The Buccaneer Chief: A Romance of the Spanish Main

"What do you mean by business? Are you a smuggler at present?"

"I am everything," Michael replied, laconically, emptying his glass.

"But what the deuce are you doing here?" asked the Major.

"What are you?" the sailor said, answering one question by another.

"I – I?" the Major began, in embarrassment.

"You hesitate!" Michael continued, banteringly. "Well, I will tell you, if you like."

"You, Michael?"

"Why not? You went to St. Honorat to admire the beauties of nature," and he burst into a hearty laugh. "Is it not so?"

"Yes. I have always passionately admired the picturesque. But that reminds me. I have forgotten to tell skipper Nicaud where I wish him to land me."

And he made a movement, as if to rise.

"It is unnecessary," the sailor said, obliging him to sit down again.

"How? Unnecessary! On the contrary, I must do it, without further delay."

"Still you have time, Major," the sailor said, peremptorily; "besides, I must speak with you first."

"You speak with me?" the Major exclaimed, in stupefaction.

"So it is, Major," the other replied, sarcastically. "I have very important matters to tell you. In your devil of a castle that is impossible, because you have there a number of soldiers and gaolers, who, at your slightest frown, interrupt the person addressing you, and throw him without ceremony into some hole, where they unscrupulously leave him to rot. That is discouraging, on my honour. But here it is far more agreeable, as I am not afraid that you will have me locked up – at least, not for the present. Hence, as the opportunity offers, I wish to take advantage of it to empty my budget, and tell you what I have on my heart."

The Major felt internally anxious, without yet knowing positively what he had to fear, so extraordinary to him seemed this way of speaking on the part of a sailor, who had hitherto always displayed a servile politeness toward him. Still, he did not allow anything of this to be seen, but leaned carelessly over the table.

"Very good, let us talk, since you feel so great an inclination for it, my good Michael; for I have time, as I am in no hurry."

The sailor made his chair turn half round on its hind legs, and finding himself by this movement right facing M. de l'Oursière, he examined him cunningly, for an instant, then drained the contents of his glass; and, after banging the empty glass on the table, he said, —

"It is really a charming passion of yours, Major, to go thus at night to admire the ruins of the convent of St. Honorat in the darkness. It is, really, a charming passion, and a very profitable one, from what I have been able to learn."

"What do you mean?" the Major asked, turning pale.

"I mean what I say, nothing else! Do you believe in hazard, Major?"

"Why – "

"No more, I fancy, in that which makes me meet you here, than in the chance that makes you find on a desert island diamonds worth three hundred thousand livres; because the one thing is as impossible as the other?"

This time the Major did not attempt to reply, for he felt he was caught out.

Michael continued in the same sneering and bantering tone —

"It is certainly ingenious to act as you do. A man soon grows rich by taking with both hands, but like all trades that are too good, this one is rather risky."

"You insult me, scoundrel!" the Major stammered. "Take care what you say. If I call – "

"Come, come," the sailor interrupted, with a coarse laugh; "I do not intend to notice the insult you cast in my teeth, for I have something else to do. As for calling out, just try it, and you will see what will happen."

"That – that is treachery!"

"Hang it! Are we not all more or less traitors? You are one – I am one; that is allowed: hence, believe me, it is useless to dwell any longer on this subject, and we had better revert to our business."

"Speak," the Major muttered in a gloomy voice.

"But, stay. I wish to give you a proof of frankness, and show you once for all how wrong you would be in keeping up, I will not say the least hope, but the slightest illusion as to what is going on here."

Then, tapping the table smartly with the heel of his glass, he shouted, —

"Come here, Nicaud, I want you."

A heavy step resounded on the cabin stairs, and almost immediately Skipper Nicaud's cunning face was framed by the doorway.

"What do you want, Michael?" he asked, without seeming even to notice the Major's presence.

"Only a trifle, my lad," the sailor replied, pointing to the officer, who had turned pale, through the emotion he felt. "Only a simple question for the personal satisfaction of this gentleman."

"Speak."

"Who is the present commander of the Seagull lugger, in whose cabin we are now seated?"

"Why, you, of course."

"Then everyone aboard, yourself included, must obey me?"

"Certainly; and without the slightest observation."

"Very good. Then supposing, Nicaud, I were to order you to take the Major here present, fasten a couple of round shot to his feet, and throw him overboard, what would you do, my lad?"

"What would I do?"

"Yes."

"Obey."

"Without any observation?"

Skipper Nicaud shrugged his shoulders.

"Shall I do it?" he asked, stretching out his huge fist towards the Major, who shuddered.

"Not yet," Michael answered. "Go back on deck, but do not go far, as I shall probably want you soon."