Not many days after the last
incident narrated something befell
Billy Budd that more gravelled him that aught
that had previously occurred.
It was a warm night ; for the latitude; and
the Foretopman, whose watch it was below,
should ha at the time was properly below,
was, with dozing on the the uppermost deck whither
he had ascended from his hot hammock
one of hundreds swinging so closely
suspended so closely wedged together over a over the lower gun- deck that
there was little or no swing to them.
He lay as in the shadow as of a hill , -side
stretched under the lee of the booms ,
incident narrated something befell
Billy Budd that more gravelled him that aught
that had previously occurred.
It was a warm night ; for the latitude; and
the Foretopman, whose watch it was below,
should ha at the time was properly below,
was, with dozing on the the uppermost deck whither
he had ascended from his hot hammock
one of hundreds swinging so closely
suspended so closely wedged together over a over the lower gun- deck that
there was little or no swing to them.
He lay as in the shadow as of a hill , -side
stretched under the lee of the booms ,
a
long pile
piled ridge
of spare spars
amidships
between foremast & mainmast
and among which where the
ship's largest boat, the launch, was
stowed . , temporarily inverted for repairs,
its broad bottom looming up in
the night like a vague dome. He Alongside of three other
slumberers from below, he lay
near one
that end of the booms' foreward end of the booms, which approaches
not far from which not far from the foremast; his station
aloft on duty as a foretopman being right just
over the deck- quarte station of the
forecastlemen, entitled entitling him according
to usage to make himself more especially more or less
at home in that neighborhood.
and among which where the
ship's largest boat, the launch, was
stowed . , temporarily inverted for repairs,
its broad bottom looming up in
the night like a vague dome. He Alongside of three other
slumberers from below, he lay
near one
that end of the booms' foreward end of the booms, which approaches
not far from which not far from the foremast; his station
aloft on duty as a foretopman being right just
over the deck- quarte station of the
forecastlemen, entitled entitling him according
to usage to make himself more especially more or less
at home in that neighborhood.
Presently he was stirred into
semi-consciousness by sombody, who must
have previously sounded the sleep of the others,
touching his shoulder, and then as the Foretopman Billy
raised his head, breathing into his ear
in a quick whisper, "Slip into the weather lee
fore-chains, Billy; there is something in
the wind. Quick D'ont speak. Quick,
I will meet you there"; and disappeared.
Now Billy like sundry other
essentially goodnatured ones fellows had some of the weaknesses
that pertain to inseparable from essential good nature; and among
these was a reluctance, or rather almost an incapacity of plumply repellingly
curtly saying no to an abrupt proposition
not obviously absurd , or nor on the face of it, nor obviously unfriendly, nor iniquitous .
nor made in any unfriendly way.
And being of warm blood, had he had not As little did he have the cold phlegm silen to
tacitly to negative it any proposition by silent unresponsive inaction.
semi-consciousness by sombody, who must
have previously sounded the sleep of the others,
touching his shoulder, and then as the Foretopman Billy
raised his head, breathing into his ear
in a quick whisper, "Slip into the weather lee
fore-chains, Billy; there is something in
the wind. Quick D'ont speak. Quick,
I will meet you there"; and disappeared.
Now Billy like sundry other
essentially goodnatured ones fellows had some of the weaknesses
that pertain to inseparable from essential good nature; and among
these was a reluctance, or rather almost an incapacity of plumply repellingly
curtly saying no to an abrupt proposition
not obviously absurd , or nor on the face of it, nor obviously unfriendly, nor iniquitous .
nor made in any unfriendly way.
And being of warm blood, had he had not As little did he have the cold phlegm silen to
tacitly to negative it any proposition by silent unresponsive inaction.
Like his sense of fear, his apprehension
as to aught
outside
out
of the
common
honest & natural
was seldom very quick. Besides, upon
the present occasion, he was the drouze
from his sleep still hung upon him.
However it was, he mechanically
rose, and lazily sleepily wondering what
could be in the wind in the wind , betook himself
to the designated place . , The a
narrow platform, one of six, outside of the high
bulwarks and screened by the great
dead-eyes and multiple columned
lanyards of the fore- shrouds and back-stays;
and, in a great war-ship of that time,
a spot so of dimensions corresponding commensurate
to the ample hull hull's magnitude ; a tarry little
balcony in short overhanging the sea,
and so secluded that one seaman mariner
was seldom very quick. Besides, upon
the present occasion, he was the drouze
from his sleep still hung upon him.
However it was, he mechanically
rose, and lazily sleepily wondering what
could be in the wind in the wind , betook himself
to the designated place . , The a
narrow platform, one of six, outside of the high
bulwarks and screened by the great
dead-eyes and multiple columned
lanyards of the fore- shrouds and back-stays;
and, in a great war-ship of that time,
a spot so of dimensions corresponding commensurate
to the ample hull hull's magnitude ; a tarry little
balcony in short overhanging the sea,
and so secluded that one seaman mariner
of the
Indomitable
,
made it even in
daytime a non-conformist forecastleman old tar
of a serious turn, made it even it in
daytime his private oratory.
In this retired nook the
stranger soon joined Billy Budd. There
was no moon as yet; the ha a haze
obscured the star-light. He could not
distinctly see the stranger's face. Yet
from something in the outline and
carriage, Billy kn took him to be,
and correctly, for a one of the afterguard.
