The Pirate Story Megapack: 25 Classic and Modern Tales

by Robert E. Howard

  She covered her face with her hands.

  “Bring that man forward,” said Cain, pointing to the servant. “Who are you.”

  “A servant of my lord the bishop.”

  “And you?” continued the captain.

  “A poor sacristan attending upon my lord the bishop.”

  “And you?” cried he to a third.

  “The supercargo of this vessel.”

  “Put him aside, Hawkhurst!”

  “Do you want the others?” inquired Hawkhurst significantly.

  “No.”

  Hawkhurst gave a signal to some of the pirates, who led away the sacristan and the servant. A stifled shriek and a heavy plunge in the water were heard a few seconds after. During this time the pirate had been questioning the supercargo as to the contents of the vessel, and her stowage, when he was suddenly interrupted by one of the pirates, who in a hurried voice, stated that the ship had received several shot between wind and water, and was sinking fast. Cain, who was standing on the side of the carronade with his sword in his hand, raised his arm and struck the pirate a blow on the head with the hilt, which, whether intended or not, fractured his skull, and the man fell upon the deck.

  “Take that, babbler! for your intelligence; if these men are obstinate, we may have worked for nothing.”

  The crew, who felt the truth of their captain’s remark, did not appear to object to the punishment inflicted, and the body of the man was dragged away.

  “What mercy can we expect from those who show no mercy even to each other?” observed the bishop, lifting his eyes to heaven.

  “Silence!” cried Cain, who now interrogated the supercargo as to the contents of the hold—the poor man answered as well as he could—“the plate! the money for the troops—where are they?”

  “The money for the troops is in the spirit-room, but of the plate I know nothing; it is in some of the cases belonging to my lord the bishop.”

  “Hawkhurst! down at once into the spirit-room, and see to the money; in the mean time I will ask a few questions of this reverend father.”

  “And the supercargo—do you want him any more?”

  “No; he may go.”

  The poor man fell down on his knees in thankfulness at what he considered his escape: he was dragged away by the pirates, and, it is scarcely necessary to add that in a minute his body was torn to pieces by the sharks, who, scenting their prey from a distance, were now playing in shoals around the two vessels.

  The party on the quarter-deck were now (unperceived by the captain) joined by Francisco, who, hearing from the Krouman, Pompey, that there were prisoners still on board, and amongst them two females, had come over to plead the cause of mercy.

  “Most reverend father,” observed Cain, after a short pause, “you have many articles of value in this vessel?”

  “None,” replied the bishop, “except this poor girl; she is, indeed, beyond price, and will, I trust, soon be an angel in heaven.”

  “Yet is this world, if what you preach be true, a purgatory which must be passed through previous to arriving there, and that girl may think death a blessing compared to what she may expect if you refuse to tell me what I would know. You have good store of gold and silver ornaments for your churches—where are they?”

  “They are among the packages intrusted to my care.”

  “How many may you have in all?”

  “A hundred, if not more.”

  “Will you deign to inform me where I may find what I require?”

  “The gold and silver are not mine, but are the property of that God to whom they have been dedicated,” replied the bishop.

  “Answer quickly; no more subterfuge, good sir. Where is it to be found?”

  “I will not tell, thou blood-stained man; at least; in this instance, there shall be disappointment, and the sea shall swallow up those earthly treasures to obtain which thou hast so deeply imbrued thy hands. Pirate! I repeat it, I will not tell.”

  “Seize that girl, my lads!” cried Cain; “she is yours, do with her as you please.”

  “Save me! oh, save me!” shrieked Teresa, clinging to the bishop’s robe.

  The pirates advanced and laid hold of Teresa. Francisco bounded from where he stood behind the captain, and dashed away the foremost.

  “Are you men?” cried he, as the pirates retreated. “Holy sir, I honour you. Alas! I cannot save you,” continued Francisco, mournfully. “Yet will I try. On my knees—by the love you bore my mother—by the affection you once bore me—do not commit this horrid deed. My lads!” continued Francisco, appealing to the pirates, “join with me and entreat your captain; ye are too brave, too manly, to injure the helpless and the innocent—above all, to shed the blood of a holy man, and of this poor trembling maiden.”

