Punch (99.1890)

244

PUNCH, OK THE LONDON CHARIVARI. [November 22, 1890.

MR. PUNCH'S PRIZE NOVELS.

No. VII.—A BUCCANEER'S BLOOD-BATH.

By L. S. Deevenson, Author of" Toldon Dryland," " The White
Heton," " Wentnap," " Amist with a Candletray," "An Out-
landish Trip," " A Travelled Donkey," " A Queer Fall on a
Treacle Slide," " The Old Persian Baronets," A}c, cy-c, e}c.)

[For some weeks before this Novel actually arrived, we received by every
post an immense consignment of paragraphs, notices, and newspaper cut-
tings, all referring to it in glowing terms. " This." observed the Bi-weekly
Boomer, "is, perhaps, the most brilliant effort of the brilliant and versatile
Author's genius. Humour and pathos are inextricably blended in it. He
sweeps with confident finger over the whole gamut of human emotions, and
moves us equally to terror and to pity. Of the style, it is sufficient to say
that it is Mr. Dbevenson's." The MS. of the Novel itself came in a
wrapper bearing the Samoan post-mark.—Ed. Punch.}

Chapter I.

I am a man stricken in years, and well-nigh spent with labour,
yet it behoves that, for the public good, I should take pen in hand,
and set down the truth of those matters wherein I played a part.

upon the table until the glasses rattled again and glared into the
Captain's weather-beaten face.*

Hear the man," said the Captain—" hear him. A man would
think he had spent his days and nights upon the sea, instead of
mixing pills and powders all his life in a snuffy village dispensary."

The quarrel seemed like to be tierce, when a sudden sound struck
upon our ears, and stopped all tongues. I cannot call it a song.
Rather, it was like the moon-struck wailing of some unhappy
dog, low, and unearthly; and yet not that, either, for there were
words to it. That much we all heard distinctly.

" Fifteen two and a pair make four,
Two for his heels, and that makes six."

We listened, awestruck, with blanched faces, scarce daring to look
at one another. For myself, I am bold to confess that I crept under
the sheltering table and hid my head in my hands. Again the
mournful notes were moaned forth—

" Fifteen two and a pair make four,
Two for his heels, and-"

But ere it was ended, Captain Jawkins had sprung forward, and
rushed into the further corner of the parlour. " I know that voice,"
he cried aloud; "I know it amid a thousand!" And even as he
And, indeed, it may befall , spoke, a strange light dis-

that, when the tale is put j |P ^ v , y,!i |J|llllil'||@ i i'l •V'llrilill Ve^e& the shadows, and by

forth in print, the public | -1 ^ \\\'A I I '] | "''2L "< j i;!' its rays we could see the

may find it to their liking, _ Jl-L: '.. }j ' ll' \l»i,'il«^H^/^"' i''ifi'1' liil orou°hingformofB:iXLBLu"E-

and buy it with no sparing ' I I I. — /^T^sft '1 Sj^^ .vfi 'iml ml nose, with the red seam

hand, so that, at the last, / | \ \ 1 /l&aFB* jZS&i&btrtS** m il ' '.In aor08S his faoe where the

the payment shall be worthy s -• / "^S L^*«?r r '>i).ij '• f M (: ' 'Iff devil had long since done his

of the labourer. A/HK^^ ^MsDJi T Mk ■ > "l ^ork- „

I have never been gifted /j^»iSiMAV\ j^^^BFf I tllk VlBffll^V .', j li\'U ! l Chapter III.

with what pedants miscall JywfM 1n ! lA^^^LlJli/ Hi^fel '-!.!!j I had forgot to say that, as
courage. That extreme rash- /Swllllmi ' I; | j ' ^^Hb SSHP^t' '" Viii'i iWl he ran, the Captain had

ness of the temper which 'wwMMmK^ ^KSmviMLaah IIIlii Villi1 i drawn his sword. In the

drives fools to their destruo- WmwBilis I \\v)>^ confusion which followed on

tion hath no place in my i 11V%^^^*%gwiSpi —-"^J-UUJ-u-!-!—— W*§HHtas^^~M! 1 the discovery of Blttenose,

disposition. A shrinking l/tWmA'}fi&bmv yJ$W&**M H\i-:FSfSF^-"^TO^^JH^iSSBi^^4>> I could not rightly tell how

meekness under provocation, //WwOr '' f|Ii! ' i&'|;Ml|l'i & ' ^'^hA^I^SmBBS^ each thing fell out; indeed,

and a commendable absence - Jf#%#g^ h 'IwRfflS^ >' I f • ''v"' T-V^WmMKm from ▼here I lay, with the

of body whenever blows fell ' 'wvlK \\ $?W ^^mJ^Jk^SmM^ men crowding together in

thick, seemed always to me m ' '' 'j|}|Hm|&Ji fflffll%]£%&uR$K0K* '• '* 1 front of me, to see at all was

to be the better part. And |t^H ^Hbiiav «iWM IllWlllllBi¥ i""tilB^wliffil W' no easy matter. But this I

