CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.
AN UNEXPECTED MEETING--DOINGS ON THE ISLE OF PALMS--GASCOYNE'S DESPAIR.
It was not without some difficulty that the boat reached the shore afterthe squall burst upon them. On landing, the party observed, dark thoughit was, that their leader's countenance wore an expression of thedeepest anxiety; yet there were lines upon it that indicated the ragingof conflicting passions which he found it difficult to restrain.
"I fear me," said Ole Thorwald in a troubled voice, "that our youngfriend Henry Stuart is in danger."
"Lost!" said Gascoyne, in a voice so low and grating that it startledhis hearers.
"Say not so," said Mr Mason, earnestly. "He is a brave and a cleveryouth, and knows how to manage the cutter until we can row back andfetch him ashore."
"Row back!" exclaimed Gascoyne, almost fiercely.
"Think you that I would stand here idle if our boat could live in such asea as now rolls on the rocks? The _Wasp_ must have been washed overthe reef by this time. She may pass the next without being dashed topieces, but she is too rickety to stand the third. No, there is nohope!"
While he spoke the missionary's eyes were closed, and his lips moved asif in silent prayer. Seizing Gascoyne nervously by the arm, hesaid--"You cannot tell that there is no hope. That is known only to Onewho has encouraged us to `hope against hope.' Henry is a stout youthand a good swimmer. He may succeed in clinging to some portion of thewreck."
"True, true," cried Gascoyne, eagerly grasping at this hope, slightthough it was. "Come, we waste time. There is but one chance. Theschooner must be secured without delay. Lads, you will follow MrThorwald. Do whatever he bids you. And now," he added, leading themerchant aside, "the time for action has come. I will conduct you to acertain point on the island where you will remain concealed among thebushes until I return to you."
"And suppose you never return to us, Mister Gascoyne?" said Ole, whoregarded every act of the pirate captain with suspicion.
"Then you will remain there till you are tired," answered Gascoyne, withsome asperity, "and after that, do what you please."
"Well, well, I am in your power," retorted the obdurate Norseman; "makewhat arrangements you please, I will carry them out until--"
Here Ole thought fit to break off, and Gascoyne, without taking noticeof the remark, went on in a few hurried sentences to explain as much ofhis plan as he thought necessary for the guidance of his suspiciousally.
This done, he led the whole party to the highest part of the island, andmade them lie in ambush there while he went forward alone toreconnoitre. The night was admirably suited to their purpose. It wasso dark that it was extremely difficult to perceive objects more than afew yards off, and the wind howled so furiously among the palms thatthere was no danger of being overheard in the event of their speakingtoo loud or stumbling over fallen trees.
Gascoyne, who knew every rock and tree on the Isle of Palms, wentrapidly down the gentle slope that intervened between him and theharbour in which the _Foam_ lay at anchor. Dark though it was, he couldsee the taper masts and yards of his vessel traced dimly against thesky.
The pirate's movements now became more cautious. He stepped slowly, andpaused frequently to listen. At last he went down on his hands andknees and crept forward for a considerable distance in that position,until he reached a ledge of rocks that overhung the shore of the bay.Here he observed an object like a round lump of rock, lying a few yardsbefore him, on a spot where he was well aware no such rock hadpreviously existed. It moved after a moment or two. Gascoyne knew thatthere were no wild animals of any kind on the island, and, therefore, atonce jumped to the conclusion that this must needs be a human being ofsome sort. Drawing his knife he put it between his teeth, and creepingnoiselessly towards the object in question laid his strong hand on theneck of the horrified Will Corrie.
That adventurous and desperate little hero having lain sleepless andmiserable at the feet of Alice until the squall blew the tent over theirheads, got up and assisted Montague to erect it anew in a more shelteredposition, after which, saying that he meant to take a midnight ramble onthe shore to cool his fevered brow, he made straight for the sea,stepped knee-deep into the raging surf, and bared his breast to thefurious blast.
