Читать книгу The Queen Versus Billy, and Other Stories онлайн

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“I can’t tell you what a relief it is to see you,” said the captain. “I wouldn’t pass another such day for a thousand pounds!”

Facey was dog-tired, and his tattered clothes and scratched face gave evidence of a toilsome march. But he was in a boisterous good humour. He had acquitted himself with marked success, and was thankful to have brought back his party and himself safe and sound.

“Well, how did you make out?” asked the captain.

“We landed at the trader’s house,” began Facey, “followed a path that led inland, and reached some Kanaka huts. Not a soul in ’em; clean gone, every man jack. Followed along a well beaten path which led us into the next bay, bearing north-northeast half-east, keeping the liveliest lookout all the time. Three miles along we ran into another village, chock-a-block with niggers. It looked a nasty go; lots of guns and spears, and everybody pretty skittish, kind of they would and they wouldn’t! I recollected your orders and went slow; you know what I mean, sir—worked off the presents, and smoked my pipe leisurely. By and by they came round, tricky as the devil, on to make friends or to eat us alive, whichever seemed the more promising. I let out what I wanted, and bit by bit found out that all the Sunflower Bay crowd were there, even to old Jibberik, the chief—him Toombs said was the biggest scoundrel of the lot. He looked pretty sick and knew mighty well what we were after. I talked broadsides to that old man, and put it to him that he had better give up the chaps who had killed the trader than waltz back to the ship and be shot instanter himself—for somebody had to go, I said; and just as soon as I got the old codger alongside of me I gave him to understand that he was my bird, and kept my cocked pistol pointed at his belly. After no end of a fuss, and lots of frothing and loud talk, with things looking precious ugly now and again, we ended by coming out on top. Then they dragged along a young nigger named Billy, a returned labour-boy from the Queensland plantations, they said, and handed him over to me as the murderer. I thought it was more than likely they’d give us some cheap nigger they had no use for, or some worn-out old customer, as they did in Pentecost to Dewar of the Royalist; but I think this Billy was all right. A lot of niggers—Billy’s own push, I suppose—looked as black as fits and wouldn’t come round for a long time. Then I lashed the prisoner’s hands and tied him to one of our men, and talked pretty straight to Jib. I made him promise he’d bring his people back at once, and be down on the beach, himself and two others, to-morrow morning to give evidence against Billy.”