in search of the castaways-第118章

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t　might　depend！　However；　a　feeling　of　duty　toward　human　justice　compelled　him　to　say：　〃No；　Ayrton；　I　cannot　set　you　at　liberty。〃　〃I　do　not　ask　it；〃　said　the　quartermaster　proudly。　〃Then；　what　is　it　you　want？〃　〃A　middle　place；　my　Lord；　between　the　gibbet　that　awaits　me　and　the　liberty　which　you　cannot　grant　me。〃　〃And　that　is〃　〃To　allow　me　to　be　left　on　one　of　the　uninhabited　islands　of　the　Pacific；　with　such　things　as　are　absolute　necessaries。　I　will　manage　as　best　I　can；　and　will　repent　if　I　have　time。〃　Glenarvan；　quite　unprepared　for　such　a　proposal；　looked　at　his　two　friends　in　silence。　　But　after　a　brief　reflection；　he　replied：　〃Ayrton；　if　I　agree　to　your　request；　you　will　tell　me　all　I　have　an　interest　in　knowing。〃　〃Yes；　my　Lord；　that　is　to　say；　all　I　know　about　Captain　Grant　and　the　BRITANNIA。〃　〃The　whole　truth？〃　〃The　whole。〃　〃But　what　guarantee　have　I？〃　〃Oh；　I　see　what　you　are　uneasy　about。　　You　need　a　guarantee　for　me；　for　the　truth　of　a　criminal。　　That's　natural。　But　what　can　you　have　under　the　circumstances。　　There　is　no　help　for　it；　you　must　either　take　my　offer　or　leave　it。〃　〃I　will　trust　to　you；　Ayrton；〃　said　Glenarvan；　simply。　〃And　you　do　right；　my　Lord。　　Besides；　if　I　deceive　you；　vengeance　is　in　your　own　power。〃　〃How？〃　〃You　can　come　and　take　me　again　from　where　you　left　me；　as　I　shall　have　no　means　of　getting　away　from　the　island。〃　Ayrton　had　an　answer　for　everything。　　He　anticipated　the　difficulties　and　furnished　unanswerable　arguments　against　himself。　　It　was　evident　he　intended　to　affect　perfect　good　faith　in　the　business。　It　was　impossible　to　show　more　complete　confidence。　And　yet　he　was　prepared　to　go　still　further　in　disinterestedness。　〃My　Lord　and　gentlemen；〃　he　added；　〃I　wish　to　convince　you　of　the　fact　that　I　am　playing　cards　on　the　table。　　I　have　no　wish　to　deceive　you；　and　I　am　going　to　give　you　a　fresh　proof　of　my　sincerity　in　this　matter。　I　deal　frankly　with　you；　because　I　reckon　on　your　honor。〃　〃Speak；　Ayrton；〃　said　Glenarvan。　〃My　Lord；　I　have　not　your　promise　yet　to　accede　to　my　proposal；　and　yet　I　do　not　scruple　to　tell　you　that　I　know　very　little　about　Harry　Grant。〃　〃Very　little；〃　exclaimed　Glenarvan。　〃Yes；　my　Lord；　the　details　I　am　in　a　position　to　give　you　relate　to　myself。　　They　are　entirely　personal；　and　will　not　do　much　to　help　you　to　recover　the　lost　traces　of　Captain　Grant。〃　Keen　disappointment　was　depicted　on　the　faces　of　Glenarvan　and　the　Major。　They　thought　the　quartermaster　in　the　possession　of　an　important　secret；　and　he　declared　that　his　communications　would　be　very　nearly　barren。　Paganel's　countenance　remained　unmoved。　Somehow　or　other；　this　avowal　of　Ayrton；　and　surrender　of　himself；　so　to　speak；　unconditionally；　singularly　touched　his　auditors；　especially　when　the　quartermaster　added：　〃So　I　tell　you　beforehand；　the　bargain　will　be　more　to　my　profit　than　yours。〃　〃It　does　not　signify；〃　replied　Glenarvan。　　〃I　accept　your　proposal；　Ayrton。　　I　give　you　my　word　to　land　you　on　one　of　the　islands　of　the　Pacific　Ocean。〃　〃All　right；　my　Lord；〃　replied　the　quartermaster。　Was　this　strange　man　glad　of　this　decision？　　One　might　have　doubted　it；　for　his　impassive　countenance　betokened　no　emotion　whatever。　It　seemed　as　if　he　were　acting　for　someone　else　rather　than　himself。　〃I　am　ready　to　answer；〃　he　said。　〃We　have　no　questions　to　put　to　you；〃　said　Glenarvan。　　〃Tell　us　all　you　know；　Ayrton；　and　begin　by　declaring　who　you　are。〃　〃Gentlemen；〃　replied　Ayrton；　〃I　am　really　Tom　Ayrton；　the　quartermaster　of　the　BRITANNIA。　　I　left　Glasgow　on　Harry　Grant's　ship　on　the　12th　of　March；　1861。　　