Chapter XXI.

Otago Witness, Issue 1915, 3 August 1888, Page 29

Chapter XXI.

Vanderdecken Exhibits Some Treasure. When Vogelaar left the cabin to relieve Arents on deck, Vanderdecken exhibited a disposition to talk. He gently took Imogene's chin in his hand and chided her very tenderly, yet without the slightest quality of what we should call pleasantness in his manner. For this would have brought him to some show of good humour, whereas, never during the time I was thrown with him did I see the least light of merriment on his face. 1 say he chided her, but very gently, for crying at the delay caused by the storm, and exclaimed, motioning to me, " Here iaa seaman. He will tell you that this is' a stormy pare of the ocean, and that Jat this season of the year we must look for ; gales from the north-west,* bat he will also ko o w

that these tempests are short-lived and that a breeze from the east, north, or south niust carry us round the Cape as fairly as our helm controls us."

"Oh I that is so indeed, Miss Dudley," said I, quickly, and darting a meaning glance at her. And wishing to change the subject I went on : '• Mynheer, when I was in your cabin last night shifting myself I noticed a cross-staff. 'Twould be of.no use to you today, the sun being blotted out. Failing an observation, upon what method do you rely for knowing your position 1"

"What else but the log?" he exclaimed. " I compute entirely by dead reckoning. Ttye staff hath often set me wide of the mark. The log fairly gives me my place on the .sea card, and then theie is the lead.

I bowed by way of thanking him, for us this direction I gathered by his rcjuinder as much as he could have > acquainted rm> with in an hour's discourse ; besides, the earnest regard of the pair of sweet light eyes opposite reminded me that I must be very wary in showing myself inquisitive.

"You have a sharp sight, sir," said Vanderdecken, but speaking without any fierceness, " to see that fore-staff in my cabin by the faint light there was. What else did you observe 7"

I told him honestly, for I could imagine no challenge to his wr?th in answering that I had seen a speaking trumpet, sand-glass, pictures, and the like. But as though imogene knew him better and desired to shield me, she instantly said, " Oh, captain, will not you show Mr Fenton the pictures of your wife and children ? They will charm him, I know."

On this he called Prins to bring the pictures. If ever I had doubted this ship was the veritable Flying Dutchman, the portraits would tiave settled my misgivings once and for all. The material on which they were painted was cracked in places, and the darkness of age lay very gloomy and thick upon them. They were all of a size, about ] Oin long and 6in broad. He nut his wife before me first and watched me with his fierce eyes whilst I pored upon the painting. The picture was that of a portly lady in a black close-fitting cap, the hair yellow, the bosoms very large, a yquare-shouldered heavy woman of the true Dutch mould, round faced, not uncomely, and perhaps of five and forty years of! age. How she was dressed I conld not tell, but the arms were bare from the elbows, and they and the hands were, methoughb, delicately painted and exquisitely life-like. The others were those of girls of different ages. Which of them Captain Vanderdecken imagined Miss Dudley to resemble I could not conceive ; there was nothing in these darksome likenesses, albeib they represented maidenhood and infancy, to suggest a resemblance to the English beauty of the fragile, large-eyed, gold-crowned face of Imogene Dudley.

She that was named Geertruida was of a style that came close to good looks, eyes merry, dainty mouth, but cheeks too fat. Here was little Margaretha, for whom the piping swain had been purchased, peering at me with a half-shy, half- wondering look out of the dusky background.

As I returned them ona by one the captain took them from me, lingering long upon each and making such comments as " 'Tis Johanna to the life ! " meaning his wife. " What art is more wonderful than this of portrait painting? No age is likely to beat our time, and no nation the Dutch. How alive is the eye here ! Methinks if I spoke angrily to her she would weep ! " or " You will find this girl," meaning Geertruida, " a true sister, Imogene, homely, honest, and innocent, so fond of fun but yet so dutiful, that there is no woman in all Holland who would make a better wife ;" or "Ah ! little one, thy father \vill be with thee ere long," stopping to kiss the painting of his daughter Margaretha.

Piins stood by to receive the pictures, but Vanderdecken hung over this one for some minutes, falling motionless, insomuch that I thought another one of his strange fits or trances had seized him ; and perfectly still for those moments ware Miss Dudley and I, often glancing at each other as though both of us alike felt the prodigious significance imported into this spectacle of a father's love by the bellowing of the wind and the long, ■yearning, sickening, broadside rushes of the ship, ruthlessly hurled back by the surge and storm into the deeper solitude of those waters whose confines she was never to jpass. Now Arents lef b the table v never having given us, nor our talk, nor the pictures, the smallest imaginable heed. His going brought Vanderdecken back to life, so to speak ; and he handed the picture of his child to Prins. I looked at him, expecting, though God knows why, to see a tear. But whatever sensibility Heaven had permitted this man to retain did not appear in his face. Had it been cast in brass it could not have been harder and more impenetrable. His eyes were full of their former passionate scornful life and light. They made me think, supposing him to show now as he would have appeared at v the time of his death, that he was one who would have met his end full of impatience, imperious ,rage, and savage decrial of the holy ordinances of Nature.

