ADAM PENFEATHER, HIS NARRATIVE
"Mine is a strange, wild story, Martin, but needs must I tell it and in
few words as may be. Fifteen years agone (or thereabouts) I became one
of that league known as the Brotherhood of the Coast and swore
comradeship with one Nicholas Frant, a Kent man, even as I. Now though
I was full young and a cautious man, yet, having a natural hatred of
Spaniards and their ways, I wrought right well against them, and was
mighty diligent in many desperate affrays against their ships and along
the Coast. 'Twas I (and my good comrade Nick Frant) with sixteen lusty
lads took sea in an open pinnace and captured the great treasure
galleon 'Dolores del Principe' off Carthagena, and what with all this,
Martin, and my being blessed with some education and a gift of adding
two and two together, I got me rapid advancement in the Brotherhood
until--well, shipmate, I that am poor and solitary was once rich and
with nigh a thousand bully fellows at command. And then it was that I
fell in with that arch-devil, that master rogue whose deeds had long
been a terror throughout the Main, a fellow more bloody than any
Spaniard, more treacherous than any Portugal, and more cruel than any
Indian--Inca, Mosquito, Maya or Aztec, and this man an Englishman, and
one of birth and breeding, who hid his identity under the name of
Bartlemy. I met him first in Tortuga where we o' the Brotherhood lay,
six stout ships and nigh four hundred men convened for an expedition
against Santa Catalina, and this for two reasons, first, because 'twas
a notable rich city, and second, to rescue certain of the Brotherhood
that lay there waiting to be burnt at the next auto-de-fe. Well,
Martin, 'tis upon a certain evening that this Bartlemy comes aboard my
ship and with him his mate, by name Tressady. And never was greater
difference than 'twixt these two, Tressady being a great, wild fellow
with a steel hook in place of his left hand, d'ye see, and Bartlemy a
slender, dainty-seeming, fiendly-smiling gentleman, very nice as to
speech and deportment and clad in the latest mode, from curling periwig
to jewelled shoe-buckles.
"'Captain Penfeather,' says he, 'Your most dutiful, humble--ha, let me
parish but here is curst reek o' tar!' with which, Martin, he claps a
jewelled pomander to the delicate nose of him. 'You've heard of me, I
think, Captain,' says he, 'and of my ship, yonder, the "Ladies'
Delight?"' I told him I had, Martin, bluntly and to the point, whereat
he laughs and bows and forthwith proffers to aid us against Santa
Catalina, the which I refused forthwith. But my council of captains,
seeing his ship was larger than any we possessed and exceeding well
armed and manned, overruled me, and the end of it was we sailed, six
ships of the Brotherhood and this accursed pirate.
"Well, Martin, Santa Catalina fell according to my plans, and the
Governor and Council agreeing to pay ransom, I drew off my companies,
and camped outside the walls of the town till they should collect the
money. Now the women of this place were exceeding comely, Martin, in
especial the Governor's lady, and upon the second night was sudden
outcry and uproar within the city, whereupon I marched into the place
forthwith and found this curst Bartlemy and his rogues, grown
impatient, were at their devil's work. Hastening to the Governor's
house I found it gutted and him dragged from his bed and with the life
gashed out of him--aye, Martin, torn body and throat, d'ye see, as by
the fangs of some great beast! That was the first time I saw what a
steel hook may do! As for this poor gentleman's lady, she was gone.
Hereupon, we o' the Brotherhood fell upon these pirate rogues and
fought them by light o' the blazing houses (for they had fired the
city), 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 was
younger), and winged him sore and had surely ended him, but that
Tressady and divers others got him away, and what with the dark night
and the woods that lie shorewards he, together with some few of his
crew, got them back aboard his ship, the "Ladies' Delight," and so
away; 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 sailed
for Tortuga with no less than ninety and one thousand pieces of eight
for our labour, but I and those with me never had the spending of a
single piece, Martin, for we ran into a storm such as I never saw the
like of even in those seas. Well, we ran afore it for three days and
its fury nothing abating all this time I never quit the deck, but I had
been wounded, and on the third night, being fevered and outworn, turned
in below. I was awakened by Nick Frant roaring in my ear, for the
tempest was very loud and fierce:
"'Adam!' cried he, 'We're lost, every soul and the good money! we've
struck a reef, Adam, and 'tis the end and O the good money!' Hereupon
I climbed 'bove deck, the vessel on her beam ends and in desperate
plight and nought to be seen i' the dark save the white spume as the
seas broke over us. None the less I set the crew to cutting away her
masts and heaving the ordnance overboard (to lighten her thereby), but
while this was doing comes a great wave roaring out of the dark and
dashing aboard us whirled me up and away, and I, borne aloft on that
mighty, hissing sea, strove no more, doubting not my course was run.
