“You are weak yet,” said the minister gently. “The Spaniard’s ball, you know, went through your shoulder, and in some way your arm was badly torn from shoulder to wrist. You have been out of your head ever since we were brought here, three days ago. The chirurgeon came and dressed your wound, and it is healing well. Don’t try to speak,—I’ll tell you all. Diccon has been pressed into service, as the ship is short of hands, having lost some by fever and some overboard. Four of the pirates were picked up, and hung at the yardarm next morning.”
He moved as he spoke, and something clanked in the stillness. “You are ironed!” I exclaimed.
“Only my ankles. My lord would have had me bound hand and foot; but you were raving for water, and, taking you for a dying man, they were so humane as to leave my hands free to attend you.”
“My lord would have had you bound,” I said slowly. “Then it’s my lord’s day.”
“High noon and blazing sunshine,” he answered, with a rueful laugh. “It seems that half the folk on board had gaped at him at court. Lord! when he put his foot over the side of the ship, how the women screeched and the men stared! He’s cock of the walk now, my Lord Carnal, the King’s favourite!”
“And we are pirates.”
“That’s the case in a nutshell,” he answered cheerfully.
“Do they know how the ship came to strike upon that reef?” I asked.
“Probably not, unless madam has enlightened them. I didn’t take the trouble,—they wouldn’t have believed me,—and I can take my oath my lord hasn’t. He was only our helpless prisoner, you know; and they would think madam mistaken or bewitched.”
“It’s not a likely tale,” I said grimly, “seeing that we had already opened fire upon them.”