For　fourteen　months　I　cruised　with　him　in　the　Pacific　in　search　of　an　advantageous　spot　for　founding　a　Scotch　colony。　Harry　Grant　was　the　man　to　carry　out　grand　projects；　but　serious　disputes　often　arose　between　us。　　His　temper　and　mine　could　not　agree。　I　cannot　bend；　and　with　Harry　Grant；　when　once　his　resolution　is　taken；　any　resistance　is　impossible；　my　Lord。　　He　has　an　iron　will　both　for　himself　and　others。　〃But　in　spite　of　that；　I　dared　to　rebel；　and　I　tried　to　get　the　crew　to　join　me；　and　to　take　possession　of　the　vessel。　Whether　I　was　to　blame　or　not　is　of　no　consequence。　Be　that　as　it　may；　Harry　Grant　had　no　scruples；　and　on　the　8th　of　April；　1862；　he　left　me　behind　on　the　west　coast　of　Australia。〃　〃Of　Australia！〃　said　the　Major；　interrupting　Ayrton　in　his　narrative。　〃Then　of　course　you　had　quitted　the　BRITANNIA　before　she　touched　at　Callao；　which　was　her　last　date？〃　〃Yes；〃　replied　the　quartermaster；　〃for　the　BRITANNIA　did　not　touch　there　while　I　was　on　board。　　And　how　I　came　to　speak　of　Callao　at　Paddy　O'Moore's　farm　was　that　I　learned　the　circumstances　from　your　recital。〃　〃Go　on；　Ayrton；〃　said　Glenarvan。　〃I　found　myself　abandoned　on　a　nearly　desert　coast；　but　only　forty　miles　from　the　penal　settlement　at　Perth；　the　capital　of　Western　Australia。　　As　I　was　wandering　there　along　the　shore；　I　met　a　band　of　convicts　who　had　just　escaped；　and　I　joined　myself　to　them。　　You　will　dispense；　my　Lord；　with　any　account　of　my　life　for　two　years　and　a　half。　This　much；　however；　I　must　tell　you；　that　I　became　the　leader　of　the　gang；　under　the　name　of　Ben　Joyce。　　In　September；　1864；　I　introduced　myself　at　the　Irish　farm；　where　I　engaged　myself　as　a　servant　in　my　real　name；　Ayrton。　　I　waited　there　till　I　should　get　some　chance　of　seizing　a　ship。　This　was　my　one　idea。　　Two　months　afterward　the　DUNCAN　arrived。　During　your　visit　to　the　farm　you　related　Captain　Grant's　history；　and　I　learned　then　facts　of　which　I　was　not　previously　aware　that　the　BRITANNIA　had　touched　at　Callao；　and　that　her　latest　news　was　dated　June；　1862；　two　months　after　my　disembarkation；　and　also　about　the　document　and　the　loss　of　the　ship　somewhere　along　the　37th　parallel；　and；　lastly；　the　strong　reasons　you　had　for　supposing　Harry　Grant　was　on　the　Australian　continent。　Without　the　least　hesitation　I　determined　to　appropriate　the　DUNCAN；　a　matchless　vessel；　able　to　outdistance　the　swiftest　ships　in　the　British　Navy。　　But　serious　injuries　had　to　be　repaired。　I　therefore　let　it　go　to　Melbourne；　and　joined　myself　to　you　in　my　true　character　as　quartermaster；　offering　to　guide　you　to　the　scene　of　the　shipwreck；　fictitiously　placed　by　me　on　the　east　coast　of　Australia。　　It　was　in　this　way；　followed　or　sometimes　preceded　by　my　gang　of　convicts；　I　directed　your　expedition　toward　the　province　of　Victoria。　　My　men　committed　a　bootless　crime　at　Camden　Bridge；　since　the　DUNCAN；　if　brought　to　the　coast；　could　not　escape　me；　and　with　the　yacht　once　mine；　I　was　master　of　the　ocean。　　I　led　you　in　this　way　unsuspectingly　as　far　as　the　Snowy　River。　　The　horses　and　bullocks　dropped　dead　one　by　one；　poisoned　by　the　gastrolobium。　I　dragged　the　wagon　into　the　marshes；　where　it　got　half　buried。　At　my　instancebut　you　know　the　rest；　my　Lord；　and　you　may　be　sure　that　but　for　the　blunder　of　Mr。　Paganel；　I　should　now　command　the　DUNCAN。　　Such　is　my　history；　gentlemen。　My　disclosures；　unfortunately；　cannot　put　you　on　the　track　of　Harry　Grant；　and　you　perceive　that　you　have　made　but　a　poor　bargain　by　coming　to　my　terms。〃　The　quartermaster　said　no　more；　but　crossed　his　arms　in　his　usual　fashion　and　waited。　　Glenarvan　and　his　friends　kept　silence。　They　felt　that　this　strange　criminal　had　spoke