perils of certain english prisoners-第2章

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fired；　and　all　the　people　in　the　place　came　down　to　look　at　us。　　One

of　those　Sambo　fellowsthey　call　those　natives　Sambos；　when　they

are　half…negro　and　half…Indianhad　come　off　outside　the　reef；　to

pilot　us　in；　and　remained　on　board　after　we　had　let　go　our　anchor。

He　was　called　Christian　George　King；　and　was　fonder　of　all　hands

than　anybody　else　was。　　Now；　I　confess；　for　myself；　that　on　that

first　day；　if　I　had　been　captain　of　the　Christopher　Columbus；

instead　of　private　in　the　Royal　Marines；　I　should　have　kicked

Christian　George　Kingwho　was　no　more　a　Christian　than　he　was　a

King　or　a　Georgeover　the　side；　without　exactly　knowing　why；　except

that　it　was　the　right　thing　to　do。



But；　I　must　likewise　confess；　that　I　was　not　in　a　particularly

pleasant　humour；　when　I　stood　under　arms　that　morning；　aboard　the

Christopher　Columbus　in　the　harbour　of　the　Island　of　Silver…Store。

I　had　had　a　hard　life；　and　the　life　of　the　English　on　the　Island

seemed　too　easy　and　too　gay　to　please　me。　　〃Here　you　are；〃　I　thought

to　myself；　〃good　scholars　and　good　livers；　able　to　read　what　you

like；　able　to　write　what　you　like；　able　to　eat　and　drink　what　you

like；　and　spend　what　you　like；　and　do　what　you　like；　and　much　you

care　for　a　poor；　ignorant　Private　in　the　Royal　Marines！　　Yet　it's

hard；　too；　I　think；　that　you　should　have　all　the　half…pence；　and　I

all　the　kicks；　you　all　the　smooth；　and　I　all　the　rough；　you　all　the

oil；　and　I　all　the　vinegar。〃　　It　was　as　envious　a　thing　to　think　as

might　be；　let　alone　its　being　nonsensical；　but；　I　thought　it。　　I

took　it　so　much　amiss；　that；　when　a　very　beautiful　young　English

lady　came　aboard；　I　grunted　to　myself；　〃Ah！　you　have　got　a　lover；

I'll　be　bound！〃　　As　if　there　was　any　new　offence　to　me　in　that；　if

she　had！



She　was　sister　to　the　captain　of　our　sloop；　who　had　been　in　a　poor

way　for　some　time；　and　who　was　so　ill　then　that　he　was　obliged　to　be

carried　ashore。　　She　was　the　child　of　a　military　officer；　and　had

come　out　there　with　her　sister；　who　was　married　to　one　of　the　owners

of　the　silver…mine；　and　who　had　three　children　with　her。　　It　was

easy　to　see　that　she　was　the　light　and　spirit　of　the　Island。　　After

I　had　got　a　good　look　at　her；　I　grunted　to　myself　again；　in　an　even

worse　state　of　mind　than　before；　〃I'll　be　damned；　if　I　don't　hate

him；　whoever　he　is！〃



My　officer；　Lieutenant　Linderwood；　was　as　ill　as　the　captain　of　the

sloop；　and　was　carried　ashore；　too。　　They　were　both　young　men　of

about　my　age；　who　had　been　delicate　in　the　West　India　climate。　　I

even　took　that　in　bad　part。　　I　thought　I　was　much　fitter　for　the

work　than　they　were；　and　that　if　all　of　us　had　our　deserts；　I　should

be　both　of　them　rolled　into　one。　　（It　may　be　imagined　what　sort　of

an　officer　of　marines　I　should　have　made；　without　the　power　of

reading　a　written　order。　　And　as　to　any　knowledge　how　to　command　the

sloopLord！　　I　should　have　sunk　her　in　a　quarter　of　an　hour！）



However；　such　were　my　reflections；　and　when　we　men　were　ashore　and

dismissed；　I　strolled　about　the　place　along　with　Charker；　making　my

observations　in　a　similar　spirit。



It　was　a　pretty　place：　　in　all　its　arrangements　partly　South

American　and　partly　English；　and　very　agreeable　to　look　at　on　that

account；　being　like　a　bit　of　home　that　had　got　chipped　off　and　had

floated　away　to　that　spot；　accommodating　itself　to　circumstances　as

it　drifted　along。　　The　huts　of　the　Sambos；　to　the　number　of　five…

and…twenty；　perhaps；　were　down　by　the　beach　to　the　left　of　the

anchorage。　　On　the　right　was　a　sort　of　barrack；　with　a　South

American　Flag　and　the　Union　Jack；　flying　from　the　same　staff；　where

the　little　English　colony　could　all　come　together；　if　they　saw

occasion。　　It　was　a　walled　square　of　building；　with　a　sort　of

pleasure…ground　inside；　and　inside　that　again　a　sunken　block　like　a

powder　magazine；　with　a　little　square　trench　round　it；　and　steps

