Our first object will be to explain to the reader by what means Edward
Templemore was induced to surmise that in Francisco, whom he considered
as a rival, he had found a brother; and also to account for the
reappearance of the pirate Cain.
In pursuance of his orders, Edward Templemore had proceeded on board of
the wreck of the _Avenger_; and while his men were employed in
collecting articles of great value which were on board of her, he had
descended into the cabin, which was partly under water. He had picked
up a book floating near the lockers, and on examination found it to be a
Bible.
Surprised at seeing such a book on board of a pirate, he had taken it
with him when he returned to the _Enterprise_, and had shown it to
Clara, who immediately recognised it as the property of Francisco. The
book was saturated with the salt water, and as Edward mechanically
turned over the pages, he referred to the title-page to see if there was
any name upon it. There was not: but he observed that the blank or
fly-leaf next to the binding had been pasted down, and that there was
writing on the other side. In its present state it was easily detached
from the cover; and then, to his astonishment, he read the name of
Cecilia Templemore--his own mother. He knew well the history; how he
had been saved, and his mother and brother supposed to be lost; and it
may readily be imagined how great was his anxiety to ascertain by what
means her Bible had come into the possession of Francisco. He dared not
think Francisco was his brother--that he was so closely connected with
one he still supposed to be a pirate: but the circumstance was possible;
and although he had intended to have remained a few days longer, he now
listened to the entreaties of Clara, whose peculiar position on board
was only to be justified by the peculiar position from which she had
been rescued, and returning that evening to the wreck he set fire to
her, and then made all sail for Port Royal.
Fortunately he arrived, as we have stated, on the day of the trial; and
as soon as the signal was made by the admiral he immediately manned his
gig, and, taking Clara with him, in case her evidence might be of use,
arrived at the Court House when the trial was about half over.
In our last chapter but one, we stated that Cain had been wounded by
Hawkhurst, when he was swimming on shore, and had sunk; the ball had
entered his chest, and passed through his lungs. The contest between
Hawkhurst and Francisco, and their capture by Edward, had taken place on
the other side of the ridge of rocks in the adjacent cove, and although
Francisco had seen Cain disappear, and concluded that he was dead, it
was not so; he had again risen above the water, and dropping his feet
and finding bottom, he contrived to crawl out, and wade into a cave
adjacent, where he lay down to die.
But in this cave there was one of the _Avenger's_ boats, two of the
pirates mortally wounded, and the four Kroumen, who had concealed
themselves there with the intention of taking no part in the conflict,
and, as soon as it became dark, of making their escape in the boat,
which they had hauled up dry into the cave.
Cain staggered in, recovered the dry land; and fell. Pompey, the
Krouman, perceiving his condition, went to his assistance and bound up
his wound, and the stanching of the blood soon revived the
pirate-captain. The other pirates died unaided.
Although the island was searched in every direction, this cave, from the
water flowing into it, escaped the vigilance of the British seamen; and
when they re-embarked, with the majority of the pirates captured, Cain
and the Kroumen were undiscovered.
As soon as it was dark, Cain informed them of his intentions; and
although the Kroumen would probably have left him to his fate, yet, as
they required his services to know how to steer to some other island, he
was assisted into the stern-sheets, and the boat was backed out of the
cave.
By the direction of Cain they passed through the passage between the
great island and the northern Caique, and before daylight were far away
from any chance of capture.
Cain had now to a certain degree recovered, and knowing that they were
in the channel of the small traders, he pointed out to the Kroumen that,
if supposed to be pirates, they would inevitably be punished, although
not guilty, and that they must pass off as the crew of a small
coasting-vessel which had been wrecked. He then, with the assistance of
Pompey, cut off his beard as close as he could, and arranged his dress
in a more European style. They had neither water nor provisions, and
were exposed to a vertical sun. Fortunately for them, and still more
fortunately for Francisco, on the second day they were picked up by an
American brig bound to Antigua.
Cain narrated his fictitious disasters, but said nothing about his
wound, the neglect of which would certainly have occasioned his death a
very few days after he appeared at the trial, had he not fallen by the
malignity of Hawkhurst.
Anxious to find his way to Port Royal, for he was indifferent as to his
own life, and only wished to save Francisco, he was overjoyed to meet a
small schooner trading between the islands, bound to Port Royal. In
that vessel he obtained a passage for himself and the Kroumen, and had
arrived three days previous to the trial, and during that time had
remained concealed until the day that the Admiralty Court assembled.
