Part 10 (1/2)

CHAPTER XIII.

THE CROSSED HEART.

When two impetuous streams join and flow together, their course must needs be swift--whether to flow into the sweet and happy valley, or into the dark and horrid gulf. Thus while my uncle occupied himself in one matter, Lady Biddy busied herself in another, and both to the equipment of this new expedition; so that in an incredible short s.p.a.ce of time all provision was achieved, and we were ready to set out.

First there were s.h.i.+ps to be procured, and seamen to serve them. For better choice, Sir Bartlemy journeyed over to Portsmouth, taking me with him, and a well-stuffed purse, together with a dozen l.u.s.ty servants for our safe escort through those lawless and dangerous parts which lay betwixt Truro and Exeter, where no man rides safe.

Being come without mishap to Portsmouth, Sir Bartlemy went to an old acquaintance of his, a broker and a very honest man, and with him we went and examined all those s.h.i.+ps that were to sell, choosing in the end two that were after his heart; excellent fair s.h.i.+ps too, sound and swift, that had sailed the seas, one two years and the other four; for Sir Bartlemy would have no new s.h.i.+ps, but only such as had stood the test of tempest, and were fully seasoned.

While this was a-doing I made a discovery which gave me no little concern. The broker would have us look at a French s.h.i.+p, albeit Sir Bartlemy declared he would trust himself in no timbers that had not grown in England; however, to humor him, we went to the side of the harbor where she lay. But at the first sight of her my uncle turned up his nose, and began to find a hundred faults, finally declaring that nothing good ever came out of France save her wines, and that it would be time better spent to drink a pint of Bordeaux than to go further with the examination of such a cursed piece of s.h.i.+pbuilding. With that he invited the broker to crack a bottle in an adjacent tavern, which they did without further ado. But something in the look of this s.h.i.+p arousing my curiosity, I feigned to have no liking for wine, and getting the broker's leave to visit the s.h.i.+p, I hired a wherry and was carried to her.

_La Belle Esperance_ was her name, and she was painted quite fresh in very lively colors, after the sort of French s.h.i.+ps; but for all that when I got on board my suspicions were stronger than ever; for the make of the s.h.i.+p (being little altered) was, as I may say, familiar to me.

And straight I went into the coach, and so to the little cabin on the larboard side, and there on a certain timber I sought and found this mark, cut deep in the wood:

[Ill.u.s.tration: Heart with horizontal line through center]

Then I knew beyond doubt that this s.h.i.+p, despite its new name and fresh paint, was none other than the _Sure Hawk_. For this crossed heart was my cipher (making the letters B. P. after a fas.h.i.+on if looked at sidelong) which I had engraved with my own hand and of my own invention.

I needed no further proof, but, being greatly troubled, went straightway ash.o.r.e. And there finding occasion to speak privately with the broker, I questioned him concerning this s.h.i.+p: how long she had lain at Portsmouth, etc.

”Why, sir,” says he, very civilly, ”she has been here three weeks, and no more. To tell you the truth, she was a French pirate, though I said nothing of that matter to Sir Bartlemy to add to his prejudice. But she is a good s.h.i.+p, and was taken by some honest Englishmen trading in spices.”

”And what was the name of their s.h.i.+p who took this?” I asked.

”That I cannot tell you,” he replies, ”for their s.h.i.+p was so disabled in the fight that they had to abandon her and come home in this.”

”Do you know these men or their captain?”

”No, sir, for they were of Hull; but I believe the captain's name was Adams, for I heard of him yesterday.”

”In what respect?”

”It was in this wise. He bought a new s.h.i.+p of a brother broker here--the French vessel being not to his taste, nor big enough for his purpose--and sailed it hence to fit out and victual at Hull, where his crew would fain see their friends; and to Hull we thought he had gone.

But my friend having necessity to go to St. Ives, in Cornwall, did there see this very s.h.i.+p, and Captain Adams with his men ash.o.r.e, all drunk as any fiddlers; which amazed him, so that he spoke of it as a thing not to be understood.”

But I understood this well enough, and therefore I laid the whole matter before my uncle, and would have had him go with me to St. Ives, where I doubted not but we should find Captain Adams to be Rodrigues, and so lay him and his rascally crew by the heels, besides seizing his s.h.i.+p for our redress.

But my uncle would not agree to this.

”For,” says he, ”in the first place, it is a tedious business to stir the Admiralty to our profit, and in that time this Rodrigues--curse his bones!--may get wind of our intent and slip through our fingers; and, secondly, I hold it best not to stir up a sleeping dog, but to get on while one is safe. Added to which, every moment's delay is as much as a year of suffering to Harry.”

To this I could make no objection, so I agreed to keep what I knew secret. But I perceived full well that my uncle, had he not openly expressed to his friend such contempt for the French s.h.i.+p (as he thought her) would have let Sir Harry wait until he had proved her to be the _Sure Hawk_ and brought Rodrigues to justice, for he was very revengeful when roused, and full of hatred for the man who cheated him; but because he feared ridicule--having condemned that for worthless which but twelve months before he had bought for the best s.h.i.+p ever built--he would do nothing. For which weakness, G.o.d knows, he was fully punished in the end.

Our business being brought to an end at Portsmouth, we sailed our new s.h.i.+ps into Falmouth Haven; and their names were the _Sea Lion_ and the _Faithful Friend_. And here were piles of merchandise waiting to be s.h.i.+pped, for Lady Biddy Fane had faithfully bought and prepared every sort of thing in just proportion as before our going Sir Bartlemy had set down an inventory; and none but a capable woman of stout purpose and strong heart could have done so much.

To work went all to get this store aboard--the very house servants being pressed into service (such as they could compa.s.s), under the direction of Lady Biddy; yet could not all be done in a day, nor much less than three weeks, and no time lost.

All this time my mind was exceedingly uneasy, less Rodrigues should hear of our expedition, and seek to do us harm. And with this dread I made inquiries (privately) if during my absence any one had called to see me, and I found no one had asked for me. Then I felt sure that Rodrigues or Parsons and his men were at Penzance, and none others but they. For otherwise to a certainty the wives and sweethearts of those men drawn from Penny-come-quick and Truro to our first venture, hearing as they must of my return, would have sought me for tidings of them. And if they were in communication with those men, then must our enemies know that I had come back, and that another expedition was fitting out. I knew the nature of Rodrigues--subtile and daring wretch!--merciless in the pursuit of plunder, and b.l.o.o.d.y as those beasts of prey which will kill, though they be too surfeited to eat, their quarry.