FAVORED OF THE GODS
It seemed as if my heart must choke me at sound of those steady
footsteps approaching down the passageway. I heard the sharp click of
a gun-barrel in the sentry's hand as he presented arms, then the noise
of the uplifting latch, yet remained so paralyzed by the suddenness of
it as to be fairly helpless, unable to move from my position. De Noyan
merely smiled lazily, as though this new act formed part of the play,
beginning calmly to roll another cigarette.
"The devil came likewise," he murmured lightly, sinking back upon his
stool. "Begin your paternosters, friend Benteen, or he will fly away
with both of us."
Fortunately these mocking words brought me to my senses quickly enough
to permit dropping upon my knees with back to the door before it swung
wide open. Nor did I trust myself to do aught save mumble inarticulate
and mongrel Latin, until it had been safely closed again. Had I sought
to exercise my wits on this occasion, my companion permitted small
opportunity for words.
"Ah! so it is you, you black-faced Arab?" he exclaimed sneeringly, as
the Commandant of the guard peered curiously in. "Not content to wait
the striking of the ship's bell, you must even interrupt my prayers.
Nice treatment of a gentleman his last night on earth, to push yourself
in between him and the consolations of the holy father. _Sacre_! had I
only a small sword at my side I would write a message across your black
Spanish heart which would teach your master how to guard a French
cavalier safely, and still be decent about it."
It is doubtful whether the officer comprehended this tirade. It was
voiced in French, yet tone and manner must have conveyed much of its
import, for I distinguished a muttered word or so regarding the
unpleasant duty of a soldier, and the length of time the priest had
retained the key, ere the intruder finally backed out closing the door
behind him. I clung to my knees, however, until his retreating
footsteps had died entirely away in the distance; even until De Noyan
addressed me again in his exasperating drawl.
"So, Father, you must now realize, if never before, how highly I value
your ministrations. Faith! never until this hour have I truly enjoyed
the prayers of any _padre_; I knew not what I missed. Still there is
limit even to such pleasure, and it is time now to conclude; I have
heard better Latin in my day, while your provincial accent rasps
painfully upon the ears."
"You made your play quite well, Monsieur," I said shortly, somewhat
mortified he should thus take the leadership out of my hands at the
first symptom of danger. "But there must be something besides
play-acting for us to-night if we get free of this ship. So come now;
do you get into the box?"
He looked down at it doubtfully, with a shrug of the shoulders.
"_Pardieu_! I would ask certain questions first," he said with greater
show of seriousness. "For how long a time? for what sort of a passage?
It will prove somewhat cramped, I take it, for a man of my length of
limb."
"I hope both may prove short," I returned, continuing to hold up the
lid for him to enter. "Yet I know of no other possible means whereby
you can leave this room without being halted by the guard at the door.
There is no certainty in this, yet there is a chance, Chevalier, and
that ought always to be invitation to a brave man. Beyond this it is
God's affair."
The soldier twisted his long moustaches reflectively, a new light
gleaming in the eyes that fronted me.
"_Sacre_, man!" he said at last stepping forward in sudden resolution.
"As you say it may be worth trying, but it's not unlike climbing into a
coffin three sizes too small for the deceased. Still I 'll bide
therein for a while, only, I warn you, you better be easy when you put
me down, or the corpse may furnish a sudden resurrection."
It proved truly no easy task to stow him safely in that contracted
space. At any other time I should have laughed outright, marking the
final result of our combined efforts, especially at the expression,
half ludicrous, half pathetic, upon his face as he gazed up at me just
before the lid was closed.
"Now mind, Chevalier," I said gravely, for had I ventured upon a smile
at his predicament he would have popped instantly forth again, "you are
to make no movement of any kind until left alone. When certain of that
you may venture out of the chest, but remain quiet until you hear from
me again."
[Illustration: Had I ventured upon a smile at his predicament he would
have popped instantly forth again.]
"You believe you know a way?"
"Under God's guidance yes, if you will only bear your part."
Without pausing for his answer I dropped the heavy cover over him, and
gave vent to a sigh of relief.
So far, at least I had won; thus far the gods had favored me. In spite
of the obstacle of temperament I had found means to attain my end, to
work my will, yet I realized well De Noyan would never bear such
uncomfortable posture long; whatever was to be accomplished must be
done quickly. Fortunately my plan, dim and doubtful as it was, had
already taken outline. I had determined what to endeavor; it must be
attempted at once, with bold heart, or the opportunity would be gone
forever. Pulling the hood across my face, I partially opened the door,
glancing out upon the curious sentry. To my relief he was alone.
"I suppose the Commandant told you to give me a lift out with this
box?" I asked in Spanish.
"No, señor _padre_."
The man was exceedingly good-natured, evidently one who had profound
respect for the cloth.
"_Caramba_!" I growled angrily, using the Spanish tongue so he might
not miss my meaning. "He promised it only a moment ago, when he looked
in. He must have forgotten. There is no sense in having such a great
chest lumbering up the entire room. Know you how it ever came there?"
"It was the señor Lieutenant's state-room, _padre_, before the
prisoners were brought aboard. I think it might be his sea-chest."
"Well, the Commandant said it could be removed, so out it goes. It
leaves no space for us to kneel in prayer."
I bent down as I spoke, exerting all my strength, and succeeded in
dragging the heavy, iron-bound chest forward, across the threshold. My
heart beat fiercely in misgiving lest the guard might feel moved to
interfere, but he never stirred; merely gazed at my movements in stolid
wonder. Concealing from him all the interior possible with my body, I
spoke a brief word of farewell to the prisoner, supposed to be safely
within, then closed and locked the door.
