In Strange Company: A Story of Chili and the Southern Seas

by Guy Boothby

  CHAPTER III.

  SACRED AND PROFANE LOVE.

  Somewhere or other I remember to have seen a picture of the two sorts oflove which may enter man's life. I think it was called "Sacred andProfane Love," and it may possibly have been by one of the Old Masters.But wherever or whatever it was, it seemed to me that I had now hadexperience of both passions. Maud was the first, Juanita was the second.I had loved Maud for herself alone; Juanita fascinated me purely by herpersonal charms, and by a certain Bohemianism which, while itoccasionally almost frightened me, held me in chains, that were to allintents and purposes stronger than links of iron. For it must not beimagined that my first visit to the "Orient" was my last. In fact, nowthat I had once fallen her victim, I was hardly to be found elsewhere.As the first proof of the power she exercised over me, I declined my oldskipper's offer to ship for another cruise, preferring idleness andpoverty ashore, with the opportunities it presented of seeing the womanI so slavishly adored, to a life of money-making and hardship at sea.

  So day in day out found me by Juanita's side, either loafing in thehotel itself, or when she could leave her duties, boating in the bay,wandering about the island, or climbing Fortification Hill to admire thebeautiful panorama visible from its summit. Looking back on that period,I am smitten with a feeling of intense shame. But at the time I livedonly to be constantly by her side. Maud was as much forgotten as thoughshe had never existed.

  It must not be supposed, however, that with one so fair as Juanita Ishould have the field entirely to myself. Women of her stamp were toouncommon in Thursday Island to lack admirers. But among all my rivalsthere was only one of whom I entertained any fear--a Pole, and men saida titled refugee--by name Panuroff. He was a big, handsome man, with apeculiarly reckless air, certain to possess a great fascination forsusceptible members of the opposite sex. Not that I mean in any way toinfer that Juanita encouraged his advances, for I think, though shepreferred him to the majority of those who paid court to her, they werenot always on the best of terms. How she came to take to me so quickly Ihave never been able to understand, but somehow she was never tired oflistening to my adventures, and particularly those relating to my seacareer. On the point of my capabilities to take charge of and navigate avessel she cross-questioned me continually, until I felt compelled toask if she thought of setting up as a ship-owner herself, and wanted meto enter her employ. She laughed the matter off, saying that if she hadmoney to invest it would certainly be in a schooner; but as she hadn't,well, she'd have to wait until she got it before talking about officersand such like. In fact, this idea of possessing a boat seemed, as far asI could judge, to be her only thought and aim in life. But her realidea, and how I figured in working it out, you shall, if you have notalready guessed it, learn directly.

  One night when we had thoroughly come to understand each other, Ihurried down as soon as my evening meal was over to the "Orient." Asmost of the Pearling luggers were at sea, it was a slack time forhotel-keepers, and when I entered the bar Juanita was alone, hard atwork upon her interminable calculations. For nearly an hour we remainedin conversation. Then our _tete-a-tete_ was interrupted by the entranceof a third party, who, as ill-luck had it, was none other than CountPanuroff before-mentioned. I could see that Juanita was not best pleasedat his appearance, and during the time he remained in the room herbehaviour towards him was barely civil. He noticed this, and his glancestowards myself betokened a resentment that only waited an opportunity totake active form. Nor can I with truth aver that I did not let him seethat I rejoiced at his discomfiture. When Juanita left him and returnedto my side he sat himself down in a corner, and watched us out ofsullen, half-closed eyes. I felt sure mischief was brewing, and I wasnot disappointed.

  Partly for the purpose of annoying him, and partly to see how long hewould sit in his corner, sulking like a bear with a sore head, Iprolonged my visit until some time after the usual hour for closing.When I left the house it was nearly twelve o'clock--a rough, tempestuousnight, with a strong wind blowing, and a full moon dodging inky cloudsacross a somewhat unhappy-looking sky. Leaving the Sea-Front I struckinland towards my abode, but I had not proceeded very far before my earcaught the sound of footsteps following me. Presently a voice I hardlyrecognized called upon me to stop. I did so, and turning, faced mypursuer. As you will have guessed, it was Panuroff. He came up to me,and clutching me by the arm, tried to speak. But his rage was so greatthat for the moment it not only deprived him of speech, but shook himlike the palsy. When he found his tongue he blurted out--

  "I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"

  He would have gone on repeating this for an indefinite time had I notthrown off his hand, and said--

  "I advise you to be a little more careful, my friend, or you'll getyourself into trouble. In this country you won't be allowed to go aboutkilling people just as you please."

