A Republic Without a President, and Other StoriesWard, Herbert D. (Herbert Dickinson)
Science
A Republic Without a President, and Other Stories
Ward, Herbert D. (Herbert Dickinson)
Science fiction, American; Short stories
Through the port-holes, veiled with silk, a light glimmered from the
unconscious vessel that had just dipped anchor. Colonel Odminton, at
that moment, was parting the curtains from his son's bed, and was
regarding him with conflicting expressions. The lad slept restlessly,
and under his father's eyes began to toss and mutter. Fearing to waken
him, the unhappy man withdrew softly to his own cabin. There he poured
himself out a full glass of brandy and began to pace the floor
furiously.
It was a changed face that looked apprehensively at the door every time
the timbers creaked in the chop of the sea. He was no longer the
elegant, complacent, and successful criminal; he was the bandit at bay.
He was distrustful, suspicious, ready for revenge. If he had only had
Gatling guns aboard, he would have taught the inhabitants of Penzance a
costly lesson for their threats and curses. Now, for the first time he
rebelled against his lineage, and hated Englishmen and England with a
virulent abhorrence.
But France was different. Tolerant blood ran in her veins. Here he felt
secure from insult. The nation that had died in ecstasy under the nod of
Napoleon, could not be otherwise than liberal to him. Colonel Odminton
did not exactly expect a reception by the President of the Republic; but
he did look forward to a respectful and harmless curiosity that would
titillate his pride and remove the memory of his indignities.
His face began to assume a more benevolent expression, and the cowering,
snarling look which comes to those who find themselves detested for good
reasons, and thrust out, gave way to one of hope, such as comes to the
convict when his term of imprisonment is nearly over.
Soothed by such imaginations, the Colonel smiled with disdain, snapped
his finger at all the world, furtively examined his secret safe, and
went to bed.
It did not seem to him that he had been slumbering as many minutes as he
had hours, when he was startled by a violent tramping upon the deck
above him, by the clanking revolutions of the machinery that hoisted the
anchor, and then, before he had mastered his laggard senses, by
imperative knocks at his door. Colonel Odminton pulled the spring, and
his Captain bounded in. Terror was engraved on every line of that
usually calm and observant face.
"For God's sake!" he cried in broken English and Danish, "we are to be
blown up in ten minutes!" His jaws chattered without saying any more. He
was stiff with fear.
With inconceivable rapidity Colonel Odminton thrust himself into his
clothes and rushed upon deck. He had not time to put on his cap, and as
he emerged in the rosy light of the breaking sun, his bare head was seen
in all its now notorious characteristics. A cry greeted him.
Encompassed about by the huge mastiffs of war, more formidable than
anything the vaunted navy of the United States could boast, the toy
terrier shivered.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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