The Perils of Certain English Prisoners

ation, on account of the eddies and rapids, and it was therefore settled next day that in future we would bring-to at sunset, and encamp on the shore. As we knew of no boats that th

er, they would come up it in force, and retake us or kill us, according as they could; but that

ence. So much had happened in one night, and such great changes had been violently and suddenly made in the fortunes of many amo

f us. But, we all worked hard at managing the rafts, under the direction of the seamen (of our own skill, I think we never could have prevented them from oversetting), and we also worked hard at making good the defects in their fir

ove us to that bank, and it turned us, and whirled us; but yet it carried us on

much the same, the sound of the soft wash and ripple of the water was usually so much the same, that they were made drowsy, as they might have been by the constant playing of one tune. Even on the grown people, who worked hard and felt anxiety, the same things produced something of the same effect. Every day was so like the

both sides of the river, and far a-head at every bold turn and sweep it made, for any signs of Pirate-boats, or Pirate-dwellings. So, as I say, we kept afloat a

ds like a mop. The sun had touched him a bit. He had taken to always polishing one particular button, which just held on to his left wrist, and to always calling for stationery. I suppose that man called for pens, ink, and paper, tape, and scaling- wax, upwards of one thousand times in

er eyes for it. It was so dirty, that whether it was vegetable matter out of a swamp, or weeds out of the river, or an old porter's-knot from England, I don't think any new spectator could have said. Yet, this unfortunate old woman had a notion that it was

bless my heart, the dignity with which she sat and moped, with her head in that bundle of tatters, was like nothing else in the world! She was not on speaking terms with more than three of the ladies. Some of them had, what she called, "taken precedence" of her - in getting into, or out of,

d silence), we often made our slow way down the river, anything but quietly. Yet, that it was of great importance that no ears should be able to hear us from the woods on

place as we could pick out. Our little encampment was soon made, and supper was eaten, and the children fell asleep. The watch was set, and everything ma

kept near me since the night of the attack. Mr. Fisher,

such a determined one;" our party had adopted that last expression from the one-eyed English pirate, and I repe

Sir, having Miss Maryon to take care of her; but, you may r

s, and I heartily wish all the si

d solitary parts, to see them, every night before they lay down, kneeling under the bright sky, saying their little prayers at women's laps. At that time we men all uncovered, a

ether I was right or wrong in that, they wept very much. On this seventh night, Mrs. Fisher had cried for her lost darling until she cried herself asleep. She was lying on a little couch of leaves a

m not going to say what a voice

here,

s as if it were

s, that we are com

eve now, we

." I had always said I did; but, I

e, my good Davis, to

aid these words, something rose in my throat; and the stars I looked aw

uch to me, Miss,

that! - Are you not well to- night, Dav

well,

r voice sounds alt

er man than ever. But, E

ed she had done speaking to me for one time. However, she

rned here, and the gratitude and attachment and respect you have won here: and you have to make some good English girl very happy and proud, by marrying her; and I shall one d

d to and fro, within call, all that night, a most unhappy man, reproaching myself all the night long. "You are as ignorant as any man alive; you are as obscure as a

d were again making our way down the river. It was broader, and clearer of obstructions than it had been, and it seemed to flow faster. Thi

of the day, when the children were slumbering, and the very trees and reeds appeared to be slumberi

ould hear voices and oars. After a little pause, however, we united in thinking that we could hear the sound of voices, and the dip of oars. But, you can hear a long way in those countries, and there was a bend of the

to be put ashore, and not to swim ashore, as the first thing could be more quickly done than the second. The raft conveying him, to get back into mid-stream, and to hold on along with t

our seamen knew, by the set of the stream, under which bank they would come.

contend against and do. I cut off the bend of the river, at a great saving of space, came to the water's edge

orge - King!" over and over again, always the same, with the pauses always at the same places. I had likewise time to make up my mind that if these were the Pir

- George - King! Chris'en - George

be most likely to do me least hurt; and I took a look back at the track I had m

s'en - George - King! Chris'en

had overcome us by numbers and by treachery? No. These were English men in English boats - good blue-jackets and red-coats - marines that I knew myself, and sailors that knew our seamen! At the helm of the first boat, Captain Carton, eager and steady. At the helm of the second boat, Captain Maryon, brave and bold. At the helm of the third boat, an old seaman, with determination carved into his watchful face, like the figure-hea

aped, sir! All well,

was passed on from hand to hand to the stern of the boat: every hand pat

n the shoulder like a friend, and giving me a flask. "Put your

us, and we came in sight of the rafts - the banks flew by us, and we came alongside of the rafts - the banks stopped; and there was a tumult of laughing and crying, and kis

