The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Rose of Paradise, by Howard Pyle
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Title: The Rose of Paradise
Being a detailed account of certain adventures that happened
to captain John Mackra, in connection with the famous
pirate, Edward England, in the year 1720, off the Island
of Juanna in the Mozambique Channel; writ by himself, and
now for the first time published
Author: Howard Pyle
Release Date: March 17, 2010 [EBook #31673]
Language: English
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[Illustration: "BOAT AHOY!" I CRIED OUT, AND THEN LEVELLED MY PISTOL AND
FIRED.]
THE ROSE OF PARADISE
_Being a detailed account of certain adventures that
happened to Captain John Mackra, in connection
with the famous pirate, Edward England, in
the year 1720, off the Island of Juanna
in the Mozambique Channel; writ
by himself, and now for the
first time published_
BY HOWARD PYLE
AUTHOR OF
"PEPPER AND SALT" "THE WONDER CLOCK" ETC.
_ILLUSTRATED_
NEW YORK
HARPER & BROTHERS, FRANKLIN SQUARE
1888
Copyright, 1887, by Harper & Brothers.
* * * * *
_All rights reserved._
TO
LEWIS C. VANDEGRIFT
This Book is Dedicated
BY HIS FRIEND
_THE AUTHOR_
ILLUSTRATIONS.
_"Boat ahoy!" I cried out, and then levelled
my pistol and fired_ Frontispiece
_Mr. Longways looked up under his brown eyes
at me with a very curious leer_ faces 20
_"Captain Mackra," said he, coldly, "you were
pleased to put upon me last night a gross and
uncalled-for insult"_ " 62
_So soon as they saw me they fell to screaming,
and clung to one another_ " 100
_"I am Captain John Mackra" said I, and I
sat down upon the gunwale of the boat_ " 132
_I rose slowly from my chair, and stood with
my hand leaning upon the table_ " 172
_The three fellows were brought aft to the
quarter-deck, where Captain Croker stood,
just below the rail of the deck above_ " 186
_There, in the corner, I beheld the famous pirate,
Captain Edward England_ " 212
THE ROSE OF PARADISE.
I.
Although the account of the serious engagement betwixt the _Cassandra_
and the two pirate vessels in the Mozambique Channel hath already been
set to print, the publick have yet to know many lesser and more detailed
circumstances concerning the matter;[A] and as the above-mentioned
account hath caused much remark and comment, I shall take it upon me to
give many incidents not yet known, seeking to render them neither in
refined rhetorick nor with romantick circumstances such as are sometimes
used by novel and story writers to catch the popular attention, but
telling this history as directly, and with as little verbosity and
circumlocution, as possible.
[A] A brief narration of the naval engagement between Captain Mackra and
the two pirate vessels was given in the Captain's official report made
at Bombay. It appears in the life of the pirate England in Johnson's
book: "A Genuine Account of the Voyages and Plunders of the Most
Notorious Pyrates, &c." London, 1742.
For the conveniency of the reader, I shall render this true and
veracious account under sundry headings, marked I., II., III., &c., as
seen above, which may assist him in separating the less from the more
notable portions of the narrative.
* * * * *
According to my log--a diary or journal of circumstances appertaining to
shipboard--it was the nineteenth day of April, 1720, when, I being in
command of the East India Company's ship _Cassandra_, billed for Bombay
and waiting for orders to sail, comes Mr. Evans, the Company's agent,
aboard with certain sealed and important orders which he desired to
deliver to me at the last minute.
After we had come to my cabin and were set down, Mr. Evans hands me two
pacquets, one addressed to myself, the other superscribed to one
Benjamin Longways.
He then proceeded to inform me that the Company had a matter of
exceeding import and delicacy which they had no mind to intrust to any
one but such, he was pleased to say, as was a tried and worthy servant,
and that they had fixed upon me as the fitting one to undertake the
commission, which was of such a nature as would involve the transfer of
many thousand pounds. He furthermore informed me that a year or two
before, the Company had rendered certain aid to the native King of
Juanna, an island lying between Madagascar and the east coast of Africa,
at a time when there was war betwixt him and the king of an island
called Mohilla, which lyeth coadjacent to the other country; that I
should make Juanna upon my voyage, and that I should there receive
through Mr. Longways, who was the Company's agent at that place, a
pacquet of the greatest import, relating to the settlement of certain
matters betwixt the East India Company and the king of that island.
Concluding his discourse, he further said that he had no hesitation in
telling me that the pacquet which I would there receive from Mr. Longways
concerned certain payments due the East India Company, and would, as he
had said before, involve the transfer of many thousand pounds; from
which I might see what need there was of great caution and
circumspection in the transaction.
"But, sir," says I, "sure the Company is making a prodigious mistake in
confiding a business of such vast importance as this to one so young and
so inexperienced as I."
To this Mr. Evans only laughed, and was pleased to say that it was no
concern of his, but from what he had observed he thought the honorable
Company had made a good choice, and that of a keen tool, in my case. He
furthermore said that in the pacquet which he had given to me, and which
was addressed to me, I would find such detailed instructions as would be
necessary, and that the other should be handed to Mr. Longways, and was
an order for the transfer above spoken of.
Soon after this he left the ship, and was rowed ashore, after many kind
and complacent wishes for a quick and prosperous voyage.
It may be as well to observe here as elsewhere within this narrative
that the Company's written orders to me contained little that Mr. Evans
had not told me, saving only certain details, and the further order that
that which the agent at Juanna should transfer to me should be delivered
to the Governor at Bombay, and that I should receive a written receipt
from him for the same. Neither at that time did I know the nature of the
trust that I was called upon to execute, save that it was of great
import, and that it involved money to some mightily considerable amount.
The crew of the _Cassandra_ consisted of fifty-one souls all told,
officers and ordinary seamen. Besides these were six passengers, the
list of whom I give below, it having been copied from my log-book
journal:
Captain Edward Leach (of the East India Company's service).
Mr. Thomas Fellows (who was to take the newly established agency of the
Company at Cuttapore).
Mr. John Williamson (a young cadet).
Mrs. Colonel Evans (a sister-in-law of the Company's agent spoken of
above).
Mistress Pamela Boon (a niece of the Governor at Bombay).
Mistress Ann Hastings (the young lady's waiting-woman).
Of Mistress Pamela Boon I feel extreme delicacy in speaking, not caring
to make publick matters of such a nature as our subsequent relations to
one another. Yet this much I may say without indelicacy, that she was at
that time a young lady of eighteen years of age, and that her father,
who had been a clergyman, having died the year before, she was at that
time upon her way to India to join her uncle, who, as said above, was
Governor at Bombay, and had been left her guardian.
Nor will it be necessary to tire the reader by any disquisition upon the
other passengers, excepting Captain Leach, whom I shall have good cause
to remember to the very last day of my life.
He was a tall, handsome fellow, of about eight-and-twenty years of age,
of good natural parts, and of an old and honorable family of
Hertfordshire. He was always exceedingly kind and pleasant to me, and
treated me upon every occasion with the utmost complacency, and yet I
conceived a most excessive dislike for his person from the very first
time that I beheld him, nor, as events afterwards proved, were my
instincts astray, or did they mislead me in my sentiments, as they are
so apt to do upon similar occasions.
After a voyage somewhat longer than usual, and having stopped at St.
Helena, which hath of late been one of our stations, we sighted the
southern coast of Madagascar about the middle of July, and on the
eighteenth dropped anchor in a little bay on the eastern side of the
island of Juanna, not being able to enter into the harbor which lyeth
before the king's town because of the shallowness of the water and the
lack of a safe anchorage, which is mightily necessary along such a
treacherous and dangerous coast. In the same harbor we found two other
vessels--one the _Greenwich_, Captain Kirby, an English ship; the other
an Ostender, a great, clumsy, tub-shaped craft.
I was much put about that I could get no nearer to the king's town than
I then was, it being some seven or eight leagues away around the
northern end of the island. I was the more vexed that we could not well
come to it in boats, other than by a long reach around the cape to the
northward, which would increase the journey to wellnigh thirty miles.
Besides all this, I was further troubled upon learning from Captain
Kirby of the _Greenwich_ that the pirates had been very troublesome in
these waters for some time past. He said that having been ashore soon
after he had come to that place, in search of a convenient spot to take
in water, he had found fourteen pirates that had come in their canoes
from the Mayotta, where the pirate ship to which they belonged, viz.,
the _Indian Queen_, two hundred and fifty tons, twenty-eight guns, and
ninety men, commanded by Captain Oliver de la Bouche, bound from the
Guinea coast to the East Indies, had been bulged and lost.
I asked Captain Kirby what he had done with the rogues. He told me,
nothing at all, and that the less one had to do with such fellows the
better. At this I was vastly surprised, and that he had taken no steps
to put an end to such a nest of vile, wicked, and bloody-minded wretches
when he had it so clearly in his power to take fourteen of them at once;
more especially as he should have known that if they got away from that
place and to any of their companions they would bring the others not
only about his ears, but of every other craft that might be lying in the
harbor at the time. Something to this effect I said, whereat he flew
into a mighty huff, and said that if I had seen half the experience that
he had been through I would not be so free in my threats of doing this
or that to a set of wretches no better than so many devils from hell,
who would cut a man's throat without any scruples either of fear or
remorse.
To all this I made no rejoinder, for the pirates were far enough away by
this time, and I was willing to suppose that Captain Kirby had done
what he judged to be best in the matter. Yet the getting away of those
evil wretches brought more trouble upon me than had happened in all my
life before.
But, as was said before, I was in a pretty tub of pickle with all those
things; for I could not bring my ship to anchor in any reasonable
distance of the king's town, nor could I leave her and go on such a
journey as would take a day or more, lest the pirates should come along
in my absence. Neither did I like to send any of the officers under me
to execute the commission, it being one of such exceeding delicacy and
secrecy. At this juncture, and all of my passengers knowing that we
could not leave that place till I had communicated certain papers to the
Company's agent at the king's town, comes Captain Leach to me and
volunteers to deliver the pacquet addressed to Mr. Longways. At first I
was but little inclined to accept of his complacency, but having a
secret feeling that I might be wronging him by my prejudice against him,
I determined to give second thought to the matter before I hastily
declined his offer of aid. Indeed, I may truthfully say I would have
felt more inclined to refuse his assistance if I had entertained a more
high opinion of his person. As it was, I could see no reason for not
accepting his offer; he was regarded everywhere as a man of rectitude
and of honor, and I had no real grounds to impeach this opinion; so the
end of the business was that I accepted his aid with the best face that
I was able to command, though that was with no very good grace, and gave
him leave to choose ten volunteers as a boat's crew for the
expedition.
II.
(The reader will be pleased to observe that, in pursuance of the plan
above indicated, I here begin a second part or chapter of my narrative,
the first dealing with our voyage out as far as the island of Juanna,
and matters of a kindred nature, whilst the following relates to an
entirely different subject, namely, the nature of the trust imposed upon
me, mention only of which has heretofore been made.)
I do not now nor ever have believed that Captain Leach had any other
designs in offering to execute my commission than that of seizing so
excellent an opportunity to see a strange country and people after a
long and tiresome voyage upon the sea. Nevertheless, my allowing him to
go was one of the greatest mistakes in all of my whole life, and cost
me dearly enough before I had redeemed it.
The expedition under him was gone for three days, at the end of which
time he returned, in company with a great canoe manned by a crew of
about twenty tall, strapping black fellows, and with two or three
sitting in the stern-sheets of the craft, bedecked with feathers and
beads, whom I knew to be chiefs or warriors.
In the _Cassandra's_ boat was a stranger who sat beside Captain Leach,
talking very gayly, and who I knew could be none other than Mr.
Longways, the Company's agent.
So soon as the _Cassandra's_ boat had come alongside he skipped up the
side like a monkey, and gave me a very civil bow immediately his feet
touched the deck, which I returned with all the gravity I was able to
command.
Mr. Longways was a lean, slim little man, and was dressed with great
care, and in the very latest fashion that he could obtain; from which,
and his polite, affected manners and grimaces, I perceived that he
rarely had the opportunity of coming upon board of a craft where there
were ladies as passengers.
After Mr. Longways came Captain Leach, and after him the three great,
tall, native chiefs, half naked, and with hair dressed after a most
strange, curious fashion. At first they would have prostrated themselves
at my feet, but I prevented them; whereupon they took my hand and set it
upon their heads, which was anything but pleasant, their hair being
thick with gums and greases.
I presently led the way to my cabin, the chiefs following close at our
heels, and Mr. Longways walking beside me, grimacing like a little old
monkey in a vastly affected manner. Nor could I forbear smiling to see
how he directed his observations towards the ladies, and more especially
Mistress Pamela, who stood at the rail of the deck above. Mr. Longways
carried in his hand a strong iron despatch-box, about the bigness of
those used by the runners at the Bank, and so soon as we had come into
my cabin he clapped it down upon the table with a great noise.
"There!" says he, fetching a deep sigh; "I, for one, am glad to be quit
of it."
"Why," says I, "Mr. Longways, is there then so much in the little
compass of that box?"
"Indeed yes," says he; "enough to make you and me rich men for our
lives."
"I wonder, then," says I, laughing, "that you should bring it so easily
to me, when you might have made off with it yourself, and no one the
wiser."
"No, no," says he, quite seriously, without taking my jest, and jerking
his head towards the black chiefs, who had squatted down upon their hams
nigh to the table--"No, no. Our friends yonder have had their eyes on me
sharply enough, though they do not understand one single word that we
are saying to one another."
While we had been conversing I had fetched out a decanter of port and
five glasses, and had poured out wine for all hands, which the black men
drank with as great pleasure as Mr. Longways and myself.
After Mr. Longways had finished, he smacked his lips and set down his
glass with a great air. "And now," says he, with a comical grimace of
vanity and self-importance, "let us to business without loss of more
time. First of all, I have to ask you, sir, do you know what all this
treasure is for?"
I told him yes; that Mr. Evans had informed me that it was as payment
for certain aid which the East India Company had rendered to the king of
that country.
"And how," says he, very slowly, and cocking his head upon one
side--"and how do you think our King Coffee is to make such payments? By
bills upon the Bank of Africa? No, no. The treasure is all in this box,
every farthing of it; and I, sir, have been chosen by the honorable East
India Company to have sole and entire charge of it for more than two
weeks past." Here he looked at me very hard, as though he thought I
would have made some remark upon what he had told me; but as I said
nothing he presently resumed his discourse, after his own fashion. "I
see," says he, "that you do not appreciate the magnitude of the trust
that hath been imposed upon me. I shall show you, sir." And without more
ado he fetched up a bunch of keys out of his pocket. He looked at them
one after another until he found one somewhat smaller than the rest, and
with very curiously wrought guards. "Look at this," says he; "there are
only three in the world like it. I hold one, King Coffee the other, and
the Governor of Bombay the third." So saying, he thrust the key into the
lock of the despatch-box. "Stop a bit, sir," said I, very seriously,
and laying my hand on his arm. "Have you very well considered what you
are doing? Mr. Evans, the Company's agent, said nothing to me concerning
the nature of the trust that was to be imposed upon me further than it
was of very great value; and without you have received instructions to
tell me further concerning this business, I much misdoubt that the
Company intended me to be further informed as to its nature."
"Why, look 'ee, Captain Mackra," says he, testily, "Tom Evans is one man
and I am another, and I tell you further that I am as important an agent
as he, even though he does live in London and I in this outrageous
heathen country. Even if I had not intended showing you this treasure
before, I would show it to you now, for I do not choose that anybody
should think that Tom Evans is a man of more importance than I." So
saying, and without more ado, he gave a quick turn to the key, and flung
back the lid of the box. I happened just then to glance at the three
chiefs, and saw that they were watching us as a cat watches at a
mouse-hole; but so soon as they saw me observing them they turned their
eyes away so quickly that I hardly felt sure that I had seen them.
Inside of the box was a great lot of dried palm-leaf fibre wrapped
around a ball of cotton, which Mr. Longways lifted very carefully and
gently. Opening this, he came upon a little roll of dressed skin like
the chamois-leather such as the jewellers and watch-makers use, and
which was tied all about very carefully with a stout cord of palm fibre.
Mr. Longways began laboriously to untie the knot in this cord, and,
though I cannot tell why, there was something about the whole business
that set my heart to beating very thickly and heavily within my breast.
Mr. Longways looked up under his brows at me with a very curious leer.
"Did you ever hear," says he, "of The Rose of Paradise?"
[Illustration: MR. LONGWAYS LOOKED UP UNDER HIS BROWN EYES AT ME WITH A
VERY CURIOUS LEER.]
I shook my head.
"Then I'll show her to you," said he; and he began unwinding the cord
from about the roll of soft leather, the folds of which he presently
opened. Then, as I looked down into his hand and saw what lay within the
dressed skin, I was so struck with amazement that I could not find
either breath or tongue to utter one single word.
III.
_It was a ruby, the most beautiful I had ever seen, and about the
bigness of a pigeon's egg._
At the sight of this prodigious jewel I was so disturbed in my spirits
that I trembled as though with an ague, while the sweat started out of
my forehead in great drops. "For the love of the Lord, put it up, man!"
I cried, so soon as I could find breath and wits.
There was something in my voice that must have frightened Mr. Longways,
for he looked mightily disturbed and taken aback; but he presently tried
to pass it off for a jest. "Come, come," says he, as he wrapped up the
stone in the soft leather again--"come, come; it's all between friend
and friend, and no harm done." But to this I answered not a word, but
began walking up and down the cabin, so affected by what I had seen that
I could neither recover my spirits nor regain my composure. The more I
thought over the business the less I liked it; for if anything should
now happen to the stone, and it should be lost, every suspicion would
fall upon me, since I was possessed of the knowledge of the value of
that which was given into my charge. I could not but marvel at the
foolish and magpie vanity of Mr. Longways that should thus lead him to
betray to an unknown stranger what even I, though so ignorant of the
value of such gems, could easily perceive was a vast incalculable
treasure such as would make any one man rich for a whole lifetime; and
even to this very day it is a matter of admiration to me why the East
India Company should have put such a man in a place of important trust,
the only reason that I can assign being that no better man could be
found to take the agency in that place.
"Look'ee," said I, turning to him suddenly, "have you told of this
jewel, this Rose of Paradise, to any one else?"
"Why--" says he; and then he stopped, and began gnawing his nether lip
in a peevish fashion.
"Come, come," says I, "speak out plain, Master Longways, for this is no
time for dilly-dallying."
"Well," says he, blurting out his words, "I did say something of it to
Captain Leach, who, I would have you know, is a gentleman, and a man of
honor into the bargain."
"And tell me," said I, paying no attention to his braggadocio air, "did
you show the stone to him also?"
He looked up and down, as though not knowing what to say.
"Come, come, sir," said I, sternly, after waiting for a moment or two
and he not answering me--"come, come, sir, I should like to have an
answer, if you please. You will recollect that this trust now concerns
not only you, but also myself, and if anything happens to the jewel I
will be called upon to answer for it as well as yourself; so, as I said,
you will answer my question."
"Why," says he, "Master Captain, and what if I did? Do you mean to
impeach the honor of Captain Leach? I did show it to him one day when we
stopped along the beach for water, if you must be told; but I can
promise you that not another soul but yourself has seen it since I gave
King Coffee my written receipt for it."
I made no more comment, but began again to walk up and down the cabin,
vastly disturbed in my mind by all that I heard. Nothing could be gained
by blaming the poor fool, who all this time sat watching me with a
mightily troubled and disquieted face. "Sir," said I, at last, turning
to him--"sir, I do not believe that you know what a serious piece of
folly you have committed in this business. By rights I should have
nothing more to do with the matter, but should leave you to settle it
with the Company as you choose; but my instructions were to deliver the
stone at Bombay, and I will undertake to do my part to the best of my
power. I have nothing of blame to say to you, but I must tell you plain
that I cannot have you longer about my ship; I do not wish to order you
to leave, but I will be vastly obliged to you if you can return to the
king's town without longer stay."
At this address Mr. Longways grew very red in the face. "Sir! sir!" he
cried, "do you dare to order me, an agent of the East India Company, to
leave one of that Company's own ships?"
"That," said I, "you must salt to suit your own taste."
"Very well!" cried he; "give me a receipt for the stone and I'll go,
though I tell you plain that the Company shall hear of the fashion in
which you have been pleased to treat me."
I made no further answer to his words, but sat down and wrote out the
receipt, specifying, however, the manner in which The Rose of Paradise
had been shown both to Captain Leach and to myself.
For a while Mr. Longways hotly refused to accept it in the form in which
it was writ; but finding that he could get no better, and that he would
either have to accept of it or retain the stone in his own keeping until
some further opportunity offered for consigning it to Bombay, he was
finally fain to take what he could get, whereupon he folded up the paper
and thrust it into his pocket, and then left the cabin with a vast show
of dignity, and without so much as looking at me or saying a word to me.
