diff options
| author | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 05:17:05 -0700 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 05:17:05 -0700 |
| commit | 53b9322b53d145c3c723a03e28cf066de94285b4 (patch) | |
| tree | dae3239b288cb1ab829d59d35a67900d559ffe6c | |
| -rw-r--r-- | .gitattributes | 3 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 1406-h.zip | bin | 0 -> 49468 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 1406-h/1406-h.htm | 2154 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 1406.txt | 2331 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 1406.zip | bin | 0 -> 48202 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | LICENSE.txt | 11 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 2 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/pocep10.txt | 2308 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/pocep10.zip | bin | 0 -> 46002 bytes |
9 files changed, 6809 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/1406-h.zip b/1406-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..b172de0 --- /dev/null +++ b/1406-h.zip diff --git a/1406-h/1406-h.htm b/1406-h/1406-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7e771de --- /dev/null +++ b/1406-h/1406-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,2154 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html + PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII" /> +<title>The Perils of Certain English Prisoners</title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + P { margin-top: .75em; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + H1, H2 { + text-align: center; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + } + H3, H4 { + text-align: left; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em; + } + BODY{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + .blkquot {margin-left: 4em; margin-right: 4em;} /* block indent */ + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> +</head> +<body> +<h2> +<a href="#startoftext">The Perils of Certain English Prisoners, by Charles Dickens</a> +</h2> +<pre> +The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Perils of Certain English Prisoners, by +Charles Dickens + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: The Perils of Certain English Prisoners + + +Author: Charles Dickens + +Release Date: April 3, 2005 [eBook #1406] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PERILS OF CERTAIN ENGLISH +PRISONERS*** +</pre> +<p><a name="startoftext"></a></p> +<p>Transcribed from the 1894 Chapman and Hall “Christmas Stories” +edition by David Price, email ccx074@coventry.ac.uk</p> +<h1>THE PERILS OF CERTAIN ENGLISH PRISONERS</h1> +<h2>CHAPTER I—THE ISLAND OF SILVER-STORE</h2> +<p>It was in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and forty-four, +that I, Gill Davis to command, His Mark, having then the honour to be +a private in the Royal Marines, stood a-leaning over the bulwarks of +the armed sloop Christopher Columbus, in the South American waters off +the Mosquito shore.</p> +<p>My lady remarks to me, before I go any further, that there is no +such christian-name as Gill, and that her confident opinion is, that +the name given to me in the baptism wherein I was made, &c., was +Gilbert. She is certain to be right, but I never heard of it. +I was a foundling child, picked up somewhere or another, and I always +understood my christian-name to be Gill. It is true that I was +called Gills when employed at Snorridge Bottom betwixt Chatham and Maidstone +to frighten birds; but that had nothing to do with the Baptism wherein +I was made, &c., and wherein a number of things were promised for +me by somebody, who let me alone ever afterwards as to performing any +of them, and who, I consider, must have been the Beadle. Such +name of Gills was entirely owing to my cheeks, or gills, which at that +time of my life were of a raspy description.</p> +<p>My lady stops me again, before I go any further, by laughing exactly +in her old way and waving the feather of her pen at me. That action +on her part, calls to my mind as I look at her hand with the rings on +it—Well! I won’t! To be sure it will come in, +in its own place. But it’s always strange to me, noticing +the quiet hand, and noticing it (as I have done, you know, so many times) +a-fondling children and grandchildren asleep, to think that when blood +and honour were up—there! I won’t! not at present!—Scratch +it out.</p> +<p>She won’t scratch it out, and quite honourable; because we +have made an understanding that everything is to be taken down, and +that nothing that is once taken down shall be scratched out. I +have the great misfortune not to be able to read and write, and I am +speaking my true and faithful account of those Adventures, and my lady +is writing it, word for word.</p> +<p>I say, there I was, a-leaning over the bulwarks of the sloop Christopher +Columbus in the South American waters off the Mosquito shore: a subject +of his Gracious Majesty King George of England, and a private in the +Royal Marines.</p> +<p>In those climates, you don’t want to do much. I was doing +nothing. I was thinking of the shepherd (my father, I wonder?) +on the hillsides by Snorridge Bottom, with a long staff, and with a +rough white coat in all weathers all the year round, who used to let +me lie in a corner of his hut by night, and who used to let me go about +with him and his sheep by day when I could get nothing else to do, and +who used to give me so little of his victuals and so much of his staff, +that I ran away from him—which was what he wanted all along, I +expect—to be knocked about the world in preference to Snorridge +Bottom. I had been knocked about the world for nine-and-twenty +years in all, when I stood looking along those bright blue South American +Waters. Looking after the shepherd, I may say. Watching +him in a half-waking dream, with my eyes half-shut, as he, and his flock +of sheep, and his two dogs, seemed to move away from the ship’s +side, far away over the blue water, and go right down into the sky.</p> +<p>“It’s rising out of the water, steady,” a voice +said close to me. I had been thinking on so, that it like woke +me with a start, though it was no stranger voice than the voice of Harry +Charker, my own comrade.</p> +<p>“What’s rising out of the water, steady?” I asked +my comrade.</p> +<p>“What?” says he. “The Island.”</p> +<p>“O! The Island!” says I, turning my eyes towards +it. “True. I forgot the Island.”</p> +<p>“Forgot the port you’re going to? That’s +odd, ain’t it?”</p> +<p>“It is odd,” says I.</p> +<p>“And odd,” he said, slowly considering with himself, +“ain’t even. Is it, Gill?”</p> +<p>He had always a remark just like that to make, and seldom another. +As soon as he had brought a thing round to what it was not, he was satisfied. +He was one of the best of men, and, in a certain sort of a way, one +with the least to say for himself. I qualify it, because, besides +being able to read and write like a Quarter-master, he had always one +most excellent idea in his mind. That was, Duty. Upon my +soul, I don’t believe, though I admire learning beyond everything, +that he could have got a better idea out of all the books in the world, +if he had learnt them every word, and been the cleverest of scholars.</p> +<p>My comrade and I had been quartered in Jamaica, and from there we +had been drafted off to the British settlement of Belize, lying away +West and North of the Mosquito coast. At Belize there had been +great alarm of one cruel gang of pirates (there were always more pirates +than enough in those Caribbean Seas), and as they got the better of +our English cruisers by running into out-of-the-way creeks and shallows, +and taking the land when they were hotly pressed, the governor of Belize +had received orders from home to keep a sharp look-out for them along +shore. Now, there was an armed sloop came once a-year from Port +Royal, Jamaica, to the Island, laden with all manner of necessaries, +to eat, and to drink, and to wear, and to use in various ways; and it +was aboard of that sloop which had touched at Belize, that I was a-standing, +leaning over the bulwarks.</p> +<p>The Island was occupied by a very small English colony. It +had been given the name of Silver-Store. The reason of its being +so called, was, that the English colony owned and worked a silver-mine +over on the mainland, in Honduras, and used this Island as a safe and +convenient place to store their silver in, until it was annually fetched +away by the sloop. It was brought down from the mine to the coast +on the backs of mules, attended by friendly Indians and guarded by white +men; from thence it was conveyed over to Silver-Store, when the weather +was fair, in the canoes of that country; from Silver-Store, it was carried +to Jamaica by the armed sloop once a-year, as I have already mentioned; +from Jamaica, it went, of course, all over the world.</p> +<p>How I came to be aboard the armed sloop, is easily told. Four-and-twenty +marines under command of a lieutenant—that officer’s name +was Linderwood—had been told off at Belize, to proceed to Silver-Store, +in aid of boats and seamen stationed there for the chase of the Pirates. +The Island was considered a good post of observation against the pirates, +both by land and sea; neither the pirate ship nor yet her boats had +been seen by any of us, but they had been so much heard of, that the +reinforcement was sent. Of that party, I was one. It included +a corporal and a sergeant. Charker was corporal, and the sergeant’s +name was Drooce. He was the most tyrannical non-commissioned officer +in His Majesty’s service.</p> +<p>The night came on, soon after I had had the foregoing words with +Charker. All the wonderful bright colours went out of the sea +and sky in a few minutes, and all the stars in the Heavens seemed to +shine out together, and to look down at themselves in the sea, over +one another’s shoulders, millions deep. Next morning, we +cast anchor off the Island. There was a snug harbour within a +little reef; there was a sandy beach; there were cocoa-nut trees with +high straight stems, quite bare, and foliage at the top like plumes +of magnificent green feathers; there were all the objects that are usually +seen in those parts, and <i>I</i> am not going to describe them, having +something else to tell about.</p> +<p>Great rejoicings, to be sure, were made on our arrival. All +the flags in the place were hoisted, all the guns in the place were +fired, and all the people in the place came down to look at us. +One of those Sambo fellows—they call those natives Sambos, when +they are half-negro and half-Indian—had come off outside the reef, +to pilot us in, and remained on board after we had let go our anchor. +He was called Christian George King, and was fonder of all hands than +anybody else was. Now, I confess, for myself, that on that first +day, if I had been captain of the Christopher Columbus, instead of private +in the Royal Marines, I should have kicked Christian George King—who +was no more a Christian than he was a King or a George—over the +side, without exactly knowing why, except that it was the right thing +to do.</p> +<p>But, I must likewise confess, that I was not in a particularly pleasant +humour, when I stood under arms that morning, aboard the Christopher +Columbus in the harbour of the Island of Silver-Store. I had had +a hard life, and the life of the English on the Island seemed too easy +and too gay to please me. “Here you are,” I thought +to myself, “good scholars and good livers; able to read what you +like, able to write what you like, able to eat and drink what you like, +and spend what you like, and do what you like; and much <i>you</i> care +for a poor, ignorant Private in the Royal Marines! Yet it’s +hard, too, I think, that you should have all the half-pence, and I all +the kicks; you all the smooth, and I all the rough; you all the oil, +and I all the vinegar.” It was as envious a thing to think +as might be, let alone its being nonsensical; but, I thought it. +I took it so much amiss, that, when a very beautiful young English lady +came aboard, I grunted to myself, “Ah! <i>you</i> have got a lover, +I’ll be bound!” As if there was any new offence to +me in that, if she had!</p> +<p>She was sister to the captain of our sloop, who had been in a poor +way for some time, and who was so ill then that he was obliged to be +carried ashore. She was the child of a military officer, and had +come out there with her sister, who was married to one of the owners +of the silver-mine, and who had three children with her. It was +easy to see that she was the light and spirit of the Island. After +I had got a good look at her, I grunted to myself again, in an even +worse state of mind than before, “I’ll be damned, if I don’t +hate him, whoever he is!”</p> +<p>My officer, Lieutenant Linderwood, was as ill as the captain of the +sloop, and was carried ashore, too. They were both young men of +about my age, who had been delicate in the West India climate. +I even took <i>that</i> in bad part. I thought I was much fitter +for the work than they were, and that if all of us had our deserts, +I should be both of them rolled into one. (It may be imagined +what sort of an officer of marines I should have made, without the power +of reading a written order. And as to any knowledge how to command +the sloop—Lord! I should have sunk her in a quarter of an +hour!)</p> +<p>However, such were my reflections; and when we men were ashore and +dismissed, I strolled about the place along with Charker, making my +observations in a similar spirit.</p> +<p>It was a pretty place: in all its arrangements partly South American +and partly English, and very agreeable to look at on that account, being +like a bit of home that had got chipped off and had floated away to +that spot, accommodating itself to circumstances as it drifted along. +The huts of the Sambos, to the number of five-and-twenty, perhaps, were +down by the beach to the left of the anchorage. On the right was +a sort of barrack, with a South American Flag and the Union Jack, flying +from the same staff, where the little English colony could all come +together, if they saw occasion. It was a walled square of building, +with a sort of pleasure-ground inside, and inside that again a sunken +block like a powder magazine, with a little square trench round it, +and steps down to the door. Charker and I were looking in at the +gate, which was not guarded; and I had said to Charker, in reference +to the bit like a powder magazine, “That’s where they keep +the silver you see;” and Charker had said to me, after thinking +it over, “And silver ain’t gold. Is it, Gill?” +when the beautiful young English lady I had been so bilious about, looked +out of a door, or a window—at all events looked out, from under +a bright awning. She no sooner saw us two in uniform, than she +came out so quickly that she was still putting on her broad Mexican +hat of plaited straw when we saluted.</p> +<p>“Would you like to come in,” she said, “and see +the place? It is rather a curious place.”</p> +<p>We thanked the young lady, and said we didn’t wish to be troublesome; +but, she said it could be no trouble to an English soldier’s daughter, +to show English soldiers how their countrymen and country-women fared, +so far away from England; and consequently we saluted again, and went +in. Then, as we stood in the shade, she showed us (being as affable +as beautiful), how the different families lived in their separate houses, +and how there was a general house for stores, and a general reading-room, +and a general room for music and dancing, and a room for Church; and +how there were other houses on the rising ground called the Signal Hill, +where they lived in the hotter weather.</p> +<p>“Your officer has been carried up there,” she said, “and +my brother, too, for the better air. At present, our few residents +are dispersed over both spots: deducting, that is to say, such of our +number as are always going to, or coming from, or staying at, the Mine.”</p> +<p>(“<i>He</i> is among one of those parties,” I thought, +“and I wish somebody would knock his head off.”)</p> +<p>“Some of our married ladies live here,” she said, “during +at least half the year, as lonely as widows, with their children.”</p> +<p>“Many children here, ma’am?”</p> +<p>“Seventeen. There are thirteen married ladies, and there +are eight like me.”</p> +<p>There were not eight like her—there was not one like her—in +the world. She meant single.</p> +<p>“Which, with about thirty Englishmen of various degrees,” +said the young lady, “form the little colony now on the Island. +I don’t count the sailors, for they don’t belong to us. +Nor the soldiers,” she gave us a gracious smile when she spoke +of the soldiers, “for the same reason.”</p> +<p>“Nor the Sambos, ma’am,” said I.</p> +<p>“No.”</p> +<p>“Under your favour, and with your leave, ma’am,” +said I, “are they trustworthy?”</p> +<p>“Perfectly! We are all very kind to them, and they are +very grateful to us.”</p> +<p>“Indeed, ma’am? Now—Christian George King?—”</p> +<p>“Very much attached to us all. Would die for us.”</p> +<p>She was, as in my uneducated way I have observed, very beautiful +women almost always to be, so composed, that her composure gave great +weight to what she said, and I believed it.</p> +<p>Then, she pointed out to us the building like a powder magazine, +and explained to us in what manner the silver was brought from the mine, +and was brought over from the mainland, and was stored here. The +Christopher Columbus would have a rich lading, she said, for there had +been a great yield that year, a much richer yield than usual, and there +was a chest of jewels besides the silver.</p> +<p>When we had looked about us, and were getting sheepish, through fearing +we were troublesome, she turned us over to a young woman, English born +but West India bred, who served her as her maid. This young woman +was the widow of a non-commissioned officer in a regiment of the line. +She had got married and widowed at St. Vincent, with only a few months +between the two events. She was a little saucy woman, with a bright +pair of eyes, rather a neat little foot and figure, and rather a neat +little turned-up nose. The sort of young woman, I considered at +the time, who appeared to invite you to give her a kiss, and who would +have slapped your face if you accepted the invitation.</p> +<p>I couldn’t make out her name at first; for, when she gave it +in answer to my inquiry, it sounded like Beltot, which didn’t +sound right. But, when we became better acquainted—which +was while Charker and I were drinking sugar-cane sangaree, which she +made in a most excellent manner—I found that her Christian name +was Isabella, which they shortened into Bell, and that the name of the +deceased non-commissioned officer was Tott. Being the kind of +neat little woman it was natural to make a toy of—I never saw +a woman so like a toy in my life—she had got the plaything name +of Belltott. In short, she had no other name on the island. +Even Mr. Commissioner Pordage (and <i>he</i> was a grave one!) formally +addressed her as Mrs. Belltott, but, I shall come to Mr. Commissioner +Pordage presently.</p> +<p>The name of the captain of the sloop was Captain Maryon, and therefore +it was no news to hear from Mrs. Belltott, that his sister, the beautiful +unmarried young English lady, was Miss Maryon. The novelty was, +that her christian-name was Marion too. Marion Maryon. Many +a time I have run off those two names in my thoughts, like a bit of +verse. Oh many, and many, and many a time!</p> +<p>We saw out all the drink that was produced, like good men and true, +and then took our leaves, and went down to the beach. The weather +was beautiful; the wind steady, low, and gentle; the island, a picture; +the sea, a picture; the sky, a picture. In that country there +are two rainy seasons in the year. One sets in at about our English +Midsummer; the other, about a fortnight after our English Michaelmas. +It was the beginning of August at that time; the first of these rainy +seasons was well over; and everything was in its most beautiful growth, +and had its loveliest look upon it.</p> +<p>“They enjoy themselves here,” I says to Charker, turning +surly again. “This is better than private-soldiering.”</p> +<p>We had come down to the beach, to be friendly with the boat’s-crew +who were camped and hutted there; and we were approaching towards their +quarters over the sand, when Christian George King comes up from the +landing-place at a wolf’s-trot, crying, “Yup, So-Jeer!”—which +was that Sambo Pilot’s barbarous way of saying, Hallo, Soldier! +I have stated myself to be a man of no learning, and, if I entertain +prejudices, I hope allowance may be made. I will now confess to +one. It may be a right one or it may be a wrong one; but, I never +did like Natives, except in the form of oysters.</p> +<p>So, when Christian George King, who was individually unpleasant to +me besides, comes a trotting along the sand, clucking, “Yup, So-Jeer!” +I had a thundering good mind to let fly at him with my right. +I certainly should have done it, but that it would have exposed me to +reprimand.</p> +<p>“Yup, So-Jeer!” says he. “Bad job.”</p> +<p>“What do you mean?” says I.</p> +<p>“Yup, So-Jeer!” says he, “Ship Leakee.”</p> +<p>“Ship leaky?” says I.</p> +<p>“Iss,” says he, with a nod that looked as if it was jerked +out of him by a most violent hiccup—which is the way with those +savages.</p> +<p>I cast my eyes at Charker, and we both heard the pumps going aboard +the sloop, and saw the signal run up, “Come on board; hands wanted +from the shore.” In no time some of the sloop’s liberty-men +were already running down to the water’s edge, and the party of +seamen, under orders against the Pirates, were putting off to the Columbus +in two boats.</p> +<p>“O Christian George King sar berry sorry!” says that +Sambo vagabond, then. “Christian George King cry, English +fashion!” His English fashion of crying was to screw his +black knuckles into his eyes, howl like a dog, and roll himself on his +back on the sand. It was trying not to kick him, but I gave Charker +the word, “Double-quick, Harry!” and we got down to the +water’s edge, and got on board the sloop.</p> +<p>By some means or other, she had sprung such a leak, that no pumping +would keep her free; and what between the two fears that she would go +down in the harbour, and that, even if she did not, all the supplies +she had brought for the little colony would be destroyed by the sea-water +as it rose in her, there was great confusion. In the midst of +it, Captain Maryon was heard hailing from the beach. He had been +carried down in his hammock, and looked very bad; but he insisted on +being stood there on his feet; and I saw him, myself, come off in the +boat, sitting upright in the stern-sheets, as if nothing was wrong with +him.</p> +<p>A quick sort of council was held, and Captain Maryon soon resolved +that we must all fall to work to get the cargo out, and that when that +was done, the guns and heavy matters must be got out, and that the sloop +must be hauled ashore, and careened, and the leak stopped. We +were all mustered (the Pirate-Chace party volunteering), and told off +into parties, with so many hours of spell and so many hours of relief, +and we all went at it with a will. Christian George King was entered +one of the party in which I worked, at his own request, and he went +at it with as good a will as any of the rest. He went at it with +so much heartiness, to say the truth, that he rose in my good opinion +almost as fast as the water rose in the ship. Which was fast enough, +and faster.</p> +<p>Mr. Commissioner Pordage kept in a red-and-black japanned box, like +a family lump-sugar box, some document or other, which some Sambo chief +or other had got drunk and spilt some ink over (as well as I could understand +the matter), and by that means had given up lawful possession of the +Island. Through having hold of this box, Mr. Pordage got his title +of Commissioner. He was styled Consul too, and spoke of himself +as “Government.”</p> +<p>He was a stiff-jointed, high-nosed old gentleman, without an ounce +of fat on him, of a very angry temper and a very yellow complexion. +Mrs. Commissioner Pordage, making allowance for difference of sex, was +much the same. Mr. Kitten, a small, youngish, bald, botanical +and mineralogical gentleman, also connected with the mine—but +everybody there was that, more or less—was sometimes called by +Mr. Commissioner Pordage, his Vice-commissioner, and sometimes his Deputy-consul. +Or sometimes he spoke of Mr. Kitten, merely as being “under Government.”</p> +<p>The beach was beginning to be a lively scene with the preparations +for careening the sloop, and with cargo, and spars, and rigging, and +water-casks, dotted about it, and with temporary quarters for the men +rising up there out of such sails and odds and ends as could be best +set on one side to make them, when Mr. Commissioner Pordage comes down +in a high fluster, and asks for Captain Maryon. The Captain, ill +as he was, was slung in his hammock betwixt two trees, that he might +direct; and he raised his head, and answered for himself.</p> +<p>“Captain Maryon,” cries Mr. Commissioner Pordage, “this +is not official. This is not regular.”</p> +<p>“Sir,” says the Captain, “it hath been arranged +with the clerk and supercargo, that you should be communicated with, +and requested to render any little assistance that may lie in your power. +I am quite certain that hath been duly done.”</p> +<p>“Captain Maryon,” replied Mr. Commissioner Pordage, “there +hath been no written correspondence. No documents have passed, +no memoranda have been made, no minutes have been made, no entries and +counter-entries appear in the official muniments. This is indecent. +I call upon you, sir, to desist, until all is regular, or Government +will take this up.”</p> +<p>“Sir,” says Captain Maryon, chafing a little, as he looked +out of his hammock; “between the chances of Government taking +this up, and my ship taking herself down, I much prefer to trust myself +to the former.”</p> +<p>“You do, sir?” cries Mr. Commissioner Pordage.</p> +<p>“I do, sir,” says Captain Maryon, lying down again.</p> +<p>“Then, Mr. Kitten,” says the Commissioner, “send +up instantly for my Diplomatic coat.”</p> +<p>He was dressed in a linen suit at that moment; but, Mr. Kitten started +off himself and brought down the Diplomatic coat, which was a blue cloth +one, gold-laced, and with a crown on the button.</p> +<p>“Now, Mr. Kitten,” says Pordage, “I instruct you, +as Vice-commissioner, and Deputy-consul of this place, to demand of +Captain Maryon, of the sloop Christopher Columbus, whether he drives +me to the act of putting this coat on?”</p> +<p>“Mr. Pordage,” says Captain Maryon, looking out of his +hammock again, “as I can hear what you say, I can answer it without +troubling the gentleman. I should be sorry that you should be +at the pains of putting on too hot a coat on my account; but, otherwise, +you may put it on hind-side before, or inside-out, or with your legs +in the sleeves, or your head in the skirts, for any objection that I +have to offer to your thoroughly pleasing yourself.”</p> +<p>“Very good, Captain Maryon,” says Pordage, in a tremendous +passion. “Very good, sir. Be the consequences on your +own head! Mr. Kitten, as it has come to this, help me on with +it.”</p> +<p>When he had given that order, he walked off in the coat, and all +our names were taken, and I was afterwards told that Mr. Kitten wrote +from his dictation more than a bushel of large paper on the subject, +which cost more before it was done with, than ever could be calculated, +and which only got done with after all, by being lost.</p> +<p>Our work went on merrily, nevertheless, and the Christopher Columbus, +hauled up, lay helpless on her side like a great fish out of water. +While she was in that state, there was a feast, or a ball, or an entertainment, +or more properly all three together, given us in honour of the ship, +and the ship’s company, and the other visitors. At that +assembly, I believe, I saw all the inhabitants then upon the Island, +without any exception. I took no particular notice of more than +a few, but I found it very agreeable in that little corner of the world +to see the children, who were of all ages, and mostly very pretty—as +they mostly are. There was one handsome elderly lady, with very +dark eyes and gray hair, that I inquired about. I was told that +her name was Mrs. Venning; and her married daughter, a fair slight thing, +was pointed out to me by the name of Fanny Fisher. Quite a child +she looked, with a little copy of herself holding to her dress; and +her husband, just come back from the mine, exceeding proud of her. +They were a good-looking set of people on the whole, but I didn’t +like them. I was out of sorts; in conversation with Charker, I +found fault with all of them. I said of Mrs. Venning, she was +proud; of Mrs. Fisher, she was a delicate little baby-fool. What +did I think of this one? Why, he was a fine gentleman. What +did I say to that one? Why, she was a fine lady. What could +you expect them to be (I asked Charker), nursed in that climate, with +the tropical night shining for them, musical instruments playing to +them, great trees bending over them, soft lamps lighting them, fire-flies +sparkling in among them, bright flowers and birds brought into existence +to please their eyes, delicious drinks to be had for the pouring out, +delicious fruits to be got for the picking, and every one dancing and +murmuring happily in the scented air, with the sea breaking low on the +reef for a pleasant chorus.</p> +<p>“Fine gentlemen and fine ladies, Harry?” I says to Charker. +“Yes, I think so! Dolls! Dolls! Not the sort +of stuff for wear, that comes of poor private soldiering in the Royal +Marines!”</p> +<p>However, I could not gainsay that they were very hospitable people, +and that they treated us uncommonly well. Every man of us was +at the entertainment, and Mrs. Belltott had more partners than she could +dance with: though she danced all night, too. As to Jack (whether +of the Christopher Columbus, or of the Pirate pursuit party, it made +no difference), he danced with his brother Jack, danced with himself, +danced with the moon, the stars, the trees, the prospect, anything. +I didn’t greatly take to the chief-officer of that party, with +his bright eyes, brown face, and easy figure. I didn’t much +like his way when he first happened to come where we were, with Miss +Maryon on his arm. “O, Captain Carton,” she says, +“here are two friends of mine!” He says, “Indeed? +These two Marines?”—meaning Charker and self. “Yes,” +says she, “I showed these two friends of mine when they first +came, all the wonders of Silver-Store.” He gave us a laughing +look, and says he, “You are in luck, men. I would be disrated +and go before the mast to-morrow, to be shown the way upward again by +such a guide. You are in luck, men.” When we had saluted, +and he and the lady had waltzed away, I said, “You are a pretty +follow, too, to talk of luck. You may go to the Devil!”</p> +<p>Mr. Commissioner Pordage and Mrs. Commissioner, showed among the +company on that occasion like the King and Queen of a much Greater Britain +than Great Britain. Only two other circumstances in that jovial +night made much separate impression on me. One was this. +A man in our draft of marines, named Tom Packer, a wild unsteady young +fellow, but the son of a respectable shipwright in Portsmouth Yard, +and a good scholar who had been well brought up, comes to me after a +spell of dancing, and takes me aside by the elbow, and says, swearing +angrily:</p> +<p>“Gill Davis, I hope I may not be the death of Sergeant Drooce +one day!”</p> +<p>Now, I knew Drooce had always borne particularly hard on this man, +and I knew this man to be of a very hot temper: so, I said:</p> +<p>“Tut, nonsense! don’t talk so to me! If there’s +a man in the corps who scorns the name of an assassin, that man and +Tom Packer are one.”</p> +<p>Tom wipes his head, being in a mortal sweat, and says he:</p> +<p>“I hope so, but I can’t answer for myself when he lords +it over me, as he has just now done, before a woman. I tell you +what, Gill! Mark my words! It will go hard with Sergeant +Drooce, if ever we are in an engagement together, and he has to look +to me to save him. Let him say a prayer then, if he knows one, +for it’s all over with him, and he is on his Death-bed. +Mark my words!”</p> +<p>I did mark his words, and very soon afterwards, too, as will shortly +be taken down.</p> +<p>The other circumstance that I noticed at that ball, was, the gaiety +and attachment of Christian George King. The innocent spirits +that Sambo Pilot was in, and the impossibility he found himself under +of showing all the little colony, but especially the ladies and children, +how fond he was of them, how devoted to them, and how faithful to them +for life and death, for present, future, and everlasting, made a great +impression on me. If ever a man, Sambo or no Sambo, was trustful +and trusted, to what may be called quite an infantine and sweetly beautiful +extent, surely, I thought that morning when I did at last lie down to +rest, it was that Sambo Pilot, Christian George King.</p> +<p>This may account for my dreaming of him. He stuck in my sleep, +cornerwise, and I couldn’t get him out. He was always flitting +about me, dancing round me, and peeping in over my hammock, though I +woke and dozed off again fifty times. At last, when I opened my +eyes, there he really was, looking in at the open side of the little +dark hut; which was made of leaves, and had Charker’s hammock +slung in it as well as mine.</p> +<p>“So-Jeer!” says he, in a sort of a low croak. “Yup!”</p> +<p>“Hallo!” says I, starting up. “What? +You <i>are</i> there, are you?”</p> +<p>“Iss,” says he. “Christian George King got +news.”</p> +<p>“What news has he got?”</p> +<p>“Pirates out!”</p> +<p>I was on my feet in a second. So was Charker. We were +both aware that Captain Carton, in command of the boats, constantly +watched the mainland for a secret signal, though, of course, it was +not known to such as us what the signal was.</p> +<p>Christian George King had vanished before we touched the ground. +But, the word was already passing from hut to hut to turn out quietly, +and we knew that the nimble barbarian had got hold of the truth, or +something near it.</p> +<p>In a space among the trees behind the encampment of us visitors, +naval and military, was a snugly-screened spot, where we kept the stores +that were in use, and did our cookery. The word was passed to +assemble here. It was very quickly given, and was given (so far +as we were concerned) by Sergeant Drooce, who was as good in a soldier +point of view, as he was bad in a tyrannical one. We were ordered +to drop into this space, quietly, behind the trees, one by one. +As we assembled here, the seamen assembled too. Within ten minutes, +as I should estimate, we were all here, except the usual guard upon +the beach. The beach (we could see it through the wood) looked +as it always had done in the hottest time of the day. The guard +were in the shadow of the sloop’s hull, and nothing was moving +but the sea,—and that moved very faintly. Work had always +been knocked off at that hour, until the sun grew less fierce, and the +sea-breeze rose; so that its being holiday with us, made no difference, +just then, in the look of the place. But I may mention that it +was a holiday, and the first we had had since our hard work began. +Last night’s ball had been given, on the leak’s being repaired, +and the careening done. The worst of the work was over, and to-morrow +we were to begin to get the sloop afloat again.</p> +<p>We marines were now drawn up here under arms. The chace-party +were drawn up separate. The men of the Columbus were drawn up +separate. The officers stepped out into the midst of the three +parties, and spoke so as all might hear. Captain Carton was the +officer in command, and he had a spy-glass in his hand. His coxswain +stood by him with another spy-glass, and with a slate on which he seemed +to have been taking down signals.</p> +<p>“Now, men!” says Captain Carton; “I have to let +you know, for your satisfaction: Firstly, that there are ten pirate-boats, +strongly manned and armed, lying hidden up a creek yonder on the coast, +under the overhanging branches of the dense trees. Secondly, that +they will certainly come out this night when the moon rises, on a pillaging +and murdering expedition, of which some part of the mainland is the +object. Thirdly—don’t cheer, men!—that we will +give chace, and, if we can get at them, rid the world of them, please +God!”</p> +<p>Nobody spoke, that I heard, and nobody moved, that I saw. Yet +there was a kind of ring, as if every man answered and approved with +the best blood that was inside of him.</p> +<p>“Sir,” says Captain Maryon, “I beg to volunteer +on this service, with my boats. My people volunteer, to the ship’s +boys.”</p> +<p>“In His Majesty’s name and service,” the other +answers, touching his hat, “I accept your aid with pleasure. +Lieutenant Linderwood, how will you divide your men?”</p> +<p>I was ashamed—I give it out to be written down as large and +plain as possible—I was heart and soul ashamed of my thoughts +of those two sick officers, Captain Maryon and Lieutenant Linderwood, +when I saw them, then and there. The spirit in those two gentlemen +beat down their illness (and very ill I knew them to be) like Saint +George beating down the Dragon. Pain and weakness, want of ease +and want of rest, had no more place in their minds than fear itself. +Meaning now to express for my lady to write down, exactly what I felt +then and there, I felt this: “You two brave fellows that I had +been so grudgeful of, I know that if you were dying you would put it +off to get up and do your best, and then you would be so modest that +in lying down again to die, you would hardly say, ‘I did it!’”</p> +<p>It did me good. It really did me good.</p> +<p>But, to go back to where I broke off. Says Captain Carton to +Lieutenant Linderwood, “Sir, how will you divide your men? +There is not room for all; and a few men should, in any case, be left +here.”</p> +<p>There was some debate about it. At last, it was resolved to +leave eight Marines and four seamen on the Island, besides the sloop’s +two boys. And because it was considered that the friendly Sambos +would only want to be commanded in case of any danger (though none at +all was apprehended there), the officers were in favour of leaving the +two non-commissioned officers, Drooce and Charker. It was a heavy +disappointment to them, just as my being one of the left was a heavy +disappointment to me—then, but not soon afterwards. We men +drew lots for it, and I drew “Island.” So did Tom +Packer. So of course, did four more of our rank and file.</p> +<p>When this was settled, verbal instructions were given to all hands +to keep the intended expedition secret, in order that the women and +children might not be alarmed, or the expedition put in a difficulty +by more volunteers. The assembly was to be on that same spot at +sunset. Every man was to keep up an appearance, meanwhile, of +occupying himself in his usual way. That is to say, every man +excepting four old trusty seamen, who were appointed, with an officer, +to see to the arms and ammunition, and to muffle the rullocks of the +boats, and to make everything as trim and swift and silent as it could +be made.</p> +<p>The Sambo Pilot had been present all the while, in case of his being +wanted, and had said to the officer in command, five hundred times over +if he had said it once, that Christian George King would stay with the +So-Jeers, and take care of the booffer ladies and the booffer childs—booffer +being that native’s expression for beautiful. He was now +asked a few questions concerning the putting off of the boats, and in +particular whether there was any way of embarking at the back of the +Island: which Captain Carton would have half liked to do, and then have +dropped round in its shadow and slanted across to the main. But, +“No,” says Christian George King. “No, no, no! +Told you so, ten time. No, no, no! All reef, all rock, all +swim, all drown!” Striking out as he said it, like a swimmer +gone mad, and turning over on his back on dry land, and spluttering +himself to death, in a manner that made him quite an exhibition.</p> +<p>The sun went down, after appearing to be a long time about it, and +the assembly was called. Every man answered to his name, of course, +and was at his post. It was not yet black dark, and the roll was +only just gone through, when up comes Mr. Commissioner Pordage with +his Diplomatic coat on.</p> +<p>“Captain Carton,” says he, “Sir, what is this?”</p> +<p>“This, Mr. Commissioner” (he was very short with him), +“is an expedition against the Pirates. It is a secret expedition, +so please to keep it a secret.”</p> +<p>“Sir,” says Commissioner Pordage, “I trust there +is going to be no unnecessary cruelty committed?”</p> +<p>“Sir,” returns the officer, “I trust not.”</p> +<p>“That is not enough, sir,” cries Commissioner Pordage, +getting wroth. “Captain Carton, I give you notice. +Government requires you to treat the enemy with great delicacy, consideration, +clemency, and forbearance.”