The Perils of Pauline

by Lawrence Fletcher

  CHAPTER VII

  A FLIRTY BUCCANEER

  Arrived at Nassua, the party proceeded to the King Edward House, wherePauline found a telegram from Philip Carpenter, the lawyer, advisingher to return as soon as possible to attend the signing of certainimportant papers. On account of the message all hands made haste tohunt for a small steamer or launch to complete the trip.

  Though none of the four saw him, the old man was at the hotel. He lostno time in assuming another and very different disguise, observing tohimself that the most valuable part of his college education mightprove to be the secrets of "make up" he had learned in his collegedramatic club.

  Owen, with his usual forethought, had arranged in advance to be put intouch at once with all available boats. As a result a gasoline launch,with a cabin and stateroom, about 100 feet long, which had once been ayacht, was chartered. The "pirate's" stipulation that no strangershould see his island made it necessary for Pauline to deposit a checkfor $2,500 for its safe return.

  The next morning provisions were brought aboard, the "pirate" declaringthat he could run the engine, and all was ready when a difficultyarose. Who was to cook? Pauline volunteered, but Owen objected, andfinally the "pirate's" objections to a stranger were overcome.

  A dark-skinned half-breed, with long, black hair, who had earned half adollar by helping carry things on board, volunteered in a gruff voice.

  "I'se fine cook. Best cook on the island. I cook very cheap."

  Time was too valuable to investigate the man's ability, so he washired. Off went the white launch. Owen steering under instructionsfrom the "pirate," who soon proved he knew gasoline engines. Out ofthe harbor they went, and then coasted along the beautiful shores ofthe island. The sea was calm and the cruise uneventful for some time,when the "pirate" called every one's attention to the fact that it wasa long time since breakfast. He went below and addressed the cook, whohad shut himself up in his tiny galley, as sailors call a boat'skitchen.

  "What's your name?" demanded Boyd.

  "Filipo."

  "Are you a nigger?"

  "I guess so; I dunno."

  "Well, what were your father and mother?"

  "I dunno."

  "That's funny; but what I want to know is how soon grub will be ready?"

  "Right away, senor."

  "All right, Filipo; see that there is plenty of it."

  "Dod foul my hawser, if this ain't what yer might call pleasant,"declared the "pirate," showing his few teeth in a smile that remindedPauline of the spiles of an abandoned pier.

  Pauline was pacing the deck apart from the others, in a pleasantdreaminess scanning the endless azure of the hashed waters. Herthoughts roamed forward and backward--forward to the vague magic landof adventure, where she was to win treasure and delight, fortune andfame; backward to a big, lovely, splendid house in New York City, wherea certain tall young man, with brown, unruly hair and shoulders broadas a sheltering wall, must be pining for her.

  Some one began whistling in the cabin. Pauline paid no attention to itat first, but as the tune suddenly shifted to the very latest musicalcomedy air she became interested. Owen never whistled, and Hicks, sheimagined, seldom went to the theatres.

  The song shifted from whistle to words:

  "I'm a greatly wicked person. If there's anybody worse on Thisterrestrial circumference of guile (Though I very broadly doubt it) Ishould like to know about it, For I want to be the blackest thing onfile.

  "I'm a bad-mad-man, my dear, I'm a liar and a flyer and flirtybuccaneer. I've done everything that's awful that a human being can.I'm a bad--ma-a-d man."

  "The song from 'Polly Peek-a-boo.' Harry and I heard it only two weeksago," mused Pauline.

  Moved by a sudden whimsy, she entered the cabin. There was no onethere but the cook. In his dingy linen suit he was standing at thetable peeling potatoes and whistling. He stopped as Pauline entered, atall powerful man, though of slouching posture, he boweddeferentially.

  "No like me sing--no sing," he suggested.

  "On the contrary, I like it very much. You sing very well indeed,Filipo. Would you mind telling me where you heard the song you werejust singing?"

  "Big American man, up Nassau--he sing'um. Very fine man--big fooldaughter," replied Filipo.

  "You speak very good English when you sing," remarked Pauline. "Whydon't you do it all the time?"

  The cook hesitated.

