The cry arose again, and there was a terrible and confusing rush of the
women into the midst of the struggle. In another moment, something came
tumbling down upon me that I thought was the wall. It was a heap of
Sambos who had come over the wall; and of four men who clung to my legs
like serpents, one who clung to my right leg was Christian George King.
"Yup, So-Jeer," says he, "Christian George King sar berry glad So-Jeer a
prisoner. Christian George King been waiting for So-Jeer sech long time.
Yup, yup!"
What could I do, with five-and-twenty of them on me, but be tied hand and
foot? So, I was tied hand and foot. It was all over now--boats not come
back--all lost! When I was fast bound and was put up against the wall,
the one-eyed English convict came up with the Portuguese Captain, to have
a look at me.
"See!" says he. "Here's the determined man! If you had slept sounder,
last night, you'd have slept your soundest last night, my determined
man."
The Portuguese Captain laughed in a cool way, and with the flat of his
cutlass, hit me crosswise, as if I was the bough of a tree that he played
with: first on the face, and then across the chest and the wounded arm.
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