</p> +<p>“Sir,” says Captain Carton, “I am an English officer, +commanding English Men, and I hope I am not likely to disappoint the +Government’s just expectations. But, I presume you know +that these villains under their black flag have despoiled our countrymen +of their property, burnt their homes, barbarously murdered them and +their little children, and worse than murdered their wives and daughters?”</p> +<p>“Perhaps I do, Captain Carton,” answers Pordage, waving +his hand, with dignity; “perhaps I do not. It is not customary, +sir, for Government to commit itself.”</p> +<p>“It matters very little, Mr. Pordage, whether or no. +Believing that I hold my commission by the allowance of God, and not +that I have received it direct from the Devil, I shall certainly use +it, with all avoidance of unnecessary suffering and with all merciful +swiftness of execution, to exterminate these people from the face of +the earth. Let me recommend you to go home, sir, and to keep out +of the night-air.”</p> +<p>Never another syllable did that officer say to the Commissioner, +but turned away to his men. The Commissioner buttoned his Diplomatic +coat to the chin, said, “Mr. Kitten, attend me!” gasped, +half choked himself, and took himself off.</p> +<p>It now fell very dark, indeed. I have seldom, if ever, seen +it darker, nor yet so dark. The moon was not due until one in +the morning, and it was but a little after nine when our men lay down +where they were mustered. It was pretended that they were to take +a nap, but everybody knew that no nap was to be got under the circumstances. +Though all were very quiet, there was a restlessness among the people; +much what I have seen among the people on a race-course, when the bell +has rung for the saddling for a great race with large stakes on it.</p> +<p>At ten, they put off; only one boat putting off at a time; another +following in five minutes; both then lying on their oars until another +followed. Ahead of all, paddling his own outlandish little canoe +without a sound, went the Sambo pilot, to take them safely outside the +reef. No light was shown but once, and that was in the commanding +officer’s own hand. I lighted the dark lantern for him, +and he took it from me when he embarked. They had blue lights +and such like with them, but kept themselves as dark as Murder.</p> +<p>The expedition got away with wonderful quietness, and Christian George +King soon came back dancing with joy.</p> +<p>“Yup, So-Jeer,” says he to myself in a very objectionable +kind of convulsions, “Christian George King sar berry glad. +Pirates all be blown a-pieces. Yup! Yup!”</p> +<p>My reply to that cannibal was, “However glad you may be, hold +your noise, and don’t dance jigs and slap your knees about it, +for I can’t abear to see you do it.”</p> +<p>I was on duty then; we twelve who were left being divided into four +watches of three each, three hours’ spell. I was relieved +at twelve. A little before that time, I had challenged, and Miss +Maryon and Mrs. Belltott had come in.</p> +<p>“Good Davis,” says Miss Maryon, “what is the matter? +Where is my brother?”</p> +<p>I told her what was the matter, and where her brother was.</p> +<p>“O Heaven help him!” says she, clasping her hands and +looking up—she was close in front of me, and she looked most lovely +to be sure; “he is not sufficiently recovered, not strong enough +for such strife!”</p> +<p>“If you had seen him, miss,” I told her, “as I +saw him when he volunteered, you would have known that his spirit is +strong enough for any strife. It will bear his body, miss, to +wherever duty calls him. It will always bear him to an honourable +life, or a brave death.”</p> +<p>“Heaven bless you!” says she, touching my arm. +“I know it. Heaven bless you!”</p> +<p>Mrs. Belltott surprised me by trembling and saying nothing. +They were still standing looking towards the sea and listening, after +the relief had come round. It continuing very dark, I asked to +be allowed to take them back. Miss Maryon thanked me, and she +put her arm in mine, and I did take them back. I have now got +to make a confession that will appear singular. After I had left +them, I laid myself down on my face on the beach, and cried for the +first time since I had frightened birds as a boy at Snorridge Bottom, +to think what a poor, ignorant, low-placed, private soldier I was.</p> +<p>It was only for half a minute or so. A man can’t at all +times be quite master of himself, and it was only for half a minute +or so. Then I up and went to my hut, and turned into my hammock, +and fell asleep with wet eyelashes, and a sore, sore heart. Just +as I had often done when I was a child, and had been worse used than +usual.</p> +<p>I slept (as a child under those circumstances might) very sound, +and yet very sore at heart all through my sleep. I was awoke by +the words, “He is a determined man.” I had sprung +out of my hammock, and had seized my firelock, and was standing on the +ground, saying the words myself. “He is a determined man.” +But, the curiosity of my state was, that I seemed to be repeating them +after somebody, and to have been wonderfully startled by hearing them.</p> +<p>As soon as I came to myself, I went out of the hut, and away to where +the guard was. Charker challenged:</p> +<p>“Who goes there?”</p> +<p>“A friend.”</p> +<p>“Not Gill?” says he, as he shouldered his piece.</p> +<p>“Gill,” says I.</p> +<p>“Why, what the deuce do you do out of your hammock?” +says he.</p> +<p>“Too hot for sleep,” says I; “is all right?”</p> +<p>“Right!” says Charker, “yes, yes; all’s right +enough here; what should be wrong here? It’s the boats that +we want to know of. Except for fire-flies twinkling about, and +the lonesome splashes of great creatures as they drop into the water, +there’s nothing going on here to ease a man’s mind from +the boats.”</p> +<p>The moon was above the sea, and had risen, I should say, some half-an-hour. +As Charker spoke, with his face towards the sea, I, looking landward, +suddenly laid my right hand on his breast, and said, “Don’t +move. Don’t turn. Don’t raise your voice! +You never saw a Maltese face here?”</p> +<p>“No. What do you mean?” he asks, staring at me.</p> +<p>“Nor yet, an English face, with one eye and a patch across +the nose?”</p> +<p>“No. What ails you? What do you mean?”</p> +<p>I had seen both, looking at us round the stem of a cocoa-nut tree, +where the moon struck them. I had seen that Sambo Pilot, with +one hand laid on the stem of the tree, drawing them back into the heavy +shadow. I had seen their naked cutlasses twinkle and shine, like +bits of the moonshine in the water that had got blown ashore among the +trees by the light wind. I had seen it all, in a moment. +And I saw in a moment (as any man would), that the signalled move of +the pirates on the mainland was a plot and a feint; that the leak had +been made to disable the sloop; that the boats had been tempted away, +to leave the Island unprotected; that the pirates had landed by some +secreted way at the back; and that Christian George King was a double-dyed +traitor, and a most infernal villain.</p> +<p>I considered, still all in one and the same moment, that Charker +was a brave man, but not quick with his head; and that Sergeant Drooce, +with a much better head, was close by. All I said to Charker was, +“I am afraid we are betrayed. Turn your back full to the +moonlight on the sea, and cover the stem of the cocoa-nut tree which +will then be right before you, at the height of a man’s heart. +Are you right?”</p> +<p>“I am right,” says Charker, turning instantly, and falling +into the position with a nerve of iron; “and right ain’t +left. Is it, Gill?”</p> +<p>A few seconds brought me to Sergeant Drooce’s hut. He +was fast asleep, and being a heavy sleeper, I had to lay my hand upon +him to rouse him. The instant I touched him he came rolling out +of his hammock, and upon me like a tiger. And a tiger he was, +except that he knew what he was up to, in his utmost heat, as well as +any man.</p> +<p>I had to struggle with him pretty hard to bring him to his senses, +panting all the while (for he gave me a breather), “Sergeant, +I am Gill Davis! Treachery! Pirates on the Island!”</p> +<p>The last words brought him round, and he took his hands of. +“I have seen two of them within this minute,” said I. +And so I told him what I had told Harry Charker.</p> +<p>His soldierly, though tyrannical, head was clear in an instant. +He didn’t waste one word, even of surprise. “Order +the guard,” says he, “to draw off quietly into the Fort.” +(They called the enclosure I have before mentioned, the Fort, though +it was not much of that.) “Then get you to the Fort as quick +as you can, rouse up every soul there, and fasten the gate. I +will bring in all those who are at the Signal Hill. If we are +surrounded before we can join you, you must make a sally and cut us +out if you can. The word among our men is, ‘Women and children!’”</p> +<p>He burst away, like fire going before the wind over dry reeds. +He roused up the seven men who were off duty, and had them bursting +away with him, before they know they were not asleep. I reported +orders to Charker, and ran to the Fort, as I have never run at any other +time in all my life: no, not even in a dream.</p> +<p>The gate was not fast, and had no good fastening: only a double wooden +bar, a poor chain, and a bad lock. Those, I secured as well as +they could be secured in a few seconds by one pair of hands, and so +ran to that part of the building where Miss Maryon lived. I called +to her loudly by her name until she answered. I then called loudly +all the names I knew—Mrs. Macey (Miss Maryon’s married sister), +Mr. Macey, Mrs. Venning, Mr. and Mrs. Fisher, even Mr. and Mrs. Pordage. +Then I called out, “All you gentlemen here, get up and defend +the place! We are caught in a trap. Pirates have landed. +We are attacked!”</p> +<p>At the terrible word “Pirates!”—for, those villains +had done such deeds in those seas as never can be told in writing, and +can scarcely be so much as thought of—cries and screams rose up +from every part of the place. Quickly lights moved about from +window to window, and the cries moved about with them, and men, women, +and children came flying down into the square. I remarked to myself, +even then, what a number of things I seemed to see at once. I +noticed Mrs. Macey coming towards me, carrying all her three children +together. I noticed Mr. Pordage in the greatest terror, in vain +trying to get on his Diplomatic coat; and Mr. Kitten respectfully tying +his pocket-handkerchief over Mrs. Pordage’s nightcap. I +noticed Mrs. Belltott run out screaming, and shrink upon the ground +near me, and cover her face in her hands, and lie all of a bundle, shivering. +But, what I noticed with the greatest pleasure was, the determined eyes +with which those men of the Mine that I had thought fine gentlemen, +came round me with what arms they had: to the full as cool and resolute +as I could be, for my life—ay, and for my soul, too, into the +bargain!</p> +<p>The chief person being Mr. Macey, I told him how the three men of +the guard would be at the gate directly, if they were not already there, +and how Sergeant Drooce and the other seven were gone to bring in the +outlying part of the people of Silver-Store. I next urged him, +for the love of all who were dear to him, to trust no Sambo, and, above +all, if he could got any good chance at Christian George King, not to +lose it, but to put him out of the world.</p> +<p>“I will follow your advice to the letter, Davis,” says +he; “what next?”</p> +<p>My answer was, “I think, sir, I would recommend you next, to +order down such heavy furniture and lumber as can be moved, and make +a barricade within the gate.”</p> +<p>“That’s good again,” says he: “will you see +it done?”</p> +<p>“I’ll willingly help to do it,” says I, “unless +or until my superior, Sergeant Drooce, gives me other orders.”</p> +<p>He shook me by the hand, and having told off some of his companions +to help me, bestirred himself to look to the arms and ammunition. +A proper quick, brave, steady, ready gentleman!</p> +<p>One of their three little children was deaf and dumb, Miss Maryon +had been from the first with all the children, soothing them, and dressing +them (poor little things, they had been brought out of their beds), +and making them believe that it was a game of play, so that some of +them were now even laughing. I had been working hard with the +others at the barricade, and had got up a pretty good breastwork within +the gate. Drooce and the seven men had come back, bringing in +the people from the Signal Hill, and had worked along with us: but, +I had not so much as spoken a word to Drooce, nor had Drooce so much +as spoken a word to me, for we were both too busy. The breastwork +was now finished, and I found Miss Maryon at my side, with a child in +her arms. Her dark hair was fastened round her head with a band. +She had a quantity of it, and it looked even richer and more precious, +put up hastily out of her way, than I had seen it look when it was carefully +arranged. She was very pale, but extraordinarily quiet and still.</p> +<p>“Dear good Davis,” said she, “I have been waiting +to speak one word to you.”</p> +<p>I turned to her directly. If I had received a musket-ball in +the heart, and she had stood there, I almost believe I should have turned +to her before I dropped.</p> +<p>“This pretty little creature,” said she, kissing the +child in her arms, who was playing with her hair and trying to pull +it down, “cannot hear what we say—can hear nothing. +I trust you so much, and have such great confidence in you, that I want +you to make me a promise.”</p> +<p>“What is it, Miss?”</p> +<p>“That if we are defeated, and you are absolutely sure of my +being taken, you will kill me.”</p> +<p>“I shall not be alive to do it, Miss. I shall have died +in your defence before it comes to that. They must step across +my body to lay a hand on you.”</p> +<p>“But, if you are alive, you brave soldier.” How +she looked at me! “And if you cannot save me from the Pirates, +living, you will save me, dead. Tell me so.”</p> +<p>Well! I told her I would do that at the last, if all else failed. +She took my hand—my rough, coarse hand—and put it to her +lips. She put it to the child’s lips, and the child kissed +it. I believe I had the strength of half a dozen men in me, from +that moment, until the fight was over.</p> +<p>All this time, Mr. Commissioner Pordage had been wanting to make +a Proclamation to the Pirates to lay down their arms and go away; and +everybody had been hustling him about and tumbling over him, while he +was calling for pen and ink to write it with. Mrs. Pordage, too, +had some curious ideas about the British respectability of her nightcap +(which had as many frills to it, growing in layers one inside another, +as if it was a white vegetable of the artichoke sort), and she wouldn’t +take the nightcap off, and would be angry when it got crushed by the +other ladies who were handing things about, and, in short, she gave +as much trouble as her husband did. But, as we were now forming +for the defence of the place, they were both poked out of the way with +no ceremony. The children and ladies were got into the little +trench which surrounded the silver-house (we were afraid of leaving +them in any of the light buildings, lest they should be set on fire), +and we made the best disposition we could. There was a pretty +good store, in point of amount, of tolerable swords and cutlasses. +Those were issued. There were, also, perhaps a score or so of +spare muskets. Those were brought out. To my astonishment, +little Mrs. Fisher that I had taken for a doll and a baby, was not only +very active in that service, but volunteered to load the spare arms.</p> +<p>“For, I understand it well,” says she, cheerfully, without +a shake in her voice.</p> +<p>“I am a soldier’s daughter and a sailor’s sister, +and I understand it too,” says Miss Maryon, just in the same way.</p> +<p>Steady and busy behind where I stood, those two beautiful and delicate +young women fell to handling the guns, hammering the flints, looking +to the locks, and quietly directing others to pass up powder and bullets +from hand to hand, as unflinching as the best of tried soldiers.</p> +<p>Sergeant Drooce had brought in word that the pirates were very strong +in numbers—over a hundred was his estimate—and that they +were not, even then, all landed; for, he had seen them in a very good +position on the further side of the Signal Hill, evidently waiting for +the rest of their men to come up. In the present pause, the first +we had had since the alarm, he was telling this over again to Mr. Macey, +when Mr. Macey suddenly cried our: “The signal! Nobody has +thought of the signal!”</p> +<p>We knew of no signal, so we could not have thought of it.</p> +<p>“What signal may you mean, sir?” says Sergeant Drooce, +looking sharp at him.</p> +<p>“There is a pile of wood upon the Signal Hill. If it +could be lighted—which never has been done yet—it would +be a signal of distress to the mainland.”</p> +<p>Charker cries, directly: “Sergeant Drooce, dispatch me on that +duty. Give me the two men who were on guard with me to-night, +and I’ll light the fire, if it can be done.”</p> +<p>“And if it can’t, Corporal—” Mr. Macey strikes +in.</p> +<p>“Look at these ladies and children, sir!” says Charker. +“I’d sooner <i>light myself</i>, than not try any chance +to save them.”</p> +<p>We gave him a Hurrah!—it burst from us, come of it what might—and +he got his two men, and was let out at the gate, and crept away. +I had no sooner come back to my place from being one of the party to +handle the gate, than Miss Maryon said in a low voice behind me:</p> +<p>“Davis, will you look at this powder? This is not right.”</p> +<p>I turned my head. Christian George King again, and treachery +again! Sea-water had been conveyed into the magazine, and every +grain of powder was spoiled!</p> +<p>“Stay a moment,” said Sergeant Drooce, when I had told +him, without causing a movement in a muscle of his face: “look +to your pouch, my lad. You Tom Packer, look to your pouch, confound +you! Look to your pouches, all you Marines.”</p> +<p>The same artful savage had got at them, somehow or another, and the +cartridges were all unserviceable. “Hum!” says the +Sergeant. “Look to your loading, men. You are right +so far?”</p> +<p>Yes; we were right so far.</p> +<p>“Well, my lads, and gentlemen all,” says the Sergeant, +“this will be a hand-to-hand affair, and so much the better.”</p> +<p>He treated himself to a pinch of snuff, and stood up, square-shouldered +and broad-chested, in the light of the moon—which was now very +bright—as cool as if he was waiting for a play to begin. +He stood quiet, and we all stood quiet, for a matter of something like +half-an-hour. I took notice from such whispered talk as there +was, how little we that the silver did not belong to, thought about +it, and how much the people that it did belong to, thought about it. +At the end of the half-hour, it was reported from the gate that Charker +and the two were falling back on us, pursued by about a dozen.</p> +<p>“Sally! Gate-party, under Gill Davis,” says the +Sergeant, “and bring ’em in! Like men, now!”</p> +<p>We were not long about it, and we brought them in. “Don’t +take me,” says Charker, holding me round the neck, and stumbling +down at my feet when the gate was fast, “don’t take me near +the ladies or the children, Gill. They had better not see Death, +till it can’t be helped. They’ll see it soon enough.”</p> +<p>“Harry!” I answered, holding up his head. “Comrade!”</p> +<p>He was cut to pieces. The signal had been secured by the first +pirate party that landed; his hair was all singed off, and his face +was blackened with the running pitch from a torch.</p> +<p>He made no complaint of pain, or of anything. “Good-bye, +old chap,” was all he said, with a smile. “I’ve +got my death. And Death ain’t life. Is it, Gill?”</p> +<p>Having helped to lay his poor body on one side, I went back to my +post. Sergeant Drooce looked at me, with his eyebrows a little +lifted. I nodded. “Close up here men, and gentlemen +all!” said the Sergeant. “A place too many, in the +line.”</p> +<p>The Pirates were so close upon us at this time, that the foremost +of them were already before the gate. More and more came up with +a great noise, and shouting loudly. When we believed from the +sound that they were all there, we gave three English cheers. +The poor little children joined, and were so fully convinced of our +being at play, that they enjoyed the noise, and were heard clapping +their hands in the silence that followed.</p> +<p>Our disposition was this, beginning with the rear. Mrs. Venning, +holding her daughter’s child in her arms, sat on the steps of +the little square trench surrounding the silver-house, encouraging and +directing those women and children as she might have done in the happiest +and easiest time of her life. Then, there was an armed line, under +Mr. Macey, across the width of the enclosure, facing that way and having +their backs towards the gate, in order that they might watch the walls +and prevent our being taken by surprise. Then there was a space +of eight or ten feet deep, in which the spare arms were, and in which +Miss Maryon and Mrs. Fisher, their hands and dresses blackened with +the spoilt gunpowder, worked on their knees, tying such things as knives, +old bayonets, and spear-heads, to the muzzles of the useless muskets. +Then, there was a second armed line, under Sergeant Drooce, also across +the width of the enclosure, but facing to the gate. Then came +the breastwork we had made, with a zigzag way through it for me and +my little party to hold good in retreating, as long as we could, when +we were driven from the gate. We all knew that it was impossible +to hold the place long, and that our only hope was in the timely discovery +of the plot by the boats, and in their coming back.</p> +<p>I and my men were now thrown forward to the gate. From a spy-hole, +I could see the whole crowd of Pirates. There were Malays among +them, Dutch, Maltese, Greeks, Sambos, Negroes, and Convict Englishmen +from the West India Islands; among the last, him with the one eye and +the patch across the nose. There were some Portuguese, too, and +a few Spaniards. The captain was a Portuguese; a little man with +very large ear-rings under a very broad hat, and a great bright shawl +twisted about his shoulders. They were all strongly armed, but +like a boarding party, with pikes, swords, cutlasses, and axes. +I noticed a good many pistols, but not a gun of any kind among them. +This gave me to understand that they had considered that a continued +roll of musketry might perhaps have been heard on the mainland; also, +that for the reason that fire would be seen from the mainland they would +not set the Fort in flames and roast us alive; which was one of their +favourite ways of carrying on. I looked about for Christian George +King, and if I had seen him I am much mistaken if he would not have +received my one round of ball-cartridge in his head. But, no Christian +George King was visible.</p> +<p>A sort of a wild Portuguese demon, who seemed either fierce-mad or +fierce-drunk—but, they all seemed one or the other—came +forward with the black flag, and gave it a wave or two. After +that, the Portuguese captain called out in shrill English, “I +say you! English fools! Open the gate! Surrender!”</p> +<p>As we kept close and quiet, he said something to his men which I +didn’t understand, and when he had said it, the one-eyed English +rascal with the patch (who had stepped out when he began), said it again +in English. It was only this. “Boys of the black flag, +this is to be quickly done. Take all the prisoners you can. +If they don’t yield, kill the children to make them. Forward!” +Then, they all came on at the gate, and in another half-minute were +smashing and splitting it in.</p> +<p>We struck at them through the gaps and shivers, and we dropped many +of them, too; but, their very weight would have carried such a gate, +if they had been unarmed. I soon found Sergeant Drooce at my side, +forming us six remaining marines in line—Tom Packer next to me—and +ordering us to fall back three paces, and, as they broke in, to give +them our one little volley at short distance. “Then,” +says he, “receive them behind your breastwork on the bayonet, +and at least let every man of you pin one of the cursed cockchafers +through the body.”</p> +<p>We checked them by our fire, slight as it was, and we checked them +at the breastwork. However, they broke over it like swarms of +devils—they were, really and truly, more devils than men—and +then it was hand to hand, indeed.</p> +<p>We clubbed our muskets and laid about us; even then, those two ladies—always +behind me—were steady and ready with the arms. I had a lot +of Maltese and Malays upon me, and, but for a broadsword that Miss Maryon’s +own hand put in mine, should have got my end from them. But, was +that all? No. I saw a heap of banded dark hair and a white +dress come thrice between me and them, under my own raised right arm, +which each time might have destroyed the wearer of the white dress; +and each time one of the lot went down, struck dead.</p> +<p>Drooce was armed with a broadsword, too, and did such things with +it, that there was a cry, in half-a-dozen languages, of “Kill +that sergeant!” as I knew, by the cry being raised in English, +and taken up in other tongues. I had received a severe cut across +the left arm a few moments before, and should have known nothing of +it, except supposing that somebody had struck me a smart blow, if I +had not felt weak, and seen myself covered with spouting blood, and, +at the same instant of time, seen Miss Maryon tearing her dress and +binding it with Mrs. Fisher’s help round the wound. They +called to Tom Packer, who was scouring by, to stop and guard me for +one minute, while I was bound, or I should bleed to death in trying +to defend myself. Tom stopped directly, with a good sabre in his +hand.</p> +<p>In that same moment—all things seem to happen in that same +moment, at such a time—half-a-dozen had rushed howling at Sergeant +Drooce. The Sergeant, stepping back against the wall, stopped +one howl for ever with such a terrible blow, and waited for the rest +to come on, with such a wonderfully unmoved face, that they stopped +and looked at him.</p> +<p>“See him now!” cried Tom Packer. “Now, when +I could cut him out! Gill! Did I tell you to mark my words?”</p> +<p>I implored Tom Packer in the Lord’s name, as well as I could +in my faintness, to go to the Sergeant’s aid.</p> +<p>“I hate and detest him,” says Tom, moodily wavering. +“Still, he is a brave man.” Then he calls out, “Sergeant +Drooce, Sergeant Drooce! Tell me you have driven me too hard, +and are sorry for it.”</p> +<p>The Sergeant, without turning his eyes from his assailants, which +would have been instant death to him, answers.</p> +<p>“No. I won’t.”</p> +<p>“Sergeant Drooce!” cries Tom, in a kind of an agony. +“I have passed my word that I would never save you from Death, +if I could, but would leave you to die. Tell me you have driven +me too hard and are sorry for it, and that shall go for nothing.”</p> +<p>One of the group laid the Sergeant’s bald bare head open. +The Sergeant laid him dead.</p> +<p>“I tell you,” says the Sergeant, breathing a little short, +and waiting for the next attack, “no. I won’t. +If you are not man enough to strike for a fellow-soldier because he +wants help, and because of nothing else, I’ll go into the other +world and look for a better man.”</p> +<p>Tom swept upon them, and cut him out. Tom and he fought their +way through another knot of them, and sent them flying, and came over +to where I was beginning again to feel, with inexpressible joy, that +I had got a sword in my hand.</p> +<p>They had hardly come to us, when I heard, above all the other noises, +a tremendous cry of women’s voices. I also saw Miss Maryon, +with quite a new face, suddenly clap her two hands over Mrs. Fisher’s +eyes. I looked towards the silver-house, and saw Mrs. Venning—standing +upright on the top of the steps of the trench, with her gray hair and +her dark eyes—hide her daughter’s child behind her, among +the folds of her dress, strike a pirate with her other hand, and fall, +shot by his pistol.</p> +<p>The cry arose again, and there was a terrible and confusing rush +of the women into the midst of the struggle. In another moment, +something came tumbling down upon me that I thought was the wall. +It was a heap of Sambos who had come over the wall; and of four men +who clung to my legs like serpents, one who clung to my right leg was +Christian George King.</p> +<p>“Yup, So-Jeer,” says he, “Christian George King +sar berry glad So-Jeer a prisoner. Christian George King been +waiting for So-Jeer sech long time. Yup, yup!”</p> +<p>What could I do, with five-and-twenty of them on me, but be tied +hand and foot? So, I was tied hand and foot. It was all +over now—boats not come back—all lost! When I was +fast bound and was put up against the wall, the one-eyed English convict +came up with the Portuguese Captain, to have a look at me.</p> +<p>“See!” says he. “Here’s the determined +man! If you had slept sounder, last night, you’d have slept +your soundest last night, my determined man.”</p> +<p>The Portuguese Captain laughed in a cool way, and with the flat of +his cutlass, hit me crosswise, as if I was the bough of a tree that +he played with: first on the face, and then across the chest and the +wounded arm. I looked him steady in the face without tumbling +while he looked at me, I am happy to say; but, when they went away, +I fell, and lay there.</p> +<p>The sun was up, when I was roused and told to come down to the beach +and be embarked. I was full of aches and pains, and could not +at first remember; but, I remembered quite soon enough. The killed +were lying about all over the place, and the Pirates were burying their +dead, and taking away their wounded on hastily-made litters, to the +back of the Island. As for us prisoners, some of their boats had +come round to the usual harbour, to carry us off. We looked a +wretched few, I thought, when I got down there; still, it was another +sign that we had fought well, and made the enemy suffer.</p> +<p>The Portuguese Captain had all the women already embarked in the +boat he himself commanded, which was just putting off when I got down. +Miss Maryon sat on one side of him, and gave me a moment’s look, +as full of quiet courage, and pity, and confidence, as if it had been +an hour long. On the other side of him was poor little Mrs. Fisher, +weeping for her child and her mother. I was shoved into the same +boat with Drooce and Packer, and the remainder of our party of marines: +of whom we had lost two privates, besides Charker, my poor, brave comrade. +We all made a melancholy passage, under the hot sun over to the mainland. +There, we landed in a solitary place, and were mustered on the sea sand. +Mr. and Mrs. Macey and their children were amongst us, Mr. and Mrs. +Pordage, Mr. Kitten, Mr. Fisher, and Mrs. Belltott. We mustered +only fourteen men, fifteen women, and seven children. Those were +all that remained of the English who had lain down to sleep last night, +unsuspecting and happy, on the Island of Silver-Store.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER III <a name="citation1"></a><a href="#footnote1">{1}</a>—THE +RAFTS ON THE RIVER</h2> +<p>We contrived to keep afloat all that night, and, the stream running +strong with us, to glide a long way down the river. But, we found +the night to be a dangerous time for such navigation, on account of +the eddies and rapids, and it was therefore settled next day that in +future we would bring-to at sunset, and encamp on the shore. As +we knew of no boats that the Pirates possessed, up at the Prison in +the Woods, we settled always to encamp on the opposite side of the stream, +so as to have the breadth of the river between our sleep and them. +Our opinion was, that if they were acquainted with any near way by land +to the mouth of this river, they would come up it in force, and retake +us or kill us, according as they could; but that if that was not the +case, and if the river ran by none of their secret stations, we might +escape.</p> +<p>When I say we settled this or that, I do not mean that we planned +anything with any confidence as to what might happen an hour hence. +So much had happened in one night, and such great changes had been violently +and suddenly made in the fortunes of many among us, that we had got +better used to uncertainty, in a little while, than I dare say most +people do in the course of their lives.</p> +<p>The difficulties we soon got into, through the off-settings and point-currents +of the stream, made the likelihood of our being drowned, alone,—to +say nothing of our being retaken—as broad and plain as the sun +at noonday to all of us. But, we all worked hard at managing the +rafts, under the direction of the seamen (of our own skill, I think +we never could have prevented them from oversetting), and we also worked +hard at making good the defects in their first hasty construction—which +the water soon found out. While we humbly resigned ourselves to +going down, if it was the will of Our Father that was in Heaven, we +humbly made up our minds, that we would all do the best that was in +us.</p> +<p>And so we held on, gliding with the stream. It drove us to +this bank, and it drove us to that bank, and it turned us, and whirled +us; but yet it carried us on. Sometimes much too slowly; sometimes +much too fast, but yet it carried us on.</p> +<p>My little deaf and dumb boy slumbered a good deal now, and that was +the case with all the children. They caused very little trouble +to any one. They seemed, in my eyes, to get more like one another, +not only in quiet manner, but in the face, too. The motion of +the raft was usually so much the same, the scene was usually so much +the same, the sound of the soft wash and ripple of the water was usually +so much the same, that they were made drowsy, as they might have been +by the constant playing of one tune. Even on the grown people, +who worked hard and felt anxiety, the same things produced something +of the same effect. Every day was so like the other, that I soon +lost count of the days, myself, and had to ask Miss Maryon, for instance, +whether this was the third or fourth? Miss Maryon had a pocket-book +and pencil, and she kept the log; that is to say, she entered up a clear +little journal of the time, and of the distances our seamen thought +we had made, each night.</p> +<p>So, as I say, we kept afloat and glided on. All day long, and +every day, the water, and the woods, and sky; all day long, and every +day, the constant watching of both sides of the river, and far ahead +at every bold turn and sweep it made, for any signs of Pirate-boats, +or Pirate-dwellings. So, as I say, we kept afloat and glided on. +The days melting themselves together to that degree, that I could hardly +believe my ears when I asked “How many now, Miss?” and she +answered “Seven.”</p> +<p>To be sure, poor Mr. Pordage had, by about now, got his Diplomatic +coat into such a state as never was seen. What with the mud of +the river, what with the water of the river, what with the sun, and +the dews, and the tearing boughs, and the thickets, it hung about him +in discoloured shreds like a mop. The sun had touched him a bit. +He had taken to always polishing one particular button, which just held +on to his left wrist, and to always calling for stationery. I +suppose that man called for pens, ink, and paper, tape, and scaling-wax, +upwards of one thousand times in four-and-twenty hours. He had +an idea that we should never get out of that river unless we were written +out of it in a formal Memorandum; and the more we laboured at navigating +the rafts, the more he ordered us not to touch them at our peril, and +the more he sat and roared for stationery.</p> +<p>Mrs. Pordage, similarly, persisted in wearing her nightcap. +I doubt if any one but ourselves who had seen the progress of that article +of dress, could by this time have told what it was meant for. +It had got so limp and ragged that she couldn’t see out of her +eyes for it. It was so dirty, that whether it was vegetable matter +out of a swamp, or weeds out of the river, or an old porter’s-knot +from England, I don’t think any new spectator could have said. +Yet, this unfortunate old woman had a notion that it was not only vastly +genteel, but that it was the correct thing as to propriety. And +she really did carry herself over the other ladies who had no nightcaps, +and who were forced to tie up their hair how they could, in a superior +manner that was perfectly amazing.</p> +<p>I don’t know what she looked like, sitting in that blessed +nightcap, on a log of wood, outside the hut or cabin upon our raft. +She would have rather resembled a fortune-teller in one of the picture-books +that used to be in the shop windows in my boyhood, except for her stateliness. +But, Lord bless my heart, the dignity with which she sat and moped, +with her head in that bundle of tatters, was like nothing else in the +world! She was not on speaking terms with more than three of the +ladies. Some of them had, what she called, “taken precedence” +of her—in getting into, or out of, that miserable little shelter!—and +others had not called to pay their respects, or something of that kind. +So, there she sat, in her own state and ceremony, while her husband +sat on the same log of wood, ordering us one and all to let the raft +go to the bottom, and to bring him stationery.</p> +<p>What with this noise on the part of Mr. Commissioner Pordage, and +what with the cries of Sergeant Drooce on the raft astern (which were +sometimes more than Tom Packer could silence), we often made our slow +way down the river, anything but quietly. Yet, that it was of +great importance that no ears should be able to hear us from the woods +on the banks, could not be doubted. We were looked for, to a certainty, +and we might be retaken at any moment. It was an anxious time; +it was, indeed, indeed, an anxious time.</p> +<p>On the seventh night of our voyage on the rafts, we made fast, as +usual, on the opposite side of the river to that from which we had started, +in as dark a place as we could pick out. Our little encampment +was soon made, and supper was eaten, and the children fell asleep. +The watch was set, and everything made orderly for the night. +Such a starlight night, with such blue in the sky, and such black in +the places of heavy shade on the banks of the great stream!</p> +<p>Those two ladies, Miss Maryon and Mrs. Fisher, had always kept near +me since the night of the attack. Mr. Fisher, who was untiring +in the work of our raft, had said to me:</p> +<p>“My dear little childless wife has grown so attached to you, +Davis, and you are such a gentle fellow, as well as such a determined +one;” our party had adopted that last expression from the one-eyed +English pirate, and I repeat what Mr. Fisher said, only because he said +it; “that it takes a load off my mind to leave her in your charge.”</p> +<p>I said to him: “Your lady is in far better charge than mine, +Sir, having Miss Maryon to take care of her; but, you may rely upon +it, that I will guard them both—faithful and true.”</p> +<p>Says he: “I do rely upon it, Davis, and I heartily wish all +the silver on our old Island was yours.”</p> +<p>That seventh starlight night, as I have said, we made our camp, and +got our supper, and set our watch, and the children fell asleep. +It was solemn and beautiful in those wild and solitary parts, to see +them, every night before they lay down, kneeling under the bright sky, +saying their little prayers at women’s laps. At that time +we men all uncovered, and mostly kept at a distance. When the +innocent creatures rose up, we murmured “Amen!” all together. +For, though we had not heard what they said, we know it must be good +for us.</p> +<p>At that time, too, as was only natural, those poor mothers in our +company, whose children had been killed, shed many tears. I thought +the sight seemed to console them while it made them cry; but, whether +I was right or wrong in that, they wept very much. On this seventh +night, Mrs. Fisher had cried for her lost darling until she cried herself +asleep. She was lying on a little couch of leaves and such-like +(I made the best little couch I could for them every night), and Miss +Maryon had covered her, and sat by her, holding her hand. The +stars looked down upon them. As for me, I guarded them.</p> +<p>“Davis!” says Miss Maryon. (I am not going to say +what a voice she had. I couldn’t if I tried.)</p> +<p>“I am here, Miss.”</p> +<p>“The river sounds as if it were swollen to-night.”</p> +<p>“We all think, Miss, that we are coming near the sea.”</p> +<p>“Do you believe now, we shall escape?”</p> +<p>“I do now, Miss, really believe it.” I had always +said I did; but, I had in my own mind been doubtful.</p> +<p>“How glad you will be, my good Davis, to see England again!”</p> +<p>I have another confession to make that will appear singular. +When she said these words, something rose in my throat; and the stars +I looked away at, seemed to break into sparkles that fell down my face +and burnt it.</p> +<p>“England is not much to me, Miss, except as a name.”</p> +<p>“O, so true an Englishman should not say that!—Are you +not well to-night, Davis?” Very kindly, and with a quick +change.</p> +<p>“Quite well, Miss.”</p> +<p>“Are you sure? Your voice sounds altered in my hearing.”</p> +<p>“No, Miss, I am a stronger man than ever. But, England +is nothing to me.”