"When I was a lad I was bad as I could be,Wouldn't say 'Thank you' nor 'Please,' not me,And at church I wouldn't kneel but only on one knee,And at school I wouldn't study my A B C,And I couldn't conscientious with the Golden Rule agree,Nor understand the secret of its popularitee,Nor get a ounce of pleasure from the Rule of Three,—I was bad right through; sweared 'hully gee,'And worse sometimes, like 'jiminee;'Scrawled with a pencil on my jographee,Stole birds' eggs in the huckleberry tree,—Oh, I was bad; tried to learn a fleaHow to keep his balance on a rolling pea,—Oh, regular bad; and my ma, said she,'If you don't be better than what you be,I'll put you in the cupboard and turn the key.'But I wouldn't and I wouldn't, no sirree,So I ran away to sea;Yes, I ran away to sea;With a little gingham, bottle of cambric tea,And a penny wrapped up in my hankerchee,For I wanted to be free,So I ran away to sea."
"When I was a lad I was bad as I could be,Wouldn't say 'Thank you' nor 'Please,' not me,And at church I wouldn't kneel but only on one knee,And at school I wouldn't study my A B C,And I couldn't conscientious with the Golden Rule agree,Nor understand the secret of its popularitee,Nor get a ounce of pleasure from the Rule of Three,—I was bad right through; sweared 'hully gee,'And worse sometimes, like 'jiminee;'Scrawled with a pencil on my jographee,Stole birds' eggs in the huckleberry tree,—Oh, I was bad; tried to learn a fleaHow to keep his balance on a rolling pea,—Oh, regular bad; and my ma, said she,'If you don't be better than what you be,I'll put you in the cupboard and turn the key.'But I wouldn't and I wouldn't, no sirree,
So I ran away to sea;Yes, I ran away to sea;
With a little gingham, bottle of cambric tea,And a penny wrapped up in my hankerchee,
For I wanted to be free,So I ran away to sea."
Mr. Mizzen stopped, and looked towards the stern of the ship. "I thought," said he, "I kind of noticed something queer about the stern rail; looked as if it was lower. But I guess I'm mistaken."
Everyone looked, but saw nothing amiss. The Cabin-boy tittered into Freddie's ear.
"Would you like to hear the second verse?" said the Able Seaman.
"Yes, yes! Go on!" said several voices at once.
"Here goes, then," said Mr. Mizzen, thrumming on the guitar. "After I ran away to sea, I had a good many adventures, and some of 'em—anyway—
"When I was young I followed the EquatorFrom Pole to Pole in the ship Perambulator,A four-wheeled schooner, a smoky old freighter,Loaded with sulphur for an old dead craterIn the Andes Mountains, and a night or two laterWith a three-knot gale blowing loud and rudeAs the dark grows darker and the gale increasesOf a sudden we strike and we goes all to piecesOn the forty-seventh parallel of latitude.And then and there we formed a committeeAnd went in a body up to London CityAnd walked up the steps and pulled the little bell,And spoke out bold to the Lords of CreationWhere they sat in their wigs making rules of navigation,And explained to 'em the dangers of the Deadly Parallel.'Take 'em down and pull 'em in,'That's the way we did begin:''Tisn't leaks nor 'tisn't whiskeyMakes the sailor's life so risky,It's the parallel as lies acrost our track.It's the Deadly Parallel, lying there so long and black,Is the subject of our moderate petition;'Tisn't much that we are wishin',But we humbly beg permissionTo implore,—Coil 'em up, we implore, where they won't be in the way,Out of sight, safe ashore, we humbly pray;For there's many a tidy barkStrikes against 'em in the darkAnd is never never heard of any more.So we'll thank you heartileeIf so very kind you'll beAnd remove this awful danger from the sea.'But we couldn't make 'em do it;No, they simply wouldn't do it;And the bailiff shoved us gently from the door.And we wept uncommon salty,For their reason did seem faulty,Any way that we could view it:And the reason which they gave usWhy they really couldn't save usWas because the thing had ne'er been done before;No, such a thing had ne'er been done before."
"When I was young I followed the EquatorFrom Pole to Pole in the ship Perambulator,A four-wheeled schooner, a smoky old freighter,Loaded with sulphur for an old dead craterIn the Andes Mountains, and a night or two laterWith a three-knot gale blowing loud and rudeAs the dark grows darker and the gale increasesOf a sudden we strike and we goes all to piecesOn the forty-seventh parallel of latitude.And then and there we formed a committeeAnd went in a body up to London CityAnd walked up the steps and pulled the little bell,And spoke out bold to the Lords of CreationWhere they sat in their wigs making rules of navigation,And explained to 'em the dangers of the Deadly Parallel.'Take 'em down and pull 'em in,'That's the way we did begin:''Tisn't leaks nor 'tisn't whiskeyMakes the sailor's life so risky,It's the parallel as lies acrost our track.It's the Deadly Parallel, lying there so long and black,Is the subject of our moderate petition;'Tisn't much that we are wishin',But we humbly beg permissionTo implore,—Coil 'em up, we implore, where they won't be in the way,Out of sight, safe ashore, we humbly pray;For there's many a tidy barkStrikes against 'em in the darkAnd is never never heard of any more.So we'll thank you heartileeIf so very kind you'll beAnd remove this awful danger from the sea.'But we couldn't make 'em do it;No, they simply wouldn't do it;And the bailiff shoved us gently from the door.And we wept uncommon salty,For their reason did seem faulty,Any way that we could view it:And the reason which they gave usWhy they really couldn't save usWas because the thing had ne'er been done before;No, such a thing had ne'er been done before."
Mr. Mizzen stopped again, and looked along the deck and up at the masts, and said, "I can't get it out of my head that the deck is slanting a little more than usual; the ship doesn't seem to come up well at the stern. However,—would you like to hear any more of this song?"
Everybody begged him to go on.
The Cabin-boy plucked Freddie's sleeve. "I've done it. You'll s-s-s-see! Won't that M-m-marmaduke and that M-m-m-mizzen sing another tune when they f-f-f-find out?" Freddie looked at him in amazement; but the Able Seaman was commencing the third verse of his song:
"When I was older, and bold as you please,I shipped on the good ship Firkin of Cheese,For a v'yage of discovery in the far South Seas,To gather up a cargo of ambergrisThat grows in a cave on the amber treesWhere the medicine men, all fine M.D.'s,For the sake of the usual medical fees,Crawl in by night on their hands and kneesIn a strictly ethical manner to seizeThe amber fruit that is used to greaseThe itching palm in Shekel's Disease,—On a long long v'yage, as busy as bees,Never stopping for a moment to take our ease,Never changing our course, except when the breezeTook to blowing to windward,—we had slipped by degreesDown the oozy slopes of the Hebrides,And passed through the locks of the Florida Keys,Which in getting through was a rather tight squeeze,But danger is nothing to men like these,When suddenly the lookout, a PortugueseWho had better been below a-shelling peas,Shrieked out, 'They are coming! By twos and threes!On the starboard bow! We are lost!—"
"When I was older, and bold as you please,I shipped on the good ship Firkin of Cheese,For a v'yage of discovery in the far South Seas,To gather up a cargo of ambergrisThat grows in a cave on the amber treesWhere the medicine men, all fine M.D.'s,For the sake of the usual medical fees,Crawl in by night on their hands and kneesIn a strictly ethical manner to seizeThe amber fruit that is used to greaseThe itching palm in Shekel's Disease,—On a long long v'yage, as busy as bees,Never stopping for a moment to take our ease,Never changing our course, except when the breezeTook to blowing to windward,—we had slipped by degreesDown the oozy slopes of the Hebrides,And passed through the locks of the Florida Keys,Which in getting through was a rather tight squeeze,But danger is nothing to men like these,When suddenly the lookout, a PortugueseWho had better been below a-shelling peas,Shrieked out, 'They are coming! By twos and threes!On the starboard bow! We are lost!—"
"We're lost! we're lost! we're lost!" came a terrible cry from the forward part of the ship, as if in echo of Mr. Mizzen's song. "We're lost! The dippers! The dippers!"
