CHAPTER XXIX
AUSTIN IS MISSING
It was a fine morning, and the signal, "Steamer approaching from theSouth," was flying from the staff high up on the Isleta hill, whenPancho Brown's boat lay heaving on the smooth swell at the entrance toLas Palmas harbour. Mrs. Hatherly, Jacinta, and Muriel sat in thestern-sheets, and beyond them two barefooted Canarios were resting ontheir oars, while two or three miles away a smear of smoke that half hida streak of dusky hull moved towards them across the shining sea. Brownwas watching it attentively with a pair of marine glasses in his hand.
"You have brought me off several times for nothing, but I almost thinkour friends have turned up at last," he said. "Of course, fromLieutenant Onslow's cable she should have been here several days ago,but it's very likely the engines would give them trouble. Any way, we'llknow in ten minutes or so. There's the _Sanidad_ going off."
A launch crept out from the mole, and behind her in the harbour boatswere being got afloat. Coaling clerks, tobacco and wine merchants, and amiscellaneous crowd of petty dealers, were waiting to step on board, buttwo, at least, of Pancho Brown's party had no eyes for them. They werewatching the incoming steamer rise higher out of the shining sea, andwondering if she was the one they had for the last few days looked forwith tense anxiety. They had Onslow's cable from Sierra Leone, and theskipper of a big tramp which had come in for coals reported that a smallBritish steamer had asked him for the latitude and longitude a weekbefore. Nothing, however, had since been heard of her, and Jacinta hadfound the last three or four days as trying as Muriel did. The latterhad, however, borne the suspense bravely, and displayed a sublimeconfidence in her lover which Jacinta, for no very obvious reason, foundalmost exasperating at times.
"Can't we go out a little?" she said at last.
Brown made a sign to the Canarios, who dipped the oars, and as they slidpast the _Carsegarry_, which lay with steam blowing off, and a waterbarge alongside, Captain Farquhar leaned over her rails. He had come infor coal on his way to Liverpool the previous day, and had spent part ofthe night with Brown.
"I really think that is the _Cumbria_," he said. "Any way, she's muchthe kind of boat Jefferson described to me, and so far as I can make outthey have a big boiler on deck. I suppose you are going off to her?"
Brown said they were, and Farquhar glanced at the boat hesitatingly."I'd very much like to come with you, but I can't leave just now," hesaid. "Still, we won't have filled our tanks up for an hour or two, andyou might tell Mr. Austin that I certainly expect him to pull across andsee me. In fact, although we have steam up, I'll wait until he does."
Brown made a sign of comprehension, and the boat slid away, while whenshe stopped again outside the harbour the eyes of all on board her werefixed upon the steamer. She had also stopped, and lay rolling wildly,with the yellow flag at her foremast-head and the _Sanidad_ launchalongside her; but in another minute or two the flag came flutteringdown, and she moved on again towards the harbour. Brown signed to theoarsmen to turn the boat's head.
"There's no doubt that she's the _Cumbria_, and they can't have hadanything very bad on board," he said.
In another five minutes the _Cumbria_ crept up with them, rollingwickedly, with the big pump thudding on her deck, and a stream of waterspouting from her side. Rags of awnings fluttered about her, her funnelwas white with salt crust, for the trade-wind blows strong at thatseason, and the blistered paint had peeled from her corroded sides. Herstory was written upon her so that even the girls could read, and bothfelt that no plainer testimony was needed to the courage of the men whohad brought her home. Then they saw them, Jefferson leaning out, gauntand blanched in face, from the bridge rails, and Austin standing amidsta group of haggard men on the forecastle. Jacinta's heart was beating agood deal faster than usual, and she saw the sudden tears rise to hercompanion's eyes; but as the long, rusty hull forged past them Austinmade no sign. He stood looking straight in front of him, until he turnedto the men about him who were busy with the anchor.
"He can't have seen us," said Muriel, with astonishment in her tone, andthen touched Brown's arm. "Tell them to row their hardest, please."
