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

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      Chapter XXXV

       Table of Contents

      “I left my poor plough to go ploughing the deep!”

       Dibdim.

      When the Provost and Cleveland had returned into the public Council-room, the former retired a second time with such of his brethren as he thought proper to advise with; and, while they were engaged in discussing Cleveland’s proposal, refreshments were offered to him and his party. These the Captain permitted his people to partake of, but with the greatest precaution against surprisal, one party relieving the guard, whilst the others were at their food.

      He himself, in the meanwhile, walked up and down the apartment, and conversed upon indifferent subjects with those present, like a person quite at his ease.

      Amongst these individuals he saw, somewhat to his surprise, Triptolemus Yellowley, who, chancing to be at Kirkwall, had been summoned by the Magistrates, as representative, in a certain degree, of the Lord Chamberlain, to attend Council on this occasion. Cleveland immediately renewed the acquaintance which he had formed with the agriculturist at Burgh-Westra, and asked him his present business in Orkney.

      “Just to look after some of my little plans, Captain Cleveland. I am weary of fighting with wild beasts at Ephesus yonder, and I ju£t cam ower to see how my orchard was thriving, whilk I had planted four or five miles from Kirkwall, it may be a year bygane, and how the bees were thriving, whereof I had imported nine skeps, for the improvement of the country, and for the turning of the heather-bloom into wax and honey.”

      “And they thrive, I hope? “ said Cleveland, who, however little interested in the matter, sustained the conversation, as if to break the chilly and embarrassed silence which hung upon the company assembled.

      “Thrive!” replied Triptolemus; “ they thrive like everything else in this country, and that is the backward way.”

      “Want of care, I suppose? “ said Cleveland.

      “The contrary, sir, quite and clean the contrary,” replied the Factor; “ they died of ower muckle care, like Lucky Christie’s chickens. — I asked to see the skeps, and cunning and joyful did the fallow look who was to have taken care of them. — ’ Had there been onybody in charge but mysell,’ he said, ‘ ye might have seen the skeps, or whatever you ca’ them; but there wad hae been as mony solan-geese as flees in them, if it hadna been for my four quarters; for I watched them so closely, that I saw them a’ creeping out at the little holes one sunny morning, and if I had not stopped the leak on the instant with a bit clay, the deil a bee, or flee, or whatever they are, would have been left in the skeps, as ye ca’ them! ‘ — In a word, sir, he had clagged up the hives, as if the puir things had had the pestilence, and my bees were as dead as if they had been smeaked — and so ends my hope, generandi gloria mellis, as Virgilius hath it.”

      “There is an end of your mead, then,” replied Cleveland; “ but what is your chance of cider? — How does the orchard thrive?”

      “O Captain! this same Solomon of the Orcadian Ophir I am sure no man need to send thither to fetch either talents of gold or talents of sense! — I say, this wise man had watered the young apple trees, in his great tenderness, with hot water, and they are perished, root and branch! But what avails crieving?And I wish yoti would tell me, instead, what is all the din that these good folks are making about pirates? and what for all these ill-looking men, that are armed like so mony Highlandmen, assembled in the judgment-chamber? — for I am just come from the other side of the island, and I have heard nothing distinct about it. — And, now I look at you yoursell, Captain, I think you have mair of these foolish pistolets about you than should suffice an honest man in quiet times?”

      “And so I think, too,” said the pacific Triton, old Haagen, who had been an unwilling follower of the daring Montrose > “ if you had been in the Glen of Edderachyllis, when we were sae sair worried by Sir John Worry-”

      “You have forgot the whole matter, neighbour Haagen, said the Factor; “ Sir John Urry was on your side, and was ta’en with Montrose; by the same token, he lost his head.”

      “Did he? “ said the Triton. — ” I believe you may be nght; for he changed sides mair than ance, and wha kens whilk he died for? — But always he was there, and so was I;- a fight there was, and I never wish to see another!”

      The entrance of the Provost here interrupted their desultory conversation. — ” We have determined,” he said, “Captain, that your ship shall go round to Stromness, or Scalpa-flow, tc take in stores, in order that there may be no more quarrels between the Fair folks and your seamen. And as you wish to stay on shore to see the Fair, we intend to send a respectable gentleman on board your vessel to pilot her round the Mainland, as the navigation is but ticklish.”

      “Spoken like a quiet and sensible magistrate, Mr. Mayor,” said Cleveland, “and no otherwise than as I expected. — And what gentleman is to honour our quarterdeck during my absence?”

      “We have fixed that, too, Captain Cleveland,” said the Provost; “ you may be sure we were each more desirous than another to go upon so pleasant a voyage, and in such good company; but being Fair time, most of us have some affairs in hand — I myself, in respect of my office, cannot be well spared — the eldest Bailie’s wife is lying-in — the Treasurer does not agree with the sea — two Bailies have the gout — the other two are absent from town — and the other fifteen members of council are all engaged on particular business.”

      “All that I can tell you, Mr. Mayor,” said Cleveland, raising his voice, “ is, that I expect…”

      “A moment’s patience, if you please, Captain,” said the Provost, interrupting him — ” So that we have come to the resolution that our worthy Mr. Triptolemus Yellowley, who is Factor to the Lord Chamberlain of these islands, shall, in respect of his official situation, be preferred to the honour and pleasure of accompanying you.”

      “Me!” said the astonished Triptolemus; “ what the devil should I do going on your voyages? — my business is on dry land!”

      “The gentlemen want.a pilot,” said the Provost, whispering to him, “ and there is no eviting to give them one.”

      “Do they want to go bump on shore, then? “ said the Factor — ”how the devil should I pilot them, that never touched rudder in my life?”

      “Hush! — hush! — be silent!” said the Provost; “ if the people of this town heard ye say such a word, your utility, and respect, and rank, and everything else, is clean gone! — No man is anything with us island folks, unless he can hand, reef, and steer. — Besides, it is but a mere form; and we will send old Pate Sinclair to help you. You will have nothing’to do but to eat, drink, and be merry all day.”

      “Eat and drink!” said the Factor, not able to comprehend exactly why this piece of duty was pressed upon him so hastily, and yet not very capable of resisting or extricating himself from the toils of the more knowing Provost — ” Eat and drink? — that is all very well; but, to speak truth, the sea does not agree with me any more than with the Treasurer; and I have always a СКАЧАТЬ