Chapter THIRTY-TWO

Fortunately for Mary Ingleton the pirate was in such intense pain he had not observed the motion she had made when signalling Redmond to get back behind the rock. She realized that if he became aware of the latter’s presence on the island their chance of escape would be very slim indeed, but she felt sure that Levanter was in far too much pain at the present moment to ask questions about the bullet that had wounded him. Having assured herself that for the moment everything was safe, she bent toward the wounded man and said:

“I’m going over to get the Kanakas to come over and carry you into the hut.”

He murmured his assent between groans.

Seizing the opportunity thus presented, Mary walked as far as the first house between herself and Levanter, where she was in sight of the rock behind which Redmond was hiding. She waved her arm until she saw his head cautiously emerge from the rock. Then she gave him the signal to remain there until she could come over.

Having assured that Redmond had understood her, Mary went over to the shop where the Kanakas were at work. Having found the chief, she explained to him what had happened, and in a few moments the whole gang walked over with her to the place where Levanter was lying.

It took but a few moments to improvise a stretcher under Mary’s direction, and the wounded man was carefully placed upon it by the tribesmen. This completed, the Kanakas bandaged up the injured leg to prevent further bleeding and carried Levanter over to the living hut where they placed him on a bed.

As they entered the room Mary, who was following in the rear, happened to cast a quick glance toward the rough table on which the pirate generally did his planning. A familiar looking paper was lying on it. A closer but quick glance showed here it was the chart of the island, marked with the position of every mine which the pirate had sown around the island. Making use of her opportunity, Mary hurriedly snatched it and thrust it in the neck of her dress.

Immediately after Levanter had been laid upon the bed Mary went over and asked him how he felt. He answered in a gruff manner. Then she said:

“I don’t know whether I should but if there is anything I can do for you I will.”

“I don’t want anything,” he replied ungraciously.

“Well, then,” she added, “I am going out to see if I can see the airplane and if so get them to come to you immediately.”

Without waiting any further she walked out of the hut. Once outside, she looked quickly over the harbor and, convincing herself that there was no sign of the pirate aircraft, hurried over to the rock were Redmond was hiding.

She went straight behind the rock where she was completely out of sight of the settlement along the beach. As she was behind its sheltering form she turned toward the former airship officer and with all the fervor in her voice she exclaimed:

“Oh! I’m so glad you are back, Mr. Redmond! I thought you would never come.”

As she said this Mary uttered a deep sigh. In it were concentrated all the mingled emotions that had been pent up within her. It brought to her a sense of security and contentment such as she had not felt since she came to the island and it removed the terrific strain on her nerves which had almost resulted in a swoon.

For Redmond this was one of the epochal moments of his life. Through his mind there rushed tumultuously a hundred thoughts in a pell-mell fashion, but overshadowing all, there was the impelling desire to grasp the girl before him in his arms and tell her how deeply he loved her. For a few seconds there was a desperate struggle within him between desire and wisdom, and throughout that time he remained tongue-tied.

It had been a most trying hour for him indeed. Ever since he had fired the shot which wounded the pirate his mind had been preyed upon by the thought that perhaps his hasty action had ruined all chances of rescuing the girl whose existence he was convinced meant his future happiness.

He shuffled uneasily and finally blurted out:

“I couldn’t get here before, Miss Mary.”

The spell at last broken, Redmond plunged into his narrative and told his companion all that happened since the time he pushed off alone in the dead of the night on his fateful trip in the frail lifeboat.

“We are in a pretty bad mess,” he concluded, “because I don’t know how long it will be before the relief ship is able to get here, and it will be impossible to get you off the island until it does get here. That’s the reason why I am afraid that I made a mistake in shooting Levanter. From here it looked as though he was going to strike you, and I just lost my head and shot him.”

“Don’t worry about it,” said Mary with a soothing tone in her voice, “perhaps it will all turn out for the best, after all. At least, let’s hope so.”

She then told him what had happened and the reason for the scene which had led up to the shooting. At that point she added:

“Oh! while I was in his room just now, I saw the chart he had with all the places where he has put those dreadful mines. I picked it up. Do you think it will be of any use to you?”

“Will it?” said Redmond with glee. “Why, that’s the best thing we could possibly get hold of. I’ll give it to the captain of the ship that is coming in place of the Farragut.”

Thus they talked for quite a while until Mary suddenly came back to realities.

“The airplane will be back any time now,” she said. “What do you think I had best do?”

Redmond thought a while before replying. It was indeed a serious situation, and difficult to decide just what to do. There was no doubt that both of them would have to be extremely careful, as the pirate’s wound would have to be explained somehow. The crew would undoubtedly suspect the presence of a stranger on the island. Having turned the problem over in his mind thoroughly, Redmond finally said:

“At first I was going to suggest that you come along with me and take a chance of escaping at the first opportunity, but as we don’t know just when the next cruiser will get here, it would mean that we would both have to hide on the island until it arrived, and that would be suicidal. I hate to send you back there, Miss Mary, but I think it would be best under the circumstances, and it might allay to their suspicions. Besides, it will make the whole affair more of a mystery to them. You will have to deny all knowledge of how the shooting occurred.”