down　to　the　door。　　Charker　and　I　were　looking　in　at　the　gate；　which

was　not　guarded；　and　I　had　said　to　Charker；　in　reference　to　the　bit

like　a　powder　magazine；　〃That's　where　they　keep　the　silver　you　see；〃

and　Charker　had　said　to　me；　after　thinking　it　over；　〃And　silver

ain't　gold。　　Is　it；　Gill？〃　when　the　beautiful　young　English　lady　I

had　been　so　bilious　about；　looked　out　of　a　door；　or　a　windowat　all

events　looked　out；　from　under　a　bright　awning。　　She　no　sooner　saw　us

two　in　uniform；　than　she　came　out　so　quickly　that　she　was　still

putting　on　her　broad　Mexican　hat　of　plaited　straw　when　we　saluted。



〃Would　you　like　to　come　in；〃　she　said；　〃and　see　the　place？　　It　is

rather　a　curious　place。〃



We　thanked　the　young　lady；　and　said　we　didn't　wish　to　be

troublesome；　but；　she　said　it　could　be　no　trouble　to　an　English

soldier's　daughter；　to　show　English　soldiers　how　their　countrymen

and　country…women　fared；　so　far　away　from　England；　and　consequently

we　saluted　again；　and　went　in。　　Then；　as　we　stood　in　the　shade；　she

showed　us　（being　as　affable　as　beautiful）；　how　the　different

families　lived　in　their　separate　houses；　and　how　there　was　a　general

house　for　stores；　and　a　general　reading…room；　and　a　general　room　for

music　and　dancing；　and　a　room　for　Church；　and　how　there　were　other

houses　on　the　rising　ground　called　the　Signal　Hill；　where　they　lived

in　the　hotter　weather。



〃Your　officer　has　been　carried　up　there；〃　she　said；　〃and　my　brother；

too；　for　the　better　air。　　At　present；　our　few　residents　are

dispersed　over　both　spots：　　deducting；　that　is　to　say；　such　of　our

number　as　are　always　going　to；　or　coming　from；　or　staying　at；　the

Mine。〃



（〃He　is　among　one　of　those　parties；〃　I　thought；　〃and　I　wish　somebody

would　knock　his　head　off。〃）



〃Some　of　our　married　ladies　live　here；〃　she　said；　〃during　at　least

half　the　year；　as　lonely　as　widows；　with　their　children。〃



〃Many　children　here；　ma'am？〃



〃Seventeen。　　There　are　thirteen　married　ladies；　and　there　are　eight

like　me。〃



There　were　not　eight　like　herthere　was　not　one　like　herin　the

world。　　She　meant　single。



〃Which；　with　about　thirty　Englishmen　of　various　degrees；〃　said　the

young　lady；　〃form　the　little　colony　now　on　the　Island。　　I　don't

count　the　sailors；　for　they　don't　belong　to　us。　　Nor　the　soldiers；〃

she　gave　us　a　gracious　smile　when　she　spoke　of　the　soldiers；　〃for

the　same　reason。〃



〃Nor　the　Sambos；　ma'am；〃　said　I。



〃No。〃



〃Under　your　favour；　and　with　your　leave；　ma'am；〃　said　I；　〃are　they

trustworthy？〃



〃Perfectly！　　We　are　all　very　kind　to　them；　and　they　are　very

grateful　to　us。〃



〃Indeed；　ma'am？　　NowChristian　George　King？〃



〃Very　much　attached　to　us　all。　　Would　die　for　us。〃



She　was；　as　in　my　uneducated　way　I　have　observed；　very　beautiful

women　almost　always　to　be；　so　composed；　that　her　composure　gave

great　weight　to　what　she　said；　and　I　believed　it。



Then；　she　pointed　out　to　us　the　building　like　a　powder　magazine；　and

explained　to　us　in　what　manner　the　silver　was　brought　from　the　mine；

and　was　brought　over　from　the　mainland；　and　was　stored　here。　　The

Christopher　Columbus　would　have　a　rich　lading；　she　said；　for　there

had　been　a　great　yield　that　year；　a　much　richer　yield　than　usual；

and　there　was　a　chest　of　jewels　besides　the　silver。



When　we　had　looked　about　us；　and　were　getting　sheepish；　through

fearing　we　were　troublesome；　she　turned　us　over　to　a　young　woman；

English　born　but　West　India　bred；　who　served　her　as　her　maid。　　This

young　woman　was　the　widow　of　a　non…commissioned　officer　in　a

regiment　of　the　line。　　She　had　got　married　and　widowed　at　St。

Vincent；　with　only　a　few　months　between　the　two　events。　　She　was　a

little　saucy　woman；　with　a　bright　pair　of　eyes；　rather　a　neat　little

foot　and　figure；　and　rather　a　neat　little　turned…up　nose。　　The　sort

of　young　woman；　I　considered　at　the　time；　who　appeared　to　invite　you

to　give　her　a　kiss；　and　who　would　have　slapped　your　face　if　you

accepted　the　invitation。



I　couldn't　make　out　her　name　at　first；　for；　when　she　gave　it　in