THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES 1 LIBRARY OF JP- A. SORENSEr4. 1 I— no.'tTT*. iJ lit > * • • • • » • • • • • • • • • • « « •> • 4 , * •• A' « • *t C *«.*t4 .^=__i-j^v\2j£5^\>.'iVV2^i^':^ ALONE OX THE DEEP. GASCOYNE THE SA>^DAL-WOOD TRADER. a ttatc of thr Pacific BY E. M. BALLAXTYNE, AUTHOR OF "THE YOCNG FUR-TRADERS," " WILD MAX OF THE WEST,"" ETC., ETC. WITH ILLUSTRATIONS. PHILADELPHIA: PORTER & COATES. CAXTON TRESS OF SnERMAN & CO., PUILADELTHIA. H O 57- r3 / ^, CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAGE THE BCHOONEK, 7 CHAPTER II. BCIIPUS 18 FIERY A'HT) PHILOSOPHICAL — MUKDEEOUS DESIGK8 FEUSTEATZD, 12 CHAPTER III. A EOUGH ■WALK ENLITEKED BT EAMBLIKQ TALK — EITSIPTJS 19 "AGEEEABLE," 23 CHAPTER IV. THE MISSIONAEY — SUSPICIOXS, SURPEISE3, AXD SUEMI8E9, . S3 CHAPTER V. THE PASTOE'8 HOUSEHOLD — PEEPAEATIOXS FOE WAB, ... GO CHAPTER VI. SUSPICIONS ALLAYED AND EEAWAKEKED, 62 CHAPTER VII. UASTEE COEEIE CAUGHT KAPPIKG — SNAKES IN THE QEASS, . 70 482989 LIBRARY 4 COXTEXTS. CHAPTER VIII. PAGE A Sar.PEISE— A BATTLE A>-D A FIRE, 78 CHAPTER IX. BAFFLED AND PERPLEXED — PLAKS FOR A RESCUE, ... 91 CHAPTER X. TUE PURSUIT— POOPY, LED ON BY LOVE AND HATE, RUSHES TO THE RESCUE, 100 CHAPTER XI. A GnCST — A TERRIBLE CO.MDAT ENDING IN A DREADFUL PLUNGE 107 CHAPTER XII. DANGEROUS NAVIGATION AND DOUBTFUL PILOTAGE — MONTAGUE IS HOT, GASCOYNE SARCASTIC, 126 CHAPTER XIII. DOINGS ON BOARD THE '' FOAM," , , v 13g CHAPTER XIV. GREATER MYSTERIES TUAN EVER — A BOLD MOVE AND CLEVER ESCAPE, 145 CHAPTER XV. REMARKABLE DOINGS OF POOPY — EXTRAORDINARY CASE OP RE- SUSCITATION, 152 CHAPTER XVI. A -WILD CHASE— noPE, DISAPPOINTMENT, AND DESPAIR — THE 6AI DAL-WOOD TRADER OUTWITS THE MAN OF-WAR, . . 164 CONTENTS. 5 CHAPTER XVII. PAom THE ESCAPE, 177 CILVPTER XVIII. THE goat's pass — AN ATTACK, A BLOODLESS VICTORY, AKD k 6ERSIOK, 185 CHAPTER XIX. BOEEOW AND SY.MPATnV — THE WIDOW BECOJIES A PLEADEK, AND HER SON ENGAGES IN SINGLE COilBAT, 197 CII.VPTER XX. HTSTEHIOUS CONSULTATIONS AND PLANS — GASCOYNE ASTONISHES HIS FRIENDS, AND MAKES AN UNEXPECTED CONFESSION, . 210 CHAPTER XXI. A TERRIBLE DOOM FOR AN INNOCENT MAN, 222 CHAPTER XXII. THE RENDEZVOUS — AN EPISODE — PECULIAR CIECUMSTAKCE8, AND OTHER MATTERS, 237 CHAPTER XXni. PLANS PARTIALLY CARRIED OUT — THE CUTTER'S F.\TE, ANT) A SERIOUS MISFORTUNE, 213 CHiSP-TER XXIV. AN UNEXPECTED MEETING — DOINGS ON THE ISLE OF PALMS — QASCOYNE'S DESPAIR 259 6 CONTENTS. CILNTTER XXV. FAOB BO ELY DICK — THE EESCUE, 273 CHAPTER XXVI. THE CAPTUEE AND THE FIRE 281 CHAPTER XXVn. PLEADIITQ FOR LIFE, 291 CHAPTER XXVin. A PECULIAR CONFIDAKT — MORE DIFFICULTIES, AND VAUIOUB PLANS TO OVERCOME THEJI, 300 CHAPTER XXIX. BUMPUS IS PERPLEXED — MYSTERIOUS COMMUNINGS, AND A CP- niOUS LEAVE-TAKINO, 813 CHAPTER XXX. MORE LEAVE-TAKING — DEEP DESIGNS — BUMPUS IN A NEW CA- PACITY, 320 CHAPTER XXXI. THE AMBUSH — THE ESCAPE — RETRIBUTIVE JUSTICE — AND CON- CLUSION, .... 829 GAS COYNE, THE SAXDAL-WOOD TRADER. CHAPTER I. THB SCHOONER. The great Pacific is the scene of our story. On a beautiful morning, many years ago, a little schooner might have been seen floating, light and graceful as a seamew, on the breast of the slumbering ocean. She was one of those low, black-hulled vessels, with raking, taper masts, trimly-cut sails, and elegant form, which we are accustomed to associate with the idea of a yacht or a pirate. She might have been the former, as far as appearance went ; ibr the sails and deck were white as snow, and every portion of brass and copper above her water-line shone in the hot sun with dazzling brilliancy. But pleas- ure-seekers were not wont, in those days, to take such distant flights, or to venture into such dangerous seas, — dangerous alike from the savage character of the islanders, and the numerous coral reefs that lie hidden a few feet below the surface of the waves. Still less probable did it seem that the vessel in ques- tion could belong to the lawless class of craft to which we have refen-ed ; for, although she had what may be styled 8 GASCOYNE, a wicked aspect, and was evidently adapted for swift sail- ing, neither large guns nor small arms of any kind were visible. Whatever her nature or her object, she was reduced, at the time we introduce her to the reader, to a state of in- action by the dead calm which prevailed. The sea re- sembled a sheet of clear glass. Not a cloud broke the softness of the sky, in which the sun glowed hotter and hotter as it rose towards the zenith. The sails of the schooner hung idly from the yards ; her reflected image was distorted, but scarcely broken, by the long, gentle swell ; her crew, with the exception of the watch, were asleep either on deck or down below ; and so deep was the uni- versal silence, that, as the vessel rose and fell with a slow, quiet motion, the pattering of the reef-points on her sails forcibly attracted the listener's attention, as does the ticking of a clock in the deep silence of night. A few sea-birds rested on the water, as if in the enjoyment of the profound peace that reigned around ; and far away on the horizon might be seen the tops of the palm trees that errow on one of those coral islands which lie scattered in thousands, like beautiful gems, on the surface of that bright blue sea. Among the men who lay sleeping in various easy, off- hand attitudes on the schoonei-'s deck, was one who merits special attention — not only because of the grotesque ap- pearance of his person, but also because he is one of the principal actors in our tale. He was a large, powerful man, of that rugged build and hairy aspect that might have suggested the idea that he would be diflicult to kilL He was a fair man, with red hair, and a deeply sunburned fiice, on which jovial good- humor sat almost perpetually enthroned. At the moment THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 9 when we introduce him to the reader, however, that ex- pression happened to be modified in consequence of hia having laid him down to sleep in a sprawling manner on his back — the place as well as the position being, appar- ently, one of studied discomfort. His legs lay over the heel of the bowsprit, his big body reposed on a confused heap of blocks and cordage, and his neck rested on the stock of an anchor so that his head hung down over it, presenting the face to view, with the large mouth wide open, in an upside-down position. The man was evidently on the verge of choking, but, being a strong man, and a rugged man, and a healthy man, he did not care. He 'seemed to prefer choking to the trouble of rousing himself and improving his position. How long he would have lain in this state of felicity it is impossible to say, for his slumbers were rudely inter- rupted by a slight lurch of the schooner, which caused the blocks and cordage attached to the sheet of the jib to sweep slowly, but with rasping asperity, across his face. Any ordinary man would have been seriously damaged — at least in appearance — by such an accident ; but this particular sea-dog was tough in the skin, — he was only awakened by it — nothing more. He yawned, raised him- self lazily, and gazed round with that vacant stare of un- reasonable surprise which is common to man on passing from a state of somnolence to that of wakefulness. Gradually the expression of habitual good-humor set- tled on his visage, as he looked from one to another of his sleeping comrades, and at last, Avith a bland smile, he broke forth into the following soliloquy : — " "Wot a goose, wot a grampus you've bin, John Bum- pus : firstly, for goin' to sea ; secondly, for remainin' at sea ; thirdly, for not forsakin' the sea ; fourthly, for bein' 1^ GASCOYNE, worried about it at all, now that you've made up your mind to retire from tlie sea; and, fiftlily — " Here John Bumpus paused as if to meditate on the full depth and meaning of these polite remarks, or to invent some new and powerful expression wherewith to deliver his fifth head. His mental efforts seemed to fail, how- ever ; for, instead of concluding the sentence, he hummed the following lines, which, we may suppose, were express- ive of his feelings, as well as his intentions : — " So goodby to the mighty ocean. And adoo to the rollin' sea, For it's nobody has no notion Wot a grief it has bin to me." " Ease off the sheets and square the topsail yards," was at that moment said, or rather murmured, by a bass voice so deep and rich that, although scai'cely raised above a whisper, it was distinctly heard over the whole deck. John Bumpus raised his bulky form with a degree of lithe activity that proved him to be not less agile than athletic, and, with several others, sprang to obey the order. A few seconds later the sails were swelled out by a light breeze, and the schooner moved through the water at a rate Avhich seemed scarcely possible under the influence of so gentle a pufF of air. Presently the breeze increased, the vessel cut through the blue water like a knife, leaving a long track of foam in her wake as she headed for the coral-island before referred to. The outer reef or barrier of coral which guarded the island was soon reached. Tlie narrow opening in this natural bulwark was passed. The schooner stood across the belt of perfectly still water that lay between the reef and the shore, and entered a small THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 11 bay, svliere the calm water reflected the strip of white sand, green pahns, and tropical plants that skirted its mar- gin, as well as the purple hills of the interior. Here she swept round in a sudden but graceful curve, until all her canvas fluttered in the breeze, and then dropped anchor in about six fathoms water. CHAPTER II. BTJMPCS 18 FIERY AND PHILOSOPHICAL — MURDEROUS DESIGNS FRUSTRATED. The captain of the schooner, whose deep voice had so suddenly terminated the meditations of Jolni Bumpus, was one of those men who seem to have been formed for the special purpose of leading and commanding their fellows. He was not only unusually tall and powerful, — physical qualities which, in themselves, are by no means sufficient to command respect, — but, as we have said, he possessed a deep, full-toned bass voice, in which there seemed to lie a species of flxscination ; for its softest tones riveted atten- tion, and when it thundered forth commands in the fiercest storms, it inspired confidence and a feeling of security in all who heard it. The countenance of the captain, how- ever, was that which induced men to accord to him a posi- tion of superiority in whatever sphere of action he chanced to move. It was not so much a handsome as a manly and singularly grave fiice, in every line of which was written inflexible determination. His hair was short, black, and curly. A small moustache darkened his upper lip, but the rest of his face was closely shaven, so that his large chin and iron jaw were fully displayed. His eyes were of that indescribable blue color which can exhibit the intensest passiop, or the most melting tenderness. THE SANDAL- WOOD TRADER. 13 He wore a sombre but somewhat picturesque costume, — a dark-colored flannel shirt and trousers, which latter were gathered in close round his lower limbs by a species of drab gaiter that appeared somewhat incongruous Avith the profession of the man. The only bit of bright color about him was a scarlet belt round his waist, from the side of which depended a long knife in a brown leather sheath. A pair of light shoes, and a small round cap resembling what is styled in these days a pork-pie, completed his cos- tume. He was about forty years of age. Such vras the commander, or captain, or skipper of this suspicious-looking schooner, — a man preeminently fitted for the accomplishment of much good, or the perpetration of great evil. As soon as the anchor touched the ground, the captain ordered a small boat to be lowered, and, leaping into it with two men, one of whom was our friend John Bumpus, rowed toward the shore. " Have you brought your kit with you, John ? " in- quired the captain, as the little boat shot over the smooth waters of the bay. " Wot's of it, sir," replied our rugged seaman, holding up a small bundle tied in a red cotton handkerchief. "I s'pose our cruise ashore wont be a long one." " It will be long for you, my man, — at least as far as the schooner is concerned, for 1 do not mean to take vou aboard again." " Not take me aboard agin ! " exclaimed the sailor, with a look of surprise which quickly degenerated into an angry frown, and thereafter gradually relaxed into a broad grin as he continued : " Why, capting, wot do you mean to do with me, then ? for I'm a heavy piece of goods, d'ye eee, 14 GASCOYNE, and can't be easily moved about without a small touch o my own consent, 3'ou know." Jo Bumpus, as he was fond of styling himself, said this with a serio-comic air of sarcasm, for he was an exception to the general rule of his fellows. He had little respect for, and no fear of, his commander. Indeed, to say truth (for truth must be told, even though the character of our rugged friend should suffer), Jo entertained a most pro- found belief in the immense advantage of muscular strength and vigor in general, and of his own prowess in partic- ular. Although not quite so gigantic a man as his captain, he was nearly so, and, being a bold, self-reliant fellow, he felt persuaded in his own mind that he could thrash him, if need were. In fact, Jo was convinced that there was no living creature under the sun, human or otherwise, that walked upon two legs, that he could not pommel to death, with more or less ease, by means of his fists alone. And in this conviction he was not far wrong. Yet it must not be supposed that Jo Bumpus was a boastful man or a bully. Far from it. He was so thoroughly persuaded of his invincibility that he felt there was no occasion to prove it. He therefore followed the natural bent of his inclinations, which led him at all times to exhibit a mild, amiable, and gentle aspect, — except, of course, when he was roused. As occasion for being roused was not want- ing in the South Seas in those days, Jo's amiability was frequently put to the test. He sojourned, while there, in a condition of alternate calm and storm ; but riotous joviality ran, like a rich vein, through all his checkered life, and lit up its most sombre phases like gleams of light on an April day. THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 15 " You entered my service with your own consent," re- plied the captain to Jo's last remark, " and you may leave it, with the same consent, whenever you choose ; but you will please to remember that I did not engage you to serve on board the schooner. Back there you do not go either with or without your consent, my fine fellow, and if you are bent on going to sea on your own account, — you've got a pair of good arms and legs, — you can swim ! Besides," continued the captain, dropping the tone of sarcasm in which this was said, and assuming a more careless and good-natured air, " you were singing some- thing not long since, if I mistake not, about ' farewell to the rolling sea,' which leads me to think you will not object to a short cruise on shore for a change, especially on such a beautiful island as this is." " I'm your man, capling," cried the impulsive seaman, at the same time giving his oar a pull that well-nigh spun the boat round. "And, to say wots the plain truth, d'ye see, I'm not sorry to ha done with your schooner ; for, although she is as tight a little craft as any man could wish for to go to sea in, I can't say much for the crew, — saving your presence, Dick," he added, glancing over his shoulder at the surly-looking man who pulled the bow oar. " Of all the rascally set I ever clapped eyes on, they seems to me the worst. If I didn't know you for a sandal-wood trader, I do believe I'd take ye for a pi- rate." " Don't speak ill of your messmates behind their backs, Jo," said the captain, with a sliglit frown. " No good and true man ever does that." " No more I do," replied John Bumpus, while a deep red ''.olor suffused his bronzed countenance. " No more I 1 6 GASCOYNE, do, leastwise if they wos here I'd say it to their faces ; for thej-'re a set of as ill-tongued villains as I ever had the misfortune to — " " Silence ! " exclaimed the captain, suddenly, in a voice of thunder. Few men would have ventured to disobey the command given by such a man, but John Bumpus was one of those few. He did indeed remain silent for two seconds, but it was the silence of astonishment. " Capting," said he, seriously, " I don't mean no offence, but I'd have you to know that I engaged to work for you, not to hold my tongue at your bidding, d'ye see. There aint the man living as'U make Jo Bumpus shut up w'en he's got a mind to — " The captain put an abrupt end to the remarks of his refractory seaman by starting up suddenly in fierce anger and seizing the tiller, apparently M'ith the intent to fell him. He checked himself, however, as suddenly, and breaking into a loud laugh, cried : — " Come, Jo, you must admit that there is at least one living man who has made you 'shut up' before you had finished what you'd got to say." John Bumpus, who had thrown up his left arm to wai'd off the anticipated blow, and dropped his oar in order to clench his right fist, quietly resumed his oar, and shook his head gravely for nearly a minute, after which he made the following observation : — " Capting, I've seed, in my experience o' life, that there are some constitootions as don't agree with jokin' ; an' yours is one on '€m. Now, if you'd take the advice of a plain man, you'd never try it on. You're a grave man by natur', and you're so bad at a joke that a feller can't quite THE SANDAL- WOOD TRADER. 17 tell w'en you're a-doin' of it. See, now ! I do declare I ■W03 as near drivin' you right over tlie stern o' your o\Yn boat as could be, only by good lack I seed the twinkle in your e}'e in time." " Pull away, my lad," said the captain, in the softest tones of iiis deep voice, at the same time looking his re- prover straight in the face. There was something in the tone in which that simple command was given, and in the look by which it was ac- companied, that effectually quelled John Bumpus in spite of himself. Violence b.ad no effect on John, because in most cases he was able to meet it with superior violence, and in all cases he was willing to try. But to be put down in this mild way was perplexing. The words were familiar, the look straightforward and common enough. He could not understand it at all, and, being naturally of a philosophical turn of mind, he spent the next three min- utes in a futile endeavor to analyze his own feelings. Be- fore he had come to any satisfactory conclusion on the subject, the boat's keel grated on the white sand of the shore. Xow, while all that we have been describing in the last and present chapters was going on, a very different series of events was taking place on the coral-island ; for there, under the pleasant shade of the cocoanut palms, a tall, fair, and handsome vouth was walking lightlv down the green slopes toward the shore in anticipation of the arri- val of the schooner, and a naked, dark-skinned savage was dogging his steps, v.'inding like a hideous sn.nke among the bushes, and apparently seeking an opportunity to launch the short spear he carried in his hand at his unsuspecting victim. 9 18 GASCOYNE, As the youth and the savage descended the mountain* side together, the former frequently paused when an open- ing in the rich foliage peculiar to these beautiful isles enabled him to obtain a clear view of the magnificent bay and its fringing coral reef, on which the swell of the great Pacific — so calm and undulating out beyond — fell in tremendous breakers, with a long, low, solemn roar like distant thunder. As yet no object broke the surface of the mirror-like bay within the reef. Each time the youth paused the savage stopped also, and more than once he poised his deadly spear, while his glaring eyeballs shone amid the green foliage like those of a tiger. Yet upon each occasion he exhibited signs of hesitation, and finally lowered the weapon, and crouched into the underwood. To any one ignorant of the actors in this scene, the in- decision of the savage would have appeared unaccounta- ble ; for -there could be no doubt of his desire to slay the fair youth — still less doubt of his ability to dart his for- midable spear with precision. Nevertheless, there was good reason for his hesitating; for young Henry Stuart was well known, alike by settlers and savages, as possess- ing the swiftest foot, the strongest arm, and the boldest heart in the island, and Keona was not celebrated for the possession of these qualities in any degree above the aver- age of his fellows, although he did undoubtedly exceed them in revenge, hatred, and the like. On one occasion young Stuart had, while defending his mother's house against an attack of the savages, felled Keona with a well- directed blow of his fist. It was doubtless out of revenge for this that the latter now do2;gcd the former throu";h the CO o lonely recesses of the mountain -pass by which he had THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 19 crossed tlie island from the little settlement in wliicli was liis home, and gained the sequestered bay in which he ex- pected to lind the schooner. Up to tliis point, however, the savage had not summoned courage to make the attack, although, with tlie exception of a hunting-knife, his ene- my was altogether unarmed; for he knew that in the event of missing his mark tlie young man's speed of foot would enable him to outstrip him, while his strength of frame would quickly terminate a single combat. As the youth gained the more open land near the beach, the possibility of making a successful cast of the spear became more and more doubtful. Finally the savage shrunk into the bushes, and abandoned the pui'- suit. " Not here yet, Master Gascoyne," muttered Heniy, as he sat down on a rock to rest ; for, although the six miles of country he had crossed was a trifle, as regarded distance, to a lad of nineteen, the rugged mountain-path by which be bad come would have tried the muscles of a Red In- dian, and the nerve of a goat. " You were wont to keep to time better in days gone by. Truly it seems to me a strange thing that I should thus be made a sort of walking post betAveen my mother's house and this bay, all for the benefit of a man who seems to me no better than he should be, and whom I don't like, and yet whom I do like in some unaccountable fashion that I don't understand." "Whatever the youth's thoughts were after giving vent to the foregoing soliloquy, he kept them to himself. They did not at first appear to be of an agreeable nature ; for he frowned once or tAvice, and struck his thigh with his clenched hand ; but gradually a pleasant expression lit up his manly face, as he gazed out upon the sleeping sea and 20 GASCOYliTE, watched the gorgeous clovids that soon began to rise and cki.>ter round the sun. After an hour or so spent in wandering on the beach picking up shells, and gazing wistfully out to sea, Henry Stunrt appe:;red to grow tired of Availing; for he laid him- self down on the shore, turned his back on the ocean, pil- lowed his head on a tuft of grass, and deliberately went to sleep. Kow was the time for the savage to wrer.k his vengeance on his enemy ; but, fortunately, that villain, despite his subtlety and cunning, had not conceived the possibility of the youth indulging in such an unnatural recreation as a nap in the forenoon. lie had, therefore, retired to his native jungle, and during the hour in wliich Henry was buried in repose, and in which he might have accomplished his end without danger or uncertaintv, he was seated in a dark cave, moodily resolving in his mind future plans of villany, and indulging the hope that on the youth's return- in g: homeward he would be more successful in finding a favorable opportunity to take his life. During this same hour it was that our low-hulled little schooner hove in sight on the horizon, ran swiftly down before the breeze, cast anchor in the b:'.y, and sent her boat ashore, as we have seen, with the c;;ptain, the surly man called Dick, and our friend John Bumpus. It happened that, just as the boat ran under the shelter of a rocky point and touched the strand, Kcona left his cave for the purpose of observing what young Stuart was about. He knew that he could not have retraced his homeward way without passing within sight of his place of concealment. A glance of surprise crossed his dark visage as he crept JM^^^-i^0^yn m THE SAXDAL-WOOD TRADER. 21 to the edge of the underwood and saw the schooner at anchor in the bay. This was succeeded by a fiendish grin of exultation as his eye fell on the slumbering form of the youth. He instantly took advantage of the opportunity ; and £0 deeply was he engrossed with his murderous inten- tion, that he did not observe the captain of the schooner as he turned a projecting rock, and suddenly appeared upon the scene. The captain, however, saw the savage, and instantly drew back, signing, at the same time, to his two men to keep under cover. A second glance showed him the sleeping form of Henry, and, almost befoi'e he had time to suspect that foul play was going on, he saw the savage glide from the bushes to the side of the sleeper, raise his spear, and poise it for one moment, as if to make sure of sending it straight to the youth's heart. There was not a moment to lose. The captain carried a short carbine in his hand, with which he took aim at the savage, — going down on one knee to make a surer shot, for the carbine of those days was not to be depended on at a distance mucli bej'ond a hundred yards ; and as the actors in this scene were separated by even more than that distance, there was a considerable chance of missing the savage and hitting the young man. This, however, was not a moment to calculate chances. The captain pulled the trigger, and the crash of the shot was followed by a howl from the savage, as his uplifted arm dropped to his side, and the spear fell across the face of the sleeper. Henry instantly awoke, and sprang up Avitb the agility of a panther. Before he could observe what had occurred, Keona leaped into the bushes and disap- peared. Henry at once bounded after him ; and the cap- 22 GASCOYXE. tain, giving vent to a lusty cheer, rushed across the beach, and sprang into the lorest, closely followed by surly Dick and John Bumpus, whose united cheers of excitement and shouts of defiance awoke the echoes of the place with clamorous discords. CHAPTER in. A ROUGH WALK EXLIVEXED ET EA3IBLING TALK. Bujipus IS "agreeable." It is said, in the proverbial philosophy of nautical men, that " a stern chase is a long one." The present instance was an exception to the general rule. Keona was wounded. Young Stuart was fleet as the antelope, and stron"- as a young lion. In these circumstances it is not surprising that, after a run of less than a quarter of a mile, he succeeded in laying his hands on the neck of the savage and hurling him to the ground, where he lay panting and helpless, looking up in the face of his conqueror with an expression of hopeless despair ; for savages and wicked men generally are wont to judge of others by themselves, and to expect to receive such treatment from their enemies as they themselves would in similar circumstances ac- cord. The fear of instant death was before his eyes, and the teeth of Keona chattered in his head, while liis face grew more hideous than ever, by reason of its becoming livid. His fears were groundless. Henry Stuart was not a savage. He was bumane by nature ; and, in addition to this, he had been trained under the influent of that Book which teaches us that the most philosophical, because the most effective, method of procedure in this world, is to " overcome evil with good," 24 GASCOYNE, " So, you scoundrel," said Henry, placing his knee on Keona's chest, and compresi-ing liis throat with his left hand, while with his right he drew forth a long glittering knife, and raised it in the air, — " so you are not satisfied with what I gave you the last time we met, but you must needs take the trouble to cross my path a second time, and get a taste of cold steel, must you ? " Although Keona could speak no English, he understood it sufficiently to appreciate the drift of the youth's words, even though he had failed to comprehend the meaning of the angry frown and the glittering knife. But, however much he might have wished to reply to the question, Henry took care to render the attempt impossible, by com- pressing his windpipe until he became blue in the f:ice, and then black. At the same time, he let the sharp point of his knife touch the skin just over the region of the heart. Plaving thus convinced his vancpished foe that death was at the door, he suddenly relaxed his iron gripe, arose, sheathed his knife, and bade the savage get up. The mis- erable creature did so, with some difficulty, just as the captain and his men arrived on the scene. " Well met, Henry," cried the former, extending his hand to the youth ; *' Iiad I been a moment later, my lad, I fear tliat your life's blood would have been on the sea- shore." " Then it was you who tired the snot. Captain Gascoyne? This is the second time I have to thank you for saving my life," said the young man, returning the grasp of the cap? tain's hand. " Truly, it is but a small matter to have to thank me for. Doubtless if my stout man John Bumpus had carried the carbine, he vvoul4 have done you as good service. An^ THE SAXDAL-VrOOD TRADER. 25 merhinks, Henry, that }'ou would Iiave preferred to owe your life to either of ray men rather than to me, if I may judge by your looks." " You should not judge by look?, captain," replied the youth quickly, — "especially the looks of a man who has just had a hand-to-hand tussle with a savage. But, to tell the plain truth, Captain Gascojme, I would indeed rather have had to thank your worthy man John Bumpus than yourself for coming to my aid ; for although I owe you no grudge, and do not count you an enemy, 1 had rather see your back than your face ; and you kno\y the reason why." " You give me credit, boy, for more knowledge than I possess," re})lied Gascoyne, while an angry frown gathered . for a moment on his brow, but passed away almost as quickly as it came. " I know not the cau^e of your unreasonable dislike to one who has never done }ou an injury." " Never done me an injury ! " cried Henry, starting and turning with a look of passion on his companion ; then, checking himseh" by a strong effort, he added, in a milder tone, " But a truce to such talk ; and I ask your forgive- ness for my sharp words just after your rendering me such good service in tlie hour of need. You and I differ in our notions on one or two points — that is all ; there is no need for quarrelling. See, here is a note from my mother, who sent me to the bay to meet you." During this colloquy, Dick and Bumpus had mounted guard over the wounded savage, just out of car-shot of their captain. Neither of the sailors ve'ntured to hold their pris- oner, because they deemed it an unmanly advantage po take of one who vras so completely (as they imag- 26 GASCOT>TE, ined) in their power. They kept a watchful eye on him, however ; and while they aifected an easy indifference of attitude, held themselves in readiness to pounce upon him if he should attempt to escape. But nothing seemed far- ther from the mind of Keona than such an attempt. lie appeared to be thoroughly exhausted by his recent strug- gle and loss of blood, and his body was bent as if he were about to sink down to the ground. There was, however, a peculiar glance in his dark eyes that induced John Bum- pus to be more on his guard than appearances seemed to warrant. "While Gascoyne was reading the letter to which we have referred, Keona suddenly placed his left leg behind surly Dick, and, witli his unwounded fist, hit that morose individual such a tremendous back-handed blow on the nose that he instantly measured his length on the ground. John Bumpus made a sudden plunge at the savage on see- ing this, but the latter ducked his head, passed like an eel under the very arms of the sailor, and went off into the forest like a deer. " Hold ! " shouted Captain Gascoyne, as John turned, in a state of mingled amazement and anger, to pursue. " Hold on, Bumpus ; let the miserable rased go." John stopped, looked over his shoulder, hesitated, and finally came back, with a rolling air of nautical indifference, and his hands thrust into his breeches pockets. " You know best, capting," said he ; " but I think it a pity to let sich a dirty varmint go clear off, to dodge about in the bushes, and maj^hap treat us to a poisoned arrow, or a spear thrust on the sly. Ilowsomedever, it aint no con- sarn wotcver to Jo Bumpus. How's your beak, Dick, my boy ? " " None the better for your askin'," replied the surly THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 27 mariner, who was tenderly stroking the injured member of his face with the fingers of both hands. " Come, Dick, it is none the Avorse of being inquired after," said Henry, laughing. " Cat 'tis as well to let tiie fellov,' go. He knows best how to cure his wound, by the application of a few simples ; and by thus making off has relieved us of the trouble and responsibiliiy of trying our hands at civilized doctoring. Besides, John Eurapus (if that's }"our name, — tliough I do think your father might have found you a better), your long legs would never have brought vou within a mile of the savage." " Young man," retorted Jo, gravely, " I'd have you to know that the family of the Bumpuses is an old and a honorable one. They corned over witli the Conkerer to Ireland, where they picked up a deal o' their good man- ners, after which thev settled at last on their own estates in Yorkshire. Though they have comed down in llie world, and the last of the Bumpuses — that's me — is takin' a pleasure- trip round the world before the mast, I wont stand by and hear my name made game, of, d'ye see ; and I'd have ye to know, further, ray buck, that the Bumpuses has a pecooliar gift for fightin' ; and although you are a strappin' young feller, you'd better not cause me for to prove that you're conkerable." Having delivered himself of this oration, the last of the Bumpuses frowned portentously on the youth who had dared to risk his anger, and turning with a bland smile to surly Dick, asked him " if his beak was any better now" "There seems to be bad news in the k-'tter, I think," observed Henry, as Captain Gascoyhe perused the epistle with evident signs of displeasure. " Bad enough in these times of war, boy," replied the Other, folding the note and placing it in a pouch inside 28 GASCOYNE, the breast of his flannel shirt. " It seems that that pestif- erous British frigate, the Talisman, lies at anchor in the bay on the other side of the island." " Nothing in that to raiiEe uneasiness to an honest tra- der," said Henry, leading the way up the steep path by which he had descended from the mountain region of the interior. " That speech only shows your ignorance of the usages of ships of war. Know you not that the nature of the trade in which I am engaged requires me to be strong- handed, and that the opinion of a commander in the British navy as to how many hands are sufficient for the navigation of a trading-schooner does not accord with mine? — a ditlerence of opinion which may possibly re- sult in his relieving me of a few of my best men when I can ill afford to spare them. And, by the way," said Gas- coyne, pausing as they gained the brow of an eminence that commanded a view of the rich woodland on one side and the sea on the other, " I had better take precautions against such a mischance. Here, Dick " (taking the man aside and whispering to him), " go back to the schooner, my lad, and tell the mate to send ten of the 'best hands ashore with provisions and arms. Let them squat where they choose on land, only let them see to it that they keep well out of sight and hearing until I want them. And now, Master Henry, lead the way ; John Bumpus and I will follow at you heel like a couple of faithful dogs.*' The scene through which young Henry Stuart now led his seafaring companions was of that rich, varied, and beautiful character which is strikingly characteristic of those islands of the Pacific which owe their origin to vol- canic agency. Unlike the low coral islets, this island pre- sented every variety of the boldest mountain scenery, and THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 29 yet, like them, it displayed all the gorgeous bt anty of a rich tropical vegetation. In some places the ground had been cracked and riven into great fissures and uncouth caveins of the Avildest description, by volcanoes appar- ently long since extinct. In others the landscape pre- sented the soft beauty of undulating, grove-like scenery, in ^hich, amitl a profusion of bright green herbage, there rose conspicuous the tall stems and waving plumes of the cocoanut palm ; the superb and umbrageous ko-a, with its laurel-green leaves and sweet blossoms ; the hiihd, or can- dlenut tree ; the fragi'ant sandal-wood, and a variety of other trees and shrubs for which there are no English names. Hundreds of gi'een paroquets with blue heads and red breasts, turtle-doves, v/ood-pigeons, and other birds enliv- ened the groves with sound, if not with melody, and the various lakelets and pools were alive with wild ducks and water-hens. The route by which the party travelled led them first across a country of varied and beautiful aspect ; then it conducted them into wild mountain fastnesses, among which they clambered, at times with considerable difficulty. Ere long they passed into a dreary region where the ancient fires that upheaved the island from the deep seemed to have scorched the land into a condition of per- p(!tual desolation. Blackened and bare lava rocks, steep volcanic ridges and gorges, irregular truncated cones, deep- mouthed caves and fissures, overhanging arches, natural bridges, great tunnels and ravines, surrounded them on every side, and so concealed the softer features of the country that it was scarcely possible to believe in the real- ity of the verdant region out of which they had just passed. In another hour this chaotic scenery was left 30 GASCOYNE, behind ; the highest ridge of the mountains was crossed, and the travellers began to descend the gi-een slopes on the other side of the island. These slopes terminated in a beach of white sand, while beyond lay the calm waters of the enclosed lagoon, the coral reef with its breakers, and the mighty sea. " ' Tis a pretty spot ? " said Henry, interrogatively, as the party halted on the edge of a precipice, whence they obtained an uninterrupted view of the whole of that side of the island. " Ay, pretty enough," replied Gascoyne, in a somewhat sad tone of voice : " I had hoped to have led a quiet life here once, but that was not to be. How say you. Bum- pus ; could you make up your mind to cast anchor here for a year or so ? " " "Wot's that you say, capting? " inquired honest John, who was evidently lost in admiration of the magnificent scene that lay spread out before' him. " I ask if you have no objection to come to an anchor here for a time," repeated the captain. " Objection ! I'll tell ye wot it is, capting, I never seed sich a place afore in all my born days. "Why, it's a slice out o' paradise. I do believe if Adam and Eve wos here they'd think they'd got back again into Eden. It's more beautifuUer than the blue ocean, by a long chalk ; an' if you wants a feller that's handy at a'most anything after a fashion, — a jack of all trades and master of none (except seamanship, which aint o' no use here), — Jo Bumpus is your man 1 " " I'm glad to hear you say that, Jo," said Henry, laugh- ing, " for we are greatly in need of white men of your stamp in these times, when the savages are so fierce agamst each other that they are like to eat us up alto- THE SAXDAL-WOOD TRADER. 31 gether, merely by way of keeping tlieir bauds in prac- tice." " White men of my stamp ! " remarked Bumpus, survey- ing complacently bis deeply-bronzed bands, wbicli were only a sbade darker tban bis visage ; " well, I would like to know wbat ye call black if I'm a vrbite man." " Blood, and not skin, is wbat stamps the color of tbe man, Jo. If it were agreeable to Captain Gascoyne to let you off your engagement to bim, I think I could make it wordi your while to engage with me, and would find you plenty of work of all kinds, including a little of that same fighting for which the Bumpuses are said to be so famous." " Gentlemen," said Jo, gravely, " I am agreeable to become a good and chattel for this occasion only, as the playbills say, and hold myself up to tbe highest bidder." " Xay, you are sold to me, Bumpus," said Gascoyne, " and must do as I bid you." " Wery good, then bid away as fast as you like." " Come, captain, don't be hard," said Henry : '• wbat will you take for bim ? " " I cannot afford to sell bim at any price," replied the other, " for I have brought bim here expressly as a gift to a certain Mary Stuart, queen of women, if not of Scot- land, — a widoAV who dwells in Sandy Cove — " " Wbat, my mother ? " interrupted Henry, while a shade of displeasure crossed bis countenance at what he deemed the insolent familiarity with which Gascoyne men- tioned her name. " The same. On my last visit I promised to get her a man-servant who could do her some service in keeping off the savages when they take a fancy to trouble the settle- ment ; and if Bumpus is willing to try his luck on shore, S2 GASCOYNE. I promise him he'll find her a good mistress, and her house pleasant quarters." " So," exclaimed the stout seaman, stopping short in his rolling walk, and gazing earnestly into his captain's face, " I'm to be sold to a woman ? " " With your own consent entirely, Master Bumpus," said Gascoyne, with a smile. " Come, Jo," cried Henry, gayly, " I see you like the prospect, and feel assured that you and I shall be good friends. Give us your flipper, my boy ! " John Bumpus allowed the youth to seize and shake a " flipper," which would have done credit to a walrus, both in regard to shape and size. After a short pause he said, " Whether you and me shall be good friends, young man, depends entirely on the respect which you show to the family of the Bumpuses — said family havin' corned over to Ireland with the Conkerer in the year , ah ! I mis- remember the year, but that don't matter, bein' a subject of no consarn wotiver, 'xcept to schoolboys who'll get their licks if they can't tell, and sarve 'em right too. But if you're willin' I'm agreeable, and there's an end o' the whole affair." So saying, John Bumpus suffered a bland smile to light up his ruddy countenance, and resumed his march in the "wake," as he expressed it, of his companions. Half an hour later they arrived at Sandy Ccve, a small native settlement and mission station, and were soon seated at the hospitable board of Widow Stuart. CHAPTER ly. THE MISSIOXAKY — SUSPICIONS, SURPRISES, AND SUEillSES. Sandy Cove was a small settlement, inhabited partly by native converts to Christianity, and partly by a few European ti-aders, who, having found that the place was in the usual track of South-Sea Avhalers, and frequently visited by that class of vessels as well as by other ships, had established several stores or trading-houses, and had taken up their permanent abode there. The island was one of those the natives of which were early induced to agree to the introduction of the gospel. At the time of Avhicli we write, it Avas in that transition state which renders the work of the missionary one of anxiety, toil, and extreme danger, as well as one of love. But the Rev. Frederick Mason was a man eminently fitted to fill the post which he had selected as his sphere of labor. Bold and manly in the extreme, he was more like a soldier in outward aspect than a missionar}'. Yet the gentleness of the lamb dwelt in his breast and beamed in his eye ; and to a naturally indomitable and enthusiastic disposition was added burning zeal in the cause of his beloved Master. Six years previous to the opening of our tale, he had come to Sandy Cove v/ith his wife and child, the latter a girl of six years of age at that time. In one year deiUh bereaved the missionary of his wii'e, and, about the same 34 GASCOYNE, time, war broke out in the island between the chiefs who clung to the idolatrous rites and bloody practices peculiar to the inhabitants of the South Sea Islands, and those chiefs who were inclined to favor Christianity. This war continued to rage more or less violently for several years, frequently slumbering, sometimes breaking out with sud- den violence, like the fitful eruptions of the still unextinct volcanoes in those distant regions. During all this period of bloodshed and alarms, the missionary stuck to his post. The obstinacy of hatred was being gradually overcome by the superior pertinacity of zeal in a good cause, and the invariable practice — so incomprehensible to the savage mind — of returning good for evil. The result was that the Sabbath bell still sent its tinkling sound over the verdant slopes above Sandy Cove, and the hj'mn of praise still arose, morning and evening, from the little church, which, composed partly of wood, partly of coral rock, had been erected under the eye, and, to a large extent, by the hands of the missionary. But false friends within the camp were more dangerous and troublesome to Mr. Mason than avowed enemies with- out. Some of the European traders, especially, who set- tled on the island a few years after the missionary had made it habitable, were the worst foes he had to contend with. In the same vessel that brought the missionary to the island, there came a v/idow, Mi's. Stuart, with her son Henry, then a stout lad of thirteen. Tlie widow was not, however, a member of the missionary's household. »She came there to settle with her sou, who soon built lier a rudely-constructed but sufficiently habitable hut, Avhich, in after years, was enclosed, and gi'eatly improved; so that it at last assumed the dimensions of a rambling pictu- THE SAXDAL-WOOD TRADER. 35 resque cottage, wliitewasbed, brilliant, and neat in its set^ ting of bright green. The widow, althougli not an official assistant to the missionary, was nevertheless a most efficient one. She taught in his schools, being familiar witli the native tongue ; and, when the settlement grew in numbers, both of white and black, she became known as the good angel of the place, — the one who was ever ready with sympathy for tlie sorrowful, and comfort for the dying. She was fair and fragile, and had been exceedingly beautiful ; but care had stamped his mark deeply in her brow. Tseithcr care nor time, however, could mar the noble outline of her fine features, or equal tlie love tliat beamed in her gentle eyes. The widow was a great mystery to the gossips of Sandy Cove ; for there are gossips even in the most di tant isles of the sea. Some men (we j-efer, of course, to white men) thoud^ht that she must have been tlie wiie of an admiral at least, and had fallen into distressed circumstances, and gone to these islands to hide her poverty. Others said she was a female Jesuit in disguise, sent there to counteract the preaching of the gospel by the missionary. A few even ventured to hint their opinion that she was an outlaw, " or something of that sort," and shrewdly suspected that ]\Ir. Mason knew more about her than he was pleased to tell. But no one, either by word or look, had ever ventured to express an opinion of any kind to herself, or in the hear- ing of her son. The latter, indeed, displayed such uncom- mon breadth of shoulders, and such unusual development of muscle, that it was seldom necessary for him — even in those savage regions and wild times — to display anything else in oi'dcr to make men respectful. While our three friends were doing justice to the bacon 36 GASCOYNE, and breadfruit set before them by "Widow Stunrt, the widow herself was endeavoring to repress some strong focUng, which caused her breast to heave more than once, and induced her to turn to some trifling piece of household duty to conceal her emotion. These symptoms were not lost upon her son, whose suspicions and anger had been aroused by the familiarity of Gascoyne. Making some excuse for leaving the room, towards the conclusion of the meal, he followed his mother to an outhouse, whither she had gone to fetch some fresh milk. " Mother," said Henry, respectfully, yet with an un- wonted touch of sternness in his voice ; " there is some mystery connected with this man Gascoyne that I feel convinced you can clear up — " " Dear Henry," interrupted the widow, and her cheek grew pale as she spoke, " Do not, I beseech you, press me on this subject. I cannot clear it up." " Say you will not, mother," answered Ileniy, in a tone of disappointment. " I would if I dared," continued the widow. The time may come when I — " " But why not now," urged the youth, hastily. " I am old enough, surely, to be trusted. During the four visits this man has paid to us, I have observed a degree of familiarity on his part which no man has a right to exhibit towai-ds you ; and which, did I not see that }ou permit it, no man v.'ould dare to show. Why do 3'ou allow him to call you ' Mary ? ' Ko one else in the settlement does so." " He is a very old friend," replied the widow, sadly. " I have known him from childhood. We were playmates long ago." " Humph ! that's some sort of reason, no doubt ; but you don't appear to like him, and his presence always THE SANDAL- WOOD TRADER. 37 seems to give you pain. "Why do you suffer yourself to be annoyed by him ? Only say the word, mother, and I'll kick him out of the house, neck and crop — " " Hush, boy ; you are too violent." " Too violent ! Why, it -would make a coward violent to see his mother tormented as you are by this fellow, and not be allowed to put a stop to it. I suspect — " " Henry," said the widow, again interrupting her exas- perated son, "do you think your mother would do what is wroni^ ?" " Mother," exclaimed the youth, seizing her hand, and kissing her brow almost violently, " I would as soon think that the angcds above would do wrong; but I firmly believe that you arc suffering Avrong to be done to you ; and — just listen to the fellow ! I do believe he's howling for more bacon at this moment ! " Tiicre could be no doubt whatever about the fact ; for just then the deep toiW33 of Gascoyne's voice rang through the cottage, as he reiterated the name of the widow, who hastened away, followed by her son. Henry scarcely took the trouble to conceal the frown that darkened his brow tis he reentered the apartment where his companions were seated. " Why, Mary, your bacon surpasses anything I have tasted for the last six months ; let's have another rasher, like a good Avoman. That mountain air sharpens the ap- petite amazingly ; especially of men who are more accus- tomed to mount the rigging of a ship than the hills on shore. What say you, John Bumpus ? " John Bumpus could not at that.moment say anything, in consequence of his mouth being so full of the bacon referred to that there was no room for a sins-lc word to pass his lips. In the height of his good-humor, however, 38 GASCOYNE, he did hi.^ best by signs to express Iiis entire approval of the widow's provender, and even attempted to speak. In so doing he choked himself, and continued in convulsions for the next live minutes, to the immense delight of the captain, who vowed he liad never before seen such a blue face in the whole course of his life. "While this scene was enacting, and ere Jo Bumpus had effectually wiped away the tears from liis eyes, and cleared the bacon out of his windpipe, the door opened, and the commander of 11. M. S. Talisman entered. Edmund Montague Avas a young man to hold such a responsible position in the nav}'; but he was a bold, vigor- ous little Englishman, — a sort of gentlemanly and well- educated John Bull terrier ; of frank address, agreeable manners, and an utterly reckless temperament, which was qualilled and curbed, however, by good sense and hard- earned experience. " Good-day to you, Mrs. Stuart ; I trust you will forgive my abrupt intrusion, but urgent business must be my ex- cuse. 1 have called to have a little further conversation with your son respecting that rascally pirate who has given me so much trouble. If he will have the goodness to take a short walk with me, I shall be much indebted." " By all means," said Henry, rising and putting on his cap. " Perhaps," said Gascoyne, as they were about to leave the room, "if the commander of the Talisman would con- . descend to take a little information from a sti'anger, lie miglit learn something to the purpose regarding the pirate Durward ; for he it is, I presume, of whom you are in search." " I shall be happy to gain information from any source," rep-lied I\Iontague, eyeing the captain narrowly. "Are you a resident in this island ? " THE SAXDAL-WOOD TRADER. 