Captain Obadiah P. Perks came back at the end of an hour, when I had
pretty well ripened my plans, and, retiring within the house, I left Tom
to deal with him.
A tall, dark Spaniard was the captain's companion, and he might have
been an official or an impostor in the skipper's pay. It was impossible
to judge, though he wore something purporting to be a uniform.
"Wal, mister," the skipper said to Tom, "where's your young boss?"
"Busy," said Tom, blocking the doorway and coolly smoking his pipe.
"Then just you go and tell him that Kyaptin 'Badiah P. Perks is here
with a gentleman who'll overhaul that stack o' chesties, and say whether
I can take 'em board o' my schooner without getting into trouble."
"Oh! Mas'r Harry won't get you into no trouble, cap'en," said Tom, "nor
he won't give you no trouble. He's altered his mind and won't go."
"Oh, no, he haven't," said the skipper. "Just you go and say Kyaptin
'Badiah P. Perks is here and wants to see him tew wunst."
For answer Tom drew a long breath and puffed out a cloud of smoke at the
skipper.
"Air yew a-going?" said the latter.
"No," said Tom, "I air not. My young master don't want you, nor your
ship, nor anything else. You wouldn't take the job when you could get
it, so now it's gone."
The Yankee skipper turned of a warmer yellow, and there was a malignant
gleam in his closely-set eyes as he thrust one hand into his pocket and
drew it out directly.
"Here, I don't want to quarrel along o' you," he said sharply. "Go and
tell him I want him, and he must come."
"Sha'n't," said Tom coolly. "Who are you ordering about? This here
ain't aboard ship."
"It would be okkard fur yew, boy, if it weer board ship," snarled the
skipper, going close up and thrusting his ugly face almost in Tom's.
"Yew just do as I tell yew, my lad, 'fore it's worse for yew. Guess I
don't want to quarrel."
"And guess I don't want to quarrel with you," said Tom; "though I allus
have felt as if I should like to whack a sailor."
The man's hand went to his pocket again, but in spite of his furious
glances Tom did not for a moment quail, giving him back again look for
look.
"Guess it 'll be the worse for yew, stranger," said the skipper, "if you
don't go and fetch out that theer fellow o' yourn."
"Guess it 'll be the worse for you, skipper, if you get shoving that
sharp nose o' yours in my face," said Tom. "You ain't skretched me with
it yet, but if you do, ware hawk!"
The man's face was a study. He wanted evidently to seize Tom and thrust
him aside, but there was something so solid and muscular about Tom's
body, and something so hard and bull-like about Tom's head, that few
people would have cared to tackle him; and certainly, seeing how
determined he was, the skipper did not feel disposed.
"Here, hi! you Englisher," shouted the fellow, "come out. I want a word
with you."
"I say, don't make that row front of our house," said Tom. "There's
ladies here; and if you do it again I shall have to do what they does at
home with noisy people--move you on."
The skipper made a menacing movement towards Tom, and I was ready to go
to his assistance, but Tom did not stir, only clenched his hand slowly
in so ominous a manner that the skipper went no farther, but turned and
advanced to his companion, before again approaching my faithful
companion.
"Now, look ye here, mister," said the skipper. "I don't want to hurt
you, so just you either get out o' the way or fetch your boss."
"If you don't get out," said Tom slowly, "I shall have to make you.
Mas'r Harry don't want no trade with you at all, so s'pose you be off
while your shoes are good."
"I will be off," said the skipper with a snarl, "and bring them here as
will open some of your eyes a bit, and them chesties too."
Then saying something in a whisper to his companion they both hurried
off, and for the rest of the day, in spite of the aspect I carried
before those in the house, I was in no little trepidation.
Late in the afternoon, when we had been expecting a call every moment
from some one in authority, and Tom had been waiting ready to run off at
the first attack to the British vice-consul, a quiet, firm-looking,
sailor-like man came up to where I was standing.
