The Pirate, and The Three Cutters Part 19

'How many days of full allowance have we on board?'

'Not above twelve at the most.'

'Then we must go on half allowance,' replied Cain.

'The s.h.i.+p's company wish to know where we are going, sir.'

'Have they deputed you to ask the question?'

'Not exactly, sir; but I wish to know myself,' replied Hawkhurst, with an insolent air.

'Turn the hands up,' replied Cain; 'as one of the s.h.i.+p's company under my orders, you will, with the others, receive the information you require.'

The crew of the pirate collected aft.

'My lads,' said Cain, 'I understand, from the first mate, that you are anxious to know where you are going? In reply, I acquaint you that, having so many wounded men on board, and so much plunder in the hold, I intend to repair to our rendezvous when we were formerly in this part of the world--the _Caicos_. Is there any other question you may wish to ask of me?'

'Yes,' replied Hawkhurst; 'we wish to know what your intentions are relative to that young man, Francisco. We have lost immense wealth; we have now thirty men wounded in the hammocks, and nine we left dead on the sh.o.r.e; and I have a bullet through my body; all of which has been occasioned by him. We demand justice!'

Here Hawkhurst was supported by several of the pirates; and there were many voices which repeated the cry of 'Justice!'

'My men! you demand justice, and you shall have it,' replied Cain. 'This lad you all know well; I have brought him up as a child. He has always disliked our mode of life, and has often requested to leave it, but has been refused. He challenged me by our own laws, "Blood for blood!" He wounded me; but he was right in his challenge, and therefore I bear no malice. Had I been aware that he was to have been sent on sh.o.r.e to die with hunger, I would not have permitted it. What crime had he committed?

None; or, if any, it was against me. He was then sentenced to death for no crime, and you yourselves exclaimed against it. Is it not true?'

'Yes--yes,' replied the majority of the pirates.

'By a miracle he escapes, and is put in charge of another man's property. He is made a prisoner, and now you demand justice. You shall have it. Allowing that his life is forfeit for this offence,--you have already sentenced him, and left him to death unjustly, and therefore are bound in justice to give his life in this instance. I ask it, my men, not only as his right, but as a favour to your captain.'

'Agreed; it's all fair!' exclaimed the majority of the pirate's crew.

'My men, I thank you,' replied Cain; 'and in return, as soon as we arrive at the Caicos, my share of the plunder on board shall be divided among you.'

This last observation completely turned the tables in favour of the captain; and those who had joined Hawkhurst now sided with the captain.

Hawkhurst looked like a demon.

'Let those who choose to be bought off take your money,' replied he; 'but _I will not_. Blood for blood I will have; and so I give you warning. That lad's life is mine, and have it I will! Prevent me, if you can!' continued the mate, holding up his clenched hand, and shaking it almost in the pirate captain's face.

The blood mantled even to the forehead of Cain. One moment he raised himself to his utmost height, then seizing a handspike which lay near, he felled Hawkhurst to the deck.

'Take that for your mutiny!' exclaimed Cain, putting his foot on Hawkhurst's neck. 'My lads, I appeal to you. Is this man worthy to be in command as mate? Is he to live?'

'No! no!' cried the pirates. 'Death!'

Francisco stepped forward. 'My men, you have granted your captain one favour; grant me another, which is the life of this man. Recollect how often he has led you to conquest, and how brave and faithful he has been until now! Recollect that he is suffering under his wound, which has made him irritable. Command you he cannot any longer, as he will never have the confidence of your captain; but let him live, and quit the vessel.'

'Be it so, if you agree,' replied Cain, looking at the men; 'I do not seek his life.'

The pirates consented. Hawkhurst rose slowly from the deck, and was a.s.sisted below to his cabin. The second mate was then appointed as the first, and the choice of the man to fill up the vacancy was left to the pirate crew.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _'Blood for blood I will have,' continued the mate, holding up his clenched hand, and shaking it almost in the pirate captain's face._]

For three days after this scene all was quiet and orderly on board of the pirate. Cain, now that he had more fully made up his mind how to act, imparted to Francisco his plans; and his giving up to the men his share of the booty still on board was, to Francisco, an earnest of his good intentions. A cordiality, even, a kind of feeling which never existed before, was created between them; but of Francisco's mother, and the former events of his own life, the pirate never spoke. Francisco more than once put questions on the subject; the answer was, 'You shall know some of these days, Francisco, but not yet; you would hate me too much!'

The _Avenger_ was now clear of the English isles, and with light winds running down the sh.o.r.es of Porto Rico. In the evening of the day on which they had made the land, the schooner was becalmed about three miles from the sh.o.r.e, and the new first mate proposed that he should land in the boat and obtain a further supply of water from a fall which they had discovered with the gla.s.ses. As this was necessary, Cain gave his consent, and the boat quitted the vessel full of breakers.

Now it happened that the _Avenger_ lay becalmed abreast of the country seat of Don d'Alfarez, the governor of the island. Clara had seen the schooner; and, as usual, had thrown out the white curtain as a signal of recognition; for there was no perceptible difference, even to a sailor, at that distance, between the _Avenger_ and the _Enterprise_. She had hastened down to the beach, and hurried into the cave, awaiting the arrival of Edward Templemore. The pirate boat landed at the very spot of rendezvous, and the mate leaped out of the boat. Clara flew to receive her Edward, and was instantly seized by the mate, before she discovered her mistake.

