CHAPTER XI
ADAM PENFEATHER, HIS NARRATIVE
"Mine is a strange, wild story, Martin, but needs must I tell it and infew words as may be. Fifteen years agone (or thereabouts) I became oneof that league known as the Brotherhood of the Coast and sworecomradeship with one Nicholas Frant, a Kent man, even as I. Now thoughI was full young and a cautious man, yet, having a natural hatred ofSpaniards and their ways, I wrought right well against them, and wasmighty diligent in many desperate affrays against their ships and alongthe Coast. 'Twas I (and my good comrade Nick Frant) with sixteen lustylads took sea in an open pinnace and captured the great treasuregalleon 'Dolores del Principe' off Carthagena, and what with all this,Martin, and my being blessed with some education and a gift of addingtwo and two together, I got me rapid advancement in the Brotherhooduntil--well, shipmate, I that am poor and solitary was once rich andwith nigh a thousand bully fellows at command. And then it was that Ifell in with that arch-devil, that master rogue whose deeds had longbeen a terror throughout the Main, a fellow more bloody than anySpaniard, more treacherous than any Portugal, and more cruel than anyIndian--Inca, Mosquito, Maya or Aztec, and this man an Englishman, andone of birth and breeding, who hid his identity under the name ofBartlemy. I met him first in Tortuga where we o' the Brotherhood lay,six stout ships and nigh four hundred men convened for an expeditionagainst Santa Catalina, and this for two reasons, first, because 'twasa notable rich city, and second, to rescue certain of the Brotherhoodthat lay there waiting to be burnt at the next auto-de-fe. Well,Martin, 'tis upon a certain evening that this Bartlemy comes aboard myship and with him his mate, by name Tressady. And never was greaterdifference than 'twixt these two, Tressady being a great, wild fellowwith a steel hook in place of his left hand, d'ye see, and Bartlemy aslender, dainty-seeming, fiendly-smiling gentleman, very nice as tospeech and deportment and clad in the latest mode, from curling periwigto jewelled shoe-buckles.
"'Captain Penfeather,' says he, 'Your most dutiful, humble--ha, let meparish but here is curst reek o' tar!' with which, Martin, he claps ajewelled pomander to the delicate nose of him. 'You've heard of me, Ithink, Captain,' says he, 'and of my ship, yonder, the "Ladies'Delight?"' I told him I had, Martin, bluntly and to the point, whereathe laughs and bows and forthwith proffers to aid us against SantaCatalina, the which I refused forthwith. But my council of captains,seeing his ship was larger than any we possessed and exceeding wellarmed and manned, overruled me, and the end of it was we sailed, sixships of the Brotherhood and this accursed pirate.
"Well, Martin, Santa Catalina fell according to my plans, and theGovernor and Council agreeing to pay ransom, I drew off my companies,and camped outside the walls of the town till they should collect themoney. Now the women of this place were exceeding comely, Martin, inespecial the Governor's lady, and upon the second night was suddenoutcry and uproar within the city, whereupon I marched into the placeforthwith and found this curst Bartlemy and his rogues, grownimpatient, were at their devil's work. Hastening to the Governor'shouse I found it gutted and him dragged from his bed and with the lifegashed out of him--aye, Martin, torn body and throat, d'ye see, as bythe fangs of some great beast! That was the first time I saw what asteel hook may do! As for this poor gentleman's lady, she was gone.Hereupon, we o' the Brotherhood fell upon these pirate rogues andfought them by light o' the blazing houses (for they had fired thecity), and I, thus espying the devil Bartlemy, met him point to point.He was very full o' rapier tricks, but so was I, Martin (also I wasyounger), and winged him sore and had surely ended him, but thatTressady