“I see,” assented Leslie. “But what sort of a man is your mate, then? Could he not devise some scheme whereby, with the assistance of the rest of you, he could get the better of these fellows?”
“Mr Marshall?” responded the steward. “Oh, ’e’s all right; ’e’s smart enough, ’e is; not much of a chap to look at—bein’ a small man and not over strong—but ’is ’ead’s screwed on the right way. But ’e can’t do nothin’, because, ye see, sir, they keeps ’im in irons and locked up in ’is own cabin, ’cept when ’e was let out twice a day to take the sights and work up the ship’s reckonin’, and then either Turnbull or one of ’is gang was always alongside of ’im, and nobody else was hever allowed to go anigh ’im; whilst at other times—when I was givin’ ’im ’is meals, I mean—either Pete Burton or one of the other chaps what was in with Turnbull was always about to see as ’e and I didn’t ’ave no talk together. So, ye see, the poor man ’adn’t no chance to do anything ’owever much ’e might ’ave been minded.”
“Poor beggar!” ejaculated Leslie; “he must have had an awfully rough time of it. And, evidently, Turnbull and his pals do not mean to take any chances—which makes the recapture of the barque without a fight somewhat difficult. However, I believe it can be done; and, anyhow, I intend to try. Now, as I suppose you know these fellows pretty well, I want you to tell me what you think will happen when they find that Turnbull does not return to the ship.”
The steward carefully considered the matter for some moments. At length he said—
“Well, sir, if Turnbull don’t come off by to-morrow night, it’s very likely as they’ll begin to suspect that you knows somethin’ about it. Then, what’ll they do? They daren’t all four of ’em leave the barque, with only Slushy to take care of ’er, because they knows very well that the rest of us ’d pretty soon tie up Mr Slushy and have the barque back again. And they knows, too, that if all four of ’em was to come ashore, we could slip the cable, make sail, and take the ’ooker out to sea afore they could pull off to ’er. No; they won’t do that. What they will do, I expect, is this. If Turnbull don’t come off by sunset to-morrow—which I s’pose he won’t, eh? No. Well, if he don’t, I expect as they’ll wait till some time a’ter midnight, and then two of ’em ’ll quietly drift ashore in one of the quarter-boats, leavin’ the other two to take care o’ the ship. And the two as goes ashore ’ll reckon upon catchin’ of you calmly asleep in your tent, there, and makin’ you tell ’em where Turnbull is.”
“Y-e-s,” assented Leslie, thoughtfully, “it is quite likely that they may do some such thing as that. Yes; no doubt they will do that, sooner or later; if not to-morrow night, then the night after, or the night after that again. Very well; if they do, I shall be ready for them. And on the succeeding night, steward, you may look out for me again, about this time, unless, meanwhile, I see any reason to alter my plans. Now, that is all for the present, I think, so I will put you aboard again. I suppose, by the way, these men have no suspicion that you and I are in communication with each other?”
“Lor’ bless ye, no, sir,” answered Reynolds, cheerfully. “Why should they? They don’t dream as you’ve any idee of the real state of affairs—at least not up to now. They may p’rhaps ’ave their suspicions if Turnbull don’t come aboard some time to-morrow; but at present they believes as ’e ’ve bamboozled you completely. Then, they drinks pretty freely every night, and sleeps sound a’ter it, which they wouldn’t do if they ’ad a thought as I was up to any game.”
“So much the better,” remarked Leslie. “What you have to do is to leave them in the same comfortable frame of mind as long as possible. Now, here we are. Good night!”
As Leslie paddled thoughtfully ashore again he pondered over the foregoing conversation with the steward, and after carefully weighing the several pros and cons of the situation, finally arrived at the conclusion that the steward’s surmise as to the mutineers’ line of action would probably prove to be a very near approach to the truth. In any case he thought it in the highest degree improbable that they would attempt so exceedingly risky an operation as that of leaving the barque in broad daylight, when all hands would be awake and about; he therefore partook of a leisurely breakfast next morning, and then fearlessly left the camp to take care of itself while he sauntered over to the cove to see how Nicholls and Simpson were getting on. And as he passed the treasure-cave he looked in, just to satisfy himself that Turnbull was still in safe keeping, and also to examine his wound. He found the fellow still bound hard and fast, and in a state of sullen fury at his helpless condition, but otherwise he was doing fairly well, except for the fact that his wound presented a somewhat inflamed and angry appearance, due, no doubt, to the man’s unhealthy state of body through excessive drinking. Leslie dressed the wound afresh, and then passed on to the cove, where he found Nicholls and Simpson busily engaged in getting the cutter ataunto. They had already got her mainsail bent, set, and flapping gently about in the small currents of wind that eddied round the cove, the idea being to allow it to stretch uniformly before exposing it to the regular strain of work. And when Leslie came upon them they were busy upon the task of bending the foresail; and Nicholls reported that they would be easily able to complete everything, even to getting the topmast on end and the rigging set up, before nightfall. As for Flora, she had gone off upon a ramble, leaving a note for Dick which contained instructions as to how he might find her. This he did, without difficulty; and as the whole of the treasure was now loaded on board the cutter and the little craft herself was in condition to leave the cove at an hour’s notice, there remained little or nothing to be done prior to the recapture of the Minerva. Dick therefore felt himself perfectly free to devote the remainder of the day to his sweetheart.
About an hour before sunset, however, the pair turned up at the cove, and while Flora went on board the cutter, Leslie instructed Nicholls to accompany him back to the camp, which they reached just as darkness fell. Arrived there, the two men at once made their way to the great pile of bales and cases that Dick had, with such a tremendous expenditure of labour, brought ashore from the wrecked Mermaid, and, rummaging among these, found the big case of firearms from which Leslie had provided himself. The case was opened and a brace of good, serviceable revolvers withdrawn therefrom for Nicholls’ use, after which the two men leisurely partook of their evening meal. By the time that this was finished and cleared away it was close upon eight o’clock, and as Leslie rather anticipated the possibility of a visit from some of the mutineers that night, and had no fancy for being taken unawares by them, he directed Nicholls to lie down and sleep until midnight, when he would relieve him, it being Dick’s purpose that the two men should take watch and watch through the night.