BRITISH MYSTERIES - Fergus Hume Collection: 21 Thriller Novels in One Volume. Fergus Hume

In another two minutes a ball ricochetted across the waves and smashed the foremost boat to pieces. Awestruck at this unexpected event, the others stopped paddling, and in a few minutes the canoe was safe under the bows of the yacht. Philip, Peter, and Rafael were looking over the side at the—as they thought—Indians.

      “Philip! Philip!”

      “Why! God! It’s Jack!”

      “Dolores! Take Dolores on board first,” murmured Jack; then, overcome by all he had passed through, fell back in a faint.

      Chapter X.

       Fortune Turns Her Wheel

       Table of Contents

      Frown, Fortune, frown,

       For I am much cast down,

       And tears do melancholy make my face;

       In sable gown,

       With sad yew-wreath as crown,

       I rail at you,

       Oh, Fortune, most untrue,

       For that to me, you show not any grace;

       Oh, la! fa! la! la!

       My Lady Fortune, hear my sigh,

       Be kinder to my love and I.

      Smile, Fortune, smile,

       For I am gay awhile,

       And laughter lurks about these lips again;

       Now I beguile

       My days with cheerful wile,

       For from the throng,

       Of shepherds gay and strong,

       My love hath chosen me to be her swain;

       Oh, la! fa! la! la!

       My Lady Fortune hear my cry,

       How happy are my love and I.

      “Baron Munchausen!” said Philip, addressing Jack, with mock solemnity, “this story of thine passeth the comprehension of man. ‘Tis a most rare history, and, were I the Commander of the Faithful, I would have it written in letters of gold on purple parchment.”

      It was some hours after their rescue by Philip, and The Bohemian was just entering the harbour of Tlatonac. Dolores was sound asleep in Peter’s cabin; and Jack, now transformed to a civilised being, by washing and clothing, was seated in the state-room, narrating his adventures to an attentive audience of three. As for Cocom, he was squatting on the floor with a cigarette in his mouth, grunting approval of Jack’s story—which he told in Spanish, for the benefit of Rafael, and modestly receiving the encomiums lavished on him by the listeners. Philip and Don Rafael frequently interrupted him with exclamations of surprise; but Peter, less skilful in understanding the Castilian tongue, had to keep his attention fixed on every word that fell from Jack’s lips. Under the tutorship of Doña Serafina, the little doctor had made wonderful progress, and now understood the Spanish language fairly well. It was at the conclusion of this most extraordinary story that Philip addressed Jack as “Baron Munchausen.”

      “Por todos Santos!” exclaimed Rafael, admiringly, following Philip’s example, “it is wonderful. Mi amigo! I can never thank you sufficiently for all you have done for my cousin. But, perchance,” added the young captain, with a twinkle in his eye, “Dolores has already thanked you herself.”

      “Dolores will thank me when we arrive at Tlatonac,” retorted Jack, sipping his wine. “Our circumstances were too perilous, Rafael, to admit of fine compliments.”

      “Don Miguel will be pleased!” remarked Peter, in fair Spanish.

      “He will be more than pleased, Don Pedro,” cried Rafael, seizing Jack’s hand. “My friend, for this you have done, I feel sure my father will grant you the desire of your heart.”

      “Santissima! Let Dolores marry an Americano?”

      “And why not, Señor? You have saved her life.”

      “Assuredly! But Cocom saved mine, Rafael!”

      “For that Cocom shall pass the rest of his days in peace and comfort,” said Philip, looking gratefully at the Indian.

      Cocom shook his head with mournful composure.

      “The days of Cocom are numbered, Señores. The Doña Dolores showed the opal to the hounds of Ixtlilxochitli. By that they knew that the victim of the cycle, that the guardian of the Chalchuih Tlatonac still live, and have stolen the sacred stone. Cocom aided them to discover the secret way, and Ixtlilxochitli will never forgive that betrayal. I am lost, Señores. I shall die.”

      “Es verdad!” exclaimed Rafael, earnestly, “doubtless the Indians of Totatzine will try and kill you, Cocom. But in Tlatonac, under the protection of the opal flag, you are safe!”

      “No, Señor Maraquando! I shall die,” repeated Cocom, stolidly.

      “Not you!” interposed Jack, patting the old man on the head. “I shall look after you, my friend. You saved my life; I shall save yours. A fair exchange! Hark! a gun!”

      “It is from the fort,” said Philip, hastily rising, “we are now in the harbour. Come on deck, Jack. We shall be on shore in another twenty minutes.”

      They at once went up, and Jack took off his hat with a reverential expression, when he saw the silvery walls of Tlatonac once more glisten over the blue waters.

      “Thank God, who has preserved us through many perils!”

      “Amen!” said Philip’s deep voice, behind him “Oh, Jack,” he added, placing his hand on his friend’s shoulder, with deep emotion, “if you only knew what agonies we have undergone, thinking of your fate. When we found you were missing, I wished to go back, at any risk, and headed the yacht for the harbour of Acauhtzin. But that cursed Xuarez turned his guns on us, and, as The Bohemian would have been smashed to pieces, we were forced to retreat. What a cur I felt then.”

      “You could not help it,” said Jack, patting Philip’s back, kindly. “In an attempt to rescue me, you would only have lost your own lives.”

      “I did what I could, Jack. At once I came back to Tlatonac, and implored Don Francisco to send an army to Acauhtzin to your rescue. But it was impossible—the torpederas had not arrived, and there were only some merchant-ships to take men north-ward. Defended, as Acauhtzin was, by the war-ships, such an attempt would have been foolhardy. We were forced to remain inactive at Tlatonac, not knowing if you were dead or alive.”

      “And then the war broke out?”

      “As I told you; Don Hypolito, with his war-ship, is now besieging Janjalla. Tim, Garibay, General Gigedo, and half the army, are there defending it. Tim wanted to remain and search for you; but I insisted on his going, and told him I would take The Bohemian up to Acauhtzin, under the Union Jack, to make inquiries.”

      “It was lucky you did that,” said Jack, with a grim smile, “or those Indians would have killed or recaptured us for sure.”

      “We did not know it was you,” interposed Peter, who had been listening,—they were conversing in English. “I saw you first, and thought it was only a canoe of Indians being chased by others. Philip thought he would help the supposed Indians, and fired those guns.”

      “Peter nearly fainted when we saw who the Indians were,” laughed Philip, slipping his arm within that of Jack’s. “However, ‘all’s well that ends well;’ and here you are, safe and sound with Dolores.”

      “And with the opal!”

      “Good! I never thought you would have got that stone, Jack. Your luck holds, old fellow. The possession of the opal will give confidence to Tlatonac. Will it not, Rafael?”

      “What