The Pirate Page 11

  CHAPTER VIII.

  He was a lovely youth, I guess; The panther in the wilderness Was not so fair as he; And when he chose to sport and play, No dolphin ever was so gay, Upon the tropic sea.

  WORDSWORTH.

  The light foot of Mordaunt Mertoun was not long of bearing him toJarlshof. He entered the house hastily, for what he himself had observedthat morning, corresponded in some degree with the ideas which Swertha'stale was calculated to excite. He found his father, however, in theinner apartment, reposing himself after his fatigue; and his firstquestion satisfied him that the good dame had practised a littleimposition to get rid of them both.

  "Where is this dying man, whom you have so wisely ventured your own neckto relieve?" said the elder Mertoun to the younger.

  "Norna, sir," replied Mordaunt, "has taken him under her charge; sheunderstands such matters."

  "And is quack as well as witch?" said the elder Mertoun. "With all myheart--it is a trouble saved. But I hasted home, on Swertha's hint, tolook out for lint and bandages; for her speech was of broken bones."

  Mordaunt kept silence, well knowing his father would not persevere inhis enquiries upon such a matter, and not willing either to prejudicethe old governante, or to excite his father to one of those excesses ofpassion into which he was apt to burst, when, contrary to his wont, hethought proper to correct the conduct of his domestic.

  It was late in the day ere old Swertha returned from her expedition,heartily fatigued, and bearing with her a bundle of some bulk,containing, it would seem, her share of the spoil. Mordaunt instantlysought her out, to charge her with the deceits she had practised on bothhis father and himself; but the accused matron lacked not her reply.

  "By her troth;" she said, "she thought it was time to bid Mr. Mertoungang hame and get bandages, when she had seen, with her ain twa een,Mordaunt ganging down the cliff like a wild-cat--it was to be thoughtbroken bones would be the end, and lucky if bandages wad do anygood;--and, by her troth, she might weel tell Mordaunt his father waspuirly, and him looking sae white in the gills, (whilk, she wad die uponit, was the very word she used,) and it was a thing that couldna bedenied by man at this very moment."

  "But, Swertha," said Mordaunt, as soon as her clamorous defence gave himtime to speak in reply, "how came you, that should have been busy withyour housewifery and your spinning, to be out this morning at Erick'sSteps, in order to take all this unnecessary care of my father andme?--And what is in that bundle, Swertha? for I fear, Swertha, you havebeen transgressing the law, and have been out upon the wrecking system."

  "Fair fa' your sonsy face, and the blessing of Saint Ronald upon you!"said Swertha, in a tone betwixt coaxing and jesting; "would you keep apuir body frae mending hersell, and sae muckle gear lying on the loosesand for the lifting?--Hout, Maister Mordaunt, a ship ashore is a sightto wile the minister out of his very pu'pit in the middle of hispreaching, muckle mair a puir auld ignorant wife frae her rock and hertow. And little did I get for my day's wark--just some rags o' cambricthings, and a bit or twa of coorse claith, and sic like--the strong andthe hearty get a' thing in this warld."

  "Yes, Swertha," replied Mordaunt, "and that is rather hard, as you musthave your share of punishment in this world and the next, for robbingthe poor mariners."

  "Hout, callant, wha wad punish an auld wife like me for a wheenduds?--Folk speak muckle black ill of Earl Patrick; but he was a freendto the shore, and made wise laws against ony body helping vessels thatwere like to gang on the breakers.[33]--And the mariners, I have heardBryce Jagger say, lose their right frae the time keel touches sand; and,moreover, they are dead and gane, poor souls--dead and gane, and carelittle about warld's wealth now--Nay, nae mair than the great Jarls andSea-kings, in the Norse days, did about the treasures that they buriedin the tombs and sepulchres auld langsyne. Did I ever tell you the sang,Maister Mordaunt, how Olaf Tryguarson garr'd hide five gold crowns inthe same grave with him?"

  "No, Swertha," said Mordaunt, who took pleasure in tormenting thecunning old plunderer--"you never told me that; but I tell you, that thestranger whom Norna has taken down to the town, will be well enoughto-morrow, to ask where you have hidden the goods that you have stolenfrom the wreck."

  "But wha will tell him a word about it, hinnie?" said Swertha, lookingslyly up in her young master's face--"The mair by token, since I mauntell ye, that I have a bonny remnant of silk amang the lave, that willmake a dainty waistcoat to yoursell, the first merry-making ye gang to."

