The Island Queen Part 23

Not a word did Otto reply. He had acquired that first of requisites in a soldier or servant--the habit of prompt obedience. Somewhat like a North American savage, he sank into the gra.s.s and wriggled from the scene. A few moments later Dominick rose, and walked down towards the conspirators with the easy off-hand manner of a man who saunters forth to enjoy the night air. So busy were they getting the tackle into the boat that he was not observed until quite close to them.

"You seem busy to-night, friends," he said, in his usual pleasant tones, as he took his stand close beside Hugh Morris, who was near the bow of the boat.

"Mr Rigonda!" exclaimed Malines in great surprise, coming forward at the moment.

"Why are you surprised? It is not unusual for me to take a row on a fine night."

This reply seeming to imply that Dominick had come to the reef alone-- perhaps in the dinghy--emboldened the men; some of them laughed.

"Well, I confess to being a little surprised, sir," replied the mate, "for it so happened that we were preparing something in the nature of a surprise for you and the rest of the settlers."

"Yes, I see," returned Dominick, in the same pleasant tone. "You've managed to get the s.h.i.+p off the ledge in a very creditable manner, and you mean to take her into the lagoon and cast anchor off the settlement?"

Again the men laughed lightly.

"No, sir, we don't," broke in Hugh Morris at this point, "we intend to take her in quite the opposite direction, and clear off to sea with her."

"Oh no, you don't, Hugh," returned Dominick, with an agreeable smile, which was a little perplexing as well as exasperating. "You are going into the lagoon; you know you are, and I have come to help you."

"But I say we are _not_!" retorted Morris, in rising wrath, "and what's more, you'll have to go along with us, now that you've had the ill-luck to fall in with us."

"Quite right, Hugh; didn't I _say_ that I came off on purpose to go along with you?"

As he spoke there was heard a rus.h.i.+ng sound of feet and a number of dark forms were seen approaching from the bushes.

"Betrayed!" shouted Malines. "Jump in, lads, and shove off!"

He sprang forward, but was instantly arrested by the muzzle of a revolver within a foot of his head.

"It's of no use, boys," said Dominick, laying his hand on the bow of the boat. "You'll have to enter it as dead men if you do so without my permission."

Had the men been armed it might have gone hard with Dominick at that moment, but so sure had they been of accomplis.h.i.+ng their purpose unmolested, that the idea of arming had never crossed their minds.

Before they could recover from the surprise or decide what to do, the armed squad was upon them.

"Halt! boys," cried Joe Binney, when close to the boat. "Now, look 'ee here. It warn't o' my seekin' that I was made prime minister, but now that it's bin done I'll stick to it an' do my duty. If ye knock under like good boys I'll recommend ye to the queen's marcy. If not I'll have 'ee strung up, every man jack of 'ee. Moreover, the first man as disobeys my orders I'll blow his brains out. Now, jump aboard, boys (turning to his own men), an' keep your revolvers handy. You lads as wanted to run away will follow."

The mixture of humour and resolution in Joe's manner, coupled with his well-known decision of character and his commanding size, had its effect. The squad instantly jumped into the boat, and the conspirators meekly followed without a word. They saw--as Hugh afterwards expressed it--that the game was up, and made up their minds to submit to the inevitable.

The conspirators were ordered to take the oars. Afterwards they were made to work the s.h.i.+p round into the channel leading to the lagoon, while their armed friends mounted guard over them.

It was daybreak when the s.h.i.+p sailed calmly over the lagoon towards Silver Bay.

"Och! man," said Teddy Malone, in a low voice, to Jabez Jenkins, who stood near him, "why did ye want to run away wid the owld s.h.i.+p? It wor a sneakin' sort o' thing, warn't it, seein' that the poor little childers, an' the women, depind so much on what's inside of her?"

"To tell 'ee the truth, Teddy," replied the man, an improved expression coming suddenly over his face, "I ain't sorry that we've bin stopped in this business, and, wot's more, I believe that most of us ain't sorry.

We was more than half led into it, d'ee see, by lies as to what the leaders was goin' to do, an' arterwards we didn't like to draw back."

"I'm sorry for yez," returned Malone, "for I'm afeared we'll have to skrag the wan half of ye to keep the other half in order. In a spik an'

span noo settlement, where ivvery wan thinks he may do as he likes, the laws has to be pritty stiff. We've wan comfort, howivver--the quane is marciful."

The Irishman was right in both his views on this subject, as the sequel will show.

