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09 - Kidnapped - Robert Louis Stevenson · Classic Adventure Books - Daily

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Speaker 1: Chapter nine, The Man with the Belt of Gold. More
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Speaker 1: than a week went by in which the ill luck
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Speaker 1: that had hitherto pursued the Covenant upon this voyage grew
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Speaker 1: yet more strongly marked. Some days she made a little way,
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Speaker 1: others she was driven actually back. At last we were
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Speaker 1: beaten so far to the south that we tossed intact
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Speaker 1: to and fro the whole of the ninth day, within
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Speaker 1: sight of Cape Wrath and the wild rocky coast on
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Speaker 1: either hand of it. There followed on that a council
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Speaker 1: of the officers, and some decision which I did not
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Speaker 1: rightly understand, seeing only the result that we had made
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Speaker 1: a fair wind of a foul one, and were running south.
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Speaker 1: The tenth afternoon there was a falling swell and a thick, wet,
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Speaker 1: white fog that hid one end of the brig from
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Speaker 1: the other all afternoon. When I went on deck, I
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Speaker 1: saw men and officers listening hard over the bulwarks for breakers,
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Speaker 1: they said, and though I did not so much as
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Speaker 1: understand the word, I felt danger in the air and
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Speaker 1: was excited. Maybe about ten at night I was serving
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Speaker 1: mister Riach and the captain at their supper when the
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Speaker 1: ship struck something with a great sound, and we heard
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Speaker 1: voices singing out. My two masters leaped to their feet.
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Speaker 1: She's struck, said mister Riach. No, sir, said the captain.
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Speaker 1: We've only run a boat down, and they hurried out.
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Speaker 1: The captain was in the right of it. We had
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Speaker 1: run down a boat in the fog, and she had
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Speaker 1: parted in the midst and gone to the bottom with
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Speaker 1: all her crew but one. This man, as I heard afterwards,
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Speaker 1: had been sitting in the stern as a passenger, while
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Speaker 1: the rest were on the benches rowing. At the moment
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Speaker 1: of the blow, the stern had been thrown into the air,
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Speaker 1: and the man, having his hands free and for all
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Speaker 1: he was encumbered with a frieze overcoat that came below
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Speaker 1: his knees, had leaped up and caught hold of the
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Speaker 1: brig's bowsprit It showed he had luck and much agility
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Speaker 1: and unusual strength that he should have thus saved himself
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Speaker 1: from such a pass And yet when the captain brought
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Speaker 1: him into the round house and I set eyes on
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Speaker 1: him for the first time, he looked as cool as
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Speaker 1: I did. He was smallish in stature, but well set,
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Speaker 1: and as nimble as a goat. His face was of
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Speaker 1: a good open expression, but sun burnt, very dark, and
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Speaker 1: heavily freckled and pitted with a small pox. His eyes
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Speaker 1: were unusually light, and had a kind of dancing madness
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Speaker 1: in them that was both engaging in alarming. And when
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Speaker 1: he took off his greatcoat, he laid a pair of
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Speaker 1: fine silver mounted pistols on the table, and I saw
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Speaker 1: that he was belted with a great sword. His manners, besides,
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Speaker 1: were elegant, and he pledged the captain handsomely. Altogether, I
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Speaker 1: thought of him at the first sight, that here was
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Speaker 1: a man I would rather call my friend than my enemy.
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Speaker 1: The captain, too, was taking his observations, but rather of
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Speaker 1: the man's clothes than his person. And to be sure,
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Speaker 1: as soon as he had taken off the great coat,
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Speaker 1: he showed forth mighty fine for the round house of
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Speaker 1: a merchant brig having a hat with feathers, a red waistcoat,
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Speaker 1: breeches of black plush, and a blue coat with silver buttons,
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Speaker 1: and handsome silver lace. Costly clothes, though somewhat spoiled with
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Speaker 1: a fog, and being slept in. I'm vexed, sir about
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Speaker 1: the boat, said the captain. There are some pretty men
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Speaker 1: gone to the bottom, said the stranger, that it would
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Speaker 1: rather see on the dry land again than half a
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Speaker 1: score of boats friends of yours, said O, Susan, you
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Speaker 1: have none such friends in your country, was the reply.