It may be as well here to remark, that Cain's reason for not wishing the
packet to be opened was, that among the other papers relative to
Francisco were directions for the recovery of the treasure which he had
concealed, and which, of course, he wished to be communicated to
Francisco alone.
We will leave the reader to imagine what passed between Francisco and
Edward after the discovery of their kindred, and proceed to state the
contents of the packet, which the twin-brothers now opened in the
presence of Clara alone.
We must, however, condense the matter, which was very voluminous. It
stated that Cain, whose real name was Charles Osborne, had sailed in a
fine schooner from Bilboa, for the coast of Africa, to procure a cargo
of slaves; and had been out about twenty-four hours when the crew
perceived a boat apparently with no one in her, about a mile ahead of
them. The water was then smooth, and the vessel had but little way. As
soon as they came up with the boat, they lowered down their skiff to
examine her.
The men sent in the skiff soon returned, towing the boat alongside.
Lying at the bottom of the boat were found several men almost dead, and
reduced to skeletons; and in the stern-sheets a negro woman, with a
child at her breast, and a white female in the last state of exhaustion.
Osborne was then a gay and unprincipled man, but not a hardened villain
and murderer, as he afterwards became; he had compassion and feeling--
they were all taken on board the schooner: some recovered, others were
too much exhausted. Among those restored was Cecilia Templemore and the
infant, who at first had been considered quite dead; but the negro
woman, exhausted by the demands of her nursling and her privations,
expired as she was being removed from the boat. A goat, that
fortunately was on board, proved a substitute for the negress; and
before Osborne had arrived off the coast, the child had recovered its
health and vigour, and the mother her extreme beauty.
We must now pass over a considerable portion of the narrative. Osborne
was impetuous in his passions, and Cecilia Templemore became his victim.
He had, indeed, afterwards quieted her qualms of conscience by a
pretended marriage, when he arrived at the Brazils with his cargo of
human flesh. But that was little alleviation of her sufferings; she who
had been indulged in every luxury, who had been educated with the
greatest care, was now lost for ever, an outcast from the society to
which she could never hope to return, and associating with those she
both dreaded and despised. She passed her days and her nights in tears;
and had soon more cause for sorrow from the brutal treatment she
received from Osborne, who had been her destroyer. Her child was her
only solace; but for him, and the fear of leaving him to the
demoralising influence of those about him, she would have laid down and
died: but she lived for him--for him attempted to recall Osborne from
his career of increasing guilt--bore meekly with reproaches and with
blows. At last Osborne changed his nefarious life for one of deeper
guilt: he became a pirate, and still carried with him Cecilia and her
child.
This was the climax of her misery: she now wasted from day to day, and
grief would soon have terminated her existence, had it not been hastened
by the cruelty of Cain, who, upon an expostulation on her part, followed
up with a denunciation of the consequences of his guilty career, struck
her with such violence that she sank under the blow. She expired with a
prayer that her child might be rescued from a life of guilt; and when
the then repentant Cain promised what he never did perform, she blessed
him, too, before she died.
Such was the substance of the narrative, as far as it related to the
unfortunate mother of these two young men, who, when they had concluded,
sat hand-in-hand in mournful silence. This, however, was soon broken by
the innumerable questions asked by Edward of his brother, as to what he
could remember of their ill-fated parent, which were followed up by the
history of Francisco's eventful life.
"And the treasure, Edward," said Francisco; "I cannot take possession of
it."
"No, nor shall you either," replied Edward; "it belongs to the captors,
and must be shared as prize-money. You will never touch one penny of
it, but I shall, I trust, pocket a very fair proportion of it! However,
keep this paper, as it is addressed to you."
The admiral had been made acquainted with all the particulars of the
eventful trial, and had sent a message to Edward, requesting that, as
soon as he and his brother could make it convenient, he would be happy
to see them at the Penn, as well as the daughter of the Spanish
governor, whom he must consider as being under his protection during the
time that she remained at Port Royal. This offer was gladly accepted by
Clara; and on the second day after the trial they proceeded up to the
Penn. Clara and Francisco were introduced, and apartments and suitable
attendance provided for the former.
"Templemore," said the admiral, "I'm afraid I must send you away to
Porto Rico, to assure the governor of his daughter's safety."
"I would rather you would send some one else, sir, and I'll assure her
happiness in the meantime."
