“You have money enough, and so have I. All we have to do is to buy a suit of clothes apiece, and then we shall be all right.”
They discussed the matter for half an hour longer. Bark was willing to admit that the time for putting the villanous scheme in operation was more favorable than any that was likely to be afforded them in the future. Though the professors were all on shore, they believed they could easily keep out of their way in a city so large as Barcelona.
“Suppose Salter should come into the steerage when you are down in the hold?” suggested Bark.
“That would be bad,” replied Bill, shaking his head. “But we must take some risk. We will wait till he comes in to take a look at us, and then I will do the job. He won’t come in again for half an hour; for I suppose he is busy in the cabin, as he always is while we are in port.”
They had to wait half an hour more before the chief steward came into the steerage. Though he intended to be a faithful officer, Mr. Salter was wholly absorbed in his accounts, and he did not like to leave them even for a moment. He went into the steerage far enough to see that both of the prisoners were safe in the cage, and hastened back to his desk.
“We are all right now,” whispered Bill, as he bent down to the scuttle that led into the hold.
“If you make any noise at all the chief steward will hear you,” replied Bark, hardly less excited than his companion in villany.
Bill raised the trap-door with the utmost care. As he made no noise, Mr. Salter heard none. Bill had his matches all ready, with the paper he had prepared for the purpose. He had taken off his shoes, so as to make no noise on the steps. He was not absent from the brig more than two minutes, and Salter was still absorbed in his accounts. Bark carefully adjusted the scuttle when Bill came up; and he could smell the burning straw as he did so.
Bill put on his shoes with all the haste he could, without making any noise; and both the conspirators tried to look as though nothing had happened, or was about to happen. They were intensely excited, of course, for they expected the flames would burst up through the cabin floor in a few moments. Bark looked over the slats of the cage to find where the weakest of them were, so as to be ready, in case it should be necessary, to break out.
“Do you smell the fire?” asked Bill, when his anxiety had become so great that he could no longer keep still.