The Ghost Pirates. Уильям Хоуп Ходжсон

e Ghost Pirates

      "Strange as the glimmer of the ghastly light That shines from some vast crest of wave at night."

      To Mary Whalley

      "Olden memories that shine against death's night—

      Quiet stars of sweet enchantments,

      That are seen In Life's lost distances…"

The World of Dreams

      Author's Preface

      This book forms the last of three. The first published was "The Boats of the 'Glen Carrig'"; the second, "The House on the Borderland"; this, the third, completes what, perhaps, may be termed a trilogy; for, though very different in scope, each of the three books deals with certain conceptions that have an elemental kinship. With this book, the author believes that he closes the door, so far as he is concerned, on a particular phase of constructive thought.

The Hell O! O! Chaunty

      Chaunty Man . . Man the capstan, bullies!

      Men . . . . . . Ha!-o-o! Ha!-o-o!

      Chaunty Man . . Capstan-bars, you tarry souls!

      Men . . . . . . Ha!-o-o! Ha!-o-o!

      Chaunty Man . . Take a turn!

      Men . . . . . . Ha!-o-o!

      Chaunty Man . . Stand by to fleet!

      Men . . . . . . Ha!-o-o!

      Chaunty Man . . Stand by to surge!

      Men . . . . . . Ha!-o-o!

      Chaunty Man . . Ha!—o-o-o-o!

      Men . . . . . . TRAMP!

      And away we go!

      Chaunty Man . . Hark to the tramp of the

      bearded shellbacks!

      Men . . . . . . Hush!

      O hear 'em tramp!

      Chaunty Man . . Tramping, stamping—

      treading, vamping,

      While the cable

      comes in ramping.

      Men . . . . . . Hark!

      O hear 'em stamp!

      Chaunty Man . . Surge when it rides!

      Surge when it rides!

      Round-o-o-o

      handsome as it slacks!

      Men . . . . . . Ha!-o-o-o-o!

      hear 'em ramp!

      Ha!-oo-o-o!

      hear 'em stamp!

      Ha!-o-o-o-o-oo!

      Ha!-o-o-o-o-o-o!

      Chorus . . . . They're shouting now; oh! hear 'em

      A-bellow as they stamp:—

      Ha!-o-o-o! Ha!-o-o-o!

      Ha!-o-o-o!

      A-shouting as they tramp!

      Chaunty Man . . O hark to the haunting chorus

      of the capstan and the bars!

      Chaunty-o-o-o

      and rattle crash—

      Bash against the stars!

      Men . . . . . . Ha-a!-o-o-o!

      Tramp and go!

      Ha-a!-o-o-o!

      Ha-a!-o-o-o!

      Chaunty Man . . Hear the pawls a-ranting: with

      the bearded men a-chaunting;

      While the brazen dome above 'em

      Bellows back the 'bars.'

      Men . . . . . . Hear and hark!

      O hear 'em!

      Ha-a!-o-o!

      Ha-a!-o-o!

      Chaunty Man . . Hurling songs towards the

      heavens—!

      Men . . . . . . Ha-a!-o-o!

      Ha-a!-o-o!

      Chaunty Man . . Hush! O hear 'em!

      Hark! O hear 'em!

      Hurling oaths among their spars!

      Men . . . . . . Hark! O hear 'em!

      Hush! O hear 'em!

      Chaunty Man . . Tramping round between the

      bars!

      Chorus . . . . They're shouting now; oh! hear

      A-bellow as they stamp:—

      Ha-a!-o-o-o! Ha-a!-o-o-o!

      Ha-a!-o-o-o!

      A-shouting as they tramp!

      Chaunty Man . . O do you hear the

      capstan-chaunty!

      Thunder round the pawls!

      Men . . . . . . Click a-clack,

      a-clatter

      Surge!

      And scatter bawls!

      Chaunty Man . . Click-a-clack, my bonny boys,

      while it comes in handsome!

      Men . . . . . . Ha-a!-o-o!

      Hear 'em clack!

      Chaunty Man . . Ha-a!-o-o! Click-a-clack!

      Men . . . . . . Hush! O hear 'em pant!

      Hark! O hear 'em rant!

      Chaunty Man . . Click, a-clitter, clicker-clack.

      Men . . . . . . Ha-a!-o-o!

      Tramp and go!

      Chaunty Man . . Surge! And keep away the slack!

      Men . . . . . . Ha-a!-o-o!

      Away the slack:

      Ha-a!-o-o!

      Click-a-clack

      Chaunty Man . . Bustle now each jolly Jack.

      Surging easy! Surging e-a-s-y!!

      Men . . . . . . Ha-a!-o-o!

      Surging easy

      Chaunty Man . . Click-a-clatter—

      Surge; and steady!

      Man the stopper there!

      All ready?

      Men . . . . . . Ha-a!-o-o!

      Ha-a!-o-o!

      Chaunty Man . . Click-a-clack, my bouncing boys:

      Men . . . . . . Ha-a!-o-o!

      Tramp and go!

      Chaunty Man . . Lift the pawls, and come back

      easy.

      Men . . . . . . Ha-a!-o-o!

      Steady-o-o-o-o!

      Chaunty Man . . Vast the chaunty!

      Vast the capstan!

      Drop the pawls! Be-l-a-y!

      Chorus . . . . Ha-a!-o-o! Unship the bars!

      Ha-a!-o-o! Tramp and go!

      Ha-a!-o-o! Shoulder bars!

      Ha-a!-o-o! And away we blow!

      Ha-a!-o-o-o!

      Ha-a!-o-o-o-o!

      Ha-a!-o-o-o-o-o!

      I

The Figure Out of the Sea

      He began without any circumlocution.

      I joined the Mortzestus in 'Frisco. I heard before I signed on, that there were some funny yarns floating round about her; but I was pretty nearly on the beach, and too jolly anxious to get away, to worry about trifles. Besides, by all accounts, she was right enough so far as grub and treatment went. When I asked fellows to give it a name, they generally