The Devil's Admiral

  CHAPTER XV

  TWO THIEVES AND A FIGHT

  There was a metallic thud as they let down a burden, which I knew must bea sack of gold. I lay quiet for a minute, and then began to wrigglethrough the brush to get a glimpse of them, and, in case it proved to bethe camp, learn what might be the most advantageous method for ourattack.

  "My back is broke," I heard Petrak whine. "What with packin' the wholeblasted cargo into the hills and this jaunt now. Why couldn't he leave itclose to the beach, I want to know? Who wants to be packin' it out againsome day like a coolie? Snug enough, I say, close down to the water, andwho's to know? Think we was buryin' of it for Kingdom Come! Fine job he'smakin' of it!"

  "'E's no bloody monkey, Thirkle ain't," said Long Jim. "It's us that'sthe bloomink idiots! 'My last 'aul,' says 'e. 'Your last haul, 'ell!'says me to him. I tells him to mind the rest of us 'as a 'and in the goldas well as in the gittin' of it. Ye think 'e's goin' to let us in onthis? Not Thirkle, Reddy.

  "It's every bloody man for 'imself now, and the devil take the 'indmost,which he will, I say. Thought 'e'd 'ave the whole of it all to himself,did he? I knowed 'e'd give us dirt when it come to some big cut likethis, and that's why I'm for gittin' mine and goin' on with it this wise.'Eave up, Reddy, and skip for it."

  I crawled up and peered through the bushes just as they were shoulderinga bamboo pole from which was slung the sack of gold. They went on, and Ifollowed them, confident that they would lead me to Thirkle's camp,although the direction of their march puzzled me; and I could make nosense of their complaints other than that they disliked the labour oftransporting the gold.

  As I fell in behind them, following almost in their tracks, I discoveredthat they were following no trail, but were making a new way to thebeach. And when they came to where the going was easy they rushed aheadin such a panic that I suspected they were in flight from Thirkle, andwhen they began to argue over the direction they should take I realizedthat they were running away from Thirkle. They were stealing a sack ofthe gold and making for the boats to escape with it.

  "Bear to port, I say!" said Long Jim. "Keep off the old road, or ye'llhave the beggar after us. Keep to port if ye know what's good for us."

  They let down their burden again, and I saw Long Jim stoop to peer back;but I was off on their flank again, and kept well concealed.

  I was in a quandary now as to what to do. It might be better for us tolet them escape, for then we would have only Thirkle and Buckrow tofight, and a sack of gold mattered but little. Yet I knew that they mighttake both boats; and then Captain Riggs and I and Rajah would be maroonedon the island, except for the raft, which was not a fit craft to put tosea in.

  We would be but little better off on the mainland, and it would be weeks,probably months, before we could be rescued by a vessel, or could reach anative town on the coast. I had a mind to fire on them; but I did notknow where Thirkle was, and I was afraid of Captain Riggs getting lost ifhe set out in search of me on hearing the shots.

  "Told ye that, did he?" asked Long Jim. "Told ye to do for me, hey?"

  "That was the lay," said Petrak. "Told me he'd send ye down the trailwith me, and to keep drawed up close to ye; and when I see my chance tohook a knife into ye, and be sure and make a clean job of it.

  "But I'm no man for that, Jim. Mind when ye split a bob with me inRiccolo's boardin'-house in St. Paul's Square? I don't do for no man whatsplit a bob with me, and we was shipmates before we ever knowed Thirkle;and we'll be shipmates again, Jim."

  "With this 'ere?" asked Long Jim. "Ye think I'd look at a bloody shipshort of bein' owner myself, when we get away with this sack of guineas?It's a pub for the two of us in Liverpool, down near the Regent Docks,like gentlemen, or I'm a beggar."

  "Blow me if I didn't forget about the gold!" said Petrak, laughing. "ButI meant it the way of shipmates, Jim: and that's why I couldn't do for nosuch as he said. 'Hook yer knife in him, quick and sharp, under thekidneys,' says Thirkle to me. He says he'll make a gent of me, being asthere would be only himself and Bucky and me left. There'd be upwards often thousand pounds, man and man, share and share alike, and all thesame.

