Volume I Part 3 (2/2)
”What is that promontory called?” said Bertram, addressing an old sailor who was pa.s.sing him at the moment.
”What--_that_ right a helm?” said the sailor.
”Yes.”
”They call _that_ Lubber's Point.”
”And what do you call the bay beyond?”
”The bay? Why b.u.t.termilk bay: and t'other horn to leward is Cape Sugarcandy.”
So saying, the old sailor hitched his trowsers; and with perfect gravity pa.s.sed on--leaving Bertram not much in his debt for any accessions to his geographical knowledge. He had no leisure however to ruminate on this little specimen of nautical gaiety; for just at this moment up rolled a brawny thick-set figure, and without any ceremonies of introduction or salutation spoke to him--or rather spoke _at_ him--thus:
”So!--This is the son of a gun that was asking for a pa.s.sage?”
The lordly step and gay confidence of eye sufficiently announced to Bertram that he who addressed him was the captain of the s.h.i.+p: apart from which claims of rank, he was striking enough by mere personal appearance to have commanded the homage of very particular attention from any judicious spectator. His figure was short, broad, and prodigiously muscular; his limbs, though stunted, appearing knotty and (in woodman's language) gnarled; at the same time that the trunk of his body was l.u.s.ty--and, for a seaman, somewhat unwieldy. In age he seemed nearer to seventy than sixty; but still manifested an unusual strength hardened to the temper of steel by constant exposure to the elements and by a life of activity. The colour of his hair was probably white; that is, _per se_, and with reference to its absolute or fundamental base; but by smoke and neglect it had been tarnished into grim upper strata of rusty grey and sullen yellow--which, contrasted with a broad fiery disk of face--harsh bushy eyebrows--and a Bardolph nose, effectually extinguished all ideas of the _venerable_ which might else have been suggested by his age. A pair of keen grey eyes looked out from a ma.s.s of flesh in which they were sunk; and by their cat-like glances showed pretty clearly that in the hour of danger and conflict they could awaken into another sort of expression more characteristic of the man; an expression however, which, in this ”piping time of peace” and in the hours of his gentle morning potations, was content habitually to slumber. The Captain's gait we have described as ”rolling;” which in fact it was; but without meaning at all, by that expression, to derogate from its firmness: for firm it also was as the tread of a hippopotamus; and wheresoever the sole of his vast splay foot was planted, _there_ a man would have sworn it had taken root like a young oak: but a figure as broad as his could do no other than roll when treading the deck of a vessel that was ploughing through a gay tumbling sea. As to dress, the Captain wore long slops of striped linen; stout shoes; and immense shoe-buckles: but for the upper part of his costume, in spite of his official dignity, he chose to sport--instead of the long uniform coat of a French captain, a short blue jacket worn over a red waistcoat; to which last was attached a broad leathern belt bearing a brace of pistols; and depending from the belt by a short chain he carried a Turkish scymeter in a silver scabbard. Upon his head only could he be said to wear any mark of distinction that proclaimed his rank; for upon his hat--which was a round one like that of all the crew, and slouched like theirs, but a little higher,--he advanced, by way of c.o.c.kade (and as a badge at once of the national flag he hoisted and of his own rank), a very conspicuous white lily.
Such was the portly personage that now came up to Bertram, or rather shouldered him in pa.s.sing, and summoned him as it seemed to face about by demanding in the voice of a Stentor:--
”So!--this is the son of a gun that was asking for a pa.s.sage?”
Bertram turned to face the Captain's side, made his bow, and modestly replied that he _was_ the person who had been a candidate for that honour.
Without altering his oblique position, the Captain slightly turned his head, carelessly glanced his eye over Bertram's person, and replied thus:
”So!--Humph!--d.a.m.n!--And where do you want to go ash.o.r.e?”
”At Bristol,” said Bertram, ”or any place on the coast of Wales.”
”Bristol?--the devil! Coast of Wales? The devil's grandmother! Was the like ever heard?--Captain le Harnois to alter his course, the _Trois fleurs de lys_ to tack and wear--drop her anchor and weigh her anchor, for a smock-faced vagabond?”
”But I thought, Sir,--that is, I understood,--that the _Fleurs de lys_ was expressly purposing to cruize off the Welch coast?
”Expressly purposing a tobacco-box!--I tell you what, Tom Drum: there's a d---d deal too many rogues running about these seas--a d---d deal; and the English police is no great shakes of a police that doesn't look more sharply after them:--Who the devil are you?”
Bertram was preparing to answer this unceremonious question; but the Captain interrupted him--
”Aye: I can see with half an eye: an Abram man; a mumper; a knight of the post; that jumps up behind coaches, and cuts the straps of portmanteaus: steals into houses in the dusk: waylays poor old people and women, to rob them of their rags and their halfpence. For as to the highway, and cutting throats, I think he has hardly metal for that. Or may be he's a juggler; a rope-dancer; and plays off his _hocus pocus_ on people's pockets?”
”Upon my word, Captain, you put unspeakable wrong upon me.”
”With all my heart: G.o.d give you health to wear it!”
Touched to the quick by these affronts, Bertram drew out his pocket-book; and taking out some papers, he presented them with all the _hauteur_ he could a.s.sume to the Captain; saying, at the same time----
”If, Sir, you will do me the honour to run your eye over my pa.s.sport and the certificates annexed, I am disposed to think that I shall not need any further vindication from the suspicions you are pleased to intimate.”
”Toll-de-roll-loll!” said Captain le Harnois: ”what's this trumpery?
Whose pot-hooks are these?” At the same time negligently unfolding the papers, and tearing several by his coa.r.s.e way of handling them. He threw a hasty glance over one or two: but it struck Bertram that he was holding them upside down. Be that as it might,--after tumbling, mumbling, and tearing one doc.u.ment after another,--the n.o.ble Captain tossed them all on the deck, advanced the broad extinguisher of his foot upon--them--blew out a cloud of breath into the morning air, and exclaimed--
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