Had a pistol been fired beside his head he could not have started more
violently, and I had thought that he would have been utterly dumfounded;
but he recovered himself with a most amazing quickness.
"Why, Captain Mackra," says he, with a laugh, "and is it you that
welcome me back again, like the prodigal that I am?"
"Sir," said I, very sternly, "you will be pleased to answer my question,
for I tell you plain that I am in no humor for jesting upon this
occasion."
"And why should I not jest?" says he; "the whole business is a jest from
first to last. As all this coil has been made about a very simple piece
of business, I am forced to tell what I had not intended to tell, and
which I am surprised that a man of your feeling should urge another
into declaring. A man of parts, sir, may find favor with dusky beauties
as well as with white; nor can I see what more harm there may be in
visiting a sweetheart here than at Gravesend, which I doubt not you
yourself have done, and that more than once."
I confess that I was vastly struck aback at this reasonable answer, and
began for a moment to misdoubt that my suspicions of the captain were
correct. For a while I stood, not knowing what to say, when of a sudden
certain circumstances struck me that Captain Leach's words had not
explained.
"And why," said I, "at a time of such anxiety and uncertainty, did you
not ask permission to leave the ship?"
"I should think," says he, "a man of delicacy would have no need to ask
such a question as that."
"Then tell me this," I cried, "_why did you not direct your course
towards the land instead of towards the open sea?_"
"Why," says he, laughing, and answering with the utmost readiness, "I
thought of nothing at all but of getting away from the ship as fast as
possible, seeing that some hasty fool aboard was blazing away at me with
a pistol or musquetoon, and that if I had been picking my course at the
time I might have wound up the business with an ounce of lead in my
brains, instead of enjoying this pleasant conversation in such good
health."
All this time we had been standing within a foot or two of one another,
I looking him straight in the face, though I could see nothing of it in
the darkness. For a moment or two I could make no answer, his words
being so mightily plausible; and yet I did not believe a single one of
them, for they ran so smoothly and glibly that I could not but feel
convinced that he had them already sorted and arranged for just such an
occasion as the present.
"Sir," said I, in a low voice, for I was afraid lest my indignation
should get the better of me, "I tell you plain that, though your words
are so smooth, I do not believe that which you tell me. Go to your
cabin, sir, and let me tell you that if I see anything that may tend to
confirm my suspicions of you, I will clap you in irons, without waiting
a second, and as sure as you are a living man."
"Captain Mackra," said he, in a voice as quiet as that I myself had
used, "if ever I come safely to land, you shall answer to me for these
words, sir."
"That as you please," said I; and thereupon turned and left the boat,
entering my own cabin so soon as I had seen that Captain Leach had
obeyed my orders by betaking himself to his.
I was not thus quickly to see the last of this part of the affair, for
early the next morning, and before I had left my cabin, Mr. Langely
comes to me with a message from Captain Leach to the effect that he
would like to have a few words with me. I at once sent a return message
that I would be pleased to see him at whatever time it might suit him to
come. Accordingly in about five minutes he knocked upon the door of my
cabin, and I bade him enter. I motioned him to a chair, but he only
bowed and remained standing where he was, nigh to the door.
"Captain Mackra," said he, coldly, "you were pleased to put upon me last
night a gross and uncalled-for insult. I cannot summon you to account
for it at present, although I hope to do so in the future. But you may
perceive, sir, that it will be best both for you and for myself that I
should withdraw from this ship, and finish my passage to India, as the
opportunity now offers, either in the _Greenwich_ or the _Van Weiland_"
(which was the name of the Ostend boat).
[Illustration: "CAPTAIN MACKRA," SAID HE, COLDLY, "YOU WERE PLEASED TO
PUT UPON ME LAST NIGHT A GROSS AND UNCALLED-FOR INSULT."]
I was overjoyed at so propitious an opportunity of getting thus easily
rid of my uncomfortable passenger. However, I think I showed nothing
of this to him--at least I endeavored not to do so--and told him that a
boat was at his service if he chose to look for another berth for the
rest of the voyage. I myself went upon deck and had the gig lowered,
into which Captain Leach presently stepped, having bid good-by to his
fellow-passengers, and having said that he would send for his chest so
soon as he had secured a berth in one or the other of the vessels
mentioned. I gave directions to the boatswain, who was captain of the
gig, to await Captain Leach's orders until he should indicate that he
had no further use for the boat, and then saw him rowed away to the
_Greenwich_ with the most inexpressible pleasure.
The _Cassandra's_ boat lay alongside of the _Greenwich_ for maybe half
an hour, at the end of which time I was surprised to see Captain Leach
re-enter her, and direct his course to the Ostender, which lay a little
distance beyond. He remained aboard of her for about the same length of
time that he had stayed with the _Greenwich_, after which he climbed the
boat for a third time, and directed his course for the _Cassandra_
again.
I was standing upon the quarter-deck when he came aboard, and he
approached me with a countenance expressive of the utmost mortification
and chagrin.
"Captain Mackra," said he, "I find that by a most unfortunate sequence
of events I can find a berth neither aboard the _Greenwich_ nor the
Ostender, so that nothing remains but for me to force my unwelcome
presence upon you for the balance of the voyage."
I own that I was very much disappointed by these words. However, nothing
remained but to put the best face possible upon the matter. "Sir," said
I, as graciously as I could contrive to speak, although I am afraid that
my tone was expressive of my disappointment, "it was at your own
suggestion that you quitted the _Cassandra_; your berth, sir, is still
ready for your occupation."
He said nothing further, but indicating his acknowledgments with a bow,
proceeded directly to his cabin.