The haunted island | Project Gutenberg (2024)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 73917 ***

Being the History of an Adventure to anIsland in the Remote South Sea. Of aWizard there. Of his Pirate Gang; HisTreasure; His Combustible; His SkeletonAntic Lad. Of his Wisdom; Of hisPoesy; His Barbarous Cruelty; His MightyPower. Of a Volcan on the Island.And of the Ghostly Terror.

TO
MY MOTHER

On Christmas Eve, 1668, I, Francis Clayton,was with my brother Dick at Clayton Manor, ourfather’s house. ’Tis seated on the bottom of aBay near Wembury, on the sea coast of Devon.My brother served in quality of lieutenant onboard His Majesty’s ship Tiger, and was butlate returned from a cruise off the Island ofJamaica. His ship lay at anchor in the bay.

We sat over against one another on the hearth,in my little snug room. The Squire and theservants were a-bed. The great old house slept,with starting and creaking of the timbers. Thefire was sunk together, burning with a clearglow; the candles were wasted to the snuff intheir sockets.

My brother told a marvellous tale of theSouth Sea, of an island there haunted by spirits,particularly by a monstrous great ghoul, ordevil.

“Many rumours,” said he, “are gotten abroadof this enchanted island. ’Tis said that he wholaid up the treasure had a truck with the devil,[12]and that a frightful fiend hath guard over it. Ido certainly know ’tis there. As to the rest, Iam nothing concerned with such fantastic gear.Once ashore there,” said he, “and not all thedevils in hell shall keep me from the treasure!Yet, if seamen who have seen the Thing be notextremely out, ’tis a pretty wight! The head ofit, say they, reaches unto the clouds, and theappearance of it is frightful out of all description.”

There came a sudden tap-tapping in thewainscoting. It was, no doubt, but a rat; but, Imust confess, I shrank with fear of it: whereuponmy brother clapped me boisterously onthe shoulder, crying:

“Hallo, my land-captain! Did you think itwas the ghosts from the Haunted Island? I’llshow you something to cheer you up.”

Hereupon, clapping hand to pocket, he pluckedforth a little box, or casket. It was of gold,very cunningly wrought with the representationof a galleon; and her hull was of rubies, hersails of pearls, her flag and flowing pendants ofemeralds and sapphires, and the sea of amethyst.

It was exquisite, and I said so; but mybrother bade me read what was written on apiece of parchment that he took from the boxand laid open before me.

“I know you like poesy,” said he, “read it.’Tis better than a sonnet to my lady’s shoe-latchet!”

The writing was old and small, and thus itwas:

[13]

Here the ballad was broken off. I askedwhat it was; but had never answer. For, on asudden, a summons loud and long sounded uponthe Manor door.

“Hallo! What’s this?” cried I. But mybrother said nothing; only got from his chair,and stepped to the casem*nt; as I did also. Hedrew the shutter; and we peered without uponthe avenue. ’Twas a wintry and a weirdprospect: the moon shone bleak through the[14]scantly falling snow, which was flurried about indrifts of powder on the frozen ground. Thetall elms stood gauntly up, the smaller branchesof them stirring in sudden movements, likehands and fingers. But at the great door therewas a little fat man in the uniform of the captainof a King’s ship. He stood panting, his facefiery red; and kept pummelling with his caneupon the flagstones.

“Why, ’tis the captain of your ship!” said I.“’Tis Captain Skinton!” But, muttering in histeeth, Dick turned and hurried from the room.I followed, to find him at the end of the corridorwarily withdrawing the arras. We lookedthrough.

The Captain addressed the serving-man whohad opened to him, and was beside himself withpassion. He spoke in rapid and high-pitchedtones, and with robustious gesticulation. Wecaught a tail-end: “—that I see Squire Claytonthis night!”

“But he’s a-bed, your honour,” says Roger.

“Then wake him! wake him! wake him!”cried the little man; and, stamping by misadventurea gouty foot, he broke into a paroxysmof rage, just as the Squire, our father, cameforth on the gallery of the stairs.

“What’s this? What’s this?” says he, lookingdown in his nightcap.

“What’s this, sir?” cries Skinton, his voicerising shrill, “what’s this, sir? Why, your son,sir ... a conspiracy, sir, a conspiracy aboardmy ship, my ship, sir!”

[15]“Roger,” says the Squire, “how came you toadmit this neighing rascal? Show him into thestable!”

Hereupon the Captain became perfectlyfurious; but the Squire returned him word forword, as hot as he gave, so that there fell a verygreat clamour. And, in the hurly-burly, Dick stolepast them into the hall, I following; and so (thedoor having been left open), out into the night.

We scoured down the avenue, crossed the roadbeyond, and, striking into the countryside, cutcrisply across the frozen fields to the cliff-top;then down, helter-skelter, to the shore.

A great ship lay at an anchor close in, with hersails hauled up in brails. It was the Tiger.Her captain’s boat lay beached above thebreakers; and her crew walked up and down, tokeep them warm. My brother stepped to thecoxswain, “’Tis I, John,” said he, as he got hisbreath; and, to the rest, he said: “Back to theship, men! Our plans are at a head! All’sready! I’ll make all your fortunes, my jollyboys!”

“Ay, ay, sir! ay, ay!” But he bade themhush, and hasten with the boat. Thereupon,turning to me, “Get you back to the Manor!”says he.

“No; I go with you,” said I.

He looked me up and down: “Tut, tut, d’yeknow where we’re bound? For the South Sea,and on none of the King’s business either!”

“You’re going to steal the ship!” said I; butthey were shoving off the boat, and, before ever[16]he could answer, or I take thought, we foundourselves aboard and rolling over the waves.Soon there fell a great barking of dogs from thedirection of the Manor; whereupon my brotherdid urge the rowers to greater effort. A fewmoments after we reached the ship.

We went aboard at the gang-way. There stooda big, black-bearded fellow, who passed on boardin the style of the Quartermaster. My brotherspoke a word in his ear, and the man nodded.

“All have joined, Ouvery?” asked Dick.

“Ay, but the master and Surgeon Burke beaboard. They went not ashore with the rest.”

“’Sdeath!” said Dick with his teeth, “whereare they, then?”

“The master’s in his cabin: Burke’s in theround-house.”

“Overboard with the master! Let him swim,the preaching swab! But we’ll have need ofBurke. Have up the men; I’ll speak to ’em.Haste, Ouvery!”

He made to the quarter-deck as he spoke,while the other went below. Soon was heardthe boatswain’s whistle, and the mariners beganto come up on deck. Meantime there came asplashing under the stern, and the master swampresently forth within sight. Having gotten hisbreath, he began to shout threats and imprecationsat my brother. But Dick laughed, and shook hisfinger at him, crying:

“Nay, nay, sweet sir, be not so prodigal withyour strength! I warrant you’ll need all of itanon!”

[17]On this, with a last imprecation, the swimmerturned, and incontinently made towards the shore.But the mariners were now gotten all up ondeck, and my brother prepared to speak to them.

But no speech was made by him. For amusket-shot rang out on the shore, and somehalf-dozen men, led by the Captain and theSquire, came forth on the cliff—the Captainshouting and gesticulating with the smokingmusket that he held; but our father stood like aman sore stricken, so that it went to my heart tosee him. I turned to my brother:

“Go you no further with this,” said I. “Returnwhile yet you may.”

But he did not answer me; he stood staringto windward, and I saw his face set hard. A bigship, flying the flag of St. George, had hove insight round a bend of the cliff.

Next moment he turned; and, bawling out,“In with the boat!” cried he, “All hands makesail! Up anchor and away!”

There fell a great ado on this, as the marinerswent to work to the shrill piping whistle of theboatswain, and the word of command. Soon thecable was hove in, while the seamen sang as theystrained at the capstan. Soon the ship began tomove, stretching away under her spritsail andtopsails to the shore-breeze.

But the other vessel had hoisted up her topgallantsails, and came on apace; and now, beingbut a cable’s length away, she shot off a gun.

“Come on, ye dogs!” cried Dick. “Fire away,and split!” And he hasted to the poop, where[18]the gunners worked, charging of the stern-chasers.

“Double shot ’em, and cripple her!” said he.

“Ay, ay, sir! ay, ay!” But now the pursuerfired again, and a round-shot crashed into ourround-house coach.

“Fire!” and, upon the word, the guns belchedforth flame. The report shook the ship, and acloud of cannon-smoke rolled up like a scroll.

As it cleared, our men roared out with a greatcheering; for we had hit the King’s ship full inher fore rigging, split her spritsail, smashed herforeyard, and handsomely mauled the shrouds.The foremast shook with the brunt, and the topsailcame clattering down.

Hereupon my brother fell to capering aboutlike a silly schoolboy.

“Well done, master-gunner!” cried he, “welldone, my brave! Give him another cheer, myjolly boys! They’ll not take us, this bout!”

We now rapidly left the floundering and mazedman-of-war. But our men kept firing into themedley on her decks, plying the stern-chasers infurious haste; and, ever as he was able, theenemy did shoot at us with muskets and pistols,and once—his ship having slewed right round—gaveus a thundering great broadside. But hisgunners did much mistake, in that they hulledus (as the saying is), instead of aiming at ourmasts and tackling, whereby they might havecrippled us, and, perhaps, brought us quite to astand.

As it was, our ship took no great hurt, thoughthe splinters flew, and six of her ports werebattered in; yet many of our men were woundedafter a dreadful manner, and one was killed outright.Whereupon such brutish and demoniacfury came upon the rest as transported them likevery devils.

Our decks were bloody like a slaughter-house;and from the spar-deck the wounded men roaredout very grievously as Surgeon Burke wroughtupon them, so that their groans and shrieks didmingle with the horrid blasphemies.

Now, all this time my brother, the Captain,[20]did frantically rage as hot as any man; yea, sofar beside himself was he, that, when he foundwe drew out of gunshot and could no longermurder the King’s men, he was for going aboutand returning upon them. He had even giventhe order to bear up the helm; but hereupon, tomy huge surprise, the Quartermaster did interpose.’Twas no more than a look and a word,but it availed, and the order was immediatelyrevoked.

We now lay right out of the bay; and, havingset studding sails, stood off to sea, whilst thedecks were cleared, the broken ports stopped,and the bolts and tackling overhauled. But I,being sick at heart, went and shut myself in themaster’s cabin, which I found empty; and, a greatweariness coming over me, I got me into ahammock, and presently slept.

I dreamed a fearful dream; and it seemed tome that one went before me through a gully ina terrible high cliff. And the gully became darkand darker as we went, and its sheer sides ofdank rock towered higher yet; so that they werefrightful to look on. Still they rose and rose,until their tops might no longer be discerned;and darkness fell, a darkness that seemed towither my soul! Then he who went before medid turn himself about, and lo! ’twas Ouvery, theQuartermaster. His face gleamed ghastly white,but his eyes were blacker than the darkness.They seized on mine, and held them—for ever!

I woke gasping and shaking; and there weretwo eyes as black as jet fixed on mine! Ouvery,[21]the Quartermaster, gazed across at me from themiddle of the cabin, where he sat in closeconverse with my brother.

He got up from his chair; and, making a signthat I was awake, immediately went out. Hereuponmy brother rose also, and stepped to myhammock.

“Well, my heart,” said he, “hast been a-voyagingto Tophet, or is’t the ghosts from theHaunted Island? Bless us! you screeched likea stuck pig.”

“Scoff away! Scoff away!” cried I. “’Twill beanother tale to-morrow!”

“Ay!” said he, but I thought his countenancefallen, “pieces-of-eight, and golden bars, andjewels—jewels by the shipload—that’ll be the taleto-morrow!”

“And a hempen cord about your neck, andiron chains to hang in, and yokel faces a-gape atyou!”

On that he flamed out in a fury, snapping hisfingers, swearing and cursing. But I let himrave, answering nothing, and soon he fell quiet,and throwing himself into a chair, sat still,seeming to brood in his mind.

After these events, there fell out nothing worthremark in many days.

We had favourable winds and calm seas, andmet with no King’s ships. What other craft wemet withal, meddled not with us, nor we withthem. Through great part of the Bay of Biscaywe steered our course close under the coast ofFrance, until we came to an anchor in a smallbay thereby, to take in water and fresh provisions;thence we sailed away, standing to theopen sea. We passed the Cape of Finisterre;and so onwards towards the Tropic of Cancerand the Line.

I come to a day in the fifth week of ourvoyage. I got up betimes, and went on deck.The ship went merrily along. There was not asail in sight, nor any glimpse of land; but fromhorizon to horizon spread the dancing, shiningsea, and I thought it was a gracious scene, likea world from the hands of God.

As I looked, I spied a dark blur of a thingfar out upon the waters. It disappeared, butsoon hove in sight again, this time quite clear.In the same moment, the look-out man bawled:

[23]“Boat adrift on the larboard bow.”

“Lay to, then, and man the jolly-boat,” criedthe Captain.

The mariners went eagerly to work, snappinggreedily at the exciting chance. The jolly-boat,which was towing astern, was speedily hauled inand manned; but the coxswain was shoved fromhis wonted command of her by Ouvery, who puthimself into the stern-sheets. I, being full ofcuriosity, jumped into the boat as they madeready to pull away; whereupon Ouvery didlook upon me balefully, though he spoke noword, and I knew that he hated me from thebottom of his black heart!

“Pull away,” said the Quartermaster; and shebegan to move apace. I, keeping my eyes fixedupon the boat we steered for, at length descrieda huddled heap on board of her, which waspresently discovered to be the forms of twomen. We drew alongside, and lay board onboard together, gazing upon a dismal, dreadfulsight.

For there in the boat were two gaunt andwasted forms—yea, the very death’s heads didgrin in the dwindled faces of those poorcastaways.

One was an Indian: a tall, well-knit figuredark copper-coloured; his face long and hard-favoured;lank black hair.

The other was an European, and, as it shouldseem, an Englishman. His yellow beard felllong and untrimmed, and his clothes were meanand old; yet there was that in his look made[24]me think he was a gentleman. What, however,was remarkable: on sight of the castaways,Ouvery gave a great start and drew sharply inhis breath.

“They be dead men both,” said a man,solemnly; “rest to their souls!”

But I had got into the boat; and, taking amirror that I had about me, I held it in turn tothose parted and writhen lips, and lo! it twicebecame clouded with breath.

“They live! they live!” cried I. But Ouverysaid quickly:

“Nay, nay! You know nothing at all.Down, ye meddler, and out of the way!” Andto the mariners he said:

“Overboard with them! We’ll have no truckwith the dead! And keep your tongue quiet,”said he, glaring at me, “or you shall sweep withthem!”

“I say that they live!” I returned passionately.“Carry them to the ship!”

On that, Ouvery raised his clenched fist tostrike me down. “You barking cur,” cried he,“do you meddle with my orders? I’ll haveyou clapt in irons! I’ll flay you to the bone!I’ll——”

“Belike you’re captain of the ship,” said I,flouting him; “I thought my brother wascaptain.”

Ouvery sat still, all swollen with rage; buthereupon up spoke a seaman, saying stoutly:

“Maybe the boy’s in the right. Ho! makeway here!” He climbed over into the co*ck-boat[25]as he spoke, and soon had confirmed mywords.

But Ouvery rose up like one possessed; and,drawing his knife, he reached forth to havestabbed me. But the boat began to rock nighfoundering; and, losing his footing, he fell,knocking his head against an oar that was outboard,and slid over into the sea. They fishedhim out ere he sank, and flung him like a login the bottom of the boat, where he lay stunned.

Hereupon, having made the co*ck-boat fast toour stern, we returned to the ship. My brotherstood at the gang-way, awaiting us; I acquaintedhim with what had befallen, demanding thatOuvery should be restrained. But he regardedme not at all.

They contrived a bed for the Indian in theforecastle, but the other was installed in themaster’s cabin beneath the poop, where I slept,some bedding being laid for me on the floor.Tended by Surgeon Burke, and cared for by themariners, the Indian made a quick recovery;but the other lay as one dead, being fallen intoa sort of coma or trance.

The Indian came out of his swoon aboutsundown. Dick, Burke, and I stood beside hisbed, when the poor man, on a sudden, stirredand opened his eyes. He looked from one toanother of us wildly; and moved his lips asif he would speak. At this juncture, heavy anduncertain footfalls were heard without, andOuvery came lumbering in, his face mottled redand purple. He approached; but, on sight of[26]him, the Indian stared aghast, stretched forth anarm with a fierce, frenzied gesture, uttered a cry,and sank back beside his senses.

“Why, he knoweth him!” cried I. “He hathseen you before, Ouvery! If he could speak, Iwarrant you’d stand proclaimed a black villain!”

I was out of myself with passion, and I knewnot what I said. But the Quartermaster wastransported with fury, and, rasping out horridoaths, he drew a pistol from his belt and let flyat me. The ball missed my head by a hair’sbreadth, and was buried in the wooden wall.Ouvery made a dash towards me, reeled, andlurched forward upon the floor. There he laystunned, having knocked his head against thetable-leg.

The episode had passed in a moment, andDick and the surgeon stood like men dumbfounded.Burke recovered himself:

“You’ve had a narrow squeak, my lad,” saidhe. “The man’s a maniac—look you, Captain!”

But Dick dashed his fist against the wallfor mad.

I went on deck, to behold a night of calm andbeauty. There was no moon; but the hosts ofthe stars burned in a clear element, upon asolemn ground, and I thought they were likegems in the mantle of God.

But, as I stood, leaning on the bulwarks,dreaming in the blue starlight, on a sudden ahand was laid on my shoulder, and a heartyvoice cried:

“Wake up, young star-gazer! What are youdreaming of now? Wouldst know:

“What, old physicker!” (for ’twas SurgeonBurke), “‘Throw physic to the dogs, I’ll noneof it!’”

He laughed boisterously at the return; thenbade me follow him below, saying that theEnglish castaway was coming out of his swoon.We went quickly to the master’s cabin, wherethe Englishman lay stretched upon a day-bedor settee. But, instead of the stark and deadlylook he had before, his breast heaved to a[28]gentle respiration, his eyes were closed, andthere was even a trace of colour in his hollowcheeks.

“When he wakes,” said Burke, “he’ll berecovered, and that will be no great while either.”

But in this point he was out; for the exhaustedman continued in his babe-like sleep. At last,being perfectly tired out, I cast myself downupon the bedding on the floor, and took up myrepose. Yet I could not presently sleep; formy thoughts were tumultuous and uneasy tothe last degree, running continually upon thosestrange happenings—more especially upon thedesire manifested by Ouvery to make away withthe castaways and strange recognition of himby the Mosquito Indian. However, at last I slept.

It must have been upon the stroke ofmidnight that I woke up suddenly from anunquiet sleep, to hear the sound of stealthyfootsteps in the gang-way without.

I listened, my heart beginning to thump uponmy sides, my eyes upon the door. The handleturned slowly; the door was softly opened.Then, half-closing my eyes, I feigned slumber,as, vivid in moonshine cast through the port, theface of Ouvery appeared in the chink.

The Quartermaster stood peering and listening.He entered, and advanced on me; and therewas a knife in his hand. Yet I continuedto feign slumber, and, though near dead withterror, to make my breathing appear regularand slow.

At last he was at my side. I opened my eyes[29]then, ready to evade a deadly thrust, and lo!the man was passed by me and moving towardsthe Englishman on the bed. On that my nervecame back to me; the spell was broken.

I made one leap of it half across the cabinfloor; and, as the Quartermaster, his face set insavage lines, his arm drawn back to thrust, bentover the slumbering Englishman, quick as lightI snatched the pistol from his belt and set itclose and firm to his ear.

“Drop your blade,” said I, “or I’ll fire.”

Ouvery was no craven, but, on touch of theiron muzzle, he started and dropped his knife.He held perfectly still, muttering something thatI had no care to hear; and I bawled loud andrepeatedly, “Help! Help!”

It was then that the Englishman came out ofhis swoon; and, rising up in his bed, “Wheream I?” cried he. “What is this?”

“You are on the ship Tiger,” replied I. “Youwere taken up from a driving boat—you withan Indian, who also is on the ship.”

“Ha! And this fellow?”

“He is the Quartermaster. He was about tomurder you; I know not why.”

“O-ho!” cried he, “a mystery! I am eveneager to fathom it. Turn hither, fellow, that Imay look upon the majesty of your countenance.Turn hither, I say!”

But Ouvery, on a sudden, ducked his head;and, with incredible swiftness, whipped fromthe cabin, and was gone. Yet the other had gotview of his face, and he cried:

[30]“The pirate! ’Tis the pirate, by the LordHarry!

“So I am fallen among thieves and murderers!”says he, turning to me with fine disdain. “Well,’tis not the first time. You’re out on theaccount—heh?”

I was taken aback at this, and knew not whatto answer. Yet something in his countenancetold me he was a man I might trust. I resolvedto tell him distinctly how it was with us; and,as briefly as possible, I did so.

He heard me out in silence, his keen eyessearching me.

“Why, here is a lad of mettle,” says he, “and—whatshould ever accompany this quality—ofintegrity. I thank you for your confidencereposed in me; it shall not miscarry. Andnow” (as I stood abashed by his courtly phrase)“and now for action!”

But, with the word, there came the tramp ofmen approaching, and the boatswain entered,having a lantern in one hand and a bare cutlash inthe other; and close at his heels came my brother.

The boatswain stood still at the entry; butDick thrust by him, and came forth into thecabin, asking what the matter was.

I left it to the Englishman to answer, and hedid so.

“Look you, sir,” said he, rising on an elbowand speaking with hauteur, “I am, I suppose,beholden to you for my life. But to save a manfrom the sea, that he may be barbarouslymurdered in his bed—where is the obligation?”

[31]“What means he?” asked Dick, turning to me.

I told him what had passed.

“Ouvery! Always Ouvery!” cried he.“What means the fellow? I begin to sicken of it!Curses on it!”

And, snapping his fingers in a passion, herushed from the cabin.

The boatswain followed him out, muttering inhis beard.

“Close and bolt the door,” said the Englishmanso soon as we were alone. “That Quartermaster,saintly soul, may be hereabout. So.And now, my lad, get you into your hammockagain, and to sleep.”

But sleep was gone from me, and, when I hadtold him so, he proffered to relate his experiencesto me, to pass the vigil. “And certainly,” addedhe, “they are sufficiently strange.”

You may be sure I was nothing loth; and,when I had put on some clothes, and broughta chair to his bedside and seated myself, hethus began:

“’Twas some two years ago, lad, that I hadoccasion to ship as passenger on a ship boundfor Fort St. George.[A] We left the Downs withfair wind and weather, which continued with ustill we were come into the Indian Ocean. Butthen arose a huge hurricane of wind, which blewus from our course. It held six days, and left ussomewhere near the Island of Sumatra. Yet the[33]ship remained whole; and we steered north torecover our course, with but a fret of wind. Wescarce had got into a sailing posture, but we sawa ship, which came towards us. And, wantingsomething—I forget what it was—we made awiff to her. But we got more than we wanted!For, clapping on a wind, and coming on, theybegan to fire at us as hot as they could, andbrought our mainmast by the board.

“Well, they boarded us—as villainous a crewas ever sailed the sea; and, though we made agood fight, ’twas all one: our ship was taken.We expected to be all murdered, or at leastset ashore to starve on some desolate island.”(Here I saw the door handle turn slowly andsoftly round, but forbore to tell the Englishman,lest he should break off in his relation.) “Yet wewere reserved alive, to what strange, surprisingexperiences I’ll tell you.

“They set many of us down upon the ballast,of whom I was one. Penned together like cattlein that darksome and stinking place, we scarcecould stir hand or foot, scarce draw breath. Weknew not the day from the night. Our victuals,thrown to us as to dogs, scarce were fit for dogs.The place was full of vermin; and there weregreat rats. Their eyes gleamed in the darknesslike points of fire; and, ever and again, as at asignal, the creatures came swarming down upon us.

