LIBRARY 
 
 "Unhrertity of California 
 
 IRVINE^

 
 It has masts ! exclaimed Madeline." Page 8
 
 PRISONERS 
 OF THE SEA 
 
 A Romance of the Time of 
 Louis XIV., King of France 
 
 WRITTEN IN ENGLISH PROSE BY 
 
 FLORENCE MORSE KINGSLEY 
 
 AUTHOR OF "TITUS." " STEPHEN," "PAUL," ETC? 
 
 GROSSET & DUNLAP 
 
 PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK.
 
 K35 
 
 COPTRIGHT, 1897. t>y 
 
 FLORENCE MORSE KINGLET
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 ;HAPTER PAGE 
 
 I. Adrift, , I 
 
 II. An Ocean Mystery, 5 
 
 III. L Esperance, * , . . II 
 
 IV. The Chateau on the Island, 19 
 
 V. The Castellan, 25 
 
 VI. A Relief Party, 33 
 
 VII. The Garden of Roses, 42 
 
 VIII. Eheu! 51 
 
 IX. A Cry in the Night, 6l 
 
 X. Kidnapped, 70 
 
 XI. H. M. S. Conqueror, 79 
 
 XII. A Huguenot, 89 
 
 XIII. At Warham Castle, 99 
 
 XIV. A Midnight Visitor, 109 
 
 XV. The Escape, 117 
 
 XVI. The Pines, 124 
 
 XVII. In the Crow s Nest, 133 
 
 XVIII. In the Hands of the Enemy, 143 
 
 XIX. A Confession, 152 
 
 XX. In Presence of the Governor, 161 
 
 XXI. A Friend in Need, 170 
 
 XXII. The Betrothal, 179 
 
 XXIII. Missing, 189 
 
 XXIV. How it Happened, 189 
 
 XXV. Underground, 206 
 
 XXVI. The Sentries, 214 
 
 XXVII. At Sea, 223
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 XXVIII. Master and Man, 230 
 
 XXIX. The Pirates 238 
 
 XXX. The Captain of the Rouge et Noir, 246 
 
 XXXI. A Voice out of the Storm, 254 
 
 XXXII. Peril Aloft, 262 
 
 XXXIII. The Signal Gun, 270 
 
 XXXIV. Bovet, 278 
 
 XXXV. The Prisoners, 287 
 
 XXXVI. A Storm at Sea, 297 
 
 XXXVII. AtTerciora, 304 
 
 XXXVIII. Georges Mendon of Paris, 313 
 
 XXXIX. The Departure, 323 
 
 XL. Without Compass, 331 
 
 XLI. Financial Transactions, 341 
 
 XLII. More Financial Transactions, 350 
 
 XLIII. The Haunted Terrace, 359 
 
 XLIV. The Ruins, 368 
 
 XLV. Tokens, 377 
 
 XLVI. Marooned, 385 
 
 XLVII. The King of the Island, 393 
 
 XLVIII. Shadows, 40; 
 
 XLIX. A Niche in the Wall, 413 
 
 I.. Found and Lost, 427 
 
 .1. " L Esperance" Again, 430 
 
 LII. Off the Island, 438 
 
 LIII. The Man on the Raft, 446 
 
 LIV. In Port, 453 
 
 LV. The Castaway s Story, 464 
 
 APPENDIX, 479 
 
 O)
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 Page. 
 " It has masts," exclaimed Madeline, - .... 8 
 
 " They strike ! They strike ! " ..... 86 
 "Who may this fine gentleman be? " whispered Winters, - 208 
 " It is it is," he repeated in an ecstasy, - 455
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 ADRIFT 
 
 THERE were five persons in the boat, three men and 
 t\vo women. The faces of the women were bowed 
 upon their knees, but the three men stared fixedly at a 
 black shapeless mass which lay rising and falling upon 
 the long Atlantic rollers about an eighth of a mile away. 
 Certain jagged protrusions here and there about the 
 mass and the tangle of broken cordage which streamed 
 out dismally upon the night wind, suggested that this 
 dubious object might once have been a ship. Besides 
 the boat and the low-lying mass of wreckage there was 
 no hint of human presence as far as the eye could reach. 
 
 " She s going now !" exclaimed one of the watchers 
 suddenly in a loud husky whisper. 
 
 The woman nearest him threw up her head with a 
 sharp cry. As if in answer to the cry the wreck leapt 
 upward convulsively then disappeared amid a sudden 
 fury of boiling surges. 
 
 The death struggle of a ship in mid-ocean is an awe 
 some sight, awesome enough ; f one be safe and sound 
 on the deck of a staunch vessel, but if there be but the 
 flimsy shell of a skiff betwixt the beholder and the 
 I I
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 eternity of waters beneath, then indeed does the breath 
 come hard, and the puny heartbeat well nigh cease. 
 
 For some minutes after the disappearance of the wreck 
 no one of the five persons who had witnessed the catas 
 trophe uttered a sound. With eyes fixed blankly upon 
 the spot, where the vessel had gone down each sat as if 
 frozen in his place. 
 
 After a time the man in the middle of the boat gave 
 vent to a short sound, half groan, half snort. "Wall, 
 friends !" he ejaculated slowly, " She s gone down, and 
 the crew s gone down saving the three of us. The 
 tarnal fools, they ve gone whar they belong!" His 
 voice died away into a husky whisper. Then he began 
 again in a loud defiant tone, "Yes, gone whar they 
 belong, cap n and all ! God A mighty kin take care 
 of cowards as ull desert their ship and them as is help 
 less. Will you leave the women ? says I to the cap n. 
 Let em go to heaven, and be damned to you, sir ! he 
 yells in my ear and jumps into the boat after the others. 
 I heard their death scream a cable s length and I 
 laughed to hear it. Yes sir, I did ! Didn t I tell em 
 no boat ud live in that boiling hell of water? Didn t I 
 say, Stand by the ship and the ship ull stand by 
 you ? The speaker s voice rose to a shrill quavering 
 cry and he sprang to his feet with a wild gesture, but 
 the man behind him laid hold on his seaman s jacket 
 with no gentle hand. 
 
 "Come, Winters, sit down, sit down ! it won t help 
 matters to tip the boat over. 
 
 The man addressed as Winters sat down and seized 
 his oars. "What s your further orders, sir?" he 
 growled without turning his head. 
 
 "My orders?" repeated the other meditatively.
 
 ADRIFT 
 
 "We had best eat something, I suppose. After that 
 Yes, decidedly we must eat. Cato, hand up some food 
 for the women." 
 
 This last remark was addressed to the third man of 
 the party a negro, who sat flat upon the bottom of 
 the boat, surrounded by a heap of miscellaneous articles. 
 
 The old sailor shook his head slowly. " A bad busi 
 ness," he muttered to himself. "I wish the women 
 was safe out of it. Thank God they ain t the cryin 
 kind neither mother nor daughter." He leaned for 
 ward and addressed himself to the silent figures in the 
 stern in what was meant to be a soothing and concilia 
 tory tone. " Be you feelin much scairt now, ma am? 
 Feelin scairt won t help us any, if you ll excuse me for 
 sayin so. Jack Winters wasn t built to be drowned, I 
 reckon. I ve had a heap of luck in shipwrecks and 
 that s a fact." The speaker paused and laid a cautious 
 forefinger on the bowed shoulder nearest him. " Mebbe 
 she s asleep." 
 
 " No, I am not asleep," said a sweet clear voice, the 
 English words spoken slowly and with a decided foreign 
 accent. " But I ah, what will become of us?" 
 
 "Wall, now, that I can t rightly tell you, miss; but 
 Lord love ye, ma am, there s land in these here parts 
 and there s vessels in course there s vessels ! wa n t 
 our ship here a spell ago? to-morrow, mebbe, ull see 
 us on the way to Ameriky with a better ship under us 
 than The White Gull with all her feathers on." 
 
 The old man faltered a little as if his confident words 
 had choked him in the utterance. The other woman had 
 raised her head and was regarding him earnestly. " You 
 hear what this good man is saying, Madeline ; there is 
 yet hope that we may be saved. 
 
 3
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 " Hope !" roared the sailor, " in course there s hope \ 
 Who says there ain t? While there s life, there s hope, 
 my hearties ! I mean ma am. Young Baillot here 
 knows every word I ve said is Gospel truth, there is 
 land and there is vessels, mebbe not ten miles distant ; 
 more n that the sea s calm as a milkpan, we ve water 
 aboard and What d you say, sir?" 
 
 " That we must eat now, and then take what rest we 
 may till morning. We may need all our strength to 
 reach the land you speak of, Winters." The young 
 man stepped cautiously past the sailor as he spoke, and 
 silently proffered a cup of water and a basin filled with 
 sea biscuit to the two women. 
 
 The girl laid her hand impulsively upon his arm. 
 "Tell me, monsieur," she began, then stopped ab 
 ruptly. I forget she faltered drawing back. But 
 the English, I know it so little is it possible that we 
 have any chance of safety ? You also are a sailor and 
 a brave man ah, how brave, since you did not abandon 
 us to our fate in the storm ; tell us shall we be safe ? 
 
 We are in no present danger, replied the young 
 man looking down into the dark eyes which were lifted 
 appealingly to his. "As for to-morrow, who can say. 
 We are in God s hands." He said these words in the 
 French language. 
 
 "You are then one of us?" It was the older 
 woman who spoke. 
 
 " I am a Huguenot, madame." 
 
 At this avowal the girl gave a little cry of joy and 
 surprise, but the other only bowed her head. 
 
 "We are in God s hands," she repeated gravely,
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 AN OCEAN MYSTERY 
 
 TOWARDS midnight the fog which had for some hours 
 been creeping about the horizon closed in upon them, 
 bringing with it a cold penetrating drizzle, while the 
 wind freshened so considerably that an occasional dash 
 of spray broke completely over the boat. 
 
 "It s turned a nasty night, sir, and no mistake," 
 observed Winters, buttoning his jacket tightly about 
 him. " There ll be precious little sleep for the crew of 
 this craft to-night." 
 
 The old sailor had apparently recovered his spirits by 
 this time, and handled his oars with as much unconcern 
 as if he were in charge of a pleasure excursion. " Here 
 you, Cato !" he bawled. " Catch on to that saucepan 
 and heave some of this water overboard; we ll be 
 swamped if we ain t keerful." 
 
 Hours passed, the boat wrapped in a smother of fog 
 and night, lashed by the keen whips of the flying crests, 
 laboriously climbed the long sides of the crinkling hills 
 of green water which thrust themselves forward with 
 monotonous regularity out of the darkness, only to feel 
 her way into the yawning valleys between with irresolute 
 pauses and sudden shivers as if she wen; minded to give 
 up the unequal struggle. 
 
 "The water s about my ankles," growled Winters at 
 length. " Quit rowing, mate, and bear a hand with the 
 bailing. 1 can hold her up to the sea." 
 
 5
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 "May I not bail?" cried a clear voice from the 
 stern. "lam chilled and stiff with inaction. I must 
 do something to help." 
 
 " Let her be !" roared Winters, as the young Hugue 
 not began a remonstrance. " She ll be better astir, and 
 with something to limber her up a bit. Give her the 
 panikin from under the bench, and God help the poor 
 lass to be nimble with it. 
 
 The regular sound of the basin as it struck the bottom 
 of the boat showed that the girl had set about her task 
 with vigor. 
 
 "Bravo, miss!" cried Winters at length. "Hold 
 hard, and rest awhile, the water s gone down a good 
 bit since you began to ply that panikin. The dawn s 
 at hand now, and please God, the breeze 11 quiet 
 down. 
 
 The old sailor was right ; before many minutes a faint 
 gray light began to struggle through the fog which 
 still enveloped them. Cheered by the sight Madeline 
 fell to bailing again, though she was wet to the knees, 
 and the heavy masses of her hair, which had become 
 loosened as she worked, fell all about her shoulders. 
 
 " Madeline, child," said her mother anxiously, push- 
 uig aside her encumbering wraps, "let me take the 
 basin for awhile. You must rest." 
 
 " No, madame," said Baillot decidedly, " forgive me 
 for having yielded to Winters here ; mademoiselle 
 should not have undertaken such a task." 
 
 "Don t fret yourself about Winters," growled the 
 old sailor, evidently displeased at this speech. "It s 
 not hurt the young lady, and she s done a good stroke 
 of work, which may save us all in the end." 
 
 "Indeed you are right, sir!" exclaimed Madeline. 
 6
 
 AN OCEAN MYSTERY 
 
 "I am quite able to go on with it too," she added 
 stoutly. 
 
 "Of that there is no need at present," said Baillot, 
 taking the basin from her reluctant hand. "The boat 
 has ceased to ship water for the present." 
 
 An hour later the fog had entirely vanished, and 
 there was nothing to hinder a clear view of the narrow 
 horizon about them, a floor of dancing waves, foam- 
 crested, closed in upon by the cloudless dome of a pale 
 blue sky. 
 
 "We re too low in the water to see anything," 
 observed the young man impatiently to Winters, who 
 was standing at his side. " Our circle of vision seems 
 no larger than a dinner plate. 
 
 " Ay, a lofty perch on the mast, with a good hull 
 rolling beneath were more to my liking," replied the 
 sailor with a chuckle. " But what make you of yonder 
 speck ! My eyes are rheumy for lack of sleep, but 
 thar s something thar. " 
 
 Baillot looked keenly in the direction to which the 
 old man pointed. At first he could see nothing but the 
 dazzling play of the sunlit waters, but at length he too 
 seemed to make out something which appeared, as the 
 sailor had said, like a speck on the extreme verge of 
 the horizon. 
 
 "I see it, Winters," he said at length, "and since 
 we have nothing better to do this morning, let us make 
 for it. What do you think it is?" 
 
 "Wall, sir, said Winters slowly, "you can t find 
 out from me ; it may be a rock, it may be a floating 
 mass of wreckage. But as you say, we might as well go 
 that way as any for aught I see." 
 
 For some time the two bent vigorously to the oars, 
 7
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 then Baillot again stood up to ascertain the position of 
 the distant object. " We have either fallen off a couple 
 of points, he observed, or our rock is afloat ; it has 
 changed its position since I last looked." 
 
 "What is it?" asked Madame de Langres anxi 
 ously ; have you sighted land ? 
 
 "Alas, no, madame," replied the young man. "It 
 can be no object of very great size ; but as our course is 
 one of chance, we have determined to find out what 
 yonder black fleck on the horizon is." 
 
 " I can see nothing," said Madame de Langres after 
 a prolonged gaze in the direction which the young 
 man had indicated. 
 
 I can ! cried the young girl, who was standing 
 up and shading her eyes with her hand from the 
 dazzling sunlight, " and it seems to me that it moves 
 about!" 
 
 "You are right, miss," exclaimed Winters. "It 
 does move about ! Unless I am mistaken, yonder object 
 is the hull of a vessel. Of a wreck mayhap ; but there 
 may be that about her which we shall find useful." 
 
 The two men again fell to their oars, the negro 
 keeping steadily at his work of bailing, for the boat, it 
 appeared, was leaking badly. " I hope to de Lawd," 
 he was muttering, " dat we ll git quit ob dis boat before 
 night. Ol Cato can t keep up dis yer bailin much 
 longer. 
 
 They were now rapidly nearing the object of their 
 search ; the old sailor was right in his conjecture, it wa? 
 a hull, apparently that of a small vessel, lying low in 
 the water, and rising and falling on the long ocean swell. 
 
 "It has masts!" exclaimed Madeline presently, 
 ~-* two of them, but I see no sails." 
 
 8
 
 AN OCEAN MYSTERY 
 
 At this intelligence the men dropped their oars. 
 
 " Ay, masts she has !" cried Winters. " And as deli 
 cate as a lady s finger. Vender s no wreck, but blow me 
 if I can make her out ! She s like no craft I ever saw at 
 sea. Give way, man ! we ll soon find out what she is." 
 
 Half an hour more of hard pulling brought them 
 within hailing distance ; and Baillot, standing up in the 
 bow of the boat, and making a trumpet of his hands, 
 shouted : 
 
 " Ship, ahoy ! Ship, ahoy !" 
 
 He paused and waited, but no sign of life appeared 
 about the vessel. 
 
 Again rang out the long musical cry across the water : 
 " ^hip, ahoy ! Ship, ahoy !" 
 
 "Can we not go nearer?" cried Madeline, her eyes 
 shining like stars in her excitement. " Surely there 
 can be nothing to harm us !" 
 
 The little vessel, with its dark green hull, its slender 
 masts, against which lay the neatly furled sails, its glit 
 tering brass work, and the delicate web-like tracery of 
 its rigging, looked like a fairy craft. 
 
 The old sailor sat staring at her, his eyes bulging out 
 of his head, his mouth open. "Wall, I ll be everlast 
 ingly blowed if I can make her out !" he ejaculated at 
 length. " I ve seed her like on the Thames, I m think 
 ing. Tis a pleasure yacht ! But how did she come 
 here? Why ain t she blowed to pieces with the hur 
 ricane? Whar s the folks what sail her?" 
 
 "There must be some one on board, said Madame 
 de Langres, with manifest excitement. "Perhaps they 
 are below." 
 
 "L? Esperance /" cried Madeline, as she caught sight 
 of the gilded letters which ran about the bow. 
 
 9
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 "Z, Esperance /" echoed Madame de Langres. "Are 
 we all dreaming ? Surely this seems to be too wonder 
 ful a thing to belong to the waking world. 
 
 " Look, sir !" suddenly exclaimed Winters, catching 
 at the arm of the young Huguenot. "Do you see 
 that?" 
 
 He pointed, as he spoke, to the end of a heavy cable 
 which was hanging from the bow. "It s her hawser, 
 sir, and it wasn t cut many hours since !"
 
 CHAPTER III 
 L ESPERANCE 
 
 THE young man caught the end of the rope and 
 swung himself to the deck of the yacht. (l I will look 
 below and report," he said, briefly. "Keep clear of 
 her sides, Winters, till I come back !" 
 
 With that he disappeared down the companion-way. 
 
 He was on deck again within five minutes, and waved 
 his hand reassuringly to the party in the boat. 
 
 "There s not a soul on board !" he cried. "Z 7 Es- 
 perance is a derelict, and ours by right ; let us take pos 
 session at once. Here, Winters, make the boat fast at 
 both ends ; then pass up the ladies. 
 
 Winters prepared to obey. A few minutes sufficed to 
 make their frail craft secure ; then the old man, plant 
 ing his sturdy legs far apart, reached out his hands to 
 Madeline. "Come, miss," he said, "I ll take you 
 first." 
 
 " But how am I to get up there, sir?" said Madeline, 
 drawing back a little. 
 
 " Wall, you can t get aboard as our friend Baillot did 
 just now, can you, miss ? So I must just hand you up 
 to the deck, like a precious bit of cargo as you be." 
 And unceremoniously seizing the girl in both his 
 brawny arms, he lifted her to where Baillot was waiting 
 to receive her. 
 
 The natural embarrassment which she felt at this novel
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 mode of conveyance was speedily lost in concern for her 
 mother, who still sat in the. boat below. 
 
 Mother, she cried anxiously, < do not fear ! 
 
 " I am not afraid," said Madame de Langres, with a 
 quiet smile. 
 
 Winters lifted her with surprising gentleness, and in 
 another instant she stood beside her daughter on the 
 deck. Cato followed, scrambling over the side of the 
 vessel as nimbly as a cat, and lastly Winters. 
 
 All instinctively looked down at the boat which they 
 had just quitted. It was nearly a third full of water, 
 for the leak had been gaining on them rapidly within 
 the past hour. For a moment no one spoke ; then 
 Cato, true to his craft, exclaimed, "We have left our 
 water and biscuits behind; dis yer ship s mighty fine, 
 but what about her victuals ? 
 
 No one had thought of that, and Winters paused as 
 he was about to cut the ropes which held the water 
 logged boat. 
 
 "You ve got more sense in your woolly pate than I 
 gave you credit for, Cato," he said. "Suppose you do 
 a little exploring on your own account; you ll scent 
 victuals if there be any, I ll warrant me. I ll bring 
 aboard what we had, sir," he continued, "though wet 
 biscuits are sorry eating ; but it ll serve us, I reckon. 
 By the token of the fresh-cut hawser, we ll see land 
 afore many days." 
 
 With a last look at the sinking boat, the women 
 turned toward the companion-way. They were wet to 
 the skin, and trembling with fatigue. 
 
 As they entered the cabin Madeline could not repress 
 a cry of delight. Rich rugs carpeted the floor ; costly 
 tapestries covered the walls ; while parted curtains of
 
 L ESPERANCE 
 
 crimson stuff revealed a second cabin, also a marvel of 
 comfort and beauty. 
 
 " Tis nothing less than a fairy craft!" she said, 
 shaking her head solemnly. "What if it dissolve in 
 foam beneath our feet, and leave us luckless wanderers 
 to sink to the ocean caves of the tricksy sprites who 
 created it?" 
 
 " Heaven forefend !" said Baillot with a grave smile. 
 "Luckily for us it seems more substantial than the 
 fabric which dreams are made of, though it is quite as 
 strange and hard to believe in. I will send Cato with 
 refreshments of some sort. 
 
 The women scarcely had time to look about them, 
 when a light tap sounded on the cabin door. It was 
 Cato bearing a tray laden with silver dishes. " More 
 marvels, Cato?" inquired Madeline. 
 
 " De best ting yet, lady " cried the old negro joy 
 fully. " De Lawd mus hab put dis yer ship here a 
 purpose for us. Dar s de lubliest cook s galley ye eber 
 see, with ebcry kin ob saucepan, an all shinin like 
 pure silver. An dar s victuals fit to make a hungry 
 man s mouf water. I didn t wait to do no fancy 
 cookin though, jest knocked up somethin in a hurry, 
 case I knew ye was bout starved." 
 
 The old negro had been busy setting forth the con 
 tents of his tray on a small richly carved table. His 
 task finished, he paused a moment longer to say, 
 "Dey s a makin ready to get under way. I don 
 surely know, but I link dey see Ian . I ain t in no 
 hurry, de Lawd knows when I ll get anodder such kit 
 o saucepans." 
 
 "You had best get back to those same saucepans, 
 Cato, or our hungry crew will be helping themselves,"
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 observed Madeline, smiling. At this suggestion the 
 old man vanished at once. 
 
 Above stairs all was hurry and excitement. Baillot 
 had climbed into the rigging, and was studying the 
 horizon with a small glass which he had found in the 
 cabin below. 
 
 "What do you make, sir?" questioned Winters anx 
 iously. The young man handed him the glass. 
 
 "Ay, ay, land ! And that not far distant. If this 
 ere craft has a nimble foot, as befits so fine a lady, we 
 shall make it afore sunset ! We can crowd all sail, sir, 
 in this breeze." 
 
 The two set busily to work, and soon every stitch of 
 canvas was set. Baillot sprang to the helm, the sails 
 filled and the graceful hull began to move through the 
 water. 
 
 "This is a glorious little craft, sir!" cried Winters. 
 " See the spray fly from beneath her forefoot ! But 
 she s not built for bad weather, and that s a brewing 
 for to-morrow. Give me the helm, sir, and get some 
 thing into your hold." 
 
 " Tell Cato to fetch me a biscuit and do you go and 
 eat, Winters," said Baillot, observing the ashen pallor 
 which showed beneath the old man s tan. "You re 
 starving, man !" 
 
 "Ay ! mate, something s the matter," grumbled the 
 sailor, laying his hand over the pit of his stomach. " I 
 am not the man I was once !" 
 
 "You ll sing a different tune after a good meal. 
 Come, begone; and don t show your face on deck in 
 too great a hurry. 
 
 Left to himself the young man cast a thoughtful 
 glance about the vessel. He was greatly perplexed by 
 
 14
 
 L ESPERANCE 
 
 her appearance, though he had said little to any of the 
 company. In a region of the ocean which he knew 
 to be desolate and far from any civilized coast, ho\v 
 was it possible for a yacht fit for the occupancy of 
 some gay queen to be afloat. He was presently aroused 
 from his revery by the sound of a light footfall behind 
 him. 
 
 " I have not your permission, monsieur, to appear 
 upon deck," said Madeline demurely, "yet I am here, 
 with my usual boldness, to ask a question." 
 
 "Surely, mademoiselle! you did not misunderstand 
 me, when I forbade you to venture onto the slippery, 
 wave-swept deck of the wreck." 
 
 "Assuredly not," said the girl dropping her eyelids. 
 " I am not an able seaman, but only a woman, and 
 therefore quite unnecessary and seriously in the way. 
 You did right to rebuke me as severely as you did ; 
 twas well merited on my part." 
 
 "Mademoiselle!" exclaimed the Huguenot, "what 
 can I say to assure you that far from being 
 
 "You may toll me," interrupted the girl hastily, 
 " whether it is true that we have sighted land : Madame, 
 my mother, sent me to inquire. \Ve are forced," she- 
 added haughtily, " into many positions which are dis 
 tasteful." 
 
 The young man bowed with an air as haughty as her 
 own. "I have the pleasure of informing Mademoi 
 selle de Langres, that we have sighted land ; if the 
 breeze holds good, we shall reach it before sunset." 
 
 "What can it be?" said Madeline easily, apparently 
 quite unmindful of his frigid manner. " I know noth 
 ing of our whereabouts, but are we not in the very 
 midst of the ocean?"
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 "I made instant search for maps and instruments 
 when I first boarded the vessel," replied Baillot, "but. 
 I found nothing to throw any light on our position. 
 This vessel is evidently a pleasure craft, intended for 
 the idle amusement of a summer s day ; she has drifted 
 from her moorings which cannot be far distant, as the 
 freshly-cut hawser and her perfect condition testify. 
 We shall doubtless find a very prosaic explanation of 
 the mystery when we reach yonder shore," he added 
 with a short laugh. " Perchance the barbaric prince 
 of yonder island has seized this gay craft but, no, that 
 cannot be. " And fixing his eyes on the horizon the 
 young man relapsed into silence. 
 
 The barbaric prince of your imaginings must be a 
 man of learning," observed Madeline quietly, " for see 
 what I found lying on the open lid of an escritoire 
 below ! And she held up a slip of paper on which 
 was inscribed in a peculiar, but perfectly legible hand 
 a fragment of Latin verse. But I must go below 
 thank you for the information which will enable my 
 mother to repose more at her ease." 
 
 By the middle of the afternoon the shores and pro 
 montories of the island for such it appeared, began to 
 assume distinct proportions. The women had reap 
 peared upon deck, looking greatly refreshed by their 
 hours of repose. 
 
 "Would you not like to examine the shore with the 
 glass ? said Baillot, addressing Madame de Langres 
 near whose chair he was standing. 
 
 The lady accepted the proffered instrument and gazed 
 long and earnestly at the coast which they were rapidly 
 nearing. 
 
 "I see nothing to indicate that the island is in- 
 16
 
 L ESI RANGE 
 
 habited," she said at length, raising her eyes to the 
 young man s serious face. "Nothing but wooded 
 heights, and a desolate reach of shore. Yet I shall be 
 most thankful to once more set foot upon solid ground, 
 even though it be but a savage solitude. Do you see 
 anything more than I have said, daughter?" 
 
 "No, mother," said Madeline. " I see nothing but 
 hills covered with trees, and the beach below on which 
 the surf appears to be rolling heavily. How shall we 
 effect a landing?" 
 
 "That s what I want to know," said Winters, who 
 had overheard the question. " What say you, sir ; shall 
 we skirt the island a bit in search of a bay or creek into 
 which we may safely thrust our little craft? Ifyon s 
 a desert island we shall want to sail further some fine 
 day, and I ve no notion of stubbing my lady s toe on 
 yonder beach ; she d do no more dancing for us, nor 
 for any one else." 
 
 " Let us skirt the island by all means," said Baillot. 
 "We shall then have a clearer idea of the character 
 and extent of the coast. We may find it a difficult if 
 not impossible task to land at any point." 
 
 " Never fear, sir, we ll find a nook for our beauty to 
 weather the night in. I ve no notion of sailing her 
 much further on this cruise." 
 
 "We shall see, Winters. I sincerely hope that you 
 are right. 
 
 "And I," said Madame de Langres, "hope for the 
 sight of a civilized town on the other side of the island. 
 
 "That you won t see, ma am," said the sailor. 
 "For though I couldn t tell you precisely where we be, 
 I ll bet my head thar s no town within a thousand miles 
 of us." 
 
 2 17
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 " Is there no other land in sight?" asked the lady. 
 
 "No other, madame," replied Baillot, who was in 
 his turn examining the coast with the aid of the glass. 
 
 " Then must not the owner of this wandering butter 
 fly of a vessel dwell on yonder island ? It can scarcely 
 have been afloat long. 
 
 "If such be not the case, madame," replied the 
 young man, "we shall be forced to adopt old Cato s 
 pious explanation. He declares that the powers above 
 have dropped this little craft from the clouds for our 
 especial benefit. 
 
 "That we were providentially guided to it, I do not 
 fora moment doubt," said Madame de Langres with 
 emotion. " The negro s simple trust puts our anxieties 
 to the blush ; we should have faith to believe that the 
 same hand which has guided our course amid the dark 
 ness and dangers of the past will continue to care for us ; 
 life were unbearable else."
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 T1IK CHATEAU ON THE ISLAND 
 
 TIIK yacht had now approached so near the coast that 
 the lo\v thunder of the surf could be distinctly heard. 
 There was no sign of creek or bay, nor any evidence 
 that the land they were approaching was other than 
 desolate and uninhabited. 
 
 Winters looked anxious ; the brce/e had begun to 
 die away, and the vessel made but little headway. "If 
 we fail to make a landing soon," he said at length, 
 " we shall be forced to put to sea for the night, and 
 I m blessed if I like the look of yonder bank of clouds !" 
 
 "We have still two hours or more of daylight, 
 Winters," said Baillot ; " if we are not utterly becalmed, 
 we can make several miles yet before the darkness over 
 takes us. Rather than risk another night at sea in so 
 frail a vessel, would it not be better to run her ashore 
 and trust to our wits to land our party?" 
 
 "Our wits would be of little use in yonder smother 
 of surf," growled the sailor. "We might strike at 
 least fifty feet from dry land, and go to pieces like a 
 bubble." 
 
 His sharp eyes were searching the sea and the 
 coast unremittingly as he spoke. "The glass, sir!" 
 he exclaimed suddenly. 
 
 " What do you make?" 
 
 " I fancied that I caught a gleam of something white 
 through yonder trees, but if I did, tis vanished now. 
 My old eyes are of little use of late. 
 
 19
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 "Your eyes did not deceive you this time, mate; 
 for on yonder slope there is assuredly an object which 
 shows white through the surrounding foliage," said 
 Baillot. "But what it is I cannot make out," he 
 added after a more careful survey. 
 
 The distant object, whatever it was, was now lost to 
 view as the vessel rounded a little promontory clothed 
 with foliage to the water s edge. Beyond this wooded 
 height a slight indentation occurred in the coast-line, 
 scarcely noticeable by reason of the luxurious vegetation 
 on either side ; but slight as it was it did not escape 
 the vigilant eye of Winters. 
 
 " Yonder s a creek !" he exclaimed joyfully. " Now 
 if we may but thrust our little craft into its mouth 
 without mishap, we shall soon stand on solid ground ! 
 
 As they approached nearer, it became evident that 
 the vessel could proceed with ease through the narrow 
 channel, which, moreover, widened quite unexpectedly 
 as they made their way cautiously along. The shores 
 on either side showed delightful glimpses of verdant 
 meadows, while strange shrubs of tropical appearance 
 crowned with bright-hued blossoms dipped their 
 branches into the glassy water. 
 
 The breeze had quite died away, but the little vessel 
 was borne gently onward by the force of the inflowing 
 tide. The sun was setting, and the rich colors of the 
 sky above shone in the silver mirror of the stream. 
 Spicy breaths of perfume greeted the voyagers, and 
 from the woods and thickets sounded the vesper song of 
 myriads of birds. The little party stood close together 
 in the bow of the vessel, scarcely speaking. The scene 
 was inexpressibly delightful to eyes wearied with the 
 desolate monotony of ocean. 
 
 20
 
 THE CHATEAU ON THE ISLAND 
 
 " It is as if we had left the earth and all its sorrows 
 behind and were sailing into some heavenly country," 
 sighed Madeline softly. 
 
 The stream now diverged suddenly to the left ; and 
 as the yacht slowly rounded the wooded point a cry 
 of joy burst from all on board. High on a rocky 
 cliff overhanging the little lagoon, into which the waters 
 of the stream now expanded, stood a castle. Long and 
 low, rather than lofty, solidly built of stone, its windows 
 glowing brilliantly in the sunset light, it seemed to speak 
 of hospitality and comfort to the weary travellers. 
 
 " Our bird has flown straight to her nest !" exclaimed 
 Winters, pointing to the wharf which they were ap 
 proaching. In another moment the little vessel had 
 touched the pier. Baillot jumped from her side, and, 
 seizing a bit of heavy cable which was trailing in the 
 water, he held it up to view. It was the other end of 
 the severed hawser ! 
 
 "Ay, ay, my beauty, straight to your nest ! Let us 
 make her fast, and perhaps by that time some one from 
 the big house yonder will have spied us. We shall ex 
 pect a right hearty welcome, since we have brought 
 back so valuable a bit of property." 
 
 While the men were busied in securing the yacht to 
 her moorings, the women were anxiously watching the 
 castle. The sunset light had faded now, but no welcome 
 gleam showed along its dark front. Madeline shuddered 
 slightly. " I fear we shall be unwelcome guests in yon 
 der chateau," she said slowly. " Surely no one would 
 choose such a residence as this unless for some dark 
 reason." 
 
 " And all because we see no light in the windows, my 
 child ! It may be indeed it is quite likely that the 
 
 21
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 inhabitants of the castle have not perceived our ap 
 proach," said Madame de Langres cheerfully. " That 
 anyone could refuse to receive us in our present helpless 
 condition I cannot believe." 
 
 "Is it your wish, ladies, to scale the heights and as 
 sist us in storming yonder inhospitable-looking dwell 
 ing ? or will you remain here under the guardianship of 
 Cato while Winters and I announce our arrival, and 
 claim our share in the salvage of the vessel ? 
 
 Madame de Langres hesitated. ." I hardly know " 
 she began slowly, when Madeline laid a beseeching hand 
 upon her arm. 
 
 "Let us remain here, mother," she said, in a low 
 voice. " You are not strong enough to attempt such a 
 climb to-night, and who knows what our reception may 
 be ? We are safe for the present and free ! she 
 added in a still lower tone. 
 
 "We will remain if you wish it, my child," said 
 Madame de Langres. " But it will be quite impossible 
 to conceal our presence on the island even should we 
 wish to do so. For my own part, I have no fear of 
 what we shall find awaiting us in the castle, gloomy as 
 it appears. 
 
 "We will return as speedily as possible, and shall 
 hope to bring you cheering intelligence," said the 
 young man, as he swung himself over the side of the 
 vessel. 
 
 The two women watched them as they climbed the 
 steep embankment, the sound of their voices dropping 
 back in airy echoes on the faint evening breeze ; then 
 all was silent save the occasional twitter of a belated 
 bird. A feeling of loneliness and foreboding swept over 
 them as they sat hand in hand in the gathering darkness. 
 
 22
 
 THE CHATEAU ON THE ISLAND 
 
 They were presently aroused from their sad thoughts 
 by the voice of Cato from the companion-way : 
 
 " Mabbe yo git no gran supper in dat castle to 
 night ! Pears like yo better come down stairs and see 
 what I se got for ye. Taint bes fur ye to sit yer in 
 dis damp anyhow." 
 
 " Cato is right, mother dearest," said Madeline. " I 
 have been very thoughtless. Let us go below by all 
 means." 
 
 The glowing interior of the little cabin certainly pre 
 sented a most cheering contrast to the gloom outside. 
 It was lighted by numbers of wax candles in gilded 
 sconces, from which depended fringes of sparkling 
 prisms. In the middle of the cabin was set forth a 
 tempting repast, rendered yet more inviting by the 
 snowy linen, sparkling glass and delicate china with 
 which it was served. 
 
 "We are partaking of the hospitality of the castle, 
 whether its lord will receive us or no," commented 
 Madeline. "What right have we to make so free with 
 all these fine things? Would it not be embarrassing if 
 some black-browed pirate should of a sudden burst in 
 upon us?" 
 
 " Embarrassing were scarce the word, should such a 
 thing happen, child," said Madame de I/angres. "And 
 yet I think that even the black -browed pirate of your 
 fearful imaginings might be tempted to forget his 
 erring ways in sight, of such a banquet as Cato has pro 
 vided." 
 
 " Nebbcr fear, lady," said Cato, who was hovering 
 nbout the table, bestowing sundry finishing touches upon 
 its arrangement. " Dis craf belongs to us ; didn t 
 yo hear de cap n say dat she was a derelic ? Dat 
 
 23
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 means, I take it, dat she was a runaway. We done 
 brought her back, didn t we? and we s got a mighty 
 good right to eberyt ing we wants in her. Tell you 
 what, lady, if dey don want us up dere, we ll jest 
 simply derelic again. I don want noffin better to do 
 than to cook for you ladies. It s time dey was back a 
 ready," he added, with an anxious look toward the 
 companion-way. 
 
 Madame de Langres glanced up at the clock, which 
 was ticking busily on the wall. "Nine o clock," she 
 said slowly. " Perhaps they have been detained. 
 They will come soon, I hope, she added, after a pause ; 
 "it is not late." 
 
 But ten o clock came then eleven twelve and the 
 two men had not returned.
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 THE CASTELLAN 
 
 WE must now turn back a few hours, that we may 
 follow the fortunes of the two men whom we last saw 
 climbing the steep path which led up to the chateau. 
 
 " There s been folks afore us not many hours since, 
 said Winters, pointing to the grass on either side of the 
 path. 
 
 " Heaven send that they be of a decent sort and 
 charitably disposed !" quoth Baillot. " Tis a strange 
 thing to light on a chateau like the one yonder in this 
 region of the earth. If we lived in the days of black 
 magic, I should say that it must have flown from the 
 neighborhood of Versailles. 
 
 " Ay, ay, mighty strange !" echoed Winters. " The 
 place and the little craft yonder are off the same piece ; 
 but the yacht has served us rarely, mayhap the castle 
 \\ill do the same." 
 
 The rugged palh now merged into a tolerably broad 
 and smooth roadway which lay along the base of the 
 steep wall of rock from whose summit frowned the dark 
 mass of irregular buildings ; behind the castle a ragged 
 fringe of poplar trees showed black against the greenish 
 hue of the sky, where the first faint stars were beginning 
 to shine. The explorers presently came "upon a flight 
 of steps cut deep into the solid rock.
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 "These steps will take us to the castle gate," said 
 Baillot in a tone of satisfaction ; " directly we should 
 come upon a guard, or at all events a porter. These 
 people, whoever they may be, have taken too much 
 pains with their position to leave their posterns un 
 guarded." 
 
 " Wall, sir !" growled the old sailor under his breath, 
 "I m no coward, but blow me if I like the looks of the 
 place ! Let s go back to the yacht, and slip away with 
 the ebb tide into the honest ocean. When the sea 
 means mischief it roars it right out, so you can t miss it ; 
 you don t have to go sneaking round by any back way 
 to find it out." 
 
 Tut, Winters ! would you take those passengers of 
 ours out to sea in yonder cockle-shell, and with a storm 
 brewing? We ve seen nothing to frighten us yet, man ! 
 Come now, put on a bold front, for I m going to hail 
 the porter. Hola, above there ! Hola!" 
 
 But no answer came back from the frowning walls 
 above, save a reverberating echo of his call. 
 
 Hola, above there ! Hola ! repeated the young 
 sailor. " Come on, man, I m going up ! Our porter s 
 heavy with wine, and not expecting visitors. 
 
 The heavy oaken door at the top of the stair stood 
 ajar, swinging to and fro in the evening breeze. 
 Baillot pushed it open and looked cautiously within, 
 then entered, Winters following at his heels and grum 
 bling audibly. 
 
 The place in which the adventurers found themselves 
 was an ordinary paved courtyard, empty save for a 
 fountain which gurgled plaintively in the half light. 
 On three sides of the yard arose the walls of the cha 
 teau, its upper stories resting upon richly carved colon- 
 
 26
 
 THE CASTELLAN 
 
 nades beneath whose heavy shadows could be discerned 
 the dim outline of several massive doorways. 
 
 Baillot strode boldly up to one of these doors and 
 bestowed a thundering knock irpon its oaken panels. 
 Then catching sight of a bell rope hanging near he gave 
 it a lusty pull. 
 
 " These folks are either asleep or dead," said Winters 
 after an anxious pause of several minutes. 
 
 "Or," interposed the younger man hastily, "there 
 are no people here." 
 
 "How do you account for the yacht, sir?" ques 
 tioned Winters. "And the well-worn track to the 
 water s edge ?" 
 
 "I can account for nothing, " replied Baillot. "It 
 may be, however, that somewhere in this mass of build 
 ings we shall find human beings, tis big enough to 
 house a regiment." 
 
 As he spoke he laid his hand upon the door ; to his 
 surprise it yielded to his touch, swinging open noise 
 lessly. 
 
 "These must be honest folk," quoth Winters, "since 
 they leave their doors aswing. Shall we go in, sir?" 
 
 Baillot hesitated a moment before replying. " Tis 
 growing late," he said at length, "and our companions 
 will be anxiously awaiting our return yet so far we 
 have learned nothing ; the daylight will serve us for a 
 few minutes longer. Yes, we will go in, and look 
 about us a bit." 
 
 By the dim light which streamed in through the open 
 door the two men perceived that they had entered a 
 long and wide corridor, paved with marble, and lighted 
 at the further end by a lofty window of richly-colored 
 glass ; on either side of this corridor were numerous 
 
 27
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 doorways, while beyond Baillot thought that he could 
 make out through the gathering gloom the outlines of a 
 winding stairway. 
 
 They had scarcely taken more than a passing glance 
 at their surroundings when, with a sound as of rushing 
 garments, a violent gust of wind swept adown the 
 passage-way ; in an instant the heavy door swung to 
 with a bang which reverberated in startling echoes 
 through the silence. 
 
 "This ll do, sir, for me," cried Winters. " I ve no 
 stomach for creeping about old castles in the dark. 
 Who knows what s behind yonder closed doors? 
 Nothing that we can t do without for the present, I ll 
 be bound. Let s get back to the ship and take this 
 ere job in hand by daylight !" 
 
 "I m with you, Winters!" said the young man. 
 "There s no reason, as you say, why we should not be 
 satisfied with the shelter afforded us by the yacht for a 
 single night. 
 
 " Good Lord, sir, I should say not ! She s fit for a 
 king, and the honestest thing there is about this place, 
 I ll warrant." With that the old sailor laid hold of the 
 door and gave a sturdy pull ; to his dismay it refused to 
 open. He turned and faced his companion. "What 
 sort of devil s work is this," he demanded fiercely, "a 
 door swinging open to a touch to let you in, then shut 
 ting as fast as the doors of hell on a lost sinner ? 
 
 "There s no devil s work about it, Winters," said 
 Baillot calmly. " Tis plainly enough a spring lock ; the 
 door was unlatched when we entered, that unlucky gust 
 of wind closed it, and here we are !" 
 
 " Yes, sir, here we are ! and a nasty job we may find 
 it to get out," growled the old man, distractedly run- 
 
 88
 
 THE CASTELLAN 
 
 ning his fingers through his grey hair. "This is a 
 dummed sight worse than any shipwreck I was ever in." 
 
 " We ll get out somehow, and that s something you 
 can t be sure of in a shipwreck," said the other with a 
 short laugh. " There were several outside entrances; 
 come on !" 
 
 The last gleam of daylight had now vanished and the 
 two groped their way cautiously along the walls in the 
 thick darkness. 
 
 "What do you say, sir, to trying a window?" asked 
 Winters in a tremendous whisper. " Consarn it all, we 
 can t stay foolin round here much longer !" 
 
 Baillot stopped short ; his hand had encountered a 
 door sunken deeply into the wall. He opened it with 
 out difficulty, and after straining his eyes in the direc 
 tion of two dim spots in the darkness which he took to 
 f)e windows, he stepped cautiously forward ; to his hor 
 ror his foot encountered nothing more substantial than 
 the empty air. Clutching wildly at the door to save him 
 self, he fell heavily forward. 
 
 "Lord love ye, sir! What s got ye?" exclaimed 
 Winters who was just behind him. " Be you killed !" 
 
 Baillot sat up and rubbed his head ruefully. " If T 
 svas killed, Winters, what would you expect me to say? 
 N o, I m not dead, nor even hurt, for I ve tumbled onto 
 a remarkably soft carpet ; but if you re inclined to fol 
 low my lead, I advise you to do it in a little different 
 way : I fancy you will find about three steps there." 
 
 "Ay, ay, sir, three steps! But now we re here, 
 what next ? 
 
 "That s the question. I suppose we might pursue 
 our investigations till morning, and be no wiser than 
 we are now. I confess I m not so anxious to keep 
 
 29
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 on with them as I was a few minutes since. My ideas 
 have been shaken up like the bits of glass in a kaleido 
 scope, and they ve arranged themselves in a brand-new 
 pattern." 
 
 " I don t follow you, sir ! but if you mean that a 
 tumble into some tarnal hole in the dark is a thing to 
 be tried but once, I agree with you. We were a pair of 
 lubberly fools not to bring a ship s lantern with us. 
 Beg your pardon, sir, I should have said 
 
 "You needn t apologize, Winters. I m in a suffi 
 ciently humble frame of mind. But what do you think 
 we had better do ? 
 
 "Wall, sir, it s my opinion, since I m asked, that 
 the best thing for us to do is jest to lay to till daylight. 
 There s nothing to be gained by cruisin about in the 
 dark, with neither chart nor compass. Let s drop our 
 anchors, sir, and get a bit of sleep ; it s precious few 
 hours of it we ve had since we left The White Gull. 1 
 
 " But the women ?" 
 
 "I ll resk em, sir ! They ve had a good meal of 
 victuals by this time, I 11 be bound ; old Cato s on guard, 
 and not a mouse to peep at them." 
 
 "We re not so sure of that," remarked the young 
 man after a pause. " But I fear it is out of our power 
 to do other than follow your suggestion. It would be 
 worse than folly to risk a broken limb in this place." 
 
 Winters, who had been fumbling about him in the 
 darkness, now tossed some soft object toward his com 
 panion, saying as he did so, " Catch on, cap n. I ve 
 found a nest of cushions here. We ll sleep as sound as 
 the women-folk in yonder craft." 
 
 "They ll not sleep to-night, you may be sure of 
 that." 
 
 3
 
 THE CASTELLAN 
 
 "Wall, I shall," returned the old man calmly, and 
 in another moment his loud snoring showed that he had 
 kept his word. 
 
 Baillot lay open-eyed, staring into the blackness for 
 some time longer, but at length, he too, exhausted by 
 excitement and fatigue, fell into a heavy slumber. 
 
 How long he slept he could not tell, but he sat up 
 suddenly broad awake and listened intently. There 
 was a slight sound not ten paces off, as if some one 
 were feeling cautiously about in the dark. And now he 
 distinctly heard a long-drawn sigh. 
 
 Thoroughly alarmed, he put out his hand and gave 
 his sleeping companion a sound shake. 
 
 " Ay, ay, sir !" growled Winters sleepily. " I ll be 
 on deck directly, sir !" 
 
 " Hist !" said Baillot in his ear, " there is some one 
 in the room with us !" 
 
 The old sailor was awake in an instant. He sat up 
 and listened. "You ve been dreaming, sir," he said 
 at length, " and if you ve no objections, I ll go to sleep 
 again." 
 
 "Hist, man!" repeated Baillot. The sound was 
 unmistakable this time, there was somebody in the 
 room ; again came that long-drawn sigh. 
 
 " Dang it!" cried Winters with decision. " J l! 
 soon find out what it is ! Ahoy there !" 
 
 But there was no reply, only a renewal of the soft 
 fumbling sounds. 
 
 " Good Lord, sir ! What s that ?" 
 
 Not a yard away two glowing balls of fire hovered low 
 in the darkness. They moved they were advancing. 
 
 Winters gave a smothered yell of fear and buried his 
 head in the cushions. 
 
 3
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 Baillot whistled slightly. " Come here, come here, 
 good fellow !" he said coaxingly. A whine of delight 
 followed, and a quick scuffle of small feet across the 
 floor. 
 
 Sit up, Winters, old man! Tis nothing but a 
 dog, and a little fellow at that a King Charles by his 
 ears. I knew what it was the instant I saw the eyes." 
 
 " The eyes, sir !" gasped the old man. " I thought 
 it was the devil himself, all on .-fire inside !" 
 
 The two men composed themselves for a second time, 
 for it was still intensely dark ; the dog nestled between 
 them, manifesting his delight from time to time by 
 gently licking Baillot s hand. 
 
 " This little fellow throws almost as much light on 
 our position as though he carried a lantern," observed 
 Baillot. 
 
 " How s that, sir." 
 
 "Why, don t you see that his presence here indicates 
 that we are not alone on the island ; he must have a 
 master or mistress. 
 
 " Wall, I wish he d kep dark till morning," growled 
 the sailor. " Nobody was asking for information from 
 him !" And with that he rolled over and was soon 
 snoring again. 
 
 But there was no more sleep for the young Huguenot. 
 He lay wide awake listening to the wind as it sighed 
 drearily about the casements, and watching eagerly for 
 the first indication of dawn. The little creature at his 
 side nestled closely up to him, shivering now and then 
 as if with cold or fear.
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 A RELIEF PARTY 
 
 To the two women on board the yacht the night wore 
 drearily away. A prey to a thousand distracting fears 
 and maddening conjectures, neither could sleep. Made 
 line persuaded her mother to lie down in her berth, but 
 she herself spent most of the night pacing up and down 
 the little cabin. 
 
 "Why did we not go with them?" she asked herself 
 a thousand times, "we should at least have known 
 the worst !" 
 
 At the first streak of dawn she roused Cato, who had 
 spent the night curled up on a rug outside the door. 
 
 " We must go up to the castle at once," she said de 
 cidedly, " and see what has become of our companions. 
 Oh, what if we never find them !" 
 
 Lawsy, miss!" said the old negro coaxingly, 
 " you jus lie down an res a little, and let old Cato 
 get yo some breakfas . Den I ll go up dere muself. 
 Der ain t no need for you to wear yo self out climbin . 
 I ll come right back." 
 
 "You will do nothing of the kind," cried Madeline. 
 " We will all go this time, and we will start now. No, 
 I want nothing to eat ; it would choke me." 
 
 " But yer lady moder, miss," pleaded the old man. 
 " Yo surely do n spect her to start out till she hab 
 some breakfas ? 
 
 3 33
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 Madeline hesitated. "No," she said at length, 
 * she must have something ; but make haste !" 
 
 "Madeline!" said the soft voice of her mother, 
 "my child, what ails you? In all our troubles I have 
 not seen you so impy -ier. 1 .. i : 
 
 "Well, mother," sighed the girl penitently, "it 
 must be the uncertainty; only think how dreadful it 
 would be if we never find them ; what should we do?" 
 
 " Can you not learn, my child, the folly of pursuing 
 so hotly after trouble. Surely, we have had distresses 
 enough without imagining more which may never come 
 to pass. A few hours may see all these clouds dissi 
 pated, and our brave friends restored to us in safety. 
 1 ,et us at least hope so till we have better reason to fear 
 the contrary." 
 
 " He would never have left us to surfer such anxiety 
 without some terrible reason," declared the girl obsti 
 nately. 
 
 "Perhaps not," said her mother quietly; "Mr. 
 Winters is a very thoughtful old man." 
 
 Mr. Winters ! echoed Madeline. Then she 
 blushed scarlet. "Here is Cato with the breakfast! 
 Let us make haste, that we may start as soon as pos 
 sible." 
 
 Madame de Langres made no further remonstrance ; 
 truth to tell, she was almost as anxious as her daughter. 
 
 The slight repast was partaken of in haste and silence. 
 Then the two women arose, and afler the somewhat dif 
 ficult feat of getting from the vessel to the pier had been 
 accomplished under the able generalship of Cato, the 
 little party was fairly under way. 
 
 The morning had dawned red and threatening ; the 
 wind, as it swept through the trees, had in it the sound 
 34
 
 A RELIEF PARTY 
 
 of weeping, while the low pile of buildings on the 
 heights above looked not a whit less gloomy and sinister 
 than in the twilight of the preceding evening. 
 
 Madeline shuddered as her eye rested upon the dark 
 walls fringed with battlements and bristling with tur 
 rets, but she said nothing, only hurried on faster than 
 before. 
 
 "Madeline," said her mother breathlessly, "I fear 
 that I cannot walk so rapidly. Can we not stop for a 
 moment ? 
 
 "Oh, mother, how thoughtless T am! You ought 
 not to make such an exertion. Return to the yacht with 
 Cato, I beg of you ; I will go alone." 
 
 Madame dc Langres had sunken onto a great stone 
 by the roadside, where she sat for a moment silent and 
 exhausted. Presently she arose. " I am quite ready 
 to go on now, my child. Any further division of our 
 little company is not to be thought of." 
 
 By this time they had reached the flight of stone 
 steps which led up to the castle. Without a moment s 
 hesitation Madeline began the ascent ; then glancing 
 back, and seeing that her mother was hesitating, she 
 returned. 
 
 "Lean on me, mother!" she cried ; "we have not 
 far to go now, and this mystery will be solved." 
 
 " Bes wait here, and let me go," said Cato, who 
 had been toiling along in the rear, laden with a large 
 basket. 
 
 "What have you in your basket, Cato?" questioned 
 Madeline, for the first time noticing his burden. 
 
 " I thought mabbe dey be hungry," returned the old 
 man deprecatingly, " becase dey had no supper las 
 night." 
 
 35
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 " I am sure I hope they at least had bread and water, 
 however inhuman their jailors !" cried the girl, raising 
 her eyes defiantly to the castle, which now frowned di 
 rectly above their heads. 
 
 A few more steps brought them to the top of the 
 flight of rock-hewn stairs. Pushing open the door 
 the little party entered the courtyard. They stood for 
 a moment looking timorously about them. Then Cato 
 set down his basket, and proceeded to try door after 
 door. 
 
 " Dese folks ain t bery early risers," he remarked, as 
 he rolled his eyes reflectively about. Presently observ 
 ing an arched opening which had escaped the notice of 
 the explorers the evening before, he picked up his 
 basket. We 11 walk in dis yer way, and see what we 
 fin ." 
 
 The arched opening in question proved to be the en 
 trance into an inner courtyard, and the anxious searchers 
 had scarcely entered it when they were startled by the 
 sound of a window going up above their heads, followed 
 by the excited barking of a small dog. 
 
 " Bon jour, mcsdames /" cried the voice of the young 
 Huguenot cheerfully. " A most welcome sight to two 
 prisoners gaunt with famine and perishing with thirst is 
 a rescue party with a basket. 
 
 "Are you then prisoners ?" questioned Madame de 
 Langres anxiously. Where are the inhabitants of the 
 castle ? 
 
 "Prisoners only of the darkness in league with a 
 breath of wind," replied the young man. Then he 
 briefly related the events of the preceding night, wind 
 ing up his story with the hope that the ladies had not 
 been unduly anxious over their prolonged absence. 
 
 36
 
 A RELIEF PARTY 
 
 " Not at all, monsieur," said Madeline coldly. "We 
 felt reasonably sure that nothing serious could have be 
 fallen two such bold adventurers ; but where is Mr. 
 Winters ? 
 
 " Here, miss!" replied that redoubtable seaman, 
 popping his head out of the other window. " I ve just 
 been rigging up a little tackle to get us out of here." 
 He was busy fastening something to the window-sill as 
 he spoke, and in another moment had descended hand 
 over hand on a rope improvised from various gay fab 
 rics knotted firmly together. "Come on, sir!" he 
 shouted to Baillot. "It s all ship-shape !" 
 
 " I must arrange for the safety of our little castellan," 
 said Baillot. " As far as we have learned he is the only 
 inhabitant of the chateau." 
 
 So saying he drew up the rope, and fastening it firmly 
 to the body of the dog, lowered the little creature, 
 despite its frantic struggles and pathetic yelpings, safely 
 to the courtyard below. 
 
 " What a little darling !" exclaimed Madeline. " But 
 how thin he is, and how he trembles ; I am sure he is 
 starved. Cato, did you not say that you had something 
 to eat in that basket? Do give me something for this 
 poor little fellow." 
 
 "Better give him a drink firs , lady," said Gate. 
 " He s terrible thirsty ; look at his tongue. 
 
 " If there s anything to eat in that basket, you black 
 rascal," put in Winters, "I don t mind looking into it 
 myself; I ll git some bones ready for the dog," he 
 added with a grin. 
 
 Baillot in his turn had now descended into the court 
 yard, and the two hungry men, at the request of Madame 
 de Langres, addressed themselves with vigor to the \vel- 
 
 37
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 come contents of the basket, which Cato had unpacked 
 and set forth on the stone steps of one of the entrances. 
 
 "It is fortunate that Cato was so thoughtful," re 
 marked the lady complacently. " Madeline would have 
 it that you were pining in some dungeon with no better 
 refreshment than bread and water." 
 
 We should have been mighty glad of that last night, 
 said Winters betwixt his mouthfuls. "And so would 
 yonder pup," indicating with a wave of his hand the 
 dog, which was eagerly eating tidbits from the hand of 
 Madeline. 
 
 "But do you really think," pursued Madame de Lan- 
 gres, that the chateau is deserted ? It must at least 
 have been a recent departure, since the dog is alive." 
 
 Now that we have appeased the pangs of hunger, 
 and are once more all together," said Baillot rising, " let 
 us pursue our investigations. It may be that there is 
 someone in one of the wings of this great pile, who is 
 as yet wholly unaware of our presence here." 
 
 "Very good, sir, I m ready to clap on all sail and 
 cruise ahead," said Winters, " but I shall keep the tail 
 of my eye out for spring-doors and such bedevilments ! 
 
 "What if we fail to find any one," said Madeline, 
 fondling the pretty head of the spaniel, who in return 
 bestowed upon the slender white hand of his benefactress 
 every token of affection. 
 
 "We can then take possession of the chateau, and 
 await further developments," replied Baillot. "We 
 shall find no reason to complain of our accommoda 
 tions," he added. 
 
 " Twere more to my mind, sir," said Winters, " to 
 try a cruise in yonder yacht, as soon as the weather sets 
 fair; there s something wrong if we find this place 
 
 38
 
 A RELIEF PARTY 
 
 empty: tain t natur for folks to go off in such a 
 hurry." 
 
 Why do we stand here talking about it," cried 
 Madeline impatiently. " Let us find out at once 
 whether the place be empty or no." And she boldly 
 laid hold upon a door near at hand. It opened readily, 
 but the young girl shrank back from the interior, 
 which showed dark and gloomy in contrast to the 
 broad daylight without. In an instant, however, she 
 recovered herself and entered, followed closely by the 
 remainder of the party. 
 
 "Belay there, till I fasten this ere door open!" 
 said Winters. "The women-folks might not enjoy 
 coming down our outside stairway." 
 
 "These seem to be mostly offices and rooms for the 
 accommodation of attendants," said Baillot, throwing 
 open door after door. " Let us ascend this stairway 
 and see what we shall find above. 
 
 Accordingly the whole party proceeded up the grand 
 stone staircase, their feet falling noiselessly upon the 
 thick carpet of crimson velvet. Having gained the 
 top, the adventurers found themselves in a high and 
 wide corridor, lighted from above, and hung with 
 pictures ; while here and there a cushioned bench, or 
 a chair covered with rich embroidery cast dim reflec 
 tions upon the polished floor of inlaid wood. 
 
 A picture gallery ! exclaimed Madame de Langres, 
 as the party hurriedly traversed this apartment. 
 
 By a sort of common consent, all presently paused 
 before a pair of double doors of white and gold, the 
 entrance being further guarded by heavy draperies of 
 embroidered damask. 
 
 " Had we best await the arrival of the lackey, who 
 39
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 should Dy rights be lolling on yonder bench?" ques 
 tioned Baillot lightly, though with a beating heart. 
 
 " See the dog !" exclaimed Madeline. 
 
 The little animal had struggled down out of her arms, 
 and was whining and scratching frantically at the 
 threshold. 
 
 Baillot laid his hand upon the door, and after a mo 
 ment s hesitation opened it softly. The spaniel bounded 
 in, barking joyously, then his bark changed to a piteous 
 whine, and returning to Madeline, he crouched at her 
 feet and looked up beseechingly into her face. 
 
 The room, at the entrance of which the party still 
 hesitated, was both large and lofty, and as they could 
 see by the light which struggled in through the heavy 
 draperies of lace and damask which shrouded the win 
 dows, furnished with great magnificence. 
 
 "A pretty snug harbor for somebody!" observed 
 Winters in a hoarse whisper. " Shall we go any further 
 on this tack, sir?" 
 
 "There seems to be no one here," said Baillot, and 
 after another hasty survey he entered, the others fol 
 lowing. 
 
 "See, mother," said Madeline, "the room has been 
 recently occupied !" 
 
 She pointed as she spoke to a table upon which stood 
 a tall Venetian vase, containing a magnificent rose, from 
 which the petals were just beginning to drop. Beside 
 the vase was a book, opened and lying face down upon 
 the table as if the reader had deposited it there at some 
 trivial interruption. 
 
 The party now moved cautiously toward the open 
 door at the end of the room ; they looked in. This 
 was a sleeping apartment, as the lofty canopied bed bore 
 
 40
 
 A RELIEF PARTY 
 
 witness ; its satin coverlid was turned back, and on the 
 pillow, covered with finest linen and edged with lace, 
 still lingered the faint imprint of the sleeper s head. 
 Over the back of a great arm-chair which was drawn up 
 before the fireplace hung a dressing-gown elaborately 
 embroidered. 
 
 How strange, how very strange this is ! " mur 
 mured Madame de Langres with an involuntary sigh. 
 " Where can the occupant of this chamber be?" 
 
 "Quite possibly upon a hunting party, madame," 
 said Baillot, "accompanied by his household. We 
 have still many rooms to explore, to say nothing of the 
 unknown territory of the island about us. 
 
 At this moment Madeline caught sight of Cato ; the 
 negro had disappeared for a moment, w r hile the others 
 were occupied in examining the bedchamber. Now he 
 thrust his wooly head in at the door and beckoned vio 
 lently to the young girl to come out. Wonderingly she 
 obeyed. 
 
 " What is it, Cato?" he said. 
 
 " Dey tinks der s nobody in dis yer place," he whis 
 pered, grasping her arm. " Do you hear dat?" 
 
 She listened intently, and presently heard a peal of 
 discordant laughter, followed by the snatch of a French 
 cJtanson sung in a loud tuneless voice. 
 
 The young girl turned like a flash, and running back 
 to svhere the others were standing, cried out, 
 
 " There is some one in the next room "
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 
 THE GARDEN OF ROSES 
 
 "THERE is some one in the next room !" repeated 
 the young girl. " I heard them singing and laughing 
 such a horrid inhuman laugh, it must be a mad man !" 
 she added with a shudder. 
 
 "To be sure, cap n," said Cato, who had followed 
 closely, "it do soun powerful like a crazy man." 
 
 "We must attend to this at once, Winters!" said 
 Baillot shortly. " Have you arms?" 
 
 " Sartain, sir," replied Winters, stretching out a pair 
 of brawny limbs, "and good strong ones they be, 
 thank God. Let us get after this rascal at once, we ll 
 soon make short work of him. 
 
 " Take this, you dunderhead, and come along !" said 
 the Huguenot impatiently, picking up one of the irons 
 from the fireplace as he spoke. "It will serve in 
 place of a better weapon ; I have a pistol." 
 
 Thus equipped the two men crept cautiously into the 
 corridor, followed by Cato, the women hanging fear 
 fully back, yet not quite daring to remain behind. 
 
 Another burst of the screaming laughter greeted 
 them, as they approached a closed door at the end of 
 the passage, followed by a hoarse incoherent murmur. 
 
 Baillot laid his ear to the crack of the door, and 
 heard these words muttered in a low, harsh voice. 
 " Bon jour y monsieur! Water! Water! Ha, ha! 
 43
 
 THE GARDEN OF ROSES 
 
 T ?ay, where are you all ? Pierre, you pig, fetch me 
 rny breakfast !" Then a sort of screech as of inarticu 
 late rage. 
 
 The young man straightened himself and turned his 
 grave face toward the others, a faint smile lurking about 
 his mouth. "Another case of quite needless alarm, 
 friends," he said quietly, laying his hand upon the 
 door. "I think we shall find our madman to be a 
 harmless, if not useful member of society." 
 
 The women shrank back, but Winters advanced, 
 boldly grasping the iron in both hands. 
 
 " You villain ! You pig !" shrieked the voice. " My 
 breakfast! My bath ! Bon jour , ha, ha, ha!" 
 
 "Well, I ll be blamed!" ejaculated the old sailor, 
 staring open-mouthed at a large rose-colored and white 
 parrot, which was dancing impatiently upon its perch, 
 shaking its gilded chain violently. "You re a pretty 
 one to be left in charge of a castle !" 
 
 "A pretty one!" screeched the parrot, putting its 
 head on one side knowingly. " A pretty, pretty, pretty 
 Pol-ly!" 
 
 "The poor creature hasn t a drop of water, nor a 
 mouthful to eat!" cried Madeline, who had quite re 
 covered from her fright. "No wonder that he 
 screamed ! 
 
 "Where is Pierre?" said the bird, regarding her 
 gravely out of its red eyes, as it twisted and turned on 
 its perch. 
 
 " Where, indeed?" echoed the girl. " But we must 
 provide for your wants at once, poor Polly." 
 
 " Let me go, let me go !" screamed the bird. 
 
 "Not a bad suggestion," remarked Baillot. "And 
 since we are likely to be pretty well occupied in attend- 
 
 43
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 ing to our own wants, we will set you at liberty." With 
 that he unfastened the chain from the leg of the parrot 
 and opened the window. 
 
 The bird flew out with a screech of delight, and was 
 soon lost to view amid the masses of foliage. 
 
 "Oh, mother, see the garden!" exclaimed Made 
 line, who had stepped out of the long window onto a 
 stone balcony. " The roses, oh, the roses !" 
 
 Madame de Langres looked dreamily at the beautiful 
 scene which was spread out beneath them, the velvet 
 lawns, the stone balustrades wreathed with flowering 
 vines, the fountain throwing up showers of crystal 
 spray into the bright sunlight, and above all the roses ; 
 roses everywhere, and of every imaginable color, pink, 
 white, yellow, deep crimson, banked in stately pha 
 lanxes on the terraces, twined in rich profusion about 
 gleaming statues, and breaking in a many-colored foam 
 of blossoms high up on the grey old walls of the cha 
 teau itself. 
 
 " Tis the garden of my dream," she said softly, 
 " the garden of roses." 
 
 How could you dream of what you had never seen ? 
 asked the girl in a tone of awed curiosity. 
 
 "I cannot tell you, my daughter," replied her 
 mother, "but so it was. On that terrible night in the 
 boat when I at last became unconscious of my sur 
 roundings, I seemed to find myself of a sudden in a 
 garden of roses, just such a garden as this. Let us de 
 scend into it." 
 
 A flight of stone steps from one end of the balcony 
 gave access to the garden, and down this the two women 
 went. 
 
 "Yes," she continued, looking about her, " this is 
 .44
 
 THE GARDEN OF ROSES 
 
 the very place. I seemed to be walking here, looking 
 at the roses, and enjoying their sweetness. I stooped 
 to pluck one, when suddenly something impelled me 
 to look up. I did so, and saw at the window yonder 
 the figure of a man." 
 
 That is the room where we found the book on the 
 table," interrupted Madeline in a low voice. 
 
 " I saw his face distinctly, as he looked out of the 
 window ; it was that of a man no longer young, with 
 large dark eyes, an acquiline nose and a full mouth 
 It was a handsome face, but marked by a look of ex 
 treme melancholy and weariness. He did not appear 
 to see me, though his eyes rested upon the very spot 
 where I was standing. Presently he raised his eyes to 
 heaven, his lips moving as if in prayer, then he stepped 
 back into the room and I saw him no more." 
 
 " Had you ever seen the man of your dream in the 
 waking world ? questioned Madeline. 
 
 " His face was strangely familiar," replied her mother 
 musingly, "and yet I carmot tell who it was. Nay, it 
 eludes me like a bit of flying thistle-down. But our 
 companions are beckoning to us ; perhaps they have 
 made some further discovery." 
 
 " We have explored every room in this part of the 
 chateau," said Baillot, as they approached, Madeline 
 with her hands full of roses. "And while we have 
 found no sign of a living being about the place, we have 
 made a discovery which will not be unwelcome to two 
 ladies, who have been forced to leave their effects be 
 hind them. " 
 
 "And what is that, monsieur," asked Madame de 
 Langres, glancing down, with a quiet smile at her travel- 
 stained garments. 
 
 45
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 A suite of apartments, less gorgeous, it is true, than 
 those we have just seen, but seemingly replete with 
 everything you will need after your toilsome adven 
 tures." 
 
 "Ay, a deal of woman s gear, but not a grain of 
 baccy, so far," said Winters, discontentedly fingering 
 his empty pouch. "I m like to die for a smoke, sir." 
 
 "You d best explore the lower regions with Cato, 
 Winters," said Baillot, "while I show the ladies to 
 their rooms. 
 
 "Ah, how homelike and delightful!" exclaimed 
 Madeline, as the young man threw open a door on the 
 left of the corridor. The sunshine lay in bright patches 
 upon the rich carpet, and glimmered gayly upon gilded 
 cornice and crystal chandelier, while an abundance of 
 comfortable chairs and couches seemed to invite to re 
 pose. " Let us stay here while we are forced to remain 
 at least till some one comes to dispossess us," she 
 added. "As for the rooms we have seen, I do not 
 covet them, gorgeous though they be." 
 
 " This is very comfortable," said her mother soberly. 
 " I suppose we have the right born of necessity to make 
 ourselves at home here. Let us keep within easy reach 
 of one another, for I confess to a feeling of timidity, 
 homelike and hospitable as the place appears." 
 
 "There is something uncanny about its perfect order 
 and its emptiness, observed Baillot with a shrug. "We 
 should be less at a loss to explain a musty and moulder 
 ing ruin ; yet these mysteries have often very prosaic 
 explanations. We will keep together, as you suggest, 
 madame. I will occupy the apartments which we first 
 examined. Winters shall sleep here in the little room 
 at your right if I am not mistaken there is a bell-rope ; 
 
 46
 
 THE OARDKN f OF ROSES 
 
 yes, here it is, which will enable you to arouse him with 
 ease. While Cato shall form the connecting link by 
 curling up outside upon a couch, d la guard of the bed 
 chamber," he added w r ith a smile and bow. 
 
 The two women left to themselves found, as Winters 
 had said, an abundance of woman s gear : linen, fine as 
 cob-web ; gowns, sober in hue, yet of rich material, but 
 all a world too wide for the slender figures of the two 
 homeless wanderers. Nevertheless they donned them, 
 discarding with sighs of relief their own travel-worn 
 garments. 
 
 "How perfectly delicious !" cried Madeline, as she 
 stood before the dressing-table fastening up the masses 
 of her dark hair w ith jeweled pins. " I am sure if the 
 inhabitants of the island have obligingly left all these 
 good things for us, i should like nothing better than to 
 remain here. What say you, clearest mother?" 
 
 "It is certainly very beautiful and very homelike," 
 replied Madame de Langres, her eyes wandering about 
 the comfortable chamber. " Hut we could never feel 
 at ease here." 
 
 Madeline glanced over her shoulder with an appre 
 hensive shrug ; then she laughed, and threw open the 
 door of the wardrobe. " Which of these ample robes, 
 mother dear, will you choose to appear in? This black 
 satin, when I shall in some way have disposed of its 
 superfluous fullness, will become you rarely. For my 
 self, 1 choose this gown of ruby silk, and with it this 
 lace-trimmed neckerchief. Only fancy if the door 
 should open now, and the stately dame to whom all 
 belongs should appear !" 
 
 Even as she spoke there came a light tap on the 
 door of the outer room. "It s only me, lady!" 
 
 47
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 said the voice of Cato. " I se done fixed dinner all 
 ready!" 
 
 Both women started at sight of the figure which 
 awaited them at the end of the corridor. Clad in a 
 habit of green velvet, which set off his athletic figure 
 to perfection, ruffles of costly lace half concealing his 
 hands, a sword hanging at his side, they at first failed 
 to recognize the young sailor. 
 
 He came forward, a dark flush rising to his cheek at 
 sight of their astonishment. 
 
 I do not wonder that you are surprised to see me so 
 gayly attired," he said hastily, "but I could find 
 nothing plainer, and the temptation to rid myself of my 
 wretched travel-stained clothing was too great to with 
 stand the sight of an ample wardrobe." 
 
 "You need not apologize," said Madame de Lan- 
 gres smiling. " We have also made free with what we 
 found ; I tnist the owners will forgive us the liberty we 
 have taken." 
 
 The party now moved forward to the room which 
 Cato had chosen for a dining-room, and where he had 
 set forth an inviting meal. "Where is Mr. Winters?" 
 said Madame de Langres, pausing as she was about to 
 seat herself at the table. 
 
 Cato looked slightly scandalized. " He am smoking 
 in de courtyard off de kitchen, lady," he said with an 
 apologetic duck of his woolly head. " He done ate a 
 saucepanful of meat, an a loaf of bread bout half an 
 hour ago. 
 
 Madeline laughed outright. "Then we need feel no 
 further anxiety about our good friend for the present," 
 she said. "What are your plans for the afternoon, 
 monsieur ? 
 
 48
 
 THE GARDEN OF ROSES 
 
 "There is nothing to do more important than to 
 finish the exploration of the castle, replied the young 
 man; then if time serves us Winters and I intend 
 making a hasty tour of the island." 
 
 "Will not that involve a further separation of our 
 little company ? said Madame dc Langres. "1 con 
 fess to feeling timid about being left alone in this piace. 
 and I fear I am not equal to much further exertion to 
 day." 
 
 " Especially as neither of us slept last night !" said 
 Madeline impulsively. 
 
 Baillot turned his dark eyes upon the young girl with 
 a gravely inquiring expression, but he said nothing. 
 
 " W r e were in momentary expectation of your return, 
 monsieur, and could hardly be expected to guess that 
 so trifling a cause as a wandering breeze had detained 
 you," she said, returning his look with a haughty lift 
 ing of her small head. 
 
 The young man smiled. "If mademoiselle had been 
 with us in the more than Egyptian darkness of the 
 chateau last night, I think she would have been ready 
 to forgive what otherwise had been unpardonable. I 
 was ready to plunge ahead in the darkness at whatever 
 risk to life or limb, but Winters cried a halt, or rather 
 in his own phraseology he insisted upon dropping 
 anchor for the night." 
 
 "And he was quite right!" declared Madame dc 
 Langres. " I am astonished, my child, that you so pet 
 ulantly criticise our brave friend. But to avoid another 
 occurrence of the kind could we not defer the explora 
 tion of the island till to-morrow? We shall then be 
 refreshed, and can dare the perils, if perils there be; 
 together. 
 
 4 <*v
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 "The island is very small ; I learned that much with 
 a single glance from one of the turrets, which I ascended 
 this morning !" 
 
 " And did you see any further sign of human habita 
 tion ? questioned Madeline eagerly. 
 
 " That you shall see for yourself, replied the young 
 man.
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 
 EHEU 
 
 A CRY of disappomment broke from the lips of 
 Madame de Langres as the party emerged from the nar 
 row winding stairway which led up into the turret. 
 
 " How small, how very small it is !" 
 
 Madeline advanced in silence to the battlemented 
 verge. Directly beneath lay the garden glowing with 
 color, flanked on either side by orchards wherein the 
 yellow glow of oranges shining amid the masses of 
 dark foliage could be distinctly seen. Below the or 
 chards stretched a park -like expanse of glade and 
 meadow, interspersed with groups of lofty trees ; and 
 beyond all the sea, its dim blue reach unbroken by land 
 or sail, swept about the vast rim of the horizon. 
 
 "Are not those the roofs of cottages?" said the 
 young girl at length, pointing to a little opening among 
 the trees at the left. 
 
 "Yes, miss," said Winters, who had joined them, 
 "cottages they be, but as empty as this ere place of 
 human beings. Twas there I found my baccy by rare 
 good luck, an this suit of fustian which I made free to 
 borrow," and he glanced down at his person with evi 
 dent satisfaction. " Whar the owners of all these 
 things be, God A mighty knows ! Mayhap they all be 
 dead of some plague. 
 
 At this grim suggestion the women turned pale.
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 "What a terrible explanation of the mystery !" ex 
 claimed Madeline faintly. 
 
 " A most unlikely one to my mind, Winters; your 
 find of tobacco should have brought you more cheerful 
 imaginings!" said Baillot frownincr. "There is no 
 trace of any such irageay, no sign of disorder, and 
 above all, no survivor dead or alive. They could not 
 all have buried themselves, man !" 
 
 "True, cap n," said Winters, scratching his head 
 reflectively. "Mayhap the last one went crazy an 
 jumped into the sea. I heerd of the like once when I 
 was cruisin in the Indies." 
 
 " The devil take you, Winters ! What do you mean 
 by such nonsense ? exclaimed Baillot wrathfully. " We 
 must explore the island now, whether or no, or tis little 
 sleep will visit our pillows to-night." 
 
 "Best board the yacht, sir, an git away to sea," 
 said the old sailor with a hitch at his trousers. " I ve 
 been looking her over; she s a beauty, she is, an as 
 sound as a nut. We re sure to strike one of the larger 
 islands before many days. What do you say, ma am, 
 to a bit of a cruise, with Winters at the helm ?" 
 
 " I cannot bear the thought of entrusting our lives to 
 yonder frail vessel after our terrible experience of a few 
 days since," said Madame de Langres in a voice which 
 trembled slightly, "though you may be assured of our 
 confidence in you, my friend." 
 
 " Tis not to be thought of," declared Baillot de 
 cidedly ; we shall undoubtedly find maps and charts 
 somewhere about the place which will render such a 
 course less certain to end in disaster. But to start out 
 in yonder cockle-shell not knowing whither to steer our 
 course Peste ! I wonder at you, man, for proposing it !" 
 
 52
 
 EHEU 
 
 "Ay, ay, sir ! "Tis not for me to think, only to obey 
 orders. 1 only hope the next twenty-four hours will 
 find us all alive and hearty," said the old sailor in an 
 aggrieved tone. 
 
 "Even should your horrible conjecture be true, sir, 
 what advantage would there be in being aboard the 
 yacht?" asked Madeline with a shudder. "If we 
 must die, let it at least be on solid ground, without the 
 accompaniment of the mal de mer. 
 
 "Ay, that s what a landsman thinks!" cried the 
 sailor. " But no bed of wormy earth for Jack Winters ; 
 twenty fathoms of blue water for me, where the honest 
 brine will keep my old bones in pickle till the resurrec 
 tion trumpets call em to the daylight !" 
 
 "Tut, man, have done with your fool s talk ! Let s 
 get us about our business !" said the young Huguenot. 
 " Could not you ladies explore the library for the maps 
 and charts which were so singularly missing on board 
 the yacht, while we take a hasty tramp about the 
 island?" 
 
 We can and will, declared Madeline stoutly ; this 
 is no time for idle fears. Let us be about it at once !" 
 
 Accordingly all descended the narrow stairway, the 
 women with Cato remaining in the chateau, while the 
 two men set forth on their tour of investigation. 
 
 "Let us finish the exploration of the castle, while 
 they are absent," proposed Madame de Langres. 
 "The sooner we learn all the secrets of this old pile, 
 the better for our peace of mind. 
 
 " I se done looked in all de cellars," said Cato, 
 " mighty dark and cold. Muffin dere but heaps of boxes 
 an barrels, an all full ob good victuals, praise de 
 Lawd ! More n we eat in a year. Dere s ben a heap 
 
 53
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 ob folks in dis yer castle not many clays ago ; de Lawd 
 knows whar dey all is. 
 
 " Did you find anything which would lead you to 
 think that there had been sickness in the chateau?" 
 asked Madeline anxiously. 
 
 " Not a ting, lady ; all jes perfec , as dough dey jes 
 stepped out, spectin to be right back. Der was bread 
 bakin in de oven, an a roas hangin on de spit. 
 An a power ob cold victuals in de larder, all fresh an 
 good. Dey surely went sudden !" 
 
 . The three were traversing the picture-gallery during 
 this conversation, and Madeline s eye wandered idly 
 over the walls as they passed. Under any ordinary cir 
 cumstances she would have lingered in delight before 
 many of the pictures, but now she only remarked one 
 thing. 
 
 " Have you noticed, mother, that while we see here 
 pictures of land and sea, of fruit and flowers, that there 
 is not a single portrait?" she said. "Is not that a 
 curious circumstance?" 
 
 "I had not thought of it," confessed her mother, 
 "but surely we should find in such a collection some 
 evidence of family pride. There is at least an indica 
 tion of the peaceful taste of the owner, since we see no 
 battle-scenes. For my part I am coming to believe 
 that this has been the scene of a very tranquil existence. 
 
 "Tranquil yes, but how dreary, shut in by yonder 
 impassible barrier of blue sea !" 
 
 Meanwhile the two men were tramping silently along 
 towards that part of the island where were the cottages, 
 whose roofs they had seen from the turret of the chateau, 
 and which, as we have seen, had already been visited 
 by Winters. 
 
 54
 
 EHEU 
 
 "This is the place, sir, where I found my baccy, 
 an where I helped myself to some clothes," said 
 Winters, as they approached a small cottage built of 
 rough-hewn stone and thatched with straw. The rustic 
 porch was garlanded with a climbing rose, whose luxu 
 riant branches had flung themselves in graceful festoon.-: 
 to the roof, whereon it had burst into a very carnival 
 of bloom, over which looked forth the sleepy eyes of 
 two dormer windows. 
 
 " If we must stay on this ere island," continued the 
 old sailor, "this place were more to my mind for our 
 little company. More wholesome, sir, an not so 
 ghostly as yonder pile of stone. 
 
 " My faith, man, I believe you re right !" said Bail- 
 lot. " How about the inside?" 
 
 "Come in an see, sir. Honest folk have bided 
 under this roof; it has the right look to it," replied 
 Winters, opening the door. 
 
 Eaillot entered after him and looked about the little 
 room. There was an ample chimney-place on one 
 side, a heap of white ashes showing where the last fire 
 had burned itself away. By the hearth stood a high- 
 backed chair and near it a cradle, its draperies hanging 
 carelessly upon the floor, as if its little occupant had 
 been hastily removed. In one corner a dresser dis 
 played upon its spotless shelves shining mugs and plat 
 ters of pewter, and upon the table near the window was 
 a bit of sewing, the needle still sticking in its folds. 
 Upon this quiet scene, quiet, yet many-voiced in its 
 quaint simplicity, looked down the white face of the old 
 clock, silent too, its hands pointing to eight o clock. 
 
 Both men instinctively uncovered their heads in this 
 humble interior. 
 
 55
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 " Is there anything upstairs that we need see ?" said 
 Baillot, after a long silence. "If not we must go 
 on." 
 
 Nothing, sir, but the chambers ; nothin fancy 
 about em, but plain and neat. I tell you, sir, not all 
 the brine was in the sea yonder, when I first clapped 
 my eyes onto this little place. It s been a home to 
 somebody, an there s been a deal of love here, I m 
 thinkin . It put me in mind of the place I used to 
 have years ago in England. Many a time when I was 
 on the deck of a stormy night, that little place ud rise 
 before my eyes as plain as day, and I could almost hear 
 a little yellow -haired lad a callin me daddy ! But he s 
 quiet now for many a long year in the churchyard, an 
 his mother beside him, poor lass. She d a deal of 
 trouble, an I fear I wasn t the least of em, with my 
 wild ways. The sight of this quiet little place an 
 yonder empty cradle s brought it all back to me, 
 though I left it astern a matter of twenty years ago." 
 And the old man drew his sleeve across his eyes. 
 " Vender s the barn-yard," he continued. " I saw two 
 fine cattle grazing in the field behind it. Down this 
 way there are two other cottages, laborer s huts, empty 
 like the rest ; I didn t go no further." 
 
 " Very well, then," said the Huguenot, " let us go 
 in this direction ; it was among the trees on yonder 
 slope that we caught the gleam of something white from 
 the deck of the yacht. 
 
 They now turned their steps towards the left, and 
 soon came in sight of a graceful little gothic building of 
 white marble. It stood on a slight elevation and was 
 almost concealed from view by the thick masses of foli 
 age which surrounded it.
 
 EHEU 
 
 "And what may that be, do yon think, sir?" said 
 Winters. 
 
 "It may be a summer-house," replied the young 
 man, "since it commands a fine view of the sea, or 
 he did not finish the sentence, for they had now ap 
 proached the entrance of the building. 
 
 "It is unmistakably a tomb," he added in a low 
 voice. 
 
 The dome of most graceful shape rested upon groups 
 of clustered pillars, and beneath it the figure of an 
 angel, with half-furled wings, stood as if guarding the 
 sarcophagus at its feet. The attitude of this figure at 
 once attracted the attention with one hand out 
 stretched, as if in warning, the forefinger of the other 
 resting upon its lips, it seemed to entreat eternal silence. 
 Upon the tomb itself was neither armorial bearing nor 
 inscription, only a single word carved in bold relief, 
 Eke u. 
 
 For several moments the two men stood motionless, 
 gazing at the beautiful downcast face of the silent guar 
 dian. The sunshine streamed cheerfully in across the 
 marble floor, a crimson rose dropped its petals noise 
 lessly upon the velvet grass, the low thunder of the 
 surf upon the beach below sounding a fitting requiem 
 for the dead. 
 
 " There be the others !" said Winters at length in a 
 hoarse whisper, pointing outside. 
 
 "None of them are of recent date," said Baillot 
 stooping to examine the moss-grown stones. With 
 some difficulty he deciphered the words on one of them. 
 Pierre Michaux, died June 16, 1630, and Desire his 
 wife, April 3, 1635. 
 
 " There is nothing here, Winters, to bear out your 
 57
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 horrible explanation of the uninhabited condition of the 
 island," he continued. "There have been no burials 
 of late, except perhaps " and he pointed significantly 
 towards the mausoleum. " But we must hurry on if 
 we would complete the circuit of the island before sun 
 down. 
 
 " I m not afeared of anything we may meet," said 
 Winters. " Suppose you go in one direction, an I in 
 another. "We ll meet at the castle in less than an 
 hour." 
 
 Accordingly they parted, the young man turning to 
 the left along the brow of the cliff. He walked rap 
 idly, stopping now and again to look about him. The 
 country through which he passed was comparatively 
 open, and resembled a well-kept park on any gentle- 
 man s estate. Here were the covers for game, and 
 there a pond white with lilies, a tiny boat fastened 
 under the overhanging foliage on its bank. Now he 
 startled a quiet group of sheep, or caught the tinkle of 
 a bell from the neck of some sleek cow grazing tran 
 quilly in the shade. Of human habitation or presence 
 there was no further trace. He arrived at the castle 
 gate before sundown, and was greeted by Winters who 
 had entered just before him. 
 
 "There s not a soul on the island, sir," said the 
 sailor, " unless you found somebody ; I made thorough 
 work of my half an saw nothing except a few culti 
 vated fields an a group of barns. But when I climbed 
 a tree yonder to take a good look in every direction I 
 tell you what I did see," and he lowered his voice 
 slightly, " I saw a sail !" 
 
 "A sail !" repeated Baillot, "coming this way?" 
 
 "That I couldn t say for sure, sir. That little craft 
 58
 
 EHEU 
 
 skims like a swallow ; we might overhaul her after a bit, 
 an so escape. 
 
 " If we were perishing for food and drink, and were 
 forced to it, man, we might try it," replied the young 
 man slowly. " But night will soon close in on us, and 
 I fear we should repent our rashness before morning. 
 
