Mr. Fortescue by William Westall

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"Just as you like, sir; it's all the same to me," answered Kidd, rather
shortly, and then relapsed into thoughtful silence.

I felt sure that he was scheming something which boded us no good, though,
as yet, I had no idea what it could be. His motive for desiring to take
the sloop to Islay or Arica, rather than to Callao, was pretty obvious,
but why he should change his mind on the subject simply because of the
compass, passed my comprehension. We could make Callao merely by running
up the coast, with which, despite his disclaimer, I had not the least
doubt he was quite familiar; and even if he were not, there was nothing in
a compass to enlighten him.

But whatever his scheme might be I did not think he would attempt to use
force--unless he could take us at a disadvantage. Man for man, Ramon and I
were quite equal to Kidd and Yawl. We were, moreover, better armed, as so
far as I knew, they had no weapons, save their sailors' knives. In a
personal struggle, they might come off second best; were, in any case,
likely to get badly hurt, and unless I was much mistaken, they wanted to
get hold of my diamonds with a minimum of risk to themselves. Wherefore,
so long as we kept a sharp lookout, we had little to fear from open
violence. As for the scheme which was seething in Kidd's brain, I must
needs wait for further developments before taking measures to counteract
it.

When I had come to this conclusion I told Ramon, in Quipai, to lie down,
and that when I wanted to sleep I would waken him.

I watched until midnight, at which hour Yawl relieved Kidd at the helm,
and Kidd turned in. Shortly afterward I roused Ramon, and bade him keep
watch while I slept.

CHAPTER XXXII.

FOUND OUT.

When I awoke it was broad daylight, Yawl at the helm, the sloop bowling
along at a great rate before a fresh breeze. But, to my utter surprise,
there was no land in sight.

"How is this, Yawl?" I asked; "we are out of doors. How have you been
steering?"

"The course you laid down sir, nor' by west."

"That is impossible. I am not much of a seaman, yet I know that if you had
been steering nor' by west, we should have the coast under our lee, and we
cannot even see the peaks of the Cordillera."

"Of course you cannot; they are covered with a mist," put in Kidd.

"I see no mist; moreover, the Cordillera is visible a hundred miles away,
and by good rights we should not be more than thirty or forty miles from
the coast."

"It's the fault of your compass, then. The darned thing is all wrong.
Better chuck it overboard and have done with it."

"If you do, I'll chuck you overboard. The compass is quite correct. You
have been steering due west for some purpose of your own, against my
orders."

"Oh, that's your game, is it? You are the skipper, and us a brace of
lubbers as doesn't know north from west, I suppose. Let him sail the
cursed craft hissel, Bill."

Yawl let go the tiller, on which the sloop broached to and nearly went on
her beam ends. This was more than I could bear, and calling on Ramon to
follow me, I sprang forward, seized Kidd by the throat, and, drawing my
dagger, told him that unless he promised to obey my orders and do his
duty, I would make an end of him then and there. Meanwhile, Ramon was
keeping Yawl off with his _machete_, flourishing it around his head in a
way that made the old salt's hair nearly stand on end. Seeing that
resistance was useless, Kidd caved in.

"I ask your pardon, Mr. Fortescue," he said, hoarsely, for my hand was
still on his throat. "I ask your pardon, but I lost my temper, and when I
lose my temper it's the very devil; I don't know what I'm doing; but I
promise faithfully to obey your orders and do my duty."

On this I loosed him, and bade Ramon put up his _machete_ and let Yawl go
back to his steering. In one sense this was an untoward incident. It made
Kidd my personal enemy. Quite apart from the question of the diamonds, he
would bear me a grudge and do me an ill turn if he could. He was that sort
of a man. Henceforward it would be war to the knife between us, and I
should have to be more on my guard than ever. On the other hand, it was a
distinct advantage to have beaten him in a contest for the mastery; if he
had beaten me, I should have had to accept whatever conditions he might
have thought fit to impose, for I was quite unable to sail the sloop
myself.

A light was thrown on his motive for changing the sloop's course by
something Ramon had told me when the trouble was over. Shortly before I
awoke he heard Kidd say to Yawl that he would very much like to know where
I had hidden the diamonds, and that if they could only keep her head due
west, we should make San Ambrosio about the same time that I was expecting
to make Callao.

