"Where should she be, seeing she was wounded and solitary, but with my lady
Joan!"
"God forbid!" cried I.
"Why, Martin, 'tis my lady's whim—they walk together, talk, eat, aye, and sleep together, for aught I know—"
"Adam," said I, grasping him by the arm. "You know Captain Tressady of old, and Mings and Red Rory, Sol Aiken and others of the Coast Brotherhood, but have you ever met the fiercest, bravest, greatest of these rogues; have you ever heard tell of Captain 'Jo'?"
"Aye, truly, Martin, some young springald that hath risen among 'em since my time, a bloody rogue by account and one I would fain come alongside of—"
"Captain Jo lies in your power, Adam; Captain Jo is aboard; Captain Jo is
Joanna herself! 'Twas Joanna fought the Happy Despatch so desperately!"
Now hereupon Adam fell back a pace and stood staring down on me and pinching his chin, but with never a word. And seeing him thus incredulous still, I strove to get me out of bed.
"Easy, Martin!" said he, restraining me. "These be wild and whirling words and something hard to believe—"
"Why, then, if you doubt me still, summon hither Don Federigo an he be yet alive—"
"Look now, Martin," said he, seating himself on the bed beside me. "Since we left England I have burned or scuttled four rascally pirate craft and each and every a fighting ship, yet no one of them so mauled and battered us as this Happy Despatch (whereby I have lost fourteen good fellows dead besides thirty wounded) the which as I do know was captained by one calling himself Belvedere—"