"Why, the standing here with a double gun loaded with slugs, ready to pepper the niggers. I'm a curer, not a killer."
"We must defend ourselves," said Jack.
"You must. I ought to be below turning the cabin or the steward's place into an operating room, getting my instruments, tourniquets, silk, and bandages ready."
"Oh, don't talk like that!" cried the lad with a shudder.
"Why not? Doctors must prepare for the worst."
"Hope we shall have no worst, Doctor Instow," said the captain, coming up. "If I could only get the signal that steam was ready! We are just swinging by the head to the buoyed cable, so that I can slip at any moment. Halloo! What's going on now?" He ran forward, gave a word to the man in charge, and the beam of light swept round the yacht and back; but there was no fresh danger coming up, and the shouting and yelling which had taken the captain forward evidently proceeded from the two central canoes.
"Why, where's the sunken one?" said Jack, as he shaded his eyes and peered forward.
"They've floated her right astern of them," replied the captain, "half-an-hour ago, and the crew are distributed amongst the four. But I don't quite make out what they were shouting about. Why--Steady there, my lads. You at the guns, be ready. The canoes are coming on. Oh!" he added to himself, "if there were only a capful of wind!"
But there was not a breath of air, as a loud yell from one voice was heard, and followed by a burst from the whole party. Then the paddles were plunged into the water on both sides, making it foam and sparkle in the bright light of the star, the canoes began to move very slowly, and Captain Bradleigh turned to the yacht's owner--
"They mean mischief, sir. I'm afraid we must fire."
"Only as a last resource," said Sir John.
"If we wait for a last resource, sir," said the captain sternly, "it may be too late. My lads could sink one of the canoes now, and that might check the advance. The guns are useless if we let them come to close quarters."
"But I am dreadfully averse to what may prove wholesale slaughter," said Sir John.
"So am I, sir," said the captain dryly. "It is for you to decide."
Jack stood quivering with excitement, and wondered what Sir John would say. But he said nothing, for all at once, as the canoes were coming on faster and faster in the bright light shed by the star, and the little crews of the two bright guns laid them ready for the shots they expected to hear ordered from moment to moment, the strange silence on board was broken by the clear loud _ting_ of a hammer upon a gong close to where the principals stood.
"At last!" cried the captain; and before Jack could utter the question upon his lips as to what that stroke meant, order after order was delivered in quick succession.
At the first the cable was slipped. At the second, the star, which was vividly lighting up the approaching canoes, suddenly went out, leaving everything in darkness, for there was not another light visible on board. And at the third, a peculiar vibration made the slight yacht quiver from stem to stern, for the engine was in motion under a good head of steam, and the propeller revolved slowly in reverse, so that the yacht moved astern as fast as the canoes approached.
This went on for a few minutes, with captain and mate standing by the wheel, and the former suddenly turned to Sir John.
"I can't keep this up in the dark, sir," he said. "Perhaps we had better give them a shot or two."
"Why not keep on retreating?"
"Because at any moment we may retreat on to a sharp coral rock, and be at their mercy."
"Try everything first."
"I will, sir," said the captain; and suddenly changing his tactics, the order was given, the light flashed out again, and the canoes were made out four times the distance away, the men paddling with all their might, but stopping instantly in utter astonishment, for they were in perfect ignorance of the distance having been put between them, all being invisible in the darkness which followed the shutting off of the light.
There was another yell now, and plunging their paddles in again, the water once more flashed and foamed in the brilliant light.
Then there was a stroke on the engine-room gong down below, and the propeller began to revolve; two more strokes, directly after, another three, and the yacht gathered more and more way till she was rushing on full speed ahead, her light, like a brilliant star, hiding everything behind her, and apparently just above the surface of the water, bearing rapidly down for the centre of the little fleet of canoes.
On she went, and as she neared the rate at which the paddles were used increased in speed too, but it was to get out of the way, for the steersmen turned off to starboard and port, and though the slightest turn of the wheel would have sent the _Silver Star_ crashing through either of the canoes the captain had chosen to select, she was steered straight through the little fleet till she was three or four hundred yards astern, and the canoes were invisible in the darkness. Then by a clever manoeuvre she was swung round in very little more than her own length, the light which had been shut off as soon as they passed being opened upon the enemy again, and the occupants of the deck saw the two pairs of canoes now lying waiting as if undecided.
Once more the order to go on full speed rang out, and the yacht was steered for the nearest canoe.
No movement was made at first, but the moment the enemy made out that the light was rushing silently at them again, they uttered a wild shout of horror and dismay and began to paddle as hard as they could for the opening in the reef, to escape from the fiery star that had dropped from the heavens and was now chasing them to burn them up.
Ignorance and fear went hand in hand, for there was the dazzling star but nothing more to be seen. There might have been no yacht in existence for all they could tell. It was enough that the fiery light like a great eye was fixed upon them in full pursuit, and away they went, faster probably than canoes ever travelled before, till the dark portion was reached where there were no breakers, and the leading canoe rushed out, followed by the others, and away to sea, horror-stricken at the great mystery they had seen, and in no wise lightened by the fact that the star suddenly disappeared as the last canoe dashed out from the lagoon.
"I think that has startled them," said the captain, as he had the light shut off and gave the order for the yacht to go slowly astern, as he made, as well as the darkness would allow, for their old quarters, but did not reach them, it being more prudent to drop another anchor at once.
No lights were shown and the strictest watch was kept, when the gentlemen went below to their late dinner, and discussed over it the probabilities of a return of the enemy.
"No, you won't receive another visit from them in the dark, gentlemen,"
said Captain Bradleigh merrily. "The star they saw will be talked about among them for years. That big light must have been a scare; but I expect we shall have them again by daylight, for this yacht would be a prize worth having. But we shall see."
"Well," said the doctor, "I should think that the maker of that light would be surprised if he knew to what purpose it was put."
"Yes," said the captain, "I should say it is the first time an illuminated figure-head was used to scare a war-party of blacks."
"What about to-night, Captain Bradleigh?" said Jack anxiously.
"Well, if I were you, sir, I should go to bed and have a good long sleep."
"Oh, impossible," cried the lad; "I could not close my eyes for feeling that the blacks were come back."
"Try, sir," said the captain; and when the others went to lie down, on the captain's assurance that steam would be still on and the strictest watch would be kept, Jack lay down to try.
But he did not try, he had no time. Wearied out with the dangers of the day, he laid his head on his pillow, after placing a double gun and loaded revolver close to the bed's head, and just closed his eyes.
They did not open again till Ned stood there and announced that it was "some bells," and that it was time to rise.
"How many, Ned?" said Jack sleepily.
"Oh, I dunno, sir, only that it answers to seven o'clock."
"And the savages?" cried Jack excitedly.
"Nowhere in sight, sir; but they've left the broken canoe as a present for you. It's floating close in to the sands where we made our start the day before yesterday. Lovely morning, sir, but I wish the neighbours hadn't been quite so friendly and wanted to come and see how we were getting on."
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.
THE USE OF THE LANCE.
Edward was right. There, a few hundred yards from the yacht, and close in shore, lay the great canoe; but not floating, for she was aground, with the water lapping over her, and only the prow and raised stern standing above the surface.
Jack had a good look at the vessel through his glass, and then turned to watch the proceedings going on, just as Captain Bradleigh came up to him.
"Well, squire!" he cried, "that was a bit of a scare for us."