The Coral Island: A Tale of the Pacific Ocean

by R. M. Ballantyne

  CHAPTER XXII.

  I fall into the hands of pirates--How they treated me, and what I said tothem--The result of the whole ending in a melancholy separation and in amost unexpected gift.

  My heart seemed to leap into my throat at the words; and, turning round,I beheld a man of immense stature, and fierce aspect regarding me with asmile of contempt. He was a white man,--that is to say, he was a man ofEuropean blood, though his face, from long exposure to the weather, wasdeeply bronzed. His dress was that of a common seaman, except that hehad on a Greek skull-cap, and wore a broad shawl of the richest silkround his waist. In this shawl were placed two pair of pistols and aheavy cutlass. He wore a beard and moustache, which, like the locks onhis head, were short, curly, and sprinkled with gray hairs.

  "So, youngster," he said, with a Sardonic smile, while I felt his grasptighten on my shoulder, "the villains have been baulked of their prey,have they? We shall see, we shall see. Now, you whelp, look yonder." Ashe spoke, the pirate uttered a shrill whistle. In a second or two it wasanswered, and the pirate-boat rowed round the point at the Water Garden,and came rapidly towards us. "Now, go, make a fire on that point; andhark'ee, youngster, if you try to run away, I'll send a quick and suremessenger after you," and he pointed significantly at his pistols.

  I obeyed in silence, and as I happened to have the burning-glass in mypocket, a fire was speedily kindled, and a thick smoke ascended into theair. It had scarcely appeared for two minutes when the boom of a gunrolled over the sea, and, looking up, I saw that the schooner was makingfor the island again. It now flashed across me that this was a ruse onthe part of the pirates, and that they had sent their vessel away,knowing that it would lead us to suppose that they had left altogether.But there was no use of regret now. I was completely in their power, soI stood helplessly beside the pirate watching the crew of the boat asthey landed on the beach. For an instant I contemplated rushing over thecliff into the sea, but this I saw I could not now accomplish, as some ofthe men were already between me and the water.

  There was a good deal of jesting at the success of their scheme, as thecrew ascended the rocks and addressed the man who had captured me by thetitle of captain. They were a ferocious set of men, with shaggy beardsand scowling brows. All of them were armed with cutlasses and pistols,and their costumes were, with trifling variations, similar to that of thecaptain. As I looked from one to the other, and observed the low,scowling brows, that never unbent, even when the men laughed, and themean, rascally expression that sat on each face, I felt that my life hungby a hair.

  "But where are the other cubs?" cried one of the men, with an oath thatmade me shudder. "I'll swear to it there were three, at least, if notmore."

  "You hear what he says, whelp; where are the other dogs?" said thecaptain.

  "If you mean my companions," said I, in a low voice, "I won't tell you."

  A loud laugh burst from the crew at this answer.

  The pirate captain looked at me in surprise. Then drawing a pistol fromhis belt, he cocked it and said, "Now, youngster, listen to me. I've notime to waste here. If you don't tell me all you know, I'll blow yourbrains out! Where are your comrades?"

  For an instant I hesitated, not knowing what to do in this extremity.Suddenly a thought occurred to me.

  "Villain," said I, shaking my clenched fist in his face, "to blow mybrains out would make short work of me, and be soon over. Death bydrowning is as sure, and the agony prolonged, yet, I tell you to yourface, if you were to toss me over yonder cliff into the sea, I would nottell you where my companions are, and I dare you to try me!"

  The pirate captain grew white with rage as I spoke. "Say you so?" criedhe, uttering a fierce oath. "Here, lads, take him by the legs and heavehim in,--quick!"

  The men, who were utterly silenced with surprise at my audacity,advanced, and seized me, and, as they carried me towards the cliff, Icongratulated myself not a little on the success of my scheme, for I knewthat once in the water I should be safe, and could rejoin Jack andPeterkin in the cave. But my hopes were suddenly blasted by the captaincrying out, "Hold on, lads, hold on. We'll give him a taste of the thumb-screws before throwing him to the sharks. Away with him into the boat.Look alive! the breeze is freshening."

  The men instantly raised me shoulder high, and, hurrying down the rocks,tossed me into the bottom of the boat, where I lay for some time stunnedwith the violence of my fall.

  On recovering sufficiently to raise myself on my elbow, I perceived thatwe were already outside the coral reef, and close alongside the schooner,which was of small size and clipper built. I had only time to observethis much, when I received a severe kick on the side from one of the men,who ordered me, in a rough voice, to jump aboard. Rising hastily Iclambered up the side. In a few minutes the boat was hoisted on deck,the vessel's head put close to the wind, and the Coral Island droppedslowly astern as we beat up against a head sea.

