CHAPTER XIV

THE VICTORY IN THE CABIN

Louis Belgrave knew Scoble perfectly, and believed with all his might that he was a coward; otherwise he would hardly have dared to drive him to the farther end of the cabin, though he had the means in his hands of enforcing his command. With a revolver in one, and a club in the other, he felt strong enough to do anything.

He was grievously tired of the long discussions, useful to some extent as they had been, which had taken place in the cabin, and the necessity of some more decided action had been pressing upon him for some time. The sickness of his mother had prevented him from doing anything more than release his companions in the second cabin from their prison in the hold; and the long talks had been forced upon him by the presence of the captain.

He had not had an opportunity to consider the situation of his mother and himself as calmly and judicially as he desired. Even if he could get out of the present difficulty, Scoble would be in the field to make another attempt upon the tranquillity of his mother at another time. He believed it would not be a difficult matter, after the preparations he had made, to escape from the vessel; but the schooner and the villain would still be in the vicinity of his home, and he could renew his assault at a future time.

As he stood by the pantry with his eyes fixed upon the captain, he could not help asking himself if he had done wisely in not telling the villain that the missing million had been recovered. That was the object of his visit to the United States, and he had bought the Maud for this special purpose. For the hidden treasure he had married Mrs. Belgrave; for that he had tyrannized over his wife’s son; and for that he had intended to take them both to England, where the boy would be more under his control. In fact, all that he had done had been with the single object of obtaining eventually the possession of the million.

Even if Scoble knew that the money had been found, and was held in trust for Louis, he was aware that the boy’s only heir was his mother, and everything would remain practically the same. Nothing would have been gained by announcing the discovery of the treasure to the villain. After he had looked the matter over thoroughly he was satisfied that the situation was quite as well as it was.

He had hardly come to this satisfactory conclusion before the Maud began to behave in a very violent and unruly manner. She pitched and rolled furiously, so that it began to be rather difficult for the young landsman to keep on his feet. Either the gale had increased in force, or the vessel had reached a more exposed position. The water was breaking over the schooner, and it could be heard pounding upon the deck. Some of it poured down the companion-way into the cabin; and then Louis heard the mate order one of the sailors to close the doors, and draw the slide.

Captain Scoble did not offer to leave the divan under the stern windows where he had been driven, and Louis went to the pantry. He opened the door leading into the steerage, and shouted the name of Captain Ringgold. He was absent from the cabin but a few seconds, for he knew he could not trust Scoble to keep quiet. Before the shipmaster appeared, Mr. Frinks came down into the cabin. He must have heard some of the loud talk in the cabin, for the skylight was not far from the wheel. He had shown no disposition to interfere with the captain’s affairs, at least not till he was called upon to do so.

The mate seemed to be greatly astonished to find everything so tranquil in the cabin. He looked at Louis, and then cast his eyes about, evidently in search of the captain. He did not see him at first; for that worthy, in the absence of anything better to do, appeared to have lain down and gone to sleep.

“Where is the captain?” asked the mate.

“He is somewhere about here,” replied Louis indirectly.

“It is about time for him to come on deck, for it is blowing great guns, and we have just got out from the lee of the north shore. It is wet on deck, and I want my rubber coat,” replied Frinks, as he went to the stateroom opposite that occupied by Mrs. Belgrave.

[Illustration: “THE SHIPMASTER CHANGED HIS GRIP TO THE THROAT OF THE PROSTRATE VILLAIN.” Page 112.]

He procured the coat and came out again; but he had enabled Louis to ascertain where he berthed in the cabin. He asked Louis to tell the captain that he had better go on deck if he saw him, which he did not promise to do, and then returned to his duty. He had hardly closed the slide before Captain Ringgold came out of the pantry.

“I saw that you had company, and I waited till the mate had gone,” said the captain. “I saw that you were having no trouble, or I should have come at once. What is going on here?”

“I will tell you all about it in a few minutes, for”--

“How is your mother, Louis?” interposed the shipmaster, fearful that something had happened to her.

“She is all right; she has got over her sea-sickness. I want you to tell me where we are, if you can, and what makes this violent kick-up of the vessel,” said Louis, who was ready to act, but did not understand the situation of the Maud.