Everyone jumped up, even Aunt Amanda. The Cabin-boy whispered in Freddie's ear, in great excitement, "N-n-n-now you'll s-see!"
A man came running down the deck, followed by all the skippers and mates. As he halted before Mr. Mizzen, he was evidently the Cook, by the white cook's cap he wore on his head. He took off his cap and wiped his forehead with his hand. He was in a state of mixed alarm and anger.
"We're lost!" he cried, and actually tore his hair with his hands. "It's that rascally Cabin-boy! The dippers is gone! Every last one of them! And the ship leakin' by the barrelful! Let me get at that boy once, and I'll learn him! Fryin' on a slow fire would be too good for him! Swore he'd get even, he did, and now he's gone and done it! Stole all the dippers—he's the one that done it, you can bet your last biscuit! There ain't a dipper left in the ship, and the water pourin' in by the barrelful! I just found it out, while them lazy skippers and mates was lying around doing nothing! Gimme one sea-cook for all the skipperson the ocean, that's what I say! Every last dipper gone! gone! We're lost!"
Everyone looked around for the Cabin-boy. He was nowhere to be seen, but his laugh was heard overhead, and his face was then seen looking down from the rigging just above.
"I've d-d-d-done it," he cried, shrieking with laughter. "I'm even with you n-n-n-n-now! M-m-m-m-mizzen he l-l-l-learned the parrot to m-m-m-mock me, he did, and Cook he b-b-b-basted me in the g-g-g-galley all the t-t-t-t-time, and now I'm e-e-e-even with all of 'em. They ain't g-g-g-going to t-t-t-torment me no m-m-m-m-more! I stole the dippers and th-th-th-threw 'em overboard, every last one of 'em, and n-n-n-now you're g-g-g-going to s-s-sink, sink, si-i-ink, d-d-d-down, down, d-d-d-down, to the bottom of the—bottom of the s-s-s-sea!"
He laughed louder than before, and the angry Cook sprang forward to climb up after him, but just then the ship gave a violent lurch backwards, nearly upsetting everyone, and settled down by the stern, so that that end of the boat was completely under water.
Aunt Amanda screamed. Toby and Mr. Punch came to her at once and supported her on each side. There was a great hubbub. Everyone tried to speak at once. Freddie felt his hand grasped in the strong hand of Mr. Toby, and he began to feel somewhat less afraid. Over the hubbub could be heard the Cabin-boy's wild laugh.
"Everybody quiet!" shouted Mr. Mizzen. "We must think what we had better do."
"Yes, yes," cried a number of voices. "What are we going to do?"
"I wish," said Mr. Mizzen, thoughtfully, "I wish we had thought to bring a rowboat with us."
"What!" cried Aunt Amanda. "Do you mean to tellme that you came away on this long journey without an extra boat?"
"We didn't think of it," said Mr. Mizzen. "We had plenty of dippers, and we never thought of anybody's throwing them overboard."
"No! no!" cried all the skippers and mates together. "We never thought of that!"
"Then bring out the life-preservers at once!" said Aunt Amanda. "And be quick about it!"
"We haven't any," said Mr. Mizzen. "What would have been the use of life-preservers if the dippers were all on board? We never thought we would need them."
"No! no!" cried all the skippers and mates together. "We never thought of that!"
"Then think of something now," said Aunt Amanda. "Don't you see the ship's settling deeper in the water?"
The ship was in fact deeper in the water. It was sinking rapidly. The deck began to list so much towards the stern that it was difficult to stand on it. The ship was making no headway whatever. The breeze was even lighter than before, and the sails were hanging limp. It would have taken a stiff wind indeed to have moved that water-logged boat; and it lay as if moored to a float, going up and down heavily in the long swell.
"Do you—er—think," said the Old Codger with the Wooden Leg, "that we are in—er—danger?"
"Danger!" cried Aunt Amanda. "Something must be done! Are you going to let us drown without turning a hand?"
"There's only one thing to do," said Mr. Mizzen, "and I don't know whether it will work or not; but we can try it. Boys, bring up all the mattresses from the cabins, and a coil of rope! Look alive, now!"
The skippers and mates ran off in great haste anddisappeared down the hatchways. In a few minutes they had laid on the deck a great pile of mattresses. While this was being done, Aunt Amanda, whose bonnet and shawl had been brought to her by one of the men, tied her bonnet-strings under her chin and put her shawl about her shoulders, in readiness for departure.
"Now then," said Mr. Mizzen, "lash the mattresses together."
The men proved themselves very handy with ropes. With Mr. Mizzen's help, they lashed together securely a good number of the mattresses, and the first result of their work was a mattress raft some fifteen feet square, and some four or five feet thick. A supply of oil-cloth was found in the store-room, and this was bound by ropes all over and under and around the raft.
"I don't know whether it will do," said Mr. Mizzen, "but anyway there's nothing else thatwilldo. Now, lads, over the side with her!"
All the men lent a hand, and the mattress raft was hoisted over the side and on to the water. To the satisfaction of everyone, it floated there quietly and easily, with its top well above the surface of the sea.
"Lucky it's a smooth sea," said Mr. Mizzen. "We ought to be pleased with the state of the weather; couldn't be better; I feel quite joyful about it."
"Oh, you do," said Aunt Amanda. "Well, I don't feel joyful about it. What next?"
"Put the provisions aboard," said the Able Seaman; whereupon some of the men placed on the raft a small barrel of water and some tins of meat, soup, biscuit, and other things.
"If you please," said Mr. Mizzen, when this had been done, "I think the passengers had better get aboard. When you're aboard, we'll make another raft for ourselves. Are you ready?"
The passengers were helped aboard the raft, oneafter another. Although the raft bobbed up and down on the swell, it was not a difficult matter for the men and the boy to get on, for it was held fast against the side of the ship at a point where it was about even with the deck-rail. Freddie gave a good spring, and was on in no time; Mr. Hanlon, who did not seem in the least uneasy, got aboard with the agility of a cat; there was no trouble with anyone except Aunt Amanda, whose lameness impeded her movements a good deal.
