The Black Buccaneer

  CHAPTER XVIII

  Jeremy realized that his life would be in danger if Daggs saw him comingon deck after what had just happened. He lay still, therefore, in spiteof his desire to tell Bob what he had seen. The rest of the afternoonhis imagination painted pictures of ironbound chests half-buried in theyellow beach sand of some lonely island far down in the tropics; gloomycaves beneath mysteriously waving palm trees--caves whose black depthsshot forth a ruddy gleam of gold coin, when a chance ray of light camethrough the shade; of shattered hulks that lay ten fathoms down in theclear green water of some still lagoon, where pure white coral beds gaveback the sleeping sunshine, and fishes of all bright colors he had everseen or dreamed about swam through the ancient ports to staregoggle-eyed at heaps of glistening gems.

  At last he must have slept, for Bob's voice in his ear brought him backto the dingy fo'c's'le of the _Royal James_ with a start. The lanternwas lit and most of the port watch were snoring heavily in their bunksafter a hard day's work. Bob took off his shoes and trousers and climbedinto the narrow berth beside his friend, who was now wide awake."Listen, Bob," whispered the New England boy as soon as they weresettled, "do you remember the things Daggs has said, off and on, aboutold Sol Brig--how there was always a lot of gold that the men before themast never saw and how he must have saved it till he was the richest ofall the pirates? Well, who would know what became of that money, ifanybody did? Daggs, of course, the only man that's left of Brig's crew!I think Daggs knows, and what's more, I believe I saw the very chartthat shows where it is." He went on to tell all he had seen thatafternoon. Bob was as excited as he when he had finished. "We must tryto get hold of that map or else get a sight of it!" he exclaimed. Jeremywas doubtful of the possibility of this. "You see," he said, "the key ison a string 'round his neck. The only way would be to break the chestopen. It's big and heavy and we should raise the whole ship with theracket. Then, besides, I don't like to steal the thing, even though heis a pirate." Bob also felt that it would hardly be honest to break intoa man's box, no matter what his character might be. "If we should justhappen to see the chart, though," he finally explained, "why, we havejust as much right to hunt for the treasure as he has, or any one else."Jeremy agreed to this solution of a knotty problem of honor and bothboys decided that for the present they had no course in the matter butto wait for some accident to put the paper in their way. However, not tolet any opportunities slip, they resolved to watch Pharaoh Daggsconstantly while he was awake, in the hope of getting a second glimpseof the treasured document.

  Jeremy had regained both strength and spirits when he tumbled out nextmorning. The pall of uneasiness which had hung over the ship all the daybefore had lifted and the men, sobered once more, went about theirbusiness as usual. The boys set themselves to the task of watching withmuch zeal. It was not so difficult as might be expected. They had alwaysbeen aware of the presence of the man with the broken nose whenever hewas on deck. His sinister eye was too unpleasant to meet without ashiver. Likewise they felt an instinctive relief when he went out ofsight. For this reason it was no great matter for either lad thathappened to be present to note the fact of the pirate's going below.Whenever he left the deck for anything he was shadowed by Bob or Jeremyas the case might be. For nearly three days the mysterious chestremained untouched. Of that the boys were sure.

  The threatened storm that had roughened the sea on the day when CaptainManewaring met his sudden end seemed to have spent itself in racingclouds and gusts of wind. Fair weather followed and for forty-eighthours the _James_ and her prize stood off the coast, heading up to thenortheastward with the wind on the port quarter.

  Bonnet had remained below, haggard and brooding, suffering from one ofthe spells of reaction that commonly followed his misdeeds. By night ofthe second day he cast off his gloom and came on deck, the old recklesslight in his eye.

  "Here, Herriot," he called, as he appeared, "we've got a rich prize inour fist and a richer one coming. Let's be gay dogs all tonight. Givethe hands extra grog and I'll see you in the cabin over a square bottlewhen the watch is changed."

  Before the mast the news was hailed with delighted cheering. A keg ofrum was rolled out of the hold and set on the fo'c's'le table. Hardlyhad darkness settled before half the men aboard were drunk and thecannikins came back to the spigot in an unending procession. There wastoo much liquor available for the usual choruses to be sung. Most of thepirates swilled it like pigs and stopped for nothing till they couldmove no longer, but lay helpless where they happened to fall. Only abare three men stayed sober enough to sail the ship. Jeremy thanked hisstars for fair weather when he thought of the case they might have beenin had the orgy occurred in a night of storm.