39 " No, I am not ; my home is on the sea, and has been since I was a lad." " Ah ! you have fallen in with this pii'ate, then, on your native ocean, I fancy, and have disagreeable cause to re- member him, perchance," said Montague, smiling. " Has he given you much trouble ? " " Ay, that he has," replied Gascoyne, with a sudden scowl of ferocity. " No one in these seas has received so much annoyance from him as I have. Any one who could rid them of his presence would do good service to the cause of humanity. Cut," he added, while a grim smile over- spread his handsome face, " it is said that few vessels can cope with his schooner in speed, and I can answer for it that he is a bold man, fond of fighting, with plenty of reckless cutthroats to back him, and more likely to give chase to a sloop-of-war than to show her his heels. I trust you are well manned and armed, Captain Montague; for this Durward is a desperate fellow, I assure you." The vouug commander's countenance flushed as he replied, " Your anxiety on my account, sir, is quite un- called for. Had I nothing but my own longboat where- with to attack this pirate, it would be my duty to do so. I had scarcely expected to find unmanly fears exhibited in one so stalwart in appearance as you are. Perhaps it may relieve vou to know that I am both well manned and armed. It is not usual for a British man-of-war to cruise in distant seas in a less suitable condition to protect her flag. And yet, methiuks, one who has spent so many years of his life on salt v.-ater might know the difference between a frigate and a sioon-of-v/ar." " Be not so hasty, young man," answered Gascoyne, gravely ; " you are not on your own quarter-deck just now. There ought to be civility between strangers. I may, 40 GASCOYNE, indeed, be very ignorant of the cut and rig of British war vessels, seeing that I am but a plain trader in seas where ships of Avar are not often wont to unfurl their flags, but there can be no harm, and there Avas meant no offence, in wai'ning you to be oa your guard." A tinge of sarcasm still lingered in Captain Montague's tone as he replied, " TVell, I thank you for the caution. But to come to the point, what know you of this pirate, — this Durward, as he calls himself; though I have no doubt he has sailed under so many aliases that he may have for- gotten his real name." " I know him to be a villain," replied Gascoyne. " That much I know as well as you," said Montague. " And yet it is said he takes fits of remorse at times, and would fain change his Avay of life if he could," continued Gascoyne. "That 1 might guess," returned the other ; " most wicked men have their seasons of remoi'se. Can you tell me nothing of him more definite than this, friend ?" " I can tell you that he is the very bane of my exist- ence," said Gascoyne, the angry expression again flitting for a moment across his countenance. " lie not only pur- sues and haunts me like my own shadow, but he gets me into scrapes by passing his schooner off for mine when he is caught." The young officer glanced in surprise at the speaker as he uttered these words. " Indeed," said he, " that is a strange confusion of ideas. So, then, the two schooners bear so strong a resemblance as to be easily mistaken for each other ? " " They are twins. They were built at the same time, from the same moulds, and Avcre intended for the sandal- wood trade between these islands and Calcutta, Manilla, THE SAXDAL-WOOD TRADER. 41 and Australia. One of them, the Avenger, was seized on her first voyage by this Durward, then mate of the schooner, and lias ever since scoured the Soutli Seas as a pirate ; the other, named the Foam, whieli I have the misfortune to command, still continues the trafSc for which she was originally built." " Ha ! " exclaimed Montague, turning suddenly round with an inquiring gaze at the stalwart figure of the sandal- wood trader; "it is most foriunate that I liave met with you, Mr. Gascoyne. I doubt not that you can conduct me to this vessel of yours, so that I may know the pirate when I fall in with him. If the two vessels resemble each other so closely, a sight of the Foam will be of great service to me in my search after the Avenger." " You are most welcome to a sight of ray ci'aft," replied Gascoyne. " The only difference between the two is, that the figurehead of the pirate is a griifai's head, painted scarlet ; that of my schooner is a female, painted white. There is also a red streak round the sides of the pirate ; the hull of the Foam is entii-elv black." " "Will you come on board my vessel, and accompany me in one of my boats to yours ? " inquired Montague. " That is impossible," replied Gascoyne. I came here on urgent business, which will not brook delay ; but my schooner lies on tlie other side of the island. If you pull round, my mate will receive you. You will find liim a most intelligent and hospitable man. lie will conduct you over the vessel, and give you all the information you may desire. Meanwhile," added tlie captain of the Foam, rising and putting on his cap, " I must bid you adieu." "K'ay, but you have not yet told me when or where you last saw or heard of this remarkable pirate, Avho is so clever at representing other people, perhaps I should rather 42 GASCOYNE, Bay misrepresenting tbem," said Montague, with a mean- ing smile. " I saw liim no longer ago than tliis morning," replied Gascoyne, gravely. "He is now in these waters, with what intent I know not, unless from his unnatural delight in pei'secuting me, or, perhaps, because fate has led him into the veiy jaws of the lion." "Humph! he will find that I bite before I roar, if he does get between my teeth," said the young officer. " Surely you are mistaken, Gascoyne," interposed Henry Stuart, who, along with John Bumpus, had hith- erto been silent listeners to the foregoing conversation. " Several of our people have been out fishing among the islands, and have neither seen nor heard of this redoubted pirate." " That is possible enough, boy ; but I have seen him, nevertheless, and I shall be much surprised if you do not see and hear more of him than you desire before many davs arc out. That villain does not sail the seas for oas- time, you may depend on it."_ As Gascoyne said this, the outer door of the house was burst violently open, and the loud voice of a boy was heard in the porch or short passage that intervened between it and the principal apartment of the cottage shouting wildly — " Ho ! hallo ! hurrah ! I say, "Widow Stuart ! Henry ! here's a business — sich fun! only think, the pirate's turned up at last, and murdered half the niggers in — " There was an abrupt stoppage both of the voice and the muscular action of this juvenile tornado as he thx-ew open the door Avith a crash, and, instead of the widow or her son, met the gaze of so many strangers. The boy Btood ibr a few seconds on the threshold, with his curly THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 4o brown liair dishevelled, and bis dark eyes staring in sur- prise, first at one, then at another of the party, until at length they alighted on John Bumpus. Tiie raoutli which up to that moment liad formed a round O of astonishment relaxed into a broad grin, and, Avith sudden energy, ex- claimed : " W/tat a grampus I " Having uttered this complimentary remark, the urchin ■was about to retreat, when Ilenrv made a sudden dart at him, and caught him by the collar. " "Where got you the news, "Will Corrie ? " said Henry, giving the boy a squeeze with his strong hand. '' Oh, please, be merciful, Henry, and I'll tell you all about it. But, \n\\x, don't give me over to that grampus," cried the lad, p.rctending to whimper. '•! got the news from a feller, that said he'd got it from a feller, tliat saw a feller, who said he'd heard a feller tell raiother feller, that he saw a black feller in the bush, somewhere or other 'tween this and the other end o' the island, wiih a shot- hole in his riirht arm, runninor like a cosolamnus, with ten pirates in full chase. Ah! oh! have mercy, Henry; really, my constitution will break down if you — " " Silence, vou chattei'-box ! and give me a reasonable account of what you have heard or seen, if you can." The volatile urchin, who miglit have been about thir- teen years of age, became pretei'ualurally grave all of a sudden, and, looking up earnestly in his questioner's face, said, " Really, Henry, you are becoming unreasonable in your old age, to ask me to give you a reasonable account of a thing, and at the same time to be silent ! " "I'll tell you what, Corrie, I'll throttle you if you don't speak," said Henry. "Ah! you coiildjit," pleaded Corrie, in a tone of deep pathos. 44 GASCOYXE, " P'raps," observed John Bumpus, " p'raps if you liand over the young genTm'n to the 'grampus,' /f the boat ceased rowing, and glanced at each other i'j .-urprise on hearing this. "II;\ ! sny you so?" exclaimed Montague, quickly. " Ii's r. fa-jt, fcir. Ask my comrade there, and he'll tell you the same thing." THE SAXDAL-V/OOD TRADER. G9 " Ple'Il do nothin' o' the sort," sliarplj returned honest Biimpu?, uho, having been cnly a short time previously engaged by Gascoyne, couUl perceive neither pleasure nor justice in the idea of being hanged ibr a pirate, and v.ho attributed Dick's speech to an ill-natured desire to get his late commander into trouble. " Which of you am I to believe ? " said Montague, hast- ily. " Wichever you please," observed Bumpus, with an air of indifference. " It's no business o' mine," said Dick, sulkily ; " if you choose to let the blackguard escape, that's your own look- out." "Silence, you scoundrel!" cried Montague, who was as much nettled by a feeling of uncertainty how to act as by the impertinence of the man. Before he could decide as to the course he ought to pur- sue, the report of one of the guns of his own vessel boomed loud and distinct in the distance. It was almost immediately followed by another. " Ha ! that settles the question ; give way, my lads, give way." In another moment the boat was cleaving her way swiftly through the dark water in the direction of the Tal- isman. CHAPTER VII. MASTER COKIIII': CAUGHT NAPPING — SNAKES IN THE GRASS. The Sabbath morning wliicli succeeded the events wo have just narrated dawned on the settlement of Sandy Cove in unclouded splendor, and the deep repose of nature was st.ll unbroken by the angry passions and the violent strife of man ; although from the active preparations of the previous night it might have been expected that (hose who dwelt on the island would not have an opportunity of en- joying the rest of that day. Everything in and about the settlement was eminently suggestive of peace. The cattle lay sleepily in the shade of the trees ; tlie sea was still calm like glass. Men had ceased from their daily toil ; and the only sounds that broke the quiet of the morning were the chattering of the parrots and other birds in the cocoanut groves, and the cries of sea-fowl, as they circled in the air, or dropped on the surface of the sea in quest of fish. The British frigate lay at anchor in the same place which she had hitherto occupied, and the Foam still floated in the sequestered bay on the other side of the island. la neither vessel was there the slightest symptom of pi-cpa- ration ; and to one who knew not the true state of matters, the idea of war being about to break forth was the last that would have occurred. But this deceitful quiet was only the calm that precedes THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 71 the storm. On every hand men were busily engaged in making preparations to break that Sabbath day in the most frightful manner, or were calmly, but resolutely, awaiting attack. On board the ship-of-war, indeed, there was little doing ; for, her business being to fight, she was always in a state of readiness for action. Her signal guns, fired the previous night, had recalled Montague to tell him of the threatened attack by the savages. A few brief orders were given, and they were prepared for whatever might occur. In tlie village, too, the arrangements to repel attack having been made, Avhite men and native con- verts alike rested with their arms placed in convenient proximity to their hands. In a wild and densely-wooded part of the island, far re- moved from those portions which we have yet had occasion to describe, a band of iiendish-looking men were making arrangements for one of those unprovoked assaults which savages are so prone to make on those who settle near them. They were all of them in a str.tc of almost complete nudity ; but the complicated tattooing on their dark skins gave them the appeai'ance of being more clothed than they really were. Their arms consisted chiefly of enor- mous clubs of hard wood, spears, and bows ; and, in order to facilitate their escape should tlicy chance to be grasped in a hand-to-hand conflict, they had covered their bodies with oil, which glistened in the sunshine as they moved about their villaire. Conspicnous among these truly savage warriors v/as the form of Keona, with his right arm bound up in a sort of slinof. Pain and disapnointed revenge had rendered this man's face more than usually diabolical as he went about among his fellows, inciting them to revenge the insult and 72 GASCOYXE, injury done to lliem through his person by the wliites. There was some reluctance, however, on the part of a few of the chiefs to renew a war that hatl been terminated, or rather been shimbering, only for a few months. Keona's influence, too, was not great among his kindred, and Iiad it not been that one or two influential chiefs sided with him, his own efforts to relight the still smoking torch of war would have been unavailing. As it Avas, the natives soon worked themselves up into a sufficiently excited state to engage in any desperate ex- pedition. It was while all this was doing in the native camp, that Keona, having gone to the nearest mountain- top to observe what was going on in the settlement, had fallen in with and been chased by some of those men be- longing to the Foam, Avho had been sent on shore to escape being pressed into the service of the King of England. The solitary exception to this general state of prepara- tion for war was the household of Frederick JMai^on. Hav- ing taken such precautionary steps the night befoi-e as he deemed expedient, and having consulted wilh Ole Thor- wald, the general commanding, who had posted scouts in all the mountain passes, and had seen the war-canoes drawn up in a row on the strand, the pastor retired to his study, and spent the greater part of the night in preparing to preach the gospel of peace on the morrow, and in com- mitting the care of his flock and his household to Ilim who is the " God of battles " as well as the " Prince of peace." It is not to be supposed that Mr. Llason contemplated the probable renewal of hostilities Avithout great anxiety. For himself, we need scarcely say, he had no fears ; but bis heart sank when he thought of his gentle Alice falling into the hands of savages. As the night passed away without any alarms, his anxiety began to subside, and THE SAXDAL-WOOD TRADER. 73 wlien Sunday morning dawned, he lay down on a couch to snatch a few hours' repose before the labors of the day. The lirst object that greeted the pastor's eyes on awak- ing in tlie morning was a black visage, and a pair of glittering eyes gazing at him through the lialf-open door with an expression of the utmost astonishment. He leaped up with lightning speed and darted towards the intruder, but checked himself suddenly, and smiled, as poor Poopy uttered a scream, and, falling on her knees, implored for mercy. " My poor girl, I fear I have frightened you by my vio- lence," said he, sitting down on his couch and yawning sleepily ; " but I was dreaming, Poopy ; and when I saw your black fiace peeping at me, I took you at first for one of the wild fellows on the other side of the mountains. You have come to sweep and arrange my study, I sup- pose." " 'Why, mass'r, you no hab go to bed yet," said Poopy, still feeling and expressing surprise at her master's un- wonted irregularity. '• Is you ill ? " " Xot at all, my good girl ; only a little tired. It is not a time for me to take much rest when the savages are said to be about to attack us." " When is they coming ? " inquired the girl, meekly. The j^astor smiled as he replied, " That is best known to themselves, Poopy. Do you think it likely that mur- derers or thieves would send to let us know when they were coming." " Hee ! hee ! " laughed Poopy, with an immense display of teeth and gums. " Is Alice awake ? " inquired Mr. Mason. '• Xo ; her be sound 'sleep wid her two eye sliut tight up, dis fashion, and her mout' wide open — so." ing 74 GASCOYXE, The representation of Alice's conditior, as given by Iiei maid, alfnough hideously unlike the beautiful object they were me ;nt to call up to her father's mind, were sufficiently expressive and comprehensible. " Go wake her, my gii'l, and let us have breakfast as soon as you can. Has Will Corrie been here this morn- ?" " Ilims bin here all night," replied the girl, with a broad grin (and the breaddi of Poopy's broad grin was almo.?t appalling). "What mean you, — has he slept in this house all niglit ? " " Yes — eh ! no," said Poopy. " Yes, no ! " exclaimed Mr. Mason. " Come, Poopy, don't be stupid, explain yourself." "Hee! hee ! hcc! yes, ho! hoi ho!" laughed Poopy, as if the idea of explaining herself was about the richest joke she had listened to since she was born. "Hee! hee ! me no can 'xplain ; but you com here an' see." So saying, she conducted iier wondering master to the front door of the cottage, where, across the thrcshokl, di- rectly under the porch, lay the form of the redoubted Cor- rie, fast asleep, and armed to the teeth ! In order to explain the cause of this remarkable ap- parition, we think it justifiable to state to the reader, in confidence, that young Master Corrie was deeply in love with the fair Alice. With all his reckless drollery of dis- position, the boy was intensely romantic and enthusiastic ; and, feeling that the unsettled condition of the times en- dangered the welfare of his lady-love, he resolved, like a true knight, to arm himself and guard the threshold of her door with his own body. In the deep silence of the night he buckled on a sabre. THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 'O tlie bbdc of Avliicli, by reason of its having been broken, was br.relv ei"bt Inches lontr, and ihc hilt Avhcrcof was battered and rusty. He also stuck a huge brass-mounted cavahy pistol in his beU, in the virtue of which he had great faith, having only two days before shot with it a green-headed parrot at a distance of two yards. The dis- tance was not great, to be sure, but it was enough for his purpose — intending, as he did, to meet his foe, when the moment of action should come, in close conflict, and thrust the muzzle of his weapon down the said foe's throat before condescending to draw the trigger. Thus prepared for the worst, he sallied out on tiptoe, intending to mount guard at the missionary's door, and return to his own proper couch before the break of day. But alas for poor Corrie's powers of endurance ! Xo sooner had he extended his chubby form on the door-mat, earnestly Avishing, but not expecting, that Alice would come out and find him there, than he fell fast asleep, while engaged in the hopeless task of counting the starry host — a duty which he had imposed on himself in the hope that he might thereby be kept awake. Once asleep he slept on, as a matter of course, willi hi ; broad little chest heaving gently ; his round little visage beaming upwards hke a terrestrial moon ; his left arm under his head in lieu of a pillow (by consequence of which it was fast asleep also), and his right hand grasping the hilt of the broken sabre. As for Corrie's prostrate body affording pi-otection to Alice, the entire savage population might have stepped across it, one by one, and might have stepped back again, bearing away into slavery the fair maiden, with her father and all the household furniture to boot, without in the least disturbincr the deen slumbers of the youthful knight. At least we may safely come to this conclusion from the fact 76 GASCOYXE, lliat Mr. Mason shook liim, first gently and then violently, for full five minutes, before he could get him to speak ; and even then he only gave utterance, in very sleepy tones, and half-formed words, to the remark — " Oh ! don' borer me. It aint b'kfust-t'm' yet? " " Ho ! Corrie, Corrie," shouted Mr. I\Iason, giving the victim a shake that threatened to dislocate his neck, " get up, my boy — rouse up ! " " Hallo I by ! murder ! Come on you vill eh ! Mr. Mason — I beg pardon, sir," stammered Corrie, as he at length became aware of his condition, and blushed deeply ; "I — I — really, Mr. Mason, I merely came to watch while you were all asleep, as there are savages about, you know and — ha! ha! ha! — oh! dear me!" (Corrie exploded at this point, unable to contain himself at the sight of the missionary's gaze of astonishment.) " Wot a sight, for a Sunday mornin' too ! " The hilarity of the boy Avas catching ; for at this point a vociferous " hce ! hee" burst from the sable Poopy ; the clear langli of Alice, too, came ringing through the pas- sage, and Mr. Mason himself finally joined iu the chorus. " Come, sir knight," exclaimed the latter, on recovering his gravity, " this is no guise for a respectable man to be seen in on Sunday morning ; come in and lay down your arms. You have done very well as a soldier for this oc- casion ; let us see if you can do your duty equally well as a church-officer. Have you the keys ? " " No ; they are at home." " Then run and get them, my boy, and leave your pistol behind you. I dare say the savages wont attack during the daytime." Corrie did as he was desired, and the pastor went, after breakfast, to spend a short time with Alice on a neighboring THE SANDAL-A^'OOD TRADER. 77 eminence, from whicli could be obtained a fine view of the settlement with its little church, raid the calm bay, on -whicli fioatcd the frigate, sheltered by the encircling coral reef from the swell of the ocean. Here it was Mr. Mason's wont to saunter with Alice every Sunday morning, to read a chapter of the Bible to her, and converse about that happy land where one so dear to botli of them now dwelt with tlie-ir Saviour. Here, aLo, the child's maid was sometimes privileged to join them. On this particuLu* morning, however, they were not the only spectators of the beautiful view from that hill; for, closely hidden in the bushes — not fifty yards from the spot where they sat — lay a band of armed sav- ages who had escaped the vigilance of the scouts, and had come by an unguarded i;ass to the settlement. They might easily have slain or secured the missionary and his household without alarming the people in the vil- lage, but their plan of attack forbade such a premature proceeding. The trio therefore finished their chapter and their morning prayer undisturbed, little dreaming of the number of glittering eyes that watched their proceedings. CHAPTER VIII. A SURPEISE — A BATTLE AJ:D A FIEE. The sound of tlie Sabbath bell fell sweetly on the pas« tor's ear as he descended to his dwellhioj to make a few final preparations for the duties of the day ; and from every hut in Sandy Cove trooped forth the native Chrittians, young and old, to assemble in the house of God. With great labor and much pains had this church been built, and pastor and people alike were not a little proud of their liandiwork. The ibrmer had drawn the plans and given the measurements, leaving it to Henry Stuart to see them properly carried out in detail, Avhile the latter did the work. They cut and squared the timbers, gathered the coral, burnt it for lime, and plastered the bu'dding. The women and cliildren carried the lime from the beach in baskets, and the men dragged the heavy logs from the mountains, — in some cases for several miles, — the timber in the immediate neigliborhood not being sufficiently large for their purpose. The poor natives worked with heart and soul ; for love, and the desire to please and to be pleased, had been awakened within them. Besides this, the work had for them all tiie zest of novelty. They wrought at it with somewhat of the feelings of children at play, — pausing frequently in the midst of their toil to gaze m wonder and admiration at the growing edifice, which would have done THE S^VNDAL-WOOD TRADER. < y no little credit to a professional arcliitcct and to more skilled workmen. The white men of the place also lent a willing hand ; for although some of them were bad men, yet they were constrained to respect the consistent character and I)lame- less life of the missionary, who not nnfrequently experi- enced the fulfilment of that word : " "When a man's ways please the Lord, he makctli even his enemies to be at peace with him," Besides this, all of them, however un- willing they might be to accept Christianity for themselves, were fully alive to the advantages* they derived from its introduction among the natives. TTith so many willing hands at work, the little church was soon finished ; and, at the time wlien the events we ai'e describing occurred, tliere Avas notiiing to be done to it except some trifling arrangements connected with the steeple, and the glazing of the windows. This latter piece of work was, in such a climate, of httle importance. Lons; before the bell had ceased to toll, the church was full of natives, whose dark, eager faces were turned towards the door, in expectation of the appearance of their pastor. The building was so full tliat many of the peo- ple were content to cluster round the door, or the outside of the uuglazed windows. On this particular Sunday there were strangers there, who roused the curiosity and attracted the attention of the congregation. Before Mr. Mason arrived, there was a slight bustle at the door as Captain Montague, with several of his olncei's and men, entered, and were shown to the missionary's seat by Mas- ter Corrle, who, with his round visage elongated as much as possible, and his round eyes expressing a look of in- human solemnity, in consequence of his attempt to affect a virtue whicli he did not possess, performed the duties of 80 GASCOYNE, doorkeeper. Montague had come on sliore to ascertain from Mr. Mason what likehhood there was of an early attack by the natives. " Where's Alice " whispered the boy to Poopy, as the girl entered the church, and seated herself beside a little midshipmin, who looked at her with a mingled expression of disgust and contempt, and edged away. " Got a little headache, — hee ! hee ! " " Don't laugh in church, you monster," said Corrie, with a frown. " I'se not larfin," retorted Poopy, with an injured look. Just then the boy caught sight of a gigantic figure en- tering the church, and darted away to usher the stranger into the pastor's seat ; but Gascoyne (for it was he) took no notice of him. lie passed steadily up the centre of the church, and sat down beside the Widow Stuart, whose face expressed anxiety and surprise the moment she observed who was seated there. The countenance of Henry, who sat on the other side of his mother, flushed, and he turned witli an angi'y glance to\". urds the captain of the Foam. But the look was thrown away ; for Gascoyne had placed his arras on the back of the seat in front of him, and rested his head on them ; in which position he continued to remain without motion while the service was going on. Mr. Mason began with a short, earnest prayer in Eng- lish ; then he read out a hymn in the native tongue, which was sung in good tune, and with great energy, by the whole congregation. Tiiis was followed by a chapter in the New Testament, and another prayer ; but all the service, with the exception of the first pi'ayer, was conducted in the native language. The text was then read out : " Though thy sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snov.- ; though they be red like crimson, they shall be white as wool." THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 81 Frederick Mason possessed the power of chaining the attention of an audience ; and a deep, breathless silence prevailed, as he labored, v*-iih intense fervor, to convince his hearers of the love of God, and the willingness and ability of Jesus Christ to save even the chief of sinners. IHiring one part of the sei'vice, a deep, low groan startled the congregation; but no one could tell who had uttered it. As it was not repeated, it was soon forgotten by most of the people. "While the pastor was thus engaged, a pistol-shot was heard, and immediately after, a loud, fierce yell burst from the forest, causing the ears of those who heard it to tingle, and their hearts for a moment to quail. In less than ten minutes, the church was empty, and the males of the con- gregation were engaged in a desperate hand-to-hand con- flict with the savages ; who, having availed themselves of the one unguarded pass, had quietly eluded the vigilance of the scouts, and assembled in force on the outskirts of the settlement. Fortunately for the worshippers that morning, the anxi- ety of Master Corrie for the welfare of his fair Alice in- duced him to slip out of the church just after the sermon began. Hastening to the pastor's house, he found the child sound asleep on a sofa, and a savage standing over her with a spear in his hand. The boy had approached so stealthily that the savage did not hear him. Remem- bering that he had left his pistol on the kitchen table, he darted round to the back door of the house, and secured it just as Alice awoke with a scream of surprise and terror, on beholdin'Tr who was near her. Next moment Corrie was at her side, and before the savage could seize the child, he levelled the pistol at his head and fired. The aim was sufficiently true to cause 6 82 GASCOYXE, the ball to graze tlie man's forehead, while the smoke and fire partially blinded him. It was this shot that first alarmed the natives in church, and it was the yell uttered by the wounded man, as he fell stunned on the floor, that called forth the answering yell from the savage host, and precipitated the attack. It was sufficiently premature to give the people of the settlement time to seize their arras ; Avhich, as has been said, they had placed so as to be available at a moment's notice. The fight that ensued was a desperate, and almost in- discriminate melee. The attacking party had been so sure of taking the people by surprise that they formed no plan of attack ; but simply arranged tbat, at a given sig- nal from their chief, a united rush should be made upon the church, and a general massacre ensue. As we have seen, Corrie's pistol drew forth the signal sooner than had been intended. In the rush that immediately ensued, a party dashed through the house, the boy was overturned, and a savage gave iiim a passing blow with a club that would have scattered his brains on the floor had it taken full effect ; but it was hastily delivered ; it glanced off his head, and spent its force on the shoulder of the chief, who was thus unfortunate enough to be wounded by friends a3 well as foes. On the first alarm, Gascoyne sprang up, and darted through the door. He was closely followed by Henry Stuart, and the captain of the Talisman, with his handful of officers and men, who were all armed, as a matter of course. " Sit where you are," cried Henry to his trembling mother, as he sprang after Gascoyne ; " the church is the safest place you'll find." THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 83 The widow fell on lier knees, and prayed to God while the tight raged without. Among the first to leave the church was tlie pastor. The thought of his child having been left in the house unpro- tected liiled liiin with an agony of fear. He sought no weapon of war, but darted unarmed straight into the midst of the savage host that stood between him and the object of his affection. His rush was so impetuous, that he fairly overturned several of his opponents by dashing against them. The numbers that surrounded him, l;ow- ever, soon arrested his progress ; but he had pressed so close in amongst them, that they were actually too closely packed, for a few seconds, to be able to use their heavy clubs and long spears wath effect. It was well for the poor missionary, at tliat moment, that he had learned the art of boxing when a boy! The knowledge so acquired had never induced him to engage in dishonorable and vultjar strife : but it had taught him how and where to deliver a straicrhtforward blow with effect ; and he now struck out with tremendous energy, knocking down an adversary !;t eveiy blow ; for the thought of Alice lent additional strength to his powerful arm. Success in such warfare, howevei", was not to be expected. Still, Mi: Mason's activity and vigor av(n'tcd liis OAvn destruction for a few minutes ; and these minutes were precious, for they afforded time for Captain Mon- tague and his officers to cut their way to the spot where he fought, just as a murderous club was about to descend on his head from behind. Montacrue's sword unstrun": the arm that upheld it, and the next instant the pastor was surrounded by friends. Among their number was John Bumpus, who was one of the crew of Montague's boat, and who now rushed upon 84 GASCOYNE, the pavages with a liowl peculiarly his own, felling one with a blow of his fist, and anotlier witli a sla-h of his cutlass. " You must retire," said Montague, hastily, to Freder- ick Mason, who stood panting and inactive for a few mo- ments in order to recover breath. " You are unarmed, sir ; besides, your profession forbids you taking part in such work as this. There are men of war enough here to keep these fellows in play." Montague spoke somewhat sharply ; for he erroneously f.aicied that the missionary's love of fighting had led him into the fray. " My profession does not forbid me to save my child," exclaimed the pastor, wildly. He turned in the direction of his cottage, Avhich was full in view ; and at that moment smoke burst from the roof and windows. "With a cry of despair, Mr. Mason once more launched himself on the host of savages ; but these were now so numerous that, instead of making head against them, the little knot of sailors who opposed them at that particular place found it Avas as much as they coulcj do to keep them at bay. The issue of the conflict was still doubtful, when a large accession to their numbers gave the savages additional power and courage. They made a sudden onset, and bore back the small band of white men. In the rush the pas- tor was overthrown, and rendered for a time insensible. While this was going on in one part of the field, in another, stout Ole Thorwald, willi several of the v.'hite settlers and the greater part of the native force, was guarding the principal approach to the church against im- mensely superior numbers. And nobly did the descend- ant of the Norse sea-kings maintain the credit of his Avar« THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 85 like ancestors that clay. With a swoi'd that might have matched that of Goliath of Gath, he swept tlie way be- fore him wherever he went, and more than once by a fu- rious onset turned the tide of ',var in favor of his party when it seemed about to overwhelm them. In a more distant i)art of the field, on the banks of a small stream, ■which was spanned by a bridge about fifty paces further down, Gascoyne and Henry Stuart con- tended, ahnost alone, with about thirty savages. These two had rushed forward with sucli impetuosity at the first onset as to have been separated from their friends, and, with four Clu'istian natives, had been surrounded. Henry was armed with a heavy claymore, the edge of which be- tokened that it had once seen much service in the wars of the youth's Scottisli ancestors. Gascoyne, not anticipating this attack, had returned to the settlement armed only with his knife. He had seized the first weapon that came to hand, which chanced to be an enormous iron shovel, and with this terrific implement the giant carried all before him. It was quite unintentionally that he and Henry had come together. Cut the nature and power of the two men being somewhat similar, they had singled out the same point of danger, and had made their attack with the same overwhelming vehemence. The muscles of both seemed to be made of iron ; for, as increasing numbers pressed upon them, they appeared to deliver their terrible blows wirh increasing rapidity and vigor, and the savages, de- spite their numbers, began to quail before them. Just then Keona — who, altliough Avounded, hovered about doing as much mischief as he could with his left hand (wliich, by the way, seemed to be almost as efficient as his right) — caught sight of this group of combatants 8G GASOOYNE. on the banks of the stream. lie, with a party, had suc- ceeded in forcing the bridge, and no"iv, uttering a sliout of wild delight at the sight of his two greatest enemies within his power, as he thought, he rushed towards them, and darted his spear with unerring aim and terrible violence. The man's anger defeated his purpose ; for the shout at- tracted the attention of Gascoyne, who saw the spear coming straight toAvards Henry's breast. Pie interposed the shovel instantly, and the spear fell harmless to the ground. At the same time, with a back-handed sweep he brained a gigantic savage who at the moment was engag- ing Henry's undivided attention. Bounding forward with a burst of anger, Gascoyne sought to close with Keona. He succeeded but too well, however; for he could not check himself sufficiently to deliver an efiective blow, but went crashing against his enemy, and the two fell to the ground. In an instant a rush was made on the fallen man ; but Henry leaped forward, and sweeping down two opponents with one cut of his claymore, afforded his companion time to leap up. " Come, we are quits," said Henry, with a grim smile, as the two darted again on the foe. At that moment Ole Thorwald, having scattered the party he first engaged, came tearing down towards the bridge, whirling the great sword round his head, and shouting " victory " in the voice of a Stentor. " Ha ! here is more work," he cried, as his eye fell on Gascoyne's figure. " Thorwald to the rescue, — hurrah ! " In another moment the savages were flying pell-mell across the bridge with Gascoyne and Henry close on their heels, and the stout merchant panting after them, with his victorious band, as fast as his less agile limbs could carry him. THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 87 It was at this moment tlitvt Gascoyne and Henry noticed the attack made on the small party of sailors, and observed the fall of Mr. Mason. " Thorwald to the rescue! " shouted Gascoyne, in a voice that rolled deep and loud over the whole field like the roar of a lion. " Ay, ay, my noisy stranger ; it's easy for your tough limbs to carry you up the hill," gasped Ole ; " but the v/eight of ten or fifteen years will change your step. Hur- rah ! " The cry of the bold Norseman, coupled with that of Gascoyne, had the double effect of checking the onset of the enemy, and of collecting their own scattered forces around them. The battle was now drawing to a point. Men who were skirmishing in various places left off and hastened to the spot on which the closing scene was now evidently to be enacted ; and for a few minutes the con- tending parties paused, as if by mutual consent, to breathe and scan each other before making the final attack. It must not be supposed that, during the fight which we have described, the crew of the Talisman were idle. At the first sign of disturbance on shore, the boats were low- ered, and a well-armed force rowed for the landing-place as swiftly as the strong and Avilling arms of the men could pull. But the distance between the vessel and the shore was considerable, and the events we have recounted were quickly enacted; so that before the boats had proceeded half the distance the fight was nearly over, and the settle- ment seemed about to be overwhelmed. These facts were not lost upon the first lieutenant of the Talisman, Mr. Mulroy, who, with telescope in hand, watched the progress of the fight with great anxiety. He saw that it was impossible for the boats to reach the shore 88 GASCOYNE, in time to render efficient aid. He also obtervcd that a fresli band of savaa;es were hastenin"r to reinforce tbeir comrades, and that the united band would be so overpow- eringly strong as to render the chances of a successful re- sistance on the part of the settlers very doubtful indeed — almost hopeless. In these circumstances lie adopted a course which was as bold as it was dangerous. Observing that the savaa:es mustered for the final onset in a dense mass on an emi- nence which just raised their heads a little above those of the party they were about to attack, he at once loaded three of the largest guns with round shot and pointed thera at the mass of human beings with the utmost possible care. There was the greatest danger of liitting friends instead of foes ; but Mr. Mulroy thought it Iiis duty to incur the responsibility of running the risk. Montague, to whom the command of the band of united settlers had been given by general consent, had thrown them rapidly into some sort of order, and was about to give the word to charge, when the savage host suddenly began to pour down the hill with frantic yells. Mulroy did not hear the shouts, but he perceived the movement. Suddenly, as if a thunder storm had burst over the island, the echoes of the hills Avere startled by the roar of heavy artillery, and, one after another, the three guns hurled their deadly contents into the centre of the rushing mass, through which three broad lanes were cut in quick succession. The horrible noise and the dreadful slaugliter in their ranks seemed to render the affrighted creatures incapable of action, for they came to a dead halt. " "Well done, Mulroy ! " shouted Montague ; " forward, boys, — charge ! " THE SANDAL-AVOOD TRADEPw. 89 A true British clieer burst from tlie tars and "wliite set- tlers, -svliicli served further to strike terror into the hearts of the enemy. In another moment they rushed up the hill, led on by Montague, Gascoyne, Henry, and Tlior- wald. But the sava^res did not await the shock. Seized with a complete panic, they turned and fled in utter con- fusion. Just as this occurred, Mr. Mason began to recover con- sciousness. Recollecting suddenly what had occurred, he started up and followed his friends, who were now in hot pursuit of the foe in the direction of his own cottage. Quickly though they ran, the anxious father overtook and passed them ; but he soon perceived that his dwelling was wrapped in flames from end to end. Darting throunh the smoke and fire to his dauditer's room, he shouted her name ; but no voice replied. He sprang to the bed, — it was empty. With a cry of despair, and blinded by smoke, he dashed about the room, grasping wildly at objects in the hope that he might find his child. As he did so he stumbled over a prostrate form, which he instantly seized, raised in his arms, and bore out of the blazing house, round which a number of the people were now assembled. The form he had thus plucked from destruction was that of the poor boy, who would willingly have given his life to re.icue Alice, and who still lay in the state of insen- sibility into which he had been thrown by the blow from the savage's heavy club. The missionary dropped his burden, turned wildly round, and v^^as about to plunge once again into the heart of the blazing ruin, when he was seized in the strong arms of Henry Stuart, who, with the assistance of Ole Thor- 90 GASCOYNE. ■waltl, forcibly prevented him from doing that -uhich would have resulted in almost certain death. The pastor's head sunk on his breast. The excitement of action and hope no longer sustained him. "With a deep groan, he fell to the earth insensible. CHAPTER IX. BAFFLED AND PERPLEXED — PLANS FOR A RESCnS. AVhile the men assembled round the prostrate form of Mr. Mason -were attempting to rescue him from his state of stupor, poor Corrie began to show symptoms of return- ing vitaUty. A can of water, poured over him by Henry, did much to restore him. But no sooner Avas he enabled to understand what was going on, and to recall what had happened, than he sprang up with a wild cry of despair, and rushed towards the blazing house. Again Henry's quick arm arrested a friend in his mad career. " Oh ! she's there I — Alice is there ! " shrieked the boy, as he struggled passionately to free himself " You can do nothing, Corrie," said Henry, trying to soothe him. " Coward ! " gasped the boy, in a paroxysm of rage, as he clenched his list and struck his captor on the chest with all his force. " Hold him," said Henry, turning to John Bumpus, who at that moment came up. Bumpus nodded intelligently, and seized the boy, who uttered a groan of anguish as he ceased a struggle which he felt was hopeless in such an iron gripe. " Xow, friends — all of you," shouted Henry, the mo- ment he was relieved of his charsje : " little Alice is in that house. We must pull it down. Who will lend a hand ? " 92 GASCOTNE, He did not pause for an answer, but, seizing an axe, rushed through the smoke and began to cut down the door-posts. The whole party there assembled, numbering about fiftj, rushed forward, as one man, to aid in the elfort. The attem|it was a wild one. Had Henry considered foi a moment, he would have seen that, in the event of their succeeding in pulling down the blazing pile, they would in all probability smother the child in the ruins. " The shell is in the out-house," said Corrie, eagerly, to the giant who held him. " "Wot shell ? " inquired Bumpus. " The shell that they blow like a horn to call the people to work with." " Ah ! you're sane again," said the sailor, releasing hira ; " go, find it, lad, and blow till yer cheeks crack." Corrie was gone long before Jo had concluded even that short remark. In another second the hareh but loud sound of the shell rang over the hillside. The settlers, black and white, immediately ceased their pursuit of the sav- ages, and from every side tliey came trooping in by doz- ens. Without waiting to inquire the cause of what was being done, each man, as he arrived, fell to work on the blazing edifice, and, urged on by Henry's voice and exam- ple, toiled and moiled in the midst of fire and smoke until the pastor's house was literally pulled to pieces. Fortunately for little Alice, she had been carried out of the house long before by Keona, who, being subtle as well as revengeful, knew well how to strike at the tender- est part of the white man's heart. While her friends were thus frantically endeavoring to deliver her from the burning house in which they supposed her to be, Alice was being hurried through the woods by a steep mountain path in the direction of the native vil- THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 93 lage. Happily for the feelings of lier flither, the fact was made known, soon after the house had been pulled down, by the arrival of a small party of native settlers bearing one of the child's shoes. They had found it, they said, sticking in the mud, about a mile off, and had tracked the little footsteps a long way into the mountains by the side of the prints made by the naked feet of a savage. At length they had lost the tracks amid the hard lava rocks, and had given up the chase. " We must follow them up instantly," said Mr. Mason, who had by this time recovered ; " no time is to be lost." " Ay, time is precious ; who will go ? " cried Henry, who, begrimmed with fire and smoke, and panting vehe- mently from recent exertion, had just at that moment come towards the group. " Take me ! oh take me, Henry ! " cried Corric, in a beseeching tone, as he sprang promptly to his friend's side. At any other time, Henry would have smiled at the en- thusiastic offer of such a small arm to fight the savages ; but fierce ana:er was in his breast at that moment. He turned from the poor boy and looked round watli a frown, as he observed that, although the natives crowded round him at once, neither Gascoyne, nor Tliorwald, nor Cap- tain Montague showed any symptom of an intention to accompany him. " Nay, be not angry, lad," said Gascoyne, observing the frown ; '• your blood is young and hot, as it should be ; but it behooves us to have a council of war before we set out on this expedition, which, believe me, will be no trifling one, if' I know anvthing of savage wavs and doings." " Mr. Gascoyne is right," said Montague, turning to the missionarv, Avho stood regarding the party with anxious looks, quite unable to offer advice on such an occasioa, 94: GASCOYXE, and clasping the little shoe firmly in both hands ; ** h seems to me that those v/ho know the customs of suva'fe "warfare should give tlieir advice first. You may depend on all the aid that it is in my power to give." " Ole Thorwald is our leader when we are compelled to fight in self-defence," said Mr. Mason ; " would God that it were less frequently we were obliged to demand his services. He knows what is best to be done." " I know what is best to do," said Thorwald, " when I have to lead men into action, or to show them how to fi^lit. But, to say truth, I don't plume myself on possessing more than an average share of the qualities of the terrier dog. "When niggers are to be iiunted out of holes in the moun- tains like rabbits, I will do what in me lies to aid in the •work ; but I had rather be led than lead if you can find a better man." ThorAvald said this with a rueful coimtenance, for he had hoped to have settled this war in a pitched battle ; and there were few things the worlhy man seemed to enjoy more than a stand-up light on level ground. A fair field and no favor was his delimit; but climbing the hills wiaa his mortal aversion. He was somewhat too corpulent and short of wind for that. " Come, Gascoyne," said Henry ; " you know more about the savages than anybody here ; and if I remember rightly, you have told me that you are acquainted with most of the mountain passes." " With all of them, lad," interposed Gascoyne ; " I know every pass and cavern on the island." " What, then, would you advise ? " asked Montague. " If a British officer can put himself under a simple trading skipper," said Gascoyne, "I may perhaps show what ought to be done in this emergency." THE SAXDAL-WOOD IKADER. 95 '' I can cooperate with any one who proves himself worthy of conrulence," retorted Montague, shnrj^ly. " Well, then," continued the other, " it is vaui to think of doin.;; any good by a disorderly chase into mountains like these. I would advise tliat our forces be divided into three. One band under I\Ir. Tiiorwald should iro round by the Goat's Pass, to which I will guide him, and cut off the reti-eat of the savages there ; another j^arty under my friend Henry Stuart should give chase in the direction in which little Alice seems to have been taken ; and a third party, consisting of his Majesty's vessel the Talisman and crew, should jn-oceed round to tlie north side of the island and bombard the native village." " The Goat's Pass," growled Thorwald, " rounds un- pleasantly rugged and steep in the ears of a man of my weiirht and years, Mister Gascovne, But if there's no easier style of work to be done, I fancy I must be content with what falls to my lot." " And trulv," added Monta2rue, " methinks a'ou mifiht have assigned me a more useful, as well as more congenial occupation, than tlie bombardment of a mud village ibU of women and children ; for I doubt not that every able- bodied man has left it, to go on this expedition." " You'll not find the Goat's Pass so bad as you think, good Thorwald," returned Gascovne ; " for I propose that the Talisman or her boats should convev you and vour men to the foot of it, after which vour course will be indeed rugged, but it will be short ; — merely to scale the face of a precipice that would frighten a goat to think of, and then a plain descent into the valley, where, I doubt not, these villains will be found in force; and where, ceriainly, they will not look for the appearance of a stout generahssimo of hah-savage troops. As for the bombarding of a mud vil- OC GASCOYNE, lage, Mr. Montague, I ffliould have expected a ^vell-trained British officer ready to do his duty, whether that duty were agreeable or otherwise. " My duty, certainly," interrupted the young captain, hotly ; " but 1 have yet to learn that your orders constitute my duty." The bland smile with which Gascoyne listened to this tended rather to irritate than to soothe Montague's feel- ings ; but he curbed the passion which stirred his breast, while the other Avent oji : " No doubt the bombarding of a defenceless village is not pleasant work ; but the result will be important, for it will cause the whole arm)^ of savages to ru.