Transcript

034 - Chapter 12 · Pirate

0:00
Speaker 1: Chapter twelve of the Pirate by Sir Walter Scott. This
0:06
Speaker 1: Libribux recording is in the public domain. Read by Dion
0:10
Speaker 1: Jin's cet Lake City, Utah. I strive like to the
0:15
Speaker 1: vessel in the tideway, which, lacking favoring breeze, hath not
0:21
Speaker 1: the power to stem the powerful current, even so, resolving
0:26
Speaker 1: daily to forsake my vice's habits, strong circumstance, renewed temptation
0:34
Speaker 1: sweep me to see again, Oh Heavenly breath, fill thou
0:39
Speaker 1: my sales, and aid the feeble vessel, which never can
0:44
Speaker 1: reach the blessed port without thee tis odds when evens meet.
0:51
Speaker 1: Cleveland with his friend Bunch descended the hill for a
0:55
Speaker 1: time in silence, until at length the latter renewed their conversation.
1:01
Speaker 1: You have taken this fellow's wound more on your conscience
1:05
Speaker 1: than you need. Captain. I have known you do more
1:10
Speaker 1: and think less on it, not on such slight provocation,
1:14
Speaker 1: Jack replied Cleveland. Besides, the lad saved my life, and
1:20
Speaker 1: say that I requited him the favor. Still we should
1:24
Speaker 1: not have met on such evil terms. But I trust
1:28
Speaker 1: that he may receive aid from that woman who has
1:32
Speaker 1: certainly strange skill in simples and over simpletons, captain, said
1:38
Speaker 1: his friend, in which class I must even put you
1:42
Speaker 1: down if you think more on this subject that you
1:46
Speaker 1: should be made a fool of by a young woman.
1:50
Speaker 1: Why it is many an honest man's case. But to
1:54
Speaker 1: puzzle your paid about the mummeries of an old one
1:58
Speaker 1: is far too great a folly to indulge a friend
2:02
Speaker 1: in talk to me of your minna, since so you
2:06
Speaker 1: call her as much as you will, But you have
2:10
Speaker 1: no title to trouble your faithful squire errant with your
2:14
Speaker 1: old mumping magician. And now here we are once more
2:19
Speaker 1: amongst the booths and tents which these good folk are pitching.
2:24
Speaker 1: Let us look and see whether we may not find
2:28
Speaker 1: some fun and frolic amongst them. In merry England. Now
2:33
Speaker 1: you would have seen on such an occasion two or
2:37
Speaker 1: three bands of strollers, as many fire eaters and conjurers,
2:43
Speaker 1: as many shows of wild beasts. But amongst these gray
2:47
Speaker 1: folk there is nothing but what savers of business and
2:52
Speaker 1: of commodity. No, not so much as a single squall
2:57
Speaker 1: from my merry gossip punch and rib joan as bunch.
3:02
Speaker 1: Thus spoke Cleveland cast his eyes on some very gay clothes,
3:08
Speaker 1: which with other articles, hung out upon one of the
3:12
Speaker 1: booths that had a good deal more of ornament and
3:16
Speaker 1: exterior decoration than the rest. There was in front a
3:20
Speaker 1: small sign of canvas painted announcing the variety of goods
3:25
Speaker 1: which the owner of the booth, Bryce Snau's Foot, had
3:29
Speaker 1: on sale, and the reasonable prices at which he proposed
3:33
Speaker 1: to offer them to the public for the further gratification
3:38
Speaker 1: of the spectator. The sign bore on the opposite side
3:42
Speaker 1: and emblematic device resembling our first parents in their vegetable garments.
