It was past five by the time that all was ready. Twice had we heard a sound of knocking in the hatchway; but I guessed that it signified a demand for water, and dared take no notice of it until we were prepared. The three of us—Helga being at the wheel—armed ourselves with a heavy iron belaying-pin apiece, and, stationing the boatmen at the hatch, I put my face against the mouth of the funnel and hailed the men through it. I was instantly answered:
'Yaas, yaas, sah! In the name of Allah, water!'
It was such another thin, reed-like voice as had before sounded, yet not the same. This time it might have been Nakier who spoke.
'We are going to give you water and food now!' I shouted. 'We will open the hatch; but only one man must show himself to receive the things. If more than one of you shows himself we will close the hatch instantly, and you will get no water. Do you understand me?'
'Yaas, yaas,' responded the voice, sounding in my ear as though it were half a mile distant. 'We swear by Allah only one man he show hisself.'
'Let that man be Punmeamootty!' I bawled.
I then returned to the hatch. Jacob, putting the belaying-pin into his coat pocket, stood abaft ready to rush the lid of the hatch to at a cry from me, while Abraham, on the left, hung, with poised weapon, prepared for the first hint of a scramble up from below. I remember the look in his face: it was as though he were already fighting for his life. I slipped the padlock, withdrew the bar, and pushed the cover back some three or four inches. The glare on the deck blinded me when I peered down: the interior seemed as black as midnight to my eyes.
'Are you there, Punmeamootty?' I cried.
I heard a faint 'Yaas,' pronounced in a subdued, terrified tone.
'Come up till your hands show,' cried I, for I feared that he might have his knife drawn and would stab me if I put my arms down.