you'd no right to. Dykes or Smith should have told off a man to -keep watch. Get off to your bunk. I don't want a sick woman aboard." - -Without a word she left the sick-bay, and then, for the first time, -realised how exhausted she really was. Without troubling to undress, she -flung herself upon the bunk and was asleep almost before her head -touched the pillow. - -All that day and the next as well, the _Hawk_ chugged her way in a -northerly direction, her speed never exceeding six knots and sometimes -falling below that. How McPhulach had contrived to patch up her engines -sufficiently to do even so much was a mystery no one but himself could -have explained. Still, they might break down again at any moment, and it -was absolutely necessary to find some port where the repairs could be -carried out more thoroughly, and with the proper appliances. In the -meantime much of the damage sustained in the encounter with the yacht -had been repaired. Paint and canvas had done much to cover the effects -of shot and shell, and outwardly, at least, the _Hawk_ had resumed her -normal appearance. But it was merely superficial, like the creams and -cosmetics used by a faded beauty to hide the ravages of time. In fact -she was, as Smith put it, "a whited bloomin' sepulchre." - -On the second morning, as Miss Fletcher was going down to the hold, she -met Mr. Dykes. - -"The skipper's orders are that you're to take four-hour watches, so that -you'll have a rest between each spell," he said. - -She merely nodded and passed into the hold. The dim, yellow glow of the -lanterns was fading in the growing daylight, making the surroundings -more gloomy and depressing than even the half-light. She moved from bed -to bed with noiseless steps, performing various little services for the -sufferers. One man, who knew that he was dying, asked her to write down -and witness his last will and testament--a curiously pathetic -document--and for another she wrote a letter that was to be posted at -the first port the ship touched. In a far corner she found a man making -feeble efforts to undo the front of his shirt. He was too weak to speak, -and, wondering what he wanted, the girl unbuttoned it to find a small -silver crucifix suspended from a piece of string round his neck. -Divining his need, she placed it in his hand, and the coarse, misshapen -fingers closed over the Symbol; thus he died. - -Soon afterwards the Captain entered and passed between the beds, -stopping to ask each of the patients how he was getting on, and giving a -cheery word of encouragement to everyone. At last he reached the bed -where Dora Fletcher stood over the dead figure, whose fingers still -clasped the little silver crucifix. - -"H'm," he grunted, "another loss. Anything to report?" - -In a few words the girl described the condition and progress of the -various patients. At the conclusion Calamity nodded, but made no -comment. - -"I should like to ask you a favour, Captain," she said quietly. - -"A favour? Well, what is it?" he demanded in a tone that was the reverse -of encouraging. - -"Do you think you could give this poor fellow"--she indicated the dead -man on the bed--"a Christian burial? I--I think he would have wished -it." - -A look of mingled surprise and annoyance came into the Captain's face as -he glanced at the unconscious figure. - -"The man's dead, isn't he?" - -"Yes, of course," answered the girl, puzzled by the question. - -"Then what difference can it make to him how he's buried?" demanded -Calamity, and, without waiting for an answer, walked away. - -Later on that day Mr. Dykes urged the request again at Miss Fletcher's -desire. - -"I can't make distinctions," replied the Captain. "The man's got to take -his chance of paradise with the rest. I'm not going to give him an -unfair advantage over the others. Besides, this is a cheerful ship, and -I don't intend to depress the living by reading burial services over the -dead. They'll get their proper ratings without my assistance." - -So that evening the corpse, sewed up in canvas and weighted with a -piece of pig-iron, was cast over the side without ceremony. - -Early on the following morning the look-out upon the foc'sle head -reported land on the starboard bow. - -The news brought the men rushing on deck at once, for the sight of land -to sailors at sea is always an interesting event, savouring of -adventure, women, and wine. The news was immediately reported to the -Captain, who hurried on to the bridge and scrutinised the seeming cloud -for some time through the glasses which Smith, who was on watch, handed -to him. - -"H'm," grunted Calamity, "an island." - -"One of the Palau Group I should say, sir." - -"Which means that it's German--eh?" - -"_Was_ German, sir," corrected the second-mate. - -"There's no knowing; among so many scattered islands it's quite possible -that one or two may have been overlooked by our cruisers." - -"Maybe, sir," answered Smith doubtfully. - -Calamity again focussed the glasses on the dark smudge in the dim -distance. As he had just pointed out to the second-mate, it was quite -possible that some of the small islands which went to make up what was -once called the Bismarck Archipelago had escaped official annexation. -This seemed the more probable since two German vessels, the gunboat and -the commerce-destroyer, were apparently still at large in these waters. -Both ships, particularly the former, would require a coaling station not -too far away, and what more likely, therefore, than that there should be -one hidden away among these innumerable islands? - -The _Hawk_ slowly bore down upon the land, but her speed was now so -reduced that night had set in before those on board were able to get a -really good view. By the following morning, however, they found -themselves within a mile of it, and its palm-fringed beaches could be -seen plainly from the deck. There was nothing about the island to excite -wonder or interest, save that it just happened to be dry land amidst a -boundless waste of blue waters. Numbers of such islands, many of them -far larger, were to be met with in these latitudes. - -Yet, because it was land, and suggestive of illicit pleasures, there was -an air of suppressed excitement aboard the _Hawk_. Throughout the day -she coasted slowly round it, but never once did a canoe or a catamaran -put off to trade; indeed, not a vestige of human life was to be seen. At -last, after they had nearly completed a circuit of the island, a small -harbour was sighted at the eastern extremity. On a hill, overlooking the -entrance, was a structure which suggested a fort, and this at once gave -Calamity the idea that the gunboat which had hitherto eluded him was -probably ensconced within this harbour. To "dig out" the pirate and take -possession of her spoils was the first thought which occurred to him, -but another and a stronger motive made him decide to enter the harbour -at all costs. This was the fact that the _Hawk's_ engines were next door -to useless, and, unless they could be more effectually repaired, would -become entirely so. It was quite possible, he reflected, that if the -island really was a German station, there would be appliances for -dealing with engine-room mishaps. - -So, towards sundown, he steered boldly for the harbour, even blowing the -steam syren to call attention to his visit. The flagstaff on the fort, -he noticed, was bare, although as the _Hawk_ drew nearer it was possible -to make out an inconspicuous wireless installation. - -"German without a doubt," he remarked to himself. "If it were British -the Union Jack would be floating up there." - -He turned to Mr. Dykes and in a few words explained what he wanted done. -The _Hawk_ was to pose as a harmless American merchantman which had put -in for the purpose of trying to obtain some coal. The large crew, -totally out of proportion to the number required to man a peaceful -"tramp," were to remain in the foc'sle, except one or two who were to -lounge about the deck for show purposes. Therefore in a very few minutes -the decks were deserted except for the look-out and a couple of grimy -firemen who leant over the bulwarks expectorating into the water. Half -an hour later, the _Hawk_ reached the mouth of the harbour and the syren -emitted three ear-piercing shrieks. - -The sound had scarcely died away when a boat, manned by natives and with -a white man seated in the stern-sheets, put off from a small, wooden -jetty beneath the fort. When within hailing distance, the man in the -stern stood up and put both hands to his mouth. - -"Wie heisst das schiff?" he bawled. - -"Don't get you," answered Calamity; "have another try." - -"Vot schip vos dot?" bellowed the other, who was evidently some sort of -port official. - -"This is the American steamer _Hawk_, Singapore for Valparaiso." - -"Vy you no show your flarg?" inquired the official, his boat coming -nearer the _Hawk_ every moment. - -"Sorry; if I'd known it was your birthday, guess I'd have hoisted a bit -of bunting," replied the pseudo Yankee skipper, and gave an order which -resulted in the Stars and Stripes fluttering out astern. - -The reply, however, did not appear to please the official. - -"You 'eave-to!" he commanded. "I vant to see your papers." - -Calamity rang down "Stop," the engines ceased thudding and a couple of -men came out on deck and threw a rope-ladder over the side. A moment -later the boat came alongside and the official, a short, fat little man, -ascended the ladder with some difficulty, alighting on deck hot and -breathless. Meanwhile his coffee-coloured cox'n having made the boat -fast to a rung of the rope-ladder, sat down and lighted a cheroot. - -"You vas der Captain?" asked the newcomer of Calamity, as soon as he had -recovered his breath. - -"Yes." - -"You must produce your papers." - -"If you'll come with me, sir, I'll show them to you," answered Calamity -politely, and led the way towards his cabin. - -Suddenly he stopped near the after-hatch, from which a couple of the -covers had previously been removed. - -"Like to have a squint at the cargo?" he asked. "Guess it'll interest -you." - -The fussy little man looked surprised at the question, but he stepped up -to the hatch, and, leaning over the combing, peered into the obscure -depths below. While he was still in this convenient attitude an -impelling force caught him in the small of the back, and he shot -downwards into the hold, alighting head foremost on a heap of -sand-ballast. Then, before he had recovered sufficiently to raise a -shout, the hatch-covers were promptly clapped on again and he was left -there in the dark to meditate on the ups and downs of a port official's -life. - -Having satisfactorily disposed of this inquisitive person, Calamity -returned to the bridge and the _Hawk_ began to steam slowly past the -fort into the harbour. Two or three sentinels on the hill watched her -progress, but they having seen her boarded by one of their officials -doubtless concluded that all was well. Meanwhile Mr. Dykes had managed -to convince the dusky cox'n in the waiting boat alongside that his -master would remain on board, whereupon the man saluted, cast off the -painter, and steered his boat shorewards. - -When the _Hawk_ had rounded the bend which hid the upper portion of the -harbour from view, Mr. Dykes gave vent to a sudden exclamation of -astonishment. - -"Durned if that ain't our old bug-trap?" - -Looking in the direction indicated by the mate, Calamity saw the pirate -gunboat beached just beyond the jetty and lying on her side, evidently -for the purpose of being repaired. His assumption, then, had been -correct: this island was a secret coaling station and place of refuge -for the very few German vessels which were still at large. However, he -made no comment aloud, and in a few more minutes the anchor was let go -and the _Hawk_ swung peacefully at her moorings. - -The situation in which Calamity had voluntarily placed himself by -entering this harbour was, as he fully realised, fraught with infinite -peril. He knew that if he now attempted to escape he risked being sunk -by the guns on the fort, yet he could not remain where he was much -longer without being subjected to investigations which would result in -capture, if not worse. Under the circumstances, therefore, there was -only one thing to do, and that was to attack the fort and capture it. -This plan, viewed impartially, seemed hopelessly impossible, especially -if, as appeared highly probable, the fort were strongly garrisoned. -Still, Calamity did not hesitate between this and the only -alternative--surrender. - -He sent for the two mates to whom, in a few curt sentences, he outlined -his plan of action. It was simple in the extreme, and, by reason of its -amazing boldness, might even be successful. The Germans, he argued, -though regarding the vessel with suspicion, would hardly anticipate the -landing of an armed party, which was what he contemplated. The brief -twilight would soon descend, and, the _Hawk_ being safely bottled up in -the harbour, the enemy would probably not worry much about her till the -morning; therefore the attack was to be carried out as soon as darkness -fell. - -When this had been explained Calamity and his officers set about making -preparations for the landing. A party consisting of as many men as could -be packed into the ship's boats was to effect a landing under cover of -the darkness, while those left on board were to open fire on the fort -with the machine-guns directly the enemy discovered the attack. By this -means it was hoped to cover the landing operations and prevent the -defenders turning their heavier guns on the storming party. To this end -Mr. Dykes was placed in temporary command of the _Hawk_, Calamity -himself undertaking to lead the attack from the shore. - -In a remarkably short space of time the preparations were complete, and -the only thing they waited for now was darkness--the swift, enveloping -darkness of the tropics. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -THE EBB TIDE - - -At last night came. Calamity gave the word and the men streamed out of -the foc'sle, some rushing to the falls ready to lower the boats from the -davits, others stowing arms and ammunition under the thwarts. Every man -had his own particular duty to discharge; there was no confusion, no -shouting of orders, no wild and objectless rushing about--everything was -done quietly and systematically. - -"Stand by!" - -The Captain's voice was low but penetrating. Everyone stood still at his -post. - -"Slip!" - -The boats dropped from the davits, the falls were cast off, the oars -flung out, and the bowmen stood up, ready to push off at the order. -Quickly, and with scarce a sound, the landing party swarmed down the -rope-ladders and took their places in the boats. - -"Give way!" - -As one man, the rowers bent to their oars, the boats shot out into the -darkness, and were lost to view by those left on board. The oars had -been muffled, so that the only sounds which could be heard were the soft -plash of the blades as they dipped into the water and the creaking of -the thwarts and stretchers. But soon these noises died away in the -distance, and then all seemed perfectly still to the dark figures -crouching beside the guns on the _Hawk's_ decks. - -About five minutes after the boats had left a tongue of flame suddenly -leapt from the fort, followed by a dull boom. Evidently the Germans had -just discovered the attack, and were attempting to sink the boats before -they reached the shore. The sound of the gun had scarcely died away when -Mr. Dykes passed the word to open fire on the fort, and there ensued a -lively duel between the latter and the _Hawk_. As it was a pitch dark -night, each side had to guide its fire by the flashes of the enemy's -guns, so that, at first, the shooting was somewhat erratic. But, after a -while, the Germans began to get the range of the _Hawk_ and to make such -good practice that Mr. Dykes had to order some of his men to fill bags -with sand ballast and stack them along the bulwarks to afford additional -protection to the gun crews. Unfortunately, the enemy's guns were of -much heavier calibre than the _Hawk's_, so that, when a shell struck the -vessel, it did considerable damage. - -"By Gum!" ejaculated the mate, "this is getting durned hot." - -He had not reckoned upon receiving such a tremendous fusillade from the -fort, and, though by no means a timorous man, began to fear that the -_Hawk_ would be sunk at her moorings. So far as he was able to tell at -present, there had been only a few casualties on board, the bulwarks and -sandbags affording an excellent protection for the men working the guns, -although, had it been daylight, these would probably have been of little -avail. But the steamer herself had suffered considerably; the -deck-houses were mostly in splinters, all the skylights had been -smashed, and where the funnel had once stood there was now only a jagged -stump. Once the enemy succeeded in battering down the defences, his guns -would simply annihilate every living thing on board. - -"I wish some of them shells would cut our cables," he murmured to -himself, "then we could just skidoo out of the harbour, and the old man -couldn't say a word." - -The notion of slipping the cables himself and creeping out of the -harbour occurred to him more than once, but each time he dismissed it -from his mind. It would certainly savour of cowardice to leave Calamity -and his men on the island without a chance to retreat, while, if the -Captain should ever succeed in getting within reach of him afterwards, -the consequences would be very far from pleasant. - -By this time one of the _Hawk's_ machine-guns had been put out of -action, and still the fort kept up an unceasing bombardment. Mr. Dykes -was now fervently hoping that Calamity would abandon the attack, return -on board, and get out of this hornet's nest with all possible speed--if, -of course, the steamer was not already too battered about to get under -way. With this possibility in view, he sent a man to fetch McPhulach and -was exceedingly surprised to learn that the engineer could not be found. - -"Ain't he in his cabin?" he inquired. - -"No, sir, nor yet in the engine-room," replied the messenger. - -"But he must be, the skipper said he was to stand by the engines." - -"'E's not there," repeated the man. - -"See if he's in the alleyway." - -The man departed but returned with the information that McPhulach was -not in the alleyway. Moreover, nobody on board had seen him since the -landing party left. - -"Fetch up Mr. Sims," said the mate. - -Mr. Sims was the second-engineer, a melancholy man with watery eyes, a -pallid face, and chronic dyspepsia, who never mixed with the other -officers or uttered a word if he could possibly help it. He was, too, an -indifferent engineer; but, as McPhulach had once said, the biggest -success as a nonentity he had ever met. - -"How long will it take us to get under way?" inquired the mate when Mr. -Sims appeared. - -"Half an hour, may be." - -"What!" ejaculated Mr. Dykes. - -Mr. Sims nodded in confirmation of his statement. - -"Ain't there no steam, then?" - -Mr. Sims shook his head. - -"Then what in thunder have you been doing down there? Didn't you have -orders to keep up a full head of steam?" - -Mr. Sims nodded. - -"For God's sake use your tongue, man," roared the mate. "Why ain't there -no steam?" - -"Because all the firemen are on deck." - -Mr. Dykes almost danced with rage, yet this time he could say nothing -for the simple reason that he now recollected having ordered all hands -on deck for the purpose of serving the guns and passing up ammunition -out of the hold. - -"Oh, get to hell out of it!" he spluttered and Mr. Sims vanished back -into obscurity. - -Having despatched some firemen below to get up steam, the mate again -fell to considering the advisability of drawing off since the enemy's -fire showed no signs of slackening. To do him justice, it was not from -fear of being himself hit at any moment, but rather from a vivid -anticipation of the fate in store for him and the others on board if -they fell into the hands of the enemy. Still, if Mr. Sims's report was -correct, nothing could be done for at least half an hour. - -In order to assure himself that the firemen were doing their utmost, Mr. -Dykes left the bos'n's-mate in charge of the deck and descended to the -stokehold--a thing he would not have dared to do had McPhulach been on -board. Having ascertained that there was already a fair pressure of -steam, he returned to the deck and personally tested the capstans used -for hauling up the anchors. - -"I'm goin' to get out of this death-trap," he said to the bos'n's-mate, -"so stand by to pick up the anchor. Keep the men at the guns till I give -the word to cease firing, else them durned Germans will smell a rat and -butt in before we can quit." - -"'Ow about the Cap'n, sir?" asked the man doubtfully. - -"Damn your eyes, do what I tell you, and don't ask fool questions!" -snapped the mate. - -The man walked away, somewhat unwillingly Mr. Dykes thought, which made -him all the more angry and determined to carry out his plan. He wasn't -going to be dictated to by a swab of a bos'n's-mate or anyone else so -long as he was in charge of the ship. - -Having rung down "Stand by" to the engine-room, he went on to the -foc'sle head to superintend the weighing of the anchor. When all was -ready and he was about to pass the word to the man at the steam capstan, -Miss Fletcher suddenly appeared on the foc'sle. - -"What are you going to do?" she asked. - -"Get under way," he answered curtly. - -"And leave the Captain and his men in the lurch?" - -"There ain't any Captain, nor men either, by now, so just quit this -foc'sle," answered the mate in a voice of suppressed rage. - -"That's as it may be," said the girl quietly, "but you're not going to -heave that anchor." - -"Eh!" exclaimed Mr. Dykes, scarce able to believe his ears. - -"I say that you shan't leave this harbour till the Captain comes on -board." - -For a moment Mr. Dykes was so overcome with mingled astonishment and -indignation that he could not speak. Then, uttering an oath, he sprang -towards her, apparently with the intention of thrusting her off the -foc'sle. Suddenly, however, he stopped dead as he caught sight of a -revolver in the girl's hand. Then, while they still stood eyeing each -other, the vessel gave an unexpected lurch which nearly threw them off -their feet. The mate sprang to the side and gazed down into the dark -water below. - -"Euchred!" he ejaculated. "The tide's runnin' out and we're fast -aground." - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -THE ATTACK - - -Having failed in his attempt to effect a landing without discovery, -Calamity regarded the crossfire between the fort and the _Hawk_ as the -next best thing, as it would to some extent distract the attention of -the Germans from his own operations. Nevertheless, the defenders did not -concentrate their fire wholly on the steamer, and some of their guns -were firing, more or less promiscuously, into the harbour. Fortunately, -they did not appear to have either searchlights or illuminating shells, -for it was only the darkness and consequent inaccurate aim of the -gunners that prevented the little force from being annihilated before a -single boat touched the shore. Even as it was, the water around them was -constantly sending up cascades where shells or fragments of bursting -shrapnel struck it. - -"Pull like hell!" roared Calamity above the din. - -The men needed no urging and the boats leapt through the water with oars -that bent under the strain. Suddenly, above the thunder of the guns, a -terrible cry was heard, and where there had been a boatload of men a -moment before, there was now only some splintered wreckage with a few -wounded men clinging to it. Yet none dared go to their assistance for -that would have meant inevitable destruction now that one, at least, of -the enemy's guns had found the range. So, deaf to the shrieks of their -comrades, the men in the remaining boats pulled like demons, expecting -every moment to be blown out of the water by a well-placed shot. But at -last the first boat, which was under the charge of the Captain himself, -grounded. The men leapt out, waist-deep in the water, and, grabbing -their rifles and cartridge belts, waded ashore. The other boats quickly -followed, and Calamity, collecting his force, led it up the beach at the -double towards some warehouses or "go-downs" that served to screen the -enemy's fire. - -Here he let them have a few minutes "stand-easy," while he consulted -with his lieutenants, Smith and the bos'n. He had already formed a -fairly accurate idea of the nature and strength of the defences to be -overcome, and had arranged his plans accordingly. The fort, so far as he -had been able to ascertain with the aid of glasses when steaming past -it, appeared to be built principally of mud and shale with an outer -defence consisting of a tall bamboo stockade. The approach from the -harbour side consisted of a very steep incline which seemed totally -devoid of any sort of cover and without anything in the nature of a road -or track. But the fact that it was so steep placed the defenders at one -disadvantage, because it made it practically impossible for them to -train their big guns on the attacking force, although a well-directed -musketry fire could not fail to cause fearful havoc in the latter's -ranks. Still, Calamity's chief asset was the darkness, which, for one -thing, prevented the Germans from seeing what a ridiculously small force -he had with him. - -Calamity gave the order to advance, the party left the shelter of the -"go-downs," and moved towards the hill in open order. It was not till -they started to climb that the enemy showed himself to be aware of their -presence on the island. Then a brisk rifle-fire was opened on them from -the fort, but the aim was too high, and the bullets flew harmlessly -above the sailors' heads. Even by the time they were halfway up, only -one man had been hit, and his wound was so slight that he continued to -advance with the others. But now with each forward step the danger -increased, and, as the attackers drew nearer and nearer to the stockade -the bullets came perilously near, one or two men dropping out of the -advance. But the long, thin line of creeping figures never wavered, -though not one of them had as yet fired a shot. For the last fifty yards -or so they simply crawled forward on their bellies, while a hail of -bullets whistled above their heads. - -Then, high above the din, there arose the long, shrill call of the -bos'n's pipe. This was the signal to storm the fort, and the men, -leaping to their feet, rushed across the few remaining yards that -separated them from the stockade. While some, slinging their rifles -across their backs, made prodigious efforts to scale the bamboo -defences, others, provided with dynamite cartridges, tried to blow gaps -in it to enable their comrades to enter. For a few minutes there was a -terrific struggle, those of the attacking party who had succeeded in -getting over or through the stockade, engaging in fierce hand-to-hand -encounters with the defenders, using whatever weapon came handiest, -rifle-butt, sheath-knife, or simply bare fists. But eventually the -seamen, finding themselves hopelessly outnumbered, began to waver and -fall back, fighting desperately all the time. At last they were forced -to abandon the hardly-won ground altogether and then, as if acting on a -common impulse, they turned and fled. - -The Captain made a vain attempt to rally them, but they were unnerved, -and, heedless of his shouts, fled in panic down the hill, till they -reached the shelter of the "go-downs" at the bottom of the slope. - -"To the boats!" cried someone. "We've 'ad enough of this 'ell. To the -boats!" - -But just as the men were about to make a move towards the water's edge, -there came the sound of a terrific explosion and a great flame shot -upwards from the fort on the hill, lighting up the landscape with a -weird, lurid glare that must have been observable for miles around. -Calamity's first thought was that a shell from the _Hawk_ had exploded -the magazine in the fort, but, whatever the cause, he saw here an -opportunity to convert a rout into a victory. - -"Fall in!" he shouted. - -At sight of the disaster which had overtaken the enemy, the men regained -their courage, and, forming into line once more, followed their Captain -up the slope. On this occasion no deadly fire swept down upon them, and, -in the light of the flames, they could see small bodies of terrified -soldiers scrambling over the stockade or forcing their way through the -gaps, in panic-stricken endeavours to escape from the blazing enclosure. - -"Steady, lads!" cried Calamity. "Now give it them." - -The straggling line of seamen halted, and next moment a hail of lead -swept through the chaotic mass of Germans with fearful effect. Another -volley followed, and some of the fugitives, in their terror, dashed back -towards the blazing fort while others, more cool-headed, flung -themselves flat upon the ground. Even so, a heap of dead and wounded lay -around the stockade, and the few who had escaped threw up their arms in -token of surrender. - -Since it was impossible to enter the fort here owing to the flames, -Calamity led his men round to the other side which, so far, had escaped -the fire, and gave the word to attack. With a wild yell of triumph, the -party rushed up to the palisades and those who could not scale them, -smashed a way through with their rifle butts. So far there had been no -resistance, but, as Calamity reformed his men inside the enclosure, some -twenty or thirty soldiers advanced upon them, led by an officer who -appeared to be the commandant of the fort. The space was too confined -for an exchange of rifle-fire and so the two parties immediately engaged -in a close encounter with whatever weapons came handiest. The defenders -fought with the desperate courage of men determined to sell their lives -as dearly as possible, the seamen with the savage ferocity of men still -smarting under defeat and eager to avenge it. Yet so fierce was the -resistance that it seemed as though the _Hawk's_ party might even now be -forced to retreat, when, from the dense smoke in the Germans' rear, -there came the sound of shots. The defenders, believing themselves -attacked by another force from behind, threw down their arms, and their -officer called out that he surrendered unconditionally. - -There was a brief lull while Smith and the bos'n took charge of the -prisoners. Then suddenly above the crackling of the flames, there arose, -from amidst the smoke, a hoarse, stentorian voice bawling: - - "Oh I'll tak' the high road, - An' you'll tak' the low----" - -The voice ceased abruptly and there staggered into the open the figure -of Phineas McPhulach, a revolver in one hand and a gin-bottle--which, at -the moment, he was holding up to his mouth--in the other. - - "For the days of auld Lang Syne!" - -bellowed the engineer as he removed the bottle from his lips. - -Then, heedless of the sensation he was causing among friend and foe -alike, he commenced to dance a Highland fling, at the same time waving -the revolver above his head and firing it to the peril of all beholders. -Suddenly he threw the weapon from him, tried to execute a complicated -step, failed, and collapsed on a heap of smoking timber. - -"How the devil did you get here?" demanded Calamity. - -A beatific but uncomprehending smile illumined the engineer's face and -he made a vain effort to raise the gin-bottle to his lips. - -"It's a--hic--michty square bus--hic--iness," he murmured. - -"Get up," commanded the Captain. - -"Eh, mon, but will ye no hae a wee sup o' this--hic--cordial. It's a -verra----" - -His voice died away into an incoherent murmur, his eyes closed, and he -emitted a lusty snore. Calamity seized his arm and dragged him to his -feet; but McPhulach, still snoring, slid gently back into his former -recumbent position. Suddenly, however, he sat up with a jerk and his -expression changed from befuddled contentment to genuine horror. - -"Mon!" he cried, pointing a trembling finger in front of him, "D'ye ken -yon snake? An' losh presairve us, there's anither beastie, a pink ane, -wi' thairty legs!" - -He raised the bottle above his head and threw it with all his might at -the imaginary reptile, narrowly missing Calamity. - -"Smith!" called the latter, "take this drunken sot back to the ship and -pour a bucket of cold water over him." - -With the assistance of a couple of men, the inebriated engineer was -raised to his feet. After a vain attempt to embrace Calamity, whom he -addressed as "me ain dear mither," and to kiss one of the German -prisoners, he burst into tears and was carried away by four seamen, who -ducked him in the water before depositing him in the bottom of one of -the boats. Here, although soaked to the skin, he fell into a peaceful -slumber, from which he did not awake till the morning, when he found -himself back in his bunk. - -In the meantime, the prisoners were marched down the hill and placed in -the "go-down," except the commandant, whom Calamity wished to question -concerning the place where the booty taken by the gunboat was -stored--for it was pretty certain the Germans had not left it on board -her. He was, however, unable at first to elicit any satisfactory reply, -the prisoner declaring that he knew nothing about it. - -"Very well," said Calamity, "since you refuse to tell me, I must take -measures to induce you to change your mind." - -"What is that?" asked the prisoner, starting. Like most German officers, -he understood English perfectly. - -"I mean," answered the Captain suavely, "that if your memory is at fault -concerning the disposal of the gunboat's plunder, I shall try and find -some means of refreshing it." - -"You would not dare to torture me, sir!" exclaimed the commandant, -turning pale. - -"There are a few things I wouldn't dare, perhaps, but that's not one of -them." - -At last the commandant, fearing that his captor was in earnest, -reluctantly gave the required information, and Calamity, with the bos'n -and half a dozen picked men, made his way to the place indicated. There -they found, on the side of the hill, a strong iron door, in front of -which was a narrow foot-track about twenty yards long, evidently the -result of sentinels pacing up and down. This door, of course, was -securely fastened, but a charge of dynamite sufficed to blow it in, and -Calamity, followed by the others, who carried storm lanterns, entered. -There was nothing romantic or suggestive of Aladdin's cave about the -place; in fact, it looked much like an ordinary store-house, with cases -and packages stacked around it. - -"Open that," said Calamity, indicating one of several heavily sealed -cases, edged with metal. - -After some little difficulty, for the case was very stoutly made, the -top was knocked off, revealing bars of bullion. - -"Very good," murmured the Captain, "very good." - -From the marks on the cases, he judged that the gold had been sent out -from England to a Colonial bank. Obviously the ship carrying it had been -stopped and robbed by the German pirate-captain, who, taking one thing -with another, appeared to have been both industrious and successful in -the profession of his adoption. A methodical search showed that there -were quite a number of these cases, not all of them bearing the same -marks, for some were French, and must have been taken from a different -ship. There were other things besides bullion: bales of cloth, cases of -wines and spirits, tobacco and cigars, and so forth. A money-chest, well -stocked with English, American, and German notes and gold, was probably -the property of the German Government for use in paying wages, -purchasing coal, ammunition, and such-like necessaries, while the -Kaiser's cruisers were still at large in the Pacific. - -Dawn was breaking and the fires which had consumed the fort were dying -down as if satiated, when the treasure, strongly guarded, was taken on -board the _Hawk_, where, under Calamity's personal supervision, it was -carefully stowed away. - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -MCPHULACH EXPLAINS - - -On the following morning Calamity went ashore, Mr. Dykes having preceded -him for the purpose of finding out what stores, coal, and so forth had -escaped the fire. Of coal there proved to be an abundance stored in a -"go-down" near the little jetty that ran out into the harbour, and so -arrangements were made to replenish the _Hawk's_ bunkers, which were -running low. - -"By the way," said the Captain after Mr. Dykes had made his report, -"have you come across any natives? Surely there ought to be some on an -island like this." - -"Well, sir, I guess if there ever were any they've been cleared out by -the squareheads," answered the mate. "I ain't seen a sign of one." - -"Well, come with me and bring half a dozen men with you," said Calamity, -and led the way up the hill to the smoking remains of the fort. Upon the -very summit a spar was set up on end with the Union Jack nailed to it, -and Calamity formally annexed the island in the name of His Britannic -Majesty, King George the Fifth. This done, the Captain, accompanied by -Mr. Dykes, paid a visit to the beached gunboat and found that, although -her propeller had been damaged, the work of repair was all but -completed. Moreover, in a shed near by they found a forge and a -well-fitted engineer's workshop, with all the tools and machinery for -repairing damaged engines. - -"This is better than I could have hoped," said Calamity. "They seem to -have established a regular small dockyard here." - -"German thoroughness, sir," answered the mate. "You see, if any of their -small boats in the Pacific got knocked about they could put in here for -repairs. I'll bet the _Emden_ would have quitted business long ago if it -hadn't been for this little cosy corner." - -"Well, we'll take over the gunboat since we can't cram all the prisoners -on board the _Hawk_, otherwise I should blow her up." - -"Don't know how you're going to officer her, sir." - -"We must manage somehow," answered Calamity. - -Mr. Dykes, however, mildly protested. He pointed out that there were -only himself and Smith available to take command of her, and, since only -one of them could be spared from the _Hawk_, the whole work of -navigating the gunboat would fall on one man. - -"It would mean that he'd have to be on the bridge practically night and -day, sir," he concluded. - -"You'll have to make the best arrangements you can, that's all." - -"Me, sir!" ejaculated the mate. - -"Yes, I shall place you in command of the gunboat with some of the -_Hawk's_ men. You must divide the watches with the bos'n's-mate and any -other man you like to select. You may pick your crew." - -Mr. Dykes groaned, but decided that it was not safe to offer any further -objections. To be placed in command of a steamer without even one -reliable officer under him, and with, perhaps, twenty or more prisoners -on board, was a great deal more than he had bargained for. - -"What about an engineer, sir?" he asked. - -"You can have Sims." - -The mate choked back the remark he was about to make concerning -the qualities of Mr. Sims. But inwardly he vowed that, if the -second-engineer had no conception of what hell might be like, he would -be in possession of a good working theory before he left the gunboat. - -"Now that's settled," went on the Captain, "you had better go aboard her -and make preparations for coaling and victualling." - -"Very good, sir," answered Mr. Dykes in a spiritless voice, and departed -in deep dudgeon. Had the Captain shown any inclination to listen to his -advice, he would have suggested leaving the prisoners on the island -under a strong guard, till the British authorities were informed and -could send a vessel to take them away. However, to argue with Calamity -would be about as cheerful a job as trying experiments with a live -shell, and so the mate wisely accepted his burden with what fortitude he -could muster. - -Having acquainted himself with what resources the one-time German colony -possessed, Calamity returned to the _Hawk_. He was anxious to consult -McPhulach concerning the repairs to the engines and other parts of the -ship which had suffered from the fort's guns on the preceding night. -There was to be explained, also, the mystery of the engineer's presence -in the fort, when, according to orders, he should have been in the -engine-room of the _Hawk_. - -"Where is Mr. McPhulach?" asked the Captain as soon as he stepped on -board. - -"In his cabin, sir," answered one of the men. - -"Then go and fetch him--no, stay though, I'll go to him myself," and -Calamity made his way to the engineer's abode. - -"Wha's there?" inquired a feeble voice in answer to the Captain's knock. - -Calamity, instead of answering, opened the door and stepped in. The -cabin was darkened by having the curtains drawn across the ports, but he -could make out the figure of McPhulach propped up in his bunk with the -aid of a battered leather bag and a pillow. The engineer presented a -sorry spectacle; his head was enveloped in a wet towel, and on a locker -by his side stood a cup of tea and a half-eaten slice of dry toast. - -"How are you?" inquired the Captain, drawing the curtains apart to admit -the daylight. - -"I'm no verra weel, an' I thank ye," replied McPhulach, still in a -feeble voice. "Ma heid is like a footba' filled wi' lead." - -"Naturally," remarked the Captain coldly. - -"Aye, I ken it weel," groaned the sufferer. - -"What I want to know is, how the devil you got into the fort and what -you did when you got there," went on Calamity. - -"It's a michty quare business, skeeper, an' I dinna a'togither ken it -mesel'." - -"You were ordered to remain on board, instead of which, I suppose, you -smuggled yourself into one of the boats when they put off." - -"Weel, I didna swim," answered McPhulach testily, and held his aching -head in both hands. - -"You disobeyed orders." - -There was an ominous ring in the Captain's voice which made the victim -of alcoholic excess pull himself together sharply. - -"It was a' due to a nichtmare I had, d'ye ken?" he said, thinking as -hard as his befuddled brain would permit. - -"A nightmare! What in hell are you talking about?" - -"Weel, I must ha' walked in ma sleep. I thocht ma second--or mebbe 'twas -ma thaird--wife was after me...." - -McPhulach rambled on till Calamity, losing patience, pulled him up and -demanded to know the truth. It came out gradually, and the Captain -learnt that, just as the boats were putting off from the _Hawk_, -McPhulach had been seized with an irresistible desire to feel dry land -under him again. So, unobserved in the darkness, he had slipped into the -last boat and been taken ashore. There he mingled with the men and -advanced with them in the first attack. During the fight which followed, -he succeeded in scaling the stockade and had just landed safely on the -other side when a soldier sprang forward and clubbed him with the -butt-end of a rifle. For a time he lay there unconscious, but, on coming -to, quickly realised that he was inside the stockade and might be killed -at any moment. As this latter contingency did not figure on his -programme, he started to crawl away and at last came to an orderly-room -which was untenanted. Taking careful observations, he noticed on the -table several bottles of spirits, and drew the conclusion that the place -was a sort of smoking-room used by the officers of the fort; at any -rate, he decided to sample the contents of the bottles. - -By the time he had finished what must have been nearly two pints of -mixed spirits, he felt equal to taking the fort single-handed; in fact, -as he now confessed to Calamity, he would have charged a whole -battalion. - -"I didna quite ken what to do," he said, gazing dreamily out of the -porthole, "so I sat doon on the doorstep an' waited for ma temper to -rise." - -Apparently it rose pretty quickly, for soon afterwards he wandered out -into the dark enclosure--having first placed the remains of a bottle of -gin in his pocket--to see what he could do. As a start, he drew his -revolver and one of the first shots, fired at random, hit a charge of -powder as it was being removed from the magazine. - -"An' after that," concluded the engineer wearily, "I kenned no mair." - -"I see," murmured Calamity, for now the mysterious explosion which had -resulted in the capture of the fort was explained. "I suppose," he -added, with unwonted geniality, "you don't remember trying to kill pink -snakes with an empty gin-bottle?" - -McPhulach slowly shook his head. - -"I ca' to mind seein' a green spider an' a blue centipede creepin' -across yon bulkhead a whiles since," he replied. "But ye meet wi' unco' -quare animals in these latitudes." - -Calamity rose to his feet. - -"I've a good mind to log you a week's pay for disobeying orders," he -said. - -The threat did not seem to impress the engineer, who suddenly leant over -the side of his bunk and stared fixedly at the floor. - -"I'll hae to get a rat-trap," he murmured. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -CALAMITY KEEPS HIS WORD - - -The next day a number of sampans and canoes loaded with fruit, -vegetables, and flowers, came alongside the _Hawk_. Mr. Dykes had been -in error when he stated his belief that the Germans had cleared all the -natives out. As it was discovered afterwards, the people had fled to the -interior on hearing the guns and had only come back that afternoon. - -Smith, walking along the deck, caught sight of Dora Fletcher leaning -over the taffrail, just below which was a sampan loaded with wonderful -tropical flowers. Its owner had been endeavouring to sell these, but -without much success, because none of the crew wanted flowers, being -chiefly concerned with the eatables. - -"How much?" asked the girl of the native in the sampan. - -The man did not understand English, but he comprehended the girl's -gestures, and made some unintelligible reply. - -Miss Fletcher, seeing Smith, asked if he would help her. - -"Like a bird," answered the second-mate cheerfully, and, addressing the -owner of the flowers, shouted something in the vernacular. - -"Well?" queried the girl, when the man had answered. - -"He says," answered Smith, "that you can have all those flowers for a -pair of old trousers." - -The girl stared at him with a look of astonishment that gradually gave -place to amusement. - -"It's the truth, straight," went on Smith, as though she had questioned -the accuracy of his translation. - -"What am I to do?" she asked helplessly. "I wanted those flowers." - -"I dunno, unless--half a mo' though. I'll be back in a jiff," and the -second-mate darted off towards his cabin. - -He returned a couple of minutes later with a pair of greasy, -paint-daubed trousers over his arm. - -"Here, corffee-dial," he said, and flung the garments into the sampan. - -The native's face expanded into a broad grin, he cast an approving eye -over the discarded trousers, and then started to hand up the flowers. - -"How's that?" demanded Smith triumphantly, when the sampan had been -emptied. - -"It's very kind of you," answered the girl. "How much do I owe you for -the trousers?" - -"Owe me!" ejaculated the other. Then he smiled. "Well, I reckon I could -have got a bob for them from a Whitechapel Sheeny." - -"Then I owe you a shilling." - -Smith nodded. He knew she would insist on paying him that shilling and -was wondering how on earth she would raise it. He helped her to carry -the flowers away and heap them on the bunk in her cabin. - -"Oh, aren't they lovely?" she murmured. - -"Um--m, I s'pose so," answered Smith, eyeing them critically, "but I'd -rather have a cokernut myself," whereupon he departed. - -Dora Fletcher, susceptible to beauty herself, was amused at the -second-mate's polite contempt for the flowers. She began to arrange them -about the cabin, and, while doing so, was struck by a whimsical thought. - -What, she wondered, would the grim and taciturn Captain think if he came -back and found his cabin full of tastefully arranged flowers? - -She paused for a minute with one finger on her underlip, considering the -startling proposition. Then her mouth curved in an ironical little -smile, and, half-amused, half-contemptuous of her action, she gathered -up some scarlet hibiscus into a bunch and made her way towards the -Captain's cabin. Descending the companion quietly, she found herself for -the second time in that mysterious sanctum. It was not very large, and -there were none of the homely decorations--photographs, pictures, and so -forth--with which some skippers decorate their quarters. Some maps and -charts, a pair of pistols, one or two bracket-shelves with books hung -from the bulkheads, and the sideboards were littered with odds and -ends--tobacco-pipes, half-empty boxes of matches, and other masculine -lumber. The place reeked, too, of strong tobacco, and there were two or -three cigar-butts lying on the table. - -The girl glanced around her with an expression of mingled amusement and -perplexity, then took a tumbler from the rack and filled it with water. -Having arranged the flowers in it to her satisfaction, she stood for a -moment surveying the effect, with that half-ironical smile still playing -about her lips. - -As she stood thus, the cabin door opened softly and she swung round, the -blood mounting in a crimson flood to her face. But, with a gasp of -relief, she saw that the intruder was Sing-hi and not the Captain, and -her heart ceased beating tumultuously. - -The imperturbable celestial showed not the slightest sign of surprise at -finding her there, and merely greeted her with his usual urbane smile. - -"Sing-hi, I have been putting some flowers here for the Captain," she -said; "but you're not to tell him I've been here--savee?" - -"Savee," answered Sing-hi, and the girl left the cabin feeling tolerably -sure that the Chinaman would not betray her. - -She was quite correct in this assumption, for, after watching her -disappear up the companion, Sing-hi shuffled back into the cabin, -emptied the flowers out of the port, dried the glass, and returned it to -the rack. - -During the afternoon McPhulach, who had recovered from the effects of -his debauch, went ashore to meet Calamity. The engineer wished to -inspect the workshop and the plant it contained, in order to make -arrangements for repairing the _Hawk's_ engines as speedily as possible. -Also, since the Captain had decided to convey some of the prisoners to -Singapore in the gunboat, the latter had to be examined and overhauled -before she could be floated; thus, in one way and another, McPhulach and -his staff were likely to be kept busy for several days to come. - -Leaving the engineer to attend to these matters, Calamity went in search -of Mr. Dykes, whom he found superintending the loading of lighters with -coal for replenishing the _Hawk's_ bunkers. To facilitate this work, the -mate had pressed some of the German prisoners into his service and these -were employed in transferring the coal from the "go-down" to the jetty. - -"Thought I might as well make use of these squareheads, sir," he -explained when the Captain came up. - -"Where are the others?" - -"Still in the shack yonder, sir. Before rations were served out this -morning I made 'em all take a bath in the harbour. One of 'em, who -speaks English, said he should complain to you." - -"On account of the bath?" - -"Yes, sir. Called it cruelty towards defenceless prisoners." - -"We'll see about that later. How many have you got, Mr. Dykes?" - -"Somewhere between thirty and forty I guess, sir. One of them--the slob -who complained about the bath--reckons that the explosion and the fire -did for about the same number, not countin' those who were killed and -wounded in the fighting." - -"Which means that there must have been about a hundred men in the fort -all told." - -"That's how I figger it out, sir." - -"Well, you'd better fetch the prisoners out, Mr. Dykes, and I'll have a -look at them," said Calamity. - -Accordingly they were marched out of the "go-down" under an armed guard -and paraded before the Captain. Most of them were soldiers, but a few -had formed part of the gunboat's crew and belonged to the German Naval -Reserve. - -"Which is the man who wishes to make a complaint?" asked Calamity, when -the prisoners had filed past him. - -"You with the grouch, fall out!" cried the mate. - -A man in sailor's uniform stepped out of the ranks, and, drawing himself -up stiffly, saluted the Captain. The latter, as he glanced at him more -closely, started, and a look of recognition flashed between the two. - -"Your name?" asked Calamity. - -"Fritz Siemann, sir," answered the prisoner. - -"Mr. Dykes," said the Captain, "have this man sent aboard the _Hawk_, -and see that he's kept away from the other prisoners." - -"Very good, sir," answered the mate, who supposed that Calamity was -going to deal with the grumbler in a manner that would check any further -display of discontent. - -When, later on in the day, the Captain returned on board the _Hawk_, he -ordered Fritz Siemann to be brought to his cabin. The prisoner was -brought in by a couple of sailors, who, at a word from Calamity, left -them together. - -"This is a strange meeting, my worthy Fritz," said the Captain, looking -at the man with an ironical smile. - -The prisoner shrugged his shoulders, but made no answer. He was a man of -between thirty and forty, very fair, tall, and with a pair of small, -cunning eyes. - -"Well, how is it that I find you out here in the Pacific, a sailor -instead of a valet?" asked the Captain after a pause. - -"I came out on a cruiser as a Naval Reservist, and was afterwards -transferred to the gunboat," answered the fellow. - -"When did you leave England?" - -"A day or two before war was declared." - -"You were recalled by the German Government?" - -"Yes." - -"H'm; and how was your master when you left?" - -"He died about three months before I went," answered the man. - -"Died!" - -"Yes, sir, he fell from his horse while hunting." - -Calamity was silent for some moments, and then he turned once more to -the German. - -"Did he ever mention my name in your presence?" - -"Not