"Pass the word for not a man to go below, Hawkhurst," said the
pirate-captain.
"I have, sir; and sentries are stationed at the hatchways. Shall we
haul the schooner off?"
"No, let her remain; the breeze is faint already: we shall have a calm
in half an hour. Have we lost many men?"
"Only seven, that I can reckon; but we have lost Wallace," (the second
mate).
"A little promotion will do no harm," replied Cain; "take a dozen of our
best men and search the ship, there are others alive yet. By-the-by,
send a watch on board of the schooner; she is left to the mercy of the
Kroumen, and--"
"One who is better out of her," replied Hawkhurst.
"And those we find below--" continued the mate.
"Alive!"
"True; we may else be puzzled where to find that portion of her cargo
which suits us," said Hawkhurst, going down the hatchway to collect the
men who were plundering on the main deck and in the captain's cabin.
"Here, you Maltese! up, there! and look well round if there is anything
in sight," said the captain, walking aft.
Before Hawkhurst had collected the men and ordered them on board of the
schooner, as usual in those latitudes, it had fallen a perfect calm.
Where was Francisco during this scene of blood? He had remained in the
cabin of the schooner. Cain had more than once gone down to him, to
persuade him to come on deck and assist at the boarding of the
Portuguese, but in vain--his sole reply to the threats and solicitations
of the pirate was--
"Do with me as you please--I have made up my mind--you know I do not
fear death--as long as I remain on board of this vessel, I will take no
part in your atrocities. If you do respect my mother's memory, suffer
her son to seek an honest and honourable livelihood."
The words of Francisco were ringing in the ears of Cain as he walked up
and down on the quarter-deck of the Portuguese vessel, and, debased as
he was, he could not help thinking that the youth was his equal in
animal, and his superior in mental, courage--he was arguing in his own
mind upon the course he should pursue with respect to Francisco, when
Hawkhurst made his appearance on deck, followed by his men, who dragged
up six individuals who had escaped the massacre. These were the bishop;
his niece, a Portuguese girl; her attendant; the supercargo of the
vessel; a sacristan; and a servant of the ecclesiastic; they were hauled
along the deck and placed in a row before the captain, who cast his eye
upon them in severe scrutiny. The bishop and his niece looked round,
the one proudly meeting the eye of Cain, although he felt that his hour
was come; the other carefully avoiding his gaze, and glancing round to
ascertain whether there were any other prisoners, and if so, if her
betrothed was amongst them; but her eye discovered not what she sought--
it was met only by the bearded faces of the pirate-crew, and the blood
which bespattered the deck.
She covered her face with her hands.
"Bring that man forward," said Cain, pointing to the servant. "Who are
you."
"A servant of my lord the bishop."
"And you?" continued the captain.
"A poor sacristan attending upon my lord the bishop."
"And you?" cried he to a third.
"The supercargo of this vessel."
"Put him aside, Hawkhurst!"
"Do you want the others?" inquired Hawkhurst significantly.
"No."
Hawkhurst gave a signal to some of the pirates, who led away the
sacristan and the servant. A stifled shriek and a heavy plunge in the
water were heard a few seconds after. During this time the pirate had
been questioning the supercargo as to the contents of the vessel, and
her stowage, when he was suddenly interrupted by one of the pirates, who
in a hurried voice, stated that the ship had received several shot
between wind and water, and was sinking fast. Cain, who was standing on
the side of the carronade with his sword in his hand, raised his arm and
struck the pirate a blow on the head with the hilt, which, whether
intended or not, fractured his skull, and the man fell upon the deck.
"Take that, babbler! for your intelligence; if these men are obstinate,
we may have worked for nothing."
The crew, who felt the truth of their captain's remark, did not appear
to object to the punishment inflicted, and the body of the man was
dragged away.
"What mercy can we expect from those who show no mercy even to each
other?" observed the bishop, lifting his eyes to heaven.
