Captain Caution by Kenneth Roberts

Author:Kenneth Roberts [Roberts, Kenneth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical
ISBN: 9780449245095
Publisher: Fawcett
Published: 1934-05-11T05:00:00+00:00

"There ain't anybody can eat the fish, Henryl" Taylor objected. "The French, they say they marked some of 'em, so they can be recognized, and they been in use for seven years delivered at three pennies and bought back for a penny."

"Maybe so," Henry admitted, and Marvin saw that his face had an unearthly whiteness to it the whiteness, almost, of the belly of a Ilatfish. "Maybe so; only the next time we get 'em, you watch me eat miner I'm getting so I can eat anything even a newspaper that's been wrapped 'round a fishl"

"Yes," Newton interrupted, "and there's another thing. Our Statesman subscription runs out next week, and that means twenty-eight shillings a month for the paper and sixteen shillings a month delivery charges." He laughed bitterly. "Twenty-eight shillings a monthl No wonder the English don't know anything. Knowledge comes too bight Anyway, we got to sell two days' fish and one day's bread to get that renewed, provided you want it renewed."

"Want it renewed!" one of the committeemen exclaimed. "We got to have it renewed. If there ain't any news nor anything to read, there won't be anything to talk about, and we might as well be dead."

"Newton," said sour-mouthed Captain Taylor thoughtfully, "how much of that sixteen shillings goes to Osmore?"

"Probably ten," Newton said promptly. "He might get fifteen. Even so, it's no use trying to do anything about it, because the one that tried to make trouble would get the black hole for two weeks. 'Tisn't worth ill Goshl I'd rather give up all my fish forever than get two weeks black hotel"

"I move," said Henry, from the folds of his Hour sacking, "that this

396 CAPTAIN CAUTION

committee communicate with Beasley in writing for the nineteenth time, and send a letter to the President of the United States saying that the American agent for prisoners of war in England does nothing to prevent said prisoners from being treated like some sort of weasels. I also move that enough of our fish be collected and sold by the president of this lower battery to obtain the Statesman for another month."

"You know there's no use writing to the President of the United States," Newton objected wearily. "There's no way of getting it out except through an escaping prisoner; and if it was ever discovered on an escaping prisoner, the whole committee'd get the black hole, and all the other prisoners would have their tools and trades seized and destroyed! I'd like to hear that motion restated."

Henry jumped to his feet, pulling at the flour sacking around his throat. "'Tain't rightl" he exclaimed, his voice shaking as if with cold. "My God, you can't starve men and trample on 'em and murder 'em like this, and keep 'em gagged while you do ill You can't, I tell youl You "

"Henry!" Captain Taylor said sharply.

Henry's voice persisted, shrill and trembling, "They treat us worse than animals, the damned rotten skunksl They can't keep me quietl There's some way to get help there's got to bel"

"Henry!" Captain Taylor shouted.

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