XIII.At length, when we were left alone,Sin twisted with a hollow groan,And bade the Master saveHis comrades by some bold device,From the impending grave.Said Blood: “I never take advice,But every man has got his price;We must maintain the open door,Yes, even at the cost of war!”He shifted his position,And drafted in a little whileA note in diplomatic styleContaining a condition.Illustration: The African king seated with his foot on a skull, writing, and another African in attendance, armed.“If them that wishes to be toldAs how there is a bag of gold,And where a party hid it;Mayhap as other parties knowsA thing or two, and there be thoseAs seen the man wot hid it.”The Monarch read it through, and wroteA little sentence most emphatical:“I think the language of the noteIs strictly speaking not grammatical.”On seeing our acute distress,The King—I really must confess—Behaved uncommon handsome;He said he would release the threeIf only Captain Blood and heCould settle on a ransom.And it would clear the situationTo hear his private valuation.“My value,” William Blood began,“Is ludicrously small.I think I am the vilest manThat treads this earthly ball;My head is weak, my heart is cold,I’m ugly, vicious, vulgar, old,Unhealthy, short and fat.Illustration: Blood and African King standing talking.I cannot speak, I cannot work,I have the temper of a Turk,And cowardly at that.Retaining, with your kind permission,The usual five per cent. commission,I think that I could do the jobFor seventeen or sixteen bob.”The King was irritated, frowned,And cut him short with, “Goodness Gracious!Your economicsarefallacious!I quite believe you are a wretch,But things are worth what they will fetch.I’ll put your price at something round,Say, six-and-thirty thousand pound?”But just as Blood began with zest,To bargain, argue, and protest,Commander Sin and IBroke in: “Your Majesty was toldAbout a certain bag of gold;If you will let us try,We’ll find the treasure, for we knowThe place to half a yard or so.”Poor William! The suspense and painHad touched the fibre of his brain;So far from showing gratitude,He cried in his delirium: “Oh!For Heaven’s sake don’t let them go.”Only a lunatic would takeSo singular an attitude,When loyal comrades for his sakeHad put their very lives at stake.The King was perfectly contentTo let us find it;—and we went.But as we left we heard him say,“If there is half an hour’s delayThe Captain will have passed away.”
At length, when we were left alone,Sin twisted with a hollow groan,And bade the Master saveHis comrades by some bold device,From the impending grave.Said Blood: “I never take advice,But every man has got his price;We must maintain the open door,Yes, even at the cost of war!”He shifted his position,And drafted in a little whileA note in diplomatic styleContaining a condition.Illustration: The African king seated with his foot on a skull, writing, and another African in attendance, armed.“If them that wishes to be toldAs how there is a bag of gold,And where a party hid it;Mayhap as other parties knowsA thing or two, and there be thoseAs seen the man wot hid it.”The Monarch read it through, and wroteA little sentence most emphatical:“I think the language of the noteIs strictly speaking not grammatical.”On seeing our acute distress,The King—I really must confess—Behaved uncommon handsome;He said he would release the threeIf only Captain Blood and heCould settle on a ransom.And it would clear the situationTo hear his private valuation.“My value,” William Blood began,“Is ludicrously small.I think I am the vilest manThat treads this earthly ball;My head is weak, my heart is cold,I’m ugly, vicious, vulgar, old,Unhealthy, short and fat.
At length, when we were left alone,Sin twisted with a hollow groan,And bade the Master saveHis comrades by some bold device,From the impending grave.
At length, when we were left alone,
Sin twisted with a hollow groan,
And bade the Master save
His comrades by some bold device,
From the impending grave.
Said Blood: “I never take advice,But every man has got his price;We must maintain the open door,Yes, even at the cost of war!”He shifted his position,And drafted in a little whileA note in diplomatic styleContaining a condition.
Said Blood: “I never take advice,
But every man has got his price;
We must maintain the open door,
Yes, even at the cost of war!”
He shifted his position,
And drafted in a little while
A note in diplomatic style
Containing a condition.
Illustration: The African king seated with his foot on a skull, writing, and another African in attendance, armed.
“If them that wishes to be toldAs how there is a bag of gold,And where a party hid it;Mayhap as other parties knowsA thing or two, and there be thoseAs seen the man wot hid it.”The Monarch read it through, and wroteA little sentence most emphatical:“I think the language of the noteIs strictly speaking not grammatical.”On seeing our acute distress,The King—I really must confess—Behaved uncommon handsome;He said he would release the threeIf only Captain Blood and heCould settle on a ransom.And it would clear the situationTo hear his private valuation.