"Silence!" cried Cain, who now interrogated the supercargo as to the
contents of the hold--the poor man answered as well as he could--"the
plate! the money for the troops--where are they?"
"The money for the troops is in the spirit-room, but of the plate I know
nothing; it is in some of the cases belonging to my lord the bishop."
"Hawkhurst! down at once into the spirit-room, and see to the money; in
the mean time I will ask a few questions of this reverend father."
"And the supercargo--do you want him any more?"
"No; he may go."
The poor man fell down on his knees in thankfulness at what he
considered his escape: he was dragged away by the pirates, and, it is
scarcely necessary to add that in a minute his body was torn to pieces
by the sharks, who, scenting their prey from a distance, were now
playing in shoals around the two vessels.
The party on the quarter-deck were now (unperceived by the captain)
joined by Francisco, who, hearing from the Krouman, Pompey, that there
were prisoners still on board, and amongst them two females, had come
over to plead the cause of mercy.
"Most reverend father," observed Cain, after a short pause, "you have
many articles of value in this vessel?"
"None," replied the bishop, "except this poor girl; she is, indeed,
beyond price, and will, I trust, soon be an angel in heaven."
"Yet is this world, if what you preach be true, a purgatory which must
be passed through previous to arriving there, and that girl may think
death a blessing compared to what she may expect if you refuse to tell
me what I would know. You have good store of gold and silver ornaments
for your churches--where are they?"
"They are among the packages intrusted to my care."
"How many may you have in all?"
"A hundred, if not more."
"Will you deign to inform me where I may find what I require?"
"The gold and silver are not mine, but are the property of that God to
whom they have been dedicated," replied the bishop.
"Answer quickly; no more subterfuge, good sir. Where is it to be
found?"
"I will not tell, thou blood-stained man; at least; in this instance,
there shall be disappointment, and the sea shall swallow up those
earthly treasures to obtain which thou hast so deeply imbrued thy hands.
Pirate! I repeat it, I will not tell."
"Seize that girl, my lads!" cried Cain; "she is yours, do with her as
you please."
"Save me! oh, save me!" shrieked Teresa, clinging to the bishop's robe.
The pirates advanced and laid hold of Teresa. Francisco bounded from
where he stood behind the captain, and dashed away the foremost.
"Are you men?" cried he, as the pirates retreated. "Holy sir, I honour
you. Alas! I cannot save you," continued Francisco, mournfully. "Yet
will I try. On my knees--by the love you bore my mother--by the
affection you once bore me--do not commit this horrid deed. My lads!"
continued Francisco, appealing to the pirates, "join with me and entreat
your captain; ye are too brave, too manly, to injure the helpless and
the innocent--above all, to shed the blood of a holy man, and of this
poor trembling maiden."
There was a pause--even the pirates appeared to side with Francisco,
though none of them dared to speak. The muscles of the captain's face
quivered with emotion, but from what source could not be ascertained.
At this moment the interest of the scene was heightened. The girl who
attended upon Teresa, crouched on her knees with terror, had been
casting her fearful eyes upon the men who composed the pirate-crew;
suddenly she uttered a scream of delight as she discovered among them
one that she well knew. He was a young man, about twenty-five years of
age, with little or no beard. He had been her lover in his more
innocent days; and she, for more than a year, had mourned him as dead,
for the vessel in which he sailed had never been heard of. It had been
taken by the pirate, and, to save his life, he had joined the crew.
"Filippo! Filippo!" screamed the girl, rushing into his arms.
"Mistress! it is Filippo; and we are safe."
Filippo instantly recognised her: the sight of her brought back to his
memory his days of happiness and of innocence; and the lovers were
clasped in each other's arms.
"Save them! spare them!--by the spirit of my mother! I charge you,"
repeated Francisco, again appealing to the captain.
"May God bless thee, thou good young man!" said the bishop, advancing
and placing his hand upon Francisco's head.
