CHAPTER V

THE PIRATE

PUNCTUALLY at eleven, Captain Charlie's raft with its live cargo, crew and Captain and wife, started for its voyage down the Adderbrook. Every few yards added fresh excitement to the crew. There were frogs, and tadpoles to be seen scurrying out of their way, ducks taking an airing filled the air with their quacks, as they hurriedly made for land; once a water rat sprang on board, but hurriedly splashed back into the stream, when he was greeted with frightened screams.

"Just like girls!" said the Captain scornfully.

"Don't you know a crocodile when you see it?" retorted his wife. "I suppose you will call it a rat! As if we have rats in mid-ocean!"

Several times the raft threatened to upset. The little girls had to be most wary in their movements. Of course such moments were the result of violent storms, when waves sought to engulf them, and the Captain's wife seemed to aid and abet the rough elements when she could. More than once she had to be called to order by the Captain.

They passed through two open fields, and then came to where the willows and rushes bent over the stream and made it very difficult navigation.

The crew had to lie flat on their chests to prevent the willow branches hitting them in the face. But every difficulty was an added delight, and when the Captain struck a gong, and said it was time to dine, and they must land on a desert island and do it, they scrambled ashore with joy.

The raft was tied securely to a tree trunk, and under a white hawthorn tree, the voyagers spread out their lunch and made a hearty meal.

Charlie's mother had given him bacon pasties and cake, and biscuits and cheese—enough for them all. He was not a greedy boy, and was quite willing to share. Charity undertook to divide everything with equal fairness, and in this way every one was more than satisfied.

[Illustration: CHARITY UNDERTOOK TO DIVIDE EVERYTHING WITH EQUAL FAIRNESS.]

Up to now they had seen very few people. A boy driving cattle in the distance was an Indian chasing buffaloes; an old man with a dog was a chief with his wolf hound.

But when they took to their raft again, their sharp eyes spied a fisherman some distance away with his line across the stream.

"Now you'll hear him swear," said Charlie, with a delighted chuckle. "I know what fishermen are like. I've passed them before."

"He isn't a fisherman," said Hope; "he's a pirate looking out for ships from his island."

"It's a pity we have no gun to blow him to pieces! My dear husband, put a bit more strength into that old punt stick of yours! Let's rush down the stream and pull hold of his line—perchance we may pull in the pirate to his death!"

So all four got hold of their oars, and by dint of prodding the banks in punt-like fashion, the raft began to quicken its pace. The fisherman saw them before they reached him and pulled in his line. He did not swear but laughed heartily as the raft approached.

"Who the dickens is this?" he asked. "Here, hi, don't pass me by! Is there room for me on board?"

He was a tall, broad-shouldered young man.

Charlie threw a ferocious look at him.

"You're a pirate, let us pass!"

The young man had stopped the raft with his foot. Charlie was rather exhausted with his efforts, and the little girls were panting for breath.

"If I'm a pirate, I beg to tell you that this water is mine, and that you are my prisoners. You'll land at once, and forfeit your ship."

With a quick, dexterous stroke, he had seized hold of the rope, and drawn the raft close to the bank.

Winding it round a tree stump, the discomfited voyagers found their passage stopped.

Charity looked up into the pirate's face. She saw that his eyes were twinkling, and she felt reassured.

"The ocean is free to all," she said boldly.

The young man pointed to a board close by.

"Private water. Trespassers will be prosecuted."

And then Charlie saw that he had brought his raft along the wrong bend of the stream. He had seldom before come as far as this.

For a moment the little Captain looked perplexed.

"We are on a peace voyage," he said, "otherwise with cutlasses and guns we would make short work of you. We are searching for an island called 'Tarjak,' and for treasure thereon."

"Ah," said the young man in a mysterious tone, "now you've come to the right party. I know the very spot and will lead you to it, if I may share in the booty."

"He means treachery!" said Charity in a loud whisper.

"I've got you in my power!" said the young man sternly.

Charlie and the little girls hastily consulted together.

"We'll just let him join us," was Charlie's decision.

Then he turned to the stranger.

"Now will you lead us?"

"I'll tow you along," was the cheerful reply. "You have spoilt my fishing, but I'll take you straight to a treasure island such as you have never seen before."

In a very short time, this amazing young man was marching along the banks rope in hand, and the raft was being towed along without any effort on the part of the crew. They gave themselves up to the delight of it, for all small backs and wrists were aching, and it was delicious to be towed along so swiftly, without any effort.

And presently the stream widened considerably and a veritable small island appeared. The Pirate used the oars now, and stood in the middle of the raft himself. He brought it to the edge of the island and told the children to get out.

To their delight there was a tiny thatched hut in the middle of it.