  "That's Thirkle for ye, Jim--that's Thirkle. It was all fine long as wedidn't make no great hauls, just enough for a bit of a good time ashore;but now we're rich, and he wants to shut us honest chaps that helped getit out of the cup, up.

  "I'll take this sack for mine and split fair with ye, Jim; and it'sbetter than Thirkle would give the two of us, and I ain't savin' as howhe wouldn't slit our throats in the bargain to get back again what littlehe give. We best give him a wide berth, and he'll do for Bucky, too; mindwhat I say."

  "That 'e will," said Long Jim. "'E's thick with Bucky now, but mind yereye when 'e gits Bucky close hauled goin' 'ome. Think Bucky'll everfind 'is way back to this place? Thirkle'll do for 'im--right ye are,Red--just as 'e'd done for the two of us, Red."

  "Bucky was a good sort, too."

  "We was all good sorts," said Jim. "We was all good sorts and fine men,Reddy, when the bloomink loot was coming and there was windpipes to slit,and 'e had to 'ave 'ands to do the work for 'im. Ye mind what he told me,Reddy?"

  "What was it Thirkle told ye, Jim? I'd give a bob to know. Was it aboutme, Jim?"

  "Tells me the same bloody thing 'e told ye," said Jim, shutting one eyeand making a grimace to impress Petrak.

  "What's that, Jim? I don't remember of what ye mean."

  "Tells me to do for ye down the trail."

  "The beggar!" said Petrak.

  "Gawd strike me blind if 'e didn't! 'Take a walk for yerself down thetrail with Petrak,' he says. 'Mind when ye get a chance and 'ook a knifein his kidneys, and do it neat and clean; and then there'll be only threeof us to cut this pile 'ere three ways--me, Bucky, and yer own self,Jim.'

  "That's what 'e said, Reddy; strike me blind! Like you did, I says I'lldo it. Ye see his gyme? We'd do for each other in a fight, and so takethe job off 's 'ands. Buckrow and 'im think it's done now; but 'e'll getBucky at the last, too, or I'm a beggar.

  "That's 'is gyme, Red--do for all of us and 'ave the gold all to'imself--and no sailormen what know what 'e's been up to out 'ere comingaround to tap on 'is window of a night when 'e's asleep and ask for theprice of a drink, or 'e'll have the police down on 'im and tell ScotlandYard' e's the Devil's Hadmiral. He wants the pile to 'imself, and never abit more does 'e care for the likes of us than for the throats we've cutfor 'im for the gettin' of it all."

  "Sure," said Reddy. "He wants it all for himself, to be a fine gentlemanand a church member and have his tipple and fine eatin'. We better moveon a bit now, Jim, or they'll be after us."

  They shouldered the pole again and went on, and I followed them for atime, trying to estimate the position of Captain Riggs on the trail fromwhere I was; but in the excitement of following Petrak and Long Jim I hadlost my bearings.

  Their course through the jungle had been devious and without muchclearness as to a general direction, for first one would advise one way,and then the other another; and there were times when they had beencompelled by the brush and gullies to go out of their way.

  But I had a general idea that by turning sharply to the right I mightcome across the trail, and, even if it happened to be below where thecaptain and Rajah had stopped, I could soon come up with them.

  There was nothing to gain by keeping after Reddy and Long Jim, now that Iwas sure they were running away from Thirkle's camp rather than towardit. I thought it would be much better to let them go than to fire uponthem, and so either alarm Captain Riggs or warn Thirkle and Buckrow thatthere were others they had not counted upon on the island.

  Even Petrak and Long Jim might not get away very easily when they foundthe oars and boat-plugs gone. I reasoned that if we could come uponThirkle and Buckrow, and make short work of them, we might even overtakethe pair of thieves and capture or kill them.

