Black Bartlemys Treasure | Page 3

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This etext was prepared by Dr Mike Alder and Sue Asscher from the
book made available by Dr Mike Alder.

BLACK BARTLEMY'S TREASURE
BY
JEFFREY FARNOL
TO MY NEPHEWS
JAMES JEFFREY FARNOL
AND
RONALD EWART OAKESHOTT

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 so may I see him suffer, for
the anguish that is mine so may I watch his agony. Thou art a just God,
so, God of Justice, give to me vengeance!"
The sun rose high and higher over our quarter, beating down upon our
naked