CHAPTER XVI.
CAPTAIN WALMSLEY.
"Mr. Pillgrim, I am not to be intimidated by any such stuff," saidSomers, when he had ordered the bells to be struck, which would producethe explosion.
"Perhaps Captain Walmsley will not think it best to fire the ammunitionat the moment agreed upon; some discretion on this point was left withhim; but I assure you, on my word and honor, that the train is laidwhich will blow up the Ben Nevis," said Pillgrim, earnestly.
"If you had not mentioned the name of Captain Walmsley, I might havebelieved you. As it is, I do not. Your word and honor do not weigh muchwith me."
"Don't insult me."
"I simply speak the truth. There! do you hear four bells?"
"I do; and if you are not blown up in half a minute, you may thankCaptain Walmsley for his moderation."
"He is not villain enough to destroy the lives of forty men, his ownpeople as well as mine, to gratify your malice and revenge. I give you_my_ word and honor that he will do nothing of the kind."
Pillgrim looked hard at him, and seemed to be slightly disconcerted bythe obstinacy of Somers.
"If he will not, I will!" said he, fiercely.
"I purpose to put you in irons, when you have said all you have to say."
"In irons, Somers!" exclaimed the traitor, springing to his feet, hisface flushed with indignation.
"Since you are open enough to announce your intentions, it is plainly myduty to defeat them. Acknowledge that your plot to blow up the vessel isa mere scare, and I may spare you this indignity."
"You will find that it is a reality."
"Why don't it blow up, then?"
"It will, as soon as Captain Walmsley is ready. The Ben Nevis shall notagain go into a Yankee port as a prize. Mark my words."
"Captain Somers," called Mr. Hudson.
"What is wanted?"
"The men in the hold report a smell of fire there."
"I will be with you soon," replied Somers, convinced by this messagethat there was some foundation for the threats of the traitor. "Go intothe hold, Mr. Hudson, and find the fire, if there is any."
He was cool, and did not permit the wretch before him to see a muscle ofhis face move.
"There is fire there, Somers," said Pillgrim. "I know just where it is.In a few minutes it will reach the ammunition boxes."
"Corporal," said Somers, opening the door again.
"Here, sir."
"Put the prisoner in irons, hands and feet," continued Somers.
"Do you mean that, Mr. Somers?" asked Pillgrim, quivering with emotion.
"I do mean it, and I shall stand by till it is done."
"Will you leave me in the midst of the fire, ironed hand and foot?"
"I will. You kindled the fire; and if you perish by it, blame yourself."
Pillgrim attempted to resist the execution of the order, but the marineswere resolute, and he was fully ironed in spite of his struggles.
"Now lock him in," said Somers.
"One word, Mr. Somers."
"Not another word;" and the young commander hastened from thestate-room, and made his way to the scene of peril in the hold.
He did not believe that even Pillgrim was stupid enough to blow up theBen Nevis for mere revenge; and Captain Walmsley certainly would donothing of the kind, for he could have no strong feeling on thesubject, at least not enough to sacrifice the lives of himself and hiscrew.
There was a smell of fire in the hold--the hold filled with powder,shells, and other combustibles. This fact tended to confirm thestatement of the wretch; yet Somers was incredulous. When he reached thescene of danger he found the officers and the men timid about proceedingfar into the hold, for if there was fire, there must soon be anexplosion.
"Follow me, my men!" said he, as he walked aft on the cargo.
"Ay, ay, sir!" cheerfully responded the men,--for the American seamanwill go anywhere an officer will lead him.
In the after part of the hold there was a dense smoke and a strong smellof fire.
"Keep back! You are all dead men!" shouted Captain Walmsley, as Somersadvanced and discovered the speaker seated on a box.
"What are you doing here?" demanded Somers.
"I am going to blow up the steamer," replied the captain, who held inhis hand a tin pan filled with burning oakum, chips, and othercombustible material.
"Well, why don't you do it, then?" said Somers.
"For God's sake, Mr. Somers, don't stay here," pleaded Mr. Hudson.
"You needn't, if you are afraid," replied he, coolly.
"Mr. Somers, in one instant I can blow the Ben Nevis all to pieces,"said Captain Walmsley, with a proper exhibition of tragic adjuncts.
"Why don't you do it, then?"
"I am willing to give you one chance to save your lives."
"You are very considerate. Mr. Pillgrim was going to blow her up for myspecial benefit."
"If you think I am not in earnest, you are greatly mistaken," continuedthe captain, as he stirred up the burning substances in the pan.
"I see you are in earnest, and I am waiting for you to blow her up."
"I will give you ten minutes to save your lives; for I have sworn thisvessel shall never go into port as a prize. You and your people can taketo the boats and save yourselves."
"Will you blow her up when we are gone?"
"I will."
"I have had quite enough of this, Captain Walmsley," said Somers,advancing to the fire king, revolver in hand. "Now go on deck, or I willblow your brains out, if you have any."
The captain looked at the revolver, and he might as well haveacknowledged his defeat, for his face proclaimed it.
