The Admirable Lady Biddy Fane

  CHAPTER V.

  TO MY MORTAL PERIL I OVERHEAR A SORDID SCHEME OF RODRIGUES AND NEDPARSONS.

  Sir Harry gave leave that all should go on shore who had a mind to, saveonly such as Parsons and Rodrigues should need to keep on board the_Adventurer_ and the _Sure Hawk_ for their protection; and Rodriguesbade all be gone, saying that he and Ned Parsons would watch the twoships during the night. So the men went off in the barge, one batchafter the other, and last of all Sir Harry himself went also to refreshhis spirits after the grief of losing his dear friend; and Parsons rowedhim to shore. There were then left on the _Sure Hawk_ none saveRodrigues and I. And I being heavy with sleep (it being by that timenine o'clock, as I think) threw myself on my cot within my cabin, andfell off in a doze. While I lay there Rodrigues came to my cabin and sawme by the light of the lamp, as I found out afterwards. But presentlyawaking, I rose up and went out on the deck, feeling the want of freshair. And indeed the night would have tempted most men to go forth, beingvery fair and the moon vastly bright, as it is in those parts.

  There was not a soul on the deck, for Rodrigues, seeing me asleep andall clear, had gone into the captain's storeroom to pilfer a bottle ofwine; and so without design I sauntered on till coming, as chance wouldhave it, to the main-mast of the ship, I came to a stand, and leaning myback against the stern so that I faced the moon, I fell on meditating onmy lot. Whilst I stood there I heard the dip of oars; then the chink ofglass as Rodrigues set down his bottles right over against where Istood, but on the other side of the great mast, and after that he wentto the side and called over, "Come up, Ned, I've that will make usmerry, though we be not ashore."

  "For all that I would rather be ashore with our mates," replies Parsonsin a grumbling voice as he comes up the side.

  "And so we will, man, and many a jolly night will we spend with ourmates--when we have no secrets to keep," replies Rodrigues. "Here wehave it all to ourselves, and need fear nothing if the drink do give aloose to our tongues."

  "Where's Pengilly? He went not ashore," says Parsons, when he hadtumbled over the bulwarks on to the deck.

  "Asleep in the coach where you see the light burning, and is sound as alog. Sit you down here, and we shall see him if he comes out, which isnot likely."

  So they sat down together on a chest facing the roundhouse, and just onthe other side of the mast where Rodrigues had set the bottles, andpresently began to drink and talk; yet still I kept where I was, with myback against the mast; firstly, because the moon seemed to spread a calmover my mind which I cared not to dispel, and after that because Ibecame curious to know what they had to talk about.

  "Well," says Parsons, in a more cheerful tone, after taking a drink,"how goes it?"

  "Famously," replies Rodrigues, clacking his tongue against his teeth andpouring out more wine.

  "Have you sounded the men? Have you opened out to them of our project?"

  "Nay; not yet. Nor have you, I hope, or they will blab everything beforethey get sober again. I bade you keep a still tongue, Ned."

  "And so I have. There's been other matters to think on. A rare time ithas been with us to keep the ship afloat. But I did my part of thebusiness."

  "And bravely, I warrant. Tell me how you did it, Ned."

  "I caught him a stroke on the head with a crow as he was at prayer, andheaved his body out into the sea by the galley port." 'Twas thus he hadcruelly murdered Captain Murray.

  "No one saw you!"

  "Never a soul. He was missed in the morning, and all think he was washedover by a sea."

  "Well, there's one out of the way. 'Twill be Smidmore's turn next."

  "When?" asks Parsons.

  "That's as hereafter may be. I'm for leaving everything till we haveprovisioned at Trinidado."

  "And I'm for going at it at once. Curse this hanging fire when there'sprize to be taken, I say. Now Murray is out of the way you will be madecaptain of the _Adventurer_, and I reckon I will be master in your placeon the _Sure Hawk_. We are well armed and ammunitioned, and shall notlack provisions. Then why should we wait till we've been to Trinidado, Iwant to know?"

  "Because we should have to victual again before going round to the SouthSea, and we want no one to get wind of our intent before we're ready tofly our colors. It would be folly to spoil the venture for the sake of aweek or two. Besides, we know not how the men will take it."

  "How do we stand for men?" asks Parsons, in his grumbling tone again.

  "Why, there's Black, and Jarvis, and Kelly, and all those of our oldcrew who served with us before--they may be depended on."

  "That's thirteen men, and we two make fifteen, all told."

  "These men, though they pretend to believe that we are going up theOrinoco after a mare's next, are not such fools as to think that Idesign to end my days there."

  "Ay!" says Parsons with a laugh, setting down his cup again. "Nor wouldthey have been fools enough to engage on any such silly venture unlessthey felt sure something better was to come of it. Well, there'sfifteen--go on."

