Part 22 (1/2)
”She is gone!” I moaned; and then, striking my breast with my clenched fist, I muttered, ”And thou, villain, must answer for her fate.”
Then, hoping that she had but strolled a little way to find me, I rushed along the edge of the ravine to a rock that hung over the deep cleft.
From this point I could see down to the bottom of the gorge where the stream ran into the river. Just within this creek lay a boat, which only too clearly discovered the reason why Lady Biddy was no longer where I had left her.
At that very moment I heard her voice calling faintly as from a great distance--
”Benet, Benet!” Then there was silence while I looked in vain to see her down the ravine, doubting not that she was being carried away to the boat below.
”Benet!” she cried, yet a little louder, yet still faintly. ”Benet!”
I felt sure that she saw me and was crying for help, and it maddened me that I could not see her. Nor could I guess from her voice in what part of the ravine she had been taken for the breaking of the waters and the echo of the rocks. But leaping to another rock and craning my neck over, I caught sight of two fellows, whom I knew for Rodrigues' rascals, rounding a bend of the gorge below. And one of them, facing about, lifts his finger warningly as if to signal those who followed that they should stifle Lady Biddy's cry for help.
CHAPTER XXIX.
I FIND MY LADY BIDDY, AND WE DESPOIL OUR ENEMIES; WITH OTHER FACETIOUS MATTER.
The moment I concluded that those wretches at the foot of the ravine were carrying off Lady Biddy I threw myself down the rocks to her rescue; and had the chances of breaking my neck thereby been a hundredfold as great I should not have hesitated. For I considered that it was by my fault she had been taken, and that therefore I owed my life for hers; indeed, I valued not my life as a straw, save as it might be of service to her, for what use was life to me without her? I might as well be dead and forgotten as alive and she lost; nay better, for to live bereft for ever of her, or in doubt as to her fate, would be continual misery and the cause of never-abating self-reproach.
With these thoughts running confusedly in my head and urging me to desperate leaps which I had never dared to attempt in cooler blood, I descended that rocky gorge like any bounding ball, till coming to level ground, I spied half a dozen fellows cl.u.s.tered together in the shadow of a rock round one who was slicing a pine-nut to share among them. But no Lady Biddy could I see; nor was there any sign of her between them and the boat which lay hard by in the creek, as I have said.
By this time, the heat of my spirits being somewhat abated I reasoned with myself that to attack those six men, unarmed as I was, would be a piece of foolhardy madness which could do her no good, nor me neither, except as the cutting of my throat would put me out of my present anxiety, and that if I was to rescue her at all it must be by cunning.
Whereof I set myself to approach them unseen, that I might learn, if possible, where they had bestowed their captive, and this I did without great difficulty, for hereabouts were many scattered stones and abundant growth of p.r.i.c.kly shrubs, ground-palms, and the like.
Being come so nigh them that I could hear their remarks upon the fruit they were eating, which seemed entirely to occupy their thoughts, I waited for the conversation to take another turn. Presently one of them, flinging himself on the ground, says:
”Well, mates, I take it we've done work enough for this bout, so here shall I lie at my ease till it be time to fill the barricoes and get back a s.h.i.+p-board.”
”Ay, I'm with you there, Jack,” says another, following his example.
The rest were not slow to lie down likewise, save one, who, scratching his head, says:
”How about this here female we are to carry back alive or dead?”
”Plague take her, say I, and the likes of her,” grunted he who spoke first. ”What do we want of females? She's brought us no luck, and I'd as soon see a rat in the s.h.i.+p.”
”So say I,” chimed in his mate. ”The other fellows have gone after her, and let them catch her if they may. For my own part I wish her no worse luck than to give them leg-bail and lose herself in these woods. You don't catch me running after no females till I get back to Penzance.”
Hearing this I was struck with amazement, and could not too much admire my folly in rus.h.i.+ng headlong into danger without proper occasion. For now I readily perceived what was the fact, that Lady Biddy, awaking after my departure, had caught sight of the men at the foot of the gorge and taken measures to conceal herself from discovery should they ascend.
While thus hidden she had seen me come upon that point of rock, and to attract my attention, had called me by name as loud as she dared. My descent had been too furious for her to stop me by her further cries, which were lost upon my ear; and thus, in going to her, as I thought, had drawn myself away.
However, it was with a glad heart that I perceived my folly, and stealthily withdrew from those men whom a few minutes earlier I was like to have fallen among, and turned to follow the course of the torrent to the level above.
I made short work of this business when I was fairly out of sight of the seamen, and before long I again heard that sweet voice calling, ”Benet, Benet!” upon which, casting my eyes eagerly about, I descried my dear Lady Biddy in a little natural cavern formed by two leaning rocks. She clasped her hands, and her face beamed with joy to see me again; but if she was pleased--lord! what was I? Then we sat down together and narrated our experiences, I blaming myself hugely for my headstrong conduct; yet still she smiled.
”Won't you be angry with me, Lady Biddy, for my rashness?” says I.
”Nay,” says she; ”you may blame yourself, but I cannot; for was it not to save me you encountered this danger? Since it has ended thus, I can but be pleased with this proof of your devotion. Yet, when I call again, I would not have you run away.”