masterman ready-第26节

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　to　my　work；　there　was　no　thimble　to　be　found；　I　asked　him　if　he　had　touched　it；　and　his　answer　was　that　he　would　look　for　it。　He　did　look；　and　said　he　could　not　find　it；　I　have　asked　him　several　times　if　he　took　it　away；　and　his　only　answer　is　that　he　will　find　it　by　and　by。〃

〃Tommy；　did　you　take　the　thimble？〃　said　Mr。　Seagrave；　gravely。

〃I'll　find　it　by　and　by；　papa。〃

〃That's　not　an　answer。　Did　you　take　the　thimble？〃

〃I'll　find　it　by　and　by；　papa；〃　said　Tommy；　whimpering。

〃That's　all　the　answer　he　will　give　me；〃　said　Mrs。　Seagrave。

〃Well；　then；　he　shall　have　no　dinner　till　the　thimble　makes　its　appearance；〃　replied　Mr。　Seagrave。

Master　Tommy　began　to　cry　at　this　intelligence。　Juno　appeared　with　the　turtle…soup；　and　Tommy　cried　louder　when　they　had　said　grace　and　commenced　their　dinner。　They　were　all　very　hungry；　and　William　sent　his　plate　for　another　portion；　which　he　had　not　commenced　long　before　he　put　his　finger　in　his　mouth　and　pulled　out　something。

〃Why；　mother；　here's　the　thimble　in　my　soup；〃　cried　William。

〃No　wonder　he　said　he　would　find　it　by　and　by；〃　said　Ready；　smiling；　〃he　meant　to　have　fished　it　up；　I　suppose；　from　what　was　left　of　the　soup　after　dinner。　Well；　Mrs。　Seagrave；　I　don't　mean　to　say　that　Tommy　is　a　good　boy；　but　still；　although　be　would　not　tell　where　the　thimble　was；　he　has　not　told　a　falsehood　about　it。〃

〃No；　he　has　not；〃　replied　William。　〃I　think；　now　that　the　thimble　is　found；　if　he　begs　pardon；　papa　will　forgive　him。〃

〃Tommy；　come　here；〃　said　Mr。　Seagrave。　〃Tell　me　why　you　put　that　thimble　into　the　soup？〃

〃I　wanted　to　taste　the　soup。　I　wanted　to　fill　the　thimble；　the　soup　burnt　my　fingers；　and　I　let　the　thimble　drop　in。〃

〃Well；　a　thimbleful　wasn't　much；　at　all　events；〃　observed　Ready。　〃And　why　didn't　you　tell　your　mamma　where　the　thimble　was？〃

〃I　was　afraid　mamma　throw　all　the　soup　away；　and　then　I　get　none　for　dinner。〃

〃Oh！　that　was　it；　was　it？　Well；　sir；　I　said　you　should　have　no　dinner　till　the　thimble　was　found；　so；　as　it　is　found；　you　may　have　your　dinner；　but　if　you　ever　refuse　to　answer　a　question　again；　I　shall　punish　you　more　severely。〃

Tommy　was　glad　the　lecture　was　over；　and　more　glad　to　get　his　turtle…soup；　he　finished　one　plate；　and；　as　he　asked　for　another；　he　said；　〃Tommy　won't　put　thimble　in　again；　put　tin　pot　in　next　time。〃

After　dinner　they　went　to　their　work　again；　and　did　not　come　in　again　till　sunset。

〃The　clouds　are　gathering　fast；　sir；〃　observed　Ready；　〃we　shall　have　rain　to…night。〃

〃I　fear　we　shall；　but　we　must　expect　it　now；　Ready。〃

〃Yes；　sir；　and　by　and　by　we　shall　have　it　for　days　together。〃

〃Ready；〃　said　Mrs。　Seagrave；　〃if　you　are　not　too　tired；　perhaps　you　will　go　on　with　your　history。〃

