The Perils of Certain English Prisoners

nd, His Mark, having then the honour to be a private in the Royal Marines, stood a-leaning over the b

picked up somewhere or another, and I always understood my christian-name to be Gill. It is true that I was called Gills when employed at Snorridge Bottom betwixt Chatham and Maidstone to frighten birds; but that had nothing to do with the Baptism wherein I was made, &c., and wherein

ok at her hand with the rings on it-Well! I won't! To be sure it will come in, in its own place. But it's always strange to me, noticing the quiet hand, and noticing it (as I

wn, and that nothing that is once taken down shall be scratched out. I have the great misfortune not to be able to read

umbus in the South American waters off the Mosquito shore: a subject of his

th him and his sheep by day when I could get nothing else to do, and who used to give me so little of his victuals and so much of his staff, that I ran away from him-which was what he wanted all along, I expect-to be knocked about the world in preference to Snorridge Bottom. I had been knocked about the world for nine-and-twenty y

ad been thinking on so, that it like woke me with a start, though it

f the water, steady?

ys he. "Th

rning my eyes towards it. "

ou're going to? Th

odd,"

considering with himself,

way, one with the least to say for himself. I qualify it, because, besides being able to read and write like a Quarter-master, he had always one most excellent idea in his mind. That was, Duty. Upon my so

hose Caribbean Seas), and as they got the better of our English cruisers by running into out-of-the-way creeks and shallows, and taking the land when they were hotly pressed, the governor of Belize had received orders from home to keep a sharp look-out for them along shore. Now, there w

d as a safe and convenient place to store their silver in, until it was annually fetched away by the sloop. It was brought down from the mine to the coast on the backs of mules, attended by friendly Indians and guarded by white men; from thence it w

ed there for the chase of the Pirates. The Island was considered a good post of observation against the pirates, both by land and sea; neither the pirate ship nor yet her boats had been seen by any of us, but they had been so much heard

wn at themselves in the sea, over one another's shoulders, millions deep. Next morning, we cast anchor off the Island. There was a snug harbour within a little reef; there was a sandy beach; there were cocoa-nut trees with high st

negro and half-Indian-had come off outside the reef, to pilot us in, and remained on board after we had let go our anchor. He was called Christian George King, and was fonder of all hands than anybody else was. Now, I confess, for myself, that on that first day, if I ha

and good livers; able to read what you like, able to write what you like, able to eat and drink what you like, and spend what you like, and do what you like; and much you care for a poor, ignorant Private in the Royal Marines! Yet it's hard, too, I think, that you should have all the half-pence, and I all the kicks; you all the smooth, and I all the r

fficer, and had come out there with her sister, who was married to one of the owners of the silver-mine, and who had three children with her. It was easy to see that she was the light a

I even took that in bad part. I thought I was much fitter for the work than they were, and that if all of us had our deserts, I should be both of them rolled into one. (It may be imagined what so

ashore and dismissed, I strolled about the place along w

Flag and the Union Jack, flying from the same staff, where the little English colony could all come together, if they saw occasion. It was a walled square of building, with a sort of pleasure-ground inside, and inside that again a sunken block like a powder magazine, with a little square trench round it, and steps down to the door. Charker and I were looking in at the gate, which was not guarded; and I had said to Charker, in reference to the bit like a

she said, "and see the place?

om England; and consequently we saluted again, and went in. Then, as we stood in the shade, she showed us (being as affable as beautiful), how the different families lived in their separate houses, and how there was a general

air. At present, our few residents are dispersed over both spots: deducting, that is to

es," I thought, "and I wish some

he said, "during at least half the year,

ldren her

rteen married ladies, and

-there was not one like her-i

le colony now on the Island. I don't count the sailors, for they don't belong to us. Nor the

ambos, ma'

