Читать книгу A First Fleet Family - Becke Louis - Страница 6

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I Am Persuaded By Will Bryant To Become A Man Of Mettle

I had now quite determined to enlist in the army or join the navy at the very first opportunity that presented itself, for the taunting words of Mary Broad had more than ever inflamed my mind in the matter. And so that I might become something of a man of the world, and rub off some of my rustic simplicity, I began to spend my evenings in the ale-houses near Solcombe, and study the loud talk and manners of those that frequented them.

One evening I was in a tavern at Ryde where I met Will Bryant. We fell a-talking, and in a while our talk came round to Mary Broad. Although I was so jealous of Bryant, he was such a big, good-natured, if idle and dissolute, fellow, that I could not feel very bitter towards him, and the pint or two of ale that he gave me to drink made my tongue somewhat loose. He understood how the land lay with me, and so far from resenting my admiration for his dark-eyed sweetheart, he seemed to feel a pity for me. Perhaps this was because he regarded me but as an over-grown boy, and so, after some little talk, we grew confidential, and before we parted had become quite friendly.

It came about in this way. Will asked me if I had seen Mary of late, “For,” said he, with a good-natured smile, “she may have taken more kindly to you this last week or two. I know that the wench has deserted me for a long while.”

Then, all the while in a great fear lest I should rouse his temper and feel the weight of his hand and lead to mischief between him and the other, I told him how Mary was carrying on with young Fairfax.

He leaned back and squared his great chest and laughed heartily, and said, “Oh, I know what the jade is after. I don’t mind that a bit. Young Fairfax is as honest a gentleman as ever lived, and, look you, William Dew,” and there came a curious look in his eye, “Mary is as good a girl as is in the world. ’Tis only harmless fun they are having, though I know that Master Fairfax really fancies himself in love with the girl and would marry her to-morrow morning if he could get to windward of the old man and talk him into giving his consent. And that he is as likely to get as I am to get the command of a seventy-four. But Mary amuses herself with him, no doubt, by saying she’ll marry him when the Squire consents.”

“But don’t you think—” I began, when he interrupted me.

“I don’t think anything, William, my lad. The girl, when she is tired of the game and when he’s off to sea again, will come back to me once more all right. She’s only backing and filling like this for a purpose. I’m in no hurry, but, anyhow, it makes no difference. When I’m ready I shall go and fetch her and marry her, although some people would as lief she married the devil, I believe.”

His easy, confident manner quite dashed my hopes to the ground, for he was such a masterful fellow, and I had seen before this what a great influence he had over her that I felt he was right, and he could marry the girl whenever he had a mind to it.

“But, William,” he went on, “she’s a good girl, and when I do marry her, I’ll give her a proper home, and that I haven’t got yet. I like my freedom and so does she, and we are in no hurry.”

“You take it coolly. I wish I had your chance, Will Bryant. I’d willingly give up my freedom,” I answered with some bitterness.

“Never mind, my lad. Your turn will come some day, and you’ll find a maid who will make as good a wife as Mary, only don’t look so down in the mouth. Why don’t you take a trip to sea and have a look at the world? Why, lad, I don’t believe that you have ever been further than Portsmouth in your life.”

“You are right, Will. I have seen nothing of life, and I have been no further than to Portsmouth two or three times and to Southampton once. It is not everyone that can get away in a king’s ship and cut out a French privateer as you have done. I would much like to get a run with some ship to the Indies, but I don’t want to join the Merchant Service, and even if I did, there are few merchantmen about these parts, and no captain would care to ship me with so many sailors and fishermen to be had for their money.”

“Save us! Then why don’t you get to learn something in that way? Come about with us a bit and learn to be handy in a boat. That would be better than following the plough tail and milking the cows all your life.”

By this time we had had another pint of ale and I was quite pot valiant.

“I would be glad enough to do so,” I said, “but I am very awkward in a boat, and would only be soundly rated for a fool if you had me in yours.”

“Look here, William, my lad, if you like you can help us without going into a boat. There is a little cargo to be landed not far from Solcombe Bay, and if you are a lad of mettle and care to give us a hand with it, you’ll have a chance to pick up a trifle of pocket money, as well as a little experience that will help to make a man of you.”

“Ah, Will,” I said, “I know what you mean, but I don’t want to mix myself up in any smuggling.”

“Why not?” he said earnestly. “Your own father is one of the buyers of French brandy when it is landed. Why, even Squire Fairfax himself is not above buying the goods, so long as we are willing to take the risk of landing them.”

And so it was by clever speeches like this that Will Bryant led me to take part in my first and last smuggling adventure — that is, the last adventure in which I played the part of a smuggler, for it was not the last in which I played a part. But of that hereafter.