perils of certain english prisoners-第10节

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〃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；　yeteverything　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　manit　was　Shortholds　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'enGeorgeKing！　　Chris'en

GeorgeKing！　　Chris'enGeorgeKing！〃　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'enGeorgeKing！　　Chris'enGeorgeKing！　　Chris'enGeorge…

…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'enGeorgeKing！　　Chris'enGeorgeKing！　　Chris'enGeorge…

…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　boatsgood

blue…jackets　and　red…coatsmarines　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　meand　God　bless　themwhat　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　raftsthe　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　capt