"Years ago," said the pirate, "I landed here in a small boat, having been shipwrecked, and having lost all I possessed. I built myself this hut and lived here in peace, quitting it for rougher waters and sea fishing occasionally. For the most part I lived on fish. One day I was digging for bait, when I stumbled on a—a cache, and in a certain spot on this island is one hidden now. Treasure is in it. If you have brought spades, dig away till you find it. I will give you a clue. Four paces from Security, an arm's length to the right, dig for two feet down!"

"We haven't any spades," said the little girls. "The Captain has the only one."

The young man went into the hut, and soon appeared with a pitchfork and two spades of very small proportions.

"And now," said Charity, "where is Security? It must be the hut, of course!"

In a very few minutes each child was digging four paces from the hut. But Charlie began to flag, whereupon the young man whispered something to him.

"Your Captain is ill," he said; "he's going to rest. I'll take his place."

Charlie sat down on the step leading to the hut and watched the others with a rather bitter face. It was hard to be bowled over so soon, just when he would like to prove his strength to be superior to the girls.

Digging went on steadily, but the three little girls made slow progress.

The young man dug too, but he presently said, "I'll give another clue:"

"By the side of a singer's home, a hand's span from the base."

The little girls were completely puzzled. Charlie's bright eyes roved to and fro. At last his face lightened.

"I have it. A singer's home is a bird's tree, and the base is the trunk of it. There's only one tree which it can mean, and it's the ash tree between Bolt and Ben."

Charity made a rush to the spot, and Charlie sprang up declaring he was quite rested. He and the three girls all attacked the ground round the ash tree, and the young man quietly slipped into the hut, leaving them at work.

It was not long before Charity's spade hit against something hard. Then four eager pairs of hands dragged it to light. It was a rusty tin box tied with string and sealed.

Charlie took command as Captain, and cut the string with his clasp knife. His face was solemn as he did it, but the little girls' faces bubbled all over with curiosity and delight.

It was hard to open, but at last the lid gave way, and then Charlie very carefully lifted out the contents.

Four black farthings, a blue marble, and two peach stones.

Faith's face fell; she was dreadfully disappointed. She had really expected to find it full of precious stones.

Charity danced up and down.

"Golden sovereigns, a blue jewel worth a million pounds, and seeds of a pomegranate that grew in Paradise!" she cried.

Charlie turned to her with an approving face.

"You are right, my wife, wonderful treasure indeed! Does the Pirate mean to let us carry it off?"

"The Pirate invites you to a meal. He is tired of a very lonely life and welcomes treasure seekers to his home."

It was the young man who spoke. The children dashed into the hut, Charlie clutching his tin box. There another surprise awaited them.

A kettle was boiling merrily. A cake was on the table, and some ham sandwiches. The Pirate had cups and saucers, and was measuring tea into a brown teapot.

"We have no cow on the island, but we have sugar and good tea. Let us fall to!"

It seemed like magic. The children sat up round a little table and they had a merry meal. After it was over, the treasure box was produced and the treasures divided. The Pirate took one of the peach stones. Charity took the other.

"I as Captain's wife have first choice," she said. "I am going to plant this wonderful seed, and perhaps it will spring up into a magic tree which will reach the sun."

Charlie gave Hope and Faith a farthing each.

"A guinea for Bolt and Ben," he said. "I being Captain keep the blue diamond and a guinea, my wife can have the other."

Then the Pirate pulled out his pipe, and sitting cross legged on the ground told them the most wonderful story of how the treasures had been obtained and hidden away. The children listened breathlessly, but at last the Captain said it was getting late, and they must go. The Pirate took them back to their raft, and then he surprised them again. He got out a very small boat from under the willows, tucked himself into it, and fastening the rope of the raft to his painter, rowed gaily off down the stream, towing the children back to the spot where he found them. Then he bade them good-bye.

"We shall never meet again most likely," he said, "but I warn you to keep to your own waters. There are other pirates who would make short work of you should they find you where I did!"

The children waved their hands gaily to him. Charlie was supremely happy, and content at the result of his voyage after treasure, and all their tongues wagged fast as they made their way down the stream towards Charlie's home. It was nearly six o'clock when they got there, so the little girls bade their new friend a hasty good-bye.

"It has been perfect—simply perfect!" said Charity, and the others echoed her words.

They ran home then as fast as they could, and told Granny all of their adventures.

"Who do you think the Pirate can be?" Faith asked. "He has such nice kind eyes, but a very grave face."

Granny said she could not possibly tell, and Aunt Alice could not help them.

But the next day the rector's wife paid a long call. Charity happened to be in the room, and though she was as quiet as a little mouse she kept her ears wide open, and when she was alone with Hope and Faith she was quite excited.