  Next day a few of the crew woke at breakfast time. The rest snored outtheir drunken sleep below. Daggs came on deck as usual, to the outwardeye quite his careless, ugly self. His two young enemies watched himclosely, for they suspected that the drink he had taken had helped toJeremy's previous discovery. As the hours went by, one after another ofthe buccaneers woke and dragged himself on deck to growl the discomfortout of him. By mid-afternoon Jeremy, going below, found all the bunksempty. He slipped behind a chest far up in the dark bow angle and waitedfor a signal from Bob. The boys had seen the man with the broken nosewatching the decks uneasily for hours and suspected that he meant to gobelow as soon as the fo'c's'le was empty.

  Jeremy must have been in his hiding place close to half an hour beforehe heard Bob's sharply whistled tune close outside in the gun deck. Heducked lower behind his box and presently heard steps descending theladder. A guarded observation taken from a dark corner close to thefloor disclosed the slouching form of Daggs standing by the table.

  The buccaneer took a long time for his cautious survey of the fo'c's'le.Standing perfectly still he turned his body from the hips and gave theplace a silent scrutiny before he set to work. He proceeded just as hehad done before and quickly had the chest open and its contents spreadupon the planking. He had just unrolled the chart when a shout from thehatch made him leap to his feet. "Sail ho!" was being passed from mouthto mouth above, and already there were men on the ladder. In a fever ofhaste, Daggs half-pushed, half-threw the chest under his bunk and shovedthe loose clothes and small arms after it. The paper he still held inhis hand. After a second of indecision, while he looked over hisshoulder at the descending crowd of seamen, he thrust it in on top ofthe box and stood erect, flushed and swaying. The hands were preoccupiedand none seemed to notice his act. There was a general scurrying ofsailors to get out their cutlasses and pistols, and in the confusionJeremy found an easy opportunity to crawl out of the hiding place andbusy himself like the rest.

  Going on deck a minute later, he found Bob and whispered a brief accountof what he had seen. For the present there was much to be done on deck.They ran hither and thither at Herriot's commands, giving a hand at arope or fetching something mislaid in the cabin. The _James_ was underall her canvas and in hot pursuit of a large sloop, visible some threemiles to leeward. The fleeing ship was driving straight to sea beforethe strong west breeze, her sails spread on both sides like the broad,stubby wings of a white owl. Bonnet had his jury spar swung tostarboard from the foremast foot and bent the big jib to balance hismain and foresail. Bowing her head deep into every trough as the wavesswept by, the black sloop ran after her prey at dizzy speed. The crewgathered along the wet bows, silent, intent on the game in hand. Theywere drawing up perceptibly from moment to moment. At last they werewithin half a mile--five hundred yards--close astern. Aboard the enemythey could see a small knot of men huddled aft, working desperately atthe breach of a swivel-cannon. Bonnet ordered Herriot to stand off tostarboard for a broadside. But as the _James_ swerved outward, a flareof fire and a loud report went up from her opponent's after part. For amoment it seemed that her cannon had been discharged at the pirate, butas they waited for the splash of the shot, a thick smoke grew in a cloudover the enemy's deck. The gun or a keg of powder had exploded. As soonas the buccaneers perceived
it, they bellowed hoarse hurrahs andprepared to board. The gunners swarmed up from the port gun deck at theorder and all lined up along the rail howling defiance at themerchantman. Jeremy saw that all were on deck and touched Bob's arm.

  They made their way quietly below, and the New Englander went to Daggs'berth. From beneath it protruded the corner of the piece of paper. Bothboys knelt eagerly over it as Jeremy pulled it into the light.

  It was, as they had expected, a chart. The drawing was crudely done inink, applied it seemed with a stick, or possibly with a very badlyfashioned quill-pen. There was very little writing upon it, and this ofthe raggedest sort. To their intense disappointment it bore no name totell where in the seven seas it might be. That the chart was of somecoast was certain. A deep, irregular bay occupied the central part ofthe sheet. Two long promontories jutting from east and west nearlyclosed the seaward or southern end. The single word "Watter" was writtenbeside a dot high up on the paper and a little northeast of the bay. Ananchor, roughly drawn near the northern shore and a small cross betweentwo parallel lines a short distance inland, completed the informationgiven, except for a crossed arrow and letters indicating the cardinalpoints of the compass.

