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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. 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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 |