masterman ready-第31章

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h　came　into　the　bay；　and　we　did　not　much　like　the　idea。

〃There　were；　as　I　told　you；　some　other　boys　as　well　as　myself；　who　belonged　to　the　Indiaman；　and　we　kept　very　much　together；　not　only　because　we　were　more　of　an　age；　but　because　we　had　been　shipmates　so　long。　Two　of　these　boys；　one　of　whom　I　have　mentioned　as　Jack　Romer；　and　the　other　Will　Hastings；　were　my　particular　friends；　and　one　day；　as　we　were　sitting　under　the　wall　warming　ourselves；　for　it　was　winter　time；　Romer　said；　‘How　very　easy　it　would　be　for　us　to　get　away；　if　we　only　knew　where　to　go　to！'

〃‘Yes；'　replied　Hastings；　‘but　where　are　we　to　go　to；　if　it　is　not　to　the　Hottentots　and　wild　savages；　and　when　we　get　there；　what　can　we　do？　…　we　can't　get　any　further。'　‘Well；'　said　I；　‘I　would　rather　be　living　free　among　savages；　than　be　shut　up　in　a　prison。'　That　was　our　first　talk　on　the　subject；　but　we　had　many　others　afterwards；　and　as　the　one　or　two　Dutch　soldiers　who　stood　sentry　spoke　English；　and　we　could　talk　a　little　Dutch；　we　obtained　a　good　deal　of　information　from　them；　for　they　had　very　often　been　sent　to　the　frontiers　of　the　colony。　We　continued　to　ask　questions；　and　to　talk　among　ourselves　for　about　two　months；　and　at　last　we　resolved　that　we　would　make　our　escape。　We　should　have　done　much　better　if　we　had　remained　where　we　were；　but　there　is　no　putting　old　heads　upon　young　shoulders。　We　saved　up　our　provisions；　bought　some　long　Dutch　knives；　tied　our　few　clothes　up　in　bundles；　and　one　dark　night　we　contrived　to　remain　in　the　yard　without　being　perceived；　when　the　prisoners　were　locked　up；　and　raising　a　long　pole；　which　lay　in　the　yard；　to　the　top　of　the　wall；　with　a　good　deal　of　scrambling　we　contrived　to　get　over　it；　and　made　off　as　fast　as　we　could　for　the　Table　Mountain。〃

〃What　was　your　reason　for　going　there；　Ready？〃

〃Why；　Hastings；　who　was　the　oldest；　and；　I　will　say；　the　sharpest　of　the　three；　said　that　we　had　better　stay　up　there　for　a　few　days；　till　we　had　made　up　our　minds　what　to　do；　and　try　if　we　could　not　procure　a　musket　or　two；　and　ammunition；　for；　you　see；　we　had　money；　as；　when　the　Indiaman　was　first　taken；　the　captain　divided　a　keg　of　rupees；　which　was　on　board；　among　the　officers　and　men；　in　proportion　to　the　wages　due　to　them；　thinking　it　was　better　for　the　crew　to　have　the　money　than　to　leave　it　for　the　Frenchmen；　and　we　had　spent　very　little　while　in　prison。　There　was　also　another　reason　why　he　persuaded　us　to　go　to　the　Table　Mountain；　which　was；　that　as　soon　as　our　escape　was　found　out；　they　would　send　parties　to　look　for　us；　thinking；　of　course；　that　we　had　made　for　the　interior；　and　we　should　have　less　chance　of　being　retaken　if　we　travelled　after　the　first　search　was　over。　The　soldiers　had　told　us　of　the　lions；　and　other　wild　animals；　and　how　dangerous　it　was　to　travel；　and　Hastings　said；　that　not　finding　us；　they　would　suppose　we　had　been　destroyed　by　the　wild　beasts；　and　would　not　look　for　us　any　more。〃

〃Foolish　indeed；〃　observed　Mrs。　Seagrave；　〃to　set　off　you　knew　not　where；　in　a　country　full　of　wild　beasts　and　savages。〃

〃True　enough；　madam；〃　replied　Ready。　〃We　ran　at　first　until　we　were　out　of　breath；　and　then　we　walked　on　as　fast　as　we　could　…　not　going　right　up　the　mountain；　but　keeping　a　slanting　direction　to　the　south…west；　so　as　to　get　away　from　the　town；　and　more　towards　False　Bay。

