The Admirable Lady Biddy Fane Part 22

"She is gone!" I moaned; and then, striking my breast with my clenched fist, I muttered, "And thou, villain, must answer for her fate."

Then, hoping that she had but strolled a little way to find me, I rushed along the edge of the ravine to a rock that hung over the deep cleft.

From this point I could see down to the bottom of the gorge where the stream ran into the river. Just within this creek lay a boat, which only too clearly discovered the reason why Lady Biddy was no longer where I had left her.

At that very moment I heard her voice calling faintly as from a great distance--

"Benet, Benet!" Then there was silence while I looked in vain to see her down the ravine, doubting not that she was being carried away to the boat below.

"Benet!" she cried, yet a little louder, yet still faintly. "Benet!"

I felt sure that she saw me and was crying for help, and it maddened me that I could not see her. Nor could I guess from her voice in what part of the ravine she had been taken for the breaking of the waters and the echo of the rocks. But leaping to another rock and craning my neck over, I caught sight of two fellows, whom I knew for Rodrigues' rascals, rounding a bend of the gorge below. And one of them, facing about, lifts his finger warningly as if to signal those who followed that they should stifle Lady Biddy's cry for help.

CHAPTER XXIX.

I FIND MY LADY BIDDY, AND WE DESPOIL OUR ENEMIES; WITH OTHER FACETIOUS MATTER.

The moment I concluded that those wretches at the foot of the ravine were carrying off Lady Biddy I threw myself down the rocks to her rescue; and had the chances of breaking my neck thereby been a hundredfold as great I should not have hesitated. For I considered that it was by my fault she had been taken, and that therefore I owed my life for hers; indeed, I valued not my life as a straw, save as it might be of service to her, for what use was life to me without her? I might as well be dead and forgotten as alive and she lost; nay better, for to live bereft for ever of her, or in doubt as to her fate, would be continual misery and the cause of never-abating self-reproach.

With these thoughts running confusedly in my head and urging me to desperate leaps which I had never dared to attempt in cooler blood, I descended that rocky gorge like any bounding ball, till coming to level ground, I spied half a dozen fellows cl.u.s.tered together in the shadow of a rock round one who was slicing a pine-nut to share among them. But no Lady Biddy could I see; nor was there any sign of her between them and the boat which lay hard by in the creek, as I have said.

By this time, the heat of my spirits being somewhat abated I reasoned with myself that to attack those six men, unarmed as I was, would be a piece of foolhardy madness which could do her no good, nor me neither, except as the cutting of my throat would put me out of my present anxiety, and that if I was to rescue her at all it must be by cunning.

Whereof I set myself to approach them unseen, that I might learn, if possible, where they had bestowed their captive, and this I did without great difficulty, for hereabouts were many scattered stones and abundant growth of p.r.i.c.kly shrubs, ground-palms, and the like.

Being come so nigh them that I could hear their remarks upon the fruit they were eating, which seemed entirely to occupy their thoughts, I waited for the conversation to take another turn. Presently one of them, flinging himself on the ground, says:

"Well, mates, I take it we've done work enough for this bout, so here shall I lie at my ease till it be time to fill the barricoes and get back a ship-board."

"Ay, I'm with you there, Jack," says another, following his example.

The rest were not slow to lie down likewise, save one, who, scratching his head, says:

"How about this here female we are to carry back alive or dead?"

"Plague take her, say I, and the likes of her," grunted he who spoke first. "What do we want of females? She's brought us no luck, and I'd as soon see a rat in the ship."

"So say I," chimed in his mate. "The other fellows have gone after her, and let them catch her if they may. For my own part I wish her no worse luck than to give them leg-bail and lose herself in these woods. You don't catch me running after no females till I get back to Penzance."

Hearing this I was struck with amazement, and could not too much admire my folly in rushing headlong into danger without proper occasion. For now I readily perceived what was the fact, that Lady Biddy, awaking after my departure, had caught sight of the men at the foot of the gorge and taken measures to conceal herself from discovery should they ascend.

While thus hidden she had seen me come upon that point of rock, and to attract my attention, had called me by name as loud as she dared. My descent had been too furious for her to stop me by her further cries, which were lost upon my ear; and thus, in going to her, as I thought, had drawn myself away.

However, it was with a glad heart that I perceived my folly, and stealthily withdrew from those men whom a few minutes earlier I was like to have fallen among, and turned to follow the course of the torrent to the level above.

I made short work of this business when I was fairly out of sight of the seamen, and before long I again heard that sweet voice calling, "Benet, Benet!" upon which, casting my eyes eagerly about, I descried my dear Lady Biddy in a little natural cavern formed by two leaning rocks. She clasped her hands, and her face beamed with joy to see me again; but if she was pleased--lord! what was I? Then we sat down together and narrated our experiences, I blaming myself hugely for my headstrong conduct; yet still she smiled.

"Won't you be angry with me, Lady Biddy, for my rashness?" says I.

"Nay," says she; "you may blame yourself, but I cannot; for was it not to save me you encountered this danger? Since it has ended thus, I can but be pleased with this proof of your devotion. Yet, when I call again, I would not have you run away."

Then we were silent awhile; I know not why, except that I was too happy to speak.

