STORY ONE, CHAPTER TWENTY.
A DISCOVERY.
So far as they had been able to make out, there was no trace ofinhabitants near the place where the schooner was moored; but theadventure was of so important a nature that Captain Studwick felt it hisduty to keep the most careful watch; and he was not sorry that afternoonto yield to the pressing request of Mr Wilson and the doctor to go onshore with their guns for a couple of hours' shooting.
"I consent," he said, "on condition that you are back here by nightfall,and that you take a couple of the men well-armed with you."
This was agreed to, and the party of four was rowed ashore, Dutch andMr Parkley both declining to accompany them, on the score of fatigue;while, though John Studwick longed to be of the party, he felt that hewas too weak, and watched them from the side, as the boat rowed throughthe sparkling water, landing the party on the golden sands.
As the boat was returning to the side, the longing to go on shore provedtoo strong for John Studwick, and he beckoned his sister to his side.
"Bessy," he said, "I must go and have an hour's walk under those shadytrees, where the sand seems to be so smooth and soft."
Bessy started, partly at his saddened way of speaking, and partly thathe, who seemed to hate the very idea of her being anywhere near MrMeldon, should propose to go ashore after him.
"You mean alone?" she said, quickly.
"Alone? No," he cried, petulantly. "I mean with you. Mrs Pugh wouldlike to go too, perhaps."
"I will speak to father," she said, eager to please him in every way;and she went forward to where Captain Studwick was chatting with MrParkley and Dutch about the morrow's arrangements.
"John wishes to go ashore, father," she said, "to sit under the trees."
The captain stood thinking for a moment or two, and then, after a littlehesitation--
"Well," he said, "I see no harm. The men shall row you ashore, and stopthere. Don't go out of sight, nor far from the boat. I don't thinkthere can be any danger, and, poor fellow, he will soon want to beback."
By the time Bessy returned to her brother, the keen desire was growingblunted, and he felt almost ready to resent what he looked upon as hissister's eagerness to get ashore, where the young doctor had gone.
"The boat is waiting, John dear," she said, holding out her hand. "Youwill go, too, Hester?"
Hester glanced towards Dutch, but he made no sign, and, yielding toBessy's implied wish, she followed them to the boat, Oakum helping themdown, and receiving his instructions from the captain as to keeping asharp watch.
As the boat pushed off, the men just dipping their oars, and Oakumstanding up and steering, for the distance was only about fifty yards,the captain turned quietly to the mate.
"Lower down the other boat quietly," he said, "and have the rest of themen ready to jump in and row ashore at a moment's notice. Parkley, MrPugh, I think it is better to be too particular than not particularenough, so we will get our revolvers and a rifle or two ready. Where'sMr Pugh?"
"He went to the cabin directly," said Mr Parkley; and on theirfollowing him they found him loading his rifle, and saw the butt of hisrevolver sticking out of his breast.
"Actuated by the same thought," said the captain.
"Well, yes," said Dutch, "there may be no danger either from beast orIndian, but it is as well to be on the safe side."
Taking rifles on deck, they went and leaned over the bulwarks, talking,to see the little party land, and Oakum help out the ladies, who walkedslowly up with John Studwick towards the trees, while the sailors satabout close to the boat, or threw themselves down upon the sands.
"We seem to have been suspicious enough over this affair," said thecaptain, taking off his cap, so as to let the soft breeze that was nowbeginning to blow after the heat of the day, fan his brown forehead. "Iwonder what has become of the Cuban."
"Home by this time, I should say," replied Mr Parkley, while Dutch,with an uneasy feeling creeping over him, leaned there, rifle in hand,watching the shore.
"I had my suspicions at first," continued the captain, "and reallyhardly expected to get out here without some hindrance."
"What did you suspect?" said Mr Parkley, lighting a cigar, and handingone to the captain, who lit up in turn.
"Anything--nothing. I had got it into my head that this fellow wantedto stop us, and I was prepared to be overhauled by a swift steamer; fora mutiny on board; to find him here first--there, it is always the way;once give your imagination its head, and away it goes."
"Well, nothing could have gone better than the trip has since westarted, and if it should prove that there is treasure below us here,all we have to do is to dive and get it all."
"If the sharks will let you," said the captain.
