The Golden Harpoon — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

- Mal) we wait for you. 14 7 HE GOLDEN HARPOON, Hi! hi! hi! Very good dis way to catch you!” The fierce Driko had by this time finished his task, and rising to his feet, he now turned his eagle eyes, blazing with fury, upon the face of Marline. “You makee lay down lances, eh? You makee you captain of dis ship, eh? Now me captain, and me killee you!” With which words he moved to the carpenter's chest, took therefrom a keen-edged hatchet, then rushed to the side of the prostrate youth, and lifted the weapon on high to deal the fatal blow. At that critical instant a cry of anguish was heard, as Alice—who had been alarmed by the prolonged absence -of her lover, and who natur- ally experienced a presentiment of evil—rushed from the companion-way, and threw herself between the glittering steel and the body of the harpooner. “Spare him! spare him! Oh, for Heaven's sake, Driko—stay your hand!’ she cried, in tones of such earnest entreaty, that even the stern islander was moved. He remembered— and the wild men of the Pacific isles seldom forget a favour—that this young girl had once, while the vessel was anchored near Honolulu, and the captain was ashore, saved him from being flogged by the flinty-hearted Briggs. But then he had afterwards made her a pre- sent of a beautiful string of pearls, and had thought at the time that the gift would cancel the obligation. Now, however, many doubts upon this subject passed through his mind, as he looked down upon the sweet, earnest face of the fair pleader, and listened to her beseech- ing voice. He remained buried in reflection for some time, and then in order to put an end to his perplexity, turned to his companions, and solicited their opinion upon the all-important question. An animated discussion between them—one which was kept up with unabated ardour for nearly a quarter of an hour—was the result; and then the dusky “lawyers” unanimously decided that the gift of pearls did not quite re- lease Driko from his obligations to his pretty benefactress. The islander promptly threw his hatchet aside, and imiplicd, by a dignified motion of bis sa to Alice, that he would spare her lover’s ife. “Me get out of de ‘tankee’ (thank you) in dis way,” said he, “and me no owe you any more. S'posee Marline makee me mad again, why, den, habbing no more tankee, me killes, quick !” “Well, hang me!” cried Stump, who had by this time recovered his senses, “ that’s what I call a lubberly way of reasoning, although good enough, I suppose, for a pow-wow. But, I tell ou what it is, blackskin—if you were only a ittle more than half-civilised, you'd feel that you was under etarnal obligation to that gal for saving your hide.” The mutineers did not give the ship-keeper an opportunity to conclude his observations. Two of them lifted him to his feet, and burried him along to the main-hold, in which they bundled him without any ceremony. Marline was soon afterwards transferred to the sama quarter, and Alice was led back to her apart- ment-——the door of which was then closed and locked. “Well,” said Stump, as he rolled over upon his back after the hatch had been secured abovya the heads of the two prisoners, “here we are again, thrown into nearly the same situation as we was before. We ain't made much pro- gress in’ good luck, and as misfortunes never comes single, I suppose there’ll be more breakers presently. “hat Portuguese sarved me a@ most unmannerly trick, sure enough, and if ever I get hold of his long head, I shall punch it of asartainty. But [ve l’arned by it another lesson, which is that them that doesn’t look on both sides of a question is pretty sure to get swamped.” “Ay, ay,” responded Marline, “and I ought to have thought to caution you to be on your nard against that sneaking villain at the wheel. o you suffer any from the effects of the blow?” “’ve a hard head,” replied the ship-keeper, “which has always been a distinguishin’ feature of the Stumps, and mine is peculiar in that way, seeing as [ was much given to butting when [ was a youngster at school, a l’arning my letters. As a nat’ral consequence, the blow I got from the Portuguese kasn’s ailected my in'ard functions.” “T am glad to hear it,” replied Mavline. “And now we must hope for the best. 1 think it very likely that the ship will be seen and boarded before long by our shipmates in the boats.” 3 “Tf hoping on my part will do any good, she sartainly will be; and now I think we might as well make a s’arch for that saw which proved a friend to me the other time I was here. It isn’t particularly wise to put up with troubles when they can be prevented.” : And the speaker, with much difficulty, pro- ceeded to roll himself abont in different direc- tions, in order that he might come in contact with the instrument. This, however, was not to be found, and after he had fruitlessly exertcd himself until every bone in his body ached, the ship-keeper worked himself back to the side of his chum, declaring that he believed the Kanokas had guessed the manner in which he had previously liberrzted himself, and so hal carried away the tool. “Never mind,” replied Marline, “if we re- main quiet the cords will not give us much in- convenience.” He had searcely spoken when a stream of light, caused by the opening of the run-hatch, darted in the after-part of the hold; an occur- rence which was duly commented upon by Stump. “Ay, ay,” said he, “they are a-setting Tom Lark at lberty; and, as soon as that animal gets on deck, he’l] wear ship, and then there'll be no chance for the craft to fall in with any of the boats. It’s really miraculous, it is, the amount of mischief that such a wolf can make CGORMICE OO KS. EO