Adventure Books
08 - Kidnapped - Robert Louis Stevenson
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- Broadcast on:
- 07 Oct 2024
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- other
We wear our work, day by day, stitch by stitch. At Dickies, we believe work is what we're made of. So, whether you're gearing up for a new project, or looking to add some tried and true work wear to your collection, remember that Dickies has been standing the test of time for a reason. Their work wear isn't just about looking good. It's about performing under pressure and lasting through the toughest jobs. Head over to Dickies.com and use the promo code WorkWear20 at checkout to save 20% on your purchase. It's the perfect time to experience the quality and reliability that has made Dickies a trusted name for over a century. When you need meal time inspiration, it's worth shopping king supers for thousands of appetizing ingredients that inspire countless mouth-watering meals. And no matter what tasty choice you make, you'll enjoy our everyday low prices. Plus extra ways to save, like digital coupons worth over $600 each week and up to $1 off per gallon at the pump with points. So you can get big flavors and big savings, king supers, fresh for everyone, fuel restrictions apply. Chapter 8, The Roundhouse One night about 11 o'clock, a man of Mr. Rieotch's watch, which was on deck, came below for his jacket, and instantly there began to go a whisper about the forecastle that shoe-on had done for him at last. There was no need of a name. We all knew who was meant, but we had scarce time to get the idea rightly in our heads, far less to speak of it, when the scuttle was again flung open, and Captain Hosey'sen came down the ladder. He looked sharply round the bunks in the tossing light of the lantern, and then walking straight up to me, he addressed me to my surprise in tones of kindness. "My man," said he, "I want you to serve in the Roundhouse. You and Ransom are to change births, run away after with you." Even as he spoke to Seaman appeared in the scuttle, carrying Ransom in their arms, and the ship at that moment giving a great shear into the sea, and the lantern swinging, the light fell direct on the boy's face. It was white as wax, and had a look upon it like a dreadful smile. The blood in me ran cold, and I drew in my breath as if I had been struck. "Run away aft, run away aft with you," cried Hosey'sen. "And at that I brushed by the sailors and the boy, who neither spoke nor moved, and ran up the ladder on deck." The brig was shearing swiftly and giddily through a long, cresting swell. She was on the starboard tack, and on the left hand, under the arch foot of the foresail, I could see the sunset still quite bright. This, at such an hour of the night, surprised me greatly, but I was too ignorant to draw the true conclusion, that we were going north about Round Scotland, and were now on the high sea between the Orkney and Shetland Islands, having avoided the dangerous currents of the Pentland birth. For my part who had been so long shut in the dark and knew nothing of headwinds, I thought we might be half way or more across the Atlantic. And indeed, beyond that I wandered a little at the lateness of the sunset light. I gave no heed to it, pushed on across the decks, running between the seas, catching at ropes, and only saved from going overboard by one of the hands on deck, who had always been kind to me. The roundhouse, for which I was bound, and where I was now to sleep and serve, stood some six feet above the decks, and, considering the size of the brig, was of good dimensions. Inside was a fixed table and bench, and two berths, one for the captain, and the other for the two mates, turn and turn about. It was all fitted with lockers from top to bottom, so as to stow away the officers' belongings in a part of the ship's stores. There was the second storeroom underneath, which you entered by a hatchway in the middle of the deck. Indeed, all the best of the meat and drink and the whole of the powder were collected in this place, and all the firearms, except the two pieces of brass ordnance, were set in a rack in the aftermost wall of the roundhouse. The most of the cutlasses were in another place. A small window with a shutter on each side, and a skylight in the roof, gave it light by day, and after dark there was a lamp always burning. It was burning when I entered, not brightly, but enough to show Mr. Schuan sitting at the table, with the brandy bottle and a tin panicking in front of him. He was a tall man, strongly made and very black, and he stared before him on the table like one's stupid. He took no notice of my coming in, nor did he move when the captain followed and leaned on the berth beside me, looking darkly at the mate. I stood in great fear of ho' season and had my reasons for it, but something told me I need not be afraid of him just then, and I whispered in his ear, "How is he?" He shook his head like one that does not know and does not wish to think, and his face was very stern. Presently Mr. Riatch came in. He gave the captain a glance that meant the boy was dead, his plane is speaking, and took his place like the rest of us, so that we all three stood without a word, staring down at Mr. Schuan, and Mr. Schuan on his side sat without a word, looking hard upon the table. All of a sudden he put out his hand to take the bottle, and at that Mr. Riatch started forward and caught it away from him, rather by surprise than violence, crying out with an oath that there had been too much of this work altogether, and that a judgment would fall upon the ship. And as he spoke, the weather sliding doors standing open, he tossed the bottle into the sea. Mr. Schuan was on his feet at a trice. He still looked at days, but he meant murder, I, and would have done it, but the second time that night had not the captain stepped in between him and his victim. "Sit down," roared the captain. "You sutt and swined, do you know what you've done? You've murdered the boy." Mr. Schuan seemed to understand, before