CHAPTER XII.
The Shot from the Rocks.
THE other shark, taking alarm, darted away at once.
“That’s a trophy we must secure!” exclaimed Reube. “You don’t have achance to shoot a shark every day.”
Will was already noosing a couple of ropes. The _Dido_ was broughtalongside the rolling carcass, and after a great deal of difficulty thenooses were made fast to its head and tail. In the effort to hoist theheavy mass aboard the boat was nearly swamped; and at one time Willoffered to give up the job. But Reube generously insisted on continuing.At last, by waiting till a wave rolled boat and carcass, together injust the most propitious way possible, the thing was accomplished with asudden hoist. Along with the great fish a barrel or two of water cameaboard; and while Reube steered, Will was kept busy for a half hourbailing the boat out.
This accomplished, Will discovered that the hot sun, the excitement, orpossibly the motion of the boat, had given him a violent headache.
“O, it’s all very well, but you know you’re seasick,” gibed Reube, as hesat at the helm.
“Maybe so,” assented Will, undisturbed at the imputation. “Anyway, I’mgoing to lie down here under the shade of the mainsail to sleep it off.Even if I snore don’t wake me, as you value your life!”
With the aid of a blanket he made himself comfortable, and in a fewminutes was sound asleep. Steering the _Dido_ and watching the shoresslip by, and building plans for the coming year, Reube was well content.The wind, after having almost died away, had shifted a few points andwas blowing gently but steadily. With this wind on her beam the _Dido_sailed fast, heeling smoothly, and sending the waves past her gunwalewith a pleasant murmur. Reube took little account of time just now. Lifeseemed a very attractive dream, and he was unwilling even to stir. Buthis hand on the tiller was firm, and there was no smallest danger of himdropping to sleep.
This lotus-eating mood, with a few intervals, must have lasted four orfive hours. The tide had turned and been a good three hours on the ebb.At last he observed vaguely that he was just off the promontory where heand Will had been caught in the cave. Thinking of the dangers of thelocality, he steered a point or two further out to give the sunken reefsa wide berth. As he did so he noticed that the tide was out as far asthe foot of the bluff, and that the cove flats were all uncovered. Hewas fairly past the point when out of the tail of his eye he caught amovement among the rocks just where the cave mouth lay. Turning his headquickly, he saw Mart Gandy step forward and raise his great duck gun tohis shoulder.
The distance was scarcely fifty yards, and Gandy was a first-rate shot.There was no time to think. Like a flash Reube dropped forward upon thebottom of the boat, letting the tiller swing free. At the same instantthere was a loud, roaring report from the big duck gun, and the heavycharge of buckshot, passing just over the gunwale, tore a black hole inthe sail.
Reube had fallen just in time. He picked himself up again at once,recaptured the tiller, and tried to put the _Dido_ before the wind inthe hope of getting out of range ere Gandy could load up for anothershot. But the boat was pointing straight for the shore, and came roundvery slowly. Ere Reube could get her on a new course Will appeared frombehind the sail, astonished at the noise and the confusion.
He took in the situation at once. Gandy, who was reloading in fiercehaste, stopped for a moment with paling face at Will’s unexpectedappearance. He had evidently been under the impression that Reube wasalone, or doubtless he would not have committed himself by such anattack. Then he made up his mind that he would see the thing through.Flinging down his powder horn, he rammed home the wadding fiercely, andreached for the heavy shot pouch at his side.
“To shore, Reube! Straight ashore with her!” said Will, in a low,intense voice.
Reube obeyed instantly, seeing that his former intention had been amistake. Mart Gandy wadded home the buckshot in his great gun barrel.The charge was a terrific one. Will stooped, like a wild-cat crouchingfor a spring. The _Dido_ rushed straight on, and both Reube and Willdeclared afterward that they knew just what it was like to charge abattery.
As Will’s keen eye saw Gandy’s finger feel for the trigger, he yelled,“Down! Reube!” and dropped beneath the gunwale. On the instant Reubefell flat in the stern. The great roar of the duck gun shook the air atthe same moment. But the charge flew wild and high, and a black holeappeared in the upper part of the sail. The report was followed by ayell of pain, and the big gun clattered on the rocks. Gandy staggeredback. The breech of the gun had blown out, and a fragment of it hadshattered his arm. In a moment, however, he recovered himself and rusheddesperately at the face of the bluff.
The boys saw at once what had happened.
“We’ve got him now,” said Reube, sternly. His sense of justice quenchedall sense of pity.
“Yes,” remarked Will, “he can’t climb the rocks with that arm; and nowthat he can’t fire that clumsy weapon of his, he’s no longer dangerous.We’ll just take him prisoner!”
Meanwhile the _Dido_ was dashing straight on to the Point, trusting toProvidence that she would strike a soft spot. But with Gandy disabledthere was no need of this desperate haste, so Reube steered for a placewhere he knew there was neither reef nor honey pot, but a slope of firmsand. He was too much occupied in the delicate task of making a safelanding for the _Dido_ to observe what Gandy was doing. But Will watchedthe actions of the latter, with a cold smile on his finely cut mouth.
“He is a coward, every time, when it comes to the pinch!” was hisremark. “See him now, too scared to meet us like a man, and strugglinglike a whipped cur to climb those rocks and get away! He can’t do it,though!”
Indeed, Mart Gandy at this moment realized the fact which gave Will suchsatisfaction. With his right arm broken, he could not make his way tothe top of the bluff. Like a hunted animal, he turned and glared witheyes of hate and fear upon his adversaries. Again he looked at therocks, turning his head quickly from side to side. And then, with ashrill, fierce cry, he darted out straight across the flats toward thehead of the cove.
“He’ll get away after all,” remarked Reube.
“Get away, indeed!” muttered Will. “It’s in the very thick of the honeypots he’ll be in less than half a minute, or I’m much mistaken. There!”
As he spoke, Gandy was seen to throw himself violently backward. It wasjust in time. As he tore himself by a mighty wrench from the engulfingslime he struggled to his feet, swerved to one side, and ran on.
Reube drew a long breath of relief; and Will said, dispassionately:
“That was well done. It was sharp.”
Just then the _Dido_ ran up on the sand, and stopped with a shock thatwould have pitched Will overboard if he had not grasped the mast.
“Now we’ve done it, Reube!” he exclaimed. “We’re aground hard and fast,just when there’s no longer any need of being here. I fancy we won’tundertake to follow Mr. Gandy through these honey pots.”
Reube made no direct answer. He was on his feet watching the fugitive,anxiously.
“Ah-h-h!” he cried, “he’s got it. He’ll never get through that patch ofdeath traps along there.”
The words were scarcely out of his mouth when Gandy seemed to wallowforward as if the ground had given way beneath him. With a mighty heaveof his body he tried to throw himself backward as he had done before.But this time he was too late The hungry, greenish-red ooze but lippedand clung to him more greedily. He flung himself flat, rolled on hisside, and strove to drag one leg free. With the effort his other legsank up to the thigh. Then he lifted his face and uttered a shriek ofheart-shaking horror.
Reube and Will sprang out upon the sand, Will grabbing up the boat hookas he did so. Reube snatched it from his hand.
“Go back,” he cried, “and get a rope, and follow me carefully right inmy tracks. I know this cove and you don’t.”
The next moment he was speeding like the wind to the spot where Gandylay writhing in that
inexorable grasp.