United States or Singapore ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
I ought to know better how to manage a raft than those landsmen," and he cast a glance at me; "and I promise to take good care of you and your brothers." I did not hear what the young lady said, but directly afterwards I saw her being lowered down on to Kydd's raft. Her brothers and the young Irishman followed. "Come, Handspike; we want you," sung out Kydd, standing up on the raft.
If the look of unutterable disgust which passed over my cousin's countenance could have made Kydd ashamed of himself, he would have hid his face; but he continued pacing the deck and turning his head about as if considering which order he should next issue.
The young Irishman and the two Rowleys now exerted themselves as much as the rest of us in making preparations to defend the vessel. "If there were boarding-nettings, we should find them useful," said Stanley. "Mr Kydd, have you any on board?" "No, sir," was the answer. "We do not carry such things; and, for my part, I think all this preparation is useless.
We had been working away all that time, therefore, to haul her still faster on to the bank. I was determined not to stand this any longer. "Perhaps, Mr Kydd, you will try the depth of the water astern as well as ahead," I said; "and it strikes me that if we were to attempt to haul her off the other way, we might have a better chance of success."
"If you think it can be done, we will do it," said Stanley. "Certainly," I said, "it is our only chance." "Then it shall be done," he exclaimed. "Mr Kydd, we wish to build a raft to carry out the anchor." Kydd was about to reply, but the captain's look silenced him. All hands now set to work to collect all the spare spars and planks to be found.
"I will not allow the brig to be brought to an anchor till I see fit. We are fifty miles off the coast, and more than that, perhaps." "What, with fifty fathom only under our keel!" exclaimed the boatswain. "What is the meaning, too, of these breakers away in the south-east? Mr Kydd, we must anchor, and you ought to know it." I looked out in the direction towards which the boatswain pointed.
The crew climbed on board. Could they really have executed so barbarous an order! Great was my relief to find the boatswain among them. "You rascals, I ordered you to land him on these rocks!" exclaimed Kydd, when he caught sight of the old man. "So we did; and he ordered us to take him off again," answered one of the crew. "We have as good a right to obey him as you, Mr Kydd.
They answered with loud laughs and gestures of derision, and away they pulled. We had now only one boat left, and she was too small to weigh the anchor. I begged Stanley and David and one of the Mr Rowleys to come with me in her, however, to sound round the vessel. Kydd by this time was almost beside himself with rage, and did not interfere with us.
Kydd was now obliged to obey. Going to the chains, he hove the lead. I looked over the side to watch him, and saw by the way the line slackened that bottom was found. Just at that moment I heard some one cry out, "See! see! What is the matter with the captain?" I ran aft. He had fallen to the deck. "Oh, father, father! speak to me!" cried Natty, who was by his side. I lifted up the old man's head.
In the old Gardiner mansion, on this island, was formerly preserved a costly shawl given to Mrs. Gardiner by Captain Kidd himself. This illustrious Kidd or Kydd was born in New York, began his naval career as a chaser of pirates, became a robber himself, was captured in Boston, where he was ruffling boldly about the streets, and was hanged in London in 1701.
Word Of The Day