"Hist! Billy," said the man; in the same quick cautionary rapid whisper as before
"You were impressed, were't you?
Well, so was I;" and he paused,
as to mark the effect. But Billy
not knowing exactly what to mak e of this
daytime a non-conformist forecastleman old tar
of a serious turn, made it even it in
daytime his private oratory.
In this retired nook the
stranger soon joined Billy Budd. There
was no moon as yet; the ha a haze
obscured the star-light. He could not
distinctly see the stranger's face. Yet
from something in the outline and
carriage, Billy kn took him to be,
and correctly, for a one of the afterguard.
"Hist! Billy," said the man; in the same quick cautionary rapid whisper as before
"You were impressed, were't you?
Well, so was I;" and he paused,
as to mark the effect. But Billy
not knowing exactly what to mak e of this
said nothing. Then the other: "We are
not the only impressed ones, Billy.
There's a gang of us.—Could'nt you —
help—at a pinch?
"What do you mean?
demanded Billy now here thoroughly
awakened shaking off the his his drouzy drouze
feeling .
"Hist, hist! the in a husky hurried whisper with th now growing husky, see here;" and
the man held up two small objects
faintly twinkling in the nightlight;
" see, they are yours, Billy, if you'll
only—"
But Billy broke in, and
in his hot resentful eagerness to deliver himself
his vocal infirmity somewhat intruded; " D-D Damme, I
do'nt know what you are d- d-driving
not the only impressed ones, Billy.
There's a gang of us.—Could'nt you —
help—at a pinch?
"What do you mean?
demanded Billy now here thoroughly
awakened shaking off the his his drouzy drouze
feeling .
"Hist, hist! the in a husky hurried whisper with th now growing husky, see here;" and
the man held up two small objects
faintly twinkling in the nightlight;
" see, they are yours, Billy, if you'll
only—"
But Billy broke in, and
in his hot resentful eagerness to deliver himself
his vocal infirmity somewhat intruded; " D-D Damme, I
do'nt know what you are d- d-driving
at,
afterguardsman
or
wh–
what you mean, but you
had better g-g- go where you belong . ! "
For the moment the fellow , as confounded, did not stir;
and Billy springing to his feet, said
"If you d- d- dont start, I'll
t-t- toss you back over the r- rail!"
There was no mistaking this and the
mysterious emissary decamped
disappearing toward in the direction
of the mainmast in the shadow of the
booms.
"Hallo, what's the matter?"
here came growling from a forecastleman
awakened from his deck-doze by
Billy's raised voice. And as the
foretopman reappeared and was
recognized by him; "Ah, Beauty ,
had better g-g- go where you belong . ! "
For the moment the fellow , as confounded, did not stir;
and Billy springing to his feet, said
"If you d- d- dont start, I'll
t-t- toss you back over the r- rail!"
There was no mistaking this and the
mysterious emissary decamped
disappearing toward in the direction
of the mainmast in the shadow of the
booms.
"Hallo, what's the matter?"
here came growling from a forecastleman
awakened from his deck-doze by
Billy's raised voice. And as the
foretopman reappeared and was
recognized by him; "Ah, Beauty ,
is it you? Well, something must have
been the matter for you st-st- stuttered."
"O , , " rejoined Billy, now
all right again and mastering the
impediment; "I found an afterguardsman
sneaking in our part of the ship here
and I bid him be off where he belongs."
"And is that all you did about
it , ?" foretopman?" gruffly demanded
another, an irasciable old fellow of
brick-colored visage and hair, and who
was known to his associates associate forecastlemen as Red Pepper ;
"Such sneaks sho I should like to marry
to the gunner's daughter!" by that expression
meaning that he would like to subject
them to disciplinary castigation over
a gun.
been the matter for you st-st- stuttered."
"O , , " rejoined Billy, now
all right again and mastering the
impediment; "I found an afterguardsman
sneaking in our part of the ship here
and I bid him be off where he belongs."
"And is that all you did about
it , ?" foretopman?" gruffly demanded
another, an irasciable old fellow of
brick-colored visage and hair, and who
was known to his associates associate forecastlemen as Red Pepper ;
"Such sneaks sho I should like to marry
to the gunner's daughter!" by that expression
meaning that he would like to subject
them to disciplinary castigation over
a gun.
However, the
foretopman's
Billy's
rendering of the matter satisfactorily
explained accounted to these inquirers for the brief
commotion, since
of all the sections of a ship's company
the forecastlemen, old veterans for
the most part and bigoted in their
sea- prejudices, are the most jealous in
resenting territorial encroachments,
especially on the part of any of the
afterguard, of whom they have
but a sorry opinion, chiefly
landsmen, never going aloft except
to reef or furl the mainsail, and
in no wise not competent to incapable of handling handle a marlinspike . and or turning in a dead - eye , say.
rendering of the matter satisfactorily
explained accounted to these inquirers for the brief
commotion, since
of all the sections of a ship's company
the forecastlemen, old veterans for
the most part and bigoted in their
sea- prejudices, are the most jealous in
resenting territorial encroachments,
especially on the part of any of the
afterguard, of whom they have
but a sorry opinion, chiefly
landsmen, never going aloft except
to reef or furl the mainsail, and
in no wise not competent to incapable of handling handle a marlinspike . and or turning in a dead - eye , say.