EXPLORE THE ISLAND
XXXIV HOW I STOOD RESOLUTE IN MY FOLLY
XXXV HOW MY DEAR LADY WAS LOST TO ME
XXXVI TELLETH SOME PART OF A NIGHT OF AGONY
XXXVII HOW I SOUGHT DEATH BUT FOUND IT NOT
XXXVIII CONCERNING THE DEAD MAN HUMPHREY AND HOW I SAW A VISION
IN THE MOONLIGHT
XXXIX HOW MY DEAR LADY CAME BACK TO ME
XL OF CLOTHES
XLI OF THE VOICE THAT SANG ON DELIVERANCE SANDS
XLII CONCERNING THE SONG OF A DEAD MAN
XLIII OF THE DEATH-DANCE OF THE SILVER WOMAN
XLIV HOW I HAD SPEECH WITH ROGER TRESSADY TO MY UNDOING
XLV OF THE COMING OF ADAM PENFEATHER
XLVI HOW I DOUBTED MYSELF
XLVII HOW MY DOUBTING WAS RESOLVED FOR ME

BLACK BARTLEMY'S TREASURE

PROLOGUE

The Frenchman beside me had been dead since dawn. His scarred and
shackled body swayed limply back and forth with every sweep of the
great oar as we, his less fortunate bench-fellows, tugged and strained
to keep time to the stroke.

Two men had I seen die beside me, yet Death ever passed me by, nay, it
seemed rather that despite the pain of stripes, despite the travail and
hardship, my strength waxed the mightier; upon arm and thigh, burnt
nigh black by fierce suns, the muscles showed hard and knotted; within
my body, scarred by the lash, the life leapt and glowed yet was the
soul of me sick unto death. But it seemed I could not die--finding
thereby blessed rest and a surcease from this agony of life as had this
Frenchman, who of all the naked wretches about me, was the only one
with whom I had any sort of fellowship. He had died (as I say) with
the dawn, so quietly that at first I thought he but fainted and pitied
him, but, when I knew, pity changed to bitterness.

Therefore, as I strove at the heavy oar I prayed 'twixt gnashing teeth
a prayer I had often prayed, and the matter of my praying was thus:

"O God of Justice, for the agony I needs must now endure, for the
bloody stripes and bitter anguish give to me vengeance--vengeance, O
God, on mine enemy!"

So prayed I, hoarse-panting and with the sweat trickling down whiles I
stared at the naked back of him that rowed before me--a great, fat
fellow he had been once, but now the skin hung in numberless creases
whereon were many weals, some raw and bloody, that crossed and
re-crossed each other after the manner of lace-work.

"Justice, O God, upon mine enemy! Since Death is not for me let me
live until I be avenged; for the pain I suffer