I had never heard of San Ambrosio before; but the fact of Kidd wanting to
go thither was reason enough for my not wanting to go, so I bade Yawl
steer due north, that is to say, parallel with the coast, and as the
continent of South America trends considerably to the westward, about
twenty degrees south of the equator, I reckoned that this course should
bring us within sight of land on the following day, or the day after,
according to the speed we made.

I not only told Yawl and Kidd to steer north, but saw that they did it, as
to which, the compass being now always before us, there was no difficulty.
Thinking it was well to learn to steer, I took a hand now and again at the
tiller, under the direction of Kidd, whose manners my recent lesson had
greatly improved. He was very affable, and obeyed my orders with alacrity
and seeming good-will.

The next day I began to look out for land, without, however, much
expectation of seeing any, but when a second day, being the third of our
voyage, ended with the same result or, rather, want of result, I became
uneasy, and expressed myself in this sense to Kidd.

"You have miscalculated the distance," he said, "and there's nothing so
easy, when you've no chart and can take no observations. And how can you
tell the sloop's rate of sailing? The wind is fair and constant--it always
is in the trades--but how do you know as there is not a strong current
dead against us? I don't think there's the least use looking for land
before to-morrow."

This rather reassured me. It was quite true that the sloop might not be
going so fast as I reckoned, and the coast be farther off than I
thought--although I did not much believe in the current.

But the morrow came and went, and still no sign of land, and again, on the
fifth day, the sun rose on an unbroken expanse of water. In clear
weather--and no weather could be clearer--the Andes, as I had heard, were
visible to mariners a hundred and fifty miles out at sea. Yet not a peak
could be seen. Then I knew beyond a doubt that something was wrong. What
could it be? Sailing as swiftly as we had been for five days, it was
inconceivable that we should not have made land if we had been steering
north, and for that I had the evidence of my senses. Where, then, was the
mystery?

As I asked myself this question, Ramon touched me on the shoulder, and
whispered in Quipai:

"Just now Yawl said to Kidd that it was quite time we sighted San
Ambrosio, and that if we missed it, after all, it would be cursed awkward.
And Kidd answered that 'if we fell in with Hux it would be all right.'"

This was more puzzling still. He had said before that, if we continued on
the westward tack, we should make San Ambrosio at the time I was expecting
to sight Callao, and now, although we were sailing due north, the villains
counted on making San Ambrosio all the same.

Where was San Ambrosio? Not on the coast, for they were clearly looking
for it then, had probably been looking for it some time, and the mainland
must be at least two hundred miles away. If not on the coast San Ambrosio
was an island, yet how it could lie both to the west and to the north was
not quite obvious. And who was Hux, and why should falling in with him
make matters all right for my interesting shipmates? Of one thing I felt
sure--all right for these meant all wrong for me, and it behooved me to
prevent the meeting--but how?

While these thoughts were passing through my mind, I was pacing to and fro
on the sloop's deck, where was also Angela, sitting on a _cobija_, and
leaning against the taffrail, Kidd being at the helm, and Ramon and Yawl
smoking in the bows, for though they did not quite trust each other, they
occasionally exchanged a not unfriendly word. Now and then I glanced
mechanically at the compass. As I have already mentioned, it was not an
ordinary ship compass in a brass frame, but a makeshift affair, in a
wooden frame, to which Kidd had attached makeshift gimbals and hung on a
makeshift binnacle, the latter being fixed between the tiller and the
cabin-hatch. The deck was very narrow, and to lengthen my tether I
generally passed between the tiller and the binnacle, sometimes exchanging
a word with Angela. Once, as I did so, the sun's rays fell athwart the
sloop's stern, and, happening the same moment to look at the compass, I
made a discovery that sent the blood with sudden rush first to my heart
and then to my brain; a small piece of iron, invisible in an ordinary
light, had been driven into the framework of the compass, close to that
part of the card marked "W," thereby deflecting the needle to the point in
question, so that ever since our departure from Quipai, we had been
steering due west, instead of north by west, as I intended and believed.
The dodge might not have deceived a seaman, but it had certainly deceived
me.

"You infernal scoundrel, I have found you out. Look there!" I shouted,
pointing at the piece of iron. As I spoke Kidd let go the tiller, and
quick as lightning gave me a tremendous blow with his fist between the
shoulders, which just missed throwing me head foremost down the
cabin-hatch, and sent me face downward on the deck breathless and half
stunned. Before I could even think of rising, Kidd, who, as he struck,
shouted to Yawl to "kill the Indian," was kneeling on my back with his
fingers round my windpipe.

