Tom Cringle's Log

r de Puerto

as que

donda Reflexado e

cui

no perdido Si esta

de

out of sight. Right ahead of us rose the high land of Cuba, to the westward of Cape Maize, clear and well-defined against the northern sky; and as we neither hauled our wind to we

the Run, to their own berth forward in the bow of the little vessel; they then replaced the planks which they had started, and arranged the

taken the trifling liberty of shooting me through the neck, and no thanks to him that the wound was not mort

been repaired. However lazily the command might appear to have been given, the execution of it was quick as lightning. The crew, now reduced to ten working hands, had, with an almost miracu

e, and for the fun of the thing as it were, never dreaming of the possibility of Johnny Crapeau beating us, where there was any thing approaching to an equality of force; but, say as much as we please about larger ships and more men, and a variety of excuses which proud John Bull, with some truth very often I will admit, has pertinaciously thrust forward to palliate his losses during the short war, a regard for truth and fair dealing, which I hope are no scarce qualities amongst British seamen, compels me to admit, that al

tely under the open skylight, through which, by this time, the clear cold rays of the moon streamed full on it, the short twilight having already fled, chained as it is in these climates to the chariot wheels of the burning sun. My eye naturally followed his, but I speedily withdrew it. I had often bent over comrades who had been killed by gunshot wounds, and always remarked, what is well-known, that the features wore a benign expression, bland and gentle, and contented as the fa

s drenched and clotted into heavy masses with the death-sweat, and had fallen back on the deck from his forehead, which was well formed, high, broad and massive. His nose was transparent, thin, and sharp, the tense skin on the bridge of it glancing in the silver light, as if it had been gla

skin had been drawn over a skeleton, and the distortion of the muscles of the cheeks and throat evinced the fearful strength of the convulsions which had preceded his dissolution. It was evident, indeed, that throughout his whole person above the waist, the nervous system had been utterly shattered; the arms, especially, appeared to have been awfully distorted,

tood out from the middle of his forehead like a stunted horn; but, in truth, "it was not exalted," for he appeared crushed down to the very earth by the sadness of the scene before him, and I noticed the frequent sparkle of a heavy tear as it fell from his iron visage on the face of the dead man. At length he un

I have done for him! who would have moaned over me,-me, who am now without wife or child, and have disgraced all my kin! alack-a-day, alack-a-day!"-And he sobbed and wept aloud, as if his very heart would have burst in twain.-"But I will soon follow you, Paul; I have had my warning already; I know it, and I believe it." At this instant the dea

hen, without more ado, handed the body up through the skylight; and I heard the heavy splash as they cast it into the sea. When this was done, the captain returned to the cabin, bringing a light

you do, you may perhaps have fallen in with some such passages as the following:-Behold I am in your hand;

ssession of me again-which, so sure as ever there was a demoniac in this world, he had this afternoon when you so tempted me-I hope soon to place you in safety, either in a friendly port, or on board of

ow or other; and as for my small affair, why I forgive you, man-from my heart I forgive you; were it only for the oddity of your scantling, mental and corporeal, I would do so;

muggler, fit only to be made a butt of by you and your friends, that you no doubt at first took me for

lp me to dress my wound, man, and leave off your cursed sentimental speeches, which

ceremonious interruption was to have upon him. I was agreeably surprised to find that he took it all in good part, and set himself, with great alacrity and kindness even, to put me to rights, and so successfully, that when I was washed and cleansed, and fairly

offence now, none in the world-eh? But where the deuce, man, got you this fine linen of Egypt?" looking at the sleeves of

o be by far the most dangerous topic I could have hit upon. He had laid them aside, having taken them out of the locker when he was rummaging for the linen. "What have we her

them out of my hands, but speedily appeared to give u

e through the gulf, round Cape Antonio, and beat up the haunts of the pirates all along the Cuba shore." I was certain now that at the mention of this corvette mine host winced in ea

but no chance of overtaking her." "El Rayo to sail for St Jago de Cuba on the 10th proximo;" remark-"sails fast; armed with a long gun and musketry; thirty hands; about ten Spanish passengers; valuable cargo of dry goods; mainmast rakes well aft; new cloth in the foresail about half-way up; will be off the Moro about the 13th.-And what is this written in ink under the above?-The San Pedro from Chagres, and Marianita from Santa Martha, although rich, have both got convoy.-Ah, too strong for your friends, Obed-I see, I see.-Francis Baring, Loan French, master-an odd name, rather, for a skipper;" remark-"forty seroons of cochineal and some specie; is to sail from Morant