"Are you the Englishman who wants to go with his family to Kingston?"
"Yes," I said, looking at him earnestly, for I was wondering whether it
was a trap laid by the Yankee skipper.
"I just heard of it down at the wharf," he said. "I'll take you, only I
sail to-night."
I was going to exclaim, "That's just what I want!" but restrained
myself, and said quietly, "That's a very short notice."
"Well, 'tis, sir; but I'm all laden, and time's money. If you can be
ready I'll take you, and be glad to earn the passage money, and do the
best I can to make you and the ladies comfortable, but if you can't I
must lose the job."
"We will be ready, then," I said; "only I have these heavy chests to
go."
"Oh, they're nothing," said the skipper good-humouredly. "I'll bring
the boat up abreast here, and four o' my lads. We'll soon have them
in."
We soon settled about terms, which were reasonable enough, and promising
to be there with the boat in an hour, the man left.
"Well, Tom, what is it?" I said excitedly. "A trap or honesty?"
"Honesty, Mas'r Harry," he cried sharply. "That chap's straight-forrard
enough."
"So I think," I cried, "and we'll risk it. To-morrow we may be
stopped."
My aunt and Lilla were almost startled at the suddenness of the proposed
departure, and my uncle looked anxious; but they said nothing, only made
their final preparations, and soon after dark the fresh skipper came up
with half a dozen men.
"I thought I'd bring enough," he said. "Now, my lads, be smart. Chest
apiece, they ain't big."
It was all so sudden that my breath was almost taken away; but I had
said that I would risk it, and there was nothing else to do but go on.
In the darkness, too, it was hard to tell whether our property was all
being fairly dealt with, but I watched as keenly as I could, and Tom
went down to the boat with the first men, my uncle taking charge of
Lilla and my aunt, while I stopped back at the house and sent all the
luggage off.
It was pitchy dark now, and matters were carried out with a rapidity
that was startling. In fact, in a quarter of an hour everything was on
board the heavy boat, the men in their places, my aunt, Lilla, and my
uncle in the stern sheets, and Tom and I were about to step in when
Lilla exclaimed:
"Oh, Harry! I've left the great cloak in my room!"
I was about to exclaim "Never mind," and, in my excitement to get clear,
order the men to push off, but it was Lilla's wish, and without a word I
started back to fetch the cloak.
It was the most painful passage I ever had in my life. It was only
minutes but it seemed hours, and with my heart beating furiously, I
tried to crush down the fancies that kept coming into my head.
"Suppose," I thought, "that man is in the American skipper's pay, and
that, now they have possession of my treasure, they should carry it off,
and I should never see it more." I knew that I might go back and find
the boat gone, pursuit would be vain in the darkness; and so tortured
was I as I reached the house we had left, that I turned instead of going
in, and stepped back to run down again to the boat.
That bit of indecision saved me, for just at my elbow a voice I
recognised said:
"Now then, four o' you just go round to the back and stop whoever comes
out. Two watch the windows, and we'll go in. I guess it'll make the
Englisher star'."
The Englisher did stare as he tried to gaze through the darkness, and
then, feeling satisfied that the new skipper had nothing to do with the
American, I stepped softly back, trembling with eagerness and
excitement, and made my way down to the boat.
"All right," I said in as composed a manner as I could, and jumping in
we were soon after being rowed softly down the river, past great vessel
after vessel, all showing their mooring lights, till, wondering the
while what sort of ship we were to have for our passage, we came at last
alongside a large schooner, and were soon after safe aboard, treasure
and all, of what proved to be a very good swift vessel.
In the morning when the sun rose we were going rapidly down towards the
mouth of the great river, but it was not until we were well out at sea
that I felt safe from pursuit, and told my uncle of our narrow escape.
"But I have not been able to find the great cloak, Harry," said Lilla.
"No," I replied; "it was a question whether I should leave the cloak or
myself, so I left the cloak," and then I told her of my adventure in the
dark.