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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.
Mr Brymer came round to me, and laid his hand upon my shoulder. "Let Blane take the branch now," he said. "Why, Dale, my lad, you couldn't have stood to your water-gun better if you had been a man." And I felt a burning flash of pride in my cheeks, and that it was time to leave off, for my arms ached so that I could hardly direct the branch.
"Cable-tier? Where's that?" "Just forward. Front of the forksle," I shouted. "We must get the hatch off." "No, no; not till Mr Brymer comes," said Mr Denning.
I felt better now, and walked forward to where the pump was rigged, and helped to drag the hose along the narrow path beneath, the bulwarks to where Neb Dumlow was now stationed with the brass nozzle at the end of the canvas tube, and Mr Brymer instructed him how to direct the stream of water as soon as the pump was started. "Better let me pump, sir," he grumbled.
"No, no, my lad," cried Mr Brymer; "it was all our doing, and we made a mistake in the darkness. We were lying in wait for Jarette, and took you for him." "No, you didn't," cried Barney, fiercely, "or you'd have pitched me overboard you on'y wait till I get my hands loose." "Don't be a fool, messmate!" growled Bob Hampton; "you hears what the gentleman says."
"Mr Brymer will do his best, and there are three of the best seamen to help." "What?" he cried excitedly. "Hampton, and two more?" "No, no, traitors, don't trust them the scoundrels." "No, we arn't, cap'n," growled Bob Hampton. "We was obliged to sham Abram a bit. Now I do call that 'ere hard, arter me and Dumlow and Barney helped get the ship back again." "You did?" cried the captain.
Every man now a bucket, and you four to the pump and hose." "Draw back a little," whispered Mr Brymer; "they have not seen us." "Shall we get buckets, sir?" said Bob Hampton in a gruff whisper. "No; it is useless. There are nearly fifty of those casks of strong spirits there below, and no efforts of ours could stop that fire." "But you will not let it burn without an effort?" whispered Mr Frewen.
Mr Brymer was quite right about the weather; we sailed right through the circular storm, and long before sunset of what proved to be a very hot day, the ship was gently gliding up one side of a long wave, and after pausing for a moment on the top, gliding down the other, so that it was hard to imagine that we had just passed through so terrible a storm.
You wait a bit, old man, if you're so precious anxious to get yourself made sore. Frenchy won't forget us for gammoning him, and pretending to be on his side." "I ain't hankshus to be made sore, Bob, old matey," growled Barney; "it's a kind o' nat'ral feeling in me to make him sore, and I'm going to do it if I gets half a chance." "All right then, Mr Brymer 'll see as you has one, I dessay."
As we reached them, Mr Brymer was ready revolver in hand, hesitating as to whether he should fire, for he was husbanding his ammunition, the supply being far from abundant. "It's getting warm, doctor," he said as we came up. "What is to be done? I grudge wasting cartridges." Just then Bob Hampton, who had been right aft, came trotting up. "Who is at the wheel?" said Mr Brymer, sharply.
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