My Danish Sweetheart, Volume 3 of 3

rather than disturbed by the dull, pinion-like beat of the mainsail swinging into the mast, by the occasional creak breaking forth from some slightly strained bulkhead, and by the half-muf

the memory in me of what had just now been enacted-with thoughts in me of two corpses scarcely yet cold sinking, still sinking, at but a little distance from the vessel-these men opposed a horribly formidable array of countenances to the gaze. Their various dyes of complexion were deepened by the lantern light; the grote

into this silence, so to speak, to expend in speech and questions the emotions which were keeping my heart fiercely beating; but I w

olding a book. Nakier took it from

erved that he sometimes said de and sometimes the-'it

ort of devices in gold and colour. The writing was in red, and every page was margined with a finely ruled red line. What tongue it was written in I could

white teeth in a smile of gentle, respectful congratulation that put a

said I. 'I cannot tell.

onate gesticulation, addressed them; on

ing and pointing and writhing and work

ite conten

with him. He stood erect, blending the grace of a reposin

ing men. They would make we poor Mussulmans sin, and would send we to hell. And why? Dey not care at heart our soul for to save. We came here for work: we gib dem dis for dere money'-he elevate

he fellows understood the man; but acquiescence was strong in every

e added, with a sudden piercing rise in his melodious voice, and a flush of the eye that was emphasized somewhat alarmingly by an unconscious clutch of his hand at the empty sheath strapped to his hip. But his manner instantly softened, and his voice sweetened again,

dem as not belong to Cape Town ship for dere own country. But dis ship must not steer for Cape Town. When w

almost oppressed by the sudden simultaneous

Cape Town

call near to Ca

d him. We anchor and go ashore a

ve a lit

s is that we should put ye as

alled the fellow na

ere, Misser Vise. Near Cape Town, I

shore, anyhow?'

an no

young lady and I wish to return home? The Captain refused to part with us-he insisted on carrying us with him-we

igate de ship

' I exclaimed, turni

iling. 'What! along with these-arter what's-'

lk like that!' cried I. 'Miss Ni

Oi!' said

oarsely sho

say?' exclaimed

other vessel,' said I, 'and leave this barque

shaking of heads on either side the table. Nakier made a c

nd you, sah, and you, Misser Vise, and

, 'there's me for wan as is ready to take moy oath that I'll say nothen a

was happily unintelligible to him, for which I was exceedingly grat

ng her eyes to my face or turning her head, said softly, in little more than

s are formed, and they mean to have their way. We must seem to consent. Let us agree, that the

of determined faces to gather that argument, that even hesitation would merely result in speedily enraging the fellows; that they were not to be influenced by the most reasonable of our wishes; that our lives had been spared in order that we should convey them to a place of safety; and

urried aside

is must be left to me! If you interfere

dressing

o be navigated to some part of the South

ed, holding up one fin

rive at will have to be

nger, followed by a

communicate wit

nodding and smiling, and

hen?'

and we swear by de Koran to be true,

e refuse?

sweeping his hands forward

with an air of resolution which, I fear, was but

nderstand!'

e are we to l

motioning round the cuddy; 'dis is

d Abraham. 'No more of your

me!' rumb

astily to address them. 'Be advised. Do not

ill they settled on Nakier, 'that we shall be waited upon as usual, an

id Nakier demonstratively,

Me sabbee what you like. Me get dem room ready,'

, then said softly to Helga, w

ything further for

them to take

ill navigate this ship for you. But first you and your mates will s

ied, and there was a ge

and do our bidding as though we were the officers of this ship. Explain this to your men,

ceive of him as a species of man-serpent capable of fascinating and paralyzing with his marvellous eyes, holding his victim motionless till he should choose to strike. His influence over the others was manifestly supreme, and I had no doubt whatever that the tragedy which had been enacted was his, and wholly his, by the claim of creation and command. While he talke

turning her h

swear too. Your bare assur

rom side to side, then suddenly lifted both his hands in the most dramatic posture of denunciation that could be imagined, and hissed some

take. I speak not well your language, but dis is my speech in English of what you shall hear.' Then, composing his countenance and turning up his eye

de good Lord of all things, if break dis

oath that Nakier had essayed to make English of. This done, the book was handed to the next man, and so it went round, all in dead silence, broken only by the strange, wildly

who immediately glided out of the cabin-none of these men seemed to walk: the motion of their legs resembled that of skaters. I was wondering what was to happen next, when the fellow who had

ery honest,' I wh

Instantly every man's arms were pointed at us, with the index fingers tou

t is allee right,

ught the stain on the deck; an expression of horror worked in her face like a

ng Helga, 'we look at de chart and fin

seemed sensible of a subtle spirit or quality of command in the fellow, as though he was now disguising his sense of power

the spot you have in

navigation,

hand that comprehended the two boatmen and my

her, and said, looking at

on deck is

nswered Abraham, with an u

to sleep,' said Nakier; and he went in his sliding, spirit-like fashio

d crew were gone, a sense of the unreality of what had happened possessed me. It was like starting from a n

were planning and plotting,' exclaimed Helga. 'Dark

miss,' said Abraham; '

