Dr. Cuthbert took care to explain this to the officer of the watch in which I was put, and the lieutenant5 was sufficiently6 humane7 to set me at tasks which required no skill of seamanship. As it chanced, I saw nothing of the midshipman who had impressed me. He was, as I afterwards learned, in another watch.
The day I was ordered on deck we sighted a palm-fringed coast, which my fellow seamen9 spoke10 of as Yucatan. The word meant nothing to me, for my memory was still in the mist, and the only name left me out of the past was Vera Cruz.
From Yucatan the Belligerent11 cruised off in an easterly direction toward Cuba. But the second day we fell in with a west-bound frigate12, which signalled the Belligerent to patrol the mouths of the Mississippi, on the lookout13 for a noted14 French privateer sloop15 La Belle16 Silène, whose master, Jean Laffat or Lafayette, was rumored17 to have turned pirate.
Had I been in full possession of my mental faculties18, I must surely have noted the similarity of names. Jean Lafitte was not so far from Jean Laffat, and the Siren from La Belle Silène. As it was, I doubt whether at this time the shouting of Lafitte's name in my ear would have stirred the faintest echo of memory.
The following morning, just at the change of the dog watch, the frigate was suddenly roused from its dull, precise routine by the sound of a heavy gun booming down the wind from the westward19. Instantly the ship was brought about, to tack20 to windward, and the order was given to clear for action. The call to quarters was sounded, the marines paraded, and the cannon22 run out ready for firing, all before we sighted the supposed enemy.
Meantime the boom of the heavy cannon had come rolling down the wind to us at such regular intervals23 that the men about me swore there could be only one big gun. Before many minutes we distinguished24 the hoarse25, barking roar of many carronades. At the same time we sighted the square topsails of a Spanish merchantman, and, a little later, the gaff-topsail of a sloop.
Soon the word was shouted down from our lookout at the masthead that the ship was running from the sloop, which carried the big gun and was evidently having far the better of the engagement. The flag of the ship now confirmed the opinion that she was a Spanish merchantman. But the strongest of spyglasses were unable to make clear the small flag of the sloop. It was enough, however, for the British captain, that, upon sighting us, the Spaniard flew a signal for help, and veered26 so as to run down to us. That her crew should thus seek to put their ship in the way of certain capture was considered by the men about me clear proof that the sloop was a pirate.
As I had been left to pull and haul on deck, I was able to witness all the fierce contest of the fight, and the race of the frigate to rescue the assailed27 Spaniard. Sail after sail was set, and the bellying28 sheets tautened as flat as the nimble seamen could draw them.
But swiftly as we tacked29 to windward, and swiftly as the Spaniard slanted30 down the wind to obtain shelter of us, the unfortunate vessel31 was already in terrible distress32 from the relentless33 attack of her little enemy. With an audacity34 which amazed the Britons, the sloop stood on, undaunted by our approach, hanging close upon the quarter of her victim.
The fire of the ship was already silenced, while from half a cable's-length the carronades of the sloop belched35 their missiles into the rigging of the Spaniard with ever-increasing rapidity, and the great gun on the mid-deck sent shot after shot crashing into the bulging36 hull37 at the waterline.
Suddenly we saw the mizzenmast of the Spaniard totter38. It fell forward and sideways, dragging after it the splintered mainmast. As the ship broached-to, we could see that she was settling down by the stern. Even I, despite the night of ignorance which lay upon me, realized that she was beginning to founder39.
Certain of the fate of her victim, the sloop now sheered off. The Belligerent opened fire with the long eighteen-pounder bow-chasers, but the shots fell short of the sloop by fifty yards or more. Within half a minute the sloop had the stupendous audacity to fire her great gun at us. By a rare chance, the ponderous40 ball struck the starboard shrouds41, snapping them like packthread, and hurled42 on aslant43 the after deck, to chip a splinter from the mizzenmast and smash a great hole through the roof of the cabin.
Only the quickness with which the frigate was brought up into the wind and the main and mizzen sails blanketed by the foresails saved the main and mizzenmasts from being sprung, if not carried overboard. Never, I fancy, did the crew of a man-of-war have to suffer such a maddening checkmate. They dared not even come about to give the saucy44 sloop a broadside, but could only bark away with the ineffective bow-chasers. The sloop packed on what was a tremendous spread of canvas for so small a craft, and fled away aslant the wind at a speed that the frigate could not have hoped to equal on the same course, even had the rigging been in perfect trim.
