Story 1--Chapter XXXIII.
In Peril.
Hester turned shuddering away as she saw Lauré’s eyes fixed upon her, and soon began to tremble as she recalled a previous occasion when under a threat the Cuban exacted a promise from her, one that, believing her husband’s life at stake, she had given.
She tried to look in other directions, to devote herself to attending upon poor, weak John Studwick; but it was impossible, and strive how she would, her attention was constantly drawn back to the Cuban, who, with a smile upon his lip, watched her anxiety, and horrified her by coming to where the tube ran from the air-pump over the side, and picking it up held it in his hand as he glanced at her white face.
Then he threw it down again, and turning to the men about him, spoke first to one and then to another, with the result that each of the scoundrels seemed placed upon his guard, and to be ready for any emergency.
Lauré, according to his custom, was armed to the teeth, carrying quite a little arsenal in his belt, and, after going round to the men, he advanced to where Rasp was standing.
“Is that fellow working well?” he said aloud.
“Pretty well,” growled Rasp, taking some snuff. “Getting a bit lazy, though. He don’t work like he did when he was at it for himself.”
Lauré walked up and down the deck three or four times, and then stopped short by Hester, who shrank from his touch as he laid his hand upon her arm.
“When is pretty Hester Pugh coming to make amends for all her coldness?” he said, with a smile.
She did not speak, only cowered away, with her eyes fixed on his, like a bird beneath the glance of a snake.
“I say, when is pretty little Hester going to reward me for all my patience and perseverance?” he repeated. “No, no! don’t run away, little timidity. I am very dreadful, am I not? I am a terrible fellow to seize upon the ship, and make the scoundrels who tried to rob me work for my treasure. What—no answer?”
Hester could not have spoken had she wished, for her position seemed to paralyse her. An indignant word might cause the wretch who persecuted her to endanger once more her husband’s life, and so she crouched there trembling.
The doctor and Captain Studwick were at the pumps, but she dare not appeal to them lest more mischief should befall, and hence she sat there trembling, feeling how thoroughly they were in the monster’s power.
“She is coy and angry at our neglect,” said Lauré, sneeringly. “Well, well, we must excuse it, for we have been too busy even to think of love. Let us apologise, then, and say that we love her more than ever; and now that the work is nearly done, we are going to seek our reward henceforward here, Hester.”
He laid his hand once more upon her arm, but she shrunk shuddering away, and the Cuban walked angrily to the side, where, with the tube in his hand, he stood gazing down, and watching the action of Dutch as he moved from place to place far below in the pure water.
He glanced round once, and saw that Hester, with dilated eyes, was watching his every movement, and feeling that he had, as it were, her heart-strings in his hand, he pretended to ignore her presence on the other side of the deck, and played with the tube that was the life of Dutch Pugh, now pinching it or bending it so that the supply of air was slightly hindered, when Rasp, unobserved, signalled to those at the air-pump with one hand, causing them to accelerate their toil and so keep up the supply.
Just then, though so weak that he could hardly walk, John Studwick crossed the deck. Bessy would have accompanied him, but he hoarsely told her to keep back, and so soft and slow was his step that he had his thin white hand upon the Cuban’s arm before the latter was aware of his presence.
“You cowardly cur!” said John Studwick, glaring at him with his unnaturally bright eyes, and with his hollow cheeks burning with a hectic flush. “I can hardly think it possible that God can let such a villain live.”
Lauré started as if he had been stung, and his hand sought one of the pistols in his belt.
“Pistols, yes,” said John Studwick. “But pistols or no pistols, if I had the strength of a man instead of being a helpless wreck, one of us should not leave this deck alive.”
Captain Studwick and the doctor were intensely excited, but they dared not leave the air-pump lest the supply should fail for Dutch; but Mr Wilson drew nearer, and stood with parting lips and trembling hands watching the scene, while some of the armed crew now began to take an interest in the affair.
“Go down to your berth—to your kennel—sick dog that you are,” cried Lauré savagely, as he showed his white teeth like the animal he mentioned. “Speak to me like that again, and you shall not live long enough to see your pretty sister become my mistress, like Hester Pugh.”
“You cowardly ruffian!” cried the young man, tottering on the brink of the grave as he was, and as he spoke he sprang at Lauré’s throat, clinging there with both hands, and in his surprise the Cuban staggered back. But only for a moment; the next Lauré had shaken him off, and as the feeble man tottered away the ruffian drew a revolver, cocked it rapidly, and fired at the invalid as he fell.
The bullet flew up through the rigging, for Wilson struck up his arm, and Lauré turned savagely upon him, while the captain and the doctor were starting from the air-pump to go to Wilson’s aid, when they were paralysed by a shout from Rasp.
“Pump, pump! or you’ll kill Dutch Pugh.”
Hester uttered a wild shriek, and the handles flew round again as she darted to the air-pump, and as if feeling that she could help her husband, seized the tube.
This cry and her act saved Wilson’s life, for Lauré, not a yard from him, was taking deadly aim at his head, his furious countenance bearing plainly stamped on it the determination to slay. Seeing Hester’s act, then, he lowered the pistol, stuck it in his belt, and, as if the opportunity had come, and an excuse for revenge, he drew the keen sword he carried and with one cut divided the air-tube as it lay upon the deck.
Hester uttered another cry, and then stood like the rest, paralysed, as the tube writhed like a living creature, undulated, and then rapidly ran over the side, when the woman’s whole nature seemed changed. From a gentle, timid, shrinking creature she was transformed into one reckless of life and free from fear, and, throwing herself upon Lauré, she caught the sword by the hilt, and tried to wrest it from his hand, while he, astonished at the change, gave way.
The cutting of the tube had set the two men free, or it would have gone hard with Hester. Captain Studwick flew to her help, armed with an iron screw-hammer that he had caught up, while the doctor seized a lever and ran to assist, but only to receive a heavy blow from behind, as, at a call from Lauré, his men closed in, and the struggle became general.