“There’s some truth in that,” retorted Marline, “and there’s nothing like meeting our misfortunes with a brave front. But look, my friend,” he suddenly added in a whisper, as he lifted his head, “it seems to me that I can make out the outlines of a figure moving about in the steerage. There is certainly somebody there, or I am very much deceived.”
“Ay, ay,” replied Stump, “you are sartainly right. I see the creatur’, and I can’t imagine who he is, seeing as only the faint outlines of him is visible. But if he stays there much longer we’ll get a clearer squint of him, for we are getting more accustomed-like to the darkness every minute. It’s a-making parfect cats of us—it is—so far as our eyes are consarned—this being in confinement; only I hope that it won’t prevent us from seeing clear in the daylight.”
The harpooner was about to reply, when both men suddenly beheld a number of jets of blue flame shoot up amid the gloom of the after-hold, shedding a faint, unearthly light upon surrounding objects, and thus bringing into bold relief the long, cruel face and gleaming eyes of the Portuguese steward.
“Blast him!” ejaculated Stump, “there he is, sure enough, and if them blue flames ain’t prognostical of his future downfall into the great lower hold, that’s prepared for such sinners, then you may have my pigtail, which is dearer to me than life. But, what the infarnal blackskin intends to do with that furnace of blazing charcoal that he carries, baffles my scrutiny into human natur’.”
“We shall soon see,” replied the harpooner—a terrible suspicion flashing through his mind, “we shall soon see. The villain is capable of any crime.”
“He’s a sneaking wretch,” added the shipkeeper, “as is proved by his doing every thing in a sneaking way. He must have been one of them that just liberated the chief mutineer, and in his gen’ral underhand manner, he’s contrived to remain in the hold, escaping the observation of Lark, who was too glad, I’ll warrant, when he found himself free to pay attention to his sat’lite. But what can the infarnal imp be going to do with that charcoal furnace?”
Stump, however, was soon enlightened, and the suspicions of his chum confirmed; for the steward now advanced rapidly toward them, and placed the furnace upon a cask within a few yards of their feet. Then he darted forward, and drawing a pump-bolt from his pocket, he thrust it into the mouth of the shipkeeper and secured it with strong cords, heedless of the indignant remonstrances of the harpooner, and his loud hail to those on deck; for the young man did not believe that they were cognizant of the infernal plans of the Portuguese.
“Ay, ay,” said the latter, “you may cry until you be hoarse, but neither Lark nor de men will heed you, for dey t’ink you only do it so as dey can you let out of de hold. Hey! hey! hey! dis is fine revenge for de knock-down you make Lark give me. Now den, me gag you de same as Stump!” And suiting the action to the words, he forced an iron belaying-pin, with which he was provided, into the mouth of the prisoner.
“Dere,” said he, malignantly, when he had secured the instrument—“now me leave you and go on deck. De charcoal burn in de furnace, and de gas kill you before long time, de same as a rat!”
With which comfortable assurance he departed, and the two men soon afterward heard him open the run-hatch in order to make his way into the cabin.