CHAPTER VII.
On the day after the first scene in the cave, late in the afternoon,three men sat on the deck of the schooner, as she lay in the shadow offorest covered mountain.
These were Jones Bradley, Old Ropes, and the man who went by the nameof the Parson. They were discussing the occurrences of the previousnight.
"I'm very much of the captains opinion," said the Parson, "that thenoises are caused by the wind rushing through the chinks and crevicesof the rocks."
"Yes; but, then, there wan't no wind to speak of, and how is the windto make that horrible groan, s'pose it did blow a hurricane?" saidJones Bradley.
"Just so," said Old Ropes; "that notion about the wind makin' such anoise at that, is all bosh. My opinion is, that it was the voice of aspirit. I know that the captain laughs at all such things, but all hislaughin' don't amount to much with one that's seen spirits."
"What! you don't mean to say that you ever actually see a live ghost?"asked the Parson.
"That's jist what I do mean to say," replied Old Ropes.
"Hadn't you been takin' a leetle too much, or wasn't the liquor toostrong?" said the Parson.
"Well, you may make as much fun about it as you please," said OldRopes; "but I tell you, that was the voice of a spirit, and, what'smore, I believe it's either the spirit of some one that's beenmurdered in that cave, by some gang that's held it before, and buriedthe body over the treasure they've stowed away there, or else theghost of some one's that's had foul play from the captain."
"Well," said the Parson, "if I thought there was any treasure thereworth lookin' after, all the ghosts you could scare up wouldn't hinderme from trying to get at it."
"But, no matter about that; you say you see a live ghost once. Let'shear about that."
"I suppose," said Old Ropes, "that there aint no satisfaction in afeller's tellin' of things that aint no credit to him; but,howsomever, I might as well tell this, as, after all, it's only in theline of our business.
"You must know, then, that some five years ago, I shipped on board abrig engaged in the same business that our craft is.
"I needn't tell you of all the battles we were in, and all the prizeswe made; but the richest prize that ever come in our way, was aSpanish vessel coming from Mexico, With a large amount of gold andsilver on board.
"We attacked the ship, expecting to make an easy prize of her, but wewere disappointed.
"The Spaniards showed fight, and gave us a tarnal sight of trouble.Several of our best men were killed.
"This made our captain terrible wrothy. He swore that every soul thatremained alive on the captured vessel should be put to death.
"Now, it so happened that the wife and child (an infant,) of thecaptain of the Spanish vessel, were on board. When the others had allbeen disposed of, the men plead for the lives of these two. But ourcaptain would not listen to it; but he would let us cast lots to seewhich of us would perform the unpleasant office.
"As bad luck would have it, the lot fell upon me. There was noshirking it.
"It must be done; so, the plank was got ready. She took the baby inher arms, stepped upon the plank, as I ordered her, and the nextmoment, she, with the child in her arms, sank to rise no more; but thelook she gave me, as she went down, I shall never forget.
"It haunts me yet, and many and many is the time that Spanish woman,with the child in her arms, has appeared to me, fixing upon me thesame look that she gave me, as she sank in the sea.
"Luck left us from that time; we never took a prize afterwards.
"Our Vessel was captured by a Spanish cruiser soon afterwards. I, withone other, succeeded in making our escape.
"The captain, and all the rest, who were not killed in the battle,were strung out on the yard-arm."
"Does the ghost never speak to you?" asked the Parson.
"Never," replied Old Ropes.
"I suppose that's because she's a Spaniard, and thinks you don'tunderstand her language," remarked the Parson, sneeringly. "I wonderwhy this ghost of the cave don't show himself, and not try to frightenus with his horrible boo-wooing."
"Well, you may make as much fun as you please," replied Old Ropes;"but, mark my words for it, if the captain don't pay attention to thewarning he has had, that ghost will show himself in a way that won'tbe agreeable to any of us."
"If he takes my advice, he'll leave the cave, and take up his quarterssomewhere else."
"What! you don't mean to say you're afraid!" quietly remarked theParson.
"Put an enemy before me in the shape of flesh and blood, and I'll showyou whether I'm afeard, or not," said Old Ropes; "but this fightingwith dead men's another affair. The odds is all agin you. Lead andsteel wont reach 'em, and the very sight on 'em takes the pluck out ofa man, whether he will or no.
"An enemy of real flesh and blood, when he does kill you, stabs you orshoots you down at once, and there's an end of it; but, these ghostshave a way of killing you by inches, without giving a fellow a chanceto pay them back anything in return."
"It's pretty clear, anway, that they're a 'tarnal set of cowards,"remarked the Parson.
"The biggest coward's the bravest men, when there's no danger,"retorted Old Ropes.
To this, the Parson made no reply, thinking, probably, that he hadcarried the joke far enough, and not wishing to provoke a quarrel withhis companion.
"As to the affair of the cave," said Jones Bradley; "I think very muchas Old Ropes does about it. I'm opposed to troubling the dead, and Ibelieve there's them buried there that don't want to be disturbed byus, and if we don't mind the warning they give us, still the worse forus."
"The captain don't seem to be very much alarmed about it," said theParson; "for he stays in the cave. And, then, there's the Indian womanand the darkey; the ghost don't seem to trouble them much."
"I'll say this for Captain Flint," remarked Old Ropes, "if ever Iknowed a man that feared neither man nor devil, that man is CaptainFlint; but his time'll come yet."
"You don't mean to say you see breakers ahead, do you?" asked theParson.
"Not in the way of our business, I don't mean," said Ropes; "but, I'vehad a pretty long experience in this profession, and have seen thefinishing up of a good many of my shipmates; and I never know'd onethat had long experience, that would not tell you that he had been putmore in fear by the dead than ever he had by the living."
"We all seem to be put in low spirits by this afternoon," said theParson; "s'pose we go below, and take a little something to cheer usup."
To this the others assented, and all three went below.
Fire Cloud; Or, The Mysterious Cave. A Story of Indians and Pirates. Page 7
