登陆注册
15678200000094

第94章

The ship was like a log in the sea, no land to be seen from the mast-head, the waves like glass, and the moon at its full.Up we rose, thirty of us and more.Up we rose with a shout; we poured into the captain's cabin, I at the head.The brave old boy had caught the alarm, and there he stood at the doorway, a pistol in each hand; and his one eye (he had only one) worse to meet than the pistols were.

"'Yield!' cried I; 'your life shall be safe.'

"'Take that,' said he, and whiz went the pistol; but the saints took care of their own, and the ball passed by my cheek, and shot the boatswain behind me.I closed with the captain, and the other pistol went off without mischief in the struggle.Such a fellow he was,--six feet four without his shoes! Over we went, rolling each on the other.Santa Maria! no time to get hold of one's knife.Meanwhile all the crew were up, some for the captain, some for me,--clashing and firing, and swearing and groaning, and now and then a heavy splash in the sea.Fine supper for the sharks that night! At last old Bilboa got uppermost; out flashed his knife; down it came, but not in my heart.No! I gave my left arm as a shield; and the blade went through to the hilt, with the blood spurting up like the rain from a whale's nostril! With the weight of the blow the stout fellow came down so that his face touched mine; with my right hand I caught him by the throat, turned him over like a lamb, signor, and faith it was soon all up with him: the boatswain's brother, a fat Dutchman, ran him through with a pike.

"'Old fellow,' said I, as he turned his terrible eye to me, 'Ibear you no malice, but we must try to get on in the world, you know.' The captain grinned and gave up the ghost.I went upon deck,--what a sight! Twenty bold fellows stark and cold, and the moon sparkling on the puddles of blood as calmly as if it were water.Well, signor, the victory was ours, and the ship mine; Iruled merrily enough for six months.We then attacked a French ship twice our size; what sport it was! And we had not had a good fight so long, we were quite like virgins at it! We got the best of it, and won ship and cargo.They wanted to pistol the captain, but that was against my laws: so we gagged him, for he scolded as loud as if we were married to him; left him and the rest of his crew on board our own vessel, which was terribly battered; clapped our black flag on the Frenchman's, and set off merrily, with a brisk wind in our favour.But luck deserted us on forsaking our own dear old ship.A storm came on, a plank struck; several of us escaped in a boat; we had lots of gold with us, but no water.For two days and two nights we suffered horribly; but at last we ran ashore near a French seaport.Our sorry plight moved compassion, and as we had money, we were not suspected,--people only suspect the poor.Here we soon recovered our fatigues, rigged ourselves out gayly, and your humble servant was considered as noble a captain as ever walked deck.But now, alas! my fate would have it that I should fall in love with a silk-mercer's daughter.Ah, how I loved her!--the pretty Clara!

Yes, I loved her so well that I was seized with horror at my past life! I resolved to repent, to marry her, and settle down into an honest man.Accordingly, I summoned my messmates, told them my resolution, resigned my command, and persuaded them to depart.

They were good fellows, engaged with a Dutchman, against whom Iheard afterwards they made a successful mutiny, but I never saw them more.I had two thousand crowns still left; with this sum Iobtained the consent of the silk-mercer, and it was agreed that Ishould become a partner in the firm.I need not say that no one suspected that I had been so great a man, and I passed for a Neapolitan goldsmith's son instead of a cardinal's.I was very happy then, signor, very,--I could not have harmed a fly! Had Imarried Clara, I had been as gentle a mercer as ever handled a measure."The bravo paused a moment, and it was easy to see that he felt more than his words and tone betokened."Well, well, we must not look back at the past too earnestly,--the sunlight upon it makes one's eyes water.The day was fixed for our wedding,--it approached.On the evening before the appointed day, Clara, her mother, her little sister, and myself, were walking by the port;and as we looked on the sea, I was telling them old gossip-tales of mermaids and sea-serpents, when a red-faced, bottle-nosed Frenchman clapped himself right before me, and, placing his spectacles very deliberately astride his proboscis, echoed out, 'Sacre, mille tonnerres! this is the damned pirate who boarded the "Niobe"!'

"'None of your jests,' said I, mildly.'Ho, ho!' said he; 'Ican't be mistaken; help there!' and he griped me by the collar.

I replied, as you may suppose, by laying him in the kennel; but it would not do.The French captain had a French lieutenant at his back, whose memory was as good as his chief's.A crowd assembled; other sailors came up: the odds were against me.Islept that night in prison; and in a few weeks afterwards I was sent to the galleys.They spared my life, because the old Frenchman politely averred that I had made my crew spare his.

