Books: The Little Savage
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Captain Marryat >> The Little Savage
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Chapter XI
I then went out of the cabin and took my usual seat, and began to
reflect upon what I had heard. He had talked about diamonds; now I
knew what diamonds were, so far as they were of great value, for I
had read of them in the Bible, and Jackson had explained the value of
precious stones to me, and had told me of diamonds of very great
value indeed. Then he said that they were Henniker's diamonds--he
must have meant my father, that was positive. And that no one could
prove they were his--this implied that Jackson had no right to them;
indeed how could he have? And then I recalled to mind his having a
secret hiding place under his bed, where I presumed the diamonds were
deposited. I then turned over in my mind what he had told me relative
to the death of my father, the captain, and my mother, how confused
he was, and how glad he was to get rid of the subject, and how
unsatisfactory I thought his account was at the time. After much
cogitation, I made up my mind that Jackson had not told me the truth,
and that there was a mystery yet to be explained; but how was I to
get at it? There was but one way. The liquor made him talk. I would
supply him with liquor, and by degrees I would get the truth out of
him. At the same time I would not allow him to suppose that he had
said anything to commit himself, or that I had any suspicions.
How naturally do we fall into treachery and deceit, from the evil in
our own hearts, without any assistance or example from the world. How
could I have learnt deceit? Isolated as I had been, must it not have
been innate?
I returned to the cabin, and woke Jackson without much difficulty,
since he had not drunk so much as on the previous night.
"How are you this morning?" said I.
"Not very well; I have had some bad dreams."
"Well you sang me some beautiful songs," replied I.
"Yes, I recollect," said he; "but I fell asleep at last."
"Yes, you refused to sing any more, and went off in a loud snore."
Jackson got out of his bed-place, and I gave him his meal. We talked
during the whole day about singing, and I hummed the air which had
pleased me most.
"You have got the air pretty correct," said he; "you must have an
ear for music. Have you ever tried to sing?"
"No, never; you know I have not."
"You might have tried when I was not with you. Try now. I will sing
a tune, and then do you repeat it after me."
He did so, and I repeated it.
"Very good," said he. "Let's try the compass of your voice."
He ran up the gamut, and I followed him.
"I think you can go higher than I can," said he, "however you go
quite high enough, so now I'll give you a singing lesson."
Thus were we occupied at intervals during the whole day, for Jackson
would not allow me to try my voice too much at first. As the evening
fell, he again asked me to fetch some liquor, and as I had three
quart wine bottles, as I before mentioned, which I had found in the
chest, I took them down to fill, as it would save me many trips, and
be more convenient in every respect.
I brought them up full, and Jackson stopped them up with some of the
rags which I had torn to bind round his wrist, and put them all three
in his bed-place.
"That will be a much better arrangement," said he, "as now I can
pour out the liquor into the pannikin as I want it; besides, I mean
to take a little water with it in future. It's not quite so good with
water, but it lasts longer, and one don't go to sleep so soon. Well,
I little thought that I should have such a comfort sent me after all
my sufferings. I don't so much care now about staying here. Go and
fetch some water in the pannikin."
That night was a repetition of the first. Jackson sang till he was
intoxicated, and then fell fast asleep, not talking or saying a word,
and I was disappointed, for I remained awake to catch anything he
might say. It would be tedious to repeat what took place for about a
month;--suffice it to say it was very rarely, during that time, that
Jackson said anything in his sleep, or drunken state, and what he did
say I could make nothing of. He continued, in the daytime, to give me
lessons in singing, and I could now sing several songs very
correctly. At night, he returned to his usual habit, and was more or
less intoxicated before the night was over. I perceived, however,
that this excess had a great effect upon his constitution, and that
he had become very pale and haggard. Impatient as I felt to find out
the truth, I concealed my feelings towards him (which had certainly
very much changed again since the discovery I had made and the
suspicions I had formed) and I remained on the best of terms with
him, resolving to wait patiently. He had spoken once, and therefore I
argued that he would speak again, nor was I wrong in my calculations.
One night, after he had finished his usual allowance of liquor, and
had composed himself for sleep, I observed that he was unusually
restless, changing his position in his bed-place every few minutes,
and, at last, he muttered, "Captain James. Well, what of Captain
James, eh?"
