CHAPTER TWENTY.
MYSTERIOUS CONSULTATIONS AND PLANS--GASCOYNE ASTONISHES HIS FRIENDS, ANDMAKES AN UNEXPECTED CONFESSION.
"A pretty morning's work I have made of it, mother," said Henry, as heflung himself into a chair in the cottage parlour, on his return fromthe weary and fruitless chase which has just been recorded.
The widow was pale and haggard, but she could not help smiling as sheobserved the look of extreme disappointment which rested on thecountenance of her son.
"True, Henry," she replied, busying herself in preparing breakfast, "youhave not been very successful, but you made a noble effort."
"Pshaw! a noble effort, indeed! Why, the man has foiled me in the twothings in which I prided myself most--wrestling and running. I neversaw such a greyhound in my life."
"He is a giant, my boy; few men could hope to overcome him."
"True, as regards wrestling, mother; I am not much ashamed of havingbeen beaten by him at that; but running--that's the sore point. Such aweight he is, and yet he took the north gully like a wild cat, and youknow, mother, there are only two of us in Sandy Cove who can go overthat gully. Ay, and he went a full yard farther than ever I did. Imeasured the leap as I came down. Really it is too bad to have beenbeaten so completely by a man who must be nearly double my age. But,after all, the worst of the whole affair is, that a pirate has escapedme after I actually had him in my arms! the villain!"
"You do not _know_ that he is a villain," said the widow in a subduedtone.
"You are right, mother," said Henry, looking up from the plate of bacon,to which he had been devoting himself with much assiduity, and gazingearnestly into his mother's face; "you are right, and, do you know, Ifeel inclined to give the fellow the benefit of the doubt, for to tellyou the truth I have a sort of liking for him. If it had not been forthe way in which he has treated you, and the suspicious character thathe bears, I do believe I should have made a friend of him."
A look of evident pleasure crossed the widow's face while her son spoke,but as that son's eyes were once more riveted on the bacon, which hismorning exercise rendered peculiarly attractive, he did not observe it.
Just then the door opened, and Mr Mason entered. His face wore adreadfully anxious expression.
"Ha! I'm glad to see you, Henry," said he; "of course you have notcaught your man. I have been waiting anxiously for you to consult aboutour future proceedings. It is quite evident that the pirate schoonercannot be far off. Gascoyne must either have swam ashore, or beenlanded in a boat. In either case the schooner must have been within thereef at the time, and there has been little wind since the squall blewitself out yesterday."
"Quite enough, how ever, to blow such a light craft pretty far out tosea in a few hours," said Henry, shaking his head.
"No matter," replied Mr Mason, with a sigh, "_something_ must be doneat any rate, I have borrowed the carpenter's small cutter, which isbeing now put in order for a voyage. Provisions and water for a fewdays are already on board, and I have come to ask you to take command ofher, as you know something of navigation. I will go, of course, butwill not take any management of the little craft, as I know nothingabout the working of vessels."
"And where do you mean to go?" asked Henry.
"That remains to be seen. I have some ideas running in my head, ofcourse, but before letting you know them I wish to hear what you wouldadvise."
"I would advise, in the first place, that you should provide one or twothorough sailors to manage the craft. By the way, that reminds me ofBumpus. What of him? Where is he? In the midst of all this bustle Ihave not had time for much thought, and it has only just occurred to methat if this schooner is really a pirate, and if Gascoyne turns out tobe Durward, it follows that Bumpus is a pirate too, and ought to bedealt with accordingly."
"I have thought of that," said Mr Mason, with a perplexed look, "andintended to speak to you on the subject, but events have crowded so fastupon each other of late that it has been driven out of my mind. Nodoubt, if the _Foam_ and the _Avenger_ are one and the same vessel, asseems too evident to leave much room for doubt, then Bumpus is a pirate,for he does not deny that he was one of the crew. But he acts strangelyfor a pirate. He seems as much at his ease amongst us as if he were themost innocent of men. Moreover, his looks seem to stamp him athoroughly honest fellow. But, alas! one cannot depend on looks."
"But where is the man?" asked Henry.
