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Without waiting to examine these I stowed them away in my pocket and returned to Paradilla, relieved to learn our labor aft was so light, and eager to have it over with. Some physical persuasion was necessary to compel Sam to assist me, but finally he took hold, and between us we forced the stiffened form of the Captain through the open after port, and heard it splash into the sea astern.
"To learn if there was treasure hidden aboard; you hoped such a discovery would induce the men to sail this schooner to the Chesapeake." "Yes, and now I believe there is hidden away in the locked room and guarded by that ape. In all probability no one but Paradilla knew the creature was on board, and he could have had no better guardian. No sailor would ever face the brute."
A uniform cap lay beside him, and I stopped just long enough to scan his features. "Here, Sam, do you know this fellow." The negro crept up behind me reluctantly enough, and stared at the upturned face over my shoulder. "My Gaud, sah, he wus de ol' Captain." "The one you served under? What was his name?" "Paradilla, sah; damn his soul!"
I did find, however, that which strengthened my suspicion, for, in rummaging hastily through a drawer of the rude desk, I came upon a bill of sale for a thousand slaves, dated two weeks before, but unsigned, although the parties mentioned within the document were Paradilla and a merchant of Habana, named Carlos Martinos.
"Overboard, or dead? You found them dead the slaves also?" "No; there were no slaves; the hold was clear. We found a few dead men, the last of the crew to survive. One man was lying beside the wheel; he had lashed it to its course before he died; and the Captain was in the cabin." "And he was dead?" "Yes, a tall, lean Spaniard; Sam said his name was Paradilla.
There was nothing, not a scrap of paper, not even the semblance of a wound exposed. The smile on those parted lips had become one of mockery; I could bear the sight no longer, and rose to my feet, clasping Dorothy close to me, as she still gazed down in fascination at the ghastly sight. "We will never know. The man who could tell is dead." "Captain Paradilla?" "Who else could it be?
The rustling of a bit of cloth over one of the open ports caused me to face about suddenly, while every creak of the vessel seemed the echo of a human voice. A blanket in the form of a roll lay on the divan where I had found Captain Paradilla, and for a moment, as I stared at it, dimly visible in a ray of light, I imagined this was his motionless figure.
Yet the memory of the tragedy this vessel had witnessed remained with me the helpless slaves who had suffered and died between decks; the dead sailors in the forecastle, their ghastly faces staring up at the beams above, and the horrible figure of Paradilla outstretched on the cabin divan. I was a sailor and could not feel that any good fortune would come to us from such a death ship.
You knew her?" "In the name of all the fiends, yes. And I know her end. He killed her Paradilla killed her because she was as false to him as she had been to me. Hell! but it is strange you should be the one to find her to bring me this tale, Geoffry Carlyle!" "Why? What is it to me?" "Because she is of your line do you know her now?" "No; nor believe it true."
She lies yonder now." "A schooner! What name?" "The Santa Marie a slaver." "Merciful God!" and his eyes fairly blazed into mine, as he suddenly forced his body upward in the bunk. "The Santa Marie adrift! the crew dead from cholera? And the Captain Paradilla, Francis Paradilla what of him?" "He lay alone on a divan in the cabin dead also."
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