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The Corsair King, a fiction by Maurus Jokai |
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Chapter 4. Retribution |
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_ Chapter IV. Retribution The foaming wine is drained from the cup, nothing remains but the dregs, which we will also empty. During the battle Captain Hill released himself and his ship and, taking possession of the pirates' money, sailed away. The buccaneers, prisoners on board their own ship, were taken to Cape Corso, but not even this disaster could subdue them. The injured men would not allow their wounds to be bandaged, and when they were put in irons, beat their aching, bleeding wounds with their chains, and died uttering imprecations, reconciled neither to God nor man. The others sang wild buccaneer songs and irritated their guards with sneering jests. Weighing the ration of bread in his hand one of them said, laughing: "You want us to dry up to save hemp; we shall get so thin on this fare that you can hang us by a thread of yarn." They were chained together in couples. One began to sing and pray; his companion gave him a violent thrust in the side. "What do you expect to gain by that?" he asked. "The Kingdom of Heaven," replied the other humbly. "You? The Kingdom of Heaven? You passed that port long ago with the rest of us. We're sailing for hell. The captain is already waiting for us, and we shall enter according to our rank, and when we run into harbor there we'll salute him with a salvo of thirteen shots. Hurrah for Barthelemy and his luck." The poor, penitent sinner did not stop singing and praying, spite of the oaths of his companion, till the latter, in all seriousness, begged the captain of the ship to relieve them from this fellow, whose howling disturbed the good-humor of the others, and who had proved himself unworthy of such distinguished company; or at any rate, for the maintenance of order, to take away his prayer-book. The most dangerous members of the pirate band were kept prisoners on the Swallow, and among them were Moody and Asphlant. The latter formed a plot to escape from their confinement some night, kill both the captains, and form a still more powerful buccaneer crew. One of them, however, deemed it advisable to save himself at the expense of the others and betrayed the plan. The prisoners had already managed to file through their chains. Afterwards they were watched day and night. Scudamore had been left on the Royal Fortune, where he was permitted liberty to move about to care for the wounded pirates, so far as they would permit. One night Scudamore instigated them to free themselves with his aid, and die fighting rather than be executed. The conspiracy was discovered at the moment of the outbreak and, that it might not be repeated, on reaching the land a trial was held at once in order to make short work of the pirates. They were divided into two classes, one containing the officers, the other the men; the former had ordered everything, the latter had merely executed their commands. The first was jestingly called the Upper House. The trial of the Upper House ended badly. All were condemned to death; among them Moody, Asphlant, Simpson and Scudamore. Only one was acquitted--Henry Glasby. His noble character was known by reputation; many owed their lives and property to his intercession; he had often attempted, at the risk of his life, to escape from the pirates, but was always captured. The court released him. At last he could join his promised bride. * * * * * The end of the notorious band of pirates was noised abroad throughout the entire world. Three young girls went in turn to every church in Dublin, offering grateful thanks to Heaven for having heard their petitions and sunk the terrible corsair king in the sea. Then, in a whisper, they added: "And protect our beloved William, restore him to us." Robert Barthelemy lay a hundred fathoms beneath the waves amid the coral and sea-shells. [THE END] _ |
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