TELLETH HOW THE FIGHT ENDED
When sight returned to me at last, I was yet staring up at the moon, but
now she had climbed the zenith and looked down on me through a dense maze,
a thicket of close-twining branches (as it were) whose density troubled me
mightily. But in a little I saw that these twining branches were verily a
mass of ropes and cordage, a twisted tangle that hung above me yet crushed
me not by reason of a squat column that rose nearby, and staring on this
column I presently knew it for the shattered stump of the mizzenmast. For a
great while I lay staring on this (being yet much dazed) and thus gradually
became aware that the guns had fallen silent; instead of their thunderous
roar was a faint clamour, hoarse, inarticulate, and very far away. I was
yet wondering dreamily and pondering this when I made the further discovery
that by some miraculous chance the chain which had joined my fettered
wrists was broken in sunder and I was free. Nevertheless I lay awhile
blinking drowsily up at the moon until at last, impelled by my raging
thirst, I got to my knees (though with strange reluctance) and strove to
win clear from the tangle of ropes that encompassed me; in the which labour
I came upon the body of a dead man and beyond this, yet another. Howbeit I
was out of this maze at last and rising to my feet, found the deck to heave
oddly 'neath my tread, and so (like one walking in a dream) came stumbling
to the quarter-ladder and paused there awhile to lean against the
splintered rail and to clasp my aching head, for I was still greatly
bemused and my body mighty stiff and painful.
Looking up after some while I saw the _Happy Despatch_ lay a helpless
wreck, her main and mizzenmasts shot away and her shattered hull fast
locked in close conflict with her indomitable foe. The English ship had
run us aboard at the fore-chains and as the two vessels, fast grappled
together, swung to the gentle swell, the moon glinted on the play of
vicious steel where the fight raged upon our forecastle. Mightily heartened
by this, I strove to shake off this strange lethargy that enthralled me and
looked about for some weapon, but finding none, got me down the ladder (and
marvellous clumsy about it) and reaching; the deck stumbled more than once
over stiffening forms that sprawled across my way. Here and there a battle
lanthorn yet glimmered, casting its uncertain beam on writhen legs, on
wide-tossed arms and shapes that seemed to stir in the gloom; and beholding
so many dead, I marvelled to find myself thus unharmed, though, as I
traversed this littered deck, its ghastliness dim-lit by these flickering
lanthorns and the moon's unearthly radiance, it seemed more than ever that
I walked within a dream, whiles the battle clamoured ever more loud. Once
I paused to twist a boarding-axe from stiffening fingers, and, being come
into the waist of the ship, found myself beside the main hatchway and
leaned there to stare up at the reeling fray on the forecastle where pike
darted, axe whirled, sword smote and the battle roared amain in angry
summons. But as I turned obedient to get me into this desperate fray, I
heard a low and feverish muttering and following this evil sound came upon
one who lay amid the wreckage of a gun, and bending above the man knew him
for Diccon the quartermaster.
"How now, Diccon?" I questioned, and wondered to hear my voice so strange
and muffled.
"Dying!" said he. "Dying--aye, am I! And wi' two thousand doubloons hid
away as I shall ne'er ha' the spending on--oh, for a mouthful o' water--two
thousand--a pike-thrust i' the midriff is an--ill thing yet--'tis better
than--noose and tar and gibbet--yet 'tis hard to die wi' two thousand
doubloons unspent--oh, lad, I parch--I burn already--water--a mouthful for
a dying man--"
So came I to the water-butt that stood abaft the hatchway, and filling a
pannikin that chanced there with some of the little water that remained,
hastened back to Diccon, but ere I could reach him he struggled to his
knees and flinging arms aloft uttered a great cry and sank upon his face.
Then, finding him verily dead, I drank the water myself and, though
lukewarm and none too sweet, felt myself much refreshed and strengthened
thereby and the numbness of mind and body abated somewhat.
And yet, as I knelt thus, chancing to lift my eyes from the dead man before
me, it seemed that verily I must be dreaming after all, for there, all
daintily bedight in purple gown, I beheld a fine lady tripping lightly
among these mangled dead; crouched in the shadow of the bulwark I watched
this approaching figure; then I saw it was Joanna, saw the moon glint
evilly on the pistol she bore ere she vanished down the hatchway. And now,
reading her fell purpose, I rose to my feet and stole after her down into
the 'tween-decks.