often, but he was always trying to find out if you were dead." - -A grim smile stole over the Captain's face at this. Somehow it seemed to -amuse him. - -"But, so far as you know, he was never able to find out for certain?" - -"I don't think so, but everyone thought you were dead, except Mr. -Vayne." - -"Yes, Vayne was the only friend I had," muttered the Captain. He turned -sharply to the prisoner. "Did my brother pay you well for assisting him -in his rascality?" - -"I--I don't understand," faltered the German nervously. - -"Nevertheless, I should advise you to try," answered Calamity quietly, -"it may save you considerable discomfort. Now, answer my question." - -"He paid me well enough while I was in his service," growled the man -reluctantly; "but, as for rascality----" - -"I'm referring to the forged cheque," broke in the Captain. - -The prisoner started and shot a keen glance at him. - -"Forged cheque?" he repeated as if puzzled. - -"I am perfectly aware of the part you played in that little affair, so -don't risk your neck by trying to prevaricate. As it is, I'm half -inclined to hang you here and now, but you shall assuredly swing, my -lad, if you utter a single lie." - -The ex-valet turned deathly pale, for he realised that the threat was no -empty one. He shifted uneasily from one foot to another, glanced -furtively round the cabin as if considering the possibilities of escape, -and finally let his gaze rest on the Captain. - -"What do you want me to say?" he asked sullenly. - -"I want you to tell me the truth, and bear in mind that your life -depends on it." - -"About the cheque?" - -"About the cheque." - -"He forged it." - -"How do you know?" - -"I was in the room with him?" - -"You helped him, in fact?" - -"I suppose so." - -"By God, you deserve to be hanged if ever a man did," exclaimed the -Captain. - -"You asked me to tell you the truth, sir," said the man, shrinking back. - -"Get on with your story." - -"There's nothing much to tell, sir. The scheme worked without a hitch, -and everyone was deceived--except Mr. Vayne; he was always doubtful." - -"Well, and what did you get out of it? Such assistance as you gave was -invaluable." - -"Five hundred pounds." - -"H'm, a very profitable stroke of business on your part, especially as -it placed you in a position to levy blackmail at will. Now what fee"--an -ugly expression crossed the Captain's face as he uttered this--"do you -require in consideration of your writing down a full account of that -interesting transaction and signing it in the presence of witnesses?" - -The other hesitated a moment. - -"A thousand pounds in cash and a guarantee that I shall not be handed -over to the British authorities as a prisoner of war." - -"Agreed. You shall have the money in English and American notes as soon -as you have prepared the document." - -"And if I change my mind?" - -"Why, then," answered Calamity with a genial smile, "it'll be the last -time you ever change it on this earth," and, rising, he laid pen, ink, -and paper before the prisoner. - -"Call the steward when you have finished and he will send for me," said -Calamity as he left the cabin. - -For nearly an hour the German wrote steadily, pausing every now and -again to read what he had written. When at last he had finished he -called for the steward. - -"Tell the Captain I'm ready," he said as Sing-hi appeared in the -doorway. - -The Chinaman nodded and a few minutes afterwards the Captain entered, -accompanied by Smith and McPhulach. - -"Be seated, gentlemen," said Calamity, himself taking a chair. "I have -brought you here," he went on, "to witness the signature of a document -which this man has written. He will read it over first, and when I tell -you that every word is absolutely confidential, I feel sure you will -both observe the strictest secrecy. At least," he added significantly, -"it will be to your advantage to do so." - -The two witnesses murmured assent and settled themselves down to listen. -Then, at a nod from the Captain, Fritz picked up the paper and began to -read. At the start, the engineer and the second-mate looked mildly -surprised, but as the man read on their expressions changed to amazement -and they stared from the reader to Calamity with looks of mingled -incredulity and awed wonder. At length the prisoner, having finished -reading the document, laid it on the table and signed it. - -"Blimey!" muttered Smith under his breath. - -"A michty quare business," remarked McPhulach. - -"Now, gentlemen," said Calamity, "I will ask you to append your -signatures as witnesses of this interesting confession." - -Smith picked up the pen, and, after a preparatory flourish, signed his -name. Then he handed the pen to McPhulach, who took it somewhat -gingerly. - -"I'm no incurrin' ony liabeelity?" he asked cautiously. - -"None whatever," answered the Captain. - -"I dinna hauld wi' signing papers mesel'," went on the engineer, "it's -producteeve of unco----" - -"Are you going to sign that paper or not?" interrupted the Captain. - -McPhulach hesitated no longer, but hastily scrawled his signature -underneath Smith's. - -"Thank you both," said Calamity; "that's all I shall need." - -Smith and the engineer, taking the hint, departed and left the Captain -with his prisoner. - -"Now you want your reward, I suppose," remarked Calamity, and, stepping -into his little sleeping cabin, he brought out the money-chest which had -been taken from the treasure-house in the fort. From this he counted out -the equivalent of one thousand pounds, most of it, at the prisoner's -request, in American notes. - -"You must give me a receipt for these," he said. - -The man wrote out a receipt, signed it, and took in exchange the parcel -of notes. - -"You've promised not to hand me over to the British, remember," said he. - -"I shan't forget it," answered the Captain. "There are quite enough -scoundrels in English prisons already, without adding to their number." - -"And I can't go back to the island." - -"I suppose not. Well, I will see what can be done, and in the meantime -you had better stay here." - -Calamity locked the document in a steel deed-box, placed it under the -bunk in his sleeping-cabin, and then went on deck, having previously -told Sing-hi to keep watch outside the cabin and not to let the prisoner -leave it. He was somewhat puzzled with regard to the promise he had made -Fritz Siemann, for, should he be taken to Singapore with the other -prisoners, he would certainly be interned. The only way out of it, -seemingly, was to put in at some neutral port and land the man there. - -Some two hours later he returned to the cabin and found the prisoner -seated on the settee ostensibly reading a book. - -"I hope," said the Captain quietly, "you find the book entertaining, Mr. -Siemann?" - -"Ye--yes, thank you," answered the man rather nervously. - -"May I ask, purely as a matter of curiosity, whether you always read -your books upside down?" - -The volume slipped from the German's hand and he muttered a guttural -oath. - -"I just picked it up as you came in," he said. - -"And did your investigations meet with success?" - -"My--I don't understand." - -"I mean," went on the Captain, "did you succeed in your efforts to force -that deed-box and abstract your confession?" - -The prisoner's face changed colour, but he tried to bluster out a -denial. - -"I--I haven't touched the box," he said. - -"Then it's rather strange that your jacket should be smeared with white -paint. You see, my bunk was re-painted only this----" - -The Captain's remark was cut short, for the German suddenly sprang to -his feet and aimed a terrific blow at him with a short, pointed -sheath-knife. Calamity was just in time to avoid the weapon, which -struck the table with such force that the point snapped off, while the -would-be murderer stumbled forward under the impetus of the stroke. -Before he could recover himself, the Captain had seized him by the -throat, at the same time calling for Sing-hi. - -"The irons out of my drawer," he said when the Chinaman appeared. - -Sing-hi opened a drawer, took therefrom a pair of handcuffs and slipped -them over the prisoner's wrists. - -"You'd better lock the fellow in your pantry for the time being," said -Calamity as he went out. - -The same night Mr. Fritz Siemann--that is to say, his mortal -remains--was lowered into the sea, sewed up in a canvas bag. And, inside -that bag, besides the firebars used as sinkers, was the thousand pounds -in notes. - -Captain Calamity was not the man to break his word. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -THE CONFESSION - - -During the next three days the work of repairing the _Hawk's_ engines -went on unceasingly under McPhulach's supervision. The gunboat, which, -it was found, had already been repaired by the Germans, was floated, and -arrangements were made for accommodating the prisoners she would have to -carry. Calamity christened her _Satellite_, and the name was painted on -her stern in big white letters over the word _Gnesen_, which had -formerly been there. - -On the afternoon of the day preceding Calamity's departure three of the -guns in the fort which had escaped damage from the fire were rendered -useless, while such stores, ammunition, and coal as could not be taken -away were destroyed or flung into the sea. This seeming waste was -necessary in order to prevent any stray vessel that might put in there -from re-coaling or victualling with what would otherwise have been left. - -On the following morning, McPhulach, grimy of person and half-dead from -want of sleep, reported that the engines were in working order and that -he had a full head of steam in the boilers. A few hours afterwards -everything was ready for the departure; the prisoners had been divided -into two lots, one being sent aboard the _Satellite_, now under the -command of Mr. Dykes, and the other transferred to the _Hawk_, whose -after-hold had been fitted up for the purpose. - -A blast from the _Hawk's_ syren gave the signal to weigh anchor; the -winches rattled, the cables came rumbling up through the hawse-pipes, -and the privateer slowly steamed towards the harbour mouth with the -_Satellite_ in her wake. As she passed the ruined fort with the Union -Jack fluttering above it, she fired an irregular salute of three guns, -while the _Satellite_, not to be outdone, dipped her flag. - -Leaning over the _Hawk's_ stern rail, watching the hissing water being -churned into foam by the propeller, was Dora Fletcher. She was still -there when the trees which lined the shore had dissolved into a vague -green outline that presently took on a bluish tint, and finally became -merged in the hills beyond. When the hills themselves faded, became -blurred, and melted into the horizon leaving against the sky-line -nothing but a dark smudge resembling a low-lying cloud, the girl had not -moved from her post, but still continued to gaze with wistful eyes into -the distance. Long before the brief twilight cast a cooling shadow -across the flaming sky the last vestige of the island had faded out of -sight and nothing was to be seen save an unbroken vista of sea that -changed from green to grey, was for a few moments transformed into a -shimmering expanse of molten gold in the rays of the dying sun, then -slowly changed to purple, and so to a deep, unfathomable blue. Darker it -grew as the twilight deepened, and when night abruptly blotted out the -soft half-lights, the sea became a vast and trembling mirror, reflecting -in its depths a thousand twinkling points of light. - -It was not by any means the first time that Dora Fletcher had seen sea -and sky swallow up the land, but for a reason she could not explain even -to herself, there seemed to be something unusually depressing in this -departure from the island. It was not that it had possessed any -particular charm for her; she had seen lands far more beautiful and -islands infinitely more picturesque--no, it was not this. - -To add to her unaccountable depression came thoughts of her dead father -and the great, empty future which lay before her. Now that her father -had gone, she reflected, there was no one in all the world to whom she -mattered, or who would miss her were she never to return. A sensation of -utter loneliness descended upon her, and with it a strange foreboding, -none the less disquieting because it was so vague. She felt an urgent -desire for human companionship, and, looking round the deck, saw that it -was deserted. Smith was on the bridge, but she had no wish to speak to -him, even had it been possible. And Mr. Dykes, now aboard the -_Satellite_, would not have satisfied this hunger of her soul for -fellowship. Her thoughts turned to the Captain, and him she did not -dismiss from her mind, but lingered contemplatively upon this strange, -taciturn man; so vital, so dominating. - -Illogically, she found herself wishing that this cruise might last for -ever; there was something soothing in the thought of her utter -dependence on this man's will. For a moment she lingered luxuriously -upon the thought of her life ordered and controlled by him, and gave -herself up to a delicious feeling of absence from care and -responsibility. Suddenly she experienced a revulsion of feeling, and -flushed vividly with a sensation of shame. Was it possible, she asked -herself angrily, that she was no stronger than some bread-and-butter -miss who had lived sheltered all her days? Was she so dismayed because -she must start life for herself, that she must needs wish for dependence -and protection; in short, a master? - -The cool night-wind fanned her hot cheeks and she made an effort to -compose herself and reduce the chaos of her thoughts to some sort of -order. Unfortunately for her efforts in this direction the door of the -little deck-house above the companion-way opened, and turning, she saw -the Captain himself. - -"Good evening," she said, but for some reason her voice was half-choked -and utterly unlike her own. - -Something about her, perhaps the unconscious appeal of her graceful -figure or the unusual note in her voice, arrested him as he was about to -pass on. - -"Good evening," he answered, a little less curtly than was his wont. - -She hoped he would go on, but, as if recollecting something, he paused. - -"I suppose you know we are bound for Singapore?" he said. - -"Yes." - -"Have you, by any chance, friends there?" - -"No." - -"I gathered from the papers you placed in my charge that your home is in -England." - -"My home is not in England," she answered; "it is here," and she waved -her arm dramatically as if to indicate sea and space. - -"At any rate, I presume you will go to England," he said, in nowise -affected by her poetic suggestion. - -"If I must." - -"I can't force you to go anywhere against your will," he answered in -the tone of one trying to keep patient. "If you take my advice, you will -consult the British Consul." - -"You seem very anxious to get rid of me!" exclaimed the girl with sudden -bitterness. "Have I been such an encumbrance since I came on board?" - -Calamity gazed at her flushed and angry face with surprise. - -"What do you mean?" he asked. - -"I mean this," she replied impulsively. "Ever since I have been on this -ship you've either ignored me or else treated me as if I were a nuisance -which had to be tolerated somehow. Yet I've done my share of the work, -haven't I?" - -The question was flung out like a challenge, and some moments elapsed -before the Captain spoke. It was, perhaps, the first time he had ever -considered this girl as an entity, as anything but an unwelcome -passenger forced upon him by circumstances. - -"What has all this to do with your destination?" he asked at last. - -"Everything," she answered, in a voice that trembled with anger and -indignation. "You ask me where I want to be sent, as though I were -a--a----" her voice failed, and to the Captain's astonishment no less -than her own, she burst into a passion of tears. - -"You had better come to my cabin," said Calamity, when she had regained -control of herself, and he led the way down the companion. - -She felt abashed and humiliated now, and, metaphorically, kicked herself -for her foolishness. Yet even so, she realised that this sudden burst of -emotion had not been anger at his treatment of her, so much as despair -at the thought that she must soon pass out of his life as utterly as -though she had never been; that to him, henceforward, she would be -something less, even, than a memory. - -On reaching the cabin, Calamity shut the door and swung a chair round -for her to sit upon. - -"Now," he said, "just tell me what you want me to do. You say you have -no home, and you object, apparently, to being placed in charge of the -British Consul. What then?" - -He spoke very quietly, almost gently, and because of this, perhaps, a -feeling of utter hopelessness came over the girl. - -"You must do as you think best," she answered in a voice from which all -fire and spirit had gone. - -"But just now you refused to let me do this." - -"I know. I--I was foolish and unreasonable, I suppose." - -Calamity remained silent for a minute or two, regarding her curiously. -He read her better than she guessed. When he spoke again she recognised -a new quality in his voice. It made her feel as if they two, though so -near, were yet miles apart. There was a note of pity in it which hurt -her more than anything she had ever known before because it demonstrated -so positively the distance between them. - -"You and I, Miss Fletcher," he said slowly, "can never be friends; at -least, not in the sense I am thinking of, for our paths lie wide apart. -If my assumption is wrong--and you have sense and discrimination enough -to know what I mean by that--you must pardon me and put it down to lack -of insight on my part, not to any presumption or vanity. If it is not -wrong, you will understand without my saying more, why it is necessary -that you should leave this ship for good at Singapore." - -The girl was looking at him with large, startled eyes. What, she -wondered, was that unnamable something about him which she had never -observed before? Why was it that, of a sudden, he seemed to have assumed -the guise of another class--a class about which she had read, but with -which she had never come into contact? The bold, fearless sea-captain, -the man of infinite resource, unscrupulous and even brutal, had -disappeared. In his place was a quiet, self-contained gentleman, -speaking in a low, kind voice; chiding her while he apologised for doing -it. - -In some subtle way he had made her feel pitifully small and ignorant; he -awed her; but in a way she had never been awed before. It was impossible -to resent this, because she did not know how to do so; it was something -outside her experience. For the first time in her life she felt herself -up against that indefinable power which for centuries has made the -masses of the world subject to the few. It was something more than the -power to command, it was the power to be obeyed. - -There was a long pause, and then the girl, too proud to deny her love -for him, spoke. - -"You have not misunderstood me," she said, with a frankness that lent -dignity to her confession. "Without knowing it I have come to love you. -I think I would willingly and gladly have followed you to the uttermost -ends of the earth; I would have suffered with and for you. I believed -that I was meant for such as you; but you have made me see how foolish I -have been. Don't think that I am ashamed you should know this. I'm not." - -She stopped, her eyes fixed on his defiantly as though daring him to -misunderstand her. In any other man but Calamity her words would have -produced a deep impression, but he, to all appearances, was perfectly -unmoved. - -"We will forget all this," he said quietly. "The thing still to be -settled is this matter of what's to become of you when we reach -Singapore." - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -DORA FLETCHER'S CHANCE - - -"From what you have told me, I assume you have no mother," Calamity went -on. The note of pity had left his voice, and his manner, if not brusque, -was cold and judicial. - -"No," answered the girl, "my mother died when I was four years old." Her -manner, too, had changed; all the heat and defiance had left it and she -spoke in a subdued, colourless voice, as though these matters hardly -concerned her. - -"And you have no relatives living?" - -"I have a couple of aunts in Sunderland. I stayed with them until I was -eight years old. I--I hate them!" She made a passionate gesture as -though the very mention of these people aroused bitter memories. "It was -not that they were unkind exactly; but--well, it doesn't matter now. -Soon after my eighth birthday my father took me away with him on a -voyage to the East, and after that I went with him on nearly all his -voyages. He educated me, too; taught me French, mathematics, navigation, -and so on." - -"Navigation, eh?" remarked Calamity with a note of surprise in his -voice. - -"Yes; if I had been a man I could have passed for mate and got my -master's ticket long ago. I'd pit my knowledge of seamanship against -that of any man on this ship," she concluded defiantly. - -"That wouldn't be a very hard test," answered the Captain with a cynical -smile. "But what did your father intend you to be; surely he didn't -suppose you would eventually command a ship?" - -"I don't know what his intentions were; but the trip before this last -one, he bought a fruit farm near Los Angeles, California, and I think he -meant to settle down there when he retired from the sea." - -"Probably he thought it might provide you with an occupation." - -"Perhaps so; but he never spoke of it." - -"Then he had no home of his own in England?" - -"No. The house my aunts occupy and several others in Sunderland were -his, but he never lived in any of them." - -"He made a will, I suppose?" - -"Yes, it's among those papers that I handed over to you. I know -everything's left to me, because he told me so when he made his will." - -"H'm, then you're not so badly off after all. I should strongly advise -you to go to California and see what you can do with the fruit-farm. -It's both a healthy and remunerative occupation I've been told." - -The girl nodded, but made no answer. - -"What I propose to do is to take you to Singapore and place you under -the protection of the British Consul, who, no doubt, will advise you -concerning the proving of your father's will and so forth, for I know -nothing of such matters." - -"It's very kind of you," murmured the girl. - -"Well now, I think that's all we can arrange for the present," said -Calamity in a tone which intimated that the interview was at an end. - -She rose, and, with a murmured "Good-night," left the cabin and mounted -the companion-way to the deck. Slowly, as one in a dream, she made her -way to her cabin, casting no glance at the unruffled sea with its -millions of scintillating reflections. Her bold statement to Calamity, -admittedly a declaration of love, had met with a rebuff which would have -induced in most women a feeling of intolerable shame and, in all -probability, inspired them with a lasting hatred of the man who had so -humiliated them. But this was not the case with Dora Fletcher; she felt -neither shame nor anger. Indeed, she would have been puzzled to say -exactly what her feelings were, so incoherent and altogether strange -were they. But she knew she had met a hitherto unrecognised force; that -she had been awed not so much by a man as by a mysterious something -inherent in him; by a quality rather than an individual. - -During the next few days she avoided the Captain in every possible way. -Not that he ever attempted to seek her out, for, since that memorable -interview he seemed to have forgotten her existence as completely as -though she had ceased to be. He had again become the grim, taciturn, and -mysterious individual she had first encountered. Yet, despite the girl's -avoidance of him, there was gradually developing in her mind a desire to -do something which would exalt her in his eyes. She wanted to bridge -that vague gulf between them; to achieve something which would prove her -worth. It was a delightfully ingenuous dream, only possible to a girl as -unsophisticated and natural as this young Amazon of the Seas. - -In due time and through no effort of her own, the hoped-for opportunity -did occur and the girl was able to play the part she had so often -pictured in her waking dreams. It came about, as such things usually do, -in quite a fortuitous manner. - -One day, about a week after her interview with Calamity, the weather, -which had been remarkably fine since they left the island, showed signs -of a change and before mid-day the sun had disappeared behind a curtain -of sombre-tinted clouds. A wind sprang up and freshened as the day wore -on, the sea became choppy, and a great bank of black clouds spread over -the sky till there was barely sufficient light by which to read the -compass on the bridge. Soon the _Hawk_ was rolling and pitching in a -nasty fashion and shipping seas over her weather-bow every time she -ducked her nose. In view of the approaching storm, hand-lines were -rigged across the decks, the prisoner in the wheel-house was transferred -to the hold, and a couple of men stationed at the hand steering-gear in -case the steam-gear should break down at a critical moment. - -Swiftly and with ever-increasing violence the hurricane swept down upon -them. The seas, a turbid green, with great, foaming crests, had -increased in fury and every moment grew higher, while the valleys -between them, streaked and mottled with patches of foam, became deeper -and more engulfing. In the midst of the _melee_ of raging waters, the -_Hawk_ lurched and rolled and pitched, curveted and plunged as though -she were on gimbals. Blacker and blacker grew the sky, higher and higher -leapt the waves. Now they rose in front of the straining ship in solid -walls of inky water, to plunge down upon the forecastle with a roar like -thunder and a force which made her reel and stagger. Then a great wave -would leap high above the weather-bow, and, rushing past her listing -beam, descend with a mighty crash upon the starboard quarter, filling -the wheel-house waist-deep with seething water. - -Night came on, scarce darker than the afternoon which had preceded it, -and with never a friendly star nor a rift in the solid blackness. Above -the wild, devouring waste of tumbling seas the mast-head light tossed -and circled--a dim, luminous speck in the fathomless darkness. The wind -howled and shrieked and moaned like a chorus of lost souls in torment. - -Throughout that seemingly endless night Calamity and Smith kept -the bridge together, drenched and cold despite their oilskins; their -faces whipped by the stinging wind, their eyes sore with the salt -spray that was flung in ghostly eddies against them. Two bells -struck--four--six--eight; the two relief quartermasters fought their way -along the sea-swept for'ad deck and took over the wheel from the -worn-out men who clutched it. Two--four--six--eight bells over again; -another four hours had passed, and another two quartermasters had come -upon the bridge to take their "trick" and release the exhausted men at -the wheel. - -Soon after this--it was four o'clock in the morning--Calamity staggered -up the inclined deck to the spot where Smith was standing. - -"You'd better get below," he yelled above the roar of the gale. "You've -been up here over twelve hours." - -"I'm all right, sir," answered the second-mate, as he clung to the -bridge-rail. - -"Never mind, get to your bunk." - -Though well-nigh exhausted and shivering with cold, the little Cockney -obeyed with reluctance, being loth to leave the Captain up there to con -the ship alone. But he knew better than to disobey or argue, and so, -grumbling to himself, he crawled down the companion-ladder and sought -his cabin. - -At last the dawn broke, chill and sombre and leaden. Calamity, weary and -heavy-eyed, scanned the forbidding, sullen sky in the hope of glimpsing -a break in its glowering expanse. But no break was there; only -wind-torn, tattered shreds of black cloud driving across it to assemble -eastward in a massed and solid bank of evil aspect. - -At six bells--seven o'clock in the morning watch--Smith tumbled out of -his bunk after three hours' unbroken slumber, dragged on his oilskins, -and stepped into the alleyway with the object of relieving the Captain, -who had now been on the bridge over twenty hours. As he reached the -deck, still only half awake, he was caught up by a huge sea which came -leaping over the bulwarks, swept him off his feet, and dashed him -violently against the iron ladder leading up to the bridge. It was a -miracle that the wave, as it receded, did not carry him overboard. As it -was, it left him a limp, crumpled figure, lying motionless under the -ladder with one foot jammed beneath the lowest rung. - -Calamity, who alone had witnessed the accident, took the wheel from the -quartermasters and sent them to rescue the second-mate from his perilous -position. After some difficulty they succeeded in releasing the -imprisoned foot and then carried the unconscious man, whose left leg -dangled loosely from the knee, to his cabin. Here, after roughly -bandaging a wound on his forehead, they stripped him of his dripping -garments and laid him in his bunk. - -When these details were reported to the Captain he frowned and muttered -something under his breath. He dared not leave the bridge, and yet -there was no one on board but himself who could set a broken leg or even -administer first-aid. No one, that is, except---- - -"Tell Miss Fletcher," he said curtly. - -That order, probably, represented the biggest humiliation he had ever -suffered. - -One of the men went to Miss Fletcher's cabin and informed her of what -had taken place, adding that he had been sent by the Captain. - -"What did he say?" asked the girl. - -"All 'e says was 'Tell Miss Fletcher,'" answered the man. - -"Tell him I will attend to Mr. Smith," she said with a curtness that -matched Calamity's own. "Stop," she added as the man was leaving, "send -the steward along first." - -There was a look of triumph in the girl's eyes as she stepped out of her -cabin and went over to the one occupied by the hapless second-mate. He -was still unconscious and she at once proceeded to remove the crude -bandage from his forehead and bathe the wound properly. While she was in -the act of binding it up again Sing-hi entered. - -"I want you to help me fix Mr. Smith's broken leg," said the girl. "Do -you think you can manage it?" - -"Plenty savee," answered the Chinaman with a grin, "two piecee man fixee -one piecee leg." He had often assisted Calamity with surgical cases and -was proud of his experience. - -"Yes, that's right. Can you make me a splint?" - -"One piecee leg wantchee two piecee wood?" inquired Sing-hi. - -"Yes." - -The Chinaman glanced round the cabin, then removed the books from a -narrow shelf just above the bunk and took it down. He split this in two -with his hands, and, without awaiting further instructions, started to -wind a towel round it to form a pad on which the injured limb could -rest. - -"Excellent," she said, watching him. "You're a splendid assistant." - -Sing-hi understood her tone more than her words. - -"Plenty muchee helpee," he replied modestly. - -At that moment Smith opened his eyes, stared about him in bewilderment, -and then uttered a loud groan. - -"Gawd, what's happened?" he ejaculated. - -"Your left leg is broken and there's a nasty gash on your forehead," -answered the girl tersely. - -"Just my bloomin' bad luck. As if----" he broke off suddenly, a new -thought having occurred to him. "What the devil will the old man do now? -He's been on watch over twenty hours, and there ain't a soul to relieve -him. Dykes is on that blighted packet astern--leastways, I suppose he is -if she's still afloat--and I'm half corpsed. It's a cheerful look-out -and no bloomin' error." - -"Don't worry," answered the girl calmly as she took the improvised -splint from Sing-hi. "I'll relieve the Captain myself presently." - -"What--you!" And Smith, despite the pain he was suffering, laughed -outright. "Oh my stars, I can see him going below and leaving you in -charge of the ship--I don't think." - -"Then the sooner you do think, the better," retorted the girl -cheerfully. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -AT THE WHEEL - - -Before Smith had time to recover from his astonishment at Miss -Fletcher's remark, the business of placing his broken leg in splints was -begun. The operation--no easy one with the ship rolling and lurching -incessantly--proved so painful that he swooned before he was able to -make any audible comment. - -"There," remarked the girl when the difficult task had been -accomplished, "it may not be a perfect job, but I think it'll answer -till we reach port." - -"Heap good doctor pigeon," murmured Sing-hi complacently. - -Having made the patient as comfortable as circumstances would permit, -the girl left the cabin and stepped into the alleyway. Here she paused -for a moment, steadying herself against the bulkhead and gazing at the -waves breaking over the bulwarks and flooding the decks knee-deep with a -swirling mass of turbid, green water. Then, with an abrupt movement as -though she had arrived at some momentous decision, she went to her own -cabin and hastily donned sea-boots, oilskins, and sou'-wester. This -done, she passed out into the alleyway again, just as the bos'n, with a -life-belt strapped over his oilskins, appeared at the entrance, -staggering and slithering. - -"S'truth!" he ejaculated, "it's 'ell down there." - -"Down where?" asked the girl. - -The bos'n jerked his head in the direction of the after-hatch. - -"In the 'old," he answered. "Jest been down there, and, Gawd, it fair -made me sick. Never see'd anything like it since I was aboard a River -Plate cattle boat." - -"What's the matter there, then?" - -"Matter! Why, it's what I said it was just now--'ell. The 'atches are -battened down, it's as 'ot as a furnace, and the stink of the bilge -water's enough to knock you down. There ain't no light except for a -lantern, which don't give no more than a glim, and the air's that thick -you could cut it into slabs and 'eave it overboard." - -He was about to turn away when the girl's attire arrested his attention. - -"You ain't going on deck?" he said. - -"I am." - -"Well, don't you go; you didn't ought to this weather." - -"That's my affair, bos'n." - -"It'll be the skipper's, too, when 'e catches sight of you," answered -the man grimly. "Still, it ain't no business of mine, and if you wants -to try and get drownded, I s'pose you must," with which philosophical -reflection the bos'n proceeded on his way. - -The storm had reached such a pitch of fury that the girl was half -inclined to follow the bos'n's advice, but pride forbade, and, clinging -to the handrail, she made her way towards the deck. Experienced sailor -as she was, it proved no easy task, for the _Hawk_ was rolling to such -an extent that at times she seemed to lie on her beam-ends, and the -girl had to cling with both hands to the rails to prevent herself from -being flung violently against the bulkheads at each terrific lurch. -However, she succeeded at last in reaching the deck, where the seas came -thundering down with the force of battering-rams. - -She paused here because the nearest hand-line had been torn away, and to -have ventured further without anything to cling to would have been -courting certain death. Yet it was very nearly as dangerous to remain -where she was, since at any moment an extra large sea might swoop down, -and, tearing her from the insecure handrail, sweep her overboard. And, -once engulfed in that inferno of raging waters, rescue would be utterly -impossible, even if anyone happened to witness the catastrophe. -Therefore, watching her opportunity, she made a dash, reached the iron -ladder leading up to the bridge, and clung to it while another huge wave -flung itself upon the reeling ship. When it had passed she started to -mount, clinging to the rails for dear life. As her head came level with -the bridge she saw Calamity gripping an iron stanchion to steady -himself, and apparently trying to peer ahead through the swirling -spindrift. His back was towards the girl, and he did not even see her as -she set foot on the sacred bridge and glanced doubtfully around. - -She was still hesitating--none but a sailor realises the extraordinary -sanctity of the bridge--when one of the quartermasters uttered a warning -cry. Almost before the words had left his lips a terrific sea struck the -_Hawk_ on the port beam, and, leaping high into the air, discharged -itself with a deafening roar upon the bridge. The iron stanchion to -which the Captain had been clinging was wrenched from its socket, -Calamity was swept off his feet, and, but for the fact that, in falling, -he became wedged between the rails and the engine-room telegraph, would -certainly have been carried overboard by the receding water. As it was, -one of the two quartermasters was swept away and lost for ever in the -raging sea, while the other lay stunned against the binnacle. - -Trained as she had been in seamanship, Dora Fletcher saw in a flash the -peril which threatened the ship. With no one to control the -steering-gear, the _Hawk_ would fall away into the trough of that -tremendous sea and then no mortal power could save her. Even as this -thought struck her, the girl sprang to the wheel and brought the vessel -round again bows-on to the rollers just as she was about to swing -broadside-on. - -Calamity, staggering to his feet, saw the girl there at the wheel and -the inert form of the quartermaster at her feet. Imbued with the -traditions and customs of the sea as she was, Dora Fletcher experienced -a momentary misgiving at thought of the sacrilege she had committed and -wondered whether the Captain, in his just wrath, would order her to be -locked in her cabin for the rest of the voyage. The fact that, by her -presence of mind, she had saved the ship and all on board from -inevitable destruction did not occur to her at the moment. Involuntarily -she clenched her teeth in expectation of the storm of anger she felt -sure was about to descend upon her. Then, above the howling of the gale, -she caught the Captain's voice, harsh and commanding. - -"Port a little! That'll do; steady now, steady!" - -And that was all. Her presence there at the wheel seemed to have caused -him no more surprise than if she had been one of the deck-hands. It -was, in a way, humiliating, because it robbed her of all sense of -triumph; all the wilful delight of having committed a daring and -unauthorised act. - -In answer to a signal from the bridge, a couple of seamen came up from -the forecastle and removed the unconscious quartermaster, leaving the -Captain and the girl by themselves upon the bridge. Calamity took no -further notice of her, but, hanging on to the rail, continued to gaze -into the teeth of the gale. Presently, without turning round, he shouted -a hoarse command which the girl obeyed, repeating the order as she -turned the wheel. Her apprehension had left her now, and she was even -conscious of a feeling of pride that the Captain, seemingly, was content -to trust the steering to her, and, though he had hitherto kept two -quartermasters at the wheel, seemed to take it for granted that she was -quite competent to manage alone. - -When six bells struck--eleven o'clock in the forenoon watch--Dora -Fletcher had been at the wheel over three hours. The storm, far from -abating, had increased in fury, and some there were among the crew who -began to doubt whether the steamer would live through it. - -At eight bells the relief watch came up to take over the wheel. The girl -relinquished it thankfully, for she was both hungry and exhausted. -Reaching her cabin, she ate ravenously of the food which the steward had -left for her, and then turned in, falling asleep almost before she had -removed her sea-boots. She did not awaken till eight bells in the -afternoon watch, and then, as the crew were keeping "watch and watch," -she turned out of her bunk and donned oilskins and sea-boots once more. -Whether or no Calamity expected her, she was determined to take it for -granted that she should do her "trick" as though she were a regular -member of the crew. - -Feeling just a little bit apprehensive, she climbed to the bridge, took -over the wheel, and was given steering directions by the off-going -quartermasters, one of whom paused as he was going and bellowed in the -girl's ear: - -"Better keep a bright look-out, Miss. The skipper's got one of 'is -malaria attacks comin' on. I've sailed with 'im before, and I know." - -This was startling, for the girl, somehow, had never conceived it -possible that Calamity could suffer from any of the ordinary ills which -flesh is heir to. She watched him more intently after the sailor's -warning, and noticed that he moved stiffly as if in pain, and that, -whenever he stood still, he seemed to be trembling in every limb. - -On the whole, it was not a very cheerful prospect. The Captain sick and -likely to become worse, the only officer incapacitated, and the crew, in -all probability, ready to break into open mutiny if they felt assured -that the one man they feared was unable to raise a hand against them. -And there were the prisoners to be reckoned with as well, should there -be trouble on board. As for Mr. Dykes, it was useless to count on any -assistance from him, for the gunboat had been lost sight of twelve hours -ago. - -Another two hours passed by, and it was plain that Calamity was growing -worse. Though he did not utter a word of complaint, the girl realised -that he was fighting with all his might against the fever which was -slowly but surely sapping his strength. Once or twice he would have -fallen had he not clutched the bridge-rail in time to save himself, and -it became evident that even his iron will could not stave off the -threatened collapse much longer. Suddenly, as though some sustaining -force had snapped, he reeled back against the starboard rail and -collapsed against the pedestal of the engine-room telegraph. The girl, -who dared not leave the wheel for a second, called to a couple of seamen -who were on deck, and, when they had arrived on the bridge, told them to -carry the Captain to his cabin and put him to bed. - -"When you have done that," she said, "come back here." - -They lifted up the senseless form of the Captain, and, with considerable -difficulty, carried him aft. When they had done this and returned to the -bridge, Miss Fletcher placed them in charge of the wheel with directions -concerning the course they were to steer. It was, of course, a somewhat -risky proceeding to leave the bridge without any officer there to give -orders in case of a sudden emergency; but, under the circumstances, -there was nothing else for it. - -She went aft and found Calamity in a semi-conscious condition. Having -satisfied herself that he had been made comfortable, she unlocked the -medicine chest and mixed him a stiff dose of quinine. She had just -administered this and was about to give Sing-hi instructions concerning -the patient, when there came a knock at the cabin-door. - -"Come in," said the girl. - -The door opened to admit the bos'n and a couple of able seamen. - -"Well?" she inquired curtly, somewhat surprised at this visit. - -"We wanted to know if it's true that the skipper's on the sick-list, -beggin' your pardon, Miss," said the bos'n. - -"He is down with an attack of malaria. Why?" - -The men exchanged significant glances. - -"Well, Miss," went on the bos'n, fingering his dripping sou'-wester -nervously, "we thought we'd like to know who's in command while the -skipper's laid up." - -"I am," answered the girl without a moment's hesitation. - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -IN COMMAND - - -For a moment the little group of men remained standing in the doorway, -staring at the girl open-mouthed. Then abruptly and with one accord they -left the cabin and she heard the tread of their heavy sea-boots going up -the companion-way. Having given the steward directions concerning -medicine and a supply of hot-water bottles so long as the patient -remained in the cold stage of the fever, Dora Fletcher went up on deck. -The weather had moderated considerably, but night was coming on, and it -was quite possible that the hurricane might spring up afresh. To her -surprise, she found groups of men standing about the after-deck, though -their presence in that part of the ship had been expressly forbidden by -the Captain. - -"What are you men doing here?" she demanded sharply. - -They stared at her with sullen sheepishness, but no one answered. - -"Get for'ard to your quarters at once and don't let me find a man aft of -the bridge unless he has some duty to perform," she went on after a -pause. - -But the men did not stir, and a low murmur, incoherent but menacing, -reached the girl's ears. Suddenly the bos'n, who had been standing by, -stepped up to her. - -"It's like this 'ere, Miss," he said, in a voice that was -half-apologetic and half-defiant, "we want to know where we are, we do. -The skipper's took with fever, the mate ain't 'ere, and the second's -crippled. Who's going to navigate this packet back to Singapore and take -the old man's place?" - -"I have already told you that I am." - -"I know, Miss, but we didn't take it as you was serious." - -"Well, you can take it that I'm serious now." - -The bos'n shifted awkwardly from one foot to another, and glanced -doubtfully at the sullen figures of the men. - -"I'll tell them what you say, Miss," he said at last, "but I don't know -how they'll take it. You see," he went on hastily, "maybe some of 'em -aren't partial to taking orders from a woman, which don't seem natural, -as you may say." - -"See here, bos'n," answered the girl, raising her voice so that all -could hear, "can you, or any other man on board, navigate this ship to -Singapore?" - -"No, Miss, I can't say as any of us could." - -"Well, I can. I'm a practical navigator, and I will undertake to bring -the _Hawk_ safely into port. But if there's a man among you who thinks -he can do it, let him take command." - -"Of course that alters it a bit," answered the bos'n thoughtfully, "we -didn't know you could navigate, Miss." - -"You don't suppose I should propose to take command otherwise?" - -"That's what we was wondering. You see"--the bos'n became -confidential--"some of us 'ave sailed in ships where the skipper's 'ad -'is wife aboard, and it's generally she what's done the bossing. Of -course we know you ain't this skipper's wife, but all the same we -thought as 'ow you might be wanting to try your 'and like." - -"Well, you see the position now," said the girl. "Please explain it to -the men, and let them understand that, while I am in charge of this -ship, I am Captain and will be obeyed." - -Without quite realising it, she had copied Calamity's curt and decisive -manner, and this, together with the fact that they were really helpless -in the matter, was not without its effect on the men. After a short -discussion with the bos'n, they trooped off to their quarters, some -sullen, others pulling their forelocks as they passed the girl. - -"We'll carry out your orders, if you'll take the ship fair and square -into Singapore," said the bos'n. - -"Then that's agreed; I'll do my part as long as the crew do theirs." - -"Very good, Miss," answered the bos'n, and he went for'ad in the wake of -the men. - -Feeling decidedly relieved, Dora Fletcher was about to go on the bridge -when she caught sight of McPhulach standing at the fiddley door, having -apparently just come off watch. Seeing her, he came forward, rubbing his -hands on a piece of oily cotton-waste. - -"You must have been getting a rough time of it down below," she said by -way of greeting. - -"Rough, d'ye ca' it," he answered; "if I wasna a guid Presbyterian like -me fairther before me, I'd be a convairted sinner the noo. Bradlaugh -himsel' wouldna hae denied hell if he'd been below during the last four -an' twenty hoors." - -The girl nodded sympathetically. - -"I want to have a few minutes' chat with you, if you can spare the -time," she said. - -"I'm at ye'r deesposal." - -"Then please come into the chart-room. I don't want to leave the bridge -longer than I can help." - -"Leave the bridge!" echoed McPhulach in astonishment. "D'ye----" - -"Please come at once," interrupted the girl, and led the way up to the -bridge. After first ascertaining that Calamity was not there, the -engineer followed, wondering, as well he might, what such an -extraordinary invitation portended. When they had entered the chart-room -the girl shut the door and pointed to a seat. - -"Have you heard about the Captain?" she asked. - -"Haird what?" inquired McPhulach. - -"Then you haven't. He is down with a severe attack of malaria; and is -quite incapable of doing anything." - -"Ye dinna say!" - -"It's quite true, he had to be carried off the bridge half an hour ago." - -"Weel, weel," murmured the engineer, "he always was a michty quare mon." - -"And Smith, as I suppose you know, has broken his leg." - -"Aye, ane of the firemen was tellin' me." - -"Therefore," she went on, "I have decided to take command of the _Hawk_, -since no one, except myself, is capable of navigating her." - -She had expected the engineer to show some sign of surprise, even -resentment, and was prepared to combat it. But, for all the emotion -McPhulach exhibited, she might have been telling him that she had -decided to alter her time of getting up or going to bed. He did not even -appear interested, but, stooping down, proceeded to take off one of his -boots. - -"It's verra bad policy to buy ye'r boots second-hand unless ye'r -sairtain they'll fit," he remarked, and then remained silently staring -at a hole in his sock as though it were a subject for long and earnest -meditation. - -"I suppose you think I am taking a great deal on myself," she said, -wishing to force some comment from him. - -The engineer jerked his head in a manner which might have been a nod or -a shake, agreement or disagreement. His eyes were still fixed on the -gaping aperture in his sock. But at last he spoke, slowly and incisively -as a man might who had come to a momentous conclusion after much mental -tribulation. - -"Yon's the thaird pair o' sacks I've holed at the first wearin'. Gin I -go on at this rate I'll no hae a pair to me name by the time we reach -Singapore." - -"I don't believe you've been listening to a word I've said!" exclaimed -the girl, goaded to exasperation. - -McPhulach looked up with an expression of mingled surprise and pain on -his face. - -"Wasna ye tellin' me that ye were goin' to tak' command o' the _Hawk_?" - -"Yes." - -"Then ye were wrang in saying I didna hear ye," he answered -triumphantly. - -"The point I want to get at," said the girl, trying hard to be patient, -"is this. Can I depend on your support and assistance if necessary? I -have made it all right with the crew. Will you be responsible for your -men down below?" - -The engineer did not answer immediately. Apparently he was turning the -matter over in his mind. - -"Ye'll be takin' upon ye'rsel' the privileges and powers of a skipper, -I'm tae understand?" he inquired at last. - -"Yes, since I shall be responsible for the navigation." - -Again McPhulach paused meditatively, and the girl noticed, with a -feeling of apprehension, that his eyes wandered towards the hole in his -sock. But this time it did not monopolise his thoughts. - -"Calamity's no said anything tae ye consairning mesel', I suppose?" he -asked. - -"Certainly not," she replied, rather surprised at the question. "In -fact, I've had no opportunity to discuss anything with him." - -"Because," continued the engineer, "he's as good as promised me a rise -of a poond a month in recogneetion of me sairvices. But I've heard -naething aboot it syn." - -"I know nothing about that. It's a matter for the Captain to consider -when he returns to duty." - -"Nae, nae, it isna," protested McPhulach. "The captain's the captain -whether he wears skirts or breeks. I'd like ye, in ye'r capacity of -skipper of the _Hawk_, to confairm that promise of an extra poond a -month." - -"I will undertake that you shall have the extra money so long as I am in -command, even if I have to pay it myself," answered the girl. - -"Guid enough. Gin ye hae a bit o' paper handy, meybe ye'd no objec' to -putting it doon in writing. I'm no dootin' ye'r word, mind ye, but -'twould be mair satisfactory to hae it in black and white, if ye ken -me." - -He drew a fountain-pen from a pocket beneath his dungarees and the girl -found a piece of paper in one of the table drawers. She took the pen -from McPhulach, and, hastily scribbling a few lines, handed it to him. - -"Will that do?" she asked. - -The engineer took the paper and read it with extreme care. It was to the -effect that, during her command of the _Hawk_, Dora Fletcher agreed that -Phineas McPhulach, chief engineer of that vessel, should receive a pound -a month extra pay. - -"Aye," he murmured, handing it back to her, "ye'll be guid enough tae -sign it, please." - -The girl did so, and McPhulach waved it gently to and fro to dry the -ink. - -"So ye've made ye'r intentions known tae the crew," he remarked. - -"Yes." - -"An' hoo did they tak' it?" - -"Not very well at first. I shouldn't be surprised if some of them tried -to make trouble, especially as they know we have treasure aboard." - -"Aye, I shouldna be sairprised. Sic an ungodly lot o' heathen I've never -sailed wi' before. But ye're a michty plucky lassie. Mind, ye're no me -ideal of a woman, but gin it wasna that I'm a wee bit confused in me -matrimonial obligations I dinna say that I wouldna marry ye mesel'." - -"It's good of you, I'm sure." - -"Nae, nae, dinna thank me," answered McPhulach hastily, "I wasna meanin' -to propose tae ye. It jest crossed me mind like that ye'd mak' a guid -wife gin ye was properly trained." He rose to his feet and yawned. "I'm -for turnin' in," he said, "so I'll be wishin' ye guid nicht, Miss -Fletcher." - -"Good-night," she answered, and the engineer left the chart-room. When -he had gone the girl took from a drawer a chart, pencil, and parallel -rulers, and, sitting down, marked out the ship's course. This done, she -wrote up the log and then stepped out on to the bridge, just as two -relief quartermasters came up to take the wheel over. - -"I shall only want one man at the wheel now," she said. "The storm, I -think, has passed over." - -A little later on, when she was taking off her sea-boots in the -chart-room preparatory to lying down, there was a knock at the door. - -"Come in," she said. - -It was McPhulach, who, with an oilskin over his pyjamas, stood at the -door. - -"I jest wanted to mak' sairtain, Miss Fletcher, that ye didna -misunderstand me a whiles back," he said anxiously. - -"Misunderstand what?" she asked in surprise. - -"Weel, I'd like tae mak' it clear that I didna propose tae ye. I wouldna -like ye tae attach any false hope to what I said aboot marryin' ye -mesel' gin I was able. It were jest a wee bit joke, ye'll ken." - -She reassured him concerning her intentions, and the engineer, with a -sigh of relief, returned to his bunk. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - -THE SIGNAL GUN - - -The morning dawned bright and cloudless, with every promise of a spell -of fine weather. But although the hurricane had spent itself, there was -still a heavy sea running which impeded the work of clearing up the -decks and repairing the damage wrought by the storm. In the brilliant, -penetrating sunshine, the _Hawk_ presented a disreputable appearance: -her funnel encrusted with dirty grey rime, both her for'ad derricks a -heap of splintered wood and tangled cordage, her boats smashed to -matchwood, and her decks a depository of wreckage of all sorts. - -Dora Fletcher had been able to snatch only a couple of hours' sleep -during the night, but when dawn broke she went to see Calamity. She -found him tossing in his bunk, and murmuring incoherently. When she -spoke to him he showed no sign of comprehension. Sing-hi stood by while -she went to the medicine-chest and took out a bottle of sweet spirits of -nitre. To him she explained what dose he was to give the patient, and -the Chinaman nodded comprehendingly; he had already proved himself a -conscientious and trustworthy sick-nurse, albeit possessed of no -initiative. He would have gone on pouring medicine down the Captain's -throat at intervals long after the latter was dead, unless given -instructions to the contrary. - -Her next visit was to Smith, who, as Sing-hi had as much as he could do -in the cabin, was being attended by one of the deck-hands. - -"What cher!" he exclaimed genially as she entered, "how's the old man -this morning?" - -"In the hot stage now," answered the girl. "But how are you?" - -"Not so dusty considerin'. It's a bit orf, though, lying here on a shelf -like a bloomin' parcel that's been left till called for." - -"But you're not in pain?" - -"Oh, nothing to make a shout about. But how are you getting on with the -crew? I've been expectin' mutiny ever since the skipper was knocked -out." - -"I don't think there's much fear of that," answered the girl, and -described her interview with the bos'n on the preceding evening. - -"You see," she concluded, "the men are helpless." - -"There's something in that," Smith admitted. "By crikey, you're a -bloomin' knock-out, and no kid," he added admiringly. - -"I must leave you now," she said, going to the door, "but I'll look in -again later on." - -"Right you are, sir," replied the patient jocularly. - -When she entered the foc'sle to see the injured quartermaster some of -the men, impelled by a rude courtesy, rose to their feet, but there were -others who regarded her with an air of aloofness which almost amounted -to defiance. Having ascertained that the patient was progressing as -favourably as could be expected, she left the foc'sle and was met on -the for'ad deck by the bos'n, who appeared to be in an agitated state of -mind. - -"Been looking for you everywhere, Miss," he said breathlessly. "Didn't -you 'ear the gun?" - -"Gun! What gun?" - -"A signal from somewheres astern. Struck me it might be the _Satellite_ -in trouble, Miss." - -The only thing to do under the circumstances was to search for the -vessel in distress. The girl went on the bridge, and, telling the -quartermaster to stand aside, took the wheel herself. At the same moment -she heard the distant boom of a gun, obviously a signal for help. It now -became necessary to bring the _Hawk_ round in a semi-circle and this, in -such a sea, was a task which called for extremely nice judgment and -skilful seamanship. Yet the amazing young woman accomplished it without -mishap, though once, when broadside on to a beam sea, those on board -experienced a few nasty moments with a solid mountain of green water -towering above them, and looking as if it must fall upon the ship and -crush her under its stupendous weight. - -"S'truth!" ejaculated the bos'n softly when the steamer's nose swung -round to meet the oncoming rollers, "that was touch-and-go if you like. -But she can 'andle a boat, can that gal." - -And the carpenter, who stood near him, agreed. - -Suddenly the look-out shouted "Ship on the port bow!" and, giving the -wheel to the quartermaster, Dora Fletcher snatched up the glasses and -looked in the direction indicated. There, sure enough, was a vessel -which looked remarkably like the _Satellite_, but, most amazing thing of -all, _she was not rolling_, and the seas were breaking clean over her. -In a flash the girl divined what had happened; the gunboat had struck -some uncharted reef and was firmly wedged aground. Presumably, -therefore, she was making water fast and the only thing to do was to get -the crew and prisoners off as quickly as possible. - -"Signal we're coming to her assistance," said the girl, and the bos'n -hoisted the flags, H.F. The reply came immediately, "Want a tow, no -damage." - -"Gawd, she must 'ave struck a feather piller instead o' a reef," -commented the bos'n _sotto voce_, as he communicated the reply to Miss -Fletcher. - -Slowly the _Hawk_ bore down to leeward of the stranded vessel, -signalling the _Satellite_ to send a boat with tow-lines, for it was far -too perilous to come near enough for the lines to be thrown from one -ship to the other. Thanks to Mr. Dykes's foresight in having thrown out -oil-bags, the sea around the _Satellite_ had subsided considerably and a -boat was lowered without much difficulty. But as soon as she got outside -the oil radius the frail cockleshell of a boat was tossed about like a -cork, and more than once it looked as if she must inevitably be swamped -and capsized. But she fought her way manfully, and at last came within -hailing distance of the _Hawk_. - -"Stand off!" shouted the girl through a megaphone. "Heave from where you -are." - -The wisdom of this order was apparent to all, for, had the boat come -much nearer or attempted to get alongside, she would almost certainly -have been swept against the steamer and crushed to pieces. So while the -crew kept her head-on to the sea, the man in the bows waited for a -favourable opportunity. It came when the boat was carried upwards on the -crest of a huge wave till on a level with the _Hawk's_ bridge; then he -stood up, and, swinging one of the lines round his head, gave it a -cast. The thin rope leapt through the air in a long, sinuous curve, and -descended on the steamer's deck, where it was promptly caught and -secured to the drum of a steam-winch. Then ensued another period of -tense waiting before a chance came to send the other line aboard; but it -was successfully accomplished at last, and the boat started on its -return journey. - -As soon as the second line had been secured the steam-winches were -started and began to wind in the lines until the hawsers appeared under -the _Hawk's_ stern, one on each side. - -"Vast heaving!" came the order. - -Then, with the assistance of the winches, the ends of the hawsers were -carried through the hawse-holes and parcelled with chafing-mats to -lessen the friction. The _Hawk_ was now astern of the _Satellite_, which -was to be towed off the reef stern foremost, and the work would commence -as soon as the hawsers had been made secure. - -At last the bos'n reported all ready and the girl rang down "Stand by" -to the engine-room. There was a tense pause, and then she again moved -the lever. A faint "ting-ting" came from below, the telegraph pointer -swung round to "Slow," and the _Hawk's_ engines began to move with a -steady, ponderous beat. All eyes were fixed upon the hawsers, which, as -the steamer began to move, slowly raised their dripping lengths from the -water. Then the moment arrived when the great ropes tautened till they -vibrated under the tension like fiddle-strings when a bow is passed -across them. The _Hawk_, which had been slowly forging ahead, seemed to -pull up with a sudden jerk, and then gradually slide back, stern -foremost, in her own wake, while the hawsers sagged and dipped into the -sea. The girl on the bridge waited with her hand on the telegraph, every -nerve braced as if for stupendous effort, while she watched the hawsers -disappear. Then, as the _Hawk's_ stern-way was arrested, she rang down -"Half speed" and the engines pulsated with quickened beats. - -Again the hawsers grew taut as the steamer forged ahead, only to recoil -once more like a straining hound suddenly jerked back by its leash. But -this time the recoil was only momentary and then she gathered a little -way, while, at the same moment, the _Satellite_ was seen to move. Once -more Dora Fletcher pressed the lever of the telegraph, the decks -vibrated to the thunderous beat of the engines, and, to the -accompaniment of a cheer from the anxious watchers, the gunboat slid -gently into deep water. - -"Gawd!" ejaculated the bos'n, wiping the sweat from his brow, and the -monosyllable was more eloquent than an oration. - -With a little moan of utter fatigue which was not that of the body only, -Dora Fletcher slipped into the chart-room and flung herself on the -settee. The terrible nervous strain of these hours when she alone had -been responsible for the safety of the _Hawk_ and all those souls -aboard, added to the strain of the last hour, had been too much for her. -She collapsed suddenly in a dead faint, and it was thus that McPhulach -discovered her when he put his head into the chart-room some fifteen -minutes later. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII - -MR. SMITH SEEKS A PARTNER - - -McPhulach, thinking the girl was asleep, shook her gently by the -shoulder; but, as this met with no response, he took a closer look at -her. - -"Losh presairve us!" he ejaculated, "the lassie's fainted." - -He took from his pocket a small, flat flask, and, after drawing the -cork, placed the bottle to his nose and sniffed the aroma -appreciatively. Then, with a sigh, he forced some of its contents -between the girl's teeth, pillowing her head on his arm as he did so. In -a moment or two she opened her eyes and stared at him with a dull, -uncomprehending gaze, which, however, quickly gave place to a look of -bewilderment. - -"Why, what's happened?" she murmured and passed a hand across her -forehead as if trying to remember. - -"Ye've jes' swallowed a drap o' unco' guid whusky," answered the -engineer, holding up the flask to see how much he had "wasted." - -"Why I--I must have fainted!" - -"Aye, ye were lying on the cooch like a wax-work figger when I came in." - -The girl sat up with cheeks that had suddenly become very red. Obviously -she was ashamed of being found out in an essentially feminine weakness. - -"I was very tired," she said apologetically, "and--and----" - -"Ye jes' swooned," put in McPhulach as she hesitated. "Weel, I'm no -sairprised. I'm subjec' tae it mysel', which is why I always carry a wee -drappie aboot me pairson. It's likewise a muckle fine thing for stomach -troubles, ye ken." - -The girl nodded absently and gazed through the chart-room window at the -_Satellite_, now steaming about a cable's length astern. Under the -bos'n's directions, the towing hawsers had been cast off and hauled back -aboard the gunboat. It had not occurred to her till this moment that Mr. -Dykes must have been considerably exercised in his mind at seeing her on -the bridge, and in command instead of Calamity. She wondered what he -thought about it. - -"Weel, I'll be ganging below," remarked McPhulach. "It was a michty guid -thing I came up here for a breath o' fresh air an' tae see hoo ye were -getting alang." - -"It was, and I'm very much obliged to you for what you did," answered -the girl. "But please don't say anything about it to anyone." - -She stammered and blushed as though asking him to compound a felony. - -"Nae, nae, I'll no breathe a word, gin ye dinna want me tae," he assured -her. "Mr. Smeeth's man tells me a steam-pipe has burstit in his cabin, -sae I'll jes' gang doon and hae a speer at it," saying which the -engineer left the chart-room, and, descending to the deck, made his way -to the second-mate's cabin. - -After an amiable exchange of greetings between himself and Smith, he -found the leak in the steam-pipe and plugged it with cotton waste. - -"'Tis a fine bit o' wark that Miss Fletcher has done," he remarked, -preparing to leave. - -"You mean gettin' the _Satellite_ off?" answered Smith. "Yes, Byles was -telling me about it; said it was one of the finest feats of seamanship -he'd ever seen." - -"Aye, 'twas that. Mon, she'd mak' a splendid wife for a body who could -manage her." - -"D'you think so?" said Smith thoughtfully. - -"Never a doot, lad. But the mon who'd be strang enoo' to marry the like -o' her, would be strang enoo' not tae marry at a', I'm thinkin'." - -There was a pause and McPhulach made to leave the cabin. As he was about -to open the door, Smith called him back. - -"Thinkin' it over," said he, "I ain't such a bad-lookin' cove, am I?" - -"It's haird tae say," answered the engineer slowly. "Wi' a few -alterations an' repairs, some women micht regaird ye as an Adonis." - -"Never met the bloke. But," went on the second-mate, trying to pin the -other down to a definite statement, "you wouldn't say I was hideous, -would you?" - -Again McPhulach regarded him critically before venturing an opinion. - -"It's haird tae say," he replied at last. - -"Oh hang!" ejaculated Smith in disgust. "Still," he went on, "I'm blowed -if I don't have a try." - -"Eh?" - -"She might do worse." - -"D'ye mean that ye're goin' tae ax Mees Fletcher tae marry ye?" - -"Why not?" - -"You're a brave mon, Smeeth." - -"But why shouldn't I?" reiterated the second-mate. - -"I wish ye luck," said the engineer dryly. "Hoo-ever, I ken nae reason -why ye shouldna ax her." - -"D'you mean you don't think she'd have me?" - -"Nae, nae, women hae quare tastes, an' it isna always the best-lookin' -mon that comes oot the best." - -"Look here, Mac, d'you think you could put out a feeler for us?" - -"Eh!" - -"Jest sound her, so to speak; find out whether she likes me." - -"Nae, nae," answered the engineer hastily. "I've enough troubles of me -ain, an' I'm no goin' tae do anither body's coorting." - -"Tell you what, Mac," went on Smith coaxingly, "you shall be best man at -the wedding." - -"Ye're verra generous, but it's no' the job I'm speerin' after." - -"All right, you can give us a wedding present then." - -"Eh! Weel, mebbe I'd be ye'r best mon gin ye were marrit." - -"Half a mo, Mac," said the second-mate, as the engineer made another -attempt to escape. "You don't think there's any one else in the runnin', -do you?" - -"It's a verra deeficult question tae answer," replied McPhulach. - -"How d'you mean?" - -"There is an' there isna'." - -"What the devil are you driving at?" - -"I mean that she's wishfu' tae marry the skeeper, an' he's no wishfu' -tae be marrit." - -"Crikey!" ejaculated Smith, the look of pleasurable anticipation dying -out of his face. "Who told you that?" - -"Ony fu' wi' a pair o' een in his held could hae telt ye that." - -"I guessed she was a bit gone on him at first, but blimey, I never -thought she was in love with him--why, he's old enough to be her father, -I should say. Besides, he's only got one eye, and you can't call him -handsome, look at him any way you like." - -"I told ye women hae quare tastes." - -"Well, if I ain't a better man to look at than that one-eyed old crock -aft, I'll eat my bloomin' hat." - -"I wouldna advise ye tae mak' rash promises," answered McPhulach, and -managed to slip out of the cabin before Smith could detain him. - -For a time the amorous second-mate lay still, trying to make up his mind -as to the best and most effective manner of declaring his passion to -Miss Fletcher. McPhulach's reference to the Captain, though it had -disconcerted him at the moment, upon mature consideration seemed so -preposterous that he had found no difficulty in dismissing it from his -mind. The more he thought over his matrimonial scheme, the more -convinced he became that, in marrying him, Miss Fletcher would be a very -fortunate young woman. Besides, she would have the inestimable privilege -of keeping him "straight," which would, no doubt, provide her with an -interest in life. Women, he believed, liked reforming, and his future -wife would have ample opportunity for indulging in this hobby. She -might, in time and with patience, even effect a permanent reform. - -Little guessing the good fortune in store for her, Dora Fletcher stood -on the bridge with a sextant in her hands, "shooting the sun," it being -then exactly at the meridian. This was the first time since they had -been overtaken by the hurricane that a chance had occurred for taking -observations. For the last two or three days the ship's approximate -position could only be ascertained by dead reckoning, and, therefore, it -was necessary to correct this at the earliest opportunity. Having -concluded her observations, marked the _Hawk's_ position on the chart, -and laid out the course, the girl lay down on the settee to try and make -up a little for the inadequate amount of sleep she had had during the -last forty-eight hours. Later on in the day she again visited the -Captain's cabin. He was sleeping when she went in, and it was evident -that his condition had improved. Having given the steward some further -instructions, she went to Smith's cabin to see how he was getting on. - -"Well, how do you feel this evening?" she inquired on entering. - -"Pretty fair, thanks," answered the invalid with a deep sigh. - -"Your leg's not hurting you?" - -"Oh no, my leg ain't hurting me." - -"Then what's the matter? You seem rather melancholy." - -"I've been thinkin'," said Smith still more gloomily, "of me future." - -"Your future?" - -"Yes. A man lyin' on a sick bed gets queer notions into his head, -especially if he's got brains." - -"But why should you worry about the future?" asked the girl, puzzled. -"Your leg will soon be all right, and you'll be able to go on duty -again." - -"The fact is," replied Smith, suddenly becoming confidential, "I'm -thinking of settlin' down." - -"Yes?" - -"A man like me, who's always led a rovin' life, so to speak, wants an -anchor. A home and wife and kids, and so on." - -"Then you're thinking of getting married?" asked the girl innocently. - -"That all depends," he answered. "Although you mightn't think it, I'm -rather a particular sort of cove. Of course I've got my faults----" and -he waved an arm as if to signify that he also had his virtues, which -were too obvious to specify. - -Miss Fletcher, not feeling called upon to make any comment, remained -silent, and, after a moment or two, Smith went on. - -"What I want is a young woman who understands men of my sort. A woman -with a bit of spirit, mind you, not bad-lookin', and able to turn her -hand to 'most anything." - -"H'm; I should think you'd better advertise, stating all your -requirements." - -"No need," replied Smith triumphantly. "I've got the very woman in my -eye." - -"Oh? That ought to save you a lot of trouble, not to say expense," -answered the girl with a touch of irony, which, however, Smith failed to -perceive. - -"Yes, but the trouble is that I ain't quite certain yet whether she'll -have me," he said. - -"I should think the easiest way out of the difficulty would be to ask -her," she replied, wholly ignorant of the direction in which the -second-mate's laborious confidences were tending. - -"You don't think she'd be offended if I did?" - -"Good gracious, how should I know!" - -"Better than you think, p'raps," replied Smith mysteriously. "Shall I -tell you her name?" - -"Really, Mr. Smith, I don't think it concerns me in the slightest what -the lady's name is." - -"But it does!" he almost shouted, raising himself on his elbow and -staring at her hard. - -For the first time Dora Fletcher began to see the trend of all this. She -rose from the locker upon which she had been seated. - -"I must leave you now," she said a little coldly. "I have to----" - -"Half a mo'," broke in Smith, "you haven't heard the lady's name yet." - -"I don't think I want to, thanks. It's not a matter which----" - -"Isn't it! You wait. The lady's name is Dora Fletcher--how about that?" - -An angry flush mounted to the girl's face, and then, being blessed with -that rare possession, a sense of humour, she had much ado to prevent -herself from laughing outright. - -"I'm afraid I can't oblige you, Mr. Smith," she said. "Although, of -course, I appreciate the honour you've done me." - -"That ain't any use to me," growled the second-mate, rather taken aback -at this unhesitating rejection. - -"I'm sorry, but----" - -"What's wrong with me, then?" he burst out. "Of course I'm not a -bloomin' earl or a dook nor yet a Captain----" - -"I think we had better forget all about it," answered the girl. "Please -don't speak of it again." - -But Smith, his hopes dashed to the ground, and his pride wounded, was -not inclined to drop the subject so lightly. In fact, he completely -lost his temper. - -"I suppose it's because you're sweet on the skipper," he said savagely. -"But I can tell you that you ain't got a ghost of a chance there; no, -not if you lived to a hundred. He ain't no ornery, bloomin' skipper, nor -Calamity ain't his name. Would you like to know who he is?" - -The girl hesitated, torn between an almost irresistible desire to learn -the secret of that strange man's identity, and disgust at the vulgar -outburst of the little Cockney. - -"You may as well know," he added, noticing her indecision. - -"Well, tell me then," she retorted, unable any longer to resist the -temptation. - -Smith glanced furtively around the cabin as if to make sure no one was -concealed there, and then leaned over the edge of his bunk. - -"Come nearer," he said; "it ain't the sort of thing to shout out loud." - -Reluctantly she moved a little closer to him, and he whispered two words -in her ear. - -"Well, what do you say to that?" he asked triumphantly. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII - -DORA FLETCHER ANSWERS "NO" - - -A week had passed, and Calamity, now convalescent, was able once more to -resume command. As, however, Smith was still unable to discharge his -customary duties, the Captain appointed Miss Fletcher temporary mate. - -"Since you are now an officer," he said with that grim smile of his, -"you had better take your meals in the cabin with me." - -The girl's eyes lit up with pleasure for a moment, then the light died -out of them and her lips hardened. - -"Thank you all the same, but I should prefer to have my meals in my own -cabin as before," she answered. - -"Please yourself," answered Calamity carelessly. - -After this, although their relationship remained superficially much the -same as it had always been, the Captain taciturn and abrupt, the girl -quiet and self-possessed, there was a subtle change in the attitude of -each towards the other. Calamity had come to rely on the girl, and now -accepted at her hands many little services which tended towards his -greater comfort, services which he would have rejected with curt -imperiousness less than a fortnight ago. - -One day he sent for McPhulach, and in due course the engineer appeared, -clad as usual, in soiled dungarees, and clasping a piece of oily -cotton-waste in his hand. - -"Ye're wishfu' tae see me, sir?" he inquired. - -"Yes; sit down." - -The engineer perched himself on the cabin skylight, and began -mechanically to rub the brass rails with his cotton-waste. - -"Would you care to go to England after this trip, McPhulach?" asked the -Captain abruptly. - -McPhulach ceased rubbing the brass rails, and stared at Calamity in -astonishment. - -"Tae England?" he repeated. - -"Yes. I may want you in connection with that document you signed, and -quite possibly I shall be able to give you a good shore job." - -"It a' depends," answered the engineer thoughtfully. "Ye see, skeeper, I -hae sairtain financial obleegations in that country which I canna -dischairge. An' meybe there are ane or twa leddies who'd mak' it no -verra pleasant for me gin they were tae ken I was back." - -"H'm; I should have thought that a man of your resource and experience -could have overcome that difficulty." - -McPhulach considered for a little time, and the cloud on his brow -lifted. - -"I ken brawly wha' tae dae, sir!" he exclaimed. "Gin ye'll ca' me Jones -and give oot that I'm a Welshman, there's no a body who'd recognise me." - -Something like a chuckle escaped the Captain, but he answered in a -perfectly grave voice. - -"If you think that device will overcome your difficulties, I have no -objection to calling you Jones and informing all whom it may concern -that you're a Welshman." - -"Frae Pontypreed." - -"From Pontypridd, if you like. That sounds Welsh enough." - -"Then I'll sign on wi' ye, sir." - -"Right, then that's settled," answered Calamity, and McPhulach, preening -himself upon his astuteness, returned to the engine-room. - -That evening, when Miss Fletcher came on the bridge to relieve the -Captain, he seemed inclined to linger. - -"By the twenty-seventh," he said, "we ought to be in Singapore." - -"In Singapore," murmured the girl, and nodded as if in answer to some -unspoken thought. - -"Yes. Have you finally decided what to do?" - -"I shall see the British Consul, lay before him my father's papers, and -ask him to advance me sufficient money to----" - -"There's no need to ask him that," interrupted Calamity. "I could let -you have whatever you wanted, even if there wasn't----" - -"Still, if you don't mind, I should prefer to borrow it from the -Consul," she broke in without looking at him. - -"As you please. Then I take it that you have made up your mind to go to -California?" - -"Yes; I will take your advice and try fruit-farming." - -"H'm," grunted Calamity. - -"You told me it was the best--in fact, the only thing I could do," she -said with a faint touch of sarcasm in her voice. - -"Yes--yes, I suppose I did." - -"The profession I know best and which I love best--that of the sea--I -cannot follow, being a woman. You pointed that out yourself." - -"It is self-evident!" - -Calamity turned away as if to leave the bridge, hesitated on the top -step of the companion-ladder, and then came back again. Seemingly he did -so only to glance at the compass, but, having