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Authors: Kenneth Roberts
Tags: Historical
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finger in their faces. "LoyselI" he called. "Loysell Be quickl Attend these English wounded and our own. Take what men you needl Mr. Safifth! Take charge of this brig and place her in order for the prize crew. Mr. Wasbornl Cast loose the schooner and lay her alongside."
Argandeau sniffed suddenly, and Marvin saw that although he
Do CAUTION
was smiling almost proudly at this brown-faced, fragile captain, there were tears in his eyes and wet smears on his mud-incrusted cheeks. At the sound of the sniff, the eye of the Decatur's captain fell on Argandeau.
"Sol" Diron exclaimed. "You are the onel"
Argandeau lifted an eyebrow and shook his head. "With the help of these lion-hearted men it was nothing, Dominiquel A lark huntl"
Diron came quickly to him and kissed him first on one cheek, then on the other. Someone among the silent spectators laughed loudly.
Diron stepped back from Argandeau and swept the crowded quarter-deck with a hard black eye. "Get forward, those without business herel" he ordered.
The seamen about them thinned like smoke before the wind, and as they swirled and scattered, Slade moved from behind them, followed closely by Corunna Dorman. At the sight of her, Diron whipped off his hat, held it tight against his breast and bowed abruptly, with a questioning side glance at Argandeau. "Madame," he said, "your servant! I am most unhappy I do not know sooner that - "
"Yes," Slade said hoarsely. "Captain Argandeau might have mentioned her before." He pushed back his long black hair with a sweep of his hand. "We'd be down there yet if she hadn't brought us knives."
Argandeau smiled pleasantly at Slade. "Piffl You touch mel It should have been my duty to tell this thing with my first breath!"
Diron bowed again to Corunna. "Then you are a brave lady, I think. I have been in debt many times, but never to one so young and beautiful."
She made him the shadow of a curtsy. "Why," she said, "you'll owe me nothing if you get back the Olive Branch for me. Did you retake her?"
"That barque?" Diron asked. "She was yours, that barque?"
Corunna nodded.
Diron looked at Argandeau, as if seeking denial of Corunna's statement. Finding none, he glanced uncertainly around the quarterdeck. Two of the Decatur's seamen raised the body of a British sailor from the scuppers, swung it over the taffrail and let it fall. The splash seemed to put a thought in Diron's head.
"But such sights!" he cried. "They must be painful to a ladyl"
"No, Captain," Corunna said quietly. "These people killed my father."
Diron held up a protesting hand. "It is necessary that I examine the papers in the cabin. You shall come there, where we can talk quietly." He turned to Argandeau. "Give me a few moments, my
CAPTAIN CAUTION
friend, and then we will speak fully together. I see now that it was your schooner we sank. Like a gourd, she was so thin and sailed by men who could contrive to foul her jib-boom in her own staysails! I am sad about thisl" He patted Argandeau on the shoulders, kissed him again on both cheeks; then beckoned to Corunna and walked quickly to the companionway.
"Corunnal" Marvin said. "Corunnal"
She turned to Slade, seeming not to hear Marvin. "You'll come with me, won't you, Captain?" Slade,following her down the companionway, glanced up at Marvin from under his drooping eyelid with what seemed to Marvin like malicious mockery.
"Listen, my friend," Argandeau said, holding Marvin by the arm, "my Formidable is gone! Nowhere was there a craft so beautiful or so swift, and now she is goner"
"It's too bad," Marvin said absently. "Too bad."
"I tell you, my friend," Argandeau said, "it is bad, yes; but not too bad. Nothing is too bad. If you lose a ship, you will find a better one. If you lose a woman, you have not lost the only woman there is. Look at me, eh? I am gay! That is why I am loved by my friends, by the rabbits, by everyone!" He pointed a foot delicately, flung up an arm and struck a pose. "We will visit now with my
Argandeau sniffed suddenly, and Marvin saw that although he
Do CAUTION
was smiling almost proudly at this brown-faced, fragile captain, there were tears in his eyes and wet smears on his mud-incrusted cheeks. At the sound of the sniff, the eye of the Decatur's captain fell on Argandeau.
"Sol" Diron exclaimed. "You are the onel"
Argandeau lifted an eyebrow and shook his head. "With the help of these lion-hearted men it was nothing, Dominiquel A lark huntl"
Diron came quickly to him and kissed him first on one cheek, then on the other. Someone among the silent spectators laughed loudly.
Diron stepped back from Argandeau and swept the crowded quarter-deck with a hard black eye. "Get forward, those without business herel" he ordered.
The seamen about them thinned like smoke before the wind, and as they swirled and scattered, Slade moved from behind them, followed closely by Corunna Dorman. At the sight of her, Diron whipped off his hat, held it tight against his breast and bowed abruptly, with a questioning side glance at Argandeau. "Madame," he said, "your servant! I am most unhappy I do not know sooner that - "
"Yes," Slade said hoarsely. "Captain Argandeau might have mentioned her before." He pushed back his long black hair with a sweep of his hand. "We'd be down there yet if she hadn't brought us knives."
Argandeau smiled pleasantly at Slade. "Piffl You touch mel It should have been my duty to tell this thing with my first breath!"
Diron bowed again to Corunna. "Then you are a brave lady, I think. I have been in debt many times, but never to one so young and beautiful."
She made him the shadow of a curtsy. "Why," she said, "you'll owe me nothing if you get back the Olive Branch for me. Did you retake her?"
"That barque?" Diron asked. "She was yours, that barque?"
Corunna nodded.
Diron looked at Argandeau, as if seeking denial of Corunna's statement. Finding none, he glanced uncertainly around the quarterdeck. Two of the Decatur's seamen raised the body of a British sailor from the scuppers, swung it over the taffrail and let it fall. The splash seemed to put a thought in Diron's head.
"But such sights!" he cried. "They must be painful to a ladyl"
"No, Captain," Corunna said quietly. "These people killed my father."
Diron held up a protesting hand. "It is necessary that I examine the papers in the cabin. You shall come there, where we can talk quietly." He turned to Argandeau. "Give me a few moments, my
CAPTAIN CAUTION
friend, and then we will speak fully together. I see now that it was your schooner we sank. Like a gourd, she was so thin and sailed by men who could contrive to foul her jib-boom in her own staysails! I am sad about thisl" He patted Argandeau on the shoulders, kissed him again on both cheeks; then beckoned to Corunna and walked quickly to the companionway.
"Corunnal" Marvin said. "Corunnal"
She turned to Slade, seeming not to hear Marvin. "You'll come with me, won't you, Captain?" Slade,following her down the companionway, glanced up at Marvin from under his drooping eyelid with what seemed to Marvin like malicious mockery.
"Listen, my friend," Argandeau said, holding Marvin by the arm, "my Formidable is gone! Nowhere was there a craft so beautiful or so swift, and now she is goner"
"It's too bad," Marvin said absently. "Too bad."
"I tell you, my friend," Argandeau said, "it is bad, yes; but not too bad. Nothing is too bad. If you lose a ship, you will find a better one. If you lose a woman, you have not lost the only woman there is. Look at me, eh? I am gay! That is why I am loved by my friends, by the rabbits, by everyone!" He pointed a foot delicately, flung up an arm and struck a pose. "We will visit now with my
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