The Yarn of Old Harbour TownRussell, William Clark
General
The Yarn of Old Harbour Town
Russell, William Clark
English fiction -- 20th century; Historical fiction; Sea stories
But congratulations were not in place in such a moment as this. A fine
boat of the _Aurora_ was alongside manned by five sailors, who being
clad in much the same sort of apparel, carried a sort of warlike
aspect as though the boat was proceeding from something heavily armed
and much to be feared. Captain Acton and the Admiral sprang into
her with the agility of boys, thanks to the energy infused by the
apparition of Lucy waving her pocket-handkerchief, and whilst they were
being swept to the brig Captain Weaver asked her master one or two
questions.
This was the story his interrogatories elicited. On the day before
yesterday the brig that was very short of provisions and water sighted
a vessel, which on her approach proved to be so rigged that the master
declared he had never seen the like.
"She carried nothing but fore-and-aft sails on her mizzen-mast," said
he.
On which Captain Weaver exclaimed: "The _Minorca_, of course. She was
French, and what's called barque-rigged."
Well, the _Louisa Ann_ backed her topsail, and the strangely rigged
ship backed her's, and the master of the brig, not choosing to ask too
many favours at once, hailed to know if she could spare some fresh
water, as they had run to an allowance that was close upon famine. He
was received on board by a tall, commanding, handsome man, who, on the
arrival of the master of the _Louisa Ann_, said he was welcome to a
supply of fresh water, and that in return he would ask him to receive a
young lady who had gone mad during the voyage from England, and convey
her to that country. Her name was Miss Acton. She was a daughter of
Captain Acton of Old Harbour Town, and the captain of the _Louisa Ann_
might make sure of a handsome reward for his services from the father.
The lady, the tall, handsome man said, had consented to elope with him,
and they were to be married at Rio de Janeiro; but she had gone out
of her mind. The fine, handsome man felt he could do nothing better
than to restore her as soon as possible to her friends. The captain of
the brig said that he had but a poor accommodation for a lady of her
quality, but wanting the fresh water very badly and likewise reflecting
that he might receive a handsome reward, and learning from the fine,
handsome man that Miss Acton was by no means violent, but on the
contrary gentle and melancholy, he consented.
"And how did she seem," said Captain Weaver, "when she got into the
boat?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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