DIALOGUE-IMPRESSMENT OF AN AMERICAN SEAMAN. 325 in trying to escape, you should strike an officer, and be sentenced to death-would not those who took your life for the act be rightly called murderers? Capt. M. Prisoner, I do not choose to argue with you. If you have fallen under our laws Hiram. Fallen under your laws? I was forced-forced from my own ship on the high seas. Your plea is the pirate's plea. Capt. M. Prisoner, the subordinate who strikes me must die, either by my own hand or that of the law. Hiram. I understand you now. You are more anxious to revenge your personal dignity than to punish a public wrong. But do not be too sure. There is many a slip between the cup and the lip. The diversion you have promised yourself for this afternoon will not come off. Capt. M. If I live, you shall be strung up at the yardarm this day! Hiram. You think so; but you will be disappointed. Capt. M. What is to prevent it, here on my own ship, with my own crew? Hiram. As I left the deck just now, I saw a little sailboat coming this way. Jotham was at the helm. Capt. M. And who is Jotham? Hiram. You know him; Captain Jotham Luff, of the American brig Nancy; my captain, from whom your pressgang forced me. Capt. M. I told that impudent fellow not to come near me again. What will he do? Hiram. I don't know. I only know he'll do something. He would never dare to go back to Marblehead and say that he had left me to be strung up at the yard-arm of a British frigate. The women would tar and feather him, and drag him in a cart, as they did old Floyd Ireson. Capt. M. The execution shall take place at once. on the deck. You are too late. I hear Captain Jotham's step [Enter CAPTAIN JOTHAM LUFF.] Jotham. How are you, Captain? Middling, well, I hope. Well, Hiram, my boy, they have trussed you up like a tur key for the spit. [Takes out jack-knife, cuts cords, and frees HIRAM.] There, Captain, it looked so uncomfortable, I couldn't help it. Capt. M. [shaking his fist]. You impudent Yankee! I'll have you keel-hauled, you Jotham. Come, now, don't blaze away in that style! Where's the harm? You aren't afraid, are you, of Hiram and me? Capt. M. What's the object of this visit? Jotham. To take Hiram back with me. Capt. M. I told you, yesterday, that no power on earth could save him from being hung. So leave this ship, or I will call those who will put you into your boat by force. Jotham. I reckon you'll do no such thing. I reckon you'll hear what I have to say, and then do what I tell you to. Sit down, and make yourself at home. [Sits.] Sit down, Hiram. [Hiram sits.] Capt. M. [standing]. Well, there's no impudence like that of a Yankee. Jotham [whittling the stick that HIRAM was pinioned by]. You must know, Captain, that when I left you yesterday, I was almost as mad as you are now-pretty badly roiled up. When I got on board my brig, whom should I find there but two lords-Lord Pembroke and Lord Annesly-who had been out in a sail-boat, and had stopped to take a look at my vessel! Perhaps you know them. Capt. M. Yes, one of them is my nephew. Jotham. Well, it occurred to me at once that two lords were about a fair exchange for an American sailor; so I impressed them. Capt. M. Impressed them! What do you mean? Jotham [rising]. Don't you know what impressment is? When you force a man into your service against his will, that's impressment. Do you think we Americans are going to stand that? Never! War, first, to the hilt. are ready for you; the whole country is eager to wipe out the disgrace; and war will come. Let it come. We Capt. M. What have you done to their lordships? Jotham. Treated them precisely as you have been treating Hiram here. Capt. M. Rascal! Scoundrel! Jotham. Keep cool! It's a fact. I put a stick through their elbows, and trussed them up just as you had Hiram; kept them on bread and water; and this afternoon, if I don't prevent it, they will both be hung at the yard-arm of the Nancy. Capt. M. Hung! Your proof of this? Jotham [producing a letter]. There's the proof, in a letter from their lordships. Read it. You know the hand writing? DIALOGUE-IMPRESSMENT OF AN AMERICAN SEAMAN. 