The
Life
life
of
in
the fore-top well
agreed with Billy Budd. There, when
not actually engaged on the yards aloft
yet higher aloft, the topmen, who as such
had each been selected chose picked out for their alert youth and activity
alertness agility , constitued an aerial club
lounging at ease against the smaller
stun'sails rolled up into cushions,
spinning yarns like the lazy gods,
and frequent frequently jesting on amused with what was
going on in the busy world of the
decks below. No wonder then that
a young fellow of Billy's disposition
was well content in that such society . ;
Giving giving no cause of offence, and to anybody, he was always
alert at a call.
agreed with Billy Budd. There, when
not actually engaged on the yards aloft
yet higher aloft, the topmen, who as such
had each been selected chose picked out for their alert youth and activity
alertness agility , constitued an aerial club
lounging at ease against the smaller
stun'sails rolled up into cushions,
spinning yarns like the lazy gods,
and frequent frequently jesting on amused with what was
going on in the busy world of the
decks below. No wonder then that
a young fellow of Billy's disposition
was well content in that such society . ;
Giving giving no cause of offence, and to anybody, he was always
alert at a call.
true to duty.
So in the merchant service
it had always been with him. But now
such a punctiliousness in duty was shown that his
topmates would sometimes good-naturedly
laugh at him for it. This heightened
alacrity had its cause, namely, the
impression made upon him by the
first formal gangway-punishment he
had ever witnessed, which befell the
day following his impressment. It
had been incurred by by a little fellow, young, and much a novice an after-guardsman
absent from his assigned post when
the ship was being put about , ; a deriliction
resulting in a rather serious hitch
to in that maneu manoeuvre, one
demanding instantanious instantaneous prop
promptitude in letting go and
making fast.
it had always been with him. But now
such a punctiliousness in duty was shown that his
topmates would sometimes good-naturedly
laugh at him for it. This heightened
alacrity had its cause, namely, the
impression made upon him by the
first formal gangway-punishment he
had ever witnessed, which befell the
day following his impressment. It
had been incurred by by a little fellow, young, and much a novice an after-guardsman
absent from his assigned post when
the ship was being put about , ; a deriliction
resulting in a rather serious hitch
to in that maneu manoeuvre, one
demanding instantanious instantaneous prop
promptitude in letting go and
making fast.
When Billy saw the culprit's naked
back under the scourge gridironed with
na red welts, and worse; when he
marked the dire expression in the liberated
man's face as with his woolen shirt
flung over him, by the executioner he rushed forward from
the spot, to bury himself in the crowd, Billy was horrified. He
resolved that never through remissness
would he make himself liable to
such a visitation or do or omit aught
that might merit even verbal reproof.
What then was his surprise and
concern when ultimatly he found
himself getting into petty trouble occasionally
about such matters as the stowage of
his bag or something amiss in his
hammock, matters matters under the police
back under the scourge gridironed with
na red welts, and worse; when he
marked the dire expression in the liberated
man's face as with his woolen shirt
flung over him, by the executioner he rushed forward from
the spot, to bury himself in the crowd, Billy was horrified. He
resolved that never through remissness
would he make himself liable to
such a visitation or do or omit aught
that might merit even verbal reproof.
What then was his surprise and
concern when ultimatly he found
himself getting into petty trouble occasionally
about such matters as the stowage of
his bag or something amiss in his
hammock, matters matters under the police
oversight of the ship's-corporals of the
lower decks, and which brought down
on him a vague threat from one of them.
So heedful in all things as he was, how
could this be? He could not understand
it, and it more than vexed him.
When he spoke to his young young topmates about it
it—young fellows like himself—either
they were either incredulous or quizzed him lightly jested
at for his anxiety. they were either lightly
incredulous or found something comical
in his unconcealed anxiety. "Is it your
bag, Billy? " said one " well, sew yourself up in
it, bully boy, and then you'll be
sure to know if anybody meddles with it."
Now there was a veteran
aboard who because his years began
to disqualify him for more active work
lower decks, and which brought down
on him a vague threat from one of them.
So heedful in all things as he was, how
could this be? He could not understand
it, and it more than vexed him.
When he spoke to his young young topmates about it
it—young fellows like himself—either
they were either incredulous or quizzed him lightly jested
at for his anxiety. they were either lightly
incredulous or found something comical
in his unconcealed anxiety. "Is it your
bag, Billy? " said one " well, sew yourself up in
it, bully boy, and then you'll be
sure to know if anybody meddles with it."
