Freaks on the Fells: Three Months' Rustication Part 27

"I know that as well as you. I saw you sneak out just the day before we did. But you didn't escape me, ha! ha! You are too good to live, my man. Stand aside here till I call someone who's not quite so frightened. Here, hold him, one of you! Bring another!"

I started. My heart almost ceased to beat when the next man was led forward. He was my father's man-servant, Edwards. In the confusion and horror of that hour I could not reason; but a vague sense of some mysterious impossibility having actually taken place, oppressed me in a way that I cannot explain. The ship had sailed the day before ours did!

I left Edwards behind me in the race from home! How, then, did I see him before me? Then the cage of wild beasts. How was it possible that a vessel leaving an English port could have such creatures on board?

Then, my father's letter; it seemed more than ever mysterious how that letter could reach me, and through such a channel, and without a word of reference to Edwards.

He did not observe me as he pa.s.sed. I tried to utter his name; but my tongue was tied. I could not speak. I could not move.

"Where did you last sail from?" began the captain.

"You'll get nothing out of me," replied Edwards, stoutly. "Do your most. Torture me if you like. I defy you to your teeth."

"Do you, my fine fellow?" said the captain, with a bitter sneer. "Then I'll just send you overboard at once. I've no time to torture you; and as I shall find plenty of your comrades willing enough to tell me all they know, I'll not trouble you any further. Ho! run out the plank there!"

I knew what that meant, and a cold shiver pa.s.sed through my frame as the men obeyed, and blind-folded Edwards, preparatory to making him walk the plank. I could restrain myself no longer. Darting up to the captain, I shouted in a voice of indignation--

"Do you mean to murder an innocent man, you dastardly villain?"

He looked at me for a moment in surprise; then, s.n.a.t.c.hing a pistol, felled me with it to the deck. I was not rendered quite insensible. I heard the shriek of agony uttered by poor Edwards, as he fell off the end of the plank into the sea; then I fainted.

How long I lay, I know not; probably not long, for I was restored to a state of consciousness by being plunged into the sea. I had no doubt that the captain had ordered me to be thrown overboard, just after I fell under his brutal blow.

Being a good swimmer, I struck out at once and made for the side of the pirate vessel, where I caught the end of a rope, and soon clambered on board. I was much exhausted, and sat down on the breech of a carronade to rest and recover my stunned and scattered faculties.

The crew of the pirate were so busily engaged with the captured ship that I found myself quite alone on the deck. Not a man remained in the ship. An idea suddenly occurred to me just then. I glanced up at the sails. They were all flapping in the wind except the fore-topsail.

That sail had slewed round, and was drawing so that the vessel strained the ropes and grappling-irons that held her to the captured ship.

I sprang up burning with eager excitement. I heard the shrieks of the ill-fated victims, as one by one they walked the plank, which, fortunately for the success of my design, was thrust out on the other side of the ship. A crowbar enabled me to wrench off the grappling-irons. Two cuts of a large axe severed the cable that had been fastened to the bow, and the vessel's head fell slowly off. As it did so, all the sails filled with a sudden clap. This was observed: I heard a shout, and saw the pirates spring on the bulwarks of the prize.

I flew rather than ran to the stern, where the cable that held the vessel was rigid as a bar of iron. One blow cut it, and the rope recoiled violently in the faces of the men who laid hold of it. Next moment the pirate ship was heading away before a stiff breeze which was quickly freshening to a gale. As I sprang to the helm, a shower of musket and pistol bullets tore up the deck round me, and I heard the captain's voice give the order to load the guns.

It was a few minutes before the _vis inertiae_ of the ship was overcome, so that I was within close range when a whole broadside was fired at me.

But not a shot struck. They tore up the water all round, and ricochetted over me. Before they could reload I was almost beyond range, for the gale was freshening every moment, and the canvas spread was enough almost to tear the masts out of the ship. The water hissed as she flew over the heaving waves, and in a few minutes I felt that I was _free_.

Oh the feeling of wild delight that filled me when I realised this! I lashed the helm amidships, and ran down below to tell Jack what I had done. He was asleep. By a powerful effort I restrained myself, and did not disturb him. Then I rushed on deck. My brain seemed on fire. I shouted, laughed, and sang, and wept, until I began to feel a terrible sensation of dread lest I should go mad. But this, instead of calming me, caused me to dance and sing and shout the more. A burning thirst came upon me. I ran to the water-cask and drank till I could drink no more. I was refreshed; but soon the fever returned fiercer than ever.

I was mad! I knew it; I felt it; but I did not care. I saw that the storm increased; this caused me to shout again with joy at the thought that I was so quickly borne away from the scene of butchery, and from the fiends in human form with whom I had so lately a.s.sociated.