  "Speak good English all time--bad English when sing!"

  Pauline began to scrutinize half suspiciously this remarkable menial,but he kept stolidly at work at the potatoes, and his dark skin, hisscraggly beard, his bagging trousers upturned over bare feet, hisgeneral dilapidation of appearance, proved him nothing but one of thecommon derelicts of the languid islands.

  "If you could peel potatoes instead of butchering them, there would bea little more to eat in case we run out of supplies, Filipo," suggestedPauline.

  He turned on her a frank American grin. For an instant the twinkle inthe keen blue eyes upset her.

  It was so, like the twinkle in a pair of keen blue eyes that weresupposed to be figuratively weeping for her fate in far-off New York.But instantly he changed his attitude.

  "No like cook--cook quit," he grumbled.

  "'Oh, no, indeed, Filipo, you must not be offended. I was justspeaking to Mr. Owen this morning about raising your salary."

  A thick voice came to them from the cabin door.

  "I begs to report, Miss," said Blinky Boyd, the pirate, reeling in,"that there be mut'ny in yer crew. Mr. Hicks and Mr. Owen, Miss, hasrebelled against me authority and has refused me drink."

  "That is an outrage, Mr. Boyd. They do not realize how yournerve-racking adventures have shattered your strength. I will attendto it myself," said Pauline sympathetically. "Filipo, give Mr. Boyd adrink."

  "Drink? Yes, meem," replied Filipo, with such unwonted alacrity thatPauline turned in surprise.

  She saw the slouching figure of the cook suddenly stiffen to his fullstalwart height. She saw an ill clad, but majestic giant stride towardthe pirate, bowl him over with a gentle tap, pinion his arms and legsin a lifting grasp and carry him toward the door of the cabin.

  Cries of rage came stuffily from the thick throat of Boyd.

  "Lemme go, ye scum, lemme go," he yelled.

  "Filipo! Filipo! Stop this instant! How dare you treat Mr. Boyd insuch a manner?" cried the indignant girl.

  "You say, 'Give--him drink.' He say, 'Lemme go," answered Filipo,pausing with his squirming burden.

  "Drink! Ye fool, drink! She is felling ye ter gimme a drink,"screamed the hero of desperate encounters.

  "Big, fat drink," agreed the cook, as he strode toward the rail.

  Pauline rushed upon him. The peril of her precious pirate stirred allher courage. She saw her dreams vanishing--the chief narrator,navigator and guide of the treasure voyage suspended in two strong armsover the blue deep. Forgetting that he was accustomed to conquertwenty men single handed, she felt only pity for his plight. Her softbut determined hand gripped the cook's.

  "Filipo, obey my orders!" she commanded.

  "Yes, Mem. Let 'um go. Give 'um drink. Big liar need big drink."

  He lifted the struggling but utterly helpless form of the pirate overhis shoulders, then, with a sudden stooping movement, he made as if toplunge it into the sea.

  "Help! Help!" cried Pauline, running up the deck.

  Hicks and Owen rushed from their staterooms. Blinky Boyd was quivering,gasping beside the rail. They found a slouching, uncommunicative cookstolidly washing dishes in the galley.

  Some hours later while Boyd was sleeping off his potations and Hicksand Owen were deep in conference on deck, Pauline slipped down into thegalley ostensibly to explain the rudiments of the culinary art to thecook.

  "The trouble is you have no respect for a potato, Filipo. You slashthe poor thing to pieces, and then you boil it only long enough to hurtits feelings."

  "Peel
potato nice, good," he apologized. "Then peel 'um pirate.Filipo want to peel pirate; boil him just half-hurt him feelings.That's how."

  "Oh, I see. But I think you do Mr. Boyd a great injustice, Filipo. Hehas consented to come all the way from New York with us and takecommand of our boat and find the buried treasure, and--"

  "Buried potatoes," snapped Filipo with a sudden reversion to hisunimpaired English.

  "Well, at least you understand about tomorrow's breakfast now, don'tyou?"

  "Yes, mem. Boil 'um eggs to death; no peel 'um."

  "No, no, no, Filipo--boil them two minutes and a half. Here, take mywatch and go by that. You must be very careful of it, Filipo."

