perils of certain english prisoners-第7章

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ever　with　such　a　terrible　blow；　and　waited　for　the　rest　to　come　on；

with　such　a　wonderfully　unmoved　face；　that　they　stopped　and　looked

at　him。



〃See　him　now！〃　cried　Tom　Packer。　　〃Now；　when　I　could　cut　him　out！

Gill！　　Did　I　tell　you　to　mark　my　words？〃



I　implored　Tom　Packer　in　the　Lord's　name；　as　well　as　I　could　in　my

faintness；　to　go　to　the　Sergeant's　aid。



〃I　hate　and　detest　him；〃　says　Tom；　moodily　wavering。　　〃Still；　he　is

a　brave　man。〃　　Then　he　calls　out；　〃Sergeant　Drooce；　Sergeant　Drooce！

Tell　me　you　have　driven　me　too　hard；　and　are　sorry　for　it。〃



The　Sergeant；　without　turning　his　eyes　from　his　assailants；　which

would　have　been　instant　death　to　him；　answers。



〃No。　　I　won't。〃



〃Sergeant　Drooce！〃　cries　Tom；　in　a　kind　of　an　agony。　　〃I　have　passed

my　word　that　I　would　never　save　you　from　Death；　if　I　could；　but

would　leave　you　to　die。　　Tell　me　you　have　driven　me　too　hard　and　are

sorry　for　it；　and　that　shall　go　for　nothing。〃



One　of　the　group　laid　the　Sergeant's　bald　bare　head　open。　　The

Sergeant　laid　him　dead。



〃I　tell　you；〃　says　the　Sergeant；　breathing　a　little　short；　and

waiting　for　the　next　attack；　〃no。　　I　won't。　　If　you　are　not　man

enough　to　strike　for　a　fellow…soldier　because　he　wants　help；　and

because　of　nothing　else；　I'll　go　into　the　other　world　and　look　for　a

better　man。〃



Tom　swept　upon　them；　and　cut　him　out。　　Tom　and　he　fought　their　way

through　another　knot　of　them；　and　sent　them　flying；　and　came　over　to

where　I　was　beginning　again　to　feel；　with　inexpressible　joy；　that　I

had　got　a　sword　in　my　hand。



They　had　hardly　come　to　us；　when　I　heard；　above　all　the　other

noises；　a　tremendous　cry　of　women's　voices。　　I　also　saw　Miss　Maryon；

with　quite　a　new　face；　suddenly　clap　her　two　hands　over　Mrs。

Fisher's　eyes。　　I　looked　towards　the　silver…house；　and　saw　Mrs。

Venningstanding　upright　on　the　top　of　the　steps　of　the　trench；

with　her　gray　hair　and　her　dark　eyeshide　her　daughter's　child

behind　her；　among　the　folds　of　her　dress；　strike　a　pirate　with　her

other　hand；　and　fall；　shot　by　his　pistol。



The　cry　arose　again；　and　there　was　a　terrible　and　confusing　rush　of

the　women　into　the　midst　of　the　struggle。　　In　another　moment；

something　came　tumbling　down　upon　me　that　I　thought　was　the　wall。

It　was　a　heap　of　Sambos　who　had　come　over　the　wall；　and　of　four　men

who　clung　to　my　legs　like　serpents；　one　who　clung　to　my　right　leg

was　Christian　George　King。



〃Yup；　So…Jeer；〃　says　he；　〃Christian　George　King　sar　berry　glad　So…

Jeer　a　prisoner。　　Christian　George　King　been　waiting　for　So…Jeer

sech　long　time。　　Yup；　yup！〃



What　could　I　do；　with　five…and…twenty　of　them　on　me；　but　be　tied

hand　and　foot？　　So；　I　was　tied　hand　and　foot。　　It　was　all　over　now

boats　not　come　backall　lost！　　When　I　was　fast　bound　and　was　put　up

against　the　wall；　the　one…eyed　English　convict　came　up　with　the

Portuguese　Captain；　to　have　a　look　at　me。



〃See！〃　says　he。　　〃Here's　the　determined　man！　　If　you　had　slept

sounder；　last　night；　you'd　have　slept　your　soundest　last　night；　my

determined　man。〃



The　Portuguese　Captain　laughed　in　a　cool　way；　and　with　the　flat　of

his　cutlass；　hit　me　crosswise；　as　if　I　was　the　bough　of　a　tree　that

he　played　with：　　first　on　the　face；　and　then　across　the　chest　and

the　wounded　arm。　　I　looked　him　steady　in　the　face　without　tumbling

while　he　looked　at　me；　I　am　happy　to　say；　but；　when　they　went　away；

I　fell；　and　lay　there。



The　sun　was　up；　when　I　was　roused　and　told　to　come　down　to　the　beach

and　be　embarked。　　I　was　full　of　aches　and　pains；　and　could　not　at

first　remember；　but；　I　remembered　quite　soon　enough。　　The　killed

were　lying　about　all　over　the　place；　and　the　Pirates　were　burying

their　dead；　and　taking　away　their　wounded　on　hastily…made　litters；

to　the　back　of　the　Island。　　As　for　us　prisoners；　some　of　their　boats

had　come　round　to　the　usual　harbour；　to　carry　us　off。　　We　looked　a

wretched　few；　I　thought；　when　I　got　down　there；　still；　it　was

another　sign　that　we　had　fought　well；　and　made　the　enemy　suffer。



The　Portuguese　Captain　had　all　the　women　already　embarked　in　the

boat　he　himself　commanded；　which　was　just　putting　off　when　I　got

down。　　Miss　Maryon　sat　on　one　side　of　him；　and　gave　me　a　moment's

look；　as　full　of　quiet　courage；　and　pity；　and　confidence；　as　if　it

had　been　an　hour　long。　　On　the　other　side　of　him　was　poor　little

Mrs。　Fisher；　weeping　for　her　child　and　her　mother。　　I　was　shoved

into　the　same　boat　with　Drooce　and　Packer；　and　the　remainder　of　our

party　of　marines：　　of　whom　we　had　lost　two　privates；　besides

Charker；　my　poor；　brave　comrade。　　We　all　made　a　melancholy　passage；

under　the　hot　sun　over　to　the　mainland。　　There；　we　landed　in　a

solitary　place；　and　were　mustered　on　the　sea　sand。　　Mr。　and　Mrs。

Macey　and　their　children　were　amongst　us；　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Pordage；　Mr。