"He is asleep in the small closet off the kitchen," said Mrs Stuart,"where he has been lying ever since you returned from the heathenvillage. Poor fellow, he sleeps heavily, and looks as if he had beenhurt during all this fighting."
"Hurt! say you?" exclaimed Henry, laughing; "it is a miracle that he isnow alive after the flight he took over the north cliff into the sea."
"Flight! over the north cliff!" echoed Mrs Stuart in surprise.
"Ay, and a fearful plunge he had." Here Henry detailed poor Jo'smisadventure. "And now," said he, when he had finished, "I must lockhis door and keep him in. The settlers have forgotten him in all thisturmoil; but depend upon it if they see him they will string him up fora pirate to the first handy branch of a tree without giving him thebenefit of a trial; and that would not be desirable."
"Yet you would have shot Gascoyne on mere suspicion without a thought oftrial or justice," said Mrs Stuart.
"True, mother, but that was when I was seizing him, and in hot blood,"said Henry, in a subdued voice. "I was hasty there, no doubt. Luckyfor us both that the pistol missed fire."
The widow looked as if she were about to reply, but checked herself.
"Yes," said Mr Mason, recurring to the former subject, "as we shall beaway a few days, we must lock Bumpus up to keep him out of harm's way.Meanwhile--"
The missionary was interrupted here by the sudden opening of the door.An exclamation of surprise burst from the whole party as they sprang up,for Gascoyne strode into the room, locked the door, and taking out thekey handed it to Henry, who stood staring at him in speechlessamazement.
"You are surprised to see me appear thus suddenly," said he, "but thefact is that I came here this morning to fulfil a duty; and althoughMaster Henry there has hindered me somewhat in carrying out my goodintentions, I do not intend to allow him to frustrate me altogether."
"I do not mean to make a second attempt, Gascoyne, after what hasoccurred this morning," said Henry, seating himself doggedly on hischair. "But it would be as well that you should observe that Mr Masonis a stout man, and, as we have seen, can act vigorously when occasionoffers. Remember that we are two to one now."
"There will be no occasion for vigorous action, at least as regards me,if you will agree to forget your suspicions for a few minutes, andlisten to what I have got to say. Meanwhile, in order to shew you howthoroughly in earnest I am, and how regardless of my personal safety, Irender myself defenceless--thus."
Gascoyne pulled a brace of small pistols from their place of concealmentbeneath the breast of his shirt, and, drawing the knife that hung at hisgirdle, hurled them all through the open window into the garden. Hethen took a chair, planted it in the middle of the room, and sat down.The sadness of his deep voice did not change during the remainder ofthat interview. The bold look which usually characterised this peculiarman had given place to a grave expression of humility, which wasoccasionally varied by a troubled look.
"Before stating what I have come for," said Gascoyne, "I mean to make aconfession. You have been right in your suspicions--_I am Durward thepirate_! Nay, do not shrink from me in that way, Mary. I have keptthis secret from you long, because I feared to lose the old friendshipthat has existed between us since we were children. I have deceived youin _this thing only_. I have taken advantage of your ignorance to makeyou suppose that I was merely a smuggler, and that, in consequence ofbeing an outlaw, it was necessary for me to conceal my name and mymovements. You have kept my secret, Mary, and have tried to win me backto honest ways, but you little knew the strength of the n
et I hadwrapped around me. You did not know that I was a pirate!"
Gascoyne paused, and bent his head as if in thought. The widow sat withclasped hands, gazing at him with a look of despair on her pale face.But she did not move or speak. The three listeners sat in perfectsilence until the pirate chose to continue his confession.
"Yes, I have been a pirate," said he, "but I have not been the villainthat men have painted me." He looked steadily in the widow's face as hesaid these words deliberately.
"Do not try to palliate your conduct, Gascoyne," said Mr Mason,earnestly. "The blackness of your sin is too great to be deepened orlightened by what men may have said of you. You are a pirate. Every_pirate is a murderer_."
"I am not a murderer," said Gascoyne, slowly, in reply, but still fixinghis gaze on the widow's face, as if he addressed himself solely to her.