An evil place this, crowded with forms that moaned and writhed fitfully in
the light of the lanthorns that burned dimly here and there, a place foul
with blood and reeking with the fumes of burnt powder, but I heeded only
the graceful shape that flitted on before; once she paused to reach down
a lanthorn and to open the slide, and when she went on again, flames
smouldered behind her and as often as she stayed to set these fires
a-going, I stayed to extinguish them as well as I might ere I hasted after
her. At last she paused to unlock a door and presently her voice reached
me, high and imperious as ever:
"Greeting, Don Federigo! The ship's afire and 'tis an ill thing to burn, so
do I bring you kinder death!"
Creeping to the door of this lock-up, I saw she had set down the lanthorn
and stood above the poor fettered captive, the pistol in her hand.
"The Señorita is infinitely generous," said Don Federigo in his courtly
fashion; then, or ever she might level the weapon, I had seized and wrested
it from her grasp. Crying out in passionate fury, she turned and leapt at
me.
"Off, murderess!" I cried, and whirling her from me, heard her fall and lie
moaning. "Come, sir," said I, aiding the Don to his feet, "let us be gone!"
But what with weakness and his fetters Don Federigo could scarce stand, so
I stooped and taking him across my shoulder, bore him from the place. But
as I went an acrid smoke met me and with here and there a glimmer of flame,
so that it seemed Joanna had fired the ship, my efforts notwithstanding. So
reeled I, panting, to the upper air and, loosing Don Federigo, sank to the
deck and stared dreamily at a dim moon.
And now I was aware of a voice in my ear, yet nothing heeded until, shaken
by an importunate hand, I roused and sat up, marvelling to find myself so
weak.
"Loose me, Señor Martino, loose off my bonds; the fire grows apace and I
must go seek the Señorita--burning is an evil death as she said. Loose off
my bonds--the Señorita must not burn--"
"No, she must not--burn!" said I dully, and struggling to my feet I saw a
thin column of smoke that curled up the hatchway. Gasping and choking,
I fought my way down where flames crackled and smoke grew ever denser.
Suddenly amid this swirling vapour I heard a glad cry:
"Ah, _Martino mio_--you could not leave me then to die alone!" And I saw
Joanna, with arms stretched out to me, swaying against the angry glow
behind her. So I caught her up in my embrace and slipping, stumbling, blind
and half-choked, struggled up and up until at last I reeled out upon deck,
and with Joanna thus clasped upon my breast, stood staring with dazed and
unbelieving eyes at the vision that had risen up to confront me. For there
before me, hedged about by wild figures and brandished steel, with slender
hands tight-clasped together, with vivid lips apart and eyes wide, I
thought to behold at last my beloved Damaris, my Joan, my dear, dear lady;
but knowing this false, I laughed and shook my head.
"Deluding vision," said I, "blest sight long-hoped and prayed for--why
plague me now?"
I was on my knees, staring up at this beloved shape through blinding tears
and babbling I know not what. And then arms were about me, tender yet
strong and compelling, a soft cheek was pressed to mine and in my ear
Joan's voice:
"Oh, my beloved--fret not thyself--here is no vision, my Martin--"
"Joan!" I panted. "Oh, Damaris--beloved!" And shaking off these fettering
arms, I rose to my feet. "Joan, is it thou thyself in very truth, or do I
see thee in heaven--"
And now it seemed I was sinking within an engulfing darkness and nought to
see save only the pale oval of this so loved, oft-visioned face that held
for me the beauty of all beauteous things. At last her voice reached me,
soft and low, yet full of that sweet, vital ring that was beyond all
forgetting.
"Martin--Oh, Martin!"
Out towards me in the growing dark I saw her hands reach down to me: and
then these eager, welcoming hands were seized and Joanna was between us on
her knees.
"Spare him--Oh, lady, in mercy spare my beloved--kill me an you will, but
spare this man of mine--these arms have cradled him ere now, this bosom
been his pillow--"
"Joan!" I muttered, "Oh, Damaris, beloved--"
But seeing the stricken agony of her look and how she shrank from my touch,
I uttered a great cry and turning, sped blindly away and stumbling, fell
and was engulfed in choking blackness.