  There was a pause—even the pirates appeared to side with Francisco, though none of them dared to speak. The muscles of the captain’s face quivered with emotion, but from what source could not be ascertained.

  At this moment the interest of the scene was heightened. The girl who attended upon Teresa, crouched on her knees with terror, had been casting her fearful eyes upon the men who composed the pirate-crew; suddenly she uttered a scream of delight as she discovered among them one that she well knew. He was a young man, about twenty-five years of age, with little or no beard. He had been her lover in his more innocent days; and she, for more than a year, had mourned him as dead, for the vessel in which he sailed had never been heard of. It had been taken by the pirate, and, to save his life, he had joined the crew.

  “Filippo! Filippo!” screamed the girl, rushing into his arms. “Mistress! it is Filippo; and we are safe.”

  Filippo instantly recognised her: the sight of her brought back to his memory his days of happiness and of innocence; and the lovers were clasped in each other’s arms.

  “Save them! spare them!—by the spirit of my mother! I charge you,” repeated Francisco, again appealing to the captain.

  “May God bless thee, thou good young man!” said the bishop, advancing and placing his hand upon Francisco’s head.

  Cain answered not; but his broad expanded chest heaved with emotion—when Hawkhurst burst into the group.

  “We are too late for the money, captain: the water is already six feet above it. We must now try for the treasure.”

  This intelligence appeared to check the current of the captain’s feelings.

  “Now, in one word, sir,” said he to the bishop, “where is the treasure? Trifle not, or, by Heaven—!”

  “Name not Heaven,” replied the bishop; “you have had my answer.”

  The captain turned away, and gave some directions to Hawkhurst, who hastened below.

  “Remove that boy,” said Cain to the pirates, pointing to Francisco, “Separate those two fools,” continued he, looking towards Filippo and the girl, who were sobbing in each other’s arms.

  “Never!” cried Filippo.

  “Throw the girl to the sharks! Do you hear? Am I to be obeyed?” cried Cain, raising his cutlass.

  Filippo started up, disengaged himself from the girl, and, drawing his knife, rushed towards the captain to plunge it in his bosom.

  With the quickness of lightning the captain caught his uplifted hand, and, breaking his wrist, hurled him to the deck.

  “Indeed!” cried he, with a sneer.

  “You shall not separate us,” said Filippo, attempting to rise.

  “I do not intend it, my good lad,” replied Cain. “Lash them both together and launch them overboard.”

  This order was obeyed: for the pirates not only quailed before the captain’s cool courage, but were indignant that his life had been attempted. There was little occasion to tie the unhappy pair together; they were locked so fast in each other’s arms that it would have been impossible almost to separate them. In this state they were carried to the entering-port, and cast into the sea.

  “Monster!” cried the bishop, as he heard the splash, “thou wilt have a heavy reckoning for t
his.”

  “Now bring these forward,” said Cain, with a savage voice.

  The bishop and his niece were led to the gangway.

  “What dost thou see, good bishop?” said Cain pointing to the discoloured water, and the rapid motion of the fins of the sharks, eager in the anticipation of a further supply.

  “I see ravenous creatures after their kind,” replied the bishop, “who will, in all probability, soon tear asunder those poor limbs; but I see no monster like thyself. Teresa, dearest, fear not; there is a God, an avenging God; as well as a rewarding one.”

  But Teresa’s eyes were closed—she could not look upon the scene.

  “You have your choice; first torture, and then your body to those sharks for your own portion: and as for the girl, this moment I hand her over to my crew.”

  “Never!” shrieked Teresa, springing from the deck and plunging into the wave.

  There was a splash of contention, the lashing of tails, until the water was in a foam, and then the dark colour gradually cleared away, and nought was to be seen, but the pure blue wave and the still unsatisfied monsters of the deep.

  “The screws—the screws! quick! we’ll have the secret from him,” cried the pirate-captain, turning to his crew, who, villains as they were, had been shocked at this last catastrophe. “Seize him!”