Cain answered not; but his broad expanded chest heaved with emotion--
when Hawkhurst burst into the group.
"We are too late for the money, captain: the water is already six feet
above it. We must now try for the treasure."
This intelligence appeared to check the current of the captain's
feelings.
"Now, in one word, sir," said he to the bishop, "where is the treasure?
Trifle not, or, by Heaven--!"
"Name not Heaven," replied the bishop; "you have had my answer."
The captain turned away, and gave some directions to Hawkhurst, who
hastened below.
"Remove that boy," said Cain to the pirates, pointing to Francisco,
"Separate those two fools," continued he, looking towards Filippo and
the girl, who were sobbing in each other's arms.
"Never!" cried Filippo.
"Throw the girl to the sharks! Do you hear? Am I to be obeyed?" cried
Cain, raising his cutlass.
Filippo started up, disengaged himself from the girl, and, drawing his
knife, rushed towards the captain to plunge it in his bosom.
With the quickness of lightning the captain caught his uplifted hand,
and, breaking his wrist, hurled him to the deck.
"Indeed!" cried he, with a sneer.
"You shall not separate us," said Filippo, attempting to rise.
"I do not intend it, my good lad," replied Cain. "Lash them both
together and launch them overboard."
This order was obeyed: for the pirates not only quailed before the
captain's cool courage, but were indignant that his life had been
attempted. There was little occasion to tie the unhappy pair together;
they were locked so fast in each other's arms that it would have been
impossible almost to separate them. In this state they were carried to
the entering-port, and cast into the sea.
"Monster!" cried the bishop, as he heard the splash, "thou wilt have a
heavy reckoning for this."
"Now bring these forward," said Cain, with a savage voice.
The bishop and his niece were led to the gangway.
"What dost thou see, good bishop?" said Cain pointing to the discoloured
water, and the rapid motion of the fins of the sharks, eager in the
anticipation of a further supply.
"I see ravenous creatures after their kind," replied the bishop, "who
will, in all probability, soon tear asunder those poor limbs; but I see
no monster like thyself. Teresa, dearest, fear not; there is a God, an
avenging God; as well as a rewarding one."
But Teresa's eyes were closed--she could not look upon the scene.
"You have your choice; first torture, and then your body to those sharks
for your own portion: and as for the girl, this moment I hand her over
to my crew."
"Never!" shrieked Teresa, springing from the deck and plunging into the
wave.
There was a splash of contention, the lashing of tails, until the water
was in a foam, and then the dark colour gradually cleared away, and
nought was to be seen, but the pure blue wave and the still unsatisfied
monsters of the deep.
"The screws--the screws! quick! we'll have the secret from him," cried
the pirate-captain, turning to his crew, who, villains as they were, had
been shocked at this last catastrophe. "Seize him!"
"Touch him not!" cried Francisco, standing on the hammock-netting;
"touch him not! if you are men."
Boiling with rage, Cain let go the arm of the bishop, drew his pistol,
and levelled it at Francisco. The bishop threw up the arm of Cain as he
fired; saw that he had missed his aim, and clasping his hands, raised
his eyes to heaven in thankfulness at Francisco's escape. In this
position he was collared by Hawkhurst, whose anger overcame his
discretion, and who hurled him through the entering-port into the sea.
"Officious fool!" muttered Cain, when he perceived what the mate had
done. Then, recollecting himself, he cried,--"Seize that boy and bring
him here."
One or two of the crew advanced to obey his orders; but Pompey and the
Kroumen, who had been attentive to what was going on, had collected
round Francisco, and a scuffle ensued. The pirates, not being very
determined, nor very anxious to take Francisco, allowed him to be
hurried away in the centre of the Kroumen, who bore him safely to the
schooner.