“How long this lasted I know not. Certainlymany days. All fell sick, some raved with thecalenture, three died. But on a blessed morn,at daybreak, they dragged us up out of the pit[34]to the deck. Imagine what it meant to us!You cannot—as you cannot possibly imaginethat dreadful prison. And no man apprizes attheir worth light and air and health and freedom,look you, until he lose them.

“Indeed the suddenness of the change wasmore than we could bear—so that three ofour company fell down in a swoon. ’Twasstrange to see, I doubt not—ay, and pitiful!But no breath of pity moved the villainoushearts. They threw all the swooning men intothe sea.

“I looked around. The pirate was come toport. On one side of her lay our ship, on theother, land.

“This land was really an island, though welay too close to perceive it. We beheld veryhigh cliffs towering to a prodigious height aboveus, streaked with shining green, creeping plants,and wreathed with vines. As I looked on them,a sort of horror seized on me, a phantom foreboding....”

He paused, and lay back in his bed withclosed eyes; but soon continued, saying:

“Now the pinnace of the pirate lay alongside,and the residue of our party was bidden to getinto her. Nay, we were driven into the boat!For they did press upon us, punching andthrusting us in the back. As villainous a crewas ever man set eyes on! Hideous visages,blackened with sin, scarred, mutilated with oldwounds. And they were dressed and trickedout, these pirates, as from the wardrobe of the[35]world; as though it had been opened unto them,and they had taken, every man, whatsoever helisted. For one had a pair of taffety breeches, alady’s cape, and the turban of an Arab; anotherthe staid habit of a dignitary of Holy Churchcloaked about with the robes of a Chinaman; aleering negro strutted in the finery of a courtierof the king.

“Well, a number of ’em came down into theboat with us, and a big man took command. Heis your Quartermaster!”

“Ouvery!” exclaimed I. “Was he the captainof the pirate?”

“No,” said he, “he was the quartermaster,having the second place on the ship. Well,Ouvery—or ‘Blazing Sue,’ as they called him—havingseated himself in the stern, ordered usto take the oars and pull to the shore. On oneof us pleading weakness, he burst forth into fouloaths, adding:

“‘You shall row, though you split!’

“Then, rising in a frenzy, he snatched up amusket by the barrel, felled the poor man, and,seizing hold on the collar of his coat, slung himover into the sea; and a huge shark immediatelyswam up and griped him.

“For a space Ouvery sat growling and snappingwith his teeth like a dog, whilst the otherpirates jested among themselves; then he gavethe order, ‘Pull away.’

“We laboured at the rowing as best we might,the rogues lolling at their ease. Only, when thepinnace was got three parts in, they double-banked[36]the oars to speed her through the shore-breakers.

“Having landed, our party was ordered insingle file, and so marched up the beach. Somesix or seven pirates went on either side, bearingpistols; while Ouvery took the lead.

“We crossed the beach of white sand. It casta blinding glare (the sun now being high); sothat we were glad to come presently into a beltof cocoa trees, the porch of a dense wood. Wepassed within this wood, following a secret path.

“We had penetrated, it might be, a quarter ofa mile, when there was made to us an intimation.In our path, and shining beneath a rift in theovergrowth, we spied something round andwhite, like a great chalk stone. We came up toit. ’Twas a human skull. It grimaced in thesun with its glistering laughter.

“But Ouvery, turning about, laughed aloud,‘Ho! ho! my boys!’ cried he, ‘See how hegrins! So shall ye grin anon!’

“He stepped to the death’s head; and, bowingwith vilest mockery, ‘What cheer, comrade?’said he, ‘and have they forgotten ye? Come,hist along to Heaven!’

“And, drawing back his great foot, he sentthe death crashing into the overgrowth.

“We went a little farther, and came, as it shouldseem, to an impenetrable dense thicket that wasfaced with flowering creepers. Ouvery hereuponcalled a halt; and, stepping to the thicket, hethrust his hand within, and felt about amongstthe stems and leaves. Next moment, that which[37]we had taken to be a thicket shook and wasbroken, and a slab of iron swung forward onhinges, leaving in the midst an orifice as blackas night.

“Amazed at the sight, and fearing we knewnot what, we continued to gaze.

“My lad, as we thus stood, there befell a thingthat lifted the hair on my scalp!”

“’Twas a sound, a voice—but whether of man, orbeast, or worse, we knew not; and it proceededfrom the chasm; a sudden, loud, weird, shriekingsound that rose and scattered until the verywood seemed full of it, and died graduallyaway.

“Suddenly there leaped forth a figure. Fromthe darkness of the cavity it came, and stoodconfronting us. ’Twas the figure of a little lad!

“But he was gaunt as a skeleton; and thegreat seaman’s watch-coat that he wore, hungabout him like a sack, falling almost to theground. His legs, appearing like sticks beneaththe loosely fastened coat, were bare; and so,also, were his feet. But strangest of all in thelook of the lad, was his face.

“’Twere impossible to describe it. Blithe, itwas miserable; majestic, it was menial; wise, itwas wild and witless as the face of an antic;haggard and deadly pale, the eyes rovingcontinually, shining with a spectral light. Theface of a little child. And yet, I tell you, it gaveme a scare.

[39]“The little lad stood looking upon us; then,lifting his hand with a strange eerie gesture, hecried:

“‘Welcome, ye pilgrims! Lo! lo! thePromised Land! Milk and honey! a landflowing with milk and honey! Eat of it! drink!sing!—sing for joy of it! The sun! the sun!see, ’tis red, red as the Red Sea! Aha,Pharaoh! Where is Pharaoh now? He strivesto follow thee, O sun! Down! down! there’ssea enough.’

“So he raved in his frenzy, the crazy lad; butOuvery, lumbering forward with a curse, tookhim with his clenched fist a great buffet on thehead, so that he fell down like one dead. AndOuvery laughed, laughed! But not for long!

“A man burst forth from the thicket behind,and felled the great pirate as if he were a figureof pasteboard!

“’Twas an Indian—that same Mosquito Indianyou took up with me from the boat. Heconsorted with the pirates; an innocent abetterof their devilish work, a malefactor in whom wasno guile. For the Mosquito Indians do love andrevere the English wheresoever they meet withthem, honest mariners or pirates, making nodiscrimination; and are, for their part, muchesteemed by them for their valour, theirsagacity, their dexterity in striking fish, andthe like.

“So they look upon our countrymen as lordsand masters, and do their bidding with thesimple faith of children.... Brave, honest, kindly[40]souls! who knows not what eminent servicethey have done us in our conflict with thatSpanish tyrant?[B]

“This Mosquito Indian loved the lad, whomhe took for dead; and, crying aloud with a bittercry, he cast himself upon the ground at his side,fawning upon him as a dog fawns upon the bodyof its master. But, on a sudden, he gaveanother cry. He perceived that the lad lived;and, getting swiftly to his feet, he caught himup, and sped off with him into the wood.

“Ouvery lay as one dead. They plied himwith rum, forcing his teeth asunder to getthe liquor down; they bathed his hands andbrow with water fetched from a crystal spring.But ’twas all one: he gave no sign.

“‘Blazing Sue’s gone!’ said a pirate.

“But he did mistake. For, filling his mouthwith water from the spring, another of the piratesbegan to blow it in a fine spray in Ouvery’s eyesand ears (’Tis a thing that revives even dyingmen); and he began to recover his senses, andpresently staggered to his feet. When herecalled what had befallen him, his rage wasgreat. Yet he kept it under; only he cast abaleful look upon us, as he pointed to theopening in the thicket and cried:

“‘Forward into the Promised Land!’

“You may be sure, my lad, that no man was[41]very eager to obey the command. The chasmhad a fearsome look. Whither did it lead?

“The terror of the unknown lay heavy on us.Yet in our reluctance and fear was an itchof curiosity; and, though an opportunity ofescape and freedom had proffered then, I, atleast, would not have taken it! Moreover thepistols of the guards constrained us; so weentered the chasm and advanced in the darkness.

“We went on through a passage, as it shouldseem, hewed out of rock. Soon the darknessbecame less; and soon, in a strange, livid, ghostlight, we could descry the walls and roof. Thepassage was excavated in the rock.

“Now the strange illumination becameexceeding bright; a cold, sepulchral, white light,such as I had never known before. Nor wasthere any lamp, or flame of fire, to acquaint uswhence it came.

“There was no door visible, yet there was adoor—indeed, many doors—very cunninglyconcealed in the wall; and now it opened witha clang of iron. Ouvery immediately commandedus to stand; and, bidding me, who wasamong the foremost, to follow him, he betookhimself within. Obeying, I found myself in thestrangest place I had ever known.” (Here therecame a sound of tramping overhead, as if the menhad been called to quarters. The Englishmantook due notice, but did not break off in hisrelation.)

“It was a little cell, like the passage, hewedout of the rock, and about the size of a ship’s[42]round-house. There was no furniture in it, savea table and a chair. Upon the table was amedley of things: scrolls of parchment scrawledover with hieroglyphics, triangles, and the like;books, pamphlets, maps, draughts, compasses,and I know not what besides. Beneath thetable, in nooks and recesses contrived in thewalls, were all manner of jars and phials,holding divers materials, both liquid and solid.Also globes, retorts, crucibles, alembics, mortars.At the farther end, beneath a brass clock, stooda large furnace.

“’Twas the chamber of a scholar, the cell ofan alchemist; and in a great armchair at thetable sat the man himself.

“He was a very ancient man, long and largeof frame, but bowed and lean. He was dressedin a scarlet robe like a cardinal’s. His face,which was shaven bare, was fierce and forbidding,and heavy and ill-shapen in the lowerparts; but his forehead was high and deep,and his hair fell in long venerable locks,white like snow. His eyes were large, butdeep-sunk and dull. Yet, as I was soon tosee, they could kindle in anger terribly, orbecome sharp and piercing like points of steel.And in the whole port and aspect of the manthere was power; while thought broodedcontinually in the majestic wrinkles of hisbrow.

“He spoke at once, turning to Ouvery andclutching the sleeve of the man’s coat; and hisvoice was small and shrill like a woman’s.

[43]“‘So,’ said he, ‘they are come, the pilgrimband, the little pilgrim band. You havebrought them to labour with us in the vineyard—is’tnot so, comrade? Thereafter they willjoin. ’Tis well. ’Tis very well. And myacid? You have brought my acid?’

“But at the words, I saw Ouvery start and turndeadly pale; and in a quavering voice he said:

“‘Doctor, forgive! I have forgot!’

“The hand that toyed with Ouvery’s sleeveclosed on it like a vice; a spasm shook theancient man, and left him rigid; the veinsstood upon his forehead gathered in knots; hiseyes started in their sockets.

“For many moments he looked on the manbalefully, like a serpent. Then, uttering afrightful cry, he snatched up a globe of glassand cast it full at Ouvery’s head!

“It took him upon the forehead; and wellwas it for him that the glass was but thin,breaking to small pieces. Even so, you couldsee that the man was sorely hurt. But he gaveno sign of pain, and I thought that the anger ofthe Doctor was more fearful to him than anypain, or rather, that it kept him from feelingpain at all. Only he kept repeating:

“‘Doctor, forgive! Doctor, forgive!’

“‘Forgive you, you dog!’ cried the ancientman. ‘Where is my acid? The jars are empty!Empty! empty! empty! empty!’ He sankback in his chair, gasping, great beads upon hisbrow; and Ouvery would have seized theoccasion to flee. He leapt to the door.

[44]“But no farther! for the Doctor looked on him.‘What!’ cried he, his rasping voice coming ingasps, ‘would you ... would you give me theslip?’ And then, in a horrid coaxing tone, headded:

“‘Would you leave me, my child, whom Ihave loved? Would you leave me, after so longa severance? Yet who am I that I shouldhinder ye, or deny your smallest desire? Getyou gone, child of my heart, get you gone—intothe morass!’

“‘Mercy!’ cried Ouvery; ‘not there! Nay,not there!’

“The Doctor pointed to the door.

“Ouvery sank down upon the floor huddledin fear; and, villain though he was, I could notbut have compassion for him then. But theDoctor only laughed, and he touched a littleknob of brass that stood on the wall to his hand.

“Presently a young man, having a look ofsuffering upon his delicately shapen, shavencountenance, and habited in black in the mannerof a secretary, came swiftly and softly into thecell, and stood before the Doctor, bowing almostto the ground.

“‘Ambrose, summon Sebastian, and ...’

“He broke off, seemed to consider; and,turning to Ouvery, he asked:

“‘And if I bore with you yet again?’

“‘Try me, Doctor! Put me to the proof;Only do not ...’

“‘Peace, fool! Ambrose, begone!’ (theyoung man instantly withdrew) ‘Ouvery, on[45]the morrow you shall sail for England—but ofthat anon. Get you gone, and bring our new-comecomrades to the slave Davies, charginghim to see to it, that not a jot of care or tendancebe omitted unto them. And tell him, moreover,that if the South Bulwark be not finished by thethird day following, he shall pass through thatdoor which I with all my knowledge and witnever have been able to unlock!’

“But Ouvery stood gazing on him after avacant manner; and, rising from his chair infury, the Doctor cried:

“‘Clod of earth, lacking understanding!—ah!take your cow’s eyes from me! Ambrose!’

“He touched the knob again, and, when theyoung man returned, ‘Expound to this clodpole,’said the Doctor, ‘my saying, the door that hath nokey!’

“Thereupon Ambrose turned to Ouvery;and, like one reciting a task, he said:

“‘No man is able to open it, but the deadpass through there. ’Tis the door of fate.’

“‘Good words, Ambrose,’ said the Doctor.‘No man, indeed, is able to open that door. Imyself have essayed, even to weariness, but Ifound no key.

“‘The secrets of the earth lie open to me;but the invisible——Ha! I saw a goodlyvine; I ate of the fruit of it—knowledge,domination, gold—and it hath turned to ashesin my mouth! My heart was empty, and Isought to satisfy it—with hate; and the void isbut increased!

[46]“‘What, then, is hate? Is’t a mere nullity?the walling-in of the soul?

“‘Behold, now, this cell, a place walled off;I banish the light of it. So.’ (He touched aknob upon the wall, and instantly there was thickdarkness.)

“‘Without is light—light of the sun; but not aray thereof can enter here. No; but, if it be darkwithout, and I throw up walls, and roof themabout, and stop up every nook and cranny, can Ikeep out the darkness, as now I do the light?No; for darkness is nothing. It cannot be shutout: only I make it to vanish with light. So.’(And, on a sudden, the cell was flooded withbright light.)

“‘And as with light and darkness, is’t notso, also, with good and evil, love and hate?Ha! I see it! I see it! I know thy efficacy,Almighty Good! thou only real power, substance,and principle, Spirit, the One Spirit! Withmy intellect, in which the truth is dawning, Isee it.... But thou comest not into thisheart——’”

At this juncture, the Englishman’s relationwas interrupted; a great gun was shot off on thepoop overhead; and, while the ship yet shookwith the reverberation, there came a great shoutof cheering thrice repeated.

I sprang to my feet, and, on a nod from theEnglishman, went from the cabin to find outwhat this might mean.

I stayed not long in doubt. The steel-greylight of dawn shone upon the sea; and there,within half a mile astern of us, was a great shipflying the flag of St. George.

She was out after us; a consort belike of thevessel we had crippled in our scampering away.A very swift sailer she must have been, consideringthe speedy sailing we had made allalong. But there was small gratulation on thatscore for the King’s ship now. For her foremasthad gone by the board, shot away by our stern-chasers;and, having slewed right round, she laywallowing in the troughs of the sea.

I climbed the poop-ladder, and stepped to theplace where my brother stood with the gunnerspatting caressingly the nozzle of the piece thathad served his turn so bravely. Wallis, themaster-gunner, stood looking earnestly to leeward,where a wall of mist held down upon thesea. He spoke a word to my brother andpointed that way. Dick had a spyglass in hishand, and immediately he set it to his eye,bringing it to bear. As I drew near, I heardhim say he descried seven great ships whichstood close-hauled towards us. Hereupon he[48]gave the glass to the master-gunner; who, havinglooked awhile, said he took those ships forpirates. “And you’ll leave ’em the King’s shipto grind their teeth on, Captain,” said he,laughing.

But Dick shook his head, “No, no,” said he,“that sort of people don’t meddle with King’sships. You get no dew of heaven in them.They’re going for some Spanish port, to sack acity, belike.”

“Well, ’tis a pity,” said Wallis. But indignationseized on me, and I said hotly:

“How is’t a pity? Do you wish to see yourown people barbarously murdered, you basetraitor!”

The man hung his head, grinning sourly, andlooking sideways up at my brother; who told meto be off with my theatricals, as he called it.Whereupon the gunner laughed. I had returnedupon him; but, from the cabin beneath, therecame the dull report of a pistol-shot.

I knew what it was. Ouvery had seized onthe occasion of my absence to enter the master’scabin, had fired at the poor invalid, and, nodoubt, murdered him.

And so it proved; for, on making haste to thecabin, I saw the Englishman lay dead in his bed,being shot through the skull into the brain.Yea, I did very narrowly escape a like fatemyself; for that enormous and infernal villain,Ouvery, stood crouching in shadow behind thealley-way door, and, as I stepped by him, he letfly at me with a second pistol that he had.[49]However, I had caught a shuffling motion hemade before he fired at me, and, by an instinct,I turned my head in the nick of time. Thebullet missed me.

I immediately drew my rapier, and made apass upon him even as he leaped on me. Buthe came a little sideways, so that my point tookhim on the shoulder. He gave a yelping cry,and would have closed with me; but, quick asa flash, I dropped, casting myself with such forceat his booted ankles, which I clutched, ashandsomely tripped him, so that he fell all hislength forward on the cabin floor. Thereupon,before ever he could recover himself, I sprangon top of him, and held him so that he couldnot anyways stir or lift himself up. I was madwith passion against this horrible wretch, and ifI had had a pistol in my hand, I would havemade no more to have set it to his head andmurdered him, than to have killed a rat!

Now, the entire affair had passed in the spaceof a few moments, and the Captain had justentered the cabin. He stepped forward, and, ina voice that trembled, bade me stand up and letthe Quartermaster alone. But this was an orderI flatly denied to obey.

“Let him alone!” said I. “Why, he hath justendeavoured as much as possibly he could tomurder me; and look you his bloody workthere on the bed!”

“Stop your mouth, and get up!” said he.

“I’ll get up,” said I, “if you’ll undertake thathe shall immediately hang at the mainmast!”

[50]“That’s my business,” said the Captain. “Upwith you, or you shall hang there yourself!”

Now, Surgeon Burke was come hither, standingat the entry of the cabin, and it came into mythoughts to appeal from my brother unto him.However, I perceived the foolishness of this.“Well, have it as you will,” said I, and got tomy feet.

Ouvery lay some moments where he was,gnawing the mat upon the floor with his teeth,and growling like a dog. Thereupon he stirred,slowly turned over on his back, and so laylumpish and dazed and retching after a disgustingmanner. This horrible villain did reekof rum, so that the cabin was full of the stenchof it; and, becoming faint, I was fain to getforth to the open air.

As I passed out of the cabin, SurgeonBurke winked his eye to me, and said in myear:

“Never you mind, my boy! I’ll take him inhand. I’ll bleed him, to the last drop!”

Coming forth upon the poop, I desponded in mymind, thinking of home and England; and thesea, with all the beauty of its clear and flashingblue waters, was hateful to me; yea, it cruellysmiled on me with its shining face.

For I suffered loneliness, such loneliness asexiles know; than which, to sensible men, thereis not on the earth a more cruel affliction. Here,indeed, on this populous King’s ship, of whichmy very brother was in command, I did findmyself alone with a desolation very far greaterthan solitude of place. Doubtless there wassomething of God in the villainous men, deep inthe hearts of them, as there is something of Godin all things; and the rest (to speak truly) is butdistortion and shadow and absence and darkness.But I did not understand it so, and looked buton the appearance, loathing them for theirvillainous demeanour, and filthy discourse.

A woful suffering it was; a stifling of theheart; a hand upon the brain, goading it tomadness; an upheaval of the deeps, breakingup the standing surface-mould. But, amid thestress of it all, and as with a flash of seismicfire, there was made to me a revelation. All[52]loneliness and loss were delusions; for the hearts ofall are knit together in the heart of God.

So the affliction departed from me, and I cameto myself. Yet it left me sore distraught, sothat I shook with cold like one in an ague; andI made to go to the galley, where was a fire.

I descended the weather-ladder; but, comingunder the break of the poop, I caught a curioussound of singing that proceeded from within thealley-way.

I passed in, and the sound led me towards themaster’s cabin. Therein I beheld the MosquitoIndian. He was alone with the dead Englishman,pacing up and down before the body; and,ever as he went, he kept crooning and chanting awild music, and swayed his body from side toside, and moved his hands and arms in strangemystic passes and convolutions.

Wild and inarticulate was the dirge, and themotions, I doubt not, were but the ceremonies ofa savage fetish; but I watched and hearkenedentranced. How much of what followed isaccountable to the woful strain that recenttrials—and especially that last great trial—hadput upon me, I know not; but I think that therewas nothing earthly in that chant, or rune(whatever it was), nothing of human artifice, andthat it proceeded from the occult heart of things.

I saw a vision of a boundless expanse: theheavens loaden with masses of cloud ebon black,the firmament illumined with a spectral light,and, beneath it all, the deep! That was blackas the clouds above, and surging in billows[53](though without foam) so stupendous, that thetops of them might not be descried, and sweepingtogether with a shock and tumult such as no mancould imagine. But that which held my gaze—yea,and nigh unseated my reason!—was theThing, whether brute or demon, that seemed tobe the sole denizen of the waters, swimming andwallowing there. Merciful God! may I neverlook upon the like of it again.

Slowly the mood and measure of the singingchanged; and now I beheld other scenes, andother images, which concerned the mid-period ofthings.

Again the measure changed; and, now, indeed,I saw god-like forms and god-like deeds: andthere appeared before me (but oh, how transfigured,how glorified!) the similitudes of thosewhom I had known and loved: my mother, whowas dead, my friends and playmates as a child,and my father, the Squire. They smiled on me;and so near they seemed, that I stretched forthmy hand to have touched them, and would havespoken to them, when lo! they were gone. TheMosquito Indian had ceased from his singing,and stood silent and motionless, with bowedhead.

I sprang to my feet. “Now, what manner ofman are you?” cried I. “What was it that yousang?”

But he turned, and looked on me so friendly,and yet withal so manly, grave and majestic,that I was drawn to him. He saluted me;solemnly we shook hands, in testimony of friendship,[54]a friendship that endured to the end—yea,to the end!

The Mosquito Indian was sufficiently acquaintedwith the English tongue, though he did patterit but queerly. He told me the name he wentby amongst the English, and was very proud ofit, knowing no better. For ’twas but a ridiculousname, given him by some buffoon. So I calledhim Thalassios (afterwards shortened to Thalass),because it was a high-sounding word to pleasehim, and because he had been taken up fromthe sea.

Soon after came two seamen to bear away thedead body of the Englishman. I followed themforth to where my brother stood awaiting themunder the break of the poop. He immediatelybade them to throw the body into the sea.

On this, however, the boatswain, who stoodnear, putting off his cap to the Captain, beggedleave to ask whether he would not give the bodya volley for ceremony, or, at any rate, cause it tobe sewn up in a sheet or an old topsail, and aweight fastened to it to sink it in the sea. “For,”said he, “if you throw him in as he be, I doubthe’ll rise and haunt us, Cap’n.”

But the Captain, being in a very ill-temper,took this in dudgeon, and roughly bid the boatswainto keep his tongue quiet, and the marinersto act their part without more ado. This theydid—albeit but unwillingly for what the boatswainhad said about the spirit haunting theship—and, as the body splashed into the sea,they looked one on another very glumly; and,[55]after the Captain’s back was turned, they beganto murmur against him, saying he had put a curseupon them, and that henceforward we shouldmeet with no luck in our voyage, and that, in alllikelihood, the ship would be quite lost.