done this, he came up to -the bridge-rail and leant over it. - -"You are a strange young woman," he said abruptly. - -"Am I?" - -He lapsed into silence again and Dora Fletcher, looking at him -surreptitiously out of the corner of her eye, marvelled exceedingly. -Once more this extraordinary man was revealing himself to her in a new -light. Usually so self-confident and determined in manner and speech, he -exhibited a curious hesitancy this evening that puzzled the girl. He was -like a man who wished to say something yet, for some reason or other, -feared to say it. This so impressed her that she grew uneasy, and, -moving a little farther away from him, leant against the starboard rail -and gazed fixedly across the darkening waters. - -Presently the Captain straightened his back, walked to the port rail, -and, after standing there a moment or two, crossed to where the girl was -standing. He did not speak, and, although her back was towards him, she -knew that he was very close. Involuntarily she clutched the rail tightly -as if to support herself, her heart began to beat faster and her breath -came in little catches. And yet, she told herself, there was no reason -for this; it made her angry, angry with herself for being unreasonably -agitated, and angry with him for being the cause of it. He remained -standing close behind her, saying nothing, till at last she could bear -it no longer. - -"Won't you miss your watch below, sir?" she asked. - -"That is my affair," he answered in his old curt way, and she felt a -sense of relief at the familiar tone. - -He remained where he was, however, regarding her intently and with an -expression that would have startled the girl had she seen it. There was -every excuse for that look on the Captain's face, for she made as comely -a picture as any man might wish to gaze upon, with her slim, supple -figure and the great braid of red-brown hair coiled round her shapely -head. Masculine as she was in her fearlessness, her strength, and her -power of command, she was withal intensely feminine, possessing besides -all the lure of blossoming womanhood. - -All this Calamity recognised clearly enough now, if he had never done so -before. He was very far from being a sentimentalist, but, as he stood so -near to her, the memory of that day when she had frankly avowed her love -for him came back with poignant vividness. He knew now that he had been -a blind fool and a brutal fool as well. The greatest treasure that life -can give had been his for the taking, and he had spurned it. But now he -had awakened to a sense of what he had lost. - -Such were the thoughts which passed through Calamity's mind as he -lingered irresolutely on the bridge. It was an altogether new sensation -to him, this self-condemnation and timid hesitancy. For the first time -in his life, perhaps, Calamity was afraid. It was, if nothing else, a -chastening experience. - -As for Dora Fletcher, her whole being was in a tumult of warring -emotions. Instinctively she felt something of what was passing through -the Captain's mind. She could not but guess that this sudden and -remarkable change in his manner was due to herself, that it meant the -beginning of a new relationship between them--at least, so far as he was -concerned. Already their relations had passed through several different -phases: first she had been a mere nonentity in his eyes; then an -individual to be tolerated, a nurse later on, then a trusted and -efficient officer, and finally--finally, she supposed, a memory ever -growing more indistinct as the years passed. - -Just as his near presence was becoming intolerable to the girl because -of the complex emotions it occasioned, he moved away and strolled -towards the other end of the bridge. She wished fervently that he would -go below, for while he remained near her she was in a fever of -apprehension. - -Presently, however, he turned again and walked slowly back to where she -was standing on the lee side of the bridge. - -"Miss Fletcher," he said abruptly. - -"Yes, sir," she answered, turning and facing him. - -"Will you marry me?" - -It had come at last, the inevitable climax she had felt approaching ever -since his recovery from that illness. For a moment she was conscious of -a thrill of exquisite joy, and her carefully nursed resolution wavered. -Then, remembering the communication Smith had made to her, she pulled -herself together. - -"No," she answered in a low voice. - -The Captain turned on his heel and walked in a leisurely manner to the -other end of the bridge, where he lingered for a moment. Then he came -back, glanced at the compass, and turned towards the girl. - -"Keep her west by north," he said, and slowly descended the -companion-ladder. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV - -THE MACHINATIONS OF MR. SOLOMON - - -"Land ahead!" - -At that cry the men came tumbling out of the foc'sle on to the for'ad -deck of the _Hawk_, for it meant they were in sight of port at last. -With luck, they would be paid off before many more hours had passed, the -prize-money would be distributed--and then for a flare-up; a riotous, -drunken orgy which would probably lead to three-fourths of their number -finishing up in the police-cells. It would be a great night for the -drink-shops of Singapore when Calamity's men, free from the iron -discipline they had endured throughout the voyage, let themselves go. - -So the men crowded against the bulwarks watching, with hungry eyes, the -indistinct coast-line far away on the starboard bow. Even the most -sullen and discontented among them dwelt in cheerful anticipation upon -the glorious debauch in store. However, they were not permitted to dwell -upon these delights undisturbed. In common with most captains, Calamity -was accustomed to bring a ship into port looking like a new pin, with -not so much as a smudge on the brasswork or a blemish on the white -paint. So all hands were turned-to for the purpose of scouring, -cleaning, and polishing. They worked with a will, for this would be -practically their last day on board, even if the _Hawk_ did not take up -her moorings till the next morning. One of the men, a grizzled old -shellback whose memories reached to the days of clippers and -square-rigged ships, started to drone a chanty, popular enough in its -day but now consigned to the limbo of masts and sails and salt junk. And -this was the burden of his song: - - "A Yankee ship's gone down the river, - Her masts and yards they shine like silver. - How d'you know she's a Yankee clipper? - By the Stars and Stripes that fly above her. - And who d'you think is captain of her? - One-eyed Kelly, the Bowery runner. - And what d'you think they had for dinner? - Belaying-pin soup and monkey's liver." - -There was a chorus between each line of "Blow boys, bully boys blow," -which the others took up and yelled at the tops of their voices. In -fact, the men were in such high spirits that, on the smallest -provocation, they would have raised three cheers for the skipper--but -the provocation was not given. - -Calamity paced up and down the bridge, grim and taciturn as ever, his -hands buried in the pockets of his monkey jacket. About a cable's length -astern was the _Satellite_, with Mr. Dykes lolling on the bridge and -making mental calculations as to the number of dollars that would fall -to his share when the final settlement was made. Like their comrades on -the _Hawk_, the crew was busy making the ship spick and span, nor were -their anticipations less cheerful. Even the prisoners on both vessels -were perking up at the prospect of being released from the hot and -stifling quarters where they had spent so many weary days. - -Perhaps the only gloomy members of the expedition were the Captain -himself and Dora Fletcher. The latter was sitting in her cabin gazing -thoughtfully out of the open port. Since that evening when Calamity had -asked her to marry him and she had refused, he had not mentioned the -subject again; his manner, indeed, seemed to indicate that he had -dismissed the matter from his mind. With feminine inconsistency she now -fervently wished that Smith had never told her the secret of the -Captain's identity, for then everything would have been quite simple. -Yet she tried to comfort herself with the thought that it was better as -it was, better that she should know the truth before it was too late and -she found herself faced by a situation with which, she assured herself, -she was totally unfitted to grapple. Involuntarily the girl sighed. So -this was to be the end of her one and only romance. Rightly or wrongly, -she had rejected the love she desired above all else and the one man -with whom she would have gladly mated. - -Meanwhile the _Hawk_ and her consort were drawing nearer to Singapore, -and presently, in answer to a signal, a pilot-boat approached, and, -standing off, lowered a boat which quickly came alongside the yacht. The -pilot, a grizzled, weather-beaten man, scrambled out of the stern-sheets -and climbed on board. - -"Well I'm jiggered!" he exclaimed as the Captain stepped forward to -greet him, "if it ain't Calamity." - -"The same, Abott," answered the latter as they shook hands, for this was -not the first time by a good many that the pilot had taken him into -Singapore. - -"But, bless my soul, skipper, this is the hooker that you wafted out of -Singapore." - -"It is," answered Calamity. "But come along to my cabin and have a -drink, Abott. I'd like to have a little pow-wow with you." - -Nothing loth, the pilot accompanied him to the cabin, where Calamity, -after carefully locking the door, brought out a bottle and some glasses -from a cupboard. - -"The usual?" he inquired. - -"Aye, skipper, my tastes ain't changed since we last met." - -The Captain poured out a generous helping of brandy, which he handed to -the pilot and then poured out a like dose for himself. - -"Here's luck," said the other as he raised his glass. - -Calamity nodded and tossed off his drink. - -"What's the news?" he asked. - -"About the war? Oh, nothing special, the Germans ain't took Paris, and -we haven't burnt down Berlin. But say, skipper, what in thunder made you -hike off with the old _Arrow_?" - -"The what?" asked Calamity staring hard at the other. - -"The _Arrow_, this old packet of Rossenbaum's." - -The Captain made no answer for a moment and then a look of understanding -came into his face. - -"Oh, so the story is that I made off with Rossenbaum's ship?" - -"You bet it is and there's a nice old shindy over it," answered the -pilot. "Rossenbaum accused Solomon of having stolen his blooming -steamer, and Solomon took his oath that you'd taken it unbeknownst to -him." - -"What you've told me explains a lot of things, Abott. The excellent -Solomon's manoeuvres puzzled me from the start, but now I begin to see -daylight. I'll have one or two little bones to pick with Isaac when I -get ashore." - -"Now, see here, skipper, jest you take my tip," said the other -earnestly. "Don't put into Singapore. It ain't a healthy place for you, -and that's a fact." - -"Why not?" - -"Why not! Well, you don't suppose a man can be accused of pinching some -other party's ship and the authorities not say a word, do you?" - -"You mean they're after me?" - -"There's a warrant out for your arrest under the Piracy Act or something -of that sort." - -"H'm," grunted Calamity; "that's news." - -"Now see here, skipper, we've known each other a tidy while, and you -know I'm not the man to lead an old friend into a mess if I can help it. -Take my advice and make for some other port; you may take your oath that -I shan't say a word about having picked you up." - -"Abott, you're a white man," answered Calamity, "but I'm not taking your -advice, good as it sounds. Solomon has played his card, but I can trump -it; he's absolutely in my hands, though he doesn't know it yet. Now -we'll dismiss that subject for the present, and talk of something far -more important. First of all, can you trust the men on your boat?" - -"Trust 'em? Well, I should say so," answered the pilot in surprise. - -"What I mean is, can they keep their mouths shut?" - -"Like limpets." - -"Right. Now just listen to this little yarn of mine, Abott, and don't -interrupt before I'm through. Savee?" - -"Forge ahead, skipper." - -For close upon half an hour the Captain talked in lowered tones, and, -as he proceeded, the pilot's face exhibited every degree of -astonishment. Even when Calamity had finished he remained silent for -some moments, as if unable to wholly realise what the latter had told -him. - -"Well I'm damned!" he muttered at last, and, taking a large blue -handkerchief from his pocket, mopped his face. - -"And now the question is, will you accept the proposal or not?" asked -the Captain. - -"I don't know that I've fairly got my teeth into it yet, skipper. It -sort o' takes one's breath away, and that's a fact." - -"I'm afraid I can't give you much time to think it over, Abott." - -"By thunder, I'll take it on then!" - -"I'm glad, because there's no other man I could trust," answered -Calamity. "We'd better set to work and get the job over as quickly as -possible." - -"Wait, though," said the other. "This is the sort of thing that wants to -be done at night. Suppose we sheer away from land a bit and don't put in -till to-morrow morning?" - -"That's not a bad idea. Your boat could come alongside after dark then?" - -"Yes, but there's another thing to consider as well. How about the men? -Can't you pay them off, prize-money and all, before we put in? You'll -want to get rid of that crowd as soon as possible after the hook touches -mud." - -"It might be possible. Just lend me a hand, Abott." - -With the pilot's assistance, all the boxes containing money, including -the heavy box found in the fort, were dragged out into the middle of the -cabin and opened. - -"Before we count this you'd better tell the first-mate--a woman, by the -way--to alter the course and signal the _Satellite_ to do the same," -said the Captain. - -The pilot left the cabin, and when he returned Calamity had already -started to count out the money. Even with the two of them at work it -took a long time, and when it was finished and the values of the various -currencies adjusted, Calamity made some hurried calculations on paper. - -"I can offer each man about a hundred pounds in addition to wages due," -he said at last. - -"And a pretty fine bonus, too, for such a short trip! They won't jib at -that offer, you bet your life. The sooner that deal's squared the -better, I should say, skipper." - -The Captain unlocked the cabin door, and, calling Sing-hi, told him to -fetch the bos'n. - -"I want you to make a proposal to the men," said Calamity, when the -bos'n appeared. "In the ordinary way they might have to wait a week or -more before they received the prize-money due to them, but, if they -prefer it, I will pay each man a hundred pounds cash in addition to -wages. They might get more by waiting till the stuff is valued and -disposed of, but, if they prefer the cash, I will divide the balance -among the various marine charities." - -"I'm for the cash myself, sir, and I think the others'll be the same; -but I'll tell them what you say," answered the bos'n. - -"As for the officers and engineers," said Calamity when the bos'n had -left the cabin, "they will have to wait until their shares can be -properly adjudged." - -"As long as we can get rid of the crew, they don't matter, skipper." - -In a few minutes the bos'n returned and said that the men were -unanimously in favour of taking the cash. - -"Then assemble the men aft at eight bells, bos'n." - -"Aye, aye, sir," answered the latter, and departed. - -"Now," said Calamity, rising from his chair, "I'll signal Mr. Dykes to -put the same proposal to his men." - -He accordingly did this, and in a very short time received a message -back to the effect that the men would prefer the cash payment. - -At eight o'clock that evening the crew of the _Hawk_ lined up aft to -receive their money. As each man's name was called out by the bos'n, the -owner of it stepped up to the little table where Calamity was seated and -received in his hat the equivalent in money and notes of about a hundred -and twenty pounds, prize-money and pay. When they had all been paid, a -boat was lowered and the Captain went aboard the _Satellite_, where a -similar distribution was made. - -Later on that night, when it was quite dark, a boat approached the -_Hawk_ and made fast under her stern. Some cases and bags were lowered -into her and then she slipped away into the darkness again. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV - -THE ARREST - - -Early on the following morning the _Hawk_, with the gunboat in her wake, -steamed towards Singapore harbour. As the vessels drew nearer, a -motor-boat was seen approaching at full speed, and presently a man in -the stern stood up and began to wave his arms frantically, apparently as -a signal for the ships to heave-to. - -"Now, who the devil's that?" muttered Calamity, who was on the bridge -with the pilot. - -"Looks uncommon like Solomon's new motor bum-boat," answered the latter. -"That's his water-clerk in the stern." - -By this time the motor-boat had come within hailing distance, and the -excited person ceased waving his arms and applied both hands to his -mouth funnel-wise. - -"Ship ahoy!" he yelled. "Is Captain Calamity on board?" - -"Great Scot! How in the name of all that's uncanny did Solomon know that -I was coming into port!" ejaculated Calamity, turning to the pilot. - -"Well, he might have heard from one of my men who went ashore last -night. I didn't tell them not to say anything about your coming in." - -"Is that Captain Calamity?" shouted the water-clerk once more. - -"Yes, what do you want?" answered the Captain. - -"I want to see you, sir. I have a message from Mr. Solomon." - -"Then come alongside." - -The motor-boat sheered alongside the _Hawk_, and the water-clerk, -gripping a rope which had been thrown over the taffrail, hauled himself -on board. He waited at the foot of the bridge companion-ladder for -Calamity to come down, having learnt from experience that it was an -unforgivable offence to go on the bridge himself unless requested to do -so. - -"Now then, what's your message?" asked Calamity, as he descended the -ladder. - -The water-clerk, an undersized Malay half-breed with small, shifty eyes, -made a movement that was something between a salaam and a salute. - -"I have important news from Mr. Solomon, Captain," he said. - -"Well, go ahead." - -The clerk glanced at the men at work on deck and made a significant -gesture. - -"It is very private, sir," he answered. - -"Then you'd better come to my cabin," said the Captain, and led the way -aft. On entering the cabin he sat down, but did not request his visitor -to do likewise, and the latter knew enough to remain standing. - -"Now unload your instructions," said Calamity. - -"The fact is, Captain, there's been great trouble about you in -Singapore," began the clerk, speaking in subdued tones. "It's said that -your Letters of Marque were forged and that you're nothing but a -pirate----" - -"A what?" broke in the Captain, so fiercely that the other jumped. - -"I--I'm only telling you what people say," the clerk answered nervously. - -"You mean you're telling me what Solomon told you to say. Well, get on -with it." - -"I know nothing about the matter myself, Captain, but the authorities -are going to arrest you and take possession of the ship." - -"And Mr. Solomon has sent you to warn me, is that it?" asked Calamity -with an ironical smile. - -"Yes. He is afraid that the authorities will seize the ship and all the -plunder." - -"That's better, now we're getting at the truth. But how does Solomon -know I've got any plunder?" - -"He did not think you would return without any." - -"H'm, a far-seeing man is Solomon. But what does he expect me to do?" - -"His idea is that you should transfer the most valuable stuff to the -motor-boat so that it may be taken away to a safe place. Then, you see, -when the officials board your ship they will find practically nothing." - -"An excellent plan," remarked Calamity almost with enthusiasm. "But what -about me?" - -"About you, Captain?" - -"Yes; am I to be left to the care of the police while Solomon is looking -after the plunder?" - -"Oh no!" ejaculated the clerk in shocked tones. "If there is nothing of -value on board the authorities can't do much to you. Besides, Mr. -Solomon will do his utmost to secure your acquittal if you are tried." - -"A very ingenious scheme. And now tell me about this story of the -_Arrow_." - -"The _Arrow_?" repeated the other with affected innocence. - -"Exactly. Hasn't Solomon declared that I stole it; that, in short, it -belonged to Rossenbaum?" - -A startled expression crossed the water-clerk's face, but it was gone in -an instant. - -"I think you must be mistaken, Captain," he answered suavely. "I have -heard nothing about the _Arrow_." - -"Well, you go back to Solomon and tell him that his little scheme's gone -adrift, and that he needn't worry himself about the plunder, because I'm -looking after it myself. Now quit." - -The clerk looked as if he would have liked to protest, but thought -better of it, and, leaving the cabin, hurried back to the motor-boat -which then made for the harbour at full speed. - -"That'll shake up our friend Solomon a bit, I fancy," said Calamity, -when he had told Abott about the interview. "It was a clever scheme, and -might have succeeded if you hadn't told me about that _Arrow_ affair." - -"He'll be about the maddest thing between here and 'Frisco when that -little runt gives him your message," answered the pilot with a grin. - -"The whole thing's as clear as daylight now," went on Calamity. "He got -hold of Rossenbaum's ship and palmed it off on me as his own, so that, -when the time came, he could get me arrested on a charge of piracy and -collar the whole of the proceeds himself. There are two things he didn't -count on, however, and one of them was that I might get rid of the stuff -before reaching Singapore." - -"But you've still got to prove that you didn't pirate old Rossenbaum's -hooker." - -Calamity laughed softly, but made no answer. Very soon afterwards a -naval steam pinnace hove in sight, and, without signalling the _Hawk_ to -stop, came alongside. A young Lieutenant caught hold of the rope by -which the water-clerk had lowered himself into the motor-boat and -scrambled on board with the agility of a monkey. - -"Captain Calamity?" he inquired briskly as the latter, who had left the -bridge, came forward. - -"At your service," answered the Captain. - -"It is my duty to inform you, sir, that you are under arrest," said the -officer. - -"On what charge?" - -"The charge will be formulated by the authorities," replied the -Lieutenant, who, apparently, had no very great liking for this police -work. - -"What do you propose to do with me then?" - -"I must ask you to accompany me ashore as soon as this vessel is -anchored." - -"I am at your disposal," answered the Captain. - -Steaming into the harbour, the _Hawk_ dropped her anchor, and the -_Satellite_, having received no orders to the contrary, followed suit. -While this work was proceeding, a native boat put off from the shore and -approached the yacht. In it was a passenger attired in a frock coat, -and--a thing as rare in Singapore as snow--a tall silk hat. The boat -came alongside, and the boatman, in answer to an inquiry from his -passenger, indicated the rope that was still hanging over the taffrail -of the _Hawk_. - -"Hullo, what is it?" shouted the Lieutenant from the deck above. - -"Can you tell me if Mr. John Brighouse is on board?" inquired the -silk-hatted person in dignified tones. - -"I will ask, but who are you?" - -The stranger took a card-case from his pocket, but, realising the -impossibility of handing it up to the officer, put it back again. - -"I am Henry Vayne, of Vayne & Paver, solicitors, Chancery Lane, London," -he said in the same dignified tone. - -"You had better come aboard, sir." - -"Thank you, but--er--is there no other means of ascending than by this -rope?" - -"If you'll wait a moment, I'll let down the accommodation ladder," -answered the Lieutenant. - -The ladder having been lowered, the visitor, who carried a small leather -handbag, mounted to the deck. - -"I should be greatly obliged," said he, taking the card-case from his -pocket again and presenting a card to the officer, "if you would give -this to Mr. John Brighouse, and ask if I might be permitted to see him." - -The Lieutenant took the card, and, turning to the bos'n who was standing -near, asked him if there was any one called John Brighouse on board. - -"No one as I knows of, sir," answered the bos'n. - -"I'm afraid you have made a mistake, sir," said the Lieutenant, but at -that moment Calamity appeared on deck, and, catching sight of the -visitor, hurried towards him. - -"Vayne, by all that's wonderful!" he exclaimed. - -The solicitor stared at him in a puzzled fashion for a moment, and then -his eyes lit up with a flash of recognition. - -"Bless my soul, John, I shouldn't have known you!" he exclaimed as they -shook hands. - -"Fifteen years make a great difference, eh?" - -"Fourteen years, ten months and nine days," corrected the lawyer. "I am -always most exact on the subject of dates. The last time we met was in -my office, and the circumstances were--er--somewhat painful." - -"Yes," answered the Captain, "they were. Still, Vayne, you behaved like -a brick; you were the only person who believed in me." - -"Pah! Nonsense!" exclaimed the other. "But you've altered," he went on, -"altered most remarkably." - -"Yes," said Calamity grimly, "I have altered, as you say. Strange you -should turn up at this juncture, because I'm in trouble once more." - -"Dear me, dear me," murmured the lawyer in a tone of concern. - -"Yes, I've been arrested on a charge of piracy, if I'm not mistaken." - -"Pi----" began the other, and then, stopping short on the first -syllable, hastily adjusted a pair of pinc-nez on his nose and regarded -the Captain through them. "Piracy, did you say?" he went on. - -"Yes, that's my latest crime. Last time we met it was forgery." - -"Tut, tut," said the lawyer in a peevish tone, "you mustn't put it like -that. But, my dear John, piracy! Surely you are joking?" - -"Ask that gentleman," answered Calamity, indicating the Lieutenant, who -had moved a little distance away. - -"But you will disprove the charge?" - -"Yes, I have a pretty good defence, I fancy." - -"You will, of course, place it in my hands?" - -"Since you've arrived at such an opportune moment, Vayne, it would be an -insult to the gods not to do so." - -"Good," answered the lawyer. "But that reminds me. You haven't asked why -I'm here. It's some distance from Chancery Lane, eh?" - -"Oh, I know why you're here," replied Calamity, "and for that reason we -can discuss your errand later on. This piracy charge is a more pressing -matter, and the sooner I place you in possession of the facts, the -better. I will ask the Lieutenant if he can let us have half an hour -alone together before I'm taken ashore." - -The officer readily consented, and Calamity, accompanied by the lawyer, -went to his cabin. There they remained in close conference until a -seaman knocked at the door and informed the Captain that the Lieutenant -was waiting for him. Then, under an escort of bluejackets, Captain -Calamity was taken ashore. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI - -THE TRIAL - - -A couple of hours later Calamity, with the Lieutenant and Mr. Vayne--the -latter having been permitted to accompany them in his character of -solicitor to the accused--was ushered into a spacious room where several -men sat round a large table, at the head of which was a bronzed, -hard-featured man in naval uniform, evidently the president. - -"You are John Brighouse, otherwise known as Captain Calamity, I -believe?" said the latter, addressing the prisoner. - -"That is correct," answered the Captain. - -"Briefly, the charge against you is that you did wilfully and -feloniously seize in this harbour a steamer called the _Arrow_, -belonging to Jacob Rossenbaum of Johore, and did detain and use the same -with criminal intent. Are you guilty or not guilty?" - -"Not guilty." - -Mr. Rossenbaum having been called upon to give evidence, stated that, -having contracted with Isaac Solomon of Singapore for the repair of his, -witness's ship, the _Arrow_, the latter was sent round to Mr. Solomon's -shipyard. Witness had every reason to believe that the repairs were -carried out, for he received a wire from Mr. Solomon telling him to -send a crew to take over the _Arrow_, which had then left the yard and -was lying in Singapore harbour. He had duly despatched a crew, but, on -the following morning, received another wire from Mr. Solomon asking him -to come to Singapore at once. On arrival, he learnt that his vessel had -been boarded and taken out of the harbour under her own steam by a -person known as Captain Calamity. - -The president then called upon Isaac Solomon. The latter, who had -carefully abstained from looking at Calamity, took his stand as far from -him as he possibly could. - -"According to the statement previously laid before us," said the -president, "you undertook to repair the steamer, _Arrow_, belonging to -Mr. Rossenbaum. The repairs having been duly executed, the steamer was -anchored in the harbour to await a crew which you had wired Mr. -Rossenbaum to send?" - -"That is so," answered the witness. - -"But while the steamer was waiting for this crew, she disappeared -mysteriously?" - -"Yes." - -"And you have reason to believe that the accused committed the offence?" - -"I can prove it," said Mr. Solomon eagerly, but still carefully avoiding -the Captain's eye. - -"That will do," said the president, and Mr. Solomon, with a grin of -triumph on his face, was about to retire, when the solicitor rose from -his chair. - -"With your permission, sir," he said, addressing the president, "I -should like to ask this witness a question." - -"Proceed then." - -"Was there anything in the nature of a partnership existing between -yourself and the accused?" asked the solicitor. - -"Most emphatically not!" exclaimed the witness. "I have never had any -dealings vith the man. He showed me a paper vich purported to be a -privateer's licence, but in my opinion it vas a forgery." - -"That was all I wanted to know," said Mr. Vayne, and sat down. - -The next witness was Tilak Sumbowa, Solomon's water-clerk, who, in -answer to the president, proceeded to give a long and detailed account -of how, on the very day that the _Arrow_ disappeared, his employer, Mr. -Solomon, had instructed him to wire Mr. Rossenbaum that his steamer was -awaiting a crew. - -"That wire," said the witness impressively, "is in Mr. Rossenbaum's -possession now. On returning to the office I found that Mr. Solomon had -gone out and left a note saying that he had been called away on -business, and would not be back till next morning. I still have that -note. Then, having certain business to do myself, I went out of town and -did not get back till the following day." - -"Then neither you nor your employer were in Singapore on the night the -_Arrow_ disappeared?" suggested the president as the witness paused. - -"No, sir." - -Other witnesses were then called--all of them natives or half-castes--to -show that Mr. Solomon was not in Singapore on the night of the _Arrow's_ -departure, and that he had never had any business dealings with -Calamity. - -"I will now call upon the accused to make his defence and examine any -witnesses he thinks fit," said the president. - -Mr. Vayne at once stood up, and, adjusting his pinc-nez, addressed the -tribunal. - -"I think it only right to inform the court that my client is not quite -the nameless adventurer the prosecutor would have you believe," he said -in a loud, sonorous voice. "It is true that he is known in these parts -as Captain Calamity, and it is equally true that his name is John -Brighouse. But he is also Viscount Redhurst of Redhurst--a fact which I -mention, gentlemen, because I assume that, when we come to deal with -conflicting statements, you will grant that the word of an English peer -is at least equal to that of a semi-Asiatic ship-chandler." - -Mr. Vayne paused for a moment or two after this _denouement_, in order -to let the full significance of his statement sink into the minds of his -opponents. He had taken their measure pretty accurately, and calculated -upon the effect which his words would produce. - -"With the permission of the court," he went on, "I will recall the -prosecutor and put a few questions to him." - -At a gesture from the president, Mr. Solomon stepped forward. The air of -conscious rectitude which had distinguished him when giving evidence -against Calamity was not now so apparent. - -"I understand," said the lawyer, focussing his pinc-nez upon the -ship-chandler, "that it was you, and not Rossenbaum, who informed the -authorities that my client had illegally appropriated the steamer, -_Arrow_?" - -"Yes," replied the witness. - -"How soon, after you had discovered that the _Arrow_ was missing, did -you inform the authorities of the fact?" - -"About three veeks," answered the witness reluctantly. - -"You mean that three weeks elapsed before the authorities were made -aware of what had taken place?" - -"Yes." - -"Then do you wish the court to believe that if a man stole your watch -and chain, or broke into your office, you would wait three weeks before -informing the police?" - -"That vould be a different thing." - -"I believe you. Now," added the lawyer with sudden vehemence, "I put it -to you, sir, that your reason for waiting such a long time was that the -accused might get safely away before the authorities had a chance to -capture him." - -"It vas not!" cried Mr. Solomon hotly. "Vy should I not wish him to be -captured?" - -The lawyer placed both hands on the back of his chair and leaned -forward. - -"Because," he said in a denunciatory tone, "you were the accused's -partner; because, having partly financed his scheme, you wanted to reap -all the profits by swindling your partner out of his share. I maintain," -he went on, waving aside an interruption that Mr. Solomon was about to -make, "that your object was to let my client capture what prizes he -could, and then, by contriving his arrest, seize for yourself all the -proceeds of the expedition, together with any money that might accrue -from the Government." - -"It is a lie, a vicked lie!" the witness almost shrieked. - -"I will go even further," pursued the lawyer, ignoring Mr. Solomon's -indignant protest. "I will assert that the whole thing was a plot, -engineered by you as soon as my client had laid his plans before you. -With or without the connivance of Mr. Rossenbaum, the _Arrow_ was -brought round to Singapore, coaled, provisioned, and armed by you, and, -after you had caused the name _Hawk_ to be substituted for _Arrow_, was -handed over to my client with the understanding that it was your ship." - -Mr. Solomon attempted to make a reply, but was so overcome with -indignation, anger, and other emotions that he could only utter -inarticulate sounds. - -"I should like to recall the witness, Tilak Sumbowa," went on Mr. Vayne, -and the ship-chandler sat down, biting his nails with rage. - -The water-clerk came forward looking very nervous. - -"I gathered from your evidence that neither you nor Mr. Solomon were in -Singapore on the night the _Arrow_, or, as she was then called, the -_Hawk_, left," said Mr. Vayne. - -"No; Mr. Solomon left me a note at mid-day saying he was called away on -business. I have it here," and the witness triumphantly produced an -envelope from his pocket. - -"Let me see it." - -Sumbowa passed the note to the lawyer, who scrutinised the envelope -critically. - -"This envelope is addressed to Mr. Solomon," he said. - -"Yes. The note was lying on his desk without an envelope, so I picked -one out of the waste-paper basket and put the note in it." - -"And this is the identical envelope which you picked up out of the -waste-paper basket?" - -"Yes." - -"At the time you found the note?" - -"Directly I had finished reading it." - -"All of which circumstance took place a few hours before the _Hawk_ left -Singapore and during the time that Mr. Solomon was out of town?" - -"Yes." - -"Then," said the lawyer quietly, "how do you account for the fact that -this envelope bears on it a postmark dated a week after the _Arrow's_ -departure?" - -There was a dead silence. The witness looked from one to the other with -an almost pitiful expression of bewilderment. - -"Well," said the lawyer after a long pause, "what explanation have you -to offer us? I presume you will not suggest that the postal authorities -post-date letters?" - -"I--I must have made a mistake," faltered the unhappy Sumbowa. "Now I -come to think of it, I didn't put the note into the envelope till some -days afterwards." - -"Oh yes, you've made a mistake," commented the lawyer drily, "but not -exactly in the way you would have us believe. However, we will let that -pass for the moment. Were you in the office yourself on the night that -the _Arrow_ left?" - -"No." - -"What time did Mr. Solomon arrive at the office on the following -morning?" - -"I don't know." - -"Don't you go to the office in the mornings, then?" - -"Oh yes, I went to the office at eight o'clock as usual, but Mr. Solomon -was not there. I waited about for a little while and then went away. -When I came back at half-past ten he had returned." - -"Was there anyone in the office at the time he arrived?" - -"Oh no." - -"How do you know?" - -"It was locked up. That was why I went away." - -A gleam came into the lawyer's eye as he realised, in a flash, what he -had accidentally stumbled upon. Without looking, he knew that Solomon -was making frantic but stealthy signs to Sumbowa, and by a kind of -hypnotism he kept the little water-clerk's attention fixed upon himself. -It would never do to let the half-caste guess what a mess he was getting -his employer into. Mr. Vayne's next question, therefore, was purposely -casual. - -"You, yourself, had no key to the office then?" - -"Oh no." - -"Mr. Solomon had the only one?" - -"Yes." - -"Then do you suggest that he went away and left the office unlocked, -because, if not, how did you get in and find the note? And if it was -unlocked when you went in, how came it to be locked when you returned in -the morning, you having no key and Mr. Solomon not having arrived?" - -The witness looked bewildered for a moment and then, catching sight of -Mr. Solomon's face, seemed to crumple up. - -"Come, answer my question," rapped out the other. - -"He--he must have come back to the office after I found the note," -whimpered Sumbowa. - -"You have simply been telling the court a tissue of lies from beginning -to end," thundered the lawyer. "You have contradicted yourself so many -times that you can't remember what you have said. Now let me tell you -this, my man: unless you are prepared to confess the whole truth, and -nothing but the truth, you will find yourself in the dock on a charge of -perjury and with the moral certainty of being sentenced to a long term -of imprisonment with hard labour. Now, answer me; did you receive that -note before or after the departure of the _Hawk_?" - -"Af-after," sobbed the witness. - -"How long after?" - -"About a fortnight." - -"Do you know why Mr. Solomon gave you that note?" - -"No." - -"But he told you to swear that you found it in his office on the day in -question?" - -"Yes." - -"You knew that it was he who provided the vessel with guns and -ammunition, and also caused the name _Hawk_ to be substituted for that -of _Arrow_?" - -Sumbowa hesitated for the fraction of a minute. - -"Well?" rapped out the lawyer. - -"Er--yes." - -"Thank you; that will do." - -The witness tottered back to his seat and almost collapsed in it. Never -had he passed through such an ordeal before, and, for the time being, he -was a nervous wreck. - -Mr. Vayne turned to the tribunal. - -"I shall not waste your time, gentlemen," he said, "by calling witnesses -for the defence--as, for instance, my client's chief officer, who was -with him when he visited the prosecutor on the night of sailing--or by -arguing a matter which I regard as proven. All I shall do is to draw -from the evidence conclusions which, beyond a doubt, prove my client's -innocence of the charge brought against him. After having treated us to -a series of palpable falsehoods at the instigation of his employer, the -witness Sumbowa has admitted that Solomon did not give him the note -saying that he would be out of town until a fortnight after the -_Arrow's_ departure and the inference is that Solomon _did_ see my -client on that particular night. Had he not done so, why should he have -tried to establish an alibi; why should he have taken such pains to try -and prove that he was not in Singapore that night? - -"Further, I contend that these deductions are confirmed by the fact that -Solomon, on his own admission, did not make known the alleged offence -until three weeks after the steamer had left. I put it to you, -gentlemen, as men of the world, that this was an extraordinary -procedure, and can only be accounted for by the assumption that the -prosecutor did not want his victim to be arrested before the latter had -secured what, for want of a better term, I shall call a generous profit -on the initial outlay. - -"In short, I submit that Solomon entered into a conspiracy with divers -persons to bring about the ruination of my client in order that he, the -prosecutor, might reap the entire benefits of this privateering -expedition. - -"And now a word concerning the allegation that my client possessed -forged Letters of Marque. I don't think it necessary to prove or -disprove this charge, seeing that, under the circumstances, Letters of -Marque were quite unnecessary. Any British ship, or any ship belonging -to an allied Power, has the right to attack and destroy an enemy vessel, -a statement which is borne out by the fact that the British Government -offered rewards to any merchant captain who could prove that he had -sunk, captured, or destroyed an enemy submarine. This, gentlemen, is -all I have to say." - -After a few minutes' whispered consultation with his colleagues, the -president turned towards Calamity. - -"We are unanimously of opinion that the charge brought against you is -without the smallest foundation, and that you have been the victim of a -malicious conspiracy," he said. "You are, therefore, acquitted. As to -the prosecutor and his witnesses, they will be dealt with in due course -upon charges arising out of this case." - -As the president ceased speaking, Calamity rose and, drawing some papers -from his pocket, handed them to him. They were the forged clearance -papers and the secret instructions from a German source, addressed to -Mr. Solomon, which he had taken from the _Ann_. - -The president hastily glanced through them, asked Calamity a few -questions in a low voice, and then touched a little bell at his side. A -sergeant of marines entered in answer to the ring and stood at -attention. - -"Arrest that man and see that he is well guarded," said the president, -indicating the ship-chandler. - -With the sergeant's vice-like grip upon his arm, Mr. Isaac Solomon was -dragged protesting from the room and so vanished for ever from the ken -of friends and enemies alike. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII - -THE LETTER - - -Although the trial had been held in camera, the news of Calamity's -arrest and acquittal soon became known throughout Singapore, though -there were at least half a dozen different versions of the affair. And, -as might have been anticipated, various inaccurate accounts of his -adventures as a privateer were put into circulation by his crew, with -the result that, before many hours had passed, he was looked upon as a -hero of the most romantic type. Crowds flocked to the harbour to gaze at -the two vessels, and the native boatmen did a thriving business in -taking the more enthusiastic spectators round them. Wild tales were -spread concerning the amount of booty which had been taken and the -fabulous sums of prize-money which had been distributed among the crew. -In addition to these confused exaggerations, another one soon gained -currency to the effect that Calamity had been created a lord in -recognition of his exploits. - -As for the crew, they were having the time of their lives, being -regarded as heroes by everybody save the police. They were feted both -publicly and privately; interviewed, photographed, and written about, -until, at the end of a week, they had become so overbearing and insolent -that people grew tired of them and the police intimated that the sooner -they found ships and departed the better. Most of the men, having spent -all their money in a brief but glorious debauch, adopted this wise -counsel, but a few, who overrated the patience of the authorities and -continued to act as if the town belonged to them, were seized during a -drunken orgy and locked up. - -In the meantime Calamity had left Singapore and gone to Paku, a little -town easily reached by train, where he was reasonably safe from -newspaper men and inquisitive people generally. In order that he might -do this, Mr. Vayne had undertaken to act as his representative in paying -off the officers and making arrangements for them to receive their share -of the prize-money in due course. On the day following the trial, the -lawyer went over to Paku and found Calamity seated on the verandah of -the house where he was staying, clad in white ducks and smoking a very -strong cigar. - -"By the way, have you seen anything of Miss Fletcher?" asked the Captain -after they had been talking for some time. - -"No, but I heard of her at the Consulate this morning. She had been to -see the Consul concerning certain private matters and will be leaving -for Yokohama in a P. and O. boat to-morrow. I gathered that from -Yokohama she will sail for San Francisco." - -"H'm," grunted Calamity, but made no comment. - -"And she left this for you," went on the lawyer, and, taking a letter -from his pocket, he handed it to Calamity who glanced at the -superscription and put it aside. - -"Thanks very much, Vayne, I'm afraid I'm giving you a lot of trouble." - -"Not at all, not at all! But if you would just go into these matters -now, I should be greatly obliged," and the lawyer opened the little -leather handbag he had brought with him. - -"Everything," he went on, taking out some documents, "is perfectly -straightforward and simple. By your elder brother's death you inherit -the title and estates, while, of course, his own private property, -investments, and so forth, go to his wife and child----" - -"Child?" interrupted Calamity. "Did George have a child, then?" - -"Yes, a little girl. She'd be about twelve now." - -"And Lady Betty, I suppose, is still at the Towers?" - -"Yes." - -Calamity's lips tightened and his brows met in a frown. The lawyer -regarded him for a moment, and then, leaning forward, touched him gently -on the knee. - -"You're thinking of that wretched business of the alleged forgery," he -said. "You may safely regard it as forgotten now; at least, no one is -ever likely to refer to it in any way unless----" Vayne hesitated and -smiled. - -"Unless what?" - -"Unless you go in for politics." - -Calamity laughed in spite of himself. - -"You may safely dismiss that possibility from your mind," he said. "But, -as it happens, I'm going to reopen the matter myself." - -"Eh?" ejaculated Vayne. - -"You remember the story, don't you? A cheque for five thousand pounds -was forged in my father's name, and, by a series of artificially -prepared 'clues,' it was traced to me. The belief that I was the culprit -was strengthened by the fact that I had been playing the fool pretty -generally and was head over ears in debt at the time. Well, what you -don't know is, that my brother forged the cheque in such a way that I -should be suspected. He had been trying to poison the old man's mind -against me for a long time and----" - -"Was it on account of a woman?" interrupted the lawyer shrewdly. - -"Yes; I see you understand. We were both madly in love with the same -woman, and--well, my brother held the strong suit. But to continue: the -guv'nor accused me outright of forging his signature, and I, being too -proud to deny such a vile charge, especially coming from him, was -branded as a promising young criminal by the entire family. The guv'nor -offered me a sum of money to clear out, which bribe I refused, though I -cleared out all the same." - -"And you released Lady Betty from her engagement?" murmured Vayne as the -Captain paused. - -The latter winced and went on hurriedly: - -"The night before I left I was sitting at the window of an unlighted -room, thinking--God knows what I was thinking, it doesn't matter -now--when I heard voices in the shrubbery and recognised them as -belonging to my brother and his German valet. Hearing my own name, I -leant out of the window and listened; I felt no shame about it, for I -guessed the part George had played in my affairs. And, anyway, I wasn't -caring much about the conventions just then. There's no need to repeat -what I heard, but my suspicions were confirmed, and when the pair moved -out of the shrubbery I knew for certain that, between them, they had -engineered my ruin. To put the matter in a nutshell, my brother had -forged the cheque, having previously arranged matters so that suspicion -should fall on me. - -"My first thought was to rush to the old man at once and tell him what I -had discovered. But a moment's reflection convinced me that I hadn't an -atom of tangible proof, that the whole thing would rest on my word, -which, under the circumstances, I could hardly expect anyone to accept. -No, there was nothing for it but to acquiesce in the inevitable and -go--which I did." - -"Yes," said Vayne thoughtfully, "you came up to my office one morning -early. There was a look in your face that I shan't forget as long as I -live. It has often puzzled me since why you came to me." - -"I don't quite know, myself," answered Calamity. "But you had always -been pretty decent to me, Vayne, and when I was acting the fool at -Oxford, you befriended me more than once. Why a staid and eminently -respectable family lawyer like yourself should lend a helping hand to a -scatter-brained idiot I don't know; but you did, and there it is." - -"As to that, my dear John, your family have been clients of my firm for -generations," said the lawyer almost apologetically. - -Calamity laughed. - -"I'm afraid that's a very weak defence, Vayne, not to say irrelevant. -However, we'll let it pass. You lent me the money to get out of the -country and--well, you know the rest." - -"I know as much as you told me in one scanty letter a year," answered -the lawyer drily. "I don't believe you would even have written me to -that extent had I not extracted the promise from you before you left my -office." - -"I'm afraid you wouldn't have been very edified had I given you a full -and particular account of my adventures. I served three years before the -mast, got my mate's ticket, and after that a master's ticket. I've -sailed in whalers, colliers, cattle-boats, liners, tramps, blackbirders, -and God knows what sort of craft. I've dug for gold in Alaska, been a -transport rider in South Africa, skippered a pearling-ground poacher in -Japanese waters, run guns in the Persian Gulf, and--well, ended up by -becoming a privateer. Also, I nearly pegged out once with malaria, and, -as you see, I lost an eye." - -The lawyer nodded. - -"Your father, as I informed you in one of my yearly letters, died in the -belief that you were dead, and so did your brother," he said. "Seeing -that they are both gone, I suggest that you do not attempt to reopen the -matter of the forged cheque. As you have said, you can prove nothing, -and----" - -"But I can now," interrupted Calamity, with almost savage energy. "Look -at this." - -He took a wallet out of his pocket and extracted from it the document -that Fritz Siemann had drawn up and signed and which Smith and McPhulach -had witnessed. - -"There," he said, handing it to the lawyer. - -The latter took the document, adjusted his pinc-nez, and carefully read -it through twice. - -"That clears you once and for all," he remarked as he handed it back. - -"It does, and I'm going to use it." - -"My dear fellow!" exclaimed the lawyer in a tone almost approaching -horror. - -"Oh, I don't mean that I propose publishing it in the newspapers. But -all those who knew me and believed in my guilt at the time shall see -it." - -"But whatever wrong your brother may have done you, he is dead now, and -it would hardly be--er--good form to dishonour his memory. _De mortuis -nil nisi bonum._" - -"Damn his memory!" flashed out Calamity. "I beg your pardon, Vayne," he -went on in a quieter tone, noticing the other's shocked expression, "but -I don't see why a live man should suffer in order to shield a dead man's -reputation. He made me suffer while I was alive, and it is a very poor -revenge, albeit the only one at my disposal, to charge him with his -crime now he's dead. I for one won't bow down to the shibboleth of -honouring the dead just because they are dead; I hate my brother as much -now as ever I did, and the mere fact that he's no longer able to enjoy -the fruits of his rascality makes no difference to that." - -"As you will, John; it's a matter for you to decide, not me." - -The lawyer rose from his chair and slowly fastened his little leather -bag. - -"By the way," he said a little hesitatingly, "have--er--have Letters of -Marque been revived since the war started?" - -"'Pon my word, Vayne, I don't know," answered Calamity. - -"Then you----" - -"Oh, as usual, I took risks." - -"H'm," grunted the lawyer, and added, after a pause, "when will you be -ready to sail?" - -"A fortnight or three weeks from now. I want to make sure that all my -officers receive their proper share of the profits." - -"Very well. I shall see you to-morrow, I suppose?" - -"Yes, I shall be here," answered Calamity, shaking hands. - -The lawyer had scarcely gone when a native servant entered and stated -that a gentleman had called to see