"What! by marrying her? Humph! you've a good opinion of yourself! Wait
till you're a captain, sir."
"I hope I shall not have to wait long, sir," replied Edward, demurely.
"By-the-bye," said the admiral, "did you not say you have notice of
treasure concealed in those islands?"
"My brother has: I have not."
"We must send for it. I think we must send you, Edward. Mr Francisco,
you must go with him."
"With pleasure, sir," replied Francisco, laughing; "but I think I'd
rather wait till Edward is a captain. His wife and his fortune ought to
come together. I think I shall not deliver up my papers until the day
of his marriage!"
"Upon my word," said Captain Manly, "I wish, Templemore, you had your
commission, for there seems so much depending on it--the young lady's
happiness, my share of the prize-money, and the admiral's eighth.
Really, admiral, it becomes a common cause; and I'm sure he deserves
it!"
"So do I, Manly," replied the admiral; "and to prove that I have thought
so here comes Mr Hadley with it in his hand; it only wants one little
thing to complete it--"
"Which is your signature, admiral, I presume," replied Captain Manly,
taking a pen full of ink, and presenting it to his senior officer.
"Exactly," replied the admiral, scribbling at the bottom of the paper;
"and now--it does not want that. Captain Templemore, I wish you joy!"
Edward made a very low obeisance, as his flushed countenance indicated
his satisfaction.
"I cannot give commissions, admiral," said Francisco, presenting a paper
in return; "but I can give information--and you will find it not
unimportant--for the treasure appears of great value."
"God bless my soul! Manly, you must start at daylight!" exclaimed the
admiral; "why, there is enough to load your sloop! There!--read it!--
and then I will write your orders, and enclose a copy of it, for fear of
accident."
"That was to have been my fortune," said Francisco, with a grave smile;
"but I would not touch it."
"Very right, boy!--a fine principle! But we are not quite so
particular," said the admiral. "Now, where's the young lady? Let her
know that dinner's on the table."
A fortnight after this conversation, Captain Manly returned with the
treasure; and the Enterprise, commanded by another officer, returned
from Porto Rico, with a letter from the governor in reply to one from
the admiral, in which the rescue of his daughter by Edward had been
communicated. The letter was full of thanks to the admiral, and
compliments to Edward; and, what was of more importance, it sanctioned
the union of the young officer with his daughter, with a dozen boxes of
gold doubloons.
About six weeks after the above-mentioned important conversation, Mr
Witherington, who had been reading a voluminous packet of letters in his
breakfast-room in Finsbury Square, pulled his bell so violently that old
Jonathan thought his master must be out of his senses. This, however,
did not induce him to accelerate his solemn and measured pace; and he
made his appearance at the door, as usual, without speaking.
"Why don't that fellow answer the bell?" cried Mr Witherington.
"I am here, sir," said Jonathan, solemnly.
"Well, so you are! but, confound you! you come like the ghost of a
butler!--But who do you think is coming here, Jonathan?"
"I cannot tell, sir."
"But I can!--you solemn old! Edward's coming here!--coming home
directly?"
"Is he to sleep in his old room, sir?" replied the imperturbable butler.
"No! the best bedroom! Why, Jonathan, he is married--he is made a
captain--Captain Templemore!"
"Yes--sir."
"And he has found his brother, Jonathan; his twin-brother!"
"Yes--sir."
"His brother Francis--that was supposed to be lost! But it's a long
story, Jonathan--and a very wonderful one! his poor mother has long been
dead!"
"In caelo quies!" said Jonathan, casting up his eyes.
"But his brother has turned up again."
"Resurgam!" said the butler.
"They will be here in ten days--so let everything be in readiness,
Jonathan. God bless my soul!" continued the old gentleman, "I hardly
know what I'm about. It's a Spanish girl, Jonathan!"
"What is, sir?"
"What is, sir!--who, Captain Templemore's wife; and he was tried as a
pirate!"
"Who, sir?"
"Who sir! why, Francis, his brother! Jonathan, you're a stupid old
fellow!"
"Have you any further commands, sir?"
"No--no!--there--that'll do--go away."
And in three weeks after this conversation, Captain and Mrs Templemore,
and his brother Frank, were established in the house, to the great
delight of Mr Witherington; for he had long been tired of solitude and
old Jonathan.
The twin-brothers were a comfort to him in his old age: they closed his
eyes in peace--they divided his blessing and his large fortune and thus
ends our history of THE PIRATE!