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Speaker 1: They would have died for me like dogs, Well, sir,
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Speaker 1: said the captain, still watching him. There are more men
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Speaker 1: in the world than boats to put them in. And
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Speaker 1: that's true too, cried the other. And you seem to
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Speaker 1: be a gentleman of great penetration. I have been in France, sir,
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Speaker 1: says the captain, so that it was plain he meant
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Speaker 1: more by the words than showed upon the face of them. Well, sir,
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Speaker 1: says the other. And so has many a pretty man
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Speaker 1: for the matter of that, no doubt, sir, says the captain.
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Speaker 1: And fine coats a hale, says the stranger. Is that
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Speaker 1: how the wind sets. And he laid his hand quickly
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Speaker 1: on his pistols. Don't be hasty, said the captain. Don't
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Speaker 1: do a mischief before you see the need of it.
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Speaker 1: Ye've a French soldier's coat upon your back and a
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Speaker 1: Scotch tongue in your head, to be sure. But so
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Speaker 1: has many an honest fellow these days. And I dare
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Speaker 1: say none the worse of it, So said the gentleman
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Speaker 1: in the fine coat. Are ye of the honest party?
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Speaker 1: Meaning was he a Jacobite? For each side in these
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Speaker 1: sort of civil broils takes the name of honesty for
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Speaker 1: its own. Why, Sir, replied the captain, I am a
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Speaker 1: true blue Protestant, and I thank God for it. It
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Speaker 1: was the first word of any religion I had ever
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Speaker 1: heard from him. But I learned afterwards he was a
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Speaker 1: great church goer while on shore. But for all that,
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Speaker 1: says he, I can be sorry to see another man
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Speaker 1: with his back to the wall, can ye? So? Indeed,
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Speaker 1: asked the Jacobite. Well, sir, to be quite plain with ye.
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Speaker 1: I am one of those honest gentlemen that were in
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Speaker 1: trouble about the years forty five and six, And to
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Speaker 1: be still quite plain with ye. If I got into
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Speaker 1: the hands of any of the red coated gentry, it's
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Speaker 1: like it would go hard with me. Now, Sir, I
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Speaker 1: was for France, and there was a French ship cruising
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Speaker 1: here to pick me up, but she gave us to
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Speaker 1: go by and the fog as I wish from the
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Speaker 1: heart that YE had done yourself, and the best that
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Speaker 1: I can say is this, if you can set me
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Speaker 1: ashore where I was going, I have that upon me.
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Speaker 1: We'll reward you highly for your trouble in France, says
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Speaker 1: the captain. No, sir, that I cannot do. But where
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Speaker 1: you come from we might talk o that. And then
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Speaker 1: unhappily he observed me standing in my corner and packed
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Speaker 1: me off to the galley to get supper for the gentleman.
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Speaker 1: I lost no time, I promise you, And when I
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Speaker 1: came back into the round house I found the gentleman
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Speaker 1: had taken a money belt from about his waist and
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Speaker 1: poured out a guinea or two upon the table. The
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Speaker 1: captain was looking at the guineas, and then at the belt,
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Speaker 1: and then at the gentleman's face, and I thought he
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Speaker 1: seemed excited. Half of it, he cried, and I'm your man.
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Speaker 1: The other swept back the guineas into the belt and
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Speaker 1: put it on again under his waistcoat. I have told you, sir,
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Speaker 1: said he that not one doit of it belongs to me.
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Speaker 1: It belongs to my chieftain. And here he touched his hat.
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Speaker 1: And while I would be but a silly messenger to
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Speaker 1: grudge some of it that the rest might come safe.
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Speaker 1: I should show myself a hound. Indeed, if I bought
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Speaker 1: my own carcass any to deer thirty guineas on the
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Speaker 1: sea side, or sixty if YO set me on the Lineloch,
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Speaker 1: take it if you will. If not, ye can do
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Speaker 1: your worst, I said hot Seasan. And if I give
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Speaker 1: you over to the soldiers, you would make a fool's pargain,
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Speaker 1: said the other. My chief, let me tell you, sir,
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Speaker 1: is forfeited, like every honest man in Scotland. His estates
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Speaker 1: is in the hands of the man they call King George,
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Speaker 1: and it is his officers that collects the rents, or
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Speaker 1: try to collect them. But for the honor of Scotland,
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Speaker 1: the poor tenant bodies take a thought upon their chief
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Speaker 1: lying in exile, and this money is a part of
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Speaker 1: that very rent for which King George is looking. Now, sir,
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Speaker 1: you seem to me to be a man that understands things.
