redgauntlet-第47节

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'I　may　cry　till　doomsday　Master　Geddes；　ere　a　soul　answersthe　cowardly　lubbers　have　all　made　sailthe　cooper；　and　all　the　rest　of　them；　so　soon　as　they　heard　the　enemy　were　at　sea。　　They　have　all　taken　to　the　long…boat；　and　left　the　ship　among　the　breakers；　except　little　Phil　and　myselfthey　have；　by！'

'Swear　not　at　all；　John　Daviesthou　art　an　honest　man；　and　I　believe；　without　an　oath；　that　thy　comrades　love　their　own　bones　better　than　my　goods　and　chattels。　　And　so　thou　hast　no　assistance　but　little　Phil　against　a　hundred　men　or　two？'

'Why；　there　are　the　dogs；　your　honour　knows；　Neptune　and　Thetis　and　the　puppy　may　do　something；　and　then　though　your　worshipI　beg　pardonthough　your　honour　be　no　great　fighter；　this　young　gentleman　may　bear　a　hand。'

'Aye；　and　I　see　you　are　provided　with　arms；'　said　Mr。　Geddes；　'let　me　see　them。'

'Aye；　aye；　sir；　here　be　a　pair　of　buffers　will　bite　as　well　as　barkthese　will　make　sure　of　two　rogues　at　least。　　It　would　be　a　shame　to　strike　without　firing　a　shot。　　Take　care；　your　honour；　they　are　double…shotted。'

'Aye；　John　Davies；　I　will　take　care　of　them；　throwing　the　pistols　into　a　tub　of　water　beside　him；　'and　I　wish　I　could　render　the　whole　generation　of　them　useless　at　the　same　moment。'

A　deep　shade　of　displeasure　passed　over　John　Davies's　weatherbeaten　countenance。　　'Belike　your　honour　is　going　to　take　the　command　yourself；　then？'　　he　said；　after　a　pause。　　'Why；　I　can　be　of　little　use　now；　and　since　your　worship；　or　your　honour；　or　whatever　you　are；　means　to　strike　quietly；　I　believe　you　will　do　it　better　without　me　than　with　me；　for　I　am　like　enough　to　make　mischief；　I　admit；　but　I'll　never　leave　my　post　without　orders。'

'Then　you　have　mine；　John　Davies；　to　go　to　Mount　Sharon　directly；　and　take　the　boy　Phil　with　you。　　Where　is　he？'

'He　is　on　the　outlook　for　these　scums　of　the　earth；'　answered　Davies；　'but　it　is　to　no　purpose　to　know　when　they　come；　if　we　are　not　to　stand　to　our　weapons。'

'We　will　use　none　but　those　of　sense　and　reason；　John。'

'And　you　may　just　as　well　cast　chaff　against　the　wind；　as　speak　sense　and　reason　to　the　like　of　them。'

'Well；　well；　be　it　so；'　said　Joshua；　'and　now；　John　Davies；　I　know　thou　art　what　the　world　calls　a　brave　fellow；　and　I　have　ever　found　thee　an　honest　one。　　And　now　I　command　you　to　go　to　Mount　Sharon；　and　let　Phil　lie　on　the　bank…sidesee　the　poor　boy　hath　a　sea…cloak；　thoughand　watch　what　happens　there；　and　let　him　bring　you　the　news；　and　if　any　violence　shall　be　offered　to　the　property　there；　I　trust　to　your　fidelity　to　carry　my　sister　to　Dumfries　to　the　house　of　our　friends　the　Corsacks；　and　inform　the　civil　authorities　of　what　mischief　hath　befallen。'

The　old　seaman　paused　a　moment。　　'It　is　hard　lines　for　me；'　he　said；　'to　leave　your　honour　in　tribulation；　and　yet；　staying　here；　I　am　only　like　to　make　bad　worse；　and　your　honour's　sister；　Miss　Rachel；　must　be　looked　to；　that's　certain；　for　if　the　rogues　once　get　their　hand　to　mischief；　they　will　come　to　Mount　Sharon　after　they　have　wasted　and　destroyed　this　here　snug　little　roadstead；　where　I　thought　to　ride　at　anchor　for　life。'