〃Certainly；　ma'am；　if　you　wish　it；〃　replied　Ready。　〃When　I　left　off；　I　was　on　board　of　the　collier；　bound　to　London。　We　had　a　very　fair　wind；　and　a　quick　passage。　I　was　very　sick　until　we　arrived　in　the　Nore；　and　then　I　recovered；　and；　as　you　may　suppose；　was　astonished　at　the　busy　scene；　and　the　quantity　of　vessels　which　were　going　up　and　down　the　river。　But　I　did　not　like　my　captain；　he　was　very　severe　and　brutal　to　the　men；　and　the　apprentice　who　was　on　board　told　me　to　run　away；　and　get　into　another　vessel；　and　not　to　bind　myself　apprentice　to　this　captain；　or　I　should　be　beat　all　day　long；　and　be　treated　as　bad　as　he　was。　I　knew　this　was　the　case；　as　the　captain　kicked　and　cuffed　him　twenty　times　a　day。　The　men　said　that　he　did　not　do　so　to　me；　for　fear　I　should　refuse　to　be　his　apprentice；　but　that；　as　soon　as　my　indentures　were　signed；　he　would　treat　me　in　the　same　way。

〃Well；　I　made　up　my　mind　that　I　would　not　remain　in　the　collier；　and；　as　the　captain　had　gone　on　shore；　I　had　plenty　of　time　to　look　about　me。　There　was　a　large　ship；　which　was　ready　to　sail；　lying　in　the　stream；　I　spoke　to　two　boys　who　were　at　the　stairs　in　her　boat；　and　they　told　me　that　they　were　very　comfortable　on　board；　and　that　the　captain　wanted　two　or　three　apprentices。　I　went　on　board　with　them；　and　offered　myself。　The　captain　asked　me　a　great　many　questions；　and　I　told　him　the　truth；　and　why　I　did　not　like　to　remain　in　the　collier。　He　agreed　to　take　me；　and　I　went　on　shore　with　him；　signed　my　indentures；　and　received　from　him　a　sufficient　supply　of　clothes；　and；　two　days　afterwards；　we　sailed　for　Bombay　and　China。〃

〃But　you　wrote　to　your　mother；　Ready；　did　you　not？〃　said　William。

〃Yes；　I　did；　for　the　captain　desired　me　to　do　so；　and　he　put　a　few　lines　at　the　bottom　to　comfort　her；　but；　unfortunately；　the　letter；　which　was　sent　on　shore　by　the　cook；　never　arrived。　Whether　he　dropped　it；　or　forgot　it　till　after　the　ship　sailed；　and　then　tore　it　up；　I　do　not　know；　but；　as　I　found　out　afterwards；　it　never　did　get　to　her　hands。〃

〃It　was　not　your　fault　that　the　letter　did　not　arrive　safe；〃　said　Mrs。　Seagrave。

〃No；　madam；　that　was　not　my　fault；　the　fault　had　been　committed　before。〃

〃Don't　dwell　any　more　upon　that　portion　of　your　history；　Ready；　but　tell　us　what　took　place　after　you　sailed　for　the　East　Indies。〃

