masterman ready-第37节

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tunity　to　buy　four　brass　guns；　which　I　mounted　on　deck；　and　had　a　good　supply　of　ammunition　on　board。　I　was　very　proud　of　my　vessel；　as　she　had　proved　in　the　voyage　out　to　be　a　very　fast　sailer：　indeed；　she　sailed　better　than　some　of　the　men…of…war　which　convoyed　us；　and　now　that　I　had　guns　on　board；　I　considered　myself　quite　safe　from　any　of　the　enemies'　privateers。　While　we　were　waiting　for　convoy；　which　was　not　expected　for　a　fortnight；　it　blew　a　very　heavy　gale；　and　my　ship；　as　well　as　others；　dragged　their　anchors；　and　were　driven　out　of　Carlisle　Bay。　We　were　obliged　to　make　sail　to　beat　into　the　bay　again；　it　still　blowing　very　fresh。　What　with　being　tired　waiting　so　long　for　convoy；　and　the　knowledge　that　arriving　before　the　other　West　Indiamen　would　be　very　advantageous；　I　made　up　my　mind　that；　instead　of　beating　up　into　the　bay　again；　I　would　run　for　England　without　protection；　trusting　to　the　fast　sailing　of　my　vessel　and　the　guns　which　I　had　on　board。　I　forgot　at　the　time　that　the　insurance　on　the　vessel　was　made　in　England　as　‘sailing　with　convoy'；　and　that　my　sailing　without　would　render　the　insurance　void；　if　any　misfortune　occurred。　Well；　sir；　I　made　sail　for　England；　and　for　three　weeks　everything　went　on　well。　We　saw　very　few　vessels；　and　those　which　did　chase　us　could　not　come　up　with　us；　but　as　we　were　running　with　a　fair　wind　up　channel；　and　I　had　made　sure　of　being　in　port　before　night；　a　French　privateer　hove　in　sight　and　gave　chase。　We　were　obliged　to　haul　our　wind；　and　it　blowing　very　fast；　we　carried　away　our　main…top　mast。　This　accident　was　fatal；　the　privateer　came　alongside　of　us　and　laid　us　by　the　board；　and　that　night　I　was　in　a　French　prison；　and；　I　may　say；　a　pauper；　for　the　insurance　of　the　vessel　was　void；　from　my　having　sailed　without　convoy。　I　felt　that　I　had　no　one　to　thank　but　myself　for　the　unfortunate　position　I　was　in；　at　all　events；　I　was　severely　punished；　for　I　remained　a　prisoner　for　nearly　six　years。　I　contrived　to　escape　with　three　or　four　others；　we　suffered　dreadfully；　and　at　last　arrived　in　England；　in　a　Swedish　vessel；　without　money；　or　even　clothes　that　would　keep　out　the　weather。　Of　course；　I　had　nothing　to　do　but　to　look　out　for　a　berth　on　board　of　a　ship；　and　I　tried　for　that　of　second　mate；　but　without　success；　I　was　too　ragged　and　looked　too　miserable；　so　I　determined；　as　I　was　starving；　to　go　before　the　mast。　There　was　a　fine　vessel　in　the　port；　I　went　on　board　to　offer　myself；　the　mate　went　down　to　the　captain；　who　came　on　deck；　and　who　should　he　be　but　Sanders？　I　hoped　that　he　would　not　remember　me；　but　he　did　immediately；　and　held　out　his　hand。　I　never　did　feel　so　ashamed　in　my　life　as　I　did　then。　Sanders　perceived　it；　and　asked　me　down　into　the　cabin。　I　then　told　him　all　that　had　happened；　and　he　appeared　to　forget　that　I　had　behaved　so　ill　to　him；　he　offered　me　a　berth　on　board；　and　money　in　advance　to　fit　me　out。　But　if　he　would　not　remember　my　conduct；　I　could　not　forget　it；　and　I　told　him　so；　and　begged　his　forgiveness。　Well；　sir；　that　good　man；　as　long　as　he　lived；　was　my　friend。　I　became　his　second　mate　before　he　died；　and　we　were　again　very　intimate。　My　misfortunes　had　humbled　me；　and　I　once　more　read　the　Bible　with　him；　and　I　have；　I　trust；　done　so　ever　since。　When　he　died；　I　continued　second　mate　for　some　time；　and　then　was　displaced。　Since　that；　I　have　always　been　as　a　common　seaman　on　board　of　different　vessels；　but　I　have　been　well　treated　and　respected；　and　I　may　add；　I　have　not　been　unhappy；　for　I　felt　that　property　would　have　only　led　me　into　follies；　and　have　made　me　forget；　that　in　this　world　we　are　to　live　so　as　to　prepare　ourselves　for　another。　Now；　William；　you　have　the　history　of　Masterman　Ready；　and　I　hope　that　there　are　portions　of　it　which　may　prove　useful　to　you。　To…morrow　we　must　be　off　betimes；　and　as　we　are　all　to　breakfast　early　together；　why；　I　think　the　sooner　we　go　to　bed　the　better。〃

