Overdue Part 2

"Well," exclaimed Chips doubtfully, "now that you comes to mention it, I admit that the gloom away down there do look a bit thicker than it do anywheres else; but I should never ha' noticed it if you hadn't drawed my attention to it. And, even now, I don't know as I should care to swear as to it bein' land."

"No," said I; "and neither should I, if I did not know it to be there.

But wait until the day breaks, and you will see that I am right."

"I don't doubt it, sir; I don't doubt it at all," answered Chips soothingly; "but it's a wonder to me how you've been able to find your way to it; for it's only a little bit of a rock after all--a hextinc'

volcano, I've heard some people say. How far d'ye reckon we are off from it, now, Mr Troubridge?"

"Probably about seventeen or eighteen miles," said I.

"Ah!" observed Chips. "Then we ought to be abreast of it soon a'ter breakfast." And therewith he fell into a reverie.

It was about an hour later that, preceded by a slight chilling of the air, the first faint pallor of dawn came filtering through the velvet darkness ahead, stealing imperceptibly higher and higher into the eastern sky, and causing the stars thereaway to dwindle and grow dim until, one after another, they vanished in the cold, colourless light that now stretched along the horizon beneath our jibboom-end, spreading right and left, even as one stood and watched it. Then a faint flush of palest primrose stole into the pallor, against which the horizon line ran black as ebony, with here and there a suspicion of a gleam coming and going between it and the ship, as the growing light fell upon the gently heaving swell. A moment later a great shaft of white light shot perpendicularly from the horizon far ahead toward the zenith, where the indigo was swiftly paling to purest ultramarine, the primrose hue became more p.r.o.nounced, and there, in the very midst of it, where the colour was strongest, rose a hummock of softest, most delicate and ethereal amethyst, clean-cut as a cameo, and shaped--as the carpenter had said-- like the back of a gigantic whale, with three well-marked protuberances growing out of it, while others showed just clear of the water, toward what might be supposed to be the tail end.

"There you are, Chips," I exclaimed in a fever of exultation; "there is the island--"

"Land ho! straight ahead," shouted the lookout at this moment, as he faced aft, pointing with his right hand over the bows.

"Ay, ay, Jimmy, my hearty, we sees it, plain enough," answered the carpenter. Then he turned to me and continued:

"Yes, sir; there it is, as you says. Ay, and it's Saint Paul, too; ne'er a doubt of it. I reckernizes them there hummicks a-stickin' up out of the back of it. And I reckon that it's just about fourteen mile away--which brings your calcilations right to a hapigraphy. Well, well, hedication's a most wonderful thing, and no mistake. The bosun and I might ha' searched for that there rock till all was blue, and never ha'

found it; but you comes along and gets aboard of us eight hunderd mile away, and--says you--'we'll sight Saint Paul as we runs down our eastin''; and, although we've been headin' all round the compa.s.s since then, there's the hiland, right enough, and just where you said it would be, ay, to the very hinch."

I was vastly tickled at the man's enthusiastic admiration of my little twopenny-halfpenny feat of navigation, and--secretly--very proud of it myself; but, of course, in reality it was an exceedingly commonplace exploit, which any other navigator worthy of being so-called could have accomplished without the slightest difficulty, the only essentials to success being good instruments, clear skies, and correct arithmetic, all of which I fortunately possessed. But I was nevertheless highly elated at my success, chiefly, I think, because, it being my first independent attempt to navigate a ship, I had demonstrated to myself my ability to do so.

The day now grew fast in the east; the primrose hue softened away, right and left, into a tint of warm grey with a faint suggestion of rose in it; the stars had all vanished save one solitary gem that hung low in the western sky like a silver lamp; the zenith was a rich, pure ultramarine, that was fast spreading toward the western horizon and chasing the last lingering shadow of night before it. Great spokes of radiant light were darting aloft from behind the island and touching into gold a few small, scattered flakes of fleecy cloud that floated high over our mastheads. Then, all in a moment, the small, faintly- gleaming bit of land ahead became transformed, as it might be with a magician's wand, into a block of deepest, richest purple, bristling with rays of burning gold, a throbbing rim of molten gold swept into view from behind it, and in an instant it vanished amid a blinding blaze of sunlight that flashed across the ocean toward us, transfiguring its erstwhile surface of ebony into a tremble of turquoise and gold, outlining every spar and sail and rope in the ship with thin, golden wires, and causing every bit of gla.s.s and polished metal-work to blaze and scintillate with golden fire. The watch appeared, yawning and stretching as they emerged from their hiding places, blinking like owls as they stared over the bows endeavouring to pick out from the dazzle ahead the shape of land that the lookout was pointing to; and the carpenter emerged from his reverie to shout:

"Rig the head-pump there, for'ard, and lay along with your buckets and brushes!"

