The Admirable Lady Biddy Fane

  CHAPTER XXVI.

  HOW I GOT AWAY FROM THE VILE PIRATE AND SETTLED TONGA HIS BUSINESS.

  Seeing nothing but impenetrable thickets on one hand, and the sea on theother, and no means of escape either this way or that from the ragingsavage, Lady Biddy, I say, did give herself up for lost; and so, fallingon her knees, she prayed the Almighty to take her life there and then,that she might be saved from the loathsome passion of the negro. Yet washer case not so bad as to call for this last remedy neither, as I shallpresently show.

  In great commotion of mind I stood in the little cabin with the grenadein my hand and the lamp burning steadily at my feet, prepared to playthe part of the destroyer, while still cherishing the faint flickeringhope that my lot rather was to be that of the preserver.

  Thus I waited an incredible length of time (as it seemed to me), until,my anxiety becoming no longer tolerable, I scratched again upon the wallfor a signal to Lady Biddy.

  Then getting no answer, I ventured again to the panel-door and peepedthrough. The big cabin was empty; nor could I spy through the furtherdoor any sign of her, but only the ship's company drawn across the deck,with Tonga lying prone before them.

  But at a glance I perceived that most of the men were looking up towardsthe deck over my head, and then catching a faint sound from thence,which my eager intelligence made out to be my lady's voice, I was nolonger in doubt as to her whereabouts.

  At this point I heard Rodrigues call to his boatswain to man the boat,which he speedily set about to do. Now, while these fellows were thusbusily occupied, I saw my chance to get out on to the galleryunperceived through the little door there, which had been set open tolet a current of air through. So creeping low and nimble as any cat Icrossed the space that was open to observation from the deck (withoutbeing seen, thanks be to God), and that way got me on to the quartergallery.

  Yet what I was to do there, I knew not; still, it was a comfort tochange my place, for any shift seems for the best when one is tormentedwith apprehension.

  After another tedious spell I heard the oars splash, and presently, tomy complete amazement, I caught sight of the barge, with eight or tenlusty men in it, pulling towards the shore with all their will, and LadyBiddy seated on one of the thwarts alone.

  I withdrew cautiously to that end of the gallery where the bulk of theship did somewhat conceal me from the rowers in the boat, whose faceswere towards the ship (yet not so far but that, crouching down, I mightwatch what came of this business), and thence I saw them set Lady Biddyon shore. At first I thought that this was but an indulgence ofRodrigues, that she might refresh herself while the men were gettingwater; but this notion was put out of my head the next minute by seeingthe fellows shove off and return towards the ship, leaving her therealone. Had she told Rodrigues all, and was the boat returning to fetchme, I asked myself, or was there some wicked design to leave her therealone?

  Being better minded to trust myself than Rodrigues, I made up my mind toswim to the shore, which was no great matter, the distance being half amile at the outside, and the sea very fair and smooth; so climbing overthe rail, I dropped from that gallery into the lower one which projectedbeyond it. And luckily for me I did so at that time, for scarcely had Icome to my feet when I heard a mighty uproar on the deck, with theclatter of arms (which, doubtless, had been silently furnished for themen's use from the armory while Lady Biddy was being carried to theshore), and then much hallooing and shouting in that part of the coach Ihad so fortunately got out of. Nay, I did hear one rascal come to thegallery door above and cry, as he looked out, that I was not there.

  "Now," thinks I, "is my time to get out of this hornets' nest"; and soclambering over this rail as I had over the other, and recommendingmyself to Providence (for as like as not in such waters as these mightbe sharks or water serpents), I dropped down plumb into the water, andcoming up again, struck out vigorously for the shore, keeping as lowunder water as I well could.

  "Happily," thinks I, "they are looking for me elsewhere, so may I chanceto escape this bout scot free"; and with this thought, added to thebewildering delightful expectation of being ere long beside Lady Biddyand at a safe distance from the tiger who sought my destruction, Ipushed on with great speed, feeling no fatigue whatever, but only agreat joy.

  Then suddenly I heard a hoarse shout of triumph, which did for themoment lead me to think I had been perceived from the ship; but castingmy eye around I spied on my right hand a skiff and Tonga in it, pullingthe oars; yet feebly, because of his arms being wrenched as I havedescribed.

  'Twas a wonder he had not caught sight of me; but I think his eyes werechiefly occupied in glancing over his shoulder to see if the fair girlwere trying to escape him, and truly, as the proverb runs, "One seesnaught but the deer when one runs with the hounds."

  As I caught sight of him he shifted his oars, which he had hitherto beenpulling (and could, I take it, no longer do for the suffering of hisarms), and standing up in the boat, with his face to the shore, he tookto pushing the oars for his greater comfort. Thus was his back settowards me, so that, unseen and with very little ado, I overtook theboat, and laying hold of the sling at the stern, I let him pull metowards the shore, to his greater pain and exhaustion.

  This maneuver did not serve me another turn, for against the black sternof the boat my dark head was indistinguishable from the ship, unless onedid carefully examine with a spyglass; and doubtless by this timeRodrigues and his company, having found that I was no longer in theship, were scanning the sea to know if I were there. That I had been inthe cabin pretty recently, and that Lady Biddy had told him no more thanthe truth, Rodrigues might see full well by the burning lamp and thegrenade I had left behind me.

  At last the boat ran around, and, dropping my feet, I felt the sandybottom. Then, glancing along the side, I saw my poor Lady Biddy kneelingbeside a tree with her face hid in her hands, to shut out the sight ofthat horrid black, which did stir my entrails with hatred of him.

  Yet I saw full well that I must not discover myself till I was got onfirm ground, for a man up to his neck is powerless--though he have theheart of a lion--against another whose limbs are free to act. With ablow of an oar Tonga might have settled my business; and, knowing this,I kept still hid from him under the gunwale of the boat until he leaptout on to the sand.

  Crouching down more like a tiger than a human being, he slowly went upthe sandy slope, and to make the resemblance greater, a low growl ofsavage exultation came from his throat, and he drew up his arms, withall his fingers spread out, as if preparing to spring upon his poorhelpless victim.

  Quickly and yet silently I made my way out of the water and followed inhis footsteps. Arms I had none, but presently, drawing near him, I spieda great stone half buried in the sand, and this I wrenched up at onetug, though it weighed, as I believe, over a quarter of a hundredweight,and was sucked down by the wet sand.

  Hearing the sound that was made by the wet sand dropping from the stone,he turned about, and, catching sight of me, set up a fearful cry ofrage; but it was the last cry he ever made, for I held the stone liftedover my head, and, dashing it forward with all the might of my body, Istruck him full in the face with it, crushing in the bones and burstingthe brains from his skull.

  Then all was silent, save a faint cry of despair from Lady Biddy, who,daring not to uncover her eyes from the moment she saw the black onshore, thought that his cry of rage was intended for her, and that thecrash which followed was but some preparation for her destruction.

  I thew some sand over the bloody, formless thing that had been a humanface the minute before, that the ghastly spectacle might not shock LadyBiddy, and then I went to her side softly over the sand.

  Now did I fear to let Lady Biddy know that her enemy was dead and adeliverer at hand, lest by the sudden commotion of feelings I mightunhinge her mind. For a moment I wondering how I should manage thisbusiness for the best, and then, my wits failing to help me, I yieldedto the desire of my heart, and dropping on my knees by her
side murmuredwith a true and devout heart:

  "God be praised!"