CHAPTER XII
THE "DUKE OF NEGROPONT"
BANG! went another quickfirer, and the accompanying screech denotedthe fact that the pirates had let loose a shell. Another and another,followed by a couple of detonations and the rending of steel as thepowerful missile burst.
Then the _Independencia_ turned 45 degs. to port, and the object ofher unwelcome attentions came into the view of the prisoners in thecabin.
"You're right, Cardyke," exclaimed the sub. "It's a West Indianliner; I can see by her funnels."
"British," announced the mid., as a waft of air partially cleared thesmoke that was issuing from her steerage, revealing the red ensignfluttering from her ensign-staff. "They've blown her bridge andchart-house to smithereens."
"And planked a couple of shells through her quarters," addedFielding. "I wonder she doesn't make a dash for it, instead ofslowing down."
Did the sub. but know it he might have realised the cause of theBritish vessel's apparent lack of enterprise. The ship was the _Dukeof Negropont_, four days out from New Orleans. Lured by the displayof distress signals from the _Independencia_, the liner had alteredhelm, and borne down upon the seemingly crippled cruiser. Then a shotwas fired across the liner's bows, while the white ensign fluttereddown from the cruiser's stern, and was replaced by the red flag ofanarchy.
The skipper of the _Duke of Negropont_ had received due warning ofthe depredations of the _Independencia_, but since it was reportedthat the pirate was seen in the vicinity of the Straits of Gibraltarhe never for one moment associated the vessel flying the white ensignwith the modern buccaneer. But directly the first shell whizzedacross the _Duke of Negropont's_ bows the captain of the linerordered full speed ahead, at the same time starboarding his helm.
The next two shots, fired in deadly earnest, completely demolishedthe navigating bridge and chart-house, and wiped the skipper and thechief officer out of existence. The concussion and the sweeping awayof the bridge brought the engine-room telegraph back to "stop," andthe liner, losing way, brought up within a hundred yards of heraggressor.
Still covered by the _Independencia's_ guns, the prize was boarded bytwo boats' crews, and the method of despoiling the liner was almostidentical with that of the two previous captures.
There was, however, one departure. The second officer of the_Independencia_, a Spaniard who spoke English fairly well, gaveorders for the _Duke of Negropont's_ wireless operators to be broughtbefore him. The senior, a man of twenty-three years of age,resolutely refused to transmit the message his captor dictated. TwiceGonzales, the second officer, ordered him, using threats of instantdeath should he refuse.
"No tricks," exclaimed Gonzales, menacingly. "I understand what youtelegraph, so do as I say."
Then it was that the owners of the _Duke of Negropont_ received themessage:--
"_Independencia_ in collision with unknown vessel, 4.45 a.m. Lat. 40-22-10 N., Long. 22-9-16 W. Both sank; no survivors."
Directly this decoy message was sent, the wireless gear wasdestroyed, and the pirates proceeded to loot the ship. But they hadreckoned without the British engineers and firemen, and some of thejunior officers and deck-hands who had taken refuge below.
Ignoring the indicator pointing to stop, the chief engineer restartedthe engines to full speed ahead, and simultaneously a swarm of men,armed with cross-bars, shovels, and rakes, and led by their officerswith revolvers in their hands, rushed on deck. Taken by surprise, andalarmed by the hitherto apparently motionless vessel gathering way,the two boatloads of pirates were borne back. Men fell on both sides,but British valour prevailed, and in less than five minutes thesurvivors of the boarding-party were swimming for their lives in thewake of the _Duke of Negropont_.
Through the scuttle Fielding and his companions watched with mingledfeelings the boarding and subsequent repulse of the pirates, and asthe liner forged ahead the two British officers gave vent to a cheer.But their exultation was nipped in the bud, for Juan Cervillo, wildwith fury, ordered the quick-firers to hull the _Duke of Negropont_between wind and water.
Three shots were sufficient. With an ever-growing list to port theliner sank lower and lower by the stern, her speed grew less andless, till a column of steam issuing amidships showed that the waterhad entered her engine-room.
Suddenly Cervillo's attention was directed towards a large vesselnearly hull down on the horizon. The look-out aloft reported that itwas a four-funnelled craft, with white hull and yellowsuperstructure. Then the Spaniard realised that he was in a tightcorner, for the oncoming vessel was a United States cruiser.
Without waiting to pick up the survivors of the boarding party, heordered the _Independencia_ to be driven at full speed ahead, and wassoon in full flight in a southerly direction.