At two bells in the forenoon watch, when I mounted the p.o.o.p after breakfast, we were square abreast and within a mile of the island, I having instructed the boatswain to pa.s.s as close to it as was prudent; for I had heard of shipwrecked people having found refuge there and on the neighbouring island of Amsterdam, and was desirous to see whether perchance there might be anyone there at the moment. But there was no one to be seen, at which I was not surprised, for our approach had been slow, affording ample opportunity to anyone on the island to observe it and make his presence known; yet no signal or sign of any kind indicating human occupation had been descried. True, as we drew nearer, a faint wreath of smoke here and there was occasionally seen; but our telescopes showed us that these issued from the soil itself, and not from fires kindled by human agency, being, no doubt, the result of volcanic action; also there were a few goats dotted about, browsing in groups of two or three; and their perfect placidity of demeanour was convincing evidence of the absence of man on the island. Having satisfied ourselves of the non-existence of human beings upon Saint Paul, I gave the order to bear away for Amsterdam, which lies due north and fifty miles distant from the smaller island, intending to subject it also to a similar inquisition. Five minutes later we were running off square before the flagging breeze, with the elusive, filmy shadow which was as much as we could see of the island at that distance, and under the existing atmospheric conditions hovering on the horizon over our figurehead.

I had just completed the making of a sketch of, and the jotting down of a few notes concerning, Saint Paul, which I thought might possibly be useful to me some time later on in life, when, somewhat to my surprise, the man Wilde, of whom I have already spoken, came up on to the p.o.o.p and informed me that he had somewhat to say to me if I could spare the time to listen to him. Imagining that he might have some fresh complaint to make regarding the food supplied to the emigrants, I closed my notebook, returned it to my pocket, and requested him to say on.

"Thank you!" he said. "The fact is, Mr Troubridge, that I come to you this morning as the representative and spokesman of all on board this ship, crew as well as pa.s.sengers; and it will perhaps simplify matters a great deal if I tell you at the outset that we are all absolutely of one mind regarding the matter which I have been deputed to lay before you."

"I understand," said I. "Pray proceed, Mr Wilde," for the man had paused, as though to afford me an opportunity to speak.

He bowed slightly in acknowledgment of my permission to continue, and resumed:

"When Polson, the boatswain of this ship, boarded the _Salamis_, he informed your captain that the _Mercury_ was bound from Liverpool to Sydney, New South Wales, and in a sense the statement was true, inasmuch as that when the ship sailed from Liverpool her captain had instructions to navigate her to Australia. But since then many things have happened, as you are aware. One very important happening, however, of which as yet you know nothing, is this: After most carefully weighing every point, for and against, we have arrived, with absolute unanimity, at the determination that, instead of continuing our voyage to Australia, we will proceed to the Pacific Ocean, where, on some suitable island--for which we will search until we find it--we will establish ourselves as a little community, to be governed upon the simple, old-fashioned, patriarchal system of perfect equality. And my object in explaining this scheme of ours to you is to request that you will have the goodness to change the course of the ship accordingly."

This extraordinary statement, with its concluding request, was made in so perfectly calm and matter-of-fact a manner, and in a tone of such absolute finality, that for a s.p.a.ce of several seconds I was rendered literally speechless with amazement. The colossal impudence and audacity of the proposal took my breath away. But I soon collected my scattered faculties, and forthwith proceeded vigorously to remonstrate with the visionary enthusiast who, I instantly recognised, must be the originator of the scheme.