'Right；　right；　John　Davies；'　said　Joshua　Geddes；　'and　best　call　the　dogs　with　you。'

'Aye；　aye；　sir；'　said　the　veteran；　'for　they　are　something　of　my　mind；　and　would　not　keep　quiet　if　they　saw　mischief　doing；　so　maybe　they　might　come　to　mischief；　poor　dumb　creatures。　　So　God　bless　your　honourI　mean　your　worshipI　cannot　bring　my　mouth　to　say　fare　you　well。　　Here；　Neptune；　Thetis！　　come；　dogs；　come。'

So　saying；　and　with　a　very　crestfallen　countenance；　John　Davies　left　the　hut。

'Now　there　goes　one　of　the　best　and　most　faithful　creatures　that　ever　was　born；'　said　Mr。　Geddes；　as　the　superintendent　shut　the　door　of　the　cottage。　　'Nature　made　him　with　a　heart　that　would　not　have　suffered　him　to　harm　a　fly；　but　thou　seest；　friend　Latimer；　that　as　men　arm　their　bull…dogs　with　spiked　collars；　and　their　game…cocks　with　steel　spurs；　to　aid　them　in　fight；　so　they　corrupt；　by　education；　the　best　and　mildest　natures；　until　fortitude　and　spirit　become　stubbornness　and　ferocity。　　Believe　me；　friend　Latimer；　I　would　as　soon　expose　my　faithful　household　dog　to　a　vain　combat　with　a　herd　of　wolves；　as　yon　trusty　creature　to　the　violence　of　the　enraged　multitude。　　But　I　need　say　little　on　this　subject　to　thee；　friend　Latimer；　who；　I　doubt　not；　art　trained　to　believe　that　courage　is　displayed　and　honour　attained；　not　by　doing　and　suffering　as　becomes　a　man　that　which　fate　calls　us　to　suffer　and　justice　commands　us　to　do；　but　because　thou　art　ready　to　retort　violence　for　violence；　and　considerest　the　lightest　insult　as　a　sufficient　cause　for　the　spilling　of　blood；　nay；　the　taking　of　life。　　But；　leaving　these　points　of　controversy　to　a　more　fit　season；　let　us　see　what　our　basket　of　provision　contains；　for　in　truth；　friend　Latimer；　I　am　one　of　those　whom　neither　fear　nor　anxiety　deprives　of　their　ordinary　appetite。'

We　found　the　means　of　good　cheer　accordingly；　which　Mr。　Geddes　seemed　to　enjoy　as　much　as　if　it　had　been　eaten　in　a　situation　of　perfect　safety；　nay；　his　conversation　appeared　to　be　rather　more　gay　than　on　ordinary　occasions。　　After　eating　our　supper；　we　left　the　hut　together；　and　walked　for　a　few　minutes　on　the　banks　of　the　sea。　　It　was　high　water；　and　the　ebb　had　not　yet　commenced。　The　moon　shone　broad　and　bright　upon　the　placid　face　of　the　Solway　Firth；　and　showed　a　slight　ripple　upon　the　stakes；　the　tops　of　which　were　just　visible　above　the　waves；　and　on　the　dark…　coloured　buoys　which　marked　the　upper　edge　of　the　enclosure　of　nets。　　At　a　much　greater　distancefor　the　estuary　is　here　very　widethe　line　of　the　English　coast　was　seen　on　the　verge　of　the　water；　resembling　one　of　those　fog…banks　on　which　mariners　are　said　to　gaze；　uncertain　whether　it　be　land　or　atmospherical　delusion。

'We　shall　be　undisturbed　for　some　hours；'　said　Mr。　Geddes；　'they　will　not　come　down　upon　us：　　till　the　state　of　the　tide　permits　them　to　destroy　the　tide…nets。　　Is　it　not　strange　to　think　that　human　passions　will　so　soon　transform　such　a　tranquil　scene　as　this　into　one　of　devastation　and　confusion？'

