Roving Jack, The Pirate Hunter — page 166: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ROVING JACK, THE’ PIRATE HUNTER. “Yes, we've been spliced and not seen each other for a year or two now, poor thing ! she thinks I’m dead, I got into a scrimmage with some piratical sharks, and it was reported I’d gone to Davy Jones,” ; ‘ The waggoner, now growing somewhat impatient, advanced to the travellers, “ Measters, the team be ready ; we ‘must be off,” “Not till we drink Nelly’s health.” With these words Roger pretended to take a strong pull at the bottle, and then began to stagger as if suffering from the influence of its effect. ‘‘ Bless her,” he hiccuped, ‘‘ bless the pretty Nelly —the darling Nelly !” ““ Holloa, I say !” exclaimed the ‘mariner, “ what right have you to bless my.wife ?” : ‘“ T can’t help it, it’s my weakness,”said Roger, stumbling, and finally allowing himself to sprawl upon the ground, ; “Why, he’s nine sheets in the wind. Steady, messmate ; let me steer you into the cabin.” While the noble-hearted seaman was assisting the falling man, the latter clung to his black hand- kerchief, as if for support, and secretly managed to cut it from his neck. . With difficulty, Roger was ‘at last placed on his feet. Me “Now, then, messmate, another tack, and you’re in your berth.” = “T shan’t go without Nelly,” replied the indi- vidual addressed, assuming an air of drynken obstinacy, “ Come, come, man, port your helm and turn in.” Suddenly altering his demeanour, Roger ex- claimed, aS if in gratitude for the favour he was receiving, — i “ Thank ye—bless you—lending a helping hand to a poor deyilthat can’t help himself. Oh! it’s noble—it’s virtuous—it’s worthy !” - “Here, crowd all sail,” said the sailor, to the waggoner standing at his side, | After some considerable exertion, the two men succeeded in lifting Roger into the waggon. But not until that worthy had contrived to make himself master of all the money the seaman pos- sessed. ‘There, he’s safe enough now,” said he, panting after his arduous task, and leaning his back against the waggon to take breath. “ How terribly drunk he be, to he sure,’ cried Giles, the wa gouer, as he emulated his companion in wiping the perspiration from his forehead. “ He could: no more help himself than new born babe put on his breeches ; I was obliged to lift him right in, and now I’ll have a turn in myself,” said the mariner, about to mount the vehicle. His ascent was interrupted by the landlord, Boniface, who at the moment made his appearance with his bill, _ While the waggon horses’ bells were heard to jingle, as if to indicate their readiness to depart, “As you will pay all,’”’ said Boniface, addressing the sailor ; “‘ why here’s your bill,” * How much?” “Seven and ninepence..’’ ‘‘ Say eight shillings, and give the change to the Dollymop.” ‘‘Where’s your friend ?”’ The sailor smiled, and pointed to’ his head at the question, i “Mum,” said he; ‘Roger has shifted ballast, top, heavy, and turned in,” Boniface took the hint, looked into the waggon, nd then laughed, eeepc LEE “Let's see, landlord, what do you make the reckoning.” The sum was repeated. “ Then I may as well pay out and settle scores.” The sailor, with the words, began to feel for the handkerchief which had been abstracted. While doing so he continued to speak. ‘How suddenly my messmate went off, didn’t he? Well, it serves him right; he tried once or twice to-day to make me drunk; and now he’s spooney himself, while I am steady as—aye, where’s my handkerchief ?” “ Why, what’s the matter?” “ Which of you have done this ?” Done what?” replied Bis companions, in sur- prise. |, 7 > ee ‘“‘ My handkerchief’s gone,” “ What the one I seed thee tie the money in?” said the waggoner. 3 pai His placid and simple mien receiyed an im-* pression of further amazement, when the following accusation was brought against him. | “ Yes, you swab, and now you've stolen it.” “ Aye, what! stolen—I,” replied the now stupefied Giles ; ‘ well, I never heerd the loikes of that.” ‘ But you shan’t touch my other store, for that’s sacred, and it would take a cleverer fellow than you oF] y. As the sailor turned to his pocket, he found that it had been cut off. . Desperation neryed his arm, as he seized the landlord and waggoner each by the throat, and dragged them forward, “Villains,” he exclaimed; “that has gone, too. - The money that was to have sayed him, who has been more than a father to me, from want ; the gold that was to have gladdened the eyes of her whom I love better than life.” Suddenly the speaker relaxed his hold, A tear stood in his eye. A smile gleamed on his face. “But no, you could not do so black a deed, you look like honest men, you did it but in jest to frighten me, and so you have. The last news I had from home was that my wife was in sickness, he whom I may call father failing ; that little store was to give them bread in their adversity, to cheer their life in youth—in age; give me back that which will make them doat on me, keep famine from their cabin and give comfort to their cot,” _ Wiping away the trickling moisture from his cheeks, he continued, ‘Tt was a cruel jest, but I forgive you.” ‘Young man,” said the landlord in a voice of pity, “I amsorry, I feel for you. We have not taken your money, but I suspect who has,” “Tell me who you think it is and I’ll clapper- claw him in the handling of a marlinspike.” “T fear your late companion has something more to do with this affair than we.” ‘Why the man was too insensible to——besides he lies sleeping in the waggon.”’ As if struck by a sudden impulse, the seaman advanced to it. “T will know, I will be convinced.” He cried out ior Roger. There was no reply to the summons. “ T’ve been robbed, rouse man or I’l11——” The seaman now jumped into the vehicle, He repeated his exclamation. The obdurate Roger answered not, nor were » there any signs of his presence, | “ Confound the lubber, he’s got under the straw. | of the craft.” oO Gomichbooks:com