perils of certain english prisoners-第4节

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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。　　Thirdlydon'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　ashamedI　give　it　out　to　be　written　down　as　large　and　plain

as　possibleI　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　Lind