“If you were to disappear at this time,” Redmond continued, “they would begin to search the island. Maybe they will anyway. I’m going to be as careful as I can. Much more so than I was before. I’m going to the southern end of the island tonight and send out a call on the portable wireless set I have there, in the hope of picking up whatever cruiser is coming along to take the place of the Farragut. I’ll try to get back to the rock here tomorrow if the conditions are right.”

Then after a short pause he added:

“I know it’s going to be very trying and very hard for you, Miss Mary, but I think it’s the best thing to do under the circumstances. I’ll try to keep within call of you in case of need. You know I’m armed now and that makes a great difference to both of us.”

Mary listened very attentively to all he said. As soon as he had finished she replied without any hesitation:

“I don’t mind it at all now that you are on the island again. Before you came back I was really afraid at times. You see I was all alone with these terrible men. Now I feel brave again. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be able to take care of myself alright, but I really think I should be going back now before the airplane comes in again.”

Before Mary got up to go they both glanced cautiously around the sheltering rock to make sure that everything was clear. There was still no sign of the outlaw aircraft in the harbor. For several seconds they both looked at each other in silence, then Mary put out her hand and Redmond grasped it.

“Au Revoir,” she said simply.

That was all. A moment later she was already walking resolutely toward the harbor.

From behind the sheltering form of the rock he watched, his mind a prey to a thousand fears over her safety and the disturbing thought that his judgement in sending her back might eventually prove to have been wrong.

Mary walked steadily forward. Not once did she turn back, although she was strongly tempted to. She was wondering whether Redmond was staying at the rock, or whether he had already left for the other side of the island. She was in high spirits. The gravity of the situation confronting her did not impress itself upon her mind in any way. Somehow, subconsciously, the conviction that everything would turn out alright had settled upon her, removing all fears that had beset her a short time ago. Her spirits were as buoyant now as they had been depressed a few hours ago. The pendulum of life had swung to the side of hope at last.

When she neared the beach she saw the airplane turn the headland on the eastern side of the harbor as it moved along the surface of the sea. She stopped abruptly, then watched a while, as it came slowly in toward its mooring. As it got closer she commenced to walk slowly up and down as though she had been doing nothing else at any time.

It was not long before the crew had secured the machine to its mooring and made their way ashore. Johnston was in the lead, and Mary went over toward him. The unusual greeting surprised the pirate’s chief lieutenant, and he exclaimed:

“What’s the matter, Miss?”

“Levanter had an accident,” she replied. “That’s what I came to tell you. His leg is hurt. He’s in the hut. He says he was shot, but I don’t know what’s the matter.”

“Shot!” exclaimed Johnston incredulously. “Who could have shot him?”

“That’s what I can’t say,” answered Mary truthfully enough.

Johnston clearly showed his perplexity.

“That sounds dam’ funny to me--Oh! excuse me, Miss,” he blurted apologetically, “but I can’t get that at all. Well, anyway, let’s go over and see what’s happened.”

Mary went after him as he strode rapidly toward the hut where the pirate was lying. He was already inside the room before she reached the door. He went over to the cot and asked vigorously:

“What in ’ell’s happened?”

“I’ve been shot, Walter,” replied Levanter weakly.

“Who the devil could shoot you?”

“I don’t know. I was talking to Mary when it happened. I got it in the leg.”

Without further ado Johnston bent over and examined the injured leg. The Kanakas had been bathing the wound under the feeble instructions Levanter had been able to give them.

By this time the rest of the crew had entered the room, and Mary was standing by the door.

“Is there anything I can do?” she inquired.

“No,” replied Johnston gruffly.

He turned to the others and ordered them to get a piece of wood to act as a splint to bind the pirate’s leg up. He then went over to the emergency medicine chest and made a dressing for the wound.

All hands worked quickly, and it was not long before the injured leg was bandaged up as well as could be done under the circumstances. There was no doubt about the ease it brought Levanter. He expressed it in the sigh that escaped his lips just before he fell into slumber.

After administrating his aid Johnston ordered the rest of the crew out of the room, and went over to Mary.

“I want to talk to you, Miss,” he said as he led her out.

Outside the hut he continued:

“I’m a plain man, Miss, and I don’t stand for any monkey business--it’s too risky in this job. Now tell me straight what happened.”

“Why I’ve told you all I can already,” said Mary. “There’s nothing else I can tell you.”

“Well, he says he was talking to you when he was shot. Who shot him?”

“That’s the funniest part about it,” replied Mary. “I was talking to him. He was very angry over something. He was talking to me when all of a sudden he fell over. I didn’t hear a sound and I didn’t see any one. Even the Kanakas were all inside the workshop. It may sound funny, but honestly that’s the truth.”

“Well it’s dam’ funny to me,” he said with a perplexed air. “I can’t understand it.”

“If it’s funny to you, just think how mysterious it was to me, because I was standing with him,” she said.

A sudden thought entered Johnston’s mind. Looking straight at Mary, he asked:

“Say was he trying to interfere with you?”

“Why do you ask that,” queried Mary in reply.

“Because I think you shot him,” replied Johnston menacingly.