</p> +<p>Miss Maryon sat silent for so long a while, that I believed she had +done speaking to me for one time. However, she had not; for by-and-by +she said in a distinct clear tone:</p> +<p>“No, good friend; you must not say that England is nothing +to you. It is to be much to you, yet—everything to you. +You have to take back to England the good name you have earned here, +and the gratitude and attachment and respect you have won here: and +you have to make some good English girl very happy and proud, by marrying +her; and I shall one day see her, I hope, and make her happier and prouder +still, by telling her what noble services her husband’s were in +South America, and what a noble friend he was to me there.”</p> +<p>Though she spoke these kind words in a cheering manner, she spoke +them compassionately. I said nothing. It will appear to +be another strange confession, that I paced to and fro, within call, +all that night, a most unhappy man, reproaching myself all the night +long. “You are as ignorant as any man alive; you are as +obscure as any man alive; you are as poor as any man alive; you are +no better than the mud under your foot.” That was the way +in which I went on against myself until the morning.</p> +<p>With the day, came the day’s labour. What I should have +done—without the labour, I don’t know. We were afloat +again at the usual hour, and were again making our way down the river. +It was broader, and clearer of obstructions than it had been, and it +seemed to flow faster. This was one of Drooce’s quiet days; +Mr. Pordage, besides being sulky, had almost lost his voice; and we +made good way, and with little noise.</p> +<p>There was always a seaman forward on the raft, keeping a bright look-out. +Suddenly, in the full heat of the day, when the children were slumbering, +and the very trees and reeds appeared to be slumbering, this man—it +was Short—holds up his hand, and cries with great caution: “Avast! +Voices ahead!”</p> +<p>We held on against the stream as soon as we could bring her up, and +the other raft followed suit. At first, Mr. Macey, Mr. Fisher, +and myself, could hear nothing; though both the seamen aboard of us +agreed that they could hear voices and oars. After a little pause, +however, we united in thinking that we <i>could</i> hear the sound of +voices, and the dip of oars. But, you can hear a long way in those +countries, and there was a bend of the river before us, and nothing +was to be seen except such waters and such banks as we were now in the +eighth day (and might, for the matter of our feelings, have been in +the eightieth), of having seen with anxious eyes.</p> +<p>It was soon decided to put a man ashore, who should creep through +the wood, see what was coming, and warn the rafts. The rafts in +the meantime to keep the middle of the stream. The man to be put +ashore, and not to swim ashore, as the first thing could be more quickly +done than the second. The raft conveying him, to get back into +mid-stream, and to hold on along with the other, as well is it could, +until signalled by the man. In case of danger, the man to shift +for himself until it should be safe to take him on board again. +I volunteered to be the man.</p> +<p>We knew that the voices and oars must come up slowly against the +stream; and our seamen knew, by the set of the stream, under which bank +they would come. I was put ashore accordingly. The raft +got off well, and I broke into the wood.</p> +<p>Steaming hot it was, and a tearing place to get through. So +much the better for me, since it was something to contend against and +do. I cut off the bend of the river, at a great saving of space, +came to the water’s edge again, and hid myself, and waited. +I could now hear the dip of the oars very distinctly; the voices had +ceased.</p> +<p>The sound came on in a regular tune, and as I lay hidden, I fancied +the tune so played to be, “Chris’en—George—King! +Chris’en—George—King! Chris’en—George—King!” +over and over again, always the same, with the pauses always at the +same places. I had likewise time to make up my mind that if these +were the Pirates, I could and would (barring my being shot) swim off +to my raft, in spite of my wound, the moment I had given the alarm, +and hold my old post by Miss Maryon.</p> +<p>“Chris’en—George—King! Chris’en—George—King! +Chris’en—George—King!” coming up, now, very +near.</p> +<p>I took a look at the branches about me, to see where a shower of +bullets would be most likely to do me least hurt; and I took a look +back at the track I had made in forcing my way in; and now I was wholly +prepared and fully ready for them.</p> +<p>“Chris’en—George—King! Chris’en—George—King! +Chris’en—George—King!” Here they are!</p> +<p>Who were they? The barbarous Pirates, scum of all nations, +headed by such men as the hideous little Portuguese monkey, and the +one-eyed English convict with the gash across his face, that ought to +have gashed his wicked head off? The worst men in the world picked +out from the worst, to do the cruellest and most atrocious deeds that +ever stained it? The howling, murdering, black-flag waving, mad, +and drunken crowd of devils that had overcome us by numbers and by treachery? +No. These were English men in English boats—good blue-jackets +and red-coats—marines that I knew myself, and sailors that knew +our seamen! At the helm of the first boat, Captain Carton, eager +and steady. At the helm of the second boat, Captain Maryon, brave +and bold. At the helm of the third boat, an old seaman, with determination +carved into his watchful face, like the figure-head of a ship. +Every man doubly and trebly armed from head to foot. Every man +lying-to at his work, with a will that had all his heart and soul in +it. Every man looking out for any trace of friend or enemy, and +burning to be the first to do good or avenge evil. Every man with +his face on fire when he saw me, his countryman who had been taken prisoner, +and hailed me with a cheer, as Captain Carton’s boat ran in and +took me on board.</p> +<p>I reported, “All escaped, sir! All well, all safe, all +here!”</p> +<p>God bless me—and God bless them—what a cheer! It +turned me weak, as I was passed on from hand to hand to the stern of +the boat: every hand patting me or grasping me in some way or other, +in the moment of my going by.</p> +<p>“Hold up, my brave fellow,” says Captain Carton, clapping +me on the shoulder like a friend, and giving me a flask. “Put +your lips to that, and they’ll be red again. Now, boys, +give way!”</p> +<p>The banks flew by us as if the mightiest stream that ever ran was +with us; and so it was, I am sure, meaning the stream to those men’s +ardour and spirit. The banks flew by us, and we came in sight +of the rafts—the banks flew by us, and we came alongside of the +rafts—the banks stopped; and there was a tumult of laughing and +crying, and kissing and shaking of hands, and catching up of children +and setting of them down again, and a wild hurry of thankfulness and +joy that melted every one and softened all hearts.</p> +<p>I had taken notice, in Captain Carton’s boat, that there was +a curious and quite new sort of fitting on board. It was a kind +of a little bower made of flowers, and it was set up behind the captain, +and betwixt him and the rudder. Not only was this arbour, so to +call it, neatly made of flowers, but it was ornamented in a singular +way. Some of the men had taken the ribbons and buckles off their +hats, and hung them among the flowers; others had made festoons and +streamers of their handkerchiefs, and hung them there; others had intermixed +such trifles as bits of glass and shining fragments of lockets and tobacco-boxes +with the flowers; so that altogether it was a very bright and lively +object in the sunshine. But why there, or what for, I did not +understand.</p> +<p>Now, as soon as the first bewilderment was over, Captain Carton gave +the order to land for the present. But this boat of his, with +two hands left in her, immediately put off again when the men were out +of her, and kept off, some yards from the shore. As she floated +there, with the two hands gently backing water to keep her from going +down the stream, this pretty little arbour attracted many eyes. +None of the boat’s crew, however, had anything to say about it, +except that it was the captain’s fancy.</p> +<p>The captain—with the women and children clustering round him, +and the men of all ranks grouped outside them, and all listening—stood +telling how the Expedition, deceived by its bad intelligence, had chased +the light Pirate boats all that fatal night, and had still followed +in their wake next day, and had never suspected until many hours too +late that the great Pirate body had drawn off in the darkness when the +chase began, and shot over to the Island. He stood telling how +the Expedition, supposing the whole array of armed boats to be ahead +of it, got tempted into shallows and went aground; but not without having +its revenge upon the two decoy-boats, both of which it had come up with, +overhand, and sent to the bottom with all on board. He stood telling +how the Expedition, fearing then that the case stood as it did, got +afloat again, by great exertion, after the loss of four more tides, +and returned to the Island, where they found the sloop scuttled and +the treasure gone. He stood telling how my officer, Lieutenant +Linderwood, was left upon the Island, with as strong a force as could +be got together hurriedly from the mainland, and how the three boats +we saw before us were manned and armed and had come away, exploring +the coast and inlets, in search of any tidings of us. He stood +telling all this, with his face to the river; and, as he stood telling +it, the little arbour of flowers floated in the sunshine before all +the faces there.</p> +<p>Leaning on Captain Carton’s shoulder, between him and Miss +Maryon, was Mrs. Fisher, her head drooping on her arm. She asked +him, without raising it, when he had told so much, whether he had found +her mother?</p> +<p>“Be comforted! She lies,” said the Captain gently, +“under the cocoa-nut trees on the beach.”</p> +<p>“And my child, Captain Carton, did you find my child, too? +Does my darling rest with my mother?”</p> +<p>“No. Your pretty child sleeps,” said the Captain, +“under a shade of flowers.”</p> +<p>His voice shook; but there was something in it that struck all the +hearers. At that moment there sprung from the arbour in his boat +a little creature, clapping her hands and stretching out her arms, and +crying, “Dear papa! Dear mamma! I am not killed. +I am saved. I am coming to kiss you. Take me to them, take +me to them, good, kind sailors!”</p> +<p>Nobody who saw that scene has ever forgotten it, I am sure, or ever +will forget it. The child had kept quite still, where her brave +grandmamma had put her (first whispering in her ear, “Whatever +happens to me, do not stir, my dear!”), and had remained quiet +until the fort was deserted; she had then crept out of the trench, and +gone into her mother’s house; and there, alone on the solitary +Island, in her mother’s room, and asleep on her mother’s +bed, the Captain had found her. Nothing could induce her to be +parted from him after he took her up in his arms, and he had brought +her away with him, and the men had made the bower for her. To +see those men now, was a sight. The joy of the women was beautiful; +the joy of those women who had lost their own children, was quite sacred +and divine; but, the ecstasies of Captain Carton’s boat’s +crew, when their pet was restored to her parents, were wonderful for +the tenderness they showed in the midst of roughness. As the Captain +stood with the child in his arms, and the child’s own little arms +now clinging round his neck, now round her father’s, now round +her mother’s, now round some one who pressed up to kiss her, the +boat’s crew shook hands with one another, waved their hats over +their heads, laughed, sang, cried, danced—and all among themselves, +without wanting to interfere with anybody—in a manner never to +be represented. At last, I saw the coxswain and another, two very +hard-faced men, with grizzled heads, who had been the heartiest of the +hearty all along, close with one another, get each of them the other’s +head under his arm, and pommel away at it with his fist as hard as he +could, in his excess of joy.</p> +<p>When we had well rested and refreshed ourselves—and very glad +we were to have some of the heartening things to eat and drink that +had come up in the boats—we recommenced our voyage down the river: +rafts, and boats, and all. I said to myself, it was a <i>very</i> +different kind of voyage now, from what it had been; and I fell into +my proper place and station among my fellow-soldiers.</p> +<p>But, when we halted for the night, I found that Miss Maryon had spoken +to Captain Carton concerning me. For, the Captain came straight +up to me, and says he, “My brave fellow, you have been Miss Maryon’s +body-guard all along, and you shall remain so. Nobody shall supersede +you in the distinction and pleasure of protecting that young lady.” +I thanked his honour in the fittest words I could find, and that night +I was placed on my old post of watching the place where she slept. +More than once in the night, I saw Captain Carton come out into the +air, and stroll about there, to see that all was well. I have +now this other singular confession to make, that I saw him with a heavy +heart. Yes; I saw him with a heavy, heavy heart.</p> +<p>In the day-time, I had the like post in Captain Carton’s boat. +I had a special station of my own, behind Miss Maryon, and no hands +but hers ever touched my wound. (It has been healed these many +long years; but, no other hands have ever touched it.) Mr. Pordage +was kept tolerably quiet now, with pen and ink, and began to pick up +his senses a little. Seated in the second boat, he made documents +with Mr. Kitten, pretty well all day; and he generally handed in a Protest +about something whenever we stopped. The Captain, however, made +so very light of these papers, that it grew into a saying among the +men, when one of them wanted a match for his pipe, “Hand us over +a Protest, Jack!” As to Mrs. Pordage, she still wore the +nightcap, and she now had cut all the ladies on account of her not having +been formally and separately rescued by Captain Carton before anybody +else. The end of Mr. Pordage, to bring to an end all I know about +him, was, that he got great compliments at home for his conduct on these +trying occasions, and that he died of yellow jaundice, a Governor and +a K.C.B.</p> +<p>Sergeant Drooce had fallen from a high fever into a low one. +Tom Packer—the only man who could have pulled the Sergeant through +it—kept hospital aboard the old raft, and Mrs. Belltott, as brisk +as ever again (but the spirit of that little woman, when things tried +it, was not equal to appearances), was head-nurse under his directions. +Before we got down to the Mosquito coast, the joke had been made by +one of our men, that we should see her gazetted Mrs. Tom Packer, <i>vice</i> +Belltott exchanged.</p> +<p>When we reached the coast, we got native boats as substitutes for +the rafts; and we rowed along under the land; and in that beautiful +climate, and upon that beautiful water, the blooming days were like +enchantment. Ah! They were running away, faster than any +sea or river, and there was no tide to bring them back. We were +coming very near the settlement where the people of Silver-Store were +to be left, and from which we Marines were under orders to return to +Belize.</p> +<p>Captain Carton had, in the boat by him, a curious long-barrelled +Spanish gun, and he had said to Miss Maryon one day that it was the +best of guns, and had turned his head to me, and said:</p> +<p>“Gill Davis, load her fresh with a couple of slugs, against +a chance of showing how good she is.”</p> +<p>So, I had discharged the gun over the sea, and had loaded her, according +to orders, and there it had lain at the Captain’s feet, convenient +to the Captain’s hand.</p> +<p>The last day but one of our journey was an uncommonly hot day. +We started very early; but, there was no cool air on the sea as the +day got on, and by noon the heat was really hard to bear, considering +that there were women and children to bear it. Now, we happened +to open, just at that time, a very pleasant little cove or bay, where +there was a deep shade from a great growth of trees. Now, the +Captain, therefore, made the signal to the other boats to follow him +in and lie by a while.</p> +<p>The men who were off duty went ashore, and lay down, but were ordered, +for caution’s sake, not to stray, and to keep within view. +The others rested on their oars, and dozed. Awnings had been made +of one thing and another, in all the boats, and the passengers found +it cooler to be under them in the shade, when there was room enough, +than to be in the thick woods. So, the passengers were all afloat, +and mostly sleeping. I kept my post behind Miss Maryon, and she +was on Captain Carton’s right in the boat, and Mrs. Fisher sat +on her right again. The Captain had Mrs. Fisher’s daughter +on his knee. He and the two ladies were talking about the Pirates, +and were talking softly; partly, because people do talk softly under +such indolent circumstances, and partly because the little girl had +gone off asleep.</p> +<p>I think I have before given it out for my Lady to write down, that +Captain Carton had a fine bright eye of his own. All at once, +he darted me a side look, as much as to say, “Steady—don’t +take on—I see something!”—and gave the child into +her mother’s arms. That eye of his was so easy to understand, +that I obeyed it by not so much as looking either to the right or to +the left out of a corner of my own, or changing my attitude the least +trifle. The Captain went on talking in the same mild and easy +way; but began—with his arms resting across his knees, and his +head a little hanging forward, as if the heat were rather too much for +him—began to play with the Spanish gun.</p> +<p>“They had laid their plans, you see,” says the Captain, +taking up the Spanish gun across his knees, and looking, lazily, at +the inlaying on the stock, “with a great deal of art; and the +corrupt or blundering local authorities were so easily deceived;” +he ran his left hand idly along the barrel, but I saw, with my breath +held, that he covered the action of cocking the gun with his right—“so +easily deceived, that they summoned us out to come into the trap. +But my intention as to future operations—” In a flash +the Spanish gun was at his bright eye, and he fired.</p> +<p>All started up; innumerable echoes repeated the sound of the discharge; +a cloud of bright-coloured birds flew out of the woods screaming; a +handful of leaves were scattered in the place where the shot had struck; +a crackling of branches was heard; and some lithe but heavy creature +sprang into the air, and fell forward, head down, over the muddy bank.</p> +<p>“What is it?” cries Captain Maryon from his boat. +All silent then, but the echoes rolling away.</p> +<p>“It is a Traitor and a Spy,” said Captain Carton, handing +me the gun to load again. “And I think the other name of +the animal is Christian George King!”</p> +<p>Shot through the heart. Some of the people ran round to the +spot, and drew him out, with the slime and wet trickling down his face; +but his face itself would never stir any more to the end of time.</p> +<p>“Leave him hanging to that tree,” cried Captain Carton; +his boat’s crew giving way, and he leaping ashore. “But +first into this wood, every man in his place. And boats! +Out of gunshot!”</p> +<p>It was a quick change, well meant and well made, though it ended +in disappointment. No Pirates were there; no one but the Spy was +found. It was supposed that the Pirates, unable to retake us, +and expecting a great attack upon them to be the consequence of our +escape, had made from the ruins in the Forest, taken to their ship along +with the Treasure, and left the Spy to pick up what intelligence he +could. In the evening we went away, and he was left hanging to +the tree, all alone, with the red sun making a kind of a dead sunset +on his black face.</p> +<p>Next day, we gained the settlement on the Mosquito coast for which +we were bound. Having stayed there to refresh seven days, and +having been much commended, and highly spoken of, and finely entertained, +we Marines stood under orders to march from the Town-Gate (it was neither +much of a town nor much of a gate), at five in the morning.</p> +<p>My officer had joined us before then. When we turned out at +the gate, all the people were there; in the front of them all those +who had been our fellow-prisoners, and all the seamen.</p> +<p>“Davis,” says Lieutenant Linderwood. “Stand +out, my friend!”</p> +<p>I stood out from the ranks, and Miss Maryon and Captain Carton came +up to me.</p> +<p>“Dear Davis,” says Miss Maryon, while the tears fell +fast down her face, “your grateful friends, in most unwillingly +taking leave of you, ask the favour that, while you bear away with you +their affectionate remembrance, which nothing can ever impair, you will +also take this purse of money—far more valuable to you, we all +know, for the deep attachment and thankfulness with which it is offered, +than for its own contents, though we hope those may prove useful to +you, too, in after life.”</p> +<p>I got out, in answer, that I thankfully accepted the attachment and +affection, but not the money. Captain Carton looked at me very +attentively, and stepped back, and moved away. I made him my bow +as he stepped back, to thank him for being so delicate.</p> +<p>“No, miss,” said I, “I think it would break my +heart to accept of money. But, if you could condescend to give +to a man so ignorant and common as myself, any little thing you have +worn—such as a bit of ribbon—”</p> +<p>She took a ring from her finger, and put it in my hand. And +she rested her hand in mine, while she said these words:</p> +<p>“The brave gentlemen of old—but not one of them was braver, +or had a nobler nature than you—took such gifts from ladies, and +did all their good actions for the givers’ sakes. If you +will do yours for mine, I shall think with pride that I continue to +have some share in the life of a gallant and generous man.”</p> +<p>For the second time in my life she kissed my hand. I made so +bold, for the first time, as to kiss hers; and I tied the ring at my +breast, and I fell back to my place.</p> +<p>Then, the horse-litter went out at the gate with Sergeant Drooce +in it; and the horse-litter went out at the gate with Mrs. Belltott +in it; and Lieutenant Linderwood gave the word of command, “Quick +march!” and, cheered and cried for, we went out of the gate too, +marching along the level plain towards the serene blue sky, as if we +were marching straight to Heaven.</p> +<p>When I have added here that the Pirate scheme was blown to shivers, +by the Pirate-ship which had the Treasure on board being so vigorously +attacked by one of His Majesty’s cruisers, among the West India +Keys, and being so swiftly boarded and carried, that nobody suspected +anything about the scheme until three-fourths of the Pirates were killed, +and the other fourth were in irons, and the Treasure was recovered; +I come to the last singular confession I have got to make.</p> +<p>It is this. I well knew what an immense and hopeless distance +there was between me and Miss Maryon; I well knew that I was no fitter +company for her than I was for the angels; I well knew, that she was +as high above my reach as the sky over my head; and yet I loved her. +What put it in my low heart to be so daring, or whether such a thing +ever happened before or since, as that a man so uninstructed and obscure +as myself got his unhappy thoughts lifted up to such a height, while +knowing very well how presumptuous and impossible to be realised they +were, I am unable to say; still, the suffering to me was just as great +as if I had been a gentleman. I suffered agony—agony. +I suffered hard, and I suffered long. I thought of her last words +to me, however, and I never disgraced them. If it had not been +for those dear words, I think I should have lost myself in despair and +recklessness.</p> +<p>The ring will be found lying on my heart, of course, and will be +laid with me wherever I am laid. I am getting on in years now, +though I am able and hearty. I was recommended for promotion, +and everything was done to reward me that could be done; but my total +want of all learning stood in my way, and I found myself so completely +out of the road to it that I could not conquer any learning, though +I tried. I was long in the service, and I respected it, and was +respected in it, and the service is dear to me at this present hour.</p> +<p>At this present hour, when I give this out to my Lady to be written +down, all my old pain has softened away, and I am as happy as a man +can be, at this present fine old country-house of Admiral Sir George +Carton, Baronet. It was my Lady Carton who herself sought me out, +over a great many miles of the wide world, and found me in Hospital +wounded, and brought me here. It is my Lady Carton who writes +down my words. My Lady was Miss Maryon. And now, that I +conclude what I had to tell, I see my Lady’s honoured gray hair +droop over her face, as she leans a little lower at her desk; and I +fervently thank her for being so tender as I see she is, towards the +past pain and trouble of her poor, old, faithful, humble soldier.</p> +<h2>FOOTNOTES</h2> +<p><a name="footnote1"></a><a href="#citation1">{1}</a> +Dicken’s didn’t write the second chapter and it is omitted +in this edition. In it the prisoners are firstly made a ransom +of for the treasure left on the Island and then manage to escape from +the Pirates.</p> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PERILS OF CERTAIN ENGLISH</p> +<pre> +PRISONERS*** + + +***** This file should be named 1406-h.htm or 1406-h.zip****** + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/4/0/1406 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +https://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at https://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/pglaf. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at https://www.gutenberg.org/about/contact + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit https://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including including checks, online payments and credit card +donations. To donate, please visit: +https://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + https://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. + +</pre></body> +</html> diff --git a/1406.txt b/1406.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5c908ba --- /dev/null +++ b/1406.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2331 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Perils of Certain English Prisoners, by +Charles Dickens + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: The Perils of Certain English Prisoners + + +Author: Charles Dickens + +Release Date: April 3, 2005 [eBook #1406] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PERILS OF CERTAIN ENGLISH +PRISONERS*** + + + + + +Transcribed from the 1894 Chapman and Hall "Christmas Stories" edition by +David Price, email ccx074@coventry.ac.uk + + + + + +THE PERILS OF CERTAIN ENGLISH PRISONERS + + +CHAPTER I--THE ISLAND OF SILVER-STORE + + +It was in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and forty-four, +that I, Gill Davis to command, His Mark, having then the honour to be a +private in the Royal Marines, stood a-leaning over the bulwarks of the +armed sloop Christopher Columbus, in the South American waters off the +Mosquito shore. + +My lady remarks to me, before I go any further, that there is no such +christian-name as Gill, and that her confident opinion is, that the name +given to me in the baptism wherein I was made, &c., was Gilbert. She is +certain to be right, but I never heard of it. I was a foundling child, +picked up somewhere or another, and I always understood my christian-name +to be Gill. It is true that I was called Gills when employed at +Snorridge Bottom betwixt Chatham and Maidstone to frighten birds; but +that had nothing to do with the Baptism wherein I was made, &c., and +wherein a number of things were promised for me by somebody, who let me +alone ever afterwards as to performing any of them, and who, I consider, +must have been the Beadle. Such name of Gills was entirely owing to my +cheeks, or gills, which at that time of my life were of a raspy +description. + +My lady stops me again, before I go any further, by laughing exactly in +her old way and waving the feather of her pen at me. That action on her +part, calls to my mind as I look at her hand with the rings on it--Well! +I won't! To be sure it will come in, in its own place. But it's always +strange to me, noticing the quiet hand, and noticing it (as I have done, +you know, so many times) a-fondling children and grandchildren asleep, to +think that when blood and honour were up--there! I won't! not at +present!--Scratch it out. + +She won't scratch it out, and quite honourable; because we have made an +understanding that everything is to be taken down, and that nothing that +is once taken down shall be scratched out. I have the great misfortune +not to be able to read and write, and I am speaking my true and faithful +account of those Adventures, and my lady is writing it, word for word. + +I say, there I was, a-leaning over the bulwarks of the sloop Christopher +Columbus in the South American waters off the Mosquito shore: a subject +of his Gracious Majesty King George of England, and a private in the +Royal Marines. + +In those climates, you don't want to do much. I was doing nothing. I +was thinking of the shepherd (my father, I wonder?) on the hillsides by +Snorridge Bottom, with a long staff, and with a rough white coat in all +weathers all the year round, who used to let me lie in a corner of his +hut by night, and who used to let me go about with him and his sheep by +day when I could get nothing else to do, and who used to give me so +little of his victuals and so much of his staff, that I ran away from +him--which was what he wanted all along, I expect--to be knocked about +the world in preference to Snorridge Bottom. I had been knocked about +the world for nine-and-twenty years in all, when I stood looking along +those bright blue South American Waters. Looking after the shepherd, I +may say. Watching him in a half-waking dream, with my eyes half-shut, as +he, and his flock of sheep, and his two dogs, seemed to move away from +the ship's side, far away over the blue water, and go right down into the +sky. + +"It's rising out of the water, steady," a voice said close to me. I had +been thinking on so, that it like woke me with a start, though it was no +stranger voice than the voice of Harry Charker, my own comrade. + +"What's rising out of the water, steady?" I asked my comrade. + +"What?" says he. "The Island." + +"O! The Island!" says I, turning my eyes towards it. "True. I forgot +the Island." + +"Forgot the port you're going to? That's odd, ain't it?" + +"It is odd," says I. + +"And odd," he said, slowly considering with himself, "ain't even. Is it, +Gill?" + +He had always a remark just like that to make, and seldom another. As +soon as he had brought a thing round to what it was not, he was +satisfied. He was one of the best of men, and, in a certain sort of a +way, one with the least to say for himself. I qualify it, because, +besides being able to read and write like a Quarter-master, he had always +one most excellent idea in his mind. That was, Duty. Upon my soul, I +don't believe, though I admire learning beyond everything, that he could +have got a better idea out of all the books in the world, if he had +learnt them every word, and been the cleverest of scholars. + +My comrade and I had been quartered in Jamaica, and from there we had +been drafted off to the British settlement of Belize, lying away West and +North of the Mosquito coast. At Belize there had been great alarm of one +cruel gang of pirates (there were always more pirates than enough in +those Caribbean Seas), and as they got the better of our English cruisers +by running into out-of-the-way creeks and shallows, and taking the land +when they were hotly pressed, the governor of Belize had received orders +from home to keep a sharp look-out for them along shore. Now, there was +an armed sloop came once a-year from Port Royal, Jamaica, to the Island, +laden with all manner of necessaries, to eat, and to drink, and to wear, +and to use in various ways; and it was aboard of that sloop which had +touched at Belize, that I was a-standing, leaning over the bulwarks. + +The Island was occupied by a very small English colony. It had been +given the name of Silver-Store. The reason of its being so called, was, +that the English colony owned and worked a silver-mine over on the +mainland, in Honduras, and used this Island as a safe and convenient +place to store their silver in, until it was annually fetched away by the +sloop. It was brought down from the mine to the coast on the backs of +mules, attended by friendly Indians and guarded by white men; from thence +it was conveyed over to Silver-Store, when the weather was fair, in the +canoes of that country; from Silver-Store, it was carried to Jamaica by +the armed sloop once a-year, as I have already mentioned; from Jamaica, +it went, of course, all over the world. + +How I came to be aboard the armed sloop, is easily told. Four-and-twenty +marines under command of a lieutenant--that officer's name was +Linderwood--had been told off at Belize, to proceed to Silver-Store, in +aid of boats and seamen stationed there for the chase of the Pirates. The +Island was considered a good post of observation against the pirates, +both by land and sea; neither the pirate ship nor yet her boats had been +seen by any of us, but they had been so much heard of, that the +reinforcement was sent. Of that party, I was one. It included a +corporal and a sergeant. Charker was corporal, and the sergeant's name +was Drooce. He was the most tyrannical non-commissioned officer in His +Majesty's service. + +The night came on, soon after I had had the foregoing words with Charker. +All the wonderful bright colours went out of the sea and sky in a few +minutes, and all the stars in the Heavens seemed to shine out together, +and to look down at themselves in the sea, over one another's shoulders, +millions deep. Next morning, we cast anchor off the Island. There was a +snug harbour within a little reef; there was a sandy beach; there were +cocoa-nut trees with high straight stems, quite bare, and foliage at the +top like plumes of magnificent green feathers; there were all the objects +that are usually seen in those parts, and _I_ am not going to describe +them, having something else to tell about. + +Great rejoicings, to be sure, were made on our arrival. All the flags in +the place were hoisted, all the guns in the place were fired, and all the +people in the place came down to look at us. One of those Sambo +fellows--they call those natives Sambos, when they are half-negro and +half-Indian--had come off outside the reef, to pilot us in, and remained +on board after we had let go our anchor. He was called Christian George +King, and was fonder of all hands than anybody else was. Now, I confess, +for myself, that on that first day, if I had been captain of the +Christopher Columbus, instead of private in the Royal Marines, I should +have kicked Christian George King--who was no more a Christian than he +was a King or a George--over the side, without exactly knowing why, +except that it was the right thing to do. + +But, I must likewise confess, that I was not in a particularly pleasant +humour, when I stood under arms that morning, aboard the Christopher +Columbus in the harbour of the Island of Silver-Store. I had had a hard +life, and the life of the English on the Island seemed too easy and too +gay to please me. "Here you are," I thought to myself, "good scholars +and good livers; able to read what you like, able to write what you like, +able to eat and drink what you like, and spend what you like, and do what +you like; and much _you_ care for a poor, ignorant Private in the Royal +Marines! Yet it's hard, too, I think, that you should have all the half- +pence, and I all the kicks; you all the smooth, and I all the rough; you +all the oil, and I all the vinegar." It was as envious a thing to think +as might be, let alone its being nonsensical; but, I thought it. I took +it so much amiss, that, when a very beautiful young English lady came +aboard, I grunted to myself, "Ah! _you_ have got a lover, I'll be bound!" +As if there was any new offence to me in that, if she had! + +She was sister to the captain of our sloop, who had been in a poor way +for some time, and who was so ill then that he was obliged to be carried +ashore. She was the child of a military officer, and had come out there +with her sister, who was married to one of the owners of the silver-mine, +and who had three children with her. It was easy to see that she was the +light and spirit of the Island. After I had got a good look at her, I +grunted to myself again, in an even worse state of mind than before, +"I'll be damned, if I don't hate him, whoever he is!" + +My officer, Lieutenant Linderwood, was as ill as the captain of the +sloop, and was carried ashore, too. They were both young men of about my +age, who had been delicate in the West India climate. I even took _that_ +in bad part. I thought I was much fitter for the work than they were, +and that if all of us had our deserts, I should be both of them rolled +into one. (It may be imagined what sort of an officer of marines I +should have made, without the power of reading a written order. And as +to any knowledge how to command the sloop--Lord! I should have sunk her +in a quarter of an hour!) + +However, such were my reflections; and when we men were ashore and +dismissed, I strolled about the place along with Charker, making my +observations in a similar spirit. + +It was a pretty place: in all its arrangements partly South American and +partly English, and very agreeable to look at on that account, being like +a bit of home that had got chipped off and had floated away to that spot, +accommodating itself to circumstances as it drifted along. The huts of +the Sambos, to the number of five-and-twenty, perhaps, were down by the +beach to the left of the anchorage. On the right was a sort of barrack, +with a South American Flag and the Union Jack, flying from the same +staff, where the little English colony could all come together, if they +saw occasion. It was a walled square of building, with a sort of +pleasure-ground inside, and inside that again a sunken block like a +powder magazine, with a little square trench round it, and steps down to +the door. Charker and I were looking in at the gate, which was not +guarded; and I had said to Charker, in reference to the bit like a powder +magazine, "That's where they keep the silver you see;" and Charker had +said to me, after thinking it over, "And silver ain't gold. Is it, +Gill?" when the beautiful young English lady I had been so bilious about, +looked out of a door, or a window--at all events looked out, from under a +bright awning. She no sooner saw us two in uniform, than she came out so +quickly that she was still putting on her broad Mexican hat of plaited +straw when we saluted. + +"Would you like to come in," she said, "and see the place? It is rather +a curious place." + +We thanked the young lady, and said we didn't wish to be troublesome; +but, she said it could be no trouble to an English soldier's daughter, to +show English soldiers how their countrymen and country-women fared, so +far away from England; and consequently we saluted again, and went in. +Then, as we stood in the shade, she showed us (being as affable as +beautiful), how the different families lived in their separate houses, +and how there was a general house for stores, and a general reading-room, +and a general room for music and dancing, and a room for Church; and how +there were other houses on the rising ground called the Signal Hill, +where they lived in the hotter weather. + +"Your officer has been carried up there," she said, "and my brother, too, +for the better air. At present, our few residents are dispersed over +both spots: deducting, that is to say, such of our number as are always +going to, or coming from, or staying at, the Mine." + +("_He_ is among one of those parties," I thought, "and I wish somebody +would knock his head off.") + +"Some of our married ladies live here," she said, "during at least half +the year, as lonely as widows, with their children." + +"Many children here, ma'am?" + +"Seventeen. There are thirteen married ladies, and there are eight like +me." + +There were not eight like her--there was not one like her--in the world. +She meant single. + +"Which, with about thirty Englishmen of various degrees," said the young +lady, "form the little colony now on the Island. I don't count the +sailors, for they don't belong to us. Nor the soldiers," she gave us a +gracious smile when she spoke of the soldiers, "for the same reason." + +"Nor the Sambos, ma'am," said I. + +"No." + +"Under your favour, and with your leave, ma'am," said I, "are they +trustworthy?" + +"Perfectly! We are all very kind to them, and they are very grateful to +us." + +"Indeed, ma'am? Now--Christian George King?