He and the chiefs got into the great canoe, and rowed away whence they
had come, and I saw no more of him until above a week afterwards, of
which I shall have more to say further on in my narration.
IV.
I did not go upon deck immediately after Mr. Longways had left the
cabin, but sat there concerned with a great multitude of thoughts, and
gazing absently at the box that held the treasure, and at the empty
glasses with the dregs of the wine in the bottom.
Just in front of me was a small looking-glass fastened against the port
side of the cabin in such position that by merely raising my eyes I
could see the cabin door from where I sat.
In the upper part of the door was a little window of two panes of glass,
which opened out under the overhang of the poop-deck.
Though I do not know what it was, something led me to glance up from
where I sat, and in the glass I saw Captain Leach looking in at that
window with a mightily strange expression on his face. He was not
looking at me, but at the iron despatch-box upon the table, and I sat
gazing at him for about the space of eight or ten seconds, in which time
he moved neither his glance nor his person. Suddenly he lifted his eyes
and looked directly into the glass, and his gaze met mine. I had thought
that he would have been struck with confusion, and for a moment it did
seem as though his look faltered, but he instantly recovered himself,
and tapped lightly upon the door, and I bade him come in without moving
where I sat.
He did as he was told, and sat down upon the chair which Mr. Longways
had occupied only a few moments before. I confess that I was both
frightened and angry at finding him thus, as it were, spying upon me, so
that it was a moment or two before I trusted myself to speak.
"Sir," said I at last, "sure this voyage hath been long enough for you
to know that the courtesies of shipboard require you to send a message
to the captain to find whether he be disengaged or no."
Captain Leach showed no emotion at my reproof. "Captain Mackra," said
he, quietly, "I do not know what that gabbling fool of an agent has or
has not said to you, but I tell you plain he hath chosen to betray to me
certain important matters concerning the East India Company, and that in
yonder despatch-box is a large ruby, valued at nigh three hundred and
fifty thousand pounds sterling."
I may confess that I was vastly amazed at the value of the stone, which
was far greater than I had conceived a notion of, but I strove to show
nothing of my sentiments to my interlocutor.
"Well, sir?" said I, looking him straight in the face.
He seemed somewhat struck aback at my manner, but he presently laughed
lightly. "You take the matter with most admirable coolness," said he;
"far more than I would do were I in your place. But at least you will
now perceive why I chose rather to come to you of myself than to send a
messenger to you where a matter of such delicacy was concerned."
"Well, sir?" said I.
Captain Leach looked for a moment or two as though at a loss what next
to say, but he presently spoke again. "I came to you," said he, "not
knowing, as I said before, whether or no Mr. Longways had betrayed to
you, as he has to me, the value of the trust imposed upon you; and as I
myself am now unfortunately concerned in the knowledge of this treasure,
and so share in your responsibility, I come hither to discover what
steps you propose taking to insure the safety of the stone."
Now it hath come under my observation that if a man be permitted to talk
without let or stay, he will sooner or later betray that which lieth
upon his mind. So from the very moment that Captain Leach uttered his
last speech I conceived the darkest and most sinister suspicions of his
purposes; nor from that time did I trust one single word that he said,
or repose confidence in any of his actions, but was ready to see in
everything something to awaken my doubts of his rectitude. Nor did these
sentiments arise entirely from his words, but equally as much from my
having discovered him, as it were, so prying upon my privacy.
"Sir," said I, rising from my seat, "I am infinitely obliged to you for
your kindness in this affair, but as I have at present matters of
considerable import that demand my closest attention, I must beg you to
excuse me."
Captain Leach looked at me for a moment or two as though he had it upon
his mind to say something further. However, he did not speak, but
rising, delivered a very profound bow, and left the cabin without
another word. But there was no gainsaying the wisdom of the advice
which he had given me as to concealing the treasure. Accordingly I
obtained from the carpenter a basket of tools, and, bearing in mind the
late visit with which he had favored me, having shaded the little window
in the door of my cabin, I stripped off my coat and waistcoat, and after
an hour or so of work, made shift to rig up a very snug little closet
with a hinged door, in the bottom of my berth and below the mattress,
wherein I hid the jewel. After that I breathed more freely, for I felt
that the treasure could not be discovered without a long and careful
search, the opportunities for which were not likely to occur.
Although my interview with Captain Leach might seem of small and
inconsiderable moment to any one coolly reading this narrative in the
privacy of his closet, yet coming to me as it did upon the heels of my
other interview with Mr. Longways, it cast me into such disquietude of
spirit as I had not felt for a long time. I would have heaved anchor
and away, without losing one single minute of delay, had it been
possible for me to have done so; but not a breath of air was stirring,
and there was nothing for it but to ride at anchor where we were,
though, what with the heat and delay, it was all that I could do not to
chafe myself into a fume of impatience.
So passed the day until about four o'clock in the afternoon, when there
happened a certain thing that, had thunder and lightning burst from a
clear sky, it could not have amazed me more. I being in my cabin at the
time, comes Mr. Langely, my first mate, with the strange news that the
lookout had sighted a vessel over the point of land to the southward. I
could hardly accredit what he said, for, as above stated, not a breath
of air was going. I hurried out of my cabin and upon deck, where I found
Mr. White, the second mate, standing at the port side of the ship, with
a glass in his hand directed a few points west of south, and over a
spit of land which ran out in the channel towards that quarter, at which
place the cape was covered by a mightily thick growth of scrub-bushes,
with here and there a tall palm-tree rising from the midst of the
thickets. Over beyond these I could see the thin white masts of the
vessel that the lookout had sighted. There was no need of the glass, for
I could see her plain enough, though not of what nature she might be.
However, I took the telescope from Mr. White's hands, and made a long
and careful survey of the stranger, but as much to hide my thoughts as
for any satisfaction that I could gain; for what confounded me beyond
measure was that a vessel should be sighted so suddenly, and in a dead
calm, where I felt well assured no craft had been for days past. Nor was
I less amazed to find, as I held the stranger steadfastly in the circle
of the object-glass, a tall palm-tree being almost betwixt the
_Cassandra_ and her, and almost directly in my line of sight, that she
was slowly and steadily making way towards the northward, and at a very
considerable angle with the Gulf current, which there had a set more to
the westward than where we lay at anchor.
I think that all, or nearly all, of my passengers were upon the
poop-deck at that time, Captain Leach with a pocket field-glass which he
had fetched with him from England, and with which he was directing
Mistress Pamela's observation to the strange craft. Nearly all the crew
were also watching her by this time, and in a little while they
perceived, what I had seen from the first, that the vessel was by some
contrivance making head without a breath of wind, and nearly against the
Gulf current.
As for the stranger herself, so far as I could judge, seeing nothing of
her hull, she was a bark of somewhat less tonnage than the _Cassandra_;
and the masts, which we could perceive very clearly against the clear
sky, had a greater rake than any I had ever before seen.
I do not know whether or not it was because my mind was running so much
upon the pirates and upon the great treasure which I had in my keeping,
but I am free to say that I liked the looks of the strange craft as
little as any I had ever beheld in my life, and would have given a
hundred guineas to be safe away from where I was, and with no more favor
than a good open sea and a smart breeze, for the _Cassandra_ was a
first-rate sailer, and as good a ship as any the East India Company had
at their docks.
As it was, we were cooped up in what was little more than a pond, and I
did not like the looks of the business at all.
"What do you make her out to be, Mr. Langely?" said I, after a bit,
handing him the glass.
He took a long and careful look at the stranger without speaking for a
while. By-and-by he said, without taking his eye from the glass, and as
though speaking half to himself, "She's making way against the current
somehow or other."
"Yes," said I; "I saw that from the first. But what do you make of her?"
"I can make nothing of her," says he, after a little while.
"Neither can I," I said; "and I like her none the better for that."
Mr. Langely took his eye from the glass, and gave me a very significant
look, whereby I saw that he had very much the same notion concerning the
stranger that I myself entertained.
By this time there was considerable bustle aboard the _Greenwich_, which
rode at anchor not more than a furlong or two from where we lay, and by
the gathering of the men on the forecastle I could see that they had
sighted the craft, as we had already done.
So the afternoon passed until six o'clock had come, against which time
the stranger had almost come into open sight beyond the cape to the
south, the hull alone being hidden by the low spit of sand which formed
the extremity of the point.
That evening I took my supper along with the passengers, as I had been
used to do, for I wished to appear unconcerned, as, after all, my
suspicions might be altogether groundless. Nevertheless, I came upon
deck again as soon as I was able, and found that the stranger was now so
far come into sight as to show a part of her hull, which was low, and
painted black, and was of such an appearance as rather to increase than
to lessen my serious suspicions of her nature.
I could see there were two whale-boats ahead of her, and it was very
plain to me that it was by means of these that the bark was making head
against the current. At first I was more than ever amazed at this,
seeing that the current at that point could not run at less than the
rate of two or three knots an hour, against which two boats could not
hope to tow a craft of her size without some contrivance to aid their
efforts. Every now and then I could hear the clicking of the capstan, as
though the vessel was heaving anchor, and led by this sound, I after a
while perceived how she was making way, though if I had not seen the
same plan used in the Strait of Malacca by the _City of Worcester_, when
I was there in the year '17, I much misdoubt whether I could have so
readily discovered the design which they were in this instance using. As
it was, I was not long in finding out what they were about.
The two boats ahead of the strange craft were towing a square sail
through the water by a line fastened to the middle of the same. From all
four corners of this sail ran good stout ropes, which were made fast to
the anchor cable of the bark. The two boats might tow this square
through the water easily enough by that one line fastened to the middle,
because the sail would then close and so slip easily through the water;
but so soon as the bark began to haul upon it from all four corners it
spread out as though filled with wind, and so offered a vast resistance
to the water. By this contrivance the bark was making headway at about
the rate of a knot an hour against the current, so that by seven o'clock
she was clear out beyond the cape and into the open water beyond.
At that time the sun had not yet gone down, and the distant vessel stood
out against the reddish-gray sky to the eastward, with all the cordage
and the masts as sharp as so many hairs and straws in the red light of
the setting sun.
I was standing just under the poop-deck at the time, with the glass to
my eye, when, of a sudden, I saw something black begin rising from the
deck to the fore. There was not enough breeze going to spread it, but I
knew as well as anything in all of my life that it was the "Black
Roger," and that the white that I could see among the folds was the
wicked sign of the "skull and crossbones," which those bloody and cruel
wretches are pleased to adopt as the ensign of their trade. Nor were we
long in doubt as to their design, for even as I watched I saw a sudden
puff of white smoke go up from her side and hang motionlessly in the
still air, whilst a second or two later sounded the dull and heavy boom
of the distant cannon, and a round shot came skipping across the water
from wave to wave, though too far away and with too poor aim to do any
damage from that distance, which could not have been less than two
miles.
"What does that mean, captain?" said Mistress Pamela, who stood with the
other passengers observing the bark from the poop-deck above.
"A salute, madam," said I, and so shut my glass and went into my cabin,
where Mr. Langely presently joined me at my request, and where we talked
over this very ugly piece of business at our leisure.
V.
In those hot latitudes, such as Madagascar, the darkness cometh very
sudden after sunset, and with no long twilights such as we have in
England, so that within half an hour after the pirate had saluted us
with a round shot, as told above, it had passed from daylight to
night-time, and there being no moon until about four o'clock in the
morning, it was very dark, with an infinite quantity of stars shining
most beautifully in the sky.
I ordered my gig to be made ready, and went aboard the _Greenwich_,
where I found Captain Kirby suffering under the utmost consternation of
spirits. He took me straight to his cabin, where, when we were set down,
he fell to blaming himself most severely for not having clapped chains
upon the fourteen pirates whom he had found on the island upon his
arrival at that place, and who, it was very plain to see, had given such
information to their fellows as had brought a great number of them down
upon us.
So soon as I was able I checked him in his self-reproaches. "Come, come,
Captain Kirby," says I, "'tis no time for vain regrets, but rather to be
thinking to protect ourselves and those things that we have in trust
from these bloody wretches, who would strip us of all."
So, after a while, he quieted in some measure, and the captain of the
Ostender coming aboard about this time, we made shift betwixt us to
settle some sort of a plan for mutual protection.
According to my suggestions it was determined to get out warps upon the
port side of all three crafts, which now lay heading towards the south,
because of the set of the current. By means of these warps the vessels
might be brought to lie athwart the channel, which was so narrow at
this place that, should the pirate craft venture into the harbor, she
would be raked by all three in turn. These matters being settled, I
returned to the _Cassandra_ again.
That night I had but little sleep, but was in and out of my cabin
continually. Whenever I was upon the deck I could hear the "click,
click, click" of the capstan aboard the pirate vessel, sounding more
clearly through the dampness of the night than in the daytime. There was
still not a breath of air going, and I thought it likely that the pirate
intended making her way into the harbor that night, but about three
o'clock in the morning the noise of working the capstan ceased, and I
fancied that I heard a sound as of dropping anchor, though I could make
out nothing through the darkness, even with the night-glass.
Nor was I mistaken in my surmise that the pirate craft had come to
anchor, for when the day broke I perceived that she lay between two and
three miles away, just outside of the capes, and directly athwart the
channel, being stayed by warps, broadside on, as we ourselves were in
the harbor, so as to rake any vessel that should endeavor to come out,
as we might rake any that would endeavor to come in.
As this day also was very quiet, with not a breath of wind stirring, I
expected that the pirate would open fire, though at such a long range.
However, this she did not do, but lay there as though watching us, and
as though to hold us where we were until some opportunity or other had
ripened. And so came the night again, with nothing more of note having
happened than the day before.
Ever since we had lain at this spot native canoes (called by the sailors
bumboats) had come from the shore from day to day, laden with fruit and
fresh provisions, which are most delicious, refreshing luxuries after a
prolonged sea-voyage, such as ours had been. That day they had come as
usual, though there was little humor for bartering with them upon such a
serious occasion.
However, I had observed, and not without surprise, that Captain Leach,
though he knew the nature of the pirate craft, and the serious situation
in our affairs, appeared so little affected by the danger which
threatened us that he bought a lot of fresh fruit, as usual, and held a
great deal of conversation with one of the natives, who spoke a sort of
English which he had picked up from our traders.
I had not thought much of this at the time, although, as I had observed
before, it was not without surprise that I beheld what he did; beyond
this I reckoned nothing of it, nor would have done so had not matters of
the utmost importance afterwards recalled it to my attention.
That night I had no more appetite for sleep than the night before, and
finding little rest or ease in my cabin, was up upon deck for most of
the time. Though I did not choose just then to hold conversation with my
passengers, I noticed that they were all upon deck, where they sat
talking together in low tones. As the night advanced, however, they
betook themselves to their cabins, one after another, until only Captain
Leach was left sitting alone.
He remained there for maybe the space of half an hour, without moving a
hair's-breadth, so far as I could see. At the end of about that length
of time, being in a mightily anxious state, I stepped forward to see for
myself that the watch was keeping a sharp lookout. I was not gone for
more than a minute or two, but when I came back I saw that Captain Leach
was no longer where he had been before; yet although I noticed this
circumstance at the time, I gave no more thought to it than I would upon
an ordinary occasion.
As there was no one on the poop, I myself went up upon that deck, it
being so much cooler there than on the quarter-deck below. I took out
my pipe and filled it, thinking to have a quiet smoke, which is a most
efficacious manner of soothing any perturbation or fermentation of
spirits. Just as I was about to strike my flint for a light, I heard a
noise under the stern-sheets, as of some one stepping into a boat, and
almost immediately afterwards a slight splash, as of an oar or a paddle
dipped into the water. I ran hastily to the side of the vessel, and
looked astern and into the water below.
Although the sky was clear, the night was excessively dark, as one may
often see it in those tropical latitudes; yet I was as well assured that
a boat of some sort had left the ship as if I had seen it in broad
daylight, because of the phosphorescent trail which it left behind it in
its wake.
I had slipped a pistol into my belt before quitting my cabin, and as I
hailed the boat I drew it and cocked it, for I thought that the whole
occurrence was of a mightily suspicious nature. As I more than half
expected, I got no answer. "Boat, ahoy!" I cried out a second time, and
then, almost immediately, levelled my pistol and fired, for I saw that
whoever the stranger was, he had no mind to give me an answer.
At the report of the pistol both Mr. Langely and Mr. White came running
to where I was, and I explained the suspicious circumstances to them,
whereupon Mr. Langely suggested that it might have been a shark that I
had seen, vast quantities of which voracious animals dwell in those and
the neighboring waters. I did not controvert what he said, although I
knew beyond a doubt that it was a craft of some sort which I had
discovered--possibly a canoe, for the dip of the paddle, which I had
distinctly seen in the phosphorescence of the water, appeared first upon
the one side of the wake and then upon the other, as the blade was
dipped into the water from side to side; so although, as I said, I did
not undertake to controvert Mr. Langely's opinion, I was mightily
discomposed in my own mind concerning the business.
At this time there was a vast deal of disturbance aboard the _Greenwich_
and the Ostender because of my hail and the discharge of the pistol,
which, however, soon quieted down when they found that nothing further
followed upon the alarm.
I walked up and down the poop-deck for a great while, endeavoring to
conceive what could be the meaning of the boat, which had most
undoubtedly been lying under the stern of the _Cassandra_, and how it
came that the watch had failed so entirely to discover its arrival. It
would not have been possible for an ordinary ship's boat to come upon us
so undiscovered, for, as I myself knew, the watch were keeping a sharper
lookout than usual; therefore this circumstance, together with that
which I had above observed concerning my opinion that the craft had been
rowed with a paddle, led me to conclude that it was one of the native
canoes, though I was as far as ever from guessing what the object of the
visit had been, or what it portended. As I sat ruminating upon this
subject, looking straight ahead of me, without thinking whither my
observation was directed, I presently perceived that I was looking
absently at the spot where Captain Leach had been sitting a little while
before. This led me to think of him, and from him of the jewel that was
in my keeping, and of its excessive value. Of a sudden it flashed into
my mind, as quick as lightning, what if Captain Leach should have it in
his mind to practice some treachery upon us all?
I may truly say that this thought would never have entered my brains had
not the circumstance of Captain Leach's conversation with me in my cabin
tended to set it there. But no sooner had this gloomy suspicion found
place in my mind than it and those troubles which had beset me of late,
and the loss of that sleep which I had failed to enjoy the night before,
together cast me into such a ferment of spirits as I hope I may never
again experience. Nor could I reason my mind out of what I could not but
feel might be insane and unreasonable fancyings.
At last I could bear my uncertainties no longer, but went down into the
great cabin, and so to the door of the berth which Captain Leach
occupied. I knocked softly upon the door, and then waited a while, but
received no answer. After that I knocked again, and louder, but with no
better success than before. Finding I was like to have no answer to my
knocking, I tried the door, and found that it was locked.
My heart began to beat at a great rate at all this; but I suddenly
bethought me that perhaps the captain was a sound sleeper and not easily
roused. If this were so, and he were in his cabin, and had locked the
door upon himself, I could easily convince myself of the fact, for it
hardly could be doubted but that the key would be in the key-hole. I
drew out my pocket-knife, opened a small blade which it contained, and
thrust it into the key-hole. There was no key there!
This discovery acted upon my spirits in such a manner that a douse of
water could not have cooled me quicker; for now that my worst suspicions
were so far confirmed--for I felt well assured that Captain Leach was
nowhere aboard the ship--my perturbation left me, and I grew of a sudden
as calm as I am at this very moment. However, to make matters more
assured, I rapped again upon the door of the cabin, and this time with
more vigor than before; but although I repeated the knocking four or
five times, I received no answer, and so went upon deck to consider the
matter at my leisure.
My first thought was of the jewel in my keeping, and that Captain Leach
had made off with it. My cooler reason told me that this could not be,
I having taken such effectual means to hide it, as before stated.
Nevertheless, I went to my cabin and examined my hiding-place to set my
mind at rest, finding, as might be expected, that the jewel was safely
there.
My first impulse was to tell Mr. Langely of my suspicions, but in
digesting the matter it appeared to me best to keep them to myself for
the present; for if I should, after all, prove wrong in my surmise, it
would only add to the entanglement to have another involved in the
business before anything certain had been discovered; moreover, should I
observe sufficient cause for using extreme measures against Captain
Leach, I might easily arrest him at any time, having him entirely in my
power.
Having settled this matter to my own satisfaction, I determined to lie
in wait for his return, and to discover how he himself would explain his
absence.
