With the captain of the sandal-wooder, the broken-hearted wanderer, had
taken passage, and one day, as he watched the movements of his child as
it frolicked with the rough seamen of the brigantine, the haunting
fear of discovery returned to him in all its first force of three years
before. A kindly remark made by the rough but good-natured skipper led
him to reveal his story, and the seaman's face fell when the deserter
asked him if he thought it possible he could ever return to England with
safety.
“No, I don't. You _might_ but I can tell you that a man with a figure
like you--6 ft. 1 in. if you're an inch, and with a cut across the
face--wouldn't miss being found out. And look here, 'tisn't even safe
for you to come to Singapore. There's many a King's ship around these
parts, and the chances are that some of the company of any one of 'em
would recognise you--and you know what that means. If I were in your
place I would try and get away in an American whaler. Once in America
you'll be safe enough. The best I can do for you is to put you ashore
at the Bonin Islands. There's bound to be whalers in there next season,
making up northwards to the coast of Japan and Tchantar Bay.”
One day they sailed slowly into a little land-locked harbour in the
Bonin Islands, and Brandon, grasping the kind-hearted skipper's hand,
bade him goodbye, and went ashore. Here, among the strange hybrid
population of natives, half-bloods, runaways from whale-ships, and
Portuguese, he found employment at boat-building, and for another three
years lived contentedly enough, working hard, and saving what little
money he could. Then came the _Oliver Cromwell_ and reported that an
English frigate which was at anchor a few miles away at another harbour
would be at his then refuge on the following day.
Without saying a word of farewell to his rough and wild associates,
he had taken his bag of honestly-earned money, and going on board the
barque at night, besought the master to give him and the boy a passage
away to any island in the Caroline or Marshall Groups at which the
vessel could conveniently land them.
At noon next morning the barque was under way, and as she rounded the
point the lofty spars of the frigate showed up scarce a mile distant,
and Brandon, with a pistol in the bosom of his shirt, sat and trembled
till the _Oliver Cromwell_ was well away from her, and the frigate's
white sails had become hull down.
For week after week the barque sailed past many a palm-shaded isle, with
its belt of gleaming beach within the fringe of beating surf, and the
brown people came out from their dwellings of thatch and shouted and
bawled to the men on the passing ship; but at none of these would the
captain land the deserter, for the natives were reputed to be savage and
treacherous to the last degree.
At last the green peaks of Kusaie which shadowed the deep waters of Lêla
Harbour were sighted; and here once more the wandering man sought to
hide himself from the world.