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[Written for The Flag of our Union.]
BEYOND "DESOLATION." No. IX. by W. H. Macy.
With the rising of the sun, the schooners were moored off the Point, and the operation of " rafting off " superseded all other duties for the day. We had no time to devote to the investigation of the dreadful mystery of the night; for smooth weather was not to be depended upon for any length of time, and our work must be pushed forward with the utmost despatch. The process of hauling off casks of oil and blubber from a surf-bound shore is one that can only be performed under the most favorable circumstances, and even then, requires much care in preparation, as well as severe labor in its execution. A strong rope, a hundred and twenty fathoms long, was made ready to string a raft of twenty casks, by splicing into it tails of smaller rope, at intervals of six fathoms. Strong beckets are driven under the hoops of the casks, and being rolled in tiers on the slope of the beach, twenty of them are bent to the raft rope, and a line is run from the schooner to the shore. This line is hauled taut when the first cask is rolled into the breakers, and is kept taut by those on board, during the whole operation. When the second cask touches the water, the first is outside of the roller, and thus being kept always six fathoms apart, they cannot possibly strike each other while in the surf. In this manner the whole cargo of the "Woodlark" was floated off and hoisted on board. The shades of evening were upon us before our arduous toil was finished, and tired, drenched and hungry, we returned to the Nest. The schooner again went back to the Bight to complete her stowage, and make everything snug for sea. We found our shipmate comfortable, and all the symptoms favorable for his recovery, Dr. Churchill, who, as has beenjalready seen, did not hesitate, in the cause of humanity, to set (Captain Proctor openly at defiance, had determined to remain on shore for a few days, that he might be near his patient. Brave hearts on every side beat in sympathy for their suffering comrade; and rough, but willing hands, were not wanting wherever they could be useful, while the devoted young girl was at hand, ready with the hundred little services and attentions that only woman thinks of in such cases. "He is doing well," said the surgeon, after his final examination for the night, '' and I see nothing to prevent his recovery, if we are careful of him. It was an ugly stab, though, and a slight change of direction would have put him beyond the reach of my art." "Has he been able to give any account of how the accident happened?" inquired Fielding. Only he and I were listening to the doctor at the moment, for we had stood talking together outside when he came out. "It was no accident," replied Dr. Churchill, in a suppressed voice. "There's an assassin somewhere among us. But perhaps it is as well to keep the matter quiet for the present, as we have but a slight clue to his identity." "How do you know this?" I asked, in astonishment. "From his own statement, which he made to me and Miss McDougal only. I was well enough satisfied of it before, from the circumstantial evidence." He then informed us that Dave's lance had been found near the spot where he had fallen, and was brought in soon after we had gone to our work in the morning. It had no stain of blood upon it; and, furthermore, the doctor was positive that the wound had been made with a knife. As Bryant's own knife was also clean, and still in its sheath when he had been found by Warner and his companion, the theory of accidental injury was effectually set aside in the surgeon's mind. When the patient was able to talk a little during the day, he had stated that he had been stabbed by a small man closely muffled in a dark monkey-jacket and slouched sou'wester, who had risen fron behind a hillock of sand, and rushed upon him unawares. He had no chance to recognize his assailant, who struck but one blow, and disappeared in the darkness, running in the direction of the Rookery. A small man, in a dark jacket and sou'wester! My adventure in the first watch came back to my mind for the first time since its occurrence. I had not thought of the possibility of murder, and the affair had been dismissed from memory almost as soon as it occurred. "Say nothing," said I, as soon as the thought flashed upon me; "I know the man." "Is it one of our crew?" demanded Fielding. "No, I am glad to say it is not." "I did not think Dave Bryant had any enemy on the beach," he said, musingly. "Nor do I think so yet," I answered. "The blow was intended for me. You remember that he had relieved me at one o'clock, and that he wore my jacket and hat." And I proceeded to relate my affair with the little, dark foreigner from the "Argyle," whom I had rapped on the head with my lance-pole. "I will make sure of it to-morrow morning," I continued, when I had finished my story. "I have only to show myself to him, he supposing me, of course, to be dead, and he cannot help showing signs of guilt." "That's true," said the doctor. "A guilty conscience will need no accuser, but if you don't object, I would like to accompany you in the morning." "All right," I replied. "Come with me, and I will show you the