 "Ay, ay, sir ! jes as you say," said the old man in 
 a disappointed tone. " But God knows when we ll git 
 another such chance. 
 
 "If the ladies have succeeded in discovering any 
 maps we might attempt it," remarked Baillot after a 
 thoughtful pause. " Let us go and find them." 
 
 A very few moments sufficed to settle that question. 
 
 " There are neither maps nor chart !" declared Made 
 line. " And we have made thorough search in every 
 nook and corner of the library. The left wing of the 
 chateau contains a chapel," she continued, "with altar, 
 candles, and a beautiful picture of the Ascension ; there 
 is a great hall on the ground-floor opening upon the 
 terraces, and a wilderness of chambers and corridors, 
 above that the turret chambers and the battlements. 
 That is all." 
 
 "Then you may rest assured of safety to-night!" 
 said the young man bending his dark eyes admiringly 
 upon her glowing face, " for Winters and I can assure 
 you that there is no living being upon the island." 
 
 The party, fatigued by the day s excitement, retired 
 early to rest, the arrangement of the sleeping apart 
 ments being as Baillot had suggested. For a long time 
 after the others were wrapped in slumber, the young 
 man sat in the great chair before the empty fireplace of 
 the mysterious bedchamber, deep in thought. His own 
 past, his uncertain future, the mysteries of his surround- 
 ,59
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 ings, the haunting loveliness of Madeline, all in turn 
 flitted through his wearied brain, till at length his head 
 fell forward on his breast and he slept profoundly. He 
 was aroused suddenly by the sound of some heavy 
 object falling to the floor ; in an instant he was on his 
 feet, dazed and half-blind with sleep, but instinctively 
 reaching for his pistol which he had placed on the table 
 at his side, when of a sudden he was seized from behind, 
 blindfolded, bound and gagged with incredible strength 
 and swiftness. 
 
 60
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 A CRY IN THE NIGHT 
 
 DESPITE her extreme fatigue, or perhaps because of it, 
 Madame de Langres slept but little during the early part 
 of the night. Towards midnight she was aroused from 
 an uneasy doze by some sound, the nature of which she 
 was unable to determine. Raising her head from the 
 pillow, she listened intently. The noise was not re 
 peated, and after awhile she again fell into a light 
 slumber. But she was shortly aroused a second time by 
 her daughter. 
 
 "What is it, Madeline?" she asked in alarm. 
 
 " I heard some one cry out." 
 
 Where?" 
 
 " I do not know. I was sound asleep and dreaming ; 
 suddenly I heard a cry; Winters, help ! were the 
 words ; then immediately I awoke. The words were no 
 dream, and the voice was that of M. Baillot." 
 
 "The voice was doubtless but a part of your dream, 
 my child. That you should be visited by disquieting 
 visions is not to be wondered at. Come back to your 
 pillow and rest till morning, you are over weary." 
 
 The young girl obeyed reluctantly, but she lay for a 
 long time open-eyed in the darkness, her ears strained 
 to catch the slightest sound. Save for the wind which 
 sighed drearily down the wide chimney, and the drowsy 
 chirping of insects on the lawn below, there was no 
 sound to break the silence of the night. At length re- 
 
 61
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 assured by the peaceful quiet, and the soft regular 
 breathing of the sleeper by her side, the young girl s 
 eyelids fell and she too slept. 
 
 It was morning when she awoke, and the bright sun 
 light streamed cheerily in at the open window. Madame 
 de Langres was standing by the dressing-table putting 
 the last touches to her toilet. 
 
 Good morning, my daughter," she said cheerfully. 
 "You see that I was right after all. Did you not rest 
 well after your disturbing dream?" 
 
 " I slept profoundly," replied the young girl drowsily. 
 "As for my dream, I have forgotten it all save the shout 
 for help, and that was doubtless fancy like the rest. 
 
 "Come to the window, dear, and you will see that 
 we have some other visitors which we did not see yes 
 terday." 
 
 Madeline needed no second bidding ; she was out of 
 bed in an instant. On the lawn below several magnifi 
 cent white peacocks were strutting about ; one of them, 
 evidently the master of the flock, with his tail spread 
 to its widest extent, was displaying his gorgeous plumage 
 to his admiring consorts. 
 
 "What beautiful birds," exclaimed Madeline. "I 
 never saw white peacocks before !" 
 
 "They are very rare," replied her mother. " But I 
 remember to have seen some of that color once while 
 travelling in England. But there is Mr. Winters, and 
 evidently disturbed about something ; perhaps an acci 
 dent has befallen the yacht. 
 
 Madeline was dressing with rapid fingers. " I must 
 play housemaid to-day, mother," she said gleefully. 
 Old Cato will scarcely be able to do the work of this 
 mansion unaided. I mean to gather a quantity of those 
 
 62
 
 A CRY IN THE NIGHT 
 
 lovely roses and trim that charming drawing room which 
 looks out upon the terrace." 
 
 The two now emerged from their chamber into the 
 corridor, where they shortly encountered the old sailor. 
 He stopped short on beholding them with so distressed 
 an expression on his broad weather-beaten countenance 
 that Madame de Langres who was on the point of greet 
 ing him cheerfully exclaimed in alarm : 
 
 "What has happened, sir? You look as woe-begone 
 as if you had met with some great misfortune." 
 
 "That I have, ma am," said the old man, shaking 
 his head with a dismal groan. " Twill prove a mis 
 fortune for us all, unless I find him somewhars. 
 
 "Find whom? Who is missing?" cried Madeline 
 anxiously. 
 
 "No other than young Baillot, miss, an things look 
 pretty black, i turned out early an went to rouse 
 Cato who was sleepin on the bench yonder, by the 
 cap n s orders. I found him tied up hard an fast an 
 gagged into the bargain. What does this mean, you 
 black rascal/ I says, loosin him. Who trussed you up 
 in this ere fashion ? lie was so stiff and frightened that 
 he could hardly speak at first, but after a bit he limbered 
 up his tongue an told me as how he d been sleepin 
 sound for a matter of a couple of hours, as nigh as he 
 could tell, when on a sudden somebody made a grab at 
 him in the dark ; he tried to yell, but the} choked a 
 monstrous gag into his mouth, then tied him up an left 
 him. He had a notion that if he could only call me or 
 the cap n that everything would be ship-shape directly, 
 so he wiggles and twists, an being near the edge of the 
 bench, pretty soon off he goes on to the floor with a 
 tremendous whack." 
 
 63
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 " Did he see who his assailants were ? asked Made 
 line with trembling lips. 
 
 " I was just comin to that, miss ; when he succeeded 
 in rolling off onto the floor, he lay there for a bit 
 half-stunned, for the bench was high and his head got a 
 stunning thwack ; he hears somebody steppin cau 
 tiously near, an by the light of a lantern sees two men 
 lookin at him. Let him be, whispers one. He s 
 hard an fast an we must make haste. There were 
 two of the scoundrels ; sailors by their dress, says Cato, 
 sailors by the knots in the ropes as bound him, says I. 
 Wall, I then puts for the cap n s room, and after knock 
 ing an gettin no answer, I tries the door ; it opens 
 easy, and I go in to find the cap n missin while his 
 window is wide open an a handsome bit of tackle hang- 
 in out. Yes, miss, by that ere tackle, some time in the 
 course of the night the cap n took leave, for he ain t 
 no whars to be found on the island ! 
 
 "Do you mean," said Madame de Langres, "that 
 he left us of his own accord, or that he was carried off? 
 
 "How can you ask, mother?" exclaimed Madeline 
 indignantly. "Do you think for a moment that he 
 would abandon us to our fate now, when he remained 
 behind on the wrecked vessel?" 
 
 "In course, it s plain enough," said Winters gloom 
 ily. "He was carried off; but how they done it, 1 
 don t see, for he s monstrous strong is young Baillot, 
 an a pluckier lad ne er climbed a mast. Another 
 thing I can t see for the life of me is who carried him 
 off, an why?" 
 
 " He was carried off because he slept in that dreadful 
 room !" wailed Madeline, wringing her hands. "Where 
 is Cato ? I must ask him about it, and oh, Mr. 
 
 64
 
 A CRY IN THE NIGHT 
 
 Winters, did you climb the tower and look? Perhaps 
 the ship that carried him away is visible." 
 
 "I ain t so sure that he was carried off in a ship, 
 though twas sailors as done the job plain enough. 
 Suppose now that this ere place belongs to smugglers 
 or pirates; they might have some hidin -place, a cave 
 or suthin of that sort, an be a layin low for the rest 
 of us." 
 
 "That is true !" cried Madeline with a quick shud 
 der. "Did you hear any noise in the night?" she 
 asked, dropping her voice. 
 
 "No, miss, 1 was dead tired, an slept like a log. 
 They must have been mighty quiet, though Cato says 
 he is sure that he heard the cap n cry out once some- 
 whars outside." 
 
 " Ah !" cried Madeline, with a sobbing breath, "I 
 heard it also ! Why why did I not rouse you at once, 
 for it was for you he called? Winters, help! were 
 the words. Oh mother, why did you persuade me 
 that I was only dreaming? We might have saved 
 him." 
 
 The old sailor shook his head. "They that took 
 him was prepared for anything that might happen ; if 
 I had tried to save him there ud be no Jack Winters 
 here this morning." 
 
 The young girl silently wrung her hands. " Where n 
 Cato ? she repeated. 
 
 But Cato could throw no further light on the subject 
 beyond confirming the fact that the missing man had 
 shouted for help in the words that Madeline had heard. 
 
 " Dey didn t hurt him, lady," he said consolingly. 
 " Der ain t no sign of blood anywheres; mebby dey 
 bring him back, when dey fin s out who he is." 
 5 65
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 "But we don t know who he is," said Madeline des 
 pairingly. 
 
 " He ain t never sailed afore the mast till this v yage. 
 An that s been plain to me sense the day we sailed," 
 observed Winters. " But now let s get a bit of suthin 
 to eat, an then see what s best to be done. I ain t in 
 favor of spending much more time in this blarsted castle 
 askin your pardon for the word, ma am. I never 
 thought much of stoppin here ; tain t suitable quarters 
 for shipwrecked folks. Now thar s two things we can 
 do, we can move down into that little cottage yonder 
 a snug and wholesome place, an good enough for any 
 body, or we can take to the yacht and put to sea. If 
 we d done that yiste day, we d a been many a mile 
 away from this tarnal place." 
 
 "Yes," said Madeline sorrowfully, "and no one 
 missing, while now and she turned and stared with 
 unseeing eyes at the wide blue horizon. 
 
 " Our position is certainly a most difficult one," said 
 Madame de Langres anxiously. I hardly know what 
 to advise. Would it not be well-nigh impossible to 
 navigate the yacht with so small a force ? Madeline and 
 I hardly count as able seamen," she added with a shad 
 owy smile, while old Cato must needs be somewhat 
 inexperienced in nautical affairs." 
 
 "Ay, ay, ma am," replied Winters, rolling a quid 
 of tobacco about in his capacious mouth with the air of 
 a ruminating ox. "You re land-lubbers all, an more s 
 the pity ; but I reckon ye don t want to stay here to be 
 et up alive by a lot of pirates, do ye? We d have to 
 take on board a plenty of cooked victuals, an I d soon 
 shake some sea sense into that black rascal, Cato." 
 
 Madame de Langres was silent for several minutes ; 
 66
 
 A CRY IN THE NIGHT 
 
 she was evidently thinking deeply. " I am not of the 
 opinion," she said at length, " that this is the abode of 
 either pirates or smugglers ; nor do I think that our 
 companion was spirited away by such, for there is no 
 evidence of brutality on their part. For example, it 
 would have been far easier for them to have stabbed the 
 negro, and thus silenced him effectually. Nor is there 
 the slightest sign of any lust for plunder, though the 
 place is not lacking in objects of value. I agree with 
 you, my friend, in thinking that our small company 
 would be better housed in yonder cottage, where we 
 would be within easy reach of one another, than in this 
 deserted pile. But I confess to shrinking back appalled 
 from a voyage in the yacht, without chart or map, in a 
 region of ocean with which we are entirely unacquainted. 
 Such also was the opinion of our unfortunate com 
 panion." 
 
 You are right, mother," said Madeline in a low 
 voice. " We are in a horrible strait ; disaster seems to 
 threaten us in whichever direction we turn ; but any 
 thing, rather than commit ourselves into the power of 
 the dreadful sea." 
 
 "Ay, land-lubbers all," repeated Winters with a 
 shrug. "Heaven help us, miss, if we stay here. But 
 you shall have your way about it !" 
 
 The party now partook of some breakfast, which Cato 
 had made ready, and immediately thereafter prepared to 
 occupy the little cottage, which had already been twice 
 visited by Winters in his unavailing search for the 
 missing man. 
 
 " Tis a comfortable-enough place," said Madeline 
 looking about her, "a. pretty cottage and doubtless 
 occupied by worthy folk ; but to me it has even a sadder 
 
 67
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 look than the empty castle. Where are the busy hands 
 that scoured these pewter dishes to their silvery white 
 ness? where the little downy head that rested on the 
 pillow of that vacant cradle ? 
 
 "God knows, miss," said the old man, shaking his 
 head, but we must hope for the best ; they may all be 
 as right as trivets somewhar, an as happy as ever. I ll 
 jes set this ere cradle out of sight, and tidy up the 
 place a bit afore we come to stay. Some of them fine 
 sofys and chairs ay, an cups an plates from the 
 castle won t come amiss, an Cato will want a lot of 
 victuals." 
 
 The day passed quickly, for all were busy. By sun 
 set the cottage presented a very snug and cosy appear 
 ance ; all saddening signs of its former occupancy had 
 been removed, and much of the humble furniture re 
 placed by articles more suited to the use of the ladies. 
 
 Many times during the day Madeline had sought the 
 lofty tower of the chateau and had swept the horizon 
 with the glass, in vain search for some token of the man 
 who had so mysteriously disappeared from their midst. 
 
 He will return he will surely return, she said to 
 her mother " if he is alive." 
 
 "I do not doubt it, my child," replied Madame de 
 Langres. For myself, I have not yet given up hope 
 that he may still be on the island; not many hours 
 have passed since we saw him last." 
 
 " True, but the condition of Cato ; the midnight cry 
 for help ; the telltale ropes hanging from his window, 
 and also this " and she lowered her voice slightly. 
 " I found it among the bushes near the landing." And 
 she held up to view a bit of blue cloth, evidently torn 
 from some garment. 
 
 63
 
 A CRY IN THE NIGHT 
 
 Madame de Langres examined the fragment. "It 
 looks to me like the material of which clothing worn by 
 officers in the navy is made," she said at length. " I 
 have not forgotten," she added with a deep sigh, "the 
 days when I used to pack your dear brother s sea-chest. 
 Would God, we knew what had befallen him." 
 
 " We must not think of the past, sweetest mother," 
 murmured Madeline. "It only serves to dishearten 
 and unnerve us. We will we must believe that God 
 is in heaven, and that somehow all things will turn out 
 well, for us and for those whom we love." 
 
 "You are a living ray of sunshine in this dark earth, 
 my child !" cried her mother passionately. "As long 
 as 1 have you, I ought not to despair." 
 
 69
 
 CHAPTER X 
 
 KIDNAPPED 
 
 UNABLE to move or cry out, yet with all his senses 
 keenly alert, Baillot felt himself raised and borne 
 cautiously forward, the feet of his captors making no 
 sound on the thick carpet. 
 
 Have a care, now, with that rope ! came a hoarse 
 whisper in English, as he was lowered to the floor. 
 " Tis as much as your life is worth to hurt a hair of his 
 head!" 
 
 He perceived that he was being invested with a 
 sort of harness of ropes and bands, firmly secured about 
 his body ; in another moment he was again lifted and 
 felt himself swiftly descending to some unknown depth, 
 swaying and swinging dizzily in the cool air ; but 
 whether the coolness was that of the night or of some 
 subterranean passage-way he was unable to determine. 
 
 Presently he was seized from below, and the bands 
 and ropes hastily cut away from his body, his hands 
 and feet still remaining securely tied. A moment s 
 pause followed, then a whispered word which he did 
 not catch, and he was again lifted and borne noiselessly 
 but swiftly onward. A chance crackling of a stick 
 under the foot of one of his bearers, and a sprinkle of 
 dew on his upturned face from some overhanging spray, 
 convinced the young man that he was in the open air. 
 With a desperate effort he succeeded in disengaging one 
 hand from its fastenings ; in an instant he had torn the 
 gag from his mouth, and shouted with all his strength . 
 
 70
 
 KIDNAPPED 
 
 "Winters! Help!" 
 
 A heavy hand was clapped over his mouth before he 
 could follow the cry with a second. 
 
 " Faith, but he s strong !" whispered a voice. " Give 
 me your handkerchief; another such shout, and they ll 
 be about us like a hornet s nest. Bind up that hand 
 there ; make it secure this time !" 
 
 Convinced that resistance was useless for the present, 
 the young man made no further effort to escape, but 
 instead bent all his faculties to the task of discovering 
 who his mysterious abductors were, and whither he was 
 being taken. 
 
 "Set him there!" said the same low voice, "and 
 slip that cushion behind his head !" 
 
 In another moment the muffled dip of oars and the 
 liquid ripple of water informed the captive that he was 
 in a boat, and that it was being urged swiftly forward 
 by a trained and powerful crew. 
 
 For the space of perhaps a quarter of an hour they 
 pursued their onward course, the regular sound of the 
 oars in the rowlocks and the heavy breathing of the 
 crew alone breaking the silence. 
 
 "If T could but loosen these bonds about my feet," 
 thought Baillot, "and get my hands free from these 
 straps, I could slip overboard and swim for it." 
 
 Cautiously he moved and twisted about, and presently 
 to his great joy he again succeeded in wrenching one 
 hand from its fastenings, then slowly and stealthily he 
 reached down and began to work at the ropes that bound 
 his feet. And now the low booming of the surf told 
 him that they had reached the mouth of the stream, and 
 were about to enter the sea. 
 
 " Twas neatly done!" exclaimed a low voice.
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 That black rascal though was like to have been our 
 undoing ; and when he cried out for help I thought we 
 were lost. They don t look for midnight visitors, and 
 no wonder !" 
 
 "Silence, sir!" said another voice sternly. You 
 forget yourself." 
 
 Baillot had by this time succeeded in unfastening the 
 last knot that bound him, and was on the point of 
 springing to his feet, preparatory to a plunge overboard, 
 when to his dismay he perceived through the bandage 
 that covered his eyes the gleam of a lantern. 
 
 There was the sound of a smothered oath, and he 
 was seized by a pair of strong arms. 
 
 " Help, quick !" cried an alarmed voice close to his 
 ear. "He is loose, and I cannot hold him alone!" 
 The young Huguenot struggled violently with his cap 
 tor, but half a dozen strong hands had clutched him by 
 his legs, his arms, his body. He was forced into a sit 
 ting posture and held there. 
 
 "I beg, monsieur," said a low voice, in excellent 
 French, "that you will not again attempt to escape us. 
 You are in no danger ; but, on the contrary, are in the 
 hands of those who are most deeply interested in your 
 welfare ! You will, however, pardon us if we make 
 your bonds secure. 
 
 Which was at once done, and this time in such a 
 manner that the captive was convinced of the futility 
 of any further effort to free himself. He was somewhat 
 reassured on his own account by the words which had 
 just been spoken, but what of the others? 
 
 By the sounds that came to his ear, he was convinced 
 that they were approaching a large vessel. He could 
 hear the rattle of chains, the shrill whistle of the boat- 
 
 72
 
 KIDNAPPED 
 
 swain, and the sonorous voice of the commanding of 
 ficer. A quick order from some one in the boat, and 
 the oars were dropped into their places with a single 
 (-lick ; another, and he could feel that they were being 
 drawn swiftly upward. In a moment more he was lifted 
 gently from his place, the bonds which secured his feet 
 loosened, and he was marched between two of his cap 
 tors across the deck of a vessel. He counted the steps ; 
 it was a large ship. 
 
 " Now, monsieur, carefully; we are about to descend 
 some stairs," said a voice which he recognized as being 
 that of the man who had spoken to him in the boat. 
 
 His hands were released, the gag removed from 
 his mouth ; he heard the click of a key turning in the 
 lock. Raising his head he tore the bandages from his 
 eyes and looked about him. He was entirely alone. 
 The bright light of a lamp which was secured to the 
 ceiling revealed the interior of a large cabin, comfort 
 ably and even luxuriously furnished. There were two 
 doors, both of which were closed. He sprang forward 
 and tried one of them, the thought of escape still upper 
 most in his mind ; it was fast. 
 
 " 1 must get away," he groaned aloud; "they will 
 think that I have deserted them !" 
 
 The other door yielded to his touch and disclosed a 
 smaller cabin furnished for sleeping. He paused fora 
 moment and listened intently to the sounds above ; 
 there was the greatest hurry and confusion which his 
 trained ear could not mistake. They were getting under 
 way. 
 
 Hopeless now of making his escape, he returned to 
 the outer cabin and sat down by the table, his mind a 
 turmoil of distracting thoughts. He was aroused after
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 some moments spent in unpleasant revery by the open 
 ing of the cabin door. He sprang to his feet and con 
 fronted the man who had entered. 
 
 " How is this, monsieur?" he cried sternly. " What 
 is the meaning of this proceeding ? By what right do 
 you seize me in this way ? For whom do you take me ? 
 There is some grave mistake here ! 
 
 "Monsieur will pardon me," said the officer, for as 
 Baillot now observed, the man who addressed him was 
 clad in the full uniform of the British navy. "Mon 
 sieur will pardon me if I excuse myself from answering 
 these, or any other questions which he may be pleased 
 to ask. I am forbidden to answer questions, but am 
 permitted to assure monsieur of his personal safety, and 
 of every attention which he may require while aboard 
 my vessel. Pray consider me your humble servant and 
 use me in every way for your convenience save the one, 
 which I have just specified. These cabins are yours 
 and " striking as he spoke a small gong " this man is 
 at your command as body -servant. He cannot speak," 
 he added significantly, "but you will find him an ex 
 cellent valet. 
 
 As he spoke there entered on noiseless foot a man 
 with a face as silent and expressionless as a statue of 
 bronze. He was clad gaudily in a livery of scarlet 
 velvet, trimmed with gold lace. 
 
 " Zed, you will attend Monsieur during the voyage !" 
 said the officer addressing him. "See to it that he 
 lacks nothing ; report to me for further orders. 
 
 The man bowed in token that he understood, but he 
 did not speak. 
 
 "And now, monsieur," resumed the officer, turn 
 ing to Baillot, "permit me to wish you a very good 
 
 74
 
 KIDNAPPED 
 
 night. If the present wind holds, our voyage will soon 
 be at an end ; in the meantime I beg that you will give 
 yourself no uneasiness, and believe me when I assure 
 you that all is well." 
 
 He bowed profoundly and was about to withdraw, 
 when the Huguenot sprang forward. 
 
 "There is some terrible mistake, I assure you!" he 
 cried. " It cannot be that you wish to carry me off in 
 this way. Do you know who I am ? 
 
 "There is no mistake," replied the officer with an 
 air of decision, "and I beg once more to assure mon 
 sieur that all is well ! further than that I cannot go. 
 Good-night." 
 
 "But my companions on the island! Stop I as 
 sure you that you have made a terrible mistake !" But 
 the officer was gone. 
 
 " This is infamous !" muttered the young man under 
 his breath. " He shall answer me !" and with that he 
 sprang toward the door. 
 
 The black gave a low inarticulate cry and made a 
 gesture as if to prevent him. 
 
 Out of my way, fellow ! said Baillot fiercely, 
 throwing open the door. In the passage-way were two 
 marines standing as if on guard. They presented arms 
 with an air of profound respect. 
 
 "Where is the commander of this vessel?" de 
 manded Baillot in French, then bethinking himself he 
 repeated the question in English. 
 
 "Yonder, excellency," replied one of the men jerk 
 ing his thumb over his shoulder, but without removing 
 his eyes from the handsome angry face before him. 
 At the top of the companion-way he was confronted 
 by two more marines ; these dropped their pikes, in 
 
 75
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 token that further progress in that direction was cut 
 off. 
 
 " Let me pass !" he said angrily. 
 
 One from a little group of officers standing near in 
 stantly came forward. He bowed low as his eye fell 
 upon Baillot. 
 
 "Ah ! monsieur desires the air ? he said courteously. 
 " Let him pass at once." 
 
 " I desire to see the commander of this vessel," said 
 Baillot haughtily. 
 
 In order that you may 
 
 " Demand my release, sir." 
 
 "That is impossible, monsieur," said the young offi 
 cer. " Impossible, and, I may add, little to be desired 
 by monsieur. Were you not a prisoner on yonder 
 island ? Now you shall shortly be free, and here he 
 checked himself suddenly. 
 
 " But my companions who are left behind?" 
 
 " They are quite safe, and their removal only a matter 
 of time. There will be no further reason for their 
 presence there," said the young officer in a soothing 
 voice. "And now let me beg of monsieur to descend 
 to the cabin. It is quite impossible for me to explain 
 further. Monsieur will understand me when I say that 
 I am under oath to say no more." 
 
 "Allow me, sir, to explain to you how 
 
 But the officer had turned away with a low bow. 
 Baillot stared after his retreating figure. " I am dream 
 ing doubtless," he muttered with a short laugh; then 
 perceiving that the marines were eyeing him with undis 
 guised curiosity and amusement he slowly descended to 
 the cabin he had just quitted, and there as it was still night 
 he lay down in his berth and was shortly sound asleep, 
 
 76
 
 KIDNAPPED 
 
 The officer who had spoken with him was presently 
 accosted by the commander of the vessel. 
 
 "How now, St. Clair ! Did you have any trouble 
 with our passenger?" 
 
 "He was bent upon speaking with you, my lord, in 
 order to demand his release. But I assured him of the 
 impossibility of the thing, and finally prevailed upon 
 him to retire to his cabin." 
 
 " Our mde English tongues doubtless alarm him!" 
 remarked the other with a chuckle. "But he might 
 be in worse hands. What think you of his appear 
 ance ? 
 
 " I am bound to say, my lord, that I was surprised. 
 He is apparently much younger than 
 
 "You forget, sir !" said his superior sternly. 
 
 "He is a man of tremendous physical strength," 
 continued the young officer with some confusion ; "we 
 had great ado to hold him in the boat." 
 
 " AVhat do you mean, sir?" 
 
 " Did not Marston tell you how he worked himself 
 loose just before we made the ship ? He would have 
 been overboard in another moment." 
 
 "Gad, sir, but that would have been an awkward 
 thing for us," remarked the other shrugging his shoul 
 ders. "We shall do well to keep a sharp eye on him 
 during the rest of the voyage. Ay ! and a close tongue 
 in our mouths!" he added with a stern glance at his 
 companion. " Did he question you at all ?" 
 
 " He seemed much concerned about his companions 
 who were left behind," replied the young man. "I 
 made bold to assure him that they would be at once re 
 moved from the island." 
 
 "I ll warrant me that they will be removed ! You 
 
 77
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 were not far out of the way there. His concern foi 
 them does him credit. If the wind holds we shall soon 
 be quit of him, and a good riddance ; this kidnapping 
 business is not to my liking." 
 
 " Nor mine." 
 
 " Well, sir," said the older man after a short silence, 
 I shall go below for a few hours. Remain on deck 
 till I return, and stay he added with a significant 
 gesture, keep him where he is 1 "
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 
 H. M. S. CONQUEROR 
 
 WHEN the young Huguenot awoke it was to find 
 the sunlight streaming cheerfully through the skylight 
 of his cabin. He looked about him for a moment at 
 the milk-white walls and crimson curtains of his prison 
 with that dazed wonderment which often hangs about 
 the recent traveller in the land of dreams ; then his eye 
 fell on the black servant standing by his bedside in a 
 deferential attitude. He bore in his hand a small silver 
 tray containing a delicate cup of Sevres china and a 
 silver pot ; this he offered to the young man with a low 
 bow. 
 
 " Chocolate?" inquired Baillot ; " but I am neither 
 a woman nor a sick man, my good fellow. Take it 
 away and fetch my clothes for I see that they have 
 disappeared." 
 
 The negro instantly obeyed, and Baillot stared at him 
 in puzzled silence, as with perfunctory deftness he laid 
 out a grand array of costly toilet articles together with 
 a complete suit of apparel of gorgeous material and 
 fashionable cut. He roused himself as the valet ap 
 proached him with towels and a silver basin containing 
 water which he had previously dashed with eau de 
 Cologne. 
 
 " You may leave me now, fellow, Zed Zip what 
 ever your name is ! I will dress myself. But first re- 
 
 79
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 move that pink satin waistcoat and the velvet coat, and 
 bring me something plainer and more ship-shape." 
 
 The negro again made obeisance, and immediately 
 replaced the articles in question with others of black 
 satin overlaid with silver lace. 
 
 Baillot eyed them with a scowl. "I shall have to 
 appear like a popinjay from the court before these offi 
 cers, he thought to himself ; that comes of appro 
 priating the finery at the chateau." With the word 
 came a sudden illumination. "They mistake me for 
 the former occupant of the castle ! He sprang up 
 with a smothered exclamation, pushing the proffered 
 basin to one side so roughly that the perfumed water 
 was spilled upon the floor. Then seeing the alarmed 
 and puzzled look upon the face of the negro, he laughed 
 outright. 
 
 "I am in the habit of waiting upon myself at my 
 toilet, my good fellow ; I shall do so now, and do you 
 inform the commander of this vessel that I wish to speak 
 with him as soon as convenient." 
 
 The man at once left the cabin, and Baillot, left to 
 himself, made rapid work with his dressing. 
 
 "Ay, thou art a pretty-enough coxcomb, in thy 
 lace ruffles and satin coat !" he exclaimed with a grim 
 laugh, as he faced his reflection in the glass. "Erst 
 while officer, convict, refugee, sailor, castaway, what 
 for the moment are you?" 
 
 Br . he was none the less accurate in all the details of 
 his toilet, leaving his cabin a few moments later a com 
 plete picture of the gentleman of the period, his keen 
 dark face, with its slightly aquiline nose, brown eyes 
 and well -cut lips, shaded by dark locks of hair which 
 he wore unpowdered. 
 
 80
 
 H. M. S. CONQUEROR 
 
 Upon entering the outer cabin he found a sumptuous 
 breakfast awaiting him, which he proceeded at once to 
 discuss with an excellent appetite, Zed attending him 
 with great ceremony. When he had finished he be 
 thought himself of his resolution to attempt another in 
 terview with the captain. 
 
 " Did you tell the commander that I wished to see 
 him?" he inquired. 
 
 The man bowed. 
 
 "What did he say? Confound it, you can t speak, 
 but why, since you hear perfectly ? 
 
 The man uttered one of the strange inarticulate 
 sounds, which Baillot had before noticed, then with an 
 apologetic grin opened his mouth. He was tongue- 
 less. 
 
 " Diable ! What a shame in this age of the world ! 
 But the captain ? 
 
 By way of reply the negro produced a letter which 
 he handed to the young man with his accustomed obei 
 sance. 
 
 " Monsieur will pardon me if I find it impossible to 
 accede to his request for an interview," he read. "We 
 have just sighted a ship of the enemy, and my presence 
 is imperatively required upon deck. Monsieur need 
 give himself no uneasiness but had best remain below 
 during the day. TOKRIXGTOX." 
 
 " Pcstc ! docs he think that with a fight in prospect I 
 shall remain below stairs like a sea-sick woman ? I shall 
 go on deck at once !" But he found the marines still 
 on guard before the outer door, evidently under orders 
 to keep him below decks. The hot color flew to the 
 young man s face and he was on the point of bursting 
 into an angry protest, but he bethought himself of his 
 6 81
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 perfect helplessness, and turning on his heel without a 
 word, strode back into the cabin. 
 
 What then shall monsieur do with himself to-day ?" 
 he exclaimed aloud with a short laugh. " Monsieur 
 may look at his pretty new clothes and play with his 
 fingers. May the enemy make it so hot for them that 
 they will find themselves unable to spare four good men 
 to guard monsieur, then we shall see !" 
 
 In his anger he had forgotten the presence of the 
 man who could hear though he could not speak ; but as 
 he turned in his rapid stride up and down the narrow 
 confines of the cabin his eye fell upon the negro. The 
 man stood staring at him with such an expression of 
 anxious alarm upon his sable countenance, that the 
 young Huguenot stopped short. 
 
 "You think that I am a madman, fellow? Well 
 I promise you that you shall not suffer at my hands 
 unless and he scowled fiercely, you presume 
 upon your position and attempt to make yourself my 
 jailor ; in that case I shall make nothing of tying a 
 double bow knot in your black neck. Now fetch me 
 some books or stay, fetch me a sea map and some 
 charts." 
 
 " I will see if I can place our mysterious island," he 
 thought to himself. But the negro presently returned 
 with one or two volumes which, with many apologetic 
 duckings of his woolly head, he deposited upon the 
 table. 
 
 " How now ; am I not permitted to have a chart or 
 map ? 
 
 The negro rolled up his eyes in evident fright, but 
 he shook his head emphatically. 
 
 " Hum ! Monsieur is requested to employ his 
 
 B2
 
 H. M. S. CONQUEROR 
 
 mind with a romance ; tis a fitting employment foi 
 a man who wears a satin coat on blue water. What 
 is here Corneillc Racine? I shall perhaps be able 
 to while away an hour in your company." And fling 
 ing himself upon a chair he opened one of the vol 
 umes. 
 
 The better part of an hour had passed away, when 
 some unusual sounds on deck attracted the reader s at 
 tention. "That sounds like action," he murmured, 
 casting aside his book ; " they are about to engage or I 
 am very much mistaken." 
 
 A glance at the ^pen door revealed the marines still 
 standing motionless, with no sign of interest or excite 
 ment on their stolid red faces. 
 
 "Sac re bleu ! but these Englishmen," muttered the 
 captive with a shrug, " they are made of wood !" 
 
 While the Huguenot arrayed in his costly satin and 
 ruffles sat staring morosely at the imperturbable ma 
 rines, on deck all was bustle and excitement. The 
 enemy s ship had been sighted about six o clock in 
 the morning. It was at first deemed advisable to 
 keep out of her way, and thus avoid an engagement, 
 but it soon became evident that this would be impossi 
 ble, for the English vessel, though a first-class ship 
 heavily armed, was not equal to a chase with the fleet- 
 winged stranger. 
 
 " Our consort should have met us hereabouts," said 
 Torrington to St. Clair as he uneasily paced the quarter- 
 deck. "What can have become of her ? A stiff brush 
 with the enemy might prove embarrassing with our 
 present passenger aboard." 
 
 " I ll warrant me that the smell of gunpowder will be 
 new to the gentleman," replied St. Clair flippantly, 
 
 83
 
 PRISONERS OP^ THE SEA 
 
 "but to my mind it is more wholesome than the odor 
 of sanctity, to which no doubt he has been accustomed 
 heretofore. 
 
 "You are an irreligious dog, St. Clair !" growled his 
 superior with a chuckle. " See to it that our friend 
 does not escape his quarters ; if it becomes necessary to 
 remove the men on guard bid the negro lock him in se 
 curely. He ll stay there willingly enough when the 
 cannonading begins." 
 
 "Perhaps," replied the young man, lifting his eye 
 brows. 
 
 "Make him secure in any event. And now set 
 every man to his post ; we shall be within range inside 
 of twenty minutes. A couple of broadsides from The 
 Conqueror may cool them off a bit. 
 
 The enemy, flying the French flag, had now ap 
 proached within hailing distance, and presented, with 
 her towering mass of snowy canvas, her massive hull 
 bristling with cannon, and her yards alive with seamen, 
 a most imposing sight. 
 
 "What ship is that?" roared Torrington through his 
 speaking-trumpet. 
 
 "Come a little nearer," was the derisive answer, 
 and see for yourselves ! 
 
 "Ay, that we will, the impudent rascals!" cried 
 Torrington throwing down his trumpet, while a dark 
 flush of wrath rose to his cheek. " Rim her athwart 
 the enemy s bow and give her a broadside !" 
 
 Slowly The Conqueror swung about to her helm, but 
 the enemy perceiving the design of the Englishman 
 turned also, and at the moment The Conqueror pre 
 sented her bow, poured into it a deadly blast of eighteen- 
 pound shot. 
 
 84
 
 H. M. S. CONQUEROR 
 
 That it had taken effect was immediately evident, and 
 Torrington shouted angrily, "Close with the enemy! 
 No quarter ! 
 
 The two ships had now approached so near that the 
 faces of the crew on the French ship were distinctly 
 visible, and their bearded grinning countenances seemed 
 to fill the Englishmen with a kind of dull rage. 
 
 " Give them something to laugh at !" was the cry. 
 and a sheet of flame burst forth from the dark side of 
 The Conqueror. 
 
 " Ah, that was good look at the rascals now ! Give 
 them another !" 
 
 But the enemy was not idle ; from her yards skilful 
 marksmen kept up a deadly fire, while her guns roared 
 incessantly. A dense cloud of smoke enveloped the 
 vessels, through which the glare of the bellowing can 
 non, the forms of the combatants, and the tattered can 
 vas overhead, could be seen dimly, like the imaginings 
 of an awful dream. The ships had drifted so close that 
 the rigging had become entangled a signal advantage 
 to the English vessel, which, owing to her heavy con 
 struction was slower in answering her helm. 
 
 "Put some of our people over her sides!" roared 
 Torrington. But the boarding-party, headed by St. 
 Clair, was repulsed and driven back with heavy loss. 
 Things now began to look serious for the English, 
 their decks were piled with the dead and wounded, 
 and a number of their best guns silenced ; the ship, 
 moreover, was leaking badly and on fire in several 
 places. 
 
 "The day is going against us," groaned Torring 
 ton between his shut teeth. "But I ll not be taken 
 alive!" 
 
 85
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 Just at this critical juncture he saw, to his astonish 
 ment, that a small party from his own vessel had suc 
 ceeded in boarding the Frenchman, and that a deadly 
 conflict was going on. Seizing a pike he pushed for 
 ward with an encouraging shout. Ten minutes of sharp 
 fighting followed, a hand-to-hand struggle with cutlass 
 and pike, at the end of which the Frenchmen were evi 
 dently worsted, for they raised a loud cry for quarter ; 
 at the same moment a triumphant shout burst from the 
 English crew. 
 
 They strike . They strike ! 
 
 The battle had lasted but little more than an hour, 
 but the havoc which that hour had wrought was in 
 describable. The crew of The Conqueror now ad 
 dressed themselves with vigor to the task of extin 
 guishing the flames, which threatened to destroy both 
 vessels. This being accomplished and the prisoners 
 made secure, Torrington, who had by some miracle 
 escaped without a scratch, bethought him of his pas 
 senger. 
 
 Approaching St. Clair, who was having a wound in 
 his arm looked after by the ship s surgeon, he said in 
 a low voice, "What of our friend below stairs, is he 
 safe?" 
 
 "I cannot tell you, sir," replied the young man, 
 "we were obliged to remove the marines on guard 
 early in the engagement, so many of our gunners were 
 killed. I gave the negro orders to lock him in. He 
 is probably in his cabin stiff with fright. I will go 
 below," he added, "as soon as this nasty cut in my 
 arm is attended to. But can you tell me, my lord, who 
 led that last boarding-party ? 
 
 Torrington stared at the young man in surprise. 
 86
 
 They strike ! They strike ! " Page 86
 
 H. M. S. CONQUEROR 
 
 " Did you not lead it yourself, sir? I was about to 
 congratulate you for the service ; it was that, and that 
 alone which saved the day." 
 
 " Twas not I, my lord ; I was on the point of ask 
 ing you whether we ought not to strike, when I heard 
 a great shout and caught a glimpse through the smoke 
 of a party rushing by, led by some one whose face I 
 could not see." 
 
 " Twas Euston then !" 
 
 " Euston was wounded when we tried to board her 
 the first time," replied the young man quietly. "I 
 saw him fall." 
 
 Torrington turned on his heel with a smothered ex 
 clamation ; some one was pulling at his coat from 
 behind. 
 
 " Well, you rascal, what now?" 
 
 The negro was kneeling upon the slippery deck, 
 his hands clasped, and a most piteous expression of ap 
 pealing agony on his ashen face. 
 
 " Are you hurt, fellow? No well then, what does 
 this mean? Where is your charge?" 
 
 "Something has happened to him, my lord," inter 
 posed St. ("lair hastily. "Twill look to it at once." 
 And wrenching himself out of the hands of the surgeon, 
 he crossed the deck and disappeared down the com 
 panion-way. 
 
 One of the younger officers now approached the com 
 mander, he saluted respectfully, then said in a some 
 what hesitating way : 
 
 " A sailor who has been severely wounded has just told 
 me an extraordinary thing. He insists upon it that the 
 boarding -party was led by the person whom we took on 
 board last night."
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 "What?" exclaimed Torrington. "The fellow is 
 mad ! But here is St. Clair. 
 
 The young man came quickly forward looking pale 
 and anxious. The ah gentleman is not in his 
 cabin, my lord," he said.
 
 CHAPTER XII 
 
 A HUCUF.NOT 
 
 "WHERE is he then?" demanded Torrington with 
 an oath. "For once in my life I wish you could 
 speak !" he continued, fixing his eyes gloomily on the 
 negro, who still sprawled at his feet. " Get up, and 
 help look for the Frenchman ! the devil take all 
 Frenchmen dead or alive !" 
 
 "But, my lord," interposed the young officer, "if 
 the sailor yonder spoke the truth, we owe our victory to 
 this same Frenchman !" 
 
 "Gad, sir, do you believe such idle ravings? Would 
 he fight his own countrymen, man ? 
 
 "We must at all events ascertain what has become of 
 him," put in St. Clair. " Twill be an unlucky cruise 
 for us all should we fail to do so." 
 
 "Unlucky enough!" growled Torrington, turning 
 on his heel. " Get you about the quest ; look carefully 
 among the dead and wounded." 
 
 A systematic search of both vessels was at once insti 
 tuted, and before many minutes a cry from one of the 
 sailors called Torrington to the spot. On board the 
 enemy s ship, which was still lashed to the side of The 
 Cofu/iteror, amid a heap of the slain, marking the spot 
 where the fiercest fight of the day had taken place, the 
 marines had uncovered the body of the man. 
 
 St. Clair and Torrington reached the spot at the same 
 instant. They looked at one another without a word. 
 89
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 "Bring him out here," commanded Torrington ; 
 "call the ship s surgeon." 
 
 St. Clair was already tearing aside the lace ruffles at 
 the breast of the unconscious Baillot that he might listen 
 for a possible heart -beat. " He still lives, my lord !" 
 he said briefly. 
 
 At this moment the ship s surgeon, a short stout man 
 with a bustling and authoritative manner, arrived upon 
 the scene. 
 
 "Out of my way, gentlemen," he said with an im 
 perative wave of the hand. " You impede my vision." 
 
 All obeyed save St. Clair, who still supported the 
 unconscious man s head, and Torrington, who stood at 
 his feet like a grim statue. 
 
 "What do you make, sir?" he asked gruffly, as the 
 surgeon paused for a moment in his cautious proddings 
 and manipulations. 
 
 "I find no serious hurt, m lord, so far," replied 
 that functionary cautiously. We had best remove 
 him below where he can be stripped ; I shall then 
 shortly be able to ascertain the full extent of his in 
 juries. 
 
 " Give him some brandy," commanded Torrington. 
 "I m no leech, but damme, that ll fetch him up, if 
 anything will !" 
 
 "I was about to administer a restorative, m lord," 
 replied the surgeon with dignity. 
 
 This he at once proceeded to do, and with such 
 good effect that the young man s eyes opened, and to 
 the great surprise of all he presently sat up and looked 
 about him. 
 
 Is the day ours ? he asked eagerly. 
 
 "What does he say?" inquired the surgeon, with 
 90
 
 A HUGUENOT 
 
 another meditative prod; " I do not understand the 
 French language myself; it is not necessary to my pro 
 fession." 
 
 Baillot turned upon him a look of perfect intelli 
 gence, then glanced at the anxious faces about him. 
 
 "I see that we did beat them," he said slowly, this 
 time in English. " My faith, but it was a close brush ! 
 I caught the fellows just as they were about to board us, 
 a hundred strong. 
 
 "Where are you hurt, sir?" questioned the surgeon, 
 thrusting his round anxious face into the young man s 
 range of vision. " I have not yet been able to lo 
 cate the injury." And he again made as though he 
 would continue his investigations with a cautious fore 
 finger. 
 
 "Sheer off, man!" said Baillot, waving him off. 
 "I escaped the onslaught of the enemy by rare good 
 fortune, but I can bear no more of your mauling. 
 Somebody fetched me a blow on the head with the butt 
 of a pistol that knocked me senseless for a moment ; 
 other than that I haven t a scratch." 
 
 "Thank God!" ejaculated Torrington fervently; 
 " twould have been a sorry day for us, had you been 
 as dead as you looked when we found you ! 
 
 Baillot eyes him curiously. " That is a question that 
 I wish to discuss with you, sir. I think that I can 
 shortly convince you that my death would make very 
 little difference in your fortunes." 
 
 "Let me assist monsieur to his cabin," said St. 
 Clair, coming forward. "In the meantime we all 
 realize that we owe our freedom perchance our lives, 
 to his valor." 
 
 "True !" growled Torrington, as Baillot slowly rose
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 to hi* feet. " But how does it happen that you were 
 willing to fight your own countrymen ? 
 
 A mingled expression of bitter sorrow and hatred 
 swept like a tempest across the young man s expressive 
 face. He glanced at the shattered vessel, the heaps of 
 dead and wounded about him, then he turned and faced 
 his questioner. 
 
 " Sir, I am a Huguenot !" 
 
 A low murmur of amazement ran about the little 
 circle of listeners. Torrington was the first to recover 
 himself. Take him below ! " he said, with a fierce 
 scowl at the curious faces of the sailors ; the blow on 
 his skull is more serious than we feared. Look carefully 
 to it, doctor. Go below with him, St. Clair ; your 
 own hurt needs nursing. 
 
 Half an hour later as the English commander stood 
 on the deck of his own vessel, which was already re 
 duced to a state of wonderful order by the small body 
 of uninjured marines, St. Clair approached him. 
 
 How many have we lost, my lord ? 
 
 " Forty killed, and as many wounded." 
 
 " Twas a bloody battle. How fared the French 
 man?" 
 
 " Seventy killed, and the rest prisoners. I have 
 placed Fortescue in command of the French ship with 
 enough of ours to man her, and divided the prisoners. 
 I wanted you here," he added, observing the quick 
 flush of annoyance which rose to the face of the man at 
 his side ; besides you are wounded. 
 
 " My wound is nothing," said St. Clair hastily, "a 
 mere scratch. But what think you of our prisoner s, 
 perhaps I should say our 
 
 * Call him what you like, sir !" interrupted Torring- 
 92
 
 A HUGUENOT 
 
 ton impatiently. " What do I think of his declaration? 
 I have had a dozen minds about it. I begin to think 
 that we have made some atrocious blunder. 
 
 That can hardly be, my lord," observed his com 
 panion thoughtfully. "We found everything exactly 
 as was told us ; the postern unguarded as was previ 
 ously agreed upon, the door opening to our key, the 
 black man on guard, everything No there can be no 
 mistake on our part." 
 
 " If he is by some miracle a Huguenot !" exclaimed 
 Torrington. " But hold, we are gossiping like a couple 
 of women. His religion concerns us not a whit. What 
 confounds me is his fighting ; why man, he fought like 
 a soldier !" 
 
 " All the better, my lord, but a miracle of itself, for 
 how" 
 
 "Tut, the how of it is nothing to us. Yet we must 
 recognize his services if by chance he be not crazed 
 by his hurt. Let him up on deck freely for the rest of 
 the voyage, but look to it that he gets speech with none 
 of the others. 
 
 Meanwhile the young Huguenot in his cabin was 
 passing a inaurals quartre if he it re with the surgeon. 
 
 "I must insist, your excellency," the little man was 
 saying, "upon making a very thorough examination. 
 From the nature of your remarks we apprehend perhaps 
 an injury to the corinal suture of the cranium, which 
 might necessitate a very interesting operation very 
 interesting ! I am sure, your highness, I should be most 
 delighted to perform such an operation upon you, and 
 should it chance to be successful 
 
 " But I lull you I am not hurt, go and look to those 
 who are ; there are enough of them, poor fellows." 
 
 93
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 " The cases you refer to are in uie hands of my assist 
 ant, your grace," replied the little man with airy 
 dignity. "And also I may say that I believe the sur 
 geon of the French vessel is at work among them. You 
 need give yourself no anxiety concerning them though 
 I am sure it does you great credit. But as I was saying 
 an injury to the stephanion sometimes occasions 
 
 There is no injury, I tell you ! save a bruise ; give 
 me a lotion for that, if you must do something, then 
 leave me. 
 
 "A lotion, my lord, would not be amiss, and I will 
 presently apply it after I have satisfied myself that the 
 ophryon is quite uninjured. Now in regard to internal 
 injuries, in the region of the xiphoid appendage when I 
 examine it in this manner do you feel any pain ? 
 
 "By the powers, man! Such prodding would be 
 apt to produce a feeling of some sort ! Once more I 
 tell you that I am not hurt. Come, I shall fare very 
 well with Zed here to attend me. 
 
 The surgeon rolled his round eyes in the direction of 
 the negro, who was standing near. 
 
 "Ah!" he cried, " what have we here? A cranial 
 wound of some seriousness I believe. 
 
 Baillot looked up hastily. "You are hurt !" he ex 
 claimed, noting the ashen pallor of the man s face, and 
 the thin dark stream of blood which trickled down 
 his dusky cheek. "Why did you not say so? But I 
 forget, you cannot speak. I left you tied up securely 
 enough, as I supposed. Did you get loose and follow 
 me?" 
 
 The negro gasped slightly once or twice, then fell 
 heavily to the floor. 
 
 " There s a case for you, doctor. Do your best for 
 94
 
 A HUGUENOT 
 
 him, poor fellow ; he has already suffered enough for 
 one man." 
 
 "As I thought," remarked the surgeon with an air 
 of satisfaction, after a superficial examination of the 
 wound. "A most interesting case most interesting. 
 I shall be able, I trust, to demonstrate successfully my 
 theory of 
 
 "Don t do it here!" interposed Baillot hastily. 
 " Have him removed to his own quarters ; let me know- 
 later if I can be of any service to him. I verily believe 
 that the poor fool was trying to follow me into the ac 
 tion. Not so much of a fool after all," he added 
 thoughtfully, " for he was trying to do his duty, while 
 I" and he broke off with a smothered groan. 
 
 A couple of marines now entered and removed the 
 negro, the surgeon bustling along in their wake with his 
 instruments and bandages. Baillot seeing that he was 
 alone quietly opened the door of his cabin, and in 
 another moment had reached the deck unobserved. 
 Advancing to the rail he looked about him with a 
 deep breath of pleasure ; to be free even for a moment 
 from the galling espionage to which he had been sub 
 jected was a wonderful relief. He presently drew back 
 into the shadow of a drooping bit of canvas, hoping to 
 avoid recognition, but here he was soon spied out by 
 the keen eye of St. Clair. The young Englishman came 
 forward with a frank smile of greeting on his handsome 
 face. 
 
 " Then you are not seriously wounded as we at first 
 feared," he exclaimed, genuine pleasure evident in his 
 voice. 
 
 " Not a scratch, sir," replied Baillot. "In the en 
 counter with your excellent surgeon below stairs I might 
 
 ,95
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 not have fared so well, had not his professional atten 
 tion been fortunately diverted. I say fortunately," he 
 added in response to an -inquiring look from the officer, 
 but I fear that it will hardly prove fortunate for 
 yonder poor fellow ; the negro my attendant or jailor, 
 whichever you like best to call him was severely 
 wounded in the fight." 
 
 "I beg, monsieur," began St. Clair with evident 
 embarrassment, "that you will not consider yourself 
 other than an honored guest on board The Conqueror. " 
 
 I have yet to learn that honored guests are removed 
 by force from their bedchambers in the dead of night, 
 and that they are placed in charge of servants who have 
 full liberty to incarcerate them," observed Baillot with 
 a shrug. " Besides " 
 
 "It is impossible for me to explain to you why we 
 must do these things," interrupted St. Clair eagerly. 
 "But the fact remains, you are our honored guest, 
 trebly honored since you are also our preserver. Be 
 lieve me that these unavoidable mysteries will soon be 
 at an end, and that you will fully understand our un 
 fortunate position unfortunate in that we have been 
 forced by circumstances into playing a part which seems 
 unworthy. 
 
 Baillot turned and faced the young officer. " You are 
 an Englishman, lam a Frenchman," he said slowly ; 
 " tis the custom, born of the centuries, for us to hate 
 and distrust each other. You think us flippant, frivol 
 ous and untruthful ; we think you stupid, obstinate and 
 cold-hearted. But for all that, we are in the sight of 
 God but two human beings, neither more nor less, and 
 putting aside all foolish mystery and intrigue I beg that 
 I may talk to you as man to man. Believe me when I 
 
 Q6
 
 A HUGUENOT 
 
 say that there is some terrible mistake here, and that the 
 lives of others depend on its being put right at once. 
 Will you listen to me?" 
 
 St. Clair was visibly moved by this appeal ; what he 
 might have said on the spur of the moment he after 
 ward confessed that he did not know. But he v.-a^ 
 spared further embarrassment by the approach of Tor- 
 rington. That worthy officer having seen the two 
 young men in close conversation, and knowing the im 
 petuous nature of St. Clair, deemed it wise to inter 
 fere. 
 
 "I have the honor to congratulate monsieur on his 
 speedy recovery," he said stiffly, as he approached. 
 " I find that monsieur s body -servant had the misfor 
 tune to be wounded, and is incapacitated for further 
 duty. The fellow deserves the rope s-end for disobeying 
 orders," he added with a frown. 
 
 " The negro was, on the contrary, faithful to his duty 
 in the face of death itself." 
 
 " How so, your that is, monsieur?" 
 
 " The poor fellow had received instructions to keep 
 his prisoner below at all costs," said Baillot ; "accord 
 ingly he locked the cabin -door, and concealed the key. 
 This not jumping with the wishes of his prisoner a 
 difficult fellow to manage he presently found himself 
 unable to cope with the situation. In short, the pris 
 oner bound him, forced the door, and escaped to the 
 deck. The negro escaped his bonds and followed his 
 charge into the action with the hope of being able to 
 shield him from harm, and so he was wounded. Is my 
 Lord Torrington satisfied with the explanation?" 
 
 Torrington bowed slifily ; his face was a study. 
 
 " I shall place one of the marines at your service," 
 7 9:
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 ne said at length, " but I fear he will prove but an in 
 different valet." 
 
 "That is of no consequence, sir. But now that I 
 have the opportunity, let me explain 
 
 "Your most humble pardon, monsieur," interrupted 
 the other, with a wave of his hand, " it is quite out of 
 my power to enter into any explanations at present. 
 Explanations must be postponed, till we set foot on 
 English soil, which will be I trust at no distant hour. 
 St. Clair, a word with you in my cabin ; monsieur, the 
 marine who will attend you !"
 
 CHAPTER XIII 
 
 AT WARHAM CASTLE 
 
 THE remainder of the voyage passed monotonously 
 enough. The young Huguenot found that more liberty 
 was accorded him in that he was permitted to go upon 
 deck at will, but wherever he went, at his elbow like a 
 shadow, was the marine who had been detailed to his 
 service. 
 
 After one or two attempts to enter into conversation 
 with the man, Baillot had abandoned any further effort 
 in this direction. The fellow was apparently quite 
 stupid, and beyond a stolid " Ay, ay, sir !" in answer to 
 some request, obstinately refused to talk. Officers and 
 sailors alike saluted him with profound respect when 
 ever he appeared, but any attempt at conversation on 
 his part was met with courteous but persistent discour 
 agement. Neither St. Clair nor Torrington had spoken 
 with him since the day of the battle beyond the ordi 
 nary greetings of the day. 
 
 The young man haughtily accepted the situation ; he 
 ceased to attempt any communication with those about 
 him, passing long hours in reading, of which luckily he 
 was fond. At other times he paced the deck, moodily 
 thinking of those left behind on the island. At such 
 times the lovely face of Madeline seemed to arise before 
 him, her large dark eyes full of fear and sorrow. 
 " (iood (rod !" he thought, in a fury of impotent grief. 
 09
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 " I am helpless in the huge coils of another s fate ! I 
 must break away, I cannot endure it. 
 
 He resolved a thousand times that he would escape 
 and make his way back at any cost. How he was to 
 accomplish this, penniless as he was, and totally igno 
 rant of the whereabouts of the island, he did not stop 
 to consider. The first thing was to get away. And this 
 he determined to do as soon as possible after landing. 
 
 He awoke one morning to find that the vessel had 
 come to anchor in the night. Springing out of his 
 berth, he began to dress hastily, observing to his dis 
 may that a suit of unusual richness and splendor had 
 been placed ready for him. 
 
 "Hardly the thing," he muttered. "Here, you, 
 Jones, fetch me a plain cloth suit cloth, understand, 
 with no trimmings." 
 
 " Aven t got it, m lord," said the marine stolidly. 
 
 "See here, my man," said Baillot impulsively, 
 " these people have made a big blunder in bringing me 
 off on this vessel. I am not the man they want, and 
 I must get away ; this ring now is a valuable one, take 
 it, and help me ashore. You ll not regret it," he added 
 persuasively. 
 
 The man regarded him furtively, a gleam in his fishy 
 eye. "You don t appen to ave any gold about you, 
 do you, m lord? I hain t no use for that ere ring; 
 it ud get me into a eap of trouble." 
 
 "Confound it no! I have no gold, they brought 
 me away in the dead of night but look you, I can get 
 money, and I ll pay anything you like. Only help me 
 now ! 
 
 The man shook his head. "I ve card hoften an 
 hoften as ow a bird in the and is worth two in the 
 100
 
 AT WARHAM CASTLE 
 
 bush. I m a goin to get paid andsome for keepin 
 you all safe, and by parties as ave plenty of good 
 Henglish gold. That s good enough for me, and a deal 
 safer. 
 
 And with that he went stolidly on with his prepara 
 tions for breakfast, a most edifying expression of unim 
 peachable honesty on his broad red face. 
 
 Baillot bit his lip. lie felt that he had made a seri 
 ous blunder in attempting to corrupt the man, who 
 would now be doubly on his guard. 
 
 " Where are we?" he asked abruptly. 
 
 The man looked at him in surprise. " I thought m 
 lord, as ow you knowed by this time that I was hal 
 lowed to hanswer no questions. I make no doubt but 
 that you ll know where we are all in good time." 
 
 After he had breakfasted in gloomy silence, the young 
 man caught up a book from the table, intending to go on 
 deck for awhile, but he was confronted in the passage 
 way by the guard. Reduced to the necessity of passing 
 the day in his cabin, he resigned himself to his fate 
 with outward composure, though inwardly he was boil 
 ing over \\ith impatience. 
 
 About four o clock in the afternoon, Torrington ac 
 companied by St. Clair entered his cabin. 
 
 "1 have the honor of informing monsieur," said 
 Torrington stiffly, "that having reached anchorage he 
 will now disembark. I regret most heartily the un 
 pleasant circumstance of the battle, which afforded 
 monsieur serious annoyance, but which it was impos 
 sible to avoid, and trust that in the future he will re 
 member not unpleasantly his voyage in The Conqueror, 
 together with its commander, who is, and will ever be. 
 most devoted to his interests." 
 101
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 Having delivered himself of this speech with the air 
 of one who had committed it to memory, the officer 
 indicated with a wave of his hand that the young man 
 was to follow him. 
 
 Upon deck Baillot found to his surprise the entire 
 force of marines drawn up as if for inspection. They 
 uncovered upon his appearance with a ringing cheer. 
 On the quarter-deck stood an imposing group of men, 
 gold-laced and bejewelled, apparently awaiting his ap 
 proach. 
 
 " I have the pleasure and honor of presenting to 
 monsieur the governor of the castle of Warham," said 
 Torrington solemnly. 
 
 Whereat one of the gold-laced and bejewelled indi 
 viduals stepped forward and bowed profoundly. He 
 was a small man with a yellow wizened countenance, 
 and sharp grey eyes, which he fixed upon Baillot like a 
 pair of gimlets. Something that he saw evidently sur 
 prised and discomfited him exceedingly, for he con 
 tinued to stare, without speaking, for a full minute, his 
 mouth half-open as though the words had suddenly 
 frozen upon his tongue. 
 
 " Will your excellency proceed at once to disembark," 
 said Torrington, observing his discomfiture. " My 
 orders permit of no unnecessary delay. 
 
 The governor turned a lack-lustre eye upon the offi 
 cer ; he seemed about to speak, but evidently changed 
 his mind, and backed toward the open bulwark, where 
 an elaborate barge was in waiting. Here he paused 
 and with another obeisance waved his hand to Baillot 
 to descend before him ; several of the marines sprang 
 forward to assist him ; the governor followed, and pres 
 ently the barge swung slowly away from the ship, while 
 102
 
 AT WARHAM CASTLE 
 
 a hearty three times three burst from the throats of the 
 sailors assembled on her decks. 
 
 Baillot saw St. Clair leaning over the bulwark watch 
 ing him : he waved his hand by way of farewell ; the 
 young officer doffed his cap, and bowed low. 
 
 "Can you tell me, sir, whither I am bound?" he 
 asked, turning to the governor who was seated by his 
 side. 
 
 "You are on your way to the castle of Warham," 
 replied the little man with another penetrating look 
 into the face of the questioner, "where I shall have the 
 pleasure and honor of entertaining you until further 
 advices reach me. 
 
 "Yes?" returned the young man interrogatively. 
 " So much I had already gathered from our good friend 
 the commander of yonder vessel. Perhaps you will be 
 good enough to inform me whom you suppose me to 
 be ? I fancy that there is here some curious misunder 
 standing which a word of frank explanation would serve 
 to do away, to the mutual relief and advantage of all 
 concerned. 
 
 The governor cleared his throat loudly and moved 
 uneasily about in his place, casting a half-frightened 
 giance at several attendants who stood near ; at length 
 he spoke in a slow and cautious way, as of one who 
 carefully weighs each word ere he utters it. 
 
 "Your question is a most natural one under the cir 
 cumstances most natural. I do not wonder that you 
 have given it utterance, nor that you feel the greatest 
 anxiety to have it answered. And yet my duty com 
 pels me- J assure you that it compels me to ask you 
 to await further-- developments. 
 
 Baillot was on the point of returning an impatient
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 aaswer to this speech, but on second thought he forced 
 back the hot words which had risen to his lips. " The 
 castle of Warham, I presume?" he said, turning his 
 eyes shoreward upon a massive pile of buildings, flanked 
 by long irregular lines of fortification and straggling 
 rows of whitewashed cottages, which shone brilliantly 
 in the afternoon sunshine. 
 
 "The castle and town of Warham," assented the 
 man at his side with a comprehensive wave of the hand. 
 
 As he spoke the barge shot into the black shadow of 
 the castle walls, glided easily beneath a massive arch 
 way of masonry, between the iron jaws of the water- 
 gate flung wide to receive it, and stopped before a flight 
 of broad stone steps. On either side of this entrance 
 was drawn up a line of men-at-arms as silent and appar 
 ently as immovable as the hoary towers above their 
 heads. 
 
 "Warham castle," repeated the governor rising, and 
 performing a stately obeisance. " I make monsieur 
 right welcome to the securest stronghold in merry Eng 
 land !" 
 
 Ascending the steps the party entered a large court 
 yard, on all sides of which looked down the dark walls 
 of the castle, pierced at intervals with narrow windows. 
 Baillot s eye was irresistibly drawn upward to one of 
 these casements in which stood a brilliant nosegay, 
 flaunting its bright blossoms of scarlet and yellow in 
 pleasing contrast to the somber grey of the ancient 
 stone. 
 
 A passing gust of wind served at that moment to 
 overthrow the slender glass vase which contained the 
 flowers, and it fell with a musical tinkle to the pave 
 ment below, scattering a swift shower of brightness into 
 104
 
 AT WAK1IAM CASTLE 
 
 the gloomy place. A little cry followed and a small 
 golden head was thrust out of the window, to be with 
 drawn instantly at sight of the group below. In that 
 instant, however, Uaillot had caught a glimpse of a 
 charming face, lighted up by a pair of dancing blue 
 eyes. With a sudden movement he seized one of the 
 falling blossoms and fastened it carefully in the lappet 
 of his coat. 
 
 " Monsieur is quick of eye and hand !" observed the 
 governor dryly. We have now to go this way," in 
 dicating as he spoke a narrow stairway. 
 
 At the top of the stairway one of the attendants pro 
 duced a huge iron key and with some difficulty un 
 locked a heavy oaken door, which further admitted 
 them to a narrow corridor paved with stone. A second 
 flight of steps, of such ancient date that the very stone 
 of which they were composed was worn into hollows, 
 brought them to another door heavily bound and 
 clamped with iron ; this being opened, with much puf 
 fing and straining on the part of the man who carried 
 the keys, the party entered a lofty room, also con 
 structed solidly of stone. A look of warmth and even 
 luxury, however, was imparted to this grim chamber by 
 the priceless tapestries which covered the walls, while 
 upon the floor the foot sunk noiselessly into carpets of 
 the texture and softness of moss. A small fire of fagots 
 blaxed upon the hearth, which was overhung by a 
 monstrous chimney-piece of curious design. In strange 
 contrast to the stern massiveness of the place were a 
 number of trifling ornaments, a French clock, a buhl 
 table containing a vase of flowers, an escritoire, and in 
 one corner a lute, with pendant blue ribbons, leaning 
 up against a gay little sofa.
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 The governor cast a hasty glance about him, then 
 turning to Baillot said gravely, " Monsieur will, I trust, 
 find himself quite comfortable here. He is assuredly 
 as safe as one can well be in this uncertain world. You 
 will observe he added with some pride evident in 
 his voice, " that the castle walls are here ten feet in 
 thickness. 
 
 " Safe from what ?" demanded Baillot, planting him 
 self directly in front of the little man. 
 
 "Safe from what?" repeated the governor, with an 
 amazed look. I wonder that you ask, and yet per 
 haps it is not, under the circumstances, to be w r ondered 
 at. But I can only repeat what I have said ; you are 
 safe. I must now leave you for the present. Your bed 
 chamber adjoins this on the left. Refreshments will be 
 served at once." 
 
 "Stay, sir!" cried Baillot, "I must " But the 
 little man was gone, the great oaken door shutting 
 after him with a loud bang ; the grating of the key as it 
 turned in its clumsy lock informed the unlucky Hugue 
 not that he was still a prisoner. He listened intently, 
 there was nothing to be heard save the sound of retreat 
 ing footsteps which reverberated in faint echoes along 
 the corridor without. 
 
 " So I am safe," he said aloud, " this looks like it ; 
 and evidently left entirely to myself in a corner of this 
 old pile." A faint cough from the other side of the 
 door informed him that this was not the case ; he bent 
 down, and peering curiously through the great keyhole 
 was rewarded for his pains by a glimpse of the scarlet 
 livery and motionless halberds of two of the men-at-arms. 
 
 No getting away there, he muttered. Now the 
 windows. 
 
 1 06
 
 AT WARHAM CASTLE 
 
 But these narrow apertures, guarded by iron bars as 
 thick as a man s finger and opening directly over the 
 water at a perilous height seemed to promise little 
 better. 
 
 An agreeable diversion no\v occurred in the shape of 
 dinner, which made its appearance borne on silver trays 
 by two gigantic lackeys. With portentous solemnity 
 these worthies drew 7 forth a small table upon which they 
 spread a repast, almost barbaric in its profusion, and 
 for which the young man found a hearty appetite. 
 When he had finished, they gathered together the ap 
 purtenances of the feast, still in the same noiseless and 
 solemn manner, and after lighting a couple of silver 
 lamps withdrew. 
 
 Left to himself, Baillot proceeded to examine the 
 bedchamber. He soon satisfied himself that it had but 
 the single door by which he had entered ; its windows 
 two in number looked out over the sea. He swung him 
 self up into one of the narrow embrasures and looked 
 out. The sun was setting amid a fiery pageant of cloud 
 and its ruddy beams shining into the chamber, subdued 
 to a sickly glimmer the light of the lamps. As far as 
 the eye could reach there stretched the boundless pano 
 rama of sea and sky glowing with golden and rosy light. 
 From the ships which lay at anchor in the bay he could 
 catch the faint " Yo, ho!" of the sailors, and some 
 where nearer at hand sounded the soft music of a lute. 
 
 Insensibly the young man yielded to the influences 
 of the hour ; he sat quite still, his head resting against 
 the hard stones of the wall, his mind full of melancholy 
 thoughts. Suddenly he was aroused from his revery 
 by a soft whirring of wings, and with a gentle cooing 
 sound a white pigeon alighted upon the ledge of the
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 window ; presently it crept between the bars and quite 
 unmindful of his presence began to peck at the stones 
 as if in search of something to eat. Leaning forward 
 to examine his little visitor more closely, he saw to his 
 surprise that the pigeon was invested with a slender band 
 about his body ; he loosened this, the bird submitting 
 without fear to his touch, and drew from beneath its 
 wing a small square packet. 
 
 log
 
 CHAPTER XIV 
 
 A MIDNIGHT VISITOR 
 
 FULL of wonder Baillot unfolded the paper, which 
 he saw at once contained several lines of close hand 
 writing, and spreading it open upon his knee, bent 
 himself to the task of deciphering it by the fading- 
 light. He read as follows : 
 
 " Since your cruel father has denied you the privi 
 lege of attending church where, sweet saint, I could 
 at least adore you from a distance I have languished in 
 vain for a single smile. At midnight await the signal, 
 ,ind lower the cord which you will find secreted within 
 the body of your lute. Before dawn we shall be in a 
 position to defy the wrath of those who would fain 
 separate us. Farewell, my own Helena, yours until 
 ten tli and after. R< )i) ER i c K . " 
 
 When the young Huguenot had finished reading this 
 precious epistle he smiled, then laughed aloud softly. 
 
 "Ha, little one," he said, addressing the pigeon, 
 which was still pacing up and down the embrasure, 
 "you have made a sore mistake in your homing this 
 time. This pretty letter should have (ailed a blush to 
 a fairer cheek than mine. It was doubtless intended 
 for the maid with the golden hair and the merry blue 
 eye, whose nosegay took such a sad tumble this after 
 noon." 
 
 He again glanced thoughtfully at the paper which he 
 109
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 held in his hand "the cord which you will find se 
 creted within the body of your lute were the words 
 which met his eye. 
 
 A sudden thought struck him, he sprang down from 
 his perch, and seizing the blue -ribboned lute thrust hi? 
 hand into its body. There was something within ; he 
 drew it forth it was unquestionably a long cord rolled 
 neatly up into a little ball. 
 
 "An elopement at midnight," he murmured. "Ah, 
 yes, if now I can but persuade this brave gallant that 
 I am quite as desirable a companion as the blue-eyed 
 lady. But how will my unknown adorer effect an 
 entrance into these iron-clad windows? Stay, it is 
 possible that the bars are not so formidable as they 
 appear. 
 
 Which surmise was shortly proven correct, as he 
 found to his great satisfaction. Four of the bars in one 
 window had been cut completely through, and were 
 ready to yield to the slightest touch, though they pre 
 sented to the casual observer the same impregnable as 
 pect as the others. 
 
 But the young man was not to be left to himself for 
 the night without further attention from his noble host. 
 Shortly after he had examined the windows, a light tap 
 sounded upon the door of his chamber, and an elderly 
 man-servant entered, wearing the crimson livery of the 
 house, and bearing a small silver tray, containing pre 
 sumably some slight refreshment for the honored guest 
 should he chance to hunger in the night. This func 
 tionary proceeded in discreet silence to lay out a great 
 array of ivory -backed brushes, crystal flasks, and other 
 toilet appurtenances, together with a silken night-robe 
 and an embroidered dressing-gown. 
 
 MO
 
 A MIDNIGHT VISITOR 
 
 He then approached the door, and opening it made 
 some signal to those without. Immediately there entered 
 two footmen bearing a small truckle-bed, which they 
 set down in one corner, after which they noiselessly 
 withdrew. 1-Saillot perceived that this meant the pres 
 ence of the elderly man-servant for the night. He 
 started up from the great chair where he had been 
 lounging, idly watching the methodical movements of 
 the lackey. 
 
 " See here, my good man !" he said, frowning. " I 
 never permit my ralct tie chambrc to sleep in my apart 
 ment ; you must remove your couch to the corridor 
 without and at once." 
 
 The man looked startled. "Pardon, monsieur," he 
 said humbly, " but I have my orders from the governor, 
 and 
 
 " That makes not the slightest difference, sirrah. The 
 governor will not presume to dictate to me about a 
 matter of my personal comfort. Remove that bed 
 instantly." 
 
 The lackey hesitated a moment longer, but an im 
 perative gesture from Baillot evidently decided him. 
 Muttering something about asking the governor s gra 
 cious permission, he again opened the door, and the 
 offending couch was removed. 
 
 " You may find the corridor a draughty and rheum - 
 provoking place, my good fellow," remarked Baillot 
 graciously, "but for all that you must pass the night 
 there for once. It will not be necessary again, I trust. 
 Now, as everything is in readiness for the night, you 
 may leave me. 1 will make my own toilet. Do not 
 disturb me before ten in the morning, and, above all, 
 do not enter the room unless 1 ring." 
 in
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 The man bowed low, his hand upon his heart, then 
 backed slowly away. 
 
 The hours until midnight passed slowly enough. 
 Baillot had placed himself in the window where were 
 the loosened bars ; these he cautiously removed, and 
 with the cord in his hand awaited the signal no doubt 
 preconcerted between the lovers, but of which he was 
 unfortunately ignorant. The night was intensely dark, 
 and as the appointed hour drew near a fine rain began 
 to fall. "All the better," he thought with a smile, 
 as he pictured to himself the crestfallen countenance 
 of the eager lover. Then another thought occurred to 
 him. 
 
 "The donkey will come up to encourage mademoi 
 selle to descend," he said to himself. "And indeed 
 she must needs be a daring maid, and desperately in 
 love, to essay a rope-ladder from this dizzy height. I 
 must prepare myself for his reception." 
 
 From his bedchamber he procured a pillow, a couple 
 of damask towels, which he ruthlessly tore into strips, 
 and a bit of the voluminous white drapery which hung 
 about the bed. It was now verging close upon mid 
 night, and he resumed his post in the embrasure with 
 a beating heart. Presently he became aware of the 
 muffled dip of oars directly beneath his window, and 
 then the cry of an owl echoed with startling distinct 
 ness from the rocky walls of the castle. 
 
 "Idiot!" muttered Baillot, unrolling the cord and 
 lowering it r-apidly into the darkness. 
 
 A gentle pull on the cord presently informed him 
 that it had reached its destination ; he waited a moment 
 longer till a second jerk gave the signal to raise it, and 
 shortly the first round of a strong and well-made rope- 
 
 112
 
 A MIDNIGHT VISITOR 
 
 ladder came to hand. It was provided with a pair of 
 siout hooks, and these he made fast without delay. A 
 pause in the proceedings followed ; those in the boat 
 below were evidently waiting for the signal to ascend. 
 The young man was nonplussed for an instant, then he 
 leaned out of the window and shook the ladder three 
 times. 
 
 Immediately the ropes became taut, and presently he 
 could discern the head of a man below. He withdrew 
 himself cautiously into the shelter of the window dra 
 peries, and waited, his heart beating quite as loudly as 
 if he had been the yellow-haired maid. 
 
 The head of the man was now on a level with the 
 window. "Sweetest Helena adored lady!" came a 
 passionate whisper, "Where are you?" 
 
 "Here, Roderick," whispered Baillot faintly, allow 
 ing a bit of his white drapery to appear from behind 
 the curtain. 
 
 My angel ! And the slender figure of a very 
 young man scrambled quickly in through the window, 
 and leapt lightly down. " Come to my arms !" 
 
 In response to this tender invitation Baillot sprang 
 suddenly forward, seized the stripling about the waist, 
 and forced him down to the floor, smothering his 
 frightened outcry with the pillow. In another instant 
 he had bound and gagged him securely ; then he arose, 
 turned up the light which he had thoughtfully lowered 
 in keeping with the tender romance of the scene which 
 had just been enacted and surveyed the prostrate 
 lover. He could not forbear a smile at the expression 
 in the eyes of the youth ; rage, surprise and entreaty 
 were mingled in the anguished look with which he re 
 garded his captor. 
 
 8 113
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 " You have had a cruel surprise, my young friend," 
 remarked Baillot gently, "a most disagreeable sur 
 prise ; but I think I shall be able to convince you that 
 worse things might have happened. I have every sym 
 pathy for you in your undertaking, I have been in love 
 myself, my dear fellow. In fact I am in love now, am- 
 it is for that reason that I encouraged you to go on with 
 this little affair, which has apparently ended in such a 
 fiasco I say apparently, my dear Roderick, because 
 your cause is quite uninjured by this circumstance, if 
 you will do exactly as I say. 
 
 The young fellow writhed convulsively, with a dull 
 groan expressive of the deepest anguish, and Baillot 
 stooped to satisfy himself that his bonds were not un 
 comfortably tight. 
 
 " I should be happy to relieve you of your gag, sir," 
 he observed politely, "it is no doubt very uncomfort 
 able ; and as soon as I have succeeded in convincing you 
 that it is to your interest to be quite still I will do so. 
 In the meantime let me assure you that your lady is safe, 
 and he proceeded to relate the circumstances of the 
 afternoon. "You see," he continued, "that perhaps 
 fearing your prowess, her father has caused her to be 
 removed from her apartments to another part of the 
 castle, and so unexpectedly that she had no time to 
 communicate with you ; the matter is perfectly plain. 
 Now at this moment there are, on guard outside of my 
 door, several men-at-arms and a valet de chambre. I have 
 only to open my door and call them in, and voila ! 
 You are removed, the stern parent is aroused from his 
 slumber, and ah, you follow rne. I shall shortly be 
 able to loose you. But first, attention ! I am a pris 
 oner here ; that rope-ladder means safety ; I shalj 
 114
 
 A MIDNIGHT VISITOR 
 
 descend it, either with, or without you. I much prefei 
 that it shall be with you, for in that case you will give 
 orders to your people to take me to a place of safety. 
 If you think best to refuse, my course is perfectly 
 plain. I shall descend the ladder ; I shall escape ! 
 And you? You shall remain ; the valet will come in at 
 ten; you will not be neglected. You understand me ? 
 I will loose one hand, if you are prepared to follow 
 my very reasonable suggestions, be so good as to lift 
 one finger. Ah, you consent !" 
 
 Who are you ? said the young fellow, rising from 
 the floor, and ruefully rubbing his wrists. He was a 
 handsome stripling, with frank, honest brown eyes, 
 which he fixed upon his conqueror with a curious 
 stare. 
 
 "Who am I?" repeated Baillot. "lam really in 
 doubt on that score. I should be very glad to know 
 who I am personating at present. However, that 
 doesn t matter in the very least to either you or me. 
 We must get a\vay, and speedily. But first, tell me 
 what you were intending, had this little affair gone as 
 you wished ? 
 
 "Intending?" exclaimed the youth, "why, to get 
 married, sir, and as soon as possible. The devil take 
 you !" he added in a sudden rage. 
 
 "Not yet, I hope," observed Baillot soothingly. 
 "Don t get excited, I entreat you, my young friend; 
 remember that there are sharp ears on the other side 
 of that door ; an explanation of your presence here at 
 this hour might prove a little awkward. What I 
 meant was this : where were you intending to go when 
 the descent of the rope-ladder should have been suc 
 cessfully accomplished ? 
 
 "5
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 " By carriage first, to a clergyman in an adjoining 
 parish ; after that I 
 
 "You mean that beyond that point you have not 
 made definite plans, possibly a return to the stern father 
 and a reconciliation eh ? 
 
 "That s none of your business, sir," said the strip 
 ling sulkily. 
 
 "You are right, boy. I beg your pardon for my 
 seeming impertinence. Once out of this confounded 
 place I will tell you who I am, and how I came to be a 
 prisoner in Warham castle. Meantime I must not fail 
 to observe a time-honored custom and leave behind me 
 an explanatory note for the eye of the stern father. 
 
 And seizing a quill which lay together with an ink- 
 horn on a table near at hand, he hastily scrawled a few 
 lines. 
 
 Just as he was signing his name he heard a cautious 
 cough outside the door. Turning to the lad, who was 
 standing near watching his movements with a cloudy 
 brow, he whispered, "Out of the window, sir, in 
 stantly the valet!" 
 
 The boy needed no second bidding. Like a flash 
 he sprang to the window and disappeared. Baillot 
 hastily drew the heavy curtains before the tell-tale open 
 ing, not an instant too soon, for the door opened cau 
 tiously, and the elderly man-servant appeared upon the 
 threshold, bearing in his hand a small rush-light, and 
 winking and blinking like a man newly aroused from 
 sleep.
 
 CHAPTER XV 
 
 THE ESCAPE 
 
 "How now," said Baillot sternly, "did you hear 
 me ring?" 
 
 " No, your honor, humbly begging your honor s par 
 don, I did not hear you ring, but 
 
 "No buts, fellow. I ordered you to remain outside 
 till you should hear the bell. Go, and do not again in 
 trude yourself into my presence unbidden." 
 
 The man cringed visibly before the young man s 
 stern eye, but he stood his ground obstinately. "The 
 guard, your noble honor the guard aroused me ; he 
 insisted that he heard voices within. I thought 
 
 "You have no business to think; that is for your 
 betters. If it pleases me to talk with myself that con 
 cerns neither you nor the guard. Is it then forbidden 
 to speak in Warham castle ! and if so, why do you stand 
 chattering there when I have already twice bidden you 
 begone ? 
 
 But the man s sharp eyes had not been idle, and now 
 instead of retreating, he cautiously closed the door be 
 hind him, and advanced into the room, evidently bent 
 upon examining the bits of cloth with which Baillot had 
 bound the adventurous lover. 
 
 As he stooped the young man sprang upon him, and 
 in another moment he too lay gagged and bound upon 
 the floor. 
 
 117
 
 PRISONERS Ot THE SEA 
 
 "Now, sirrah, is your curiosity satisfied? Perhaps 
 you will conclude that it is best to obey in future." 
 And extinguishing the lamps, Baillot crawled cautiously 
 out of the window, and began a swift descent of the 
 rope-ladder. When he had nearer! the bottom, he 
 paused, and listened intently ; there was no sound save 
 the rippling of the waves as they lapped gently about 
 the base of the tower. He whistled cautiously through 
 his closed teeth ; there was no response. 
 
 "The young rascal!" he thought. "He has left 
 me. Tis a lucky thing he was unable to take his lad 
 der with him. I must swim for it, there s no telling 
 how long that villain lackey s mouth will be quiet; I 
 gagged him too lightly I fear. 
 
 Cautiously divesting himself of his coat, he threw it 
 into the sea, then descending a few more rounds of the 
 ladder, he was discomfited to find that although he was 
 still at some distance above the water his foot encoun 
 tered the empty air. 
 
 11 Peste >" he muttered, "did the idiot expect the 
 girl to drop into a boat from this height ? ah, I per 
 ceive that my gallant young friend has cut the ropes, 
 and as high as he could reach. Well, I must drop 
 Heaven send that there be a good depth of water 
 below !" 
 
 Clinging to the last round of the ladder, and hanging 
 motionless till it should cease its giddy swaying, the 
 young Huguenot endeavored to pierce the thick dark 
 ness which surrounded him. A ghastly vision of a 
 crushed and shapeless body washing helplessly against 
 the base of the grim tower, arose before his mental 
 vision. And for an instant he was tempted to re- 
 ascend the ladder to the snug security of the chamber 
 
 118
 
 THE ESCAPE 
 
 above, but the thought of Madeline, and the hapless 
 party on the island, gave him fresh courage ; breathing 
 a brief prayer to heaven, he let go his hold, and fell 
 with a sounding splash into the sea. 
 
 As he arose and struck out, he heard the drowsy call 
 of the sentry from the top of the tower. Swimming as 
 noiselessly as possible he made for the nearest point of 
 land. Before many minutes his foot struck bottom, 
 and he cautiously emerged upon the shore. He paused 
 to shake the water from his clothing. All was quiet in 
 the direction of the castle, which loomed up darkly on 
 the right, illumined here and there with a twinkling 
 point of light. Not far from the spot where he had 
 landed a large fire blazed cheerily amid the trees ; there 
 were several persons in its vicinity, for an occasional dark 
 figure passed and repassed betwixt him and the red 
 bla/.c. "By degrees he had approached near enough to 
 hear scraps of the conversation which was going on 
 briskly between two of the persons at the fireside an 
 old woman, who held between her teeth a short black 
 pipe, and a tall swarthy young man, his head bound 
 about with a scarlet handkerchief. Near them were 
 half a do/en brawny fellows stretched at full length and 
 snoring loudly, while behind the fire loomed the dim 
 outlines of two or three covered wagons. 
 
 "You bungled the job, my lad, and so lost a hand 
 some bit of gold. You should have done as I said a 
 week ago." 
 
 " T was ready but he wasn t," replied the young fel 
 low sulkily. "You can t hurry these fine folks. He 
 was afraid, poor fool." 
 
 " Not so much fool as you !" snarled the old woman, 
 removing the pipe from between her lips and spitting 
 
 119
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 viciously into the fire. " I ve a mind to lay the rope s 
 end onto you for a doddering blockhead. 
 
 "Ay, and have you, old woman," sneered the other. 
 "You d best keep a civil tongue in your head, for I ll 
 not hear your dotard ravings. I ve had the rope s end 
 from you for the last time. Nay, if I should choose to 
 whisper something I wot of into yonder magistrate s 
 ear, somebody else ud get the rope s end with a loop in 
 it hey, my lady queen?" 
 
 " Ay, the rope s end with a loop in it !" retorted the 
 crone with a shrill, quavering cackle of laughter. 
 "You will make a pretty gallow s bird one day, lad. 
 How you flop about, and gasp and struggle I see it 
 now as plainly as I see the fire here. You are strong 
 and young, and die hard hard ! As for me an old 
 woman, as you say I ve had my day, and I no more 
 fear death than I fear you !" 
 
 You lie ! " growled the man ; you fear death and 
 you fear me." And seizing her by the throat he flashed 
 a bright knife over her head. 
 
 "Coward!" cried Baillot, springing forward. 
 a Would you murder a woman ?" 
 
 The fellow dropped his knife and turned slowly 
 about. "And who may you be, my fine gentleman, 
 that you meddle in what concerns you not ? I have a 
 mind to try my blade in another quarter !" 
 
 "Put up your knife, Bill," commanded the old 
 woman, who was still smoking her pipe, apparently 
 quite unmoved by all that had passed. "You have 
 been in the water, sir," she continued, fixing her ferret- 
 like gaze on the young man s dripping garments. 
 
 "That is true, mother," replied Baillot "will you 
 give me some dry clothes and a seat at your fire ? 
 
 1 20
 
 THE ESCAPE 
 
 The hag ran her curious eyes over his clothing. 
 "Ay, velvet and lace and satin yet he asks for clothes 
 from poor wandering gipsies !" she muttered. "Now 
 \vhere might the bonny coat be that belongs with that 
 gay suit, my lord?" 
 
 "Never you mind that, mother; but give me a suit 
 of fustian like the one this young man is wearing, and 
 these shall be yours. 
 
 "Ay, give him some clothes, Bill. A fair exchange 
 is no robbery. She added a few words in the gipsy 
 dialect to the young fellow, who had sulkily arisen to do 
 her bidding. 
 