As the Sly Old Fox, with his high silk hat on his head, was about to step over the side, he turned and said:
"I feel it my duty, Mr. Mizzen, to register a complaint against the outrageous treatment to which we are being subjected. I submit under protest, sir; under protest. If I had for one moment imagined—"
"Oh bosh," said Toby. "Push him over, Mizzen." And the Sly Old Fox was in fact somewhat rudely pushed over on to the raft.
None of the others made any objection. Mr. Punch, who usually talked a good deal, was noticeably silent; and when Toby offered him a hand to help him over, he said stiffly:
"Hi thank you sir, but I do not require any hassistance."
When the Churchwarden took his seat in the middle of the raft, it went down alarmingly; but nothing happened, and when the Old Codger with the Wooden Leg was aboard, the party was complete. All the others sat around the Churchwarden, as close as they could huddle. It was evident that the raft would float them, at least until it should become water-logged, or a gale of wind should blow. The men on the ship now let go of the raft, and proceeded to lash togetherthe remaining mattresses for themselves. The raft floated quietly away from the ship.
Aunt Amanda's arm was about Freddie. He did not feel, however, that he needed her protection. He had already forgotten his first alarm, and he was feeling most of all what an extraordinary adventure it was that had befallen him; the men from the ship would be nearby on the other rafts, the sea was calm, the air was warm, and they would probably be picked up by some vessel before the food gave out. He supposed there were very few boys who had ever sailed the open sea on a mattress.
"Well, Freddie," said Mr. Toby, as the raft continued to float slowly away from the ship, "what do you think of this, eh? Have you got the map of Correction Island with you?"
"Yes, sir, I have. It's in my pocket."
"Good! Don't lose it. We may get to the Island after all, some day; you never can tell. By the way, Warden, have you got your Odour of Sanctity?"
"Safe in my pocket," said the Churchwarden. "What about you? Have you got the Chinaman's head?"
"What? Me? The Chinaman's head? Oh merciful fathers! I clean forgot it!" cried Toby. "Blamed if I didn't leave it in my room on the ship! Never thought about it once! If that don't beat all! What'll we do? We can't get back! We're floating away! Great jumping Joan! What'll we do?"
"Well!" gasped Aunt Amanda. "Won't you never get a head on your shoulders, you Toby Littleback? Can't you never remember anything? I declare, Toby Littleback, you are the most addlepated, exasperating,—Oh dear, we'd better hail the ship, quick!"
The party on the raft set up a loud cry, which was answered from the ship.
"The Chinaman's head!" shouted Toby. "On thedresser in my cabin! I forgot it! Run and get it! Quick! We're floating away!"
"Ay, ay, sir!" came a voice from the ship.
The company on the raft waited anxiously. In a very few moments, which seemed like a great many, a hail came from the side of the ship, and they could see the Cabin-boy standing at a point of the deck where it was now sloped high out of the water, and he was holding the Chinaman's head aloft in both hands, as if about to throw it towards the raft.
"Don't throw it!" shouted Toby. "Tie a rope to it first!"
But he was too late. The Cabin-boy raised the Chinaman's head higher, swinging his body sideways, and as a dark figure came up behind him and tried to seize his arm, he gave a mighty heave and toss, and sent the Chinaman's head flying through the air in the direction of the raft.
For a second it glistened in the moonlight. In another second it descended towards the raft, and almost reached it; but not quite; it came down within five feet of it, and fell like a shot plump into the ocean. It splashed, and that was all. The Chinaman's head was gone.
A wail went up from the company on the raft at this terrible disaster. How terrible it really was they did not even yet understand, but they were soon to learn. Freddie was almost ready to burst into tears. Aunt Amanda was so exasperated that she could scarcely speak. The others seemed to be stupefied.
"Oh! oh! oh!" cried Aunt Amanda. "You Toby, you! Now you've done it for good. Why, why,whycan't you never remember anything? It's your fault, and don't you never try to lay it to that Cabin-boy! And now what'll we do if we ever get separated from Mr. Mizzen? How'll we ever call him up to helpus out of trouble if we get into it? Here's a pretty kettle of fish, now ain't it? I hope and pray we can stick close to Mr. Mizzen until we're all safe and—"
"Look there!" cried Mr. Punch. "Bless me heyes, what do I see? Look at the ship!"
It was high time to look at the ship. No sooner had the Chinaman's head disappeared into the depths of the ocean, than a change began to come over the ship. It grew paler and thinner in the moonlight. The green shutters along the side faded away one by one. The dark hull became lighter; the sails grew so thin that at last the watchers could see the stars shining through them. The whole ship seemed to waver and dissolve into a pale mist. It did not sink; no, the bow was still high out of the water, and all the masts and sails were visible. It simply faded away where it stood.
As it was becoming more and more vague, the voice of Marmaduke the parrot came across the water out of the rigging; a far-away voice, which grew fainter and fainter as the ship grew dimmer, until it died away as if in the distance.
"Th-th-th-three ch-ch-cheers!" it said. "Th-th-th-three ch-ch-cheers for l-l-l-l-liver and onions—th-th-three ch-ch-cheers—l-l-l-liver—and—"
As Marmaduke's voice died away, the ship dissolved like a pale ghost and vanished. The Sieve was gone.
The party of adventurers sat on their mattress raft in the midst of the wide ocean, with never a ship to be seen; the long sea-swell rolled placidly over the place where their ship had been. They sat huddled together in silence around the Churchwarden, too horrified to speak a word.
The moon glistened on the Sly Old Codger's high silk hat.
"I wish," said Aunt Amanda, "that I had brought some sewing with me. I don't suppose I could sew very well by moonlight on a mattress in the middle of the ocean, but I don't believe this would have happened if I'd had my sewing with me."
"Hi carn't see 'ow that would 'ave—" began Mr. Punch.
"Now look here," said Toby. "We've got to sit in the middle of this here raft, or else she'll tilt over. Why don't you sit in the middle, Warden?"
"Iamsitting in the middle," said the Churchwarden. "I wonder what the Vestry would say if they could—"
"I wish it distinctly understood," said the Sly Old Fox, "that I am here under protest. If I had for one moment imagined—"
"Now listen to me," said Aunt Amanda. "There's got to be a captain of this expedition, and as there's nobody here but a lot of helpless men-creatures, I suppose I've got to be the captain myself. All those in favor say aye. I'm elected. That's done. Warden, sit a little bit over to the right."
"Ay, ay, sir; ay, ay, ma'am; certainly," said the Warden.
"Now everybody sit up close to the Warden," said Aunt Amanda. "There. Is the raft balanced now?"
"Ay, ay, sir," said the Churchwarden. "I mean, ay, ay, ma'am."
"Then my orders as captain is, to sit still and see what's going to happen."
Nothing happened. Freddie grew sleepy, and leaned his head against Aunt Amanda's shoulder. As he was falling off to sleep, a slim dark object rose from the sea near by and whirred across the ocean and plopped into the water.
"Bless me heyes," said Mr. Punch, "hit's a flying-fish, as ever was."
"Is it, really?" said Freddie. "Did he really fly?"
"How wonderful is nature!" said the Sly Old Codger. "Such an opportunity to improve the mind! My little friend, I trust you will profit by what you have seen. It is very educational; very educational indeed."