The Canarios bent their backs and the boat swept forward, for thesteamer had already passed ahead of them. Jacinta sat unusually still,watching her, sensible at once of a vague dismay and a thrill of pride.She had understanding as well as imagination, and the sight of thatrusty vessel and the worn faces of the men upon her deck had stirred hercuriously. It was, she felt, a notable thing they had done, and she was,she knew, responsible for the part one of them had played in it. He hadcome home with credit, a man who had done something worth while, andhad doubtless learned his strength. She could not fancy him fritteringhis life away after that; but still she was perplexed, and a trifleanxious, for it seemed that he must have seen them, and he had made nosign. She had, on her part, twice passed him without recognition in thePlaza at Santa Cruz, and her heart smote her as she remembered it; buthe was not a vindictive man, and must by that time have realised themisapprehension she had been under concerning him. For that, at least,she would ask his forgiveness in another few minutes, and her faceburned as she wondered what he would say to her.
Then she saw the white wash of the _Cumbria_'s propeller as it whirledastern, and there was a roar of running chain, while two or threeminutes later they were making their way up the lowered ladder amidst acrowd of petty dealers when Jefferson came across the deck, driving thelatter aside. Jacinta saw that it cost Muriel an effort to hide herconsternation at his appearance, but in another moment she was smilingat him with shining eyes, and the haggard man's arms were about her.That the deck was crowded with Spaniards did not seem in the least tomatter to either of them. Jacinta, who would not have done as much, felta little thrill of sympathy, and, it was significant, looked round forAustin. There was, however, no sign of him.
Then Jefferson, still holding Muriel's arm, drew them out of the press,and there was a general offering of congratulations and grasping ofhands.
"I am," he said, "uncommonly glad to be back again, though I'm not surewe'd have ever got here except for Austin. I have only been on my feetthe last day or two, and he did everything."
"Where is he?" said Muriel, seeing that Jacinta would not ask.
"Across at the _Carsegarry_. At least, he told me he was going when herecognised her."
"Without coming to shake hands with us?" said Muriel, who flashed acovert glance at Jacinta.
"I understand from one of these fellows that Farquhar is just going tosea, and it's very probable that Austin heard it, too. I have no doubthe'll be back again in five minutes."
"You will come ashore with us, and we will expect you and Mr. Austin tomake my house your home in the meanwhile," said Brown.
"I shall be very glad," said Jefferson. "You will, however, have toexcuse me for an hour or two. I have our Consul to see, and a good manythings to do before I can call my time my own. I wonder if you could getme a tartana?"
"Mine is waiting at the Mole," said Brown.
It was an hour later when they took their places in the vehicle, butthough Brown bade the driver wait a minute or two, there was noappearance of Austin. Just then the _Carsegarry_ crept down the harbour,and with a sonorous blast of her whistle steamed out to sea.
"There is no boat coming. He must have landed on the other mole, and,perhaps, met somebody he couldn't get away from," said Brown. "I'llleave word that we are expecting him, and no doubt he'll turn up soonafter we get home."
They drove away, and that afternoon sat together in Brown's cool patio.The noise of the bustling city was deadened by the tall white walls,over which there shone a square of cloudless blue, and the scent offlowers was heavy in the shadowy space below. Jefferson lay, attiredbecomingly once more, in a big cane chair, with a little smile ofcontent in his hollow face, and a pile of fruit, and a flask of wine,on the table in front of him. The others sat about him, and a fountainsplashed behind them in the shadow.
"A very l
ittle of this will make me well," he said. "In fact, it isalready a trifle difficult to believe that I could scarcely lift myselfin my berth a few days ago. I think it was the sight of Gomera thatcured me. You see, I was a little doubtful about Austin finding theCanaries, and when they came to tell me they could see the Peak,Wall-eye, who was watching me, ran out."
"What was he watching you for?" asked Muriel.
"To see I didn't get up. I had my chance then, and I crawled out of myberth. I believe I fell over several things before I got out on deck,and then I knew we were all right at last. There was the Peak--high upin the sky in front of us, with Gomera a blue smudge low down at itsfeet. We ran in under the lee, and, because they were played out, andTom had trouble with his engines, stayed there three days."
