"No, no, this is dreadful," groaned Mark; "they are so far-off, but I can see the boat. Yes, they are pulling hard now. No; they have ceased rowing, and two men are standing up now, and--too late--too late."
"Hurray!" came faintly from the distance, where the shades of the fast-falling tropical night had rendered the boat nearly invisible. The cheer was echoed from on board with a tremendous shout, as the distant cry rose again.
"There, they have saved them, Mr Russell," cried Mark excitedly.
"Hah!" came in a low, deep sigh, as the lieutenant"s legs gave way beneath him, and he would have fallen if it had not been for the sudden action of Mark, who held the poor fellow"s arms pressed down over the rail as he called for help.
"What is it?" cried a firm voice from close at hand, and the captain strode up. "Ah! Mr Russell fainting. Let him go, Mr Vandean. I"ll drop him into this seat."
The captain dragged a cane reclining-chair forward, and lowered the feeble man gently down.
"There, he will soon come to," said the captain. "He is too weak to be on deck."
"The sight of the men drowning upset him, sir."
"Of course, Mr Vandean. It nearly upset me, who have not been ill.
Not a pleasant sight to see our fellow-creatures losing their lives, and not to be able to help them. Come, Russell, man, this will not do."
The lieutenant looked up at him wonderingly, as he unclosed his eyes.
"Are they saved!" he said, faintly.
"Thank G.o.d! Yes," replied the captain; and just then a fresh cheer arose from the cutter, which was being pulled steadily back; the cheer was answered, and soon after the boat hung from the davits, and Bob cried up excitedly to Mark,--"I say, I saved him this time, old chap."
Then followed a few stern words from the captain, strictly forbidding further fishing except by the older and more experienced hands.
Turning to the first lieutenant, he said in Mark"s hearing,--"Now comes the difficulty. How am I to punish this black for the knife business?
He cannot understand a word that is said."
"No; it is difficult," replied the first lieutenant; "but it cannot be pa.s.sed over."
"The man evidently meant to escape, but repented on seeing a fellow-creature drowning, and saved his life. Well, that"s a good trait in his character, Staples. Black and savage though he is, the man must have good qualities. I"m afraid it was a mistake to keep the two poor fellows on board."
"Hasn"t turned out well so far, sir," said the first lieutenant, gruffly. "There, sir, it"s for you to settle about the punishment.
Something must be done."
"The plus seems to me to balance the minus, Staples," said the captain.
"I want to do something, but these poor savages cannot understand."
Then to the men gathered below, "Look here, my lads, with respect to this affray--"
"Beg pardon, sir," came from forward.
"Who"s that?" said the captain, sternly. "How dare you interrupt!"
"Axing your pardon, sir, Joe Dance, sir, c.o.xswain fust cutter."
"Well, what is it, sir?"
"I only wanted to say, sir, as I was down below, and I kep" on saying to the lads, sir, as was a teasing the n.i.g.g.e.rs--"
"The blacks, my man," said the captain, sharply.
"Yes, your honour, the black n.i.g.g.e.rs, sir. "Let "em bide," I says; "what"s the good o" teasing "em? You"ll only make "em want to bite."
But they wouldn"t take no notice o" what I said, sir, and kep" it up till the poor chaps turned savage like, and it was hooroar, and all the fat in the fire."
"Stop, sir!" cried the captain, sternly. "Speak plain English, sir."
"Yes, sir; that"s what I"m a-trying to do, sir."
"You say that the men were teasing and baiting the two black hands, and you advised them not to?"
"Well, your honour, it was hardly adwice, because I said I"d shove my fist in someone"s eye if he didn"t let the poor beggars bide."
Mr Staples uttered a curious sound, and the captain coughed.
"Ah, well, you tried to make them stop their cowardly, unmanly tricks."
"That"s it, your honour."
"Then now give me the names of the men who were guilty, and as each man"s name is called let him stand out three paces to the front. Go on."
Joe Dance scratched his head, but did not speak.
"Now, c.o.xswain, speak out. The first man?"
"Adam," whispered Bob to Mark, at whose elbow he now stood, and Mark jerked back his elbow into the boy"s chest.
"Well, sir, who was the first man?" cried the captain. "Beg pardon, your honour," said Joe Dance, gruffly; "it was down in the fo"c"sle."
"I know that, sir, but I want to know the names."
A faint sound arose as if several men had drawn a deep breath.
"Do you hear me, Dance?" cried the captain.
"Oh yes, your honour."
"He won"t tell tales of his messmates," said Bob, with his lips close to Mark"s ear.
"Silence, Mr Howlett!" cried the captain, sternly. "Now, Dance, the names?"
"Beg pardon, your honour, but there was only one dip a-going in the lantern, and it didn"t give light enough to tell which was your right hand and which was your left."
"The names, sir!" cried the captain, as once more there was the sound of a deep breath.
"Couldn"t give yer one of "em, sir, unless it was Tom Fillot."
"Hah! Stand out, sir."