Doctor Syn on the High Seas - Thorndike Russell (читать лучшие читаемые книги TXT) 📗

mutiny against him, and ‘tis like as not, that had you not killed him

for me, I should have done so myself. But now as to our score. It’s a

long cry from here to Romney Marsh, and I owes you a little matter of

three spade guineas, two crowns and a silver fourpenny. And for that sum

of money, which helped me on my way to Portsmouth safe from the ruddy

Customs, I promised that if you gave up the pulpit, Doctor Syn, went -avoyaging, and fell into my hands, you should not walk the plank but the

poop-deck, with a sword at your side and a sashful of pistols. And here

it seems we be, just as we thought might happen.”

“By gad it’s Mipps!” cried Syn. “The little smuggler on Lympne Hill.”

“Quite right, sir, and very pleased to meet a Syn o’ Lydd this nice

bright morning in mid-ocean. Give us your hand, sir, and how d’ye do,

and let’s get back to the ship and have a brandy before the old shark

comes back and interferes.”

It was then that the pirates saw a strange sight, for the swimmers,

changing their weapons to their left hands, shook hands together so

violently with their right that the water splashed and splashed again.

Then side by side they swam towards the pirate ship. Mipps bawling out

to his men to stand by the rope ladder for “two ruddy Admirals comin’

aboard.”

They climbed the ladder none too son, for the shark was back again in

the fairway between two vessels, tearing at one of the corpses that had

walked the plank. But Mipps cared nothing for sharks. He was bent on

getting a favourite reception for his one time patron with the pirate

crew. He climbed up first, whispering to Syn to follow, and to take his

lead in all he said.

- 77 -

“Black Satan’s dead, my lads,” he cried out, as soon as he had

helped Syn to the deck. “And it is my gallant friend here who has saved

us from what would have been a bloody mutiny. We all agreed as how the

nigger had been over -a-reachin’ of himself of late; and why should men

of brains serve under what was only brawn and muscle? Now, I can vouch

right here and now for this man. You’ve seen him fight? You’ve seen him

give Black Satan to that ruddy shark. And did it very neat, you’ll

allow. His name is Syn, and Syn’s as good a name as Satan. Now, I

propose we celebrates our victory over the ship yonder in the usual way.

Double rum for all hands. Then we’ll divide the plunder into portions as

agreed and split Black Satan’s share. But let me tell you this. We ain’t

got a more valuable bit of plunder off that there ship than this ‘ere

man. Used to be a parson till he couldn’t stomach it no more, and so

come out here to find me and the way to go a -pirating. I owes him my

life for saving me from the Customs officers who was about to hang me,

till he steps in and knocks ‘em all to hell, parson though he was. I now

advises you one and all to shake hands on his friendship, for if you

don’t, God help you. He’s willing to join us, and when you know him

better you’ll say we’re lucky to get him. So serve the grog, then for

the plunder, then we’ll decide the fate of the ship yonder and also vote

a new leader in Black Satan’s place.”

“Faith, the sooner you serve me with sum,” said Doctor Syn, “the

sooner will I be pleased. When I have drunk, I am willing to fight my

way into your good graces. I will take on any challenger just to prove

my mettle. You do not know me, but I am hoping we may be better

acquainted either with this” (holding out his right hand, and then

putting his sword from his left into it, he added) “or this.” But first

a bottle of rum to get the stench of that damned shark out of my

innards.”

The quartermaster produced two bottles, one of which he handed to

Mipps and the other to Syn, saying, “You’ve earned your drink this

morning. But have a care. ‘Tis strong stuff for a parson.”

Syn laughed somewhat scornfully, drew the cork with his teeth, spat

the cork on the deck, and then tilted the raw spirit down his throat

till the bottle was empty. Mipps was still drinking his, but had only

got halfway when Syn took it from him in the most engaging manner and

finished it for him. This touch of comedy appealed to the pirates even

more than the tragic splendor of his fighting, and in a few minutes,

when the grog went round, the pirates were drinking to their new

brother’s health. Fortunately for Syn the crew was widely recruited from

many lands and languages, and when they found this uncanny stranger

could speak and joke with them each in his own tongue, their admiration

knew no bounds.

“I said we’d strut the poop-deck,” whispered Mipps, “and it looks as

though you’ll be made captain willy-nilly.”

And Mipps was in the right of it too, for after the Intention had

been abandoned and sunk, votes were taken for the post of command and it

was Mipps and Syn who carried it.

It was not till after sunset that Syn was able to take Mipps into his

confidence, for till that time they had not been alone. They now found

themselves in possession of the captain’s cabin under the poop. The

pirates had unanimously agreed that theirs should be a joint leadership,

Mipps maintaining his post as sailing-master and navigator, and Syn to

be in command of fighting tactics. In this capacity he quickly proved

himself a leader, for he called for a full inventory of arms abroad, and

was much surprised to learn that there was no such thing.

- 78 -

“Then the sooner I have it the better,” he had cried. “That Black

Satan of yours may have left all to chance, but if I’m to be of use to

you my way is different. How can I judge whether to risk your lives and

such booty as you already possess unless I know to a nicety what powder

and shot I have in the lockers? I suggest that you appoint for a Master

Armourer with sufficient men to help men, who shall be free from all

other duties. Not only will they keep our guns sweet and clean, but it

shall be their responsibility to keep a razor edge on all your

cutlasses. Each day you will choose two of your fellows to come with me

on my inspection, so that you will feel satisfied that all is being done

for your profit. If we are ready to fight upon an empty sea, we shall be

the better prepared when any sai l tops the horizon. We must school

ourselves to think that we are not here for the fun of the thing. Plenty

of time for fun when we go ashore and spend our money freely. But to get

sufficient money we must work. If I am to take a hand in leading you, it

shall be my object to stuff your belts with guineas and to keep your

bodies from the chains. I take it that none of you desire to hang, and

for myself, I don’t intend to, for ‘tis a most ungentlemanly end. To

avoid this, I tell you now there must be no foolishness. Certain risks I

am willing to take if I think the possible results are justifiable, in

which cases I shall be the first to board, and you will follow me. But I

reserve, for your sakes and mine won, the right to vote against a fight

if I consider th at the odds are too great against us. Let us not,

through an exaggerated conceit, fall foul of one ship when we might sink

six others through discretion. If, on the other hand, we find ourselves

out-gunned and out-maneuvered, and fight we must —well, then, we will,

and maybe get the victory. Who knows?”

Needless to say, Mipps had seen to it that Syn’s property had all

been returned. Shoes, coat, pistols and scabbard, and his seachest,