"Yarimao, Capa-cupa. Guan-uco. In-ca!" Then, pointing to Adam, he bowed, saying, "El Capitano Ad-dam," and, gesturing towards the frowning boy, contrived to say: "Smee-eege."
"Well now," quoth Adam, "if he be Inca he is no mere savage. We will call him Mao and he shall be your friend, Smidge, I hope. However, I trust you to look after him."
"Ay but—how, sir, if you please?"
"See he is properly clad. Show him the use of a sword and how to speak English and, as I say, to read and write. By teaching him, you shall better learn yourself. Report to me both after supper. Now, off with ye."
"Ay ay, sir. Bear alongside o' me, Mao; I'll do my best with ye, 'cording to orders, to learn you A.B.C. and how to be a Englishman."
CHAPTER XXXV
HOW ADAM MET BLACK BARTLEMY
Days passed, but Sir George and Sir Benjamin (busied ashore with much traffic) bringing no least news of their lost companions, Adam at last determined on an expedition to explore the island himself nor cease his quest until all was known. His mind once made up, he set about it,—that is to say he reached for the silver bell beside him, then paused, arrested by sound of music slowly drawing nearer. Acting on sudden impulse, he rose, went forth upon the lofty stern-gallery and thence beheld a ship's longboat, but this a thing of splendour with silken canopy whence came this languorous music and rowed by brawny fellows in gorgeous livery.
Now perceiving this luxurious craft was making for his ship, out on deck went Adam, wondering. And thus he presently beheld a creature of supreme elegance who minced in his walk and held very daintily a gold pomander to the delicate, arched nose of him, a gentleman garbed all in black from arrogant-curling feather in bejewelled hat to the toes of his dainty shoes; diamonds glittered and pearls shimmered in the creamy laces at his throat, gleamed on one finger of his slim though muscular hand, sparkled in the gold hilt of his long rapier and flamed upon his arching insteps. This sombre magnificence was followed by a great, swaggering fellow who flourished bright steel hook in place of left hand, chewed tobacco voraciously and spat with ferocity, right and left. Beholding Adam, this gentleman ambled forward languidly, bowed graciously, sniffed at his scented pomander delicately and murmured:
"Lemme die, sir, but your ship reeks damnably o' tar!"
"Which, sir," answered Adam, bowing as graciously, "I prefer infinitely to the reek o' musk, civet, or suchlike cattish smells."
"Aha!" murmured the gentleman. "A hardy mariner, I perceive, very bluff, extreme tough, though something small as mariners go,—yet nevertheless, hardy! And now, sir, pray go inform your Captain I would ha' word with him, one Adam Penfeather, called The Buccaneer."
"You behold him, sir."
"Now do I, indeed? Sir, I am astounded!"
"And whom do I astound, pray?"
"Oh, sir, I am Captain Bartlemy, called 'The Black'. Other names I have, or had, but in these outlandish latitudes it contents me to permit such as will to name me Black Bartlemy, a title, sir, perhaps not wholly unknown to ... even yourself."
"Indeed!" Adam nodded. "I know it for name of much detested rogue and pirate notorious."
Black Bartlemy's delicate nostrils quivered as he sniffed at his pomander, while his tall follower's hook glittered in sudden menace and he spoke in blustering tone:
"So ho now, ye hear him, Captain? This paltry skipjack,—ye hear him?"
"And you, Tressady, I would not hear, so—be dumb!"
"As you says, Captain, as you says!" quoth Tressady, spitting ferociously, while his master viewed Adam with faint-smiling arrogance.
"So you are the Captain Adam Penfeather they call The Buccaneer, and more bloody and merciless than any rascal pirate in The Main,—a choice, hypocritical smug that calls on God and blasts poor sailormen to hell! Ha truly, Captain Adam, thou'rt sober, smock-faced manslayer of deeds so splendidly atrocious I am here with some thought of enlisting your powers with mine 'gainst Santo Domingo, a place of much wealth, sacked years agone by Frankie Drake, but far richer booty to-day, and—what's more to me, famous for the warm beauty of its women. Now Fame, sir, except she lie as usual, speaks you as crafty strategist ashore, and an artful strategy is required since the city is well-seated for defence and therefore difficult to assail. Well, now, myself and yourself, with eight or nine other captains to my command, might contrive very well. Say three or four weeks hence ... by surprisal. How say you?"
"First," answered Adam, "I would say if your mannerless rogue fouls my deck with his beastly spittle again, or flaunts that hook of his, he shall be kicked overboard,—and secondly, Black Bartlemy, I invite you now to leave in fashion more seemly."
"Ha, Captain, he crows!" exclaimed Tressady. "He croweth like very small bantam cock on his own dunghill,—he crows and be damned."
"Silence!" said his captain, and with such look that the big fellow quailed and, lifting hook to hat-brim in sullen humility, was dumb, while his master surveyed Adam beneath languor of drooping eyelids.
"Might one ask the wherefore of your refusal, sir?"
"Because I've no will to be associate with one so black as Bartlemy."
"Well now, Sir Buccaneer, can it be possible you mean to affront me ... you?"
"Would this so astound you ... again, sir?"
"Beyond expression! For, Captain Adam, despite your extraordinary bloody reputation, you are in your person so very much the opposite of a Goliath or, say a Hercules. Hitherto such misguided heroes or venturesome braggarts as have dared me and died of it, have been sizable braggarts and——"
"Sir," retorted Adam, his keen eyes narrowing, "you may now remove yourself."
"Anon, sir, anon," answered Bartlemy, smiling engagingly. "I hurry myself for no man, few women, and take orders from neither. Also you tickle my fancy, being so very much other than expected. Ah yes, and in this plaguey weariness called Life, the unexpected hath a charm. I find you a creature anomalous, neither boy nor man, with hair like a hoary patriarch, eyes of a devil and the smug, sanctimonious airs of a Puritanic, psalm-smiting preacher."
"Have you done?" enquired Adam, studying the pale, arrogant features of the speaker, this once handsome face now marred by evil. "Have you finished?"
"By no means, Captain Adam. You have, sir, incredible fact,—affronted me, and this is so new in my experience that it becomes my pleasure to inflict you upon myself to our mutual exacerbation. Thus we may continue to affront one another by look, by gesture and by word, though with due punctilio, until we attain the natural climax of drawn steel—its delicate insinuation,—to the content of both and demise of one."
"Verily," said Adam, pinching his chin thoughtfully, "by all accounts 'twould be meritorious act and for the general good to rid the world o' you, Black Bartlemy."
"Many have tried, sir, yet do I live and flourish as the bay tree. But yourself, now, might succeed where so many failed, I say—you might, though I gravely doubt it. You were wiser to curb your valorous and vaulting ambition and—remain alive."
"For instance," continued Adam, as if Bartlemy had not spoken, "I might with justice hang you from the yard-arm with your ruffian, as pirates both."
"Certainly, Captain Hypocrite, since we are but two and your buccaneer cut-throats all about us," murmured Bartlemy, "but then I should as certainly ... take you with me...." As he spoke, his slender, right hand was armed suddenly with a dagger, its narrow, triangular blade glinting evilly.
"I see!" nodded Adam, and folded his arms.
"No,—but you shall!" smiled Bartlemy, and tossing the dagger aloft he caught it dexterously by the blade and thus showed the haft—of gleaming silver exquisitely wrought in the form of a naked woman who seemed to stand poised upon his fist a shape of wicked beauty. "Lo now, Sir Captain,—here she stands! My Silver Woman! This priceless wanton! Many fair women have I possessed yet none so fair as this ... my Silver Lady whose kiss is—death! You behold her, sir?"