AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF SERJEANT QUACCO.
I had scarcely, to my conception, been asleep at all, when I was called
again. "If ever I practise the calling of a pilot in this wide world
after this!" said I to myself as I stumbled, yawning and stretching,
about the confined cabin.
It might have been about eleven at night when I got on deck. There was
a heavy ground-swell tumbling in upon us over the bar, which made the
little vessel pitch violently.
"See all clear to cut away the kedge," said I.
But there was no need; for the swell that rolled in was as yet deep,
dark, and unbroken. I looked forth into the night, endeavouring by the
starlight, for the moon was obscured by a thick bank of clouds in the
eastern horizon, to distinguish the whereabouts of the bar at the
river's mouth, but all was black flowing water, and there was no sound
of breakers; so I again went below, and in a minute slept as sound as
before.
I cannot precisely say how long I had been in the land of dreams, when
I was again roused by the steward calling Mr Lanyard.
"Mr Wadding"--this was the gunner of the little vessel--"does not like
the look of the weather, sir; it has become somewhat threatening, and
the felucca is riding very uneasy since the tide has turned, sir."
The sharp jerking motion of the small craft corroborated the man's
account but too forcibly; and once more I went on deck, accompanied by
the lieutenant, where I was a good deal startled by the scene before
me. The ebb-tide was now running down, and past us like a mill-stream;
and the bar, which a couple of hours before was all black and
undistinguishable, began now to be conspicuous, from a crescent of
white waves which shone even through the darkness; while a deep and
increasing hoarse murmur, "like thunder heard remote," was borne up the
river towards us on the night wind. The foaming breakers on the bar,
as the tide continued to fall, spread out; and in an hour, the rush of
the tide downwards, and the tumble of the sea inwards, placed us, even
at the distance of our anchorage, in a regular cauldron of broken
water, where the little craft was knocked about as if she belonged to
nobody, while every moment I expected the cable to part.
It was a regular snow-storm; the swell, broken on the bar, roared into
the river in splashing waves, which, when the downward current dashed
against them, flew up in spouts, covering every thing with spray, that
was puffed away seaward like smoke by the sharp land-breeze which had
suddenly set down, counter-checking in a moment the regular easterly
trade-wind. The little vessel was thus kicked here and yerked there,
as if it had been a cork in the midst of the bubbling of a boiling pot.
Oh! how I longed for daylight! At length daylight came, and the sun
began to exhale the dank pestiferous vapours that towards grey dawn had
once more mantled over the water.
For an hour it was again so thick that we could see nothing in the
direction of the bar; but the noise of the breakers continued to
increase; and as the boats alongside were by this time, notwithstanding
all our endeavours, half full of water, I feared that, even when the
tide began to answer again, we should be unable to send one of them
down to sound; so there we lay in the miserable consciousness of having
been foiled in our object on the one hand, and with small prospect of
being able to get out to rejoin the frigate on the other. At length,
towards seven o'clock, the mist rose; the unwholesome smell of mud, and
slime, and putrifying vegetables was no longer perceptible, and the
glorious sun once more shone on the broad expanse of rushing waters.
The mangrove-covered banks became again distinctly visible and
well-defined, and the horizon seaward began to look blue, clear, and
cheery. But all this while the bar was one bow of roaring foam; that
increased as the sea-breeze freshened, and fairly stifled the _terral_,
until there was not one solitary narrow streak of blue water in the
whole breadth of the river's mouth.
Dick was pacing the deck in no small perplexity I saw, debating in his
own mind whether or not he should send below and rouse out Mr Sprawl,
when the surgeon passed me.
"Good morning, doctor."
He returned the salute.
"How are all the wounded this morning?"
"All doing well, sir."
"And Lennox, how is he?"
The doctor laughed.
"Oh, all right with him now, sir; but the poor fellow is awfully
ashamed at the exhibition his messmates have told him he made
yesterday. He is much better, however; and I hope will be out of his
hammock this forenoon, if the weather keeps fine."
I had a sort of anxiety to know, from my own observation, how the poor
fellows were getting on; so I followed our friend, and descended with
him in his visit to the sick and hurt.
Almost the first man I spoke to was Lennox.
"Glad to find you so much better, my man; I hope you feel yourself
stronger this morning?"
A faint blush spread over the poor fellow's thin wasted features, and
he hesitated in his answer. At length he stammered out--"Thank you,
sir; I am much better, sir."
"Who is that blocking up the hatchway?"' said the doctor, as some dark
body nearly filled the entire aperture.
Presently the half-naked figure of Serjeant Quacco descended the
ladder. He paid no attention to me, or any body else; but spoke to
some one on deck in the Eboe tongue, when his wife appeared at the
coamings of the hatchway, hugging and fondling the identical and most
abominable little graven image we had seen in the fetish hut, as if it
had been her child--her own flesh and blood. She handed it down to the
black Serjeant, who placed it in a corner, nuzzling, and rubbing his
nose all over it, as if he had been propitiating the tiny Moloch by the
abjectness of his abasement. I was curious to see how Lennox would
take all this, but it produced no effect: he looked with a quizzical
expression of countenance at the figure for some time, and then lay
back in his hammock, and seemed to be composing himself to sleep. I
went on deck, leaving the negro and his sable helpmate below amongst
the men, and was conversing with Mr Sprawl, who had by this time made
his appearance; when we were suddenly startled by a loud shriek from
the negress, who shot up from below, plunged instantly overboard, and
began to swim with great speed towards the shore. She was instantly
followed by our friend the serjeant, who for a second or two looked
forth after the sable naiad, in an attitude as if the very next moment
he would have followed her. I hailed the dingy Venus--"Come back, my
dear--come back." She turned round with a laughing countenance, but
never for a moment hesitated in her shoreward progress.