--" + +"Very much attached to us all. Would die for us." + +She was, as in my uneducated way I have observed, very beautiful women +almost always to be, so composed, that her composure gave great weight to +what she said, and I believed it. + +Then, she pointed out to us the building like a powder magazine, and +explained to us in what manner the silver was brought from the mine, and +was brought over from the mainland, and was stored here. The Christopher +Columbus would have a rich lading, she said, for there had been a great +yield that year, a much richer yield than usual, and there was a chest of +jewels besides the silver. + +When we had looked about us, and were getting sheepish, through fearing +we were troublesome, she turned us over to a young woman, English born +but West India bred, who served her as her maid. This young woman was +the widow of a non-commissioned officer in a regiment of the line. She +had got married and widowed at St. Vincent, with only a few months +between the two events. She was a little saucy woman, with a bright pair +of eyes, rather a neat little foot and figure, and rather a neat little +turned-up nose. The sort of young woman, I considered at the time, who +appeared to invite you to give her a kiss, and who would have slapped +your face if you accepted the invitation. + +I couldn't make out her name at first; for, when she gave it in answer to +my inquiry, it sounded like Beltot, which didn't sound right. But, when +we became better acquainted--which was while Charker and I were drinking +sugar-cane sangaree, which she made in a most excellent manner--I found +that her Christian name was Isabella, which they shortened into Bell, and +that the name of the deceased non-commissioned officer was Tott. Being +the kind of neat little woman it was natural to make a toy of--I never +saw a woman so like a toy in my life--she had got the plaything name of +Belltott. In short, she had no other name on the island. Even Mr. +Commissioner Pordage (and _he_ was a grave one!) formally addressed her +as Mrs. Belltott, but, I shall come to Mr. Commissioner Pordage +presently. + +The name of the captain of the sloop was Captain Maryon, and therefore it +was no news to hear from Mrs. Belltott, that his sister, the beautiful +unmarried young English lady, was Miss Maryon. The novelty was, that her +christian-name was Marion too. Marion Maryon. Many a time I have run +off those two names in my thoughts, like a bit of verse. Oh many, and +many, and many a time! + +We saw out all the drink that was produced, like good men and true, and +then took our leaves, and went down to the beach. The weather was +beautiful; the wind steady, low, and gentle; the island, a picture; the +sea, a picture; the sky, a picture. In that country there are two rainy +seasons in the year. One sets in at about our English Midsummer; the +other, about a fortnight after our English Michaelmas. It was the +beginning of August at that time; the first of these rainy seasons was +well over; and everything was in its most beautiful growth, and had its +loveliest look upon it. + +"They enjoy themselves here," I says to Charker, turning surly again. +"This is better than private-soldiering." + +We had come down to the beach, to be friendly with the boat's-crew who +were camped and hutted there; and we were approaching towards their +quarters over the sand, when Christian George King comes up from the +landing-place at a wolf's-trot, crying, "Yup, So-Jeer!"--which was that +Sambo Pilot's barbarous way of saying, Hallo, Soldier! I have stated +myself to be a man of no learning, and, if I entertain prejudices, I hope +allowance may be made. I will now confess to one. It may be a right one +or it may be a wrong one; but, I never did like Natives, except in the +form of oysters. + +So, when Christian George King, who was individually unpleasant to me +besides, comes a trotting along the sand, clucking, "Yup, So-Jeer!" I +had a thundering good mind to let fly at him with my right. I certainly +should have done it, but that it would have exposed me to reprimand. + +"Yup, So-Jeer!" says he. "Bad job." + +"What do you mean?" says I. + +"Yup, So-Jeer!" says he, "Ship Leakee." + +"Ship leaky?" says I. + +"Iss," says he, with a nod that looked as if it was jerked out of him by +a most violent hiccup--which is the way with those savages. + +I cast my eyes at Charker, and we both heard the pumps going aboard the +sloop, and saw the signal run up, "Come on board; hands wanted from the +shore." In no time some of the sloop's liberty-men were already running +down to the water's edge, and the party of seamen, under orders against +the Pirates, were putting off to the Columbus in two boats. + +"O Christian George King sar berry sorry!" says that Sambo vagabond, +then. "Christian George King cry, English fashion!" His English fashion +of crying was to screw his black knuckles into his eyes, howl like a dog, +and roll himself on his back on the sand. It was trying not to kick him, +but I gave Charker the word, "Double-quick, Harry!" and we got down to +the water's edge, and got on board the sloop. + +By some means or other, she had sprung such a leak, that no pumping would +keep her free; and what between the two fears that she would go down in +the harbour, and that, even if she did not, all the supplies she had +brought for the little colony would be destroyed by the sea-water as it +rose in her, there was great confusion. In the midst of it, Captain +Maryon was heard hailing from the beach. He had been carried down in his +hammock, and looked very bad; but he insisted on being stood there on his +feet; and I saw him, myself, come off in the boat, sitting upright in the +stern-sheets, as if nothing was wrong with him. + +A quick sort of council was held, and Captain Maryon soon resolved that +we must all fall to work to get the cargo out, and that when that was +done, the guns and heavy matters must be got out, and that the sloop must +be hauled ashore, and careened, and the leak stopped. We were all +mustered (the Pirate-Chace party volunteering), and told off into +parties, with so many hours of spell and so many hours of relief, and we +all went at it with a will. Christian George King was entered one of the +party in which I worked, at his own request, and he went at it with as +good a will as any of the rest. He went at it with so much heartiness, +to say the truth, that he rose in my good opinion almost as fast as the +water rose in the ship. Which was fast enough, and faster. + +Mr. Commissioner Pordage kept in a red-and-black japanned box, like a +family lump-sugar box, some document or other, which some Sambo chief or +other had got drunk and spilt some ink over (as well as I could +understand the matter), and by that means had given up lawful possession +of the Island. Through having hold of this box, Mr. Pordage got his +title of Commissioner. He was styled Consul too, and spoke of himself as +"Government." + +He was a stiff-jointed, high-nosed old gentleman, without an ounce of fat +on him, of a very angry temper and a very yellow complexion. Mrs. +Commissioner Pordage, making allowance for difference of sex, was much +the same. Mr. Kitten, a small, youngish, bald, botanical and +mineralogical gentleman, also connected with the mine--but everybody +there was that, more or less--was sometimes called by Mr. Commissioner +Pordage, his Vice-commissioner, and sometimes his Deputy-consul. Or +sometimes he spoke of Mr. Kitten, merely as being "under Government." + +The beach was beginning to be a lively scene with the preparations for +careening the sloop, and with cargo, and spars, and rigging, and water- +casks, dotted about it, and with temporary quarters for the men rising up +there out of such sails and odds and ends as could be best set on one +side to make them, when Mr. Commissioner Pordage comes down in a high +fluster, and asks for Captain Maryon. The Captain, ill as he was, was +slung in his hammock betwixt two trees, that he might direct; and he +raised his head, and answered for himself. + +"Captain Maryon," cries Mr. Commissioner Pordage, "this is not official. +This is not regular." + +"Sir," says the Captain, "it hath been arranged with the clerk and +supercargo, that you should be communicated with, and requested to render +any little assistance that may lie in your power. I am quite certain +that hath been duly done." + +"Captain Maryon," replied Mr. Commissioner Pordage, "there hath been no +written correspondence. No documents have passed, no memoranda have been +made, no minutes have been made, no entries and counter-entries appear in +the official muniments. This is indecent. I call upon you, sir, to +desist, until all is regular, or Government will take this up." + +"Sir," says Captain Maryon, chafing a little, as he looked out of his +hammock; "between the chances of Government taking this up, and my ship +taking herself down, I much prefer to trust myself to the former." + +"You do, sir?" cries Mr. Commissioner Pordage. + +"I do, sir," says Captain Maryon, lying down again. + +"Then, Mr. Kitten," says the Commissioner, "send up instantly for my +Diplomatic coat." + +He was dressed in a linen suit at that moment; but, Mr. Kitten started +off himself and brought down the Diplomatic coat, which was a blue cloth +one, gold-laced, and with a crown on the button. + +"Now, Mr. Kitten," says Pordage, "I instruct you, as Vice-commissioner, +and Deputy-consul of this place, to demand of Captain Maryon, of the +sloop Christopher Columbus, whether he drives me to the act of putting +this coat on?" + +"Mr. Pordage," says Captain Maryon, looking out of his hammock again, "as +I can hear what you say, I can answer it without troubling the gentleman. +I should be sorry that you should be at the pains of putting on too hot a +coat on my account; but, otherwise, you may put it on hind-side before, +or inside-out, or with your legs in the sleeves, or your head in the +skirts, for any objection that I have to offer to your thoroughly +pleasing yourself." + +"Very good, Captain Maryon," says Pordage, in a tremendous passion. "Very +good, sir. Be the consequences on your own head! Mr. Kitten, as it has +come to this, help me on with it." + +When he had given that order, he walked off in the coat, and all our +names were taken, and I was afterwards told that Mr. Kitten wrote from +his dictation more than a bushel of large paper on the subject, which +cost more before it was done with, than ever could be calculated, and +which only got done with after all, by being lost. + +Our work went on merrily, nevertheless, and the Christopher Columbus, +hauled up, lay helpless on her side like a great fish out of water. While +she was in that state, there was a feast, or a ball, or an entertainment, +or more properly all three together, given us in honour of the ship, and +the ship's company, and the other visitors. At that assembly, I believe, +I saw all the inhabitants then upon the Island, without any exception. I +took no particular notice of more than a few, but I found it very +agreeable in that little corner of the world to see the children, who +were of all ages, and mostly very pretty--as they mostly are. There was +one handsome elderly lady, with very dark eyes and gray hair, that I +inquired about. I was told that her name was Mrs. Venning; and her +married daughter, a fair slight thing, was pointed out to me by the name +of Fanny Fisher. Quite a child she looked, with a little copy of herself +holding to her dress; and her husband, just come back from the mine, +exceeding proud of her. They were a good-looking set of people on the +whole, but I didn't like them. I was out of sorts; in conversation with +Charker, I found fault with all of them. I said of Mrs. Venning, she was +proud; of Mrs. Fisher, she was a delicate little baby-fool. What did I +think of this one? Why, he was a fine gentleman. What did I say to that +one? Why, she was a fine lady. What could you expect them to be (I +asked Charker), nursed in that climate, with the tropical night shining +for them, musical instruments playing to them, great trees bending over +them, soft lamps lighting them, fire-flies sparkling in among them, +bright flowers and birds brought into existence to please their eyes, +delicious drinks to be had for the pouring out, delicious fruits to be +got for the picking, and every one dancing and murmuring happily in the +scented air, with the sea breaking low on the reef for a pleasant chorus. + +"Fine gentlemen and fine ladies, Harry?" I says to Charker. "Yes, I +think so! Dolls! Dolls! Not the sort of stuff for wear, that comes of +poor private soldiering in the Royal Marines!" + +However, I could not gainsay that they were very hospitable people, and +that they treated us uncommonly well. Every man of us was at the +entertainment, and Mrs. Belltott had more partners than she could dance +with: though she danced all night, too. As to Jack (whether of the +Christopher Columbus, or of the Pirate pursuit party, it made no +difference), he danced with his brother Jack, danced with himself, danced +with the moon, the stars, the trees, the prospect, anything. I didn't +greatly take to the chief-officer of that party, with his bright eyes, +brown face, and easy figure. I didn't much like his way when he first +happened to come where we were, with Miss Maryon on his arm. "O, Captain +Carton," she says, "here are two friends of mine!" He says, "Indeed? +These two Marines?"--meaning Charker and self. "Yes," says she, "I +showed these two friends of mine when they first came, all the wonders of +Silver-Store." He gave us a laughing look, and says he, "You are in +luck, men. I would be disrated and go before the mast to-morrow, to be +shown the way upward again by such a guide. You are in luck, men." When +we had saluted, and he and the lady had waltzed away, I said, "You are a +pretty follow, too, to talk of luck. You may go to the Devil!" + +Mr. Commissioner Pordage and Mrs. Commissioner, showed among the company +on that occasion like the King and Queen of a much Greater Britain than +Great Britain. Only two other circumstances in that jovial night made +much separate impression on me. One was this. A man in our draft of +marines, named Tom Packer, a wild unsteady young fellow, but the son of a +respectable shipwright in Portsmouth Yard, and a good scholar who had +been well brought up, comes to me after a spell of dancing, and takes me +aside by the elbow, and says, swearing angrily: + +"Gill Davis, I hope I may not be the death of Sergeant Drooce one day!" + +Now, I knew Drooce had always borne particularly hard on this man, and I +knew this man to be of a very hot temper: so, I said: + +"Tut, nonsense! don't talk so to me! If there's a man in the corps who +scorns the name of an assassin, that man and Tom Packer are one." + +Tom wipes his head, being in a mortal sweat, and says he: + +"I hope so, but I can't answer for myself when he lords it over me, as he +has just now done, before a woman. I tell you what, Gill! Mark my +words! It will go hard with Sergeant Drooce, if ever we are in an +engagement together, and he has to look to me to save him. Let him say a +prayer then, if he knows one, for it's all over with him, and he is on +his Death-bed. Mark my words!" + +I did mark his words, and very soon afterwards, too, as will shortly be +taken down. + +The other circumstance that I noticed at that ball, was, the gaiety and +attachment of Christian George King. The innocent spirits that Sambo +Pilot was in, and the impossibility he found himself under of showing all +the little colony, but especially the ladies and children, how fond he +was of them, how devoted to them, and how faithful to them for life and +death, for present, future, and everlasting, made a great impression on +me. If ever a man, Sambo or no Sambo, was trustful and trusted, to what +may be called quite an infantine and sweetly beautiful extent, surely, I +thought that morning when I did at last lie down to rest, it was that +Sambo Pilot, Christian George King. + +This may account for my dreaming of him. He stuck in my sleep, +cornerwise, and I couldn't get him out. He was always flitting about me, +dancing round me, and peeping in over my hammock, though I woke and dozed +off again fifty times. At last, when I opened my eyes, there he really +was, looking in at the open side of the little dark hut; which was made +of leaves, and had Charker's hammock slung in it as well as mine. + +"So-Jeer!" says he, in a sort of a low croak. "Yup!" + +"Hallo!" says I, starting up. "What? You _are_ there, are you?" + +"Iss," says he. "Christian George King got news." + +"What news has he got?" + +"Pirates out!" + +I was on my feet in a second. So was Charker. We were both aware that +Captain Carton, in command of the boats, constantly watched the mainland +for a secret signal, though, of course, it was not known to such as us +what the signal was. + +Christian George King had vanished before we touched the ground. But, +the word was already passing from hut to hut to turn out quietly, and we +knew that the nimble barbarian had got hold of the truth, or something +near it. + +In a space among the trees behind the encampment of us visitors, naval +and military, was a snugly-screened spot, where we kept the stores that +were in use, and did our cookery. The word was passed to assemble here. +It was very quickly given, and was given (so far as we were concerned) by +Sergeant Drooce, who was as good in a soldier point of view, as he was +bad in a tyrannical one. We were ordered to drop into this space, +quietly, behind the trees, one by one. As we assembled here, the seamen +assembled too. Within ten minutes, as I should estimate, we were all +here, except the usual guard upon the beach. The beach (we could see it +through the wood) looked as it always had done in the hottest time of the +day. The guard were in the shadow of the sloop's hull, and nothing was +moving but the sea,--and that moved very faintly. Work had always been +knocked off at that hour, until the sun grew less fierce, and the sea- +breeze rose; so that its being holiday with us, made no difference, just +then, in the look of the place. But I may mention that it was a holiday, +and the first we had had since our hard work began. Last night's ball +had been given, on the leak's being repaired, and the careening done. The +worst of the work was over, and to-morrow we were to begin to get the +sloop afloat again. + +We marines were now drawn up here under arms. The chace-party were drawn +up separate. The men of the Columbus were drawn up separate. The +officers stepped out into the midst of the three parties, and spoke so as +all might hear. Captain Carton was the officer in command, and he had a +spy-glass in his hand. His coxswain stood by him with another spy-glass, +and with a slate on which he seemed to have been taking down signals. + +"Now, men!" says Captain Carton; "I have to let you know, for your +satisfaction: Firstly, that there are ten pirate-boats, strongly manned +and armed, lying hidden up a creek yonder on the coast, under the +overhanging branches of the dense trees. Secondly, that they will +certainly come out this night when the moon rises, on a pillaging and +murdering expedition, of which some part of the mainland is the object. +Thirdly--don't cheer, men!--that we will give chace, and, if we can get +at them, rid the world of them, please God!" + +Nobody spoke, that I heard, and nobody moved, that I saw. Yet there was +a kind of ring, as if every man answered and approved with the best blood +that was inside of him. + +"Sir," says Captain Maryon, "I beg to volunteer on this service, with my +boats. My people volunteer, to the ship's boys." + +"In His Majesty's name and service," the other answers, touching his hat, +"I accept your aid with pleasure. Lieutenant Linderwood, how will you +divide your men?" + +I was ashamed--I give it out to be written down as large and plain as +possible--I was heart and soul ashamed of my thoughts of those two sick +officers, Captain Maryon and Lieutenant Linderwood, when I saw them, then +and there. The spirit in those two gentlemen beat down their illness +(and very ill I knew them to be) like Saint George beating down the +Dragon. Pain and weakness, want of ease and want of rest, had no more +place in their minds than fear itself. Meaning now to express for my +lady to write down, exactly what I felt then and there, I felt this: "You +two brave fellows that I had been so grudgeful of, I know that if you +were dying you would put it off to get up and do your best, and then you +would be so modest that in lying down again to die, you would hardly say, +'I did it!'" + +It did me good. It really did me good. + +But, to go back to where I broke off. Says Captain Carton to Lieutenant +Linderwood, "Sir, how will you divide your men? There is not room for +all; and a few men should, in any case, be left here." + +There was some debate about it. At last, it was resolved to leave eight +Marines and four seamen on the Island, besides the sloop's two boys. And +because it was considered that the friendly Sambos would only want to be +commanded in case of any danger (though none at all was apprehended +there), the officers were in favour of leaving the two non-commissioned +officers, Drooce and Charker. It was a heavy disappointment to them, +just as my being one of the left was a heavy disappointment to me--then, +but not soon afterwards. We men drew lots for it, and I drew "Island." +So did Tom Packer. So of course, did four more of our rank and file. + +When this was settled, verbal instructions were given to all hands to +keep the intended expedition secret, in order that the women and children +might not be alarmed, or the expedition put in a difficulty by more +volunteers. The assembly was to be on that same spot at sunset. Every +man was to keep up an appearance, meanwhile, of occupying himself in his +usual way. That is to say, every man excepting four old trusty seamen, +who were appointed, with an officer, to see to the arms and ammunition, +and to muffle the rullocks of the boats, and to make everything as trim +and swift and silent as it could be made. + +The Sambo Pilot had been present all the while, in case of his being +wanted, and had said to the officer in command, five hundred times over +if he had said it once, that Christian George King would stay with the So- +Jeers, and take care of the booffer ladies and the booffer childs--booffer +being that native's expression for beautiful. He was now asked a few +questions concerning the putting off of the boats, and in particular +whether there was any way of embarking at the back of the Island: which +Captain Carton would have half liked to do, and then have dropped round +in its shadow and slanted across to the main. But, "No," says Christian +George King. "No, no, no! Told you so, ten time. No, no, no! All +reef, all rock, all swim, all drown!" Striking out as he said it, like a +swimmer gone mad, and turning over on his back on dry land, and +spluttering himself to death, in a manner that made him quite an +exhibition. + +The sun went down, after appearing to be a long time about it, and the +assembly was called. Every man answered to his name, of course, and was +at his post. It was not yet black dark, and the roll was only just gone +through, when up comes Mr. Commissioner Pordage with his Diplomatic coat +on. + +"Captain Carton," says he, "Sir, what is this?" + +"This, Mr. Commissioner" (he was very short with him), "is an expedition +against the Pirates. It is a secret expedition, so please to keep it a +secret." + +"Sir," says Commissioner Pordage, "I trust there is going to be no +unnecessary cruelty committed?" + +"Sir," returns the officer, "I trust not." + +"That is not enough, sir," cries Commissioner Pordage, getting wroth. +"Captain Carton, I give you notice. Government requires you to treat the +enemy with great delicacy, consideration, clemency, and forbearance." + +"Sir," says Captain Carton, "I am an English officer, commanding English +Men, and I hope I am not likely to disappoint the Government's just +expectations. But, I presume you know that these villains under their +black flag have despoiled our countrymen of their property, burnt their +homes, barbarously murdered them and their little children, and worse +than murdered their wives and daughters?" + +"Perhaps I do, Captain Carton," answers Pordage, waving his hand, with +dignity; "perhaps I do not. It is not customary, sir, for Government to +commit itself." + +"It matters very little, Mr. Pordage, whether or no. Believing that I +hold my commission by the allowance of God, and not that I have received +it direct from the Devil, I shall certainly use it, with all avoidance of +unnecessary suffering and with all merciful swiftness of execution, to +exterminate these people from the face of the earth. Let me recommend +you to go home, sir, and to keep out of the night-air." + +Never another syllable did that officer say to the Commissioner, but +turned away to his men. The Commissioner buttoned his Diplomatic coat to +the chin, said, "Mr. Kitten, attend me!" gasped, half choked himself, and +took himself off. + +It now fell very dark, indeed. I have seldom, if ever, seen it darker, +nor yet so dark. The moon was not due until one in the morning, and it +was but a little after nine when our men lay down where they were +mustered. It was pretended that they were to take a nap, but everybody +knew that no nap was to be got under the circumstances. Though all were +very quiet, there was a restlessness among the people; much what I have +seen among the people on a race-course, when the bell has rung for the +saddling for a great race with large stakes on it. + +At ten, they put off; only one boat putting off at a time; another +following in five minutes; both then lying on their oars until another +followed. Ahead of all, paddling his own outlandish little canoe without +a sound, went the Sambo pilot, to take them safely outside the reef. No +light was shown but once, and that was in the commanding officer's own +hand. I lighted the dark lantern for him, and he took it from me when he +embarked. They had blue lights and such like with them, but kept +themselves as dark as Murder. + +The expedition got away with wonderful quietness, and Christian George +King soon came back dancing with joy. + +"Yup, So-Jeer," says he to myself in a very objectionable kind of +convulsions, "Christian George King sar berry glad. Pirates all be blown +a-pieces. Yup! Yup!" + +My reply to that cannibal was, "However glad you may be, hold your noise, +and don't dance jigs and slap your knees about it, for I can't abear to +see you do it." + +I was on duty then; we twelve who were left being divided into four +watches of three each, three hours' spell. I was relieved at twelve. A +little before that time, I had challenged, and Miss Maryon and Mrs. +Belltott had come in. + +"Good Davis," says Miss Maryon, "what is the matter? Where is my +brother?" + +I told her what was the matter, and where her brother was. + +"O Heaven help him!" says she, clasping her hands and looking up--she was +close in front of me, and she looked most lovely to be sure; "he is not +sufficiently recovered, not strong enough for such strife!" + +"If you had seen him, miss," I told her, "as I saw him when he +volunteered, you would have known that his spirit is strong enough for +any strife. It will bear his body, miss, to wherever duty calls him. It +will always bear him to an honourable life, or a brave death." + +"Heaven bless you!" says she, touching my arm. "I know it. Heaven bless +you!" + +Mrs. Belltott surprised me by trembling and saying nothing. They were +still standing looking towards the sea and listening, after the relief +had come round. It continuing very dark, I asked to be allowed to take +them back. Miss Maryon thanked me, and she put her arm in mine, and I +did take them back. I have now got to make a confession that will appear +singular. After I had left them, I laid myself down on my face on the +beach, and cried for the first time since I had frightened birds as a boy +at Snorridge Bottom, to think what a poor, ignorant, low-placed, private +soldier I was. + +It was only for half a minute or so. A man can't at all times be quite +master of himself, and it was only for half a minute or so. Then I up +and went to my hut, and turned into my hammock, and fell asleep with wet +eyelashes, and a sore, sore heart. Just as I had often done when I was a +child, and had been worse used than usual. + +I slept (as a child under those circumstances might) very sound, and yet +very sore at heart all through my sleep. I was awoke by the words, "He +is a determined man." I had sprung out of my hammock, and had seized my +firelock, and was standing on the ground, saying the words myself. "He +is a determined man." But, the curiosity of my state was, that I seemed +to be repeating them after somebody, and to have been wonderfully +startled by hearing them. + +As soon as I came to myself, I went out of the hut, and away to where the +guard was. Charker challenged: + +"Who goes there?" + +"A friend." + +"Not Gill?" says he, as he shouldered his piece. + +"Gill," says I. + +"Why, what the deuce do you do out of your hammock?" says he. + +"Too hot for sleep," says I; "is all right?" + +"Right!" says Charker, "yes, yes; all's right enough here; what should be +wrong here? It's the boats that we want to know of. Except for fire- +flies twinkling about, and the lonesome splashes of great creatures as +they drop into the water, there's nothing going on here to ease a man's +mind from the boats." + +The moon was above the sea, and had risen, I should say, some half-an- +hour. As Charker spoke, with his face towards the sea, I, looking +landward, suddenly laid my right hand on his breast, and said, "Don't +move. Don't turn. Don't raise your voice! You never saw a Maltese face +here?" + +"No. What do you mean?" he asks, staring at me. + +"Nor yet, an English face, with one eye and a patch across the nose?" + +"No. What ails you? What do you mean?" + +I had seen both, looking at us round the stem of a cocoa-nut tree, where +the moon struck them. I had seen that Sambo Pilot, with one hand laid on +the stem of the tree, drawing them back into the heavy shadow. I had +seen their naked cutlasses twinkle and shine, like bits of the moonshine +in the water that had got blown ashore among the trees by the light wind. +I had seen it all, in a moment. And I saw in a moment (as any man +would), that the signalled move of the pirates on the mainland was a plot +and a feint; that the leak had been made to disable the sloop; that the +boats had been tempted away, to leave the Island unprotected; that the +pirates had landed by some secreted way at the back; and that Christian +George King was a double-dyed traitor, and a most infernal villain. + +I considered, still all in one and the same moment, that Charker was a +brave man, but not quick with his head; and that Sergeant Drooce, with a +much better head, was close by. All I said to Charker was, "I am afraid +we are betrayed. Turn your back full to the moonlight on the sea, and +cover the stem of the cocoa-nut tree which will then be right before you, +at the height of a man's heart. Are you right?" + +"I am right," says Charker, turning instantly, and falling into the +position with a nerve of iron; "and right ain't left. Is it, Gill?" + +A few seconds brought me to Sergeant Drooce's hut. He was fast asleep, +and being a heavy sleeper, I had to lay my hand upon him to rouse him. +The instant I touched him he came rolling out of his hammock, and upon me +like a tiger. And a tiger he was, except that he knew what he was up to, +in his utmost heat, as well as any man. + +I had to struggle with him pretty hard to bring him to his senses, +panting all the while (for he gave me a breather), "Sergeant, I am Gill +Davis! Treachery! Pirates on the Island!" + +The last words brought him round, and he took his hands of. "I have seen +two of them within this minute," said I. And so I told him what I had +told Harry Charker. + +His soldierly, though tyrannical, head was clear in an instant. He +didn't waste one word, even of surprise. "Order the guard," says he, "to +draw off quietly into the Fort." (They called the enclosure I have +before mentioned, the Fort, though it was not much of that.) "Then get +you to the Fort as quick as you can, rouse up every soul there, and +fasten the gate. I will bring in all those who are at the Signal Hill. +If we are surrounded before we can join you, you must make a sally and +cut us out if you can. The word among our men is, 'Women and children!'" + +He burst away, like fire going before the wind over dry reeds. He roused +up the seven men who were off duty, and had them bursting away with him, +before they know they were not asleep. I reported orders to Charker, and +ran to the Fort, as I have never run at any other time in all my life: +no, not even in a dream. + +The gate was not fast, and had no good fastening: only a double wooden +bar, a poor chain, and a bad lock. Those, I secured as well as they +could be secured in a few seconds by one pair of hands, and so ran to +that part of the building where Miss Maryon lived. I called to her +loudly by her name until she answered. I then called loudly all the +names I knew--Mrs. Macey (Miss Maryon's married sister), Mr. Macey, Mrs. +Venning, Mr. and Mrs. Fisher, even Mr. and Mrs. Pordage. Then I called +out, "All you gentlemen here, get up and defend the place! We are caught +in a trap. Pirates have landed. We are attacked!" + +At the terrible word "Pirates!"--for, those villains had done such deeds +in those seas as never can be told in writing, and can scarcely be so +much as thought of--cries and screams rose up from every part of the +place. Quickly lights moved about from window to window, and the cries +moved about with them, and men, women, and children came flying down into +the square. I remarked to myself, even then, what a number of things I +seemed to see at once. I noticed Mrs. Macey coming towards me, carrying +all her three children together. I noticed Mr. Pordage in the greatest +terror, in vain trying to get on his Diplomatic coat; and Mr. Kitten +respectfully tying his pocket-handkerchief over Mrs. Pordage's nightcap. +I noticed Mrs. Belltott run out screaming, and shrink upon the ground +near me, and cover her face in her hands, and lie all of a bundle, +shivering. But, what I noticed with the greatest pleasure was, the +determined eyes with which those men of the Mine that I had thought fine +gentlemen, came round me with what arms they had: to the full as cool and +resolute as I could be, for my life--ay, and for my soul, too, into the +bargain! + +The chief person being Mr. Macey, I told him how the three men of the +guard would be at the gate directly, if they were not already there, and +how Sergeant Drooce and the other seven were gone to bring in the +outlying part of the people of Silver-Store. I next urged him, for the +love of all who were dear to him, to trust no Sambo, and, above all, if +he could got any good chance at Christian George King, not to lose it, +but to put him out of the world. + +"I will follow your advice to the letter, Davis," says he; "what next?" + +My answer was, "I think, sir, I would recommend you next, to order down +such heavy furniture and lumber as can be moved, and make a barricade +within the gate." + +"That's good again," says he: "will you see it done?" + +"I'll willingly help to do it," says I, "unless or until my superior, +Sergeant Drooce, gives me other orders." + +He shook me by the hand, and having told off some of his companions to +help me, bestirred himself to look to the arms and ammunition. A proper +quick, brave, steady, ready gentleman! + +One of their three little children was deaf and dumb, Miss Maryon had +been from the first with all the children, soothing them, and dressing +them (poor little things, they had been brought out of their beds), and +making them believe that it was a game of play, so that some of them were +now even laughing. I had been working hard with the others at the +barricade, and had got up a pretty good breastwork within the gate. +Drooce and the seven men had come back, bringing in the people from the +Signal Hill, and had worked along with us: but, I had not so much as +spoken a word to Drooce, nor had Drooce so much as spoken a word to me, +for we were both too busy. The breastwork was now finished, and I found +Miss Maryon at my side, with a child in her arms. Her dark hair was +fastened round her head with a band. She had a quantity of it, and it +looked even richer and more precious, put up hastily out of her way, than +I had seen it look when it was carefully arranged. She was very pale, +but extraordinarily quiet and still. + +"Dear good Davis," said she, "I have been waiting to speak one word to +you." + +I turned to her directly. If I had received a musket-ball in the heart, +and she had stood there, I almost believe I should have turned to her +before I dropped. + +"This pretty little creature," said she, kissing the child in her arms, +who was playing with her hair and trying to pull it down, "cannot hear +what we say--can hear nothing. I trust you so much, and have such great +confidence in you, that I want you to make me a promise." + +"What is it, Miss?" + +"That if we are defeated, and you are absolutely sure of my being taken, +you will kill me." + +"I shall not be alive to do it, Miss. I shall have died in your defence +before it comes to that. They must step across my body to lay a hand on +you." + +"But, if you are alive, you brave soldier." How she looked at me! "And +if you cannot save me from the Pirates, living, you will save me, dead. +Tell me so." + +Well! I told her I would do that at the last, if all else failed. She +took my hand--my rough, coarse hand--and put it to her lips. She put it +to the child's lips, and the child kissed it. I believe I had the +strength of half a dozen men in me, from that moment, until the fight was +over. + +All this time, Mr. Commissioner Pordage had been wanting to make a +Proclamation to the Pirates to lay down their arms and go away; and +everybody had been hustling him about and tumbling over him, while he was +calling for pen and ink to write it with. Mrs. Pordage, too, had some +curious ideas about the British respectability of her nightcap (which had +as many frills to it, growing in layers one inside another, as if it was +a white vegetable of the artichoke sort), and she wouldn't take the +nightcap off, and would be angry when it got crushed by the other ladies +who were handing things about, and, in short, she gave as much trouble as +her husband did. But, as we were now forming for the defence of the +place, they were both poked out of the way with no ceremony. The +children and ladies were got into the little trench which surrounded the +silver-house (we were afraid of leaving them in any of the light +buildings, lest they should be set on fire), and we made the best +disposition we could. There was a pretty good store, in point of amount, +of tolerable swords and cutlasses. Those were issued. There were, also, +perhaps a score or so of spare muskets. Those were brought out. To my +astonishment, little Mrs. Fisher that I had taken for a doll and a baby, +was not only very active in that service, but volunteered to load the +spare arms. + +"For, I understand it well," says she, cheerfully, without a shake in her +voice. + +"I am a soldier's daughter and a sailor's sister, and I understand it +too," says Miss Maryon, just in the same way. + +Steady and busy behind where I stood, those two beautiful and delicate +young women fell to handling the guns, hammering the flints, looking to +the locks, and quietly directing others to pass up powder and bullets +from hand to hand, as unflinching as the best of tried soldiers. + +Sergeant Drooce had brought in word that the pirates were very strong in +numbers--over a hundred was his estimate--and that they were not, even +then, all landed; for, he had seen them in a very good position on the +further side of the Signal Hill, evidently waiting for the rest of their +men to come up. In the present pause, the first we had had since the +alarm, he was telling this over again to Mr. Macey, when Mr. Macey +suddenly cried our: "The signal! Nobody has thought of the signal!" + +We knew of no signal, so we could not have thought of it. + +"What signal may you mean, sir?" says Sergeant Drooce, looking sharp at +him. + +"There is a pile of wood upon the Signal Hill. If it could be +lighted--which never has been done yet--it would be a signal of distress +to the mainland." + +Charker cries, directly: "Sergeant Drooce, dispatch me on that duty. Give +me the two men who were on guard with me to-night, and I'll light the +fire, if it can be done." + +"And if it can't, Corporal--" Mr. Macey strikes in. + +"Look at these ladies and children, sir!" says Charker. "I'd sooner +_light myself_, than not try any chance to save them." + +We gave him a Hurrah!