Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 11 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

- _ Midshipman Easy. — 17 — -—— — — <0 6 ee) eee o> - -_— ew mt ee 6 oe wre oe oe eee 5 * Are you aware, Mr. Gascoigne, of the properties of tions. They examined him, and considered a wound in | ““Confound that Jack Easy,’ said he, ‘‘I have only an equilateral triangle?” Fa icanen =< T-Mee _ | that part not to be — | been on leave tavice since I sailed from Portsmouth. ‘Yes,’ replied the midshipman, “thatit has three! ‘Hold your confounded bawling,” cried the gunner, Once I was obliged to come up the side without m equal sides: Sut what the devil has that to do with the “or you'll have the guard down here: you're not hurt.”’ trousers, and show my bare stern to the whole ship’s duel?” ' Ffain’t hi?” roared the steward; “oh, let me die, company, and now I am coming up and dare not show ‘ Everything, Mr. Gascoigne,” replied the ner; let me die; don’t move me!” my figure-head.*’ He reported himself to the officer of ‘it has resolved the great difficulty: indeed, the duel| “ Nonsense,” cried the gunner, ‘‘ you must get upanp | the watch, and hastening to his cabin went to bed and between three can only be fought upon that principle. | walk down to the boat; if you don’t we'll leave you. | lay the whole night awake from pain, thinking what You observe,” said the gunner, taking apiece of chalk | Hold your tongue, confound you. You won't? then Pll excuse he could possibly make for not coming on deck out of his pocket, and making a triangle on the table, give you something to halloo for.” _next morning to his duty. ‘‘in this figure we have three points, each equidistant _ Whereupon Mr. Tallboys commenced cuffing the poor He was, however, saved this trouble, for Mr. Jolliffe from each other; and we have three combatants—so wretch right and left, who received so many swinging | brought the letter of Gascoigne up to Mr. Sawbridge, eo that, eee one at each point, it is all fair py for the , boxes of the ear that he was soon reduced to merely and the captain had received that of our hero. three. Mr. Easy, for instance, stands here, the boat- pitiful plaints of “Oh, dear!—such inhumanity—I, Captain Wilson came on board and found that Mr, swain here, and the purser’s steward at the third cor- purtest—oh, dear! must I get up? I can't, indeed.” — | Sawbridge could communicate all the particulars of ner. Now, if the distance is fairly measured, it will be “I do not think he can move, Mr. Tallboys, ” said | which he had not been acquainted by Jack; and after all right.” | Gascoigne; “‘I should think the best plan would be to | they had read over Gascoigne’s letter in the cabin, and “ But then,’’ replied Gascoigne, delighted at the idea, | call yt two of the men from the cooperage, and let | interrogated Mr. Tallboys, who was sent down under an ‘*how are they to fire?”’ ' them take him to the hospital.” arrest, they gave free vent to their mirth. ** It Sertairity is not of much consequence,” replied | The gunner went down to the cooperage to call the| ‘ Upon my soul, there’s no end to Mr. Easy’s adven- the gunner; but still, as sailors, it appears to me that | men; Mr. Biggs, who had bound up his face as if he had | tures,” said the captain. ‘I could laugh at the “— ) they should fire with the sun, that is, Mr. Easy fires at a toothache, for the bleeding had been very slight, came | for after all it is nothing—and he would have been le r. Biggs, Mr. Biggs fires at Mr, Easthupp, and Mr. up to the purser’s steward. off with a severe reprimand. But the foolish boys have | Easthupp fires at Mr. Easy; so that you perceive that _ “What the hell are you making such a howling | set off in a speronare to Sicily, and how the devil are ! each party has his shot at one, and at the same time | about? Look at me, with two shotholes through my | we to get them back again?” | receives the fire of another.” | figure-head, while you have only got one in your stern: | “They'll come back, sir,” replied Sawbridge, “‘ when Gascoigne was in ecstasies at the novelty of the pre | I wish I could change with you, by heavens, for I could | all their money's gone.” ceeding, the more so,as he perceived that y obtained | use my whistle then—now if it attempt to pipe there; ‘ Yes, if they do not get into any more scrapes. That every advantage by the arrangement. will be such a wasteful expenditure of his Majesty’s young scamp Gascoigne is as bad as Easy, and now “Upon my word, Mr. Tallboys, I give you stores of wind that I shall never get out a note. A _ they are together there’s no saying what may happen. credit; you have a profound mathematical head, and I , wicked shot of yours, Mr. - I dine at the eee to-day; how he will laugh when am delizhted with your arrangement. Of course, in “T really am very sorry,” replied Jack, with a polite | I tell him of this new way of fighting a duel!”’ 7 these affairs, the principals are bound to comply with bow, “and I beg to offer my best apology.” | “Ves, sir, that is just the thing that will tickle old the arrangements of the seconds, and Ishallinsistupon During this conversation the purser’s steward felt | Tom.” " Mr. oi consenting to your excellent and scientific _ very faint, and thought he was going to die. _ “We must find out if they have got off the island, proposal.”’ “Oh, dear! oh, dear! what a fool I was; I never | Sawbridge, which may not be the case.”’ Gascoigne went out, and pulling Jack away from_the | was a Reem 2 a swell: I shall die; I never! Butit was the case. Jack and Gascoigne had eatena monkey, told him what the gunner had proposed, at. will pic a pocket again—never—never—God forgive | be dinner, sent for the monkey to amuse them me oe es which Jack laughed heartily. / me! t was dark, and there had waited till the padrone The gunner ale explained it to the boatswain, who| ‘Why, confound the fellow,” cried Gascoigne; “so | came to them. | did not very well comprehend, but replied: you were a pickpocket, were you?” | ‘*What shall we do with the pistols, Easy?” ‘T dare say it’s all right—shot for shot;andd—nall| “I never will again,” replied the fellow in a faint| “Take them with us, and load them before we go— favors.” voice, ‘“ Hi'll hamend and lead a good life—a drop of | we may want them. o knows but there wit a The parties then repaired to the spot with two pairs | water—oh! lagged at last!” _mutiny on board of the speronare? I wish we had Mesty of ship’s pistols, =hiah Mr. Tallboys had smuggled on | Then the poor wretch fainted away; and Mr. Tall- | with us.” shore; andas soon as they were on the ground, the | boys coming up with the men, he was taken on their! They loaded the pistols, took a pair each and put nner called Mr, Easthupp out of the cooperage. In shoulders and walked off to the hospital, attended by them in their waists, concealed under their clothes, di- fhe meantime Gascoigne fed been measuring an LS. _ the reg and also the boatswain, who thought he vided the ammunition between them, and soon ter, lateral triangle of twelve s, and marked it out. Mr. might as well have a little medical advice before he | ward the padrone came to tell them all was ready. Tallboys, on his return with the purser’s steward, went , went on board. : |. Whereupon Messrs. Gascoigne and Easy paid their over the ground, and finding that it was ‘equal angles | ‘‘ Well, Easy,” said Gascoigne collecting the pistols | bill and rose to depart, but the padrone informed them subtended by equal sides,”’ eclared that it was allright. and tying them up in his handkerchief, T’ll be shot, | that he should like to see the color of their money be- Easy took his station, the boatswain was put into his, | but we're in a eed scrape; there’s no hushing this | fore they went on board. Jack, very indignant at the and Mr. Easthupp who was quite in a mystery, was led | up. I'll be ha if I care, it’s the best piece of funI insinuation that he had not sufficient cash, pases outa by the gunner to the third position. _ever met with.”” And at the remembrance of it Gas- handful of doubloons, and tossing two to the padrone, ‘But, Mr. Tallboys,”’ said the purser’s steward- coigne laughed till the tears ran down his cheeks. | asked him if he was satisfied. “T don't understand this, Mr. Easy will first fight Mr, | Jack’s mirth was not so excessive, as he was afraid| The padrone untied his sash, put in the money, and Biggs, will he not?” that the purser’s steward was severely hurt, and ex- | with many thanks and protestations of service, be NO.” replied the gunner, “this isa duel of three, | pressed his fears. our young gentlemen to a him; they did so, You will fire at Mr. Easy, Mr., Easy will fire at Mr. ‘At all events, you did not hit him,’ replied Gas- | and in a few minutes were clear of Nix Mangare s and Mr. Biggs will fire at you. Itisallarranged, coigne; “all you have to answer for is the boatswain’s and, passing close to his Majesty’s ship Harpy, were Mr. PROPP, mu —I thing you've stopped his jaw for the future."’ | soon out of the harbor of Vallette. * But,’’ said Easthupp, “I don’t understand it. Why | ‘‘I’m afraid that our leave will be stopped forthe | Of all the varieties oi vessels which float upon the is Mr. Biggs to fire at me? I have no quarrel with Mr. future,’ replied Jack. | wave, there is not, perhaps, one that bounds over the Xf ‘y ‘That we may take our oaths of,’’ replied Gas- | water so gracefully or so lightly as a speronare, or any ecause Mr. Easy fires at Mr. Biggs, and Mr. Biggs | Sole. one so picturesque and beautiful to the eye of those must have his shot as well.” | “Then look you, Ned,” said Easy, “I’ve lots of dol- | who watch its progress. “If you have ever beenin the company of gentle- lars—we may as well be hanged for a sheep asalamb,| The night was clear, and the stars shone out brilliant- men, Mr. ey observed Gascoigne, “you must | as the saying is. I vote that we do not go on board.” | ly as the light craft skimmed over the water, and a know something about Sudting ‘‘Sawbridge will send and fetch us,’’ replied Ned; fragment of a descending and waning moon threw its “Yes, yes, I've kept the best company, Mr. Gas- | “ but he must find us first.” soft beams upon the snow-white sail. The vessel, which eoigne, and I can give a gentleman satisfaction; ‘‘That won't take long, for the soldiers will soon | had no deck, was full of baskets, which had contained but—” have our description and rout us out. We shall be/| grapes and various fruits brought from the ancient “Then, sir, if that is the case, you must know that pinned in a couple of days.” nary of Rome, still as fertile and luxuriant as ever, ; your honor is in the hands of your second, and that no ‘*Confound it, and they say that the ship is to be | The crew consisted of the padrone, two men, and a boy; ; gentleman a gor hove down, and that we shall be here six weeks at | the three latter, with their gregos, or night great-coats Z “Yes, yes, | know that, Mr. Gascoigne; but still I’ve least, cooped up on board in a broiling sun, and noth- | with hoods, sitting forward before the sail, with their w no quarrel with Mr. Biggs, and therefore, Mr. Biggs, of ing to do but to watch the pilot-fish playing round the | eyes fixed on the land as they flew past point after course you will not aim at me?” rudder, and munch bad apricots. I won’t go on board. int, thinking perhaps of their wives, or perhaps of as , you don’t think that I am going to be fired at Look ye, Jack,” said Gascoigne, “have you plenty of their sweethearts, or perhaps not thinking x 9 all, / for nothing?’’ replied the boatswain; ‘‘ no, no, I'll have | money?”’ | The padrone remained aft at the helm, offering ; my shot anyhow.” | “TT have twenty doubloons, besides dollars," replied | every politeness to our two young gentlemen, who only an at your friend, Mr. Biggs?” | Jack. ° | wished to be left alone. At last they requested ee on ‘*All the same, I shall fire at somebody, shot for | ‘Well, then, we will pretend to be so much alarmed | drone to give them gregos to lie down upon, as they shot. and hit the luckiest.” at the result of this duel, that we dare not show our-. wished to go to sleep. e called the boy to take the | “Vel, gentlemen, I Secbaepyg 5 dpm these proceed- selves lest we should be hung. I will write a note and | helm, procured them all they required, and then went ings,” replied Mr. Fasthupp; “TI came “here to have | send it to Jolliffe, to say that we have hid ourselves | forward. And our two midshipmen lay down loo satisfaction from Mr, Easy, and not to be fired at by | until the affair has blown over, and beg him to inter- at the stars above them for some minutes, without ex- Mr, B ges.” cede with the captain and first lieutenant. I will tell ch gaword. At last Jack commenced: “Don't you have satisfaction when you fire at Mr. | him all the particulars, and refer to the gunner forthe| “Ihave been thinking, Gascoigne, that this is ve y?’’ replied the gunner; ‘what more would you | truth of it; and then I know that, although we should | delightful. My heart bounds with the vessel, and it al- ve?” _ be punished, they will only laugh. But I will pretend | most appears to me as if the vessel herself was rejoic- “T purtest against Mr. Biggs firing at me.” that Easthupp is killed, and we are frightened out of ing in our liberty. Here she is capering over the waves “So you would have a shot without receiving one,”’ | our lives. will be it, and then let's get on board | inestad of being tied by the nose with a cable and anchor" ied Gascoigne; “the fact is, that this fellow’s a con- | one of the speronares that come with fruit from Sicily, “That's a touch of the sentimental, Jack,” replied founded coward, and ought to be kicked into the coop- | sail in the night for Palermo, and then we'll have a Gascoigne; “but she is no more free than she was erage again.” _ cruise for a fortnight, and when the money is all gone when at anchor, for she now is forced to act in obe- . Mt this affront Mr. Easthupp rallied, and accepted | we'll come back.”’ _ | dience to her steersman, and go where he pleases, the pistol offered by the gunner, “That's a capital idea, Ned, and the sooner we do it | You may just as well say that a horse, if taken out of si ‘ear those words, Mr, Biggs; pretty language the better. I will write to the captain, begging him to the stable, is free with the curb, and his rider on his ecteen a a gentleman. You shall ‘ear from me, sir,as get me off from being hung, and telling him where back.” soon as the ship is paid off. I purtest no longer, Mr. | we have fled to, and that letter shall be givenafter we, “That's a touch of the rational, Ned, which destro | swain’s own quid of tobacco. As for Mr. RUDD 8 amused themselves killing flies, as they talked over the ‘‘ Why, to tell you the truth, I have been th the | ball, as he was very unsettled, and shut his eyes before | — of the day, and waited for their dinner. | same thing—-I don’t much like the looks of the ne | he | Tallboys: death before dishonor. I'm a gentleman, have sailed.”’ the illusion. Never mind, we are free, at all even yn | They were two very nice lads—our hero and Gas-| What machines we are on board of a man-of-war! We At all events, the swell was not a very courageous | coigne. gentleman, for he trembled most exceedingly as he pointed his pistol. the guns on board ship. Bock your locks Take good aim at the object !— Fire!—Stop your vents!” comply with the latter supplementary order was Mr, | went with him into a wineshop, and with the assistance well, so damnably | walk, talk, eat, drink, sleep, and get up jusi like clock- we are wound up to go the twenty-four hours, work; hie CHAPTER XIX. _and then wound up ; just like old Smallsole does The gunner gave the word, as if he were exercising | IN WHICH OUR HERO SETS OFF ON ANOTHER CRUISE, IN | the chronometers.”’ WHICH HE IS NOT BLOWN OFF SHORE. | “Very true, Jack; but it does not a Gascorene and our hero were neither of them in uni- | that, hitherto, you have kept ve good time; form, and they hastened to Nix Mangare stairs, where quire a little more regulating,” said Gascoigne. The only one of the combatants who appeared to | they soon picked up the padrone of asperonare. They ‘“ How can you mea me piece of machinery to go upp, who clapped his hand to his trowsers behind, | of a little English from a Maltese boy, whose shirt | is?” replied our hero. ve a loud yel passed c ean through his seat of honor, from his | which it was agreed that, neving resented his broadside as a et to the | doubloons, he would sail that evening, and land them don’t wind youup. You don bgo boatsw n as he faced towards our hero. Jack's shot | at Girgenti or some other town in Sicily, providing | ‘No, because he allows me had also taken effect, having through both the them with something to eat and BT egos to sleep upon. do go, Ned.” boatswain’s cheeks, without er mischief than ex- | be two of his best upper double teeth, and forc- ing through the hole of the further cheek the boat- dering a good d it had gone the Lord knows where. The purser’s steward lay on the ground and screamed —the boatswain spit his double teeth and two or three mouthfuls of blood out,and then threw down his pistols in a rage. “A pretty business, by God!"’ sputtered he; “he’s put pipe out. How the devil am I to pipe to dinner when sy ordered, all my wind ‘scaping through the very well. the meantime the others had gone to the assistance _ “Mr. Biggs had ascended the side with his faee “ ~f the purser’s steward, who coneimued his vocifera- bound up. : | ' ' | Our two midshipmen then wen at all.”’ to me, you re about as a midshipman and then dro down; the bullet hung out of his trowsers, they made a bargain, by “Very true, Jack; but sometimes you don't kee I pped for the consideration of ‘two | any shine, for you don’t keep any watch. , Asper go down; but still I to the tavern “Yes, to your hammock—but it’s no go with old from which they set off to fight the duel, and or- Smallsole, if I want a bit of caulk. But, Jack, what do nn Mr, Tallboys did not himself think proper to go —he squints.”’ er to be ser'ved in a back room, they you say?—shall we keep watch to-night?” on board til] the evening, and Mr. Biggs also wished it “That's no _— of anything, Jack, except that his to be dark before he went up the 2. side, the events eyes are not s of the duel did not transpire till Even then it was not known from the boatswain or your doubloons—I saw him start, and hiseyes t ; voepe A ne by a mn oes mate coming on board to in- | and I thought at the time it was a pity you had not | ‘form t there was one of their men | paid him in do e surgeon t ight; but if you do not like the look of e next morning. | him, I can tell you that he very much liked the look of wounded under their charge, but that he was doing “It was ve foolish in me, but at all events he has not seen all. He saw quite enough, Ned ery —e ou should have tels, and not have let him see the doubloons,”’ ‘ GONE JOO cS jet him see the pis (E(0) ~ _ wees a mm. ee ot te eee