  It required no great time for the two lads to examine every line andmark. They looked up and faced each other disappointed. Jeremy voicedthe thought which both had. "How are we to know where the thing is?" heasked. Bob shook his head and looked glum. Then he seized the paperfeverishly and turned it over. Its soiled yellow back gave no clue. Noteven the latitude and longitude were printed. "Well," said Jeremy,finally, "one thing we can do, and that's remember exactly how itlooks." He measured the length of the bay with the middle joint of hisforefinger. "Three--four--and a bit over," he counted. "Anchorage inthat round cove to the northwest." Then, measuring again, "And the crossis two finger-joints northwest of the anchorage. What those lines eachside of it are I don't know, but I'll remember them. And that dot marked"Watter" is one and a half northeast of the mitten-shaped cove. There--Iguess we've got it all by heart now." He had just finished speaking andboth of them were still looking intently at the map when a freshoutburst of cheers and the beginning of a sharp musketry fire were heardabove. Jeremy replaced the paper where he had found it and they hurriedup to look out of the hatchway.

  The two ships were now only half a cable's length apart, running side byside. Few shots were being returned by the merchantman and all her crewwere keeping out of sight behind the solid rail.

  "All hands to board her," Bonnet sang out and answering her tiller the_Royal James_ swung over till the two sloops' sides met with a jar. Theywere fast in an instant and a score of whooping buccaneers swept overthe rail. From a place of vantage the boys watched the short, bloodyconflict that followed. It seemed that several of the enemy's crew, fewas they were at the beginning, had been killed by the explosion of thegun. Only a half-dozen rose to meet the pirate onslaught. Not one askedfor mercy, even after Herriot had shot down the captain, and the tide ofsea-rovers rushed at and over the little handful of defenders in anoverwhelming flood. There was no need of the plank this time. Every manfell fighting and died sword in hand. To the two young prisoners,already sickened with the sight of blood, this wholesale murder of aband of gallant seamen came as a revolting climax. They stared at eachother, white-faced as they thought of the fate that threatened them andall honest men who fell into such ruthless hands. It was Bob's firstsight of a hand-to-hand sea-battle, and as the last merchant sailor wentdown under the howling pack he fainted and tumbled into Jeremy's arms.When he came to his senses again the Yankee boy had propped him upbehind the companion and was rubbing him vigorously. "I know how youfeel," he said in answer to Bob's stammered apology. "It's all right andyou've no call to be ashamed. I came near it myself." The Delaware lad,who had been almost as distressed at being guilty of swooning as at thepillage of the merchant sloop, felt a vast relief when he heard Jeremy'swords, and quickly got upon his feet once more.

  The pirates had cleared the enemy's deck of bodies and blood and nowwere taking an inventory of the sloop's cargo, if the shouts that camefrom her hold meant anything. She was a little larger than the _James_in length and beam, but had carried no armament other than the nowdamaged stern-chaser. The white letters at her stern declared her the_Fortune_ of New Castle. From what Captain Bonnet said to hissailing-master as they returned over the rail, Jeremy gathered that shehad been in light cargo and was not as rich a prize as the _Francis_.

  The latter ship had now come up and was standing off and on waiting fororders. Bonnet had lost two men killed and several hurt in the fight, sothat the crew of the _Royal James_, without the prize crew on board the_Francis_, now numbered scarce a dozen able-bodied men. The question ofmanning the newly captured sloop was finally settled by transferring toher George Dunkin and his seven seamen. Bonnet freed the men of the_Francis_ who had been in chains, and set them to work their own shipunder command of Herriot and another pirate. He undertook to sail the_James_ himself, for by this time he was really an able skipper, despitethe fact that he had taken to the sea so late in life. As the crew ofthe _Francis_ lined up before going aboard, the notorious buccaneerfaced them with a cold glitter in his eyes. For a while he kept themwriggling under his piercing scrutiny. Then he spoke, his voice even anddangerous.

  "You will be under Mr. Herriot's orders. I think you are wise enough notto try to mutiny with him. But if you should undertake it, remember thatno sooner does your sloop draw away to over one mile's distance than Iwill come after you and blow you out of water without parley. There arejust enough sails left aboard your ship to keep headway in a lightbreeze. Over with you now!"

  As darkness deepened the three sloops set out westward under shortenedcanvas, keeping so close that the steersmen hailed each otherfrequently through the night. Bob and Jeremy went to their bunks gloomyand subdued. But Jeremy's sorrows were lightened by the feeling thatsometime, somewhere, he would find a use for the chart, the outline ofwhich he had firmly fixed in his memory that afternoon. And wonderinghow, he fell asleep.