 A few minutes served to transform a very sorry gal 
 lant into a sufficiently common-place laboring man. 
 And in this guise Baillot presently returned to the fire, 
 closely followed by the young gipsy. I have travelled 
 far, and am weary," he said, as he threw himself down 
 at the fireside. The old woman had shaken the ashes 
 out of her pipe and was sitting motionless staring at the 
 darting flames. "1 shall sleep till day -break," he 
 added, hoping that the gipsies would follow his example 
 and thus afford him an opportunity of slipping away un 
 observed. 
 
 The old woman paid no heed, but went on muttering 
 and mumbling to herself. Suddenly, however, she 
 broke out in a high quavering voice: "I see gold in 
 the fire much gold, and it has to do with this bonny- 
 gentleman ; ay, lad, it was a happy hour for us when 
 he strayed into the light of our fire like a wandering 
 night moth. I see a great ship with the fine gentleman 
 on its deck. I see many great folk standing about him. 
 I see him but now it grows dark, and out of the dark 
 ness he comes to us with the salt brine dripping from 
 
 121
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 his fine clothes." Then she burst into a fit of her 
 cackling laughter, and prodded the young gipsy in the 
 side with a skinny fore-finger. 
 
 "You are merry, mother," said Baillot as the eldritch 
 laughter died away. 
 
 "Merry merry? Yes, my fine gentleman, and well 
 I may be. They are mistaken, though a pretty jest ! 
 I could have told them better ! 
 
 Baillot made no further remark ; he was inwardly 
 cursing himself for his folly in interfering. "The old 
 hag, he reflected unhappily, would have been well 
 out of the way even had this young worthy carried 
 out his threat and I should have been many miles 
 away." 
 
 You could not have gotten far, quoth the gipsy, 
 wagging her head; "but Bill would never have hurt 
 me; tis just his little playful way. Ay, my fine 
 gentleman," she continued, sucking away at her pipe, 
 "you wonder because I can read your thoughts your 
 thoughts and the thoughts? of many others as well. A 
 hundred years have not passed over this head for naught. 
 I live in both worlds, and the flesh is but a clumsy cover 
 for sharp eyes like mine. With that she fell to puf 
 fing vigorously, blowing out great clouds of smoke, amid 
 whose misty wreaths she appeared as some grotesque and 
 ugly idol seen through its votive incense. 
 
 Baillot watched her for some time in silence, then 
 observing that the young gipsy had followed the ex 
 ample of the others and had fallen fast asleep, he also 
 lay down, pillowing his head upon his arm. About an 
 hour passed in this manner, the woman smoking, the 
 men snoring loudly, and the crackle of the fire dying 
 away to a low purring sound. At length the old gipsy 
 
 122
 
 THE ESCAPE 
 
 arose, and taking a knife from her belt stealthily ap 
 proached the young Huguenot. He was on the point 
 of springing to his feet, but on second thought he re 
 mained motionless, breathing gently and regularly. 
 The hag leant over him, approaching her knife within 
 a hair s breadth of his naked throat. "Ay, he sleeps," 
 she muttered softly, " sleeps like the dead ; so much the 
 better. 
 
 She turned and crept away in the direction of the 
 wagons. Baillot watched her till she was well out of 
 sight, then he crawled noiselessly into the black shadow 
 of a thicket, behind him. For some minutes he stole 
 along hardly daring to breathe, then hearing the sound 
 of barking dogs, and the high quavering tones of the 
 old gipsy he broke into a run, which to his great relief 
 soon brought him to a high-road, stretching dusty and 
 dim between the dark hedgerows on either side. 
 
 "I ve made a pretty mess of the night s adven 
 ture so far," he muttered. "What if I drop anchor 
 till daybreak, when I can look about." And spying 
 presently the irregular outlines of a group of farm- 
 buildings somewhat back from the road, he slipped 
 through the hedge and was soon snugly ensconced in 
 the shelter of a great rick. 
 
 Not so much of a mess after all, he reflected, as 
 he leaned back comfortably in the warm straw. "I 
 am free ; I have a capital disguise. I shall have no 
 trouble in getting aboard a ship to-morrow, and then 
 And then he plunged into the bottomless abysses of 
 sleep, giving his uncertain future not a single thought 
 till he was aroused some hours later by a rough hand at 
 his rustic pillow. 
 
 123
 
 CHAPTER XVI 
 
 THE PINES 
 
 LIFE on the island had settled down into a peaceful 
 monotony. Nothing further occurred to alarm the oc 
 cupants of the little cottage, whose days passed quietly 
 in the performance of the varied duties which existence 
 imposes on all human beings, in a degree varying with 
 the amount of their so-called civilization. With our 
 islanders there was the usual routine of housework, 
 cooking, cleaning, washing and ironing, gardening and 
 the care of the various domestic animals and fowls that 
 soon gathered about them. To the share of Winters 
 fell the garden and the cows, while Madeline was 
 delighted to feed the pigeons and poultry, which in 
 their turn contributed largely to the comfort of the table. 
 Cato was " the chief cook and bottle-washer," and early 
 and late was to be found devising delectable dishes for 
 the ladies. On the shoulders of Madame de Langres 
 had fallen quite naturally the mantle of general director 
 of all affairs both within and without, and so discreetly 
 did she manage her little kingdom that a most delect 
 able peace reigned therein. 
 
 As the days passed the inhabitants of the island gradu 
 ally lost all fear of their surroundings. They almost 
 ceased to speculate on the strangeness of the place, and 
 settled down to a comfortable enjoyment and appre 
 ciation of its advantages. Though the castle had been 
 abandoned as a place of residence, scarcely a day passed 
 124
 
 THE PINES 
 
 that some member of the family did not visit it. Now 
 it was Madame de Langres and Madeline who must 
 needs make the rounds of the gardens and libraries, to 
 return laden with books and flowers ; now Cato and 
 Winters, who explored the vast cellars and storehouses 
 in search of fresh dainties for the table. 
 
 The old sailor moreover had occupations of his own, 
 which he talked little about, but which evidently cost 
 him much time and thought. Madeline came upon 
 him one evening as he sat in the little garden of the 
 cottage, surveying with pride the neat rows of vegetables 
 and smoking a short black pipe. 
 
 " Who would think," she said glancing about her at 
 the peaceful homely scene, " that we were many thou 
 sands of miles from home, and indeed from any human 
 habitation. One might suppose that behind that 
 group of trees nestled other cottages as pretty and 
 homelike as this, that up the path yonder might come 
 at any moment a group of laughing children. How 
 very delightful it would be to live always in this peace 
 ful spot, far from wars and persecutions, if only 
 
 "Then you are lonesome, miss," interrupted Win 
 ters, removing the pipe from his mouth, and ramming 
 down its glowing contents with a horny fore-finger. 
 You are lonesome, and would like to get away from 
 our island. Wall, thar s the ship." And he fell to 
 smoking with renewed vigor. 
 
 "I did not see the yacht this afternoon when we 
 were at the castle," observed Madeline; "both mother 
 and I noticed and remarked its absence from its moor 
 ings ; where is it ?" 
 
 " Whar is it?" chuckled the old man, " whar is 
 it? Who supposed you d care? Jes walk a bit an 
 I2 5
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 see if we can find her ; mebbe she s slipped her cables 
 agin an run away ; she s a ticklish beauty." 
 
 Full of curiosity at the old sailor s mysterious air, 
 the young girl accompanied him towards the shore of 
 the lagoon. Near the pier was moored the small row- 
 boat, used by Winters in his fishing and exploring ex 
 peditions, upon which he was often accompanied by 
 Madeline ; but the yacht was nowhere to be seen. 
 
 "Where can it be?" she asked in a tone of con 
 sternation. " Do you not know?" turning to Winters. 
 
 "Look sharp, miss," said the old man with a tri 
 umphant chuckle, "she ain t far from here. Your 
 eyes are as good as most, if you can t see her, I guess 
 she s safe enough." 
 
 The young girl looked wonderingly about. " I can 
 see nothing," she said at length, "and yet you say she 
 is near. 
 
 " Wall, I reckon I ll have to tell ye then," said Win 
 ters, a gratified grin overspreading his mahogany feat 
 ures. "You see, twas this way, miss, I got to figurin 
 as how some rascals cut her hawser once : an she slipped 
 off to sea that s the time we found her, you ll remem 
 ber, jest as we was on the p int of founderin in that 
 blowed cockle-shell of a boat. All right it was that 
 time and mighty convenient for us. I reckon the 
 A mighty put the idee into the head of the scoundrel 
 as done it though it allers struck me as mighty cur us 
 how willin we be to lay things to the A mighty when 
 they turn out to suit us and contrariwise. Wall, as I 
 say, I was figurin the thing out to myself, and I says 
 to myself, folks hev visited this e^e island twice within 
 say two months, once to carry off the folks as was 
 here afore us, and once to carry off poor Baillot. " 
 j 26
 
 THE PINES 
 
 The young girl visibly winced at this, and Winters 
 noticing the change in her expression, continued 
 craftily, " I say poor Baillot, but Lord love ye, miss, I 
 xpect it ll prove a mighty lucky thing for the hull of 
 us his takin off. He s nobody s fool, is young Bail- 
 lot, and if he don t get clear of whoever nabbed him, 
 I m mighty mistaken. I m expectin him back most 
 any day now. He s jest as true as steel, and I ll bet 
 has spent more hours thinkin about us than you could 
 rightly figure, miss, however smart you be." 
 
 "Do you really think so?" cried Madeline, a deli 
 cious blush rising to her cheek. 
 
 "Think so!" cried the old sailor gallantly. "No 
 body as ever clapped their eyes onto you is going to 
 forgit you in a hurry and the rest of us 11 come in for 
 a share on it, as long as we re in the same spot of 
 earth." 
 
 " But you were telling me about the yacht," said the 
 young girl demurely. 
 
 "Ay, so I was; as I say, I thought to myself that 
 inebbe we d have some more visitors of the same sort, 
 as ud think best to carry off or burn up our little 
 beauty an we may have a use for her yet. So I made 
 up my mind to put her out of harm s way. One da} I 
 was pokin round in the boat, and I come acrost a little 
 in-ck, as runs into the lagoon just beyond that bunch 
 of trees thar ; it didn t take me long to find that thar 
 was water enough to hold the yacht. So I fastens back 
 the trees on either side being mighty careful not to 
 break em, and after a deal of tuggin , I pokes my lady 
 into her new quarters jest got her in and that s all ; 
 back flies the trees, and she s completely hid, all but 
 Vier tops. That puzzled me for a spell ; but arter a 
 
 127
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 while I figured that out too ; I found a pot of green 
 paint in one of the huts below us, up I goes and paints 
 the tops of her masts a good green color, then I cuts 
 some evergreen branches and fastens em on, and what 
 do we see now, the masts of a ship ? Naw, by thunder, 
 nothin but a lot of trees. What do you think of that ? 
 
 "I think it s wonderful," exclaimed Madeline; 
 "even now I cannot guess where she lies." 
 
 " Right over in thar. Thar s a light tree, then some 
 evergreens, do ye see ? The evergreens is the tops of 
 our ship." 
 
 " But the branches will wither," objected Madeline. 
 
 "Pines don t wither, miss. They ll drop off mebbe, 
 then the evergreen 11 be dead nothin strange or 
 startlin bout a dead evergreen, hey ? I ve got another 
 scheme too, t I m figurin on. I m goin to work on 
 it to-morrow. We re a needin a lookout. An I m 
 goin to make one, as 11 be a lookout." 
 
 Not many rods from the cottage stood a group of 
 giant pine trees, and here it was that Winters proposed 
 constructing the lookout, or crow s nest, as he called it. 
 Pressing Cato into the service, he conveyed to the foot 
 of the trees a quantity of boards and light timbers, as 
 well as a liberal supply of rope for the necessary tackle, 
 and here for several days he labored incessantly, scarcely 
 taking time to eat. 
 
 "This ere contrivance is goin to be the finest crow s 
 nest as was ever constructed by man or fowl," he re 
 marked one evening to Madame de Langres after a hard 
 day s work in the tree tops. "I m goin to have a 
 rope-ladder from the ground to whar the branches begin 
 a good strong one, fastened taut at top and bottom ; 
 you women-folks must learn to go up it. 
 128
 
 THE PINES 
 
 " I fear that would not be an easy matter for us to 
 accomplish," remarked the lady with an indulgent 
 smile. " For my part I am quite willing to entrust all 
 such matters to you ; my poor eyes would be of little 
 use in spying out ships." 
 
 Winters scratched his head meditatively. "You ll 
 hev to turn your petticoats up," he said, a quixzical 
 twinkle in his eye. " I suppose it ain t for me to say, 
 but I ain t never been able to see why any creatur 
 of God s make with two good legs should be trussed up 
 in such all-fired onhandy riggin . Come a shipwreck 
 or a fire, it s as much as you can do to save the women 
 folksand why? Their petticoats is in the way. Ye 
 can t run, ye can t climb, ye can t scarcely walk, and 
 all on account of your consarned petticoats !" 
 
 Madame de Langres looked slightly scandalized at 
 this speech ; but Madeline laughed heartily. 
 
 "I ll engage to clamber into your crow s nest," she 
 said, "in spite of my petticoats. But tell us, why do 
 you wish us to go up there?" 
 
 "Wall," said the old man cautiously, "in the first 
 place T want ye to see what I ve been doin up thar. I 
 reckon you ll be surprised ; I ve got the neatest little 
 place you d want to see. Then ag in it might come in 
 handy to have a place of that kind if we was to have 
 company of the wrong sort some day. When we git up 
 to whar the stairway begins, we jest draw the rope-ladder 
 up out of sight, and thar we be as snug as the ship 
 yonder. 
 
 "lint I can see the timber shining through the 
 branches," objected Madeline. 
 
 "You won t see it when I git it painted and fixed; 
 I m goin to rig her out same way I did the ship." 
 9 I2 9
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 Two days later he announced triumphantly that the 
 job was finished, and invited the family out to inspect 
 the airy retreat. 
 
 I fear that I shall never be able to go up that lad 
 der," said Madame de Langres, eyeing the frail-looking 
 structure of rope with manifest disfavor. 
 
 "I hope you ll try, ma am. It ain t so resky as it 
 looks. Will you go up, miss ? 
 
 Madeline was already tucking up her gown. 
 
 "Indeed, yes," she said stoutly, "I am going up; 
 the view from the top must be superb." 
 
 "I ll go ahead," said Winters, running up the sway 
 ing ladder with cat-like ease and agility. 
 
 " It wriggles so!" cried Madeline, pausing on the 
 third round and looking down at her mother with a 
 nervous laugh. 
 
 "That won t hurt ye !" bawled Winters from above. 
 "Ye can t fall ef you only hang on ! Don t stop to 
 think about it !" 
 
 Thus encouraged the young girl kept bravely on till 
 at length she had reached the spot where Winters 
 awaited her, and where the wooden ladder, which he 
 dignified with the name of stairway, began. This was 
 furnished with a pair of side rails, and certainly pre 
 sented fewer difficulties to the novice than the more 
 primitive mode of ascent below. By means of this stair 
 way the two mounted in a narrow spiral to a curious- 
 looking structure in the branches. 
 
 " Are you sure it is safe?" asked Madeline in a voice 
 which trembled slightly, as they emerged upon a toler 
 ably broad platform surrounded on all sides by a stout 
 railing. 
 
 " Safe?" echoed the sailor. " It s as safe as a ship ! 
 130
 
 THE PINES 
 
 s. ship in her docks, I s posc I must say for you, miss. 
 But I ve anchored them timbers so they ll stay as long 
 as the tree holds together mebbe longer. Take the 
 glass, miss, you can see miles an miles in every direc 
 tion. Here s cupboards whar we can stow victual? 
 enough to last a week. Here s curtains of canvas 
 painted green to let down in foul weather. Yonder 
 we ll sling a couple of hammocks. Thar s room enough 
 for the hull of us ; and I d like to sec the man as ud 
 find hide or hair of us once safely stowed up here !" 
 
 Madeline admired everything to his heart s content, 
 and indeed it was an achievement to be proud of, and 
 would certainly form a well-nigh perfect retreat in case 
 of danger. 
 
 "The only thing to look out for ud be noise," re 
 marked the old man thoughtfully. "We d have to be 
 as quiet as a ship in a calm if there was mischief abroad, 
 for a couple of stout axes at work below would tumble 
 our nest to the ground faster than we d care to come as 
 was in it." 
 
 Madeline shuddered at the thought. "What about 
 wind?" she asked rather faintly. 
 
 "Wind?" said the old sailor, thoughtfully expecto 
 rating over the railing and giving his trousers an extra 
 hitch. "Wall, miss, I don t reckon as anything short 
 of a hurricane ud do us much damage. We ve got to 
 take our chances, same as in anything. These ere 
 trees have stood here for quite a spell, I reckon." 
 
 " Plow perfectly we can see the chateau," said Mad 
 eline, "and the cottage such a speck of a thing, and 
 the whole island like a tiny fragment torn off the skirts 
 of a continent and set afloat on the ocean. This is like 
 bein a bird."
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 " All but the wings, miss," said the old man. "I d 
 give a good year off my life for the wings of an alba- 
 tross for jest one day; I d soon know whar we was. 
 But if I m not mightily mistaken thar s a sail yonder !" 
 
 " A sail ? I see nothing ah, suppose you were right, 
 and that this should prove to be our brave friend in 
 search of us !"
 
 CHAPTER XVII 
 
 IN THE CROW S NEST 
 
 WINTERS was silent for a moment. Then he slapped 
 his leg violently. 
 
 "Thar s no doubt of it," he exclaimed. That s a 
 sail ! Now we must be movin lively, for thar s a deal 
 to do afore we re ready for company." And with that 
 he began a rapid descent. " Best come down to your 
 ma!" he shouted back to Madeline, who was still 
 trying to discover the sail on the dazzling rim of the 
 horizon. 
 
 The young girl accomplished the descent without dif 
 ficulty, and found her mother anxiously awaiting her at 
 the foot of the tree. 
 
 " 1 am relieved, my child, to see you once more on 
 terra finna without an accident," she said. " I should 
 try and be satisfied with this one experiment, since it is 
 surely a most hazardous one. 
 
 "It is not so difficult as you imagine, mother," re 
 plied the girl. "And if we are to carry out the plans 
 of our good Winters, you may shortly be forced to 
 make the experiment yourself; he declares there is a 
 sail in sight." 
 
 "A sail? How very fortunate! Why should we 
 conceal ourselves from our rescuers, pray ? On the 
 contrary, why not attempt to attract the attention of the 
 vessel with a signal or beacon ? 
 
 Winters emerging from the cottage red-faced and 
 133
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 panting, loaded down with baskets and bundles, chanced 
 to hear this question. He threw down his armful of 
 stuff upon the ground and exclaimed somewhat roughly : 
 
 " Thar s no time to argufy the question, ma am ; but 
 it s as plain as a marlinspike, that if yonder ship s crew 
 are good harmless folk we can soon find it out by their 
 actions. But thar s a deal too many pirates and bloody 
 men of the like on the seas to resk givin ourselves 
 away. We ll lay low or ruther high, till we re sure. 
 You women -folks git together what traps you re likely to 
 want for a couple of days or so an fetch em out here 
 lively. Cato, douse your fire, an hide anything that 
 looks too new about your diggin s. They ll suspect 
 thar s folks here by lots of signs, best we can do, but 
 if they can t lay their hands on us we shan t care." 
 
 " It seems to me, sir," said Madame de Langres with 
 dignity, "that this is a very curious idea of yours; 
 most shipwrecked people welcome with joy any passing 
 vessel. I do not like the idea of concealing ourselves 
 in the way you suggest." 
 
 "Don t git me mad, ma am!" said the old sailor 
 solemnly, "I mahowlin terror when I m mad. I m 
 willin to slave for you women-folks till my fingers is 
 wore through to the bone, and you can hev your own 
 way about most everything ; but I tell ye, that you 
 must git up into this ere crow s nest, an wait till 1 
 give the sign that all s right and ship-shape !" 
 
 " Do not cross him," whispered Madeline, pressing 
 her mother s hand ; "it cannot harm us to do as he 
 suggests, and perhaps we shall be very glad if we do." 
 
 But the ladder, daughter. I can never 
 
 "Ay, that s what s the matter!" chuckled Winters, 
 who had just returned with another load. "I ll tell ye
 
 IX THE CROWS NEST 
 
 what, ma am, I m goin to rig up a tackle to haul up 
 these ere things, and if you say so I can take you up 
 as neat as a pin !" 
 
 " Oh, clear no," exclaimed Madame de Langres ner 
 vously. " I could never think of such a thing. When 
 will it be necessary for us to ascend, in case," she 
 added somewhat severely, "you persist in your strange 
 idea ? 
 
 " I shall persist like a trade-wind, ma am," replied 
 the old man, working busily at his tackle. " There ain t 
 no great hurry bout your goin up, but get your fixin s 
 together ; a few books might come handy to pass away 
 the time, a lot of shawls, an some pillows, mebbe." 
 
 " Why surely you do not apprehend the necessity of 
 passing the night in the tree-tops?" 
 
 "Wall now, I can t say rightly what s a goin to 
 happen ; I was a goin to store these ere things up 
 there in any case, so as to have everything handy ; I 
 can t be sure yet as yonder sail 11 come our way. She 
 may be out of sight by the time I git up thar agin, but 
 thar s no harm in bein ready." 
 
 Somewhat reassured, Madame de Langres returned to 
 the rottage, and began to collect a few articles in leis 
 urely fashion. 
 
 "Of course," she remarked in an indulgent tone to 
 her daughter, who was similarly employed, "there is 
 no harm whatever in humoring this strange caprice of 
 our good old friend ; this crow s nest, as he calls it, is 
 his latest darling and he quite naturally wishes to bring 
 it into play, but 1 am sure it is all very absurd." 
 
 " 1 trust that it may prove so, dearest mother," said 
 Madeline gravely. " W T e have almost forgotten what a 
 strange place this island is, so accustomed hav? we be-
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 come to it, but as Mr. Winters very justly remarked, 
 strange folks on strange errands have been here of late, 
 and a little caution is not amiss. 
 
 "Perhaps so, my child, and if it were not for that 
 ladder, I should not be opposed to a few hours in yon 
 der airy retreat. But although I am thoroughly ashamed 
 of my cowardice, I confess that even the shipwreck did 
 not possess such terrors for me as does that bit of sway 
 ing rope." 
 
 "It isn t so bad if you only look up, and do not 
 stop to think," said Madeline consolingly. "Perhaps 
 we shall not have to go after all." 
 
 And at the next alarm our useful Winters may 
 have mounted another hobby," added Madame de Lan- 
 gres comfortably. 
 
 But this hope was not to be realized ; the words were 
 scarcely out of her mouth before the old sailor thrust 
 his head in at the door and announced that the sail 
 was clearly visible, and seemed to be rapidly ap 
 proaching. 
 
 " All hands must git aloft before they git near enough 
 to try their squinters on us, he bawled as he hurried 
 away. " If they do that our game s up." 
 
 Madame de Langres was a woman of determination 
 and courage. No sooner did she perceive that she 
 must mount the dreaded rope-ladder than she tucked 
 up her petticoats snugly and advanced toward it in the 
 same calm manner in which she had faced the terrors 
 of the shipwreck. 
 
 " I will go first, mother," volunteered Madeline. " I 
 am not afraid this time." 
 
 " No, child, I will go first and you shall see how nim 
 ble I am ; said Madame de Langres with a faint smile. 
 36
 
 IN THE CROWS NEST 
 
 "Bravo, ma am," cried Winters, as she mounted 
 steadily and firmly. " Thar s sailor blood in your veins, 
 I ll bet ; anybody with half an eye could see it. Now, 
 miss, look lively ! I ll run up this ere stuff, then I 
 must let the cows out of the barnyard, lock the cottage 
 door, and a few other odd jobs, then I ll follow ye." 
 
 Madame de Langres was as much surprised as Made 
 line had been at the extensive structure in the pine 
 trees. Cato was arranging the stores in the cupboards, 
 a dozen inviting books reposed on the table and a 
 couple of comfortable-looking hammocks, woven by the 
 sailor at leisure moments, swung near. 
 
 " Isn t this delightful!" cried Madeline. "A cot 
 tage in the tree -tops. And yonder snowy cloud on 
 the horizon is the ship !" She caught up the glass and 
 studied the distant vessel attentively. 
 
 "The hull has not yet emerged from below the hori 
 zon," she remarked, handing the glass to her mother. 
 
 "When it does they ll be for studyin us," remarked 
 Winters who had just approached; "but they ll not 
 find us if they look for a week. I ve drawed up the 
 ladder and made everything as snug as Hold ! Blow 
 my buttons, but I ve forgot one thing ! I ll jest slip 
 down and look to it no need of a rope-ladder for 
 me." And the old man hastily disappeared. 
 
 " I wonder what it was that he has forgotten," said 
 Madeline anxiously, as she \vatched his distant figure 
 dart away in the direction of the chateau. 
 
 " Mabby dr boat," remarked Cato. "1 hope dat 
 he gits back afore dey comes." 
 
 " We cannot be sure that any one will deign to notice 
 our little island," said Madeline with a nervous laugh. 
 "One moment," she contined, turning to her mother, 
 137
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 who was seemingly absorbed in the prospect without, 
 I am wishing so earnestly that the ship would come, 
 bringing us relief and a means of escape from this sea 
 girt dot of earth ; the next, I find myself wishing not 
 less earnestly that it would go away and leave us undis 
 turbed in this peaceful spot." 
 
 Madame de Langres sighed. " I can well understand 
 your feelings, my child," she said soberly. "The 
 future unfolds its pages all too slowly for our eager eyes 
 at times, and again we would fain push away from us 
 the inexorable hand that bids us read. 
 
 "We s boun to have a picnic supper wiv de birds 
 to-night anyhow !" cried Cato gleefully, preparing to 
 spread the table with a snowy cloth. 
 
 " I don t know about that white cloth, Cato," said 
 Madeline, looking at it doubtfully. 
 
 "Law, miss, der ain t nobody within seein distance 
 yet ; dat ere table ain t fit for yer lady moder. " And 
 he went on with his preparations. Delicious bread, 
 roast fowl, and an abundance of fruit and milk, com 
 posed the repast. 
 
 "Have we plenty of water?" asked Madame de 
 Langres anxiously. 
 
 "Plenty of eberyt ing," replied the negro. "We 
 might stay a week, fur s dat s concerned. You tink 
 dat ol sailor done stockin a ship for sea. He s been 
 a gettin ready for a week ; when he wasn t hammerin 
 up here, he was tinkerin away at boxes and baskets of 
 victuals. Bake a plenty ob bread, Cato, says he, 
 an bake it hard, so it ll keep. He s got salt fish, an 
 salt meat, an biscuits, an de Lawd knows what all. 
 It kep him mighty contented dough, and it may come 
 in handy. 
 
 138
 
 IN THE CROW S NEST 
 
 "The ship is certainly coming this way," said Made 
 line in a low tone. " I wonder why Mr. Winters does 
 not return ? 
 
 The wonder deepened into positive alarm when 
 several hours had passed and the old sailor was still 
 absent. Meanwhile the ship had approached quite near ; 
 with the glass they could see her rigging swarming with 
 seamen, and the glint of brasswork here and there about 
 her white decks. Though evidently not a man-of-war, 
 the vessel was heavily armed, and as she glided slowly 
 under the lee of the island the watchers in the tree-top 
 could distinctly hear the " Yo ! yo ! yo " of the sailors, 
 as they furled and clewed down the canvas. Then came 
 the rattle and splash of the anchors, and later a boat 
 loaded with men shot off from the vessel s side. They 
 were evidently not strangers to the spot, for without 
 hesitation the steersman made for the hidden inlet, and 
 before many minutes the watchers caught the sound of 
 their voices from the direction of the lagoon. 
 
 A rocket fired from the terrace of the castle evidently 
 conveyed instructions to those on board the vessel, for 
 another boat -load shortly followed the first. It was now 
 growing dusk, and myriads of twinkling lights in the 
 windows of the chateau, and the sounds of loud laughter 
 and boisterous shouts, showed that a revel of some sort 
 was in progress there. 
 
 " It is quite evident that we must spend the night 
 here," said Madeline to her mother. "Are you not 
 thankful that we have this secure retreat ? We shall 
 sleep as peacefully as the birds if only Mr. Winters 
 returns. 
 
 " It may be that the owners of the castle have ar 
 rived," said Madame cle Langres hesitatingly, "though 
 139
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 I see no women among them. It is, of course, possible 
 that the castle is being prepared for their reception, and 
 that they will disembark to-morrow." 
 
 That does not sound like it!" exclaimed Made 
 line, as an outburst of bacchanalian shouts reached their 
 ears. " But, hark ! I think I hear some one approach 
 ing." 
 
 " It am Winters !" cried Cato joyfully. " De Lawd 
 be praised ! 
 
 " Consarn ye, suppose it had not been Winters!" 
 growled the old sailor wrathfully as he clambered into 
 view. " Make another noise like that and I ll throw 
 ye overboard. You ve got to clew down yer jaw, I tell 
 ye; those fellows yonder ud like nothing better than 
 the rare sport of a bird s nest like this !" 
 
 " Where have you been?" 
 
 " Who are these people?" exclaimed the two women 
 in a breath. 
 
 " I went down to the boat to hide my fishing-tackle, 
 and make everything look kind of lonesome and for 
 saken along shore ; I heerd em comin afore I finished, 
 so I jest lies low to take a squint at em I ain t rightly 
 figured what they be," he continued cautiously. 
 " They re agoin it in some kind of a furrin tongue; 
 French mebbe, a kind of gab I don t keer much about 
 as a rule. Thar now!" he added in a tone of deep 
 contrition, "I d clean forgot that you ladies was 
 French. Not at anybody d ever guess it by your 
 looks, or by the way the good English rolls offen your 
 tongues." 
 
 "We don t mind being French," remarked Made 
 line demurely, "which is probably fortunate since we 
 cannot help it ; but it is very handsome of you, Mr. 
 140
 
 IN THE CROW S NEST 
 
 Winters, to assure us that we had made you lose sight 
 of the damaging fact. But tell us, did you succeed in 
 ascertaining what the errand of the ship is? Are hei 
 people the rightful owners of the place, and likely to 
 remain ? If so, we shall be obliged to discover ourselves 
 sooner or later. 
 
 " I didn t get wind of much," replied the old man. 
 "By the looks of em, I should say they wa n t the 
 folks for that castle, though there was two or three of 
 em in some sort of uniform. We ll see what we see- 
 to-morrow. 1 ain t over and above sorry myself that 
 we re whar we be ; don t know how you feel about Jack 
 Winters currus idee by this time, ma am." 
 
 " I am beginning to think it was a most fortunate 
 one," confessed Madame de Langres, to whom this last 
 remark was addressed. " They seem a lawless company, 
 whatever their nationality," she added, as a sound of 
 breaking glass, followed by angry shouting, was heard 
 from the chateau. 
 
 "We had best get what rest we can," said Madeline, 
 "and let the morrow take care of the things of itself. 
 Mother, let me make you comfortable in one of these 
 swinging couches; here are pillows and blankets-- 
 thanks to Mr. AVinters thoughtfulness. " 
 
 "The other hammock is yourn, miss," said AVinters. 
 "( ato and I will roll up in a blanket, and nap on tin- 
 soft side of one of these ere planks. Tell ye, 1 got 
 this place ready jest in the nick o time ! : AVith which 
 congratulatory reflection the old man composed himself 
 to rest. 
 
 Madeline lay for a time looking up through the 
 branches of the old pines at the stars which winked 
 sleepily at her here and there from out the soft darkness
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 of the heavens. The air was laden with balsamic 
 fragrance, occasionally swept aside by a nimble breeze 
 from off the ocean, only to roll back in languorous 
 waves of sweetness. The hammock swayed softly, and 
 joon, despite the noisy revelry in the chateau and the 
 novelty of her airy couch, she fell sound asleep.
 
 CHAPTER XVIII 
 
 IN THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY 
 
 A SUNBEAM which darted its golden arrow directly 
 into her sleeping eyes caused the young girl to open 
 them without delay the following morning. She lay 
 for a moment staring, as she had done the night before 
 into the twinkling branches of the old pine ; directly 
 above her head a red squirrel sat scolding and chatter 
 ing in the branches. 
 
 " What are you doing here?" he seemed to say, with 
 an indignant flirt of his bushy tail. "Is it not enough 
 for you impertinent giants to possess the earth, without 
 intruding your unwieldy bulks into our private haunts?" 
 
 Madeline shook her finger at him laughingly, and he 
 turned and fled to a higner limb, where he again paused 
 to deliver his philippic with renewed energy. 
 
 "Be you awake, miss?" came a cautious whisper 
 from below. She raised her head and looked over the 
 side of the hammock. " The rascals is abroad early 
 this morning ; I ll be blowed if I can make out what 
 they re up to. A couple of em passed here not five 
 minutes ago ; thar they be agin !" 
 
 Madeline crept cautiously to the floor. "Where?" 
 she whispered. 
 
 In reply the old sailor pointed out the figures of two 
 men who were strolling along in leisurely fashion al 
 most directly beneath. They were dressed, as the girl 
 could see, in the uniform of the I Yench navy, and for a
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 moment she could scarcely repress a cry of joy at sight 
 of the familiar and well -loved trappings. A chance 
 word, however, caused her to draw back, though she 
 still listened eagerly. 
 
 " We ll scarce be able to finish the job properly un 
 der four days," remarked one of them, --"and work 
 hard at that. I say, de Loignac, this isn t a bad place 
 for a morning smoke." And the speaker flung himself 
 upon the ground directly beneath the trees wherein our 
 party of adventurers was hidden. 
 
 "We ll take a look at yonder cottage when yo a ve 
 finished," continued the speaker, whose words, unin 
 telligible to the old seaman, were distinctly audible to 
 Madeline s quick ear. " It hardly seems possible that 
 the place has been empty so long." 
 
 "Not a bad place," said his companion, who was 
 puffing busily away at his long pipe. " By Jove, I 
 shouldn t mind spending my summers here with the 
 right company. What do you make of this business, 
 anyhow? What s the need of making ducks and 
 drakes of the place ?" 
 
 "I fancy that s of very little moment to us, my 
 dear fellow ; a close mouth and blind eyes are the 
 thing. You know what our orders were to leave 
 no living thing on the island, and The speaker 
 leaned forward and whispered something into his com 
 panion s ear. 
 
 " Mon dieu /" exclaimed the listener. "I don t 
 wonder that you hesitated to profane the desert air 
 with such an atrocity. What in the name of all that is 
 hideous, is the reason for that ? 
 
 "They are all condemned convicts," replied the 
 other coolly, "and a part of them slavering, whining 
 144
 
 IN THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY 
 
 Huguenots into the bargain. I tell you that you may 
 not be disagreeably surprised later. 
 
 The other smoked in silence for a few moments, then 
 he broke out with a savage oath. "This is not to my 
 liking, de Morney ! Who knows but that the Bastile 
 will forever close our own mouths when we return?" 
 
 "Who indeed !" echoed his companion with a light 
 mocking laugh. " Perhaps twere better not to return ; 
 suppose we settle down here for the balance of our 
 lives, far from the dear delights of Paris and Versailles. 
 Twould be quite as safe as the Bastile, and infinitely 
 more agreeable. 
 
 "Ah ! You can afford to jest, you have friends at 
 court, and powerful ones. As for me How do I 
 know that I am not included in the precious arrange 
 ment you just mentioned?" 
 
 "You are not upon my soul, you are not ! I jest 
 because I do not fear anything untoward for either of 
 us, if we but accomplish the thing properly. But 
 come, let us be on foot. We can finish inspecting the 
 place, then take a look at our workmen." 
 
 "T shouldn t mind owning some of those tapestries 
 and paintings, to say nothing of the plate. Why man, 
 some of the books alone are priceless !" 
 
 "Not for your life!" exclaimed the man whom his 
 companion had addressed as de Morney. "You might 
 well fear the Bastile should you attempt to so disobey 
 orders. 
 
 The listeners, as may well be supposed, were breath 
 lessly silent during this conversation, but as the voices 
 and steps of the two officers died away, Winters ven 
 tured to inquire of Madeline what had passed. 
 
 She informed him briefly. 
 TO 145
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 " Donno as I m any wiser than I was afore," he com 
 mented, "except for one thing; it s middlin sartain 
 from what they said, that it wouldn t be over an above 
 healthy for any of us to show ourselves. Guess we ll 
 have to stay here for a spell till they git through their 
 little job, whatever it is." 
 
 The party in the tree-tops saw no more of the new 
 comers for several hours, and the time passed heavily 
 enough. Winters especially chafed in the narrow con 
 fines of the place. 
 
 "This is a mighty slow business," he declared; 
 "now if I only understood their tarnal lingo, I d sneak 
 down and take a squint at em." 
 
 About the middle of the afternoon, despite the en 
 treaties of the two women, and at the imminent risk of 
 being observed from the deck of the vessel, he cau 
 tiously descended the tree and stole away in the direc 
 tion of the chateau. 
 
 Under cover of the shrubbery, he advanced to a point 
 where he could observe the landward facade of the 
 castle with comparative security. Peering out from his 
 leafy screen with the greatest curiosity, he at first saw 
 nothing to indicate any human presence, and was on 
 the point of attempting a bold run across a little open 
 space to a clump of bushes somewhat nearer the building, 
 when a gang of workmen armed with picks and shovels 
 came into view ; they were followed closely by a squad 
 of armed men, under whose surveillance they presently 
 set to work with a will near the foundation of the chateau. 
 
 After a deep hole had been excavated, a second party 
 carrying a number of small casks appeared ; these busied 
 themselves for some moments in the place just made 
 vacant by the men with the picks and shovels. 
 146
 
 IN THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY 
 
 " What in thunder!" muttered Winters to himself, 
 as lie observed these proceedings. "Looks mighty 
 like blowing the place up to me. Them there casks 
 now gunpowder, as I m a livin sinner !" 
 
 That the old sailor was correct in his surmise presently 
 appeared. One of the men who had been actively en 
 gaged in bawling out orders to those at work, now 
 waved his arms violently and shouted something in a 
 loud voice, which Winters could not understand, but 
 which he rightly took to be an order to get out of the 
 way of the impending explosion. 
 
 Tie was now in a position of extreme peril, and for a 
 moment heartily regretted his boldness. The workmen 
 still closely shadowed by their guard were almost upon 
 him ; while the man who had given the order was 
 manifestly preparing to light the fuse, which would start 
 the buried gunpowder. 
 
 To retreat was impossible, to advance was equally so. 
 Hastily scooping out with both hands a hollow place in 
 the soft mold, the sailor flung himself down upon his 
 face among the bushes, worried most of all lest some 
 one should perceive his blue shirt through the green 
 leaves, and drag him from his hiding-place. But work 
 men and soldiers had already retreated to a safe dis 
 tance, and now he could hear the rapid footfalls of the 
 man who had remained behind to light the fuse ; he 
 almost stepped on the prostrate body of the sailor as he 
 pressed through the bushes in his haste. A moment of 
 silence and suspense followed, during which Winters 
 dug a little deeper into the soft earth, burrowing into 
 it with closed eyes like a mole. Then followed a deaf 
 ening report. A shower of broken fragments spattered 
 with stinging force upon the body of the old man, bu 
 147
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 fortunately inflicted no serious injuries. Congratulating 
 himself on his escape, he was about to rise from the 
 ground, when a second explosion followed ; he was 
 conscious of a terrible blow on the back of his head ; 
 then he knew no more, but lay like one dead, the white 
 petals of the shattered roses half concealing his motion 
 less body. 
 
 "At this rate it will take us six months to blow up 
 the place, grumbled the man who had fired the fuse, 
 cautiously advancing. A pest on the place ! I shall 
 set it on fire now, the heat will cause the stone to be 
 more friendly to the gunpowder." 
 
 " Twere a pity, my Gaston, not to remove a soup$on 
 of the valuables first," said one of the others who had 
 followed him. 
 
 "But the orders?" 
 
 "The devil fly away with the orders ! Who will be 
 the wiser ? You and I must needs look through the 
 place a little, in order that we may select the best 
 place for setting the fire. Ticns ! Our pockets will 
 not be searched. 
 
 His comrade replied with a sly wink, " I am not so 
 sure of that, Pierre ; but we shall see. Call back those 
 dogs with the picks, and set them to work again under 
 the tower yonder. Bon dieu ! what is this ? The body 
 of a man, and dead as a stone ; which now of the fools 
 remained behind when I gave the order to retreat !" 
 
 But this man is not one of the workmen ; I never 
 saw his face before. 
 
 "del! You are mad ; there has been no one here 
 for two months. He has a nasty cut in the head." 
 
 " He is not dead, man, only stunned by a bit of the 
 flying stone, What shall we do with him?" 
 148
 
 IN THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY 
 
 Gaston removed his cap and wiped the perspiration 
 from his fort-head. "Do with him?" he echoed. 
 "Why let him be till he comes to; then set him to 
 work with the others." 
 
 " But I tell you he is not of the number we brought 
 with us. 
 
 "What matters it; they will all go the same road 
 when they have finished. If this fellow has been cast 
 away on the island, or if he sneaked away two months 
 since, tis all the same; there can be but one way out 
 of the thing for him. Let him earn his passage into 
 the next world." 
 
 Winters now opened his eyes, and one of the men 
 who were still staring at him greeted his returning con 
 sciousness with a careless kick. " Get up, dog." 
 
 " Something has hit me 1" faltered the old man, put 
 ting his hand up to his head with a da/ed expression. 
 "Oh, but wasn t I a tarnal fool to poke my neck into 
 this noose?" 
 
 " What kind of talk is this? Do you understand his 
 gibberish?" growled Gaston turning to his companion. 
 
 " He is speaking English ; 1 know a little. Who air 
 you ? 
 
 "Who air I? Wall, sir, I air Jack Winters a dum- 
 founded idiot with a crack in his blamed old skull ; 
 that s who I air." 
 
 "You shall wark ; get up, rite f You hear? Diable, 
 I hate English !" he added testily. 
 
 Gaston laughed. " 1 can move him," he said with an 
 oath. "Up and out of this, you crack-brained English 
 cur ! You shall live just three days longer ; then you 
 shall have the distinguished privilege of dying with 
 some who are your betters." He accompanied his 
 I4Q
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 words not one of which was understood by the old 
 sailor with a vicious prick of his rapier, and a gest 
 ure in the direction of the gang of workmen who were 
 busy at their labor of excavating. 
 
 Winters understood the prick and the gesture well 
 enough ; and inwardly cursing himself for his folly, he 
 got slowly on to his feet and hobbled off under the 
 watchful guardianship of the Frenchmen, who lost no 
 time in providing him with a pick and shovel. As he 
 bent to his unwelcome task, he cast a hasty glance at 
 his fellow -workmen. Most of them had the sullen 
 brutalized faces of those well-versed in crime and in 
 ured to hardship ; but there were several, whose pale 
 haggard countenances and painfully blistered hands 
 moved him to pity. The guard of armed marines stood 
 at some distance from the pit where they were working, 
 and seemed to pay but scant attention to anything save 
 their own half- whispered conversation. Perceiving this, 
 Winters, under cover of stooping to remove a loosened 
 stone, ventured to speak to the man who was digging 
 next him. 
 
 " Can you talk?" he whispered cautiously. The man 
 to whom he had spoken shook the matted hair from out 
 his eyes, and turned with a start of surprise. 
 
 "Who are you?" he asked in excellent English. 
 
 "Jack Winters," replied the old man succinctly. 
 " Whar do they stow you at night?" 
 
 "We slept in the cellars last night." 
 
 " Under guard?" 
 
 " Under guard yes ; but the guard was drunk." 
 
 "Why didn t you git then?" 
 
 "Escape? We are counted night and morning; 
 Were one missing that one would be hunted down and 
 
 J 5
 
 IN THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY 
 
 shot like a rat.. But you are not of us. I do not 
 remember your face. How is it that you are here?" 
 
 "Hist, man! they ve got their blinkers on us!" 
 whispered Winter", 
 
 A moment later, he again ventured to address his 
 companion. " AVhat are you doin here you seem a 
 decent sort, an you can talk English?" 
 
 " I am a Huguenot," replied the man bitterly ; " tis 
 my crime to Avorship Clod in a different way from our 
 holy and righteous king and his new mistress." 
 
 Winters surveyed the speaker more narrowly. He 
 was a young man of medium height and slender build. 
 In singular contrast to his dark skin and black hair 
 shone a pair of vivid blue eyes. These eyes had burned 
 with a baleful glitter as he spoke of the king and his 
 mistress, but they greAv dim with anguish or fatigue as 
 he again bent to his labor. 
 
 " What s arter this ere job?" 
 
 "Death, for all I know or care," replied the Hu 
 guenot dully. 
 
 "Be there any more of you?" whispered Winters 
 after a moment s silence. 
 
 " Yes, there are six of us. The IAVO old men yonder, 
 and three who are Avorking on the other side." 
 
 Winters said no more ; the wound in his head 
 throbbed painfully, but to that he gave little thought. 
 He Avas revolving a plan in his mind whereby he might 
 save the lives of the six Huguenots as Avell as his own. 
 
 " Onrighteotis vilhins," he muttered under his 
 breath, "they haA c the audacily to put ;:n honest 
 able -bodied seaman to Avork with a gang of convicts ! 
 Mebbe they ll wish they hadn t, afore they git through 
 vith Jack Winters. The low-lived lubbers !"
 
 CHAPTER XIX 
 
 A CONFESSION 
 
 "A BEASTLY morning for shooting, Rod ; we may as 
 well turn back for breakfast. There s so much water 
 in the air that the very dogs have lost the scent ; look 
 at old Balfour s drooping tail." 
 
 The speaker was one of two young Englishmen, who 
 were tramping along, guns in hand, their dogs at their 
 heels. They had been overtaken by a dense mist, 
 which rolled in wet billowy masses all about them. 
 
 " Suppose we stop at the farm for breakfast," con 
 tinued the first speaker. " You evidently need feeding, 
 sir ; you are as glum and unsocial as the fog itself. 
 What s the matter with you?" 
 
 " If I told you I might get myself into more trouble 
 than I am in now, and that s unnecessary, heaven 
 knows ! 
 
 "Then you are in trouble, youngster? I guessed it 
 the moment I put eyes onto you ; you re not the 
 same lad I left behind me when I started on my Lv>t 
 cruise. Come now, tell your big brother all about ii, 
 and I ll engage to set the matter right, whether it s a 
 lame pony, or a row with the keeper." 
 
 "You evidently think I am still an infant, Edward," 
 replied the other with a toss of his handsome blonde 
 head. What do I care for a lame pony ! As for the 
 keepers, let one of them dare dictate to me, I ll lay 
 him flat, and teach him to obey his betters. 
 
 I? 2
 
 A CONFESSION 
 
 " Good-morning, good-morning to you, sirs ! You 
 are out fine and early ; but a bad day for shooting, 
 sirs." 
 
 "You are right, Reynolds. It bade fair to be clear 
 when we started out. If your good wife can give us 
 some breakfast, I think we ll stop at the farm for a 
 bit." 
 
 "Ay, sir, you r eartily welcome ! My mistress is 
 wearyin for a sight of you, my lord. As for Master 
 St. Clair e s ahvays welcome, Clod bless im ! They ve 
 a ot time at the castle, sir, this morning, I ear," con 
 tinued the speaker, a burly, red-faced farmer. 
 
 "What has happened at the castle?" 
 
 "Why, sir, a fine lord from furrin parts as was 
 wanted for somethink himportant, the Lord knows what 
 was a stoppin at War am ; he were lodged in the 
 tower chamber, I m told, and somebody carried im 
 hoff hunbeknownst in the night, sir along of a rope- 
 ladder. The villains tied up the serving-man ard and 
 fast, and left im on the floor." 
 
 "What is this you are saying?" exclaimed the elder 
 of the two young men, who was no other than our 
 friend St. Clair. "He has escaped then?" 
 
 " Hescaped, sir? No, sir, not accordin to what the 
 guard and serving-man say. Ow could the poor gen 
 tleman get old of a rope-ladder?" 
 
 "This is a pretty business, Roderick!" exclaimed 
 St. Clair. " I must goat once to the castle and in 
 quire into it. Will you come with me?" 
 
 "I I no, Edward, that is " replied the young 
 ster turning white and red by turns. " I think perhaps 
 I had best take the guns and dogs home. Don t you 
 say so, old man?" with a desperate attempt to appear 
 153
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 easy and unconcerned, which however did not impose 
 in the least on his keen-eyed brother. 
 
 Reynolds here will take care of the tackle, he 
 said sternly ; " you boy, come along with me !" 
 
 " I I don t think I care to go up to the castle this 
 morning, Ned," blurted out the young fellow in an in 
 jured tone. "You seem to forget that I m not a mid 
 shipman under your orders, sir. 
 
 " Well, my boy, perhap* it would De quite as well if 
 you were. I think I ll sprak to the governor about the 
 matter. You ve been iuto some mischief or other, I 
 know ; come, out with it at once !" 
 
 "Upon my word, I d like to tell you, Ned, if you 
 wouldn t make sport of me." 
 
 " Never a bit of it, lad. Don t you know me well 
 enough for that? Fire ahead, youngster !" 
 
 "I wish you d quit calling me youngster and boy. 
 Confound it, man, I ll be twenty in a fortnight." 
 
 "Twenty? Humph! Well then, my reverend sir, 
 proceed !" 
 
 "You re making game of me," said the boy sulkily. 
 
 " Come ! You re as difficult as a woman, or a baby 
 a year old ; speak up like a man ! They re spoiling you, 
 lad. You must get to sea, and this folly 11 drop off 
 you like last year s leaves from yonder oak. But again I 
 say, get at your yarn, and spin lively, for we must 
 needs get up to the castle at once. 
 
 "It would never have happened if old money-bags 
 up yonder had carried a decent tongue in his head," 
 said the lad defiantly. 
 
 "Whom do you mean by old money-bags?" 
 
 " Why, you know ; haven t you grown stupid lately. 
 You ve called him that yourself many a time ! I mean 
 154
 
 A CONFESSION 
 
 Sir John Rich, the worshipful governor of Warham 
 castle, at your service, Lieutenant St. Clair. Does that 
 suit you better?" 
 
 "That suits me better. Go on," said St. Clair with 
 a grave inclination of the head. 
 
 "There s Helen, you know," murmured the lad 
 hanging his head. 
 
 "What, little Helen, with head as yellow as a dan 
 delion, and cheeks the color of a ripe apple?" 
 
 "She s lovely she s beautiful! You ve no idea, 
 Ned, how beautiful she is !" 
 
 "No, I dare say," said his brother, carefully sup 
 pressing a smile. " And so you fell in love with the 
 fair Helen ; and what followed ? 
 
 " I didn t say so ; how did you know ?" 
 
 " How did I know, you Zany? Why I know because 
 I am so peculiarly clever and learned. Didn t Sir John 
 smile on your youthful affections ? 
 
 " He s a beast !" declared the youth succinctly. " A 
 regular old brute. Why he shut up that girl for a week 
 because he saw me kiss her hand. Told me to go home 
 to my to my pap ! Wasn t that nasty of him ? But 
 I was too smart for the old fox." 
 
 "You ve a positive talent for invective, Rod," in 
 terrupted St. Clair, with an air of relish. "What did 
 you do to circumvent the old er animal?" 
 
 "Why, I had a couple of carrier-pigeons bought 
 em of Browrig ; regular little beauties," continued the 
 lad enthusiastically, " and with a few gold pieces handed 
 on the sly to Janet, Helen s maid, we got those little 
 creatures so they went back and forth as regular as the 
 clock. But we got tired of that after awhile, so I made 
 a big plan to carry off my darling 
 55
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 " What s that, sir ! What were you going to do with 
 her after you carried her off?" 
 
 Why marry her, of course. What do you suppose ? 
 Have done laughing or I won t go on." 
 
 "You ll be the death of us all yet, Rod," gasped 
 St. Clair, wiping his eyes. "What a Benedict you 
 would make ! Go on, I m done now. You made a 
 plan 
 
 " To carry her off, as I said," said the boy scowl 
 ing fiercely. " I had the ring, the priest, and all sent 
 my message by the pigeon as usual. By Jove, I d like 
 to wring that villain s neck !" 
 
 " What villain ?" 
 
 Why a great hulking beast of a Frenchman that I 
 found in her rooms. In her rooms, sir ! What do you 
 think of that? The old miser had moved her out 
 just at the wrong moment, and lodged the fellow in her 
 place. 
 
 "Ah, I begin to see; you found the Frenchman in 
 the place of your lady. And how, may I ask, did 
 you make your way into Warham castle, my young Lo 
 thario ? 
 
 " By a rope-ladder." 
 
 " Then you liberated him ? 
 
 Not I ; the fellow had me at a disadvantage. You 
 see he was on the lookout for some means of escape. 
 He got my message by the pigeon which, of course, 
 homed as usual, and when I came up the ladder 
 
 " He gave you a warm reception ; just so, I can 
 depict the scene. He is a clever gentleman," put in 
 St. Clair quietly. 
 
 " Do you know him ? Who is he ? 
 
 "Not so fast, boy. So you were the means of his 
 156
 
 A CONFESSION 
 
 escape. Hum ! You ve been the undoing of as pretty 
 a plan as well, it may be that we can mend the matter 
 still. How did he persuade you to elope with him ? 
 It must have been a sore disappointment to find such a 
 stalwart pair of arms awaiting you in place of the dainty 
 maiden, Helen." 
 
 The boy s face grew dark at the remembrance of the 
 scene. " He bound me and gagged me," he said bit 
 terly. "Ay, and laughed at me, as I lay helpless at 
 his feet. He was for forcing me to take him away by 
 boat and carriage, but just as he was penning a note 
 to the governor, somebody came sneaking around the 
 door and he bade me begone. I took him at his word, 
 and got me away with my people as quickly as pos 
 sible." 
 
 " Leaving the rope-ladder?" 
 
 "Of course; how else? But I cut it, up as far as 
 I could reach ; I did not care to help him off, the im 
 pudent 
 
 "Hold, boy! You would have done the prettiest 
 stroke of business for yourself possible, had you hailed 
 the guard at once, and prevented his escape. 
 
 " Hailed the guard! Plow could I have explained 
 the matter? He himself threatened me with the 
 guard ! 
 
 "A clever clever gentleman," repeated St. Clair 
 thoughtfully, "and a brave Well, youngster, here 
 we are at Warham. Best let me do the talking. Your 
 tale is sweetly interesting, but it may be well to keep it 
 to ourselves for the nonce." 
 
 "For your life, don t mention my name; Old Rich 
 hates me like poison already !" 
 
 "Tut, boy, there is nothing against the alliance, 
 157
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 when you are of the proper age. He would jump at 
 me for a son-in-law." 
 
 "Yes, you. Very likely!" replied the boy, in an 
 aggrieved voice. " You are the heir, and tis a very dif 
 ferent matter. But surely, Ned, you you 
 
 " I am not your rival, boy ! My hand on it," said 
 his brother. "You shall have your Helen all in good 
 time. But no more of this rope-ladder nonsense. You 
 must remember that you are no play-actor, but an honest 
 English gentleman, and fit mate for any lady in the 
 land." 
 
 "Thank you, Ned, thank you !" 
 
 The two shook hands in the hearty fashion of men 
 who love each other, looking steadily and squarely into 
 one another s eyes, as befitted Englishmen and brothers ; 
 then without another word, they strode up to the great 
 entrance of the castle. 
 
 They were admitted without delay into the presence 
 of the governor himself. The little man was striding 
 up and down his hall, his face drawn and wrinkled into 
 a thousand rueful puckers. 
 
 "Good morning, my lord," he cried. " You have 
 heard I see that you have heard ! Now what am I to 
 do?" 
 
 " Good morning, Sir John," returned St. Clair, bow 
 ing ceremoniously. "Allow me to present my brother, 
 Roderick." 
 
 "I already have the honor of the young man s ac 
 quaintance," returned the lord of Warham with a frown, 
 at which the lad blushed a furious crimson. 
 
 "Ay? And you do not mislike him then; an 
 honesterlad never drew breath, nor a braver. He joins 
 me, sir, on my ship ere long. 
 158
 
 A CONFESSION 
 
 " That were well ; Satan has ever a task for the un< 
 employed!" growled Sir John, an ominous glitter in 
 his small deep -set eyes. 
 
 "What do you mean, sir? Your speech is not 
 over-friendly in its sound. 
 
 "Look you, the boy here has been making love to 
 my daughter, and that I will not have ; she s only a 
 child, and shall be mine for awhile yet. This slaving 
 and worrying over a woman-child does not profit, sir !" 
 working himself up into a fury "for no sooner is 
 she come to an age when she ceases puling and whin 
 ing, than along comes some miserable whiffet of a boy, 
 and is for carrying her off. Dawdling and palavering 
 and kissing of hands ! I ll have none of it, I swear I ll 
 have none of it ! " 
 
 "Of course not at present; the thing is not to be 
 thought of, " said St. Clair soothingly. " But in time, 
 sir, you must acknowledge that one of the family of 
 Arundel is not disqualified for an alliance with your 
 daughter. 
 
 " Humph ! perhaps not. But a truce to this talk ! We 
 are not a pair of match -makers. What think you of 
 the escape of our prisoner ? 
 
 "A most serious mischance. I should like, if it be 
 agreeable to you, Sir John, to see the chief witness in 
 the affair. I mean the valet de chambrc, who has such 
 a wondrous story to tell of the escape. It may have 
 chanced that the fellow has suppressed some important 
 detail." 
 
 "True true! By all means, St. Clair. You are a 
 clever fellow, and it may be will squeeze some further 
 information out of the rascal. The fellow is a French 
 man, Bolieu, by name, and I mistrust me a deep knave 
 
 T 59
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 with a lying tongue in his head, like the rest of his con 
 founded race. Ay, the fellow may be at the root of the 
 whole matter. Tell them to fetch him at once." 
 
 Bolieu presently entered. He was a fat man, with 
 lank black hair, and a pale smooth -shaven face. He 
 shuffled uneasily as he walked, and looked about him in 
 a furtive way as does an animal, unexpectedly brought 
 into the presence of a dreaded foe. 
 
 "Stand there, villain!" roared the governor in a 
 dreadful voice, whereat the prisoner visibly cringed. 
 "The right honorable Viscount St. Clair, lieutenant in 
 his majesty s ship Conqueror, will now examine you in 
 my presence. And do you speak the truth, sirrah, or 
 we shall presently draw it from you to the tune of your 
 own shrieks on the rack. You hear me !" 
 
 160
 
 CHAPTER XX 
 
 IN PRESENCE OF THE GOVERNOR 
 
 THE little governor having thus introduced the luck 
 less witness, strode majestically to his great chair, 
 wherein he seated himself with due ceremony and de 
 liberation. 
 
 "Now, sir," he remarked with an air of condescen 
 sion, "the fellow is in your hands ; ask what questions 
 you will." He then leaned back in his chair, placed 
 his finger-tips together judicially and assumed an atti 
 tude of attention slightly tempered with ennui, as of a 
 man who has already gone over the ground with the ut 
 most thoroughness, and therefore expects nothing of 
 the slightest interest. 
 
 " Will you tell me, my good fellow, what you can of 
 this unfortunate affair?" began St. Clair easily. "You 
 were sleeping in the ante-room of his bedchamber, were 
 you not ? 
 
 "I was, your honor," replied the man, shifting 
 uneasily from one foot to the other, "but not on my 
 bed ; the honorable gentleman objected to my having 
 my bed in the room. It was therefore removed to 
 the corridor. The guard will tell you as much." 
 
 " Very good. Did you remain in the room during 
 the evening ?" 
 
 "No sir that is your honor, the honorable lord 
 sent me to the corridor to wait a most rheumy and 
 disagreeable spot, I contracted 
 
 "Confound your rheum, blockhead !" interposed the 
 ii 161
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 governor, with a stamp of his foot. "Your health, 
 sirrah, has not become a matter of interest yet. It may 
 later to yourself, he added darkly. 
 
 "Certainly, your excellency, and your honor. I 
 humbly crave your most noble pardons ! I was only 
 
 "Then you were not in the room during the even 
 ing," said St. Clair impatiently. "At what hour did 
 you enter the chamber to remain ? 
 
 "At about twelve of the clock, your honor," re 
 plied the man more briskly. "At that hour the noble 
 lord rang the bell, I entered and performed my usual 
 duties. I then turned down the lights, and lay down 
 in one corner upon the rug. I must have fallen asleep, 
 for I was very weary, but I was shortly awakened by a 
 slight sound I am a very light sleeper I arose quickly, 
 and was on the point of calling the guard, when I was 
 seized " om behind, bound and gagged. 
 
 How many men were there who thus overpowered 
 you?" questioned St. Clair with a slight smile. 
 
 "Three, your honor," whined the witness, "and 
 monstrous strong men they were, with black velvet 
 masks over their faces. One was dressed in crimson 
 velvet, slashed with silver ; the others I did not see so 
 clearly. 
 
 "You have a nimble fancy, fellow," observed St. 
 Clair meditatively. " Were you bound when the alarm 
 was raised ? 
 
 The flunkey turned a shade paler, and swallowed witk 
 a visible effort. " I was loose, sir I mean, your noble 
 honor. I am a strong man, and I worked till morn 
 ing to loose myself that I might call assistance. 
 
 Did you call the guard at once ? I mean as soon 
 as you had gotten rid of your gag. 
 163
 
 IN PRESENCE OF THE GOVERNOR 
 
 The man was silent a moment before replying ; at 
 length he said, " I loosened my gag, your noble honor, 
 then I called the guard ; but my voice is weak, and as 
 I said before, my gullet was husky by reason of a rheum 
 caught in the corridor ; I was therefore unable to make 
 them hear, so 
 
 "--So you must needs loose yourself," interrupted 
 St. Clair. " Now did you attend me carefully did 
 you find any writing, or paper containing a writing 
 anywhere about the apartment ? 
 
 " Any writing, my lord ! How could that be? Your 
 honor may be sure that I thought of but one thing 
 and 
 
 "Hold! lam inclined to think that you thought 
 of two things or three. There was a writing ; you 
 have it. Give it here this instant !" 
 
 "Upon my sacred honor, my lord," Iried the 
 wretched flunkey, falling upon his knees, "I do not 
 know what you mean. I swear that it was all just as I 
 have said, the three men with masks, the 
 
 "You are lying, you rascal! Every second word 
 that you have uttered is a lie. There was a paper ; I 
 saw it !" 
 
 Every eye was turned upon Roderick, who unable 
 to hold his peace longer, and regardless of his own part 
 ill the story, had darted forward. 
 
 "You saw it !" exclaimed the little governor, spring 
 ing to his feet. "You saw it ! And what, pray, were 
 vou doing in my house at midnight, sir?" 
 
 The young man turned white, but he faced the gov 
 ernor with an air of haughty courage. 
 
 "I came to your house to carry off your daughter, 
 sir. I meant to marry her, sir, and I mean to still. 
 16.5
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 I love her and she loves me. You may lock her up 
 as hard and fast as you please. I shall find her. I 
 shall marry her. 
 
 Sir John Rich stood in his place as if turned to stone. 
 His face was a study. St. Clair had involuntarily 
 drawn his sword, but at the first words which the little 
 man uttered he dropped it back into its scabbard with a 
 sigh of relief. 
 
 " And so you were going to carry off my girl willy- 
 nilly, hey ?" 
 
 Then the governor of Warham astonished everybody 
 present by bursting into an immoderate fit of laughter. 
 
 Ha, you young rascal ! " he cried, when he had 
 somewhat recovered himself. I ought by rights to 
 clap you into my deepest dungeon, there to cool off 
 your hot young blood at your leisure ! But by the 
 sword of Charlemagne, I like your spirit ! I did that 
 very thing myself ; I did, the very same thing ; only 
 I succeeded, young man, and carried off my lady, while 
 you were not so lucky. Ah, now this puts a different 
 look on our matter altogether eh, St. Clair? This 
 scoundrel here has made us a fine tale to cover some 
 rascality or disobedience of his own ; that s evident 
 enough. Now then to the rack with him!" and he 
 made a fierce dive at the wretched Bolieu, who was 
 wallowing in the extremity of his anguish on the floor 
 at their feet. 
 
 "Oh, my lord! oh, my good my excellent my 
 worshipful lord !" howled the prostrate flunkey. "It 
 is true that I disobeyed orders ; but the man would not 
 have me in the room, and how could I help it ! Mercy, 
 I beg of you noble sirs kind masters, I will tell you 
 everything ! Twas the strange lord who bound me 
 164
 
 IN PRESENCE OF THE GOVERNOR 
 
 he himself ; and there was a writing ! I have it all 
 safe it is here !" 
 
 The man had crawled quite up to the great chair 
 now, and was frantically endeavoring to kiss the gov 
 ernor s hand. 
 
 "Get out, you whining, slavering dog! Give me 
 the paper, but keep your distance ! Ah, what have we 
 here ! To the governor of Warham Castle, Sir : I beg 
 that you will pardon me for taking such an unceremonious 
 leave of your hospitable roof. My private affairs, how 
 ever, are at such a pass that I can remain no longer. I 
 therefore take advantage of the kindness of a friend, 
 and shall be many leagues from Warham castle before 
 daylight. That you are the dupe of a monstrous blun 
 der on the part of some well-meaning person, I do not 
 for a moment doubt. There is certainly no reason 
 why a Huguenot refugee should meet with such distin 
 guished consideration at your hands. I have the honor, 
 sir, to subscribe myself, with many thanks for your hos 
 pitality, HENRI BAILLOT, Comte de Lantenac, Late 
 officer in the Royal Navy of France. 
 
 "A monstrous blunder do you hear that, St. Clair ! 
 I begin to think so. In short, I thought so in the very 
 beginning. There are many things to confirm that 
 view of the case. a Huguenot refugee, -referring 
 again to the letter, which he had carefully flattened out 
 in his hand. " Now that could hardly be, you know ! 
 Well, perhaps we had best defer any further discussion 
 of the matter ; but first, who is the friend to whom he 
 refers ? 
 
 " He must have honored me with the name, sir," said 
 Roderick, " though I hardly reciprocated his feelings." 
 
 "No, I ll warrant me that you did not, my boy! 
 165
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 Did you assist the ahem the gentleman to escape by 
 means of your rope-ladder and afterwards ?" 
 
 " Marry, that I did not ! Of course, sir, I could not 
 take the ladder away, for I must needs go down it my 
 self, but I took myself off as speedily as possible when 
 I got the opportunity." 
 
 " And how happened it that you were so quiet ; why 
 did you not call the guard ? 
 
 Roderick turned red and white by turns. " Why, at 
 first, sir, he had me at a disadvantage. I did not ex 
 pect to find 
 
 No, that you did not, you young villain ! inter 
 rupted the peppery little governor, his temper rising at 
 the thought. "Confound you, and he got the better 
 of you. Glad of it, wish he had choked you ! But 
 you were loose when you went down the ladder ; why 
 did you not call the guard ? 
 
 Roderick was silent for a moment, then he blurted 
 out. "Why did I not call the guard, sir? Ask your 
 self; would you have called the guard had you been in 
 my place ? 
 
 "Would I, had I been in your place? Gad, young 
 fellow, but I like your impudence ! No, sir, I would 
 not ! I should have skipped down the ladder, that s 
 what you did. Now then, our prisoner evidently fol 
 lowed you at his leisure, after trussing up our friend 
 here," indicating the unfortunate Bolieu with a con 
 temptuous gesture. "He is manifestly then at large, 
 without a sixpence in his pocket, in a strange country 
 and on foot. We shall presently be able to lay hands 
 upon him." 
 
 " Have you taken any steps in that direction, excel 
 lency?" said St. Clair. 
 
 166
 
 IN PRESENCE OF THE GOVERNOR 
 
 " Any steps? Well, just a few, sir. I have had two 
 dozen stout fellows scouring the country for miles since 
 daybreak. Tis full time we heard from some of 
 them. Ah, speaking of the devil, as the old saying 
 hath it, here is Browrig now. Have you any news, 
 Browrig ? 
 
 "Sorry news, your lordship! Two of our fellows, 
 vho were out in a boat examining some of the fishing 
 smacks that lie at anchor in the bay, found this coat 
 floating on the water, not many rods from the castle 
 walls. Perchance the poor gentleman has been foully 
 dealt with." 
 
 Sir John Rich examined the dripping garment with 
 attention. " Is this the coat worn by the gentleman?" 
 he asked, turning to St. Clair, " of a truth I was so 
 taken up with his face, and with a thousand perplexing 
 thoughts that I gave but scant attention to his attire." 
 
 St. Clair looked puzzled. "You have me at a loss, 
 sir," he said at length. "I never had the eye that 
 takes note of trappings. Tis a woman s province 
 that." 
 
 The governor was silent for a moment, then he 
 brought down his hand with a prodigious thwack on the 
 broad of his leg. " I have it !" he exclaimed. " My 
 daughter Helen will know it. She saw the man from 
 the window. Call her to my presence, Spence. She 
 will be with her maids in the tapestry chamber." 
 
 The man disappeared. In a few moments he re 
 turned, followed at a discreet distance by a severe and 
 sour-faced dame of uncertain years. Immediately be 
 hind this good lady, with downcast eye and half-fright 
 ened air, stepped the lady Helen, as dainty a maid as 
 ever breathed English air, her simple robe of green 
 167
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 silk setting off the snowy whiteness of her neck and 
 arms as rarely as does the leaf of a lily its blossom. 
 
 Upon my word, Rod, I can excuse your folly ! 
 murmured St. Clair, as his eye noted the flower-like 
 beauty of the girl s face, and the slender grace of her 
 maiden figure. "The lit tie Helen bids fair to rival her 
 famous namesake of Troy." 
 
 He stepped forward to pay his respects to the lady, 
 but Roderick hung back somewhat fearfully, though 
 with a world of devotion shining in his honest brown 
 eyes. The governor perceived this and chuckled be 
 neath his breath. " How now, sir," he cried loudly, 
 "have you no greeting for your old playmate? This 
 coldness ill befits a youth so fiery that he must needs 
 beard the old fox himself in his den." 
 
 At this disconcerting remark, Roderick blushed a 
 furious crimson ; but he quickly recovered himself, and 
 stepping boldly forward exclaimed, with a low bow : 
 " Most gladly do I avail myself, your excellency, of 
 your permission to pay my addresses to the lady of my 
 heart. Since the ardent desire of both of us is for her 
 happiness alone, we shall surely cease, from this hour, 
 to play at cross purposes. 
 
 Having delivered himself of this somewhat theatrical 
 speech, the young man sprang to the side of the maiden, 
 and possessing himself of one of her snowy hands began 
 to whisper some not unwelcome u-ords into her ear, 
 despite the bristling indignation of the duenna. 
 
 "Upon my word, sir, you are not lacking in bold 
 ness!" quoth the governor, regaling himself with a 
 delicate pinch of snuff. " I did not send for you, 
 child, in order to provide you with a husband this 
 morning- -that is a matter which must be concluded 
 1 68
 
 IN PRESENCE OF THE GOVERNOR 
 
 with no unseemly haste, but Pah, this snuff would 
 draw tears from a stone image ! Tell me, daughter, 
 did our guest, of whom you caught a glimpse from the 
 window yestereen, wear this coat?" 
 
 "Yes, father," replied the maiden, without a mo 
 ment s hesitation. "And twas here he fastened the 
 rose from my nosegay ; here is a fragment of the stem 
 still sticking fast by its thorn !" 
 
 Now is that not wonderful ! What an eye hath a 
 maiden, while we men are so dull and stupid ! What 
 argues it, St. Clair, the finding of the coat in the 
 water ? Do you think the poor fellow is dead ? 
 
 " Dead?" murmured the maiden. "Nay, that were 
 a pity ! he was a gallant gentleman ; how deftly he 
 caught at that falling rose. 
 
 " I do not think the man is dead," began St. Clair. 
 " Perhaps" 
 
 He was interrupted by the trampling of many feet 
 in the corridor without and the confused sound of 
 voices. 
 
 " They have found him!" cried the governor joy 
 fully, springing to his feet.
 
 CHAPTER XXI 
 
 A FRIEND IN NEED 
 
 "YES, my lord, we have found him!" said one of 
 the men who was grasping the luckless Huguenot by 
 the arm. " He was sleeping in a rick of straw near a 
 farm-house on the Arundel estate disguised, as you 
 see, as a gipsy. Yet were my eyes too sharp 
 
 "Let me speak for myself, fellow," said Baillot, 
 wrenching himself loose from his captors with a violent 
 effort. 
 
 "Loose him, varlets !" roared the governor. " Have 
 you no sense of what is becoming? Your pardon, sir, 
 for the unmannerly rudeness of my retainers. Our 
 anxiety for your safety must be our excuse. I fear you 
 have suffered much in your misadventure." 
 
 "Have you read the letter I left for you?" ques 
 tioned the captive moodily, his eye wandering about 
 the room, and resting at last in the greatest astonish 
 ment on the group formed by St. Clair, Roderick, and 
 the lady Helen. " How is this?" he exclaimed ; " tis 
 an ill-wind then, that blows no good !" 
 
 "You thought I played you a scurvy trick, sir, in 
 cutting the ladder, and getting away without you," 
 quoth the lad ; " yet I scarce felt beholden to you after 
 all that had passed. 
 
 "Ay, you served me right, boy, but the letter, 
 turning impatiently to the governor. 
 
 "We have read the letter, monsieur," said that 
 worthy solemnly. "If you will do me the honor to
 
 A FRIEND IN NEED 
 
 accompany me to your apartments, you shall refresh 
 yourself. I shall then be pleased to talk with you of 
 the matter. Pray rid yourself of the thought that you 
 are in any sense a prisoner, but your presence here is 
 indispensable to the clearing up of a great mystery." 
 And the little man majestically led the way from the 
 hall. Baillot followed with a very bad grace, still 
 attended by the men-at-arms to whom he owed his 
 capture. 
 
 Blockhead that I was ! " he muttered, as the door 
 of his apartment not the tower-room of his adventure, 
 but a loftier and more magnificent suite on the ground 
 floor closed on the retreating figure of his host. " I 
 have played the part of a witless boy ; I should have 
 been leagues away by daybreak, instead of yielding to 
 my fatigue like a woman." 
 
 Yet his disappointment was not untempered with 
 hope ; his letter had been received, his declaration 
 made, and from the manner of his host he inferred, not 
 unreasonably, that an impre: ;ion of some kind had been 
 made. He observed furthermore that no guard had 
 been posted before his door, and that the windows of 
 his drawing-room opened directly upon the terrace. 
 " I am a prisoner no longer," he thought with a thrill 
 of joy ; curiously enough with the knowledge he lost 
 his desire to escape. "I will remain," he decided, 
 "till we unravel this mystery, of which I for one am 
 heartily weary." 
 
 He made haste to rid himself of the gipsy s clothes, 
 which presented but a sorry appearance in the broad 
 light of day. "When they have satisfied themselves 
 that I am indeed but a homeless refugee," quoth he 
 with a smile, " I fancy that this fine wardrobe will be 
 171
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 at my disposal no longer. Yet however fine the trap 
 pings, if the pockets be not plentifully lined, one may 
 fare but poorly in this greedy world, as I have already 
 found to my sorrow." 
 
 A good breakfast which was presently brought in, 
 served still further to put the young man into good 
 humor with his surroundings. He had no sooner fin 
 ished it than St. Clair was announced. 
 
 I was surprised to see you here, lieutenant, he 
 said, rising to greet his visitor ; you are then on 
 leave ? 
 
 "Surprised, and not overjoyed, I fancy," returned 
 St. Clair. " I am sure that you reckon me among the 
 chief of your persecutors." 
 
 " I believe I owe a somewhat strange and unpleasant 
 adventure partly to you. Are you as averse as ever to 
 any explanations on my part ?" 
 
 " On the contrary I am here for that purpose," said 
 St. Clair eagerly. "Tell me at once how you came 
 to be on the island?" 
 
 "A shipwrecked party, consisting of two women and 
 three men, found their way thither after the loss of 
 their vessel. Destitute of clothing and of every ne 
 cessity of life, they gladly availed themselves of the 
 goods the gods provided." 
 
 " Then you found the chateau deserted ?" 
 
 " Entirely so. There was not a soul on the island 
 when we arrived. May I ask whom you expected to 
 find there?" 
 
 St. Clair apparently did not hear this question. He 
 was staring hard at the carpet as if lost in thought. 
 After a little he aroused himself to say : 
 
 "Your pardon, monsieur, for leaving your question 
 172
 
 A FRIEND IN NEED 
 
 unanswered ; this you will grant me all the more 
 readily when I tell you that you are free. May I ask 
 if you would accept a commission in the British navy? 
 There are a number of vacancies, and the gallant officer 
 to whom we owe our latest victory would prove a valu 
 able acquisition." 
 
 ; I thank you heartily for your kind interest in my 
 fortunes," said Baillot. "But there is that which I 
 must do before I think of my own future. I must re 
 turn and find out what has become of the helpless com 
 panions whom I was forced to leave behind." 
 
 And for that you will need funds which luckily 
 you will not lack," said St. Clair in a matter-of-fact 
 tone. " I have here your share of the prize money 
 paid to the crew of The Conqueror for the captured 
 vessel." 
 
 " But I am entitled to nothing," said Baillot, a dark 
 flush rising to his cheek as St. Clair placed a small bag 
 upon the table. " I took part in the action only by 
 evading the orders under which I was placed. But may 
 you never know how it feels to be shut up below decks 
 when fighting is going on !" 
 
 " I can only say that it was fortunate for us that you 
 escaped to the scene of action," cried St. Clair heartily. 
 " And if you are not entitled to a share of the money, 
 no one is. The enemy would be picking the bones of 
 the poor old Conqueror now, with all of us hard and 
 fast as prisoners of war !" 
 
 " A penniless refugee has little choice," said Baillot, 
 a shade of bitterness clouding his face. "So I will 
 accept the gold most thankfully. My estates in Franc u 
 are confiscate under the present laws, as you are of 
 course aware. I have some property in America, and it
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 was there I was bound when our vessel was shipwrecked. " 
 He paused as if lost in painful reminiscence. " There 
 is one thing I must crave of your kindness yet," he 
 continued after a little, "and that is the location of 
 the island ; without that information I can scarcely 
 hope to rescue those who are doubtless still there un 
 less some mischance has befallen them." 
 
 St. Clair hesitated, and Baillot, who was observing 
 him narrowly, exclaimed angrily, "What monstrous 
 nonsense is there about that spot of earth ! Am I to 
 understand then that the rest of my party are to be 
 marooned simply because they have had the ill fortune 
 to" 
 
 " Hold, you misunderstand me ; it will be impossible 
 for me to obtain what you require under three days. 
 Your demand is reasonable and just, you shall have the 
 information if it be in my power to give it. Mean 
 while will you not be my guest at Arundel for the 
 present? It was that for which I came to you this 
 morning. 
 
 " I thank you for the invitation," said Baillot, some 
 what stiffly ; "but it will doubtless be best for me to 
 go up to London at once ; I have some preparations to 
 make. 
 
 I must ask you to remain here for a few hours at 
 least. I shall wish to communicate your story to our 
 host, and 
 
 "Certainly, and however great my impatience you 
 may rely upon me not to take French leave," said Bail- 
 lot with a forced smile at his own poor wit. The air 
 of mystery about the affair affected him most disagree 
 ably, the more so since he felt sure that he was mis 
 trusted.
 
 A FRIEND IN NEED 
 
 "Diable /" he broke out with a frown. "This affair 
 has assumed a most unpleasant aspect. I see plainly 
 that you are fearful lest I prate of the matter, and thus 
 compromise you in some way. Not being altogether 
 stupid I can understand that perhaps higher interests 
 are involved. Now in France what would happen in 
 such a case ? The inconvenient person disappears ; 
 where ? It matters not ; the Bastile has nooks and 
 corners within its walls most safe. In England you 
 have the Tower. Perhaps if 
 
 " Upon my honor, sir, you are wrong ! Do you sup 
 pose that I would descend to such vulgar trickery?" 
 demanded St. Clair fiercely. " And yet " he added 
 after a pause, "I do not wonder at your thought after 
 all that has passed. Now listen, you need fear nothing 
 from me ; but I confess that I do not know what to ex 
 pect from another quarter. My advice is this, get you 
 out of England without delay, for although your life is 
 in no present peril, you might be subjected to a delay 
 which would prove maddening under the circumstances. 
 As for the information you require, go to the island of 
 Terciora, of the Central A/ores group, and inquire for 
 one Jose de Miguel. He can give you what you re 
 quire. Hut you should have an order to show him, and 
 this it will be exceedingly difficult for me to obtain. I 
 will do my best, and will send or bring it to you within 
 the three days. Should I fail to obtain it, try gold on 
 de Miguel. I do not see why Hut where shall we 
 make our tryst ?" 
 
 "Nay, you know best; I must trust myself entirely 
 to you in the matter," said Jaillot. " Eondon ? I 
 shall be only an atom there, and easily enough hidden. 
 1 know the place as thoroughly as you do." 
 175
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 "You had best do as I suggested, come to Arundel 
 for a day or two. It need not be known when you 
 leave nor whither. But I fancy I hear our host the 
 excellent Sir John Rich. Not a word of this to him, I 
 pray you." 
 
 And indeed at this moment the sound of bustling 
 footsteps in the corridor without was heard, and a brisk 
 tap at the door announced a second visitor. 
 
 "Ah, St. Clair, my dear fellow, glad to find you 
 still here ! I have just had important advices most 
 important. We were not wrong in our conjectures. 
 A very neat little affair very neat indeed, but the 
 laugh is not on our side this time ! Yet we have all 
 done our duty, and that after all is the main thing. I 
 hope, my dear de Lantenac for so I must call you, 
 with your permission that your enforced visit to Eng 
 land will not incommode you, but rather be to your 
 advantage your very considerable advantage, sir !" 
 
 All of this the little governor delivered with an air 
 of the greatest relish, rubbing his hands briskly, and 
 skipping about with suppressed excitement. "There 
 is no discredit attached to any of us in the matter," 
 he continued, "least of all to the distinguished officer, 
 whom I have the honor to see under my roof. I have 
 heard of your gallantry from my Lord Torrington, sir, 
 and I congratulate you ! You will remain my guest for 
 some days longer, I trust." 
 
 " M. de Lantenac has done me the honor to accept 
 an invitation to Arundel, your excellency," said St. 
 Clair. "Though of course I shall not force his incli 
 nations in the matter. 
 
 " No, no, of course not," said the governor frown 
 ing, " not at all ! He will remain my guest for the 
 176
 
 A FRIEND IN NEED 
 
 present ; I must make amends for the affair of last 
 night, you understand. There is a little festivity in 
 prospect ha, ha ! That brother of yours, St. Clair ! 
 really I would rather it were you now ; but I cannot 
 have such a thing repeated. Why bless my soul, sir; 
 think of my little Helen clambering down a rope-ladder 
 at midnight ! And she would have done it ! ay, 
 marry, she is a maid of a proper spirit ! And you 
 heard the young knave tell me to my face that he would 
 carry her off? I should never have an easy moment, 
 not one, sir ! So I must needs make the best of a bad 
 matter. I have sent for the honorable Earl, your 
 father, and the scriveners ; and unless there be some 
 obstacle, which I see not at present, we shall shortly 
 celebrate the betrothal of the young couple. 
 
 "Roderick is a lucky dog!" observed St. Clair 
 smiling. "By my faith I am inclined to challenge 
 him to a duel in behalf of the maiden,, in the good old 
 fashion." 
 
 "Nay, my lord, he shall have her," quoth the gov 
 ernor with a great laugh ; " you are too late. The only 
 thing left for you is to get carried off in some action 
 and leave the earldom to your energetic younger brother. 
 To him that hath shall be given, you know, as the 
 Holy Book hath it." 
 
 "Heaven forefend!" ejaculated St. Clair, with a 
 shrug. "I am no Esau. The Eates may have as fair 
 a mate in store for me. But I must congratulate the 
 youngster; tis not every ill-wind that blows so much 
 good." 
 
 " Let us adjourn to the great hall, gentlemen," cried 
 the governor with a wave of his hand ; " tis there the 
 lovers are holding court. Marry, tis a fine sight to 
 
 12 .
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 witness the airs of dame Ursula, the governess ! She 
 has my orders not to interfere, but it is most irksome to 
 her acidulated maiden modesty to be compelled to leave 
 a pair of lovers unmolested in her very presence. You, 
 Count de Lantenac, have played a famous part in this 
 little Comedy of Errors, and the young people, curi 
 ously enough, are inclined to thank you for its happy 
 ending. The ungrateful young rascals ! as though I 
 could not easily enough have banished my would-be 
 son-in-law from Warham, and shut up the foolish maid 
 m a nunnery !" 
 
 178
 
 CHAPTER XXII 
 
 THE BETROTHAL 
 
 THE day following promised to be a notable one for 
 the inhabitants of Warham castle. The weather was 
 clear and fair, as befitted the betrothal day of the fairest 
 maid in all England. The Earl of Arundel had ar 
 rived betimes, and had given his paternal blessing on 
 the union; and what was more important for the ulti 
 mate happiness of the young pair, the fathers had put 
 their heads together to consult concerning their tem 
 poral welfare. The great oaken table in the library of 
 the castle was littered with parchments and papers, and 
 the lawyers and scriveners, inflated with the importance 
 of the occasion, were busy with deeds and writings, ap 
 parently matters of the supremest indifference to the 
 young couple themselves, who sat in one corner, con 
 tent to leave all such unimportant matters as moneys 
 and estates to others, while they basked in the radiance 
 of love s young dream. 
 
 These matters having been happily concluded, a gen 
 eral air of festivity and joyousness took possession of 
 every one. Even Baillot, though he was harassed with 
 anxiety concerning his own affairs, could not help join 
 ing in the amusements which were going on. 
 
 " Leave us now, sir?" exclaimed the governor, when 
 the young man had hinted to him his desire to take 
 179
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 leave. " Tis not to be thought of ! You must at all 
 events wait until after the ball." 
 
 And the lady Helen had added her entreaties so 
 prettily to those of her father, that sorely against his 
 will the young Huguenot had yielded. He had an un 
 easy feeling that he was being watched, and that the 
 cordial insistance of his host had its root in something 
 beyond a desire for his company. Once he had sur 
 prised St. Clair in close conversation with Sir John 
 Rich, and the embarrassed air with which they at once 
 ceased talking upon his approach had increased his dis 
 comfort. 
 
 On the morning of the proposed ball, amid the gen 
 eral confusion and bustle which prevailed, he stood 
 somewhat apart from the merry groups which were oc 
 cupied in trimming the great hall with garlands of 
 greenery. His thoughts were far away. He seemed 
 once more to stand in the corridor of the mysterious 
 chateau ; the delicate flushed face of Madeline with her 
 large, sweet eyes full of reproachful questionings, arose 
 distinctly before him. He gave an involuntary sigh. 
 "I must get away from this place, and at once !" he 
 muttered to himself. 
 
 "You are not happy, monsieur," said the voice of 
 St. Clair in his ear, and I can well guess the cause ; 
 you are anxious to leave this scene of domestic felicity 
 which somehow grates upon your feelings. I must tell 
 you, however, that the matter of which I spoke to you 
 has not been neglected ; I am expecting every hour to 
 hear whether or no I have been successful. You shall 
 know at once, whatever the intelligence. Meanwhile 
 you are quite as safe here as anywhere, and perhaps as 
 happy, since the delay must be endured." 
 1 80
 
 THE BETROTHAL 
 
 "I thought you had forgotten " began Baillot in 
 an agitated voice ; he was checked in any further utter 
 ance by the approach of Sir John Rich. 
 
 The little man had been in a state of most joyous ac 
 tivity all the morning. From the cellars to the turrets 
 he had inspected everything about the castle with his 
 own eye. He had even penetrated to the kitchen in 
 the excess of his zeal, from whence, however, he had 
 been routed by the housekeeper, a notable and privi 
 leged person, possessed of almost unlimited powers in 
 her own domain. 
 