--it burst from us, come of it what might--and he +got his two men, and was let out at the gate, and crept away. I had no +sooner come back to my place from being one of the party to handle the +gate, than Miss Maryon said in a low voice behind me: + +"Davis, will you look at this powder? This is not right." + +I turned my head. Christian George King again, and treachery again! Sea- +water had been conveyed into the magazine, and every grain of powder was +spoiled! + +"Stay a moment," said Sergeant Drooce, when I had told him, without +causing a movement in a muscle of his face: "look to your pouch, my lad. +You Tom Packer, look to your pouch, confound you! Look to your pouches, +all you Marines." + +The same artful savage had got at them, somehow or another, and the +cartridges were all unserviceable. "Hum!" says the Sergeant. "Look to +your loading, men. You are right so far?" + +Yes; we were right so far. + +"Well, my lads, and gentlemen all," says the Sergeant, "this will be a +hand-to-hand affair, and so much the better." + +He treated himself to a pinch of snuff, and stood up, square-shouldered +and broad-chested, in the light of the moon--which was now very bright--as +cool as if he was waiting for a play to begin. He stood quiet, and we +all stood quiet, for a matter of something like half-an-hour. I took +notice from such whispered talk as there was, how little we that the +silver did not belong to, thought about it, and how much the people that +it did belong to, thought about it. At the end of the half-hour, it was +reported from the gate that Charker and the two were falling back on us, +pursued by about a dozen. + +"Sally! Gate-party, under Gill Davis," says the Sergeant, "and bring 'em +in! Like men, now!" + +We were not long about it, and we brought them in. "Don't take me," says +Charker, holding me round the neck, and stumbling down at my feet when +the gate was fast, "don't take me near the ladies or the children, Gill. +They had better not see Death, till it can't be helped. They'll see it +soon enough." + +"Harry!" I answered, holding up his head. "Comrade!" + +He was cut to pieces. The signal had been secured by the first pirate +party that landed; his hair was all singed off, and his face was +blackened with the running pitch from a torch. + +He made no complaint of pain, or of anything. "Good-bye, old chap," was +all he said, with a smile. "I've got my death. And Death ain't life. Is +it, Gill?" + +Having helped to lay his poor body on one side, I went back to my post. +Sergeant Drooce looked at me, with his eyebrows a little lifted. I +nodded. "Close up here men, and gentlemen all!" said the Sergeant. "A +place too many, in the line." + +The Pirates were so close upon us at this time, that the foremost of them +were already before the gate. More and more came up with a great noise, +and shouting loudly. When we believed from the sound that they were all +there, we gave three English cheers. The poor little children joined, +and were so fully convinced of our being at play, that they enjoyed the +noise, and were heard clapping their hands in the silence that followed. + +Our disposition was this, beginning with the rear. Mrs. Venning, holding +her daughter's child in her arms, sat on the steps of the little square +trench surrounding the silver-house, encouraging and directing those +women and children as she might have done in the happiest and easiest +time of her life. Then, there was an armed line, under Mr. Macey, across +the width of the enclosure, facing that way and having their backs +towards the gate, in order that they might watch the walls and prevent +our being taken by surprise. Then there was a space of eight or ten feet +deep, in which the spare arms were, and in which Miss Maryon and Mrs. +Fisher, their hands and dresses blackened with the spoilt gunpowder, +worked on their knees, tying such things as knives, old bayonets, and +spear-heads, to the muzzles of the useless muskets. Then, there was a +second armed line, under Sergeant Drooce, also across the width of the +enclosure, but facing to the gate. Then came the breastwork we had made, +with a zigzag way through it for me and my little party to hold good in +retreating, as long as we could, when we were driven from the gate. We +all knew that it was impossible to hold the place long, and that our only +hope was in the timely discovery of the plot by the boats, and in their +coming back. + +I and my men were now thrown forward to the gate. From a spy-hole, I +could see the whole crowd of Pirates. There were Malays among them, +Dutch, Maltese, Greeks, Sambos, Negroes, and Convict Englishmen from the +West India Islands; among the last, him with the one eye and the patch +across the nose. There were some Portuguese, too, and a few Spaniards. +The captain was a Portuguese; a little man with very large ear-rings +under a very broad hat, and a great bright shawl twisted about his +shoulders. They were all strongly armed, but like a boarding party, with +pikes, swords, cutlasses, and axes. I noticed a good many pistols, but +not a gun of any kind among them. This gave me to understand that they +had considered that a continued roll of musketry might perhaps have been +heard on the mainland; also, that for the reason that fire would be seen +from the mainland they would not set the Fort in flames and roast us +alive; which was one of their favourite ways of carrying on. I looked +about for Christian George King, and if I had seen him I am much mistaken +if he would not have received my one round of ball-cartridge in his head. +But, no Christian George King was visible. + +A sort of a wild Portuguese demon, who seemed either fierce-mad or fierce- +drunk--but, they all seemed one or the other--came forward with the black +flag, and gave it a wave or two. After that, the Portuguese captain +called out in shrill English, "I say you! English fools! Open the gate! +Surrender!" + +As we kept close and quiet, he said something to his men which I didn't +understand, and when he had said it, the one-eyed English rascal with the +patch (who had stepped out when he began), said it again in English. It +was only this. "Boys of the black flag, this is to be quickly done. Take +all the prisoners you can. If they don't yield, kill the children to +make them. Forward!" Then, they all came on at the gate, and in another +half-minute were smashing and splitting it in. + +We struck at them through the gaps and shivers, and we dropped many of +them, too; but, their very weight would have carried such a gate, if they +had been unarmed. I soon found Sergeant Drooce at my side, forming us +six remaining marines in line--Tom Packer next to me--and ordering us to +fall back three paces, and, as they broke in, to give them our one little +volley at short distance. "Then," says he, "receive them behind your +breastwork on the bayonet, and at least let every man of you pin one of +the cursed cockchafers through the body." + +We checked them by our fire, slight as it was, and we checked them at the +breastwork. However, they broke over it like swarms of devils--they +were, really and truly, more devils than men--and then it was hand to +hand, indeed. + +We clubbed our muskets and laid about us; even then, those two +ladies--always behind me--were steady and ready with the arms. I had a +lot of Maltese and Malays upon me, and, but for a broadsword that Miss +Maryon's own hand put in mine, should have got my end from them. But, +was that all? No. I saw a heap of banded dark hair and a white dress +come thrice between me and them, under my own raised right arm, which +each time might have destroyed the wearer of the white dress; and each +time one of the lot went down, struck dead. + +Drooce was armed with a broadsword, too, and did such things with it, +that there was a cry, in half-a-dozen languages, of "Kill that sergeant!" +as I knew, by the cry being raised in English, and taken up in other +tongues. I had received a severe cut across the left arm a few moments +before, and should have known nothing of it, except supposing that +somebody had struck me a smart blow, if I had not felt weak, and seen +myself covered with spouting blood, and, at the same instant of time, +seen Miss Maryon tearing her dress and binding it with Mrs. Fisher's help +round the wound. They called to Tom Packer, who was scouring by, to stop +and guard me for one minute, while I was bound, or I should bleed to +death in trying to defend myself. Tom stopped directly, with a good +sabre in his hand. + +In that same moment--all things seem to happen in that same moment, at +such a time--half-a-dozen had rushed howling at Sergeant Drooce. The +Sergeant, stepping back against the wall, stopped one howl for ever with +such a terrible blow, and waited for the rest to come on, with such a +wonderfully unmoved face, that they stopped and looked at him. + +"See him now!" cried Tom Packer. "Now, when I could cut him out! Gill! +Did I tell you to mark my words?" + +I implored Tom Packer in the Lord's name, as well as I could in my +faintness, to go to the Sergeant's aid. + +"I hate and detest him," says Tom, moodily wavering. "Still, he is a +brave man." Then he calls out, "Sergeant Drooce, Sergeant Drooce! Tell +me you have driven me too hard, and are sorry for it." + +The Sergeant, without turning his eyes from his assailants, which would +have been instant death to him, answers. + +"No. I won't." + +"Sergeant Drooce!" cries Tom, in a kind of an agony. "I have passed my +word that I would never save you from Death, if I could, but would leave +you to die. Tell me you have driven me too hard and are sorry for it, +and that shall go for nothing." + +One of the group laid the Sergeant's bald bare head open. The Sergeant +laid him dead. + +"I tell you," says the Sergeant, breathing a little short, and waiting +for the next attack, "no. I won't. If you are not man enough to strike +for a fellow-soldier because he wants help, and because of nothing else, +I'll go into the other world and look for a better man." + +Tom swept upon them, and cut him out. Tom and he fought their way +through another knot of them, and sent them flying, and came over to +where I was beginning again to feel, with inexpressible joy, that I had +got a sword in my hand. + +They had hardly come to us, when I heard, above all the other noises, a +tremendous cry of women's voices. I also saw Miss Maryon, with quite a +new face, suddenly clap her two hands over Mrs. Fisher's eyes. I looked +towards the silver-house, and saw Mrs. Venning--standing upright on the +top of the steps of the trench, with her gray hair and her dark eyes--hide +her daughter's child behind her, among the folds of her dress, strike a +pirate with her other hand, and fall, shot by his pistol. + +The cry arose again, and there was a terrible and confusing rush of the +women into the midst of the struggle. In another moment, something came +tumbling down upon me that I thought was the wall. It was a heap of +Sambos who had come over the wall; and of four men who clung to my legs +like serpents, one who clung to my right leg was Christian George King. + +"Yup, So-Jeer," says he, "Christian George King sar berry glad So-Jeer a +prisoner. Christian George King been waiting for So-Jeer sech long time. +Yup, yup!" + +What could I do, with five-and-twenty of them on me, but be tied hand and +foot? So, I was tied hand and foot. It was all over now--boats not come +back--all lost! When I was fast bound and was put up against the wall, +the one-eyed English convict came up with the Portuguese Captain, to have +a look at me. + +"See!" says he. "Here's the determined man! If you had slept sounder, +last night, you'd have slept your soundest last night, my determined +man." + +The Portuguese Captain laughed in a cool way, and with the flat of his +cutlass, hit me crosswise, as if I was the bough of a tree that he played +with: first on the face, and then across the chest and the wounded arm. I +looked him steady in the face without tumbling while he looked at me, I +am happy to say; but, when they went away, I fell, and lay there. + +The sun was up, when I was roused and told to come down to the beach and +be embarked. I was full of aches and pains, and could not at first +remember; but, I remembered quite soon enough. The killed were lying +about all over the place, and the Pirates were burying their dead, and +taking away their wounded on hastily-made litters, to the back of the +Island. As for us prisoners, some of their boats had come round to the +usual harbour, to carry us off. We looked a wretched few, I thought, +when I got down there; still, it was another sign that we had fought +well, and made the enemy suffer. + +The Portuguese Captain had all the women already embarked in the boat he +himself commanded, which was just putting off when I got down. Miss +Maryon sat on one side of him, and gave me a moment's look, as full of +quiet courage, and pity, and confidence, as if it had been an hour long. +On the other side of him was poor little Mrs. Fisher, weeping for her +child and her mother. I was shoved into the same boat with Drooce and +Packer, and the remainder of our party of marines: of whom we had lost +two privates, besides Charker, my poor, brave comrade. We all made a +melancholy passage, under the hot sun over to the mainland. There, we +landed in a solitary place, and were mustered on the sea sand. Mr. and +Mrs. Macey and their children were amongst us, Mr. and Mrs. Pordage, Mr. +Kitten, Mr. Fisher, and Mrs. Belltott. We mustered only fourteen men, +fifteen women, and seven children. Those were all that remained of the +English who had lain down to sleep last night, unsuspecting and happy, on +the Island of Silver-Store. + + + + +CHAPTER III {1}--THE RAFTS ON THE RIVER + + +We contrived to keep afloat all that night, and, the stream running +strong with us, to glide a long way down the river. But, we found the +night to be a dangerous time for such navigation, on account of the +eddies and rapids, and it was therefore settled next day that in future +we would bring-to at sunset, and encamp on the shore. As we knew of no +boats that the Pirates possessed, up at the Prison in the Woods, we +settled always to encamp on the opposite side of the stream, so as to +have the breadth of the river between our sleep and them. Our opinion +was, that if they were acquainted with any near way by land to the mouth +of this river, they would come up it in force, and retake us or kill us, +according as they could; but that if that was not the case, and if the +river ran by none of their secret stations, we might escape. + +When I say we settled this or that, I do not mean that we planned +anything with any confidence as to what might happen an hour hence. So +much had happened in one night, and such great changes had been violently +and suddenly made in the fortunes of many among us, that we had got +better used to uncertainty, in a little while, than I dare say most +people do in the course of their lives. + +The difficulties we soon got into, through the off-settings and point- +currents of the stream, made the likelihood of our being drowned, +alone,--to say nothing of our being retaken--as broad and plain as the +sun at noonday to all of us. But, we all worked hard at managing the +rafts, under the direction of the seamen (of our own skill, I think we +never could have prevented them from oversetting), and we also worked +hard at making good the defects in their first hasty construction--which +the water soon found out. While we humbly resigned ourselves to going +down, if it was the will of Our Father that was in Heaven, we humbly made +up our minds, that we would all do the best that was in us. + +And so we held on, gliding with the stream. It drove us to this bank, +and it drove us to that bank, and it turned us, and whirled us; but yet +it carried us on. Sometimes much too slowly; sometimes much too fast, +but yet it carried us on. + +My little deaf and dumb boy slumbered a good deal now, and that was the +case with all the children. They caused very little trouble to any one. +They seemed, in my eyes, to get more like one another, not only in quiet +manner, but in the face, too. The motion of the raft was usually so much +the same, the scene was usually so much the same, the sound of the soft +wash and ripple of the water was usually so much the same, that they were +made drowsy, as they might have been by the constant playing of one tune. +Even on the grown people, who worked hard and felt anxiety, the same +things produced something of the same effect. Every day was so like the +other, that I soon lost count of the days, myself, and had to ask Miss +Maryon, for instance, whether this was the third or fourth? Miss Maryon +had a pocket-book and pencil, and she kept the log; that is to say, she +entered up a clear little journal of the time, and of the distances our +seamen thought we had made, each night. + +So, as I say, we kept afloat and glided on. All day long, and every day, +the water, and the woods, and sky; all day long, and every day, the +constant watching of both sides of the river, and far ahead at every bold +turn and sweep it made, for any signs of Pirate-boats, or +Pirate-dwellings. So, as I say, we kept afloat and glided on. The days +melting themselves together to that degree, that I could hardly believe +my ears when I asked "How many now, Miss?" and she answered "Seven." + +To be sure, poor Mr. Pordage had, by about now, got his Diplomatic coat +into such a state as never was seen. What with the mud of the river, +what with the water of the river, what with the sun, and the dews, and +the tearing boughs, and the thickets, it hung about him in discoloured +shreds like a mop. The sun had touched him a bit. He had taken to +always polishing one particular button, which just held on to his left +wrist, and to always calling for stationery. I suppose that man called +for pens, ink, and paper, tape, and scaling-wax, upwards of one thousand +times in four-and-twenty hours. He had an idea that we should never get +out of that river unless we were written out of it in a formal +Memorandum; and the more we laboured at navigating the rafts, the more he +ordered us not to touch them at our peril, and the more he sat and roared +for stationery. + +Mrs. Pordage, similarly, persisted in wearing her nightcap. I doubt if +any one but ourselves who had seen the progress of that article of dress, +could by this time have told what it was meant for. It had got so limp +and ragged that she couldn't see out of her eyes for it. It was so +dirty, that whether it was vegetable matter out of a swamp, or weeds out +of the river, or an old porter's-knot from England, I don't think any new +spectator could have said. Yet, this unfortunate old woman had a notion +that it was not only vastly genteel, but that it was the correct thing as +to propriety. And she really did carry herself over the other ladies who +had no nightcaps, and who were forced to tie up their hair how they +could, in a superior manner that was perfectly amazing. + +I don't know what she looked like, sitting in that blessed nightcap, on a +log of wood, outside the hut or cabin upon our raft. She would have +rather resembled a fortune-teller in one of the picture-books that used +to be in the shop windows in my boyhood, except for her stateliness. But, +Lord bless my heart, the dignity with which she sat and moped, with her +head in that bundle of tatters, was like nothing else in the world! She +was not on speaking terms with more than three of the ladies. Some of +them had, what she called, "taken precedence" of her--in getting into, or +out of, that miserable little shelter!--and others had not called to pay +their respects, or something of that kind. So, there she sat, in her own +state and ceremony, while her husband sat on the same log of wood, +ordering us one and all to let the raft go to the bottom, and to bring +him stationery. + +What with this noise on the part of Mr. Commissioner Pordage, and what +with the cries of Sergeant Drooce on the raft astern (which were +sometimes more than Tom Packer could silence), we often made our slow way +down the river, anything but quietly. Yet, that it was of great +importance that no ears should be able to hear us from the woods on the +banks, could not be doubted. We were looked for, to a certainty, and we +might be retaken at any moment. It was an anxious time; it was, indeed, +indeed, an anxious time. + +On the seventh night of our voyage on the rafts, we made fast, as usual, +on the opposite side of the river to that from which we had started, in +as dark a place as we could pick out. Our little encampment was soon +made, and supper was eaten, and the children fell asleep. The watch was +set, and everything made orderly for the night. Such a starlight night, +with such blue in the sky, and such black in the places of heavy shade on +the banks of the great stream! + +Those two ladies, Miss Maryon and Mrs. Fisher, had always kept near me +since the night of the attack. Mr. Fisher, who was untiring in the work +of our raft, had said to me: + +"My dear little childless wife has grown so attached to you, Davis, and +you are such a gentle fellow, as well as such a determined one;" our +party had adopted that last expression from the one-eyed English pirate, +and I repeat what Mr. Fisher said, only because he said it; "that it +takes a load off my mind to leave her in your charge." + +I said to him: "Your lady is in far better charge than mine, Sir, having +Miss Maryon to take care of her; but, you may rely upon it, that I will +guard them both--faithful and true." + +Says he: "I do rely upon it, Davis, and I heartily wish all the silver on +our old Island was yours." + +That seventh starlight night, as I have said, we made our camp, and got +our supper, and set our watch, and the children fell asleep. It was +solemn and beautiful in those wild and solitary parts, to see them, every +night before they lay down, kneeling under the bright sky, saying their +little prayers at women's laps. At that time we men all uncovered, and +mostly kept at a distance. When the innocent creatures rose up, we +murmured "Amen!" all together. For, though we had not heard what they +said, we know it must be good for us. + +At that time, too, as was only natural, those poor mothers in our +company, whose children had been killed, shed many tears. I thought the +sight seemed to console them while it made them cry; but, whether I was +right or wrong in that, they wept very much. On this seventh night, Mrs. +Fisher had cried for her lost darling until she cried herself asleep. She +was lying on a little couch of leaves and such-like (I made the best +little couch I could for them every night), and Miss Maryon had covered +her, and sat by her, holding her hand. The stars looked down upon them. +As for me, I guarded them. + +"Davis!" says Miss Maryon. (I am not going to say what a voice she had. +I couldn't if I tried.) + +"I am here, Miss." + +"The river sounds as if it were swollen to-night." + +"We all think, Miss, that we are coming near the sea." + +"Do you believe now, we shall escape?" + +"I do now, Miss, really believe it." I had always said I did; but, I had +in my own mind been doubtful. + +"How glad you will be, my good Davis, to see England again!" + +I have another confession to make that will appear singular. When she +said these words, something rose in my throat; and the stars I looked +away at, seemed to break into sparkles that fell down my face and burnt +it. + +"England is not much to me, Miss, except as a name." + +"O, so true an Englishman should not say that!--Are you not well +to-night, Davis?" Very kindly, and with a quick change. + +"Quite well, Miss." + +"Are you sure? Your voice sounds altered in my hearing." + +"No, Miss, I am a stronger man than ever. But, England is nothing to +me." + +Miss Maryon sat silent for so long a while, that I believed she had done +speaking to me for one time. However, she had not; for by-and-by she +said in a distinct clear tone: + +"No, good friend; you must not say that England is nothing to you. It is +to be much to you, yet--everything to you. You have to take back to +England the good name you have earned here, and the gratitude and +attachment and respect you have won here: and you have to make some good +English girl very happy and proud, by marrying her; and I shall one day +see her, I hope, and make her happier and prouder still, by telling her +what noble services her husband's were in South America, and what a noble +friend he was to me there." + +Though she spoke these kind words in a cheering manner, she spoke them +compassionately. I said nothing. It will appear to be another strange +confession, that I paced to and fro, within call, all that night, a most +unhappy man, reproaching myself all the night long. "You are as ignorant +as any man alive; you are as obscure as any man alive; you are as poor as +any man alive; you are no better than the mud under your foot." That was +the way in which I went on against myself until the morning. + +With the day, came the day's labour. What I should have done--without +the labour, I don't know. We were afloat again at the usual hour, and +were again making our way down the river. It was broader, and clearer of +obstructions than it had been, and it seemed to flow faster. This was +one of Drooce's quiet days; Mr. Pordage, besides being sulky, had almost +lost his voice; and we made good way, and with little noise. + +There was always a seaman forward on the raft, keeping a bright look-out. +Suddenly, in the full heat of the day, when the children were slumbering, +and the very trees and reeds appeared to be slumbering, this man--it was +Short--holds up his hand, and cries with great caution: "Avast! Voices +ahead!" + +We held on against the stream as soon as we could bring her up, and the +other raft followed suit. At first, Mr. Macey, Mr. Fisher, and myself, +could hear nothing; though both the seamen aboard of us agreed that they +could hear voices and oars. After a little pause, however, we united in +thinking that we _could_ hear the sound of voices, and the dip of oars. +But, you can hear a long way in those countries, and there was a bend of +the river before us, and nothing was to be seen except such waters and +such banks as we were now in the eighth day (and might, for the matter of +our feelings, have been in the eightieth), of having seen with anxious +eyes. + +It was soon decided to put a man ashore, who should creep through the +wood, see what was coming, and warn the rafts. The rafts in the meantime +to keep the middle of the stream. The man to be put ashore, and not to +swim ashore, as the first thing could be more quickly done than the +second. The raft conveying him, to get back into mid-stream, and to hold +on along with the other, as well is it could, until signalled by the man. +In case of danger, the man to shift for himself until it should be safe +to take him on board again. I volunteered to be the man. + +We knew that the voices and oars must come up slowly against the stream; +and our seamen knew, by the set of the stream, under which bank they +would come. I was put ashore accordingly. The raft got off well, and I +broke into the wood. + +Steaming hot it was, and a tearing place to get through. So much the +better for me, since it was something to contend against and do. I cut +off the bend of the river, at a great saving of space, came to the +water's edge again, and hid myself, and waited. I could now hear the dip +of the oars very distinctly; the voices had ceased. + +The sound came on in a regular tune, and as I lay hidden, I fancied the +tune so played to be, "Chris'en--George--King! Chris'en--George--King! +Chris'en--George--King!" over and over again, always the same, with the +pauses always at the same places. I had likewise time to make up my mind +that if these were the Pirates, I could and would (barring my being shot) +swim off to my raft, in spite of my wound, the moment I had given the +alarm, and hold my old post by Miss Maryon. + +"Chris'en--George--King! Chris'en--George--King! Chris'en--George--King!" +coming up, now, very near. + +I took a look at the branches about me, to see where a shower of bullets +would be most likely to do me least hurt; and I took a look back at the +track I had made in forcing my way in; and now I was wholly prepared and +fully ready for them. + +"Chris'en--George--King! Chris'en--George--King! Chris'en--George--King!" +Here they are! + +Who were they? The barbarous Pirates, scum of all nations, headed by +such men as the hideous little Portuguese monkey, and the one-eyed +English convict with the gash across his face, that ought to have gashed +his wicked head off? The worst men in the world picked out from the +worst, to do the cruellest and most atrocious deeds that ever stained it? +The howling, murdering, black-flag waving, mad, and drunken crowd of +devils that had overcome us by numbers and by treachery? No. These were +English men in English boats--good blue-jackets and red-coats--marines +that I knew myself, and sailors that knew our seamen! At the helm of the +first boat, Captain Carton, eager and steady. At the helm of the second +boat, Captain Maryon, brave and bold. At the helm of the third boat, an +old seaman, with determination carved into his watchful face, like the +figure-head of a ship. Every man doubly and trebly armed from head to +foot. Every man lying-to at his work, with a will that had all his heart +and soul in it. Every man looking out for any trace of friend or enemy, +and burning to be the first to do good or avenge evil. Every man with +his face on fire when he saw me, his countryman who had been taken +prisoner, and hailed me with a cheer, as Captain Carton's boat ran in and +took me on board. + +I reported, "All escaped, sir! All well, all safe, all here!" + +God bless me--and God bless them--what a cheer! It turned me weak, as I +was passed on from hand to hand to the stern of the boat: every hand +patting me or grasping me in some way or other, in the moment of my going +by. + +"Hold up, my brave fellow," says Captain Carton, clapping me on the +shoulder like a friend, and giving me a flask. "Put your lips to that, +and they'll be red again. Now, boys, give way!" + +The banks flew by us as if the mightiest stream that ever ran was with +us; and so it was, I am sure, meaning the stream to those men's ardour +and spirit. The banks flew by us, and we came in sight of the rafts--the +banks flew by us, and we came alongside of the rafts--the banks stopped; +and there was a tumult of laughing and crying, and kissing and shaking of +hands, and catching up of children and setting of them down again, and a +wild hurry of thankfulness and joy that melted every one and softened all +hearts. + +I had taken notice, in Captain Carton's boat, that there was a curious +and quite new sort of fitting on board. It was a kind of a little bower +made of flowers, and it was set up behind the captain, and betwixt him +and the rudder. Not only was this arbour, so to call it, neatly made of +flowers, but it was ornamented in a singular way. Some of the men had +taken the ribbons and buckles off their hats, and hung them among the +flowers; others had made festoons and streamers of their handkerchiefs, +and hung them there; others had intermixed such trifles as bits of glass +and shining fragments of lockets and tobacco-boxes with the flowers; so +that altogether it was a very bright and lively object in the sunshine. +But why there, or what for, I did not understand. + +Now, as soon as the first bewilderment was over, Captain Carton gave the +order to land for the present. But this boat of his, with two hands left +in her, immediately put off again when the men were out of her, and kept +off, some yards from the shore. As she floated there, with the two hands +gently backing water to keep her from going down the stream, this pretty +little arbour attracted many eyes. None of the boat's crew, however, had +anything to say about it, except that it was the captain's fancy. + +The captain--with the women and children clustering round him, and the +men of all ranks grouped outside them, and all listening--stood telling +how the Expedition, deceived by its bad intelligence, had chased the +light Pirate boats all that fatal night, and had still followed in their +wake next day, and had never suspected until many hours too late that the +great Pirate body had drawn off in the darkness when the chase began, and +shot over to the Island. He stood telling how the Expedition, supposing +the whole array of armed boats to be ahead of it, got tempted into +shallows and went aground; but not without having its revenge upon the +two decoy-boats, both of which it had come up with, overhand, and sent to +the bottom with all on board. He stood telling how the Expedition, +fearing then that the case stood as it did, got afloat again, by great +exertion, after the loss of four more tides, and returned to the Island, +where they found the sloop scuttled and the treasure gone. He stood +telling how my officer, Lieutenant Linderwood, was left upon the Island, +with as strong a force as could be got together hurriedly from the +mainland, and how the three boats we saw before us were manned and armed +and had come away, exploring the coast and inlets, in search of any +tidings of us. He stood telling all this, with his face to the river; +and, as he stood telling it, the little arbour of flowers floated in the +sunshine before all the faces there. + +Leaning on Captain Carton's shoulder, between him and Miss Maryon, was +Mrs. Fisher, her head drooping on her arm. She asked him, without +raising it, when he had told so much, whether he had found her mother? + +"Be comforted! She lies," said the Captain gently, "under the cocoa-nut +trees on the beach." + +"And my child, Captain Carton, did you find my child, too? Does my +darling rest with my mother?" + +"No. Your pretty child sleeps," said the Captain, "under a shade of +flowers." + +His voice shook; but there was something in it that struck all the +hearers. At that moment there sprung from the arbour in his boat a +little creature, clapping her hands and stretching out her arms, and +crying, "Dear papa! Dear mamma! I am not killed. I am saved. I am +coming to kiss you. Take me to them, take me to them, good, kind +sailors!" + +Nobody who saw that scene has ever forgotten it, I am sure, or ever will +forget it. The child had kept quite still, where her brave grandmamma +had put her (first whispering in her ear, "Whatever happens to me, do not +stir, my dear!"), and had remained quiet until the fort was deserted; she +had then crept out of the trench, and gone into her mother's house; and +there, alone on the solitary Island, in her mother's room, and asleep on +her mother's bed, the Captain had found her. Nothing could induce her to +be parted from him after he took her up in his arms, and he had brought +her away with him, and the men had made the bower for her. To see those +men now, was a sight. The joy of the women was beautiful; the joy of +those women who had lost their own children, was quite sacred and divine; +but, the ecstasies of Captain Carton's boat's crew, when their pet was +restored to her parents, were wonderful for the tenderness they showed in +the midst of roughness. As the Captain stood with the child in his arms, +and the child's own little arms now clinging round his neck, now round +her father's, now round her mother's, now round some one who pressed up +to kiss her, the boat's crew shook hands with one another, waved their +hats over their heads, laughed, sang, cried, danced--and all among +themselves, without wanting to interfere with anybody--in a manner never +to be represented. At last, I saw the coxswain and another, two very +hard-faced men, with grizzled heads, who had been the heartiest of the +hearty all along, close with one another, get each of them the other's +head under his arm, and pommel away at it with his fist as hard as he +could, in his excess of joy. + +When we had well rested and refreshed ourselves--and very glad we were to +have some of the heartening things to eat and drink that had come up in +the boats--we recommenced our voyage down the river: rafts, and boats, +and all. I said to myself, it was a _very_ different kind of voyage now, +from what it had been; and I fell into my proper place and station among +my fellow-soldiers. + +But, when we halted for the night, I found that Miss Maryon had spoken to +Captain Carton concerning me. For, the Captain came straight up to me, +and says he, "My brave fellow, you have been Miss Maryon's body-guard all +along, and you shall remain so. Nobody shall supersede you in the +distinction and pleasure of protecting that young lady." I thanked his +honour in the fittest words I could find, and that night I was placed on +my old post of watching the place where she slept. More than once in the +night, I saw Captain Carton come out into the air, and stroll about +there, to see that all was well. I have now this other singular +confession to make, that I saw him with a heavy heart. Yes; I saw him +with a heavy, heavy heart. + +In the day-time, I had the like post in Captain Carton's boat. I had a +special station of my own, behind Miss Maryon, and no hands but hers ever +touched my wound. (It has been healed these many long years; but, no +other hands have ever touched it.) Mr. Pordage was kept tolerably quiet +now, with pen and ink, and began to pick up his senses a little. Seated +in the second boat, he made documents with Mr. Kitten, pretty well all +day; and he generally handed in a Protest about something whenever we +stopped. The Captain, however, made so very light of these papers, that +it grew into a saying among the men, when one of them wanted a match for +his pipe, "Hand us over a Protest, Jack!" As to Mrs. Pordage, she still +wore the nightcap, and she now had cut all the ladies on account of her +not having been formally and separately rescued by Captain Carton before +anybody else. The end of Mr. Pordage, to bring to an end all I know +about him, was, that he got great compliments at home for his conduct on +these trying occasions, and that he died of yellow jaundice, a Governor +and a K.C.B. + +Sergeant Drooce had fallen from a high fever into a low one. Tom +Packer--the only man who could have pulled the Sergeant through it--kept +hospital aboard the old raft, and Mrs. Belltott, as brisk as ever again +(but the spirit of that little woman, when things tried it, was not equal +to appearances), was head-nurse under his directions. Before we got down +to the Mosquito coast, the joke had been made by one of our men, that we +should see her gazetted Mrs. Tom Packer, _vice_ Belltott exchanged. + +When we reached the coast, we got native boats as substitutes for the +rafts; and we rowed along under the land; and in that beautiful climate, +and upon that beautiful water, the blooming days were like enchantment. +Ah! They were running away, faster than any sea or river, and there was +no tide to bring them back. We were coming very near the settlement +where the people of Silver-Store were to be left, and from which we +Marines were under orders to return to Belize. + +Captain Carton had, in the boat by him, a curious long-barrelled Spanish +gun, and he had said to Miss Maryon one day that it was the best of guns, +and had turned his head to me, and said: + +"Gill Davis, load her fresh with a couple of slugs, against a chance of +showing how good she is." + +So, I had discharged the gun over the sea, and had loaded her, according +to orders, and there it had lain at the Captain's feet, convenient to the +Captain's hand. + +The last day but one of our journey was an uncommonly hot day. We +started very early; but, there was no cool air on the sea as the day got +on, and by noon the heat was really hard to bear, considering that there +were women and children to bear it. Now, we happened to open, just at +that time, a very pleasant little cove or bay, where there was a deep +shade from a great growth of trees. Now, the Captain, therefore, made +the signal to the other boats to follow him in and lie by a while. + +The men who were off duty went ashore, and lay down, but were ordered, +for caution's sake, not to stray, and to keep within view. The others +rested on their oars, and dozed. Awnings had been made of one thing and +another, in all the boats, and the passengers found it cooler to be under +them in the shade, when there was room enough, than to be in the thick +woods. So, the passengers were all afloat, and mostly sleeping. I kept +my post behind Miss Maryon, and she was on Captain Carton's right in the +boat, and Mrs. Fisher sat on her right again. The Captain had Mrs. +Fisher's daughter on his knee. He and the two ladies were talking about +the Pirates, and were talking softly; partly, because people do talk +softly under such indolent circumstances, and partly because the little +girl had gone off asleep. + +I think I have before given it out for my Lady to write down, that +Captain Carton had a fine bright eye of his own. All at once, he darted +me a side look, as much as to say, "Steady--don't take on--I see +something!"