'as dorn't mean for to be carried to the Cape in a bloomin'

ten those leather lun

rearms knocking ab

; 'we shall be able to m

s in yo

me time to think. I believe that not only ar

ilor's lass to get such a fancy as that into her head! I

s staring at

ard? He-leven wisps of coloured yarn! He-leven heffigies with backbones separately to be broke like this!' He crooked his knee, and made as if he were breaking a stick across it. 'Are we,' he cried, with the blood mounting to his face and an expression of wrath

. 'What do you want?-to court the de

e than the watch are below; three or fower may be on deck. Ain't the scuttle forrards to be clapped down over the forecastle, where they lie safe as if they was at the

upon us in sheer c

tter than tha

his right knuckles; 'but s'elp me Moses I'm not here to be killed. Them chaps are born knife-stickers. Touch one, and you're groaning at your length on deck, with a mortal wound in your witals. An

eyes watching us, as Miss Nielsen says. This holding a council is not going to

you company

ham. 'It's moy watch

ith a bewildered manner

he poor chap's cry-the way they chucked him overboard--' He buried his eyes in his coat-sl

e mean to come! What's your

d I, looking at the timepiece, the hand

as a violent irritant to the nerves on top of the fancy of the secret, fiery-eyed obs

t, in gloom, in the ocean silence that lay upon the barque, imagining the movement of dark shapes in the blackness that came like a wall to the cabin-door, and the gleam of swiftly receding eyes peering at us through the cabin skylight. Regularly through th

That which might have been acute horror was subdued into little more than a dull and sickening consternation by perception of our own peril. Yet I would look at those berths lying on either side the cuddy front, as thoug

upon some part of the South African coast, near enough to Cape Town to enable them to trudge the distance, but too remote from civilization for the movements of the barque to be witnessed. That was their

s for nothing, yo

ffer us to testify to their crime.' Under the serpent-fair exterior of Nakier lay as passionl

gaze, or that of another subtle as himself, might be upon us. He was

ut it was not until she spoke and delivered her plot bit by bit that I understood the reason of her silence while I had been feverishly whispering my fea

ight, but very quiet. I bade Abraham and the other man go

that long before this time to-morrow the barque shall be our own, with nothing more for you to do than to calculate the value of the salvage. I'll find

, drew away from them, moving towards the wheel. They hung as though sta

ourse was the right navigation for the South African coast, and so forth. He answered me throatily, w

possible to tell where a man might be lying listening and hidden. Twice I beheld the flitting of a shadow in th

out to the daylight, lifting her ashen canvas with a gloom about the deck where the forecastle ended, as though the blackness of the night had been something tangible, and the lingering shadows betwixt the rails fragments and tatters of it. I swept the sea-line. The ocean was a gray deser

s against the long-boat. I called, and they

k that stain out of the deck as

nute were on their knees scraping violently. With a dreadful feeling

frosted silver, hung high and motionless-mere pearly feathers or vapour, to be presently absorbed. Helga went below, to her cabin under the deck. When I asked her if she di

His salute was full of respect, and he surveyed me with eyes so gentle and so cordial, that one looked to see the engaging tenderness of his heart overflowing his face in smiles. So much for appearances! The most poisonous-fanged rogue of them

is his watch below, but I desire his presence and help while I overhaul th

rooping his lids, the k

We have agree, and we ask you,' he continued with a smile that put an expression of coaxing into his handsome fa

we get there, what do you

e go ashore,

im to send Abraham aft, that he and I and the young lady might examine the contents of the Captain's cabin, ascertain the situation of the ship when observations were last taken, and confer as to the course to be ste

deck were 'loafing about,' to use the expressive vulgarism, one lounging against the bulwark-rail with another talking to him; here a fellow squatting like a Hindoo blowing a cloud, there a couple patrolling ten feet of deck, their arms folded upon their breasts. There was no gesticulation, no excitement, nothing of the swift fie

appliances. My real motive is to create an opportunity to acquaint you with the plot Miss Nielsen and I settled between us

ed to

eep a look-out while we are below, will you?'