A thought struck me that he might reply to a question.
"How did he die?" said I, in a low clear voice.
"Die?" replied Jackson, "he fell down the cliff. Yes, he did. You
can't say I killed him. No--never put my finger on him."
After that, he was silent for some time, and then he recommenced.
"She always said that I destroyed them both, but I did not--only one
--yes, one, I grant--but I hated him--no, not for his diamonds--no,
no--if you said his wife indeed--love and hate."
"Then you killed him for love of his wife, and hate of himself?"
"Yes, I did. Who are you that have guessed that? Who are you? I'll
have your life."
As he said this, he started up in his bed-place, awakened by his
dream, and probably by my voice, which he had replied to.
"Who spoke?" said he. "Frank Henniker, did you speak?"
I made no reply, but pretended to be sound asleep, as he still sat
up, as if watching me. I feigned a snore.
"It could not have been him," muttered Jackson, "he's quite fast.
Mercy, what a dream!"
He then sank down in his bed-place, and I heard the gurgling noise
which told me that he had put the bottle of liquor to his mouth, and
was drinking out of it. From the time that the gurgling lasted, he
must have taken a great deal. At last, all was quiet again.
"So I have discovered it at last," said I, as my blood boiled at
what I had heard. "He did murder my father. Shall I kill him while he
sleeps?" was the first thought that came into my troubled mind. "No,
I won't do that. What then, shall I tax him with it when he is awake,
and then kill him?" but I thought, that, as he was blind, and unable
to defend himself, it would be cowardly, and I could not do that.
What then was I to do? and as I cooled down, I thought of the words
of the Bible, that we were to return good for evil; for Jackson, of
whom, when I read it, I asked why we were told to do so, had
explained it to me, and afterwards when I came to the part which
said, "Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord," he had told me that there
was punishment for the wicked hereafter, and that was the reason why
we were not to obey the Jewish law of "an eye for an eye, and a tooth
for a tooth," which I had referred to. This portion of the Bible he
had well explained, and certain it is that it prevented my raising my
hand against him that night. Still, I remained in a state of great
excitement; I felt that it would be impossible for me to be any
longer on good terms with him, and I revolved the question in my
mind, till at last, worn out by excitement, I fell fast asleep.
A short time before daylight, I started up at what I thought was a
faint cry, but I listened, and hearing nothing more, I again fell
asleep, and it was broad daylight when I arose; my first thoughts
were naturally of Jackson, and I looked at where he lay, but he was
no longer there--his bed-place was empty. I was astonished, and after
a moment's thought, I recollected the cry I had heard in the night,
and I ran out of the cabin and looked around me, but I could see
nothing of him. I then went to the edge of the flat rock upon which
the cabin was built and looked over it; it was about thirty feet from
this rock to the one below, and nearly perpendicular. I thought that
he must have gone out in the night, when intoxicated with liquor, and
have fallen down the precipice; but I did not see him as I peered
over. "He must have gone for water," thought I, and I ran to the
corner of the rock, where the precipice was much deeper, and looking
over, I perceived him lying down below without motion or apparent
life. I had, then, judged rightly. I sat down by the side of the pool
of water quite overpowered; last night I had been planning how I
should destroy him, and now he lay dead before me without my being
guilty of the crime. "Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord," were the
words that first escaped my lips; and I remained many minutes in deep
thought. At last it occurred to me that he might not yet be dead; I
ran down the cliff, and, clambering over the rocks, arrived
breathless at the spot where Jackson lay. He groaned heavily as I
stood by him.
"Jackson," said I, kneeling down by him, "are you much hurt?" for
all my feelings of animosity had vanished when I perceived his
unhappy condition. His lips moved, but he did not utter any sound. At
last he said, in a low voice, "Water." I hastened back as fast as I
could to the cabin, got a pannikin half full of water, and poured a
little rum in it out of the bottle. This journey and my return to him
occupied some ten minutes. I put it to his lips, and he seemed to
revive. He was a dreadful object to look at. The blood from a cut on
his head had poured over his face and beard, which were clotted with
gore. How to remove him to the cabin I knew not. It would be hardly
possible for me to carry him over the broken rocks which I had
climbed to arrive at where he lay; and there was no other way but
what was longer, and just as difficult. By degrees he appeared to
recover; I gave him more of the contents of the pannikin, and at last
he could speak, although with great pain and difficulty. As he did so
he put his hand to his side. He was indeed a ghastly object, with his
sightless eyeballs, his livid lips, and his face and beard matted
with blood.