"Ahem!" said the Old Codger with the Wooden Leg. "What do you suppose—er—ahem!—if you will pardon me—what are those little things sparkling out there on the surface of the water?"
"Hit's a school of sardines!" said Mr. Punch. "Hi know them wery well; when I was a lad—"
"There must be millions of them," said Freddie. "Just look!"
The tiny fish were leaping by thousands on the surface of the water, immediately in the path of moonlight; and they flashed and sparkled as they leaped.
"Hi believe there's a great fish arfter them," said Mr. Punch.
"Maybe a whole regiment of big fish," said Toby. "By crackey, there's one now!"
As he spoke, a black fin cut the water near the sardines, and they became more agitated than ever; from the size of the fin, it must have been a very great fish indeed; and along the upper edge of the fin wasa row of long sharp saw-teeth, looking big and strong enough to have sawed through a wooden plank.
"There's another one!" cried Freddie.
"And another! and another!" cried Aunt Amanda.
There must have been five or six of the great fish.
"I hope they won't come near this boat," said Toby. "One of 'em would just about turn us upside down if he struck us."
"Mercy!" said Aunt Amanda. "Don't say such a terrible thing."
At that moment a great round black back appeared above the surface of the water, some hundred yards or so away, and in another moment a great black blunt head joined itself to the back, and a spout of white vapor rose from the head.
"A whale!" cried several voices at once.
"Oh!" said Aunt Amanda. "Suppose he should come this way?"
The five or six fins of the great fish near the sardines now disappeared. The whale threw up his enormous tail, and went down head first beneath the water. Almost immediately, one of the saw-toothed fins reappeared, much nearer the raft than before.
"Merciful heavens!" cried Aunt Amanda. "He's coming towards us! Oh dear!"
The great fish was in fact evidently making straight towards the raft. Freddie clutched Aunt Amanda's arm. The fin cut the water at a high speed; it disappeared at times, but on each reappearance it was still pointed towards the raft.
"He's nearly on us!" cried Aunt Amanda. "Hold on tight, Freddie!"
The great fish came on with a rush, and as he reached the raft struck it with his back and slid under it. There was a tremendous bump, which nearly sentthe company flat; then there was a rubbing under the raft, and everything was quiet again.
"He's gone," said Toby.
"No, 'e isn't," said Mr. Punch. "Look at 'is tail!"
A great tail could be seen beyond the edge of the raft, just below the surface of the water. It thrashed about and churned up the water violently for a few seconds, and then waved back and forth quietly; but it did not disappear.
"By crackey," said Toby, "he's stuck! His fin has got stuck into the bottom of the raft! He's got the whole kit and bilin' of us on his back!"
"Mercy on us!" said Aunt Amanda.
"Is it really true?" said Freddie.
"On due consideration," said the Churchwarden, "I think Toby's right."
"Hi believe 'e is!" said Mr. Punch. "Blimy if I ever rode on the back of a fish before! Now 'e's got us on 'is back, what's 'e going to do with us?"
"We're moving!" cried Freddie.
"So we are!" said Aunt Amanda.
"Blamed if we ain't," said Toby.
The mattress craft was in fact moving; very slowly, indeed, but still moving; and it was moving in the opposite direction to the fish's tail, which could be seen now and then under the water, waving back and forth like the tail of a swimming fish.
"If this don't beat all," said Toby. "That fish down there has certainly got his fin hooked into our mattress, and he's swimming along with us on top of him. I've seen a snail crawlin' with his shell on top of him, but a fish with a load of mattresses and live-stock is a new thing to me!"
"I'm the captain," said Aunt Amanda, "and my orders is to sit as still as you can and see where he's taking us to."
"Ay, ay, sir," said the Churchwarden. "I mean, ay, ay, ma'am."
The party huddled on top of the mattresses sat as still as mice, hardly daring to breathe. Their little craft continued to move gently through the water. They expected each moment that the fish would free himself, but evidently his fin had embedded itself so firmly in one of the bottom mattresses that he could not get loose; he went on swimming with his load on his back.
Hour after hour they waited to feel their craft stop; but hour after hour it moved gently and slowly across the surface of the sea. They settled themselves more comfortably against each other, and spoke very little. No one noticed that their raft was now much lower in the water.
The air was warm, the moonlight and the silence were extremely soothing, and the motion of the raft was gentle and languorous. Freddie's head sank against Aunt Amanda's shoulder, and his eyes closed; and in another moment he was asleep. Aunt Amanda herself nodded, and her eyes closed; she was asleep too. Toby yawned, and leaned heavily against the Sly Old Codger; his eyes closed, and—in short, every eye closed, and every frame relaxed heavily against its neighbor, and at last, doubled over in a closely huddled group in the exact center of their mattresses, the whole party slept; each and every one.
The raft went on steadily and quietly through the water, the moon glittered on the sea, the raft settled deeper and deeper, and there was absolute silence on the ocean, except for a slight groan which came regularly and gently from the nose of the Churchwarden.
Freddie was the first to be awake in the morning. He was cramped and stiff. He sat up straight, rubbed his eyes, and stretched his arms. He looked abroad, and the sight which met him caused him to grasp Aunt Amanda's hand in excitement.
"Land!" he cried, so loud that everyone awoke.
"Blamed if it ain't," said Toby, and put on his white derby hat, considering that he had thereby dressed himself for the day.
All the others sat bolt upright, and stared across the smooth blue sea, sparkling in the sunlight.
Not more than a quarter of a mile away rose a tall black cliff straight up out of the water. It stretched away on either hand for miles and miles, and came to an end in the ocean at the right hand and the left, so that it was probably the side of an island. The sea rolled up and down at the foot of the cliff, making a beautiful white splash against the rocks.
"But how on earth," said Aunt Amanda, "are we ever to get ashore on such a place as that?"
"We're moving towards it," said Freddie.
"Blamed if we ain't," said Toby. "We'll soon know whether we can get ashore or not."
They moved very slowly, and it was a long time before they came close enough to the cliff to see what their chances of a landing might be. They floated at last within two or three hundred yards of the cliff.It was very dangerous looking; the waves rolled over huge black rocks at its foot and broke in white foam against its side; it seemed the last place in the world for a landing.
A great swell rolled in from the sea and brought them nearer the breakers.
"My word!" cried Mr. Punch, excitedly. "There's a harch!"
"A what?" said Toby.
"See!" said Aunt Amanda. "There's a little archway in the rock, like the mouth of a cave, over there to the right! Don't you see? With the water pouring in! Over there!"
It was true. There was an archway, like the mouth of a cave; and into this the water was streaming in a strong current, making a kind of passage-way, more or less smooth, through the breakers.
"Yes!" said Freddie. "And I believe we're headed towards it!"
Their course changed a little to the right, as if the fish who was piloting them had now taken a correct bearing. They found themselves in a passage through the breakers where the water swirled in towards the arch. They were caught in this current and were swept to a point close under the towering black rocks, and in another moment they were directly before the opening. The current seized the raft as if with strong hands and drew it in.
