Now here ensued a silence wherein none moved, it seemed, only I saw Resolution's bony hand creep and bury itself in his capacious side pocket. Then, putting by the screening branches, I stepped forth into the firelight.

"What, Tressady," said I, "d'ye cheat the gallows yet?"

Almost as I spoke I saw the flash and glitter of his whirling hook as he turned, pinning me with it through the breast of my doublet (but with so just a nicety that the keen point never so much as touched my skin) and holding me at arm's length upon this hateful thing, he viewed me over, his pale eyes bright beneath their jut of s.h.a.ggy brow. But knowing the man and feeling Joanna's gaze upon me, I folded my arms and scowled back at him.

"Who be you, bully, who and what?" he demanded, his fingers gripping at the dagger in his girdle whose silver hilt was wrought to the shape of a naked woman. "Speak, my hearty, discourse, or kiss this Silver Woman o' mine!"

"I am he that cut you down when you were choking your rogue's life out in Adam Penfeather's noose--along of Abnegation Mings yonder--"

As I spoke I saw Mings thrust away the pistol he had drawn and lean towards me, peering.

"Sink me!" cried he. "It's him, Roger; 'tis Martin sure as saved of us from Penfeather, curse him, on Bartlemy's Island three years agone--it's him, Roger, it's him!"

"Bleed me!" said Tressady, nodding. "But you're i' th' right on't, Abny.

You ha' th' right on't, lad. 'Tis Marty, sure enough, Marty as was bonnet to me aboard the _Faithfull Friend_ and since he stood friend to us in regard to Adam Penfeather (with a' curse!) it's us shall stand friends t'

him. Here's luck and a fair wind t' ye, Marty!" So saying, he loosed me from his hook, and, clapping me on the shoulder, brought me to the circle about the fire.

"Oh, sink me!" cried Mings, flourishing a case-bottle under my nose. "Burn me, if this aren't pure joy! I know a man as don't forget past benefits and that's Abnegation! Sit down, Martin, and let us eat and, which is better, drink together!"

"Why, so we will, Abny, so we will," said Tressady, seating himself within reach of Joanna. "'Twas pure luck us falling in wi' two old messmates like Marty and Resolution and us in need of a few h.e.l.l-fire, roaring boys! 'Tis like a happy family, rot me, all love and good-fellowship and be d.a.m.ned!

Come, we'll eat, drink and be merry, for to-morrow--we sail, all on us, aboard my ship _Vengeance_, as lieth 'twixt Fore and Main islands yonder, ready to slip her moorings!"

"Avast, friend!" said Resolution, blinking his solitary eye at Tressady.

"The captain o' the Coast Brotherhood is Joanna here--Captain Jo, by the Brotherhood so ordained; 'tis Captain Jo commands here--"

"Say ye so, Resolution, say ye so, lad?" quoth Tressady, tapping at chin with glittering hook. "Now mark me--and keep both hands afore ye--so, my bully--hark'ee now--there's none commands where I am save Roger Tressady!"

said he, looking round upon us and with a flourish of his hook. "Now if so be any man thinks different, let that man speak out!"

"And what o' Captain Jo?" demanded Resolution.

"That!" cried Tressady, snapping finger and thumb. "Captain Jo is not, henceforth--sit still, lad--so! Now lift his barkers, Abny--in his pockets.

Still and patient, lad, still and patient!" So Resolution perforce suffered himself to be disarmed, while Joanna, pale and languid in the firelight, watched all with eyes that gleamed beneath drooping lashes.

"So now," quoth Tressady, "since I command here, none denying--"

"And what o' Captain Jo?" demanded Resolution.

"Why, I'll tell ye, bully, look'ee now! A man's a man and a woman's a woman, but from report here's one as playeth t'other and which, turn about.

But 'tis as woman I judge her best, and as woman she sails along o' me, lad, along o' me!" So saying, he nodded and taking out a case-bottle, wrenched at the cork with his teeth.

"And how say you, Joanna?" questioned Abnegation.

"Tush!" said she, with a trill of laughter. "Here is one that talketh very loud and fool-like and flourisheth iron claw to no purpose, since I heed one no more than t'other--"

"Here's death!" cried he fiercely, stabbing the air with his hook. "Death, wench!"

"Tush!" said she again, "I fear death no more than I fear you, and as for your claw--go scratch where you will!"

Goaded to sudden fury, he raised his hook and would have smitten the slender foot of her that chanced within his reach, but I caught his arm and wrenched him round to face me.

"Hold off, Tressady!" said I. "Here's a man to fight an you're so minded.

But as for Joanna, she's sick of her wounds and Resolution's little better; but give me a knife and I'm your man!" And I sprang to my feet. Here for a moment Joanna's eyes met mine full of that melting tenderness I had seen and wondered at before; then she laughed and turned to Tressady:

"Sick or no, I am Joanna and better than any man o' you all, yes. Here shall be no need for fight, for look now, Tressady, though you are fool, you are one I have yearned to meet--so here's to our better acquaintance."

And speaking, she leaned forward, twitched the bottle from his hand, nodded and clapped it to her mouth all in a moment.

As for Tressady, he gaped, scowled, fumbled with the dagger in his girdle, loosed it, slapped his thigh and burst into a roar of laughter.

"Oh, burn me, here's a soul!" he cried. "'Tis a wench o' spirit, all h.e.l.l-fire spirit and deviltry, rot me! Go to't, la.s.s, drink hearty--here's you and me agin world and d.a.m.n all, says I. Let me perish!" quoth he, when he had drunk the toast and viewing Joanna with something of respect.

"Here's never a man, woman or child dared so much wi' Jolly Roger all his days--oh, sink me! Why ha' we never met afore--you and me might rule the Main--"

"I do!" said she.

"And how came ye here--in an open boat?"

"By reason of Adam Penfeather!"

"What, Adam again, curse him!"

"He sank the _Happy Despatch_!"

"Burn me! And there's a stout ship lost to us."

"But then--we stayed to fight, yes!"

"What then?" said Tressady, clenching his fist. "Will ye say I ran away--we beat him off!"

"Howbeit Adam sank and took us, and swears to hang you soon or late--unless you chance to die soon!"

"Blind him for a dog--a dog and murderous rogue as shall bite on this hook o' mine yet! A small, thieving rogue is Penfeather--"

"And the likest man to make an end o' the Brotherhood that ever sailed!"

nodded Joanna.

"Where lays his course?"

"Who knows!"

"And what o' Belvedere?"

"Dead and d.a.m.ned for rogue and coward!"

"Why, then, drink, my bullies," cried Tressady, with a great oath. "Drink battle, murder, shipwreck and h.e.l.l-fire to Adam Penfeather, with a curse!

Here's us safe and snug in a good stout ship yonder, here's us all love and good-fellowship, merry as grigs, happy as piping birds, here's luck and long life to each and all on us."

"Long life!" said Joanna, frowning. "'Tis folly--I weary of it already!"

So we ate and drank and sprawled about the fire until the moon rose, and looking up at her as she sailed serene, I shivered, for to-night it seemed that in her pallid beam was something ominous and foreboding, and casting my eyes round about on motionless tree and shadowy thicket I felt my flesh stir again.