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Dream Days-Part11_Kenneth Grahame(1859-1932)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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shells and tortoises and great milky pearls and little green



lizards; and she gave me guinea-pigs, and coral to make into

waistcoat-buttons, and tame sea-otters, and a real pirate's



powder-horn. It was a prolific day and a long-lasting one, and

weary were we with all our hunting and our getting and our



gathering, when at last we clambered into the captain's gig and

rowed back to a late tea.



The following day my conscience rose up and accused me. This was

not what I had come out to do. These triflings with pearls and



parrakeets, these al fresco luncheons off yams and bananas--

there was no "making of history" about them, I resolved that



without further dallying I would turn to and capture the French

frigate, according to the original programme. So we upped anchor



with the morning tide, and set all sail for San Salvador.

Of course I had no idea where San Salvador really was. I haven't



now, for that matter. But it seemed a right-sounding sort of

name for a place that was to have a bay that was to hold a French



frigate that was to be cut out; so, as I said, we sailed for San

Salvador, and made the bay about eight bells that evening, and



saw the topmasts of the frigate over the headland that sheltered

her. And forthwith there was summoned a Council of War.



It is a very serious matter, a Council of War. We had not held

one hitherto, pirates and truck of that sort not calling for such



solemn treatment. But in an affair that might almost be

called international, it seemed well to proceed gravely and by



regular steps. So we met in my cabin--the Princess, and the

bo'sun, and a boy from the real-life lot, and a man from among



the book-men, and a fellow from No-man's-land, and myself in the

chair.



The bo'sun had taken part in so many cuttings-out during his past

career that practically he did all the talking, and was the



Council of War himself. It was to be an affair of boats, he

explained. A boat's-crew would be told off to cut the cables,



and two boats'-crews to climb stealthily on board and overpower

the sleeping Frenchmen, and two more boats' crews to haul the



doomed vessel out of the bay. This made rather a demand on my

limited resources as to crews; but I was prepared to stretch a



point in a case like this, and I speedily brought my numbers up

to the requisite efficiency.



The night was both moonless and star-less--I had arranged all

that--when the boats pushed off from the side of our vessel, and



made their way toward the ship that, unfortunately for itself,

had been singled out by Fate to carry me home in triumph. I was



in excellent spirits, and, indeed, as I stepped over the side, a

lawless idea crossed my mind, of discovering another Princess on



board the frigate--a French one this time; I had heard that that

sort was rather nice. But I abandoned the notion at once,



recollecting that the heroes of all history had always been noted

for their unswerving constancy.



The French captain was snug in bed when I clambered in through

his cabin window and held a naked cutlass to his throat.



Naturally he was surprised and considerably alarmed, till I

discharged one of my set speeches at him, pointing out that my



men already had his crew under hatchways, that his vessel

was even then being towed out of harbour, and that, on his



accepting the situation with a good grace, his person and private

property would be treated with all the respect due to the



representative of a great nation for which I entertained feelings

of the profoundest admiration and regard and all that sort of



thing. It was a beautiful speech. The Frenchman at once

presented me with his parole, in the usual way, and, in a reply



of some power and pathos, only begged that I would retire a

moment while he put on his trousers. This I gracefully consented



to do, and the incident ended.

Two of my boats were sunk by the fire from the forts on the



shore, and several brave fellows were severely wounded in the

hand-to-hand struggle with the French crew for the possession of



the frigate. But the bo'sun's admirablestrategy, and my

own reckless gallantry in securing the French captain at the






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