Towards evening the wind freshened verymuch, so that they said evil already began to fallupon us. But, on this coming to my brother’sears, he went and spoke to them, and appeasedtheir minds; for he showed them that the windwas favourable to our course, and that it did butspeed them the faster to the island whither theywere bound and where they would all maketheir fortunes.

When dark came, we had a great rippling sea,and a high wind, which sometimes came inpushes, forcing us to hand our topsails often.It increased to a gale, and came so furious atlast, that we scudded under a mainsail.

This gave the men work enough all night.

On the next day following, I got up betimes andwent on deck.

The ship lurched and pitched so that I hadmuch ado to keep my feet. We ran before thewind under our topsails only, driven ever onwardswith the rolling long waves of the sea andthe flying white scud-rack overhead. This all-movingprospect put strange thoughts and whimsiesin my head, insomuch that I found I couldnot endure to look upon it for long together, andI presently returned into my cabin, and read ina book until breakfast-time.

I sat down to that meal in sole company ofSurgeon Burke (my brother not yet being up);and then I had news of Ouvery.

“’Tis the second time of bleeding the villain,”says Burke, “and, if you will pass me the poachedeggs, I’ll even show you how ’tis done.”

“So you have carved him like a poached egg,”answered I laughing, as I passed the dish to him.He provided himself with great liberality; and,between munching of the eggs, “Knives foreggs, and lancets for villains,” says he, “there beyour remedies, look you!”

While he yet spoke, my brother entered, and[57]asked what he said about remedies. The surgeon,putting on a countenance of the greatest gravity,replied:

“I gave your brother a very good remedyfor gout in the great toe. Do you happen tosuffer from the gout, Captain?”

But Dick was out of humour for jest. “Tut, tut,”said he testily, as he sat down; and immediatelyafter Ouvery entered the cabin.

I looked at Burke, who made a grimace at me.Ouvery staggered to the table with much adofor the weakness he was under. He was in amost villainous temper, which the sight of me,be sure, did not serve to sweeten! He sunkheavily into a chair, and began to eat in sullensilence. This wrought on my brother, and herapped out:

“So you are in the sullens again, my man!”

Ouvery looked up dully and heavily, like agreat beast; then a terrible light came into hiseyes, and he bounded to his feet with a roar.

“What!” cried he, “you speak to me....You ... I....” His speech was stopped withpassion; but he caught up a great brass salverand cast it at my brother with all his force. Itmissed his head, and so narrowly, that the hairwas stirred upon his scalp; and on that, in aninstant, in the twinkling of an eye, both menhad drawn their pistols and fired across!

My brother stood untouched; but the Quartermastergave a great, snarling, stricken cry; and,pitching forward upon the board, he lay theresilent and still. The ball had pierced his breast[58]in the upper parts, and he never spoke more.Only he fixed his eyes upon my brother full ofhate and of mystery, and he took from thepocket of his coat a leathern case and thrust itforth before us. Then the hand of death closedupon Ouvery; and, in a throe and convulsionterrible to behold, his spirit passed.

But I took mechanically the leathern case, andopened it. There was a strip of parchment sewnbetween. ’Twas a seaman’s chart.

I turned to my brother, who stood holding thesmoking pistol. His face was deadly pale; and,when I spoke to him, calling him by his name,he laughed high and shrill, like a woman. HereuponSurgeon Burke gave him to drink a dramof brandy from his flask, which steadied him.When he was recovered, my brother took thechart; and, having observed it awhile, he returnedit to its case, which he put within thepocket of his coat, saying:

“This is what I wanted. ’Tis the chart of theisland, Burke. But what made him deliver it tome so? For revenge? But how can that be?”

About midday the wind shifted into the north;and, continuing very high, it blew us from ourcourse.

And, as we designed to touch at the Isle ofPorto Rico, so we could not make it, butmust go away under the great Island ofHispaniola. Hereupon the wind chopped backagain, so that we sailed along the south side ofthe island. Soon after doubling the Cape ofLobos on the south western corner of Hispaniola,we descried at sea a fleet of full fifteen sail, thatcame towards us.

We misliked the appearance of them, yet heldour course—albeit the Captain caused cutlashesand pistols to be served out, and had our portsopened and our guns run out. When we werecome to about a quarter of a mile from thoseships, the biggest of them fired a gun, and madea wiff to us to stand in the wind, or lay to, asmariners call it. This was very uneasy to mybrother, and now he was sorry he had not borneup his helm and scampered away while therewas yet time. Yea, it put him in so ill a temper,[60]that I, who stood near him on the quarter-deck,was fain to remove to more peaceful ground.For, after he had ordered to obey the summons,he fell to pacing quickly up and down; and,as I stood a little in his path (or rather hepretended I did), he shoved me roughly to oneside, as well as giving me a whirret on the earfor having, as he said, obstructed him.

The ships came a little nearer, and thenbrought to. Whereupon a dozen men putthemselves into a big canoe, or periagua, whichwas towing astern of the Admiral, and pulledtowards us. They came on but slowly, for thesea was heavy; but at length they laid aboardof us in the waist. They were all huge brawnyseamen, sunburnt like red tiles, and veryvillainous.

When they had made fast their boat, thecoxswain hallooed to my brother, and inquiredof him whence we came. Being answered, “FromEngland,” he said he was come from CaptainMorgan, who desired some provisions of bread,pork and cheese; in recompense whereof he hadsent us some jars of excellent Peru wine.

Now, while the man spoke, I observed mybrother gave a start and looked earnestly uponhim; and, after he ceased, the Captain desiredhe would come aboard into the ship, but thatthe rest should stay in the boat. The rest,however, began to cry out against that.

“What! you won’t treat us, Cap’n?” criesone, and “Let us see what liquor you broughtfrom England,” cries another, and “Why, you[61]skinflint shark,” quoth another, “if you drinknot with us, we’ll broach your fat hull!”

Hereupon these unruly rascals made toswarm the ship’s side, and what the event of ithad been I know not; but, on a sudden, a gunwas shot off aboard the Admiral, which put aperiod to their brawling. They immediatelyfell quiet; and the coxswain said: “Cap’nMorgan’s in haste, and I reckon we’d best be inhaste also. Keep you still in the boat, while Igo get the victuals. You’ll not drink rumbo thisbout!”

So he came up to us into the ship; and mybrother took him into his cabin, shutting thedoor after, so that I know not what passedbetween them.

But when they came out, they talked veryfamiliarly together; and, passing near me, Iheard my brother say:

“Is Jolly Peter still with you?” whence Iapprehended my brother had old acquaintancewith these people. As to what they were, Idoubted not, and now do know, they werenothing but a swarm of pirates. On boardthose fifteen vessels, indeed, was embarked thearmy of Captain Henry Morgan, a name soonto become so notorious and so dreadful. Theywere going to Maracaibo.

When such commodities as the pirates wantedhad been laded into their boat (the jars of winehaving been taken aboard the ship in theinterim), that spokesman did very affectionatelytake leave of my brother, and returned into the[62]boat. So they cast off and pulled away, singinga ribald song to keep the time.

After parting from the pirates, we hauled ourwind and tacked in for the western shore ofHispaniola, to re-victual the ship and fill ourwater. Thereby, in the dusk of the evening, wehit a little bay, and came to an anchor within amile from the shore, and lay there all night.

In the morning, so soon as it was light, I gotup, and went on deck to view the landfall.Indeed, I was much inquisitive to behold thisIsland of Hispaniola; for a poor crookedmutilated man that lived in the village at home,had given me an account thereof, acquaintingme with its varied fruitfulness and spacious andbeautiful prospects, and with the curious customsof the hunters and planters there. He, when aboy, had been kidnapped, and transported intoslavery on the plantations in the Isle ofSt. Christopher of the Caribbee Islands. Therehis master was one Bettesa, who did even excelin cruelty among a sort of people incrediblycruel to their slaves and servants, and used himwith such barbarity as reduced his body to thatmiserable plight aforesaid. But at last, escapingfrom the clutches of this inhuman monster, hecame to Hispaniola; where, after many days ofhiding and wandering up and down the country,he fell in with a certain rich Spaniard, whoproved his benefactor. For this generous-spiritedman not only clothed and cared forthat poor fugitive, but did also defray thecharges of his passage to England on a ship[63]that was departing thither; and, moreover, hegave him, in Spanish notes, a bounty sufficientto his support for the rest of his days.

Having mounted the poop, I looked veryeagerly towards the land.

I beheld a low woody shore, whereon atsome points a sort of squat small trees grewquite down to the sea, their branches so low asto touch the water. Hugely contrasting withthese, were palm trees, being exceeding tall(160 feet at the least) and wholly destitute ofbranches to the very tops, where grew prodigiousgreat leaves. The trunks were of a hugethickness and were covered with prickles.

Near the bottom of the bay a river flowedinto the sea, on the marshy banks whereof thosegreat trees did chiefly grow. In the backgroundthe woods grew very thick and high. I sawtherein many brave cedar trees. At thefarther extremity of the bay, where the woodswere much thinner, there was a clear ground,and in the midst a wooden hut, the roof whereofwas covered with the great leaves I have toldyou of. A smoke went up from a heap nearthe entry.

Even as I spied this hut, a man stepped forthfrom within, and was followed by another. Onspying the ship, they immediately turned andhid themselves within the woods. Theyappeared to be white men, very slovenlydressed. I took them for hunters. I observedby the stirring of the undergrowth (albeit ’twasbut slight) that they worked their way in the[64]coverts of the woods alongst the shore towardsthe ship. Being come over against us, theystood concealed amongst the little thick treesbeside the sea; and there they were, when, onmy brother coming to me on the poop, I toldhim what I had seen.

He immediately ordered the jolly-boat to belaunched and manned; and, this done, he puthimself into the boat, and so did I.

We pulled to the shore, making to a pointnear the place where those two men lurkedamongst the trees, and where there was groundfit to light upon. Having jumped ashore, theCaptain hallooed to these people, telling themthat he came in peace, and would by no meansharm them; only he desired some discoursewith them, and to trade with them.

Hereupon one of them made answer, in verypoor English, that ’twas well; they would tradewith him, and invited him to come and drinkwith them in their hut. They desired, however,that he would come alone; by reason, as theysaid, their little mean hut was not fit toentertain more. He thanked them, and toldthem he would go with them.

Then came they out of their hiding towardsus into the open. They were a Frenchbuccaneer (or hunter of wild bulls and cows),and his slave. They were very slovenlydressed, and beastly dirty. The buccaneer worea dirty linen shirt tucked into his breeches,which were dyed in the blood of the beasts hekilled. He had round his middle a sailor’s belt;[65]a long sheath-knife hung from the belt at theback thereof: leggings he had of hairy boar-hide,shoes of dressed bull-hide, and a big wide-brimmedhat upon his head. The habit of theslave was likewise; only without belt or shoes,and on his head an old cloth montero-cap.Their faces were anointed with hog’s grease todefend them from the stings of insects.

My brother went with them to the hut; andI, with Surgeon Burke, into the woods. ForBurke took the opportunity of gathering diversmedicinal herbs and woods that the placeafforded.

Before he left the seamen, however, he warnedthem that they should by no means touch thefruit of any tree which was not pecked by birds;for, said he, ’twas an infallible sign that theywere not good, and evinced those little squattrees that I had observed from the ship, whichhad apples on them that did smell very sweet.These were manchineel, or dwarf-apple trees,the fruit whereof no bird doth eat: and, indeed,it is so venomous that the very crabs that eatof it are poisonous. He that eats thereof ispresently raving mad, and dead within a littlewhile after. Moreover, the sap of this tree dothraise on the skin terrible red blisters, as it werescalding water.

We roved up and down in the woods,gathering Burke’s medicants; but, as the sunclimbed, we began to be tormented with thosebig venomous gnats called mosquitoes, as withother flying and creeping pests also. And,[66]though the Surgeon seemed not much to mindthem, for me the incessant attacks and inroadsof the creatures became well-nigh insupportable;but I endured them for the sake of the noveltyof the way.

Care was ever had of us, as we drew farther fromthe seaside, not to lose touch of the river, thoughwe saw little of it for the dense undergrowth.

At length the wood became pathless, whichforced us to return. A little after, through a riftin the undergrowth towards the river, I spied amarvellous strange thing—or so I thought it.For, as it should seem, a great tree-log thatfloated in the river, did turn about and raiseitself as if it were a living creature. And a livingcreature it really was, being nothing else but aprodigious great cayman, or crocodile, that, thusin semblance of a floating log, lay lurking forits prey, waiting until some wild boar or othercame to drink thereby. This horrible beastcould have had no less than threescore foot inlength, and ten in breadth.

Another horrid creature I beheld before wereturned to the sea-shore. This was a sort ofhuge hairy spider, very hideous. Its body wasas big as an egg; its legs were like a crab’s; fourblack teeth it had, with which it snapped at meas it ran scuttling away along a bough of a tree.I must confess it gave me a scare, and the moreso because I thought it might be the dreadfultarantula whose bite doth make men mad. ButBurke told me it was not venomous, and,moreover, that I needed not be afraid of being[67]envenomed by anything in that place; for nocreature in the whole Island of Hispaniola wasvenomous—no, not even snakes.

When we got to the boat, we found mybrother was not yet returned, and the seamenmuch out of humour for the waiting. They saton the shore, smoking their pipes, cursing theCaptain and the mosquitoes, and viciously castingstones at the land crabs.

“I ain’t going for to bide on this hell-shoremuch longer,” said one, “Cap’n or no Cap’n!Oh, to hell with them mosquiters!”

But Burke essayed to turn their minds, and“Why, what’s amiss with ’em?” says he merrily,“They need their victuals, like the rest of us.I’ve been feeding a score of ’em since I cameashore.”

“Well, you may say so, too!” returned theseaman. “You have enough and to spare onyour bones, old sawbones!”

Burke laughed, and slapped him on theshoulder. With such jolly talk did he physictheir minds, and had soon restored them to goodhealth. But, on a sudden, came a sound ofanother sort of jollity: drunken shout and revelryin the buccaneer’s hut; and, as he hearkened, Isaw the merriment quite go out of Burke: whileone of the seamen said harshly:

“Hark to ’em, boys, roystering yonder! lyingsnug an’ easy on their liquor, like fine gentlemen,whilst we be sweltering here!”

So the ill-temper of the seamen returned, norwas Surgeon Burke able to mollify them.

[68]And now the sun began to shine very hot,and the hunger and thirst of the mosquitoesappeared even to increase. After a further spellof waiting (the clamour in the hut continuing),those belated and miserable seamen did concludethat they had endured enough, and would haveput themselves into the boat and launched forthfor the ship.

However, Burke proffered to go to the hut andbring them word again, and persuaded them towait his return. So he went, and I with him.

We forced our way in haste alongst the woodyshore, whilst behind us the curses of the seamen,in front the shouts and laughter of the revellers,sounded in our ears; whilst the sun scorched uslike a furnace, and the humming mosquitoesstung our bare faces. Many discomforts andhardships of body I have suffered, but never aone of them comparable to that shore-passageat Hispaniola!

At last we came to the hut, and straightwayentered in. The drinkers sat on a couple ofchests and a stool, which were disposed about atable on which were canakins and an earthenjar, or bottle.

They had their load: the buccaneer and hisslave looked blankly up at us as we entered,and the buccaneer broke off in singing adrunken song; but my brother stirred not handor foot. He sat fallen forward upon the board,being completely conquered with the drink.’Twas veycou, as they call it, the beer of thebuccaneers. (It is made from Cassava root,[69]from which, also, they make their meal orflour.)

Surgeon Burke worked his way round thecabin towards my brother, and, taking himsmartly by the shoulder, endeavoured to rousehim up; but he could not.

Meanwhile the buccaneer began to be contraryand truculent, and tipsily abused us in theFrench tongue. But we minded him not,so long as he contented himself with words.When, however, he pulled out a pistol and beganto threaten us with it, Burke leant swiftly overand snatched it from him. On that, thebuccaneer rose up to have grappled with him,but Burke poked him smartly in the wind, whichdoubled him up; and he rolled over upon thefloor, and lay there muttering, swearing, andsinging this catch:

As for the slave, he meddled not with us, butsat still, drinking down a last panakin of theveycou; whereupon he settled also, and presentlyslept.

They being all three thus disposed and settledon their lees, as the saying is, Surgeon Burkedesired me to return alone to the mariners, andto bid them launch forth and bring the boattowards a little landing-place which was overagainst the hut.

Before I went, he anointed my face andhands with hog’s grease (a vessel whereof he[70]found in a corner), to solace my mosquito bites,which now began to be very grievous to me.

So I went. When I came to the seamen, Ifound that they had been joined by severalothers, who had come ashore in the launch, orlongboat, and Thalass, the Mosquito Indian,with them. This was told me by two of themwho stood by the boats, and that the rest weregone away straggling into the woods to shootwild fowl, some of those who had come in thelongboat having muskets.

This put me to my trumps for men to managethe boat, and I started off to see for them.Suddenly a musket-shot rang out in the woods,and was succeeded by a great hoarse croaking ofcrows, or ravens, that rose flocking above thetree-tops in a black multitude; and then, on asudden, arose a great outcry of men.

I set off running that way, and soon perceivedwhat the matter was. Two of the seamen werelocked in fierce fight. Now, this was a dreadfulthing to see; for one of the fighters was a one-armedman—I mean, his left arm had beenamputated below the elbow, and, in lieu of anarm, he had an iron rod with a hook to it.With this hook had he grappled hold of theother, and with his sailor’s knife he made fierceclawing cuts at his face. The rest stood by,viewing the fight.

However, all was over in a moment, the one-armedman having murdered the other. WhenI came up, he was rummaging in the pockets ofthe dead man’s coat. He seemed to have a[71]huge impatience about something he soughtafter, digging amongst the cloth stuff, his facered like fire.

At last he grimped out a flask of water, whichimmediately he uncorked, and drank off thecontents.

The man was stark mad. Being one of thosewho had come ashore in the second boat, he hadneither heard the Surgeon’s warning againsteating of the fruit of the manchineel, nor knewanything at all of the danger; and, beingattracted, I suppose, by the pleasant appearanceand sweet smell of those deadly apples, he hadtasted and eaten of them. Whereupon suchhuge drought and uncontrollable thirst seized onthe poor maddened wretch, as inflamed him tothat dreadful act of ferocity I have told you of.Now madness seized hold on him indeed,insomuch that he ran up and down, roaring andcutting the air and the trees with his knife. Butthe boatswain, who stood by, quickly put aperiod to his misery by running him throughwith his hanger.

After this I told the boatswain what Burkedesired, and he mustered half a dozen of thatcompany, and brought them with me to theboats. We put ourselves into the longboat,launched forth, and pulled towards the fartherpoint of the bay, where we found Burke withoutthe hut, stirring the heap of tobacco-leaves thatwas laid up before the entry for a protectionagainst the mosquitoes. We went ashore tohim, and with him into the hut.

[72]The jolly company lay in the same posture,all three slumbering. Burke bid our men toremove the Captain into the boat, and theybegan to set about it. But, while this was doing,the buccaneer stirred, and presently woke up;and, having looked stupidly round, he enquiredwho we were and what we did in his habitation.

He was answered pleasantly by Burke, whosaid:

“Bon jour, monsieur, j’espère que vous avezbien dormi. Il faut que nous vous quittions.Mais je suis vraiment très fâché de ne plus voirvotre beau visage!”

But this was taken very ill by the buccaneer,who started up, crying:

“Insolent! maraud d’Anglais! petit groshomme! Mort Dieu! vous me le paierez.”

And he felt for his knife.

The Surgeon, however, had removed it whilsthe slept; and, when he understood this, he wouldhave fallen upon Burke with his fist. But oneof the seamen who stood near, knocked him onthe head with the butt of his pistol, which felledhim senseless.

Hereupon, waked by the scuffle, the slavebegan to cry out, and then roared for quarter, asa seaman lifted his pistol to have served himafter the same manner as his master. But Burkemade the man desist.

Burke’s care now was to get the Captain (whocontinued to slumber) into the boat, and thenceall back into the ship again; and this he dideffect, mainly by reason of his foresight in[73]absconding amongst the bushes the buccaneer’sstore of veycou before our men came to the hut.

That night I took an opportunity of questioningThalass about his knowledge of the HauntedIsland and acquaintance with those pirates.But, though he answered me very frankly andtold me what possibly he could, I learnt notmuch; for the eyes of a poor Indian are notas an European’s, and here were strange andunfamiliar things.

It appeared, also, that Thalass had neverstayed on the island for any considerable spaceof time, but used to go out on one pirate vesselor another (for, it seems, there were two orthree), and, even at such times as he was on theisland, he kept himself aloof from the rest,living in the woods.

Thalass told, indeed, of great pieces ofordnance and fortifications; and of that subterraneousplace spoken of by the Englishman.Of the terrible old man the Englishman hadcalled the Doctor, he could tell me nothing butwhat I knew. He had heard of the ghost, buthad never seen it.

For the rest, he had consorted with theEnglishman and made great friends with him;and at last (being taken out together on thesame ship), they had contrived to escape in theco*ck-boat, and (after many days, and when suchprovisions as they had were long spent) hadfallen in with our ship in manner related.

[74]I asked him how first he came to consort withthose pirates; he answered, that, being “manysleeps ago at Quibo,” there came one of theirships, and he had gone away with them.

Next day I gave the Captain and SurgeonBurke an account of all that I had learnt of theHaunted Island, as well from the Englishmanas from the Mosquito Indian.

In all the space of our voyage from the Islandof Hispaniola, round about the great hump ofAmerica southwards, and through the Straits ofMagellan into the South Sea, there fell outnothing worthy of remark—nothing, I mean,sufficiently noteworthy or fit to be set down inthis history.

Accordingly, passing over all this while, Icome to the day, when, having beat up roundthe Cape, at nine leagues’ distance we laid theIsle of Juan Fernandez.

This island is very high, and at a distanceappears like a rough rocky pyramid cut off atthe top with a canopy of clouds. But when wewere got closer to the south side, we perceivedthe shore was woody. We had a constantbreeze; and, about sundown, stood in past alesser island (being nothing but scraggy andbarren rock), into a bay, and came to an anchor atthe distance of a furlong from shore.

Thus we had lain not long, when we perceiveda man made signals to us from the shore,hallooing and waving a sort of a ragged banneron a staff. He appeared to be a wild figure of aman, but the light was failing, and whether[76]European or Indian we could not tell. And, asto what he said, a very great concourse of sealson the shore did keep up so great a barkingnoise that we could make nothing of it.

I asked the Captain whether he would sendoff a boat, but he told me “No, not until themorning,” and immediately commanded, that onno pretext, should any man leave the ship.Notwithstanding, being restless and full ofcuriosity to know who and what that strangeman on the island might be, I resolved to getto the shore if possibly I could, and began tocast about for a way.

Had the co*ck-boat been afloat, it had beeneasy if I waited until night came; for the sea wassmooth, and the men did not use to keep a goodwatch. But only the jolly-boat lay in the water,and that I could not manage. She lay underour quarter.

But, when I saw how she tugged at her lashingtowards the shore, I took a thought; for Iperceived, that, if the tide held until night, Imight safely trust to drive ashore in her, and,peradventure, get off unseen. Concluding, therefore,to make the attempt if the tide held, Idisposed myself to wait the time.

At last it became quite dark; whereupon Istole softly into the great cabin (which, by goodluck, I found empty), stepped to a port-holeand looked without.

The shine of a bright star just overheadshowed me that the jolly-boat held in the sameposture, and that the tide still flowed. I opened[77]the port, and, scrambling up, made a leap forthe jolly-boat. I lighted on my toes in thestern-sheets, making but little noise; and, havingrecovered my balance, I had soon cut throughthe lashing with my knife. Unseen by any manon the ship, I drove quickly towards the shore.

At length the boat grounded on the sandybottom; and, catching up a rope that wasfastened in the bows, I boldly adventured toleap ashore. But hereupon I came nigh to bescared out of my wits; for, falling foul of anobstacle that lay there below, I rolled over,clutching with my fingers a shaggy hide, and ahuge creature rose up beside me, being quite sixtimes bigger than a seal, and did roar like a lion.And, indeed, a lion I took him to be; for hishead, as I saw it, was exactly like a lion’s.However, he shambled away, and left me; andnow I know ’twas a creature called a sea-lion.

