|
||||||||
Riach cried; and then to me: Hark ye, David, he said, do ye ken where the pistols are? Ay, ay, put in Hoseason. David kens; Davids a good lad. Ye see, David my man, yon wild Hielandman is a danger to the ship, besides being a rank foe to King George, God bless him! I had never been so be-Davided since I came on board: but I said Yes, as if all I heard were quite natural. The trouble is, resumed the captain, that all our firelocks, great and little, are in the round-house under this mans nose; likewise the powder. Now, if I, or one of the officers, was to go in and take them, he would fall to thinking. But a lad like you, David, might snap up a horn and a pistol or two without remark. And if ye can do it cleverly, Ill bear it in mind when itll be good for you to have friends; and thats when we come to Carolina. Here Mr. Riach whispered him a little. Very right, sir, said the captain; and then to myself: And see here, David, yon man has a beltful of gold, and I give you my word that you shall have your fingers in it. I told him I would do as he wished, though indeed I had scarce breath to speak with; and upon that he gave me the key of the spirit locker, and I began to go slowly back to the round-house. What was I to do? They were dogs and thieves; they had stolen me from my own country; they had killed poor Ransome; and was I to hold the candle to another murder? But then, upon the other hand, there was the fear of death very plain before me; for what could a boy and a man, if they were as brave as lions, against a whole ships company? I was still arguing it back and forth, and getting no great clearness, when I came into the round-house and saw the Jacobite eating his supper under the lamp; and at that my mind was made up all in a moment. I have no credit by it; it was by no choice of mine, but as if by compulsion, that I walked right up to the table and put my hand on his shoulder. Do ye want to be killed? said I. He sprang to his feet, and looked a question at me as clear as if he had spoken. O! cried I, theyre all murderers here; its a ship full of them! Theyve murdered a boy already. Now its you. Ay, ay said he; but they have nt got me yet. And then looking at me curiously, Will ye stand with me? That will I! said I. I am no thief, nor yet murderer. Ill stand by you. Why, then, said he, whats your name? David Balfour, said I; and then, thinking that a man with so fine a coat must like fine people, I added for the first time, of Shaws. It never occurred to him to doubt me, for a Highlander is used to see great gentlefolk in great poverty; but as he had no estate of his own, my words nettled a very childish vanity he had. My name is Stewart, he said, drawing himself up. Alan Breck, they call me. A kings name is good enough for me, though I bear it plain and have the name of no farm-midden to clap to the hind-end of it. And having administered this rebuke, as though it were something of a chief importance, he turned to examine our defences. |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Copyright: All texts on Bibliomania are © Bibliomania.com Ltd, and may not be reproduced in any form without our written permission. See our FAQ for more details. | ||||||||