I surmised that he must have left the ship from the boat which was
hanging to the davits astern, and on inspecting the matter, found that I
was correct, and that a stout line, such as might easily bear the weight
of a man, had been lashed to one of the falls, and hung to within a foot
or two of the water. I was then well assured that Captain Leach must
have clambered into the boat astern whilst I had gone forward, as told
above, and had dropped thence into the canoe by means of the line just
spoken of. The noise which I had heard I conceived to have been caused
by his making a misstep, or by the canoe rising with the ground-swell
more than he had expected.
Now, if he left the ship in that manner, of which, according to my mind,
there could be but little doubt, there was equal certainty that he would
return by the same way; so I determined to lie in watch for him there,
and to tax him with his absence so soon as he should come aboard.
Accordingly I laid myself down in the boat astern as comfortably as I
could contrive, and lighting my pipe, watched with all the patience I
could command for the return of the fugitive.
I judge that I lay there for the space of two or three hours, and in all
that time saw or heard nothing to arouse my suspicions; nor do I believe
that I would have discovered anything had I not been watching at that
very place, for so quiet was Captain Leach's return that I heard no
sound of oars nor knew anything of it until I saw the line that hung at
the davits moved from below by some one climbing aboard. I lay perfectly
still and made no noise until he had clambered into the boat and stood
within a few feet of me.
"Well, sir," says I, as quietly as I could speak, "and may I ask where
you have been for all this long time?"
VI.
Had a pistol been fired beside his head he could not have started more
violently, and I had thought that he would have been utterly dumfounded;
but he recovered himself with a most amazing quickness.
"Why, Captain Mackra," says he, with a laugh, "and is it you that
welcome me back again, like the prodigal that I am?"
"Sir," said I, very sternly, "you will be pleased to answer my question,
for I tell you plain that I am in no humor for jesting upon this
occasion."
"And why should I not jest?" says he; "the whole business is a jest from
first to last. As all this coil has been made about a very simple piece
of business, I am forced to tell what I had not intended to tell, and
which I am surprised that a man of your feeling should urge another
into declaring. A man of parts, sir, may find favor with dusky beauties
as well as with white; nor can I see what more harm there may be in
visiting a sweetheart here than at Gravesend, which I doubt not you
yourself have done, and that more than once."
I confess that I was vastly struck aback at this reasonable answer, and
began for a moment to misdoubt that my suspicions of the captain were
correct. For a while I stood, not knowing what to say, when of a sudden
certain circumstances struck me that Captain Leach's words had not
explained.
"And why," said I, "at a time of such anxiety and uncertainty, did you
not ask permission to leave the ship?"
"I should think," says he, "a man of delicacy would have no need to ask
such a question as that."
"Then tell me this," I cried, "_why did you not direct your course
towards the land instead of towards the open sea?_"
"Why," says he, laughing, and answering with the utmost readiness, "I
thought of nothing at all but of getting away from the ship as fast as
possible, seeing that some hasty fool aboard was blazing away at me with
a pistol or musquetoon, and that if I had been picking my course at the
time I might have wound up the business with an ounce of lead in my
brains, instead of enjoying this pleasant conversation in such good
health."
All this time we had been standing within a foot or two of one another,
I looking him straight in the face, though I could see nothing of it in
the darkness. For a moment or two I could make no answer, his words
being so mightily plausible; and yet I did not believe a single one of
them, for they ran so smoothly and glibly that I could not but feel
convinced that he had them already sorted and arranged for just such an
occasion as the present.
"Sir," said I, in a low voice, for I was afraid lest my indignation
should get the better of me, "I tell you plain that, though your words
are so smooth, I do not believe that which you tell me. Go to your
cabin, sir, and let me tell you that if I see anything that may tend to
confirm my suspicions of you, I will clap you in irons, without waiting
a second, and as sure as you are a living man."
"Captain Mackra," said he, in a voice as quiet as that I myself had
used, "if ever I come safely to land, you shall answer to me for these
words, sir."
"That as you please," said I; and thereupon turned and left the boat,
entering my own cabin so soon as I had seen that Captain Leach had
obeyed my orders by betaking himself to his.
I was not thus quickly to see the last of this part of the affair, for
early the next morning, and before I had left my cabin, Mr. Langely
comes to me with a message from Captain Leach to the effect that he
would like to have a few words with me. I at once sent a return message
that I would be pleased to see him at whatever time it might suit him to
come. Accordingly in about five minutes he knocked upon the door of my
cabin, and I bade him enter. I motioned him to a chair, but he only
bowed and remained standing where he was, nigh to the door.
"Captain Mackra," said he, coldly, "you were pleased to put upon me last
night a gross and uncalled-for insult. I cannot summon you to account
for it at present, although I hope to do so in the future. But you may
perceive, sir, that it will be best both for you and for myself that I
should withdraw from this ship, and finish my passage to India, as the
opportunity now offers, either in the _Greenwich_ or the _Van Weiland_"
(which was the name of the Ostend boat).
[Illustration: "CAPTAIN MACKRA," SAID HE, COLDLY, "YOU WERE PLEASED TO
PUT UPON ME LAST NIGHT A GROSS AND UNCALLED-FOR INSULT."]
I was overjoyed at so propitious an opportunity of getting thus easily
rid of my uncomfortable passenger. However, I think I showed nothing
of this to him--at least I endeavored not to do so--and told him that a
boat was at his service if he chose to look for another berth for the
rest of the voyage. I myself went upon deck and had the gig lowered,
into which Captain Leach presently stepped, having bid good-by to his
fellow-passengers, and having said that he would send for his chest so
soon as he had secured a berth in one or the other of the vessels
mentioned. I gave directions to the boatswain, who was captain of the
gig, to await Captain Leach's orders until he should indicate that he
had no further use for the boat, and then saw him rowed away to the
_Greenwich_ with the most inexpressible pleasure.
The _Cassandra's_ boat lay alongside of the _Greenwich_ for maybe half
an hour, at the end of which time I was surprised to see Captain Leach
re-enter her, and direct his course to the Ostender, which lay a little
distance beyond. He remained aboard of her for about the same length of
time that he had stayed with the _Greenwich_, after which he climbed the
boat for a third time, and directed his course for the _Cassandra_
again.
I was standing upon the quarter-deck when he came aboard, and he
approached me with a countenance expressive of the utmost mortification
and chagrin.
"Captain Mackra," said he, "I find that by a most unfortunate sequence
of events I can find a berth neither aboard the _Greenwich_ nor the
Ostender, so that nothing remains but for me to force my unwelcome
presence upon you for the balance of the voyage."
I own that I was very much disappointed by these words. However, nothing
remained but to put the best face possible upon the matter. "Sir," said
I, as graciously as I could contrive to speak, although I am afraid that
my tone was expressive of my disappointment, "it was at your own
suggestion that you quitted the _Cassandra_; your berth, sir, is still
ready for your occupation."
He said nothing further, but indicating his acknowledgments with a bow,
proceeded directly to his cabin.
VII.
As I was in such a ferment of spirit for all this time, and so fearful
of an attack from the pirate craft, having continually in my mind not
only the treasure, but also the helpless women intrusted to my keeping,
it might occur to the reader to ask why I did not send both it and them
to such a place of safety upon the land as the king's town offered to
English people beset as we were. I may now say that I had considered it,
and had perceived that more than one difficulty lay in the way. In the
first place, I could not send the ship's boat to the king's town,
because that in passing the cape to the northward they would come within
a mile or less of the pirate craft, from which they might not hope to
escape without molestation. Secondly, I could not send them across the
country, because it would require not only an escort such as could be
ill spared at this juncture, but also an efficient leader, who might be
spared even less readily. Besides this, I could not tell what dangers
such a party might encounter, not only from natives, of whose
disposition I knew nothing, but also from wild beasts, which we could
hear distinctly every night, howling in the jungles in a most
melancholy, dreadful manner.
Thirdly and lastly, I did not believe the pirates would stay long where
they were, as I had often heard of the cowardly disposition of these
bloody wretches; wherefore I hoped that, seeing how well we were posted
to guard ourselves against an attack from them, they might take
themselves away upon the first occasion, which they could not now do
because of the calm weather. I furthermore argued that in any event,
should occasion render it necessary, I could easily disembark my
passengers with but little loss of time, and as easily and safely then
as now.
Such had been the nature of my thoughts whenever I had directed them
upon the melancholy and gloomy state of our affairs. Yet had the most
sinister forebodings which I had entertained at those times been
fulfilled, our misfortunes could not have equalled those which in truth
fell upon us, the history of which I have immediately to tell.
Captain Leach's trip in search of a new berth had been undertaken so
early in the morning that it was not yet noon when he had returned. Some
little time after that, I being in my own cabin at the time, there came
of a sudden a sound that was, as it were, the first muttering of the
storm that was so soon to fall upon us. It was the dull and heavy boom
of a single cannon, sounding from a great way off, and which I instantly
knew had been fired aboard of the pirate craft. I went straight upon
the deck, where I found the weather still as dead a calm as it had been
the two days before, with not so much as a breath of air stirring or a
cat's-paw upon the water. The ground-swell rose and fell as smoothly as
though the sea ran with oil instead of water, and the sky above had an
appearance as of a solid sheet of steel-blue, with not so much as one
single cloud upon the whole face of it. But the first thing that I
beheld was the pirate craft, and that they were hoisting sail as though
they perceived a breeze coming, of which we saw nothing. Across her port
bow the smoke of her gun still hung like a round white cloud just above
the glassy surface of the sea.
"Sure she means to quit us, Mr. Langely," said I; but Mr. Langely never
answered, for just as he opened his lips to speak, the lookout roared,
"Sail ho!"
"Where away?" sang out Mr. White, who was officer of the deck at that
time. But before the word reached us I myself, and I suspect most of
the others, had sighted the craft away to the southward, coming up under
full sail, and with a breeze of which we could see nothing.
She was at that time some six or seven miles distant, and just emerging
from behind a raised thicket of scrub bushes that lay betwixt her and
the _Cassandra_, and which had hidden her until now.
The strange craft was a large sloop, of such an appearance that even had
not the pirate fired that which was no doubt a signal-gun, methinks I
should have entertained the most sinister and gloomy forebodings
concerning her nature and her character.
"What do you think of her, Mr. Langely?" said I, after watching her for
some time in silence.
"It is the pirate's consort, sir," said he, very seriously.
"I do believe you are right," said I, "and that is why she has been
waiting for all these days, keeping us bottled up so that we could not
have got away even if we had had a breeze."
I did not tell Mr. Langely all that was upon my mind; nevertheless, I
could not but regard our present position as one of the most extreme
peril. For if one pirate craft, with its crew of blood-thirsty wretches,
was a match for us sufficient to hold us where we now were, what harm
might not two of them accomplish should they attack us peaceful
merchantmen, unused as we were to the arts of war, in this narrow
harbor, where we might hope neither to manoeuvre nor to escape.
We were already cleared for action, having had full time to prepare
ourselves since danger had first threatened us; accordingly, leaving Mr.
Langely to supervise such few details as might still remain to demand
attention, I had my gig lowered, and went aboard of the _Greenwich_ to
consult with Captain Kirby as to means of defending ourselves against
this new and additional danger that threatened our existence.
The Ostend captain was there when I came aboard, and I fancied, though I
then knew not why, that he and Captain Kirby looked at one another in a
very strange and peculiar manner when I entered the cabin. Besides that,
I noticed little or no preparation for action had been made.
"We'll stand by you," says Captain Kirby; "in course we'll stand by you,
though you must know it is each one for himself, and devil take the
hindmost, at such times as these."
I was mightily amazed and taken aback at this speech. "And why do you
talk so about standing by me, Captain Kirby?" said I. "Is it not, then,
that we stand by one another? Is my craft in greater peril than yours,
or am I to be given up as a sacrifice to these wicked and bloody
wretches?"
I thought he seemed vastly disturbed at this speech. "In course," says
he, "we'll stand by one another. All the same, each must look out for
himself."
I regarded Captain Kirby for a while without speaking, and he seemed
more than ever troubled at my gaze.
"Sir! sir!" I cried, "I must tell you that I do not understand this
matter. Do you not mean to make a fight of it?"
At this he flew into a mighty fume. "How!" says he; "do you mean to
question my courage? Do you call me a coward?"
"No, sir," says I, "I call you nothing; only I did not understand your
speech. Sure, sir, you cannot but remember that I have three helpless
women aboard my ship, and that it behooves you as a man and an
Englishman to stand by me in this time of peril."
So saying, I left the cabin and the ship, but with the weight of trouble
that lay upon my mind anything but lightened, for I could not
understand why, we all being in this peril together, neither he nor the
Ostend captain had spoken a single word concerning our defence.
However, I yet retained the hope that the pirates would not venture into
our harbor, seeing that we were three to two, and lying in a chosen
position whence we might hope to defend ourselves for a long time, and
to their undoing.
Upon my return I found my passengers all in the great cabin, and in a
very serious mood, having heard some rumor as to the danger that
threatened. I stood for a while as though not knowing what to say, but
at last I made shift to tell them how matters stood, and in what danger
we were like to be, though I smoothed everything over as much as lay in
my power. I think that our peril had been pretty well discussed amongst
them before I confirmed it with that which I said. Nevertheless, I am
amazed even now at the coolness with which all hands regarded it.
Mistress Pamela, I recollect, laid her hand lightly upon my arm.
"Whatever our danger may be," she cried, "this we all know, that we
could confide our safety to no truer sailor nor more gallant man than he
who commands this ship." This she said before them all who were there
standing.
In my cabin I summoned Mr. Langely and Mr. White (my second mate) to a
serious consultation, which was the last we were to hold before that
great and bloody battle concerning which so much hath been writ and
spoken of late. When we had finished our councils we came upon deck
again, and found that the sloop was rather less than a mile distant from
the other craft, and in a little while she hove to nigh to the barque,
and let go her anchor with a splash and rattle of the cable which we
could hear distinctly whence we lay.
For half an hour Mr. Langely and I stood upon the poop-deck watching
the two crafts by aid of the telescope, and what we saw in that time
foreboded to my mind no good to ourselves.
First we beheld a boat pass from the barque to the sloop, and in which
was one evidently of great consequence amongst the pirates, for by aid
of the glass we could distinguish that his apparel was better than the
others, and also that he wore what appeared to be a crimson scarf tied
about his body.
He remained aboard the sloop for maybe the space of ten minutes, at the
end of which time he returned again to the barque, where they
immediately began lowering away the boats. Four of these boats were
filled with men who were all transported to the sloop, up the side of
which we soon saw them swarm to the number of fifty or more.
Whilst these things had been going forward, Mr. Langely and I had been
standing in silence, but now my first mate turned to me, "Sir," said
he, "methinks that they mean to attack us."
I nodded my head in answer, but said nothing.
* * * * *
By this time the breeze was wellnigh upon us, for the smooth water all
around us was dusked by the little cat's-paws that swept the glassy
surface.
Now that morning, just before the pirate sloop hove in sight, I had got
out warps by means of which I hoped to change our position, bringing the
_Cassandra_ nigher to the _Greenwich_, and to a station of greater
defence. In this, however, we had made but little progress, for the
current set strong against us at the present state of the tide. Seeing
now the imminence of the attack, I hoisted sail, hoping to take
advantage of the first wind, and bring the _Cassandra_ closer to the
_Greenwich_.
What followed I am even now not able to explain, for I am slow to
believe that one English captain could desert another in such an
emergency as the present. It might be that Captain Kirby thought that we
intended trying to get away upon the wind, for the _Greenwich_ also
began immediately to set all her sail. Seeing what they were about I
hailed the other craft, but got no answer. Then I hailed her again and
again, but still received no reply.
The next minute she, being open to the first puffs of the breeze by a
valley, filled and bore away, followed by the Ostender, who had also set
her sails, leaving me becalmed where I was.
"My God!" cried Mr. Langely, "do they mean to desert us? Look, sir, here
come the pirates!"
I had just then been so intent upon the other vessels that I had not
thought of observing what our enemies were about, not thinking that they
would take such immediate action. But, no doubt, seeing us set our
sails, and fearing that we might get away, slipped their own cables;
for they were now coming down upon us with the freshening wind, having
already entered the channel as boldly as though there were none to
oppose them, the sloop leading the others by a quarter of a mile or so.
Indeed the _Greenwich_ and the Ostender bearing away had left the
passage entirely open to them, with no one but ourselves to oppose them.
In this extremity I hailed the _Greenwich_ for a third time, and getting
no answer, ordered the gunner to fire across her bows, but in spite of
this she did not heave to, whereupon we gave her a round shot, but
whether to her harm or no I am not able to say.
And now nothing remained for us but to fight what appeared a hopeless
battle against heavy odds.
* * * * *
The main ship-channel leading from the offing to the bay or harbor
wherein the _Cassandra_, the _Greenwich_, and the Ostender had been
riding for these days past, lead almost easterly and westerly, but so
shaped by the sand-bars to the south and those shoals that ran out from
the northern cape as to take the form of a very crooked letter S.
Nowhere was this channel over half or three-quarters of a mile wide, and
in some places it was hardly more than a quarter of a mile wide.
From the position which the _Cassandra_ occupied this entrance to the
harbor was so well defended that any vessel entering thereat must be
twice raked by our broadside fire, once in rounding the northern, and
once the southern angle of the channel. Hence it was that I determined
to hold our present position as long as I was able.
But the pirates did not both attack us by way of the main ship-channel
as we had expected, for when they had rounded the northern angle the
sloop, fearing perhaps that we would try to get away upon the wind,
instead of keeping in consort with the barque, made directly for us
across the shoals that lay between us and them. This they were able to
do without running aground, both because of their intimate knowledge of
these intricate waters and of the small amount of water which the sloop
drew.
"We'll rake 'em anyhow," says I to Mr. Langely, for I could see no other
means for them to approach us but to come upon us bow on, there being no
room to manoeuvre among the bars and shoals that lay betwixt us and
them.
But the devilish ingenuity of these cruel, wicked wretches supplied them
with other means than a direct attack upon the _Cassandra_, for, when
they had come within about a mile or so of us, they hove to, dropped
their main-sail, and, running out great oars from the ports between
decks, began rowing towards us in a clumsy fashion, somewhat after the
manner of a galleon. By this means, and by the aid of the current which
set towards us, they were enabled to keep nearly broadside on, and so
avoid being raked by our fire.
"Mr. Langely," said I, "if they are able to board us we are lost. Order
the gunner to fire upon the oars and not upon the decks."
"Ay, ay," says he, and turned away.
VIII.
The pirates were the first to open the battle, which they did when
within about a quarter of a mile from us, giving us a broadside. It was
the first time that I had ever been under fire in all of my life, and
never shall I forget it as long as I may live. Their aim was wonderfully
accurate, so that when their shot struck us a great cloud of white
splinters flew from a dozen places at once. I saw three men drop upon
the deck, and one who stood at a gun on the quarter-deck just below me
leaned suddenly forward half across the cannon with a deep groan, whilst
a fountain of blood gushed out from his bosom across the carriage and
upon the deck. One of the others caught him by the arm, whereupon he
turned half round and then slipped and fell forward upon his face. He
was the first man killed in this action, and the first that I ever
beheld die in a like manner.
The _Cassandra_ answered the pirate's fire almost immediately. But our
guns were trained, as I had ordered, upon the oars and not upon the
crowded decks, so that while every shot that they delivered told upon
the lives of the poor fellows aboard the _Cassandra_, our return fire
did apparently no harm to them.
I hope I may never again feel such an agony of impatience and doubt and
almost despair, as I beheld my men fall by ones and twos upon the deck,
which soon became stained and smeared with their blood whilst the pirate
craft came drifting ever nigher and nigher to us, its decks swarming
with yelling, naked wretches that in their aspect and manners resembled
demons incarnated rather than mortal men.
"Mr. Langely," said I, in a low voice, "if those oars are not broken in
five minutes' time we are all lost." For there yet remained three
thrust through the ports upon the side nighest to the _Cassandra_, and
the current was carrying the pirate craft in such a direction that if
they were able to hold their course a little while longer they would be
almost certain to drift upon us and so board us.
One minute passed, and two minutes, then there was a shiver of
splinters, and only one oar was left. Instantly the stern of the sloop
began to swing slowly around towards us, for one oar was not enough to
keep her to the current. I could see the ash wood bend with the strain
like a willow twig, then--snap!--it broke, and around came the stern
with a swing directly under our fire. The pirates sprang to the
main-sheets, but it was too late to save themselves.
When the crew of the _Cassandra_ saw the result of their fire they burst
out shouting and cheering like madmen. Down came the sloop drifting
stern on, whilst the _Cassandra_, making up for lost time, poured
broadside after broadside into her. Never did I behold such a sight in
all of my life, for every shot we gave her ploughed great lanes along
her crowded decks. To make matters worse for them, their mast was
presently shot through, falling alongside in a great tangled wreck, thus
preventing any manoeuvres which they might still have hoped to make.