"If I should drop this into the cargo, it would blow up the ship."
"No, it wouldn't. There are nothing but solid shot and shell under you,"replied Somers; and perhaps his coolness and self-possession were in agreat measure due to his knowledge of this fact, for he had carefullyinspected the cargo immediately after the capture of the vessel.
Captain Walmsley, with the blazing censer in his hand, made his way overthe boxes, bales, and barrels which lay above the heavy articles, to thehatchway. The pan and its contents were thrown overboard, and the meninformed that there was no danger. The captain was ordered into thecabin, where he was put in double irons, as his fellow-conspirator hadbeen. He protested, at first, against this indignity. Then he begged,declaring that Mr. Pillgrim was the author of the plot by which it wasintended to recapture the steamer. It was fully believed that Somers andhis crew would abandon the vessel as soon as it was announced that therewas fire in the hold, knowing that her cargo would readily explode.
Captain Walmsley declared that Pillgrim was a fool; if he had kept stilltill the fire was discovered, instead of declaiming over it beforehand,the plan would have succeeded. Somers doubted it; and when thehumiliated captain was ironed, he was sent into his state-room, and asentinel placed at his door. This business was hardly completed beforethe marine in charge of Pillgrim informed Somers that his prisonerwished to speak with him. The request was peremptorily refused.
"There, Mr. Hudson, I think we have fixed those fellows so that we shallknow where to find them when we want them," said Somers, when theconspirators had been disposed of.
"Yes, sir; and if any other man had been in charge of this vessel, hewould have lost her, Captain Somers. I should have voted for abandoningher as soon as I was satisfied that she was on fire."
"Perhaps I should, if I had not known the powder and shells were in thefore hold. But I did not believe the villains had pluck enough to blowthemselves up for the sake of blowing me up. If there had been any realdanger, they would have been the first to run away."
"Well, sir, I think you have managed them exceedingly well."
Somers was perfectly willing he should think so, and perhaps he thoughtso himself. At any rate, he was heartily rejoiced to get out of thescrape so easily, and fully resolved that the conspirators should haveno further opportunity to exercis
e their talents at plotting on boardthe Ben Nevis.
There was a mystery still unsolved to the young officer, and with Mr.Hudson he repaired to the state-room in which Pillgrim had passed thenight,--or ought to have passed it,--and commenced a furtherexamination. There was nothing supernatural, or even very remarkable, inthe absence of the prisoner, when the carpet was pulled up, and a squareaperture, now closed by a pine board, was discovered in the corner ofthe room. In the ceiling there was a similar aperture, which had beenfilled up to correspond with the deck above. It was evident that aventilator, which had been used to convey fresh air to the after hold,had been removed at some recent period.
As Captain Walmsley had indicated this state-room for the use ofPillgrim, it was probable that he had chosen it on account of this meansof egress. Some time in the night he must have visited the prisoner,entering through this aperture, and conducted him to the hold below.
In the fine weather and smooth sea the Ben Nevis nearly made good theclaim of the conspirators in regard to her speed, for all day she loggedfifteen knots, and at three bells in the first dog watch Cape Henry wassighted, and at ten o'clock in the evening she anchored off FortressMonroe.
By the first conveyance Mr. Hudson was sent to Washington with thedespatches of Captain Cascabel, and one from Somers. On the second daythe messenger returned, with orders from the department. The youngofficer took the bundle of documents into the cabin, and proceeded toexamine those directed to himself. He was ordered to hand his prisonersover to the commandant of the fort, to deliver his vessel into thekeeping of the senior naval officer on the station, and to rejoin hisship forthwith, taking passage in a supply steamer to sail on thefollowing day. He was highly commended for the skill and energy withwhich he had discharged his duty on board the Ben Nevis, fullparticulars of which had been communicated by Mr. Hudson.
Another document contained his commission as master, the next rank abovethat of ensign, which had been solicited by Captain Cascabel. This paperwas full of interest to the recipient of it, and he was obliged to openthe long letters he had written to his mother and to Kate Portington, inorder to add, in a postscript, this important intelligence. He was proudand happy, and more than ever satisfied that republics are notungrateful, notwithstanding the tradition to the contrary.
At the proper time he proceeded to execute his orders in regard to thevessel and the prisoners. Pillgrim and his fellow-conspirator werebrought on deck. The former looked easy and defiant, as usual, andassured his captor that he should be at liberty in a few days.
"Perhaps not," said Somers.
"You shall yet be cheated of your victim, but I shall not be cheated ofmine," said he, with a malignant smile.
"I bear you no malice, Mr. Pillgrim."
"I do bear you malice; and the heaviest revenge that ever fell on manshall fall on you before the end of this year."
"Your threats are idle. I have heard too many of them. Pass into theboat, if you please."
Pillgrim and Walmsley went over the side, and the boat pulled away. Thechivalrous military officer removed the irons from their legs and armsas soon as he received them.
The Ben Nevis was to be sent to New York to be condemned, and Somershanded her over to the naval officer, according to his orders.