They were in a cavern, narrow and high, whose interior was lost in darkness. The current carried them onward into the dark. The roar of the breakers suddenly ceased, and as they looked behind them the archway was no more than a speck of light. Their raft turned slightly to the left, and at that moment the speck of light disappeared, as if they had turneda corner; and the darkness became so black that no one could see even the person sitting next to him.
"I wonder," said Toby, "if there are any matches and candles on board this boat. I'm going to see."
He was silent for a while, and it was evident from the tilting of the raft that he had moved his position. Finally he said "Ah!" and a match spluttered and went out in the breeze which was blowing past them; but after it went out there remained a glimmer, and Toby was holding up a lighted candle, and shielding it from the draught with his hand.
"Found 'em in the tin with the biscuits," said Toby.
He held the candle on high so that its little beam searched out the darkness in front and on both sides.
They were in a narrow passage-way. On each side was a wall of solid rock, not ten feet beyond the edge of the raft. How high the wall was they could not tell, for it was lost in the darkness overhead. They were slipping along a narrow alley-way of water. Toby held the candle higher, and everyone peered into the darkness ahead; but it was impossible to see more than a few yards.
"I wish it distinctly understood," said the Sly Old Codger, "that I am here under—"
"Never mind," said Aunt Amanda, "my orders as captain is, to say nothing and wait and see what will happen."
The raft turned a corner to the right, and slipped on silently in that direction for a long distance, probably for more than a mile. Then the raft turned again, this time to the left; and after about ten minutes longer Toby suddenly said, "S-sh! What's that?" They all listened, and heard afar off a sound as of rushing water, very faint, but unmistakable.
"Er—excuse me," said the Old Codger with theWooden Leg. "Do you think—ahem!—there is any—er—danger?"
"I don't like it," said Aunt Amanda. "I don't think it's safe in here."
"I think we are lower in the water," said Freddie.
"So we are," said Toby. "The water's coming up over the top now, and if we don't get on dry land soon, we'll all be sitting in a puddle."
In spite of its being water-logged and lower in the water, the raft was beginning to go faster, for the current had suddenly become swifter. The wind blew stronger; it swept through the narrow passage-way so briskly that Toby put his hat over the candle; but he was too late; the light wavered and went out. A groan went up from the company.
"I can hear that rushing sound plainer," said Aunt Amanda.
"Hit's wery like a water-fall," said Mr. Punch.
"I wish it understood," said the Sly Old Fox, "distinctly understood, that I am here under protest. If I had ever for one moment imagined—"
"O-o-oh!" screamed Aunt Amanda. "We're going—faster—o-o-oh!"
She threw her arm around Freddie and held him tight. The current suddenly became swifter; the raft, almost under water, was leaping forward at a frightful speed. Directly ahead of them, growing louder and louder, was the roar of rushing water.
"Hold—on—tight, Freddie!" cried Aunt Amanda.
"We'll all be done for," shouted Toby, "in another—minute, I reckon,—hold—on—tight!"
As Toby said this, the raft almost galloped. The roar of falling water burst on them from close ahead. The raft seemed to rise up and then to sink down. Its nose slanted downward. The roar of falling water was all about them. Aunt Amanda screamed,but no one could hear her. The raft paused and teetered for an instant; then it pointed downward, almost straight, and the whole party, the raft, and the fish under the raft, plunged downward through the darkness on a cascade of tumbling water; down, down, down; the raft shot from under and the passengers shot off; in a twinkling they were going down the water-fall on their backs. Would they never reach the bottom? There did not seem to be any bottom; but—
In another moment, there were Aunt Amanda and Freddie (her arm still about him) standing on their feet in about twenty-four inches of quiet water on a solid bottom. Dark forms appeared, one after another, beside them, and almost at once all the party were standing together in a group, in about two feet of quiet water, on a solid bottom.
"I fear," said the voice of the Sly Old Codger, "that I have lost my hat."
They could see that they were in a great chamber, whose walls they could make out dimly on each side. They could not see the top of the water-fall, but they could see its lower part very plainly. Through the tumbling water of the fall, near the bottom, sunlight was shining. Behind the water was an opening some six feet high, and as the water fell across this opening the sunlight from without shone through it, making it glow with green and sparkle with white. The water-fall hung over this opening like a curtain.
"Well," said Aunt Amanda, "I'm pretty near drowned, and my clothes are a sight to behold. But I'm the captain of this expedition, and my orders is, that we go ashore."
The water proved to be shallow all about them, and they waded to a strip of dry ground beside the wall which rose at their left as they faced the fall.Aunt Amanda, whose cane was gone, was assisted by Mr. Toby and Mr. Punch.
"Blamed if my hat ain't gone too," said Toby. "She was a good hat, I'll have to say that for her."
The party walked along the edge of the water, and came to the end wall of the chamber, opposite the fall. There lay the wreck of the raft, with the tail of the great fish sticking out from beneath.
"I fear," said the Sly Old Codger, "that the faithful creature has departed this life."
"He's dead as a doornail," said Toby.
"Poor thing," said Aunt Amanda. "Anyway, my orders is to explore this cavern, and see what we can find."
At this end of the cavern the water was slipping away under the wall, and this outlet explained why the water inside remained so shallow. The party commented on it, and then walked along the side wall towards the other end where the fall was. When they were midway along this wall, a cry from Toby, who had left Aunt Amanda to the care of Mr. Punch, startled the others.
"What's this?" he cried. "Look here!"
He was stooping over something, and as the others gathered round, they saw that he was stooping over a pile of small square boxes, standing in several long rows along the wall.
Mr. Hanlon lifted one of the boxes, with a great effort, and shook it. A jingling sound came from within.
"Aha!" said the Sly Old Fox. "That beautiful music! It is the sound, dear friends, the sound of—of Money!"
"Bless my soul!" cried Aunt Amanda. "Is it?"
"My opinion is," said the Churchwarden, "that there is gold in that box."
"Then open it!" said Aunt Amanda.
Mr. Hanlon shook his head. The box was locked tight, and it was bound with iron bands. All the boxes were locked, and they were all bound with iron bands.
"Come along this way," said Toby. "There's something more here."
Further along the wall, leaning against it, was a row of large coffee-sacks, each bound around the mouth by strong twine. One of these sacks Mr. Hanlon quickly opened. He tilted it over and poured out its contents on the ground. The party of onlookers gasped with astonishment.
From the mouth of the bag fell pearl necklaces; diamond rings; ruby rings; emerald rings; all kinds of rings; gold bracelets and chains; silver forks and spoons; gold toothpicks; gold cups; silver vases; and a great variety of other things of the same sort.
It was a moment or two before anyone spoke. Then the Churchwarden said, "It's my opinion that this is pirates' treasure."
"Mercy on us!" said Aunt Amanda. "And they may be in here on us any minute!"
Mr. Hanlon opened others of the bags. Each was filled with rare and costly articles of gold, silver, and precious stones.
"Do you think it's really pirates?" said Freddie, in an awed whisper.
"Not a doubt of it!" said Toby, in a voice much lower than before. "Look at this!"
