Five days had passed since the encounter in the garden, and Dutch Pugh
had not been back to his home. He had lain for some time stunned from
the blow he had received, and then risen half-dazed, and in a wretched,
dejected way made for the town, where, letting himself into the office,
he had thrown himself upon the floor, and slept heavily till morning, to
the great surprise of the clerks, who found him there when they came.
With an intense desire to hide his anguish from everyone, he had given
out that he had fallen asleep after being many hours at work, and no
notice was taken of his soiled clothes. Then, with the truth gradually
oozing out, that no flight had been intended, but that for some reason,
so Mr Parkley said, Senor Laure had gone back to his hotel, Dutch
worked on, superintending till the vessel was ready for sea.
The stores and machinery were complete for the purpose, and the
passengers were on board. Moreover, a brother of Mr Parkley had been
invited to assist in the business during the chief partner's absence,
and together Mr Parkley and Dutch walked down to the dock.
"We had a sort of hint from Bessy Studwick that you haven't been home
for some days, Pugh," said Mr Parkley.
"Don't talk about it, please."
"Well, I won't much," said Mr Parkley, "for I guess a great deal. It
was all my fault, Dutch, my dear boy. I had no business to have
proposed such a thing, and, believe me, if I had known what a scoundrel
the fellow was, I would never have entered into this project with him."
"Pray say no more," exclaimed Dutch.
"I must, my dear boy, I must, for I want to clear myself. You see the
preparation for this trip means five thousand pounds, and I cannot throw
the matter over; the loss is too heavy, or else I would."
"Oh, no, it is impossible," exclaimed Dutch.
"If I had known my man sooner, I would have seen him at Hanover before I
would have had anything to do with him. But look here, my dear Pugh, I
couldn't help hearing a great deal about your domestic trouble. Haven't
you been wronging the little woman?"
"If you have any respect or feeling for me, Mr Parkley, say no more."
"All right, my dear fellow," said the other, with a sigh, "I will not;
only act like a sensible man in all things--home and business. Heigho,
I really wish I was not going, but the idea of these hidden treasures
sets me on fire."
Mr Parkley forgot all his hesitation as they stepped on board and saw
how--in spite of the bustle and confusion consequent upon receiving late
supplies of fresh meat and vegetables--ship-shape and excellent were
Captain Studwick's arrangements. John Studwick was on board, seated
upon a wicker chair, and his sister beside him; Mr Meldon, the young
doctor, was leaning over the bulwarks, with a very tall, thin young man,
the naturalist friend; the sailors were busy lowering bales and
arranging coops and hens; and all was ready for the start--in fact, the
dockmen were ready to warp the schooner out, and after a short run
behind a tug down the harbour, they would have the open Channel before
them.
There was a goodly concourse of people about the wharves, for the object
of the schooner's trip had somehow gained wind, and while some expressed
interest and curiosity in the voyage, others laughingly called it a
fool's errand.
"Has anybody seen Senor Lorry?" said Mr Parkley at last.
"I had a note from him," said Captain Studwick, "He said he would be
down here punctually at twelve. Has his luggage come, Oakum?"
"None on it, sir," said the rough old sailor, pulling his forelock.
"That's strange," said the captain. "When did you see him, Parkley?"
"Last night, and he said he would be aboard in the morning, and glad of
it, for he was sick of England."
"Twelve o'clock now," said the captain. "Well, the tide serves; I must
give the word for getting out of dock. He must have a longer row for
being late. He's sure to come, of course."
"Oh, yes," said Mr Parkley; but he glanced uneasily at Dutch, as if he
did not feel sure.
"Ready there," cried the captain. "Now, my lads, be handy--cast off
those ropes for'ard. Oh, here he is. Hold hard there."
"But where's his luggage?" said Mr Parkley.
"Oh, behind the crowd," said the captain. "Come along, sir, we were
going without you."
"Indeed!" said the Cuban, with a smile. "I doubt that. Where would you
go?"
"Where Mr Parkley told me," said the captain. "Give me the order.
I'll find the place. Let's see, Mr Pugh, we are to send you back in
the tug, I suppose."
Dutch nodded.
"Now, then, for'ard there," cried the captain; "be ready to cast off.
Are you ready?"
"Ay, ay," came in chorus from the smart, well-picked crew.
"Stop!" exclaimed Laure in a loud voice, and, turning to Mr Parkley, he
pointed to Dutch and said, "That is your partner, is it not, Mr
Parkley?"
"Yes, certainly."
"And he will share in the profits of this expedition?"
"Certainly he will, sir."
"Then, sir, I break our engagement. I shall have nothing to do with the
voyage. The matter is entirely off."
"Confound it all, sir!" cried Mr Parkley, in a passion. "You can't do
that."
"But, sir, I have done it," said the Cuban, lighting a cigar.
"What! After I've spent all this money in preparation?"
"I have told you," said the Cuban, contemptuously--and he gave a
malignant glance at Dutch.
"Mr Parkley," said Dutch, stepping forward, "my private quarrel with
this man shall not stand in your way. All this preparation has been
made for the expedition, and my being your partner shall not stop it.
Sir, our partnership is at an end."
"Is it?" said Mr Parkley, with his teeth set. "No, I'll be hanged if
it is;" and as the men gathered round, wondering at what they had heard,
he laid his hand on Dutch Pugh's shoulder. "I've proved you, my lad,
but I've not proved this man, who at the first touch bends and nearly
breaks. We are partners, and mean to stay so, and Mr Lorry here will
have to keep to his bond, or I'll soon see what the law says to him."
