Devonshire Characters and Strange EventsBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
History
Devonshire Characters and Strange Events
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Devon (England) -- Biography; Devon (England) -- History
“The Master lying in the Cabbin on my right Hand, hearing the two
Blows, rose and sate in the Cabbin and called me--bad names; but I
having my eyes every way, I push’t at his Ear with the Claws of the
Crow, but he, falling back for fear thereof, it seemed afterwards that
I struck the Claws of the Crow into his Cheek, which Blow made him
lie Still as if he had been Dead; and while I struck at the Master,
the Fellow that fended off the Blow with his Arm, rose upon his Legs,
and running towards me, with his Head low, to ram his Head against my
Breast to overset me, but I pusht the point at his Head. It struck it
an inch and a half into his Forehead, and as he was falling down, I
took hold of him by the Back, and turn’d him into the Steeridg.
“I heard the Boy strike the Man at the Helm two Blows, after I had
knock’d down the first Man, which two Blows made him lye very still,
and as soon as I turn’d the Man out of the Cabbin, I struck one more
Blow at him that I struck first and burst his Head, so that his Blood
and Brains ran out upon the Deck.
“The Master all the while did not stir, which made me conclude that I
had struck him under the Ear, and had killed him with the Blow.
“Then I went out to attack the two Men that were at the Pump, where
they continued Pumping, without hearing or knowing what I had done;
and as I was going to them, I saw that Man that I had turn’d into the
Steeridg crawling out upon his Hands and Knees upon the Deck, beating
his Hands upon the Deck, to make a Noise, that the Men at the Pump
might hear, for he could not cry out, nor speak. And when they heard
him, and seeing his Blood running out of his Forehead, they came
running aft to me, grinding their Teeth; but I met them as they came
within the Steeridg Door, and struck at them, but the Steeridg being
not above 4 ft. high, I could not have a ful Blow at them, whereupon
they fended off the Blow, and took hold of the Crow with both their
Hands close to mine, striving to hawl it from me. Then the Boy might
have knockt them down with much ease, while they were contending with
me, but that his heart failed him, so that he stood like a Stake at a
distance on their left side, and 2 Foots length off, the Crow being
behind their Hands. I called to the Boy to take hold of it, and hawl
as they did, and I would let go all at once, which the Boy accordingly
doing, I pusht the Crow towards them, and let it go, and was taking out
my Knife to traverse amongst them, but they seeing me put my right hand
into my Pocket, fearing what would follow, they both let go of the Crow
to the Boy, and took hold of my right Arm with both their Hands.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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