+ ~ -
 
Please report pronunciation problems here. Select and sample other voices. Options Pause Play
 
Report an Error
Go!
 
Go!
 
TOC
 

had gone before him, even among these
children of nature.

Turtles and oysters were now produced in
astonishing numbers, and on these and yams the
people made a hearty meal. After dinner the
Chief told Captain Boldheart that there was
better feeding up at the village, and that he
would be glad to take him and his officers there.
Apprehensive of treachery, Boldheart ordered
his boat's crew to attend him completely armed.
And well were it for other commanders if their
precautions-but let us not anticipate.

When the canoes arrived at the beach, the
darkness of the night was illumined by the light
of an immense fire. Ordering his boat's crew
(with the intrepid though illiterate William at
their head) to keep close and be upon their
guard, Boldheart bravely went on, arm-in-arm
with the Chief.

But how to depict the captain's surprise when
he found a ring of Savages singing in chorus that
barbarous translation of "For what we are going
to receive, &c.," which has been given above,
and dancing hand-in-hand round the Latin-
Grammar-Master, in a hamper with his head
shaved, while two savages floured him, before
putting him to the fire to be cooked!

Boldheart now took counsel with his officers
on the course to be adopted. In the mean time
the miserable captive never ceased begging
pardon and imploring to be delivered. On the
generous Boldheart's proposal, it was at length
resolved that he should not be cooked, but
should be allowed to remain raw, on two
conditions. Namely,

1. That he should never under any circumstances
presume to teach any boy anything any
more.

2. That, if taken back to England, he should
pass his life in travelling to find out boys who
wanted their exercises done, and should do their
exercises for those boys for nothing, and never
say a word about it.

Drawing his sword from its sheath,
Boldheart swore him to these conditions on its
shining blade. The prisoner wept bitterly, and
appeared acutely to feel the errors of his past
career.

The captain then ordered his boat's crew to
make ready for a volley, and after firing to re-load
quickly. "And expect a score or two on ye
to go head over heels," murmured William
Boozey, "for I'm a looking at ye." With those
words the derisive though deadly William took
a good aim.

'"Fire!"

The ringing voice of Boldheart was lost in
the report of the guns and the screeching of the
savages. Volley after volley awakened the
numerous echoes. Hundreds of savages were
killed, hundreds wounded, and thousands ran
howling into the woods. The Latin-Grammar-
Master had a spare nightcap lent him, and a long-
tail coat which he wore hind side before. He
presented a ludicrous though pitiable appearance,
and serve him right.

We now find Captain Boldheart, with this
rescued wretch on board, standing off for other
islands. At one of these, not a cannibal island,
but a pork and vegetable one, he married (only
in fun on his part) the King's daughter. Here
he rested some time, receiving from the natives
great quantities of precious stones, gold-dust,
elephants' teeth, and sandal-wood, and getting
very rich. This, too, though he almost every
day made presents of enormous value to his men.

The ship being at length as full as she could
hold of all sorts of valuable things, Boldheart
gave orders to weigh the anchor, and turn the
Beauty's head towards England. These orders
were obeyed with three cheers, and ere the sun
went down full many a hornpipe had been
danced on deck by the uncouth though agile
William.

We next find Captain Boldheart about three
leagues off Madeira, surveying through his spy-
glass a stranger of suspicious appearance
making sail towards him. On his firing a gun
ahead of her to bring her to, she ran up a
flag, which he instantly recognised as the flag
from the mast in the back garden at home.

Inferring from this, that his father had put
to sea to seek his long-lost son, the captain
sent his own boat on board the stranger, to
inquire if this was so, and if so, whether his
father's intentions were strictly honourable.
The boat came back with a present of greens
and fresh meat, and reported that the stranger
was The Family, of twelve hundred tons,
and had not only the captain's father on board,
but also his mother, with the majority of
his aunts and uncles, and all his cousins. It
was further reported to Boldheart that the
whole of these relations had expressed
themselves in a becoming manner, and were
anxious to embrace him and thank him for the
glorious credit he had done them. Boldheart
at once invited them to breakfast next morning
on board the Beauty, and gave orders for a
brilliant ball that should last all day.

It was in the course of the night that the
captain discovered the hopelessness of reclaiming
the Latin-Grammar-Master. That thankless
traitor was found out, as the two ships lay near
each other, communicating with The Family by
signals, and offering to give up Boldheart. He
was hanged at the yard-arm the first thing in
the morning, after having it impressively pointed
out to him by Boldheart that this was what
spiters came to.

The meeting between the captain and his
parents was attended with tears. His uncles
and aunts would have attended their meeting
with tears too, but he wasn't going to stand
that. His cousins were very much astonished
by the size of his ship and the discipline of his
men, and were greatly overcome by the splendour
of his uniform. He kindly conducted
them round the vessel, and pointed out everything
worthy of notice. He also fired his
hundred guns, and found it amusing to witness
their alarm.

The entertainment surpassed everything ever
seen on board ship, and lasted from ten in the
morning until seven the next morning. Only
one disagreeable incident occurred. Captain