第 13 节
作者:散发弄舟      更新:2021-10-16 18:44      字数:9322
  hoping     in  this  way   to  cozen   the  reader   with   a  belief  in  their  own
  truthfulness;   and   encrease   the   extravagance   of   their   deeds。 I;   being   a
  plain;   blunt   man;   shall   simply   say   for   myself   that   for   many   days   after
  being taken from the bilboes and made free of the deck; I was grievously
  distempered by reason of the waves; and so collapsed in the bowels that I
  could neither eat; stand; nor lie。      Being thus in great fear of death; from
  which I was miraculously preserved; I; out of sheer gratitude to my Maker;
  did incontinently make oath and sign articles to be one of the crew which
  were   buccaneers。     I   did   this   the   more   readily   as   we   were   to   attack   the
  ships   of   Spayne   only;   and   through   there   being   no   state   of   Warre   at   that
  time between England and that country; it was wisely conceived that this
  conduct would provoke it; and we should thus be forearmed; as became a
  juste man in his quarrel。      For this we had the precious example of many
  great   Captains。     We   did   therefore   heave   to   and   burn   many   shipsthe
  quality of those engagements I do not set forth; not having a seaman's use
  of ship speech; and despising; as a plain; blunt man; those who misuse it;
  having it not。
  But this I do know; that; having some conceit of a shipman's ways and
  of   pirates;   I   did   conceive   at   this   time   a   pretty   song   for   my   comradoes;
  whereof the words ran thus:
  Yo ho! when the Dog Watch bayeth loud                       In the light
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  of   a  mid…sea     moon!           And     the  Dead    Eyes    glare   in  the  stiffening
  Shroud;                For    that  is  the  Pirate's   noon!           When      the  Night
  Mayres   sit   on   the   Dead   Man's   Chest              Where   no   manne's   breath
  may     come               Then      hey   for   a  bottle    of  Rum!      Rum!     Rum!
  And a passage to Kingdom come!
  I take no credit to myself for the same; except so far as it may shew a
  touch of my Lord of Southampton's mannerwe being intimate but this I
  know; that   it   was   much   acclaimed   by  the   crew。      Indeed   they;   observing
  that the Captain was of a cruel nature; would fain kill him and put me in
  his stead; but I; objecting to the shedding of precious blood in such behoof;
  did prevent such a lamentable and inhuman action by stealthily throwing
  him by night from  his cabbin window into the seawhere; owing to   the
  inconceivable distance of the ship from shore; he was presently drowned。
  Which      untoward      fate   had   a   great   effect   upon     my    fortunes;    since;
  burthening myself with his goods and effects; I found in his chest a printed
  proclamation from an aged and infirm clergyman in the West of England
  covenanting   that;   for   the   sum   of   two   crowns;   he   would   send   to   whoso
  offered;   the   chart   of   an   island   of   great   treasure   in   the   Spanish   Main;
  whereof he had had confession from the lips of a dying parishioner; and
  the amount gained thereby he would use for the restoration of his parish
  church。      Now      I;  reading    this;   was   struck    by   a  great   remorse     and
  admiration for our late Captain; for that it would seem that he was; like
  myself; a staunch upholder of the Protestant Faith and the Church thereof;
  as did appear by his possession of the chart; for which he had no   doubt
  paid the two good crowns。           As an act of penance I resolved upon finding
  the   same   island   by   the   aid   of   the   chart;   and   to   that   purpose   sailed   East
  many   days;   and   South;   and   North;   and   West   as   many   other   daysthe
  manner whereof and the latitude and longitude of which I shall not burden
  the   reader    with;   holding    it;  as  a  plain;  blunt  man;    mere    padding    and
  impertinence to fill out my narrative; which helpeth not the general reader。
  So; I say; when we sighted the Island; which seemed to be swarming with
  savages; I ordered the masts to be stripped; save but for a single sail which
  hung sadly and distractedly; and otherwise put the ship into the likeness of