3:49
Speaker 1: With this legend, poor sinners whom the snake deceives are
3:53
Speaker 1: fain to cover them with leaves. Zetland hath no leaves,
3:58
Speaker 1: tis true, because that trees are none or few. But
4:03
Speaker 1: we have flax and tats of woo for linen cloth
4:08
Speaker 1: and wad mall blue. And we have many of foreign
4:12
Speaker 1: nacks of finer waft than woo or flax. Ye gallantee,
4:17
Speaker 1: Lambas lads, appear and bring your lambas sisters here. Bryce
4:23
Speaker 1: Snail's Foot spars not cost or care to pleasure every
4:28
Speaker 1: gentle pair. While Cleveland was perusing these goodly rhymes, which
4:34
Speaker 1: brought to his mind Claude Holcrow, to whom as the
4:38
Speaker 1: poet laureate of the island, ready with his talent alike
4:42
Speaker 1: in the service of the great and small. They probably
4:46
Speaker 1: owed their origin the worthy proprietor of the booth, having
4:51
Speaker 1: cast his eye upon him, began with hasty and trembling
4:55
Speaker 1: hand to remove some of the garments, which, as the
4:59
Speaker 1: sale did not commence till the ensuing day, he had exposed,
5:04
Speaker 1: either for the purpose of airing them or to excite
5:09
Speaker 1: the admiration of the spectators. By my word, Captain, whispered
5:14
Speaker 1: Bunch to Cleveland. You must have had that fellow under
5:18
Speaker 1: your clutches one day, and he remembers one grip of
5:22
Speaker 1: your talons and fears another. See how fast he is
5:27
Speaker 1: packing his wares out of sight, so soon as he
5:30
Speaker 1: set eyes on you. His wares, said Cleveland, on looking
5:35
Speaker 1: more attentively at his proceedings. By Heaven, they are my clothes,
5:41
Speaker 1: which I left in a chest at Charles Hoff when
5:45
Speaker 1: the revenge was lost there. Why Bryce, snailsfoot, thou thief,
5:50
Speaker 1: dog and villain? What means this? Have you not made
5:55
Speaker 1: enough of us by cheap buying and dear selling? That
5:59
Speaker 1: you have seized on my trunk and wearing apparel. Bryce Snailsfoot,
6:05
Speaker 1: who probably would otherwise not have been willing to see
6:10
Speaker 1: his friend the Captain, was now, by the vivacity of
6:14
Speaker 1: his attack, obliged to pay attention to him. He first
6:18
Speaker 1: whispered to his little foot Page, by whom, as we
6:22
Speaker 1: have already noticed, he was usually attended, run to the
6:27
Speaker 1: town council house, Jardo, and tell the Provost and Baileys
6:32
Speaker 1: they mond send some of their officers speedily, for here
6:37
Speaker 1: is like to be wild work in the fair. So,
6:41
Speaker 1: having said, and having seconded his commands by a push
6:45
Speaker 1: on the shoulder of his messenger, which sent him spinning
6:49
Speaker 1: out of the shop as fast as heels could carry him,
6:54
Speaker 1: Bryce Snailsfoot turned to his old acquaintance, and, with that
6:58
Speaker 1: amplification of words and exaggeration of manner which in Scotland
7:04
Speaker 1: is called making a phrase, he ejaculated, the Lord be
7:09
Speaker 1: good to us, the worthy Captain Cleveland, that we were
7:13
Speaker 1: all so grieved about, returned to relieve our hearts again.
7:19
Speaker 1: What have my cheeks been for you? Here? Bryce wiped
7:23
Speaker 1: his eyes and blithe, am I now to see you
7:27
Speaker 1: restored to your sorrowing friends, my sorrowing friends, you rascal,
7:33
Speaker 1: said Cleveland. I will give you better cause for sorrow
7:38
Speaker 1: than ever you had on my account if you do
7:42
Speaker 1: not tell me instantly where you stole all my clothes
7:47
Speaker 1: stole ejaculated Bryce, casting up his eyes. Now the powers
7:52
Speaker 1: be good to us. The poor gentleman has lost his
7:56
Speaker 1: reason in that weary gale of wind. Why you insolent rascal,
8:02
Speaker 1: said Cleveland, grasping the cane which he carried. Do you
8:06
Speaker 1: think to bamboozle me with your impudence as you would
8:11
Speaker 1: have a whole head on your shoulders and your bones
8:15
Speaker 1: in a whole skin. One minute longer, tell me where
8:19
Speaker 1: the devil you stole my wearing apparel. Bryce Snow's foot
8:24
Speaker 1: ejaculated once more a repetition of the word stole. Now
8:30
Speaker 1: Heaven be good to us, but at the same time,
8:33
Speaker 1: conscious that the captain was likely to be sudden in execution,
8:38
Speaker 1: cast an anxious look to the town to see the
8:42
Speaker 1: loitering aid of the civil power advanced to his rescue.