This rencounter shook my spirit; so that,having got to my feet, I stood quaking with fearof the darkness, or rather of unknown terrors thedarkness might hold concealed. And, beingalso very cold and wet from my immersion inthe breaking waves, I began hugely to repentof my coming hither, and devoutly wished it hadbeen possible to return—nay, I was ready tohalloo to the ship; but shame withheld me.

Now, whilst I thus stood, a voice spoke to mealmost at my feet.

“Ha! little pilgrim,” came the voice. “Ha!little pilgrim!” ’Twas harsh and grating like arusty lock.

[78]Immediately after, a man rose up from anempty water-hole that lay near in my path.

He was a small man, and very wild looking,having a shock of towselled red hair and beardthat nigh covered his face, and clothed in ragsand patches. He stood clutching the staff andtattered banner which we had observed from theship, and peered in my face with his glittering eyes.

“Ha! little pilgrim,” cried he again. “What isyour sin, shipmate? What ha’ been your offenceagainst the Righteous?”

I perceived he was stark mad. “I have slaina man in a duel,” said I, humouring him.

“Ha! ’twas a sore offence,” cried he, and beganto wave his banner above my head, “’Twasa black sin, Jesus ha’ mercy! ’Twas a mostgrievous transgression. Now, look’e hereon, shipmate!Behold, it shall be as an ensign on an hill!”

Hereupon he turned from me, and made withgreat bounds towards a high boulder which stoodat a few yards’ distance. He set the staffin a cleft of the rock, crying: “Behold theensign of the Lord! Look’e on the banner,shipmate, and say after me, ‘Father I havesinned afore Heaven and afore Thee, and am nomore worthy to be called Thy son.’”

A gust of wind took the banner, stretching itout, and I beheld upon it the Royal device ofSpain. I began to repeat the words; but hetook me up short.

“Gramercy!” cried he, “Look on the ensign,can’t you? Look on the ensign! Now, overagen!”

[79]I perceived by the look in his rolling eyes thathe was on the verge of a frenzy-fit, and I hastedto humour him to the letter.

When I had said and acted to his satisfaction,he took the banner in his hand again, and beganto wave it over my head, and absolved me (ashe called it) in a hotch-potch jargon of Scripturaland nautical phrase. Madness makes ever arueful picture, but the shape this man’s took wasextremely scandalising to me; and it may easilybe believed, that now I repented more than everof having come on shore, and would have givena great deal to have been safe back on theship again. But there was worse to come.

For, when this business of absolving me wasover, the madman took another notion; and,having muttered to himself once and twice, he, ona sudden bawled out:

“It is written, ‘He that sheddeth man’s blood,by man shall his blood be shed.’”

Hereupon he lowered fiercely round at me,clapt his hand behind him, and plucked from hisbelt a long macheat. At the sudden sight of thebare blade glittering in the dark night, I startedback, and then stepped quickly to one side asthe madman made a lunge on me.

Thus I eluded his intent, and immediatelyafter took to my heels, running blindly in thedarkness. I heard him close behind me, thefurious haste he made, his quick pants, mingledwith curses. I struck my feet against stones; Ibruised my body against the jagged sides ofboulders; every moment I expected to feel that[80]murdering great knife come crashing in mybones.

Suddenly I tumbled into a water-hole, hurtingmy ankle (though I scarce did feel it); butgot out, set my back to a great boulder thatstood near, drew my rapier, and made shift toparry a lunge in the nick of time.

And, as the madman blundered in on me withthe impulse of the blow, I caught his wrist in adesperate gripe, and twisted his arm round, untilhe dropped his knife, roaring with pain. ThereuponI set my point to his breast, and had himat my will.

“Up with your arms,” said I smartly, “or I’llrun you through!”

He was not so mad but he understood, andheld up his arms immediately; but his eyeskept harking down to his knife, until, with akick of my unhurt foot, I removed it out of reach.

“Now,” said I, speaking very slowly, “yousee, don’t you, that you are quite helpless.If you do not exactly as I bid you, Ishall run you through the heart. I bid youinstantly to drop upon the ground and lay quiteflat.”

And I advanced my point until it pressedupon his breast-bone.

“Ay, ay!” said he, and immediately casthimself flat.

So far, so well; but what was next to do Iknew not: I had no cord or rope to have boundhim; nor withal could I securely have attemptedit, for he was stronger than I. Moreover, my[81]hurt ankle now began to pain me much. Thereappeared nothing for it but to bide on guarduntil day, when I trusted to be succoured fromthe ship. Accordingly, with a rueful mind anda tired body, I disposed myself to the miserablevigil.

For a pretty long while the man lay quietand perfectly still, whilst I took up my posture,as easy as I could, on a ledge of the rock, havingmy drawn sword in my hand. I marvelled thathe spoke not; and kept the better look-out,lest he should contemplate a surprise. Atlength I could endure the silence no longer,and brake it.

“My man,” said I, “how came you here onthis island?”

I spoke at adventure, not expecting anyreasonable reply. I was, therefore, startled andperfectly astonished when he said:

“I was marooned, Cap’n. ’Twas piratesmarooned me.”

“Oh,” said I, “and how long ago was that?”

“’Tis many a year—ay, many a year!” saidhe. “It mought be ten, it mought be twelve.Many a weary year. I lived like a beast, allalone, alone!”

“What was your ship,” said I, “that wastaken by these pirates?”

“What was my ship?” said he. “Why, I wasaboard of ’em. The Doctor sent us——”

“The Doctor!” exclaimed I, breaking in onhim. “What Doctor? Not the master of theHaunted Island?”

[82]“Ay,” said he, sitting up, and staring on me—hisface had turned deadly pale, and his voicequavered—“but you a’n’t come from him, lad?No, no, not from him! You a’n’t. Say youa’n’t!”

“Be easy as to that,” said I. “No, I am notcome from the Doctor.”

“Then how know you of him?” said he.“How? How? Never lie to me, on your soul!The Lord do the like to you if you deal falsely.Behold, I am come in the name of the Lord!In the Lord’s name!...”

But I forbear to set down the things heuttered in the frenzy-fit that thus, on a sudden,seized on him. Nor did he return again toreason; but, all night long, lay silent or raving;whilst I kept watch and ward.

Towards dawn he slept: but I dared nottake any rest myself, nor leave watching of himfor a moment. Indeed, the pain of my hurtserved to keep me awake. In that hour, whileit was yet dark, came the noise of a commotionon board the ship, being occasioned (as I learntafter) by the discovery that the jolly-boat, and I,also, were gone; and, so soon as it became light,I gladly beheld the longboat manned andmaking for the shore. My brother sat in thestern-sheets.

They landed below the jolly-boat, which layhigh and dry, for the tide had ebbed; whereuponI hallooed to them.

“Is that you, Frank?” cried the Captain;and, when I stepped from behind the boulder[83]and he spied me, he immediately threw himselfinto a great rage, or so it appeared, rushing tome, and threatening me with his fists and crying:

“What do you mean by this, you whelp, you?Do you dare to flout my orders? If you werenot a boy, I would hang you up at the yard!”

I had taken this very ill, and (being in a fumefrom my painful and tedious vigil), had resistedand outbraved him to his face; but, from a signwhich he contrived to make me, I perceivedwhat he would be at, that this fury was all apretence and he did it for the sake of the men.Accordingly, taking the hint, I put on a veryhumble, repentant bearing towards him.

Now, whilst he rated me as above (the seamenstanding by), the mad maroon awoke from sleep,and, sitting up, began to stare fixedly on him.This put my brother out, so that he stumbledin his speech, and broke off to ask me what theman was. So I gave him an account of all thathad fallen out. When I had ended, he orderedthe man to be bound; which immediately wasperformed, he offering but little obstruction.Hereupon we went all to the longboat, themadman, who now began to mutter and raveafter his manner, being haled along by twoseamen, and I borne by two others, for I couldnot walk. Nay, though they carried me gently,I suffered much pain.

On coming to the launch, they took outwater-jars which they had brought ashore, andput into her myself and the crazy man, whoceased not to call down curses on us in his mad[84]religious jargon. On this account, the seamenhad much fun out of the poor antic, jeering andmocking him; but, however, this was displeasingto the Captain, and suddenly he turns on oneof them, crying:

“Be done with this, you yokel fool! You’relike some silly schoolboy teasing a village idiot!Be done with it! Be done with it!”

I liked this well; but the chidden seamanliked it not at all. He glared at the Captain;who glared back at him. Thereupon, sinkinghis head, the man looked round upon his fellows,but got no sort of encouragement from them;for they held silent, looking this way and that.So he thought it convenient to hold his peace.

I was rowed with the crazy man to the ship.He was laid bound in the forecastle. SurgeonBurke took charge of me; and, having lookedat my hurt ankle, he told me I must lay upfor at least a fortnight.

We parted from the Isle of Juan Fernandezafter two days, which we stayed to fill our water,cut firewood, and drive goats.

My confined state was very irksome to me,after the freedom I had enjoyed on board andthe daily fare of new and strange experiences.However, I employed the time pleasantly enoughin learning the Spanish language, as much as Icould of it, by means of an old torn copy ofDon Quixote and a Spanish dictionary, which Ichanced to find in a corner; and, indeed, gotmuch diversion from that merry and sorrowfultale.

Sometimes my brother came to me; thoughhe stayed not long. And Surgeon Burkestood my friend throughout; coming to chatwith me often, and giving me news of anythingremarkable that might have happened inthe interim. Notably, he told me, that mybrother had questioned the mad maroon (at atime when he was in his right mind) of theHaunted Island; but, that, on learning we werethither bound, such huge terror seized on thepoor man, that, rather than carry him to theisland, he besought the Captain on his knees[86]to cause him to be shot, or thrown into the sea,and was immediately after transported with aviolent raving crazy-fit; that on the morrow hewas not to be found anywhere in the ship.’Twas supposed he had made a shift to loosenthe cords that bound his limbs, and, having gotup on deck, had jumped overboard and drownedhimself in the sea.

“Either this, also, was part of his madness,”said Burke, “or else there’s something monstrousterrible on the Haunted Island!”

“But did he not fright the men?” said I. “Imean, about going to the Haunted Island.”

“Why, bless you, no!” says he. “They putit down to his whimsies.”

This was in the first week after our departurefrom Juan Fernandez. We had made good wayon our course, which was S.W. having a bravesettled gale at W.N.W. On the morrow, however,when I awoke, I was sensible the ship wastost like an eggshell, as, indeed, she was, in ahigh co*ckling sea.

It held all day. Late in the afternoon, Burke,coming into the cabin, was thrown headlong witha sudden violent lurching of the ship. I laughedto see him go rolling over (being a little roundman); but he got to his feet with a very longcountenance, which rather abashed me. Yetwas it not like Burke to take umbrage, and Ipresently perceived that that was not the matterwith him. He was concerned in his mind aboutthe men.

They were, it seemed, in a most villainous[87]temper, by reason of the work they had had withthe ship. For, ever since one o’clock in themorning, when the wind came to N.E. and thesea swelled, they had not found so much as amoment’s respite. First (the ship having beenput under a forecourse and spritsail), the foresailsplit. Then, when the yard had been loweredand that matter remedied, the standing rigginggave way in several places. That having beenmended, the wind began to whiffle between allpoints; whereupon the Captain set them a bravedance up and down the rigging in his eagerness tomake way. At length, the wind blowing andwhiffling worse than ever, our main-course blewto pieces; “and now the mizzen’s given way!”said Burke, holding up his hands.

“It’s a scurvy business,” said I, “but I seenot why you should be put out about the men.Let them be! They’ll come about anon, likewind and weather. In my opinion, wind andweather are rather to be feared than so manysilly seamen!”

“And your opinion is out,” said Burke tartly.“You’ve never experienced a mutiny aboardship, have you? No; well, pray that you nevermay! A mutiny is what we’ve been in fear ofall along; and, it seems, what that miserablemaroon gave out about the Haunted Islandstuck with the men after all, and now it works.And there goes a word among them that thisblast and hurly-burly, and coil of trouble withthe sails, is a warning from God Almighty thatwe should go no farther on this voyage; and,[88]when seamen have stuck on this sort of notion,you may spare your labour and let be: not allyour endeavours, nor arguments, nor persuasions,nor appeals, look you, will avail to hale ’em off!And now,” says he, “I must go; the Captainmay have need of me.”

With that, he departed, leaving me to conjureup dismal forebodings, to the music of thegroaning ship, the stamping of the mariners, thebrunt and welter of the roaring seas, and thecontinual shrieking of the winds.

Thus I sat hearkening for any sound that mightbetoken a rising of the men, with intent to sallyforth on the first sign or appearance of an alarm.However, I heard nothing; and at the customarytime the ship’s boy came to light the lanternand bring my supper, which made me concludethere was no mutiny so far. The ship labouredmore than ever now, and the boy told me thatwe lay a hull in a huge roaring sea, in drizzlingrain and very dark weather.

I turned into my hammock, and composedmyself to sleep, yet with small expectationthereof. However, I slept very well until themorning.

When I woke, I found Burke was come intothe cabin. He told me that the wind, the sea,and the disaffection of the mariners were sunktogether.

“I told you that it would be so,” said I; but,“Not so fast, young co*ckerel!” says he. “Itwould not have been so, and the men hadmutinied beyond doubt, but for a curious[89]occurrence and a piece of good fortune, which theCaptain had the wit and sagacity to lay hold on.

“’Twas so: in the mid-watch, after the windcame to W. and sunk, and the ship recoveredher course, the men came together in a gang,and the boatswain, stepping to the Captain,begged him, on behalf of the whole ship’scompany, to bear up the helm and proceed nofarther in that course. The Captain enquiredwhat they found amiss with the course, and wasanswered, that, in the blustering weather, andin the many lets and hindrances they had metwithal they did clearly perceive the hand ofAlmighty God warning them against going on.The Captain used all persuasions to turn themfrom this opinion; but he had as well labouredto have turned the wind. When he found hecould not oversway them, he told them plainlythat he would not leave his course on any considerations.‘Nor,’ added he, ‘would you wishme to do it, if you but knew, or had any notionof, what a rich and kingly treasure is there!’”

“Thereupon the men withdrew to the forecastleto consult. Now, a little after, while theythus stood, came a violent furious tornado, whichwent roaring past our stern at about our ship’slength away. On that, without a moment’shesitation, the Captain goes to the men, and,‘Look ’e here, my lads,’ says he, ‘you saw thattornado? Well, where would we ha’ been,think you, had it struck us? Answer me that!’

“‘Why, Cap’n,’ says the boatswain, ‘I supposewe would ha’ foundered.’

[90]“‘Ay,’ says the Captain, returning sharply onhim, ‘I suppose we would! And now hearanother thing, if I had borne up the helm, asyou desired me to do, where would we ha’ beenthen? Why, bang in the middle of the tornado,ye lunkheads! Now, where’s your warning handof God Almighty—heh?’ says he. Ay, thatbrother of yours hath a headpiece to his shoulders,look you, Frank!”

“And so, then,” said I, “that turned them.”

“Turned them? Why, guinea-pigs in a cagearen’t more tractable! And, talking of guinea-pigs,”says the waggish fellow, smiling on me,“Talking of guinea-pigs, I have to tell ye, youare now freed from your cage, and may quityour bed and cabin.”

You may be sure I was glad enough to hearthis; and, Burke helping me, I rose up, and wentstiffly out to the deck.

The day was clear and bright, with whitescud-cloud flying towards the west; the sea muchfallen. The ship sailed heavily, making a duewest way. Her topworks were loose, but shehad sustained no leaks. The Captain took thesun, and seemed to be much satisfied withthe observation.

It came out, indeed, that, instead of hinderingus, the blustering weather had given us greatheaves on our course.

The wind and sea held favourable; and someten days after, by Ouvery’s chart, we should bewithin forty leagues, more or less, of the HauntedIsland.

About four o’clock after noon, the look-outman in our foreyard cried:

“Land a-weather bow.”

This put a strange spirit into the mariners,half eager, half fearful; as might be seen fromtheir restless demeanour and furtive converseone with another. And, as it seemed to me, thevery ship began to sail faster, straining andleaping, drenching her beakhead. Soon webegan to have other warrants than the testimonyof the look-out man that land was nigh, tokensin the air and sea: a gaudy landfowl came andperched on a yardarm; a piece of rockweeddrove along by the ship’s side.

The sun sank; but the air was clear likecrystal, and suddenly a mariner standing in thebows, sang out:

“There it be! There it be! I spies it.”

And immediately I descried the land, as ablue mist, as a cloud no bigger than a man’shand, close aboard the horizon.

“Ay, there it be! there it be!” cried a scoreof voices. “There be the island!”

And my brother answered from the quarter-deck:

[92]“Right, my lads! Yonder’s the island!There you’ll make all your fortunes, my jollyboys!”

They gave a great huzza on this; but, as itdied away, one called to my brother, saying:

“Begging your pardon, Cap’n, but me andmy shipmates be particular curious to knowwhether what that mad maroon told of had anytruth in’t. I means, about there being a ghoston that island!”

But the Captain answered with a great scoffand bluster.

“A ghost on the island!” says he, “Ghost ofmy grandmother! They do say that there’s aman in the moon; but you can only see theface of him. Now, as touching this man in themoon, what I am particular curious to know, is:where hath he his body and his legs?”

This brought much laughter upon that seaman,and stopped his mouth. But Burke nipped myarm; and, when the merry din subsided, heblew it up again.

“Where be his body and his legs, Captain?”roared he. “Why, he hath lent ’em to the ghoston the island!”

Meanwhile the island enlarged itself in ourview, and the colour of it changed to purple.

’Twas very long and high. It lay north andsouth.

Still we made in, and soon towering cliffsappeared, with jagged ridges of hills on the highland.

But now the light began to fade, so that the[93]island could no longer be seen. Darkness fellapace; and, as it did so, the wind sunk and diedquite away. Hereupon, within two miles of theshore, we anchored the ship.

Now, at this time, and, indeed, from a goodwhile previous, we heard from the land abooming sound, which at first we took tobe nothing but the clamour of breakers; butThalass told us it was the voice of a greatwaterfall from the lofty cliff.

I supped that night with my brother and withSurgeon Burke in the great cabin, and I expectedthe Captain would speak of his plans. But, onthe contrary, he spoke scarce a word, seemingto brood in his mind. Only, having risen fromhis chair, he told us that he went to giveorders for our ports to be opened and ourguns run out, new-primed and double-shotted;for, that, though it was unlikely any menaceor danger from the island would come up inthe night, yet he thought it convenient to beprepared.

I thought my brother was become thinner oflate; his face was pale, and had a drawn, grimlook; and, though he was yet but young,methought he had gotten grey hairs.

After he had gone, Burke and I sat awhile overthe board, talking of the mysterious chances ofthe morrow; I say of the morrow, for neitherdid we anticipate anything to happen during thenight.

At last we rose, and went on deck, towardsthe end of the first watch. There all hands[94]were gathered. They stood most by the starboardbulwarks forward, and in the waist, gazingupon the island, which, the moon being risen,appeared like a shadow on the sea.

They were strangely silent. I becamesensible of a tenseness amongst them. If anyman spoke, ’twas in a whisper, or scarce morethan a whisper; as if terror possessed theirminds. And now, no doubt, they recalled, andbelieved implicitly, every word and dark terriblehint spoken of the Haunted Island by the madmaroon. To make a clean breast, I must confess,I began to be uneasy myself.

The wind was fallen to a flat calm, the seamoved with a sluggish, and yet fitful motion—asif it, too, were uneasy, and affrighted, and unableto sleep. The moon was at the full, yet havingnone of the extraordinary brightness common inthese latitudes, and showing small and dull, asthrough a veil of crape. It shone upon theship, and upon the stagnant sea, with a paledank light, that had mystery in it, and waiting,and devilry.

Suddenly it began to grow darker. Darknessclosed in on all sides around like a quiveringblack curtain. I looked up. As far as eyecould see, a thickening layer of cloud closedslowly upon the moon.

The tension increased. All felt that somethingwas about to happen. No man so muchas whispered now, or stirred hand or foot; Icould hear the beating of my heart. And whilewe thus stood, the apparition came.

[95]“Hist! Hist! Merciful God!”

It was a shrouded human figure whose staturereached the clouds; and it arose and stood forthupon the shore of the island. The flowinggarments of the figure were white like snow, andglistening.

For a moment, it stood motionless; then,as it should seem, a covering fell from the headof it, revealing a visage that sometimes, evennow, returns to me in sleep, and is a terror ofthe midnight, so that I start from that nightmareshaking and gasping, a scream upon mylips!

The eyes of the figure were fixed upon us.We stood like men turned to stone.

There was a little ship’s boy there, and hisreason was not of strength to bear it; so thathe gave a shriek at that prodigy, and went starkraving mad. And on that, my brother collectedhimself.

He looked upon the poor crazy lad, and thenaway again at the horrid thing to starboard;and he rapped out an oath that was one of thepleasantest sounds I ever heard. Then, swinginground upon the horror-struck mariners,“To quarters!” roared he. “To quarters, Wallis!Give it a broadside, the devil’s thing! Smiteit in its devil’s face! Give it iron—iron, bythunder!”

And immediately, like men loosed fromenchantment, they sprang to life. They stampedupon the deck; they shouted curses and defiance,shaking their clenched fists to the island and the[96]apparition there; and, when the gunners wentin a frenzy of haste to their stations, the restfollowed them, helping and exhorting them inthe work.

Soon all was in readiness, the gunners standingto their pieces, the muzzles of twenty cannontrained upon the Thing, which continued to standmotionless.

And now the command was given. The shipleaped and leaped again as the broadside blazedalong, and volume upon volume of cannon-smokehid all.

We strained our eyes.

Gradually the smoke lifted. The figure wasstanding as before!

And as that horrid countenance came forthagain in view, fixedly looking on us, their terrorreturned upon the mariners, now come all up ondeck again. Dazed with fear, they stood huddledtogether, every man clinging to his mate.

Suddenly the Captain cried:

“Make sail!” But his voice was shrill andsmall; and, glancing to starboard, he screamed:

“Haste! haste! Make sail! Cut the cable!”

Again the mariners did his bidding. Gibberingwith affright, they swarmed aloft, crowdingon sails; whilst one run and hacked through thecable with his hanger.

Suddenly the glimmering light cast by thephantom went out. The figure had disappeared.A cry arose, and the men on theyards and rigging ceased from their panicwork.

[97]But only for a moment; and soon every sailwas set, and every stitch of canvas got on herthat our yards would spread. But there was nowind—no, not so much as to lift an ensign!

But there was a current run very swiftto the southward, in a line with the shore,and the ship drove into the path of it, andbegan to be borne along with it. It carried usabout two miles, when it took a turn, swirlinggradually round to the shore. Hereupon welet go our sheet-anchor (it was the bower-cablethat had been cut); but the bottom wouldnot hold.

Then began the mariners to cry out, sayingit was the dreadful phantom did this, putting aninfluence on the sea; and they did murmuragainst the Captain, casting baleful glances athim, muttering and whispering one to another,because he had ensnared them and broughtthem to this place. But he regarded it not,standing motionless, with knit brows.

Suddenly a man, being perfectly beside himselfwith rage and terror, laid hold on a carpenter’stool that had been left near him on thedeck; and made directly towards the Captain,brandishing the weapon and charging like amaddened bull.

And then, beyond doubt, my brother hadmiserably perished; but Thalass chanced to bestanding by, and, thrusting forth his foot as hepassed, he effectually tripped up the infuriatedman, so that he stumbled and pitched forwardupon the deck. But—and here was a horrid[98]thing—the man’s weapon was jerked quite aboutin his fall, and he fell full upon the point of it,and was pierced through. Whereupon, being inan agony, and quite hopeless of recovery, theCaptain shot him dead with his pistol.

