The Treasure of Pearls: A Romance of Adventures in California
CHAPTER XII.
THE ROUT COMPLETE.
At this declaration of the modern "_Ego civis Romanus_," captainMatasiete rather stepped behind the woman than otherwise, as a warywarrior chooses a cotton bale for breastwork when bullets are likely tofly.
"Tut, tut, tut! What is all this farrago to me? In plain words, I comefor my daughter whom you took off shore and have on this, I am afraid,piratical craft. I summon you to restore my child straightway, or I'llgive you a tough bird to pick!"
Gladsden impudently looked from her to the salteador and then backagain, as if he were in doubt which was "the old bird" she offered forplucking.
"And you will have me to deal with my fresh hand at ship ruling,Senor," cried don Anibal at last, having edged over, to the gangway,and seeing the skiff drawn near enough for the soldiers, eager for thefray under the taunts of the seamen, to haply clamber on board to hisaid.
The boatmen, whom he knew something of, and who might have numberedmore than one of the former crew of the _Little Joker_, could be reliedon to back up the musketeers, he believed.
"My young Captain, if you play the resistant, hang me if I shall notbring you to reason and decorate a shark's tooth with fragments of yourhide! Even yet, you do not know of what I am capable! _Rayo de Dios_.Mind yourself! Patience is not one of my virtues!"
The consul intimated to Gladsden that there was no necessity of anoutbreak of temper, as, while the brigantine's crew could lay out thesoldiers comfortably in a twinkling, his own boat's crew could eat upthe skiff's propelling force without salt.
"Will you answer me, sir," resumed the stout lady.
"Senorita," Gladsden responded, with all the self-possession possible,"I do not know what you are driving at. I have nothing to do withyour bucket of tar--I mean your family affairs, and I do not want todip into it. If your kinswoman has left your agreeable society, Idaresay she had her grounds of action. It is no lookout of mine, andI shall keep my fingers clear of it, I tell you. Whether you go aroundrummaging for her or not, I shall pay no heed, so long as you do notflounce about my ship, hardly of your burthen for such carasolling,telling me your troubles. As for this gentleman," he went on, spinninground so fiercely on Master Matasiete, with the new log line ofnominatives, "I warn him charitably that if he does not stick his longcabbage cutter between his legs and scuttle off _instanter_, I willhurl him, his names and titles, his long nose and long moustache, cleanover the side to regale the harbour scavenger. This little programmebeing clearly laid down, I rather think you twain had better drop backinto your boat."
He thereupon turned his back on my lady as if to give his men theorder. She retreated a step, but, turning as red in the gills as aturkey-cock, blurted out--
"Stay, stay, master Captain. You shall not slide out of it thus. I havean order of the secretary of the colonel governor to take my dear childback from any place whatever."
"Suppose you are good enough to let me inspect this warrant, madam?"said Mr. Lyons, quietly.
"I have no objections. _You_ are not a boor. Your residence here hascivilised _you_. Is it not perfectly in order?"
"Beautifully inscribed, madam," replied the pro-consul; "only that writdoes not run here!"
"Why not, pray?" she exclaimed, haughtily, bridling up at the impliedslight to Mexico.
"Simply because the Port Governor himself has no right to issue searchwarrants for foreign vessels, even though the application is backedup by so noted a banker as don Stefano Garcia. In the first place,your complaint ought to have been laid before me--from the momentan Englishman is accused. I would have then opened an inquiry, andif it appeared proper that the British shipping in port should beexamined I would have so advised Colonel Fontoro, and my chancellorwould have been charged to accompany you in the investigation. Ido not say that, on account of the somewhat slow movements of thatpeculiar creature, the 'red tape worm,'" he added, smiling softly, "allthese indispensable regulations would not have tried your ladyship'spatience, but, I believe, our office is credited with more celeritythan your own government houses. At all events, as the forms have beenignored, this order has no value. I also think you had better retire,for this captain, as he notified you very kindly, has the right totumble you neck and crop over the board, and what little I know of himmakes it certain that he will not hesitate to carry out his warning ifeither of you continue obstinately to stay here contrary to his will!"
