Billy Budd

Prev | Current Page 63 | Next

Melville, Herman

"Billy Budd"

It never entered his mind that here was a matter which from its extreme questionableness, it was his duty as a loyal blue-jacket to report in the proper quarter. And, probably, had such a step been suggested to him, he would have been deterred from taking it by the thought, one of novice-magnanimity, that it would savor overmuch of the dirty work of a telltale. He kept the thing to himself. Yet upon one occasion, he could not forbear a little disburthening himself to the old Dansker, tempted thereto perhaps by the influence of a balmy night when the ship lay becalmed; the twain, silent for the most part, sitting together on deck, their heads propped against the bulwarks. But it was only a partial and anonymous account that Billy gave, the unfounded scruples above referred to preventing full disclosure to anybody. Upon hearing Billy's version, the sage Dansker seemed to divine more than he was told; and after a little meditation during which his wrinkles were pursed as into a point, quite effacing for the time that quizzing expression his face sometimes wore,"Didn't I say so, Baby Budd?"

? ? ? ? "Say what?" demanded Billy.

? ? ? ? "Why, Jimmy Legs is down on you."

? ? ? ? "And what," rejoined Billy in amazement, "has Jimmy Legs to do with that cracked afterguardsman?"

? ? ? ? "Ho, it was an afterguardsman then.

Pages:
51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75

White Fang (page 151) Volume 12, No. 347, December 20, 1828 (page 39) Don Garcia of Navarre (page 57)

E-Book admin

Melville, Herman

"Billy Budd"