"What sall become of me!" screamed Serjeant Quacco--"Oh, Lord, I sail
lose my vife--debil fetch dem sailor buccra--cost me feefty
dallar--Lose my vife I--dat de dam little fetish say mosh be save. Oh,
poor debil dat I is I"--and here followed a long tirade in some African
dialect, that was utterly unintelligible to us.
"My good fellow, don't make such an uproar, will ye?" said I. "Leave
your wife to her fate: you cannot better yourself if you would die for
it."
"I don't know, massa; I don't know. Him cost me feefty dallar.
Beside, as massa must have seen, him beautiful! oh, very
beautiful!--and what you tink dem willain asore will do to him? Ah,
massa, you can't tell what dem will do to him?"
"Why, my good man, what _will_ they do?"
"Eat him, massa, may be; for dey look on him as one who now is
enemy--dat is, dey call me enemy, and dey know him is my vife--Oh,
Lord--feefty dallar--all go, de day dem roast my vife."
I could scarcely refrain from laughing; but on the instant the poor
fellow ran up to the old quartermaster, who was standing near the mast,
admiring the construction of the canoe,--as beautiful a skiff, by the
way, as was ever scooped out of tree. "Help me, old man; help me to
launch de canoe. I must go on sore--I must go on sore."
The seaman looked at me--I nodded; and, taking the hint, he instantly
lent Blackie a hand. The canoe was launched overboard, and the next
moment Serjeant Quacco was paddling after his adored, that had cost him
fifty dollars, in double-quick time.
He seemed, so far as we could judge, to be rapidly overtaking her, when
the little promontory of the creek hid them from our view; and under
the impression that we had seen the last of him, I began to hug myself
in the hope of getting over the bar that forenoon. An hour might have
elapsed, and all remained quiet, except at the bar, and even there the
thunder and hissing of the breakers began to fail. As the tide made,
Lanyard saw all ready to go to sea; but I was soon persuaded, that,
from the extreme heaviness of the ground swell that rolled in, there
was no chance of our extricating ourselves until the evening at the
soonest, or it might be next morning, when the young ebb would give us
a lift; so we were walking up and down, to while away the time, when
poor Lennox, who had by this time come on deck, said, on my addressing
him, that he had seen small jets of white smoke rise up from among the
green mangroves now and then; and although he had not heard any report,
yet he was persuaded they indicated musket-shots.
"It may all be as you say, Lennox; but I hope we shall soon be clear of
this accursed river, and then they may blaze away at each other as much
as they please."
The words were scarcely out of my mouth, when we not only saw the
smoke, but heard the rattle of musketry, and presently a small black
speck shot rapidly beyond the headland or cape, that shut in our view,
on the larboard side, up the river.
On its nearer approach, we soon perceived that it was our friend Quacco
once more, in his small dory of a canoe, with the little fetish god
stuck over the bow; but there was no appearance of his wife.
As he drew closer to the vessel, the man appeared absolutely frantic.
He worked and sculled away with his paddle as if he had been mad; and
when at last he got on deck, having previously cast the little horrible
image up before him, he began to curse and to swear, at one moment in
the Eboe tongue, at another in bad Creole English, as if he had been
possessed with a devil--
"_Hoo chockaro, chockaro, soo ho_--Oh, who could tink young woman could
hab so mosh deceit!--_Ah, Queykarre tol de rot jig tootle too--to leave
me Quacco, and go join dem Eboe willain_!" Then, as if recollecting
himself--"But how I do know dat dem no frighten him for say so? Ah,
now I remember one ogly dag stand beside him hab long clear knife in
him hand. Oh, Lord! _Tooka, Tooka--Cookery Pee Que_--Ah, poor ting!
dem hab decoy him--cheat him into dem power--and to-morrow morning sun
will see dem cook him--ay, and eat him. Oh dear, dem will eat my
vife--oh, him cost me feefty dallar--eat my feefty dallar--_oh
Kickereboo--Rotan_!"
And straightway he cast himself on the deck, and began to yell and roll
over and over, as if he had been in the greatest agony. Presently he
jumped on his legs again, and ran and laid hold of the little graven
image. He caught it up by the legs, and smashed its head down on the
hard deck. "You dam fetish--you false willain, dis what you give me
for kill fowl, eh? and tro de blood in you face, eh? and stick fedder
in you tail, eh? and put blanket over you shoulder when rain come, and
night fog roll over we and make you chilly? What you give me for all
dis? You drive me go on board dam footy little Englis cruiser, and
give my vife, cost me feefty dallar, to be roast and eat? Oh, Massa
Carpenter, do lend me one hax;" and seizing the tool, that had been
brought on deck and lay near him, he, at a blow, split open the
fetish's head, and continued to mutilate it, until he was forcibly
disarmed by some of the men that stood by him.
