"I thought so--I thought so. Here's the nigger and the mummy!"
Hervey uttered a curse, and, plunging past the trio, careless of the
leveled weapons, ran down to the end of the jetty, and, throwing his
arms round Date, leaped with him into the sea. They fell just beside
the boat, as Random saw when he reached the spot. A confused volley of
curses arose, as the boat pushed out from the encrusted pile, the mate
thrusting with a boat-hook. Hervey and Date were in the water, but as
the boat shot into the moonlight, Random--and now Hope and De Gayangos,
who had come up--saw a long green form in amongst the sailors; also,
very plainly, Cockatoo with his great mop of yellow hair.
"Shoot! shoot!" yelled Date, who was struggling with the skipper in the
shallow water near shore. "Don't let them escape."
Hope ran up the jetty and fired three shots in the air, certain that
the firing would attract the attention of the four or five constables on
guard at the cottage, which was no very great distance away. Random sent
a bullet into the midst of the boatload, and immediately the mate fired
also. The bullet whistled past his head, and, crazy with rage, he felt
inclined to jump in amongst the ruffians and have a hand-to-hand fight.
But De Gayangos stopped him in a voice shrill with anger. Already the
shouts and noise of the approaching policemen could be heard. Cockatoo
gripped the green mummy case desperately, while the sailors tried to row
towards the ship.
Then De Gayangos gave a shout, and leaped, as the boat swung past the
jetty. He landed right on Cockatoo, and although a cloud drifted across
the moon, Random heard the shots coming rapidly from his revolver.
Meanwhile Hervey got away from Date, as the constables came pounding
down the jetty and on to the beach.
"Chuck the mummy and nigger overboard and make for the ship," he yelled,
swimming with long strokes towards the boat.
This order was quite to the sailors' minds, as they had not reckoned on
such a fight. Half a dozen willing hands clutched both Cockatoo and the
case, and, in spite of the Kanaka's cries, both were hurled overboard.
As the case swung overside, De Gayangos, balancing himself at the end of
the boat, fired at Cockatoo. The shot missed the Kanaka, and pierced the
mummy case. Then from it came a piercing yell of agony and rage.
"Great God!" shouted Hope, who was watching the battle, "I believe
Braddock is in that damned thing."
The next moment De Gayangos was swung overboard also, and the sailors
were lifting Hervey into the boat. It nearly upset, but he managed to
get in, and the craft rowed for the vessel, which was again showing a
flaring blue light. Random sent a shot after the boat, and then with the
policemen ran down to help De Gayangos, who was struggling in the water.
He managed to pull him out, and when he had him safe and breathless on
shore, he saw that the boat was nearing the ship, and that Date, torn
and wet and disheveled, with three policemen, was up to his waist in
water, struggling to bring ashore Cockatoo and the mummy case, to which
he clung like a limpet. Hope ran down to give a hand, and in a few
minutes they had the Kanaka ashore, fighting like the demon he was.
Random and De Gayangos joined the breathless group, and Cockatoo was
held in the grasp of two strong men--who required all their strength to
hold him--while Date, warned by Hope's cry of what was in the case, tore
at the lid. It was but lightly fastened and soon came off. Then those
present saw in the moonlight the dead face of Professor Braddock, who
had been shot through the heart. As they looked at the sight, Cockatoo
broke from those who held him, and, throwing himself on his master,
howled and wept as though his heart would break. At the same moment
there came a derisive whistle from The Firefly, and they saw the great
tramp steamer slowly moving down stream, increasing her speed with
almost every revolution of the screw. Braddock had been captured, but
Hervey had escaped.