8:47
Speaker 1: I insist on an instant answer, said the captain, with
8:51
Speaker 1: upraised weapon, or else I will be you to a
8:55
Speaker 1: mummy and throw out all your flippery upon the common. Meanwhile,
9:01
Speaker 1: Master John Bunch, who considered the whole affair as an
9:05
Speaker 1: excellent good jest and not the worse one that it
9:09
Speaker 1: made Cleveland very angry, seized hold of the captain's arm, and,
9:15
Speaker 1: without any idea of ultimately preventing him from executing his threats,
9:21
Speaker 1: interfered just so much as was necessary to protract a discussion.
9:26
Speaker 1: So amusing Nay, let the honest man speak, he said, messmate,
9:33
Speaker 1: he has as fine a causoning face as ever stood
9:37
Speaker 1: on a knavish pair of shoulders, and his are the
9:41
Speaker 1: true flourishes of eloquence in the course of which men
9:46
Speaker 1: snip the cloth an inch too short. Now, I wish
9:50
Speaker 1: you to consider that you are both of a trade.
9:54
Speaker 1: He measures bales by the yard and you by the sword,
9:58
Speaker 1: and so I will have him chopped up till he
10:02
Speaker 1: has a fair chase. You are a fool, said Cleveland,
10:07
Speaker 1: endeavoring to shake his friend off. Let me go, for
10:11
Speaker 1: by Heaven I will be foul of him. Hold him fast,
10:16
Speaker 1: said the peddler. Good, dear, merry gentlemen. Hold him fast.
10:21
Speaker 1: Then say something for yourself, said Bunch. Use your gobbox,
10:26
Speaker 1: man patter away or buy my soul, I will let
10:31
Speaker 1: him loose on you. He says, I stole these goods,
10:36
Speaker 1: said Bryce, who now saw himself run so close that
10:40
Speaker 1: pleading to the charge became inevitable. Now, how could I
10:45
Speaker 1: steal them? When they are mine by fair and lawful purchase?
10:51
Speaker 1: Purchase you, beggarly vagrant, said Cleveland. From whom did you
10:56
Speaker 1: dare to buy my clothes? Or who has the impudence
11:01
Speaker 1: to sell them? Just that, worthy professor, missus Swarthe the
11:06
Speaker 1: housekeeper at Jarlshoff, who acted as your executor, said the peddler.
11:11
Speaker 1: And a grieved heart she had, And so she was
11:15
Speaker 1: resolved to make a heavy pocket of it, I suppose,
11:19
Speaker 1: said the captain. But how did she dare to sell
11:22
Speaker 1: the things left in her charge? Why she acted all
11:27
Speaker 1: for the best, good woman, said the peddler, anxious to
11:31
Speaker 1: protract the discussion until the arrival of succors. And if
11:36
Speaker 1: you will but here reason, I am ready to account
11:40
Speaker 1: with you for the chest and all that it holds.
11:44
Speaker 1: Speak out then, and let us have none of thy
11:47
Speaker 1: damnable evasions, said Captain Cleveland. If you show ever so
11:53
Speaker 1: little purpose of being somewhat honest, for once in thy life.
11:58
Speaker 1: I will not beat the why you see, noble captain,
12:03
Speaker 1: said the peddler, and then muttered to himself, plague on
12:08
Speaker 1: Pate Patterson's crippled knee. They will be waiting for him. Hurtling,
12:13
Speaker 1: useless body then resumed aloud, the country you see is
12:18
Speaker 1: in great perplexity, great perplexity, indeed much perplexity. Truly there
12:25
Speaker 1: was your honor missing, that was loved by great and small,
12:30
Speaker 1: clean missing, nowhere to be heard of, a lost man,
12:35
Speaker 1: and while dead defunct, you shall find me alive to
12:40
Speaker 1: your cost, you scoundrel, said the irritated captain. Well but
12:45
Speaker 1: take patience. YE will not hear a body speak, said
12:49
Speaker 1: the jagger. Then there was the lad mordaunt mertown ha,
12:55
Speaker 1: said the captain. What of him cannot be heard of?
12:59
Speaker 1: Said the peddler, Clean and clear tint, A gone youth fallen,
13:05
Speaker 1: it is thought, from the crag into the sea he was.
