Charlie Codmans Cruise 22
"What was it?"
"_It was a keg of powder_," said Bill, shaking the ashes from his pipe.
"Perhaps, my lad, you can guess what thought that put me up to."
"Was it to blow them all up?" asked Charlie, in excitement.
"You've hit it, my lad."
"But that would be dangerous to you."
"I knew that well enough," said the sailor. "There was precious little
chance of old Bill Sturdy living to tell the story; but, my lad,
I'll tell you what made me overlook that. I must either turn pirate
and always remain so, with a pretty considerable chance of swinging
from the gallows some time, or else be butchered by the pirates for
refusing to join them. So, as there didn't seem to be much but death in
prospect, that consideration didn't weigh much. Then I thought that, if
I did die by the explosion, I should have the satisfaction of knowing
that the rascally pirates would share my fate, and the Red Rover, the
scourge of the seas, would never do any more harm. Besides that, I
should save the Sally Ann, and the lives of the captain and crew, and
that was something glorious to think of."
The boy's cheek glowed with sympathetic ardor, and he clasped Bill
Sturdy's rough hand, in token of understanding and appreciating his
motive.
"That seemed the only way open to me," resumed Bill, "and I determined
to adopt it. Of course, there were nine chances out of ten that I
should be blown up with the rest of them, but still there was a
possibility of escape. I couldn't help thinking of that, and the more
I thought, the more I had a kind of feeling that I should escape. I
thought I would go up on deck a minute, before carrying out my design,
and see what was going on. Well, the pirates had about got ready for
action. The decks had been cleared, the cutlasses and pistols and other
murderous weapons had been distributed among the men, and, altogether,
there seemed precious little chance for the poor fellows on board the
Sally Ann, especially, as I knew well enough that they had no cannon,
and only a few pistols, that were not likely to do them much good.
There wasn't much time to lose, as the action was going to commence.
So I slipped down below, and fixed a slow match, so that it would
reach the powder in about a minute. I had just about got it fixed,
when who should I see coming down, but the pirate captain. It seemed
as if all my plans were going to be knocked in the head. No doubt he
suspected that all was not as it should be, and was coming down to see
what was to pay. I felt desperate, and fetched him as powerful a blow
as I was able, on the side of his head, and he fell like an ox, pretty
effectually stunned."
"What next?"
"The next thing I did was to hurry upon deck. 'Where's the captain?'
asked the mate. 'He'll be up directly,' said I. And so he was, but not
in the sense that he understood it.
"Well, I listened on deck for about half a minute, in a terrible state
of anxiety, you may be sure. Then, feeling that it was not safe for me
to stay any longer, I jumped into the water, and began to swim towards
the Sally Ann. As my head rose above the water, I saw the mate about to
fire at me, and I dove. When my head was fairly out of water again,
such a sound as smote upon my ear! The light had reached the powder,
and there was a terrible explosion. The ship was shattered to pieces.
The pirates were hurled into the air, some with mutilated limbs, and
I rather think that some of them were considerably astonished. The
captain did go up as I promised. He was flung a hundred feet into the
air, and never came down again alive. For my part, I was lucky enough
to reach the Sally Ann, untouched by the falling fragments. When they
found out who I was, and how I had saved them, their gratitude knew
no bounds. The owners made up a purse of two thousand dollars, and
presented it to me."
"And what did you do with it?"
"When I got back to Boston, I put it in one of the places you call
Savings Banks, and I expect it's there now."
XXIII.
ANTONIO'S PLOT.
Such is a specimen of the yarns--sometimes true, sometimes spun out of
whole cloth--with which the sailors amused themselves and beguiled the
tedium of the night-watch.
The companionship of honest and stout-hearted Bill Sturdy proved a
great source of happiness to Charlie, and enabled him to bear up, as
otherwise he might have found it difficult to do, under the hardships
of his condition, the persecution of the captain and the mate, who had
not forgotten their animosity, and the uncertainty he could not but
feel as to the situation in which his mother was left, with the painful
doubt as to whether she would be able to support herself till he could
return and relieve her necessities.
"When we get back, my lad," said Bill Sturdy, "I'll put half that money
in the Savings Bank in your name, so that if you and your mother want
it at any time, you can use it."
"No, Bill," said Charlie, earnestly, "you are very kind, but I couldn't
consent to that."
"And why not, my lad? What do I want of it? I've got neither chick nor
child, and am not likely to have. I've taken a fancy to you, and the
money'll do you more good than me."
