CHAPTER XIII
WE SET OUT FOR DEPTFORD POOL
Penfeather drew clenched hand across his brow, and coming to the tablereached the half-emptied flagon and drank what remained of the winethirstily, while Bym, his great body huddled in the chair, stared atthe bullet hole in the shutter with starting eyes: as to me, I pickedup Penfeather's fallen pistols and laid them on the table, where Godbyhad set the lanthorn.
"Tressady!" says Bym at last in a hoarse whisper, "Tressady--O Cap'n,be ye sarten sure?"
"Sure!" says Penfeather, in the same hushed manner, and reaching powderand bullets from a cupboard he began methodically to reload hispistols. "He'll be outside now where the shadows be thickest, waitingme with Abnegation and Sol and Rory, and God knoweth how many more."
"Then he aren't dead, Cap'n?" Penfeather's black brows flickered andhis keen eyes glanced from his rent doublet round about the room:
"Howbeit--he was here, Joel!" said he.
"Why then, Cap'n, the dying woman's curse holds and he can't die?" saysBym, clawing at his great beard.
"He was here, Joel, in this room," says Penfeather, busy withpowder-horn, "man to man, knife to knife--and I missed him. Sincemidnight I've waited wi' pistols cocked and never closed eye--and yethere was he or ever I was aware; for, as I sat there i' the dark by thewindow above the porch, which is therefore easiest to come at, I spiedMings and him staring up at the lattice of this chamber. So herecreeps I and opening the door saw him move against the open latticeyonder--a shot no man could miss."
"Aye, Cap'n--aye?"
"And I--missed him, Joel--with both weapons and I within three yards ofhim, aye, I missed him with both pistols."
"Which is small wonder," says I, "for as you fired he tripped over me,Adam--"
"And why should he trip just then--at the one and only moment, Martin?Chance, says you? Why, when he came leaping on me in the black darkshould his hook meet and turn my knife from his throat? Chance again,says you? Why, when he flung me off and made for the window--why mustI catch my foot 'gainst that staff o' yours and bring up against thewall with all the strength and breath knocked out o' me, and no chancefor one thrust as he clambered through the lattice? By the Lord,Martin, here's more than chance, says I."
"Aye, by cock!" muttered Joel, shaking his head. "'Tis 'witched he be!You'll mind what I told ye, Cap'n--the poor lady as died raving madaboard the 'Delight,' how she died cursing him wi' life. And himstanding by a-polishing o' that hook o' his--ah, Cap'n, I'll neverforget the work o' that same hook ... many's the time ... Bartlemy'sprisoners ... men and women ... aboard that cursed 'Ladies' Delight!'By cock, I dream on't sometimes and wake all of a sweat--"
"Here's no time for dreams!" says Penfeather, ramming home the chargeof his second pistol, "Is the passage clear?"
"Save for the matter of a few kegs, Cap'n, but 'twill serve."
"We start in half an hour, Joel."
"The three o' you, Cap'n?"
"Aye, we must be aboard as soon as maybe now."
"Captain," says Godby, "speaking as a master-gunner, a mariner and apeddler, I'm bold to say as there's nought like bite and sup to hastena man for a journey or aught beside--flog me else! And there's noughtmore heartening than ham or neat's tongue, or brisket o' beef, thewhich I chanced to spy i' the kitchen--"
"Why then, master-gunner," says Penfeather, "go you and engage thosesame in close action and I'll join ye as soon as I've shifted theserags o' mine."
"Adam," says I, unstrapping my wallet as Bym and Godby descended thestair, "if we are to have our throats cut to-night, 'twere as well Ihanded back your chart first"; and I laid it on the table.
"Why 'tis as safe with you, comrade--but as you will!" says he,slipping the chain about his neck. "As for any throat-slitting,Martin, you'll find that with danger my inborn caution groweth totimidity--"
"Ha, yes!" I nodded. "Such timidity as walks under the very noses ofdesperate, well-armed rogues of a moonlight night."
"Why, the moon is down--or nearly so, Martin. And then, besides, thistrim little inn hath divers exits discreetly non-apparent. 'Twas amonastery once, I've heard."
"And now a smuggling-ken it seems, Adam."
"Even so, comrade, and no place better suited! And there's the Bo's'nhailing!" says he, as a hoarse roar of "Supper O!" reached us. "Godown, Martin, I stay but to make things ship-shape!" and he noddedtowards the books and papers that littered the table. Upon the stairs Imet Godby, who brought me to a kitchen, very spacious and lofty, pavedwith great flagstones and with groined arches supporting the roof, andwhat with this and the wide fireplace flanked with fluted columns andenriched by carvings, I did not doubt that here had once stood a nobleabbey or the like.
