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

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      Chapter XLII

       Table of Contents

      Go, some of you, cry a reprieve!

       Beggars Opera

      Captain Weatherport had, before this time, reached Kirkwall in person, and was received with great joy and thankfulness by the Magistrates, who had assembled in council for the purpose. The Provost, in particular, expressed himself delighted with the providential arrival of the Halcyon, at the very conjuncture when the Pirate could not escape her. The Captain looked a little surprised, and said — ” For that, sir, you may thank the information you yourself supplied.”

      “That I supplied?” said the Provost, somewhat astonished.

      “Yes, sir,” answered Captain Weatherport, “ I understand you to be George Torfe, Chief Magistrate of Kirkwall, who subscribes this letter.”

      The astonished Provost took the letter addressed to Captain Weatherport of the Halcyon, stating the arrival, force, &c., of the pirates’ vessel; but adding, that they had heard of the Halcyon being on the coast, and that they were on their guard and ready to baffle her, by going among the shoals, and through the islands, and holms, where the frigate could not easily follow; and at the worst, they were desperate enough to propose running the sloop ashore and blowing her up, by which much booty and treasure would be lost to the captors. The letter, therefore, suggested, that the Halcyon should cruise betwixt Duncansbay Head and Cape Wrath, for two or three days, to relieve the pirates of the alarm her neighbourhood occasioned, and lull them into security, the more especially as the letter-writer knew it to be their intention, if the frigate left the coast, to go into Stromness Bay, and there put their guns ashore for some necessary repairs, or even for careening their vessel, if they could find means. The letter concluded by assuring Captain Weatherport, that, if he could bring his frigate into Stromness Bay on the morning of the 24th of August, he would have a good bargain of the pirates — if sooner, he was not unlikely to miss them.”

      “This letter is not of my writing or subscribing, Captain Weatherport,” said the Provost; “ nor would I have ventured to advise any delay in your coming hither.”

      The Captain was surprised in his turn. “ All I know is, that it reached me when I was in the bay of Thurso, and that I gave the boat’s crew that brought it five dollars for crossing the Pentland Firth in very rough weather. They had a dumb dwarf as cockswain, the ugliest urchin my eyes ever opened upon. I give you much credit for the accuracy of your intelligence, Mr. Provost.”

      “It is lucky as it is,” said the Provost; “ yet I question whether the writer of this letter would not rather that you had found the nest cold and the bird flown.”

      So saying, he handed the letter to Magnus Troil, who returned it with a smile, but without any observation, aware, doubtless, with the sagacious reader, that Norna had her own reasons for calculating with accuracy on the date of the Halcyon’s arrival.

      Without puzzling himself farther concerning a circumstance which seemed inexplicable, the Captain requested that the examinations might proceed; and Cleveland and Altamont, as he chose to be called, were brought up the first of the pirate crew, on the charge of having acted as Captain and Lieutenant. They had just commenced the examination, when, after some expostulation with the officers who kept the door, Basil Mertoun burst into the apartment, and exclaimed, “ Take the old victim for the young one! — I am Basil Vaughan, too well! known on the Windward station — take my life, and spare my son’s!”

      All were astonished, and none more than Magnus Troity who hastily explained to the Magistrates and Captain Weatherport, that this gentleman had been living peaceably anc honestly on the Mainland of Zetland for many years.

      “In that case,” said the Captain, “ I wash my hands of the poor man, for he is safe, under two proclamations of mercy; and, by my soul, when I see them, the father and his offspring, hanging on each other’s neck, I wish I could say as much for the son.”

      “But how is it — how can it be? “ said the Provost; “ we always called the old man Mertoun, and the young, Cleveland, and now it seems they are both named Vaughan.”

      “Vaughan,” answered Magnus, “is a name which I have some reason to remember; and, from what I have lately heard from my cousin Norna, that old man has a right to bear it.”

      “And, I trust, the young man also,” said the Captain, who had been looking over a memorandum. “ Listen to me a moment,” added he, addressing the younger Vaughan, whom we have hitherto called Cleveland. “ Hark you, sir, your name is said to be Clement Vaughan — are you the same, who, then a mere boy, commanded a party of rovers, who, about eight or nine years ago, pillaged a Spanish village called Quempoa, on the Spanish Main, with the purpose of seizing some treasure?”

      “It will avail me nothing to deny it,” answered the prisoner.

      “No,” said Captain Weatherport, “but it may do you service to admit it. — Well, the muleteers escaped with the treasure, while you were engaged in protecting, at the hazard of your own life, the honour of two Spanish ladies against the brutality of your followers. Do you remember anything of this?”

      “I am sure I do,” said Jack Bunce; “ for our Captain here was marooned for his gallantry, and I narrowly escaped flogging and pickling for having taken his part.”

      “When these points are established,” said Captain Weatherport, “ Vaughan’s life is safe — the women he saved were persons of quality, daughters to the governor of the province, and application was long since made, by the grateful Spaniard,, to our government, for favour to be shown to their preserver. I had special orders about Clement Vaughan, when I had commission for cruising upon the pirates in the West Indies, six or seven years since. But Vaughan was gone then as a name amongst them; and I heard enough of Cleveland in his room. However, Captain, be you Cleveland or Vaughan, I think that, as the Quempoa hero, I can assure you a free pardon when you arrive in London.”

      Cleveland bowed, and the blood mounted to his face. Mertoun fell on his knees, and exhausted СКАЧАТЬ