for this I have boldly en- I S^P^P^H^^fiTw II IPS M ¥ OWilil^ft^ "i'iI saw clearly. The Captain

dured many taunts. Yet it J^'Z^tiM? Wm.\\M^SkMm 1> i'lii -^TlfSwfflMWi I st"od in the

corner, his blade

so chanced that in my life I fejaflmffll l||t|lfa^ ISMUM ^^aWfflW'''''m / /?H^IIP^fe'''%l PI I raisea to strike. Bmjenose
fell in with many to whom WillT^ I irsrimro-Jv\\ i ' If PI never stirred, but his breath
the cutting of throats was "^flflffP^ MEM X ' 'v llwmVSK'^li •u'uM came and went, and his eye-
but a moment's diversion, j l||||MM|jM5^t^F^^^W tSjL ||f| I] \^ " ^s hlinked strangely, like

Nay, more, in most of their ^__- ^^^^/^^^fej^iM;}jf/^ "v^^^i^a^^-^^^-irS^siiKS^^^^^a^. , .f/ tho_ flutter of a sere leaf

astounding ventures I shared /i» ^ ^^^^ISWifiili^^^^?- (il^v'wfi-^^^Ss.' aSainst the wall. There came

with them ; I made one upon ''^->*^aX&^ 'S^^fe ^ ^IpIwmW^^^^*"*'^^^^^^^^5^^- aroaro^ voices, and, in the

their reckless forays; I was WxfSf^""/ / \ tumult, the Captain's sword

forced, sorely against my -^^^'^ s' ^^^Ssb*- JSSllB^^,/, ,///://,/■' ■ ^*^m&¥-< \\ flashed quickly, and fell.

will, to accompany them >^ ' v.;/ .. ---;-Ji?>-^^. J^^f^/V-/////■■/i//, •■/ffmM\\\,M\ Then, with a broken cry like

upon their stormy voyages, "V— ^^^^y<'■/'■"//'/////'//'lhi<'\\\\}W'"n'-^\\ a sheep's bleat, the great

and to endure with them r , , , , /''/jfill' ; ' seamed face fell separate

their dangers; and there does not live one man, since all of them are
dead, and I alone survive, so well able as myself to narrate these
matters faithfully within the oompass of a single five-shilling volume.

Chapter II.

On a December evening of the year 17—, ten men sat together in the
parlour of " The Haunted Man." Without, upon the desolate moor-
land, a windless stricture of frost had bound the air as though in boards,
but within, the tongues were loosened, and the talk flowed merrily,
and the clink of steaming tumblers filled the room. Dr. Deadete sat
with the rest at the long deal table, puffing mightily at the brown old
Broseley church-warden, whom the heat and the comfort of his
evening meal had so far conquered, that he resented the doctor's
treatment of him only by an occasional splutter. For myself, I sat
where the warmth of the cheerful fire could reach my chilled toes,
close by the side of the good doctor. I was a mere lad, and even
now, as I search in my memory for these long-forgotten scenes, I
am prone to marvel at my own heedlessness in thus affronting these
lawless men. But, indeed, I knew them not to be lawless, or I
doubt not but that my prudence had counselled me to withdraw ere
the events befell which I am now about to narrate.

As I remember, the Doctor and Captain Jawkxns were seated
opposite to one another, and, as their wont was, they were in high
debate upon a question of navigation, on which the Doctor held and
expressed an emphatic opinion.

" Never tell me," he said, with flaming aspect, " that the oommon
term, ' Port your helm,' implies aught but what a man, not other-
wise foolish, would gather from the word. Port means port, and
starboard is starboard, and all the d—d sea-captains in the world
cannot move me from that." With that the Doctor beat his fist

from the body, and a fountain of blood rose into the air from the
severed neck, and splashed heavily upon the sanded floor of the
parlour.

"Man, man!" cried the Doctor, angrily, "what have ye doner
Ye've kilt Bltjehose, and with him goes our chance of the treasure.
But, maybe, it's not yet too late."

So saying, he plucked the head from the floor and clapped it again
upon its shoulders. Then, drawing a long stick of sealing-wax from
his pocket, he held it well before the Captain's ruddy face. The
wax spluttered and melted. The Doctor applied it to the cut with
deft fingers, and with a strange: condescension of manner in one so
proud. My heart beat like a bird's, both quick and little ; and on a
sudden Blttenose raised his dripping hands, and in a quavering
kind of voice piped out—

" Fifteen two and a pair make four."

Bat we had heard too much, and the next moment we were speeding
with terror at our backs across the desert moorland.

Chapter IV.

Yotj are to remember that when the events I have narrated befell
I was but a lad, and had a lad's horror of that which smacked of
the supernatural. As we ran, I must have fallen in a swoon, for 1
remember nothing more until I found my self walking with trembling
feet through the policies of the ancient mansion of Dearodear. By
my side strode a young nobleman, whom I straightway recognised as

* Editor to Author : " How did the glasses manage to glare ? It Beems an
odd proceeding for a glass. Answer paid."

Author t» Editor: "Don't be a fool. I meant the Doctor—not the
glasses."