"Well, at first I thought we were completely checkmated, but you sawwhat Pugh did to-day," he continued, in a low tone. "It's my beliefthat if obstacles ten times as difficult offer themselves, he wouldsurmount them."
They both glanced at Dutch, and then followed his eyes to see that theladies were gathering flowers, the men fruit and shellfish, and that allon shore looked so peaceful and lovely that the longing came upon themto join the little party.
"It is so easy to imagine danger," said the captain; and then, lulled bythe peaceful aspect of matters into security, they went on talking in alow tone about the various incidents of the day, while Dutch kept sternwatch alone.
Meanwhile, John Studwick's jealous fancies passed away as his feettouched the sand, and it was with a thrill of delight that he pointedtowards the lovely tropic scene before him.
"Flowers, fruit, mossy carpet," he said fervently. "Why, it is reallyEden--a paradise. I could live here, I think."
There was an inexpressible sadness in his words, and Bessy's eyes filledwith tears as she glanced at Hester, for she knew but too well that herbrother's days were numbered.
Hester's heart was full to overflowing, and these words and her friend'ssad look had touched the spring ready to gush forth. It was only by agreat effort that she could keep from a hysterical fit of crying, andshe was obliged to turn away.
John Studwick smiled lovingly upon his sister, though, directly after,for his heart smote him for many little harsh words directed at her inregard to Mr Meldon; and he began to chat earnestly to her about theflowers, calling one of the men to get down a cocoanut or two for them,and sitting down to watch the man make a gasket or band of twisted canewith almost boyish pleasure, Bessy's eyes brightening as she saw hiseagerness, and remembering the bright happiness of that scene for yearsto come.
For the spot was lovely, and in the shade of the densely foliaged treesthe wondrous blossoms of gaily tinted bellflowers hung in wreaths andgarlands as they festooned the undergrowth and offered their nectarycups to the humming birds that flashed in and out of the sunshine topoise themselves on invisible wings, while each moment some new objectstruck the eye.
It was, indeed, a scene of loveliness to the sick man and his sister asthey rose and wandered here and there, now gazing into beautiful greenglades, now looking up at the delicate lacework of some wonderfultree-fern against the sky, or toward the deep blue sea, with theschooner doubled before them as it lay mirrored in its breast. Butbright as it was to them, the beauteous scene was, as it were, coveredwith ashes to Hester Pugh. The sky might have been dark, and the sun'slight quenched even as was the light of hope in her breast. She hadthought that Dutch would have listened to her before now, and that thisdreadful cloud of suspicion would have been swept away; but no, he hadlet her come ashore without a word, as if careless of her fate, and atlast, blind with the gathering tears, she had wandered slowly awayunnoticed amongst the trees, as she thought, to find some place whereshe could relieve her bursting heart and throbbing brain of the tearsthat she had kept back so long.
She sank down at last upon the trunk of a fallen tree, sobbing as if herheart would break, and, as her head sank down upon her hands, she moanedin the bitterness of her spirit.
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nbsp; All was silent for a time, and in her grief she did not hear therustling amongst the trees, and it was not until her hands were takenand drawn gently from before her face that she looked up, to see, withthe blood chilling in her veins, the mulatto upon his knees before her,gazing with glittering eyes, full in hers.
She was too much surprised and frightened to cry out, but she tried tostart up and flee. The effort was vain, though, for, tightening hishold of her hands, the man rested his arms upon her knees and kept her aprisoner.
"Hush!" he said; "for your own sake be silent."
"Let me go," she panted, hoarsely.
"No, no, beautiful Hester," he whispered, his voice low with passion."Why do you pretend that you do not recognise me, when you know me sowell?"
"How dare you!" she began, in a loud voice, when the glittering eyesfixed upon hers seemed to fascinate her, and her tongue refused itsoffice.
"How dare I?" he laughed; "because I love you more than even I loved youthe first day I saw you in that dark office in miserable, cold England;I loved you when, in those dear ecstatic days, I hung over you in yourlittle home, when that jealous fool, your husband, interrupted our_tete-a-tetes_ with his hateful presence; and now, in this nature'sparadise, I love you more--more dearly than ever, even though I havelived these many weeks only to hear your sweet voice."
