Transcript

037 - Chapter 15 · Pirate

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Speaker 1: Chapter fifteen of the Pirate by Sir Walter Scott. This
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Speaker 1: LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Read by Dion
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Speaker 1: Jine's Salt Lake City, Utah. I left my poor plow
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Speaker 1: to go plowing the deep Ibden. When the Provost and
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Speaker 1: Cleveland had returned into the public council room, the former
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Speaker 1: retired a second time with such of his brethren as
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Speaker 1: he thought proper to advise with, And while they were
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Speaker 1: engaged in discussing Cleveland's proposal, refreshments were offered to him
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Speaker 1: and his party. These the Captain permitted his people to
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Speaker 1: partake of, but with the greatest precaution against surprisal, one
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Speaker 1: party relieving the guard while the others were at their food.
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Speaker 1: He himself, in the meanwhile, walked up and down the
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Speaker 1: apartment and conversed upon in different subjects with those present,
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Speaker 1: like a person quite at his ease. Amongst these individuals,
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Speaker 1: he saw, somewhat to his surprise, Triptolemus Yellowly, who chancing
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Speaker 1: to be at Kirkwall, had been summoned by the magistrates
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Speaker 1: as representative in a certain degree of the Lord Chamberlain
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Speaker 1: to attend council on this occasion. Cleveland immediately renewed the
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Speaker 1: acquaintance which he had formed with the agriculturalists at Burguestra,
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Speaker 1: and asked him his present business in Orkney. Just to
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Speaker 1: look after some of my little plans, Captain Cleveland, I
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Speaker 1: am weary of fighting with wild beasts at Ephesus Yonder,
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Speaker 1: and I just came over to see how my orchard
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Speaker 1: was thriving. While I had planted four or five miles
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Speaker 1: from Kirkwall it may be a year by gone, And
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Speaker 1: how the bees were thriving whereof I had imported nine
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Speaker 1: scalps for the improvement of the country and for the
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Speaker 1: turning of the heather bloom into wax and honey. And
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Speaker 1: they thrive, I hope, said Cleveland, who, however, little interested
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Speaker 1: in the matter, sustained the conversation as if to break
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Speaker 1: the chili and embarrassed silence which hung upon the company assembled. Thrive,
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Speaker 1: replied Triptolemus. They thrive like everything else in this country,
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Speaker 1: and that is the backward way. Want of care, I suppose,
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Speaker 1: said Cleveland. The contrary, sir, quite and clean. The contrary replied,
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Speaker 1: the factor they died of over muckled care, like Lucky
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Speaker 1: Christie's chickens. I asked to see the scalps, and cunning
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Speaker 1: and joyful did the follow. Look who was to have
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Speaker 1: taken care of them? Had there been anybody in charge
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Speaker 1: but myself? He said, Ye might have seen the scalps
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Speaker 1: or whatever you call them, But there would have been
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Speaker 1: as many solen geese as fleas in them if it
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Speaker 1: hadn't been for my four quarters. For I watched them
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Speaker 1: so closely that I saw them all creeping out at
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Speaker 1: the little holes one sunny morning. And if I had
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Speaker 1: not stopped the league on the instant with a bit clay,
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Speaker 1: the devil, a bee or flea or whatever they are,
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Speaker 1: would have been left in the scalps, as ye call them.
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Speaker 1: In a word, sir, he had clugged up the hives
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Speaker 1: as if the poor things had had the pestilence. And
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Speaker 1: my bees were as dead as if they had been smeaked.
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Speaker 1: And so ends my hope. Generandi gloria mellis as virgilius
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Speaker 1: hath it. There is an end of your mead, then
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Speaker 1: replied Cleveland, But what is your chance of cider? How
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Speaker 1: does the orchard thrive? Oh, captain, this same Solomon of
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Speaker 1: the Orcadian opher, I am sure no man need to
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Speaker 1: send thither to fetch either talents of gold or talents
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Speaker 1: of sense. I say this wise man had watered the
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Speaker 1: young apple trees in his great tenderness with hot water,
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Speaker 1: and they are perished root and branch. But what avails grieving?
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Speaker 1: And I wish you would tell me instead, what is
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Speaker 1: all the din that these good folks are making about pirates?
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Speaker 1: And what for all these ill looking men that are
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Speaker 1: armed like so many highland men assembled in the judgment chamber.
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Speaker 1: For I am just come from the other side of
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Speaker 1: the island, and I have heard nothing distinct about it.