He pointed to a placard on the wall above the sacks. The light was almost too dim for reading, but the writing on the placard was very large, and Toby, by standing on one of the bags, was able to make it out. He read it aloud.
"Beware! Hands Off! Whoever Shall Touchit He Shall Die by the Hand of Lingo!With a Knife in the Throat! Long LiveKing James and the Jolly Roger!"
"There a skull and cross-bones under it," said Toby. "Pirates, as sure as you're born."
"We'd better be getting away from here," said Aunt Amanda.
"Better not speak so loud," said Toby. "How are we to——?"
"S-sh!" said the Old Codger with the Wooden Leg, in a frightened whisper. "Excuse me—look—I saw something under the water-fall. What's that?"
"Stand close back against the wall," whispered Toby, "and don't speak a word."
They crowded back against the wall, alongside of the treasure, and looked towards the water-fall.
A dark object was rising from the shallow water at the foot of the fall. As they watched, another dark object appeared to come through from under the fall and apparently from behind it; and this object rose also from the shallow water near the foot of the fall, and took its place beside the other. One after another, five more of these dark objects came from under the fall and apparently from behind it, and stood upright in the shallow water.
There were now seven in all. They moved in a group towards the shore. Each of them had two legs, and each was muffled from top to toe in a single loose garment with baggy legs; they walked somewhat like a company of bears. They stood on the dry ground, and one of them proceeded to take off the loose garment with which he was muffled, while the others assisted him with evident deference.
First came off a close hood which covered his head, cheeks, and neck. As the watchers by the wall saw hishead, they held their breath in terror, and Aunt Amanda clutched Freddie's arm. Around the head was a tight-fitting kerchief, knotted behind; in his ears were great round ear-rings; and gripped between his teeth was a long pointed knife.
Aunt Amanda gave a sign as if she was about to scream, but Toby quickly put his hand over her mouth.
As the man with the ear-rings got himself out of the legs of his loose garment, the party by the wall saw that he was a short and burly man, of a ferocious aspect. In a sash which he wore was stuck on one side a cutlass, and on the other a long pistol. He wore no coat, and his shirt was open at the throat. His arms showed from the elbows down, and they were thick with muscles. His trousers were knee breeches, buckled just below the knee, and he was very bow-legged; his calves were big and knotted.
When his outer covering had been removed, it was plain that he was perfectly dry from head to foot, except for water on his face and hands; and while the others were taking off their coverings, he withdrew with one hand the knife from between his teeth, and with the other hand wiped the water from his eyes and face. He then stuck the knife in his sash, waved his hands somewhat daintily in the air as if to dry them, took from his breeches pocket a large white handkerchief, completed with this handkerchief the drying of his face and hands, examined his finger-nails carefully, blew on them, and proceeded to polish them delicately with his pocket-handkerchief, at the same time swearing two dreadful oaths, in a low tone of voice, at the six men who were struggling with their coverings. When these had been removed, the six appeared in much the same style of dress as the first, and each bore a cutlass and a pistol; but their clothing was much ruder than his, and they had no ear-rings; instead of sashes they wore leather belts.
"Kerchoo!" rang out a sneeze as sharp as a pistol-shot, from the party by the wall.
"Dear me," said the Sly Old Codger, out loud, "I do believe I'm catching cold."
At the sudden discharge of the sneeze, the seven men jumped as if they had in fact been shot. Each one snatched out his cutlass with his right hand and his pistol with his left, and faced in the direction of the sneeze.
"Confound your cold," whispered Toby fiercely to the Sly Old Codger, "now we're done for."
The seven men with their cutlasses and pistols, with the ear-ringed man in the lead, tiptoed stealthily in the direction of the sneeze.
As they came closer to the party who were crouched against the wall, Aunt Amanda slipped down quietly to the ground at Toby's feet. The captain of the expedition had fainted.
The man with the ear-rings muttered something in a fierce undertone to his six followers. They spread out behind him in a wide line. With a stealthy step they came forward noiselessly. The party by the wall held their breath in terror. Nearer and nearer came the seven men, still in perfect silence. They reached the cowering company by the wall, leveled their pistols at their breasts, held up their cutlasses ready to strike, and looked at their leader for the command to kill.
At this moment the man with the ear-rings observed the form of Aunt Amanda on the ground. He stooped down and examined her, and stood up again. Then he eyed the company of travellers with a hard cold eye, and spoke deliberately and in a low voice. His manner of speech was somewhat stilted and precise, and scarcely what might have been expected of a pirate.
"The ceremony," said he, "will be deferred for the moment. I commend you meanwhile to perfect quietness; one movement, and the consequences may be fatal. A hint is sufficient. I perceive here a lady in distress. 'Tis a monstrous pity, indeed. I regret that we were unaware of the presence of a lady; had we known, we should certainly have taken our measures more fittingly. I crave your pardon. No one has yet accused Captain Lingo of rudeness to a lady. Ketch, put up thy cutlass and go straightway to the pool and wet this pocket-handkerchief. Be brisk, thou muddle-pated son of a sea-cook! Haste!"
The man called Ketch jumped as though he had been stung, and took from Captain Lingo's hand a fine white cambric handkerchief which the captain had produced from his breeches pocket, and running to the water moistened it and returned in great haste.
While this was going on, the poor captives were able to examine their chief captor more carefully. They remarked with surprise the fine quality of the handkerchief which he had handed to his man, and they were even more surprised to note the whiteness and fineness of the linen of his shirt. His breeches were of blue velvet, and his sash and the kerchief which bound his head were of crimson silk. On the fingers of each hand he wore three or four diamond rings, which sparkled brilliantly in the half-darkness. His stockings were plainly of silk, and the buckles at his knees and on his shoes were of polished silver, outlined in diamonds. His face was hard and cruel, but its unpleasantness may have been due to a long scar which crossed his mouth from his right cheek to his chin. When he smiled, as he did in referring to the lady in distress, the scar gave to his face a singularly evil expression.
Taking the wet handkerchief from Ketch's hand, he knelt beside Aunt Amanda and bathed her face and wrists, slapping her cheeks and temples smartly now and then with the handkerchief, and changing her position so that her head lay lower than her body. After he had worked over her with much care for a few moments, Aunt Amanda opened her eyes. She was staring at the frightful crooked smile of a strange man with rings in his ears and a kerchief on his head. She started up, bewildered.
"Where's Toby? Where am I? Who are you?"
"Captain Lingo, ma'am," said the strange man, "at your service."
"Let me up," said Aunt Amanda. She struggled to her feet, rejecting the assistance offered by the ear-ring'dman, and stood facing him, her bedraggled bonnet very much over her right ear. "Who are you?" she said again.
"Your humble servant, ma'am," said the strange man, smiling his crooked smile. "Captain Lingo, by name. A gentleman adventurer of the high seas. Owner of the treasure which you have discovered here in our little retreat. Known here on the Spanish Main as the Scourge of Ships, and loyal servant of his blessed Majesty King James, whom the saints defend. Your obedient humble servant to command." He made the lady a very courtly bow.
Toby whispered into Freddie's ear. "He can't be so terrible bad, not with all that polite way of talking. Don't be afraid. We'll be all right with this pirate. Who on earth is King James?"
