The Madman and the Pirate by Robert Michael Ballantyne (each kindness read aloud TXT) 📕

us now. No fiend!" he repeated in a shout, glaring at a spot in the bushes where Ebony, unable to restrain his feelings, had unwittingly come into sight.

Suddenly changing his purpose, Zeppa let go his son and sprang like a tiger on the supposed fiend. Ebony went down before him like a bulrush before the hurricane, but, unlike it, he did not rise again. The madman had pinned him to the earth and was compressing his throat with both hands. It required all the united strength of his son and the negro to loosen his grasp, and even that would not have sufficed had not the terrible flame which had burned so long died out. It seemed to have been suddenly extinguished by this last burst of fury, for Zeppa fell back as helpless as an infant in their hands. Indeed he lay so still with his eyes closed that Orlando trembled with fear lest he should be dying.

"Now, Ebony," said he, taking the negro apart, when they had made the exhausted man as comfortable as possible on his rude couch in the cave; "you run down to the ship and fetch the doctor here without delay. I will be able to manage him easily when alone. Run as you never ran before. Don't let any soul come here except the doctor and yourself. Tell the captain I have found him--through God's mercy--but that he is very ill and must be carefully kept from excitement and that in the meantime nobody is to disturb us. The doctor will of course fetch physic; and tell him to bring his surgical instruments also, for, if I mistake not, poor Rosco needs his attention. Do you bring up as much in the way of provisions as you can carry, and one or two blankets. And, harkee, make no mention of the pirate to any one. Away!"

During the delivery of this message, the negro listened eagerly, and stood quite motionless, like a black statue, with the exception of his glittering eyes.

"Yes, massa," he said at its conclusion, and almost literally vanished from the scene.

Orlando then turned to his father. The worn out man still lay perfectly quiet, with closed eyes, and countenance so pale that the dread of approaching death again seized on the son. The breathing was, however, slow and regular, and what appeared to be a slight degree of moisture lay on the brow. The fact that the sick man slept soon became apparent, and when Orlando had assured himself of this he arose, left the cave with careful tread, and glided, rather than walked, back to the place where the pirate had been left. There he still lay, apparently much exhausted.

"We have found him, thank God," said Orlando, seating himself on a bank; "and I would fain hope that the worst is over, for he sleeps. But, poor fellow, you seem to be in a bad case. Can I do aught to relieve you?"

"Nothing," replied Rosco, with a weary sigh.

"I have sent for a surgeon--"

"A surgeon!" repeated the pirate, with a startled look; "then there must be a man-of-war off the coast for South sea traders are not used to carry surgeons."

"Ah! I forgot. You naturally don't wish to see any one connected with a man-of-war. Yes, there is one here. I came in her. But you can see this surgeon without his knowing who or what you are. It will be sufficient for him to know that you are an unfortunate sailor who had fallen into the hands of the savages."

"Yes," exclaimed Rosco, grasping eagerly at the idea; "and that's just what I am. Moreover, I ran away from my ship! But--but--do _you_ not feel it your duty to give me up?"

"What I shall feel it my duty to do ultimately is not a matter for present consideration. Just now you require surgical assistance. But how did you come here? and what do you mean by saying that you ran away from your ship?"

Rosco in reply gave a brief but connected narrative of his career during the past three years, in which he made no attempt to exculpate himself, but, on the contrary, confessed his guilt and admitted his desert of death.

"Yet I shrink from death," he said in conclusion. "Is it not strange that I, who have faced death so often with perfect indifference, should draw back from it now with something like fear?"

"A great writer," replied Orlando, "whom my father used to read to me at home, says that `conscience makes cowards of us all.' And a still greater authority says that `the wicked flee when no man pursueth.' You are safe here, Rosco--at all events for the present. But you must not go near the cave again. Rest where you are and I will search for some place where you may remain concealed till you are well. I shall return quickly."

Leaving the pirate where he lay, Orlando returned to his father, and, finding that he still slept, went off to search for a cave.

He soon found a small one in the cliffs, suitable for his purpose. Thither he carried the pirate, laid him tenderly on a couch of branches and leaves, put food and water within his reach, and left him with a feeling of comfort and of contentment at heart that he had not experienced for many years.