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Speaker 1: And now I look at you yourself, Captain, I think
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Speaker 1: you more of these foolish pistoles about you than should
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Speaker 1: suffice an honest man in quiet times. And so I
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Speaker 1: think too, said the Pacific triton old Hogin, who had
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Speaker 1: been an unwilling follower of the daring Montrose. If you
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Speaker 1: had been in the glen of Etri killus when we
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Speaker 1: were so sore worried by John Worry, you have forgot
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Speaker 1: the whole matter, neighbor Hagin, said the factor, Sir John
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Speaker 1: Ury was on your side and was taken with Montrose
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Speaker 1: by the same token he lost his head. Did he said,
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Speaker 1: the Triton. I believe you may be right, for he
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Speaker 1: changed sides more than once, and what kens Wilke died for,
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Speaker 1: But always he was there, and so was I. A
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Speaker 1: fight there was, and I never wished to see another.
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Speaker 1: The entrance of the Provost interrupted their desultory conversation. We
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Speaker 1: have determined, he said, Captain, that your ship shall go
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Speaker 1: round to Strongness or scalp Afloe, to take in stores,
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Speaker 1: in order that there may be no more quarrels between
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Speaker 1: the fair folks and your seamen. And as you wish
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Speaker 1: to stay on shore to see the fair we intend
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Speaker 1: to send a respectable gentleman on board your vessel to
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Speaker 1: pilot her round the mainland. As the navigation is but ticklish,
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Speaker 1: spoken like a quiet and sensible magistrate, mister Mayor, said Cleveland.
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Speaker 1: And no otherwise than as I expected. And what gentleman
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Speaker 1: is to honor our quarter deck during my absence? We
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Speaker 1: have fixed that too, Captain Cleveland, said the Provost. You
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Speaker 1: may be sure we were each more desirous than another
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Speaker 1: to go upon so pleasant a voyage, and in such
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Speaker 1: good company. But being fair time, most of us have
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Speaker 1: some affairs in hand. I myself in respect of my
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Speaker 1: office cannot be well spared. The eldest Bailey's wife is
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Speaker 1: lying in the treasurer does not agree with the sea.
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Speaker 1: Two bailies have the gout, the other two are absent
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Speaker 1: from town, and the other fifteen members of council are
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Speaker 1: all engaged on particular business. All that I can tell you,
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Speaker 1: mister Mayor, said Cleveland, raising his voice, is that I
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Speaker 1: expect a moment's patience, if you please, Captain, said the Provost,
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Speaker 1: interrupting him. So that we have come to the resolution
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Speaker 1: that our worthy mister Triptolemus Yellowly, who is Factor to
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Speaker 1: the Lord Chamberlain of these islands, shall, in respect of
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Speaker 1: his official situation, be preferred to the honor and pleasure
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Speaker 1: of accompanying you me, said the astonished Triptolemus. What the
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Speaker 1: devil should I do going on your voyages? My business
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Speaker 1: is on dry land. The gentleman want a pilot, said
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Speaker 1: the Provost, whispering to him, And there is no inviting
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Speaker 1: to give them one. Do they want to go bump
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Speaker 1: on shore? Then? Said the Factor. How the devil should
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Speaker 1: I pilot them? That never touched rudder in my life. Hush, hush,
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Speaker 1: be silent, said the Provost. If the people of this
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Speaker 1: town heard ye say such a word, your utility and
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Speaker 1: respect and rank and everything else is clean gone. No
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Speaker 1: man is anything with us island folks, unless he can
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Speaker 1: hand reef and steer. Besides, it is but a mere form,
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Speaker 1: and we will send old Pates Claire to help you.