By the time the British had stoppered the broken shrouds, reeved preventer braces45, and strengthened the splintered mizzenmast, the Spanish ship had drifted down within hailing distance. She now sat very low astern, and such of her people as had not been slain46 or helplessly wounded had crowded up into her high-flung bows and were shrieking47 to us for rescue. There was not one of their boats which had escaped the fierce fire of the sloop's carronades. Seeing this, and that pursuit of the sloop was now hopeless, the British captain ordered out all the frigate's boats to take off the imperilled Spaniards.
This was a simple matter, as there was little sea running and the wind no more than a fair breeze. Soon the first boatload of Spaniards was brought over from the sinking ship and rowed along our starboard side toward the stern. As the boat passed, I looked down from the lofty deck in the idle curiosity of my empty head. Seated in the stern-sheets I saw a portly man in robes, and beside him a slender woman in the white veil of a novice48. The woman looked up—It was Alisanda!
A cry burst from my lips, and I staggered back with a hand to my forehead. In a twinkling everything had come back to me—full consciousness and memory of myself, my life, my love! But in the same instant all memory of my days aboard the Belligerent became a blank.
I stared about me in amazement49. Then I remembered that my lady was being rowed alongside this strange ship. I glanced over, and saw that the boat had made fast alongside the ship's quarter,—that preparations were under way to lift Alisanda to the deck.
Heedless of all else in the strange unknown scene about me, I ran aft, half mad with the mystery and joy of such a meeting. But suddenly a marine21 sprang before me with lowered bayonet.
"Halt!" he ordered.
I stopped short, with the point against my breast.
"Let me past—let me past!" I panted. "I must go to my lady! I am Dr. Robinson! I must see her—at once!"
"What's this?" demanded an insolent50 young voice, and the midshipman who had impressed me swung around beside the marine. I recognized him on the instant.
"You!" I cried.
"The dunce!" he rejoined. "Back before the mast, you damned Yankee!"
"You!" I repeated. "Get out of my way. I'm going to my lady!"
"Your lady!" he sneered51, and he added a term which stung me to madness. As he spoke, he struck me a heavy blow with his fist upon my jaw52. Catching53 him by the wrist, I jerked him forward and struck him a blow between the eyes that would have felled him had I not held to his wrist. The marine cried out, and sprang around for an opening to lunge at me without striking his officer. I caught the staggering young scoundrel by the shoulders and hurled him against the man. Both rolled to the deck.
At the same moment some one sprang upon me from behind and bore me down. As I fell, others flung themselves upon my legs. My arms were wrenched54 around behind my back and lashed55 together, my ankles bound fast, despite my desperate struggles. Then a stern voice gave the order for me to be taken below and placed in irons. I sought to cry out an appeal—to attempt an explanation. But one of the men thrust a balled kerchief into my mouth and tied in the gag with another kerchief which covered my eyes as well. Dumb, blind, and bound, I was carried below, still struggling.
The moment they had replaced my bonds with handcuffs and bilboes and relieved me of the gag, down in the foul56, cell-like prison, I so implored57 and raved58 to see the captain that they thought I was beside myself,—as, indeed, it may well be said I was. Instead of the captain, they sent for Dr. Cuthbert, who was a perfect stranger to my restored memory. He listened to my now incoherent statements that I was Dr. John Robinson and must go to my lady, and sought to soothe59 me. My constant repetitions convinced him that I was quite out of my head, and to quiet me, he cunningly administered an opiate in wine and water.
Discipline is swift-handed aboard a man-of-war. Before I had fully60 slept off the effects of the drug, I was roused and taken before the court-martial convened61 to try me. The judge-advocate was the officer of my watch, though at the time I had no memory of him. For the first time I saw the captain near at hand. He was a granite-faced Cornishman, and looked upon me with a cold, blue-gray eye which condemned62 me before a word had been spoken.
My ankles had been freed from the bilboes before I was brought up, but when I was ordered to stand, I could not readily obey because of the continued numbness63 of my limbs. At this two of my guards jerked me up with brutal64 roughness, and the charge against me was read. To my amazement and horror, I learned that I was upon trial, under the name Jack65 Numskull, for the crime of striking my superior officer, the penalty for which was death.
Ignorant of the procedure of the court, I sought to protest, but was ordered to keep silent. In quick succession, the witnesses were called and questioned,—first the midshipman I had struck, then the marine, and after that four or five seamen. All testified without contradiction to the damnable fact that I had struck Midshipman Hepburn.
