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Adrift on the Pacific: A Boys Story of the Sea and its Perils, a fiction by Edward Sylvester Ellis |
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Chapter 33. The Pursuit |
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_ CHAPTER XXXIII. THE PURSUIT There are two angels within us forever struggling for the mastery: One is the angel of darkness, and the other of light--of evil and of good. They had waged their battle in the heart of Fred Sanders for a long time, and too often did the restraining spirit fold her hands over her face and withdraw in sorrow at the triumph of the other. But the final struggle--the decisive warfare--was now ended, and the beauteous countenance of the good angel was radiant with hope and courage, for a soul had been saved. Abram Storms smiled with pleasure as he looked upon the manly young fellow, and he was filled with delight at the resolution shown by him. "There is no shrinking or trembling there," said Storms to himself. "He means every word he says, and he will stick to the end." The man tried to look calm and self-possessed, when he moved forward and extended his hand, but there were tears in his eyes, and he could only murmur: "God bless you, my boy! You have chosen the better part." They were silent for a minute or so, each one's thoughts active, when Fred said: "If you please, I would rather that Inez should know nothing of this." "She never shall know a word of it from me." "One of these days, perhaps, I will tell her what a villain she was the means of saving from destruction." Fred appreciated the skill, seamanship and shrewdness of Storms, and consulted fully with him, saying that, as he himself was captain, he would appoint the other to his old position--that of mate. The whole scheme had already been made clear by the youth. The large proa was in sight, by appointment, having been cruising back and forth for several days, on the lookout for the smaller boat with the party who it was expected would be robbed and killed for the valuable pearls in their possession. The signal of the fluttering handkerchief from the triangular sail meant that the party were on board, and the original program was to be carried out. That is, the pursuing boat was to hold off until after dark. She was to keep on a converging course, so as not to lose sight of the small proa, and gradually approaching, overhaul and attack her at the time when the chances of success were at the best. The plan decided upon by Captain Sanders was simply to keep away from the larger craft, and to do his utmost to prevent being overhauled; and he showed his earnestness in this respect by taking the steering oar and bearing away from the other, so that, instead of being converging, they became parallel. The two natives displayed some surprise when they observed this action, but they said nothing, and most likely felt no suspicion as yet of their captain, whose desperation and heartlessness on more than one previous occasion had won the confidence of the islanders. It was not long before the change was noticed on board the pursuer, where, most likely, it was accepted as the proper thing, possibly on account of the fear from the passengers. "I have no revolver like you," said Captain Fred, after they had kept this up for a couple of hours, "but I have a double-barreled pistol which is loaded to the muzzle. You have your six-chambered weapon, and you must keep it ready, for, when the two islanders here become certain of the truth, it is more than probable they will make a savage attack on us, for two more desperate demons never lived." "I should hardly think so," said the mate, glancing furtively at them. "No; they are as meek looking as lambs, but they were sent with me on account of their fierce courage. Why, they were ready and eager, when we visited you upon the island, to make an open attack, where the chances of their defeat were about even. They would rather fight and kill any moment than eat, and I had to be pretty sharp to restrain them." "I shan't forget your warning." "It won't do for either of us to sleep to-night, for they are as treacherous as cobras. They would feign slumber on purpose to put us off our guard, and then stab us to death in our sleep." "Will we not reach Wauparmur to-night?" "It is doubtful, for the change we have made in the course is taking us away from the true direction and gives the advantage to them, as they are closer in than we. We have lost some good ground from the lightness of the wind, and we shall be fortunate if we catch sight of the place before to-morrow's sunrise." "After all, Captain Fred, it must be a question of speed between us and our pursuer. Which, therefore, is the faster, the double canoe yonder or ourselves?" A troubled expression came over the face of the young captain, as he answered: "I don't know, for there has never been a test. We kept company most of the way out, but we rattled along without any thought of speed, sometimes together and