Part 22 (1/2)

”The rope was around her neck. Well, gentlemen, that Mexican woman standing there, with that crowd around her, eager for her blood, dern my skin! if she didn't call out to the sheriff to hold on a minit. And what fer? Ye can't guess! Why, one of them long braids she wore was under the noose, and kinder in the way. I remember her raising her hand to her neck and givin' a spiteful sort of jerk to the braid that fetched it outside the slip-knot, and then saying to the sheriff: 'There, d--n ye, go on.' There was a sort o' thoughtfulness in the act, a kind o' keerless, easy way, that jist fetched the boys--even them thet hed the rope in their hands, and they--” (suddenly recognizing the silence): ”Oh, beg pardon, old man; didn't know I'd chipped into your yarn--heave ahead; don't mind me.”

”What I am trying to tell you is this: One night, in the Caribbean Sea, we ran into one of the Leeward Islands, that had been in olden time a rendezvous for our s.h.i.+p. We were piloted to our anchorage outside by my Portuguese friend, who knew the locality thoroughly, and on whose dexterity and skill we placed the greatest reliance. If anything more had been necessary to fix this circ.u.mstance in my mind, it would have been the fact that two or three days before he had a.s.sured me that I should presently have the means of honorable discharge from the pirate's crew, and a return to my native land. A launch was sent from the s.h.i.+p to communicate with our friends on the island, who supplied us with stores, provisions, and general information. The launch was manned by eight men, and officered by the first mate,--a grim, Puritanical, practical New Englander, if I may use such a term to describe a pirate, of great courage, experience, and physical strength. My Portuguese friend, acting as pilot, prevailed upon them to allow me to accompany the party as c.o.xswain. I was naturally anxious, you can readily comprehend, to see--”

”Certainly,” ”Of course,” ”Why shouldn't you?” went round the table.

”Two trustworthy men were sent ash.o.r.e with instructions. We, meanwhile, lay off the low, palm-fringed beach, our crew lying on their oars, or giving way just enough to keep the boat's head to the breakers. The mate and myself sat in the stern sheets, looking sh.o.r.eward for the signal. The night was intensely black. Perhaps for this reason never before had I seen the phosph.o.r.escence of a tropical sea so strongly marked. From the great open beyond, luminous crests and plumes of pale fire lifted themselves, ghost-like, at our bows, sank, swept by us with long, s.h.i.+mmering, undulating trails, broke on the beach in silvery crescents, or shattered their brightness on the black rocks of the promontory. The whole vast sea shone and twinkled like another firmament, against which the figures of our men, sitting with their faces toward us, were outlined darkly. The grim, set features of our first mate, sitting beside me, were faintly illuminated. There was no sound but the whisper of pa.s.sing waves against our lap-streak, and the low, murmuring conversation of the men.

I had my face toward the sh.o.r.e. As I looked over the glimmering expanse, I suddenly heard the whispered name of our first mate. As suddenly, by the phosph.o.r.escent light that surrounded it, I saw the long trailing hair and gleaming shoulders of a woman floating beside us. Legrande, you are positively drinking nothing. Lightbody, you are s.h.i.+rking the Burgundy--you used to like it!”

He paused, but no one spoke.

”I--let me see! where was I? Oh, yes! Well, I saw the woman, and when I turned to call the attention of the first mate to this fact, I knew instantly, by some strange instinct, that he had seen and heard her, too. So, from that moment to the conclusion of our little drama, we were silent, but enforced spectators.

”She swam gracefully--silently! I remember noticing through that odd, half-weird, phosph.o.r.escent light which broke over her shoulders as she rose and fell with each quiet stroke of her splendidly rounded arms, that she was a mature, perfectly-formed woman. I remember, also, that when she reached the boat, and, supporting herself with one small hand on the gunwale, she softly called the mate in a whisper by his Christian name, I had a boyish idea that she was--the--er--er--female of his species--his--er--natural wife! I'm boring you--am I not?”

Two or three heads shook violently and negatively. The youngest, and, I regret to say, the OLDEST, Miss Jones uttered together sympathetically, ”Go on--please; do!”

”The--woman told him in a few rapid words that he had been betrayed; that the two men sent ash.o.r.e were now in the hands of the authorities; that a force was being organized to capture the vessel; that instant flight was necessary, and that the betrayer and traitor was--my friend, the Portuguese, Fernandez!

”The mate raised the dripping, little brown hand to his lips, and whispered some undistinguishable words in her ear. I remember seeing her turn a look of ineffable love and happiness upon his grim, set face, and then she was gone. She dove as a duck dives, and I saw her shapely head, after a moment's suspense, reappear a cable's length away toward the sh.o.r.e.

”I ventured to raise my eyes to the mate's face; it was cold and impa.s.sive. I turned my face toward the crew; they were conversing in whispers with each other, with their faces toward us, yet apparently utterly oblivious of the scene that had just taken place in the stern.

There was a moment of silence, and then the mate's voice came out quite impa.s.sively, but distinctly:--

”'Fernandez!'

”'Aye, aye, sir!'

”'Come aft and--bring your oar with you.'