with nought but flesh of an old goat and a few dried herbs, what
matter for salt?"  At this she laughed and bent to stir at her
stew again.

"There's plenty of salt in the sea yonder," says she presently.

"True, but how to come at it?"

"How if we boiled sea-water, Martin?"

"'Tis method unknown to me," says I, whittling at a leg of my
stool, "but we can try."

And now in the seat of my stool I burned three good-sized holes
or sockets, and having trimmed three lengths of wood, I fitted
these into my socket-holes, and there was my stool complete. 
This done, I must needs call her from her cooking to behold it;
and though it was no more than a square of roughish wood set upon
three pegs, she praised and viewed it as it had been a great
elbow chair and cushioned at that!  Hereupon, puffed up with my
success, I must immediately begin to think upon building us a
table and chairs, but being summoned to dinner I obeyed her
gladly enough.  And she seated on her stool with me on the ground
beside her and our turtle-shell dish before us, we ate with
hearty good-will until, our hunger appeased, we fell to talk:

She:  'Tis marvellous how well I eat.

Myself:  'Tis the open air.

She:  And the work, Martin.  I have swept and dusted our cottage
every hole and corner.

Myself:  And found nothing left by its last tenant?

She:  Nothing.

Myself:  Had he but thought to leave us a saw our chairs and
table would have been the better.

She:  Then you will make them, Martin?

Myself:  Aye--with time.

She:  O 'tis bravely determined.

And here, for a moment, I felt the light touch of her hand on my
shoulder.

Myself:  They will be very unlovely things--very rough--

She:  And very wonderful, Martin.

Myself:  As to these goats now, 'tis an excellent thought to
catch some alive and rear them.

She:  I could make you excellent cheese and butter.

Myself:  If I cannot run them down, I must contrive to wound one
or two with arrows.

She:  Why then, Martin, why not head your arrows with pebbles in
place of iron points?

Myself:  Good again!  Or I might make a couple of gins, running
nooses cut from the goat-skin.  Howbeit, I'll try!

Herewith I arose and she also; then while she busied herself to
scald out our turtle-shell, I set off to get my goat-skin.  And
finding it where I had left it hanging on a rock to dry, I fell
a-cursing to myself for very chagrin; for what with the heat of
the rock and the fierce glare of the sun, here was my goat-skin
all shrivelled and hard as any board.  So stood I scowling at the
thing, chin in hand, and mightily cast down, and so she presently
found me; and beholding my disconsolate look falls a-laughing.

"O Martin," says she, "'tis well there are some things you cannot
do!"  Saying which, she takes up the skin (albeit it smelt none
too sweet) and away she goes with it into the cave.  So I got me
back to my carpentry, and selecting as many boards as I required
for the width of my table, fell to cutting them to their proper
lengths with hammer and chisel.  And despite the shade of the
mighty trees that girt us round and the soft wind that stirred,
plaguy hot work I found it; but ever and anon she would bring me
water, in one of our shells, cool from the spring, or would sit
beside me as I laboured, aiding me in a thousand ways and showing
herself vastly capable and quick-witted; thus as the sun sank
westwards I had all my boards cut to an even size and two of the
legs, though these, being square, I must needs chop asunder with
the hatchet; yet I persevered, being minded to complete the work
ere nightfall if possible.

"But where are your nails?" says she, where she sat watching.

"Our nails be too few and precious," quoth I, pausing to re-
sharpen my hatchet.  "I shall burn holes and pin our table
together with pegs."

"Why then," says she readily, "let me split and shape you some
pegs."

"Spoke like a true comrade!" says I impulsively.  "Sometimes I do
forget you are--"

"A woman?" she questioned as I paused; and I wondered to see her
eyes so bright and shining.  "Here is twice you have named me
your comrade, Martin, and so will I be so long as I may.  You
sometimes would call me your comrade when we played together
years ago, and 'tis a good name, Martin.  Come now, teach me how
I must make these pegs for our table."  So I showed her how to
split divers lengths of wood and shape these as round and smooth
as might be, the while I bored holes for them with a heated iron;
and thus we sat side by side at our labour, seldom speaking, yet
I (for one) very well content.

At length, with her assistance, I began setting the framework of
our table together, joining and pinning it with my wooden pegs
driven mighty secure; last of all I laid the boards across and,
pinning these in place, there was our table; and though it was
rude and primitive so far as looks went, yet very serviceable we
were to find it.

"Well, Martin," says she, when I had borne it into our cave,
"methinks my shelves and cupboard are none so far to seek!"  Here
she falls to patting this unlovely thing and viewing it as it
were the wonder of the world; and I must needs leap upon it to
prove its strength.

"'Tis over-heavy," says I, giving it a final shake, "but 'twill
serve!"

