I Saw Three Ships and Other Winter Tales

hed into a corner, lay the remains of his breakfast. A plum-coloured coat with silver buttons hung over the back of a chair by hi

d in upon his dark head as he stooped to pull on a shoe. The sound of his whis

it on, when the noise of light wheels sounded on the road outside, and stopped beside the gate. Looking up, h

-a-

led, and smiled s

y on his chair to face him. Zeb's clothes were disordered, and looked as if he had spent the night in them; his face w

honour?" asked the stra

eat turnip-watch fr

m dre

r the w

u've got a bare five

not to be marr

they're comin'

the world ma

press

feet, and seemed for a momen

acherous

om the door-post. "I reckon it don't matter what I may be

d his hands, wit

u may have nothing to do with this infe

at set the press-gang upon 'ee," an

or half a minute, and then the s

ng at his under-lip, and regarding Zeb gloomily. "May I ask why you

ed; "Lord knows 'twas not for

beginner are equally weak in both pursuits. Would you mind telling me why you chose this particular form of treachery, in preference (let us say)

" said Zeb, pulling

ess-gang, stated the case to them, and had you lugged off to sea in my place. Has it occurred to you, in the course of your negotiations, that the wicked occasionally stumble into pits of thei

ou can't, wit

eed?

met the lot half an hour back, an' promised

iration. I shall undoubtedly shoot you before I'm taken, but

came to save 'ee, i

ow

e while you slip underneath it; but I'll fetch a glance round, to make sure. Underneath

t perhaps you'll admit

ed you to imagine I

chance-and I would kneel to 'ee, if by kneelin' I could persuad

jacket, whistling softly. Then he stepped to the chimney-piec

uite r

t sigh like a sob

ile I see that th

travel fast as a rule, for their load perishes soon, and the distance from the coast to the market is often considerable. In this case Jessamy went at a round gallop, the loose stones flying from under her hoofs

s pulled up with a scramble, and he heard a

el

re," answere

, pullin' on his boots.

's the

ick of money, as of a purse being

ye, young man, that it be a dirty trick. If this didn't chime in wi' my goodwill t

t'other half that's to come when you've got en

e this arternoon at the 'Four Lords.' We've orders

detain 'ee.

nger drew a long breath. He waited till he judged they must be

"you shall get out as so

tail-board. Zeb jumped down and trudged at the side. The hill was long, and steep from foot to brow; and w

ning to suffocate the man beneath it, when

u can c

ook some of his burden off, and

strip of sea. On the three remaining sides nothing was visible but undulating stretches of brown turf, except where, to northward,

. There's a hollow, not thirty

luster of grassy mounds, the most salient of which-the praetorian-still served as a landmark for the Porthlooe fishing boa

d best be sharp," he said; "you must start in

." The stranger sat down on the slope, picked a strip o

you'll thi

I haven't

stols i' your pockets, an'

ey

ee, as a favour, to give

d a minute before

fire a

st, afore now, an' I supp

u that your body may

it may cause me s

but 'tis to be known by bein' greener than the rest o' the turf. What's thrown in there niver co

t the mare

to home, an' fetch her a cut across th' ea

really wi

e out; "would I be sta

his feet, and drew ou

said; "for I never saw a ma

and handed the pistols t

" He walked slowly along the fosse, and, at the end o

watching h

as we please. Are you ready?-stand a bit sideways. Your chest is a

ows whither his bullet flew. The smoke cleared away in a blue, filmy streak, and revealed

he came to a halt about two paces from Zeb, who, with white face and set j

he stranger. "Strip-

without ado? Man,

p, I

nute, like a man in a trance; a

Strip-till you ar

the turf, and also proceeded to undress, unt

y thus, a month ago, wh

, barring our faces, we

clothes, and toss

in' o't?" stamme

you. Hurry; for the bride mu

eanin' o't?"

the Devil; suppose I'm your twin soul, and in exchange for my life have given you the half of manhood that you lacked and I possessed; suppose I'm just a deserter from his Majesty's fleet, a poor devil of a marine, with gifts above his station, who ran away and took to privateering, and was wrecked at

y this time in Z

Rec

her b

ght, an' then to the We

ed of waiting. You'll find a pencil and scrap

in half, and began to scribble a few lines on each piece. By the time he had fi

and down, and sucking the pencil contemp

oubt

church till you've done it. She's still the same woman as when she threw you over. Ah, sir, we men change our natures; but woman is always Eve. I suppose you know a short cut to the church? Very well. I shall

face; "it's a liberty, but wil

ish you good luck and a hard heart,

he hedge, where lay a short cut through the fields. In the gap he turned and looked

Ca