-h to the pro- tection of their women and children, thereby disconcerting their plans — supposing them to have any — and enabling us to attack them while assembled in force. It is the nature of savages to scatter, and so to puzzle trained forces ; and no doubt those of his Majesty are well trained. But ' one touch of nature makes the wliole world kin,' says a great authority ; and it is wonderful how useful a knowledge of the various touches of natui-e is in the art of war. It may not have occurred to ]\Ir. IMon- tague that savages liave a tendency to love and protect their wives and children, as well as civilized men, and that — " " Pray, cease your irrelevant remarks ; they are ill- timed, " said Montague, impatiently. " Let us hear the remainder of your suggestions. I shall judge of their value, and act accordingly. You have not yet told us what part you yourself intend to play in this game." " I mean to accompany Captain Montague, if he will peraiit mo." " How ! go with me in the Talisman ? " said Montague, THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 97 surprised at the man's coolness, and puzzled by liis Impu- dence. " Even so," said Gascoyne. " "Well, I have no objection, of course ; but it seems to me that you would be more useful at the head of a party of your own men." " Perhaps I might," replied Gascoyne ; " but the coral reefs are dangerous on the norlli side of the island, and it is important that one well acquainted with them should guide your vessel. Besides, I have a trusty mate, and if you will permit me to send my old shipmate John Bumpus across the hills, he will convey all needful instructions to the Foam. This Avas said in so quiet and straightforward a tone that Montague's wrath vanished. He felt ashamed of having shown so much petulance at a time when afiliirs of so great importance ought to have been calmly discussed ; so he at once agreed to allow Bumpus to go. JMeanwhiie, Henry Stuart, ^A•ho had been fretting with impatience at this conversation, suddenly exclaimed : " It seems to me, sirs, that you are wasting precious time just now. I, at least, am quite satisfied with the duty assigned to me ; so I'm off: ho 1 who will join me?" " I'm your man," cried Corrie, starting up and flourish- ing the broken sabre above his head. At the same mo- ment about a hundred natives ranged themselves round the youth, thus indicating that they, too, were his men. " Well, lad, away you go," said Gascoyne, smiling ; " but Master Corrie must remain with me." " 111 do nothing of the sort," said Corrie, stoutly. " Oh yes you will, my boy. I want you to guide my man Bumpus over the mountains. You know the passes, 7 9S GASCOYNE, and lie don't. It's all for the good of tlic cause, you know, — tliG KavinGT of little Alice." Corrie wavered. The idea of being appointed, as it were, to a separate command, and of going with his new friend, Avas a strong temptation, and the assurance that he would in some way or other be advancing the business ia hand settled the matter. He consented to become obedient. In about half an hour all Gascoyne's plans were in course of being carried out. Ole Thorwald and his party proceeded on board the Talisman, which weighed anchor, and sailed, with a light breeze, towards the north end of the island — guided through the dangerous reefs by Gas- coyne. Henry and his followers were toiling nimbly up the hills in the direction indicated by the little footprints of Alice ; and John Eumpus, proceeding into the moun- tains in another direction, pushed, under the guidance of Corrie, towards the bay, whex'e the Foam still lay quietly at anchor. It was evening when these different parties set out on their various esDcditions. The sun was descending to the horizon in a blaze of lurid light. Tlie slight breeze, which wafted his Britannic Majesty's ship slowly along the ver- dant shore, was scarcely strong enough to rufile the sur- face of the sea. Huge banks of dark clouds were gather- ing in the sky, and a hot, unnatural closeness seemed to pervade the atmosphere, as if a storm were about to burst upon the scene. Everything, above and below, seemed to presage war — alike elemental and human ; and the various leaders of the several expeditions felt that the ap- proaching night would tax their powers and resources to the uttermost. It was, then, natural that in such circumstances the be- reaved father should be distracted with anxiety ^s to whicl^ THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 99 party lie should join ; and it was also natiu'al that one whose life had been so long devoted to the special service of God should, before deciding on the point, ask, on his knees, his heavenly Father's guidance. He finally resolved to accompany the party under com- mand of Henry Stuart. CHAPTER X. THE PURSUIT — rOOPY, LED ON V.T LOVE »ND HATE, RUSHES TO THE KESCUE. TiiK shades of night had begun to descend upon the isLand when Master Corrie reached the summit of the mountain ridge that divided the bay in whicli the Foam was anchored from the settlement of Sandy Cove. Close on his heels followed the indomitable Jo Cumpus, who panted vehemently and perspired profusely from his unwonted exertions. " Wot an object you are ! " exclaimed Corrie, gazing at the liot giant with a look of mingled surprise and glee ; for the boy's spirit was of that nature which cannot re- press a dash of fun, even in the midst of anxiety and sor- row. We would not have it understood that the boy ever deliberately mingled the two things — joy and sorrow — at one and the same time ; but he was so irresistibly alive to the ludicrous, that a touch of it was sufficient at any time to cause him to forget, for a brief space, his anxieties, wh :tever these might be. Jo Bumpus smiled benignantly, and said that he " was glad to hear it." For Jo had conceived for tlio boy that species of loudness which large dogs are frequently known to entertain for small ones — permitting them to take out- rageous liberties with their persons which they would resent fviriously wore they attempted by other dogs. THE SANDAI^WOOD TRADER. 101 Presently the warm visage of Bumpus elongated, and his eyes opened uncommonly wide, a? he stared at a par- ticular spot in the ground ; insomuch that Corrie burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter. "O Grampus! you'll kill me if you go on like tluit,"' said he; " I can't stand it, — indeed I can't. Sich a face ! D'ye know what it's like ? " Jo expressed no desire to become enlightened on this point, but continued to gaze so earnestly that Corrie ttarted up and exclaimed : « What is it, Jo ? " « A fut," replied Jo. " A footprint, I declare ! " shouted the boy, springing forward and examiuing the print, which was pi-etty clearly defined in a little patch of soft sand th::t I -y on the bare rock. " T7hy, Jo I it's Poopy's. I'd know it anywhere, by the bigness of the little toe. How can she have come up here ?"" " I say, lad, hi-t I " said Bumpus, in a hoarse whisper ; " here's another fut that don't belong to — v.-liat's her name, — Puppy, did ye say ? " " 'Why ! it's Alice's," whispered the boy, his face becom- ing instantly grave, while an unwonted expression of anx- iety crossed it ; " and here's that of a savage betide it. He must have changed his intention ; or, perhaps, he came this way to tlirow the people who were chasing them off the scent." Corrie was right. Finding that he was hotly pursued, Keona had taken advantage of the first rocky ground he i*eached to diverge abruptly from the rout he had hitherto followed in his llight ; and, the further to confu.-e his pur- suers, he had taken the almost exhausted child up in his arms aud carried her a considerable distance, so that if Ids 102 GASCOTNE, enemies should fall again on liis track the absence of the little footprints migjjt induce them to fancy they were fol- lowing up a wrong scent. In thid he was so far successful ; for the nrttive settlers, as we have seen, soon gave up the chase, and returned with one of the child's shoes, which had fallen off unob- served by the savage. But there was one of the pursuers who was f ;r ahead of the others, and who was urged to continue the chase by the strongest of all motives, — love. Poor Kckupoopi had no sooner heard of the abduction of her young mistress tlian she I'Ad set off at the top of her speed to a well- known height in the mountains, whence, from a great dis- tance, she could observe all that went on 'below. On the wings of affection she had flown, rather than walked, to this point of observation, and, to her delight, saw not only the pursuers, but the fugitives in the valley below. She kept her glowing eyes fixed on them, hastening from rock to rock and I'idge to ridge, as intervening obstacles hid them from view, until she saw the stratagem, just referred to, practised by Keona. Then, feeling that she had no power of voice to let the pursuers know what had occurred, and seeing that they would certainly turn back on being baffled, she resolved to keep up the chase herself — trust- ing to accident to afford her an opportunity of rendering aid to Alice ; or, rather, trusting to God to help her in her great dilhculty ; for the poor child had been well trained in the missionary's house, and love had been the teacher. Taking a short cut down into the valley, — for she was well acquainted with all the wild and rugged paths of the mountains in the immediate neigliborhood of the settle- ment, — she was so fortunate as to reach a narrow pass through which Keona and Alice must needs go. Arrivhig THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 103 there u short time before they did, she was able to take a few minutes' rest before resumincr the chase. Little did the wily savage think that a pair of eyes as dark and bright, though not £0 fierce, as his own, were gazing at him from behind the bushes as he sped up that narrow gorge. Poor Alice was running and stumbling by liis side ; for tlie monster held her by the hand and dracrjred her aloncr, although she was scarcely able to stand. The heart of the black girl well-niali burst with anixer Avhen she observed that both her shoes and stockings had been torn off in the hasty flight, and that her tender feet were cut and bleed- ing. Just as they reached the spot near which Poopy was concealed, the child, sank with a low wail, to the ground, unable to advance another step. Keona seized her in his arms, and, uttering a growl of anger as he threw her rudely over his shoulder, bore her swiftly away. But, quick though his step was, it could not outrun that of the poor little dark maiden Avho followed him like his shadow, cai'cfully keeping out of view, however, while her mind was busy with plans for the deliverance of her young mistress. The more she thought, the more she felt Iiow utterly hopeless would be any attempt that s!ie could make, either by force or stratagem, to phick her from the grasp of one so strong and subtle as Keona. At length she re- solved to give up thinking of plans altogether, and take to prayer instead. On reaching the hiahest rid^re of the mountains, Keona suddenly stopped, placed Alice on a flat rock, and went to the top of a peak not more than {\lVj yards off. Here he lay down and gazed long f>nd earnestly over the country through which they had just passed, evidently for the pur- 104 GASCOYNE, pose of discovering, if possible, the position and motions of his enemies. Poopy, whose wits were sharpened by love, at once took advantage of her opportunity. She crept on all fours towards the rock on which Alice lay, in such a manner that it came between her person and the savage. " Missy Alice ! O, Missy Alice ! quick ! look up ! it's me — Poopy," said the girl, raising her head cautiously above the edge of the rock. Alice started up on one elbow, and was about to utter a scream of delight and surprise, when her sable friend laid her black paw suddenly on the child's pretty mouth, and effectual'-y shut it up. " Plush ! Alice ; no cry. Savage hear and come back — kill Poopy bery much quick. Listen. Me all alone. You bery clibbcr. Dry up eyes, no cry any more. Look happy. God will save you. Poopy nebber leave you as long as got her body in her soul." Just at this point, Keona rose from his recumbent posi- tion, and the girl, who had not suffered her eyes (o move from him for a single instant, :it once sunk behind the rock and crept so silently away that Alice could scarcely persuade herself that she had not been dreaming. The savage returned, took the child's hand, led her over the bi"OW of the mountain, and began to descend, by a steep, rugged path, to the valleys lying on the other side of the island. But before going a hundred yards down the dark gorge — whicli was rendered all the darker by the approach of night — he turned abruptly aside, entered the mouth of a cavern, and disappeared. Poopy was horrified at this unexpected and sudden change in the state of things. For a long time she lay closely hid among the rocks, within twenty yards of the THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 105 cave's mouth, expecting every moment to see the fugitives issue from its dark recesses. But they did not reappear. All at once it occurred to the girl tliat there might pos- sibly be an exit from the cavern at the other end of it, and that, while she was idly waiting there, her little mistress and her savage captor might be hastening down the moun- tain far beyond her reach. Rendered desperate by this idea, she quitted her place of concealment, and ran recklessly into the cavern. But the place was dark as Erebus, and the ground was so rugged that she tripped and fell before she had advanced into it more than fifty yards. Bruised by the fall, and overawed by the gloom of her situation, the poor girl lay still for some time where she had fallen, with bated breath, and listening intently ; but no sound struck her ear save the beating of her own heart, which appeared to her unnaturally loud. Under an impulse of terror, she rose, and ran back into the open air. Here it occurred to her that she might perhaps find the other outlet to the cave, — supposing that one really ex- isted, — by going round the hill and carefully examining the ground on the other side. This, however, was a matter requiring considerable time, and it was not until a full hour had expired that she returned to the mouth of the cave, and sat down to rest and consider what should be done next. To enter the dark recesses of the place without a light , she knew would be impossible as well as useless, and she had no means of procuring a light. Besides, even if she had, what good could come of her exploration ? The next impulse was to hasten back to the settlement at full speed and guide a party to the place ; but, was it likely that the 106 GASCOYXE. savage would remain long in the cave ? This quest.on suggested her former idea of the possible existence of another outlet ; and as she thought upon Alice being now utterly beyond her reach, she covered her face with her hands and burst into tears. After a short time she began to pray. Then, as the minutes flew past, and her hopes sank lower and lower, she commenced — like many a child of Adam who thinks liimself considerably wiser tlian a black girl — to murmur at her hard lot. This she did in nn audible voice, having become forgetful of, as well as indilierent to, the chance of discovery. " Oh ! w'at for was me born ? " she inquired, somewhat viciously ; and not being able, apparently, to answer this question, she proceeded to comment in a wildly sarcastic tone on the impropriety of her having been brought into existence at aU. " Me should be dead. Wat's de use o' life w'en ums nothin' to live for? Alice gone! Darling Alice I Oil dear ! Me wish I wasn't never had been born ; yes me do ! Don't care for meself I Wouldn't give nuffin for me- self! Only fit to tend Missy AUce ! Not fit for nuffin else. And now Alice gone — whar' to' nobody nose an' no- body care, 'xcept Poopy, who's not worth a brass button ! " Having given utterance to this last expression, which she had acquired from her friend Corrie, the poor girl be- gan to howl in order to relieve her insupportable feelings. It was at this point in our story that Master Corrie, and his companion the Grampus, liaving traced the before- mentioned footprints for a considerable distance, became cognizant of sundry unearthly sounds, on hearing whicli, never having heard anything like them before, these wan- derers stood still in attitudes of breathless attention, and gazed at each other with looks of indescribable amazement, not aJtosrether unmixed with a dash of consternation. CHxVI'TEU XI. A GHOST— A TEEKIBLE COMBAT EXDIXG IX A DREADFUL I'LCXGE. " CoRRiE," said Jo Bumpus, solemnly, Avith a troubled expression on his grave face, " I've Iieer'J a many a crv in this life, both ashore and afloat ; but, since I ^va3 half as long as a marlinespike, I've never Leerd the likes o' t]-at there screech nowhere." At any other time the boy would have expressed a doubt as to the possibility of the Grampus having, at any period of his existence, been so short as " half the length of a marlinespike ; " but, being very imaginative by na- ture, and having been encouraged to believe in ghosts by education, he was too frightened to be funny. With a face that might very well have passed for that of a ghost, and a very pa'e ghost too, he said, in a tremulous voice: " Oh dear ! Bumpus ; wdiat shall we do ? " '' Dun know," replied Jo, very sternly ; for the stout mariner also believed in ghosts, as a matter of course, although he would not admit it ; and, being a man of iron mould and powerful will, there was at that moment going on within his capacious breast a terrillc struagle bctv.'een natural courage and supernatural coAvardice. " Let's go back," whispered Corrie. '• I know another pass over the hills. It's a longer one, to be sure ; but we can run, you know, to make for — " 108 GASCOYNE, He was struck dumb and motionless at this point by the recurrence of the dreadful howling, louder than ever, as poor Poopy's despair deepened. " Don't spe:.k to me, boy," siiid Bumpus, still more sternly, while a cold sweat stood in large beads on his pale forehead. " Here's wot I calls somethin' new ; an' it becomes a man, specially a British seamen, d'ye see, to inquire into new things in a reasonable sort of way." Jo caught his brealh, and clutched the rock beside him powerfully, as he continued : " It aint a ghost, in course ; it cant be that. Cause why ? there's no sich a thing as a ghost." " Aint there ? " whispered Corrie, hopefully The hideous yell that Poopy here set up seemed to give the lie direct to the sceptical seaman ; but he went on deliberately, though_ with a glazed eye and a death-like pallor on his face — " ]N'o ; there aint no ghosts, — never avos, an' never will be. All ghosts is sciencrific delusions, nothing more ; and it's only the hignorant an' supercilious as b'lieves in 'cm. • /don't ; an', wots more," added Jo, with tremendous decis- ion, " I wont ! " At this point, the " sciencrific delusion " recurred to her former idea of alarming the settlement ; and wnth this view began to retrace her steps, howling as she went. Of course, as Jo and his small companion had been guided by her footsteps, it followed that Poopy, in retrac- ing them, gradually drew near to the terrified pair. The sliort twilight of tliose rc^rions had already deepened into the shades of night ; so that the poor girl's form was not at first visible, as she advanced from among the dark shadows of the overhanging cliffs and the larGfe masses of scattered rock that lay strewn about that wild mountain pass. THE SANDAL-WOOD TEADER. 109 Now, although Jolui Bnmpus succeeded, by an almost supernatural effort, in calming the tumultuous agitation of his fpirit, wliile the wild cries of the girl were at some distance, he found himself utterly bereft of speech when the dreadful sounds unmistakably approached him. Cor- rie, too, became livid, and both were rooted to tlic spot in unutterable horror ; but when the ghost at length actually came into view, and (owing to Poopy's body being dark, and her garments white) presented the appearance of a dimly luminous creature, without head, arms, or legs, the last spark of endurance in man and boy went out. Tlie one gave a roar, the other a shriek of terror, and both turned and fled like the wind over a stretch of country, which, in happier circumstances, they would have crossed with caution. Poopy helped to accelerate their flight by giving vent to a cry of fear, and thereafter to a yell of delight, as, from her point of view, she recognized the well-known outline of Corrie's figure clearly defined against the sky. She ran after them in frantic haste ; but she might as well have chased a c@uplc of wildcats. Either terror is gifted with better wings than hope, or males are better runners than females. Perhaps both propo.-itions are true ; but certain it is that Poopy soon began to perceive that the succor which had appeared so suddenly was about to vanish al- most as quickly. In this new dilemma, the girl once more availed herself of her slight knowledge of the place, and made a detour which enabled her to shoot ahead of the fugitives and in- tercept them in one of the narrowest parts of the mountain gorge. Here, instead of using her natural voice, she con- ceived that the likeliest way of making her terrified friends understand who she was, would be to shout with all the 110 GASCOYNE, Strength of her lungs. Accordingly, she planted herself suddenly in the center of their path, just as the two came tearing blindly round a coi-ncr of rock, and set up a se- ries of yells, the nature of which utterly beggars descrip- tion. The result was, that, with one short wild cry of renewed horror, Bumpus and Corrie turned sharp round and fled in the opposite directii)n. There is no doubt whatever that they would have suc- ceeded in ultimately escaping from this pertinacious ghost, and poor Poopy would have had to make the best of her Avay to Sandy Cove alone, but for the fortunate circum- stance that Corrie fell ; and being only a couple of paces in advance of his companion, Bumpus fell over him. The ghost took advantage of this to run forward, crying out, " Corrie ! Corrie ! Corrie ! — it's me ! me ! ME I " with all her might. " Eh ! I do believe it knows my name ! " cried the boy, scrambling to his feet, and preparing to renew his flight ; but Bumpus laid his heavy hand on his collar, and held him fast. * " TVot ! Did it speak ? " " Yes ; listen ! Oh dear ! Come, — fly ! " Instead of flying, the seamen heaved a deep sigh ; and, sitting down on a rock, took out a reddish brown cotton handkerchief, wherewith he Aviped his forehead. " My boy," said he, still panting ; " it aint a ghost. No ghost W03 ever known to speah. They looks, an' they runs, an' they yells, an' they vanishes, but they never speaks ; d'ye see ? I told ye it was a sciencrific dolusion ; though, I'm bound for to confess, I never lieerd o' von o' them critters speakin', no more than the ghosts. How- somedever, that's wot it is." THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. HI Come, T\-lio still hesitated, and held himself in readinesa to bolt at a moment's notice, suddenly cried : " "\Yiiy ! I do believe it's Xo ; it can't be — yes — I say, it's Poojrj ! " ""Wot's Poopy?" inquired the seaman, in some anxiety. " "Wliat ! don't you know Poopy, Alice's black niaid, who keeps her company, and looks after her; besides 'doin' her, and ' undoin' her (as she calls it), night and morning, and putting her to bed ? Hooray ! Poopy, my lovely black darling ; -where have you come from ? You've frightened Bumpus here nearly out of his wits. I do believe he'd have bin dead by this time, but for me!" So saying, Corrie, in the revulsion of his suddenly re- lieved feelings, actually threw his arms round Poopy, and hugged her. "O Corrie!" exclaimed the girl, submitting to the em- brace with as much indiCcrence us if she had been a lamp- post, " w'at troble you hab give me ! TVhy you run so ? sure, you know me voice." " Know it, ray sweet lump of charcoal ; IM know it among a thousand, if ye'd only use it in its own pretty natural tones; but if you will go and screech like a bottle- imp, you knov/," said Corrie, remonstratively, " how can you expect a stupid feller like me to recognize it ? " " There aint no sicli things as bottle-imps, no more nor ghosts," observed Bumpus ; " but hold your noiic, you chatter-box, and let's hear wot the gal's got to say. jMay- hap she knows summat about Alice ? " At this, Poopy manufactured an expression on hei sable countenance which was meant to be intensely know- ing and su2:Q:estive. ^' Don't I ? Yes, me do," said she. 112 GASCOYNE, " Out wJitli it, then, at once, you pot of shoe-blacking,' cried the impatient Come. The girl immediately related all that she knew regarding the fugitives, stammering very much from sheer anxiety to get it all out as fast as she could, and delaying her com- munication very much in consequence, besides I'endering her meaning rather obscure — sometimes unintelligible. Indeed, the worthy seamen could scarcely understand a word she said. He sat staring at the whites of her eyes, which, with her teeth, were the only visible parts of her countenance at that moment, and swayed his body to and fro, as if endeavoring by a mechanical effort to arrive at a philosophical conception of something exceedingly abstruse. But at the end of each period he turned to Corrie for a translation. At length boSh man and boy became aware of the state of things, and Corrie started up, crying : " Let's go into the cave at once." " Hold on, boy," cried Bumpus ! " not quite so fast (as the monkey said to the barrel-organ w'en it took to playin' Scotch reels). "We must have a council of war ; d'ye see ? The black monster Kcona may have gone right through the cave and comed out at t'other end of it, in w'ich case it's all up with our chance o' fmding 'em to-night. But if they've gone in to spend the night there, why we've nothiu' to do but watch at the mouth of it till mornin' an' nab 'em as they comes out." " Yes ; but how are Ave to know whether they're in the cave or not ? " said Corrie, impatientl}''. " Ah ! that's the puzzler," replied Bumpus, in a medi- tative way ; " but, of course, we must look out for puzzlers ahead sometimes w'en we gets into a land storm, d'ye see ; just as we looks out ahead for breakers in a storm at sea. THE SANDAL-WOOD TKADER. 113 Suppose now that I creeps into the cave and listens for 'cm. They'd never hear me, 'cause I'd make no noise." '■ You might as ttcII try to sail into it in a big sliip without making noise, you Grampus." To this the Grampus observed, that if the cave had only three fathoms of water in the bottom of it he would have no obiections whatever to trv. " But," added he, " suppose yoit go in." Corrie shook liis head, and looked anxiously miserable. " Well, then," said Bumpus, " suppose we light two torches. I"ll take one iu one hand, and this liere cutlash iu the other; and you'll take t'other torch in one hand and your pistol in the other, and clap that bit of a broken sword 'tween ycr teeth, and we'll give a 'orrid screech, and rush in, pell-mell — all of a heap like. You could fire yer pistol straight before you on chance (it's Vv-onderful wot a chance shot will do sometime: ) ; an' if it don't do nothin', fling it right into the blackguard's face : a brass- mounted tool like that ketchin' him right on the end of Lis peak would lay him flat over, like a ship in a white squall." " And suppose," said Corrie, in a tone of withering sarcasm, — "suppose all this happened to Alice, instead of the dirty nigger?" " Ah ! to be sure. That's a puzzler, — puzzler numbef two." Here Poopy, who had listened with great impatience to the foregoing convei-sation, broke in energetically. "An' s'pose," said she, "dat Keona and Missy Alice comes out ob cave w'en you two be talkerin' sich a lot of stufi'?" It may as well bo remarked, in passing, that Poopy had acquired a considerable amount of her knowledge of 8 114 GASCOYXE, English from Master Corrie. Her remark, altbougli not politely made, was sufficiently striking to cause Bumpus to start up, and exclaim: " That's true, gal. Come, show us the way to this here cave." There was a fourth iudivddual present at this council of war who apparently felt a deep interest in its results, al- though he look no part in its proceedings. This was no other than Keona himself, who lay extended at full length among the rocks, not two yards from the spot where Bumpus sat, listening intently, and grinning from ear to ear with fiendish malice. The series of shrieks, howls, and yells to which refer- ence has been made had natural'y attracted the attention of that Avily savage w^hen he was in the cave. Following the sounds with quick, noiseless step, he soon found him- self within a few paces of the deliberating trio. The sav- age did not make much of the conversation, but he gath- ered sufficient to assure himself that his hiding-place had been discovered, and that plans were being laid for his cap- ture. It would have been an easy matter for him to have sud- denly leaped on the unsuspecting Bumpus and driven a knife to his henrt, after which poor Corrie and the girl could have been easily dealt with ; but fortunately (at least for his enemies, if not for himself) indecision in the moment of action was one of Keona's bessetting sins. He suspected that other enemies might be near at hand, and that the noise of the scuflle might draw them to the spot. He observed, moreover, that the boy had a pistol, wdiich, besides being a •wenpon that acts quickly and surelj^, even in weak hands, would give a loud report and a brighf flash that might be heard and seen at a great distance. Taking these things THE SAXDAL-WOOD TilADER. Ho into consideration, lie tlirust back tlic knife which he had half unshcatlied, and, retreating with the slow, gUdiug rao- tion of a serpent, got beyond the chance of being detected, just as Buni[)U3 roje to follow Poopy to the cave. The savage entered its yawning month in a few seconds, and glided noiselessly into its dark recesses like an evil spirit. Soon after, the trio reached the same spot, and stood for some time silently gazing upon the thick darkness within. A feeling of awe crept over them as they stood thus, and a shudder passed through Corrie's frame as he thought of the innumerable ghosts that might — probably did — inhabit that dismal place. But the thought of Alice served partly to drive away his fears and steel his heart. He felt that the presence of such a sweet and innocent child jmut, some- how or other, subdue and baffle the power of evil spirits, and it was with some shovr of firmness that he said : " Come, Bumpus, let's go in. Wc are better without a torch ; it would only show that we were coming ; and as they don't expect us, the savage may perhaps kindle a light which Avill guide us." Bumpus, who was not restained by any thoughts of the supposed power or influence of the little girl, and whose superstitious fears were again doing furious battle Avith his natui'ul courage, heaved a deep sigh, ground his teeth to- gether, and clenched his fists. Even in that dreadful hour the seaman's faith in his phys- ical invincibility, and in the terrible power of his fists, did not altogether fail. Although he wore a cutlass, and had used it that day with tremendous effect, he did not now draw it. lie preferred to engage supernatural enemies with the weapons that nature had given him, and entered the cave on tiptoe with slow, cautious steps, his fists tightly clenched and ready for instant action, j-et thrust into the 316 GASCOYI^, pockets of his coatee in a deceptively peaceful waj, as if he meant to take the gho.>ts by surprise. Corrie followed him, also on tiptoe, with the broken sabre in his right hand, and the cocked pistol in his left, his fore- finger being on the trigger, and the muzzle pointing straight at the small of the seaman's back, — if one may be permit- ted to talk of such an enormous back having any "small" about it ! Poopy entered last, also on ti[)toe, trembling violently, holding on with both Jiands to the waistband of Corrie's ti'ousers, and only restrained from instant flight by her anx- ieties and her strong love for little Alice. Thus, step by step, with bated breath and loudly beating hearts, pausing often to listen, and gasping in a subdued way at times, the tln-ee friends advanced from the gloom without into the thick darkness within, until their gliding forms were swallowed up. Now it £0 happened that the shouts and yells to which we have more than once made reference in this chapter attracted a band of savages who had been put to flight by Henry Stuart's party. These rascals, not knowing what was the cause of so mucli noise up on the heights, and being much too well acquainted with the human voice in all its modifications to fancy that ghosts had anything to do with it, cautiously ascended towards the cavern, just a few min- utes after the disappearance of John Burapus and his com- panions. Here they sat down to hold a palaver. "While this was going on, Keona carried Alice in his unwounded arm to the other end of the cave, and, making his exit through a small opening at its inner extremity, bore his trembling captive to a rocky eminence, shaped somewhat like a sugar-loaf, on the summit of which he placed her. So steep were the sidea THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 117 of tliis cone of lava, that it seemed to Alice that she was sur- rounded bj precipices over Avliich she mu.^t certainly tumble if she daix'd to move. Here Kcona left her, having first, however, said, in a low, stern voice : " If you moves, you dies I " The poor child was too much terrified to move, even had she dared ; for she, too, had heard the unaccountable cries of Poopv, although, owing to distance and the wild nature of these cries, she had failed to recognize the voice. "When, therefore, her jailor left her with this threat, she coiled her- self up in the smallest possible space, and began to sob. Meanwhile, Keona reentered the cavern, with a diabol- ical grin on his sable countenance, which, although it sa- vored more of evil tlian of any otlier quality, had in it, nevertheless, a strong dash of ferocious joviality, as if he Avei'c aware that he had got his enemies into a trap, and could amuse himself by playing with them as a cat does with a mouse. Soon the savage began to step cautiously, partly because of the rusr^ed nature of the ground and the thick darkness that surrounded him, and partly in order to avoid alarming the three adventurers who were advancing towards him from the other extremity of the cavern. In a few minutes he halted ; for the footsteps and the whispering voices of his pursuers became distinctly audible to him, although all three did their best to make as little noise as possible. "Wot a 'ori-id place it is!" exclaimed Bumpus, in a hoarse, angry whisper, as he struck his shins violently, for at least the tenth time, against a ledge of rock. " I do b'lieve, boy, that there's nobody here, and that w^e'd as well 'bout ship and steer back the way we've comed ; tho' it is a 'or* rible coast ibr rocks and shoals." 118 GASCOYXE, To tliis, Corric, not beln^ in a talkative humor, inaJo no reply. " D yr; hear rac, boy ? " said Jo, aloud, for he was some- what shaken again by the dead silence that followed the close of his remark. '? All right ; I'm here ; " said Corrie, meekly. " Tiien why don't ye speak ? " said Jo, tartly. " I'd advise you not to speak so loud," retorted the boy. ' " Is the dark 'un there ? " inquired Bumpus. « What d'ye say ? " "The dark 'un ; the lum'> o' charcoal, you know." " Oh ! she's all safe," replied Corrie. " I only hope she won't haul the clothes right off my body ; she grips at my waistband like a — " Here he was cut short by Keona, who gave utterance to a low, dismal wail that caused the blood and marrow of all three to freeze up, and their hearts for a moment to leap into their throats and all but choke them. " Poopy's gone," gasped Corrie, after a few seconds had elapsed. There was no doubt of the fact ; for, besides the relief experienced by the boy, from the relaxing of her grip on his waistband, the moment the wail was heard, the sound of the girl's footsteps as she flew b:ick to the entrance of the cave was distinctly heard. Keona waited a minute or two to ascertain the exact po- sition of his enemies, then he repeated the wa'.l, and swelled it gradually out into a fiendish yell that awol:e ;;11 tlie ech- oes of the place. At the same time, guessing his aim as well as he could, he threw a spear and discharged a shower of stones at the spot where he supposed they stood. There is no understanding the strange workings of the human mind ! The very thing that most people would THE SAXDAL-WOOD TP^ADER. 119 Lave expected to strike terror to the Leart of Bumpa,^ was that which infused coarage into his £Oul. The frightful tones of the savage's voice in such a place did indeed almost prostrate the superstitious spirit of the seaman ; but when he heard the spear whiz past witliin an inch of his ear, and received a large stone full on his chest, and sev- eral small ones on other parts of his person, that instant his strength returned to him, like that of Samson when the Philistines attempted to fall upon him. His curiously philosophical mind at once leaped to the conclusion that, although ghosts could yell, and look, and vanish, they could not throw spears or fling stones, and that, therefore, the man they were in search of was actually close beside them. Acting on this belief, with immense subtlety Bumpus uttered a cry of feigned terror, and lied, follov/ed by the panting Corrie, Avho uttered a scream of real teri-or at what he supposed must be the veritable ghost of the place. But before he had run fiiiy yards, John Bumpus sud- denly came to a dead halt, seized Corrie by the collar, dragged him down behind a rock, and laid his large hand upon his mouth, as being the shortest and easiest way of securing silence, without the trouble of explanation. As he had anticipated, the soft tread of the savage Avas heard almost immediately after, as he passed on in full pursuit. He brushed close past the spot where Bumpus crouched, and received from that able-bodied seaman such a blow on the shoulder of his wounded arm, as, had it been delivered in daylight, would have certainly smashed his shoulder-blade. As it war-, it caused him to stagger, and sent iiim howling with pain to the mouth of the cavern, whither he was followed by the triumphant Jo, who now made sure of catching him. 120 GASCOYXE, But " (licrc 13 many a slip 'twlxt the cup and l!ic lip," "Wlien Keona ir^sucd from the cave, he was received with a shout by the band of savages, who instantly recognized him as their friend by his voice. Poor Poopy v.-as ahx-udy in their hands, havino; been seized and rairsred v.lien she emerged before she had time to utter a cry. And now they stood in a semi-circle, ready to receive all who might come forth into their arms, or on their spear-points, as the case might be. Bumpus came out like an insane thunderbolt, and Cor- rie like a streak of lightning. Instantaneously the flash of the pistol, accompanied by its report and a deep groAvl from Bumpus, increased the resemblance to tliese meteor- ological phenomena, and three savages lay stunned upon the crround. " This way, Corrie ! " cried the excited seaman, leaping to a perpendicular rock, against which he placed his back, and raised his fists in a pugilistic attitude. " Keep one or two in play with your broken toothpick, nn' I'll floor 'em one after another as they comes up. Now, then, ye black baboons, come on, — all at once if ye like, — an' Jo Bum- pus '11 show ye wot he's made of I " Not perceiving very clearly, in the dim light caused by a few stars that flickered among tlie black and gathering clouds, the immense size and power of the man with whom they had to deal, the savages were not slow to ac- cept this free and generous invitation to "come on." They rushed forward in a body, intending, no doubt, to take the man and boy prisoners ; for if they had wished to slay them, nothinc: would have been easier than to liave thrown one or two of their spears at their defenceless breasts. Bumpus experienced a vague feeling that he had now a fair opportunity of testing and proving his invincibility ; THE SAXDAL-WOOD TRADER- 121 yet tlie desperate nature of the case did not induce him to draw his sword. He preferred his fists, as being superior and mucli more handy weapons. He received the first two sava^^es who came within reach on the Lnuckles of liis right and left hands, rendering them utterly insensible, and driving them against the tw-o men immediately behind wiih such tremendous violence that they also were put Iioj's de covihat. This was just what Bumpus had intended and hoped for. The sudden fall of so many gave him time to launch out his great fi^ts a second time. They fell with the weight of sledge hammers on the faces of two more of his oppo- nents, flattening their noses, and otherwise disfiguring their features, besides stretching them on the ground. At the same time, Corrie flung his empty pistol in the face of a man who attempted to assault his companion on the right flank unawares, and laid him prone on the earth. An- other savage, who made the same effort on the left, re- ceived a gash on the thigh from the broken sabre that sent him howling from the scene of conflict. Tiius were eight savages disposed of in about as many seconds. But there is a limit to the powers and the prowess of man. The savages, on seeing the fall of so many of their companions, rushed in on Bumpus before he could recover himself for another blow. Tliat is to say, the savages be- hind pushed forward those in front whether they Avould or no, find failing en masse on the unfortunate pair, well-nigh buried them alive in black human flesh. Bumpus's last cry before being smothered was, " Down with the black varmints ! " and Corrie's last shout was, " Hoorav ! " Thus fell — despite the undignified manner of their fall 122 GASCOYNE, -^a couple of as groat heroes as were ever heard of in the annals of war ; not excepting even tliosc of Homer him- self. Now, good reader, this may be all very well for us to describe, and for you to read, but it was a teri-ible thing for Poopy to witness. Being bound hand and foot, she was compelled to look on ; and, lo say truth, she did look on with uncommon interest. When her friends fell, however, she expressed her regrets and fears in a subdued shriek, for which she received a sounding slap on the cheek from a young savage Avho had chosen for himself the compara- tively dangerous post of watcliing her, while his less courageous friends were fighting. Strange to saj', Poopy did not shed more tears (as one might have expected) on receiving such treatment. She bad been used to that sort of thing, poor child. Before comin2: to the service of her little mistress, she had been brought up (it would be more strictly correct to say that she had been kicked, and cuffed, and pinched, and battered up) by a step-mother, whose chief delight was to pull out handfuls of her woolly hair, beat her nose flat (which was adding insult to injury, for it was too Hat by nature), and otherwise to mahreat her. "When, therefore, Poopy received the slap referred to, she immediately dried her eyes and looked humble. But she did not by any means /ec/ hum- ble. No ; a regr.rd for truth compels us to state that, on this particular occasion, Poopy acted the pan of a hypo- crite. If her hands had been loose, and she had possessed a knife just then — wo are afraid to think of the dreadful use to which she would have put it. The natives spent a considerable time in securely bind- ing their three captives, after wlilch they bore them into the cavern. THE SAXDAL-^YOOD TRADER. 123 Here they kindled a torch, and held a long palaver as to what was to bo. done with the prisoners. Some counselled instant death, others advised that they should be kept as hostages. The debate was so long and fierce, that the day had begun to break before it was concluded. It was at length arranged that they should be conveyed alive to their vil- lage, there to be disposed of according to the instructions of their chiefs. Feeling that they had already delayed too long, they placed the prisoners on their shoulders, and bore them swiftlv awav. Poor Corrle and his sable friend were easily carried, coiled up like sacks, each on the shoulders of a stalwart savage ; but Bumpus, Avho had required eight men to bind him, still remained unconvinced of his vincibiiity. He struggled so violently on the shoulders of the four men who bore him, that Keona, in a fit of passion, tinged no doubt with revenge, hit him such a blow on the head with the handle of an axe as caused his brains to sing, and a host of stars to dance before his eyes. These stars were, however, purely imaginary ; for at that time the dawn had extinc^uished the lesser licchts. Ere lonir, the briirht beams of the rising sun suffused the east- ern sky with a golden glow. On passing the place where Alice had been left, a couple of the party were sent by Keona to fetch her. They took the unnecessary precau- tion of binding the poor child, and speedily rejoined their comrades with her in their arms. The amazement of her friends on seeing Alice was only equalled by her surprise on beholding them. But they M'ere not permitted to communicate with each other. Presently the whole party emerged from the wild moun- 124 GASCOTNE, tain gorges, through which they had been passing for some time, and proceeded in single tile along a narrow path that skirted the precipices of the coast. The cliffs here were nearly a hundred feet high. They descended sheer down into deep water ; in some places ev.en over- hung the sea. Here John Bumpus, having recovered from the stunning effects of the blow dealt him by Keona, renewed hi? strug- gles, and rendered the passage of the place not only dlfil- cult but dangerous — to himself as well as to his enemies. Just as they reached a somewhat open space on the top of the cliffs, Jo succeeded, by almost superhuman exertion, in bursting his bonds. Keona, foaming with rage, gave an angry order to his followers, who ruslied upon Bumpus in a body as he was endeavoring to clearhimself of the cords. Although John struck out manfully, the savages Avere too quick for hira. They raised him suddenly aloft in tiieir arms, and hurled him headlong over the cliff! The horror of his friends on witnessing this may easily be imagined ; but every other feeling was swallowed up ia terror when the savages, apparently rendered bloodthirsty by what they had done, ran towards Alice, and, raising her from the ground, hastened to the edge of the cliff, evidently with the intention of throwing her over also. Before they had accomplished their fiendish purpose, however, a sound like thunder burst upon their ears and arrested their steps. This Avas immediately followed by another crash, and then came a series of single reports in rapid succession, which were multiplied by the echoes of the heights until the Avhole region seemed to tremble Avith the reverberation. At first the natives seemed awe-stricken. Then, on becoming aware that the sounds which originated all this Bl-MPLS HURLED OVER THE CLIFF. THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 125 tumult came from tlie direction of tlieir own village, they dropped Alice on the ground, fled precipitately down the rugged path that led from the heights to the valley, and disappeared, leaving the three captives, bound and help- less, on the cliffs. CHAPTER XII. OANGEROUS NAVIGATION AND DOUBTFUL PILOTAGE — MONTAGUE IS HOT, GASCOYNE SAKCASTIC. TVe nov,^ turn to the Talisman, Avhich, it will be remem- bered, v/e left making her way slowly through the reefs toward the northern end of the island, under the pilotage of Gascoyne. The storm, whicli had threatened to burst over the isl- and at an earlier period of that evening, passed off far to th-e south. The light bi^eeze Avhich had tempted Captain Montague to weigh anchor soon died away, and before night a profound calm brooded over the deep. When the breeze fell, Gascoyne went forward, and, seating himself on a forecastle carronade, appeared to fall into a deep reverie. Montague paced tlic quarter-deck impatiently, glancing from time to time down the skylight at the barometer which hung in the cabin, and at the vane wdiich drooped motionless from the masthead. He acted wuth the air of a man wdio was deeply dissatisfied with the existing state of things, and who felt inclined to take the laws of nature into his own hands. Fortunately for nature and himself, he was unable to do this. Ole Thorwald exhibited a striking contrast to the active, impatient commander of the vessel. That portly individual Laving just finished a cigar v.'hich the first lieutenant iiad presented to him on his arrival on board, threw the fag THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 127 end of It into the sea, and proceeded leijurcly to fill a lai'gc-headed German pipe, which was the constant com- panion of his waking hours, and the bowl of which seldom enjoyed a cool moment. Ole jjaving filled the pipe, lighted it ; then, leaning over the taffrai!, he gazed placidly into the dark Avalers, wliicli were so perfectly calm tliat every star in the vault above could be compared with its reflection in the abyss below. Ole Thorwald, excepting when engaged in actual bat- tle, was phlegmatic, and constitutionally lazy and ha})py. When enjoying his German i^ipc he felt impressibly se- rene, and did not care to be disturbed. He therefore paid no attention to the angry manner of Montague, who brushed past liim repeatedly in his hasty perambulations, but continued to gaze downwards and smoke calmly in a state of placid felicity. " You appear to take things coolly, Mister Thorv/ald," said Montague, half in jest, yet with a touch of asperity in his manner. " I always do " (puff) " when the weather's not warm." (Puff, puff.) " Humph ! " ejaculated Montague ; "but the weather is warm just now ; at least it seems so to me, — so warm that I should not be surprised if a thunder-squall Avere to burst upon us ere long." "Not a pleasant place to be caught in a squall," returned the other, gazing through the voluminous clouds of smoke which he emitted at several coral reefs, whose ra^cred edges just rose to the level of the calm sea without break- ing its mirror-like surface ; " I've seen one cr two line vessels caught that way, just hereabouts, and go right down in the middle of the breakers." Montague smiled, and the commander-in-chief of the 128 GASCOYNE, Sandy Cove army fired innumerable broadsides from his mouth with redoubled energy. " That is not a cheering piece of information," said he, " especially when one has reason to believe that a false man stands at the helm." Montague uttered the latter part of his speech in a sub- dued, earnest voice, and the matter-of-fact Ole turned his eyes slowly towards the man at the wheel ; but observing that he who presided there was a short, fat, commonplace, and uncommonly jolly-looking seaman, he merely uttered a grunt, and looked at Montague inquiringly. "Nay ; I mean not the man who actually holds the spokes of the wheel, but he who guides the ship." Thorwald glanced at Gascoyne, whose figure w-as dimly visible in the fore part of the ship, and then looking at Montague in surprise, shook his head gravely, as if to say, " I'm still in the dark ; go on." " Can Mr. Thorwald put out his pipe for a few minutes, and accompany me to the cabin ? I would have a little converse on this matter in private." Ole hesitated. " Well, then," said the other, smiling, " you may take the pipe with you, although it is against rules to smoke in my cabin ; but I'll make an exception in your case." Ole smiled, bowed, and thanking the captain for his courtesy, descended to the cabin along with him, and sat down on a sofa in the darkest corner of it. Here he smoked vehemently, while. his companion, assuming rather a mysterious air, said, in an undertone : " You have heard, of course, that the pirate Dur\Yard has been seen, or heard of, in these seas ?" Ole nodded. " Has it ever struck you that this Gascoyne, as he calls THE SAXDAL-WOOD TRADER. 