CHAPTER XXIV.
A CURSE FALLS UPON THE WOLVES.
I parted from him, to go to my cell. Later, before dusk fell, I went out to take an evening jaunt, betaking myself to the cliff.
At the fortifications I stood to watch divers men who cleaned the great guns.
They were Frenchmen, and chattered over their work, with much gesticulation. I spoke to them; but they would not be troubled with me, and returned me no answer. So I left them, to go my way.
I rambled on along the cliff about half an hour without observing anything remarkable; and was going about to return, when, on a sudden, I heard a sound of branches shaken in a little thicket that skirted my path, and, to my great joy, beheld Thalass, the Mosquito Indian.
And, for his part, the faithful, affectionate creature was so rejoiced to see me, that he knew not how to express it sufficiently, casting himself flat at my feet, or embracing me with a thousand extravagant antics. Hereafter he wended beside me along the cliff. But, on a sudden, he came to a stand, looking fixedly to the sea-board.
He turned; and, plucking my arm, pointed to the horizon. I looked, straining my sight to have made out what he descried; but I could not. He told me it was the topsails of a ship.
This put me in a ferment to know what manner of ship it was: a King’s ship, I hoped; but doubted she would prove to be but a vessel of the pirates returning home. However, the wind coming briskly to the shore, and the ship bearing directly in, soon I descried her. But now the shades of night began to fall, so that she was no longer visible to us. On this we turned, and started back along the cliff.
As we drew near to the fortifications, there came a sound of voices; and soon we beheld a gang of pirates gathered about the guns. A small man, having a scarlet feather stuck in his hat, stood a little apart from the rest. He beckoned to Thalass, who went to him. But I, bethinking me of Ambrose, and of how the news of this coming of a ship might avail to distract his melancholy thoughts, determined to go to him.
Accordingly I took the path of the woods, following it to the Cells. I found the knob beneath the creepers, and tried to open the door; but I could not. Thereupon I cast about for a stone, to have knocked upon the door with it. Whilst I did so, there came the dull booming of cannonading out at sea. It ceased; then, like a dread answer, the volcan roared loud and long. Presently the cannonading began again.