The man who, in this unexpected manner, brought me intelligence of my
father, belonged to the crew of one of the visiting captains' boats, and
a word or two of explanation was sufficient to procure the delay in the
boat's departure necessary to permit the fellow to tell his story.
In order to be a little more alone, Bob (who was, in a few words, made
acquainted with the facts of the case), the seaman, and I went down over
the side to the _Water Lily's_ deck, when, as soon as we had comfortably
bestowed ourselves, the man thus began:
"You must know, gentlemen, to commence with, that I was shipped, among
others, on board the _Amazon_ at Canton. Dysentery was awful bad among
the crews just at that time, and no less than seven was ashore from our
old barkie bad, when she left. Two chaps run as soon as she got in, and
couldn't be found agin; so there was nine berths in the fo'c'sle to be
filled when she was ready to sail. As I was savin', I was one of the
new hands shipped. Englishmen was scarce somehow just then, and the
skipper had to take what he could get. Consequence was, he shipped
three Portuguese, a Spaniard, a Greek, two Frenchmen, and a Yankee,
besides myself. The third mate was ashore bad, and the second mate had
died, so the Yankee (who seemed a smartish sort of chap) was made second
mate, and one of the old fo'c'sle men was put into the third mate's
berth. When we got aboard, we found the hatches on, and all ready for a
start, and that same a'ternoon we unmoored, and away we went.
"We was the first ship as went away with any of the new teas, and the
skipper was awful anxious for a quick run home. We carried on night and
day; but the weather was light with us, and we didn't get along half as
such a smart ship ought to ha' done, for she was a reg'lar flyer, as
perhaps you gentlemen both knows.
"Well, we hadn't been out above a week when, whether 'twas worryin' at
the light winds, or what 'twas I can't say, but the poor skipper was
laid on his beam-ends with fever, and it took the chief-mate all his
time to prevent his jumping overboard. However, it didn't seem to
matter so much, so far as the ship was consarned, for the Yankee second
mate turned out to be a first-rate navigator, and he in a way took
charge of the craft.
"Well, gentlemen, how it all came about, I can't say, for I never
noticed anything wrong. True, some of the chaps talked a bit queer to
me at times; but I thought 'twas all a bit of a flam; but, howsomever,
one fine night my Yankee gentleman and the new hands takes the ship. At
eight bells in the first watch, the watch below was called; and as soon
as they came on deck three on 'em goes straight over and jines the
mutineers without a word; so it was clear as 'twas all planned afore
among 'em. That left only three whites out of the plot--the Lascars had
all been bribed or frightened into jining in with t'others--and, out of
us three, two was lying on deck, lashed hands and heels together when I
come up through the fore-scuttle.
"The minute my foot touched the deck, I was tripped up and secured
before I was fairly awake, and stowed alongside of the two other chaps.
Then my noble Yankee, he steps up and stands in front of us three, and
he says, says he, `Now, you chaps, you see how it is; we've got the ship
and we means to keep her; and we've made up our minds to do a little bit
of pirating; make our fortunes; and then cut the sea and live like
gentlemen for the rest of our days ashore. If you've a mind to jine us,
well and good; if not, there's a plank sticking over the bows, and I'll
be obliged to trouble you to take a short walk on it for the benefit of
your constitooshuns. You've got five minutes allowed to make up your
minds.'
"When the time was up, one of the chaps was unlashed, and the Yankee
asks him what he intends to do.
"`I'll walk that--plank, if I must,' says he; `but I hope I'm too honest
to turn my hand to your--pirating,' says he.
"`Ah right,' says the Yankee; `just as you please; there's no
compulsion; only if you're so confounded honest,' says he, `you'll have
to leave this here ship,' says he, `for we can't afford the room to stow
away sich a bulky article as honesty. That's your road, and a pleasant
passage to ye,' says he, pointin' to the plank.
"Poor Bill--I can see him now, it seems to me--he stood for about half a
minute looking far away into the moonlit sky, thinking of his friends,
maybe, if he had any; and then, without a word, he steps to the rail,
puts his hands upon it, jumps up on to the top of the bulwarks, and next
minute there was a splash alongside, and he was gone.
"T'other chap was then cast adrift, and _he_ was asked the same
question.