“I can only guess where we are, for I have not had a sight of the sea or the shore,” replied Captain Ringgold. “I don’t believe this vessel has made more than two and a half knots an hour since she got under way. I should say that we were just outside of Sandy Hook; and the last kick-up began when she got out where she could feel the swell of the broad ocean.”

“Is the vessel in any danger now?”

“Bless you, no! Not if she is well handled.”

“Then we will proceed to business,” said Louis.

“What is the business to which we are to proceed?” asked the captain.

“Call Flix, if you please, and I will tell you both all about the situation,” continued the leader, who still held his revolver and stick in his hands.

“Shall I bring the cook also, for he has been with us in the fore cabin for some time?” inquired the shipmaster.

“No, I think not,” replied Louis, though he believed he had made a friend of Bickling.

In a few minutes Captain Ringgold returned, followed by Felix, who looked about him with curiosity and interest. Louis proceeded at once to inform his friends briefly what had transpired in the cabin, and added that his mother was in the stateroom.

“I think you said you were ready to proceed to business, Louis,” said the shipmaster. “What is the nature of the business?”

“To capture the vessel and go to New York in her,” replied the leader bluntly and to the point.

“That is plain talk; and I don’t think we should call the taking of the schooner by any such hard name as piracy. We were all kidnapped; and I do not believe this is a legal voyage, for I doubt if the craft has any papers. But you are the chief of the party, and I will follow your orders as long as they don’t lead us into hot water, for you have got the run of this affair, and I have not,” said the captain.

“And what am I to do, my darlint?” asked Felix.

“I will tell you what to do when the time comes. Now, Captain Ringgold, the first thing is to put the captain in irons,” added Louis. “The irons are all ready, for Scoble got them out for me.”

“I’m wid ye’s, me darlint!” exclaimed Felix; and perhaps the business in hand was more to his mind than to that of the others.

Louis led the way aft, but he halted between the two staterooms, one on each side of the cabin. He pointed out the unoccupied one as belonging to the mate, and suggested that he might be provided with one or more revolvers, as Captain Scoble had been. He thought it would be well to take possession of them if there were any in the room, and he sent Felix to look for them, telling him to open the drawers corresponding to those from which he had taken the master’s weapons.

While he was absent, Louis and his companion moved towards Scoble, still lying on the divan. He did not notice them, and he appeared to be asleep. It had been a mighty calm to him after the excitement of his interview with Mrs. Belgrave, and a sailor drops asleep very readily. Felix joined them presently, with a single revolver in his hand, saying he could find no more.

Louis had brought with him the handcuffs the captain of the Maud had cast upon the floor. He had examined them, and found they closed with a heavy spring, and worked well enough. Scoble did not move as the trio approached him; and certainly he had been very accommodating to take his nap at just that time.

“Leave the rest of this matter to me, Louis; I can handle that man better than I could a live lobster,” said Captain Ringgold, who was a rather large and muscular man. “You may speak to him, Louis, and then I will take care of him.”

“Captain Scoble!” said the chief in a loud and sharp tone.

“Well, what is it?” replied the sleeper, moving a little.

“We are ready to put on the irons,” added Louis.

“Oh, you are!” exclaimed Scoble, springing up to a sitting posture.

“But, if you please, we will change the programme a little, and put them on your wrists; and I hope you will find them comfortable,” continued the young chief.

“Never!” yelled the master of the Maud, when he discovered three persons in front of him.

“Now, I think we will, Captain Scoble,” said the stalwart shipmaster, as he seized his intended victim by his two shoulders, and threw him over on his back upon the divan. “Now, slip the bracelets on his wrists, boys, and don’t let him hurt you.”

Scoble struggled, twisted, kicked, struck out with his fists, and did all that a man in his situation could do. Louis got hold of one of his hands, and then sat down upon his lower limbs, while Felix grasped the other hand. The shipmaster changed his grip to the throat of the prostrate villain, who was soon worn out with his struggles. Without any further difficulty the handcuffs were sprung upon his wrists, and he was powerless to do any mischief.

At this moment Mrs. Belgrave came out of the stateroom.