〃Very　true；〃　replied　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃William；　dear；　bring　me　the　Bible。〃



Chapter　XLII

They　were　all　up　early　the　next　morning；　and　breakfasted　at　an　early　hour。　The　knapsacks　and　guns；　and　the　other　requisites　for　the　journey；　were　all　prepared；　William　and　Ready　rose　from　the　table；　and　taking　an　affectionate　leave　of　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Seagrave；　they　started　on　their　journey。　The　sun　was　shining　brilliantly；　and　the　weather　had　become　warm；　the　ocean　in　the　distance　gleamed　brightly；　as　its　waters　danced；　and　the　cocoa…nut　trees　moved　their　branches　gracefully　to　the　breeze。　They　set　off　in　high　spirits；　and　having　called　the　two　shepherd　dogs；　and　driven　back　Vixen；　who　would　have　joined　the　party；　they　passed　the　storehouse；　and　ascending　the　hill　on　the　other　side；　they　got　their　hatchets　ready　to　blaze　the　trees；　and　Ready　having　set　his　course　by　his　pocket　compass；　they　were　fairly　on　their　way。　For　some　time　they　continued　to　cut　the　bark　of　the　trees　with　their　hatchets；　without　speaking；　and　then　Ready　stopped　again　to　look　at　his　compass。

〃I　think　the　wood　is　thicker　here　than　ever；　Ready；〃　observed　William。

〃Yes；　sir；　it　is；　but　I　suspect　we　are　now　in　the　thickest　part　of　it；　right　in　the　middle　of　the　island；　however；　we　shall　soon　see。　We　must　keep　a　little　more　away　to　the　southward。　We　had　better　get　on　as　fast　as　we　can。　We　shall　have　less　work　by　and　by；　and　then　we　can　talk　better。〃

For　half…an…hour　they　continued　their　way　through　the　wood；　and；　as　Ready　had　observed；　the　trees　became　more　distant　from　each　other；　still；　however；　they　could　not　see　anything　before　them　but　the　stems　of　the　cocoa…nuts。　It　was　hard　work；　chopping　the　trees　every　second；　and　their　foreheads　were　moist　with　the　exertion。

〃I　think　we　had　better　pull　up　for　a　few　minutes；　William；　you　will　be　tired。〃

〃I　have　not　been　so　used　to　exercise；　Ready；　and　therefore　I　feel　it　more；〃　replied　William；　wiping　his　face　with　his　handkerchief。　〃I　should　like　to　stop　a　few　minutes。　How　long　do　you　think　it　will　be　before　we　are　out　of　the　wood？〃