--and gave the child into her mother's arms. That eye of his +was so easy to understand, that I obeyed it by not so much as looking +either to the right or to the left out of a corner of my own, or changing +my attitude the least trifle. The Captain went on talking in the same +mild and easy way; but began--with his arms resting across his knees, and +his head a little hanging forward, as if the heat were rather too much +for him--began to play with the Spanish gun. + +"They had laid their plans, you see," says the Captain, taking up the +Spanish gun across his knees, and looking, lazily, at the inlaying on the +stock, "with a great deal of art; and the corrupt or blundering local +authorities were so easily deceived;" he ran his left hand idly along the +barrel, but I saw, with my breath held, that he covered the action of +cocking the gun with his right--"so easily deceived, that they summoned +us out to come into the trap. But my intention as to future operations--" +In a flash the Spanish gun was at his bright eye, and he fired. + +All started up; innumerable echoes repeated the sound of the discharge; a +cloud of bright-coloured birds flew out of the woods screaming; a handful +of leaves were scattered in the place where the shot had struck; a +crackling of branches was heard; and some lithe but heavy creature sprang +into the air, and fell forward, head down, over the muddy bank. + +"What is it?" cries Captain Maryon from his boat. All silent then, but +the echoes rolling away. + +"It is a Traitor and a Spy," said Captain Carton, handing me the gun to +load again. "And I think the other name of the animal is Christian +George King!" + +Shot through the heart. Some of the people ran round to the spot, and +drew him out, with the slime and wet trickling down his face; but his +face itself would never stir any more to the end of time. + +"Leave him hanging to that tree," cried Captain Carton; his boat's crew +giving way, and he leaping ashore. "But first into this wood, every man +in his place. And boats! Out of gunshot!" + +It was a quick change, well meant and well made, though it ended in +disappointment. No Pirates were there; no one but the Spy was found. It +was supposed that the Pirates, unable to retake us, and expecting a great +attack upon them to be the consequence of our escape, had made from the +ruins in the Forest, taken to their ship along with the Treasure, and +left the Spy to pick up what intelligence he could. In the evening we +went away, and he was left hanging to the tree, all alone, with the red +sun making a kind of a dead sunset on his black face. + +Next day, we gained the settlement on the Mosquito coast for which we +were bound. Having stayed there to refresh seven days, and having been +much commended, and highly spoken of, and finely entertained, we Marines +stood under orders to march from the Town-Gate (it was neither much of a +town nor much of a gate), at five in the morning. + +My officer had joined us before then. When we turned out at the gate, +all the people were there; in the front of them all those who had been +our fellow-prisoners, and all the seamen. + +"Davis," says Lieutenant Linderwood. "Stand out, my friend!" + +I stood out from the ranks, and Miss Maryon and Captain Carton came up to +me. + +"Dear Davis," says Miss Maryon, while the tears fell fast down her face, +"your grateful friends, in most unwillingly taking leave of you, ask the +favour that, while you bear away with you their affectionate remembrance, +which nothing can ever impair, you will also take this purse of money--far +more valuable to you, we all know, for the deep attachment and +thankfulness with which it is offered, than for its own contents, though +we hope those may prove useful to you, too, in after life." + +I got out, in answer, that I thankfully accepted the attachment and +affection, but not the money. Captain Carton looked at me very +attentively, and stepped back, and moved away. I made him my bow as he +stepped back, to thank him for being so delicate. + +"No, miss," said I, "I think it would break my heart to accept of money. +But, if you could condescend to give to a man so ignorant and common as +myself, any little thing you have worn--such as a bit of ribbon--" + +She took a ring from her finger, and put it in my hand. And she rested +her hand in mine, while she said these words: + +"The brave gentlemen of old--but not one of them was braver, or had a +nobler nature than you--took such gifts from ladies, and did all their +good actions for the givers' sakes. If you will do yours for mine, I +shall think with pride that I continue to have some share in the life of +a gallant and generous man." + +For the second time in my life she kissed my hand. I made so bold, for +the first time, as to kiss hers; and I tied the ring at my breast, and I +fell back to my place. + +Then, the horse-litter went out at the gate with Sergeant Drooce in it; +and the horse-litter went out at the gate with Mrs. Belltott in it; and +Lieutenant Linderwood gave the word of command, "Quick march!" and, +cheered and cried for, we went out of the gate too, marching along the +level plain towards the serene blue sky, as if we were marching straight +to Heaven. + +When I have added here that the Pirate scheme was blown to shivers, by +the Pirate-ship which had the Treasure on board being so vigorously +attacked by one of His Majesty's cruisers, among the West India Keys, and +being so swiftly boarded and carried, that nobody suspected anything +about the scheme until three-fourths of the Pirates were killed, and the +other fourth were in irons, and the Treasure was recovered; I come to the +last singular confession I have got to make. + +It is this. I well knew what an immense and hopeless distance there was +between me and Miss Maryon; I well knew that I was no fitter company for +her than I was for the angels; I well knew, that she was as high above my +reach as the sky over my head; and yet I loved her. What put it in my +low heart to be so daring, or whether such a thing ever happened before +or since, as that a man so uninstructed and obscure as myself got his +unhappy thoughts lifted up to such a height, while knowing very well how +presumptuous and impossible to be realised they were, I am unable to say; +still, the suffering to me was just as great as if I had been a +gentleman. I suffered agony--agony. I suffered hard, and I suffered +long. I thought of her last words to me, however, and I never disgraced +them. If it had not been for those dear words, I think I should have +lost myself in despair and recklessness. + +The ring will be found lying on my heart, of course, and will be laid +with me wherever I am laid. I am getting on in years now, though I am +able and hearty. I was recommended for promotion, and everything was +done to reward me that could be done; but my total want of all learning +stood in my way, and I found myself so completely out of the road to it +that I could not conquer any learning, though I tried. I was long in the +service, and I respected it, and was respected in it, and the service is +dear to me at this present hour. + +At this present hour, when I give this out to my Lady to be written down, +all my old pain has softened away, and I am as happy as a man can be, at +this present fine old country-house of Admiral Sir George Carton, +Baronet. It was my Lady Carton who herself sought me out, over a great +many miles of the wide world, and found me in Hospital wounded, and +brought me here. It is my Lady Carton who writes down my words. My Lady +was Miss Maryon. And now, that I conclude what I had to tell, I see my +Lady's honoured gray hair droop over her face, as she leans a little +lower at her desk; and I fervently thank her for being so tender as I see +she is, towards the past pain and trouble of her poor, old, faithful, +humble soldier. + + + + +FOOTNOTES + + +{1} Dicken's didn't write the second chapter and it is omitted in this +edition. In it the prisoners are firstly made a ransom of for the +treasure left on the Island and then manage to escape from the Pirates. + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PERILS OF CERTAIN ENGLISH +PRISONERS*** + + +******* This file should be named 1406.txt or 1406.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/4/0/1406 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +https://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at https://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/pglaf. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at https://www.gutenberg.org/about/contact + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit https://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including including checks, online payments and credit card +donations. To donate, please visit: +https://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + https://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. + diff --git a/1406.zip b/1406.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..394c246 --- /dev/null +++ b/1406.zip diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..509bbfe --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #1406 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1406) diff --git a/old/pocep10.txt b/old/pocep10.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..692f9dd --- /dev/null +++ b/old/pocep10.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2308 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Etext of Perils of Certain English Prisoners +#38 in our series by Charles Dickens + + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world, be sure to check +the copyright laws for your country before posting these files!! + +Please take a look at the important information in this header. +We encourage you to keep this file on your own disk, keeping an +electronic path open for the next readers. Do not remove this. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**Etexts Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*These Etexts Prepared By Hundreds of Volunteers and Donations* + +Information on contacting Project Gutenberg to get Etexts, and +further information is included below. We need your donations. + + +The Perils of Certain English Prisoners + +by Charles Dickens + +August, 1998 [Etext #1406] + + +Project Gutenberg's Etext of Perils of Certain English Prisoners +******This file should be named pocep10.txt or pocep10.zip****** + +Corrected EDITIONS of our etexts get a new NUMBER, pocep11.txt +VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, pocep10a.txt + + +This etext was prepared from the 1894 Chapman and Hall "Christmas Stories" +edition by David Price, email ccx074@coventry.ac.uk + +Project Gutenberg Etexts are usually created from multiple editions, +all of which are in the Public Domain in the United States, unless a +copyright notice is included. Therefore, we do NOT keep these books +in compliance with any particular paper edition, usually otherwise. + + +We are now trying to release all our books one month in advance +of the official release dates, for time for better editing. + +Please note: neither this list nor its contents are final till +midnight of the last day of the month of any such announcement. +The official release date of all Project Gutenberg Etexts is at +Midnight, Central Time, of the last day of the stated month. A +preliminary version may often be posted for suggestion, comment +and editing by those who wish to do so. To be sure you have an +up to date first edition [xxxxx10x.xxx] please check file sizes +in the first week of the next month. Since our ftp program has +a bug in it that scrambles the date [tried to fix and failed] a +look at the file size will have to do, but we will try to see a +new copy has at least one byte more or less. + + +Information about Project Gutenberg (one page) + +We produce about two million dollars for each hour we work. The +fifty hours is one conservative estimate for how long it we take +to get any etext selected, entered, proofread, edited, copyright +searched and analyzed, the copyright letters written, etc. This +projected audience is one hundred million readers. If our value +per text is nominally estimated at one dollar then we produce $2 +million dollars per hour this year as we release thirty-two text +files per month, or 384 more Etexts in 1998 for a total of 1500+ +If these reach just 10% of the computerized population, then the +total should reach over 150 billion Etexts given away. + +The Goal of Project Gutenberg is to Give Away One Trillion Etext +Files by the December 31, 2001. [10,000 x 100,000,000=Trillion] +This is ten thousand titles each to one hundred million readers, +which is only 10% of the present number of computer users. 2001 +should have at least twice as many computer users as that, so it +will require us reaching less than 5% of the users in 2001. + + +We need your donations more than ever! + + +All donations should be made to "Project Gutenberg/CMU": and are +tax deductible to the extent allowable by law. (CMU = Carnegie- +Mellon University). + +For these and other matters, please mail to: + +Project Gutenberg +P. O. Box 2782 +Champaign, IL 61825 + +When all other email fails try our Executive Director: +Michael S. Hart <hart@pobox.com> + +We would prefer to send you this information by email +(Internet, Bitnet, Compuserve, ATTMAIL or MCImail). + +****** +If you have an FTP program (or emulator), please +FTP directly to the Project Gutenberg archives: +[Mac users, do NOT point and click. . .type] + +ftp uiarchive.cso.uiuc.edu +login: anonymous +password: your@login +cd etext/etext90 through /etext96 +or cd etext/articles [get suggest gut for more information] +dir [to see files] +get or mget [to get files. . .set bin for zip files] +GET INDEX?00.GUT +for a list of books +and +GET NEW GUT for general information +and +MGET GUT* for newsletters. + +**Information prepared by the Project Gutenberg legal advisor** +(Three Pages) + + +***START**THE SMALL PRINT!**FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS**START*** +Why is this "Small Print!" statement here? You know: lawyers. +They tell us you might sue us if there is something wrong with +your copy of this etext, even if you got it for free from +someone other than us, and even if what's wrong is not our +fault. So, among other things, this "Small Print!" statement +disclaims most of our liability to you. It also tells you how +you can distribute copies of this etext if you want to. + +*BEFORE!* YOU USE OR READ THIS ETEXT +By using or reading any part of this PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm +etext, you indicate that you understand, agree to and accept +this "Small Print!" statement. If you do not, you can receive +a refund of the money (if any) you paid for this etext by +sending a request within 30 days of receiving it to the person +you got it from. If you received this etext on a physical +medium (such as a disk), you must return it with your request. + +ABOUT PROJECT GUTENBERG-TM ETEXTS +This PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm etext, like most PROJECT GUTENBERG- +tm etexts, is a "public domain" work distributed by Professor +Michael S. Hart through the Project Gutenberg Association at +Carnegie-Mellon University (the "Project"). Among other +things, this means that no one owns a United States copyright +on or for this work, so the Project (and you!) can copy and +distribute it in the United States without permission and +without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth +below, apply if you wish to copy and distribute this etext +under the Project's "PROJECT GUTENBERG" trademark. + +To create these etexts, the Project expends considerable +efforts to identify, transcribe and proofread public domain +works. Despite these efforts, the Project's etexts and any +medium they may be on may contain "Defects". Among other +things, Defects may take the form of incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other +intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged +disk or other etext medium, a computer virus, or computer +codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment. + +LIMITED WARRANTY; DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES +But for the "Right of Replacement or Refund" described below, +[1] the Project (and any other party you may receive this +etext from as a PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm etext) disclaims all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including +legal fees, and [2] YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE OR +UNDER STRICT LIABILITY, OR FOR BREACH OF WARRANTY OR CONTRACT, +INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE +OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE +POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. + +If you discover a Defect in this etext within 90 days of +receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) +you paid for it by sending an explanatory note within that +time to the person you received it from. If you received it +on a physical medium, you must return it with your note, and +such person may choose to alternatively give you a replacement +copy. If you received it electronically, such person may +choose to alternatively give you a second opportunity to +receive it electronically. + +THIS ETEXT IS OTHERWISE PROVIDED TO YOU "AS-IS". NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ARE MADE TO YOU AS +TO THE ETEXT OR ANY MEDIUM IT MAY BE ON, INCLUDING BUT NOT +LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A +PARTICULAR PURPOSE. + +Some states do not allow disclaimers of implied warranties or +the exclusion or limitation of consequential damages, so the +above disclaimers and exclusions may not apply to you, and you +may have other legal rights. + +INDEMNITY +You will indemnify and hold the Project, its directors, +officers, members and agents harmless from all liability, cost +and expense, including legal fees, that arise directly or +indirectly from any of the following that you do or cause: +[1] distribution of this etext, [2] alteration, modification, +or addition to the etext, or [3] any Defect. + +DISTRIBUTION UNDER "PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm" +You may distribute copies of this etext electronically, or by +disk, book or any other medium if you either delete this +"Small Print!" and all other references to Project Gutenberg, +or: + +[1] Only give exact copies of it. Among other things, this + requires that you do not remove, alter or modify the + etext or this "small print!" statement. You may however, + if you wish, distribute this etext in machine readable + binary, compressed, mark-up, or proprietary form, + including any form resulting from conversion by word pro- + cessing or hypertext software, but only so long as + *EITHER*: + + [*] The etext, when displayed, is clearly readable, and + does *not* contain characters other than those + intended by the author of the work, although tilde + (~), asterisk (*) and underline (_) characters may + be used to convey punctuation intended by the + author, and additional characters may be used to + indicate hypertext links; OR + + [*] The etext may be readily converted by the reader at + no expense into plain ASCII, EBCDIC or equivalent + form by the program that displays the etext (as is + the case, for instance, with most word processors); + OR + + [*] You provide, or agree to also provide on request at + no additional cost, fee or expense, a copy of the + etext in its original plain ASCII form (or in EBCDIC + or other equivalent proprietary form). + +[2] Honor the etext refund and replacement provisions of this + "Small Print!" statement. + +[3] Pay a trademark license fee to the Project of 20% of the + net profits you derive calculated using the method you + already use to calculate your applicable taxes. If you + don't derive profits, no royalty is due. Royalties are + payable to "Project Gutenberg Association/Carnegie-Mellon + University" within the 60 days following each + date you prepare (or were legally required to prepare) + your annual (or equivalent periodic) tax return. + +WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO? +The Project gratefully accepts contributions in money, time, +scanning machines, OCR software, public domain etexts, royalty +free copyright licenses, and every other sort of contribution +you can think of. Money should be paid to "Project Gutenberg +Association / Carnegie-Mellon University". + +*END*THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END* + + + + + +This etext was prepared from the 1894 Chapman and Hall "Christmas Stories" +edition by David Price, email ccx074@coventry.ac.uk + + + + + +CHAPTER I--THE ISLAND OF SILVER-STORE + + + +It was in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and forty- +four, that I, Gill Davis to command, His Mark, having then the +honour to be a private in the Royal Marines, stood a-leaning over +the bulwarks of the armed sloop Christopher Columbus, in the South +American waters off the Mosquito shore. + +My lady remarks to me, before I go any further, that there is no +such christian-name as Gill, and that her confident opinion is, that +the name given to me in the baptism wherein I was made, &c., was +Gilbert. She is certain to be right, but I never heard of it. I +was a foundling child, picked up somewhere or another, and I always +understood my christian-name to be Gill. It is true that I was +called Gills when employed at Snorridge Bottom betwixt Chatham and +Maidstone to frighten birds; but that had nothing to do with the +Baptism wherein I was made, &c., and wherein a number of things were +promised for me by somebody, who let me alone ever afterwards as to +performing any of them, and who, I consider, must have been the +Beadle. Such name of Gills was entirely owing to my cheeks, or +gills, which at that time of my life were of a raspy description. + +My lady stops me again, before I go any further, by laughing exactly +in her old way and waving the feather of her pen at me. That action +on her part, calls to my mind as I look at her hand with the rings +on it--Well! I won't! To be sure it will come in, in its own +place. But it's always strange to me, noticing the quiet hand, and +noticing it (as I have done, you know, so many times) a-fondling +children and grandchildren asleep, to think that when blood and +honour were up--there! I won't! not at present!--Scratch it out. + +She won't scratch it out, and quite honourable; because we have made +an understanding that everything is to be taken down, and that +nothing that is once taken down shall be scratched out. I have the +great misfortune not to be able to read and write, and I am speaking +my true and faithful account of those Adventures, and my lady is +writing it, word for word. + +I say, there I was, a-leaning over the bulwarks of the sloop +Christopher Columbus in the South American waters off the Mosquito +shore: a subject of his Gracious Majesty King George of England, +and a private in the Royal Marines. + +In those climates, you don't want to do much. I was doing nothing. +I was thinking of the shepherd (my father, I wonder?) on the +hillsides by Snorridge Bottom, with a long staff, and with a rough +white coat in all weathers all the year round, who used to let me +lie in a corner of his hut by night, and who used to let me go about +with him and his sheep by day when I could get nothing else to do, +and who used to give me so little of his victuals and so much of his +staff, that I ran away from him--which was what he wanted all along, +I expect--to be knocked about the world in preference to Snorridge +Bottom. I had been knocked about the world for nine-and-twenty +years in all, when I stood looking along those bright blue South +American Waters. Looking after the shepherd, I may say. Watching +him in a half-waking dream, with my eyes half-shut, as he, and his +flock of sheep, and his two dogs, seemed to move away from the +ship's side, far away over the blue water, and go right down into +the sky. + +"It's rising out of the water, steady," a voice said close to me. I +had been thinking on so, that it like woke me with a start, though +it was no stranger voice than the voice of Harry Charker, my own +comrade. + +"What's rising out of the water, steady?" I asked my comrade. + +"What?" says he. "The Island." + +"O! The Island!" says I, turning my eyes towards it. "True. I +forgot the Island." + +"Forgot the port you're going to? That's odd, ain't it?" + +"It is odd," says I. + +"And odd," he said, slowly considering with himself, "ain't even. +Is it, Gill?" + +He had always a remark just like that to make, and seldom another. +As soon as he had brought a thing round to what it was not, he was +satisfied. He was one of the best of men, and, in a certain sort of +a way, one with the least to say for himself. I qualify it, +because, besides being able to read and write like a Quarter-master, +he had always one most excellent idea in his mind. That was, Duty. +Upon my soul, I don't believe, though I admire learning beyond +everything, that he could have got a better idea out of all the +books in the world, if he had learnt them every word, and been the +cleverest of scholars. + +My comrade and I had been quartered in Jamaica, and from there we +had been drafted off to the British settlement of Belize, lying away +West and North of the Mosquito coast. At Belize there had been +great alarm of one cruel gang of pirates (there were always more +pirates than enough in those Caribbean Seas), and as they got the +better of our English cruisers by running into out-of-the-way creeks +and shallows, and taking the land when they were hotly pressed, the +governor of Belize had received orders from home to keep a sharp +look-out for them along shore. Now, there was an armed sloop came +once a-year from Port Royal, Jamaica, to the Island, laden with all +manner of necessaries, to eat, and to drink, and to wear, and to use +in various ways; and it was aboard of that sloop which had touched +at Belize, that I was a-standing, leaning over the bulwarks. + +The Island was occupied by a very small English colony. It had been +given the name of Silver-Store. The reason of its being so called, +was, that the English colony owned and worked a silver-mine over on +the mainland, in Honduras, and used this Island as a safe and +convenient place to store their silver in, until it was annually +fetched away by the sloop. It was brought down from the mine to the +coast on the backs of mules, attended by friendly Indians and +guarded by white men; from thence it was conveyed over to Silver- +Store, when the weather was fair, in the canoes of that country; +from Silver-Store, it was carried to Jamaica by the armed sloop once +a-year, as I have already mentioned; from Jamaica, it went, of +course, all over the world. + +How I came to be aboard the armed sloop, is easily told. Four-and- +twenty marines under command of a lieutenant--that officer's name +was Linderwood--had been told off at Belize, to proceed to Silver- +Store, in aid of boats and seamen stationed there for the chase of +the Pirates. The Island was considered a good post of observation +against the pirates, both by land and sea; neither the pirate ship +nor yet her boats had been seen by any of us, but they had been so +much heard of, that the reinforcement was sent. Of that party, I +was one. It included a corporal and a sergeant. Charker was +corporal, and the sergeant's name was Drooce. He was the most +tyrannical non-commissioned officer in His Majesty's service. + +The night came on, soon after I had had the foregoing words with +Charker. All the wonderful bright colours went out of the sea and +sky in a few minutes, and all the stars in the Heavens seemed to +shine out together, and to look down at themselves in the sea, over +one another's shoulders, millions deep. Next morning, we cast +anchor off the Island. There was a snug harbour within a little +reef; there was a sandy beach; there were cocoa-nut trees with high +straight stems, quite bare, and foliage at the top like plumes of +magnificent green feathers; there were all the objects that are +usually seen in those parts, and I am not going to describe them, +having something else to tell about. + +Great rejoicings, to be sure, were made on our arrival. All the +flags in the place were hoisted, all the guns in the place were +fired, and all the people in the place came down to look at us. One +of those Sambo fellows--they call those natives Sambos, when they +are half-negro and half-Indian--had come off outside the reef, to +pilot us in, and remained on board after we had let go our anchor. +He was called Christian George King, and was fonder of all hands +than anybody else was. Now, I confess, for myself, that on that +first day, if I had been captain of the Christopher Columbus, +instead of private in the Royal Marines, I should have kicked +Christian George King--who was no more a Christian than he was a +King or a George--over the side, without exactly knowing why, except +that it was the right thing to do. + +But, I must likewise confess, that I was not in a particularly +pleasant humour, when I stood under arms that morning, aboard the +Christopher Columbus in the harbour of the Island of Silver-Store. +I had had a hard life, and the life of the English on the Island +seemed too easy and too gay to please me. "Here you are," I thought +to myself, "good scholars and good livers; able to read what you +like, able to write what you like, able to eat and drink what you +like, and spend what you like, and do what you like; and much you +care for a poor, ignorant Private in the Royal Marines! Yet it's +hard, too, I think, that you should have all the half-pence, and I +all the kicks; you all the smooth, and I all the rough; you all the +oil, and I all the vinegar." It was as envious a thing to think as +might be, let alone its being nonsensical; but, I thought it. I +took it so much amiss, that, when a very beautiful young English +lady came aboard, I grunted to myself, "Ah! you have got a lover, +I'll be bound!" As if there was any new offence to me in that, if +she had! + +She was sister to the captain of our sloop, who had been in a poor +way for some time, and who was so ill then that he was obliged to be +carried ashore. She was the child of a military officer, and had +come out there with her sister, who was married to one of the owners +of the silver-mine, and who had three children with her. It was +easy to see that she was the light and spirit of the Island. After +I had got a good look at her, I grunted to myself again, in an even +worse state of mind than before, "I'll be damned, if I don't hate +him, whoever he is!" + +My officer, Lieutenant Linderwood, was as ill as the captain of the +sloop, and was carried ashore, too. They were both young men of +about my age, who had been delicate in the West India climate. I +even took that in bad part. I thought I was much fitter for the +work than they were, and that if all of us had our deserts, I should +be both of them rolled into one. (It may be imagined what sort of +an officer of marines I should have made, without the power of +reading a written order. And as to any knowledge how to command the +sloop--Lord! I should have sunk her in a quarter of an hour!) + +However, such were my reflections; and when we men were ashore and +dismissed, I strolled about the place along with Charker, making my +observations in a similar spirit. + +It was a pretty place: in all its arrangements partly South +American and partly English, and very agreeable to look at on that +account, being like a bit of home that had got chipped off and had +floated away to that spot, accommodating itself to circumstances as +it drifted along. The huts of the Sambos, to the number of five- +and-twenty, perhaps, were down by the beach to the left of the +anchorage. On the right was a sort of barrack, with a South +American Flag and the Union Jack, flying from the same staff, where +the little English colony could all come together, if they saw +occasion. It was a walled square of building, with a sort of +pleasure-ground inside, and inside that again a sunken block like a +powder magazine, with a little square trench round it, and steps +down to the door. Charker and I were looking in at the gate, which +was not guarded; and I had said to Charker, in reference to the bit +like a powder magazine, "That's where they keep the silver you see;" +and Charker had said to me, after thinking it over, "And silver +ain't gold. Is it, Gill?" when the beautiful young English lady I +had been so bilious about, looked out of a door, or a window--at all +events looked out, from under a bright awning. She no sooner saw us +two in uniform, than she came out so quickly that she was still +putting on her broad Mexican hat of plaited straw when we saluted. + +"Would you like to come in," she said, "and see the place? It is +rather a curious place." + +We thanked the young lady, and said we didn't wish to be +troublesome; but, she said it could be no trouble to an English +soldier's daughter, to show English soldiers how their countrymen +and country-women fared, so far away from England; and consequently +we saluted again, and went in. Then, as we stood in the shade, she +showed us (being as affable as beautiful), how the different +families lived in their separate houses, and how there was a general +house for stores, and a general reading-room, and a general room for +music and dancing, and a room for Church; and how there were other +houses on the rising ground called the Signal Hill, where they lived +in the hotter weather. + +"Your officer has been carried up there," she said, "and my brother, +too, for the better air. At present, our few residents are +dispersed over both spots: deducting, that is to say, such of our +number as are always going to, or coming from, or staying at, the +Mine." + +("He is among one of those parties," I thought, "and I wish somebody +would knock his head off.") + +"Some of our married ladies live here," she said, "during at least +half the year, as lonely as widows, with their children." + +"Many children here, ma'am?" + +"Seventeen. There are thirteen married ladies, and there are eight +like me." + +There were not eight like her--there was not one like her--in the +world. She meant single. + +"Which, with about thirty Englishmen of various degrees," said the +young lady, "form the little colony now on the Island. I don't +count the sailors, for they don't belong to us. Nor the soldiers," +she gave us a gracious smile when she spoke of the soldiers, "for +the same reason." + +"Nor the Sambos, ma'am," said I. + +"No." + +"Under your favour, and with your leave, ma'am," said I, "are they +trustworthy?" + +"Perfectly! We are all very kind to them, and they are very +grateful to us." + +"Indeed, ma'am? Now--Christian George King?--" + +"Very much attached to us all. Would die for us." + +She was, as in my uneducated way I have observed, very beautiful +women almost always to be, so composed, that her composure gave +great weight to what she said, and I believed it. + +Then, she pointed out to us the building like a powder magazine, and +explained to us in what manner the silver was brought from the mine, +and was brought over from the mainland, and was stored here. The +Christopher Columbus would have a rich lading, she said, for there +had been a great yield that year, a much richer yield than usual, +and there was a chest of jewels besides the silver. + +When we had looked about us, and were getting sheepish, through +fearing we were troublesome, she turned us over to a young woman, +English born but West India bred, who served her as her maid. This +young woman was the widow of a non-commissioned officer in a +regiment of the line. She had got married and widowed at St. +Vincent, with only a few months between the two events. She was a +little saucy woman, with a bright pair of eyes, rather a neat little +foot and figure, and rather a neat little turned-up nose. The sort +of young woman, I considered at the time, who appeared to invite you +to give her a kiss, and who would have slapped your face if you +accepted the invitation. + +I couldn't make out her name at first; for, when she gave it in +answer to my inquiry, it sounded like Beltot, which didn't sound +right. But, when we became better acquainted--which was while +Charker and I were drinking sugar-cane sangaree, which she made in a +most excellent manner--I found that her Christian name was Isabella, +which they shortened into Bell, and that the name of the deceased +non-commissioned officer was Tott. Being the kind of neat little +woman it was natural to make a toy of--I never saw a woman so like a +toy in my life--she had got the plaything name of Belltott. In +short, she had no other name on the island. Even Mr. Commissioner +Pordage (and he was a grave one!) formally addressed her as Mrs. +Belltott, but, I shall come to Mr. Commissioner Pordage presently. + +The name of the captain of the sloop was Captain Maryon, and +therefore it was no news to hear from Mrs. Belltott, that his +sister, the beautiful unmarried young English lady, was Miss Maryon. +The novelty was, that her christian-name was Marion too. Marion +Maryon. Many a time I have run off those two names in my thoughts, +like a bit of verse. Oh many, and many, and many a time! + +We saw out all the drink that was produced, like good men and true, +and then took our leaves, and went down to the beach. The weather +was beautiful; the wind steady, low, and gentle; the island, a +picture; the sea, a picture; the sky, a picture. In that country +there are two rainy seasons in the year. One sets in at about our +English Midsummer; the other, about a fortnight after our English +Michaelmas. It was the beginning of August at that time; the first +of these rainy seasons was well over; and everything was in its most +beautiful growth, and had its loveliest look upon it. + +"They enjoy themselves here," I says to Charker, turning surly +again. "This is better than private-soldiering." + +We had come down to the beach, to be friendly with the boat's-crew +who were camped and hutted there; and we were approaching towards +their quarters over the sand, when Christian George King comes up +from the landing-place at a wolf's-trot, crying, "Yup, So-Jeer!"