  My coolness only seemed to heap additional fuel on his alreadysurcharged fires. He almost foamed at the mouth. Grasping my arm again,he hissed--

  "Coward! coward! I knew you were a coward!"

  Not being able to stand this, I did my best to knock him down. It was afutile attempt, however, for he leapt on one side, and in doing sostruck me a heavy blow on the side of my face.

  "There," he cried, almost dancing in the moonlight. "What now?"

  "Now," I said, as quietly as I could under the circumstances, "you'vedone it, and I'll have your life if you're twenty times mad!"

  "For once you talk like a man," he remarked. "Come with me, and we'llsettle it now and for ever. She shall see who is the better man."

  If I had any scruples left, that reference to Juanita obliterated them;and so side by side we tramped through the bush round the elbow of thehill to an open spot among ferns and aloe bushes, about the centre ofthe island. It was a strange place surrounded by giant ant-hills, whichin many cases reared themselves quite eight feet above the ground, likemonuments in a well-populated cemetery.

  Here Panuroff stopped and took his coat off. I followed his example.Then from his breast he drew a sort of stiletto, with which, I suppose,he had armed himself on purpose for the present occasion. I had ofcourse my sheath-knife. While we were making our preparations the moonemerged from behind a bank of clouds, and as she did so the wind droppedand the faint clang of eight bells came up to us from a steamer in theharbour.

  I could hardly believe that I was standing face to face with afellow-creature, my one aim and object being to take his life. But itis a strange fact that man is never so dangerous as when his passionsare not roused, that is to say, when he is able to enter upon the workof butchery with a contemplative and evenly balanced mind. Contrary towhat I should have expected, I had not the least fear as to the result.

  For perhaps a minute we stood regarding each other. I could hear hisexcited breathing as he prepared for his spring. Then like a wild cat hegathered himself together, and leapt towards me. I sprang on one side,but not before his knife had grazed my arm. The struggle had commencedin downright earnest. Like game cocks, we circled round and round eachother, waiting and watching for an opportunity to strike. It was nochild's play, for we were both active men in first-class training.

  Suddenly my foot caught in a boulder, and for a second my attention wasdiverted from his eyes. It was fatal; with one great bound he rushed inupon me, and clutching me round the neck, attempted to drive his knifebetween my shoulder and my neck. With the strength of despair I clutchedthe wrist of the hand that held the knife, and backwards and forwards,round and round, here, there, and everywhere about that little plot ofground we passed, swaying to and fro, breathing hard, and wrestling forour very lives. Surely such a struggle the island, with all its strangeand mysterious population, could never have witnessed before! At last myright hand reached his throat--my left still held the wrist--I closedmy fingers on his windpipe.

  Such is the strange construction of the human mind, that at that moment,when both our lives trembled in the balance, I remember, distinctly,thinking w
hat a wonderful contrivance the Adam's apple of the throatmust be.

  Further and further his head went back; his breath came from him inthick gasps. The moon shone clear, and by her light I could see the lookof despair settling in his eyes. At last, to avoid being throttled, hefell to the ground, I with him. Here the battle recommenced, for bothour holds were loosened by the fall. Rolling over, he seized upon me,and raised his knife; yet again I clutched the hand that held it, andwith one gigantic effort threw him off; but the exertion was too muchfor me, and before I could rise he was upon me, and had stabbed metwice. I remember no more.