"At last! I have you now, you conceited jackanapes, you d----d sea-lawyer.
Where have you got them diamonds? You won't answer! Shall I throttle you,
or brain you with this belaying-pin? I'll throttle you; then there'll be
none of your dirty blood to swab up."

With that the villain squeezed my windpipe still tighter, and quite unable
either to struggle or speak, I was giving myself up for lost, when his
hold suddenly relaxed, and groaning deeply, he sank beside me on the deck.
Freed from his weight, I staggered to my feet to find that I owed my life
to Angela, who had used her dagger to such purpose that Kidd was like
never to speak again.

"Ramon! Ramon! Haste, or that man will kill him," she cried, all in a
tremble, and pale with horror at the thought of her own boldness.

Yawl's onslaught was so sudden that the boy had been unable to draw his
_machete_, and after a desperate bout of tugging and straining, the sailor
had got the upper-hand and was now kneeling on Ramon's chest, and feeling
for his knife. Though sorely bruised with my fall, and still gasping for
breath, I ran to the rescue, and gripping Yawl by the shoulders, bore him
backward on the deck. Another moment, and we had him at our mercy; I held
down his head, while Ramon, astride on his body, pinioned his arms.

"Now, look here, Yawl!" I said. "You have tried to commit murder and
deserve to die; your comrade and accomplice is dead, but I will spare your
life on conditions. You must promise to obey my orders as if I were your
captain, and you under articles of war, and help me to work the sloop to
Callao, or some other port on the mainland. In return, I promise not to
bring any charge against you when we get there."

"All right, sir! Kidd was my master, and I obeyed him; now you are my
master and I will obey you."

I quite believed that the old salt was speaking sincerely. He had been so
completely under Kidd's influence as to have no will of his own.

"Good! but there is something else. I must have those diamonds he stole
from my house at Alta Vista. Where are they?"

"Stitched inside his jersey, under the arm-hole."

I went to Kidd's body, cut open his jersey, and found the diamonds in two
small canvas bags. They were among the largest I had and (as I
subsequently found) worth fifty thousand pounds. After we had thrown the
body overboard, I ordered Yawl to put the sloop on the starboard tack, and
myself taking the helm changed the course to due north. Then I asked him
who he and Kidd were, whence they came, and why they had so shamefully
deceived me as to the course we were steering.

On this Yawl answered in a dry, matter-of-fact manner, as if it were all
in the way of business, that Kidd had been captain and he boatswain and
carpenter of a "free-trader," known as the Sky Scraper, Sulky Sail, and by
several other aliases; that the captain and crew fell out over a division
of plunder, of which Kidd wanted the lion's share, the upshot being that
he and Yawl, who had taken sides with him, were shoved into the dinghy and
sent adrift. In these circumstances they naturally made for the nearest
land, which proved to be Quipai, and deeming it inexpedient to confess
that they were pirates, pretended to be castaways. They built the sloop
with the idea of stealing away by themselves, and but for my discovery of
the theft of the diamonds and the bursting of the crater would have done
so. As I suspected, Kidd allowed us to go with them, solely with a view to
cutting our throats and appropriating the remainder of the diamonds. This
design being frustrated by our watchfulness, he next conceived the notion
of putting in at Arica or Islay, charging me with robbing him, and, in
collusion with the authorities, whom he intended to bribe, depriving me of
all I possessed. This plan likewise failing, and having a decided
objection to Callao, where he was known and where there might be a British
cruiser as well as a British consul, Kidd hit on the brilliant idea of
doctoring the compass and making me think we were going north by west,
while our true course was almost due west, his object being to reach San
Ambrosio, a group of rocky islets some three hundred miles from the coast,
and a pirate stronghold and trysting-place. If they did not find any old
comrades there, they would at least find provisions, water, and firearms,
and so be able, as they thought, to despoil me of my diamonds. Also Kidd
had hopes of falling in with Captain Hux, a worthy of the same kidney, who
commanded the "free-trader" Culebra, and whose favorite cruising-ground
was northward of San Ambrosio.

"But in my opinion," observed Mr. Yawl, coolly, when he had finished his
story, "in my opinion we passed south of the islands last night, and so I
told Kidd; they're very small, and as there's no lights, easy missed."

"We must be a long way from Callao, then. How far do you suppose?"

"That is more than I can tell; may be four hundred miles."

"And how long do you think it will take us to get there, assuming it to be
four hundred miles?"

"Well, on this tack and with this breeze--you see, sir, the wind has
fallen off a good deal since sunrise--with this breeze, about eight days."