Great was the surprise and joy among the settlers that morning when the fine s.h.i.+p in which they had traversed the ocean sailed grandly over the lagoon, and let go her anchor in Silver Bay. Some viewed her as a means of continuing the voyage, and escaping from a secluded life, of which they were beginning to tire. Others thought of her as a means of reopening intercourse with home, while not a few thought only of the convenience of having her and her useful cargo so near to them.

But great was their surprise when Malines, Morris, Jabez, and the rest of them were landed with their hands bound behind their backs; and still greater was that surprise when, in open court, that is, in the midst of the entire colony in the open air, these men were charged with their crime.

A regular criminal court was inst.i.tuted on the spot, as regular, at least, as was possible, considering the almost total ignorance of all concerned in regard to matters of law. Queen Pauline appointed Dr Marsh to be judge, he being supposed to be the best acquainted with, or least ignorant of, legal matters and forms. A jury of twelve men were selected by lot, and little Buxley was appointed public prosecutor. In justice to the prisoners it was thought that they ought to have an advocate to defend them, but as no one would undertake the duty, that also was settled by lot, and the lot fell upon Redding, who, being a gentle and meek man, was perhaps best suited for it.

We may not go into the details of this celebrated trial, which lasted the greater part of the day, and was watched with intense eagerness by the entire population, including some of the older children, who had become impressed with the delightfully-horrible idea that a hanging or shooting, if not flaying and roasting, of some of the criminals would be the certain result. Suffice it to say that there was grievous irregularity in the proceedings: the public prosecutor not only proved the guilt of the men, but in the fervour of his indignation suggested the nature of their punishment; the jury not only listened to the facts of the case, but commented on them freely throughout, and, usurping the judge's office, p.r.o.nounced sentence on the criminals three or four times over; while the judge himself had the greatest possible difficulty in keeping anything like order all round.

The only man who performed his duty calmly was Redding, who, in a speech that quite surprised and transfixed the hearers, sought to point out that the men on trial had not actually committed the crime, with which they had been charged, that of seizing the s.h.i.+p, but had only contemplated it, as had been alleged, though even that had not been clearly proved; that, supposing the crime to have been committed, it was a first offence, and that justice should always be tempered with mercy, as was taught in that best of all law-books, the Bible.

The pleading of this man had considerable effect, but it could not turn the tide of feeling in favour of the princ.i.p.al prisoners for more than one reason. They had been domineering, turbulent fellows all along; they had meditated a crime which would have robbed the settlers of many of the necessaries and all the luxuries of life, and this displayed a meanness of spirit which, they thought, deserved severe punishment.

Accordingly, after they had been p.r.o.nounced guilty by the unanimous voice of the jury, and after the judge had consulted earnestly with some members of the privy council, Malines and Morris were condemned to a fortnight's imprisonment on short allowance of the poorest food, and the other criminals to the same for a week.

When Malines had been seized and bound on board the s.h.i.+p, he had submitted, partly from prudence, and partly from a belief that the whole affair was a sort of half joke but when he found himself rebound, after the trial, and cast with his companions into a solid wooden building with a strong door and no window, which had been erected as a sort of fortress in which to put the women and children in case of attack by the savages, and there provided with maize and water for food and straw for bed, he began to realise the fact that he had indeed fallen into the hands of resolute men and under the power of law.

"I wouldn't mind it so much if they'd only not cut off our baccy," he groaned, on the afternoon of the following day, after a prolonged fit of sullen silence.

"After all it sarves us right," growled Hugh Morris.

"Speak for yourself," said Jabez Jenkins sulkily.

"That's just what I do," retorted Hugh.

"Hear, hear!" from some of the others.

What this conversation might have grown to no one can tell, for it was interrupted by the opening of the prison door and the entrance of a party of armed men.

"I am directed," said Otto, who was in command of the party, "to bring you fellows before the queen, so, come along."

Half amused by and half contemptuous of the leader, who gave his orders as if he were a powerful giant, the prisoners rose and marched out.

While this scene was taking place in the jail, the widow Lynch was holding a private interview with the queen in the palace.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

SHOWS HOW THE QUEEN CONDUCTED HERSELF IN TRYING CIRc.u.mSTANCES, AND WAS FINALLY DETHRONED.

"Now, darlin'," said Mrs Lynch to Queen Pauline, as she sat on the side of her bed looking contemplatively at the floor, "thim rascals'll be in the Hall in two minits, so take me advice and give them more nor they've got."

"But my object in sending for them is not to add to their punishment,"

said the queen.

"More's the pity, for they need it, an' the Coort was too tinder wi'