Black Ajax

Оглавление

George Fraser MacDonald. Black Ajax

CONTENTS

PROLOGUE Galway, Ireland, 1818

THOMAS (“PADDINGTON”) JONES, retired pugilist and former lightweight champion of England

LUCIEN-MARIE D’ESTREES DE LA GUISE, gentleman of leisure, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

SEÑORA MARGUERITE ROSSIGNOL, lady of fashion and independent means, Havana

CAPTAIN BUCKLEY (“MAD BUCK”) FLASHMAN, late of the 23rd Light Dragoons

WILLIAM HAZLITT, essayist, critic, and journalist

BILL RICHMOND, former slave, retired pugilist, inn-keeper, manager and fight promoter

TOM CRIBB, former heavyweight Champion of England, retired publican

JOHN DOE, alias Richard Roe, footman to Belinda, Lady Manners, wife of Sir John Manners, Bt

BOB LOGIC, Esq., student, sportsman, and former pupil of Tonbridge School, Kent

HENRY DOWNES MILES, editor of Pugilistica andPIERCE EGAN, author of Boxiana

WILLIAM CROCKFORD, fishmonger and gambler, founder of Crockford’s gaming club

His Royal Highness GEORGE AUGUSTUS FREDERICK, Prince of Wales, later KING GEORGE IV

TOM MOLINEAUX, pugilist

BOB GREGSON, championship contender, publican, poet, and match-maker

Captain ROBERT BARCLAY ALLARDICE, late 23rd Foot, pedestrian, landowner, and agriculturalist

PIERCE EGAN, resumed

HENRY DOWNES MILES and PIERCE EGAN, resumed

PADDINGTON JONES, concluded

PIERCE EGAN, concluded

BILL RICHMOND, concluded

EPILOGUE

GLOSSARY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

PRAISE

OTHER WORKS

COPYRIGHT

ABOUT THE PUBLISHER

Отрывок из книги

Black Ajax

George MacDonald Fraser

.....

“That Bill Spicer, an English sailor,” Richard informs me. “Knows all ’bout the Fancy, bin givin’ Tom prime trainin’, teachin’ him the guards an’ sech.” He says it without confidence, and as I regard M’sieur Spicer, I share his pessimism.

A positive thunder from the musicians heralds the arrival of the Black Ghost, and, ma foi!, he is a spectacle, that one. He bounds to the stage like a hideous genie from a bottle, the image of that blackamoor who ravishes princesses in the Oriental tale. He is a giant, a full head taller than Tom, stark naked, with great lean limbs and the torso of a Hercules, his whole body scarred with the wounds of his contests and the lashes of his overseers. He is terrific as he stalks the stage, grinning horribly and flaunting himself at the whores, flexing his mighty arms and rolling his eyes about him. His skull, from which one ear has been torn away, is small and shaved clean, so that it resembles a polished cannon ball. He booms “Ho-ho!” like an ogre as he makes his bow to his master, the corpulent Blenkinsop, and squats on his heels above Tom, baring the few yellow teeth remaining in his ghastly jaws, and spitting threats in an awful croaking voice.

.....