After this the poor savage walked doggedly about the deck for a minute
or two, as if altogether irresolute what to do; at length he dived
suddenly below.
"Breakfast is ready, sir," said the boy who acted the part of steward;
and Lanyard, having asked me to accompany him, descended to do the
honours to his company--rather a large party, by the way, for the size
of the small cabin.
We all made the best use of our time for a quarter of an hour; at
length little Binnacle broke ground.
"We have been hearing a curious history of this black fellow, sir."
"What was it? Little good of him you could have heard, I should have
thought," quoth Sprawl.
"Why, no great harm either," said young De Walden, who now chimed in,
with his low, modest, but beautifully pitched voice--"We have had his
story at large, sir, this morning, after the decks were holystoned and
washed down."
"Come, Master De Walden, give it us then," said I.
"Beg pardon, sir," said the beautiful boy, "no one can do justice to it
but himself."
"Shall I call him, sir?" said Mr Marline.
I looked enquiringly at old Davie Doublepipe, as much as to say, Are
those boys quizzing us now? "What say you, Sprawl, eh?"
"Why not, man--why not?" replied my excellent coadjutor. "If it were
only to amuse the lads, surely there is no harm in it. But here, give
me another cup of coffee,--and, Master Marline, the wing of that
spitchcock chicken, if you please--Why, Brail, if nothing else thrives
in that most damnable _Sierra Leone_, fowls do."
While the lieutenant was employed in completing his stowage--no regular
_Stevedor_ could have gone more scientifically about it--little
Binnacle ushered in our dark friend. What a change in his outward man!
Where he had got his garments heaven knows, but there was the frantic
barbarian of half an hour ago, newly and freshly rigged in a clean pair
of duck trowsers, canvass shoes, and a good check shirt, with his
never-failing black belt slung across his right shoulder, and
supporting the rusty bayonet, already mentioned. He drew himself up at
the door, soldier fashion, and put his hand to his cap. The light from
the small scuttle above shone down strong on his tatooed countenance,
and lit up his steady bronze-like features. I waited in expectation of
his speaking. But the talkative savage of yesterday evening had now
subsided into the quiet orderly soldier.
"I say, Serjeant Quacco," at length _quod_ Davie Doublepipe, as he
finished his ham, and swallowed his last cup of coffee, "we have been
hearing from these young gentlemen that you have a story to tell; have
you any objections to oblige us with it again?"
This flourish of trumpets was lost on poor Quacco. He stared vacantly,
first at one, and then at the other, but remained silent.
"What you tell dem young gentlemen about who you is?" said I.
"Oh," promptly rejoined Serjeant Quacco, "is dat de ting massa dere
want to know? I shall tell him over again, if massa choose, but it is
one very foolis story."
"Never mind," said I, "let us have it again, by all means."
The poor fellow, after endeavouring to look as serious as possible, and
giving sundry hems and haws, and looking unutterable things, as if in
doubt whether we were in jest or no, began his story.
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF SERJEANT QUACCO.
"Gentlemen," began our dark friend, "I tink it very proper dat you read
dis certificate before I say more--proper you should be perswade dat I
was one person of consequence, before we proceed farder." Whereupon he
handed a small flat tin box to Davie Doublepipe.
"Read, Sprawl," said I,--"read."
The lieutenant took off the lid, and produced a ragged piece of paper,
which, after some trouble in deciphering, he found to contain the
following words:--
"I certify, that the bearer, Corporal Quacco, late of H.M. ---- West
India regiment, has received his discharge, and a free passage to the
coast of Africa, whither he has desired to return, in the first of his
Majesty's ships that may touch here, belonging to that station; in
consequence of his gallantry and faithful conduct during the late
mutiny, wherein Major D---- unfortunately lost his life." I forget the
name and rank of the officer who signed it.
"So you see, gentlemen, dat I is Kin's hofficer same as youselves,
although on the retired list. Let me tell what you shall hear now.
Twenty year ago, I was catch in de Bonny river, and sold to one nice
captain from Livapool. He have large ship, too much people in him--a
tousand--no--but heap of people. He was nice man, until him get to
sea--was debil den--cram we into leetle, small, dam dirty hole--feed we
bad--small time we get to breath de fresh air on deck, and plenty iron
on we legs, and clanking chain on we neck, and _fum, fum_--dat is
floggee--I sall not say where. But soon we come widin two week of West
Indy--ho! food turn wery much better--we get more air--palm oil sarve
out to we, to make we skin plump and nice.
"So, to make one long story short, we arrive at Jamaica, and ten of de
best-looking of we"--(here the black serjeant drew himself up)--"were
pick out--select, you call--by one hofficer, and dat day we were
marshed to Fort Augusta, to serve his Majesty as soldiers in de
grenadier company of de ---- West India regiment. Long time pass over.
We all pick up de Englis language--some better, some worser; for all
peoples cannot expect to pronounce him so well as Serjeant Quacco."
"Certainly not," said Sprawl.
"And we drill, drill, drill, every day, and marsh and countermarsh, and
wheel and halt, until we are quite proficient. I was now one corporal.
