The Smugglers: Picturesque Chapters in the Story of an Ancient CraftHarper, Charles G. (Charles George)
History
The Smugglers: Picturesque Chapters in the Story of an Ancient Craft
Harper, Charles G. (Charles George)
Smuggling -- Great Britain
strength were allmoste exhausted; but whilst I was thinking of this,
touched bottom with my feet. Hope then sprung up, and I soon found
another rope, leading towards the head of the vessel in shoaler water, so
that I veered upon one and hauled upon the other that brought me under
the bowsprit, and then at times upon the send of the sea, my feete were
allmoste dry. I thought then I would soon be out of their way. Left go
the rope, but as soon as I attempted to run, fell down, and as I fell,
looking round aboute me, saw three men standing close by me. I knew they
were the man-of-war’s men seeing for the boat, so I lyed there quiet for
some little time, and then creeped upon my belly I suppose aboute the
distance of fifty yards; and as the ground was scuddy, some flat rock
mixt with channels of sand, I saw before me a channel of white sand, and
for fear to be seen creeping over it, which would take some time, not
knowing there was anything the matter with me, made the second attempt to
run, and fell in the same manner as before. My brother Charles being
there, looking out for the vessel, desired some Cawsand men to go down to
see if they could pick up any of the men, dead or alive, not expecting to
see me ever any more, allmoste sure I was ither shot or drowned. One of
them saw me fall, ran to my assistance, and, taking hold of me under the
arm, says, ‘Who are you?’ So as I thought him to be an enemy, made no
answer. He said, ‘Fear not, I am a friend; come with me.’ And by that
time, forth was two more come, which took me under both arms, and the
other pushed me in the back, and so dragged me up to the town. I suppose
it might have been about the distance of the fifth part of a mile. My
strength was allmoste exhausted; my breath, nay, my life, was allmoste
gone. They took me into a room where there were seven or eight of
Cawsand men and my brother Charles, and when he saw me, knew me by my
great coat, and cryed with joy, ‘This is my brother!’ So then they
immediately slipt off my wet clothes, and one of them pulled off his
shirt from off him and put on me, sent for a doctor, and put me to bed.
Well, then, I have thought many a time since what a wonder it was. The
bone of my nose cut right in two, nothing but a bit of skin holding it,
and two very large cuts on my head, that two or three pieces of my skull
worked out afterwards.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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