AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR.
In a second the little man had taken everything in. He glanced at
Juanita, lying unconscious in my arms, at the open grave, and last at
the untenanted coffin. This latter seemed to occasion him some
amazement, but only for an instant. Then, turning to me, he said with
authority--
"Carry her down to the boat, and get her aboard the schooner. Can't you
see there's not a moment to be lost, man?"
My astonishment at his appearance had made me almost forget the woman in
my embrace, but before the words were well out of his mouth, I had
picked her up, and was carrying her towards the beach.
When we had pushed off, and were pulling towards the schooner, I was
surprised to see the Albino seated in the bows of the boat. He ventured
no remark to justify his presence until after we were aboard, and he had
helped me to carry my burden to her bunk. Then he said--
"Remember my medical knowledge. I'm going to help you with her. Get some
brandy."
Hastening to my own berth, I rummaged among the things in my locker,
found what I wanted, and returned with all possible speed to the cabin.
As I approached it, I could have sworn that I heard the dwarf say,
"Remember, whatever happens, you've never set eyes on me before!" But I
must have been mistaken, for though I found him bathing her forehead,
she appeared to be still unconscious. As soon as she revived, we left
her, and returned to the deck.
"What's the meaning of this mysterious business?" I asked my companion
when we reached it. "How on earth did you get here, and what are you
going to do now?"
"Fair and softly, my dear fellow," he said quietly, a curious smile
playing round his lips, "all in good time. If you want to know, I was
called down here on most important business. It's lucky I saw your
schooner, otherwise I should have had to wait a month for a chance of
getting back to civilization."
"And how _are_ you going to get back?" I asked.
"Why, on board this boat," he answered. "Surely you won't be ungrateful
enough to refuse me a passage after all I've done for you?"
Not being in a position to gainsay the justice of his argument, I held
my tongue. My situation was a very delicate one. I had possession of the
boat, it was true; but, on the other hand, it was only given to me for a
certain purpose. That purpose having failed, what was my position? Could
I make over the schooner to the Albino for my debt? And if I continued
to keep her, was I free to act as I pleased with regard to Juanita?
I have said nothing so far about my own disappointment. Nevertheless I
had devoted a considerable amount of anxious thought to it. If the
funeral of Juanita's husband had been a hoax, his death must have been
one too. Then, for all we knew to the contrary, he was still living! And
in that case my marriage with her was impossible. I was as hopelessly
cut off from her as if we had never met.
When I judged she would be able to see me, I went down and knocked at
her cabin-door. She came out immediately and seated herself at the
table.
"Juanita," I began, taking my place beside her, and holding her hand,
"what can I say to comfort you after your disappointment?"
"Why do you speak of it--why do you say any more about it?" she cried
fretfully. "My worst anticipations have been realized--that's all! I
might have known he would have fooled me. Yes, I repeat it, fooled me."
"But you were so certain he was dead!"
"I was certain I saw him lying dead in his bunk, if that's what you
mean." Then with a sudden outburst of fury, "Marcos Veneda, as God is
above me, if I can find you, I'll punish you for this!"
"Marcos Veneda! I thought you said he was an Englishman?"
"So he was. Veneda was only an assumed name."
Seeing her state, I decided not to say anything about our position
towards each other until she was calmer.
"And what do you wish me to do now?" I asked, to turn the conversation
into another channel. "Shall I make a course back to Thursday Island?"
"No, no, anywhere but there."
"Then where would you like to go? Say the word, and I swear I'll do my
best to oblige you."
"Oh, anywhere, anywhere. Why do you bother me with your stupid
questions?--what does it matter now where I go?"
"Very well," I said, considerably piqued by her behaviour, though I
tried hard not to show it; "I'll leave you alone for a bit, you may
possibly think of some place before nightfall. In the meantime we'll
make a course for Cape York."
When I reached the deck to give orders for getting under way, I found
the Albino pacing up and down, his long arms behind his back, and his
little pink face puckered into a hundred wrinkles with thought. He came
across and led me out of hearing of the mate.
"What's your course going to be?"
"That's just what I'm waiting to know," I answered. "Juanita can't make
up her mind."