engages my goodwill-had it not been so, you would have been alongside of poor Paul at this moment." He leant his arms upon the table, and gazed intensely on my face as he continued in a solemn tremulous tone-"Do

r to do so; I do believe that people have had fore

the mate beckoning me with

of the sinews, was forcibly kept down in the position it broke loose from-the spunyarn gave way, and of cou

le the yellow smoky glare of the candle over which he bent, blending harshly and inharmoniously with the pale silver light, fell full on his uncouth figure, and on his long scraggy bare neck and chin and cheeks, giving altogether a most unearthly expression to his savage features, from the conflicting tints and changing shadows cast by the flickering moonbeams streaming fitfully through the skylight, as the vessel rolled to and fro, and by the large torchlike candle as it wavered in the night wind. The Prince of the Powers of the Air might have sat for his picture by proxy. It was just such a face as one has dreamed of af

time he offered to take your p

shot through the heart. His grasp relaxed, he drew

e; I thought it might have been him,

fort to recover his co

Obediah," quoth I,

ing a cot for this gentleman; there now, see the lanyard is sound, and the lacing

also; he then drank to my health, wished me a sound sleep, promised to call me at daylight, and as he left the cabin he said, "Mr Cringle, had it been

es until Obed called me at daylight, that is, a

clear as crystal, there was nothing to be seen of the Gleam or Firebrand, but there were ten or twelve fishing canoes, each manned with from four to six ha

algo de bueno, para los pobres Pescadores?"

as a bold, daring looking fellow, and frequently looked frowningly on me, and shook his head impatiently, while the Captain, as it seemed, was explaining to him who I was. Just in this nick of time my friend Potomac handed up my uniform coat, (I had previously been performing my ablutions on deck in my shirt

ence a felucca, invisible until that moment, now swept out, as if she had floated up to the surface by magic, for I could see neither creek nor indentation on the shore, nor the smallest symptom of any entrance to a port or cove. For a few minutes the canoes clustered round this necromantic c

n, and landed you at St Jago, Mr Cringle, as I promised; but you see I am prevented by these honest me

e looking fellows,-she swept rapidly up to us, and closing on our larboard quarter, threw about five-and-twenty of her genteel young people on board, who immediately secured the crew, and seized Obed. However, they, that i

adness is this? your suspicions are groundless; it is as I tell you, he is

nces," was the

ged that no harm shall come to him; and farther I have promised

joined Francisco; "the Snake

must go

shouted to his ragamuffins, "Comrades, we are betrayed; there is an

ck again. The Captain had now seized a cutlass in one hand, and held a cocked pistol in the other. It appeared he had greater control, the nature of which I now began to comprehend, over the felucca's people, than Francisco bargained for, as

Spanish, "fool, madman, let go your hold! let go, or by the Heaven ab

still clutched my throat, while mine grasped its wrist, had been shred from his body by Obed's cutlass, like a twig; and, oh God, my blood curdles to my heart even now when I think of it! the dead fingers kept the grasp sufficiently long to allow the arm to fall hea

I ever flinched from heading you where the danger was greatest-have y

noble capi

idly in our favour as it h

turning to where Francisco lay, bleeding like a carcass in the shambl

es had emptied his whole lifeblood

Obed, who now, turning to me, said, with perfect composure,-"You have there another melancholy voucher for my sincerity," point

of the voices on deck, I judged that we were in a narrow canal, the banks of which were reflecting the sound; presently this ceased, and although we skimmed along as motionless as before, I no longer heard the splash of the felucca's sweeps; the roar of the sea gradually died away, until it sounded like distant thunder, and I thought we touched the ground now and then, although slightly. All at once the Spanish part of the crew, for we still had a number of the felucca's people with us, sang out "Palanca," and we began to pole along a narrow marshy lagoon, coming so near the shore occasionally, that our sides were brushed by the branches of the mangrove bushes. Again th

t had been the region of perpetual rain. "Lots of yellow fever here," thought I, as the heavy rank smell of decayed vegetable matter came off on the faint sickly breeze, and the sluggish fog banks crept along the dull clay-coloured motionless surface of the tepid water. The sea view was quite shut out-I looked all round and could discern no vestige of the entrance. Right ahead there was about a furlong of land cleared at the only spot which one could call a beach,-that is, a hard shore of sand and pebbles. Had you tried to get ashore at any other point, your fate would have been that of the Master of Ravenswood; as fatal, that is, without the gentility; for you would have been suffocated in black mud, i