The cruiser flying the stars and stripes was the _West Virginia_,whose captain had been warned to keep a look-out for a possibleencounter with the pirate cruiser _Independencia_, of a supposedspeed of twenty-two knots, but in reality doing a bare twenty.Pelting along as hard as her 23,000 horse-power engines could driveher, she was just in time to rescue the survivors of the _Duke ofNegropont's_ passengers and crew who had taken to the boats. Ten menof the pirate cruiser were also picked up.
The delay in performing the work of rescue saved the _Independencia_from capture, and although the _West Virginia_ hung on doggedly inpursuit, and sent off wireless calls for assistance, daylight foundthe American cruiser alone in a waste of waters, with never so muchas a trail of oil from the fugitive ship to indicate her position.
It was a near shave for Juan Cervillo. Not for one instant did heexpect to fall in with a cruiser so far from the shores of Florida,and had it not been for a seaman giving a casual glance round, the_West Virginia_ might have approached within range of her 8 in. gunsbefore being discovered. The last venture had failed disastrously.The prize had slipped through his fingers without so much as oneounce of bullion being taken from her. Forty of his men were lost--aserious item--although, as their comrades remarked with callousindifference, there were fewer left to share the booty. Worst of allthe United States cruiser would proclaim it far and wide that thepirate ship was on the fringe of West India waters.
The management of the _Independencia_ was practically in JuanCervillo's hands. It was he who decided what was to be done, and inwhich direction the course was to be. He rarely consulted with hissubordinates as to the plan of action. In this case he actedindependently. He resolved to steer eastward for twelve hours, thenhead northward to the Arctic Circle, where he would be comparativelysecure till the vigilant watch was relaxed. If he could cross thesteamship tracks betwixt the Old and New Worlds without beingdiscovered, well and good. If tackled by a man-of-war he mustexercise trickery in order to escape. If he should fall in with aliner he would capture her, taking good care that she left no tracebehind her.
Having laid his plans Cervillo retired to his cabin, and touched abell. In response to the summons a petty officer appeared.
"Take a guard with you, and bring the English officer here," heordered. "See that he is properly secured, and that the fellow doesnot have the least chance to do mischief."
Five minutes later Fielding, with his hands securely fastened behindhis back, was led into the Spaniard's presence. For a few momentsneither man spoke, but stood looking at each other as if to detect aweak spot in their respective armour.
"Se?or officer," began Cervillo, languidly resting himself andlighting a cigar, "the time is for explanation. I hold you prisoner--you and the other I took from the captured ships. If men-of-warcome, then I place you on deck so they no can fire--see? Good! Now Itell you fair, we go north to sea of ice. P'r'aps we fall in withEnglish or American warship. If not, den no necessity for you tostop--unless you 'gree to pay ransom."
"Precious little ransom you'll get out of me, you rogue!" interruptedthe sub.
"Precious little?" repeated Cervillo, arching his eyebrows. "We seesoon. No can keep without pay; no pay, den we put you and yourcomrades ashore. Cold,
se?or; no food--all ice and snow--diemiserably. That I swear."
"Carry on, then," remarked Fielding, coolly.
"What you mean--carry on?" demanded Cervillo.
"Do your worst, you white-livered sweep. There's a hangman's ropewaiting for you, sure enough. Already you're a doomed man.
"_Quien sabe?_" said the Spaniard. "But be assured, se?or, you willnot be there to see the spectacle. I say no more. Tink over my words,and if you no write promise to pay thirty hundred English pounds--an'your companions, they, too, will pay--then I will do what they callmaroon--eh?"
The interview was at an end. The guard closed around the youngsub-lieutenant, and walking as firmly as he could--for Fielding wassomewhat hampered by the muzzle of a revolver being jammed into hisboot--he passed disdainfully out of Cervillo's cabin.
The Spaniard meant to keep his word this time. Although he realisedthat an order on a British banker might in all probability bedifficult to convert into ready money, there was a chance that hisagents might be able to realise on the draft. Should the order beforthcoming, Cervillo would be willing to spare the lives of hishostages, although, once in the almost deserted Arctic, they would beof no use as deterrents to gun-fire. On the other hand Cervillo knewthat he had already been guilty, not merely of piracy, but of murderon the high seas, and one or two more crimes would make very littledifference. He would either bend or break the Englishman's stubborncharacter.
But there were more important matters for the pirate captain'sattention. Within the next forty-eight hours the _Independencia_would be in the thick of the liner-track across the Atlantic. Withoutdoubt a chain of cruisers would by this time be stationed atcomparatively close intervals between Cape Clear and Cape Race. Therisks of detection were great; but should the gauntlet be run insafety the wily Spaniard would have plenty of opportunity of devisinga means whereby he could save himself and the rich booty at theexpense of his rascally crew.