And presently eat indeed they did, Adam with such appetite as was his own astonishment.
"Mr. Troy," said he, when at last his hunger was satisfied, "sir, I have very much to thank you for ... your sympathy, for this I am grateful beyond words."
"Dost reckon me thy friend, Adam?"
"Indeed, needs must I."
"Then never 'master' or 'mister' me that is thy friend, call me Absalom or, since 'tis such plaguey mouthful, make it 'Lom' as do certain others, a few ... and tell me this, have ye many friends, Adam, or relations?"
"No."
"Good! For one staunch friend is better than many, and relations, dammem, are generally a curse and plague. So then you've no ties or grapples to hold ye fast aground here in England?"
"Not one!"
"Good again! For, damme, Adam, but I'm mighty set on carrying ye off along o' me, shipmates, you and I.... The broad ocean, the clean winds, and the Main, Adam, the Spanish Main! The golden Indies, Hispaniola, Tortuga, Santa Catarina, the Isle o' Pearls. Ay, and 'twill be noble venture besides,—to save from the hell o' slavery divers goodly gentlemen, poor souls and woeful prisoners, bound for the plantations. Well, how say you, friend, will ye sail with me?"
"With you," Adam murmured thoughtfully, "yet who beside?"
"Certain lusty fellows, well chosen and prime sailor-men all, here with me lie four o' the chiefest, namely—Captain Smy Peters, Nicholas Cobb, Abnegation Mings and Matt Appleby."
"There is also," said Adam, pinching his long chin between nervous, sinewy fingers, "the man Abner."
"Ay, ay, though he's no more than mere lubberly rogue. But for the rest, they be all tried and sober men, well beknown to me and to each other.... Hast ever heard tell o' the Brotherhood o' the Coast, Adam?"
"Never."
"Ah well, 'tis a staunch company, and powerful in the Indies and along the Main, and made up of English, French, Scots, Hollanders and others, good, bad and indifferent,—like Life itself, Adam. So now, will ye 'list with us, wilt hazard thy life—first to the rescue of these doomed prisoners and thereafter dare Fortune on thine own account?"
"How so, Absalom?"
"Join the Brotherhood, as my sworn comrade."
"And what then, Absalom?"
"To live a man's life, Adam, hearty and free, or die as a man should—on his feet and in fullness o' strength, hailing Death as friend and cheerily."
"To die—suddenly," nodded Adam, "on my feet to welcome Death as kindly friend,—ay, this were better than to perish by inches—cowering in a bed! So, Absalom, I'll with thee,—to win fortune and power or six foot of earth, or say—five foot and an inch. So, when do we sail?"
"Three days hence, from Shoreham."
"Then shall be time a-plenty for that I have to do, and the sooner the better. Pray lend me weapon of some sort,—pistol, hanger or rapier, any shall serve."
"Ay, but to what end, Adam?"
"The performance of a sacred duty."
"Ay, and might a friend ask—what?"
"I go to kill my uncle."
"Madre de Dios!" murmured Absalom, opening his blue eyes wider than usual, while Adam, leaning head on hand, sighed deeply and explained:
"It was he betrayed my father, his own brother, to shameful death ... that ghastly, twitching rope...!"
"Art sure o' this, Adam?"
"Beyond all doubt."
"Then 'tis case of homicide justifiable, eh, Adam?"
"So I believe, for he is murderer beyond reach of the law, therefore I must be his death—or he mine."
"How then, you'll fight him, messmate?"
"Indeed!" nodded Adam.
"Nay, lad, I protest 'tis fool's way to deal with a murderer."
"Agreed!" answered Adam. "Yet, for my father's sake, I had rather die such fool than live and feel myself a murderer. So this guilty man shall fight for his life, and howsoever it end, I shall be content, myself now having no least fear of death."