Aunt Amanda was also much relieved by the pirate's polite address.
"As long as you are my obedient servant," said she, "I'll thank you to help us to get out of here as soon as possible. We didn't want to come in the first place, and we are in a hurry to get out."
Captain Lingo laughed heartily. "They are in a hurry to get out, lads," he said to his companions; and at this they all laughed uproariously.
"I don't see anything to laugh at," said Aunt Amanda. "If we don't get out of here soon, we'll catch our death of cold."
This made Captain Lingo laugh more heartily than before. "Ha! ha! ha! Their death of cold! That would be a rare fine thing, but a bit too slow, lads, eh?" And the other six laughed again, so that the walls of the chamber echoed with their mirth.
"What do you mean by too slow?" said Aunt Amanda.
"Madam," said Captain Lingo, "we are a littlepressed for time. We really could not wait for you to die of colds."
"What?" said Aunt Amanda faintly, her feeling of confidence beginning to ooze away. "Do you mean to say——?"
"Madam," said the pirate, seriously, "I will put it to you plainly. Our treasure, which you have discovered, has taken a great deal of hard work to accumulate. We really couldn't bear to lose it. The people of this island, and a great many other people besides, have been trying for many years to find it. You have not only found it, but you have even gone so far as to open certain of our bags, in spite of the warning posted above your heads. Now picture to yourselves, dear madam and gentlemen, what consequences would certainly ensue if you were to leave—here—ahem!—alive."
"Oh!" gasped Aunt Amanda. "Leave—here—alive!"
"All the fruits of our industry would be lost, and our own safety would be imperilled. You will readily see that, of course. 'Tis a pity so many will have to die at once, for it will mess up the place very badly, and I always endeavor to be neat. But why,whydid so many of you come at once? Couldn't you have come, say two at a time? It would have made so much less trouble."
"Ho!" said Mr. Punch. "Hif we 'ad only stopped at 'ome, hall of us!"
"However, I do not wish you to feel too keenly the trouble you are putting us to; my brave lads will cheerfully put up with the inconvenience, though I must confess the amount of blood will be quite unusual, and so many bodies will be troublesome to bury. I wish it were possible to have you walk the plank. However, pray do not bother too much on our account."
"We weren't thinking about you at all," said Toby. "We were thinking about ourselves."
"Oh," said Captain Lingo, in a tone of disappointment. "I beg your pardon; I misunderstood. At any rate, we will now prepare for our little ceremony. If there are any trifling articles of jewelry and the like, I will be pleased to——"
"But this boy!" cried Toby. "And this lady! You don't mean to—you can't mean——"
"Not for worlds," said Captain Lingo, "would I be rude to a lady. I trust you will find my conduct towards the lady beyond reproach. There shall be no rudeness of any kind. Merely a quick stroke, and all will be over. No violence, no roughness of any kind; not a word to offend the most sensitive ears. A single stroke, and the affair is done. And let me tell you, I have here with me a Practitioner who is very expert in this sort of business: our friend Ketch, in fact, who was so kind as to wet the handkerchief for the lady. I assure you that you are in great luck to fall into the hands of such a Practitioner; he will make it as pleasant for you as possible; one stroke only, I promise you. With one stroke of a cutlass, he is able to slice off a head as neatly as you could do it with a broadaxe; there are very few who can do it with a cutlass, let me tell you that. Many men have become famous by being operated on by Ketch. I remember a case—However," he said, looking about him as if considering something, and speaking rather to himself than to the others, "it would be difficult to bury the bodies here, and the light is not very good. I think, yes, I think it had better be done outside. You are already wet, and I trust that another immersion will not inconvenience you too much. Lads," he said to his six men, "put on the rubber suits, and help our friends under the fall. Look alive, now."
The six men immediately ran to their rubber suitsand began to put them on. While they were doing this, Toby put one arm about Freddie and the other about Aunt Amanda. She lowered her head to his shoulder for a moment, but she soon raised it, and standing very erect she said, "Very well, if it must be, it must. It's easy to see that this bloodthirsty villain means every word he says; but I ain't going to whimper; I'm the captain, and I order that everybody keep up his courage, and wait and see what will happen."
"Ay, ay, ma'am," said the Churchwarden.
"Do you know," whispered the Old Codger with the Wooden Leg, "I believe that we are in a good deal of—er—danger."
Freddie put his hand in Toby's, and held it tight. "You keep close to me if you can," said Toby, squeezing his hand. "We may be rescued at the last minute; you never can tell. Don't lose your nerve."
Freddie was trembling with fear, and the hand which held Toby's was as cold as ice; but he said nothing; the others were being brave, and he resolved that he would be as brave as the rest, up to the very last. He began to think of his mother and his father, and to wonder what would become of them if he should be—but he forced himself not to think of that; he pressed his lips tight together, and commanded himself to be brave.
The six pirates returned, clad in their baggy rubber suits, and looking very much like bears walking on their hind legs. They brought with them Captain Lingo's suit, and helped him to get into it. When he was encased like the others, with only his hands and face showing, he said:
"Now, madam, I will assist you to the fall."
"We'll attend to that," put in Toby, quickly. "Come on, Mr. Punch."
Aunt Amanda's cane having been lost, she found more difficulty in walking than formerly, but Toby andMr. Punch supported her to such good effect that she kept up with the others very well on their march into the water towards the fall. All, except the pirates, shivered as the cold water came again around their knees, and they looked with fear upon the tumbling cataract which they were required to go under. There was no help for it, however; the seven pirates surrounded them and persuaded them to go on. They stood in a forlorn group in the quiet water near the foot of the fall.
"Now, madam," said Captain Lingo, "I will help you under."
Toby and Mr. Punch, feeling that the pirate knew the way better than they did, resigned Aunt Amanda to his care, not without some fear that the villain might deliberately drown her on the way through. He made her kneel in the water, and then lie flat; and with a strong arm he pulled her under the water-fall and out of sight.
"You're next," said a deep voice to Freddie, and Ketch the Practitioner seized him and plunged with him under the water; and in an instant they had disappeared beyond the fall.
One after another the miserable, shivering victims were assisted by the pirates under the water, and one by one disappeared. The Old Codger with the Wooden Leg was the last, and one of the pirates returned for him. When he had followed the others, the great half-dark chamber remained as it had been before, in its empty solitude and gloom, without an ear to hear the steady rush of water pouring incessantly down its fall.
On the outer side of that rushing fall was a scene very different indeed. The pirates and their captives stood under a blazing sun, looking across a wide and beautiful landscape. Behind them, in the side of a high hill overgrown with bushes, was the hole by which theyhad come forth, and across the inside of this hole was the curtain of falling water. Freddie wondered how anyone had ever had the courage to plunge for the first time through that curtain into the unknown dark. The heat of the sun was very grateful, and the clothing of the soaked travellers began to dry perceptibly at once. The pirates took off their rubber suits.
Beneath the observers the ground sloped down into a broad valley, chequered with grass meadows and dotted with trees. To their left, as they gazed out across the landscape, the ground rose from the valley by easy stages to a great height, no doubt forming the landward side of the black cliff which bordered the ocean.
