perils of certain english prisoners-第4章

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Diplomatic　coat。〃



He　was　dressed　in　a　linen　suit　at　that　moment；　but；　Mr。　Kitten

started　off　himself　and　brought　down　the　Diplomatic　coat；　which　was

a　blue　cloth　one；　gold…laced；　and　with　a　crown　on　the　button。



〃Now；　Mr。　Kitten；〃　says　Pordage；　〃I　instruct　you；　as　Vice…

commissioner；　and　Deputy…consul　of　this　place；　to　demand　of　Captain

Maryon；　of　the　sloop　Christopher　Columbus；　whether　he　drives　me　to

the　act　of　putting　this　coat　on？〃



〃Mr。　Pordage；〃　says　Captain　Maryon；　looking　out　of　his　hammock

again；　〃as　I　can　hear　what　you　say；　I　can　answer　it　without

troubling　the　gentleman。　　I　should　be　sorry　that　you　should　be　at

the　pains　of　putting　on　too　hot　a　coat　on　my　account；　but；

otherwise；　you　may　put　it　on　hind…side　before；　or　inside…out；　or

with　your　legs　in　the　sleeves；　or　your　head　in　the　skirts；　for　any

objection　that　I　have　to　offer　to　your　thoroughly　pleasing

yourself。〃



〃Very　good；　Captain　Maryon；〃　says　Pordage；　in　a　tremendous　passion。

〃Very　good；　sir。　　Be　the　consequences　on　your　own　head！　　Mr。　Kitten；

as　it　has　come　to　this；　help　me　on　with　it。〃



When　he　had　given　that　order；　he　walked　off　in　the　coat；　and　all　our

names　were　taken；　and　I　was　afterwards　told　that　Mr。　Kitten　wrote

from　his　dictation　more　than　a　bushel　of　large　paper　on　the　subject；

which　cost　more　before　it　was　done　with；　than　ever　could　be

calculated；　and　which　only　got　done　with　after　all；　by　being　lost。



Our　work　went　on　merrily；　nevertheless；　and　the　Christopher

Columbus；　hauled　up；　lay　helpless　on　her　side　like　a　great　fish　out

of　water。　　While　she　was　in　that　state；　there　was　a　feast；　or　a

ball；　or　an　entertainment；　or　more　properly　all　three　together；

given　us　in　honour　of　the　ship；　and　the　ship's　company；　and　the

other　visitors。　　At　that　assembly；　I　believe；　I　saw　all　the

inhabitants　then　upon　the　Island；　without　any　exception。　　I　took　no

particular　notice　of　more　than　a　few；　but　I　found　it　very　agreeable

in　that　little　corner　of　the　world　to　see　the　children；　who　were　of

all　ages；　and　mostly　very　prettyas　they　mostly　are。　　There　was　one

handsome　elderly　lady；　with　very　dark　eyes　and　gray　hair；　that　I

inquired　about。　　I　was　told　that　her　name　was　Mrs。　Venning；　and　her

married　daughter；　a　fair　slight　thing；　was　pointed　out　to　me　by　the

name　of　Fanny　Fisher。　　Quite　a　child　she　looked；　with　a　little　copy

of　herself　holding　to　her　dress；　and　her　husband；　just　come　back

from　the　mine；　exceeding　proud　of　her。　　They　were　a　good…looking　set

of　people　on　the　whole；　but　I　didn't　like　them。　　I　was　out　of　sorts；

in　conversation　with　Charker；　I　found　fault　with　all　of　them。　　I

said　of　Mrs。　Venning；　she　was　proud；　of　Mrs。　Fisher；　she　was　a

delicate　little　baby…fool。　　What　did　I　think　of　this　one？　　Why；　he

was　a　fine　gentleman。　　What　did　I　say　to　that　one？　　Why；　she　was　a

fine　lady。　　What　could　you　expect　them　to　be　（I　asked　Charker）；

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　touche