Captain Calamity. - -"What is his name?" - -"Abott, master." - -"Then show him up." - -The pilot was duly ushered in, and, as soon as the servant had departed, -he congratulated Calamity on having been acquitted of the charge which -Solomon had brought against him. - -"Thanks," answered Calamity. "I told you I had something in store for -the old rascal." - -"Then it's true he's been arrested?" - -"Yes; I don't think you're likely to gaze on his benevolent smile again, -Abott." - -"Then there's a story going round that you're a lord or a dook or -something of that sort." - -"Don't take any notice of it," answered Calamity; "you'll hear a good -deal worse than that when rumour's got well under way. And now to -business." - -"The stuff's down at my old shack, and, as it'll be dark in a few -minutes, I thought we might as well toddle over there." - -Calamity agreed, and, leaving the house, they proceeded at a rapid walk -till the outskirts of the village were reached. By this time it was -dark, and Abott, taking an electric torch from his pocket, led the way -along a narrow foot-track till they reached the sea-shore. - -"Here we are," he said, throwing a gleam of light on a tumble-down hut -about fifty yards from the water's edge. "I'll go first." - -He unlocked the door, a crazy affair that a good push would have brought -down completely, and led the way in. With the aid of the torch he found -an old lantern with a piece of candle in it, and, after lighting this, -set it on an upturned barrel. - -"There we are," he remarked; "'tain't much of a light, but it'll do to -talk by." - -In the yellow glimmer it was just possible to make out a number of cases -and sacks piled in a corner with lumber of various sorts, such as empty -water-beakers, odd spars, rusty anchors, and so forth. - -"Looks as if it were worth about half a dollar the lot, doesn't it, -instead of somewheres around two hundred and fifty thousand dollars?" -remarked the pilot as he seated himself on a water-beaker. "And to -think," he went on musingly, "that I pull fifty thousand out of it. What -for?" - -"For playing the game," answered Calamity gravely, and, taking a handful -of cheroots from his pocket, he offered them to the other. - -Abott took one, opened the door of the lantern, and they both lit up. - -"Now," said the pilot, exhaling huge clouds of pungent smoke, "we'd -better fix matters up. This isn't the sort of stuff you can tuck under -your arm, walk into a bank with, and ask for it to be placed to the -credit of your account. No, sir, questions might be asked, seeing that -bar gold and promiscuous jewellery ain't common currency even in this -country. And, I take it, if the Admiralty knew about it, they'd want to -confiscate a tidy lump as treasure trove, or whatever it's called." - -Calamity nodded. - -"Well, I know a man in Sumatra who'll negotiate this little lot, though -he'll charge 5 per cent. for doing it. How does that strike you?" - -"Excellent. Will you see to it, Abott?" - -"I will, and you shall hear directly the job's through. I reckon you'll -have done the right thing by everybody; the Government's got a new -island, a German war-boat, thirty or forty prisoners, and about a -thousand pounds' worth of merchandise stacked away on board the _Hawk_." - -"Likewise a traitor in the person of the late respected Solomon, and a -ship called the _Ann_," added Calamity. - -"The _Ann_?" queried the other. "I heard of a packet named the _Ann_ -having been collared by a British cruiser and taken into Penang; would -that be the hooker?" - -"Without a doubt, but I haven't time to tell you the story now, Abott. -If ever you happen to meet Solomon--which isn't likely--ask him about -it." - -The pilot rose, kicked aside the beaker on which he had been sitting, -and picked up the lantern. Calamity also got up, and, going outside, -waited while the other extinguished the light and locked the door. They -returned to Paku and stopped outside the house where Calamity lodged, -the pilot having refused to go in as he wanted to get back to Singapore -as quickly as possible. - -"I shall see you again before I leave," said Calamity as they shook -hands. - -On reaching his own room, he took from his pocket the letter which Vayne -had given him earlier in the day. It was addressed to "Captain Calamity" -in a large, bold handwriting. Tearing open the envelope Calamity took -out a sheet of notepaper and read: - - "This is to say 'Good-bye' and to explain why, when you asked me to - marry you, I refused. During your illness I chanced to learn who - you really were, and then I realised why it was that you once said - to me 'Our paths lie wide apart.' As the wife of Captain Calamity I - might have made you happy, but as the wife of Viscount Redhurst I - believe I should fail utterly and bring unhappiness to us both. I - am going to California as you suggested, where, should you ever - have a desire to see me again, I shall be found." - -The note was signed "Dora Fletcher," and Calamity, before folding it up, -read the last sentence twice--the second time with a faint smile playing -about his lips. Then he took out his leather wallet which contained the -confession of Fritz Siemann and placed the note in it. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII - -HOME - - -It was spring, and although spring that year had not done its worst, the -two men who alighted from the train at Redhurst Station turned up the -collars of their greatcoats and shivered. One of them, a powerful, -squarely built man with a glass eye, gazed round the little country -station as if in search of someone, and at last fixed his serviceable -eye upon a richly dressed woman in a motor just outside the wicket-gate. -He thereupon turned to his companion, a red-headed man who was arguing -in broad Scotch with a porter over the alleged damage done to a very old -and dilapidated cabin trunk. - -"Tell them the luggage must be sent on at once, Jones," he said. - -Leaving McPhulach, _alias_ Jones, to see that his instructions were -carried out, Calamity passed through the wicket-gate. As he approached -her, the woman leaned out of the tonneau expectantly; but at that moment -the sun emerged from an obscuring cloud and shone right into her eyes. -By the time she had opened her sunshade and could see again Calamity had -reached the car. The words of honeyed welcome died on her lips and she -shrank back against the cushions as she saw him standing there with a -grim smile on his face. - -"Well, Betty?" he said. - -"Is--is it you?" she faltered. - -"Yes, you find me changed, eh?" - -"A--a little," she answered. - -The flicker of a smile crossed Calamity's face again as he looked at -her. - -"You are the same as ever, anyhow," he commented. - -His words restored Lady Betty's self-possession. His altered appearance -had frightened her at first, and she had not recognised in him the man -she had once promised to marry. But now he had spoken in a familiar -language words which showed, as she thought, that, despite the years, -her charms had not lessened in his eyes. - -"I am so glad you have come back," she said softly. - -At that moment, to her annoyance, McPhulach came up accompanied by a -porter. - -"He says it will be ane an' saxpence to tak' the luggage," said the -engineer indignantly. - -"Pay him then," answered Calamity. - -"But, mon, 'tis only a sheeling, forby----" - -"Pay him," snapped Calamity, and McPhulach grumblingly paid the money in -pennies and half-pennies, counting them twice before handing them over. - -"Won't you get in?" asked Lady Betty, as Calamity again turned to her. - -He obeyed, at the same time calling to McPhulach, who was watching the -luggage being hoisted on to the station 'bus. As he approached--an -uncouth figure in an ill-fitting, ready-made overcoat--Lady Betty -elevated her eyebrows. - -"Who is this?" she whispered quickly. - -"Let me introduce him," answered the Captain. - -"Lady Betty Redhurst, Mr. Jones, until recently my chief engineer. -Jones, Lady Betty Redhurst." - -"I'm unco' pleased tae meet ye," said McPhulach, extending a huge red -hand with its blunt, misshapen fingers. "I'm frae Pontypreed mesel'," he -added inconsequently. - -The elegant woman touched the engineer's hairy paw with the tips of her -gloved fingers and smiled sweetly. - -"Better sit down there," said Calamity, indicating the seat opposite, -but Lady Betty spoke hastily. - -"Wouldn't you prefer to sit in front, Mr. Jones?" she asked, with -seeming solicitude for his comfort; "you can see the country much better -there, and it's really very pretty just now." - -McPhulach, only too glad of a chance to sit beside the chauffeur, where -he might smoke, obeyed with alacrity, and the Captain had to own himself -out-manoeuvred. The chauffeur then took his seat, and the car glided -noiselessly out of the station precincts. - -"Does it seem strange to you to be coming home again?" asked Lady Betty -in a voice which sounded almost caressing. - -"It does--very," answered Calamity. - -His tone puzzled her, and she went on, curious, perhaps, to probe his -real feelings. - -"You are glad?" - -"Glad? I should never have returned but for one thing--the memories of -the place are too unpleasant." - -A faint and delicate tinge of colour came into the woman's face, for she -did not doubt that he was thinking of her and the shattered romance of -the past. It moved her to think that, after all these years, this -memory was still fresh with him. - -"Why darken your home-coming by thoughts of the unalterable past?" she -answered softly. "It is all forgotten and forgiven now." - -"It is not forgotten, neither is it forgiven--I am not that sort." - -A deeper colour flooded her face. He considered himself wronged, then, -that she had believed in his guilt and married his brother. At that -moment she wished passionately to justify herself in his eyes, for this -stranger who had been her lover was beginning to exercise an ascendancy -over her weaker nature that he had never possessed in the old days. - -She was about to stammer out words of excuse and apology, when McPhulach -turned round and leaned over the wind-screen. - -"Hae ye such a thing as a match aboot ye, skeeper?" he inquired. - -Calamity tossed him a box of matches, whereupon McPhulach produced a -well-worn briar from his pocket and transferred it to his mouth. - -"You must try and forget all that old story of the cheque," said Lady -Betty recovering herself. "It is so long ago that everyone is prepared -to be as nice to you as if it had never happened." - -"H'm," grunted Calamity. - -"You'll see," she went on hopefully. "I've got some people staying at -the Towers, and Judge Pennyfeather--Lady Di----you remember her as a -pert young flapper, I expect--the Bishop and some other people are -dining with us to-night." - -"Then the story of the forgery was not kept in the family," remarked -Calamity icily. "All these people know it?" - -"Well--yes," a little hesitatingly. "It was impossible to keep it -secret; you know George had a valet----" - -"A fitting epitaph," said Calamity grimly. - -"What----" began Lady Betty, but was interrupted once more by McPhulach, -who for some moments had been pulling at an empty pipe. - -"I'm oot o' baccy," he said, again peering over the wind-screen. "Ye'll -no be haein' a pooch on ye'r pairson, skeeper?" - -Without a word Calamity passed him a tobacco pouch, while Lady Betty bit -her lips with annoyance at this interruption of their _tete-a-tete_. - -"I'm tell't that yon's ye'r ain hoose," said McPhulach, as he filled his -pipe. "It's a gey braw place, an' I wouldna mind haein' it mesel'." - -He pointed with the stem of his pipe to a picturesque old mansion -standing in its own luxuriously wooded grounds at the summit of a slope -just ahead. - -Calamity made no answer, but gazed thoughtfully at this home of his -childhood, the home he had never expected to see again. And thinking of -his early days there, and of the soft and sheltered lives of those who -live in such mansions, it seemed very desirable to the world-worn, -battered man. All sorts of trivial incidents of the past, forgotten -until now, flashed across his mind as the car turned into a road that -ran through a wood on the estate. In that wood, as a boy, he had seen an -adder swallow a young bird and remembered killing the reptile with a -heavy ash stick. In that piece of marshy ground, almost hidden by trees, -there used to be a pond fringed with yellow iris; he wondered if that -pond were still there, and the iris.... He made a resolution to go and -see later on, but, even as he did so, knew that he would find it the -same. Everything remained the same; Betty was the same; it was only he -who had altered. - -Then his mood changed, and, while he felt a grim satisfaction at thus -returning as master to the home from which he had been thrust forth as a -criminal, he was not at all sure whether, apart from this sense of -triumph, he was glad to be back or otherwise--probably he was neither. -He wondered, too, whether the old life, with all its luxury and ease, -would appeal to him; whether he would feel at home again amidst these -remembered surroundings, or at variance with them. - -And then, of course, there were the people whom he would have to meet; -people more foreign to him now than the polyglot rabble which had formed -his last crew. He had seen Lady Betty shrink from him at first sight, -and imagined that her present amiability was forced; that her words and -those soft, languishing glances she cast upon him were void of -sincerity. Others would shrink from him too, he supposed, and then hide -their feelings under a mask of well-bred composure as she was doing. -Could he meet these people on their own ground, speak their language, -lead their life? he asked himself. - -Seeing Calamity deep in thought, McPhulach, who had leaned over the -wind-screen to return the tobacco-pouch, slid gently back into his seat -and absent-mindedly dropped the pouch into his own pocket. - -The car was now proceeding up a broad avenue which led to the main -entrance of the Towers, and a vision came to Calamity of himself as a -small boy on horseback, cantering down this same avenue with his father. -The thought of the latter brought back to his memory the brother who -had blackened him in his father's eyes and made him what he had been; -what, in heart, he still was--an outcast and an exile. - -Never had he hated his brother as he hated him at this moment. - -Lady Betty, meanwhile, was taking advantage of his thoughtfulness to -examine his profile at her leisure. It was a strong face, she reflected, -stronger and harder far than that of the youth she had loved fifteen -years ago. - -"A penny for your thoughts," she said lightly, to dissipate an emotion -induced by his proximity and those memories of their youth. - -He turned swiftly, and the baffling, rather grim smile which played -about his mouth, together with the fixed and merciless stare of his -glass eye, embarrassed her to the point of actual nervousness. - -"You shall have them at your own price when I put them up for sale," he -answered. - -She coloured. Her first thought was that he intended to snub her, but -she quickly dismissed the idea. No, he must have meant that the moment -was not propitious. Perhaps he, also, had been thinking of.... - -"You never married in all those years?" she asked abruptly, and with a -little tremor in her voice that she could not control. - -"No." - -"Why?" - -He smiled at her in a quizzical way and shrugged his shoulders. - -"Ah, here we are," he said as the car drew up before the stately -entrance to Redhurst Towers. Springing out, he made his way round to the -other side in order to help her to alight. McPhulach, however, was -before him and stood with his arm crooked at an angle of forty-five -degrees, his body bent, and an ingratiating leer on his face. - -"Hae a care o' yon step, ye'r leddyship," he remarked. - -But the lady was equal to the occasion. Ignoring his arm, she sprang to -the ground. - -"Will you be so kind as to bring my furs from the car?" she asked -sweetly, and to herself: "Why on earth has John brought this uncouth, -seafaring savage with him?" - -The sound of the approaching motor had brought a child of about twelve -running out on to the terrace. She waited at the head of the stone -steps, colouring up shyly as she met the stranger's gaze. - -"This is my little girl, Elfrida," said Lady Betty. "Elfrida, this is -your Uncle John." - -The child held her hand out frankly to her grim relative, and there was -no suggestion of shrinking in her manner. - -"I came out to be the first to welcome you home to Redhurst, Uncle -John," she said a trifle primly. Then, becoming all child again, she -turned to her mother. "Oh, mummy, I thought you'd never come. I'll go -and tell them you're here. We're all having tea in the hall." - -As he watched the fair-haired child disappear, Calamity thought, with -something of a pang, that she might have been his own. But this feeling -lasted only a moment, and he remembered once more that she was the child -of the man who had ruined him. - -"Welcome home," said Lady Betty softly. - -"Thank you," he answered without enthusiasm. - -"It has been home to me, and I have loved it for fourteen years," she -said, and then continued archly, obviously inviting and expecting a -denial. "And now you've come to turn me out." - -Calamity fixed his disconcerting gaze upon her face. - -"There's no hurry for a week or so," he said. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX - -"NOBLESSE OBLIGE" - - -Grouped about the hall--a splendid example of Tudor architecture with -its oak wainscoting and great, open fireplace--were several people -chatting and drinking tea. Calamity recognised some of them immediately -as people he had known in the old days. Life had dealt gently with them, -and they had changed but little despite the intervening years. They had -lost the rude vitality and adventurous spirit of youth, and had become -sleek and soft and habit-governed; but otherwise they were essentially -the same, living the same clean, sheltered, uneventful lives. - -As Calamity entered with Lady Betty, these people gathered about him -with words of welcome. He was, after all, one of themselves, and in the -years which had passed the old story of the forged cheque had almost -faded into a legend of doubtful authenticity. Calamity, despite the -bitter memories which his home-coming had brought back, knew that these -greetings were not insincere; that these friends of a by-gone period -regarded him as a wanderer returned to the fold. - -When everyone had settled down again to drink tea and chatter, Calamity -seated himself between Lady Betty and an eminent politician for whom he -had "fagged" at Eton, while Elfrida stood near, watching him with the -grave deliberation of childhood. During a momentary pause in the -conversation she drew closer to him and placed a beseeching hand on his -knee. - -"Oh, Uncle John," she said breathlessly, "do tell us about fighting the -pirates. Were you afraid?" - -Calamity smiled almost genially as he turned to the eager little -questioner. - -"No, Elfrida, I wasn't afraid. A pirate is a person I thoroughly -understand. In fact, I came very near being hanged for a pirate, -myself." - -Elfrida clapped her hands with delight and the others smiled tolerantly -at what they took for granted was a joke. - -"Isn't he sweet?" murmured a motherly dowager to McPhulach, who was -sitting near her. - -The engineer started. - -"Eh?" he ejaculated. - -"Isn't he sweet?" repeated the dowager, shouting at him a little in the -belief that he was deaf. - -McPhulach did not answer for a moment. Before him there arose a vision -of the Captain of the _Hawk_ smashing right and left among his mutinous -crew with a capstan-bar, and another picture of the same man as he led -his rabble followers up the bullet-swept slope of the German island. - -"Weel," he replied at last, "I wouldna go sae far as tae say that. He's -a michty quare mon, ye'll ken." - -The dowager's comment had been overheard by Lady Betty, and it set her -thinking. Was it only to her eyes that this man whom she had once -promised to marry seemed so grim and terrible? Lady Mitford had called -him "sweet," Elfrida obviously adored him, and the others seemed to be -at their ease with him. Why was it that his terrific personality seemed -to disquiet her alone? - -The matter was still exercising her mind when she came down that -evening, dressed for dinner. She had heard Calamity go down a little -earlier and had hastened her dressing in order to snatch a quiet talk -with him before the others left their rooms. But he was in neither the -smoking-room nor the library, and so she made her way to the gallery, -where his ancestors gazed down from the walls in painted stiffness. - -Here she found him, pacing up and down, apparently in a brown study. He -looked up as she entered, and Lady Betty, after a second's hesitation, -went to him and laid her hand upon his arm. - -"I was sure you'd be here," she said softly. "I know you so well." - -She looked very delicate and sweet in the shaded light, and the fire, -suddenly flaming up, glinted on the gold of her hair. - -He laughed, a little bitterly. - -"Know me, do you?" he asked. "Is that why you married my brother after -promising to marry me?" - -She looked at him silently for a moment, affronted by his tone yet not -knowing what to say. - -"It is cruel of you to take that tone," she said at last. "You know very -well that after what happened I--I couldn't----" - -"Be decent to me again," he concluded for her. "You don't seem to find -it so difficult to-day, although the charge against me has not been -disproved." - -"It's so long ago. You must see, yourself, that it's different now." - -"Since I've become head of the family?" he suggested. - -She drew herself up haughtily and walked towards the fireplace, where -she stood looking down into the blaze. - -"What would you have had me do?" she asked without looking round. - -"Believe in my innocence!" - -She shook her head. - -"I couldn't do that," she answered. "But if I had been that kind of--of -fool, what then?" - -He shrugged his shoulders and said nothing. Standing there in the -firelight, Lady Betty looked unquestionably beautiful, and yet Calamity -felt a great weariness of her and of this scene. His mind took a leap -through time and space, and he saw himself once more upon the deck of -the _Hawk_, facing, not this delicately nurtured woman, but a girl with -fearless eyes and wind-swept hair; a girl who would have believed in him -against the world. - -Lady Betty crossed to him. - -"You are unjust to me," she said. - -"You were unjust to me," he replied. - -She gave a weary little sigh. It seemed hopeless to try and make him see -her point of view. - -"Suppose I told you that I could now prove my innocence," he said, -turning on her abruptly, "how would you feel about the past?" - -"It's--it's impossible." - -"Impossible! Not a bit of it. I suppose you wondered why I brought that -Scotchman here? Well he's one of the witnesses to a confession signed by -a confederate of the real criminal. Vayne will be coming to-night -bringing that confession with him. I told him that we would all adjourn -to the library after dinner to hear him read it." - -Fifteen years ago when her lover had declared his innocence, Lady Betty -had not believed him; now, when he told her that he could prove himself -guiltless, she knew intuitively that he spoke the truth. - -"John, I--I'm very glad," she said, her face colourless and stricken. - -He nodded and moved away. To him, also, the moment was poignant. -Presently he became aware of her hand on his arm, and turning, saw her -standing beside him with bowed head. - -"John, what can I say? Words are so useless--now." - -"You haven't asked me who did it?" - -"What does that matter?" she asked, wondering at the passion in his -face. - -"For fifteen years," he went on as though he had not heard her, "I have -known the truth and hated him. When, by chance, I met the man who made -this confession, I determined to clear my name no matter how others -might suffer in consequence." - -He paused and then, with a contemptuous laugh, went on, - -"Now, at the last moment--the moment of triumph--the traditions of this -house are too strong for me. I can't do it." - -While she looked at him wonderingly, he seized her by the arm and led -her to the portrait of his brother, her late husband. - -"There," he said, pointing violently at it, "George, Viscount Redhurst, -forger and liar! As unworthy to take his place among these noble members -of a noble race as I should be if I proved his guilt." - -He released her arm, and, turning away, paced up and down the room, his -face working. Lady Betty groped her way to one of the window-seats, -and, sinking into it, covered her face with her hands. Of the two she, -perhaps, was suffering more at that moment than the victim of her dead -husband's crime, for her world seemed to be crashing about her ears. The -husband whom she had respected, if not loved, a forger and worse than a -forger; the man whom she had loved and whom she knew at that moment she -still loved, guiltless and perhaps extending to her the hatred he bore -his dead brother. What, indeed, was left to her? - -She raised her head to find him standing before her, with no trace in -his face of the passion of a moment ago. - -"Don't be afraid," he said, "there will be no meeting in the library -to-night, and to-morrow I leave for California." - -"California?" she repeated blankly. - -"Yes," he answered; "what is there to keep me here? This place is no -more home to me now than when my father turned me out of it." - -A revelation of what the sacrifice he was making meant to this man came -to her, and she mentally saw him set out again from the home of his -boyhood, an exile and still bearing the burden of another's guilt. - -"Are you doing this for me?" she asked in a trembling voice, dreading -his answer. - -"No." - -"Then why----" - -"Partly Elfrida, partly these," and he moved his arm to indicate his -ancestors in their frames. "_Noblesse oblige_, you know." - -"But--California." Her voice was a husky whisper. - -"California, Betty. I----" he paused a moment and smiled as if at some -unspoken thought. "I am interested in fruit-farming." - -But here Lady Betty's self-control gave way. She knew that he meant what -he said, and that if he left England she would probably never see him -again. She began, incoherently: - -"Oh, John, I can't let you leave me. Do you understand, I can't----" - -A deafening clangour arose close at hand and drowned her words. When it -had ceased Calamity did not wait for her to continue. - -"The dinner-gong," he said. "Shall we go?" - - - -_Printed in Great Britain by Hazell, Watson & Viney, Ld., -London and Aylesbury._ - - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CAPTAIN CALAMITY*** - - -******* This file should be named 40563.txt or 40563.zip ******* - - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/4/0/5/6/40563 - - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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