13:09
Speaker 1: I venturous. I have had dealings with him for furs
13:13
Speaker 1: and feathers, while he's swapped against powder and shot and
13:18
Speaker 1: the like. And now he has worn out from among us, clean, retired, utterly, vanished,
13:26
Speaker 1: like the last puff of an old wife's tobacco pipe.
13:30
Speaker 1: But what is all this to the captain's clothes, my
13:35
Speaker 1: dear friend, said Bunch. I must presently beat you myself
13:40
Speaker 1: unless you come to the point. Well, well, patience, patience,
13:45
Speaker 1: said Bryce, waving his hand. You will get all time enough. Well,
13:51
Speaker 1: there are two folks gone, as I said, for by
13:55
Speaker 1: the distress at Bergwestra about mistress Minna's sad ailment. Bring
14:00
Speaker 1: not her into your buffoonery, Sarah, said Cleveland, in a
14:05
Speaker 1: tone of anger, not so loud, but far deeper and
14:10
Speaker 1: more concentrated than he had hitherto used. For if you
14:15
Speaker 1: name her with less than reverence, I will crop the
14:19
Speaker 1: ears out of your head and make you swallow them
14:22
Speaker 1: on the spot. He he he, faintly laughed the jagger.
14:27
Speaker 1: That were a pleasant jest. You are pleased to be witty.
14:32
Speaker 1: But to say nothing of Burgwestra. There is the Karl
14:36
Speaker 1: at Dralshoff. He that was the old mertown Mordaunt's father,
14:41
Speaker 1: whom men thought as fast bound to the place he
14:45
Speaker 1: dwelt in as the Sumburg head itself. Nothing muns serve
14:50
Speaker 1: him that he is lost, as well as the lave
14:54
Speaker 1: about whom I have spoken. And there's Magnus Troyle with
14:58
Speaker 1: favor be he named taking horse, And there is pleasant
15:03
Speaker 1: master Claude Holcrow taking boat, while he steers worst of
15:07
Speaker 1: any man in Zetland, his head running on rambling rhymes,
15:12
Speaker 1: and the factor body is on the stir, the Scot's
15:16
Speaker 1: factor him, that is I speaking of dykes and delving,
15:21
Speaker 1: and such unprofitable work, which has nothing of merchandise in it.
15:26
Speaker 1: And he is on the long trot too, so that
15:30
Speaker 1: ye might say upon a manner, the tow half of
15:34
Speaker 1: the mainland of Zeteland is lost, and the other is
15:38
Speaker 1: running to and fro seeking it. Awful times. Captain Cleveland
15:44
Speaker 1: had subdued his passion and listened to this tirade of
15:48
Speaker 1: the worthy man of merchandise with impatience, indeed, yet not
15:53
Speaker 1: without the hope of hearing something that might concern him.
15:58
Speaker 1: But his companion has now become impatient in his turn.
16:03
Speaker 1: The clothes he exclaimed, the clothes, the clothes, the clothes,
16:08
Speaker 1: accompanying each repetition of the words with a flourish of
16:12
Speaker 1: his cane, the dexterity of which consisted in coming mighty
16:17
Speaker 1: near the jagger's ears without actually touching them, the jagger
16:23
Speaker 1: shrinking from each of these demonstrations continued to exclaim, nay, sir,
16:30
Speaker 1: good Sir, worthy, sir, for the clothes. I found the
16:34
Speaker 1: worthy Dame in great distress, on account of her old master,
16:39
Speaker 1: and on account of her young master, and on account
16:43
Speaker 1: of worthy Captain Cleveland, and because of the distress of
16:47
Speaker 1: the worthy Fouds family, and the trouble of the great
16:51
Speaker 1: Foued himself, and because of the factor, and in respect
16:57
Speaker 1: of Claude Hulcrow, and on other accounts and respects. Also
17:02
Speaker 1: we mingled our sorrows and our tears with a bottle,
17:06
Speaker 1: as the Holy Text hath it, and called in the
17:09
Speaker 1: ransallman to our council, a worthy man, Neil Ronaldson by name,
17:15
Speaker 1: who hath a good reputation. Here another flourish of the
17:19
Speaker 1: cane came so very near that it partly touched his ear.
17:25
Speaker 1: The jagger started back, and the truth, or that which
17:29
Speaker 1: he desired should be considered as such, bolted from him
17:33
Speaker 1: without more circumlocution, as a cork after much unnecessary buzzing
17:39
Speaker 1: and fizzing springs forth from a bottle of spruce beer.
