Hildebrand; or, The Days of Queen Elizabeth, An Historic Romance, Vol. 3 of 3Anonymous
History
Hildebrand; or, The Days of Queen Elizabeth, An Historic Romance, Vol. 3 of 3
Anonymous
Great Britain -- History -- Elizabeth, 1558-1603 -- Fiction
While the men were hauling the boat up on the beach, so as to
place it beyond the influence of the waves, Hildebrand sought,
by chafing his cold temples, to revive Don Rafaele. Whether from
this cause, or because he had been insensible for some time,
and the paroxysm was exhausted, Don Rafaele recovered almost
directly, and, with a low, deep sigh, opened his eyes.
“Where are we?” he cried: “_still?_ not whirling round? Oh! my
heart will burst!”
“We are safe now, my fair Rafaele,” answered Hildebrand.
“Here”--he added, drawing from under his cloak a small flask, and
holding it to his lips,--“take thee a taste of this.”
Don Rafaele tasted of the contents of the flask; but the spirit,
in its raw state, was too powerful for him, and he could not take
above a mouthful. Even that, however, had a reviving effect upon
him, and, as he withdrew his lips from the flask, he smiled, and
looked quite composed again.
Hildebrand took a good draught from the flask. By the time that
he had thus refreshed himself, the two seamen, having secured the
boat, came up with him.
“My lads,” said Hildebrand, handing them the flask, “here is that
will keep this pelting rain out of your jackets. Now, hold ye a
good watch on the boat! Pray God the wind lull, or we shall never
find the ship!”
“We shall never find the ship to-night, your honour,” said one of
the sailors, hitching up his trousers.
“How know’st that, Ben Hatchway?” demanded the other sailor, who
had just taken a good pull from the brandy-flask, and now thought
that he could find any object. “His honour knows what we can do
better than an old log-boat like thee, I should ween.”
“For the matter o’ that,” remarked Ben.--But here he paused,
and, previous to explaining further, took a deep draught from
the flask, which his comrade had just handed to him. Having
thus recruited himself, he resumed:--“For the matter o’ that,
Will Bowsprit, here’s his honour to the fore, and, as I was
a-saying--beshrew my topsail!--I’ve been in the Portingales afore
to-day; and, sink me! as I was a-say”--
“Why, look-ye!” interrupted Will Bowsprit; “an’ I leaves my
old hull in that there Portugee fish-pond, look-ye! blow me to
shivers, that’s all! Here’s your honour’s health! I’ll drink to
young Master Don’s anon.”
“My lads, we must back to-night, at all hazards,” said
Hildebrand. “Stand you to the boat; and when you hear ‘Boat
ahoy!’ cried, give a holloa. Yonder light is the last towards the
ship, and is almost in a line with the boat. That shall be my
mark!”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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