Yet was the episode for good one way; forthe dreadful sight of it did so control and deadenthe hearts of the rest, that they were withheldfrom mutineering (as, beyond doubt, they hadbeen about to have done), and from murderingthe Captain.

The rage and disaffection of the mariners wereabated—but not their terror! No whit lesseager were they to be gone from this place, andto put many a sea-league betwixt them and theHaunted Island. And, as it came home to them,that, though the darkness concealed it, theydrove on still nearer to the island, their panicreturned upon them, and they made desperateendeavours to anchor the ship. At last it held—inbut ten fathoms water!

Were we, then, gotten in so near to the shore,or was it shoal-water?

We could hear no sound of breakers; but thesea was flat calm, and the clamour of the waterfallstill sounded, though less loud. We waited,huddled together like terrified children, peeringinto the thick darkness.

In that hour, my brother stepped to me, andtook me apart beyond hearing of the rest; and,looking upon him, I saw with a pang how greyand old he was become.

He began to speak tense and low.

[99]“Boy,” said he, “take my hand. So. Nowsay that you forgive me for all.”

But, as I put my hand in his and tried to speak,he looked upon me long and tenderly as he hadnever looked before, and I think he knew it wasthe farewell, and that he would not be alive whenthe night was passed.

Whether my brother had spoken more, Iknow not; for, on a sudden, there came a stirand commotion among the men, who began tomove towards us in a gang.

When they were come near, one said hoarsely:

“Cap’n, we hears shore-breakers. Hearkennow! hearken to it!”

I listened, and above the clamour of the waterfall,I thought I did, indeed, hear the sound ofbreaking waves. But the seaman on a suddencried:

“We be nearer shore! Nearer shore, theLord ha’ mercy on ’s!”

“Nearer shore!” cries the Captain. “Haththe anchor, peradventure, come home in a duck-pond?Why, you lunkhead, she is fast as ironlocks!”

“Then look there!” said the other, andpointed down upon the sea forward.

The thick darkness, which had held until nowwith no rift in the cloud-pall, was broken. Ashaft of moonshine took the sea hard by ourcutwater; and the Captain, following it, gave agreat start. The ship was in motion again!

“Driving, by thunder!” cried he; and, runningto the head, he laid hold of the cable, and hauled[101]on it. It began to come in slack and easy; andsoon a loose end appeared. The cable had beensevered!

My brother stood motionless, the drippingrope’s end dangling from his hand. Then heswung fiercely round upon the Mosquito Indian.

“If this be your handywork, my man,” criedhe; “if I do but half trace it to your hands, youshall hang—you shall hang at that yardarm!”

But Thalass reared himself haughtily up, andlooked him in the face; and the Captain wasabashed.

He turned to the men. “My lads,” said heweightily and slow, “whether there be treacheryhere I know not. Look you to that! Lookwell to it if you’ld live, and drag out the villainousman! As for me, witness all, I am contrivingand fending for you no less than formyself! If any man have a grievance againstme, let him out with it now. Ay!” cried hehotly, as they began to press upon him, “and ifyou’ld depose me, do even so; I care not a jot!You’re but a scullion crew. Choose ye anothercaptain: I grow weary of it! Weary of it!”

His challenge rang loud; but they held silentwhile many moments passed; and, when oneof them said humbly, “We make no quarrelagainst you, Cap’n; we be mazed men,” the restanswered with a great heartiness. Yet took theyheed of what the Captain had said concerningtreachery, looking narrowly one upon another;and there fell a dispute and questioning amongthem.

[102]The conclamation was broken off suddenly, ona man crying out that we were come among thevery breakers of the shore; and scarce his voicehad died away, when, with a lamentable dullgrating sound, the ship struck, ploughing longand deep into the bottom of sand. The breakersswayed her languidly from side to side with adismal motion, while the despairing cry arose,“Now we be gone indeed, the Lord ha’ mercyon us! We shall never see our homes again!”

And the crazy lad took up the word, crying:

“We shall never see our homes again! Never!never! never! Jack! poor Jack! Never! never!never! never! What’s to become of poor Jack?Home again! home from sea! Never! never!never! never! Mother, I’ve brought ye aparrot....”

But hereupon the boatswain, stepping to him,laid hold on the poor antic, and, with a silkenband which he had, gagged him effectually. Atthe same time my brother put a period to thedejection and amazement, with blustering wordsdriving the men to labour.

He caused a great match to be contrived, thatwe might learn how far we lay from the shore.And, when they had set light to the tinder boundabout the end of a boarding-pike, and held itforth over the sea, we descried the shore about acable’s length away.

Hereupon the Captain turns to the men, and“Well, my lads,” says he, “Who’ll proffer for ashore-party?”

But no man answered, save only Surgeon[103]Burke, Thalass, and myself (we being even eagerto go); and, looking scornfully on the timorousmen, my brother said shortly:

“Out with the boat; I’ll go alone.”

Hereupon he went to his cabin to providehimself for the adventure; and, having returned,put himself immediately into the co*ck-boat,which had been hoisted out and lay tumbling inthe languid breakers.

He began to row towards the shore.

We watched him pass over the black watersin the lurid matchlight.

For what time my brother should be gone,Wallis, the master-gunner, was left in command;and he presently ordered the lighted match tobe fastened in the waist, and three more matchesto be made, and disposed severally on the larboard,at the head, and on the poop. Sentinels,moreover, were posted all round the ship.

An hour passed. Silence was fallen upon theship; for some had gone below, and the rest(saving the sentinels) lay sleeping and wakingbetween the guns. The waterfall sounded butfaint, and the breakers beat with a low clamourthat seemed muffled by the cloak of thedarkness. Suddenly, from a point close at handon the shore, came a sound of singing!

Sweet and tuneful was the note, and full andlovely as the voice of a celestial being; anexceeding melodious high treble, so that itseemed to be no mortal that sang, but a spiritfrom High Heaven. And thus it was:

[105]And suddenly it ceased. Clear on the silentnight was borne a cry—a loud, long-drawn,quavering cry that told of terror and sufferingand the plucking forth of a life. Falling at thatseason, and amid those dark and dreadfulmysteries, it was a thing to make the blood ofthe boldest run cold.

Yet sorrow took hold on me at the sound;for I knew the voice: it was the death-cry ofmy brother.

The rest of the night passed uneventful. Iremained on deck, weeping and brooding.

I was sensible of having grown suddenlyolder, of having from a lad changed into acareworn man.

Day dawned in crimson and gold; up rose thesun, and showed us the Haunted Island.

There was a narrow shore of white sand,curving and twisting with stupendous cliffs, thesheer and beetling fronts of which could not havehad less than fifteen hundred feet. A little tothe left we spied an opening, wherein a riverran spating down to the sea, making a greatindraught of the water, and occasioning, nodoubt, the current that had horsed us in.

It was now flood of tide; yet the depth ofwater was increased but little, and, to our dismay,the ship remained fast.

On seeing this, Wallis, the new Captain, causedgreat store of heavy gear to be hove overboardto lighten her. Yet ’twas all one: the shipwould not budge. Thereupon we got out theboats and fastened tow-lines, to have rowed heroff; but we could not. Nay, it had been allone even if we could have floated her; for soonthe land-breeze sunk, and then the wind camefrom the sea.

So they gave over the attempt; and, theiranxiety being somewhat abated with the labour,they turned in to breakfast.

[107]I fared with Wallis in the great cabin, hismate—one Peter Burrows—remaining with thewatch on deck. Wallis was very moody andcross, and I dwelt heavily on the death of mybrother; so that the meal passed with but scantspeech. Wallis, afterwards going to the quarter-deck,called lustily for all hands; and, when theywere come together, he made them a sort oframbling speech.

“Shipmates,” said he, “there a’n’t no mannerof need for me to tell you how we lay. Youknow what fell yester-night, that there be darkthings hatching yonder. We be fallen in on theDevil’s island by the look on’t. Ay, but wedon’t properly know that yet! We a’n’t got thebearings of this business; and maybe we’re likechildren frighted with tricks and shows.

“Howsoever, this here a’n’t no sort o’ berthfor you and me, and I’d scamper away full-sailif I could. But I can’t. We be stuck here asfast as so many limpets; and when the windrises she’ll split, and we’ll be scurrying ashorelike rats!

“Well, then, I’m for leaving of her now, aforethe break-up comes—ay, and afore the nightcomes, too! There be the boats; but this herea’n’t the English Channel, and yonder a’n’t thecliffs of Dover, and what we mought look for inthe boats a’n’t pleasant to think. No, there’s noway out on’t that course, sure! So I gives myvote for going ashore and boarding ’em whilethere’s light.... And then the treasure!—youa’n’t forgot the treasure, mates, as we’ve come so[108]far for to get it? Well, then, who’ll offer for ashore-party to spy ’em out?”

The words were brave and mettlesomeenough. But there was no weight in them.All was hollow; and the seamen listening werenothing slow to divine this. The speech fellshort of the mark, moving no man. Wallis,indeed, was weighed in the balance and foundwanting there and then; for, when a seamanasked, “And would you go along with us,Wallis?” he halted out, “Nay, shipmate, forI must mind the ship”—an answer which put aperiod to that enterprise.

The seamen held off glum and murmuring, noman offering. If, however, they had no stomachfor the work, Thalass and I were even eager toset foot on the island; and, when Wallis and therest perceived this, they were nothing backwardto encourage us, giving us good words, profferingus small-arms and ammunition, whilst some ranto the cook-room to fetch victuals for us, andothers put themselves into the jolly-boat to rowus ashore.

Surgeon Burke would have gone with us, butit seemed to him, and to us also, that his duty layrather in remaining on the ship.

Our first care on landing was to search theparts of shore for the dead body of the Captain,for we doubted not that he was dead; but foundnothing.

After that, we turned alongshore to the southward,looking out for an opening into the island.Thalass told me that he was able to guide me[109]to the habitation of the pirates, but, however,that it was far distant at the south side of theisland, and the journey and return not possiblyto be accomplished before night, to say nothingof the risk we would run by attempting it. Ianswered that therefore we should not attemptit, but take instead a random course, makingwhat discoveries we could.

We advanced warily, having each of us aloaded pistol in his hand; and, coming roundan elbow of the cliff beneath a gigantic headland,we lost sight of the ship. The character of theprospect remained unchanged, the bleachedwhite sands stretching away to the next bend,the towering cliffs frowning upon us. TheIndian marched briskly at my side, perfectly athis ease, as it should seem, and fearing no evil;but I went harassed with a thousand apprehensions,and was sometimes brought to a standby fantastical alarms.

The dreadful death-cry of my brother stillsounded in my ears, and even more than theapparition on the shore, it put a fear on me. Onewhile glancing back fearfully over my shoulder,another while looking aloft at those stupendoussummits, I went, indeed, like a haunted man.

At length, being gotten about a league alongthe shore, we spied that we were looking outfor—an opening in the cliffs. For, a little inadvance of us, as we coasted round beneath aheadland, the cliffs were quite broken off abouttwo ships’ lengths, leaving an inlet of the islandindeed!

[110]A spacious and gentle valley it was, slopingfrom the shore between the ends of the cliffs, whichwere all hung about with vines, and adorned withwaving groves and rustling tall tufted grassesand flowers crimson blue and green. We immediatelybegan to ascend, making towards acolossal boulder of rock near forty feet in height.Coming up to it, we climbed, by jagged ridges,creepers and rockweed, to the top, and therestood to view the country.

’Twas a charming panorama—champaign,woody, and rocky in grateful alternation, orconfused and intermingled as in some silentconflict; but of man, or man’s habitation, not atrace! I asked Thalass whether this part of theisland was really uninhabited; he answeredafter his broken manner:

“This side only him spirit, great, big;look.” (Here he made a grimace that gaveme a scare, so like it was to that dreadful visage),“and him little spirit, sing:

But hereupon I cut him short; for, indeed, hesang so marvellously mimicking that other voice,that I could not bear it.

We descended the great boulder; and, the hourbeing about midday and the sun shining hot,we looked out for a place to rest in, and found itbeneath the shade of a banana tree. The tree wasfull of fruit, and we ate of it very deliciously, andquenched our thirst at a clear spring that was near.

[111]We returned to our journey, or rather ramble,of discovery, but lighted on nothing remarkable;nor saw we any appearance of man. So, theafternoon beginning to be far spent, and we agreat way from the shore, I thought it time tobe jogging from thence; for this finding no menin the island had in no wise allayed, but ratherincreased, my apprehensions, and the thought ofbeing overtaken by night there went very muchagainst my inclination.

Accordingly, we turned about, stepping outbriskly towards the shore; meanwhile the skybecame overcast with clouds. We came throughthe ravine to the shore, and soon, to our greatcontent, in sight of the ship.

Drawing near, I hailed her. But there cameno answer, nor could we descry a man upon herdecks. I thought this looked very strangely: Ihallooed a second time; but again no answer.

And now a nameless fear began to take holdon me; but, stepping to the marge of the shore,I tried a third time, giving a great halloo. Yetcame there no answer: there was no sound normotion; there was not a sign of life on theship!

But twilight had fallen this while, and theclouds looked black; and, even as my voiceyet echoed from the cliff, there fell a shadowvast and vague, and dark shut down upon us likea lid!

Then grew I afraid, indeed, drawing closerto the Indian, who, too, I think, felt the terrornow.

[112]“The place is enchanted,” said I, “we arelost!”

But the co*ck-boat lay where the Captain hadleft her upon the shore; and, getting her down,we launched forth, intending to row out in abee-line and shoot for the ship. For, thoughconcealed by the darkness, we knew how shelay.

We began to row, steering with the greatestheed, until, by our reckoning, we had made wayenough, and should be up to the ship. Yet noship appeared.

We went a little farther; yet no sign of her.

Peering fearfully into the darkness, we ceasedto row. I took my pistol and fired it in the air,listening for an answering hail or gunshot; butnone came.

’Tis a wonder I never thought to contrive aflare with some tinder or other and my flint andsteel; but the truth is, my mind was completelyover-run and confused with innumerable flutteringthoughts and whimsies and frightful apprehensions.It came to me, indeed, that the shipwas no longer there, but had been spirited awayby enchantment. Nor, in view of the dreadfulmysteries of the place, will the reader be likelyto censure me.

Thalass thrust his hand into the sea. It wasimmediately whelmed, the water gushing upover his wrist: the boat was being borne alongby a swift current!

The night was very dark, the sea moderatelycalm. It was becoming cold, so that we were[113]very glad of the liquor in our flasks; for, eachtaking a dram, it warmed and spirited us.

Soon I observed the Indian to nod, for hiseyes were heavy; and I told him that he mightsleep, for I would watch. He sunk to slumberimmediately. But I was sore fatigued, and theco*ck-boat rocked with a gentle motion: sleepstole upon me like an enemy, making at the last,as it were, a stealthy spring; in short, beforeever I could take thought to have waked theIndian, I, too, slept.

Suddenly we were awakened.

There had come a great sound of cannonadingon the sea; the last of it was still in my wakingears. It seemed to have come from close by.The night drew on towards the dawn, andwas not so pitchy dark; I thought I made outthe loom of a large ship. Ay, it was a ship!

But not for long! Scarce, indeed, had shehazily taken form before our eyes, but, with aprodigious sound, she blew up.

Stunned by the concussion, I swooned in theboat.

How long I lay in the swoon I know not; but,on my coming out of it, a strange, shrill voicesounded in my ears.

I looked up, to behold a man who stood bythe side of a settee whereon I lay. He was avery tall, lean, aged man, dressed in a scarletrobe; and I knew him: ’twas he whom theEnglishman had called the Doctor. I was falleninto the hands of the Master of the HauntedIsland!

The place was a little chamber, or cell, of stone.There was another there, and him, also, I recognisedfrom the Englishman’s account; ayoung man, slender and pale, habited in black—whobut the secretary, Ambrose?

The Doctor observed me. “So!” said he softly,“The spirit hath returned to his ark of flesh.He hath returned void.... No slightest olive-branchof knowledge....”

He smiled on me; then, beckoning Ambroseafter him, he went stoopingly from the place,the door shutting to upon them almost withoutsound.

I looked about me. The cell was plainly buthandsomely furnished, the settee whereon I lay[115]having coverings of China silk, wrought in manycolours with pictures of dragons. A little tableof cedar stood beside. The floor was coveredwith a mat of grasses, woven in strands of redand green. There was no lamp; the light, whichwas bright as day, proceeding I knew not whence.The cell was provided with air, it appeared, bya row of round holes, the size of musket-bores,pierced along the walls.

Soon Ambrose returned, bearing upon a salvera dainty repast of fish, fowl, and fruit; and, havingset it down upon the little table, he asked mepleasantly how I did.

“Very well, I thank you,” said I, “but you,Ambrose, do scarce look as hearty as you ought,dwelling, as you do, in the Promised Land!”

He stared at me, then laughed a shrill laugh.

“So you know of us,” said he, “who told you?Ouvery?”

“No,” said I, “but another.”

“Another? and who was he? But tell me,pray, how Ouvery died. He was a notablevillain.”

“He was so,” said I. “But who told you thathe was dead?”

“Why,” said he, “the Doctor had it from oneof your men.”

“They are, then, fallen into his hands?”said I.

“They have joined us,” said he. “TheDoctor spoke with them whilst you and yourIndian were gone away into the island, and theycame over to us.”

[116]“He must be a wondrous talker, then,” said I.“He must have——”

“A golden tongue,” said he.

“But what of the Indian?” said I. “He is notdead?”

“Nay, we found him with you in the boat.Both of you lay swooning; but the Indianrevived apace, and is now with the rest of yourcompany.”

On that a phantom hope came upon my mind,and I said:

“Is my brother.... Is the Captain alivealso?”

“I do not know,” said Ambrose; but Ithought he lied to me, and I said hotly:

“He was foully murdered in this evil——”

“Soft! soft!” said he, cutting me short, “if youwill take my counsel,” said he in a low voice,“you’ll chasten your tongue. If the Doctorhad heard you, you’ld not have an hour to live!And let me tell you, death is most dreadfulhere!”

I shuddered; but tried to conceal it, askingquickly:

“What manner of man is Doctor Copicus? Ishe a magician? Is the island enchanted? Whatdo you here?”

But he answered:

“I may not tell you these things. The Doctorwill do so in his own good time. And I staytoo long. Farewell. For the present, farewell.”

And, deaf to the importunities that I made, herose and went from the cell.

[117]I reckoned up what I had learnt. ’Twas butlittle. One mystery, indeed, was resolved: thatof the deserted ship. But of the island and itsMaster (save his name), I had learnt nothing. Itdid appear, however, that the presence of theman Ouvery amongst us at our first setting out,was known to Doctor Copicus; whence, in allprobability, it followed he was by him sent to mybrother, to ensnare him and to occasion themutiny and our voyaging hither.

But to what end? What motives had persuadedDoctor Copicus to cause the coming of arenegade King’s ship? Perhaps, I thought, hemight want the ship, her ordnance, her men.

I next turned my thoughts upon the ghostlyfigure that had frighted us. Was it supernatural?Sure it must be! For what cunning,short of sorcery, could possibly have contrivedthat horrible and diabolical appearance? Nay,had the thing been contrived by Doctor Copicusto terrify us, how was it feasible that he wishedto frighten us away, after (by my surmise) havingenticed us to the island?

I was deep in these cogitations, when, on asudden, a shadow and a fear fell upon me; and,looking round, I saw that Doctor Copicus againstood within the cell. I met his gaze—but couldnot support it, so searching was it.

“So, my lad,” said he, in mild and gentle tones,“hast made a good recovery. A sound mind ina sound body nature mends apace. Welcome,Francis Clayton, welcome to the PromisedLand!”

[118]“Sir,” replied I, “I thank you, but ask yourpardon if I know not what you mean by thePromised Land.”

“Ha! and yet I supposed you not utterlyunversed in Holy Writ!”

But a sudden anger for the man came uponme as I recalled my brother’s death, and I saidpassionately:

“But what hath Holy Writ, forsooth, to dowith an island in the South Sea, and a horde ofcut-throat pirates?”

I was mad to have said it! A spasm crossedthe face of Doctor Copicus, and left it terrible.His hands shook. He was silent, and thesilence was to me as the gathering of doom.

“Durst—durst insult me!” cried he at last,hissing out the words, “Durst insult my disciplesand my work? Durst outbrave me, ye viper?I’ll cure you! Ha!”

He took a step towards the door; but asudden faintness came over him. He staggered,and had fallen; but I sprang forward and borehim up, supporting him to the settee. He laythere heavily and still.

The countenance of the Doctor looked veryold and haggard then, and white as the venerablelocks that fell straggling upon his lofty forehead.His eyes were dim; his breathing came in gasps.Verily I thought his hour was come. But, whileI stood wondering how the death of the manwould work on my fortunes, a change came overhim. He fetched a deep breath, and his browsdrew together. He made, as I could see, a[119]mighty effort of his will. He collected hispowers. He rose up from the settee, standingfirmly upon his feet!

It was masterful; it was magnificent. Theman, who, but a moment past, had been, as itshould seem, upon the threshold of death, didnow stand up with the vigour of an iron strength!But his anger was passed, and he said even gentlyas he turned to me:

“Lad, why do you vex me, courting death, andworse than death? My intents towards you arefair, and fairer than you could possibly imagine.Hearken! I would give you riches, and fame,and knowledge—the knowledge that lieth at thedoor of life!”

But hereupon Ambrose returned; the Doctorspoke to him briefly in the Latin tongue, andbetook himself from the cell.

Ambrose immediately after bade me rise andmake ready to follow him; for he had in charge,he said, to take me to the Cloisters.

I was nothing loth. The curiosity I had tolearn more of the island, was now, indeed,swollen to the highest pitch; so, within a briefspace, we went from the cell, coming into apassage of stone.

This passage was in all points like to thatwhich the Englishman had given me an accountof. There was, however, this difference in ourexperiences: that, whereas he had started indarkness to come by degrees into the shining ofa dazzling white light, I, on the contrary, didmeet with that strange illumination at the outset,finding it to decrease as we proceeded, until’twas but a glimmer; and so on into thickestdarkness.

But soon, in the distance, appeared a faintbrightness, like to the dim reflection of a mirror.We went a little farther. ’Twas the light of day.A door stood wide at the end of the corridor.

So came I forth from that mysterious prison-house,and stood again under the open heaven.

[121]Before and on either side were thick woods,behind was the cavernous entry—yet havingno appearance of masonry, for a tangle ofmany-blossomed creepers covered all.

But Ambrose, looking to see that I followed,stepped straightway to that which had all thelook of a pathless thicket. When, however, wewere gotten within, brushing aside bush andbrake, there opened before us a path of thewoods—yet so slender a path, that ’twas scarceto be discerned. Following it the distance ofabout a quarter of a mile, we came forth uponthe cliff.

A battery stood against the sea, a huge rampartlong and large, hewed out of the rock, andpierced at intervals in embrasures to accommodatethe great brass guns—they were, indeed,of prodigious size—that bore upon the waters,fifty feet below. The guns were mounted uponcarriages of iron, so as they could be turned thisway or that, to bear at large upon the sea. Aboutthirty feet behind them, stood a long house, builtof massive blocks of stone, divided into store-roomsfor the powder. The roof of it wasthatched with wattle and felt, against the rains.Beside it, on end, stood another house, whereinwere many pipes of muskets.

At the other end of the rampart, men wroughtto extend it. A crew of bandits they were,dressed very slovenly and gay in silk and Indiancotton-stuff of many bright colours. Amongstthem, I saw divers of our men, who wroughtalong with the others; and, spying us, one or two[122]hallooed to me with hearty good cheer. Butsome looked ill at ease and very sullen.

We turned, making to the norward along thecliffs, having thick woods on our landward.

I looked to the sea-board, but could spy noships. I asked Ambrose concerning the Tiger;he told me men were at work upon her, gettingashore her guns, munition, and such other thingsas the Doctor needed.

I heard him to my small content. “But themen will not brook this,” said I. “They’ll rise.”

