CHAPTER LXV.
WE COME AT LENGTH TO THE MOUTH OF THE ORONOQUE, BUT WITH DISMALFOREBODINGS.
It was piteous to see how these poor seamen, ragged as any bears, andthin as hurdles, were affected with joy when they learnt that theirtroubles were as good as ended--weeping and laughing by turns, like veryfools. This extravagance of delight was, I say, sad to behold, for surethe sight of strong men who have lost the dignity and composure ofmanhood, and are brought to the weak condition of little children, isnot less deplorable than the aspect of young faces overcast with thecare and anxiety of age.
However, this was but the shock of suddenly returning hope, and when thetransport was over they became reasonable, and mended apace. The ease ofgoing down that river in comparison with ascending it is incredible, asmay be gathered from the fact that in one day we passed two marks set upby these poor fellows at intervals of eight and ten days. At each ofsuch marks they would stop to give a great cheer of delight; then,filled with fresh vigor by these sure signs of rapid progress, they laythemselves with such might to their oars that 'twas as much as my friendMatthew and I in the canoe, with Lady Biddy at the helm, could do tokeep up with them.
And here it may not be amiss to tell that my dear lady, before joiningthis company of men, had taken occasion to change her stripling's dressfor the gown we had carried down with us, for now there was no longernecessity for her to penetrate the thick woods, exposing herself tobrier and bramble, and she would no more appear in a dress unbecoming toher sex.
We had been descending the river best part of three weeks, whenPennyfarden assured us we were nearing an island whereon, to lightentheir boats (in order to make better head against the stream), they hadleft some of their stores under a tent made of a lug-sail; and soonafter this, a joyful shout from the company in that boat that led theway signified that the island was in sight.
"Now," says friend Matthew--"now shall we be all able to dress ourselvesdecently, and return to Sir Bartlemy like Christians, for amongst thestores is a chest of excellent buff jerkins and sea-boots."
Presently, coming up to this island, where the seamen were alreadylanded, we found them wandering about in great vexation and trouble, forthe tent had been torn down, and they could find none of their stores,save an empty barrel and the charred end of their chest, which had beenbroken up for firewood.
At first we set it down that the Ingas had been there; but Pennyfarden,casting his eyes about that part where the empty barrel lay, shook hishead ruefully, and declared that they had no hand in this business.
"Pray how can you tell that?" says I.
"Why, look you, master," says he, stooping down and picking up three orfour long iron nails that lay scattered in the herb, "no Inga would havewantonly cast these away, for he prizes them more than all the gold andprecious stones by which we set such store. And they have not beenoverlooked or dropped by accident, for they were bound up in paper, andlay at the bottom of the barrel; and, see, they are scattered broadcastaround us--scattered by those who themselves had no need of such things,and were meanly minded that no one else should profit by them--wantonwaste and devilry that the worst Inga would not be guilty of. I do sadlyfear that this is the work of mad sailors; what say you, Master Palmer?"adds he, addressing an old seaman who had joined us.
"Like enough--like enough," says Palmer dismally; "and if it be as yousuppose, then Heaven help us all. For," adds he, after a long-drawnsigh, "none of our ship-mates would thus destroy and waste our storesunless he had mutinied against our captain, and sought to bring grief byour undoing."
The rest of our company, coming up, joined in this opinion, and onecried that there was no hope left us. But my lady, who was ever quick tospy a comforting gleam where none saw aught but dismal clouds, told themthey did wrong to despond so readily, "for," says she, "if some of themen have rebelled, 'tis clear they have gained but little by it, or theywould not have come hither."
"You are in the right of it, madam," says Palmer. "If they mutinied,'twas because they would no longer lie at the mouth of the Oronoque,awaiting our return; and had they succeeded in overcoming our goodcaptain, they would at once have set sail and gone hence."
The company, seeing the soundness of this argument, plucked up courageagain; but we all agreed that, as the mutineers might be somewherebetwixt us and Sir Bartlemy, we must proceed with caution; and as thenights were fairly light (though no moon), and the river pretty wellknown to us, we resolved to journey only by night henceforth.
