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Hereupon Bym lighted his lanthorn and putting aside the great settle by the hearth, stooped and raised one of the flagstones, discovering a flight of worn, stone steps, down which we followed him and so into a great cellar or vaulted crypt, where stood row upon row of barrels and casks, piled very orderly to the stone roof.
Penfeather's black brows flickered and his keen eyes glanced from his rent doublet round about the room: "Howbeit he was here, Joel!" said he. "Why then, Cap'n, the dying woman's curse holds and he can't die?" says Bym, clawing at his great beard. "He was here, Joel, in this room," says Penfeather, busy with powder-horn, "man to man, knife to knife and I missed him.
Along the narrow way between strode Bym, and halting suddenly, stooped and lifted another flagstone with more steps below, down which we followed him into a passage-way fairly paved, whence divers other passages opened right and left. And when we had gone some distance Adam halted. "Best bring the light no further, Jo," says he.
So here stand I this day not only gunner but master's mate beside of as tight a ship, maugre the crew, as ever sailed and all along o' that same chance meeting at the 'Hop-pole." "And though a friend of Bym you knew little of Adam Penfeather?" "Little enough, Mart'n.
But here Adam entered, very soberly dressed in sad-coloured clothes, and we sat down to sup forthwith. "Do we sail soon, Captain?" questioned Godby in a while. "I hope to be clear o' the Downs a few days hence," says Adam. "And you so short-handed, Cap'n," quoth Bym. "Sir Rupert hath 'listed thirty new men, I hear, and rogues every one I'll be sworn." "Sir Rupert ?" says I.
As to yourself, shipmate, if 'tis only vengeance ye seek, vengeance let it be, though, when all's done, 'tis but wind hist! Here cometh the Bo'sun come in, Jo lad, come in! 'Twas trusty Joel Bym here gave me my first lesson in navigation eh, Jo?" "Aye, Cap'n," growled the hairy giant, "by cock, them was the days, a fair wind, a quick eye an' no favour, aye, them was the days, by cock's-body!"
Someone reeled staggering across the room, came a-scrabbling at the open casement and, as I leapt up, the door burst open and Joel Bym appeared flourishing a naked hanger and with Godby behind bearing a lanthorn, whose flickering light showed Adam, knife in hand, where he leaned panting against the wall, a smear of blood across his pallid face and with shirt and doublet torn in horrid fashion.
"Yes, my woman, I'm here," answered the old man to one of these questions; "but I wish I was there instead, wheresomever it be as you're goin', old girl." And all that I could hear of her answer was, "Bym by; bym by." Why should I linger over the death-bed of an illiterate woman, old and plain, dying away by inches?
Then bym bye Barker he wanted him t'go security fer fifteen hunderd bilers thet he was hevin' made. I to! David he hedn't better go in no deeper but Barker, he promised big things an' seemed if be sech a nice man 'at fin'ly David he up 'n done it. Wall he's hed 'em t' pay fer an' the fact is it costs s'much if sell 'em it eats up all the profits. 'Looks like a swindle, I said indignantly.
"Cock," says Bym reproachfully, and setting a goodly cheese on the table with a bang, "say free-trader, cock t'other 'un's a cackling word and I don't like cackle " "Aye," nodded Godby, "that's the word, 'free-trader, Mart'n. So I am and what then? 'Twas summat o' the sort as got me suspicioned by Gregory and his catchpolls, rot 'em."
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