"You may not have committed murder with your own hand," said Mr Mason,"but the man who leads on others to commit the crime is a murderer inthe eye of God's law as well as in that of man."
"I never led on men to commit murder," said Gascoyne, in the same toneand with the same steadfast gaze. "This hand is free from the stain ofhuman blood. Do you believe me, Mary?"
The widow did not answer. She sat like one bereft of all power ofspeech or motion.
"I will explain," resumed the pirate captain, drawing a long breath, anddirecting his looks to Henry now.
"For reasons which it is not necessary that you should know, I resolvedsome years ago to become a pirate. I had been deceived--shamefullydeceived and wronged--by wealthy and powerful men. I had appealed tothe law of my country, and the law refused to right me. No, not thelaw, but those who sat on the judgment-seat to pervert the law. Itmatters not now; I was driven mad at the time, for the wrong done wasnot done so much to me as to those whom I loved. I vowed that I shouldbe avenged.
"I soon found men as mad as myself who only wanted a leader to guidethem in order to run full swing to destruction. I seized the _Foam_, ofwhich schooner I was mate, called her the _Avenger_, and became apirate. No blood was shed when I seized the schooner. Before anopportunity occurred of trying my hand at this new profession, my angerhad cooled. I _repented_ of what I had done, but I was surrounded bymen who were more bent on mischief than I was. I could not now drawback, but I modified my plan. I determined to become merely a _robber_and use the proceeds of my trade to indemnify those to whom injusticehad been done. I thought at the time that there was some justice inthis. I called myself in jest, a tax-gatherer of the sea. I orderedthe men aft one day and explained to them my views. I said that Iabhorred the name and the deeds of pirates, that I would only consent tocommand them if they agreed never to shed human blood except in fair andopen fight.
"They liked the idea. There were men among them who had never heartilyagreed to the seizing of the schooner, and who would have left her if Iwould have allowed them; these were much relieved to hear my proposal.It was fixed that we should _rob_, but not _murder_. Miserable foolthat I was! I thought it was possible to go just so far and no fartherinto sin. I did not know at that time the strength of the fearfulcurrent into which I had plunged.
"But we stuck to our principles. We never did commit murder. And asour appearance was always sufficient to cause the colours of any ship weever came across to be hauled down at once, there has been no occasionfor shedding blood, even in fair and open fight. Do you believe me,Mary?" said Gascoyne, pausing at this point.
The widow was still silent, but a slight inclination of her headsatisfied the pirate, who was about to resume, when Mr Masonsaid--"Gascoyne, do you call warfare in the cause of robbery by the nameof `fair and open fight?'"
"No, I do not. Yet there have been great generals and admirals in thisworld who have committed wholesale murder in this same cause, and whosenames stand high in the roll of fame!"
A look of scorn rested on the pirate's face as he said this, but itpassed away quickly.
"You tell me that there were some of the men in the schooner whom youkept aboard against their will?" said Mr Mason. "Did it never occur toyou, Gascoyne, that you may have been the murderer of the _souls_ ofthese men?"
The pirate made no reply for some time, and the troubled anxious lookthat had more than once crossed his face returned.
"Yes," said he at length, "I have thought of that. But it is done nowand cannot be undone. I can do no more now than give myself up tojustice. You see, I have thrown away my arms and stand heredefenceless. But I did not come here to plead for mercy. I come tomake to you all the reparation I can for the wrong I have done you.When that last act is completed, you may do with me what you please. Ideserve to die, and I care not to live."
"O Gascoyne, speak not thus," exclaimed the widow, earnestly. "Howevermuch and deeply you have sinned against man, if you have not taken lifeyou do not deserve to die. Besides, there is a way of pardon open tothe very chief of sinners."
"I know what you mean, Mary, I know what you mean; but--well, well, thisis neither the time nor place to talk of such things. Your little girl,Mr Mason, is in the hands of the pirates."
"I know that," said the missionary, wincing as if he had received a deepwound, "but she is not in _your_ power now."
