Devonshire Characters and Strange EventsBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
History
Devonshire Characters and Strange Events
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Devon (England) -- Biography; Devon (England) -- History
“Then I went forward to the Two Men that had cried for Quarter, but
they, being afraid, ran forward and were going up the Fore-shrouds,
but I held up the Blunderbuss at them, and said, _Veni abau et montea
Cuttelia et ally abau_,[5] and then they put off their Hats and said,
_Monsieur, moy travally pur Angleterre si vous plea_; but I answered
_Alle abau_, for I don’t want any Help; and then they unlid the
Scuttle, and went down. Then I went forward, and as I came before
the foot of the Mainsail I look’t up to the Foretop, and seeing no
Man there, I look’t down in the Forecastle, and showed the two men a
Scuttle on the larboard side that went down into the Forepeak, and
said: _Le Monte Cuttelia et ally abau_. They unlid the Scuttle, and put
off their Hats and step’t down.
“Then I call’d down to them and asked them if they saw any Men betwixt
Decks as they went down, and they answered No. Then I call’d forward
the Boy and gave him the Blunderbuss and bid him present it down the
Forecastle, and if he saw any Men take hold of me, or if I call’d on
him for help, then he should be sure to discharge the Blunderbuss at
us, and kill us all together, if he could not shoot them without me.
“Then I took the Boy’s Bolt and put my head down the Scuttle, and
seeing no Man there I leap’t down in the Forecastle and laid the
Scuttle and nail’d it fast, and thought myself fast, seeing two killed
and two secured.
“Then I went upon Deck, and took the Blunderbuss from the Boy and gave
him the Bolt, and went aft, and ordered the Boy as before to stand
by the Steeridg Door, and give me an account if he saw any Man come
towards him with a Handspike; and then I went aft into the Cabbin, and
cut two Candles in four pieces and lighted them, one I left burning
upon the Table, the other three I carried in my left Hand, and the
Blunderbuss in my right Hand; and I put my Head down the Gun-room
Scuttle and look’t around, and seeing no Man there, I leap’t down and
went to the Man that lay all the time asleep in a Cabbin betwixt Decks,
and took him by the Shoulder with my left Hand, and wakened him, and
presented the Blunderbuss at him with my right Hand, and commanded him
out of his Cabbin, and made him stand still, till I got up into the
Steeridg. Then I call’d the Man, and he standing on the Scuttle and
seeing the Man that had his Throat cut almost buried in his Blood, he
wrung his Hands, crying out, O Jesu Maria! I told him I had nothing
to do with Maria now. _Monte, monte et allez a pro!_ Then he came up
and went forward looking round to see his Companions, but I followed
him, and made him go down into the Forecastle. Then I gave the Boy the
Blunderbuss and ordered him to present it at the Man if he perceived
him to come towards me while I was opening the Scuttle, then to shoot
him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account