Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 195: what you’re looking at

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

ee = = ‘ - Serene ete aeeTce a LL — = . 182 that the steed must be put out of its misery—and this I will do at once. Attend you to the man himself.” Having thus spoken, Kanaris took from under the seat of the postchaise a handsome rosewood pistol-case ; and drawing forth one of the weapons it contained, and which were of most exquisite workmanship—he the next moment discharged a bullet point-blank at the animal’s head, and which crashing through the frontal bone, put the brute out of its misery in the twinkling of an eye. He then joined me in attending to the stranger. It was indeed too evident that his thigh was fractured: we therefore lifted him into the chaise as carefully as we could. Kanaris remained with him inside the vehicle ; and I took my seat on the box, as there was not room for all three in the in- terior in consequence of the position in which the injured man had to lie. I had of course preferred that Kanaris should remain with him, because they understood a language in which they were enabled to converse together. Before closing this chapter, I may as well avail myself of an opportunity to give a brief descrip- tion of the stranger whom we had thus picked up —inasmuch as I shall again have to speak of him in the course of my narrative. He was a man of about forty years of age, and by no means of pre- possessing appearance. He wore a profusion of dark hair, which was exceedingly coarse: he had huge black whiskers and a bushy beard. His countenance was bronzed and weather-beaten: and his apparel was of a nautical fashion. He was short, stout, and thickset—and therefore had little the look of one who ought to have ventured upon the back of a vicious horse: for, judging by his whole exterior, his experiences were more connected with riding iu a vessel over the waves of ocean, than on horseback over the hills of the earth. In a word, I set him down in my own mind as a Cap- tain or superior officer of some trading vessel: but I must add that there was a certain repulsive fero- city in his look which was much at variance with one’s general idea of the blunt, frank-hearted, honest-minded mariner. He was however seriously injured—this was only too evident ; and instead of entertaining a prejudice against him, I was well inclined to give him my warmest sympathy. =a CHAPTER CXV. CIVITA VECCHIA. BETWEEN the spot where we took up the stranger and our ultimate destination of Civita Vecchia, there was no town nor village of importance enough to warrant the belief that a surgeon could be found of sufficient skill to be entrusted with so serious a case as that which the stranger’s injury afforded. We accordingly made the best of our way to Civita Vecchia itself: but during the remainder of the journey I had no opportunity of any farther conversation with Constantine Kanaris,—a few occasional words in respect to the stranger being alone exchanged between myself on the box and the handsome Greek when he thrust his head from the window. JOSEPH WILMOT; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. On entering Civita Vecchia at about noon, L found that the chaise passed completely through the town, until it at length drew up at a tavern near the port; and this was in pursuance of in- structions given by Kanaris to the postilions. It was because the injured stranger himself had already taken up his quarters at this tavern; and with the utmost care on the part of ourselves and the domestics of the inn, he was lifted from the vehicle into the establishment. Kanaris and I saw him deposited upon the bed in the chamber which, it appeared, he was occupying at the tavern; and we waited aiso until the arrival of a couple of medical men, in order that we might ascertain the extent of the injury. This was quite as serious as we had anticipated: the thigh bone was broken: but we tarried while it was being set—an operation which the patient bore with the most stoical calm- ness. When it was over he thrust out his hand, first to Constantine, and then to me, with a certain sailor-like gratitude which seemed so genuine and sincere that it made me forget at the moment the savagely ferocious expression of his countenance. He spoke a few words to Kanaris; and then on re- ceiving some intimation from that gentleman—evi- dently telling him in what language to speak to me—he addressed me in French,—which was how- ever villanously bad, so that I could only just com- prehend that he was thanking me for the succour I had helped to render him. In the meanwhile I had an opportunity of look- ing around the apartment; and I perceived several articles of wearing apparel, all of a nautical fashion. Amongst them, I observed a coat with gold lace on the collar and cuffs—a pair of pantaloons with lace-stripes down the sides—and a cap with a broad gold band round it. I likewise observed a brace of very large pistols, a brace of smaller ones, a heavy cutlass, and a sword of a much lighter cha- racter, with lace too upon the polished leathern belt. There were several charts on the table in the room—a compass, and some mathematical in- struments. All these articles convinced me that my first impression was correct, and that the stranger was a mariner—most likely, from the eyi- dences scattered around, the captain of the ship to which he belonged. Kanaris and I took our leave of him, promising to call next day to inquire after his health; and on descending into the street, my Greek companion said to me, “Our conversation was interrupted by that incident on the road; and therefore I am yet in ignorance of your plams. Whither are you going P” “In the first instance,” I answered, ‘‘ I will pro- ceed to the same hotel at which you yourself, as I think I understood you, purposed to put up.” “ Good!” ejaculated Constantine : and having given the postilions his instructions, he leaped into the vehicle, I following him. “ In case you do not receive an invitation,” he continued, “ to stay at the house for whose master you have a letter of introduction, you will find the hotel a very com- fortable one.” “ And I should be glad to remain there on your account,” I responded. “But what make you of the individual whom we have just left ?” “Oh!” said Kanaris, “I had forgotten to tell you. His name is Notaras; and he is the captain of some vessel in the port yonder.” EloOOkS (©)