Now there was a veteran
aboard who because his years began
to disqualify him for more active work
had been recently assigned duty
as main-mast-man in his watch,
looking to the gear belayed at the
rail roundabout that great spar
near the deck. At off-times The foretopman had
picked up some acquaintance with
him, and now in his trouble it
occurred to him that he might be
the sort of person to go to for wise
council. He was an old Dansker
long anglicised in the service, of
few words, many wrinkles and
some honorable scars. His wizzened
face, time-tinted and weather-stained
to the complexion of colored like an an antique
parchment, exhumed from some dilapidated
was here and there peppered blue by
the chance premature chance explosion
of a gun-cartridge in action.
as main-mast-man in his watch,
looking to the gear belayed at the
rail roundabout that great spar
near the deck. At off-times The foretopman had
picked up some acquaintance with
him, and now in his trouble it
occurred to him that he might be
the sort of person to go to for wise
council. He was an old Dansker
long anglicised in the service, of
few words, many wrinkles and
some honorable scars. His wizzened
face, time-tinted and weather-stained
to the complexion of colored like an an antique
parchment, exhumed from some dilapidated
was here and there peppered blue by
the chance premature chance explosion
of a gun-cartridge in action.
He was an
Agamemnon
-man;
Some two years prior to the time
of this story he having had served under
Nelson when but Sir Horatio still captainHS in the that
old Agamemnon , a ship immortal
in navy naval memory, and which dismantled
and in part broken up to her bare ribs
is seen a grand skeleton in Hayden's
etching. As one of a boarding-party
from the Agamemnon he had received
a cut slantwise along one temple
and cheek leaving a long pale scar
like a flash of streak of dawn's br light xxx falling athwart across the gunpowder
dark visage. It was on account of that scar
and the desperate affair in which it was
known that he had recieved it, as well as from his
blue-peppered complexion that
the Dansker he went among the Indomitable's
crew by the name of " Board-her-in-
-the smoke. "
of this story he having had served under
Nelson when but Sir Horatio still captainHS in the that
old Agamemnon , a ship immortal
in navy naval memory, and which dismantled
and in part broken up to her bare ribs
is seen a grand skeleton in Hayden's
etching. As one of a boarding-party
from the Agamemnon he had received
a cut slantwise along one temple
and cheek leaving a long pale scar
like a flash of streak of dawn's br light xxx falling athwart across the gunpowder
dark visage. It was on account of that scar
and the desperate affair in which it was
known that he had recieved it, as well as from his
blue-peppered complexion that
the Dansker he went among the Indomitable's
crew by the name of " Board-her-in-
-the smoke. "
Now the first time that his
small weazel-eyes happened to light
on Billy Budd, a certain grim
internal merriment set all his
ancient wrinkles into antic play.
Was it that his eccentric unsentimental
old sapience not fooled by books primitive in its kind saw
or thought it saw something which
in contrast with the present war-ship's environment
looked oddly incongruous in the
handsome sailor? But after slyly
studying him at intervals, the old
Merlin's equivocal merriment
was modified . ; For now Then When by chance the twain
would meet , it would start on in
his face a quizzing sot o xxxHS sort of
look, but it would be but momentary
small weazel-eyes happened to light
on Billy Budd, a certain grim
internal merriment set all his
ancient wrinkles into antic play.
Was it that his eccentric unsentimental
old sapience not fooled by books primitive in its kind saw
or thought it saw something which
in contrast with the present war-ship's environment
looked oddly incongruous in the
handsome sailor? But after slyly
studying him at intervals, the old
Merlin's equivocal merriment
was modified . ; For now Then When by chance the twain
would meet , it would start on in
his face a quizzing sot o xxxHS sort of
look, but it would be but momentary
and sometimes replaced by an
expression of speculative foresight query
as to what might eventually befall
a nature like that, dropt dropped into a
world not without some man-traps
and against whose subtleties simple
courage lacking experience and address
and without any touch of defensive
ugliness , is of little avail , ; and
where such innocense as man is
capable of does yet in a moral emergency
neither not always sharpen the faculties nor or
fortify enlighten the will.
However it was the
Dansker in his ascetic undemonstrative
way rather took to Billy. Nor was this
only because of a ce a certain the philosophic
interest awakened in him in such a character. There was another cause.
expression of speculative foresight query
as to what might eventually befall
a nature like that, dropt dropped into a
world not without some man-traps
and against whose subtleties simple
courage lacking experience and address
and without any touch of defensive
ugliness , is of little avail , ; and
where such innocense as man is
capable of does yet in a moral emergency
neither not always sharpen the faculties nor or
fortify enlighten the will.
However it was the
Dansker in his ascetic undemonstrative
way rather took to Billy. Nor was this
only because of a ce a certain the philosophic
interest awakened in him in such a character. There was another cause.
While the old man's eccentricities,
sometimes bordering on the ursine,
repelled the juniors, Billy, undeterred
thereby, would make advances, revering him as a salt hero, never
passing the venerable brave old Agammenon-man
without a salutation marked b by that
respect which is seldom lost on the aged
however crabbed at times or whatever their station in life.