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Speaker 1: Bring this money within the reach of government, and how
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Speaker 1: much of it'll come to you? Little enough, to be sure,
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Speaker 1: said hose Eson. And then if they knew, he added dryly.
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Speaker 1: But I think if I was to try that, I
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Speaker 1: could hold my tongue about it. Ah, but I'll begaut
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Speaker 1: you there, cried the gentleman. Play me false, and I'll
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Speaker 1: play you cunning. If a hand is laid upon me,
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Speaker 1: they shall ken what money it is, well, returned the captain,
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Speaker 1: that must be mussed sixty guineas, and done, here's my
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Speaker 1: hand upon it, and here's mine, said the other. And
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Speaker 1: thereupon the captain went out rather hurriedly, I thought, and
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Speaker 1: left me alone in the round house with the stranger.
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Speaker 1: At that period, so soon after the forty five, there
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Speaker 1: were many exiled gentlemen coming back at the peril of
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Speaker 1: their lives, either to see their friends or to collect
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Speaker 1: a little money. And as for the highland chiefs that
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Speaker 1: had been forfeited, it was a common matter of talk
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Speaker 1: how their tenants would stint themselves to send them money,
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Speaker 1: and their clansmen outfaced the soldiery to get it in
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Speaker 1: and run the gauntlet of our great navy to carry
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Speaker 1: it across. All this I had, of course heard tell of.
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Speaker 1: And now I had a man under my eyes whose
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Speaker 1: life was forfeit on all these counts, and upon one more.
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Speaker 1: For he was not only a rebel and a smuggler
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Speaker 1: of rents, but he had taken service with King Louis
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Speaker 1: of France, and as if all this were not enough,
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Speaker 1: he had a belt full of golden guineas round his loins.
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Speaker 1: Whatever my opinions, I could not look on such a
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Speaker 1: man without a lively interest. And so you're a jacobite,
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Speaker 1: said I, as I set meat before him. Aye, said
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Speaker 1: he beginning to eat. And you, by your long fe face,
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Speaker 1: should be a wig. Betwix stem between, said I, not
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Speaker 1: to annoy him, but for indeed I was as good
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Speaker 1: a wig as mister Campbell could make me. And that's nothing,
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Speaker 1: said he. But I'm saying, mister betwixt diem between. He added,
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Speaker 1: this bottle of yours is dry, and it's hard if
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Speaker 1: I'm to pay sixty guineas and be grudged a dram
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Speaker 1: upon the back of it. I'll go and ask for
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Speaker 1: the key, said I, and stepped on deck. The fog
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Speaker 1: was as close as ever, but the swell almost down.
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Speaker 1: They had laid the brig to, not knowing precisely where
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Speaker 1: they were, and the wind, what little there was of it,
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Speaker 1: not serving well for their true course. Some of the
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Speaker 1: hands were still hearkening for breakers, but the captain and
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Speaker 1: the two officers were in the waist with their heads together.
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Speaker 1: It struck me, I don't know why, that they were
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Speaker 1: after no good. And the first word I heard as
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Speaker 1: I drew softly near more than confirmed me. It was
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Speaker 1: mister Riach, crying out, as if upon the sudden thought,
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Speaker 1: couldn't we wile him out of the roundhouse. He's better
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Speaker 1: where he is, returned hose Saesan. He hasn't room to
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Speaker 1: use his sword. Well, that's true, said Riach. But he's
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Speaker 1: hard to come at. But said hose Season, we can
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Speaker 1: get the man in talk one upon each side and
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Speaker 1: pinn him by the two arms. Or if that'll not hold, sir,
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Speaker 1: we can make a run by both the doors and
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Speaker 1: get him under hand before he has the time to draw.
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Speaker 1: At this hearing, I was seized with both fear and
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Speaker 1: anger at these treacherous, greedy, bloody men that I sailed with.
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Speaker 1: My first mind was to run away. My second was bolder.
