perils of certain english prisoners-第3章

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accepted　the　invitation。



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

answer　to　my　inquiry；　it　sounded　like　Beltot；　which　didn't　sound

right。　　But；　when　we　became　better　acquaintedwhich　was　while

Charker　and　I　were　drinking　sugar…cane　sangaree；　which　she　made　in　a

most　excellent　mannerI　found　that　her　Christian　name　was　Isabella；

which　they　shortened　into　Bell；　and　that　the　name　of　the　deceased

non…commissioned　officer　was　Tott。　　Being　the　kind　of　neat　little

woman　it　was　natural　to　make　a　toy　ofI　never　saw　a　woman　so　like　a

toy　in　my　lifeshe　had　got　the　plaything　name　of　Belltott。　　In

short；　she　had　no　other　name　on　the　island。　　Even　Mr。　Commissioner

Pordage　（and　he　was　a　grave　one！）　formally　addressed　her　as　Mrs。

Belltott；　but；　I　shall　come　to　Mr。　Commissioner　Pordage　presently。



The　name　of　the　captain　of　the　sloop　was　Captain　Maryon；　and

therefore　it　was　no　news　to　hear　from　Mrs。　Belltott；　that　his

sister；　the　beautiful　unmarried　young　English　lady；　was　Miss　Maryon。

The　novelty　was；　that　her　christian…name　was　Marion　too。　　Marion

Maryon。　　Many　a　time　I　have　run　off　those　two　names　in　my　thoughts；

like　a　bit　of　verse。　　Oh　many；　and　many；　and　many　a　time！



We　saw　out　all　the　drink　that　was　produced；　like　good　men　and　true；

and　then　took　our　leaves；　and　went　down　to　the　beach。　　The　weather

was　beautiful；　the　wind　steady；　low；　and　gentle；　the　island；　a

picture；　the　sea；　a　picture；　the　sky；　a　picture。　　In　that　country

there　are　two　rainy　seasons　in　the　year。　　One　sets　in　at　about　our

English　Midsummer；　the　other；　about　a　fortnight　after　our　English

Michaelmas。　　It　was　the　beginning　of　August　at　that　time；　the　first

of　these　rainy　seasons　was　well　over；　and　everything　was　in　its　most

beautiful　growth；　and　had　its　loveliest　look　upon　it。



〃They　enjoy　themselves　here；〃　I　says　to　Charker；　turning　surly

again。　　〃This　is　better　than　private…soldiering。〃



We　had　come　down　to　the　beach；　to　be　friendly　with　the　boat's…crew

who　were　camped　and　hutted　there；　and　we　were　approaching　towards

their　quarters　over　the　sand；　when　Christian　George　King　comes　up

from　the　landing…place　at　a　wolf's…trot；　crying；　〃Yup；　So…Jeer！〃

which　was　that　Sambo　Pilot's　barbarous　way　of　saying；　Hallo；

Soldier！　　I　have　stated　myself　to　be　a　man　of　no　learning；　and；　if　I

entertain　prejudices；　I　hope　allowance　may　be　made。　　I　will　now

confess　to　one。　　It　may　be　a　right　one　or　it　may　be　a　wrong　one；

but；　I　never　did　like　Natives；　except　in　the　form　of　oysters。



So；　when　Christian　George　King；　who　was　individually　unpleasant　to

me　besides；　comes　a　trotting　along　the　sand；　clucking；　〃Yup；　So…

Jeer！〃　　I　had　a　thundering　good　mind　to　let　fly　at　him　with　my

right。　　I　certainly　should　have　done　it；　but　that　it　would　have

exposed　me　to　reprimand。



〃Yup；　So…Jeer！〃　says　he。　　〃Bad　job。〃



〃What　do　you　mean？〃　says　I。



〃Yup；　So…Jeer！〃　says　he；　〃Ship　Leakee。〃



〃Ship　leaky？〃　says　I。



〃Iss；〃　says　he；　with　a　nod　that　looked　as　if　it　was　jerked　out　of

him　by　a　most　violent　hiccupwhich　is　the　way　with　those　savages。



I　cast　my　eyes　at　Charker；　and　we　both　heard　the　pumps　going　aboard

the　sloop；　and　saw　the　signal　run　up；　〃Come　on　board；　hands　wanted

from　the　shore。〃　　In　no　time　some　of　the　sloop's　liberty…men　were

already　running　down　to　the　water's　edge；　and　the　party　of　seamen；

under　orders　against　the　Pirates；　were　putting　off　to　the　Columbus

in　two　boats。



〃O　Christian　George　King　sar　berry　sorry！〃　says　that　Sambo　vagabond；

then。　　〃Christian　George　King　cry；　English　fashion！〃　　His　English

fashion　of　crying　was　to　screw　his　black　knuckles　into　his　eyes；

howl　like　a　dog；　and　roll　himself　on　his　back　on　the　sand。　　It　was

trying　not　to　kick　him；　but　I　gave　Charker　the　word；　〃Double…quick；

Harry！〃　and　we　got　down　to　the　water's　edge；　and　got　on　board　the

sloop。



By　some　means　or　other；　she　had　sprung　such　a　leak；　that　no　pumping