This cooled him so effectually that he took to running along shore inorder to warm himself. Then it occurred to him that the night wasparticularly favourable for a sly peep at the pirates. Without amoment's hesitation he walked and stumbled towards the high part of theisland, at which he arrived just half-an-hour before Gascoyne reachedit. He had seen nothing, however, and was on the point of advancingstill further in his explorations, when he was discovered as we haveseen.
Gascoyne instantly turned the boy over on his back, and nipped atremendous yell in the bud by grasping his wind-pipe.
"Why, Corrie!" exclaimed Gascoyne in surprise, at the same timeloosening his grip, though still holding the boy down.
"Ah! you villain, you rascally pirate. _I_ know you, I--"
The pipe was gently squeezed at this point, and the sentence abruptlycut short.
"Come, boy, you must not speak so loud. Enemies are near. If you don'tbehave I'll have to throttle you. I have come from Sandy Cove with aparty to save you and your friends."
Corrie did not believe a word of this. He knew, or at least hesupposed, that Gascoyne had left the schooner, not having seen him sincethey sailed from Sandy Cove; but he knew nothing of the manner in whichhe had been put ashore.
"It won't do, Gascoyne," gasped poor Corrie, on being permitted again touse his wind-pipe. "You may kill me, but you'll never cow me. I don'tbelieve you, you cowardly monster."
"I'll have to convince you then," said Gascoyne, suddenly catching theboy in his arms, and bearing him swiftly away from the spot.
Corrie struggled like a hero, as he was. He tried to shout, butGascoyne's right hand again squeezed the wind-pipe; he attempted tobite, but the same hand easily kept the refractory head in order; heendeavoured to kick and hit, but Gascoyne's left hand encircled him insuch a comprehensive embrace and pressed him so powerfully to hispiratical bosom that he could only wriggle. This he did withoutceasing, until Gascoyne suddenly planted him on his feet, panting anddishevelled, before the astonished faces of Frederick Mason and OleThorwald.
It is not necessary to describe in detail the surprise of all then andthere assembled, the hurried conversation, and the cry of joy with whichthe missionary received the information that Alice was safe and withinfive minutes' walk of the spot on which he stood. Suffice it to say,that Corrie was now convinced of the good faith of Gascoyne, whom he atonce led, along with Mr Mason, to the tent where Alice and her friendsslept--leaving Thorwald and his men where they were, to await furtherorders.
The cry of wild delight with which Alice sprang into her father's armsmight have been destructive of all Gascoyne's plans had not the windcarried it away from the side of the island where the pirate schoonerlay. There was now no time to be lost. After the first embrace, and afew hurried words of blessing and thanksgiving, the missionary wassummoned to a consultation.
"I will join you in this enterprise, Mr Gascoyne," said Montague. "Ibelieve what you say to be true, besides, the urgency of our presentdanger leaves me no room for choice. I am in your power. I believethat in your present penitent condition you are willing to enable us toescape from your former associates; but I tell you frankly that, if everI have an opportunity to do so, I will consider it my duty to deliveryou over to justice."
"Time is too precious to trifle thus," said Gascoyne, hurriedly. "Ihave already said that I will deliver myself up--not however to _you_,but to Mr Mason--after I have rescued the party, so that I am notlikely to claim any consideration from you on account of the obligationwhich you seem to think my present act will lay you under. But you mustnot accompany me just now."
"Why not?"
"Because your presence may be required here. You and Mr Mason willremain where you a
re to guard the girls, until I return. All that Ihave to ask is, that you be in readiness to follow me at a moment'snotice when the time comes."
"Of course what you arrange _must_ be agreed to," said Montague.
"Come, Corrie, I will require your assistance. Follow me," said thepirate captain, as he turned and strode rapidly away.
Corrie was now thoroughly convinced of the good intentions of Gascoyne,so he followed him without hesitation. Indeed, now that he had anopportunity of seeing a little more of his gigantic companion, he beganto feel a strange kind of pity and liking for him, but he shuddered andfelt repelled when he thought of the human blood in which his hands musthave been imbrued, for as yet he had not heard of the defence of himselfwhich Gascoyne had made in the widow's cottage. But he had not muchtime to think, for in a few minutes they came upon Ole Thorwald and hisparty.
