He sank back with a moan of agony and bloodstained lips as Chard, with clenched hands and set teeth, glared at him savagely.
A dead silence ensued as Harvey picked up a loaded Winchester, and covered the supercargo.
“You infernal scoundrel!” he said, “it is hard for me to resist sending a bullet through you. But I hope to see you hanged for murder.”
“You'll answer to me for this----” began Chard, when Oliver again interrupted.
“This is no time for quarrelling. Once more, Captain Hendry--what are your orders?”
Hendry consulted with Chard in low tones, then desired first of all that the wounded native should be taken into Oliver's boat.
The mate obeyed under protest. “I already have a badly injured man in my boat, sir; and that native cannot possibly live many hours longer.”
Hendry made no answer, but gave the officer one of his shifty, sullen glances as the dying man was lifted out and put into Oliver's boat. Then he asked Oliver if the ship's papers, chronometer, charts, and his (Hendry's) nautical instruments had been saved.
“Here they are,” and all that he had asked for was passed over to him by Harvey.
“Did you save any firearms?” was Hendry's next question.
“Yes,” replied Harvey; “two Winchesters, a Snider carbine, and all the cartridges we could find in your cabin.”
Harvey passed them over to the captain, together with some hundreds of cartridges tied up in a handkerchief. Hendry and Chard took them with ill-concealed satisfaction, little knowing that Harvey had carefully hidden away the remainder of the firearms in Atkins's boat, and therefore did not much mind obeying Hendry's demand.
When Hendry next spoke he did so in a sullenly, authoritative manner.
“Miss Remington, you and your servant must come into my boat. Mr. Morrison, you and the second engineer can take their places in the mate's boat.”
The two engineers at once, at a meaning glance from Oliver, stepped out of the captain's boat, and took their seats in that of the mate. Neither Tessa nor Maoni moved.
“Make haste, please, Miss Remington,” said Hendry, not looking at her as he spoke, but straight before him.
“I prefer to remain in Mr. Atkins's boat,” replied Tessa decisively.
“And I tell you that you must come with me,” said the captain, with subdued fury. “Mr. Atkins has no compass, and I am responsible for your safety.”