"Dar ain't no Angler Saxon blood
in dese veins, honey, an' I thank de good Lawd for dat. I know what it
am to be flogged. Golly, dey flog dis chile twice already. Nex' time, I
spect dat sumfin' am a-gwine to happen."
"When and where were you impressed?" Fernando asked.
"I war wid Cap'n Parson on de _Dover_, den de _Sea Wing_ came, an' de
leftenant swear dis chile am a Britisher, and he tuk me away. Den me an'
Massa St. Mark, de gunner, were transferred to de _Macedonian_."
Sukey was sullen and melancholy. A few days after he was on duty, he
breathed a threat against Captain Snipes. A tall, fine-looking sailor,
who was known as the chief gunner, said:
"Young man, keep your thoughts to yourself. For heaven's sake, don't let
the officers hear them!"
They were now in the vicinity of the West Indies and touched at
Barbadoes. While lying here, Fernando witnessed another act of British
cruelty. Tom Boseley, an American who had been impressed into the
service of Great Britain deserted, but was pursued and brought back. He
was flogged and, on being released struck the captain, knocking him
down. For this act, he was tried by a "drumhead court martial" and
sentenced to die. Tom had a wife and children in New York, but was not
permitted to write to them. Only one prayer was granted, and that was
that he might be shot instead of hung, and thrown into the sea.
Pages:
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197