Gascoyne, the Sandal-Wood Trader

by R. M. Ballantyne

  CHAPTER THREE.

  A ROUGH WALK ENLIVENED BY RAMBLING TALK--BUMPUS IS "AGREEABLE."

  It is said, in the proverbial philosophy of nautical men, that "a sternchase is a long one." The present instance was an exception to thegeneral rule. Keona was wounded. Young Stuart was fleet as theantelope, and strong as a young lion. In these circumstances it is notsurprising that, after a run of less than a quarter of a mile, hesucceeded in laying his hands on the neck of the savage and hurling himto the ground, where he lay panting and helpless, looking up in the faceof his conqueror with an expression of hopeless despair--for savages andwicked men generally are wont to judge of others by themselves, and toexpect to receive such treatment from their enemies as they themselveswould in similar circumstances accord.

  The fear of instant death was before his eyes, and the teeth of Keonachattered in his head, while his face grew more hideous than ever, byreason of its becoming livid.

  His fears were groundless. Henry Stuart was not a savage. He washumane by nature; and, in addition to this, he had been trained underthe influence of that Book which teaches us that the most philosophical,because the most effective, method of procedure in this world, is to"overcome evil with good."

  "So, you scoundrel," said Henry, placing his knee on Keona's chest, andcompressing his throat with his left hand, while, with his right, hedrew forth a long glittering knife, and raised it in the air--"So youare not satisfied with what I gave you the last time we met, but youmust needs take the trouble to cross my path a second time, and get ataste of cold steel, must you?"

  Although Keona could speak no English, he understood it sufficiently toappreciate the drift of the youth's words, even though he had failed tocomprehend the meaning of the angry frown and the glittering knife.But, however much he might have wished to reply to the question, Henrytook care to render the attempt impossible, by compressing his windpipeuntil he became blue in the face, and then black. At the same time, helet the sharp point of his knife touch the skin just over the region ofthe heart. Having thus convinced his vanquished foe that death was atthe door, he suddenly relaxed his iron gripe; arose, sheathed his knife,and bade the savage get up.

  The miserable creature did so, with some difficulty, just as the captainand his men arrived on the scene.

  "Well met, Henry," cried the former, extending his hand to the youth,"had I been a moment later, my lads I fear that your life's blood wouldhave been on the sea shore."

  "Then it was you who fired the shot, Captain Gascoyne? This is thesecond time I have to thank you for saving my life," said the young man,returning the grasp of the captain's hand.

  "Truly, it is but a small matter to have to thank me for. Doubtless, ifmy stout man, John Bumpus, had carried the carbine, he would have doneyou as good service. And methinks, Henry, that you would have preferredto owe your life to either of my men, rather than to me, if I may judgeby your looks."

  "You should not judge by looks, captain," replied the youthquickly--"especially the looks of a man who has just had a hand to handtussle with a savage. But, to tell the plain truth, Captain Gascoyne, Iwould indeed rather have had to thank your worthy man, John Bumpus, thanyourself for coming to my aid, for although I owe you no grudge, and donot count you an enemy, I had rather see your back than your face--andyou know the reason why."

  "You give me credit, boy, for more knowledge than I possess," repliedGascoyne, while an angry frown gathered for a moment on his brow; butpassed away almost as quickly as it came; "I know not the cause of yourunreasonable dislike to one who has never done you an injury."

  "Never done me an injury!" cried Henry, starting and turning with a lookof passion on his companion; then, checking himself by a strong effort,he added in a milder tone--"But a truce to such talk, and I ask yourforgiveness for my sharp words just after your rendering me such goodservice in the hour of need. You and I differ in our notions on one ortwo points--that is all; there is no need for quarrelling. See, here isa note from my mother, who sent me to the bay to meet you."

  During this colloquy, Dick and Bumpus had mounted guard over the woundedsavage, just out of ear-shot of their captain. Neither of the sailorsventured to hold their prisoner, because they deemed it an unmanlyadvantage to take of one who was so completely (as they imagined) intheir power. They kept a watchful eye on him, however; and while theyaffected an easy indifference of attitude, held themselves in readinessto pounce upon him if he should attempt to escape. But nothing seemedfarther from the mind of Keona than such an attempt. He appeared to bethoroughly exhausted by his recent struggle and loss of blood, and hisbody was bent as if he were about to sink down to the ground. Therewas, however, a peculiar glance in his dark eyes that induced JohnBumpus to be more on his guard than appearances seemed to warrant.

  While Gascoyne was reading the letter to which we have referred, Keonasuddenly placed his left leg behind surly Dick, and, with his unwoundedfist, hit that morose individual such a tremendous back-handed blow onthe nose, that he instantly measured his length on the ground. JohnBumpus made a sudden plunge at the savage on seeing this, but the latterducked his head, passed like an eel under the very arms of the sailor,and went off into the forest like a deer.

