“He isn’t hurt half as badly as he ought to be,” said Tim, pointing to the fallen man. “Take him away, bos’n, before some one sees him.”
Then we crowded to the door, which was flung open.
At that minute the deep baying of the hounds fell upon our ears, sounding weirdly musical in the night, and a few moments later human forms dashed up the street, with the leaping animals straining at the chains that held them, fairly pulling the men into their tremendous stride.
“Way there! way there!” bawled a voice I knew was Henry’s, and, before I could move, one of the animals, with a howl, leaped straight for my throat.
All thought of escape was gone in an instant, and I struggled desperately with the animal, while the black conch beat and pulled to drag him off.
Finally, after I had my hands badly torn with the brute’s teeth, they succeeded in quieting him, and Henry clapped irons upon my wrists. Then I saw Tim had also been taken, and was standing quietly with his hands ironed behind him and his head bowed forward, his thoughts evidently far away from the barque or her crew. Upon the white coral road lay a dark object, and, while I looked, men raised it and bore it into the house the woman had but left a few minutes before.
I stood gazing after them until Henry shoved me roughly ahead.
“Come, git a move on ye,” said he. And his fingers closed upon my arm like a vice.
We went some distance before reaching the landing where we had come ashore, and I was more astonished to find that, in spite of our wild run, the boat was not only waiting for our return, but had an uproarious crowd ironed in her. I could hear the voice of Martin raised in an argument with Bill, insisting the devil had taken charge and was afraid to stand to a true Christian like himself. And the big Norwegian would earnestly try to strike him, and then bewailed his inability, owing to his ironed hands. Above all, the deep roar of Jones floated over the quiet harbour, joined now and then by the thick tones of the Doctor bawling for Thunderbo’ to bring him something that would “scratch.”
We were hustled into the boat without ceremony, and started for the barque.