That night the surgeon of the "Furious" ascended to the mountain cave. His approach was made known to Orlando, as he watched at the sick man's side, by the appearance of Ebony's great eyes glittering at him over the bushes that encircled the cave's mouth. No wonder that poor Zeppa had mistaken him for a demon! Holding up a finger of caution, Orlando glided towards him, seized his arm, and, after leading him to a safe distance, asked in a low voice--

"Well, have you brought the doctor?"

"Ho, yis, massa, an' I bring Tomeo and Buttchee too."

"Didn't I tell you to let no one else come near us?" said Orlando in a tone of vexation.

"Dat's true, massa, but I no kin stop dem. So soon as dey hear dat Antonio Zeppa am found, sick in de mountains, dey swore dey mus' go see him. I say dat you say no! Dey say dey not care. I say me knock 'em bofe down. Dey say dey turn me hinside hout if I don't ole my tongue. What could dis yar nigger do? Dey's too much for me. So dey follered, and here dey am wid de doctor, waiting about two hun'rd yards down dere for leave to come. But, I say, massa, dey's good sort o' fellers after all--do whatever you tells 'em. Good for go messages, p'raps, an save dis yar nigger's poor legs."

Ebony made the latter suggestion with a grin so broad that in the darkness his face became almost luminous with teeth and gums.

"Well, I suppose we must make the most of the circumstances," said Orlando. "Come, lead me to them."

It was found that though the strong affection of the two chiefs for Zeppa had made them rebellious in the matter of visiting the spot, the same affection, and their regard for Orlando, rendered them submissive as lambs, and willing to do absolutely whatever they were told.

Orlando, therefore, had no difficulty in prevailing on them to delay their visit to his father till the following day. Meanwhile, he caused them to encamp in a narrow pass close at hand, and, the better to reconcile them to their lot, imposed upon them the duty of mounting guard each alternate couple of hours during the night.

"He will do well," said the doctor, after examining the patient. "This sleep is life to him. I will give him something when he awakes, but the awaking must be left to nature. Whether he recovers his reason after what he has passed through remains to be seen. You say he has been wandering for some time here in a state of insanity? How came that about?"

"It is a long and sad story, doctor," said Orlando, evading the question, "and I have not time to tell it now, for I want you to visit another patient."

"Another patient?" repeated the surgeon, in surprise; "ah! one of the natives, I suppose?"

"No, a white man. He is a sailor who ran away from his ship, and was caught by the natives and tortured."

"Come, then, let us go and see the poor fellow at once. Does he live far from here?"

"Close at hand," answered Orlando, as he led the way; "and perhaps, doctor, it would be well not to question the poor man at present as to his being here and in such a plight. He seems very weak and ill."

When the surgeon had examined Rosco's feet he led Orlando aside.

"It is a bad case," he said; "both legs must be amputated below the knee if the man's life is to be saved."

"Must it be done now?"

"Immediately. Can you assist me?"

"I have assisted at amateur operations before now," said Orlando, "and at all events you can count on the firmness of my nerves and on blind obedience. But stay--I must speak to him first, alone."

"Rosco," said the youth, as he knelt by the pirate's couch, "your sins have been severely punished, and your endurance sorely tried--"

"Not more than I deserve, Orlando."

"But I grieve to tell you that your courage must be still further tried. The doctor says that both feet must be amputated."

A frown gathered on the pirate's face, and he compressed his lips for a few moments.

"And the alternative?" he asked.

"Is death."

Again there was a brief pause. Then he said slowly, almost bitterly--

"Oh, death! you have hovered over my head pretty steadily of late! It is a question whether I had not better let you come on and end these weary struggles, rather than become a hopeless cripple in the prime of life! Why should I fear death now more than before?"

"Have you any hope of eternal life, Rosco?"

"How can _I_ tell? What do _I_ know about eternal life!"

"Then you are not prepared to die; and let me earnestly assure you that there _is_ something well worth living for, though at present you do not--you _cannot_ know it."

"Enough. Let it be as the doctor advises," said the pirate in a tone of resignation.

That night the operation was successfully performed, and the unfortunate man was afterwards carefully tended by Ebony.

Next day Tomeo and Buttchee were told that their old friend Zeppa could not yet be seen, but that he required many little comforts from the "Furious," which must be brought up with as little delay as possible. That was sufficient. Forgetting themselves in their anxiety to aid their friend, these affectionate warriors went off on their mission, and were soon out of sight.

When Zeppa awoke at last with a deep sigh, it was still dark. This was fortunate, for he could not see whose hand administered the physic, and was too listless and weak to inquire. It was bright