〃We　had　walked　about　four　hours；　and　began　to　feel　very　tired；　when　the　day　dawned；　and　then　we　looked　out　for　a　place　to　conceal　ourselves　in。　We　soon　found　a　cave　with　a　narrow　entrance；　large　enough　inside　to　hold　half…a…dozen　of　such　lads　as　we　were；　and　we　crawled　in。　It　was　quite　dry；　and；　as　we　were　very　tired；　we　lay　down　with　our　heads　on　our　bundles；　intending　to　take　a　nap；　but　we　had　hardly　made　ourselves　comfortable　and　shut　our　eyes；　when　we　heard　such　a　screaming　and　barking　that　we　were　frightened　out　of　our　lives　almost。　We　could　not　think　what　it　could　be。　At　last　Hastings　peeped　out；　and　began　to　laugh；　so　Homer　and　I　looked　out　also；　and　there　we　saw　about　one　hundred　and　fifty　large　baboons　leaping　and　tumbling　about　in　such　a　way　as　I　never　saw；　they　were　bigger　than　we　were　…　indeed；　when　they　stood　on　their　hind　legs　they　were　much　taller；　and　they　had　very　large　white　tusks。　Some　of　them　were　females；　with　young　ones　on　their　backs；　and　they　were　just　as　active　as　the　males。　At　last　they　played　such　antics；　that　we　all　burst　out　into　a　loud　laugh；　and　we　had　not　ceased　when　we　found　the　grinning　face　of　one　of　the　largest　of　those　brutes　close　to　our　own。　He　had　dropped　from　the　rock　above　us；　like　magic。　We　all　three　backed　into　the　cave；　very　much　frightened；　for　the　teeth　of　the　animal　were　enormous；　and　he　looked　very　savage。　He　gave　a　shrill　cry；　and　we　perceived　all　the　rest　of　the　herd　coming　to　him　as　fast　as　they　could。　I　said　that　the　cave　was　large　enough　to　hold　six　of　us；　but　there　was　a　sort　of　inner　cave　which　we　had　not　gone　into；　as　the　entrance　was　much　smaller。　Homer　cried　out；　‘Let　us　go　into　the　inside　cave　…　we　can　get　in　one　by　one；'　and　he　backed　in；　Hastings　followed　with　his　bundle；　and　I　hurried　in　after　him　just　in　time；　for　the　baboons；　who　had　been　chattering　to　each　other　for　half　a　minute；　came　into　the　outer　cave　just　as　I　crawled　into　the　inner。　Five　or　six　of　them　came　in；　all　males；　and　very　large。　The　first　thing　they　did　was　to　lay　hold　of　Homer's　bundle；　which　they　soon　opened　…　at　once　they　seized　his　provisions　and　rammed　them　into　their　pouches；　and　then　they　pulled　out　the　other　things　and　tore　them　all　to　pieces。　As　soon　as　they　had　done　with　the　bundle；　two　of　them　came　towards　the　inner　cave　and　saw　us。　One　put　his　long　paw　in　to　seize　us；　but　Hastings　gave　him　a　slash　with　his　knife；　and　the　animal　took　his　paw　out　again　fast　enough。　It　was　laughable　to　see　him　hold　out　his　hand　to　the　others；　and　then　taste　the　blood　with　the　tip　of　his　tongue；　and　such　a　chattering　I　never　heard　…　they　were　evidently　very　angry；　and　more　came　into　the　cave　and　joined　them；　then　another　put　in　his　hand；　and　received　a　cut　just　as　before。　At　last；　two　or　three　at　once　tried　to　pull　us　out；　but　we　beat　them　all　off　with　our　knives；　wounding　them　all　very　severely。　For　about　an　hour　they　continued　their　attempts；　and　then　they　went　away　out　of　the　cave；　but　remained　at　the　mouth　shrieking　and　howling。　We　began　to　be　very　tired　of　this　work；　and　Homer　said　that　he　wished　he　was　back　in　prison　again；　and　so　did　I；　I　can　assure　you；　but　there　was　no　getting　out；　for　had　we　gone　out　the　animals　would　have　torn　us　to　pieces。　We　agreed　that　we　had　no　chance　but　the　animals　becoming　tired　and　going　away；　and　most　anxious　we　were；　for　the　excitement　had　made　us　very　thirsty；　and　we　wanted　water。　We　remained　for　two　hours　in　this　way　imprisoned　by　baboons；　when　all　of　a　sudden　a　shrill　cry　was　given　by　one　of　the　animals；　and　the　whole　herd　went　galloping　off　as　fast　as　they　could；　screaming　louder　than　ever。　We　waited　for　a　short　time　to　see　if　they　would　return；　and　then　Hastings　crawled　out　first；　and　looking　out　of　the　cave　very　cautiously；　said　that　they　were　all　gone；　and　that　he　could　see　nothing　but　a　Hottentot　sitting　down　watching　some　cattle；　we　therefore　all　came　out；　very　happy　at　our　release。　That　was　our　first　adventure；　we　had　plenty　afterwards；　but　I　think　it　is　now　time　we　should　go　to　bed。　It　is　my　opinion　we　shall　have　a　fine　day　to…morrow；　sir；　but　there's　no　saying。〃

〃I　do　so　want　to　hear　what　happened　to　you　afterwards；　Ready；〃　said　William。

〃Well；　so　you　shall；　but　there's　a　time　for　everything；　and　this　is　bed…time；　unless　you　like　to　go　with　me；　the　weather　has　cleared　up；　and　I　want　to　catch　a　fish　or　two　for　to…morrow。〃



Chapter　XXXV

As　Ready　had　predicted；　the　weather　set　in　fine　after　the　violent　storm　of　which　we　have　made　mention。　For　a　fortnight；　with　little　intermission；　it　continued　fine；　and　during　that　time；　Ready；　Mr。　Seagrave；　and　William　worked　from　daylight　till　dusk　at　the　storehouse；　which　they　were　so　anxious　to　complete；　and　were　so　tired　when　their　work　was　over；　that　even　William　did　not　ask　Ready　to　go　on　with　his　history。　At　last　the　storehouse　was　complete；　thatched　and　wattled　in　on　three　sides；　leaving　one　open　for　ve