  "Yes, mem; boil 'um long time; stick fork in, see when soft."

  "No!"

  Pauline caught the watch from him. "You don't boil the watch at all,Filipo. You boil the eggs and watch the watch. Can you tell time,Filipo?"

  "Yes, Mem."

  "How long is an hour? Peel potatoes--hour is ver' ver' long. Talkto ship's lady--whist!--hour is no time," answered Filipo withupcast hands.

  Again she eyed him through her long lashes a little askance. He wasrather subtle, this half-breed cook, for one who could not even boil anegg.

  "I will let you have the watch, Filipo," she said gravely, "but youmust give it back to me. It is one of the most precious things I have.It was given to me by--Filipo, were you ever in love with a girl?"

  "Su-u-ure, mem!" replied the cook with sudden enthusiasm. "Lovedaughter big American--no love me. Big American daughter start fromNassau--get buried treasure--not!"

  "Filipo, where do you get all your New York slang?"

  "Big American daughter, she sling slang-good," said Filipo.

  "Why did you fall in love with her?"

  "Nice girl--no eat much, no scold cook, no talk about potatoes--just big fool 'bout buried treasure."

  "What do you think love is?"

  "Love-huh!" grunted the cook. "I like girl; girl no like me. Chaseall 'round world--no good."

  "That watch was given to me by the man I love, Filipo," said Pauline."You won't-boil it--or anything, will you?"

  As Filipo took the tiny diamond-scarred timepiece from Pauline's handthere was a sound as of some one choking at the top of the steps.

  The cook sprang to the deck, but there was no one in sight. Hereturned to Pauline, while Blinky Boyd, gasping more from astonishmentthan fear, reeled up to Owen and Hicks on the forward deck.

  "She's gone clean crazy," he panted. "She treats that there cook as ifhe was a nat'ral human man instid of a sea-rovin' gorilla, worse'n theone I beat In Afriky."

  "No more gorillas for a while, Blinky," commanded Hicks. "What'shappened now?"

  "She's gone an' guv him her jooled watch to boil eggs by," said thepirate.

  "By George, we will have to do something with that fellow," mutteredHicks to Owen as they walked away.

  "Do suthin' to him!" Blinky Boyd was fuming in the wake of Owen andHicks on their stroll up deck. "Do everythin' to him; make 'im walkthe old board; draw'n quarter 'im. Didn't he attempt me life an' ain'the at present engaged in stealin' the fambly jewels?"

  "Well, have you got any ideas?" asked Owen.

  "The first thing," whispered Blinky, "is to git him under thein-floo-ence of licker. They never was no cook could stand up agin'the disgraceful habit o' takin' too much and doin' too little. Get 'imunder the in-floo-ence."

  "And then what?"

  "Then--well, ain't they a lot o' good blue water floatin' around atopthe fishes? Ain't they some accommodatin' sharks swimmin' atop thewater?"

  "That's a bit crude--just to throw a man overboard for nothing," saidOwen, willing to arouse Boyd's anger.

  "Fer nothin'? Didn't he insult the master o' this ship. Ain't hetried to starve us to death? Fer wot kind o' nothin', says I." Boydsmote his caving chest in emphasis of his accusations.

  "And he would have the diamond watch on him in case he should be pickedup," suggested Hicks quietly.

  "That's so," said Owen. "He would have been swimming to shore with thestolen watch and drowned."

  "But, of course, he would swim to shore, unless--well, it's a case ofmaking sure beforehand. We could persuade him to go in and try to killBlinky here while Blinky's asleep--then rush in and finish him. EvenPauline was a witness to the attack he made on Blinky this afternoon."

  The pirate's glowing countenance suddenly, went white.

  "Not this trip," he said fervently. "I ain't goin' to kill no man in atrap like that. I'm goin' to see it done fair and square in the open--with plenty o' drink in 'im an' 'is conscience clear. I wouldn'tsee no man die with murder in 'is heart fer me."

  "I don't like it," said Owen nervously. "I don't like the idea ofdoing too much. We've got one big piece of work to do that concernsher." He nodded in the direction of the cabin. "Dye mean to say wecan't get a poor half-breed cook off this boat without killing him?Why not discharge him?"