-- +which was that Sambo Pilot's barbarous way of saying, Hallo, +Soldier! I have stated myself to be a man of no learning, and, if I +entertain prejudices, I hope allowance may be made. I will now +confess to one. It may be a right one or it may be a wrong one; +but, I never did like Natives, except in the form of oysters. + +So, when Christian George King, who was individually unpleasant to +me besides, comes a trotting along the sand, clucking, "Yup, So- +Jeer!" I had a thundering good mind to let fly at him with my +right. I certainly should have done it, but that it would have +exposed me to reprimand. + +"Yup, So-Jeer!" says he. "Bad job." + +"What do you mean?" says I. + +"Yup, So-Jeer!" says he, "Ship Leakee." + +"Ship leaky?" says I. + +"Iss," says he, with a nod that looked as if it was jerked out of +him by a most violent hiccup--which is the way with those savages. + +I cast my eyes at Charker, and we both heard the pumps going aboard +the sloop, and saw the signal run up, "Come on board; hands wanted +from the shore." In no time some of the sloop's liberty-men were +already running down to the water's edge, and the party of seamen, +under orders against the Pirates, were putting off to the Columbus +in two boats. + +"O Christian George King sar berry sorry!" says that Sambo vagabond, +then. "Christian George King cry, English fashion!" His English +fashion of crying was to screw his black knuckles into his eyes, +howl like a dog, and roll himself on his back on the sand. It was +trying not to kick him, but I gave Charker the word, "Double-quick, +Harry!" and we got down to the water's edge, and got on board the +sloop. + +By some means or other, she had sprung such a leak, that no pumping +would keep her free; and what between the two fears that she would +go down in the harbour, and that, even if she did not, all the +supplies she had brought for the little colony would be destroyed by +the sea-water as it rose in her, there was great confusion. In the +midst of it, Captain Maryon was heard hailing from the beach. He +had been carried down in his hammock, and looked very bad; but he +insisted on being stood there on his feet; and I saw him, myself, +come off in the boat, sitting upright in the stern-sheets, as if +nothing was wrong with him. + +A quick sort of council was held, and Captain Maryon soon resolved +that we must all fall to work to get the cargo out, and that when +that was done, the guns and heavy matters must be got out, and that +the sloop must be hauled ashore, and careened, and the leak stopped. +We were all mustered (the Pirate-Chace party volunteering), and told +off into parties, with so many hours of spell and so many hours of +relief, and we all went at it with a will. Christian George King +was entered one of the party in which I worked, at his own request, +and he went at it with as good a will as any of the rest. He went +at it with so much heartiness, to say the truth, that he rose in my +good opinion almost as fast as the water rose in the ship. Which +was fast enough, and faster. + +Mr. Commissioner Pordage kept in a red-and-black japanned box, like +a family lump-sugar box, some document or other, which some Sambo +chief or other had got drunk and spilt some ink over (as well as I +could understand the matter), and by that means had given up lawful +possession of the Island. Through having hold of this box, Mr. +Pordage got his title of Commissioner. He was styled Consul too, +and spoke of himself as "Government." + +He was a stiff-jointed, high-nosed old gentleman, without an ounce +of fat on him, of a very angry temper and a very yellow complexion. +Mrs. Commissioner Pordage, making allowance for difference of sex, +was much the same. Mr. Kitten, a small, youngish, bald, botanical +and mineralogical gentleman, also connected with the mine--but +everybody there was that, more or less--was sometimes called by Mr. +Commissioner Pordage, his Vice-commissioner, and sometimes his +Deputy-consul. Or sometimes he spoke of Mr. Kitten, merely as being +"under Government." + +The beach was beginning to be a lively scene with the preparations +for careening the sloop, and with cargo, and spars, and rigging, and +water-casks, dotted about it, and with temporary quarters for the +men rising up there out of such sails and odds and ends as could be +best set on one side to make them, when Mr. Commissioner Pordage +comes down in a high fluster, and asks for Captain Maryon. The +Captain, ill as he was, was slung in his hammock betwixt two trees, +that he might direct; and he raised his head, and answered for +himself. + +"Captain Maryon," cries Mr. Commissioner Pordage, "this is not +official. This is not regular." + +"Sir," says the Captain, "it hath been arranged with the clerk and +supercargo, that you should be communicated with, and requested to +render any little assistance that may lie in your power. I am quite +certain that hath been duly done." + +"Captain Maryon," replied Mr. Commissioner Pordage, "there hath been +no written correspondence. No documents have passed, no memoranda +have been made, no minutes have been made, no entries and counter- +entries appear in the official muniments. This is indecent. I call +upon you, sir, to desist, until all is regular, or Government will +take this up." + +"Sir," says Captain Maryon, chafing a little, as he looked out of +his hammock; "between the chances of Government taking this up, and +my ship taking herself down, I much prefer to trust myself to the +former." + +"You do, sir?" cries Mr. Commissioner Pordage. + +"I do, sir," says Captain Maryon, lying down again. + +"Then, Mr. Kitten," says the Commissioner, "send up instantly for my +Diplomatic coat." + +He was dressed in a linen suit at that moment; but, Mr. Kitten +started off himself and brought down the Diplomatic coat, which was +a blue cloth one, gold-laced, and with a crown on the button. + +"Now, Mr. Kitten," says Pordage, "I instruct you, as Vice- +commissioner, and Deputy-consul of this place, to demand of Captain +Maryon, of the sloop Christopher Columbus, whether he drives me to +the act of putting this coat on?" + +"Mr. Pordage," says Captain Maryon, looking out of his hammock +again, "as I can hear what you say, I can answer it without +troubling the gentleman. I should be sorry that you should be at +the pains of putting on too hot a coat on my account; but, +otherwise, you may put it on hind-side before, or inside-out, or +with your legs in the sleeves, or your head in the skirts, for any +objection that I have to offer to your thoroughly pleasing +yourself." + +"Very good, Captain Maryon," says Pordage, in a tremendous passion. +"Very good, sir. Be the consequences on your own head! Mr. Kitten, +as it has come to this, help me on with it." + +When he had given that order, he walked off in the coat, and all our +names were taken, and I was afterwards told that Mr. Kitten wrote +from his dictation more than a bushel of large paper on the subject, +which cost more before it was done with, than ever could be +calculated, and which only got done with after all, by being lost. + +Our work went on merrily, nevertheless, and the Christopher +Columbus, hauled up, lay helpless on her side like a great fish out +of water. While she was in that state, there was a feast, or a +ball, or an entertainment, or more properly all three together, +given us in honour of the ship, and the ship's company, and the +other visitors. At that assembly, I believe, I saw all the +inhabitants then upon the Island, without any exception. I took no +particular notice of more than a few, but I found it very agreeable +in that little corner of the world to see the children, who were of +all ages, and mostly very pretty--as they mostly are. There was one +handsome elderly lady, with very dark eyes and gray hair, that I +inquired about. I was told that her name was Mrs. Venning; and her +married daughter, a fair slight thing, was pointed out to me by the +name of Fanny Fisher. Quite a child she looked, with a little copy +of herself holding to her dress; and her husband, just come back +from the mine, exceeding proud of her. They were a good-looking set +of people on the whole, but I didn't like them. I was out of sorts; +in conversation with Charker, I found fault with all of them. I +said of Mrs. Venning, she was proud; of Mrs. Fisher, she was a +delicate little baby-fool. What did I think of this one? Why, he +was a fine gentleman. What did I say to that one? Why, she was a +fine lady. What could you expect them to be (I asked Charker), +nursed in that climate, with the tropical night shining for them, +musical instruments playing to them, great trees bending over them, +soft lamps lighting them, fire-flies sparkling in among them, bright +flowers and birds brought into existence to please their eyes, +delicious drinks to be had for the pouring out, delicious fruits to +be got for the picking, and every one dancing and murmuring happily +in the scented air, with the sea breaking low on the reef for a +pleasant chorus. + +"Fine gentlemen and fine ladies, Harry?" I says to Charker. "Yes, I +think so! Dolls! Dolls! Not the sort of stuff for wear, that +comes of poor private soldiering in the Royal Marines!" + +However, I could not gainsay that they were very hospitable people, +and that they treated us uncommonly well. Every man of us was at +the entertainment, and Mrs. Belltott had more partners than she +could dance with: though she danced all night, too. As to Jack +(whether of the Christopher Columbus, or of the Pirate pursuit +party, it made no difference), he danced with his brother Jack, +danced with himself, danced with the moon, the stars, the trees, the +prospect, anything. I didn't greatly take to the chief-officer of +that party, with his bright eyes, brown face, and easy figure. I +didn't much like his way when he first happened to come where we +were, with Miss Maryon on his arm. "O, Captain Carton," she says, +"here are two friends of mine!" He says, "Indeed? These two +Marines?"--meaning Charker and self. "Yes," says she, "I showed +these two friends of mine when they first came, all the wonders of +Silver-Store." He gave us a laughing look, and says he, "You are in +luck, men. I would be disrated and go before the mast to-morrow, to +be shown the way upward again by such a guide. You are in luck, +men." When we had saluted, and he and the lady had waltzed away, I +said, "You are a pretty follow, too, to talk of luck. You may go to +the Devil!" + +Mr. Commissioner Pordage and Mrs. Commissioner, showed among the +company on that occasion like the King and Queen of a much Greater +Britain than Great Britain. Only two other circumstances in that +jovial night made much separate impression on me. One was this. A +man in our draft of marines, named Tom Packer, a wild unsteady young +fellow, but the son of a respectable shipwright in Portsmouth Yard, +and a good scholar who had been well brought up, comes to me after a +spell of dancing, and takes me aside by the elbow, and says, +swearing angrily: + +"Gill Davis, I hope I may not be the death of Sergeant Drooce one +day!" + +Now, I knew Drooce had always borne particularly hard on this man, +and I knew this man to be of a very hot temper: so, I said: + +"Tut, nonsense! don't talk so to me! If there's a man in the corps +who scorns the name of an assassin, that man and Tom Packer are +one." + +Tom wipes his head, being in a mortal sweat, and says he: + +"I hope so, but I can't answer for myself when he lords it over me, +as he has just now done, before a woman. I tell you what, Gill! +Mark my words! It will go hard with Sergeant Drooce, if ever we are +in an engagement together, and he has to look to me to save him. +Let him say a prayer then, if he knows one, for it's all over with +him, and he is on his Death-bed. Mark my words!" + +I did mark his words, and very soon afterwards, too, as will shortly +be taken down. + +The other circumstance that I noticed at that ball, was, the gaiety +and attachment of Christian George King. The innocent spirits that +Sambo Pilot was in, and the impossibility he found himself under of +showing all the little colony, but especially the ladies and +children, how fond he was of them, how devoted to them, and how +faithful to them for life and death, for present, future, and +everlasting, made a great impression on me. If ever a man, Sambo or +no Sambo, was trustful and trusted, to what may be called quite an +infantine and sweetly beautiful extent, surely, I thought that +morning when I did at last lie down to rest, it was that Sambo +Pilot, Christian George King. + +This may account for my dreaming of him. He stuck in my sleep, +cornerwise, and I couldn't get him out. He was always flitting +about me, dancing round me, and peeping in over my hammock, though I +woke and dozed off again fifty times. At last, when I opened my +eyes, there he really was, looking in at the open side of the little +dark hut; which was made of leaves, and had Charker's hammock slung +in it as well as mine. + +"So-Jeer!" says he, in a sort of a low croak. "Yup!" + +"Hallo!" says I, starting up. "What? You are there, are you?" + +"Iss," says he. "Christian George King got news." + +"What news has he got?" + +"Pirates out!" + +I was on my feet in a second. So was Charker. We were both aware +that Captain Carton, in command of the boats, constantly watched the +mainland for a secret signal, though, of course, it was not known to +such as us what the signal was. + +Christian George King had vanished before we touched the ground. +But, the word was already passing from hut to hut to turn out +quietly, and we knew that the nimble barbarian had got hold of the +truth, or something near it. + +In a space among the trees behind the encampment of us visitors, +naval and military, was a snugly-screened spot, where we kept the +stores that were in use, and did our cookery. The word was passed +to assemble here. It was very quickly given, and was given (so far +as we were concerned) by Sergeant Drooce, who was as good in a +soldier point of view, as he was bad in a tyrannical one. We were +ordered to drop into this space, quietly, behind the trees, one by +one. As we assembled here, the seamen assembled too. Within ten +minutes, as I should estimate, we were all here, except the usual +guard upon the beach. The beach (we could see it through the wood) +looked as it always had done in the hottest time of the day. The +guard were in the shadow of the sloop's hull, and nothing was moving +but the sea,--and that moved very faintly. Work had always been +knocked off at that hour, until the sun grew less fierce, and the +sea-breeze rose; so that its being holiday with us, made no +difference, just then, in the look of the place. But I may mention +that it was a holiday, and the first we had had since our hard work +began. Last night's ball had been given, on the leak's being +repaired, and the careening done. The worst of the work was over, +and to-morrow we were to begin to get the sloop afloat again. + +We marines were now drawn up here under arms. The chace-party were +drawn up separate. The men of the Columbus were drawn up separate. +The officers stepped out into the midst of the three parties, and +spoke so as all might hear. Captain Carton was the officer in +command, and he had a spy-glass in his hand. His coxswain stood by +him with another spy-glass, and with a slate on which he seemed to +have been taking down signals. + +"Now, men!" says Captain Carton; "I have to let you know, for your +satisfaction: Firstly, that there are ten pirate-boats, strongly +manned and armed, lying hidden up a creek yonder on the coast, under +the overhanging branches of the dense trees. Secondly, that they +will certainly come out this night when the moon rises, on a +pillaging and murdering expedition, of which some part of the +mainland is the object. Thirdly--don't cheer, men!--that we will +give chace, and, if we can get at them, rid the world of them, +please God!" + +Nobody spoke, that I heard, and nobody moved, that I saw. Yet there +was a kind of ring, as if every man answered and approved with the +best blood that was inside of him. + +"Sir," says Captain Maryon, "I beg to volunteer on this service, +with my boats. My people volunteer, to the ship's boys." + +"In His Majesty's name and service," the other answers, touching his +hat, "I accept your aid with pleasure. Lieutenant Linderwood, how +will you divide your men?" + +I was ashamed--I give it out to be written down as large and plain +as possible--I was heart and soul ashamed of my thoughts of those +two sick officers, Captain Maryon and Lieutenant Linderwood, when I +saw them, then and there. The spirit in those two gentlemen beat +down their illness (and very ill I knew them to be) like Saint +George beating down the Dragon. Pain and weakness, want of ease and +want of rest, had no more place in their minds than fear itself. +Meaning now to express for my lady to write down, exactly what I +felt then and there, I felt this: "You two brave fellows that I had +been so grudgeful of, I know that if you were dying you would put it +off to get up and do your best, and then you would be so modest that +in lying down again to die, you would hardly say, 'I did it!'" + +It did me good. It really did me good. + +But, to go back to where I broke off. Says Captain Carton to +Lieutenant Linderwood, "Sir, how will you divide your men? There is +not room for all; and a few men should, in any case, be left here." + +There was some debate about it. At last, it was resolved to leave +eight Marines and four seamen on the Island, besides the sloop's two +boys. And because it was considered that the friendly Sambos would +only want to be commanded in case of any danger (though none at all +was apprehended there), the officers were in favour of leaving the +two non-commissioned officers, Drooce and Charker. It was a heavy +disappointment to them, just as my being one of the left was a heavy +disappointment to me--then, but not soon afterwards. We men drew +lots for it, and I drew "Island." So did Tom Packer. So of course, +did four more of our rank and file. + +When this was settled, verbal instructions were given to all hands +to keep the intended expedition secret, in order that the women and +children might not be alarmed, or the expedition put in a difficulty +by more volunteers. The assembly was to be on that same spot at +sunset. Every man was to keep up an appearance, meanwhile, of +occupying himself in his usual way. That is to say, every man +excepting four old trusty seamen, who were appointed, with an +officer, to see to the arms and ammunition, and to muffle the +rullocks of the boats, and to make everything as trim and swift and +silent as it could be made. + +The Sambo Pilot had been present all the while, in case of his being +wanted, and had said to the officer in command, five hundred times +over if he had said it once, that Christian George King would stay +with the So-Jeers, and take care of the booffer ladies and the +booffer childs--booffer being that native's expression for +beautiful. He was now asked a few questions concerning the putting +off of the boats, and in particular whether there was any way of +embarking at the back of the Island: which Captain Carton would +have half liked to do, and then have dropped round in its shadow and +slanted across to the main. But, "No," says Christian George King. +"No, no, no! Told you so, ten time. No, no, no! All reef, all +rock, all swim, all drown!" Striking out as he said it, like a +swimmer gone mad, and turning over on his back on dry land, and +spluttering himself to death, in a manner that made him quite an +exhibition. + +The sun went down, after appearing to be a long time about it, and +the assembly was called. Every man answered to his name, of course, +and was at his post. It was not yet black dark, and the roll was +only just gone through, when up comes Mr. Commissioner Pordage with +his Diplomatic coat on. + +"Captain Carton," says he, "Sir, what is this?" + +"This, Mr. Commissioner" (he was very short with him), "is an +expedition against the Pirates. It is a secret expedition, so +please to keep it a secret." + +"Sir," says Commissioner Pordage, "I trust there is going to be no +unnecessary cruelty committed?" + +"Sir," returns the officer, "I trust not." + +"That is not enough, sir," cries Commissioner Pordage, getting +wroth. "Captain Carton, I give you notice. Government requires you +to treat the enemy with great delicacy, consideration, clemency, and +forbearance." + +"Sir," says Captain Carton, "I am an English officer, commanding +English Men, and I hope I am not likely to disappoint the +Government's just expectations. But, I presume you know that these +villains under their black flag have despoiled our countrymen of +their property, burnt their homes, barbarously murdered them and +their little children, and worse than murdered their wives and +daughters?" + +"Perhaps I do, Captain Carton," answers Pordage, waving his hand, +with dignity; "perhaps I do not. It is not customary, sir, for +Government to commit itself." + +"It matters very little, Mr. Pordage, whether or no. Believing that +I hold my commission by the allowance of God, and not that I have +received it direct from the Devil, I shall certainly use it, with +all avoidance of unnecessary suffering and with all merciful +swiftness of execution, to exterminate these people from the face of +the earth. Let me recommend you to go home, sir, and to keep out of +the night-air." + +Never another syllable did that officer say to the Commissioner, but +turned away to his men. The Commissioner buttoned his Diplomatic +coat to the chin, said, "Mr. Kitten, attend me!" gasped, half choked +himself, and took himself off. + +It now fell very dark, indeed. I have seldom, if ever, seen it +darker, nor yet so dark. The moon was not due until one in the +morning, and it was but a little after nine when our men lay down +where they were mustered. It was pretended that they were to take a +nap, but everybody knew that no nap was to be got under the +circumstances. Though all were very quiet, there was a restlessness +among the people; much what I have seen among the people on a race- +course, when the bell has rung for the saddling for a great race +with large stakes on it. + +At ten, they put off; only one boat putting off at a time; another +following in five minutes; both then lying on their oars until +another followed. Ahead of all, paddling his own outlandish little +canoe without a sound, went the Sambo pilot, to take them safely +outside the reef. No light was shown but once, and that was in the +commanding officer's own hand. I lighted the dark lantern for him, +and he took it from me when he embarked. They had blue lights and +such like with them, but kept themselves as dark as Murder. + +The expedition got away with wonderful quietness, and Christian +George King soon came back dancing with joy. + +"Yup, So-Jeer," says he to myself in a very objectionable kind of +convulsions, "Christian George King sar berry glad. Pirates all be +blown a-pieces. Yup! Yup!" + +My reply to that cannibal was, "However glad you may be, hold your +noise, and don't dance jigs and slap your knees about it, for I +can't abear to see you do it." + +I was on duty then; we twelve who were left being divided into four +watches of three each, three hours' spell. I was relieved at +twelve. A little before that time, I had challenged, and Miss +Maryon and Mrs. Belltott had come in. + +"Good Davis," says Miss Maryon, "what is the matter? Where is my +brother?" + +I told her what was the matter, and where her brother was. + +"O Heaven help him!" says she, clasping her hands and looking up-- +she was close in front of me, and she looked most lovely to be sure; +he is not sufficiently recovered, not strong enough for such +strife!" + +"If you had seen him, miss," I told her, "as I saw him when he +volunteered, you would have known that his spirit is strong enough +for any strife. It will bear his body, miss, to wherever duty calls +him. It will always bear him to an honourable life, or a brave +death." + +"Heaven bless you!" says she, touching my arm. "I know it. Heaven +bless you!" + +Mrs. Belltott surprised me by trembling and saying nothing. They +were still standing looking towards the sea and listening, after the +relief had come round. It continuing very dark, I asked to be +allowed to take them back. Miss Maryon thanked me, and she put her +arm in mine, and I did take them back. I have now got to make a +confession that will appear singular. After I had left them, I laid +myself down on my face on the beach, and cried for the first time +since I had frightened birds as a boy at Snorridge Bottom, to think +what a poor, ignorant, low-placed, private soldier I was. + +It was only for half a minute or so. A man can't at all times be +quite master of himself, and it was only for half a minute or so. +Then I up and went to my hut, and turned into my hammock, and fell +asleep with wet eyelashes, and a sore, sore heart. Just as I had +often done when I was a child, and had been worse used than usual. + +I slept (as a child under those circumstances might) very sound, and +yet very sore at heart all through my sleep. I was awoke by the +words, "He is a determined man." I had sprung out of my hammock, +and had seized my firelock, and was standing on the ground, saying +the words myself. "He is a determined man." But, the curiosity of +my state was, that I seemed to be repeating them after somebody, and +to have been wonderfully startled by hearing them. + +As soon as I came to myself, I went out of the hut, and away to +where the guard was. Charker challenged: + +"Who goes there?" + +"A friend." + +"Not Gill?" says he, as he shouldered his piece. + +"Gill," says I. + +"Why, what the deuce do you do out of your hammock?" says he. + +"Too hot for sleep," says I; "is all right?" + +"Right!" says Charker, "yes, yes; all's right enough here; what +should be wrong here? It's the boats that we want to know of. +Except for fire-flies twinkling about, and the lonesome splashes of +great creatures as they drop into the water, there's nothing going +on here to ease a man's mind from the boats." + +The moon was above the sea, and had risen, I should say, some half- +an-hour. As Charker spoke, with his face towards the sea, I, +looking landward, suddenly laid my right hand on his breast, and +said, "Don't move. Don't turn. Don't raise your voice! You never +saw a Maltese face here?" + +"No. What do you mean?" he asks, staring at me. + +"Nor yet, an English face, with one eye and a patch across the +nose?" + +"No. What ails you? What do you mean?" + +I had seen both, looking at us round the stem of a cocoa-nut tree, +where the moon struck them. I had seen that Sambo Pilot, with one +hand laid on the stem of the tree, drawing them back into the heavy +shadow. I had seen their naked cutlasses twinkle and shine, like +bits of the moonshine in the water that had got blown ashore among +the trees by the light wind. I had seen it all, in a moment. And I +saw in a moment (as any man would), that the signalled move of the +pirates on the mainland was a plot and a feint; that the leak had +been made to disable the sloop; that the boats had been tempted +away, to leave the Island unprotected; that the pirates had landed +by some secreted way at the back; and that Christian George King was +a double-dyed traitor, and a most infernal villain. + +I considered, still all in one and the same moment, that Charker was +a brave man, but not quick with his head; and that Sergeant Drooce, +with a much better head, was close by. All I said to Charker was, +"I am afraid we are betrayed. Turn your back full to the moonlight +on the sea, and cover the stem of the cocoa-nut tree which will then +be right before you, at the height of a man's heart. Are you +right?" + +"I am right," says Charker, turning instantly, and falling into the +position with a nerve of iron; "and right ain't left. Is it, Gill?" + +A few seconds brought me to Sergeant Drooce's hut. He was fast +asleep, and being a heavy sleeper, I had to lay my hand upon him to +rouse him. The instant I touched him he came rolling out of his +hammock, and upon me like a tiger. And a tiger he was, except that +he knew what he was up to, in his utmost heat, as well as any man. + +I had to struggle with him pretty hard to bring him to his senses, +panting all the while (for he gave me a breather), "Sergeant, I am +Gill Davis! Treachery! Pirates on the Island!" + +The last words brought him round, and he took his hands of. "I have +seen two of them within this minute," said I. And so I told him +what I had told Harry Charker. + +His soldierly, though tyrannical, head was clear in an instant. He +didn't waste one word, even of surprise. "Order the guard," says +he, "to draw off quietly into the Fort." (They called the enclosure +I have before mentioned, the Fort, though it was not much of that.) +"Then get you to the Fort as quick as you can, rouse up every soul +there, and fasten the gate. I will bring in all those who are at +the Signal Hill. If we are surrounded before we can join you, you +must make a sally and cut us out if you can. The word among our men +is, 'Women and children!'" + +He burst away, like fire going before the wind over dry reeds. He +roused up the seven men who were off duty, and had them bursting +away with him, before they know they were not asleep. I reported +orders to Charker, and ran to the Fort, as I have never run at any +other time in all my life: no, not even in a dream. + +The gate was not fast, and had no good fastening: only a double +wooden bar, a poor chain, and a bad lock. Those, I secured as well +as they could be secured in a few seconds by one pair of hands, and +so ran to that part of the building where Miss Maryon lived. I +called to her loudly by her name until she answered. I then called +loudly all the names I knew--Mrs. Macey (Miss Maryon's married +sister), Mr. Macey, Mrs. Venning, Mr. and Mrs. Fisher, even Mr. and +Mrs. Pordage. Then I called out, "All you gentlemen here, get up +and defend the place! We are caught in a trap. Pirates have +landed. We are attacked!" + +At the terrible word "Pirates!"--for, those villains had done such +deeds in those seas as never can be told in writing, and can +scarcely be so much as thought of--cries and screams rose up from +every part of the place. Quickly lights moved about from window to +window, and the cries moved about with them, and men, women, and +children came flying down into the square. I remarked to myself, +even then, what a number of things I seemed to see at once. I +noticed Mrs. Macey coming towards me, carrying all her three +children together. I noticed Mr. Pordage in the greatest terror, in +vain trying to get on his Diplomatic coat; and Mr. Kitten +respectfully tying his pocket-handkerchief over Mrs. Pordage's +nightcap. I noticed Mrs. Belltott run out screaming, and shrink +upon the ground near me, and cover her face in her hands, and lie +all of a bundle, shivering. But, what I noticed with the greatest +pleasure was, the determined eyes with which those men of the Mine +that I had thought fine gentlemen, came round me with what arms they +had: to the full as cool and resolute as I could be, for my life-- +ay, and for my soul, too, into the bargain! + +The chief person being Mr. Macey, I told him how the three men of +the guard would be at the gate directly, if they were not already +there, and how Sergeant Drooce and the other seven were gone to +bring in the outlying part of the people of Silver-Store. I next +urged him, for the love of all who were dear to him, to trust no +Sambo, and, above all, if he could got any good chance at Christian +George King, not to lose it, but to put him out of the world. + +"I will follow your advice to the letter, Davis," says he; "what +next?" + +My answer was, "I think, sir, I would recommend you next, to order +down such heavy furniture and lumber as can be moved, and make a +barricade within the gate." + +"That's good again," says he: "will you see it done?" + +"I'll willingly help to do it," says I, "unless or until my +superior, Sergeant Drooce, gives me other orders." + +He shook me by the hand, and having told off some of his companions +to help me, bestirred himself to look to the arms and ammunition. A +proper quick, brave, steady, ready gentleman! + +One of their three little children was deaf and dumb, Miss Maryon +had been from the first with all the children, soothing them, and +dressing them (poor little things, they had been brought out of +their beds), and making them believe that it was a game of play, so +that some of them were now even laughing. I had been working hard +with the others at the barricade, and had got up a pretty good +breast-work within the gate. Drooce and the seven men had come +back, bringing in the people from the Signal Hill, and had worked +along with us: but, I had not so much as spoken a word to Drooce, +nor had Drooce so much as spoken a word to me, for we were both too +busy. The breastwork was now finished, and I found Miss Maryon at +my side, with a child in her arms. Her dark hair was fastened round +her head with a band. She had a quantity of it, and it looked even +richer and more precious, put up hastily out of her way, than I had +seen it look when it was carefully arranged. She was very pale, but +extraordinarily quiet and still. + +"Dear good Davis," said she, "I have been waiting to speak one word +to you." + +I turned to her directly. If I had received a musket-ball in the +heart, and she had stood there, I almost believe I should have +turned to her before I dropped. + +"This pretty little creature," said she, kissing the child in her +arms, who was playing with her hair and trying to pull it down, +"cannot hear what we say--can hear nothing. I trust you so much, +and have such great confidence in you, that I want you to make me a +promise." + +"What is it, Miss?" + +"That if we are defeated, and you are absolutely sure of my being +taken, you will kill me." + +"I shall not be alive to do it, Miss. I shall have died in your +defence before it comes to that. They must step across my body to +lay a hand on you." + +"But, if you are alive, you brave soldier." How she looked at me! +"And if you cannot save me from the Pirates, living, you will save +me, dead. Tell me so." + +Well! I told her I would do that at the last, if all else failed. +She took my hand--my rough, coarse hand--and put it to her lips. +She put it to the child's lips, and the child kissed it. I believe +I had the strength of half a dozen men in me, from that moment, +until the fight was over. + +All this time, Mr. Commissioner Pordage had been wanting to make a +Proclamation to the Pirates to lay down their arms and go away; and +everybody had been hustling him about and tumbling over him, while +he was calling for pen and ink to write it with. Mrs. Pordage, too, +had some curious ideas about the British respectability of her +nightcap (which had as many frills to it, growing in layers one +inside another, as if it was a white vegetable of the artichoke +sort), and she wouldn't take the nightcap off, and would be angry +when it got crushed by the other ladies who were handing things +about, and, in short, she gave as much trouble as her husband did. +But, as we were now forming for the defence of the place, they were +both poked out of the way with no ceremony. The children and ladies +were got into the little trench which surrounded the silver-house +(we were afraid of leaving them in any of the light buildings, lest +they should be set on fire), and we made the best disposition we +could. There was a pretty good store, in point of amount, of +tolerable swords and cutlasses. Those were issued. There were, +also, perhaps a score or so of spare muskets. Those were brought +out. To my astonishment, little Mrs. Fisher that I had taken for a +doll and a baby, was not only very active in that service, but +volunteered to load the spare arms. + +"For, I understand it well," says she, cheerfully, without a shake +in her voice. + +"I am a soldier's daughter and a sailor's sister, and I understand +it too," says Miss Maryon, just in the same way. + +Steady and busy behind where I stood, those two beautiful and +delicate young women fell to handling the guns, hammering the +flints, looking to the locks, and quietly directing others to pass +up powder and bullets from hand to hand, as unflinching as the best +of tried soldiers. + +Sergeant Drooce had brought in word that the pirates were very +strong in numbers--over a hundred was his estimate--and that they +were not, even then, all landed; for, he had seen them in a very +good position on the further side of the Signal Hill, evidently +waiting for the rest of their men to come up. In the present pause, +the first we had had since the alarm, he was telling this over again +to Mr. Macey, when Mr. Macey suddenly cried our: "The signal! +Nobody has thought of the signal!" + +We knew of no signal, so we could not have thought of it. + +"What signal may you mean, sir?" says Sergeant Drooce, looking sharp +at him. + +"There is a pile of wood upon the Signal Hill. If it could be +lighted--which never has been done yet--it would be a signal of +distress to the mainland." + +Charker cries, directly: "Sergeant Drooce, dispatch me on that +duty. Give me the two men who were on guard with me to-night, and +I'll light the fire, if it can be done." + +"And if it can't, Corporal--" Mr. Macey strikes in. + +"Look at these ladies and children, sir!" says Charker. "I'd sooner +light myself, than not try any chance to save them." + +We gave him a Hurrah!--it burst from us, come of it what might--and +he got his two men, and was let out at the gate, and crept away. I +had no sooner come back to my place from being one of the party to +handle the gate, than Miss Maryon said in a low voice behind me: + +"Davis, will you look at this powder? This is not right." + +I turned my head. Christian George King again, and treachery again! +Sea-water had been conveyed into the magazine, and every grain of +powder was spoiled! + +"Stay a moment," said Sergeant Drooce, when I had told him, without +causing a movement in a muscle of his face: "look to your pouch, my +lad. You Tom Packer, look to your pouch, confound you! Look to +your pouches, all you Marines." + +The same artful savage had got at them, somehow or another, and the +cartridges were all unserviceable. "Hum!" says the Sergeant. "Look +to your loading, men. You are right so far?" + +Yes; we were right so far. + +"Well, my lads, and gentlemen all," says the Sergeant, "this will be +a hand-to-hand affair, and so much the better." + +He treated himself to a pinch of snuff, and stood up, square- +shouldered and broad-chested, in the light of the moon--which was +now very bright--as cool as if he was waiting for a play to begin. +He stood quiet, and we all stood quiet, for a matter of something +like half-an-hour. I took notice from such whispered talk as there +was, how little we that the silver did not belong to, thought about +it, and how much the people that it did belong to, thought about it. +At the end of the half-hour, it was reported from the gate that +Charker and the two were falling back on us, pursued by about a +dozen. + +"Sally! Gate-party, under Gill Davis," says the Sergeant, "and +bring 'em in! Like men, now!" + +We were not long about it, and we brought them in. "Don't take me," +says Charker, holding me round the neck, and stumbling down at my +feet when the gate was fast, "don't take me near the ladies or the +children, Gill. They had better not see Death, till it can't be +helped. They'll see it soon enough." + +"Harry!" I answered, holding up his head. "Comrade!" + +He was cut to pieces. The signal had been secured by the first +pirate party that landed; his hair was all singed off, and his face +was blackened with the running pitch from a torch. + +He made no complaint of pain, or of anything. "Good-bye, old chap," +was all he said, with a smile. "I've got my death. And Death ain't +life. Is it, Gill?" + +Having helped to lay his poor body on one side, I went back to my +post. Sergeant Drooce looked at me, with his eyebrows a little +lifted. I nodded. "Close up here men, and gentlemen all!" said the +Sergeant. "A place too many, in the line." + +The Pirates were so close upon us at this time, that the foremost of +them were already before the gate. More and more came up with a +great noise, and shouting loudly. When we believed from the sound +that they were all there, we gave three English cheers. The poor +little children joined, and were so fully convinced of our being at +play, that they enjoyed the noise, and were heard clapping their +hands in the silence that followed. + +Our disposition was this, beginning with the rear. Mrs. Venning, +holding her daughter's child in her arms, sat on the steps of the +little square trench surrounding the silver-house, encouraging and +directing those women and children as she might have done in the +happiest and easiest time of her life. Then, there was an armed +line, under Mr. Macey, across the width of the enclosure, facing +that way and having their backs towards the gate, in order that they +might watch the walls and prevent our being taken by surprise. Then +there was a space of eight or ten feet deep, in which the spare arms +were, and in which Miss Maryon and Mrs. Fisher, their hands and +dresses blackened with the spoilt gunpowder, worked on their knees, +tying such things as knives, old bayonets, and spear-heads, to the +muzzles of the useless muskets. Then, there was a second armed +line, under Sergeant Drooce, also across the width of the enclosure, +but facing to the gate. Then came the breastwork we had made, with +a zigzag way through it for me and my little party to hold good in +retreating, as long as we could, when we were driven from the gate. +We all knew that it was impossible to hold the place long, and that +our only hope was in the timely discovery of the plot by the boats, +and in their coming back. + +I and my men were now thrown forward to the gate. From a spy-hole, +I could see the whole crowd of Pirates. There were Malays among +them, Dutch, Maltese, Greeks, Sambos, Negroes, and Convict +Englishmen from the West India Islands; among the last, him with the +one eye and the patch across the nose. There were some Portuguese, +too, and a few Spaniards. The captain was a Portuguese; a little +man with very large ear-rings under a very broad hat, and a great +bright shawl twisted about his shoulders. They were all strongly +armed, but like a boarding party, with pikes, swords, cutlasses, and +axes. I noticed a good many pistols, but not a gun of any kind +among them. This gave me to understand that they had considered +that a continued roll of musketry might perhaps have been heard on +the mainland; also, that for the reason that fire would be seen from +the mainland they would not set the Fort in flames and roast us +alive; which was one of their favourite ways of carrying on. I +looked about for Christian George King, and if I had seen him I am +much mistaken if he would not have received my one round of ball- +cartridge in his head. But, no Christian George King was visible. + +A sort of a wild Portuguese demon, who seemed either fierce-mad or +fierce-drunk--but, they all seemed one or the other--came forward +with the black flag, and gave it a wave or two. After that, the +Portuguese captain called out in shrill English, "I say you! +English fools! Open the gate! Surrender!" + +As we kept close and quiet, he said something to his men which I +didn't understand, and when he had said it, the one-eyed English +rascal with the patch (who had stepped out when he began), said it +again in English. It was only this. "Boys of the black flag, this +is to be quickly done. Take all the prisoners you can. If they +don't yield, kill the children to make them. Forward!" Then, they +all came on at the gate, and in another half-minute were smashing +and splitting it in. + +We struck at them through the gaps and shivers, and we dropped many +of them, too; but, their very weight would have carried such a gate, +if they had been unarmed. I soon found Sergeant Drooce at my side, +forming us six remaining marines in line--Tom Packer next to me--and +ordering us to fall back three paces, and, as they broke in, to give +them our one little volley at short distance. "Then," says he, +"receive them behind your breastwork on the bayonet, and at least +let every man of you pin one of the cursed cockchafers through the +body." + +We checked them by our fire, slight as it was, and we checked them +at the breastwork. However, they broke over it like swarms of +devils--they were, really and truly, more devils than men--and then +it was hand to hand, indeed. + +We clubbed our muskets and laid about us; even then, those two +ladies--always behind me--were steady and ready with the arms. I +had a lot of Maltese and Malays upon me, and, but for a broadsword +that Miss Maryon's own hand put in mine, should have got my end from +them. But, was that all? No. I saw a heap of banded dark hair and +a white dress come thrice between me and them, under my own raised +right arm, which each time might have destroyed the wearer of the +white dress; and each time one of the lot went down, struck dead. + +Drooce was armed with a broadsword, too, and did such things with +it, that there was a cry, in half-a-dozen languages, of "Kill that +sergeant!" as I knew, by the cry being raised in English, and taken +up in other tongues. I had received a severe cut across the left +arm a few moments before, and should have known nothing of