"Here," I said authoratively, my cheeks flushed with delight at so
successful an issue, "lay hold on one end of this, and give me a lift."
Obligingly, and apparently without a moment's reflection as to his
duty, the soldier, young in years and doubtless a new recruit, leaned
his gun against the mast, bending down with hand upon the rope handle.
"Where to, señor _padre_?"
"The Commandant said it might be placed in the store-room. 'Twill stow
away safely enough there, and bother nobody. Know you where that is?"
"Ay; only a step this way."
"Lead on then, yet Saint Cecilia! it makes no light load. The
Lieutenant must have kept his stock of wine within."
I durst not venture bearing the thing farther, fearful lest we might
run afoul of others of the guard who would prove more suspicious than
this honest fellow, besides, all my hasty plan of escape hung now upon
the faith retained, that the half-open cuddy door had direct
communication with the provisions stored below. Surely they could
never be loaded and unloaded by means of the distant hatch-ladder. So
dull and unintelligent in the dim light appeared the face of the fellow
opposite, as we strained forward beneath the weight of the chest, I
ventured upon a question.
"How does the cook get out all that provender from here?"
"I know not, señor _padre_; but I think there will be opening from the
store-room to the upper deck. They were at work there yesterday while
I was on guard."
By good fortune the room sought was only three doors down the
passageway. As it was, my forehead was wet with perspiration for fear
De Noyan would lose what little stock of patience he possessed before
we reached there, or that the Spaniard would begin to wonder at the
surprising weight. Dropping the chest with good will amid the raffle
littering up the floor space, we came forth together, the soldier to
pick up his gun, while, mopping my face vigorously, I proceeded forth
into the guard-room for the purpose of delivering up the key.
This was a task I approached with dread. Even now some slight slip of
tongue, or action, could easily ruin everything accomplished, yet I
durst not omit the precaution, lest the missing key awaken suspicion
and lead to immediate pursuit. Here, again, fortune played strangely
into my hands, as I discovered the officer dozing in his chair, and,
stepping softly, so as not to arouse him, I gladly handed that
important bit of iron over to the care of one of the guard, himself too
drowsy from potations to trouble me with questioning. Relieved of this
duty, my heart filled with gratitude for all the mercies of the night,
I betook myself up the ladder unmolested, and a moment later stood in
comparative freedom upon the open deck.
I could scent the coming dawn in the fresh morning air the moment I
arose through the hatch opening, yet there was no sign of it in the
sky; indeed I felt there must be fog in the atmosphere, it rendered it
so thick, although not sufficiently heavy to drip in moisture. It
required only a moment to locate all life present along the forward
deck, and I became convinced few wakeful eyes remained among them at
this sleepiest of all hours of the night. Trusting to this, as well as
the garb I wore for concealment, I walked boldly back as far as the
mainmast, meeting no one. Then, fearful of observation from the
officer still pacing the poop, I skulked stealthily along in the black
shadow of the cook's galley, until I reached the cuddy door, quaking
with fear lest it fail me. It opened instantly to the touch of the
hand, and with heart throbbing wildly, for now all that had been
accomplished hung in the balance of this last experiment, I groped
about within seeking to solve the mystery of that gloomy interior. The
place had the feel of a big, square box; by stretching out across the
edge I could barely reach the farther side, but could touch no bottom,
nor did I feel the rungs of any ladder leading down. It resembled a
well, and the thought immediately took possession of me that the crew
hauled up their provisions by use of ropes, yet I could discover no
hoisting apparatus of any kind. With head projected far below the deck
level I ventured a soft whisper into the darkness:
"Are you there, Chevalier?"
There was a slight movement beneath, as if he drew closer to where I
was.
"Yes, it is all right," he returned, his voice so modulated as to be
barely audible. "But I discover nothing in this darkness to aid in
reaching the deck. Know you where a rope can be secured?"
"Ay; lie quiet until I return."
It was a bit ticklish, yet required doing. A trip to the foremast put
in my possession quite a section of line sliced from off the rope's end
previously left dangling from the upper yard. Incidentally as I passed
back and forth I revisited Father Cassati, still resting easily in his
bonds, but now peacefully sleeping off his earlier potations
undiscovered upon the hard deck. Returning with my treasure, I payed
it out into the intense blackness of the cuddy hole, and anxiously
awaited developments below.
Nor had I long to wait--there came a touch on the line followed by a
firmer pull, as if the party below tested its strength. For a moment
the cord wiggled about as if the man was working with his end to some
purpose, then there followed three sharp jerks which I interpreted to
mean to hoist away. I promptly put my full strength to it, bracing
both feet firmly against a heavy cross-piece of timber, evidently
nailed there for that very purpose. The rope ran over a small roller
set close against the coaming, which I had failed to observe in my
hasty search, so I found the strain less than expected, although a
heavy weight was evidently attached to the other end. But I uplifted
this, for I was vain of my strength in those days, and the distance was
not so great but that shortly his hands managed to grip hold upon the
deck planks, and a moment later he stood beside me, complacent and
debonair as ever, in the dense shadows of the galley.
"_Sacre_! 'tis a most scurvy trick we are playing on the Dons, friend
Benteen," he murmured smiling easily, while peering about him in the
darkness. "And now, what is the next act in this midnight melodrama,
most cautious youth?"
"The keeping of a still tongue until we are both overboard," I replied
somewhat roughly. "Follow me closely, and keep quiet about it, if you
retain the slightest care for your life."
It was not much of a trick, the rest of it, and within five minutes we
were silently floating down the great river, through the darkness,
seeking after some quiet landing-place below the fleet.