 " Indeed, your gracious honor, tis impossible that 
 we should be put about by a visit from you just now," 
 the worthy lady had declared, smoothing down her silk 
 apron. " The maids and scullions are that in terror of 
 your worshipful honor that they are like dumb images 
 in your presence. Their spoons in mid air, and their 
 mouths wide open, how can you expect the plum cakes, 
 the jellies and the flummeries to be properly made? 
 You must even leave it all to me." 
 
 "Very well, dame," the governor had replied ma 
 jestically. " But remember that there is no mistress in 
 the castle ; and that to-night no fewer than a hundred 
 of the first ladies and gentlemen of the country will sup 
 here in honor of my daughter s betrothal." 
 
 " No mistress indeed !" thought the dame to herself, 
 but she only said, "You may trust me, my lord. All 
 shall be as proper and right as at the king s palace, 
 though I must needs look to it myself. And who knows 
 but that the next feast may be in honor of your own 
 wedding ; for twould be hard to find a more personable 
 gentleman." 
 
 " This is a great day !" the little governor exclaimed, 
 181
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 approaching the two young men. "All goes well; 
 the weather is propitious ; the preparations are going 
 forward right merrily ! and best of all, I have news 
 that the duke will be with us to-night !" 
 
 " Is it so?" exclaimed St. Clair, with an involuntary 
 glance at Baillot. " The happy pair are indeed hon 
 ored ; though the king himself might well dance a 
 measure in honor of so fair a maid." 
 
 "And should he do so, twould not be the first time 
 the lords of Warham have been so honored," quoth 
 Sir John proudly. "Why, man, in King James s 
 time 
 
 "Ah, here is our happy bridegroom!" said St. 
 Clair hastily, interrupting what was likely to prove a 
 tedious tale, and one which he already knew by heart. 
 " I see he has a word for my private ear ; I pray you 
 to excuse me for a moment. 
 
 "A brave officer that," observed Sir John, looking 
 after him with a genial smile, " and the younger brother 
 is not less to my liking, indeed he has the more per 
 sonable figure of the two. A prettier pair than that 
 youth and my daughter Helen it would be hard to 
 find!" 
 
 "Indeed you are right," said Baillot; "I wonder 
 that you were so hard of heart in the beginning of 
 their loves." 
 
 " Marry ! That was only to test the youngster s 
 metal. Had he been easily rebuffed, he would never 
 have done to perpetuate the house of Warham. I have 
 no son, sir, the lady Helen is my heir, and one of her 
 sons will bear the titles and inherit the estates of War- 
 ham, by a special grant. 
 
 "A most desirable and equitable arrangement," 
 182
 
 THE BETROTHAL 
 
 murmured Baillot perfunctorily. He was weary at 
 heart of Warham castle, and was rapidly coming to the 
 conclusion that if he heard nothing further from St. 
 Clair before nightfall, he would take advantage of the 
 confusion incident to the festivities, and quietly slip 
 away. " Do you expect many guests?" he asked tun:- 
 ing to his host, who was watching with delight the 
 operations of two young men who were looping with a 
 fringy garland of green the carven gallery at one end 
 of the hall. 
 
 "More than a hundred, Count," replied Sir John. 
 "You shall dance with some of the fairest maidens you 
 could hope to see anywhere on this green earth. See 
 now, they will finish the garlands with bunches of 
 roses ; is not that a pretty device ? The musicians 
 will sit yonder in the gallery, and I ll warrant me that 
 there is not a better floor for a dancing foot in England 
 than this. Tis as smooth as a maiden s cheek, and as 
 slippery as a Frenchman ! Bless my soul, what have I 
 said? Your pardon, Count !" 
 
 "You have but exercised the diplomatic courtesy for 
 which your nation is famous," replied Baillot with a 
 slight curl of the lip. "And I fear me that similes 
 quite as unflattering to English characteristics are com 
 mon enough in the mouths of my countrymen." 
 
 " I ll warrant me !" said Sir John with a chuckle. 
 "Such as stupid as an Englishman, as but why be 
 disagreeable to each other? I began it, and I sincerely 
 beg your forgiveness for my unruly tongue. Tis an 
 unseemly and churlish trick to be forever girding at 
 those of other nations. Nay, I sometimes wonder if 
 our so-called patriotism is not aft^;- all a kind of selfish 
 ness, which breeds disaffection and warfare." 
 183
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 To all of which the young man returned no answer 
 save a grave inclination of the head. Presently the 
 governor took himself off to oversee the decoration of 
 the banqueting hall, and Baillot retired to his own 
 quarters. Here he began to make some preparations 
 for the journey which he had in mind, preparations 
 necessarily of the most meagre description, since he 
 was destitute of arms of any kind, and dependent still 
 on the wardrobe furnished him by his captors. How 
 ever he secured the gold, which St. Clair had given 
 him, about his person, and attired himself in one of the 
 plainest of the rich habits which had been placed at his 
 disposal. 
 
 As evening drew on he grew more and more anxious, 
 but none the less determined to get away. He could 
 hear the sounds of opening and shutting doors, the 
 rolling of coaches, and bursts of song and laughter 
 from various parts of the castle. No one had inquired 
 for him for several hours, and he began to flatter him 
 self that he had been overlooked amid the general ex 
 citement, when a light tap sounded upon his door. In 
 response to his summons St. Clair entered. 
 
 Closing the door behind him cautiously, like one 
 who fears that he is watched, the young officer ex 
 claimed in answer to Baillot s invitation to be seated : 
 
 "No, no, I must not stop ! I came to inform you 
 that it is as I feared. It is utterly out of my power to 
 obtain for you the order of which I spoke. There re 
 mains but one thing for you to do in order to rescue 
 your hapless companions, and that is to seek out de 
 Miguel. I fancy from what I know of the man, thaJ 
 you will not find it impossible to purchase the informa 
 tion which you require. 
 
 184
 
 THE BETROTHAL 
 
 "Then I shall leave at once," said Baillot rising. 
 " I thank you most heartily for the efforts you have made 
 in my behalf, and for the information without which I 
 should have been utterly at a loss. 
 
 " Twill be impossible for you to leave at once," in 
 terrupted St. Clair, "impossible! I must tell you 
 frankly that your actions are watched, and that every 
 effort will be made to detain you in England." 
 
 "But" 
 
 "Stay! hear me out ; to-night when the revel is at 
 its height, slip away to the postern gate on the east side 
 of the castle- you reach this by traversing the ter 
 race directly outside the great hall where the dancing is 
 to take place. At the postern you will find a horse ; in 
 the holsters there will be arms. Ride along the high 
 way for one mile towards the west till you reach cross 
 roads, then north to the sea ; there you will find a skiff 
 awaiting you which will bear you to a schooner in the 
 roads. I have represented to her captain that you are 
 my agent in a certain matter in Holland. Once there 
 you are safe and free to follow your own devices. I 
 need not ask your secrecy in my behalf, should it be 
 come known that I have aided you in 
 
 "That goes without saying!" interrupted Baillot. 
 " My lips are sealed not only in regard to the adventures 
 of to-night, but to all that has transpired of late, for it 
 is not difficult to guess the reason of my detention in 
 England. For your own services to me, a thousand 
 thanks are too few. 
 
 "Say no more, I must leave you. May you succeed 
 in your venture!" and with a courteous gesture of 
 farewell the young officer left the apartment. 
 
 A lackey now appeared to announce that the hour for 
 185
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 the banquet had arrived, and Baillot presently found 
 himself ushered into the great drawing-room of state 
 wherein was assembled a brilliant company. He could 
 see the small figure of his host at one end of the room 
 and standing near him, the prospective bride attended 
 by her lover. 
 
 He advanced to pay his respects, and was shortly pre 
 sented to a buxom English damsel, whose ruddy charms 
 were set off by a gown of white muslin, at this time 
 just beginning to be worn in England, and which with 
 its favorite accompaniment of blue ribbons, has remained 
 the recognized garb of youthful prettiness ever since. 
 
 The young girl looked shyly at him as if not wholly 
 displeased with her cavalier, but she evinced no inclina 
 tion to enter into conversation, and Baillot presently 
 roused himself to say, as they were following the stream 
 of guests to the great banqueting -hall, from which 
 sounded the soft strains of harp and violin, 
 
 This is a gay scene, is it not, Miss ah Ring- 
 ton ?" 
 
 "Yes, Rington, that is my name," assented the 
 young girl, blushing rosily as she glanced up into the 
 dark eyes of her questioner. " My papa is Sir George 
 Rington of Rington Grange. You will see him yonder 
 with that stout lady, who has the tall feather in her hair. 
 A gay scene ? Indeed yes, but after supper will be 
 the dancing which must be far pleasanter than eating. 
 I never came to a ball before. 
 
 " You are perhaps just from your convent," remarked 
 Baillot rather abstractedly, observing a stout red-faced 
 man who was just seating himself at the right of the host 
 at the table of honor. 
 
 " That is the duke," said the girl, following his gaze, 
 1 86
 
 THE BETROTHAL 
 
 "only fancy ! I should like to go to court, but papa 
 won t hear of it. He says he likes country -bred girls 
 who know nothing of the ways of courtiers. Is not that 
 tiresome?" 
 
 Baillot glanced down with some interest at the ingenu 
 ous face of the young girl, which somehow reminded 
 him of a gay wild rose in its wayside tangle of greenery. 
 Surely this scene is gay enough to please you, is it 
 not ? he said smiling. 
 
 " Yes, if mamma only allows me to dance all I wish. 
 Here is mamma now, we are to sit next to her. Mamma, 
 this is the Count de Lantenac. 
 
 Mamma, a rather severe and purple -faced matron, 
 adorned with lofty and nodding plumes and a plenitude 
 of old-fashioned jewelry, acknowledged the introduc 
 tion with great stiffness, and immediately took the con 
 versation into her own hands. Baillot listened with 
 outward deference to a long account of the exact de 
 gree of relationship which existed between the families 
 of Warham and Arundel, and of the different intermar 
 riages which had taken place between these and other 
 exalted personages in the county during the past hun 
 dred years. As for Miss Rington she relapsed into si 
 lence, which was evidently what her maternal ancestor 
 designed, since she possessed in common with most 
 British females, a profound distrust of everything 
 French. 
 
 The attention of the worthy lady being at length di 
 verted by the good things which were now being pressed 
 upon the company, the flow of her conversation was 
 necessarily checked, much to the relief of Baillot, who 
 was thus left to his own reflections. He ate of the 
 viands which were offered him with but little compre- 
 187
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 hcnsion of their savor, though it was evident from the 
 profusion of meats, cold and hot, of venison, fish, wild 
 fowl and pastry, of cunning spiced dishes, creams, con 
 fections and fruits that the country had been laid under 
 contribution far and wide. At length the ladies with 
 drew, leaving the men, as was the custom, to indulge 
 still further in potations, which judging from the flushed 
 faces and heavy eyes of some of the company had 
 already been more than sufficient. 
 
 The mirth now grew fast and furious ; toast after 
 toast was given and drunk, amid clashing glasses and 
 the merry quips and jests of the revellers, until the host 
 in response to an urgent whisper from the youthful 
 bridegroom, arose to lead the way to the ball-room. 
 
 As the guests passed out from the banqueting-hall in 
 a confused crowd, St. Clair lingered for an instant at 
 the side of Baillot to whisper 
 
 " Now ! You will find all as I told you." 
 
 Seizing the moment when the company emerged into 
 the dimly -lighted corridor, the young man halted in the 
 black shadow of a suit of ancient armor, and in another 
 moment, perceiving the coast to be clear, he darted out 
 upon the terrace, discovered the postern gate, opened it 
 without difficulty, and leaping upon the back of a horse, 
 which he found tied under the shelter of a tree, gal 
 loped away into the darkness. 
 
 i8S
 
 CHAPTER XXIII 
 
 MISSING 
 
 " Diabk > The wine in these cellars is as heavy as 
 the waters of Lethe ! My head feels like one of those 
 unwieldy puncheons yonder." 
 
 " No doubt tis as empty of wit, my excellent Pierre. 
 But we must rouse the dogs yonder and set them to 
 work, else these same heads of ours Avill be knocked 
 together by the fine gentlemen w r ho lodge above." 
 The speaker rose to his feet with many a stretch and 
 yawn, and strode away to the cellars where the gang of 
 workmen, under guard of the marines, w r as lodged. 
 
 " Ho, there ! you lazy rascals !" he exclaimed, "are 
 you sleeping yet ? Bah ! the air here is so heavy with 
 wine that it is enough to sicken an honest man ; did I 
 not forbid you to drink when you were on guard?" 
 
 "You swallow the fumes of your own drunkenness !" 
 grumbled one of the marines, sitting up and rubbing 
 his eyes sulkily. "We did but quench our thirst; 
 would you have us anger our guts with clammy cold 
 water in sight of an ocean of good wine?" 
 
 "Keep a civil tongue in your good-for-naught head, 
 varlet !" roared the sergeant, with a hearty kick at the 
 half-drunken fellow, who had presumed thus to answ r er 
 him. " Fetch out the convicts till I count them. Be 
 quick about it, or I promise you a charge of shot in 
 your clumsy calves ! 
 
 189
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 The marine rose unsteadily to his feet and looked 
 about him with a lack-lustre eye ; then he proceeded 
 with no gentle hand to arouse his sleeping companions. 
 With many a muttered oath they unbarred the heavy 
 door of the inner cellar in which the convicts had been 
 shut up for the night. A rush of foul air and a smoth 
 ered groan issued from this noisome den. 
 
 " Out of there, dogs !" shouted the sergeant. " Stir 
 them up with the bayonet ; we are late, I tell you !" 
 
 "One, two, three," he muttered, and so on till he 
 had reached forty, as the wretches filed out. Then he 
 paused, and the scared face of one of the marines ap 
 peared in the doorway. 
 
 "There are no more of them, sergeant." 
 
 "No more of them? You are drunk! There are 
 six more, the Huguenot dogs nay, seven, for there is 
 the Englishman I found yesterday under the bush. 
 
 " I tell you there are no more," repeated the marine 
 sullenly ; " look for yourself !" 
 
 With an impatient oath the sergeant dashed the man 
 aside, and entering the cellar, began to plunge his bay 
 onet savagely into the trusses of dirty straw which 
 served the convicts as beds. "I ll soon have you out," 
 he shouted, "my fine gentlemen, who must needs re 
 fresh yourselves with a morning nap ! Here you, fetch 
 me a light !" 
 
 After a moment s delay, which the angry sergeant 
 filled with oaths and execrations, a lantern was brought, 
 and he proceeded to make thorough search in the nooks 
 and corners of the place. 
 
 "A thousand devils !" he exclaimed at length. " The 
 cursed hounds are gone. Was this door left unlocked, 
 numskull ? 
 
 190
 
 MISSING 
 
 "Unlocked? No, sir, I swear it was not. I locked 
 it top and bottom myself. Did you not see me draw 
 the bolts just now ? 
 
 " Comment diable ! but there is some way of getting 
 out inside the place. Feed the dogs, then set them 
 digging where they were yesterday !" And the sergeant 
 sprang out of the cellar and disappeared. 
 
 Having briefly acquainted his comrade with his un 
 pleasant discovery, the two worthies sought their su 
 perior officers, who were luxuriously lodged in one of 
 the wings of the chateau which had thus far been spared 
 for their accommodation. 
 
 These gentlemen, whose potations had perhaps been 
 not less deep than those of their subordinates, were still 
 sleeping soundly, and for some moments made no re 
 sponse to the thunderous knockings with which the two 
 marines assailed the panels of their chamber door. 
 
 "Wake up within there, lieutenant! Wake up!" 
 shouted Gaston, pounding lustily with the stock of his 
 musket. " W T hat if the Huguenots have murdered them 
 in their beds!" he exclaimed, turning to his com 
 panion. 
 
 " They re either dead or dead drunk which is not 
 far from being the same thing as far as a man s wits are 
 concerned," quoth his companion sagely. "What 
 say you to breaking down the door? This tower must 
 come down within the day, and our noble lords find 
 their quarters elsewhere." 
 
 " Easier said than done, comrade; but we must get 
 their ear at all events, if it be the ear of living men. 
 Now then!" Hut the united efforts of the two men 
 made no impression on the heavy door. 
 
 " Pcste ! we are losing time," remarked one of 
 191
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 them, pausing to wipe the great drops from his heated 
 face. "Suppose we hunt the rascals for ourselves, 
 without waiting further orders. They cannot be far 
 away, nor can they escape us." 
 
 "As you say, they cannot escape us, and I choose to 
 know at once whether the men within be dead or alive. 
 Awake! Awake! Fire! Murder! Thieves!" 
 
 " Ha, I hear them ! That last tattoo of yours, Gas- 
 ton, would serve Gabriel himself in lieu of a trumpet !" 
 
 "What do you want?" came a sleepy voice from 
 within; "cannot you leave your betters undisturbed 
 till daybreak ?" 
 
 " Tis long past sunrise, sir. And we have just dis 
 covered that a part of the convicts have escaped ! 
 roared Gaston through the keyhole. 
 
 Some sort of a smothered ejaculation followed this 
 announcement, then the sound of a heavy body leaping 
 onto the floor. 
 
 "Hold on there, I ll be out in a second," said the 
 voice of de Loignac from within. 
 
 The men outside looked at one another ruefully. 
 " Hum ! I relish not the task of telling the story," said 
 one. Our worthy lieutenant was doubtless occupied 
 last night with the cobwebby bottles which he bade us 
 bring him from below, but he will wreak vengeance 
 upon our unlucky heads, for this matter." 
 
 "We ll take it out of the marines then !" growled 
 his companion, sticking his little fingers into his ami- 
 holes, and beating a tattoo on the polished floor with 
 his boot-heels. 
 
 " And the marines will take it out of the convicts." 
 
 "And the convicts ?" 
 
 "The devil will shortly take the convicts !"
 
 MISSING 
 
 " How now, sergeant !" said de Loignac sternly, as 
 he opened the door. " What is this you were saying?" 
 
 "We find six of the prisoners missing this morning, 
 sir," replied Gaston with a respectful salute. "And 
 with them a man whom I found yesterday, stunned by a 
 blow in the back of his head from a piece of falling 
 rock." 
 
 "What s that? You made no report of any such 
 matter to me." 
 
 " You were at the ship, sir, at the time," muttered 
 the man sulkily. "I set the rascal at work with the 
 other convicts. I le was locked up with them last night 
 securely enough." 
 
 " Securely enough !" roared the officer. " What do 
 you mean, stupid, by that, when in the same breath you 
 tell me that you have lost six prisoners?" 
 
 " I mean, sir, that they were put into the inner cellar 
 last night as usual. And that this morning the six Hu 
 guenots together with the Englishman are missing. But 
 tis impossible that they 
 
 " Diable You discovered an Englishman on the 
 island and kept the matter to yourself. You infernal 
 blockhead ! I have a, mind to blow your stupid brains 
 out this minute ! What, sort of a looking man was this 
 Englishman ?" 
 
 " A dull-looking, oldish man, dressed in fustian like 
 a laborer. But as I was going to say, sir, tis not possi 
 ble for them to escape. We can lay hands on them 
 easily enough within the hour. What 1 particularly wish 
 to know is how many men shall I detail for the search? 
 and shall I give them orders to shoot down the fugitives 
 when they are discovered ?" 
 
 "You hear this precious rascal 1" remarked de Loig-
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 nac over his shoulder to his brother officer, who now 
 appeared in the corridor. 
 
 Yes, I hear him no thanks to him that we were 
 not murdered in our beds last night. The beasts were 
 doubtless all drunk." The speaker carefully surveyed 
 his finger-nails, and proceeded to trim them precisely 
 with a small knife which he took from his pocket. 
 
 "I believe you would think of your toilet if the 
 heavens fell!" cried de Loignac impatiently. "What 
 do you say to this business ? 
 
 " Since the lives of these gentlemen are of no es 
 pecial value to the world at large, I should suppose the 
 simplest method were to send out a party to pick them off. 
 Seven, I believe you said, a pretty morning s sport." 
 
 " Devilish pretty !" growled de Loignac impatiently. 
 " Well, we may as well breakfast ; I never hunt on an 
 empty stomach. 
 
 "Then you propose leading the expedition in per 
 son ? Truly quite a diversion. But let us by all means 
 take the Englishman alive. There may be others of 
 his party concealed upon the island. You remember 
 the condition of the cottage ? 
 
 "By Jove, you are right!" cried de Loignac. 
 "There s somebody about. It makes my blood run 
 cold to think how easily we might have run our necks 
 into a precious noose ! But who can be here, think 
 you ? 
 
 " I don t like the look of the thing myself," said de 
 Morney, surveying his delicate finger-tips with an air 
 of pleased attention. " One Englishman would hardly 
 be here without another the rascals flock like black 
 birds. There s some deep-laid scheme of the enemy 
 on foot, mark my words ! 
 
 194
 
 MISSING 
 
 "You have the croak of a sick raven, de Morney. 
 Now if your claws are in sufficiently good order, sup 
 pose we break our fast and get about the business at 
 once," growled de Loignac, with vast contempt evident 
 in the tones of his voice. 
 
 "You forget yourself in your irritation, my friend," 
 replied the other sneering. " If I overlook your offen 
 sive words and manner, it is only because I take into 
 consideration your origin." 
 
 " No one shall taunt me in that manner without giv 
 ing an account of it in blood !" cried de Loignac in a 
 fury. "Defend yourself!" And he drew his rapier 
 and made a vicious lunge at his companion. 
 
 " Mon dieu ! gentlemen, remember where you are ! 
 This is no time for a duel !" exclaimed Gaston, throw 
 ing himself between the combatants. "Put up your 
 swords, I beg of you ! 
 
 "You are right, fellow," said de Loignac sullenly, 
 sheathing his weapon. "We will settle this matter 
 later on French soil." 
 
 " As you will, my friend," replied the other with an 
 amiable smile, as he flecked an imaginary bit of dust 
 from the sleeve of his jacket, "a duel is always a 
 pleasant diversion." 
 
 "But the prisoners?" interposed Gaston anxiously. 
 
 " Detail half a dozen of the marines to make search," 
 said de Loignac shortly. "Go with them yourself. 
 Pierre can take charge of the mining. Shoot the Hu 
 guenots, but take the Englishman alive. I shall put 
 him to the torture," he added, grinding his teeth sav 
 agely. "We shall see whether the raven s croak be a 
 true prophecy !" 
 
 An hour later the sergeant returned. He found the 
 195
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 two officers pacing up and down the half-ruined terrace 
 smoking in moody silence. 
 
 "Your report, sergeant !" 
 
 "I have not succeeded in rinding any trace of the 
 missing men, sir." 
 
 " No trace of them ? exclaimed de Loignac. " They 
 must be lurking in the castle," he added after a mo 
 ment s pause. "Set the place on fire at once. 
 Stay, put heavy charges of gunpowder in the cellars be 
 fore doing so ; we will have a disturbance here which 
 will unearth the rats if they are hidden in this pile. If 
 they do not come to light then 
 
 " If they do not come to light then?" repeated the 
 sergeant interrogatively. 
 
 "They will come to light," replied the officer, with 
 a stamp of his foot. "We shall see them either hurry 
 ing out before the smoke like half-smothered rats, or 
 piecemeal after the explosion. Either way will do," 
 he added indifferently. " What say you, de Morney ?" 
 turning to his companion. 
 
 "on. f " replied that gentleman tersely. "Any 
 thing to hurry up this confounded business." 
 
 " As for our quarters," continued de Loignac. " Sup 
 pose we take possession of yonder cottage. Tis a 
 capital little place, and well furnished. I took another 
 look at it yesterday afternoon." 
 
 "Very well," said de Morney languidly. "Get 
 about your business without delay, Gaston. And by 
 the by, do you search out and fetch to the cottage five 
 or six dozen bottles of that same yellow seal before you 
 set the place afire. But not a drop for yourself, rascal, 
 remember ! Twas your drunken carelessness which 
 caused this last mischance. 
 196
 
 MISSING 
 
 The man touched his forehead in respectful silence as 
 the t.vo officers walked away ; but no sooner were they 
 out of sight than he turned to Pierre, who had ap 
 proached as de Morney was speaking, and with an ex 
 cellent imitation of that gentleman s haughty manner 
 said : 
 
 " Fetch me five or six dozen of that same yellow 
 seal, but not a drop for yourself, rascal, remember !" 
 
 Pierre replied by thrusting his tongue into his right 
 cheek and winking rapidly with his left eye ; then both 
 men burst into a roar of laughter. 
 
 Ah, you drunken villain, had you let the bottles 
 alone, and attended to your duty as carefully as do your 
 superior officers, this last mischance would never have 
 come about," said Pierre, when he had somewhat re 
 covered himself. 
 
 Drunkenness is truly a great crime in those of low 
 degree," quoth the other piously. "I shall have no 
 doubt a heavy penance to perform when next I make 
 up my accounts with a holy father. As for you, my 
 friend, nothing short of a pilgrimage barefoot will serve 
 to lighten your conscience." 
 
 197
 
 CHAPTER XXIV 
 
 HOW IT HAPPENED 
 
 WHEN Winters heard the heavy bolts slide into their 
 sockets after the gang of convicts had received their 
 scanty rations of bread and water, he found himself 
 completely at a loss. The place was pitch dark, and in 
 the confusion of the moment he had lost sight of his 
 companions. He felt about in his pockets, and found 
 to his joy a parcel of candles, which he had made up 
 along with the rest of the stores for the crow s nest. 
 
 Unhesitatingly he struck a light, knowing that its 
 feeble glimmer would not be noticed by the marines 
 outside, who had already begun their night s carouse. 
 A low growl of approval and surprise arose from the 
 convicts. 
 
 Looking sharply about him the old sailor spied the 
 pale face of the young Huguenot in the corner. 
 
 "Are you all here?" he whispered, stooping over 
 him. 
 
 " All, but what use ; they have remembered to lock 
 the door to-night?" 
 
 "Never mind that; I know this ere place. The 
 others 11 soon be asleep, an then I ll show ye a trick 
 worth two of theirs ! 
 
 "But there is no place to hide, even if we make 
 our escape from this place," said the Huguenot 
 gloomily. 
 
 "Ain t thar !" ejaculated Winters with a chuckle. 
 108
 
 HOW IT HAPPENED 
 
 " Ain t thar ! Wall now, jes you leave that to one 
 as knows a thing or two about this ere island. Lay low 
 for a spell," he added in a whisper, "till all s quiet 
 here, then we ll git." 
 
 The candle which the sailor had thrust into a broken - 
 necked bottle shed a flickering and uncertain light upon 
 the black walls steaming with noisome vapors, upon the 
 uncouth figures of the exhausted convicts, who lay 
 sprawled out at full length or curled up into wretched 
 heaps among the trusses of filthy straw, upon the pallid 
 despairing faces and sunken eyes of the Huguenots. 
 
 "A rum go!" he muttered, staring about him re 
 flectively, "but I ll fetch it or bust !" 
 
 For more than an hour longer the sailor sat motion 
 less watching and listening. There gradually arose 
 about him a loud monotonous humming sound, like that 
 from a hive of gigantic bees. " The convicts are dead 
 asleep !" he said to himself, rising stealthily to his feet. 
 He laid his ear to the great iron-bound door and lis 
 tened. " And the marines are dead drunk !" he added 
 with a grim smile. He bent over the Huguenot. 
 
 "Comrade, are you awake? Tis time we were 
 moving." The young man rose slowly to his feet. 
 
 " Moving?" he repeated dully, " but where?" 
 
 By way of answer the old sailor stooped and pushing 
 aside the litter of straw and filth which lay along the 
 northern wall, disclosed an iron ring fast in one of the 
 stones of the floor. 
 
 "Thar!" he said briefly, stooping over to lay hold 
 of the ring. With a mighty pull he raised the stone 
 from its place and pointed to a narrow stairway which 
 plunged down abruptly into a hole of pitchy blackness. 
 "Thar "he repeated. "Come on !" 
 199
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 "You will escape, will you? Ah, you will go, but 
 not without me. I go first. " 
 
 Winters turned with an involuntary cry ; a huge half- 
 naked convict towered over him threateningly, armed 
 with a broken bottle. 
 
 " Give me the candle." 
 
 Winters did not understand the words, but the look 
 and gesture were plain enough. 
 
 " In course, my hearty, by all means," he remarked 
 coolly ; "git right down thar and see for yourself; it s 
 all ship-shape below decks," he added with an encourag 
 ing wink at his horror-stricken companions. " He ll 
 find something mayhap as 11 warm the cockles of his 
 heart. 
 
 The convict remained below for several minutes ; 
 they could hear him grumbling to himself as he 
 stumbled about. When he returned he was heavily- 
 laden with wicker-covered flasks, with which he re 
 tired to his own corner, growling out something unintel 
 ligible as he passed the Huguenots. 
 
 Winters pulled another candle from his pocket and 
 lighted it. " I ll go below for a little of the same sort, 
 he remarked with another of his extraordinary winks. 
 "We can t get off now till he s sound." 
 
 " Why not take him along?" asked the Huguenot. 
 
 Winters looked warily at the convict ; he was a heavy 
 powerful fellow with a thick neck, a small bullet-shaped 
 head and a villainous eye which he turned suspiciously 
 from time to time upon the group in the corner. 
 
 " It ain t in the pictur !" he responded enigmatically 
 as he disappeared down the stairway. 
 
 He returned presently his hands full of the wicker- 
 covered flasks. "Take a sup of this ere stuff," he 
 200
 
 HOW IT HAPPENED 
 
 said hospitably, proffering one to the Huguenot, "it ll 
 hearten ye up a bit." 
 
 The young man waved it away impatiently. " I have 
 no stomach for the devil s brew to-night," he said. 
 
 "Call you it that, mate," said Winters, drawing the 
 sleeve of his jacket across his mouth after a prolonged 
 draught. " Wall, mebby you re right. Grog has been 
 well-nigh the ruin of me and of many a better man as 
 well ; but for all that its mighty comfortin of a cold 
 night." 
 
 "Warming on a cold night, and cooling on a warm 
 night," commented the other with a short laugh. 
 
 "You ve hit it, man ! I shall take no more to-night 
 though, for we shall want all our wits about us." He 
 was interrupted by the convict who had again stumbled 
 to his feet. Why do you not drink ? he growled 
 savagely, fixing his red eyes upon the sailor. 
 
 " He does not understand," interposed the Hugue 
 not hastily ; "he is an Englishman." 
 
 " He neither drinks nor sleeps, and you neither drink 
 nor sleep!" cried the convict with a terrible oath. 
 " Look you, I shall drink but I shall not sleep ! Ah, 
 you white-faced whining hypocrite, I have taken a hand 
 in your little game ! Tell the English dog." 
 
 The young man translated what the convict had said. 
 Winters replied by passing his candle to the man who 
 hung over him threateningly. "Ay! look till your 
 black in the face," he growled. " Ef you find the door 
 your more n welcome. I m tarnal sleepy," he said 
 as the man disappeared down the stairway, "an look 
 you ; we re all dead sleepy when he comes back. Con- 
 sarn his buttons !" he added with a scowl. 
 
 When the convict reappeared it was evident that his 
 201
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 greed had mastered his suspicions for he was loaded 
 down with the flasks. 
 
 For a long time Winters lay motionless, taking an oc 
 casional sly look at the convict, who apparently quite 
 unaffected by the quantity of wine which he had already 
 swallowed, sat stolidly knocking the heads off bottle 
 after bottle, muttering and grumbling to himself as he 
 poured their contents down his capacious throat. 
 
 After a time he arose unsteadily to his feet, and moved 
 slowly toward the stairway, chancing however to stumble 
 over the prostrate bodies of some of his sleeping com 
 rades he fell heavily at full length ; struggling for an in 
 stant with the stupor which was mastering him, he rolled 
 over like a log and lay quite still. 
 
 Winters sprang up and seizing the lighted candle where 
 it had fallen from the nerveless grasp of the drunken 
 wretch, hastily stamped out the tiny crawling flames 
 which were greedily feeding upon the straw. Then he 
 seized the young Huguenot by the shoulder. 
 
 "Come, mate, tis long past midnight; we must be 
 snugly housed before daybreak, or we are lost. Rouse 
 the others and go ahead ; I must git this ere stone so I 
 can handle it somehow, I don t want to leave our tracks 
 uncovered not that it matters much," he added, haul 
 ing the stone partly over the opening. 
 
 He then crawled into the stairway and with a pro 
 digious effort succeeded in lifting the stone into its 
 place. 
 
 " But how are we to get out?" questioned one of the 
 men, who stood huddled together at the foot of the 
 ladder, their faces showing pallid and anxious in the 
 feeble flare of the candle. 
 
 " Why jes this way, mate," replied Winters, pulling
 
 HOW IT HAPPENED 
 
 away a pile of empty cases, and disclosing a door 
 sunken deeply into the stone wall. " We open this so, 
 an His jaw fell, and an ashen pallor overspread 
 his countenance. " By the powers ! if that dumb fool 
 Cato hasn t locked this door !" 
 
 "Can we not break it down there are seven of 
 us ? asked the young Huguenot anxiously. 
 
 "Break it down," growled Winters, wiping the cold 
 sweat from his face. "Wall, I reckon we ll hev to 
 try. If we don t fetch it, we re gone coons." 
 
 The old sailor together with three of the Huguenots 
 laid their shoulders to the door in a vain attempt to 
 force it. 
 
 " Consarn it all !" cried Winters at length. "This 
 ere dummed door s clamped an barred with iron on 
 t other side, and bolted top an bottom into the bar 
 gain. The devil fly away with that black numskull 
 Cato ! we re like to pay for his miserly folly with our 
 lives !" 
 
 " Do not yield to profanity, friend, whatever the 
 provocation," said the deep voice of an old man who 
 had not hitherto spoken. " Tis ill speaking of the 
 evil one in a plight like this ; twere better to fall upon 
 our knees and entreat the Source of all Wisdom for 
 guidance in our perplexity. God ofttimes brings his 
 children into straits in order that they may be forced to 
 fly to him for succor. 
 
 "Aw! Mayhap you re a parson, sir?" said Win 
 ters, a queer mixture of reverence and contempt in his 
 tone. 
 
 The Huguenot bowed his head. "Yes," he said 
 simply. " I was a pastor, alas ! that I must say 
 was. And yet it becomes me not to question the will 
 
 203
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 of God, who is able to cause all things to work together 
 for good to them that love him. 
 
 " If that be the case, sir," said Winters, meditatively 
 scratching his head, " suppose you clap on all sail, and 
 try a tack on prayin , while the rest of us look about us 
 a bit ; happen there s yet another way out than what I 
 knows of." 
 
 "Silence!" cried the old minister with an authori 
 tative gesture. "Let us pray!" and sinking to his 
 knees he put up a short but fervent petition for succor 
 and guidance in their sore perplexity. 
 
 All had involuntarily fallen to their knees while the 
 aged pastor was praying, and as they arose the faces of 
 the Huguenots shone with a peaceful joy which did not 
 escape the sharp eyes of the old sailor. 
 
 "You reckon we re all ship-shape arter that!" he 
 said slowly, "I kin see ye do; an I m blamed if I 
 don t think so too. If I could speak to the A mighty 
 in that convincin sort of way, blow my buttons, if I 
 wouldn t be at it half the time ! But He wouldn t 
 listen to the likes of me; I m a tumble wicked old 
 seadog, an not fit to mention the A mighty xcept 
 when I swar. " 
 
 "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white 
 as snow," quoted the Huguenot solemnly. " God will 
 listen to you as willingly as to me, friend. Try it and 
 see. But what is that archway yonder? It is filled 
 with masonry to be sure, yet if it communicate with 
 another cellar we might perchance find an exit." Seiz 
 ing the candle from the hand of Winters the speaker 
 approached the light nearer the surface of the wall in 
 question. "See," he continued, "we might easily 
 loosen a few of these stones ! 
 204
 
 HOW IT HAPPENED 
 
 "There s no harm tryin , parson/ said Winters. 
 "Happen you re right; I m xpectin to be got out 
 somehow. But what 11 we dig with?" 
 
 No one answered this question, which was certainly 
 a serious one. The Huguenot however continued to 
 search about, flaring the light into every nook and 
 corner of the place ; suddenly he uttered a cry of joy 
 and held up to view a rusty pickaxe, which he had found 
 lying on the earthen floor, half-hidden by a pile of 
 broken casks. " Here is the instrument of our deliver 
 ance," he said in a trembling voice, "providentially 
 left for this our extremity by some hand which knew 
 not its mission !" 
 
 " And here s the man for the pickaxe," cried the irre 
 pressible sailor, " proverdentially provided with a pair 
 of good stout arms ! Hand it over, parson, we ll soon 
 see whether you re right or wrong !" And seizing the 
 tool, he began a lusty assault upon the masonry of the 
 archway. 
 
 It soon became evident that the wall was a thick one, 
 and that to pierce it would prove no easy task. When the 
 sailor became exhausted and paused to recover breath 
 one of the Huguenots took his turn. In the course of 
 half an hour they had succeeded in removing but a 
 single stone ; but the breach once made it became only 
 a matter of time to widen it, and after several hours of 
 hard labor the toilers had the satisfaction of hearing 
 some stones fall from the other side. They had pene 
 trated the wall. 
 
 "I ll take a look on t other side!" said Winters. 
 And seizing the lighted candle, he trawled cautiously 
 through the jagged opening into the darkness beyond. 
 
 205
 
 CHAPTER XXV 
 
 UNDERGROUND 
 
 "WHAT is there?" anxiously inquired the Huguenot 
 pastor, thrusting his white head into the opening. 
 
 "It s safe enough," was the cautious answer. " But 
 I m blessed if I can make out what sort of a place it is ! 
 Best come through at once, all of ye. 
 
 The anxious listeners needed no second bidding. 
 Winters held aloft the guttering candle, and all looked 
 about them curiously. The feeble light revealed a low, 
 narrow gallery arched and paved with stone, which ap 
 peared to stretch away indefinitely into the darkness. 
 
 "Let us go forward !" said the old minister after a 
 pause. " That this place will afford us the refuge for 
 which we entreated the Almighty, I do not for a mo 
 ment doubt, else why was my gaze directed toward the 
 arch ? Why did my dim eyes find the pickaxe ? 
 
 " Hark, what is that?" 
 
 "They are at work agin," said Winters, "and not 
 far away ; tis the noise of the picks overhead. 
 
 " Heaven grant that they do not penetrate this gal 
 lery in their excavations!" exclaimed the Huguenot 
 pastor. Let us hasten ! 
 
 " Ay, ay, sir !" cried the sailor, " this ere s the last 
 of the candles ! 
 
 The party hurried forward, stumbling now and then 
 over a loosened stone, the damp mouldy air of the 
 place, its low walls green and shining with moisture, 
 206
 
 UNDERGROUND 
 
 oppressing them one and all with a sense of suffocation. 
 They had not proceeded far when the ground shook 
 beneath their feet, and a muffled roar and detonation 
 echoed and re-echoed throughout the dismal place. A 
 few fragments of broken stone fell from the roof of the 
 gallery, then all was silent once more. 
 
 "Thank God!" murmured the old minister rever 
 ently, "we have escaped that peril." 
 
 "They re sarchin for us with gunpowder," quoth 
 Winters. "I ll bet my head the rascals was all-fired 
 mad not to see legs and arms a flyiu into air with that 
 explosion !" 
 
 One of the party, a bold-looking but taciturn man of 
 middle age, who had been hurrying along slightly in 
 advance of the others, now paused with a gesture ex 
 pressive of great surprise. 
 
 "What is it? \Vhat have you found?" cried the 
 others, hastening their steps. 
 
 The gallery, which at this point diverged slightly to 
 wards the left, suddenly expanded into a large and lofty 
 chamber. It was at the entrance of this chamber that 
 the man, who was called Croissart, had paused with up 
 lifted hand. 
 
 The place was, like the gallery, paved and ceiled 
 with stone, but the great height of the roof and the 
 curious formations which depended from it, revealed 
 the fact that it was not the work of man, but rather r. 
 natural formation. It was manifestly one of those cav 
 erns or grottoes, in which the slow finger of time de 
 lights to work out in silence and in darkness all sorts of 
 weird images of the living and sentient world above 
 ground. 
 
 This cavern, however, was not dark, but illumined 
 207
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 with a pale greenish light, which darkened and gleamed 
 at intervals like the light of a glowworm. This un 
 certain light, the adventurers presently discovered, 
 came from the side of the cave through a number of 
 narrow slits which pierced the solid rock at intervals. 
 In a word it was daylight, but daylight filtered through 
 a thick curtain of green leaves, which swaying and flut 
 tering in the breeze from time to time caused the pecu 
 liar effect of light and shade which they had ob 
 served. 
 
 It was none of these things, however, which caused 
 the little group to stand silent and motionless at the en 
 trance to this strange place. In the centre of the 
 chamber for so we may call it was a table roughly 
 and massively built, and before it in a great oaken 
 chair, his back to the entrance, sat a man. He was 
 leaning forward, engaged perhaps in writing, for pens 
 and inkhorn lay near at hand, while a number of papers 
 were scattered about on the table before him. For the 
 rest, he was dressed in a rich but somewhat old-fash 
 ioned habit of darkish velvet adorned with a profusion 
 of lace. The long curls of a wig which fell forward on 
 eitner shoulder entirely concealed his face from view. 
 This personage was apparently not aware of their 
 approach, for he sat quite still, his hair stirring 
 lightly in the fresh breeze which blew in from 
 outside. 
 
 "And who may this fine gentleman be," whispered 
 Winters in the ear of the clergyman. " He must be as 
 deaf as an adder or he would have heard our voices. 
 What do you say, sir, shall I hail him ? 
 
 The Huguenot looked about him anxiously and un 
 certainly as if to seek advice from the others, at the 
 208
 
 " Who may this fine gentleman he? whispered Winters." 
 
 Page 208
 
 UNDERGROUND 
 
 same time laying a restraining hand on the arm of the 
 sailor. No one spoke ; all were gazing in fascinated si 
 lence at the figure in the great chair. 
 
 "I think I saw him move," whispered one after a 
 little, -"or was it but the shadow of yonder leaves?" 
 
 " Tis some bedevilment or other; the place is full 
 of it !" muttered Winters, his teeth chattering with ter 
 ror. " Let us go back and leave him." 
 
 But at this the aged clergyman with a sudden ener 
 getic straightening of his thin figure, strode boldly for 
 ward toward the silent figure. 
 
 " Friend !" he said, in a voice which sounded hollow 
 and unnatural. The lofty roof caught up the word and 
 flung it back in a thousand uncanny whispers. " Tis 
 but the echo," he said after a startled pause, glancing 
 toward the shrinking group in the doorway. 
 
 " Tis but tJie echo Init f/ie echo the eclio echo 
 c-cho . " repeated the airy voices. 
 
 " (iood Lord ! I d ruther be blowed up and done with 
 it !" cried Winters, darting forward. 
 
 "What be you doin here, sir?" laying as he spoke a 
 trembling hand upon the shoulder of the man who sat 
 in the chair, still apparently quite unmoved by all that 
 had been going on about him. " Pie s he s dead !" 
 he gasped, turning an ashen face toward the others. 
 
 And the ghostly echo whispered ".Dead dead 
 dead / 
 
 How long this strange figure clad in the habiliments 
 of life had sat in that great chair it was impossible to 
 guess. The awestruck ga/ers shrank back before the 
 terrible face, its lips drawn back from its yellow teeth in 
 ghastly semblance of a smile, its withered eyeballs fixed 
 in an unwinking stare. One skeleton hand grasped a
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 pen. From beneath it where it rested upon the paper 
 had spread a dark yellowish stain. 
 
 The aged clergyman was the first to break the silence. 
 "This poor relic of humanity can do us no harm," he 
 said, and advancing to the table, he looked down at the 
 paper upon which the man had been writing when death 
 had so suddenly overtaken him. After a moment s pause 
 he continued, " I can read a part of what is written here ; 
 it is this : Gracious Sire, Have I not atoned for my 
 folly ? another year of this solitude will drive me mad ! 
 Better a cell in the Bastile with the restless heart of 
 Paris beating near at hand than this horrible exile ! Be 
 sides I must see you ; I fear lest I can read no more," 
 glancing up at the circle of grave attentive faces ; 
 "what follows is completely obliterated." 
 
 "This ere must be the man what owned the place 
 above !" said Winters at length. " But who is he?" 
 
 "Nay, that we cannot say," replied the Huguenot. 
 " These other papers seem to contain figures and esti 
 mates of some sort ; there is nothing further. My 
 friend, did you bring the pickaxe ? 
 
 " I have it," said Croissart. 
 
 " Then as we must perforce remain hidden during the 
 day if indeed it be the will of God to deliver us from 
 this place, we will lay this poor shell away to rest a 
 space from the fever of living," said the old minister 
 solemnly. 
 
 Accordingly after removing some of the paving-stones, 
 a grave was dug and the body of the unknown was bur 
 ied. The Huguenot pastor breathed a brief prayer, the 
 stones were replaced and all was over. 
 
 " This ain t such a bad sort of a place now that the 
 gentleman is underground whar he s b longed for the 
 210
 
 UNDERGROUND 
 
 Lord knows ho\v long," remarked Winters, wiping the 
 perspiration from his face. " Now I ll jes take a squint 
 out of one of these ere windows." And dragging the 
 great chair wherein the dead man had sat close to the 
 wall, he clambered to its back and peered out of one of 
 the narrow slits. 
 
 "What do you see?" questioned one of the Hugue 
 nots. But the sailor only replied by a warning gesture. 
 Presently he jumped down and approaching the others 
 half-whispered, "Two of the rascals is jcs outside, 
 they re sarchin for us. But blame it, we re safe enough 
 here if we don t perish of hunger an thirst." 
 
 " Is there no other way out save the one by which we 
 entered?" said the young Huguenot, whom the clergy 
 man had once or twice addressed as St. Andre. " W hat 
 is here?" approaching as he spoke a dark recess in one 
 corner. 
 
 "There seems to be a continuation of the gallery, or 
 another chamber of some sort," exclaimed Croissart, 
 cautiously advancing a few feet. " Tis a pity we have 
 no light." 
 
 " I do see a glimmer of some sort in the distance !" 
 cried St. Andre. "Stay, I will advance alone, if there 
 be any obstacle or pitfall, twere best for one to dis 
 cover it," and he pushed boldly past Croissart and dis 
 appeared in the darkness. 
 
 Presently he reappeared to the great relief of those 
 who remained behind. " Tis all smooth and straight 
 underfoot," he said almost cheerfully. "I was not 
 mistaken about seeing light. T found at the end of a 
 gallery, similar to the one by which we entered, a door 
 clamped and bolted to the solid rock. All we shall 
 have to do, I take it, to emerge into the daylight will 
 
 21 I
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 be to walk out. The door is completely overgrown 
 with vines and shrubs on the outside and has evidently 
 not been opened for some time. 
 
 " It won t be healthy for us to open it for some time 
 longer !" quoth Winters. " If we had a bit of fodder 
 now, an a mouthful of drink, Blow my buttons, but 
 I d be blamed glad of even water !" 
 
 "Even water!" echod St. Andre. "What liquid 
 ever devised by the wit of man equals a draught from 
 one of God s own fountains. Water you can have, 
 friends, if you will but follow me. 
 
 Near the grated door of which he had spoken, there 
 gushed from the solid rock a spring of crystal coolness 
 and clearness, its tiny stream falling into a basin which 
 had been hollowed out in the stone beneath, from 
 thence overflowing into a channel which evidently had 
 some subterranean outlet. 
 
 "Ah!" exclaimed Winters, rising to his feet after a 
 long refreshing draught, " that will be better than the 
 water in the crow s nest. Faith ! if I had known of 
 this snug retreat I should never have troubled myself to 
 build that ; though it sarved its turn it sarved its 
 turn !" 
 
 "To what do you refer?" questioned St. Andre. 
 
 Thus interrogated the sailor made haste to tell the 
 whole story of the shipwrecked party, including the 
 disappearance of the young sailor and the present 
 whereabouts of the women and Cato. 
 
 "The only thing that worries me," said the old man 
 in conclusion, "is that fool, Cato. He ll be dead sar- 
 tain to do something to draw the eyes of those mis 
 creants into the tree -tops. Like enough he s got a white 
 table-cloth up there, an 11 take it into his woolly head 
 212
 
 UNDERGROUND 
 
 to shake the crumbs off onto the very heads of the var 
 mints." 
 
 "Could you not bring them hither together with 
 some of the provisions, under cover of the darkness?" 
 asked the Huguenot pastor, who had been a thoughtful 
 listener to the sailor s story. "These ladies, from 
 what you say of them, must be of our number, 
 driven like so many others from the shelter of their 
 homes. 
 
 "The very thing!" cried Winters, slapping his leg 
 violently, as was his wont when an idea appealed 
 strongly to his imagination. " The very thing ! One of 
 you shall go with me ; two of us can make shift to carry 
 enough victuals to last several days. When those are 
 e t up we shall have to trust to our wits to get more." 
 
 "Rather trust God, who has guided us thus far!" 
 exclaimed the pastor piously. 
 
 "Who gave us our wits, man? An what did He 
 giv em to us for?" cried the incorrigible old sailor. 
 "The Lord made yonder spring, but if you was thirsty 
 would you stand up an bawl : Oh, Ood, I m dry ! 
 an expect the Lord to pour the water down your gul 
 let? You d dry up in your tracks afore you d git it, 
 I reckon ; and sarve you right !" 
 
 "In your rough way you have put a very important 
 truth," quoth the minister in an argumentative tone. 
 "And since by the goodness of the Almighty and our 
 own wits, our thirst is quenched, I propose that we re 
 turn to the chamber which we have just quitted, and 
 there spend some time in prayer and meditation. 
 Twill be a profitable employment," he added, "and 
 will help pass away the time until evening, when we shall 
 attempt to carry out the plan of our bold rescuer here." 
 213
 
 CHAPTER XXVI 
 
 THE SENTRIES 
 
 THE Huguenots received this suggestion with mani 
 fest joy. As for Winters, he followed the others, but 
 with the air of a man who felt himself to be out of 
 place. 
 
 " What I can t for the life of me see," he burst out 
 at length, " is what all the trouble between your wor 
 shipful king and you is about. He ain t a heathen, is 
 he ? No. An he prays to the same God, an expects 
 to git to the same heaven, don t he ? An yet he s for 
 makin you come to his church, an you say you can t 
 do it, an would ruther be killed than do it. Now what 
 I want to know is this. What be you goin to do when 
 you all git up yonder? Wouldn t it be a heap more 
 sensible to quit jawin and quarrellin with each other 
 and put your heads together for the savin of such sin 
 ners as I be, say? Course I don t know nothin bout 
 it, but taint good sea sense to go cruisin round pro 
 miscuous like when you ve got a special port in view, 
 and a cargo to take there. 
 
 The old pastor sighed. " I suppose," he said, " that 
 if the love of God could once take possession of the 
 church militant all dissension would cease. Some 
 times," he added with a shadowy smile at the little 
 group of earnest faces, " I think that word militant as 
 applied to the church on earth is used advisedly, only, 
 alas ! most of the fighting is within, and the foes with- 
 214
 
 THE SENTRIES 
 
 out wax mighty and laugh at the sight of an army whose 
 whole energies must perforce be directed to quelling the 
 quarrelsome and mutinous soldiers which compose it. 
 Ah well, I trust that in the new world there will be a 
 church militant which shall also be a church trium 
 phant ! 
 
 At this one of the Huguenots forgetting his surround 
 ings burst forth with a strain from the Psalms, 
 
 " Sing unto God, praise ye his name ! 
 The righteous rejoice and triumph before God, 
 Hut the wicked " 
 
 "Hist, man," cried the sailor springing forward, 
 "you re clean out of your mind to raise such a noise. 
 You don t want to have so much religion aboard with 
 out a good lot of common sense to keep it well up to 
 the wind ! Blow my buttons, but it reminds me of a 
 sloop with a whoppin spread of canvas and no bal 
 last !" And the old man clambered up to one of the 
 openings in the wall once more, and peered anxiously 
 out. "Wall, as luck will have it," he remarked after 
 a moment s survey, "there don t seem to be any of the 
 varmints about ; but you want to batten down your 
 hatches for the rest of the day, or you ll git to heaven 
 quicker n you want to !" 
 
 "You are right, friend, rough and almost profane 
 as is your way of expressing it," said the pastor. 
 " And as this must of necessity be a day of fasting, let 
 it also be a day of prayer and special sanctification, 
 each for himself and in silence, till the time shall come 
 to act." So saying the holy man withdrew himself into 
 a dark corner of the cavern and sa.t down upon the 
 215
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 stone pavement. The others followed his example, and 
 so the hours wore heavily away. 
 
 As night drew on, Winters, who had spent the day 
 wandering back and forth between the door of the 
 outer corridor and the windows, solacing himself mean 
 time with a liberal mouthful of tobacco, approached St. 
 Andre. 
 
 "The blamed rascals have kep away from this part 
 of the island all day," he remarked ; " I ain t seen hair 
 nor hide of one of em. Mebbe your prayin s kep em 
 off, same as smoke 11 drive away musquitoes. Wall, all 
 I m hopin is that they ain t got wind of what s up in 
 them pine trees. I d sooner part with my right hand 
 than have anything happen to them two women not 
 that I keer much for women -folks in general, knockin 
 round the world as I do, a man don t fall in with the 
 right sort very often ; but a finer, smarter lady than 
 the one I ve been tellin you about, or a sweeter, hand 
 somer lass than Miss Mad line, you don t often see." 
 
 "What is the name?" interrupted St. Andre, leaning 
 forward and fixing his blue eyes intently upon the old 
 sailor. 
 
 "The name of the gal is Mad line that is her first 
 name," replied the old sailor. " She s French though 
 as I ve often said, nobody ud ever guess it. I don t 
 mind bein French, says she. I had to laugh, she said 
 it so kind of cute like. I tell you she s as smart a lass 
 as ever growed, an " 
 
 " But her last name !" urged St. Andre eagerly. 
 
 "Wall, it s something like d Longer, I ain t no 
 tongue fur But what in thunder ails ye, man ? 
 
 The young Huguenot had sprung to his feet and was 
 excitedly pacing the floor. 
 
 216
 
 THE SENTRIES 
 
 "Is the young lady very slender?" he asked in a 
 tremulous voice, "and has she a clear pale skin, beau 
 tiful brown hair, and dark eyes?" 
 
 "The very pictur !" cried Winters. "Her hair 
 curls like a grape-vine if it gits loose. She s mostly 
 pale, but I ve seed her cheeks s red s a. rose when oin 
 cap n was a talkin to her. Her mother looks a lot 
 like her, only she s always pale, and her hair has a 
 sprinkle of white in it here and there like the sea of a 
 stormy day. Do you knou em?" 
 
 " I believe that they are my mother and sister," re 
 plied the young man in a husky whisper. " Mon dieu 
 to think of their being in the midst of such peril !" he 
 added with a groan. 
 
 "Ain t I here?" exclaimed Winters in an aggrieved 
 way. "An ain t I looked arter em for a matter of 
 two months? They re as safe as we be if they ve only 
 done as I said, kep quiet, an had the luck to keep 
 that fool Cato quiet too, which is another thing, the 
 blamed 
 
 " Why did you leave them?" interrupted the young 
 man harshly. 
 
 "Why did I leave em?" repeated the old sailor, 
 rolling up his eyes. " Why Lord, here you folks have 
 been a goin on bout God s leadin s, speshul provi 
 dence and that sort of thing. S pose I hadn t of left 
 em; where d you be now hey? Mebbe the Lord s 
 got more idees than you give him credit for ! Looks to 
 me like a neat little plan to bring you folks together 
 agin a curus way, I admit, but I don t know s under 
 the circumstances I could ha done better myself. Seems 
 to me if I was a sailin under a cap n as I knew had 
 good sea -sense an a reliabul chart, I d take my orders 
 217
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 without inquirin too much into the reasons for em. 
 An I know one thing mighty well, I d git the rope s 
 end and desarve it too, if I didn t." 
 
 Yes yes, of course ! replied St. Andre impatient 
 ly. " But when can we start ?" 
 
 " Wall, not for quite a spell yet ; the sun ain t been 
 down more n an hour. Like s not they ll be on the 
 lookout for us to-night. They ve blowed the castle up 
 pretty much by this time," and the speaker meditatively 
 shifted his quid of tobacco. " I hope to the Lord they 
 don t take up their quarters in the cottage yonder ; it s 
 only a stone s throw from the crow s nest." 
 
 " Are you making your plans for the night s work?" 
 queried the old clergyman approaching. " St. Andre 
 de Langres, you have the air of a man in deep distress 
 of mind ; what is it, my son ? 
 
 "Yes, that s the name !" quoth Winters jubilantly. 
 " By gum, thar ll be a big time when my ladies clap 
 their eyes onto you, sir. Hope I ll be thar to see it !" 
 
 "What do you mean?" again inquired the Hugue 
 not pastor, glancing from Winters broad smiling face 
 to the downcast countenance of the young man. 
 
 "He means that the two women of whom he has 
 been telling us, are in all human probability my mother 
 and sister, from whom I was parted by those devils in 
 Languedoc six months ago. God only knows what they 
 have suffered since ! And now I hear of them once 
 more, only to learn that they are reduced to a forlorn 
 refuge, from which they may already have been torn by 
 the brutal hands of yonder villains." 
 
 " You didn t worry about em a mite till you found 
 they might be some relation of yourn," remarked the 
 old sailor coolly. " Beats all how resigned we be bout 
 218
 
 THE SENTRIES 
 
 other folks troubles! We ll soon find out whether 
 they re thar yet. And now you, parson, what s your 
 name, if you don t mind telling me I allers like to 
 know how to hail ship or man ? 
 
 " My name is Dinant Constantin Dinant," said the 
 Huguenot with a courteous inclination of his white head. 
 " Will you tell me what you intend to do? It seems 
 to me that we must have a preconcerted plan of action, 
 so that in case of any mischance we should not be alto 
 gether at a loss. 
 
 " Jes so !" quoth Winters, smiting his closed fist into 
 the palm of his other hand. " S pose now we should 
 find we couldn t git at the crow s nest, by reason of the 
 infernal French villains bein in the way. Then we 
 should come back with victuals if we can lay our hands 
 on any. Thar s another case, suppose we should git up 
 in the tree, then should be surprised and be forced to 
 stay. You d have to make the best of it and lay low 
 where you be till the rascals leave the island, which 
 won t be long. 
 
 "We will keep a guard at the door so as to admit you 
 instantly in case you return, which God grant!" said 
 pastor Dinant. 
 
 And now as it had grown sufficiently late in the 
 opinion of Winters to make the venture, all groped 
 their way through the passage to the end of the corri 
 dor where the grated door showed dimly in the thick 
 darkness. This was cautiously opened, not without 
 great difficulty on account of the rust of years, then 
 Winters and the young Huguenot, de Langres, slipped 
 silently out, with a whispered " God speed" from 
 the old pastor. 
 
 Pushing their way through the thick branches they 
 219
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 gained the summit of the little hill, under whose over 
 hanging brow was the concealed entrance which they 
 had just quitted. Winters paused for a moment to look 
 about him. The night was dark and yet there was suf 
 ficient light from the stars and the slender new moon, 
 which now and then plunged dagger-like into the midst 
 of the rapidly drifting masses of cloud, to show the ad 
 venturers their whereabouts. On their right hand glowed 
 a dull red mass, manifestly the smouldering remains of 
 the castle, while at a little distance they could see 
 through the trees the brilliant light of a large fire. 
 
 "Dash my buttons!" muttered Winters, " tis as I 
 feared, the castle is in ruins, and the blamed rascals have 
 quartered themselves in and about our cottage." 
 
 "Let us get nearer and see if it be possible to ap 
 proach the pine trees," said deLangres in an eager 
 whisper. 
 
 "Sartain, that s what I was meanin to do. This 
 way !" The two crept cautiously along, skulking fear 
 fully in the thick shadows of trees and shrubs ; now and 
 then crawling on their hands and knees through the more 
 open spaces. In this way they gradually approached 
 the neighborhood of the giant pines. They soon dis 
 covered to their dismay that the camp-fire which they 
 had seen, was between the cottage and the trees, so near 
 that one in the crow s nest could easily have tossed a 
 pebble into its glowing depths. Around the fire lay a 
 number of dark forms. 
 
 Winters stopped short. " Now if they be all asleep ! 
 he whispered to his companion, "we ll make a break 
 for the trees. Dash it ! no ; the blamed rascals have 
 posted sentries. And he dodged back behind 
 bushes, dragging his companion with him. 
 220
 
 THE SENTRIES 
 
 The two men lay silent, hardly daring to breathe, as 
 one of the marines passed so near their hiding-place 
 that they could see his face distinctly in the wavering 
 firelight. 
 
 "What do you say to overhauling him when he gits 
 back next time ? whispered Winters, as the sentry 
 again disappeared behind the cottage. "We could 
 batten down his hatches and leave him here ; or I 
 could silence his guns altogether with this ere knife." 
 
 "It is not to be thought of," hastily replied his com 
 panion. " There is scarcely a chance in a thousand but 
 that he would yell before we succeeded in overpowering 
 him ; we should be seized and voila ! Better let him 
 pass again, then while he is beyond we will get up the 
 tree as noiselessly as possible. I must know whether 
 they are safe ! 
 
 "Thar 11 be no chance of gittin the women-folks 
 down and into the cave yonder," said Winters. 
 "Here he comes agin !" 
 
 The sentry emerged from behind the cottage yawning 
 portentously, and grumbling to himself about the use- 
 lessness of his job as he passed the listeners. 
 
 "Now!" whispered the Huguenot as the marine 
 turned his back ; the two crept silently toward the 
 nearest tree in the group. In another instant they had 
 commenced their perilous ascent, clinging with fingers 
 and toes to the rough bark of the great trunk. The 
 Huguenot, being the younger and more agile of the 
 two, had already gained the lower limbs of the tree, 
 but Winters had still a good piece to climb when the 
 marine reappeared from behind the cottage and came 
 directly towards them. 
 
 It was impossible to retain his hold without continuing 
 
 221
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 to ascend, as the old sailor well knew. Trusting there 
 fore to the great trunk to conceal him, he kept on des 
 perately, and had almost reached the spot where the 
 Huguenot was awaiting him in an agony of impatience, 
 when unfortunately his foot slipped ; at the same in 
 stant a piece of bark to which he was clinging gave 
 way, and he fell heavily to the ground, a distance of 
 some twenty feet, striking amid a clump of bushes which 
 clustered about the foot of the tree. 
 
 2 2
 
 CHAPTER XXVII 
 
 AT SEA 
 
 BAILLOT found his spirits rising with every foot 
 which the good horse under him put between him and 
 Warham castle. He felt in the holsters, and found 
 therein a brace of pistols, which he transferred to his 
 belt. The night was slightly overcast, yet not so dark 
 but that he could discern the road winding dimly before 
 him, bordered with hedge-rows and groups of trees on 
 either side. Behind him rose the castle, every window 
 ablaze with festive lights. 
 
 Having proceeded about a mile or thereabouts as 
 nearly as he could judge, he drew rein and began to 
 look carefully for the cross-road which St. Clair had 
 mentioned. He had not proceeded far in his quest 
 when the sound of voices warned him that some one 
 was coming. He looked about him once more, and 
 seeing that there was nothing for it save to advance, he 
 spurred on his horse, intending to pass the approaching 
 horsemen at a gallop. 
 
 "Hold, friend!" cried a loud authoritative voice. 
 The speaker wheeled as he spoke directly in front of 
 Baillot. " Your name and business, sir." 
 
 " By what right do you stop a traveller on the high 
 way?" said Baillot, answering the question by another. 
 
 "We are not here to bandy words, " said the man 
 sternly ; " your name and errand at once." 
 
 Baillot perceived by a struggling moonbeam that his 
 223
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 questioner was heavily armed. "I am a messenger from 
 Warham castle charged with a weighty commission," he 
 said boldly. " Hold me at your peril ! " 
 
 The man who had accosted him seemed somewhat 
 staggered by this declaration, for he fell back and con 
 ferred with one of his companions in a whisper. 
 
 "You shall go back to Warham with us," he an 
 nounced presently with an air of decision; "if what 
 you say is true, you shall go your ways at once. 
 
 "But the time," urged Baillot, " I am not per 
 mitted to waste an instant. You are doing something 
 both stupid and unwarrantable in detaining me. I pray 
 you let me pass, gentlemen." 
 
 The man stared at him without speaking, and Baillot 
 rightly judging him to be a country sheriff, and his 
 companions but armed plowmen, plunged suddenly 
 through their midst, and pounded away down the high 
 way. He heard voices calling upon him to stop, and 
 lay forward upon his horse s neck, momentarily expect 
 ing to hear the whiz of a pistol -ball above his head. 
 But to his surprise his pursuers did not fire, and after 
 half an hour of hard riding the sounds of their shouts 
 and the clatter of their horses hoofs began to grow 
 fainter. "lam gaining on them!" he thought with 
 satisfaction. Ten minutes more and he drew rein and 
 listened. He could hear nothing. " I have passed the 
 cross-road long ago," he thought. " I must go back ; 
 it will never do for the sun to find me on English 
 soil." 
 
 Springing to the ground he gave his horse a slash 
 with the bridle which sent him flying down the high 
 way ; then slipping through the hedge be began to run 
 in the opposite direction as fast as his feet could carry 
 224
 
 AT SEA 
 
 him over the plowed ground. He had not gone far 
 when he heard his pursuers in full gallop ; they passed 
 him where he crouched motionless behind the hedge. 
 
 " Now for it !" he muttered under his breath as the 
 sound died away in the distance, and emerging upon 
 the highway he laid his heels smartly to the ground, 
 keeping out a sharp eye meanwhile for the cross-road. 
 A sudden turn in the highway brought him face to face 
 with another group of horsemen, who hailed him 
 loudly : 
 
 " Hold, there ! tell us where you are bound in such 
 haste ? 
 
 "I must not stop, neighbor," cried Baillot, slacken-. 
 ing his pace a bit. "The constable is ahead riding in 
 hot pursuit of a man whom he believes to be the very 
 one we are looking for. Get you quickly after him !" 
 
 "Ha!" exclaimed the man. "Well met, comrade, 
 but what is your errand this way ? 
 
 Baillot stopped short. "Nay, that I am bidden to 
 reveal to no man. I am on my way toward the castle, 
 do you not see, blockhead?" 
 
 "How, then " began the man doubtfully. 
 
 But Baillot was already out of ear-shot, running at 
 full speed as before. His questioners after staring 
 stupidly after him for a full minute went their way. 
 
 By the glimmer of a finger-post on his right, Baillot 
 perceived that he had at last reached the cross-road, 
 which he had passed without notice in the excitement 
 of the pursuit. 
 
 Plunging down it as rapidly as he was able for the 
 sand, into which he sank ankle-deep at each step, he 
 soon heard the sound of water running gently upon the 
 beach. 
 
 *5 22 5
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 At his approach a man sprang up from beneath the 
 shelter of some bushes. 
 
 You are late ! " he whispered. I began to fear 
 lest you were nabbed. Look lively now, or we shall 
 not be able to get away with the tide ! 
 
 "I was pursued," replied Baillot, also in a whisper, 
 stepping as he spoke into a skiff which the man had 
 pushed out into the water. 
 
 "The devil!" exclaimed the other briefly, jumping 
 in after him and sending the boat well out with a strong 
 push. The little craft fairly flew over the water under 
 the mighty strokes of the oarsman, her bow pointing to 
 ward a dim light, which Baillot rightly judged to be 
 the light of the vessel for which they were bound. 
 They were already several furlongs from the shore when 
 a dark figure ran out from behind some trees, and began 
 to gesticulate wildly. Baillot perceived this, but he said 
 nothing to the man with the oars. In another moment 
 they had reached the side of the vessel ; both men 
 climbed quickly onto her deck, the skiff was hauled up, 
 and the sails set with great swiftness, but in perfect 
 silence, at which Baillot inwardly marvelled. 
 
 During the process of getting under way Baillot had 
 stood silent at the rail ; no one had spoken to him, and 
 he was on the point of asking one of the sailors to point 
 out the captain that he might inquire what sort of ac 
 commodation the vessel was likely to afford for the 
 night, when a heavy hand fell upon his shoulder, and a 
 harsh voice exclaimed in his ear : 
 
 "Getting your wind, cap n? Morblcu ! but you re 
 
 in luck to get off ! Come below, I ll give you a sup of 
 
 something I brought aboard with me a present from 
 
 you know who. And the speaker laughed with a sound 
 
 226
 
 AT SEA 
 
 as discordant and unmirthful as a human laugh could 
 well be. 
 
 Much surprised at the peculiar way in which the man 
 had accosted him, the young Huguenot followed across 
 the deck and down the companion-way. The dim flare 
 of a lantern which was secured to the wall of the stair 
 way shone directly upon the gigantic figure of his guide ; 
 Baillot noticed with astonishment the long grizzled locks 
 which fell about his shoulders and the scarlet sash twisted 
 about his middle. " A strange -looking sailor for a ves 
 sel of this class," he thought, as his eye took in these 
 details. 
 
 "Did you get what you went for, cap n?" said the 
 man entering the cabin and reaching to turn up the wick 
 of a smoky oil lam]). He turned as he spoke and fixed 
 his eyes upon Baillot. His jaw dropped, he opened his 
 mouth as if to speak, but only gulped spasmodically 
 once or twice. Then he took a step forward as if to 
 leave the cabin. 
 
 Baillot, whose wits had not been idle, perceived this 
 movement ; he sprang forward, raising his hand imper 
 atively. He had resolved on a bold part. 
 
 "Stop, sir!" he said sternly. "Another step with 
 out my permission and you are a dead man !" 
 
 "Who the devil are you?" sneered the man, whip 
 ping out a poniard and continuing his progress toward 
 the door. 
 
 Without a word Baillot sprang upon him, wrenched 
 the poniard from his grasp, hurled it across the cabin, 
 then twisting one leg quickly behind his gigantic adver 
 sary hurled him violently to the floor. All this was 
 done in a twinkling, and before the fellow had time to 
 recover from the surprise of this totally unexpected 
 227
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 assault, Baillot had clapped the muzzle of a pistol to his 
 head. 
 
 Be silent, until I have spoken ! 
 
 "You ve got me," muttered the man, a savage 
 light shining in his small deep -set eyes. " Say on !" 
 
 " You expected to find in me your captain. Look 
 at me well ; I am your captain from this hour. Hold ! 
 as the man again attempted to speak. " You wish to 
 know what has become of the other. That does not 
 concern you. I am here in his stead. You will obey 
 me." He then withdrew a few steps still holding the 
 pistol in his hand. " Get up." 
 
 The man obeyed sullenly. "Who are you, and how 
 did you come here ? 
 
 "You brought me to the ship. Obey me, well ; dis 
 obey, die ! 
 
 " But," exclaimed the sailor with a look of involun 
 tary admiration at the sinewy frame and stern dark face 
 before him, "suppose I kill you first? What is to 
 hinder?" 
 
 "You will not kill me first." 
 
 "You are at least mortal," sneered the other, " and 
 you are not wanted here. He was edging his way as 
 he spoke in the direction of his poniard, which was 
 sticking in the wall of the cabin. 
 
 Baillot perceived that he had no ordinary man to deal 
 with ; therefore, at the risk of calling down a swarm 
 of the crew from above, he fired his pistol at the arm 
 of the sailor just as he raised it to grasp the handle of 
 the weapon. Dropping his hand with a howl of 
 mingled rage and pain the fellow rushed forward like 
 an enraged bull. 
 
 Stepping quietly to one side, the young Huguenot 
 228
 
 AT SEA 
 
 again caught his adversary about the middle, and again 
 succeeded in hurling him violently to the floor. 
 
 "Is it enough? Will you obey? Or must I break 
 every bone of your body as I have broken your arm ? 
 
 "I will obey," he said sullenly, scowling with pain. 
 
 "Very well then, get up. But I give you fair warn 
 ing that my patience with you is well-nigh exhausted; 
 one more rebellious word, and there will be another first 
 mate on this vessel." 
 
 "What do you want me to do?" growled the man, 
 rising rather unsteadily to his feet. 
 
 " First hand me that poniard," said Baillot, coolly 
 proceeding to reload the pistol which he had just fired. 
 The man obeyed. " Good ! Now go before me to the 
 deck and call the crew together, I wish to speak with 
 them . 
 
 "I may as well have it out with them," he thought 
 to himself, " or they will poniard me before morning." 
 
 Arrived on deck, the mate, as Baillot had rightly 
 judged him to be, commanded the crew to assemble in 
 the waist of the ship. Baillot stood at the rail watch 
 ing them as they sauntered up by twos and threes. The 
 clouds had dispersed by this time, and the moon riding 
 high in the heavens shone boldly on the villanous 
 faces, glittering knives and scarlet caps of the thirty ruf 
 fians which made up the crew. 
 
 "Men!" began Baillot in a loud clear voice, "I 
 have called you together to tell you that from this time 
 forward I am your captain." A low growl interrupted 
 him at this point, and several voices shouted "Over 
 board with him !" but no one stirred to make good the 
 threat, for the mate with a threatening gesture shouted 
 " Hear him out !" 
 
 229
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII 
 
 MASTER AND MAN 
 
 " Do you say that, mate ? What do you know about 
 this ere swab? How did he come here?" broke in an 
 undersized man, whose broad black brows marking an 
 unbroken line directly across his face, gave him a pecu 
 liarly savage and brutal look. 
 
 Hear him out, I say ! repeated the mate with a 
 furtive glance at Baillot. 
 
 What you want, men, is plunder, went on Baillot, 
 and a deep chorus of " Ay, ays," greeted this assertion. 
 " Your captain has always taken the lion s share " 
 
 "Ay, that he has !" 
 
 " He was a greedy, cruel cut-throat " 
 
 "A fine gentleman!" bawled the undersized man. 
 "A spy!" 
 
 " A spy !" cried Baillot. " Would I come into your 
 midst were I a spy ? No, men, I am not a spy. Hark 
 you ! Two months since I was shipwrecked in a region 
 of the ocean not many leagues from the Azores, and 
 with four of my mates was cast onto a certain island. 
 On this island we found a great castle, empty of inhabi 
 tants, yet crammed with all sorts of valuables : we will 
 go there; the booty shall be yours." 
 
 The pirates looked at one another. This was a strange 
 tale ; but there was also something strangely convincing 
 in the face and manner of the man who had told it 
 They were half inclined to believe it. 
 230
 
 MASTER AND MAN 
 
 " How came you here ? Where are the others?" 
 
 Baillot expected this question. He realized that he 
 had not put his case very skilfully. "But, mafoi," he 
 said to himself, " I am not a lawyer nor yet a profes 
 sional liar which is perhaps the same thing. I have 
 been forced into a cruel dilemma ; God grant me wis 
 dom to deal with these cut-throats." 
 
 " Ay, ay !" bellowed the crew, closing in around him 
 as he hesitated. " How did you come here?" 
 
 " I have already broken your mate s arm for presum 
 ing to question me," said Baillot firmly. " I say now, 
 once and for all, the island is a prize worth trying for. 
 It shall be yours. Crowd on all sail and make for the 
 Azores ! 
 
 There was nothing especially convincing in these 
 words, as the pirate crew dimly realized ; but the voice, 
 and above all the eye of the man before them carried 
 that well-nigh irresistible magnetism which is so com 
 pelling a power in a personality born to command. All 
 eyes were turned inquiringly upon the mate ; he had 
 thrust his injured arm into his bosom. 
 
 "Ay, ay!" he growled impatiently, "shake out the 
 canvas lively ! We may as well do as he says. Fisher 
 is nabbed and he will blab on the rest of us." 
 
 "Come down to the cabin," said Baillot, addressing 
 the mate in French. " I will set your arm ; it must be 
 painful." 
 
 "Bon diai, you are then my compatriot !" exclaimed 
 the man, and Baillot perceived that his subjugation was 
 complete. He retired to the cabin, convinced that for 
 the moment he had nothing to fear. Nevertheless he 
 sat down somewhat gloomily in the dingy little place to 
 reflect upon his certainly dubious position.
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 " Suppose I succeed in compelling this precious crew 
 to take me to the island with my skin intact a most 
 unlikely supposition to begin with how could I make 
 good the escape of the women ? Why in heaven s name 
 did I speak of the island at all ? Why did I not rather 
 offer them gold to take me to Terciora? Peste, I am a 
 fool. I am in their power. They will acquaint them 
 selves with my purse whenever it so pleases them." 
 
 Just as he reached this disheartening conclusion he 
 looked up and saw the dark face of the pirate, whose 
 arm he had wounded with his pistol-ball, peering in at 
 the door. 
 
 "Ah, my good fellow," he said, realizing with un 
 pleasant distinctness that the fellow might have killed 
 him with the greatest ease, " your arm. I am something 
 of a surgeon, and can make shift to ease you of your 
 pain, since there is no more skilled leech at hand. He 
 said these words in French, bearing in mind the man s 
 look when he had so addressed him upon deck. 
 
 l Morbleu /" ejaculated the man, holding out his in 
 jured member for inspection. " I can almost forgive 
 you the pain, for the joy it gives me to hear once more 
 the language of my own country. How may I call you, 
 sir?" 
 
 " My name is Henri Baillot," replied the young man, 
 examining the wounded arm with some anxiety. I fear 
 that I shall make but a clumsy job of this ; tis a bad 
 hurt. But it serves you right for trying to poniard me ! 
 If you carry a stiff wrist for the rest of your life, my 
 good man, you will not soon forget my name." 
 
 "Tell me, from what province are you?" said the pi 
 rate, staring hard at his amateur surgeon, who was en 
 deavoring as gently as possible to dress a wound which 
 232
 
 MASTER AND MAN 
 
 would have taxed the wits of a skilled surgeon. " A 
 plague on my arm. I shall heal of it ; 1 have had a 
 thousand hurts worse, they all come right after awhile. I 
 am no woman to mind the pain." 
 
 " I perceive that you are not," said Baillot, pausing 
 to tear his cambric handkerchief into strips. " I must 
 have hurt you confoundedly. 
 
 " But your province. Are you not from Beam?" 
 
 I am from Beam ; and what then ? 
 
 "Ah, monsieur, you would never remember Gaston 
 Goujet, and yet I lived many years on your father s es 
 tate. My father, Pierre Goujet, was the bailiff. I ran 
 away to sea when I was sixteen. You were then but a 
 child." 
 
 "What! Is it so?" exclaimed Baillot, " Gaston 
 Goujet! Tis true that I had forgotten you; but my 
 mother has often told me how you rescued me from 
 drowning." 
 
 "Yes, nion itieii, it is true. You had escaped from 
 your nurse and were playing on the brink of a pool in 
 the forest. I stood behind a tree watching ; suddenly 
 you reached forward too far and fell in with a scream. 
 The water closed over you. I stood still. 1 hated you. 
 Why should you live to be a lord, to ride fine horses, to 
 lie soft and eat luxuriously, while I could never be other 
 than what nature made me, fit only to receive the kicks 
 and abuse of those better born than myself?" The 
 man s face grew dark, and he turned a look of sulk;i 
 rage upon Baillot who was just finishing the bandaging 
 of his arm. 
 
 " It is completed, my good Gaston," said the youag 
 man composedly. " You did not wish to save me, 
 but" 
 
 233
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 The pirate sighed profoundly and shook his great 
 shoulders. I hated, yes, but thank God, I did not 
 commence my career of murder then. You rose to the 
 surface of the pool, and raising your hands, which 
 gleamed white and dimpled in the sunlight, cried for 
 help. I hesitated no longer, but plunged in and brought 
 you safely to land. Your mother, sweet saint, loaded 
 me with thanks and benefits. She idolized you ; you 
 were her only child. Had she lived all would have been 
 well with me, but the following year she died. Your 
 father was a hard man. I was caught poaching. He did 
 not put me to death, nor even mutilate me, because I 
 had saved his son s life, he said. But he caused me to be 
 beaten, and again hatred broke loose in my heart, tear 
 ing me like a thousand devils. I ran away to sea, but 
 kicks and blows followed me. Once the boatswain 
 struck me across the face. I threw him into the sea that 
 night. It was dark, the waves running mountains high. 
 It was thought that he had been swept overboard. I 
 alone knew better. On another vessel the captain was 
 a foul-mouthed tyrant. We hung him to the mast. 
 The ship became ours, but she was clumsy and slow, and 
 we made haste to obtain a better by seizing this vessel. 
 Her crew went over the side. The Rouge et Noir is a 
 lucky vessel. I am no longer under the lash. I But 
 why do I tell all this to you ! Why are you here, mon 
 sieur?" 
 
 Baillot had listened with profound attention to this 
 recital. He saw that in this man lay his only hope of 
 safety. He had been deeply affected by the look on the 
 man s face when he had spoken of his dead mother, 
 the lovely Comtesse de Lantenac, whose sweet face he 
 dimly remembered as a vision of an angel. " Fortune 
 234
 
 MASTER AND MAN 
 
 has used me little better, my Gaston," he said. "I 
 am a fugitive and a wanderer. Once more I appeal to 
 you for aid. I trust you because you loved my 
 mother. 
 
 "Yes, I loved her," said the man huskily. "She 
 was the only human being that I ever loved. Nay, she 
 was more than human, I swear ; she was an angel of 
 God. For her sake I will do what I can for you the 
 saints be my witness!" And he bent and kissed the 
 outstretched hand of the young count. 
 
 " My father lived many years after the time you have 
 spoken of," said Baillot after a pause; "naturally 
 gloomy and taciturn he became more and more morose 
 after the death of my mother. Like all who ever came 
 in contact with her, he idolized her, and I believe he 
 never loved any one else. At all events he seemed to 
 care little for me. I was sent to Paris to be educated, 
 and so grew up a stranger to home, and yet among 
 those who taught me w r hat honor was, what loyalty was, 
 both to my God and to my country. I w r as under the 
 care of an excellent man, a Huguenot. Under his roof 
 I made many good friends, and I likewise got all the 
 good that Paris could give w r ith very little of the evil. 
 After a time, through the influence of my father, I en 
 tered the navy, a career I had always longed for. I 
 served until France was shaken to her centre by the 
 Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. I was called upon 
 to renounce the faith of my fathers ; I refused and was 
 condemned to the galleys. Just before the sentence was 
 enforced, however, I made my escape. I made haste to 
 look for my father, who was by this time an aged man ; 
 but I found upon my arrival in Beam that he was dead 
 of a stroke of apoplexy, induced by the quartering of a
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 body of dragoons in his chateau. He had been buried 
 secretly by night by one or two faithful servants. The 
 chateau was still in the hands of the soldiery ; they had 
 sacked it from top to bottom, committing every possible 
 outrage. Peyrade, the faithful servant of my father, 
 who alone had stood by his death-bed, had in his pos 
 session certain papers with which my father had en 
 trusted him for me, should I ever appear to claim them. 
 Among them I found a title-deed to lands in America. 
 Having no longer a home in France, a penniless out 
 cast, hunted and condemned, I resolved to fly to the 
 new world. I embarked as a common sailor on the bark 
 IVhite Gull from Southampton, whither I had succeeded 
 in making my way. The rest is as I have said. I was 
 shipwrecked with four companions on an unknown 
 island. To rescue those companions and afterward to 
 get to America is what I wish to do. 
 
 But you have not yet told me how you came to be 
 aboard the Rouge et Noir" said Goujet, who had list 
 ened to this story with an impenetrable air. 
 
 True, I have not, and in order to do that, I must 
 tell you how I came to leave the island." And as 
 briefly as possible he outlined his mysterious removal 
 from the chateau, his voyage and his stay in England, 
 ending with the escape of the previous night. He did 
 not, however, give the names of his abductors, and in 
 the telling suppressed as much of the detail as possible. 
 " I was told that I would find a skiff awaiting me," he 
 said as he finished the recital. " I found it, and was 
 conveyed to this vessel. You know the rest." 
 
 The pirate passed his hand slowly across his forehead 
 as if in deep thought. "You took the wrong skiff," 
 he said at length. " I killed the man who was waiting 
 236
 
 MASTER AND MAN 
 
 for you. I took him for an accursed spy. But what 
 then became of Fisher?" 
 
 "He came to the beach just after we embarked," 
 said Baillot boldiv. : I saw him: I did not tell 
 you,"
 
 CHAPTER XXiX 
 
 THE PIRATES 
 
 "Ay!" quoth Goujet with a short laugh, "you did 
 not tell me, and yet it would have been better for you 
 had you done so. " 
 
 "Why?" 
 
 " I should have killed you, and returned for Fisher." 
 
 " Granting that you are correct in the statement, why 
 would that have been better for me ? 
 
 Because then you would have died quickly and 
 easily. Now unless I can make shift to save you from 
 my shipmates you will die in a different fashion and, 
 morbleu ! twill give you a bad quarter of an hour. 
 
 "You would not have killed me so easily as you 
 think, my good Gaston, but on the other hand I might 
 have been left to manage the boat alone, boarded the 
 wrong vessel, and so have found myself among pirates 
 with no ally and friend such as you to aid me. Tell 
 me, am I not a better man than Fisher ? 
 
 "You are, I swear it. Fisher is all that you have 
 said, and worse ; but how did you know it ?" 
 
 "I guessed it. I know something of the ways of 
 gentlemen of fortune, as you call yourselves. If 
 then I am a better man than Fisher, I am also a better 
 commander, and what is to hinder us from managing 
 this crew ? 
 
 Goujet did not answer. He seemed lost in thought. 
 At length he arose, and bringing down his uninjured 
 238
 
 THE PIRATES 
 
 hand upon the table with a thwack, exclaimed, "It 
 must be done! Ha! ha! tis a pretty mischance for 
 Fisher. His neck will doubtless stretch at the next 
 assizes. He will think that I did it out of revenge. 
 Ma foi ! for once I was a better man than I might have 
 been, for I had no thought of playing him false. Let 
 the Englishman swing ; he has deserved it, not once, 
 but a thousand times. I will tell you though that it 
 will he no child s play to keep the breath in our nos 
 trils for the next few days. Do you know, that after 
 you threw me the second time and I promised to obey 
 though, niou ttieu . I did not mean it, save for the 
 instant when you proposed to speak to the crew I 
 thought to myself, this fine loud-talking gentleman has 
 now but three minutes to live. For as sure as I stand 
 here, I believed that they would walk you over the 
 plank at the first word. How you managed to quiet 
 them 1 do not know, but they will not remain quiet, 
 mark me ! There are at least two of them who will be 
 determined to be captain now that Fisher is gone. We 
 .shall hear from them." 
 
 "Do not let us wait to hear from them. Do you 
 know which these are?" 
 " Yes." 
 
 " We will put them in irons at once." 
 " Easier said than done, my master. You are not 
 dealing with marines, who have but a single idea in 
 their stupid heads and that to obey. Every one of 
 these men is such as 1." And the pirate shook his 
 great shoulders and looked what he was, a creature 
 scarcely less dangerous than an animal possessed with 
 rabies. 
 
 "We must put them in irons," repeated Baillot, 
 2 39
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 "and we must do it now. The others will obey us. 
 Who is the ringleader among the men ? 
 
 "An Englishman named Lock." 
 
 "Very well, I will retire to this cabin on the left, I 
 am sleeping. Call Lock to the cabin. Talk with him 
 of me. He will propose to assassinate me. Agree to 
 this. Let him advance toward the cabin where I am ; 
 seize him from behind ; snatch the poniard from his 
 hand. I will do the rest. Should you fail to succeed," 
 he added significantly, " you will not forget that I am 
 armed, and that I never miss my aim." 
 
 "You do not trust me, master!" cried the pirate. 
 I will be true to you for the sake of your mother I 
 swear it. Le bon Dieu knows that I speak the truth 
 for once ! 
 
 " I believe you," said Ba-illot simply, but in a tone 
 which seemed to satisfy Goujet. "Now, I go," he 
 added, I sleep ; get you on deck and fetch Lock. 
 
 Goujet immediately disappeared. 
 
 He came back accompanied by the undersized man 
 with the thick eyebrows, who had proposed to throw 
 overboard the man who had so strangely claimed the 
 command of the Rouge et Noir. 
 