"Pal," said Godby, as I stared about me, "you'd never guess as there benigh three hundred kegs stowed hereabouts besides bales and the like,choke me else! Ha, many's the good cargo I've helped Jo and the ladsto run--eh, Joel?"
"So you're a smuggler, Godby," says I.
"Cock," says Bym reproachfully, and setting a goodly cheese on thetable with a bang, "say free-trader, cock--t'other 'un's a cacklingword and I don't like cackle--"
"Aye," nodded Godby, "that's the word, 'free-trader,' Mart'n. So I amand what then? 'Twas summat o' the sort as got me suspicioned byGregory and his catchpolls, rot 'em." But here Adam entered, verysoberly dressed in sad-coloured clothes, and we sat down to supforthwith.
"Do we sail soon, Captain?" questioned Godby in a while.
"I hope to be clear o' the Downs a few days hence," says Adam.
"And you so short-handed, Cap'n," quoth Bym.
"Sir Rupert hath 'listed thirty new men, I hear, and rogues every oneI'll be sworn."
"Sir Rupert--?" says I.
"My lady's cousin, Martin, and captain of the expedition."
"Is he a sailor, Adam?"
"No, Martin, like most o' your fine gentlemen-adventurers, he knows nomore of navigation than this cheese, which is just as well, Martin,aye, mighty well!"
"How so?"
"Who shall say, Martin, who shall say?" And here he took a longdraught of ale. In a while, our meal being ended, Penfeather rose:
"As to arms, Martin, ha' ye aught beside your knife?"
"My staff and this pistol," says I, taking out the silver-mountedweapon my lady Brandon had thrust upon me.
"Is't loaded, Martin?" I examined charge and priming and nodded."Good!" says Adam, "Here's five shot betwixt us, that should suffice.Up wi' the trap, Jo, and we'll out." Hereupon Bym lighted his lanthornand putting aside the great settle by the hearth, stooped and raisedone of the flagstones, discovering a flight of worn, stone steps, downwhich we followed him and so into a great cellar or vaulted crypt,where stood row upon row of barrels and casks, piled very orderly tothe stone roof. Along the narrow way between strode Bym, and haltingsuddenly, stooped and lifted another flagstone with more steps below,down which we followed him into a passage-way fairly paved, whencedivers other passages opened right and left. And when we had gone somedistance Adam halted.
"Best bring the light no further, Jo," says he. "And hark'ee, Joel, asto this black rogue--this--y'know who I mean, Jo?"
"Aye--him, Cap'n!"
"That same, Jo. Well, keep an eye lifting and if you find out aughtworth the telling, let one o' your lads ride post to Deptford, Jo."
"Aye, Cap'n. Aboard ship?"
"Aboard ship."
"Cap'n," quoth he, grasping Adam's hand, "I'm man o' few words, an'thanks t' you I'm snug enough here wi' my wife and darter as is awaytill this cargo's run, but, say the word, and I'll sail along o' youcome battle, murder or shipwreck--"
"Or a hook, Joel?" says Penfeather softly, whereat Joel clawed at hisbeard and blinked into the lanthorn; finally he gives a great tug tohis beard and nods:
"Aye, Cap'n," says he, "for you--even that, by cock!"
"Good lad," says Penfeather, clapping him on brawny shoulder. "Bidewhere you are, Jo, and Fortune with you and yours. This w
ay, Martin."
So having taken our leave of Bym, Godby and I followed Adam along thepassage, guided by the Bo's'n's lanthorn until, turning a sudden, sharpcorner, we plunged into pitchy gloom wherein I groped my way untilPenfeather's voice stayed me:
"Easy all!" says he, softly. "Have your pistols ready and heed how youcome." Creeping cautiously I found myself amid leaves that yieldedbefore me, and stepping through this natural screen, I stumbled into abush and presently found myself standing in a small copse dim-lightedby a waning moon; and never a sound to be heard save the soft whisperof leaves about us and the faint, far cry of some night-bird.
"Ha!" says Adam at last, gazing away to the sinking moon, "So ourjourney begins, and from the look o' things, Martin, from the look o'things here's going to be need of all your resolution and all mycaution ere we can see the end. Come!"
Black Bartlemy's Treasure Page 14