To the right, the country rolled gently away from the valley in a vast unbroken forest, a shimmering green ocean of tree-tops as far as the eye could see. Far, far off where the forest rose in a kind of mound, Freddie thought he could see what looked like the top of a round tower, just emerging above the haze of trees.
The pirates and their captives were standing on a little grassy plateau, on which were great boulders here and there, and a few wide leafy trees. Two or three fallen logs were lying near the edge of the plateau, where it began to slope downward.
Captain Lingo stepped out of his rubber suit, spread out his fine white handkerchief on a boulder to dry, and twiddled his moist fingers daintily in the air, after which he blew on his finger-nails and polished them on his shirt-sleeves.
"We are now ready," said he, "for the ceremony. Ketch, thy cutlass."
Ketch drew his cutlass from his belt and handed it to the captain. It glittered wickedly in the sunlight. The captain ran his thumb along its edge, and nodded his head with satisfaction.
"It will do," said he. "One stroke for each will bequite sufficient. We will now proceed with the ceremony."
He restored the cutlass to the Practitioner, who raised it high and gave a swinging slash downward with it, as if to test his eye and arm. The Practitioner then rolled his right shirt-sleeve up to his shoulder; he was the largest man in the party, and his arm was the arm of a blacksmith.
"Stop!" cried Mr. Punch. "One moment! Captain Lingo! You are a Henglishman, aren't you?"
"I am an Englishman," said the Captain, swelling out his chest. "Long live King James!"
"Hi am a Henglishman also," said Mr. Punch, swelling outhischest. "You carn't murder a fellow-countryman in cold blood, now can you? Hi s'y, you couldn't do that, you know. We're both subjects of her gracious Majesty, we are. Long live Queen Victoria!"
"Who?" said Captain Lingo.
"Queen Victoria!" cried Mr. Punch. "She'd never, never forgive you hif——"
"Never heard of her," said Captain Lingo calmly. "I'm a loyal subject of his Catholic Majesty King James the Second,—may all the saints defend him!"
"King James the Second!" cried Mr. Punch. "Why, 'e's been dead these two 'undred year, nearly! 'E's as dead as Christopher Columbus!"
Captain Lingo started violently, and his face became dark with anger.
"Dead? King James dead? Do you mark that, lads? He calls his blessed Majesty dead! Aha! thou renegade Englishman, thou hast imagined the death of the king! A felony, by St. George! And the punishment is death! What, thou reprobate, dost thou not know 'tis a felony, punishable by death, to imagine the death of the King?"
"But 'eisdead. One carn't live two 'undred years, you know."
"You hear!" said Captain Lingo, his voice quivering with rage. "He imagines the death of the King! Any judge in the kingdom would sentence him to die for that! 'Tis the law! But enough talk. Captain Lingo is not the man to stand by and see the law defied! For that, my pretty Englishman, thou shalt die the death twice over. There shall be violence in thy case. Thou shalt wish thou hadst never been born. Thou shalt be kept for the last. Ay, ay; there shall be fine sport at his taking off, eh, lads? Enough! Proceed with the ceremony. To imagine the death of the King! Ketch, art thou ready?"
"Ay, ay, Captain," said the Practitioner.
The captain cast his angry eye over the terrified group shivering in their damp garments. "One of you must be first. Who shall be first? Let me see." Each person quailed as the pirate's eye rested on him. "One moment. We will decide it by chance."
He plucked seven sprigs of grass, and broke them into varying lengths. He then held them in his hand so that only the even ends showed. "Now choose," said he. "The longest blade shall be first."
Each drew a blade of grass, except Mr. Punch, who had already been reserved for the last. "Thou shalt be quartered alive," said the captain to him. "To dare imagine the death of the King!"
Freddie trembled as he drew his sprig of grass; but he did not draw the longest; the longest blade fell to Mr. Hanlon, and the next to Freddie. Mr. Toby was third, the Churchwarden fourth, the Sly Old Codger fifth, Aunt Amanda sixth, and the Old Codger with the Wooden Leg seventh.
"We will use that fallen log," said the captain, and led the way towards it. He was now very stern; allhis politeness had been dissipated by the offense of Mr. Punch.
"Toby," said Aunt Amanda, as they were moving towards the place of the ceremony, "I hope you will excuse me for all the cross words I have ever spoken to you."
"Oh, nonsense, Aunt Amanda," said Toby, sniffling a little, "I've been a trial enough, I know it. What will become of the shop?"
"Poor Freddie!" said Aunt Amanda. "It just breaks my heart to see him so brave. He's so young to have to—to—And his poor mother! Oh dear, oh dear!"
"Now then," said Captain Lingo, "you may sit down on the grass until your turns come."
Toby helped Aunt Amanda to sit down. Freddie sat beside her and pressed his white face against her shoulder. The others grouped themselves on the grass about them; all except Mr. Hanlon, who, knowing that his time had come, stepped forward and stood before Ketch the Practitioner, who was feeling the edge of his cutlass.
One of the pirates produced from his pocket some strong twine, and bound Mr. Hanlon's arms behind him. On a sign from Captain Lingo, this man led Mr. Hanlon to the fallen log, and made him kneel beside it and rest his head face down upon it, so that there was a good view from above of the back of his neck.
The dreadful moment had arrived.
Ketch the Practitioner took his place by Mr. Hanlon's side, planted his feet firmly, wide apart, tucked in his right shirt-sleeve at the shoulder, and raised his gleaming cutlass high above his head.
A scream from Aunt Amanda made him hesitate for an instant, but only for an instant; as Aunt Amanda and Freddie closed their eyes and buried their faces intheir hands, the cutlass flashed twice around the head of Ketch and came down with a swift and horrible slash straight upon the back of Mr. Hanlon's neck.
A single stroke was enough; Mr. Hanlon's head rolled off upon the ground.
"Well done, Ketch," said Captain Lingo, quietly. "I doubt if there's another hand on the Spanish Main could have done it."
Ketch blushed with honest pride at these gracious words. He swung his bloody cutlass in embarrassment. All the pirates turned towards the pale group on the grass, and Captain Lingo said, "Next!"
Freddie stood up. His knees began to tremble under him, and his heart was beating so fast that he could hardly breathe. Aunt Amanda flung her arms about him as he stood beside her, and cried "No, no, no!" in a voice of anguish.
All eyes were on the Little Boy, as he stood awaiting his dreadful fate, with Aunt Amanda's arms about him. His time had come. His friends were waiting to see if he would be brave, and though his face was white his courage did not fail him. He looked at them in farewell, and each one gave him a tearful gaze in return.
He turned his eyes towards the warm and friendly landscape, for a last look at the world he was about to leave. It would be hard to go, and he would need all his strength to bear the—A loud cry from Freddie startled all the others. "Look!" he cried, and pointed a shaking finger.
They looked, and what they saw was Mr. Hanlon.
By the log on which his head had been cut off, Mr. Hanlon was standing, his hands behind his back, and his head in its proper place on his shoulders. He was smiling and bowing, and as the astonished spectators gazed at him with their mouths open, he sprang lightly into the air and clicked his heels together as he came down.