The Battery and the Boiler: Adventures in Laying of Submarine Electric Cables by - (world best books to read txt) 📖

or become so worn out as to be useless, when they are mercilessly thrown overboard. That the slaves referred to on this occasion, animated probably by despair, had effected their release, and plucked up heart to assault the armed guard, was a matter of some surprise to the pirates: not so, however, to our adventurers, when they saw, foremost among the mutineers, a man clad in the garb of a European sailor.

“That’s the boy as has put ’em up to it,” said Jim Slagg, in a suppressed but eager voice, “they’d never have had the pluck to do it of themselves.”

“We’d better go an’ help ’em,” said Stumps, whose usually stupid face was lighted up with excitement.

“Right, lad,” exclaimed Slagg, starting up; but Sam laid his hand firmly on his arm.

“Too late,” he said; “don’t you see that the guard have prevailed. Besides, the pirate crew are in their boats—almost at the vessel. See, they swarm up the side.”

“Poor, poor sailor!” said Robin Wright, in a voice of the deepest pity.

“You may well say that; no doubt he is killed by this time,” said Slagg; “but no—he is fightin’ still!”

This was indeed true. Some of the slaves, rendered desperate no doubt, were still maintaining the hopeless fight with handspikes and such arms as they had succeeded in wresting from the guard at the first onset, and the stalwart figure of the European sailor was seen swaying aloft a clubbed musket and felling a pirate at every blow. Animated by his example, the other slaves fought with resolute bravery, but when the rest of the pirate crew joined the guard and surrounded them, they were instantly overpowered. Then those who had not been already slain were led hastily to the side, a sword was drawn across their throats, or thrust through them, and the bodies were tossed into the sea. Among those led thus to the side was the brave sailor. Although his features could not be distinguished at such a distance by those in ambush, it could be clearly seen that he came boldly forward, resolved, no doubt, to meet his fate like a man.

“Oh, God, spare him!” burst in a voice of agony from Robin, who sprang up as if with the intention of rushing to the rescue, regardless of consequences, but a second time Sam Shipton’s restraining hand was ready.

“What could we do, with the sea between us and the ship? Even if we were on the deck could we four deliver him from a hundred?”

Robin sank down again with a groan, but his fascinated eyes still gazed at the pirate vessel. To his great surprise, the sailor at that moment uttered a long and ringing cheer! The act seemed to overawe even the bloodstained pirates, for they hesitated an instant. Then one of them pointed his sword at the sailor’s back, but at the same moment the leader of the band was seen to strike up the sword and give some hurried directions. A rope was instantly brought, with which the arms and legs of the seaman were secured, and he was carried below.

“Our prayer has been answered!” exclaimed Robin with renewed excitement; “they are going to spare him.”

Sam shook his head. “I fear not, Robin; at least, if I may judge from what I have read of these villains, they have only spared him for a time for the purpose of torturing him.”

Robin shuddered. “Well, I don’t know,” he said, “whatever they may do, God has answered our prayer, for they have spared him; and if God could deliver him thus at the last moment, surely He can deliver him altogether. But was it not remarkable that he should give such a cheer when—as he must have thought—at the point of death, for it sounded more like a cheer of triumph than defiance?”

“It was strange indeed. The effect of strong excitement, I fancy.”

While they were conversing, the pirates were busily engaged in getting up the anchor and hoisting the sails of their craft. At the same time the long oars or sweeps were manned by such of the slaves as remained alive, and the vessel slowly glided out of the creek, and put to sea. Fortunately the fight had engrossed the attention of those on board so much that they had failed to observe the little raft, which, although partially concealed by bushes, might not otherwise have escaped detection.

Our voyagers were still congratulating themselves on their good fortune in this respect, when the pirate-ship was observed to change her course, turn completely round and return towards the land!

“They’ve seen us!” ejaculated Robin in consternation.

“Our doom is fixed,” said Sam in a tone of bitter despair.

Slagg and his friend were so much overwhelmed that they could not speak.