So, blinded, choking, I was borne aloft and then, Martin, found myself
adrift in water calm as any millpond--a small lagoon, and spying
through the dark a grove of palmetto trees presently managed to climb
ashore, more dead than alive; and, lying there, I prayed--a thing I had
not done for many a year. As the dawn came I saw the great wave had
hurled me over the barrier reef into this small lagoon, and beyond the
reef lay all that remained of my good ship. I was yet viewing this
dolorous sight (and much cast down for the loss of my companions, in
especial my sworn friend Nicholas Frant) when I heard a sound behind me
and turning about, espied a woman, and in this woman's face (fair
though it was) I read horror and sadness beyond tears, and yet I knew
her for the same had been wife to the murdered governor of Santa
Catalina.
"'Go back!' says she in Spanish, pointing to the surf that thundered
beyond the reef. 'Go back! Here is the devil--the sea hath more
mercy--go back whiles ye may!' And now she checked all at once and
falls a-shivering, for a voice reached us, a man's voice a-singing fair
to 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 and
serviceable stone, stood awaiting him with this in my fist. And down
the beach he comes, jocund and debonair in his finery, albeit something
pale by reason of excess and my rapier work. And now I come to look at
you, 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' dainty
woman-ware, Captain, a sweet and luscious piece, a passionate, proud
beauty worth the taming--ha, Captain? And she is tamed, see you. To
your dainty knees, wench--down!' Now though he smiled yet and spake
her gentle, she, bowing proud head, sank to her knees, crouching on the
ground before him, while he looked down on her, the devil in his eyes
and his jewelled fingers toying with the dagger in his girdle, a
strange dagger with a hilt wrought very artificially in the shape of a
naked woman--"
"How," says I, leaning across the table, "A woman, Penfeather?"
"Aye, shipmate! So I stood mighty alert, my eyes on this dagger, being
minded to whip it into his rogue's heart as chance might offer. 'I
wonder,' says he to this poor lady, 'I wonder how long I shall keep
thee, madonna, a week--a month--a year? Venus knoweth, for you amuse
me, sweet. Rise, rise, dear my lady, my Dolores of Joy, rise and aid
me with thy counsel, for here hath this misfortunate clumsy Captain
fool blundered into our amorous paradise, this tender Cyprian isle
sacred to our passion. Yet here is he profaning our joys with his base
material presence. How then shall we rid ourselves of this offence?
The knife--this lover o' men of mine? The bullet? Yet 'tis a poor
small naked rogue and in two days cometh my 'Ladies' Delight' and
Tressady with his hook. See, my Dolores, for two days he shall be our
slave and thereafter, for thy joy, shall show thee how to die, my
sweet--torn 'twixt pimento trees or Tressady's hook--thou shalt choose
the manner of't. And now, unveil, unveil, my goddess of the isle--so
shall--' Ha, Martin! My stone took him 'neath the ear, and as he
swayed reeling to the blow, lithe and swift as any panther this
tortured woman sprang, and I saw the flash of steel ere it was buried
in his breast. Even then he didn't fall, but, staggering to a pimento
tree, leans him there and falls a-laughing, a strange, high-pitched,
gasping laugh, and as he laughed thus, I saw the silver haft of the
dagger that was a woman leap and quiver in his breast. Then, laughing
yet, he, never heeding me, plucked and levelled sudden pistol, and when
the smoke cleared the brave Spanish lady lay dead upon the sands.