They drifted by us at about forty or fifty yards' distance, shouting and
yelling, and giving us a last broadside with great courage and
determination. They presently ran aground upon a sandbar and there stuck
fast for the time, though in such shoal water that we could not come
nigher to them than we then were.
All this while the barque had been slowly making her way through the
tortuous turnings of the channel. At one point, the water being low, she
had run aground, and though she had cleared again with the rising tide,
she had been so delayed by this mischance that she had not been able to
come up in aid of her consort.
But immediately they discerned what mishap had befallen the sloop, and
that she was fast aground and in no present position to attack us, they
hove to and lay directly athwart the channel.
I at once perceived their intentions, and that they were determined to
keep us shut up where we were until the sloop could float clear away
with the rising tide and resume her attack against us. It was then that
the resolve entered my mind not to await an attack but to seek it
ourselves; for though the crew of the barque must have outnumbered that
of the _Cassandra_ two to one, she was yet much the smaller vessel of
the two and the less heavily armed. Now, if we could only once get past
her and safe into the channel our safety would be wellnigh assured; for,
as said above, the _Cassandra_ was one of the best sailers at the East
India Company's docks.
I turned and beckoned my first mate to me. "Sir," said I, "yonder is our
one and only chance of getting away; we must run down upon that vessel
in the channel, engage her, and trust to God and take our chance of
getting safe past her and away. If we are fortunate enough to pass her
we can gain a good start before she can round to in such narrow
sea-room." Mr. Langely opened his mouth as though to speak. "Nay, nay,
sir," I cried, "it is our only chance, and we _must_ take it."
* * * * *
At first we did not suffer so much as I had expected from the fire of
the pirate; but when we had come within one hundred or two hundred yards
of them, and when within range of the musketry in their fore and main
tops, their fire was truly dreadful.
The _Cassandra's_ wheel was stationed under the overhang of the
poop-deck, and upon the helmsman most of their aim was concentrated;
for if the _Cassandra_ was once allowed to fall off, and should run
aground in the narrow channel, she would then be in their power, and
they could destroy her at their leisure.
One after another three men fell at that dangerous post, which was
entirely open to the pirate's fire. We were now within one hundred and
fifty yards of them, and a fourth took hold, but only for a minute, for
he presently dropped upon his knees, though he still kept a tight grip
on the wheel, keeping the ship upon her course. Mr. Langely and I were
standing under the overhang of the poop, whereupon he, seeing that the
man was wounded, without waiting for orders from me, sprang forward and
seized the wheel in his own hands just as the other fell forward upon
his face.
The next minute Mr. Langely cried out, "My God, captain, I am shot!" His
right hand fell at his side, and in an instant I beheld his shirt
stained with blood that gushed out from the wound in his shoulder.
The ship beginning to fall off, I ran forward and took the wheel myself,
for in a minute more, if we held our course, we would be under the
pirate's stern, and in a position to rake them with our starboard
broadside. I heard a dozen bullets strike into the wood-work around me;
one struck the wheel, so that I felt as if my hand and my wrist were
paralyzed by the jar. The next instant I felt a terrible blow upon my
head; a hot red stream gushed over my face and into my eyes, and for a
moment my brain reeled. Some one caught hold of me, but just as darkness
settled upon me I felt the ship shake beneath me and heard the roar of
our broadside. We were under the pirate's stern at last.
* * * * *
I could not have lain insensible for many minutes, for when I opened my
eyes and saw the surgeon and my second mate bending over me, it was
still with the roar of cannon in my ears.
"How is this, Mr. White?" cried I; "are we not then past the pirate?"
"Sir," said my second mate, in a very serious voice, "we are run
aground."
"And the pirate?" cried I.
"She is also aground," said he, "and we rake her with every shot."
I got to my feet, in spite of the surgeon's protest, putting him
impatiently aside.
It was as Mr. White said; the pirate was aground about two or three
hundred yards away from us, fast stuck upon the bar, stern towards us.
She must have received more than one shot betwixt wind and water, for
she was heeled over to one side, and I could see a stream of bloody
water pouring continually from her scupper-holes.
But I also saw that we were stuck hard and fast, and that though our
position was better than theirs, every shot that we fired drove us with
the recoil more firmly aground. I at once gave orders that all firing
except with muskets should be stopped; so there we lay aground for more
than half an hour, answering the pirate's fire with our flintlocks.
Although this was dreadful for us to bear at the time, in the end it
proved to be our salvation; for when the tide raised we floated clear
fully ten minutes before the pirates, and so escaped immediate
destruction.
In the mean time, whilst we lay there the sloop had floated clear, and
the pirates having cut away the wreck of the main-mast, and having
rigged up oars like those we had shot away, presently came to the aid of
their consort. Seeing our situation, and that we were fast aground, they
did not attack us directly, but made for the channel by the way which
they had left it, thus entering above us and cutting off all our chance
of escape. For though we had so nearly passed the other craft, we could
not hope to pass them without being boarded, for with their oars they
could come as they chose, and were not dependent on the wind.
So soon as they had entered the channel they laid their course directly
for us, but before they could come up with us, we also had floated
clear, as before stated; and though we could not escape to the open
water, we were yet enabled to enter the harbor again, which we did,
followed by the fire of the pirate barque.
The wind now had almost fallen away again, so that the sloop, driven by
her oars, and enabled by her light draught to cross the shoals and bars
which we could not make, began to draw up with us, endeavoring with all
diligence to board us. Nevertheless, we contrived to make a running
fight of it for almost an hour.
At last, the other vessel having repaired her damages, and having some
time since floated clear off, came down upon us in aid of her consort,
for the sloop was very plainly filling rapidly, having heeled over so
much to one side that her decks were greatly exposed to our fire.
For all this long time the _Greenwich_ and Ostender had been riding at
about three or four miles distant, not being able to escape to open
water whilst the pirates held the channel. But so far from coming to our
assistance, they made no sign of help or fired so much as a single gun
in our aid.
By this time more than half of my officers and men had been either
killed or wounded, so that when I beheld the barque, crowded with naked,
howling wretches, thirsting for our blood, come bearing down upon us,
and when I beheld how little hope there was of Captain Kirby's coming to
our assistance, I could see no other chance for our safety than to run
the _Cassandra_ ashore, and, if possible, to escape to the beach as best
we could. Accordingly, I gave the necessary orders to Mr. White, and the
_Cassandra_ laid her course for the beach, closely followed only by the
pirate barque, the sloop having already been run ashore about half a
mile below to keep her from sinking.
In five minutes the _Cassandra_ struck, grounding at about fifty yards
from the shore. The pirate drew fully four feet less water, but it
pleased God that she stuck fast on higher ground, so that, after all,
they were prevented from boarding us.
Here we fought, for nearly an hour, the last, and I know not whether it
was not the bloodiest engagement of that whole day; nor can I
sufficiently praise the behavior not only of the officers, but of the
men, who even in this extremity behaved with the most extraordinary
courage, though the crew of the sloop supplied the larger vessel with
three boatfuls of fresh men.
Meantime the _Greenwich_ followed the lead of the Ostender and stood
clear away to sea, leaving us struggling in the very jaws of death. Soon
after the pirate craft floated clear off with the rising tide, and
immediately fell to work fitting out warps to haul out under our stern,
though still at some distance from us.
Seeing this, no hope remained for us but to leave the ship, if possible,
with the passengers and such of our men as were still alive, trusting to
Providence not only to bring us safe away, but to keep us all in that
desolate country amongst a strange and savage people.
IX.
As said above, it was now past six o'clock, and Mr. White and the
boatswain were the only unwounded officers with whom I dared intrust the
command of the boats in executing my plans for leaving the ship.[B]
[B] Mr. Richards, the third mate, had been killed by a grape bullet when
we ran down upon the larger of the pirate crafts. He was a young man of
great promise, of but twenty-two years of age, and my cousin's son.
The long-boat and the gig were all that remained sound and uninjured,
the others having been shot or stove during the engagement. It was
arranged that Mr. Jeks, the boatswain, should command the long-boat, and
Mr. White the gig. The passengers and the less seriously wounded were to
go in the long-boat; Mr. White to take those who had been more
dangerously hurt in the gig.
By this time the wind had died down again, and it was as calm as it had
been the two days before, so that the smoke hung thick about the ship
and upon the water, and did not drift away. Although, because of this
thick cloud, we could not see our enemy, and so could not point our guns
with any sureness of aim, it also prevented him from seeing us and what
we were about, so that all our movements were concealed from him as his
were from us.
Mr. Langely having come upon deck at this time, though very weak and
feeble from the pain of his wound, I intrusted the clearing away and
lowering of the boats to him, while I went below to advise the women of
our plans, and to tell them to get together such matters as they might
need in this emergency. I found them in a most pitiable state, having
been sent below at the first sign of the approaching battle, and left
by themselves for all this long time with no light but that of a
lantern slung from the deck above, hearing the uproar of the fight and
the groans of the wounded without once knowing whether matters were
going for us or against us.
The two ladies sat, or rather crouched, upon a chest or box, holding one
another by the hand. Mistress Ann lay huddled in a corner in a most
extreme state of terror and distraction.
I may even yet see in my mind's eye how Mistress Pamela appeared when I
clambered down the ladder: her face was as white as marble, and her eyes
gazed out from the shadow of her brows with a most intense and burning
glance. My heart bled for the poor creatures when I thought how much
they must have suffered since they were sent to this dreadful place.
So soon as they saw me they fell to screaming, and clung to one another.
Nor did I wonder at their distraction when I beheld myself a few
minutes later in the glass in my cabin, for my face and hands were
blackened with the smoke of the powder, my shirt and waistcoat were
stained with the blood which had poured out from the wound in my head,
and around my brow was bound a bloody napkin which I had hastily wrapped
about my head so soon as I had recovered from the first effects of my
wound. But just then I knew not how I looked, nor reckoned anything of
it, for in a fight such as we had passed through one has little time to
think of such matters.
"Ladies," said I, speaking as gently as I could, "be not afraid; it is
I, Captain Mackra."
At this Mrs. Evans burst into a great passion of weeping, with her face
buried in her hands, while Mistress Pamela still regarded me, though
with a fixed and stony stare.
"Oh God!" she cried; "and are you hurt?" And she pointed with her
outstretched finger to my head.
[Illustration: SO SOON AS THEY SAW ME THEY FELL TO SCREAMING, AND CLUNG
TO ONE ANOTHER.]
"Why, no," says I, making shift to force a laugh in spite of the anxiety
with which I was consumed; "it is a mere scratch, and nothing to speak
of. There is no time now to talk of such little matters as this, but
only of leaving the ship, for we can defend ourselves no longer. Get
together what things you need from your cabin, and make haste, for there
is no time to lose."
I believe that Mistress Ann had fainted clean away when she had caught
sight of me climbing down the ladder, for we found that she was in no
condition to move, so I picked her up in my arms and bore her to the
great cabin, the others following close behind. There I left them and
went again upon deck, where I found that they were bringing the wounded
up from below.
I hope I may never see such a sight again to the very last day of my
life, for it is one thing to behold a man shot in the heat of an action,
and another and a mightily different thing to see one of one's own
shipmates carried groaning in a hammock wet and stained with his blood.
We had so grounded that we lay within fifty yards of the shore, and it
could take but a little while for a boat to go thither and return to the
ship again. Nevertheless, I deemed it necessary to give the Rose of
Paradise into the keeping of some one going upon this first passage, and
upon whom I could entirely rely. The boatswain had the care of the
women, which was, of course, of the first importance of all; therefore,
there remained no one in whose hands I could place it with as much
confidence as in those of Mr. White.
It was very necessary to keep up the show of fighting, lest the pirates
should think we had surrendered, and so come aboard of us, but all hands
who could be spared from the guns were engaged in lowering the wounded
into the long-boat and gig.
Leaving Mr. Langely in charge of this, I took Mr. White into my cabin;
there I opened the locker that I had made in my berth, and took out the
box containing the jewel.
"Sir," said I, "I am about to show you a sign both of my regard and of
my esteem. In this box is a jewel worth above three hundred thousand
pounds; this I intrust for the present into your keeping. When you get
to the shore you will not return with the gig, but will remain where you
are, sending the boat back under some one whom you may choose among your
crew. Should I perish, or should the pirates board this ship before you
return (in which event I cannot hope to escape with my life), you will
convey this trust to Mr. Longways, the Company's agent at the king's
town. And now, sir, I wish you God's speed."
Mr. White was about to reply, but I checked him, telling him that he
could best show his regard for me by leaving the ship without further
words.
We quitted my cabin together, and just outside we met Captain Leach,
whom I had noticed repeatedly for the last half-hour, and never very far
away from me. He came directly towards Mr. White and me, but he did not
so much as glance at the box that Mr. White held, but spoke to me.
"I came upon Mistress Pamela Boon's account," said he. "The women are
ready to quit the ship, and Mistress Ann is yet in a dead swoon."
"I will go to them," said I; and then turning to Mr. White, I said, very
seriously, "Remember!"
He did not answer, but bowed his head, and I turned and left him,
Captain Leach following close behind me. He did not enter with me into
the great cabin, but waited without, and when I came out a few minutes
later I saw that he was gone.
I found the ladies waiting in the cabin, each with a bundle tied up in a
kerchief. The waiting-woman lay upon the floor, still in a swoon, with
Mistress Pamela kneeling beside her, chafing and slapping her hands,
whilst Mrs. Evans sat at the table with her face buried in her palms. So
soon as I entered Mistress Pamela arose.
"Sir," said she, "Captain Leach told me he would inform you that we were
ready."
"So he did, madam," said I, "and I am come to help you embark."
As there was no sign of the waiting-woman's revival from her fit, I was
constrained to carry her upon the deck, as I had already done from
below.
The boat under command of Mr. White was already gone, for it had taken
several minutes for me to bring the women upon deck. We stowed them into
the long-boat, and it pushed off immediately and was lost in the smoke.
We then brought up the rest of the wounded from below, who were those
who had been most desperately hurt in the action. These we laid upon the
deck, so as to be in readiness for lowering into the boats so soon as
they should return. In the mean time I had given orders to those not
thus occupied with the wounded to load many of the guns, with
slow-matches in the breeches to burn from five to ten minutes. Thus the
firing might be kept up after all had left the ship, whereby we hoped
that the pirates would be stayed a while from boarding and so discover
our absence. In about ten minutes the gig returned without Mr. White,
and the master's mate, who was in command in his stead, said that he had
remained ashore with the women, as I had commanded him. In a very little
while, the long-boat also returning, we got all hands aboard and pushed
off, the guns still firing now and then as the slow-matches burned down.
So we came safe to shore, but with no time to spare, for by the great
shouts that were presently raised we knew that the pirates had come
aboard the _Cassandra_, and in less than three minutes after the last
man had quitted her. Not more than fifteen or twenty minutes had been
occupied in making ready and quitting the ship; for which celerity, and
for the great coolness shown in this trying emergency, all praise is due
both to the officers and the men. The fight had lasted for more than
four hours and a half, during which time we had nine men killed, among
whom was the third mate above mentioned, and twenty-two wounded, three
of whom afterwards died upon the island.
Besides the clothes and valuables which many had fetched away with
them[C] we had also brought off with us from the ship a quantity of
musquets and pistols, and a dozen or more rounds of ammunition for each
able-bodied man.
[C] I may say here that I myself was but poorly equipped in this
respect, having not only forgot my watch, which I had left hanging in my
cabin, but being also without shoes and stockings, which I had stripped
off so that I might more readily swim for it if the pirates should come
aboard whilst the boats were gone on their first trip to the shore. At
the last moment I was so busied in supervising the lowering of the
wounded into the boats that I did not think of returning for the one or
of securing the other.
As soon as we landed we plunged directly into the thick brush, which
there grew close down to the edge of the beach. Having thrust our way
through these thickets for some distance, we found the others waiting
for us at a little open space at the base of three palm-trees which
stood about two hundred yards from the shore, it being then nigh to
sunset, and with but little chance of the pirates following us that day.
Mr. White was standing near my passengers, who were gathered together in
a group, but one of them was missing. _It was Captain Leach._
"And where is Captain Leach?" I cried, looking directly at Mr. White.
He gazed at me in an exceedingly strange manner, and I saw that he grew
as pale as death to the very lips. "And did he not come in the boat
with you, sir?" said he at last, in a low and husky voice.
At these words a terrible fear came over me. "Where is the box I gave
you?" I cried; and seeing that he was not like to answer, repeated the
question--"Where is the box I gave you?"
By way of reply Mr. White fumbled for a moment or two in his
waistcoat-pocket, and presently handed me a scrap of paper. I opened it,
and tried to read, though my hand trembled so that I could hardly
contrive to make out what it was. But in spite of that, and the blurring
of my eyesight, every word and every letter is stamped upon my memory as
upon a plate of brass.
It was written as though in mine own handwriting, and very hastily
scrawled, but so like that I could not have told it myself had I not
known it to be a forgery.
These were the words:
"_Sir,--I have altered my mind in regard to the box. Please deliver it
to the bearer (Captain Leach), who will take present charge of it, and
will convey it to me._
"John Mackra."
As I still held the letter in my hand, gazing stupidly at it, but seeing
nothing, the whole villany of the business was, as it were, revealed to
me. I saw that when Captain Leach had left the ship in the native canoe
two nights ago he had come straight to the pirates and had made some
bargain with them for that accursed Rose of Paradise; that when he had
gone aboard the _Greenwich_ and the Ostender the next day, it was not to
secure a passage for himself, but rather to persuade them to sacrifice
the _Cassandra_, and so save their own wretched hulks; that when he had
sent me to the women in the great cabin it was to get rid of me so that
he might tamper with Mr. White; and last of all, that he had kept this
forged letter about him for just such an occasion as this. Then I
thought of my shipmates killed and wounded, of my vessel and cargo lost,
of all these poor people outcasts upon this savage, desert coast, with
no present prospect or hope of help, and of the stone itself thus
cheated out of my hands at the last moment, and after all the suffering
and the blood that had been shed. There came a great roaring in mine
ears, all things began to reel before my sight, a dark cloud seemed to
encompass me, and then I knew nothing more.
X.
After I had thus swooned away, which happened both from the fever of my
wound and the loss of blood, there followed a long time during which
everything was confused and dream-like. I may call to mind what seemed
to me a great and toilsome journey, but so commingled with the visions
of my fever that I knew not whether it had taken hours, days, or weeks,
and of which I may remember almost nothing. After that I have a memory
of tossing upon a pallet which was both rough and hard, of a darkened
and silent room, and of people coming and going and talking in whispers.
Then one morning I awoke as though from a deep sleep, and felt that the
heat of the fever had left me, though mightily weak and weary. This
awakening must have happened betwixt four and five o'clock in the
morning, for the mat which hung at the door had been raised, and a cool
and refreshing breeze swept through the mud hut.
I lay for a long time looking out of the door towards which my couch was
facing, and through which I could see hillocks of gray sand intermingled
with rich and luxuriant vegetation; beyond, the rim of the ocean
stretched like a black thread against the gray sky. I gave no thought to
anything, but lay quite still, feeling mighty peaceful and quiet.
By-and-by I turned mine eyes and saw that some one sat beside me, and
that it was Mr. White. He did not see that I was observing him, but sat
reading his Bible, for he was a young man of great earnestness of
spirit. The sight of him brought first one thing and then another back
to my memory, until the whole was complete as I have told it.
"Mr. White," said I. I spoke very quietly, but he could not have started
more violently had a clap of thunder sounded from the sky. He came
straight to me, and laid his hand upon my forehead. "Yes," said I,
making shift to smile, "the fever has left me now; and will you tell me
where I am?"
"Sir," says he, "you are safe, and in the king's town; and now I will go
and tell the surgeon of the bettering of your condition." So saying he
left me, and Mr. Greenacre, the surgeon, presently came to me. He told
me that all hands had been brought safe to the king's town; that I might
set my mind at rest both regarding the passengers and the crew; and that
I must not now talk further, but should seek to rest myself, which was
very necessary for me to do in my present condition. Nor was I inclined
to disobey this command, but presently closed mine eyes and fell into a
most refreshing slumber, from which I did not awake until nigh sunset,
when I found that Mr. White was once more beside me. When he saw that I
was awake he made as if he would again go and call the surgeon, but I
stopped him from doing as he intended.
"Stay, Mr. White," said I. "I should like now to know something more of
what has happened. How long have I been lying in this condition?"
"About six days, sir," said he. And then, in a trembling voice, "Oh,
Captain Mackra, can you forgive me for the injury I have done?"