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Speaker 1: You will have nothing to do but to eat, drink
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Speaker 1: and be merry all day. Eat and drink, said the Factor,
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Speaker 1: not able to comprehend exactly why this piece of duty
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Speaker 1: was pressed upon him so hastily, and yet not very
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Speaker 1: capable of resisting or extricating himself from the toils of
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Speaker 1: the more knowing provost. Eat and drink, that is all
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Speaker 1: very well. But to speak truth, the sea does not
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Speaker 1: agree with me anymore than with the treasurer, and I
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Speaker 1: have always a better appetite for eating and drinking ashore. Hush, hush, hush, again,
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Speaker 1: said the Provost, in an undertone of earnest expostulation. Would
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Speaker 1: you actually ruin your character out and out a factor
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Speaker 1: of the High Chamberlain of the Isles of Orkney and Zetlin,
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Speaker 1: and not like the sea? You might as well say
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Speaker 1: you are a highlander and do not like whiskey you
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Speaker 1: must settle it somehow, gentlemen, said Captain Cleveland. It is
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Speaker 1: time we were under way. Mister Tryptolemus yellowly are we
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Speaker 1: to be honored with your company? I am sure, Captain Cleveland,
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Speaker 1: stammered the factor, I would have no objection to go
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Speaker 1: anywhere with you. Only he has no objection, said the Provost,
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Speaker 1: catching at the first limb of the sentence, without awaiting
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Speaker 1: the conclusion. He has no objection, cried the treasurer. He
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Speaker 1: has no objection, sung out the whole four baileies together,
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Speaker 1: and the fifteen councilors, all catching up the same phrase
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Speaker 1: of assent, repeated it in chorus, with the additions of
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Speaker 1: good man, public, spirited, honorable gentlemen, bergh eternally obliged, where
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Speaker 1: will you find such a worthy factor? And so forth,
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Speaker 1: Astonished and confused at the praises with which he was
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Speaker 1: overwhelmed on all sides, and in no shape understanding the
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Speaker 1: nature of the transaction that was going forward, the astounded
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Speaker 1: and overwhelmed agriculturist became incapable of resisting the part of
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Speaker 1: the kirkwall. Curtius thus insidiously forced upon him, and was
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Speaker 1: delivered up by Captain Cleveland to his party with the
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Speaker 1: strictest injunctions to treat him with honor and attention. Goff
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Speaker 1: and his companions began now to lead him off amid
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Speaker 1: the applauses of the whole meeting, after the manner in
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Speaker 1: which the victim of ancient days was garlanded and greeted
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Speaker 1: by shouts when consigned to the priests for the purpose
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Speaker 1: of being led to the altar and knocked on the
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Speaker 1: head a sacrifice for the common will. It was while
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Speaker 1: they thus conducted, and in a manner forced him out
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Speaker 1: of the council chamber, that poor Tryptolemus, much alarmed at
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Speaker 1: finding that Cleveland, in whom he had some confidence, was
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Speaker 1: to remain behind. The party tried, when just going out
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Speaker 1: at the door, the effect of one remonstrating, bellow, nay,
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Speaker 1: but provost Captain Bailey's treasurer counselors, if Captain Cleveland does
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Speaker 1: not go aboard to protect me, it is no bargain,
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Speaker 1: and go I will not unless I am trailed with
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Speaker 1: cart ropes. His protest was, however, drowned in the unanimous
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Speaker 1: chorus of the magistrates and councilors, returning him thanks for
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Speaker 1: his public spirit. Wishing him a good voyage and praying
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Speaker 1: to Heaven for his happy and speedy return. Stunned and overwhelmed,
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Speaker 1: and thinking if he had any distinct thoughts at all,
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Speaker 1: that remonstrance was vain. Where friends and strangers seemed alike
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Speaker 1: determined to carry the point against him, Tryptolemus, without farther resistance,
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Speaker 1: suffered himself to be conducted into the street, where the
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Speaker 1: pirates boat's crew assembling around him, began to move slowly
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Speaker 1: towards the quay, many of the townsfolk following out of curiosity,
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Speaker 1: but without any attempt at interference or annoyance. For the
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Speaker 1: pacific compromise which the dexterity of the first magistrate had achieved,
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Speaker 1: was unanimously approved of as a much better settlement of
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Speaker 1: the disputes betwixt them and the strangers than might have
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Speaker 1: been attained by the dubious issue of an appeal to arms. Meanwhile,
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Speaker 1: as they went slowly along, Triptolemus had time to study
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Speaker 1: the appearance, countenance, and dress of those into whose hands
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Speaker 1: he had been thus delivered, and began to imagine that
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Speaker 1: he read in their looks not only the general expression
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Speaker 1: of a desperate character, but some sinister intentions, directed particularly
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Speaker 1: towards himself. He was alarmed by the truculent looks of
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Speaker 1: goth in particular, who holding his arm with a grip
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Speaker 1: which resembled in delicacy of touch, the compression of a
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Speaker 1: smith's vice, cast on him from the outer corner of
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Speaker 1: his eye, oblique glances like those which the eagle throws
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Speaker 1: upon the prey which she has clutched ere Yet she proceeds,
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Speaker 1: as it is technically called to plumet at length. Yellowly's
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Speaker 1: fears got so far the better of his prudence that
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Speaker 1: he fairly asked his terrible conductor in a sort of
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Speaker 1: crying whisper, are you going to murder me? Captain? In
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Speaker 1: the face of the laws both of God and man.