Cat never touch my back;--never get dronk--dat is, except I know I can
lie in hammock widout neglect my duty until I get sober again. My
captain say, I was de best man in de company--and I tink so too myself,
so de captain must have been right; and some good mans were amongst we,
gentlemen--ah, and some wery bad ones also.
"We were, on a certain day, to have great inspection; so de fag, and
work, and drill, become double for some time before we expect de
general. De idle dogs say, 'What use dis? we quite perfect; no white
regiment can manoeuvre better den we.' But I say, 'Never mind, will
soon be over, so rest content.'--'Ah,' say one bitter bad fellow--Ogly
Jack, dem call him--not wery genteel name, gentlemen, but can't help
dat--'Ah,' say Jack, 'if de rest of de regiment was like me, you should
see! Soon we should have our own way; and plenty tousand of de poor
field-people would soon join us.'--'Ho, ho!' say I, Quacco, 'mutiny
dis;--bloody murder and sudden death dis is;--so, Master Ogly Jack, I
shall take de small liberty to wash you.' However, de inspection pass
over; noting particular happen until de evening, about nine o'clock.
De tattoo beat done long time, and I was eating my supper, at de end of
de long gallery of de easternmost barrick, wery comfortable; looking
out on de white platform below, where de sentries were walking backward
and forward, singing negro song; de clear arms every now and den
sparkling bright, cold, and blue, in de moonlight; and den I look
beyond all dis out upon de smoot shining water of de harbour, which
stretch away, bright as polished silver, until it end in de lights at
Port Royal, and on board of de men of war, at anchor under de batteries
dere, dat twinkle and wanish, twinkle and wanish, until de eye rest on
de spark at de flag-ship's mizen-peak, dat shone steady as one Wenus
star. Suddenly I start--'What is dat?' I say, for I see canoe steal
gently along; de paddle seem of velvet, for no noise it make, none at
all. Presently de parapet hide him, and de two peoples I sees in de
canoe, from Quacco's sight. 'How de sentry don't hail?' say I,
Quacco--'What it can mean he don't hail?' again say I. But, just as I
tink about de wonder of dis, one loud laugh of de young buccra officer
come from de mess-house, and I say, 'Ah ha! de claret begin to work
dere--de brandy and water begin to tell; so I will take my grog too,
and turn in.'--'Hillo!' I say again; for just at dis time I hear one
footstep behind me; 'who go dere?' No one speak for long time; but I
see one person, wid him head just above de level of de gallery,
standing on de stair. I seized my fuzee. 'Come up, whoever you
is.'--'Ha, ha!' laugh some one. 'What, broder Quacco, are you afeard?
don't you know me Jack? You know we are countrymen: so here I have
brought you a drop of grog.'--'Oh ho!' say I Quacco, 'Jack, is it you?
Come in; I shall strike a light.'--'No, no,' say Jack; 'I don't want de
oder men to see I am here.' I tink dis wery strange, but I say noting.
All quiet; de rest of my company were at de oder side of de barrick,
most of dem in der hammock already, and I was not wery fond to be alone
wid Jack after what I overhear. Yet de grog was very good. I take
anoder pull; it grew better, so I take one small drop more. 'Now,
Jack,' say I, 'no offence, but you must know I tought you were leetle
better den one big dam rogue; but I begin to tink'--(here him smile
quite pleasant, and give me oder small drop)--'dat you are not quite so
big willain as I was led to believe; so shake hands.' He held out
him's large paw, and say he, 'Oh, I know, Quacco, dat some one was
prejudice you against me; but, never mind, I know of some fun going on.
Ah, handsome black girls dere, Quacco, and Mundingo Tom, and
Yellow-skin Paul, so come along.'--'Come along?' say I, Quacco; 'where
de debil you want me to go at dis time of night? De gate all shut;
can't come.' Here him laugh loud again. Oh, if dat Ogly Jack had only
had white face, I would have tought he was de wery debil himself. 'De
gate shut?' say he, 'to be sure de gate is shut; but come here, man,
come here;'--and now I was sure he was Obeah man, for I had no power to
stay behind--something seem draw me. Massa, you hab all see snake
wheedle leetle bird into him jaw, and just so dis dam Jack work on me,
Quacco. To be sure de rum was wery good, wery good indeed; so I follow
him down stair, and as we pass dat part of de barrick where de
grenadier were, we meet two tree men; but no notice take dem of we; so
we go down to de esplanade. All still dere but de loud 'Ha, ha!' from
de mess-room, where de band was play, and wax-lights shine. No one
else stir, except sentry over de big heap of shell,--one large pile of
ten, twelve, tirteen inch shell dat was heap up in de middle of de
fort,--so we turn to de left, and ascend de platform. 'Who go dere?'
sing out de sentry, as him walk backward and forward between de two gun
facing we; 'Who go dere?' say he. Jack spring forward to de sentry,
and say something. I could not hear what he whisper; but, though I
speak never one word, de man mediately say, 'Pass, friend!' and den him
stomp away in de oder direction from where we was. Jack now take hold
of my hand,--'No time for lost; so come along, broder Quacco.' I hold
me back. 'Ah ha!' say I, 'show me de cause for all dis, Massa Jack.'