he sat down again, and put up his hand to his brow. "Well," he said, "he brought me a dirty panicking." At that word, the captain and I and Mr. Riatch all looked at each other for a second, lined a frightened look, and then Hosey's and walked up to his chief officer, took him by the shoulder, led him across to his bunk and bade him lie down and go to sleep, as you might speak to a bad child. The murderer cried a little, but he took off his seaboots and obeyed. "Ha!" cried Mr. Riatch, with the dreadful voice, "you should have interfered long since he's too late now." "Mr. Riatch," said the captain. "This night's work must never be Kenton Dysart. The boy went overboard, sir. That's what the story is, and I would give five pounds out of my pocket it was true." He turned to the table. "What made you throw the good bottle away?" he added. "There was no sense in that, sir." "Here, David. Draw me another. They're in the bottom locker." "And he tossed me a key." "You'll need a glass yourself, sir," he added to Riatch. Jan was an ugly thing to see. So the pair sat down and hobanomed, and while they did so, the murderer, who had been lying and whimpering in his birth, raised himself upon his elbow and looked at them, and at me. What was the first night of my new duties, and in the course of the next day I had got well into the run of them? I had to serve at the meals, which the captain took at regular hours, sitting down with the officer who was off duty. All the day through I would be running with a dram to one or other of my three masters, and at night I slept on a blanket thrown on the deck-boards at the aftermost end of the roundhouse, and right in the draught of the two doors. It was a hard and a cold bed, nor was I suffered to sleep without interruption, or some one would always be coming in from deck to get a dram, and when a fresh watch was to be set, two and sometimes all three would sit down and brew a bowl together. How they kept their health, I know not, any more than how I kept my own. And yet in other ways it was an easy service. There was no cloth delay, the meals were either of oatmeal porridge or salt junk, except twice a week, when there was duffin, though I was clumsy enough and not being firm on my sea legs sometimes fell with what I was bringing them. Both Mr. Reatch and the captain were singularly patient. I could not but fancy they were making up leeway with their consciences, and that they would scarce have been so good with me if they had not been worse with ransom. As for Mr. Shewan, the drink or his crime, or the two together, had certainly troubled his mind. I cannot say I ever saw him and his proper wits. He never grew used to my being there, stared at me continually. Sometimes I could have thought with terror, and more than once drew back from my hand when I was serving him. I was pretty sure from the first that he had no clear mind of what he had done, and on my second day in the roundhouse I had the proof of it. We were alone, and he had been staring at me a long time, when all it once uppy-god as pale as death and came up close to me to my great terror, but I had no cause to be afraid of him. "You were not here before?" he asked. "No, sir," said I. "There was another boy?" he asked again, and when I had answered him, "Ah!" says he. I thought that, and went and sat down with that another word except a call for Brandy. "You may think it's strange, but for all the horror I had I was still sorry for him. He was a married man, with a wife and leaf, but whether or no he had a family I have now forgotten. I hope not." Altogether it was no very hard life for the time it lasted, which, as you are to hear, was not long. I was as well fed as the best of them, even their pickles which were the great dainty I was allowed my share of, and had I liked I might have been drunk from morning to night like Mr. Shuan. I had company, too, and good company of its sort. Mr. Rietch, who had been to the college, spoke to me like a friend when he was not sulking, told me many curious things, and some that were informing, and even the captain, though he kept me at the sticks and the most part of the time, would sometimes unbuckle a bit and tell me of the fine countries he had visited. The shadow of poor Ransom, to be sure, lay on all four of us, and on me and Mr. Shuan, in particular, most heavily. And then I had another trouble of my own. Here I was, doing dirty work for three men that I looked down upon, and one of whom, at least, should have been hung upon a gallows, that was, for the present, and as for the future, I could only see myself slaving alongside of Negroes in the tobacco fields. Mr. Rietch, perhaps from caution, would never suffer me to say another word about my story. The captain, whom I tried to approach, rebuffed me like a dog, and would not hear a word. And as the days came and went, my heart sank lower and lower, till I was even glad of the work which kept me from thinking, and a chapter. We wear our work, day by day, stitch by stitch. At Dickies, we believe work is what we're made of. So, whether you're gearing up for a new project, or looking to add some tried and true work wear to your collection, remember that Dickies has been standing the test of time for a reason. The work wear isn't just about looking good, it's about performing under pressure and lasting through the toughest jobs. Head over to Dickies.com and use the promo code "Workwear20" at checkout to save 20% on your purchase. It's the perfect time to experience the quality and reliability that has made Dickies a trusted name for over a century. When you need meal time inspiration, it's worth shopping king's supers for thousands of appetizing ingredients that inspire countless mouth-watering meals. And no matter what tastes the choice you make, you'll enjoy our everyday low prices, plus extra ways to save, like digital coupons worth over $600 each week and up to $1 off per gallon at the pump with points so you can get big flavors and big savings, king's supers, fresh for everyone, fuel restrictions apply. [BLANK_AUDIO]