N

th your leave, ma'am," sai

ry kind to them, and they

? Now-Christia

hed to us all. W

tiful women almost always to be, so composed, that her comp

he mine, and was brought over from the mainland, and was stored here. The Christopher Columbus would have a rich lading, she said

a non-commissioned officer in a regiment of the line. She had got married and widowed at St. Vincent, with only a few months between the two events. She was a little saucy woman, with a bright pair of eyes, rather a neat littl

st excellent manner-I found that her Christian name was Isabella, which they shortened into Bell, and that the name of the deceased non-commissioned officer was Tott. Being the kind of neat little woman it was natural to make a toy of-I never saw a woman so lik

ter, the beautiful unmarried young English lady, was Miss Maryon. The novelty was, that her christian-name was Marion too. Mar

a picture; the sea, a picture; the sky, a picture. In that country there are two rainy seasons in the year. One sets in at about our English Midsummer; the other, about a fortnight after our En

to Charker, turning surly again. "Thi

es up from the landing-place at a wolf's-trot, crying, "Yup, So-Jeer!"-which was that Sambo Pilot's barbarous way of saying, Hallo, Soldier! I have stated myself to be a man of no learning, and

ng along the sand, clucking, "Yup, So-Jeer!" I had a thundering good mind to let fly at him w

er!" says h

you mean?

!" says he, "

eaky?"

f it was jerked out of him by a most violen

board; hands wanted from the shore." In no time some of the sloop's liberty-men were already running down to the wa

ashion of crying was to screw his black knuckles into his eyes, howl like a dog, and roll himself on his back on the sand. It was tryi

she had brought for the little colony would be destroyed by the sea-water as it rose in her, there was great confusion. In the midst of it, Captain Maryon was heard hailing from the beach. He had been carrie

leak stopped. We were all mustered (the Pirate-Chace party volunteering), and told off into parties, with so many hours of spell and so many hours of relief, and we all went at it with a will. Christian George King was entered one of the party in which I

ther had got drunk and spilt some ink over (as well as I could understand the matter), and by that means had given up lawful possession of the I

difference of sex, was much the same. Mr. Kitten, a small, youngish, bald, botanical and mineralogical gentleman, also connected with the mine-but everybody there was that, more or

orary quarters for the men rising up there out of such sails and odds and ends as could be best set on one side to make them, when Mr. Commissioner Pordage comes down in a high fl

missioner Pordage, "this is not

that you should be communicated with, and requested to render any little assi

ssed, no memoranda have been made, no minutes have been made, no entries and counter-entries appear in the official

hammock; "between the chances of Government taking this up, and my s

cries Mr. Commi

Captain Maryon,

Commissioner, "send up inst

tarted off himself and brought down the Diplomatic coat, which w

Deputy-consul of this place, to demand of Captain Maryon, of the sloop Chr

should be sorry that you should be at the pains of putting on too hot a coat on my account; but, otherwise, you may put it on hind-side before, or i

passion. "Very good, sir. Be the consequences on your own h

ld that Mr. Kitten wrote from his dictation more than a bushel of large paper on the subject, which cost more

was one handsome elderly lady, with very dark eyes and gray hair, that I inquired about. I was told that her name was Mrs. Venning; and her married daughter, a fair slight thing, was pointed out to me by the name of Fanny Fisher. Quite a child she looked, with a little copy of herself holding to her dress; and her husband, just come back from the mine, exceeding proud of her. They were a good-looking set of people on the whole, but I didn't like them. I was out of sorts; in conversation with Charker, I found fault with all of them. I said of Mrs. Venning, she was proud; of Mrs. Fisher, she was a delicate little baby-fool. What did