  Mordaunt could no longer forbear laughing at the cunning with which theold dame proposed to bribe off his evidence by imparting a portion ofher plunder; and, desiring her to get ready what provision she had madefor dinner, he returned to his father, whom he found still sitting inthe same place, and nearly in the same posture, in which he had lefthim.

  When their hasty and frugal meal was finished, Mordaunt announced to hisfather his purpose of going down to the town, or hamlet, to look afterthe shipwrecked sailor.

  The elder Mertoun assented with a nod.

  "He must be ill accommodated there, sir," added his son,--a hint whichonly produced another nod of assent. "He seemed, from his appearance,"pursued Mordaunt, "to be of very good rank--and admitting these poorpeople do their best to receive him, in his present weak state, yet"----

  "I know what you would say," said his father, interrupting him; "we, youthink, ought to do something towards assisting him. Go to him, then--ifhe lacks money, let him name the sum, and he shall have it; but, forlodging the stranger here, and holding intercourse with him, I neithercan, nor will do so. I have retired to this farthest extremity of theBritish isles, to avoid new friends, and new faces, and none such shallintrude on me either their happiness or their misery. When you haveknown the world half a score of years longer, your early friends willhave given you reason to remember them, and to avoid new ones for therest of your life. Go then--why do you stop?--rid the country of theman--let me see no one about me but those vulgar countenances, theextent and character of whose petty knavery I know, and can submit to,as to an evil too trifling to cause irritation." He then threw his purseto his son, and signed to him to depart with all speed.

  Mordaunt was not long before he reached the village. In the dark abodeof Neil Ronaldson, the Ranzelman, he found the stranger seated by thepeat-fire, upon the very chest which had excited the cupidity of thedevout Bryce Snailsfoot, the pedlar. The Ranzelman himself was absent,dividing, with all due impartiality, the spoils of the wrecked vesselamongst the natives of the community; listening to and redressing theircomplaints of inequality; and (if the matter in hand had not been, frombeginning to end, utterly unjust and indefensible) discharging the partof a wise and prudent magistrate, in all the details. For at this time,and probably until a much later period, the lower orders of theislanders entertained an opinion, common to barbarians also in the samesituation, that whatever was cast on their shores, became theirindisputable property.

  Margery Bimbister, the worthy spouse of the Ranzelman, was in the chargeof the house, and introduced Mordaunt to her guest, saying, with nogreat ceremony, "This is the young tacksman--You will maybe tell himyour name, though you will not tell it to us. If it had not been forhis four quarters, it's but little you would have said to any body, saelang as life lasted."

  The stranger arose, and shook Mordaunt by the hand; observing, heunderstood that he had been the means of saving his life and his chest."The rest of the property," he said, "is, I see, walking the plank; forthey are as busy as the devil in a gale of wind."

  "And what was the use of your seamanship, then," said Margery, "that youcouldna keep off the Sumburgh-head? It would have been lang ereSumburgh-head had come to you."

  "Leave us for a moment, good Margery Bimbister," said Mordaunt; "I wishto have some private conversation with this gentleman."

  "Gentleman!" said Margery, with an emphasis; "not but the man is wellenough to look at," she added, again surveying him, "but I doubt
ifthere is muckle of the gentleman about him."

  Mordaunt looked at the stranger, and was of a different opinion. He wasrather above the middle size, and formed handsomely as well as strongly.Mordaunt's intercourse with society was not extensive; but he thoughthis new acquaintance, to a bold sunburnt handsome countenance, whichseemed to have faced various climates, added the frank and open mannersof a sailor. He answered cheerfully the enquiries which Mordaunt madeafter his health; and maintained that one night's rest would relieve himfrom all the effects of the disaster he had sustained. But he spoke withbitterness of the avarice and curiosity of the Ranzelman and his spouse.

  "That chattering old woman," said the stranger, "has persecuted me thewhole day for the name of the ship. I think she might be contented withthe share she has had of it. I was the principal owner of the vesselthat was lost yonder, and they have left me nothing but my wearingapparel. Is there no magistrate, or justice of the peace, in this wildcountry, that would lend a hand to help one when he is among thebreakers?"

  Mordaunt mentioned Magnus Troil, the principal proprietor, as well asthe Fowd, or provincial judge, of the district, as the person from whomhe was most likely to obtain redress; and regretted that his own youth,and his father's situation as a retired stranger, should put it out oftheir power to afford him the protection he required.