"Enough," said Captain Powers. "Has the prisoner anything to say?"
The question was repeated to me. I bowed to the court as best I could with my wrists locked together behind my back.
"Gentlemen," I said, "I wish first to explain—"
"Speak to the point," commanded the judge-advocate. "The law does not require you to confess. Yet if you wish to meet death with a free conscience, the court will receive your statement. Do you admit that you struck your superior officer?"
"No. I deny it."
"I admit that I struck Midshipman Hepburn,—if that is his name. I deny that I struck my superior officer."
"Explain!" demanded Captain Powers, irascibly.
"I deny that Midshipman Hepburn is my superior officer,—that any man on this ship or in the Navy of George the Third is my superior officer. I deny the jurisdiction67 of this court. I am a native-born citizen of the United States of America. I was aboard a neutral vessel sailing from one free port to another when this same Midshipman Hepburn boarded the craft and unlawfully impressed me. In resisting, I was struck senseless. Of whatever has happened since I have barely a vague consciousness. Only I know that immediately before the affray for which I am now being tried, I saw a lady being brought alongside in a boat, and at once full memory came back to me. I am John H. Robinson, a physician of the Louisiana Territory, born in the State of Pennsylvania, reared at Cincinnati on the Ohio River, and educated at Columbia College, in the city of New York."
During my recital68, all present except the captain regarded me with lively curiosity, mingled69 with varying degrees of incredulity. Powers did not betray the slightest interest or emotion.
"We have heard the statement of the prisoner," he said. "Whether it is or is not true is irrelevant70. The fact remains71 that the prisoner, while serving as a seaman8 in the service of His Majesty72 King George, did strike a midshipman in said service, the same being his superior officer."
"Sir, may I suggest the doubt of the prisoner's sanity73, in mitigation of his crime?" interposed the judge-advocate.
"Remove the prisoner," commanded the captain.
I was led out and kept waiting for half an hour, while my life hung in the balance. At last they led me back to receive the decree of the court. By now I was in a half stupor74 of agonized75 despair, my thoughts fixed76 upon Alisanda and all I was to lose. The terrible word "Death!" roused me to consciousness of my surroundings.
The judge-advocate paused, drew a deep breath, and continued the reading of the sentence: "But, it being testified to by Surgeon Wilbur Cuthbert that said prisoner was not at the time of the committance of his crime rational or sane77, said sentence of death is hereby commuted78 to the sentence of one hundred lashes—"
"Hold! hold!" I cried. "Not that! Shoot me!—murder me! But spare me that shame!"
This time when they dragged me out and down to the foul prison black-hole they had no need of a gag. After that one wild protest, I fell dumb. I had seen two floggings of twenty strokes of the cat since coming aboard. With the words of my sentence the memory had come back to me, and with the memory of those shameful79 floggings had returned the remembrance of all my life aboard the Belligerent.
When, an hour or so after my sentence, Dr. Cuthbert came to condole80 with me, I recognized him and his kindness, but sat in sullen81 misery82 when he sought to question me. The trial was over—sentence imposed. Why should I accept the sympathy of these brutes83?
He may have divined my frame of mind, for presently he fell to deploring84 the rigors85 of the times, brought about by the boundless86 ambition of Bonaparte. England, he argued, alone interposed by means of her navy a barrier against the world-wide domination of the Corsican adventurer. That navy was the hope of the world. Yet, thanks to the French privateers and Bonaparte's strength upon the Continent, Britain had lost much of her commerce to the United States, to whose ships the British seamen were constantly deserting to escape the harsh yet necessary discipline of the Royal Navy. What, then, if occasionally a native American was impressed? The struggle between Britain and the Corsican was a struggle of life and death. Britain must man her ships, or submit to destruction, and with Britain crushed, what nation or alliance of nations could hope to withstand the infernal genius of Bonaparte?
I waited for a pause, and inquired in a casual tone as to the welfare of the Spanish lady rescued from the sinking ship. He started up, retreated a pace or two, with his eyes fixed upon me, and then hurried off, tapping his head significantly. I bowed my head with a sigh of relief. The temptation had been taken from me. My weakness should not have another opportunity to betray me. My lady should not know of my shame.