"`I've sailed with Bill,' says he, `for nigh on six years, and never
knew a truer-hearted shipmate, or a better seaman,' says he; `and since
it _must_ be, here goes,' says he, `to take our last cruise in company.'
"And he too jumps upon the rail just as Bill did, and, without waitin' a
second, launches himself overboard a'ter him.
"It was now my turn. I'd been thinking matters over in my mind whilst
all this was going on; and I'll confess I found it hard to make up my
mind to die. `Whilst there's life there's hope,' thinks I; `and it can
but come to a launch over the side at last, if the worst comes to the
worst;' so when they asked me what I intended to do, says I. `Tell me,
first of all, what's become of the skipper?' says I.
"`He's below in his bunk,' says the Yankee, `and the mate with him, and
there they're welcome to stay so long as they don't interfere with us,'
says he, `and I'll take good care they don't,' says he. `But what's
that to do with you?'
"`Well,' says I, `I likes the skipper; he's been a good friend to me,
and I couldn't be content to see harm come to him. If you'll promise to
shove him ashore all safe,' says I, `I don't mind taking a hand in your
little game.'
"`Very sensible indeed,' says the Yankee; `you've a darned sight better
notions in your head than they two stupid cusses as has just gone over
the side with nothin' to ballast 'em but their--honesty,' says he; `and
as for the skipper--make your mind easy. We've no grudge agin him; all
we wants is the ship; and now we've got her, we means to put the skipper
and the mate both ashore somewheres where they can be snug and
comfortable like together, but where there'll be no chance of our
hearin' anything more from 'em for the rest of their lives.'
"And that's the way it was all settled," continued the man. "I made up
my mind I'd never do no pirating if I could help it; and I thought maybe
if I stuck to the craft, I might be able to help the skipper a bit
somehow, and if ever I got a chance, why, I'd make a clean run for it,
and I reckoned I should find a way to do that the first port we touched
at.
"Well, as soon as matters was arranged, the Yankee takes the command,
and makes the Greek chief-mate; the watches was divided, the course
altered, and away we goes to the east'ard, on the starboard tack, with a
taut bowline and everything set as would draw, from the skysails down.
One hand is told off from each watch to keep a look-out in the cabin;
and the steward has his orders to do everything he could for the poor
skipper. He had a hard time of it, poor man, for when he was getting
better, and the truth couldn't any longer be kept from him, the mate
told him what had happened, and the news took him so completely aback
that he got as bad as ever again, and the wonder is that he didn't slip
his cables altogether. However, he managed to hold on to 'em, and at
last the fever left him; but he was that weak he hadn't strength to turn
over in his berth without help.
"All this time we were going to the east'ard, or about east-south-east,
with everything set that the spars would bear. At last, about a month
or maybe five weeks after the mutiny--I didn't keep much account of the
time--we fetches up, all standing, one dark night, upon a coral reef,
before we knowed where we was. There warn't much sea on, and we
happened to touch where there was nearly water enough to float us; so we
bumped and thumped gradually right over the reef into deep water--at
least about ten fathoms--on t'other side. The well was sounded, and we
found five feet of water in the hold; so, as there was land of some sort
close aboard of us, the Yankee rams her straight on to it to save her
from sinking under us.
"When daylight broke, we found ourselves on the sandy beach of a small
island, with reefs all round us; but a space of about a quarter to half
a mile of clear water everywhere between the reefs and the island.
"The cargo was roused out, and the ship examined, as well as it could be
done, to learn the extent of the damage, for the Yankee talked about
careening her to repair her bottom; but we soon found that the job was
too much for us. So we stayed on the island about a week, fitting out
the launch and the pinnace; and when all was ready, and everything
stowed in the boats that it was thought we should want, we made sail to
the nor'ard and east'ard; not, however, until the rest of the boats had
been destroyed, and the skipper and mate made all snug and comfortable
like in a tent ashore."
"Then you were inhuman enough," exclaimed I, "to leave my poor father,
sick as he was, on a desert island?"
"He was better off there than he would ha' been with us," replied the
man. "The island was a first-rate spot, with cocoa-nuts and bananas,
and lots of other fruits, no end; plenty of fresh water, and the bulk of
the ship's stores to draw from. It was a _lovely_ spot; lots of shade,
pure air, and pretty nigh everything a man could want, what with the
stores, and the fruit, and so on. He _must_ have died, had we taken him
away in the boats, for the sun beat down upon us _awful_, and the heat
was reflected back from the surface of the water to that extent we was
nearly roasted.