and divers others got him away, and what with the dark nightand the woods that lie shorewards he, together with some few of hiscrew, got them back aboard his ship, the "Ladies' Delight," and soaway; but twelve of his rogues we took (beyond divers we slew in fight)and those twelve I saw hanged that same hour. A week later we sailedfor Tortuga with no less than ninety and one thousand pieces of eightfor our labour, but I and those with me never had the spending of asingle piece, Martin, for we ran into a storm such as I never saw thelike of even in those seas. Well, we ran afore it for three days andits fury nothing abating all this time I never quit the deck, but I hadbeen wounded, and on the third night, being fevered and outworn, turnedin below. I was awakened by Nick Frant roaring in my ear, for thetempest was very loud and fierce:
"'Adam!' cried he, 'We're lost, every soul and the good money! we'vestruck a reef, Adam, and 'tis the end and O the good money!' HereuponI climbed 'bove deck, the vessel on her beam ends and in desperateplight and nought to be seen i' the dark save the white spume as theseas broke over us. None the less I set the crew to cutting away hermasts and heaving the ordnance overboard (to lighten her thereby), butwhile this was doing comes a great wave roaring out of the dark anddashing aboard us whirled me up and away, and I, borne aloft on thatmighty, hissing sea, strove no more, doubting not my course was run.So, blinded, choking, I was borne aloft and then, Martin, found myselfadrift in water calm as any millpond--a small lagoon, and spyingthrough the dark a grove of palmetto trees presently managed to climbashore, more dead than alive; and, lying there, I prayed--a thing I hadnot done for many a year. As the dawn came I saw the great wave hadhurled me over the barrier reef into this small lagoon, and beyond thereef lay all that remained of my good ship. I was yet viewing thisdolorous sight (and much cast down for the loss of my companions, inespecial my sworn friend Nicholas Frant) when I heard a sound behind meand turning about, espied a woman, and in this woman's face (fairthough it was) I read horror and sadness beyond tears, and yet I knewher for the same had been wife to the murdered governor of SantaCatalina.
"'Go back!' says she in Spanish, pointing to the surf that thunderedbeyond the reef. 'Go back! Here is the devil--the sea hath moremercy--go back whiles ye may!' And now she checked all at once andfalls a-shivering, for a voice reached us, a man's voice a-singing fairto hear, and the song he sang was this,
'Hey cheerly O and cheerly O And cheerly come sing O! While at the mainyard to and fro--
and knowing this voice (to my cost) I looked around for some weapon,since I had none and was all but naked, and whipping up a jagged andserviceable stone, stood awaiting him with this in my fist. And downthe beach he comes, jocund and debonair in his finery, albeit somethingpale by reason of excess and my rapier work. And now I come to look atyou, Martin, he was just such another as you as to face and feature,though lacking your beef and bone. Now he beholding me where I stood,flourishes off his belaced hat and, making me a bow, comes on smiling.
"'Ah,' says he gaily, ''tis Captain Penfeather of the Brotherhood,a-collogueing with my latest wife! Is she not a pearl o' daintywoman-ware, Captain, a sweet and luscious piece, a passionate, proudbeauty worth the taming--ha, Captain? And she is tamed, see you. Toyour dainty knees, wench--down!' Now though he smiled yet and spakeher gentle, she, bowing proud head, sank to her knees, crouching on theground before him, while he looked down on her, the devil in his eyesand his jewelled fingers toying with the dagger in his girdle, astrange dagger with a hilt wrought very artificially in the shape of anaked woman--"
"How," says I, leaning across the table, "A woman, Penfeather?"
