Roving Jack, The Pirate Hunter — page 98: what you’re looking at

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

118 ROVING JACK, THE PIRATE HUNTER. i a i In an instant ‘Jack ‘Sheppard recognized the dwarf Barabbas. The sea-urchin nodded to him, and leered hideously. The robber frowned, He turned uneasily towards the fire. ‘And so, my hearty, you want to go’ to sea? Run away from home, eh? Do ye follow any trade?” “Yes; I’m a carperter.” “Say youso? Then that’s all ataunto ; for why? Poor Billy Ducks, our carpenter’s mate, died on our last voyage, and you may have a chance 0’ stepping into his shoes, Ill speak to the skipper about it.” ‘« Thank’ee, master,’’ returned Jack, with a smile ; “and now, if you’ll tell me when and where to meet you again, I’ll walk my chalks, for I must just bid my mother and friends good-bye, and then I shall be ready to go aboard whenever you want me,” “‘Hulloa! my hearty ! what do yemean? Don’t heave anchor till the grog’s out, I want to have a word. with ye,” But Jack had risen, and was looking around him with an uncomfortable air, At the end of the room, clustered apart at a separate table, sat a knot of swarthy, evil-looking ruffians, dressed in blue jackets and bucket-boots, and wearing scarlet caps, talking in hoarse whispers, while they puffed dense clouds of tobacco-smoke and drank deep, He knew that they belonged to the crew of Wirth Wolfgang, the pirate, and conscious that he had been (recognized, and that the ruffians, who, from time to time, cast curious glances at him, were in league with Jonathan Wild, he felt anxious to get out of the place, “You are very kind, sir, I’m sure,” said Jack, uneasily; “but as I promised my friends that I would return in half an hour, I will beg leave to depart at once, Shall I meet you again here, or elsewhere?” ~ “ Well, my cheery, if you are determined to get under-weigh I won’t detain ye,” returned the sea- man, “Ithink you may consider it settled that you can join our ship’s company. A word from me will suffice with the skipper, Meet me here to- morrow morning at six bells, and I will take you aboard, for the ‘Mermaid’ is undergoing repairs, and you may be useful,”’ “T will not fail, yer honour, Good night, my hearty,” Jack walked towards the door, Barabbas had left his post; and had joined the party of pirates, whom we have described as sitting apart from the rest of the company. He was conversing with a tall, broad-built, bushy- bearded fellow, better dressed than the rest, and, to all appearance, one of the officers of the * Raven,’ Upon seeing Sheppard slip to the door, he advanced towards him, followed by the man, the pirate to whom he had been talking, ‘‘Messmate, ahoy,” he cried, catching Jack by the arm, and laughing an eldritch laugh, “ Don’t ye know me?” “Aye, once seen you can never be forgotten,” said. Jack, recoiling from the deformed with a shudder of abhorrence. “ You flatter me,” rejoined the dwarf, grinning, ‘Bat, hark ye, messmate, we have something to propose to ye, You remember this gentleman, Mynheer Hans Trinkgelt, our first lieutenant ?” ‘‘Haw! haw!” laughed the Dutchman, “ How goes it, muntmeister? It iza very long time zat ve have not seen you; ze herr captain often Good night,” ee COMIC. zpeak of you; ve laugh often at your yondervoll escapes from——” “ Hush !” cried Jack, in alarm. “Ass! be quiet,” muttered Barabbas, fiercely. “Don’t you see that you endanger our friend by such allusions ?” “Haw, dat’s vehr true,” returned the Dutchman, with a stupid stare, “Task your pardon, munt- meister.” ; “Follow me; I want a word with you,” said the dwart, Jack, however, drew back reluctantly. But Barabbas gripped his wrist with a tight grasp, and dragged him out of the room. Jack was overwhelmed with astonishment at the amazing strength of the hideous-looking little monster. Barabbas hauled him along to another room, Hans Trinkgelt followed, be’ Ea When they had entered, Barabbas relinquished his grip on Jack’s wrist, and locked the door. “ What does this mean?” asked Sheppard, sus- piciously. “If treachery is intended, do not think you’ll catch me unprepared.” He half drew the pistols from his pocket, Barabbas laughed long and loud. ‘‘Treachery? No, dam’me Master Sheppard, we leave that precious quality to you land-lubbers ; aboard, all hands must work as one—without unity there’s no safety at sea, I’ve got a proposal to make to you; you’ve run astern with a heavier craft, eh, and must steer clear ?” ‘© You allude to Wild, I suppose?” said Sheppard, “Aye, it was he who clapped you into rumbo ?” Yes,” ‘Well, my brave, I’ll put you in the way of making yourself secure as a ship in dock, and, more than that, I’ll show you how you may wreak your vengeance on the old coney-catcher.” wa How?” “Why, ’tis easy.” . “Yes,” returned Jack Sheppard, savagely, “I know it is easy, and it shall not be left undone ; I will kill him before I leave England.” “To be launched from Tyburn port,’ chuckled Barabbas ; ‘besides, my hearty, old Nightshade, who pretends to read the stars as easily as a sea- man can’ box the compass, has prophesied that old Jonathan shall hang,” ‘Then the conjuror lies,” returned Sheppard, “for he shall die by this hand, Tl cut his throat ——” “No, but he shall have his throat slit by another —that’s on the books,” laughed Barabbas ; “aye, and he shall hang too; so you may rest easy on that score of vengeance, except that I can put you up to a trick for plaguing him most con- foundedly.” “ How?” “ First, you must join our crew.” “What! and become a bloody pirate? Never !” “Pirate! pish! He who robs is a robber; he who cuts throats is a cut-throat. What is your king’s man when he boards an enemy’s yessel but a murderer and thief ?” ‘‘ In the service of one’s country ——” ‘In the service of one’s—self! Bah! you area baby! Does the soldier or the sailor ask whether the cause he fights for is a just one? Not he! He fights for ‘duty,’ that is, bread and cheese and bubble,” ; “Bubble !” ‘Aye, ‘bubble reputation,’ a blood bubble very often ; moreover, the tiger preys on the fawn, the eagle swoops on the dove—’tis ever the mastery