  "Hold!" shouted Captain Gascoyne, as John turned in a state of mingledamazement and anger to pursue. "Hold on, Bumpus, let the miserablerascal go."

  John stopped, looked over his shoulder, hesitated, and finally came backwith a rolling air of nautical indifference, and his hands thrust intohis breeches pockets.

  "You know best, capting," said he, "but I think it a pity to let sich adirty varmint go clear off, to dodge about in the bushes, and mayhaptreat us to a pisoned arrow, or a spear-thrust on the sly.Howsomedever, it aint no consarn wotever to Jo Bumpus. How's your beak,Dick, my boy?"

  "None the better for your askin'," replied the surly mariner, who wastenderly stroking the injured member of his face with the fingers ofboth hands.

  "Come, Dick, it is none the worse of being inquired after," said Henry,laughing. "But 'tis as well to let the fellow go. He knows best how tocure his wound, by the application of a few simples, and by thus makingoff, has relieved us of the trouble and responsibility of trying ourhands at civilised doctoring. Besides, John Bumpus, (if that's yourname,--though I do think your father might have found you a better,)your long legs would never have brought you within a mile of thesavage."

  "Young man," retorted Jo, gravely, "I'd have you to know that the familyof the Bumpuses is an old and a honourable one. They comed over withthe Conkerer to Ireland, where they picked up a deal o' their goodmanners, after which they settled at last on their own estates inYorkshire. Though they _have_ comed down in the world, and the last ofthe Bumpuses--that's me--is takin' a pleasure trip round the worldbefore the mast, I won't stand by and hear my name made game of, d'yesee; and I'd have ye to know, farther, my buck, that the Bumpuses has apecooliar gift for fightin', and although you _are_ a strappin' youngfeller, you'd better not cause me for to prove that you're conkerable."

  Having delivered himself of this oration, the last of the Bumpusesfrowned portentously on the youth who had dared to risk his anger, andturning with a bland smile to surly Dick, asked him "if his beak was anybetter _now_."

  "There seems to be bad news in the letter, I think," observed Henry, asCaptain Gascoyne perused the epistle with evident signs of displeasure.

  "Bad enough in these times of war, boy," replied the other, folding thenote and placing it in a pouch inside the breast of his flannel shirt."It seems that that pestiferous British frigate the _Talisman_, lies atanchor in the bay, on the other side of the island."

  "Nothing in that to cause uneasiness to an honest trader," said Henry,leading the way up the steep path by which he had descended from themountain region of the interior.

  "That speech only shews your ignorance of the usages of ships of war.Know you not that the nature of the trade in which I am engaged requiresme to be strong-handed, and that the opinion of a
commander in theBritish navy as to how many hands are sufficient for the navigation of atrading schooner does not accord with mine?--a difference of opinionwhich may possibly result in his relieving me of a few of my best menwhen I can ill afford to spare them. And, by the way," said Gascoyne,pausing as they gained the brow of an eminence that commanded a view ofthe rich woodland on one side and the sea on the other, "I had bettertake precautions against such a mischance. Here, Dick," (taking the manaside and whispering to him,) "go back to the schooner, my lad, and tellthe mate to send ten of the best hands ashore with provisions and arms.Let them squat where they choose on land, only let them see to it thatthey keep well out of sight and hearing until I want them. And now,Master Henry, lead the way; John Bumpus and I will follow at your heellike a couple of faithful dogs."

  The scene through which young Henry Stuart now led his seafaringcompanions was of that rich, varied, and beautiful character which isstrikingly characteristic of those islands of the Pacific which owetheir origin to volcanic agency. Unlike the low coral islets, thisisland presented every variety of the boldest mountain scenery, and yet,like them, it displayed all the gorgeous beauty of a rich tropicalvegetation. In some places the ground had been cracked and riven intogreat fissures and uncouth caverns of the wildest description, byvolcanoes apparently long since extinct. In others the landscapepresented the soft beauty of undulating grove-like scenery, in which,amid a profusion of bright green herbage, there rose conspicuous thetall stems and waving plumes of the cocoa-nut palm; the superb andumbrageous ko-a, with its laurel-green leaves and sweet blossoms; the_kukui_ or candle-nut tree, the fragrant sandal-wood, and a variety ofother trees and shrubs for which there are no English names.

  Hundreds of green paroquets with blue heads and red breasts,turtle-doves, wood-pigeons, and other birds, enlivened the groves withsound, if not with melody, and the various lakelets and pools were alivewith wild ducks and water-hens.

