He is a man who will never forgive an injury, and I would not care to be in your shoes if he gets you by yourself one day.
And, as a matter of fact, Gerald Rodman had sworn to himself, when he lay in irons, in the sail-locker, to have his revenge upon both the cooper and Captain Lucy, should he ever meet either of them ashore at any of the islands the barque was likely to touch at during her cruise. He was a man of great physical strength, and, for his position, fairly well educated. Both his parents were dead, and he and his brother Ned, and a delicate sister of nineteen, were the sole survivors of a once numerous family. The care of this sister was the one motive that animated the elder brother in his adventurous career; and while his reserved and morose nature seemed incapable of yielding to any tender sentiment or emotion, it yet concealed a wealth of the deepest affection for his weakly sister, of which the younger one had no conception. And yet, strangely enough, it was to Ned that Nellie Rodman was most attached; it was to his return that she most looked forward, never knowing that it was Geralds money alone that maintained the old family home in the quiet little New England village in which her simple life was spent. Little did she think that when money was sent to her by Gerald, saying it came from Ned and myself, that Ned had never had a dollar to send. For he was too careless and too fond of his own pleasure to ever think of sending her money. Jerry, he thought, was a mighty stingy fellow, and never spent a cent on himselfand could easily send Nell all she wanted. And yet Gerald Rodman, knowing his brothers weak and mercurial nature, and knowing that he took no care in the welfare of any living soul but himself, would have laid his life down for him, because happy, careless Ned had Nellies eyes and Nellies mouth, and in the tones of his voice he heard hers. So as he sat on the deck, with his brothers head upon his knees, he swore to get even with Martin Newman, as well as with Captain Lucy and cooper Burr, for as he watched the pale face of the lad it seemed to him to grow strangely like that of his far-off sister.
He had just completed sewing up the gaping wound in his brothers temple, when the cooper came up to the group:
Here, lay along, you fellows; the carpenter has finished Mr. Newmans boat, and some of you loafing soldiers have to man her and help Mr. Brant to tow his whale alongside. Leave that man there, and look spry, or youll feel mighty sorry.
III
As the cooper turned away the younger Rodman, assisted by his brother, staggered to his feet. The fall from the poop had, in addition to the cut in his temple, severely injured his right knee, and he begged his brother to let him lie down again.
Yes, yes, whispered Gerald Rodman, hurriedly; lie down, Ned, and then the lad heard him speaking to Wray in eager, excited tones.
Im with you, Jerry, said the young Englishman, quickly, in answer to something that Rodman had said; where is he now?
In the cabin, getting some Bourbon for Mr. Brants boat. There is only the Dago steward with him, and if Porter and Tom Harrod will join us we shall manage the thing right enough.
What is the matter, Jerrywhat are you talking about? asked Ned from where he lay.
Keep still, Ned, and ask us nothing just now; theres a chance of our getting clear of this floating hell. I neednt ask you if youll join us. Come on, Wray.
The fourth mate and the Portuguese steward were in the main cabin filling some bottles from a large jar of Bourbon whisky. Their backs were turned to the door, and both were so intent upon their task that they neither heard nor saw the four figures steal softly upon them. Suddenly they were seized from behind by Wray and Gerald Rodman, and then quickly gagged by Harrod and Porter before either had time to utter a cry. In a few minutes the four men had armed themselves with cutlasses from the rack around the mizzen-mast, which came through the cabin at the forard end of the table, Rodman also taking the captains and chief mates loaded revolvers out of their berths.
The fourth mate and steward were then carried into the captains cabin, and Gerald Rodman spoke:
Newman, he said, we are going to take charge of this ship for a while. If you make an attempt to give an alarm you are a dead man. Wray, stand here and run them both through if they make the ghost of a sound.
Again entering the captains cabin, he returned with two or three charts, a sextant and the ships chronometer, which he placed on the table just as a heavy footfall sounded on the companion steps. It was the cooper.
The boat is all ready, Newman, he said, as he entered the somewhat darkened cabin; who is going in her?
We are, said Rodman, dealing him a blow with the butt of his pistol and felling him. Leave him there, Wrayhell give us no trouble. Now take every one of those rifles out of the rack and put them on the table. Theres two kegs of powder and a bag of bullets in Mr. Brants cabinget those as well.
This was quickly done, and, calling to the others to follow him, Rodman sprang up the companion. No one but the man at the wheel was on the poop, and the leader of the mutineers, looking over the rail, saw that the boat was alongside with only one hand in her. Besides this man there were but eight other persons besides the mutineers on the ship, including the fourth mate, cooper, steward, and carpenter.
Calling the carpenter to him, Rodman covered him with his pistol, and told him and the rest of the startled men to keep quiet or it would be worse for them.
Two of you help my brother into the boat, he ordered. He was at once obeyed, and Ned Rodman was passed over the side into the hands of the man in the boat.
Put out every light on deck and aloft, was his next command, and this was done by the watch without delay; for there was in Rodmans face such a look of savage determination that they dared not think of refusing. Then he ordered them into the sail-locker.
Now, Mr. Waller, he said, addressing the carpenter, we dont want to hurt you and these three men with you. But we are desperate, and bent on a desperate course. Still, if you dont want to get shot, do as I tell you. Get into that sail-locker and lie low. Mr. Newman and the cooper and the steward are already disposed of. And Im going to put it out of the power of Captain Brute Lucy to get me and those with me into his hands again.
You wont shut us up in the sail-locker and scuttle the ship and let us drown, will you? asked the carpenter.
No; Im no murderer, unless you make me one. If there is any one I have a grudge against it is Mr. Newman and the cooper; but I wont do more to the cooper than I have already done. Still Im not going to leave the ship in your hands until I have messed her up a bit. So away with you into the locker, and let us get to work.
Then, with the man from the boat, the carpenter and his companions were pushed into the sail-locker and the door securely fastened. Looking down from the skylight into the cabin Rodman saw that the cooper had not yet come to, and therefore no danger need be apprehended from him. Sending Wray below, the rifles, ammunition, and nautical instruments were passed up on deck and handed down into the boat. Then, leaving Porter on guard to watch the cooper, Rodman and the others went forard with a couple of axes and slashed away at the standing fore-rigging on both sides; they then cut half-way through the foremast, so that the slightest puff of wind, when it came, would send it over the side. Then, going forard, they cut through the head stays.