, so to call it, neatly made of flowers, but it was ornamented in a singular way. Some of the men had taken the ribbons and buckles off their hats, and hung them among the flowers; others had made festoons and streamers of their handkerchiefs, and hung t

ut off again when the men were out of her, and kept off, some yards from the shore. As she floated there, with the two hands gently backing water to keep her from goin

xpedition, supposing the whole array of armed boats to be ahead of it, got tempted into shallows and went aground; but not without having its revenge upon the two decoy-boats, both of which it had come up with, overhand, and sent to the bottom with all on board. He stood telling how the Expedition, fearing then that the case stood as it did, got afloat again, by great exertion, after the loss of four more tides, and returned to the Island, where they found the sloop scuttled and th

s Mrs. Fisher, her head drooping on her arm. She asked him, without r

the Captain gently, "under th

id you find my child, too? Does

eeps," said the Captain,

rbour in his boat a little creature, clapping her hands and stretching out her arms, and crying, "Dear papa! Dear

s, and he had brought her away with him, and the men had made the bower for her. To see those men now, was a sight. The joy of the women was beautiful; the joy of those women who had lost their own children, was quite sacred and divine; but, the ecstasies of Captain Carton's boat's crew, when their pet was restored to her parents, were wonderful for the tenderness they showed in the midst of roughness. As the Captain stood with the child in his arms, and the child's own little arms now clinging round his neck, now round her father's, now round her mothe

that had come up in the boats - we recommenced our voyage down the river: rafts, and boats, and all. I said to myself, it was a

ain so. Nobody shall supersede you in the distinction and pleasure of protecting that young lady." I thanked his honour in the fittest words I could find, and that night I was placed on my old post of watching the place where she slept. More t

he second boat, he made documents with Mr. Kitten, pretty well all day; and he generally handed in a Protest about something whenever we stopped. The Captain, however, made so very light of these papers, that it grew into a saying among the men, when one of them wanted a match for his pipe, "Hand us over a Protest, Jack!" As to Mrs. Pordage, she still wore the

aft, and Mrs. Belltott, as brisk as ever again (but the spirit of that little woman, when things tried it, was not equal to appearances), was head-nurse under his di

beautiful water, the blooming days were like enchantment. Ah! They were running away, faster than any sea or river, and there was no tide to bring them bac

ed Spanish gun, and he had said to Miss Maryon one day that it

a couple of slugs, against a ch

ded her, according to orders, and there it had lain at

t 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 or

ooler to be under them 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 Captain Carton's right in the boat, and Mrs. Fisher sat on her rig

the child 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. Th

rupt 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

the woods screaming; a handful of leaves were scattered in the place where the shot had struck; a crackling of branch

yon from his boat. All silent t

handing me the gun to load again. "And I think the

and drew him out, with the slime and wet trickling down his face

oat's crew giving way, and he leaping ashore. "But first into

take 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 S

seven days, and having been much commended, and highly spoken of, and finely entertained, we Marines stood unde

the gate, all the people were there; in the front of them al

nant Linderwood. "St

s, and Miss Maryon and Ca

e you bear away with you their affectionate remembrance, which nothing can ever impair, you will also take this purse of money - far more valuable to you, we all k

not the money. Captain Carton looked at me very attentively, and stepped back, and

y. But, if you could condescend to give to a man so ignorant and commo

ut it in my hand. And she rested her h

h gifts from ladies, and did all their good actions for the givers' sakes. If you will do yours for mine

de so bold, for the first time, as to kiss hers; and I

. Belltott in it; and Lieutenant Linderwood gave the word of command, "Quick march!" and, cheered and cried for, we went o

His Majesty's cruisers, among the West India Keys, and being so swiftly boarded and carried, that nobody suspected anything about the scheme until three-fou

t to be so daring, or whether such a thing ever happened before or since, as that a man so uninstructed and obscure as myself got his unhappy thoughts lifted up to such a height, while knowing very well how presumptuous and impossible to be realised they were, I am unable to say; still, the suffe

r promotion, and everything was done to reward me that could be done; but my total want of all learning stood in my way, and I found myself so completely out of the road to it t

on 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 te

nd