  "Nay, for your part, you have done enough," said the sailor; "but if Ihad five out of the forty brave fellows that are fishes' food by thistime, the devil a man would I ask to do me the right that I could do formyself!"

  "Forty hands!" said Mordaunt; "you were well manned for the size of theship."

  "Not so well as we needed to be. We mounted ten guns, besides chasers;but our cruise on the main had thinned us of men, and lumbered us upwith goods. Six of our guns were in ballast--Hands! if I had had enoughof hands, we would never have miscarried so infernally. The people wereknocked up with working the pumps, and so took to their boats, and leftme with the vessel, to sink or swim. But the dogs had their pay, and Ican afford to pardon them--The boat swamped in the current--all werelost--and here am I."

  "You had come north about then, from the West Indies?" said Mordaunt.

  "Ay, ay; the vessel was the Good Hope of Bristol, a letter of marque.She had fine luck down on the Spanish main, both with commerce andprivateering, but the luck's ended with her now. My name is ClementCleveland, captain, and part owner, as I said before--I am a Bristol manborn--my father was well known on the Tollsell--old Clem Cleveland ofthe College-green."

  Mordaunt had no right to enquire farther, and yet it seemed to him as ifhis own mind was but half satisfied. There was an affectation ofbluntness, a sort of defiance, in the manner of the stranger, for whichcircumstances afforded no occasion. Captain Cleveland had sufferedinjustice from the islanders, but from Mordaunt he had only receivedkindness and protection yet he seemed as if he involved all theneighbourhood in the wrongs he complained of. Mordaunt looked down andwas silent, doubting whether it would be better to take his leave, or toproceed farther in his offers of assistance. Cleveland seemed to guessat his thoughts, for he immediately added, in a conciliating manner,--"Iam a plain man, Master Mertoun, for that I understand is your name; andI am a ruined man to boot, and that does not mend one's good manners.But you have done a kind and friendly part by me, and it may be I thinkas much of it as if I thanked you more. And so before I leave thisplace, I'll give you my fowlingpiece; she will put a hundred swan-shotthrough a Dutchman's cap at eighty paces--she will carry ball too--Ihave hit a wild bull within a hundred-and-fifty yards--but I have twopieces that are as good, or better, so you may keep this for my sake."

  "That would be to take my share of the wreck," answered Mordaunt,laughing.

  "No such matter," said Cleveland, undoing a case which contained severalguns and pistols,--"you see I have saved my private arm-chest, as wellas my clothes--_that_ the tall old woman in the dark rigging managed forme. And, between ourselves, it is worth all I have lost; for," he added,lowering his voice, and looking round, "when I speak of being ruined inthe hearing of these landsharks, I do not mean ruined stock and block.No, here is something will do more than shoot sea-fowl." So saying, hepulled out a great ammunition-pouch marked swan-shot, and showedMordaunt, hastily, that it was full of Spanish pistoles and Portagues(as the broad Portugal pieces were then called.) "No, no," he added,with a smile, "I have ballast enough to trim the vessel again; and now,will you take the piece?"

  "Since you are willing to give it me," said Mordaunt, laughing, "withall my heart. I was just going to ask you in my father's name," headded, showing his purse, "whether you wanted any of that same ballast."

  "Thanks, but you see I am provided--take my old acquaintance, and mayshe serve you as well as she has served me; but you will never make sogood a voyage with her. You can shoot, I suppose?"

  "Tolerably well," said Mordaunt, admiring the piece, which was abeautiful Spanish-barrelled gun, inlaid with gold, small in the bore,and of unusual length, such as is chiefly used for shooting sea-fowl,and for ball-practice.

  "With slugs," continued the donor, "never gun shot closer; and withsingle ball, you may kill a seal two hundred yards at sea from the topof the highest peak of this iron-bound coast of yours. But I tell youagain, that the old rattler will never do you the service she has doneme."

  "I shall not use her so dexterously, perhaps," said Mordaunt.

  "Umph!--perhaps not," replied Cleveland; "but that is not the question.What say you to shooting the man at the wheel, just as we run aboard ofa Spaniard? So the Don was taken aback, and we laid him athwart thehawse, and carried her cutlass in hand; and worth the while shewas--stout brigantine--El Santo Francisco--bound for Porto Bello, withgold and negroes. That little bit of lead was worth twenty thousandpistoles."

