Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 October 1893 — THE PERILS OF Gertain English Prisoners [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE PERILS OF Gertain English Prisoners

By Charles Dickens, (1857) CHAPTER lll— Conti need.

APT. CARTON I had, in the boat I by him, a curious ) long -b arrelled ' Spanish gun, and J he hadsaid to Miss I ; Mary on one day k that it was the best of guns, and had

turned his head to me, and said: “Gill Davis, load her fresh with a couple of slugs, against a chance of showing how good she is." So, I had discharged the gun over the sea, and had loaded her, accordher to orders, and there it had lain at the Captain’s feet, convenient to the Captain’s hand. The last day but one of our journey was an uncommonly hot day. We started very early; but there’was no cool air on the sea as the day got on, and by noon the heat was really hard to bear, considering that there were women and children to bear it. Now, we happened to open, just at that time, a very pleasant little cove <jr bay, where there was a deep shade

from a great growth of trees. • Now, the Captain, therefore, made the signal to other boats to follow him in and lie by a while. The men who were off duty went ashore, and lay down, but were ordered, for caution’s sake, not to stray, and to keep within view. The others rested on their oars, and dozed. Awnings had been made of one thing and another, in all the boats, and the passengers found it cooler to be under them than in the shade, when there was room enough, than to be in the thick woods. So, the passengers were all afloat, and mostly sleeping. I kept my post behind Miss Maryon, and she was on Capt. Carton’s right in the boat, and Mrs. Fisher sat on her right agSin. The Captain had Mrs. Fisher’s daughter on his knee. He and the two ladies were talking about the Pirates, and were talking softly

under such indolent circumstances, and partly because the little girl ■ had gone off asleep. I think I have before given it out for my Lady to write down that Capt. Carton had a fine bright eye of his own. All at once he darted me a side look, as much as to say: “Steady—don’t take on. I see something!*’—and gave the chi d into her mother's arms. That eye of his was so easy to understand that I obeyed it by not so much as looking either to the right or to the left out of a corner of my own, or changing my attitude the least trifle. The captain went on talking in the same mild and easy way, but began—with his arms resting across his knees and his head a little hanging forward, as if the heat were rather too much for him —began to play with the Spanish gun. “They had laid their plans, you sec,” says the Captain, taking up the Spanish gun across his knees and looking lazily at the inlaying on the stock, “with a great deal of art. and the corrupt or blundering local authorities were so easily deceived;” he ran his left hand idly along the barrel, but I saw, with my breath held, that he covered the action of cocking the gun with his right —“so easily deceived that they summoned us out to come into the .trap. But my intention as to future operations” at his bright eye and he fired. All started up; innumerable echoes repeated the sound of the discharge; a cloud of bright-colored birds flew out of the woods screaming; a handful of leaves were scattered in the place where the shot had struck; a] crackling of branches was heard, and some lithe but heavy creature sprang into the air and fell forward, head down, over the muddy bank. “What is it?” cried Capt. Maryon from his boat. All silent then, but the echoes rolling away. “It is a traitor and a spy,” said Capt. Carton, handing me the gun to load again. “And I think the other name of the animal is Christian George King!” Shot through the heart. Some of the people ran round to the spot and

drew hpn -out, with the slime and wet.trickling down his face, but his •face itself would never stir any more to the end of time. “Leave him hanging to that tree,” cried Capt. Carton, his boat’s crew giving way and he leaping ashore. “But first into this wood, every man in his place. And boats! Out of gunshot!” ■ ■ ; - It was a quick change, well meant and well made, though it ended in disappointment. No pirates, were there; no one but the spy was found. It was supposed that the pirates, unable to retake us, and expecting a great attack upon them to be the consequence of our escape, had made from the ruins in the forest, taken to their ship along with the treasure, and left the spy to pick up what intelligence he could. In the evening we went away, and he was left hanging to the tree, all alone, with the red sun making a dead sunset on his black face. Next day we gained the settlement on the Mosquito coast for which we were bound. Having remained there seven days to refresh, and having been much commended and highly spoken of, and finely entertained, we marines stood under orders to march from the Town-Gate (it was neither much of a town nor much of a gate), at 5 in the morning. My officer had joined us before then. When we turned out at the gate, all the people were there; in

