The Jolly Roger Tales: 60+ Pirate Novels, Treasure-Hunt Tales & Sea Adventures. Лаймен Фрэнк Баум

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СКАЧАТЬ of the distress of the worthy Fowd’s family, and the trouble of the great Fowd himself, — and because of the Factor, and in respect of Claud Halcro, and on other accounts and respects. Also we mingled our sorrows and our tears with a bottle, as the holy text hath it, and called in the Ranzelmam to our council, a worthy man, Niel Ronaldson by name, who hath a good reputation.”

      Here another flourish of the cane came so very near that it partly touched his ear. The Jagger started back, and the truth, or that which he desired should be considered as such, bolted from him without more circumlocution; as a cork, after much unnecessary buzzing and fizzing, springs forth from a bottle of spruce beer.

      “In brief, what the deil mair would you have of it? — the woman sold me the kist of clothes — they are mine by purchase, and that is what I will live and die upon.”

      “In other words,” said Cleveland, “ this greedy old hag had the impudence to sell what was none of hers; and you, honest Bryce Snailsfoot, had the assurance to be the purchaser?”

      “Ou dear, Captain,” said the conscientious pedlar, “ what wad ye hae had twa poor folk to do? There was yoursell gane that aught the things, and Maister Mordaunt was gane that had them in keeping, and the things were but damply put up, where they were rotting with moth and mould, and”

      “And so this old thief sold them, and you bought them, I suppose, just to keep them from spoiling? “ said Cleveland.

      “Weel then,” said the merchant, “I’m thinking, noble Captain, that wad be just the gate of it.”

      “Well then, hark ye, you impudent scoundrel,” said the Captain. “ I do not wish to dirty my fingers with you, or to make any disturbance in this place”

      “Good reason for that, Captain — aha!” said the Jagger slyly.

      “I will break your bones if you speak another word,” replied Cleveland. “ Take notice — I offer you fair terms — give me back the black leathern pocketbook with the lock upon it, and the purse with the doubloons, with some few of the clothes I want, and keep the rest in the devil’s name!”

      “Doubloons!!!” — exclaimed the Jagger, with an exaltation of Voice intended to indicate the utmost extremity of surprise, — ”What do I ken of doubloons? my dealing was for doublets, and not for doubloons — If there were doubloons in the kist, doubtless Swertha will have them in safe keeping for your honour — the damp wadna harm the gold, ye ken.”

      “Give me back my pocketbook and my goods, you rascally thief,” said Cleveland, “ or without a word more I will beat your brains out!”

      The wily Jagger, casting eye around him, saw that succour was near, in the shape of a party of officers, six in number; for several rencontres with the crew of the pirate had taught the magistrates of Kirkwall to strengthen their police parties when these strangers were in question.

      “Ye had better keep the thief to suit yoursell, honoured Captain,” said the Jagger, emboldened by the approach of the civil power; “ for wha kens how a’ these fine goods and bonny-dies were come by?”

      This was uttered with such provoking slyness of look and tone, that Cleveland made no farther delay, but, seizing upon the Jagger by the collar, dragged him over his temporary counter, which was, with all the goods displayed thereon, overset in the scuffle; and, holding him with one hand, inflicted on him with the other a severe beating with his cane. * All this was done so suddenly and with such energy, thaj Bryce Snailsfoot, though rather a stout man, was totally surprised by the vivacity of the attack, and made scarce any other effort at extricating himself than by roaring for assistance like a bull-calf. The “loitering aid” having at length come up, the officers made an effort to seize on Cleveland, and by their united exertions succeeded in compelling him to quit hold of the pedlar, in order to defend himself from their assault. This he did with infinite strength, resolution, and dexterity, being at the same time well seconded by his ( friend Jack Bunce, who had seen with glee the drubbing sus- { tained by the pedlar, and now combated tightly to save his companion from the consequences. But, as there had been for some time a growing feud between the townspeople and i» the crew of the Rover, the former, provoked by the insolent deportment of the seamen, had resolved to stand by each other, and to aid the civil power upon such occasions of riot as should occur in future; and so many assistants came up to the rescue of the constables, that Cleveland, after fighting most manfully, was at length brought to the ground and made prisoner. His more fortunate companion had escaped by speed of foot, as soon as he saw that the day must needs be determined against them.

      The proud heart of Cleveland, which, even in its perversion, had in its feelings something of original nobleness, was like to burst, when he felt himself borne down in this unworthy brawl — dragged into the town as a prisoner, and hurried through the streets towards the Council-house, where the magistrates of the burgh were then seated in council. The probability of imprisonment, with all its consequences, rushed also upon his mind, and he cursed an hundred times the folly which had not rather submitted to the pedlar’s knavery, than involved him in so perilous an embarrassment.

      But just as they approached the door of the Council-house, which is situated in the middle of the little town, the face of matters was suddenly changed by a new and unexpected incident.

      Bunce, who had designed, by his precipitate retreat, to serve as well his friend as himself, had hied him to the haven, where the boat of the Rover was then lying, and called the cockswain and boat’s crew to the assistance of Cleveland. They now appeared on the scene — fierce desperadoes, as became their calling, with features bronzed by the tropical sun under which they had pursued it. They rushed at once amongst the crowd, laying about them with their stretchers; and, forcing their way up to Cleveland, speedily delivered him from the hands of the officers, who were totally unprepared to resist an attack so furious and so sudden, and carried him off in triumph towards the quay, — two or three of their number facing about from time to time to keep back the crowd, whose efforts to recover the prisoner were the less violent, that most of the seamen were armed with pistols and cutlasses, as well as with the less lethal weapons which alone they had as yet made use of.

      They gained their boat in safety, and jumped into it, carrying along with them Cleveland, to whom circumstances seemed to offer no other refuge, and pushed off for their vessel, singing in chorus to their oars an old ditty, of which the natives of Kirkwall could only hear the first stanza —

      “Robin Rover

       Said to his crew, ‘

       Up with the black flag,

       Down with the blue! —

       Fire on the maintop,

       Fire on the bow,

       Fire on the gun-deck,

       Fire down below!’“

      The wild chorus of their voices was heard long after the words ceased to be intelligible. — And thus was the pirate Cleveland again thrown almost involuntarily amongst those desperate associates, from whom he had so often resolved to detach himself.

      Chapter XXXIII

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      Parental love, my friend, has power o’er wisdom.

       And is the charm, which, like the falconer’s hire,

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