CHAPTER XX
THE RECAPTURE OF THE "INDEPENDENCIA"
"THEY'RE about to abandon ship!" exclaimed Cardyke, when the firstboat-load of treasure was taken off to the yacht. "It's no idlethreat this time. They'll scuttle the cruiser."
"Guess you're about right, sonny," said Hiram B. Rutter. "We mustlook to ourselves, and Old Nick take the hindmost."
"Sh!" admonished Fielding. "There's no necessity to alarm the othersjust yet. As soon as we find the ship is actually sinking we'll getthe others through the ports without any fuss. She won't sink in aminute."
"We can't stop her from sinking, so what's the use of going on deck,"objected the American.
"No, we can't stop her from sinking," admitted the sub. "But if wecan jump clear before the suction is too great we stand a fightingchance of swimming to the brigantine."
"Not a ghost of a chance. I guess the water's a sight too cold. We'dbe frozen before we covered a quarter of the way," said Rutter,pessimistically.
"Don't meet trouble half-way," replied Fielding, stoutly. "I'll tellOki the state of affairs, and you, Mr. Rutter, can let the Dutchmenand your fellow passengers on __L'?galit?__ know. I would suggestthat every man smother himself with oil and grease. Mukyima knew thevalue of oil when he went over the side."
When the news that the ship was about to be scuttled was told to theothers there was very little excitement. Some of the Frenchmenproposed that an attempt should be made to take possession of theship; but to this Fielding objected. The hatches were secured, and itwould be better, under existing circumstances, not to offer any formof resistance to the pirates.
"If we did they would shoot us while we were in the water," concludedFielding. "I don't think they would otherwise deny us a chance ofswimming to yonder whaler."
Without any undue haste or excitement the imprisoned men made theirpreparations; then, taking up their positions at the ports, awaitedFielding's signal to throw themselves into the sea.
"There's the villain Cervillo putting off," exclaimed Rutter. "I'djust like to try this rifle, and put a bullet through his head."
"Don't, for your own sake," said Fielding. "Our opportunity to geteven with him will come in due time, I feel certain."
"There's no time like the present," objected the American.
"Look!" ejaculated Cardyke. "They're sinking the boats."
The three boats belonging to the _Independencia_, having completedtheir work of transferring the men and stores from the cruiser to theyacht, were promptly stove in, pigs of ballast being dropped intothem to send them to the bottom.
"They've found the yacht's boats are better than their own," saidFielding. "They'll be----"
"They're off--by Jove!"
"So they are; and there are nearly eighty men of the pirate crewstill on board, I should imagine. What's the game?"
"Cervillo's done a bunk with the rest of the oof," said the mid.
"Guess you've hit it, sonny," exclaimed Hiram B. Rutter. "Reckon wemay as well get rid of this grease; 'tisn't necessary."
"He's off," said Fielding. "The yacht's gathering way. Won't there bea rumpus when the others find it out? I wonder where their eyes are."
For fully ten minutes the English officers and their companionswatched the disappearing vessel. Then a chorus of shouts and curseson deck announced that the abandoned pirates had discovered they weretricked.
Not until the _Serena_ disappeared beneath the horizon did theexcited crew calm down. The majority drowned their woes in drink,while a few, realising the importance of fuel supply, brought thecruiser alongside the _Hetty_ and emptied her cargo of oil into the_Independencia's_ tanks. There was now sufficient fuel to take thecrippled cruiser a thousand miles. Tito, who had been chosen captainby his shipmates, resolved to stand south, fall in with anothervessel, and save the remainder of the crew in a similar manner tothat adopted by the recreant Cervillo.
Just before midnight the _Independencia_ raised steam, and at a bareten knots plugged laboriously through the water. The _Hetty_ was leftastern. The last Fielding saw of her was that the crew were engagedin setting the canvas that the gale had spared. It was not much of aspread, but with the wind in its present quarter there was everyprospect of the whaler fetching the Gulf of St. Lawrence or one ofthe harbours on the Newfoundland coast.
The young officers realised that now was the opportunity to recapturethe cruiser. Numerically the pirates were stronger, but by the noiseon deck the Englishmen knew that they were for the most partindulging in a drunken orgy.
Just before dawn Mukyima and Hokosuka crept through the ports andhoisted themselves on deck. They were able to discern that most ofthe men were below, a few being on watch on the quarter-deck, twobeing stationed at the half-deck ladder; but so lax was theirvigilance that the two Japs made a careful examination of the mode ofsecuring the hatches. The only thing that prevented the steel hatchesfrom being opened from the inside was an iron bar lashed at each endto massive ring-bolts in the deck. Lying prone by the side of thehatchway coamings the Japs quietly severed the ropes, then retracedtheir course, and, through General Oki's interpretation, announcedthat the hatches were ready to be forced open from the inside.
But Fielding hesitated to commence the attack by means of thecompanion ladders. The noise occasioned by the raising of the steelslabs would arouse their antagonists, and before a sufficient numberof the attackers could emerge there was a strong possibility that thesuperior numbers of the crew would gain the day.
Accordingly he selected ten men, including the two Japs, who had justreturned from their tour of investigation. These he was to lead outby the ports on to the deck, where they were to take cover until themain body of the attackers removed the hatches. The rest of thehostages were divided into two parties; one, under Cardyke, was totake the fore-ladder for the half-deck; the other, under Hiram B.Rutter, was detailed to the after-ladder. Both sections were to rushon deck simultaneously, Fielding and his men covering their advanceby a rapid revolver fire.
Unseen and unheard Fielding's little band crept one by one throughthe port-hole and gained the deck. Abaft the rearmost turret the deckwas deserted, the men detailed to guard the hatchways having strolledfor'ard to smoke. A continuous roar of ribald laughter announced thatthe majority of the pirates still on board were trying to forgettheir desperate plight in grog.
Taking shelter behind cowls and coamings, the sub.'s division waitedwhile their leader gave the pre-arranged signal--three slight tapsupon the deck. Instantly the steel cover of the fore-companion washeaved back, and Cardyke at the head of his party dashed through theopening. The after-hatch was opened a bare quarter of a minute later;then with a united shout the whole band rushed forward.
Taken entirely by surprise the men on watch made but a feebleresistance. A few shots were fired without effect; two of the pirateswere felled by successful blows of Fielding's hammer-like fists, andthe rest broke and fled.
Disturbed at the carouse, the crew for'ard bolted, for the most part,like terrified sheep, with the victorious crowd at their heels.
Suddenly one of the fugitives wheeled, and, levelling a revolver,fired at the pursuers. Fielding pitched forward and lay writhing.
Cardyke was by his friend's side in an instant.
"All right, old man," exclaimed the sub., feebly. "Leave me alone.I'm done for, I fear."
"Don't say that, Fielding."
"It doesn't very much matter now; we've retaken the ship. You're incommand now, Cardyke, so cut off and see that the hatchways aresecured. Keep the stokers down below, and make them work. Don't wait,time's precious."
With a groan Fielding became unconscious.
The midshipman was torn by the call of duty to his companions anddevotion to his brother officer; but duty came first.
As soon as the pirate seamen were secured under hatches Cardykeposted a strong guard over the engine-room and stokehold ladders.This done, the mid. led another party to the fore-bridge, fullyanticipating resistance from the officer of
the watch and hissubordinates. But Tito, who happened to be on the bridge at the timeof the attack, seeing things were faring badly, promptly jumpedoverboard to avoid an ignominious fate. The quartermasters bolted upthe tripod mast, and sought refuge in the fire-control platform.Here, had they been armed, they might have been a source of danger,but being without weapons they kept quiet until hunger compelled themto give themselves up.