"Eight days!" I exclaimed, in consternation. "Eight days! and I don't
think we have food and water enough for two. Come with me below, Ramon,
and let me see how much we have left."

CHAPTER XXXIII.

GRIEF AND PAIN.

It was even worse than I feared. Reckoning neither on a longer voyage than
five or six days nor on being so far from the coast that, in case of
emergency, we could not obtain fresh supplies, we had used both provisions
and water rather recklessly, and now I found that of the latter we had no
more than, at our recent rate of consumption, would last eighteen hours,
while of food we had as much as might suffice us for twenty-four. It was
necessary to reduce our allowance forthwith, and I put it to Yawl whether
we could not make for some nearer port than Callao. Better risk the loss
of my diamonds than die of hunger and thirst. Yawl's answer was
unfavorable. The nearest port of the coast as to distance was the farthest
as to time. To reach it, the wind being north by west, we should have to
make long fetches and frequent tacks, whereas Callao, or the coast
thereabout, could be reached by sailing due north. So there seemed nothing
for it but to economize our resources to the utmost and make all the speed
we could. Yet, do as we might, it was evident that, unless we could obtain
a supply of food and water from some passing ship we should have to put
ourselves on a starvation allowance. I was, however, much less concerned
for myself and the others, than for Angela. Accustomed as she had been to
a gentle, uneventful, happy life, the catastrophe of Quipai, the anxieties
we had lately endured, and the confinement of the sloop, were telling
visibly on her health. Moreover, Kidd's death, richly as he deserved his
fate, had been a great shock to her. She strove to be cheerful, and
displayed splendid courage, yet the increasing pallor of her cheeks and
the sadness in her eyes, showed how much she suffered. We men stinted
ourselves of water that she might have enough, but seeing this she
declined to take more than her share, often refusing to drink when she was
tormented with thirst.

And then there befell an accident which well-nigh proved fatal to us all.
A gust of wind blew the mainsail (made of grass-cloth) into ribbons, the
consequence being that our rate of sailing was reduced to two knots an
hour, and our hope of reaching Callao to zero.

Meanwhile, Angela grew weaker and weaker, she fell into a low fever, was
at times even delirious, and I began to fear that, unless help speedily
came, a calamity was imminent, which for me personally would be worse than
the quenching of Quipai. And when we were at the last extremity, mad with
thirst and feeble with fasting, help did come. One morning at daylight
Yawl sighted a sail--a large vessel a few miles astern of us, but a point
or two more to the west, and on the same tack as ourselves. We altered the
sloop's course at once so as to bring her across the stranger's bows, for
having neither ensign to reverse, nor gun wherewith to fire a signal of
distress, it was a matter of life and death for us to get within
hailing-distance.

"What is she! Can you make her out?" I asked Yawl, as trembling with
excitement, we looked longingly at the noble ship in which centered our
hopes.

"Three masts! A merchantman? No, I'm blest if I don't think she's a
man-of-war. So she is, a frigate and a firm 'un--forty or fifty guns, I
should say."

"Under what flag?"

"I'll tell you in a minute--Union Jack! No, stars and stripes. She belongs
to Uncle Sam, she do, sir, and he's no call to be ashamed of her; she's a
perfect beauty and well handled. By--I do believe they see us. They are
shortening sail. We shall be alongside in a few minutes."

"Who are you and what do you want?" asked a voice from the frigate, so
soon as we were within hail.

"We are English and starving. For God's sake, throw us a rope!" I
answered.

The rope being thrown and the sloop made fast, I asked the officer of the
watch to take us on board the frigate, as seeing the condition of our boat
and ourselves, I did not think we could possibly reach our destination,
that my wife was very sick, and unless she could have better attention
than we were able to give her, might not recover.

"Of course we will take you on board--and the poor lady. Pass the word for
the doctor, you there! But what on earth are you doing with a lady in a
craft like that, so far out at sea, too?"

Without waiting for an answer to his question, the officer ordered a
hammock to be lowered, in which we carefully placed Angela, who was
thereupon hoisted on the frigate's deck. We men followed, and were
received by a fine old gentleman with a florid face and white hair, whom I
rightly conjectured to be the captain.

"Well," he said, quietly, "what can I do for you?"

"Water," I gasped, for the exertion of coming on board had been almost too
much for me.

