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as the navigation is but ticklish.”
“Spoken like a quiet and sensible magistrate, Mr. Mayor,” said Cleveland, “and no otherwise than as I expected. — And what gentleman is to honour our quarterdeck during my absence?”
“We have fixed that, too, Captain Cleveland,” said the Provost; “ you may be sure we were each more desirous than another to go upon so pleasant a voyage, and in such good company; but being Fair time, most of us have some affairs in hand — I myself, in respect of my office, cannot be well spared — the eldest Bailie’s wife is lying-in — the Treasurer does not agree with the sea — two Bailies have the gout — the other two are absent from town — and the other fifteen members of council are all engaged on particular business.”
“All that I can tell you, Mr. Mayor,” said Cleveland, raising his voice, “ is, that I expect…”
“A moment’s patience, if you please, Captain,” said the Provost, interrupting him — ” So that we have come to the resolution that our worthy Mr. Triptolemus Yellowley, who is Factor to the Lord Chamberlain of these islands, shall, in respect of his official situation, be preferred to the honour and pleasure of accompanying you.”
“Me!” said the astonished Triptolemus; “ what the devil should I do going on your voyages? — my business is on dry land!”
“The gentlemen want.a pilot,” said the Provost, whispering to him, “ and there is no eviting to give them one.”
“Do they want to go bump on shore, then? “ said the Factor — ”how the devil should I pilot them, that never touched rudder in my life?”
“Hush! — hush! — be silent!” said the Provost; “ if the people of this town heard ye say such a word, your utility, and respect, and rank, and everything else, is clean gone! — No man is anything with us island folks, unless he can hand, reef, and steer. — Besides, it is but a mere form; and we will send old Pate Sinclair to help you. You will have nothing’to do but to eat, drink, and be merry all day.”
“Eat and drink!” said the Factor, not able to comprehend exactly why this piece of duty was pressed upon him so hastily, and yet not very capable of resisting or extricating himself from the toils of the more knowing Provost — ” Eat and drink? — that is all very well; but, to speak truth, the sea does not agree with me any more than with the Treasurer; and I have always a better appetite for eating and drinking ashore.”
“Hush! hush! hush! “ again said the Provost, in an undertone of earnest expostulation; “ would you actually ruin your character out and out? — A Factor of the High Chamberlain of the Isles of Orkney and Zetland, and not like the sea! — you might as well say you are a Highlander, and do not like whisky!”
“You must settle it somehow, gentlemen,” said Captain Cleveland; “ it is time we were under weigh. — Mr. Triptolemus Yellowley, are we to be honoured with your company?”
“I am sure, Captain Cleveland,” stammered the Factor, “ I would have no objection to go anywhere with you — only”
“He has no objection,” said the Provost, catching at the first limb of the sentence, without awaiting the conclusion.
“He has no objection,” cried the Treasurer.
“He has no objection,” sung out the whole four Bailies together; and the fifteen Councillors, all catching up the same phrase of assent, repeated it in chorus, with the additions of — ” good man “ — ” public-spirited “ — ” honourable gentleman “ — burgh eternally obliged “ — ” where will you find such a worthy Factor?” and so forth.
Astonished and confused at the praises with which he was overwhelmed on all sides, and in no shape understanding the nature of the transaction that was going forward, the astounded and overwhelmed agriculturist became incapable of resisting the part of the Kirkwall Curtius thus insidiously forced upon him, and was delivered up by Captain Cleveland to his party, with the strictest injunctions to treat him with honour and attention. Goffe and his companions began now to lead him off, amid the applauses of the whole meeting, after the manner in which the victim of ancient days was garlanded and greeted by shouts, when consigned to the priests, for the purpose ol being led to the altar, and knocked on the head, a sacrifice for the commonweal. It was while they thus conducted, and in 2 manner forced him out of the Council-chamber, that pool Triptolemus, much alarmed at finding that Cleveland, in whom he had some confidence, was to remain behind the party, tried, when just going out at the door, the effect of one remonstrating bellow. — Nay, but, Provost! — Captain! — Bailies! — Treasurer! — Councillors! — if Captain Cleveland does not go aboard to protect me, it is nae bargain, and go I will not, unless I am trailed with cart-ropes!”
His protest was, however, drowned in the unanimous chorus of the Magistrates and Councillors, returning him thanks for his public spirit — wishing him a good voyage — and praying to Heaven for his happy and speedy return. Stunned and overwhelmed, and thinking, if he had any distinct thoughts at all, that remonstrance was vain, where friends and strangers seemed alike determined to carry the point against him, Triptolemus, without farther resistance, suffered himself to be conducted into the street, where the pirate’s boat’s-crew, assembling around him, began to move slowly towards the quay, many of the townsfolk following out of curiosity, but without any attempt at interference or annoyance; for the pacific compromise which the dexterity of the first Magistrate had achieved, was unanimously approved of as a much better settlement of the disputes betwixt them and the strangers, than might have been attained by the dubious issue of an appeal to arms.
Meanwhile, as they went slowly along, Triptolemus had time to study the appearance, countenance, and dress, of •those into whose hands he had been thus delivered, and began to imagine that he read in their looks, not only the general expression of a desperate character, but some sinister intentions directed particularly towards himself. He was alarmed by the truculent looks of Goffe, in particular, who, holding his arm with a gripe which resembled in delicacy of touch the compression of a smith’s vice, cast on him from the outer corner of his eye oblique glances, like those which the eagle throws upon the prey which she has clutched, ere yet she proceeds, as it is technically called, to plume it. At length Yellowley’s fears got so far the better of his prudence, that he fairly asked his terrible conductor, in a sort of crying whisper,,” Are you going to murder me, Captain, in the face of the laws baith of God and man?”
“Hold your peace, if you are wise,” said Goffe, who had his own reasons for desiring to increase the panic of his captive; “ we have not murdered a man these three months, and why should you put us in mind of it?”
“You are but joking, I hope, good worthy Captain!” replied Triptolemus. “This is worse than witches, dwarfs, dirking of whales, and cowping of cobles, put all together! — this is an away-ganging crop, with a vengeance! — What good, in Heaven’s name, would murdering me do to you?”
“We might have some pleasure in it, at least,” said Goffe. — ” Look these fellows in the face, and see if you see one among them that would not rather kill a man than let it alone? — But we will speak more of that when you have first had a taste of the bilboes — unless, indeed, you come down with a handsome round handful of Chili boards 1 for your ransom.”
“As I shall live by bread, Captain,” answered the Factor, “ that misbegotten dwarf has carried off the whole hornful of silver!”
“A cat-and-nine-tails will make you find it again,” said Goffe gruffly; “ flogging and pickling is an excellent receipt to bring a man’s wealth into his mind — twisting a bowstring round his skull till the eyes start a little, is a very good remembrancer too.”
“Captain,” replied Yellowley stoutly, “ I have no money — seldom can improvers have. We turn pasture to tillage, and barley into aits, and heather into greensward, and the poor yarpha, as the benighted creatures here call their peatbogs, into baittle grass-land; but we seldom make anything of it that comes back to our ain pouch. The carles and the cart-avers make it all, and the carles and the cart-avers eat it all,, and the deil clink doun with