The Cuban smiled contemptuously.
"Suppose I say it was all a mad dream, and I know of no such place: what
then?"
"Why, you are a bigger scoundrel than I took you for."
"Sir!" cried the Cuban, menacingly.
"Oh, you want to frighten me with your big looks, sir," cried Mr
Parkley. "Now then, I ask you in plain English, will you fulfil your
undertaking, and show me the place where the old Spanish galleons are
sunk?"
"No," said the Cuban, coolly, "I will not help to enrich my enemy!" and
he again looked indignantly at Dutch.
"Mr Parkley!" exclaimed the latter, "I cannot see all this costly
enterprise ruined because of my private trouble with this villain."
"Villain!" cried Laure, confronting Dutch, whose face flushed and whose
hands were half raised to seize his enemy.
"Be silent," he said, in a low, hoarse voice, "I've that within me that
I can hardly control. If you rouse it again, by the God who made me,
I'll strangle you and hurl you over the side."
The Cuban involuntarily shrank from the menacing face before him, and
Dutch by a strong effort turned to Mr Parkley.
"Make terms with him, sir. I will not stand in your way."
"Yes, I'll make terms with him," exclaimed Mr Parkley, angrily. "Now,
sir, I ask you again will you fulfil your contract?"
The Cuban half-closed his eyes, puffed forth a ring of smoke, and said
quietly,--
"In my country, when one man strikes another the insult is washed out in
blood. Your bold partner there has struck me, a weaker man than
himself, and I cannot avenge the insult, for you cold islanders here
boast of your courage, but you will not equalise the weak and strong by
placing the sword, the knife, or the pistol in their hands. You say no;
that is the law. You call in your police. Fools! cowards! do you think
that will satisfy me?"
"Did Mr Pugh strike you, then?" said Mr Parkley.
"Yes, three cruel blows," hissed the Cuban, with his face distorted with
rage.
"Then you must have deserved it," cried Mr Parkley.
"You think so," said the Cuban, growing unnaturally calm again. "Then I
say I must have satisfaction somehow. Your partner makes me his enemy,
and you must suffer. I shall not fulfil my contract. I will not take
you where the galleons lie. You have made your preparations. Good.
You must suffer for it, even as I suffer. I give up one of the dreams
of my life. I will not go."
A pang shot through Dutch Pugh's breast, for in this refusal to depart
he saw an excuse to remain in England, and once more the hot blood rose
to his face.
"You absolutely refuse, then, to show Captain Studwick and me where the
objects we seek are hid?" said Mr Parkley, turning up his cuffs as if
he meant to fight; and the Cuban's hand went into his breast.
"I absolutely refuse," said the Cuban, disdainfully.
"You know, I suppose, that you forfeit half the result," said Mr
Parkley.
"Yes," said the Cuban, moving towards the gangway, "I know I lose half
the result."
"You know I have spent five thousand pounds in preparations," said Mr
Parkley, calmly.
"Yes," sneered the Cuban, "and you have your law. Go to it for revenge;
it may please you."
"No," said Mr Parkley, looking round at the frowning faces of his
friends; "that means spending another thousand to gain the day, and
nothing to be obtained of a beggarly Cuban adventurer, who has neither
money nor honour."
"Take care!" cried Laure, flashing into rage, and baring his teeth like
some wild cat. But the next instant, with wonderful self-command, he
cooled down, standing erect, proud and handsome, with his great black
beard half-way down his breast. "Bah!" he exclaimed, "the English
diving-master is angry, and stoops to utter coward's insults."
"I'll show you, Mr Lorry, that I am no coward over this," said Mr
Parkley, firmly. "You mean to throw us over, then, now that we are
ready to start."
"You threaten to throw me over," said the Cuban, smiling disdainfully.
"If you mean, do I still refuse to go, I say yes! yes! yes! You and
your partner shall never touch a single bar of the treasure. Ha! ha!
What will you do now?"
"Start without you," said Mr Parkley, coolly. "Captain Studwick, see
that this man goes ashore."
The Cuban was already close to the gangway, but he turned sharply round,
and took a couple of steps towards the last speaker.
"What!" he said, with a look of apprehension flashing out of his eyes.
"You will go yourself without one to guide you?"
"Yes," said Mr Parkley; "and if you went down on your knees now to beg
me, damme, sir, you've broke your contract, and I wouldn't take you."
"Ha--ha--ha--ha--ha!" laughed the Cuban, derisively, as he quickly
recovered his composure. "A beggarly threat. Do you not know that it
took me five years of constant toil to make the discovery? and you talk
like this!"
"Yes," said Mr Parkley. "It took a beggarly mongrel foreigner five
years, no doubt; but it would not take an enterprising Englishman five
weeks."
The Cuban's hand went into his breast again as he heard the words
"beggarly mongrel foreigner," and Captain Studwick grasped a
marlin-spike, ready to strike his arm down if he drew a weapon; but the
rage was crushed down directly, and Laure laughed again derisively.
"Go, then, fools, if you like. But I know: it is an empty threat. Ha,
ha, ha! Go alone. A pleasant voyage, Senor Parkley, and you, too,
Senor Captain. You will perhaps find me there before you."
"Perhaps," said Mr Parkley. "But go I will, and hang me if I come back
till I have found it."
"Well, for the matter o' that, Master Parkley and Capen Studwick," said
a rough voice, "if it means putting the schooner at anchor where them
Spanish galleons was sunk in the Carib Sea, if you'll let me take the
wheel, and you'll find fine weather, I'll steer you to the very spot."