〃Not　half…an…hour　more；　sir；　I　should　think；　even　before　that；　perhaps。〃

〃What　do　you　expect　to　find；　Ready？〃

〃That's　a　difficult　question　to　answer。　I　can　tell　you　what　I　hope　to　find；　which　is；　a　good　space　of　clear　ground　between　the　beach　and　the　wood；　where　we　may　pasture　our　sheep　and　goats；　and　perhaps　we　may　find　some　other　trees　besides　cocoa…nuts：　at　present；　you　know；　we　have　seen　only　them　and　the　castor…oil　beans；　that　Tommy　took　such　a　dose　of。　You　see；　William；　there　is　no　saying　what　new　seeds　may　have　been　brought　here　by　birds；　or　by　the　winds　and　waves。〃

〃But　will　those　seeds　grow？〃

〃Yes；　William；　I　have　been　told　that　seeds　may　remain　hundreds　of　years　under…ground；　and　come　up　afterwards　when　exposed　to　the　heat。〃

They　continued　their　way；　and　had　not　walked　for　more　than　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　when　William　cried　out；　〃I　see　the　blue　sky；　Ready；　we　shall　soon　be　out；　and　glad　shall　I　be；　for　my　arm　aches　with　chopping。〃

〃I　dare　say　it　does；　sir。　I　am　just　as　glad　as　you　are；　for　I'm　tired　of　marking　the　trees；　however；　we　must　continue　to　mark；　or　we　shall　not　find　our　way　back　when　we　want　it。〃

In　ten　minutes　more　they　were　clear　of　the　cocoa…nut　grove；　and　found　themselves　among　brushwood　higher　than　their　heads；　so　that　they　could　not　see　how　far　they　were　from　the　shore。

〃Well；〃　said　William；　throwing　down　his　hatchet；　〃I'm　glad　that's　over；　now　let　us　sit　down　a　little　before　we　go　any　further。〃

〃I'm　of　your　opinion；　sir；〃　replied　Ready；　sitting　down　by　the　side　of　William；　〃I　feel　more　tired　to…day　than　I　did　when　we　first　went　through　the　wood；　after　we　set　off　from　the　cove。　I　suppose　it's　the　weather。　Come　back；　dogs；　lie　down。〃

〃The　weather　is　very　fine；　Ready。〃

〃Yes；　now　it　is；　but　I　meant　to　have　said　that　the　rainy　season　is　very　trying　to　the　health；　and　I　suppose　I　have　not　recovered　from　it　yet。　You　have　had　a　regular　fever；　and；　of　course；　do　not　feel　strong；　but　a　man　may　have　no　fever；　and　yet　his　health　suffer　a　great　deal　from　it。　I　am　an　old　man；　William；　and　feel　these　things　now。〃

〃I　think　that　before　we　go　on；　Ready；　we　had　better　have　our　dinner；　that　will　do　us　good。〃

〃Well；　we　will　take　an　early　dinner；　and　we　shall　get　rid　of　one　bottle　of　water；　at　all　events；　indeed；　I　think　that；　as　we　must　go　back　by　the　same　way　we　came；　we　may　as　well　leave　our　knapsacks　and　everything　but　our　guns　under　these　trees；　I　dare　say　we　shall　sleep　here　too；　for　I　told　Mr。　Seagrave　positively　not　to　expect　us　back　to…night。　I　did　not　like　to　say　so　before　your　mother；　she　is　so　anxious　about　you。〃

They　opened　their　knapsacks；　and　made　their　meal；　the　two　dogs　coming　in　for　their　share；　after　which　they　again　started　on　their　discoveries。　For　about　ten　minutes　they　continued　to　force　their　way　through　the　thick　and　high　bushes；　till　at　last　they　broke　out　clear　of　them；　and　then　looked　around　them　for　a　short　time　without　speaking。　The　sea　was　about　half　a　mile　distant；　and　the　intervening　land　was　clear；　with　fresh　blades　of　grass　just　bursting　out　of　the　earth；　composing　a　fine　piece　of　pasture　of　at　least　fifty　acres；　here　and　there　broken　with　small　patches　of　trees　and　brushwood；　there　was　no　sandy　beach；　but　the　rocks　rose　from　the　sea　abo