129 Limself, knows more about the pirate than he chooses to tell ? " " Never," replied Ole. Indeed, nothing ever did strihe the stout commander-in-chief of the forces. All new ideas came to him by slow degrees, and did not readily find admission to his perceptive faculties. But when they did gain an entrance into his thick head, nothing was ever known to drive them out again. As he did not seem in- clined to comment on the hint thrown out by his companion, Montague continued, in a still more impressive tone : " What would you say if this Gascoyne himself turned out to be the pirate ? " The idea being a simple one, and the proper course to follow being rather obvious, Ole replied, with unwonted promptitude : " Put him in irons, of course, and hang^ liim as soon as possible." Montague laughed. " Truly that would be a vigorous way of proceeding ; but as I have no proof of the truth of my suspicions, and as the man is my guest at present, as well as ray pilot, it behooves me to act more cau- tiously." " Not at all ; by no means ; you're quite wrong, captain (which is the natural result of being young; all young people go wrong more or less) ; it is clearly your duty to catch a pirate anyhow you can, as fast as you can, and kill him without delay." Here the sanguinary Thorwald paused to draw and puff into vitality the pipe which was beginning to die down, and Montaa;ue asked : " But how d you know he is the pirate ? " " Because you said so," replied his friend. " Nay ; I said that I suspected him to be Durward, — nothing more.' l.'O GASCOYNE, " And what more would you have ? " cried Ole, whose calm spirit was ruffled Avith unusual violence at the thought of the hated Durward being actually within his reach. " For my part, I conceive that you are justified in taking him up on suspicion, trying him in a formal Avay (just to save appearances) on suspicion, and hanging him at once on suspicion. Quite time enough to inquire into the mat- ter after the villain is comfortably sewed up in a hammock with a thirty-pound shot at his heels, and sent to the bot- tom of the sea for the sharks and crabs to devour. Suspi- cion is nine points of the law in these regions, Captain Montague, and we never allow the tenth point to interfere with the course of justice one way or another. Ilang him, or shoot liim if you prefer it, at once ; tliat is what I recommend." Just as Thorwald concluded this amiable piece of advice, the deep, strong tones of Gascoyne's voice were heard ad- dressing the first lieutenant. " You had better hoist your royals and skyscrapers, Mr. Mulroy ; we shall have a light air off the land presently, and it will require all your canvas to carry the ship round the north point, so as to bring her guns to bear on the village of the savages." "The distance seems to me very short," replied the lieutenant, " and the Talisman sails faster than you may suppose with a light wind." "I doubt not the sailing qualities of your good ship, thou"-h I couid name a small schooner that would beat them in light wind or storm ; but you forget that we have to land our stout ally Mr. Tliorwald with his men at the Goat's Pass, and that will compel us to lose time, — too much of which has been lost already." "W^itbout reply, the lieutenant turned on his heel, an^ THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 131 g.ive the necessary orders to hoist the aflclltlonal sails, while the captain ha?tened on deck, leaving Thorwald to finish his pipe in peace, and ruminate on the tuspicions which had been raised in liis mind. In less than half an hour the light wind Avhicli Gai^covne had in-edicicd came oiF the land, first in a scries of what sailors term "cat's paws," and then in a steady breeze, which lasted several hours, and caused the vessel to slip rapidly through the still water. As he looked anxiously over the bow, Captain Montague felt that he had placed himself completely in the power of the suspected skipper of the Foam ; for coral reefs surrounded him on all sides, and many of them passed so close to (he ship's side that he expected every moment to feel the shock that would wreck his vessel and his Jiopes at the same time, lie blamed himself for trusting a man whom he supposed he had such good reason to doubt, but consoled himself by thrusting his hand into his bosom and grasping the handle of a pastol, with v,rhich, in the event of the ship striking, he had made up his mind (o blow out Gascoyne's brains. About an hour la^cr, the Talisman Avas hove-lo off the Goat's Pass, and 01c Tliorwald was landed with his party at the base of a cliff which rose sheer up from the sea like a wall. " Are we to go up there ? " inquired Ole, in a rueful tone of voice, as he surveyed a narrow chasm to which Gascoyne guided him. " That is the way. It's not so bad as is looks. Yv'hen you get to the top, follow the little path that leads along the cliffs northward, and you will reach the brow of a hill from which the native village will be visible. Descend and attack it at once, if you find men to fight with ; if not, take possession quietly. Mind you don't take the wrong 132 GASCOYNE, turn ; it leads to places where a wilclcat would not venture even in dayliglit. If you attend to wliat I have said, j-ou can't go wrong. Good-niglit. Shove off." The oars splashed in the sea at the v.'ord, and Gascoyne returned to the ship, leaving Ole to lead his men up the Pass as best he might. It seemed as if the pilot had resolved to make sure of the destruction of the ship that night ; for, not content with running lier within a foot or two of innumerable reef-, he at last steered in so close to the shore that the beetling clilTs actually seemed to overhang the deck. "Wiien the sun rose, the breeze died away ; but sufficient wind continued to fill the uj^per sails, and to urge the ves- sel gently onward ibr some time after the surface of the sea Avas calm. Montague endeavored to conceal and repress his anxi- ety as long as possible ; but when at length a line of break- ers without any apparent opening presented themselves right ahead, he went up to Gascoyne and said, in a stern undertone : " Are you aware that you forfeit your life if my vessel strikes ? " " I know it," re])lied Ga:^coyne, coolly throwing away the stump of his cigar, and lighting a fresh one ; " but I have no desire eiihcr to destroy your vessel or to lose my life ; aUhoiigh, to say truth, I should have no objection, ia otlier circumstances, to attempt the one and to ri.-k the other." " Say von so?" said Montague, wish a sharp glance at the countenance of the o'Jier, where, however, he could perceive nothing but placid good humor; "• t!iat speech sounds inarveiiously Wiirlike, methinks, in the mouth of a sandal-wood trader.'' THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 133 " Think you, then," said Gascoyne, with a smile of con- tempt, •' that it is only- your fire-eating men of war -who experience bold impulses and heroic desires ? " " Nay ; but traders are not Avont to aspire to the honor of fighting the ships that are commissioned to protect them." "Ti-uly, if I had sought protection from the war-ships of the King of England, I must have sailed long and far to find it," returned Gascoyne. " It is no child's play to nav- igate these seas, where blood-tliirsty savages swarm in their canoes like locusts. Moreover, I sail, as I have told you before, in the Cliina Seas, v/here pirates are more common than honest traders. Vv^liat would you say if I were to talic it into my head to protect myself? " " Thr.t you were well able to do so," answered Mon- tague, Avilh a smile ; " but when I examined the Foam, I found r.o arms save a few cutlasses and rusty muskets that did not seem to have been in recent use." " A few bold men can defend themselves with any kind of weapons. My men are stout fellows, not used to flinch at the sound of a round shot passing over their heads." The conversation was interrupted here by the ship rounding a point and suddenly opening up a view of a fine bay, at the head of which, embosomed in trees and dense underwood, stood the native village of which they were in search. Just in front of this village lay a small but high and thickly-wooded island, which, as it were, filled up the head of the bay, sheltering it completely from the ocean, and making the part of the sea which washed the shores in front of the houses resemble a deep and bi-oi:d canal. This stripe of water was wide and deep enough to permit of a vessel of the largest size passing through it ; but to any 1^4 GASCOYNE. one approaching llie place for the first time, there seemed to be no passage for any sort of ci'aft larger than a native canoe. The island itself was high enough to conceal the Talisman completely from the natives uniii she was within half gunshot of the sliore. Gascoyne still stood on the fore part of the ship as she neared this spot, which was so beset with reefs and rocks that her esca})e seemed miraculous. " I think we are near enouirh lor the work that we have to do," suggested Montague, in some anxiety. "Just about it, JMr. Montague," said Gascoyne, as he turned towards the helm and shouted, " Port your helm.' " Port it is," answered the man at the wheel. " Steady." " Back the topsails, Mr. Mulroy." The sails were backed at once, and the ship became motionless, with her broadside to tiie village. " Vvliat are we to do now, Mr. Gascoyne," inquired Montague, smiling in spite of himself at the strange po- sition in which he found himself. " Fire away at the village as hard as you can," replied Gascoyne, returning the smile. " Yv^hat ! do you really advise me to bombard a defence- less place, in which, as far as I can see, there are none but women and children ? " " Even so," returned the other, carelessly. " At the same time I would advise you to give it them with a blank cart- ridge." " And to what purpose such waste of powder ? " in- quired Montague. " The furthering of the plans which I have been ap- pointed to carry out," replied Gascoyne, somev^'hat stifUy, as he turned on his heel and walked away. THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 135 The young capfam reddened and bit hh lip, as he gave the order to load the guns with blank cartridge, and made preparation to fire this harmless broadside on the village. The word to " fire " had barely crossed his lips when the rocks around seemed to tremble with the crash of a shot that came apparently from the other side of the island ; for its smoke was visible, although the vessel that discharged it was concealed behind tlie point. The Talisman's broad- side followed £0 quickly, that the two discharges were blended in one. CHAPTER XIII. DOINGS ON BOARD THE FOAM. The nature of tliis part of our story requires that wo filiould turn back, repeatedly, in order to trace the move- ments of the diii'erent parties which cooperated with each other. Wliile tlie warlike demonstrations we have described were being made by the British cruiser, the crew of the Foam were not idle. In consequence of the capture of Bumpus by the sava- ges, Gascoyne's message was, of course, not delivered to JNIanton, and the first mate of the sandal-wood trader would have known nothing about the fight that raged on the othta- side of the island on the Sunday but for the three shots, fired by the first lieutenant of the Talisman, which decided the fate of the day. Being curious to know the cause of the firing, Manton climbed the mountains until he gained the dividing ridge, — which, however, he did not succeed in doing till late in the afternoon, the way being rugged as well as long. Here he almost walked into the midst of a flying i^arty of the beaten savages ; but dropping suddenly behind a rock, he escaped their notice. The ha^^^te wilh which ihey ran. and the wounds visible on the persons of many of them, were suilicient to acquaint the mate of the Foam with the fact that a fight liad taken place in which the savages had been THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 137 beaten ; and his knowledge of the state of affairs on the island enabled him to jump at once to the correct conclu- sion that the Christian village had been attacked. A Satanic smile played on the countenance of the mate as he watched the savages until thev were out of sijrht ; then, quitting his place of concealment, he hurried back to the schooner, which he reached some time after nisht- fall. Immediately on gaining the deck he gave orders to haul the chain of the anchor short, to shake out the sails, and to make other preparations to avail himself without delay of the light breeze off the land which his knowledge of the weather and the locality taught him to look for before morning. "While his orders were being executed, a boat came alongside with that part of the crew which had been sent ashore by Gascoyne to escape the eye of the British com- mander. It was in charge of the second mate, — a short, but thick-set, and extremely powerful man, of the name of Scraggs, — who walked up to his superior the moment he came on board, and, in a tone somewhat disrespectful, asked what was., going to be done. "Don't you see ?" growled Munton; '* we're getting ready to sail." "Of course I see that," retorted Scraggs, between whom and his superior olFicer there existed a feeling of jealousy as well as of mutual antipathy, for reasons which vriil be seen hereafter ; " but I should like to know where we are going, and wliy we are going anywhere without the cap- tain. 1 suppose I am entitled to ask that much." " It's your business to obey orders," said Manton, an- grily. " Not if they are in opposition to the captain's orders," 138 GASCOYXE, replied Scrngg.^, firmly, but in a more respectful tone ; for in projjortion as he became more mutinous, he felt that he could afTord to become more deferential. "The captain's last orders to you were to remain where you are ; I heard him give them, and I do not feel it my duty to disobey him at yoiw bidding. You'll find, too, that the crew are of my way of tiiinking." Manton's face flushed crimson, and, for a moment, he felt inclined to seize a handspike and fell the refractory second mate thei-ewith ; but the looks of a ^q,\{ of the men who were standing by and had overheard the conversation convinced him that a violent coui'se of procedure would do him injury. Swallowing his passion, therefore, as he best could, he said : *' Come, Mr. Scraggs, I did not expect that you would set a mutinous example to the men ; and if it were not that you do so out of respect for the supposed orders to the captain, I would put you in irons at once." Scraggs smiled sarcastically at this threat, but made no reply, and the mate continued : " The captain did indeed order me to remain where we are ; but I have since discovered that the black dogs have attacked the Christian settlement, as it is called, and you know as Avell as I do tliat Gascoyne would not let slip the chance to pitch into the undefended villaire of the ni^ijers, and pay them off for the mischief they have done to us more than once. At any rate, I mean to go round and blow down their log huts with Long Tom ; so you can go ashore if you don't like the work." Manton knew well, when he made this allusion to mis- chief formerly done to the crew of the Foam, that he touched a rankling sore in the breast of Scraggs, who in a skirmish with the natives some time before had lost an THE SAXDAL-WOOD TRADER. 139 eye : and tlie itlea of revenging himself on the defenceless women and children of his enemies vras eo congenial to the mind of the second mate, that his objections to act willingly under Manton's orders were at once removed. " Ila ! " said he, commencing to pace to and fro on the quarter-deck with his superior officer, while the men made the necessary preparations for the intended assault, "that alters the case, ]Mr. Manton. I don't think, hov.-cver, that Gascoyne would have taken advantage of the chance to give the brutes what they deserve; for I must say he does seem to be unaccountably chicken-hearted. Perhaps it's as well that he's out of the vray. Do you happen to know where he is, or what he's doing ? " "Xot I. IS'o doubt he is playing some sly game with this British cruiser, and I dare say he may be lending a hand to the settlers ; for he's got some strange interests to look after there, you know" (here both men laughed), " and I shouldn't wonder if he was beforehand with us in pitching into the niggers. He is always ready enough to light in self-defence, though we can never get him screwed up to the assaulting point." '' A}', v>e saw something of the fighting from the hill- tops ; but as it is no business of ours, I brought the men down, in case they might be Avanted aboard." " Quite right, Scraggs. You're a judicious fellow to send on a dangerous expedition. I'm not sure, however, that Gascoyne would thank you for leaving him to fight the savages alone." Manton chuckled a3 he said this, and Scraorgs grinned maliciously as he replied : " "Well, it can't exactly be said that I've lefi him, seeing that I have not been Vv'itli him since we parted aboard of this schooner: and as to his fi";htin' the niirgcrs alone. 140 GASCOYXE, hasn't he got ever so many hundred Christian niggers to help him to lick the others ? " " True," said Manton, while a, smile of contempt curled his lip. " But here comes the breeze, and the £un wont be long behind it. All the better for the work we've got to do. Mind your helm there. Here, lads, take a pull at the topsail halyards ; and some of you get the nightcap off Long Tom. I say, Mr. Scraggs, should we show them the red, by way of comforting their hearts ? " Scraggs shook his head dubiously. "You forget the cruiser. She lias eyes aboard, and may chance to set them on that same red; in which case it's likely she would show us her teeth." " And what then ? " demanded Manton, " are you also gi'owing chicken-hearted ? Besides," he added, in a milder tone, " the cruiser is quietly at anchor on the other side of the island, and there's not a captain in tlie British navy who could take a [jinnace, much less a ship, through the reefs at the north end of the island without n pilot." " "Well," returned Scraggs, carelessly, " do as you please. It's all one to me." While the two officers were conversing, the active crew of the Foam were busily engaged in carrying out the orders of Manton ; and the graceful schooner glided swiftly along the coast before the same breeze which urrred the Talis- man to the north end of the island. The former, having few reefs to avoid, approached her destination much more rapidly than the latter, and there is no doubt that she would have arrived first on the scene of action had not the height and form of the clius prevented the wind from fill- ing her sails on two or three occasions. Meanwhile, in obedience to Manton's orders, a great and very peculiar change was effected in the outward THE SAXD^iJ.-T700D TRADER. 141 aspect of the Foam. To one unacquainted Avitli the char- acter of the schooner, the proceedings of her crew must have seemed unaccountable as well as surprising. The carpenter and his assistants were slung over the sides of the vessel, upon which they plied their screwdrivers for a considerable time wuth great energy, but, apparently, with very little result. In the course of a quarter of an hoar, however, a long narrow plank was loosened, which, when stripped off, discovered a narrow line of bright scarlet run- ning quite round the vessel, a little more than a foot above the water-line. This having been accomplished, they next proceeded to the figurehead, and, unscrewing the white lady who smiled there, fixed in her place a hideous griCin's head, which, like the ribbon, Avas also bright scarlet. "Wiiile these chanties were bein;; effected, others of the crew re- moved the boat that lay on the deck, bottom up between the masts, and uncovered a long bi-ass pivot-gun, of the largest calibre, which shone in the saffron light of morning like a mass of burnished gold. This gun was kept scrupu- lously clean and neat in ail its arrangements ; the rammers, sponges, screws, and other apparatus belonging to it were neatly arranged beside it, and four or five of its enormous iron shot were piled under its muzzle. The traversing gear connected with it was well greased, and, in short, everything about the gun gave proof of the care that was bestowed on it. But tliese Avcre not the only alterations made in the mysterious schooner. liound both masts were piled a number of muskets, boarding-pikes, cutlasses, and pistols, all of whicli were perfectly clean and bright, and the men — fierce enough and warlike in their aspect at all times — liad now rendered themselves doubly so by putting ou broad belts with pistols therein, and tucking up their sleeves 142 GASCOYXE, to llic shoulders, tliereby displaying their brawny arms a3 if they had dirty work before thern. This strange meta- morphosis was finally completed, when Mauton, with his own hands, ran up to the peak of the mainsail a bright scarlet tins: with the single Avord " Avenger " on it in large black letters. During one of those lulls in the breeze to which we have referred, and while the smooth ocean glowed in the mellow light that ushered in the day, the attention of those on board the Avenger (as we shall call the double-faced schooner when under red colors) was attracted to one of the more distant cliffs, on the summit of which human beings appeared to be moving. " Hand me that glass," said IManton to one of the men beside him. " I shouldn't wonder if the niggers were up to some mischief there. Ah ! just so," he exclaimed, ad- justing the telescope a little more correctly, and again applying it to his eye. " They seem to be scufiling on the top of yonder precipice. Now there's one fellow down ; but it's so far off that I can't make out clearly what they're about. I say, Mr. Scraggs, get the other glass and take a squint at them ; you are further sighted than I am." " You're right : they are killlu' one another up yonder," observed Scraggs, surveying the group on the cliffs v;ith calm indifference. "Here comes the breeze," exclaimed Manton, with a look of satisfaction. " Now, look alive, lads ; we shall be close on the nigirer village in five minutes : it's iust round the point of this small island close ahead. Come, Mr. Scraggs, we've other business on hand just now than squinting at the scrimmages of these fellows." " Hold on," cried Scras'gs, v/ith a grin : "I do believe they're going to pitch a fellow over that cliff. Y/hat a THE Sxi:TDAL-WOOD TRADER. 143 crack lie'Il come down into the water with, to be sure. It's to be hoped the poor man is dead, for his own sake, before he takes that flight. Hallo ! " added Scraggs, with an enei'gctic shout and a look of surprise ; '• I say, that's one of oar men ; I know him by his striped flannel shirt. If he would only give up kicking for a second, I'd make out his Humph! it's all up with him now, poor fellow, v.diocver he is." As he said the last woi'ds, the figure of a man was seen to shoot out from the cliff, and, descending with ever increasing rapidity, to strike the water with terrific vio- lence, sending up a jet of white foam as it disappeared. " Stand by to lower the gig," shouted Manton. " Ay, ay, sir," was the hearty response of the men, as some of them sprang to obey. " Lower away ! " The boat struck water, and its crew were on the thwarts in a moment. At the same time the point of the island was passed, and the native village opened up to view. " Load Long Tom — double shot ! " roared Manton, whose ire was raised not so much at the idea of a feliow- creature having been so barbarously murdered as at the notion of one of the crew of his schooner havaig been so treated by contemptible niggers. " Away, lads, and pick up that man." " It's of no use," remonstrated Scraggs ; " he's done for by this time." • " I know it," said Manton, with a fierce oaih ; " bring him in, dead or alive. If the sharks leave an inch of him, bring it to me. I'll make the black villains eat it raw." This ferocious threat was interlarded with and fol- lowed by a series of terrible oaths, which we think it inad- visable to repeat. 144 GASCOYNE. " Starboard ! " lie slioutecl to the man at the helm, tin soon as the boat shot away on its mission of mercy. « Starboard it is." " Steady ! " While he gave these orders, Manton sighted the brass gun carefully, and, just as the schooner's head came up to the wind, he applied the match. Instantly a cloud of smoke obscured the centre of the little vessel, as if her powder magazine had blown up, and a deafening roar went ringing and reverberating from cliff to cliff as two of the great iron shot were sent groaning through the air and pitched right into the heart of the vil- lage. It was this tremendous shot from Long Tom, followed almost instantaneously by the broadside of the Talisman, that saved the life of Alice, — possibly the lives of her young companions also ; that struck terror to the hearts of the savages, causing them to converge towards their defenceless homes from all directions, and that apprised Ole Thorwald and Henry Stuart that the assault on the village had commenced in earnest. CHAPTER XIV. OKEATEE MYSTERIES THAN EVER — A BOLD MOVE AND A NARKOAV ESCAPE. "We return now to the Talisman. The instant the broadside of the cruiser burst with such violence, and in such close proximity, on ilanton's ears, he felt that he had run into the very jaws of the lion ; and that escape was almost impossible. The bold heart of the pirate quailed at the tliought of his impending fate, but the fear caused by conscious guilt was momentary ; his constitutional courage I'eturned so violently as to render him reckless. It was too late to put about and avoid being seen ; for, before the shot was fired, the schooner had already almost run into the narrow channel between the island and the shore. A few seconds later, she sailed gracefully into view of the amazed Montague, who at once recognized the pi- rate vessel from Gascoync's faithful description of her, and hurriedly gave orders to load with ball and grape, while a boat was lowered in order to slew the ship more rapidly so as to bring her broadside to bear on the schooner. To say that Gascoyne beheld all this unmoved would be to give a fal^c impression of the man. He knew the ring of Lis great gun too Avell to require the schooner to come in sight in order to convince him that his vessel was near at hand. When, therefore, she appeai-ed, a,nd Mon- 10 146 GASCOYNE, tagiie turned to him Avitli a hfv?ty glance of suspicion and pointed to her, h^c had completely banished every trace of feeling from his countenance, and sat on the talTrail puding his cisxar wiih an air of calm satisfaction. Kodding to 3Iontague's glance of inquiry, he said: •" Ay, that's the pirate. I told you he was a bold fellow ; but I did not think he was quite so bold as to attempt this!" To do Gascoyne justice, he told the plain truth here; for, having sent a peremptory order to his mate, by John Bumpus, not to move from his anchorage on any account whate\i'r, he Avas not a little surprised as well as enraged at what he supposed was Manton's mutinous conduct. But, as we liave said, his feelings were confined to his breast ; they found no index in his grave face. Montague suspected, nevertheless, that his pilot was assuming a composure which he did not feel ; for from the manner of the meeting of the two vessels, he was persuaded that it was as little expected on the part of the pirates as of himself It Avas with a feeling of curiosity, therefore, as to what reply he should receive, that he put the ques- tion, " Vv'hat would Mr. Gascoyne advise me to do now ? " " Blow the villains out of the Avater," Avas the quick answer. *' I would have done so before now, had I been you." "Perhaps you might, but not much sooner," retorted the other, pointing to the guns Avhich were ready loaded, Awhile the men stood at their stations, matches in hand, only waitinor for the broadside to be brought to bear on the little vessel, when an iron shoAver would be sent against her which must, at such short range, haA-e infallibly sent her to the bottom. The mate of the pirate schooner was quite alive to hia THE SAXDAL-WOOD TRADER. 147 danger, and had taken the only means in his power to prevent it. Clofe to where his vessel la}', a large rock rose between the shore of the large island and the islet in the bay which has been described as separating the two vessels from each other. Owing to the formation of the coast at this place, a powerful stream ran between the rock and this islet at low tide. It happened to be flowing out at that time like a mill-race. Manton saw that ihe schooner was beini; sucked into this stream. In other circumstances, he would have cnde;ivorcd to avoid the danger ; for the channel was barely wide enough to allow even a small craft to pass between the rocks ; but now he resolved to risk it. lie knew that any attempt to put the schooner about would only hasten the elTorts of the cruiser to bring her broadside to bear on him. lie also knew that, in the course of a few seconds, he would be carried through the stream into the shelter of the rocky point. lie therefore ordered the men to lie down on tlie deck ; while, in a cai-e- less manner, he slewed the big brass gun round, so as to point it at the ia::n-of-war. Gascoyne at once understood the intended manoeuvre of his mate ; and, in spite of himself, a gleam of triumph shot from his ej'es. Montague himself suspected that Iiis prize was not altogether so sure as he had deemed it ; and he urged the men in the boat to put forth their utmost efforts. The Talisman Avas almost slewed into position, when the pirate schooner was observed to move rapidly through the water, stern foremost, in the direction of the point. At first Montague could scarcely credit his eyes ; bat when he saw the end of the main boom pass behind the point, Le became painfully alive to the fact tl at the whole vessel would certainly follow in the course of s- few 118 GASCOYNE, seconds. Although ihe moit of his guns wore still not sulnciently well pointed, ho gave the order to fire them in succession. The entire broadside burst in this manner from tlie side of the Talisman, with a prolonged and mighty cra.-h or I'oar, and tore up the waters of the nar- row channel. Most of the iron storm passed close by the head of the pirate. However, only one ball took effect ; it touched the end of the bowsprit, and sent the jib-boom into the air in splinters. Manton applied the match to the brass gun almo-^t at the same moment, and the heavy ringing roar of her explosion seemed like a prolonged echo of the broadside. Tiie gun was well aimed ; but the schooner had ah'eady passed so far behind the point that the ball struck a jirojecting part of the cliff, dashed it into atoms, and, glancing upwards, passed through the cap of the Tal- isman's mizzen-mast, and brought tlie lower yard, with all its gear, rattling down on the quarter-deck. Tv"hen the smoke cleared awaj', tlie Avenger had vanished fi-om the scene. To put tlie ship about, and follow the pirate schooner, was the first impulse of Montague ; but, on second thought, he felt that the risk of getting on tlie rucks in the narrow channel was too great to be llghlly run. He therefore gave orders to warp the ship about, and steer round the islet, on the other side of which he fully expected to find the pirate. But time was lost in attempting to do this, in consequence of the wreck of the mizzen-mast having fouled the rudder. "When tlie Talisman at last got under wa}-, and rounded the outside point of the islet, no vessel of any kind was to be seen. Amazed beyond measure, and deeply chagrined, the unfortunate captain of the man-of-war turned to Gas- THE SANDAL-WOOD TEADER. 149 copie, Tvho still sat quietly on the tafTiail smoking lu3 cicrar. " Does this pirate schooner sport wings as well as sails ? " said he ; " for unless she does, and has flown over the mountains, I cannot see how she could disappear in so short a space of time." '• I told you the pirate Avas a bold man ; and now he has proved himself a clever fellow. Yriiethcr he sports wings or no is best known to himself. Perhaps lie can dive. If so, we have only to watch until he comes to the surface, and shoot him leisurely." '• "Well, he is of? ; there is no doubt of that," returned Montague. " And now, Mr. Gascoyne, since it is vain to chase a vessel possessed of such mysterious qualities, you will not object, I dare say, to guide my ship to the bay where your own little schooner lies. 1 have a fancy to anchor there." " By all means," said Gascoyne, coolly. " It will afford me much pleasure to do as you wish, and to have you alongside of my little craft." Montague Avas surprised at the perfect coolness with which the other received this proposaL He Avas per- suaded that there must be some mysterious connection be- tween the pirate schooner and the sandal-wood trader, al- though his ideas were at this point somewhat undefined and confused ; and he had expected that Gascoyne would Iiave shown some symptoms of peplexity, on being tluis ordered to conduct the Talisman to a sj^ot where, he suspected, no schooner would be found, or, if found, Avould appear under such a changed aspect as to warrant his seizing it on sus- picion. As Gascoyne, however, showed perfect willingness to obey the order, he turned away, and left his strange pilot to conduct the ship through the reefs, having previ- 1''50 GASCOYNE, ou'ly given him to understand that the touching of a rock and the termination of his (Gascojne's) Hie woukl cer- tainly be simuhaneous events. Meanwhile tlie Avenger, alias the Foam^ had steered direct for the shoi'e, into which she apparently ran, and disappeared like a phantom-thip. The coast of this part of the island, where the events we are narrating occurred, was peculiarly formed. There were several narrow inlets m the high cliffs which were exceedingly deep, but barely wide enough to admit of the passage of a large boat, or a small vessel. Many of these inlets or creeks, which in some respects resembled the narrow fiords of Norway, though on a miniature scale, were so thickly fringed with trees, and the luxuriant undergrowth peculiar to southern climes, that their existence could not be detected from the sea. Indeed, even after the entrance to any one of them was discovered, no one would have imagined it to extend so far inland. Two of those deep, narrow inlets, opening from opposite sides of the cape whicli lay close to the islet above referred to, had approached so close to each other at their upper extremities, that they had at last met, in consequence of the sea undermining and throwing down the cliff that separated them. Thus the cape was in reality an island; and the two united inlets formed a narrow ."trait, through which the Avenger passed to her former an ^borage by means of four pair of powerful sweeps or oars. Tliis secret passage was well known to the pirates ; and it was with a lurking feeling that it might some day prove of use to him, that Gascoyne invariably anchored near it when he visited the island as a sandal-wood trader. During the transit, the carpentei's of the schooner w^ere not idle. The red strcalc and flag and griffin's head were THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADEK. 151 removed ; the big gun was covered v/itli the long boat, and the vessel -which entered the one end of the channel as the warlike Avenger, issued from the other side as the peaceful Foam ; and, rowing to her former anchorage, dropped anchor. Tlie shattered jib-boom had been re- placed by a spare one, and part of the crew were stowed away under tlie cargo, in an empty space of the hold re- served for this special purjiose, and for concealing arms. A few of them were also landed, not far from the cliif over ■which poor Bumpus had been thrown, with orders to remain concealed, and be ready to embark at a moment's notice. Soon after the schooner anchored, the boat which had been sent off in search of the body of our unfortunate sea- man returned, having failed to discover the object for which it had been sent out. The breeze had by this time died away almost entirely, so that three hours elapsed before the Talisman rounded the pomt, stood into the bay, and dropped anchor at a distance of about two miles from the suspected schoonerr CHAPTER XV. KEMARKAliLE DOINGS OF POOPY — EXTKAORDINAKY CASE OF KESDSCITATIOX. It is time now to return to our unfortunate friends, Corrie, Alice, and Poopy, who have been left lon;:^ enoup;h exposed on tlie summit of the cliff, from which tliey had expected to be tossed by the savages, when the guns of the Talisman so opportunely saved them. The reader will observe that these incidents, which have taken so long to narrate, were enacted in a very brief space of time. Only a few hours elapsed between the firing of the broadside already referred to and the anchoring of the Talisman in the bay, vs-here the Foam had cast anchor some time before her ; yet in this short space of time many things occurred on the island which are worthy of particular notice. As we have already remarked, Corrie and his two com- panions in misfortune had been bound, and in this condi- tion were left by the savages to their fate. Their re- spective positions wei-e by no means enviable. Poor Alice lay near the edge of the cliff, with her wrists and ankles so secui'ely tied that no effort of which she was capable could set her free. Poopy lay about ten yards further up the cliff, flat on her sable back, Avith her hands tied behind her, and her ankles al;0 gecured ; so that she could by no means attain to a sitting position, THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 153 although she made violent and extraordhiary efforts to do so. Vfe say extraordaiaiy, because Poopv, being ingenious, hit upon many devices of an unheard of nature to accom- plish her object. Among others, she attempted to turn heels over head, hoping thus to get upon her knees ; and there is no doubt whatever that she would have succeeded in this had not the formation of the ground been exceed- inirlv unfavorable for such a manoeuvre. Corrie had shown such an amount of desperate vin- dictiveness, in the way of kicking, hitting, biting, scratch- ing, and pinching, wiien the savages were securing him, that they gave him five or six extra coils of the rope of coacoanut fibre with which they bound him. Consequently he could not move any of liis limbs ; and now he lay on his side between Alice and Poopy, gazing with much earnest- ness and no little astonishment at the peculiar contortions of the latter. " You'll never manage it, Poopy," he remarked, in a sad tone of voice, on beholding the poor girl balanced on the small of her back, pi'eparatory to making a spring that might have reminded one of the leaps of a trout when thrown from its native element upon the bank of a river. " And you'll break your neck if you go on like that," he added, on observing tliat, having failed in these attempts, she recuri-ed to the heels-over-head process ; but all in vain. "0 me ! " sighed Poopy, as she fell back in a fit of ex- haustion. " It's be all hup wid us." " Don't say that, you goose," whispei-ed Corrie ; " you'll frighten Alice, you wilL" " Will me ? " whispered Poojiy, in a tone of self-re- proach ; then in a loud voice, '• o!i, no ! it's not all hup fet, Miss Alice. See, me go at it again." 154: GASCOYXE, " And " go at it " sIio did in a way tliat actually alarmed lier companions. At any other lime Corrie would have exploded with laughter, but the poor boy was thoroughly overwhelmed by the suddenness and the extent of his misfortune. The image of Bumpus, disappearing head- long over that terrible cliff, had filled his heart with a feeling of horror which nothing could allay, and grave thoughts at the desperate case of poor little Alice (for he neither thought of nor cared for Poopy or himself) sank like a weight of lead upon his spirit. " Don't try it any more, deiir Poopy," said Alice, en- treatingly ; "you'll only hurt yourself and tear your frock. I feel sure that some one will be sent to dehver us. Don't you, Corrie ? " The tone in wdiich this question was put showed that the poor child did not feel quite so certain of the arrival of succor as her words implied. Corrie perceived this at once, and, with the heroism of a true lover, he crushed back the feelings of anxiety and alarm v;hich.vfere creep- ing over his own stout little heart in spite of his brave words, and gave utterance to encouraging expressions and even to slightly jovial sentiments, which tended very much to comfort Alice, and Poopy too. " Sure ? " he exclaimed, rolhng on his other side to obtain a view of the child (for, owing to his position and his fet- tered condition he had to turn on his right side when he wished to look at Poopy, and on his left when he addressed himself to Alice). " Sure ? why, of course I'm sure. D'ye think your lather would leave you lying out in the cold all night ? " " No, that I am certain he would not," cried Alice, enthu- Biastically ; " bat, then, he does not know we arc here, and will never tliink of looking for us in such an unlikely place." THE S.\NDAL-WOOD TRADER. 155 " Humph ! that only shows your ignorance," said Corrie. " "Well, I dare say I am very ignorant," replied Alice, meekly. " No, no ! I don't mean that" cried Corrie, with a feeling of self-reproach. " I don't mean to say that you're ignorant in a general way, you know, but only about what men are likely to do, d'ye sec, when they're hard put to it, you un- derstand. Oar feelings are so different from yours, you know, and — and — " Here Corrie broke down, and in order to change the sub- ject abruptly he rolled round towards Poopy, and cried, with considerable asperity : " "What on earth d'ye mean, Ivickup, by wriggling about your black body in that fashion ? If you don't stop it you'll fetch way down the hill, and go slap over the precipice, car- rying Alice and rae along with you. Give it up now ; d'ye bear"? " " No, me wont," cried Poopy, with great passion, while tears sprang from her large eyes, and coursed over her sa- ble cheeks. " Me will bu'st dem ropes." "ilore likely to do that to joursclf if you go on like that," returned Corrie. " But, I say, Alice, cheer up " (here he rolled round on his other side) ; " I've been pon- dering a plan all this time to set us free, and now I'm go- ing to try it. The only bother about it is that these ras- cally savages have dropped me beside a pool of half soft mud that I cant help sticking my head into if I try to move." " Oh I then, don't move, dear Corrie," said Alice, in an imploring tone of voice ; " we can lie here quite comfort- ably till papa comes." " Ah ! 3-es," said Corrie, " that reminds me that I was saying we men feel and act so differently from you vt'oraen. Now it strikes me that vour father will go to all the most 156 GASCOYNE, unliJcehj parts of the isuuid first ; knowin' very well that niggers don't hide in likely places. But as it may be a long time before he finds us " (he sighed deeply here, not feel- ing, much confidence in the success of the missionary's search) ; " I sliall tell yon my plan, and then try to cai'ry it oat." (Here he sighed again, more deeply than before ; not feeling by any means confident of the success of his own efforts.) " And what is your plan ? " inquired Alice, eagerly ; for the child had unbounded belief in Corrie's ability to do al- most anything he chose to attempt, and Corrie iinew this, and was proud as a peacock in consequence. " ril get up on ray knees," said he, "and then, once on them, I can easily rise to my feet and hop to you, and free you." On this explanation of his elaborate and difficult plan Alice made no observation for some time,- because, even to her faculties (which were obtuse enough on mechanical matters), it was abundantly evident that, the boy's hands being tied firmly behind his back, he could neither cut the ropes that bound her, nor untie them. "What d'ye think, Alice?" "I fear it won't do ; your hands are tied, Corrie." " Oh I that's nothing. Tlie only difiiculty is how to get on my knees." " Surely that cannot be very difficult, when you talk of getting on your feet." " Ila ! that shows you're a I mean, d'ye see, that the difficulty lies here ; my elbows are lashed so fast to my side that I can't use them to prop me up ; but if Poopy will roll down the hill to my side, and shove her pretty shoulder under my back when I raise it, perhaps I may succeed in getting up. What say you, Kickup ? " THE SANDAL-WOOD TE^VDER. 157 " Hee ! Hee ! " laughed the girl, " dat's fuss rate. Look out ! " Poopy, although sluggish by nature, V\'a3 rather abrupt and violent in her impulses at timei. Without further warning than the above brief exclamation, she rolled her- self tc wards Corrie with such good-will that she Avent quite over him, and would certainly have passed onward to where Alice lay — perhaps over the cliff altogether — had not the boy caught her sleeve with his teeth, and held her fast. The plan was eminently successful. By a series of jerks on the part of Corrie, and proppings on the part of Poopy, the former was enabled to attain a kneeling position, not, however, without a few failures, in one of which lie fell forward on his face, and left a deep impression of his fat little nose in the mud. Having risen to liis feet, Corrie at once hopped towards Alice, after the f ishion of those country wights wlio indulge in sack races, and, going dov^'n on liis knees beside her, be- gan diligently to gnaw the rope that bound her with his teeth. This was by no means an e;i?y or a quick process. He gnawed and bit at it long before the tough rope gave way. At length Alice was freed, and she immedi;;tely set to vrork to undo the fastenings of the other two ; but her deli- cate fingers were not well suited to such rough work, and a considerable time elapsed before tlie three Avcre finally at larcre. The instant they were so, Corrie said, "Now we must go down to the foot of the cliff, and look for poor Bumpus. Oh, dear me ! I doubt he is killed." The look of hoiTor which all three cast over the stupen- dous precipice showed that they had little hope of ever aaiaia seeinsc their ruicred friend alive. But, wiLhoizt wa.-^ting time in idle remarks, they at once hastened to tJie 158 GASCOYXE, foot of the cliff by tlie shortest route they could find. Here, afrer a short tune, they discovered the object of their so- licitude lying, apparently dead, on his back among the rocks. When Burapus struck the water, after being tossed over the cliff, his head was fortunately downward; and his skull being the thickest and hardest bone in his body, had Avith- stood the terrible shock to which it had been subjected without damage, though the brain within was, for a time, incapacitated from doing duty. When John rose again to the surface, after a descent into unfathomable water, he floated there in a state of insensibility. Fortunately the Avind and tide combined to wash him to the shore, where a higher swell tlian usual launched him among the coral rocks, and left him there, with only his feet in the water. " Oh ! here he is, — hurrah ! " shouted Corrie, on catch- ing sight of the prostrate form of the seaman. But the boy's manner changed the instant he observed the color of the man's face, from which all the blood had been driven, leaving it like a piece of brown leather. " He's dead," said Alice, wringing her hands in de- spair. " P'raps not," suggested Poopy, with a look of deep wisdom, as she gazed on the upturned face. " Anyhow, we must haul him out of the water," said Corrie, whose chest heaved with the effort he made to repress his tears. Catching up one of Bumpus's huge hands, the boy or- dered Alice to grasp the other. Poopy, without waiting for orders, seized hold of tlie hair of his head, an;l all three began to haul Avith might and main. But thev might as well have tried to pull a line-of-batile ship up on the shore. The man's bulky form was immovable. Seeing THE SANDAL-WOOD TPwVDER. 159 this, tliey changed their plan, and, all three grasping his le"-?, slewed him partially round, luul thus drew his feet out of the -water. " Now we must warm him," said Corrie, eagerly ; for, the first shock of the discoveiy of the supposed dead hody of his friend being over, the sanguine boy began to enter- tain hopes of resuscitating him. '• I've heard that tiie lest thing for drowned people is to warm them : so, Alice, do you take one hand and arm, Poopy will take the other, and I will take his feet, and we'll all rub away till Ave bring him to ; for we must, we shall bring him round." Corrie said this Avith a fierce look and a hysterical sob. Without more words- he drew out his clasp-knife, and, rip- ping up the cuffs of the man's coat, laid bare his muscular arm. ilcanwhile Alice untied his neckcloth, and Poopy tore open his Guernsey frock and exposed his broad, brown chest. "We must warm that at once," said Corrie, beginning to take off his jacket, which he meant to spread over the seaman's breast. " Stay ! my petticoat is warmer," cried Alice, hastily di- vesting herself of a flannel garment of bright scarlet, the brilliant beauty of which had long been the admiration of the entire population of Sandy Cove. The child spread it over the seaman's chest, and tucked it carefully down at his sides, between his body and the wet garments. Then the three sat down beside him, and, each seizing a limb, began to rub and chafe with a degree of energy that noth- ing could resist. At any rats it put life into John Bum- pus ; for that hardy mariner gradually began to cxiiibit signs of returning vitality. " Ti;ere he comes ! " cried Corrio, eagerly. " Eh ! " exclaimed Poopy, in alarm. IGO GASCCrXE, " "Who ? where ? " inquired Alice, who thought that the boy referred to some one who liad unexpectedly appeared on the scene. " I saw him wink with his left eye, — look ! " All three suspended their labor of love, and, stretching forward their heads, gazed, with breathless anxiety, at the clay-colored face of Jo. " I must have been mistaken," said Corrie, shaking hi3 head. " Go at him agin," cried Poopy, recommencing her work on llie right arm with so much energy that it seemed mar- vellous how she escaped skinning that limb from lingers to shoulder. Poor Alice did her best, but her soft little hands had not much effect on the huge mass of brown flesh they manip- ulated. " There he comes again ! " shouted Cori-ie. Once more there Avas an abrupt pause in the process, and the three heads were bent eagerly forward watching for symptoms of returning life. Corrie was right. The seaman's left eye quivered for a moment, causing the hearts of the three children to beat high with hope. Pres- ently the other eye also quivered ; then the broad chest rose almost imperceptibly, and a faint sigh came feebly and broken from the cold blue lips. To say that the three children were delighted at this w^ould be to give but a feeble idea of the state of their feelings. Corrie had, even in the short time yet affoided jilm of knowing Bumpu.