Then Adam laid by the weapon he had used to such purpose and turned to be gone; but to him came a sprightly man, a ruddy, smiling fellow who slapped him on the back, grasped and shook his hand, with joyful oath and question to every shake:
"I'm Mings, I am, mate! Abnegation Mings, that's me. And you can choke and let me rot if I ever see the like! Twas woundy miracle or let me drownd! And here's me to ax how 'twas done—and Abner twice the size o' ye, how, friend how?"
"It was because," answered Adam, putting his too eager questioner aside, "the man Abner is an ignorant clod and afraid to die, and I am neither." So saying he went from the kitchen, leaving clamorous amazement behind him.
Going forth into the garden, and the sun now very warm and glad all about him, he wandered here some while until he came upon a small arbour bowered in honeysuckle, and entering this pleasant shade, sat down and presently fell to troublous meditation. Bees hummed drowsily, birds chirped and piped above and around him and then, borne to him on the sunny air came a man's voice upraised in song and these the words:
"There are two at the fore,
At the main be three more,
Dead men that hang all of a row;
Here's fine, dainty meat
For the fishes to eat,
Black Bartlemy—Bartlemy ho!"
And presently forth into the sunshine came Absalom Troy to breathe deep of the fragrant air, while Adam watched him with a wistful envy,—such handsome fellow, blithe in his strength and vigorous manhood, all careless grace from curly head to spurred boot (thought Adam),—such tall, commanding figure despite shabby garments which had once been things of splendour. Now glancing from this shape of stalwart manhood to his own puny form with look of bitter dispraisal, Adam sighed very despondently. Then was a cheery hail and Absalom came striding to halt without the arbour, to fold his arms and gaze down at woeful Adam with a new interest.
"Messmate," quoth he, shaking comely head, "I protest you become my astonishment, I vow you do, or damme! For I perceive in thee a sucking Achilles, Ajax and Hector, one and indivisible. There's curst Abner bleeding like stuck pig and yourself untouched,—there's Mother Martha, Ben and Abnegation swearing 'twas spells and magic, here's myself astounded, as I say, and very fain to know the how of it."
"Here is nought for wonder," answered Adam, "the art of weapon-craft was born in me, and hath been well nurtured from my boyhood up, and by a very perfect swordmaster ... my patient tutor at each and every weapon, broadsword, backsword and rapier ... a tutor very able, very wise and kind."
"Ah," said Absalom, sitting down to set long arm about Adam's drooping form, "this was——?"
"Yes, my ... father," Adam answered, choking on the word. "By his will I had divers other famous instructors beside,—and this the reason. Upon a day, and I a schoolboy, my father found me in tears and bloody of face for I had been at fisticuffs, and I told him I wept not for my hurts but because God had made me so small and weak. Then he kissed me, saying: 'Comfort thee, my little son, for, though Nature hath cast thee in mould so small, the Lord hath blessed thee perchance in other ways, and there is a strength of soul nobler than power of body. But now because 'tis a harsh world for the weak and more especially if weakness be valiant and bold-hearted to dare the strong, I will show thee a craft, a mystery of weapons that, God aiding, shall make thee terrible as a giant, yet first promise me, little son, thou wilt be terrible only against the aggressor.' So I promised, and so was I instructed, and so ... may God rest and cherish the sweet soul of him!"
"Amen!" said a deep voice, and, glancing up, Adam beheld a lean, dark man, grim and somewhat sinister of aspect though very neat as to person and clad in garments of sober black.
"Messmate," said Absalom, gesturing towards this man, "you behold my good friend and shipmate Captain Smy Peters. Smy, here sitteth my young Achilles, Hector and Ajax called Adam. He hath mayhap another name, but no matter. Come you in, Smy, and sit likewise. So,—now here are we and presently, with somewhat to wet our whistles, we'll confer on what is to be, and the how and what o' things." Here, lifting his pleasant voice in mellifluous bellow, he hailed the house:
"'Mariner's Joy'—ahoy! Ho, Ben—ale, ahoy. Three tankards! And lively ho!"