"Why, sir," said I, "I have nothing to forgive, nor have you done
anything for which to beseech forgiveness. What you did you did with the
best intent; nor can I blame you for being so deceived by such a wicked
and cunning villain as Captain Leach. And now tell me, what news is
there of the pirates?" To this he answered that they were still lying at
anchor in the bay on the east side of the island, repairing the damages
which we had wrought; that the chief or them was one Edward England, a
fellow of great note among these wicked villains; that they had been so
enraged at that bloody fight, which had cost them so dear, that they had
set a reward of two thousand pounds upon my head; and that the king of
the island had offered us his protection, and had undertaken to guard us
securely from any attack the pirates might be inclined to make against
us. But, nevertheless, lest any of the natives should be of a mind to
betray me for this great and magnificent reward, it had been deemed best
that it should be reported that I had been killed in the late
engagement.
After having recounted these things as briefly as possible, Mr. White
again went in search of the surgeon, who soon came, and put a very
cheerful face upon my case, which he said was now without doubt upon the
mend.
After having eaten a very hearty supper of rich and savory broth, I was
so far refreshed as to be able to receive some few who particularly
desired to have speech with me, and who were presently ushered in by
Mr. Greenacre.
The first to come was my former acquaintance, Mr. Longways, the
Company's agent, and with him a great tall native chief, who had rather
the appearance of a Malay than an African negro, and who was none other
than King Kulakula himself. With these two came a black interpreter from
Mozambique, for King Coffee could not speak one single word of English,
but only a little Dutch, which he had picked up from the traders along
the coast.
After them came the two ladies, escorted by Mr. Langely, who had now so
far recovered from his wound as to be able to be about with ease,
although he still carried his arm in a sling.
Mrs. Evans, when she saw me, gushed into tears, but Mistress Pamela came
straight to me, took my hand, and set it to her lips, though I strove my
best to stay her from doing so. "Sir," said she, "what do we not owe to
our brave preserver, who hath brought us safe through all this great
trouble!"
"No, madam," cried I, hastily, for I could not bear that she should lay
credit to me, who had so little earned it, seeing how helpless I had
been in bringing them safe off from the _Cassandra_--"no, madam, give no
credit to me; give it first of all to God, and then to Mr. Langely, who,
though so sorely wounded, brought you, I understand, safe through the
wilderness to this place."
After they had so spoken, comes King Kulakula forward with the
interpreter, and through the black man expressed many kind and
condescending wishes for the continued bettering of my condition. He
furthermore gave me every assurance that we should all be protected from
our enemies so long as we chose to remain at that place.
After a little while my visitors left me, except Mr. Longways, who, by
permission of the surgeon, remained behind to exchange a few words with
me. I then observed for the first time how sadly different he was in his
appearance from what he had been; for the jauntiness of his carriage was
gone, and he looked mightily perturbed in his spirits.
So soon as he had made sure that no one was by to overhear us, he began
without preface to talk about the Rose of Paradise, saying that Mr.
White had told him that it had been lost, and also some details of the
matter; that that loss meant ruin to him, who could say no word in his
own defence excepting by letter, while I had every opportunity of
stating my case in my own fashion to the East India Company when I
should come home, and so clear myself and leave him in the mire. But in
spite of that it was his opinion that even I, with all these advantages
in my favor, would have great trouble in making matters straight; for
the loss of three hundred thousand pounds, besides my ship and cargo,
was a thing that was not likely to be passed over very lightly. I could
hardly forbear smiling at this discourse, although it was of such a
serious nature, for it seemed very strange to me that Mr. Longways
should so readily suspect me of being disposed to ruin him.
"Sir," said I, "I know not what you would do in such a case as this, but
I tell you plain that if I am compelled to make an unfortunate report to
the East India Company, I will make it without blaming you or myself or
any one, but simply tell the truth, and so let them adjudge the matter
as they see fit."
"That is it, sir," cried he--"that is it, sir. If the Company are
informed that I betrayed this important secret to Captain Leach, I'll
have to whistle for it a long time out in the cold before I get a snug
berth with them again."
"I am mightily sorry for you," said I, gravely. "But of course, sir,
that is a matter concerning which you alone are responsible.
Nevertheless, I must tell you that I am not inclined to leave this
place without endeavoring to recover that which has been so
unfortunately lost."
"What, sir!" he cried; "do you mean to say that you will undertake to
recover the Rose of Paradise again? And how do you purpose doing it, may
I ask?"
"You may ask, sir," says I, smiling; "but as for my telling you, why,
that is a very different matter."
Yet I had determined upon one point almost as soon as Mr. White had
informed me who was the pirate captain into whose hands the _Cassandra_
had fallen, and that was to go aboard of the pirate craft, and to speak
with Captain Edward England himself. I had known him before he had
entered into the nefarious life which he now followed, and while he was
still first mate of the _Lady Alice_. I was then with Captain Wraxel in
the West Indies, and had met England at Kingston, in the island of
Jamaica, upon which occasion he had appeared to conceive quite a liking
for me, though I cannot say it was returned in kind. I knew him as a
wild and reckless blade, but neither blood-thirsty nor cruel, and making
every allowance for the change in his nature which this wicked life
might effect, I did not believe that injury would happen to me if I
could once gain his promise of safety in visiting his ship.
As for the jewel, I did not believe that Captain Leach would disclose
the secret of it without he had been compelled to do so; wherefore, if
he had it still in his own keeping, I entertained a hope that I might by
some trick or other snatch the precious stone away from him again. In
that event I did not believe he would say anything, for fear that the
pirates might punish him for keeping it a secret from them.
But although I could perceive, as Mr. Longways had said, that it was of
great importance both to his future and mine own that the Rose of
Paradise should be regained, I ventured my life not so much in the hope
of obtaining the stone as of procuring some means by which all hands
might be able to quit the island; for we--and more especially the
women--could not but be in constant danger from the bloody wretches
thirsting for revenge on account of the check which we of the
_Cassandra_ had lately put upon them. Wherefore I thought it best that I
should boldly visit the pirate captain, for I had great hopes of being
able to persuade him to allow us to escape, and even of procuring from
him some means to that end.
In any case, the venture could not but be of advantage to us, for even
if I should perish, their revenge might thereby be satisfied, and they
might depart without molesting the rest of the ship's company, for they
were pleased to regard me as the chief cause of all their mishaps in the
late engagement.
Before I dared venture aboard the pirate craft it was necessary that I
should first write a letter to the captain, and also that I should have
a trustworthy person to convey my communication to him; nor did I give
two thoughts to this matter, for common justice pointed to Mr. White as
the only fitting one to be my messenger; accordingly I sent for him, and
he soon came. I told him that I desired to open communication with the
pirate captain upon a matter of great importance, and that I gave him
this opportunity towards redeeming his self-respect by conveying my
message to Captain England. Nor have I ever seen a man more grateful
than Mr. White upon this occasion; two or three times he strove to
speak, and when he did contrive to do so it was only simply to say,
"Sir, I thank you."
The surgeon having given me permission, I wrote my letter, and Mr. White
took it that very night, having no companion with him but two natives
who acted as guides. I have a copy of the letter, made at the time,
which runs as follows:
_"To Captain Edward England:_
_"Sir,--I write you this in a most forlorn and distressing situation._
_"Having defended ourselves, our ship, and those intrusted to our
keeping, from you, who sought to encompass our destruction by all means
in your power, we now find ourselves reduced to the necessity of
imploring aid from you, who so lately sought our lives. Nor would we
even yet ask anything from you were it not for three poor and helpless
women, whose safety here is a matter of uncertainty from day to day, and
who, without aid is extended to them, may perish miserably in this
desolate and savage land._
_"Sir, though a wild and ungoverned nature, I never knew you to be a
cruel man; therefore I ask this aid of you for the sake of these three
women._
_"Furthermore, I ask that you do not hastily refuse this plea for aid,
but may allow me to come aboard of your craft and speak to you in
person._
_"I know that there is with you one who is mine enemy, because of a great
injury which he hath done me, and who will no doubt conspire against my
life--I mean Captain Leach, lately one of my passengers, and who, I
suspect, along with others, betrayed us into your hands. But although I
believe he would seek my life, yet I am willing to trust it into your
hands if you will promise me safety in my coming and my going._
_"Sir, I beseech you to grant me this speech with you, that I may plead
the cause of the weak and helpless, and am, sir,_
_"Your very obedient and humble servant,_
"John Mackra."
XI.
Mr. White was only gone for a little more than two days, and when he
returned he brought with him a letter from the pirate captain. The
communication ran thus:
_"To Captain John Mackra, late of the 'Cassandra:'_
_"Sir,--If you choose to risk your life by coming hither, devil a word
have I to say against it. They're a wild set of blades under me, and
mind the helm no better than a washing-tub, so that my orders have
little or no weight with them. All the same, if you're the man to come
aboard, and have the courage to face the matter out, I'll do what I can
to see that no harm happens to you. But if you'll take a friend's advice
you'll stay where you are, and let a bad matter cure itself, for you
know very well that there is no use splicing a rotten rope. As for the
pickle you're in, lay that to your luck, and not to me._
"Edward England."
I was none too well pleased with this precious epistle, for I could see
very readily how little command Captain England held upon the wretches
under him. Nevertheless, it did not alter my determination to to go
aboard of the pirate craft and to speak with him. I was the more
inclined to do this as I felt well assured that the pirates could not
now be as hot for my blood as they had been at first.
* * * * *
It was necessary for me to get away from the king's town without
confiding my determination to any one, or any one having knowledge of my
departure, for I knew very well that there was not one of my officers
but would have stayed me from acting on my plans had they been informed
of them, even if they should find it needful to use force to prevent my
going.
It was the evening of the eighth day since the fight when Mr. White
returned with Captain England's letter, and I determined that that very
night should witness my departure upon my enterprise, which to one
looking coolly upon it might seem little if any better than the frantic
act of a madman. Nor was it that I myself was unconscious of the
magnitude of these dangers, for I entered upon them only because that in
the desperate state of our necessities I could see no other course out
of our difficulties, and so had to choose this for lack of a better.
Accordingly, as said above, I determined to set out that very night, for
nothing could be gained by further delay.
There was no other choice left me but to make my way along the beach,
which, although it would increase the distance by five or six miles,
would yet afford me a sound and level highway for my journeying, the
sand being firm and hard when the water was out at low tide.
That night I wrote a lengthy letter to Mr. Langely, giving him full
particulars as to what I was about to undertake, and also instructions
as to how he should proceed in the event of my not returning from my
adventure. I also wrote my will, and settled all my affairs as well as I
was able. This took until nigh midnight.
All this I managed to do without the knowledge of any one, and by the
light of a little wick floating in a dish of oil, the flame of which I
kept so well shaded that no one perceived it in all that time.
About one o'clock I came out from my hut, and found the stars shining
most beautifully in the sky, and all the air full of the noises of the
night. I did not tarry, however, but walked straight to the beach, and
along it towards the northern end of the island, around which and beyond
the cape I knew the bay to lie, about ten leagues distant from the
king's town.
I had only been twice upon my feet since the fever had left me, and
found that I was far more weak than I had supposed myself to be, so that
I had to rest myself at frequent intervals. However, I managed to cover
some ten miles of my journey by about six o'clock in the morning, by
which time I was so exhausted that I could go no farther, but had to lie
down under the shade of the bushes and rest myself for a long time.
I speak of these things to show why it was that my journey should have
occupied nigh upon two days, for it was not until the afternoon of the
second day that I came within sight of a boat, drawn up on the beach,
which I knew to belong to the pirates, and from which the crew had gone
into the thickets, either to search for game or for water.
I had eaten nothing all that day, for I had not thought that my journey
would have taken me so long, and I did not care to burden myself with
any more food than necessary. So I was glad to see the boat, not only
being very weary, but also having my feet so badly blistered by the
unwonted exposure to the hot sun on the bare sand that it was only with
pain that I could take a single step.
As I drew nigh, two fellows who had been lying in the shade upon the
further side sprang to their feet and hailed me.
"Who are you?" says one of them--a great black-bearded fellow with a
dirty yellow handkerchief tied around his head, a ragged scarf about his
loins, a brace of pistols hanging from a leathern belt, and a dirty
shirt opened at the breast, showing a hairy throat and chest.
"I am Captain John Mackra," said I, and I sat down upon the gunwale of
the boat, for I could go no farther.
[Illustration: "I AM CAPTAIN JOHN MACKRA," SAID I, AND I SAT DOWN UPON
THE GUNWALE OF THE BOAT.]
"The devil you are!" says he, and he stared at me from top to toe as
though I had been some strange creature the like of which he had never
beheld before. Then, without another word, he put his fingers to his
lips and gave a great, long, shrill whistle. I presently heard a great
crackling in the bushes and the noise of loud voices, and soon there
burst out of the thickets six or eight great, bearded, dirty, villanous
rascals, who came running down to the boat, having caught sight of me,
and knowing me to be a stranger. "It's Captain Leach," said the one of
the pirates who had not yet spoken--a young fellow of not more than
twenty.
Some of those who had just come had been drinking, as could be very
plainly seen from the way in which they acted. One of them was for
killing me off-hand, and I verily believe would have done so, in spite
of all that the others could do or say, had not another of them knocked
him down with an oar with such a blow that I thought at first the fellow
had been killed outright.
After that they bound me hand and foot, and chucked me into the
stern-sheets of the boat along with the fellow who had been knocked down
by the oar, and who lay without life or motion, as though neither were
of more account than so much old junk. After that they shoved off from
the beach in the direction of my old craft the _Cassandra_, which rode
at anchor about a mile and a half or two miles away.
The boat had hardly come alongside when the news of my coming ran fore
and aft like a train of powder. They hoisted me upon deck and laid me
just aft of the main-mast, whilst a great crowd gathered round me and
stared at me, some of them grinning and some of them cursing me.
Most of them were more or less in liquor, and it was this circumstance
that came nigh to costing me my life, and this was how it happened:
One great fellow with a dreadful scar across his face gave me a kick in
the loins which I thought at first had finished me, and for no cause
that I could see but that he was drunk and in a savage humor. One or two
of them sang out to him not to kill me just then, but he made no answer
except by aiming another kick at my head, which I warded off with my
arm so that it did me little or no harm. He drew back his foot for
another blow, but just then an iron belaying-pin came whizzing through
the air and struck the fellow in the jaw, knocking him down upon the
deck as though he had been shot.
I turned mine eyes and saw that it was Captain England himself who had
struck the blow.
"Look 'ee," says he, "we'll have none of this; if killing is to be done,
it is to be done lawyer-like. He's come aboard himself, and if he's to
be killed he's to be killed after his trial, and not before."
There was a moment or two of pause, for Captain England had drawn a
brace of pistols, and held one cocked in either hand; but just then up
stepped a fellow who it was very plain to see was of some account
amongst them, for his clothes were of rich stuff, and he had a gold
chain with a cross slung around his neck, and golden ear-rings in his
ears. He walked up to England until he stood face to face with him.
"Look 'ee, Ned England," says he, "what I've got to say is this: you're
carrying things with too high a hand to suit us easy-going fellows. D'ye
think you're king or emperor, and that we're nigger slaves, that you
knock us about as it suits your humor?"
I had expected that England would have shot the fellow down where he
stood, but he stayed his hand, and by the muttering of the rest I knew
that the speaker carried most of them with him.
"Look 'ee, now," says he, more boldly, "didn't we choose you for our
captain ourselves? And here you knock us around with belaying-pins as
though you owned every man of us; and all for what? Why, for giving this
here precious sea-captain an innocent kick or two for all of the good
fellows he's sent to h--ll since ten days ago. What I say is, hang him
up to the yard-arm;" and he fetched me a terrible kick in the side
without taking his eyes from his captain's face.
At this time, although I heard what was said, I thought but little of
what was passing about me, my mind being beclouded with my weakness and
my pains, for I had wellnigh swooned from the agony of those two kicks
upon my flank and loins. Therefore I lay with mine eyes shut, feeling
deathly sick and faint.
A time of silence followed, though how long it might be I could not
exactly tell. Then I heard Captain England speak, the words coming to my
ears as though from a great distance, because of my condition.
"D--n you, Burke, what do I care for the fellow? If you want the man's
life, take it!" and I knew that he swung upon his heel and walked away.
XII.
I could not at that minute see that anything stood between me and death,
for the pirates were so bent upon my immediate destruction that they set
about getting ready a line to hang me up without more ado.
Yet though I had cause to apprehend that the very next moment would be
my last upon earth, the dread of death was in no wise keen upon me, for
in my half-swoon I lay as one in a dream, and neither saw nor heard very
clearly the preparations they were making for my destruction, and so was
mercifully spared that pain. But God in His great mercy determined it
otherwise than was the intention of these wicked men, for just at that
moment some one forward began bawling out, in a great hoarse voice,
"Where is Jack Mackra? Where is he, I say? Show him to me! ---- ----
---- ye! out of my way, and let me get at him!"
As I might turn my head, I looked whence my voice came, and there saw,
as in a dream, a great, tall, lantern-jawed man, with a patch over one
eye and a crutch under his left arm. In his right hand he held a long
sharp knife, with which he jabbed at those who stood in his way, so that
they were glad enough to make room for him, one or two of them cursing
him, the others grinning and laughing as though it were all a fine piece
of sport. As those around me drew aside I beheld him more plainly; his
left leg had been cut off at the knee, he was loose-jointed and
ungainly, and he had one of the most villanous countenances that it was
ever my fortune to look into. I could also see that he, like many of the
others, had been drinking. It was very plain that he was a great
favorite amongst the rest, for they made room for him and took all his
curses and many blows, which he gave with his crutch, without either
answering him or striving to defend themselves. Even the fellow who had
spoken so boldly to the captain's face, and whom I afterwards found to
be the chief of the "lords," as they are pleased to call those in
authority amongst them, grinned and stood aside as the villanous cripple
came and leaned over me.
"D--n you," says he, "and is it you, Jack Mackra? Then I have a score to
pay you that has stood on the slate for this many a day."
He turned me over upon my face with his crutch, and the next moment I
felt the cords that tied my hands give way, and knew that they had been
cut, then my legs and feet were loosened from their lashings, and I was
a free man. I heard the fellow say, "Get up!" whereupon I stood upon my
feet and gazed about me, though my brain still swam, and all things
appeared blurred and distorted to my sight, the sky and the sea and the
faces around me being all strangely mingled together. Then presently,
as my confusion began to fade away from me, I heard the one-legged man
speaking to me.
"And do you know who I am?" said he.
"No," says I, at last gathering my wits to speak; "I cannot bring you to
mind."
"Why," says he, "don't you remember Jimmy Ward, the cook aboard the
_Pembroke Castle_--him as you saved from five drunken Spanish devils
over at Honduras? Hey? don't you mind how they had me down under the
table, jabbing at me with their d--d snickershees and swearing that they
would cut the living heart out of me? If it hadn't been for you, it
would have been all over with Jimmy Ward at that time." He waited for an
answer, but as yet I could say nothing. "Well, I haven't forgot it if
you have," he continued; "I owe you a good turn, and I'll pay it if I
have to bleed for it."
Just then up steps the fellow who had faced England so boldly a moment
or two before. "Come, come, Jimmy," says he, "a joke's a joke, and I can
laugh as loud as any; but here's a man has done us more damage than
anybody we've fell in with since we ran foul of the _Eagle_."
"Hang him up!" Hang him up!" sang out several of those who stood around,
and I verily believe the business would have gone against me, after all,
only for Captain England, who must have been near for all this time, and
who came to the aid of the cripple. Both together, they contrived so to
argue and talk and threaten the others that the end of the matter was
they led me off to the captain's cabin, the one on one side of me and
the other on the other, whilst the crowd followed behind, though they
came no further than the door, which was clapped to in their faces.
"You've had a narrow miss of it," says England, so soon as we were come
fairly within and had sat down, "and you've nobody to thank for it but
yourself, for if you'd minded what I told you you'd have staid where you
were and let your bad luck sail her own craft without putting your hand
to the helm. Even yet I don't know if we'll be able to get you off, for
Tom Burke is hot for your blood, and will get it if he's able."
"That he will," says Ward; "for he's not the man to give up what he's
laid his hand to."
"Have you had anything to eat?" said England, presently.
"Not since five o'clock this morning," said I.
"Why," said he, "you'll have to be fed, whether they hang you or no."
Whereupon he fetched out from a locker a great lot of biscuit and a
decanter of the very port-wine with which I had entertained Mr. Longways
when he came aboard the _Cassandra_ with The Rose of Paradise; nor have
I ever tasted food that was more refreshing than that which I then ate,
for I was wellnigh exhausted with hunger.
No one spoke for a while, and England walked up and down the cabin with
his hands clasped behind his back. During all this time I had been
looking around me, and of a sudden my heart seemed to leap into my
throat, for in the corner of the cabin, lying amongst a lot of litter,
where it seemed to have been flung as of no account, I saw the iron
despatch-box.
