ISSUES SHARPLY DRAWN
We breakfasted next morning with Gideon North, and discussed in
particular Gleazen and Matterson and in general affairs on board the
Adventure. It seemed ages ago that I had first seen Gleazen on the
porch of the old tavern in Topham. I told all I knew of how he had
come to town and had won the confidence of so many people, of how
the blacksmith alone had stood out against him, and of how that last
wild night had justified the blacksmith in every word that he had
uttered.
Then Arnold Lamont took up the story and told of scores of things
that I had not perceived: little incidents that his keen eyes had
detected, such as secret greetings passed between Gleazen and men
with whom he pretended to have nothing whatever to do; chance
phrases that I, too, had overheard, but that only Arnold's native
shrewdness had translated aright; until I blushed with shame to
think how great had been my own vanity and conceit--I who thought I
had known so much, but really had known so little!
Then Captain North in blunt language told of things that had
happened on board the Adventure, which made Uncle Seth out to be a
poor, helpless dupe, and ended by saying vigorously, "Seth Upham is
truly in a bad way, what with Gleazen and Matterson; and brave lads
though you are, you're not their kind. Unless you two were smarter
than human, they'd get you in the end, for they're cruel men, with
no regard for human life, and the odds are all in their favor; but
three of us in the cabin is quite another matter. We'll see what we
can do to turn the cat in the pan.
"And now,"--he pushed his dishes away and set his elbows on the
table,--"now for facts to work upon. The pair of them are going to
Africa with a purpose. Am I not right?"
The question required no answer, but Arnold and I both nodded.
"A cargo's all well and good, and they've no objection to turning an
honest dollar, just because it's honest; but there's more than
honest dollars in this kettle of fish."
Again we nodded.
"Now, then, my lads, let me tell you this: when they've got what
they want in Africa, whatever it may be, when they've squeezed Seth
Upham's last dollar out of his wallet, when they no longer need
honest men on board to protect them from cruising men-o'-war, then,
lads, they're going to throw you and me to the sharks. As yet, it is
too soon to strike against them. The odds are in their favor still,
and as far as we're concerned there's no hope in Seth Upham, for
they've got him twirling on a spit. It is for us, lads, to go
through with them to the very end, to walk up and shake hands with
death and the devil if worst comes to worst, but to be ready always
to strike when the iron's hot,--aye, to strike till the sparks fly
white."
So there we sealed our compact, Arnold Lamont and Gideon North and
I, with no vows and with scant assertions, but with a completeness
of understanding and accord that gave us, every one, unquestioning
confidence in each of our associates. The fate of poor Sim Muzzy,
which Arnold and I had so narrowly escaped, was still perilously
close at hand; and in returning to the brig, which Gideon North had
left in anger, we shared a common danger that bound our alliance
more firmly than any pledge would have bound it.
Our breakfast eaten, we sorted over some pistols that Captain North
had ordered sent from a shop, and chose, each of us, a pair, for
which our host insisted on standing scot; then he paid the bill for
his lodgings, and, armed against whatever the future might bring,
and firmly resolved that Gleazen and Matterson should not beat us in
a matter of wits, we went into the street.
The day was beautiful almost beyond belief, and the streets of
Havana were full of wonderful sights; but with the memory of poor
Sim's sad fate in mind, and with our hearts set on the long contest
that we must wage, we saw little of what went on around us. Followed
by two negroes, who between them carried Captain North's bag, we
boldly marched three abreast down through the city to the
harbor-side, where we hailed a boatman and hired him to take us out
to the brig.
Coming up to the gangway, Captain North loudly called, "Ahoy there!"
There was a rush to the side of the brig, and a dozen faces looked
down at us; but none of them were the faces that we most desired to
see.
"Ho!" Captain North exclaimed, "they're not here. You there, pass a
line, and step lively. Two of you bear a hand to lift this bag on
board."
At that moment we heard steps, and a newcomer appeared at the rail.
It was Cornelius Gleazen. As he stared at us without a word, he
appeared to be the most surprised man that ever I had seen.
"Good-morning, Mr. Gleazen," Captain North called. "I've got your
messages and thank you kindly. I reciprocate all good wishes and I'm
sure when anyone comes out with a handsome apology, I'm no man to
bear a grudge. I resume command with no hard feelings. Good-morning,
sir."
By that time he was on deck and advancing aft.
I had already seen Cornelius Gleazen in some extraordinary
situations, and later I was to see him in certain situations beside
which the others paled to milk and water, but never at any other
time, from the moment when I first saw him on the porch at the
tavern until the day when we parted not to meet again this side of
Judgment, did I see Cornelius Gleazen affected in just the way that
he was affected then.
He backed away from Captain North, replied loudly as if in greeting,
still backed away, and finally turned and went below, where
evidently he recovered his powers of speech, for up came my uncle
with Matterson at his heels.
"Captain North," Uncle Seth cried, meeting him with right hand
outstretched, "I declare I'm glad you're back again, and I'm sure
that all will go well from this time on."
There was real pathos in Uncle Seth's eagerness to secure the
friendship of the stout captain. In his straight-forward, confiding
manner there was no suggestion of his old sharpness and pompousness.
To see him looking from one of us to another, so frankly pleased
that we had returned, you could not have failed to know that he was
sincere, and if any of us had had the least suspicion that Seth
Upham had condoned the scheme to have us fall into the hands of the
press-gang, he lost it there and then forever.
"But where," he cried, glancing down the deck, "where is Sim Muzzy?"
Matterson came a step nearer. I saw some of the sailors look
curiously at one another. A stir ran along the deck.
It was Gideon North who replied. "I am told," he said deliberately,
letting his eyes wander from face to face, "that he has fallen into
the clutches of a press-gang."
"What!"
"A press-gang. But of that, Lamont, here, can tell you better than
I."
And Arnold, in his precise, subtly foreign way, told all that had
happened.
Completely stunned, my poor uncle went to the rail and buried his
face in his hands.
As for Matterson, he shook hands with Captain North and nodded at
the rest of us impartially.
"I'm glad to see you back, sir," he said. "As you know, without
doubt, I've shipped as chief mate."
"You've what?" Captain North thundered, looking up at the big man
before him.
"Shipped as chief mate, sir."
"Is this true?" the captain demanded, turning on Uncle Seth.
"It is," my uncle replied like a man just waking. "Mr. Gleazen and I
talked it over--"
Captain North interrupted him without ceremony. "Well," said he to
Matterson, "I've no doubt you'll make a competent officer."
His abruptness left Matterson no excuse for replying; so, when the
captain went below, the chief mate stepped over to the rail. There,
frowning slightly now and then, he remained for a long time. It did
not take Arnold Lamont's intuition to perceive that he, as well as
Gleazen, was puzzled and disappointed by the way things had turned
out.