be prepared to die as became a man, for my fate appeared to be sealed. The only ray of hope that shot into my mind, through all this gloom, came from the respect the thieves, one and all, paid the Captain; and, as I had reaped the benefit of assuming an outward recklessness and daring, which I really did not at heart possess, I screwed myself up to maintain the same port still, and swaggered along, jabbering in my broken Spanish, right and left, and jesting even with the most infamous-looking scoundrels of the whole lot, while, God he knows, my heart was palpitating like a girl's when she is asked to be married. Obed led the way up a ladder into the loft, where we found several messes at dinner; and passing through various roo

onsider yourself a prisoner h

d only

lear, I will be as good as my

gain. The m

he fellow who would have cut your throat this morning has many friends amongst them; above all, I dare not leave them for any purpose for some days. I must recover my seat, in which, by the necessary severity you witnessed, I have been somewhat shaken.

a ring, he lifted up a trap door, from which there was a ladder leading down to the capst

rough the hole at some quiet opportunity; and he was descending the ladd

orders, at the foot of the ladder, to whom I must give orders to fire at y

are books on that shelf behind the canvass screen

yron's poetry, containing the first canto of Childe Harold, two numbers of Blackwood, with several

were ranged along one side of the room. I paid my respects to the provender and claret; the hashed chicken was particularly good; bones rather large or so, but flesh white and delicate. Had I known that I was dining upon a guana, or large wood lizard, I scar

window, when I was roused by the howling of a dog, a sound which always moves me. I shook mysel

sed voice, sung the following snatch of a vulgar Port Royal ditty, wh

icer come h

me ring a

s, one pic

almost l

fum my back

e shild f

ssa sa

enly, as if disturbed by

whispering tone; "you will waken de dronken sentry dere, when we

a dreamy recollection of having heard both the male and female voices before

dog ever I see; Let him starve him, and kick him, and

pause for a

continued; "him either no

he shall hear.-Here, good dog, sing psalm; good dog, sing psalm,' and t

g Sneezer, it is a deuced good

leetle piece more, good dog,

it was too dark to see any thing distinctly below. I could barely distinguish

"What do you

ftly, or the sentry may hear u

for he began to bark and frisk about, and to leap violently against the end of the capstan-house, in va

of my voice pronouncing his name drove him mad altogether, an

aws in the handkerchief, and I hauled him in at the window. "Now, Sneezer, down with you, sir, down with you, or your rampaging will get all our thro

a, you no

I? Don't you see it

will tell you; i

doubt of that; bu

him," said the female. "Massa, never mind he, dat s

rselves known to me; and if so, pray have the goodness to

, massa; for dat pu

de honour to address, and"-here he lowered his voice still more, although the whole dialogue from the commencement had been conducted in no higher tone than a loud whisper-"we have secured one big large canoe, n

nexpected chance, thought I. "But, Peter, ho

oits, dat is de wonderful ting him never do in him's own country, him get embroidered and pinked in gunpo

ter, d--n mumbo jumbo particularly; bu

piratical rascal catch we, and carry us off. Yankee privateer bad enough; but who ever hear of pilot being carry off? blasphemy dat-carry off pil

dog?" e

id us; and when we started last, although he showed some dislike at going on board, I had only to say, Sneezer, we go look for you

ter; you hab no decen

en are we to make the attempt? w

all de oder on board walk de plank, wid two ten pound shot, one at each foot. Oh, if you had seen de clear shining blue skin, as de became leetle and leetle, and more leetler, down far in de clear gre

pe, and the black dog, and the black-ahem-beg

ng for brute beasts, so dem save Sneezer, and my wife, and myshef; we

spare you the pain of any farther recit

nd. The negro had excited himself by a recapitulation of the cruelties exercised on his unfortunate shipmates, and the unwarrantable caption of himself and rib, a deed that in the nautical calendar would rank in atrocity with the murder of a herald or the bearer of a

to a sitting position, with his head leaning against one of the steps, as he reclined with

ition him lie in-quite convenient-could cut his troat now-slice him like a pumpkin-de debil is surel

the floor

dat is, for de oder never sleep, you know." He had again come under the window. "Now, Lieutenant, in two word, to-mo

will; but why not no

break already, sir. Can't make try dis night,

found in my quarters, we shall be blown

know de dog was catch wid me, and if he be found wid you, den

y Christian person. Tell him he must go wid us dis one night, no tell him dis night, else

ould come up to the expectations of Mrs Mangrove. But I'll try. "Here, Sneezer, here, my boy; you must go home with Peter tonight, or we shall al

y face from ear to ear, uttering a low, fondling, nuzzling sort of whine, like a nurse caressing a child, he at once leapt on the window sill, put his forepaws through the handkerchief, and was dropped to the ground again.