"Well, we'd been to sea nigh on to three weeks, and was getting pretty
short of water, though we touched at a couple of islands and filled up
again, on our way, when one evening--there wasn't a breath of air
blowing--we sighted a sail to the nor'ard of us. She was becalmed, like
ourselves.
"The Yankee takes a good long look at her, or at least at her
to'gallants'ls, which was all we could see, and then tells us he'd made
up his mind to have a slap at the chap during the night. We carefully
took her bearings, dowsed our canvas, and pulled leisurely towards her.
At last, when we thought we were beginning to near her, we muffled our
oars, and then paddled on again, both boats within oar's length of each
other.
"We pulled for about an hour, and then waited for some sign of her
whereabouts--for we reckoned we must be close aboard of her--but it was
that dark you couldn't see the length of your nose. After waiting a
goodish spell--none of us speaking a word for fear of giving an alarm--
we hears eight bells struck, somewhere away upon our port quarter.
"We had passed her, so we pulled very quietly round and just paddled in
the direction we thought she was lying. In about five minutes the
Yankee says, `I see her,' says he; and we stopped paddling. The pinnace
was hanging on astern of us, so's we shouldn't lose one another in the
dark; and she was hauled up, the men in her told what to do, and the
ship pointed out to them; and then we pulled away very quietly again.
"By this time we could just make out a dim something towering up in the
darkness, which we knew to be her sails. In another minute our boat was
alongside on her starboard quarter, and the pinnace on her larboard
quarter; we shinned up her low sides, and before the watch on deck could
rub their eyelids open, we had her.
"She turned out to be a little Yankee brig, with a cargo of sandalwood,
and was bound to Canton.
"Some of her crew joined us, the rest--the poor skipper and the first
mate among 'em--was hove overboard, and the sharks had a good meal. She
mounted four sixes, and had a well-stocked arm-chest, so that, with the
arms we brought with us from the old _Amazon_, we was pretty well off.
We mustered a good strong crew too--twenty-nine altogether, counting the
Lascars--so, as the brig was a beautiful model, and, we soon found,
sailed like a witch, our skipper decided to set up for a pirate at once.
"Well, gentlemen, it kept stark calm for two whole days after we'd took
the brig, and Johnson--that was the Yankee's name, Edward Johnson--he
kept us all busy during that time disguising the craft, by painting the
hull and spars afresh, and such like; and the carpenter he was sent over
the starn on a stage to fix a plank over the name, on which he'd carved
a lot of flourishes and such like, and the word _Albatross_, which was
what Johnson had re-christened her, and by the time we'd finished, her
own builder wouldn't have knowed her.
"After everything was finished to his satisfaction, he calls us all aft,
and tells us that he'd been thinking matters over, and he'd decided to
take the ship to Hong-Kong, and get rid of the sandalwood there, and get
a lot of things that was wanted to complete our outfit, and make us fit
for a good long cruise.
"Accordin'ly, as soon as the breeze sprang up, away we goes, never
falling in with anything as Johnson thought it worth his while to meddle
with all the way.
"We had a pretty quick run, for the brig sailed quite wonderful; and all
the while I was turning over in my mind how to get away. I intended to
take the first chance as offered, as soon as we got in; but Johnson was
a 'cute chap, none of us was let out of the ship any more'n he could
help, and then only they as he knowed he could trust.
"At last the cargo was out and the ballast in, the brig cleared for the
South Pacific, and everything ready for sailing next morning, and I'd
had no chance to get away, and I was beginning to think things were
looking queer with me. But I didn't give up all hope, for I knowed a
chance _might_ offer at the last minute, if I was but ready to take it.
"Some time during the night I woke up and went on deck for a minute or
two, and found it as black as pitch. There wasn't a soul moving in the
ship. I don't know where the anchor watch was; stowed away asleep
somewheres, likely. Anyhow, I thought to myself that now was my chance,
so, without waiting another minute, I climbs over the bows, and lets
myself quietly down into the water by the cable. As soon as I was
adrift, I lets the tide take me, for I was afraid of makin' so much as a
splash whilst I was near the ship. I drifted astern for about five
minutes, and then struck out. I hadn't taken no bearings, and didn't
know where the shore was; but I saw a few lights, and I shaped a course
for them.