  Immediately after coming aboard, the crew were too busily engaged inworking the ship and getting in the boat to attend to me, so I remainedleaning against the bulwarks close to the gangway, watching theiroperations. I was surprised to find that there were no guns orcarronades of any kind in the vessel, which had more of the appearance ofa fast-sailing trader than a pirate. But I was struck with the neatnessof everything. The brass work of the binnacle and about the tiller, aswell as the copper belaying-pins, were as brightly polished as if theyhad just come from the foundry. The decks were pure white, and smooth.The masts were clean-scraped and varnished, except at the cross-trees andtruck, which were painted black. The standing and running rigging was inthe most perfect order, and the sails white as snow. In short,everything, from the single narrow red stripe on her low black hull tothe trucks on her tapering masts, evinced an amount of care and strictdiscipline that would have done credit to a ship of the Royal Navy. Therewas nothing lumbering or unseemly about the vessel, excepting, perhaps, aboat, which lay on the deck with its keel up between the fore and mainmasts. It seemed disproportionately large for the schooner; but, when Isaw that the crew amounted to between thirty and forty men, I concludedthat this boat was held in reserve, in case of any accident compellingthe crew to desert the vessel.

  As I have before said, the costumes of the men were similar to that ofthe captain. But in head gear they differed not only from him but fromeach other, some wearing the ordinary straw hat of the merchant service,while others wore cloth caps and red worsted night-caps. I observed thatall their arms were sent below; the captain only retaining his cutlassand a single pistol in the folds of his shawl. Although the captain wasthe tallest and most powerful man in the ship, he did not strikinglyexcel many of his men in this respect, and the only difference that anordinary observer would have noticed was, a certain degree of opencandour, straightforward daring, in the bold, ferocious expression of hisface, which rendered him less repulsive than his low-browed associates,but did not by any means induce the belief that he was a hero. This lookwas, however, the indication of that spirit which gave him thepre-eminence among the crew of desperadoes who called him captain. Hewas a lion-like villain; totally devoid of personal fear, and utterlyreckless of consequences, and, therefore, a terror to his men, whoindividually hated him, but unitedly felt it to be their advantage tohave him at their head.

  But my thoughts soon reverted to the dear companions whom I had left onshore, and as I turned towards the Coral Island, which was now far awayto leeward, I sighed deeply, and the tears rolled slowly down my cheeksas I thought that I might never see them more.

  "So you're blubbering, are you, you obstinate whelp?" said the deep voiceof the captain, as he came up and gave me a box on the ear that nearlyfelled me to the deck. "I don't allow any such weakness aboard o' thisship. So clap a stopper on your eyes or I'll give you something to cryfor."

  I flushed with indignation at this rough and cruel treatment, but feltthat giving way to anger would only make matters worse, so I made noreply, but took out my handker
chief and dried my eyes.

  "I thought you were made of better stuff," continued the captain,angrily; "I'd rather have a mad bull-dog aboard than a water-eyed puppy.But I'll cure you, lad, or introduce you to the sharks before long. Nowgo below, and stay there till I call you."

  As I walked forward to obey, my eye fell on a small keg standing by theside of the main-mast, on which the word _gunpowder_ was written inpencil. It immediately flashed across me that, as we were beating upagainst the wind, anything floating in the sea would be driven on thereef encircling the Coral Island. I also recollected--for thought ismore rapid than the lightning--that my old companions had a pistol.Without a moment's hesitation, therefore, I lifted the keg from the deckand tossed it into the sea! An exclamation of surprise burst from thecaptain and some of the men who witnessed this act of mine.

  Striding up to me, and uttering fearful imprecations, the captain raisedhis hand to strike me, while he shouted, "Boy! whelp! what mean you bythat?"

  "If you lower your hand," said I, in a loud voice, while I felt the bloodrush to my temples, "I'll tell you. Until you do so I'm dumb!"

  The captain stepped back and regarded me with a look of amazement.

  "Now," continued I, "I threw that keg into the sea because the wind andwaves will carry it to my friends on the Coral Island, who happen to havea pistol, but no powder. I hope that it will reach them soon, and myonly regret is that the keg was not a bigger one. Moreover, pirate, yousaid just now that you thought I was made of better stuff! I don't knowwhat stuff I am made of,--I never thought much about that subject; butI'm quite certain of this, that I am made of such stuff as the like ofyou shall never tame, though you should do your worst."

  To my surprise the captain, instead of flying into a rage, smiled, and,thrusting his hand into the voluminous shawl that encircled his waist,turned on his heel and walked aft, while I went below.

  Here, instead of being rudely handled, as I had expected, the menreceived me with a shout of laughter, and one of them, patting me on theback, said, "Well done, lad! you're a brick, and I have no doubt willturn out a rare cove. Bloody Bill, there, was just such a fellow as youare, and he's now the biggest cut-throat of us all."

  "Take a can of beer, lad," cried another, "and wet your whistle afterthat speech o' your'n to the captain. If any one o' us had made it,youngster, he would have had no whistle to wet by this time."