327 Capt. M. [reading aloud]. "The Yankee will do what he threatens. Be sure of that. His vessel is a fast sailer, and can not be overtaken. Grant all he asks, if you would save our lives. Yours, Annesley, Pembroke." Villain! Do you mean to say you would hang two noblemen within sight of the English coast? Jotham. I do mean to say just that. Touch a hair of that lad's head, and before sundown they shall die like dogs. Capt. M. What if I seize your person as a security for their lives? You didn't think of that-eh ? Jotham. O! but I did! That was my risk. I left their lordships in the hands of my mate, Persevere Peabody, who has orders to hang them, in case I don't send him a signal from your vessel before five o'clock not to do it. [Shows his watch.] It's after four, already, Captain. Capt. M. Your mate will not dare to touch a hair of their heads! Jotham. O! you don't know Persevere Peabody. Says he, as I was leaving: "Captain Jotham," says he, "I never hung a lord in all my life; but never fear; I'll do it in a style that shall be an eternal credit to the American eagle." And, will you believe it ?-the rogue, when he thought I wasn't looking, put the clock half an hour ahead, that he might have an excuse for finishing the job the sooner. The critter set the steward to work on some old black silk neckkerchiefs. Says I, "What's all this for, Persevere ?" Says he, "Their lordships will need black caps to be hung in. I mean to do everything regular, Captain." Oh, he is a terririble fellow, is Persevere Peabody. Capt. M. [alarmed]. Did you say he put the clock half an hour ahead? Then he may be about it now. Jotham. That's a fact. Capt. M. What's your signal for stopping this barbarity? Jotham. That's my secret. I'm not such a simpleton as to tell you that before I have made all right. Capt. M. Name your terms quickly. Jotham. First, Hiram's release, and a safe return for him and me to our vessel. Capt. M. Never! I'll never consent. Jotham. Yes, you will. Second, ten guineas to Hiram, by way of damages. Capt. M. I'll sink my ship first! Jotham. No, you'll not. Third, and last, a hundred guineas for me, for losses by detention of my brig in waiting for Hiram. Do your worst! I'll never agree to such terms. Not till I am struck idiotic. Yes, you will. Never mind the ten guineas, Captain Jotham. [Re-enter LIEUT. PERLEY.] The Yankee ship in the offing, sir, is firing minute-guns. Capt. M. What does it mean? Jotham. It means that Captain Persevere Peabody is making all ready to hang the two lords we impressed yesterday. Capt. M. Stop him at once, or I'll have you put to the torture. Jotham. You have my terms, Captain. I can't budge, let the British lion roar ever so loud. Capt. M. What shall I do, Perley? Lieut. P. The Yankee has proved too clever for us. My advice to you is to knock under at once. Capt. M. Confound the extortionate, tobacco-chewing, psalm-singing trickster! Lieut. P. Should any harm come to their lordships, you will be severely censured. Capt. M. Too true. accept your terms. [To Jotham.] Look you, sir, 1 Jotham. A safe return for Hiram and me; ten guineas for Hiram; a hundred guineas for me. Capt. M. Yes, yes, yes. Jotham. You hear, Lieutenant ? Capt. M. The pledge is given. There is no escape from it. The word of a British officer is as good as his bond. Jotham. Then take the American flag out of my boat and run it up to your fore peak. Persevere Peabody will be disappointed, but he'll not dare to disobey. Lieut. P. I'll have it done: [Exit.] Jotham. Now, Captain, you'll sleep better, and feel better all the rest of your life, to think you've been saved from putting a fellow-creature to death. What would have been your reflections- DIALOGUE-JOHN BULL AND SON. 329 Capt. M. Stop your palaver, and come and get your money. [Exit.] Jotham. Well, Hiram, it will not turn out a bad speculation, after all. Hiram. Better than my last whaling voyage, Captain. Jotham. Hurrah for our side! Hurrah for free trade and sailors' rights! Hiram. Just my sentiments, Captain. Hurrah! Ex. CCXIV.—DIALOGUE-JOHN BULL AND SON. WILLIAM BENTLEY FOWLE. Characters-JOHN BULL AND JONATHAN. John [seated]. Jonathan! Jonathan. What do you want, sir? John. Come here, sirrah. Is it true, as they tell me, that you have set up for yourself over the water? Jona. I'll take my oath on't, father. John. What do you mean by doing so, you young rogue ? Jona. I mean to be free, sir. John. Free, you young rogue, were you not free enough before. Jona. Not quite, sir. I wanted an almighty swing, and your lot was too small. John, Too small, you villain! It commands the world. Jona. I could put it into one of my ponds without obstructing navigation. We do things on a large scale there, sir. John. Was there ever such impudence? What do you do, fellow, that we do not? Jona. We hatch cities, father, as fast as you do broods of chickens, and every year we set off two or three kingdoms, or States, as we call them. John. What do you make them of? Jona. It reaches from sunrise to sundown one way, and from one end to t'other end the other way. |