"Young master," said Captain Smy, his harsh look softening, "sometimes,—let's say—occasionally—a good sire begetteth a good son, and thy so late sire, as I hear, was good and noble man, for Absalom telleth me he was of The Elect, a zealous servant o' the Lord. Now, by accounts, thou'rt a right lusty smiter, maugre thy size, and this should be a bond betwixt us, for I am myself a pre-destined smiter of Iniquity, and come of such Godly, hard-smiting stock that my good father, Lord love him,—had me christened Smite-Sin-With-Both-Hands, which, though original name, is yet one calling for such excess o' wind or breath that 'tis of necessity reduced and shortened to Smite, and this again to Smy. Being so named, I was so bred that smite sin I did and do when and wheresoever found, ashore or afloat. Ay verily, I've smote and been smitten right heartily ere now to the chastening o' poor, erring humanity,—in especial cursed Spanishers, Portugales, Papists and Pirates, rot 'em! Well now, I am still very zealous to 'smite the wicked in his sin and uproot the unrighteous in pride of evil', for, as saith Holy Writ,—'the soul of the transgressor shall eat violence'. Thus, friend, for thy right worthy father's sake, I humbly proffer my service to the proper and needful avenging of his innocent blood, even though I do but keep the door whiles Justice achieves."
"Sir," answered Adam, "I thank you gratefully, yet think I may better despatch alone."
"Nenny, messmate, no, no!" quoth Absalom. "For such business as this slaughter o' guilty nunks, two is better than one and three than two, and three are we. Moreover we languish in idleness very damnably, so—when shall the matter achieve, Adam?"
"To-night."
"Good! And whereaway, near or far?"
"But twelve miles or so."
"Good again! There be nags in stable, we ride to-night then, after supper. Now for thyself, Adam, what o' thy gear, clothes and so forth?"
"They lie at the 'King's Head', in Horsham, all I shall need."
"Very well. To-day, Ben or his man shall bear a writing from thee and fetch 'em away. Meanwhile since we shall be aboard ship pretty soon, 'tis but right we should tell thee—somewhat, eh, Smy?"
"With discretion, brother."
"Well then, Adam, you'll have heard tell of the Buccaneers and Pirates of the Main?"
"Yes."
"Good! Then, first and foremost—a buccaneer is no pirate."
"The Lord forbid!" quoth Smy, fervently.
"A pirate, Adam, lives for murder by murder. He is a lousy, pestilent fellow, a plague o' the seas, who will plunder and destroy any vessel weaker than his own—and of any nation. His sport is rape and slaughter of the defenceless, he is, in fine, a very bloody, vile rogue and damned rascal,—eh, Smy?"
"Ah, 'tis even so, friend Adam," nodded Smy, grimly. "He is an abomination, a rank offence whose iniquities reek to heaven."
"On the other hand, messmate, your true buccaneer hath but two enemies, to wit—himself by reason of drink and the devil, and the accursed Spaniard with his hellish slave-galleys, cruel autos da fé the which are public burnings—crowds of poor men, ay and women too,—and the most horrid torments of his Inquisition. Three good friends o' mine were tortured to death at Lima for no more than sailing those seas that the prideful Dons esteem their very own. The buccaneer, afore he rose against the Spanish tyranny, was a peaceful hunter,—beef and pigs, their flesh he dried and flavoured above a fire of spicy twigs called a 'boucan', and so cometh this name 'bucca-neer'. And of all the Buccaneer captains o' the Main, Adam, none better esteemed or more fortunate, up to a point, than Captain Smy Peters, of the Hope of Glory, thirty guns, and Absalom Troy, of the Golden Venture, twenty. And—of all pirates that foul the seas, no greater rogue or bloodier villain than Black Bartlemy, of the Ladies' Delight."