"Follow me quietly," said Gascoyne. "Keep in single file and closetogether, for if we are separated here we shall not easily get togetheragain."
Leading them over the same ground that he had formerly traversed,Gascoyne conducted his party to the shores of the bay where the _Foam_lay at anchor. Here he made them keep close in the bushes, withdirections to be ready to act the instant he should call on them to doso.
"But it would comfort me mightily, Mister Gascoyne," said Thorwald in asomewhat troubled voice, "if you would give me some instructions oradvice as to what I am to do in the event of your plans miscarrying. Icare nought for a fair fight in open field, but I do confess to adislike of being brought to the condition of _not knowing what to do_."
"It won't matter much what you do, Mr Thorwald," said Gascoyne,gravely. "If my plans miscarry, you will be killed every soul of you.You'll not have the ghost of a chance of escaping."
Ole opened his eyes uncommonly wide at this. "Well," said he at length,with a sigh of resignation, "it's some comfort to know that one can onlybe killed once."
Gascoyne now proceeded leisurely to strip off his shirt, therebydisplaying a chest, back, and arms in which the muscles were developedto an extent that might have made Hercules himself envious. Kicking offhis boots, he reduced his clothing to a pair of loose knee-breeches.
"'Tis a strange time to indulge in a cold bath!" murmured Thorwald,whose state of surprise was beginning to render him desperatelyironical.
Gascoyne took no notice of this remark, but calling Corrie to his side,said--
"Can you swim, boy?"
"Yes, like a duck."
"Can you distinguish the stern of the schooner?"
"I can."
"Listen, then. When you see a white sheet waved over the taffrail,throw off your jacket and shirt and swim out to the schooner. D'yeunderstand?"
"Perfectly," replied the boy, whose decision of manner and action grewwith the occasion.
"And now, Mr Thorwald," said Gascoyne, "I shall swim off to theschooner. If, as I expect, the men are on shore in a place that I wotof and with which you have nothing to do, well and good, I will send aboat for you with muffled oars--but, mark you, let there be no noise inembarking or in getting aboard the schooner. If, on the other hand, themen are aboard, I will bring a boat to you myself, in which case silencewill not be so necessary, and your fighting powers shall be put to theproof."
Without waiting for a reply, the pirate captain walked down the slopingbeach and waded slowly into the dark sea. His motions were so noiselessand stealthy that those who watched him with eager eyes could onlydiscern a figure moving gradually away from them and melting into thethick gloom.
Fierce though the storm was outside, the sheltered waters of the baywere almost calm, so that Gascoyne had no difficulty in swimming off tothe _Foam_ without making any noise. As he drew near, a footstep on thedeck apprised him that there was at least a watch left. A few secondslater a man leaned over the low bulwarks of the vessel on the side onwhich the swimmer approached.
"Hist! what sort o' brute's that?" he exclaimed, seizing a handspikethat chanced to be near him and hurling it at the head of the brute.
The handspike fell within a yard of Gascoyne, who, keeping up hissupposed character, made a wild splash with his arms and dived like agenuine monster of the deep. Swimming under water as vigorously as hecould, he endeavoured to gain the other side of the vessel before hecame up; but, finding that this was impossible, he turned on his backand allowed himself to rise gently until nothing but his face appearedabove the surface. By this means he was enabled to draw a full breath,and then, causing himself to sink, he swam under water to the other sideof the schooner and rose under her quarter.
Here he paused a minute to breathe, then glided with noiseless strokesto the main chains, which he seized hold of, and, under their shelter,listened intently for at least five minutes.
Not a sound was to be heard on board save the footstep of the solitarywatchman who slowly paced the deck, and now and then beguiled the tediumof his vigil by humming a snatch of a sea song.
Gascoyne now felt assured that the crew were ashore enjoying themselves,(as they were wont to do,) in one of the artificial caverns where theirgoods were concealed. He knew, from his own former experience, thatthey felt quite secure when once at anchor in the harbour of the Isle ofPalms; it was therefore probable that all of them had gone ashore exceptthis man who had been left to take care of the vessel.