  When I recovered my senses, I was too weak and faint to care very muchwhere I was. But somehow, in a hazy sort of fashion, I got hold of theidea that I was back in John Trelsar's tent at Broken Hill. After awhile, however, curiosity got the upper hand of indifference, and Ire-opened my eyes to look about me. It was a strange sort of room that Ifound myself in, and one that it did not take me a year to see, hadlately been in the occupation of Chinamen. A couple of celestial jumpershung on pegs behind the door, and an opium pipe stood on a shelf uponthe wall. Through the small window opposite my bed I could distinctlyhear the sound of surf breaking on a shore, and as if to prove that myreasoning powers were in no way impaired by my terrible experience, Imade it out that I must either be on one of the neighbouring islands, oron a part of Thursday which I had never visited. For several reasons Iinclined towards the latter belief.

  How I knew I was not in any proximity to the township itself was thefact, plainly discernible to one having experience in such matters, thatthe sea was not breaking on sand, but on shingle; and what was moreimportant still, among mangrove trees. Now I knew that the beach on thesettlement side of Thursday Island was sandy, while that on the otherside I had heard was pebbly; on the former there were no mangroves, onthe latter they abounded. But observation of these things was beyond mefor very long, so, feeling tired, I turned my face to the wall, and waspresently asleep again.

  Many hours must have elapsed before I woke; when I did the sun had set,and the room would have been dark but for a candle burning on a table bymy side. Rather dazed by my long sleep, I looked around me, and as I didso my eyes lighted upon the most extraordinary being I think I have everbeheld in my life.

  He was an albino, and what was worse, a dwarf albino. He sat upon a highbox, and was staring hard at me; his hair, very long and snow-white, wasjust moved by the draught from the window; and his eyes, which Idiscovered later to be of a peculiar shade of pink, flashed andtwinkled like enormous rubies. All the time he cracked hisfinger-joints, first one way, then another, then backwards, thenforwards, with a most alarming noise.

  When he saw that I was awake, he scrambled down from his perch andapproached me, saying in a curiously high-pitched voice--

  "Ho! ho! my friend, so you are awake again! Well, you've had a wonderfulnap, twelve hours on end, or I'm a Dutchman."

  I answered that I was surprised to hear it, and went on to ask where Iwas, and how I came there.

  "Well, that's a long story," he said, still cracking his fingers, "butif you want to hear it, I'll tell you. I found you on the bend of thehill early this morning, lying like a dead man, with pints of good bloodrun to waste round about you. From the look of the ground I fixed it,young man, that you'd been fighting. But as that was no business ofmine, I didn't take any heed of it, but just picked you up, and broughtyou in here, where you've been ever since."

  He did not tell me that had I been any other than John Ramsay he wouldhave let me lie there. But the reason for that, and how I came to hearof it, you shall know later on.

  Of course I thanked him for his charity, but again, like John Treslar,he would not hear of it. Among his many extraordinary talents, henumbered a knowledge of surgery, and under his care I made rapidprogress towards recovery. Fortunately, though the wounds Panuroff hadinflicted upon me were deep, they were by no means dangerous.

  At the end of the week I was almost myself again. All the time, mystrange little benefactor was indefatigable in his attentions, andpretended to take a wonderful interest in myself and my welfare. Amongother peculiarities, he was as inquisitive as an old woman, and before Ihad known him a week, he had not only drawn from me the name of myantagonist (whom I was rejoiced to hear had fled the settlement,believing he had killed me), but had made himself conversant with mypassion for Juanita. On his own side he was more reticent, and do what Iwould, I could not draw out of him either his business on the island, orin fact anything important connected with himself or his affairs. Thathe had seen more of the world than even the majority of those whoconsider themselves great travellers, I soon gathered; that he was forsome years in Chili, was another thing I discovered. But beyond thesetwo small circumstances, I could learn nothing of his past. Oneobligation he imposed in return for what he had done for me, and thatwas, that I should never mention him to any living soul, and especiallynot to Juanita.

  "Why especially not to Juanita?" I asked, surprised that he should bringher into the matter.

  "Because women wonder, and when they wonder they pry, and when they prythey make mischief, and when they make mischief they're the devil, andthere isn't room for Satan and me in this house."

  He paused for a minute, his twinkling little eyes watching me all thetime, and then went on--

  "You see, my appearance is against me, and as I'm sensitive on thepoint, I don't want to make new friends. There you have it in anutshell. If you told your sweetheart anything about me, she'd want tosee me, and then the mischief would be done."

