hard cash-第161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！


　was　gone　bag　and　baggage。　When　Edward　was　told　of　this　business；　he　thought　it　remarkable；　and　regretted　he　had　not　seen　the　old　man。

So　do　I；　for　it　is　my　belief　Edward　would　have　recognised　him。

　　　　　DAVID　DODD。

The　history　of　a　man　is　the　history　of　his　mind。　And　that　is　why　you　have　heard　so　little　of　late　about　the　simplest；　noblest；　and　most　unfortunate　of　all　my　personages。　Insanity　is　as　various　as　eccentricity。　I　have　spared　the　kind…hearted　reader　some　of　David's　vagaries。　However；　when　we　parted　with　him；　he　had　settled　into　that　strange　phase　of　lunacy；　in　which　the　distant　past　seems　nearly　obliterated；　and　memory　exists；　but　revolves　in　a　narrow　round　of　things　present：　this　was　accompanied　with　a　positive　illusion；　to　wit；　a　fixed　idea　that　he　was　an　able　seaman：　and；　as　usual；　what　mental　power　he　retained　came　out　strongest　in　support　of　this　idea。　All　this　was　marked　by　a　bodily　agility　somewhat　more　than　natural　in　a　man　of　his　age。　Owing　to　the　wind　astern；　he　was　enabled　to　run　into　Portsmouth　before　the　steam…tug　came　up　with　him：　and　he　did　run　into　port；　not　because　he　feared　pursuit；　but　because　he　was　desperately　hungry；　and　he　had　no　suicidal　tendencies　whatever。

He　made　for　a　public…house；　and　called　for　some　bread　and　cheese　and　beer；　they　were　supplied；　and　then　lo！　he　had　no　money　to　pay　for　them。　〃I'll　owe　you　till　I　come　back　from　sea；　my　bo；〃　said　he　coolly。　On　this　the　landlord　collared　him；　and　David　shook　him　off　into　the　road；　much　as　a　terrier　throws　a　rat　from　him；　then　there　was　a　row；　and　a　naval　officer；　who　was　cruising　about　for　hands；　came　up　and　heard　it。　There　was　nothing　at　all　unseamanlike　in　David's　conduct；　and　the　gentleman　took　a　favourable　view　of　it；　and　paid　the　small　demand；　but　not　with　unleavened　motives。　He　was　the　second　lieutenant　of　H。　M。　frigate　_Vulture；_　she　had　a　bad　name；　thanks　to　her　last　captain；　and　was　short　of　hands：　he　took　David　aside　and　asked　him　would　he　like　to　ship　on　board　the　_Vulture。_

David　said　yes；　and　suggested　the　foretop。　〃Oh　yes；〃　growled　the　lieutenant；　〃you　all　want　to　be　there。〃　He　then　gauged　this　Jacky　Tar's　intellects；　asked　him　_inter　alia_　how　to　send　a　frigate's　foretop　gallant　yard　down　upon　deck：　and　to　show　how　seamanship　sticks　in　the　brain　when　once　it　gets　there；　David　actually　told　him。　〃You　are　rather　old；〃　said　the　lieutenant；　〃but　you　are　a　seaman：〃　and　so　took　him　on　board　the　_Vulture_　at　Spithead；　before　Green　began　to　search　the　town　in　earnest。　Nobody　acts　his　part　better　than　some　demented　persons　do：　and　David　made　a　very　tolerable　sailor　notwithstanding　his　forty…five　years：　and　the　sea　did　him　good　within　certain　limits。　Between　him　and　the　past　lay　some　intellectual　or　cerebral　barrier　as　impenetrable　as　the　great　wall　of　China；　but　on　the　hither　side　of　that　wall　his　faculties　improved。　Of　course；　the　crew　soon　found　out　the　gap　in　his　poor　brain；　and　called　him　Soft　Billy；　and　played　on　him　at　first。　But　by　degrees　he　won　their　affection；　he　was　so　wonderfully　sweet…tempered：　and　besides　his　mind　being　in　an　abnormal　state；　he　loathed　grog；　and　gave　his　allowance　to　his　messmates。　One　day　he　showed　an　unexpected　trait；　they　were　lying　becalmed　in　southern　latitudes；　and；　time　hanging　heavily；　each　wiled　it　how　he　might：　one　fiddled；　another　wrote　to　his　Polly；　another　fished　for　sharks；　another　whistled　for　a　wind；　scores　fell　into　the　form　of　meditation　without　the　reality；　and　one　got　a　piece　of　yarn　and　amused　himself　killing　flies　on　the　bulwark。　Now　this　shocked　poor　Billy：　he　put　out　his　long　arm　and　intercepted　a　stroke。　〃What　is　the　row？〃　said　the　operator。

〃You　mustn't；〃　said　Billy　solemnly；　looking　into　his　face　with　great　dreamy　eyes。

〃You　be；〃　said　the　other；　and　lent　him　a　tap　on　the　cheek　with　the　yarn。　Billy　did　not　seem　to　mind　this；　his　skin　had　little　sensibility；　owing　to　his　disorder。

Jack　recommenced　on　his　flies；　and　the　bystanders　laughed。　They　always　laughed　now　at　everything　Billy　said；　as　Society　used　to　laugh　when　the　late　Theodore　Hook　asked　for　the　mustard　at　dinner；　and　would　have　laughed　if　he　had　said；　〃You　see　me　sad；　I　have　just　lost　my　poor　father。〃