"'A noble piece, Captain!' says he, gasping for breath, and then to
her, 'Art gone, my goddess--I--follow thee!' And now he sinks to his
knees and begins to crawl where she lay, but getting no further than
her feet (by reason of his faintness) he clasps her feet and kisses
them, and laying his head upon them--closes his eyes. 'Penfeather!' he
groans, 'my treasure--hidden--dagger--'
"Then I came very hastily and raised his head (for I had oft heard talk
o' this treasure), and in that moment he died. So I left them lying
and coming to the seaboard sat there a great while watching the break
o' the seas on what was left o' the wreck, yet seeing it not. I sat
there till noon, Martin, until, driven by thirst and hunger and heat of
sun, I set off to seek their habitation, for by their looks I judged
them well-fed and housed. But, and here was the marvel, Martin, seek
how I might I found no sign of any hut or shelter save that afforded by
nature (as caves and trees), and was forced to satisfy my cravings with
such fruits as flourished in profusion, for this island, Martin, is a
very earthly paradise. That night, the moon being high and bright, I
came to that stretch of silver sand beside the lagoon where they lay
together rigid and pale and, though I had no other tool but his dagger
and a piece o' driftwood, made shift to bury them 'neath the great
pimento 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 water
that plungeth into a lake, and there passed the night. Next day,
having explored the island very thoroughly, and dined as best I might
on shell-fish that do abound, I sat me down where I might behold the
sea 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 anent
this same dagger, and of the tales I had heard full oft along the Main
regarding this same Bartlemy and his hidden treasure, I fell to
handling this dagger, turning and twisting it this way and that. And
suddenly, shipmate, I felt the head turn upon the shoulders 'twixt the
clasping hands; turn and turn until it came away and showed a cavity,
and in this cavity a roll of parchment, and that parchment none other
than 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 a
sudden 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 of
shell-fish that were plenteous enough, I knew him for my sworn comrade,
Nick Frant. And then, Martin, I did strange thing, for blood-brothers
though we were, I made haste (and all of a tremble) to slip back this
map into its hiding-place, which done, I arose, hailing my comrade and
went to meet him joyously enough. And no two men in the world more
rejoiced than we as we clasped hands and embraced each other as only
comrades may. It seemed the hugeous sea that had caught me had caught
him likewise and hurled him, sore bruised, some mile to the south of
the reef. So now I told him of the deaths of Bartlemy and the poor
lady, yet Martin (and this was strange) I spoke nothing of knife or
treasure; I told him of the expectation I had of the pirate's ship
return, and yet I never once spake o' the map and chart. And methinks
the secret cast a shadow betwixt us that grew ever deeper, for as the
days passed and no sail appeared, there came a strangeness, an unlove
betwixt us that grew until one day we fell to open quarrel, disputation
and deadly strife, and the matter no more than a dead man's shirt (and
that ragged) that had come ashore. And we (being in rags and the sun
scorching) each claimed this shirt, and from words came blows. He had
his seaman's knife and I Bartlemy's accursed dagger, and so we fought
after the manner of the buccaneers, his leg bound fast to mine, and
Martin, though he was a great fellow and strong and wounded me sore, in
the end I got in a thrust under the armpit and he fell a-dying, and I
with him. Then I (seeing death in his eyes, Martin) clasped him in my
arms 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 I
presently buried poor Nick Frant in the sands, and lay there face down
upon his grave wetting it with my tears and groaning there till
nightfall. But all next day, Martin (though my heart yearned to my
slain friend) all next day I spent seeking and searching for the dagger
had killed him. And as the sun set, I found it. Thereafter I passed
my days (since the pirate ship came not, doubtless owing to the late
tempest) studying the writing on the chart here, yet came no nearer a
solution, though my imagination was inflamed by mention of diamonds,
rubies and pearls, as ye may see written here for yourself. So the
time passed till one day at dawn I beheld a great ship, her mizzen and
fore-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 a
boat 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 channel
and so enter the lagoon. Now in this boat were six men and at the
rudder sat Tressady, and I saw his hook flash in the sun as he sprang
ashore. Having beached their boat, they fell to letting off their
calivers and pistols and hallooing:
"'Oho, Captain!' they roared, 'Bartlemy, ahoy!' And this outcry
maintained they for some while. But none appearing to answer, they
seemed to take counsel together, and thereafter set off three and
three, shouting as they went. And now it seemed they knew no more of
Bartlemy's hiding-place than I, whereat I rejoiced greatly. So lay I
all that forenoon watching their motions and hearing their outcries now
here, now there, until, marvelling at the absence of Bartlemy, they sat
down all six upon the spit of sand whereby I lay hid and fell to eating
and drinking, talking the while, though too low for me to hear what
passed. But all at once they seemed to fall to disputation, Tressady
and a small, dark fellow against the four, and thereafter to brawl and
fight, though this was more butchery than fight, Martin, for Tressady
shoots down two ere they can rise, and leaping up falls on the other
two with his hook! So with aid from the small, dark fellow they soon
have made an end o' their four companions, and leaving them lying, come
up the beach and sitting below the ledge of rock whereon I lay snug
hidden, fell to talk.
"'So, Ben, camarado mio, we be committed to it now! Since these four
be 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 a
fighting man!'
"'And being a man can die, Ben. And he once dead we stand his
heirs--you and I, Ben, I and you!'
"'Well and good!' says Ben. 'But for this treasure where lieth it, and
for that matter, Roger, where is Bartlemy?'