  Little knowing to what I was pledging myself, I readily gave the promisehe asked of me, and then bidding him good-bye, set off across the island(for his house was, as I had conjectured, on the side farthest from thetownship) to Juanita.

  I found her as usual in the bar, and her surprise at seeing me waseither complimentary or not as I chose to take it. She informed me thatshe had made up her mind I had decamped from the island. And when I toldher what had occasioned my absence, she said she had always thoughtsomething of the sort would happen, for Panuroff had dropped hints whichfrightened her. Why she had not warned me I could not make out, andindeed her whole attitude towards myself was extremely puzzling. Ofcourse she knew I loved her, not only because she could see it in myface, but because I had reiterated the statement a thousand times ormore; but though she professed to return my affection, at times I couldnot help a feeling that it was not quite as genuine as she pretended.

  Just as before, her one thought was to procure a boat, in which to sailamong the islands. Hardly a day went by without some reference to it,until I began to hate even the sound of the word "schooner." At lastone night she asked me point blank if I could see any way to help her;letting me understand very plainly that her future treatment of myselfwould depend in a great measure upon my answer.

  Though I knew such a thing was next door to impossible, I did not sayso, but intimated that she should first tell me why she wanted to go.Then the whole mystery came out. Drawing me into a corner, with theprettiest little air of confidence, she told me the following remarkablestory:--

  "My Jack," she said, taking my hands in hers, and speaking with theforeign accent that lent such a charm to her simplest words, "have pityon your poor Juanita. I am in your hands entirely, for I have no one toadvise me, save you. Now you shall know all my sad history. As I have sooften told you, I am from Santiago, and it was from a convent there thatI ran away to marry the young Englishman, who, you may have heard, socruelly ill-treated me. Together we wandered here, there, andeverywhere; always in debt, always in difficulty; to-day we had plenty;to-morrow we had nothing. My husband had squandered two fortunesalready, and when we were at our last pinch, a third came to him. As youknow is often the way, Jack, he suddenly grew as mean and stingy asbefore he had been spendthrift and reckless.

  "Instead of living as became our new fortune, we literally starved. Thathe had drawn all his money from the bank I discovered; but what he didwith it, or where h
e kept it, I could never find out. Then he fell ill,and the doctors said he must have a long sea voyage, and absolute rest,or his brain would become unhinged. If the truth were only known, Ithink it was so then.

  "We were in San Francisco at the time, and I tried hard to persuade himto sail for England. He would not go, making the excuse that it wouldcost more money than he could afford. But as he had to have rest, hetook passages for himself and for me (though he grudged my accompanyinghim) on board a tiny schooner trading among the islands.

  "We set sail, but instead of the voyage doing him good, he grew weakerand weaker every hour. Oh, the horror of those days, I shall neverforget it! At last he died, making the captain promise to bury him on anisland we were close to at the time.

  "The funeral over, we came on here. Having no money to take me further,I was compelled to remain in the island, but immediately on my arrival,I wrote to his lawyers, to see what they could tell me of my affairs.They replied that my husband had drawn his money from the bank in gold,and had hinted to them that he was going to bury it. But somethingfurther, mark you! That, to the best of their knowledge, he alwayscarried the directions for finding it in a locket round his neck. Assoon as I read that, I remembered that he did wear a locket, which hehad once been furiously angry with me for attempting to open.

  "So you see, Jack, nothing remains for me but to return to that island,dig up my husband's body, and recover the precious locket. Now I havetold you my secret; I am in your hands entirely. I love you, and Itrust you implicitly. If any one else finds the locket before me, I amruined. Think what I have suffered in this place. Then tell me will youhelp me--yes or no?"

  Tears were in her eyes, and she looked so beseechingly at me that I wascompelled to take her in my arms and comfort her with promises of help.That her story was true, I never for one moment doubted.

  When I left the "Orient," it was with the firm intention of findingmoney enough somewhere to hire a schooner, that I might assist her inher search. I felt, to do a service of this kind would be to win hergratitude for ever, and turning this over in my mind, I set out for theAlbino's residence, resolved to place the matter before him.