CHAPTER XXIX.
I FIND MY LADY BIDDY, AND WE DESPOIL OUR ENEMIES; WITH OTHER FACETIOUSMATTER.
The moment I concluded that those wretches at the foot of the ravinewere carrying off Lady Biddy I threw myself down the rocks to herrescue; and had the chances of breaking my neck thereby been ahundredfold as great I should not have hesitated. For I considered thatit was by my fault she had been taken, and that therefore I owed my lifefor hers; indeed, I valued not my life as a straw, save as it might beof service to her, for what use was life to me without her? I might aswell be dead and forgotten as alive and she lost; nay better, for tolive bereft for ever of her, or in doubt as to her fate, would becontinual misery and the cause of never-abating self-reproach.
With these thoughts running confusedly in my head and urging me todesperate leaps which I had never dared to attempt in cooler blood, Idescended that rocky gorge like any bounding ball, till coming to levelground, I spied half a dozen fellows clustered together in the shadow ofa rock round one who was slicing a pine-nut to share among them. But noLady Biddy could I see; nor was there any sign of her between them andthe boat which lay hard by in the creek, as I have said.
By this time, the heat of my spirits being somewhat abated I reasonedwith myself that to attack those six men, unarmed as I was, would be apiece 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 presentanxiety, 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, ifpossible, where they had bestowed their captive, and this I did withoutgreat difficulty, for hereabouts were many scattered stones and abundantgrowth of prickly shrubs, ground-palms, and the like.
Being come so nigh them that I could hear their remarks upon the fruitthey were eating, which seemed entirely to occupy their thoughts, Iwaited 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 hereshall I lie at my ease till it be time to fill the barricoes and getback 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, scratchinghis 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 spokefirst. "What do we want of females? She's brought us no luck, and I'd assoon 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 worseluck than to give them leg-bail and lose herself in these woods. Youdon'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 admiremy folly in rushing headlong into danger without proper occasion. Fornow I readily perceived what was the fact, that Lady Biddy, awakingafter my departure, had caught sight of the men at the foot of the gorgeand taken measures to conceal herself from discovery should they ascend.While thus hidden she had seen me come upon that point of rock, and toattract my attention, had called me by name as loud as she dared. Mydescent 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, andstealthily withdrew from those men whom a few minutes earlier I was liketo have fallen among, and turned to follow the course of the torrent tothe level above.
I made short work of this business when I was fairly out of sight of theseamen, and before long I again heard that sweet voice calling, "Benet,Benet!" upon which, casting my eyes eagerly about, I descried my dearLady Biddy in a little natural cavern formed by two leaning rocks. Sheclasped her hands, and her face beamed with joy to see me again; but ifshe was pleased--lord! what was I? Then we sat down together andnarrated our experiences, I blaming myself hugely for my headstrongconduct; 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 notto save me you encountered this danger? Since it has ended thus, I canbut 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 happyto speak.
But presently, reflecting on the dangers we had escaped, and consideringhow we might yet be encompassed by those who had given us chase on thesands--for, if one parcel of wretches came hither by accident, why mightnot the rest?--it came into my head that if we could descend and possessourselves of the empty boat while the men were yet sleeping, we mightcome to the other side of the river, and so secure ourselves frompursuit. This scheme did so recommend itself to me that I at oncepropounded it to Lady Biddy.
"Have you not run enough risk, Benet?" she asked, a little frightened bythe audacity of my design.
"Ay," says I; "and 'tis for that very reason I would put that broadriver betwixt us and the recurrence of such risks."
"As you will," says she, with spirit. "If it ought to be done, you shallnot find me wanting in courage."
I gave her my reasons for thinking it should be attempted, and she wasthe 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 partwhere we could cross to the other side, and, getting over without greatdifficulty, we scaled the further slope, that from the ridge we mightdiscover some other way of reaching the river-side than by the gorge.