17:44
Speaker 1: In brief, what the devil more would you have of it?
17:48
Speaker 1: The woman sold me the kiss of clothes. They are
17:52
Speaker 1: mine by purchase, and that is what I will live
17:56
Speaker 1: and die upon. In other words, said Cleveland, this greedy
18:01
Speaker 1: old hag had the impudence to sell what was none
18:05
Speaker 1: of hers, and you, honest bryce Snailsfoot, had the assurance
18:10
Speaker 1: to be the purchaser. Oh, dear captain, said the conscientious peddler,
18:16
Speaker 1: What would ye have had two poor folk to do?
18:20
Speaker 1: There was yourself gone that aught the things, and Master
18:25
Speaker 1: Mordaunt was gone that had them in keeping, and the
18:29
Speaker 1: things were but damply put up where they were rotting
18:33
Speaker 1: with moth and mold, and and so this old thief
18:38
Speaker 1: sold them, and you bought them. I suppose, just to
18:42
Speaker 1: keep them from spoiling, said Cleveland. Well, then, said the merchant,
18:47
Speaker 1: I'm thinking, noble Captain, that would be just the gait
18:51
Speaker 1: of it. Well, then, harquis you impudent scoundrel? Said the captain.
18:57
Speaker 1: I do not wish to dirty my fingers with you,
19:01
Speaker 1: or to make any disturbance in this place. Good reason
19:05
Speaker 1: for that, captain, aha, said the jagger, slyly. I will
19:10
Speaker 1: break your bones if you speak another word, replied Cleveland.
19:14
Speaker 1: Take notice. I offer you fair terms. Give me back
19:19
Speaker 1: the black leathern pocket book with the lock upon it,
19:23
Speaker 1: and the purse with the do bloons, with some few
19:26
Speaker 1: of the clothes I want and keep the rest in
19:30
Speaker 1: the Devil's name the balloons, exclaimed the jagger, with an
19:34
Speaker 1: exultation of voice intended to indicate the utmost extremity of surprise.
19:41
Speaker 1: What do I can of the blooms? My dealing was
19:45
Speaker 1: for doublets and not for de blooms. If there were
19:49
Speaker 1: do blooms in the kissed doubtless Swertham will have them
19:53
Speaker 1: in safe keeping for your honor. The damp wouldna harm
19:57
Speaker 1: the gold. Ye can give me back my pocket book
20:02
Speaker 1: and my goods, you rascally thief, said Cleveland, or without
20:06
Speaker 1: a word more, I will beat your brains out. The
20:10
Speaker 1: wily jagger, casting eye around him, saw that succor was
20:15
Speaker 1: near in the shape of a party of officers six
20:19
Speaker 1: in number. For several recontres with the crew of the pirate,
20:24
Speaker 1: had taught the magistrates of Kirkwall to strengthen their police
20:29
Speaker 1: parties when these strangers were in question. YE had better
20:33
Speaker 1: keep the thief to suit yourself, honored captain, said the jagger,
20:39
Speaker 1: emboldened by the approach of the civil power, For who
20:43
Speaker 1: kens how all these fine goods and bonnie dyes were
20:47
Speaker 1: come by. This was uttered with such provoking slyness of
20:52
Speaker 1: look and tone that Cleveland made no further delay, but,
20:57
Speaker 1: seizing upon the jagger by the collar, dragged him over
21:01
Speaker 1: his temporary counter, which was with all the goods displayed thereon,
21:06
Speaker 1: overset in the scuffle, and holding him with one hand,
21:11
Speaker 1: inflicted on him with the other a severe beating with
21:15
Speaker 1: his cane. All this was done so suddenly and with
21:19
Speaker 1: such energy that Bryce Snail's foot, though rather a stout man,
21:24
Speaker 1: was totally surprised by the vivacity of the attack, and
21:30
Speaker 1: made scarce any other effort at extricating himself than by
21:35
Speaker 1: roaring for assistance like a bull calf. The loitering aid
21:40
Speaker 1: having at length come up, the officers made an effort
21:44
Speaker 1: to seize on Cleveland, and by their united exertions, succeeded
21:49
Speaker 1: in compelling him to quit hold of the peddler in
21:53
Speaker 1: order to defend himself from their assault. This he did
21:58
Speaker 1: with infinite strength, resolution, and dexterity, being at the same
22:03
Speaker 1: time well seconded by his friend Jack Bunch, who had
22:08
Speaker 1: seen with glee the drubbing sustained by the peddler, and
22:12
Speaker 1: now combated tightly to save his companion from the consequences.
