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

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СКАЧАТЬ Bunce was so incensed at these base comparisons, that without more ado, he laid his hand on his sword. The carpenter, however, and boatswain, interfered, the former i brandishing his broad axe, and swearing he would put the skull of the first who should strike a blow past clouting, and the latter reminding them, that, by their articles, all quarrel-c ling, striking, or more especially fighting, on board, was strictly prohibited; and that, if any gentleman had a quarrel to settle, they were to go ashore, and decide it with cutlass and pistol r in presence of two of their messmates.

      “I have no quarrel with any one,!” said Goffe r sullenly; “ Captain Cleveland has wandered about among the islands here, amusing himself,! and we have f wasted our time and property in waiting for him, when we might have been adding twenty or -thirty thousand dollars to the stock-purse. However, if it pleases the rest of the gentlemen-adventurers,! why, I shall not grumbleabout it.”

      “I propose,” said the boatswain, “ that there should be a general council called in the great cabin, according to our articles, that we may consider what course we are to hold in this matter.”

      A general assent followed the boatswain’s proposal; for every one found his own account in these general councils, in which each of the rovers had a free vote. By far the greater part of the crew only valued this franchise, as it allowed them, upon such solemn occasions, an unlimited quantity of liquor — a right which they failed not to exercise to the uttermost, by way of aiding their deliberations. But a few amongst the adventurers, who united some degree of judgment with the daring and profligate character of their profession, were wont, at such periods, to limit themselves within the bounds of comparative sobriety, and by these, under the apparent form of a vote of the general council, all things of moment relating to the voyage and undertakings of the pirates were in fact determined. The rest of the crew, when they recovered from their intoxication, were easily persuaded that the resolution adopted had been the legitimate effort of the combined wisdom of the whole senate.

      Upon the present occasion the debauch had proceeded until the greater part of the crew were, as usual, displaying inebriation in all its most brutal and disgraceful shapes — swearing empty and unmeaning oaths — venting the most horrid imprecations in the mere gaiety of their heart — singing songs, the ribaldry of which was only equalled by their profaneness; and, from the middle of this earthly hell, the two captains, together with one or two of their principal adherents, as also the carpenter and boatswain, who always took a lead on such occasions, had drawn together into a pandemonium, or privy council of their own, to consider what was to be done; for, as the boatswain metaphorically observed, they were in a narrow channel, and behoved to keep sounding the tide-way.

      When they began their consultations, the friends of Goffe remarked, to their great displeasure, that he had not observed the wholesome rule to which we have just alluded; but that, in. endeavouring to drown his mortification at the sudden appearance of Cleveland, and the reception he met with from the crew, the elder Captain had not been able to do so without overflowing his reason at the same time. His natural sullen taciturnity had prevented this from being observed until the council began its deliberations, when it proved impossible to hide it.

      The first person who spoke was Cleveland, who said, that, so far from wishing the command of the vessel, he desired no favour at any one’s hand, except to land him upon some island or holm at a distance from Kirkwall, and leave him to shift for himself.

      The boatswain remonstrated strongly against this resolution. “ The lads,” he said, “ all knew Cleveland, and could trust his seamanship, as well as his courage; besides, he never let the grog get quite uppermost, and was always in proper trim, either to sail the ship, or to fight the ship, whereby she was never without some one to keep her course when he was on board. — And as for the noble Captain Goffe,” continued the mediator, “ he is as stout a heart as ever broke biscuit, and that I will uphold him; but then, when he has his grog aboard — I speak to his face — he is so d — d funny with his cranks and his jests, that there is no living with him. You all remember how nigh he had run the ship on that cursed Horse of Copinsha, as they call it, just by way of frolic; and then you know how he fired off his pistol under the table, when we were at the great council, and shot Jack Jenkins in the knee, and cost the poor devil his leg, with his pleasantry.” 1

      “Jack Jenkins was not a chip the worse,” said the carpenter; “ I took the leg off with my saw as well as any loblolly-boy in the land could have done — heated my broad axe, and seared the stump — ay, by! and made a jury-leg that he shambles about with as well as ever he did — for Jack could never cut a feather.” 2

      “You are a clever fellow, carpenter,” replied the boatswain, “ a d — d clever fellow! but I had rather you tried your saw and red-hot axe upon the ship’s knee-timbers than on mine, sink me! — But that here is not the case — The question is, if we shall part with Captain Cleveland here, who is a man of thought and action, whereby it is my belief it would be heaving the pilot overboard when the gale is blowing on a lee-shore. And, I must say, it is not the part of a true heart to leave his mates, who have been here waiting for him till they have missed stays. Our water is wellnigh out, and we have junketed till provisions are low with us. We cannot sail without provisions — we cannot get provisions without the goodwill of the Kirk-

      1 This was really an exploit of the celebrated Avery the pirate, who suddenly, and without provocation, fired his pistols under the table where he sat drinking with his messmates, wounded one man severely, and thought the matter a good jest. What is still more extraordinary, his crew regarded it in the same light.

      2 A ship going fast through the sea is said to cut a feather, alluding to the ripple which she throws off from her bows.

      wall folks. If we remain here longer, the Halcyon frigate will be down upon us — she was seen off Peterhead two days since, — and we shall hang up at the yard-arm to be sundried. Now, Captain Cleveland will get us out of the hobble, if any can. He can play the gentleman with these Kirkwall folks, and knows how to deal with them on fair terms, and foul, too, if there be occasion for it.”

      “And so you would turn honest Captain Goffe a-grazing, would ye?” said an old weatherbeaten pirate, who had but one eye; “ what though he has his humours, and made my eye dowse the glim in his fancies and frolics, he is as honest a man as ever walked a quarterdeck, for all that; and d — n me but I stand by him so long as t’other lantern is lit!”

      “Why, you would not hear me out,” said Hawkins; “a man might as well talk to so many negers! — I tell you, I propose that Cleveland shall only be Captain from one, post meridiem, to five a.m., during which time Goffe is always drunk.”

      The Captain of whom he last spoke gave sufficient proof of the truth of his words, by uttering an inarticulate growl, and attempting to present a pistol at the mediator Hawkins.

      “Why, look ye now!” said Derrick, “there is all the sense he has, to get drunk on council-day, like one of these poor silly fellows!”

      “Ay,” said Bunce, “drunk as Davy’s sow, in the face of the field, the fray, and the senate!”

      “But, nevertheless,” continued Derrick, “it will never do to have two captains in the same day. I think week about might suit better — and let Cleveland take the first turn.”

      “There are as good here as any of them,” said Hawkins j “ howsomdever, I object nothing to Captain Cleveland, and I think he may help us into deep water as well as another.”

      “Ay,” exclaimed Bunce, “ and a better figure he will make at bringing these Kirkwallers to order than his sober predecessor! — So Captain Cleveland for ever!”

      “Stop, gentlemen,” said Cleveland, who had СКАЧАТЬ