it, +except supposing that somebody had struck me a smart blow, if I had +not felt weak, and seen myself covered with spouting blood, and, at +the same instant of time, seen Miss Maryon tearing her dress and +binding it with Mrs. Fisher's help round the wound. They called to +Tom Packer, who was scouring by, to stop and guard me for one +minute, while I was bound, or I should bleed to death in trying to +defend myself. Tom stopped directly, with a good sabre in his hand. + +In that same moment--all things seem to happen in that same moment, +at such a time--half-a-dozen had rushed howling at Sergeant Drooce. +The Sergeant, stepping back against the wall, stopped one howl for +ever with such a terrible blow, and waited for the rest to come on, +with such a wonderfully unmoved face, that they stopped and looked +at him. + +"See him now!" cried Tom Packer. "Now, when I could cut him out! +Gill! Did I tell you to mark my words?" + +I implored Tom Packer in the Lord's name, as well as I could in my +faintness, to go to the Sergeant's aid. + +"I hate and detest him," says Tom, moodily wavering. "Still, he is +a brave man." Then he calls out, "Sergeant Drooce, Sergeant Drooce! +Tell me you have driven me too hard, and are sorry for it." + +The Sergeant, without turning his eyes from his assailants, which +would have been instant death to him, answers. + +"No. I won't." + +"Sergeant Drooce!" cries Tom, in a kind of an agony. "I have passed +my word that I would never save you from Death, if I could, but +would leave you to die. Tell me you have driven me too hard and are +sorry for it, and that shall go for nothing." + +One of the group laid the Sergeant's bald bare head open. The +Sergeant laid him dead. + +"I tell you," says the Sergeant, breathing a little short, and +waiting for the next attack, "no. I won't. If you are not man +enough to strike for a fellow-soldier because he wants help, and +because of nothing else, I'll go into the other world and look for a +better man." + +Tom swept upon them, and cut him out. Tom and he fought their way +through another knot of them, and sent them flying, and came over to +where I was beginning again to feel, with inexpressible joy, that I +had got a sword in my hand. + +They had hardly come to us, when I heard, above all the other +noises, a tremendous cry of women's voices. I also saw Miss Maryon, +with quite a new face, suddenly clap her two hands over Mrs. +Fisher's eyes. I looked towards the silver-house, and saw Mrs. +Venning--standing upright on the top of the steps of the trench, +with her gray hair and her dark eyes--hide her daughter's child +behind her, among the folds of her dress, strike a pirate with her +other hand, and fall, shot by his pistol. + +The cry arose again, and there was a terrible and confusing rush of +the women into the midst of the struggle. In another moment, +something came tumbling down upon me that I thought was the wall. +It was a heap of Sambos who had come over the wall; and of four men +who clung to my legs like serpents, one who clung to my right leg +was Christian George King. + +"Yup, So-Jeer," says he, "Christian George King sar berry glad So- +Jeer a prisoner. Christian George King been waiting for So-Jeer +sech long time. Yup, yup!" + +What could I do, with five-and-twenty of them on me, but be tied +hand and foot? So, I was tied hand and foot. It was all over now-- +boats not come back--all lost! When I was fast bound and was put up +against the wall, the one-eyed English convict came up with the +Portuguese Captain, to have a look at me. + +"See!" says he. "Here's the determined man! If you had slept +sounder, last night, you'd have slept your soundest last night, my +determined man." + +The Portuguese Captain laughed in a cool way, and with the flat of +his cutlass, hit me crosswise, as if I was the bough of a tree that +he played with: first on the face, and then across the chest and +the wounded arm. I looked him steady in the face without tumbling +while he looked at me, I am happy to say; but, when they went away, +I fell, and lay there. + +The sun was up, when I was roused and told to come down to the beach +and be embarked. I was full of aches and pains, and could not at +first remember; but, I remembered quite soon enough. The killed +were lying about all over the place, and the Pirates were burying +their dead, and taking away their wounded on hastily-made litters, +to the back of the Island. As for us prisoners, some of their boats +had come round to the usual harbour, to carry us off. We looked a +wretched few, I thought, when I got down there; still, it was +another sign that we had fought well, and made the enemy suffer. + +The Portuguese Captain had all the women already embarked in the +boat he himself commanded, which was just putting off when I got +down. Miss Maryon sat on one side of him, and gave me a moment's +look, as full of quiet courage, and pity, and confidence, as if it +had been an hour long. On the other side of him was poor little +Mrs. Fisher, weeping for her child and her mother. I was shoved +into the same boat with Drooce and Packer, and the remainder of our +party of marines: of whom we had lost two privates, besides +Charker, my poor, brave comrade. We all made a melancholy passage, +under the hot sun over to the mainland. There, we landed in a +solitary place, and were mustered on the sea sand. Mr. and Mrs. +Macey and their children were amongst us, Mr. and Mrs. Pordage, Mr. +Kitten, Mr. Fisher, and Mrs. Belltott. We mustered only fourteen +men, fifteen women, and seven children. Those were all that +remained of the English who had lain down to sleep last night, +unsuspecting and happy, on the Island of Silver-Store. + + + +CHAPTER III {1}--THE RAFTS ON THE RIVER + + + +We contrived to keep afloat all that night, and, the stream running +strong with us, to glide a long way down the river. But, we found +the night to be a dangerous time for such navigation, on account of +the eddies and rapids, and it was therefore settled next day that in +future we would bring-to at sunset, and encamp on the shore. As we +knew of no boats that the Pirates possessed, up at the Prison in the +Woods, we settled always to encamp on the opposite side of the +stream, so as to have the breadth of the river between our sleep and +them. Our opinion was, that if they were acquainted with any near +way by land to the mouth of this river, they would come up it in +force, and retake us or kill us, according as they could; but that +if that was not the case, and if the river ran by none of their +secret stations, we might escape. + +When I say we settled this or that, I do not mean that we planned +anything with any confidence as to what might happen an hour hence. +So much had happened in one night, and such great changes had been +violently and suddenly made in the fortunes of many among us, that +we had got better used to uncertainty, in a little while, than I +dare say most people do in the course of their lives. + +The difficulties we soon got into, through the off-settings and +point-currents of the stream, made the likelihood of our being +drowned, alone,--to say nothing of our being retaken--as broad and +plain as the sun at noonday to all of us. But, we all worked hard +at managing the rafts, under the direction of the seamen (of our own +skill, I think we never could have prevented them from oversetting), +and we also worked hard at making good the defects in their first +hasty construction--which the water soon found out. While we humbly +resigned ourselves to going down, if it was the will of Our Father +that was in Heaven, we humbly made up our minds, that we would all +do the best that was in us. + +And so we held on, gliding with the stream. It drove us to this +bank, and it drove us to that bank, and it turned us, and whirled +us; but yet it carried us on. Sometimes much too slowly; sometimes +much too fast, but yet it carried us on. + +My little deaf and dumb boy slumbered a good deal now, and that was +the case with all the children. They caused very little trouble to +any one. They seemed, in my eyes, to get more like one another, not +only in quiet manner, but in the face, too. The motion of the raft +was usually so much the same, the scene was usually so much the +same, the sound of the soft wash and ripple of the water was usually +so much the same, that they were made drowsy, as they might have +been by the constant playing of one tune. Even on the grown people, +who worked hard and felt anxiety, the same things produced something +of the same effect. Every day was so like the other, that I soon +lost count of the days, myself, and had to ask Miss Maryon, for +instance, whether this was the third or fourth? Miss Maryon had a +pocket-book and pencil, and she kept the log; that is to say, she +entered up a clear little journal of the time, and of the distances +our seamen thought we had made, each night. + +So, as I say, we kept afloat and glided on. All day long, and every +day, the water, and the woods, and sky; all day long, and every day, +the constant watching of both sides of the river, and far a-head at +every bold turn and sweep it made, for any signs of Pirate-boats, or +Pirate-dwellings. So, as I say, we kept afloat and glided on. The +days melting themselves together to that degree, that I could hardly +believe my ears when I asked "How many now, Miss?" and she answered +"Seven." + +To be sure, poor Mr. Pordage had, by about now, got his Diplomatic +coat into such a state as never was seen. What with the mud of the +river, what with the water of the river, what with the sun, and the +dews, and the tearing boughs, and the thickets, it hung about him in +discoloured shreds like a mop. The sun had touched him a bit. He +had taken to always polishing one particular button, which just held +on to his left wrist, and to always calling for stationery. I +suppose that man called for pens, ink, and paper, tape, and scaling- +wax, upwards of one thousand times in four-and-twenty hours. He had +an idea that we should never get out of that river unless we were +written out of it in a formal Memorandum; and the more we laboured +at navigating the rafts, the more he ordered us not to touch them at +our peril, and the more he sat and roared for stationery. + +Mrs. Pordage, similarly, persisted in wearing her nightcap. I doubt +if any one but ourselves who had seen the progress of that article +of dress, could by this time have told what it was meant for. It +had got so limp and ragged that she couldn't see out of her eyes for +it. It was so dirty, that whether it was vegetable matter out of a +swamp, or weeds out of the river, or an old porter's-knot from +England, I don't think any new spectator could have said. Yet, this +unfortunate old woman had a notion that it was not only vastly +genteel, but that it was the correct thing as to propriety. And she +really did carry herself over the other ladies who had no nightcaps, +and who were forced to tie up their hair how they could, in a +superior manner that was perfectly amazing. + +I don't know what she looked like, sitting in that blessed nightcap, +on a log of wood, outside the hut or cabin upon our raft. She would +have rather resembled a fortune-teller in one of the picture-books +that used to be in the shop windows in my boyhood, except for her +stateliness. But, Lord bless my heart, the dignity with which she +sat and moped, with her head in that bundle of tatters, was like +nothing else in the world! She was not on speaking terms with more +than three of the ladies. Some of them had, what she called, "taken +precedence" of her--in getting into, or out of, that miserable +little shelter!--and others had not called to pay their respects, or +something of that kind. So, there she sat, in her own state and +ceremony, while her husband sat on the same log of wood, ordering us +one and all to let the raft go to the bottom, and to bring him +stationery. + +What with this noise on the part of Mr. Commissioner Pordage, and +what with the cries of Sergeant Drooce on the raft astern (which +were sometimes more than Tom Packer could silence), we often made +our slow way down the river, anything but quietly. Yet, that it was +of great importance that no ears should be able to hear us from the +woods on the banks, could not be doubted. We were looked for, to a +certainty, and we might be retaken at any moment. It was an anxious +time; it was, indeed, indeed, an anxious time. + +On the seventh night of our voyage on the rafts, we made fast, as +usual, on the opposite side of the river to that from which we had +started, in as dark a place as we could pick out. Our little +encampment was soon made, and supper was eaten, and the children +fell asleep. The watch was set, and everything made orderly for the +night. Such a starlight night, with such blue in the sky, and such +black in the places of heavy shade on the banks of the great stream! + +Those two ladies, Miss Maryon and Mrs. Fisher, had always kept near +me since the night of the attack. Mr. Fisher, who was untiring in +the work of our raft, had said to me: + +"My dear little childless wife has grown so attached to you, Davis, +and you are such a gentle fellow, as well as such a determined one;" +our party had adopted that last expression from the one-eyed English +pirate, and I repeat what Mr. Fisher said, only because he said it; +"that it takes a load off my mind to leave her in your charge." + +I said to him: "Your lady is in far better charge than mine, Sir, +having Miss Maryon to take care of her; but, you may rely upon it, +that I will guard them both--faithful and true." + +Says he: "I do rely upon it, Davis, and I heartily wish all the +silver on our old Island was yours." + +That seventh starlight night, as I have said, we made our camp, and +got our supper, and set our watch, and the children fell asleep. It +was solemn and beautiful in those wild and solitary parts, to see +them, every night before they lay down, kneeling under the bright +sky, saying their little prayers at women's laps. At that time we +men all uncovered, and mostly kept at a distance. When the innocent +creatures rose up, we murmured "Amen!" all together. For, though we +had not heard what they said, we know it must be good for us. + +At that time, too, as was only natural, those poor mothers in our +company, whose children had been killed, shed many tears. I thought +the sight seemed to console them while it made them cry; but, +whether I was right or wrong in that, they wept very much. On this +seventh night, Mrs. Fisher had cried for her lost darling until she +cried herself asleep. She was lying on a little couch of leaves and +such-like (I made the best little couch I could for them every +night), and Miss Maryon had covered her, and sat by her, holding her +hand. The stars looked down upon them. As for me, I guarded them. + +"Davis!" says Miss Maryon. (I am not going to say what a voice she +had. I couldn't if I tried.) + +"I am here, Miss." + +"The river sounds as if it were swollen to-night." + +"We all think, Miss, that we are coming near the sea." + +"Do you believe now, we shall escape?" + +"I do now, Miss, really believe it." I had always said I did; but, +I had in my own mind been doubtful. + +"How glad you will be, my good Davis, to see England again!" + +I have another confession to make that will appear singular. When +she said these words, something rose in my throat; and the stars I +looked away at, seemed to break into sparkles that fell down my face +and burnt it. + +"England is not much to me, Miss, except as a name." + +"O, so true an Englishman should not say that!--Are you not well to- +night, Davis?" Very kindly, and with a quick change. + +"Quite well, Miss." + +"Are you sure? Your voice sounds altered in my hearing." + +"No, Miss, I am a stronger man than ever. But, England is nothing +to me." + +Miss Maryon sat silent for so long a while, that I believed she had +done speaking to me for one time. However, she had not; for by-and- +by she said in a distinct clear tone: + +"No, good friend; you must not say that England is nothing to you. +It is to be much to you, yet--everything to you. You have to take +back to England the good name you have earned here, and the +gratitude and attachment and respect you have won here: and you +have to make some good English girl very happy and proud, by +marrying her; and I shall one day see her, I hope, and make her +happier and prouder still, by telling her what noble services her +husband's were in South America, and what a noble friend he was to +me there." + +Though she spoke these kind words in a cheering manner, she spoke +them compassionately. I said nothing. It will appear to be another +strange confession, that I paced to and fro, within call, all that +night, a most unhappy man, reproaching myself all the night long. +"You are as ignorant as any man alive; you are as obscure as any man +alive; you are as poor as any man alive; you are no better than the +mud under your foot." That was the way in which I went on against +myself until the morning. + +With the day, came the day's labour. What I should have done-- +without the labour, I don't know. We were afloat again at the usual +hour, and were again making our way down the river. It was broader, +and clearer of obstructions than it had been, and it seemed to flow +faster. This was one of Drooce's quiet days; Mr. Pordage, besides +being sulky, had almost lost his voice; and we made good way, and +with little noise. + +There was always a seaman forward on the raft, keeping a bright +look-out. Suddenly, in the full heat of the day, when the children +were slumbering, and the very trees and reeds appeared to be +slumbering, this man--it was Short--holds up his hand, and cries +with great caution: "Avast! Voices ahead!" + +We held on against the stream as soon as we could bring her up, and +the other raft followed suit. At first, Mr. Macey, Mr. Fisher, and +myself, could hear nothing; though both the seamen aboard of us +agreed that they could hear voices and oars. After a little pause, +however, we united in thinking that we could hear the sound of +voices, and the dip of oars. But, you can hear a long way in those +countries, and there was a bend of the river before us, and nothing +was to be seen except such waters and such banks as we were now in +the eighth day (and might, for the matter of our feelings, have been +in the eightieth), of having seen with anxious eyes. + +It was soon decided to put a man ashore, who should creep through +the wood, see what was coming, and warn the rafts. The rafts in the +meantime to keep the middle of the stream. The man to be put +ashore, and not to swim ashore, as the first thing could be more +quickly done than the second. The raft conveying him, to get back +into mid-stream, and to hold on along with the other, as well is it +could, until signalled by the man. In case of danger, the man to +shift for himself until it should be safe to take him on board +again. I volunteered to be the man. + +We knew that the voices and oars must come up slowly against the +stream; and our seamen knew, by the set of the stream, under which +bank they would come. I was put ashore accordingly. The raft got +off well, and I broke into the wood. + +Steaming hot it was, and a tearing place to get through. So much +the better for me, since it was something to contend against and do. +I cut off the bend of the river, at a great saving of space, came to +the water's edge again, and hid myself, and waited. I could now +hear the dip of the oars very distinctly; the voices had ceased. + +The sound came on in a regular tune, and as I lay hidden, I fancied +the tune so played to be, "Chris'en--George--King! Chris'en-- +George--King! Chris'en--George--King!" over and over again, always +the same, with the pauses always at the same places. I had likewise +time to make up my mind that if these were the Pirates, I could and +would (barring my being shot) swim off to my raft, in spite of my +wound, the moment I had given the alarm, and hold my old post by +Miss Maryon. + +"Chris'en--George--King! Chris'en--George--King! Chris'en--George- +-King!" coming up, now, very near. + +I took a look at the branches about me, to see where a shower of +bullets would be most likely to do me least hurt; and I took a look +back at the track I had made in forcing my way in; and now I was +wholly prepared and fully ready for them. + +"Chris'en--George--King! Chris'en--George--King! Chris'en--George- +-King!" Here they are! + +Who were they? The barbarous Pirates, scum of all nations, headed +by such men as the hideous little Portuguese monkey, and the one- +eyed English convict with the gash across his face, that ought to +have gashed his wicked head off? The worst men in the world picked +out from the worst, to do the cruellest and most atrocious deeds +that ever stained it? The howling, murdering, black-flag waving, +mad, and drunken crowd of devils that had overcome us by numbers and +by treachery? No. These were English men in English boats--good +blue-jackets and red-coats--marines that I knew myself, and sailors +that knew our seamen! At the helm of the first boat, Captain +Carton, eager and steady. At the helm of the second boat, Captain +Maryon, brave and bold. At the helm of the third boat, an old +seaman, with determination carved into his watchful face, like the +figure-head of a ship. Every man doubly and trebly armed from head +to foot. Every man lying-to at his work, with a will that had all +his heart and soul in it. Every man looking out for any trace of +friend or enemy, and burning to be the first to do good or avenge +evil. Every man with his face on fire when he saw me, his +countryman who had been taken prisoner, and hailed me with a cheer, +as Captain Carton's boat ran in and took me on board. + +I reported, "All escaped, sir! All well, all safe, all here!" + +God bless me--and God bless them--what a cheer! It turned me weak, +as I was passed on from hand to hand to the stern of the boat: +every hand patting me or grasping me in some way or other, in the +moment of my going by. + +"Hold up, my brave fellow," says Captain Carton, clapping me on the +shoulder like a friend, and giving me a flask. "Put your lips to +that, and they'll be red again. Now, boys, give way!" + +The banks flew by us as if the mightiest stream that ever ran was +with us; and so it was, I am sure, meaning the stream to those men's +ardour and spirit. The banks flew by us, and we came in sight of +the rafts--the banks flew by us, and we came alongside of the rafts- +-the banks stopped; and there was a tumult of laughing and crying, +and kissing and shaking of hands, and catching up of children and +setting of them down again, and a wild hurry of thankfulness and joy +that melted every one and softened all hearts. + +I had taken notice, in Captain Carton's boat, that there was a +curious and quite new sort of fitting on board. It was a kind of a +little bower made of flowers, and it was set up behind the captain, +and betwixt him and the rudder. Not only was this arbour, so to +call it, neatly made of flowers, but it was ornamented in a singular +way. Some of the men had taken the ribbons and buckles off their +hats, and hung them among the flowers; others had made festoons and +streamers of their handkerchiefs, and hung them there; others had +intermixed such trifles as bits of glass and shining fragments of +lockets and tobacco-boxes with the flowers; so that altogether it +was a very bright and lively object in the sunshine. But why there, +or what for, I did not understand. + +Now, as soon as the first bewilderment was over, Captain Carton gave +the order to land for the present. But this boat of his, with two +hands left in her, immediately put off again when the men were out +of her, and kept off, some yards from the shore. As she floated +there, with the two hands gently backing water to keep her from +going down the stream, this pretty little arbour attracted many +eyes. None of the boat's crew, however, had anything to say about +it, except that it was the captain's fancy. + +The captain--with the women and children clustering round him, and +the men of all ranks grouped outside them, and all listening--stood +telling how the Expedition, deceived by its bad intelligence, had +chased the light Pirate boats all that fatal night, and had still +followed in their wake next day, and had never suspected until many +hours too late that the great Pirate body had drawn off in the +darkness when the chase began, and shot over to the Island. He +stood telling how the Expedition, supposing the whole array of armed +boats to be ahead of it, got tempted into shallows and went aground; +but not without having its revenge upon the two decoy-boats, both of +which it had come up with, overhand, and sent to the bottom with all +on board. He stood telling how the Expedition, fearing then that +the case stood as it did, got afloat again, by great exertion, after +the loss of four more tides, and returned to the Island, where they +found the sloop scuttled and the treasure gone. He stood telling +how my officer, Lieutenant Linderwood, was left upon the Island, +with as strong a force as could be got together hurriedly from the +mainland, and how the three boats we saw before us were manned and +armed and had come away, exploring the coast and inlets, in search +of any tidings of us. He stood telling all this, with his face to +the river; and, as he stood telling it, the little arbour of flowers +floated in the sunshine before all the faces there. + +Leaning on Captain Carton's shoulder, between him and Miss Maryon, +was Mrs. Fisher, her head drooping on her arm. She asked him, +without raising it, when he had told so much, whether he had found +her mother? + +"Be comforted! She lies," said the Captain gently, "under the +cocoa-nut trees on the beach." + +"And my child, Captain Carton, did you find my child, too? Does my +darling rest with my mother?" + +"No. Your pretty child sleeps," said the Captain, "under a shade of +flowers." + +His voice shook; but there was something in it that struck all the +hearers. At that moment there sprung from the arbour in his boat a +little creature, clapping her hands and stretching out her arms, and +crying, "Dear papa! Dear mamma! I am not killed. I am saved. I +am coming to kiss you. Take me to them, take me to them, good, kind +sailors!" + +Nobody who saw that scene has ever forgotten it, I am sure, or ever +will forget it. The child had kept quite still, where her brave +grandmamma had put her (first whispering in her ear, "Whatever +happens to me, do not stir, my dear!"), and had remained quiet until +the fort was deserted; she had then crept out of the trench, and +gone into her mother's house; and there, alone on the solitary +Island, in her mother's room, and asleep on her mother's bed, the +Captain had found her. Nothing could induce her to be parted from +him after he took her up in his arms, and he had brought her away +with him, and the men had made the bower for her. To see those men +now, was a sight. The joy of the women was beautiful; the joy of +those women who had lost their own children, was quite sacred and +divine; but, the ecstasies of Captain Carton's boat's crew, when +their pet was restored to her parents, were wonderful for the +tenderness they showed in the midst of roughness. As the Captain +stood with the child in his arms, and the child's own little arms +now clinging round his neck, now round her father's, now round her +mother's, now round some one who pressed up to kiss her, the boat's +crew shook hands with one another, waved their hats over their +heads, laughed, sang, cried, danced--and all among themselves, +without wanting to interfere with anybody--in a manner never to be +represented. At last, I saw the coxswain and another, two very +hard-faced men, with grizzled heads, who had been the heartiest of +the hearty all along, close with one another, get each of them the +other's head under his arm, and pommel away at it with his fist as +hard as he could, in his excess of joy. + +When we had well rested and refreshed ourselves--and very glad we +were to have some of the heartening things to eat and drink that had +come up in the boats--we recommenced our voyage down the river: +rafts, and boats, and all. I said to myself, it was a very +different kind of voyage now, from what it had been; and I fell into +my proper place and station among my fellow-soldiers. + +But, when we halted for the night, I found that Miss Maryon had +spoken to Captain Carton concerning me. For, the Captain came +straight up to me, and says he, "My brave fellow, you have been Miss +Maryon's body-guard all along, and you shall remain so. Nobody +shall supersede you in the distinction and pleasure of protecting +that young lady." I thanked his honour in the fittest words I could +find, and that night I was placed on my old post of watching the +place where she slept. More than once in the night, I saw Captain +Carton come out into the air, and stroll about there, to see that +all was well. I have now this other singular confession to make, +that I saw him with a heavy heart. Yes; I saw him with a heavy, +heavy heart. + +In the day-time, I had the like post in Captain Carton's boat. I +had a special station of my own, behind Miss Maryon, and no hands +but hers ever touched my wound. (It has been healed these many long +years; but, no other hands have ever touched it.) Mr. Pordage was +kept tolerably quiet now, with pen and ink, and began to pick up his +senses a little. Seated in the second boat, he made documents with +Mr. Kitten, pretty well all day; and he generally handed in a +Protest about something whenever we stopped. The Captain, however, +made so very light of these papers, that it grew into a saying among +the men, when one of them wanted a match for his pipe, "Hand us over +a Protest, Jack!" As to Mrs. Pordage, she still wore the nightcap, +and she now had cut all the ladies on account of her not having been +formally and separately rescued by Captain Carton before anybody +else. The end of Mr. Pordage, to bring to an end all I know about +him, was, that he got great compliments at home for his conduct on +these trying occasions, and that he died of yellow jaundice, a +Governor and a K.C.B. + +Sergeant Drooce had fallen from a high fever into a low one. Tom +Packer--the only man who could have pulled the Sergeant through it-- +kept hospital aboard the old raft, and Mrs. Belltott, as brisk as +ever again (but the spirit of that little woman, when things tried +it, was not equal to appearances), was head-nurse under his +directions. Before we got down to the Mosquito coast, the joke had +been made by one of our men, that we should see her gazetted Mrs. +Tom Packer, vice Belltott exchanged. + +When we reached the coast, we got native boats as substitutes for +the rafts; and we rowed along under the land; and in that beautiful +climate, and upon that beautiful water, the blooming days were like +enchantment. Ah! They were running away, faster than any sea or +river, and there was no tide to bring them back. We were coming +very near the settlement where the people of Silver-Store were to be +left, and from which we Marines were under orders to return to +Belize. + +Captain Carton had, in the boat by him, a curious long-barrelled +Spanish gun, and he had said to Miss Maryon one day that it was the +best of guns, and had turned his head to me, and said: + +"Gill Davis, load her fresh with a couple of slugs, against a chance +of showing how good she is." + +So, I had discharged the gun over the sea, and had loaded her, +according to orders, and there it had lain at the Captain's feet, +convenient to the Captain's hand. + +The last day but one of our journey was an uncommonly hot day. We +started very early; but, there was no cool air on the sea as the day +got on, and by noon the heat was really hard to bear, considering +that there were women and children to bear it. Now, we happened to +open, just at that time, a very pleasant little cove or bay, where +there was a deep shade from a great growth of trees. Now, the +Captain, therefore, made the signal to the other boats to follow him +in and lie by a while. + +The men who were off duty went ashore, and lay down, but were +ordered, for caution's sake, not to stray, and to keep within view. +The others rested on their oars, and dozed. Awnings had been made +of one thing and another, in all the boats, and the passengers found +it cooler to be under them in the shade, when there was room enough, +than to be in the thick woods. So, the passengers were all afloat, +and mostly sleeping. I kept my post behind Miss Maryon, and she was +on Captain Carton's right in the boat, and Mrs. Fisher sat on her +right again. The Captain had Mrs. Fisher's daughter on his knee. +He and the two ladies were talking about the Pirates, and were +talking softly; partly, because people do talk softly under such +indolent circumstances, and partly because the little girl had gone +off asleep. + +I think I have before given it out for my Lady to write down, that +Captain Carton had a fine bright eye of his own. All at once, he +darted me a side look, as much as to say, "Steady--don't take on--I +see something!"--and gave the child into her mother's arms. That +eye of his was so easy to understand, that I obeyed it by not so +much as looking either to the right or to the left out of a corner +of my own, or changing my attitude the least trifle. The Captain +went on talking in the same mild and easy way; but began--with his +arms resting across his knees, and his head a little hanging +forward, as if the heat were rather too much for him--began to play +with the Spanish gun. + +"They had laid their plans, you see," says the Captain, taking up +the Spanish gun across his knees, and looking, lazily, at the +inlaying on the stock, "with a great deal of art; and the corrupt or +blundering local authorities were so easily deceived;" he ran his +left hand idly along the barrel, but I saw, with my breath held, +that he covered the action of cocking the gun with his right--"so +easily deceived, that they summoned us out to come into the trap. +But my intention as to future operations--" In a flash the Spanish +gun was at his bright eye, and he fired. + +All started up; innumerable echoes repeated the sound of the +discharge; a cloud of bright-coloured birds flew out of the woods +screaming; a handful of leaves were scattered in the place where the +shot had struck; a crackling of branches was heard; and some lithe +but heavy creature sprang into the air, and fell forward, head down, +over the muddy bank. + +"What is it?" cries Captain Maryon from his boat. All silent then, +but the echoes rolling away. + +"It is a Traitor and a Spy," said Captain Carton, handing me the gun +to load again. "And I think the other name of the animal is +Christian George King!" + +Shot through the heart. Some of the people ran round to the spot, +and drew him out, with the slime and wet trickling down his face; +but his face itself would never stir any more to the end of time. + +"Leave him hanging to that tree," cried Captain Carton; his boat's +crew giving way, and he leaping ashore. "But first into this wood, +every man in his place. And boats! Out of gunshot!" + +It was a quick change, well meant and well made, though it ended in +disappointment. No Pirates were there; no one but the Spy was +found. It was supposed that the Pirates, unable to retake us, and +expecting a great attack upon them to be the consequence of our +escape, had made from the ruins in the Forest, taken to their ship +along with the Treasure, and left the Spy to pick up what +intelligence he could. In the evening we went away, and he was left +hanging to the tree, all alone, with the red sun making a kind of a +dead sunset on his black face. + +Next day, we gained the settlement on the Mosquito coast for which +we were bound. Having stayed there to refresh seven days, and +having been much commended, and highly spoken of, and finely +entertained, we Marines stood under orders to march from the Town- +Gate (it was neither much of a town nor much of a gate), at five in +the morning. + +My officer had joined us before then. When we turned out at the +gate, all the people were there; in the front of them all those who +had been our fellow-prisoners, and all the seamen. + +"Davis," says Lieutenant Linderwood. "Stand out, my friend!" + +I stood out from the ranks, and Miss Maryon and Captain Carton came +up to me. + +"Dear Davis," says Miss Maryon, while the tears fell fast down her +face, "your grateful friends, in most unwillingly taking leave of +you, ask the favour that, while you bear away with you their +affectionate remembrance, which nothing can ever impair, you will +also take this purse of money--far more valuable to you, we all +know, for the deep attachment and thankfulness with which it is +offered, than for its own contents, though we hope those may prove +useful to you, too, in after life." + +I got out, in answer, that I thankfully accepted the attachment and +affection, but not the money. Captain Carton looked at me very +attentively, and stepped back, and moved away. I made him my bow as +he stepped back, to thank him for being so delicate. + +"No, miss," said I, "I think it would break my heart to accept of +money. But, if you could condescend to give to a man so ignorant +and common as myself, any little thing you have worn--such as a bit +of ribbon--" + +She took a ring from her finger, and put it in my hand. And she +rested her hand in mine, while she said these words: + +"The brave gentlemen of old--but not one of them was braver, or had +a nobler nature than you--took such gifts from ladies, and did all +their good actions for the givers' sakes. If you will do yours for +mine, I shall think with pride that I continue to have some share in +the life of a gallant and generous man." + +For the second time in my life she kissed my hand. I made so bold, +for the first time, as to kiss hers; and I tied the ring at my +breast, and I fell back to my place. + +Then, the horse-litter went out at the gate with Sergeant Drooce in +it; and the horse-litter went out at the gate with Mrs. Belltott in +it; and Lieutenant Linderwood gave the word of command, "Quick +march!" and, cheered and cried for, we went out of the gate too, +marching along the level plain towards the serene blue sky, as if we +were marching straight to Heaven. + +When I have added here that the Pirate scheme was blown to shivers, +by the Pirate-ship which had the Treasure on board being so +vigorously attacked by one of His Majesty's cruisers, among the West +India Keys, and being so swiftly boarded and carried, that nobody +suspected anything about the scheme until three-fourths of the +Pirates were killed, and the other fourth were in irons, and the +Treasure was recovered; I come to the last singular confession I +have got to make. + +It is this. I well knew what an immense and hopeless distance there +was between me and Miss Maryon; I well knew that I was no fitter +company for her than I was for the angels; I well knew, that she was +as high above my reach as the sky over my head; and yet I loved her. +What put it in my low heart to be so daring, or whether such a thing +ever happened before or since, as that a man so uninstructed and +obscure as myself got his unhappy thoughts lifted up to such a +height, while knowing very well how presumptuous and impossible to +be realised they were, I am unable to say; still, the suffering to +me was just as great as if I had been a gentleman. I suffered +agony--agony. I suffered hard, and I suffered long. I thought of +her last words to me, however, and I never disgraced them. If it +had not been for those dear words, I think I should have lost myself +in despair and recklessness. + +The ring will be found lying on my heart, of course, and will be +laid with me wherever I am laid. I am getting on in years now, +though I am able and hearty. I was recommended for promotion, and +everything was done to reward me that could be done; but my total +want of all learning stood in my way, and I found myself so +completely out of the road to it that I could not conquer any +learning, though I tried. I was long in the service, and I +respected it, and was respected in it, and the service is dear to me +at this present hour. + +At this present hour, when I give this out to my Lady to be written +down, all my old pain has softened away, and I am as happy as a man +can be, at this present fine old country-house of Admiral Sir George +Carton, Baronet. It was my Lady Carton who herself sought me out, +over a great many miles of the wide world, and found me in Hospital +wounded, and brought me here. It is my Lady Carton who writes down +my words. My Lady was Miss Maryon. And now, that I conclude what I +had to tell, I see my Lady's honoured gray hair droop over her face, +as she leans a little lower at her desk; and I fervently thank her +for being so tender as I see she is, towards the past pain and +trouble of her poor, old, faithful, humble soldier. + + + +Footnotes: + +{1} Dicken's didn't write the second chapter and it is omitted in +this edition. In it the prisoners are firstly made a ransom of for +the treasure left on the Island and then manage to escape from the +Pirates. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Etext of Perils of Certain English Prisoners + diff --git a/old/pocep10.zip b/old/pocep10.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..ac0e205 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/pocep10.zip |