"Fairly nippy, but it's of no consequence, being my left," replied the man. "When you've been shot through the stomach with a Mauser bullet and through the forearm with a soft-nosed bullet like I have, a little scratch like this don't signify."
It was horribly cold, being lowered feet foremost into the water. Jack would have much preferred to take a header, but once fairly in the chilliness vanished, and he struck out for the gangway, keeping close to the barnacled side of the towering hulk.
Clambering into the dinghy, he rowed to the stern of the Bikanir and took the coil of rope on board. The execution of his plan necessitated a double journey; first to the light-boat, then to the two boats tied to the gangway; then back to the light-boat, to which he hauled the sole means of the desperadoes' escape. This done he took the three red lanterns, half a dozen rockets, and a box of matches, and returned to the powder hulk.
"Now what's to be done with the dinghy?" he exclaimed, after he had fastened the procured articles to a rope and sent up to Armitage who was ready to receive them. "We can't leave her made fast here, and we don't want to turn her adrift."
"Throw up your painter and make fast the rope to the after ring-bolt—we'll haul her up to the stern-gallery," replied Harry. "Look sharp; they're going to send up a rocket and then the fun will commence. The lanterns are already lighted."
"I thought the fun commenced a long time ago," remarked Standish as he swarmed up the rope and gained the stern-walk.
"Now then, sir, stand by for a rush," continued Smith, gripping his revolver resolutely, as Adams struck a match and held it to the touch-paper of the rocket.
Swish! With a rush and a roar the rocket soared skywards, and, bursting, gave out a brilliant blue light that threw the deck of the hulk into strong relief.
It was like disturbing a nest of wasps. The five men emerged from the fo'c'sle. Four of them ran blindly for the gangway. Smith's revolver cracked, and one pitched forward on the deck, jerked his limbs once or twice and then lay still. This time the shot failed to stop the rush. The policeman fired again while Armitage, cocking and discharging his antiquated weapon as fast as the could, joined in the attempt to repulse the rush. But, apparently unscathed, the three gained the entry-port and disappeared down the ladder.
"Bad luck to 'em!" exclaimed Smith as he ejected the smoking cylinders from his weapon. "They've got to choose now between death by drowning or penal servitude for life. I——"