 "Where is he?" he asked in a hissing whisper, as he 
 entered the cabin. 
 
 "Asleep," replied Goujet, " drunk," he added 
 with a wink, producing as he spoke a black bottle and 
 a brace of cups. " I plied him with this. Not a bad 
 drink; try it, mate." 
 
 "Drunk?" said the other smacking his lips after 
 
 emptying his cup at a single gulp. " Ha ! as good as 
 
 dead then. We will drop nim astern. Who is he 
 
 to force himself among us? I ll be blessed if ever I 
 
 240
 
 THE PIRATES 
 
 clapped eyes on him afore. I say, mate, you know I m 
 cap n, don t you? You ll stand up for me hey? You 
 shall be second in command as you are now; more n 
 that you couldn t hope to be. If Mateo gets it the 
 bloody scoundrel ! he ll make you walk the plank. 
 He swears he will, ay and torture you into the bar 
 gain ; he hates you, since you know when. And 
 the speaker paused to pour himself another cup of the 
 liquor. 
 
 " I m your friend, Goujet," he resumed whiningly. 
 " Swelp me, I m your friend, and if I m cap n, Mateo 
 shan t touch a hair of your head. You shall do what 
 you like with him ; you shall hang him to the mast-head 
 inside of an hour and no one to hinder. 
 
 Goujet gave a savage growl, like the beast of prey that 
 he was. " That s all very well ; but the other must be 
 fixed first." 
 
 "Ay! Goujet, my good friend, so he must! Shall 
 we hock him and drop him overboard now he is drunk, 
 or save him for a little sport to-morrow? Let us save 
 him ; twill be a pretty way for me to begin ay ! and 
 a warning to any who think to disobey me," he added 
 with an ugly look at Goujet. 
 
 "The man is no coward," said Goujet slowly. 
 " There will be plenty of sport later. Then there is 
 Mateo. Best make a sure thing of it to-night." 
 
 "Poniard?" 
 
 "Ay. Do it now while he sleeps. No one so neat- 
 handed as you, mate, for a job like this. He s yonder," 
 with a jerk of his thumb over the shoulder. 
 
 Lock arose, a gratified grin overspreading his counte 
 nance at the apparent compliance of the mate, and be 
 gan tiptoeing his way across the floor. 
 16 241
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 Goujet followed in a leisurely fashion, as if to see 
 that the deed was properly accomplished, but just as 
 Lock was about to enter the door, he sprang forward 
 and snatched the weapon from his hand, exclaiming in 
 a low mocking voice : 
 
 " Hold ! my would-be captain, this poniard of yours 
 is not sharp enough to kill yonder gentleman !" 
 
 Lock turned in a fury, at the same instant Baillot 
 sprang upon him from behind, mastered him with ease, 
 gagged him securely, and after manacling him hand and 
 foot, tossed him unceremoniously into the bunk. 
 
 " Now for the other," he said, pausing to recover 
 breath. 
 
 "Ay," growled Goujet, " but let us finish with this 
 one first." And he advanced toward the helpless man, 
 brandishing the poniard savagely. 
 
 What do you mean ? cried Baillot, seizing him by 
 the arm. 
 
 "To kill him of course. I will do it, master, a mur 
 der more or less will make little difference with my ac 
 count." 
 
 " No, you shall not do this thing. He shall remain 
 in irons " 
 
 " Until some one looses him, yes. I tell you he 
 must die. Would he not have killed you ? 
 
 "Yes, he would have killed me, and he doubtless de 
 serves to die ; yet you shall not put him to death un- 
 judged and uncondemned. 
 
 "Were he loose this minute, master, he would kill 
 you, even though he owed you his life. Look at him ; 
 liar murderer rat / 
 
 Baillot shuddered in spite of himself at the look in 
 the eyes of the man who lay bound. " Leave the 
 24?
 
 THE PIRATES 
 
 wretch as he is for the present," he said firmly. " Speak 
 to Mateo ; we will capture him in the same way. 
 
 Without another word Goujetleft the cabin, to return 
 presently accompanied by another man. This worthy 
 was not over middle height but evidently of immense 
 muscular strength ; his hand was playing with the hill 
 of a dagger as he entered, and he rolled his piercing 
 eyes suspiciously about the cabin. 
 
 " Sit down, mate," said Goujet, with a hospitable 
 wave of the hand, "and wet your coppers a bit, while 
 we talk of this queerish bit of business of losing our 
 cap n and getting a fine gentleman in his place." 
 
 The Italian looked greedily at the bottle, but he did 
 not sit down. 
 
 " I look first in dese cabins," he said cautiously. " I 
 don know where dat dam Anglais be." 
 
 "Who, Lock?" said Goujet carelessly. "He s in 
 the fo c slc, trying to talk the men into making hire 
 cap n. What do you say to having Lock over oiu 
 heads?" 
 
 " I hate him!" hissed the Italian. "I kill him 
 see ? And he described a significant gesture with the 
 dagger. 
 
 "You hate me too," said Goujet with a great laugh, 
 "yet I m the only man aboard who can help you to 
 the cap ncy." 
 
 "I ? hate _>w// ncvair ! But will you not be de 
 cap i tain yourself?" 
 
 "I? No, pcstc ! I care too much for my ease ; I 
 am content as I am." 
 
 "Ah, you shall still be first mate, and I capitain 
 no one so clcvair as you, my friend, for first mate. I 
 do not hate you no! But Lock ah !" And the 
 243
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 Italian lay back in his chair and passed his dagger from 
 ear to ear with a ferocious smile. "See!" he con 
 tinued, dat is what Lock do to you. 
 
 "Nothing like having a firm friend such as you, 
 Mateo," remarked Goujet, filling the Italian s cup. 
 " I shan t forget this of you. I never forget." 
 
 "Nor I, nevair nevair J" murmured the Italian. 
 " But what has become of the fine milor, who would be 
 capitain ? You have quiet him, is it not so ? 
 
 "Not without your orders, cap n. He s asleep 
 yonder." 
 
 "Asleep? ha! He will not wake up no. I will 
 kill him. But not until I have kill you, for to me you 
 have lied /" And with a snarl like that of a wild beast 
 the Italian sprang at the half-crippled man before 
 him. 
 
 Fortunately for Goujet he succeeded in jumping aside 
 quickly enough to avoid the blow, which had been 
 aimed directly at his heart. And before the Italian 
 could recover himself for a second lunge Baillot had 
 fallen upon him. Mateo turned with a yell, but Goujet 
 pursuing the tactics which Baillot had suggested, caught 
 him from behind, holding him about the body with a 
 grip like iron, while Baillot disarmed him, not, how 
 ever, without receiving a flesh wound in his shoulder 
 which bled profusely. 
 
 "Shoot him, master! he has wounded you!" cried 
 Goujet. " A peste on my arm! I can do nothing. 
 Ha the dog has bitten me !" 
 
 The Italian fairly foaming with rage had twisted him 
 self about and buried his sharp white teeth in Goujet s 
 wounded arm. The pain was intense, and for an in 
 stant the luckless Frenchman tottered as though he 
 244
 
 THE PIRATES 
 
 would have fallen. In that instant, however, Baillot 
 had finished his conquest, and the wretch gagged and 
 manacled lay helpless upon the floor. 
 
 I suppose, my merciful master, that you will also 
 preserve the life of this man?" said Goujet, looking 
 down upon the prostrate Italian with unutterable 
 hatred in his dark face. "Dog coward!" he hissed 
 through hi? shut teeth, and he kicked his helpless foe 
 savagely. 
 
 "I might have killed him in self-defence, had that 
 been necessary," said Baillot; "but, voila ! we have 
 conquered. He shall live."
 
 CHAPTER XXX 
 
 THE CAPTAIN OF THE ROUGE ET NOIR 
 
 "I SHALL take care that you do not repent your 
 goodness, monsieur," said Goujet with a black look 
 at the Italian. " But one of us must go on deck 
 at once ; we have been absent so long that some mis 
 chief or other will be brewing. Hark, what is that?" 
 
 Baillot, whose quick ear had already caught some un 
 usual sound from above, sprang up the stairs two at a 
 time, leaving Goujet to attend to the prisoners. 
 
 For a full minute that worthy stared hard at the 
 yellow face of Mateo, fingering the handle of his 
 poniard meanwhile with an air of relish. "Ah my 
 good capitain," he sneered, " my brave capitain, will 
 you kill me now, or will you kindly permit me to live 
 for a little? Tis no time for such nonsense!" he 
 muttered as he rolled the helpless Italian over and over 
 like a log to the cabin beyond. " The only safe man 
 is a dead man ; when my young lord has been a pirate 
 a bit longer he will find that out for himself." He 
 turned the key on his prisoners, after threatening them 
 both with instant death should they attempt to remove 
 their gags. 
 
 He then followed Baillot upon deck. The excite 
 ment had been caused by a sudden squall ; the ill-dis 
 ciplined crew demoralized by the continued absence of 
 their officers, and absorbed furthermore by the plots and 
 counterplots suggested by Lock and Mateo, had been 
 
 24.6
 
 THE CAPTAIN OF THE ROUGE ET NOIR 
 
 paying but scant attention to the safety of the vessel, 
 Eaillot had taken in the situation at a glance, and by a 
 series of rapid commands, which the frightened sailors 
 made haste to obey, had succeeded in making things 
 snug before the tempest struck the ship. 
 
 " Tis only a stormlet, but, morblcu, enough to send 
 us to the bottom, had it struck us with all our canvas 
 spread," said Goujet in the car of Baillot, as he stood 
 with folded arms watching the sudden fury of the sea 
 under the lash of the storm. 
 
 "The ship rides easily," observed Baillot. 
 
 " Ay, sir ! There s no stauncher, livelier boat on the 
 seas than this little craft," said Goujet, rolling his eyes 
 proudly about him. " We re well armed, eight guns 
 good ones, and a plenty of powder and shot. If you 
 would content these fellows, give them enough to do 
 enough that is of fighting. But let them be idle !" and 
 he shook his great shoulders significantly. 
 
 "We may be forced to defend ourselves," said Bail- 
 lot in a non-committal tone. 
 
 "But you will not attack; is that what you mean, 
 master ?" 
 
 "Would you have me turn pirate in earnest, my 
 Gaston ?" asked Baillot with a melancholy smile. "Is 
 that a fit career for a man who is exiled from his coun 
 try because of his religion?" 
 
 " No, mon dicu ! It is not. But what then shall we 
 do?" 
 
 " We shall do what we can. To-day alone is ours, 
 to-morrow is God s." 
 
 "Ah, I see that you are the son of your mother," 
 cried Goujet; "and she was too good for this foul 
 earth." 
 
 247
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 " I do not on that account intend to take the less 
 care of myself," said Baillot. "You yourself have 
 found that true this very night." 
 
 "Yes, yes, it is true!" murmured Goujet, hugging 
 his wounded arm to his breast. Why did you not 
 kill me?" 
 
 Because I saw that you might prove useful to 
 me." 
 
 And so I will ; from this day forth and as long as 
 I live, I am yours," exclaimed Goujet with a look of 
 savage love, which was almost terrifying in its intensity. 
 Look you, I have sworn it ! " 
 
 "Then you will not remain a pirate." 
 
 "Bon! I hate the life." 
 
 The gale had now swept to the northward leaving the 
 sea agitated and foam -covered. Baillot at the earnest 
 request of Goujet descended to the cabin, leaving the 
 mate in command. Marvelling much within himself at 
 the strange course of his fortunes during the past few 
 hours, he wrapped his cloak about him and lay down to 
 sleep. Awaking after a few hours of dream-haunted 
 slumber, he sprang to his feet and ascended to the deck. 
 Goujet was still pacing up and down ; he turned on 
 seeing Baillot, and approached him with a respectful 
 salute. 
 
 "You have slept, master?" 
 
 "Yes, and am refreshed. I will remain upon deck 
 now while you do likewise. 
 
 " The fog is as thick as gruel," quoth Goujet, linger 
 ing and seeming to devour the young count with the 
 fire of his glances. "Ah," he cried, "you have the 
 eyes of your mother ! 
 
 Baillot in his turn had been looking fixedly at the 
 248
 
 THE CAPTAIN OF THE ROUGE ET NOIR 
 
 haggard face of the man before him. It was a face 
 seamed with the livid sears of many a battle, and lined 
 with hatred, anger and fear, it was the face of one 
 who has suffered the tortures of the lost. In a word> 
 it was the face of a man without love in the world, and 
 therefore without hope. 
 
 "You have suffered from your wound, man/ he 
 said kindly. "Go below and rest." 
 
 "Ay, 1 have suffered ! But, mon dieu ! What is a 
 scratch like this ! It is here that I have suffered !" and 
 he grasped at his breast as if he would fain tear out the 
 throbbing heart within, and hurl it into the sea. Then 
 he turned suddenly, and plunged down the stairway. 
 
 "God!" murmured Baillot, "why are such beings 
 born ? To torture and be tortured in this life, and 
 afterward endlessly ? I cannot believe it. There 
 must be some other solution. 
 
 He now took a turn about the vessel, looking keenly 
 at every part in the gray light of the dawn, which 
 struggled through a dense mist. The wind had fallen, 
 and the ship with most of her canvas set was plunging 
 through the green water at a good rate of speed. Sev 
 eral sailors who were lounging about the deck looked 
 curiously at the young man, and one of them touched 
 his forehead with some show of respect. This man, 
 after a whispered word or two with his companions, 
 presently advanced boldly and planted himself directly 
 in front of Baillot, a number of the sailors following 
 close at his heels. 
 
 He was a gigantic fellow, as the young officer ob 
 served during the pause which followed, in which the 
 sailor appeared to be endeavoring in a slow ox-like 
 fashion to determine what it was best to say to the man 
 ?49
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 who confronted him. Baillot further observed hia 
 great head thatched with a profusion of thick yellow 
 curls like those of a child, also his light blue eyes, 
 driven to a pin-point by the fierce sea winds, and look 
 ing, he thought, curiously out of place in the broad 
 weather-beaten face. He perceived that the man had 
 been put forward by his fellows as spokesman on account 
 of his enormous strength. Glancing quickly over his 
 shoulder he saw that a second grinning group had col 
 lected at his back. He was in a position of extreme 
 peril, and fully realized it. 
 
 Without any appearance of haste or fear he shifted 
 his position, so that he stood with his back to the rail, 
 thus commanding a view of both groups of sailors. 
 
 " Jorgesen s too slow by half," growled one of the 
 sailors with a ferocious oath. "Come, why don t you 
 speak up, mate ! 
 
 "Where is our captain?" said the Scandinavian 
 slowly, pushing up the sleeves of his jacket, and re 
 vealing great knotted arms, on which were depicted a 
 number of cabalistic designs in. the highest fashion of 
 the tattooer s art. Baillot noticed these designs, and 
 remembered them accurately afterward. 
 
 "I am your captain, man, for the balance of this 
 cruise, he replied coolly. Afterward you may choose 
 whom you will, and go where you will." 
 
 " Ay, ay ! But wot s to hender our doin that now?" 
 sang out one of the group on the left. 
 
 "Whar sLock? Whar s Mateo?" bawled a chorus 
 of other voices. 
 
 " What has happened to Lock and Mateo will happen 
 to all of you, if you do not obey," said Baillot firmly. 
 Lock was second mate, he continued.
 
 THE CAPTAIN OF THE ROUGE ET NOIR 
 
 "Ay, and a pretty second mate he made !" growled 
 the Scandinavian. 
 
 "I appoint you, Jorgesen, second mate in his 
 stead. 
 
 "Who will be boson in my place?" asked the Scan 
 dinavian, evidently pleased with his promotion. 
 
 " Goujet shall determine that question. Now, my 
 men," he continued, looking about him keenly, "this 
 is going to be the best cruise you ever made no rope s 
 end, no abuse, and a plenty of plum -duff, as long as I 
 am in command." 
 
 Ay ! growled an oldish man, and look you, 
 no guzzling below in the cabin, while we go dry 
 above. 
 
 Baillot was congratulating himself that the threatened 
 storm had blown over as suddenly as had the squall of 
 the night before, when some one repeated the threaten 
 ing cry : 
 
 Whar s Lock ? Whar s Mateo ? 
 
 But the Scandinavian came unexpectedly to his relief 
 in his new dignity of second mate. 
 
 " Never ye mind, ye lazy lubbers !" he bellowed in a 
 voice of thunder. " I m second mate here, I d have ye 
 to know. Get ye about your business lively, or I ll 
 show ye a thing or two that undersized English dog 
 couldn t." 
 
 The breeze was freshening, and the mist, rent in 
 twain like a ragged robe, showed here and there through 
 its openings vivid glimpses of sky and ocean. In one 
 of these rents which opened upon the right of the ves 
 sel, Baillot on a sudden discovered the towering masts 
 and gleaming hull of a man-of-war. At the same in 
 stant her lookout must have descried the pirate, for as
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 the mist again closed over the sea in that quarter there 
 came a long hail across the water. 
 
 " Clap on every rag of canvas !" commanded Baillot. 
 " Call Goujet to the deck," he added. 
 
 The sailors hesitated. "Why not fight?" said one 
 sullenly. 
 
 " Fight ! With yonder man-of-war ? She carries at 
 least forty guns, man ! We should be blown out of 
 water like a kite !" 
 
 Again came the bellow of the speaking-trumpet. 
 " She is hailing us to lay to, in order to board us !" 
 growled the Scandinavian. " Guess you re right, sir. 
 We re fitter for plucking a merchantman, than for try 
 ing a brush with a man-of-war." 
 
 The rigging was swarming with men by this time, and 
 the vessel with every sail drawing, sped through the 
 water like a thing of life. 
 
 "What has happened, master?" said Goujet ap 
 proaching. Morbleu / he ejaculated, as the mis* 
 again lifted revealing the stately vessel. "If she gets 
 a chance at us with her broadside we re done for !" 
 
 " We must get out of range before she can wing us," 
 said Baillot ; " tis our only chance." 
 
 A shot which struck the water so near the ship that 
 the spray flew into their faces, showed that the English 
 man perceived their design of running away and meant 
 to prevent it. 
 
 A stern chase is a long chase, growled Goujet, 
 "and I m willing to bet my head that yonder lumber 
 ing hulk can t sail with the Rouge et Noir. What do 
 you say to passing on the compliment with our guns, 
 sir?" 
 
 By all means, salute her as cordially as you please,
 
 THE CAPTAIN OF THE ROUGE ET NOIR 
 
 said Baillot. " She intends business as you see." He 
 lifted the glass which Goujet had handed him and 
 anxiously scrutinized the vessel. 
 
 Then a cry of astonishment escaped him. He had 
 caught sight of the gilded lettering which ran about her 
 bow. What he read was this, The Conqi*eror. 
 
 53
 
 CHAPTER XXXI 
 
 A VOICE OUT OF THE STORM 
 
 THE marine who was performing the duty of sentry 
 about the cottage being, as a scientist would put it, a 
 man whose nerve-fibers did not carry outside impressions 
 with sufficient swiftness to the cortex of his cerebrum ; 
 in common parlance, being somewhat slow and stupid, 
 stood for a moment staring open-mouthed in the direc 
 tion from which had proceeded the crashing sound, 
 which, as we know, was occasioned by the fall of the 
 unfortunate Winters from the trunk of the pine tree. 
 
 Winters, luckily had been provided by nature with 
 quite a different sort of mechanism ; his nerve-fibers in 
 stantly telegraphed the mishap to his brain, and his 
 brain responded by suggesting a retreat. Lying quite 
 flat upon his belly he began to crawl serpent-wise, in a 
 fashion which he had acquired in his youth from a close 
 observation of the ways of the American Indian. So it 
 chanced that by the time the slow-witted marine had be 
 thought himself to fire his carbine in the direction of 
 the noise, the quick-witted sailor was quite out of range, 
 and approaching the edge of the thicket into which he 
 had fallen. Once there he arose to his feet, and began 
 to run swiftly toward the hidden retreat, swearing angrily 
 to himself as he went. 
 
 "May I be everlastin ly chalked for a loafin , fat- 
 headed land -lubber !" he grumbled. "It s time I was 
 buried, ay buried an et up by earthworms ! Jack Win- 
 254
 
 A VOICE OUT OF THE STORM 
 
 ters, I hope to the Lord you git shook off into the sea, 
 an drownded the next time ye set foot on ship-board. 
 I m ashamed of ye through an through for a blarsted 
 butter-fingered, fumblin old swab, ay, that I be ! " 
 
 His indignation with himself however did not prevent 
 his getting over the ground with remarkable celerity. 
 So that by the time it had further occurred to the sentry 
 to arouse his superior officer and communicate to him 
 his suspicions, Winters had well-nigh reached the asylum 
 of the cavern. In fact he might already have been there, 
 but mindful of a painful sensation of emptiness in that 
 region of his body which should at this time have been 
 comfortably occupied in the digestion of his supper, and 
 chancing to pass through the orange orchard, where the 
 ripe fruit lay upon the ground in profusion, he stopped 
 for a moment to fill his pockets and the bulge of his 
 seaman s blouse with the juicy spheres. 
 
 " Poor provender for starvin men," he muttered, as 
 he stuffed a dozen or so into the crown of his hat. " But 
 a blamed sight better n nothin ." 
 
 He found Constantin Dinant standing guard over the 
 grated door, and was instantly admitted. 
 
 Where is de Langres ? demanded the 1 f uguenot 
 with visible anxiety. 
 
 "In the pine tree, unless they have hauled him down 
 by this time," said the sailor. Then with a groan he 
 added, " Consarn it ! kick me, will ye ; kick me from 
 here to the cave yonder. I need it, an I m blamed if 
 I don t think it would make me feel a sight better." 
 
 " What do you mean, friend?" asked Croissart. 
 
 "What do I mean? I mean that Jack Winters, able 
 seaman able seaman, mind you who ought to be able 
 to hang with his toe-nails to the under side of a pane of 
 255
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 glass, tumbled ay, tumbled, like a blarsted, fresh-water 
 lubber offen the trunk of that pine tree yonder into the 
 bushes, an was bleeged to sneak off to save his blamed 
 old hide that s what I mean. Lord! I d take a tan 
 nin with a cat-o -nine-tails with as much pleasure as I d 
 eat supper arter such a cussed 
 
 " Hold, friend," said the old pastor severely, "your 
 language is unseemly. But what have you here?" 
 catching sight as he spoke of the oranges. 
 
 Without a word the old sailor unburdened himself of 
 an astonishing amount of the fruit, which he heaped 
 upon the floor. 
 
 The Huguenot pastor regarded it with glistening eyes. 
 " You are blaming yourself for your fall," he said, 
 * and yet it may have saved our lives. We be starving 
 men, and not strong to bear up, by reason of the fa 
 tigues and labors which have been our lot of late. Thank 
 God for this mercy !" 
 
 In the meantime St. Andre de Langres, who had suc 
 ceeded in reaching a place of comparative security in the 
 lower branches of the pine, found himself in a sad quan 
 dary. 
 
 " If I advance to the shelter of the crow s nest," he 
 thought, "the shock of my unexpected appearance 
 would probably bring forth a shriek from one of the 
 women, which would be fatal to all of us. If I remain 
 where I am, I shall certainly be seen, if they bring 
 torches underneath the tree. 
 
 He presently took advantage of the confusion which 
 ensued in the camp to climb up somewhat further into 
 the tree, where he hoped to be out of sight among the 
 branches. His anxiety about Winters was intense, and 
 still more unbearable was his fear for those who had been 
 256
 
 A VOICE OUT OF THE STORM 
 
 left in the tree-tops. He was shortly relieved in a 
 measure from at least one of these anxieties. There was 
 certainly some one in the retreat above his head, for he 
 could hear a slight unmistakable sound as of one 
 moving cautiously about. This was instantly hushed as 
 two or three of the marines dashed forward armed with 
 torches, and began a hasty search in the thicket at the 
 foot of the tree. The search proving fruitless, St. 
 Andre derived some faint satisfaction from overhearing 
 the following conversation which took place between the 
 sentry, Pierre, the sergeant, and lieutenants de Loignac 
 and de Morney, who had been aroused from their slum 
 bers in the cottage at the first alarm. 
 
 "What did you say the sound was like, you infernal 
 blockhead?" said de Loignac, addressing the sentry. 
 
 " Twas a crackling noise, sir," said the man, in evi 
 dent terror of the scowling officers who confronted him, 
 " crackling, and yet at the same time heavy. It might 
 have been a a cow." 
 
 "You fired at it, you say?" 
 
 "Yes, sir, I fired at it," then with increasing cheer 
 fulness, born of confidence "It could not then, sir, 
 have been a cow, else 
 
 " The devil take you to percrition if he have use 
 for such a fool in the infernal regions !" exclaimed dc 
 Loignac impatiently. "There was evidently no cow in 
 the case, but only a very long-eared ass." 
 
 "Had it been an ass, sir, it would doubtless have 
 brayed," quoth the sentry seriously. 
 
 "Quit braying!" shouted de Loignac, laughing in 
 spite of himself. "What in thunder could it have 
 been ? he demanded, turning to his companion, who 
 was yawning dismally. 
 
 17 2 57
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 " Sacre bleu. How should I know? Perhaps one 
 of those fool Huguenots spying about. We ll dispose 
 of them along with the others to-morrow if they fall 
 into our hands, if not why, voila / we maroon them. 
 After we have burnt the cottages and destroyed the live 
 stock, there ll be precious little left on this spot of 
 earth. They can occupy themselves with burying what 
 we leave behind ; after that, ticns ! Let them live till 
 they die one by one. I ll not spend another hour here 
 for the sake of catching the worthless beggars. 
 
 Can we get off to morrow ? 
 
 "Why not? Our gracious master will hardly visit 
 the spot to see whether all is to his liking." 
 
 "Peste ! de Morney. You are imprudent," with a 
 significant gesture toward the others of the group who 
 were listening open-mouthed to this conversation. 
 
 " Let them dare !" replied de Morney, with a menac 
 ing scowl. " But, diable ! I am sleepy. Post a double 
 sentry, sergeant, and don t call us the next time you 
 hear an owl hoot. 
 
 There was certainly cause for rejoicing in all this, 
 thought St. Andre. The search given over, the island 
 abandoned, surely they would be able to devise some 
 way in which to live until such time as they should be 
 rescued. " God will not forsake his children," said the 
 young Huguenot with the devout faith of his people. 
 His rejoicings, however, would have been changed to 
 fear could he have heard the continuation of the con 
 versation between the two officers, as they sauntered 
 back to their quarters in the cottage. 
 
 "A devilish nasty business this, putting the convicts 
 to death!" said de Morney. "By Jove, I m not a 
 professional assassin ! 
 
 253
 
 A VOICE OUT OF THE STORM 
 
 "No," sneered cle Loignac. "You re only a pro 
 fessional lady-killer and dandy." 
 
 "We re to settle that matter later, you know," re 
 plied de Morney, with an air of imperturbable good na 
 ture. "But, ma foi ! I have a better plan; what do 
 you say to leaving the convicts alive ? 
 
 "What?" 
 
 " Leave them alive, I say. You know they hate the 
 Huguenots like poison. They d fight like wild animals 
 till they made an end of each other. 
 
 " They would, but we shouldn t be here to see." 
 
 "Pooh! One must provide for the amusement of 
 others sometimes. Now I m unselfishly inclined to give 
 these poor fellows a little fun. Picture to yourself the 
 Huguenots, thinking the coast clear, thrusting out their 
 sneaking white faces from some rat-hole where they ve 
 hidden themselves, and getting a dose from the brawny 
 fellows yonder. A pretty sight eh? twould remind 
 one of arenas, gladiators, wild-beast shows, and that 
 sort of thing." 
 
 " But I tell you we shouldn t be here to see it." 
 
 "Why, my dear fellow, I ll leave you with all the 
 pleasure in life. You shall witness the combat, award 
 the laurel-wreaths, and 
 
 " Suppose / leave you tis your suggestion. Your 
 lily fingers would wreath the laurel more deftly than 
 mine ; then you might perform the funeral orations when 
 all was over. You were born a few centuries too late, 
 de Morney. You should have been a Roman." 
 
 De Morney made no reply, but it was plain that he was 
 furiously angry at the taunt. 
 
 De Loignac eyed him curiously fora moment, then he 
 burst into a loud laugh. " If we should get sufficiently 
 259
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 angry to knife each other before we leave the island," 
 he said at length, " it would please some people might- 
 ily." 
 
 "True," replied de Morney coolly, " and therefore 1 
 am biding my time; twill suit me far better to finish 
 the matter later. Let us drop the subject. You speak 
 in such a confoundedly common way, knife each other ! 
 I am no bandit. 
 
 For some hours nothing further occurred to disturb 
 the encampment about the fire. The two sentries 
 marched back and forth monotonously ; the convicts 
 tossed and muttered in their sleep ; and the young Hu 
 guenot, not daring to drowse on his giddy perch, sat 
 open-eyed, thinking of many things. The hours betwixt 
 midnight and dawn dragged slowly by. ToAvards 
 morning a thunder-shower came up, the wind blew vio 
 lently, so that the great trees groaned and twisted, and 
 lashed their giant branches to and fro. The low black- 
 bellied clouds belched forth great sheets of flame and the 
 sound of the thunder was deafening. Then followed 
 the rain, a drenching, smothering downpour. 
 
 St. Andre had ventured by this time to ensconce him 
 self upon the stairway which led up to the singular struct 
 ure above. He was greatly worried lest the crow s 
 nest should be too frail to endure the fearful stress of the 
 wind. He could distinctly hear the creaking of the tim 
 bers and the cracking and straining of the fastenings. I* 
 was very dark. The fire which had been smouldering 
 dully was almost extinguished by the pouring rain ; he 
 could hear the impatient mutterings of the men below. 
 Finally taking advantage of the darkness and the all- 
 pervading noise of the storm, he crept cautiously up the 
 ladder He had almost reached the platform when he 
 260
 
 A VOICE OUT OF THE STORM 
 
 paused for a moment ; he was sure that he could heai 
 the sound of a voice in low rapid speech. He went on 
 a few steps, his head was now on a level with the crow s 
 nest. He had not been mistaken ; there was a voice, 
 he caught the words. 
 
 " We know that we are as safe in this wind-tossed 
 tree -top as under the peaceful roof of home. But oh Lord, 
 merciful Father, we be but women ; have mercy upon 
 us, and abate the violence of the storm, we beseech 
 thee !" 
 
 His heart leapt to his throat. It was his mother s 
 voice ! She was praying in the extremity of her terror. 
 How well he remembered her white face when she had 
 reassured him, a trembling child, amid the terrifying 
 grandeur of a thunder-storm. " Are you not afraid, 
 mother?" he would say ; and she would make answer, 
 " The body of my flesh trembles before the majesty of 
 the power of God. But surely there is nothing for his 
 children to fear ; .we are as ever under the shadow of his 
 wings safe. 
 
 The sound of the praying voice continued, " My son, 
 () Lord! thou knowest where he is; he is thine. If 
 he be living, grant him peace and an unfaltering trust 
 in thy sure providence, though the ways of his life look 
 dark above him as the clouds above our heads. Restore 
 him to us in thine o\vn good time, we beseech thee !" 
 
 "Mother !" 
 
 " I heard a voice out of the storm !" said Madeline 
 with a faint sob. "It was oh mother it was the 
 voice of St. Andre !" 
 
 " I have come back to you," said St. Andre softly. 
 " Do not be frightened ! I am alive and well. It is 
 God s good time !" 
 
 261
 
 CHAPTER XXXII 
 
 PERIL ALOFT 
 
 IF anyone of the little party in the tree -tops thought 
 again of the storm, which was still raging about them 
 with unabated fury, it was only to thank God for it, 
 since the shock of the thunder and the booming of the 
 rain served to cover the sound of their rejoicings. 
 After the wanderer, who had been so strangely restored 
 to them had told his story, they had time to think of 
 the brave old sailor, to whom curiously enough all 
 owed their present comparative safety if not their lives. 
 
 " They did not capture him," said St. Andre, "of 
 that I am sure, for I heard all that passed. I trust that 
 he is with the others in the cave. These men will leave 
 the island to-day," he added, " then we shall be safe 
 for the present. 
 
 "Ah, thank God!" sighed Madeline. "But I can 
 never forget these frightful days ; since the good sailor 
 our last friend save Gate here disappeared, we have 
 existed in one long agony of fear. 
 
 "Fear of which I am heartily ashamed," said 
 Madame de Langres wiping the happy tears from her 
 eyes. " Why, why are we so ungrateful, and suspicious 
 of God s purposes? I shall never be so again." 
 
 "I am afraid that I shall," said Madeline, smiling 
 to herself in the dark, as she leaned her head against 
 her brother s shoulder. I am too much like a very 
 262
 
 PERIL ALOFT 
 
 bad child, and I forget so easily ; but I believe that the 
 Father loves us in spite of our follies." 
 
 The storm had now abated so that they were forced 
 to stop talking. Cato with the noiselessness of a 
 mouse had overhauled their stock of eatables, and de 
 Langres seeing the food remembered that he was starv 
 ing. 
 
 " I fear that I shall make great inroads upon your 
 slender store," he said in a whisper ; "I have eaten 
 nothing for six-and-thirty hours." 
 
 " Xo fear of that," said Madame de Langres, leaning 
 forward to caress with a trembling hand the long un 
 kempt locks which hung about the young man s hag 
 gard face. Her maternal soul was wrung within her at 
 sight of the change which a few short months had 
 wrought. And he, on his part, was not less moved 
 by the tear-dimmed eyes, and whitened hair of his 
 mother. His pretty little mother, he had been wont 
 to call her in the happy peaceful days of the past. 
 " She shall be happy again," he resolved ; " that shall 
 be my care." 
 
 A general commotion in the camp below, now an 
 nounced the beginning of the day s activities. The 
 convicts were aroused, counted, and provided with their 
 miserable rations. Madame de Langres shuddered as 
 she looked down at them, and tightened her grasp on 
 her son s hand. He had been one of them. He too 
 had been driven forth as a beast to labor. Ah, God 
 was good ! She would remember ! 
 
 The officers now came out from the cottage, talking 
 and gesticulating violently. 
 
 "Fetch pitch and tow, and whatever you have that 
 is inflammable," commanded de Loignar, and set 
 263
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 these cottages afire. We must get away to-day ; we 
 have already outstayed our time. The loss of those ac 
 cursed Huguenots put us back at least two days. 
 
 " Do you purpose to abandon the island without find 
 ing them, sir?" asked Pierre respectfully. 
 
 "What business is that of yours," growled de Loig- 
 nac ; " is it your place to question? What say you, de 
 Morney, shall we leave our valuable sergeant along with 
 the convicts to continue the search?" 
 
 "It might be well," replied that gentleman, who 
 was gently whistling a tune from the latest opera. 
 "He has given us considerable trouble from time to 
 time. It would teach him a lesson though to be sure 
 he would hardly have opportunity to avail himself of its 
 valuable effects on his character." 
 
 "What what do you mean, honored sirs?" stam 
 mered the sergeant, whitening visibly beneath his tan. 
 " I have not meant I am sure that I have tried to do 
 my full duty. 
 
 Yes ? sneered de Morney, Voila ! Continue then 
 to obey. Here you, Gaston, fetch out our toilet-cases 
 and the portmanteaux from the cottage. Take them to 
 the ship ; tell the captain that we shall come on board 
 presently. If he has not already laid in sufficient fresh 
 water, fruit and vegetables for the voyage, he must do 
 so at once. 
 
 "And the convicts, sir," said Pierre, who had ap 
 parently recovered himself. What shall they do ? 
 
 De Morney glanced carelessly at the group of men, 
 some forty in all, who stood at a little distance under 
 guard of the marines. He twisted his mustaches 
 thoughtfully, as he studied one by one the cruel, beast- 
 like faces. " The convicts ?" he said slowly. "Attend 
 264
 
 PERIL ALOFT 
 
 sergeant !" and he whispered some order into the ear 
 of Pierre. 
 
 "Ay, ay, sir!" said the sergeant stolidly. Then he 
 turned to the marines. " March them toward the cha 
 teau !" he commanded. 
 
 More marines now appeared bearing combustibles, and 
 shortly to the great regret of the anxious watchers in 
 the pine trees, the cottage which had sheltered them so 
 pleasantly during the past few months lay in smoking 
 ruins. A little further away among the trees, arose a 
 second smother of smoke and flame which announced 
 the demolition of the laborers huts, together with the 
 barns and out-buildings. And now cries of pain, and 
 the wild lowing of cattle proclaimed that the domestic 
 animals, which had so long dwelt in peaceful happiness 
 amid the groves and meadows, were being driven out 
 and ruthlessly slaughtered. Madeline could hardly re 
 strain her indignation when one of the marines roughly 
 caught and held up at arm s length the little spaniel, 
 which she had been forced to leave below. 
 
 " What about this little beast !" he shouted ; "shall 
 1 kill him?" 
 
 "Of course," said Pierre ; "you know the orders." 
 
 " Hold hard, fellow !" cried de Morney, who was 
 personally superintending the slaughter. " Let me have 
 a look at the beast. No " he said after a careful ex 
 amination of the dog, " this is a valuable animal : I shall 
 keep it." 
 
 It was now late in the afternoon. St. Andre had 
 kept a close watch upon the ship, and about five o clock 
 he announced that the preparations for departure were 
 unquestionably complete. Boats, laden with fresh water, 
 fruits, and the choicer parts of the slaughtered animals, 
 265
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 had been plying between the island and the ship all day ; 
 but these had all been drawn up to their places, and 
 there was no further sign of human presence upon the 
 island. " I believe that they are all aboard," he said, 
 dropping the glass. 
 
 Now de Lord be bressed ! exclaimed Cato loudly. 
 " I ain t dared breeve for mor n a week. Halleluia ! 
 Amen ! The old man brought out the last two words 
 with astounding emphasis, and had opened his mouth 
 for a continuation of his fervid rejoicings, when Made- 
 ; e seized him by the arm. 
 
 Hush ! I am sure that I heard some one talking ! 
 
 All listened intently. 
 
 I think you are mistaken, my child, began 
 Madame de Langres, with a relieved look on her worn 
 face. Then she stopped suddenly. 
 
 There was an unmistakable sound of human voices ; 
 presently two men came into view. They were instantly 
 recognized by the watchers as the officers in charge of 
 this singular expedition. They were evidently engaged 
 in taking a last survey of the island preparatory to aban 
 doning it ; two armed marines followed them at a little 
 distance. 
 
 I tell you, declared de Loignac, as the party 
 paused for an instant under the pines, that I heard a 
 voice shouting amen ! If we could but root out those 
 palavering hypocrites, together with that mythical Eng 
 lishman before leaving the place I say mythical, for I 
 believe that the whole story of his find was a lie invented 
 by those two scoundrels, Pierre and Gaston, for the pur 
 pose of covering their cursed carelessness." 
 
 "A clumsy enough lie !" replied the other, lighting 
 a cigar. 
 
 266
 
 PERIL ALOFT 
 
 " Clumsy enough, yes ; but lying that is to say artis 
 tic, soul-convincing deceit, the variety that carries com 
 pelling belief in its train is one of the fine arts. One 
 could scarcely expect a clod like Pierre to have mastered 
 it." 
 
 De Morney emitted a cloud of tobacco smoke before 
 replying, then he laughed sarcastically. " You should 
 add, my friend, that the art of lying is a special gift be 
 stowed by the prince of darkness upon his votaries, the 
 father of lies is, I believe, a good orthodox name for 
 his infernal highness and further, that one gains skill 
 and address therein by practice and by a faithful and de 
 vout attention to the secret spiritual admonitions of le 
 bon diable and his emissaries. 
 
 You should have been an abbe, de Morney. Your 
 exposition is positively edifying. But, morbleu ! speak 
 ing of the devil what is that ? 
 
 De Loignac as he spoke had glanced up carelessly into 
 the branches above his head. Now it chanced unhap 
 pily that the storm in its fury had torn away a part of 
 the great tree ; de Loignac had therefore caught a glimpse 
 of the black face of Cato as he leaned over the side of 
 the crow s nest, horrified at the scandalous talk of the 
 two officers. He had instantly withdrawn his head upon 
 hearing the exclamation of de Loignac, and crouched 
 behind the shelter of the low railing, absolutely paralyzed 
 with fear. Madame de Langres and Madeline convul 
 sively clutched each other by the hand, and listened 
 breathlessly for the next words from below. 
 
 " What do you mean ? said de Morney, looking up in 
 his turn. " I see nothing. No, by Jove ! there is some 
 thing curious up there. It can hardly be the convicts ; 
 but suppose we try the effect of a shot in that direction. 
 267
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 Snatching a carbine from one of the marines he raised 
 it and fired directly upward. The shot passed through 
 the floor carrying away a fragment of Madeline s gown 
 and buried itself in the trunk of the tree. 
 
 The young girl sank back half-fainting against her 
 mother s shoulder, but not a sound escaped her lips. 
 
 "What did you see anyhow?" inquired de Morney, 
 after he had paused a moment to observe the effect of his 
 random assault. 
 
 " I caught but a single glimpse," confessed de Loig- 
 nac, " but it looked to me like the face of a black man, 
 with monstrous staring eyes." 
 
 De Morney burst into a laugh. Did you never see a 
 monkey, man ? one of those man-faced apes I mean." 
 
 " Do you suppose it was that?" said de Loignac 
 doubtfully. " I couldn t swear that it was not, though 
 so far I have seen nothing of the sort on the island. It 
 looks rather unnatural up there to me," he continued, 
 staring fixedly into the branches. " I believe I ll send 
 one of the men up to see. I say, you Vonard, get up 
 that tree in a hurry and see what s above." 
 
 The marine handed his carbine to his fellow without 
 a word, and divested himself of his jacket. 
 
 St. Andre arose to his feet noiselessly, and looked 
 about him, then he stooped over the shivering, crouch 
 ing negro. " Have you any weapon ?" he whispered in 
 his ear. 
 
 The negro looked up. His face was ashen ; he seemed 
 unable to speak. 
 
 "Answer!" said St. Andre, with a menacing gest 
 ure, " or by the Lord, I ll throw you down to them !" 
 
 This threat acted at once as a mental tonic ; raising 
 one shaking hand, the unfortunate Cato pointed to the 
 268
 
 PERIL ALOFT 
 
 cupboard. St. Andre reached it with a single noiseless 
 stride, and discovered therein a sharp two-edged knife, 
 a brace of which Winters had taken the precaution to 
 bring from the wreck of the }VJiite Cull, and one of 
 which he had thoughtfully placed among the stores of 
 the crow s nest. Cato had too evidently made use of this 
 knife in his culinary operations, and St. Andre passing 
 his thumb along the edge of the blade, frowned darkly. 
 
 "But I will kill him!" he whispered between his 
 shut teeth. " 1 will kill them all !" He looked at his 
 mother and Madeline, and felt the strength of ten men 
 animate his body, as he thought what would follow 
 should they be captured. 
 
 The marine had by this time reached the lower 
 branches of the tree where he discovered the stairway 
 which led up to the retreat above. He uttered a slight 
 cry of surprise, then instead of advancing, began a swift 
 retreat. 
 
 "What are you coming down for, coward?" shouted 
 de Loignac. 
 
 The man h;id by this time reached the ground. " F 
 thought, it more prudent to consult you, sir," he said in 
 a low voice ; " there may be a, dozen armed men con 
 cealed above." And he proceeded to acquaint the offi 
 cers with what he had seen. 
 
 265
 
 XXXIII 
 
 THE SIGNAL -GUN 
 
 "A r-EST .- n you for a cowardly fool!" began de 
 Loignac in ^ violent rage. "Had there been armed 
 men up there, we would have heard of it before this. 
 The stairway is no new device, man. Get you up quickly, 
 or I shall assist you in a way that you will not relish." 
 
 The marine with a sullen look prepared to obey. 
 " Give me your pistol, sir," he said. " I shall not be 
 able to carry my carbine. 
 
 De Morney who had calmly continued to smoke dur 
 ing this conversation tossed the fragment of his cigar 
 aside. He had in the meantime been studying the 
 structure in the tree-tops from various points of view. 
 
 " I don t blame the fellow for not wanting to go 
 up," he said at length ; "and I am not sure but that 
 we are exposing ourselves needlessly to stand here. 
 Suppose we hold a council of war yonder. A party of 
 marines with axes would be more to the point, I fancy." 
 
 "But the men are all on board," objected de Loig 
 nac impatiently, "and we must get off by the next 
 tide." 
 
 "There s no must about it, to-morrow morning 
 would do quite as well. If Vonard finds a wasps nest 
 aloft, and gets badly stung, voila . the wasps nest must 
 come down ! 
 
 Vonard by this time had reached the wooden ladder, 
 and holding the pistol in one hand, began the ascent. 
 270
 
 THE SIGNAL-GUN 
 
 St. Andre crouched behind the railing. 
 Step by step the marine advanced. He was afraid, 
 as was evidenced by his slow, hesitating approach. St. 
 Andre remained motionless until the man had reached 
 the platform, where he stood for a moment looking about 
 him in surprise, then his eye fell upon Cato ; he ad 
 vanced with a cry, raising his hand as if to fire. 
 
 This was what St. Andre had counted upon. He 
 sprang up with a bound, knocked the pistol out of the 
 man s hand, then seizing him under the armpits hurled 
 him violently over the ledge. The unfortunate marine 
 uttered a loud cry, and spread abroad his hands in a 
 vain endeavor to save himself; crashing twice or thrice 
 with a dull thud upon the intervening branches he fell 
 down down down, striking the ground with a hor 
 rible sound at the very feet of the two officers. 
 
 l)e Loignac started back with an oath, but de Morney 
 turned the body over with his foot, using it gingerly lest 
 he should soil his polished boot. 
 
 " He is quite dead," he said coldly at length, 
 " neck broken for one tiling. Will you take my ad 
 vice now, or will you send up the other man?" 
 
 " I will go up myself!" cried de Loignac ; " the fel 
 low was a slosv-witted fool !" 
 
 " Ah," said de Morney nonchalantly, lifting his eye 
 brows, " then is our duel off? I rather regret 
 
 " What do you mean ?" interrupted the other roughly. 
 "Nothing, only that there are better ways of dying 
 than this," and he again carelessly nudged the body of 
 the dead Vonard with the toe of his boot. 
 
 De Loignac tugged savagely at his mustaches. " Come 
 on," he said at length ; " we will return to the ship for 
 assistance." 
 
 271
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 "And leave the occupants of the tree to escape in 
 our absence?" said de Morney, shrugging his shoul 
 ders. 
 
 " Some one must go. There are only three of us 
 
 " Send the marine. You and I will make an am 
 buscade to pick off any who may try to descend." 
 
 " Bon ! But what is that? The signal gun ! one 
 two three -four / Immediate return / What can it 
 be?" 
 
 " We must return and see." 
 
 And leave the tree unguarded ? 
 
 " Certes, it may after all be only an ape. The creat 
 ures are immensely strong, and inconceivably quick." 
 
 "And Vonard, poor devil, was inconceivably slow. 
 We must take him." 
 
 Pah ! we shall soil our hands. 
 
 " Let Gaspard take him over his shoulders." 
 
 So in this fashion, to the great surprise of St. Andre, 
 who was watching their movements with feelings which 
 may be better imagined than described, the three set 
 forth. After what seemed an age he saw their boat 
 creeping like a snail across the water in the direction of 
 the vessel. 
 
 He had not been able to hear the latter part of the 
 conversation, and fancied that they had only returned 
 for men to cut down the trees. He therefore approached 
 the women, who were still crouching in a state of semi- 
 insensibility behind their screen of blankets. 
 
 " How did you get up here?" he demanded of Mad 
 eline ? 
 
 " By a rope-ladder," replied the young girl faintly. 
 Then raising her head, " Are they there still?" 
 
 " No, they have gone ; but only to fetch axes to cut 
 272
 
 THE SIGNAL -GUN 
 
 down the trees. We must hasten ! Where is the rope- 
 ladder ? 
 
 "At the foot of the stairway, I suppose. Mr. Win 
 ters drew it up." 
 
 "Yes, I understand. I will let it down. Give 
 mother something to revive her. He. quick !" 
 
 Descending the stairway, the young man found the 
 rope-ladder, coiled up and tied to the limb, just as 
 Winters had left it. He unfastened it, descended and 
 made it taut at its lower end, then he hurried back to 
 where the women were awaiting him ; glancing at the 
 ship, he was amazed to see it with every stitch of can 
 vas spread, apparently getting under way. He caught 
 up the glass in astonishment. 
 
 " There is another ship," said Madeline breathlessly. 
 " I see no boat ; can it be that they have left, not mean 
 ing to return ?" 
 
 "They have been forced to leave !" cried St. Andre, 
 dropping the glass. "If I am not very much mis 
 taken yonder sail is that of the enemy ; there is also 
 another which I can sec by the aid of the glass, possi 
 bly the consort of the first. At all events the French 
 ship has deemed it prudent to withdraw." 
 
 "Then we are saved !" 
 
 "For the present yes," replied St. Andre slowly. 
 " ]>ut there is one thing concerning which T must sat 
 isfy myself before you descend. I should have taken 
 the risk had it appeared that they were to return but 
 now Fie paused for a moment and knit his brows 
 thoughtfully. 
 
 "What do you mean?" 
 
 "I mean the convicts," and the young man turned 
 to descend. He paused, however, with his foot on the 
 18 273
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 first step of the stairway to say, I shall haul up the 
 rope-ladder again for the present ; I will return as soon 
 as I have reconnoitered a little." 
 
 "Oh, brother!" begged Madeline, clasping her 
 hands in sudden terror, "suppose the convicts 
 
 "You are already forgetting, little sister," said St. 
 Andre with a grave smile. " I am armed and they are 
 not," he added, pointing to de Loignac s pistol. 
 " Courage ! I shall be with you before you have time 
 to fear. 
 
 The young man prudently resolved to first visit the 
 cavern, and acquaint his companions who were im 
 prisoned there with the course which events had taken. 
 But Winters had already seen the departure of the 
 vessel from his post of observation, and burning with 
 impatience and anxiety, was on his way to the great 
 trees to look after the safety of those whom he had 
 left behind when he descended upon the tour of in 
 vestigation which had been fraught with such moment 
 ous results. 
 
 He was accompanied by the five Huguenots, and 
 when St. Andre spied them, all six were bending over 
 some object which was lying upon the ground. As the 
 young man hurriedly approached them, he perceived 
 that the object of their attention was the body of a man 
 lying flat upon his face. 
 
 "God be thanked, you are safe!" exclaimed the 
 Huguenot pastor devoutly as he caught sight of St. 
 Andre and the others ? 
 
 "They too are safe," replied the young man. 
 
 "Are they ?" 
 
 "Yes, my mother and my sister," said St. Andre. 
 
 "Wonderful providence of the Most High ! Truly 
 274
 
 THE SIGNAL-GUN 
 
 the Lord reigneth ; He delighteth himself in merey, 
 Alleluia!" 
 
 This ere man ain t dead," put in Winters, with 
 his accustomed irrelevancy. " I can hear him breathe. 
 
 St. Andre looked attentively at the body. It stirred 
 slightly; he stooped and turned it over. "It is the 
 convict who threatened to betray us!" he exclaimed. 
 "Where are the others?" 
 
 Winters jerked his thumb over his shoulder by way 
 of reply, and St. Andre following the motion, was hor 
 rified at the sight of an indiscriminate heap of dead 
 bodies, lying in ghastly confusion in a hollow place at 
 the foot of a knoll ; this hollow was literally brimming 
 over with blood. 
 
 " Shot !" explained Winters briefly. " This fellow 
 wa n t killed outright an dragged himself away. He ll 
 live if we take care of him. Shall we do it?" 
 
 The Huguenot pastor frowned. " Do you ask that 
 question, son of Belial," he said severely, "after the 
 wonderful display of divine mercy and providence 
 which we have just witnessed? Were it not for the in 
 tervention of the potent arm of the Almighty you also 
 would be lying dead in yonder pool of blood." 
 
 "Wall," said Winters scratching his head reflective 
 ly, " I might, then agin I might not. When folks talk 
 about proverdunce that way, a thankin God that they 
 was presarved when other folks wa n t, I allers think 
 about that sayin , The early bird catches the worm; 
 thar s the worm, you know an like as not an all-fired 
 good industrious worm as gits caught. In this ere 
 case, we re saved, the fellows yonder are shot, what s 
 the reason ? 
 
 "They were sinful men " began the Huguenot. 
 275
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 "So be I!" cut in Winters, grinning cheerfully. 
 "You jes called me a son of Belial ; an here s this old 
 cuss on the ground, the wust one of the lot, as ud knife 
 us all if he got a chance an it was to his betterin ." 
 
 The Huguenot pastor looked down at the face of the 
 unconscious man. " It may be," he said thoughtfully, 
 " that even we may prove humble instruments in God s 
 hand to snatch this poor sinner as a brand from the 
 burning. But we must first attend to his physical hurts. 
 Alas ! that all is destroyed ; we have now neither food 
 nor shelter. 
 
 "Thar s the cave, parson," said Winters; "as for* 
 victuals, we ll find a plenty. But these ere bodies must 
 l)e got underground as soon as possible. It won t do to 
 have the women-folks see anything of the sort." 
 
 " I will return to the tree and reassure them of safety," 
 said St. Andre. 
 
 " Thar s a heap to do for everybody," quoth Win 
 ters. " If you ve no objections, sir, I d like to git up 
 that tree myself. I want to take a parti n look at the 
 ship through the glass, an notice which way she s 
 headed. If they ain t made ducks an drakes of the 
 yacht- as I make no doubt they have we ll be settin 
 sail ourselves some fine day. 
 
 " She s headed nor by nor west, " said de Langres, 
 "but visit the crow s nest by all means ; my mother and 
 sister are longing to see you with their own eyes. They 
 have not forgotten to whom they owe everything ; nor 
 have I," he added, grasping the old sailor by the hand. 
 
 "Why, blow me, sir, I ain t done nothin wuth men 
 tioning, " replied Winters ; " couldn t do less anyhow ; 
 I made that there crow s nest as much for myself as for 
 anybody. I kind of blundered into a good job, that s 
 276
 
 THE SIGNAL CUN 
 
 all. The j arson here 11 explain how tis that a son of 
 1 elial that s me sometimes dors blunder that way." 
 The old man s eyes glistened as he spoke, and he drew 
 his jacket -sleeve across his eyes. " Oress I ll git along," 
 lie added, "whilst he s explainin of it. I don t know 
 now it is, but too much religion allers makes me sassy.
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV 
 
 BOVET 
 
 AT St. Andre s request nothing was said to either o! 
 the women concerning the massacre of the convicts. 
 They have had horrors enough to bear, declared the 
 young man. 
 
 The presence of the wounded convict the women at 
 tributed to an accident, and addressed themselves with 
 zeal to the task of nursing him back to health. The 
 man had shortly recovered consciousness, but seemed 
 disinclined to speak, which was thought to be one of 
 the unfortunate effects of his wound. 
 
 Madeline was delighted with the cave, for as the story 
 of the mysterious dead man had also been suppressed, 
 the place had no unpleasant associations for her. " What 
 a charmingly mysterious place," she had exclaimed, 
 when introduced to the cavern by its outer entrance. 
 " What could it have been used for; perhaps to bury 
 treasure in, who knows ? 
 
 The young girl with her accustomed light -hearterlness 
 had already recovered her spirits. "How can I help 
 but be happy?" she cried. " St. Andre is restored to 
 us, and that dear old Winters, besides our pastor and 
 who could have dreamed of that ? I believe that those 
 wicked men will never return ; why should we not re 
 main here, and rebuild the cottage?" 
 
 But St. Andre shook his head. "This is not a place in 
 which to remain, he said gravely. 
 278
 
 BOVET 
 
 As for Winters he was more bent than ever upon leav 
 ing the island. "I ain t for sayin now, in view of 
 what s happened, that I wish we d gone to begin with. 
 We was kep for a purpose, as the parson says, an it 
 looks reasonable. But it seems to me that as soon as we 
 can git the yacht in order, we d best git out of here." 
 The others agreed with him. 
 
 The yacht had fortunately escaped the hands of the 
 destroyers. It had evidently been visited, and after a 
 wanton overhauling which left its interior in the wildest 
 confusion, had been set on fire. But for some reason or 
 other the fire had gone out after doing but little damage. 
 Luckily no one had taken the pains to make sure of its 
 destruction, so that to the great joy and relief of Win 
 ters he had found the little vessel comparatively unin 
 jured. 
 
 " I m for holdin a special praise -meetin over this lit 
 tle craft !" he cried joyfully. The old man had adopted 
 the religious tone of his companions with a fervor which 
 brought a smile to the grave faces of the Huguenots 
 more than once, commingled as it was with his own pe 
 culiar and picturesque profanity. "I ll be blowed if 
 this ain t taking it all roundthe han somest thing 
 the A mighty has done yit for us poor miserable sin 
 ners ! I tell ye, prayin s the thing ; I m in for it from 
 now on ! While your askin for one thing, an like as 
 not forgittin all about suthin more important, the Lord 
 jcs throws that in, so to speak. He ain t forgot it. 
 No, sir !" 
 
 The Huguenot pastor soon ceased to rebuke the old 
 
 man for his somewhat dubious sayings. He had begun 
 
 to understand the simple, childlike and yet wonderfully 
 
 shrewd mind of the sailor, and took a deal of quiet pleas- 
 
 279
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 are in sounding the depths of his character. He had 
 thrown himself with fervor into the work of refitting the 
 vessel and had thus further advanced himself in his good 
 graces. 
 
 "You say that you are an Englishman, friend," he 
 said one day, as the two were busily at \\ork repairing 
 the rigging of the yacht. The sailor had been expatiat 
 ing at length upon America whither all the Huguenots 
 hoped to arrive at no distant day. " I should have said 
 that you were an American, though I confess to know 
 ing very little about them." 
 
 "Wall, I was born in England an no mistake, so 
 I m an Englishman all right, but I ll tell ye how it was. 
 My father was born in the colonies at Plymouth ; he 
 stayed there fightin Injuns an raisin corn till he was 
 bout twenty years old, then he went back to England, 
 an stayed a spell. While he was thar he married his 
 second cousin, an I was born in England. Arter that 
 they both came back, an I was raised in Ameriky. I 
 took to the sea, married an English wife, an I ve been 
 knockin about ever since a hard case too most of the 
 time. Reckon I got too much prcachin when I was 
 young. Got set in the stocks once for laughin out loir. 
 inmeetin . The parson he d preached fur two hours 
 bout hell an damnation, an all that sort of thing it 
 never sca t me much anyhow. An I set there watchin 
 a fly as was crawlin up onto the slippery bald head of 
 an old man right in front of me. He was asleep, though 
 he set up and pertended to be listenin with his eyes 
 shet. He kep a reachin up for that fly sort of oneasy 
 like, an the fly he dodged as cute as a pin. I reckon 
 the devil got arter me, for I laughed right out loud, an 
 as I say, got set in the stocks fur two hours for an ex- 
 
 200
 
 BOVET 
 
 ample. I was about fourteen then, an I took to the 
 
 sea that very night." 
 
 "Now if you had listened to that sermon " began 
 the Huguenot gravely. 
 
 " Oh \as, if 1 had listened to that ere sermon." in 
 terrupted the sailor, " I shouldn t have seen the fly ; I d 
 have kep still stead of ha-ha-in right out in meetin 
 Lord ! ho\v they all stared ! Prob ly I should have 
 stayed in Ameriky till I died might have died young 
 too, along of the Indians. Then \vhar d you an Miss 
 Madeline an her ma, an all the rest of ye be?" 
 
 The ways of the Lord are unsearchable and past 
 finding out," quoth the pastor meditatively. 
 
 "Jes so," commented Winters. "I s pose one 
 thing s proverdunce s much as another. I had to 
 laugh out loud in meetin , an git set in the stocks, an 
 knocked about the world, so s to be on hand for this 
 ere job, don t you see !" 
 
 " Well, I hardly know about that, friend. Scripture 
 speaks concerning the over-ruling providence ; that is 
 to say, God is able to subdue even wickedness to his 
 glorious purposes, as in the case of the crucifixion of our 
 blessed Lord." 
 
 " No\v you re a gittin out of my soundin s ; it s time 
 to tack, 1 reckon. What do you think about our friend 
 the convict, Bovet, he says his name is? Somehow 1 
 don t feel altogether safe bout him. He s too quiet by 
 half, an there s a look in his eye that I don t like." 
 
 " I hardly know what to say in answer to that ques 
 tion," replied the Huguenot thoughtfully. "I have 
 endeavored to talk with the man twice or thrice, but he 
 had very little to say for himself. I had hoped that 
 mademoiselle might influence him ; he seems dis- 
 281
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 posed to listen to her more attentively than to anyone 
 else." 
 
 Humph ! ejaculated Winters, pulling away at the 
 cordage with a grim expression upon his countenance 
 which might mean anything or nothing. "Wall, sir! 
 I ll tell ye what I think," he burst out at length. " I 
 think the fellow is a brute beast ; a heap more to be 
 feared than any tiger that ever sneaked in the jungle. 
 If I had my way about it, he d a been whar he belongs 
 afore this time, an that ain t in heaven. But since 
 we ve gone and done the good Samaritan act, and got 
 him all nussed up, I reckon we d better do two things, 
 first, make him work day times 
 
 "But he still complains of pain in the region of his 
 wound," objected the old minister mildly. 
 
 " Yer granny! xcuse me, sir he s jest a playin 
 off. He s all right, an able enough to work. The 
 second thing I was goin to mention is, that I think as 
 how he ought to be chained up nights. What s to 
 hinder him from murderin every mother s son of us 
 while we re asleep?" 
 
 "What object could the man have in so doing?" 
 questioned the Huguenot, looking troubled; "his own 
 safety certainly depends in a measure upon us." 
 
 " Does a mad dog think ? does a tiger reason things 
 out, sir? I tell ye he ain t human, an he ain t fit to 
 be loose." 
 
 " I believe that you are wrong, friend," persisted the 
 Huguenot. Nevertheless he observed the man, Bovet, 
 that night more narrowly than he had done heretofore. 
 The party, now consisting of the six Huguenots, Win 
 ters, Cato, and the two women, making with the 
 wounded convict eleven persons in all, were gathered 
 282
 
 BOVET 
 
 about the cheerful blaze which it had become the 
 custom to light every evening near the entrance to the 
 cavern. 
 
 "We can git off by say the day after to-morrow," 
 Winters was saying cheerfully. "The parson an I 
 have got things into pretty good shape aboard the yacht. 
 How have you folks come on with your dried meat, and 
 yer cooked victuals ? 
 
 "Mighty well," said Cato triumphantly, to whose 
 experienced hands had been entrusted the victualling 
 of the ship. " Mighty well, an what s better, we done 
 dug into some of the cellars under the ruin to-day, and 
 found dey was a plenty ob good victuals there yet that 
 wasn t touched by fire nor powder." 
 
 Constantin Dinant, whose eyes were thoughtfully 
 fixed upon the man Bovet, was startled to observe the 
 look of wolfish greed which leapt into his eyes as he 
 listened. "Is it possible that the fellow understands 
 English ? thought the minister to himself, feeling some 
 what uneasy at the circumstance. The conversation had 
 often been carried on in that language in presence of 
 the convict, for the benefit of Winters to whom French 
 was unintelligible. He now remembered that Winters 
 had repeatedly said before the man, " He won t bother 
 us long He s the sort to be wanted most anywhere," 
 and other remarks of like import. 1 le continued to 
 stare reflectively at the convict, whose small, savage 
 eyes were now fixed upon Madeline with an expression 
 which obviously rendered the young girl uneasy, for she 
 arose at length and crossing to the opposite side of the 
 fire, seated herself near her brother, who was occupied 
 in reading from a small volume which he had found in 
 the cabin of the yacht. The convict smiled, an evil 
 283
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 smile, and dropping his head muttered something to 
 himself. 
 
 "What are you thinking about, friend?" demanded 
 the pastor, suddenly rising, and standing before the 
 man. He asked the question in English, and the 
 startled look in the eyes of the convict convinced him 
 that he was perfectly understood. 
 
 I ah Je ?ie vous comprends pas, -monsieur. 
 
 "You are not telling the truth," replied the Hugue 
 not quietly. The convict made no reply, but a mur 
 derous fire blazed up in his eyes for an instant, then 
 died away dully. 
 
 " Je ne vous comprends" he repeated with a stupid 
 air. 
 
 Constantin Dinant turned away, thoughtfully drawing 
 his long silvery beard through his hand. He was de 
 cidedly uneasy ; deeply versed in the ways of men, with 
 all his far-reaching benevolence he was not lacking in 
 shrewd caution. "Friend Winters is right," he said 
 to himself, "the man is dangerous. I should like for 
 the moment to be able to look behind those green eyes 
 of his." Even as he thought thus within himself that 
 mysterious sixth sense, whose verity has always been re 
 jected as a species of irreligion, flashed so dark a pict 
 ure before his mental vision that he shrank back ap 
 palled. " Lord, why do such visions of guilty passion 
 afflict my soul?" was the mental prayer with which he 
 strove to combat the God-given warning. Yet was he 
 sufficiently moved thereby to approach St. Andr and 
 request a few moments conversation aside. 
 
 I am going for fresh water from the spring, he said 
 aloud with a genial smile. 
 
 St. Andr6 sprang up instantly. You wished to 
 284
 
 BOVET 
 
 speak with me ? he said in a low tone as the two walked 
 a\vay together. 
 
 "Yes, I wish to advise that hereafter as long as we 
 remain upon the island the women shall pass the night 
 in the (row s nest, as our good friend Winters calls it ; 
 you also to guard them." 
 
 " Why is that, sir?" asked the young man in surprise. 
 " We shall not be here more than two nights longer, 
 and we have removed all of the blankets, together with 
 the hammocks, to the little nook which I have arranged 
 for them in the cave." 
 
 11 1 know all that, my son, and yet I want you to do 
 it. I fear the man, Bovet, I hardly know why ; Win 
 ters also distrusts him, and he is a man of remarkable 
 sagacity. He advises to chain him up at night, but we 
 could not do that, it savors too much of the ways of the 
 flesh in dealing with erring humanity. But there could 
 be no harm in taking reasonable precautions, such as re 
 moving the women to the tree-tops, and drawing up the 
 rope-ladder. 
 
 " It shall be done," said St. Andre looking troubled. 
 " 1 hope I am not doing wrong in wishing that the bul 
 lets of the marines had been better aimed in his case." 
 
 The old minister made no comment upon this speech ; 
 he had himself been visited with a similar regret on 
 more than one occasion. " Do not let him know of the 
 change," he said simply. 
 
 Neither Winters nor the Huguenot pastor slept much 
 during the night. There was something profoundly dis 
 turbing in the mental atmosphere, which both men feU 
 acutely. The convict lay a little to one side on the bod 
 which he still preempted. lie slept soundly to all ap 
 pearances, so did the others. Shortly after midnight, 
 285
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 Winters who was mentally cursing himself for his wake 
 fulness, heard a slight sound. He sat up and instantly 
 struck a light which he had taken the precaution to have 
 at hand. 
 
 "What is it?" whispered Constan tin Dinant, starting 
 up at the sound of the flint. 
 
 "Nothin , it seems," replied Winters, looking about 
 him. " I thought I heard something but he is asleep. 
 Consarn it, I am goin to sleep myself !" he added, ap 
 parently much out of temper, and extinguishing the 
 light he lay down once more in his place. He was pres 
 ently snoring. 
 
 About an hour afterward the convict again moved 
 cautiously in his place. This time no sound of striking 
 flint and steel reached his ears. He arose noiselessly to 
 his feet, then paused an instant to listen. He could 
 hear nothing save the heavy breathing of the sleepers. 
 
 He smiled to himself in the dark, then reaching under 
 the cover of his bed drew out a long knife. 
 
 " Now my fine sailor friend," he said to himself, 
 "and my whining, hypocritical, long-faced comrades 
 convicts all, I will show you how you shall die without 
 a sound ! The girl shall be mine, and I lord of the 
 island ! 
 
 V 
 
 286
 
 CHAPTER XXXV 
 
 THE PRISONERS 
 
 IN the excitement of the hours which followed neither 
 Baillot nor Goujet gave a single thought to the two men, 
 Lock and Mateo, whom they had left bound and gagged 
 in the inner cabin of the Rouge ct Noir. As time passed 
 on the sufferings of the luckless captives became almost 
 unbearable. Mateo at length succeeded in freeing his 
 tongue from the gag, and his shrieks and imprecations 
 were something frightful to hear. To his surprise, how 
 ever, no one heeded him, every soul of the crew be 
 ing on deck and absorbed in the race between \heRonge 
 et Noir and the man-of-war. The English ship con 
 tinued at intervals to fire her bow guns at the flying 
 brigantine, which responded heartily from her stern ; 
 neither did much damage, and Maillot observed with 
 satisfaction that the distance between the two vessels in 
 creased rather than lessened with every passing hour. 
 
 The prisoners below, hearing the guns, and feeling 
 the trembling of the ship as she drove violently through 
 the water, partly guessed at the state of things. 
 
 "Cowards!" hissed the Italian through his closed 
 teeth, " why do dey not fight ? Dey should die rather 
 than run were Mateo capitain !" Then he beat his 
 manacled hands together violently and shouted. " Vil 
 lains ! Dogs! Pigs! Come quick, loose me!" end 
 ing with a long inarticulate howl of rage. 
 
 He had repeated this performance perhaps a score of 
 287
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 times, without other result than an increase of his already 
 intolerable thirst, when he heard a fumbling sound at 
 the door outside, which Goujet had taken the pains to 
 lock. 
 
 "Open, dear, good friend!" shrieked the Italian, 
 thinking best to change his mode of address. " For de 
 love of all de saints, for de love of heaven, open ! I 
 arn perishing ! 
 
 But I cannot open ; the door is fast, answered a 
 soft whining voice which Mateo recognized as belonging 
 to a Genoese lad, whom he himself had picked up in 
 port a few months previous, and who officiated on board 
 the Rouge et Noir as cook. 
 
 His eyes gleamed with satisfaction. "That you, 
 Tito ? he asked in Italian. 
 
 Yes, master. How can I open ? Shall I call 
 some one the mate Goujet, or the new captain?" 
 
 " A thousand devils ! No ! tis they who have bound 
 me. Listen, fetch Salmo, together you can force the 
 trumpery door. Quick now ! and let no one hear you. 
 Having delivered these commands, Mateo sank back, 
 smiling grimly to himself as he thought what he should 
 do, once loosened from his hateful bonds. He could 
 hear Lock moaning and snuffling dismally from his 
 bunk ; his face grew thoughtful. Should he loose him 
 also ? Upon mature reflection he decided that he would. 
 Together they could rid themselves of the usurper and 
 of Goujet. "I can settle my little business with the 
 Englishman, he said, when he is no longer useful to 
 me." Arriving at which satisfactory conclusion, he 
 awaited with all the patience at his command the re 
 turn of Tito. This was so long delayed that he began 
 to fear lest something had befallen the lad. " The pur- 
 288
 
 THE PRISONERS 
 
 blind imbecile!" he muttered to himself. "He has 
 been caught by that villain Goujet, ah, I could grind 
 him between these teeth like an almond!" Then he be 
 guiled the moments by stringing together the several 
 oaths of which he was master in Italian, English, 
 French, Portuguese and Spanish, in all of which lan 
 guages he was sufficiently proficient to swear fluently. 
 
 At length he heard steps and voices in the cabin with 
 out. There was a violent wrench at the door, a snap 
 ping of hinges and screws. 
 
 " Diavolo ! but I am glad to see you!" he cried, 
 as the door finally yielded. "You Tito, fetch me 
 drink ; I am perishing with thirst. Have you a file, 
 Salmo ? I must get loose of these cursed handcuffs. 
 
 "Who has done this thing?" said Salmo, setting to 
 Avork with a will at the rusty irons. 
 
 "The usurper, who else? He shall die for it " 
 hissed the captive. "The saints interest themselves in 
 me now !" he added devoutly. "A score of wax 
 candles at the shrine of my patron saint, Giuseppe, if I 
 get loose before they find it out." 
 
 Never fear, they are too busy watching the English 
 vessel," ([uoth Salmo. 
 
 "Is that what they are doing? Why do they not 
 fight?" 
 
 " Fight with a vessel of war ? You have not seen, my 
 Mateo. We must run and that is all, else we shall dance 
 at the end of a rope ere long. I tell you the new cap 
 tain understands the matter of handling a ship. Rouge 
 ct Noir sails like a witch for him." 
 
 " The new captain ! You dare to say the words in 
 my presence? Dog!" and in a violent rage Mateo 
 struck at the man who was doing his best to liberate him. 
 19 2817
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 Salmo leapt to his feet with an oath. "The new cap 
 tain ! Yes ! I say it in your presence. And who are 
 you to strike n^e ? ay and to call me dog ! Can a dog 
 use the fiie * Can a dog ^berate you ? Can a dog give 
 you drink ? " 
 
 "No no TiO -good Saimo," whined Mateo, per 
 ceiving his mistake. "1 meant nothing, I assure you 
 nothing at all ! I am mad with pain and thirst. For 
 the love of heaven now, do not desert a countryman in 
 his extremity ! 
 
 Salmo looked at him coldly, but did not resume his 
 labor with the file. "Who is this !" he said, peering in 
 at the bunk where Lock still tossed and moaned uneas 
 ily. "See, I will unloose you," he added, removing 
 the gag. 
 
 "Water!" gasped the wretched Englishman faintly. 
 
 "You shall drink first ; the dog wills it," said Salmo, 
 showing his white teeth in a wicked grin, as Mateo 
 writhed in speechless anger. And taking the bottle 
 from Tito he held it to the lips of Lock, who drank 
 greedily. 
 
 " Good, sweet Salmo, forgive me ! Tito, dear child, 
 give me to drink !" pleaded Mateo, goaded to a frenzy 
 by the cooling glugity-glugity-glug of the liquor as it 
 passed rapidly down the Englishman s capacious throat. 
 
 " Am I a dog?" cried Salmo fiercely, "answer me !" 
 
 " No no !" moaned Mateo. "You are a saint an 
 angel, if you will only give me to drink. I suffer the 
 torments of the damned, I tell you." 
 
 " Drink, then," growled Salmo, " but call me dog a 
 second time and you shall go where you shall plead in 
 vain for a drop even of water to cool your accursed 
 tongue. 
 
 290
 
 THE PRISONERS 
 
 "Now listen!" exclaimed Mateo, casting aside the 
 bottle after taking a lengthy draught, "both of you 
 work like mad to rid us of our fetters. We are four ; 
 we can make ourselves masters of the vessel ; the others 
 will obey us. Lock shall be capitaine, if he wills, I 
 care not. I swear I do not. Only two to put out of 
 the way only two ; the rest will obey us." 
 
 " But you cannot handle the vessel as docs this man 
 Baillot, he calls himself," objected Salmo sullenly. 
 " And if we are taken we hang. Tis no time for a 
 mutiny." 
 
 " As you like, good Salmo. Let him be till this thing 
 is past. But afterward surely afterward you do not 
 desire him ? Then as Salmo still hesitated he added with 
 a dark look, "You have also forgotten something, my 
 Salmo ; you have forgotten but no ? you remember 
 once more !" 
 
 Salmo had turned pale ; he picked up the file and 
 without a word applied himself to the task of severing 
 the irons with such vigor that in a very few moments 
 Mateo was at liberty. 
 
 "Ah !" he whispered to himself, as he paced noise 
 lessly up and down the narrow confines of the cabin, 
 stopping now and again to chafe his stiffened limbs. 
 "Free once more! Give me your dirk, my Salmo? 
 No? You will not? This poniard will answer," and 
 he plucked one from the wall. "Do not fear me," he 
 continued in a tone as gentle and soothing as that of a 
 woman. " I would not hurt one little black curl on 
 your head, for all you were so cruel to me just now. 
 You do not know Mateo. All is forgotten between us ; 
 we arc brothers, my Salmo ! And Tito here also ; tliou 
 art a good child, Tito. Fetch us something to eat, little
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 one, Salmo will finish the irons on the Englishman. As 
 for me I am too weak. I must save myself that I may 
 have strength to kill." 
 
 If you kill the man now you make a fool of your 
 self," said Lock, speaking for the first time. 
 
 "What you say?" snarled Mateo, pausing for an in 
 stant in his stealthy shamble to glare balefully at the 
 Englishman. 
 
 Lock s hands were free now, he reached out for the 
 bottle. " That cursed gag set me on fire within," he 
 remarked, wiping his lips with the back of his hand. 
 "I don t intend to spare the villains," he continued ; 
 "but I have a better plan than yours, and a safer. If 
 you will listen to me we shall succeed, if not we shall be 
 dead men before the sun sets. That Goujet is the very 
 devil and the devil with one arm is stronger than both 
 of us. Hold your infernal chattering tongue if you can 
 till I get through," as Mateo snarled impatiently. 
 This fellow Baillot you called him knows of a 
 treasure." 
 
 " Lies !" burst out Mateo. 
 
 " But, sink me, suppose that he is not lying ; suppose 
 that there is such a treasure ? If we kill him now we 
 cannot get it ; we do not know where it is. Let us sub 
 mit to the man until we see, and then What do you 
 say?" 
 
 " If he have lied all the crew will turn against him," 
 said Mateo slowly. 
 
 "Of course! We shall lose nothing by waiting 
 and we may gain a pretty pocketful. They shall die 
 afterward fast enough ; we shall be avenged, and the 
 vessel will be ours. You and I will cast lots for the 
 captaincy, the one who loses shall be first mate." 
 292
 
 THE PRISONERS 
 
 "But Goujet " 
 
 " Mufet not clap his eye onto us till we have made all 
 smooth with this fellow Baillot. He s a soft one and 
 will believe whatever we tell him." 
 
 "A soft one, you call him?" muttered the Italian, 
 surveying his bruised wrists with a savage grin. " But 
 we must hide, Tito will make us a place. When Goujet 
 goes below we speak to dis capitaine, is it not so ? 
 
 "Yes, that is it. We are very sorry eh? and are 
 going to be very good from now on." 
 
 "Si- si. Vary good, I will talk. You shall see 
 what I say." 
 
 While this pair of worthies were arranging matters to 
 their satisfaction below decks, Baillot and Goujet were 
 bending all their energies to the difficult task which lay 
 before them. 
 
 "A few more minutes will put us completely out of 
 range," remarked Baillot, glancing anxiously aloft at 
 the straining canvas. 
 
 " Better go to the bottom with all on board than fall 
 into their hands," growled Goujet who was serving the 
 cannon. " I d like to get a shot through one of those 
 big sails of theirs," he continued. "Ah! that hit 
 them at last." 
 
 "Yes," replied Baillot quietly, "and they have hit 
 us in the hull. Look to it at once ; we want no further 
 ballast in the shape of water in the hold." 
 
 Goujet disappeared. This was the opportunity for 
 which Mateo and Lock had been waiting; they imme 
 diately issued from their hiding-places and approached 
 the young officer. 
 
 " My vary good capitaine !" whined Mateo, plucking 
 him gently by the sleeve. 
 
 293
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 Baillot turned suddenly. "Ah!" as he recognized 
 the swarthy face before him. " How did you get loose ? 
 Goujet must look to your case." 
 
 "Mercy, good signer!" said the Italian, rolling up 
 his eyes beseechingly. "We are ready to obey. You 
 forgot us ; we were dying of thirst. 
 
 "True!" exclaimed Baillot, "I did forget you 
 Peste / I would not have treated a dog to such torture. 
 Who loosed you then ? 
 
 "Tito, the cook. He is but a child; I am his 
 friend ; he obeyed me. See, you will believe me that 
 I obey, for I might have kill you but now !" And the 
 wily Italian displayed the poniard which he had thrust 
 into his belt. 
 
 "You got the better of us, cap n. Sink me, if I 
 don t know when I meet a man of parts," put in Lock. 
 "I m blest if I want a better cap n than you, sir. You 
 can count on Peter Lock from now on, and I ain t the 
 worst man aboard either; ask Goujet. Say! You ll 
 speak a good word to the mate for us, won t you, sir? 
 He ll be for hocking us and dropping us over the 
 side." 
 
 Goujet had by this time finished his examination of 
 the hull, and bethinking himself of the prisoners, 
 stopped to take a look at them. Finding the broken 
 irons on the floor of the cabin, he came rushing up to 
 the deck filled with the gravest apprehension for his 
 master s safety. He stopped short on beholding the 
 two ruffians apparently engaged in amicable conversation 
 with Baillot. 
 
 " What the devil !" he exclaimed under his breath. 
 
 " Our prisoners have escaped, you see," said Baillot, 
 eyeing them doubtfully, but as they declare that they 
 294
 
 THE PRISONERS 
 
 are ready to submit to discipline, we may as well let 
 them be. They were dying with thirst. You see we 
 forgot them, man ; think of the torture of a gag all 
 these hours !" 
 
 "Mon dieu, they are lying, master! Don t leave 
 them loose as you value your life. Let me drop them 
 astern for the Englishman to fire at !" 
 
 "The Englishman must needs fire at something astern 
 of us," said Baillot, " for we are fairly out of range at 
 last ; if we can keep this speed for a few hours longer we 
 are safe. What about the shot below our water-line?" 
 
 " It did no damage to speak of, sir," replied Goujet. 
 "I set the carpenter to work to make all secure against 
 a possible leak. But these rascals are like to be worse 
 than ten leaks," he added frowning. "You don t 
 mean to leave them loose, do you, sir ? 
 
 "As long as they obey orders yes," said Baillot 
 firmly. "You, Lock, are degraded from being second 
 mate for the rest of the cruise ; Jorgesen has your 
 place." 
 
 The Englishman s small green eyes flashed ominously, 
 but he made no reply beyond a sullen nod of the head. 
 
 "Remember," continued Baillot sternly, "that the 
 slightest disobedience will put you into irons again. 
 Next time we shall see to it that you are bestowed 
 where your friends cannot assist you." 
 
 " De capitaine shall be obeyed; I am as the dust 
 under his feet," declared Matco, showing his white 
 teeth in an amiable smile. "Ah you do not know 
 Mateo, you shall see how T shall lofe you ! 
 
 "You lofe me too, don t, you?" sneered Goujct. 
 
 "You? Si, I lofe you tike, Jisf hissed the Italian, 
 springing forward with a cry.
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 There was the keen flash of a poniard, and a sharp 
 cry from Mateo as he whirled over the side of the ves 
 sel. 
 
 " Lower a boat instantly !" shouted Baillot. 
 
 " You are mad, sir ! Should we stop to lower a boat 
 all would be over with us !" cried Goujet, grasping him 
 by the arm. 
 
 Fool ! muttered Lock, as he watched the black 
 head of the Italian bobbing up and down among the 
 waves as he swam after the vessel in the vain hope 
 of saving himself. " Why couldn t he have stowed his 
 temper. I could have killed the fellow when he told 
 me I was degraded, but I can wait. He laughs best 
 who laughs last, say I !" And he waved his hand with 
 a mocking gesture of farewell to his unfortunate com 
 panion. 
 
 The Italian perceiving that no effort was to be made 
 to save him, with a last desperate struggle raised himself 
 out of the water and shrieked some futile imprecation 
 after the flying vessel ; the words mingled confusedly 
 with the sounds of the hurtling water and straining 
 cordage, then the black head disappeared beneath the 
 waves. 
 
 206
 
 CHAPTER XXXVI 
 
 A STORM AT SEA 
 
 BAILLOT drew his cap lo\v down on his forehead and 
 strode away. He was sick at heart. Goujet, observing 
 his face, followed him. 
 
 "You are sorry to see that man perish, is it not so, 
 master?" he said ; " but what could I do? He was a 
 beast a tiger, the author of a thousand murders, and 
 yet the death he died was the death any honest sailor 
 might covet. Had he lived we must have died, for he 
 loved you even as he loved me, and you saw how well 
 that was. The villains had concocted some dark scheme ; 
 we still have Lock to deal with." 
 
 I aillot made no answer. 
 
 "Ah!" said Goujet drawing in his breath quickly, 
 " you hate me because I have done this thing. J\f<>;i 
 tlicn, I wish he had stabbed me !" and he bent his head 
 in deep dejection. 
 
 Something in his tone and look aroused Baillot out of 
 the black mood into which he had fallen. Jt seemed to 
 him that he saw a sparkle of moisture in the man s fierce 
 eyes. 
 
 "You could not have done otherwise, under the cii- 
 cumstanc.es, my friend," he said slowly. "Thank God 
 my Gaston, that you still live !" lie was ama/.ed to 
 note the change which these few words produced in ihe 
 man s face ; joy and hope swept across it like a burst ot 
 sunlight over a stormy sea. In truth a miracle had 
 
 2Q7
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 been wrought in the soul of this strange being. The 
 love which he had given to the dead mother of Baillot 
 such love as a mortal may give to an angel though 
 buried deep under long years of hopeless sin and misery, 
 had sprung up anew at sight of her son. It is not easy 
 for us to comprehend that Love is the supreme energy 
 of the universe. 
 
 Something of all this was evident to the mind of Bail - 
 lot ; he was vaguely cheered and strengthened by it. 
 "You love me, my Gaston," he said simply. 
 
 The man responded by a look, but such a look. One 
 may surprise a like expression of devotion in the brown 
 eyes of a faithful dog, as he rests his head on the knee 
 of his master. 
 
 "Cap n, " said the new second mate Jorgesen, ap 
 proaching respectfully, " if our main-sail remains spread 
 many minutes longer, something will happen. 
 
 Make things snug at once, sir, replied Baillot, 
 shaking off in an instant the last remnant of his depres 
 sion. He perceived in the black cloud which lay upon 
 the water at the northward, death or safety. 
 
 Two minutes more and the storm had struck them, a 
 swift darkness illumined now and again by the downward 
 stroke of cimeter-like lightnings. These flashes revealed 
 the English ship, already far to the leeward, with every 
 sail clewed down, her tall naked masts bending to the 
 fury of the wind. Then the rain like a close curtain 
 shut them in. 
 
 All night the vessel drove onward in the teeth of a 
 howling gale ; when morning broke clear and sparkling, 
 the sun shone brilliantly on broken masses of flying 
 cloud and avalanches of glittering spray, but nowhere 
 did it reveal to the anxious eyes of the lookout the 
 298
 
 A STORM AT SEA 
 
 enemy who had pursued them so fiercely the day be 
 fore. 
 
 The voyage proceeded smoothly from this time, the 
 weather remained favorable, and they made good pro 
 gress toward Terciora. Baillot spent much time in anx 
 ious thought ; he finally took Goujet more completely 
 into his confidence, and told him bit by bit the whole 
 story of the island, and of the shipwreck. 
 
 "You couldn t help yourself, master, I see that," 
 said the mate seriously. "Once aboard this precious 
 craft you had to do the best you could on the moment. 
 It was a miracle, that I didn t make an end of you at the 
 first ; I was a bloody villain," and Goujet shook his 
 gri/.zled head slowly. " Do you know what I think?" 
 lowering his voice almost to a whisper " It was your 
 mother ; she knew about me and about you. It all hap 
 pened that I might find you. 
 
 " So you believe in spirits," said Baillot with a half- 
 smile. 
 
 v 
 
 "Believe in them? Mon dieu ! yes. Do not you, 
 master ? 
 
 " I believe that my mother is in heaven, but I cannot 
 think she is forced to visit the earth on my account." 
 
 "You are wrong there, master," said Goujet solemn 
 ly. " She keeps a close watch over you. I know be 
 cause 
 
 Because of what ? 
 
 " Because I have seen her." 
 
 "You were dreaming, man." 
 
 " No, master, I was as wide awake as I am this minute. 
 Listen ! You were studying the charts in the cabin, I 
 was on deck 
 
 When was this ? 
 
 299
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 "Yesterday, just before sundown." 
 
 "Well?" 
 
 I was on deck, continued Goujet ; suddenly 1 
 missed Lock, I don t trust the man, he means mischief 
 so I quietly slipped down the stairway. You sat study 
 ing the charts you remember, sir?" 
 