-, entertained for him feelings of the deepest admiration and love. Alice and Poopy, out of sheer sympathy, had fallen in lo-i-e with him too, at first sight; so that his horrible death (as they had sup- posed), coupled with his unexpected restoration and revi- THE SAXDAL-WOOD TRADEtl. ICl val through their united exertion?, dreAV tliem etill closer to him, and created within them a sort of feeling that he must, in common reason and justice, regard himself as their special property in all future time. AVlien, therefore, they saw him Viink, and heard him sigh, the gush of emotion that filled their respective bosoms was quite overpowering. Corrie gasped in his effort not to break down ; Alice wept with silent joy as she continued to chafe the man's limbs ; and Poopy went off into a violent fit of hysterical laugh- ter, in which her " hee, hees " resounded Avith terrible shrillness among the surrounding cliffs. " Now, then, let's to work again with a will," said Cor- rie. " What d'ye say to try punching him ? " This question he put gravely, and with the uncertain air of a man who feels that he is treading on new and possi- bly dansrerous Jiround. " What is punching ? " inquired Alice. " Why, that" replied the boy, giving a practical and by no means gentle illustration on his own fat thigh. " Wouldn't it hurt him ? " said Alice, dubiously. " Hurt him ! hurt the Grampus ! " cried Corrie, with a look of surpi'ise ; " you might as well talk of hurting a hippopotamus. Come, I'll try." Accordingly, Corrie tried. He began to bake the sea- man, as it were, with his fists. As the process went on he ivarmed to the work, and did it so energetically, in his mingled anxiety and hope, that it assumed the character of hitting rather than punching — to the dismay of Alice, who thought it impossible that any human being could stand such dreadful treatment. Whether it was owing to this process, or to the action of nature, or to the combined efforts of nature and his friends, that Bumpus owed his recovery, we cannot pre* U 162 GASCOYNE, tend to say ; but certain it is, lliiit, on Ccrric's making a severer dab than usual into the pit of the seaman's stom- ach, he gave a gasp and a sneeze, the latter of which almost overturned Poopy, who chanced to be gazing wildly into his countenance at the moment. At the same time he involuntarily threw up his right arm, and fetched Corrie such a tremendous back-hander on the chest that our young hero was laid flat on his back, half stunned by the violence of the fall, yet shouting with delight that his ruffGfed friend still lived to strike another blow. Having achieved this easy though unintentional victory, Bumpus sighed again, shook his legs in the air, and sat up, gazing before him with a bewildered air, and gasping from time to time in a quiet way. " Wot's to do ? " were the first words with which the restored seaman greeted his friends. " Hurrah ! " screamed Corrie, his visaG;e blazinjc with delight, as he danced in front of him. " Werry good," said Bumjius, whose intellect w^as not yet thoroughly restored ; " try it again." " Oh, how cold your cheeks are ! " said Alice, placing her hands on them, and chafing them gently ; then, per- ceiving that she did not communicate much warmth in that way, she placed her own fair, soft cheek against that of the sailor. Suddenly throwing both arms round his neck, she hu2;<]!;ed him, and burst into tears. Bumpus was somewhat taken aback by this unexpected explosion ; but, being an affectionate man as well as a rug- ged one, he had no objection whatever to the peculiar treatment. He allowed the child to sob on his neck as long as she chose, while Corrie stood by, with his hands in his pockets^ sailor-fashion, and looked on admiringly. As for Poopy, she sat down on a rock a short way off", an^ THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 163 began to smile and talk to herself in a manner so utterly idiotical that an ignorant observer would certainly have judged her to be insane. They were thus agreeably employed, when an event occurred which changed the current of their thoughts, and led to consequences of a somewhat serious nature. The event, however, was in itself insignificant. It was noth- ing more than the sudden appearance of a wild pig among the bushes close at hand. CHAPPEPv XVI. A WILD CHASE— HOPE, DISAPPOINTMEXT, AND DESPAIK — THK SANU.VL-WOOD TllADEn OUTWITS THE JIAX-OF-WAK. When the wild pig, referred to in the last chapter, was first observed, it was standing on the margin of a thicket, from which it had just issued, gazing, with the profoundly philosophical aspect peculiar to that animal, at our four friends, and seeming to entertain doubts as to the propriety of beating an immediate retreat. Before it had made up its mind on this point, Corrie's eye alighted on it. " Hist ! " exclaimed he, with a gesture of caution to bis companions. " Look there ! We've had nothing to eat for an awful time, — nothing since breakfast on Sunday morn- ing. I feel as if my interior had been amputated. Oh, what a jolly roast that fellow would make if we could only kill him ! " " TVot's in (he pistol ? " inquired Bumpus, pointing to the weapon which Corrie had stuck ostentatiously into his belt. " Nothin'," answered the boy. " I fired the last charge into the face of a savage." " Fling it at hiai," suggested Bumpus, getting cautiously up. " Here, hand it to me. I've seed a heavy horse- pistol like that do great execution when well aimed by a stout arm." THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 165 The pig seemed to have an intuitive perception that danger was approaching ; Ibr it turned abruptly round just as the missile left the seaman's hand, and received the butt with full force close to the root of its tail. A pig's tendency to shriek on the receipt of the slightest injury is well known. It is therefore not to be wondered at that this pig went off into the bushes under cover of a series of yells fo terrific they might have been heard for miles around. "I'll after him," cried Bumpus, catching up a large stone, and leaping forward a few paces almost as actively as if nothing had happened to him. " Hurrah ! " shouted Corrie ; " I'll go too." " Hold on," cried Bumpus, stopping suddenly. " Why ? " inquired the boy. " 'Cause you must stop an' take care of the gals. It wont do to leave 'em alone again, you know, Corrie." This remark was accompanied with an exceedingly huge wink, full of deep meaning, which Corrie found it conve- nient not to notice, as he observed, gravely : " Ah ! true. One of us must remain with 'em, poor help- less things ; so — so you had better go after the squeaker." " All right," said Bumpus, with a broad grin — " Hallo ! why, here's a spear, that must ha' been dropped by one o' them savages. That's a piece o' good luck, anyhow, as the man said when he fund the fi' pun' note. Now, then, keep an eye on them gals, lad, and I'll be back as soon as ever I can ; though I does feel rather stiirish. My old timbers aint used to such deep divin', d'ye see." Bumpus entered the thicket as he spoke, and Corrie re- turned to console the girls with the feeling and the air of a man whose bosom is filled with a stern resolve to die, if need be, in the dischai'ge of an important duty. 1 G6 GASCOYNE, Now, ihe yell of tins particular pig readied other ears bei-ides tho^e of the party whose doings we have attempted to describe. It rang in those of the pirates, who had been sent ashore to hide, like the scream of a steam-whistle, in consequence of their being close at hand, and it sounded like a faint cry in those of Henry Stuart and the mission- ary, who, with their party, were a long way off, slowly tracing the footsteps of the lost Alice, to whicli they had been guided by the keen scent of that animated scrap of door-mat, Toozle. The effect on both parties was powerful, but not similar. The pirates, supposing that a band of savages were near them, lay close, and did not venture forth until a prolonged silence and strong curiosity tempted them to creep, with slow movements and extreme caution, towards the place whence the sounds proceeded. Mr. Mason and Henry, on the other hand, stopped and listened with intense earnestness, expecting, yet fearing, a recurrence of the cry, and then sprang forward with their party, under the belief that they had heard the voice of Alice calling for help. Meanwhile, Bumpus toiled up the slopes of the moun- tain, keeping the pig well in view ; for that animal having been somewhat injured by tlie blow from the pistol, could not travel at its ordinary speed. Indeed, Jo would have speedily overtaken it, but for the shaky condition of his own body after such a long fast, and such a series of vio- leat shocks, as well mental as physical. Having gained the summit of a hill, the pig, much ex- hausted, sat down on its hams, and gazed pensively at the ground. Bumpus took advantage of the fact, and also sat down on a stone to rest. " Wot a brute it is," said he to himself. " I'll circum- vent it yet, though." A CHASE FOR A DI.N.NER. THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 1G7 Presently lie rose, and made as if he had abandoned the chase, and were about to return the way he had come ; but, when he had effectually concealed himself from the view of the pig, he made a wide detour, and, coming out suddenly at a spot higher up the mountain, charged down upon the unsuspecting animal with a yell that would have done credit to itself. The pig echoed the yell, and rushed down the hill towards the cliffs, closely followed by the hardy seaman, who, in the ardor of the chase, forgot or ignored his aches and pains, and ran like a greyhound, his hair streaming in the wind, his eyes blazing with excitement, and the spear ready poised for a fotal dart. Altogether, he was so Avild and strong in appearance, and so furious in his onset, that it was impossible to believe he had been half dead little more than an hour before ; but then, as we have before remarked, Bumpus was hard to kill ! For nearly half an hour did the hungry seaman keep up the chase, neither gaining nor losing distance ; while the affi'ighted pig, having its attention fixed entirely on its pursuer, scrambled and plunged forward over every imag- inable variety of ground, receiving one or two severe falls in consequence. Cumpus, being warned by its fate, es- caped them. At last the two dashed into a gorge and out at the other end, scrambled through a thicket, plunged down a hill, and doubled a high rock, on the other side of which they were met in the teeth by Henry Stuart at the head of his band. The pig attempted to double. Failing to do so, it lost its footing, and fell flat on its side. Jo Bumpus thi'cw his spear with violent energy deep into the earth about two feet beyond it, tripped on a stump, and fell headlong on the top of the pig, squeezing the life out of its body with 1G8 GASCOYNE, the weiglit of his ponderous frame, antl receiving its dying yell into his very ho?om. " riilloa ! my stalwart chip of old Neptune," cried Henry, laughing, " you've bagged him this time effectu- ally. Hast seen any of the niggers ; or did you mistake this poor pig for one ? " " Ay, ti'uly, I have seen them, and given a few of 'em marks that will keep 'em in remembrance of me. As for this pig," said Jo, throwing the carcass over his shoulder, "I want a bit of summat to eat — that's the fact; an' the poor children will be — " "Children," cried Mr. Mason, eagerly; "what do you mean, my man ; have you seen any ? " " In course I has, or I wouldn't speak of 'em," returned Jo, who did not at first recognize the missionary ; and no wonder, for Mr. Mason's clothes were torn and soiled, and his face was bruised, bloodstained, and hafigard. " Tell me, friend, I entreat you," said the pastor, ear- nestly, laying his hand on Jo's arm; ''have you seen my child'? " " Wot ! are you the father of the little gal ? "Why, I've seed her only half an hour since. But hold on, lads ; come arter me, an' I'll steer you to where she is at this moment." " Thanks be to God," said Mr. Mason, with u deep sigh of relief. " Lead on, my man, and, pray, go quickly." Bumpus at once led the way to the foot of tl e cllfi's, and went over the ground at a pace that satisfi< d even the impatience of the bereaved father. Wiiile this was occurring on the mountai i slopes, the pirates at the foot of the cliffs had discovei id the three children, and, finding that no one else was near, had seized them and carried them off to a cave near to which their boat lay on the rocks. They hoped to have obtaiii<^l THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 169 some information from them as to what was gcing on at the other side of the island ; but, while engaged in a fruit- less attempt to screw something out of Corrie, who was peculiarly refractory, they Avere interrupted, first by the yells of Bumpus and his pig, and afterwards by the sudaen appearance of Henry and his party on the edge of a clifi" a short way above the spot where they were assembled. On seeing these, the pirates started to their feet and drew their cutlasses, wliile Henry uttered a shout and ran down the rocks like a dear. " Shall we have a stand-up fight with 'em, Bill ? " said one of the pirates. " Not if I can help it ; there's four to one," replied the other. " To the boat," cried several of the men, leading the way ; " and let's take the brats with us." As Henry's party came pouring down the hill, the more combatively disposed of the pirates saw at a glance that it ■would be in vain to attempt a stand. They therefore dis- charged a scattering volley from their pistols (happily without effect), and, springing into their boat, pushed off from the shore, taking the children along with them. Mr, Mason was the first to gain the beach. He had hit upon a shorter path by which to descend, and, rushing forward, plunged into the sea. Poor little Alice, who at once recognized her father, stretched out her arms towards him, and would certainly have leaped into the sea had she not been forcibly detained by one of tlie pirates, whose special duty it was to hold her with one hand, while he restrained the violent demonstrations of Corrie with the other. The father was too late, however. Already the boat was several yards from the shore, and the frantic efibrta l^'O GASCOYNE, he made, in the madness of his despair, to overtake it only served to exhaust him. When Henry Stuart reached tlie beach, it was with difficuhy he prevented those members of his band who carried musliets from firing on the boat. None of them thought for a moment, of course, of mailing the mad attempt to swim towards her. Indeed, Mr. Mason himself would have hesitated to do so had he been capable of cool thougiit at the time ; but the sudden rush of hope when he heard of his child being near, combined with the agony of disappointment on seeing her torn, as it were, out of his very grasp, was too much for him. His reason- ing powers were completely overturned ; he continued to buffet the waves with wild energy, and to strain every fibre of his being in the effort to propel himself through the water, long after the boat was hopelessly beyond reach. Henry understood his feelings well, and knew that the poor missionary would not cease his efforts until exhaustion should compel him to do so, in which case his being drowned would be a certainty ; for there was neither boat nor canoe at hand in which to push off to his rescue. In these circumstances, the youth took the only course that seemed left to him. He threw off his clothes, and pi-epared to swim after his friend, in order to render the assistance of his stout arm when it should be needed. " Here, Jakolu ! " he cried to one of the natives who stood near him. " Yes, mass'r," answered the sturdy young fellow, who has been introduced at an earlier part of this story as being one of the missionary's best behaved and most active church members. " I mean to swim after him ; so I leave the charge of the party to Mr. Bumpus there. You will act under his or- ders. Keep the men together, and guard against surprise. THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 171 "We don't know bow many more of these blackguards may be lurking among the rocks," To this speech Jakolu replied by shaking his head slowly and gravely, as if he doubted tlie pi'opriety of his young commander's intentions. " You no can sweem queek nuff to save him," said he. " That remains to be seen," retorted Henry, sharply ; for llie youth was one of the best swimmers on the island, — at least the best among the whites, and better than many of the natives, although some of the latter could beat him. "At any rate," he continued, "you would not have me stand idly by while my friend is drowning, would you ? " " Ilim's not drownin' yet," answered the matter-of-fact native. " Me 'vise you to let Jakolu go. Ilims can sweem berer dan you. See, here am bit plank, too, — me take dat." " Ila ! that's well thought of," cried Henry, who was now ready to plunge ; " fetch it me, quick ; and mind, Jakolu, keep your eye on me ; when I hold up both hands you'll know that I'm dead beat, and that you must come off and help us both." So saying, he seized the small piece of drift-wood which the native brought to him, and, plunging into the sea, struck out vigorously in the direction in Avhich tlie pastor was still perseveringly, though slowly, swimming. While Henry was stripping, his eye had quickly and intelligently taken in the facts that were presented to him on the bay. He had seen, on descending the hill, that the man-of-war had entered the bay and anchored there, a fact which surprised him greatly, and that the Foam still lay where he had seen her cast anchor on the morning of her arrival. This surprised him more ; for, if the latter was 172 GASCOYNE, really a pirate schooner (as had been hinted more than once that day by various members of the settlement), -why did she remain so fearlessly and peacefully within range of the guns of so dangerous and powerful an enemy ? He also observed that one of the large boats of the Talisman was in the Avater alongside, and full of armed men, as if about to put off on some wailike expedition, while his pocket telescope enabled him to perceive that Oascoyiie, who must needs be the pirate captain, if the suspicions of his friends were correct, was smoking quietly on the quarter-deck, apparently holding amicable converse with the British comniandei'. The youth knew not what to think ; for it was preposterous to suppose that a pirate captain could by any possibility be the intimate friend of his own mother. These and many other conflicting tlioughts kept rushing through his mind as he hastened forward ; but the conclu- sions to which they led him — if, indeed, they led him to any — were altogether upset by the unaccountable and extremely piratical conduct of the seamen who carried off Alice and her companions, and whom he knew to be part of the crew of the Foam, both from their costume and from the direction in which they rowed their little boat. The young man's perplexities were, liowever, neutral- ized for the time by his anxiety for his friend the pastor, and by the necessity of instant and vigorous eflort for his rescue. He had just time, before plunging into the sea, to note with satisfaction that the man-^of-war's boat had pushed off, and that if Alice really was in the hands of pirates, there was the certainty of her being speedily res- cued. In this latter supposition, however, Henry was mis- taken. THE SANDAL-WOOD TIIADIR. 173 The events on shore which we have just described, had been witnessed, of course, by the crews of both vessels, ■with, as may be easily conjectured, very different feelings. In the Foam, the few men who wei'e lounging about the deck looked uneasily from the war vessel to the counte- nance of Miinton, in whose hands thev felt that their fate now lay. The object of their regai"d paced tlie deck slowly, with his hands in his pockets and a pipe in his mouth, in the most listless manner, in order to deceive the numerous eyes which he knew full well scanned his movements with deep curiosity. The frowning brow and the tightly compressed lips alone indicated the storm of anger which was in reality raging in the pirate's breast at wliat he deemed the obstinacy of his captain in running into such danger, and the folly of his men in having shown fight on shore when there was no occasion for doing so. But Manton was too much alive to his own danger and interests to allow passion at such a critical moment to in- terfere with his judgment. He paced the deck slowly, as we have said, undecided as to what course he ought to pui'sue, but ready to act with the utmost energy and promptitude when the time for action should arrive. On board the Talisman, on the other hand, the young commander began to feel certain of his prize ; and when he witnessed the scuffle on shore, the flight of the boat's crew with the three young people, and the subsequent events, he could not conceal a smile of triumph as he turned to Gascoyne and said : " Your men are strangely violent in their proceedings, sir, for the crew of a peaceable trader. If it were not that they are pulling straight for your schooner, •where, no doubt, they will be received with open arm=, I would ha re fancied they had been part of the crew of that wonderful 174 GASCOYNE, pirate, who seems to be able to change color almost aa quickly as he changes ^90S^V^*o?^." The allusion had no effect whatever on the imperturbable Gascoyne, on whose countenance good humor seemed to have been immovably enthroned ; for the worse his case became, the more amiable and satisfied was his aspect. " Surely, Captain Montague does not hold me respon- sible for the doings of my men in my absence," said he, calmly. " I have already said that they are a wild set — not easily restrained even when I am present ; and fond of getting into scrapes when they can. You see, we have not a choice of men in these out-of-lhe way parts of the world." " Apparently not," returned Montague ; " but I hope to have the pleasure of seeing you order your men to be punished for their misdeeds ; for, if not, I shall be under the necessity of punishing them for you. Is the boat ready, Mr. Mulroy ? " "It is, sir." " Then, Mr. Gascoyne, if you will do me the favor to step into this boat, I will have much pleasure in accom- ^ panying you on board your schooner." " By all means," replied Gascoyne, with a bland smile, as he rose and threw away the end of another cigar, after havinjj liirhted therewith the sixth or seventh in which he had indulged that day. " Your boat is well manned, and your men are well armed. Captain Montague ; do you go on some cutting-out expedition, or are you so much alarmed at the terrible aspect of the broadside of my small craft that — " Gascoyne here smiled with ineffable urbanity, and bow'cd sligliily by Avay of finishing his sentence. Mon- tague was saved the annoyance of having to reply, by a THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 175 sudden exclamation from his lieutenant, who was observ- ing the schooner's boat through his telescope. "There seems to be some one swimming after that boat," said he. " A man — evid-jntly a European, for he is liirht-colored. lie must have been some time in the water, for he is already a long way from shore, and seems much exhausted." " Why ! the man is drowning, I believe," cried Montague, quickly, as he looked through the glass. At that moment Frederick Mason's strength had given way. He made one or two manful efforts to sti'uggle after the retreating boat, and then, tossing his arms in the air, uttered a loud cry of agony. " Ho ! shove off and save him ! " shouted Montague, the moment he heard it. " Look alive, lads ! give way I and when you have picked up the man, pull straight for yonder schooner." The oars at once fell into the water with a splash, and the boat, large and heavy though it was, shot from the ship's side like an arrow. " Lower the gig," cried the captain. " And now, Mr. Gascoyne, since you seem disposed to go in a lighter boat, I will accommodate you. Pray, follow me." In a few seconds they were seated in the little gig, which seemed to lly over the sea under the vigorous strokes of her crew of eight stout men. So swift were her motions that she reached the side of the schooner only a few min- utes later than the Foam's boat, and a considerable time before his own large boat had picked up Mr. Mason, who was found in an almost insensible condition, supported by Henry Stuart. When the gig came within a short distance of the Foam, Gascoyne directed Montague's attention to the proceedings 176 GASCOYNE. of the large boat, and at the same instant made a private signal with his right hand to Manton, who, still unmoved and inactive, stood at the schoonei-'s bow awaiting and evidently expecting it. " Ila ! " said he aloud ; " I thought as much. Now, lads, show the red ; make ready to slip ; ofF with Long Tom's nightcap ; let out the skulkers ; take these children down below, and a dozen of you stand by to receive the captain and his f riends." These somewhat peculiar orders, hurriedly given, were hastily obeyed, and in a few seconds more the gig of the Talisman ranged up alongside of the Foam. CHxiPTER XVII. THE ESCAPE. The instant that Captain Montague stepped over the side of the schooner, a handkerchief was pressed tightly over his raoutli and nose. At the same time, he was seized by four strong men and rendered utterly powerless. The thing was done so promptly and silently, that the men who remained in the gig heard no unusual sound. "• I'm sorry to treat a guest so roughly, Captain Mon- tague," said Gascoyne, in a low tone, as the unfortunate officer was carried aft; "but the safety of my vessel re- quires it. They will carry you to my stateroom, where you will find my steward exceedingly attentive and oblig- ing ; but, let me warn you, he is peculiarly ready with tlie butt end of his pistol at times, cspeciiiUy when men are inclined to make; unnecessary noise." lie turned on his heel as he said this, and went forward, looking over the side in passing and telling the crew of tlie gig to remain where they were till their captain should call them. This order the men felt constrained to obey, although they were surprised that the captain himself had not given it on quitting the boat ; their suspicions Avere further awakened by the active operations going on upon deck. The sounds apprized them of these, for the bulwarks hid everything from view. At length, when they heard the cable slipping through the hawse-hole, they could stand it 12 178 GASCOYNE no longer, but sprang up the side in a bocij. Of course they Avere met by men well prepared. As tliey were armed only with cutlasses, the pii'ates quickly overcame them, and llirew them into the sea. All further attempt at concealment was now aban- doned. The man-of-war's boat, when it came up, was received with a shot from Long Tom, which grazed its side, carried away four of the starboard oars, and just missed dashing it to pieces by a mere hairsbreadth. At tJie same time the sails of the schooner v/ere shaken out and filled by the light breeze, which, for nearly an hour, had been blowing; olf sliox'c. As the coming up of the gig and the large boat had occurred on that side of the schooner that was furthest from the Talisman, those on board of the latter vessel could not make out clearly what had occurred. That the schooner was a pirate was now clearly evident ; for the red griflln and stripe were suddenly displayed, as well as the blood-red flag ; but the first lieutenant did not dare to fire on her while the boats were so near. He slipped the cable, however, and made instant sail on the ship ; and when he saw the large boat and the gig drop astern of the schooner, the former in a disabled condition, he com- menced fii-imr as fast as he could load : not doubting that his captain was in his own boat. At such short range the shot flew aroun(? the jiirate schooner like hail ; but she appeared to bear a charmed existence ; for, although they whistled between her spars and struck the sea all around her, very few indeed did her serious damage. The shots from Long Tom, on the other hand, were well aimed, and told with terrible effect on the hull and risking of the frifiate. Gascoyne hira.self pointed the gun, and his briglit eye flashed, and a grim TUE SAXDAL-TVOOD TR.VDEE. 179 smile played on his lips as the shots whistled round his Load. The pirate captain seemed to be possessed by a spirit of fierce and reckless joviality that day. Ills usual calm, self-possessed demeanor quite forsook him. lie issued his orders in a voice of thunder and with an air of what, for want of a better expression, we may term ferocious hearti- ness, lie generally executed these orders himself, hurl- ing the men violently out of his way as if ho were indig- nant at their tardiness, although they sprang to obey as actively as usual ; indeed, more so, foi they were overawed and somewhat alarmed by this unwonted conduct on the part of their captain. The fact was, that Gascoyne had for a long time past desired to give up his cour-e of life and amend his v/ays ; but he discovered, as all wicked men discover sooner or later, that, while it is easy to plunge into evil courses, it is by no means easy — on the contrary it is extremely diffi- cult — to give them up. He had formed his resolution and had laid his plans ; but all had miscarried. Being a man of high temper ; he had been driven almost to desper- ation, and sought relief to his feelings in physical exertion. Of all the men in the Avenger, however, no one was so much alarmed by the captain's conduct as the first mate, between whom and Gascoyne there had been a bitter feel- ing for some time past ; and Manton knew (at least ho believed) that it would be certain death to him if he should chance to thv/art his superior in the mood in which he then was. " That was a good shot, Manton," said Gascvoyne, with a wild laugh, as the fore-topsail yard of tlie Talisman came rattling down on the deck, having been cut away by a shot from Loner Tom. O — 180 GASCOYNE, "It was ; but that was a better one," said Manton, point- ing to the boom of the schooner's mainsail, which was cut in two by a round shot, just as the captain spoke. " Good, very good," observed the latter, with an approv- ing; nod : " but that alters the game. Down with the helm ! steady ! " " Get the Avreck of that boom cleared away, Manton ; we wont Avant the mainsail long. Here comes a squall. I^ook sharp. Close reef topsails." The boom was swaying to and fro so violently that three of the men wiio sprang to order were hurled by it into the lee scuppers. Gascoync darted towards the broken spar and held it fast, while Manton quickly severed the ropes that fastened it to the sail and to the deck, then the former hurled it over the side with as much ease as if it had been an oar. " Let her away now." " Why, that will run us right into the Long Shoal \ " exclaimed Manton, anxiously, as the squall which had been approaching struck the schooner and laid her almost on her beam ends. " I know it," replied Gascoyne, curtly, as he thrust aside the man at the wheel and took the spokes in his own hands. " It's all we can do to find our way through that place in fine weather," remonstrated the mate. " I know it," said Gascoyne, sternly. Scraggs, who chanced to be standing by, seemed to be immensely delighted with the alarmed expression on Man- ton's face. The worthy second mate hated the first mate so cordially, and attached so little value to his own life, that he would willingly have run the schooner on the rocks altogether, just to have the pleasure of laughing contemptuously at the wreck of Manton's hopes. THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 181 " It's worth while trying it," suggested Scraggs, with a malicious grin. " I mean to try it," said Gascovnc, calmly. " But there's not a spot in the shoal except the Eel's Gate that we've a ghost of a chance of getting through," cried Manton, becoming excited as the schooner dashed towards tlie breakers like a furious charorer rushina; ca destruction. " I know it." "And there's barely water on that to float us over," he added, striding forward, and laying a hand on the wheel. " Half a foot too little," said Gascoyne, Avith fox'ced calmness. Scrairgs grinned. " You shan't run us aground if I can prevent it," cried Manton, fiercelv, seizing the wheel with both hands and attempting to move it, in which attempt he utterly failed ; aiid Scraggs grinned broader than ever. " Remove your hands," said Gascoyne, in a low, calm voice, which surj)rised the men Avho were standing near and witnessed these proceedings. " I wont. Ho, lads ! do you \vi'ould rather have died than liave sacrificed the life of a woman or child ; but, unlike him, he had no objection to deceive in order to gain time. As it turned out, his threat was unnecessary, for IIen)-y 192 GASCOTNE, and his men were close at hand ; and before the natives could make up their minds what to do, the whole band came pouring over the hill, with Jo Bumpus far ahead of the rest, leaping and howling like a maniac with excite- ment. This decided the natives. They were now outnumbered and surrounded. The principle chief, therefore, advanced towards Bumpus with a piece of nr.tivc cloth tied to the end of his war-club, which he brandished furiously by way of making it plain that his object v/as not war, but peace ! Naturally enough, the seaman misinterpreted the signal, and tliere is no doubt that he would have planted his knuckles on the bridge of the nose of the swarthy canni- bal had not Henry Stuart made use of his extraordinary powers of speed. He darted forward, overtook Jo, and, grasping him round the neck with both arras, shouted: " It's a flag of truce, man ! " "You don't say so? — well, who'd ha' thought it? It don't look like one ; so it don't." With this remark, Jo subsided into a peaceable man. Pulling a quid out of his pocket, he thrust it into his cheek, and, crossing his arms on his breast, listened patiently — though not profitably, seeing that he did not understand a word — to the dialogugo that followed. It will be remembered that poor Mr. Mason, after being saved by Henry, was taken into the gig of the Talisman and put ashore. After the two vessels had disappeared, as has beon already described, Henry at once led his party towards the native village, knowing that Ole Thorwald would require support, all the more that the ship h;:d failed to fulfil her part in the combined movement. As the almost heartbroken father had no pow(;r to ren- der further aid to his lost child, he suffered himseli" to be THE SAXDAL-WOOD TRADER. 193 led, in a half-bewildered state, along with the attacking party under his young friend. He was now brought for- ward to parley with the native chief. The missionary's manner and aspect at once changed. In the hope of advancing the cause of his Master, he for- got, or at least restrained, his own grief for a time. " "What would the chief say to the Christians ? " he be- gan, on being confronted with the savage and some of his warriors who crowded round him. " That he wishes to have done with war," replied the man. " That is a good wish ; but why did the chief begin war ? " " Keona began it ! " said the savage, angrily. " We thought our wars with the Christians were going to stop. But Keona is bad. He put the war spirit into my people." Mr. Mason kncvy^ this to be true. " Then," said he, " Keona deserves punishment." " Let him die," answ^ercd the chief; and an exclamation of assent broke from the other natives. Keona himself, happening to be there, became pale and looked anxious ; but remained where he stood, nevertheless, with his arms crossed on his dark breast. A bandage of native cloth was tied round his wounded arm. "Without saying a word he undid this, tore it off, and allowed the blood to ooze from the reopened wound. It was a silent appeal to the feelings and the sense of justice of his comrades, and created a visible impression in his favor. " That wound was received by one who would have been a murderer ! " said Mr. Mason, observing the effect of this action. " He struck me ! " cried Keona, fiercely. 194 GASCOYNE, " He struck jou in defending his own liome against a cowardly attack," answered the missionary. At this point Ole Thorwald saw fit to interfere. See- ing that the natives were beginning to argue the case, and knowing t!uit no good could come from such a course, he quietly observed : " There will be neither wife nor child in this place if I do but hold up my hand." The missionary and his party did not, of course, under- stand this allusion, but they understood the result ; for the savages at once dropped their tones, and the chief sued eai-nestly for peace. " Chiefs and warriors," said Mr. Mason, raising his hand impressively, " I am a man of peace, and I serve the Prince of peace. To stoj:) this war is what I desire most earnestly ; and I desire above all things that you and I might henceforth live in friendship, serving the same God and Saviour, whose name is Jesus Christ. But your ways are not like our ways. If I leave you now, I fear you will soon find another occasion to renew the war, as you have often done before. I have you in my power now. If you Avcrc to fight with us we could easily beat you, be- cause we are stronger in numbers and well armed. Yes, I have you in my power, and, with the blessing of my God, I will keep you in my power ybrewcr." There was a visible fall in the countenances of the sav- ages, who regarded this strange announcement as their death-warrant. Some of them even grasped their clubs, and looked fiercely at their enemies ; but a glance from Ole Thorwald quieted these restive spirits. " Now, chiefs and warriors, I have two intentions in re- gard to you," continued Mr. Mason. " The one is that you shall tak*^, j our clubs, spears, and other Aveapons, an^ THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 195 Lay them in a pile on this mound, after whicli I will make you march unarmed before us half way to our settlement. From that point you shall return to your homes. Thus you shall be deprived of the power of treacherously break- ing that peace which you know in your hearts you would break if you could. " My second intention is that the whole of your tribe — m(!n, women, and children — shall now assemble at the foot of this mound and hoar what I have got to say to you. The first part of this plan I shall carry out by force, if need be. But for the second part, / 7nust have your own consent. I may not force you to listen if you are not willing to hear." At the mention of the women and children being re- quired to assemble along with them, the natives pricked up their ears, and, as a matter of course, they willingly agreed to listen to all that the missionary had to say to them. This being settled, and the natives knowing, from former experience, that the Christians never broke faith with them, they advanced to the mound pointed out and threw down their arms. A strong guard was placed over these ; the troops of the settlement were disposed in such a man- ner as to prevent the possibility of their being recovered, and then the women and children were set free. It was a noi^y and remarkable meeting that which took place between the men and women of the tribe on this oc- casion ; but soon surprise and expectation began to take the place of all other feelings as the strange intentions of the missionary were spoken of, and in a very short time Mr. Mason had a large and most attentive congregation. Never before had the missionary secured such an oppor- tunity. His eccentric method of obtaining a hearing had 196 GASCOYNE. succeeded beyond his expectations. With a heart over- flowing wiili gratitude to God, he stood up and began to prt;ach the gospel. Ml-. Ma?on was not only eccentric, but able and wise. He made the most of his opportunity. He g:"!ve them a very long sermon that day ; but he knew that the savages were not used to sermons, and that they would not think it long. His text was a double one, — " The soul that sinneth it shall die," and " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." He preached that day as a man might who speaks to his hearers for the first and last time, and, in telling of the goodness, the mercy, and the love of God, the bitter grief of his own heart was sensibly abated. After his discourse was over and prayer had been offered up, the savage warriors were silently formed into a band and marched off in front of the Christians to the spot where JSIr. IMason had promised to set them free. They showed no disinclination to go. They believed in the good faitli of their captors. The missionary had, in- deed, got them into his power that day. Sonca of them ho had secured ybreuer/ CIIAPTEU XIX. 90RU0VV AND SYMPATHY — TIIK WIDOW BECOMES A PLEADEK, AND HER SOX EXGAGES IX A SIXGLE COMBAT. ThePvE are times in the life of cveiy one when the heart seems unable to bear the load of sorrow and suffer- ing that is laid upon it, — times when the anguish of the soul is such that the fair world around seems enshrouded with gloom, when the bright sun itself appears to shine in mockerA\ and when the smitten heart refuses to be com- forted. Such a time was it with poor Frederick Mason when, after his return to Sandy Cove, he stood alone, amid the blackened ruins of his former home, gazing at the spot which he knew, from the charred remnants as well as its position, was the site of the room which had once been occupied by his lost child. It was niirht when he stood there. The silence was profound, for the people of the settlement sympathized so deeply with their beloved pastor's grief that even the or- dinary hum of life appeared to be hushed, except now and then when a low wail would break out and float away on the night wind. These sounds of woe were full of mean- ing. They told that there were other mourners there that night, — that the recent battle had not been fought with- out producing some of the usual bitter fruits of war. Be- loved, but dead and mangled forms, lay in more than one hut in Sandy Cove. 198 GASCOYNE, Motionless, liopeless, the missionary stood amid tlae charred beams and a.^hes, until the words " Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me," descended on his soul like sunshine upon ice. A suppressed cry burst from his lips, and, falling on his knees, he poured forth his soul in prayer. "While he was yet on his knees, a cry of anguish arose from one of the huts at the foot of the hill. It died away in a low, heart-broken wail. Mr. Mason knew its mean- ing well. That cry had a special significance to him. It spoke reproachfully. It said, " There is comfort for yoM, for where life is there is hope ; but here there is death" Again (he word of God came to his memory, — " Yfeep with them that Avecp." Starting up hastily, the mission- ary sprang over the black beams, and hurried down the hill, entered the village, and spent the greater part of the remainder of that night in comforting the bereaved and the wounded. The cause of the pastor's grief was not removed thereby, but the sorrow itself was liglitened by sympathy ; and when he returned, at a late hour, to his temporary home, hope had begun to arise within his breast. The widow's cottage afforded him shelter. When he entered it, Henry and his mother were seated near a small table on which supper was spread for their expected guest. " Tom Armstrong will recover," said the missionary, seating himself opposite the widow, and speaking in a hurried, excited tone. " His wound is a bad one, given by a war-club, but I think it is not dangerous. I wish I qould say as much for poor Simon. If he had been attended to sooner he might have lived ; but so much blood has been already lojt tliat there is now no hope. Alas for his lit- tle boy ! He will be an orphan soon. Poor Hardy's wife THE SANDAL-TTOOD TKADEK. 199 is distracted with grief. Her young husband's body is so disfigured with cuts and bruises that it is dreadful to look upon ; yet she will not leave the room in which it lies, nor cease to embrace and cling to the mangled corpse. Poor, poor Lucy ! she will have to be comforted. At present she must be left with God. Xo human sympathy can avail just now ; but she must be comforted when she will permit any one to speak to her. You will go to her to- morrow, Mrs. Stuart, wont you ? " As this was Mr. Mason's first meeting with the widow since the Sunday morning when the village was attacked, his words and manner showed that he dreaded any allu- sion to his own loss. The widow saw and understood this ; but she had consolation for him as well as for others, and would not allow him to have his way. " But what of Alice ? " she said, earnestly. " You do not mention her. Henry has told me all. Have you nothing to say about yourself — about Alice ? " " Oh ! what can I say ? " cried the pastor, clasping his hands, while a deep sob almost choked him. " Can you not say that she is in the hands of God — of a loving Father ? " said Mrs. Stuart, tenderly. " Yes, I can say that — I ]iave said that ; but — but — " " I know what you would say," interrupted the widow ; ** you would tell me that she is in the hands of pirates, — ruthless villains who fear neither God nor man, and that, unless a miracle is wrought in her behalf, nothing can save her—" '• Oh ! spare me, Mary ; why do you harrow my broken heart with such a picture ? " cried Mr. Mason, rising and pacing the room wdth ciuick, unsteady steps, while with both hands on his head he seemed to attempt to crush down the thoughts that burned up his bi-ain. 200 GASCOYNE, " I speak thus," ?aid the wido-»r, with .-in earnestness of tone and manner that almost startled her hearers, " be- cause I wish to comfort jou. Alice, you tell me, is on board the Foam — " " On board the pirate schooner! " cried Henrj', almost fiercely ; for the youth, although as much distressed as Mr. Mason, was not so resigned as he, and his spirit chafed at the thought of having been deceived so terribly by the pirate. " She is on board the Foam," repeated the widow, in a tone so stern that her hearers looked at her in surprise, " and is therefore in the hands of Gascoyne, who Aviil not injure a hair of her head. I tell you, Mr. Mason, that she is perfectly safe in the hands of Gascoyne." " Of the pirate Durward ! " said Henry, in a deep, angry voice. "What ground have you for saying s6?" asked the widow, quickly. " You only know him as Gascoyne the sandal-wood trader, ^- the captain of the Foam. He has been suspected, it is true ; but suspicion is not proof. His schooner has been fired into by a war-vessel ; he has re- turned the fire : any passionate man might be tempted to do that. Plis men have carried off some of our dear ones. That Avas their doing, not his. He knew nothing of it." "Mother, mother," cried Henry, entreatingly, "don't stand up in that v/ay for a pirate ; I can't bear to hear it. Did he not himself describe the pirate schooner's appear- ance in this room, and when he was attacked by the Talis- man did he not show out in his true coloi-s, thereby prov- ing that he is Durward the pirate ? " The widow's face grew pale and her voice trembled as she replied, like one who sought to convince herself rather than her hearer, " That is not positive proof, Henry. Gas- THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 201 coyne ixay have had some good reason for deceiving you all in this way. His description of the pirate may have been a false one. We cannot tell. You know he was anxious to prevent Captain Montague from impressing his men." " And would proclaiming himself a pirate be a good way of accomplishing that end, mother ? " " Mary," said Mr. Mason, solemnly, as he seated him- self at the table and looked earnestly in the widow's face, " your knowledge of this man and your manner of speak- ing about him surprise me. I have long thought that you were not acting wisely in permitting Gascoyne to be so intimate ; for, whatever he may in reality be, he i.5 a sus- picious character, to say the best of him ; and although / know that you think you are right in encouraging his visits, other people do not know that ; they may judge you harshly. I do not wish to pry into secrets ; but you have sought to comfort me by bidding me have perfect confidence in this man ? I must ask what knowledge you have of him. How far are you aware of liis character and em- ployment ? How do you know that he is so trustworthy ? " An expression of deep grief rested on the widow's coun- tenance as she replied, in a sad voice : " I Icnow that you may trust Gascoyne with your child. He is my oldest friend. I have known him since we were children. He saved my fatlier's life long, long ago, and helped to support my mother in her last years. Would you have me to forget all this because men say that he is a pirate ? " " Why, mother," cried Henry, "if you know so much about him you must know that, whatever he was in time past, he is the pirate Durward now." " I do not know that he is the pirate Durward ! " said 202 GASCOYXE, the widow., ia a voice and Avitli a look so decided that Henry was silenced and sorely perplexed ; yet raucli relieved, for lie knew that his mother would rather die than tell a deliberate falsehood. The missionary was also comforted ; for although his judgment told hira that the grounds of hope thus held out to him were very insufficient, he was impressed by the thoroughly confident tone of the widow, and felt relieved in spite of himself. Soon after this conversation was concluded, the house- hold retired to rest. Next morning Henry was a^vakened out of a deep sleep by the sound of subdued voices in the room underneath his own. At first he paid no attention to these, supposing that, as it was broad daylight, some of their native ser- vants were moving about. But presently the sound of his mother's voice induced him to listen more attentively. Then a voice replied, so low that he could with difficulty hear it at all. Its strength increased, however, and at last it bi'oke forth in deep bass tones. Henry sprang up and threw on his clothes. As he was thus engaged the front door of the house opened, and the speakers went out. A few seconds sufficed for the youth to finish dressing him ; then, seizing a pistol, he hurried out of the house. Looking quickly round, he just caught sight of the skirts of a woman's dress as they disappeared through the doorway of a hut which had been formerly inhabited by a poor native, who had subsisted on the widow's bounty until he died. The door was shut imme- diately aftei". Going swiftly but cautiously round by a back way, Henry approached the hut. Strange and conflicting feelings filled bis breast A blush of deep shame and self-abhorrence THE SANDAI-YrOOD TK.VDER. 203 mantled on liis clieek when it flashed across Lim that he v.aj about to ]')lay the rpy on liis own mother. But there was no mistaking Gascojnc's voice. How the supposed pirate had got tliere, and wlierefore he Avas there, were matters that he did not think of or care about at that moment. Tliere he was ; so the young man resolved to secure him and hand him over to justice. Henry was too honorable to listen secretly to a conver- sation, whatever it might be, that was not intended for his ears. He resolved merely to peep in at one of the many chinks in the log hut for one moment, to satisfy hisuself that Gascoyne really was there, and to observe his posi- tion. But as the latter now thouirht himself bevond the hearing of any one, he spoke in unguarded tones, and Henry heard a few words in spite of himself. Lookin'j; throufrh a chink in the wall at the end of the hut, he beheld the stalwart form of the sandal-wood trader standing on the hearth of the hut, which was almost unfur- nished, — a stool, a bench, an old chest, a table, and a chair being all that it contained. His mother was seated at the table, with her hands clasped before her, looking up at her companion. " Oh ! why run so great a risk as this ? " said she eai'- ne3tly. " I was born to run ri;ks, I believe," replied Gascoyne, in a sad, low voice. " It matters not. My being on the isl- and is the result of Manton's villainy ; my being here is for poor Henry's sake and your own, as well as for the sake of Alice the missionary's child. You have been upright, Mary, and kind, and true as steel ever since I knew you. But for that I should have been lost long ago- Henry heard no more. These words did indeed wliet 204 gascoyot;. his curiosity to the utmost ; but the shame of actin"- the imrt of an " eavesdropper " was so great that, by a strong effort of will, he drew back, and pondered for a moment what he ought to do. The unexpected tone and tenor of Gascoyne's remark had softened him slightly ; but, recall- ing the undoubted proofs that he had had of his really being a pirate, he soon steeled his heart against him. lie argued that the mere fact of a man giving his mother credit for a character Avhich everybody knew she pos- sessed, was not sufficient to clear him of the suspicions which he had raised against himself. Besides, it was im- pertinence in any man to tell his mother his opinion of her to her face. And to call him " poor Henry," forsooth ! This was not to be endured ! Having thus wrought himself up to a sufficient degree of indignation, the young man went straight to the door, making considerable noise in order to prepare those within for his advent. He had expected to find it locked. In this he was mistaken. It yielded to a push. Throwing it wide open, Ilcnry strode into the middle of the apartment, and, pointing the pistol at Gascoyne's breast, exclaimed : " Pirate Durward, I arrest you in the king's name ! " At the first sound of her son's approacli, Mrs. Stuart bent forward over the table with a groan, and buried her face in her hands. Gascoyne received Henry's speech at first with a frown, and then with a smile. "You have taken a strange time and way to jest, Henry," said he, crossing his arms on his broad chest and gazing boldly into the youth's face. "You will not throw me off my guard thus," said Henry, sternly. " You are my prisoner. I know you to HEXRY ARUESTIXG THE PIRATE. THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 205 be a pirate. At any rate you -n-IIl have to prove yourself to be an honest man before you quit this hut a free raan. jMother, leave this place, that I may lock the door upon him." Tlie widow did not move, but Gascoync made a step towards her son. " Another step and I will fire. Your blood shall be on your own head, Gascoyne." As Gascoyne still advanced, Henry pointed the pistol straight at his breast and pulled the trigger, but no report followed ; the priming, indeed,, flashed in the pan, but that was all ! With a cry of rage and defiance, Henry leaped upon Gascoyne like a young lion. He struck at him with the pistol ; but the latter caught the weapon in his powerful hand, wrenched it from the youth's grasp, and flung it to the other end of the apartment. " You shall not escape me," cried Henry, aiming a tre- mendous blow with his fist at Gascoyne's face. It was parried, and the next moment the two closed in a deadly struirgle. It was a terrible sight for the widow to witness these two Herculean men exerting their great strength to the utmost in a hand-to-hand conflict in that small hut, like two tigers in a cage. Henry, although nearly six feet in height, and propor- tionally broad and powerful, was much inferior to his gi- gantic antagonist ; but to the superior size and physical force of the latter he opposed the lithe activity and the fervid energy of youth, so that to an unpractised eye it micrht have seemed doubtful at first which of the two men O had the best chance. Straining his powers to the utmost, Henry attempted to 206 GASCOYNE, lift his opponent off the ground and throw him. In this he was nearly successful. Gascovne stacrorered, but re- covered himself instantly. They did not move much from the centre of the room, nor was there much noise created during the conflict. It seemed too close — too full of concentrated ener^v, of heavv, prolontred straining- — for much violent motion. The great veins in Gascoyne's forehead stood out like knotted cords ; yet there Avas no scowl or frown on his face. Henry's brows, on the con- trary, were gathered into a dark frown. His teeth were set, and his countenance flushed to deep red by exertion and passion. Strange to say, the widow made no eflbrt to separate the combatants ; neither did she attempt to move from her seat to give any alarm. She sat with her hands on the table clasped tightly together, gazing eagerly, anxiously, like a fascinated creature, at the wild stniirsle that was going on before her. Again and again Henry attempted, with all the lire of youth, to throw his adversary by one tremendous effort, but failed. Then he tried to fling him off, so as to have tlie power of using his fists or making an overwhelming rush. But Gascoyne held him in his strong arms like a vice. Several times he freed his right arm and attempted to plant a blow ; but Gascoyne caught the blow in his hand, or seized the wrist and prevented its being deliv- ered. Ixi short, do what he would, Henry Stuart could neither free himself from the embrace of his enemy nor conquer him. Still he struggled on ; for as this fact be- came more apparent, the youth's blood became hotter from mingled shame and auger. Both men soon began to show symptoms of fatigue. It was not in the nature of things that two such frames, ani« THE SAXDxVL-WOOD TRADER. 207 mated by such spirit.?, could prolong £0 exhausting a struggle. It was not doubtful now v.'hich of the two would come off victorious. During the whole cour.