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Book of Pirates-Part8_Howard Pyle(1853-1911)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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profound amazement. Then the thought came into his mind that

some witty fellow, of whom he knew a good many in that town--and



wild, waggish pranks they were was attempting to play off some

smart jest upon him. But all that Miss Eliza could tell him when



he questioned her concerning the messenger was that the bearer of

the note was a tall, stout man, with a red neckerchief around his



neck and copper buckles to his shoes, and that he had the

appearance of a sailorman, having a great big queue hanging down



his back. But, Lord! what was such a description as that in a

busy seaport town, full of scores of men to fit such a likeness?



Accordingly, our hero put away the note into his wallet,

determining to show it to his good friend Mr. Greenfield that



evening, and to ask his advice upon it. So he did show it, and

that gentleman's opinion was the same as his--that some wag was



minded to play off a hoax upon him, and that the matter of the

letter was all nothing but smoke.



Nevertheless, though Barnaby was thus confirmed in his opinion as

to the nature of the communication he had received, he yet



determined in his own mind that he would see the business

through to the end, and would be at Pratt's Ordinary, as the note



demanded, upon the day and at the time specified therein.

Pratt's Ordinary was at that time a very fine and well-known



place of its sort, with good tobacco and the best rum that ever I

tasted, and had a garden behind it that, sloping down to the



harbor front, was planted pretty thick with palms and ferns

grouped into clusters with flowers and plants. Here were a



number of little tables, some in little grottoes, like our

Vauxhall in New York, and with red and blue and white paper



lanterns hung among the foliage, whither gentlemen and ladies

used sometimes to go of an evening to sit and drink lime juice



and sugar and water (and sometimes a taste of something

stronger), and to look out across the water at the shipping in



the cool of the night.

Thither, accordingly, our hero went, a little before the time



appointed in the note, and passing directly through the Ordinary

and the garden beyond, chose a table at the lower end of the



garden and close to the water's edge, where he would not be

easily seen by anyone coming into the place. Then, ordering some



rum and water and a pipe of tobacco, he composed himself to watch

for the appearance of those witty fellows whom he suspected would



presently come thither to see the end of their prank and to enjoy

his confusion.



The spot was pleasant enough; for the land breeze, blowing strong

and full, set the leaves of the palm tree above his head to



rattling and clattering continually against the sky, where, the

moon then being about full, they shone every now and then like



blades of steel. The waves also were splashing up against the

little landing place at the foot of the garden, sounding very



cool in the night, and sparkling all over the harbor where the

moon caught the edges of the water. A great many vessels were



lying at anchor in their ridings, with the dark, prodigious form

of a man-of-war looming up above them in the moonlight.



There our hero sat for the best part of an hour, smoking his pipe

of tobacco and sipping his grog, and seeing not so much as a



single thing that might concern the note he had received.

It was not far from half an hour after the time appointed in the



note, when a rowboat came suddenly out of the night and pulled up

to the landing place at the foot of the garden above mentioned,



and three or four men came ashore in the darkness. Without

saying a word among themselves they chose a near-by table and,



sitting down, ordered rum and water, and began drinking their

grog in silence. They might have sat there about five minutes,



when, by and by, Barnaby True became aware that they were

observing him very curiously; and then almost immediately one,



who was plainly the leader of the party, called out to him:

"How now, messmate! Won't you come and drink a dram of rum with



us?"

"Why, no," says Barnaby, answering very civilly; "I have drunk



enough already, and more would only heat my blood."

"All the same," quoth the stranger, "I think you will come and



drink with us; for, unless I am mistook, you are Mr. Barnaby

True, and I am come here to tell you that the Royal Sovereign is



come in."

Now I may honestly say that Barnaby True was never more struck



aback in all his life than he was at hearing these words uttered




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