〃Be　it　so；　if　you　please。　I　certainly　was　very　smart　and　active　for　my　age；　and　soon　became　a　great　favourite　on　board；　especially　with　the　lady　passengers；　because　I　was　such　a　little　fellow。　We　arrived　safely　at　Bombay；　where　our　passengers　went　on　shore；　and　in　three　weeks　afterwards　we　sailed　down　the　straits　for　China。　It　was　war　time；　and　we　were　very　often　chased　by　French　privateers；　but　as　we　had　a　good　crew　and　plenty　of　guns；　none　of　them　ventured　to　attack　us；　and　we　got　safe　to　Macao；　where　we　unloaded　our　cargo　and　took　in　teas。　We　had　to　wait　some　time　for　a　convoy；　and　then　sailed　for　England。　When　we　were　off　the　Isle　of　France；　the　convoy　was　dispersed　in　a　gale；　and　three　days　afterwards；　a　French　frigate　bore　down　upon　us；　and　after　exchanging　a　few　broadsides；　we　were　compelled　to　haul　down　our　colours。　A　lieutenant　was　sent　on　board　with　forty　men　to　take　charge　of　us；　for　we　were　a　very　rich　prize　to　them。　The　captain　and　most　of　the　crew　were　taken　on　board　of　the　frigate；　but　ten　Lascars　and　the　boys　were　left　in　the　Indiaman；　to　assist　in　taking　her　into　the　Isle　of　France；　which　was　at　that　time　in　the　hands　of　the　French。　I　thought　it　hard　that　I　was　to　go　to　prison　at　twelve　years　old；　but　I　did　not　care　much　about　it；　and　very　soon　I　was　as　gay　and　merry　as　ever。　We　had　made　the　island；　and　were　on　a　wind　beating　up　to　the　port；　when　a　vessel　was　seen　to　windward；　and　although　I　could　not　understand　what　the　Frenchmen　said；　I　perceived　that　they　were　in　a　great　fluster　and　very　busy　with　their　spy…glasses；　and　Jack　Romer；　one　of　my　brother　'prentices　who　had　been　three　years　at　sea；　said　to　me；　‘I　don't　think　we'll　go　to　prison　after　all；　Ready；　for　that　vessel　is　an　English　man…of…war；　if　I'm　not　mistaken。'　At　last　she　came　down　within　three　miles　of　us；　and　hoisted　English　colours　and　fired　a　gun。　The　Frenchmen　put　the　ship　before　the　wind；　but　it　was　of　no　use；　the　man…of…war　came　up　with　us　very　fast；　and　then　the　Frenchmen　began　to　pack　up　their　clothes；　together　with　all　the　other　things　which　they　had　collected　out　of　the　property　of　our　captain　and　crew；　a　shot　was　fired　which　went　clean　over　our　heads；　and　then　they　left　the　helm；　and　Jack　Romer　went　to　it；　and；　with　my　help；　hove　the　ship　up　in　the　wind；　a　boat　came　on　board　and　took　possession；　and　so　there　was　one　escape；　at　all　events。

〃They　sent　a　midshipman　as　prize…master　on　board　of　the　vessel；　and　left　all　us；　who　had　been　taken　prisoners　by　the　French；　in　the　vessel；　to　help　to　work　her　into　port；　as　the　captain　did　not　wish　to　part　with　any　more　men　of　his　own　than　was　necessary。　We　soon　made　sail　for　England；　quite　delighted　at　having　escaped　a　French　prison；　but；　after　all；　we　only　exchanged　it　for　a　Dutch　one。〃

〃How　do　you　mean？〃

〃I　mean　that；　two　days　afterwards；　as　we　were　rounding　the　Cape；　another　French　vessel　bore　down　upon　us；　and　captured　us。　This　time　we　did　not　find　any　friend　in　need；　and　were　taken　into　Table　Bay；　for　at　that　time　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope　was　in　the　possession　of　the　Dutch；　who；　as　well　as　the　French；　were　at　war　with　England。〃

〃How　very　unfortunate　you　were；　Ready！〃　said　Mrs。　Seagrave。

〃Yes；　madam；　we　were；　and　I　can't　say　much　in　favour　of　a　Dutch　prison。　However；　I　was　very　young　at　that　time；　and　did　not　care　much　…　I　had　a　light　heart。〃



Chapter　XXXIV

A　heavy　storm　came　on　soon　after　they　had　retired　to　rest；　the　lightning　was　so　vivid　that　its　flashes　penetrated　through　the　chinks　of　the　door　and　windows；　and　the　thunder　burst　upon　them　with　a　noise　which　prevented　them　obtaining　any　sleep。　The　children　cried　and　trembled　as　they　lay　in　the　arms　of　Mrs。　Seagrave　and　Juno；　who　were　almost　as　much　alarmed　themselves。

〃This　is　very　awful；〃　said　Mr。　Seagrave　to　Ready；　for　they　had　both　risen　from　their　beds。

〃It　is　indeed；　sir；　I　never　knew　a　more　terrible　storm　than　this。〃

〃Merciful　Heaven！〃　exclaimed　Mr。　Seagrave。

As　he　spoke；　they　were　both　thrown　back　half…stunned；　a　crash　of　thunder　burst　over　the　house；　which　shook　everything　in　it；　a　sulphurous　smell　pervaded　the　building；　and　soon　afterwards；　when　they　recovered　their　feet；　they　perceived　that　the　house　wa