But presently, reflecting on the dangers we had escaped, and considering how we might yet be encompa.s.sed by those who had given us chase on the sands--for, if one parcel of wretches came hither by accident, why might not the rest?--it came into my head that if we could descend and possess ourselves of the empty boat while the men were yet sleeping, we might come to the other side of the river, and so secure ourselves from pursuit. This scheme did so recommend itself to me that I at once propounded it to Lady Biddy.

"Have you not run enough risk, Benet?" she asked, a little frightened by the audacity of my design.

"Ay," says I; "and 'tis for that very reason I would put that broad river betwixt us and the recurrence of such risks."

"As you will," says she, with spirit. "If it ought to be done, you shall not find me wanting in courage."

I gave her my reasons for thinking it should be attempted, and she was the first to rise, saying, as she did so:

"I am ready. Let us set about it at once."

So, with good heart, we started to encounter this new peril.

First of all we followed the stream of waterfalls till we found a part where we could cross to the other side, and, getting over without great difficulty, we scaled the further slope, that from the ridge we might discover some other way of reaching the river-side than by the gorge.

And here we found the hillside clothed with a very dense wood, having but little undergrowth because of the shade. By running from tree to tree we managed very well to break the descent, and came at length into wet ground; but in these parts there is no danger or hardship in wetting the feet; so along this level we made our way till we came to a great growth of reeds that stood like a green wall before us. Here we went up a little, for the reeds betokened deeper water, besides being a harbor for c.o.c.kodrills and water-snakes; then, pushing on still further, we reached the end of that reedy growth, and perceived we were come to the creek where the stream discharged itself, and not a stone's throw from the boat. Whereupon I bade Lady Biddy wait there patiently awhile, and crept forward, under cover of the bush, until I caught sight of the seamen. They were all asleep like so many logs, and most of them on their faces, as is the manner of mariners when they slumber.

Coming from my cover I stepped into the stream, which spread out and was of considerable depth, and carefully waded to the boat, unhitched the head line from the bush to which it was attached, and letting it swing out into the current drew it as gently as might be to that spot where Lady Biddy was waiting in pale concern.

I beckoned to her, and she came boldly out and stepped noiselessly into the boat; then got I in after her, and, taking up an oar, shoved gently out over the shoal until I had depth and room to ply my oars. Still was I obliged to be stealthy, for we were yet within gunshot, and the fellows had their muskets with them; nor had they left a weapon in the boat save only one sword, which, however, was a treasure to me. So then I pulled for some while very gently, but getting a furlong from the sh.o.r.e I laid to with a will; and it was a great delight to see how Lady Biddy did smile and rub her hands together for glee.

Now, being out a good way, I saw that this was no river at all, so far as I could make out, but only a great lake of water made by the stream that rushed down the hills and flooded the valley in the rainy season.

There was no break in the chain of hills that environed us, and we were, as it seemed, in the centre of a prodigious hollow. And these slopes were all clothed with trees in bloom (the flowering season not yet being over), and wherever the eye rested it was delighted with glowing hues, brilliant where the sun fell, and delicate in the shade, so that looking around it was as if a thick haze of color rose from these woods.

"It is like a land of faerie," said Lady Biddy; and, indeed, it did seem like enchantment. Yet was I sorry this was not a river, but only a kind of lagoon; however, I knew it would cost our pursuers a week to get at us by going round the lake by those thick, tangled woods; nor could they fetch another boat to our pursuit without giving us ample time for escape.

As we neared the opposite sh.o.r.e the chain of mountains disappeared behind the nearer hills, which showed that they were at a considerable distance; but this gave me no great concern. Nor did I cast my eyes that way frequently, being more intent to see if the fellows had discovered the loss of their boat. We reached the sh.o.r.e, and yet I could see no sign of their moving, though I plainly descried the rock against which they lay.

We had fallen down a little towards the sea by reason of a current where the lake, as I call it, disembogued into the sea beyond the bar of sand, so that when we landed we perceived the black ship lying out at her moorings, but happily at a great distance.

I pulled the boat into the bank, which was here washed by the current free of the refuse that lay upon the other side, and having helped Lady Biddy to land, I fetched the sword out of the boat, and drawing it from its scabbard found it was as a good sword as any could wish to have, which was a great comfort to me.

While I was making fast the boat I was startled by a loud thump in the hinder part of it; but upon opening the locker to see what might have caused this noise, I discovered then to my great delight a _tortugua_[1]

lying on his back. Then, calling Lady Biddy, I bade her come and look at the supper our enemies had provided for us. At first she was frightened at the sight of this poor, inoffensive creature, never having seen the like before; but when I told her that it was excellent meat as any prince might eat, she was as pleased as I, being by this time pretty sharp set. Then, having both a mind to make our supper whilst we might, she set about to gather sticks for a fire while I dispatched the tortugua and cut some steaks ready for dressing with my sword-blade, for other cutlery had we none.

[Footnote 1: Turtle.--F. B.]

While I was still at this business, Lady Biddy comes back with her arms full of sticks, and very cheerful.

"But, Benet," says she, of a sudden, dropping the wood and turning aghast, "what is the use of wood with nothing to light it?"

So I showed her how to get fire by rubbing two bits of touchwood together, and to see us on our knees blowing the embers into a flame, choking as the smoke got into our throats, and laughing as we rubbed our smarting eyes, all as merry as grigs, one would have thought we had come there a pleasuring and had no trouble in the world. It is clear enough why I was happy, but I can only explain Lady Biddy's lightness of heart by contrasting her present condition with the days and nights of terror and bitter suffering that had gone before.