-;e of the fi^^ht Gascoyne had acted entirely on the defensive. A small knife or stiletto hung at his left side, but he never attempted to use it, and he never once tried to throw his adversary. In fact, it now became evident, even to the widow's percep- tions, that the captain was actually playing with her son. All along, his countenance, though flushed and eager, exhibited no sign of passion. lie seemed to act like a good-humoi*ed man who had been foolishly assaulted by a headstrong boy, and who meant to keep him in play until he should tire him out. Just then the tinkling of a bell and other sounds of the people of the establishment beginning to move were heard outside. Idenry noticed this. " Ila I " he exclaimed, in a gasping voice, " I can at least hold you until help comes.'' Gascoyne heard the sounds also. He said nothing, but he brought the strife to a swift termination. For the first time he bent his back like a man v/ho exerts himself in earnest, and lifted Henry completely off the ground. Throwing him on his back, he pressed him down with both arms so as to break from his grasp. Xo human muscles could resist the force applied. Slowly but surely the iron sinews of Henry's arms straightened out, and the two were soon at arms' length. But even Gascoyne's strength could not unclasp the gi-ipe of the youth's hands, until he placed his knee upon liis chest ; then, indeed, they were torn away. Of course, all this was not done without some violence ; but it was still plain to the widow that Gascoyne was care- ful not to hurt his antagonist more than he could help. 208 GASCOYNE, " Now, Henry, my lad," said he, holding the youth down by the two arms, " I have given you a good deal of trouble this morning, and I mean to give you a little more. It does not just suit me at pi^esent to be tried for a pirate, so I mean to give you a race. You arc reputed one of the best runners in the settlement. "Well, I'll give you a chance after me. If you overtake me, boy, I'll give my- self up to you without a struggle. But I suspect you'll find me rather hard to catch ! " As he uttered the last words he permitted Henry to rise. Ere the youth had quite gained his footing, he gave him a violent push and sent him staggering back against the wall. When Henry recovered his balance, Gascoyne was stand- ing in the open doorway. "Now, lad, are you ready ? " said he, a sort of wild smile lighting up his face. Henry Avas so taken aback by this conduct, as well as by the rough handling which he had just received, that he could not collect his thoughts for a few seconds ; but when Gascoyne nodded gravely to his mother, and walked quietly away, saying, " Goodby, Mary," the exasperated youth darted through the doorway like an arrow. If Henry Stuart's rush may be compared to the flight of an arrow from a bow, not less appropriately may Gascoyne'a bound be likened to the leap of the bolt from a cross-bow. The two men sprang over the low fences that surrounded the cottage, leaped the rivulet that brawled down its steep course behind it, and coursed up the hill like mountain bares. The last that Widow Stuart saw of them, as she gazed eagerly from the doorway of the hut, w^as, when Gascoyne's figure was clearly defined against the sky as he leaped over a great chasm in the lava high up the mouutain-sid'*. THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 209 Henry followed almost instantly, and tlieu both were hid den from view in the chaos of rocks and gorges that rose above the upper line of vegetation. It was a long and a severe chase that Henry had under- taken, and ably did his fleet foot sustain the ci'edit which he had already gained. Eut Gascoyne's foot was fleeter. Over every species of ground did the sandal-wood trader lead the youth that morning. It seemed, in fact, as if a spirit of mischief had taken possession of Gascoyne ; for his usually grave face was lighted up with a mingled expres- sion of glee and ferocity. It changed, too, and wore a sad expression at times, even when the man seemed to be run- ninor for his life. At last, after running until he had caused Henry to show symptoms of fatigue, Gascoyne turned suddenly round, and shouting " Goodby, Henry, my lad ! " went straight up the mountain, and disappeared over the divid- ing ridge on the summit. Henry did not give in. The insult implied in the words renewed his strength. He tightened his belt as he ran, and rushed up the mountain almost as fast as Gas- coyne had done ; but when he leaped upon the ridge, the fuiritive had vanished ! That he had secreted himself in one of the numerous gorges or caves with which the place abounded was quite clear ; but it was equally clear that no one could track him out in such a place unless he were possessed of a dog's nose. The youth did indeed attempt it ; but, being con- vinced that he was only searching for what could not by any possibility be found, he soon gave it up, and returned, disconsolate and crest-fallen, to the cottage. 14 ClIAFTEU XVII. MYSTEKIOUS COXSULTATIOXS AND PLANS— '7ASCOYNE ASTONISHES HIS FRIENDS, AND MAKES AN UNEXPECTED CONFESSION. " A PRETTY morning's work I have made of it, motlier," said Henry, as lie flung himself into a chair in the cot- tage parlor, on his return from the weary and fruitless chase which has just been recorded. The widow was pale and haggard ; but she could not help smiling as she observed the look of extreme disap- pointment which rested on the countenance of her son. " True, Henry," she replied, busying herself in prepar- ing breakfast, " you have not been very successful ; but you made a noble effort." " Pshaw ! a noble effort, indeed ! Why, the man has foiled me in the two things in which I prided myself most, — wrestling and running. I never saw such a greyhound in my life." " He is a giant, my boy ; few men could hope to over- come him." " True, as regards wrestling, mother ; I am not much ashamed of having been beaten by him at that ; but run- ning, — that's the sore point. Such a weight he is, and yet he took the north gully like a wildcat ; and you know, mother, there are only two of us in Sandy Cove who can go over that gully. Ay, and he went a full yard further than ever I did. I measured the leap as I came down. TIIE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 211 Really, it is too bad to have been beaten so completely by a man who must be nearly double my age. But, after all, the worst of the whole affair is, that a pirate has escaped me after I actually had him in my arms ! — the villain ! " " You do not knoio that he is a villain," said the widow in a subdued tone. " You are right, mother," said Henry, looking up from the plate of bacon, to which he had been devoting him- self with much assiduity, and gazing earnestly into his mother s face, — " you are right ; and, do you know, I feel incHned to give the fellow the benefit of the doubt ; for, to tell you the truth, I have a sort of liking for him. If it had not been for the way in which he has treated you, and the suspicious character that he bears, I do believe I should have made a friend of Iiim." A look of evident pleasure crossed the widow's face while her son spoke ; but as that son's eyes were once more riveted on the bacon, which his morning exercise rendered peculiarly attractive, lie did not observe it. Just then the door opened, and Mr. Mason entered. His face wore a dreadfully anxious expression. " Ha ! I'm glad to see you, Henry," said he ; " of course you have not caught your man. I have been waiting anxiously for you to consult about our future proceedings. It is quite evident that the pirate schooner cannot be lar off. Gascoyne must eitlier have swam ashore, or been landed in a boat. In either case the schooner must have been within the reef at the time, and there has been little wind since tlie squall blew itself out yesterday." '■• Quite enougli, however, to blow such a light craft pretty far out to sea in a few hours," said Plenry, shaking his head. '•No matter," replied Mr. Mason, with a sigh; '■^ some- 212 GASCOYNE. thing must be done, at any rate. I have borrowed the carpenter's small cutter, which is now being put in order ("or a voyage. Provisions and water for a few days are already on board, and 1 have come to ask you to take com- mand of her, as you know something of navigation. I will go, of course, but will not take any management of the little craft, as I know nothing about the working of ressels." " And where do you mean to go ? " asked Henry. " That remains to be seen. I have some ideas running in my head, of course ; but before letting you know them, I wish to hear what you would advise." " I would advise, in the first place, that you should pro- vide one or two thorough sailors to manage the craft. By the way, that reminds me of Bumpus. "What of him? Where is he ? In the midst of all this bustle I have not had time for much thought ; and it has only just occurred to me that if this schooner is really a pirate, and if Gas- coyne turns out to be Durward, it follows that Bumpus is a pirate too, and ought to be dealt with accordingly." " I have thought of that," said Mr. Mason, with a per- plexed look, " and intended to speak to you on the subject ; but events have crowded so fast upon each other of late that it has been driven out of my mind. No doubt, if the Foam and the Avenger are one and the same vessel, as seems too evident to leave much room for doubt, then Bumpus is a pirate ; for he does not deny that he was one of the crew. But he acts strangely for a pirate. He seems as much at his ease amongst us as if he were the most innocent of men. Moreover, his looks seem to stamp him a, thoroughly honest fellow. But, alas ! one cannot depend on looks." " But where is the man ? " asked Henry. THE SAXDAL-WOOD TRADER. 213 "He is asleep in the small closet off the hitchcn," said Mrs. Stuart, " where he has been lying ever since you re- turned from the heathen village. Poor fellow, he sleep? heavily, and looks as if he had been hurt during all this flighting." " Hurt I say you ? " exclaimed Henry, laughing ; " it is a miracle that he is now alive after the flight he took over the north cliff into the sea." *' Fhght ! — over the north cliff ! " echoed Mrs. Stuart, in surprise. " Ay, and a fearful plunge he had." Here Henry de- tailed poor Jo's misadventure. " And now," said he, when he had finished, " I must lock his door and keep him in. The settlers have forgotten him in all this turmoil ; but, depend upon it, if they see him they will string him up for a pirate to the first handy branch of a tree, without giv- ing him the benefit of a trial ; and that would not be desirable." " Yet you would have shot Gascoyne on mere suspicion, without a thought of trial or justice," said Mrs. Stuart. " True, mother; but that Avas when I was seizing him, and in hot blood," said Henry, in a subdued voice. " I was hasty there, no doubt. Lucky for us both that the pistol missed fire." The widow looked as if she were about to reply, but checked herself. " Yes," said Mr. Mason, recurring to the former sub- ject ; " as we shall be away a few days, we must lock Bumpus up to keep him out of harm's way. Mean- wliile— " The missionary was interrupted here by the sudden opening of the door. An exclamation of surprise burst from the whole party as they sprang up, for Gascoyne 21-1 GASCOTNE, strode into the room, locked the door, and talcin;if out the key handed it to Ilcniy, who stood staring at him in specch« less amazement. " You are surprised to see me appear thus suddenly," said he ; " but the fact is that I came here this morning to fulfil a duty ; and although Master Henry there has hindered me somewhat in carrying out my good intentions, I do not intend to allow him to frustrate me altogether." " I do not mean to make a second attempt, Gascoyne, after what has occurred this morning," said Henry, seating himself doggedly on his chair. " Bat it would be as well that you should observe that Mr. Mason is a stout man, and, as we have seen, can act vigorously when occasioa offers. Remember that we are two to one now." " There will be no occasion for vigorous action, at least as regards me, if you will agree to forget your suspicions for a few minutes and listen to what I have got to say. Mean- while, in order to show you liow thoroughly in earnest I am, find how regardless of my personal safety, I render myself defenceless — thus." Gascoyne pulled a brace of small pistols from their place of concealment beneath the breast of his shirt, and drawing the knife that hung at his girdle, hurled them all through the open window into the garden. He then took a chair, planted it in the middle of the room, and sat down. The sadness of his deep voice did not change during the remainder of that interview. The bold look which usually characterized this peculiar man had given place to a grave expression of humility, which was occasionally varied by a troubled look. " Before stating what I have come for," said Gascoyne, " I mean to make a confession. You have been right in your suspicions, — I am Durward the pirate ! Kay, do THE SAND AL-WOOD TRADLR. 215 not shrink from me in tlicit war, Mary. I have hcpt this secret from you long, because I feared to lose the old friendship that has existed between us since we were chil dren. I have deceived you in this thing only. I have taker advantage of your ignorance to make you suppose that I was merely a smuggler, and that, in consequence of being an outlaw, it was necessary for me to conceal my name and my movements. You have kept my secret, Mary, and have tried to win me back to honest ways ; but you little knew the strength of the net I had wrapped around me. You did not know that I was a pirate ! " Gascoyne paused, and bent his head as if in thought. The widow sat with clasped hands, gazing at him with a look of despair on her pale face. But she did not move or speak. The three listeners sat in perfect silence, until the pirate chose to continue his confession. " Yes, I have been a pirate," said he ; " but I have not been the villain that men have painted me." He looked steadily in the widow's face as he said these words delib- erately. " Do not try to palliate your conduct, Gascoyne," said Mr. Mason, earnestly. *' The blackness of your sin is too great to be deepened or lightened by what men may have said of you. You are a pirate. Every pirate is a mur- derer." " I am not a murderer" said Gascoyne, slowly, in reply, but still fixing his gaze on the widow's face, as if he addressed himself solely to her. " You may not have committed murder with your own hand," said Mr. ]Mason, " but the man who leads on others to commit the crime is a murderer, in the eye of God's law as well as in that of man." " I never led on men to commit murder," said Gascoyne, 216 GASCOYNE, ia the ?ame tone, and with the same steadfast gaze. " This hand is free from the stain of liuman blood. Do you believe me, Mary ? " The widow did not ansAver. She sat like one bereft of all power of speech or motion. " I will explain," resumed the pii-ate captain, drawing a long breath, and directing his looks to Henry now. " For reasons wdiich it is not necessary that }ou should know, I resolved some years ago to become a pirate. I had been deceived — shamefully deceived and wronged — by wealthy and powerful men. I had appealed to the law of my country, and the law refused to right me. No, not the law, but those who sat on the judgment-seat to pervert the law. It matters not now ; I was driven mad at the time, for the wrong done was not done so much to me as to those whom I loved. I vowed that I should be avenged. " I soon found men as mad as myself, who only wanted a leader to guide them in order to run full SAving to de- struction. I seized the Foam, of which schooner I was mate, called her the Avenger, and became a pirate. Xo blood was shed when I seized the schooner. Before an opportunity occurred of trying my hand at this ncAV pro- fession, my anger had cooled. / repented of what I had done ; but I Avas suiToundcd by men who were more bent on mischief than I was. I could not draw back, but I modified my plan. I determined to become merely a roh- ber, and use the proceeds of my trade to indemnify those to whom injustice had been done. I thought at the time that there was some justice in this. I called myself, in jest, a tax-gatherer of the sea. I ordered the men aft one day, and explained to them my views. I said that I ab- horred the name and the deeds of pii-ates; that I would THE SANDAL-TVOOD TRADER. 217 onlj consent to command them if they agreed never to slied human blood except in fair and open fight. " They liked the idea. There were men among them who had never heartily agreed to the seizing of the schooner, and who would have left her if I would have allowed them ; these were much relieved to hear my pro- posal. It was fixed that we should roh, but not murder. Miserable fool that I was ! I thought it was possible to go just so far and no farther into sin. I did not know at that time the strength of the fearful current into which I had plunged. " But we stuck to our principles. "We never did com- mit murder. And as our appearance was always sufficient to cause the colors of any ship we ever came across to be hauled down at once, there has been no occasion for shed- ding blood, even in fair and open fight. Do you believe me, Mary ? " said Gascoyue, pausing at this pomt. The widow was still silent ; but a slight inclination of her head satisfied the pirate, who was about to resume, when Mr. Mason said : " Gascoyne, do you call warfare in the cause of robbery by the name of ' fair and open fight. ' " " Xo, I do not. Yet there have been great generals and admirals in this world who have committed wholesale murder in this same cause, and whose names stand high on the roll of fame ! " A look of scorn rested on the pirate's face as he said this, but it passed away (quickly. '• You tell me that tliere were some of the men in the schooner whom you kept aboard against their will ! " said Mr. Mason. " Did it never occur to you, Gascoyne, that you may have been the murderer of the souls of these imen?" 218 GASCOYXE, The pirate made no reply for some time, rvnd the trou- bled, anxious look that had more than once crossed his face returned. " Yes," said he. at length, " I have thought of that. But it is done now, and cannot be undone. I can do no more now than give myself up to justice. You see, I have thrown away my arms and stand here defenceless. But I did not come here to plead for mercy. I came to make to you all the repai-ation I can for the wrong I have done you. When that last act is completed, you may do with me what you please. I deserve to die, and I care not to live." " O Gascoyne I speak not thus ! " exclaimed the widow, earnestly. " However much and deeply you have sinned against man, if you have not taken life you do not deserve to die. Besides, there is a way of pardon open to the very chief of sinners." " I know what you mean, Mary, I know what you mean; but well, well, this is neither the time nor place to talk of such things. Your little girl, Mr. Mason, is in the hands of the pirates." " I know that," said the missionary, wincing as if he had received a deep wound ; " but she is not in your power now." " More's the pity ; she would have been safer with me than with my first mate, who is the greatest villain afloat on the high seas. He does not like our milk-and-water style of robbing. He is an out-and-out pirate in heart, and has long desired to cut my tlu'oat. I have to thank him for being here to-night. Some of the crew who are like himself seized me while I was asleep, bound and gagged me, put me into a boat, and rowed me ashore ; for we had easily escaped the Talisman in the squall, and. TIIE SAXD.\X-WOOD TRADER. 219 doubling on our course, came back here. The mate was anxious to clear oiF old scores bj cutting my throat at once, and pitching me into the sea. Luckily some of the men, not so bloodthirsty as he, objected to this ; so I was landed and cast loose." " But v.-hat of Alice ? " cried Mr. Mason, anxiously. " How can we save her ? " " I>y taking my advice," answered Gascoyne. " You have a small cutter at anchor off the creek at the foot of the hill. Put a few trusty m.en aboard of her, and I will guide you to the island where the Avenger has been Avont to fly when hard pressed." " But how do you know that Manton will go there ? " inquired Henry, eagerly. " Because he is short of powder, and all our stores are concealed there, besides much of our ill-gotten wealth." " And how can you expect us to put ourselves so com- pletely in your power? " said Mr. Mason. " Because you must do so if you would save your child. She is safe now, I know, and will be until the Avenger leaves the island where our stores are concealed. If wo do not save her before that happens, she is lost to you for- ever ! " " That no man can say. She is in the hands of God," cried Mr. Mason, fervently. "True, true," said Gascoyne, musing. " But God does not work by miracles. We must be up and doing at once. I promise you that I shall be faithful, and that, after the work is done, I will give myself up to justice." " May wc trust him, mother ? " said Henry. " You may ti-ust him, my son," replied the widow, in a tone of decision that satisfied Henry, whilo it called forth a look of gratitude from the pirate. 220 GxYSCOYXE, The party now proceeded to arrange the details of theif plan for the rescue of Alice and her companions. These were speedily settled, and Henry rose to go and put them in train. lie turned the key of the door, and was on the point of lifting the latch, when this was done for him by some one on the outside. He had just time to step back, when the door flew open, and he stood fxce to face with Hugh Barnes the cooper. " Have you heard the news, Henry ? — hullo ! " This abrupt exclamation was caused by the sight of Gascoyne, who rose quietly the moment he heard the door open, and, turning his back towards it, walked slowly into a small apartment that opened off the widow's parlor, and shut the door. " I say, Henry, who's that big fellow ? " said the cooper, casting a suspicious glance towards the little room into wliicli he had disappeared. " He is Si friend of mine," replied Mrs. Stuart, rising hastily, and welcoming her visitor. " Humph ! it's well he's Vi friend" said the man, as he took a chair ; " I shouldn't like to have him for an enemy." " But what is the news you were so anxious to tell us ? " inquired Henry. " That Gascoyne, the pirate caj^tain, has been seen on the island by some of the women, and there's a regular hunt organizing. Will you go with us ? " "I have more important work to do, Hugh," replied Henry ; " besides, I want you to go with me on a hunt which I'll tell you about if you'll come with me to the creek." " By all means. Come along." Henry and tl c cooper at once left the cottage. The latter was let int4 the secret, and prevailed on to form ono THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 221 of the crew of the "Wasp, as the little cutter vras named. In the course of the afternoon everything was in readi- ness. Gascoyne waited till the dusk of evening, and then embarked along with Ole Thorwald ; that stout individ- ual having insisted on being one of the party, despite the remonstrances of Mr. Mason, who did not like to leave the settlement, even for a brief period, so completely de- prived of all its leading men. But Ole entertained a sus- picion that Gascoyne intended to give them the slip ; and having privately made up his mind to prevent this, he was not to be denied. The men who formed the crew — twelve in number — were selected from among those natives and settlers who were known never to have seen the pirate captain. They were chosen with a view to their fighting qualities ; for Gascoyne and Henry were sufficient for the management of the little craft. There were no large guns on board, but all the men were well armed with cutlasses, muskets, and pistols. Thus equipped, the Wasp stood out to sea with a light breeze, just as the moon rose on the coral reef and cast a shower of sparkling silver across the bay. CHAPTER XXL A TERKIBLE DOOM FOU AN INNOCENT MAK. " So, you're to be hanged for a pirate, Jo Bumpus, ye are. That's pleasant to think of, anyhow." Such was the remark which our stout seaman addressed to himself when he awoke on the second morning after the departure of the Wasp. If the thought was really as pleasant as lie asserted it to be, his visage must have been a bad index to the state of his mind ; for at that particular moment Jo looked uncommonly miserable. The wonted good-humored expression of his countenance had given place to a gaze of stereotyped surprise and so- lemnity. Indeed, Bumpus seemed to have parted with much of his reason, and all of his philosophy ; for he could say nothing else during at least half an hour after aAvaking except the phrase, " So you're going to be hanged for a pirate." Ilis comments on the phrase were, however, a little varied, though always brief; such as, " "VYot a sell! Who'd ha' thought it! It's a dream, it is, — an 'orrible dream! /don't believe it; who does? Wot'll your poor mother say ? " — and the like. Bumpus had, unfortunately, go^d ground for making this statement. After the cutter sailed it was discovered that Bumpus was concealed in Mrs. Stuart's cottage. This discovery had been the result of the seaman's own recklessness and THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 223 indiscretion ; for when he ascertained that he was to be kept a prisoner in the cottage until tiie relurn of the Wasp, he at once made up his mind to submit with a good grace to what could not be avoided. In order to prove tliat he was by no means cast down, as avcU as to lighten the te- dium of his confinement, Jo entertained himself by singiu [■Hatches of sea songs; such as, "My tight little craft, — " A life on the stormy sea," — "Oh for a draught of the howling blast I " etc. ; all of which he delivered in a bass voice so powerful that it caused the rafters of the widow's cottage to rmg agam. These melodious, not to say thunderous sounds, also caused the ears of a small native youth to tingle Avith curi- osity. This urchin crept on his brown little knees under the window of Bumpus's apartment, got on his brown and dirty little tiptoes, placed his brown little hands on the sill, hauled his brown and half-naked little body up by sheer force of muscle, and peeped into the room with his large and staring brown eyes, the whites of wliich were displayed to their full extent. Jo was in the middle of an enthusiastic " OIi ! " when the urchin's head appeared. Instead of expressing his pas- sionate desire for a "draught of the howling blast," he prolonged the " Oh ! " into a hideous yell, and thrust his blazing face close to the window so suddenly that the boy let go his hold, fell backwards, and rolled head over heels into a ditch, out of which he scrambled with violent haste, and ran with the utmost possible precipitancy to his native home on the seashore. Here he related what he had seen to his lather. The father went and looked in upon Jo's solitude. He hap- pened to have seen Bumpus during the great fight, and knew him to be one of the pirates. The village rose en 224 GASCOYNE, masse. Some of the worst characters it it stirred up the rest, M^ent to the widow's cottage, and demanded that the person of the pirate shouhd be delivered up. The widow objected. The settlers insisted. Tiie widow protested. The settlers threatened force. Upon this the widow reasoned with them ; besought them to remember that the missionary would be back in a day or two, and that it would be well to have his advice before they did anything, and finally agreed to give uj"* her charge on re- ceiving a promise that he should have a fair trial. Burapus was accordingly bound with ropes, led in tri- \imph through the village, and placed in a strong wooden building which was used as the jail of the place. The trial that followed was a mere mockery. The leading spirits of it were those who had been styled by Mr. Mason, " enemies within the camp." They elected themselves to the oiTices of prosecutor and judge, as well as taking the trouble to act the part of jurymen and wit- nesses. Poor .John Bumpus's doom was sealed before the trial began. They had prejudged the case, and only went through the form to ease their own consciences and to fulfil their promise to the widow. It was in vain that Bumpus asserted, Avith a bold, honest countenance, that he was not a pirate, that he never had been, and never would be a pirate ; that he didn't believe the Foam was a pirate — though he was free to confess its crew " wos bad enough for anything a'most ; " that he had been hired in South America (where he had been ship- wrecked) by Captain Gascoyne, the sandal-wood trader; that he had made the voyage straight from that coast to this island without meeting a single sail ; and that he had never seen a shot fired or a cutlass drawn aboard the Bchooner. THE SANDAL-WOOD TKADER. 225 To all this there was but one coarsely-exprcBsed answer, — " It is a lie I " Jo had no proof to give of the truth of what he said, so he was condemned to be hanged by the neck till he should be dead ; and as his judges were afraid that the return of the Wasp might interfere with their proceeding, it was arranged that he should be executed on the following day at noon. It must not be imagined, that, in a Christian village such as we have described, there was no one who felt that this trial was too hastily gone into, and too violently conducted. But those who were inclined to take a merciful view of the case, and who plead for delay, were cheifly natives, while the violent party was composed of most of the ill- disposed European settlers. The natives had been so much accustomed to put confi- dence in the wisdom of the white men since their conver- sion to Christianity, that they felt unable to cope with them on tliis occasion ; so that Bumpus, after being condemned, was led away to his prison, and left alone to his own reflections. It chanced that there was one friend left, unintentionally, in the cell with the condemned man. This was none other than our friend Toozle, the mass of ragged door-mat on which Alice doted so fondly. This little dog had, during the course of events which have taken so long, to recount, done nothing worthy of being recorded. lie had, indeed, been much in every one's way, when no one had had time or inclination to take notice of liim. He had, being an affectionate dog, and desirous of much sympathy, courted attention frequently, and had received many kicks and severe rebuffs for his pains ; and he had also, being a tender-hearted dog, 'howled dreadfully when he lost his young mistress ; but he had not in any way promoted the 226 GASCOYNE, interests of humanity, or advanced the ends of justice Hence our long silence in regard to him. Recollecting that he had witnessed evidences of a friendly relation subsisting between Alice and Bumpus, Toozle straightway sought to pour the overflowing love and sorrow of his large little heart into the bosom of that supposed pirate. His advances were well received, and from that hour he followed the seaman like his shadow. He shared his prison with him, trotted behind him when he walked up and down his room in the widow's cottage ; lay down at his feet when he rested ; looked up inquiringly in his face when he paused to meditate ; whined and wagged liia stump of a tail when he was taken notice of, and lay down to sleep in deep humility when he was neglected. Thus it came to pass that Toozle attended the trial of Bumpus, entered his cell along with him, slept with him during the night, accompanied him to the gallows in the morning, and sat under liim when they were adjusting the noose, looking up with feelings of unutterable dismay, as clearly indicated by the lugubrious and woebegone cast of his ragged countenance. But we are anticipating. It was on the morning of his execution that Bumpus sat on the edge of his hard pallet, gazed at his manacled wrists, and gave vent to the sentiments set down at the beginning of this chapter. Toozle sat down at his feet, looking up in his face sym- pathetically. " No, I dont believe it's possible," said Bumpus, for at least the hundredth time that morning. " It's a joke ; that's wot it is. Aint it, Toozle, my boy? " Toozle whined, wagged his tail, and said, as plainly aa if he had spoken : ^'Yes, of course it is, — an uncommonly bad jol^e, ng THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 227 doubt ; but a joke, undoubtedly ; so keep up your licart, my man." " Ah ! you're a funny dog," continued Bumpus ; " but you don't know Avhat it is to be banged, my boy. Hanged ! ■why it's agin all laws o' justice, moral an' otherwise, it is. But I'm drearain' ; yes, it's drcamin' I am ; but I don't think I ever did dream that I thought I was dreamin' an' yet wasn't quite sure. Really, it's perplexin', to say the least on it, Aint it Toozle ? " Toozle wagged his tail. " Ah, here comes my imaginary jailer to let me out o' this here abominably real-lookin' imaginary lockup. Hang Jo Bumpus ! — why, it's — " Before Jo could find words sufficiently strong to express his opinion of such a murderous intention, the door opened, and a surly-looking man — a European settler — entered with his breakfast. Tiiis meal consisted of a baked bread- fruit and a can of water. " Ila ! you've come to let me out, have you ? " cried Jo, in a tone of forced pleasantry, which was anything but cheerfuh " Have I though ! " said the man, setting down the food on a small deal table that stood at the head of the bedstead ; "don't think it, my man; your time's up in another two hours. Hallo! where got ye the dog? " " It came in with me last night, — to keep me company, I fancy, which is more than the human dogs o' this mur- derin' place had the civility to do." " If it had know'd you was a murderin' pirate," retorted the jailer, " it Vv'ould ha' thought twice before it would ha' chose you for a comrade." " Come, now," said Bumpus, in a remonstrative tone ; "you do;i't really b'lieve I'm a pirate, do you?" 228 GASCOYNE, " In coorse I do." " "Well, now, that's 'xtroi''nary. Does eveiybody else think that too?" " Everybody." " An' am I realhj goln' to be hanged ? " " Till you're dead as mutton." " That's entertainin', aint it, Toozle?" cried poor Bum- pu?, with a laugh of desperation ; for he found it utterly impossible to persuade himself to believe in the reality of his awful position. As he h'aid nothing more, the jailer went away, and Bumpus, after heaving two or three very deep sighs, at- tempted to partake of his meagre breakfast. The effort was a vain one. The bite stuck in his throat ; so he washed it down with a gulp of water, and, for the first time in his life, made up his mind to go without his breakfast. A little before twelve o'clock the door again opened, and the surly jailer entered, bearing a halter, and accom- panied by six stout men. The irons were now removed from Bumpus's wrists, and his arms pinioned behind his back. Being almost stiipified with amazement at his position, he submitted without a struggle. " I say, friends," he at last exclaimed, " would any amount of oaths took before a maginstrate convince ye that I'm not a pirate, but a true-blue seaman?" " If you were to swear from this time till doomsday it would make no difference. You admit that you were one of the Foam's crew. TVc now know that the Foam and the Avenger are the same schooner. Birds of a feather flock together. A pirate would swear anything to save his life. Come, — time's up." Bumpus bent his head for a minute. The truth forced itself upon him now in all its dread reality. But no un« THE SAXDAL-WOOD TP.ADER. 229 manly terrors fillevl liis breast at that moment. The fear of man or of violent death was a sensation which the seaman never knew. The feeling of the huge injustice lliat v/as about to be done filled him Avith generous indignation ; the blood rushed to his temples, and, with a bound like a tiger, he leaped out of the jailer's grasp, hurling him to the ground in the act. With, the stren'j!;th almost of a Samson he wrestled with his cords for a few si^conds ; but ihcy were new and stronfT. He failed to burst them. In another moment he was overpowered by the six men v>-ho guarded him. True to his principles, he did his utmost to escape. Strong in the faith that while there is life there is hope, he did not cease to struggle, like a chained giant, until he was placed under the limb of the fatal tree which had been selected, and round which an immense crowd of natives and white settlers had gathered. During the previous night the Widow Stuart had striven to save the man whom she knew to be honest ; for Gas- coyne had explained to her all about his being engaged in his service. But those to whom she appealed, even on her knees, were immovable. They considered the proof of the man's guilt quite conclusive, and regarded the v.'id- ow's intercession as the mere weakness of a tender-hearted woman. On the following morning, and again beside the fatal tree itself, the widow plead for the man's life with all her powers of eloquence ; but in vain. When all hope ap- peared to have passed away, she could not stand to witness so horrible a murder. She fled to her cottage, and, throw- ing herself on her bed, burst into an agony of tears and prayer. But there were some among the European settlers ther« 230 GASCOYNE, who, now that things had come to a point, felt ill at ease, unJ would fain have washed theii* hands of the whole affair. Oihers there were who judged the man from his countenance and his acts, not from circumstances. These remonstrated even to the last, and advised delay. But the half-dozen who were set upon the man's death — not to gratify a thirst for blood, but to execute due justice on a pirate whom they abhorred — were influential and violent men. They silenced all opposition at last, and John Bumpus finally had the noo-e put round his neck. " O Susan ! Susan ! " cried the i)Oor man, in an agony of intense feeling, " it's little ye thought your Jo would come to such an end as this when ye last sot eyes on him — an' sweet blue eyes they wos, too ! " There was something ludicrous as well as pathetic in this cry. It did more for him than tlie most eloquent pleading could have done. Man in a crowd, is an imsta- ble being. At any moment he will veer right round and run in an opposite direction. The idea that the condemned man had a Susan who would mourn over his untimely end touched a cord in the hearts of many among the crowd. The reference to her sweet blue eyes at such a moment raised a smile, and an extremely dismal but opportune hou'l from ])oor Toozle raised a laugh. Bumpus started, and looked sternly on the crowd. " You may think me a pirate," said he ; " but I know enough of the feelln's of honest men to expect no mercy from those wot can laugh at a fellow-creetur in such an hour. You had better get the murder over as eoon as ye can. I am ready Stay ! one moment more. I had a'most forgot it. There's a letter here that I want one o' you to lake charge of It's the last I ever got iVom my Susan ; an' if I had taken her advice to let alone haviu' THE SANDAL-WOOD TKADKK. 231 to do with all sandal-wood traders, I'd never ha' bla in such a fix as I am this day. I want it sent back to her, with my blessin' and a lock o' my hair. Is there an hon- est man among ye who'll take in hand to do this for me ? " As he spoke, a young man, in a costume somewhat resembling that of a sailor, pu.~:lied through the crowd, leaped upon the deal table on which Jo stood, and removed the noose fi'om his neck. An exclamation of anger burst from those who sur- rounded the table ; but a sound something like applause broke from the crowd, and restrained any attempt at vio- lence. The young man at the same time held up his hand, and asked leave to address them. " Ay ! ay ! let's hear what he has got to say. That's it : speak up, Dan ! " The youth, whose dark olive complexion proclaimed him to be a half-caste, and whose language showed that he had received at least the rudiments of education, stretched out his hand and said : " Fi'iends, I do not stand here to interfere with justice. Those who seek to give a pirate his just reward do well. But there has been doubt in the minds of some that this man may not be a pirate. His own word is of no value ; but if I can bring forward anything to show that perhaps his word is true, then we have no riirlit to hang him till we have given hira a longer trial." " Hear ! hear ! " from the white men in the crowd, and *' IIo ! ho ! " from the natives. Meanwhile the young man, or Dan, as some one called liiraj turned to Burapus and a>dved for the letter to which he had referred. Being informed that it was in the inside pocket of his jacket, the youth put his hand iu and drew it forth. 232 GASCOYXE, "May I read it ? Your life may depend on what I find here." " Sartinly, — by all manner of means," replied Jo, not a little surprised at the turn affairs were taking. Dan opened and perused the epistle for a few minutes, during whieh intense silence was maintained in the crowd, as if they expected to hear the thoughts of the young man as they passed through his bx-aln. " Ha ! I thought so," exclaimed Dan, looking up and again addressing the ci*owd. " At the trial yesterday you heard this man say that he was engaged at San Francisco by Gascoyne on the 12th of April last, and that he believed the schooner to be a sandal-wood trader when he shipped." " Yes, yes, — ho ! " from the crowd. " If this statement of his be true, then he was not a pi- rate when he shipped, and he has not had much time to be- come one between that time and this. The letter which I hold in my hand proves the truth of this statement. It is dated San Francisco, 11th April, and is written in a fe- male hand. Listen, — I will read it; and you shall judge for youselves." The young man then read the following letter, which, being a peculiar as well as an interesting specimen of a love-letter, we give veihatim ct literatim : " Peelers farm near " For Sanfransko Apr; j 11 John bumpuss, aboord the Schooner feme " mv darlin Jo, " ever sins you towld me yisterday that youd oin an gaged yerself into the fome, my mind has been i >naisy. Ye no, darlint, from the our ye cald me yer owi. Susan, in clare county. More betoken, iv bin onaisy about ye yer THE SAXDAL-WOOD TRADER, 23 q 60 LowlJ an Ilekles. but this is wurst ov all. iv no no- slimi 6 them sandle-wood skooners. the Haf ov thems pu'its an The other hafs no better, "whats wus is that my owlJ master was drownded in wan, or out o wan, but shure its All the Saim. down he wint an that wos the Endd. " now Deer jo dont go to say in that skooner i beseech ye, jo. ye towld me that ye liked the looks o the cappcn and baited the looks o the Ki'ew. Xow deer, take warnin think ov me. think ov the words in the coppie book weev writ so often together at owld makmahons skool, eevil emunishakens Krupt yer maners, i misrember it, but ye no wot id be sayin' to ye. " o jo Dont go, but cum an see me as soon as iver ye can " yours til deth. Susan." "p. s. the piggs is quite livly but ther not so hansum heer as in the owld country, don't forgit to rite to your susan." No one can conceive the indignation that swelled the broad chest of honest John Bumpus when he listened to the laughter with which some parts of this letter were received. " Now," said Dan, " could any man want better proof than this that John Bumpus is not a pirate ? " This question was answered by a perfect yell from the crowd. " Set him free ! cut his cords ! " cried a voice. " Stop, friends," cried a big, coarse-looking man, leaping on tlie table and jostling Dan out of the way. " Not quite so fast. I don't pretend to be a learned feller, and 234 GASCOYNE, I can't make a speccli with a buttery tongue like Dan here. Cut wot I've got to t ay is — Justice forever ! " " Hurrah ! " froni some of liie wild spirits of the crowd. " Go on, Burke," from others. " Yes, wot I say is — Justice forever ! Fair play an' no favor : thafs wot I say I " Another cheer greeted the bokl assertion of these noble sentiments. " Now, here it is," continued Burke, b'^coming much excited, " wot's to hinder that there letter ocin' a forgery ? — ay, that's the word, a forgery ? (Hear! hear!) got up apurpose to bamboozle us chains that aint lawyers. D'ye see ? " Burke glanced at Dan, and smote his thigh triumph- antly as he said this. " It does not look like a forgery," said Dan holding, up the letter and pointing to the writing. " I leave it to yourselves to say if it sounds like a foi'gery — " " I don't care a farthin' dip for yer looJcs and sounds" cried Burke, interrupting the other. " No man is goin' for to tell me that anybody can trust to looks and sounds. Why, I've know'd the greatest villain that ever chewed the end of a smuirGrled cifrar look as innocent as the babe unborn. An' is there a man here wol'll tell me he hasn't often an' over again mistook the crack of a big gun for a clap o' thunder ? " This was received with much approval by the crowd, which had evidently more than half-forgotten the terrible pui'pose for which it had assembled there, and was now much interested in what bade fair to be a keen dispute. When the noise abated, Dan i-aised his voice and said : " If Burke had not interrupted mc, I was going to have sa/'d that another thing which proves the letter to be no THE SAXDAL-"^OOD TRADER. 235 forgery is, tliat the postmark of San Francisco is on tlie back of it, wiih the date all right." This statement delighted the crowd immensely, and caused Burke to look disconcerted for a feAv seconds ; he rallied, however, and returned to the charge. " Postmarks ! wot do I care for postmarks ? Can't a man forge a postmark as easy as any other mark ? " " Ah ! that's true," from a voice in the crowd. " No, not so easily as anu oilier mark," retorted Dan ; " for it's made with a kind of ink that's not sohl in shops. Everything goes to prove that the letter is no forgery. But, 3Ir. Burke, vriU you answer me this. If it was a forgery, got up for the purpose of saving this man's life, at ichat time icas it forced ? for Bumpus could not know tliat he would ever need such a letter until yesterday afternoon, and between that time and this there was but little time to forge a letter from San Francisco, postmark and all, and make it soiled and worn at the edges like an old letter. [' Hear I ' and sensation.] More than that," cried Dan, waxing eacrer and earnest, " if it was a forcrerv, got up for the purpose, why was it not ■produced at the trial ? [' Hear ! hear ! ' and cheers ! ] And, last of all, why, if this forgery was so important to him, did John Bumpus foriret all about it until he stood on this table ; av, until the rope was round his nech ? " A perfect storm of cheers and applause followed this last sentence, in the midst of which there were cries of " You're floored, Burke ! Hurrah for Bumpus ! Cut the ropes ! " But although John's life was nov\' safe, his indignation at Susan's letter havini' been laughed at was not alto- gother allayed. " rii toil ye wot it is," said he, the instant there was a lull iu the u')roar of voices. " If ^ou think that I'll stand 236 GASCOYjSTE. here and see my Susan's letter insulted before my eyes, you're very far out o' your reckoning. Just cut them ropes, an' put any two o' ycr biggest men, black or white, before me, an' if I don't show tliem a lot o' new stars as hasn't been seed in no sky -wotiver since Adam was a little boy, my name's — " Up to this point Jo was heard ; but the conclusion of his defiance was drowned in roars of lau2;hter. " Cut the ropes ! " shouted the crowd. Dan drew a clasp-knife from his pocket, and with one stroke set Bnmpus free. " Shoulder high ! " yelled a voice ; " hurrah ! " A wild rush was made at the table. Jo's executioners were overturned and trampled under foot, and the table, with himself and his young advocate sprawling on it, was raised on the shoulders of the crowd and borne olT in tri- umph. Half an hour later, Bumpus was set down at the widow's door. Mrs. Stuart received him with a scream of surprise and joy, for she had given him up as a lost man. " Now, then, Mrs. Stuart," said Jo, throwing himself on a chair and wiping the perspiration from his forehead, " don't make such a fuss about me, like a good creetur. But do get me a bit o' bacon, and let's be thankful that I'm here to eat it. Cut it fat, Mrs. Stuart; cut it fat; for it's won- derful wot a appetite I've got after such a mornins' work as I've gone through. TTell, well, after all that yer friends have said of ye, Jo Bumpus, I do believe that yer not born to be hanged ! " CHAPTER XXII. THE RENDEZVOUS — AN EPISODE — PECULIAU CIRCU3ISTANCE8. OTHER HATTERS. About five or six clays' sail from the scene of our tale there lies one of those small rocks or islets with •which the breast of the Pacific is in many places thickly studded. It is a lonely coral isle, far removed from any of its fellows, and presenting none of those grand features which characterize the island on which the settlement of Sandy Cove was situated. In no part does it rise more than thirty feet above the level of the sea; in most places it is little more than a few feet above it. The coral reefs around ic are numerous ; and as many of them rise to within a few feet of the surface, the navigation in its neis^h- borhood is dangerous in the extreme. At the time of which we write, the vegetation of the isle was not very luxuriant. Only a few clusters of cocoanut palms grew here and there over its otherwise barren sur- face. In this respect it did not resemble most of the other islands of the Pacific. Owing partly to its being out of the usual course of ships, and partly to the dangerous reefs already referred to, the spot was never approached by vessels, or, if a ship happened to be driven towards it, she got out of its way as speedily as possible. This was the rentTezvous of the pirates, and was named by them the Isle of Palms. 238 GASCOYNE, Here, in caverns hollowed out of the coral rock, Gas cojne had been wo;it to secrete such goods and stores as were necessary for the maintenance of his piratical course of life ; and to this lone spot did Manton convey his pris- oners after getting rid of his former commander. Towards this spot, also, did Gascoyne turn the prow of the cutter "Wasp in pursuit of his mutinous first mate. Manton, for rca^rons best known to himself (certainly not from goodness of heart), was kind to his captives to the extent of simply letting them alone. He declined to hold any intercourse whatever with Captain Montague, and forbade him to speak with the men upon pain of being con- fined to his berth. The young people were allowed to do as they pleased, so long as they kept out of the way. On reaching the Isle of Palms the pirates at once pro- ceeded to take in those stores of which they stood in need. Tlie harbor into which the schooner ran was a narrow bay, on the shores of which the palm trees grew sufficiently high to prevent her masts being seen from the other side of the island. Here the captives were landed; but as Manton did not wish them to witness his proceedings, he sent them across the islet under the escort of a party who conveyed them to the shores of a small bay. On the rocks in this bay lay the wreck of what once had been a noble ship. It was now completely dismantled. Her hull was stove in by the rocks. Her masts and yards were gone, with the ex- ception of their stumps and the lower part of the main- mast, to which the mainyard still hung with a ragged portion of the mainsail attached to it. A feeling of depression filled the breast of Montague and his companions as they came in sight of this wreck, and the former attempted to obtain some information in regard to her from his conductors ; but they sternly bade THE SAXDAL-WOOD TRADER. 239 him ask no questions. Some time afterwards lie heard the story of this vessel's fate. We shall record it here. Not many mouths prior to the date of our tale, the Aveuier happened to have occasion to run down to the Isle of Palms. Ga.