The gale burst in all its fury upon us. The sails were new and strong; the ship plunged into the waves, a green billow swept in-board and burst in fury on the deck, carrying away boats and loose spars. I yelled with delight, and plunged into the brine that lashed the deck from stem to stern. I heard a noise overhead; but was so confused that I could not understand what it was. As I gazed, there came a terrific blast. The mainsail split from top to bottom. The topsails burst and were blown to ribbons. At the same moment, I received a violent blow on the head.

After that, all was darkness and oblivion.

STORY TWO, CHAPTER 6.

When consciousness returned to me I found myself lying on my back on the deck of a vessel, surrounded and propped up by pillows; and Jack Brown sitting beside me reading a book.

I felt a curious sensation of weakness and emptiness in my head--as if it were hollow, and a strange disinclination, almost inability, to speak or think. Suddenly this pa.s.sed away, and the events which I have related in the previous chapters rushed back upon my memory with vivid power.

"It must have been a dream," I thought, "or I must have been ill and delirious, and these things have pa.s.sed through my fevered brain."

At that moment the thought of Jack's amputated leg came into my head.

"That will prove it," thought I, and turned quickly to look at my friend. One glance was sufficient--a wooden stump occupied the place of his right leg. I groaned aloud and burst into tears.

"Come, Bob," said Jack in a soft, kind tone, laying down his book and bending over me. "Come, my poor fellow, keep quiet. It's about time you had your dinner. Lie still and I'll fetch it to you."

I laid my hand on his arm and detained him. "Then it's all true," said I in a tone of the deepest despondency.

"Is what all true?"

"This--this horrible--your leg; your leg--"

Jack suddenly stooped and gazed earnestly into my face. "Do you know me, Bob?" He trembled as he spoke.

"Know you, Jack! why should I not know you? When did I ever forget you?"

"Thank G.o.d!" he exclaimed fervently, taking my hand and pressing it to his breast. "You're all right again. Oh, how I have longed and prayed for this."

"All right, Jack. Have I been wrong, then?"

"That you have just," said Jack, smiling sadly. "You've just been as mad as a March hare, that's all!"

I fell flat down and gazed at him. In a minute more I raised myself on one elbow, and, looking at him earnestly, said, "How long, Jack?"

"Just three weeks to-day."

I fell flat down again, in which position Jack left me to go and fetch me some dinner. He returned quickly with a plate of soup. Before commencing to eat it I pressed my hand on my forehead, and said--

"Jack, I am surrounded by mysteries. How got you so soon well? Where got you that wooden leg? How are we here alone? Where are we going?

Clear up my faculties, Jack, while I eat this soup--do, like a good fellow."

"I can easily do that, Bob. First, I got well because you took care of me."

"What! I?"

"Yes, you! At the commencement of your madness you tended me and cared for me as if you had been my mother. When you got to lose all 'method in your madness' I was well enough to take care of myself and you too.

Secondly, I found this wooden leg in the carpenter's berth, and gladly availed myself of its services, though it _is_ three inches too short, and causes me to hobble in a most undignified manner. Thirdly, we are here alone because there is no one else with us. You took good care of that by cutting the ropes before any of our crew could get aboard--so you told me just before you went mad."

"Oh! I remember now! I recollect it all. Go on."

"Fourthly, as to where we are going, I don't know. Our compa.s.s was smashed to pieces in the fight, and I've been running for the last three weeks right before the wind. So now you know all, and as you've finished your soup I'll go and get you a lump of boiled junk."

"Don't," said I, rising and shaking myself. "I've dined. I feel quite strong. I don't feel a bit as if I had been ill. Hallo! what land is that?"

Jack started and gazed at it with surprise. He had evidently not known that we were in the neighbourhood of land. A dense fog-bank had concealed it from us. Now that it cleared away it revealed to our gaze a stretch of yellow sand, backed by the lofty blue hills of the interior, and from the palm-trees that I could make out distinctly I judged that we must have been making for the tropical regions during the last three weeks.

Yet here again mystery surrounded me. How was it possible that we should have reached the tropics in so short a time? While I was puzzling over this question, the greatest mystery of all occurred to us.

If I were not conscientiously relating events exactly as they occurred, I should expect my readers to doubt my veracity here.

As we were sailing smoothly along, our ship, without any apparent cause, began to sink. She went down gradually, but quickly--inch by inch-- until the water was on a level with the decks. We struck no rock! we did not cease to advance towards the sh.o.r.e! I fancied that we must certainly have sprung a leak; but there had been no sound of a plank starting, and there was no noise of water rushing into the hold. I could not imagine what had occurred, but I had not much time for thought. We could do nothing to avert the catastrophe. It occurred so suddenly that we were both rendered mute and helpless. We stood gazing at the water as it crept over the deck without making the slightest effort to save ourselves.