"Laure!" she panted, with dilating eyes.
"Yes, Laure, your Manuel, who loves you," he whispered, his face nowtransformed, and the dull, drooping look of the mulatto gone, to giveplace to the flashing eyes of the Cuban. "Pish! you have known me allalong. You are the only one that my disguise could not deceive. Imight have known that no darkened skin, no false scar, no assumed limpor cunning disguise could deceive the woman I love and who loves me."
Hester struggled once more to rise, but she was powerless in his grasp,and in the horror she felt at the discovery of this man's presence shecould not cry for help. It was to her like some terrible nightmare;there were the voices on the sands, help was so near, and yet she couldnot claim it.
"I was afraid that you would betray me at first, dearest," he whispered,with his face close to hers, and his hot breath fanning her cheeks; "butI need not have feared, and I waited and suffered. There, do notstruggle, little one, you are so safe with me. Have I not watched himand his cold, brutal cruelty to you--the way he has neglected, scornedone who is to me all that is bright and beautiful, and for whose sake Ihave hacked and disguised myself, working with a set of coarse sailors,eating their wretched fare, sleeping in their miserable den. Hester,beautiful Hester, but you will reward me for all this. You will livewith me here in one of these beauteous sunny lands, where all is bright,and where the very air breathes love."
"Let me go," she panted.
"No, no," he whispered, "you cannot be so cruel. Only a short time nowand the object of my mission is over, and then--then--Oh, my darling, Ilove you--I love you."
He clasped her in his arms, and, in spite of her struggles, his lipssought hers, when the sound of approaching voices made him start up.
Hester's lips moved to shriek for help, but he laid his hand quicklyupon her mouth, and held her tightly to him, as he whispered:
"One word--say a word of what has passed, and Pugh, perhaps all yourfriends will die."
She glanced at him and shuddered, as she saw his hand go into hisbreast, and read in his eyes too plainly so fell a purpose, that sheknew she dared not speak.
"Sit down," he whispered. "I shall be watching you from close at hand.If you betray me, it is some one's death signal. You are mine, Hester;you know I love you; but I would not force that love when I know thatsoon it must be mine."
He pressed her back into her seat, and glided into the low bushes, hereyes following till she saw him crouch, and knew that he had his gazefixed upon her face, and read it, so that if she attempted to betray himhe might keep his word.
The horror was more than she could bear, for this discovery taught herof the danger to Dutch, perhaps to all on board. Partly from hispassion for her, then, partly to watch the proceedings of theadventurers, he had contrived to get on board, and was undiscovered.Here, then, was the secret of what she had looked upon as an insult froma half-savage sailor.
She let her pale face fall again into her hands, and sat thereshivering, not daring even to answer, though she heard Bessy's voiceclose at hand.
What should she do? What should she do? She dared not speak now, butas soon as they were safe on board she would warn Dutch of his danger,and if the Cuban slew her, what then? She would have saved herhusband's dear life.
But if he killed Dutch instead!
The thought paralysed her, and a death-like perspiration broke out onher forehead as she felt that she dared not speak lest ill should happento him she loved. She essayed to rise, but sank back trembling, withher eyes fixed upon the spot where she knew the Cuban was hidden, whenBessy came in sight.
"Why, you've been crying, dear," she said, gaily, as she sat down besideher on the tree trunk. "Come, come, dear, be a woman. All will comeright if we wait."
"All will come right if we wait," muttered Hester to herself. Would it?Ought she to wait and trust, or should she warn Dutch?
"Yes, she would," she said to herself, as soon as they were on board;and, rising, she accompanied Bessy on to the beach, where the firstperson on whom her eyes lit was the Cuban, with drooping eyelids,limping slowly along with some shellfish in his hand, so changed oncemore that Hester asked herself whether this scene had indeed been thenightmare of some dream.
A shout came now from the schooner, and they moved towards the boat, forthe sun was beginning to dip, when another shout from behind made themturn, to see Mr Wilson, Mr Meldon, and the two sailors coming fromtheir expedition, laden with beautifully-plumaged birds.