Kitten；　Mr。　Fisher；　and　Mrs。　Belltott。　　We　mustered　only　fourteen

men；　fifteen　women；　and　seven　children。　　Those　were　all　that

remained　of　the　English　who　had　lain　down　to　sleep　last　night；

unsuspecting　and　happy；　on　the　Island　of　Silver…Store。







CHAPTER　III　｛1｝THE　RAFTS　ON　THE　RIVER







We　contrived　to　keep　afloat　all　that　night；　and；　the　stream　running

strong　with　us；　to　glide　a　long　way　down　the　river。　　But；　we　found

the　night　to　be　a　dangerous　time　for　such　navigation；　on　account　of

the　eddies　and　rapids；　and　it　was　therefore　settled　next　day　that　in

future　we　would　bring…to　at　sunset；　and　encamp　on　the　shore。　　As　we

knew　of　no　boats　that　the　Pirates　possessed；　up　at　the　Prison　in　the

Woods；　we　settled　always　to　encamp　on　the　opposite　side　of　the

stream；　so　as　to　have　the　breadth　of　the　river　between　our　sleep　and

them。　　Our　opinion　was；　that　if　they　were　acquainted　with　any　near

way　by　land　to　the　mouth　of　this　river；　they　would　come　up　it　in

force；　and　retake　us　or　kill　us；　according　as　they　could；　but　that

if　that　was　not　the　case；　and　if　the　river　ran　by　none　of　their

secret　stations；　we　might　escape。



When　I　say　we　settled　this　or　that；　I　do　not　mean　that　we　planned

anything　with　any　confidence　as　to　what　might　happen　an　hour　hence。

So　much　had　happened　in　one　night；　and　such　great　changes　had　been

violently　and　suddenly　made　in　the　fortunes　of　many　among　us；　that

we　had　got　better　used　to　uncertainty；　in　a　little　while；　than　I

dare　say　most　people　do　in　the　course　of　their　lives。



The　difficulties　we　soon　got　into；　through　the　off…settings　and

point…currents　of　the　stream；　made　the　likelihood　of　our　being

drowned；　alone；to　say　nothing　of　our　being　retakenas　broad　and

plain　as　the　sun　at　noonday　to　all　of　us。　　But；　we　all　worked　hard

at　managing　the　rafts；　under　the　direction　of　the　seamen　（of　our　own

skill；　I　think　we　never　could　have　prevented　them　from　oversetting）；

and　we　also　worked　hard　at　making　good　the　defects　in　their　first

hasty　constructionwhich　the　water　soon　found　out。　　While　we　humbly

resigned　ourselves　to　going　down；　if　it　was　the　will　of　Our　Father

that　was　in　Heaven；　we　humbly　made　up　our　minds；　that　we　would　all

do　the　best　that　was　in　us。



And　so　we　held　on；　gliding　with　the　stream。　　It　drove　us　to　this

bank；　and　it　drove　us　to　that　bank；　and　it　turned　us；　and　whirled

us；　but　yet　it　carried　us　on。　　Sometimes　much　too　slowly；　sometimes

much　too　fast；　but　yet　it　carried　us　on。



My　little　deaf　and　dumb　boy　slumbered　a　good　deal　now；　and　that　was

the　case　with　all　the　children。　　They　caused　very　little　trouble　to

any　one。　　They　seemed；　in　my　eyes；　to　get　more　like　one　another；　not

only　in　quiet　manner；　but　in　the　face；　too。　　The　motion　of　the　raft

was　usually　so　much　the　same；　the　scene　was　usually　so　much　the

same；　the　sound　of　the　soft　wash　and　ripple　of　the　water　was　usually

so　much　the　same；　that　they　were　made　drowsy；　as　they　might　have

been　by　the　constant　playing　of　one　tune。　　Even　on　the　grown　people；

