Black Bartlemy's Treasure Part 31

"And why not, in the Devil's name?"

"Because, Martin," says Adam, sitting at the table and beginning to set his papers in order, "because there's nought like liquor for putting the devil into a man, and of all liquor commend me to rum with a dash o' tobacco or gunpowder, d'ye see. We shall be heaving dead men overboard ere dawn, I judge, and all along of this same rum, Martin.

Black mutiny, murder and sudden death, shipmate, and more's the pity say I. But if Providence seeth fit why so be it."

"Providence!" quoth I, scowling down into his impa.s.sive face, "Dare ye talk of Providence? 'Twas you set this b.l.o.o.d.y business a-foot."

"Aye, Martin, it was!" says he nodding. "As to Providence--look'ee now, if you can ape Providence to your own ends, which is vengeance and b.l.o.o.d.y murder, I can do as much for mine, which is to save the lives of such as stand true to me and the ship--not to mention the women.

There's Tressady skulking below, and I have but contrived that the mutiny should come in my time rather than his and theirs. As it is, we are prepared, fifteen stout lads lie in the round-house below with musquetoon and fusee, and every gun and swivel that will bear (falconet and paterero) aimed to sweep the waist when they rush, as rush they will, Martin, when the drink hath maddened 'em properly--"

"And having maddened them with your h.e.l.lish decoctions you'll shoot the poor rogues down?"

"Aye, Martin, I will so, lest peradventure they shoot me. Then besides, shipmate, what o' the women? I have the Lady Joan and her maid to think on, 'twould be an ill fate theirs in the hands of yon filthy rabblement. Hark to 'em yonder, hark what they sing!"

For a while I could hear nought but a clamour of fierce shouts and hallooing, then, little by little, this wild, hoa.r.s.e tumult rose and swelled to a fierce chaunt:

"Some swam in rum to kingdom come, Full many a l.u.s.ty fellow.

And since they're sped, all stark and dead, They're flaming now in h.e.l.l O.

So cheerly O, Hey cheerly O, They're burning down in h.e.l.l O!"

"D'ye hear it, Martin, did ye hear it? Shoot the poor rogues d'ye say?

Sink me, but I will so if Fortune be so kind. Yonder's short shrift and quick dispatch for me, shipmate, and then--the women! Think of my Lady Joan writhing in their clutches. Hark'ee to the lewd rogues--'tis women now--hark to 'em!" And here again their vile song burst forth with much the same obscenity as I had once heard sung by Abnegation Mings in a wood, and the which I will not here transcribe.

"Well, shipmate," says Adam, glancing up from his papers, "last of all, there's yourself! Here's you with the rope in prospect unless you quit this ship, and yonder, Martin, yonder is the long-boat towing astern, all stored ready, a calm sea and a fair wind--"

"No more of that!" says I angrily.

"But will ye dangle in a noose, Martin, when you might be away in the long-boat as tows astern of us, and with a fair wind as I say and--"

"Have done!" says I clenching my fists.

"'Twill be the simplest thing in the world, Martin," he went on, leaning back in his chair and nodding up at me mighty pleasant, "aye, a very simple matter for you to drop down from the stern-gallery yonder d'ye see, and setting a course south-westerly you should make our island in four-and-twenty hours or less what with this wind and the sea so calm--"

"Never!" cried I in growing fury, "Come what will I stay aboard this ship until we reach our destination!"

"Hum!" says he, pinching his chin and eyeing me 'twixt narrowed lids, "Are ye still bent on nought but vengeance then? Why look'ee, Martin, 'tis none so far to seek, for seeing you may not reach the father why not smite him through the daughter? She'd make fine sport for our beastly crew--hark to 'em roaring! Sport for them and a mighty full vengeance for you--"

The table betwixt us hampered my blow and then, as I strove to come at him, I brought up with the muzzle of his pistol within a foot of my brow.

"Easy, shipmate, easy!" says he, leaning back in his chair but keeping me covered.

"d.a.m.ned rogue!" I panted.

"True!" he nodded, "True, Martin, vengeance is kin to roguery, d'ye see. If you're for murdering the father what's to hinder you from giving the proud daughter up to--steady, Martin, steady it is! Your sudden ways be apt to startle a timid man and my finger's on the trigger. Look'ee now, shipmate, if your scheme of fine-gentlemanly vengeance doth not permit of such methods towards a woman, what's to prevent you going on another track and carrying her with you, safe from all chance of brutality? There's stowage for her in the long-boat, which is a stout, roomy craft now towing astern, stored and victualled, a smooth sea, a fair wind--"

"Hark'ee, Adam Penfeather," says I, choking with pa.s.sion, "once and for all I bide on this ship until she brings up off Hispaniola."

"But then, Martin, she never will bring up off Hispaniola, not whiles I navigate her!"

"Ha!" I cried, "Doth my lady know of this? Doth Sir Rupert?"

"Not yet, Martin."

"Then, by Heaven, they shall learn this very hour!"

"I think not, Martin."