  The route by which the party travelled, led them first across a countryof varied and beautiful aspect; then it conducted them into wildmountain fastnesses, among which they clambered, at times withconsiderable difficulty. Ere long they passed into a dreary regionwhere the ancient fires that upheaved the island from the deep seemed tohave scorched the land into a condition of perpetual desolation.Blackened and bare lava rocks, steep volcanic ridges and gorges,irregular truncated coves, deep-mouthed caves and fissures, overhangingarches, natural bridges, great tunnels and ravines, surrounded them onevery side, and so concealed the softer features of the country that itwas scarcely possible to believe in the reality of the verdant regionout of which they had just passed. In another hour this chaotic scenerywas left behind; the highest ridge of the mountains was crossed, and thetravellers began to descend the green slopes on the other side of theisland. These slopes terminated in a beach of white sand, while beyondlay the calm waters of the enclosed lagoon, the coral reef with itsbreakers, and the mighty sea.

  "'Tis a pretty spot?" said Henry, interrogatively, as the party haltedon the edge of a precipice, whence they obtained an uninterrupted viewof the whole of that side of the island.

  "Ay, pretty enough," replied Gascoyne in a somewhat sad tone of voice;"I had hoped to have led a quiet life here once,--but that was not tobe. How say you, Bumpus; could you make up your mind to cast anchorhere for a year or so?"

  "Wot's that you say, capting?" inquired honest John, who was evidentlylost in admiration of the magnificent scene that lay spread out beforehim.

  "I ask if you have no objection to come to an anchor here for a time,"repeated the captain.

  "Objection! I'll tell ye wot it is, capting, I never seed sich a placeafore in all my born days. Why it's a slice out o' paradise. I dobelieve if Adam and Eve wos here they'd think they'd got back again intoEden. It's more beautifuller than the blue ocean, by a long chalk, an'if you wants a feller that's handy at a'most anything after a fashion--ajack of all trades and master of none (except seamanship, which aint o'no use here)--Jo Bumpus is your man!"

  "I'm glad to hear you say that, Jo," said Henry, laughing, "for we aregreatly in need of white men of your stamp in these times, when thesavages are so fierce against each other that they are like to eat us upaltogether, merely by way of keeping their hands in practice."

  "_White_ men of my stamp!" remarked Bumpus, surveying complacently hisdeeply-bronzed hands, which were only a shade darker than his visage;"well, I would like to know what ye call black if I'm a white man."

  "Blood, and not skin, is what stamps the colour of the man, Jo. If itwere agreeable to Captain Gascoyne to let you off your engagement tohim, I think I could make it worth your while to engage with me, andwould find you plenty of work of all kinds, including a little of thatsame fighting for which the Bumpuses are said to be so famous."

  "Gentlemen," said Jo, gravely, "I'm agreeable to become a good andchattel for this occasion only, as the playbills say, and hold myself upto the highest bidder."

  "Nay, you are sold to me, Bumpus," said Gascoyne, "and must do as I bidyou."

  "Wery good, then bid away as fast as you like."

  "Come, captain, don't be hard," said Henry, "what will you take forhim?"

  "I cannot afford to sell him at any price?" replied the other, "for Ihave brought him here expressly as a gift to a certain Mary Stuart,queen of women, if not of Scotland--a widow who dwells in Sandy Cove."

  "What, my mother?" interrupted Henry, while a shade of displeasurecrossed his countenance at what he deemed the insolent familiarity withwhich Gascoyne mentioned her name.

  "The same. On my last visit I promised to get her a man-servant whocould do her some service in keeping off the savages when they take afancy to trouble the settlement; and if Bumpus is willing to try hisluck on shore, I promise him he'll find her a good mistress, and herhouse pleasant quarters."

  "So," exclaimed the stout seaman, stopping short in his rolling walk,and gazing earnestly into his captain's face, "I'm to be sold to awoman?"

  "With your own consent entirely, Master Bumpus," said Gascoyne with asmile.

  "Come, Jo," cried Henry, gaily, "I see you like the prospect, and feelassured that you and I shall be good friends. Give us your flipper, myboy!"

  John Bumpus allowed the youth to seize and shake a "flipper," whichwould have done credit to a walrus, both in regard to shape and size.After a short pause he said, "Whether you and me shall be good friends,young man, depends entirely on the respect which you shew to the familyof the Bumpuses--said family havin' comed over to Ireland with theConkerer in the year, ah! I misremember the year, but that don'tmatter; bein' a subject of no consarn wotiver, 'xcept to schoolboyswho'll get their licks if they can't tell, and sarve 'em right too. Butif you're willin' I'm agreeable, and there's an end o' the wholeaffair."

  So saying, John Bumpus suffered a bland smile to light up his ruddycountenance, and resumed his march in the "wake," as he expressed it, ofhis companions.

  Half an hour later they arrived at Sandy Cove, a small native settlementand mission station, and were soon seated at the hospitable board ofWidow Stuart.