"Aye, shipmate! So I stood mighty alert, my eyes on this dagger, beingminded to whip it into his rogue's heart as chance might offer. 'Iwonder,' says he to this poor lady, 'I wonder how long I shall keepthee, madonna, a week--a month--a year? Venus knoweth, for you amuseme, sweet. Rise, rise, dear my lady, my Dolores of Joy, rise and aidme with thy counsel, for here hath this misfortunate clumsy Captainfool blundered into our amorous paradise, this tender Cyprian islesacred to our passion. Yet here is he profaning our joys with his basematerial presence. How then shall we rid ourselves of this offence?The knife--this lover o' men of mine? The bullet? Yet 'tis a poorsmall naked rogue and in two days cometh my 'Ladies' Delight' andTressady with his hook. See, my Dolores, for two days he shall be ourslave and thereafter, for thy joy, shall show thee how to die, mysweet--torn 'twixt p
imento trees or Tressady's hook--thou shalt choosethe manner of't. And now, unveil, unveil, my goddess of the isle--soshall--' Ha, Martin! My stone took him 'neath the ear, and as heswayed reeling to the blow, lithe and swift as any panther thistortured woman sprang, and I saw the flash of steel ere it was buriedin his breast. Even then he didn't fall, but, staggering to a pimentotree, leans him there and falls a-laughing, a strange, high-pitched,gasping laugh, and as he laughed thus, I saw the silver haft of thedagger that was a woman leap and quiver in his breast. Then, laughingyet, he, never heeding me, plucked and levelled sudden pistol, and whenthe smoke cleared the brave Spanish lady lay dead upon the sands.
"'A noble piece, Captain!' says he, gasping for breath, and then toher, 'Art gone, my goddess--I--follow thee!' And now he sinks to hisknees and begins to crawl where she lay, but getting no further thanher feet (by reason of his faintness) he clasps her feet and kissesthem, and laying his head upon them--closes his eyes. 'Penfeather!' hegroans, 'my treasure--hidden--dagger--'
"Then I came very hastily and raised his head (for I had oft heard talko' this treasure), and in that moment he died. So I left them lyingand coming to the seaboard sat there a great while watching the breako' the seas on what was left o' the wreck, yet seeing it not. I satthere till noon, Martin, until, driven by thirst and hunger and heat ofsun, I set off to seek their habitation, for by their looks I judgedthem well-fed and housed. But, and here was the marvel, Martin, seekhow I might I found no sign of any hut or shelter save that afforded bynature (as caves and trees), and was forced to satisfy my cravings withsuch fruits as flourished in profusion, for this island, Martin, is avery earthly paradise. That night, the moon being high and bright, Icame to that stretch of silver sand beside the lagoon where they laytogether rigid and pale and, though I had no other tool but his daggerand a piece o' driftwood, made shift to bury them 'neath the greatpimento tree that stood beside the rock, and both in the same grave.Which done, I betook me to a dry cave hard by a notable fall of waterthat plungeth into a lake, and there passed the night. Next day,having explored the island very thoroughly, and dined as best I mighton shell-fish that do abound, I sat me down where I might behold thesea and fell to viewing of this silver-hilted dagger."
"The which was shaped like to a woman!" says I.
"Aye, Martin. And now, bethinking me of Bartlemy's dying words anentthis same dagger, and of the tales I had heard full oft along the Mainregarding this same Bartlemy and his hidden treasure, I fell tohandling this dagger, turning and twisting it this way and that. Andsuddenly, shipmate, I felt the head turn upon the shoulders 'twixt theclasping hands; turn and turn until it came away and showed a cavity,and in this cavity a roll of parchment, and that parchment none otherthan this map with the cryptogram, the which I could make nought of.