"To admiration!" says she, smoothing its rough surface with
gentle hand. "To-night we will sup from it.  Which reminds me
that supper is to cook and our meat nearly all gone, Martin,
though we have plenty of plantains left."  So I told her I would
go fetch what remained of the carcass after supper, so soon as
the moon rose.  And now whiles she bustled to and fro, I chose me
a little piece of wood, and sitting where I might watch her at
her labours, began to carve her the hair pin I had promised.

"Our third cave should make us a very good larder!" says she busy
at her new table preparing supper.

"Aye."

"'Tis so marvellous cool!"

"Aye."

"I think, because the pool lieth above it."

"Mayhap!"

"Indeed, these are wonderful caves, Martin."

"They are."

"Who lived here before us, I wonder?"

"Penfeather, like as not."

"Why should you think this?"

"Well, that door yonder was never a carpenter's work, yet 'tis
well made and furnished with a loop-hole, narrow and horizontal
to give a lateral fire, the which I have seen but once ere this. 
Then again the timbers of this door do carry many marks of shot,
and Adam Penfeather is no stranger to such, violence and danger,
steel and bullet seem to follow him."

"Why so, Martin?  He hath ever seemed a man very quiet and
gentle, most unlike such rough sailor-men as I have seen
hitherto."

"True," says I, "but 'neath this attitude of mind is a wily
cunning and desperate, bloodthirsty courage and determination
worthy any pirate or buccaneer of them all."

"Why, courage and determination are good things, Martin.  And as
for Master Penfeather, he is as I do know a skilful navigator and
very well read, more especially in the Scriptures, and methought
your friend?"

"For his own purposes!" quoth I.

"And what are these, Martin?"

At this I merely scowled at the wood I was carving, whereupon she
questions me further:

"Master Adam is such a grave and sober man!"

"True!" says I.

"And so wise in counsel--"

"Say, rather, cunning!"

"Though to be sure he once had a poor man beaten cruelly."

"Wherein he was exactly right!" says I, grinding my teeth at
memory of Red Andy.  "Aye, there Penfeather was very right, this
fellow was a vile and beastly rogue!"

"What dreadful thing had he done, Martin?"

"Stared at you!" says I, and stopped; and glancing up, found her
regarding me with look mighty strange.

"Did you mind so much?" she questioned.

"No whit, madam.  Why should I?"

"Aye, why indeed!" says she and turns to her cooking again and I
to my carving, yet in a little, hearing her gasp, I glanced up to
find her nigh stifled with her laughter.

"Ha, why must ye laugh, madam?" I demanded.

"O Martin!" says she, "And must this poor man be whipped--and for
a mere look?  And you so fierce withal!  I fear there be many men
do merit whipping if this be sin so great."

"I see no reason in your laughter, my lady!" quoth I, scowling up
at her.

"Because you have no gift of laughter, my lord!" says she, and
turns her back on me.

Here I came nigh to tossing her half-finished hairpin into the
fire; but seeing her turn her head, carved on for very shame.

"And are you so very angry, Martin?"  I bent to sharpen my knife. 
I would that you might laugh yourself--once in a while, Martin." 
I tested my knife on my thumb.  "You are always so grave, Martin,
so very solemn and young!"  Finding my knife still blunt, I went
on sharpening it.  Here and all suddenly she was beside me on her
knees and clasps my knife-hand in hers.  "Indeed I had no thought
to anger you.  Are you truly angered or is it only that you are
so very--hungry?"  Now here I glanced at her and beholding all
the roguish mischief in her eyes, try how I might, I could not
but smile too.

"A little of both, comrade!" says I.  "Though verily I am a surly
animal by nature."

"Indeed yes, Martin," she sighs, "yet a very comfortable animal,
and though strong and fierce and woefully trying at times, a very
gentle animal to such as know you."

"And do you know me so well?"

"Better than you think, O a great deal better!  Because I am a
woman.  And now are we friends again?"

"Yes!" says I heartily, "Yes!"  And away she goes to her cooking
and I mighty glad I had not destroyed her hairpin, the which (my
knife being sharp) I began to ornament with all sorts of
elaborations.  Presently back she comes, spoon in one hand, stool
in the other, and sits to watch me at work.

"What do you make now, Martin?"

"A pin for your hair."

"Why, 'tis beautiful!"

"'Tis scarce begun yet!"

Here she must needs lavish all manner of praises on my skill
until I came nigh cutting myself.

"How many will you make me, Martin?"

"As many as you will."

"Three should suffice."

"Why, you have a prodigious lot of hair."

"Do you think so, Martin?" says she, glancing down at the two
great braids that fell over her bosom well-nigh to her waist. 
"'Twas well enough in England, but here 'tis greatly in my way
and hampers me in my work.  I had thought of cutting it off."

