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Leaning in the doorway Penfeather surveyed the combatants with his quick keen glance, and then the hubbub was drowned by the roar of his long pistol; the thunderous report seemed to stun the combatants to silence, who, falling apart, turned one and all to glare at the intruder.
Then suddenly Adam rose and leaned forward across the table. "Resolution Day," said he, "have you a memory for faces?" I saw Resolution's solitary eye widen and dilate as it took in the man before him, the spare form, the keen, aquiline face with its black brows, white hair and mutilated ears. "Captain Adam Penfeather o' the Brotherhood!" "Ha!" quoth Adam, nodding grimly. "I see you know me!
"And what of the captain, Sir Rupert Dering?" "That, Martin!" says Penfeather, snapping his fingers. "A very gentleman-like fool, d'ye see, a bladder of air like his three fellows." "So we have four gentlemen aboard, Adam?" "Aye princocks all that do nothing but vie in court to her ladyship!
"Hark'ee, Adam Penfeather," says I, choking with passion, "once and for all I bide on this ship until she brings up off Hispaniola." "But then, Martin, she never will bring up off Hispaniola, not whiles I navigate her!" "Ha!" I cried, "Doth my lady know of this? Doth Sir Rupert?" "Not yet, Martin." "Then, by Heaven, they shall learn this very hour!" "I think not, Martin." "And I swear they shall.
Talk o' fame! Pal, glory's a goblin and fame's a phantom compared wi' Cap'n Sir Adam Penfeather, and you can keel haul, burn and hang me else!" This night at moonrise we warped out from our anchorage and with drums beating and fifes sounding merrily, stood out into the great deep and never a heart that did not leap at thought of home and England.
Nor was I any too soon, for as I reached the tree Tressady and Mings were dragged, choking, from their feet; but with a couple of strokes my keen knife had cut those deadly ropes asunder, and as the two fell gasping on the sand I turned to stare into the scowling eyes of Adam Penfeather.
Therefore I set the musket back in the corner, and doing so espied a book that lay open and face down beneath the bedstead. Taking it up I wiped off the dust, and opening this book at the first page I came on this: ADAM PENFEATHER
"So we're to be comrades, after all!" says Penfeather, watching me where he sat hard by. "Aye to-morrow!" "And how goeth vengeance, shipmate?" At this I turned on him with clenched fist. "Nay, easy does it," says he, never budging, "for if 'twas the folly of vengeance brought ye in the peccadille, 'twas your comrade Adam Penfeather got ye out again so easy all!" "'Twas you fired the rick, then?"
All the day Penfeather led us on by lonely ways, never seeming to weary and never at a loss, silent for the most part as one in profound thought, and I speaking little as is my wont, but Godby talked and sang and laughed for the three of us.
"No no, Cap'n!" piped Smiling Sam, "Us do be but contriving o' ways and means seeing' as Penfeather do ha' took our ship, curse him!" "And what though he has? 'Tis we have the island and 'tis on this island lieth Black Bartlemy's Treasure, and 'tis the treasure we're after!
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