perils of certain english prisoners-第6章

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I　hold　my　commission　by　the　allowance　of　God；　and　not　that　I　have

received　it　direct　from　the　Devil；　I　shall　certainly　use　it；　with

all　avoidance　of　unnecessary　suffering　and　with　all　merciful

swiftness　of　execution；　to　exterminate　these　people　from　the　face　of

the　earth。　　Let　me　recommend　you　to　go　home；　sir；　and　to　keep　out　of

the　night…air。〃



Never　another　syllable　did　that　officer　say　to　the　Commissioner；　but

turned　away　to　his　men。　　The　Commissioner　buttoned　his　Diplomatic

coat　to　the　chin；　said；　〃Mr。　Kitten；　attend　me！〃　gasped；　half　choked

himself；　and　took　himself　off。



It　now　fell　very　dark；　indeed。　　I　have　seldom；　if　ever；　seen　it

darker；　nor　yet　so　dark。　　The　moon　was　not　due　until　one　in　the

morning；　and　it　was　but　a　little　after　nine　when　our　men　lay　down

where　they　were　mustered。　　It　was　pretended　that　they　were　to　take　a

nap；　but　everybody　knew　that　no　nap　was　to　be　got　under　the

circumstances。　　Though　all　were　very　quiet；　there　was　a　restlessness

among　the　people；　much　what　I　have　seen　among　the　people　on　a　race…

course；　when　the　bell　has　rung　for　the　saddling　for　a　great　race

with　large　stakes　on　it。



At　ten；　they　put　off；　only　one　boat　putting　off　at　a　time；　another

following　in　five　minutes；　both　then　lying　on　their　oars　until

another　followed。　　Ahead　of　all；　paddling　his　own　outlandish　little

canoe　without　a　sound；　went　the　Sambo　pilot；　to　take　them　safely

outside　the　reef。　　No　light　was　shown　but　once；　and　that　was　in　the

commanding　officer's　own　hand。　　I　lighted　the　dark　lantern　for　him；

and　he　took　it　from　me　when　he　embarked。　　They　had　blue　lights　and

such　like　with　them；　but　kept　themselves　as　dark　as　Murder。



The　expedition　got　away　with　wonderful　quietness；　and　Christian

George　King　soon　came　back　dancing　with　joy。



〃Yup；　So…Jeer；〃　says　he　to　myself　in　a　very　objectionable　kind　of

convulsions；　〃Christian　George　King　sar　berry　glad。　　Pirates　all　be

blown　a…pieces。　　Yup！　　Yup！〃



My　reply　to　that　cannibal　was；　〃However　glad　you　may　be；　hold　your

noise；　and　don't　dance　jigs　and　slap　your　knees　about　it；　for　I

can't　abear　to　see　you　do　it。〃



I　was　on　duty　then；　we　twelve　who　were　left　being　divided　into　four

watches　of　three　each；　three　hours'　spell。　　I　was　relieved　at

twelve。　　A　little　before　that　time；　I　had　challenged；　and　Miss

Maryon　and　Mrs。　Belltott　had　come　in。



〃Good　Davis；〃　says　Miss　Maryon；　〃what　is　the　matter？　　Where　is　my

brother？〃



I　told　her　what　was　the　matter；　and　where　her　brother　was。



〃O　Heaven　help　him！〃　says　she；　clasping　her　hands　and　looking　up

she　was　close　in　front　of　me；　and　she　looked　most　lovely　to　be　sure；

he　is　not　sufficiently　recovered；　not　strong　enough　for　such

strife！〃



〃If　you　had　seen　him；　miss；〃　I　told　her；　〃as　I　saw　him　when　he

volunteered；　you　would　have　known　that　his　spirit　is　strong　enough

for　any　strife。　　It　will　bear　his　body；　miss；　to　wherever　duty　calls

him。　　It　will　always　bear　him　to　an　honourable　life；　or　a　brave

death。〃



〃Heaven　bless　you！〃　says　she；　touching　my　arm。　　〃I　know　it。　　Heaven

bless　you！〃



Mrs。　Belltott　surprised　me　by　trembling　and　saying　nothing。　　They

were　still　standing　looking　towards　the　sea　and　listening；　after　the

relief　had　come　round。　　It　continuing　very　dark；　I　asked　to　be

allowed　to　take　them　back。　　Miss　Maryon　thanked　me；　and　she　put　her

arm　in　mine；　and　I　did　take　them　back。　　I　have　now　got　to　make　a

confession　that　will　appear　singular。　　After　I　had　left　them；　I　laid

myself　down　on　my　face　on　the　beach；　and　cried　for　the　first　time

since　I　had　frightened　birds　as　a　boy　at　Snorridge　Bottom；　to　think

what　a　poor；　ignorant；　low…placed；　private　soldier　I　was。



It　was　only　for　half　a　minute　or　so。　　A　man　can't　at　all　times　be

quite　master　of　himself；　and　it　was　only　for　half　a　minute　or　so。

Then　I　up　and　went　to　my　hut；　and　turned　into　my　hammock；　and　fell

asleep　with　wet　eyelashes；　and　a　sore；　sore　heart。　　Just　as　I　had