 " Yes, but what of that ? Lock was nowhere about. " 
 
 " I know it, sir. I didn t say that he was. I found 
 afterward that he was in the fo c sle. But I saw, stand 
 ing behind your chair looking down at the chart over 
 your shoulder just as though she was interested in it 
 too, your mother. Yes, you may look surprised ; you 
 don t remember her, sir, as I do. She looked just as 
 she used to do. As I stood in the door she raised her 
 head she must have seen that I saw her from the way 
 I stared, for she smiled at me then with just a little 
 wave of the hand toward you she seemed to melt away 
 into the air." 
 
 Baillot said nothing to this extraordinary story. He 
 had the unwillingness, amounting almost to determina 
 tion, possessed by most healthy well-balanced minds, to 
 believe anything bordering upon the supernatural. 
 
 Goujet looked at him keenly. "You do not believe 
 that I saw her," he said. "You think I dreamed it, 
 or that I have invented the story. Well, I have done 
 neither, but one cannot force one s self to believe, I 
 know that well. But tell me, master, how you propose 
 in the first place to find this man, Jos6 de Miguel ? 
 And after that you have found him, what shall you say 
 to him, since you do not even known what this myste 
 rious island is called?" 
 
 "I have thought of all that," said Baillot, knitting 
 his brows. And it does not trouble me so much as 
 300
 
 A STORM AT SEA 
 
 does the question how to manage the rescue of Madame 
 de Langres and her daughter with such a crew as 
 this." 
 
 " Have you any money, master?" 
 
 "Yes, I have money, plenty of it that is to say a 
 thousand pistoles. 
 
 " I have half as much myself. We must get rid of 
 this crew, that is we must abandon it, and if possible 
 buy another vessel." 
 
 "I had thought of that," said Baillot, "but how? 
 I have promised the treasure to these men a thing I 
 had no right to do, by the way, since it does not belong 
 to me." 
 
 "Diable ! It belongs to you as much as to any one," 
 cried Goujet with a shrug. " To find is to own 
 with a gentleman of fortune, nay more, to seize is to 
 own." 
 
 But we are not gentlemen of fortune as you are 
 pleased to call pirates, my friend." 
 
 "What then is Louis XIV.?" said Goujet with a 
 short laugh. " What has become of your ancestral do 
 mains, my master?" 
 
 The young man flushed hotly, then he said, quietly 
 enough, "Two wrongs do not make a right. If the 
 king has seized upon that which is not his own, it does 
 not follow that I may do the same." 
 
 " Live and let live, master, say I. Let us reach Tcr- 
 ciora first, then we shall see." 
 
 Land was sighted not many days after ; it proved to be 
 the most northerly of the three groups into which the 
 Azores are divided. Terciora belongs to the central 
 group, and thither without loss of time, except to tnke 
 aboard fresh water, the vessel proceeded. The crew 
 301
 
 . PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 had conducted themselves in a tolerably peaceable man 
 ner up to this point, but Baillot fancied that he could 
 detect signs of growing impatience among them, as the 
 voyage neared its close. When the brigantine was 
 fairly anchored to the leeward of the island of Terciora, 
 Goujet deemed it wise to make some further explanation 
 to the crew who were sullenly eyeing the shore. 
 
 "What do we stop here for?" demanded Lock sud 
 denly. " Is this the island where the treasure is to be 
 found?" 
 
 We stop here to obtain a chart from a man who 
 knows the place," said Goujet boldly, but rather inju 
 diciously, as he perceived, no sooner were the words out 
 of his mouth. 
 
 " Then our captain " with an offensive emphasis on 
 the w T ord captain "does not himself know the place, 
 and we have been tricked into a month s voyage with 
 neither booty nor pay to reward us ? Answer ! what 
 does this mean ? A low threatening murmur from the 
 crew followed these words. Lock had fixed his small 
 savage eyes upon Goujet. He perceived his embarrass 
 ment and burst out again more defiantly and loudly than 
 before. "There is some deep-laid plot here to ruin us 
 all. It is all a lie about the treasure ; I knew it from 
 the beginning. Who is this man, Baillot, whom you 
 yourself brought aboard, and whom you call master? 
 Master ! Is that the way for such as we to address any 
 man? I tell you, mates, this Goujet is a traitor !" 
 
 "Have it your own way," said Goujet doggedly, 
 planting himself, however, in an attitude which an 
 nounced his determination to defend himself to the last 
 gasp. "Have it your own way, my hearties. You 
 have behaved yourselves well up to now, and our cap- 
 302
 
 A STORM AT SEA 
 
 tain said to me only last night, The men have done 
 well, he says, and do you divide amongst em this 
 gold to make merry with, Avhile we victual the ship, and 
 get everything handy to finish the cruise. Here you, 
 Jorgescn, divide this ; and mark me, this ain t a begin 
 ning of what s coming to you later if you keep on be 
 having yourselves. Ask Lock what he s got for you. 
 The whining sawed-off liar !" 
 
 Jorgesen came forward and received the canvas bag 
 which clinked musically as it passed into his hands. 
 The crew gathered around him instantly, like bees about 
 a pot of honey. 
 
 " (iood ! as long as it lasts," muttered Goujet, "but 
 it won t last long." Then he hurried down to the 
 cabin, where Baillot was making ready, with a some 
 what cloudy and anxious brow, for his expedition ashore 
 in search of de Miguel. 
 
 "Ma foi ! Master, we must slip away as fast as pos 
 sible," he said, "and it is a chance if we ever come 
 back. 1 have quieted them for the present with my 
 five hundred pistoles, but tis only a mouthful for such 
 as they."
 
 CHAPTER XXXVII 
 
 AT TERCIORA 
 
 WHEN Baillot reached the deck, he found the ship 
 surrounded by a swarm of small boats, laden with tropi 
 cal fruits and nuts, which the sailors were purchasing 
 with lavish prodigality. A number of them approached 
 him and asked for leave to go on shore with a show of 
 civility that surprised him. Goujet s pistoles had ap 
 peased them for the moment ; as long as the gold pieces 
 clinked musically in their pockets, they had but one 
 desire in the world and that was to spend them. 
 
 The island of Terciora, with its mountainous slopes 
 embowered with orange and lemon-groves, the white 
 walls of its detached villages and huts gleaming through 
 the masses of greenery, presented a most charming ap 
 pearance. As Baillot knew, the inhabitants were mostly 
 Portuguese, an idle and unambitious folk, who were 
 content to scarcely stir the surface of the rich volcanic 
 soil, which would have yielded ample harvests to more 
 industrious husbandmen. Arrived on shore, he made 
 immediate inquiry for one Jose de Miguel, and was di 
 rected to a village about a mile inland. 
 
 As the two men tramped silently along, the hot sun 
 beating down upon their heads, Goujet wiped his face, 
 all shining with perspiration, and stole a keen look at 
 his silent companion. 
 
 "I say, master," he said at length, "this island 
 you ve been telling about is a mighty strange place.
 
 AT TERCIORA 
 
 I ve cruised a deal about these parts, and I never heard 
 of it before. You don t suppose now, that the ship 
 wreck gave you a touch of the fever, and that a part of 
 all this was a kind of that is a sort of that is 
 
 "7 rs/f, man I Do you take me for an escaped 
 lunatic?" cried Baillot, stopping short, and eyeing his 
 companion somewhat suspiciously. "What I have 
 told you is no figment of a disordered imagination, but 
 plain, everyday fact, little as it may sound so. Return, 
 if you will, to the Rouge ct Noir, I can and will go on 
 alone." 
 
 " Mon dieu, no, master! I didn t mean that. You 
 can t get rid of me so easily. I am going to stick to 
 you about as tight as your shadow from now on -at 
 least till I see you settled a bit better than you are at 
 present. What I was going to say is this, if the man 
 we re in search of don t know anything about the place, 
 or won t tell, which amounts to the same thing, there s 
 a ship in the harbor now or what answers for a harbor 
 flying the English flag. She s bound for the English 
 Colonies in America. Now what s to hinder you from 
 just stepping on board of her, and getting off to the 
 new country. With a thousand pistoles in your pocket 
 you could make yourself a grand seignior over there. 
 Come now, sir! Why not? Let those shipwrecked 
 folks shift for themselves; perhaps they have gone from 
 the island already. You may lose your life cruising 
 about after them, and then like as not miss them. 
 They are nothing to you anyhow ; I can t sec as you 
 arc beholden to them. You did your full duty when 
 you stuck by them through thick and thin ; you didn t 
 leave them, you were carried off. That ends your 
 duties to them, now don t it, sir?" 
 
 20 305
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 Baillot listened to this tirade in perfect silence. He 
 too had noticed the merchantman flying the English 
 colors. "How do you know that yonder vessel is 
 hound for America?" he said at length, stopping a 
 moment in his rapid walk to take another look at the 
 ship. 
 
 "Because I asked, sir," said Goujet, delighted at 
 what he supposed to be compliance with his suggestion. 
 " She sails three days from now, or as soon as her tim 
 bers are repaired. She was touched a bit about the tops 
 in the storm." 
 
 "Three days !" repeated Baillot thoughtfully, "then 
 if we can get off to-day we might possibly be able to get 
 back before she leaves ! 
 
 "Get off to-day!" exclaimed Goujet ruefully. 
 "Then you will not give up this mad scheme?" 
 
 " No, my friend, I will not. I would not sail to-day 
 in yonder ship were she loaded with pistoles, and every 
 coin of them to be mine on landing." 
 
 " Ma foi !" murmured Goujet thoughtfully, half-clos 
 ing his fiery eyes and surveying the dark, determined- 
 looking face before him. A new light was breaking in 
 upon him. "Then this mademoiselle is very beauti 
 ful, 1? est-ce pas ? She must needs be, to become the 
 Comtesse de Lantenac." 
 
 "Goujet!" cried Baillot, wheeling suddenly about, 
 I have a mind to knock you down ! Because I must 
 do my plain Christian duty you think " 
 
 "Aforbleu, master, do not be angry with me and my 
 poor thoughts ! I meant no harm. It is not so then, 
 the lady is old and ugly, and monsieur will rescue her 
 because it is his plain Christian duty. 
 
 " A plague on you for an impertinent rascal, Gou- 
 306
 
 AT TERCIORA 
 
 jet !" said Baillot, a smile passing over his face in spile 
 of himself. " No, she is not old and ugly. She is as 
 beautiful as an angel, as brave as a man, and as pure and 
 good as was my mother. I do love her, and I will find 
 her if it takes the last drop of blood in my body !" 
 
 "It is well said, master. You shall not be sorry 
 that you have told me," said Goujet softly. The two 
 strode on in silence, and were about to enter the strag 
 gling street of the village when they encountered a 
 half-grown, gipsy-looking lad who was whistling and 
 singing alternately as he loitered along, a basket of 
 oranges poised carelessly upon his head. He stopped 
 short on beholding the strangers and stared at them 
 curiously. 
 
 Can you tell me which is the house of Jose de 
 Miguel?" said Baillot, flinging a small coin in the 
 direction of the lad, who caught and deposited it 
 deftly in some mysterious receptacle of his parti -colored 
 rags. 
 
 "Si, seignior /" replied the boy eagerly. "I myself 
 will conduct you. Tis only a few steps." 
 
 Following the boy the two Frenchmen presently 
 found themselves in the courtyard of a flat-roofed, 
 adobe house, rather more pretentious than some of the 
 neighboring huts. A grape-vine laden with half-ripe 
 fruit shaded the enclosure, and beneath its shelter, ap 
 parently unmindful of the dozen or so swarthy, half- 
 naked children who played noisily about, sat a man. 
 He was immensely fat, and of a greasy, swarthy com 
 plexion ; his black hair falling in scanty snake -locks 
 upon his broad shoulders, half-concealed the gold hoops 
 which swung from the thick lobes of his cars. For the 
 rest he seemed asleep, for his eyes were closed, but the 
 3 7
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 regular puff, puff, of his long -stemmed pipe showed that 
 this was not the case. 
 
 " Padre /" exclaimed the lad, running up to this 
 somnolent figure, "Padre ! here are seigniors !" 
 
 With a sort of inarticulate grunt, and a slow wave of 
 the hand, the man opened his small, beady black eyes, 
 and fixed them upon the two men, who advanced in 
 response to his gesture. 
 
 "You are Jose de Miguel?" said Baillot interro 
 gatively. The man replied by another grunt which 
 might mean yes or no, and calmly continued his smok 
 ing, again allowing his eyes to close slowly. 
 
 " I have business with you, Jose de Miguel; attend 
 me, for I am in haste ! 
 
 The man waved one hand slightly in token that he 
 understood, but he neither opened his eyes nor removed 
 the pipe from his mouth. 
 
 Baillot stopped for a moment in perplexity, and sur 
 veyed the impassive figure before him with something 
 of anger. "You are uncivil, sir," he said at length, 
 hoping to arouse him. I tell you that my business is 
 weighty. You will do well to attend." 
 
 The man did not stir, but Baillot observed that he had 
 opened his eyes again, and was staring at him fixedly. 
 
 " I have come for directions and a chart which you 
 have in your possession," he continued boldly, "for 
 the finding of a certain island not many leagues distant. 
 I do not name the island, but you know what place I 
 refer to. There is a certain chateau thereon, and many 
 other curious things. I must go there in order to re 
 move four shipwrecked persons who were left there some 
 two months or more ago." He paused when he had 
 said this, and waited for de Miguel to answer. 
 308
 
 AT TERCIORA 
 
 Except, however, for a slight acceleration in the puffs 
 of smoke which issued from his pipe there was no 
 change in the aspect of the figure in the chair. He still 
 stared unwinkingly at the face of the young officer, 
 which gradually assumed the hue of anger under the cold 
 impudent look of the small black eyes. 
 
 "Have the goodness to inform me, sir, if you com 
 prehend what I have said to you?" said Baillot at 
 length. He had spoken in excellent Spanish hereto 
 fore, he now changed his mode of address to French. 
 
 "I understand your words," grunted de Miguel, 
 again closing his eyes, "but not their meaning." 
 
 "Can you understand this?" said Baillot, producing 
 a handful of gold pieces from his pocket, and clinking 
 them musically. 
 
 The effect was magical. The beady black eyes flew 
 open at once. " Here Juan !" he called loudly, " laxy 
 dog, why do you not fetch seats for the seigniors?" 
 
 The lad who had been hanging about the doorway, 
 watching the scene with an interested eye, hastily fetched 
 a couple of rude benches from the interior of the hut. 
 
 "Be seated, seigniors!" said de Miguel blandly, 
 with a wave of his hand. " You have a paper to show 
 me, is it not so?" 
 
 " I have nothing to show you except this," declared 
 Baillot firmly, producing another handful of the coins 
 from his pocket. 
 
 The eye of the Portuguese gleamed covetously for a 
 moment, but he lay back in his chair and resumed his 
 smoking, without having spoken a word. 
 
 "The paper of which you speak is unimportant," 
 urged the young man in a fury of impatience. "You 
 arc well aware that the place has been abandoned." 
 39
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 Goujet meanwhile had arisen from his bench and was 
 amusing himself with the children, who seemed to take 
 to him amazingly. He finally seated himself upon the 
 ground quite at his ease, and was exhibiting to half-a- 
 score of admiring black eyes a marvelous watch, which 
 it is to be feared had not come into his possession in the 
 ordinary and legitimate manner. The lad, whom his 
 father had addressed as Juan, was to all appearances as 
 much fascinated by the shining object as the others ; he 
 drew close to Goujet and listened open-mouthed to the 
 explanations, which that worthy was giving in excellent 
 Spanish, with a pause now and again to observe the 
 progress of the halting conversation between de Miguel 
 and his master. 
 
 " I am prepared," Baillot was saying, " to pay well 
 for the information." 
 
 De Miguel s sole reply was one of his non-committal 
 ejaculations. " This is not the man we are looking for, 
 master," said Goujet, rising suddenly and thrusting the 
 watch into his fob. " He is rich, he wants none of our 
 gold. We have only to sail in a certain direction that 
 I know of for three days, and we shall find the place." 
 He said this at a venture, as one will fire a careless shot 
 into the air, but it did amazing execution. 
 
 "Juan!" cried de Miguel in a voice of thunder, 
 " What you doing here ! Have I not told you to carry 
 those oranges? You shall presently miss a large portion 
 of your hinder skin, for I will take it from you ! 
 
 "I didn t tell him, father," whined the lad, taking 
 up his basket, " I didn t say " 
 
 Hold your tongue, son of perdition ! roared de 
 Miguel, the great veins standing out upon his forehead 
 in a manner alarmingly suggestive of apoplexy. 
 310
 
 AT TERCIORA 
 
 "We shall go on, shall we not, my lord?" continued 
 Goujet, grinning delightedly. "We must look at that 
 sloop also, you know." 
 
 "You wish to buy a vessel, excellency?" said de Mi 
 guel with a sudden access of politeness. " I shall per 
 haps be able to serve you. I have a most beautiful, ah, 
 a most charming 
 
 " I must first obtain the charts," interrupted Baillot. 
 "It is true that we already know much about the island, 
 I myself have been there only a short time ago. But I 
 wish to lose no time in returning thither, my errand be 
 ing solely to remove the persons of whom I spoke to 
 you." 
 
 " What persons do you refer to?" asked de Miguel, 
 resuming his former impenetrable air of dulness. 
 
 "There were two ladies, a colored man, and an 
 English sailor, Winters by name," replied Baillot, 
 deeming it best to be perfectly frank with the man. 
 A gleam of intelligence passed swiftly over the face 
 of the Portuguese which did not escape the notice of 
 Goujet. 
 
 "Were there no others?" 
 
 " There was no one else. The island was deserted 
 as I have told you, when this shipwrecked party ar 
 rived." 
 
 De Miguel dropped his head, he seemed to be think 
 ing deeply. 
 
 " The chart !" exclaimed Baillot impatiently. " Will 
 you give it me ?" 
 
 " Come back to-morrow at the same hour." 
 
 "But I want it now to-day. T must have it." 
 
 " Come back to-morrow at the same hour." 
 
 " I will give you a hundred pistoles two hundred - 
 311
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 " To-morrow at the same hour," repeated de Miguel 
 doggedly. 
 
 "Come, master!" whispered Goujet, "there is no 
 thing to be gained by talking with the old rascal further. 
 Let us go.
 
 CHAPTER XXXVIII 
 
 GEORGES MENDON OF PARIS 
 
 " IF I am not mistaken, master," said Goujet, as the 
 two walked slowly away, "we shall shortly find our 
 selves betwixt the devil and the deep sea. What with 
 our crew expecting plunder, and that old serpent yon 
 der who is meditating some villainy or other Hold, I 
 have a plan !" 
 
 "What is it?" said Baillot gloomily. 
 
 " Buy, rent or steal a small vessel of some sort, then 
 kidnap that little rascal of a Juan and force him to 
 show us where the place is ; he knows, I ll be bound." 
 
 " A bold enough plan, but 
 
 "But what?" 
 
 "There are a dozen reasons why it might not suc 
 ceed. In the first place, while the boy undoubtedly 
 knows something about the place has been there per 
 haps, once out at sea without chart, he could do noth 
 ing. Again he fears his father, he would refuse." 
 
 " He shall shortly fear me more." 
 
 "Let us wait until to-morrow," said Baillot wearily, 
 ; de Miguel may be inclined to accept some of the 
 gold pieces by that time." 
 
 "Yes, and in the meanwhile perhaps a dozen other 
 things may happen. Mon dien ! but it is hot." 
 
 "Yes," repeated Baillot, mechanically raising his 
 hand to his head, "it is hot, and my head He 
 3*3
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 spoke in a dull hollow tone, and Goujet looking at him 
 attentively observed that he reeled like a drunken man. 
 
 "Diable /" he exclaimed under his breath. " He is 
 ill ! Sit down here in the shade, master, and rest a 
 while." Baillot apparently did not hear, he walked a 
 few steps further, then staggered and would have fallen, 
 but for the faithful Goujet who caught him in his 
 arms. 
 
 " What shall I do?" he muttered, looking about him 
 in perplexity. " I will take him here," beckoning to 
 a ragged peasant who had stopped to stare at them curi 
 ously. The two carried the unconscious man into a 
 small hut near the roadway, and laid him down on the 
 cool earthen floor. 
 
 Here you, fetch water brandy, quick ! called 
 Goujet distractedly to the dark -eyed mistress of the 
 house, who had paused in her occupation of sorting 
 lemons at this sudden intrusion into her domicile. 
 
 "Is it the rum then, and at this hour of the day?" 
 she said indifferently enough. " Why do you bring the 
 man here ? My husband will not be pleased." 
 
 " The devil take you !" roared Goujet. " Don t you 
 see that the man is ill ? He is a great lord and can 
 pave your dirty floor with gold. Take this and attend 
 him at once !" And he flung the woman one of the 
 few coins which he had left. 
 
 The sight of the gold had the usual enlivening effect ; 
 the woman hastened to fetch water with which she pro 
 ceeded to bathe the unconscious man s head, while 
 Goujet forced open his clenched teeth and poured a 
 spoonful of brandy down his throat. 
 
 Under this treatment the patient after awhile opened 
 his eyes and groaned. Fortunately he had not been
 
 GEORGES MENDON OF PARIS 
 
 smitten with a genuine sunstroke. Had that been the 
 case the career of the last Comte de Lantenac might 
 shortly have ended in a nameless grave. The mental 
 strain of the past few months had been terrific ; this to 
 gether with the almost tropical heat, and the disap 
 pointment which he felt in having failed to obtain the 
 chart, had combined to bring about the unfortunate 
 seizure. In a word he was overtaken by a calamity to 
 which all flesh, however heroic the spirit within, is 
 liable. As he opened his eyes he dimly recognized the 
 face of Goujet bending over him, but he felt the most 
 profound indifference as to what might thereafter 
 happen. 
 
 During the hours that followed, the dark anxious 
 face of Goujet, the broad jovial countenance of Winters, 
 the sweet looks of Madeline all mingled in a dim and 
 frightful phantasmagoria, through which he was vaguely 
 conscious of figures coming and going, of low-toned 
 conversations, which he partly comprehended and fever 
 ishly wove into his fantastic imaginings. It was not 
 until the third day after, that he woke in his right mind, 
 to find himself lying on a not uncomfortable couch in a 
 small dark hut, none of the details of whose interior he 
 remembered to have seen before. 
 
 As he lay quite still, his eyes roving in idle and in 
 different curiosity about the cobwebby rafters of the 
 roof, he became aware that some one was near him ; he 
 turned his head feebly, and beheld Goujet. The pirate 
 was sitting on a low bench, his arms hanging at his 
 side, his head leaning back against the wall. Baillot 
 observed still further that he was sleeping, for his eyes 
 were closed, while his mouth remained half-open. 
 The whole figure of the man expressed extreme
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 weariness, as of one who has unwillingly succumbed to 
 an exhaustion which he can no longer combat. Before 
 him stood a bottle half-full of some dark liquid, beside 
 it a cup, also a wooden bowl carefully covered. While 
 the sick man s eyes were slowly taking in these details, 
 and the brain behind was weakly trying to grasp the 
 situation, Goujet suddenly awoke. He gave a sudden 
 start, and shook his great shoulders with a frown, as if 
 displeased with himself for having slept. He then took 
 up the bottle and eyeing it critically, proceeded to 
 measure out with extreme nicety a portion of its con 
 tents, this he carefully mingled with water in the cup, 
 then rising, tiptoed toward the couch. Observing that 
 the eyes of his patient were open, he paused, and said 
 very softly, 
 
 " Master, do you know me?" 
 
 Know you, of course ; why not ? said Baillot with 
 some irritation. " But where am I ? What is the mat 
 ter with me?" 
 
 "Ah, thank God !" exclaimed Goujet with real fer 
 vor. Take these drops, then sleep, afterward you will 
 be yourself. 
 
 Too weak to protest, the sick man swallowed the 
 draught, then closing his eyes sank into a deep dreamless 
 slumber. 
 
 When he awoke the second time it was toward even 
 ing. Feeling considerably refreshed and strengthened 
 he looked about him with some curiosity. Goujet was 
 no longer sitting beside the couch, in his place was a 
 woman, clad gaily in a yellow gown striped with red, 
 an attire which set off admirably the rich dark hues of 
 her velvety skin. Her black hair was braided under a 
 gay little cap of red and gold, while from the tips of 
 316
 
 GEORGES MENDOX OF PARIS 
 
 her small ears depended long earrings, reaching almost 
 to her shoulder. Her slender brown hands were crossed 
 idly in her lap ; as soon, however, as she perceived that 
 her patient was awake, she sprang up with a delighted 
 little laugh. 
 
 " Ah, seignior," she said gaily, her head on one side, 
 her white teeth showing through the parted crimson of 
 her lips, " you are awake at last such a sleep ! But it 
 is good very good. Now you shall eat, I have a broth 
 most excellent, made exactly as the wise seignior from 
 the ship yonder bade me. Take two young fowls, 
 he said, and cook them gently many hours, and of the 
 liquor that remains give him, when he shall awake, some 
 great spoonfuls, adding also of salt a little. See !" she 
 continued, " I will feed you. You have not the strength, 
 is it not so ? 
 
 "Where is Goujet?" said Baillot. 
 
 "Ah, you mean the good seignior who takes care of 
 you. It is true that he has scarcely left you for a single 
 moment. Such devotion never have I seen, he has 
 neither slept nor eaten. Does the broth please you, 
 my lord?" 
 
 "It is excellent," replied Baillot who had taken the 
 spoon from her hand and was eating with a very good 
 appetite. " But Goujet, where is he ?" 
 
 " But a short time ago Jose de Miguel stopped to 
 make inquiries for you, and the seignior went away with 
 him ; he left me in charge ; he will be back directly." 
 
 "Jose de Miguel!" repeated Baillot meditatively, 
 "and what might he want?" 
 
 " It was about a ship, for I heard the talk between 
 them. Jose de Miguel is rich very rich indeed. He- 
 has business with many strangers ; I myself have seen
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 them. Much gold ah, I could never tell you how 
 much passes into his hands. You also came here to 
 see him, is it not so ? You will do well to listen to me, 
 the man has dark ways with him yes, it is so. I tell 
 you because I care not for de Miguel ; I have my own 
 reasons also." The speaker tossed her pretty head and 
 frowned till her black brows met in a straight line above 
 her flashing eyes. "Ah!" she continued, drawing a 
 deep breath and permitting the dimples to steal slowly 
 back into her brown cheeks. "You would never be 
 lieve how wicked he is ! I say my prayers out of pure 
 fright every time I see his fat black face the saints for 
 give me ! But my husband can take care of me. You 
 have not seen my husband ? As tall as yourself, seig 
 nior, and perhaps more handsome." She paused to 
 survey her patient, her head on one side like a medita 
 tive bird. Giuseppe is displeased that you are here," 
 she continued, laughing softly. " He is perhaps jealous ! 
 But of that I am glad yes ! He would not be jealous 
 if he did not love me. Betta s husband does not care a 
 pistareen for her. He says Betta could have taken bet 
 ter care of you than I. It is not true. He only wanted 
 the gold. As for myself I care not for gold, though it 
 is true that 
 
 "You shall have money to buy some new gowns, 
 and 
 
 " A necklace?" broke in his hostess eagerly. 
 
 "A necklace, certainly, and anything else that you 
 wish," said Baillot a little wearily, "but will you not go 
 to the door and see if Goujet is coming ? 
 
 " He is not coming yet," said the young woman re 
 turning to the bedside. "He will come soon. You 
 have had visitors yes, the doctor from the English
 
 GEORGES MENDON OF PARIS 
 
 ship, twice, thrice, and with him once came seigniors, 
 one very tall man with a great beard, snow white. 
 They wished to carry you away on their ship, but the 
 seignior Goujet you call him ? would not permit of 
 it. He said you would not wish to find yourself carried 
 away. Already I hear the steps of one. It may be 
 that he comes." 
 
 "Ah, master!" said Goujet as he entered the hut. 
 "You look yourself again. Mon dieu ! but I feared 
 the worst one day. Had you died then, all would have 
 been over with me ; they might have dug for us one 
 grave. But that s past now, thank God ! I have a lot 
 of news for you, if you are fit to hear it." 
 
 "Fit? Yes, and anxious to hear it! My tongue 
 aches with questions, but and he glanced signifi 
 cantly at the woman, who was looking at them with an 
 air of childish curiosity, though as the conversation was 
 carried on in French, it is doubtful whether she under 
 stood a word of what was spoken. 
 
 "Go outside now, mistress," said Goujet, with scant 
 ceremony. " I will look after my lord for the present. 
 To begin with," he continued when they were alone, 
 " the J\oii^e ef Noir is gone." 
 
 " Gone !" exclaimed J^aillot. " When and where?" 
 
 " The very day after we landed, but where of course 
 1 know not. 1 only hope tis far enough off from these 
 parts. That first night when you lay like a log because 
 of the medicine you had taken, I stole out, got into the 
 skiff and rowed out to where our ship lay. 1 had taken 
 the precaution to muffle my oars, so I slipped around 
 under her cabin ports without a bit of a splash to betray 
 me. I heard a great noise of shouting and swearing from 
 within, and swinging myself up by a rope that hung 
 3 9
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 over the side I managed to get a peep inside. There sat 
 Lock and two or three others, roaring drunk, the floor 
 covered with broken bottles and a dozen full ones atop 
 of the table. 
 
 " What are you going to do with that lying 
 knave, Goujet, when he comes back? sings out one 
 of them. Walk him over the plank lively, with 
 enough shot on his heels to keep him down till the day 
 of judgment, says Lock, and as for the sneak that 
 brought us here, drowning s a heap too good for him, 
 we ll but I won t tell you what he said, sir. The 
 low-lived murderer ! I had a mind to shoot him 
 through the port, but I thinks to myself that I might 
 get caught if I did, and that would leave you to shift 
 for yourself, which you weren t in a condition to do just 
 then. So I got down off the rope, but before I took 
 leave of them I just played a little trick that I learned 
 when I was a boy. You should have seen the rascals 
 when a deep hollow voice apparently from under the 
 table said, You are doomed men, if you lay but a 
 finger on him who was your captain, or on Goujet. 
 Up they jumped as pale as a cloth, swearing fit to lift 
 the ship out of the water, and whilst they were all rais 
 ing a great hue and cry, tumbling one over the other to 
 get to the deck. I slipped away. The very next morn 
 ing before sunrise they were off." 
 
 "Good, so far," commented Baillot. "What 
 next ? 
 
 The lady of the house has perhaps told you how I 
 had the surgeon from the English ship to see you. I 
 met him down at the port. He was for carrying 
 you off with them, said you wanted good care for a 
 month." 
 
 320
 
 GEORGES MENDON OF PARIS 
 
 <( I am all right now," cried Baillot. " Tis lucky 
 you didn t allow it." 
 
 "I knew you d say so if you ever spoke again, 
 which didn t seem likely at one time. Two of the pas 
 sengers came with him one day, they were of the same, 
 mind, but I wouldn t give in. They asked a lot of 
 quesrions, but I didn t give them much satisfaction; 1 
 didn t know what they might be up to. Told them 
 your name was Georges Mendon, that you were an agent 
 for a company in Paris. Threw them off the track what 
 ever mischief they had in mind." 
 
 Baillot laughed weakly. " Did they look like ras 
 cals ? 
 
 "You can t always spot a rascal, sir," replied Goujet 
 sagely. " I ve learned that ; a piouser, milder-looking 
 man than our late captain, Fisher, you wouldn t want 
 to see, but he was the very devil. At all events they ve 
 gone too, sailed yesterday. Now the best thing I have 
 to tell you is that old de Miguel has come to time." 
 
 " Ah ! Then you have the chart?" 
 
 " Not yet. You see the money was in a belt about 
 your body, and I didn t want to meddle with it, but 
 he ll hand it over anytime now. I had to go high for 
 it though, five hundred pistoles." 
 
 "Good! it s worth it if we may be sure he s not 
 lying." 
 
 " I ve fixed that," said Goujet grinning. " He s to 
 go along, and if he is lying why he ll suffer for it, that s 
 all." 
 
 "But a ship?" 
 
 "He s got one, a little beauty. I saw him chaffer 
 ing for it with one of the very men who came here to 
 see you. They were evidently the owners. He bought 
 
 21 i
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 it of them and will let us have the use of it for ten days, 
 for three hundred pistoles. Not a livre less, though I ve 
 been beating him down all I could ; that only leaves you 
 a couple of hundreds. 
 
 "It is enough," said Baillot thoughtfully, "but now 
 let us sleep, to-morrow I must be up and about this 
 business. God only knows how important may be a 
 single day to those on the island.
 
 CHAPTER XXXIX 
 
 THE DEPARTURE 
 
 WK left our friend Winters sound asleep with his 
 companions in the cavern on the island, while over 
 them in the darkness hung the baleful figure of the con 
 vict, armed with the knife which he had secreted, and 
 with which he meant presently to make an end of 
 every creature on the island except himself and Made 
 line, whom he had chosen as the companion of his 
 guilty solitude. 
 
 But the Huguenot pastor, Constantin Dinant, was 
 not asleep. He had not slept during the night ; he had 
 beguiled the long hours with prayers, none the less fer 
 vent because they were inaudible. 
 
 " Why bemoan a sleepless night?" he was wont to 
 say. "These are the hours that God snatches for us 
 out of the thirsty waste of our lives, wherein to give us 
 the living water. Rejoice then, when sleep forsakes 
 thine eyes, for it is a sign of favor. Surely communion 
 with the King of kings is better than the unconscious 
 ness of sleep, which is ours in common with the meaner 
 animals. " 
 
 In accordance with these favorite precepts, the good 
 man was lying with clasped hands beneath which 
 however lay the flint and steel, of which he had taken 
 possession when he perceived that Winters slept. 
 " From the evil devices of men, do thou preserve us, 
 oh Lord !" he was saying. " Give thine angels charge 
 3 2 3
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 concerning this little company!" When suddenly a 
 strange sound came to his ears ; it was not a loud sound, 
 only a gentle gurgling, as if something had been poured 
 out from a flask. Instantly he sat up and struck a 
 light, calling at the same time in a loud tremulous voice 
 upon his companions. 
 
 "What is it, sir?" cried Winters starting to his feet, 
 while the others all save one, sat up and began sleepily 
 to rub their eyes. 
 
 "Nay! I know not, perhaps I have aroused you 
 from your slumbers without a cause," began the good 
 pastor, "but I thought the Lord said unto me, arise ! 
 and I" 
 
 " No, by the Lord, you did not arouse us without a 
 cause!" cried Winters, who had snatched the torch 
 from his hand, and instigated a hasty search about the 
 place. "Look!" All gathered about and gazed in 
 horror upon the body of one of their number. The 
 man had been stabbed through the heart and had died 
 instantly, as the peaceful expression of his face bore 
 witness. 
 
 "Now where is the hell-hound that has done this 
 thing ? roared Winters, snatching up a heavy club 
 from the ground. " He shall die, and that without 
 mercy !" As he flashed the light of the torch into the 
 dark corners of the place a crouching figure leapt out. 
 Winters sprang to one side, barely escaping the murder 
 ous lunge of the knife. 
 
 " Consarn ye, ye miserable varmint !" bellowed the 
 old sailor, fetching a tremendous blow at his assailant ; 
 the creature dodged and doubled, then with a long howl 
 like that of a maddened wolf darted down the passage 
 way that led to the chateau. 
 324
 
 THE DEPARTURE 
 
 "Pursue and slay!" shouted the aged pastor, his 
 blood thoroughly on fire with righteous wrath. "The 
 sword of Gideon and of the Lord !" 
 
 Accordingly the whole company, armed with what 
 ever they could lay hands upon in the confusion of the 
 moment, followed the flying figure of the convict. 
 Unfortunately a gust of wind which drew adown the 
 draughty passage extinguished their torch and they were 
 suddenly left in total darkness. 
 
 "The flint the flint !" cried Winters. From some 
 where at a little distance there came a mocking laugh, 
 which echoing along the low -vaulted roof of the pas 
 sage and ringing in their startled ears, froze the very 
 blood in their veins. 
 
 "Back back to the cavern," whispered Dinant. 
 "Woe is me ! I have left the implements behind." 
 
 Several minutes were consumed in finding the flint 
 and steel, and when the light of the torch once more 
 flared upon the pale anxious faces of the Huguenots, 
 there seemed to be a general disposition on the part of 
 all of them to consider the situation with a little more 
 care. 
 
 " 1 tell ye we must sarch out the bloody villain and 
 put an end to him!" declared Winters stoutly. "As 
 long as he s atop of the arth he ll be doin mischief to 
 somebody." 
 
 "The Lord delighteth not in a bloody man !" quoted 
 the minister solemnly. " -I repent me of my thoughts 
 towards the man, for I would have slain him willingly 
 but now. Yet has the Lord again spared his life for 
 some purpose of his own ; it may be that he will yet 
 repent him of his evil ways. Let us leave him alive to 
 a life of solitude on this island, where surrounded by 
 3 2 5
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 the impassable boundary of ocean, and the silent forms 
 of the dead, he may finish his allotted time. God will 
 not neglect to avenge the death of his servant who has 
 departed from us this night." 
 
 Such also was the judgment of the others. 
 
 "Surely you do not desire the death of this poor 
 misguided wretch, said the pastor mildly, turning to 
 Winters, who plainly showed that he was dissatisfied 
 with the decision. " It would only add blood to blood ; 
 it would utterly fail to restore life to yonder pale form. 
 What profit would there be for us to slay the man, and 
 what harm to leave him alive in this desolate spot ? 
 
 "That s all very well, parson," replied Winters. 
 "I ain t in favor of killin as an occupation, an I 
 never done much of it, but if a man ever desarved to 
 be put to death it s the varmint what s in hidin yonder. 
 Don t it say in yer Bible, Whoever sheds blood, by 
 man shall his blood be shed? An as far as this bein 
 a desolate spot, a desolate spot it is, an mighty un 
 pleasant for a man to stay in all by himself, but we was 
 shipwrecked here leastways the women, Cato an my 
 self, as well as him that s gone an what s to hinder 
 somebody else bein cast up here in the same way? 
 Wouldn t it be ruther hard on em to meet with a man- 
 eatin tiger loose about the place?" 
 
 "A most unlikely happening, friend," said the Hu 
 guenot, shaking his head, "and hardly sufficient reason 
 for us to risk our lives in endeavoring to ferret out this 
 dangerous man, who is undoubtedly secreted in the 
 ruins, from whence it might prove most difficult, if not 
 dangerous, to dislodge him." 
 
 "Now you re talkin sense," said Winters. "I m 
 \villin to admit that it ud be no fool s job to git at the 
 326
 
 THE DEPARTURE 
 
 rascal ; bout as easy I reckon as to find an Injun or a 
 rattlespake, once they ve set about it to hide. Wall, 
 I m wiilin to leave the cuss, if you all say so ; but I d 
 a sight ruther the breath was outside of him fust. 
 
 Strangely enough, when the women were acquainted 
 with what had occurred, Madeline was found to be of 
 the same opinion. 
 
 "I can t bear to think of going away and leaving 
 him here," she said with a shudder. " Suppose some 
 one should come ? 
 
 "As our good pastor says, my child," said her 
 mother gently, "it is extremely unlikely that such a 
 thing will occur. What could anyone want in this 
 most God-forsaken spot?" 
 
 "You have forgotten M. Baillot," said Madeline, 
 blushing rosily. "I am sure that he will return to 
 search for us. 
 
 "I have given up all hope of that long ago. He 
 would have returned ere this had it been possible for 
 him to do so. I fear that his fate will remain forever 
 hidden from us." 
 
 "He will return, I know I feel it !" declared Mad 
 eline passionately, but the blush died away from her 
 cheeks. 
 
 "Of whom are you speaking?" said St. Andre. 
 "W r hat! are you not satisfied with having recovered 
 your brother that you must lose your roses at the 
 thought of this missing sailor?" he asked, looking 
 keenly at the girl s downcast face. "But come," he 
 added gravely, "we are about to commit the body of 
 our unfortunate companion to the earth, after which wo 
 shall get away from this accursed spot with what speed 
 we may." 
 
 327
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 The service at the grave of the dead Huguenot was a 
 brief one, for the tide which must bear their little craft 
 cut into the ocean was about to turn, and all was ready 
 for the start. The grave had been dug near the tomb 
 where the angel of marble still kept guard, for, strangely 
 enough, this spot alone had escaped the hands of the 
 despoilers. The body swathed in a blanket, which the 
 survivors had taken from their slender store, was laid in 
 the hole which had been dug for it, the earth was 
 quickly replaced, a brief prayer was breathed by the 
 aged pastor, and all was over. Immediately afterward 
 the little company in silence and sadness wended their 
 way toward the shore. 
 
 Up to this time nothing had been seen of the con 
 vict ; he had doubtless lain concealed in the ruins of the 
 chateau, keeping a close watch upon the movements of 
 the party. No sooner had they embarked than he ran 
 out upon the bank of the lagoon waving his arms vio 
 lently above his head. 
 
 " Don t leave me here ! in God s name, don t leave 
 me here !" he shrieked. " Don t you know that they 
 will all be with me? I shall see them night and day. 
 They are laughing now to think that I shall be here 
 alone in their power. Don t you see them yonder?" 
 and the wretch pointed frantically in the direction of 
 the ruin. 
 
 "Poor sin-laden soul! The hand of the Lord is 
 heavy upon him," said the pastor, averting his eyes 
 with a gesture of farewell. 
 
 "Comeback, come back kill me kill me! don t 
 leave me here alive !" screamed the convict, as the ship 
 moved further and further from the shore. 
 
 A solemn silence prevailed on board the yachf, a 
 328
 
 THE DEPARTURE 
 
 feeling that they were executing a terrible but just sen 
 tence upon the murderer filled the hearts of all. The 
 vessel presently neared the point of land which defined 
 the entrance of the stream into the lagoon ; the com ict 
 had traversed the intervening space with great leaps and 
 bounds, and stood awaiting them, still screaming loudly 
 to be taken on board. As the yacht slowly rounded 
 the point, only a fe\v feet of water between her side 
 and the shore, Hovet, who had ceased his shrieks for the 
 moment, made a wild spring, and to the astonishment 
 and alarm of all landed squarely on the deck. Before 
 he had time to recover himself, Winters had fallen upon 
 him like a whirlwind, and hurled him violently over the 
 side. He sank instantly and was seen no more by any 
 of them. 
 
 Madeline burst into tears. "Why, oh why," she 
 sobbed, must such dreadful things happen? Surely 
 we must be made of stone to hear such cries, and yl 
 suffer the petitioner to beg for our mercy in vain. In 
 the sight of God our own hearts may seem as dark nay 
 indeed, are we not all guilty of the death of yonder un 
 fortunate man ? 
 
 "Peace, maiden!" said Constantin Dinant sooth 
 ingly, laying his large withered hand upon her bowed 
 head. "Thou hast no cause to reproach thyself; 
 though doul.it not, that thy tears of pity are such as 
 angels must often shed when looking upon this fallen 
 earth of ours. Raise thine eyes, daughter ! and take a 
 last look at this place where amid such signal judgments 
 upon wickedness, have been wrought out such mercy 
 and blessing for us all." 
 
 Somewhat comforted by the words of the good man, 
 Madeline obediently wiped her eyes and fixed them 
 3 2 9
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 upon the shores past which they were gliding slowly. 
 The sun just rising shed a glory of dazzling light 
 upon the green meadows embowered in trees, upon the 
 watery path of the stream before them, and shot long 
 rays of splendor toward the distant purple of the sea 
 beyond, upon whose trackless wastes, with neither chart 
 nor compass to guide, the little company were about to 
 entrust themselves. As she looked, her heart grew 
 light in her bosom. Somewhere beyond that dim blue 
 verge lay life, and happiness, and safety.
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 WITHOUT COMPASS 
 
 "WE LL steer nor by nor -west, since that was the 
 direction in which the French ship started off, though, 
 dash my buttons ! I hain t an idee whether that ll take 
 us anywhar in particular," declared Winters, when he 
 had succeeded with the assistance of his inexperienced 
 crew, in hoisting sail, and making things what he called 
 "snug and in sea-goin shape" about the yacht. 
 
 During the process, which was accompanied by many 
 blunders, as indeed might have been expected, the old 
 sailor more than once lost his temper, and consequently 
 indulged in much profanity of a strictly nautical kind. 
 He " blarsted his buttons," and " shivered his timbers," 
 called the crew "consarned fat -headed land -lubbers," and 
 " blowed old swabs," till at length the good pastor felt 
 called upon to remonstrate mildly. 
 
 "Don t forget, friend Winters," he said with impres 
 sive solemnity, " that we are helpless in the hands of the 
 Almighty, without chart or compass, and in this frail 
 craft about to tempt the perils of the deep ; such a dis 
 play of temper is assuredly most unseemly." 
 
 Winters paused a moment in his hasty tramping up 
 and down the deck where indeed he was doing the 
 work of half a do/en men long enough to deliver him 
 self of the following characteristic remarks. 
 
 " If we was a puttin out to sea in the biggest ship 
 331
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 ever built, with the smartest crew at ever signed articles, 
 I reckon -we d be just as much in the hands of the 
 A mighty as we be now. If the Lord only holds his 
 hand stiddy we re agoin to be all right. As fur my 
 temper, do you spose for a minute that Cod A mighty 
 ull lay that up agin the hull of us? He aint so all- 
 fired small an mean as that, I ll bet. And havin made 
 the sea and all sea-goin critters, he s got a sight more 
 notion than you have of the aggravatin ness of tryin to 
 sail a tight little craft like this, with a lot o land-lub 
 bers. 
 
 After which there was nothing for the good old Hu 
 guenot who was troubled with what he found at times 
 to be a most inconvenient sense of humor save to turn 
 away to hide the smile, which crept over the would-be 
 severity of his countenance. 
 
 The Lord did " hold his hand stiddy," for the weather 
 remained fair, with a constant light breeze from the 
 south, which sent the little vessel speeding over the water 
 in the most amazing style. The impromptu crew, es 
 pecially Croissart and young de Langres, soon became 
 fairly apt in the handling of the sails, and received many 
 compliments from their instructor. 
 
 " I tell ye, my boy," said Winters patronizingly to St. 
 Andre with a resounding slap upon his shoulder, " you ve 
 got a sight too much stuff in you to stay land-lubber fur 
 the rest of your days. A few more cruises ud make a 
 consarned good sailor out of ye. What be you goin to 
 do with yourself anyhow ?" 
 
 " My fortunes have taken such surprising turns of 
 late," replied the Huguenot with a smile, " that I hard 
 ly know. A year ago, I should have said that my station 
 in life demanded of me only a just administration of my 
 332
 
 WITHOUT COMPASS 
 
 estates in Languedoc, suitable care of my mother and 
 sister, and loyalty to the king. A day changed all that ; 
 my property was swept away, my liberty gone, my family 
 lost to me, and I a nameless convict, with no better 
 prospect before me than a life of joyless toil with a shal 
 low grave at its close. Again I find myself free and re 
 united to those whom I love, but as yet I have had little 
 opportunity to plan my future. Let me once put foot 
 onto dry land in safety and I shall be better able to 
 answer you. 
 
 "Ay ! spoken like a land-lubber. Why do you talk 
 so much about dry land, man? It s too blamed dry to 
 suit me. Now if we strike the Azores all right as we 
 likely shall by to-morrow morning, for I ve seen land- 
 birds in the rigging this very day we could do an 
 amazin good trade fetchin and carryin atween the 
 islands with this little craft ; an mebbe later we could 
 sell, an git hold of suthin bigger. What would you 
 say to that?" 
 
 " My mother has in her possession title-deeds to lands 
 in America," said St. Andre thoughtfully, "and both 
 she and my sister are most anxious to get there as soon 
 as possible." 
 
 " Whar might your lands be, if I may make so bold 
 as to ask?" said Winters. 
 
 "In the neighborhood of Boston, I believe," replied 
 St. y\ndre. " I never gave the matter much considera 
 tion, since our ever seeing the place seemed at one time 
 so unlikely. Are there many savages thereabouts?" 
 
 "Wall, not now, that is to say, the varmints don t 
 dare interfere much with the towns. Course you sec 
 plenty of em ; and further in, they re thicker n rattle 
 snakes. Your land might be wuth a consid able if it s 
 333
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 in the right place, an agin it might not be wuth the 
 paper it s writ down on." 
 
 The next morning they sighted land. As may be 
 imagined this was an occasion for the liveliest rejoicings. 
 Even the pale face of Madame de Langres wore a 
 smile ; as for Madeline, her joy knew no bounds, she 
 even sang a gay little French ballad, as she stood by 
 the rail looking at the long low cloud in the dis 
 tance which Winters assured her was the wished -for 
 haven. 
 
 "Is it not wonderful," she asked with sparkling 
 eyes of the pastor who stood by her side, "that we 
 should have come straight to the land over these track 
 less waters with nothing to guide us?" 
 
 "Not more wonderful, my child," he replied earn 
 estly, "than that yonder bird should wing its unerring 
 way through the boundless heavens. We are too prone 
 to pray, scarce believing that we shall receive. So 
 faithless indeed are we, that we receive with surprise 
 and almost incredulity the answers we seek." 
 
 Making in the afternoon of the same day the islands 
 of St. Mary and St. Michael, where they obtained 
 fresh water, they passed on the next day to the central 
 group of the Azores, where they hoped to find a ship 
 bound to some friendly port. In this hope they were 
 not disappointed, for sailing to the leeward of the island 
 of Terciora, the sharp eyes of Winters quickly perceived 
 a large vessel flying the English colors. 
 
 " Here we be, miss !" he exclaimed, "and vender s 
 the good flag of England. The worst that ll happen 
 ull be that you ll have an extra v yage." 
 
 "Oh, I hope we shall not have to go back to Eng 
 land !" said the young girl, clasping her hands in 
 334
 
 WITHOUT COMPASS 
 
 her earnestness. "I am so tired of ships and of the 
 ocean." 
 
 " I ain t a goin to say one word agin that sentiment 
 from a tender little thing like you, miss," said the old 
 man with an indulgent smile. "A nice snug little 
 cottage is the place for women -folks ; an a good 
 stout man to go out in the world an do the wrastlin , 
 whilst you keep the hearth bright and cheery fur him 
 hey ?" 
 
 As soon as Z Esperance was snugly anchored, a dep 
 utation consisting of Winters, Constantin Dinant and 
 St. Andre de Langres visited the English ship ; they 
 soon returned with the cheering intelligence that the 
 good ship, Royal Ma/y, was bound to the English Col 
 onies in America, and that their whole company could 
 be accommodated on board. Indeed an officer of her 
 crew accompanied them on their return to the yacht, 
 bearing a hearty invitation from the captain of the 
 Royal Mary to the ladies to come at once on board. 
 
 Winters, who had unexpectedly found the berth of 
 second mate at his disposal, was especially jubilant. He 
 had at once abandoned his notion of continuing to sail 
 the yacht, and proposed to sell her and divide the pro 
 ceeds equally amongst the party. 
 
 " The money ought all to belong to you," declared 
 Madeline, " for you certainly saved the vessel when you 
 concealed it so cleverly." 
 
 "That may be, miss," replied the old man. " But 
 Jack Winters ain t a forgittin who s prayed him out 
 o perdition, an like as not saved his life by a hitchin 
 it onto a gospel craft what was bound to git to port, 
 when this blamed old derelict would ha gone to the 
 bottom along of its own sins." By which he merely 
 335
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 intended to intimate that the Huguenots should share 
 in the proceeds of the sale. His generosity, however, 
 was premature, as we shall see. 
 
 The following day as Madeline sat upon the deck 
 of the Royal Mary, with her mother and several 
 English ladies, also passengers, she perceived that 
 another vessel had approached and was about to cast 
 anchor. 
 
 " Look," she cried, " there is another ship !" 
 
 "A pretty boat, I m sure!" exclaimed one of the 
 English women, a plump, rosy, smiling dame, known 
 as Mrs. Buxton. " I think sailors are monstrous inter 
 esting. What do you say, my dear?" addressing Mad 
 eline. Then without waiting for an answer she rattled 
 on. " I told my husband before we started that I was 
 sure the voyage would be the death of us all, but it 
 hasn t. Now that old sailor who came aboard with 
 you, what a queer-looking old guy he is to be sure, but 
 that kind and good, your mother was saying. But 
 look, some of the sailors from the ship yonder are 
 going ashore ! I wish they had stopped nearer so we 
 could see them ; if I had the captain s glass now I 
 wonder if he wouldn t loan it for a minute." And the 
 excellent woman bustled away. 
 
 Madeline had remained quietly in her place, watching 
 without very much interest the distant ship. Her can 
 vas had been neatly clewed down by this time, the 
 sailors looking not much larger than mice, as they 
 clambered briskly down her shrouds. Now a long boat 
 laden with men shot away from her dark sides, and after 
 an interval of several minutes, a skiff containing two 
 figures crept out a little way from the ship, then paused 
 for an instant, while the man in the stern arose in his 
 33 6
 
 WITHOUT COMPASS 
 
 place, evidently to shout out some order to those on the 
 deck of the vessel. The sound of his voice crept across 
 the water and echoed faintly from the lofty sides of the 
 I\:i\al Mary. The young girl started to her feet with a 
 low cry, while the color sank away from her checks, 
 leaving her deathly pale. 
 
 " What is it, my child?" asked her mother in alarm. 
 
 "I thought I fancied did you not hear, mother? 
 And oh, where is Mrs. Buxton the glass the captain s 
 glass." And she broke through the little group which 
 surrounded her with a haste quite unlike her usual gentle 
 movements. 
 
 Madame de Langres looked after her in astonish 
 ment, then she too turned her eyes upon the skiff, 
 which was rapidly skimming over the water shoreward. 
 
 "What has agitated your daughter, madame?" in 
 quired an elderly woman who so prided herself upon 
 the elegance with which she spoke the French language 
 that she never failed of an opportunity to display her 
 knowledge of it, the shrinking horror with which her 
 murderous onslaughts upon the language were received 
 having no effect whatever upon her. 
 
 "I hardly know," replied Madame de Langrcs 
 civilly. Then she arose from her seat, with the mani 
 fest intention of finding out. 
 
 "Shall I not accompany you, chcr Madame ?" said 
 the lady, rising with alacrity. "I have some (res ex 
 cellent salts should the young lady feel ill." 
 
 " Thank you, I do not think she is ill," said Madame 
 de Langres rather coldly, as she walked away. She en 
 countered Madeline herself about half-way across the 
 deck, and drew her into the shadow of a drooping sail. 
 What ails you, my child?" she inquired anxiously. 
 22 337
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 "You must not forget " with a glance towards the 
 group which she had just quitted, " that you are once 
 more in the world, and that curious eyes and ears are at 
 hand." 
 
 "I know whom you mean, mother," replied Made 
 line petulantly, "that odious woman who insists upon 
 speaking to us in French it makes me shudder to see 
 her open her mouth. But I cannot find Mrs. Buxton or 
 the captain anywhere, and I do so want the glass for 
 just an instant !" 
 
 "What an extraordinary idea; you surely do not 
 mean that you think 
 
 "I mean that I believe the man in yonder skiff to 
 be ah ; there is Mrs. Buxton ! Dear Mrs. Buxton did 
 you find the captain ? Have you the glass ? 
 
 "My dear young lady," replied the English woman 
 smilingly, " I have found that the captain has been on 
 shore for the last two hours. Everybody is on shore 
 who owns a glass, it appears, so we shall have to con 
 tent ourselves with our eyes. The bosun just told me 
 that he believes yonder stranger to be a pirate. Is not 
 that romantic? She s got a mighty suspicious look to 
 her, ma am, he said, with such a picturesque hitch to 
 his trouser band. Why do sailors always hitch up their 
 trousers do you suppose ? But perhaps they have no 
 suspenders though why they shouldn t I can t think. 
 I mean to ask my husband to find out." With all of 
 which the good woman herself was so taken up, that 
 she quite failed to notice the disappointed look that 
 crept over the ingenuous face of the young girl. 
 
 Madeline did not see the skiff return to the distant 
 brigantine, though she watched anxiously through the 
 glass which St. Andre procured for her. What she did 
 338
 
 WITHOUT COMPASS 
 
 see was half a dozen or so of swarthy, rascally-looking 
 fellows attired in red jackets and caps disporting them 
 selves about her decks, which certainly went a long way 
 toward confirming the bosun s opinion as reported by 
 Mrs. "Buxton. 
 
 Two days later just before the Royal Mary sailed, the 
 little company once more assembled on her deck. 
 
 " Don t feel too badly about that matter of the 
 yacht," St. Andre was saying to Winters, who was evi 
 dently much disgruntled about something. " In a way 
 the fellow was right." 
 
 "Right? the black-faced greasy scoundrel ! I wish 
 I could have spoken his gibberish, that s all. If you 
 can t make a man understand ye when yer mad, it beats 
 anything I know of for aggravatin ness. " 
 
 " What was it?" asked Madeline, smiling in the old 
 man s wrathful face. 
 
 "Why we found somebody as wanted the yacht, 
 wanted it bad too. A Portuguese fellow de what?" 
 
 " De Miguel," said St. Andre. 
 
 "Yes, de Miguel Wall, the fellow, jes as we was 
 about to close the bargain, said as how he had found 
 out where we got the craft, and that if we didn t leave it 
 with him, he d have us clapped into irons. We inquired 
 around, an found that he could ha done it too ; it 
 seems t he s the biggest frog in the puddle in these ere 
 parts. So there was nothin left for us to do, but jes to 
 give in, for considerin all the circumstances it wouldn t, 
 do for us to git into irons jes now." 
 
 " I should think so " ejaculated Madeline, who had 
 grown pale at the thought. " I am sure he is welcome 
 to the yacht if he only leaves us in peace." 
 
 " St. Andre and I saw rather an interesting person to- 
 
 339
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 day," remarked Constantin Dinant, by way of diversion, 
 " It seems that Smith, our ship s doctor, has been at 
 tending a patient on shore for the past few days ; he 
 asked us to step in and see him this morning. He was a 
 singularly handsome, refined-looking, young man, with 
 a face something after the style of the portraits we see 
 of Julius Caesar, only infinitely more noble in type." 
 
 " Did you speak with him?" asked Madeline in a 
 rather unnatural voice, fixing her large eyes anxiously 
 upon the speaker. 
 
 " Oh no, my child, he was unconscious had been so 
 for some days, I believe ; but we asked his name." 
 
 " And it was " 
 
 "Georges Mendon, a Parisian agent for rum in the 
 islands," replied the old man quietly. " But see ! they 
 are hoisting anchor. Now, all hail for America, the 
 glorious land where we may worship our God in free 
 dom and peace ! 
 
 And so, embarked upon summer seas, their troubles 
 over for at least some brief space, we may leave our 
 friends while we follow the fortunes of Henri Baillot, 
 Comte de Lantenac. 
 
 340
 
 CHAPTER XLI 
 
 FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS 
 
 " You are exorbitant in your charges for the use of 
 the vessel, friend. I have already paid you five hundred 
 pistoles for this scrap of paper, which you dignify by 
 the name of chart, and 
 
 " You shall give it back to me if you like not my 
 price," said de Miguel, doggedly. " I will take it now, 
 and as for using my ship !" He snapped his fingers de 
 risively and shrugged his pudgy shoulders in a way which 
 signified that he was very well aware that he Jose de 
 Miguel was complete master of the situation. Then 
 apparently bethinking himself that there might yet be 
 more pistoles to be obtained from this free-handed 
 stranger, he resumed the soft whining tone which he 
 habitually made use of. 
 
 " Besides, gracious seignior, you have not yet beheld 
 this little ship. I have this very day paid for her in 
 gold " with a melancholy shake of the head " more 
 than three thousand pistoles ! Is not that a great price 
 for a poor man like Jose de Miguel ? It would have been 
 impossible for me had 1 not received the five hundred 
 pistoles for my chart, which may the Holy Virgin for 
 give me ! for to do it I had no right in the world. Jose 
 de Miguel s heart is too soft, ah, seignior, that is when 
 the trouble lies. When I see a fine noble gentleman 
 like you, seignior, anxious to rescue shipwrecked folk 
 who are doubtless awaiting succor with sufferings which
 
 one can hardly imagine delicate women too ! ah, my 
 heart bleeds for them ! There is nothing Jose will not 
 do for a lovely woman, everybody about the island 
 knows that. The speaker paused for a moment to take 
 breath. 
 
 Baillot smiled slightly as he listened to the worthy 
 man s eulogy on the fair sex, and at the same time re 
 called the expression on his little hostess s face when 
 she had spoken of him. "You paid, you say, three 
 thousand pistoles for the vessel," he said, "and charge 
 me three hundred for ten days ; at that rate you will 
 soon recover your money. 
 
 " Ah, but gracious seignior, you are forgetting that I 
 bought the vessel solely on your account ; what does 
 Jose de Miguel want with a ship ? I am content to 
 stlay at home with my family, as you found me. Then 
 too, the risk, seignior. Suppose you lose the vessel, 
 where then should I find myself? Only three hundred 
 pistoles, it is nothing at all I assure you. 
 
 You would not care for that, quoth Goujet, who 
 was following close at their heels, and on whom not a 
 word of the conversation had been lost, for you would 
 be either drowned or shipwrecked, and in either case 
 pistoles would not interest you." 
 
 Surely you will not hold me to that ? I told you 
 that I would go, it is true, but of what use would you 
 find an old man like me? I cannot sail the vessel, and 
 I hate the sea," the last words were addressed in a con 
 fidential tone to Baillot, but Goujet was not to be ig 
 nored. 
 
 "Hate the sea, do you?" he remarked in a con 
 temptuous tone, as he quickened his steps till he was 
 abreast of the other two. "Well. I should suppose so 
 342
 
 FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS 
 
 by the cut of your jib, but that can t be helped, sir, 
 you re going along, and don t you think otherwise for 
 a minute." 
 
 De Miguel scowled blackly, but he said nothing in 
 reply. The three men had by this time reached the 
 shore where they presently embarked in a skiff. 
 
 " The vessel is yonder," said the Portuguese sulkily. 
 " Of whom did you purchase it?" asked Laillot, with 
 a start of surprise. 
 
 De Miguel had been expecting this question, and he 
 replied at once with that glib mixture of truth and false 
 hood of which he was consummate master. 
 
 " Of whom did I purchase her, noble seignior? Of 
 two French gentlemen, whose names I did not ask. 
 Truly it mattered not to me what they were called." 
 
 They had now approached quite near to the vessel in 
 question. There was no mistaking that slender, low- 
 lying hull, those tapering masts. Even before he had 
 caught a glimpse of the gilded letters that ran about her 
 bow, Baillot was certain that it was no other than 
 // Esperancr, which lay gently rising and filling on the 
 glassy green swells. 
 
 "Two French gentlemen," repeated dc Miguel 
 loudly. lie had been studying the face of the man be 
 fore him, and had made a shrewd guess at the thoughts 
 which were thronging his brain. "They have been 
 trading back and forth between the islands for a year or 
 more so they told me. And indeed 1 have seen tre 
 vessel before she became my property. A light little 
 craft, and of unusual build for these parts. 1 h<vc 
 wondered where she was built and how she became the 
 property of the men who sailed her. But" and the 
 speaker shrugged his shoulders, " it was not my busi- 
 343
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 ness to know. For my part I do not ask many ques 
 tions ; it does not profit, for why ? A man may lie with 
 his tongue. Far better is it to watch and consider and 
 see for one s self. For myself I speak only the truth ; 
 I am sincere ; I am open. All the world knows my 
 heart. And the speaker smote upon his breast and 
 smiled, a fat, oily smile which somehow was not pleas 
 ant to look upon. 
 
 "He is telling the truth for once, master," whis 
 pered Goujet, "for I saw the men, and heard them 
 speak, they also came to see you while you lay ill in the 
 hut." 
 
 They had now boarded the yacht ; Bail lot looked 
 eagerly about for some token which might tell of its late 
 occupants. He presently saw, however, that the vessel 
 had been completely stripped of all its former luxurious 
 fittings. Its cabins had the appearance of an ordinary 
 coasting schooner of the better class ; the bunks were 
 furnished with bedding not too scrupulously clean, and 
 the galley with common coarse crockery and pewter 
 vessels, which had evidently seen long and hard usage. 
 In short, there was nothing about the craft to indicate 
 that de Miguel had not told the exact truth in regard 
 to her. Baillot turned away with an impatient sigh. 
 
 " The seignior is not pleased?" cried de Miguel, who 
 had been inwardly congratulating himself on the shrewd 
 ness which he had displayed in the refitting of the ves 
 sel, an operation which had cost him a long and hard 
 night s labor. "And why? Is it not a beautiful ves 
 sel, and well furnished, and swift ? the seignior cannot 
 conceive of anything more swift ! I have also caused 
 most excellent supplies to be placed on board. And I 
 have bespoken a crew of sailors, brave and expert." 
 344
 
 FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS 
 
 " I will look to the crew, my man," remarked Gou- 
 jet, who had been examining the little vessel with the 
 eye of a connoisseur. " We shall not require more 
 than t\\o hands besides ourselves. You, Monsieur de 
 Miguel, shall be our passenger. As to the ship, mas 
 ter," continued (loujet, "one could hardly find any 
 thing better than this little craft for our purpose. The 
 Rouge ft A\>ir was a vessel that could show a clean pair 
 of heels to almost anything afloat, but, morbleu . I 
 believe this craft could beat her. Why not get off with 
 the next tide ? A day at sea will do more for you than 
 all the doctor s stuff that ever was brewed." 
 
 "Yes, by all means !" said Baillot, bringing himself 
 back with some difficulty to the matter in hand. " Let 
 us get off with all the speed we may. As for taking 
 this man along, I 
 
 "You insist, certainly," interrupted Goujet with a 
 warning look. " Quite right too ; a little cruise, Mon 
 sieur de Miguel, will not only serve to whet your appe 
 tite for the delights of your own roof and the endear 
 ments of your family circle, but it will also, if I 
 mistake not, materially benefit your liver, in perhaps 
 relieving you of an excess of bile. Ah, you compre 
 hend !" as de Miguel groaned dismally. "A little 
 inul (Is mer is most excellent for a person of your habit, 
 most excellent, 1 assure you." 
 
 "The devil take you, sir !" quoth de Miguel, goaded 
 into frankness for once. 
 
 " Quite right," said Goujet approvingly. "1 have 
 every reason to suppose that your kind wish will be re 
 alized at some future time. In the meantime if we do 
 not fall into the hands of pirates by the way, we shall 
 have a most enjoyable voyage together." 
 345
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 At the mention of pirates, de Miguel rolled up his 
 eyes with a faint ejaculation, expressive of the deepest 
 alarm. 
 
 "A not unlikely happening, eh, my lord?" con 
 tinued Goujet remorselessly, yet with a touch of real 
 anxiety in his tones, which did not escape the attention 
 of Baillot. 
 
 " It will not be amiss to go suitably armed," he said, 
 looking thoughtfully out to sea, where several sails were 
 visible. 
 
 "I am so ill, noble seignior, when on the sea," 
 whined de Miguel, " that I should be of no use to you 
 no use whatever ; why not take some one younger, my 
 son Juan, for example ; I should have no objection to 
 permitting it. He could fight pirates now ; he is young 
 and active, and 
 
 "You must go," interrupted Goujet loudly and de 
 cidedly, " to look after this valuable bit of property, if 
 for nothing more. How do you know we re not 
 pirates?" he added wickedly. " Do I not look like 
 one ? 
 
 "You do you do !" cried de Miguel, starting back. 
 "I will not go with you. I will not let my vessel to 
 such as you. I swear I will not ! Let me go ! " 
 
 "Hold !" said Baillot sternly. "You are not deal 
 ing with that man," and he darted an angry look at 
 Goujet, "but with me. I am a man of honor and so, 
 I believe, is Goujet, though it pleases him to make very 
 sorry jests. You shall accompany us, since it was in the 
 bond ; and here is the sum specified, three hundred pis 
 toles. We get off at once, at once you understand. 
 
 Somewhat mollified by the sight and feel of the gold 
 pieces, which he fingered lovingly, as he stowed them 
 346
 
 FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS 
 
 carefully away in his capacious wallet, de Miguel bowed 
 cringingly. "The sum specified for the letting of the 
 vessel for the space of ten days or less," he murmured 
 softly, "and I thank the seignior for the same. The 
 provisions" here the speaker paused to cough dis 
 creetly "will of course be paid for later ; likewise the 
 hire of the seamen a mere trifle of course, hardly 
 worth mentioning. 
 
 As Baillot attempted no remonstrance, and Goujet 
 remained sulkily silent, de Miguel gathered courage and 
 continued in a somewhat louder tone, "One hundred 
 pistoles perhaps, for the victualling of the vessel ; a 
 mere bagatelle, is it not? Ah ! such luxuries, seignior, 
 as I have provided ; I know the taste of such gentle 
 men as you. Fifty more probably, for the hire of 
 the seamen ? Not much, you say?" Baillot had not 
 spoken. "You are right; I shall get no gain out of 
 this thing, it is true. I am too generous, always too 
 generous prodigal even. That is why I am a poor 
 man. At my age, seignior, it is not pleasant to feel the 
 hot breath of the wolf at one s door. And the little 
 ones too, ah me ! ten of them, and more coming, 
 always more coming. I 
 
 "A pest on your brainless chatter, man !" interrupted 
 Baillot with a frown, " I will hear no more, f will pay 
 you the balance when we return to this place, only on 
 condition that you hold your insufferable tongue." 
 
 "But, master!" protested Goujet in an energetic 
 whisper, "a hundred pistoles for the victualling ! Con 
 sider, I beg of you ; for fifteen I could 
 
 "Nay! I care not, it would take time, and that is 
 more precious to me now than I can tell you. Engage 
 two or more of the fellows who are waiting in the boat 
 347
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 there, then go ashore and fetch a supply of arms. Here 
 is my purse. Do the best you can, for you see the sup 
 ply is running low." 
 
 " Morb leu ! I should think so," muttered Goujet, 
 as he swung himself over the side of the vessel, " and 
 if that old fox gets his clutches onto another pistole, I 
 hope I may be boiled in oil for at least a hundred 
 years ! 
 
 The remaining preparations were quickly made, and 
 with wind and tide both in her favor, L 1 Esperance be 
 gan her swift flight back to the island, from which she 
 had just come. Goujet, quite in his element, was soon 
 cracking alarming jokes with the two Portuguese seamen, 
 pausing now and again to bestow a sly thrust upon de 
 Miguel, who was coiled up into a wretched heap in the 
 stern. 
 
 " You look pale about the gills, my friend," he re 
 marked, planting himself directly in front of the un 
 happy man. " Not exactly pale, either," he continued, 
 putting his head on one side and assuming an air of mock 
 sympathy, but a sort of a pasty, waxy, yellow ; the 
 sort of complexion pirates can give a man when they get 
 to touching him up with their cosmetics a bit. How 
 about those pistoles, got them safe?" 
 
 The wretched man clutched convulsively at his pockets 
 and groaned aloud. 
 
 " What!" cried Goujet, apparently much surprised, 
 "you don t mean to say that you ve brought them 
 along? But why? You ll not need money on this 
 cruise ; money won t prevent your liver from turning over 
 three times ; or your stomach from dancing to the tune 
 the ocean sets for it. And when you get so ill that you 
 don t care what becomes of you, what then?" and he 
 348
 
 FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS 
 
 bent a fearful stare on that portion of de Miguel s person 
 where was bestowed the wallet containing the pistoles. 
 
 "I must go below," stammered the unfortunate man, 
 writhing beneath his tormentor s pitiless gaze. " I am 
 too ill to remain here ; I shall go to the cabin at once," 
 and he staggered to his feet with as much dignity as he 
 could muster. 
 
 "No you don t, you old swine!" growled Goujct, 
 stepping in front of him. " My master has hired this 
 vessel for ten days, and paid you three hundred pistoles 
 for it. Not a drop, not a sup, do you get, not a bunk 
 to lie in, without paying for it. And provisions come 
 high on this craft, and bunks come high too ; no one 
 knows that better than you." 
 
 De Miguel s jaw dropped. He almost forgot to be sea 
 sick fora moment. "What what did you say?" he 
 stammered. "You you asked me to come ! you you 
 insisted that I should come ! I didn t want to come. I 
 won t pay, you scoundrel." And he dropped back and 
 groaned aloud. 
 
 (loujet grinned. "You needn t pay now," he said 
 soothingly. " I m not so hard at a bargain as you. One 
 hundred pistoles for your passage, say a mere bagatelle, 
 eh ? I knew you would say so ! and for your meals 
 while on board, fifty pistoles not much, you say? but 
 I am so generous, so prodigal !" 
 
 " I I will tell the good seignior how you maltreat 
 me, you black devil, you!" began de Miguel vocifer 
 ously, then as the vessel gave an uneasy lurch, he 
 dapped his hand over the pit of his stomach, and fairly 
 blubbered. "The Holy Virgin and all the saints will 
 punish you !" he howled betwixt his sobs, "and I hope 
 you may burn in purgatory a million years ! 
 349
 
 CHAPTER XLII 
 
 MORE FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS 
 
 "WELL, master!" said Goujet in high good-humor. 
 " I ve come up with that old rascal at last." 
 
 "What have you done with him?" asked Baillot 
 sternly. "Remember that you are aboard no pirate 
 craft now, my man." 
 
 ll Mon dieu ! No, I shall remember that fast enough. 
 I have only helped the old gentleman into his bunk to 
 get rid of his mal de mer," chuckled Goujet, prudently 
 resolving not to acquaint his master with his late finan 
 cial transaction. "But voila, this little ship ! I have 
 never seen her like for sailing. Have you now, mas 
 ter ? 
 
 "I ve sailed in her before," said Baillot, looking 
 about him gloomily. "This is the very vessel that we 
 met adrift off the island." 
 
 But how came she into the possession of those 
 men ? 
 
 That is what I have been asking myself. If you 
 had not seen them, I should have thought the Portu 
 guese lied to us, and that Winters had successfully car 
 ried out his plan of taking the party off the island by 
 means of the yacht. Here is the ship, at all events, but 
 much changed since I saw her last." 
 
 "But may not the sailor Winters you call him have 
 carried out his plan and afterward sold the craft to the 
 men of whom de Miguel bought her ? 
 35
 
 MORE FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS 
 
 "The rascal said they had owned her more than a 
 year, that much at least is a lie. If I could but compel 
 him to tell the truth !" 
 
 " I could compel him," said Goujet, an ominous 
 glitter in his black eyes. "There is more than one 
 way to get at the truth, master ; the sight of a red-hot 
 poker now 
 
 " You would torture him ? For shame, man !" 
 
 " Twould be but a taste of what he will get in the 
 hereafter," said Goujet apologetically, "and perhaps 
 would count off just so much from his reckonings in 
 purgatory. 
 
 "His punishment is none of our concern, friend. 
 Doubt not that God will deal with him according to the 
 measure of his sins. Let us beware only of adding to 
 our own." 
 
 "Ay! spoken like a Huguenot," muttered Goujet. 
 "But he shall at least pay roundly for his ten days in 
 our good company." 
 
 Baillot was silent for a time, then he turned suddenly. 
 " What think you of yonder sail, man ?" 
 
 Goujet looked him squarely in the eyes. " You have 
 already thought, master," he said, " for myself I need 
 only to look once to see that yonder vessel is the J\i>ii^t 
 ct Noir and what then, if // Ksperance can sail the 
 faster ? 
 
 "We will at least sell our lives dearly," said Baillot. 
 " I am going below," he added shortly, " do you keep 
 a keen lookout." 
 
 "No need to bid me do that, master," replied the 
 other, looking slightly offended. " I am glad you are 
 going below. You need rest ; you are not yet perfectly 
 recovered. 
 
 .35 *
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 But Baillot was not going below to rest. He was 
 haunted by the conviction that de Miguel had lied to 
 him ; full of this idea he began a thorough search in the 
 cabins for some token that his instinct had not deceived 
 him. For some time his search was in vain, and he 
 was about to give it up with an impatient sigh, when in 
 a dark corner of the inner cabin he caught a glimpse of 
 something that glittered dimly. He picked it up, it 
 was a jewelled comb of quaint design which had be 
 longed to Madeline de Langres. He had no doubt 
 about it ; he remembered just how she had used it to 
 fasten the abundant braids of her hair. 
 
 After a moment s hesitation he sought out de Miguel. 
 
 "Ah, seignior," exclaimed that worthy pathetically, 
 "you take compassion on my sufferings. You have 
 come to tell me that it is not true. A hundred pistoles 
 holy heavens ! a hundred and fifty pistoles, and I can 
 eat nothing !" 
 
 "I don t know what you are talking about," said 
 Baillot coldly. " Hold your tongue, if you can, and 
 listen. I just now found this ornament in the corner 
 of my cabin. What does it mean ? 
 
 "What does it mean, seignior? Blessed Mary ! 
 How should I know ? What is the object a comb, is 
 it not so?" 
 
 "But suppose that I know to whom this comb be 
 longs ; suppose I tell you that it belongs to the lady 
 whom I wish to rescue. I believe that you have lied to 
 me, rascal ; she has already gone, and you know it ; this 
 ship is but just now come from the island, and you 
 bought it from Winters." 
 
 De Miguel stared at the angry face of his questioner 
 in silence for a full minute. 
 
 352
 
 MORE FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS 
 
 "Speak, scoundrel:" thundered Baillot, "or by 
 heaven, I will turn you over to Goujet to deal with ; he 
 may find a way to get the truth out of you." 
 
 " How can I answer you, seignior, when I am so 
 ill," whined de Miguel, wincing at the mention of 
 Goujet. "You have no heart, or you would not speak 
 in that harsh tone to one who has done nothing to harm 
 you. As for calling me a liar, why " and the speaker 
 assumed a ludicrously threatening air, "no man can do 
 that safely. Now listen to me, I know nothing of this 
 trumpery ornament. The worthy white-haired gentle 
 man might have had his daughter or his mistress aboard, 
 or " as Baillot interrupted him with an impatient ejac 
 ulation, " it may have dropped from the hair of the sig- 
 norina when she was on board the vessel before." 
 
 "Ah, rascal! You have betrayed yourself. You 
 knew then that this vessel belonged to the island !" 
 
 " I never said that I did not, seignior. I know far 
 more about the island than I shall tell you, replied de 
 Miguel calmly. "It is as I have said ; I bought the 
 vessel from the two French gentlemen ; I saw no 
 women; I know nothing more," and the speaker 
 closed his eyes resolutely, as if he had said his say. 
 
 Baillot regarded him angrily for a moment. "Very 
 well," he said at length. " You may be sorry, and that 
 right soon, that you have not told me the truth. I 
 shall go to the island now at any hazard." And thrust 
 ing the ornament into his pocket, he left the Portuguese 
 to his meditations. 
 
 That these meditations were of a most unpleasant 
 
 nature would have been evident to one looking on ; the 
 
 unfortunate man groaned and twisted, prayed and swore 
 
 alternately. "Holy Virgin!" he whimpered, "what 
 
 2 3 353
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 did he mean ? Can it be that we are already in danger 
 of pirates ? Ah ! it is so, I feel it I know it ! What 
 then shall I do ? They will steal my pistoles ! and that 
 beast would deprive me of a hundred and fifty more. 
 Why are such crimes permitted ? Ah, I could choke 
 him, I I could But no, I am in danger, I must not 
 permit such evil thoughts. May all the saints bear me 
 witness, that until I get once more on dry land the 
 man is forgiven as I hope to be forgiven. Yes, it is so. 
 But suppose I should tell him all. We might then go 
 back. But he would force me to give up the pistoles, 
 and that I cannot do. Ah, I am so ill, I shall not live 
 to see the land, I know I shall not. Stay, I will tell 
 him ! I care not for the pistoles. Seignior ! Good, 
 merciful, gracious, noble seignior ! I will No, I will 
 not I cannot !" and his voice died away into a low in 
 articulate mumble. 
 
 Meantime Baillot was moodily pacing up and down 
 the deck, pausing now and again to take a look through 
 his glass at the distant brigantine. He was thinking 
 over what de Miguel had said. W T as it possible that 
 the ornament had been dropped during their first 
 voyage? No, he was sure that he had seen it after 
 ward during their sojourn in the chateau. Granted, 
 could she not have visited the yacht subsequently ? 
 He drew the little ornament from his pocket, and such 
 a picture of the delicate, bewitching face of its owner 
 rose before his mental vision that he involuntarily smiled. 
 
 The brigantine keeps about the same distance from 
 us," said the voice of Goujet suddenly. 
 
 " The brigantine ? ah yes. You are right. 
 
 Either she cannot catch us, or she has some other 
 scheme or der.k. " 
 
 354
 
 MORE FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS 
 
 " It may be that she sees better game," said Baillot ; 
 " she may take us for a fishing craft." 
 
 " We expected to find treasure, you remember. 
 She may leave us unmolested till we make ready to 
 leave the island, and then voila ! descend on us like 
 a hawk upon its quarry. If we find the women, that 
 might prove 
 
 " Enough !" cried the young man fiercely. " Before 
 yonder villains shall lay hands upon the women, I my 
 self will kill them !" 
 
 "And you would do wisely and well," commented 
 Goujet gravely. " But," he added briskly, "a. thousand 
 things may happen. Tis always what one does not 
 prefigure to one s self that becomes reality ; I know 
 that well enough. And tis rarely the worst comes to 
 pass without a slice of better fortune thrown in to bal 
 ance it " 
 
 The next morning after a night of steady sailing be 
 fore the constant wind, the brigantine was visible upon 
 their weather bow in very much the same position as 
 that of the night before, except that she was several 
 miles nearer. 
 
 "Morblcu!" growled Goujet, staring at her through 
 the glass, " she has crept upon us in the night. All 
 hands ! Shake out every stitch of our topsails, and be 
 lively if you don t want to swing from a pirate s yards 
 before sunset. 
 
 A fragment of this speech reached the ears of the 
 wretched de Miguel, who, after a fearful night, had 
 painfully crawled out from his bunk, and now lay 
 prone upon the deck, his head pillowed upon a rough 
 jacket which one of the sailors had placed for his con 
 venience. 
 
 355
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 "Pirates, did you say, good seignior," he whined 
 abjectly, raising his ghastly countenance from its rough 
 pillow. Pirates ? But where ? 
 
 " Right over yonder, my invalid friend," said Gou- 
 jet, looking down at the figure at his feet with a curious 
 mixture of contempt and pity on his dark face, "with 
 their eyes glued to this pretty little craft of ours. Ever 
 met any pirates, eh?" as de Miguel groaned louder than 
 ever. 
 
 "How do you know that yonder ship is a piratf ?" 
 demanded the Portuguese tremulously. 
 
 " How do I know it s a pirate?" repeated Goujet. 
 " How do I know that it s daylight, that the wind holds, 
 that you are an accursed scoundrel, or anything else 
 that s perfectly evident? I ll tell you how I know, my 
 friend," he continued, sinking his voice ominously. 
 That vessel yonder, with her black hull, her raking 
 masts and her peculiar rig square in front, do you see ? 
 And her mainmast fore and aft rigged that brigantine, 
 I say, is as familiar a sight to me as a cup of grog, and 
 why ? Because I ve sailed in her for the last three years, 
 and a bloody record she has. Why man, they make no 
 more of walking a prisoner over the plank than of eat 
 ing their duff ! 
 
 The Portuguese lifted himself on one elbow. " Then 
 you are a pirate ? he said eagerly. 
 
 Goujet scratched his head reflectively. " Well, I 
 hardly know," he remarked doubtfully, staring curiously 
 at the swarthy face before him. "Why yes, morbleu ! 
 I am ! " he declared, slapping his leg violently as a sud 
 den light broke in upon him. " A pirate and a bloody 
 one you may believe; I don t know how I ve kept my 
 hands off you so long. 
 
 356
 
 MORE FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS 
 
 "Ah, then you can save me ! Dear, good, gracious 
 pirate, pity pity the father of ten helpless babes, and 
 more com " 
 
 " Shut up, and get down to business; if I speak a 
 good word for you to yonder messmates of mine when 
 they nab us, how much is it worth to you ? 
 
 " I will give you fifty pistoles; I have no more, I 
 swear it. I 
 
 " Hand out your wallet ; I ll count the contents for 
 you, you are too ill, I see it," said Goujet, grinning re 
 morselessly. "You won t, eh? All right, then take 
 your chances with the pirates, but don t blame me when 
 you find yourself on the way to the bottom with a hun 
 dred weight of shot on your heels." 
 
 " Mercy mercy, seignior ! Take the wallet ; if there 
 be more than fifty pistoles why I have forgotten how 
 much there is !" and the wretched man wallowed in the 
 extremity of his anguish. 
 
 Fifty one hundred, counted Goujet aloud. Yes, 
 it is evident that you forgot, for I find here three hun 
 dred pistoles, the same three hundred my master gave 
 you yesterday. Now your life, how much is it worth to 
 you, friend? Fifty? J ah ! I snap my fingers at you. 
 < )ne hundred? I would not open my lips for that sum. 
 Say three hundred now and I will listen." 
 
 "Three hundred! Ah, how can 1?" wailed his 
 wretched victim. " It is all that I have in the world, 
 may the saints bear me witness, and 1 a poor old man 
 with ten 
 
 " Do you think the gentlemen yonder will leave you 
 in possession of } our gold?" sneered Goujet. "No, 
 they will relieve you of all such worldly anxieties before 
 they 1 
 
 35?
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 "Take it take it !" groaned de Miguel, hiding his 
 face with his hands, while tears of anguish actually rolled 
 down between his fingers. 
 
 "What is all this about?" said the stern voice of 
 Baillot. " Have you not tormented this unhappy wretch 
 sufficiently ? What is this ? his purse ? Ah ! Goujet, 
 Goujet, you cannot easily relinquish your calling. Re 
 store it at once, I command you. Then come with me, 
 I have something for your private ear. 
 
 Goujet sullenly tossed the purse toward the Portuguese 
 who clutched at it joyfully. But as he was crossing the 
 deck a few minutes later, he heard the voice of de Mi 
 guel calling him softly. 
 
 "What do you want ?" he said gruffly. 
 
 " The purse take it, you must have it !" whispered 
 de Miguel beseechingly, but remember to do as you 
 have promised ! 
 
 Goujet hesitated a moment, then with a sidelong 
 glance at Baillot he thrust it into his pocket. " I never 
 refuse gold when a gentleman offers it to me so politely," 
 he growled, " and I will remember the bargain though 
 morbleu ! tis not likely to go any easier with you on 
 that account." 
 
 35*
 
 CHAPTER XLIII 
 
 THE HAUNTED TERRACE 
 
 TOWARDS evening of that same day, the irregular out 
 lines of the island came into view. The Rouge et Noir 
 still hung upon the horizon in very much the same posi 
 tion as when she was first sighted. 
 
 Goujet shook his head. " They are bound to over 
 haul us before long," he predicted. " If we could but 
 make the secret entrance you speak of, master, tis just 
 possible that we might shake them off; but I don t hope 
 for it, they would anchor and send a boat ashore and 
 search till they found us. Suppose we go on and thus 
 throw them off the scent ; I believe they would find it 
 difficult to overhaul us." 
 
 "They would not try," said Baillot. "They would 
 land on the island, and if the women are still there, 
 and comparatively unprotected - the speaker paused, 
 then added in a firm voice, "We will stop now." 
 
 " Let us at least lay off and on for a few hours, we 
 may perhaps be able to enter the channel unpcrceived," 
 suggested Goujet. And to this course, after some hesi 
 tation, Baillot consented. He was on fire with impa 
 tience, and would have landed without regard to the 
 possible intentions of the pirates had the matter been 
 left entirely to his own judgment. 
 
 Under the wary hand of Goujet the little vessel exe 
 cuted a number of manceuvers, calculated to mislead the 
 enemy, who did not fail in the meantime to lessen the 
 359
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 distance between them by several miles. Towards 
 nightfall the yacht sailed around the island, whose 
 wooded heights now intervened to cut off the sharp 
 eyes aboard the brigantine, and favored by the inflow 
 ing tide, slipped quietly in toward her old moorings. 
 
