Read Online Captain Caution by Kenneth Roberts - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kenneth Roberts
Tags: Historical
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friend, Dominique Diron. For him, too, nothing is too bad. He is brave, like a lion; and why notl He has learned from observation! He served with me on the letter of marque Superbe. There was one time when we were surprised and attacked, Dominique and I, by two British cruisers. For three nights and two days we fight them off. We laugh and are gay. Hal Hal They cannot catch us those two Griffons. We run the Superbe ashore and escape, all of usl"
"Yes, but this time they caught you," Marvin reminded him.
"Caught me?" Argandeau said. "Caught me? Who has caught me? Look at me carefully! 'Ah-hah,' you say to yourself, 'I behold Argandeau, who did not wish to remain caught, and therefore is a free manl' But come; we wash the mud from ourselves and go to see Dominique."
VIII
1IIE CAPTAIN'S CABIN of the Beetle was hot as an oven, and almost as small. Diron, his coat stripped off, sat before the center table, whereon was a litter of papers. Beside him sat Corunna; and when Marvin saw how Slade hovered over her shoulder, as if fearful that she might topple from her locker unless guarded, it seemed to him suddenly that this cabin was not less dismal than the hold had been.
Diron smiled affectionately at Argandeau. "You have arrived at the precise moment," he said. "You have not been presented to this lady, she has told me."
Argandeau bent his woolly, close-cropped head in a quick bow. "But I have had a gift from her, only today, that will make her live forever in my heart. No, I have not been presented to her, but I know her well; she is so kind that I shall never find time to say to her how kind she is."
Diron opened his mouth in a soundless laugh. "As you see, Miss Dorman, a dangerous mans" To Argandeau he added: "Thanks to me, Lucien, you shall have the opportunity to try; and for you it should be a good affair. This lady has kindly consented to take you and your crew to France, together with my wounded and the English wounded."
"To France?" Marvin asked quickly. "She has consented to go to FranceP"
"She has been so kind," Diron said. "The whole plan has come into my head like that, Lucienl" He snapped his fingers, glancing from Marvin to Corunna and back again; then addressed himself to Argandeau once more. "I thought for a time of taking you back to Charleston with me, Lucien; but the Americans, they do not have enough vessels of their own for privateering. For every American vessel there are a thousand American captains. But in France there are many vessels; fast ones more vessels than captains. You assist this lady to go there, then, and maybe she assist you to get another vessel."
"Just a minute, Captain," Marvin said. "I don't understand this talk of France."
CAPTAIN CAUTION 323
Corunna looked up at him angrily. "It's not necessary that you should."
Marvin drew a deep breath. "Don't talk that way, Corunna. What's France to us? Home's where we want to be."
Sladethrew back his head to stare at Marvin from beneath his drooping lid. "You must have heard what the lady said."
"Just a minute, Corunna," Marvin persisted, ignoring Slade. "You can't afford to rush into anything like this. As I see it, the way to go home is to go home; and it's no good to say it isn't necessary for me to understand about it. It appears to me, Corunna, that I'm responsible for you. I've got as much right as anyone to know what you're planning to do."
"You're responsible?" she cried, rising to her feet, her hands clenched and her face colorless. "You've got the right? I'll have you understand that I allow no squeamish boy to be responsible for what I do or where I go. And of all men, you're the last I'd let question my decisions."
Captain Diron leaned forward in his chair. "It is all so simple," he said candidly, "that I think possibly you make a mistake not to tell the gentleman. It would be a pity if he smelled here a mystery where there was nonel" He smiled gently at all the persons in the stifling little cabin.
"You see," he said,
"Yes, but this time they caught you," Marvin reminded him.
"Caught me?" Argandeau said. "Caught me? Who has caught me? Look at me carefully! 'Ah-hah,' you say to yourself, 'I behold Argandeau, who did not wish to remain caught, and therefore is a free manl' But come; we wash the mud from ourselves and go to see Dominique."
VIII
1IIE CAPTAIN'S CABIN of the Beetle was hot as an oven, and almost as small. Diron, his coat stripped off, sat before the center table, whereon was a litter of papers. Beside him sat Corunna; and when Marvin saw how Slade hovered over her shoulder, as if fearful that she might topple from her locker unless guarded, it seemed to him suddenly that this cabin was not less dismal than the hold had been.
Diron smiled affectionately at Argandeau. "You have arrived at the precise moment," he said. "You have not been presented to this lady, she has told me."
Argandeau bent his woolly, close-cropped head in a quick bow. "But I have had a gift from her, only today, that will make her live forever in my heart. No, I have not been presented to her, but I know her well; she is so kind that I shall never find time to say to her how kind she is."
Diron opened his mouth in a soundless laugh. "As you see, Miss Dorman, a dangerous mans" To Argandeau he added: "Thanks to me, Lucien, you shall have the opportunity to try; and for you it should be a good affair. This lady has kindly consented to take you and your crew to France, together with my wounded and the English wounded."
"To France?" Marvin asked quickly. "She has consented to go to FranceP"
"She has been so kind," Diron said. "The whole plan has come into my head like that, Lucienl" He snapped his fingers, glancing from Marvin to Corunna and back again; then addressed himself to Argandeau once more. "I thought for a time of taking you back to Charleston with me, Lucien; but the Americans, they do not have enough vessels of their own for privateering. For every American vessel there are a thousand American captains. But in France there are many vessels; fast ones more vessels than captains. You assist this lady to go there, then, and maybe she assist you to get another vessel."
"Just a minute, Captain," Marvin said. "I don't understand this talk of France."
CAPTAIN CAUTION 323
Corunna looked up at him angrily. "It's not necessary that you should."
Marvin drew a deep breath. "Don't talk that way, Corunna. What's France to us? Home's where we want to be."
Sladethrew back his head to stare at Marvin from beneath his drooping lid. "You must have heard what the lady said."
"Just a minute, Corunna," Marvin persisted, ignoring Slade. "You can't afford to rush into anything like this. As I see it, the way to go home is to go home; and it's no good to say it isn't necessary for me to understand about it. It appears to me, Corunna, that I'm responsible for you. I've got as much right as anyone to know what you're planning to do."
"You're responsible?" she cried, rising to her feet, her hands clenched and her face colorless. "You've got the right? I'll have you understand that I allow no squeamish boy to be responsible for what I do or where I go. And of all men, you're the last I'd let question my decisions."
Captain Diron leaned forward in his chair. "It is all so simple," he said candidly, "that I think possibly you make a mistake not to tell the gentleman. It would be a pity if he smelled here a mystery where there was nonel" He smiled gently at all the persons in the stifling little cabin.
"You see," he said,
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