He stopped a moment, with a little laugh. "I think Austin was 'mostastonished as I was to find he'd brought her home. He'd been runningfour or five days on dead reckoning, and wasn't much more than a hundredmiles out."
"I wonder where he is," said Brown.
Jefferson looked a trifle perplexed, and it was evident that others ofthe party had asked themselves the same question, for there was amoment's silence until Muriel spoke.
"If he doesn't come soon I shall feel very vexed with him; but we wantto hear how you got the steamer off," she said.
Jefferson commenced his tale diffidently, but, because Austin had workedin the sombre background--more effectively than he could doalready--the rest listened with full comprehension. His unvarnishednarrative was, however, striking enough, and, save for the splashing ofthe fountain, and his low voice, there was a suggestive silence in thepatio, until he stopped abruptly when he came to the scene in whichAustin pleaded for the negro.
"The man wasn't fit to look at," he said.
"But why did Mr. Austin go near him?" asked Muriel, with a littleshiver.
"To save his life," said Jefferson, awkwardly. "You see, we couldn'thave him there--and he really wasn't a man then. The thing he had webelieved contagious, and somebody had to put him into his canoe."
Muriel gazed at him with an expression of perplexity, and it was clearthat she did not quite understand what had taken place on the night inquestion, which was, however, not astonishing. Brown appeared a trifleuncomfortable, and Jefferson was sincerely thankful when Jacinta brokein.
"Of course," she said. "He couldn't have stayed there. Mr. Austin puthim into his canoe?" She stopped for a moment, and her voice seemed tochange a trifle. "Did he find it necessary to touch him?"
"He did. In fact, the nigger got hold of him. One of them slipped on thebridge deck ladder and they rolled down it together."
Again there was silence, and all of them looked at Jefferson, who sawthe question in Jacinta's eyes.
"No," he said. "Nothing came of it, though for a week or so I washorribly afraid. It isn't men like Austin who take that kind of thing,and it's possible it mayn't have been infectious, after all."
Muriel heard Jacinta softly draw in her breath, as though she had beenunder a strain which had suddenly relaxed. Then a little colour creptinto her face and a sparkle into her eyes.
"Yes," said Jefferson, though nobody had spoken, "it was a daring thing.More, in fact, than I would have done. My partner has the cleanest kindof real hard sand in him."
He turned to Muriel with a little deprecatory gesture. "I had more atstake than he had--and I was afraid that night."
Jacinta sat still a while, a trifle flushed in face, for the sceneJefferson had very vaguely pictured had stirred her to the depths. Theman whom she had sent forth had done more than she would ever have askedof him, and the gallantry of the action brought a dimness to her eyes.Then she remembered that it was not done recklessly, for he had, itseemed, decided calmly, which must have made it inexpressibly harder.There were, she could imagine, circumstances in which a man might moreor less willingly risk his life, but the risk Austin had taken washorrible, and he stood to gain nothing when he quietly recognised theresponsibility he had taken upon himself. It was with an overwhelmingsense of confusion she remembered the jibes she had flung at himconcerning his discretion, and yet under it there was still the sense ofpride. After all, it was to please her he had gone to Africa.
"Well," said Jefferson quietly, "you are pleased with him?"
Jacinta met his gaze unwaveringly, and her voice had a little thrill init.
"Does it matter in the least whether I am pleased or not?" she said."Still, since you ask, I scarcely think I have heard of anything thatwould surpass what he did that night."
Jefferson made her a little inclination. "I am," he said gravely, "notsure that I have, either."
He went on with his story, but Jacinta scarcely listened to it, for shewas wondering why Austin had not come, and waiting expectantly for thetime when she could, in self-abasement, endeavour to wipe what she hadsaid from his memory. Still, he did not come, and it was half an hourlater when a barefooted boatman was shown into the patio. He had anenvelope in his hand, and turned to Brown.
"The Englishman who was in the _Estremedura_ gave me this on board the_Carsegarry_," he said. "I am sorry I could not bring it before, butseveral steamers I had to go to came in, and then it was some timebefore I found out that the SeA+-or Jefferson had gone home with you."