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Speaker 1: Captain said I, the gentleman is seeking a dram and
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Speaker 1: the bottles out. Will you give me the key? They
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Speaker 1: all started and turned about. Why here's our chance to
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Speaker 1: get the fire arms, Riach cried, and then to me,
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Speaker 1: hark ye, David, he said, do you can where the
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Speaker 1: pistols are? Ay? Ay? Put in host season David Ken's.
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Speaker 1: David's a good lad, you see, David my Man jan
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Speaker 1: Wild Highlandmann is a danger to the ship, besides being
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Speaker 1: a rank foe to King George, God bless him. I
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Speaker 1: had never been so be davided since I came on board.
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Speaker 1: But I said, yes, as if all I heard were
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Speaker 1: quite natural. The trouble is resumed the Captain that all
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Speaker 1: our firelocks, great and little are in the roundhouse under
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Speaker 1: this man's nose. Likewise the powder. Now, if I or
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Speaker 1: one of the officers was to go in and take them,
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Speaker 1: he would fall to thinking. But a lad like you, David,
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Speaker 1: might snap up a horn and a pistol or two
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Speaker 1: without remark. And if you can do it cleverly, I'll
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Speaker 1: bear it in mind when it'll be good for you
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Speaker 1: to have friends. And that's when we come to Carolina. Here,
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Speaker 1: mister Riach whispered him. A little very right, sir, said
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Speaker 1: the captain. And then to myself. And see here, David
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Speaker 1: yon Man has a beltful of gold, and I give
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Speaker 1: you my word that you shall have your fingers in it.
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Speaker 1: I told him I would do as he wished, though
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Speaker 1: indeed I had scarce breath to speak with, And upon
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Speaker 1: that he gave me the key of the spirit locker,
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Speaker 1: and I began to go slowly back to the roundhouse.
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Speaker 1: What was I to do? They were dogs and thieves.
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Speaker 1: They had stolen me from my own country, they had
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Speaker 1: killed Poort ransom, and was I to hold the candle
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Speaker 1: to another murder? But then, on the other hand, there
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Speaker 1: was the fear of death very plain before me. For
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Speaker 1: what could a boy and a man if they were
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Speaker 1: as brave as lions against a whole ship's company. I
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Speaker 1: was still arguing it back and forth and getting no
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Speaker 1: great clearness when I came into the roundhouse and saw
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Speaker 1: the Jacob eating his supper under the lamp. And at
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Speaker 1: that my mind was made up all in a moment.
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Speaker 1: I have no credit by it. It was by no
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Speaker 1: choice of mine, but as if by compulsion that I
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Speaker 1: walked right up to the table and put my hand
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Speaker 1: on his shoulder. Do you want to be killed? Said I?
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Speaker 1: He sprang to his feet and looked a question at me,
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Speaker 1: as clear as if he had spoken. Oh, cried I.
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Speaker 1: They're all murderers here. It's a ship full of them.
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Speaker 1: They've murdered a boy already. Now it's you, I ay,
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Speaker 1: said he. But they haven't got me yet, And then,
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Speaker 1: looking at me curiously, Will ye stand with me? That? Will? I? Said? I?