'And so Jack shall,' him say--'but come here, man, come here;' and he
lead me into de embrazure of one long four-and-twenty; and taking one
good strong rope out of de muzzle of de gun, where him seem to have
been stow on purpose, him make one loop in him and hook him over de
leetle nose dat stick out from de breech of him behind. 'Now, Quacco,
I know you is clever fellow; so warp yourself down by dis rope--dere is
no wet ditch here--so down you go, and'----'Gently,' say I, 'where we
go to?--tell a me dat.'--'I will,' say he, 'but de night air chill, so
here take anoder drop'--and, lord, we have de oder pull at de case
bottle. Him puff one long puff after him drink.--'I see you suspicious
wid me still,' him say, 'but only come de length of de old hut in de
cashaw bush dere, and you shall see I is true man.'--Here I stand back
leetle piece to remember myself--but he would give me no time to tink
none at all--'You coward fellow, come along,' say Jack--'here go
me.'--Wid dat him let himself down by de rope.--'Coward! nay, me is no
coward--so here go me Quacco'--and down I slid after him. We reach de
bottom. 'Now follow me,' say Jack. Presently we come to de hut in de
wood, but many a time I look back to see de glance of de sentry musket
before him fire; but no one so much as hail we--so we walk, or rader
run, along de small path, troo de cashaw bushes dat lead to de hut--de
moonshine flicker, flicker on de white sandy path, troo de small leaf
of de cashaw, no bigger as, and wery like, de leaf of de sensitive
plant.--Ah, Massa Brail,"--I was smiling here,--"I know him name--I
know de sensitive plant--often get tenpence from young buccra hofficer
to hunt him out for him, and? indeed, I know where whole acres of him
grow in Jamaica. But you put me out, Massa Brail--where I was?--oh--de
moonshine shine bright and clear, and de lizard whistle _wheetle,
wheetle_, and de tree-toad snore, and de wood-cricket chirp, and de
beetle moan past we, and de bat whir, and de creech howl squake--So
tink I, I wish I was once more in de barrick--but no help for it.
Presently we were in front of de hut. Small black ogly hut him was--no
light could be seen in him--at least none shine below de door--and dere
was never no window in him none at all. Jack stop, and put him hand to
de latch. I lay hold of him arm. I say, 'Massa Jack, is dis de hut
you speak of, and dis de pleasant peoples I was to see, and de nice
black girls, eh?'--'Stop,' say he, 'don't judge until you see--but come
in, man, come in.'--I go in, but Jack was close de door instantly
behind him. 'Hilo, what mean you by dat?' say I, 'you go leave me here
widout fire?'--'Poo,' say he, 'fire? you shall soon have enough.' Wid
dat him strike one light, den light some chip, and presently him tro
someting on de fire, dat make it blaze up into one large blue flame dat
make every ting look wery disagreab--oh, mosh wery. Jack sit down--he
take piece roast pork, some yam, and some salt fis out of de crown of
him shako--we eat--de rum bottle soon not heavy too much in de
hand--and I forget, sinner dat I is, dat I should hab been in my bed in
de barrick in de fort--so Jack, after poke de fire again, say, 'Quacco,
broder Quacco; as I say before, we is countrymen--bote Eboe, is
we?'--'Yes,' say I, 'we is Eboe, but we were wery different peoples in
de Eboe country. You know, Jack, dat I was poor debil whose fader and
moder was kill and carry away by dese dam Felatahs and'"----
Here friend Dick interrupted the thread of our friend Quacco's tale.
"I say, serjeant, you are speaking of Felatahs--we have heard much of
them on the coast--who and what are they, my man?"
"I shall tell massa," said Serjeant Quacco. "Dam troublesome fellow
dem Felatah--never stay at home--always going about fighting
here--stealing dere. You go to bed--hear de pig in de oder end of your
hut grunt quite comfortable--you wake--him gone--'ah, Felatah must have
been dere.' You hab only two wife, so you go into market--bazar, de
Moorish people call him--you buy anoder leetle wife, because maybe one
of de two grow old, and de oder grow stupid maybe; well, you bring de
leetle wife home--nice leetle person--you tell him de story how Felatah
come, while you sleep, and tief pig--ha, ha--you laugh, and he laugh,
and you drink small piece of tody, after nyam supper, and go werry
merry to bed--ho--you wake next morning--debil--him gone too well as de
pig--de leetle wife gone--oh, lord--'sure as can be, Felatah must be
dere.' And your bag of cowrie never safe--every ting dat cursed
Felatah can lay him fist on, him grab--de Livapool ship people call him
Scotchman."
"Don't tell that part of your story in the hearing of Corporal Lennox,
friend Quacco," said I, laughing.
He grinned, and proceeded. "I say to Jack, 'I was catch when I was
leetle naked fellow by de Felatahs, wid my fader and moder, and carry
off to dem country, and afterward sell for slave; but you was great man
always--big fetish priest you was--many fetish you make in your time;
you kill goat and pig before de fetish.'--'Ay,' said Jack, 'and maybe,
Quacco, I kill oder ting you no dream of before de fetish, beside dem
who hab cloven hoof and four leg and one tail'--and he rose up--on
which me Quacco jump on my feet too. 'Massa Ogly Jack, I onderstand
you now, you willain; you is one mutiny, sir, and I arrest you, sir, in
de name of de Kin.' All dis time I was press de tumb of my left hand
against de pipe of my bayonet to see dat him was loose in de sheath.