"But after I'd swam about a matter of twenty minutes I found I was
farther away from 'em than I was when I started; and then the thought
flashed into my mind that the tide must be on the ebb, and that I was
going out to sea. I was so took aback that I went under. But I didn't
feel like giving up without I was obliged; so I struggled to the top of
the water again, and then turned over on my back to think matters over a
bit. But I didn't find much encouragement that way; and I was beginning
to think it was all up with me--'specially as I was getting pretty
tired--when I heard a sound some distance away, like a coil of rope hove
down on deck.
"I started to swim in the direction of the sound, and after perhaps
about five minutes I makes out something away on my port bow. I gives a
shout as loud as I could, and that sends me under again; so I soon found
that game wouldn't answer.
"However, I stretched out as hard as I could, and got alongside; but
there warn't nothing to take hold of, and she slips past me. I was too
done up to sing out again; but I starts to swim after her, when I
strikes my head against something, and it turns out to be a boat towing
astern. I got hold of the gunnel, and managed somehow to get aboard,
and then down I goes into the bottom of her, too exhausted to do
anything.
"I dropped off to sleep pretty soon, and was only woke up when the chaps
came to hoist their boat in.
"The craft turned out to be a coasting junk, bound to Shanghai, as I
managed to make out, but not another syllable could I understand of
their lingo or they of mine 'twould seem.
"Blest if the very next night we wasn't run down by something or other--
I never knowed what 'twas, for they hadn't the good manners to stop and
pick us up.
"The mainmast of the junk was knocked out of her in the smash, and I
managed to get hold of it and lash myself to it, just in the eyes of the
rigging. The yard happened to be undermost, and so I had a pretty good
berth.
"I floated about on that--spar for four days and nights without a bit or
drop of anything, and then my senses broke adrift, and I knew nothing
more of what happened to me for some time.
"When I came to myself I found I was on board a Dutch ship, homeward-
bound. It turned out that they passed close to my spar, and seein' me
lashed to it they picked me up.
"At least so I made it out; but I knew no Dutch, and there was only one
chap aboard that thought he knowed English; but Lord bless ye,
gentlemen, _I_ couldn't make top nor tail of what he said. I managed to
make out hows'ever that I'd had a narrow squeak of it, and that's about
all.
"By the time I was able to get about on deck again, we was well out in
the Indian Ocean, and everything seemed going on all right; but, as it
turned out, it was all _wrong_, for early one morning we makes land
ahead, the wind bein' light and dead on shore.
"The skipper hauled sharp up on the port tack to try and claw off; but a
current had got hold of us, and away we sagged to leeward, do what we
would, and at last we had to anchor.
"By-and-by the breeze freshened; but we was in a very ugly berth, and
the skipper didn't like to make a move.
"However, we didn't have a chance to settle the matter for ourselves,
for just about sunset the old barkie struck adrift, and, before we could
get the canvas on her, she was in among the rocks and bilged.
"We all got ashore, there bein' no great matter of a sea running, and,
to make a long story short, was made prisoners by the natives. What
become of the rest of the hands I never knowed--they may be there yet
for all I can say. An old chap picked me out, and made a sort of
servant of me, and, on the whole, I had pretty easy times of it I got to
find out, at last, that I was somewhere on the island of Madagascar.
"I stayed here nigh on two years, I reckon; but at last I got a chance
to steal a canoe and slip off to a small craft that was becalmed in the
offing. She was luckier than the Dutchman, as we got a breeze off the
land about an hour after I boarded her.
"She was bound to the Cape, and there I left her, shipping the very same
day in the craft I now belong to, and sailing for home the same
a'ternoon."
"Well," said I, as soon as the man had finished, "if your story is
true--and I see no reason to doubt it--_you_ at least are blameless as
far as the wrong done to my father is concerned. The only question now
is, whereabouts is the island on which he was left?"
"Ah, sir," replied he, "that's more'n I can tell. I _did_ hear Johnson
mention the latitude and longitude of it once; but I'm blest if I can
remember 'em now."
I was determined, however, to get _some_ clue if possible, however faint
it might be; and I took him into our little cabin, and spread a chart of
the Pacific on the table. Then I got him to recall, as nearly as he
could, the courses and distances steered by the _Amazon_ until the time
of her wreck.