“They must brook it,” said he. “As torising, the Doctor, be sure, has not failed toprovide himself for that.”

“What force hath he?” asked I.

“If you mean as to the number of his men,”replied he, “not much, and yet abundance for yourmatter. But his strength is not in numbers.”

“In what, then?” asked I.

“You’ll learn that by observation,” said heshortly.

Hereupon, being come to a place where theground slanted steeply up, we turned and wentinland beneath the slope.

“Say, are you learned?” asked Ambrose.“Can you read Latin?”

“Indifferent well,” said I. “But why? HathDoctor Copicus, peradventure, a charity-schoolin his island?”

He laughed his singular laugh. “Charity-school,”said he, “is good! Yea, we shall putyou to school! And do you see to it that yoube industrious. Behold the marks of the rod!”

[123]And, suddenly baring his forearm, he stretchedit forth before me. The flesh was scarred withthe marks of heated irons!

“Merciful Heaven!” cried I.

“Take warning, then!” said Ambrose, “takewarning!” and covered his arm again.

This put a fear upon me, and I went on in aheavy muse. Suddenly I was aroused sufficiently!There had come, on a sudden, a mostdreadful roaring sound, long drawn out, andproceeding, as it should seem, from the abysmsof the earth: as if the earth had given tongue,like a great, savage wild beast, and was ready toopen her jaws and swallow us in a moment!

Shaking as with an ague, I asked him whatit was.

“You are pale,” said he, “nor do I wonder, ifthis is the first time you have heard it. ’Tis thevoice of the Mount of Dread.”

“A volcan!” cried I, with swift understanding,“there is, then, a volcan in the island. Butwhere? I see no height of a great mountain.”

“The mightiness of the Mount of Dread,”replied Ambrose, “appeareth not by height.Greatest and mightiest things look mean andordinary—is’t not so?”

“With high spiritual things,” said I, “it mayoften be so; but with common things——”

“Nay, nay,” said he, “you are in the wrong.Consider gunpowder, that sooty grain—howmuch of it, think you, should suffice to uprootand shake to pieces the firm foundation on whichwe stand?”

[124]We were now come to woods in low land.We entered in, following a secret path.

Fain would I tell you of the beauty of thesewoods; but, unless you could behold them,’twere impossible you would understand.

I passed through them entranced. The woodson the shore of the Island of Hispaniola werebeautiful, but not as these were; the foliagewas not so shining green, nor so delicately rare.How can I tell you of the immense, massy leavesof the breadfruit trees? Of the great featheryferns? Of the climbing ferns, knit in a networkbetween the polished stems of the cocoa-palms,or hanging in air on their long, tremulous, hair-liketrails?

Here and there, the undergrowth was deckedwith blossoming shrubs, pale primrose andgorgeous crimson. High overhead, close andintertwined, hung the fronds of the palm trees,gently stirred by the breeze, glinting and flashingin the green sunlight, like a roof wrought injade.

As we passed, a bevy of blue and scarletbirds started in the thicket amongst the tallgrasses, and flew scattering up through thepalm-fronds like winged blossoms, but withscarce any cry. Indeed, as I learnt after, all thebirds in the island were dumb. But there camecontinually a humming and chirruping of insects,and sudden stirrings and rustlings, as littlecreatures of the undergrowth took flight.

Our way was entangled with cross-shoots, andthe snake-like tendrils of creepers.

[125]“The Doctor would like this ill,” saidAmbrose, as he lopped a branch off. “I shallwarn Barleycorn. ’Tis like to save his life.”

“Who is Barleycorn?” asked I.

“He who has’t in charge to keep the paths ofthe woods,” said he.

Presently we reached the heart of the wood,which was a tangle of great stalks and creepers inmarshy ground. Here plants did grow on the veryboughs of the trees having the strangest flowersthat ever I saw. For one was in shape like ajug; another like a panakin; others were asmonstrous insect-creatures seen in dreams. Thetrees looked starved and wan. The air was hotand heavy, as in a close sick-chamber.

Soon the wood became clearer and lighter;and, coming presently round a thicket, I spieda glimmering portal of day.

As we emerged, there came a man running.His clothes were ragged and slovenly. He cameon, running and panting, like a hunted creature.His face shone with sweat that glistened uponhis beard in drops, like dew. His eyes werebright, and roamed about.

Thus he came on directly towards me; and,had I not stepped to one side, he would haverun me down. He went on without taking anynotice of us.

“He hath been terror-struck,” said Ambrose,as I stood staring round on the man. “He wasa traitor. ’Twas his punishment.”

And he told me the man had tried to escapeby night to a merchant-ship that lay off the[126]island, and that the ghost had appeared to himwhile he swam in the sea.

The running man was now screened by a promontoryof the wood, but his voice soundedintermittently in a sort of shrieking very horribleto hear.

I felt a weight come over me, and a sort ofhorror of the sunlight.

We went on in silence, through a tract of lowlevel land, void of trees, but clothed with a sortof monstrous tall grasses; and, having gone abouta mile and a half, we came to further woodswhich skirted the scarps of mountains.

These mountains, or rather high hills, rosenot above two hundred feet; but, on eitherside, they ranged along almost to the cliff,making, as it were, a spine to the island withtheir pointed tops. Hard by the woods we hadleft, run a little swift river, having on its banksmany shrubs with scarlet blossoms, the leaveswhereof made sunning places for red and bluebutterflies.

Thus, for about a mile, the river run tothe westward; to pour itself, through a fernygrotto, into a little lake, a lake scarce largerthan one of our English duck-ponds. ’Twasalmost circular in shape; and, being perfectlyfree from water-plants and clear as crystal, itshone in the sun-glare like a mirror.

We went this way; and had nigh reached themargin of the lake, when Ambrose, on a sudden,stooped forward on his bended knee uponthe ground where a patch of withered moss[128]appeared like a scab in the tall grasses. Biddingme to stand clear, he reached forth and set hisfinger upon what I took for a little pebble there.Next moment a square slab opened in theground, in manner of a trapdoor. ’Twas an ironhatch cunningly masked with moss.

“This,” said Ambrose, “is the entry to theCloisters.”

And, stepping to the cavity, he began todescend into it. “Follow!” said he. “Haveno fear!”

When he was gotten down sufficiently, I setmy foot upon a ladder within the pit; but, whenI had descended a good way in the darkness, Isaw that the lid above me was slowly shuttingdown. I cried aloud, supposing that we wereentombed; but Ambrose laughed, his shrill voicesounding eerily from below. Next moment,there shone a dazzling light. ’Twas the strangewhite light which I had known in the stonepassage, and it revealed such another passage ofstone.

I leaped the remaining steps of the ladder, andfollowed Ambrose; who, having gone a little wayalong, opened a door and passed within. Hepressed a little knob on the wall, and immediatelythe place was filled with the white light, but notso bright withal as in the passage. I behelda great circular chamber of stone; and thepainted walls and roof, and the mat ofplaited grasses upon the floor, made a harmonyof green, very comfortable to the eyes. Acushioned seat, or divan, of green silk ran all[129]round the wall; and above it, here and there,were shelves containing books bound in greencalf. In the midst, stood three tall tables forstanding and writing at.

Ambrose stepped to the divan; and, openinga drawer beneath, he took out clean parchments.From another drawer, he took parchments coveredwith writing. The writing was in Latin, roughlyscrawled and scarce legible. He set them sideby side upon one of the tables, saying:

“This is your task. You must make faircopies of these.”

“And what,” said I, “if I will not?”

He smiled grimly. “But you will,” said he,“unless, peradventure, you would pass throughthe door that——”

He broke off, staring with a sudden fear. “Ihave forgot the sulphur!” said he hoarsely,“Come!”

And he turned, and run from the place.

We came without. Twilight was fallen thiswhile, and the woods looked desolate. Quicklythe sky turned violet blue, and the stars rushed out.

“Whither go we?” said I, as Ambrose ledthe way through a clump of breadfruit trees.

“To gather sulphur,” said he, “Heaven helpme! I had forgot. Haste! Let us haste!”

Many bats flew in the shadowy air; and therecame continually a hoarse croaking of frogs, andweird, rat-like voices. Fireflies flitted amongthe trees, like a slow-fallen snow of fire. Onold logs and tree-stumps, blue fire flickered inflying traces.

[130]Ambrose went so fast that I had much adoto keep up with him.

There was no moon, and the constellations ofthe stars were abridged with sombre clouds;but, when we had gone about a mile, the darknessbegan to be tinged with a faint luridglow, the air was hot and smelt sulphurous,the vegetation grew sparse and stunted, on adark hard ground cracked in fissures.

Suddenly the voice of the volcan boomed, likea terrible tocsin in the night. It came from closein front.

We went a little farther; but, on a sudden,Ambrose clutched hold on my arm. “Hist!”said he in my ear, and drew me behind a curtainof withered trees. He pointed between thebranches; I looked, and what I saw was this:

In an open space, the earth being bare andblasted and black, was a little round hill, darkred in colour, but pink about the top; in heightabout fifty feet, and shaped like an invertedbowl. White and pearly vapour ascended fromit thinly, in circling wraiths. At the foot thereofstood Doctor Copicus.

He stood motionless, his face towards thevolcan. He began to speak.

“I grow liker and liker to thee!” said he,with passion in his shrill voice, “Liker to thyhollow heart! thy hollow, fiery heart!... I, too,am a volcan! On fire! On fire! Waiting!

“That I should be baffled, denied the secretwhich holds me from my revenge!

“Yet it cannot be for long. A little while,[131]but a little while, and I shall come at it, I shallfind my combustible! Then tremble, thouaccursed race! You cast me out! You castme out! Ha! Your proud cities, your bigotuniversities, your palaces, the very cottages uponyour fields, shall be shattered! shall beshattered! I’ll make them like to this place ofashes!”

His voice rose, and quavered, and broke; thestrung, tortured note of it sounds even yet inmy ears. He shook his clenched fist abovehim; and, as he turned in the weird light, Isaw that his brow was ribbed and stricken likethe twisted lava-stones that strewed his path.

He scarce had ended, but another figure—alittle lad—appeared from behind the volcan.His face was wild and mazed; his longbrown hair fell straggling upon his forehead;his body was thin like a skeleton. He wasdressed in the rags and tatters of a seaman’swatch-cloak. I knew him: ’twas the little anticlad whom the Englishman had told me of.

He came, stepping trippingly, to the Doctor’sside, and said in a shrill voice:

“I heard the Toad shriek, and his goldeneggs are rifled!”

The Doctor turned; and, stamping his foot,he asked:

“When was this?”

The lad answered:

“Like a swallow I fly. I saw and I flew.”

“Is he ’scaped?” said the Doctor. “Is hetracked? Is the White One out?”

[132]“He is out! He is out! and tracking about,”cried the lad.

There was silence; while the antic lad turned,and looked directly towards us. Then he began:

“Two is two, and four is four....”

“Away!” said Ambrose in my ear. “Soft!...Now!”

We stole away on tip-toe in the shadow ofthe blasted trees.

“To the right,” said Ambrose in a whisper;and, as we came upon turfy ground, “Run, softand swift, for your life!” said he.

And we set off on silent foot, hearkening,in fear and trembling.

The night was become darker; we took thedarkest ways.

When we had run for about a quarter of anhour, and were come, panting, to the side of awood, Ambrose stood and hearkened intently.Then he cast himself upon the ground, settinghis hand to his heart.

“Do you suffer pain?” asked I.

“Ay,” said he, and groaned. “Do not speakto me,” added he, with a woful pang. His facewas white and drawn, and he kept clutching atthe prickly boughs of a bramble bush, tearingthe flesh of his hand all bloody.

“What can I do?” said I. “Is there anythingI can do?”

“No, no,” said he. “It will pass.”

I sat down by his side, hearkening dismally tothe croaking of the frogs, watching the sombreflying bats.

Suddenly there came a sound of singing. Itwas that magical high treble voice which hadsung before my brother died. Thus it came,small and faint, yet perfectly clear:

[134]

It affected me with a sort of awe; so that,when it ceased, I was as one spell-bound, andcould not at first move or speak.

“What is it?” said I. “It came before mybrother died.”

“Ay,” said Ambrose in a quaking voice, “Itmeans death.”

“To whom? To you or me?”

“Nay, it is too far off,” said he.

“Is’t a spirit?” said I.

“Ay,” said he, getting to his feet. “Let usbe gone.”

“Whither?” asked I.

“To the Cells.”

As we set off, I asked him why he was somuch afraid at the volcan.

“The lad descried us,” said he—“did you notsee it? If he told the Doctor, we may say goodnight!”

“Can’t we escape?” said I.

“Escape!” said he, “from this island?”

“Why should we not abscond into the woods,near to the shore, and live on fruits and shell-fish,until we could make us a boat?”

“And where would you voyage to in yourboat? The nearest land is a hundred milesaway.”

“We might be taken up,” said I.

“A chance in a thousand thousands, and then[135]by one of the Doctor’s ships belike! You speakas a child.”

“Well then,” said I desperately, “why shouldwe not abscond into the woods until a shipleaves, and smuggle us away on board of her,and take our chance?”

“Of being tormented to death,” said Ambrose.

I could answer nothing to this; and I left thatdiscourse, to ask him:

“Is that lad crazy? The Doctor conversedhim as though he was rational.”

“The lad is a dæmon, or familiar, of theDoctor,” answered Ambrose. “He is, as I maysay, super-rational. He hath strange powers.He can see spirits.”

“What meant he by saying the Toad wasout?”

“It makes a sort of shrieking sound,” said he.

“What do you mean?” said I. “Is’t a wildbeast?”

“I think it’s a wild beast of hell,” said he.“I know nought of it. The island is full ofmysteries. Ask me no more questions. I amsick at heart.”

We went a little farther, and then stopped;for a lamentable and piercing cry was lifted inthe night.

“What is it?” cried I aghast. But Ambroseanswered not.

The cry had sounded from in front of us. Webegan to advance again, but had not gone thirtypaces when we heard a sort of gasping soundthat came from the side of a thicket in our path.[136]Hasting thither, we spied the form of a manlying huddled upon the ground.

We bent over him, peering into his face.’Twas ghastly white, and all twisted to one sideas with strong pain. His eyes were shut.Presently they opened, glazed and staring, andwe perceived that he was dead.

I looked to see where he was stricken; butfound no hurt upon him.

“Let us be gone,” said Ambrose; andimmediately started off.

He went swiftly, but retired into the inward ofhis mind, so that he returned me no answerwhen at any time I spoke to him, nor gave anysign that he heard me. So we came, at last,through the second wood, to the entry of theCells, having met with no man, nor with anyfurther adventure. And, indeed, what we hadmet withal was enough, for me!

Ambrose opened the great door, pressing aknob beneath the hanging creepers, and wepassed in, going straightway to the cell whichwas allotted to me. There Ambrose set hisfinger to a little brass button upon the wall,telling me that this would ring a bell in thekitchen. However, he had to ring again beforea servant was summoned.

At last he came, rubbing his sleepy eyes. Hewas a short, thick, swarthy man, dressed cleanlyin a shirt and breeches of Indian cotton-stuff.He wore his black moustachios long and curled.

“Supper, Roc,” said Ambrose; and the manmade a bow to him, grinning so that his[137]moustachios did stick up on his face like a ram’shorns; and went swiftly from the cell, withoutopening his mouth.

I asked Ambrose why the man spoke not; hetold me that he could not, being a mute. Iasked whether he was so born. He told me, no,but that his tongue had been cut out for apunishment.

I got up betimes on the morrow, beingawakened by Ambrose; and, after breakfast, setout with him for the Cloisters.

The Secretary was very gloomy, and broodedin his mind. Nothing worth remark fell out onthe way, until we came to the second wood,when, pointing to the right, Ambrose said:

“I ought to have told you: you see that regionof the wood? ’tis forbidden ground. TheDoctor will have none go there; and woe to theman who disobeyeth him! I may tell you,” addedhe, “that a deadly swamp is there.”

I was silent for a moment; then I asked him:

“Is nothing there besides the swamp?”

“I do not know,” said he, looking at mestrangely; and turned his head away.

We came to the trapdoor in the tall grasses;and, having descended and entered into thesubterraneous hall, we set to work with themanuscripts. The script I had to make a faircopy of, was a treatise of philosophical ideas, beingdisposed in many several essays. The matterwas profound, the style plain and perspicuous.I took these extracts following:—

Ambrose wrought at a manuscript of poesy,which he embellished in colour with strange andbeautiful pictures. As he wrought, he becamelost and out of himself; and, if I spoke to him,he was angry.

I took a copy of this poem following:—

Ambrose told me ’twas written by the Doctorin his youth.

Thus the morning passed; and, at midday, weleft the Cloisters to return to the Cells.

On our way, as we entered the first wood, wecame upon the man Barleycorn, who trimmedthe path with a macheat. He was a smallhairy man, bowed with toil and parched in thesun. He was a man of few words (as the sayingis). Ambrose passed him the time of day, andhe did but nod his head, as he lopped off a tree-shoot;and, when I asked him pleasantly if hiswork liked him, he merely winked at me withhis eye.

As we stood by him, another approachedthrough the wood. This was a great toppingpirate, dressed in sky-blue clothes, with scarletand green feathers in his hat. He did shine allglorious in the sun with his silver buttons, rings,pendants, bracelets, brooch, and buckle to hisbelt. He came swearing, as the lapels of hiscoat caught in the thicket; and, having drawnnear, he dealt Barleycorn a kick with his foot,asking “Why the devil he kept not a bettergang-way?”

The poor man rolled under a bush, and layrubbing himself, with a rueful look on his wizenedcountenance. Then he got up, and fell to workagain, saying meekly:

[143]“Never be treading on old Barleycorn, mate.The poor old fellow’s got his work to do.”

This made me laugh; and the pirate said:

“All’s well, old fellow. If this here was PortRoyal, I’d physic your bruise with the righttipple. But there, it a’n’t!”

“No,” said Ambrose, “there’s no taverns herefor you.”

“I’ll speak nothing against the Doctor,” saidthe pirate, “but ’tis a thirsty soil an’ thirsty toil,and I wants my tipple. Water’s well enoughfor wild Indians, but....” He broke off, fetchinga deep sigh.

“You mean to say—” began Ambrose; butthe other took him up short, saying fiercely:

“Belay with putting words in my mouth!What I means to say, and what I don’t mean tosay, a’n’t none of your business. Belike you’ldbe bearing tales to the Doctor!”

“Nay,” said Ambrose; “you should know mebetter than to say so.”

The other was as easily pacified as before hehad been incensed. “All’s well,” said he, “I’lltreat you, too—in Port Royal.”

“How goes the work?” asked Ambrose.

“The ship work?” cried the pirate. “Trust menot, if I a’n’t dog-sick of it! The blasting workof haling the King’s ship ashore, above the tidemark!”

“Have you careened her?” said Ambrose.

“Ay, ’tis done, praise the Saints!”

“What’s next to do?”

“Why, haven’t you heard? We’re to set to[144]work with the carpenters to build another King’sship. John Rance hath his orders.”

“Indeed!” said Ambrose, much astonished.

“Ay, indeed! And pretty work we’re like tohave with it!”

“I marvel what the Doctor hath in mind,”said Ambrose. “You do not know, do you?”

“No, by Saint Marta!” answered he, crossinghimself. “The Doctor’s intents and purposesare above us seamen. We a’n’t for to think;we’ve got our work to do, like old Barleycornthere. Say, old fellow!” cried he, “bring to foranother kick!”

But the forester merely grumbled, as he pliedhis macheat further along the path.

“But who’s this brave young gentleman?”said the pirate, turning to me. “How do youdo, mister?” (holding his hand out), “Myname’s Jack Rodgers.”

I took the great hard hand, with a fit remark.

“You come in the King’s ship, didn’t you?”asked he.

“Ay,” said I.

“I thought you did,” said he. “Well, I mustweigh. Fare you well, Mr. Clayton. Fare youwell, Mr. Ambrose.”

And with this, doffing his hat to us, and bowingwith a handsome congee, he went his way.Presently we heard him swearing, as his coatcaught in the thicket.

We came to the Cells; where Ambrose tookme into a cell just within the passage.

I was startled, and stood perfectly astonishedon the threshold; for the walls were all carvedout in figures of beautiful sculpture. Thesubject was religious, depicting the martyrdomsof Christian saints. But oh profanity! Allprominent among those august visages, was thesculptured head of Doctor Copicus!

Ambrose observed my admiration wellpleased, and seemed to forget his gloom.

“You wrought these works?” asked I.

“Ay,” said he, “I wrought them. ’Tis mytalent, my delight ... I love beauty overmuch... overmuch,” he added heavily. “It obscuresreligion in me. I am taken with the shape andoutward form.... And yet that shape andoutward form is inherent in the Soul. And yetI know, thanks to the Doctor, I know andunderstand, that all is of the Soul.”

“What mean you by the Soul?” asked I.

“The Soul,” said he, “is the All-pervading,All-constituting, All-loving power and substance,in whom all souls do live and move and havetheir being.”

[146]“Thus spake the Doctor,” said I scoffing.

But Ambrose answered nothing.

“A seër, a prophet!” quoth I. “A just manand a merciful! How many thousands of poormariners, pray, hath this righteous preacherslain?”

Ambrose smote his forehead. “Have a care!”said he, “What did I tell you? If the Doctorheard you——”

“Oh, but you tempt me!” cried I, “Youtempt me! What! Would you have me to believethat this pirate chief, this murderer——”

I broke off; for the door of the cell wasthrown violently open, and there entered, burstingin upon us, the little lad whom we had seennear the volcan.

“Tirralirra!” cried he in his shrill voice, andstood stock and silent before us. I looked atAmbrose, who stared on the lad.

“Well, Dominic?” said he in a quaveringvoice.

The lad fell to capering about the cell. Hiseyes glowed like lamps; and, on a sudden, hecried:

“The mighty from their seats! The mightyfrom their seats! Death is a pendulum! Deathis a swing! Up—down! See—saw! It pullsdown the mighty from their seats, and exalteththe humble and meek! The clown is up andthe king down, hey-diddle-diddle for king andclown!”

And, stepping to Ambrose, he put a slip ofpaper in his hands.

[147]Ambrose looked on it.

“After twenty days,” said he quietly. “Aftertwenty days I die.”

I looked upon the parchment; thereon, infierce scrawled characters, was writ:

Post Viginti Dies.

“Why, what is this?” said I.

“The mandate of the Doctor. Because Ifetched not his sulphur,” said Ambrose.

“Tirralirra!” cried the lad, and, with a hopand a skip, sped from the cell.

Ambrose sat silent, his haggard gaze bentupon the floor; and I also was silent. At lengthhe spoke.

“Nay, but I am weary,” said he, “weary of itall.... Over the rocks, over the flinty rocks,have lain all the courses of my life....Always uneasy!... Miserable!... Tormented!tormented! But, when the Doctor revealed tome the hidden truth, then came joy unto mysoul. No longer tormented with those dark andhideous thoughts, no longer plunged in deep-downgulfs of terror and despair.

“Let him, then, kill my body, since he hathgiven life unto my soul! Ay, let him kill me,for I am a-weary! A-weary!”

I parted from him, to go to my cell. Later,before dusk fell, I went out to take an eveningjaunt, betaking myself to the cliff.

At the fortifications I stood to watch diversmen who cleaned the great guns.

They were Frenchmen, and chattered overtheir work, with much gesticulation. I spoke tothem; but they would not be troubled with me,and returned me no answer. So I left them, togo my way.

I rambled on along the cliff about half anhour without observing anything remarkable;and was going about to return, when, on asudden, I heard a sound of branches shakenin a little thicket that skirted my path, and, tomy great joy, beheld Thalass, the MosquitoIndian.

And, for his part, the faithful, affectionatecreature was so rejoiced to see me, that he knewnot how to express it sufficiently, casting himselfflat at my feet, or embracing me with a thousandextravagant antics. Hereafter he wended besideme along the cliff. But, on a sudden, he cameto a stand, looking fixedly to the sea-board.