  “Touch him not!” cried Francisco, standing on the hammock-netting; “touch him not! if you are men.”

  Boiling with rage, Cain let go the arm of the bishop, drew his pistol, and levelled it at Francisco. The bishop threw up the arm of Cain as he fired; saw that he had missed his aim, and clasping his hands, raised his eyes to heaven in thankfulness at Francisco’s escape. In this position he was collared by Hawkhurst, whose anger overcame his discretion, and who hurled him through the entering-port into the sea.

  “Officious fool!” muttered Cain, when he perceived what the mate had done. Then, recollecting himself, he cried,—“Seize that boy and bring him here.”

  One or two of the crew advanced to obey his orders; but Pompey and the Kroumen, who had been attentive to what was going on, had collected round Francisco, and a scuffle ensued. The pirates, not being very determined, nor very anxious to take Francisco, allowed him to be hurried away in the centre of the Kroumen, who bore him safely to the schooner.

  In the meantime Hawkhurst, and the major part of the men on board of the ship, had been tearing up the hold to obtain the valuables, but without success. The water had now reached above the orlop-deck, and all further attempts were unavailing. The ship was settling fast, and it became necessary to quit her, and haul off the schooner; that she might not be endangered by the vortex of the sinking vessel. Cain and Hawkhurst, with their disappointed crew, returned on board the schooner, and before they had succeeded in detaching the two vessels a cable’s length the ship went down with all the treasure so coveted. The indignation and rage which were expressed by the captain as he rapidly walked the deck in company with his first mate—his violent gesticulation—proved to the crew that there was mischief brewing. Francisco did not return to the cabin; he remained forward with the Kroumen, who, although but a small portion of the ship’s company, were known to be resolute and not to be despised. It was also observed that all of them had supplied themselves with arms, and were collected forward, huddled together, watching every motion and manoeuvre, and talking rapidly in their own language. The schooner was now steered to the north-westward under all press of sail. The sun again disappeared, but Francisco returned not to the cabin—he went below, surrounded by the Kroumen, who appeared to have devoted themselves to his protection. Once during the night Hawkhurst summoned them on deck, but they obeyed not the order; and to the expostulation of the boatswain’s mate, who came down, they made no reply. But there were many of the pirates in the schooner who appeared to coincide with the Kroumen in their regard for Francisco. There are shades of villainy in the most profligate of societies; and among the pirate’s crew some were not yet wholly debased. The foul murder of a holy man—the cruel fate of the beautiful Teresa—and the barbarous conduct of the captain towards Filippo and his mistress, were deeds of an atrocity to which even the most hardened were unaccustomed. Francisco’s pleadings in behalf of mercy were at least no crime; and yet they considered that Francisco was doomed. He was a general favourite; the worst-disposed of the pirates, with the exception of Hawkhurst, if they did not love him, could not forbear respecting him; although at the same time they felt that if Francisco remained on board the power even of Cain himself would soon be destroyed. For many months Hawkhurst, who detested the youth, had been most earnest that he should be sent out of the schooner. Now he pressed the captain for his removal in any way, as necessary for their mutual safety, pointing out to Cain the conduct of the Kroumen, and his fears that a large proportion of the ship’s company were equally disaffected. Cain felt the truth of Hawkhurst’s representation, and he went down to his cabin to consider upon what should be done.

  It was past midnight, when Cain, worn out with the conflicting passions of the day, fell into an uneasy slumber. His dreams were of Francisco’s mother—she appeared to him pleading for her son, and Cain “babbled in his sleep.” At this time Francisco, with Pompey, had softly crawled aft, that they might obtain, if they found the captain asleep, the pistols of Francisco, with some ammunition. Pompey slipped in first, and started back when he heard the captain’s voice. They remained at the cabin-door listening. “No, no,” murmured Cain, “he must die—useless—plead not, woman!—I know I murdered thee—plead not, he dies!”

