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The seemingly exhausted men leaped to their feet; the helmsman and our captain lay prostrate by blows dealt by our treacherous foes; the second mate and several of the men were knocked down; and before any of us had time to attempt even any defence of the brig, a set of desperadoes, of all colours and nations, were swarming down on her decks from the rigging of the schooner, while others, who had been concealed in the boat, sprang on board on the lee side.
"So much for you," muttered the lad, turning just in time to meet the rush of the helmsman, who had now recovered from the effects of Jack's blow and was coming angrily forward. Now, this second man was even larger and more powerfully built than the first German, and one huge arm warded off Jack's first short jab for the face.
When the sun rose the helmsman ceased to sing, for by song he cheered himself in the lonely night. When the song ceased we suddenly all awoke, and another took the helm, and the helmsman slept. We knew that soon we should come to Mandaroon. We made a meal, and Mandaroon appeared.
In another few minutes he seemed to sink into sleep, and Dampier, who went up on deck, paced to and fro awhile before he stopped by the wheel and turned to the helmsman. "You can let her come up a couple of points. We may as well make a little southing while we can," he said. Charly, who was steering, looked up with suggestive eagerness. "Then he's not going for the Aleutians?"
Listen, and I will tell you what is to be done. Keep your seats and ply your oars with all your might; but thou, O helmsman, steer thy ship clear of that fog and the whirling waves. Thus I spoke, and they willingly obeyed my words. "Yet I said nothing to them about Skylla, lest they should lose heart and hide in the bottom of the ship.
Followed by Gutrune's eyes, the heroes hurry off. Hagen places himself with spear and shield in the doorway, and, while sitting there sentinel-wise, reflects upon the success of his devices: "Blown along by the wind, the son of Gibich goes a-wooing. Helmsman to him is a strong hero, who is to brave danger in his stead.
She pulled sixteen oars a side, and with a war crew on board would muster ninety-six men three to an oar with a few extra hands, as the helmsman and the chiefs, to make a total of a hundred. Her decks would be crowded, of course, but she would be down to her bearings, being built for war cruises, and in a breeze all her men would be sitting up to windward as shifting ballast, so to speak.
The stolid seacannie appeared to see, and for that matter to hear, nothing. The white man looked at the impassive Malay with disgust, then glanced around the horizon then again at the helmsman and ordered curtly: "Shift the helm back again. Don't you feel the air from aft? You are like a dummy standing there."
Yet our helmsman seemed to know the place perfectly, for he stood boldly on, urging the crew to continue their exertions.
"All right," replied Seaton, as he relinquished the controls to Crane, and after bidding the new helmsman goodnight he and Dorothy went below to their cabin. Standing at a window with their arms around each other they stared down with misty eyes at the very faint green star, which was rapidly decreasing in brilliance as the Skylark increased its already inconceivable velocity.
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