stories by modern american authors-第39节

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contagious；　like　the　plagueeverybody　but　honest　Dirk　Waldron；　who

still　kept　up　his　stolen　visits　to　the　daughter；　and　indeed　seemed

to　wax　more　affectionate　as　the　fortunes　of　his　mistress　were　on

the　wane。



Many　months　had　elapsed　since　Wolfert　had　frequented　his　old

resort；　the　rural　inn。　　He　was　taking　a　long；　lonely　walk　one

Saturday　afternoon；　musing　over　his　wants　and　disappointments；　when

his　feet　took　instinctively　their　wonted　direction；　and　on　awaking

out　of　a　reverie；　he　found　himself　before　the　door　of　the　inn。　　For

some　moments　he　hesitated　whether　to　enter；　but　his　heart　yearned

for　companionship；　and　where　can　a　ruined　man　find　better

companionship　than　at　a　tavern；　where　there　is　neither　sober

example　nor　sober　advice　to　put　him　out　of　countenance？



Wolfert　found　several　of　the　old　frequenters　of　the　inn　at　their

usual　posts　and　seated　in　their　usual　places；　but　one　was　missing；

the　great　Ramm　Rapelye；　who　for　many　years　had　filled　the　leather…

bottomed　chair　of　state。　　His　place　was　supplied　by　a　stranger；　who

seemed；　however；　completely　at　home　in　the　chair　and　the　tavern。

He　was　rather　under　size；　but　deep…chested；　square；　and　muscular。

His　broad　shoulders；　double　joints；　and　bow　knees　gave　tokens　of

prodigious　strength。　　His　face　was　dark　and　weather…beaten；　a　deep

scar；　as　if　from　the　slash　of　a　cutlass；　had　almost　divided　his

nose；　and　made　a　gash　in　his　upper　lip；　through　which　his　teeth

shone　like　a　bulldog's。　　A　mop　of　iron…gray　hair　gave　a　grisly

finish　to　this　hard…favored　visage。　　His　dress　was　of　an　amphibious

character。　　He　wore　an　old　hat　edged　with　tarnished　lace；　and

cocked　in　martial　style　on　one　side　of　his　head；　a　rusty＇1＇　blue

military　coat　with　brass　buttons；　and　a　wide　pair　of　short

petticoat　trousers；or　rather　breeches；　for　they　were　gathered　up

at　the　knees。　　He　ordered　everybody　about　him　with　an　authoritative

air；　talking　in　a　brattling＇2＇　voice　that　sounded　like　the

crackling　of　thorns　under　a　pot；　dd　the　landlord　and　servants

with　perfect　impunity；　and　was　waited　upon　with　greater

obsequiousness　than　had　ever　been　shown　to　the　mighty　Ramm　himself。





＇1＇　Shabby。



＇2＇　Noisy。





Wolfert's　curiosity　was　awakened　to　know　who　and　what　was　this

stranger　who　had　thus　usurped　absolute　sway　in　this　ancient　domain。

Peechy　Prauw　took　him　aside　into　a　remote　corner　of　the　hall；　and

there；　in　an　under　voice　and　with　great　caution；　imparted　to　him

all　that　he　knew　on　the　subject。　　The　inn　had　been　aroused　several

months　before；　on　a　dark；　stormy　night；　by　repeated　long　shouts

that　seemed　like　the　howlings　of　a　wolf。　　They　came　from　the　water

side；　and　at　length　were　distinguished　to　be　hailing　the　house　in

the　seafaring　manner；　〃House　ahoy！〃　　The　landlord　turned　out　with

his　head　waiter；　tapster；　hostler；　and　errand　boythat　is　to　say；

with　his　old　negro　Cuff。　　On　approaching　the　place　whence　the　voice

proceeded；　they　found　this　amphibious…looking　personage　at　the

water's　edge；　quite　alone；　and　seated　on　a　great　oaken　sea　chest。

How　he　came　there；whether　he　had　been　set　on　shore　from　some

boat；　or　had　floated　to　land　on　his　chest；nobody　could　tell；　for

he　did　not　seem　disposed　to　answer　questions；　and　there　was

something　in　his　looks　and　manners　that　put　a　stop　to　all

questioning。　　Suffice　it　to　say；　he　took　possession　of　a　corner

room　of　the　inn；　to　which　his　chest　was　removed　with　great

difficulty。　　Here　he　had　remained　ever　since；　keeping　about　the　inn

and　its　vicinity。　　Sometimes；　it　is　true；　he　disappeared　for　one；

two；　or　three　days　at　a　time；　going　and　returning　without　giving

any　notice　or　account　of　his　movements。　　He　always　appeared　to　have

plenty　of　money；　though　often　of　very　strange；　outlandish　coinage；

and　he　regularly　paid　his　bill　every　evening　before　turning　in。



He　had　fitted　up　his　room　to　his　own　fancy；　having　slung　a　hammock

from　the　ceiling　instead　of　a　bed；　and　decorated　the　walls　with

rusty　pistols　and　cutlasses　of　foreign　workmanship。　　A　greater　part

of　his　time　was　passed　in　this　room；　seated　by　the　window；　which

commanded　a　wide　view　of　the　Sound；　a　short；　old…fashioned　pipe　in

his　mouth；　a　glass　of　rum　toddy＇1＇　at　his　elbow；　and　a　pocket

telescope　in　his　hand；　with　which　he　reconnoitered　every　boat　that

moved　upon　the　water。　　Large　square…rigged　vessels　seemed　to　excite

but　little　attention；　but　the　moment　he　descried　anything　with　a