My danger had been so great and my mind in such a maze for all this time
that there had been no room in my brain for other matters, the very
objects of my adventure having been forgotten for a while; but with the
sight of this everything came back to me with a rush, and I wondered for
the first time that I had not yet seen my betrayer.
"Where is Captain Leach?" said I to England.
He stopped short in his walk, and regarded me with a very strange
expression, which at the time I could in no wise understand.
"Why," says he, presently, "he was shot--shot by accident--when we first
came aboard of this here craft after you left her."
I sat silent for a great long time after this, nor could I think of one
word to say, for of all the things which my mind had forecasted, this
was the very furthest from my imaginings. So I sat staring at the pirate
captain, who, upon his part, sat gazing back again at me, answering my
look with a grin. I had been well assured that Captain Leach had stolen
the jewel, but was it possible that I had misjudged him in suspecting
that he had betrayed us to the pirates, and that they, finding him alive
upon the vessel, whence he had not had sufficient time to escape, had
thereupon instantly murthered him, as is their custom upon such
occasions? "And tell me this," said I at last, "was it through Captain
Leach's machinations that we were betrayed into your hands?"
"Why," says he, "I may tell you plain, if I had never met Captain Leach
I should never have ventured into this harbor in the face of three armed
vessels lying across the channel."
"Then I was not mistaken," said I. But I dared ask no more questions,
lest the pirate captain's suspicions should be aroused, for, from the
appearance of the despatch-box, which did not yet seem to have been
tampered with, but rather held as of no account whatever, I did not
believe that Captain Leach had betrayed the presence of the jewel to the
pirate, but rather had reserved the secret for his own advantage, which,
indeed, was the most likely supposition that could be imagined. If now I
could but by some means or other contrive to find opportunity to examine
the box, I could very speedily tell whether the lock had been forced;
which would, in my estimation, decide whether or not the jewel was still
safe and undiscovered.
Presently Ward spoke. "And how," said he, "did you come to get into such
a pickle as I found you, sir?"
I told him the main reason for my visit in as few words and with as
little circumlocution as possible; how I had entertained hopes of
procuring a promise of safety for my passengers and ship's crew, and
even possibly of obtaining some means of transportation from the place
where they now were to one of greater ease and security. Both men
listened without a word to what I said, and when I had ended Ward pursed
his mouth up in a most comical fashion, and gave a great long whistle,
half under his breath, regarding me the while with his one eye as round
as a saucer.
"And do you mean to say," says he, "that you, a sick man, have gone and
travelled ten leagues all for to give yourself up to such a gang of
bloody cutthroats as we be?"
"Why, yes," says I; "sure ten leagues is not such a long journey that
one need make much of a stir about it."
"Ten leagues be blowed!" says he. "Suppose they had shot you dead when
they had found out who you were; what then?"
"But they did not shoot me," said I.
"But perhaps they may kill you yet," put in England.
"That matter is neither in your hands nor mine," said I.
Ward looked in a very droll manner, first at England and then at me.
"Well, I'm blowed!" he said at last.
At this Captain England burst into a great loud laugh. "Why," says he,
"it would be a vast pity to let a man of such spirit lose his life after
all. What d'ye say, Ward?"
"I say yes," said Ward, and he thumped his fist down on the table; "and
by the Eternal he shall get what he wants--in reason--Tom Burke and the
devil notwithstanding!"
"Come," says England; "come, Ward, we'll go and fetch Burke in, and see
if we can't drink him into a good humor." And so saying both men went
out of the cabin, shutting the door behind them. As soon as their backs
were turned I sprang to where the despatch-box lay, snatched it up, and
began eagerly examining it. It was still securely locked; the lid had
not been forced, and I could see no marks of violence upon it. But I had
just then but short time for such an examination, for in a little while
I heard footsteps outside, whereupon I replaced the box where I had
found it and resumed my chair, composing my countenance as far as I was
able to do. Presently I heard voices at the door, and from their tones I
could gather that Captain England and the crippled cook were trying to
persuade Burke to come into the cabin, he being mightily unwilling to
do so. For a while they held the door ajar, and I could hear Burke
cursing and swearing at a great rate, and calling Heaven to witness that
he would have my life before he was done with me. Meantime the others
were busied in talking to him, and soothing him, and reasoning with him,
but all to no purpose. No; he would come in and drink a glass of grog
with them, if that was what they were after, but he would have my
life--yes, he would; and he was not to be wheedled out of his purpose by
soft words either. So they, after a while, all came into the cabin and
sat down to the table, though Burke never so much as turned his eyes in
my direction.
Captain England brought out a bottle of Jamaica, which he set upon the
board, and each of the three pirates mixed himself a glass of grog.
Burke drank three or four glasses of the stuff without its seeming in
the least to smooth his ill-temper. The cripple kept pace with him in
his drinking, at which I was mightily anxious, for when such bloody
wretches as they become heated with liquor, it is a toss of a farthing
whether they murder a man in their sport or lavish caresses upon him.
However, I was glad to see that Captain England drank but sparingly,
wherefore I entertained great hopes that he would remain sufficiently
cool to prevent any violence being used against me.
But I greatly doubt that my life would have been in danger under any
circumstances, for after a while, as Burke became more warmed in his
cups, his displeasure against me became more and more softened. At
first, without speaking directly to me, he began, with many imprecations
upon his own head, to say that though he was a bloody sea-pirate, and a
murderer, and a thief, he knew a man of courage when he saw him, and
loved him as his brother. By-and-by he insisted upon shaking hands with
me across the table, swearing that if harm had happened to me through
him he would have repented it to the very last day of his life. I now
perceived that the time had come for me to act; accordingly I began,
first by hints and afterwards by direct appeals, to beseech them that
they would give me the smaller of their two crafts, which had been so
injured in the late engagement that it was still lying upon the beach
where they had run it aground, and from which position they had made no
efforts to rescue it. I had noticed the craft as I came down the beach,
and though I observed that she had been very much shattered by the
broadsides which we had fired into her, I yet had hopes that if I could
get possession of her I might be able to patch her up sufficiently to
transport my passengers and crew to some place of greater security than
the island offered, even perhaps to Bombay, weather permitting. I had
thought that the pirates would have made some objection, and I believe
that even England himself was startled at the boldness of my request,
for he looked anxiously at the others, but ventured nothing. However, I
think that that very boldness recommended itself to these reckless
spirits, for they granted what I desired with hardly a word of
objection. Emboldened by this, I went still further, and besought them
to give me back some of the cargo which they had captured along with the
_Cassandra_.
At this, though he said nothing, Captain England grinned as though
vastly amused. Nor was I wrong in venturing such a seemingly foolhardy
request, for not only did they promise to give me back one hundred and
twenty-nine bales of the Company's goods, but also gave me a written
agreement to that effect, which they each of them signed, Captain
England first of all.
I may say here that though it might seem absurd to set any value upon a
mere written agreement signed by such bloody and lawless men, it was
really of very great moment, for these fellows have a vast respect and
regard for any instrument to which they set their hand, wherefore I knew
that the chances were many to one that they would do as they promised,
after once having superscribed to it.
Then, with my heart beating so that I could hardly speak, I turned to
Captain England. "And you, sir," said I, "will you grant me one small
favor?"
"That depends upon what it is," says he.
I looked at him steadily for a moment or two whilst I was collecting
myself; then I spoke with all the coolness I could command, although I
felt that I could scarcely forbear trembling at this trying moment.
"Why, sir," says I, "if my despatches are lost, I can make but a poor
sort of a report to the Honorable Company."
"Well, John Mackra, and how can I help you in that?" said he, very
coolly.
"Easily enough," said I. "Yonder is my despatch-box in the corner,
which can be of but little use to you, and yet it is of great import to
me."
"And you want it?" says he.
"Indeed yes," said I, "though of course that is as you please."
He regarded me for a while in silence, his head upon one side, and his
face twisted up into a most droll, quizzical, cunning expression, of
which I could make nothing whatever.
"And is that all that you want of me?" said he.
I nodded my head, for I could not trust myself to speak.
Upon this he burst suddenly into a great loud laugh, and gave the table
a thump with his fist which made the glasses jingle. I sat regarding
him, not knowing what to make of it all; but his next words were a vast
relief to me.
"Why," says he, "I thought you were going to ask me for something of
some account. If that is all you want, it is yours, and welcome to it."
Finding all three of the pirates to be in such a complacent mood, I
asked them for some of my clothes, for those that I had hung in tatters
about me, and, as said before, I was in my bare feet. But this they
would not do, Master Burke asking me whether they had not granted enough
already, without giving me togs to cover my bloody carcass. Upon this I
perceived that I had gotten all that I was likely to obtain, and so had
to go without my clothes.
The pirates were for keeping me on board all night, that they might, as
they were pleased to say, entertain me in a decent fashion. But I,
having gained possession of the precious despatch-box, and trembling
with anxiety lest by some sudden shift of luck it should be taken away
from me again, was most eagerly anxious to take myself away. England
himself urged my departure. So about seven o'clock I was put ashore,
with the despatch-box in my possession, giving thanks that I had come
off from my adventure with such exceeding good fortune, for I felt that
I had not only recovered the most precious prize of all, but England had
promised to do his uttermost to hold the others to their written
agreement, saying that if he were successful he would depart in two
days, leaving the bales of goods behind upon the shore.
XIII.
England himself chose a crew to row me across the beach, and I have no
doubt selected the least reprehensible of all the gang; for although
they said little to me, they showed no disposition either to be insolent
or to offer violence to me; one of them even took off his jacket and
laid it in the stern-sheets for me to sit upon. And truly, in spite of
their wicked ways, there is not so much difference betwixt some of these
fellows and the common sailors in our merchant service, excepting that
the poor wretches have been led astray by evil counsel until they have
broken the laws and committed outrages upon the high-seas, and so are
become outlawed and desperate. Moreover, I believe there are many of
them who would return to better ways had they opportunity of so doing,
and were not afraid of suffering for the evil things which they have
committed.
But at that time I thought little or nothing of how they regarded me, my
only desire being to get ashore, that I might hide the precious
despatch-box in some place of safety. This I did as soon as might be
after I had landed, burying the casket in the sand, and marking the
place so that I might know it again.
Some little distance beyond where I had been put ashore from the pirate
boat I came upon a party of my own men under Mr. White, who had been
despatched after me by Mr. Langely so soon as he had read the
communication which I had left behind me at the king's town, and who had
for some time been lying hidden in the thickets, whence they might
observe the pirates and still remain unseen by them.
I may confess that I was mightily glad to behold such kind and friendly
faces again, nor did they seem less rejoiced than myself at the
meeting. They would not allow me to walk, but making a litter of two
saplings, bore me by turns upon the way, so that against the morning had
come we were safe in the king's town once more.
Mr. Longways was among the first to visit me, and betrayed the most
lively signs of joy upon finding that I had been fortunate enough to
secure the great ruby once more, though he regretted that I had not
fetched the box with me instead of having buried it in the sand, so that
we might have assured ourselves of the safety of the treasure. Upon this
point I put him at his ease by convincing him that the box was in such a
condition and of such an appearance as to make me feel certain that it
had neither been forced nor the lock tampered with.
We only remained in the king's town about three days longer; at the end
of that time the lookout which we had placed at the cape came in and
reported that the pirate crafts had hoisted sail and borne away to the
southward, leaving behind them the battered hulk of the smallest vessel,
as they had promised to do. This much many had expected of them, but I
doubt if any excepting myself had ventured to hope that they would
fulfill the other part of the agreement to which they had superscribed,
viz., to leave behind them the bales of goods which in their
half-drunken fit of generosity they had promised. Yet there they were,
neatly stacked upon the beach, and even covered with a tarpaulin. And I
know not whether it may be merely superstition upon their part or no,
but this much I have frequently observed, that sailors of whatever
condition have such a vast regard and respect for any paper or written
document that they will go to great extremity before they will do aught
to rupture or disobey the articles of such a bond. So it was that I was
not so much surprised at this fulfillment as either Mr. Langely or Mr.
White. By this time I was sufficiently recovered of my fever and of my
wound to take upon me the direction of affairs once more; accordingly,
in the space of two weeks, we had so far patched up the battered hulk of
the pirate craft as to make her tolerably sea-worthy, provided we
encountered no great stress of weather.
It took us about a week longer to victual and water the vessel (the
bales of goods which I had begged from the pirates having been already
stowed away under cover), so that it was not until the 18th of August
that we were able to leave the country--which we did, giving thanks for
all the mercies that had been vouchsafed to us in this trying and
terrible time.
We were becalmed off the coast of Arabia, where we suffered greatly from
the scarcity of water; but being brought safely through that and other
dangers, we arrived at last at Bombay, where we dropped anchor early in
the afternoon of the 13th of October, it being nigh upon two months
since we had left the coast of Juanna.
I immediately sent a message to the Governor, Mr. Boon, notifying him of
the safe arrival of Mistress Pamela, and that I was now ready to deliver
the despatch-box at such time as he should choose to appoint. I also
forwarded to him by the messenger a full report of all that had
happened, and of the loss of the _Cassandra_ in the engagement on the
23d of July.
In about an hour and a half Mr. Boon came aboard. He spoke most kindly
and flatteringly of the service which he was pleased to say I had
rendered the Company. He urged me to accompany him to the shore, but
though I was mightily inclined to accept of his kindness, I was forced
to decline at that time; for, finding that the Company's ship, the _City
of London_, was about ready to sail, I had determined to send by her a
brief account of the things herein narrated, and was at that moment
engaged in writing the letter which was afterwards so widely published
both in the newspapers and in Captain Johnson's book relating to the
lives of the nine famous pirate captains. Finding that I could not just
then quit the ship, he insisted that I should sup with them that very
night. I was only too glad to accept of this, for I had determined that
I would discover in what manner of regard Mistress Pamela held me, and
that without loss of time. I had now every right to offer my addresses
to her, which I had not had heretofore. Accordingly, having delivered
the despatch-box into Mr. Boon's hands with feelings of the most sincere
and heart-felt relief, and having obtained his receipt for the same, I
escorted Mistress Pamela to the Governor's boat, thence returning to my
own cabin feeling strangely lonely and melancholic.
This was about half-past two o'clock in the afternoon; at about four a
small boat came alongside, and a young man of some twenty-three years
of age stepped upon the deck, who introduced himself as Mr. Whitcomb,
the Governor's secretary. He brought a written message from the Governor
requesting my immediate presence at the Residency upon a matter of the
very first importance. I turned to Mr. Whitcomb and asked if he knew
what was the nature of the business the Governor would have with me.
He said no, but that the Governor and Mr. Elliott, the Company's agent,
had been closeted together with Mr. McFarland and Mr. Hansel, of the
banking-house, for some time, and then had sent this message to me by
him, which was plainly one of very great consequence.
I immediately entered the boat with the secretary, and was rowed to the
shore, where, when we had come to the Residency, I found the four
gentlemen waiting for me. They were seated around a table, whereon was
the despatch-box and my written report, which consumed some six or eight
sheets of paper. The Governor invited me to be seated, which I had
hardly done when one of the company, whom I afterwards found to be Mr.
Elliott, began questioning me. I answered fully to everything he asked,
the others listening, and now and then putting in a word, or asking for
fuller particulars upon some point or other which was perhaps more
obscure. When I came to the part that related to Captain Leach I saw
them glance at one another in a very peculiar way; but I continued
without stopping until I had told everything concerning the matter from
the beginning to the end. No one said anything for a little time, until
at last Mr. Elliott spoke:
"Do I correctly understand from this report," says he, touching the
papers which lay upon the table as he spoke, "that Mr. Longways betrayed
the nature of the contents of the despatch-box both to you and to
Captain Leach?"
"Yes, sir," said I.
"And you are sure that no one knew of the presence
of the jewel but you and he?"
"Yes, sir," said I, again.
At this the gentlemen exchanged glances, and Mr. Elliott continued his
questioning.
"And did you not know that Captain Leach had been left behind when you
quitted the _Cassandra_?"
"Why, no, sir," said I. "It was intended that he should go in the first
passage of the long-boat with the boatswain."
"But did you not say that you helped the women aboard of the long-boat?"
"Yes, sir, I did," I said.
There was a pause of a moment or two, and all sat regarding me.
Presently Mr. Elliott spoke again.
"And did you not then see that Captain Leach was absent from the boat?"
said he.
"No, sir," said I, "I did not; the boat was very full, and the air so
thick with gunpowder smoke that I could see little or nothing at any
distance."
"But did you not then take care to see that all your passengers were
safe aboard?"
"Why, no, sir," said I. "The order had been passed for all passengers to
go aboard the long-boat, and I supposed that Captain Leach had obeyed
with the rest. I was so occupied with the safety of the women just then
that I thought of nothing else."
"You say that the pirate England told you that Captain Leach had been
killed when they first came aboard the _Cassandra_. Did you take any
other evidence in the matter than his word?"
"Why, no, sir," said I, "I did not."
Mr. Elliott said "Humph!" and another short space of silence followed,
during which he played absently with the leaves of my report.
"But tell me, Captain Mackra," said he, presently, "did you not speak to
any one of your suspicions concerning Captain Leach after he had
quitted the ship on the night of the 21st in such a mysterious manner?"
"Why, no, sir," said I; "for I saw no sufficient grounds to accuse him
of any underhand practices."
"And yet," said a thin, middle-aged gentleman, with a sharp voice, whom
I afterwards found to be Mr. McFarland--"and yet you saw him quit the
_Cassandra_ in a most suspicious manner, and under the most suspicious
circumstances, and also had reason to suspect him of having knowledge of
the jewel. Why, then, did you not examine him publicly or put him under
arrest after he returned?"
"Sir," said I, "I disliked Captain Leach, and feared that my prejudice
might lead me astray."
"But, Captain Mackra," said the Governor, "your personal feelings should
never interfere with your duty."
I knew not where all these matters tended, but I began to be mightily
troubled in my mind concerning them. However, I had little time for
thought, for Mr. Elliott began questioning me again. He asked me if I
had told any one of my intended visit to the pirate-ship, of whom I had
seen there, and of what inducements I had offered to persuade them to
give me one of their crafts and return such a quantity of the Company's
goods. He cross-questioned me so keenly in regard to the last point that
I found myself tripping more than once, for it is mightily difficult to
remember all of the petty details even of such an important event as
that. I believe that I answered more loosely than I otherwise would have
done from the agitation into which I was cast by the serious shape which
matters seemed to be taking.
"Sir," I cried to Mr. Elliott, "do you blame me for getting back so much
of the Company's goods as I was able?"
"I blame you for nothing, Captain Mackra," said he. "I merely question
you in regard to a matter of great importance."
"But, sir," I said, hotly, "am I to be blamed for losing my ship after a
hard-fought battle? You should recollect, sir, that I was wounded in the
Company's service; methinks, sir, that should weigh some in my favor."
"But, Captain Mackra," said Mr. McFarland, very seriously, "are not
accidents likely to happen to any one under any circumstances? Captain
Leach, you may remember, was killed in spite of all the precautions he
may have taken to preserve his life."
A great weight of dread seemed to have been settling upon me as the
examination had progressed, but at these words it was as though a sudden
light flashed upon me; I rose slowly from my chair, and stood with my
hand leaning upon the table. For a moment or two my head swam with
vertigo, and I passed my hand across my forehead. "I am not so well,
gentlemen," said I, "as I was some time since, for I have gone through
many hardships; therefore I beseech you to excuse me if I have appeared
weak in the manner or the matter of my discourse." Then turning to the
Governor, "Will you be pleased to tell me, sir, what all this means?"
"Sir," said he, in a low tone, "the ruby has been stolen, and was not in
the box when you gave it to me."
I stood looking around at them for a while; I know that I must have been
very pale, for Mr. McFarland sprang to his feet.
"Captain Mackra, you are ill," he said; "will you not be seated?"
I shook my head impatiently, and collecting myself, I said, very slowly
and somewhat unsteadily, "Do you suspect me of being instrumental in
taking it?"
[Illustration: I ROSE SLOWLY FROM MY CHAIR, AND STOOD WITH MY HAND
LEANING UPON THE TABLE.]
No one answered for an instant. Then the Governor said, "No, Captain
Mackra, we suspect you of nothing; only it is best that you should
return to England and make your report to the Company in person.
Meanwhile you will make no effort to leave this country until I find
means to secure your passage for you."
"I am to consider myself under arrest?" said I.
"No, sir," said the Governor, kindly, "not under arrest; but you must
hold yourself prepared to stand your examination before the proper
agents of the Company at London, and at such time as they may decide
upon."
XIV.
