So soon as I had left the Residency I went straight aboard my craft. I
entered my cabin, locked the door, and began pacing up and down,
striving to collect my thoughts and to shape them into some sort of
order. At first I was possessed with a most ungovernable fury--that I,
who had suffered so much, who had fought till I could fight no more, and
who had freely risked my life in the Company's cause, should now be
accused of stealing that very thing that had cost me such suffering and
so great a weight of trouble. But by-and-by the ferment of my spirits
began somewhat to subside, and I could look matters more coolly in the
face. Then, instead of anger, I became consumed with anxiety, for I
began, little by little, to perceive what a dreadful cloud of suspicion
overshadowed me. I had acted to the best of my light in not accusing
Captain Leach of what I feared might be unfounded suspicions bred of my
dislike of his person. Now all men would think that I was leagued with
him in robbing the Company of the great ruby. In return for my
forbearance in not making a public accusation against him, he had
betrayed me and all that were aboard the _Cassandra_, and now every one
would believe that I had aided him in that as in the rest. He had
remained behind in the hopes of joining the pirates, and so securing
himself in the possession of his booty. Instead of accomplishing this,
he had perished miserably on board of that craft, wet with the blood of
those whom he had betrayed; but as for me, how could I ever disprove the
horrid charge that I had deserted my confederate in guilt, leaving him
to his death, so that I might gain all for myself. The very fact of my
taking my life into my hands, and going so freely among those wicked
and bloody wretches, instead of weighing in my favor, would seem to
point to some sort of bargain with them whereby I was the gainer; for
who would believe that they would voluntarily have resigned so great a
part of those things which they had a short time before torn away from
us at the cost of so much blood? Even the fact of my having so carefully
guarded the secret of the stone might be twisted into sinister
suspicions against me.
As for those bright hopes that I had but lately entertained, how could I
now raise my eyes towards Mistress Pamela, or how could I look for
anything, who was stained with such dreadful suspicions, without
prospect of being cleansed from them?
Perceiving all these things so clearly, I resigned myself to the depths
of gloomy despair, for the more I bent my mind upon these matters the
less did I see my way clear from my entanglements. I sat long into the
night, thinking and thinking, until the temptation came upon me to shoot
out my brains, and be quit of all my troubles in that sudden manner. In
this extremity I flung myself upon my knees and prayed most fervently,
and after a while was more at peace, though with no clearer knowledge as
to how I might better my condition. So I went to my berth, where I was
presently sound asleep, with all my troubles forgot.
A day or two after these things had befallen comes one of the Company's
clerks aboard, with an order from Mr. Elliott relieving me of my
command, and appointing Mr. Langely in my stead. This appointment Mr.
Langely would have refused had I not urged him to accept of it, seeing
he could better settle the affairs of which he would be in charge than
one who would come aboard a stranger. Accordingly he consented to do as
I advised, though protesting against it most earnestly.
About two weeks after our arrival at Bombay the Governor notified me
that the Company's ship _Lavinia_ was about quitting her anchorage, and
that he had secured a berth to England in her for me. I was very well
pleased that the Governor had hit upon this one ship of all others in
the Company's service, for her commander, Captain Croker, was an old and
well-tried friend of mine, and one with whom it would be more pleasing
to be consociated at a time of such extreme ill fortune as I was then
suffering under. I went aboard her at once, and was most kindly received
by Captain Croker, whom I found had had a very comfortable berth fitted
up for me, and had arranged all things to make my voyage as pleasant as
possible.
The day after I came aboard, wind and tide being fair, and Captain
Croker having received his orders, we hoisted anchor and sailed out of
the harbor, and by four o'clock had dropped the land astern.
During the first part of that voyage, before I had contrived to leave
the _Lavinia_, of which I shall hereafter tell, my mind was constantly
and continually filled with my troubles, so that they were the first
thing which I remembered in the morning, and the last thing which I
forgot before I fell asleep. But that which puzzled me more than
anything else was to account for the mysterious manner in which the Rose
of Paradise had been spirited away from the iron despatch-box, and what
had become of it after it had passed from Mr. White's possession. Of
this I thought and pondered until my brain grew weary.
One night, we being at that time becalmed off the Gulf of Arabia, I sat
upon the poop-deck looking out over the water and into the sky, dusted
all over with an infinite quantity of stars, and with my mind still
moving upon the same old track which it had so often travelled before. I
know not whether it was the refreshing silence which reigned all about
me, but of a sudden it seemed as though the uncertainties which had
beset my mind were removed, and the whole matter stood before me with a
most marvellous clearness. Then I knew, as plain as though it had been
revealed to me, that the only man in the world who either had the Rose
of Paradise in his possession, or knew where it was hidden, was Captain
Edward England.
