Cardyke's first step in the navigation of the vessel was to get her on her proper course. When the quartermasters deserted their posts the vessel, left to her own devices, slowly headed to starboard, and by the time Cardyke could give his attention to the helm, she was pointing almost due north.
By this time twilight enabled the midshipman to see the state of affairs on deck. The Impregnable—she was the Independencia no longer—was driving her crumpled bows against the waves, the jagged mass of steel offering a tremendous resistance to the water.
Instead of turning the ship back till she pointed due south Cardyke rang down for half-speed astern. The order was obeyed with comparative celerity, and the cruiser, gathering sternway, made quite two knots an hour more than she had done when steaming ahead. The pressure upon the collision bulkhead was, in consequence, considerably reduced, and the leakage, instead of gaining, began to show signs of diminishing in volume.
Stalkart, the master of the Dutch tug, was placed in charge of the bridge, with two of his men to act as quartermasters. The rest of the Dutchmen were told off to various professional duties, while the passengers taken from L'Égalité, under Rutter's orders, were placed to guard the engine-room and stokehold hatchways. Implicitly the men obeyed Cardyke's orders.
As soon as the midshipman had completed the preliminary arrangements he hastened to the cabin where his wounded comrade was lying. Fielding had overrated the magnitude of his wound, which, though painful, and even dangerous, was by no means likely to prove mortal unless complications ensued. Mukyima had extracted the bullet and dressed the wound, and Fielding was sleeping comfortably. The Jap raised his fore-finger warningly as Cardyke entered. The mid. understood that absolute quietude was essential for his comrade's recovery; and, softly withdrawing, made his way towards the place where Hiram B. Rutter was keeping guard over the engine-room hatchways.
In a very short time the engineers and stokers, who were ignorant of the change of masters, would expect to be relieved.
Great was the surprise of one of them on gaining the head of the steel ladder to find himself confronted by a couple of armed men who he knew were not members of the pirate crew. Before he could utter a warning cry he was seized, and handed over to the others to be bound.
The man had come on deck to find out the reason why the watch below had not been relieved, and failing to return, another of the engine-room staff clambered up the ladder.
The two Frenchmen who were awaiting him showed themselves a fraction of a minute too soon. The pirate, guessing that something was amiss, ran down the ladder and informed his companions. Armed with knives, revolvers, spanners, and crowbars, the motley throng made a dash on deck.
The struggle at the hatchway was brief but desperate. The engineers and stokers were driven below. Then, as a protest, the engines were stopped.