"Do you think you could get to the cabin, if I helped you?" said I.
"I shall never get there--let me die where I am," said he.
"But the cut on your head is not very deep," replied I.
"No, I don't feel it;--but--my side--I bleed inwardly--I am--broken
to pieces," said he, pausing and gasping between each word.
I looked at his side, and perceived that it was already black and
much swollen. I offered him more drink, which he took eagerly, and I
then returned for a further supply. I filled two of the wine-bottles
with water and a small drop of spirits as before, and went back to
where he lay. I found him more recovered, and I had hopes that he
might still do well, and I told him so.
"No, no," replied he; "I have but a few hours to live--I feel that.
Let me die here, and die in peace."
He then sank into a sort of stupor, occasioned, I presume, by what I
had given him to drink, and remained quite quiet, and breathing
heavily. I sat by him waiting till he should rouse up again; for more
than an hour I was in a very confused state of mind, as may well be
imagined, after what had passed in the night.
Chapter XII
What I most thought of was obtaining from him, now that he was
dying, the full truth as to the deaths of my father and mother.
Jackson remained so long in this state of stupor, I feared that he
would die before I could interrogate him; but this, as it proved, was
not to be the case. I waited another hour, very impatiently I must
acknowledge, and then I went to him and asked him how he felt. He
replied immediately, and without that difficulty which he appeared
before to have experienced.
"I am better now--the inward bleeding has stopped; but still I
cannot live--my side is broken in, I do not think there is a rib that
is not fractured into pieces, and my spine is injured, for I cannot
move or feel my legs; but I may live many hours yet, and I thank God
for His mercy in allowing me so much time--short indeed to make
reparation for so bad a life, but still nothing is impossible with
God."
"Well, then," replied I, "if you can speak, I wish you would tell me
the truth relative to my father's death, and also about the death of
others; as for my father I know that you murdered him--for you said
so last night in your sleep."
After a pause, Jackson replied--"I am glad that I did, and that you
have told me so--I wished to make a full confession even to you, for
confession is a proof of repentance. I know that you must hate me,
and will hate my memory, and I cannot be surprised at it; but look at
me now, Frank, and ask your own heart whether I am not more an object
of pity than of hatred. 'Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord!' and has
not His vengeance fallen upon me even in this world? Look at me; here
I am, separated from the world that I loved so much, with no chance
of ever joining it--possessed of wealth which would but a few months
ago have made me happy--now blind, crushed to pieces by an avenging
God, in whose presence I must shortly appear to answer for all my
wickedness--all my expectations overthrown, all my hopes destroyed,
and all my accumulated sins procuring me nothing, but, it may be,
eternal condemnation. I ask you again, am I not an object of pity and
commiseration?"
I could but assent to this, and he proceeded.
"I will now tell you the truth. I did tell the truth up to the time
of your father and mother's embarkation on board of the brig, up to
when the gale of wind came on which occasioned eventually the loss of
the ship. Now give me a little drink.
"The vessel was so tossed by the storm, and the waves broke over her
so continually, that the between-decks were full of water, and as the
hatches were kept down, the heat was most oppressive. When it was not
my watch I remained below, and looked out for another berth to sleep
in. Before the cabin bulkheads on the starboard side, the captain had
fitted up a sort of sail-room to contain the spare sails in case we
should require them. It was about eight feet square, and the sails
were piled up in it, so as to reach within two feet of the deck
overhead; though the lower ones were wetted with the water, above
they were dry, and I took this berth on the top of the sails as my
sleeping place. Now the state-room in which your father and mother
slept was on the other side of the cabin bulkhead, and the straining
and rolling of the vessel had opened the chinks between the planks,
so that I could see a great deal of what was done in the state-room,
and could hear every word almost that was spoken by them. I was not
aware of this when I selected this place as my berth, but I found it
out on the first night, the light of the candle shining through the
chinks into the darkness by which I was surrounded outside. Of
course, it is when a man is alone with his wife that he talks on
confidential subjects; that I knew well, and hoped by listening to be
able to make some discovery;--what, I had no idea of; but, with the
bad feelings which stimulated me, I determined not to lose an
opportunity. It was not till about a week after I had selected this
berth, that I made any discovery. I had had the watch from six to
eight o'clock, and had gone to bed early. About nine o'clock your
father came into the state-room. Your mother was already in bed. As
your father undressed, your mother said, 'Does not that belt worry
you a great deal, my dear?'
