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"Naturalist to your expedition?" faltered Mr Preddle, wondering at the language used by a man whom he had heretofore looked upon as a common sailor, perfectly uneducated, and ready for any amount of violence and rapine, "chief man in your island!" "To be sure." "But have you got an island?"
"Then why don't you come and attend to 'em?" said Jarette. "May I, Mr Jarette?" cried Mr Preddle, excitedly. "To be sure you may, sir. You've only got to satisfy me that you've thrown over these people here, whom I have been obliged to shut up for violence.
Then after the boat had been made fast, they were left in charge of the doctor and Mr Preddle, who had orders to join us as soon as the sufferers were attended to in the cabin; while Mr Brymer led us forward to see if something could not be done to save the ship.
On reaching the deck, along which I had to guide myself by holding on by the side, and catching at rope and belaying-pin, I found that the sea had risen higher, and the wind was rushing through the rigging with almost hurricane force. But I made my way to the forecastle-hatch, where Mr Preddle was still on guard, as I could see by the light of the swaying lantern, and Mr Brymer was with him.
"Sixteen." "That's the same size as mine," said Mr Preddle, quietly. "I'm afraid those of yours would not fit." "Fit? No!" cried Mr Frewen, impatiently. "They would be absolutely useless." "And of course we could not load in the old-fashioned way if we took out the powder," said Mr Preddle. The doctor turned away, and I saw him look anxiously toward the barricade he had so carefully built up.
"Ah, Dale," he cried, "I'm glad you've come. I want you to stay on guard with Mr Preddle. You have a pistol?" "Yes," I said, pointing to my belt. "That's right. I want to go to the wheel. Hampton is there now. I should like to do more, but it is terrible work now, short-handed as we are; and we must run on in this blind fashion, for I have no idea where we are."
"It would not throw him off his guard," cried Mr Frewen, excitedly. "The man is too cunning. He would know that it was only a ruse, and be on the watch. Dale must go to-night at once. Who knows what twenty-four hours may produce?" "Exactly," said Mr Preddle.
"Well, my lad, how are you?" said Mr Frewen just then; but the boy leaning back against the bulwark only stared at him, and I felt ready to kick him for being so rude, and then I wanted to punch Mr Preddle, for he began to snore abominably. "I don't like it, Frewen," said somebody just then. "What do you say? You don't think it possible that "
But the next minute they were back down and white up, and so they would go on till they were too weak to move, and a few minutes after they would die. "Yes, it's sad business, Alison Dale," Mr Preddle would say with a sigh, as he lifted a little trout out of one tray, or a tiny salmon from another. "I'm afraid that I shall not have many left by the time I arrive over in New Zealand."
It did more, for it sent light and joy into our breasts as Mr Preddle and Mr Denning went aft, meeting Bob Hampton with some boards, a saw, hammer, and nails with which he was soon busily at work strengthening the sides and top of the hatch, nailing down board after board, and only leaving one small opening in case communication should be needed with the prisoners below, who, saving for the light filtering through a small sky-light, and also through the ventilator, were in the dark.
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