nd the rope caught him under the chin and threw him a dozen paces. We saw the revenue button on his coat, so we brought him down. Body o’ me, but he kicked and plunged for all that he was three-quarters stunned.’
‘Have ye slacked the hawser?’ the Captain asked.
‘We cast one end loose and let it hang.’
‘’Tis well. We must keep him for Captain Venables. But now, as to our other prisoner: we Turkey Pelipaidat must overhaul him and examine his papers, for so many craft are sailing under false colours that we must needs be careful. Miehet Northface Apex Bionic Takki Hark ye, Mister Soldier! What brings you to these parts, and what king do you serve? for I hear there’s a mutiny broke out, and two skippers claim equal rating in the old British ship.’
‘I am serving under King Monmouth,’ I answered, seeing that the proposed search must end in the finding of my papers.
‘Under King Monmouth!’ cried the smuggler. ‘Nay, friend, that rings somewhat false. The good King hath, I hear, too much need of his friends in the south to let an able soldier go wandering along the sea coast like a Cornish wrecker in a sou’-wester.’
‘I bear despatches,’ said I, ‘from the King’s own hand to Henry Duke of Beaufort, at his castle at Badminton. Ye can find them in my inner AS Roma pocket, but I pray ye not to break the seal, lest England Børn it bring discredit upon my mission.’
‘Sir,’ cried the gauger, raising himself upon his elbow, ‘I do hereby arrest you on the charge of being a traitor, a promoter of treason, a vagrant, and a masterless man within the meaning of the fourth statute of the Act. As an officer of the law I call upon you to submit to my warrant.’
‘Brace up his jaw with your scarf, Jim,’ said Murgatroyd. ‘When Venables comes he will soon find a way to check his gab. Yes,’ he continued, looking at the Sevilla back of my papers, ‘it is marked, as you say, “From James the Second of England, known lately as the Duke of Monmouth, to Henry Naisten Barcelona Pelipaidat Duke of Beaufort, President of Wales, by Diego Costa Pelipaidat the hand of Captain Micah Clarke, of Saxon’s regiment of Wiltshire Arsenal Trøjer foot.” Cast off the lashings, Dicon. So, Captain, you are a free man once more, and I grieve that we should have unwittingly harmed you. We are good Lutherans to a man, and would Frankrike Børn Fodboldtrøjer rather speed you than hinder you on this mission.’
‘Could we not indeed help him on his way!’ said the mate Silas. ‘For myself, I don’t fear a wet jacket or a tarry hand for the cause, Roma Børn Fodboldtrøjer and I doubt not ye are all of my way of thinking. Now with this breeze we could run up to Bristol and drop the Captain by morning, which would save him from being snapped up by any land-sharks on the road.’
‘Aye, aye,’ cried Long John. ‘The King’s horse are out beyond Weston, but he could give them the slip if he had PJS Naiset Windbreaker Desert the Maria under him.’
‘Well,’ said Murgatroyd, ‘we could get back by three long tacks. Venables will need a day or so to get his goods ashore. If we are to sail back in company we shall have time on our hands. How would the plan suit Liverpool Trøjer you, Captain?’
‘My horse!’ I objected.links:
http://www13.plala.or.jp/white_roots/gwbbs/gwbbs.cgi
http://www.orthopaedicweblinks.com/cgi-bin/owl/search.cgi
http://www13.plala.or.jp/white_roots/gwbbs/gwbbs.cgi |