"More's the pity; she would have been safer with me than with my firstmate, who is the greatest villain afloat on the high seas. He does notlike our milk-and-water style of robbing. He is an out-and-out piratein heart, and has long desired to cut my throat. I have to thank himfor being here to-night. Some of the crew who are like himself seizedme while I was asleep, bound and gagged me, put me into a boat and rowedme ashore;--for we had easily escaped the _Talisman_ in the squall, anddoubling or our course came back here. The mate was anxious to clearoff old scores by cutting my throat at once and pitching me into thesea. Luckily some of the men, not so bloodthirsty as he, objected tothis, so I was landed and cast loose."
"But what of Alice?" cried Mr Mason, anxiously. "How can we save her?"
"By taking my advice," answered Gascoyne. "You have a small cutter atanchor off the creek at the foot of the hill. Put a few trusty menaboard of her, and I will guide you to the island where the _Avenger_has been wont to fly when hard pressed."
"But how do you know that Manton will go there?" inquired Henry,eagerly.
"Because he is short of powder, and all our stores are concealed there,besides much of our ill-gotten wealth."
"And how can you expect us to put ourselves so completely in yourpower?" said Mr Mason.
"Because you _must_ do so if you would save your child. She is safenow, I know, and will be until the _Avenger_ leaves the island where ourstores are concealed. If we do not save her before that happens, _sheis lost to you for ever_!"
"That no man can say. She is in the hands of God," cried Mr Mason,fervently.
"True, true," said Gascoyne, musing. "But God does not work bymiracles. We must be up and doing at once. I promise you that I shallbe faithful, and that, after the work is done, I will give myself up tojustice."
"May we trust him, mother?" said Henry.
"You may trust him, my son," replied the widow, in a tone of decisionthat satisfied Henry, while it called forth a look of gratitude from thepirate.
The party now proceeded to arrange the details of their plan for therescue of Alice and her companions. These were speedily settled, andHenry rose to go and put them in train. He turned the key of the doorand was on the point of lifting the latch, when this was done for him bysome one on the outside. He had just time to step back when the doorflew open, and he stood face to face with Hugh Barnes the cooper.
"Have you heard the news, Henry?--hallo!"
This abrupt exclamation was caused by the sight of Gascoyne, who rosequietly the moment he heard the door open, and, turning his back towardsit, walked slowly into a small apartment that opened off the widow'sparlour, and shut the door.
"I say, Henry, who's that big fellow?" said the cooper, casting asuspicious
glance towards the little room into which he had disappeared.
"He is a _friend_ of mine," replied Mrs Stuart, rising hastily, andwelcoming her visitor.
"Humph! it's well he's a _friend_," said the man as he took a chair, "Ishouldn't like to have him for an enemy."
"But what is the news you were so anxious to tell us?" inquired Henry.
"That Gascoyne, the pirate captain, has been seen on the island by someof the women, and there's a regular hunt organising. Will you go withus?"
"I have more important work to do, Hugh," replied Henry, "besides, Iwant you to go with me on a hunt which I'll tell you about if you'llcome with me to the creek."
"By all means, come along."
Henry and the cooper at once left the cottage. The latter was let intothe secret, and prevailed on to form one of the crew of the _Wasp_, asthe little cutter was named. In the course of the afternoon everythingwas in readiness. Gascoyne waited till the dusk of the evening, andthen embarked along with Ole Thorwald; that stout individual havinginsisted on being one of the party, despite the remonstrances of MrMason, who did not like to leave the settlement, even for a briefperiod, so completely deprived of all its leading men. But Oleentertained a suspicion that Gascoyne intended to give them the slip;and having privately made up his mind to prevent this he was not to bedenied.
The men who formed the crew--twelve in number--were selected from amongthose natives and settlers who were known never to have seen the piratecaptain. They were chosen with a view to their fighting qualities, forGascoyne and Henry were sufficient for the management of the littlecraft. There were no large guns on board, but all the men were wellarmed with cutlasses, muskets, and pistols.
Thus equipped, the _Wasp_ stood out to sea with a light breeze, just asthe moon rose on the coral reef and cast a shower of sparkling silveracross the bay.