"Then don't!"

"Why not, Martin?"

"Well," says I, glancing at the nearest braid that showed coppery
lights where the setting sun caught it.  "Well, because--" and
finding nought else to say I fell to my carving again and away
she goes to her cooking.

"Martin," says she at last, "what do you know of Master
Penfeather?  Where did you fall in with him, and why is his life
so threatened?"

"All by reason of Black Bartlemy's treasure!"

"Treasure!" says she; and back she comes and onto her stool, all
in a moment.  "Tell me of it, Martin!"

"'Tis a great treasure of gold and jewels in such."

"And who is Black Bartlemy?"

"A foul rogue of a pirate that was killed by a poor Spanish lady,
and lieth buried with her under the great pimento tree on the
beach yonder."

"O Martin!" says she, getting up that she might behold the tree,
"O Martin, I knew, I knew 'twas an evil place!  And the poor lady
died too?"

"He killed her after she had stabbed him!"

"How do you know of this?"

"Adam Penfeather told me, he saw it done!"  Hereupon she sits
down and is silent awhile.

"And where is this great treasure?"

"On this island!"

"Here?" says she, starting to her feet again, "Here, Martin?"

"Aye, 'twas this I was despatched to secure, after I had been
rapped over the head with a pistol-butt!"

"And how must you find it?"

"I never shall, the secret of it was in the packet I tossed
overboard.  Adam may find it himself an he will."

"And you have no desire for this treasure?"

"None in the world."  And now (at her earnest solicitation) I
told her all my association with Adam, of my haunted days and
nights aboard ship and my suspicions of Tressady; only I spoke
nothing of Adam's avowed intent to steal the "Faithful Friend" to
his own purposes.

"O wonderful!" says she, when I had done, and then again, "O
wonderful!  So this was why we were cut adrift.  Truly Master
Penfeather hath quick and subtle wits."

"A guileful rogue--and very wily!" says I, clenching my fist.

But wherein is he rogue, Martin?"

"How!" quoth I, "was it not a wicked, vile and most roguish act
to set you adrift thus, to run the peril of sea and a desolate
island--"

"What other could he do, Martin, and the ship good as taken by
the mutineers?  I heard them shouting--for me!" and here she
shivered.  "True, we have faced perils, have lost all our stores,
but at least here am I--safe with you, Martin!"  Saying which she
rose and presently summoned me to our evening meal.

Having supped, I took beneath my arm my rusty sword (the which I
had sharpened and burnished as well as I might) being minded to
fetch what remained of our goat:  but now she comes very earnest
to go with me, and I agreeing readily enough, we set out together
forthwith.


CHAPTER XXIX

OF MY ENCOUNTER BENEATH BARTLEMY'S TREE

The moon was very bright, casting great, black shadows athwart
our way, and now, once our familiar surroundings were left
behind, we fell silent or spake only in low voices, awed by the
universal hush of all things; for the night was very still and
hot and breathless, not a leaf stirred and no sound to hear save
the unceasing roar of the surf.

"Martin," says she, very softly, "here is a night of such
infinite quiet that I grow almost afraid--"

"Of what?" I demanded, pausing to look down on her where she
limped beside me.  And then, 'twixt my teeth, "Is it me you
fear?"

"Ah no, no!" cries she, slipping her hand within my arm, "Never,
never that, you foolish Martin!"  And here she looks at me with
such a smile that I must needs glance otherwhere, yet methought
her cheeks showed pale in the moonlight.

"Why then, what's amiss?" I questioned as we went on again and I
very conscious of her hand yet upon my arm.

"I know not," she sighed, "'tis the stillness, mayhap, the
loneliness and dreadful solitude, I feel as though some danger
threatened."

"A storm, belike," says I, glancing round about us and across the
placid sea.

"O Martin, 'tis hateful to be a woman!  Why should I fear thus
and no reason, 'tis folly!"  And here she must pause to stamp her
foot at herself.  "And yet I do fear!" says she after a while. 
"O Martin, glad am I to have man like you beside me."

"Though another man might serve as well!" says I, "Of course?"

"Of course, Martin!"

At this I turned to scowl at the placid sea again.

"Any man?" says I at last.

"O Martin, no--how foolish under grow--'any man' might be evil as
Black Bartlemy."

"I've heard I am much like him in looks."

"But then you are Martin and he was--Black Bartlemy."

After this we were silent a great while nor spoke again until we
had traversed the whole length of Deliverance Sands, then:

"What manner of man?" I demanded.

Other sites:

db3nf.com screen-capture.net floresca.net simonova.net flora-source.com flora-source.com sourcecentral.com sourcecentral.com geocities.com