 As Baillot stood in the bow the memory of that other 
 evening rushed back upon his mind. Now as then the 
 brilliant hues of sunset gleamed upon the glassy surface 
 of the stream, birds called to each other amid trees and 
 thickets, and the heavy odor of flowers drifted past like 
 clouds of incense. Goujet stood at his side quite silent, 
 looking curiously about him ; the two Portuguese sailors 
 chattered together in the stern, while de Miguel, who 
 had somewhat recovered himself, stood apart, smoking 
 in sullen silence. Suddenly the yacht rounded the 
 point, and a cry of dismay burst from Baillot as his 
 eye fell upon the disconsolate heap of ruins which 
 crowned the heights above the lagoon. He turned in 
 stinctively to de Miguel, who was regarding the place 
 with his usual inscrutable air. 
 
 " What has happened here?" he cried. De Miguel s 
 sole reply was a shrug and a deprecatory wave of the 
 hand. "Ah, you knew of this. How did it happen? 
 Who has been here ? 
 
 "How should I know, seignior," replied the Portu 
 guese. "Am I a saint in heaven that I should behold 
 all that passes upon the earth? I swear to you that I 
 have not stepped my foot off the island of Terciora for 
 a year past ; I know nothing of what has taken place 
 here. Perhaps there has been an earthquake." 
 
 "Yes, that is possible in these latitudes," murmured 
 Baillot to himself. " My God ! What has become of 
 her!" 
 
 360
 
 THE HAUNTED TERRACE 
 
 There is at least some person on the island, mas 
 ter," said Goujet, touching him lightly upon the 
 shoulder. See ! 
 
 Baillot looked eagerly, he thought he could make out 
 the outlines of a human figure in the gathering dark 
 ness. " Winters, ahoy !" he shouted, then as no answer 
 came back, " Hola ! there, Cato ! Winters ! Tis a 
 friend." 
 
 Still there was no sound of voices, no stir in the dark 
 shadow that lurked in a comer of the rocky stairway 
 leading up to the ruined terrace. " You are mistaken," 
 he said turning to Goujet. " There is no one there ; 
 tis but a shadow." 
 
 As if to contradict this statement, the shadow in 
 question started up and flitted along the stair toward 
 the terrace ; at the same instant there fell upon their 
 ears a singular and indescribable sound, ending in a 
 long, blood-curdling, wailing shriek. 
 
 Baillot stood for an instant perfectly motionless. 
 The two sailors shaking as if with the palsy had drawn 
 close to Goujet, calling aloud on all the saints to pro 
 tect them. But it was upon de Miguel that this dis 
 comfiting incident produced the most startling effect. 
 The half-smoked man ilia had dropped from his fingers 
 at the first mention of human presence, but as the echo 
 of that strange cry died away among the ruins, he darted 
 forward, his eyeballs starting out of his head, his ghastly 
 face drawn almost out of semblance to that of a human 
 being. 
 
 " God in heaven !" he cried in a husky, unnatural 
 
 voice. " Tis he ! 1 betrayed him I alone knew." 
 
 Rushing past the astonished beholders he precipitated 
 
 himself violently down the stair into the cabin, the 
 
 361
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 door of which they could hear him double-locking after 
 him. 
 
 "Whew !" said Goujet, who was the first to recover 
 himself, " our friend has something on his conscience. 
 Voila ! he ll have to unlock that door, we ll hardly be 
 able to give up both cabins to his convenience. What 
 now is your thought, master, of a shadow that can make 
 such disagreeable noises ? 
 
 " The explanation is only too evident," said Baillot 
 gloomily. " Some horrrible disaster has befallen all 
 the party save one ; that one has become a maniac. 
 
 " I fear that you are right," said Goujet with a rueful 
 shake of his grizzled head. "We must at all events 
 find out ; the poor devil may recover his senses if he be 
 taken from this dismal spot. Morbleu ! master, figure 
 to yourself what it must be to be mad and alone in a 
 place like this !" Then as Baillot answered him never 
 a word but still stood staring into the darkness, he con 
 tinued in a matter-of-fact way, " Twill be altogether 
 best to land, since our late messmates may drop down 
 upon us at almost any moment. On shipboard our 
 chances would be " and he snapped his fingers expres 
 sively "but among the nooks and crannies of yonder 
 ruins we might defy them. I will undertake to unearth 
 our passenger," and whistling cheerfully he clattered 
 down the narrow stairway and assailed the closed door 
 of the cabin with no gentle hand. 
 
 "Open the door, you rascal," he shouted. "There s 
 nothing above to hurt a mouse ! What do you mean by 
 locking yourself in the captain s quarters, you dirty lub 
 ber, you ? Open this instant or I ll kick down the door, 
 and its probably worth fifty pistoles and you a poor man 
 with ten small children and more coming. Open, I say ! 
 362
 
 THE HAUNTED TERRACE 
 
 Then as there was no reply whatever, he proceeded to 
 put his threat into execution, the door giving way with 
 a crash before the enormous strength of his shoulders. 
 
 " Where are you, villain !" he said, peering curiously 
 about. "Ah, voila /" as his eye fell upon de Miguel 
 who was crouched in a shivering heap in one corner. 
 "What are you afraid of, imbecile? At the worst tis 
 but some poor madman, crazed by the solitude of this 
 infernal place. Come now, get you up on deck ; we are 
 going on shore to camp." And he laid a compelling 
 hand on the shoulder of the Portuguese. 
 
 "No, no !" wailed de Miguel, "I will not go on 
 shore. I will stay here though God knows, perhaps 
 he will find me here also!" and he gazed about him 
 with a vacant stare. 
 
 "Come, come, man! you have been ill, and you 
 were a bit shaken by that cra/y loon among the ruins ; 
 it was not a pleasant sound I ll allow, but there s no oc 
 casion for a fuss like this. You see" added the 
 speaker with a grin "those pirates I was telling you 
 about are not more than a mile away by this time ; they 
 know well enough where we ve gone, and it won t be 
 many hours before they clap eyes onto this vessel. It 
 won t be healthy for us to be aboard along about that 
 time ; we d stand about as much chance as a bluefish be 
 fore a shark. The ship you re bound to lose, my man, 
 but you may make out to save your neck if you aren t 
 too much of an ass." 
 
 De Miguel apparently did not hear what was being 
 said, he was still muttering unintelligibly to himself. 
 Coujet stared at him curiously. 
 
 " I say, my friend !" he said at length, " what is this 
 you re jabbering about? Who is he ? And what do you 
 363
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 suppose he* s going to do to you, supposing it was he we 
 heard caterwauling above?" 
 
 De Miguel eyed his questioner dully. "Don t you 
 know that I can t tell?" he asked, with some surprise 
 evident in his voice. "They would kill me yes, by 
 inches," and he s hudderingly relapsed into silence. 
 
 "It s pretty evident that you ve lost whatever wits you 
 may have had. Stay here, if you want to, I don t care a 
 pistareen. We are going ashore, and we re going now. 
 
 " Don t leave me !" cried de Miguel, sinking to his 
 knees and catching at Goujet s trousers. " Don t leave 
 me here alone," his voice raising to a shriek. " I am 
 a rich man, I will give you five hundred stay a 
 thousand pistoles if you will take me away from this ac 
 cursed spot. Good friend, kind seignior, you have a 
 good heart and you love gold. Listen !" 
 
 And indeed Goujet was listening with all his ears. 
 " A thousand pistoles !" he exclaimed under his breath. 
 You don t mean that now ! 
 
 "But, yes, seignior. I do mean it. And you shall 
 have this vessel also, I swear it. Think what a fine little 
 business you could do in your line !" The speaker s 
 voice had resumed something of its natural oily and per 
 suasive tone by this time. " Come, seignior," he whis 
 pered, " I could put you onto something very desirable, 
 very lucrative ah, you don t know !" 
 
 Goujet burst into a great laugh. "Don t I?" he 
 exclaimed. "Well, I ought to if I don t, I ve seen 
 the way you manage a bargain. But I ve other busi 
 ness on hand for the present. I ll take you away for 
 the consideration mentioned to-morrow, if the pirates 
 haven t found us by that time. Come now, be lively ! 
 We must get out of here. 
 
 3 6 4
 
 THE HAUNTED TERRACE 
 
 Without a word dc Miguel sprang past him to the 
 derk. The two sailors had already scrambled over the 
 side, and were busy making the ship fast to the pier, 
 but they returned instantly to the deck in response to 
 de Miguel s shrill whistle. He talked with them earn 
 estly for a few minutes in some language which Goujt- 
 did not understand. 
 
 "What do you mean, men," exclaimed Baillot, 
 "by leaving your work to attend another s com 
 mands ? 
 
 1 )e Miguel uttered a short sharp command in the same 
 unknown tongue, and the two sprang over the side and 
 resumed their occupation without even so much as a 
 glance at Baillot. 
 
 " Perhaps I had best demand an explanation of this 
 singular occurrence from you, Monsieur de Miguel," 
 said the young man, turning to the Portuguese. " How 
 does it happen that you give counter-commands to 
 sailors on my own ship?" 
 
 " Your own ship !" repeated dc Miguel with an offen 
 sive laugh. 
 
 "Yes, my own ship, sir, in that I have paid you 
 three hundred pistoles for the use of it. It is mine for 
 ten days." 
 
 " And where might the pistoles be at this moment?" 
 said the Portuguese,planting his legs far apart and staring 
 insolently into P>aillot s face. 
 
 "How should I know, fellow," replied Baillot, 
 whitening with anger. " I paid you ; you do not pre 
 tend to deny the fart, do you?" 
 
 "You paid me, truly," said de Miguel, snapping 
 his fingers contemptuously. " But within twenty-four 
 hours what happens. Your worthy friend here, your 
 3 6 S
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 mate I know not what you call him, I shall call him 
 another name, not a pretty one ; shall I tell you what 
 it is? Your accomplice, that is what I please to call 
 him gets the three hundred pistoles away from me 
 when I am weak with illness, and moreover will not 
 permit me to lay my head in a bunk till I have paid 
 him one hundred and fifty more. What then ? Is this 
 your ship ? Are these sailors under your command ? 
 Bah, I spit in your face ! you are nothing but a dirty 
 pirate, you and your Help ! Murder !" 
 
 " Let him be, Goujet ! Take your hands off him ! 
 Now answer, is what he said true ? 
 
 "Yes," said Goujet sullenly. "It is partly true; 
 but did he not cheat you, master ! What right had 
 he" 
 
 " Hold, friend ! he did not cheat me if I agreed to 
 his terms. I did so, you remember. You have humil 
 iated me more than I can tell you ; if what he had said 
 was false, I should have given him reason to remember 
 that he had called the last of the de Lantenacs a 
 thief ! but now 
 
 "Oh, master, master, don t look at me like that! 
 don t hate me ! I don t care for the gold, let him have 
 it! I did it for you. I" 
 
 "Restore the gold, and say no more about it, but 
 remember in the future that whilst we are together the 
 world will judge me through you." 
 
 " God forbid !" ejaculated Goujet fervently. " Here 
 take your money, dog, but do not forget that the bar 
 gain is off between us. 
 
 I shall have no need of your assistance, seignior, 
 said de Miguel with an unpleasant smile. He seemed 
 to have forgotten his fears, and leaned upon the rail 
 366
 
 THE HAUNTED TERRACE 
 
 blowing light rings of smoke from his lips with an air 
 of insolent triumph. Goujet looked at him keenly but 
 he said nothing ; several new and unpleasant ideas had 
 come into his head. 
 
 " There are three of them," he whispered to Baillot, 
 " and that fellow means mischief of some kind. Let 
 us get on shore at once. But we must keep a sharp 
 lookout ; these Portuguese are the very devil once their 
 resentment is aroused." 
 
 37
 
 CHAPTER XLIV 
 
 THE RUINS 
 
 "WE will go now," said Baillot after a pause. 
 "Come," he added, addressing de Miguel with no 
 trace of anger in his voice. "You will accompany 
 us?" 
 
 " I prefer to remain on board, honored seignior," 
 said de Miguel with an insolent smile. "Between pi 
 rates on land and pirates on the sea there is, I believe, 
 very little choice. 
 
 "I shall kill him I must kill him!" whispered 
 Goujet, his voice skaking with rage. " He has in 
 sulted you." 
 
 " He has but spoken as you gave him reason," said 
 Baillot wearily. Come, I care not what he says, let 
 him remain if he will." 
 
 " The sailors must go with us," said Goujet savagely. 
 " Move lively now, my men ; carry these things up the 
 hill." 
 
 But the two sailors seemed not to have heard the 
 order ; they stood, stolidly smoking their short black 
 pipes and exchanging an occasional sentence. 
 
 " Did you hear what I said to you?" said Goujet in 
 a loud voice, which in spite of himself betrayed his 
 anxiety. 
 
 De Miguel who was still leaning over the rail, watch 
 ing the scene with malicious enjoyment, allowed his
 
 THE RUINS 
 
 amusement to carry him still further at this, for he 
 laughed aloud. 
 
 Baillot had already climbed half-way up the ascent to 
 the ruined chateau. He did not care whether the sailors 
 came with them or not ; he had forgotten the pirates ; 
 the insolence of de Miguel was something that he had 
 no mind to consider. In a word, he was for the time 
 being oblivious to all earthly considerations save those 
 concerning the companions whom he had last seen alive 
 in this mysterious place. Were they alive still ? The 
 awful catastrophe which had taken place, and to which 
 the shapeless ruins above his head bore witness, was it 
 of nature, or had the hand of man produced it ? What 
 was the formless shadow whence had proceeded the 
 eldrich shrieks? 
 
 Deep in thought the young man kept steadily on his 
 way without once stopping to look, behind ; he had 
 almost gained the terrace when the short sharp crack of 
 a pistol from below aroused him from his anxious revery. 
 He stopped to listen ; a second, then a third report fol 
 lowed, then he saw someone running toward him with 
 great leaps and bounds. It was Goujet. 
 
 "How now, sir," he said sternly, "what has hap 
 pened ? 
 
 "Do not stop to question me. Up to the ruins as 
 quickly as possible !" 
 
 Once on the terrace, Goujet paused for an instant to 
 look back, there was neither sound nor motion from 
 below. "The cowards," he exclaimed between his 
 shut teeth, they will not dare to pursue us : 
 
 "What has happened?" 
 
 "Those dogs of sailors refused to obey me, and de 
 Miguel laughed in my face. 1 told him that in case the 
 24 3 6 9
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 rascals did not obey I would shoot them which is 
 quite proper, as you know, master, in a case of mutiny. 
 Then he spoke to them in that infernal gibberish, which 
 I believe to be Malay, the language of the devil, and 
 one of them drew a pistol and fired at me. Luckily he 
 missed; it didn t take me long to return the compli 
 ment with rather better effect ; the fellow dropped like 
 a log, I didn t wait to pick him up and find out where 
 he was hit." 
 
 "And the third shot?" 
 
 Was fired after me by de Miguel; it winged me 
 too, I believe. Yes, here in the shoulder. A mere 
 trifle, though; don t trouble yourself, master. The 
 worst of it is, that I was forced to leave everything be 
 hind. We shall pass a sorry night with neither fire nor 
 food. For myself I care not, but for you 
 
 " It matters not, if the rascals do not carry off the 
 vessel." 
 
 "That is what they mean to do," quoth Goujet. 
 " But their only possible chance .is to get away to-night ; 
 and with but one man to work the ship, and the tide 
 still running in ! Bah ! Let them try it !" 
 
 It was now quite dark and although Baillot was burn 
 ing with impatience to begin his investigations, he per 
 ceived that this would be impossible before daybreak. 
 He therefore seated himself upon the terrace, his back 
 against the wall, and wrapping his cloak about him, 
 prepared to pass the night in this position. Goujet 
 after some hesitation followed his example. 
 
 " Are you asleep, master?" he whispered after an in 
 terval of silence. 
 
 "No." 
 
 Did you hear that noise ? 
 370
 
 THE RUINS 
 
 Assuredly, I have good ears. 
 
 The noise in question was a strange one ; it recurred 
 at intervals. Swish ! swish ! swish ! the interruptions 
 of the swishing sounds being filled in with a low, inco 
 herent murmur. 
 
 " What do you think it is?" 
 
 " Owls, perhaps ; perhaps the madman." 
 
 "The mad shadow, you mean. We saw no man." 
 
 "True !" 
 
 The two relapsed into silence again, dozing fitfully, 
 but always sleeping, as the old saying has it, with one 
 ear open. After a time the strange noises ceased, and 
 complete silence, broken only by the sound of the night- 
 wind as it wailed through the eyeless windows, brooded 
 peacefully over the dismal ruin, and the uneasy sleepers 
 on its threshold. Toward morning Baillot opened his 
 eyes and started up ; he fancied that he had heard some 
 where near them a stealthy sound, as of one walking 
 on the stones with bare feet. But though he listened 
 breathlessly, the sound was not repeated, and the im 
 penetrable darkness gave no sign that a still blacker 
 shadow was lurking under its cover. At the first streak 
 of dawn he sprang to his feet, and looked keenly about 
 him ; below he could dimly make out through the misty 
 uncertain light the masts and rigging of the yacht. There 
 was nothing to be seen on the terrace nor on the stair 
 way ; but the light, which was momently growing 
 brighter, revealed more plainly the havoc wrought in 
 the once stately chateau. Yawning rents in the smoke- 
 blackened walls permitted glimpses into its interior, 
 which had evidently been gutted by fire, though here 
 and there a bit of rich drapery fluttering in the brce/c, or 
 a half-ruined cornice which had escaped the fury of the 
 .371
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 devouring element, gave a look of ghastly brightness to 
 the place, as of a corpse decked out with tinsel and rib 
 bons. 
 
 The ruin however possessed little interest for Baillot. 
 He had not forgotten how Winters had wished to re 
 move to the more modest quarters afforded by the cot 
 tage, and he still hoped that he might find his compan 
 ions there alive and well. He bent over Goujet, who 
 was really sleeping now, as his relaxed limbs and heavy 
 breathing bore witness. 
 
 "Awake," he cried in the sleeper s ear. "Come, 
 it is day!" accompanying his words with a vigorous 
 shake. 
 
 " Ah yes certainly that is. Is the yacht gone ? 
 cried Goujet, springing to his feet with alacrity as his 
 senses came back to him. "Bon ! I see her there. 
 We will now descend and see what has happened. 
 
 "Not until we have looked about the place," said 
 Baillot firmly. "Come, I am going now." 
 
 "But, master, the pirates may be here at any mo 
 ment. W T e must at least secure materials for a fire, and 
 some provisions." 
 
 But Baillot paid no heed, he was already half over a 
 pile of broken stone and debris. 
 
 "Morbleu /" muttered Goujet, looking after his retreat 
 ing figure ruefully. "W r e shall not then breakfast this 
 morning ! We did not sup last night ! But what is 
 food when a man is in love ? Helas ! to be tied to a 
 man in love is like being hitched to the tail of a comet. 
 I am not in love ; but I must go after him, I suppose. 
 And casting one last, longing look in the direction of 
 the landing, where the yacht with no sign of life about 
 her white decks, lay quietly rising and falling on the 
 372
 
 THE RUINS 
 
 light ripples of the lagoon, he followed rapidly on after 
 the active figure of the young count. 
 
 " And how will all this end ?" he grumbled, as he 
 hurried along, stopping to snatch at some half-rotted 
 fruit as they passed through the orchard closes. "If 
 the mademoiselle and her lady mother are here, what 
 shall we do with them ? If they are not here, what in 
 heaven s name shall I do with him? He will be ready 
 to die with grief. In any case there is that rascal de 
 Miguel to deal with, to say nothing of the pirates. If 
 only I had let them carry him aboard the English ves 
 sel when he was out of his mind there. Mafoi, but it 
 would have been a good thing ! What does he see now 
 1 wonder; he has stopped short." And the faithful 
 fellow quickened his pace to a run. 
 
 " What is it, master?" he said. 
 
 The young man only groaned aloud. 
 
 ( jQiijet looked about him carefully and presently his 
 eye fell upon IL~ ruins of the cottage showing black 
 and dismal in the bright light of the dawn. " Do 
 \ou mean tliat you hoped to find them yonder?" he 
 asked ; then us Baillot did not answer, he continued, 
 I here s been some sort of queer work here, I should 
 say. What now may this mean?" indicating as he 
 spoke a long rough hillock of freshly-dug earth, in the 
 top of which a couple of iron spades stood up stiffly 
 while near at hand lay several rusty pickaxes. 
 
 Baillot shuddered. " It looks," he said in a smoth 
 ered voice, " like a great grave." And in this conjec 
 ture he was right, it being the spot where the Huguenots 
 had buried the unfortunate convicts. 
 
 Goujet was privately of the same opinion, but he did 
 not say so. "Let us make haste," he said briskly, 
 373
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 "and look the place over thoroughly while we are 
 about it ; it will not take long. I am beginning to 
 hope, my lord, that your notion was the right one, 
 and that your party made good their escape some time 
 ago, as was evidenced by finding mademoiselle s orna 
 ment in the cabin of the yacht. We will return, and 
 it shall go hard with me if I do not in some way force 
 that scoundrel de Miguel to tell us the truth of the 
 matter that is, if you will permit me to try my own 
 way with the fellow." 
 
 Baillot s dull eyes kindled. "I care not what you 
 do with him," he cried hotly. "He has dealt foully 
 with me ; I am persuaded that he knew of this thing, 
 that he knows what has become of her. 
 
 "Never fear, master," said Goujet confidently, "we 
 shall find them yet. For my part, I think it is a good 
 thing that they are not here ; we shall go away with a 
 good conscience, and >: 
 
 " We shall perhaps leave them if they are there," 
 said Baillot, relapsing into hopeless gloom, and in 
 dicating the rough hillock with a gesture full of 
 horror. 
 
 " Do not let that trouble you, master. No one would 
 have the heart to murder two helpless women. We 
 shall see, and in the meantime what harm to hope for 
 the best that may very easily have happened? That 
 sailor, Winters, was a shrewd fellow now from what you 
 have told me, is it not so? Very well then, many 
 things may have taken place, but with a brave quick 
 witted man to protect them the women have doubtless 
 escaped long before all this," indicating with a wave of 
 his hand the ruined buildings and the ominous mound 
 at their feet. 
 
 374
 
 THE RUINS 
 
 " It is true that he was most anxious to take to the 
 yacht as soon as we found that the island was deserted," 
 said Baillot musingly, and with a slight relaxing of the 
 set lines of his face. 
 
 Goujet who was watching him closely perceived 
 this with satisfaction. " And why did you not do so ? 
 he asked. 
 
 " Why did we not ? Would to heaven that we had ! 
 There were no charts, and I objected on that account ; 
 the women also were unwilling 
 
 "But don t you see, master," broke in Goujet 
 eagerly, " that after your mysterious disappearance the 
 women would be very much frightened, and then the 
 sailor would have no difficulty in persuading them to 
 leave the island? Now this fire, and also this mound, 
 is of very recent date, for there is no vegetation about, 
 and in this climate there would be in a very short time ; 
 also the yacht was uninjured. There is no doubt about 
 it ; they left soon after you did." 
 
 Baillot did not reply, but Goujet s arguments had 
 evidently carried some degree of conviction, for he 
 walked more briskly and looked about him with less of 
 gloom and sadness. 
 
 The circuit of the island was soon completed. They 
 saw nothing to throw any additional light upon (lie 
 matter ; the ruined barns, and the festering remains of 
 several of the domestic animals only confirming them 
 in their conviction that the devastation and death 
 evident upon every hand was the deliberate work of 
 man s hand. 
 
 "Now if we can but slip away and get well out to 
 sea before the AM^C ct Noir g."i, wind of our where 
 abouts, we shall be able to make good our escape,"
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 Goujet was saying as they caught sight of the yacht. 
 But the words were no sooner out of his mouth than he 
 followed them by a shocking oath. " We are too late," 
 he cried. " The rascals have landed !"
 
 CHAPTER XLV 
 
 TOKENS 
 
 "WE must look lively now, for some of the devils 
 have started up the hill," said Goujet in an anxious 
 whisper. " The yacht s lost anyhow !" 
 
 Baillot stood composedly watching the scene with a 
 curious expression upon his face. Half a dozen, of the 
 pirates were examining the rigging of their prize, while 
 a second group were gathered closely about some object 
 on the deck. This it presently appeared was a man ; 
 the man was de Miguel. Even from the distance at 
 which they stood they could hear the bursts of derisive 
 laughter with which his captors were receiving his evi 
 dent supplications. 
 
 Goujet smiled grimly. "Come, we must be mov 
 ing," he urged; " if they do not see us it is possible 
 they will not find out that we were aboard ; in any case 
 we shall be marooned." 
 
 Cautiously retreating for a few paces and skirting a 
 little hillock which arose to the left, they presently 
 came upon the outer entrance to the cavern, which the 
 Huguenots had left wide open on the day of their de 
 parture. Without a moment s hesitation Goujet darted 
 into the place. "Come," he said impatiently, " .ve 
 can fasten this door." 
 
 "Hold, my friend!" said Baillot, looking thought 
 fully about him. "Let us first conceal this entrance 
 with vines and shrubs. They could force the door 
 377
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 with ease, and we do not yet know whether there be 
 any other exit. 
 
 True ; master, I had not thought of that. 
 
 " Morbid;, they are looking for us!" whispered 
 Goujet a moment later, peering through the interstices 
 of the boughs which they had hastily arranged before 
 the door. "There s Lock now!" and he raised his 
 pistol, and sighted deliberately. 
 
 "Madman!" exclaimed Baillot. "What are you 
 thinking of?" 
 
 " If I should shoot him, I could go out this minute 
 and claim the captaincy !" said Goujet, his eyes glitter 
 ing strangely. " I know the men ; they would be glad 
 to welcome me." 
 
 "Go if you will," said Baillot turning away, "but 
 at least do not betray my hiding-place." 
 
 "I did not mean it; forgive me, master! the sight 
 of that man angered me. But let us explore this 
 place." 
 
 Groping their way down the narrow passage they 
 soon came upon the curious grotto or chamber, which 
 has already been described, where the Huguenots on 
 the day of their escape had found the mysterious dead 
 man seated in the great chair, and where afterward oc 
 curred the tragedy which had hastened their departure 
 from the island. 
 
 They found various indications that the place had 
 been recently occupied. On the rough oaken table stood 
 the fragments of a hasty meal ; ranged against the wall 
 were the heaps of boughs and dead leaves which had 
 served as beds, while in one corner still hung the ham 
 mocks woven for the use of the women by Winters. 
 
 More than four people have been here of late, 
 378
 
 TOKENS 
 
 quoth Goujet, judicially examining these different ob 
 jects, "and what now might this be?" 
 
 "This" was apparently nothing more than a scrap 
 of discolored leather, but at sight of it Baillot turned 
 pale. He took it in his hands and looked at it care 
 fully. " It is a part of the sole of a woman s shoe," 
 he said hoarsely. 
 
 "They at least had a secure hiding-place," com 
 mented Goujet cheerfully. 
 
 But Baillot was not to be cheered by anything that 
 his well-meaning companion could suggest. He looked 
 about the place with a shudder. What tortures might 
 have taken place within these rocky walls, what humil 
 iation, what nameless shame ! The young man buried 
 his face in his hands and groaned aloud in the agony 
 of his soul. Goujet meanwhile continued his inves 
 tigations. He looked in the window embrasures, and 
 under the table, pulled the beds to pieces and peered 
 into the dark corners. He found a shapeless frag 
 ment which might once have been a hat, also a dilapi 
 dated pair of men s shoes. In one place there was 
 an ominous dark -colored patch on the stone floor, over 
 which he shook his head. Next the hammocks came 
 in for a share of his attention ; they were empty, and 
 he was about to turn away, when he spied a folded 
 piece of paper pinned to one of them. "Master, see 
 here !" he called out. But Baillot did not stir. 
 
 Goujet glanced at him compassionately as he slowly 
 and carefully unfolded the bit of paper, then with a 
 cry of joy he sprang across the room. 
 
 " Master, see ! But you must listen ! The paper 
 They are safe ! 
 
 "What what is it?" 
 
 379
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 " Here look ! read quickly !" 
 
 Baillot seized the precious bit of paper. "To M. 
 Henri Baillot," he read, " Something tells me that you 
 will return to this place to search for us. We have 
 passed through great dangers, but God has mercifully 
 preserved us, and in a way almost miraculous has given 
 back to us my brother, with some other good friends. 
 This morning we leave the island on the yacht, without 
 chart* or compass, but with firm faith that God will con 
 tinue his loving care of us. Afterward we shall go to 
 America." The letter was signed simply Madeline de 
 Langres ; it was undated. 
 
 " The yacht arrived safely!" cried Goujet joyfully. 
 " There is no doubt about it; they are safe. But we 
 are not," he added ruefully, "and I m hungry enough 
 to eat those old shoes." 
 
 " What of that !" said Baillot ; he had sprung to his 
 feet and was pacing up and down the floor. His eyes 
 shone brilliantly, his face was flushed, he smiled as he 
 looked again and again at the precious bit of paper. 
 "To America!" he murmured. "I also shall go; I 
 shall find her!" 
 
 " Oh yes ! that is all very well, but have you wings, 
 my good master ? I doubt not that the lady has ; she 
 is unquestionably an angel, yet if we don t find some 
 thing to eat before long But stay, did you read what 
 was on the back of that letter ? 
 
 "No," said Baillot, pausing an instant and turning 
 the paper over. Carefully flattening it out in his hand, 
 he read, " Beware of the convict. What can that 
 mean ? , 
 
 " The very charming sound that we heard last night 
 on the terrace was probably a welcome from the convict.
 
 TOKENS 
 
 Wonder where he keeps himself daytimes?" said Gou- 
 jet, yawning disconsolately. "I am sleepy, master," 
 he continued, "and these hammocks look very comfort 
 able. If a man cannot eat, he can always sleep, what 
 do you say ? 
 
 "Sleep if you will," replied Baillot, glancing about 
 the place, " there can be nothing here to harm us." 
 
 " Beware of the convict." The words recurred to 
 his mind almost as though a living voice had spoken 
 them. 
 
 "Perhaps we had best look into this gallery to the 
 left first and see whither it leads," he added. 
 
 " But we have no torch, master, and it is blacker than 
 the pit in there," objected Goujet. 
 
 " Very well then, sleep ; I cannot." And he seated 
 himself in the great oaken chair by the table. 
 
 Goujet threw himself into one of the hammocks with 
 out further ado and was soon sound asleep. The regu 
 lar sound of his heavy breathing together with the gen 
 tle monotonous tinkle of the spring as it fell into its 
 rocky basin in the adjacent passage, blended in a sooth 
 ing murmur of sound, which ascended to the vaulted 
 ceiling and fell back in a hundred strange airy echoes. 
 As the young man sat motionless in his chair, he could 
 hear the low thunder of the surf on the narrow strip of 
 beach below, and the strident shrilling of a locust in the 
 vine whose branches drooped over the narrow windows. 
 Now and then a bee, gorgeous in his panoply of gold 
 and bronze, boomed heavily in, then seeing his mistake 
 made blind frantic dashes for liberty, butting his head 
 stupidly against the stones and buz/ing angrily at his own 
 blundering efforts. Baillot watched these struggles with 
 dreamy intentness, and was conscious of a distinct feel- 
 381
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 ing of relief each time one of these bold adventurers 
 found his way into the sunshine again. Then his thoughts 
 wandered back into the past, and busied themselves with 
 all the strange things that had befallen him. When 
 in his musings he had reached the present, he read 
 the precious letter once more. "She has not for 
 gotten me," he assured himself joyfully. "She knew 
 vhat I would come." And this thought was perhaps 
 xnore precious to him than the certainty that she was 
 ^fe. He held it up before his mental vision, and looked 
 .At it on every side, as one looks upon a jewel of price. 
 
 "I shall find her," he murmured aloud, "and 
 then " Ah, what a fairy -land of joyful possibilities 
 opened before his gaze ! Moment by moment his 
 thoughts became more remote, dazzling, and fantastic, 
 jtlis head sank back ; his eyes closed. He had passed 
 quite through the boundary land into the realm of sleep. 
 As he slept he continued his dream of happiness. He 
 tnought that Madeline herself stood before him, her face 
 s>weet and smiling ; she bent her dark eyes upon him 
 with a look full of joy and tenderness, then an expression 
 of ghastly fear swept across her face ; she raised one 
 hand as if in warning, her lips forming the words, " Be 
 ware of the convict ! 
 
 The dreamer started to his feet with a cry. Not three 
 feet away crouched the figure of a man, his naked back, 
 which was turned toward the horrified gazer, of a livid 
 color, deeply scarred, seamed, and encrusted with blood 
 as if from a recent and terrible scourging. This grue 
 some apparition moaned dismally as it frantically tore 
 and scratched with its long talon -like fingers at the 
 stones of the floor which were, as Baillot observed with 
 a thrill of horror, darkly discolored as if with blood. 
 382
 
 TOKENS 
 
 After a time the man arose and stretching his skeleton 
 arms toward heaven with a long wailing cry turned as 
 if to go away. As he did so his eyes fell upon Baillot, 
 who stood frozen in his place. At first the gaze of the 
 red eyeballs was wandering and vacant, but gradually 
 there grew in them an appalling look of ferocity. He 
 took a single step forward, clenching and unclenching 
 his enormous hands ; then suddenly with a gesture of 
 violent repulsion he slunk back, shaking his shaggy head 
 from side to side with a low bellow. Step by step he 
 retreated as if impelled by some invisible but none the 
 less potent force, till he had reached the doorway lead 
 ing to the dark gallery ; there he turned and darted 
 away with a long howl of mingled rage and despair. 
 
 Bon dicii! master, what is that?" cried Goujet, 
 starting up from his hammock. " But what have you 
 seen, that you look like that ? 
 
 Baillot regarded his questioner dully. I have seen, 
 he said, slowly, "what a man may become, if once the 
 beast in him gets uppermost. There is no more fright 
 ful sight." 
 
 " You have seen ?" 
 
 " The convict." 
 
 "And he is mad?" 
 
 "Mad yes, horrible!" lie covered his face with 
 his hands. 
 
 "This may be his lair," said Goujet, looking about 
 him uneasily. "What was he doing, master?" 
 
 " lie was scratching at yonder spot upon the floor," 
 said Baillot with a quick shudder. "It looks like 
 blood." 
 
 "It does," admitted (Ioujet. "However He 
 stopped short and looked about him once more. " \Ve
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 must get out of this place as quickly as possible ; it is 
 not on the whole a good place in which to sleep. Have 
 you looked out of the windows?" 
 
 No, said Baillot, staring gloomily at the ominous 
 stain. " Who did the wretch kill here?" 
 
 "Now, master, don t you think about that; it wasn t 
 the young lady, for you see she warned you of the con 
 vict, which showed plainly enough that he d done 
 something or other not quite the thing ; she speaks of 
 dangers, you remember." 
 
 "True," admitted Baillot, referring once more to 
 the comforting words on the scrap of paper. " I wish 
 she had written more." 
 
 "She would have written more if she had supposed 
 that you would ever see it," hazarded Goujet, with an 
 enlivening grin, as he swung himself up to one of the 
 windows. " Bon /" he exclaimed. " Our messmates 
 have gone ! But diable ! there is the yacht making 
 after the other! We re marooned, master, without a 
 mouthful of food or a round of ammunition !" 
 
 384
 
 CHAPTER XLVI 
 
 MAROONED 
 
 THE hapless adventurers sallied forth into the after 
 noon sunshine in silence; indeed there seemed very 
 little to be said concerning their present dubious pros 
 pects. In the orchard after much searching they found 
 a fe\v oranges, and a little later Goujet discovered a 
 grape-vine loaded with luscious clusters. 
 
 "This is all very well," he said, staring about him 
 gloomily, " but we shall be having some sort of a winter 
 before long. What are we going to do then?" 
 
 "Do?" echoed his companion, shrugging his 
 shoulders, "we shall repair one of the huts yonder. 
 As for food, the sea abounds in fish, and I see indica 
 tions that the barnyard fowls are not all dead ; at roost- 
 ing-time I promise you that you shall sec a dozen fat 
 pullets in a row." 
 
 Goujet pulled another cluster. " A roasted chicken, 
 and some of these grapes properly fermented were more 
 to my taste," he said dismally. "Hut what is this? 
 Sdcff bleu . tis the "Portuguese, dc Miguel; they have 
 left the scoundrel behind with a whole skin, but with 
 an empty pocket, I ll warrant me. Now if I had only 
 kept those pistoles 
 
 "Do not bring that unfortunate occurrence to my 
 mind," said Baillot sternly. "I care not who has 
 the pistoles so long as they are not in my posses 
 sion." 
 
 2.S 385
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 Goujet shrugged his shoulders. May you always 
 remain as indifferent to money as you are now, master ; 
 which is equivalent to hoping that you will always 
 have plenty of it. Hola there!" This last to the 
 Portuguese, whose squat figure had approached within 
 hailing distance. 
 
 The saints be praised that you are here, honored 
 seigniors ! cried de Miguel, hurrying towards them as 
 fast as his legs could carry him. " I feared lest some 
 thing might have befallen you !" 
 
 " Your solicitude does you credit," sneered Goujet. 
 " Something did happen to me last night ; some infer 
 nal rascal fired a pistol at me, and the ball hit me in the 
 shoulder. 
 
 "Ah ! seignior, no one can regret that little circum 
 stance more than the unfortunate author of it," said de 
 Miguel, rolling up his eyes. " One should be ready to 
 forgive and forget. I am, I assure you. My spirit is 
 fiery ah ! like the new wine in violence but under 
 neath is the tender heart that forgives ah yes, forgives 
 and forgets. Now that we are all, as it were, united in 
 the bonds of a similar misfortune, it is not right to cher 
 ish resentment. I appeal to you, seignior, have I not 
 spoken truly ? 
 
 " Unquestionably, sir," said Baillot gravely, to whom 
 these last words were addressed. " But what has become 
 of the sailor?" 
 
 i( Ah, I perceive that you are aware of the sad cir 
 cumstance that removed one of our number from the 
 island last evening to paradise, let us hope," and the 
 speaker paused, apparently to shed tears. Our friend 
 here is a good shot," he continued with a ghastly grim 
 ace, "an excellent shot, while the sailor unfortunately 
 386
 
 MAROONED 
 
 was possessed of a pistol the priming of which should 
 have received his previous attention. Attention to de 
 tail, honored seignior, is most important, is it not so? 
 It actually becomes a matter of life and death with us 
 poor frail mortals. Yes, many times it is so." 
 
 "You re getting a little mixed, aren t you ?" observed 
 Goujet. "These pious remarks of yours should have 
 been addressed to the ghost of the sailor that is if 
 ghosts can profit by such excellent advice. But speak 
 ing of ghosts, I wonder if we shall be favored by a fur 
 ther exhibition at the castle to-night." 
 
 De Miguel glanced furtively over his shoulder. "The 
 ruins?" he said, lowering his voice. "Ah, yes, a most 
 unpleasant spot and very unsafe most dangerous indeed. 
 We will surely pass the night ah in some other local 
 ity? The surviving sailor you were asking me, noble 
 seignior he was carried away by the miscreants, who 
 also seized upon my vessel and my pistoles. Before 
 heaven, yes, I have not so much as a pistareen in the 
 whole earth ! And what shall I do, once restored to 
 my babes again, my ten 
 
 " Don t fret yourself about that," broke in Goujet 
 with a grim laugh. " It may be that the ten will be all 
 grown up and your wife married to another by the time 
 you get back. 
 
 "But the pirates will return !" exclaimed de Miguel. 
 " I I offered them money for my ransom. The brutes 
 swore that the three hundred pistoles were not enough. 
 Not enough? Holy Mary take pity on me! I was 
 forced to make an order for what do you think ? Two 
 thousand pistoles ! My babes will be turned naked into 
 the streets ! But they promised to return and fetch me 
 after they had gotten it. They said also this ; you may
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 yourselves know what to think of it, The rats will have 
 dug out the cheese by that time. 
 
 Goujet swore a little under his breath ; he looked at 
 Baillot. " So that is their game !" 
 
 " So be it," said Baillot coolly. " The rats may es 
 cape them yet." 
 
 "They left me absolutely nothing to eat," groaned 
 de Miguel, snuffling dismally. " They said that I was too 
 fat, that it would profit me to fast. But the saints may 
 bear me witness that the fat on the outside of a man s 
 belly never yet served to appease the pangs that torment 
 it within. 
 
 " Eat some grapes," advised Baillot hospitably. 
 
 " But fruit will not suffice for the pains of such hun 
 ger as mine," moaned de Miguel, laying his hand over 
 the pit of his stomach and looking beseechingly at the 
 young man. "Picture to yourself, seignior, I had not 
 a mouthful of dinner, and but a crust such as one would 
 scorn to toss to a dog for my breakfast. And this after 
 the wretches had stolen my pistoles, and were at the 
 moment making merry with my wine and provisions. I 
 say mine ; you remember, seignior, that you did not pay 
 me for the victualling of the ship." 
 
 " I have not forgotten the fact," said Baillot coldly. 
 
 "That hundred and fifty pistoles will at least keep 
 my little ones from starving," whined de Miguel, hug 
 ging himself. "You also remember that it was the sum 
 of one hundred " 
 
 "You forget the conditions on which 1 was to pay 
 you that sum," interrupted Baillot. "You were to 
 spare me the infliction of your conversation. You had 
 little enough to say when I first made your acquaint 
 ance." 
 
 388
 
 MAROONED 
 
 " Shall we leave you to your repast?" said Goujet, 
 addressing the Portuguese, who scowling with rage at 
 the rebuff which he had received was gorging himself 
 with the ripe grapes. 
 
 " Leave me? No, no I beg of you, it will soon be 
 dark ; see, the sun is already setting. I will accompany 
 you wherever you may be pleased to go." 
 
 " We think of spending the night on the terrace of 
 the chateau," said Goujet. " We slept there last night ; 
 we heard curious sounds it is true, but ghosts seldom 
 molest an honest man. 
 
 "The terrace of the castle!" gasped de Miguel, 
 choking and gurgling over a half-swallowed grape. 
 " But no, 1 will not remain there 
 
 " Hold your tongue, fellow, and come along," said 
 Baillot impatiently. " 1 am going to examine the cot 
 tage." 
 
 " The cottage ? Ah, yes, the cottage will be " com 
 menced de Miguel, then he stopped short. 
 
 " You evidently know this place," said Baillot, look 
 ing at him keenly. "1 should be pleased to learn of 
 its purpose and of those who once lived here." 
 
 "The seignior forgets that he has offered me money 
 to be silent," said de Miguel, showing his yellow teeth 
 in a wicked smile, "one hundred and fifty pistoles are 
 not to be so lightly ha/arded. Perhaps the seignior 
 thinks to cheat me out of them, by cajoling me to for 
 get the conditions. But Jose de Miguel knows when to 
 speak and when to 
 
 "Take the hundred and fifty pistoles, dog," cried 
 
 Baillot in a fury. " And know that you are speaking 
 
 to the Comte de Lantenac, with whose name dishonor 
 
 cannot be coupled." And flinging his purse disdainfully 
 
 389
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 toward the Portuguese, the young man strode away 
 without so much as turning his head. 
 
 But it was Goujet who caught the purse as it fell. 
 
 "Dare to mention the subject of money again in 
 presence of my master and I will throttle you as I would 
 throttle a dog, he hissed. This money is not yours ; 
 it belongs to my master ; I shall keep it for him, for, 
 heaven save him, it is all he has in the world. 
 
 "Your master, as you call him eh? the Comte de 
 Lantenac, has a curious servant ! An avowed pirate, 
 ha, ha ! For himself, he is an escaped convict ; or what 
 is the same thing, an escaped Huguenot ! He is also a 
 dirty beggar. Aha ! it is so ! I knew it all the time ; 
 and what now if I shall Help Murder !" 
 
 " No ! I will not kill you ; you may be useful to us," 
 said Goujet, falling back a pace and glaring down at his 
 victim, who, as it has been seen, was animated by a cu 
 rious mixture of abject cowardice and bold insolence. 
 "But remember what I have said." And the speaker 
 turned and strode rapidly after the retreating figure of 
 the Comte de Lantenac. 
 
 " Malediction !" muttered de Miguel with a murder 
 ous gleam in his eyes. " I shall be useful to you yes ! 
 But not in the way you think. The saints spare me and 
 I will give a silver statute of our lady to the shrine at 
 Terciora ; after that we shall see ! And he hurried 
 after the others. 
 
 Goujet found that his master had paused at the foot 
 of a group of enormous pine trees, and that he was ex 
 amining a rope ladder which extended from the ground 
 to the lower branches of one of the trees. 
 
 " There is something above ; I think I shall go up and 
 see what it is," he remarked without turning his head. 
 39
 
 MAROONED 
 
 " F will go first," said Goujet. " \ say, master," he 
 shouted presently, "there s a capital place up here. 
 Come up." 
 
 Baillot was by his side almost before the last words 
 were out of his mouth. "A famous retreat, indeed !" 
 he exclaimed, looking about. " If I am not mistaken 
 this is some of Winters handiwork." 
 
 "Cupboards!" cried Goujet, "and, morblcu, here is 
 something to eat !" And he drew forth a box of sea- 
 biscuit, none the worse for their sojourn in this airy 
 storehouse. "A mighty snug place," he continued, 
 "when we draw up the rope-ladder." 
 
 Meanwhile de Miguel had arrived at the spot, and 
 puzzled by the sudden disappearance of his two com 
 panions began to call their names aloud. " Seigniors, 
 good seigniors ! Where are you ? Do not desert a poor, 
 helpless old man ! 
 
 Goujet looked over the side with a grin. " Let him 
 alone," he said, "the old fox." 
 
 But de Miguel had caught the sound of his voice. He 
 clasped his hands and stared about him. " Dear, good, 
 generous, gracious seigniors!" he bawled, "do not 
 conceal yourselves, I beg of you. If I am left alone in 
 this place for the night, I shall go mad ; I know I shall 
 go mad. May the saints in heaven soften your hard 
 hearts ! 
 
 Baillot, who thought the matter had gone quite fin- 
 enough, called out, "Come up the rope-ladder, fellov, 
 and (rease that discordant braying." 
 
 "Ah, good seignior, you are aloft? Is it possible! 
 But why ? Will you not descend ?" 
 
 " Come up, I tell you !" repeated Baillot. 
 
 "But it is impossible, seignior absolutely impossi-
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 ble ! You forget my weight my infirmities my weak 
 ness my old age. 
 
 " Come up ! Come up, idiot !" shouted Goujet. 
 
 " I cannot, I tell you. I will not. What, trust my 
 limbs to that fabric of rope ? Tis monstrous to ask 
 such a thing, I refuse absolutely." 
 
 "Very well then, remain where you are. I shall 
 draw up the ladder presently for the night." 
 
 " You will come down, good seignior, I beg of you ! 
 You will not leave a helpless old man to a night of 
 terror fit to turn his brain?" 
 
 "The devil take the man !" cried Goujet. "What 
 shall we do with him ? He will bellow at us so that we 
 cannot sleep." 
 
 I will go down and try to persuade him to ascend, 
 said Baillot. One madman about the place is quite 
 enough, and it is true the fellow s wits are slender 
 enough already." 
 
 " I don t know about that," grumbled Goujet ; " but 
 while you argue the case with our interesting compan 
 ion, I will return to the cavern and fetch some fresh 
 water, and also bring the hammocks along. 
 
 "The cavern?" said Baillot, " I had best go along ." 
 
 " Peste ! I am not afraid of the convict, if that is 
 what you mean. I shall kill the brute if he attacks me. 
 
 Accordingly the two descended the ladder, to the 
 great joy of de Miguel, who concluded that their hearts 
 had been touched by his persuasive eloquence. 
 
 " Heaven will reward you for your goodness, seig 
 niors," he blubbered. "Though I, because of my 
 poverty, cannot. Not a pistole He checked him 
 self suddenly and glanced apprehensively over his 
 shoulder. But Goujet had already departed. 
 392
 
 CHAPTER XLVII 
 
 THE KING OF THE ISLAND 
 
 BAJLLOT looked after the retreating figure of Goujet 
 doubtfully. "I believe I ought to go with him," he 
 said aloud. 
 
 "Where is he going, gracious seignior?" asked de 
 Miguel amicably. He had apparently forgotten his re 
 sentment, or if not forgotten had at least ticketed and 
 laid it away for future use as occasion might serve. As 
 he had already very sensibly and piously observed, 
 the present was no time for anger ; and heaven should 
 bear him witness, that until he was safe he would live in 
 charity with all men. 
 
 " He has gone to the cavern for water," replied Bail- 
 lot shortly. 
 
 "To the cavern!" echoed de Miguel, with a look 
 full of astonishment. " And where might that be ? 1 
 know of no cavern on the island." 
 
 " If you choose to follow you will see." 
 
 De Miguel followed without further remark, but at 
 the entrance of the place he stopped short, saying that 
 he preferred to wait outside. Goujet was nowhere to 
 be seen, and Baillot strode into the dark gallery with 
 some misgivings. 
 
 "Goujet!" he shouted aloud. There was no reply. 
 
 He quickened his pace to a run and soon came upon 
 
 the missing man. He was engaged in a violent struggle 
 
 with the insane convict. Both were large powerful 
 
 393
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 men, and Baillot who had started forward to help Gou- 
 jet found himself at a loss ; the two had fallen upon 
 the floor, and were writhing, twisting and turning so 
 rapidly that it was impossible to strike without danger 
 of wounding the wrong man. The breath of the 
 wrestlers came in quick gasps, while from time to time 
 the maniac emitted a short snapping snarl like that of a 
 rabid wolf. Goujet at length succeeded in forcing the 
 half-naked wretch into a corner. 
 
 "Quick, master!" he shouted breathlessly, "the 
 knife!" 
 
 " No, bind him !" cried Baillot, rushing forward with 
 the hammock ropes. 
 
 "Take care, master; he ll tear you if he gets a 
 chance !" yelled Goujet, " the knife I say !" 
 
 But Baillot had already passed the rope firmly about 
 the limbs of the madman, who suddenly yielded with a 
 low moan and fell prostrate to the floor. 
 
 " Sacre bleu ! master, why do you wish the beast to 
 live?" said Goujet, rising to his feet after he had satis 
 fied himself that the maniac s bonds were secure. " He 
 would have killed me ! I had but just entered, and as 
 I saw nothing I laid my knife down for an instant to 
 unknot the ropes of the hammocks. I had unfastened 
 one and was about to undo the other, when morbleu ! 
 as suddenly as the lightning from heaven this wretch 
 leapt upon me from behind ! You know the rest. 
 
 Baillot thoughtfully eyed the convict, who was now 
 whimpering and moaning like a child. "Are you 
 much hurt ? he asked, turning to look anxiously at 
 Goujet. 
 
 " He tore me like a tiger. Ma foil but I am un 
 lucky of late. What now will you do with him?" 
 394
 
 THE KING OF THE ISLAND 
 
 "I wish to find out what has happened in this 
 place," replied Baillot, glancing with a shudder at the 
 dark stain upon the floor. 
 
 And do you suppose that he can tell you ? He has 
 lost the power of speech by this time !" 
 
 "No, you mistake, listen !" 
 
 The maniac was chattering to himself in a low inco 
 herent murmur, rolling his head rapidly from side to 
 side as he did so. 
 
 "The king of the island were the words that 
 Baillot caught " the king but she shall be queen, ay, 
 queen queen. And mine ! When they are all dead 
 she will love me and follow me, but I shall kill her also 
 at my pleasure. She scorns me and hates me now, but 
 I can wait ! 
 
 "Who are you talking about?" demanded Baillot in 
 a suffocated voice. 
 
 The madman paid no heed. " She is dead already 
 ay, dead, and buried. The shadows dance every night 
 on her grave. The blood - tis accursed ; I cannot rub 
 it out. They have left me alone with the shadows. 
 Her shadow smiles at me, but I cannot seize it, it flits 
 flits away. If I scourge myself for a thousand nights 
 she will come and fetch me away from this place ; she 
 has promised, and then this fire will be taken out of 
 my head. The fire And he broke off into one 
 of the long indescribable howls which had terrified the 
 crew of the yacht on the night of their arrival at the 
 island. 
 
 " Great heavens, master, come! We shall both be 
 mad if we stay here and listen much longer." 
 
 "You have heard?" said Baillot, as they issued into 
 the open air. " She is dead." 
 395
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 His air of conviction was so strong, and his face so 
 ghastly that Goujet despaired of comforting him, but he 
 said stoutly enough, "The wretch is possessed of the 
 devil, and knows not what he says ; surely you would not 
 allow such nonsense to disturb you?" 
 
 Baillot made no reply. 
 
 They had quite forgotten de Miguel, and Goujet 
 started back with a cry of alarm as he stumbled over 
 the squat figure, huddled together in a trembling heap 
 a few paces from the entrance to the gallery. 
 
 Those frightful sounds, gasped the Portuguese, 
 " holy St. Michael ! what are they?" 
 
 "A gentleman," began Goujet, "who is pleased to 
 call himself the king of Morbleu ! man, what do you 
 mean by grabbing at me like that ? 
 
 " He is dead then, and you have seen his spirit?" 
 
 " Dead? No, I wish he was; however cursedly un 
 pleasant ghosts may be, they at least don t bite and tear 
 one like a mad dog. 
 
 " What then have you seen ? For the love of heaven, 
 seignior, tell me?" implored the Portuguese, wiping the 
 great drops from his forehead, and looking fearfully over 
 his shoulder. 
 
 " A madman a mad convict, who has come to this 
 place in some way as mysterious as is the place itself." 
 
 "A convict ah !" cried de Miguel in a tone of great 
 relief. 
 
 Nothing further was said, and presently all three ar 
 rived once more at the foot of the great trees. At the 
 sight of Baillot half-way up the rope-ladder, the Portu 
 guese broke out afresh into a torrent of expostulations 
 and reproaches, in the midst of which he was interrupted 
 by Goujet, who informed him quietly that he, Goujet. 
 396
 
 THE KING OF THE ISLAND 
 
 would take the greatest pleasure in life in blowing out 
 his rascally brains if he did not immediately get him 
 self up the ladder. " You need not call upon my mas 
 ter," he added, "for the poor gentleman is half-mad 
 with grief at something the convict may the foul fiend 
 fly away with him said in his ravings." 
 
 "And what did he say?" questioned de Miguel 
 eagerly. 
 
 " lie intimated that he had put an end to the young 
 lady, who in company with my master was shipwrecked 
 on this island," replied Cloujct, hoping that if the Por 
 tuguese knew anything to the contrary he would betray 
 his knowledge. 
 
 l)c Miguel, however, suddenly turned his attention to 
 the rope-ladder, and with better courage than might 
 have been expected, soon gained the top. 
 
 " V.h !" he was saying to himself cheerfully, "and so 
 do the saints reward the virtuous and punish the guilty. 
 My fine haughty young Huguenot is plunged into mourn 
 ing because of the ravings of a mad convict. It is good ; 
 he will perchance be more civil. What now would he 
 give, I wonder, for the secret old Jose has locked up in 
 his breast? But he has no money; I know that be 
 yond the pittance which that rascally pirate has in his 
 possession, and which shall yet be mine. The grand 
 seignior does not wish my conversation ? He shall not 
 have it." And with such pleasant and benevolent 
 thoughts did the worthy gentleman comfort himself a-, 
 he climber] the swaying- ladder into the di/,xy heights 
 aloft, where he presently fell asleep, with a smile upon 
 his lips like a fat, elderly and altogether disreputable 
 cherub. 
 
 The next morning he ventured to condole with Bail 
 397
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 lot upon the probable loss which he had sustained. " I 
 feel for you, noble seignior, I do indeed, he murmured, 
 rolling up his little eyes till only the very yellow whites 
 of them were visible. "To lose a loved one, and in 
 such a horrible and heart-rending manner ; a beautiful 
 young creature, your faithful friend or perhaps I should 
 say servant tells me. To be torn in pieces by a 
 mad 
 
 "What do you mean, sir?" demanded Baillot, facing 
 him suddenly. How dare you ! Then he turned 
 away with a choking sound in his throat. 
 
 De Miguel rubbed his hands and smiled. 
 
 Why did you speak to that beast about about what 
 we heard in the cavern ? asked Baillot of Goujet later 
 in the day. 
 
 " I told him because I thought that he knew some 
 thing to the contrary," replied Goujet. " It cannot be 
 true, master. It is too horrible ; the man only raved 
 as he had doubtless always spoken lies. 
 
 " Don t speak to me of the matter again, if you love 
 me," said Baillot, turning away. " But I had forgotten, 
 we left the the man bound. Something must be done, 
 to leave him thus would be inhuman." 
 
 " I will attend to the matter," said Goujet gruffly. 
 And he strode away fully resolved to put the maniac to 
 death before he should have opportunity to do further 
 mischief. But when he arrived at the cavern he found 
 it empty. Nor was the convict ever again seen by any 
 of them during their sojourn on the island. He had 
 disappeared, perhaps led by his mad fancies over the 
 cliff into the sea. 
 
 As the weeks passed on, it became necessary to make 
 some preparations for the approaching winter. The 
 398
 
 THE KING OF THE ISLAND 
 
 autumnal gales had already begun to blow, and sullen 
 mists brooded over the island for days at a time. The 
 deciduous trees and shrubs dropped their foliage, and 
 yellow fields and sodden woods afforded but a scant sus 
 tenance for three hungry men. 
 
 "We must bestir ourselves," declared Goujet, "if 
 we wish to find ourselves alive in the spring. And, 
 morbleu / master, you at least are young, and life has 
 much that is good in it still. Once away from this ac 
 cursed spot you will forget. 
 
 But Baillot only shook his head. He was as fully 
 convinced as are most young persons under similar cir 
 cumstances that on no one had ever fallen such a sor 
 row ; that no other man in the history of the world had 
 ever loved with such intensity as he had loved, and that 
 it was therefore little short of impertinence for anyone 
 to suggest the possibility of future happiness. Happi 
 ness, he assured himself gloomily, had forever (led; he 
 would gladly die and be buried in this spot, where, he 
 was firmly convinced, reposed the remains of his be 
 loved Madeline. 
 
 As for the third person in this strangely assorted trio, 
 de Miguel he spent his time in alternately gloating 
 over the evident wretchedness of the young Huguenot, 
 whom he hated with all the intensity of his little soul, 
 and in bewailing the perfidy of the pirates, who had 
 broken their word in not returning to fetch him as they 
 had promised. 
 
 "Holy heaven!" he would cry, "did not that 
 monster what you call him ? Lock? Yes, Lock did 
 he not swear by the heart of his mother, by the soul of 
 his father, and by everything he held sacred in heaven 
 or on earth that having once obtained the t\vo thousand 
 399
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 pistoles he would return and fetch me? And now he 
 has the pistoles and I am left to perish. Ah maledic 
 tion ! I could tear his eyes out !" 
 
 " I don t doubt," says Goujet with a grin, "that he 
 made the order to read ten thousand instead of two ; 
 there s nothing easier, you know. 
 
 Ten thousand ! Ten thousand pistoles ! Oh, 
 seignior, you don t think such a thing could be? Not 
 that I have such a sum ; God knows that I am a poor 
 man yes wretchedly poor, but such perfidy." 
 
 "Ten thousand pistoles is a pretty sum," pursued 
 Goujet relentlessly. "And Lock is not a bad-looking 
 fellow ; rather than part with such a sum your wife may 
 have concluded to console herself for your absence. 
 Lock will make a capital father for the ten no it must 
 be eleven by this time." 
 
 De Miguel could only groan and tear at his greasy 
 locks. "The man is welcome to Marthe, " he would 
 say, " I care not a fig for the woman ; and as for the 
 ten ; pah, children are easily found. But ten thousand 
 pistoles ! there is another matter now, and I an old 
 man. Oh, oh ! Malediction !" Then he would sink 
 upon his knees and tell his beads over and over with 
 fervor, while the vows of candles, silver statues, and 
 other votive offerings mounted up steadily day by 
 day. 
 
 But notwithstanding the mental gloom and anxiety 
 which oppressed two of the little party, all joined 
 heartily in the work of preparing for the months of 
 loneliness and isolation which lay before them. The 
 smaller of the three cottages was provided with a roof 
 from the ruins of its neighbor, which had chanced to 
 partly escape the flames ; its chimney was rebuilt, and 
 400
 
 THE KING OF THE ISLAND 
 
 a semblance of comfort given its smoke-blackened 
 and charred interior by the fragments of rich tapestry 
 which the adventurers fetched from the ruins of the 
 ( hfi trail. From the same source came two or three 
 ( hairs, a table, and even a bed, which was ceded by the 
 others to Baillot in tacit acknowledgment of his higher 
 rank. 
 
 The young count seemed to derive a gloomy pleasure 
 from delving amid the piles of rubbish about the ruins. 
 And both Goujet and the Portuguese frequently accom 
 panied him in these expeditions. Do Miguel, indeed, 
 after awhile developed almost a mania for this employ 
 ment, and could hardly be dragged away from it even 
 to assist Goujet in the necessary labors of fishing, cut 
 ting fuel for their fire, and carrying water from the 
 spring. 
 
 The reason for this infatuation became apparent to 
 Goujet when one day he came upon the Portuguese at 
 work with his pick. "Anything new?" he inquired 
 cheerfully. " If you could find an iron pot it would be 
 a blessing." 
 
 At the sound of his voice de Miguel dropped his pick, 
 and hastily snatching up something from the ground 
 thrust it into his pocket. The action did not escape 
 the keen eye of Goujet. 
 
 " What have you there?" he demanded; "fetch it 
 out." 
 
 "Nothing nothing at all, T swear it," said de 
 Miguel, turning pale. 
 
 "You are lying. Show it to me and I won t take it 
 from you. Out with it, or 1 will see it anyhow, and it 
 will not go back into your pocket after that, I can tell 
 you. 
 
 26 4ox
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 Thus urged, de Miguel produced what looked at first 
 sight like a shapeless mass of lead. "Silver!" he 
 whispered. "There must be heaps of it in the ruins, 
 and I am a poor man now. 
 
 402
 
 CHAPTER XLVIII 
 
 SHADOWS 
 
 GOUJET looked at the molten mass thoughtfully, then 
 he handed it back to de Miguel. "Candlesticks, I 
 should say," he commented briefly. "But why did 
 they burn a place like this without removing the valu 
 ables ? 
 
 The Portuguese shrugged his shoulders and muttered 
 something about lightning and earthquake. 
 
 " Who did the place belong to?" 
 
 " Mow should I know?" 
 
 " You re lying again ; you do know." 
 
 " As you will, seignior. It is true that I could make 
 you a great talc about the place, but what would it pro 
 fit ? Whatever Jose de Miguel says, you have one an 
 swer to make, you are lying. Is that the way to speak 
 to a man of noble blood, I ask you?" 
 
 Goujet laughed uproariously at this. 
 
 " Laugh if you will, but later, we shall see ! It will 
 be my turn then." And de Miguel with a scowl turned 
 to his digging again. 
 
 Goujet presently sauntered over to the spot where the 
 young Comte de Lantcnac was rambling about, stooping 
 now and again to examine some fragment of torn canvas 
 or bit of broken carving with a melancholy interest. 
 The cold wind shrilled dismally through the ruined 
 arches above their heads, and from the lowering clouds 
 there fell an occasional dash of rain. 
 43
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 "Ugh, master! this is a dismal place," observed 
 Goujet with a shiver. " Come, let us leave yonder mole 
 to grub for his treasure, while we seek the shelter of the 
 cottage, where I have a glorious bright fire. 
 
 "This place accords better with my temper than the 
 cheerfulest fireside," said Baillot gloomily. "But I 
 have found something to-day which I would fain examine 
 at my leisure, so I will go. 
 
 De Miguel dropped his pick with a muttered curse 
 and scuttled after them. He was afraid to be left alone, 
 though he grudged every moment spared from his self- 
 imposed task of examining the ruin. 
 
 "What is it that you have found, master?" asked 
 Goujet as they walked along toward the hut. 
 
 " Nothing of value," replied the young man. "It 
 seems to be a record or diary kept by some former in 
 habitant of the place. It is much injured by damp and 
 mould, besides being partly burned, but the fragments 
 of it may throw some light on the mystery of this strange 
 place." 
 
 " What is this that you say, seignior?" asked de Mi 
 guel eagerly, joining them at this point in the conver 
 sation. 
 
 " I have found an old manuscript of some sort," re 
 plied Baillot shortly. It was impossible for him to dis 
 guise the dislike which he felt for de Miguel, though he 
 always treated him with forbearance and even kindness, 
 considering himself responsible in a measure for the un 
 deniable misfortunes which had befallen the man. 
 
 "May I look at it, noble seignior?" asked de Miguel 
 politely enough. 
 
 "You may, certainly, when we shall have arrived at 
 the cottage. It is raining quite too fast for further 
 404
 
 SHADOWS 
 
 comfort out of doors," said Baillot, quickening his 
 steps. 
 
 Their frugal supper over and a couple of the resinous 
 torches of which Goujet had laid in a store for use in 
 the long dismal evenings lighted, the young count pro 
 duced his find ; he had wrapped it in his cloak for 
 greater protection against the damp. 
 
 "I have your permission to examine this writing, 
 noble seignior," said de Miguel, reaching out his hand 
 confidently. 
 
 " I have not yet had opportunity to examine it my 
 self," returned Baillot. 
 
 It was, as he had seen on his first casual examination 
 of it, a manuscript, w r ritten on yellowish paper, and 
 bound between heavy covers of leather, richly stamped 
 and gilded. These covers were now sadly warped and 
 shrunken, and the pages within scorched and charred at 
 their edges, while damp and mildew had almost obliter 
 ated the characters upon many of them. Here and there 
 a page could be deciphered w r ith tolerable ease. The 
 young Huguenot turned over the leaves for a long time 
 in silence, while de Miguel watched his face with eager 
 attention. 
 
 "What is it all about, master, if I may make so bold 
 as to ask?" inquired Ooujet with a yawn. 
 
 "I will read a little from it, if you would like to 
 hear," replied Daillot, 
 
 " I should like nothing better." 
 
 De Miguel said nothing, but his black eyes gleamed 
 with anxiety. 
 
 "It is, as 1 have said, a sort of diary or journal," 
 said Baillot slowly, "and seems, at least in its earlier 
 portions, to have been written by a child, or by one 
 405
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 little used to expressing himself in writing. The dates 
 have all been destroyed, since the upper edge of the 
 volume appears to have suffered more from the fire than 
 other portions of it." 
 
 " a pretty book, and a large. I may have it, I 
 have asked leave of monsieur, my father. I mean to 
 write all that I see and do in it ; it will then be a his 
 tory such as I have seen of those who have now disap 
 peared from the earth. I do many things each day. I 
 study and learn my tasks which I recite to monsieur, my 
 father, in the library. My mother is very sad, often I 
 find her in tears when I have done reciting. I say to 
 her, What, are you not pleased that I so well know my 
 I^itin verses ? But she only weeps the more, then my 
 father falls into a great rage and stamps his foot, and 
 tells her that she is no better than a baby and that she 
 may take her tears and herself away. For myself I 
 know not why she weeps. My father is not often un 
 kind to her, and she possesses many wonderful and 
 beautiful gowns, jewels, and trinkets. Sometimes I 
 have said this to her, and she tells me that I am but a 
 child ; that I do not understand, and that I will drive 
 her mad with my talk. Why 
 
 "But here," said Baillot, "I come upon a page 
 which is entirely obliterated. On the next page I can 
 read but a sentence or two ; here is one tells me that 
 this is impossible, and was so stern when he said it that 
 I was frightened. I am beginning to think 
 
 " Further down the page occurs this, A most beau 
 tiful suite of rooms has been furnished for me. My 
 father says that I am older now, and that I can no 
 longer occupy the little room next my mother. I do 
 not know whether I am glad or sorry. My mother 
 406
 
 SHADOWS 
 
 wept again and embraced me, and called me her poor 
 child ; at which father again rebuked her severely. 
 I am making much progress in all of my studies, and 
 have, besides, plenty of time for recreation. I am not 
 permitted to go abroad alone, which I much regret, 
 as I should dearly love to play with the gardener s 
 children. I asked my mother if I might have Pierre, 
 the gardener s oldest son to play with me at the cha 
 teau ; she consented and Avas about to send for him ; 
 but my father, coming in at that moment and hearing 
 of the matter, fo r badc it. What are you thinking of, 
 madame, he said ; you assuredly forget yourself? But 
 my mother answered very sadly, I thought No, I do 
 not forget ; how can I ? I only thought 
 
 " You only thought you only thought ! thundered 
 my father. You are always thinking, and things that 
 you ought not. And with that he took her by the arm 
 and led her out of the room. I could hear her sob 
 bing in the next room. 
 
 The reader paused and turned over another page ; 
 then coming to a place where several leaves were fast 
 ened together by the damp, he carefully loosened 
 them, but shook his head as he glanced them over. 
 "There is nothing here which is legible," he said 
 thoughtfully. 
 
 "Malediction! this is of no interest at all," broke 
 out de Miguel loudly, " the tattle of a brainless lad, 
 who should have been in better business. You will read 
 no more of it, seignior." 
 
 Raillot looked up in surprise ; the man s swarthy face 
 
 was quite flushed but that might be the effect of the 
 
 fire, which was roaring merrily up the great chimney ; 
 
 his fingers were twisting themselves uneasily, and he had 
 
 407
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 the appearance of a man who with great difficulty con 
 trols himself. 
 
 You will now graciously permit me to examine the 
 book for myself," he continued. The last words 
 were sufficiently courteous, but the look with which he 
 laid hold of the book was both threatening and inso 
 lent. 
 
 Baillot quietly withdrew the volume from his grasp. 
 "You do not, for some reason, wish to hear more of 
 what is written here," he said, "or possibly you do 
 not wish me to read it. If the first reason be true you 
 are at liberty to retire to your hammock, but I beg that 
 you will not so forget yourself in the future as to lay 
 hands upon something which is quite as much my prop 
 erty as are those trinkets, which you so diligently search 
 for at every opportunity, yours." 
 
 At this reference to his newly -gotten treasures de 
 Miguel turned pale. He mumbled some inarticulate 
 words, then arose and threw himself into his ham 
 mock. 
 
 " Go on, master, if you will," said Goujet, who was 
 busily engaged in carving spoons, forks, and other 
 homely utensils for use in their modest menage. "I 
 think the lad s journal is likely to throw some light on 
 this place ; and, morblcu > as long as we are here there 
 is nothing else to think about." 
 
 " Where next I am able to decipher the writing," ob 
 served Baillot, who seemed deeply interested in his dis 
 covery, "the writer has apparently grown older and 
 wiser, also more impatient with his quiet life. It be 
 gins thus, I should like to have been born a Greek, or 
 a Roman, though they are now all dead and gone mon 
 sieur, my father, tells me and their cities in ruins. I 
 408
 
 SHADOWS 
 
 can think of nothing more splendid than to be such a 
 man as Julius Cicsar, leading forth great armies, and 
 compelling savage nations to submit to his rule. 1 
 ::hould like to see Rome as it was then ; father says that 
 too is completely destroyed. 1 mean shortly to get 
 away from this place and see for myself. Even if father 
 and mother have some secret \\hich chains them down 
 to tfiis miserable island, 1 see no reason why I should 
 st^y here forever. When 1 was a child 1 was told that 
 there was no other place where men could exist ; but 
 although I have said nothing i have concluded that this 
 is not true, for where do all the things come from which 
 appear from time to time for our use here, the satins, 
 velvets, laces, and jewels which I wear, and which my 
 mother wears though she does not care for them, and 
 weeps more than ever, so much indeed that her eyes are 
 red all the time. It is quite spoiling her beauty. I told 
 her this the other day and she stopped crying at once. 
 
 " What do you know of beauty ? She asked with a 
 strange look. Have I not read of Helen of Troy, I 
 made answer, and of how the warriors and kings fought 
 for her? If 1 had lived in those days I should also 
 have fought and I should have conquered. One should 
 have seen how my mother looked when I said this ; but 
 she answered quietly enough, Do not speak of these 
 things before your father, lie will be ill -pleased. 
 
 " 1 am at present learning a new art, that of paint 
 ing. 1 like it exceedingly. It is most wonderful how 
 one can imitate such a thing as the bloom on a peach, 
 or the dashing foam of the sea with a few pigments, 
 composed, 1 find, for the most part of earths. 1 am so 
 infatuated with this new employment that I care for 
 nothing else. Father looks very gloomy and sad, what 
 409
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 ever I do. And my mother is not more cheerful than 
 usual. 
 
 "Poor lad," observed Goujet, "whatever crimes 
 his parents may have been guilty of, he seems inno 
 cent enough." 
 
 "From this point I can make nothing of what fol 
 lows for fully a third of the volume, said Baillot ; 
 "the writing begins to be legible again with these 
 words plan ; I mean to bribe one of these men to 
 take me away. I am heartily weary of this place and 
 of my life here. I have learned enough to be sure that 
 it is unnatural, and that there is a world of men and 
 women beyond this hateful rim of ocean. Into this 
 world I am determined to make my way at whatever 
 cost. I said something of the sort to my mother yes 
 terday evening while we were walking on the terrace ; 
 we had been looking at the roses which are just in their 
 glory and of which she is extravagantly fond. She had 
 seemed almost happy as we walked up and down, she 
 leaning upon my arm. What I said to her was this. I 
 am not happy here, madame ; what can a strong young 
 man, like me, do in a place like this? Why do we 
 stay here ? For my part I should rather be a bare 
 legged fisher boy, or one of the men who come here 
 from time to time on the little black lugger. 
 
 " At this she started violently ; What do you know 
 of the lugger? she asked in a strange voice. 
 
 " I know more than you think, I answered with a 
 laugh. What would you say if I should slip away some 
 fine day to try my fortune in the world ? She turned 
 pale, and would, I believe, have fallen but that I passed 
 one arm about her and held her up. 
 
 " Do you love me at all? she finally gasped, look- 
 410
 
 SHADOWS 
 
 ing at me with her great frightened eyes. Assuredly 1 
 do, dearest mother, I answered. You do not doubt it ? 
 
 " No, no, child, she said, but I solemnly tell you 
 that if you attempt to do what you have said that it will 
 be my death. Promise promise that you will not at 
 tempt it ! And she actually sank down upon her knees 
 before me, and kissed my hands as she begged and 
 prayed and wept. 
 
 " I think I should have promised her, though I 
 should have been sorely grieved to do so, but at that 
 moment my father stepped from the window, and upon 
 seeing him, my mother sprang to her feet quite fright 
 ened ; luckily he did not observe her attitude. He had 
 come to bring us some very strange news. The senes- 
 9hal of the castle has disappeared from our midst. It is 
 most strange and unaccountable. Both my father and 
 madame, my mother, seemed very much frightened and 
 disturbed by this intelligence. 
 
 " I do not see why you should care, I said very 
 coolly ; he was a bad man, and not over-straight in 
 his dealings. He stole mother s diamonds I firmly be 
 lieve, and you know how many times I have caught him 
 prowling about my rooms. It was only yesterday that 
 I discovered him in the act of opening my private desk, 
 which stands in my bedchamber. How now, sirrah ! 
 I exclaimed, how dare you make free with my property 
 in such a fashion. On my word, sir, you should be 
 soundly dealt with were I master here ! The rascal 
 turned pale as he looked at me ; 1 do not doubt but that 
 I frightened him, for I was more angry than I often am. 
 He bowed very low, and backed out of the room in such 
 an absurd fashion that I laughed aloud. 
 
 " Neither my father nor my mother interrupted me 
 411
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 by a single word while I was speaking, but when I had 
 finished, my father said in a strange excited voice, It 
 may be the providence of the Most High ; may the 
 saints give me wisdom to act aright ! As for my 
 mother she smiled as I have not seen her in many a long 
 day. I can see plainly that secretly they are very glad to 
 be rid of this man. I think that for some reason, which 
 I am at a loss to understand, they were afraid of him. 
 
 At this point in the reading the young count paused 
 and passed his hand across his eyes. Your torches, 
 Goujet, give a most uncertain light," he remarked. 
 " And interesting as this chronicle i~, I must leave its 
 further perusal till daylight." He closed the volume 
 and placing it under his pillow, threw himself down 
 upon his bed. Goujet followed his example, and soon 
 silence and sleep reigned in the place. 
 
 By degrees the fire died away, till at length only a 
 bed of red coals remained, which winked and purred 
 gently amid the gathering grey of the ashes, while the 
 shadows which lurked in the corners and about the 
 rafters of the room grew gradually darker and heavier. 
 After a time a shadow blacker than the others took 
 shape to itself and darted boldly out from among the 
 rest ; in form it resembled a man, and it thrust some 
 thing deep down into the bed of sleepy coals. They 
 licked the something gently with their red tongues, then 
 finding it to their liking leapt up suddenly with a merry 
 and fierce light, which roared up the great chimney. 
 Then the dancing flames fell back as suddenly as they 
 had sprung up, and the sleepers, who had turned un 
 easily as the bright light fell upon their closed eyelids, 
 breathed softly again. As for the shadow, it slept with 
 the rest. 
 
 412
 
 CHAPTER XLIX 
 
 A MCHE IN THE WALL 
 
 TT was still raining heavily when Baillot awoke the 
 next morning. He could hear the wind as it tore 
 hungrily about the cottage, shrieking down the chim 
 ney as it passed, then roaring away into the tops of the 
 great pine trees, which it lashed in a very fury of sullen 
 rage. 
 
 (ioujet was already astir, and a fresh fire crackled 
 merrily on the hearth. "An ill day, master," he said 
 cheerfully, seeing that Baillot s eyes were open and that 
 he was staring thoughtfully about the room. " rattle- 
 as T love this island of ours, T am not sorry for a bit of 
 solid ground under my feet this morning ; the stanchest 
 ship ever built would be but a bubble in the grasp of 
 such a storm. T thought of that book of yours, master, 
 and I said to myself, not a bad thing to pass away the 
 time a day like this. I want to find out if the lad ever 
 made out to get away." 
 
 Thus reminded Baillot thrust his hand under the pil- 
 xnv. Then he sat up, turned it over and shook it, next 
 he sprang out of bed looking rather anxious. 
 
 "Where did 1 put that book last night, doujet?" he 
 asked, " I thought f thrust it wilder my pillow ; I re 
 member to have had a. notion that perhaps Where i> 
 the Portuguese? T don t see him." 
 
 " In his hammock ; he s a la/y dog and sleeps late/"
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 * 
 
 replied Goujet, "But no, he isn t there. Where can 
 the fellow have gone ? 
 
 At this moment the door flew open and de Miguel 
 came in dripping with wet. "I have been for fresh 
 water, he said, setting down a brimming bucket upon 
 the floor and turning to secure the door against the 
 blast, a task which he finally accomplished with diffi 
 culty. 
 
 "The devil you have?" exclaimed Goujet in amaze 
 ment. "What has gotten you on a sudden, Monsieur 
 de Miguel ? Such a fit of usefulness is surprising. 
 
 " I was thirsty and there was nothing to drink." 
 
 " And so you went as far as the cavern alone to quench 
 your thirst. The bucket was half full last night, but 
 that was not fresh enough, eh?" 
 
 Can you tell me, sir, the whereabouts of the volume 
 from which I was reading last night, and which you 
 were so anxious to examine?" said Baillot, who had 
 been continuing the search for his find of the day be 
 fore. 
 
 " No, seignior, I cannot," replied de Miguel dogged 
 ly, throwing himself down into a chair before the fire 
 and stretching out his legs to the genial blaze. 
 
 "It is very strange what can have become of it," 
 said Goujet, " I remember to have seen my master place 
 it beneath his pillow last night. Have you not seen 
 it?" 
 
 " I saw it last night in the hands of the noble Comte 
 de Lantenac," replied de Miguel with an insolent wag 
 of the head ; "he refused me permission to take it in 
 my hands. 
 
 " You have destroyed it or hidden it !" exclaimed 
 Baillot. De Miguel made no reply. 
 414
 
 A NICHE IN THE WALL 
 
 " Answer me, fellow ; what have you done with my 
 book?" 
 
 "What have I done with your book, seignior? And 
 how pray, did it come to be your book ? Is this island 
 then your property ? Was the chateau yours ? By what 
 right did you make free with what you knew to be the 
 private journal of another man ? You prate about 
 honor ! Pah, I spit upon such honor !" 
 
 Baillot turned pale and fell back a few paces, and de 
 Miguel perceiving his advantage sprang to his feet. 
 "Suppose that to protect those who once lived here 
 from your insolent curiosity I burnt the book ; I say 
 that I had the right to do so !" 
 
 "This is infamous !" cried Goujet. "I will teach 
 you, dog, to 
 
 "Nay! Let him be, what he has said is true," 
 groaned Baillot, "though God knows that I never 
 thought of it in that light. Speak no more of the matter; 
 it is finished," and without another word he wrapped 
 himself in his cloak and strode out into the storm. 
 
 The smile of haughty derision and noble contempt, 
 which de Miguel s face had worn as he thus metaphori 
 cally ground the young count under his boot-heels, now- 
 faded to a sickly, imploring grin when he perceived 
 that he was to be left alone with Goujet. 1 le sidled to 
 ward the door. 
 
 " You would follow my master, would you? to in 
 sult him further perhaps. You you dirty scoundrel, 
 you!" roared Goujet, choking with wrath. "Try to 
 do it and observe what follows !" And he caught the 
 unfortunate de Miguel by the scruff of his neck, and 
 bestowed sundry hearty kicks on that portion of his 
 anatomy designed by nature for chastisement. 
 .415
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 "Oh oh! You villain, you unspeakable pig!" 
 bawled de Miguel. " How dare you? the seignior told 
 you not to touch me ! He would not permit this ! Help! 
 Mercy! You are killing me. " 
 
 Killing you, no! though you deserve it," said 
 Goujet, shaking his victim till the teeth rattled in his 
 head, then setting him down with a smart cuff on each 
 ear as a sort of finish to the performance. " How does 
 your honor feel now ? Such a fine delicate sense of 
 honor that you can instruct and reprove the head of one 
 of the oldest families in France." 
 
 De Miguel whimpered dolorously, caressing mean 
 while the injured portions of his frame with a fat pudgy 
 hand. 
 
 "You burnt that book, you scoundrel, because you 
 feared that it would relate some villainy in which you 
 have had a share. Perhaps you know more about the 
 disappearance of these people, and the destruction of 
 this place than you would like to have discovered." 
 
 " I have not I swear I have not ! Holy St. Michael 
 and all the saints bear me witness ! I am as innocent as 
 a babe of any crime !" 
 
 "Of course I shall believe you, now that you have 
 said that," sneered Goujet. "Your sense of honor is 
 so great that you could not perjure yourself. Now listen, 
 I am going in search of my master. You need not fol 
 low." 
 
 De Miguel made no reply, and Goujet, hastily wrap 
 ping himself in his cloak, beneath which he sheltered a 
 bundle of torches, left the cottage. He made directly 
 for the cavern, some instinct telling him that there he 
 should find his young master. He was not mistaken ; 
 in the great oaken chair before the table sat the young 
 416
 
 A NICHE IN THE WALL 
 
 Huguenot, his head bowed upon his arms, the water 
 dripping off his clothing onto the stone floor, where it 
 had formed a little pool, which was already stretching 
 forth a long crawling finger toward the ill-omened stain 
 as if to wash it away. 
 
 " I thought I should find you here!" exclaimed 
 Goujet cheerfully, affecting not to notice his master s 
 manifest abandonment to his grief. " Since we cannot 
 read your book which the rascal finally acknowledged 
 that he destroyed because of his fear lest you should dis 
 cover in it something against himself we can explore 
 this place. I have brought torches." 
 
 "He acknowledged that?" asked Baillot, without 
 changing his attitude. 
 
 "He certainly did," said Goujet without a qualm. 
 " I took him in hand a little after you left." 
 
 " I thought I forbade you to touch him," said Bail- 
 lot, but with no anger in his voice. 
 
 "So he said," quoth Goujet. "I didn t remember 
 anything of the sort. I didn t hurt him seriously. 
 Come, master, don t sit there in your wet clothes. 1 
 have some torches, and we will do what we have often 
 spoken of explore this place thoroughly." 
 
 Baillot shuddered, then he arose as if with a sudden 
 resolution, and taking a lighted torch began to look 
 carefully into all the dark corners of the place ; he had 
 a lurking hope that he might find some further message 
 from Madeline. Before many minutes had elapsed, he 
 called to Goujet, who was examining the long gallery 
 leading to the chateau. 
 
 " Hold my torch," he said. " There is something 
 here which looks like a sliding panel, or door." 
 
 " How can that be in the solid rock?" asked Goujet. 
 27 417
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 " But yes ! Morbleu ! There is something of the kind 
 there, and a recess back of it." 
 
 A portion, apparently of the stone itself, but upon 
 closer examination turning out to be a panel of wood 
 cunningly carved and colored to imitate the surround 
 ing stone had slid back into a niche evidently made to 
 receive it, revealing a narrow recess cut in the solid 
 rock. 
 
 "What is in there?" cried Goujet excitedly. "Man 
 dieti ! Nothing but a barrel ! What now could be the 
 reason for contriving such a cunning hiding-place for a 
 common cask?" 
 
 "But it is not a common cask," said Baillot, remov 
 ing the article in question from its niche and setting it 
 down with a thump upon the floor. "It is monstrous 
 heavy ; look too at the curious brasswork upon it, and 
 the wrought-iron hoops." 
 
 Goujet handed the torch to Baillot, and lifting the 
 cask from the ground shook it violently. " There is no 
 liquor in it, that is certain, and I am sure that I heard 
 something rattle inside. But how to get the thing 
 open, there s the question !" Both men stood off and 
 looked at the newly-discovered object. It was, as has 
 been already said, a cask ; to all appearances such a 
 cask as might be used for storing some choice and heady 
 wine, but upon closer examination exhibiting several 
 marked differences. It was made of some rich wood 
 blackened with age, and solidly bound with hoops of 
 wrought-iron, while upon either end it was still further 
 defended from too curious investigation by heavy clamp 
 ings of brasswork, now quite green with the damp of 
 this underground place. 
 
 "The green upon the end-pieces there reminds 
 418
 
 A NICHE IN THE WALL 
 
 me of mouldy cheese," quoth Goujet, his head on one 
 side. "And speaking of cheese puts me in mind of 
 the remark of our former messmates, By that time the 
 rats will have found the cheese. They had better call 
 for us no/, for in r.^j rpinion yonder s the cheese they 
 had in mind." 
 
 "You think it -j treasure then?" 
 
 "I ve ?ecn the outside mind I don t say the in 
 side of such cases before; and I ve heard tell that 
 the gentry sometimes keep their valuables in things of 
 the sort. But they re devilish hard to get into." 
 
 Baillot glanced quickly at his companion ; he wore a 
 cunning smile and his black eyes glistened covetously. 
 All the pirate was awake in him at sight of this ugly 
 cask. "If I had no right to read the book," he said 
 slowly, " and whatever the man s motive in destroy 
 ing it, I see plainly that he was right what possible 
 excuse can I have for appropriating another man s 
 treasure." 
 
 Goujet looked at the young count with an impatient 
 scowl. " It is not easy for us to pull in the same boat," 
 he growled. " Who knows where the man is who con 
 cealed that cask ; he may be dead and buried for 
 aught either of us know. We have as much right to 
 it as to anything else we find here. At any rate, be 
 fore we discuss the matter further let us find out what 
 the cask contains." And he lifted the article in ques 
 tion and carried it out into the daylight. "I see no 
 sign of a key-hole," he observed, "but an axe will 
 soon open it." 
 
 The words were scarcely out of his mouth when a 
 figure which had been standing unobserved in the en- 
 ranee, darted forward with a cry. 
 4*9
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 " Do not take an axe to it, blockhead !" he screamed, 
 embracing the cask with both arms. 
 