shoulder…of…mutton＇2＇　sail；　or　that　a　barge　or　yawl　or　jolly…boat

hove　in　sight；　up　went　the　telescope；　and　he　examined　it　with　the

most　scrupulous　attention。





＇1＇　A　mixture　of　rum　and　hot　water　sweetened。



＇2＇　Triangular。





All　this　might　have　passed　without　much　notice；　for　in　those　times

the　province　was　so　much　the　resort　of　adventurers　of　all

characters　and　climes　that　any　oddity　in　dress　or　behavior

attracted　but　small　attention。　　In　a　little　while；　however；　this

strange　sea　monster；　thus　strangely　cast　upon　dry　land；　began　to

encroach　upon　the　long　established　customs　and　customers　of　the

place；　and　to　interfere　in　a　dictatorial　manner　in　the　affairs　of

the　ninepin　alley　and　the　barroom；　until　in　the　end　he　usurped　an

absolute　command　over　the　whole　inn。　　It　was　all　in　vain　to　attempt

to　withstand　his　authority。　　He　was　not　exactly　quarrelsome；　but

boisterous　and　peremptory；　like　one　accustomed　to　tyrannize　on　a

quarter…deck；　and　there　was　a　dare…devil＇1＇　air　about　everything　he

said　and　did　that　inspired　wariness　in　all　bystanders。　　Even　the

half…pay　officer；　so　long　the　hero　of　the　club；　was　soon　silenced

by　him；　and　the　quiet　burghers　stared　with　wonder　at　seeing　their

inflammable　man　of　war　so　readily　and　quietly　extinguished。





＇1＇　Reckless。





And　then　the　tales　that　he　would　tell　were　enough　to　make　a

peaceable　man's　hair　stand　on　end。　　There　was　not　a　sea　fight；　nor

marauding　nor　freebooting　adventure　that　had　happened　within　the

last　twenty　years；　but　he　seemed　perfectly　versed　in　it。　　He

delighted　to　talk　of　the　exploits　of　the　buccaneers　in　the　West

Indies　and　on　the　Spanish　Main。＇1＇　　How　his　eyes　would　glisten　as

he　described　the　waylaying　of　treasure　ships；　the　desperate　fights；

yardarm　and　yardarm；＇2＇　broadside　and　broadside；＇3＇　the　boarding

and　capturing　huge　Spanish　galleons！　　With　what　chuckling　relish

would　he　describe　the　descent　upon　some　rich　Spanish　colony；　the

rifling　of　a　church；　the　sacking　of　a　convent！　　You　would　have

thought　you　heard　some　gormandizer　dilating　upon　the　roasting　of　a

savory　goose　at　Michaelmas；＇4＇　as　he　described　the　roasting　of　some

Spanish　don　to　make　him　discover　his　treasure；a　detail　given　with

a　minuteness　that　made　every　rich　old　burgher　present　turn

uncomfortably　in　his　chair。　　All　this　would　be　told　with　infinite

glee；　as　if　he　considered　it　an　excellent　joke；　and　then　he　would

give　such　a　tyrannical　leer　in　the　face　of　his　next　neighbor　that

the　poor　man　would　be　fain　to　laugh　out　of　sheer　faint…heartedness。

If　anyone；　however；　pretended　to　contradict　him　in　any　of　his

stories；　he　was　on　fire　in　an　instant。　　His　very　cocked　hat　assumed

a　momentary　fierceness；　and　seemed　to　resent　the　contradiction。

〃How　the　devil　should　you　know　as　well　as　I？　　I　tell　you　it　was　as

I　say；〃　and　he　would　at　the　same　time　let　slip　a　broadside　of

thundering　oaths＇5＇　and　tremendous　sea　phrases；　such　as　had　never

been　heard　before　within　these　peaceful　walls。





＇1＇　The　coast　of　the　northern　part　of　South　America　along　the

Caribbean　Sea；　the　route　formerly　traversed　by　the　Spanish　treasure

ships　between　the　Old　and　New　Worlds。



＇2＇　Ships　are　said　to　be　yardarm　and　yardarm　when　so　near　as　to

touch　or　interlock　their　yards；　which　are　the　long　pieces　of　timber

designed　to　support　and　extend　the　square　sails。



＇3＇　〃Broadside　and　broadside；〃　i。e。；　with　the　side　of　one　ship

touching　that　of　another。



＇4＇　The　Feast　of　the　Archangel　Michael；　a　church　festival

celebrated　on　September　29th。



＇5＇　〃Broadside　of　thundering　oaths；〃　i。e。；　a　volley　of　abuse。





Indeed；　the　worthy　burghers　began　to　surmise　that　he　knew　more　of

those　stories　than　mere　hearsay。　　Day　after　day　their　conjectures

concerning　him　grew　more　and　more　wild　and　fearful。　　The

strangeness　of　his　arrival；　the　strangeness　of　his　manners；　the

mystery　that　surrounded　him；all　made　him　something

incomprehensible　in　their　eyes。　　He　was　a　kind　of　monster　of　the

deep　to　them；　he　was　a　merman；　he　was　a　behemoth；　he　was　a

leviathan；in　short；　they　knew　not　what　he　was。



The　domineering　spirit　of　this　boisterous　sea　urchin　at　length　grew

quite　intolerable。　　He　was　no　respecter　of　persons；　he　contradicted

the　richest　burghers　without　hesitation；　he　took　possession　of　the

sacred　elbow　chair；　which　time　out　of　mind　had　been　the　seat　of

sovereignty　of　the　illustrious　Ramm　Rapelye。　　Nay；　he　even　went　so

far；　in　one　of　his　rough；　jocular　moods；　as　to　slap　that　mighty

burgher　on　the　bac