It　was　indeed　a　scene　of　exquisite　stillness；　so　much　so；　that　the　restless　waves　of　the　Solway　seemed；　if　not　absolutely　to　sleep；　at　least　to　slumber；　on　the　shore　no　night…bird　was　heard　the　cock　had　not　sung　his　first　matins；　and　we　ourselves　walked　more　lightly　than　by　day；　as　if　to　suit　the　sounds　of　our　own　paces　to　the　serene　tranquillity　around　us。　　At　length；　the　plaintive　cry　of　a　dog　broke　the　silence；　and　on　our　return　to　the　cottage；　we　found　that　the　younger　of　the　three　animals　which　had　gone　along　with　John　Davies；　unaccustomed；　perhaps；　to　distant　journeys；　and　the　duty　of　following　to　heel；　had　strayed　from　the　party；　and；　unable　to　rejoin　them；　had　wandered　back　to　the　place　of　its　birth。

'Another　feeble　addition　to　our　feeble　garrison；'　said　Mr。　Geddes；　as　he　caressed　the　dog；　and　admitted　it　into　the　cottage。　'Poor　thing！　　as　thou　art　incapable　of　doing　any　mischief；　I　hope　thou　wilt　sustain　none。　　At　least　thou　mayst　do　us　the　good　service　of　a　sentinel；　and　permit　us　to　enjoy　a　quiet　repose；　under　the　certainty　that　thou　wilt　alarm　us　when　the　enemy　is　at　hand。'

There　were　two　beds　in　the　superintendent's　room；　upon　which　we　threw　ourselves。　　Mr。　Geddes；　with　his　happy　equanimity　of　temper；　was　asleep　in　the　first　five　minutes。　　I　lay　for　some　time　in　doubtful　and　anxious　thoughts；　watching　the　fire；　and　the　motions　of　the　restless　dog；　which；　disturbed　probably　at　the　absence　of　John　Davies；　wandered　from　the　hearth　to　the　door　and　back　again；　then　came　to　the　bedside　and　licked　my　hands　and　face；　and　at　length；　experiencing　no　repulse　to　its　advances；　established　itself　at　my　feet；　and　went　to　sleep；　an　example　which　I　soon　afterwards　followed。

The　rage　of　narration；　my　dear　Alanfor　I　will　never　relinquish　the　hope　that　what　I　am　writing　may　one　day　reach　your　handshas　not　forsaken　me；　even　in　my　confinement；　and　the　extensive　though　unimportant　details　into　which　I　have　been　hurried；　renders　it　necessary　that　I　commence　another　sheet。　　Fortunately；　my　pygmy　characters　comprehend　a　great　many　words　within　a　small　space　of　paper。




CHAPTER　IV

DARSIE　LATIMER'S　JOURNAL；　IN　CONTINUATION

The　morning　was　dawning；　and　Mr。　Geddes　and　I　myself　were　still　sleeping　soundly；　when　the　alarm　was　given　by　my　canine　bedfellow；　who　first　growled　deeply　at　intervals；　and　at　length　bore　more　decided　testimony　to　the　approach　of　some　enemy。　　I　opened　the　door　of　the　cottage；　and　perceived；　at　the　distance　of　about　two　hundred　yards；　a　small　but　close　column　of　men；　which　I　would　have　taken　for　a　dark　hedge；　but　that　I　could　perceive　it　was　advancing　rapidly　and　in　silence。

The　dog　flew　towards　them；　but　instantly　ran　howling　back　to　me；　having　probably　been　chastised　by　a　stick　or　a　stone。　　Uncertain　as　to　the　plan　of　tactics　or　of　treaty　which　Mr。　Geddes　might　think　proper　to　adopt；　I　was　about　to　retire　into　the　cottage；　when　he　suddenly　joined　me　at　the　door；　and；　slipping　his　arm　through　mine；　said；　'Let　us　go　to　meet　them　manfully；　we　have　done　nothing　to　be　ashamed　of。Friends；'　he　said；　raising　his　voice　as　we　approached　them；　'who　and　w