the queen of the pirate isle-第1章

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The　Queen　of　the　Pirate　Isle


by　Bret　Harte






I　first　knew　her　as　the　Queen　of　the　Pirate　Isle。　　To　the　best　of
my　recollection　she　had　no　reasonable　right　to　that　title。　　She　was
only　nine　years　old；　inclined　to　plumpness　and　good　humor；
deprecated　violence；　and　had　never　been　to　sea。　　Need　it　be　added
that　she　did　NOT　live　in　an　island　and　that　her　name　was　Polly？

Perhaps　I　ought　to　explain　that　she　had　already　known　other
experiences　of　a　purely　imaginative　character。　　Part　of　her
existence　had　been　passed　as　a　Beggar　Child；solely　indicated　by　a
shawl　tightly　folded　round　her　shoulders；　and　chills；　as　a
Schoolmistress；　unnecessarily　severe；　as　a　Preacher；　singularly
personal　in　his　remarks；　and　once；　after　reading　one　of　Cooper's
novels；　as　an　Indian　Maiden。　　This　was；　I　believe；　the　only
instance　when　she　had　borrowed　from　another's　fiction。　　Most　of　the
characters　that　she　assumed　for　days　and　sometimes　weeks　at　a　time
were　purely　original　in　conception；　some　so　much　so　as　to　be　vague
to　the　general　understanding。　　I　remember　that　her　personation　of　a
certain　Mrs。　Smith；　whose　individuality　was　supposed　to　be
sufficiently　represented　by　a　sunbonnet　worn　wrong　side　before　and
a　weekly　addition　to　her　family；　was　never　perfectly　appreciated　by
her　own　circle　although　she　lived　the　character　for　a　month。
Another　creation　known　as　〃The　Proud　Lady〃a　being　whose　excessive
and　unreasonable　haughtiness　was　so　pronounced　as　to　give　her
features　the　expression　of　extreme　nauseacaused　her　mother　so
much　alarm　that　it　had　to　be　abandoned。　　This　was　easily　effected。
The　Proud　Lady　was　understood　to　have　died。　　Indeed；　most　of
Polly's　impersonations　were　got　rid　of　in　this　way；　although　it　by
no　means　prevented　their　subsequent　reappearance。　　〃I　thought　Mrs。
Smith　was　dead；〃　remonstrated　her　mother　at　the　posthumous
appearance　of　that　lady　with　a　new　infant。　　〃She　was　buried　alive
and　kem　to！〃　said　Polly　with　a　melancholy　air。　　Fortunately；　the
representation　of　a　resuscitated　person　required　such　extraordinary
acting；　and　was；　through　some　uncertainty　of　conception；　so　closely
allied　in　facial　expression　to　the　Proud　Lady；　that　Mrs。　Smith　was
resuscitated　only　for　a　day。

The　origin　of　the　title　of　the　Queen　of　the　Pirate　Isle　may　be
briefly　stated　as　follows：

An　hour　after　luncheon；　one　day；　Polly；　Hickory　Hunt；　her　cousin；
and　Wan　Lee；　a　Chinese　page；　were　crossing　the　nursery　floor　in　a
Chinese　junk。　　The　sea　was　calm　and　the　sky　cloudless。　　Any　change
in　the　weather　was　as　unexpected　as　it　is　in　books。　　Suddenly　a
West　Indian　Hurricane；　purely　local　in　character　and　unfelt
anywhere　else；　struck　Master　Hickory　and　threw　him　overboard；
whence；　wildly　swimming　for　his　life　and　carrying　Polly　on　his
back；　he　eventually　reached　a　Desert　Island　in　the　closet。　　Here
the　rescued　party　put　up　a　tent　made　of　a　table…cloth　providentially
snatched　from　the　raging　billows；　and；　from　two　o'clock　until　four；
passed　six　weeks　on　the　island；　supported　only　by　a　piece　of　candle；
a　box　of　matches；　and　two　peppermint　lozenges。　　It　was　at　this　time
that　it　became　necessary　to　account　for　Polly's　existence　among
them；　and　this　was　only　effected　by　an　alarming　sacrifice　of　their
morality；　Hickory　and　Wan　Lee　instantly　became　PIRATES；　and　at　once
elected　Polly　as　their　Queen。　　The　royal　duties；　which　seemed　to　be
purely　maternal；　consisted　in　putting　the　Pirates　to　bed　after　a　day
of　rapine　and　bloodshed；　and　in　feeding　them　with　licorice　water
through　a　quill　in　a　small　bottle。　　Limited　as　her　functions　were；
Polly　performed　them　with　inimitable　gravity　and　unquestioned
sincerity。　　Even　when　her　companions　sometimes　hesitated　from　actual
hunger　or　fatigue　and　forgot　their　guilty　part；　she　never　faltered。
It　was　her　real　existence；　her　other　life　of　being　washed；　dressed；
and　put　to　bed　at　certain　hours　by　her　mother　was　the　ILLUSION。

Doubt　and　skepticism　came　at　last；and　came　from　Wan　Lee！　　Wan　Lee
of　all　creatures！　　Wan　Lee；　whose　silent；　stolid；　mechanical
performance　of　a　pirate's　dutiesa　perfect　imitation　like　all　his
household　workhad　been　their　one　delight　and　fascination！