Yes, I think so! Dolls! Dolls! Not the sort of stuff for wear

h the moon, the stars, the trees, the prospect, anything. I didn't greatly take to the chief-officer of that party, with his bright eyes, brown face, and easy figure. I didn't much like his way when he first happened to come where we were, with Miss Maryon on his arm. "O, Captain Carton," she says, "here are two friends of mine!" He says, "Indeed? These two Marines?"-meaning Charker and self. "Yes," says she, "I sh

tances in that jovial night made much separate impression on me. One was this. A man in our draft of marines, named Tom Packer, a wild unsteady young fellow, but the son of a respect

ay not be the death of

ularly hard on this man, and I knew this m

's a man in the corps who scorns the name of

being in a mortal

Gill! Mark my words! It will go hard with Sergeant Drooce, if ever we are in an engagement together, and he has to look to me

ery soon afterwards, too, a

colony, but especially the ladies and children, how fond he was of them, how devoted to them, and how faithful to them for life and death, for present, future, and everlasting, made a great impression on me. If ever a man, Sam

cing round me, and peeping in over my hammock, though I woke and dozed off again fifty times. At last, when I opened my eyes, there he real

e, in a sort of a

rting up. "What? You

"Christian Georg

ews has

ates

Carton, in command of the boats, constantly watched the mainland for a secret

word was already passing from hut to hut to turn out quietly, and we knew

behind the trees, one by one. As we assembled here, the seamen assembled too. Within ten minutes, as I should estimate, we were all here, except the usual guard upon the beach. The beach (we could see it through the wood) looked as it always had done in the hottest time of the day. The guard were in the shadow of the sloop's hull, and nothing was moving but the sea,-and that moved very faintly. Work had always been knocked off at

cers stepped out into the midst of the three parties, and spoke so as all might hear. Captain Carton was the officer in command, and he had a

onder on the coast, under the overhanging branches of the dense trees. Secondly, that they will certainly come out this night when the moon rises, on a pillaging and murdering

. Yet there was a kind of ring, as if every man answered

lunteer on this service, with my boats.

s, touching his hat, "I accept your aid with pleasure

down their illness (and very ill I knew them to be) like Saint George beating down the Dragon. Pain and weakness, want of ease and want of rest, had no more place in their minds than fear itself. Meaning now to express for my lady to write down, exactly what I fel

od. It reall

tenant Linderwood, "Sir, how will you divide your men? There is n

to be commanded in case of any danger (though none at all was apprehended there), the officers were in favour of leaving the two non-commissioned officers, Drooce and Charker. It was a heavy disappointment to the

by more volunteers. The assembly was to be on that same spot at sunset. Every man was to keep up an appearance, meanwhile, of occupying himself in his usual way. That is to say, every man excepting four

s expression for beautiful. He was now asked a few questions concerning the putting off of the boats, and in particular whether there was any way of embarking at the back of the Island: which Captain Carton would have half liked to do, and then have dropped round in its shadow and slanted across to the mai

man answered to his name, of course, and was at his post. It was not yet black dark, and the rol

," says he, "Si

im), "is an expedition against the Pirates. It is

, "I trust there is going to be

the officer,

"Captain Carton, I give you notice. Government requires you to treat t

nt's just expectations. But, I presume you know that these villains under their black flag have despoiled our countrymen of their p

ing his hand, with dignity; "perhaps I do not. It is

eived it direct from the Devil, I shall certainly use it, with all avoidance of unnecessary suffering and with all merciful swiftness of

way to his men. The Commissioner buttoned his Diplomatic coat to the chin, sa

n lay down where they were mustered. It was pretended that they were to take a nap, but everybody knew that no nap was to be got under the circumstances. Though all were very quiet,

s own outlandish little canoe without a sound, went the Sambo pilot, to take them safely outside the reef. No light was shown but once, and that was in the commanding office

ul quietness, and Christian George K

able kind of convulsions, "Christian George King sar

be, hold your noise, and don't dance jigs and slap yo

of three each, three hours' spell. I was relieved at twelve. A little before

Maryon, "what is the mat

the matter, and wh

was close in front of me, and she looked most lovely to be sure; "h

e known that his spirit is strong enough for any strife. It will bear his body, miss, to

