A Millionaire at Sixteen by Oliver Optic

Captain Scoble had made noise enough during the struggle on the divan to be heard in the stateroom where Mrs. Belgrave was passing her time in fear and anxiety. It was not for herself that she worried and trembled; but she was in constant dread that Louis would be overpowered and seriously injured in the conflict she was now assured was in progress.

"O Louis! Louis! " she screamed as she came out of her room in time to see the conclusion of the conflict, and hastened as rapidly as the uneasy motion of the vessel would permit to the scene of action.

"Don't be alarmed, mother," returned the son, as he ran to her support. "It is all over now, and you have nothing to fear."

"What is all over? What have you been doing? " asked the lady, hardly able to speak in the violence of her emotion.

"You can see that Scoble is in irons, and it is not possible for him to harm you or me just now," replied Louis.

"In irons? What does that mean?"

"He has a pair of handcuffs, which he brought out for me, on his wrists."

"But what are you going to do with him, my son? " asked the lady, who seemed to be hardly less terrified now than before.

"I don't know yet, mother: we have not decided what to do, though of course we shall get back to the Park as soon as possible. We have disposed of Scoble for the present, and we shall soon ascertain what we shall do next. What makes you tremble so, mother? You have nothing to alarm you now."

"I am afraid you will get hurt, Louis."

"But you need not be afraid, for there are three of us, and Captain Ringgold is a match for any two of the men on board of the Maud. Flix and I are not ciphers, and we can manage the matter very well, I assure you. I have no idea of being conveyed to England, or of permitting you to be conveyed there. I hope and expect you will be at the Park some time this evening. Now be a good mother, and go into your stateroom again, and keep very quiet there."

"But what are you going to do, my son? " demanded Mrs. Belgrave, still filled with terror and anxiety.

"I don't know yet. We have fought the battle in the cabin, and won the victory, and that practically settles the whole matter. Scoble can do none of us any harm now."

"But he and his men may be armed with pistols; and I am confident he would shoot you if you resisted him."

"You forget, mother, that I took his revolvers from his room, and I have given them to Captain Ringgold, who has them in his pockets at this moment. Our party are all armed, though I hope we shall not be compelled to use our weapons. Now come to your room, and as soon as we have decided what to do, I will see you and tell you all about it," said Louis, as he took the arm of Mrs. Belgrave and conducted her to her room. "Now lock the door, and lie down in your berth. Make yourself as comfortable as you can, for this state of things cannot last much longer."

She went into the stateroom, though she was plainly very reluctant to do so. Nervous and timid as she was, she would have thrown herself physically into any affray in which the safety of her son was menaced. In the presence of Scoble she had manifested a courage and determination, which were a revelation to Louis. She was disposed to protect her son by the sacrifice of herself.

Louis called her his guardian-mother; and this was an expression that greatly pleased his fancy. He looked upon her as an influence greater and more powerful than all others on the earth combined. He was strong and energetic in the battle upon which he had just entered through the influence she exerted over him. He felt that life would be nothing to him without her. He heard her lock the door after he had kissed her and retired from the room.

Scoble still sat upon the divan at the stern of the cabin, where the stout shipmaster had cast him like an unclean bird after he had been ironed. He could not help realizing that he had been conquered, but he had not been subdued. Louis hastened to the after end of the cabin as soon as he had disposed of his mother. The captain of the Maud seemed to be dazed, confounded, and astonished at the result of the conflict in which he had been engaged. One so arbitrary and self-sufficient had some difficulty in believing that he had actually been overcome, and in his own cabin. But the violence of his wrath had apparently subsided, and he was silent, looking from one to another of his late assailants.

"What next? " he demanded, as he fixed his gaze upon Louis, evidently regarding him as the leader and chief engineer of the movement in progress.

"We are not disposed to make you any more uncomfortable than is necessary to prevent you from doing any harm to my mother and myself; and I think we shall be abundantly able to protect ourselves, Captain Scoble," replied Louis, taking upon himself the office of spokesman. "I wish to say for myself that, in spite of all you have done, I bear no malice towards you. I shall do nothing, and my friends here will not, to injure you, or even to annoy you, unless it shall be necessary to protect myself and mother."