ll once more fast asleep, and never opened my eyes until

e sent up your breakfast, but yo

u please thank you-waistcoat-that will do. Now-coffee, fish, yams, and plantains, and biscuit, white as snow, and short as-and eggs an

ast with you, if my soci

ry, and then take a topdressing. Write this down as an approved axiom with all thorough breakfast eaters. Why, man, you are off your feed; what are you turning up your ear for, in that incomprehensible fashion, like a duck in thunder? A

ear that,

pawl of that creeping thing along with it; that guana. I had a dislike to eating a lizard at first, but I hav

side to side of the lagoon, the echoes growing shorter and shorter, and weaker and

ck in your skirts, Master Obed-but Lord help me, man! let

my ill-timed funning; but to my surprise, his countenance exhibited more a

to keep a bright look-out at the mouth of our cove

hush! there's a

untenance at th

more than one gun when I saw her, and sh

d of a magician. Presently we heard one or two dropping shots, quickly thickening into a rattle of musketry. He threw down his food, picked up his hat, and trundled down

d Pedro; "perseguido por dos La

el mundo; arma arma, aqui vi

boat guns came louder and louder, and the small arms peppered away sharper and sharper. The shouts of the men engaged, both friends and foes, were now heard, and I could hear Obed's voice on board the largest schooner, which lay full in view from my window, giving orders, not only to his own crew, but to those of the others. I heard him distinctly sing out, after ordering them to haul upon

the shouting rose higher than ever-the other schooners opened their fire, both cannon and musketry; and from the increasing vehemence of the Spanish exclamations, and the cheering on board Obed's vessels, I concluded the attacking party were having the worst of it. My dog Sneezer now came jumping and scrambling up the trap stair, his paws slipping between the bars at every

n before to the beach wid two p

sing, and splashing, and ricochetting along the smooth surface of the harbour, as if there had been a sleet of musket and cannonballs and grape. Peter struck out at the top of his speed, Sneezer and I followed: we soon reached the jungl

got the worst

th Peter, "or we shan't

ywhere else, and my skin was tom in pieces by the prickly bushes and spear grass. The s

sa-dem will s

at?" as we came to a bundle of clo

it is, sticking in the mud up to her waist; what shall us d

rcy, Peter-yes,

ssa, you

it for ballast, gathered all our remaining energies for a grand shove, and ran her like lightning into the surf, till the water flashed over and over us, reaching to our necks. Next moment we were both swimming, and the canoe, although full of water, beyond the surf, rising and falling on the long swell. We scrambled on board, set Nancy to bale with Peter's hat, seized our paddles, and skulled away like fury for ten minutes

tempt to redeem you from bondage, Tom; but I am delighted to see you although I have not had the credit of being your deliverer-very glad to see you, Tom; but come along man, come down wit

ough-bad enough, as you say; but I would tha

. I did so, standing in as quickly as the light air would take me, to support them; the felucca all this while sweeping in shore as fast as she could pull. But the boats were too nimble for her, and our launch had already saluted her twice from the six pounder in the bow, when the sea-breeze came thundering down in a white squall, that reefed our gaff-topsail in a trice, and blew away a whole lot of light sails, like

firing after th

d us to hear musketry a mile and a half to windward. I did think I saw some smoke rise, and blow off now and then, but" "But me no buts, Master Richard Casket; Peter Mangrove here, as

low themselves to be trepanned in this way. We must s

wenty hands, one-third of them boys, and the rest landsmen, scrambled up from

I fear it has been no laughing matter to my poor

rst time, the extreme ludicrousness of my appearance and following flashed on me. There we were all in a bunch,

-white deck, amidst a group of officers, where every thing was in the most apple-pie order, himself, both in mind and apparel, the most polished c

ravat and a dressing to my wound; while the blood from the scratches had dried into black streaks adown and across my face and paws, and I was altogether so begrimed with mud that my mother would not have known me. Dick made his salaam

vain to keep his gravity. "Why, I see it is

t," continued Casket, as Peter, bowi

est of his canvass having been entirely torn out of the bolt-ropes. For an upper dress he had borrowed a waistcoat without sleeves from the purser of the schooner, which hung loose and unbuttoned before, while behind, being somewhat of the shortest, some very prominent parts of his stem frame were disclosed, as even an apology for

no bottom, and Nancy was not a sailor, were most ludicrously scanty at top, and devil another rag of any kind had the poor creature on, but a handkerchief across her bosom. There was no standing all this; the crew forward and in the waist were all on the broad grin, while the