would　keep　her　free；　and　what　between　the　two　fears　that　she　would

go　down　in　the　harbour；　and　that；　even　if　she　did　not；　all　the

supplies　she　had　brought　for　the　little　colony　would　be　destroyed　by

the　sea…water　as　it　rose　in　her；　there　was　great　confusion。　　In　the

midst　of　it；　Captain　Maryon　was　heard　hailing　from　the　beach。　　He

had　been　carried　down　in　his　hammock；　and　looked　very　bad；　but　he

insisted　on　being　stood　there　on　his　feet；　and　I　saw　him；　myself；

come　off　in　the　boat；　sitting　upright　in　the　stern…sheets；　as　if

nothing　was　wrong　with　him。



A　quick　sort　of　council　was　held；　and　Captain　Maryon　soon　resolved

that　we　must　all　fall　to　work　to　get　the　cargo　out；　and　that　when

that　was　done；　the　guns　and　heavy　matters　must　be　got　out；　and　that

the　sloop　must　be　hauled　ashore；　and　careened；　and　the　leak　stopped。

We　were　all　mustered　（the　Pirate…Chace　party　volunteering）；　and　told

off　into　parties；　with　so　many　hours　of　spell　and　so　many　hours　of

relief；　and　we　all　went　at　it　with　a　will。　　Christian　George　King

was　entered　one　of　the　party　in　which　I　worked；　at　his　own　request；

and　he　went　at　it　with　as　good　a　will　as　any　of　the　rest。　　He　went

at　it　with　so　much　heartiness；　to　say　the　truth；　that　he　rose　in　my

good　opinion　almost　as　fast　as　the　water　rose　in　the　ship。　　Which

was　fast　enough；　and　faster。



Mr。　Commissioner　Pordage　kept　in　a　red…and…black　japanned　box；　like

a　family　lump…sugar　box；　some　document　or　other；　which　some　Sambo

chief　or　other　had　got　drunk　and　spilt　some　ink　over　（as　well　as　I

could　understand　the　matter）；　and　by　that　means　had　given　up　lawful

possession　of　the　Island。　　Through　having　hold　of　this　box；　Mr。

Pordage　got　his　title　of　Commissioner。　　He　was　styled　Consul　too；

and　spoke　of　himself　as　〃Government。〃



He　was　a　stiff…jointed；　high…nosed　old　gentleman；　without　an　ounce

of　fat　on　him；　of　a　very　angry　temper　and　a　very　yellow　complexion。

Mrs。　Commissioner　Pordage；　making　allowance　for　difference　of　sex；

was　much　the　same。　　Mr。　Kitten；　a　small；　youngish；　bald；　botanical

and　mineralogical　gentleman；　also　connected　with　the　minebut

everybody　there　was　that；　more　or　lesswas　sometimes　called　by　Mr。

Commissioner　Pordage；　his　Vice…commissioner；　and　sometimes　his

Deputy…consul。　　Or　sometimes　he　spoke　of　Mr。　Kitten；　merely　as　being

〃under　Government。〃



The　beach　was　beginning　to　be　a　lively　scene　with　the　preparations

for　careening　the　sloop；　and　with　cargo；　and　spars；　and　rigging；　and

water…casks；　dotted　about　it；　and　with　temporary　quarters　for　the

men　rising　up　there　out　of　such　sails　and　odds　and　ends　as　could　be

best　set　on　one　side　to　make　them；　when　Mr。　Commissioner　Pordage

comes　down　in　a　high　fluster；　and　asks　for　Captain　Maryon。　　The

Captain；　ill　as　he　was；　was　slung　in　his　hammock　betwixt　two　trees；

that　he　might　direct；　and　he　raised　his　head；　and　answered　for

himself。



〃Captain　Maryon；〃　cries　Mr。　Commissioner　Pordage；　〃this　is　not

official。　　This　is　not　regular。〃



〃Sir；〃　says　the　Captain；　〃it　hath　been　arranged　with　the　clerk　and

supercargo；　that　you　should　be　communicated　with；　and　requested　to

render　any　little　assistance　that　may　lie　in　your　power。　　I　am　quite

certain　that　hath　been　duly　done。〃



〃Captain　Maryon；〃　replied　Mr。　Commissioner　Pordage；　〃there　hath　been

no　written　correspondence。　　No　documents　have　passed；　no　memoranda

have　been　made；　no　minutes　have　been　made；　no　entries　and　counter…

entries　appear　in　the　official　muniments。　　This　is　indecent。　　I　call

upon　you；　sir；　to　desist；　until　all　is　regular；　or　Government　will

take　this　up。〃



〃Sir；〃　says　Captain　Maryon；　chafing　a　little；　as　he　looked　out　of

his　hammock；　〃between　the　chances　of　Government　taking　this　up；　and

my　ship　taking　herself　down；　I　much　prefer　to　trust　myself　to　the

former。〃



〃You　do；　sir？〃　cries　Mr。　Commissioner　Pordage。



〃I　do；　sir；〃　says　Captain　Maryon；　lying　down　again。



〃Then；　Mr。　Kitten；〃　says　the　Commissioner；　〃send　up　instantly　for　my

Diplomatic　coat。〃



He　was　dressed