And here we found the hillside clothed with a very dense wood, havingbut little undergrowth because of the shade. By running from tree totree we managed very well to break the descent, and came at length intowet ground; but in these parts there is no danger or hardship in wettingthe feet; so along this level we made our way till we came to a greatgrowth of reeds that stood like a green wall before us. Here we went upa little, for the reeds betokened deeper water, besides being a harborfor cockodrills and water-snakes; then, pushing on still further, wereached the end of that reedy growth, and perceived we were come to thecreek where the stream discharged itself, and not a stone's throw fromthe boat. Whereupon I bade Lady Biddy wait there patiently awhile, andcrept forward, under cover of the bush, until I caught sight of theseamen. They were all asleep like so many logs, and most of them ontheir faces, as is the manner of mariners when they slumber.
Coming from my cover I stepped into the stream, which spread out and wasof considerable depth, and carefully waded to the boat, unhitched thehead line from the bush to which it was attached, and letting it swingout into the current drew it as gently as might be to that spot whereLady Biddy was waiting in pale concern.
I beckoned to her, and she came boldly out and stepped noiselessly intothe boat; then got I in after her, and, taking up an oar, shoved gentlyout over the shoal until I had depth and room to ply my oars. Still wasI obliged to be stealthy, for we were yet within gunshot, and thefellows had their muskets with them; nor had they left a weapon in theboat save only one sword, which, however, was a treasure to me. So thenI pulled for some while very gently, but getting a furlong from theshore I laid to with a will; and it was a great delight to see how LadyBiddy 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 faras I could make out, but only a great lake of water made by the streamthat 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 slopeswere all clothed with trees in bloom (the flowering season not yet beingover), and wherever the eye rested it was delighted with glowing hues,brill
iant where the sun fell, and delicate in the shade, so that lookingaround 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 seemlike enchantment. Yet was I sorry this was not a river, but only a kindof lagoon; however, I knew it would cost our pursuers a week to get atus by going round the lake by those thick, tangled woods; nor could theyfetch another boat to our pursuit without giving us ample time forescape.
As we neared the opposite shore the chain of mountains disappearedbehind the nearer hills, which showed that they were at a considerabledistance; but this gave me no great concern. Nor did I cast my eyes thatway frequently, being more intent to see if the fellows had discoveredthe loss of their boat. We reached the shore, and yet I could see nosign of their moving, though I plainly descried the rock against whichthey lay.
We had fallen down a little towards the sea by reason of a current wherethe 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 hermoorings, but happily at a great distance.
I pulled the boat into the bank, which was here washed by the currentfree of the refuse that lay upon the other side, and having helped LadyBiddy to land, I fetched the sword out of the boat, and drawing it fromits 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 thehinder part of it; but upon opening the locker to see what might havecaused 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 atthe supper our enemies had provided for us. At first she was frightenedat the sight of this poor, inoffensive creature, never having seen thelike before; but when I told her that it was excellent meat as anyprince might eat, she was as pleased as I, being by this time prettysharp 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 thetortugua and cut some steaks ready for dressing with my sword-blade, forother cutlery had we none.
[Footnote 1: Turtle.--F. B.]
While I was still at this business, Lady Biddy comes back with her armsfull of sticks, and very cheerful.
"But, Benet," says she, of a sudden, dropping the wood and turningaghast, "what is the use of wood with nothing to light it?"
So I showed her how to get fire by rubbing two bits of touchwoodtogether, 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 oursmarting eyes, all as merry as grigs, one would have thought we had comethere a pleasuring and had no trouble in the world. It is clear enoughwhy I was happy, but I can only explain Lady Biddy's lightness of heartby contrasting her present condition with the days and nights of terrorand bitter suffering that had gone before.
Be that how it may, I know this, that, as we knelt before the firecooking our steaks on the end of sticks, we had to lay them down forlaughing, when we heard the poor fools on the other side of the lakefiring off their muskets in rage to find their boat gone, and to see thesmoke of the fire at which we were cooking their tortugua for our owncomfort. Indeed, to think of the plight of those who did seek to do usmortal hurt--one party cursing in the midst of tearing thorns, and theother with no means of getting back to their ship but by threadingintricate woods, with a sorry reception when they showed themselves totheir captain at last--was enough to make any cat laugh.