On came the vessel—under oars—straight for the creek where the raft lay. There could be no doubt now that they had been seen.

While they gazed in blank dismay, utterly unable to decide on any course of action, an event occurred which totally altered the aspect of affairs. Suddenly, as if by magic, the pirate-ship was converted into a great black-and-white cloud, from out of which there shot an indescribable mass of broken spars and wreckage which fell in all directions in a heavy shower into the sea. Two seconds later and there came a roar as if a crash of the loudest thunder had rent the sky. The powder-magazine had been fired, and the pirate-ship had been blown literally to atoms!

When the last of the terrible shower had fallen, nothing whatever of the vessel was to be seen save the floating morsels of the wreck. It was, we might say, a tremendous instance of almost absolute annihilation.

Recovering from the shock of horror and surprise, Sam Shipton ran swiftly down to the spot where the raft lay, followed by his companions.

“There may be some left alive!” he cried. “Quick—shove her off. Yonder’s a pole, Robin, fetch it.”

Another minute and they were afloat. Pushing with the pole, sculling with the rude oar, and paddling with a plank torn off, they made for the scene of the explosion.

“I see something moving,” said Stumps, who, having no implement to work with, stood up in front and directed their course.

Soon they were in the midst of the débris. It was an awful sight, for there, mingled with riven spars and planks and cabin furniture, and entangled in ravelled cordage, lay the torn lifeless remains of the pirates. Sharks were already swimming about in anticipation of a feast.

“Did you not see symptoms of life somewhere?” asked Sam, as he stood beside Stumps, and looked earnestly round.

“Yes, I did, but I don’t now—O yes! there it is again. Give way, Slagg, give way. There!”

The raft was soon alongside of the moving object. It was the body of the gallant sailor who had fought so well that day. His limbs were still fast bound, excepting one arm, with which now and then he struck out feebly, as if trying to swim. Lying on his back his mouth and nose were above water.

“Gently, gently, boys,” said Robin, as they lifted the head out of the water and slowly drew the shoulders up; “now, a good heave and—that’s it.”

The body slid heavily on the raft, and the motion seemed to rouse the seaman’s spirit, for he uttered a faint cheer, while they knelt round him, and tried in various ways to restore him to consciousness.

“Hurrah for old England!” he cried presently, in an imbecile manner, making an abortive effort to lift his loose arm; “never say die—s’long’s there’s—a shok in th’ lotter.”

“Well done, old saltwater!” cried Slagg, unable to restrain a laugh; “you’ll live to fight yet, or I’m mistaken.”

There was indeed some prospect that the poor fellow would recover, for, after a short time, he was able to gaze at his rescuers with an intensity of surprise that betokened the return not only of consciousness but of reason.

“Well, well,” he said, after gazing around for some time in silence as he lay with his head supported on the sail, “I s’pose it’s all right, and I’ll wake up all square in the mornin’, but it’s out o’ sight the most comical dream I’ve had since I was a babby. I only hope it’ll take a pleasanter turn if it’s agoin’ to continue.”

With this philosophical reflection the sailor shut his eyes, and disposed himself to sleep until the period of real waking should arrive.

Thinking this the best thing he could do in the circumstances, his rescuers turned to examine whether any of the others had survived the explosion, but, finding that all were dead or had sunk, they returned to the land.

Here, after securing the raft, they made a sort of litter, with the sail spread on the oar and a plank, on which they carried the sailor to the sheltered spot whence they had witnessed the fight. As the poor man had by that time fallen into a genuine slumber—which appeared to be dreamless—he was left under the care of Stumps and Slagg, while Sam and Robin went off to ascertain whether or not the island was inhabited.

“We will go straight up to the highest point at once, so as to get a bird’s-eye view of it,” said Sam. “I can’t help thinking that it must be inhabited, for these scoundrels would not care to land, I should fancy, unless there was some one to rob.”

“It may be so, Sam. But if they had come to rob, don’t you think they would not have returned to their ship without captives or booty?”

“There is something in that, Robin. Come; we shall see.”