often　done　when　I　was　a　child；　and　had　been　worse　used　than　usual。



I　slept　（as　a　child　under　those　circumstances　might）　very　sound；　and

yet　very　sore　at　heart　all　through　my　sleep。　　I　was　awoke　by　the

words；　〃He　is　a　determined　man。〃　　I　had　sprung　out　of　my　hammock；

and　had　seized　my　firelock；　and　was　standing　on　the　ground；　saying

the　words　myself。　　〃He　is　a　determined　man。〃　　But；　the　curiosity　of

my　state　was；　that　I　seemed　to　be　repeating　them　after　somebody；　and

to　have　been　wonderfully　startled　by　hearing　them。



As　soon　as　I　came　to　myself；　I　went　out　of　the　hut；　and　away　to

where　the　guard　was。　　Charker　challenged：



〃Who　goes　there？〃



〃A　friend。〃



〃Not　Gill？〃　says　he；　as　he　shouldered　his　piece。



〃Gill；〃　says　I。



〃Why；　what　the　deuce　do　you　do　out　of　your　hammock？〃　says　he。



〃Too　hot　for　sleep；〃　says　I；　〃is　all　right？〃



〃Right！〃　says　Charker；　〃yes；　yes；　all's　right　enough　here；　what

should　be　wrong　here？　　It's　the　boats　that　we　want　to　know　of。

Except　for　fire…flies　twinkling　about；　and　the　lonesome　splashes　of

great　creatures　as　they　drop　into　the　water；　there's　nothing　going

on　here　to　ease　a　man's　mind　from　the　boats。〃



The　moon　was　above　the　sea；　and　had　risen；　I　should　say；　some　half…

an…hour。　　As　Charker　spoke；　with　his　face　towards　the　sea；　I；

looking　landward；　suddenly　laid　my　right　hand　on　his　breast；　and

said；　〃Don't　move。　　Don't　turn。　　Don't　raise　your　voice！　　You　never

saw　a　Maltese　face　here？〃



〃No。　　What　do　you　mean？〃　he　asks；　staring　at　me。



〃Nor　yet；　an　English　face；　with　one　eye　and　a　patch　across　the

nose？〃



〃No。　　What　ails　you？　　What　do　you　mean？〃



I　had　seen　both；　looking　at　us　round　the　stem　of　a　cocoa…nut　tree；

where　the　moon　struck　them。　　I　had　seen　that　Sambo　Pilot；　with　one

hand　laid　on　the　stem　of　the　tree；　drawing　them　back　into　the　heavy

shadow。　　I　had　seen　their　naked　cutlasses　twinkle　and　shine；　like

bits　of　the　moonshine　in　the　water　that　had　got　blown　ashore　among

the　trees　by　the　light　wind。　　I　had　seen　it　all；　in　a　moment。　　And　I

saw　in　a　moment　（as　any　man　would）；　that　the　signalled　move　of　the

pirates　on　the　mainland　was　a　plot　and　a　feint；　that　the　leak　had

been　made　to　disable　the　sloop；　that　the　boats　had　been　tempted

away；　to　leave　the　Island　unprotected；　that　the　pirates　had　landed

by　some　secreted　way　at　the　back；　and　that　Christian　George　King　was

a　double…dyed　traitor；　and　a　most　infernal　villain。



I　considered；　still　all　in　one　and　the　same　moment；　that　Charker　was

a　brave　man；　but　not　quick　with　his　head；　and　that　Sergeant　Drooce；

with　a　much　better　head；　was　close　by。　　All　I　said　to　Charker　was；

〃I　am　afraid　we　are　betrayed。　　Turn　your　back　full　to　the　moonlight

on　the　sea；　and　cover　the　stem　of　the　cocoa…nut　tree　which　will　then

be　right　before　you；　at　the　height　of　a　man's　heart。　　Are　you

right？〃



〃I　am　right；〃　says　Charker；　turning　instantly；　and　falling　into　the

position　with　a　nerve　of　iron；　〃and　right　ain't　left。　　Is　it；　Gill？〃



A　few　seconds　brought　me　to　Sergeant　Drooce's　hut。　　He　was　fast

asleep；　and　being　a　heavy　sleeper；　I　had　to　lay　my　hand　upon　him　to

rouse　him。　　The　instant　I　touched　him　he　came　rolling　out　of　his

hammock；　and　upon　me　like　a　tiger。　　And　a　tiger　he　was；　except　that

he　knew　what　he　was　up　to；　in　his　utmost　heat；　as　well　as　any　man。



I　had　to　struggle　with　him　pretty　hard　to　bring　him　to　his　senses；

panting　all　the　while　（for　he　gave　me　a　breather）；　〃Sergeant；　I　am

Gill　Davis！　　Treachery！　　Pirates　on　the　Island！〃



The　last　words　brought　him　round；　and　he　took　his　hands　of。　　〃I　have

seen　two　of　them　within　this　minute；〃　said　I。　　And　so　I　told　him

what　I　had　told　Harry　Charker。



His　soldierly；　though　tyrannical；　head　was　clear　in　an　instant。　　He

didn't　waste　one　word；　even　of　surprise。　　〃Order　the　guard；〃　says

he；　〃to　draw　off　quietly　into　the　Fort。〃　　（They　called　the　enclosure

I　have　before　mentioned；　the　Fort；　though　it　was　not　much　of　that。）

〃Then　get　you