  As we went along the jungle thinned, and we came into a forest where thetrees were sparse and there was little underbrush
; and, as there was anopen space ahead, I concluded not to cross it, but to wait and see themgo out of sight, and then try to pick up the trail. When they entered theclearing they dumped the sack and fell upon the ground, and as they laylooking in my direction there was nothing for me to do but drop behind aconvenient shrub and wait for them to go on before I moved.

  They lit cigars and fell to gossiping, evidently in some argument, fortheir gestures betrayed their vehemence, although I could not make outwhat they were saying. They continued the conversation until I lost mypatience, and began to begrudge the time I was wasting to no advantage,while Captain Riggs was probably fretting about me, and might go away tosearch for me. I waited another ten minutes; but they showed nodisposition to go on, and I stealthily began to draw out of the bushes.

  We had come through a grove of wild hemp-trees, and, keeping the bushthat had concealed me between me and the pirates, I crawled to one ofthese wide-spreading bunches of gigantic leaves drooping to the ground,and managed to get behind it. But as I rolled under the stalks a birdrose near me and screamed shrilly in long-drawn cries of alarm, andseveral of its young, hunting for cover, set up a racket in the deadleaves on the ground.

  I lay still for a minute, hoping that the two pirates would not thinkanything amiss; but the mother bird wheeled above me, screaming anddarting down, and I heard Petrak and Long Jim cursing and running towardme. I jumped up behind the tree, and, looking through the big leaves, sawthem coming with drawn pistols.

  "Blow me if it ain't the bally pressman!" said Long Jim, stopping withina hundred feet and peering through the tree. "That's Trenholm there, orI'm a Dutchman!"

  "That's who it is," I called to them, cocking my pistol. "Come on and seewhat you get!"

  "You're in the _Kut Sang_" said Petrak queerly, his knees shaking as ifhe had seen a ghost. "You're dead in the _Kut Sang_!"

  "Have it your own way," I told him. "Maybe I am dead in the _Kut Sang_,along with Captain Riggs and the rest of them. For that very reason youhad better not bother with me."

  I kept my pistol resting in the hollow of a hemp-stalk, thinking it wouldbe better not to let them know I had a weapon, for I knew they had nomore relish for using their firearms than I did. If I showed the gun tothem they would then keep in cover, and could attack me from two sides.

  If I could keep it a short-range fight, I had the advantage as long as Iheld the tree against them, and they would not hesitate to exposethemselves to my fire.

  "What ye doin' of 'ere?" demanded Long Jim. "Where's the skipper and allthe rest we left aboard?"

  "That's for you to find out," I said. "You wouldn't shoot a helpless man,would you?"

  "Not a bit of it," he grinned. "Come on out and 'ave a bit of a parley."

  He let his pistol drop, and he and Petrak exchanged glances whichbetrayed their glee at having me in their power, as they thought.

  "Go away and let me alone," I said, simulating fear of them. "I don'twant to have anything to do with you. Leave me alone."

  "Ye was a follerin' of us," said Long Jim. "Where the bloomink 'ell yebeen? Ye seen Thirkle?"

  "Where is Thirkle?"

  "Where ye'll never clap eyes on 'im, ye can be bloody well sure of that.Cut round t'other side of 'im, Red, and we'll settle 'is 'ash!"

  Petrak started off to the left of him to circle and get behind me, andLong Jim began to draw near, cocking his pistol again and raising it andleering at me.

  "Don't ye turn about or move!" he said. "Turn yer 'ead and yer a dead'un!"

  He was within five yards of me, and I saw him making a signal to Petrak,who was approaching me from behind. I glanced back quickly and saw thelittle red-headed man stealing up on me with his knife on his hand.

  I lifted the pistol, and saw Long Jim stop and open his mouth insurprise. I fired at the triangle of his naked breast where the shirt wasunbuttoned from the neck. He curled over backward, as if broken in themiddle, and fired his pistol straight up into the sky and then lay still.