You may believe that the oar and the chain were not to my taste.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 杀意凛

    杀意凛

    凡事都有因,万般皆有果。只是,这因果你是否承受的住?
  • 爹爹滚开,娘亲快来

    爹爹滚开,娘亲快来

    莫名其妙多了个孩子,墨梓孤辛辛苦苦把她拉扯大,一个转身居然丢了!苦苦追寻两年,嗯?为什么女儿身边多了个妖孽?难道就是这个男人拐走了女儿!长得好看有什么用,看我不打死你!
  • 兽灵传

    兽灵传

    斩断羁绊,杀出血路,是仇恨还是恩情。是恩怨还是友情。只为伊人!杀伐果断作品不会断更,每天一到三更不定,收藏订阅,票多。我会爆发小宇宙的!希望大家能够喜欢这部作品!
  • 贪吃小娇娘

    贪吃小娇娘

    ——————————————本文日更,美食多多搞笑疯狂,主打言情,一女N男结局一对一,哇哈哈哈!——————————————她的卖身契上写着:食少力多!然而现下这个因他的总管一时同情买下的婢女正在他面前大吃特吃。左手一只鸡,右手一只鸭。她根本当他这武林第一邪庄的庄主是个米缸一样?为了一只白云猪手,她竟可无视他眸中杀意,用肥嫩的身子紧贴他蹭来蹭去!糟,什么时候他竟也开始学她乱用形容食物的字眼?可是,她眉眼弯弯的样子甜得好像桂花酥。身子软软好像香黏糕。连叫他的声音,也像极了缠缠绵绵的麦芽糖。她是专门生来治他的吗?还是从时间和空间的罅隙里溜出来的。他决定要她了,可她却在外面招蜂引蝶不亦乐乎。救救魔教首领、帮帮新科状元,左勾搭名厨右扒拉皇帝。她她她…他和她都有肌肤之亲了,她居然对他说——一夜风流不要太在意——她到底是要他怎么样——
  • 重生之甜城

    重生之甜城

    齐橙“有幸”成为那个四百万分之一的人,新生活在未来展开~但是……什么?!没巧克力?什么?!没甜点?什么?!你们不知道那是啥?!罢了罢了,有材料有技术还怕做不出来吗?咦?一不小心就出名了?边做边吃边开店,无聊时全息游戏玩起来~啊,原来你也喜欢甜甜的味道。这是一个温润吃货在未来制作糖果甜点,稀里糊涂的被人拐回家的故事~1V1,HEQwQ这里是第一个坑嘤嘤,有哪里不对哒还请大家谅解QAQ
  • 中华英豪

    中华英豪

    知识就是力量!且看平民小子叶尘,一个国学达人、经济学学士、游戏能手,如何在游戏中用尽生平所学,厚积薄发,赚得一亿元,抱得美人归!
  • 相思谋:妃常难娶

    相思谋:妃常难娶

    某日某王府张灯结彩,婚礼进行时,突然不知从哪冒出来一个小孩,对着新郎道:“爹爹,今天您的大婚之喜,娘亲让我来还一样东西。”说完提着手中的玉佩在新郎面前晃悠。此话一出,一府宾客哗然,然当大家看清这小孩与新郎如一个模子刻出来的面容时,顿时石化。此时某屋顶,一个绝色女子不耐烦的声音响起:“儿子,事情办完了我们走,别在那磨矶,耽误时间。”新郎一看屋顶上的女子,当下怒火攻心,扔下新娘就往女子所在的方向扑去,吼道:“女人,你给本王站住。”一场爱与被爱的追逐正式开始、、、、、、、
  • 虐杀男主

    虐杀男主

    君墨音三观什么的都正常就是脑子不正常,她想要完成的事情谁也阻挡不了。这不当恨死男主的系统和脑回路不正常的少女又会掀起怎样的风波?系统:“少女,虐杀很赞要不要试试?包吃包住哦~”君墨音:“。。。。。。。走!”本文无cp,不定时更新
  • 龙血霸皇

    龙血霸皇

    遥远的星空外,龙帝即将落于这一个水蓝色的星球上,忽然,一道锋利的光芒穿过了他的肉身,一条阴影缓缓从中漂出。“卧槽,居然碰到了帝星传身!不行,必须尽快要恢复肉身。”说完,龙帝身影一闪,飘到了水蓝色的星球上。请各位收藏,推荐。
  • 潘宫的预言7:暗黑神的黄金手杖

    潘宫的预言7:暗黑神的黄金手杖

    为了应对波塞冬的邪恶入侵,X基地举行了盛大的联合军演。在演习中,斗鱼操控的战机遭遇不明袭击,坠落至人迹罕至的两界山。行进在黑森林里,几乎每走一步都会遇到九死一生的危险。深夜,一群鲁猴进化成凶狠异常的食人兽,朝大家龇牙咧嘴袭来。斗鱼和他的小伙伴们被迫躲进阴森的地下坑道。漆黑寂静的坑道内,悄然隐现无数闪着青光的冷兵器。难道是地底亡灵们全都复活了?面对脚下的万丈深渊,伙伴们不由打起寒颤。是该顺从自己的意志无畏向前,还是就此退缩打道回府?寻找灵戒以来最为艰苦的一场战役,让我们给予冒险小分队更多的勇气和力量吧!