  Hicks uttered a grim chuckle. "I must say I never thought of that.Get a boat manned, will you, Boyd, and we'll put him ashore within halfan hour."

  "All hands for'ard," bellowed the pirate's voice. The "all hands" wereOwen, Hicks, the pirate and Pauline.

  "Why all hands? Can't you handle the cook yourself?" said Owen.

  "Not to put that cook ashore--ye need a navy," said Boyd.

  Backed by Owen and Hicks, he moved to the cabin.

  "You, cook, there--ye're fired. Get off the boat. Yer kerriagewaits," he cried down at the busy Filipo.

  Filipo shuffled almost meekly toward the speaker. He saw the skiffalongside and Hicks and Owen nearby.

  "Grab 'im," ordered the pirate. "Here's the irons." He produced apair of rusty handcuffs that had been brought along, among otherominous-looking junk, to impress Pauline.

  But Filipo was not "fired" yet. With a sudden long-distance lunge heknocked down the pirate, who, thought he was at a safe distance. ButHicks, who had been well schooled in street-fight tactics, thoughtfullystuck out a leg and tripped the cook, who fell upon the groaning Boyd.Boyd, though down, was by no means "out," and held Filipo tight whileOwen and Hicks slipped on the handcuffs.

  "Now to the boat with 'im an' dump 'im ashore wherever It looks hottestan' hungriest."

  "Yah," he snarled in the face of the prostrate cook, "ye don'tinterfere no more with the capting of this here vessel. I hopes ye--"

  But his sentence was cut short, or rather it ended in a shriek of painand fright, as the cook, suddenly swinging himself from his shoulders,landed a terrifically propelled right foot in the pirate's middle.

  He was pinned down again the next moment, but Boyd's yell hadpenetrated to the cabin.

  "What is the matter--who is hurt?" cried Pauline, rushing to thegroup on deck.

  "We have had to order this fellow put ashore. He has twice attackedBoyd, and besides he is useless as a cook," explained Owen.

  "You will assuredly do nothing of the sort," announced Pauline. "Youwill take those horrid iron things right off and set him free."

  "But, my dear Miss Marvin, he is a desperate man. It is dangerous."

  "What did we come here for but to get into danger?" cried Pauline."Besides, Filipo is the most interesting person on the ship. I havejust devoted a chapter to him in my book, and if you think I'm going tospoil my book because Mr. Boyd gets hurt, or the potatoes aren't done,you're much mistaken."

  Owen obediently knelt and unlocked the clumsy handcuffs.

  "You are free, Filipo," said Pauline with the air of a proud princessreleasing a serf.

  "No fired?" grunted Filipo. "Too bad. Bum job."

  "Now go back to the kitchen, and promise not to strike Mr. Boyd anymore."

  "No hit 'um. Boil 'um. Three minutes; stick fork in hum," said thecook with a cannibal glare at the still writhing pirate.

  He shuffled off to his pots and pans. Blinky scrambled to his bunk,and Pauline retired to elaborate the fascinating character o
f Filipo inanother chapter of her book of adventure.

  She did not realize how late it was when at last she put down her penand moved with soft, slippered steps to the door of the cabin.

  Over the great vault of the heavens the stars were sprinkled likesilver dust. The boat rolled softly, dreamily on the listless waters.A cool breeze scented with the fragrance of the spicy land cooled herbrow. She realized that her little stateroom had been very stuffy. Itwas beautiful here in the hushed night alone. She moved out on deck.

  They had come to anchor for the night off St. Andrew, and the few faintlights of the town tinged the scene with life.

  Pauline was thinking of Harry. It would have been nice if he were herenow, in the moonlight just for this evening. Of course if he were aregular member of the party, he would spoil the trip by his grumpiness,and probably prevent them from finding any treasure at all. But Harrywas a good companion--usually, and Pauline was getting a little tiredof the company on the yacht.

  The night was so still that even her light footstep could be heard onthe deck. And she was surprised to hear a muffled hail from someinvisible craft astern.