"Now as I sat thus, studying this meaningless jumble of words, I of asudden espied a man below me on the reef, a wild, storm-tossed figure,his scanty clothing all shreds and tatters, and as he went seeking ofshell-fish that were plenteous enough, I knew him for my sworn comrade,Nick Frant. And then, Martin, I did strange thing, for blood-brothersthough we were, I made haste (and all of a tremble) to slip back thismap into its hiding-place, which done, I arose, hailing my comrade andwent to meet him joyously enough. And no two men in the world morerejoiced than we as we clasped hands and embraced each other as onlycomrades may. It seemed the hugeous sea that had caught me had caughthim likewise and hurled him, sore bruised, some mile to the south ofthe reef. So now I told him of the deaths of Bartlemy and the poorlady, yet Martin (and this was strange) I spoke nothing of knife ortreasure; I told him of the expectation I had of the pirate's shipreturn, and yet I never once spake o' the map and chart. And methinksthe secret cast a shadow betwixt us that grew ever deeper, for as thedays passed and no sail appeared, there came a strangeness, an unlovebetwixt us that grew until one day we fell to open quarrel, disputationand deadly strife, and the matter no more than a dead man's shirt (andthat ragged) that had come ashore. And we (being in rags and the sunscorching) each claimed this shirt, and from words came blows. He hadhis seaman's knife and I Bartlemy's accursed dagger, and so we foughtafter the manner of the buccaneers, his leg bound fast to mine, andMartin, though he was a great fellow and strong and wounded me sore, inthe end I got in a thrust under the armpit and he fell a-dying, and Iwith him. Then I (seeing death in his eyes, Martin) clasped him in myarms and kissed him and besought him not to die, whereat he smiled.'Adam!' says he, 'Why Adam, lad--' and so died.
"Then I took that accursed dagger, wet with my comrade's life-blood,and hurled it from me, and so with many tears and lamentations Ipresently buried poor Nick Frant in the sands, and lay there face downupon his grave wetting it with my tears and groaning there tillnightfall. But all next day, Martin (though my heart yearned to myslain friend) all next day I spent seeking and searching for the daggerhad killed him. And as the sun set, I found it. Thereafter I passedmy days (since the pirate ship came not, doubtless owing to the latetempest) studying the writing on the chart here, yet came no nearer asolution, though my imagination was inflamed by mention of diamonds,rubies and pearls, as ye may see written here for yourself. So thetime passed till one day at dawn I beheld a great ship, her mizzen andfore-topmasts gone, standing in for my island, and as she drew nearer,I knew her at last for that accursed pirate ship called "Ladies'Delight." Being come to anchor within some half-mile or so, I saw aboat put off for the reef, and lying well hid I watched this boat,steered by a knowing hand, pass through the reef by a narrow channeland so enter the lagoon. Now in this boat were six men and at therudder sat Tressady, and I saw his hook flash in the sun as he sprangashore. Having beached their boat, they fell to letting off theircalivers and pistols and hallooing:
"'Oho, Captain!' they roared, 'Bartlemy, ahoy!' And this outcrymaintained they for some while. But none appearing to answer, theyseemed to take counsel together, and thereafter set off three andthree, shouting as they went. And now it seemed they knew no more ofBartlemy's hiding-place than I, whereat I rejoiced greatly. So lay Iall that forenoon watching their motions and hearing their outcries nowhere, now there, until, marvelling at the absence of Bartlemy, they satdown all six upon the spit of sand whereby I lay hid and fell to eatingand drinking, talking the while, though too low for me to hear whatpassed. But all at once they seemed to fall to disputation, Tressadyand a small, dark fellow against the four, and thereafter to brawl andfight, though this was more butchery than fight, Martin, for Tressadyshoots down two ere they can rise, and leaping up falls on the othertwo with his hook! So with aid from the small, dark fellow they soonhave made an end o' their four companions, and leaving them lying, comeup the beach and sitting below the ledge of rock whereon I lay snughidden, fell to talk.
"'So, Ben, camarado mio, we be committed to it now! Since these fourbe dead and all men well-loved by Bartlemy, needs must Bartlemy follow'em!'
"'Aye!' says the man Ben, 'when we have found him. Though Bartlemy's afighting man!'
"'And being a man can die, Ben. And he once dead we stand hisheirs--you and I, Ben, I and you!'
"'Well and good!' says Ben. 'But for this treasure where lieth it, andfor that matter, Roger, where is Bartlemy?'
"'Both to find, Ben, so let us set about it forthwith.' The which theydid, Martin; for three days they sought the island over and I watching'em. On the third day, as they are sitting 'neath the great pimentotree I have mentioned (and I watching close by) Tressady sits up all atonce.