He turned; and, plucking my arm, pointed to[149]the horizon. I looked, straining my sight tohave made out what he descried; but I couldnot. He told me it was the topsails of a ship.

This put me in a ferment to know whatmanner of ship it was: a King’s ship, I hoped;but doubted she would prove to be but a vesselof the pirates returning home. However, thewind coming briskly to the shore, and the shipbearing directly in, soon I descried her. Butnow the shades of night began to fall, so thatshe was no longer visible to us. On this weturned, and started back along the cliff.

As we drew near to the fortifications, there camea sound of voices; and soon we beheld a gangof pirates gathered about the guns. A smallman, having a scarlet feather stuck in his hat,stood a little apart from the rest. He beckonedto Thalass, who went to him. But I, bethinkingme of Ambrose, and of how the news of thiscoming of a ship might avail to distract hismelancholy thoughts, determined to go to him.

Accordingly I took the path of the woods,following it to the Cells. I found the knobbeneath the creepers, and tried to open thedoor; but I could not. Thereupon I castabout for a stone, to have knocked upon thedoor with it. Whilst I did so, there came thedull booming of cannonading out at sea. Itceased; then, like a dread answer, the volcanroared loud and long. Presently the cannonadingbegan again.

This made me mighty eager to learn whatthese cannon-shots might mean. I was willing,[150]also, to find out what was doing at the fortifications.Accordingly I gave over trying to openthe door, and started back to the cliff; thecannonading, meanwhile, being continued. Theheavens were splendid with the hosts of thestars; the moon was not yet risen.

I reached the outward of the wood, and lookedkeenly forth upon the fortifications. They werefull of men; and every gunner was plainly to bedistinguished by a point of yellow flame thatshone at the end of his linstock. But therecame no longer a sound of voices, and at that Iwondered; until I spied the form of DoctorCopicus.

He stood at the nearer end of the battery,looking out to the sea-board; and his tall,bowed figure, dressed in the scarlet robe, uponwhich his white locks fell glistening, had aneldritch look in the starlight.

I stepped boldly forth, and took my stationby his side. He turned on my approach,and I saw that his face was all alight withexcitement, like an eager child’s. But he saidnought to me.

I looked upon the starlit sea, and was amazed.For, instead of one ship, as I had expected, therewere four; and three were in chase of the other.The pursuers sailed almost abreast of one another,were close upon their quarry, and kept firing ather. The ships were about a mile and a halffrom the shore. None had any flag abroad.Thus they came on straight under the fortifications.

[151]Suddenly the Doctor turned, and spoke to me.

“See you my little lamb?” said he soft andlow, “See you my little lamb pursued by wolves?Do you not weep? Doth not your heart burnwithin you to behold this thing? But is therenone to help? Must I, then, stand by to see mychildren devoured by ravenous beasts?”

And suddenly plucking hold on my shoulder,he turned about, and strode on before thefortifications, drawing me after him.

“Ho! Benedict,” cried he to the master-gunner,“here’s a little lad come to see ourpretty things, our wondrous toys, our popguns!Show him how they shoot, Benedict! Let himsee them hit a mark, Benedict!”

The small man grinned with his teeth, andshouted an order; there fell a stir and businessand a clang, clang, clang of metal.

It ceased, and there was silence—for no soundof cannonading came from the ships at sea.

The small man passed his gaze along the line;then “Fire!” cried he.

There was a crash and a roar. To me itseemed the very earth did split, and quake andstagger. Stunned, I fell to the ground.

The Doctor himself raised me up, and, “See!See!” cried he, pointing out beneath the liftingcannon-smoke, “a curse is fallen upon the wolves!They die! they die! They go down! down!There shall not a one of them escape!”

The ship that had been pursued sailed slowlyin, and I could see the men crowding in the bows,waving scarfs to us, and, doubtless, cheering.[152]But of the other craft, there remained but aconfused wrack driving in the waves, swarmedover with struggling seamen, as with rats.

I turned from the spectacle, sick at heart. Iknew not, and I know not to this day, what themurdered men were—whether pirates or honestmerchantmen; but the fact of that disastersmote upon me like a private calamity.

I returned to the Cells; and, contriving thistime to open the door, passed within and mademy way to Ambrose’s chamber.

The poor man sat as I had left him, sunkinto a dull dejection, so that he scarce tookany notice of my entering in. I told him whathad befallen; but he merely said:

“That’s the Vandal, I suppose, come home.”

“She had a stormy home-coming then,” said I.

“Ay,” said he.

“What were the other ships, I wonder,” said I.

But he returned me no answer.

The common sort of pirates had their dwellingboth in the Cells, and in a system of caves, inpart natural, in part excavated out of the cliff,on the further shore of the island.

The Doctor had both a cell and a cave, sometimestaking up his abode in one, sometimes inthe other. Adjacent to his cell, was his laboratory,which was described sufficiently by theEnglishman in his narrative.

As concerning the Caves, I was never in them,nor so much as set eyes on them in all mysojourn on the island; being kept pretty busyfrom day to day with Ambrose in the Cloisters.On this account, also, I can tell you nothingof the ship-building which went on at the otherside of the island. But, as that topping piratetold us, they built the ship on the pattern of theTiger; wherein doth appear the main of theDoctor’s intent in enticing us to the island. Andwhat we overheard him say at the volcan, as tothe hatred he had for some nation, and his searchfor a combustible, may hint us he designed tocruise upon that nation, and with that combustible(when it was found), to destroy it.[154]Further, as I surmise, that nation was noneother than England.

But leaving this in the midst, I continue myrelation.

Looking down from the cliff, then, on themorning after the destruction of the fourships, as I wended with Ambrose to theCloisters, I spied the pirate ship lying at ananchor close in; and her longboat, heavy laden,was being rowed to the shore, to a point wheresome six or seven pirates stood ready to unladeher. But of the shipwracks there was never a trace.

Returning at midday, we fell in on the cliffwith Surgeon Burke. He stood in converse withthe surgeon of the pirate ship, and introducedme to him. I, in return, introduced Ambrose:we might have been at a country ball, there wassuch a ducking and bowing and doffing of hats!

When the last “Your servant, sir” had beenspoken, I asked the pirate surgeon whether hisvoyage had prospered. He answered grimlythat they had gotten more blood than purchase;whereupon Burke clapt him on the shoulder fora “jolly leg and joint-carver for Jack Shark.”

“But come, Frank,” says Burke, turning to meand crooking his arm in mine, “come you for ajaunt with me. It’s long since we had sweetconverse, you and I; and Mr. Ambrose, I’llwarrant, will not be hard hearted enough towithhold ye!”

“Nay,” says Ambrose, “you may take yourjaunt for me.”

“Give me leave,” hereupon thrust in the pirate,[155]and would have taken my other arm; but Istepped on one side and put him off: whereuponhe laid hold on Burke instead.

Now, it was evident that Burke was willing toconverse me in private, and wanted none of theother; yet he was so nice and genial by nature,that to tell the man plainly so, he would not, butmust be still mincing the matter, throwing outone glancing hint or another, which upon thetough hide of the pirate proved but glancingindeed.

But I, who could not away with such trifling,put a period to it presently.

“Mr. Harper,” says I (for such was the pirate’sname), “Two are company, three are none. ’Tisan old saying.”

He stared at me; then he flared up.

“What mean you by that, you prating fool?”cried he.

“I mean,” quoth I, “since you’re so dull, thatyour room is better than your company.”

On that he drew his hanger and made a passon me; but I, too, could sail on that course: notfor nothing had I wrought at Clayton Manor, andlearnt to hold a foil under one of the cunningestsworders of Italy. I stepped swiftly aside, anddrew my rapier; and, as sword and pirate cameblundering by me, I caught the one a tricksyturn beneath the haft, so that it sped hurtling inthe air, and gave the other so shrewd a taste ofrapier-point as set him howling.

He recovered himself; and, firing off a volleyof threats and imprecations at me, turned[156]furiously, and cast about for his hanger. It wasfallen, however, into a cane-brake.... We left himto fish it out as best he could, and parted fromhim, not without laughter. I doubt not, hewished he had his pistols.

“’Twas jolly sport,” cried I, giving him aparting shot. “Another day we’ll to’t again!”

And Burke, who had got over his queasiness,added:

“As good as quoits, i’ faith!” and bent doublewith a laughter-fit.

Indeed, we were gotten quite out of sight ofthe pirate ere Burke ceased to make merry overhim. Burke was ever inclined to hilarity; butnever, methought, so high as this. As weswung along arm in arm, and taking no heed ofthe way, he began to tell me many a merry taleand many a jolly jest. But sure his jollity wasa malignant jollity, an elfin intoxication....

The island was most witchingly beautiful, thewoodland being a harmony of green and gold,a chequer-work of mellow light and flashingarcs; whilst golden shadows waved, andjewelled motes danced in the shade of thebowering trees.

Of all the merry japes that Burke told methen, but one remains in my memory, like agaudy picture in a dark frame. It was the lastjest he was to make in this world.

“Did ever I tell you, Frank,” said he, “of oldJohn Baluster and the fun we had with him whenI was a boy? No? Well, this Baluster, youmust know, was a miserly flint of a man, and[157]withal as guzzling and greedy as a cardinal.He contrived to stuff his paunch, and husbandhis moneybags, by quartering himself upon hisacquaintances—friends he had none; and keptflitting from one easy-going soul to another ofsuch as would suffer him.

“Of these was my father; a country doctorhe, but one more busied with his garden, hisplum trees, his dahlias, his roses, than with thesick, of which (to speak sooth), he dealt with but afew, and of that few (dear man), killed as manyas he cured.

“Well, on a day when Baluster was thusbattening upon us, having already stayed abovea month, my brother Dirk and I resolved, byfair means or foul, to fire him out from thence.

“We stole into the parlour, where ’twas hiscustom of an afternoon to snore off the surfeitsof his midday meal. There of a surety lay John,a tunbelly of a man, a weary burden for mymother’s dainty settee. His bald pate wascovered about with a crimson scarf (Lord! Ican see him now); his vast mouth sagged openlike a cod’s, the horrible sound that issuedtherefrom frighted off the flies.

“For a space we stood, Dirk and I, looking onhim; then stole up; and, betwixt those cavernousjaws, each, one after t’other, did empty a blackdraught!

“We did this thing again on the next day;and on the next we gave him the equal of threeblack draughts!

“A change came over John Baluster. He[158]lost great part of his equanimity. He becamea trouble to my father: followed him about, aconsulting importunity. My father administeredunto him many various drugs; my father bledhim. Meanwhile, by some device or othercontrived by Dirk and me, he never wanted forhis black draughts. He had tendance enough!

“At last he took a notion that some one of theservants was poisoning him, had his trunk packedthe self-same day, and departed.”

Burke ended with loud laughter, in which, Ijoined; for he had a droll, dry manner oftelling a tale. Also I had contracted this whilemuch of his outrageous jollity. Hereafter, asthough spent with such laughter, we fell silent.

But, it seemed to me, that upon the woods,also, a silence fell, and a shadow and a fear. Ilooked up; but the sky was deep blue, and nocloud obscured the sun.

Suddenly we came to a stop. There had comea sound of singing in the woods, and the voicethat sang was that unearthly, magical high treble!

And thus it was:

“What is it?” cried Burke. “Where is it?”

Hereupon he set off running in the directionwhence the singing had appeared to come. I[159]followed; but I run lurching to this side and thatlike a drunken man.

We came within a thick wood. Suddenly I,who had taken no thought of the way hitherto,espied close at hand a curious triad of palm treeswhich I remembered to have seen before.

I thought swiftly as I went, asking myselfwhere I had seen those trees, and the answer wasborne in upon my mind with a gush of fear:I remarked them in my second passing withAmbrose through the second wood, and theystood in that region of the wood which he hadwarned me against venturing into!

I hallooed to Burke, who was gotten someway in advance of me. “Come back!” cried I,“Come back!”

But too late!

For, having found his way obstructed by a sortof hedge, or clump, of mangrove roots, he hadleapt over it; and his voice came to me in a noteof fear.

“Help!” cried he, “I sink! Climb the hedge....Nay, cut a stick and hold it forth to me. Haste!Haste!”

I spied a strong sapling, whipped out myknife, and cut it through. With this in my hand,I mounted to a fork in the hedge, and lookedover.

There lay a tract of flat ground, all grown overwith shimmering green and yellow moss andmottled with lichen and fungi, which stretchedaway to tall reeds, and thence to woods.A mist hung over it, and a cloud of buzzing[160]insects. On the marge stood Burke sunk to histhighs in ooze, and sinking still. His face, as heturned it towards me, was drawn and grey, andmoist with the sweat of fear.

Staying myself upon the fork, I held the saplingforth to him. He clutched it, and I pulledaway; but, though I used my utmost endeavours,straining to the last bent, I could not hale himout: the morass held him like a live thing.

Indeed, my efforts did but hasten his fate; for,when, my strength being spent, I desisted, it beganto suck him in faster than before. At length Iyielded the attempt.

Thereupon Burke bethought him to cast himselfflat, that his body might offer the greaterobstruction to the swamp; but it was too late:he was sunk too deep.

At last he ceased to struggle, and yieldedhimself for lost; and, conquering his terror aswell as he could, be entrusted to me certaincharges in respect of his wife and child, to enactif ever I should return to England. He diedbravely, committing his spirit unto God.

But this dreadful passage wrought a strangeeffect in me. It filled me full of anger againstDoctor Copicus and all his works. As I gazedupon the morass, which lay all shimmering andsteaming in the sun-glare, I swore that I wouldbring the man to the bar of justice and judgment.

I stood there in the dank wood, in the dismalshade of the mangrove trees, and I raged—I, aweak, futile lad—against the man whose mightwas like a strong tower. And suddenly, as though[161]deriding me, the voice of the volcan roared inthunder....

It came into my mind that the volcan was ademoniac creature of the Doctor enforcing andbodying forth his power; and, on the thought, Ishook my clenched fist towards the place whereit stood concealed.

But, ah, if I had but known!

It was becoming late; so I turned, and set off,wending slowly and heavily, to the Cells.

As I came forth from the wood, I spied diversof our men gathered together in talk, lyingsprawling upon the cliff; and, coasting over tothem, I sat down in the midst, and began toquestion them upon their lot in the island, andhow it liked them. For I was willing to learnwhether there might be any possibility of bandingthem together in a venture against the Doctor.

It appeared, however, that they were all wellcontent with the new state of things, and to consortwith the pirates.

Nay, they looked eagerly forward to go outon the account (as the saying is), and to takepart in many a brave carouse at Caraccas or atPort Royal.

There passed some sixteen days, in whichhappened nothing remarkable; nor learnt I inthat time anything more of the mysteries of theisland.

Ambrose could, or would, tell me nothing.Indeed, he was become so taciturn and out ofhumour, that scarce he spoke to me ever at all.And then came the day when I hit upon thesecret path over the morass.

That there was such a path, and that it conductedto something remarkable, I had from thefirst received a persuasion. But though, in severalvisits to the morass, I had sounded the marge ofit well-nigh all round (in compass about sixmiles), I could never come at it.

And no wonder! For thus the thing wasrevealed to me:

I had come to the place in the afternoon ofthat day (of a morning I still wrought in theCloisters), and was working along in a maze ofmangrove trees, when close by me a young kidleapt from the wood, and went bounding alongupon the morass as if upon perfectly firm ground.I was surprised; but, when I thrust my stickupon the slough at the point where I thought[163]the creature lighted, and the ground did yieldas soft as anywhere else, I stood like oneperfectly dumbfounded.

However, I essayed again, thrusting a littlefarther forth, and this time found firm solidground. I tried to the right hand and to the left,but in both places found swamp.

Here, at this very point, then, began the secretpath across the morass. But what a piece ofcunning it was! Or rather, perhaps, how wondrouswas nature’s cunning herein subservientto man’s!

However, I stayed not to wonder; but, havinglooked carefully round to make sure that nonewas near, sprang boldly forth upon the path, andbegan warily to tread it, feeling out before mewith my staff. It held good, and I came safeto the other side where thick fern-trees grew inthe skirts of woods.

Setting up my staff to mark the place, I enteredthe woods, coming soon to a delicious little greenhollow. The ground was glossy green moss;in the midst it was all withered in a squarepiece.

“O-ho!” said I, looking on it, “I know, Ithink, what this means!” For I recalled thewithered patch of moss above the Cloisters. And,stooping down, I felt about the roots of it.

It proved as I expected: the moss adhered tothe iron lid of a trapdoor.

I found the spring, and pressed it; and thecontrivance slowly opened. Now, during mystay on the island, I had furnished myself with,[164]and carried always about with me, the materialfor contriving matches, namely: a good length ofdead cocoa-fibre steeped in oil and dried in thesun. Accordingly, having cut a stick and brokenit in twain, I bound some of my fibre about theends of both pieces. I set one of my matchesupright in the pocket of my coat, lest I shouldwant it; and, having kindled the other with myflint and steel, I held it down into the pit.

The match burnt brightly, which told me theair was wholesome; so I set my foot upon theladder within, and, having the lighted match inmy hand, began to descend.

I reached the base; to find myself in a greatwell, or cylindrical shaft, the walls of whichwere clay hardened with fire. I looked for atunnel, or passage leading off from the place;but in vain. I was in the act of mounting theladder, in despair of making any discovery,when I spied a tiny knob of brass on the wall.To this I set my finger, and pressed it. Immediatelya door flew open in the wall, revealingthe dark arched orifice of a passage.

I ventured within. My matchlight shoneflickering upon bare clay walls at first; but,when I was gotten a little way, I near droppedthe torch, startled at what I suddenly beheld.

For, heaped up in a medley before me, was agreat vast treasure. Candlesticks and flagonsand jewelled sword-hilts, and plate and bars ofgold, half sunk in jewels without number andwithout price: some of them being set inbeautiful ornaments, but the most part loose,[165]and many uncut and unpolished as they hadbeen taken up out of the earth.

I stood at gaze, whilst diamonds, opals, andemeralds gleamed and flashed in the matchlight,like rainbowed lightning. Suddenly a dreadfulfear seized hold on me, and I dropped the match,which flickered for a moment and went out: aghostly, clucking laughter had sounded throughthe passage!

For a moment there was silence, while I stoodquaking; and then I knew who was with me inthat secret place.

“Are you, then, come as a robber?” came themocking voice of Doctor Copicus. “Would’stdespoil me of my wretched dole, the scantysavings and substance of my old age? What!shall the young tread down the aged, the strongand lusty trample upon the infirm?”

“I have taken nothing,” said I in a quaveringvoice.

“So. And are they worth taking, think you?”

I answered that it was an incalculable treasure.

“So. And what could it buy you?” said he,“Love, wisdom, freedom, power?”

I replied that it could buy none of these.

“What then? I’ll tell you: Shadows! Housesand lands—shadow! luxury—shadow! domination—shadow!Shadows! shadows! shadows!Vanity, trouble, and vexation of spirit! Setyour heart on shadow, and become shadow....I tell you, my lad,” added he, with passion inhis voice and deep despair, “I tell you, thatif....”

[166]He ceased, and there was silence; a hollowand throbbing silence, like the pulse of thedarkness.

Then the Doctor spoke again. “How cameyou here?” said he.

I told him how I had found the path across themorass.

“It remains,” said he, “for you to die....And yet....”

He touched a knob upon the wall; andimmediately my sight was dazzled with thebright white light, which flooded the passage.

“Come forth!” said the Doctor.

I obeyed, trembling, and stood with him inthe cylindrical chamber. I looked up; and thegreat, white, rugged face came into my vision,and filled it. But I could not endure hispiercing gaze, which searched into my soul.

“I am not willing to have you put to death,”said he at last. “Nay, look on me! Lo, yourlife is in my hands, and I spare it! You havetransgressed my weightiest command, and Ipardon you! Only swear to me, that you willnot divulge to any man the secret of the path, northrow out the slightest hint as to the treasure!”

“I pass my word on it,” said I, looking him inthe face.

“So. I will set my shining mark upon you.”

He took from an inner pocket of his robea tiny box wrought out of a single ouch ofemerald; and, having opened it, he dipped hisfinger within, and strook it on me, from my chinand jowl round to the back of my neck.

[167]“Get you gone,” said he, “and return nomore!”

And he looked upon me terribly, and pointedto the trapdoor.

I stepped to the ladder, and began to climb.I was amazed; my thoughts run in a whirl.The power of the man’s personality overshadowedme. One thing alone I perceived: I had foundfavour in his sight. But, with the thought, cameanother. I would build upon that favour tomake intercession for Ambrose. I stayed myascent, and looked down. Doctor Copicus stoodobserving me; and there was a strange, lamentablelook in his eyes.

“Sir,” said I, “I would speak with you....”

“Well?” asked he, as I stopped.

“Ambrose, your Secretary....” I began,and stuck again.

“Well?” said he. “What of Ambrose?”

“Spare him——”

I broke off; for my heart died at the terrorsof his aspect, at the fearful anger that suddenlyblazed in his eyes.

“Begone!” cried he. And I threw myself upthe remaining steps of the ladder, and staggeredout into the wood.

Night had fallen this while, and the hollow inthe thicket was black as pitch. I groped myway forth, and, coming to the verge of the swamp,searched for and found my stick that I had setup there. Hereupon I stood and looked aboutme, dazed and trembling.

The air was thick and fœtid with the mistfrom the swamp. The heavens were overcastwith black clouds. Two shadowy night birdsflew continually in wavering and interlacingcurves. A sort of rat-like creatures scuttled inand out the woods. A loud screeching cry,having a strange vicious note in it, thrust inevery now and again upon the continual croakingof frogs. It was borne in upon my mind, withterror, that this was the voice of the Toad.

From the back of me came the murmuringsound of the sea. Suddenly the moon appearedbetwixt ragged clouds, casting a livid light uponthe misty surface of the morass, and vanished.

In the daytime, in the warmth and light of thesun, I cared little for the ghostly mysteries ofthe island. I said that the Thing which hadfrighted us on the ship—the dreadful ghostlyfigure—had nothing spectral in it, but was[169]contrived, after some wondrous manner, byDoctor Copicus. But here, at night, in this weirdand desolate situation, my boldness proved tobe but a daylight boldness.

What, I asked myself, if the Thing shouldarise before me here and now? What was thatscreeching cry?

I took thought which way to go. It were adrear thing to cross the morass in the dark.What then?

I must, at all adventures, act, and act quickly,or a panic terror would come upon me.

But whilst I stood thus in doubt, thevoice of the sea came to me: and, turningthat way, I thrust desperately in amongst thewoods. They were dark and dank like a cavern.Unknown creatures started at my feet, utteringweird cries. They were full of bats, whichfluttered about my head; and something wingedand heavy darted up from the undergrowth andtore and bit at my face!

Perchance it was but a flying fox; but Iscreamed with fright. I tore the thing from me,and dashed myself headlong through the thickcovert. You may call me a craven; but, oncoming forth from that wood, I sobbed like aterrified child!

I proceeded, wading and staggering throughtall reeds matted with creepers.

’Twas a desolate situation; and, as I wentstaggering on through the reeds, I looked thisway and that, fearful of beholding the face ofsome dreadful devil.

[170]It seemed to me, that unearthly things didpeer at me upon every side. I fought againstthe frenzy of my fear. Suddenly I caught thesound of a rustling in the tall grasses at theback of me. I drew my rapier, and stood,looking back, hearkening intently; but couldhear it no more.

I strove to persuade myself that ’twas but analarum of my fluttering heart, and continued onmy way. But presently it came again, andlouder, doubtful no longer, but a sure token thatsomeone or something did follow me.

At last, being able no longer to endure thesuspense, I turned; and, casting away my stick,with my drawn sword in my hand, I began tomove that way.

I had not gone a dozen paces, but I beheldthe form of an Indian, who crouched in the reeds.He had a deadly blow-pipe in his hand. I wasready to have fallen upon him with my rapier.But, on a sudden (seeing, I suppose, the Doctor’smark upon me), he turned and betook himselfoff, running swiftly; and so disappeared in thedarkness. In the same moment, I heard somethingfall amongst the reeds.