the quarterdeck, although it did do so, "And here comes the last joint of Mr Cringle's Tail." The dog began floundering and jumping about, and walloping amongst the people, most of whom knew him, and immediately drew their attention from me and my party to himself; for away they all bundled forward, dog and men tumbling and scrambling about like so many children, leaving t

e boats, for the purpose of destroying the haunt of the pirates, and recovering the men, if they were still alive; but before any thing could be done,

her by the head, that she might thus draw less water by being on an even keel, all sharp vessels of her class requiring much deeper water aft than forward; the corvette's launch, with a 12-pound carronade fitted, was then manned and armed with thirty seamen and marines, under the command of the second lieutenant; the jolly boat and the two quarter boats, each with twelve men, followed in a

hed safely through the small canal of blue water, which divided the surf at the harbour's mouth, having hit it to a nicety; but when about a pistolshot from the entrance, the channel narrowed to a muddy creek, not more than twenty yards wide, with high trees, and thick underwood close to the water's edge. All was silent, the sun shone clown upon us like the concentrated rays of a b

wo old 32-pound carronades, which, in anticipation of some obstruction of the sort, had been got on deck from amongst the Gleam's ballast, and properly slung, was now made fast to the middle timber of the boom, and let go, when the weight of it sunk it to the bottom, and we passed on. We pulled on for about half a mile further

reened them, simply loosened some of the fragments of rock that impended over us, so threateningly, it seemed, as if a little finger could have sent them bounding and thundering down the mountain side; but this e

n, if it were successful, the damning fact of having fought under such an infernal emblem must have ensured a pirate's death on the gibbet to every soul who was taken, unless he had intended to have murdered all the witnesses of it. But since proof in my person and the pilot's existed, now, if ever, was the time for mortal resistance, and to have hoisted it, for they knew that they all fought with halters about their necks. They had all the Spanish flag flying except the Wave, which showed American colours, and the felucca, which had a white flag hoisted, from which last, whenever our gig appeared, a canoe shoved off, and pulled towards us. The officer, if such he might be called, also carried

ough, to go on board with

tain

leam's deck, the crews of the boats th

der of this force?"

uff, after the manner of the ancients, as if he had been goin

ly attacked a week ago, although you are at peace with Spain. But even had they

my young friend, Lieutenant Cringle there, as if you had been slavers kidnapping the Bungoes

chooner; but so far as regards firing on your boats, I believe they fired first. But the crews are not murdered; on the

nd what have you made

he sangfroid in the world, "gastados, (

ed, are they? then g

l in this case withdraw

to be lost, so I dashed at the felucca in the gig, and broke open the hatches, where we found the captured seamen and their gallant leader, Lieutenant--, in a sorry plight, expecting nothing but to be blown up, or instant death by shot or the knife. We released them, and, sending to the Gleam for ammunition and small arms, led the way in the felucca, by Mr Gasket's orders, to the attack, the corvette's launch supporting us; while the schooner with the other craft were scrapin

ng for a taste either of cutlass or boarding-pike. The captain himself, however, with about ten Americans, stood at bay round the long gun, which, notwithstanding their great inferiority in point of numbers to our party, they manfully fired three several times at us, after we had carried her aft; but we were so close that the grape came past us like a round shot, and only killed one hand at each discharge, whereas at thirty yards farther off, by having had room to spread, it might have made a pretty tableau of the whole party. I hailed Obed twice to surrender, while our people, stagger

as all on our side by this time, and I, along with the o

ifteen we had released, who were absolutely mad with fury-perfect fiends; such uncontrollable fierceness I

, sir," cri

nd he let drive at a poor devil, who was squattering and swi

er, a marine, who was taking aim at no less a personage than friend Obed, who had

made me wash hi

ompact might be considered broken; but then it was out of his power to have fulfilled it; besides, he not only threatened my life subsequently, but actually wounded me; still, however, on great provocation. But what "is writ, is writ." He has gone to his account, pirate as he was, murderer if you will; yet I had, and still have, a tear for his memory,-and many a time have I prayed on my bare knees that his blue agonized dying look might be erased from my brain; but this can never be. What he had been I never learned; but it is my deliberate opinion, that, with a clear stage and opportunity, he would have forced himself out from the surface of society for good or for evil. The unfortunates who survived him, but to expiate their crimes on the gibbet at Port Royal, said he had joined them from a New York privateer, but they knew nothing farther of him beyond the fact, that by

n to follow them, we secured our prisoners, and at the close of a bloody day, for fatal had it been to friend and foe, the pri