In the meantime Hawkhurst, and the major part of the men on board of the
ship, had been tearing up the hold to obtain the valuables, but without
success. The water had now reached above the orlop-deck, and all
further attempts were unavailing. The ship was settling fast, and it
became necessary to quit her, and haul off the schooner; that she might
not be endangered by the vortex of the sinking vessel. Cain and
Hawkhurst, with their disappointed crew, returned on board the schooner,
and before they had succeeded in detaching the two vessels a cable's
length the ship went down with all the treasure so coveted. The
indignation and rage which were expressed by the captain as he rapidly
walked the deck in company with his first mate--his violent
gesticulation--proved to the crew that there was mischief brewing.
Francisco did not return to the cabin; he remained forward with the
Kroumen, who, although but a small portion of the ship's company, were
known to be resolute and not to be despised. It was also observed that
all of them had supplied themselves with arms, and were collected
forward, huddled together, watching every motion and manoeuvre, and
talking rapidly in their own language. The schooner was now steered to
the north-westward under all press of sail. The sun again disappeared,
but Francisco returned not to the cabin--he went below, surrounded by
the Kroumen, who appeared to have devoted themselves to his protection.
Once during the night Hawkhurst summoned them on deck, but they obeyed
not the order; and to the expostulation of the boatswain's mate, who
came down, they made no reply. But there were many of the pirates in
the schooner who appeared to coincide with the Kroumen in their regard
for Francisco. There are shades of villainy in the most profligate of
societies; and among the pirate's crew some were not yet wholly debased.
The foul murder of a holy man--the cruel fate of the beautiful Teresa--
and the barbarous conduct of the captain towards Filippo and his
mistress, were deeds of an atrocity to which even the most hardened were
unaccustomed. Francisco's pleadings in behalf of mercy were at least no
crime; and yet they considered that Francisco was doomed. He was a
general favourite; the worst-disposed of the pirates, with the exception
of Hawkhurst, if they did not love him, could not forbear respecting
him; although at the same time they felt that if Francisco remained on
board the power even of Cain himself would soon be destroyed. For many
months Hawkhurst, who detested the youth, had been most earnest that he
should be sent out of the schooner. Now he pressed the captain for his
removal in any way, as necessary for their mutual safety, pointing out
to Cain the conduct of the Kroumen, and his fears that a large
proportion of the ship's company were equally disaffected. Cain felt
the truth of Hawkhurst's representation, and he went down to his cabin
to consider upon what should be done.
It was past midnight, when Cain, worn out with the conflicting passions
of the day, fell into an uneasy slumber. His dreams were of Francisco's
mother--she appeared to him pleading for her son, and Cain "babbled in
his sleep." At this time Francisco, with Pompey, had softly crawled
aft, that they might obtain, if they found the captain asleep, the
pistols of Francisco, with some ammunition. Pompey slipped in first,
and started back when he heard the captain's voice. They remained at
the cabin-door listening. "No, no," murmured Cain, "he must die--
useless--plead not, woman!--I know I murdered thee--plead not, he dies!"
In one of the sockets of the silver lamp there was a lighted wick, the
rays of which were sufficient to afford a dim view of the cabin.
Francisco, overhearing the words of Cain, stepped in, and walked up to
the side of the bed. "Boy! plead not," continued Cain, lying on his
back and breathing heavily--"plead not--woman!--to-morrow he dies." A
pause ensued, as if the sleeping man was listening to a reply. "Yes, as
I murdered thee, so will I murder him."
"Wretch!" said Francisco, in a low, solemn voice, "didst thou kill my
mother?"
"I did--I did!" responded Cain, still sleeping.
"And why?" continued Francisco, who at this acknowledgment on the part
of the sleeping captain was careless of discovery.
"In my mood she vexed me," answered Cain.
"Fiend; thou hast then confessed it!" cried Francisco in a loud voice,
which awoke the captain, who started up; but before his senses were well
recovered, or his eyes open so as to distinguish their forms, Pompey
struck out the light, and all was darkness; he then put his hand to
Francisco's mouth, and led him out of the cabin.
"Who's there?--who's there?" cried Cain.