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I could not help thinking how pretty and gentle and brave she looked as she left herself in Bob's hands, while he knelt on the locker, lifted her up, passed her out of the cabin-window, held for a moment or two by the knot, and then gently lowered her down. "Done lovely," said Bob. "Better let Neb Dumlow cast off the rope, Mr Preddle, sir. You can hand the lady into the starn arter-wards.
And I caught his hand in mine, and felt him press it feebly, as his face lit-up with a pleasant smile, which made him look quite changed. "Yes," he said, quite cheerfully, but almost in a whisper, "I must take it like that now. Old Jarette aimed too well." He lay looking straight out of the bright cabin-window; while I tried to speak, but found no words would come.
I can give no account of the time occupied by the various events of that night, for some things are strangely jumbled up in my mind consequent upon my excited state; but, oddly enough, others stand out bright and clear as if lit-up by the blaze, and there were moments when the silent burning and the floating away of those waves of light beyond the busy black and gold figures at the cabin-window seemed to be part of some strange dream.
My companion frowned, but he rose and followed; not to obey Jarette, as he afterwards said, but to go and attend upon the captain. I rose to go too; but as I reached the door, Jarette rudely thrust me back, so that I staggered to the cabin-window. "Non!" he ejaculated sharply; and the door was banged to and fastened before I had recovered from my surprise.
So, Gregory, sooner or later they will find out that the boat is here, and try to cut it adrift. You will go to the cabin-window which commands the boat's painter, and shoot down whoever tries to cut it." Gregory nodded, took a gun and some cartridges, and walked to one of the cabin-windows, then to another, and changed again.
The next minute, to my horror, as with one hand grasping the rope and the other Bob Hampton's arm, Mr Frewen and I stood face to face close to the cabin-window, we heard the voices on deck come nearer, then stop just overhead, and as far as I could judge, the speaker stood leaning against the bulwarks, so that we could distinctly hear Walters say
The perspiration stood out upon my face as I heard above me Bob Hampton's voice cry "Hullo! What's that?" Almost at the same moment the cabin-window was opened, I had a faint glimpse of a face looking as if out of black mist, and Mr Frewen's voice said softly "Quick, some one; a knife."
The first call brought the mate to the door. "Well, Miles; what is it?" he asked "what meant the gun, and who fired it?" "All right, Mr. Marble. I fired the gun to keep off the canoes, and it has had the effect I wished." "Yes; my head was out of the cabin-window at the time, for I believed the ship was waring, and thought you had given up, and were going back into port.
Mr Preddle smiled all over his round, plump face, and well filled a plate, which I bore to the cabin in which Walters was prisoned, and unfastening it, bore it in. He was leaning against the ship's side, gazing out of the cabin-window, and would not turn his head. "I've brought you some dinner," I said, but he paid no attention, and I repeated the words, but still he did not move.
"I'll bear anything," was the calm reply; and he did not wince as the rope was secured about his chest. Then a signal was given, and he was drawn up, to be dragged in at the cabin-window with his wound bleeding again and he insensible. "Can you climb up, major?" said Gregory as the rope came down again. "No, sir," said the major stoutly. "I shall have to be hauled up like a passenger, I suppose.
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