she, touching my arm. "I

allowed to take them back. Miss Maryon thanked me, and she put her arm in mine, and I did take them back. I have now got to make a confession that will appear singular. After I had left them, I

half a minute or so. Then I up and went to my hut, and turned into my hammock, and fell asleep with wet eyel

etermined man." I had sprung out of my hammock, and had seized my firelock, and was standing on the ground, saying the words myself. "He is a determin

t out of the hut, and away to wher

goes

fri

he, as he shoul

," sa

do you do out of yo

leep," says I;

hat we want to know of. Except for fire-flies twinkling about, and the lonesome splashes of great crea

with his face towards the sea, I, looking landward, suddenly laid my right hand on his breast,

u mean?" he ask

ce, with one eye and a

ls you? What

like bits of the moonshine in the water that had got blown ashore among the trees by the light wind. I had seen it all, in a moment. And I saw in a moment (as any man would), that the signalled move of the pirates on the mainland was a plot and a feint; that th

, with a much better head, was close by. All I said to Charker was, "I am afraid we are betrayed. Turn your back full to the moonlight

, and falling into the position with a nerve

y my hand upon him to rouse him. The instant I touched him he came rolling out of his hammock, and upon me li

enses, panting all the while (for he gave me a breather), "S

s of. "I have seen two of them within this minute," sa

the enclosure I have before mentioned, the Fort, though it was not much of that.) "Then get you to the Fort as quick as you can, rouse up every soul there, and fasten the gate. I will br

uty, and had them bursting away with him, before they know they were not asleep. I reported orders to Ch

an to that part of the building where Miss Maryon lived. I called to her loudly by her name until she answered. I then called loudly all the names I knew-Mrs. Macey (Miss Maryon's married sister), Mr. Ma

myself, even then, what a number of things I seemed to see at once. I noticed Mrs. Macey coming towards me, carrying all her three children together. I noticed Mr. Pordage in the greatest terror, in vain trying to get on his Diplomatic coat; and Mr. Kitten respectfully tying his pocket-handkerchief over Mrs. Pordage's nightcap. I noticed Mrs. Belltott run out screaming, and sh

eant Drooce and the other seven were gone to bring in the outlying part of the people of Silver-Store. I next urged him, for the love of all who were d

ice to the letter, Davi

ext, to order down such heavy furniture and lumber as

n," says he: "wil

I, "unless or until my superior, Se

panions to help me, bestirred himself to look to the arms an

hers at the barricade, and had got up a pretty good breastwork within the gate. Drooce and the seven men had come back, bringing in the people from the Signal Hill, and had worked along with us: but, I had not so much as spoken a word to Drooce, nor had Drooce so much as spoken a word to me, for we were both too busy. The breastwork was no

he, "I have been waiting

ball in the heart, and she had stood there, I almost

th her hair and trying to pull it down, "cannot hear what we say-can hear nothing. I trust

is it,

you are absolutely sure of my

e died in your defence before it comes to that. T

looked at me! "And if you cannot save me from the

arse hand-and put it to her lips. She put it to the child's lips, and the child kissed it. I be

e artichoke sort), and she wouldn't take the nightcap off, and would be angry when it got crushed by the other ladies who were handing things about, and, in short, she gave as much trouble as her husband did. But, as we were now forming for the defence of the place, they were both poked out of the way with no ceremony. The children and ladies were got into the little trench which surrounded the silver-house (we were afraid of leaving them in any

," says she, cheerfully, w

r's sister, and I understand it too,"

andling the guns, hammering the flints, looking to the locks, and quietly directing others t

, he had seen them in a very good position on the further side of the Signal Hill, evidently waiting for the rest of their men to come up. In the present pause, th

l, so we could not

, sir?" says Sergeant Dro

it could be lighted-which never has been done yet-

n that duty. Give me the two men who were on guard with

, Corporal-" Mr.