"'Both to find, Ben, so let us set about it forthwith.' The which they
did, Martin; for three days they sought the island over and I watching
'em. On the third day, as they are sitting 'neath the great pimento
tree I have mentioned (and I watching close by) Tressady sits up all at
once.
"'Ben!' says he, 'What be yon?' and he pointed to a mound of sand hard
by.
"'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 needs
must--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 the
time the thing they sought was quivering in this right hand.
"'Ben,' says Tressady, when they were done. 'Ben--how came he
dead--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 alone
on this island--'
"'And who should be here, Roger?'
"'The man that slew our Captain!' Here there was silence awhile, then
the man Ben arose and spat.
"'Faugh!' says he. 'Come away, Roger, ere I stifle--come, i' the
devil's name!' So they went and I, lying hid secure, watched them out
of sight.
"Now when they were gone I took counsel with myself, for here were two
desperate, bloody rogues, very well armed, and here was I, a solitary
man with nought to my defence save for Nick's knife and the
silver-hilted dagger, which was heavy odds, Martin, as you'll agree.
Now I have ever accounted myself a something timid man, wherefore in
cases of desperate need and danger I have been wont to rely on my wit
rather than weapons, on head rather than hands. So now as I looked
upon this cursed dagger wherewith I had slain my poor friend, beholding
this evil silver woman whose smile seemed verily to allure men to
strife and bloodshed--the end of it was I stole from my lurking-place
and 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 into
hiding. And sure enough in a while comes the big man Tressady
a-stealing furtive-fashion and falls to hunting both in the open grave
and round about it but, finding nothing, steals him off again. Scarce
was he out of eye-shot, Martin, than cometh the little dark fellow Ben,
who likewise fell to stealthy search, grubbing here and there on hands
and knees, yet with none better fortune than his comrade. But of a
sudden he gives a spring and, stooping, stands erect with Bartlemy's
dagger in his hand. Now scarce had he found it than comes Tressady
creeping from where he had lain watching.
"'Ha, Ben!' says he jovially. 'How then, lad, how then? Hast found
what we sought? Here's luck, Ben, here's luck! Aye, by cock, 'tis
your fortune to find it and your fortune's my fortune, eh, Ben--us
being 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 the
dagger 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 I
saw his hook glitter.
"'And the treasure, Roger!' says Ben, making little passes in the air
to see the blue gleam of the steel.
"'All yours, Ben all yours, and what's yours is mine, according to
oath, Ben, to oath! But come, Ben, you hold the secret o' the treasure
in your fist--the silver goddess. Come, the chart, lad, out wi' the
chart 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 the
chart--stand back!'
"'Why here's ill manners to a comrade, Ben ill manners, sink me--but as
ye 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 you
will, you will Ben--take a hold!' So saying, Tressady picked up the
stone, but, as his comrade reached to take it, let it fall, whereupon
Ben stooped for it and in that moment Tressady was on him. And
then--ha, Martin, I heard the man Ben scream, and as he writhed, saw
Tressady'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 and
began to unscrew the head. But now, Martin, methought 'twas time for
me to act if I meant to save my life, for I had nought but Nick Frant's
knife, while within Tressady's reach lay the dead man's pistols and
divers musquetoons and fusees on the beach behind him, which put me to
no 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 lure
him away from these firearms wherewith he might hunt me down and
destroy me at his ease; and the end of it was I started up all at once
and, leaning down towards him, shook the parchment in his face. 'Ha,
Tressady!' says I, 'Is this the thing you've murdered your comrade
for?' Now at this Tressady sprang back, to stare from me to the thing
in my hand, Martin, and then--ha, then with a wild-beast roar he sprang
straight at me with his hook--even as I had judged he would. As for
me, I turned and ran, making for a rocky ledge I knew, with Tressady
panting behind me, his hook ringing on the rocks as he scrambled in
pursuit. 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 sea
thundering far below--a narrow ledge where his great bulk hampered him
and his strength availed little. And there we fought, his dagger and
hook against my dead comrade's knife, and thus as he sprang I, falling
on my knee, smote up beneath raised arm, heard him roar and saw him go
whirling 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 it
towards him balanced upon my palm. Now, beholding this, Penfeather's
eyes opened suddenly wide, then narrowed to slits as, viewing this
deadly thing, he drew back and back, and so sat huddled in his chair
utterly still, only I heard his breath hiss softly 'twixt clenched
teeth.
"Martin," says he in the same hushed voice, "when a man's dead he's
dead, 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 of
fingers on the lattice.