第62章

Immediately after coming aboard, the crew were too busily engaged in working the ship and getting in the boat to attend to me, so Iremained leaning against the bulwarks close to the gangway, watching their operations.I was surprised to find that there were no guns or carronades of any kind in the vessel, which had more of the appearance of a fast-sailing trader than a pirate.But I was struck with the neatness of everything.The brass work of the binnacle and about the tiller, as well as the copper belaying-pins, were as brightly polished as if they had just come from the foundry.The decks were pure white, and smooth.The masts were clean-scraped and varnished, except at the cross-trees and truck, which were painted black.The standing and running rigging was in the most perfect order, and the sails white as snow.In short, everything, from the single narrow red stripe on her low black hull to the trucks on her tapering masts, evinced an amount of care and strict discipline that would have done credit to a ship of the Royal Navy.There was nothing lumbering or unseemly about the vessel, excepting, perhaps, a boat, which lay on the deck with its keel up between the fore and main masts.It seemed disproportionately large for the schooner; but, when I saw that the crew amounted to between thirty and forty men, I concluded that this boat was held in reserve, in case of any accident compelling the crew to desert the vessel.

As I have before said, the costumes of the men were similar to that of the captain.But in head gear they differed not only from him but from each other, some wearing the ordinary straw hat of the merchant service, while others wore cloth caps and red worsted night-caps.I observed that all their arms were sent below; the captain only retaining his cutlass and a single pistol in the folds of his shawl.Although the captain was the tallest and most powerful man in the ship, he did not strikingly excel many of his men in this respect, and the only difference that an ordinary observer would have noticed was, a certain degree of open candour, straightforward daring, in the bold, ferocious expression of his face, which rendered him less repulsive than his low-browed associates, but did not by any means induce the belief that he was a hero.This look was, however, the indication of that spirit which gave him the pre-eminence among the crew of desperadoes who called him captain.He was a lion-like villain; totally devoid of personal fear, and utterly reckless of consequences, and, therefore, a terror to his men, who individually hated him, but unitedly felt it to be their advantage to have him at their head.

But my thoughts soon reverted to the dear companions whom I had left on shore, and as I turned towards the Coral Island, which was now far away to leeward, I sighed deeply, and the tears rolled slowly down my cheeks as I thought that I might never see them more.

"So you're blubbering, are you, you obstinate whelp?" said the deep voice of the captain, as he came up and gave me a box on the ear that nearly felled me to the deck."I don't allow any such weakness aboard o' this ship.So clap a stopper on your eyes or I'll give you something to cry for."I flushed with indignation at this rough and cruel treatment, but felt that giving way to anger would only make matters worse, so Imade no reply, but took out my handkerchief and dried my eyes.

"I thought you were made of better stuff," continued the captain, angrily; "I'd rather have a mad bull-dog aboard than a water-eyed puppy.But I'll cure you, lad, or introduce you to the sharks before long.Now go below, and stay there till I call you."As I walked forward to obey, my eye fell on a small keg standing by the side of the main-mast, on which the word GUNPOWDER was written in pencil.It immediately flashed across me that, as we were beating up against the wind, anything floating in the sea would be driven on the reef encircling the Coral Island.I also recollected - for thought is more rapid than the lightning - that my old companions had a pistol.Without a moment's hesitation, therefore, I lifted the keg from the deck and tossed it into the sea! An exclamation of surprise burst from the captain and some of the men who witnessed this act of mine.

Striding up to me, and uttering fearful imprecations, the captain raised his hand to strike me, while he shouted, "Boy! whelp! what mean you by that?""If you lower your hand," said I, in a loud voice, while I felt the blood rush to my temples, "I'll tell you.Until you do so I'm dumb!"The captain stepped back and regarded me with a look of amazement.

"Now," continued I, "I threw that keg into the sea because the wind and waves will carry it to my friends on the Coral Island, who happen to have a pistol, but no powder.I hope that it will reach them soon, and my only regret is that the keg was not a bigger one.

Moreover, pirate, you said just now that you thought I was made of better stuff! I don't know what stuff I am made of, - I never thought much about that subject; but I'm quite certain of this, that I am made of such stuff as the like of you shall never tame, though you should do your worst."To my surprise the captain, instead of flying into a rage, smiled, and, thrusting his hand into the voluminous shawl that encircled his waist, turned on his heel and walked aft, while I went below.