"I believe Mrs. Webster was talking about the Pirate, I believe she was! She told Aunt Alice she had a little grandson staying with her last week, and she wished she had asked us over to tea with him, as he was so lonely. And then she said that Fred Cardwell had been so good to him. He had taken him off fishing with him several days, and had entertained him on an island which the little boy had loved. She asked Aunt Alice if she knew the Cardwells, and I pricked up my ears and listened hard. Aunt Alice said no, and she said Fred Cardwell lived with a very cross, ill father—I think he's a squire, like Sir George, and they live about five miles from here. The father is parry—something—a long word, and Fred had to come home and look after him, and he's no mother or brothers and sisters, and Mrs. Webster said it was a terrible life for him, and it made him gloomy, and he doesn't go anywhere or won't know anybody, but he likes children and she said her little grandson loved him. Don't you think Fred may be our pirate? Because there can't be lots of islands about, and perhaps that was why he had cake and tea in the hut, he had put them there when the little boy was with him!"

Charity paused for breath.

"I wish we could see him again," said Faith.

"We'll keep a sharp look-out along the roads when we walk," said Hope. "Mrs. Cox wasn't at all right about the country. We do meet people very often, and we may meet him."

"We'll ask Lady Melville if she knows him when we see her next," Charity said; "and now I'm going to plant my magic seed. Come and see me do it."

So Hope and Faith accompanied her to the little garden, and she planted it just below their bedroom window.

"Perhaps it will be like Jack's beanstalk, and grow so high that we can step out of our window on to its branches," said Hope.

"It's sure to be different from any other tree, for it has been hidden away for years, I'm sure," said Charity.

They did not see Charlie for some time after this. They heard that he was ill, and one day a letter came from him addressed to "My Wife and Crew."

The little girls opened it with great delight. It was very short.

"This is to tell you that youre Captin lies dangirosly wunded, and his sickness is suvere. His next voyage will not take plaice, and when he gets better Ben is to come to him to delever messages to his wife and to Bolt.

"Charles, Captain of the 'Success.'"

Faith was Ben. She wondered why she was especially invited. Charity tossed her head.

"He knows he can do what he likes with Faith. I expect none of us will be able to go with him now, for Aunt Alice said we were to begin lessons. This new governess, Miss Vale, is coming next Monday."

"Well, anyhow," said Hope, "I'm glad it isn't school, and Aunt Alice says she will be very nice."

"I must answer his letter," said Faith.

But she was not very fond of letter-writing and put it off. She left Charity and Hope playing in the orchard that afternoon and went off to visit her friend the shepherd. There was nothing she enjoyed so much as creeping into his little cottage and sitting on a small stool in the chimney corner with the old man. Sandy would come and rest his nose in her lap, and she and Timothy found plenty to say to each other. She told him all about Charlie, and the raft and the Pirate.

"'Tis a pity the little laddie enjoys such poor health," said Timothy to her. "The doctor be such a hearty man, but there—the Lord have a way of His Own with each o' us, and 'tis ordained for him to be weakly. I often sits and thinks o' strength. 'Tis misused in the body, and if so be the soul is strong, 'tisn't so much odds about the body!"

"I wonder how strong my soul is," said Faith. "I'm not very strong in my body, Granny says. Can I make my soul strong, Timothy?"

"Ask the Comforter," said the old man. "He'll strengthen the weak. We are told 'He helpeth our infirmities.'"

"What do infirmities mean?"

"Our weakness and ailments, surely. The Book says, 'We can be strengthened with might in the inner man' by Him."

"Is our inner man our souls?" asked Faith.

"I suppose I have an inner woman—I'm not a man."

"'Tis just a figure o' speech. 'Tis your little soul you want to be made strong."

"I like the Comforter very much," said Faith softly and reverently; "He came and comforted me this morning, Timothy. Aunt Alice scolded me because she told us not to leave the front door open, there was such a wind. And Hope left it open; she came out last, and the wind knocked a china vase off the table, and broke it, and Aunt Alice was very angry and scolded me, because she thought I'd gone out last. And I went away and cried, and then I distinctly felt the Comforter near me, and I asked Him to comfort me. I almost felt He took me in His Arms. He was so close. And I kept quite still, and then I couldn't be sorry any more, for I knew He knew I hadn't done it. He was so kind!"

Faith heaved a sigh of happiness, and Timothy nodded his head.

"'Tis just so!" he said simply.

And then they began to talk about Sandy and the sheep, and when she left the cottage, Faith's little face was radiant.

"I feel when I'm talking to you," she said as she bade the old man farewell, "that I'm getting happier every minute. I shan't be able to come and see you so often when we do lessons, but I'll come whenever I can!"

Charity and Hope could not understand her friendship with the old man. But Faith paid no heed to them. She was a quiet, old-fashioned child, and loved to go her own way without any interference of other people.