The Astonishing History of Troy TownQuiller-Couch, Arthur
General
The Astonishing History of Troy Town
Quiller-Couch, Arthur
Cornwall (England : County) -- Fiction
"Then 'tes home, dearie, home--O, 'tes home I wants to be!
My tawps'les are h'isted, an' I must out to sea.
Then 'tes home, dearie, home!"
Mr. Fogo arose and looked forth at the window. The morning was
perfect; the air fresh with dew and the scent of awakening roses.
Across the creek the old hull lay as peacefully as ever.
"I will explore it this very morning," thought Mr. Fogo to himself.
The resolve was still strong as he descended to breakfast. Caleb was
still singing--
"O, ef et be a lass, she shall wear a goulden ring;
An' ef et be a lad, he shall live to sarve hes king;
Wi' hes buckles, an' hes butes, an' hes little jacket blue,
He shall walk the quarter-deck, as hes daddy used to do.
Then 'tes home--"
"Mornin', sir, an' axin' your pardon for singin' o' Sunday. How be
feelin' arter et?--as Grace said to her cheeld when her rubbed in the
cough-mixtur' an' made 'un swaller the lineament."
"Do you mean after the ghost?"
"Iss, sir. There's no dead body about, so ghost et were. I were
a-thinkin', wi' your lave, sir, I'd go down to Troy to church this
mornin'; I wants to be exercised a bit arter all this witchcraf'."
Mr. Fogo wondered at this proposal to go to church for exercise, but
readily granted leave. Nor was it until Caleb had departed that
"exorcised" occurred to him as a _varia lectio_.
Left to himself, Mr. Fogo spent a tranquil hour among his roses; and
then, remembering his determination, unmoored his boat and prepared
to satisfy his doubts.
The tide was low--so low that on the further side of the old wreck
his paddles plunged once or twice into mud. Nor was it easy to swing
himself on board; but a rusty chain helped him, and after one or two
failures he stood upon deck.
All was desolation. He peered down into the hold, where the water
lay deep and still; crawled forward, and peeped through a shattered
deadlight into the forecastle. The water was here, too, though it
had drained somewhat, owing to the depression amidships; but nothing
to explain the mystery.
Mr. Fogo crept aft with better hopes of success, gained the poop, and
peered down the companion. The light was too dim to reveal anything.
Nothing daunted, he crawled down the ladder and into the captain's
cabin.
The first thing to catch his eye was an empty packing-case, with a
heap of shavings and cotton-wool beside it. On the side of the case
was printed in blue letters--"_ Wapshott and Sons. Chicago. Patent
Compressed Tea. With Care_." Mr. Fogo poked his nose inside it.
A faint smell of tea still lingered about the wood.
Next he inspected the cupboards. Some were open and all unlocked.
He went over them all. At the end he found himself the richer by--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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