There was a fantastic
vien of dry humor, or what not, in the
mast-man; and, weather in freak of
patriarchal hum irony touching Billy's
youth and athletic frame, or for some other and more recondite reason,
from the first invariably in addressing him he always substituted
Baby for Billy.
sometimes bordering on the ursine,
repelled the juniors, Billy, undeterred
thereby, would make advances, revering him as a salt hero, never
passing the venerable brave old Agammenon-man
without a salutation marked b by that
respect which is seldom lost on the aged
however crabbed at times or whatever their station in life.
There was a fantastic
vien of dry humor, or what not, in the
mast-man; and, weather in freak of
patriarchal hum irony touching Billy's
youth and athletic frame, or for some other and more recondite reason,
from the first invariably in addressing him he always substituted
Baby for Billy.
And
This it was
by the name
Thus it was that the foretopman
came to be The Mastman Dansker in fact being the originator
of the name knick prefix by which the foretopman eventually became
known aboardship.
came to be The Mastman Dansker in fact being the originator
of the name knick prefix by which the foretopman eventually became
known aboardship.
Well then, in his mysterious
little difficulty going in quest of the wrinkled one this strange
mentor , Billy found him on off duty in a dog-watch
ruminating by himself seated on a
shot-box of the upper gun-deck now and then surveying
with a somewhat cynical regard
certain of the more swaggering promenaders there. Billy
recounted his trouble, again wondering
how it all happened. The salt seer
attentively listened, accompanying the
foretopman's recital with queer twitchings of his
wrinkles and problematical little
sparkles of his jet-black small ferret eyes. Making
an end of his story, B the foretopman
asked, "And now , Dansker, do tell me what
you think of it."
little difficulty going in quest of the wrinkled one this strange
mentor , Billy found him on off duty in a dog-watch
ruminating by himself seated on a
shot-box of the upper gun-deck now and then surveying
with a somewhat cynical regard
certain of the more swaggering promenaders there. Billy
recounted his trouble, again wondering
how it all happened. The salt seer
attentively listened, accompanying the
foretopman's recital with queer twitchings of his
wrinkles and problematical little
sparkles of his jet-black small ferret eyes. Making
an end of his story, B the foretopman
asked, "And now , Dansker, do tell me what
you think of it."
The old
Dansker
man
, shoving up the
front of his tarpaulin and slo deliberatly
rubbing the scar there upper part of long slant scar
where at the point where it entered the
thin hair, laconically said, Baby Bubb
"Baby Budd" (meaning the Ma
"Baby Budd, Jimmy Legs Jemmy Legs " (meaning
the master-at-arms) "is down on you"
" Jimmy Legs !" ejaculated Billy
his welkin eyes expanding; "what for?
Why he calls me the sweet and
pleasant young fellow , they tell me."
"Does he so?" grimly
grinned the grizzled one; then said
Ay Baby,
lad "A sweet voice has Jimmy Legs "
front of his tarpaulin and slo deliberatly
rubbing the scar there upper part of long slant scar
where at the point where it entered the
thin hair, laconically said, Baby Bubb
"Baby Budd" (meaning the Ma
"Baby Budd, Jimmy Legs Jemmy Legs " (meaning
the master-at-arms) "is down on you"
" Jimmy Legs !" ejaculated Billy
his welkin eyes expanding; "what for?
Why he calls me the sweet and
pleasant young fellow , they tell me."
"Does he so?" grimly
grinned the grizzled one; then said
Ay Baby,
lad "A sweet voice has Jimmy Legs "
"No, not always. But to me
he
has. I
n seldom pass him but there comes a
pleasant word."
"And that's because he's
down upon you, Baby Budd."
Such reiteration along
with the manner of it, incomprehensible
to a novice, disturbed Billy almost
as much as the mystery for which
he had sought some explanation.
Something less unpleasingly oracular
he tried to extract; but the old
sea-Chiron thinking perhaps
that for the nonce he had
n seldom pass him but there comes a
pleasant word."
"And that's because he's
down upon you, Baby Budd."
Such reiteration along
with the manner of it, incomprehensible
to a novice, disturbed Billy almost
as much as the mystery for which
he had sought some explanation.
Something less unpleasingly oracular
he tried to extract; but the old
sea-Chiron thinking perhaps
that for the nonce he had
sufficiently instructed his young Achilles,
pursed his lips, gathered all his wrinkles
together and would commit himself
to nothi nothing further. Years, and those experiences
which befall certain The experience
prudence &c Billy young and
innocent as an x a little
& &c shrewder men subordinated
life-long to the will of superiors, all this
had developed in the Dansker the pithy
guarded cynicism that was his leading
characteristic.
pursed his lips, gathered all his wrinkles
together and would commit himself
to nothi nothing further. Years, and those experiences
which befall certain The experience
prudence &c Billy young and
innocent as an x a little
& &c shrewder men subordinated
life-long to the will of superiors, all this
had developed in the Dansker the pithy
guarded cynicism that was his leading
characteristic.