American Boys Afloat by Oliver Optic

Louis Belgrave had taken it for granted that the Spaniards would move forward to the support of the Scotchman, who was doing better with the aid of the tiller in his encounter with Scott. He expected the attack would be made in front, and while he was considering whether or not his party should use their revolvers, the smugglers fell upon Felix and himself in the rear, for he had sent Morris to the wheel, and they were tightly hugged, with their arms pinned to their sides by the four Spaniards.

While the struggle between Scott and Gray was going on, Louis discovered that the steamer was headed towards the shore, and it was evident to him that the pilot's fastenings at the wheel had given away. The Salihé was therefore liable to stick in the mud at any moment; and he had sent Morris to the pilot-house to steer the boat, for he was the youngest of the big four, and the least serviceable in the defence of the craft.

As soon as Louis and Felix were fast in the embrace of two of the Spaniards, Diego rushed into the pilot-house, and overthrew Morris at the wheel. The plucky little fellow had drawn his revolver; but the leader had cautioned them not to fire, and he returned the weapon to his pocket. He was no match for the stalwart smuggler, and he was thrown on the floor. Diego called to the third of his men on the deck, and directed him to tie the hands of all the prisoners behind them, which he did as soon as he could find the cords for the purpose.

Diego was the leader of the Spaniards, and probably the captain of the small vessel to be towed out of the bay. He kept his foot on the prostrate form of poor Morris while he threw over the wheel, and headed the steamer for the mouth of the Palmones. When Louis had been bound with his hands behind him, he turned his attention to Scott, who was still holding his own with the Scotchman. The blows with the tiller and the saw were now few and far between, for both of them seemed to be tired out by the fury of the struggle.

"No use, Scott," called Louis. "You had better give it up, and we will make the best of the situation. All but you are prisoners; you cannot beat off the whole of them alone, and you had better surrender."

"Then I will throw up the sponge if you say so, Captain Belgrave, though it goes against my grain," replied Scott as he dropped the saw into the cabin through one of the open windows.

"That's sensible, Captain," added Gray, with a sort of gasp, for he had not yet recovered his breath after the violence of the struggle. "Here, Francisco, tie up this fellow as you have the others," he added in Spanish.

"Do you mean to tie my hands behind me? " demanded Scott, falling back from his assailant.

"You can't help yourself, Scott, and you had better submit," interposed Louis, for there was no "blood and thunder" in him; he was not disposed to have any shooting done as long as their lives were not in peril, and he deemed it advisable to make the best of the situation.

He suspected that Giles Chickworth was a friend of Gray, and assisted him in his smuggling operations. Diego and the Scotchman were evidently in partnership in such enterprises as the present, and doubtless the owner of the steamer had his share of the profits. Gray would send the Salihé back to Gibraltar, even if it was only to avert suspicion from the steamer and her owner.

"Just as you say, Captain Belgrave, and I will submit to the indignity," said Scott in reply to the advice of the leader.

"Captain Belgrave is a very sensible fellow," added Gray, as the Spaniard proceeded to bring the hands of the pilot behind him. "You have hacked me badly with that saw, which is a weapon I have never seen used in a fight before."

"Then you have learned something this evening that may be of service to you," replied Scott, who appeared to be very well satisfied with himself after the battle he had fought.

"You are a plucky fellow; but if I could have got hold of you, your pluck would have done no good."

"I did not mean to let you get hold of me," answered Scott.

"But you were playing a fool's game all the same. As soon as Francisco had tied up the other fellows, they would have taken you in the rear, and then I should have got hold of you. You were not as sensible as Captain Belgrave; and I only wonder that he should have been so stupid as not to accept my offer in the beginning."

"I suppose you know that this is piracy, Captain Gray," said Louis.

"Not quite so bad as that, Captain Belgrave, for within half a mile of the shore, and in this bay, is not exactly on the high seas."

Diego had called Francisco to the wheel as soon as all the prisoners were bound, and went out on deck himself. The steamer was again approaching the mouth of the river; but the man at the helm evidently knew where the deep water was, for he kept the boat close to the point at the south of the entrance to the stream.

"We are all right now, Captain Gray," said Diego, as he passed the three prisoners standing in the gangway.