I do not think that I came to this conclusion through any line of
reasoning, but rather with a sudden leap of thought; but as soon as I
had fairly grasped it I marvelled at the dulness of my understanding,
which should have prevented my perceiving it before; for every single
circumstance that had happened pointed but in one direction, and that
was towards the end which I had but just reached.
It was as plain as the light of day that when Captain Leach went aboard
of the pirate craft on the night of the 21st of July, Captain England
would require him to explain his object in betraying the _Cassandra_
into their hands; and it was equally plain that Leach would have to tell
the truth; for it was not likely that he could deceive such a sharp and
cunning blade as that famous freebooter. I recalled the strange look
which Captain England had given me when he told me that Captain Leach
had been "shot by accident" upon their coming aboard the _Cassandra_;
whereupon, regarding matters from my present stand-point, I felt assured
that England had killed Leach with his own hand, so that with him the
secret of the stone might perish from amongst them. I also felt
convinced that he must, with great care and circumspection, have picked
the lock of the despatch-box and have despoiled it of its contents,
which he had kept for himself without informing any of his shipmates of
what he had found.
I could not at first account for the treatment that I had met with at
the pirates' hands, nor why I had not been shot so soon as I had
stepped upon their decks, for it was plain to see that that would be the
easiest and quickest way for Captain England to rid himself of me; yet
it was very apparent to me that he desired that my life should be saved,
and was even inclined to show me some kindness after his own fashion;
and I do verily believe that that wicked and bloody man entertained a
sincere regard for my person, and had it in his mind to do me a good
turn; for even the very worst of men have some seed of kindness in them,
otherwise they could not be of our human brotherhood, but wild beasts,
thinking only of rending and tearing one another.
But I could easily perceive that so soon as England felt assured of my
coming aboard of his craft, he would strive to mislead me into thinking
that he knew nothing of the stone, lest by some inadvertent word I
should betray a knowledge of it to the others, and he would have to
share his spoil with them. Therefore he would carefully lock the box
again, and would toss it in the corner to lead me to think he knew
nothing of the contents.
All this train of reasoning I followed out in my mind, and when I
recalled the quizzical, cunning look which the rogue had given me when I
asked for the despatch-box, I felt certainly assured that I was right.
I remember that when I had clearly cogitated all this out in my own mind
I felt as though one step had been gained towards the recovery of the
stone, and for an instant it seemed as though a great part of the weight
of despondency had been lifted from my breast. But the next moment it
settled upon me again when I brought to mind that I was as far as ever
from regaining the jewel; for I knew not where the pirates then were,
and even if I did know, and was venturesome enough to face their captain
a second time, it was not likely that he would be so complacent as to
give back such a great treasure for the mere asking. Nor do I think it
likely that I would ever have gained anything by this knowledge which
had come to me (unless I might have used it to help my case with the
East India Company) had not Providence seen fit to send me help in a
most strange and unexpected manner. And thus it was:
One morning when I came upon deck I saw several of the passengers,
together with the captain and the first mate, standing at the lee side
of the ship and looking out forward, Captain Croker with a glass to his
eye. Upon inquiring they told me that the lookout had some little time
before sighted a small open boat, which had been signalling the ship
with what they were now able to make out was a shirt tied to the blade
of an oar. We ran down to the boat, which we reached in twenty or thirty
minutes, and then hove to, and it came alongside.
There were three men in her, who seemed to be in a mightily good
condition for castaways in an open boat. I stood looking down into it
along with other of the passengers, watching the men as they took in
their oars and laid them along the thwarts. Just then one of the fellows
raised his face and looked up; and when I saw him I could not forbear a
sudden exclamation of amazement. I remember one of my fellow-passengers,
a Mr. Wilson, who stood next to me, asked me what was the matter. I made
some excuse or other that was of little consequence, but the truth was
that I recognized the fellow as that very pirate who had first kicked me
in the loins when I lay bound upon the deck of the _Cassandra_, and whom
Captain England had knocked down with the iron belaying-pin.
However, the fellow did not recognize me, for I was a very different
object now than when he had seen me lying upon the pirate deck, pinched
with my sickness, barefoot and half naked, and my cheeks and chin
covered over with a week's growth of beard. The three fellows presently
came aboard, and were brought aft to the quarter-deck, where Captain
Croker stood, just below the rail of the deck above. They told a very
straightforward story, and I could not help admiring at their coolness
and the clever way in which they passed it off. They said that they had
been part of the crew of the brigantine _Ormond_, which had been lost in
a storm about a hundred and twenty leagues north of the island of
Madagascar. That the captain and six of the crew had taken the
long-boat, and that they had become separated from her in the darkness
two nights before. They answered all of Captain Croker's questions in a
very straightforward manner, and with all the appearance of truth. After
satisfying himself, he told them that they might go below and get
something to eat, and that he would carry them to England as a part of
the ship's crew.