  As she moved to the rail--her tall form in the yachting suit standingout plainly in the moonlight--she saw a small boat scurry away. Shethought she recognized their own small boat--the one the yacht towed--and she quickly made sure that this was true.

  Pauline turned toward the cabin to rouse the others for a real piratechase, when she was silenced and stunned by the sight of Filipo, thecook, staggering out of the galley, with his bearded chin drooping onhis breast, his knees swaying under him, his arms weaving cubistcaricatures in the air and his voice raised in unintelligible song.

  He was quickly followed by the Pirate, who, to Pauline's amazement,actually presented a picture of sobriety in contrast to Filipo.

  But on seeing her, Boyd looked frightened.

  "They have stolen the skiff," cried Pauline.

  "No, Miss," said Boyd; "they was four of 'em come aboard in one boat,an' we let 'em take ourn ashore to bring a double load o' supplies."

  Pauline was grievously disappointed. She turned her wrath upon themusical and meandering Filipo.

  "Filipo!" she demanded. "Go to bed at once."

  For answer he reeled toward her.

  "Cook boiled--boiled three minute," he said.

  Then with a lurch he fell sprawling at her feet.

  Boyd had started back to the cabin in haste and excitement. Pauline'sfirst instinct was to leave the inebriated man, but pity mastered herand she stooped to lift him.

  He sprang to his feet without her aid. His blue eyes looked clearlyinto hers. His body towered again to its commanding height as it haddone when he was about to finish the Pirate.

  He stooped and spoke rapidly, sharply in her ear. There was no pigeonchatter. It was straight English.

  But as the door of the cabin opened again and Boyd came out, the tallform sank into itself, the knees began to rock, the arms to weave and,staggering back up the deck, he disappeared in the cabin.

  Pauline stood stupefied. She had been so startled by the suddentransformation of the man that she had hardly understood his stridentwords.

  Only one thing she could remember. He had commanded her to go to bedand bar her door. She obeyed but she could not sleep at first. Itseemed that hours had passed when a sound outside her door brought herto her feet.

  She moved to the door and softly opened it. Across the threshold layFilipo, wide awake.

  "Go to bed," he said. Again she obeyed and this time she slept.

  The next morning everything seemed outwardly as usual, the skiff hadbeen restored to its place astern. The Pirate was intoxicated; thecook sober. But there was the threat of trouble in the air, Paulinefelt it in the attitude of all the men, even of Owen and Hicks.

  The Pirate showed a strange new tendency to make friends with Filipo.

  "Can you steer, cook?" he asked after the latter had announced thatdinner was ready.

  "Yes," said Filipo.

  "All right, take the wheel and keep her as she's going till we roundthat point ahead there."

  Filipo took the wheel and the others descended to find the cabin tableset. There was a prodigious amount of fried steak and boiled potatoesas the main part of the meal. To their dismay they found the steak wasas tough as leather. A wail of sorrow arose when the potatoes provedto be so hard that Pauline doubted if they had been boiled more thanthree minutes.

  The "Pirate," whose table manners savored of the forecastle, tried abiscuit and found it as hard as stone and almost as heavy. In hisanger he hurled it at the side of the cabin and was horrified to see itgo through the boat's side. He did not know that the biscuit happenedto strike a hole that had been temporarily stopped up with putty andpaint. He turned speechless to the others and saw Hicks lift a biscuiton high about to dash it onto the cabin floor.

  With instant presence of mind he seized the arm of Hicks, and in ahoarse voice shouted:

  "Don't do that, you'll sink the ship. Look what mine did."

  They all gazed in amazement at the ragged aperture in the side of thecabin through which the sparkling waters of the Atlantic could be seendancing past.

  Events moved swiftly that afternoon. Owen, peering in the galleyporthole beheld the disguised cook remove his wig to wash his face andrecognized the curly light hair of Harry. About four o'clock thelaunch tied up to the landing at the small village of St. Andrew.There Owen had opportunity to reveal his discovery of Harry's presenceto the other two conspirators. They were frightened at first but soonagreed that it was a fine chance to get rid of both at the same time.