Gascoyne now drew himself slowly up into the chains, and remained therefor a few seconds in a stooping position, keeping his head below thelevel of the bulwarks while he squeezed the water out of his lowergarments. This done, he waited until the man on deck came close towhere he stood, when he sprang on him with the agility of a tiger, threwhim down, and placed his hand on his mouth.
"It will be your wisest course to be still, my man," said Gascoyne,sternly. "You know who I am, and you know what I can do when occasionrequires. If you shout when I remove my hand from your mouth you die."
The man seemed to be quite aware of the hopelessness of his case, for hequietly submitted to have his mouth bound with a handkerchief and hishands and feet tied with cords. A few seconds sufficed to accomplishthis, after which Gascoyne took him up in his arms as if he had been achild, carried him below, and laid him on one of the cabin lockers.Then, dragging a sheet off one of the beds, he sprang up on deck andwaved it over the stern.
"That's the signal for me," said Corrie, who had watched for iteagerly--"now, uncle Ole, mind you obey orders--you're rather inclinedto be mutinous, and that won't pay to-night. If you don't look out,Gascoyne will pitch into you, old boy."
Master Corrie indulged in these impertinent remarks while he wasstripping off his jacket and shirt. The exasperated Thorwald attemptedto seize him by the neck and shake him, but Corrie flung his jacket inhis face, and sprang down the beach like a squirrel. He had wisdomenough, however, to say and do all this in the quietest possible manner,and when he entered the sea he did so with as much caution as Gascoynehimself had done, insomuch that he seemed to melt away like amischievous sprite.
In a few minutes he was alongside of the _Foam_; caught a rope that wasthrown to him, and quickly stood on the deck.
"Well done, Corrie. Clamber over the stern, and slide down by that ropeinto the little boat that floats there. Take one of the oars, which youwill find muffled, and scull to the shore and bring off Thorwald and hismen. And, hark 'ee, boy, bring off my shirt and boots. Now, lookalive; your friend Henry Stuart's life may depend on it."
"Henry's life!" exclaimed Corrie in amazement.
"Come, no questions. His life may depend on your promptitude."
Corrie wanted no stronger motive for speed. In a state of surprisemingled with anxious forebodings, he leaped over the stern and was gonein a moment.
The distance between the shore and the schooner being very short, theboat was quickly alongside, and the party, under stout Ole Thorwald,took possession of their prize. Meanwhile Gascoyne had set the jib andfore-topsail, which latter had been left hanging loose from the yard, sothat by hauling
out the sheets slowly and with great care, the thing wasdone without noise. The cable was then cut, the boat manned, and the_Foam_ glided out of the bay like a phantom ship.
The moment she got beyond the shelter of the palms her sails filled, andin a few minutes she was rushing through the water at the rate of ten oreleven knots an hour.
Gascoyne stood at the helm and guided her through the intricacies of thedangerous coast with consummate skill, until he reached the bay wherethe wrecked ship lay. Here he lay to, and sent the boat ashore for theparty that had been left at the tent. They were waiting anxiously forhis return; great therefore was their astonishment when he sent amessage inviting them to go on board the _Foam_.
The instant they embarked Gascoyne put about, and, ordering the mainsailto be hoisted and one of the reefs to be shaken out of the topsail, ranround to windward of the island, with the foam flying in great masses oneither side of the schooner, which lay over so much before the gale thatit was scarcely possible to stand on the deck.
The manner in which the pirate captain now acted was calculated to fillthe hearts of those whose lives seemed to hang in his hands with alarmif not dismay. His spirit seemed to be stirred within him. There wasindeed no anger either in his looks or tones, but there was a sternfixedness of purpose in his manner and aspect which aroused, yetrepelled, the curiosity of those around him. Even Ole Thorwald andMontague agreed that it was best to let him alone, for although theymight overcome his great physical force by the united strength ofnumbers, the result would certainly be disastrous, as he was the onlyone who knew the locality.