Jack again throw someting into de fire, dat dis time flare up wid red
flame, not wid blue one as before, when every ting--de roof, de leetle
wildcane bed, de rafter, and whole inside of de hut, de calabash hang
against de wall, all look red, red and glowing hot, as if we had plump
into de bad place all at once--even Jack, and me Quacco, seem two big
lobster. I was wery terrible frighten, and drew back to de corner as
far as I could get. Jack did not follow me, but continued standing in
de same spot where he had risen up, wid both hand stretch out towards
me. I try for speak, but my troat stop up, as if you was plug him wid
piece of plantain. 'Quacco,' at length say Jack wery slow, like one
parson, 'Quacco, you have say I was fetish man, and hab kill goat and
pig--and I say I was so; and dat I have in my time make fetish of oder
ting dat have no cleft in him hoof, and hab not four leg, nor one tail.
Listen to me, Quacco; you is not goat?'--'No,' say me Quacco,
'certainly I is not goat.'--'You is not pig?' continue Jack.--'No,
no--Oh! oh! oh!' groan me Quacco again--'You hab not cloven foot?' him
go on to say.--'No,' roar I.--'Nor four leg?'--'No,' again me roar,
shaking out my two foot for make him see.--'Nor one tail?'--Here I get
mad wid fear, and jump forward wid my drawn bayonet right upon
Jack--but, fiz, as if water had been thrown on it, out goes de fire. I
nearly stifle wid de smoke, but determined to grapple wid Jack. I
tumble all about de hut, but no Jack dere; I try de door--all fast.
What shall I do?--he vanish--he must be debil--and I retreat de best
way I could, groping along de wall, until I once more get into de
corner dat I was leave. 'Oh, my God'' say me Quacco, 'here I sall be
murder--or if I be not murder, den I sall be flog for being out of
barrick widout leave--Oh, poor me Quacco, poor me Corporal Quacco--oh,
to be flog at de triangles would be one comfort, compare wid walk to de
hell place in dis fashion!' 'Quacco,' say one voice, it was not Jack
voice, 'Quacco.'--'Hillo,' say I, 'who de debil is you next, eh?' No
hanswer--den I begin to ruminate again. 'Quacco,' again de voice
say.--'Hillo,' again say I, frighten till de sweat hop, hop over my
forehead, and den from my chin and de point of my nose,"--("Where may
that be?" whispered little Binnacle)--"when it drop down on de floor
like small bullets. 'Quacco.'--'Oh, oh, oh!' groan I; for dis time it
sound as if one dead somebody was speak out of one hollow coffin, lying
at de bottom of one new open grave; 'put you hand at you feet, and see
what you catch dere, and eat what you catch dere.' I did so--I find
one calabash, wid boil nyam, and piece salt pork dere; I take him
up--taste him--wery good--eat him all---why not? 'Quacco,' again say
de voice, 'grope for de calabash dat hang against de wall.' I do
so--quite heavy--let me see. 'Drink what in him,' again say de
debil--'To be sure, Massa Debil,' say I, 'why not?' I taste him--good
rum--ah, ah, ah--wery good rum, when flash de fire again blaze up right
cheery, but I see no one; so I begin to look about, and de first ting I
do was to put down my hand where I had replaced, de calabash at my
feet. Mercy Heaven! what I lift? One skull, fresh and bloody, of one
dead shild, wid some dirt at de bottom, and some fedders, and de shell
of one egg. 'Oh, oh, oh! obeah, obeah!' shout I. And de calabash,
what him contain? I pour out some on de fire--blaze, whatever it
was--blaze up in my face and singe my hair, oh, wery mosh--make my head
smell like de sheep head de Scotch agitant sarvant boil for him massa
dinner on Sunday, when him too sick to dine at de mess. 'Dis will
never do,' say I Quacco; 'let me see what stuff dis can be I was
drink;' and I pour some on de white bench beside de fire. Oh, mammy
Juba--O--O--O--_it was blood_! And what is dat small black box I see
below de bench? I capsize him. 'Debil,' say I Quacco, 'what him is?'