" says Charker. "I'd sooner light myself

d was let out at the gate, and crept away. I had no sooner come back to my place from be

ok at this powder?

treachery again! Sea-water had been conveyed into t

a movement in a muscle of his face: "look to your pouch, my lad. You Tom Pac

and the cartridges were all unserviceable. "Hum!" says the

were rig

ys the Sergeant, "this will be a hand-

od quiet, and we all stood quiet, for a matter of something like half-an-hour. I took notice from such whispered talk as there was, how little we that the silver did not belong to, thought about it,

Davis," says the Sergeant, "a

he neck, and stumbling down at my feet when the gate was fast, "don't take me near the ladies or the

ed, holding up hi

st pirate party that landed; his hair was all singed off, an

-bye, old chap," was all he said, with a smile. "I'

t Drooce looked at me, with his eyebrows a little lifted. I nodded. "Close up h

, and shouting loudly. When we believed from the sound that they were all there, we gave three English cheers. The poor little children joined,

s the gate, in order that they might watch the walls and prevent our being taken by surprise. Then there was a space of eight or ten feet deep, in which the spare arms were, and in which Miss Maryon and Mrs. Fisher, their hands and dresses blackened with the spoilt gunpowder, worked on their knees, tying such things as knives, old bayonets, and spear-heads, to the muzzles of the useless muskets. Then, there was a second armed

an with very large ear-rings under a very broad hat, and a great bright shawl twisted about his shoulders. They were all strongly armed, but like a boarding party, with pikes, swords, cutlasses, and axes. I noticed a good many pistols, but not a gun of any kind among them. This gave me to understand that they had considered that a continued roll of musketry might perhaps have been heard on

d one or the other-came forward with the black flag, and gave it a wave or two. After that, the Por

d stepped out when he began), said it again in English. It was only this. "Boys of the black flag, this is to be quickly done. Take all the prisoners you can.

eant Drooce at my side, forming us six remaining marines in line-Tom Packer next to me-and ordering us to fall back three paces, and, as they broke in, to give them our one little

breastwork. However, they broke over it like swarms of devils-they were, r

for a broadsword that Miss Maryon's own hand put in mine, should have got my end from them. But, was that all? No. I saw a heap of banded dark hair and a white dress come thr

t arm a few moments before, and should have known nothing of it, except supposing that somebody had struck me a smart blow, if I had not felt weak, and seen myself covered with spouting blood, and, at the same instant of time, seen Miss Maryon tearing her dress an

at Sergeant Drooce. The Sergeant, stepping back against the wall, stopped one howl for ever with such a terrible b

Now, when I could cut him out! Gil

name, as well as I could in my fai

is a brave man." Then he calls out, "Sergeant Drooce, Sergeant D

s from his assailants, which would ha

I w

I would never save you from Death, if I could, but would leave you to die. Tell m

rgeant's bald bare head open

, "no. I won't. If you are not man enough to strike for a fellow-soldier because he wants

other knot of them, and sent them flying, and came over to where I was begin

lap her two hands over Mrs. Fisher's eyes. I looked towards the silver-house, and saw Mrs. Venning-standing upright on the top of the steps of the trench, with her

er moment, something came tumbling down upon me that I thought was the wall. It was a heap of Sambos who had come over

berry glad So-Jeer a prisoner. Christian George King

and foot. It was all over now-boats not come back-all lost! When I was fast bound and was put up aga

ou had slept sounder, last night, you'd have sle

h of a tree that he played with: first on the face, and then across the chest and the wounded arm. I looked him steady

were lying about all over the place, and the Pirates were burying their dead, and taking away their wounded on hastily-made litters, to the back of the Island. As for us prisoners, some of their b

eeping for her child and her mother. I was shoved into the same boat with Drooce and Packer, and the remainder of our party of marines: of whom we had lost two privates, besides Charker, my poor, brave comrade. We all made a melancholy passage, under the hot sun over to the mainland. There, we landed in a solitary place, and were mustered