  "Stop your clapper, Jack," vociferated a third; "give the boy a junck o'meat. Don't you see he's a'most goin' to kick the bucket?"

  "And no wonder," said the first speaker, with an oath, "after the tumbleyou gave him into the boat. I guess it would have broke _your_ neck ifyou had got it."

  I did indeed feel somewhat faint; which was owing, doubtless, to thecombined effects of ill-usage and hunger; for it will be recollected thatI had dived out of the cave that morning before breakfast, and it was nownear mid-day. I therefore gladly accepted a plate of boiled pork and ayam, which were handed to me by one of the men from the locker on whichsome of the crew were seated eating their dinner. But I must add thatthe zest with which I ate my meal was much abated in consequence of thefrightful oaths and the terrible language that flowed from the lips ofthese godless men, even in the midst of their hilarity and good-humour.The man who had been alluded to as Bloody Bill was seated near me, and Icould not help wondering at the moody silence he maintained among hiscomrades. He did indeed reply to their questions in a careless, off-handtone, but he never volunteered a remark. The only difference between himand the others was his taciturnity and his size, for he was nearly, ifnot quite, as large a man as the captain.

  During the remainder of the afternoon I was left to my own reflections,which were anything but agreeable, for I could not banish from my mindthe threat about the thumb-screws, of the nature and use of which I had avague but terrible conception. I was still meditating on my unhappy fatewhen, just after night-fall, one of the watch on deck called down thehatchway,--

  "Hallo there! one o' you, tumble up and light the cabin lamp, and sendthat boy aft to the captain--sharp!"

  "Now then, do you hear, youngster? the captain wants you. Look alive,"said Bloody Bill, raising his huge frame from the locker on which he hadbeen asleep for the last two hours. He sprang up the ladder and Iinstantly followed him, and, going aft, was shown into the cabin by oneof the men, who closed the door after me.

  A small silver lamp which hung from a beam threw a dim soft light overthe cabin, which was a small apartment, and comfortably but plainlyfinished. Seated on a camp-stool at the table, and busily engaged inexamining a chart of the Pacific, was the captain, who looked up as Ientered, and, in a quiet voice, bade me be seated, while he threw downhis pencil, and, rising from the table, stretched himself on a sofa atthe upper end of the cabin.

  "Boy," said he, looking me full in the face, "what is your name?"

  "Ralph Rover," I replied.

  "Where did you come from, and how came you to be on that island? Howmany companions had you on it? Answer me, now, and mind you tell nolies."

  "I never tell lies," said I, firmly.

  The captain received this reply with a cold sarcastic smile, and bade meanswer his questions.

  I then told him the history of myself and my companions from the time wesailed till the day of his visit to the island, taking care, however, tomake no mention of the Diamond Cave. After I had concluded, he wassilent for a few minutes; then, looking up, he said--"Boy, I believeyou."

  I was surprised at this remark, for I could not imagine why he should notbelieve me. However, I made no reply.

  "And what," continued the captain, "makes you think that this schooner isa pirate?"

  "The black flag," said I, "showed me what you are; and if any furtherproof were wanting I have had it in the brutal treatment I have receivedat your hands."

  The captain frowned as I spoke, but subduing his anger he continued--"Boy,you are too bold. I admit that we treated you roughly, but that wasbecause you made us lose time and gave us a good deal of trouble. As tothe black flag, that is merely a joke that my fellows play off uponpeople sometimes in order to frighten them. It is their humour, and doesno harm. I am no pirate, boy, but a lawful trader,--a rough one, I grantyou, but one can't help that in these seas, where there are so manypirates on the water and such murderous blackguards on the land. I carryon a trade in sandal-wood with the Feejee Islands; and if you choose,Ralph, to behave yourself and be a good boy, I'll take you along with meand give you a good share of the profits. You see I'm in want of anhonest boy like you, to look after the cabin and keep the log, andsuperintend the traffic on shore sometimes. What say you, Ralph, wouldyou like to become a sandal-wood trader?"

  I was much surprised by this explanation, and a good deal relieved tofind that the vessel, after all, was not a pirate; but instead ofreplying I said, "If it be as you state, then why did you take me from myisland, and why do you not now take me back?"

  The captain smiled as he replied, "I took you off in anger, boy, and I'msorry for it. I would even now take you back, but we are too far awayfrom it. See, there it is," he added, laying his finger on the chart,"and we are now here,--fifty miles at least. It would not be fair to mymen to put about now, for they have all an interest in the trade."

  I could make no reply to this; so, after a little more conversation, Iagreed to become one of the crew, at least until we could reach somecivilized island where I might be put ashore. The captain assented tothis proposition, and after thanking him for the promise, I left thecabin and went on deck with feelings that ought to have been lighter, butwhich were, I could not tell why, marvellously heavy and uncomfortablestill.