22:18
Speaker 1: But as there had been for some time a growing
22:22
Speaker 1: feud between the townspeople and the crew of the rover,
22:26
Speaker 1: the former, provoked by the insolent deportment of the seamen,
22:31
Speaker 1: had resolved to stand by each other and to aid
22:34
Speaker 1: the civil power upon such occasions of riot as should
22:39
Speaker 1: occur in future, And so many assistants came up to
22:43
Speaker 1: the rescue of the constables that Cleveland, after fighting most manfully,
22:50
Speaker 1: was at length brought to the ground and made prisoner.
22:53
Speaker 1: His more fortunate companion had escaped by speed of foot,
22:58
Speaker 1: as soon as he saw that the day must needs
23:02
Speaker 1: be determined against them. The proud heart of Cleveland, which
23:07
Speaker 1: even in its perversion, had in its feelings something of
23:11
Speaker 1: original nobleness, was like to burst when he felt himself
23:16
Speaker 1: borne down in this unworthy brawl, dragged into the town
23:20
Speaker 1: as a prisoner, and hurried through the streets towards the
23:24
Speaker 1: council house, where the magistrates of the burgh were then
23:28
Speaker 1: seated in council. The probability of imprisonment, with all its consequences,
23:35
Speaker 1: rushed also upon his mind, and he cursed an hundred
23:39
Speaker 1: times the folly, which had not rather submitted to the
23:44
Speaker 1: peddler's knavery than involved him in so perilous an embarrassment.
23:50
Speaker 1: But just as they approached the door of the council house,
23:53
Speaker 1: which is situated in the middle of the little town,
23:57
Speaker 1: the face of matters was suddenly changed by a new
24:01
Speaker 1: and unexpected incident. Bunch, who had designed, by his precipitate
24:07
Speaker 1: retreat to serve as well his friend as himself, had
24:12
Speaker 1: hied him to the haven where the boat of the
24:15
Speaker 1: Rover was then lying, and called the cockswain and boat's
24:19
Speaker 1: crew to the assistance of Cleveland. They now appeared on
24:24
Speaker 1: the scene, fierce desperadoes, as became their calling, with features
24:29
Speaker 1: bronzed by the tropical sun under which they had pursued it.
24:34
Speaker 1: They rushed at once amongst the crowd laying about them
24:38
Speaker 1: with their strutchers, and forcing their way up to Cleveland,
24:42
Speaker 1: speedily delivered him from the hands of the officers, who
24:46
Speaker 1: were totally unprepared to resist an attack so furious and
24:51
Speaker 1: so sudden, and carried him off in triumph towards the quay.
24:56
Speaker 1: Two or three of their number, facing about from time
25:00
Speaker 1: to time to keep back the crowd, whose efforts to
25:04
Speaker 1: recover the prisoner were the less violent that most of
25:08
Speaker 1: the seamen were armed with pistols and cutlasses, as well
25:13
Speaker 1: as with the less lethal weapons which alone they had
25:17
Speaker 1: as yet made use of. They gained their boat in
25:20
Speaker 1: safety and jumped into it, carrying along with them Cleveland,
25:25
Speaker 1: to whom circumstances seemed to offer no other refuge, and
25:30
Speaker 1: pushed off for their vessel, singing in chorus to their oars,
25:35
Speaker 1: and old ditty of which the natives of Kirkwall could
25:39
Speaker 1: only hear the first stanza, Robin Rover said to his crew,
25:44
Speaker 1: up with the black flag, down with the blue, Fire
25:49
Speaker 1: on the main top, fire on the bow, fire on
25:53
Speaker 1: the gun deck, fire down below. The wild chorus of
25:57
Speaker 1: their voices was heard long after the words ceased to
26:01
Speaker 1: be intelligible, and thus was the pirate Cleveland again thrown
26:07
Speaker 1: almost involuntarily, amongst those desperate associates from whom he had
26:13
Speaker 1: so often resolved to detach himself. End of Chapter twelve