-rcoyne was absent at the time. lie had been landed at Sandy Cove, and had ordered Manton to go to the rendezvous for supplies. On nearing the i^le a storm arose. The wind was fair, however, and the schooner ran for her destination under close-reefed sails. Just before reaching it they fell in with a large fall-rigged ship, which, on sighting the schooner, ran up her flag half-mast high, as a signal of distress. She had sprung a leak, and was sinking. Had the weather been calmer, the pirates would have at once boarded the vessel and carried her as a prize into the harbor ; but the sea ran so high that this M-as impossible. Manton therefore ran down as close to the side of the mei'- chantman (for such she seemed to be) as enabled him to hail her through the speaking-trumpet. When sufficiently near he demanded her name and destination. " The Brilliant, fi'om Liverpool, bound for the Sandwich Islands. And you ? " '• The Foam — from the Feejees — for Calcutta. What's wrong with you ? " " Sprung a leak ; is there anchorage in the bay ? " sang out the captain of the merchantman. " Xo ; it's too shoal for a big ship. Bear away round to the other side of the island. Youll liud good holding gi'ound there. Ill show you the way." The pirate accordingly conducted the unsuspecting stran- ger away from the only safe harbor in the island, and led him througii a complete labyrinth of reefs and rocks, to the bay on the other side, in wliich he knew full well there 240 GASCOYNE, was scarcely enough of water to float liis own little schooner. With perfect confidence in his guide, the unfortunate captain of the merchantman followed until both vessels were in the comparatively still and sheltered waters of the bay. Here Manton suddenly put down the helm, brought his vessel up to the wind, and allowed the stranger to pass in. " Hold on about sixty fathoms furthei", and then let go your anchor," he shouted, as the ship went steadily on to her doom. " Ay, ay, and thank 'ee," cried the captain, who had already taken in nearly all sail and was quite prepared to anchor. But Manton knew that before twenty fathoms more should be passed over by the ship she would run straight on a coral I'cef, which rose to within about five feet of the surface of the sea. In an exposed place this reef would have formed a line of breakers ; but in its sheltered position the water gave no indication of its existence. The gale, though not blowing direct into the bay, entered it in a sufficiently straight line to carry the ship onward with great speed, notwithstanding the reduction made in her canvas. " Stand by to let go the anchor," cried her captain. That was his last order. Scarcely had the words passed his lips when the ship struck with a shock that caused her to quiver like a leaf from stem to stern. All the top'masts with their yards and rigging went over the side, and in one instant the fine vessel was a total wreck. The rest of the story is soon told. The pirates, showing their true colors, ran alongside and took possession without opposition-, for the crew of the merchantman were so over* THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 241 wlielmcd by the suddenness and appalling nature of (he calamity that liad befallen them that they had no heart to resist. Of course it was out of the question that the crew of the Brilliant could bo allowed to remain on the island. Some of the pirates suggested that they should be put on a raft, towed to leeward of the island, and, when out of sight of it, be cast adrift to float about until they should be picked up 01 get blown on one of the numerous islands that lay to the southward of the rendezvous. Manton and Scraggs advocated this plan, but the better-disposed among the men protested against such needless cruelty, and suggested that it would be better to put them into the long-boat of the ship, bandage their eyes, then tOAV them out of sight of land, and cast them loose to steer where they pleased. This plan was adopted and carried into execution. Then the pirates returned, and at their leisure unloaded and secured the cargo of their prize. It was richer than they had anticipated, being a miscellaneous cargo of valu- able commodities for the tradin2; stores of some of the South Sea merchants and settlers. The joy felt by the pirates on making this discovery was all the benefit that was ever derived from these ill- gotten gains by any one of those who had a hand in that dastardly deed. Long before they had an opportunity of removing the goods thus acquired, the career of the Avenger had terminated. But we must not anticipate our story. On a green knoll near the margin of this bay, and in full view of the wreck, a rude tent or hut was constructed by the pirates out of part of an old sail which had been washed ashore from the wreck, and some broken spars. A small cask of biscuit and two or three blankets were IG 242 GxVSCOYXE, placed in it, and here the captives were left to do as they pleased until such tiraa as Manton chojc to send for them. The only piece of advice that was given to them by their surly jailer was, that Ihcy should not on any pretence whatever cross the island to the bay in which the schooner , lay at anchor. " If ye do," said the man who was the last of the party to quit them, "ye'll wish ye hathi't — that's all. Take my advice, and keep yer kooriosity in yer breeches' pockets." "With this caution they were left to their own devices and meditations. It was a lovely, calm evening, at sunset, when our four unfortunate friends were thus left alone in these strange circumstances. The efTect of their forlorn condition was very different on each. Poopy flung herself down on the ground, inside the tent, and began to sob ; Alice sat down beside her, and wept silently; whilst Montague, forgetting his own sorrows in his pity for the poor your.g creatures who had been thus strangely linked to him in afiliclion, sat down opposite to Alice, and souglit to comibrt her. Will Corrie, feeling that he could do nothing to cheer his companions in the circumstances, and being unable to sit still, rose, and going out at the end of the tent, both sides of which were open, stood leaning on a pole, and contemplated the scene before him. In a small creek, or indentation of the shore, close to the knoll on which the tent stood, two of the pirates were working at a boat which lay there. Corrie could not at first understand what they were about ; but he was soon enlightened ; for, after hauling the boat as far out of the water as they could, they left her there, and followed their comrades to the other side of the island, carrying tlie oars along with them. THE S.VNDAL-WOOD TRADER. 243 The epirlt that dwelt in Corric's breast was a very peculiar one. Up to this point in his misfortunes the poor boy had been subdued, — overwhelmed by the suddenness and the terrible nature of the calamity that had befallen him, or, rather, that had befallen Alice; for, to do him justice, he only thought of her. Indeed, he carried this feeling so far that he had honestly confessed to himself, in a mental soliloquy, the night on which he had been captured, he did not care one straw for himself, or Poopy, or Captain Montague; that his whole and sole distress of mind and body was owing to the grief into which Alice had been plunged. He had made an attempt to comfort her one night on the voyage to the Isle of Palms, when she and Poopy and he were left alone together ; but he failed. After one or two elTorts he ended by bursting into tears, and then, clicking himself violently with his own hands, said that he v.'a3 a.-hamed of himself, that he wasn't crying for himself but for her (Alice), and that he hoped she wouldn't think the worse of him for being so like a baby. Here he turned to Poopy, and in a most unreason- able manner began to scold her for being at the bottom of the whole mischief, in the middle of which he broke ofT, said that he believed himself to be mad, a)id vowed he would blow out his own brains first, and those of all the pirates afterwards. Wlierenpon he choked, sobbed again, and rushed out of the cabin as if he really meant to exe- cute his last awful threat. But poor Corrie only rushed away to hide from Alice the irrepressible emotions that nearly burst his heart. Yes, Corrie was thoroughly subdued by grief. But the spring was not broken ; it was only crushed flat by the weight of sorrow that lay like a millstone on his youthful bosom. The first thing that s'^t his active brain agoing once 244 GASCOYNE, more — lliereby overturning llie -wciglit of sorrow and causing the spring of his peculiar spirit to rebound — was the sight of the two pirates hauling up the boat and carry- ing off the oars. "Ila! that's your game, is it?" muttered the boy, be- tween his teeth, and grasping the pole with both hands as if he wished to squeeze his lingers into the wood. " You don't want to give us a chance of escaping, don't you, eh ! is that it ? You think that because we're a small j)arty, and the half of us females, that we're cowed, and wont think of trying any other way of escaping, do you ? Oh yes, that's what you think ; you know it, you do, hut you re 7nistal'cn'" (he became terribly sarcastic and bitter at this point) ; '' you'll find that you've got men to deal with, that you've not only caught a tartar, but two tartars — one o' them being ten times tartarer than the other. Oh, if—" " What's all that you're saying, Corrie ? " said Mon- tague, stepping out of the tent at that moment. O Captain ! " said the boy, vehemently, " I wish I were a giant ! " " Why so, lad ? " " Because then I would wade out to that wi'eck, clap my shoulder to her bow, shove her into deep water, carry you, and Alice, and Poopy aboard, haul out the mainmast by the roots, make an oar of it, and scull out to sea, bavin' previously fired olF the biggest gun aboard of her to let the pirates know what I was doing." Corrie's spirit was in a tumultuous and very rebellious state. He was half inclined to indulge in hysterical weep- ing, and more than half disposed to give way to a burst of savage glee. He spoke with the mantling Wood blazing in his fat cheeks, and his two eyes glittering like those of THE SAXDAL-VrOOD TR.VDER. 245 a basilisk. Montague could not repress a smile and a look of iidrniration as lie said to our little hero : "Why, Corrie, it' you were a giant it would be much easier to go to the other side of the island, wring off the head3 of all the pirates, and, carrying mc on your shoul- ders, and Alice and Poopy in your coat pockets, get safely aboard the Foam, and ho ! for Sandy Cove." " So it would, said Corrie, gravely. " I did not thmk of that ; and it would be a far pleasanter way than the othei-." ' " Ah, Corrie, I fear that you arc a very bloodthirsty fellow." *' Of course I am when I've pirates to deal with. I would kill them every man, without a thought." " Xo you wouldn't, my boy. You couldn't do it in cold blood, even although they are bad men." " I don't know that," said Corrie, dubiously. " I would do it without more feeling than I Avould have in killinj; a cat." " Did }ou ever kill a cat ? " asked Montague. " Never," answered Corrie. " Tlien how can you tell what your feelings would be if you were to attempt to do it. I remember once, when I was a bov, going out to hunt cats." " O Captain Montague ! surely you never hunted cats," exclaimed Alice, who came out of the tent with a very pale face, and uncommonly red eyes. " Yes, indeed, I did once ; but I never did it again. I caiiglit one, a kitten, and set oIT with a number of boys to kill it ; but as we went along it began to play with my necktie, and to purr. Oar hearts were softened, so we let it go. Ah, Corrie, my boy, never go hunting cats ! " said Montague, earnestly. 246 GASCOYNE, "Did I say I was going lo?" replied Corrie, indig- nantly. Montague laughed, and so did Alice, at the fierce look the boy put on. " Come," said the former, " I'm sure that you would not kill a jjirate in cold blood, any more than you would kill a kitten — would you ? " " I'm not sure o' that," said Corrie, half laughln"-, but still looking fierce. " I:i the first place, my blood is never cold when I've to do with pirates ; and, in t'ae second place, pirates are not innocent creatures covered with soft hair, and — they don't purr I " This last remark set Alice into a fit of laughter, and drew a laiut "hee! hee ! " from Poopy, who had been listening to the conversation behind the canvas of the tent. Montague took advantage of this improved state of things. " jSTow, Alice," said he, cheerfully, " do j'ou and Poopy set about spreading our blanket tablecloth, and get- ting supper laid out. It is but a poor one, — hard bkcuit and water, — but there is plenty of it, and, after all, that is the main thing. Meanwhile, Corrie and I will saunter along shore and talk over our plans. Cheer up, my little girl ; we will manage to give these pirates the slip some- how or other, you may depend upon it." " Corrie," said Montague, when ihey were alone, I have spoken chceringly to Alice, because she is a little girl and needs comfort, but you and I know that our case is a despei'ate one, and it will require all our united wis- dom and cleverness to effect our escape from these rascally pirates." The commander of the Talisman paused, and smiled in spite of himself at the idea of being placed in circum- stances that constrained him to hold a consultation, in mat- THE SANDAL- WOOD TRADER. 247 ters that miglit involve life and death, Trith a mere boy ! But there was no help for it ; beside-, to fay tru'Ji, the extraordinaiy energy and cour;;ge that had been displayed by the lad, combined with a considerable amount of innate sharpness in his character, tended to create a fcehng that the consultation mia;ht not be altogether without advan- tage. At all events, it was better to talk over their des- perate position even with a boy, than to confine his anxie- ties to his own breast. Cut although Montague had seen enough of his young companion to convince him that he was an intelligent feUow, he was net prepai'ed for the fertility of re. ource, the extremity of daring, and the ingenuity of device that were exhibited by him in the course of that consultation. To creep over, in the dead of night, knife in hand, and attack the pirates while asleep, was one of the least start- ling of his daring propositions ; and to swim out to the wreck, set her on fire, and get quietly on board the Aveng- er, while all the amazed pirates should have rushed over to see what could have caused such a blaze, cut the cable and sail awav, was among the least injienious of his de- vices. These two talked long and earnestly while the shades of evening were descending on the Isle of Palms ; and in the earnestness of their talk, and the pressing urgency of their case, the man almost forgot that his companion was a boy, and the boy never for a moment doubted that he himself, in everything but years, Avas a man. It Avas getting dark when they returned to the tent, wlicre they found that Alice and Poopy had arranged their supper with the most scrupulous care and nicety. These, too, with the happy buoyancy of extreme youth, had tem- porarily forgotten their position, and, when their male 248 GASCOYNE. companions entered, were deeply engaged in a private game of a " tea-party," in which hard biscuit figured as bun, and water was made to do duty for tea. In this lat- ter part of the game, by the way, the children did bu( carry out in jest a practice which is not altogether un known in happier circumstances and in civilized society. CHAPTER XXIII. PLAVS PARTIALLY CAEEIED OUT — THE CUTTEr's FATE — AND A SERIOUS MISFORTUNE. The cutter was a fast sailer, and, altliougli the pirate scliooner had left Sandy Cove nearly two days before her, the Wasp, having had a fair wind, followed close on her heels. The Avenger cast anchor in the harbor of the Isle of Palms on the morning of her fifth day out ; the "Wasp sighted the island on the evening of the same day. It was not Gascoyne's purpose to run down at once and have a hand-to-hand fight with his own men. He felt that his party was to weak for such an attempt, and resolved to accomplish by stratagem what he could not hope to compass by force. He therefoi-e hove-to the instant the tops of the palm-trees appeared on the horizon, and waited till night should set in and favor his designs. " What do you intend to do ? " inquired Henry Stuart, who stood on the deck watching the sun as it sank into the ocean behind a mass of golden clouds, in which, however, there were some symptoms of stormy weather. " I mean to wait till it is dark," said Gascoyne, " and then run down and take possession of the schooner." Henry looked at the pirate captain in surprise, and not without distrust. Ole Thorwald, who was smoking his big German pipe with great energy, looked at him with undis- guised uneasiness. 250 GASCOYNE, "You ppeak as if you Lad no doubt what _'rcr of suc- ceeding in this enterprise, Mr, Gascoyne," said the latter. "■ I have no doubt," replied Gascoyne. " I do believe you're riglit," returned TliorwalJ, smoking furiously as he became more agitated. "I make no ques- tion but your villains will receive you with open arms. Wbat guarantee have we, Mister Gascoyne, or Mister Durward, that we shall not be seized and made to walk the plank, or perform some similarly fantastic feat — in which, mayhap, our feet will have less to do with the performance than our necks — when you get into power ? " " You have no guarantee whatever," returned Gascoyne, " except the word of a pirate ! " "You say truth," cried Ole, springing up and pacing the deck with unwonted energy, while a troubled and somewhat fierce expression settled on his usually good- humored countenance. " You say truth, and I think we have been ill-advised when we took this step ; for my part, I regard myself as little better than a maniac for putting myself obstinately, not to say deliberately, into the very jaws of a lion, — perhaps I should say a tiger. But, mark my words, Gascoyne, alias Durward " (here he stopped suddenly before the pirate, who was leaning in a careless attitude against the mast, and looked him full in the face), " if you play us false, as I have no hesitation in saying I believe that you fully iutend to do, your life will not be worth a pewter shilling." " I am yet in your power, Mr. Thorwald," said Gas- coyne ; " if your friends agree to it, I cannot prevent your putting about and returning to Sandy Cove. But in that case the missionary's child will be lost ! " " I do not believe that ray child's safety is so entirely dependent on you," said Mr. Mason, who had listened in THE SANDAL-WOOD TI^ADER. 251 silence to the foregoing dialogue ; " f he is in tlie hands of that God on whom tou have turned aoui* back, and with whom all things are possible. But I feel disposed to trust you, Gascoyno ; and I feel thus because of what was said of Tou by Mrs. Stuart, in whose good sense I place implicit confidence. I would advise Mr. Thorwald to wait pa- tiently until he sees more cause than he does at present for distrust." Gascoyne had turned round, and, during the gi-eater part of this speech, had gazed intently towards the horizon. " We shall have rough weather to-night," said he ; '• but our work will be done before it comes, I ho-pe. Up with the helm now, Henry, and slack off the sheets ; it is dark enough to allow us to creep in without being observed. Manton will of course be in the only harbor in the island ; we must therefore go round to the other side, and take the risk of running on the reefs." " Risk ! " exclaimed Henry ; " I thought you knew all the passages about the island ? " " So I do, lad — all the passages ; but I don't profess to know every rock and reef in the bottom of the sea. Our only chance is to make the island on the south side, where there are no passages at all except one that leads into a bay ; but if we run into that, cur masts will be seen against the southern sky, even from the harbor v.hcre the schooner lies. If we are seen they will be prepared for us, in which case we shall have a desperate fight with little chance of success and the certainty of much bloodshed. We must therefore run straight for another part of the shore, not far from the bay I have referred to, and take our chance of striking. I think there is enough of water to fioat this litile cutter over the reefs, but I am not sure." " Think ! sure ! " echoed Thorwald, in a tone of exas- 252 GASCOYNE, perated surprise ; " and if we do strike, Mr. Gascojne, do 5'ou mean ns to go beg for mercy at the hands of your men, or to swim back to Sandy Cove ? " " If we strike, I shall take the boat, laud with the men, and leave the cutter to her fate. The Avenger will suffice to take us back to Sandy Cove." Ole was rendered speechless by the coolness of this remark ; so he relieved himself by tightening his belt, and spouting forth volcanoes of smoke. Meanwhile, the cutter liad run to within a short distance of the island. The night was rendered doubly dark by the rapid spreading of those heavy clouds which indicated the approach of a squall, if not a storm. " This is well," said Gascoyne, in a low tone, to Henry Sluart, who stood near him; "the worse the storm is to night the better for the success of our enterprise. Henry lad, I'm sorry you think so badly of me." Henry was taken aback by this unexpected remark, which was made iu a low, sad tone. " Can I think too badly of one who confesses himself to be a pirate ? " said Henry. " The confession is at least in my favor. I had no oc- casion to confess, nor to give myself up to you." " Give yourself up I It remains to be seen whether you mean to do that or not." " Do you not believe me, Henry ? Do you not believe the account that I gave of myself to you and your mother ? " " How can I ? " said the young man, hesitatingly. " Your mother believed mo." " Well, Gascoyne, to tell you the plain truth, I do feel more than half inclined to believe you ; and I'm sorry for you ; I am, from my soul. You might have led a different life, you might even do so yet." THE SANDAL-WOCD TRADER. 253 "You forget," said Gascoyne, smiling sadly. "I have given myself up, and you are bound to prevent my es- caping," Henry was perplexed by tliis reply. In the enthusiasm of his awakened pity he had for a moment forgotten the pirate in the penitent. Before ho could replj^, however, the cutter struck violently on a rock, and an exclamation of alarm and surprise burst from the crew, most of whom were assembled on deck. " Silence ! " cried Gascoyne, in a deep, sonorous tone, that was wonderfully dlfl'ereut from that in which he had just been speaking to Henry ; " get out the boat. Arm yourselves, and jump in. There is no time to lose." " The cutter is hard and fast," said Henry ; " if this squall does not come on, or if it turns out to be a light one, we may get her off." " Perhaps we may, but I have little hope of that," re- turned Gascoyne. " Now, lads, are you all in the boat ? Come, Henry, get in at once." " I will remain here," said Henry. " For what end ? " said Gascoyne, in surprise. , "■ The cutter belongs to a friend ; I do not choose to forsake her in this off-hand manner." " Cut nothing can save her, Henry." " Perhaps not. Nevertheless, I will do what I can. She moves a little. If she is lifted over this reef while we are on shore, she will be carried out to sea and lost, and that must not be allowed. Leave me here till you land the men, and then send the boat back with two of them. "We will put some of the cutter's ballast into It, and try to tow her off. It wont take half an hour, and that will not interfere with your plans, I should think, for the whole night lies before us." 2-54 Gx\SCOYNE, Seeing tliat he was determined, Gascojne agreed, and left the cutter, promising to send off the boat directly. But it took half an hour to row from the. "Wasp to the shore, and before the half of that time had elapsed, the storm which had been impending burst over the inland. It was much more violent than had been expected. The cutter was lifted over the reef by the first wave, and struck heavily as she slid into deep water. Then she rushed out to sea before the gale. Henry seized the helm and kept the little vessel right before the wind. He knew nothing of the sea around, and the intense darkness of the night prevented his seeing more than a dozen yards be- yond the bow. It was perhaps as well that he was kept in ignorance of what awaited him ; for he was thus spared at least the anticipation of what appeared certain destruction. lie fancied that the rock over which he had been carried was the outer reef of the island. In this he was mistaken. The whole sea around and beyond him was beset wiih reefs, which at that moment Vv-ere covered with foam. Had da^dight revealed the scene, he would have been ap- palled. As it was, he stood stoutly and hopefully to the helm, while the cutter rushed wildly on to her doom. Suddenly she struck wilh terrihc violence, and Henry was hurled to the deck. Leaping up, he sprang again to the helm and attempted to put about, but the shock had been so great that the whole framework of the little craft was dislocated. The fastenings of the rudder had beer, torn out, and she was unmanageable. Tlie next wave lifted her over the reef, and the gale swept her away. Even then the hopes of the young man did not quite fail him. He believed that the la-t reef l;ad now been passed, and that he would be driven out to the open sea. THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 255 clear at least of immediate danger. It was a vain hope. In another moment the vessel struck for the third time, and the mast went over the side. Again and ."gain she rose and fell with r.U her weight on the rocks. The last blow burst out her sides, and she fell to pieces, a total wreck, leaving Henry struggling with the waves. He seized the first piece of wood tliat came in his way, and ching 1o it. For many hours he was driven about and tossed by the Avinds and waves until he began to feel utterly exhausted; but he clung to the spar with the tenac- ity of a drowning man. In those seas the water is not so cold as in our northern climes, so that men can remain in it for a great length of time without much injury. There are many instances of the South Sea islanders having been wrecked in their canoes, and having spent not only hours but days in the water, clinging to broken pieces of wood, and swimming for many miles, pushing these before them. When, therefore, the morning broke, and the bright sun shone out, and the gale had subsided, Henry found him- self still clinging to the spar, and, ahhough much weak- ened, still able to make some exertion to save himself. On looking round he found that numerous pieces of the wreck floated near him, and tliat the portion to which he clung was the broken lower mast. A large mass of the deck, with part of the gunwale attached to it, lay close beside him, held to the mast by one of the shrouds. He at once swam to this, and found it sufficiently large to sus- tain his weight, though not large enoug'i to enable him to get quite out of the Avater. Yv'hile here, lialf in and half out of the water, his first act was to fall on his knees and thank God for sparing his life, and to pray for help in that hour of need. Feehng that it would be impossible to exist much 256 GASCOYNE, longer unless lie could get quite out of the water so as to allow tlie sun to warm his chilled frame, he used what strength remained in him to drag towards him several spars that lay within his reach. These he found to be some of the rough timbers that had lain on the deck of the cutter to serve as spare masts and yards. They were, therefore, destitute of cordage, so that it Avas not possible to form a secure raft. Nevertheless, by piling them to- gether on the top of the broken portion of the deck, he succeeded in constructing a platform which raised him completely out of the water. The heat of the sun speedily dried his garments, and as the day wore on the sea went down sufficiently to render the keeping of his raft together ; a matter of less difficulty than it was at first. In trying to make some better arrang- ment of the spars on which he rested, he discovered the corner of a sail sticking between two of them. This he hauled out of the water, and found it to be a portion of the gaffi. It was a fortunate discovery; because, in the event of long exposure, it would prove to be a most useful covering. Wringing it out, he spread it over the logs to dry. The doing of all this occupied the shipwrecked youth so long tliat it was nearly mid-day before he could sit down on his raft and think calmly over his position. Hunger now began to remind him that he was destitute of food ; but Henry had been accustomed, while roaming among the mountains of his island home, to go fasting for long periods of time. The want of breakfast, therefore, did not inconvenience him much ; but before he had remained inactive more than ten minutes, the want of sleep began to tell upon him. Gradually he felt completely over- powered by it. lie laid his head on one of the spars at THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 257 last, and resigned himself to an influence he could no lon2;cr resist. It was evening before he awoke from tliat slumber. The sua had just disappeared below the horizon, and the red clouds that remained behind were beginning to deepen, as night prepared to throw her dark mantle over the sea. A gull wheeled over the youth's head and uttered a wild cry as he awoke, causing him to etart up with a feeling of bewildered uncertainty as to where he was. The true nature of his position was quickly forced upon him. A dead calm now prevailed. Henry gazed eagerly, wistfully round the horizon. It was an unbroken line ; not a speck that resembled a sail was to be seen. Remem- bering for the first time that his low raft would be quite invisible at a very short distance, he set about erecting a flag. Tins was easily done. Part of his red shirt was torn off and fastened to a light spar, the end of v/hich he stuck between the logs. Having set up his signal of dis- tress he sat down beside it, and, drawing part of the sail over his shoulders, leaned on the broken part of the bul- wark, and pondered his forlorn condition. It was a long, sad reverie into which poor Henry Stu- art fell that evening. Hope did not, indeed, forsake his breast ; for hope is strong in youth ; but he was too well acquainted with the details of a sailor's life and risks to be able to shut his eyes po the real dangers of his position. He knew full well that if he should be cast on any of the inhabited islands of the South Seas (unless it might be one of the very few that had at that time accepted the gos- pel) he would certainly be killed by the savages, whose practice it is to slay and eat all unfortunates who chance to be wrecked and cast upon their shores. But no islands were m sight ; and it was possible that he might be left to :7 258 GASCOYNE. float on the boundless ocean until the slow and terx'ible process of starvation did its work, and wox'e away the life which he felt to be so fresh and strong within him. When he thought of this he shuddered, and reverted, almost with a feeling of pleasure, to the idea that another storm might spring up ere long, and, by dashing his frail raft to pieces, bring his life to a speedy termination. His hopes were not very clear even to his own mind. He did indeed hope, because he could not help it; but what it was that he hoped for would have puzzled him to state. A passing ship finding him in a part of the Pacific where ships were not wont to pass, was perhaps among the least animating of all his hopes. But the thoughts that coursed through the youth's brain that night were not centered alone upon the means or the prospects of deliverance. He thought of his mother, — her gentleness, her goodness, her unaccountable partiality for Gascoyne ; but, more than all, he thought of her love for himself. He thought, too, of his former life, — his joys, his sorrows, and his sins. As he remembered these last, his soul was startled, and he thought of his God and his Saviour as he had never thought before. Despite his efforts to restrain them, tears, but not unmanly tears, would flow down his cheeks as he sat that evening on his raft ; meditated on the past, the present, and the future, and realized the terrible solemnity of his position, — with- out water or food — almost without hope — alone on the deep CHAPTER XXIV. an ttsexpected meeting — doings on the isle of pa„jvi8. gascoyne's despair. It was not without some difficulty that the boat reached the shore after the squall burst upon them. On landing, the party observed, dark though it was, that their leader's countenance wore an expression of the deepest anxiety ; yet there were lines upon it that indicated the raging of conflicting passions which he found it difficult to restrain. " I fear me," said Ole Thorwald, in a troubled voice, " that our young friend Henry Stuart is in danger." " Lost ! " said Gascoyne, in a voice so low and grating that it startled his hearers. " Say not so," said Mr. Mason, earnestly. " He is a brave and a clever youth, and knows how to manage the cutter until we can i-ow back and fetch him ashore." " Row back ! " exclaimed Gascoyne, almost fiercely. " Think you that I would stand here idly if our boat could live in such a sea as now rolls on the rocks ? The "Wasp must have been washed over the reef by this time. She may pass the next without being dashed to pieces, but she is too rickety to stand the third. No, there is no hope ! " While be spoke the missionary's eyes were closed, and his lips moved as if in silent prayer. Seizing Gascoyne nervously by the arm, he said : " You cannot tell that there is no hope. That is known ordy to One who has 260 GASCOYXE, encouraged us to ' hope against hope.' Henry is a stout youth and a good swimmer. He may Si.cceed in clinging to some portion of tlie wreck." " True, true," cried Gascoyne, eagerly grasping at this hope, slight though it was. " Come ; we waste time. There is but one chance. The schooner must be secured ■without delay. Lads, you will follow Mr. Thorwald. Do whatever he bids you. And now," he added, leading the merchant aside, " the time for action has come. I will conduct you to a certain point on the island, where you will remain concealed among the bushes until I return to you." "And suppose you never return to us, Mister Gas- coyne ! " said Ole, who regarded every act of the pirate captain with suspicion. '• Then you will remain there till you are tired," an- swered Gascoyne, with some asperity, " and after that do what you please." " Well, well, I am in your power," retorted the obdu- rate Norseman ; " make what arrangements you plea3e. I will carry them out until — " Here Ole thought lit to break off, and Gascoyne, with- out taking notice of the remark, went on in a few hurried sentences to explain as much of his plan as he thought necessary for the guidance of his suspicious ally. This done, he led the whole party to the highest part of the island, and made them lie in ambush there while he went forward alone to reconnoitre. The night was ad- mirably suited to their purpose. It Avas so dark that it was difficult to perceive objects more than a few yards off, and the wdnd howled so furiously among the palms that there was no danger of being overheard in the even* o£ their speak'ug too loud or stumbling over fallen tree** THE SAXDAL-WOOD TRADER. 261 Gascoyne, who knew every rock and tree on the Isle of Palms, went rapidly down the gentle slopo that inter- vened between him and the harbor in which the Foam lay at anchor. Dark though it was, he could see the taper masts and yards of his vessel traced dimly against the sky. The pirate's movements now became more cautious. lie stepped slowly, and paused frequently to listen. At last he went down on his hands and knees and crept for- ward for a considerable distance in that position, until he reached a ledge of rocks that overhung the shore of the bay. Here he observed an object like a round lump of rock, lying a few yards before him, on a spot where he was well aware no such rock had previously existed. It moved after a moment or two. Gascoyne knew that there were no wild animals of any kind on the island, and, there- fore, at once jumped to the conclusion that this must needs be a human being of some sort. Drawing his knife he put it between his teeth, and creeping noiselessly towards the object in question, laid his strong hand on the neck of the horrified Will Corrie. That adventurous and desperate little hero having lain sleepless and miserable at the feet of Alice until the squall blew the tent over their heads, got up and assisted Mon- tague to erect it anew in a more sheltered position, after which, saying that he meant to take a midnight ramble on the shore to cool his fevered brow, he made straight for the sea, stepped knee-deep into the raging surf, and bared his breast to the furious blast. This cooled him so effectually that he took to running along shore in order to warm himself. Then it occurred to him that the night Ts-as particularly favorable for a sly peep at the pirates. Without a moment's hesitation, he 202 GASCOYNE, walked and stumbled towards the high part of the i:^land, at which he arrived just half an hour before Ga>coyne reached it. lie had seen nothing, however, and was on the point of advancing still fui-ther in his explorations, when he was discovered as we have seen. Gascoyne instantly turned the boy over on his back, and nipped a tremendous yell in the bud by grasping his wind- pipe. " Why, Corrie ! " exclaimed Gascoyne, in surprise, at the same time loosening his grip, though still holding the boy down. " Ah ! you villain, you rascally pirate. / know you ; 1— " The pipe was gently squeezed at this point, and the sentence abruptly cut short. " Come, boy, you must not speak so loud. Enemies are near. If you don't behave I'll have to throttle you. I Jiave come from Sandy Cove with a party to save you and your friends." Cori'ie did not believe a word of this. lie knew, or at least he suppo.-ed, that Gascoyne had left the schooner, not having seen him since they sailed from Sandy Cove ; but he knew nothing of the manner in which he had been put ashore. " It wont do, Gascoyne," gasped poor Corrie, on being permitted again to use his windpipe. " You may kill me, but you'll never cow me. I don't believe you, you cow- ardly monster." "I'll have to convince you then," said Gascoyne, suddenly catching the boy in his arms, and bearing him swiftly away from the spot. Corrie struggled like a hero, as he was. He tried to shout, but Gascoyne's right hand again squeezed the wind- THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 2G3 pipe ; he attempted to bite, but the same hand easily kept the I'efractory head in order ; he endeavored to kick and hit, but Gascojne's left hand encircled him in such a com- prehensive embrace, and pressed him so powerfully to his piratical bosom, that he could only wri^rgle. This he did without ceasing, until Gascoyne suddenly planted him on his feet, panting and dishevelled, before the astonished faces of Frederick Mason and Ole Thorwald. It is not necessary to describe in detail the surprise of all then and there assembled, the hurried conversation, and the cry of joy with which the missionary received the in- formation that Alice was safe and within five minutes' walk of the spot on which he stood. Suffice it to say that Corrie was now convinced of the good faith of Gascoyne, whom he at once led, along with Mr. Ma^on, to the tent where Alice and her friends slept, leaving Thorwald and his men where they were to await further orders. The cry of wild deliglit with which Alice sprang into her father's arms might have been destructive of all Gas- Coyne's plans had not the wind carried it away from the side of the island where the pirate schooner lay. There was now no time to be lost. After the first embrace, and a few hurried words of blessing and thanksgiving, the mis- sionary was summoned to a consultation. " I will join you in this enterprise, Mr. Gascoyne," said Montague. " I believe what you say to be true ; besides, the urgency of our present danger leaves me no room for choice. I am in your power. I believe that in your present penitent condition you are willing to enable us to escape from your former associates ; but I tell you frankly that, if ever I have an opportunity to do so, I will con- sider it my duty to deliver you over to justice." " Tinie is too precious to trifle* thus," said Gascoyne, 2G4 GASCOYXE, humedlj. " 1 have already said that I will deliver my- self up — not, however, to you, but to Mr. Mason — after I have rescued the party, so that I am not likely to claim any onsideration from you on account of the obligation which you seem to think my present act will lay you under. But you must not accompany me just now." '■• Wliv not ? " " Because your presence may be required here. You and Mr. Mason will remain where you are to guard the girls, until I return. All that I have to ask is, that you be in readiness to follow me at a moment's notice when the time comes." " Of course what you arrange must be agreed to," said Montat^ue. " Come, Corrie, I will require your assistance. Follow me," said the pirate captain, as he turned and strode rap- idly away. Corrie was now thoroughly convinced of the good in- tentions of Gascoyne ; so he followed him without hesita- tion. Indeed, now that he had an opportunity of seeing a little more of his gigantic companion, he began to feel a strange kind of pity and liking for him, but he shud- dered and felt repelled Avhen he thought of the human blood in which his hands must have been imbrued ; for as vet he had not heard of the defence of himself which Gas- coyne had made in the widow's cottage. But he had not much time to think ; for in a few minutes they came upon Ole Thorwald and his party. " Follow me quietly," said Gascoyne. " Keep in single file and close together ; for if we are separated here, we shall not easily get together again." Leading them over the same ground Alt he had for- merly traversed, Gascoyne conducted his party to the THE SANDAI^WOOD TRADER. 265 shores of the bay where the Foam lay at anchor. Here he made them keep close in the bushes, with directions to be ready to act the instant he should call on them to do so. " But it would comfort me miglitily, Mister Gascoyne," said Thorwald, in a somewhat ti'oubled voice, " if you would jrive some instructions or advice as to wdiat I am to do in the event of your plans miscarrying. I care naught for a fair fight in open field ; but I do confess to a dislike of being brought to the condition of not knowing what to dor "It wont matter much what you do, Mr. Thorwald," said Gascoyne, gravely. " If my plans miscarry, you will be killed every soul of you. You'll not have the ghost of a chance of escaping." Ole opened his eyes uncommonly wide at this. " "Well," said he, at length, with a sigh of resignation, " it's some comfort to knov/ that one can only be killed once." Gascoyne now proceeded leisurely to strip off his shirt, thereby displaying a chest, back, and arms in which the muscles were developed to an extent that might have made Hercules himself envious. Kicking off his boots, he re- duced his clothing to a pair of loose knec-brceclies. " 'Tis a strange time to indulse in a cold bath ! '' mur- mured Thorwald, whose state of surprise Avas beginning to render him desperately ironical. Gascoyne took no notice of the remark, but calling Corrie to his side, said : " Can you swim, boy ? " " Yes, like a duck." " Can you distinguish the stern of the schooner? " " I can." *' Listen, then. "When you see a white sheet waved 266 GASCOYxr., over the taffrail, throw off your jacket and shirt and swim out to the schooner. D'ye understand ? " " Perfectly," replied the boy, whose decision of manner and action grew with the occasion. " And now, Mr. Thorwahl," said Gascoyne, " I shall swim off to the schooner. If, as I expect, the men are on shore in a place that I wot of, and with which you have nothing to do, well and good. I will send a boat for you with muffled oars ; but, mark you, let there be no noise in embarking or in getting aboard the schooner. If, on the other hand, the men are aboard, I will bring a boat to you myself, in which case silence will not be so necessary, and your fighting powers shall be put to the proof." Without waiting for a reply, the pirate captain walked down the sloping beach and waded slowly into the dark sea. His motions were so noiseless and stealthy that those who watched him with eager eyes could only discern a figure moving gradually away from them and melting into the thick gloom. Fierce though the storm was outside, the sheltered wa- ters of the bay were almost calm, so that Gascoyne had no difficulty in swimming off to the Foam without making any noise. As he drew near, a footstep on the deck ap- prised him that there was at least a watch left. A few seconds later a man leaned over the low bulwarks of the vessel on the side on which the swimmer approached. " Hist ! what sort o' brute's that ! " he exclaimed, seiz- ing a handspike that chanced to be near him and hurling it at the head of the brute. The handspike fell within a yard of Gascoyne, who, keeping up his supposed character, made a wild splash with his arms and dived like a genuine monster of the deep. Swimming under water as vigorously as he could, THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 267 he endeavored to gain the otlier side of the vessel before he came up ; but, finding that this was impossible, he turned on his back and allowed himself to rise gently until nothing but his face appeared above the surface. By this means he was enabled to di'aw a full breath, and then, causing himself to sink, he swam under water to the other side of the schooner, and rose under her quarter. Here he paused a minute to breathe, then glided with noiseless strokes to the main chains, wliich he seized hold of, and, under their shelter, listened intently for at least five minutes. Not a sound was to be heard on board save the footsteps of the solitary watchman who slowly paced the deck, and now and then beguiled the tedium of his vigil by humming a snatch of a sea song. Gascoyne now felt assured that the crew were ashore, enjoying themselves, as they were wont to do, in one of the artificial caverns where their goods were concealed. He knew, from his own former experience, that they felt quite secure when once at anchor in the harbor of the Isle of Palms ; it was therefore probable that all of them had gone ashore except this man, who had been left to take care of the vessel. Gascoyne now drew himself slowly up into the chains, and remained there for a few seconds in a stooping posi- tion, keeping his head below the level of the bulwarks while he squeezed the water out of his lower garments. This done, he waited until the man on deck came close to where he stood, when he sprang on him with the agility of a tiger, threw him down, and placed his hand on his mouth. '• It will be your wisest course to be still, my man," said Gascoyne, sternly. " You know who I am, and you know 268 GASCOYNE, what I can do when occasion requires. If you shout when I remove my hand from }-our mouth, you die." The man seemed to be quite aware of the liopelessness of his case ; for lie quietly submitted to have his mouth bound with a handkerchief, and his hands and feet tied with cords. A few seconds sufficed to accomplish this, after which Gascoyne took him up in his arms as if he had been a child, carried him below, and laid him on one of the cabin lockers. Then, dragging a sheet off one of the beds, he sprang up on deck and waved it over the stern. " That's the signal for me," said Corrie, who had watched for it eagerly. " Now, Uncle Ole, mind you obey orders : you are rather inclined to be mutinous, and that wont pay to-night. If you don't look out, Gascoyne will pitch into you, old boy." Master Corrie indulged in these impertinent remarks while he was stripping off his jacket and shirt. The ex- asperated Thorwald attempted to seize him by the neck and shake him, but Corrie flung his jacket in his face, and sprang down the beach like a squirrel. He had wisdom enough, however, to say and do all this in the quietest pos- sible manner j and Avhen he entered the sea he did so with as much caution as Gascoyne himself had done, insomuch that he seemed to melt away like a mischievous sprite. In a few minutes he was alongside of the Foam ; caught a rope that was thrown to him, and quickly stood on the deck. " "Well done, Corrie. Clamber over the stern, and slide down by that rope into the little boat that floats there. Take one of the oars, which you will find mufHcd, and scull to the shore, and bring off Thorwald and his men. And, hark'ee, boy, bring off my shirt and boots. Now, look alive ; your friend Henry Stuart's life may depend on it." THE SANDAL- WOOD TRADER. 269 "Henry's life!" exclaimed Corrie, in amazement. "Come, no questions. His life may depend on your promptitude." Corrie wanted no stronger motive for speed. In a state of surprise mingled with anxious forebodings, he leaped over the stern and was gone in a moment. The distance between the shore and the schooner being very short, the boat was quickly alongside, and the party under stout Ule Thorwald took possession of their prize. Meanwhile Gascoyne had set the jib and fore-topsail, ■which latter had been left hanging loose from the yard, so that by hauling out the sheets slowly and with great care, the thing was done without noise. The cable was then cut, the boat manned, and the Foam glided out of the bay like a phantom ship. The moment she got beyond the shelter of the palms her sails filled, and in a few minutes she was rushing through the water at tlie rate of ten or eleven knots an hour. Gascoyne stood at the helm and guided her through the intricacies of the dangerous coast with consummate skill, imtil he reached the bay where the wrecked ship lav. Here he lay to, and sent the boat ashore for the party that had been left at the tent. They were waiting anxiously for his return. Great, thei-efore, was their astonishment when he sent them a message inviting them to go on board the Foam I The instant they embarked, Gascoyne put about, and, ordering the m.ainsail to be hoisted, and one of the reefs to be shaken out of the topsail, ran round to the windward of the island, with the foam flying in great masses on either side of the schooner, Avhich lay over so much before the gale that it was scarcely possible to stand on the deck. 270 GASCOYNE, The manner in which the pirate captain now acted waa calculated to fill the hearts of those wliose lives seemed to hang in his hands with alarm if not dismay. His spirit seemed to be stirred within him. There was indeed no anger, either in his looks or tones ; but there was a stern fixedness of purpose in his manner and aspect which aroused, yet repelled, the curiosity of tiiose around him. Even Ole Thorwald and Montague agreed that it was best to let him alone ; for although they might overcome his great physical force by the united strength of numbers, the result would certainly be disastrous, as he was the only one who knew the locality. On reaching the windward side of the island he threw the schooner up into the wind, and ordered tlie large boat to be hoisted out and put in the water. Gascoyne issued his commands in a quick, loud voice, and Ole shook his head as if he felt that this overbearing manner proved what he had expected ; namely, that when the pirate got aboard his own vessel, he would come out in his true colors. Whatever men felt or thought, there was no hesitation in rendering prompt obedience to that voice. The large boat was hoisted off ihe brass pivot gun amidsliips and low- ered into the water. Then Gascoyne gave the helm to one of the men, with directions tc hold it exactly as it then lay, and, hurrying down below, speedily returned, to the astonishment of every one, with a man in his arms. " Now, Connway," said Gascoyne, as he cut the cords that bound the man and removed the handkerchief from his mouth, " I'm a man of few woi'ds, and to-night have less time than usual to speak. I set you free. Get into that boat ; one oar v^dll suffice to guide it ; the wind will drive it to the island. I send it as a parting gift to Manton and my former associates. It is large enough to hold them THE SANDAL- WOOD TRADER. 271 all. Tell them that I repent of my sins, and the sooner they do the same the better. I cannot now undo the evil I have done them. I can only furnish the means of escape, so that they may have time and opportunity to mend their ways ; and, hark'ee, the sooner they leave this place the better. It will no longer be a safe retreat. Farewell ! " "While he was speaking he led the man by the arm to the side of the schooner, and constrained him to get into the boat. As he uttered the last word he cut the rope that held it, and let it drop astern. Gascoyne immediately resumed his place at the helm, and once more the schooner was running through the water, almost gunwale under, towards the place where the Wa>p had been wrecked. Without uttering a word of explanation, and apparently forgetful of every one near liim, the pirate continued during the remainder of that night to steer the Foam out and in among the roaring breakers, as if he were trying how near he could venture to the jaws of destruction with- out actually plunging into them. As the night wore on the sky cleared up, and the scene of foaming desolation that was presented by the breakers in the midst of which they flew, was almost enough to appal the stoutest heart. The crew looked on in moody silence. They knew that their lives were imperilled ; but they felt that they had no resource ! No one dared to address the silent, stern man who stood like an iron statue at the helm the whole of that night. Towards morning, he steered out from among the dangerous coral reefs, and ran south straight before the wind. Then Corrie summoned up courage, and, going aft to Gascoyne, looked up in his face and said: " You're searching for Henry, I think ? " " Yes, 'Soy, I am," answered the pirate, and a gleam of 272 GASCOYNE. kindliness crossed his face for a moment ; but it was quiclcly cliased away by a look of deep anxiety, and Corrie retired. Kow that the danger of the night was over, all the people on board became anxious to save Henry, or ascer- tain his fate ; but althongli they searched th(; ocean far and wide, they saw not a vestige of him or of the Wasp. During this period Gascoyne acted like a bewildered man. He never quitted the helm night or day. He only ate a biscuit now and then when it was brought to him, and he did not answer when he was spoken to. Every one felt sympathy with the man who seemed to mourn so deeply for tlie lost youth. At last Montague went up to him and said, in a gentle voice : " I fear that Henry is gone." Gascoyne started as if a sword had pierced him. For one moment he looked fiercely in the young captain's face ; then an expression of the deepest sadness overspread his countenance as he said: "Do you think there is no hope?" " iSTone," said Montague. '' I grieve to give pain to one who seems to have been an intimate friend of the lad." " He Avas the son of my oldest and best friend. What would you advise, Mr. JMontague ? " " I think — that is to say, don't you think — that it "would be as well to put about now ? " Gascoyne's head dropped on his chest, and for some moments he stood speechless, while his strong hands played nervously with (he tiller that they had held so long and so firmly. At last he looked up and said, in a low voice : " I resign the schooner into your hands, Mr. Montague." Then he went slowly below, and shut himself up in his cabin. Montague at once put down the hulm, and, pointing the schooner's prow northward, steered for the harbor of Sandy Cove. CHAPTER XXV. SURLY DICK — TUB RESCUE. "We must turn aside here for a short time to follow the fortunes of the Talisman. When that vessel went in chase of the Foam, after her daring passage across the reefs, she managed to keep hef in view until the island was out of sight astern. Then the increasing darkness caused by the squall hid the two ves- sels from each other, and before the storm passed away the superior sailing qualities of the Foam carried her far beyond the reach of the cruiser. But Mr. Mulroy was not a man to be easily baffled. He resolved to continue the chase, and, supposing that his commander must have got safely to the shore, he made up his mind to proceed southward for a short time, thinking it probable that the pirate would run for the shelter of tho.