"'Ben!' says he, 'What be yon?' and he pointed to a mound of sand hardby.
"'Lord knoweth!' says Ben.
"'Yon's been digging!' says Tressady, 'and none so long since!'
"'Aye,' said Ben, 'and now what?'
"'Now,' says Tressady, 'let us dig likewise.'
"'Aye, but what with?' says Ben.
"'Our fingers!' says Tressady. So there and then they fell to digging,casting up the loose sand with their two hands, dog-fashion, and I,watching,
turned my head that I might not see.
"'Ha!' says Tressady, in a while, 'Here is foul reek, Ben, foul reek.'
"'Right curst!' says Ben, and then uttered a great, hoarse cry. And I,knowing what they had come upon, kept my face turned away. ''Tis she!'says Ben in a whisper.
"'Aye, and him!' says Tressady. 'Faugh! Man, 'tis ill thing but needsmust--his dagger, Ben, his dagger.'
"'Here's no dagger,' says Ben. 'Here's empty sheath but no steel in't!'
"''Tis fallen out!' says Tressady in a strangled voice. 'Seek, Ben,seek!' So despite the horror of the thing, they sought, Martin,violating death and careless of corruption they sought, and all thetime the thing they sought was quivering in this right hand.
"'Ben,' says Tressady, when they were done. 'Ben--how came hedead--how?'
"'Who shall say, Roger? Mayhap they did each other's business.'
"'Why then--where's the dagger o' the woman--the silver goddess--where?And how came they buried?'
"'Aye, there's the rub, Roger!'
"'Why,' says Tressady, 'look'ee, Ben, 'tis in my mind we're not aloneon this island--'
"'And who should be here, Roger?'
"'The man that slew our Captain!' Here there was silence awhile, thenthe man Ben arose and spat.
"'Faugh!' says he. 'Come away, Roger, ere I stifle--come, i' thedevil's name!' So they went and I, lying hid secure, watched them outof sight.
"Now when they were gone I took counsel with myself, for here were twodesperate, bloody rogues, very well armed, and here was I, a solitaryman with nought to my defence save for Nick's knife and thesilver-hilted dagger, which was heavy odds, Martin, as you'll agree.Now I have ever accounted myself a something timid man, wherefore incases of desperate need and danger I have been wont to rely on my witrather than weapons, on head rather than hands. So now as I lookedupon this cursed dagger wherewith I had slain my poor friend, beholdingthis evil silver woman whose smile seemed verily to allure men tostrife and bloodshed--the end of it was I stole from my lurking-placeand set the dagger amid the gnarled roots of the great pimento tree,where it might have slipped from dying fingers, and so got me back intohiding. And sure enough in a while comes the big man Tressadya-stealing furtive-fashion and falls to hunting both in the open graveand round about it but, finding nothing, steals him off again. Scarcewas he out of eye-shot, Martin, than cometh the little dark fellow Ben,who likewise fell to stealthy search, grubbing here and there on handsand knees, yet with none better fortune than his comrade. But of asudden he gives a spring and, stooping, stands erect with Bartlemy'sdagger in his hand. Now scarce had he found it than comes Tressadycreeping from where he had lain watching.
"'Ha, Ben!' says he jovially. 'How then, lad, how then? Hast foundwhat we sought? Here's luck, Ben, here's luck! Aye, by cock, 'tisyour fortune to find it and your fortune's my fortune, eh, Ben--usbeing comrades, Ben?'
"'Aye,' says Ben, turning the dagger this way and that.
"'Ha' ye come on the chart, Ben, ha' ye found the luck in't Ben?'
"'Stay, Roger, I've but just picked it up--'
"'And was coming to your comrade with it, eh, Ben--share and share--eh,Benno--Bennie?'
"'Aye,' says Ben, staring down at the thing, 'but 'twas me as found it,Roger!'