But, oh I the sadness, the sadness of the spectacle I had contemplated. This tender perusal by a husbaud and father of the beloved lineaments of those whom he deemed living, aye, and still looking as thoy looked at him from the canvas, but who had been dead so many years that time had perhaps erased the name from the stone that marked the burial place of the youngest of them all — the little Margaretha. And how much longer would chose portraits last, I asked myself? Twas certain by the evidences of decay in them that they had not the vitality of the ship and of those who sailed her. What then ? The years would blot them out. Yet mercy he would surely deserve who loved his wife and children as this man did. And I still sometimes fondly hope that memory may be permitted te serve him in lieu of his eyes, so that in gazing upon the time-blackened canvas he may as truly see with intellectual sight the faces of his dear ones as though they stood out bright, fresh, and life-like, as at the hour in which they were painted.

All the time I looked at these pictures I would notice Miss Dudley watching me, quickly averting her gaze when mine met hers. I put down this scrutiny to her wish to gather my character, though I need not

at this distance expecfc to be reproached for my vanity if I say that I thought that was not her only reason for following me with her eyes. I pray you consider the life she had led since the destruction of her father's ship and^ the loss of her parents; how that, she was now grown to be a woman ; and how that I was not only a young, but bright,; fair, merry-eyed sailor, her own- countryman,' of the calling she loved for her father's sake, and the sweeter to her sight for breaking in upon her mournful life and offering to snatchher from the .frightful companionship of the Death Ship's crew.

But more of this anon

Whilst Prins was in the captain's cabin hanging up the pictures, she exclaimed : ", It is a dull and dreary day. How are we to kill the time!"

A.s nhe spoke the clock struck, and the parrot, instead of using her customary expression, laughed out loudly: " Ha ! ha! ha 1"

"That bird," said I, "seems to know what wo are talking about. It is a pretty notion of hers to laugh at your inquiry when she sees how vainly old Death in the clock yonder stabs at time." This I spoke in English. " What do you say, mynheer ?" demanded Vanderdecken.

" Oh, captain!" exclaimed Miss Imogene, as if she was carrying on the sense of my remarks, " could not we prettily dispatch an hour by looking at some of the treasure you have below ?" She laid her little white hand on his, and pleaded with her eyes. "Ie will be a treat to Mr Fenton to see the fine things you have, and I am still childish enough to love the sparkle of precious stones."

He turned to me and said, " Sir, I have no objection, but our countries are at war, and in case of your being transhipped I have to ask you on your honour as a gentleman and a seaman not to give information of the objects the lady desires me to show you."

I never before witnessed a finer dignity in any man's air than that which ennobled him as he spoke. I gave him my assurance, feeling that I cut but a mean figure in my manner of answering after his own majestic and haughty aspect and therich and thrilling tones in which he had delivered himself, nor will I pretend that I was not moved at the vanity and idleness of the obligation of silence he imposed upon me, for whatever treasure he had would be as safe in his ship as on the sandy bed of the sea, even though on my escaping I should go and apprise all tho admirals in the world of its existence.

He said no more, but, calling to Prins, ordered him to clear the table, bring pipes and tobacco, and then take some seamen with him into — as I understood — the halfdeck, and bring up two chests of treasure, those which were lashed on the starboard side, close against the bulkhead. The cloth was removed, we lighted our pipes, and after we had waited some little while, Prins, with several sailers, appeared, bearing among them two stout, apparently very heavy chests, which they set down upon the cabin floor, taking care to secure them by lashings and seizings to the' stanchions, so that they should not slip with the ship's lurches.

The sailors interested me so much that whilst they were with us, I looked only at them. It was not that there was anything in their faces, if I except the dreadful pallor, or in their attire, to fix my attention ; it was that they were a part of the crew of this accurst ship, participators in the doom that Vanderdecken had brought upon her, members of a ghostly band the like of which it might never be permitted to mortal man to behold again. One had very deep-sunk eyes, which shone in their dark hollows with much of the fire that gave a power of terrifying to those of the captain. Another had a long, grizzly beard, over which his nose, curved in a hook, his little eyes lay close against the top of his nose, and hair, that was wet with spray or rain, lay like new gathered seaweed down to pretty near his shoulder-blades. This man's name, I afterwards heard, was Tijaart Van der Valdt, whilst be that had the glowing eyes was called Christopher ltoostoff.

