Free A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes Page B

The mate went on deck to prepare his plan, whatever it was: and Jonsen busied himself with a last futile search for the hiding-place, in silence.
    Presently the mate shouted down to him, and he ordered Marpole on deck.
    Poor Marpole groaned. Unloading cargo is inclined to be a messy business any way: but these visitors had been none too careful. There is no smell in the world worse than when molasses and bilge-water marry: now it was let loose like ten thousand devils. His heart was almost broken when he saw the havoc that had been made with the cargo: broken cases, casks, bottles, all about the deck: everything in the greatest confusion: tarpaulins cut to pieces: hatches broken.
    From the deck-house came the piercing voice of Laura:
    â€œ
I want to come out!
”
    The Spanish ladies seemed to have returned to the schooner. His own men were shut up in the fo’c’sle. It was obvious where all the children were, for Laura was not the only vociferator. But the only persons to be seen were six members of the visiting crew, who stood in a line, facing the deck-house, a musket apiece.
    It was the little mate who now took charge of the situation:
    â€œWhere is your specie hid, Captain?”
    The musketeers having their backs to him, “Go to the Devil!” replied Marpole.
    A startling volley rang out: six neat holes were punctured in the top of the deck-house.
    â€œHi! Steady there, what are you doing?” John cried out indignantly from within.
    â€œIf you refuse to tell us, next time their aim will be a foot lower.”
    â€œYou fiends!” cried Marpole.
    â€œWill you tell me?”
    â€œ
No!
”
    â€œ
Fire!
”
    The second row of holes can only have missed the taller children by a few inches.
    There was a moment’s silence: then a sudden wild shriek from within the deck-house. It was so terrified a sound not their own mothers could have told which throat it came from. One only, though.
    The stranger-captain had been slouching about in an agitated way: but at that shriek he turned on Marpole, his face purple with a sudden fury:
    â€œ
Now
will you say?”
    But Marpole was now completely master of himself. He did not hesitate:
    â€œNO!”
    â€œNext time he gives the order it will be to shoot right through their little bodies!”
    So that was what Marpole had meant in his letter by “
every possible threat which villainy could devise
”! But even by this he was not to be daunted:
    â€œNo, I tell you!”
    Heroic obstinacy! But instead of giving the fatal order, Jonsen lifted a paw like a bear’s, and banged Marpole’s jaw with it. The latter fell to the deck, stunned.
    It was then they took the children out of the deck-house.
    They were not really much frightened; except Margaret, who did seem to be taking it all to heart rather. Being shot at is so unlike what one expects it to be that one can hardly connect the two ideas enough to have the appropriate emotions, the first few times. It is not half so startling as some one jumping out on you with a “
Boo!
” in the dark, for instance. The boys were crying a little: the girls were hot and cross and hungry.
    â€œWhat were you doing?” Rachel asked brightly of one of the firing-party.
    But only the captain and the mate could speak English. The latter, ignoring Rachel’s question explained that they were all to go on board the schooner—“to have some supper,” he said.
    He had all a sailor’s reassuring charm of manner. So under the charge of two Spanish seamen they were helped over the bulwarks onto the smaller vessel, which was just casting off.
    There the strange sailors broke open a whole case of crystallized fruits, on which they might turn the edge of their long appetites as much as they would.

    When poor stunned Captain Marpole came to his senses, it was to find himself tied to the mainmast. Several handfuls of shavings and splintered wood