-e remote islands which he knew were seldom visited by the merchant ships. The importance of keeping the chase in view as long as possible, and following it up with- out delay, he felt would be accepted as a sufficient excuse by Montague for not putting back to take him on board. The squalls which happened to prevail at that time drove the Talisman further south than her first lieutenant had intended to go, and she failed to fall in with the pirate schooner. Mulroy cruised far and wide for fully a week ; then he gare up the chase as hopeless. Two days after 18 274 GASCOYNE, the breaking of tlie storm that wrecked the Wasp, the Tal- isman's prow was turned northward towards Sandy Cove. It was the close of a calm, beautiful evening when this was done. A gentle breeze fanned tlie topsails, although it failed to ruffle the sea. " I don't like to be baffled in this way," said Mulroy to the second lieutenant, as they paced the quarter-deck to- gether. " It is very unfortunate," returned the other. " Would it not be well to examine the man called Surly Dick before leavino; these waters ? You know he let out that there is some island hereabout at which the pirates are wont to rendezvous. Perhaps by threats, if not by persuasion, he may be induced to tell us where it lies." "True. I had forgotten that fellow altogether. Let him be sent for." In a few minutes Surly Dick stepped on the quarter- deck and touched his cap. lie did not appear to have grown less surly since his introduction on board the frig- ate. Discipline had evidently a souring effect on his tetoper. " Your late comrades liave escaped me," said the first lieutenant ; " but, you may depend upon, it I Avill catch the villains in the long run." " It'll be a pretty long run before you do," remarked the man, sulkily. Mulroy looked sternly at him. " You forget," said he, "that you are a prisoner. Let me advise you to be at least civil in your manner and tone. Whether the run shall be a long or a short one remains to be seen. One thing is pretty certain ; namely, that your own run of life •will be a very short one. You know the usual doom of a pirate when he is caught." THE SAXDAL-WOOD TRADER. 275 Surly Dick moved uneasily. " I was made a pirate against my will," said he, in a still more sulky tone and disrespectful manner. " You will find it difficult to prove that," returned Miil- roy. " Meanwhile I shall put you in irons, and treat you as you deserve, until I can place you in the hands of the civil authorities." Surly Dick stood first on one leg and then on the other ; moved his fingers about nervously, and glanced in the lieutenant's face furtively. It was evident that he was ill at ease. " I never committed murder, sir," said he, in an improved tone. " It wasn't allowed on board of the Avenger, sir. It's a hard case that a fellow should be made a pirate by force, and then he scragged for it, though he's done none o' the bloody work." " This may be true," rtijoined the lieutenant ; " but, as I have said, you will find it difficult to convince your judges of it. But you will receive a fair trial. There is one thing, however, that will stand in your favor, and that is a full and free confession. If you make this, and give me all the information you can in order to bring your late comrades to justice, your judges will perhaps be disposed to view your case leniently." " Wot more can I confess, sir 'i " said Dick, beginning to look a little more interested. " I've already confessed that I was made a pirate against my will, and that I've never done no murder ; though I hai's plundered a little, just like the rest. As for helpin' to bring my comrades to justice, I only wish as I know'd how, and I'd do it j ght olF, I would." Surly Dick's expression of countenance when he said this wa? a sufficient guarantee that he was in earnest. 276 GASCOYNE, " There is an island somewhere hereabout," said the lieutenant, " where the pirates are in the habit of hiding sometimes, is there not ? " Surly Dick looked at his questioner slyly as he replied, " There is, sir." " Do you not think it very likely that they may have run there now, — that they may be there at this mo- ment?" " It's oncommon likely," replied Dick, with a grin. " Can you direct me how to steer, in order to reach that island?"' Surly Dick's aspect changed. He became morose again, and looked silently at his feet for a few moments, as if he were debating something in his own mind. He was, in truth, perplexed ; for, while he was extremely anxious to bring his hated comrades to justice, he was by no means so anxious to let the lieutenant into the secret of the treas- ures contained in the caverns of the Isle of Palms, all of which he knew would be at once swept hopelessly beyond his grasp if they should be discovered. He also reflected that if he could only manage to get his late companions comfortably hanged, and himself set ^vqq for having turned King's evidence against them, he could return to the island and abstract the wealth it contained by degrees. The brilliant prospect thus opened up to him was somewhat marred, however, by the consideration that some of the pirates might make a confession and let this secret be known, in which case his golden dreams Avould vanish. The difficulty of making up his mind was so great that he continued for some time to twist his finccers and move his feet uneasily in silence. Muh'oy observed the pirate's indecision, and, although lie knew not its cause to the full extent, he was sufficiently THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 277 acquainted with human nature to know that now was the moment to overcome the man, if he was to be overcome at all. " "Well, well," he said, carelessly ; " I'm sorry to see you throw away your only chance. As for the information you refuse to give, I can do without it. Perhaps I may find some of your late comrades when wc make the island, who will stand witness against you. That will do, my man ; you may go. Mr. Geoffrey" (turning to a mid;hipm;^,n), " v,-ill yoa accompany that pirate forward, and see that he is put in irons ?" " But you don't know where the island is," said Surly Dick, anxiously, as the lieutenant was turning away. Mulroy turned back : " No," said he ; " but you ought to know that when a seaman is aware of the existence of an island, and knows that he is near it, a short time will suffice to enable him to find it." Again he was about to turn away, when Dick cried out, " Stay, sir ; will you stand by me if I show you the way ? " " I will not deceive you," said Mulroy, bluntly. " If you show me how to steer for this island, and assist me in every way that you can to catch these villains, I will re- port what you have done, and the judges at your trial will give what weight they please to the facts ; but if you sup- pose that I will plead for such a rascal as you are, you very much mistake me." A look of deep hatred settled on the pirate's countenance as he said, briefly, " "^Vell, I'll show you how to steer." Accordingly, Surly Dick, after being shown a chart, and being made aware of the exact position of the ship, ordered the course to be altered to " north-half-cast." As this was almost dead in the eye of the light breeze that was blow- 278 GASCOYNE, ing, the Talisman had to proceed on her course by the slow process of tacking. While she was in tlie act of putting about on one of these tacks, the look-out reported *' a boat on the lee bow." " Boat on the lee bow I " was jjassed from mouth to mouth, and the order was immediately given to let the frigate fall off. In another moment, instead of ploughin" her way slowly and doggedly to windward, the Talisman ran swiftly before the breeze toward a dark object which at a distance resembled a boat with a mast and a small flag flying from it. " It is a raft, I think," observed the second lieutenant, as he adjusted the telescope more perfectly. " You are right ; and I think there is some one on it," said Mulroy. " I see sometliing like a man lying on it ; but whether he is dead or alive I cannot say. There is a flag, undoubtedly ; but no one waves a handkerchief or a rag of any kind. Surely, if a living being occupied the raft, he would have seen the ship by this time. Stay; he moves ! No ; it must have been imagination. I fear that he is dead, poor fellow. Stand by to lower a boat. The lieutenant spoke in a sad voice ; for he felt con- vinced that he had come too late to the aid of some un- fortunate who had died in perhaps the most miserable manner in which man can perish. lienry Stuart did indeed lie on the raft a dead man to all appearance. Towards the evening of his third day, he had suffered very severely from the pangs of hunger. Long and earnestly had he gazed round the horizon, but no sail appeared. He felt that his end was approaching, and, in a fit of despair and increasing weakness, he fell on his face in a state of half consciousness. Then he began to pray, and gradually he fell into a troubled slumber. TIIE SA^T)AL-WOOD TRADER. 279 It was Tfliile lie was in tliis condition that the Talisman Love in sight. Pleniy had frequently fallen into this species of sleep during the last few hours, but he never continued in it long ; for the pains of thu'st, as well as hunger, now racked his frame. Nevertheless, he was not much reduced in strength or vigor. A long, slow process of dying would have still lain before the poor youth, had it been his lot to perish on that raft. A delightful dream came over him as he lay. A rich banquet was spread before him. With wolfish desire he grasped the food, and ate as he never ate before. Oh ! it was a rare feast, that ! Each morsel was delicious ; each draught nectar. But he could not devour enough. There was a strange feeling in him that he could by no means eat to satij^faction. While he was thus feasting in dreams, the Talisman drew near. Her bulwarks were crowded with faces gazing earnestly at the bit of red rag that fluttered in the breeze, and the pile of loose spars on which the man's form lay extended and motionless. Suddenly Henry awoke, with a start, to find that his rich banquet was a terrible delusion ; that he was starving to death ; and that a large ship was hove to within a few yards of him ! Starting up on his knees, he uttered a wild shriek. Then, as the truth entered his soul, he raised his hand and gave a faint cheer. The revulsion of feeling in the crew of the Talisman was overpowering. A long, loud, tremendous cheer burst from every heart ! " Lower away ! " was shouted to the men who stood at the fali-tackles of the boat. As the familiar sounds broke on Henry's ear, he leaped 280 GASCOYNE. to liis feet, and, waving his hand above his head, again at- tcmj)tcd to cliccr ; but his voice failed him. Staggering backwards, he fell fainting into the sea. Almost at the same instant, a man leaped from the bul- wark of the frigate, and swam vigorously towards the raft. It was Richard Price, the boatswain of the frigate. He reached Henry before the boat did, and, grasping his in- animate form, supported him until it came up and rescued them both. A few minutes later Henry Stuart was re- stored to consciousness, and the surgeon of the frigate was administering to him such restoratives as his condition seemed to require. CHAPTER XXVI. THE CAPTURE AND THE FIRE. Eight days after the rescue of Henry Stuart from a horrible death, as related in the last chapter, the Talisman found herself, late in the aftei-noon, -within about forty- hours' sail of Sandy Cove. Mulroy had visited the Isle of Palms, and found that the pirates had flown. The mate of the Avenger and his companions had taken advantage of the opportunity of escape aiTordcd them by Gascoyne, and had hastily (quitted their rendezvous, with fvs much of the most valuable por- tion of their booty as the boat could carry. As this is their last appearance in these pages, it may be as well to say that they were never again heard of. Whether they perished in a storm, or gained some distant land, and fol- lowed their former leader's advice, — to repent of their sins, — or again took to i)iracy, and continued the practice of their terrible trade under a more bloody-minded captain, we cannot tell. They disappeared as many a band of wicked men has disappeared before, and never turned up again. "With these remarks, we dismiss them from our tale. Surly Dick now began to entertain sanguine hopes that he would be pardoned, and that he would yet live to enjoy the undivided booty which he alone knew lay con- cealed in the Isle of Palms ; for, now that he had heard 282 GASCOYNE, Henry's account of the landing of Gascoyne on the island, he never doubted that the pirates would lly in haste from a spot that was no longer unknown to others, and that they would be loo much afraid of being captured to ven- ture to return to it. It was, then, with a feeling of no small concern, that the pirate heard the look-out shout on the afternoon re- ferred to, " Sail ho ! " " Where away ? " " On the lee beam." The course of the frigate was at once changed, and she ran down towards the strange sail. " A schooner, sir," observed the second lieutenant to Mr. Mulroy. '' It looks marvellously like the Foam, alias the Aveng- er," observed the latter. " Beat to quarters. If this rascally pirate has indeed been thrown in our way again, we will give him a warm reception. Why, the villain has actually altered his course, and is standing towards us." " Don't you think it is just possible," suggested Henry Stuart, " that Gascoyne may have captured the vessel from his mate, and now comes to meet us as a friend ? " " I don't know that," said Mulroy, in an excited tone ; for he could not easily forget the rough usage his vessel had received at the hands of the bold pirate. " I don't know that. No doubt Gascoyne's mate was against him ; but the greater part of the crew were evidently in his favor, else why the secret manner in which he was deprived of his command ? No, no. Depend upon it, the villain has got hold of his schooner and will keep it. By a fortunate chance we have again met ; I will see to it that we do not part without a close acquaintance. Yet why he should THE SAXDAL-WOOD TRADER. 2S3 throw himself into my very arms in this "way, puzzles me. Ha! I see his big gun amidships. It is uncovered. jS^o doubt he counts on his superior sailing powers, and means to give us a shot and show us his heels. Well, we shall see." " There goes his flag," observed the second lieutenant. " What ! eh ! It's the Union Jack ! " exclaimed Mul- roy. " I doubt not that your own captain commands the schooner," said Henry, wdio had, of course, long before this time, made the first lieutenant of the Talisman ac- quainted with Montague's capture by the pirate, along with Alice and her companions. '• You naturally mis- trust Gascoyne ; but I have reason to believe that, on this occasion at least, he is a true man." Mulroy returned no answer ; for the two vessels were ROW almost near enough to enable those on board to dis- tinguish faces with the telescope. A very few minutes sufficed to remove all doubts; and, a quarter of an hour later, Montague stood on his own quarter-deck, receiving the congratulations of his officers, while Henry Stuart was seized upon and surrounded by his friends Corrie, Alice, Poopy, the missionary, and Ole Thorwald. In the midst of a volley of excited conversation, Henry suddenly exclaimed, " But what of Gascoyne ? Where is the pirate captain ? " " Why, we've forgotten him ; " exclaimed Thorwald, whose pipe was doing duty like a factory chimney. " I shouldn't wonder if he took advantage of us just now to give us the slip I " "No fear of that," said Mr. Mason. "Poor fellow, he has felt your loss terribly, Henry ; for wc all believed that you were lost ; but I am bound to confess that none 284 GASCOYNE, of us have shown a depth of sorrow equal to that of Gas- coyne. It seems unaccountable to me. Ho has not shown his face on deck since the day he gave up all hope of res- cuing you, and has eaten nothing but a biscuit now and then, which he would suffer no one but Cori-ie to take to him." " Poor Gascoyne ! I will go and relieve his mind," said Henry, turning to quit the quarter-deck. Now, the noise created by the meeting of the two ves- sels had aroused Gascoyne from the lethargic state of mind and body to which he had given way. Coming on deck, he was amazed to find himself close to the Talisman. A boat lay alongside the Foam, into which he jumped, and, sculling towards the fi'igate, he stepped over the bul- warks just as Henry turned to go in search of him. The pirate captain's face wore a haggard, careworn, humbled look, that was very different from its usual bold, lion-like expression. No one can tell what a storm had passed through the strong man's breast while he lay alone on the floor of his cabin, — the deep, deep sorrow; the remorse for sin ; the bitterness of soul, when he reflected that his present misery was chargeable only to himself. A few nights had given him the aspect of a much older man. For a few seconds he stood glancing round the quarter- deck of the Talisman with a look of mingled curiosity and sadness. But when his eye fell on the form of Henry he turned deadly pale, and trembled like an aspen leaf. "Well, Gascoyne, my — my — friend" said the youth, with some hesitation, as he advanced. The shout that Gascoyne uttered on hearing the young man's voice was almost superhuman. It was something like a mingled cheer and cry of agony. In another mo- ment he sprang forward, and, seizing Henry in his arms, THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 285 pressed him to his breast with a grasp that rendered the youth utterly powerless. Almost instantly he released him from his embrace, and, seizing his hand, said, in a wild, gay, almost fierce nanner : " Come, Henry, lad ; I have somewhat to say to you. Come with me." He forced rather than led the amazed youth into the boat, sculled to the schooner, hurried him into the cabin, and shut and locked the door. We need scarcely say that all this was a matter of the deepest curiosity and interest to those who witnessed it ; but they were destined to remain with their curiosity un- satisfied for some time after that. When Henry Stuart issued from the cabin of the Avenger after that mysterious interview, his countenance wore a surprised and troubled expression. Gascoyne's, on the contrary, was grave and calm, yet cheerful. He was more like his former self. The young man was, of course, eagerly questioned as to what had been said to him, and why the pirate had shown such fondness for him; but the only reply that could be got from him was, " I must not tell. It is a private mat- ter. You shall know time enough." With this answer they wei-e fain to be content. Even Corrie failed to extract anything more definite from his friend. A prize crew was put on board the Foam, and the two vessels proceeded towards the hai'bor of Sandy Cove in companv. Henry and his friends went in the Foam ; but Gascoyne was detained a prisoner on board the Talisman. Mon- tague ielt that it was his duty to put him in irons ; but he 286 GAS.'iOYNE, could not prevail on liimself to heap unnecessary indignity on the head of one who had rendered him such good ser- vice ; no he left him at large, intending to put him in irons only when duty compelled him to do eo. Durina; the night a stiff breeze, amounting almost to a gale, of fair wind sprang up, and the two vessels flew towax'ds their destination ; but the Foam left her bulky companion far behind. That night a dark and savage mind was engaged on board the Talisman in working out a black and desperate plot. Surly Dick saw, in the capture of Gascoyne and the Foam, the end of all his cherished hopes, and in a fit of despair and rage he resolved to be avenged. This man, when he first came on board the frigate, had not been knoAvn as a pirate, and afterwards, as we have seen, he had been treated with leniency on account of his offer to turn informant against his former associates. In the stirring events that followed, he had been overlooked, and, on the night of which we are 'Writing, he found him- self free to retire to his hammock with the rest of the watch. In the night, when the wind was howling mournfully through the rigging, and the greater part of the crew were buried in repose, this man rose stealthily from his ham- mock, and, with noiseless tread, found his way to a dark corner of the ship where the eyes of the sentries were not likely to observe him. Here he had made preparations for his diabolical purpose. Drawing a flint and steel from his pocket, lie proceeded to strike a light. This was pro- cured in a few seconds ; and as the matcli flared up in his face, it revealed the workings of a countenance in which all the strouQ-est and worst passions of human nature had O J. stamped deep and terrible lines. THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 287 The pirate bad taken the utmost care, by arranging an old sail over the spot, to prevent the reflection of the light being seen. It revealed a large mass of oakum and tar. Into the heart of this he thrust the match, and instantly glided away, as he had come, stealthily and without noise. For a few seconds the fire smouldered ; for the sail that covered it kept it down, as well as hid it from view. But such combustible material could not be smothered long. The smell of burning soon reached one of the marines stationed on the lower deck, who instantly gave the alarm ; but almost before the words had passed his lips the flames burst forth. "Fire! fire! fire!" Wliat a scene ensued ! There w^as confusion at first ; for no sound at sea rings so terribly in the ear as the shout of " Fire ! " But speedily the stern discipline on board a man-of-war prevailed. Men were stationed in rows ; the usual appli- ances for the extinction of fire Avere brought into play ; buckets of water were passed down below as fast as they could be drawn. No miscellaneous shouting took place ; but the orders that were necessary, and the noise of action, together with the excitement and the dense smoke that rolled up the hatchway, produced a scene of the wildest and most stirring description. In the midst of this, the pirate captain, as miglit have been expected, performed a prominent part. His great physical strength enabled hira to act with a degree of vigor that rendered his aid most valuable. He wrought with the energy of a huge mechanical power, and wiih a quick promptitude of perception and a ready change of action which is denied to mere mechanism. He tore down the bulkheads that rendered it difficult to get at the place 288 GASCOYNE, where the fire was ; he hurled bucket after buclcct of water on the glowing mass, and rushed, amid clouds of hot steam and suffocating imoke, with piles of wet blankets to smother it out. Montague and he wrought together. The young cap- tain issued his orders as calmly as if there were no danger, yet with a promptitude and vigor that inspired his mea with confidence. Gascoyne's voice was never heard. He obeyed orders, and acted as circumstances required ; but he did not presume, as men are apt to do on such occasions, to give orders and advice when there was a legitimate commander. Only once or twice were the deep tones of his bass voice heard, when he called for more water, or warned the more daring among the men when danger from falling timber threatened them. But all this availed not to check the flames. The men were quickly driven upon deck, and it soon became evi- dent that the vessel must perish. The fire burst through the hatchways, and in a short time began to leap up the ringing. It now became necessary to make arrangements for the saving of the crew. " Nothing more can be done, Mr. Mulroy," said Mon- tague, in a calm voice, that accorded ill Avitli the state of his mind. " Get the boats ready, and order the men to assemble on the quarter-deck." " If we were only nearer the island," said Gascoyne, in a low tone, as if he were talking to himself, " we might run her on the reef, and the breakers would soon put out the fire." "That would be little consolation to me," said Montague, with a bitter smile. " Lower the boats, Mr. Mulroy. The Foam has observed our condition, I see. Let them row to it. I will go in the gig." THE S.\:sT)AL-WOOD TRADER. 289 The first lieutenant hastened to obey the order, and the men embarked in the boats, lighted by the flames, which were now roaring high up the masts. Meanwhile the man who had been the cause of all this was rushing about the deck, a furious maniac. He had wrought at the fire almost as fiercely as Gascoyne himself, and now that all hope was past, he continued, despite the orders of Montague to the contrary, to draw water and rush with bucket after bucket into the midst of the roarincr flames. At last he disappeared, no one knew where, and no one cared ; for in such a scene he was soon forgotten. The last man left the ship when the heat on the poop became so great that it was scarcely possible to stand there. Still Montague and Gascoyne stood side by side near the taffrail, and the gig with her crew floated just below them. The last boatful of men pulled away from the burning ves- sel and then Montague turned, with a deep sigh, and said: " Now, Mr. GascojTie, get into the boat. I must be the last n^.an to quit the ship. "Without a word, Gascoyne swung himself over the stern, and, sliding down by a rope, dropped into the boat. Montague followed, and they roAved away. Just at that moment Surly Dick sprang on the bul- warks, and, holding on by the mizzen-shrouds, took ofi" his hat and cheered. " Ha ! ha ! " he shrieked, with a fiendish laugh, " I've escaped you, have I ? escaped you — hurrah ! " and with another wild shriek he leaped on the hot deck, and, seizing a bucket, resumed his self-imposed duty of deluging the fire with water. " Pull, pull, lads ! We can't leave the miserable man to perish," cried Montague, starting up, while the men rowed 19 200 GASCOYNE. after the frigate with their utmost might. But in vain. Ah-cady she was far from them, and ever increased the distance as she ran before the gale. As long as the ship lasted the poor maniac was seen diligeutly pursuing his Avork; stopping now and then to spring on the bulwarks and give another cheer. At last the blazing vessel left boats and schooner far behind, and the flames rose in great flakes and tongues above her top-masts, while the smoke rolled in dense black volumes away to leeward. While the awe-stricken crew watched her, there came a sudden flash of bright while flame, as if a volcano had leaped out of the ocean. The powder-magazine had caught. It was followed by a roaring crash that seemed to rend the very heavens. A thick darkness settled over the scene ; and the vessel that a few hours before had been a noble frigate, was scattered on the ocean a mass of black- ened ruins. CHAPTER XXVII. PLEADING FOR LIFE. The Pacific is not always calm, but neither is it always stormy. We think it necessary to make this lattei- ob- servation, because the succession of short-lived jrales and squalls which have been prominently and unavoidably brought forward in our tale might lead the reader to deem the name of this ocean inappropriate. The gale blew itself out a few hours after the destruc- tion of the Talisman, and left the Foam becalmed within sight of Sandy Cove island, almost on the game spot of ocean where she lay when we introduced her to the reader in the first chapter. Although the sea was not quite so still now, owing to the swell caused by the recent gale, it was quite as glassy as it was then. The sun, too, was as hot, and the sky as brilliant ; but the aspect of the Foam was much changed. The deep quiet was gone. Crowded on every part of the deck, and even down in her hold, were the crew of the man-of-war, lolling about listlessly and sadly, or convers- ing with grave looks about the catastrophe which had de- prived them so suddenly of their floating home. Gascoyne and Henry leaned over the stern, to avoid being overheard by those around them, and conversed in low tones. " But why not attempt to escape ? " said the latter, in reply \'hat have ye got +o say to me ? You aint a goin' to tell me the Freemason's word, are ye ? For, if so, don't trouble yourself; I wouldn't listen to it on no account w'atever. It's too mysterious, that is, for me." " Dick Price," said Corrie, looking up in the face of the seaman, with a serious expression that was not often seen on his round countenance, " you're a man." The boatswain looked down at the youthful visage in some surprise. " Well, I s'pose I am," said he, stroking his beard com- placently. "And you know what it is to be misunderstood, mis- judged, don't you ? " " Well, now I come to think on it, I believe I have had that misfortune — 'specially w'en I've ordered the powder- monkies to make less noise ; for them younkers never do seem to understand me. As for misjudgin', I've often an' over again heard 'em say I was the crossest feller they ever did meet with ; but they never was more out in their reckoning." Corrie did not smile ; he did not betray the smallest symptom of power either to appreciate or to indulge in jocularity at that moment. But feeling that it was useless to appeal to the former experience of the boatswain, he changed his plan of attack, " Dick Price," said he, " it's a hard case for an innocent miiu to be hanged." oOS GASCOYNE, " So it is, boy, — oncommoa hard. I once kiiow'd a poor feller as was banged for murderin' bis old grandmo- tber. It was afterwards found out tbat be never done the deed ; but be was the most incorrigible tbief and poacber in the whole place ; so it wasn't such a mistake, after aU." " Dick Price," said Con-ie, gravely, at the same time laying bis band impressively on bis companion's arm, " I'm a tremendous joker — awful fond o' fun and skylarkin'." " 'Pon my word, lad, if you hadn't said so yourself, I'd scarce have believed it. You don't look like it just now, by no manner o' means." " But I am, though," continued Corrie ; " and I tell you that in order to show you that I am very, very much in earnest at this moment, and that you must give your mind to what I've got to say." The boatswain was impressed by the fervor of the boy. He looked at him in surprise for a few seconds, then nod- ded his head, and said, " Fire away ! " " You know tbat Gascoyne is in jirison ! " said Corrie. " In course I does. That's one rascally pirate less on the seas, anyhow." " He is not so bad as you think, Dick." " Whew ! " whistled the boatswain. " You'i*e a friend of his, are ye ? " " No, not a friend ; but neither am I an enemy. You know he saved my life, and the lives of two of my friends, and of your own captain, too." " Well, there's no denying that; but be must have been the means of takin' away more lives than what be has saved." " No, he hasn't," cried Corrie, eagerly. " That's it, that's just the point ; he has saved more than ever he took away, and he's sorry for what he has done ; yet they're THE SAXDAL-WOOD TRADER. 309 going to hang him. Xow, I say, that's sinful — it's not just. It shan't be done, if I can prevent it ; and you must lielp me to get him out of this scrape, — you must, indeed, Dick Price." The boatswain was quite taken aback. He opened his eyes wide with surprise, and, putting his head to one side, gazed earnestly and long at the boy, as if he had been a rai'e old painting. Before he could reply, the furious barking of a dog at- tracted Corric's attention. He knew it to be the voice of Toozle. Being well acquainted with the locality of Alice's tree, he at once concluded that she was there ; and knowing that she would certainly side with him, and that the side she took must necessarily be the winning side, he resolved to bring Dick Price within the fascination of her influence. " Come, follow me," said he ; " we'll talk it over wifh a friend of mine." The seaman followed the boy obediently, and in a few minutes stood beside Alice. Corrie had expected to find her there, but he had not counted on meeting with Poopy and Jo Bumpus. '* Hallo, Grampus ! is that you ? " " Wot ! Corrie, my boy, is it yourself? Give us your flipper, small though it be. ' I didn't think I'd niver see ye agin, lad." " No more did I, Grampus ; it was very nearly all up with us." " Ah, my boy ! " said Bumpus, becoming suddenly very grave, " you've no notion how near it was all up with me. Why, you wont beheve it, I was all but scragged." " Dear me ! what is scragged ? " inquired Alice. " You don't mean to say you don't know ! " exclaimed Bumpus. 310 GASCOYNE, « No, indeed, I don't." " Why, it means beiu' hanged. I was so near hanged, just a day or two back, that I've had an 'orrible pain in my neck ever sines at the bare thought of it ! But who's your friend ? " said Bumpus, turning to the boatswain. " Oh ! I forgot him, — he's the boatswam of the Talis- man. Dick Price, this is my friend John Bumpus." " Glad to know you, Dick Price. " Same to you, and luck, John Bumpus." The two sea-dogs joined their enormous palms, and shook hands cordially. After these two had indulged in a little desultory con- versation. Will Corrie, who, meanwhile, consulted with Alice in an undertone, brought them back to the point that was uppermost in his mind. a Now," said he, " it comes to this, — we must not let Gasco^Tie be hanged." " Why, Corrie ! " cried Bumpus, in surprise, " that's the very thing I w'as a-thinkiu' of w'en I comed up here and found Miss Alice under the tree." " I'm glad to hear that, Jo ; it's w^haL has been on my own mind all the morning. But Dick Price, lie is not con- vinced that he deserves to escape. Now you tell him all i/oii know about Gascoyne, and I'll tell him all / know ; and if he don't believe us, Alice and Poopy will tell him all theT/ know ; and if that wont do, you and I will take him up by the legs and pitch him into the sea ! " " That bein' how the case stands, fire away," said Dick Price, with a grin, sitting down on the grass and busily filling his pipe. Dick was not so hard to be convinced as Corrie had feared. The glowing eulogiums of Bumpus, and the ear- THE SANDAL- WOOD TRADER. 311 nest pleadings of Alice, won him over very soon. lie finally agreed to become one of the conspirators. " But how is the thing to be done ? " asked Corrie, in some perplexity. "Ah! that's the l)'int," observed Dick, looking profoundly wise. " Xothin' easier," said Bumpus, whose pipe was by this time keeping pace with that of his new friend. " The case is as clear as mud. Here's how it is. Gascoyne is in limbo; well, we are out of limbo. Good. Then, all we've got for to do is to break into limbo and shove Gascoyne out of limbo, and help him to escape. It's all square, you see, lads." " Xot so square as you seem to think," said Henry Stuart, who at that moment stepped from behind the stem of the tree, which had prevented the party from observing his approach. " Why not ? " said Bumpus, making room for the young man to sit beside Alice on the grass. " Because," said Henry, " Ga.-;coyne wont agree to es- cape." " Xot agree for to escape ! " " Xo. If the prison doors were opened at this moment, he would not walk out." Bum,pus became very grave, and shook his head. " Are ye sartin sure o' this ? " said he. " Quite sure," replied Henry, who now detailed part of his recent conversation with the pirate captain. " Then it's all up with him ! " said Bumpus ; " and the pirate will meet his doom, as I once heard a feller say m a play — though I little thought to see it acted in re- ality." " So he will," added Dick Price. 312 GASCOYNE. Corrie's countenance fell, and Alice grew pale. Even Poopy and Toozle looked a little depressed. " Xo ; it is not all up with bim," cried Henry Stuart, en- ergetically. " I have a plan in my head which I think will succeed, but I must have assistance. It wont do, however, to discuss this before oar young friends. I must beg of Alice and Poopy to leave us. I do not mean to say I could not trust you, Alice, but the plan must be made known only to those who have to act in this matter. Kest assured, dear child, that I shall do my best to make it suc- cessful." Alice sprang up at once. " My father told me to follow him some time ago," said she. " I have been too long of doing so already. I do hope you will succeed." So saying, and with a cheerful " Goodby I " the little girl ran down the mountain-side, closely followed by Toozle and Poopy. As soon as she was gone, Henry turned to his compan- ions and unfolded to them his plan, — the details and car- rying out of which, however, we must reserve for another chapter. CHAPTER XXIX. BUMPUS IS PEKPLEXED — MYSTERIOUS COMMUNINGS, AND A CURIOUS LEAVE-TAKING. "It's a puzzler," said Jo Bumpus to himself, — for Jo was much in the habit of conversing with himself ; and a very good habit it is, one that is often attended with much profit to the individual, when the conversation is held upon right topics and in a proper spirit, — " it's a puzzler, it is ; that's a fact." Having relieved his mind of this observation, the sea- man proceeded to cut down some tobacco, and looked re- markably grave and solemn as if '' it " were not only a puzzler, but an alarmingly serious puzzler. " Yes, it's the biggest puzzler as ever I corned across," said he, filling his pipe ; for Jolm, when not roused, got on both mentally and physically by slow stages. " Niver know'd its equal," he continued, beginning to smoke, which operation, as the pipe did not " draw " well at first, prevented him from saying anything more. It was early morning when Bumpus said all this, and the mariner was enjoying his morning pipe in a reclining attitude on the grass beneath Alice Mason's favorite tree, from which commanding position he gazed approvingly on the magnificent prospect of land and sea which lay before him, bathed in the light of the rising sun. " It is wery koorious," continued John, taking his pipe 314 GASCOYNE, out of Ills moutli find addressing himself to it with much gravity — " werij koorious. Things always seems wot they isn't, and turns out to be wot they didn't appear as if they wasnt ; werry odd indeed, it is ! Only to think that this here sandal-wood trader should turn out for to be Henry's father and the widow's mother, — or, I mean, the widow's husband, — an' a pirate, an' a deliverer o' little boys and girls out o' pirates' hands, — his own hands, so to speak, — not to mention cap tings in the Royal Navy, an' not sich a bad feller after all, as wont have his liberty on no account wotiver, even if it was gived to him for nothin', and yet wot can't get it if he wanted it iver so much ; and to think that Jo Bumpus should come for to lend hisself to — Hallo ! Jo, back yer tops'ls I Didn't Henry tell ye that ye wasn't to convarse upon that there last matter even with yerself, for fear o' bein' overheard and sp'ilin' the whole affair ? Come, I'll refresh myself." The refreshment in which Jo proposed to indulge was of a peculiar kind which never failed him, — it was the perusal of Susan's love-letter. He now sat up, di-ew forth the precious and much-soiled epistle, unfolded and spread it out carefully on his knees, placed his pipe very much on one side of his mouth, in order that the smoke might not interfere with his vision, and began to read. " ' Peeler's Farm,' — ah ! Susan, darlin', it's Jo Bumpus as would give all he has in the world, includin' his Sunday clo's, to be anchored alongside o' ye at that same farm ! — ' Sanfransko." I misdoubt the spellin' o' that word, Susan, dear ; it seems to me raither short, as if yc'd docked off its tail. Howsomdever — ' For John hmnpuss ' — O Susan, Susan ! if ye'd only remember the big B, and there ain't two esses. I'm sure it's not for want o' teiiin' ye, but ye TILE S.\JS^DAL-WOOD TRADER. 315 was never great in the way ov memry or spellin'. Pr'aps it's as well. Ye'd iia' bin too perfect, an' tiiat'.s not desira- ble by no means, — ' my darlln' Jo^ — ay, tlienis the words. It's tliat as sets my 'art a b'ilin' over like." Here Jo raised his eyes from the letter, and revelled silently in the thonght for at least two minutes, during whicli his pipe did double duty in half its usual time. Then he recui-red to his theme ; but some parts he read in silence, and without audible comment. " Ay," said he, ' sandle-wood skootiers, the llaf ov thems pirits ' — so they is, Susan. It's yer powers o' prophesy as amazes me ; ' an' The other hafs no heter ; ' a deal wus, Susun, if ye only know'd it. Ah ! my sweet gal, if ye knew wot a grief that word ' beter ' was to me before I diskivered wot it wos, ye'd try to improve yer hand o' write, an' make fewer blots ! " At this point Jo was arrested by the sound of footsteps behind him. lie folded up his letter precipitately, thrust it into his left breast-pocket, and jumped up with a guilty air about him. " Why, Bumpus ! we have startled you out of a morning nap, I fear," said Henry Stuart, who, accompanied by his mother, came up at that moment. '' Wo are on our way to say goodby to Mr. Mason. As we passed this knoll I caught sight of you, and came up to ask about the boat." "It's all right," said Bumpus, Avho quickly recovered . liis composure, — indeed, he had never lost mucli of it. " I've bin down to Saunder's store and got the ropes for your — " " Hush, man ! there is no need of telling what they are for," said Henry, with a mysterious look at his mother. "Why ni^t tell me all, Henry?" said Mrs. Stuart; " surely, you can trust me ? " 31G GASCOYNE, " Trii;t you, molhcr ! " replied the yc tith, with a smile. ** I should think so ; but there are reasons for my not tell- ing you everything just now. Surely, you can trust me? I have told you as much as I think advisable in the mean- time. Ere long I will tell you all." The widow sighed, and was fain to rest content. She sat down beside the tree, w^hile her companions talked to- gether, apart, in low tones. " Now Jo, my man," continued Henry, " one of our friends must be got out of the way." " Wery good ; I'm the man as'll do it." " Of course I don't mean that he's to be killed ! " " In coorse not. Who is he ? " " Ole Thorwald." " "Wot ! the descendant o' the Sea Kings, as he calls himself ? " " The same," said Henry, laughing at the look of sur- prise with which Bumpus received this information. • " What has Jte bin an' done ? " " He has done nothing as yet," said Henry ; " but he will certainly thwart our schemes if he hears of them. He has an inveterate ill-will to my poor father (Henry lowered his voice as he proceeded), and I know has sus- picions that we are concocting some plan to enable him to escape, and watches us accordingly. I find him constantly hanging about the jail. Alas I if he knew how thoroughly determined Gascoyne is to refuse deliverance unless it comes from the proper source, he would keep his mind more at ease." " Don't you think if you wos to tell him that Gascoyne is yer father he would side with us ?" suggested Bumpus. " Perhaps he would. I tldnh he would ; but I dare not risk it. The easier method will be to outwit him." TnE SAXDAL-VrOOD THADEP.. 317 "Not au easy lliiug for to do, I'm afraid; for lie's a ;ute old fell n: How is it to be done ? " asked Bumpus. "By telliug liim the truth," said Ileurj-; "and i/ou must tell it to him." " Well, that t's a koorious way," said Bumpus, with a broad grin. " But not the whole truth," continued Henry. " You mu3t just tell him as much as it is good for him to know, and nothing more ; and as the thing must be done at once, I'll tell you what you have got to say." Here the young man explained to the attentive Bumpus the course that he was to follow, and, having got him thoroughly to understand his part, he sent him away to execute it. Meanwhile he and his mother went in search of Mr. Mason, who at the time was holding a consultation with the chiefs of the native village, near the site of his burnt cottage. The consultation had just been concluded when they reached the spot, and the missionary was conversing with the native carpenter who superintended the erection of his new home. After the morning greeting, and a few words of general conversation, Mrs. Stuart said : " TTc have come to talk with you in private ; will you walk to Alice's tree with us ?" " Certainly, my friend ; I hojie no new evils are about to befall us," said the missionary, who was startled by the serious countenances of the mother and son ; for he was ignorant of the close relation in which they stood to Gas- co}-ne, as, indeed, was every one else in the settlement, excepting Montague and his boatswain and Corrie, all of whom were enjoined to maintain the strictest secrecy on the point. " Xo ; I thank God, all is well," replied Mrs. Stuart ; * but we ha-; e come to say that we are gohag away." 318 GASCOYXE, " Going away ! " echoed the missionary, in surprise. ** When ! — where to ? — why ? You aintize me, Mary." " Henry will explain." " The fact is, Mr. Mason," said Ilcnr}-, " circumstances require my absence from Sandy Cove on a longer trip than usual, and I mean to take my mother with me. In- deed, to be plain willi you, I do not think it likely that we shall return for a long time, perhaps not at all ; and it is absolutely necessary that we should go secretly. But we could not go without saying goodby to you." " We owe much to you, dear Mr. Ma-on,"' cried the widow, grasping the missionary's hand and kissing it. " We can never, never forget you ; and will always pray for God's best blessings to descend on you and yours." " This is overwhelming news ! " exclaimed Mr. Mason, who had stood hitherto gazing from the one to the other in mute astonishment. "But, tell me, .Mary" (here he si)oke in earnest tones), " is not Gascoyne at the bottom of this ? " "Mr. Mason," said Henry, "Ave never did, and never will deceive you. There is a good reason for neither asking nor answering questions 0!i this subject just noio. I am sure you know us too well to believe that we think of doing what is wrong, and you can trust us — at least my mother — that we will not do what is foolish." " I liave perfect conlidence in your hearts, my dear friends," replied Mr. Mason ; " but you will forgive me if I express some doubt as to your ability to judge between right and wrong when your feelings are deeply moved, as they evidently are, from some cause or other, just now. Can you not put confidence in me ? I can keep a secret, and may, perhaps, give you good counsel." " No, no," said Henry, emphatically ; " it v.ill not Jo to THE SAXDAL-WOOD TIIAUER. 319 involve you in our aifairs. It would not be right i.i us just now to confide even in you. I cannot explain why — you must accept the simple assui-ance in the meantime. Wherever we go, we can communicate by letter, and I promise, ere long, to reveal all." " Well, I will not press you farther ; but I Avill commend you in prayer to God. 1 do not like to part thus hurriedly, however. Can Ave not meet again before you go ? " " We shall be in the cottage at four this afternoon, and will be very glad if you will come to us for a short time," said the widow. "That is settled, then; I will go and explain to the natives that I cannot accompany them to the village till to- morrow. When do you leave ? " " To-night." "So soon! Surely it is not But I forbear to say more on a subject which is forbidden. God bless you, my friends ; we shall meet at four. Goodby ! " The missionary turned from them with a sad counte- nance, and went in search of the native chiefs; while Henry and his mother separated from each other, the former taking the path that led to the little quay of Sandy Cove, the latter that which conducted to her own cottage. CHAPTER XXX. IfORB :,EAVE-TAKING — DEEP DESIGNS — BUMPUS IN A NEIT CAPACITY. On the particular day of wliicli we are writing, Alice Mason felt an unusual depression of spirits. She had been told by her father of the intended departure of the widow and her son, and had been warned not to mention it to any one. In consequence of this, the poor cliild was debarred her usual consolation of pouring her grief into the black bosom of Poopy. It naturally followed, therefore, that she sought her next favorite, — the tree. Here, to her surprise and comfort, she found Corrie, seated on one of its roots, with his head resting on the stem, and his hands clasped before him. His general ap- pearance was that of a human being in the depths of woe. On observing Alice, he started up, and assuming a cheer- ful look, ran to meet her. " Oh ! I'm so glad to find you here, Corrie," cried Alice, hastening forward ; " I'm in such distress ! Do you know that Oh ! I forgot papa said I was to tell nobody about it ! " " Don't let that trouble you, Alice," said Corrie, as they sat down together under the tree. " I know what you were about to say, — Henry and his mother are going away." " How do you know that ? I thought it was a great secret ! " THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 321 " So it is, a tremendous secret," rejoined Corrie, with a look that was intended to be very mysterious ; " and I know it, because I've been let iato the secret, for reasons which I cannot tell even to you. But there is another secret which you don't know yet, and which will surprise you, perhaps, /am going away, too." " You ! " exclaimed the little girl, her eyes dilating to their full size. " Ay — me ! " " You're jesting, Corrie." " Am I ? I wish I was ; but it's a fact." " But where are you going to ? " said Alice, her eyes filling with tears. « I don't know." " Corrie ! " " I tell you, I don't know ; and if I did know, I couldn't tell. Listen, Alice ; I will tell you as much as I am per- mitted to let out." The boy became extremely solemn at this point, took the little girl's hand, and gazed into her face as he spoke. " You must know," he began, " that Henry and his mother and 1 go away to-night — " " To-night ? " cried Alice, quickly. "To-cight," repeated the boy. " Bumpus and Jakolu go Avitli us. I have said that I don't know where we are going to, but I am pretty safe in assuring you that we are going somewhere. Why we are going I am forbidden to tell, — divulge, I think Henry called it; but what that means I -don't know. I can only guerfs it's anotlier word for tei] ; and yet it can't be that ciiher, for you can speak of telling lu^s, but you can't speak of divulging them. How- ever, th'j^ don't matter. But I'm not forbidden to tell you why ^ i**y going away. lu the first place, then, I'm going 21 322 GASCOYNE, to seek ray fortune ! Where I'm to find it remai ns to be seen. The only thing I know i.s, that I mean to find it somewhere or other, and then " (here Corrie became very impressive) " come back and live beside you and your father, — not to speak of Poopy and Toozle." Alice smiled sadly at this. Corrie looked graver than ever, and went on : " Meanwhile, during my absence I will write letters to you, and you'll write ditto to me. I am going away be- cause I ought to go and be doing something for myself. You know quite well that I would rather stop beside you than go anywhere in this wide world, Alice ; but that would be stupid. I'm getting to be a man now, and mustn't go on showin' the weaknesses of a boy. In the second, or third place, — I forget which, but no matter, — I am going with Henry, because I could not go with a bet- ter man ; and in the fourth — if it's not the fifth — place, I'm ";oin2: because Uncle Ole Thorwald has long wished me to go to sea ; and, to tell you the truth, I would have gone long ago had it not been for you, Alice. There's only one thing that bothers me." Here Corrie looked at his fair companion wilh a perplexed air. " What is that ? " asked Alice, sympathetically. " It is that I must go without saying goodby to Uncle Ole. I am very torry about it. It will look so ungrateful to him ; but it cant be helped." " Why not ? " inquired Alice. " If he has often said he wished you to go to sea, would he not be delighted to hear that you arc going 'i " " Yes ; but he must not know that I am going to-night, and with Henry Stuart." " Why not ? " " Ah ! that's the point. Mystery ! Alice — mystery J THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER. 823 "What a -world of mystery tliis is ! " observed the precocious Corrie, shaking his head with profound solemnity. " I've been involved (I think that's the word), rolled up, drowned, and buried in mystery for more than three weeks, and I'm beginning to fear that I'll never again git into the unmyste- riously happy state in which I lived before this abomina- ble man-of-war came to the island. No, Alice ; I dare not say anything more on that point, even to yoa, Just now. But wont I give it you all in my first letter? and icont you open your eyes until they look like two blue saucers?' Further conversation between the friends was inter- rupted at this point by the inrushing of Toozle, followed up by Poopy, and, a short time after, by Mr. Mason, who took Alice away with him, and left poor Con-ie disconso- late. While this was going on, John Bumpus was fulfilling his mission to Ole Thorwald. He found that obstinate individual in his own parlor, deep in the investigation of the state of his books of business, which had been allowed to fall into aiTears during his absence. " Come in, Bumpus. So I hear you were half-hanged when we were away." Ole wheeled round on his stool, and hooked his thumbs into the armholes oi" his vest, as he said this, leaned his back against his dcrk, and resardcd the seaman with a facetious look. " /^//-hanged, indeed ! " said Bumpus, indignantly. '' I wni more than half ^ three-quarters, at least. Why, the worst of it's over w'en the rope's round you r neck." " That is a matter which you can't speak to, John Bum- pus, seeing that you've never gone beyond the putting of the r