  The pirate confided to them that he had brought a clock-work bomb alongand had it in his bag. A few minutes' discussion produced a simpleplan.

  Owen sent the disguised Harry with a bucket, in search of a spring andPauline was already hunting strange flowers among the palms andcreepers. This left the conspirators free to place the bomb under thecabin floor boards, a matter which Owen attended to himself. It wasset to explode two hours later. Pauline and Filipo were then summonedand told that there were comfortable lodgings and a good mealobtainable at a village just the other side of the long narrow point ofland. If Pauline and Boyd and Filipo would go around in the launchOwen and Hicks would climb through the jungle and get there in time tohave a meal already upon the boat's arrival. The two parties separatedand all was quiet for some time. Pauline sat on deck with the pirateendeavoring to engage him in conversation. But he grew surlier andsurlier in his answers, looking frequently at his watch and oftenstopping below for a drink.

  After about an hour and three-quarter, Pauline became a littlefrightened at his behavior and descended to the cabin. There was thecook reading a cook book, evidently his own. The moment Pauline wasout of sight the pirate heaved a sigh of relief and abandoned thewheel. Stepping softly to the stern he pulled in the small boat whichwas towing astern, leaped in adroitly and cut it adrift.

  "Filipo," said Pauline, "you told us you were a good cook."

  "Yes, senorita, I thought I was."

  "Have you ever cooked before?"

  "No, but I have a cook book which tells you how every one may be acook. I thought--"

  Filipo, did not finish his sentence. His eyes were roving around thecabin in search of something and Pauline was looking very hard at him.

  "What's that ticking sound?" inquired the cook. He went to the cabinclock and listened. No, it wasn't that. Pauline could hear it, too,and it wasn't her tiny watch. Filipo made a search of the cabin andfinally located the sound under the floor. A moment more and he hadlaid bare the pirate's bomb. He leaped on deck and took in at a glancethat the pirate had left in the only boat.

  In another instant he was below again, tearing off his wig.

  "Polly, it's I. There's an infernal machine ticking here ready to blowus up."

  He tried to lift up the bomb, but it was wedged fast.

  "Harry, f
or Heaven sake, what do you mean?"

  "I'll tell you in a minute in the water as soon as we have jumpedoverboard. Come."

  He seized Pauline, carried her up on deck.

  "Where's Mr. Boyd?"

  "Gone. Take this," answered Harry, putting a life preserver aroundher.

  "Now, will you jump or shall I throw you overboard? One, two, three."

  "I'll jump," said Pauline and with arms around each other they leapedinto the warm ocean. On went the white launch serene and unruffled bythe desertion of its crew. In answer to Pauline's demand forexplanation Harry only answered:

  "Wait."

  Finally it came.

  A belch of flame shot up from the launch driving a column of smoke farinto the sky, where it spread out and formed a majestic ring, whichfloated and curled for many moments. A concussion reached them throughthe water and another in the air smote their ears.

  The after part of the launch rode on the waters for a moment and thendisappeared. Finally a succession of waves tossed them and passed on.

  "What does it mean?" gasped the girl.

  "Insanity--sheer, downright insanity. That wretch of a 'pirate' wasa crazy man.

  "He placed that bomb, intending to kill all of us. And Owen deserves asound thrashing for having anything to do with such a murderouslunatic."

  "I think you're rather hard on Owen, Harry," said Pauline. "Of course,we all know that pirates aren't nice persons--but nobody couldforesee that the man was crazy."

  "Well, perhaps. But don't talk, we have a mile and a half swim toshore."

  They were spared that ordeal by the Silurian liner Caradoc. Arrayed inborrowed clothes they were notified of a second rescue and came out ondeck in time to behold in the dusk of evening the "pirate." He wasrelating to an admiring throng how he had stuck by the burning shiptill it exploded. He had actually been blown into the air and hadfallen by good luck into the little boat.

  "It's a lie," said Harry in the old man's cackling voice. The "pirate"heard the voice of the old man and saw the face and the blond hair ofHarry.

  It was too much for his evil and murderous mind to bear. With a shriekhe hurled himself over the rail into the sea. The Caradoc stopped andsearched, but no trace of the "pirate" could be found.