We managed to trace her as far as the north-western extremity of New
Guinea, the man happening to remember hearing Johnson point out some
land in sight as the Cape of Good Hope.
This must manifestly have been the headland of that name on the north-
west coast of New Guinea; but from this point he became bewildered. He
remembered passing a great many islands after sighting this headland,
however, and was of opinion that the average courses steered were about
south-east, and he thought it was nearly a month afterwards when the
ship was lost.
This placed the scene of the wreck on one of the islands in the large
group in which we expected to find our treasure-island.
I questioned the fellow until I found I had extracted really every
particle of information it was in his power to give, and then, after
rewarding him for his information, I let him go.
As soon as he was gone, I wrote a hasty note to my sister, cautiously
conveying to her the intelligence that we had obtained a faint trace of
the _Amazons_ fate; a trace which, I added, we intended to follow up as
far as we could, and having sealed and addressed my missive, I hurried
up over the barque's side, and placed it in her captain's hands, and
then took leave of him with a hearty shake of the hand and many good
wishes on his part that we might have a safe and pleasant voyage.
It was time we were off, for a gentle breeze was springing up, and all
parties were anxious to avail themselves of it to the utmost extent. As
soon as we had once more got all our light canvas spread, Bob, instead
of turning in as he had a right to do, it being his watch below, came
and sat down beside me, and we began to discuss the strange story to
which we had so lately listened.
"It has enabled me definitely to make up my mind upon one point, which I
will now confess has troubled me not a little," said I, "and that is
your proposal to go round the `Horn,' Bob. Ever since we settled upon
that route, I have been thinking of the great risks we must run by
adopting such a course, and I really think that, but for this, I should
have hauled sharp up upon the port tack as soon as we fell in with the
south-east trades. _Now_, however, I feel so anxious about my father,
and his condition, that I would incur double the amount of risk, if need
were, in order to reach the Pacific as soon as possible, and, Bob, we
must find _him_ before we give a thought to the treasure.
"Right you are," exclaimed Bob heartily; "and there's my hand upon it,
Harry, my lad. The treasure can wait; but it may be of the greatest
consequence to the skipper to be found as soon as possible. He may be
ill, or tormented by a parcel of cannibal savages, or a thousand things
may be happening to him to make it important for him to have a couple of
trustworthy hands like ourselves added to his crew as soon as may be.
So shove the huzzey's nose as straight for the Cape as she'll look, and
let's get that part of the job over as soon as we can. And as to the
_danger_ of the expl'ite, we'll weather it somehow. The little beauty
has showed us already what she can do, and with a couple of prime
seamen--which I take it no man will deny _we_ are--to handle her, take
my word for it, she'll carry us round as safe as e'er a craft that
floats."
"There's another thing I've been thinking of within the last hour,"
continued I. "We talked of going into Buenos Ayres when we first made
up our minds to take the route round the Horn; but even that short
detention I should now like to avoid if possible. Want of water is
really the only cause which would _compel_ us to call there, though I
confess I should like to write a line to Ada from thence, to let her
know we had safely reached so far--"
"As to the first," interrupted Bob, "I feel no consarn whatever. We are
pretty certain to fall in with heavy rains afore we get very far south;
and if the wind happens to be light we can easily spread one of the
sails so as to catch the water, and one good heavy thunder-shower would
fill our tank for us, and as to letters, why, we shall perhaps have such
another chance as this here that we've just had, and that disposes of
the second difficulty. If we _don't_ get any rain before, there's a
splendid harbour on the southernmost side of the Gulf of Saint Matias,
hereaway on our starboard-bow, somewheres about two or three days' sail
to the south'ard of Buenos Ayres, and we can fill up our water there.
I've been into the place once, and a fine snug anchorage it is."
This was a great relief to me, for in my present feverish state of
excitement it seemed to me that any stoppage, unless absolutely
unavoidable, would be more than I could endure.
By this time it was Bob's watch on deck; but I felt that it would be
utterly impossible to sleep if I turned in, so I insisted that he should
go below instead, and, after some argument, he consented.
In about ten minutes more, certain sounds arising through the companion
told me that my friend was too thorough a seaman to be kept awake by
excitement, and I found myself alone and at liberty to indulge in the
new hopes which had so lately been awakened within my breast.