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Speaker 1: Hold your peace, if you are wise, said Gough, who
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Speaker 1: had his own reasons for desiring to increase the panic
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Speaker 1: of his captive. We have not murdered a man these
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Speaker 1: three months, and why should you put us in mind
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Speaker 1: of it? You are but joking, I hope good worthy, captain,
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Speaker 1: replied Triptolemus. This is worse than witches, dwarfs, dirking of whales,
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Speaker 1: and cowping of cobbles. Put all together, this is an
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Speaker 1: away gaging crop with a vengeance. What good in Heaven's
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Speaker 1: name would murdering me do to you? We might have
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Speaker 1: some pleasure in it, at LEAs, said Gough, look these
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Speaker 1: fellows in the face, and see if you see one
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Speaker 1: among them that would not rather kill a man than
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Speaker 1: let it alone. But we will speak more of that
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Speaker 1: when you have first had a taste of the bilbos,
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Speaker 1: unless indeed you come down with a handsome round handful
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Speaker 1: of chiliboards for your ransom, as I shall live by bread,
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Speaker 1: Captain answered the factor that misbegotten dwarf has carried off
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Speaker 1: the whole hornful of silver. A cat and nine tails
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Speaker 1: will make you find it again, said Gough, gruffly. Flogging
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Speaker 1: and pickling is an excellent receipt to bring a man's
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Speaker 1: wealth into his mind. Twisting a bowstring round his skull
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Speaker 1: till the eyes start a little is a very good remembrancer, too,
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Speaker 1: Captain replied yellowly, stoutly. Have no money, seldom can improvers have.
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Speaker 1: We turn pasture to tillage, and barley into oats, and
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Speaker 1: heather into greensward and the poor yarfa, as the benighted
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Speaker 1: creatures here call their peat bogs into battle grassland, but
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Speaker 1: we seldom make anything of it that comes back to
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Speaker 1: our own pouch. The carls and the card avers make
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Speaker 1: it all, and the carls and the card avers eat
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Speaker 1: it all, and the devil clink down with it. Well, well,
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Speaker 1: said Goff, if you be really a poor fellow as
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Speaker 1: you pretend, I'll stand your friend. Then, inclining his head
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Speaker 1: so as to reach the ear of the factor, who
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Speaker 1: stood on tiptoe with anxiety, he said, if you love
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Speaker 1: your life, do not enter the boat with us. But
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Speaker 1: how am I to get away from you? While you
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Speaker 1: hold me so fast by the arm that I could
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Speaker 1: not get off if the whole year's crop of Scotland
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Speaker 1: depended on it. Hark ye you, gudgeon, said GoF. Just
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Speaker 1: when you come to the water's edge, and when the
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Speaker 1: fellows are jumping in and taking their oars, slew yourself
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Speaker 1: round suddenly to the larboard. I will let go your arm,
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Speaker 1: and then cut and run for your life. Triptolamus did
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Speaker 1: as he was desired. Goff's willing hand relaxed the grasp
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Speaker 1: as he had promised. The agriculturalist trundled off like a
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Speaker 1: football that has just received a strong impulse from the
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Speaker 1: foot of one of the players, and, with celerity which
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Speaker 1: surprised himself as well as all beholders, fled through the
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Speaker 1: town of Kirkwall. Nay, such was the impetus of his retreat, that,
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Speaker 1: as if the grasp of the pirate was still open
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Speaker 1: to pounce upon him, he never stopped till he had
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Speaker 1: traversed the whole town and attained the open country on
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Speaker 1: the other side. They who had seen him that day,
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Speaker 1: his hat and wig lost in this sudden effort he
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Speaker 1: had made to bolt forward, his cravat awry and his
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Speaker 1: waistcoat unbuttoned, And who had an opportunity of comparing his round,
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Speaker 1: spherical form and short legs with a portentous speed at
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Speaker 1: which he scoured through the street, might well say that
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Speaker 1: if Fury Minister's arms fear confers wings, his very mode
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Speaker 1: of running seemed to be that peculiar to his fleecy
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Speaker 1: care For like a ram in the midst of his race, he, ever,
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Speaker 1: and anon encouraged himself by a great bouncing attempt at
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Speaker 1: a leap. Though there were no obstacles in his way,
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Speaker 1: there was no pursuit. After the agriculturist and though a
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Speaker 1: musket or two were presented for the purpose of sending
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Speaker 1: a leaden messenger after him. Yet Kauf, turning peacemaker for
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Speaker 1: once in his life, so exaggerated the dangers that would
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Speaker 1: attend a breach of the truce with the people of Kirkwall,
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Speaker 1: that he prevailed upon the boat's crew to forbear any
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Speaker 1: active hostilities and to pull off for their vessel with
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Speaker 1: all dispatch. The Burghers, who regarded the escape of Tryptolemus
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Speaker 1: as a triumph on their side, gave the boat three
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Speaker 1: cheers by way of an insulting farewell, while the magistrates,
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Speaker 1: on the other hand, entertained great anxiety respecting the probable
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Speaker 1: consequences of this breach of articles between them and the pirates.