sometimes apart; but my opinion is that in moderate weather like the present there is little difference between us, or if there is any it is in our favor. In a strong wind, the other would he apt to outspeed us." "We are going to have more wind," said the mate, looking anxiously about him. "I think I perceive it freshening already." "I fear the same thing," said Fred, who was manifestly very uneasy. "We are now about two miles apart, and the prospect is that that will be cut down one-half by sunset." "And then?" Fred shrugged his shoulders. "All is not lost. When the sun goes down, with us a mile apart, we shall be invisible; but they will crowd all speed, and stand a good chance of coming up with us again." "But we gain a chance to maneuver." "There is hope and yet great risk in that, for if we can throw them off the track we shall be safe, for we can easily get beyond their range of vision long before sunrise; but at the same time, in making these sharp turns, we shall lose a great deal of ground, provided we don't succeed, and if they once get in sight of us after the moon rises, the race will be ended, for we won't gain a chance to dodge them again." "And then?" "There will be the worst fight you ever saw. We shall have to begin by shooting these two, or pitching them overboard, if they don't happen to get their work in ahead of us, and then we shall have more than twenty savage islanders to keep off--if we can." "We are pretty well armed, Captain Fred." "Yes, we have our pistols, and there is a musket apiece for you, me and Inez--for she will have to take a hand in the fight." "And there will be no braver than she. Have they any firearms on board?" "I'm sorry to say they have, and that's what makes me more anxious than anything else. There are spears, knives, battle-axes and at least six loaded muskets, and what is more, the men who have them in hand know how to use them." Mate Storms looked anxious, as well he might, for this was a phase of the question which had not presented itself to him. The case being as it was, the pursuers would be likely to begin firing as soon as they came within range, and when close in, the matter would be entirely within their hands. Everything seemed to augur ill for the fugitives. The wind was steadily increasing and the flying proa was dashing through the water at a tremendous rate. The pursuing one had already shifted its course, so that this early in the afternoon the struggle had begun and settled down to a virtual test of speed. "What do you suppose they think of the whole business?" asked Mate Storms, looking back at the double canoe as it rose on a huge swell at the same moment that they themselves sank in the vast, watery waste. "I don't know whether they think anything is wrong yet or not, but imagine I am trying to keep off until after dark." "Why, then, don't they respect your purpose and work with you?" "The leader of that company is an islander who is somewhat jealous of me. He believes he knows more about such business than I do, and he has made up his mind to keep this in hand, no matter what my wishes are. So, though he may think I mean all right, yet he is sure he knows better, and governs himself accordingly." "These two men here on board try to look indifferent, but they act suspiciously to me." "And they are suspicious, too." Fred Sanders might have added further that they were not only suspicious, but had actually discovered the truth. They understood the purpose which had brought all three to the lonely island, and they knew that that purpose had been changed. Inez Hawthorne, the girl of his own race, had caused this wonderful transformation in the heart of the young captain, and instead of being her enemy, he had become the devoted friend of herself and companion. While they could not understand the English tongue as they heard it spoken, they could read the meaning of looks and gestures and the confidential talks which they saw going on around them. They were convinced that their captain intended to betray them, and prevent the wealth from falling into their hands. Would they submit? Far from it. They would not only refuse to give their assent to any such perfidy, but they would use their utmost endeavors to defeat it. Such was their purpose, and Fred Sanders knew it, for he understood the character of the wretches; well, therefore, was it that he whispered the warning in the ear of Mate Abram Storms. Inez Hawthorne sat at the front of the proa, in the place that had been assigned her, for something seemed to tell her that the men were so occupied with their duties that it would be better for her to keep away from them. It was with much reluctance that she consented to exchange the few words with Captain Fred Sanders, and little did she dream that it was those same few words which turned the young man from a deadly enemy into the most devoted ally, and gave some promise of life to herself and her companion. Yet, as we have shown, such was the fact. _ |
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