It　was　just　after　the　exciting　capture　of　a　merchantman；　with　the
indiscriminate　slaughter　of　all　on　board；a　spectacle　on　which　the
round　blue　eyes　of　the　plump　Polly　had　gazed　with　royal　and
maternal　tolerance；and　they　were　burying　the　booty；　two
tablespoons　and　a　thimble；　in　the　corner　of　the　closet；　when　Wan
Lee　stolidly　rose。

〃Melican　boy　pleenty　foolee！　　Melican　boy　no　Pilat！〃　said　the
little　Chinaman；　substituting　〃l's〃　for　〃r's〃　after　his　usual
fashion。

〃Wotcher　say？〃　said　Hickory；　reddening　with　sudden　confusion。

〃Melican　boy's　papa　heap　lickee　hims'pose　him　leal　Pilat；〃
continued　Wan　Lee　doggedly。　　〃Melican　boy　Pilat　INSIDE　housee。
Chinee　boy　Pilat　OUTSIDE　housee。　　First　chop　Pilat。〃

Staggered　by　this　humiliating　statement；　Hickory　recovered　himself
in　character。　　〃Ah！　　Ho！〃　he　shrieked；　dancing　wildly　on　one　leg；
〃Mutiny　and　Splordinashun！　　'Way　with　him　to　the　yard…arm。〃

〃Yald…almheap　foolee！　　Alee　same　clothes…horse　for　washee
washee。〃

It　was　here　necessary　for　the　Pirate　Queen　to　assert　her　authority；
which；　as　I　have　before　stated；　was　somewhat　confusingly　maternal。

〃Go　to　bed　instantly　without　your　supper；〃　she　said　seriously。
〃Really；　I　never　saw　such　bad　pirates。　　Say　your　prayers；　and　see
that　you're　up　early　to　church　tomorrow。〃

It　should　be　explained　that　in　deference　to　Polly's　proficiency　as
a　preacher；　and　probably　as　a　relief　to　their　uneasy　consciences；
Divine　Service　had　always　been　held　on　the　Island。　　But　Wan　Lee
continued：

〃Me　no　shabbee　Pilat　INSIDE　housee；　me　shabbee　Pilat　OUTSIDE
housee。　　S'pose　you　lun　away　longside　Chinee　boyChinee　boy　make
you　Pilat。〃

Hickory　softly　scratched　his　leg；　while　a　broad；　bashful　smile
almost　closed　his　small　eyes。　　〃Wot？〃　he　asked。

〃Mebbe　you　too　flightened　to　lun　away。　　Melican　boy's　papa　heap
lickee。〃

This　last　infamous　suggestion　fired　the　corsair's　blood。　　〃Dy'ar
think　we　daresen't？〃　said　Hickory　desperately；　but　with　an　uneasy
glance　at　Polly。　　〃I'll　show　yer　to…morrow。〃

The　entrance　of　Polly's　mother　at　this　moment　put　an　end　to　Polly's
authority　and　dispersed　the　pirate　band；　but　left　Wan　Lee's
proposal　and　Hickory's　rash　acceptance　ringing　in　the　ears　of　the
Pirate　Queen。　　That　evening　she　was　unusually　silent。　　She　would
have　taken　Bridget；　her　nurse；　into　her　confidence；　but　this　would
have　involved　a　long　explanation　of　her　own　feelings；　from　which；
like　all　imaginative　children；　she　shrank。　　She；　however；　made
preparation　for　the　proposed　flight　by　settling　in　her　mind　which
of　her　two　dolls　she　would　take。　　A　wooden　creature　with　easy…going
knees　and　movable　hair　seemed　to　be　more　fit　for　hard　service　and
any　indiscriminate　scalping　that　might　turn　up　hereafter。　　At
supper；　she　timidly　asked　a　question　of　Bridget。　　〃Did　ye　ever　hear
the　loikes　uv　that；　ma'am？〃　said　the　Irish　handmaid　with　affectionate
pride。　　〃Shure　the　darlint's　head　is　filled　noight　and　day　with
ancient　history。　　She's　after　asking　me　now　if　Queens　ever　run
away！〃　　To　Polly's　remorseful　confusion　here　her　good　father；
equally　proud　of　her　precocious　interest　and　his　own　knowledge；　at
once　interfered　with　an　unintelligible　account　of　the　abdication　of
various　queens　in　history　until　Polly's　head　ached　again。　　Well
meant　as　it　was；　it　only　settled　in　the　child's　mind　that　she　must
keep　the　awful　secret　to　herself　and　that　no　one　could　understand
her。

The　eventful　day　dawned　without　any　unusual　sign　of　importance。　　It
was　one　of　the　cloudless　summer　days　of　the　Californian　foothills；
bright；　dry；　and；　as　the　morning　advanced；　hot　in　the　white
sunshine。　　The　actual；　prosaic　house　in　which　the　Pirates
apparently　lived　was　a　mile　from　a　mining　settlement　on　a　beautiful
ridge　of　pine　woods　sloping　gently　towards　a　valley　on　the　one
side；　and　on　the　other　falling　abruptly　into　a　dark　deep　olive　gulf
of　pine…trees；　rocks；　and　patches　of　red　soil。　　Beautiful　as　the
slope　was；　looking　over　to　the　distant　snow　peaks　which　seemed　to
be　in　another　world　than　theirs；　the