“If them that wishes to be told
As how there is a bag of gold,
And where a party hid it;
Mayhap as other parties knows
A thing or two, and there be those
As seen the man wot hid it.”
The Monarch read it through, and wrote
A little sentence most emphatical:
“I think the language of the note
Is strictly speaking not grammatical.”
On seeing our acute distress,
The King—I really must confess—
Behaved uncommon handsome;
He said he would release the three
If only Captain Blood and he
Could settle on a ransom.
And it would clear the situation
To hear his private valuation.
“My value,” William Blood began,“Is ludicrously small.I think I am the vilest manThat treads this earthly ball;My head is weak, my heart is cold,I’m ugly, vicious, vulgar, old,Unhealthy, short and fat.
“My value,” William Blood began,
“Is ludicrously small.
I think I am the vilest man
That treads this earthly ball;
My head is weak, my heart is cold,
I’m ugly, vicious, vulgar, old,
Unhealthy, short and fat.
Illustration: Blood and African King standing talking.
I cannot speak, I cannot work,I have the temper of a Turk,And cowardly at that.Retaining, with your kind permission,The usual five per cent. commission,I think that I could do the jobFor seventeen or sixteen bob.”The King was irritated, frowned,And cut him short with, “Goodness Gracious!Your economicsarefallacious!I quite believe you are a wretch,But things are worth what they will fetch.I’ll put your price at something round,Say, six-and-thirty thousand pound?”But just as Blood began with zest,To bargain, argue, and protest,Commander Sin and IBroke in: “Your Majesty was toldAbout a certain bag of gold;If you will let us try,We’ll find the treasure, for we knowThe place to half a yard or so.”Poor William! The suspense and painHad touched the fibre of his brain;So far from showing gratitude,He cried in his delirium: “Oh!For Heaven’s sake don’t let them go.”Only a lunatic would takeSo singular an attitude,When loyal comrades for his sakeHad put their very lives at stake.
I cannot speak, I cannot work,I have the temper of a Turk,And cowardly at that.Retaining, with your kind permission,The usual five per cent. commission,I think that I could do the jobFor seventeen or sixteen bob.”
I cannot speak, I cannot work,
I have the temper of a Turk,
And cowardly at that.
Retaining, with your kind permission,
The usual five per cent. commission,
I think that I could do the job
For seventeen or sixteen bob.”
The King was irritated, frowned,And cut him short with, “Goodness Gracious!Your economicsarefallacious!I quite believe you are a wretch,But things are worth what they will fetch.I’ll put your price at something round,Say, six-and-thirty thousand pound?”But just as Blood began with zest,To bargain, argue, and protest,Commander Sin and IBroke in: “Your Majesty was toldAbout a certain bag of gold;If you will let us try,We’ll find the treasure, for we knowThe place to half a yard or so.”
The King was irritated, frowned,
And cut him short with, “Goodness Gracious!
Your economicsarefallacious!
I quite believe you are a wretch,
But things are worth what they will fetch.
I’ll put your price at something round,
Say, six-and-thirty thousand pound?”
But just as Blood began with zest,
To bargain, argue, and protest,
Commander Sin and I
Broke in: “Your Majesty was told
About a certain bag of gold;
If you will let us try,
We’ll find the treasure, for we know
The place to half a yard or so.”
Poor William! The suspense and painHad touched the fibre of his brain;So far from showing gratitude,He cried in his delirium: “Oh!For Heaven’s sake don’t let them go.”Only a lunatic would takeSo singular an attitude,When loyal comrades for his sakeHad put their very lives at stake.
Poor William! The suspense and pain
Had touched the fibre of his brain;
So far from showing gratitude,
He cried in his delirium: “Oh!
For Heaven’s sake don’t let them go.”
Only a lunatic would take
So singular an attitude,
When loyal comrades for his sake
Had put their very lives at stake.
The King was perfectly contentTo let us find it;—and we went.But as we left we heard him say,“If there is half an hour’s delayThe Captain will have passed away.”
The King was perfectly contentTo let us find it;—and we went.But as we left we heard him say,“If there is half an hour’s delayThe Captain will have passed away.”
The King was perfectly content
To let us find it;—and we went.
But as we left we heard him say,
“If there is half an hour’s delay
The Captain will have passed away.”