"Caruna, give me that knife!"
"Oh but, ma sweet Precious——"
"You have no need of it on this dear ship where everyone is so good and kind—especially poor Jimbo. Smile on him, Caruna, smile I say—this moment!"
The stalwart young negress glared on shrinking Jimbo, and then obediently flashed her splendid teeth at him in smile that was ferocious grimace.
"Now, my Caruna, the knife—give it to me!"
"Oh ma lady Precious Sweetness, dis knife save yo' once ... de time dat drunk sailorman would ha' savage yo' and——"
"I remember you nearly killed him, yes! But there is no such wickedness to kill here, Caruna, so give me the knife now, and go with me!" And mutely Caruna obeyed.
"Oh, Cap'n Adam! Oh Lord!" gasped Jimbo. "Yon black she-debble wench,—ma innards be shook and all of a quake!"
"Why then take heed not to go near my lady's cabin again."
"No, sah, no, sah—nebber, nebber no more!"
"Then bid young Smidge and Moa to me with their lessons."
CHAPTER XL
CHIEFLY CONCERNING ANTONIA, THE WOMAN
And now to Antonia this stately, battle-scarred ship became a home in best and truest sense; a small, compact kingdom ruled by Adam and, with him, order and an all-pervading cleanliness above deck and below, and where her own gentle graciousness won respect and eager welcome from all. Only Adam, because of her too-appealing beauty and helpless dependence upon his care, held more aloof, for her mere presence and constant nearness was a joy for him akin to pain. Her grief became his sorrow, the wistful sadness in her eyes made him yearn to fold her in the comfort of his arms: and because this desire must be fought and mastered, he would often seem morose and gloomy. At which times he would busy himself about the ship with John and Ned, or shut himself in his cabin or, as upon this present occasion, have himself rowed ashore. But now, standing on busy quay, he must pause to look back where the Santissima Trinidad rode at her anchors, because this tall ship was blessed by the presence of the One Woman and therefore had become for him a holy shrine.
So Adam looked, sighed and turned away to the task he had set himself. And this to visit the many crowded inns and riotous taverns of this lawless city in quest of the late members of his fighting crew, those hardy sons of the sea, who, squandering their wealth fast as possible, must soon be destitute and seeking new employ. But such of these as he chanced upon were either too happily drunk, too much in love with life ashore, or not yet sufficiently impoverished to heed his offers. And some of them he rebuked kindly, some he rated fiercely, and others he belaboured soundly with sheathed sword until they fled him, howling.
It was as he passed down a certain ill-famed street, with Jimbo and two chosen Dreadnoughts on his heels, that he heard sudden uproar with fierce laughter and a woman's scream, and though such clamours were usual hereabouts, yet to Adam that scream was a challenge not to be ignored. So he quickened his step and, turning a corner, beheld a red-faced man in tarnished finery seated beside an open wine butt,—in one hand he flourished a slopping quart-pot, in the other he grasped a struggling woman, who seemed of the better sort, while divers onlookers laughed, cheered, or cried shame.
"Basta!" cried the man. "Listen, for now I speak! I am Brazillo! You drink, madama bella, you drinka wi' the brave Brazillo—no? Ever'body what comes must drink health to Brazillo or take wine in face or steel in liver—yes! So now you drink, ma bella—no? Yes?"
"No!" said Adam. The man turned and loosing his trembling captive, stared on Adam in drunken astonishment.
"Is eet you, my so little man, dare say Brazillo the no? Then now I make you drink or slit your t'roat. I am Brazillo! I laugh, I keel, I kiss all womans, I——"
"Jimbo!"
"Yessah?"
Adam made a gesture, whereat Brazillo was seized in mighty hands, whirled aloft, plunged headforemost into his own wine butt and left kicking helplessly while the awed beholders scattered. Now as Adam turned to be gone, he was arrested by a remembered voice:
"Hold, sir! Hold, I beseech, for the swinish sot oweth me good money and must drown, asphyxiate, and perish in his own weakness, to wit—sack, or is it wine of Oporto? No matter, drown he will, and my money lost, except someone clap him by the nether man and hale him forth.... Why, as I live, and by the blessed Aesculapius—surely I behold again good Master Adam, pardon—Captain Penfeather, the Buccaneer, the famous 'Golden Captain'! Surely, sir, you'll mind me—I hope?"
"Truly!" answered Adam, reaching his hand to this very shabby and somewhat woebegone speaker. "You are Master Perks."
"Indeed, sir, I am that same and yet not the same,—eheu fugaces! For time, sir, hath dealt me divers and many unkindly buffets. I joy you yet remember me, for I—— Oh, by Galen and Hippocrates,—yon bullying Brazillo is still a-drowning."
"Somewhat!" nodded Adam. "Ay, pretty well. Howbeit you may heave him forth, Jimbo."
"Yassah! Him not quite dead yet, sah, him still work him legs a little." So saying, Jimbo grasped these now feebly-stirring shanks and jerked their owner from the barrel, dripping wine and more dead than alive.
"Ha! Hum!" exclaimed the little surgeon, kneeling to examine this spluttering, sodden bulk with professional eye. "He shall survive,—i'faith 'twould be hard to kill such arrant rogue, more especially with wine! But now, sir, pray what brings your nobility in such doghole as this vile street,—if I dare enquire?"
"I seek men o' my late command, Master Perks."
"Oh, sir, they are famous, and keep to the better parts o' the town. For, being of wealth abounding, they are very lords of creation, to be run after, fawned upon, and cheated until—their money gone, they shall become mere poor jacks again to be shunned, and to starve or creep back to sea. There be well nigh a score of 'em in the town clink, prisoned for drunkenness, fighting and—other male offences."
"Why then, I'd fain have 'em out. Could you aid me in this?"
"With all my heart, sir. There needs but to see the right persons—with small honorarium, palm-oil, sir, delicately administered. Go with me and I'll show you the method and way on't."
And so, when Adam had interviewed and feed certain officials, twenty-three members of his late crew paraded before him, their new finery of garments somewhat bedraggled, themselves, for the most part, woebegone and pallid with excess.
"Well, my poor hangdogs," quoth he, running his eye over these dejected 'lords of creation', "see now what evils prosperity ashore brings on ye! Queasy stomachs, prison and the devil! Ye that are Englishmen all,—ye that were o' late right hardy mariners, prime seamen bold for all hardship, now show no better than so many whey-faced, spiritless, slouching wastrels! So now—who'll 'list with me for a new venture and be clean men again? Who's for the wind and the sea and the stout Santissima? Who'll follow me for another bout with perilous fortune? Whoso will—let him step forrard."
And, as one man, they stepped.
"Very well!" nodded Adam. "Report yourselves on board where Master Bowser shall warn ye when we sail. Dismiss!"
"Sir," said the little surgeon, as they went on again, "I was on my way to you with proffer of myself and service, when we met. For, sir, among other evils, I fell sick, lost my practice, and am to-day well nigh destitute. 'Twas good friend o' mine who advised me to your service, for verily a surgeon you'll need if you would attempt San' Domingo as I'm told."
"Told?" repeated Adam, halting suddenly. "Who told o' this—this that should be secret?"
"An old and trusty friend, sir."
"Ay, but who, man, who?"
"Joel Bym, for——"
"So,—the fool tattles!"