The Buccaneer Chief: A Romance of the Spanish Main

"But," he objected, "how can I be certain that you are not deceiving me?"

"An affecting confession," the stranger observed laughingly.

"Business is business, I risk my soul in serving you."

"As for your soul, my dear sir, reassure yourself; in that quarter you have nothing to risk. But I will give you the satisfaction you desire."

And taking a dark lanthorn from under his cloak, he let the light play on the diamond.

The Major only required one glance to assure himself of the value of the rich reward offered him.

"Are you satisfied?" the stranger asked, as he placed the lanthorn again under his cloak.

"Here is the proof," the Major answered, as he concealed the box, and handed him a bundle of papers.

"What is this?" the stranger inquired.

"Papers of great importance for you, in the sense that they will tell you who the Count's friends are, and the means they can employ to restore him to liberty."

"Bravo!" the stranger exclaimed, as he eagerly took the bundle of papers; "I no longer regret having paid so heavy a price for your assistance. Now we have discussed every point, I think?"

"I think so too."

"In that case, farewell! When I want you, I will let you know."

"Are you going already?"

"What the deuce would you have me do longer in this owl's nest? It is time for each of us to rejoin the persons waiting for us."

And after giving the Major a slight wave of the hand, he turned away and disappeared behind the ruins of the high altar.

At the same moment the stranger was suddenly seized by several men, so that not only was he unable to offer a useless resistance, but found himself bound and gagged before he had recovered from the surprise this attack had caused him.

His silent aggressors then left him rolling on the ground with convulsive bounds of impotent rage, and disappeared in the darkness without paying any further attention to him.

The Major, after a momentary hesitation, also resolved to leave the place, and slowly proceeded in the direction of the shore. On arriving within a certain distance, in obedience to skipper Nicaud's hint, he cocked his pistol and flashed the powder in the pan; then he continued to advance slowly.

The boat had doubtless made haste to meet him, for at the same moment as the Major reached the shore, its bows ran into the sand.

The governor stepped silently into it; twenty minutes after he found himself on board the lugger, where master Nicaud received him respectfully cap in hand.

The boat was hauled up to the davits, sail was set on the lugger, and she stood out to sea before a fresh breeze.

CHAPTER X

THE SEAGULL LUGGER

A lugger is a three mast vessel, with narrow lines aft and bulging bows; it has a foremast, mainmast, and a driver greatly inclined over the stern; its bowsprit is short; it carries large sails and at times topsails.

From this description it is easy to see that luggers have the same rig, on a larger scale, as chasse-marées.

Although the draft on water of these vessels is rather great aft, as they are generally quick and good sea boats, they are largely employed for smuggling purposes, in spite of the inconvenience of the large sails which have to be shifted with each tack.

The Seagull was a vessel of ninety tons, neatly fitted up, and carrying four small iron guns of eight to the pound, which caused her to bear a greater resemblance with a corsair than a peaceful coaster.

Still, in spite of a rather numerous crew, and her rakish appearance, during about a year since this vessel began frequenting the coast of Provence and the Lerins islands, not a word of harm had been said against her. Skipper Nicaud passed for an honest worthy man, although a little rough and quarrelsome, – faults, by the way, peculiar to nearly all sailors, and which in no way diminished the excellent reputation which the master of the Seagull enjoyed.

So soon as Major de l'Oursière had regained the lugger's deck, and the vessel had stood off, after taking a parting glance at St. Honorat, whose outline was gradually disappearing in the mist, he walked aft, seized the manrope and went down into the cabin.

But on entering the cabin, which he supposed to be unoccupied, as the skipper was on deck, the Major with difficulty restrained an exclamation of surprise.

There was a man in the cabin, seated at a table, and contently imbibing rum and water, while smoking an enormous pipe, and forming an aureole around him of bluish smoke.

In this man the Major recognised Michael the Basque, the fisherman.

After a moment's hesitation, the Major walked in, although the presence of this individual aboard the lugger was rather singular. Still there was nothing in the thing that should terrify the Major, who had no reason to suppose that Michael was hostile to him, or that he had anything to apprehend from him.

At the noise made by the Major on entering the cabin, the sailor half turned to him, though without removing the pipe from his lips. After taking a pull at the glass he held in his right hand, he said in a bantering tone, —

"Why, if I am not mistaken, it is our estimable governor of St. Marguerite; delighted to see you, I am sure, Major."

"Why," the Major replied, in the same key, "it's that worthy fellow, Michael. By what chance do I find you here, when I had a right to suppose you engaged fishing, at this moment, Lord knows where?"

"Ah!" said Michael, with a laugh; "There's as good fishing here as anywhere. Won't you take a seat, Major, or are you afraid of compromising your dignity by sitting down by the side of a poor fellow like me?"

"You do not think that," the Major answered, as he seated himself.

"Don't you smoke, eh?" Michael asked him.

"No; that is a sailor's amusement."

"It is so, Major. But I suppose you drink?"

The Major held out a glass, which the sailor liberally filled.

"Here's your health, Major. If I expected to meet anyone, it wasn't you, I assure you."

"I thought so."

"Indeed I didn't."

"Well, to tell you the truth, I did not expect to meet you, either."

"I am aware of that. You have come from St. Honorat."

"Hang it all! You cannot be ignorant of that fact, since I find you here."

"It was on your account, then, that we lost two hours in tacking between the islands, at the risk of running on to a reef, instead of attending to our business?"