"'And what then, lad, what then?'
"'Why then, Roger, since I found it, 'tis mine,' says he gripping thedagger in quivering fist and glancing up sideways.
"'Hilt and blade, Ben!'
"'And the chart, Roger?'
"'Aye, and the chart, Ben!' says Tressady, coming a pace nearer, and Isaw his hook glitter.
"'And the treasure, Roger!' says Ben, making little passes in the airto see the blue gleam of the steel.
"'All yours, Ben all yours, and what's yours is mine, according tooath, Ben, to oath! But come, Ben, you hold the secret o' the treasurein your fist--the silver goddess. Come, the chart, lad, out wi' thechart and Bartlemy's jewels are ours--pearls, Ben--diamonds,rubies--aha, come, find the chart--let your comrade aid ye, lad--'
"'Stand back!' says Ben and whips a pistol from his belt. 'Look'ee,Roger, says he, 'I found the dagger without ye and I'll find thechart--stand back!'
"'Why here's ill manners to a comrade, Ben ill manners, sink me--but asye will. Only out wi' the chart and let's go seek the treasure, Ben.'
"'D'ye know the secret o' this thing, Roger?'
"'Not I, Ben!'
"'Why then must I break it asunder. Hand me yon piece o' of rock,'says Ben, pointing to a heavy stone that chanced to be near.
"'Stay, Ben lad, 'twere pity to crush the silver woman, but if youwill, you will Ben--take a hold!' So saying, Tressady picked up thestone, but, as his comrade reached to take it, let it fall, whereuponBen stooped for it and in that moment Tressady was on him. Andthen--ha, Martin, I heard the man Ben scream, and as he writhed, sawTressady's hook at work ... the man screamed but once ... and then,wiping the hook on his dead comrade's coat he took up the dagger andbegan to unscrew the head. But now, Martin, methought 'twas time forme to act if I meant to save my life, for I had nought but Nick Frant'sknife, while within Tressady's reach lay the dead man's pistols anddivers musquetoons and fusees on the beach behind him, which put me tono small panic lest he shoot me ere I could come at him with my knife.Thus, as I lay watching, I took counsel with myself how I might lurehim away from these firearms wherewith he might hunt me down anddestroy me at his ease; and the end of it was I started up all at onceand, leaning down towards him, shook the parchment in his face. 'Ha,Tressady!' says I, 'Is this the thing you've murdered your comradefor?' Now at this Tressady sprang back, to stare from me to the thingin my hand, Martin, and then--ha, then with a wild-beast roar he sprangstraight at me with his hook--even as I had judged he would. As forme, I turned and ran, making for a rocky ledge I knew, with Tressadypanting behind me, his hook ringing on the rocks as he scrambled inpursuit. So at last we reached the place I sought--a shelf of rock,the cliff on one side, Martin, and on the other a void with the seathundering far below--a narrow ledge where his great bulk hampered himand his strength availed little. And there we fought, his dagger andhook against my dead comrade's knife, and thus as he sprang I, fallingon my knee, smote up beneath raised arm, heard him roar and saw him gowhirling over and down and splash into the sea--"
"And he had the dagger with him, Adam!" says I in eager question.
"Aye, Martin, which was the end of an ill rogue and an evil thing."
"The end," says I, "the end, Adam? Why then--what o' this?"
So saying I whipped the strange dagger from my wallet and held ittowards him balanced upon my palm. Now, beholding this, Penfeather'seyes opened suddenly wide, then narrowed to slits as, viewing thisdeadly thing, he drew back and back, and so sat huddled in his chairutterly still, only I heard his breath hiss softly 'twixt clenchedteeth.
"Martin," says he in the same hushed voice, "when a man's dead he'sdead, and the dead can never come back, can they, shipmate?"
But now, as we sat thus, eyeing the evil thing on the table betwixt us,my answer died on my lips, for there came a sharp, quick rapping offingers on the lattice.