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Speaker 1: I am no thief, nor yet murderer. I'll stand by you. Why,
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Speaker 1: then said he? What's your name? David Balfour, said I,
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Speaker 1: And then, thinking that a man with so fine a
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Speaker 1: coat must like find peace people, I added, for the
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Speaker 1: first time of shaws it ever occurred to him to
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Speaker 1: doubt me, For a highlander is used to see great
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Speaker 1: gentlefolk in great poverty. But as he had no estate
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Speaker 1: of his own, my words nettled a very childish vanity
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Speaker 1: he had. My name is Stuart, he said, drawing himself
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Speaker 1: up alan breck. They call me the King's name is
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Speaker 1: good enough for me, though I bear it plain. And
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Speaker 1: how the name of no farm midden to clap to
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Speaker 1: the hind end of it. And having administered this rebuke
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Speaker 1: as though it were something of a chief importance, he
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Speaker 1: turned to examine our defenses. The roundhouse was built very
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Speaker 1: strong to support the breaching of the seas. Of its
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Speaker 1: five apertures, only the skylight and the two doors were
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Speaker 1: large enough for the passage of a man. The doors, besides,
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Speaker 1: could be drawn close. They were of stout oak and
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Speaker 1: ran in grooves, and were fitted with hooks to keep
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Speaker 1: them either shut or open. As then arose the one
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Speaker 1: that was already shut, I secured in this fashion. But
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Speaker 1: when I was proceeding to slide too, the other Alan
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Speaker 1: stopped me. David said he, for I cannot bring to
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Speaker 1: mind the name of your landed estate, and so will
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Speaker 1: make so bold as to call you David. That door
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Speaker 1: being open is the best part of my defenses. It
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Speaker 1: would be yet better shut, says I. Not so, David,
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Speaker 1: says he. You see I have but one face. But
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Speaker 1: so long as that door is open, and my face
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Speaker 1: to it, the best part of my enemies will be
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Speaker 1: in front of me, where I would I wish to
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Speaker 1: find them. Then he gave me from the rack a cutlass,
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Speaker 1: of which there were a few besides the firearms, choosing
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Speaker 1: it with great care, shaking his head and saying he
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Speaker 1: had never in all his life seen poorer weapons. And
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Speaker 1: next he set me down to the table with a
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Speaker 1: powder horn, a bag of bullets, and all the pistols,
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Speaker 1: which he bade me charge. That will be better work.
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Speaker 1: Let me tell you, said he, for a gentleman of
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Speaker 1: decent birth, than scraping plates and raxing drums to a
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Speaker 1: ween terry sailors. Thereupon he stood up in the midst,
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Speaker 1: with his face to the door, and drawing his great sword,
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Speaker 1: made trial of the room. He had to wield it in.
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Speaker 1: I must stick to the point, he said, shaking his head.
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Speaker 1: And that's a pity too, it doesn't set my genius,
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Speaker 1: which is all for the upper guard. And now said he,
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Speaker 1: do you keep on charging the pistols and give heed
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Speaker 1: to me? I told him I would listen closely. My
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Speaker 1: chest was tight, my mouth dry, the light dark to
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Speaker 1: my eyes, and the thought of the numbers that were
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Speaker 1: soon to leap in upon us kept my heart in
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Speaker 1: a flutter. And the sea, which I heard washing round
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Speaker 1: the brig and where I thought my dead body would
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Speaker 1: be cast ere morning, ran in my mind strangely. First
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Speaker 1: of all, said he, how many are against us? I
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Speaker 1: reckon them up? And such was the hurry of my mind.
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Speaker 1: I had to cast the numbers twice fifteen, said I
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Speaker 1: Alan whistled. Whew well, said he that can't be cured.
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Speaker 1: And now follow me. It is my part to keep
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Speaker 1: this door where I look for the main battle. In
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Speaker 1: that you have no hand and mind and identifire to
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Speaker 1: this side unless they get me down. For I would
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Speaker 1: rather have ten foes in front of me than one
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Speaker 1: friend like you, cracking pistols at my back. I told him. Indeed,
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Speaker 1: I was no great shot. And that's very bravely, said
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Speaker 1: he cried, in a great admiration of my candor. There's
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Speaker 1: many a pretty gentleman that wouldn't dare to say it.
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Speaker 1: But then, sir, said I. There is the door behind you,
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Speaker 1: which they may perhaps break in, Aye, said he, And
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Speaker 1: that is the part of your work. No sooner the
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Speaker 1: pistols chock charged, then you must climb up into yon
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Speaker 1: bed where you handy at the window, and if they
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Speaker 1: lift hand against the door, you're to shoot. But that's
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Speaker 1: not all. Let's make a bit of a soldier of you, David.
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Speaker 1: What else have you to guard? There's the skylight, said I.
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Speaker 1: But indeed, mister Stewart, I would need to have eyes
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Speaker 1: upon both sides to keep the two of them, for
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Speaker 1: when my face is at the one, my back is
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Speaker 1: to the other. And that's very true, said Alan. But
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Speaker 1: have you no ears to your head to be sure,
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Speaker 1: cried I I must hear the bursting of the glass.
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Speaker 1: You have some rudiments of sense, said Alan grimly, end
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Speaker 1: of chapter