They were soon on board once more, Hester sick at heart, for the Cubanhad contrived to whisper to her that one word, "Remember!" and she hadshrunk away shivering, feeling that she dared not speak. So great wasthis man's influence over her that she spent the evening in torture,feeling that his eyes were following her everywhere, that his face wasat her cabin window, at the skylight; and she was in both instancesright, for Laure felt that she might betray him at any moment, and hisplans were not yet ripe.
He watched, then, without intermission, with the intent of forcing herto swear some terrible oath that she would be silent, and this he feltthat he could exact from her could he get the chance.
"I shall begin to think that you are going to have some relapse,Hester," said Bessy at last, as they sat alone, trying to read by thelight in their little cabin, for John Studwick had gone to rest, andBessy was sitting with Hester alone.
"Oh, no," she exclaimed, with a smile, "I am quite well."
"But you have been acting so strangely, and starting as you looked up atthe skylight. Surely you have not caught some terrible fever throughsitting in that bit of jungle."
"Oh, no; I am quite well," said Hester, making an effort to control herfeelings. "The heat, perhaps, makes me nervous."
"I know," said Bessy, "you are nervous about your husband going downto-morrow."
"Yes, yes, I am," cried Hester. "I always fear when I know of histaking the work in hand himself. He is so venturesome."
"I wish he would be a little more kind. There, I'll say no more.Good-night. He has the watch to-night on deck--the first watch."
"Has he?"
"Yes; and if he were my husband I should go to him and ask him if thiswicked estrangement was to last, because, if so, it should last forever, for I would never make another advance to him."
"Are you sure he has the watch to-night?"
"Yes," said Bessy, kissing her; "and it's as dark as pitch on deck.Shall I go with you, dear?"
"No, no," whispered Hester, eagerly, as her heart began to throb."Good-night, good-night."
"But where are you going?" said Bessy, playfully.
"I am going to speak to my husband," said Hester, whose
face was aswhite as ashes, but her voice very firm, for the strength that she hadprayed for seemed to have come at last, and she felt that at any hazardshe must go and tell Dutch of the impending danger to them both. For itwas evident from the Cuban's words, as much as from his presence, thathe held some deep design on hand, and perhaps she might be saving othersas well as her husband by the step she was about to take.
But he had said that he would kill Dutch if she betrayed him, and herheart seemed to stand still at the horrible thought. But no--Dutch wasso strong and brave, and he would seize this villain, and, by takingrapid action, secure safety to himself, perhaps to the ship as well.
"You had better let me go too," said Bessy, smiling.
"No, no," said Hester, shaking her head; "stop here. I shall be backalmost directly."
"I am not so sure," said Bessy, laughing. "There, dear, all happinesscome of your meeting. You will find him right forward, I think."
Hester took a step towards the door, and then realised how weak she was,for she trembled and felt as if she should drop. But this was no timefor hesitation, and she came back to say farewell.
"Put out the light or turn it down. I do not want any one to see me goon deck."
Bessy smiled, and turned down the lamp until it was almost out; andthen, opening the door gently, Hester stepped to the foot of the cabinstairs, where, as she laid her hand upon the cold brass rail, thetrembling fit again seized her, for her heart whispered that Laureshould be watching her.
She recovered herself directly and ascended the cabin stairs, leavingthe deep voices of the captain and the others talking behind her; and asshe went on her courage seemed to increase, and whispering to herselfthat it was to save him she loved, she stepped cautiously upon the deck.
All was perfectly silent, and the darkness was intense, save ashore,where the fireflies glanced and played in scintillations amongst thetrees. She turned from them with a shudder, for it reminded her of theevening's encounter, and, trying to make out where her husband waswatching, she went cautiously on, for there was not a sound to be heard.
The distance was very short, but she had to go to the side so as toavoid the masts and deckhouse, beyond which she felt that Dutch would bestanding, and she had already reached the mainmast, when she heard aslight cough, which she knew to have been uttered by Dutch.
"He will believe me and love me again," she said to herself, with herheart beginning to throb with joy, "and I shall save him from somedreadful death--save myself too, from that wretch."
As these words were pronounced silently by her lips a chill of horrorand a curse made her cower shivering back as something dark rose beforeher, an arm was passed tightly round her quivering form, and a damp,cold hand laid upon her mouth checked the shriek with which she wasabout to pierce the darkness of the night.
Dutch the Diver; Or, A Man's Mistake Page 20