They all went about in the soulless, mechanical way I was now used to, and,' when they had set down the chests Prins dismissed them with an injunction to stand by ready to take them below again. The cases were about 3ft high, and ranging about sft long ; they were heavily girt with iron bands, and padlocked with massive staples. Prins opened them and flung back the lid«, and then, to be sure, I looked clown upon the treasures, the like of which in quality, I'll not say quantity, in one single ship, the holds of the Acapuloo galleons could alone rival, or the caves in which the old buccaneers hid their booty. Miss Dudley, seeing me rise, left her seat and came to my side. Vanderdecken stepped round, and leaned against the table, his arms folded, and his body moving only with the rolling of the ship. I should speedily grow tedious were I to be minute in my description of what I saw, yet I must venture a short way in this direction. In one box there were fitted four tra\s, each tray divided into several compartments and every compartment was filled with precious stones, set in rings, bracelets, bangles, and the like, and with golden ornaments, such as birds for the hair, brooches, necklets, chains for wearing about the waist or neck, and other such things of prodigious | value and beauty of device. I asked leave to examine some of these objects, and on picking them up noticed that some were of a much more antique character than others, insomuch that I said to Miss Imogene in English, "I suspect that much of these' splendours our friend will havo collected at different periods."

She answered in our tongue, " He can tell you what he purchased at Batavia, or what was consigned to him for delivery at Amsterdam, but his memory after that *is a blank, and the last wreck he can recall, in which lie found several quintals of silver and tinminted gold, is tha Vryhoid that he met — I cannot tell where — in a sinking condition."

" There is moro treasure aboard than this !" cried I,

" Much more !" she replied. Then turning to Vanderdecken, who had fixed his eyes on me without moving his head, she said, "I am telling Mr Fen ton that these chests represent but a handful of the treasure in this ship." "lam dazzled by what I see, mynheer,' 1 ' said I, speaking whilst Prins raised the trays, ; disclosing many hundreds of guineas' worth

of ornaments and stones. "Had I but the value of one of these trays alone this should be my last voyage."

" Ay, ' said he, " there is much that is beautiful here. Much that will yield good sums. Bnt a large number of the articles in that chest belong to a merchant ; there are likewise consignments, and my own share is but a speculation.

The other chest had but one tray, in which lay many golden crucifixes of different sizes, goblets, flagons, candlesticks, all gold, whilst beneath were numbers of a kind "of small bricks or bars of pewter, which Miss Imogene told me were gold that had' been disguised in this way as a blind to the pirates. In addition were several great canvas bags, into which Prins. moving always as an automaton, thrust his hand, bringing forth different sorts of coins, such as rix dollars, ducatoons, ducats, Batavian rupees, Spanish dollars, and even scbellings, worth no more than six stivers apiece.

There is a pleasure in looking at bright and sparkling objects, at the beauty of gold worked into strange or fantastic shapes, at jewels and stones in their multitude, gleaming out in 20 colours at once. And had 1 been a picaroon or a woman, I could not have surveyed this collection with sharper delight, though I hope you will not suppose that I felt the buccaneer's thirst for the things. But when my glance went to Vanderdecken, all the shining seemed to die out, and the richest of the jewels to lose its glory.

I said to Miss Imogene, pointing as I spoke to the chests, that Vanderdecken might suppose we talked of the treasure in them, " He does not appear to care the snap of a finger for what is there. If the sense of possession is dead in him, why should he take whatever he can find of jewels, gold or silver, from the ships in which he is fortunate enough to find such things ?" " If your brain will not help you to such matters, how should mine ?" she replied with a faint smile. "The idea has never before occurred to me, but be sure 'tis a part of his punishment. He may feel no pleasure in the possession of his wealth, yet he knows it is on board, and it may be intended to render every gale that teats him back more and more bitter and hard by delaying him from carrying his cargo home."

This was shrewdly imagined, I thought, though it did not .satisfy me, because, since 'twas sure that he had lost recollection of preceding gales, succeeding ones could not gain in bitterness. In truth, we were afloat in a fearful aod astonishing Mystery, from which my eagerness to deliver the sweet and fragrant girl by my side grew keener with every look of hers that met mine, and with every glance I directed at the captain and around the ancient interior that time had sickened to the complexion of the death which worked this ship in the forms of men. A

Having satisfied me with a sight of these treasures, Vanderdecken ordered Prins to have the chests removed, and we then returned to the table to smoke out the tobacco that remained m our pipes.

(To be continued.)