The Cruise of the Lively Bee; Or, A Boy's Adventures in the War of 1812
CHAPTER XXXIII.
THE MUTINY QUELLED.
Lieutenant Tempest saw the paper as soon as he entered the cabin, andwas very much inclined to resent the placing of dirty paper on hisdinner plate.
But when he saw Bob's signature, he became amused.
He was about to throw the document away, when Bob shouted from theoutside:
"Read it, sir."
"Ah! You there, Bob? What is it? Want more grog, or extra biscuits, oris it something you want for Mr. Scarron?"
Bob happened to see Luiga nearby, and knew that the West Indian waslistening.
"Yes, cap'n," he answered, "the doctor sent me for some, and I didn'tsee you, so I wrote it down."
Tempest glanced over the paper, and saw at once that Bob was actingvery diplomatically.
"Will you ask the doctor to see me about it? He had better come atonce."
Luiga heard Tempest's remark and felt easier.
"Thought he had split. If he had I would have slit his throat for himbefore he was an hour older."
Tempest was alone.
"What does he mean?" he asked himself.
"'He made me swear.' Who did? 'Make my hair stand on end,' 'putprisoners in irons before night got dark'--really, Bob, yourcomposition is an enigma. 'Bullets may be under the tin.' It is aconundrum hard to read."
The doctor entered at that moment.
Bob had sense enough to see that he was suspected by Luiga, and so hemust remove that suspicion and trust to Tempest to find an excuse forthe English doctor.
Luiga was close to the cabin when the doctor entered, and all hissuspicions vanished when he heard Tempest say:
"Ah, doctor! Bob has been trying to make me understand what you wantfor poor Scarron. A doctor's prescription is usually hard to read, butBob's is worse."
It so happened that the doctor had really commissioned Bob to askTempest for an extra allowance of grog for Scarron.
The English doctor was one of the garrulous kind, who gloried in thesound of his own voice.
"Smart boy, that Bob. I should say he is a real good fellow."
"Yes, as true as steel, though no great friend of your nation, doctor."
Luiga stayed no longer.
He was satisfied that Bob had not betrayed him.
The doctor stayed and chatted for half an hour, and Tempest enjoyed thechange, for it was a pleasure to have an educated man as companion outon the open seas.
But all the time that the disciple of Esculapius was talking thelieutenant was puzzling his brain to know what Bob really meant.
"Place all the prisoners in irons. That seems harsh. Shall I do it, orshall I question Bob first?"
The latter course was resolved upon, and Bob was duly cross-examined;but he was true to his oath, although he evaded the strict spirit bysaying:
"If I hadn't sworn not to tell you, cap'n, I should say that therewould be mutiny the first dark night; but I did swear not to tell you,so cannot say it."
No diplomat ever got around a difficult problem easier than did Bob,and Tempest saw that the powder-monkey had some secret informationwhich he could not make public.
The day passed on as most days do when the sea is calm and the skyunruffled by even a cloud, and Tempest hesitated on his course ofaction.
If the _Lively Bee_ had been nearer he would have sought advice fromhis captain, but that meant delay, and action must be taken at once.
It was better to be on the safe side, and he had resolved to imprisonthe men, when a sail was sighted.
That gave him the excuse he wanted.
The prisoners were ordered on deck, and, as they stood in line, Tempestsaw an ominous scowl on more than one face.
"Men, I have sent for you to thank you for your behavior during thetime you have been prisoners of war," he began, and the men wonderedat such a novel introduction. "I have always believed in human nature,and still do so, but there are times when prudence demands certainprecautions to be taken. A sail appears on the horizon, and we may haveto fight; therefore, it becomes necessary to order you below until alldanger has passed."
Luiga scowled and looked threateningly at Tempest.
"You'll place us in irons next, eh?"
"If it is necessary, yes," answered Tempest without a quiver in hisvoice.
"Then you'll get no chance with me. I'm a free man, and so are weall--eh, men?"
"Ay, ay, Luiga!"
"Then I say I'll be your cap'n, and there ain't men enough on this shipto say me nay. Will you stand by me?"
"Ay, ay, Luiga, we will."
"Seize him," cried Luiga, pointing to Tempest, who had stood calmly andstoically during the mutinous language.
But as soon as Luiga gave the order, he quietly raised his pistol andshot the West Indian dead.
Drawing his sword, he challenged the mutineers to come on and he wouldmeet them single handed.
"No, no, we were wrong. We ain't murderers nor mutineers, we'refighters," said one, and his speech was echoed by the others.
"Tell me Luiga's plot and I will believe your honesty."
The spokesman told of the intended mutiny, and, to Tempest's surprise,told him that Luiga was always hinting that the boxes of tin containedbullets as well as that valuable commodity.
Although Tempest appeared to trust the men, he kept them under closesurveillance.
Curiosity led him to have one of the boxes of tin opened, and, tohis great surprise and joy, he found that under the sheets of tinthere were hundreds of sovereigns, doubtless intended for the Britishpaymaster-general.
Such a discovery was too important to be concealed from the _LivelyBee_, and early the next morning Captain Vernon was signaled, and putoff in a boat for the _Regina_.
Tempest told Vernon of his suspicion, and a general overhauling ofthe cargo resulted in the finding of over a hundred thousand poundssterling.
The cargo was consigned to Thomas Arbuthnot, and Vernon remembered thatthe paymaster of the English army bore that name.
It was the richest prize taken during the war, and Vernon declared thatif he was allowed to keep the prize he would quit privateering, andsettle down on shore.
All speed was made to land, and Vernon reported his capture to thegovernment.
He was allowed to keep his prize, and so all the crew of the _LivelyBee_ shared in the prize money, the amount of which almost took awaytheir breath.