Page:The land of enchantment (1907, Cassell).djvu/87

 attempt, and “England expects that every man this day will do his duty.” Now anyone who's chicken-hearted can leave the ship at once, as there’s only room aboard for heroes.’

“We tars had a word together, and then I spoke up for the lot of us. ‘We're with you, sir, every mother’s son,’ I says.

“‘That’s as I expected, my hearties,’ says the skipper, so “Rule Britannia” and “God Save the Queen”!’

“Well, we had a stiff glass of lemonade all round, which heartened us up, and then we polished the guns and cutlasses while the captain climbed to the crow’s-nest again. When he came down he called me aside, and, says he, ‘Ben, my lad, the heathen will be here in an hour at farthest. There′ll be two hundred fighting men aboard each “pray-you”’ (for so he called their vessels). ‘Six times two makes twelve,’ says he; ‘that is twelve hundred all told, while we muster twenty and a half, taking the cabin-boy as half a man. Now, Ben,’ says he, ‘you’ve got a useful figure-head, and so I put it to you, as between man and man, what’s to be done?’

“‘Sir,’ says I, after studying a couple of shakes, ‘I’ve got an idea which may or may not work, as the case may be, and so I won’t deceive you.’

“‘Out with it, then, my lad,’ says he.

“‘I propose,’ says I, ‘as how all the ruby gems and bars of gold should be piled on deck and polished up like mirrors, and when the sun shines on the glittering heaps I doubt if these cannibal pirates will be able to stand the glare.’

“‘Ben, says the captain, ‘tip us your flipper, for it’s a bright idea.‘

“So we bustled about and hoisted up the yellow bars, and the ruby gems we fetched in baskets, and when! they were all set out twas a sight to make your mouth water.

“Meanwhile the skipper went below, and returned with a parcel. ‘There, my lads,’ says he, ‘there’s blue spectacles; put on a pair, every mother’s son, and then there’ll be no chance of your going blind with the glare.’ So we each of us put one on, and then fell to work with wash-leather and elbow-grease a-polishing like mad.

“By this time the pray-yous were within hail, and I give you my word they didn’t improve on acquaintance. In each vessel were about fifty slaves, all chained together and pulling at the long sweeps.”

“Oh, Ben, were the chimney-sweeps being tortured?”

‘