When he went away Brown handed Jefferson the note, while the latter, whoopened it, straightened himself suddenly and seemed to be strugglingwith some emotion. Then he passed it to Jacinta.
"You have good nerves, Miss Brown," he said. "If I had known it wouldcome to this, I think I would have left the _Cumbria_ there."
Jacinta took the letter in a steady hand, but her face grew a trifleblanched as she read.
"I am going home with Farquhar," the message ran. "I could hardly go ina passenger boat, and he is fixing me up a room by myself. I didn't careto tell you when you were just shaking off the fever, but one of my armsfeels very much as that engineer said his did. I am going to see if oneof the big specialists or the Tropical Disease men can do anything forme."
Jacinta sat quite still a minute, and then slowly rose.
"It is horrible, but I suppose even a purpose of the kind he had doesnot exempt one from the consequences," she said. "There are things toattend to. You will excuse me just now."
They looked at one another when she left them, and then Brown turned toJefferson.
"I wonder if you have any objections to showing me that note?" he said.
"It doesn't seem to be here," said Muriel. "What can she have done withit?"
"Don't worry about looking," said Jefferson sharply. "I can remember it.It has, in fact, shaken a good deal of the stiffness out of me."
Muriel gasped with consternation when he told them, and by and by thegroup broke up, while it was a somewhat silent party that assembled forcomida an hour later. Jacinta, it was evident, had very little appetite,though she contrived to join in the somewhat pointless conversation, andit was not until late that night Brown came upon her alone on the flatroof. She was leaning on the parapet, and looking out across the sea,but her eyes were turned northwards now, and she did not hear him untilhe gently laid a hand upon her shoulder. Then she turned and looked athim with despair in her face. She had not expected him, or he would nothave seen it, though there was clear moonlight above them.
Brown sat down on the parapet, and, taking off his gold-rimmed glasses,held them in his hand.
"I think I understand, my dear, and I have something to say," he said.
Jacinta made no disclaimer. For one thing, she saw it would have beenuseless, and she had no strength left in her then.
"Is it worth while?" she asked. "Would anything that you could saychange what has happened?"
"No," said Brown, reflectively, "I scarcely think it would. Still, Iwould like to mention that we really don't know the thing is incurable.In fact, it may be a malady which is readily susceptible to the propertreatment, and he has done wisely in going to England."
A little gleam of hope crept into Jacint
a's eyes. "I had hardly dared tothink of that," she said.
"Well," said Brown, "I really fancy the thing may not be as serious asyou and Mr. Jefferson, perhaps naturally, seem to fear. Now, as youknow, I was going to England about the new fruit contracts in a week ortwo, and there is no particular reason why I shouldn't go the day afterto-morrow. I should make it my business to see Mr. Austin has the bestadvice which can be got from the specialists in that country. Only, mydear, I want to ask a very plain question. Supposing he is cured--whatthen?"
"I'm afraid you must shape the question differently," and a trace ofcolour crept into the whiteness of Jacinta's face.
"Then I will tell you what I know. You sent that man to Africa, and hewent because he was in love with you. He is also a man I have aconsiderable liking for--and you are my only child. I am getting old,and would like to see you safely settled before I go. There are," and hemade a little gesture, "occasions on which one must speak plainly."
Jacinta's face was crimson at last, but she in no way attempted toquestion the correctness of the announcement he had made.
"Mr. Austin, at least, never told me what you seem to be so sureabout--and it is scarcely likely that he will ever do so now," she said.
Brown smiled a little, and tapped the palm of his hand with his glasses.
"My dear," he said, "I think you know better. Of course, you wouldnever have admitted so much as you have done if I had not had you at adisadvantage to-night. Well, the first thing is to see what can be doneto cure him. Only, if he comes back, you will, I suppose, know yourmind?"
He looked at her steadily, and, when Jacinta lowered her eyes, laid hishand gently on her arm again.
"I sail by the yellow-funnel boat the day after to-morrow," he said.