for the term of his natural life-第35章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ears　given　over　to　that　terror　of　discipline　which　servitude　induces；　made　but　a　feeble　attempt　at　resistance；　and　forcing　the　handspike　from　him；　the　sentry；　Jones；　rushed　aft　to　help　the　pilot。　　As　Jones　reached　the　waist；　Cheshire；　a　cold…blooded　blue…eyed　man；　shot　him　dead。　Grimes　fell　over　the　corpse；　and　Cheshire；　clubbing　the　musket　had　he　another　barrel　he　would　have　firedcoolly　battered　his　head　as　he　lay；　and　then；　seizing　the　body　of　the　unfortunate　Jones　in　his　arms；　tossed　it　into　the　sea。　　〃Porter；　you　lubber！〃　he　cried；　exhausted　with　the　effort　to　lift　the　body；　〃come　and　bear　a　hand　with　this　other　one！〃　Porter　advanced　aghast；　but　just　then　another　occurrence　claimed　the　villain's　attention；　and　poor　Grimes's　life　was　spared　for　that　time。

Rex；　inwardly　raging　at　this　unexpected　resistance　on　the　part　of　the　pilot；　flung　himself　on　the　skylight；　and　tore　it　up　bodily。　　As　he　did　so；　Barker；　who　had　reloaded　his　musket；　fired　down　into　the　cabin。　The　ball　passed　through　the　state…room　door；　and　splintering　the　wood；　buried　itself　close　to　the　golden　curls　of　poor　little　Sylvia。　It　was　this　hair's…breadth　escape　which　drew　from　the　agonized　mother　that　shriek　which；　pealing　through　the　open　stern　window；　had　roused　the　soldiers　in　the　boat。

Rex；　who；　by　the　virtue　of　his　dandyism；　yet　possessed　some　abhorrence　of　useless　crime；　imagined　that　the　cry　was　one　of　pain；　and　that　Barker's　bullet　had　taken　deadly　effect。　　〃You've　killed　the　child；　you　villain！〃　he　cried。

〃What's　the　odds？〃　asked　Barker　sulkily。　　〃She　must　die　any　way；　sooner　or　later。〃

Rex　put　his　head　down　the　skylight；　and　called　on　Bates　to　surrender；　but　Bates　only　drew　his　other　pistol。　　〃Would　you　commit　murder？〃　he　asked；　looking　round　with　desperation　in　his　glance。

〃No；　no；〃　cried　some　of　the　men；　willing　to　blink　the　death　of　poor　Jones。　〃It's　no　use　making　things　worse　than　they　are。　　Bid　him　come　up；　and　we'll　do　him　no　harm。〃　〃Come　up；　Mr。　Bates；〃　says　Rex；　〃and　I　give　you　my　word　you　sha'n't　be　injured。〃

〃Will　you　set　the　major's　lady　and　child　ashore；　then？〃　asked　Bates；　sturdily　facing　the　scowling　brows　above　him。

〃Yes。〃

〃Without　injury？〃　continued　the　other；　bargaining；　as　it　were；　at　the　very　muzzles　of　the　muskets。

〃Ay；　ay！　　It's　all　right！〃　returned　Russen。　　〃It's　our　liberty　we　want；　that's　all。〃

Bates；　hoping　against　hope　for　the　return　of　the　boat；　endeavoured　to　gain　time。　　〃Shut　down　the　skylight；　then；〃　said　he；　with　the　ghost　of　an　authority　in　his　voice；　〃until　I　ask　the　lady。〃

This；　however；　John　Rex　refused　to　do。　　〃You　can　ask　well　enough　where　you　are；〃　he　said。

But　there　was　no　need　for　Mr。　Bates　to　put　a　question。　The　door　of　the　state…room　opened；　and　Mrs。　Vickers　appeared；　trembling；　with　Sylvia　by　her　side。　　〃Accept；　Mr。　Bates；〃　she　said；　〃since　it　must　be　so。　　We　should　gain　nothing　by　refusing。　We　are　at　their　mercyGod　help　us！〃

〃Amen　to　that；〃　says　Bates　under　his　breath；　and　then　aloud；　〃We　agree　！〃

〃Put　your　pistols　on　the　table；　and　come　up；　then；〃　says　Rex；　covering　the　table　with　his　musket　as　he　spoke。　　〃And　nobody　shall　hurt　you。〃　




CHAPTER　X。

JOHN　REX'S　REVENGE。



Mrs　Vickers；　pale　and　sick　with　terror；　yet　sustained　by　that　strange　courage　of　which　we　have　before　spoken；　passed　rapidly　under　the　open　skylight；　and　prepared　to　ascend。　　Sylviaher　romance　crushed　by　too　dreadful　reality　clung　to　her　mother　with　one　hand；　and　with　the　other　pressed　close　to　her　little　bosom　the　〃English　History〃。　　In　her　all…absorbing　fear　she　had　forgotten　to　lay　it　down。

〃Get　a　shawl；　ma'am；　or　something；〃　says　Bates；　〃and　a　hat　for　missy。〃

Mrs。　Vickers　looked　back　across　the　space　beneath　the　open　skylight；　and　shuddering；　shook　her　head。　　The　men　above　swore　impatiently　at　the　delay；　and　the　three　hastened　on　deck。

〃Who's　to　command　the　brig　now？〃　asked　undaunted　Bates；　as　they　came　up。

〃I　am；〃　says　John　Rex；　〃and；　with　these　brave　fellows；　I'll　take　her　round　the　world。〃