  "Of the rest there's a score as desperate follows as ever trod a deck,and ripe for any mischief."

  "Would to Heaven we could have raked up more like them."

  "The rest are fools; but sturdy, good seamen, for all that."

  Here I was reminded of what I had previously remarked--viz., that therewere two sorts of men in our crew and no third. One set were reckless,dare-devil, cursing rascals, and the other were as simple-minded as anychildren; but, as Rodrigues, said every one a hale, good seaman. Andthis was due to the cunning of Rodrigues, who, by reason of his knowingthe parts to which we were bound, had been entrusted to choose a crewlikely for the purpose.

  "Well," says Parsons, "here are five-and-thirty men to back us at asign, and a match for all the rest with their captain and your Pengillyas well. Now, here's my plan, Rodrigues, and if you will hear me youshall own that it is better than all your fiddle-faddle of waiting forthis, that, and t'other."

  "Well, out with it, Ned. You know that I have never refused to listen toadvice, nor to act on it when I saw it was good; else had we never wonour way."

  "That's true, and I own but for your cursed cool judgment we should allhave been strung up like so many weasels."

  Over this interchange of civilities they drank another cup and shookhands. Then Parsons started off in high good-humor:

  "Here's how I see it. Sir Harry will make you captain of the_Adventurer_; for why? There's no man so fit; and he'll very like makeme master of this ship under him, as being best able to navigate her andthe like. The men will be fairly divided between the two ships asheretofore. Now, as soon as we set sail I shall make it so cursedlyuncomfortable for the foolish fellows of my crew that they shall pray tobe exchanged into your ship. To this I shall persuade Sir Harry, takingin their place all those men disposed to our design."

  "So we get all the simpletons under me, and all the desperadoes underyou," says Rodrigues.

  "That's it. And matters being so, I will open out our scheme to my crew,who will jump at it like sharks. Then the first calm night will we orderthings so that my men shall board your ship after binding Sir Harry, andmake prisoner every mother's son: which done, you shall ask the companyplump out whether they choose to join in our venture and make theirfortunes, or whether they stick to their articles, and will go asearching for gold where there's naught but serpents and fevers. Whowill refuse to join us then, eh?"

  "Sir Harry, for a surety."

  "Then overboard he goes, and away we sail south with joyous hearts, andno more dallying."

  Rodrigues took the time of drinking another cup to consider. But littleas I knew of this strange matter, I felt sure he would not agree to thisproposal (being a very subtle, painful man), for if he thus parted withall the men proper to his desperate enterprise, what was to preventParsons deserting him and going whithersoever he pleased with hisdesperadoes?

  "Yes," says Rodrigues, "your scheme might succeed, but it will be betterto turn the tables about so
that you send all the dependable men to me,and I send the others to you."

  Parsons made no reply to this, whereby he revealed the secret treacherythat was in his mind. But Rodrigues taking no notice of this, though hemust have perceived it, continues cheerfully, "No, Ned; on secondthoughts that plan will not do. For taking the men unprepared in thisway, a score of them may hold on to the hope of getting treasure inGuiana, and so rally round the captain. Then we may have to throw themoverboard as well as the captain, which will be a great loss to us. Forwe can make no great success with small means, and it will never do tostart short-handed. Besides this," says he, "the men pressed into ourservice by the fear of death will never serve us as willing handswould."

  "Why, that is true," says Parsons, who clearly did not relish the ideaof his own scheme being acted upon contrariwise. "You always had abetter head for these matters than any of us. So let us hear how youwould act."

  "In this wise," said Rodrigues. "As soon as we set sail from here--youon the one ship and I on t'other--we will secretly show the dullards thefolly of seeking wealth in Guiana, when they can enrich themselvestenfold without leaving the ship, or encountering any of the hazards andhardships of going a-foot through those fearful wilds. And first will Iwin over Pengilly, who is ripe for this enterprise. When I am sure ofhim, Sir Harry will be got rid of, and then will Pengilly take his placeas commander, being nephew to Sir Bartlemy, whose ships these are. Sowithout the loss of one man we shall have gained our way, and allwillingly will obey his directions."

  "So far so good," says Parsons; "but how is this to advance us? Are weto take for our share no more than what he chooses to give us as hisofficers?"

  To this question Rodrigues made no reply. And this silence perplexingme, I cast my eyes sidelong to see if they had moved away. And then Iperceived what it was had stopped his tongue.

  The moon had shifted during their conversation (of which a great dealfor the sake of brevity I have not set down), and whereas at thebeginning it had shone full on my face, it now struck me somewhat on myleft side. So that there down on the deck I spied my shadow revealedbeside the great mast, and Rodrigues had spied it also. For before Icould turn my head, I felt his long bony fingers upon my throat, andthen the flash of his dagger in the moonlight caught my eye.