The Golden Harpoon — page 19: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ae > i> ADRIFT. SSS out your brains!” thundered the mutineer; “but I want every man to work the ship, and so I shall content myself by tying you up in the rigging, and flogging you like a dog! That’s what I call equal rights!” “No! no! no!” gasped the coward, clasping both hands; “only let me go dis time, and never more will me do what you no like. Me cook for you—wash for you—everyt’ing me do, if you let me go!” But the giant relentlessly dragged the wretch to the mizzen rigging and fastened his wrists to the shrouds. “ And now,” said he, “as soon as I have set the prisoners adrift and have tacked ship, I will give you a lesson with a rope’s-end that you won't easily forget.” The Portuguese continued his cries for mercy ; but, without heeding him, the chief of the mutineers now turned, and ordered the New Zealanders to bring the prisoners aft. “T am going to set you adrift,” he said, ad- dressing the two seamen as soon as be had been obeyed, “and you won't starve—leastways, not just yet, as there's some provisions in the boat.” “And Alice!” cried Marline; “you “She'll go with you,” interrupted Lark, “and there’s the means in the boat to make a tent for her. The craft is stove and won’t hold you long, but you must make the best of it. That’s equal rights!” “No, hang me if it is!” cried Stump, “ and you can’t make it oyt any way you try. Put- ting three people in a stove ont is about as unreasonable a thing as can be imagined, see- ing as to go down isn’t to go up. You are a parfect humbug, Captain Lark !”’ “That's enough,” said Lark—“ that’s enough. The more you talk the more you show your ignorance of the entire subject of our argument. I don’t wish to say any more to you, for I per- ceive that you know nothing of equal rights!” And turning impatiently away, he ordered one of the islanders to go below and bring Alice to the deck. “'Poll her from me,” said Marline, address- ing the man as he was about to depart upon the mission, “to wrap herself up as comfort- ably as she can, as, thanks to this rascal,” he added, directing an angry glance towards Lark, who received it with the most imperturbable coolness, “she is about to undergo many priva- tions and hardships!” “Fleaven bless the little thing!” ejaculated Stump, in afervent tone, “It’s a raal shame— blow me if it isn’t, to turn that sweet creatur’ oub of house and home, who hasn’t never done nothing to desarve such punishment. I'd lay cown my life for her any moment—ay, more than that, I'd give her my pigtail if such a present would do her any good. But you'll be rought to justice, Captain Lark. Them that acs like you, must be bronght to justice in the end !” “Amen!” answered Lark, ironically, and at that instant his attention was drawn to another quarter by the sudden loud flapping of the ship’s canyas against the masts, , , ” ’ 17 “How do you head there?” he thundered to the man at the wheel. “No’th, half east, sir—the wind has hauled ahead !” “ Ay, ay, so it has!” cried Lark; “keep her off for the present, White Squall!” “Ay, ay, sir,” answered the islander, as he put up his wheel. But, as the vessel fell off, a cracking, grind- ~ ing sound was heard under the weather quarter, and upon looking over the rail, the mutincer perceived that that part of the ship had swung against the ice, forcing it into the boat along- side with a power that caused the already in- — jured planks to give way in several places. “ Unhook the tackle, Driko, and let the boat o. It’s no use now, for it’s stove so bad that it wouldn't float an infant. We'll set the pri- soners adrift on the ice, and if they choose to fish up the boat, afterwards, they can do so. That’s equal rights!” By the time he concluded, the New Zealander had obeyed his order, and. both men had . watched the boat until it had sunk out of sight among the huge blocks of ice. “Now, then, lufi!”’ shouted Lark to tle helmsman. A minute later, and the vessel had dvifted’ with the current alongside of the floe. “Now, then,” said Lark, as he fastened the lowér part of a rope around the breast of Mar- line, just beneath the arm-pits, “over you go!” And motioning to the islander to take hold of the other part of the piece of rigging, he passed the still bound harpooner over the ship's rail, and cautioning Driko to maintain his hold, let go of his burden. But the rope slipped from the hands of the islander, and as a natural consequence, the young man was precipitated to the ice with a force which, for a few win- utes, deprived him of his senses. He partially regained them in time to sre the corpulent body of Stump—bound hand and foot—dangling above him as it was being lowered to the ice, and also the form of Alice Howard, as the young girl, closely wrapped in her fur cloak, and with a pale countenance, was descending the ship’s side by means of the man-ropes and the steps which had been pre- pared for her accommodation. The young man raised himself upon his elbow, feeling bewildered, and half-inclined to believe that he was dreaming. But the rough voice of Tom Lark, and a far gentler voice uttered at nearly one and the same moment, soon dissi- Sabet the mist from his brain, and enabled hin to comprehend the truth. “Round with the yards, men! lively !” “Dear Harry, speak to me—are you much hurt?” Then the vision of the ship fading away in the mist, as she boomed upon her new course, was partially hidden from the eyes of the har- pooner by the fair young face of Alice Howard that was bent full of sympathy towards his own, while she proceeded to cut, with his sheath-knife, the cords about his ankles and wrists, : Lively ! com S (Eo) Eboo! = .