Massa, it was one leetle coffin tree feet long, wid de grave-clothes in
him, but green and festering as if de rotting dead picaninny had been
new remove. 'Quacco,' again say dat terrible voice, 'what you eat for
yam was dirt from your fodder's grave, Quacco--look at him.'--'Oh, oh,'
again roar I; 'but, good Massa Debil, who go to Africa for him,
eh?'--'Hold your peace and be dam,' say de voice; 'and what you drink
for rum, was your moder's blood; so, Quacco, you mosh swear to keep
Jack secret, and to help him, and to do whatever him tell you, even if
it be to shoot your hofficer.'--Here I go mad altogeder--I dance about
de fire--whip, in one second it go out entirely--I jump up and down--de
voice still continue to sing out--oder two voice sing out along wid
him, 'Where dem evil spirit can be conceal?' say I--'some one must be
on de rafter, couple you call, of de roof above my head calabash, for I
can't find no debil on de floor of de hut, none at all,' say I; so I
jomp up again, when my head knock against someting. 'Oh,' say
somebody. 'Ah,' say me, Quacco. I leap once more, and pike up my
naked bayonet before me--It tick in someting--what it was I can't tell;
it feel as if I had dig him into one rump of beef--large yell instantly
shake de entire hut--I jump again--heavy ting fall down on me--I
scramble to get away, but one of de debils scramble to hold me down--I
turn to de left--I lay hold of de hand of anoder on dem--no doubt de
one who was speak. 'Ho, ho,' say I Quacco; so I make clever slide from
between dem. De two debils grapple one anoder--gurgle, gurgle--squeak,
squeak--one on dem was strangling de oder. I almost laugh, when some
one hit me a heavy blow behind de ear; I faint away--dead--and--and I
remember noting none at all, until I find myself, when, still it was
dark night, all beat and bruise, and wid swimming head, in my hammock
in de barrick at Fort Augusta. I sleep sound till near daybreak,
however, when I turn myself, and say, 'Hab I Quacco been dronk last
night?' I tink so; 'Or has all dis been one dream?' Maybe. Den I put
up my hand to my head, but I never get soch bumps and tumps in one
dream before. Dere was only tree oder of our men sleep in dat end of
de barrick where I was, de rest being two rooms off, dose between us
being under repair; one on dem was Ogly Jack, and de oder two was de
wery dentical rascail I have mention before, Mundingo Tom and
Yellow-skin Paul--Dem all tree eider were sound asleep, in dem
hammocks, or pretended dey were so--for when I feel de cool damp
morning breeze come troo de open window at one side of de barrick-room
and blow clean out at de oder; and see de morning star twinkle bright
and clear in de red east, and de pale-faced buccra moon, just sinking
behind de brushwood on Hellshire Point, troo de window opposite, I turn
myshef again in my hammock, and listen to de roar of de surf in de
distance, and rub my eyes again, and say 'it not morning yet,'--But
presently de trute push himself into my eye, and I say 'It _is_
daybroke, and sore or sound, up must I Quacco get.' Just under de
window, by dis time, I was hear some low grumbling voices, and coughs,
and loud yawns; den I hear hollow tumbling sounds like when drum is
place on de ground; den more grumbles, and coughs, and yawns; den de
squeaking of de drum braces, as de leetle drummer pull dem tight, and
de tootletoo of de fifer, as dem get all ready. At length Old
Spearpoint, de drum-major, sing out wery gruff, 'fall in, music,' and
next minute roll went de drum, squeak went de fife; roll went de drum,
squea-eak went de fife very shrill; roll went de drum de tird time, and
squea-ea-eak went de fife, very too dam shril dis last time; and away
dem stamp rum dum dum round de barrick-yard wid dere reveillie. We all
tumble out, and fall in on parade--still dark--we stand to our arms, de
moon go down, but de morning star glance cold and clear on de bayonet
and bright barrels of de guns--de great Duke no was brown de barrel
den, God bless him. Search arms,' de sergeant say. We do so--half
pace to de right--so in dat position I see well what Ogly Jack, who was
my rear rank man, was do. De Serjeant approach me--I send down my
steel ramrod wid one bang--he shomp up wid a loud ring one foot out of
my musket--it really surprise me how far de ramrod shomp, as I send him
home wid scarcely no strength none at all. 'Ha, no for noting my
ramrod shomp so, someting past common here,' say I to myshef--de next
man to me in de front rank was Yellow-skin Paul, and de next man to
Ogly Jack was Mundingo Tom. As me Quacco was de right hand man of de
front rank of de grenadiers, so Jack was de right hand man of de rear
rank--well, Yellow-skin Paul make believe dat him send him ramrod home,
but I notice he catch him between his finger and tumb, so as he never
reach de bottom. 'Ho, ho,' tink I to myself, 'who shall say dat gun no
load!' I keep quite still--de Serjeant by and by come to Jack--he
catch de ramrod same way, and de Serjeant being half asleep, eider did
not notice dis, or him tought noting about it. Presently he desire
Mundingo Tom to search arms--he bang his ramrod down I saw, wid design
to catch him like de oders, but in his hurry it slipt troo his fingers,
and go home _thud_. 'Ho, ho,' say I again to myself, 'dis piece is
also load'--What was to be do?--de Serjeant notice dis one--'dat
firelock is load, you scoundril.'--'No,' say Mundingo Tom, 'but I leave
some tow in him, beg pardon, massa serjeant.'--'You dem rascail,' say
de serjeant, 'you never is better, you lazy dog---fall out, sir, and
draw de'----'Attention,' call out de agitant at dis moment; 'de left
wheel into line--marsh'--tramp, tramp, tramp, whir--de line is form.
'Stand at ease--A Serjeant from each company for blank cartridges.' So
away step de serjeant, who had given Mundingo Tom a rating, and I take
de opportunity of whisper Jack--'I say, Jack, what is in de wind? I
have great mind to peach my sospicion.' He say nosing; and den I say,
'Poo, all my fear must be nonsense--all must be a dream'--de serjeant
return--serve out eight round of blank cartridge--'attention' again.