"You are _very_ kind," said Charlie, gratefully; "but I mustn't take
advantage of your generosity."
"Nonsense, my lad. I know what it is to be a poor boy, without money or
friends, and nowadays money will bring friends. Mayhap it'll start you
in some business, and when you get rich you can pay me; or if, by and
by, I take a notion to come to anchor on shore, you'll give me a corner
in your house, where I can smoke my pipe and spin my yarns."
"That I will, Bill," said Charlie, seizing the old sailor's rough hand.
"If I have a roof to cover me, it shall cover you too."
"Thank you, my lad," said Bill. "I know you would."
Under Bill Sturdy's rough exterior there was a kind heart which warmed
to our young hero, partly because of his solitary position on board,
partly on account of his manliness and attractive qualities. So they
became fast friends.
Charlie did not find his duties altogether distasteful. He was a
bright, active boy, not without ambition, and resolved to do himself
credit in his new position, however it may have been forced upon him.
For this reason it was that the captain and the mate, although they
watched him with lynx eyes, hoping that he would afford them some
pretext for showing their rancorous feelings towards him, watched
ineffectually. By his activity, and his frank and manly disposition,
he was fast ingratiating himself with the crew, who were the more
disposed to espouse his cause, because they could not fail to notice
the injustice with which the officers treated him.
But trouble was brewing for Charlie, and soon the storm broke forth.
The scuffle between Bill Sturdy and Antonio, of which Charlie was the
occasion, will not have been forgotten. Antonio had before hated Bill
on account of his superiority in strength, which deprived him of his
former champion's life. This feeling was increased by the issue of the
contest which had resulted in his humiliation and defeat, and his anger
was also stirred up against Charlie, who had been the occasion of it.
Yet he did not dare to venture upon abuse, because it was generally
understood that Bill Sturdy had constituted himself Charlie's especial
friend and protector.
But there were other ways of compassing his end. Antonio was subtile.
He felt that his revenge must be a more secret one, and he desired that
it should involve both Bill Sturdy and his _protégé_. If he could only
involve Charlie in some offence which would draw upon him the active
displeasure of the captain, and subject him to public punishment,
he felt sure that Bill Sturdy would not stand tamely by and see it
inflicted, while any interference would be insubordination, and get his
rival into serious trouble.
After reflection Antonio decided to implicate Charlie in a charge of
theft. It happened that the captain had a valuable gold ring, set
with diamonds, which, for reasons unnecessary to state, he prized even
beyond its pecuniary value. Captain Brace, however, was not a careful
man. He would sometimes take off his ring, and lay it down on the cabin
table. On one occasion Antonio, while upon deck, observed the captain
pass, and ascertained by a swift glance that the ring was not upon his
finger. He watched his opportunity, and slipping down into the cabin,
found, as he anticipated, the ring upon the table. It was the work of a
moment to snatch and conceal it in his pocket.
He returned to the work in which he had been engaged, and resumed it,
supposing he had not been observed.
In this he was mistaken.
Bill Sturdy had had his eye upon him from the time of his difficulty
with him. He could see Antonio's craftiness in his face, and the
apparent affability and conciliatory manner of the latter afterwards
had by no means deceived him.
"Look out for squalls," thought he. "He's too fair seeming to be
trusted. I've no doubt he's hatching up something or other. I'll keep a
sharp lookout for him."
When Antonio made his stealthy visit to the cabin, as above described,
the vigilant eye of Bill Sturdy was upon him and his movements.
In a moment he reappeared. Bill saw it all out of the corner of his
eye, though he appeared to be looking in just the opposite direction.
"What's the fellow up to?" he thought. "Some mischief, I reckon. What
business has he in the cabin? I must watch him."
Of course, Antonio's object will be understood. He meant to place the
ring in Charlie's chest, and when the loss should be discovered by the
captain, he would suggest that a general search should be instituted,
the result of which must involve our young hero.
Charlie was, of course, quite unconscious of the machinations which
were being formed against him, and even Bill was not yet quite certain
for what purpose Antonio had made his visit to the cabin.
Antonio felt the necessity of doing quickly what he had in
contemplation.
Going below, he made his way to the chest belonging to our hero, and,
lifting the cover, for it was unlocked, let the ring drop into one
corner.
Bill Sturdy saw his second disappearance from the deck. He could not
ascertain precisely what he was doing, without following him,--a
thing which he did not wish to do, since it would arouse Antonio's
suspicions, and place him on his guard.
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