On reaching the windward side of the island he threw the schooner upinto the wind, and ordered the large boat to be hoisted out and put inthe water, Gascoyne issued his commands in a quick loud voice, and Oleshook his head as if he felt that this overbearing manner proved what hehad expected, namely, that when the pirate got aboard his own vessel hewould come out in his true colours.
Whatever men felt or thought, there was no hesitation in renderingprompt obedience to that voice. The large boat was hoisted off thebrass pivot gun amidships and lowered into the water. Then Gascoynegave the helm to one of the men, with directions to hold it exactly asit then lay, and, hurrying down below, speedily returned, to theastonishment of every one, with a man in his arms.
"Now, Connway," said Gascoyne, as he cut the cords that bound the manand removed the handkerchief from his mouth, "I'm a man of few words,and to-night have less time than usual to speak. I set you free. Getinto that boat--one oar will suffice to guide it--the wind will drive itto the island. I send it as a parting gift to Manton and my formerassociates. It is large enough to hold them all. Tell them that Irepent of my sins, and the sooner they do the same the better. I cannotnow undo the evil I have done them. I can only furnish the means ofescape, so that they may have time and opportunity to mend their ways,and, hark 'ee, the sooner they leave this plane the better. It will nolonger be a safe retreat. Farewell!"
While he was speaking he led the man by the arm to the side of theschooner, and constrained him to get into the boat. As he uttered thelast word he cut the rope that held it, and let it drop astern.
Gascoyne immediately resumed his place at the helm, and once more theschooner was running through the water, almost gunwale under, towardsthe place where the _Wasp_ had been wrecked.
Without uttering a word of explanation, and apparently forgetful ofevery one near him, the pirate continued during the remainder of thatnight to steer the _Foam_ out and in among the roaring breakers, as ifhe were trying how near he could venture to the jaws of destructionwithout actually plunging into them. As the night wore on the skycleared up, and the scene of foaming desolation that was presented bythe breakers in the midst of which they flew, was almost enough to appalthe stoutest heart.
The crew looked on in moody silence. They knew that their lives wereimperilled, but they felt that they had no resource. No one dared toaddress the silent, stern man who stood like an iron statue at the helmthe whole of that night. Towards morning, he steered out from among thedangerous coral reefs and ran south, straight before the wind.
Then Corrie summoned up courage, and, going aft to Gascoyne, looked upin his face and said--
"You're searching for Henry, I think?"
"Yes, boy. I am," answered the pirate, and a gleam of kindlinesscrossed his face for a moment, but it was quickly chased away by a lookof deep anxiety, and Corrie retired.
Now that the danger of the night was over, all the people on boardbecame anxious to save Henry or ascertain his fate; but although theysearched the ocean far and wide, they saw not a vestige of him or of the_Wasp_. During this period Gascoyne acted like a bewildered man. Henever quitted the helm, night nor day. He only ate a biscuit now andthen when it was brought to him, and he did not answer when he wasspoken to.
Every one felt sympathy with the man who seemed to mourn so deeply forthe lost youth.
At last Montague went up to him and said in a gentle voice--
"I fear that Henry is gone."
Gascoyne started as if a sword had pierced him. For one moment helooked fiercely in the young captain's face; then an expression of thedeepest sadness overspread his countenance as he said--
"Do you think there is no hope?"
"None," said Montague. "I grieve to give pain to one who seems to havebeen an intimate friend of the lad."
"He was the son of my oldest and best friend. What would you advise,Mr Montague?"
"I think--that is to say, don't _you_ think--that it would be as well toput about now?"
Gascoyne's head dropped on his chest, and for some moments he stoodspeechless, while his strong hands played nervously with the tiller thatthey had held so long and so firmly. At last he looked up and said, ina low voice--"I resign the schooner into your hands, Mr Montague."
Then he went slowly below, and shut himself up in his cabin.
Montague at once put down the helm, and, pointing the schooner's prownorthward, steered for the harbour of Sandy Cove.
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