'Holy Virgin! who and what are you?' cried she, struggling to disengage herself.

'One who is very fond of a pretty girl!' replied the pirate, still detaining her.

'Unhand me, wretch!' cried Clara. 'Are you aware whom you are addressing?'

'Not I! nor do I care,' replied the pirate.

'You will perhaps, sir, when you learn that I am the daughter of the governor!' exclaimed Clara, pus.h.i.+ng him away.

'Yes, by heavens! you are right, pretty lady, I do care; for a governor's daughter will fetch a good ransom, at all events. So come, my lads, a little help here; for she is as strong as a young mule. Never mind the water, throw the breakers into the boat again; we have a prize worth taking!'

Clara screamed; but she was gagged with a handkerchief and lifted into the boat, which immediately rowed back to the schooner.

When the mate came on board and reported his capture, the pirates were delighted at the prospect of addition to their prize-money. Cain could not, of course, raise any objections; it would have been so different from his general practice, that it would have strengthened suspicions already set afloat by Hawkhurst, which Cain was most anxious just then to remove. He ordered the girl to be taken down into the cabin, hoisted in the boat, and the breeze springing up again, made sail.

In the meantime Francisco was consoling the unfortunate Clara, and a.s.suring her that she need be under no alarm, promising her protection from himself and the captain.

The poor girl wept bitterly, and it was not until Cain came down into the cabin and corroborated the a.s.surances of Francisco that she could a.s.sume any degree of composure; but to find friends when she had expected every insult and degradation--for Francisco had acknowledged that the vessel was a pirate--was some consolation. The kindness and attention of Francisco restored her to comparative tranquillity.

The next day she confided to him the reason of her coming to the beach, and her mistake with regard to the two vessels, and Francisco and Cain promised her that they would themselves pay her ransom, and not wait until she heard from her father. To divert her thoughts Francisco talked much about Edward Templemore, and on that subject Clara could always talk. Every circ.u.mstance attending the amour was soon known to Francisco.

But the _Avenger_ did not gain her rendezvous as soon as she expected.

When to the northward of Porto Rico an English frigate bore down upon her, and the _Avenger_ was obliged to run for it. Before the wind is always a schooner's worst point of sailing, and the chase was continued for three days before a fresh wind from the southward, until they had pa.s.sed the Bahama Isles.

The pirates suffered much from want of water, as it was necessary still further to reduce their allowance. The frigate was still in sight, although the _Avenger_ had dropped her astern when the wind became light, and at last it subsided into a calm, which lasted two days more.

The boats of the frigate were hoisted out on the eve of the second day to attack the schooner, then distant five miles, when a breeze sprang up from the northward, and the schooner being then to windward, left the enemy hull down.

It was not until the next day that Cain ventured to run again to the southward to procure at one of the keys the water so much required. At last it was obtained, but with difficulty and much loss of time, from the scantiness of the supply, and they again made sail for the Caicos.

But they were so much impeded by contrary winds and contrary currents that it was not until three weeks after they had been chased from Porto Rico that they made out the low land of their former rendezvous.

We must now return to Edward Templemore in the _Enterprise_, whom we left off the coast of South America in search of the _Avenger_, which had so strangely slipped through their fingers. Edward had examined the whole coast, ran through the pa.s.sage and round Trinidad, and then started off to the Leeward Isles in his pursuit. He had spoken every vessel he met with without gaining any information, and had at last arrived off Porto Rico.

This was no time to think of Clara; but, as it was not out of his way, he had run down the island, and as it was just before dark when he arrived off that part of the coast where the governor resided, he had hove-to for a little while, and had examined the windows: but the signal of recognition was not made, and after waiting till dark he again made sail, mad with disappointment, and fearing that all had been discovered by the governor; whereas the fact was, that he had only arrived two days after the forcible abduction of Clara. Once more he directed his attention to the discovery of the pirate, and after a fortnight's examination of the inlets and bays of the Island of St. Domingo without success, his provisions and water being nearly expended, he returned, in no very happy mood, to Port Royal.

In the meantime the disappearance of Clara had created the greatest confusion in Porto Rico, and upon the examination of her attendant, who was confronted by the friar and the duenna, the amour of her mistress was confessed. The appearance of the _Avenger_ off the coast on that evening confirmed their ideas that the Donna Clara had been carried off by the English lieutenant, and Don Alfarez immediately despatched a vessel to Jamaica, complaining of the outrage, and demanding the restoration of his daughter.

This vessel arrived at Port Royal a few days before the _Enterprise_, and the admiral was very much astonished. He returned a very polite answer to Don Alfarez, promising an investigation immediately upon the arrival of the schooner, and to send a vessel with the result of the said investigation.

'This is a pretty business,' said the admiral to his secretary. 'Young madcap! I sent him to look after a pirate, and he goes after the governor's daughter! By the Lord Harry, Mr. Templemore, but you and I shall have an account to settle.'

'I can hardly believe it, sir,' replied the secretary; 'and yet it does look suspicious. But on so short an acquaintance----'