It is impossible to depict the rage which swayed the stout woman asshe heard this speech, in a firm voice and peremptory tone. She flewout against the speaker, the captain and all the grinning crew, to theChinese cook and cabin boy themselves, with all the strongest insultsand threats in her resonant Castilian tongue, to which had been addedthe native additions not found in dictionaries of the Spanish Academy,which glanced off blunted from the frigid Englishman, however.
The prudent captain of salteadores and pirates, as the case mightbe, took care not to intervene while under don Jorge Federico's eye.His own wandered after he had secured an open way to retreat, and hemanaged, unseen by the others, to exchange a glance with Ignacio, whosehead just peeped up out of the fore hatch, where he was ensconced.
"This is all very well," cried the enormous virago at last, "I dowithdraw because you are all in the plot against me, and I have nopower, poor little weak woman (_afeniquita_) that I am to enforce myrights! But I'll spend half my fortune to punish this outrage. Oh, thatthe guns of the island would blow you over the little stars if youseek to escape me. We shall meet again, you puppy; come, Don AnibalCristobal de Luna y Pizarro y Amalgro de Cortes, follow me. I havetaken a vow that you shall be my son-in-law; and you shall wear thattitle though it cost me my own name."
"You are not likely to lose yours by marriage," observed Mr. Gladsden,accompanying her to the side opening. "At least, I'll back that opinionroundly."
"Vulgar buffoon!" she exclaimed, shrugging her shoulders till herjewels jingled like a head mule's bells. "Come, dear Don Anibal; let usleave this Indian canoe. I repeat that you shall be the husband of mydaughter."
The Mexican had stepped into the boat, spite of the rule to giveplace to the dame, and omitted to offer his hand, as a fresh arrivalshocked his sight. It was Benito Vazquez Bustamente, coming off withhis baggage in a shore boat, managed by a couple of Indians, one youngenough to be the grandchild of the other. Both had those bloodshot eyeswhich are the living tokens of a life as a pearl diver.
"You may bestow _your_ daughter on whom you like," interposed the youngMexican, at one spring impatiently clearing the shallop and the duckingheads of the startled soldiers, and alighting between the robbercaptain and that of the _Burlonilla_, who seemed about to step intothe flat boat and cuff the Mexican even there. "But dona Dolores isonly your niece, and you lie after the most shameful pattern when youpretend to the honour of being her mother."
This unexpected address so dumbfounded the huge senora, that she almostfell back upon the soldier, and would have done so only that the prickof a bayonet, "peaking up," broke into her absence of mind, due to theconsternation.
Amid a roar of laughter as she floundered upon the nearly crushedsoldier, trying to right her upon her feet, the shallop was pushed off,and the Indians of Benito aiding the movement and from it glancing tothe brigantine's side, their little boat took its place, and began todischarge the baggage which the pearl diver had collected to make hiswife's voyage more comfortable.
A little while after the deputy-consul, thanked warmly by all partiesconcerned, entered his longboat, and was rapidly transported to land,even before the infuriated don Anibal and the lady whom he had sofeebly cavaliered arrived at the pier side. It seemed to him, as heglanced amusedly into it, that a strange face had been added to thecrew, but his attention was immediately diverted by smoke beyondthe breakwater, denoting the coming of a steamer, and he forbore toincrease the humiliation of the two Mexicans by dwelling on them.
Not a quarter of an hour afterwards, as the steamer was signalled,and showing her private em
blem, was telegraphed to don Stefano Garciaas the _Casta Susana_, of Acapulco, direct from the Sandwich Islands,consigned to him, the goleta left the port, speeding under all sail,right through the steamer's trailing smoke.
For one second this vapour eclipsed the _Burlonilla_, which seeing,Matasiete standing on the pier head beside the baffled senora MariaJosefa, remarked:
"There is nothing under canvas that can take that craft; but I willhave a try at it with steam. Will you come?"
"Anywhere!" cried the vindictive sister of don Jose de Miranda,"Anywhere, if revenge only flourishes there."
"I think," muttered Ignacio to himself behind this worthy pair, "thatdon Jorge Federico had far better have left me first officer of theBurlonilla. At the same rank on board of the _Casta Susana_, methinks Ishall handle my brother's pearls before he does."