[Illustration: THE THREE FELLOWS WERE BROUGHT AFT TO THE QUARTER-DECK,
WHERE CAPTAIN CROKER STOOD, JUST BELOW THE RAIL OF THE DECK ABOVE.]
At first I was inclined to tell the real truth concerning them to
Captain Croker, but on second thoughts I determined to see what the
fellows had to say for themselves; for I only recognized one of them,
and, after all, their story might be true, and that one have given up
his wicked trade in the four or five months since I had last seen him.
About an hour after this I saw my friend the pirate engaged forward in
coiling a rope. I came to him and watched him for a while, but he kept
steadily on with what he was about, and said nothing to me.
"Well, sir," said I, after a bit, "and how was Captain England when you
saw him last?"
The fellow started up as suddenly as though the rope had changed to an
adder in his hands. He looked about him as though to see if any one were
near and had overheard what I said to him, and then recovered himself
with amazing quickness. He grinned in a simple manner, and chucked his
thumb up to his forelock. "What was it you were saying, sir?" says he.
"I didn't just understand you."
"Come, come," said I; "that will never pass amongst old friends. Why,
don't you remember me?"
He looked at me in a mightily puzzled fashion for a while. "No, sir;
asking your pardon, sir," said he, "I don't remember you."
"What!" said I, "have you forgot Captain Mackra, and how you gave him a
kick in the side when he lay on the deck of the _Cassandra_, down off
Juanna?" As the fellow looked at me I saw him change from red to yellow
and from yellow to blue; his jaw dropped, and his eyes started as though
a spirit from the dead had risen up from the decks in front of him.
"So," said I, "I see you remember me now."
"For God's sake, sir," said he, "don't ruin a poor devil who wants to
make himself straight with the world. I was drunk when I kicked you,
sir--the Lord knows I was; you wouldn't hang me for that, sir, would
you?"
"That depends," said I, sternly, "upon whether you answer my questions
without telling me a lie, as you did Captain Croker just now."
"I wish I may die, sir," said he, "if what I tell you ain't so. We all
three of us left the _Royal James_ last night--she was the _Cassandra_,
sir, but we christened her a new name, and hoisted the Black Roger over
her. We got scared, sir, at the way things was going since Ned England
left us and Tom Burke turned captain; for he ain't the man England was,
and that's the truth. All we ask now, sir, is to start fair and square
again; and so be if we don't hang for this, I wish I may be struck dead,
sir, if I, for one, go back to the bloody trade again. So all I want is
to have a fair trial, and I begs of you, sir, that you won't say the
word that would hang us all up to the yard-arms as quick as a wink." I
am mightily afraid that I did not hear the last of the fellow's
discourse, for one part of the speech that he had dropped went through
me like a shot. "How is that?" I cried. "Was not Captain England with
you when you deserted the ship?"
"Why, no, sir," says he. "You see, sir, when we sailed away from Juanna,
Tom Burke began to move heaven and earth against England, and back of
him he had all of the worst of the crew aboard. First of all he began
setting matters by the ears because England and Ward had been wheedled
into giving you--asking your pardon, sir--a good sound vessel and all
them bales of cloth stuff. I tell you plain, sir, Burke would never have
let you had 'em if he hadn't wanted to use the matter against England.
Well, sir, one night Ward fell overboard--nobody knowed how--and there
was an end of him. After that they weren't long in getting rid of
England, I can tell you."
"Yes, yes," I cried, impatiently, "but how
did you get rid of him?"
"Why, sir," says he, "they marooned him on a little island off the
Mauritius, and six others with him; they was--"
"Never mind them," I cried; "but tell me, do you know what became of
him?"
"Why, yes, sir," says he; "leastways we knew of him by hearsay; and this
was how: About eight weeks ago we ran into a cove on the south shore of
Mauritius to clean both ships, which had grown mightily foul. While we
lay there on the careen a parcel of the crew who had been off hunting
for game fetched back one of the self-same fellows we had marooned two
months and more before. He told us that England and his shipmates had
made a little craft out of bits of boards and barrel-staves, and had
crossed over to the Mauritius in a spell of fair weather, though it was
five leagues and more away."
To all this I listened with the greatest intentness. "And is that all
you know of him?" said I. "And can you not tell whether he is yet on the
island?"
The fellow looked at me for a moment out of the corners of his eyes
without speaking. "Look 'ee, sir," said he, after a little while, "what
I wants to know is this: be ye seeking to harm Ned England or not?"
"And do you trouble yourself about that?" says I. "Sure he can be no
friend of yours, for did I not myself see him knock out a parcel of your
teeth with an iron belaying-pin?"
"Yes, you did," says he; "but I bear him no grudge for that."
"Why," said I, "then neither do I bear him a grudge, and I give you my
word of honor that I mean no harm to him."
The fellow looked at me earnestly for a while. "You wants to know where
Ned England is, don't you, sir?" said he.