"And I swear they shall. Let them hang me an they will, but first they shall hear you intend to seize the ship to your own purposes--aye, by G.o.d, they shall know you for the pirate you are!"

Now as I turned and strode for the door, I heard the sudden sc.r.a.pe of Adam's chair behind me, and whirling about, saw his pistol a-swing above my head, felt the vicious, staggering blow, and reeling to the door, sank weakly to my knees, and thence seemed to plunge into a black immensity and knew no more.

CHAPTER XXII

TELLETH HOW WE WERE CAST ADRIFT

I awoke to a wind on my brow, very pleasant and sweet, and in my ears the soft and drowsy ripple of water right soothing to hear, and thus would have slumbered on but for another sound that broke out at intervals, a thunderous roar that seemed to shake me where I lay.

Therefore I opened my eyes to see above me a great mult.i.tude of stars, and lay staring up at them in vague and dreamy wonderment until, roused again by another thunderclap, I raised myself and saw I lay in the stern-sheets of a large, open boat that rocked to a gentle swell, and all about me a misty sea grey with the dawn. Now as I gazed around me, greatly troubled and amazed, I beheld, far away across these dim waters, a flash of red flame, and after some while heard again the thunder of a gun.

Little by little, as the light waxed, I made out the loom of two ships and, despite the distance, I knew the foremost for the "Faithful Friend." Ever and anon would come the faint crack of caliver or petronel from her high p.o.o.p, and the thunder of her stern-chase guns.

And with my mind's eyes I seemed to espy Adam firing from his loopholes to sweep the decks forward, the while G.o.dby and his few gunners served the great basilisks aft, aiming them at a tall, black ship that stood hard in their wake, yawing now and then to bring her fore-chase to bear on them in answer.

Suddenly up flamed the sun turning sea and sky to glory; but I crouched miserable in my helplessness, for now I saw the "Faithful Friend"

steered a course that was taking her rapidly away from me upon the freshening wind. Perceiving which bitter truth, beholding myself thus befooled, bubbled and tricked (and my head throbbing from the blow of Penfeather's pistol-b.u.t.t) a mighty anger against him surged within me, and shaking my fists I fell to fierce curses and revilings, like any madman, until what with my aching head and lack of breath, I cast myself face down and lay there spent with my futile ravings. Yet even so, bethinking me of all my fine schemes and purposes thus brought to nothingness and myself drifting impotent at the mercy of wind and wave, I sought to spit my puny anger against the G.o.d that made me, in blasphemies and bitter imprecations.

"O shame, shame on you, Martin Conisby! The G.o.d you rail upon is my G.o.d also. Have done, I say! Be silent, nor tempt His mercy with your childish clamours!"

Up-starting I turned and beheld the Lady Brandon upon her knees within a yard of me, saw her shrink before my gaze and the griping pa.s.sion of my hands; for now, reading in her look all her scorn and loathing for the thing I was, I must needs turn my fury upon her and did that the which shames me to this day, for even as she fronted me, all defenceless but with head erect and eyes unflinching despite the sick pallor of her cheeks, I seized her in cruel hold and, dragging her to me, bent her backward across a thwart.

"Ha!" I gasped, "Will ye dare cry shame on me? Will ye mock--will ye flout--will ye scorn me still--and you but a lying, thieving Brandon!

Would you trample me 'neath your proud feet--."

"All this!" says she, staring up into my eyes, "But I do pity you most for--what you are become. O--kill me if you will, 'twould be very easy for you and, mayhap, best for me, and I do not fear to die. So do as you will, Martin Conisby, I do not fear you since Death is my kind friend and shall free me of the shame of you if need be!"

Hereupon I loosed her and, crouched again in the stern-sheets, bowed my head upon my fists, whiles she, kneeling patiently beside the midship thwart, ordered her wrenched garments with shaking hands.

And, after some while, her voice with its sweet, vital ring, pierced to those black deeps where lay the soul of me:

"'Tis growing very rough. What must we do?"

Lifting my head, I saw that the sea was risen considerably, and the boat drifting broadside to the wind, so that the waves, taking us abeam, spilled aboard us ever and anon. So I arose and made shift to step the mast and hoist sail, nothing heeding her proffered aid; then shipping the tiller, I put our little vessel before the wind. And now, from a log pitching and rolling at mercy of the waves, this boat became, as it were, alive and purposeful, lifting to the seas with joyous motion, shaking the water from her bows in flashing brine that sparkled jewel-like in the early sun, her every timber thrilling to the buffets of the waters that rushed bubbling astern all rainbow-hued and with a sound like elfin laughter, until what with all this and the strong, sweet air, even I felt the joy of it; but though my black humour lifted somewhat, my shame was sore upon me, wherefore I kept my gaze for the peak of the sail, the cloudless heaven, the deep blue of the seas, and never so much as glanced at the patient, solitary figure amidships.

"Whither do we sail?" she questioned at last.

"What matter?" says I sullenly.

"Aye, true!" she sighed.