murderer. In the meantime we'll say nothing of our suspicions in-doors." We communicated our intentions to McDougal, Warner and Burdick, under strict injunctions of secrecy. They had all called during the evening to make inquiries after the wounded man, and we thought it well that, as leaders of the other parties, they should be made acquainted with all that we knew. Burdick, of course, was for making a raid upon the Cape Towners that very night, and thus securing the murderer before we slept; but so hasty a measure was at once overruled by the rest of us. "A question arises," said Dr. Churchill, "which may as well be considered now, as at any other time. What shall be done with him after he is secured?" "Hang him, of course," said Warner, who appeared to see no difficulties in the way. "The law must take its course." "Just so. That's easily said; but what law? Under what law is he to be tried, or who is to try him?" "Lynch law, to be sure," put in Burdick. "We must organize a court and try him ourselves." "There are great difficulties in the way of . getting justice done. Hanging would be a fit punishment for murder; but if Bryant recovers, as I now think he will, the crime will be simply 'assault, with intent to kill,' and what shall be the penalty for that offence in the Hurd's Island code?" "Hanging, I should say," replied Burdick. "The crime is the same, if he meant to kill the man; and it's plain enough that he did." "Perhaps," said Fielding, speaking now for the first time, "It would be as well to fix the penalty after having convicted the prisoner of a murderous assault; for, situated as we are, the court and jury must also be the legislators. I see no other way to get justice except by taking the law into our own hands, as Burdick has already suggested. I've been thinking it over, and there's an intricate question of jurisdiction. If this man be really guilty, he belongs to an English vessel, and the victim to an American one; while the assault is committed, as one might say, nowhere; for it is neither under any particular flag, nor is it on the high seas. We couldn't very well kidnap him and take him to the Stales for trial, and if he goes back in the "Argyle" to Cape Colony, thereMl be nothing done about it." "Just so," observed the astute Warner. "What's everybody's business is nobody's, and if we are to get any satisfaction we must take it ourselves. As for the degree of punishment, I should be willing, for one, to leave that to Bryant himself, as he has been the sufferer, and it might be a satisfaction to him to fix the sentence." "Or, why not to me ?" said I, " since the blow was meant for me, and he only received it through mistake?" "Well, that's true," returned he of the "Adelaide," seeming to be forcibly struck by this luminous idea. "That would do just as well. I don't know as I'd care, either way." "Captain McDougal," said Fielding, "as the oldest officer on the beach, I presume you will not refuse to sit as judge of the court?" "I should not, if called upon to do so; but should certainly decline fixing the penalty myself. That should be done, I think, by a jury, drawn from a full list of all the men on shore, so that the criminal's own shipmates would stand an equal chance with the rest of us, of serving upon it. No punishment, in my opinion, could be too severe for the cowardly assassin, for such he is, whether Bryant lives or dies; but the sole responsibility of fixing it ought not to rest upon any one man. But suppose we discover and capture the man before we discuss this, matter further; for here comes Caroline, and it is time for me to be going. We shall stay on board the 'Daphne' to-night," he added, in an undertone, to Fielding and myself. "We shall be much nearer at hand, in case of any change; and, besides, the dear girl has a wonderful attachment for her seaside residence, as she terms it." The surgeon and I were early astir in the morning, and after a hasty breakfast, set forth on our mission as detectives. The air was cold and raw, but there was but little surf on the shore, as the wind was still from the south-west quarter. Our*route took us up the beach towards the anchorage of the fleet, and as we rose upon an elevation, we had a fair view of the three schooners, which had taken advantage of the fayoring breeze, and were already under sail for Desolation. The gaff-topsail of one of them was still fluttering, in the act of being hoisted, while the other two were nearly hull down in the northern board. The Argyle Arms, as the shanty of the Cape party had been christened, stood on a hill, but a short distance below the Glacier, which, overtopping it, served to protect the situation, in some measure, from the effects of a violent norther. It commanded a clear prospect to seaward, and a view of the vessels in the Bight, without going out of doors, but was neither so convenient to the work on the Point, nor so well sheltered as the others, nestled among the tussocks on the lowlands. They had not chosen the site with a view of wintering there, as they expected to fill the schooner and leave in March, if not sooner. As we ascended the hill-path which led up to the house, we encountered a party, with lances and backing-poles, coming down to their day's work. The little man of whom