United States or Poland ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
I bore it as long as I could, and then I was on the point of shrieking out and striking at the lid of the locker, when I heard a movement over my head, Jarette stepped down, and I forced the lid open a little way, and drew a long deep breath.
Suppose it had been, I thought, and Jarette was going to do some mischief in the darkness! It was a horrible thought, one which made the perspiration stand upon my forehead, and begin to tickle the sides of my nose, as I listened intently for the next movement, or for the sound of his breathing.
Well, I thought, if I could so easily steal on board, and get actually into the cabin, it must surely be possible for Mr Brymer, Mr Frewen, and two of the men to get up, wait their opportunity, and, in spite of his pistols, seize and master Jarette. "That's it," I said to myself; "the only chance. How could I be so stupid as not to think of it before?"
Just as he spoke all doubt was at an end, for we heard Jarette shout an order to the men at the wheel; and then, before any plan could be made, he trotted forward, swung himself down the steps on to the deck, as we shrank back into the companion-way, and went forward. "Bah!
It was a horrible sight, one which made me cling to the bulwarks absolutely paralysed, for the man who had climbed on deck was one mass of blue and yellow flames, which flickered and danced from foot to shoulder, and in those brief moments I realised that he must have fallen and overset the spirit-keg when Jarette fired, saturated his garments, and no doubt the fallen lantern had set all instantaneously in a blaze.
"Soup the cook's getting ready; Dumlow, go and get the biscuit-bag." Jarette uttered a grunt, and there was a buzz of voices from below whose tones plainly enough told of eager expectation, for they had been pretty well starved since they had been shut down in the cabin. Dumlow fetched the bag of biscuits, and with the men watching me I prepared to go forward.
The door was only opened widely enough for me to look along the deck where the men were watching the door; and I was just thinking that if we all made a bold dash at them, armed as we were with right upon our side, there was no reason why we should not scatter them; and once scattered and Jarette mastered, the rest would, I knew, be easy enough. "And we shall have to do it," I thought.
Come up and leave that spirit, or I'll fetch you with a bullet." "Better come up, mate," shouted one of the men. "You hold your tongue," snarled Jarette to the speaker. "Now then, will you come, or am I to fire?" There was no reply, and Jarette spoke once more in quite a calm, gentle, persuasive voice. "I say, will you leave that spirit-keg alone and come up?"
"Didn't you know?" he said. "There is a large quantity on board. It is being taken across for blasting purposes in New Zealand. Jarette, I suppose, helped with the lading, and knew where it was stowed. That accounts for its being brought out so soon." "Pity we can't give them a dose of it," I said, "so as to frighten them into better order.
"Yes," I said, "I see that, and of course we cannot be expected to be merciful to them who would blow us up with gunpowder. Why, they wouldn't have cared if the ladies had been injured as well as the men." "You are quite right." "But you did not shoot Jarette this morning, sir," I said, and I believe that my eyes twinkled mischievously at being able to confute him.
Word Of The Day