I considered a while, and then said, reflectively:
“It is just questionable whether it would not, after all, be the best plan to let the scoundrels get right away, and then launch the French boat.”
“That’s no good,” interrupted Harry; “the French boat is stove. Sam thought of that last night; says he: ‘If we don’t mind our weather heye, that there feller aft may break his way out from below a’ter we’re gone, and get away in t’other boat.’ And Dirk, he says: ‘Tike the “doctor’s” coal hammer and smash in a bottom plank. That’ll stop any sich little gime as you speaks of, Sam.’ And a’ter a little more talk, Sam ups and does it while you was below, asleep.”
“The scoundrels!” ejaculated I fiercely. “So they are absolutely determined to murder us, are they? Very well; their blood be on their own heads! Now listen to me, Harry.” And therewith I unfolded my final plans, and gave him a few last instructions; after which Harry went on deck again, to be there in the event of any of the others taking it into their heads to go on deck and have a look round.
Anxious to get as much rest as possible, I flung myself down upon one of the sofa-lockers; but my nerves were just then rather too tautly strung, and all my senses too keenly on the alert, to admit of anything like sound sleep, and I simply dozed, hearing Harry’s every movement on deck, until the grey light of dawn began to ooze down through the skylight, when I went to my berth, soused my head in a basin of cold water, had a good refreshing wash, and then went on deck to look round; the people forward appearing on deck at the precise moment when I emerged from the companion. They seemed to be rather disconcerted at seeing me, but I feigned not to have noticed it, devoting my immediate attention to the weather. It was quite fine now, with a nice little royal breeze from about due east; the sea had gone down wonderfully during the night, and there was very little more than the heavy swell to contend with, while even that looked a great deal more formidable than it really was. As for the brig, she was much more buoyant than I had expected to find her; I gave her fully six hours longer to live—quite long enough to enable the wretches who meditated my destruction to repair and launch the boat that they had wilfully damaged, while the job would occupy them long enough to enable me to gain a good start and get clear away from them.
The cook went to his galley, and lighted his fire, quite in the ordinary way, and set about preparing breakfast, while the rest, going to the City of Cawnpore’s gig, looked into her, talking together in low tones. Then they cast off the gripes and tackle falls, and lowered her until her gunwale was just level with the rail, when they began to pass into her and stow the kegs of water, provisions, and other matters that they intended taking with them; and by the extreme care that each man bestowed upon the storage of his own particular bundle of “dunnage,” I felt tolerably certain that their respective parcels of gems were concealed therein. Seeing them thus employed, I slipped down below, gave Miss Onslow a call, and then returned to the deck with her and my own bundle, together with the chronometer and sextant, all of which, in an easy, off-hand manner, I placed in the stern-sheets. As I did so, the man Sam looked up, and exclaimed savagely:
“Here, what the—” but was instantly interrupted by one of his mates, who murmured a few words in his ear.
“What is the matter?” demanded I, with a great affectation of innocence; “surely there is room in the boat for the few things belonging to the lady and myself?”
“Oh, ay,” he growled surlily; “there’s room enough—or, if there ain’t, we’ll make room, so’s you and the lady shall have plenty o’ clothes for your trip—eh, mates?”
The others responded with a sinister laugh at the grim humour of the joke; but without taking any notice, I looked on at the work with just that amount of interest that I might be reasonably expected to take, until the steward called me to say that breakfast was ready. Then, with a glance of intelligence at Harry—to which he responded—I turned away and went below.