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1
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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shrouded
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| v.隐瞒( shroud的过去式和过去分词 )；保密 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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5
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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humane
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| adj.人道的，富有同情心的 | |
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seaman
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| n.海员，水手，水兵 | |
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seamen
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| n.海员 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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11
belligerent
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| adj.好战的，挑起战争的；n.交战国，交战者 | |
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12
frigate
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| n.护航舰，大型驱逐舰 | |
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lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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sloop
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| n.单桅帆船 | |
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belle
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| n.靓女 | |
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rumored
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| adj.传说的，谣传的v.传闻( rumor的过去式和过去分词 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷 | |
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18
faculties
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| n.能力( faculty的名词复数 )；全体教职员；技巧；院 | |
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19
westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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tack
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| n.大头钉；假缝，粗缝 | |
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21
marine
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| adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵 | |
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cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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23
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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24
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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veered
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| v.（尤指交通工具）改变方向或路线( veer的过去式和过去分词 )；（指谈话内容、人的行为或观点）突然改变；（指风） （在北半球按顺时针方向、在南半球按逆时针方向）逐渐转向；风向顺时针转 | |
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assailed
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| v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对 | |
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28
bellying
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| 鼓出部；鼓鼓囊囊 | |
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tacked
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| 用平头钉钉( tack的过去式和过去分词 )； 附加，增补； 帆船抢风行驶，用粗线脚缝 | |
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30
slanted
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| 有偏见的； 倾斜的 | |
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vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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relentless
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| adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的 | |
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audacity
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| n.大胆，卤莽，无礼 | |
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belched
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| v.打嗝( belch的过去式和过去分词 )；喷出，吐出；打（嗝）；嗳（气） | |
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36
bulging
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| 膨胀； 凸出（部）； 打气； 折皱 | |
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hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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38
totter
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| v.蹒跚， 摇摇欲坠；n.蹒跚的步子 | |
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39
Founder
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| n.创始者，缔造者 | |
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40
ponderous
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| adj.沉重的，笨重的，(文章)冗长的 | |
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41
shrouds
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| n.裹尸布( shroud的名词复数 )；寿衣；遮蔽物；覆盖物v.隐瞒( shroud的第三人称单数 )；保密 | |
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42
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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43
aslant
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| adv.倾斜地；adj.斜的 | |
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44
saucy
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| adj.无礼的；俊俏的；活泼的 | |
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45
braces
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| n.吊带，背带；托架( brace的名词复数 )；箍子；括弧；（儿童）牙箍v.支住( brace的第三人称单数 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
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46
slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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47
shrieking
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| v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
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48
novice
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| adj.新手的，生手的 | |
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49
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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50
insolent
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| adj.傲慢的，无理的 | |
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51
sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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52
jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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53
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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54
wrenched
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| v.（猛力地）扭( wrench的过去式和过去分词 )；扭伤；使感到痛苦；使悲痛 | |
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55
lashed
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| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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56
foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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implored
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| 恳求或乞求（某人）( implore的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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58
raved
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| v.胡言乱语( rave的过去式和过去分词 )；愤怒地说；咆哮；痴心地说 | |
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59
soothe
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| v.安慰；使平静；使减轻；缓和；奉承 | |
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60
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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61
convened
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| 召开( convene的过去式 )； 召集； （为正式会议而）聚集； 集合 | |
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62
condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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63
numbness
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| n.无感觉，麻木，惊呆 | |
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64
brutal
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| adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的 | |
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65
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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testimony
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| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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67
jurisdiction
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| n.司法权，审判权，管辖权，控制权 | |
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68
recital
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| n.朗诵，独奏会，独唱会 | |
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mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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70
irrelevant
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| adj.不恰当的，无关系的，不相干的 | |
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71
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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72
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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73
sanity
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| n.心智健全，神智正常，判断正确 | |
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74
stupor
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| v.昏迷；不省人事 | |
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75
agonized
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| v.使（极度）痛苦，折磨( agonize的过去式和过去分词 )；苦斗；苦苦思索；感到极度痛苦 | |
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76
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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sane
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| adj.心智健全的，神志清醒的，明智的，稳健的 | |
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commuted
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| 通勤( commute的过去式和过去分词 )； 减（刑）； 代偿 | |
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shameful
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| adj.可耻的，不道德的 | |
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80
condole
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| v.同情；慰问 | |
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81
sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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83
brutes
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| 兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性 | |
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84
deploring
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| v.悲叹，痛惜，强烈反对( deplore的现在分词 ) | |
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85
rigors
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| 严格( rigor的名词复数 )； 严酷； 严密； （由惊吓或中毒等导致的身体）僵直 | |
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86
boundless
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| adj.无限的；无边无际的；巨大的 | |
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