 "Ah, you are here ! Did I not tell you to remain 
 behind?" 
 
 And who are you that I should obey you ? said de 
 Miguel. " Where did you find this casket?" 
 
 "That is my business," replied Goujet, advancing 
 with the uplifted pickaxe. "Out of the way while I 
 see what is in it !" 
 
 "Don t break it, fool ! I can open it. But I tell 
 you beforehand that whatever it contains is mine. I 
 will defend it with my life. 
 
 " How is that?" inquired Baillot. "You did not 
 even know of the existence of this place." 
 
 " It was stolen from me," said de Miguel. He had 
 seated himself upon the cask with the air of a man who 
 means to defend his rights against all comers. It was 
 stolen from me. To prove it, I will tell you what this 
 cask should contain before I open it. It should, in the 
 first place, contain certain bags of coin ; also jewels of 
 price, diamonds, rubies, ropes of pearl, and pieces of 
 gold plate. Now I will open it you perceive that I 
 know the secret of its lock and we shall see." 
 
 Arising from his seat he closely examined the upper 
 most end. "It is the other end," he muttered, then 
 aloud, "Turn it over for me." 
 
 Goujet complied ; de Miguel quickly slid aside a por 
 tion of the brasswork, pressed a concealed spring, and 
 the top flew open. "I will remove the contents of the 
 cask, he continued gravely, that you may both see that 
 I am speaking the tiuth. I rely upon your honor, seignior, 
 to see that my property is untouched. Baillot made an 
 impatient gesture of assent, while his face flushed darkly 
 420
 
 A NICHE IN THE WALL 
 
 " These bags, as I have said, should contain gold 
 coin, pistoles and double pistoles," continued de 
 Miguel with an unctuous dignity of tone and mien, 
 which increased as he proceeded with his congenial em 
 ployment. " And now for the jewels !" 
 
 "Mon dieu /" cried Goujet, involuntarily stepping for 
 ward a pace, and opening and shutting his fmgefs long 
 ingly. Diamonds in rings, in bracelets, set in curi 
 ous watches, and glittering royally in pendants and 
 stars, rubies burning with a scarlet flame, the milky 
 lustre of pearls, and glistening sparks of green splendor, 
 where an emerald caught the light, all these and more, 
 in the shape of some curious jewels of wrought gold, 
 the Portuguese removed from the interior of the cask 
 and piled upon the ground. 
 
 "You behold these things," he observed, waving his 
 hand comprehensively. "They are all mine, and 1 have 
 proved it." 
 
 " Not to my satisfaction," growled Goujet. "Any 
 knave might have known the secret of the fastening; 
 arid as for the contents, 1 could have made a decent 
 guess at that myself. You ll have to be older than you 
 are now and a better liar before you ll keep that prop 
 erty." 
 
 42 v
 
 CHAPTER L 
 
 FOUND AND LOST 
 
 " THIS cask and its contents are mine," said Baillot, 
 ;< mine by right of discovery. " 
 
 " Ah, master, you are coming to your senses at last !" 
 cried Goujet delightedly. You hear that, scoundrel ? 
 
 Baillot checked him with an imperative gesture. " It 
 is my will that the valuables be restored to the cask ; I 
 shall then restore the cask to its hiding-place. There 
 it shall remain, until the lawful owner shall return for 
 it ; if that never happens, then there it shall remain till 
 the day of doom. I have said it, and I will at this 
 moment shoot anyone who dares to dispute the matter. 
 And he drew the pistol from his belt and advanced with 
 an air that caused de Miguel to fall back in alarm. 
 
 " The saints defend us !" he cried, "and is that the 
 way you would deprive an honest man of his property ? 
 What accursed folly but I comply, oh, yes imme 
 diately ! Everything shall go back into the cask ; but 
 I alone know the secret of its lock," and he smiled 
 cunningly to himself. 
 
 "And I alone can lift it," remarked Goujet. 
 
 "You are mistaken," returned Baillot coolly. "I 
 can lift it with ease, and I alone know the secret of its 
 hiding-place. I shall put it back alone. 
 
 De Miguel and Goujet looked at one another. For 
 the moment there was actually a bond of sympathy be 
 twixt them. 
 
 422
 
 FOUND AND LOST 
 
 "L-e^ve me at once !" commanded the young count. 
 And the two after a moment s hesitation sullenly 
 obeyed. 
 
 " Morblcu, what folly ! but I shall find it ;" exclaimed 
 Goujet. 
 
 "We will find it, and you shall share with me," 
 whispered de Miguel. 
 
 " It belongs to my master. He can do what he likes 
 with his own," replied Goujet with a look of cold dis 
 like. 
 
 They were shortly joined by Baillot and all three 
 strode along toward the cottage. Nothing further was 
 said of the hidden treasure, but none the less two of the 
 three thought of it unceasingly. 
 
 " I will have it," declared de Miguel to himself, " if 
 I have to kill both the others to get it." 
 
 " I will have it," resolved Goujet, " if I have to tear 
 down the whole cavern ; I already know about where it 
 was. 
 
 That evening after de Miguel had thrown himself into 
 his hammock and his heavy breathing betrayed the fact 
 that he was sleeping, Baillot turned to Goujet who was 
 working at his carving in sullen silence. " You thought 
 me very hard to-day, did you not ? Almost savage, 
 when I drove you out of the cavern at the mouth of my 
 pistol. It is not the thing to threaten with death a man 
 who has twice saved one s life," he added thoughtfully. 
 " But what could I do?" 
 
 "You did not mean it then?" said Goujet brighten 
 ing up. 
 
 "Mean it? No. I could never hurt a hair of your 
 head, man," said Baillot with feeling. 
 
 "Sacre bleu . Do you suppose T cared about the 
 
 4t i 
 "0
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 pistol? I mean" and he lowered his voice to a 
 whisper " the treasure. You only said what you did 
 to frighten away yonder wretch, who has no rightful 
 claim on it." 
 
 " I agree with you there," said Baillot gently, " but 
 I certainly did mean what I said about leaving the treas 
 ure where I found it." 
 
 " But you are a poor man, master," urged Goujet. 
 "Did the king hesitate to confiscate your property? 
 And is your honor more binding than his ?" 
 
 " I disobeyed the king. He took my estates to pun 
 ish that disobedience. To this treasure I have no 
 shadow of right." 
 
 "Oh, folly folly !" groaned Goujet, then as Baillot 
 said nothing, he added : "Yonder dog will not cease 
 to search for it." 
 
 "Let him search; he will not find it," replied the 
 young count. " But look you, my man ! I want you 
 to pledge me your word of honor that you will not 
 speak to him of the matter, and that you will not your 
 self search for it." 
 
 "The first I promise willingly. I want no words 
 with the man, but, diable . You ask too much when 
 you ask the other. I must search for it if you will 
 not tell me where it is, and, morbleu, I shall find it ! " 
 
 Baillot made no comment on this speech, he con 
 tinued to watch the flames which were dancing up the 
 chimney. " I do not want it for myself," continued 
 Goujet, looking at him uneasily. "What do I want 
 with such a treasure ? But for you, surely in a new 
 country now 
 
 "You will not be with me there," said Baillot quiet 
 ly, without turning his head. 
 424
 
 FOUND AND LOST 
 
 "I shall not? And why? I have sworn never to 
 leave you." 
 
 " 1 shall not want a thief in my company. 
 
 Goujet started to his feet with a great oath, and half 
 drew his knife. Baillot did not move. " Master, master, 
 not that don t say that ! I have been everything that 
 is wicked, but I swear to you that I shall be so no longer. 
 I promise you that I will not look for this accursed treas 
 ure. I will be faithful!" and with a genuine sob the 
 man dropped on his knees before the young count, and 
 covered his hand with kisses. 
 
 " 1 believe you, my good Goujet, and such service as 
 you will render will be more to me than treasure. Nay, 
 a heart of love is treasure, and the best the world con 
 tains. 
 
 The next morning Goujet took occasion to speak 
 aside with de Miguel. " Here is the purse my master 
 gave you," he said; "take it, I will only keep back 
 what is not due you. There is in it the sum of two 
 hundred pistoles ; of these one hundred and fifty he 
 promised you for the victualling of the ship. Liar and 
 wretch that you are, take it ! The other fifty pistoles 1 
 shall keep for my master for heaven save him, he has 
 not another livre in the whole world." 
 
 " But why do you give it back to me?" said de Mi 
 guel, staring at him curiously. "Ah, 1 know! You 
 do not care now for money; you think you will have 
 the treasure . Viper ! You shall not, you nor you; 
 miserable sneaking master. 1 hate you both with my 
 whole heart, and but that 1 have s\vorn to the saints to 
 leave you unharmed till 1 am safely out of this place, 1 
 would kill you no\v." 
 
 Goujet stood looking at the little man, who had 
 425
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 worked himself up into quite a white heat of anger, 
 then he burst into an immoderate fit of laughter. 
 "Thank you kindly, monsieur, for your forbearance," 
 he said, and without another word turned away. 
 
 De Miguel kept the oath which he had sworn to him 
 self. Not a day passed that he did not visit the cavern 
 to search for the hidden treasure. He forgot his fears, 
 and his old occupation of digging in the ruins for bits 
 of melted silver was wholly abandoned. He rarely 
 spoke to his two companions, returning from his self- 
 imposed labors only to eat ravenously of the food pro 
 vided by Goujet, then throwing himself sullenly into 
 his hammock to sleep off his fatigue. Each day of un 
 successful searching added a little to the measure of 
 hate and revenge that threatened to boil over its narrow 
 limits. 
 
 " Curse him ! I hate him !" he howled, shaking his 
 tremulous hands toward heaven, as he paused one 
 day exhausted after hours of fruitless toil. And the 
 airy echoes showered back upon his head, Hate hate 
 hate ! 
 
 Half-mad with the dark passions which filled his 
 breast, the unhappy wretch flew at the rocky walls, and 
 beat against them, clawing at them fiercely with his 
 hands, still screaming curses and imprecations. As if 
 there was some black magic in his fearful words the 
 hidden panel suddenly flew open revealing the cask. 
 
 " My God, I have found it ! Yes I have found it J 
 Quick, let me open and see ! Ah the gold, the 
 diamonds ! Ha, ha, ha ! And all mine all mine 
 all mine !" With an almost superhuman effort he lifted 
 the cask, and frantic with joy kissed the jewels and 
 bugged the bags of gold to his breast. 
 426
 
 FOUND AND LOST 
 
 "Ah! My diamonds my rubies my gold! All 
 mine! All mine!" And the stones glittered hotly 
 beneath his gaze as though kindled with sparks of the 
 hell of greed that flamed within his soul. 
 
 "But what shall I do with them? They will find 
 them ! He will take them away from me, curse him 
 curse him !" And with a quick revulsion from his mad 
 rapture to the haunting misery of fear, the wretch 
 looked fearfully over his shoulder, as he stealthily and 
 hurriedly returned the jewels to the cask. 
 
 "I must hide it but where? He knows of this- 
 place ; besides I cannot lift the cask. Where whert 
 can I hide it?" 
 
 An hour later he emerged from the cavern with a 
 satisfied and cunning smile upon his lips. 
 
 " He cannot find it now," he muttered. But in the 
 middle of the night the terror came upon him again. 
 "They will find it they will find it ! He will laugh 
 when he sees it ! Ah, I could kill them, but I dare not 
 stay here alone," and in his anguish he bit and tore at 
 his own flesh. 
 
 The next day he hid the cask in a new place, only to 
 have the terror come upon him afresh. And so every 
 day and many times in the day he hid the treasure 
 anew, his fear growing greater and the hatred in his 
 soul stronger till his appearance was frightful. His 
 cheeks hung down in flabby folds ; his eyes glared like 
 those of a hunted wolf; while his fingers, which had 
 become curved like those of a bird of prey, trembled 
 perpetually. 
 
 Baillot felt a great compassion arise within his soul as 
 he looked upon this wretched being, and he spoke to 
 him more kindly than had been his wont. "You are 
 427
 
 PRISONERS CF THE SEA 
 
 ill," he said. "Think no more of that accursed 
 treasure would God I had never found it !" 
 
 You have found it ? Then I will kill you ! It is 
 mine mine mine!" and the wretch flew fiercely at 
 the young count. 
 
 So sudden was the attack, and so surprised was the 
 victim of it, that powerful as he was he could scarcely 
 shake off the enraged creature that clung to him, snarl 
 ing and foaming. 
 
 Goujet had hastened to h<s master s assistance, and 
 between them they forced the man to relinquish his 
 hold. He suddenly became limp in their grasp and fell 
 to weeping weakly. 
 
 " Don t take it away from me it will kill me. I 
 did not mean what I said ; I am an old man, and poor 
 yes poor, I have not a pistole in the world, I swear 
 it I swear " Then he fell back in strong convul 
 sions. 
 
 " Poor wretch !" said Baillot. " It was an unlucky 
 day for him when I found that treasure. God only 
 knows the misery those innocent glittering stones 
 have already wrought, what tears, what anguish, what 
 blood!" 
 
 The convulsions ceased presently and de Miguel lay 
 quiet. After a time he arose again and walked about, 
 but something was vanished. I have forgotten, he 
 would say plaintively, passing his hand across his eyes. 
 What is it that I am looking for ? You will not take 
 it from me, will you? May the saints bless you, for I 
 am a poor old man." 
 
 Sometimes he would start up in the middle of the 
 night with a shriek. "They will find it ! I must hide 
 it again !" only to sink back again weakly, muttering to 
 428
 
 FOUND AND LOST 
 
 himself. Even Goujet was kind to him now, giving 
 him the warmest seat by the fireside, and covering him 
 at night with his own cloak. What he had so often 
 said of himself had come true at last, he was nothing 
 but a poor old man. 
 
 And so the winter wore heavily away. The rain 
 wept themselves into the ocean ; and the ocean cease i 
 to roar on its shingly beach, and fell to crooning softly 
 of the long, warm, moonlit nights that were to come. 
 The trees and shrubs budded anew, and the roses burst 
 once more into a carnival of bloom, wreathing themselves 
 about stone balustrades, covering the broken statues with 
 living robes of beauty, and breaking high up on the 
 ruined walls of the desolate chateau in a foam of many- 
 colored blossoms. 
 
 The Comte de Lantenac saw in all this that it was 
 just a year since he had first set foot on the mysterious 
 island. 
 
 429
 
 CHAPTER LI 
 
 L ESPERANCE AGAIN 
 
 " MASTER," said Goujet one day, - we have stayed 
 on this island for a matter of six months or more, and I 
 see nothing to prevent our remaining for as many years ; 
 we are far out of the track of vessels. 
 
 "I have found a boat," replied his companion 
 abruptly. The two were in the lookout, which had 
 been built by Winters. At the foot of the tree crouched 
 de Miguel ; he was chattering unintelligibly to himself, 
 but now they could hear his voice rising to a fretful 
 wail ; he had missed them, and was vaguely troubled 
 by his loneliness. 
 
 "Could we reach the islands in a small boat with 
 yonder imbecile to look after ? 
 
 Ay! that is the question. The boat is not much 
 better than a skiff, and badly knocked up." 
 
 " And we have no tools." 
 
 A little silence fell between the two. The stricken 
 man at the foot of the tree wailed louder. 
 
 " Can t you find it for me? Don t let him see it 
 he will take it away from me." 
 
 Goujet shook his shoulders angrily. "A pest on the 
 man !" he said. "What does he mean by such chat 
 ter?" 
 
 "The unlucky wretch found the cask, and the pos 
 session of it drove him mad." 
 
 " Do you know where it is now?" 
 43
 
 L ESPERANCE AGAIN 
 
 " No ; lie has hidden it." 
 
 " Hidden it ! Mon dieu and he is mad ! Then it \* 
 iOst indeed." 
 
 Baillot laughed aloud, a short, bitter laugh. He 
 glanced down at his clothing which hung in rags about 
 him. 
 
 " Should the owner ever return, he will find no treas 
 ure, " continued Goujet in an aggrieved voice. " Surely 
 you will not hold me longer to my promise?" 
 
 " Can we clothe ourselves in gold, man? Can we 
 eat diamonds? Can we navigate with ropes of pearl ?" 
 
 " But we shall escape we shall surely escape." 
 
 " Then let us preserve our reason. Suppose yonder 
 wretch could remember where he hid the treasure, what 
 use would it be to him now ?" 
 
 " All the better for us if we find it." 
 
 Baillot made no reply, but fell once more to studying 
 the distant hori/on. After awhile he spoke again. 
 " What make you of yonder white fleck?" 
 
 Goujet who had been sulkily leaning over the railing 
 listening to the senile ravings of the man below, straight 
 ened up at this. He looked long and earnestly in the 
 direction to which Baillot pointed. 
 
 " It is a sail !" he said at length. " Shall we fire 
 our beacon ?" 
 
 " It can do no harm," said Baillot thoughtfully, 
 " even should the vessel chance to be that of the pi 
 rates. 
 
 " Ha I had almost forgotten our friends ! They will 
 not forget us so easily. Should it be the pirates it 
 would l)e better to make no sign." 
 
 As the hours wore away it became evident that the 
 vessel which they had sighted was headed directly for 
 ,43
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 the island. Goujet was in a fever of impatience, he was 
 up and down between the lookout and the cottage half 
 a hundred times. 
 
 "We must not let it be seen that we are here," he 
 said, as he hastily concealed various articles in the 
 bushes, and endeavored otherwise to efface the signs of 
 recent occupancy about their dwelling. 
 
 "What shall we do with him?" said Baillot, indicat 
 ing de Miguel with a gesture. 
 
 " Let us leave him ; they will take care of him." 
 
 " He must accompany us." 
 
 "We might gag him," suggested Goujet, knowing 
 that there was no use in combating this decision. 
 
 I had thought of that. We had best conceal our 
 selves in the cavern till we find out how things are 
 going." 
 
 They soon finished their preparations, and accom 
 panied by de Miguel took refuge in the rock-hewn gal 
 lery leading to the cavern. 
 
 "We shall have trouble with the fellow yet," said 
 Goujet looking anxiously at the unfortunate Portuguese. 
 "Look at him !" 
 
 Upon entering the place, the poor wretch had at first 
 taken no notice of his surroundings, but chancing to 
 raise his dull eyes, something in the aspect of the place 
 seemed to stimulate his deadened brain ; he stared about 
 him with more of intelligence in his gaze than they had 
 noticed for months, then, muttering something to him 
 self, darted forward into the cavern. 
 
 The others followed. De Miguel was bending over 
 some object which he had rolled out from under a pile 
 of rubbish in one corner. He looked up with a child 
 ish smile as they approached. "They would never 
 43 2
 
 L ESPERANCE AGAIN 
 
 think to look here," he said, sitting flat upon the floor 
 and hugging the object with both arms. " But I shall 
 watch it, and never leave it again. It hurts me here to 
 leave it," and he touched his forehead. 
 
 Baillot looked at him undecidedly for a moment. 
 
 " You will not take it away from a poor old man ?" 
 said de Miguel with a piteous smile, hugging the cask- 
 closer to his breast. 
 
 "Best let him alone for the present, master," whis 
 pered Goujet. " He would surely take to raving if we 
 took the thing from him now. Let us get up in the 
 window and watch. It is the yacht, sure enough," he 
 continued, peering out anxiously. 
 
 Baillot made no reply ; he was clenching his hands in 
 an agony of impatience. Life seemed sweet to him on 
 a sudden ; he was conscious of a fierce desire to escape 
 that filled him with astonishment and almost remorse. 
 The rattle of the chains and the splash of the heavy 
 anchors as they fell into the water was music in his 
 ears. 
 
 "Two, four, six, eight!" Goujet was counting the 
 men as they swung themselves over the side into the 
 boat which they had lost no time in lowering. "The 
 rascals are afraid of us ! And two on the deck -yes 
 three. 
 
 After this neither spoke for a long time; Baillot 
 paced up and down, his head bent, his eyes burning 
 like live coals beneath his black brows. Goujet re 
 mained in the window, staring at the yacht. 1 >e 
 Miguel had opened the cask and was playing with the 
 jewels, laughing delightedly as the light sparkled in 
 their brilliant depths. After a time he began to deck 
 himself with them, winding the pearls about his shaggy 
 28 433
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 head, fastening the diamonds among his fluttering rags, 
 and dancing with gingerly steps about the bags of gold, 
 which he eyed jealously as if fearing that they might 
 suddenly disappear. Then his mood changed ; he re 
 placed everything in the cask and with a darkly lower 
 ing brow began to scratch about amid the rubbish. 
 
 " I must hide it," he muttered. " I am hungry ; it 
 is growing dark. He cannot find it here." Then he 
 stood up and began to tiptoe stealthily toward the door, 
 looking back over his shoulder with a cunning smile. 
 
 Where are you going?" said Baillot gently, step 
 ping in front of him. 
 
 De Miguel stopped and stared at him. " How did 
 you come here ? he asked. You you have not 
 
 " No, I have not found it. It is safe." 
 
 " I must see. I must watch it. You know it is 
 mine. You would not take it ? 
 
 "No, but you had best watch it for awhile longer. 
 Here is food." 
 
 "Ah, then I shall not be forced to leave it !" And 
 snatching greedily at the proffered food the wretched 
 madman slunk back again to his rubbish-heap and began 
 once more to claw it over, crooning and muttering to 
 himself. 
 
 Baillot stared at him thoughtfully. 
 
 " I don t see how we can get him away," said Gou- 
 jet, who had descended from his perch. 
 
 "We must get him away even if we have to take 
 the cask. 
 
 Goujet carefully suppressed his satisfaction at this re 
 mark. "It is quite possible that he has as much claim 
 to the treasure as anyone," he said carelessly. "But 
 the cask is another problem." 
 434
 
 L ESPERANCE AGAIN 
 
 "Do not suppose for a moment," said Baillot 
 sternly, " that I have changed my mind in regard to 
 that unfortunate discovery ; but I have not forgotten 
 that yonder wretch can justly lay all of his misfortunes 
 at my door. The loss of his home, his money and his 
 reason all came about through his connection with my 
 accursed fortunes. His life shall be sacred even at the 
 cost of my own. 
 
 Goujet made no reply, he had clambered back to his 
 post of observation in the window. Presently a sharp 
 cry of disappointment broke from him. " Sucre bleu . 
 the wretches have returned to the yacht. It cannot be 
 that they abandon the search so quickly. 
 
 " There are only four in the boat, man," said Baillot 
 reassuringly. They have returned for something, liquor 
 probably. 
 
 "The triple fools!" exclaimed Goujet excitedly. 
 "There are five of them about to return; they leave 
 the vessel almost unguarded. It will soon be dark 
 enough for us to venture ; luckily there is no moon." 
 
 An hour later two dark figures stole cautiously out 
 into the open and slid noiselessly down among the 
 rocks that lined the shore. 
 
 " I will return for the chest and the man," whispered 
 Goujet, "whilst you guard the boat." 
 
 "Remain here," said his companion shortly. 
 
 " He does not trust me !" growled the man who was 
 left. Away among the trees he could see the cheerful 
 glimmer of camp-fires. "The rascals will put in a 
 merry night of it," he muttered to himself. " Suppose 
 now I walk into their midst and tell them that I alone 
 know the whereabouts of a treasure worth a million of 
 livrcs ! Who then would be chief of the baud? And
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 why after all should I be bound for life to a Huguenot 
 nobleman ? Did I not swear that I would call no man 
 master while the breath remained in my body ? Bah 
 he does not care for me any more than for the dust 
 under his feet ! He has spurned me like a dog a score 
 of times when I did not fall in with his ill humors." 
 
 Wrapped in these dark thoughts he did not hear the 
 steps of two men who were coming toward him along 
 the shore till they were within ten paces. 
 
 "If we must make this round again to-night," one 
 of them was saying, "sink me if I don t bring a lan 
 tern. My eyes are so blinded by the firelight that I am 
 as blundering as a bat. 
 
 " The whole business is accursed folly," grumbled his 
 companion. "That pestiferous Portuguese lied to us; 
 he is probably dead long before this, and his money 
 bags are already squeezed as dry as an orange. 
 
 "Then you don t believe in the treasure?" 
 
 " Believe in it ? No ! that was another lie concocted 
 between old Barebones and his new swab, though I mis 
 doubt me " and the voices died away as the speakers 
 passed on. 
 
 The effect of this conversation on the listener was 
 worth remarking. He had forgotten all that he was 
 thinking about when first he heard the steps approach 
 ing. 
 
 " A lantern and we are lost," he muttered. "But 
 why does he not come ? They will return within half 
 an hour and our boat will be discovered. He waited 
 for an instant longer, straining his ears for some sound 
 from the direction of the cavern, then darted away into 
 the darkness. 
 
 Baillot had found the wretched de Miguel asleep, his 
 
 43 6
 
 L ESPERAXCE AGAIN 
 
 head pillowed on the cask, his arms wound tightly about 
 it. This he saw by the light of a pine splinter which 
 he ventured to kindle, notwithstanding the imminent 
 risk of its being observed aboard the yacht. He leaned 
 over the man and shook him gently. 
 
 "Come, my friend," he said in his ear. "The 
 treasure is in danger." 
 
 The sleeper opened his eyes, they were dull and 
 heavy. He muttered something under his breath, then 
 turned and flung himself at full length upon the floor. 
 He seemed to have forgotten the cask. 
 
 The young man hesitated for a moment ; then he tore 
 a long strip from among his rags, and securely gagged 
 the sleeper, who only struggled and moaned feebly with 
 out opening his eyes. 
 
 "So far good ! Now if I can carry him." Again 
 he stooped and lifted the limp figure from the floor to 
 his shoulders. But this time he had reckoned without 
 his host ; he had not taken half a dozen steps when the 
 burden on his back began to writhe and kick so vio 
 lently that he was forced to drop it. 
 
 With what would have been a yell had he not been 
 securely gagged, the Portuguese sprang back to the 
 cask and fell upon it, hugging it tightly with both 
 arms. 
 
 "Well then, I must take the cask, perhaps he will 
 follow," said his perplexed guardian with a shrug. But 
 no sooner did he attempt to touch the cask than the 
 Portuguese flew at him like a tiger. The young man 
 handled him as gently as possible, and at length suc 
 ceeded in holding him down long enough to secure his 
 arms and legs. 
 
 437
 
 CHAPTER LII 
 
 OFF THE ISLAND 
 
 AT this moment Goujet burst into the cave. " Mas 
 ter !" he whispered hoarsely, "they will be upon us 
 with a lantern directly !" His quick eye had grasped 
 the significance of the scene before him. " I will take 
 the man," he added. " See that his gag is secure first. 
 Do you bring the cask. No use leaving it here for the 
 pirates ; they will have seen the light from the windows 
 and will lose no time in finding this place." 
 
 Baillot picked up the heavy cask, and presently the 
 two were stumbling along in the thick darkness without. 
 They reached the shore in safety, but so exhausted that 
 they could scarcely breathe. Goujet dropped his 
 burden into the bottom of the boat with scant cere 
 mony ; Baillot followed with his and they shoved off. 
 Goujet dipped the oars noiselessly with one or two long 
 powerful pulls which sent them well out from the shore, 
 then he paused and remained motionless ; the twinkle 
 of a lantern was approaching around the bend, the 
 voices of the men who carried it floating distinctly 
 across the little space of water to those in the boat. 
 They were grumbling as before. 
 
 " Let Lock turn out himself and see what he can 
 find," cried one. "There is nothing about the place 
 but accursed rocks to break one s shins over," and the 
 speaker stopped to groan and rub his legs ruefully. 
 
 "Come on, you devil s spawn!" said the other 
 gruffly. " You are always whining ; nothing suits you. 
 438
 
 OFF THE ISLAND 
 
 Now that we ve made the cruise, why it stands to 
 reason that Hallo ! what s that?" 
 
 The sentries had reached the narrow strip of beach 
 at the base of the cliff, within whose rocky entrails was 
 the cavern. Its narrow windows, quite indistinguish 
 able by day amid the general irregularities of the sur 
 face, now shone out brilliantly with the expiring flame 
 of the pine splinter, which in his haste Baillot had for 
 gotten to extinguish. He cursed himself silently for 
 his carelessness. 
 
 "That was a happy thought of yours, master," whis 
 pered Goujet. " It will give the rascals something to 
 look for. 
 
 "But the whole crew will be about the place in a 
 minute more, and " 
 
 "Hist!" 
 
 There was a hasty splash of oars and the sound of 
 voices. A moment more and something passed them 
 swiftly ; in the darkness they caught a few words spoken 
 in a low anxious voice. 
 
 "ship s all right -sea as calm as a milkpan, and 
 she s anchored at stem and stern, but they must know 
 about that light ; the rascals 
 
 " They have left the ship alone !" whispered Goujet 
 in an ecstasy. "What luck!" He again began to dip 
 his oars quietly but in a way that sent their little craft 
 skimming along toward a single light, which rising and 
 falling at regular intervals betrayed the location of the 
 schooner. 
 
 "I will reconnoitre a bit," said Haillot, as the skiff 
 rubbed her nose softly against the hull of the yachl. 
 As stealthily and swiftly as a cat he stole over the low 
 rail and disappeared in the darkness. 
 439
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 " All s clear," he whispered a moment later, "hand 
 up the man " and the unfortunate de Miguel like a bale 
 of merchandise was passed up to the deck. Goujet had 
 thoughtfully fastened a rope onto the precious cask, 
 which he had determined not to lose sight of. " Haul 
 her up, quick!" he whispered to Baillot, tossing him 
 an end of the tackle. " Now for it !" he said, as he 
 sprang upon the deck. " Hold, I ll douse that lantern 
 at her bow ! 
 
 Working with the desperate speed and strength of 
 men in mortal peril, the two swiftly raised and set the 
 sails then as noiselessly as possible slipped the anchors. 
 Luckily there was a light breeze off shore, the canvas 
 filled quickly, and the gentle ripple of water under the 
 vessel s bow showed that she had begun to draw away 
 from the perilous neighborhood of the island. 
 
 Thank God ! murmured the young Huguenot fer 
 vently, pausing a moment to listen to the delightful 
 sound. 
 
 For the first time he turned to look toward the shore. 
 It was alive with the glimmer of torches, and the sound 
 of loud angry voices engaged in violent altercation 
 floated across the water. 
 
 Ha, ha ! A neater bit of work I never saw ! 
 chuckled Goujet, who had grasped the tiller. " They ll 
 have time to cool off at their leisure before they get off 
 that place. Good luck to you, messmates ! 
 
 This last he shouted at the top of his voice. At the 
 same moment de Miguel who had been choking and 
 spluttering over his gag, managed in some way to rid 
 himself of it and emitted a series of weird howls, which 
 rang out over the water in a most startling fashion. 
 
 That the sounds were heard by those on shore was 
 140
 
 OFF THE ISLAND 
 
 evidenced by the behavior of the distant sparks of light, 
 every one of which represented a man. These lights 
 had been flitting about at the base of the cliff, one or 
 two even appearing like enormous fire-flies half-way up 
 its surface, showing that some of the more adventurous 
 spirits were endeavoring in this way to discover the 
 source of the mysterious vanished light. Now all quick 
 ly converged toward a single point, the united glare of 
 the torches extending a long, threatening, blood- red fin 
 ger toward the flying refugees. A chorus of hoarse shouts, 
 and a shower of shot spattering the water like hailstones, 
 showed that the pirates guessed their plight ; then all the 
 sparks of light began to flit away in irregular groups. 
 
 " They are going for their boats," quoth Goujet in a 
 tone of the deepest satisfaction. " Much good may it do 
 them !" 
 
 As the little vessel gathered more and more headway, 
 in a spirit of bravado he touched a spark to the breech 
 of the cannon which the pirates had mounted in the 
 stern. The dull roar of the discharge had scarcely died 
 away, when it was answered by a second report which 
 seemed to come out of the darkness on their starboard 
 port. They had cleared the island by this time and were 
 standing well out under a stiff breeze. 
 
 " And what might that mean ?" he exclaimed, staring 
 fixedly into the darkness. 
 
 5 It means," replied Baillot composedly, " that you 
 have given our friends on the island a farewell salute, 
 and at the same time have signaled their consort, the 
 Rouge et Noir, that the yacht has left the island." 
 
 Goujet swore a great oath under his breath. " You 
 are right!" he said, grasping Buillot s arm ; "yonder 
 are her lights 1" 
 
 441
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 " Luckily she cannot see us," observed the young 
 man. " We shall draw away from her rapidly in this 
 breeze. 
 
 "Morbleit ! I should hope so !" said Goujet. "We 
 need half a dozen more hands to sail a race with that 
 brigantine. He seemed much depressed, and indulged 
 in considerable profanity of a polyglot variety, which 
 need not be set down here. 
 
 In the meantime the other vessel proceeded to set of? 
 a number of rockets ; after which she displayed in rapid 
 succession two green lights followed by two red ones and 
 a single white light. 
 
 " Lay to, till we can speak you, " growled Goujet. 
 " I think not, my friends, to-night. We can t stop." 
 Then as two blue lights twinkled for an instant in the 
 darkness, "No, no! You are not mistaken in your 
 craft. It s the men that s aboard of her you re wrong 
 about," and he burst into a loud laugh. 
 
 De Miguel s howls had by this time quieted into a 
 feeble moaning pitiful to hear. " I must take him below, 
 and make him as comfortable as possible," said Baillot, 
 with a remorseful glance at the wretched heap upon 
 the deck. "But first we must determine upon our 
 course." 
 
 "If we put for the islands, we walk straight into the 
 teeth of the brigantine," said Goujet. "Let us go to 
 America ! 
 
 "To America!" exclaimed Baillot. "We do not 
 know whether the vessel is provisioned for such a cruise. 
 Then too and he pointed to the moaning bundle of 
 rags "he must be taken home." 
 
 " He can be taken home afterwards; he will never 
 see home if we go the other way. Our chances aren t 
 442
 
 OFF THE ISLAND 
 
 worth a livre unless we throw them off our track before 
 daylight." 
 
 i: So be it," said Baillot, drawing a deep breath. 
 
 Daylight found the little vessel bowling briskly along 
 before a steady wind, while as far as the eye could 
 reach over the expanse of long green rollers there ap 
 peared no token of human presence. 
 
 " The weather is set fair; the season is favorable; 
 and the vessel is staunch," said Baillot, as he emerged 
 from the companion-way after a thorough inspection of 
 the ship s stores ; " but we have a bare larder." 
 
 " Bad news that," said Goujet. " I am as hungry as 
 a wolf. You don t mean to say that the fellows have no 
 victuals aboard ? 
 
 "Very little," said Baillot shaking his head ruefully. 
 "I found one small cask of pickled meat and two of bis 
 cuit, part of the stores we left aboard I should judge, for 
 they are none of the freshest. Worst of all there is no 
 water to speak of. 
 
 " The rascals depended upon the brigantinc," said 
 Goujet, drawing his grizzled brows together thoughtfully. 
 "We are in bad trim for the cruise," he added, looking 
 down at his rags with a short laugh, " and no mistake ; 
 but there s fish in the sea for the taking, and water in 
 the clouds ; some of it will come our way before long 
 I m thinking. I have no mind to go back, master, what 
 do you say ? 
 
 Baillot looked steadily out to sea. "We will con 
 tinue," he said slowly, " on this tack, till we see land 
 over our bowsprit." 
 
 "Bon!" cried Goujet with a great laugh. "We 
 will ! and /<: ban (licit help us to pull through on short 
 rations and to keep warm in the skins with which he
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 provided us, for morbleu / we shall soon have no other 
 cover. 
 
 "Oh as to that," answered his companion, "I 
 found a couple of good jackets below ; and I believe 
 there is something else there also in the way of clothing. 
 I did not stop to see." 
 
 "Capital!" cried Goujet with enthusiasm. "We 
 shall do famously ! And here comes the first of our 
 water supply," as one or two great drops spattered on 
 the deck at their feet. " Let us spread some canvas to 
 catch it and run it off into our butts." 
 
 It soon appeared that the small crew had laid out for 
 themselves a great task ; and what with short rations 
 and little sleep, the two sailors were soon as gaunt and 
 hollow-eyed as ghosts. But with wind and weather in 
 their favor, every sail drawing, and league after league of 
 blue water spinning away behind them, neither minded 
 the hardships. The mysterious desolation of the island 
 well out of sight, Baillot felt more and more hope 
 springing up in his heart. Vague promises of joy and 
 comfort lurked in the following breeze, and in the 
 radiant glories of the western horizon he read glad 
 prophecies for the future. 
 
 As for de Miguel he gave very little trouble beyond a 
 ravenous appetite, which threatened to demolish their 
 slender store of provisions long before they should reach 
 the promised land. He would whine like a child and 
 hold out a feeble shaking hand for more, and Baillot 
 more than once faeted that he might gratify him. "I 
 have brought it upon him," he said to himself remorse 
 fully. At the end of the second week they found that 
 the supplies had dwindled alarmingly in spite of their 
 utmost care. 
 
 444
 
 OFF THE ISLAND 
 
 "We must lay it out into rations," declared Goujet, 
 "and stick to em, no matter how hungry we are. 
 And mind you, don t give that old lunatic more than 
 his share at your own expense. You must keep up 
 your strength and so must 1 , as for him, he does 
 nothing, and therefore is the least in need of food." 
 
 " That is true enough," said Baillot, "but 1 cannot 
 bear to see him cry when I refuse him." 
 
 "I ll look to his rations from now on," said Goujet 
 gruffly. 
 
 Baillot suddenly stepped into the rigging and whipped 
 out his glass. " I say, Goujet !" he cried. " Put her 
 down hard ; there s something yonder that looks like a 
 number of casks lashed together ! And, by heavens, 
 there s a man atop of it !"
 
 CHAPTER LIII 
 
 THE MAN ON THE RAFT 
 
 HALF a minute later Z Esperance was running swiftly 
 toward the object which Baillot had described as a 
 number of casks with a man atop. 
 
 "Raft ahoy!" shouted Goujet as they approached 
 within hailing distance. But there was no reply, and 
 the figure which they could see distinctly now did 
 not raise its head from its knees. The casks rose and 
 fell on the long green waves, the creaming crests break 
 ing over them now and then in a burst of sunlit spray, 
 and the wind gently lifting the long gray hair which lay 
 about the shoulders of the solitary voyager. The two 
 men turned and looked each other in the eyes. 
 
 " He is dead," said Baillot. 
 
 Goujet said nothing ; he was making ready to lay to. 
 They presently drifted alongside of the strange craft, 
 and Goujet, fastening a coil of rope to the railing of the 
 yacht, jumped overboard. In another instant he had 
 secured the raft. 
 
 I want to look into the matter of these casks, he 
 shouted. " It may be that there is food here, though 
 it isn t likely." 
 
 "The man first," cried Baillot. 
 
 "He is dead," replied Goujet, after a hasty exami 
 nation, "but not long dead. Shall I pass him up to 
 you, or shall I tumble him over the side ? 
 446
 
 THE MAN OX THE RAFT 
 
 " ! a. s hii 11 up pass him up, man ! We can at least 
 give the poor fellow a decent burial." 
 
 it was no easy matter to lift the heavy body over the 
 side of the vessel from the uncertain standpoint afforded 
 l)y the raft, but it was accomplished without accident. 
 And Goujet who had grumbled much during the pro 
 cess, again turned his attention to the casks. 
 
 " Now if this gentleman has died out of pure good 
 will and left us his victuals," he was saying to himself, 
 when he was startled by a loud exclamation from the 
 deck. Baillot had torn open the shirt of the stranger 
 and was listening at his heart. The man is not dead ! 
 he cried, "but he is dying of thirst. Quick, fetch me 
 water ! 
 
 Leaving the casks still lashed to the side of the ves 
 sel, Goujet hastened to do the young man s bidding. 
 Together they laid the castaway in an easy position, 
 then Baillot began to wet his parched and swollen 
 tongue with water slightly tempered with rum. At the 
 same time Goujet instituted a vigorous rubbing of the 
 cold limbs. After nearly an hour of this treatment the 
 stranger gasped slightly once or twice, then opened his 
 eyes, albeit with a dull and unseeing gaxe. 
 
 "Another mouth to feed," quoth Goujet surveying 
 him dejectedly. " \Ve have water enough now, but we 
 are like to starve before we sight land." 
 
 At this the castaway essayed to speak, but his stiffened 
 tongue refused its office, a hoarse unintelligible murmur 
 issued from his blackened lips, as he feebly raised one 
 hand. 
 
 "lie means that there is food on the raft," said 
 Baillot quickly. " Go and see." 
 
 " The saints be praised !" shouted Goujet presently. 
 447
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 " I find here a cask of biscuit ; but the poor fellow had 
 no water. Now we ll cut this tackle adrift, and get under 
 way again ; every minute counts." 
 
 Before many hours the unknown had so far recovered 
 himself as to be able to speak. He had been aboard 
 the brig Constance bound to America, he said. When 
 about two weeks out the ship had collided with an ice 
 berg ; her people and the passengers had gone away in 
 the ship s boats ; he had remained behind with the cap 
 tain, since there was no room for them in the boats. 
 Together they had constructed the raft of casks, on 
 which they embarked with sufficient food and water for 
 two weeks, just in time to escape being dragged down 
 by the sinking vessel. Unfortunately on the third day 
 their water-cask was swept away. Two days afterward 
 the captain went mad with thirst and jumped into the 
 sea. All this they learned little by little from the frag 
 mentary statements which fell from the stranger s lips. 
 Of his name and identity he made no mention, and 
 they forbore to question him. He on his part showed 
 no surprise at finding two men alone on such a small 
 vessel in the midst of the ocean. 
 
 As the days passed by and his strength came back to 
 him the castaway passed long hours pacing up and down 
 the deck, his hands clasped behind his back, his head 
 bent upon his breast. He did not offer to help in the 
 labor of sailing the vessel, spoke to no one, and ate what 
 was given him without question or comment. In short 
 he was as one who walks in his sleep, moving, animate, 
 yet with a strange remoteness in the glance of his dull 
 eyes. Once only did he rouse from his apathetic si 
 lence. He had paused in his monotonous tramping 
 and was looking out over the ocean toward the sunset 
 4.18
 
 THE MAN ON THE RAFT 
 
 with his strange vacant stare. Baillot, after observing 
 him for a moment in silence, said, "The weather holds 
 ..Ine, monsieur ; another day or two of this and we shall 
 3ight land." 
 
 The man dropped his eyes slowly and opened his lips 
 .is if about to reply, then so strange an expression swept 
 over his features that Baillot was startled. He followed 
 the stranger s gaze, but could see nothing more alarming 
 than his own lean fingers which grasped the tiller. 
 
 "What what !" gasped the old man. "Where 
 
 "But what, friend? I do not understand you." 
 Then he perceived that the unknown was pointing one 
 trembling finger at a certain curious ring which he had 
 picked up among the ruins of the chateau one day and 
 which he still wore. 
 
 "That I mean that I" said the man, still staring at 
 the ring with a ghastly look. The last word was almost 
 a shriek ; then as if for the first time, he looked keenly 
 about him, at the vessel, her masts, her sails, the inlaid 
 brasswork about her bulwarks. "I am mad," he mut 
 tered, shaking his head. " I am mad and I dream it 
 all." 
 
 " I found this ring," said Baillot, almost as agitated 
 as the stranger, "on a strange island, where I was ship 
 wrecked with several companions; this vessel is 
 
 "/, Espcrauce" said the stranger, relapsing into his 
 former dull tone. " I knew it ah !" And with along 
 sobbing breath he turned away. 
 
 The castaway did not speak again. And Baillot, al 
 though he longed to question him respected the silence 
 in which the unknown had wrapped himself as in a gar 
 ment, lie said nothing to Goujet of what had taker 
 place, and that worthy was too fully occupied with his 
 29 449
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 multitudinous duties to take much notice of the eccen 
 tricities of their new passenger. 
 
 A lunatic more or less makes very little difference 
 with a man s peace of mind once you are used to their 
 little ways," he said sagely. 
 
 But Baillot knew that the stranger was not mad. 
 
 As for de Miguel, he remained below in the quar 
 ters assigned to him quietly enough. He hugged his 
 cask by day, and pillowed his head upon it by night. 
 Sometimes he played for hours with the gems, laughing 
 and crooning to himself. 
 
 "Let him be," said Baillot, when Goujet had ex 
 pressed a fear lest he should lose or throw away the 
 treasure. "The lust of that wretched cask has deprived 
 him of heaven s best gift to man, his reason ; if he is 
 happy in the possession of it, it is but some poor com 
 pensation meted out to him in mercy." 
 
 What blind instinct led the Portuguese to suddenly 
 abandon his treasure one day during the latter end of 
 the voyage will never be known. Goujet had sighted 
 land that morning, and was jubilant in consequence. 
 He was trolling out some piratical ditty at the top of his 
 voice as he hauled down the topsails ; Baillot was at the 
 helm, and the strange old man, their passenger, was 
 pacing up and down as was his wont, his head bent be 
 fore the merry gale, his long white beard streaming out 
 upon the wind. There was a good bit of sea on, the 
 long dark green rollers crisping and breaking in clouds 
 of tingling spray over the bow of the little vessel. 
 
 " Sing aloud, my brave lad, while we follow like thee, 
 By bank, shoal, and quicksand, the spoils of the sea !" 
 
 shouted Goujet. And the creaking of the taut ropes 
 45
 
 THE MAX ON THE RAFT 
 
 and the dashing of the waves made a brave accom- 
 paniment. 
 
 No one observed the flabby, wax-like countenance 
 that pecied cautiously out from the companion-way, nor 
 heard the words muttered in a low hoarse voice. 
 
 " It is you then ! You have found me at last, and you 
 think that now you will be revenged ! You will take my 
 jewels rny gold ; mine mine ! But we shall see ; Jose 
 de Miguel is a cunning fox, I shall escape." And he 
 crept stealthily away, laughing and muttering to himself. 
 
 That night the moon was at her full, and sailing high 
 in the cloudless heavens made of the foaming water that 
 swept away from under the keel of the flying yacht a 
 pathway of pure silver, winding away into the mysteri 
 ous blue of the night. To the dazed eyes of the man 
 who watched it, it seemed to promise safety. " By that 
 road," he muttered to himself, "I shall be able to es 
 cape him. He can never find me, and my treasure 
 shall be mine -mine mine." The moonlight struck 
 sparks of fiery splendor from something which the man 
 held hugged to his breast. He kissed the something 
 passionately. " I shall escape him by that road," he re 
 peated, glancing behind him with a cunning smile. 
 Then he stepped over the rail onto the shining path 
 way and was gone. 
 
 The next morning when Baillot visited the cabin 
 where de Miguel slept, carrying with him the man s 
 breakfast, he saw that the cask had been opened, and the 
 gold and jewels lay scattered about the floor. De Miguel 
 himself was missing. The yacht was hastily searched 
 from stem to stern. 
 
 "Poor wretch, he must have fallen overboard in the 
 night," said Haillot sorrowfully. 
 45*
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 "A good riddance," commented Goujet with a 
 shrug. 
 
 Neither of them guessed that the cunning fellow had 
 selected with unerring instinct the most precious jewels 
 of them all, and had made good his escape by a road of 
 pure silver. It is a fact that neither he nor his treasure 
 was ever seen again. He went doubtless io a place from 
 which he did not care to return. 
 
 4S*
 
 CHAPTER LIV 
 
 IN PORT 
 
 A RICH and populous town was Boston toward the 
 end of the seventeenth century ; as many as three 
 meeting-houses graced its streets, and there was even 
 talk of a fourth. The public buildings were fair and 
 handsome, and there were many stately dwellings, stores 
 and shops also in abundance, where the matrons and 
 maids could obtain that wherewith to make yet more 
 convincing the charms with which nature had so plen 
 tifully endowed them. 
 
 "Boston," writes an Englishman of discrimination, 
 who visited the place about this time, "has buildings 
 like to its women, neat and handsome. Its streets are 
 paved with pebbles -like the hearts of its men." 
 
 These paved streets all led, albeit in the wandering 
 and crooked paths trod a century ago by the cattle and 
 the Indians, down toward the harbor, where were com 
 modious warehouses and busy wharves, the arteries 
 through which pulsed the wealth of other countries, a 
 life-blood destined to make of the sturdy babe, as yet 
 unconscious of its future, the strong and helpful guardian 
 of the world. 
 
 Near one of these wharves there lounged on a bright 
 day in early spring a couple of sailors, just on shore 
 perhaps from one of the tall brigs which lay at anchor 
 in the harbor. 
 
 " I ain t decided what 1 will do," said one of them 
 453
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 slowly, removing his tarpaulin that he might scratch 
 his grizzled head. This process having been accom 
 plished gravely and meditatively and to the apparent 
 enlightenment of his mind, the speaker proceeded more 
 briskly. "You see it s jest this way, I ve had dealin s 
 in the past what s determined me to live a God-fearin 
 life from now on. Cap n Hornby of the brig Sally is 
 a blowed good cap n, he knows his biz ; but for vi lent 
 and bloody talk there ain t his ekal afloat. Tain t edi- 
 fyin , an that s a fact." 
 
 "Ho, ho!" roared his companion, shifting a huge 
 quid of tobacco in his capacious jaws. "You re turned 
 religious swab, be ye? Sa m singin Bible readin 
 prayin preachin an whinin Ho, ho!" 
 
 " Look -a -here, mate, you d best jam her down hard, 
 and shift yer tack, or, b thunder, I ll polish down that 
 jaw of yourn in a way you won t forgit in a hurry! 
 Nobody s agoin to make light o religion while Jack 
 Winters is afloat. You hear me /" 
 
 " I hear ye fast enough ; I ain t deaf," rejoined the 
 other sulkily. 
 
 "I ve a tarnal good mind to ship on the Christo 
 pher Columbus, 1 pursued the first speaker tranquilly. 
 "Though I ain t a mite of assurance that there s any 
 more Godliness aboard of her " He paused, his 
 mouth still open, his eyes fixed on a small vessel, which 
 with canvas half-set was slipping quietly into the bay. 
 " Shiver my timbers !" he ejaculated violently ; then he 
 whipped out his glass and studied the vessel carefully 
 for a full minute. 
 
 His companion stared at him in amazement. " What 
 in perdition," he began. But Winters was gone, push 
 ing and elbowing his way among the various persons 
 
 454
 
 Jt is it is ! he repeated in an ecstasy." Page 455
 
 IN TORT 
 
 and objects that intervened between himself and the 
 end of the wharf. " That old swab is a dummed ijit !" 
 muttered his companion. " Kinder lost his wits over 
 board n his last cruise, I reckon." With which con 
 clusive remark, this excellent seafaring man, with whom 
 we have no further concern, wended his way toward the 
 sign of The Blue Dolphin, where he proceeded to get 
 gloriously drunk, though it was only ten o clock in the 
 morning. 
 
 In the meantime his companion had reached his goal, 
 and from the coign of vantage afforded him by a pile 
 of boxes, again surveyed the schooner, whose appear 
 ance in the Boston harbor had so, as he expressed it, 
 " flabbergasted him. 
 
 "It is it is!" he repeated in an ecstasy. "Thar 
 ain t no bloomin doubt of it ! But who s aboard her? 
 how d she come here? By the Sa ms of David ! won t 
 a certain little miss I knows of open her eyes if -- 
 They re a clewin down ! Say, b thunder ! I ain t a 
 goin to wait for em to come ashore ! I m a goin to 
 board her." And he scrambled down from his perch 
 with surprising alacrity, and hailing one of the boats 
 which were plying about near the wharf, very quickly 
 concluded a financial arrangement with its owner which 
 sent him skimming along toward the schooner. 
 
 "Lay to along side of her!" he commanded 
 "Yacht ahoy !" he roared. 
 
 Now it happened that Baillot was for the moment 
 below, securing the cask, concerning which he uas 
 greatly troubled, while Goujet was engaged in making 
 everything snug about the sails and tackle. 
 
 "Yacht ahoy!" repeated Winters; then without 
 waiting for an invitation, he seized a bit of rope that 
 455
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 hung over the side and quietly stepped onto the 
 deck. 
 
 " I say, mate, can you tell me how this ere craft got 
 into these parts? I ve seed her before ay, an sailed 
 her." He addressed this remark to a singular-looking 
 man who stood looking shoreward. This person did not 
 appear to have heard him, for he paid no attention to the 
 question. 
 
 Goujet, who had caught a part of what the new arri 
 val was saying, now descended to the deck. 
 
 " By the cut of your jib," began the old sailor judi 
 cially, "you ain t likely to be able to talk much ex 
 cept gibberish, an that I don t understand and don t 
 want to. But if you can answer an honest God- 
 fearin man, I d like ye to tell me if you know any 
 thing of the whereabouts of a likely young sailor lad 
 named Baillot ? 
 
 " What might be your business with him ? said Gou 
 jet. " Supposing I knew any such person," he added 
 cautiously. 
 
 " Consarn ye ! what be you yawin and tackin about? 
 Jack Winters ain t the man to 
 
 Winters ? Did you say your name was Winters ? Man 
 1/t eu, what a strange thing to happen ! Stay, he is be 
 low," and without another word Goujet vanished, to 
 reappear almost instantly followed by Baillot. 
 
 There was no need of any further explanation on the 
 part of Goujet, who stood and looked on delightedly 
 while the two clasped hands with many a fervent but 
 inarticulate ejaculation. 
 
 " Now if this ere ain t a speshul providence as our 
 good parson says then I don t know whar you d look 
 for one," cried Winters, blowing a violent blast with a 
 .456
 
 IN PORT 
 
 great red and yellow handkerchief. "I seed Miss Made 
 line last night, an 1 sex 
 
 1 \V hat ? She is not dead then ? 
 
 " Dead ! Lord love ye, sir, no ! Whar d ye git such 
 a redic lus notion as that. Bloomin as a rose ! My ! 
 jest wait till you clap your eyes onto her !" 
 
 Strange to say liaillot experienced a decided qualm at 
 these words. " She does not care for me," he thought 
 dejectedly. 
 
 " Who s yonder old party ? pursued Winters in a loud 
 whisper, glancing at the stranger, who had begun to 
 walk up and down the deck after his custom, his eyes 
 still fixed on the busy docks. 
 
 "I don t know his name," began Baillot, suddenly 
 realizing the situation of the unfortunate man, old and 
 alone, a stranger in a strange land, and destitute of 
 everything save the wretched rags with which he was 
 clothed. Then he glanced down at his own person and 
 groaned aloud. " I am a ragged beggar, " he thought 
 bitterly. " I cannot see her after all." 
 
 " Here are fifty pistoles that belong to you, master," 
 said Cioujet in a low tone. He had been watching the 
 young man s face and guessed shrewdly at his thoughts. 
 
 "Thar ain t no manner of doubt in my mind as to 
 what you re goin to do," quoth Winters, slapping his 
 leg violently. " You ll git tidied up a bit for it might 
 scare the women -folks to see ye, the way ye be now 
 after that we ll crack on all sail and make for a port 
 where you can drop anchor fora spell. Why, Lord lo\ e 
 ye, lad! 1 wouldn t dare show my face thar an tell 
 em I d found yc, but that you was off a cruisin around 
 promiscuous like. They d never forgive me! These 
 ere gentlemen 11 come along in course. The craft we 
 457
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 can leave in charge of a friend of mine till we make up 
 our minds what to do with her." 
 
 "She belongs, I suppose, to the heirs of de Miguel, 
 since the unfortunate man is no more," said Baillot 
 thoughtfully. 
 
 " De Miguel ! that fat, black fellow at Terciora? 
 Did ye git in with him? The consarndest scoundrel 
 afloat ! Wall, wall ! I see we ve got a power of talkin 
 to do ; but the rest of "em 11 want to hear it, so come 
 on !" 
 
 The house of Madame de Langres, situated in the out 
 skirts of Boston, was a sufficiently roomy and comfort 
 able structure. Built of rough -hewn stone in a frame 
 work of wood, and surrounded by grass-plots and gar 
 den spaces, it was shut off from the highway by a low 
 paling, which gleamed in a coat of fresh whitewash 
 against its background of greenery. By day the spotless 
 windows with their fresh muslin curtains and the pots of 
 scarlet geranium on their sills presented an attractive 
 picture to the passer-by, by night the same clear panes 
 sent forth long beams of ruddy fire and candle-light 
 cheerful to behold. 
 
 Madame de Langres was already well and favorably 
 known in the community. Not only was she a discreet 
 and personable lady, and most devout in matters of reli 
 gion, but she was also reported to have a very pretty 
 hand at concocting divers medicaments and cordials 
 which she dispensed among the needy with an open 
 hand. Of her worldly estate no more need be said, 
 since it had transpired that the title-deeds, which were 
 beyond a doubt lawfully executed, gave her possession 
 of certain lands in the vicinity of Boston, already of 
 great value. As to her nationality, a French Papist was 
 458
 
 IN PORT 
 
 one thing and an abomination ; but a Huguenot exiled 
 from home on account of religious purism was quite an 
 other. The nationality might well be looked over. 
 
 Certain grave and thrifty youths of Puritan stock had 
 been seen to cast glances of fervent admiration on the 
 beautiful Madeline, who bloomed amid her new sur 
 roundings, as Wi nters had declared, like a rose. One 
 of these excellent young men had actually made propo 
 sals for the hand of the maiden in marriage, and on 
 this very evening the question was being gravely and 
 delicately discussed ; Madame de Langres, her son, and 
 the excellent Constantin Dinant being gathered before 
 the genial glow of the fireside in the roomy "keeping- 
 room" of the house. 
 
 "This youth, John Winthrop, is a godly and sober 
 young man, well-reputed in all things, and of high 
 standing in the community," quoth the good pastor, 
 smiling and rubbing his hands together genially. "It 
 is a right and a good thing that our youths and maidens 
 should unite themselves in the holy bonds of wedlock 
 with the excellent folk we find here. Surely we cannot 
 hope nor indeed would it be desirable to keep our 
 selves a separate people in the land." 
 
 "Our pastor has spoken, daughter," said Madame 
 de Langres, glancing tenderly at Madeline, \\ho with 
 downcast eyes was rapidly plying her knitting-needles. 
 "I also think well of the matter; what say you, my 
 child?" 
 
 " I cannot listen to it, dear mother," said the young 
 girl, rising quickly and laying down her work with 
 fingers which trembled visibly. " I cannot " and with 
 a sound suspiciously like a sob, she turned and fled 
 away. 
 
 ,459
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 "What ails the maiden?" asked Constantin Dinanl 
 in astonishment. " Surely we have no wish to force 
 her inclinations, but it is a pity that she cannot look 
 reasonably at this marriage. Do you know of any 
 reason why she should decline the honor of this 
 alliance?" 
 
 " The honor would not be all on one side," quoth 
 Madame de Langres statelily. 
 
 Oblivious to the consternation which her words had 
 caused, the young girl had escaped to the chilly fresh 
 ness of the moonlit night ; clad in her long scarlet 
 mantle, she paced rapidly up and down the garden 
 paths. An apple tree in full bloom stood shivering in 
 the cold wind that blew from off the water, shedding 
 its odorous blossoms in showers upon the damp grass ; a 
 gust of the rosy petals, soft and chill as snow-flakes, 
 drifted into the young girl s face. She brushed them 
 away with an impatient gesture. 
 
 "How dare he?" she murmured with an angry 
 blush. " But I will never marry him never !" 
 
 Somewhere down the road she could hear the sound 
 of footsteps, and presently the dark figures of four 
 men tramping along in the moonlight came into 
 view. They approached the gate, paused a moment, 
 then entered. 
 
 The young girl drew back into the shadow of some 
 flowering shrubs. She had no mind to return to the 
 brightly-lighted room ; she feared lest this might be the 
 Puritan, John Winthrop, come for his answer. She did 
 not look out from her hiding-place as the new-comers 
 passed, and wandered away again into the garden closes 
 as soon as the great door had shut behind them. Half 
 an hour later it opened and the figure of a man came 
 460
 
 IN PORT 
 
 out alone. He hesitated a moment, then walked slowly 
 down the path to where a tall slender figure stood quietly 
 in the brilliant white light. 
 
 " It will be John Winthrop," thought the girl, hard 
 ening her heart. " Well, and he shall have nis answer." 
 She turned resolutely toward the approaching figure. 
 
 " Yes it is I," said Baillot, in his deep grave voice. 
 " You did not expect to see me!" Something in the 
 lovely appealing face of the maiden spoke to his heart 
 more certainly than words. " Madeline !" 
 
 But surely it would be unkind if we stop longer. 
 For all the long months of parting and loneliness and 
 fear, this one hour in the moonlit garden will more 
 than suffice. If there be those who would fain hide 
 behind the blossoming lilac bushes and listen to every 
 word the two lovers are saying, I must tell you that you 
 will be far better off inside by the cheerful hearth, where 
 a brisk fire of questioning, explanation and congratula 
 tion is in progress. 
 
 "A curiouser lot of happenin s it nd be hard to 
 hear tell on," declared Winters; "but 1 don t sec as 
 thar s any light on the matter after all. I d like mighty 
 well to know who put up all them fine buildin s on that 
 island." 
 
 " I should rather know who lived there," said Madame 
 de Langres, "and what became of them." 
 
 "Yes, and who carried off the Comic de Lantcnac, 
 and why?" added St. Andre meditatively ; " that is one 
 of the things that I cannot understand." 
 
 "And what that infernal rascal, de Miguel, had to do 
 with it all?" said (ioujet, who felt quite at his ease in 
 this genial atmosphere. 
 
 " For my part I have thought much < oncoming the 
 , 46
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 strange sight which we saw in that underground cham 
 ber," put in Constantin Dinant. "The vision of the 
 dead man sitting alone in that great chair, the breeze 
 stirring his locks to a ghastly semblance of life has often 
 recurred to me since, and never without a strong desire 
 to know his past history." 
 
 " And I," said Madeline, who had entered unper- 
 ceived followed by the young Comte de Lantenac, 
 "would like to know to whom mother and I were in 
 debted for all the gowns and plenishings we were forced 
 to make so free with during our sojourn on the island." 
 Then feeling her lover s fingers close upon her s with a 
 warning pressure she glanced up at him quickly. His 
 eyes were fixed upon the strange old man who had ac 
 companied them hither. Up to the present moment 
 this personage had sat almost unnoticed in the great 
 arm -chair which Madame de Langres had hospitably 
 placed for him. Amid all the joyful talk, conjecture 
 and wonderment he had sat gloomily silent, but now on 
 a sudden he sat upright and raised one tremulous hand 
 imperatively. 
 
 I pray you of your kindness to listen to what I shall 
 say. I am an old man ; my days are almost spent and 
 before I go hence I would fain speak once more of the 
 strange happenings of my life. Of all that has been 
 meted out to me in the providence of the Most High 
 I think there has been nothing more marvellous than 
 that I should find myself surrounded by those to whom 
 my very existence is unknown, and yet who have been 
 unwittingly entangled in the same strange web of 
 fate. 
 
 Every eye was fixed upon the speaker in intense curi 
 osity commingled with awe A deep silence followed 
 462
 
 IX PORT 
 
 his words, broken only by the singing of the flames in 
 the chimney, and the slight rustling of the robes of the 
 women as they leant forward toward the strange figure 
 in the great chair.
 
 CHAPTER LV 
 
 THE CASTAWAY S STORY 
 
 THE silence had at length grown almost painful, when 
 the unknown again raised his hand. "My strength is 
 failing me," he said feebly, "I must speak briefly of 
 what is a long tale yes, and sorrowful above most ; a 
 tale of terror, of injustice, of misery, and ending, I fear 
 me, in the black night of oblivion. You will not wish 
 to bruit abroad what I shall say ; there is no need that I 
 ask you to keep my bitter secret the bitterest and 
 the blackest of all the century ; but I desire that the 
 matter be briefly set forth in order, as I shall tell it, 
 and that the writing be hidden away and preserved till 
 such time as it can safely be made known. There is 
 nothing hidden that shall not be made known, even in 
 this earth ; and those who are yet to live shall know 
 what it were death to breathe in any other air save this 
 of the new world. 
 
 " It once made my heart beat high to think that I was 
 the friend of a king ; not a slave, not a political favorite, 
 scarcely a courtier, but a friend. 
 
 " Heaven has sent me many things, my royal mas 
 ter would sometimes say to me with a sigh, when we 
 chanced to be alone, and has set me in a high place 
 too high I sometimes think for my good and after all 
 what does it profit ; I can be sure of nothing that I see ; 
 even my mother does not love me. I am the loneliest 
 soul in all France.
 
 THE CASTAWAY S STORY 
 
 This was only at odd moments, at other times Louis 
 XIII. was the king, greedy of pleasure, haughty, false, 
 vain. Yes, I saw all of his faults plainly enough, but 1 
 also saw- what he revealed to no one else in all the 
 world his naked soul, the soul of an unhappy, lonely 
 man. I loved him ; and what is more he knew that 1 
 loved him. He offered me many honors, much gold, 
 and dazzling preferments. But I did not care for such 
 things ; I had witnessed the rise and fall of de Luynes, 
 the fate of Marshal d Ancre and his heroic wife, the 
 assassination of Concini, and I said to my royal master, 
 If I accept these things at your hands, you will after 
 ward fear me ; and from fear to hate there is but a 
 single step. I love you, sire, and you honor me with 
 your confidence 
 
 " Nay, nay, he would say, more than that, I love 
 thee ; thou art my friend my one friend. And this 
 was enough for me. I held the post of private gentle 
 man in waiting to the king, and my relations to him 
 were quite unnoticed by the courtiers in their mad 
 scramble for the uppermost places in the king s favor. 
 
 "The queen, the lovely Anne of Austria, treated 
 me haughtily enough ; she suspected me of an enmity 
 of which, heaven knows, I was entirely innocent. 
 As for the great Cardinal Richelieu, he once thought to 
 make me his tool because of my access to the king s 
 ear. But after an hour s interview he exclaimed, Thou 
 art a stupid dolt ; an hast wit enough to brush the king s 
 habit tis a marvel ! He never troubled me again, nor 
 I him ; I feared him. But he was a great man- a great 
 man, and one who had the best interests of the king 
 dom at heart. I saw that even then. But the king also 
 feared him, and he hated him as much as he feared. 
 30 465
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 " I remember me well of the scene between Mary de 
 Medici, the queen-mother, and Richelieu in presence 
 of the king. The king could not conceal his pleasure in 
 the abuse which the infuriated woman heaped upon the 
 cardinal. It was thought that his fall was inevitable ; 
 the courtiers were mad with joy. But Louis hesitated. 
 Wouldst thou down him? he said to me, biting his 
 nails savagely, as he walked up and down his cabinet 
 at Versailles. 
 
 " Who could take his place? I asked. 
 
 " Ay, that is the question. The man is hateful to 
 me, but I fear I fear That very night he sent for 
 the cardinal, and it was all made up betwixt them, to 
 the discomfiture of the queen-mother, who wav soon 
 afterward made a sort of prisoner of state at Com- 
 piegne. 
 
 All these things are known to you, for they are 
 matters of history ; but what I have to tell you has not 
 to do with history as it is written down by the court 
 chronicler, but rather as it is recorded in those books 
 which shall one day be opened before the great white 
 throne of the King of kings, where all secrets shall be 
 laid open. 
 
 " It was some years after this Day of Dupes/ as it 
 has since been called, when the king was walking, ac 
 cording to his pleasure and custom, in the park at Ver 
 sailles. Through the mediation of Richelieu the queen 
 had become reconciled to her husband, and the court 
 and the nation were rejoicing in the marvellous news 
 that after twenty years of childless union there was at 
 length prospect of an heir to the throne. Louis was in 
 unusually good spirits and talked and laughed freely 
 with his courtiers, but it chanced that after a time he 
 466
 
 THE CASTAWAY S STORY 
 
 and I were for the moment separated from the others. 
 The king turned to me with a laugh. 
 
 " I am like a honey-pot, plagued with a swarm of 
 flics, quoth he. Let us give them the slip, for I am 
 weary of their idle chatter. As he said this he was 
 hurrying down one of the close-clipped alleys of 
 greenery, still laughing to himself. 
 
 "I followed closely at his heels, for although I was 
 loath to cross his humor, I knew that the thing was 
 scarcely right. After threading two or three of the 
 hedge-grown walks the king stopped under a great 
 chestnut tree, which spread its green branches above 
 our heads all crowned with spires of snowy blossoms, 
 like a chandelier set with waxlights for this was in 
 May, as I well remember. He drew a long breath of 
 pleasure as he looked up, then threw himself down on 
 the green sward. Look not so solemn, I pray thee, 
 good friend ! he said, laughing at my sober face. I 
 am but a sorry monarch if I cannot rid myself of the 
 irksome observance of court at my pleasure. With 
 that he began to hum a little air under his breath, 
 pulling up the tiny flowers that nestled in the turf 
 and looking at them as if they were something ne\v to 
 his eyes. 
 
 " I still stood gazing down at him, feeling somewhat 
 troubled by his unwonted freak, and yet sympathi/.ing 
 heartily with his weariness of the courtiers and their 
 perpetual flatteries, when suddenly the branches of the 
 hedge parted and a strange figure broke through. I 
 started forward with a cry, but stopped, when I saw 
 tlint it was only a woman and a very diminutive one 
 at that. As for the king he sprang to his feet, and laid 
 his hand on the hilt of his sword.
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 " Do not draw on a poor defenseless body who has 
 not strength to harm a fly, said the woman, in a strange 
 low voice that somehow had a ring of authority in it. 
 I have a word for you, sire, and you will do well to 
 heed it. On the fifth day of September there will be 
 born to you a son, on whose breast shall appear the like 
 ness of a blood-red hand. Blood for blood. Ay and 
 a sorry day shall it be for the father of that child when 
 he shall proclaim it heir to the throne of France ; few 
 and troubled shall be his days. The prince of the 
 bloody hand shall bring death into life. With that she 
 drew back into the shrubbery and was gone. 
 
 " I stood as if struck dumb ; but the king fell into a 
 great trembling, and yet withal he raged with anger as 
 I had never before heard him. The hag shall die for 
 that word, he said in a smothered voice; and they 
 that taught her that vile saying shall perish with her ! 
 He would have dashed into the wood after the woman, 
 but that I held him back. 
 
 "The whole domain of Versailles was presently 
 searched from one end to the other, and the town and 
 the country side for miles around, and that without 
 delay ; but the woman was not found, nor was she ever 
 again heard of. 
 
 "The king called me to him that night in private, 
 and said, The thing that the woman said to me shall 
 not become public ; it would come to the ears of the 
 queen and cause a great mischief. Swear to me that 
 you will not tell it. I swore right gladly, kissing the 
 king s hand which he graciously held out to me. 
 
 "The subject was not again mentioned between us, 
 and I had all but forgotten the circumstance, when one 
 evening it was announced that the queen s time had 
 468
 
 THE CASTAWAY S STORY 
 
 come By the command of Louis, very few were in 
 attendance, the court being assembled in the anteroom, 
 awaiting with what anxiety may be imagined, the royal 
 announcement. 1 remained alone in a small side- 
 chamber, at the special request of my master. The 
 queen s favorite woman was with her mistress. Before 
 many hours had passed the king came to me in a state 
 of uncontrollable agitation. The curse has come upon 
 me, he muttered hoarsely ; but there is a way out, and 
 1 shall take it. 
 
 " Half an hour later Louis XIII. presented to the 
 court an heir to the throne of France, the Dauphin, 
 afterward Louis XIV. There was great rejoicing, ring 
 ing of bells, firing of cannon and thanksgivings in all 
 the churches. The infant prince was a strong and 
 healthy child, a wonderful babe, a true heaven-sent 
 prince ! 
 
 "Amid the general excitement no one noticed that 
 the private gentleman in waiting to the king had sud 
 denly disappeared from his post, nor yet that the queen s 
 favorite woman whom very few liked and many envied 
 was also missing. Or if any questions were asked 
 they were easily enough answered. The man had had 
 the misfortune to offend, and was therefore relegated to 
 the darkness outside the court. The court shrugged its 
 shoulders and straightway forgot. As for the woman, 
 it was time she was put out of the way ; she was a mis 
 chief-maker, a spy, a hypocrite. 
 
 "What then had befallen the king s friend and th<- 
 queen s waiting- woman ? They had been suddenly and 
 secretly removed in the dead of night to a stronghold 
 belonging to the king. The man was silent ; the woman 
 wept with frar. She carried moreover in her arms, 
 469
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 something that stirred feebly in its wrappings and 
 wailed fitfully. The man looked upon the child by the 
 light of a taper, and behold, it bore upon its breast the 
 likeness of a blood -red hand ! The woman shook as if 
 with palsy. There were two, she whispered, but 
 this one came first ; I swear that it did. What does it 
 all mean? 
 
 "She knew the next day when the king visited the 
 pair in private. He glanced at the child, sleeping 
 quietly enough in the arms of the queen s waiting- 
 woman, and a strong convulsion swept over his features. 
 The woman looked up at him boldly. What does this 
 mean, sire? she said. This is the heir; it came into 
 the world a full five minutes before the other. I can 
 swear to it. 
 
 " For all that, this is not the heir, said the king 
 harshly. I have said it, and so it shall be. And 
 after all what harm? relapsing into his usual easy 
 humor, and pacing up and down the room, his hands 
 clasped behind his back The other is the stronger 
 child, the better favored. Why should a paltry five 
 minutes make one the king, the other a mere nobody ? 
 Assuredly I have the right to say which shall be my 
 successor, and I have chosen. This shall be your 
 charge. You two shall have this child ; I give him to 
 you. And the better to bind you to your duty a priest 
 shall make you one. Nay, no protests, no denials; it 
 shall be as I have said. 
 
 "With that he flung open the door and a dark figure, 
 clad in the habit of a Jesuit priest, glided into the room. 
 At a gesture from the king we two stood up mechani 
 cally the woman still holding the unconscious babe in 
 her arms, and we were wed ; assuredly the strangest 
 470
 
 THE CASTAWAY S STORY 
 
 bridal that ever took place on earth. The brief cere 
 mony concluded the priest at once withdrew. The king 
 looked on us as we stood there dumb in his presence, 
 and his face hardened visibly. 
 
 " Why do you not thank me for your bride ? he 
 cried with a harsh laugh. It is not to every low-born 
 page and waiting-woman that the king does such honor. 
 Then as we made him no answer which indeed he 
 could hardly have expected he went on, bringing his 
 closed fist down into his open hand. Your maintenance 
 shall be suited to your rank and the rank of your child. 
 It is not necessary for me to tell you that the blood -red 
 hand upon the breast of the child must forever lie upon 
 your mouths. Prate of this matter and such a vengeance 
 shall descend upon your heads as shall effectually silence 
 you. 
 
 "He turned as if to leave the room. Seeing this I 
 recovered my wits a little and flung myself down at his 
 feet. I know not what wild words I cried out. I re 
 minded him of my long devotion, of my love for him, 
 of the injustice to the helpless babe. She that was now 
 my wife knelt beside me, weeping and holding up the 
 child, which awakening, added its feeble wail. 
 
 " I have forgotten nothing, the king made answer. 
 Nay, rather I have remembered ; but so it must be, 
 the interests of the kingdom demand the sacrifice. 
 Should the child die but no, he must live out his al 
 lotted time. And throwing out his hand in a gesture 
 of loathing toward the innocent cause of all this trouble, 
 he turned and left the room. Xor did we ever see him 
 more. 
 
 "We were kept close prisoners in the place where we 
 were for more than a year, being never allowed speech 
 47
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 with any one outside nor inside for that matter. The 
 time passed wearily enough ; though after awhile our 
 mutual society, which at first was very distasteful to us 
 both, became less irksome. Nay, perhaps because of 
 the dreadful bond which united us, we became more 
 than ordinarily fond of one another. 
 
 The speaker paused, as if lost in painful retrospect. 
 No one of the group assembled about the fire ventured 
 to disturb him. Indeed to more than one of them the 
 mystery was a mystery no longer, though there were 
 still many things to be explained. 
 
 At length the stranger sighed heavily, and rousing 
 himself with a visible effort looked about the circle of 
 faces, a kindly light shining in his deep eyes. " It hath 
 warmed my heart to speak of these matters to you, he 
 said slowly. Then his face darkened again with pain 
 " If only I knew what had become of him !" he mur 
 mured. " Ah, well ! in God s good time, he shall come 
 into his kingdom." As if comforted by this thought, 
 he went on with his narrative. 
 
 " For more than a year, as I have said, we were kept 
 close prisoners in the tower, the name and exact loca 
 tion of which we were still ignorant of. My wife often 
 implored me with tears to devise some way of escaping ; 
 this was manifestly impossible, as she very well knew, 
 still none the less did she urge me with all unreason, and 
 with upbraidings hard to be borne. 
 
 " Thou art afraid ! she would cry with bitter scorn. 
 A man? Pah ! thou are as nerveless as this babe ! 
 Then she would fall to weeping over the infant, kissing 
 his tiny hands and murmuring fond foolish words in his 
 tiny ear ; and the child, by this time being grown a 
 lusty babe, would crow and laugh and caress her in turn. 
 472
 
 THE CASTAWAY S STORY 
 
 "What with the knowledge of his wrongs, and the 
 beauty and intelligence of the child, with his innocent, 
 unknowing joy in life, unfolding so strangely and darkly 
 before him, there grew up in our hearts a mighty love 
 for him, such as I believe fathers and mothers in the happy 
 outside world never know. Yet was this love com 
 mingled with such fear for his future, and such hopeless 
 anger at his fate, that it was more like bitter pain than 
 like joy ; it caused me to fall into strange fits of gloom and 
 anger, and my wife to weep womanwise,at which the child 
 marveled and was often sad as he grew older, being at a 
 loss to understand the temper of our affections. 
 
 " But all this was after we came to live on the island. 
 We were removed thither early in the second year of our 
 imprisonment, with the same precautions and secrecy to 
 which in a measure we had now grown accustomed. Of 
 our life there I need not speak in detail, you have all 
 seen the place and know how quietly and monotonously, 
 yet withal in a way happily, our days and years may 
 have glided away. We had every comfort, every luxury 
 that could be devised. We were safe, we were peaceful, 
 the world troubled us not. I could have been almost 
 content had it not been for my wife ; her s was a stormy, 
 restless spirit, and although as the years passed she bc- 
 ramc more tranquil, she never lost the hope th.it on<- 
 lay would see this great wrong righted. This the imuv 
 since the child had grown almost before we were aware 
 of it into a man. His education had been my care, and 
 it was an alternate joy and pain to me to observe the un 
 folding of his brilliant mind. Ah 1 what a ruler he- 
 would have made, bold, brave, yet tender as a woman, 
 and endowed with such genius as the world has rarely 
 seen. 
 
 473
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 " As he grew older he chafed sadly at the narrow con 
 fines which encompassed him. And in a terror lest he 
 should try to escape us to a certain destruction, I en 
 deavored to direct his mind to architecture, to painting, 
 to science, to sculpture, in which branches I was myself 
 but indifferently skilled. My pupil quickly outstripped 
 *ie in all, and that without apparent effort. After a 
 time these occupations palled on him, and one day, that 
 which we had feared so long came upon us ; he attempted 
 to escape from the island. He failed, and was brought 
 back unhurt, would God he had perished then ! 
 
 After this he seemed on a sudden to grow old ; and 
 indeed the years had fled away so softly, albeit slowly, 
 that it was hard for us to realize that he was no longer a 
 child, but a man, on whom the sun of life had already 
 begun to go down. He brooded much alone and in si 
 lence. What he thought he unfolded to no one. It was 
 during this time that he caused the marble tomb to be 
 built ; he himself sculptured the angel which stands 
 guardian over it. 
 
 " Here I shall lie at rest, he said to me. And 
 the fever will have burned itself into ashes God grant 
 that it be soon, for why should I live ? 
 
 " I did not answer him. How could I ? 
 
 "After a little he turned to me and spoke again. 
 I have only known one name in all my life, he 
 said, my wife had always called him Louis, as was 
 indeed his right, but here I would fain write my 
 father s name. And he looked at me beseechingly. 
 
 "Words failed me ; I could only groan aloud. The 
 
 next day I stole again to the place in secret, and there 
 
 I saw cut deep into the marble by his own hand the 
 
 single word Ehcu. I found that my wife had also seen 
 
 474
 
 THE CASTAWAY S STORY 
 
 it, for when we were alone, she told me that she had 
 determined to tell him all, and that come what might 
 she would have no further hand in deceiving him. I 
 endeavored to dissuade her, but without success. That 
 night she told him ; I came upon them just as she was 
 kneeling before him kissing his hand. I could not 
 help kneeling also. He was the king. One could 
 see it. 
 
 " He was very gentle with us both, saying little for 
 several days ; then he asked me a number of questions 
 which showed that he had gotten information from 
 some source to which I myself had not access. He 
 finally told me that he had bribed the Portuguese, Jose 
 de Miguel, to whom had been intrusted the bringing 
 of supplies to the island. I feared the man, but my 
 wife was persuaded that we had found a useful tool 
 ready to our hand. All the money, jewels and plate, 
 left us by our thieving seneschal who had strangely dis 
 appeared a number of years since I had myself always 
 secretly suspected this de Miguel of a hand in the mat 
 ter everything of value, as I have said, was passed 
 over to the man de Miguel. In return he furnished us 
 with the yacht /, Espenincc, which has played so won 
 derful a part in your adventures. It was christened by 
 the king, as we now chose to call him between our 
 selves. We had planned to esc ape in her to Kngland, 
 where we hoped to find asylum and redress. This at 
 least was the plan which the king and my wife made 
 with de Miguel. He was to furnish sailors for the ship 
 and all needful provisions. I myself, as I have said, 
 distrusted the man, and after mm h thought 1 managed 
 \o send a dispatch to England, by the hand of a com 
 mon sailor on board the lugger in which de Miguel 
 . 475
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 used to visit the island. I had little hope that my mes 
 sage would ever fall into the hands of those to whom it 
 was addressed. It did ; but alas, too late ! 
 
 De Miguel betrayed us to the French government 
 just as our plans were ripe for I know not how much 
 gold, and one dreadful day saw a French frigate an 
 chored to our leeward. We were seized without an in 
 stant s warning, every soul on the island, great and 
 small, and carried aboard the vessel. All were gagged 
 and bound, but upon the face of the king was forced a 
 mask of black velvet, secured behind by a band and 
 lock of iron. At sight of this outrage on the sacred 
 person of him whom she loved with all the intensity 
 of a mother, my wife fell down in strong convulsions ; 
 when they lifted her it was found that she was dead. I 
 was glad when I saw it. If only it might have been 
 for us all ! 
 
 "I never saw the king again. I was confined 
 closely on board ship, being never permitted to speak, 
 and upon landing I was thrust into a foul dungeon of 
 the Bastile, where I languished for many months. How 
 it happened that I was ever again suffered to see the 
 light of the sun I do not know, but certain it is that I 
 was one day taken out and placed aboard a vessel bound 
 for America. I have since thought that it was some 
 strange blunder on the part of my jailors. Be that as 
 it may, our vessel was shipwrecked, and after days of 
 suffering during which I prayed in vain for death, I was 
 rescued in the manner which is already known to you. 
 Heaven willed that this tale must be told. But now 
 my soul can pass in peace." 
 
 The speaker s voice died away into silence ; his 
 head sank upon his breast. Baillot sprang forward in 
 476
 
 THE CASTAWAY S STORY 
 
 alarm, thinking that life had indeed fled, but the old 
 man was still breathing feebly. They raised him ten 
 derly and laid him upon a couch, while Madame de 
 Langres hastened to administer a restorative. After a 
 little he opened his eyes ; they were bright with the 
 light of another world. 
 
 " I am going," he said, in a stronger voice than be 
 fore, "and something tells my spirit that all will yet be 
 well. My king shall be happy in that place where are 
 gathered together all the kingdoms of the world and 
 the glory of them. And I shall be with him. But I 
 have yet one word for you who shall remain behind. 
 The treasure, which the seneschal had hidden away, 
 and which he continued to guard in death, was mine. 
 1 leave it to be divided equally between the men who 
 saved my life." And having thus made his peace 
 with the world, the weary sufferer lay back upon his 
 pillows, content and tranquil to await the end. 
 
 It did not come for several days, and those who 
 watched him, had begun to hope that perhaps he might 
 yet recover, so peaceful was he, and so bright a light 
 shone in his strange eyes. l!ut it was not to be. As 
 he slept one day he ceased breathing, so quietly that 
 Baillot who was watching by his bed did not know 
 when the last sigh left his smiling lips. 
 
 Not long after the old man s burial, Madeline dc 
 Langres and Henri Baillot, Comtc de Lantenac, were 
 married, the Huguenot pastor performing the simple 
 ceremony. But there was no lack of that heartfelt joy, 
 which is, after all, heaven s peculiar benison on those 
 who truly love. 
 
 As for that redoubtable mariner, Jack Winters, he 
 conceived a hearty liking for the ex-pirate, (ioujet. 
 4/7
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 " He s a mighty good sort," he declared, "an* a sea 
 farin man after my own heart. Since the yacht Z Es- 
 perance has been giv to me, to have and to hold from 
 this day for ard an a tighter craft you won t find high 
 nor low he s agreed to ship with me for tradin be 
 twixt Boston an the other colonies on the coast. It ll 
 suit us both to anchor frequent, near them as is in port 
 to stay."
 
 APPENDIX 
 
 "THE Man with the Iron Mask" is the strangest 
 figure in all history. The facts presented in the pre 
 ceding narrative determine the identity of this sphinx- 
 like apparition, and that without a shadow of doubt. 
 The document containing these facts, as set down by 
 the hand of Henri Baillot, Comte de Lantenae, was 
 preserved for many years with other family papers in 
 the very treasure-cask which figures in the story. When 
 it lately fell into the hands of the author there seemed 
 no longer any reason why the story should not be told. 
 
 History tells us that the unfortunate being known as 
 "The Iron Mask" was confined in the island of Ste. 
 Marguerite in the Mediterranean sea, for a short time 
 previous to the year 1698. Where he lived before that 
 time no one knows ; though some authorities are of the 
 opinion that he was at one time kept in a castle at 
 Pignerol, Savoy. He was never seen without the mask 
 of black velvet, nor was his identity ever disclosed, 
 though a hundred conjectures have been risked as to 
 who the mysterious personage could be, who was treated 
 with such strange forbearance in an age of the world 
 when all inconvenient persons were hurried with but 
 scant ceremony off life s stage. 
 
 In the year 1698 we hear of him at the Uastile ; 
 where so far as is known, no man save the governor 
 ever saw his face or heard his voice. Twice this un- 
 479
 
 PRISONERS OF THE SEA 
 
 happy being tried to communicate with the outside 
 world ; once with words which he scrawled with his 
 own blood upon a linen shirt ; and again by means of a 
 silver plate upon which he had scratched a message, and 
 which he threw out of the window of his dungeon. The 
 persons who found these articles died without apparent 
 cause immediately afterward, without having divulged 
 their secret. 
 
 During his residence in the Bastile this mysterious 
 personage was waited upon at table and at his toilet by 
 the governor himself, who permitted no one to handle 
 any article used by him. His linen was at once de 
 stroyed after being used. The mask, which became his 
 distinguishing characteristic, was composed of black 
 velvet, securely fastened behind with steel springs. It 
 was never removed, even at the time of his death. He 
 breathed his last at the Bastile, November 19, 1703, and 
 was buried the following night with great secrecy in the 
 cemetery of St. Paul, under the name of Machiati. His 
 twin brother, known to the world as Louis XIV. , " Le 
 Grand Monarque," died September i, 1715. 
 
 The island on which "The Man with the Iron 
 Mask" passed his earlier and happier years, was evi 
 dently, like the Azores group, of volcanic origin. It 
 remained desolate and uninhabited till the year 1811, 
 when, during the convulsion which saw a volcano sud 
 denly emerge from the sea to the height of three hun 
 dred feet, and, after discharging vast quantities of lava, 
 stones and cinders, as suddenly disappear, it also sank 
 beneath the waves of the Atlantic to be seen no more. 
 
 480
 
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