Part 32 (2/2)

Then, as Jefferson raised his pistol, Austin seized him by the shoulder and shook him in a sudden outbreak of fury.

”You're right,” he said, ”but you shall not do it! You hear me? Put the ---- thing down!”

Then there was a sudden clamour, and as the Canarios ran forward Jefferson struggled vainly. Austin never knew where his strength came from, but in another moment the pistol slipped from his comrade's hand, and, reeling backwards, he struck the deck-house. Austin stood in front of him, with hands clenched, and the veins swollen high on his forehead, panting hard.

”It has come to this,” he said. ”If you move a step, I'll heave you over the rail! I've strength enough to break your back to-night!”

Jefferson straightened himself slowly, and waved back the others who were cl.u.s.tering round. Then he smiled, and made a little gesture of resignation.

”I believe you have, but that's not quite the point,” he said. ”It's the only thing you have ever asked me, and, if nothing else will satisfy you, you shall have him. You don't suppose it isn't a relief to me? The question is, what you're going to do with him? You see, he can't stay here.”

That, at least, was evident, and for a moment or two Austin gazed about him stupidly as he grappled with the difficulty. The stricken man still squatted, unconcerned, upon the hawser, mowing and grimacing, while he clawed at the hemp in a fas.h.i.+on that suggested the antics of a pleased animal, with swollen hands. The rest stood still, well apart from him, with expectancy overcoming the repulsion they felt. Then Tom, the donkey-man, who was nearest the rail, held up his flaring lamp.

”There's the canoe he come in still alongside aft,” he said.

Austin gasped with relief. ”Heave down a bunch of the red bananas we got up the creek,” he said. ”He'll know they are good to eat.”

It was done, and Jefferson smiled again grimly.

”That,” he said, ”is easy. Still, have you figured how he is to be gotten into the canoe? You are hardly going to make him understand what he is to do.”

”There's only one way. He must be put into it. Under the circ.u.mstances, it's only fitting that I should undertake the thing.”

”No!” and Jefferson's voice rang sharply. ”Not you! Offer any of the rest of them fifty dollars!”

Austin smiled. ”To take a risk I'm responsible for? I think not. I went sufficiently far when I brought some of them here. Besides, it's comforting to remember you mayn't be right about the thing being contagious, after all.”

Jefferson looked at him hard a moment, with the fingers of one hand closed, and then made a little sign.

”Well,” he said, ”if you feel it that way, there's probably nothing to be gained by protesting. There are disadvantages in being leader.”

Austin turned and touched the negro with his foot, while he pointed to the ladder.

”Get up! You lib for canoe one time!” he said.

The negro mowed and gibbered meaninglessly, and Austin, stooping, grasped his shoulder, which was clean. With an effort he dragged him to his feet, and, while the rest fell back from them, drove the man towards the head of the ladder. Then one of them slipped, and there was a cry of horror from the rest as the negro clutched the white man, and they rolled down the ladder into the darkness below together. Tom ran towards the rail with his lamp, and as Jefferson leaned out from them he saw Austin shake off the negro's engirdling grasp.

”Get up!” he said hoa.r.s.ely, and stirred him with his foot again.

The man rose half upright, stumbled, and, straightening himself, moved towards the open gangway with a lurch. Then he vanished suddenly and there was a crash below. Austin leaned out through the opening, and his voice rose harsh and strained:

”Come down, one of you, and cut this warp! The devil's hanging on!” he said.

Wall-eye, the Canario, sprang down with his knife, and when Austin climbed back to the bridge deck the men cl.u.s.tering along the rails saw a canoe with a shadowy object lying in the stern of her slide through the blaze of radiance cast by the blast-lamp and vanish into the blackness outside it. Then Tom put out the light, and a hoa.r.s.e murmur of relief rose out of the darkness.

A minute or two later Austin stood, a trifle grey in face, in the doorway of the skipper's room, and stepped back suddenly when Jefferson approached him.

”Keep off!” he said. ”Give me the permanganate out of the side drawer. I left it there. Miguel, bring me the clothes you washed out of my room in the p.o.o.p, and fill me a bucket.”

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