Stepping to the place, I sought for it, andfound it. It was a gold watch, and on the backthereof was graven the arms of my house; Iknew it to have been my brother’s!

Now, since it had been let slip by the Indian,he it was, in all probability, who had murderedmy brother; the sense whereof stirred a lust ofvengeance in me, supplanting my late terror, and[171]I would have essayed to have followed thatIndian. However, I soon perceived I wouldhave been quite frustrate.

Accordingly, I turned and prosecuted myway, reaching the cliff at last, and descendingto the shore, by way of a gully.

The tide was at ebb; but I walked down theshore until I could see, faint and ashen, thecurled crests of the breakers and the foamwrithing upon the sand. I began to makealong to the northward.

There came a flash of lightning glimmeringupon the face of the high cliff. It was followeda little after by another, a blinding flash; andso continued intermittent. Presently a sort ofhoarse rolling sound came to me above theclamour of the breakers. It waxed louder as Iproceeded, and soon I knew what it was: thesound of waters falling from a blow-hole highup on the lofty cliff.

But, as I drew nearer, for the fourth time thatnight terror laid hold on me. For, as a flash oflightning fell upon the waterfall, from above itthere looked forth that frightful visage which hadstruck terror to the heart of every man on boardthe “Tiger”!

I beheld the thing but for a moment; yet thehorror of it was more than I could bear. Adizziness came over me, and I sank down in aswound.

[173]It was early morning when I came to myself.A tumultuous and thundrous sound was in myears. It was the clamour of the great waterfall,joined with the roaring of the sea.

A wind was sprung up, a high and rockingwind, that came in flurries, and swept round andround and in and out the bends and indentationsof the cliff, to leap howling upon the giantheadland. The sea, risen high upon the shore,gnashed and foamed in great breakers. But thesky was cloudless blue, and the firmament clearlike crystal.

My face was wet with the flying scud; myclothes had dried upon me. I felt fresh andvigorous, as after deep sleep. I lay recallingthe grisly happenings of the night; and, on thethought of the ghost face, a shadow and a chillcame over me—yea, even in the warmth and lightof the sun!

Yet, on a sudden, I took another kind ofthought. Getting to my feet, I looked directlyupon the cliff above the waterfall, and therewas the face—ay, even as I expected! For nowI knew what it really was: a sculptured face,vast and horrible, hewed out of the rock!

Yet even so, scarce I could bear to look uponit. It was vast; it was prodigious; it was ahellish thing! Never hideous gargoyle, neverinfernal ghost, or chimera seen in dreams, lookedwith an aspect so frightful and malign!

Who, I wondered, had conceived it, and whosehand had wrought it? And immediately Iremembered those wondrous works of sculpture[174]on the walls of Ambrose’s cell. Ambrose wasthe man!

This, then, was what had scared us on boardthe ship near out of our wits, and, no doubt, manyanother ship’s company besides; a sculptured face,the phantasm of a mind diseased, a nightmaremade stone! And, by the same token, I perceived,what we had taken for flowing whiterobes of the figure was nothing else but flowingwater, the water falling from the blow-holebeneath the visage from the high cliff.

As to the illumination, that did not stumbleme. I had made it my play-game often, whena child, to cast a light reflected on a mirror; soan arc of the strange white light,[C] cast upon amirror, and reflected upon the face and fallingwater, might well have served to create thatghostly appearance.

But where was the mirror? There was a cavenear by; I stepped to it, and entered in. ’Twasdeep and dark; but I felt about the walls of it,and sure enough found the mirror. It stoodset up against the rock, wrapped in a canvascase.

Thus, then, the great mystery stood revealed.A chance, albeit a wondrous chance, had unmaskedthe trickery; for, if the lightning hadnot fallen, as it did, directly upon the face, and inthat very moment of time, ’tis a thousand to one[175]I had never seen it. For, on removing a littleto one side, I found that the face was no longerto be descried. ’Twas the same when I essayedthe other way. The thing appeared only bydirect observation.

By means of this ghostly scarecrow, I apprehend,Doctor Copicus had sought to preserve hisisland inviolate of strangers, frighting away anyships (save those he wanted), which happened towander near, scattering reports and rumours ofterror, building on the superstitions of the sea.But why he should have employed the thing toterrify us, whom, by means of Ouvery, he hadenticed hither, I could not at first understand.

However, casting back my thoughts upon pastevents, I saw the fact: in suborning Ouvery tothe work, Doctor Copicus, no doubt, had givenhim a sign to show forth on his returning in ourship; which sign being wanting at our comingto the island, he had been deceived as to whatwe were.

But hunger and thirst, which began to work inme, diverted my thoughts.

My thirst I quenched with a draught from thewater of the cataract, though it tasted brackish.Hereupon I began to walk back along the shoretowards the gully by which I had descended.[D]But the sun began to shine scorching hot, and Ihad not gone far, but I was fain to turn in to acave to shelter from the glare.

This cave was pretty deep, and the fartherparts were dark. Now, by this time of mysojourn on the island, the instinct of curiositywas become habitual with me; and I preparedto search the cave, taking out my cocoa-fibre tohave set fire to it with my flint and steel. ButI found it would not kindle, being damp.

However, my sight becoming somethingaccustomed to the dim light, I began torummage amongst the pieces of fallen rock thatblocked the cave at the farther end. Here Icame upon the end of a ship’s cable which lay[177]coiled in a hollow place behind a boulder.’Twas fastened to a horse’s hide.

I was perplexed as to what the thing mightbe, but presently knew it for a float (the horse’shide being blown up before use), and, by thesame token, its use and office in the business ofscaring poor mariners. For, recollecting theepisode of the cut cable in the night of ourcoming to the island, I made small doubt thatone had been sent out on the float to do thework.[E]

From the cave I made my way towards thegully, and so up to the higher land. Here werewoods, wherein I found a banana tree full offruit, and did eat of it very heartily. HereuponI turned along on the summit of the cliffs towardsthe south, where the battery stood.

But within half a mile from thence I heardthe clamour of another cliff-waterfall; and,having come to the place, and, looking over, Ibeheld another great stone visage. CertainlyDoctor Copicus had slipped no opportunity tofashion out his images of terror!

I laughed as I thought of it, laughed at myselfand at so many others thus befooled. We hadbeen as birds frighted with scarecrows! But, on[178]a sudden, I became sensible that I was notalone; and, looking up, I spied the skeleton lad,Dominic, who had come out from a little thickwood in front of me.

He came towards me, walking with a slowand dreamy motion; and, as he drew near, I sawthat his eyes had a lifeless look, and, as it were,a film upon them.

I took the occasion to converse him, beingcurious to know many things concerning him.

“Well, Dominic,” said I pleasantly, “how doyou do this fine day?”

But he continued on his way, and did passme by without answering or taking any notice ofme; nor, indeed, did he seem so much assensible of my presence.

I stood, staring angrily round upon him,thinking he affronted me.

“Why don’t you answer me?” cried I. “Areyou, then, deaf or dumb?”

But he went on as before. Hereupon I calledupon him to stand; and, when that also was ofnone effect, I run and overtook him, and clutchedhim by the sleeve of his ragged coat.

On this he started, sighed deeply, and lookedwildly round on me. This gave me a scare, sothat I let go of his sleeve, and took a step backfrom him. I perceived I had awakened the ladfrom a sort of trance.

“I beg your pardon ...” I began.

“Tirralirra,” cried he, in his shrill voice, “hebegs pardon of Dominic! He ought to begpardon of the great magician.”

[179]“What mean you?” asked I; but he stoodstock still, his head fallen upon his breast, and,when I bent forward, peering into his eyes, Isaw that the lifeless and filmy look had returnedupon them, and that the lad was fallen back intohis strange trance.

Presently he stirred, and began to walk onwith the same slow and dreamy motion asbefore.

I let him go his way, and went mine.

As I awoke on the morrow, I felt a weight comeover me: ’twas the day on which, by order ofthe Doctor, Ambrose was to die.

Nay, I could have wept to think that the poorman was already dead.

I got up, and, not staying for breakfast,hasted forth. I went to Ambrose’s cell; butfound it empty, and nobody in the passage. Iwent out, and quickly traversed the wood.Coming forth upon the cliff, I saw a strangesight. The nearer slope of the rising groundhard by the fortifications, and a great semicircleof the ground below, was all covered withpirates standing or seated on the grass.

I ran to them, and then I saw what this meant.For, in the midst—that is, on the rise of thehill—stood Ambrose; and two pirates had guardover him, bearing muskets. Those looking onmade sport of the doomed man.

“He be going a long voyage, sure!” saidone, “and, as parsons say, ’tis blasting hot inthat port! Well then, boys, give him a rumpuncheon, can’t ye? for to take along with him!”

“Ay, ay,” said a second; “there be some jolly[181]mates yonder will be right glad on’t—Firejaw,an’ Bully Crackerbones, an’ Bullfrog, an’——”

“I’ll warrant, they a’n’t hotter than we!” putin a third, “Why, this slope be blazing like agrill! If the Doctor come not soon, I shallweigh!”

“What! and part from old Blackcoat?”returned the other, “Why, ha, ha,” (turning toAmbrose), “shalt pass for a vicar in that garb!Do but troll over a little Latin—I know you can—witha pax vobiscum withal, and you’ll makethe other port!”

But Ambrose answered not a word, standingwith folded arms and stern gaze bent on theground.

“Hist!” cried one on a sudden, “the Doctor!”

On this, every man got immediately to hisfeet, every voice was hushed. The guards portedtheir muskets.

Doctor Copicus approached with slow steps,leaning upon a staff of ivory and gold. Hisscarlet robe and broad-brimmed hat shoneglorious in the sunlight. As he drew near, Iobserved that every man looked this way andthat, but never on him. Abashed they stood,those stalwart and swarthy pirates, like a crew ofchidden schoolboys!

As for Ambrose, he gave no sign.

The Doctor regarded them with fiery eyes;and he cried fiercely:

“You madbrained, loggerheaded crew, whatdo you here? May not one depart this life”(pointing to Ambrose) “without being gazed[182]by apes? What! shall I be poisoned with yourpestilent breath, ye cattle? Away! away! andhide you! Into the woods and caves, and coveryou! Out of my sight!”

And, on a sudden, he fell upon them with hisivory staff, with incredible fury.

Bruised and near blinded with the thick-comingblows, those who stood within reach ofthem fell confusedly back, thrusting upon thosebehind, forcing them in upon Ambrose and theguards.... The crowd swayed back and forth.

“Away! Away!” cried the Doctor in aterrible voice; and, as one man, all fled.

Borne onward by the scurrying crew, I washalf-way up the hill before ever I could recoverto stand ground; whilst the last fugitives wentstraggling by me. Yet three others, also, didthere separate themselves off from the rest. Theywere Ambrose and the guards. The four of uswended slowly down towards the Doctor.

“How now?” said he, when we were come tohim, “How now, Ambrose, my child? Are youready to depart, passing through the secretdoor?”

“I am ready,” answered Ambrose.

“So. And fain would I follow you, if seeingand hearing and understanding I might go!Make ready!” (to the guards) “Up with yourmuskets, and, when I give ye the word, whenI give ye the word,” repeated he, “shoot himthrough the head!”

Thereupon they set light to their matches;and, removing a little way from Ambrose, levelled[183]their guns upon him. His face was white likepaper; but he held perfectly still and gave nosign.

“Are you ready, Ambrose?” said the Doctorpresently, “I see that you are ready. Have younothing to ask of me? No boon?”

“Nay,” answered the other; “for hath an outworngarment aught to ask of him who casts itaway?”

There was silence; and thereupon I, whohad stood by until then like one spell-bound,recovered myself. I was ready to have drawnmy rapier, and madly to have fallen upon theguards; but, chancing to look at Doctor Copicus,I stopped: his face was all twisted like a child’sthat is about to burst forth into strong weeping.

It held but for a moment, and passed.

“Let the man go!” said Doctor Copicus.

But Ambrose sank swooning upon the grass.

That night I dreamt a monstrous dream; andit seemed to me that a ship anchored off theisland on a dark midnight.

Then rose up the dreadful figure on the shore,and stretched forth an arm of stone, and with astone hand laid hold on the ship, and lifted heraloft, and dropt her all shattered into the craterof the volcan. Whereupon, with a blast ofsulphurous fire, the ship was blown an appallinggreat height into the air.

With that, I awoke; but, though the phantasyof my dream passed away, I knew, as by aninstinct, that something monstrous had, indeed,happened on the island. I felt along the wall forthe little brass knob; and, having found andpressed it, I looked round in the lighted cell.One of the walls was rent in a long fissure!

Scarce I had seen the thing, but the doorwas thrown violently open, and Ambrose camedashing in.

“Clayton!” cried he, terror in his staring eyes,“Clayton!”

“An earthquake!” cried I, “Was’t an earthquake?”

“Ay,” answered he. “Haste! Come on! Ifthere come another, we shall be entombed!”

[185]I put on a great cloak, and we hasted out. Thepassage was full of men scantly dressed, makingtowards the door. They cursed and swore, asthey shoved one another along helter-skelter.

Ambrose and I reached the great door, andin a trice stood without in the darkness of thenight. ’Twas dark indeed! There was no moonnor stars. The air was hot and heavy, andseemed to throb in our ears.

Suddenly there came a jag of lightning thatrent the black heaven like a scroll; and thethunder scarce had ceased to roll, but, flash uponflash, and jag upon jag, the lightning camecontinuously, as if it would seam and scar andmelt the firmament! The earth did crack andcrack as it came to ground.

There came a sudden, mighty flaw of wind;and then fell the rain!

It fell in flows and cataracts, crashing uponthe trees of the wood like an avalanche, drivingthe fugitives back into the passage.

Yet the outrageous tempest held not long,ceasing as suddenly as it had begun. Hereuponsome were for returning to their beds; but alltrembled, wavering in their minds. Ambroseand I made towards the wood, which was allshattered and tumbled together, and the pathquite gone. With much ado, however, wecontrived to get through it, or rather over it; foroften we were obliged to climb.

“I am apt to think,” said I as we emergedupon the cliff, “that ’twas no earthquake; thelightning struck the place.”

[186]“Nay, you are in the wrong,” replied Ambrose.“The earth shook. ’Twas certainly an earthquake.”

“It was neither one nor the other,” came thevoice of Doctor Copicus, who stepped suddenlyinto our path.

“I say that it was neither one nor the other,”said he again; but there was no anger in hisvoice—nay, he smiled on us, as he added:

“Hearken, my children! Come, walk withme and hearken, for there’s somewhat I’d haveyou to know.”

So, wondering greatly, we began to walk withhim alongst the cliff.

For a while, we went without speech. Thenthe Doctor spoke again; but his voice wasstrange and remote, as if he spoke to himself.

“Much injustice,” said he, “much contumely,much wrong, I suffered at their hands. I, ascholar such as cometh not in many generations,a thinker compared with whom their subtlestheads were as wooden blocks; I whose insightwas piercing to the soul! They despised me!rejected me! cast me out!

“To destroy the nation, to destroy it root andbranch, to rase the populous cities, to blast thecountrysides; to find out a combustible, anexplosive searching as lightning, mighty thatblasting gunpowder would be, compared to it,but a puny breath—such motives, such intents,became henceforth the poles and axle of mytransported mind.

“This night, my children” (turning to us)[187]“was that mighty thing discovered, and thecombustion of but a grain of it wrought theconvulsion that shook this island.... A co*ck-boat’sburden would shake me a greater island!

“Thus the power is given—and the will istaken away!

“How is my hatred broken? dissolved andbroken? like a bubble broken? My firmpurpose, tempered in the fires of hell, is nomore! no more! It went from me, Ambrose,when I pardoned you on the hill!”

He fell silent; but we continued to pace alongin the sombre night.

“But hearken! mark me well! Ambrose, youhave the keeping of my parchments, what bethey?”

“The Book of Science, the Book of Poesy,the Book of Life,” answered Ambrose.

“So. Therein is my wisdom stored; thereinis laid up the efficacy of my genius; therein istraced and pencilled out my orbit and circlingarcs....”

He broke off; for there came a dreadful, subterraneousrumbling sound. The ground did heavebeneath our feet. I was thrown staggering down.

The dread portent ceased. The earth fellquiet. But, from a point in the interior of theisland, a blast of flame belched forth into thenight![F]

But the dread geyser gave no light, and thedarkness about me was black. I could seeneither the Doctor nor Ambrose; and, when Icalled to them, there came no answer.

Suddenly something leapt forth from thethicket and seized hold on me. It was a man;it was Thalass.

“Quickly! Quickly!” cried he. “I keep yousafe! I have boat!”

Hereupon he began to hurry me along fasterand faster.

The air became sulphurous and laden withheated dust and ashes. A rumbling, low andominous, sounded intermittently from the regionof the volcan. The woods were full of the cryingof terrified beasts; and presently, from afar,came the voices of men.

The darkness became tinged with a ruddyglow. A fierce roaring sound arose. I lookedup, to see that all about the volcan, which continuedto belch forth fire, the woods were kindledand roaring in a holocaust.

Scouring hard behind the Indian, I presentlydescended with him a gully of the cliff, comingsafe to the shore. There he led me to a cave,wherein lay housed a little, stout co*ckle-boat,[189]hewn all out of a great tree-trunk. In the sternwas a leathern sack full of bread, and a jar ofwater. I helped him to hale her down the narrowstrip of shore. The breakers foamed andgnashed like things possessed.

And now began the island to quake and to beshaken to pieces: the cliffs split in flaws andfissures, with stupendous sounds; the roar thatcame to us from the woodland bespoke a delugeof fire, over which, no doubt, the volcan rearedhigh its infernal plume.

“Quickly! Quickly!” cried Thalass, when theboat was gotten down. “Get ’e in! Get ’e in!Her good fine boat! No sink! no break! Imade ’e, fine! beautiful!”

“But you?” said I; “there’s no room.”

For I perceived that the little boat wouldhold but one.

But there came a dreadful thundering of thecliff, and fragments of rock fell about us likehail. Lifting me bodily into the boat, Thalasslaunched her forth, running out through thebreakers, and giving her at the last a mightyimpulse. I beheld for a moment his stern,hard-favoured face shining like bronze in thelivid light—and saw it no more for ever!

Tossed in the turmoil of the boiling sea, theboat blundered out beyond the breakers, vaultingnimbly over the surges. I clutched her sides,seared and scalded and near stifled with thesmoke and fiery spume and dust that blewwhirling down upon me from the erupting andburning island. A giddiness came over me. I[190]fought against it hard, with shut eyes, bringingthe whole force of my will on the resolve toendure and live.

There came the sound of singing.

The roar of the holocaust in the woods wasabated, the wind coming about from the sea; thecliffs, for a space, had ceased to thunder; and, faintand small, but clear and serene and bewitchingsweet, there sounded that phantom voice singing.

Struck out of myself with amazement, I forgotall my peril as I listened.

And thus it was:

Straining my eyes upon the livid-loomingcliffs vaulted with fire, I made out a meagre formstanding upon the shore.

As the singing ceased, there came a sheetof light, a tongue of flame, that, serpent-like,wound coiling down; and then I saw the singer.’Twas the skeleton antic lad!

For a moment, the lull in the Inferno-stormcontinued. Then, on a sudden, there came astupendous loud report; and, wave upon wave,and sheet upon sheet, a sulphurous blue flameswept, coiling and writhing, down the face of thecliff, down upon the little lad!

[191]It leapt upon him; it lapt him round inclinging, entwining wraiths; it encircled hisfloating hair with tongues of flame. Thus, for amoment, he stood transfigured; and then camethe end!

A giant boulder crashed from the summit ofthe lofty cliff headlong down; and, reboundingupon a spur of rock that projected almost to theplace where the lad stood, it took him upon thehead, and on the instant killed him.

But this was a merciful thing. For, hard uponthe falling boulder, there came an avalanche, anavalanche of molten stone!

It roared down the cliff; it swept over theshore. At its touch, the sea reared madly up inan appalling great wave, hissing out clouds ofsteam that veiled the livid light.

And upon me then there had fallen a dreadfulfate: to be whelmed in burning lava!

I saw it coming, the wave of torment and ofdeath. I gazed with a horrid fascination on itslivid front, livid and black and shimmering likesilver slime; and that instant was swollenthousandfold with agony.

In the next, by a sudden strong rebuff of theclashing seas, my boat was jerked slanting up,and cast upon the beakhead of the pirate barque!

She had lasked away from her moorings; and,unchecked by her drunken and amazed custodians,had blundered round to save me.

THE END.

The manner of my preservation from theHaunted Island, as well as other particulars, mayseem to many of my readers incredible; andsome, perhaps, will not stickle to brand the wholerelation as a fabulous tale.

I can only say, and I do aver it, that herein Ihave set down nothing but what really fell out inmy experience, described nothing but what Ireally saw in my brief sojourn on the island;which is a misfortune one way, leaving somethings inevitably obscure.

As to what happened to me after my escape inthe pirate barque, ’tis beyond the drift of myrelation, since nothing further transpired concerningthe island itself. Indeed, as I believe,’twas not only utterly devastated by that dreadfuleruption and conflagration, but sunk to the bottomof the sea. And, as one returned from those partsdid tell me, there goes a rumour amongst seafaringmen of an enchanted island at the bottom of thesea. Perchance it was set on foot by those pirateswho escaped with me; for, certainly, we alonesurvived.

I owed my preservation from their hands atfirst, mainly to the fact that they were alwaysfuddled with drink; like a drunken ship, she[193]drove, in fair weather and foul, with only hertopsails abroad, our course (if a course it can becalled), being generally westward. At length, aftermany days, and when both our drink and victualswere nigh consumed, we drove blundering ashoreupon an unknown and uninhabited island.

This brought the pirates to their senses; and,having no more drink to befuddle themselves with,they began to amend, and took thought how topreserve their lives. In this time also, they took anotion into their superstitious heads, that ’twas formy sake they had been miraculously preserved, sothat I was, as it were, the contrary to a Jonah untothem.

The ship had grounded on a shoal, in calmweather; and, not being stuck very fast, we contrivedto float her off. Having anchored her, wewent all on shore, to fill our jars and to ladecocoanuts and plantains, and afterwards loosed tosea again, committing ourselves to the conduct ofGod. For there was not a navigator among us,and we had quite lost our reckoning.

At length, we came to another island, where weanchored again, filled our jars, and laded morecocoanuts and plantains; and so on from island toisland: sometimes suffering dreadful privations inthe vaste desolate sea, when we despaired in ourminds of seeing land ever any more; sometimesat imminent peril of our lives from savages andcannibals—yet marvellously preserved, until, atlast, having wandered about for above two years,by the mercy of God, we came to the Island ofMindanao of the Philippine Islands; whence we[194]stretched across to the coast of China, towards theIsle of Macao.

Here was a Portuguese ship about to sail, andI went on board of her. But the pirates remainedbehind.

From Lisbon I got me a passage to Plymouth;and so home to Clayton Manor, where, with myfather, the Squire, I dwell unto this day.

(I thank Mr. N. W. Physick for his drawingof a King’s ship.—E. H. Visiak.)

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FOOTNOTES:

[B] How the Englishman would have grieved if he hadknown that the Mosquito Indians, faithful to the last,would be betrayed, to their fate, by the English Governmentinto the hands of the Spaniards: in 1787.

[D] This gully could not have been the ravine by whichClayton and Thalass ascended in their shore adventure.The gully must have been farther north.

[E] The episode of the cut cable and the driving shipremains obscure. The many indraughts of water caused bythe creeks and waterfalls on this side of the island, however,must have occasioned many currents convergingupon the shore. Accordingly, the cutting of the cable, orcables, of a ship anchored within the current-zone (thewind being subservient, or neutral), would cause that shipto drive ashore.

[F] Perhaps the explosion of the “grain” of the Doctor’s“combustible” which had “wrought the convulsion,” had,at the same time, released the pent-up forces of the“volcan.”

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