"Sit down, Mr Wilde," said I, seating myself upon a hencoop, and signing to him to place himself beside me. "You have sprung upon me a matter that is not to be dealt with and dismissed in a breath; indeed, it involves so many momentous questions that I scarcely know where to begin. But, by way of a starter, let me ask you whether you are aware that you have no right whatever to make use of this ship for such a purpose as that which you have outlined to me? The contract of the owners was to convey you to Sydney, and land you there, and you can claim no more from them. In the next place--"

"Pardon me for interrupting you," broke in my companion with an indulgent smile and uplifted, protesting hand; "but I believe I know and could repeat to you every one of the somewhat musty arguments which are crowding each other upon the tip of your tongue; and it will perhaps save time--and possibly a certain amount of unpleasant friction--if I inform you at once--as indeed I have hinted to you already--that we have given them all our most careful and exhaustive consideration, and have quite settled among ourselves that none of them is anything like weighty enough to divert us from our purpose. We know, for example, that the appropriation of this ship and her cargo, in the carrying out of our plans, will involve a certain amount of hardship and loss to the owners; but no revolutionary scheme of any sort, great or small, was ever yet carried into effect without inflicting loss and hardship upon somebody.

It would pa.s.s the wit of man to devise one that did not, and we are therefore prepared to regard that phase of the question with perfect complacency."

"I wonder whether you understand that what you contemplate is called piracy, and is punishable with death?" said I.

"Of course we do, my dear young friend," answered Wilde with a smile.

"But perhaps I ought to have explained to you that the very root and foundation of our plan is to escape from man-made laws, which are compounded of tyranny and injustice of the grossest kind, and to revert to the old, simple, patriarchal, family idea--the idea of holding all things in common, of abolishing individualism and inequality of every description, and of submitting only to such simple laws as are manifestly for the benefit and advantage of all. Besides, who will there be to punish us for our so-called act of piracy?"

"You may rest a.s.sured," said I, "that there is no spot on this globe so remote, so hidden away, that a British cruiser will not find it sooner or later; and when she happens to visit your island--if ever you reach it--her captain will insist upon an explanation of how you come to be there, and, in short, of having your whole story told to him. And then, Mr Wilde, the days of the originator of this mad scheme will be numbered."

"My dear boy," said Wilde, laying his hand soothingly upon my arm, "'the originator of this mad scheme', as you are pleased to put it, is more than willing to take his chance of such a happening as you suggest; so we need not discuss that point any farther, but may pa.s.s on to the next.

The question now is: Will you, or will you not, help us to find the sort of island that we have in mind? No, no,"--as he saw that I was about to refuse hotly--"do not decide in the negative too hurriedly; take time to consider the matter, because it is a rather important one, both to you and to us. It is important to us, because, if you should decide in the negative, it will put us to all the trouble and inconvenience of finding another navigator; and it is important to you, because, if you should refuse, it will mean that, being opposed to us, you must be got rid of, for we will have no enemies, secret or open, among us; and I think that the best way to get rid of you, and at the same time to guard against the possibility of your doing us a bad turn in the future, will be to tie your hands and heels together, attach a good heavy weight to your neck, and drop you overboard sometime in the small hours when all the women and children are asleep, and cannot be shocked or distressed at the sight.

"You see, we have considered this matter so thoroughly, and have so completely made up our minds what we intend to do, that we cannot dream of allowing the qualms of conscience of a mere lad like yourself to stand in our way. If you had not been an expert navigator it would have been a different affair altogether. We should have said nothing to you, but should have put you ash.o.r.e on one of these islands, had we chanced to find them, or have exchanged you with some ship for a better navigator; but you have proved your ability, and now you must either throw in your lot with us, or--accept the alternative. Think it over, my dear boy, and let me know your decision when you have fully made up your mind. You will be able to do this all the more easily since, as 'the originator of this mad scheme', and the accepted leader of all on board, it is my intention to take up my quarters in the cabin for the remainder of our voyage."

So saying, Wilde rose and, bestowing upon me a friendly smile, made his way down the p.o.o.p ladder to the main deck; and a few minutes later I saw the stewards helping him to transfer his belongings from the steerage to the cabin.

CHAPTER FOUR.

WILDE EXPLAINS.