  In one of the sockets of the silver lamp there was a lighted wick, the rays of which were sufficient to afford a dim view of the cabin. Francisco, overhearing the words of Cain, stepped in, and walked up to the side of the bed. “Boy! plead not,” continued Cain, lying on his back and breathing heavily—“plead not—woman!—tomorrow he dies.” A pause ensued, as if the sleeping man was listening to a reply. “Yes, as I murdered thee, so will I murder him.”

  “Wretch!” said Francisco, in a low, solemn voice, “didst thou kill my mother?”

  “I did—I did!” responded Cain, still sleeping.

  “And why?” continued Francisco, who at this acknowledgment on the part of the sleeping captain was careless of discovery.

  “In my mood she vexed me,” answered Cain.

  “Fiend; thou hast then confessed it!” cried Francisco in a loud voice, which awoke the captain, who started up; but before his senses were well recovered, or his eyes open so as to distinguish their forms, Pompey struck out the light, and all was darkness; he then put his hand to Francisco’s mouth, and led him out of the cabin.

  “Who’s there?—who’s there?” cried Cain.

  The officer in charge of the deck hastened down. “Did you call, sir?”

  “Call!” repeated the captain. “I thought there was some one in the cabin. I want a light—that’s all,” continued he, recovering himself, as he wiped the cold perspiration from his forehead.

  In the meantime Francisco, with Pompey, had gained his former place of refuge with the Kroumen. The feelings of the young man changed from agony to revenge; his object in returning to the cabin to recover his weapons had been frustrated, but his determination now was to take the life of the captain if he possibly could. The following morning the Kroumen again refused to work or go on deck; and the state of affairs was reported by Hawkhurst to his chief. The mate now assumed another tone: for he had sounded not the majority but the most steady and influential men on board, who, like himself, were veterans in crime.

  “It must be, sir; or you will no longer command this vessel. I am desired to say so.”

  “Indeed!” replied Cain, with a sneer. “Perhaps you have already chosen my successor?”

  Hawkhurst perceived that he had lost ground, and he changed his manner. “I speak but for yourself: if you do not command this vessel I shall not remain in her: if you quit her, I quit also; and we must find another.”

  Ca
in was pacified, and the subject was not renewed.

  “Turn the hands up,” at last said the captain. The pirate-crew assembled aft.

  “My lads, I am sorry that our laws oblige me to make an example; but mutiny and disaffection must be punished. I am equally bound as yourselves by the laws which we have laid down for our guidance while we sail together; and you may believe that in doing my duty in this instance I am guided by a sense of justice, and wish to prove to you that I am worthy to command. Francisco has been with me since he was a child; he has lived with me, and it is painful to part with him: but I am here to see that our laws are put in force. He has been guilty of repeated mutiny and contempt, and—he must die.”

  “Death! death!” cried several of the pirates in advance: “death and justice!”

  “No more murder!” said several voices from behind.

  “Who’s that that speaks?”

  “Too much murder yesterday—no more murder!” shouted several voices at once.

  “Let the men come forward who speak,” cried Cain with a withering look. No one obeyed this order. “Down, then, my men! and bring up Francisco.”

  The whole of the pirate-crew hastened below, but with different intentions. Some were determined to seize Francisco, and hand him over to death—others to protect him. A confused noise was heard—the shouts of “Down and seize him!” opposed to those of “No murder! No murder!”

  Both parties had snatched up their arms; those who sided with Francisco joined the Kroumen, whilst the others also hastened below to bring him on deck. A slight scuffle ensued before they separated, and ascertained by the separation the strength of the contending parties. Francisco, perceiving that he was joined by a large body, desired his men to follow him, went up the fore-ladder, and took possession of the forecastle. The pirates on his side supplied him with arms, and Francisco stood forward in advance. Hawkhurst, and those of the crew who sided with him, had retreated to the quarter-deck, and rallied round the captain, who leaned against the capstern. They were then able to estimate their comparative strength. The number, on the whole, preponderated in favour of Francisco; but on the captain’s side were the older and more athletic of the crew, and, we may add, the more determined. Still, the captain and Hawkhurst perceived the danger of their situation, and it was thought advisable to parley for the present, and wreak their vengeance hereafter. For a few minutes there was a low consultation between both parties; at last Cain advanced.