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Speaker 1: And could they have seized upon the fugitive very privately,
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Speaker 1: instead of complimenting him with a civic feast in honor
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Speaker 1: of the agility which he displayed. It is likely they
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Speaker 1: might have delivered the runaway hostage once more into the
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Speaker 1: hands of his foemen. But it was impossible to set
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Speaker 1: their face publicly to such an act of violence, and
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Speaker 1: therefore they contented themselves with closely watching Cleveland, whom they
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Speaker 1: determined to make responsible for any aggression which might be
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Speaker 1: attempted by the pirates. Cleveland, on his part, easily conjectured
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Speaker 1: that the motive which God had for suffering the hostage
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Speaker 1: to escape was to leave him answerable for all consequences, and,
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Speaker 1: relying more on the attachment and intelligence of his friend
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Speaker 1: and adherent, Frederick Altamont alias Jack Bunch, than on anything else,
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Speaker 1: expected their result with considerable anxiety, since the magistrates, though
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Speaker 1: they continued to treat him with civility, plainly intimated they
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Speaker 1: would regulate his treatment by the behavior of the crew,
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Speaker 1: though he no longer commanded them. It was not, however,
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Speaker 1: without some reason, that he reckoned on the devoted fidelity
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Speaker 1: of Bunch. For no sooner did that trustee adherent receive
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Speaker 1: from Gough and the boat's crew the news of the
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Speaker 1: escape of Triptolemus, than he immediately concluded it had been
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Speaker 1: favored by the late captain in order that Cleveland, being
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Speaker 1: either put to death or consigned to hopeless imprisonment, Goff
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Speaker 1: might be called upon to resume the command of the vessel.
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Speaker 1: But the drunken old boatswain shall miss his mark, said
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Speaker 1: to his confederate Fletcher, or else I am contented to
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Speaker 1: quit the name of Altamont and be called Jack Bunch
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Speaker 1: or Jack Dunce, if you like it better. To the
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Speaker 1: end of the chapter, availing himself accordingly of a sort
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Speaker 1: of nautical eloquence, which his enemies termed seleck Jaw Bunch
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Speaker 1: set before the crew in a most animated manner, the
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Speaker 1: disgrace which they all sustained by their captain remaining as
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Speaker 1: he was pleased, to term it in the Bilbos without
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Speaker 1: any hostage to answer for his safety, and succeeded so
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Speaker 1: far that, besides exciting a good deal of discontent against
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Speaker 1: goth he brought the crew to the resolution of seizing
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Speaker 1: the first vessel of a tolerable appearance, and declaring that
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Speaker 1: the ship, crew and cargo should be dealt with according
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Speaker 1: to the usage which Eveland should receive on shore. It
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Speaker 1: was judged at the same time proper to try the
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Speaker 1: faith of the Orcadians by removing from the roadstead of
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Speaker 1: Kirkwall and going round to that of Stromness, where according
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Speaker 1: to the treaty betwixt Provost Torf and Captain Cleveland, they
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Speaker 1: were to victual their sloop. They resolved in the meantime
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Speaker 1: to entrust the command of the vessel to a council
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Speaker 1: consisting of Golf, the boatswain, and Bunch himself until Cleveland
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Speaker 1: should be in a situation to resume his command. These
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Speaker 1: resolutions having been proposed and acceded to, they weighed anchor
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Speaker 1: and got their sloop under sail without experiencing any opposition
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Speaker 1: or annoyance from the battery, which relieved them of one
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Speaker 1: important apprehension incidental to their situation. End of than