The　touch　of　bombast　was　not　out　of　place。　　It　jumped　so　far　with　the　humour　of　the　convicts　that　they　set　up　a　feeble　cheer；　at　which　Sylvia　frowned。　Frightened　as　she　was；　the　prison…bred　child　was　as　much　astonished　at　hearing　convicts　cheer　as　a　fashionable　lady　would　be　to　hear　her　footman　quote　poetry。　　Bates；　howeverpractical　and　calm　took　quite　another　view　of　the　case。　　The　bold　project；　so　boldly　avowed；　seemed　to　him　a　sheer　absurdity。　　The　〃Dandy〃　and　a　crew　of　nine　convicts　navigate　a　brig　round　the　world！　　Preposterous；　why；　not　a　man　aboard　could　work　a　reckoning！　　His　nautical　fancy　pictured　the　Osprey　helplessly　rolling　on　the　swell　of　the　Southern　Ocean；　or　hopelessly　locked　in　the　ice　of　the　Antarctic　Seas；　and　he　dimly　guessed　at　the　fate　of　the　deluded　ten。　　Even　if　they　got　safe　to　port；　the　chances　of　final　escape　were　all　against　them；　for　what　account　could　they　give　of　themselves？　Overpowered　by　these　reflections；　the　honest　fellow　made　one　last　effort　to　charm　his　captors　back　to　their　pristine　bondage。

〃Fools！〃　he　cried；　〃do　you　know　what　you　are　about　to　do？　You　will　never　escape。　　Give　up　the　brig；　and　I　will　declare；　before　my　God；　upon　the　Bible；　that　I　will　say　nothing；　but　give　all　good　characters。〃

Lesly　and　another　burst　into　a　laugh　at　this　wild　proposition；　but　Rex；　who　had　weighed　his　chances　well　beforehand；　felt　the　force　of　the　pilot's　speech；　and　answered　seriously。

〃It's　no　use　talking；〃　he　said；　shaking　his　still　handsome　head。　〃We　have　got　the　brig；　and　we　mean　to　keep　her。　　I　can　navigate　her；　though　I　am　no　seaman；　so　you　needn't　talk　further　about　it；　Mr。　Bates。　It's　liberty　we　require。〃

〃What　are　you　going　to　do　with　us？〃　asked　Bates。

〃Leave　you　behind。〃

Bates's　face　blanched。　　〃What；　here？〃

〃Yes。　　It　don't　look　a　picturesque　spot；　does　it？　　And　yet　I've　lived　here　for　some　years〃；　and　he　grinned。

Bates　was　silent。　　The　logic　of　that　grin　was　unanswerable。

〃Come！〃　cried　the　Dandy；　shaking　off　his　momentary　melancholy；　〃look　alive　there！　　Lower　away　the　jolly…boat。　　Mrs。　Vickers；　go　down　to　your　cabin　and　get　anything　you　want。　　I　am　compelled　to　put　you　ashore；　but　I　have　no　wish　to　leave　you　without　clothes。〃　Bates　listened；　in　a　sort　of　dismal　admiration；　at　this　courtly　convict。　He　could　not　have　spoken　like　that　had　life　depended　on　it。　〃Now；　my　little　lady；〃　continued　Rex；　〃run　down　with　your　mamma；　and　don't　be　frightened。〃

Sylvia　flashed　burning　red　at　this　indignity。　　〃Frightened！　If　there　had　been　anybody　else　here　but　women；　you　never　would　have　taken　the　brig。　　Frightened！　　Let　me　pass；　prisoner！〃

The　whole　deck　burst　into　a　great　laugh　at　this；　and　poor　Mrs。　Vickers　paused；　trembling　for　the　consequences　of　the　child's　temerity。　　To　thus　taunt　the　desperate　convict　who　held　their　lives　in　his　hands　seemed　sheer　madness。　In　the　boldness　of　the　speech　however；　lay　its　safeguard。　Rexwhose　politeness　was　mere　bravadowas　stung　to　the　quick　by　the　reflection　upon　his　courage；　and　the　bitter　accent　with　which　the　child　had　pronounced　the　word　prisoner　（the　generic　name　of　convicts）　made　him　bite　his　lips　with　rage。　　Had　he　had　his　will；　he　would　have　struck　the　little　creature　to　the　deck；　but　the　hoarse　laugh　of　his　companions　warned　him　to　forbear。　　There　is　〃public　opinion〃　even　among　convicts；　and　Rex　dared　not　vent　his　passion　on　so　helpless　an　object。　As　men　do　in　such　cases；　he　veiled　his　anger　beneath　an　affectation　of　amusement。　　In　order　to　show　that　he　was　not　moved　by　the　taunt；　he　smiled　upon　the　taunter　more　graciously　than　ever。

〃Your　daughter　has　her　father's　spirit；　madam；〃　said　he　to　Mrs。　Vickers；　with　a　bow。

Bates　opened　his　mouth　to　listen。　　His　ears　were　not　large　enough　to　take　in　the　words　of　this　complimentary　convict。　　He　began　to　think　that　he　was　the　victim　of　a　nightmare。　　He　absolutely　felt　that　John　Rex　was　a　greater　man　at　that　moment　than　John　Bates。

As　Mrs。　Vickers　descended　the　hatchway；　the　boat　with　Frere　and　the　soldiers　came　within　musket　range；　and　Lesly；　according　to　orders；　fired　his　musket　over　their　heads；　shouting　to　them　to　lay　to　But　Frere；　boiling　with　rage　at　the　manner　in　which　the　tables　had　been　turned　on　him；　had　determined　not　to　resign　h