"Poor fellow! Certainly. Why did I not think of it before? You shall have
both food and drink. Somebody bring water with a dash of rum in it--not
too much, they are weak. And Mr. Charles, tell the wardroom steward to get
a square meal ready for this gentleman. Might I ask your name, sir?"

"Nigel Fortescue."

"Thank you, Mr. Fortescue. Mine is Bigelow, and I have the honor to
command the United States ship Constellation. Here's the water! I hope you
have not forgotten the dash of rum, Tomkins.--There! Take a long drink.
You will feel better now, and when you have had a square meal, you shall
tell me all about it. And the others? You are an old salt, anybody can see
that."

"Yes, sir. Bill Yawl at your service, an old man-o'-war's man, able-bodied
seaman, bo's'n, and ship's carpenter, anything you like sir. Ax your
pardon, sir, but a glass of half-water grog--"

"Not until you have eaten. Then you may have two glasses. Tomkins, take
these men to the purser and tell him to give them a square meal. The
doctor is attending to your wife, Mr. Fortescue. She is in my state-room
and shall have every comfort we can give her."

"I thank you with all my heart, Captain Bigelow. You are really too good,
I can never--"

"Tut, tut, tut, my dear sir. Pray don't say a word. I have only given her
my spare state-room. Mr. Charles will take you to the ward-room, we can
talk afterward. Meanwhile, I shall have your belongings got on board, and
then, I suppose, we had better sink that craft of yours. If we leave her
to knock about the ocean she may be knocking against some ship in the
night and doing her a mischief."

After I had eaten the "square meal" set for me in the ward-room, and spent
a few minutes with Angela, I joined the captain and first lieutenant in
the former's state-room, and over a glass of grog, told them briefly, but
frankly, something of my life and adventures.

"Well, it is the queerest yarn I ever heard; but I dare say none the less
true on that account," said Captain Bigelow, when I had finished. "With
that sweet lady for your wife and your belt full of diamonds, you may
esteem yourself one of the most fortunate of men. And you did quite right
to get away from that place. But what was your point? where did you expect
to get to with that sloop of yours?"

"Callao."

"Callao! Why the course you were on would never have taken you to Callao.
Callao lies nor' by east, not nor' by west. If you had not fallen in with
us, I am afraid you would never have got anywhere."

"I am sure we should not. Three days more and we should have died of
thirst."

"Where shall we put you ashore?"

"That is for you to say. Where would it be convenient?"

"How would Panama suit you?"

"It is just the place. We could cross the isthmus to Chagres; but before
going to England, I should like to call at La Guayra, and find out whether
my friend Carmen still lives."

"You can do that easily; but if I were you, and had all those diamonds in
my possession, I would get home as quickly as possible, and put them in a
place of safety. There are men who would commit a thousand murders for one
of them."

"Well, I shall see. Perhaps I had better consign them to London through
some merchant, and have them insured."

"Perhaps you had, especially if you can get somebody to insure the
insurer. And take my advice, don't tell a soul on board what you have told
us. My crew are passably honest, but if they knew how many diamonds you
carried about you, I should be very sorry to go bail for them."

As I went on deck after our talk, I was met by the surgeon.

"A word with you, Mr. Fortescue," he said, gravely, taking me aside, "your
wife--"

"Yes, sir, what about my wife?" I asked, with a sudden sinking of the
heart, for the man's manner was even more portentous than his words.

"She is very ill."

"She was very ill, and if we had remained longer on the sloop--but
now--with nourishing food and your care, doctor, she will quickly regain
her strength. Indeed, she is better already."

"For the moment. But she is very much reduced and the symptoms are grave.
A recurrence of the fever--"

"But such a fever is so easily cured. I know what you are hinting at,
doctor. Yet I cannot think--You will not let her die. After surmounting so
many dangers, and being so miraculously rescued, and with prospects so
fair, it would be too cruel."

"I will do my best, sir, you may be sure. But I thought it my duty to
prepare you for the worst. The issue is with God."

* * * * *

This is a part of my story on which I care not to dwell. Even yet I cannot
think of it without grief and pain. My dear wife was taken from me. She
died in my arms, her hand in mine, as sweetly and serenely as she had
lived. But for Captain Bigelow and his officers I should have buried
myself with Angela in the fathomless sea. I owed him my life a second
time--such as it was--more, for he taught me the duty and grace of
resignation, showed me that, though to cherish the memory of a great
sorrow ennobles a man, he who abandons himself to unmeasured grief is as
pusillanimous as he who shirks his duty on the field of battle.

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