the front of them ail those who had been our fellow-prisoners, and all the seamen. “Davis,” says Lieut. Lindenwood, “stand out, my friend.” I stood out from the ranks, and, Miss Maryon and Capt. Carton came up to me. “Dear Davis,” says Miss Maryon, while the tears fell fast down her face, “your grateful friends, in most unwillingly taking leave of you, ask the favor that, while you bear away with you then* affectionate remembrance, which nothing can ever impair, you will also take this purse of money—far more valuable to you, we all know, for the deep attachment and thankfulness with which it is offered than for its own contents, though we hope those may prove useful to you, too, in after life.” I got out in answer, that I thankfully accepted the attachment and affection, but not the money. Capt. Carton looked at me very attentively and stepped back and moved away. I made him my bow as he stepped back to thank him for being so delicate,

“No, miss,” said I, “I think it would break my heart to accept of money. But if you could condescend to gfve to a man so ignorant and common as myself any little thing you have Worn —such as a bit of ribbon” She took a ring from her finger and put it in my hand. And she rested her hand in mine while she said these words: “The brave gentlemen of old —but not one of them was braver or had a nobler nature than you —took such gifts from ladies, and did all their good actions for the givers’ sakes. If you will do yours for mine, I shall think with pride that I continue to have some share in the life of a gallant and generous man.” For the second time in my life she kissed my hand. I made so bold for the first time to kiss hers, and 1 tied the ring to my breast, and I fell back to my place.

i Then the horse-litter went out at the gate with Sergt. Drooce in it, and the horse-litter went out at the gate with Mrs. Belltott in in it; and Lient. Underwood gave the word of command, “Quick, march!” and cheered and cried for we went out of the gate, too, marching along the level plain towards the serene blue sky as if we were marching straight to, heaven. When I have added here that the pirate scheme was blown to shivers by the pirate ship which had the ! treasure on board being so vigorously attacked by one of His Majesty’s cruisers among the West India Keys, and being so swiftly boarded and carried that nobody suspected anything about the scheme until threefourths of the pirates were killed and the other fourth were in irons, and the treasure was recovered; I come to the last singular confession I have to make. It is this. I well knew what andmmense and hopeless distance there was between me and Miss Maryon; I well knew that I was no fitter com-

panyforher than I was for the angels’; I well knew that she was as high above my reach as the skt over my head; and yet I loved her. What put it in my low heart to be s< daring, or whether such a thing evci happened 1 before or since as that r man so uninstructed and obscure a myself got his unhappy thoughts lifted up to such a height, while knowing very well how* presumptuous and impossible to be realized they were, I am unable to say; still, the suffering to me was just as great as if I had been a gentleman. I suffered agony agony. I suffered ,hard, and I suffered long. I thought of her last words to me, however, and I never disgraced them. If it had not been for those dear’words, I think I should have lost myself in despair and recklessness. The ring will be found lying on my. heart, of course, and will be laid wiin me wherever lam laid. I am getting on in years now, though I am able and hearty. I was recommened for promotion, and everything was done to reward me that could be done, but my total want of learning stood in my way, and I found my self so completely out of the road to it, that I could not conquer any learning, though I tried. I was long in the service, and I respected it, and was respected in it, and the service is dear to me at this present hour. At this present hour, when I give this out to my lady to be written down, all my old pain has softened away and I am as happy as. any man can be at this present fine old coun-try-house of Admiral Sir George Qarton, Baronet. It was my Lady Carton who herself sought me out, over a great many miles of the wide world, and found me in hospital wounded, and brought me here. It is my Lady Carton who writes down my words. My Lady was Miss Maryon. And now, that I conclude what I had to tell, I see my Lady’s honored gray hair droop over her face, as she leans a little lower at her desk, and I fervently thank her for being so tender as I see she is to warns the past pain and trouble of her poor, old, faithful, humble soldier, THE END.

AND I FOR THE FIRST TIME KISSED HER HAND.