  "I have shot at no such game as yet," said Mordaunt.

  "Well, all in good time; we cannot weigh till the tide makes. But youare a tight, handsome, active young man. What is to ail you to take atrip after some of this stuff?" laying his hand on the bag of gold.

  "My father talks of my travelling soon," replied Mordaunt, who, born tohold men-of-wars-men in great respect, felt flattered by this invitationfrom one who appeared a thorough-bred seaman.

  "I respect him for the thought," said the Captain; "and I will visit himbefore I weigh anchor. I have a consort off these islands, and be cursedto her. She'll find me out somewhere, though she parted company in thebit of a squall, unless she is gone to Davy Jones too.--Well, she wasbetter found than we, and not so deep loaded--she must have weatheredit. We'll have a hammock slung for you aboard, and make a sailor and aman of you in the same trip."

  "I should like it well enough," said Mordaunt, who eagerly longed tosee more of the world than his lonely situation had hitherto permitted;"but then my father must decide."

  "Your father? pooh!" said Captain Cleveland;--"but you are very right,"he added, checking himself; "Gad, I have lived so long at sea, that Icannot imagine any body has a right to think except the captain and themaster. But you are very right. I will go up to the old gentleman thisinstant, and speak to him myself. He lives in that handsome,modern-looking building, I suppose, that I see a quarter of a mile off?"

  "In that old half-ruined house," said Mordaunt, "he does indeed live;but he will see no visitors."

  "Then you must drive the point yourself, for I can't stay in thislatitude. Since your father is no magistrate, I must go to see this sameMagnus--how call you him?--who is not justice of peace, but somethingelse that will do the turn as well. These fellows have got two or threethings that I must and will have back--let them keep the rest and bed----d to them. Will you give me a letter to him, just by way ofcommission?"

  "It is scarce needful," said Mordaunt. "It is enough that you areshipwrecked, and need his help;--but yet I may as well furnish you witha letter of introduction."

  "There," said the sailor, producing a writing-case from his chest, "areyour writing-tools.--Meantime, since bulk has been broken, I will
naildown the hatches, and make sure of the cargo."

  While Mordaunt, accordingly, was engaged in writing to Magnus Troil aletter, setting forth the circumstances in which Captain Cleveland hadbeen thrown upon their coast, the Captain, having first selected andlaid aside some wearing apparel and necessaries enough to fill aknapsack, took in hand hammer and nails, employed himself in securingthe lid of his sea-chest, by fastening it down in a workmanlike manner,and then added the corroborating security of a cord, twisted and knottedwith nautical dexterity. "I leave this in your charge," he said, "allexcept this," showing the bag of gold, "and these," pointing to acutlass and pistols, "which may prevent all further risk of my partingcompany with my Portagues."

  "You will find no occasion for weapons in this country, CaptainCleveland," replied Mordaunt; "a child might travel with a purse of goldfrom Sumburgh-head to the Scaw of Unst, and no soul would injure him."

  "And that's pretty boldly said, young gentleman, considering what isgoing on without doors at this moment."

  "O," replied Mordaunt, a little confused, "what comes on land with thetide, they reckon their lawful property. One would think they hadstudied under Sir Arthegal, who pronounces--

  'For equal right in equal things doth stand, And what the mighty sea hath once possess'd, And plucked quite from all possessors' hands, Or else by wrecks that wretches have distress'd, He may dispose, by his resistless might, As things at random left, to whom he list.'"

  "I shall think the better of plays and ballads as long as I live, forthese very words," said Captain Cleveland; "and yet I have loved themwell enough in my day. But this is good doctrine, and more men than onemay trim their sails to such a breeze. What the sea sends is ours,that's sure enough. However, in case that your good folks should thinkthe land as well as the sea may present them with waiffs and strays, Iwill make bold to take my cutlass and pistols.--Will you cause my chestto be secured in your own house till you hear from me, and use yourinfluence to procure me a guide to show me the way, and to carry mykit?"

  "Will you go by sea or land?" said Mordaunt, in reply.

  "By sea!" exclaimed Cleveland. "What--in one of these cockleshells, anda cracked cockleshell, to boot? No, no--land, land, unless I knew mycrew, my vessel, and my voyage."

  They parted accordingly, Captain Cleveland being supplied with a guideto conduct him to Burgh-Westra, and his chest being carefully removed tothe mansion-house at Jarlshof.

  FOOTNOTES:

  [33] This was literally true.