who　worked　hard　and　felt　anxiety；　the　same　things　produced　something

of　the　same　effect。　　Every　day　was　so　like　the　other；　that　I　soon

lost　count　of　the　days；　myself；　and　had　to　ask　Miss　Maryon；　for

instance；　whether　this　was　the　third　or　fourth？　　Miss　Maryon　had　a

pocket…book　and　pencil；　and　she　kept　the　log；　that　is　to　say；　she

entered　up　a　clear　little　journal　of　the　time；　and　of　the　distances

our　seamen　thought　we　had　made；　each　night。



So；　as　I　say；　we　kept　afloat　and　glided　on。　　All　day　long；　and　every

day；　the　water；　and　the　woods；　and　sky；　all　day　long；　and　every　day；

the　constant　watching　of　both　sides　of　the　river；　and　far　a…head　at

every　bold　turn　and　sweep　it　made；　for　any　signs　of　Pirate…boats；　or

Pirate…dwellings。　　So；　as　I　say；　we　kept　afloat　and　glided　on。　　The

days　melting　themselves　together　to　that　degree；　that　I　could　hardly

believe　my　ears　when　I　asked　〃How　many　now；　Miss？〃　and　she　answered

〃Seven。〃



To　be　sure；　poor　Mr。　Pordage　had；　by　about　now；　got　his　Diplomatic

coat　into　such　a　state　as　never　was　seen。　　What　with　the　mud　of　the

river；　what　with　the　water　of　the　river；　what　with　the　sun；　and　the

dews；　and　the　tearing　boughs；　and　the　thickets；　it　hung　about　him　in

discoloured　shreds　like　a　mop。　　The　sun　had　touched　him　a　bit。　　He

had　taken　to　always　polishing　one　particular　button；　which　just　held

on　to　his　left　wrist；　and　to　always　calling　for　stationery。　　I

suppose　that　man　called　for　pens；　ink；　and　paper；　tape；　and　scaling…

wax；　upwards　of　one　thousand　times　in　four…and…twenty　hours。　　He　had

an　idea　that　we　should　never　get　out　of　that　river　unless　we　were

written　out　of　it　in　a　formal　Memorandum；　and　the　more　we　laboured

at　navigating　the　rafts；　the　more　he　ordered　us　not　to　touch　them　at

our　peril；　and　the　more　he　sat　and　roared　for　stationery。



Mrs。　Pordage；　similarly；　persisted　in　wearing　her　nightcap。　　I　doubt

if　any　one　but　ourselves　who　had　seen　the　progress　of　that　article

of　dress；　could　by　this　time　have　told　what　it　was　meant　for。　　It

had　got　so　limp　and　ragged　that　she　couldn't　see　out　of　her　eyes　for

it。　　It　was　so　dirty；　that　whether　it　was　vegetable　matter　out　of　a

swamp；　or　weeds　out　of　the　river；　or　an　old　porter's…knot　from

England；　I　don't　think　any　new　spectator　could　have　said。　　Yet；　this

unfortunate　old　woman　had　a　notion　that　it　was　not　only　vastly

genteel；　but　that　it　was　the　correct　thing　as　to　propriety。　　And　she

really　did　carry　herself　over　the　other　ladies　who　had　no　nightcaps；

and　who　were　forced　to　tie　up　their　hair　how　they　could；　in　a

superior　manner　that　was　perfectly　amazing。



I　don't　know　what　she　looked　like；　sitting　in　that　blessed　nightcap；

on　a　log　of　wood；　outside　the　hut　or　cabin　upon　our　raft。　　She　would

have　rather　resembled　a　fortune…teller　in　one　of　the　picture…books

that　used　to　be　in　the　shop　windows　in　my　boyhood；　except　for　her

stateliness。　　But；　Lord　bless　my　heart；　the　dignity　with　which　she

sat　and　moped；　with　her　head　in　that　bundle　of　tatters；　was　like

nothing　else　in　the　world！　　She　wa