"Why then, Adam, an thou'lt be Nemesis and slaughter thy nunks, I, like trusty friend, will——" He paused and turned sharply as the door opened to disclose a shock-headed country fellow in smock-frock who beckoned with back jerk of thumb, saying:
"Oh, Cap'n, youm wanted main bad in kitchen or bloody murder will be for sure. There be Must' Abner in kitchen, wi' loaded dag, all full o' rum and Old Nick 'e be—in kitchen along wi' Cap'n Mings an' landlord Ben and dame in kitchen, sir, and all on 'em backed rearwise into corner—in kitchen 'e be and swearin' very 'orrorsome."
Up leapt Absalom with swirl of wide coatskirts and a pistol which seemed to have leapt to his fist from the air.
"Burn him! Is he drunk again, Tom?"
"Ay, sir—leastways, fightin'-sober, I'd say—in the kitchen, Cap'n, and——"
"Devil take the sot! I'll go wing him——"
"Pray—no!" said Adam, rising very nimbly. "This Abner kicked me, yester evening, so this morning, by your leave, I'll deal with him."
"Eh—you, little master?" quoth Tom, shaking shock head. "Nay, he'd eat ye, 'e would,—bolt and swaller ye at jest one mouthful 'e would."
"Yet should I choke him—mayhap. Howbeit, friend Absalom, put up thy pistol and suffer me to try."
"Why now, messmate," said Absalom dubiously, "'tis murderous rogue very powerful and should ye fail——"
"'Twill be an end o' my grief, Absalom—come!"
A stone-flagged passage brought them to a wide, pleasant kitchen where, crouched in a corner stood two men and the buxom hostess fronting a great, brawny fellow, stripped to the waist, who pounded on broad, hairy chest with one fist and flourished a pistol in the other.
"Lookee now," cried he fiercely, "when I goes for to kiss a woman, she ain't agoin' for to deny me, no nor nobody else ain't neither, and anybody as says me different——"
"Swinish beast!" hissed Adam, in such a voice that the fellow started and turned to stare in open-jawed amazement. "Fool!" cried Adam, pointing suddenly. "Look! Look behind ye, there, fool—there!" Instinctively this man Abner glanced back across his wide shoulder and, in that moment, Adam leapt, grasped the pistol by lock and barrel, wrenched, twisted, and sprang back and with the weapon levelled at the scowling face of Abner who, blinded by rage, groped for the cutlass a-swing at his hip.
"Good!" exclaimed Adam, and gave the pistol into Absalom's ready hand saying, "Lend me a hanger, somebody." A cutlass was thrust into his grasp; he balanced the weapon, shook his head and sighed at it, then with the broad blade advanced, fronted his mighty adversary and instantly their steel rang together in vicious cut and dexterous parry; then, with these sharp, curved blades grinding together they circled one another.
"Now, fool," said Adam, gazing up at his brawny antagonist narrow-eyed, "do your utmost best or I'll blood ye—fight, numps—fight!"
Wrought thus to a very frenzy, the man Abner uttered a beast-like, inarticulate howl and smote full-armed, terrible blows that were somehow deftly turned or narrowly eluded by this small, puny creature who seemed always only just out of reach, who moved so nimbly on dancing feet and who, bobbing white head, laughed and mocked.
"One!" cried Adam, out-flashed his levelled steel—and there on Abner's brawny arm was thin trickle of blood. Abner gasped a curse and smote the wilder; but his furious, cutting strokes were avoided or turned aside and each parry was followed by instant, lightning thrust, for whereas Abner used only the edge, Adam plied the quicker point, rapier-fashion.
"Two! Three!" he cried; and presently, "Four! Five! Six! ..." And now Abner's great, bare arms and chest were flecked by small spots and scarlet runnels.
"I'm blooding ye, fool, I'm—blooding ye!" Adam panted. "Drop your ... useless steel or ... I'll cut ye into ... foul gobbets." Abner gasped hoarse curses, his attack grew feeble, he gave back and back until at last, stung beyond endurance by these ceaseless pin-pricks and cowed by the sight of his own blood, he staggered aside to the window, dashed his cutlass to the floor and clambering out through the wide casement, reeled away like a drunken man.