David　stood　looking　on　at　the　slaughter　with　a　helpless　puzzled　air。

At　last　he　seemed　to　have　an　idea；　he　caught　Jack　up　by　the　throat　and　knee；　lifted　him　with　gigantic　strength　above　his　head；　and　was　just　going　to　hurl　him　shrieking　into　the　sea；　when　a　dozen　strong　hands　interfered；　and　saved　the　man。　Then　they　were　going　to　bind　Billy　hand　and　foot；　but　he　was　discovered　to　be　perfectly　calm；　so　they　remonstrated　instead；　and　presently　Billy's　commander…in…chief；　a　ship…boy　called　Georgie　White；　shoved　in　and　asked　him　in　a　shrill　haughty　voice　how　he　dared　do　that。　〃My　dear；〃　said　Billy；　with　great　humility　and　placidity；　〃he　was　killing　God's　creatures；　no　allowance：　*　so；　ye　see；　to　save　their　lives；　I　was　_obliged。_〃

*Nautical　phrase；　meaning　without　stint　or　limit；　or　niggardly　admeasurement　as　there　is　of　grog。

At　this　piece　of　reasoning；　and　the　simplicity　and　gentle　conviction　with　which　it　was　delivered；　there　was　a　roar。　It　subsided；　and　a　doubt　arose　whether　Billy　was　altogether　in　the　wrong。

〃Well；〃　said　one；　〃I　daresay　life　is　sweet　to　them　little　creatures；　if　they　could　speak　their　minds。〃

〃I've　known　a　ship　founder　in　a　fair　breeze　all　along　of　killing　'em；〃　said　one　old　salt。

Finally；　several　sided　with　Billy；　and　intimated　that　〃it　served　the　lubber　right　for　not　listening　to　_reason。_〃　And；　indeed；　methinks　it　was　lovely　and　touching　that　so　divine　a　ray　of　goodness　and　superior　reason　should　have　shot　from　his　heart　or　from　Heaven　across　that　poor　benighted　brain。

But　it　must　be　owned　his　mode　of　showing　his　humanity　was　somewhat　excessive　and　abnormal；　and　smacked　of　lunacy。　After　this；　however；　the　affection　of　his　messmates　was　not　so　contemptuous。

Now　the　captain　of　the　_Vulture_　was　Billy's　cousin　by　marriage。　Reginald　Bazalgette。　Twenty　years　ago；　when　the　captain　was　a　boy；　they　were　great　friends：　of　late　Bazalgette　had　seen　less　of　him；　still　it　seems　strange　he　did　not　recognise　him　in　his　own　ship。　But　one　or　two　causes　co…operated　to　prevent　that。　In　the　first　place；　the　mind　when　turned　in　one　direction　is　not　so　sharp　in　another；　and　Captain　Bazalgette　had　been　told　to　look　for　David　in　a　merchant　ship　bound　for　the　East　Indies。　In　the　next　place；　insanity　alters　the　expression　of　the　face　wonderfully；　and　the　captain　of　a　frigate　runs　his　eye　over　four　hundred　sailors　at　muster；　or　a　hundred　at　work；　not　to　examine　their　features；　but　their　dress　and　bearing　at　the　one；　and　their　handiness　at　the　other。　The　worst　piece　of　luck　was　that　Mrs。　Dodd　did　not　know　David　called　himself　William　Thompson。　So　there　stood　〃William　Thompson〃　large　as　life　on　the　ship's　books；　and　nobody　the　wiser。　Captain　Bazalgette　had　a　warm　regard　and　affection　for　Mrs。　Dodd；　and　did　all　he　could。　Indeed；　he　took　great　liberties：　he　stopped　and　overhauled　several　merchant　ships　for　the　truant；　and；　by…the…by；　on　one　occasion　William　Thompson　was　one　of　the　boat's　crew　that　rowed　a　midshipman　from　the　_Vulture_　alongside　a　merchant　ship　to　search　for　David　Dodd。　He　heard　the　name　and　circumstance　mentioned　in　the　boat；　but　the　very　name　was　new　to　him。　He　remembered　it；　but　only　from　that　hour；　and　told　his　loving　tyrant；　Georgie　White；　they　had　been　overhauling　a　merchant　ship　and　looking　for　one　David　Dodd。

It　was　about　Midsummer　the　_Vulture_　anchored　off　one　of　the　South　Sea　islands；　and　sent　a　boat　ashore　for　fruit。　Billy　and　his　dearly　beloved　little　tyrant；　Georgie　White；　were　among　the　crew。　Off　goes　Georgie　to　bathe；　and　Billy　sits　down　on　the　beach　with　a　loving　eye　upon　him。　The　water　was　calm：　but　the　boy　with　the　heedlessness　of　youth　stayed　in　it　nearly　an　hour：　he　was　seized　with　cramp　and　screamed　to　his　comrades。　They　ran；　but　they　were　half　a　mile　from　the　boat。　Billy　dashed　into　the　water　and　came　up　with　Georgie　just　as　he　was　sinking　for　the　last　time；　the　boy　gripped　him；　but　by　his　great　strength　he　disentangled　himself　and　got　Georgie　on　his　shoulders；　and　swam　for　the　shore。　Meantime　the　sailors　got　into　the　boat；　and　rowed　hastily　towards　th