So soon as I had left the Residency I went straight aboard my craft. I
entered my cabin, locked the door, and began pacing up and down,
striving to collect my thoughts and to shape them into some sort of
order. At first I was possessed with a most ungovernable fury--that I,
who had suffered so much, who had fought till I could fight no more, and
who had freely risked my life in the Company's cause, should now be
accused of stealing that very thing that had cost me such suffering and
so great a weight of trouble. But by-and-by the ferment of my spirits
began somewhat to subside, and I could look matters more coolly in the
face. Then, instead of anger, I became consumed with anxiety, for I
began, little by little, to perceive what a dreadful cloud of suspicion
overshadowed me. I had acted to the best of my light in not accusing
Captain Leach of what I feared might be unfounded suspicions bred of my
dislike of his person. Now all men would think that I was leagued with
him in robbing the Company of the great ruby. In return for my
forbearance in not making a public accusation against him, he had
betrayed me and all that were aboard the _Cassandra_, and now every one
would believe that I had aided him in that as in the rest. He had
remained behind in the hopes of joining the pirates, and so securing
himself in the possession of his booty. Instead of accomplishing this,
he had perished miserably on board of that craft, wet with the blood of
those whom he had betrayed; but as for me, how could I ever disprove the
horrid charge that I had deserted my confederate in guilt, leaving him
to his death, so that I might gain all for myself. The very fact of my
taking my life into my hands, and going so freely among those wicked
and bloody wretches, instead of weighing in my favor, would seem to
point to some sort of bargain with them whereby I was the gainer; for
who would believe that they would voluntarily have resigned so great a
part of those things which they had a short time before torn away from
us at the cost of so much blood? Even the fact of my having so carefully
guarded the secret of the stone might be twisted into sinister
suspicions against me.
As for those bright hopes that I had but lately entertained, how could I
now raise my eyes towards Mistress Pamela, or how could I look for
anything, who was stained with such dreadful suspicions, without
prospect of being cleansed from them?
Perceiving all these things so clearly, I resigned myself to the depths
of gloomy despair, for the more I bent my mind upon these matters the
less did I see my way clear from my entanglements. I sat long into the
night, thinking and thinking, until the temptation came upon me to shoot
out my brains, and be quit of all my troubles in that sudden manner. In
this extremity I flung myself upon my knees and prayed most fervently,
and after a while was more at peace, though with no clearer knowledge as
to how I might better my condition. So I went to my berth, where I was
presently sound asleep, with all my troubles forgot.
A day or two after these things had befallen comes one of the Company's
clerks aboard, with an order from Mr. Elliott relieving me of my
command, and appointing Mr. Langely in my stead. This appointment Mr.
Langely would have refused had I not urged him to accept of it, seeing
he could better settle the affairs of which he would be in charge than
one who would come aboard a stranger. Accordingly he consented to do as
I advised, though protesting against it most earnestly.
About two weeks after our arrival at Bombay the Governor notified me
that the Company's ship _Lavinia_ was about quitting her anchorage, and
that he had secured a berth to England in her for me. I was very well
pleased that the Governor had hit upon this one ship of all others in
the Company's service, for her commander, Captain Croker, was an old and
well-tried friend of mine, and one with whom it would be more pleasing
to be consociated at a time of such extreme ill fortune as I was then
suffering under. I went aboard her at once, and was most kindly received
by Captain Croker, whom I found had had a very comfortable berth fitted
up for me, and had arranged all things to make my voyage as pleasant as
possible.
The day after I came aboard, wind and tide being fair, and Captain
Croker having received his orders, we hoisted anchor and sailed out of
the harbor, and by four o'clock had dropped the land astern.
During the first part of that voyage, before I had contrived to leave
the _Lavinia_, of which I shall hereafter tell, my mind was constantly
and continually filled with my troubles, so that they were the first
thing which I remembered in the morning, and the last thing which I
forgot before I fell asleep. But that which puzzled me more than
anything else was to account for the mysterious manner in which the Rose
of Paradise had been spirited away from the iron despatch-box, and what
had become of it after it had passed from Mr. White's possession. Of
this I thought and pondered until my brain grew weary.
One night, we being at that time becalmed off the Gulf of Arabia, I sat
upon the poop-deck looking out over the water and into the sky, dusted
all over with an infinite quantity of stars, and with my mind still
moving upon the same old track which it had so often travelled before. I
know not whether it was the refreshing silence which reigned all about
me, but of a sudden it seemed as though the uncertainties which had
beset my mind were removed, and the whole matter stood before me with a
most marvellous clearness. Then I knew, as plain as though it had been
revealed to me, that the only man in the world who either had the Rose
of Paradise in his possession, or knew where it was hidden, was Captain
Edward England.
I do not think that I came to this conclusion through any line of
reasoning, but rather with a sudden leap of thought; but as soon as I
had fairly grasped it I marvelled at the dulness of my understanding,
which should have prevented my perceiving it before; for every single
circumstance that had happened pointed but in one direction, and that
was towards the end which I had but just reached.
It was as plain as the light of day that when Captain Leach went aboard
of the pirate craft on the night of the 21st of July, Captain England
would require him to explain his object in betraying the _Cassandra_
into their hands; and it was equally plain that Leach would have to tell
the truth; for it was not likely that he could deceive such a sharp and
cunning blade as that famous freebooter. I recalled the strange look
which Captain England had given me when he told me that Captain Leach
had been "shot by accident" upon their coming aboard the _Cassandra_;
whereupon, regarding matters from my present stand-point, I felt assured
that England had killed Leach with his own hand, so that with him the
secret of the stone might perish from amongst them. I also felt
convinced that he must, with great care and circumspection, have picked
the lock of the despatch-box and have despoiled it of its contents,
which he had kept for himself without informing any of his shipmates of
what he had found.
I could not at first account for the treatment that I had met with at
the pirates' hands, nor why I had not been shot so soon as I had
stepped upon their decks, for it was plain to see that that would be the
easiest and quickest way for Captain England to rid himself of me; yet
it was very apparent to me that he desired that my life should be saved,
and was even inclined to show me some kindness after his own fashion;
and I do verily believe that that wicked and bloody man entertained a
sincere regard for my person, and had it in his mind to do me a good
turn; for even the very worst of men have some seed of kindness in them,
otherwise they could not be of our human brotherhood, but wild beasts,
thinking only of rending and tearing one another.
But I could easily perceive that so soon as England felt assured of my
coming aboard of his craft, he would strive to mislead me into thinking
that he knew nothing of the stone, lest by some inadvertent word I
should betray a knowledge of it to the others, and he would have to
share his spoil with them. Therefore he would carefully lock the box
again, and would toss it in the corner to lead me to think he knew
nothing of the contents.
All this train of reasoning I followed out in my mind, and when I
recalled the quizzical, cunning look which the rogue had given me when I
asked for the despatch-box, I felt certainly assured that I was right.
I remember that when I had clearly cogitated all this out in my own mind
I felt as though one step had been gained towards the recovery of the
stone, and for an instant it seemed as though a great part of the weight
of despondency had been lifted from my breast. But the next moment it
settled upon me again when I brought to mind that I was as far as ever
from regaining the jewel; for I knew not where the pirates then were,
and even if I did know, and was venturesome enough to face their captain
a second time, it was not likely that he would be so complacent as to
give back such a great treasure for the mere asking. Nor do I think it
likely that I would ever have gained anything by this knowledge which
had come to me (unless I might have used it to help my case with the
East India Company) had not Providence seen fit to send me help in a
most strange and unexpected manner. And thus it was:
One morning when I came upon deck I saw several of the passengers,
together with the captain and the first mate, standing at the lee side
of the ship and looking out forward, Captain Croker with a glass to his
eye. Upon inquiring they told me that the lookout had some little time
before sighted a small open boat, which had been signalling the ship
with what they were now able to make out was a shirt tied to the blade
of an oar. We ran down to the boat, which we reached in twenty or thirty
minutes, and then hove to, and it came alongside.
There were three men in her, who seemed to be in a mightily good
condition for castaways in an open boat. I stood looking down into it
along with other of the passengers, watching the men as they took in
their oars and laid them along the thwarts. Just then one of the fellows
raised his face and looked up; and when I saw him I could not forbear a
sudden exclamation of amazement. I remember one of my fellow-passengers,
a Mr. Wilson, who stood next to me, asked me what was the matter. I made
some excuse or other that was of little consequence, but the truth was
that I recognized the fellow as that very pirate who had first kicked me
in the loins when I lay bound upon the deck of the _Cassandra_, and whom
Captain England had knocked down with the iron belaying-pin.
However, the fellow did not recognize me, for I was a very different
object now than when he had seen me lying upon the pirate deck, pinched
with my sickness, barefoot and half naked, and my cheeks and chin
covered over with a week's growth of beard. The three fellows presently
came aboard, and were brought aft to the quarter-deck, where Captain
Croker stood, just below the rail of the deck above. They told a very
straightforward story, and I could not help admiring at their coolness
and the clever way in which they passed it off. They said that they had
been part of the crew of the brigantine _Ormond_, which had been lost in
a storm about a hundred and twenty leagues north of the island of
Madagascar. That the captain and six of the crew had taken the
long-boat, and that they had become separated from her in the darkness
two nights before. They answered all of Captain Croker's questions in a
very straightforward manner, and with all the appearance of truth. After
satisfying himself, he told them that they might go below and get
something to eat, and that he would carry them to England as a part of
the ship's crew.
[Illustration: THE THREE FELLOWS WERE BROUGHT AFT TO THE QUARTER-DECK,
WHERE CAPTAIN CROKER STOOD, JUST BELOW THE RAIL OF THE DECK ABOVE.]
At first I was inclined to tell the real truth concerning them to
Captain Croker, but on second thoughts I determined to see what the
fellows had to say for themselves; for I only recognized one of them,
and, after all, their story might be true, and that one have given up
his wicked trade in the four or five months since I had last seen him.
About an hour after this I saw my friend the pirate engaged forward in
coiling a rope. I came to him and watched him for a while, but he kept
steadily on with what he was about, and said nothing to me.
"Well, sir," said I, after a bit, "and how was Captain England when you
saw him last?"
The fellow started up as suddenly as though the rope had changed to an
adder in his hands. He looked about him as though to see if any one were
near and had overheard what I said to him, and then recovered himself
with amazing quickness. He grinned in a simple manner, and chucked his
thumb up to his forelock. "What was it you were saying, sir?" says he.
"I didn't just understand you."
"Come, come," said I; "that will never pass amongst old friends. Why,
don't you remember me?"
He looked at me in a mightily puzzled fashion for a while. "No, sir;
asking your pardon, sir," said he, "I don't remember you."
"What!" said I, "have you forgot Captain Mackra, and how you gave him a
kick in the side when he lay on the deck of the _Cassandra_, down off
Juanna?" As the fellow looked at me I saw him change from red to yellow
and from yellow to blue; his jaw dropped, and his eyes started as though
a spirit from the dead had risen up from the decks in front of him.
"So," said I, "I see you remember me now."
"For God's sake, sir," said he, "don't ruin a poor devil who wants to
make himself straight with the world. I was drunk when I kicked you,
sir--the Lord knows I was; you wouldn't hang me for that, sir, would
you?"
"That depends," said I, sternly, "upon whether you answer my questions
without telling me a lie, as you did Captain Croker just now."
"I wish I may die, sir," said he, "if what I tell you ain't so. We all
three of us left the _Royal James_ last night--she was the _Cassandra_,
sir, but we christened her a new name, and hoisted the Black Roger over
her. We got scared, sir, at the way things was going since Ned England
left us and Tom Burke turned captain; for he ain't the man England was,
and that's the truth. All we ask now, sir, is to start fair and square
again; and so be if we don't hang for this, I wish I may be struck dead,
sir, if I, for one, go back to the bloody trade again. So all I want is
to have a fair trial, and I begs of you, sir, that you won't say the
word that would hang us all up to the yard-arms as quick as a wink." I
am mightily afraid that I did not hear the last of the fellow's
discourse, for one part of the speech that he had dropped went through
me like a shot. "How is that?" I cried. "Was not Captain England with
you when you deserted the ship?"
"Why, no, sir," says he. "You see, sir, when we sailed away from Juanna,
Tom Burke began to move heaven and earth against England, and back of
him he had all of the worst of the crew aboard. First of all he began
setting matters by the ears because England and Ward had been wheedled
into giving you--asking your pardon, sir--a good sound vessel and all
them bales of cloth stuff. I tell you plain, sir, Burke would never have
let you had 'em if he hadn't wanted to use the matter against England.
Well, sir, one night Ward fell overboard--nobody knowed how--and there
was an end of him. After that they weren't long in getting rid of
England, I can tell you."
"Yes, yes," I cried, impatiently, "but how
did you get rid of him?"
"Why, sir," says he, "they marooned him on a little island off the
Mauritius, and six others with him; they was--"
"Never mind them," I cried; "but tell me, do you know what became of
him?"
"Why, yes, sir," says he; "leastways we knew of him by hearsay; and this
was how: About eight weeks ago we ran into a cove on the south shore of
Mauritius to clean both ships, which had grown mightily foul. While we
lay there on the careen a parcel of the crew who had been off hunting
for game fetched back one of the self-same fellows we had marooned two
months and more before. He told us that England and his shipmates had
made a little craft out of bits of boards and barrel-staves, and had
crossed over to the Mauritius in a spell of fair weather, though it was
five leagues and more away."
To all this I listened with the greatest intentness. "And is that all
you know of him?" said I. "And can you not tell whether he is yet on the
island?"
The fellow looked at me for a moment out of the corners of his eyes
without speaking. "Look 'ee, sir," said he, after a little while, "what
I wants to know is this: be ye seeking to harm Ned England or not?"
"And do you trouble yourself about that?" says I. "Sure he can be no
friend of yours, for did I not myself see him knock out a parcel of your
teeth with an iron belaying-pin?"
"Yes, you did," says he; "but I bear him no grudge for that."
"Why," said I, "then neither do I bear him a grudge, and I give you my
word of honor that I mean no harm to him."
The fellow looked at me earnestly for a while. "You wants to know where
Ned England is, don't you, sir?" said he.
I nodded my head. "And I wants to be perserved from hanging, don't I?"
I nodded my head again.
"Then look 'ee, sir," says he, "we'll strike a bit of a bargain: if
you'll promise to say nothing to harm me and my shipmates, I'll tell you
where to find Ned England."
I considered the matter for a while. The fellow had told me a
straightforward story, nor did I doubt that he intended to break away
from his evil courses. I may truly say that I verily believe I would not
have betrayed the three poor wretches under any circumstances. "Very
well," said I, "I promise to keep my part of the bargain."
"Upon your honor?" said he.
"Upon my honor," said I.
"Then, sir," said he, "you will find him at Port Louis, in the
Mauritius," and he turned upon his heel and walked away.
XV.
I was filled with the greatest exultation by the knowledge which I had
gained through the deserter from the pirates, for not only had I
discovered the whereabouts of the one man in all of the world whom I
felt well convinced had knowledge of the Rose of Paradise, but that man
no longer had a crew of wicked and bloody wretches back of him, but
stood, like me, upon his own footing. Therefore I determined that I
would by some means or other either regain the treasure or perish in the
attempt, for I would rather die than live a life of dishonor such as now
seemed to lie before me. However, I plainly perceived that if I would
recover the treasure I would have to escape from the ship by some means
or other whilst we were upon our passage and near the isle of
Mauritius, for if I lost time by going home and standing my examination,
many things might occur which would lose the chance to me forever:
England might quit the Mauritius, or gather together another crew of
pirates upon his own account, for with such a treasure as the Rose of
Paradise he had it clearly in his power to do that and much more.
At that time our English vessels were used to lay their course up and
down the Mozambique Channel, and not along the eastern coast of
Madagascar; for the Mauritius and other islands which lie to the
north-east of that land belong to the French or Dutch, as those in the
Channel belong to us. Therefore it was necessary to my purpose that I
should persuade Captain Croker to alter his course, so as to run down
outside the island instead of through the Channel, for it was plain to
see that even if I should be able to escape from the _Lavinia_ to Juanna
or to any of the coadjacent islands, I would be as far as ever from
getting to Mauritius, which lieth many leagues away around the northern
end of Madagascar.
So I determined to make a clean breast of it, and confide the whole plan
to Captain Croker from beginning to end, only I would say nothing as to
how I had gained my knowledge of England's whereabouts, for I would not
break the promise which I had given to the deserter, as told above.
As no time was to be lost in following out the plans which I had
determined upon, I requested that I might have speech with Captain
Croker that very night. I told him everything concerning the affair from
beginning to end, adding nothing and omitting nothing. Although so old
and so well-tried a friend, he was cast into the utmost depths of wonder
and amazement at my audacity in proposing that he should alter the
course of his vessel, and at my boldness in daring to tell him my plans
for escaping from the restraint under which I had been placed. He
questioned me closely concerning many matters: as to what led me to
think that England was the present possessor of the jewel; as to how I
proposed to proceed after I had escaped to the land; and as to how I had
become informed of the pirate's whereabouts, concerning which last
particular I would give him no satisfaction.
I knew not what he had in his mind, nor where all these questions
tended, and by-and-by left the cabin, though in a sad state of
uncertainty, not knowing how Captain Croker inclined, nor what might be
his feelings in regard to me.
Nor was my uncertainty lessened for several days, in which time I knew
not what to think, but waited for some sign from him. One evening,
however, the whole matter was resolved in a most simple, natural, and
unexpected manner.
At that time we were about seventy or eighty leagues north of the island
of Madagascar. All the passengers being at supper, with Captain Croker
at the head of the table, conversation began to run upon those pirates
who had much infested these waters of late.
"Why," says Captain Croker, "the presence of the rascals has so affected
me that I have determined to alter the course of my vessel, and to run
outside of Madagascar instead of through the Mozambique Channel, for it
is well to have plenty of sea-room either to fight or to run from these
wicked rogues. So now, if the wind holds good, seeing we are such
friends with the Frenchmen in these peaceful days, I purpose stopping at
the Mauritius to take aboard fresh provisions."
Captain Croker did not look at me whilst he was saying all this, but
studiously kept his eyes upon the plate before him, and presently rose
and left the table.
As for me, I sat with my heart beating within my breast as though it
would burst asunder, for I saw that my fate was decided at last, and
that one of the greatest happenings in all of my life was soon to come
upon me.
In two days, as Captain Croker had predicted, we dropped anchor in the
harbor off Port Louis at about three o'clock in the afternoon. I ate but
little supper that night, my mind being so engrossed upon that which I
had undertaken to do.
We lay about half a mile from the shore, the water in the bay being very
calm and still. I had procured four large calabash gourds, with which I
had made shift to rig up a very decent float or life-preserver, for I
had need of some such aid in my expedition, not being a very expert
swimmer.
In all this time I had said nothing to Captain Croker, nor he to me; but
about seven o'clock, it being at that time pretty dark, he came to me
where I stood by the rail of the poop-deck.
"Jack," said he, in a low voice, "are you still in the mind for
carrying this thing through?"
"Yes, I am," I said.
"To-night?" says he.
"To-night," says I.
"Then God bless you!" said he, and he gave my hand a hearty grip. Then
he turned upon his heel and went below, and I knew that my time for
acting had arrived.
I had not much fear of sharks, for I had seen enough of those cowardly
creatures to know that they rarely or never attack a swimmer or a moving
man, but only a body floating upon the water as though dead; moreover,
at night they are asleep or in deep water, for they are not often seen
upon the surface after the darkness has fairly fallen.
After the captain left me I looked around and saw that no one else was
nigh upon the deck. I took my calabash gourds and entered the boat that
hung from the davits astern. Taking a hint from Captain Leach, I had
secured a coil of line by which I might lower myself into the water,
for if I had dropped with a splash I would have been pretty sure to have
been discovered. Having removed my shoes and stockings, which I wrapped
in a piece of tarpaulin, together with my tinder-box and flint and
steel, all of which I secured upon my head, and having slipped the cords
which bound the calabashes under my arms, I slid down the line into the
water astern.
Having committed my life into the keeping of Providence, I struck out
boldly for the shore, being aided by a current which set towards it, and
directing my course by the lights which glimmered faintly in the
distance. So I reached the beach, and built a fire, whereby I dried my
clothes. Then, having put on my shoes and stockings, which had been kept
pretty dry by the tarpaulin, I walked up the beach in the direction of
the scattered row of houses which, the moon having now risen, stood out
very plain at about a quarter of a mile distant. I found the town to
consist of a great straggling collection of low one-story buildings,
mostly made of woven palm-branches, smeared over with mud which had
dried in the sun. At this time it could not have been much less than
nine o'clock, and all was dark and silent. I went aimlessly here and
there, not knowing whither to direct my steps, until at last I caught
sight of a little twinkle of light, which I perceived came through a
crack of an ill-hung shutter. I went around to the front of the hut,
which seemed larger and better made than others I had seen. Above the
door hung an ill-made sign, and the moon shining full upon it, I could
plainly see a rude picture of a heart with a crown above it, and
underneath, written in great sprawling letters,--
"Le Coeur du Roy."