"'No,' replied your father, 'I am used to it now; it did when I
first put it on, but now I have had it on four days, I do not feel
it. I shall keep it on as long as this weather lasts; there is no
saying what may happen, and it will not do to be looking for the belt
at a moment's warning.'
"'Do you think then that we are in danger?'
"'No, not particularly so, but the storm is very fierce, and the
vessel is old and weak. We may have fine weather in a day or two, or
we may not; at all events, when property of value is at stake, and
that property not my own, I should feel myself very culpable, if I
did not take every precaution.'
"'Well--I wish we were safe home again, my dear, and that my father
had his diamonds, but we are in the hands of God.'
"'Yes, I must trust to Him,' replied your father.
"This circumstance induced me to look through one of the chinks of
the bulkhead, so that I could see your father, and I perceived that
he was unbuckling a belt which was round his body, and which no doubt
contained the diamonds referred to. It was of soft leather, and about
eight inches wide, sewed lengthways and breadthways in small squares,
in which I presumed the diamonds were deposited. After a time your
mother spoke again.
"'I really think, Henniker, that I ought to wear the belt.'
"'Why so, my dear?'
"'Because it might be the means of my preservation in case of
accident. Suppose now, we were obliged to abandon the vessel and take
to the boats; a husband, in his hurry, might forget his wife, but he
would not forget his diamonds. If I wore the belt, you would be
certain to put me in the boat.'
"'That observation of yours would have force with some husbands, and
some wives,' retorted your father; 'but as I have a firm belief in
the Scriptures, it does not affect me. What do the Proverbs say? "The
price of a virtuous woman is far above rubies;" and a good ruby is
worth even more in the market than a diamond of the same size.'
"'Well, I must comfort myself with that idea,' replied your mother,
laughing.
"'Supposing we be thrown upon some out-of-the-way place,' said your
father, 'I shall then commit the belt to your charge. It might soon
be discovered on my person, whereas, on yours, it would stand every
chance of being long concealed. I say this because, even in a desert,
it would be dangerous to have it known by unscrupulous and
unprincipled men that anyone had so much wealth about him.'
"'Well,' replied your mother, 'that is also comfortable for me to
hear, for you will not leave me behind, because I shall be necessary
to conceal your treasure.'
"'Yes,' replied your father, laughing, 'there is another chance for
you, you see.'
"Your father then extinguished the light, and the conversation was
not renewed; but I had heard enough. Your father carried a great
treasure about his person--wealth, I took it for granted, that if I
once could obtain, and return to England, would save me from my
present position. My avarice was hereby excited, and thus another
passion equally powerful, and equally inciting to evil deeds, was
added to the hate which I already had imbibed for your father. But I
must leave off now."
Jackson drank a little more, and then remained quiet, and as I had
had no food that day, I took the opportunity of returning to the
cabin, with the promise that I would be back very soon. In half an
hour I returned, bringing with me the Bible and Prayer-book, as I
thought that he would ask me to read to him after he had made his
confession. I found him breathing heavily, and apparently asleep, so
I did not wake him. As I looked at him, and recalled to mind his
words, "Am not I an object of pity?" I confessed that he was, and
then I asked myself the question, Can you forgive him who was the
murderer of your father? After some reflection, I thought that I
could. Was he not already punished? Had not the murder been already
avenged? It was not possible to retain animosity against one so
stricken, so broken to pieces, and my heart smote me when I looked at
his disabled hand, and felt that I, boy as I was, had had a share in
his marring. At last he spoke.
"Are you there, Frank?"
"Yes," replied I.
"I have had a little sleep," said he.
"Do you feel easier?" inquired I kindly.
"Yes, I feel my side more numbed, and so it will remain till
mortification takes place. But let me finish my confession; I wish to
relieve my mind, not that I shall die to-night, or perhaps to-morrow,
but still I wish it over. Come nearer to me, that I may speak in a
lower voice, and then I shall be able to speak longer."