By the end of that week the rains began to fall. However, this gave usbut little trouble, for not only did it increase the strength of thecurrent that bore us onwards, but it lessened our danger of falling inwith marauders, who would now be forced to seek shelter of some sort. Mychief concern was for Lady Biddy; but I contrived to protect her fromthe pelting storm with a very fair kind of tent set up in the canoe.
We reached that mouth of the Oronoque where the ships lay at nightfallon the third day of the rains, and without molestation; and here, thoughit was too dark to make out the vessels, we discerned a light about amile out, as we judged. Thither we considered it advisable to proceed atonce, for if we found that the mutineers had overcome my uncle and heldthe ships, then might we with more likelihood return to land, and escapewith our lives under cover of the night.
So now, with as little noise as possible, we drew out into the open,Thomas Palmer, who was an admirable good seaman, leading the way in thebiggest of our boats.
We were yet a couple of furlongs from the light when Palmer stayed hisrowers, and we coming up with him, he whispered us that one of the shipslay hard by without light aboard; and sure enough, on straining oureyes, we perceived on our right hand a dark mass, which might well be aship's hulk, but I could make out nothing for the pelting rain andobscurity.
"Well, Palmer," says I, "what is best to do? Shall we examine thiscloser or go on?"
"Master," says he, "I am for examining this vessel. For if we get an illreception on the further ship, and alarm is given, our retreat to theshore may be cut off by a sortie from this here."
So, being agreed amongst themselves, we drew on till we reached theship, and then we found that she lay aground and on her side, as if shehad been careened. Twice we pulled right around her, raising our voicesto draw attention; but no one stirred abroad, and we remainedunchallenged. Not a sound could we hear, nor could we find out much withour eyes for the darkness and rain (as I say); but in passing thoseports on the under side of the ship, that lay pretty near on a levelwith our heads as we stood up in our boats, a most sickening stenchassailed our nostrils. Not knowing what to be at, we lay still for a fewminutes, listening in silence; then Palmer called out lustily and webeat the side of the ship with our oars. Never a sound did we get inreply, nor could we spy sign of movement or glimmer of light anywhere,which put our superstitious seamen to great fear. But this ThomasPalmer, being bolder than the rest, presently volunteered to go into theship by one of the ports and get some explanation of this mystery, whichhe accordingly did, and after being absent some time he comes again tothe port, and cries out that we can come aboard if we will, for there isnone there to do us mischief.
"What!" cries one of the seamen, "are none of our old mates aboard?"
"That I can not tell for the darkness," says Palmer; "but mates or not,this I will answer for--every man-jack of 'em is dead."
At this moment Pennyfarden, catching me by the arm, calls out:
"Lord love us, master! look above there."
Looking up as he bade us we then perceived (our eyes being now grownaccustomed to this obscurity) two bodies hanging over the sea about afathom from our heads we sat in our boats, on that side of the shipwhich (as I say) inclined over towards the water. Despite the dimness,we made these out to be the corpses of men, and doubted not that theyhung there from the yard-arms above.
For some while we could do nothing but strain our eyes at theseindistinct objects as they slowly swung in the little breeze that wassprin
ging, being pierced (as it were) with fear that this was my poorold uncle, thus barbarously put to death by the mutineers; but stillmore terrified with the uncertainty of the whole business, the silence,the darkness, and that foul stench of corruption that poisoned the air.
"Let us get hence!" says one of the seamen hoarsely.
"Nay, we must know if this be our commander that hangs here ere weventure to the ship where there is light," says Palmer. "Have you nevera tinder-box, master, or anything dry enough to burn?"
I had my tinder-gun dry in my pocket, and my lady found amongst ourstore in the canoe two or three of the cuati-nuts, and with some ado wecontrived to get these alight under the tent that I have mentioned. Andwhen they were well ablaze we rowed right under the hanging bodies,where, standing up, I suddenly brought the flaming nuts out of the tentand lifted them up as high as I could over my head, so that the lightfell on the faces above. Their eyes were staring wide open, and theirlower jaws were dropped. But one was an eye short, and I knew him atonce for Ned Parsons; while the other, by his pointed teeth alone, Icould have sworn to amongst a thousand for our old enemy Rodrigues!