The boatswain, whose watch it now was, and who had been making a pretence of superintending some job on the forecastle while Wilde was talking to me, presently slouched along the deck and came up on to the p.o.o.p. Arrived at the head of the weather p.o.o.p ladder, he paused and, facing forward, appeared to be regarding the set of the canvas attentively. Then, with a very sheepish air, he joined me and took the seat which Wilde had not long vacated. I saw that the fellow was dying of curiosity to learn what had pa.s.sed between the ex-schoolmaster and myself, but was determined not to help him by opening the conversation; the result being a long--and apparently on the part of the boatswain an embarra.s.sing pause. However, at length he broke ground by remarking with a conciliating smile:

"So I sees you've been havin' a yarn with Mr Wilde, eh, Mr Troubridge?

Have he told ye, sir, of the plan that we've made up among us for startin' a new country?"

"He has told me--to my intense astonishment--that I have become shipmates with a round hundred or so of consummate idiots--leaving the women and children out of the question," I answered sharply.

"A-ah!" returned the boatswain, with a sorrowful shake of the head. "I felt, somehow, as you wouldn't see the thing as we sees it. All the same, sir, I hopes--yes, I most fervently hopes--as he've been able to persuade ye to jine in with us."

"He tells me that if I refuse to do so I am to be lashed up, neck and heels, and hove overboard with a sinker attached to my neck some fine night when the women and children are all below. Do you approve of that arrangement, Polson?" I demanded.

"Well--no--I can't say as I do; not altogether," answered the boatswain, fidgeting uneasily where he sat. "But I hopes it won't come to that, Mr Troubridge. I don't hold with forcin' anybody to do what they don't want to do; but I don't see as it'd do you no very serious harm for to agree to navigate this here ship to the spot where we wants her took to; and that's all as you're to be asked to do."

"And if I should choose to refuse, I suppose you would stand by and see me drowned, if indeed you did not lend a hand to lash me up?" I asked, infusing all the sarcasm I could into the question.

"No, no, Mr Troubridge!" exclaimed Polson, justly indignant that I should bring such a monstrous charge against him. "I wouldn't lift a finger to hurt ye, sir--I shouldn't have no need to, for there's lots o'

chaps among them emigrants ready enough to do any mortal thing that Mr Wilde tells 'em to. I should just go below and have nothin' to do with the job."

"By which simple means you would secure the acquittal of the thing you call your conscience against the charge of murdering me!" I e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed scornfully. "Do you know, Polson, that the man who consents to a murder is every whit as guilty as he who actually does the deed?"

"Well, I dunno," answered Polson; "I don't see how that can be, Mr Troubridge. If another man chooses to murder ye, what's that got to do wi' me? Besides, what can we do? All hands of us has already signed a paper agreein' to obey Mr Wilde's orders."

"Tut!" I exclaimed impatiently. "Do you seriously wish me to believe, Polson, that you are such an utter fool that you are unable to discriminate between right and wrong? With one breath you give me to understand that you would have no conscientious objection to permitting a man to murder me; and with the next you intimate that having, as I understand it, blindly pledged yourself to obey all Wilde's orders-- whatever their nature may be--your conscience will not permit you to break your pledge! Let me tell you, man, that such a pledge as that is in nowise binding, and the law will hold you blameless if you choose to break it."

"Ay--yes--the law!" retorted the boatswain, spitting over the rail, the more strongly to mark his contempt of that system which was once tersely denounced as being "a ha.s.s". "I don't take no account of the law, Mr Troubridge. Mr Wilde have showed us that the law ain't justice. It have been made by rich men to grind down the poor, and keep 'em down; and there ain't goin' to be no law in this here new country what we're goin' to make. Everybody's goin' to be just as good as everybody else, and is goin' to do just what he jolly well likes."

"Just so!" I said. "I have heard that yarn before, and if I knew of a country where such a state of things existed I would take precious good care to steer clear of it. Can't you picture to yourself the joy of living in a place where, if a stronger man than you happened to take a fancy to your clothes, or your house, or anything else that belonged to you, he could compel you to give them up, and n.o.body would interfere to say him nay. That is the kind of thing that is to be expected in a country where there are no laws, and where everybody is at liberty to do 'just what he jolly well likes'. I am astonished to hear you talking such utter tomfoolery; I set you down as having more common sense!"

The poor man stared at me in silence, agape with perplexity.

"Well, I'll be jiggered!" he exclaimed at last, thumping the hencoop with his fist in his bewilderment; "what's a man to do? Here's that chap Wilde--a man of eddication, mind ye, Mr Troubridge--comes along and spins us a yarn of how we poor sailormen are ill-treated and kep'