I did so, and he proceeded.
"You know how we were cast upon this island, and how I behaved at
first. When I afterwards took my place with the others, my evil
thoughts gradually quitted me, and I gave up all idea of any injury
to your father. But this did not last long. The deaths of so many,
and at last the captain your father and your mother being the only
ones left on the island besides myself, once more excited my
cupidity. I thought again of the belt of diamonds, and by what means
I should gain possession of it; and the devil suggested to me the
murders of the captain and of your father. I had ascertained that
your father no longer carried the belt on his person when we all used
to bathe at the bathing-pool; it was, therefore, as your father had
proposed, in your mother's keeping. Having once made up my mind, I
watched every opportunity to put my intentions into execution. It was
the custom for one of us to fish every morning, as your mother would
not eat the dried birds, if fish could be procured, and I considered
that the only chance I had of executing my horrible wish was when
your father went to fish off the rocks. We usually did so off the
ledge of rocks which divide the bathing-pool from the sea, but I
found out another place, where more fish, and of a better quality,
were to be taken, which is off the high wall of rocks just below. You
know where I mean, I have often sent you to fish there, but I never
could go myself since your father's death. Your father took his lines
there, and was hauling in a large fish, when I, who had concealed
myself close to where he stood, watched the opportunity as he looked
over the rock to see if the fish was clear of the water, to come
behind him and throw him off into the sea. He could not swim, I knew,
and after waiting a minute or two, I looked over and saw his body,
just as it sank, after his last struggles. I then hastened away, and
my guilty conscience induced me to ascend the ravine, and collect a
faggot of firewood to bring home, that no suspicions might be
entertained; but my so doing was the very cause of suspicion, as you
will afterwards perceive. I returned with the wood, and the captain
observed, when I came up to the cabin:
"'Why, it's something new for you to collect wood out of your turn,
Jackson. Wonders will never cease.'
"'The fact is, that I am becoming very amiable,' replied I, hardly
knowing what to say, and afraid to look either of them in the face,
for your mother, with you on her lap, was standing close by.
"'Has my husband caught any fish, do you know, Jackson?' said your
mother, 'for it is high time that he came home.'
"'How can I tell?' replied I. 'I have been up the ravine for wood.'
"'But you were down on the rock two hours ago,' replied your mother,
'for Captain James saw you coming away.'
"'That I certainly did,' replied the captain. 'Had he caught any
fish when you were with him?'
"They must have perceived my confusion when I said, 'Yes, I was on
the rocks, but I never went near Henniker, that I'll swear.'
"'You must have been near him, even when I saw you,' replied the
captain.
"'I never looked at him, if I was,' replied I.
"'Well, then, one of us had better go down and see what he is
about,' said the captain. 'Shall I leave Jackson with you?'
"'Yes, yes,' replied your mother, much agitated, 'for I have my
forebodings; better leave him here.'
"The captain hastened down to the rocks, and in a quarter of an hour
returned very much heated, saying, 'He is not there!'
"'Not there?' replied I, getting up, for I had seated myself in
silence on the rock during the captain's absence: 'that's very odd.'
"'It is,' replied the captain. 'Jackson, go and try if you see
anything of him, while I attend to Mrs Henniker.'
"Your mother, on the captain's return, had bowed her head down to
her knees, and covered her face with her hands. I was glad of an
excuse to be away, for my heart smote me as I witnessed her condition.
"I remained away half-an-hour, and then returned, saying that I
could see nothing of your father.
"Your mother was in the cabin, and the captain went in to her, while
I remained outside with all the feelings of Cain upon my brow.
"That was a dreadful day for all parties--no food was taken. Your
mother and the captain remained in the cabin, and I dared not, as
usual, go in to my own bed-place. I lay all night upon the rocks--
sleep I could not; every moment I saw your father's body sinking, as
I had seen it in the morning. The next morning the captain came out
to me. He was very grave and stern, but he could not accuse me,
whatever his suspicions might have been. It was a week before I saw
your mother again, for I dared not intrude into her presence; but,
finding there was no accusation against me, I recovered my spirits,
and returned to the cabin, and things went on as before."
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