we were in search was among them, and, pointing him out to Dr. Churchill, I managed to place myself in his way. As his eyes met the searching gaze of mine, he averted his face with a sheepish laugh, as if a little ashamed of his conduct at our last meeting, and plodded on without taking any notice of us. There was nothing vindictive in his looks, nor could the slightest sign of terror be detected, or even of surprise at meeting me, alive and well. "Are you sure that's your man?" the doctor asked. "I am sure that's the man that I rapped for tampering with my elephant's marks, and telling me I lied. I know him well enough, and he knows me, but" "You are on a wrong scent," he interrupted. "The man is as innoceut as I am." "So I think, myself," I replied. "It's quite impossible that he could carry it off in that manner, if he thought he had killed me, and he could have no motive for attacking Bryant, knowing who he was. I confess that I've got as far as puzzled. But let's keep on to the shanty and see Morgan. Perhaps we may make some discoveries that will throw light on the affair." We met Morgan at the door, just preparing to follow his gang to the beach. I was less acquainted with him than with the beach-headers, but had formed a good estimate of him from his bluff, honest appearance. "Good-morning," said he, heartily. "I am glad to see you up our way. Come in and sit down. How is Bryant, who got the ugiy wound the other night?" "He is doing well, thus far," I replied; "thanks to the care and skill of Doctor Churchill, here. The surgeon of the ' Garrick,' " I added, by way of introduction. "Glad to see you, doctor. So you think his life can be saved, eh? Have you any idea," he inquired, turning to me again, how it happened? Is he able to tell you anything?" "Yes," said I," we know that it was done intentionally, and I am sorry to say that our suspicions point to one of your men."' "One of my men!" he answered, in astonishment. "Well, you wouldn't say so, of course, without good cause. Who is he, and what are the grounds of suspicion?" "I don't know his name. A small, dark man, who looks like a cross between a Parsee and a Portuguee." "That's the little Cholo, Pedro," he answered, at once. "But why do you think he is guilty ? M I then related the particulars of our dispute on the memorable night, and all the circumstances up to our meeting him as we approached the house. And here, I confessed, that I was baffled by his behavior, and was now inclined to believe the man innocent. "I think he is," said Morgan, without hesitation. "But you shall have every chance, so far as I am concerned, to sift this matter to the bottom. Let's punish the murderer, by all means, if we can find him out; and if Pedro is not guilty, we'll have him triumphantly cleared." "Of course we will," we both answered, in a breath. "Now," demanded Morgan, "Can you tell at what time of the night, or morning, Bryant was stabbed?" "Not very exactly," I replied. "He relieved me at a few minutes after one, and it must have been about three when he was found by Warner on the beach." "That gives two hours to veer and haul upon." "Yes; but I hope to-day he will be able to tell us more about it," said the surgeon. "We can get his own estimate as to how long he had been out, if it is important." "It may be," returned Morgan, in a meditative way. "If I'm not mistaken, your shipmate was thought to be rather attentive to Captain McDougal's daughter 1" "I think he was," said I guardedly; "though I don't see what that has to do with the matter." "Perhaps nothing—perhaps much," he said, his honest eyes meeting mine as he spoke. "I don't ask to be impertinent, but it may be of some importance to know this. She liked him, too?" he went on. "Yes, I have reason to think she did." I felt that I ought to give true answers to his questions, but did not see the necessity of telling how far the attachment had progressed. "Had they met that night?" "Yes," said I, " in the evening, while I was on the beach." "But I mean after he relieved you?" "I presume not, though it's not impossible." "She passed the night with her father, at the Wreck, I believe?" "Yes, she did," I replied, more and more mystified at each inquiry. Morgan ruminated a minute, then suddenly rising, he said: -- "Find out all you can from Bryant, if he is able to talk to-day, and come here to-night when my party are at supper. I will detain Pedro, and we can then arrest and hold him for trial. I am satisfied that he is innocent, but it may be difficult to show it. Say nothing about my catechism," he added, with a laugh, " or forget it all, if you like." He shouldered his lance, and we all three descended the hill together. We conversed on general subjects, but no further allusion was made to the matter which had occasioned our visit. Morgan soon left us, striding on down the Point to overtake his own party, while we returned to the Nest and made our rep"brt to Fielding, suppressing, however, the strange questions of Morgan, as he had requested. |
Source:W. H. Macy
This publication may be found in the ProQuest/American Periodicals collection.
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Last updated by Tom Tyler, Denver, CO, USA, January 08, 2025.
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