'De line will wheel into open column of companies, right in front--on
you left backwards wheel--halt, dress.' De hofficer was now all on
parade, and stood in a group in front--de agitant mount him
horse--Major D---- appear at de door of him house--one orderly hold him
horse--him mount and ride up to de hofficer. 'Gentlemen, fall in--form
subdivisions--quick march'--rum, dum, dum, dum, again, and away we
march out to de _glacis_ of de fort--den we form, and much manoeuvre we
was perform--oh wery brilliant, 'wid cartridge, prime, and load.' 'De
regiment will fire by companies from right to left'--short tap on de
drum--de hofficer commanding companies fall back two pace--ready,
present, fire--blaze go de grenadier--I prick my ear, and cock my eye.
Ogly Jack, my covering file, was not fire--I know, because de moment I
pull de trigger, I clap my right cheek down on de barrel of de musket
as he was level--all cold iron--'Ha, ha,' say I to myself, and while
loading, I glance my eye at Yellow-skin Paul's firelock, who was next
me, and also at Mundingo Tom's, who was next Jack, bote on dem were
half cock. So 'Ha, ha,' say me Quacco again, but before I could
determine in my own mind what I should do, de word was given--'De
regiment will fire one volley direct to de
front.--Ready--present--fire,'--roar went de musketry--all smoke for
small space--we remain at de present--wait long time for de major give
de word 'Come to de recover,'--no one speak--all of we remain wid our
piece level--oh! one attitude wery tiresome. Still no one speak. At
length I hear our captain, one wery nice man, grumble to himself--'Why,
what can be amiss wid de old major?'--dat moment de smoke, by de
setting in of de sea-breeze, was blow off. What shall we see?--Why,
Major D---- was lying on him horse's neck, widin ten yard of de
grenadier company. 'Ah!' say for we captain--'he must be in one
fit'--when down de major drop--and away scamper de horse--de captain
run up, and turn de old man on him back, and take off him stock, and
open him jacket. 'Ah!' cry he--'mutiny, gentlemen, mutiny; de major is
shot dead. Secure de magazine; call out de artillery.' Den one loud
buz buz pass along de line--de hofficer voice was heard--'Men, if you
move one step I will cut you down by G--d.' Anoder say--'Stand to your
arms, men; if one of you, stir, I will run him troo.' 'Who is de
willain?--who is de willain?' shout some one else. Someting come over
me--I rush out five pace--order my fusee, and touch my cap--wery
graceful--so--[suiting the action to the word]--'Captain, and
gentlemen--dere are de mutineers.'--'Where?'--'Dere.'--'Name dem.' say
one.--'I will,' say me Quacco--'Ogly Jack, Mundingo Tom, and
Yellow-skin Paul.' Dey were all immediately secure--and marshed to de
front;--dem say noting---not one word. I look at dem--all tree cool
and collected. 'May be,' tink I, 'dere will have be some mistake; if
so, all people will tink I mosh have been de mutineer, murserer you
call, and dat to shave myself I was peach on dem.' My heart sink when
de agitant seize me by de shoulder. 'My fine fellow, you make mosh
noise--we shall see what you are make of very shortly yourself.--Here,
secure Corporal Quacco.' By dis time we were again marching into de
fort--de gate was shut--four field piece nine pounder, manned by white
artillerymen, and load wid grape, were pointed so as to enfilade us as
we were formed in close column, and my tree friend, and myself, were
instantly brought to one drum-head court-martial.--Some young hofficer
say, 'Oh, hang him all--hang him all.'--'Please not, young gentleman,
if de same ting to you,' say I.--'No hurry,' say I--'I am willing to be
hang if dese tree willains are not de men. Secure dem hands'--dis was
done. 'Now,' say I, 'we were all sarve wid eight blank cartridge--look
at dem muskets--plain dey all have been fire.'--'What has all dis to do
wid it?' say de agitant.--'Mosh,' say I, 'mosh--now see how many
cartridge each on dem hab.'--'Ha, ha,' say my captain,--'Quacco is
right.--_Dem all tree hub each de eight cartridge untouch, yet it quite
evident dey all hab fired_.'--'What say you, ye scoundrels,' again say
de captain--'what say you why you should not be hang immediately?' Dem
would not speak one word--den I tell all I hear--and so dem try, find
guilty, and were hang--and I as one reward got my discharge." (Here
our friend made a long pause--at length he continued.) "Why I take
him--I can't tell--and still more, why I leave dear Jamaica, where de
governor hoffer me ground to grow nyam in, and house--and as for wife,
I hab several. What de debil was possess me to leave my pig, and
wives, and allowance--pension you call him,--and take into my head for
come here again?--Heaven know--I Quacco do not.--Here--where one can
scarcely breathe for stinking mud, and every night brings dangers wid
it, and you never can tell whidder de next morning shall not see you
carried away into slavery, or may be sacrificed before one fetish; or
who know dat he shall not, some fine forenoon, be roast or grill, and
eaten like one monkey. Oh, I wish I was back again."
"But," said Sprawl, "you seem to have left off as corporal--when became
you serjeant?"
Quacco laughed, "By brevet, my good sir--by bre"----
"A gun--Sir Oliver speaking to us in the offing."
"Hurrah for Old Gazelle once more!" shouted Sprawl, in a voice like
thunder.
"Out of my way, friend Quacco," cried I.
"Room if you please, old Daddy Longyarn," quoth master Lanyard. And to
the great dismay of poor Quacco, who little expected to have been so
suddenly and unceremoniously swept aside, we all tumbled on deck as
fast as our legs could carry us.