24. CHAPTER XXIV.
The purpose of Bembo had been made known to the men
generally by the watch; and now that our salvation was certain,
by an instinctive impulse they raised a cry, and rushed toward
him.
Just before liberated by Dunk and the steward, he was
standing doggedly by the mizen-mast; and, as the infuriated
sailors came on, his bloodshot eye rolled, and his sheath-knife
glittered over his head.
“Down with him!” “Strike him down!” “Hang him at
the main-yard!” such were the shouts now raised. But he
stood unmoved, and, for a single instant, they absolutely faltered.
“Cowards!” cried Salem, and he flung himself upon him.
The steel descended like a ray of light; but did no harm; for
the sailor's heart was beating against the Mowree's before he
was aware.
They both fell to the deck, when the knife was instantly
seized, and Bembo secured.
“For'ard! for'ard with him!” was again the cry; “give him
a sea-toss!” “overboard with him!” and he was dragged along
the deck, struggling and fighting with tooth and nail.
All this uproar immediately over the mate's head at last
roused him from his drunken nap, and he came staggering on
deck.
“What's this?” he shouted, running right in among them.
“It's the Mowree, zur; they are going to murder him, zur,”
here sobbed poor Rope Yarn, crawling close up to him.
“Avast! avast!” roared Jermin, making a spring toward
Bembo, and dashing two or three of the sailors aside. At this
moment the wretch was partly flung over the bulwarks, which
shook with his frantic struggles. In vain the doctor and others
tried to save him: the men listened to nothing.
“Murder and mutiny, by the salt sea!” shouted the mate;
and dashing his arms right and left, he planted his iron hand
upon the Mowree's shoulder.
“There are two of us now; and as you serve him, you serve
me,” he cried, turning fiercely round.
“Over with them together, then,” exclaimed the carpenter,
springing forward; but the rest fell back before the courageous
front of Jermin, and, with the speed of thought, Bembo, unharmed,
stood upon deck.
“Aft with ye!” cried his deliverer; and he pushed him right
among the men, taking care to follow him up close. Giving
the sailors no time to recover, he pushed the Mowree before
him, till they came to the cabin scuttle, when he drew the slide
over him, and stood still. Throughout, Bembo never spoke
one word.
“Now for'ard where ye belong!” cried the mate, addressing
the seamen, who by this time, rallying again, had no idea of
losing their victim.
“The Mowree! the Mowree!” they shouted.
Here the doctor, in answer to the mate's repeated questions,
stepped forward, and related what Bembo had been doing; a
matter which the mate but dimly understood from the violent
threatenings he had been hearing.
For a moment he seemed to waver; but at last, turning the
key in the padlock of the slide, he breathed through his set
teeth—“Ye can't have him; I'll hand him over to the consul;
so for'ard with ye, I say: when there's any drowning to be
done, I'll pass the word; so away with ye, ye blood-thirsty
pirates!”
It was to no purpose that they begged or threatened: Jermin,
although by no means sober, stood his ground manfully, and
before long they dispersed, soon to forget every thing that had
happened.
Though we had no opportunity to hear him confess it, Bembo's
intention to destroy us was beyond all question. His only
motive could have been, a desire to revenge the contumely
heaped upon him the night previous, operating upon a heart
irreclaimably savage, and at no time fraternally disposed toward
the crew.
During the whole of this scene the doctor did his best to
save him. But well knowing that all I could do, would have
been equally useless, I maintained my place at the wheel. Indeed,
no one but Jermin could have prevented this murder.
