The Pirate Story Megapack. R.M. Ballantyne

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СКАЧАТЬ in love with her, and however hopeless his cause he knew that there would never be for him any other girl.

      That Newton Foster was heels over head in love was also patent. Kitty would stand in the bows hour after hour, looking with yearning glances, with lips half-parted, at the far horizon. And Foster was almost invariably with her. But the girl’s heart was in her eyes, searching for the lift of land where she might find her father. Thought of his safety was paramount; it possessed her utterly and not until he was found would she, or could she, think of matters concerning only her own happiness. If he was not found—It would be long before anyone might comfort her, as a man tries to console a woman, and bring about forgetfulness.

      Jim saw that Newton made little headway in Kitty’s affections though he was quick to say things that fitted her mood, to make suggestions at which she smiled, apt at imagining fortunate happenings for which she was grateful. Yet, as his own love grew for this girl, so plucky, so wise and yet so sweet, so brave and still so feminine, so full of grace and beauty, jealousy sometimes plucked at Jim to the quick. There were perforce many leisure moments when he had nothing to do but think and dream of the future—a future from which he could not imagine Kitty Whiting eliminated, and which often clouded as he considered the vanity of aspiring to familiarity with her.

      “They make a fine-looking pair,” Jim said to Lynda Warner one night as they came up from below and saw Kitty and Newton at the taffrail, their figures merging into one in the star-dusk, both gazing down at the wake, Newton’s head turned toward hers, his talk provoking a laugh. It seemed to Jim that they were already mating. His prick of jealousy was deepened by his belief that Newton was weak, lacking in purpose and decision, inclined to be lazy, self-indulgent, a laggard in everything but lovemaking and conducting that with a genius that might well involve the girl before she realized it, so cleverly did young Foster submerge his own passion with sympathy.

      “Heaven forbid!” said Lynda. “They are both good-looking, if that is what you mean. Being of opposite sex perhaps the one sets off the other when they are together. But Newton is not the only man in the world who would look well by the side of Kitty and she by him. They are not matched any more than opposites can be. When Kitty mates it will be because she falls in love, and when she does that it will be with a man-size lover. I suppose there are possibilities in Newton, but he has much to do to even up his shortcomings. Besides, he is her cousin. He might be willing to ignore the relationship, but I know that Kitty would never marry anyone in whom her own blood ran. The trouble with you, Jim Lyman,” she added, in her rich voice that was her one great outward charm, “is that you make two big mistakes.”

      “What are those?”

      Lynda laughed. “I like you enough to tell you. It is doubtful if you would ever find them out for yourself. One is that you don’t know how to appraise yourself, not knowing how a woman makes her valuations of a man; the other that you fail altogether to realize that Kitty Whiting is not either angel or fairy, but a very human being. A woman may use her head, Jim, but she has not yet progressed to the place where reason displaces sentiment. Certain types of women need certain types of men. Kitty is ninety percent feminine. She will fall in love with a ninety percent male. A man with a man’s force and strength. She would rather have a man who would bully her a little than one who would worship her. I’ve given you enough to think about. When the right time comes, apply your digested knowledge. Good luck to you and good night.” She left him gasping.

      The wind began to get capricious the second day out and they had to resort to gasoline, much against Jim’s will. He had wanted to save all he could for emergencies, but there was no help for it and Sanders once more took charge of the motive power. They were now where the prevailing wind was southeast, and even if it blew steadily, they, sailing into it on a southeasterly course, could not expect to do better than eight knots, besides falling off in leeway. With the engine, despite the reek of oil, the vibration and the extra heat, all petty annoyances that loom large when the thermometer is over a hundred, they had the satisfaction that every revolution, every turn of the screw sent them ahead, straight to their destination. It seemed to sing a chant of progress:

      One foot—two feet—three feet—four!

      Five feet—six feet—one fathom more!

      Eight hundred and eighty fathoms to a land mile! One thousand and fourteen and a half to a nautical mile! Six thousand and eighty-seven feet divided by six. One nautical mile to a minute, sixty of them to a degree. It was possible to calculate the exact time of arrival, of the moment when they might expect to see the beckoning finger of craggy rock showing through the torn mist.

      Newton and Kitty worked out the sums, and checked them off on the chart as they progressed. It was a sort of game calculated to relieve the tension and was not confined to the cabin. Jim gave a talk to the crew. They had cleared from Suva as for “island ports,” but he knew that curiosity was rife as to their destination, that the men had speculated on the appearance of the Shark, and also on the fact that they had been given firearms practice. He wanted to know how far he could count on them. The Fijian natives were more or less carefree and adventurous. They also had a wholesome fear of the British Government and conceived themselves as lent to the Seamew, to be returned in good time and repair, plus satisfactory wage, providing they did their duty and behaved themselves. There were six of them, three of whom had served in the Fijian native police, all good swimmers, brave and faithful, fair shots, handy men, fine sailors; messing, sleeping, and keeping to themselves, unconcerned for the morrow, willing and strong.

      Jim held consultation with Kitty and Lynda over his speech. Newton was admitted to the council out of courtesy. Even Baker knew nothing of their purposes. It was decided unwise to mention pearls.

      “We’ve got to arm our landing party,” said Jim. “We can’t count on my experience as to there being no natives. If on visiting the ship we should uncover a million dollars in pearls, it might turn the heads of our crew.

      “I don’t want to discriminate against any of them. I think Baker’s all right. I am sure of Sanders and Wood, and Douglas Moore would fight like a fiend for whichever side his temperament happened to attach itself to. He could argue himself right under any conditions and spill his blood as freely as the other chap’s to prove it. Walker’s game and square. I don’t know that any of them are not, but I am sure the best way would be to ally them with us by taking them into our confidence to a certain extent. I’ll call ’em aft at the end of the dog-watch.”

      “We are going down to an island where I was once wrecked,” he told the listening men, all hands assembled down to Li Cheng and the monkey, the kanakas grinning in a rear circle of their own. “When I was there I discovered a fine ship stranded in the jungle where some big wave had flung it. That ship, men, was called the Golden Dolphin. Its model is below in the main cabin. It was built by the father of Miss Whiting, who has chartered this schooner to search for him, believing him to be alive.

      “It is to the interest of certain people, for business reasons, to get in touch with Captain Whiting before we do, to prevent our finding him until they have secured what they want from him. We believe those men to have been following us from Honolulu, in fact from the States. We hope we have thrown them off the trail. If we have not we are not afraid of them. We look to you to stand by us.”

      There had been a shuffling of feet and a rolling of eyes when Jim mentioned the pursuit. Nods passed between the men.

      “There may be hostile natives,” Jim went on. “I am authorized to state that there will be extra pay—a substantial bonus—for all those who volunteer, but it is distinctly understood that you do volunteer, for shore duty. Nothing will be held against you if you prefer to stay aboard. But—the main factor of this trip of ours is the rescue of Miss Whiting’s father, to crown with success a venture that has brought her nearly ten thousand miles by sea and land. She takes the chances that I ask you to СКАЧАТЬ