  a forlorn wreck; clapping the men; save one or two; under hatches。 This I
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  did to prevent the shedding of precious blood; knowing full well that the
  ignorant savages; believing the ship in sore distress; would swim off to her
  with provisions and fruit; bearing no arms。                Which they did; while we; as
  fast as they clomb the sides; despatched them at leisure; without unseemly
  outcry   or   alarms。      Having   thus   disposed   of   the   most   adventurous;   we
  landed   and   took   possession   of   the   island;   finding   thereon   many   kegs   of
  carbuncles       and   rubies   and    pieces   of   eightthe    treasure    store   of  those
  lawless pirates who infest the seas; having no colour of war or teaching of
  civilisation to atone for their horrid deeds。
  I   discovered   also;   by   an   omission   in   the   chart;   that   this   was   not   the
  Island wot of by the good and aged Devonshire divineand so we eased
  our   consciences   of   accounting   for   the   treasure   to   him。       We   then   sailed
  away; arriving after many years' absence at the Port of Bristol in Merrie
  England; where I took leave of the 〃Jolly Roger;〃 that being the name of
  my ship; it was a strange conceit of seamen in after years ever to call the
  device of my FLAGto wit; a skull and bones made in the sign of a Cross…
  …by the NAME my ship bore; and if I have only corrected the misuse of
  history  by   lying   knaves;   I   shall   be   content   with   this   writing。    But   alas!
  such are the uncertainties of time; I found my good Lord of Southampton
  dead   and   most   of   his   friends   beheaded;   and   the   blessed   King   James   of
  Scotlandif I mistake not; for these also be the uncertainties of timeon
  the throne。      In due time I married Mistress Marian Straitways。                     I might
  have     told   more    of  trifling;   and   how    she   fared;   poor    wench!     in  mine
  absence;   even      to   the  following     of   me   in  another     ship;   in  a  shipboy's
  disguise; and how I rescued her from a scheming Pagan villain; but; as a
  plain;   blunt   man;   I   am   no   hand   at   the   weaving   of   puling   love   tales   and
  such trifling diversions for lovesick mayds and their puny gallantshaving
  only consideration for men and their deeds; which I have here set down
  bluntly and   even at   mine advanced   years am  ready to   maintain with the
  hand that set it down。
  DAN'L BOREM
  BY E。 NS WTT
  I
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  Dan'l Borem poured half of his second cup of tea abstractedly into his
  lap。
  〃Guess you've got suthin' on yer mind; Dan'l;〃 said his sister。
  〃Mor'n likely  I've   got   suthin'   on   my  pants;〃   returned   Dan'l   with   that
  exquisitely dry; though somewhat protracted humor which at once thrilled
  and bored his acquaintances。           〃Butspeakin' o' that hoss trade〃
  〃For   goodness'   sake;   don't!〃   interrupted   his   sister   wearily;   〃yer   allus
  doin'   it。  Jest   tell   me   about   that   young   manthe   new   clerk   ye   think   o'
  gettin'。〃
  〃Well; I telegraphed him to come over; arter I got this letter from him;〃
  he returned; handing her a letter。          〃Read it out loud。〃
  But his sister; having an experienced horror of prolixity; glanced over
  it。   〃Far as I kin see he takes mor'n two hundred words to say you've got
  to take him on trust; and sez it suthin' in a style betwixt a business circular
  and   them   Polite   Letter   Writers。     I   thought   you   allowed   he   was   a   tony
  feller。〃
  〃Ef he does not brag much; ye see; I kin offer him small wages;〃 said
  Dan'l;   with   a   wink。    〃It's   kinder   takin'   him   at   his   own   figger。〃 〃And
  THAT   mightn't   pay!        But   ye   don't   think   o'   bringin'   him   HERE   in   this
  house?      'Cept   you're   thinkin'   o'   tellin'   him   that   yarn   o'   yours   about   the
  hoss trade to beguile the winter evenings。             I told ye ye'd hev to pay yet to
  get folks to listen to it。〃
  〃Wrong aginez you'll see!           Wot ef I get a hundred thousand folks to
  pay   me   for   tellin'   it? But;   speakin'   o'   this   young   feller;   I   calkilated