--From this I knew that it was an ordinary, at which I was greatly
rejoiced, and also what suited me very well was to find that it was
French, for I had no mind to fall in with English people just then, and
I knew enough of French to feel pretty easy with the lingo. So into the
place I stepped, as bold as brass, and ordered a glass of grog and
something to eat.
There were perhaps half a score of rough, ill-looking fellows gathered
around a dirty table playing at cards by the light from a flame of a bit
of rope's-end stuck in a calabash of grease. They laid down their cards
when I came in, and stared at me in a very forbidding fashion. However,
I paid no attention to them, but sat down at a table at some little
distance, and by-and-by the landlord, a little pot-bellied, red-faced
Frenchman, brought me a glass of hot rum and a dish of greasy stew
seasoned with garlic. He would have entered into talk with me, but I
soon gave him to understand that I had no appetite for conversation just
at this time; so after having made a bargain for lodgings during the
night, he withdrew to a bench in the farther corner of the room, where
I presently saw him fall asleep.
If I had hoped to escape from meeting my own countrymen, I soon
discovered that I was to be sadly disappointed, for before I had been in
the place a quarter of an hour I found that at least half the fellows
around the table were Englishmen. They were the most villanous,
evil-looking set of men that I had beheld in a long time, and I could
not but feel uneasy, for I had with me gold and silver money to the
value of between ten and eleven guineas, and by their muttering together
and looking in my direction now and then I knew that they were talking
concerning me.
Presently one of the fellows got up from the table and came over to the
place where I sat.
"Look 'ee, messmate," said he, seating himself upon the corner of the
table beside me; "be ye English, French, Dutch, Portuguese, or what?"
At first I was of a mind to deny being an Englishman, but on second
thoughts I perceived that it would be useless to do so, there being the
scum of so many peoples at that place that I could not hope to escape
exposure.
"Why, shipmate," said I, "I'm an Englishman."
"Where do ye hail from?" said he.
"Over yonder," said I, pointing in the direction of the _Lavinia_.
"Did ye come aboard of the craft that ran into the harbor to-day?"
I nodded my head.
"Did ye come ashore without leave?"
I nodded my head again.
The others had all laid down their cards and were looking at us by this
time, and I knew not what would have been the upshot of the matter had
not the door just then been flung open and a great rough fellow come
stumping into the place.
"Well," he bawled, in a loud, hoarse voice, "poor Ned is on his way to
h--l hot-foot to-night. I just came by his stew-hole over yonder.
Pah!"--here the fellow spat upon the floor--"he was screeching and
howling and yelling as though the d--l was basting him already."
"Who's with him now?" says one of the fellows at the table.
"Who's with him?" says the other, in a mightily contemptuous tone. "Why,
d'ye think that anybody would be such a ---- ---- fool as to stay with him
now, with nothing to be got for it but the black tongue and a cursing?"
"But what I say is this," said an ill-looking one-eyed fellow: "he's not
the man to serve his trade for all these here years and nothing to show
for it. It's all very well to say that Jack Mackra shot the hoops off
his luck; but you mark my words, he's got a cable out to windward
somewhere, and he ain't goin' to run on the lee shore with an empty
hold." I was so amazed to hear my own name spoken that I knew not at
first whether to believe that which mine ears had heard or whether they
had heard aright. Then it was as though a sudden light flashed upon me.
I needed not the next speech to tell me everything.
"Well," says one of the fellows, "even if so be as Ned England is going
to smell brimstone before this time to-morrow, I for one see no reason
to lose our game. Come along, Blake," he sang out to the fellow who had
been speaking to me, and who rejoined the others upon being bidden.
I was in a great ferment of spirits at all this, for I perceived very
clearly that England was mightily sick, and perhaps dying, with that
dangerous fever known as the "black tongue," from which it is a rare
thing for a man to recover with his life.
I observed that the fellow who had lately come into the ordinary did not
join in the game along with the rest, but sat looking on. By-and-by I
contrived to catch his eye as he glanced in my direction, whereupon I
beckoned to him, and he came over to the table where I sat. Only a few
words passed between us, and those in a very low tone.
"Is Ned England all alone?" said I.
"Yes," said he.
"Will you show me where he is?" said I.
He shot a quick look at me from under his brows. "How much will you
give?"
"A guinea" said I.
"I'll do it."
"When?"
"To-morrow morning."
That was all that passed, and then he moved away and joined the others
at the table.
The next morning I purchased a good large pistol from mine host, for I
saw that with such companions as I was like to fall in with I would need
some sort of weapon to protect myself. Having loaded it with a brace of
slugs, I thrust it in my belt, and then stepped out of the door, where
I found my acquaintance of the night before waiting for me.
"Are you ready?" said I.
"Yes," said he, "I am; but I must see the color of your money before I
go a single step."
"It is yellow," said I, and held the guinea out in the palm of my hand.
When he saw it his eyes shone like coals and his fingers began to
twitch. "Hand it over," says he, "and I'll take ye straight."
"No, no," said I; "avast there, shipmate. You get your money when I see
Captain Edward England, and not before."
"So be it," says he. "Lay your course straight ahead yonder, and I'll
follow after and tell you how to go."
I looked coolly into the fellow's face, and could not help grinning.
"Why," says I, "to tell the truth, shipmate" (here I drew my pistol out
of my belt and cocked it), "I have no appetite for a knife betwixt the
ribs; so you'll just march ahead, and if you try any of your tricks
I'll put a brace of bullets through your head as sure as you're alive."
The fellow looked at me for a while in a puzzled sort of way; then he
grinned, and swinging on his heel strode away, I following close behind
him with the pistol ready cocked in my hand. We went onward in this way
for about half a mile, until we came to a little hut that stood by
itself beyond the rest of the town. My guide stopped short about fifty
paces away from the hut. "There's where you'll find Ned England," said
he, "and I'll go no farther for ten guineas, for I've no notion of
catching the black tongue; and if you'll hearken to a bit of advice,
shipmate, you'll give it a wide berth yourself."
I felt assured the fellow was telling me the truth, so I paid him his
guinea, and then turned away and left him standing where he was, and as
I stopped in front of the hut and looked back I saw that the man was
yet standing in the very same spot, staring after me.
I may confess that I myself was somewhat overcome with fear of the
dreadful disease, wherefore I stood for a moment before I knocked upon
the door. But I presently rallied myself, calling to mind that this was
the only means of recovering the Rose of Paradise, even if it was at the
risk of my own life; therefore I knocked loudly on the door with the
butt of my pistol.
My guide, who stood still in the same place, called out to me that there
was no one to hear my knocking; so I pushed open the door and entered
the hut.
For a while I saw nothing, for it was very dark within. But I heard a
hoarse and chattering voice, scarce above a whisper, crying continually,
"Hard a-lee!--hard a-lee!--hard a-lee!"
Presently mine eyes became accustomed to the gloom, and I might see the
things around more clearly. There, in the corner of the room, lying
upon a mat of filthy rags, his body almost a skeleton, his bloodshot
eyes glaring out from under his matted hair, I beheld the famous pirate,
Captain Edward England.
[Illustration: THERE, IN THE CORNER, I BEHELD THE FAMOUS PIRATE, CAPTAIN
EDWARD ENGLAND.]
XVI.
I may truly say that when I saw the doleful state of the poor wretch,
and how he lay there without so much as a single soul to moisten his
lips or to give him a draught of cold water, I forgot mine own troubles
for the time being, and thought only of his pitiable condition.
I sometimes misdoubt whether I should have felt grieved for such a
wicked and bloody man, who had for years done nothing but commit the
most dreadful crimes, such as murther and piracy and the like, yet
seeing him thus prostrated, lying helpless, and deserted by all his
kind, I could not help my bowels being stirred by compassion; wherefore
I thought neither of the danger from his fever, nor of the many grievous
injuries which he had done, both to myself and to others, but only of
relieving his present distresses.
My first consideration was to make him more clean, wherefore I fetched
some water from a rivulet which I had noticed flow nigh to that place,
and washed his hands and face, and so much of his body as seemed to me
fitting. Then I gathered some fresh palm-leaves, and covered them over
with a bit of sail which I found rolled up in the back part of the hut,
and having thus made thereof a clean and comfortable bed, I carried the
poor wretch thither and laid him upon it.
As I had eaten nothing that morning, I went back into the town and
bought a lump of meat and some fresh fruit, and then back again to the
hut. I noticed here and there some that stood and looked after me,
though they said nothing to me, nor molested me in any manner. I
afterwards found that my guide had so spread the news of my going to
England's hut that many knew it, and accredited me with being a friend
of the pirate's, and even a partaker in his wicked and nefarious deeds.
Whether it was from this or from fear of contagion of the fever I know
not, but certain it is I was never once molested so long as I was upon
that island.
When I returned to the hut it seemed to me that the sick man had less
fever than when I left him, which perhaps happened from the refreshment
of the washing that I had given him, though it might have been that the
crisis of his distemper had arrived, and that his complaint had now
lessened in its intensity.
Some time after mid-day I was sitting beside the sick man, fanning both
him and myself, for though the nights were cool at this season of the
year, the middle of the day was both exceeding hot and sultry. He had
ceased in his incessant and continuous muttering and talking, and was
now lying quite silent, though breathing short and quick with the
fever. Suddenly he spoke. "Who are you?" said he, in a quick, sharp
voice.
I thought at first he was still rambling in his mind, but when I looked
at him I saw that his bloodshot eyes were fixed upon me. I placed my
hand upon his brow, and though still very hot, I fancied that the skin
was not so dry nor so hard as it had been.
"Who are you?" said he again in the same tone.
"There," said I, "lie still and rest. You have been mightily sick."
"Is it Jack Mackra?" said he.
"Yes," said I.
"And what do you do here?" said he.
"I am come to care for you just now," said I; "but now rest quietly, for
I will not answer one single question more, and that I promise you."
He did not seek to speak again, but lay quite still, as though
meditating; and presently, as I sat fanning him, I saw him close his
eyes, and after a while, by his deep and regular breathing, knew that he
was asleep, and that his fever had turned.
As I remember all the circumstances concerning these things, I think
that up to this time I had given little if any thought concerning the
treasure of which I had been in quest; but now, seeing the sick man
fairly asleep, and in what seemed to me a fair way to mend, my mind went
instantly back to it again, for I felt well assured that I should find
it or some signs of it about the place where I then was.
It is not needful to recount all the manner in which I prosecuted my
search for the gem, for not only did I examine every scrap of paper
about the place in hopes of finding some matter concerning it, but I
sounded the walls, and pierced wellnigh every inch of the dirt floor
with a sharpened stick of wood, but found not one single sign of it
anywhere. I even searched in the pockets of the breeches which the sick
man wore, and of his coat and waistcoat, which hung against the wall,
but discovered nothing to reward my search--all that I found there being
a book of needles and thread, a tailor's thimble, a great piece of
tobacco, such as seafaring men always carry with them, a ball of yarn
about half the bigness of an orange, and a hasp-knife.
I cannot tell the bitter disappointment that took possession of me when
my search proved to be of so little avail; for I had felt so sure of
finding the jewel or some traces of it, and had felt so sure of being
able to secure it again, that I could not bear to give up my search, but
continued it after every hope had expired.
When I was at last compelled to acknowledge to myself that I had failed,
I fell into a most unreasonable rage at the poor, helpless,
fever-stricken wretch, though I had but just now been doing all that lay
in my power to aid him and to help him in his trouble and his sickness.
"Why should I not leave him to rot where he is?" I cried, in my anger;
"why should I continue to succor one who has done so much to injure me,
and to rob me of all usefulness and honor in this world?" I ran out of
the cabin, and up and down, as one distracted, hardly knowing whither I
went. But by-and-by it was shown me what was right with more clearness,
and that I should not desert the poor and helpless wretch in his hour of
need: wherefore I went back to the hut and fell to work making a broth
for him against he should awake, for I saw that the fever was broken,
and that he was like to get well.
I did not give over my search for the stone in one day, nor two, nor
three, but continued it whenever the opportunity offered and the pirate
was asleep, but with as little success as at first, though I hunted
everywhere. As for Captain England himself, he began to mend from the
very day upon which I came, for he awoke from his first sleep with his
fever nigh gone, and all the madness cleared away from his head; but he
never once, for a long while, spoke of the strangeness of my caring for
him in his sickness, nor how I came to be there, nor of my reasons for
coming. Nevertheless, from where he lay he followed me with his eyes in
all my motions whenever I was moving about the hut.
One day, however, after I had been there a little over a week, against
which time he was able to lie in a rude hammock, which I had slung up in
front of the door, he asked me of a sudden if any of his cronies had
lent a hand at nursing him when he was sick, and I told him no.
"And how came you to undertake it?" says he.
"Why," said I, "I was here on business, and found you lying nigh dead in
this place."
He looked at me for a little while in a mightily strange way, and then
suddenly burst into a great loud laugh. After that he lay still for a
while, watching me, but presently he spoke again.
"And did you find it?" says he.
"Find what?" I asked, after a bit, for I was struck all aback by the
question, and could not at first find one word to say. But he only burst
out laughing again. "Why," says he, "you psalm-singing, Bible-reading,
straitlaced Puritan skippers are as keen as a sail-needle; you'll come
prying about in a man's house looking for what you would like to find,
and all under pretence of doing an act of humanity, but after all you
find an honest devil of a pirate is a match for you."
I made no answer to this, but my heart sank within me; for I perceived,
what I might have known before, that he had observed the object of my
coming thither.
He soon became strong enough to move about the place a little, and from
that time I noticed a great change in him, and that he seemed to regard
me in a very evil way. One evening when I came into the hut, after an
absence in the town, I saw that he had taken down one of his pistols
from the wall, and was loading it and picking the flint. He kept that
pistol by him for a couple of days, and was forever fingering it,
cocking it, and then lowering the hammer again.
I do not know why he did not shoot me through the brains at this time;
for I verily believe that he had it upon his mind to do so, and that
more than once. And now, in looking back upon the business, it appears
to me to be little less than a miracle that I came forth from this
adventure with my life. Yet had I certainly known that death was waiting
upon me, I doubt that I should have left that place; for in truth, now
that I had escaped from the _Lavinia_, as above narrated, I had nowhere
else to go, nor could I ever show my face in England or amongst my own
people again. Thus matters stood until one morning the whole business
came to an end so suddenly and so unexpectedly that for a long while I
felt as though all might be a dream, from which I should soon awake.
We were sitting together silently, he in a very moody and bitter humor.
He had his pistol lying across his knees, as he used to do at that time.
Suddenly he turned to me as though in a fit of rage. "Why do you stay
about this accursed fever hole?" cried he; "what do you want here, with
your saintly face and your godly airs?"
"I stay here," said I, bitterly, "because I have nowhere else to go."
"And what do you want?" said he.
"That you know," said I, "as well as I myself."
"And do you think," said he, "that I will give it to you?"
"No," said I, "that I do not."
"Look 'ee, Jack Mackra," said he, very slowly, "you are the only man
hereabouts who knows anything of that red pebble" (here he raised his
pistol and aimed it directly at my bosom); "why shouldn't I shoot you
down like a dog, and be done with you forever? I've shot many a better
man than you for less than this."
I felt every nerve thrill as I beheld the pistol set against my breast,
and his cruel, wicked eyes behind the barrel; but I steeled myself to
stand steadily and to face it.
"You may shoot if you choose, Edward England," said I, "for I have
nothing more to live for. I have lost my honor and all except my life
through you, and you might as well take that as the rest."
He withdrew the pistol, and sat regarding me for a while with a most
baleful look, and for a time I do believe that my life hung in the
balance with the weight of a feather to move it either way. Suddenly he
thrust his hand into his bosom and drew forth the ball of yarn which I
had observed amongst other things in his pocket. He flung it at me with
all his might, with a great cry as though of rage and of anguish. "Take
it," he roared, "and may the devil go with you! And now away from here,
and be quick about it, or I will put a bullet through your head even
yet."
I knew as quick as lightning what it was that was wrapped in the ball of
yarn, and leaping forward I snatched it up and ran as fast as I was able
away from that place. I heard another roar, and at the same time the
shot of a pistol and the whiz of a bullet, and my hat went spinning off
before me as though twitched from off my head. I did not tarry to pick
it up, but ran on without stopping: but even yet, to this day, I cannot
tell whether Edward England missed me through purpose or through the
trembling of weakness; for he was a dead-shot, and I myself once saw him
snap the stem of a wineglass with a pistol bullet at an ordinary in
Jamaica. As for me, the whole thing had happened so quickly and so
unexpectedly that I had no time either for joy or exultation, but
continued to run on bareheaded as though bereft of my wits; for I knew I
held in my hand not only the great ruby, but also my honor and all that
was dear to me in my life.
But although England had so freely given me the stone, I knew that I
must remain in that place no longer. I still had between five and six
guineas left of the money which I had brought ashore with me when I left
the _Lavinia_. With this I hired a French fisherman to transport me to
Madagascar, where I hoped to be able to work my passage either to Europe
or back to the East Indies.
As fortune would have it, we fell in with an English bark, the
_Kensington_, bound for Calcut, off the north coast of that land, and I
secured a berth aboard of her, shipping as an ordinary seaman; for I had
no mind to tell my name, and so be forced to disclose the secret of the
great treasure which I had with me. After arriving at Calcut I was
fortunate enough to be able to find a vessel ready to sail for Bombay,
whereon I secured a berth, and so arrived safe at that place about the
middle of March.
I had unrolled the ball of yarn and looked at the stone so soon as I had
been able to do so after getting it into my possession. Then, finding
that it was safe and unhurt, as I had seen it last, I had rolled it up
again, for I could perceive that there was no better hiding-place for it
than the one the cunning pirate had provided. So for all this last
voyage I had carried a fortune of three hundred and fifty thousand
pounds in my pocket, wrapped up in a ball of yarn.
* * * * *
It was early in the morning when we arrived at Bombay, and so soon as I
was able I disclosed my name and condition to the captain under whom I
had sailed, and contrived to impress him with the importance of my
commission, without disclosing anything to him in regard to the stone.
He was very complacent to me, and would have had me dress myself in a
more fitting manner, and in some of his own clothes, for I was clad no
better than the other seamen with whom I had consociated for all this
time; but I was too impatient to delay my going ashore for one moment
longer than was needful, so he kindly sent me off without any further
stay.
I went straight to the Residency, and though the attendants would have
stayed me, I so insisted, both with words and with force, that they were
constrained to show me directly into the presence of the Governor.
I found him seated with Mistress Pamela at breakfast, beneath the shade
of a wide veranda overlooking a beautiful and luxuriant garden. The
Governor arose as I came forward, looking very much surprised at my
boldness in so forcing my presence upon his privacy. As for Mistress
Pamela, I beheld her eyes grow wide and her face as white as marble, and
thereby knew that she had recognized me upon the instant.
I came direct to the table, and drawing forth the jewel, still wrapped
in the yarn (for my agitation had been so great that I had not thought
to unroll the covering from the stone), I laid it upon the table, with
my hands trembling as though with an ague.
"What does all this mean?" cried the Governor. "Who are you, and what do
you want?" For I was mightily changed in my appearance by the rough life
through which I had passed, and he did not recognize me.
But I only pointed to the ball of yarn. "Open it," I cried; "for God's
sake, open it!"
I saw a sudden light come into Mistress Pamela's eyes. She clasped her
hands, and repeated after me, "Open it, open it!" The Governor himself
seemed to be impressed by our emotion; for, instead of troubling himself
to unwind the yarn, he snatched up a bread-knife and cut through the
strands, so that they fell apart, and the jewel rolled out upon the
white linen table-cover.
The Governor gazed upon it as though thunderstruck. Presently he slowly
raised his eyes and looked at me. "What is this?" said he.
In the mean time I had somewhat recovered from my excessive emotion.
"Sir," said I, "it is the Rose of Paradise."
"And you?"
"I am Captain John Mackra."
The Governor grasped my hand, and shook it most warmly. "Sir," said he,
"Captain Mackra, I am vastly delighted to find you such a man as my
niece has always maintained you to be. The little rebel has led me a
most disturbed and disquieted life ever since I was constrained to order
you back to England under restraint. I now leave you a captive in her
hands, trusting to her to give you a famous dish of tea, whilst I go and
consign this great treasure to some place of safe-keeping. I shall soon
return, for I am most impatient to hear your narrative of those events
which led to the recovery of this stone."
So saying, he turned and left us, bearing the Rose of Paradise with him,
and I sat down to a dish of tea with Mistress Pamela.
When the Governor returned he had first to listen to other matters than
those concerning the Rose of Paradise; for, with his consent, Pamela
Boon had promised to be my wife.
THE END.
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