"Damn Juanita!" he jerked out. "Why do you want to be always considering
her? Let me advise you. Batavia, Java--that's the place; and when we get
there, I've a little treat in store for you that'll pay you better than
all this shilly-shallying here."
"What do you mean?" I asked, naturally a little astonished at his
remark.
"Just this," he replied. "One place is as good as another to you, isn't
it? Then, I say, don't ask any questions; steer for Batavia. You've
trusted me before, trust me again. Leave Juanita to me. Womanlike, she
doesn't know her own mind, and wants somebody to help her make it up."
Bidding the mate go forrard and superintend the raising of the anchor, I
gave the necessary orders for getting sail on her. Just at eight bells
his cry of "All clear, sir," sounded, and the _Mother of Pearl_ resumed
her journey.
It was either a case of sulkiness, or she felt too overcome by her
disappointment to mix with us, but Juanita did not show her face again
that day, and it was not until nearly sun-time on the following morning
that we caught a glimpse of her. She came on deck during my watch. The
Albino was standing beside me. She looked ill and haggard, and as the
schooner was pitching unpleasantly, I hastened to offer her my arm. She
took it with a kind of shrinking, at the same time glancing timidly at
my companion. He held his hat in his hand, and was looking at her with
what I thought a nervous expression on his face.
As they did not know one another, nothing remained for me but to
introduce them. Then, and for the first time, a strange circumstance
struck me. I did not know the Albino's name. Somehow I had never had
occasion to speak of him to any one, nor had I ever heard him mentioned.
I looked at her and said feebly--
"Juanita, let me introduce my friend, Mr.----" (here I turned towards
him a look of appeal).
"Macklin," he said.
"My friend, Mr. Macklin."
She bowed gravely; he followed suit like a court chamberlain. Then they
began to pace the deck together, while I returned to the duties of my
watch.
Being anxious to reach Batavia as soon as possible, I cracked on
everything the schooner could carry, and before many days were over we
had passed and left Thursday Island behind us, and were entering the
Arafura Sea. Fair weather accompanied us all the way, and I found the
schooner's sailing capabilities improve as I became better acquainted
with her.
One thing was plainly evident. Since the arrival of the Albino on board
I was thrown quite into the shade. Juanita seemed to prefer his company
to that of any one else. He was never absent from her side; they sat
together at meals, paraded the deck together, and in fact were
inseparable companions. So conspicuous did her partiality at length
become, that I felt compelled to remonstrate with her about it. Her look
of pained surprise went to my heart.
"Jack, how can you be so unkind to me?" she said, with tears in her
eyes. "Though it is all over between us, you know, or you ought to know,
how much I love you. Do you think that poor little creature could make
me forget you? I am sorry for him--very sorry--that is all."
Of course I forgave her immediately, and equally of course she promised
amendment in the future. But though her liking for his company was not
so openly shown as before, I could not see that it had undergone any
radical change.
But I had other and more important things than Juanita's behaviour
towards myself to think about. I discovered that trouble had cropped up
amongst the crew forward, and that on two occasions knives had been
drawn. What it had originated in I could not find out, but that a big
Kanaka boy, called Rhotoma Jimmy, was at the bottom of it all I had good
reason to be certain. He had come aboard in Thursday as a stowaway, and
was, I found out, a vindictive, ill-tempered fellow, who never lost a
chance of making himself objectionable. When I saw that my rowings
proved useless, I ironed him for a couple of days. This seemed to sober
him; he became deeply penitent, and thinking I had punished him enough,
I let him go back to his duties.
The night following his release, he was at the wheel during my watch. I
was not satisfied with his steering, and had occasion to reprimand him
twice. A short while afterwards I noticed the same irregularity, and
went over to the binnacle, determining this time to give him a good
rating. As soon as he saw me coming, he left the wheel, and made for the
belaying-pins. Seizing one he rushed at me, and endeavoured to hit me
over the head with it. But before he could effect his purpose, I had
closed with him, and wrenched it from his grasp, striking him as I did
so a blow upon the head. He fell like a log, and as he struck the deck
I heard footsteps on the ladder, and the Albino stood beside me.
Calling another man aft to the wheel, I took the binnacle-lamp and knelt
beside the prostrate man. To my dismay I found I had bit him harder than
I intended. _He was dead!_