The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle

Chapter XVII

86 The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle cruize for a post, brother Trickle, an’t ye? (said Trunnion, interrupting him) we shall find a post for you in a trice, my boy. Here, Pipes, take this saucy son of a bitch, belay him to the whipping post in the yard. I’ll teach you to rowce me in a morning with such impertinent messages.” Pipes, who wanted to carry the joke farther than the exciseman dreamt of, laid hold on him in a twinkling, and executed the orders of his commander, notwithstanding all his nods, winking, and significant gestures, which the boatswain’s mate would by no means understand: so that he began to repent of the part he acted in this performance, which was like to end so tragically, and stood fastened to the stake, in a very disagreeable state of suspence; casting many a rueful look over his left shoulder, (while Pipes was absent in quest of a cat and nine tails) in expectation of being relieved by the interposition of the lieutenant, who did not, however, appear; and Tom returning with the instrument of correction, undressed the delinquent in a trice, and whispering in his ear, that he was very sorry for being employed in such an office, but durst not for his soul disobey the orders of his commander, flourished the scourge about his head, and with admirable dexterity made such a smarting application to the offender’s back and shoulders, that the distracted gauger performed sundry new cuts with his feet,12 and bellowed hideously with pain, to the infinite satisfaction of the spectators. At length, when he was almost flead from his rump to the nape of his neck,13 Hatchway, who had purposely absented himself hitherto, appeared in the yard, and interposing in his behalf, prevailed upon Trunnion to call off the executioner, and order the malefactor to be released. The exciseman, mad with the catastrophe he had undergone, threatened to be revenged upon his employers, by making a candid confession of the whole plot; but the lieutenant giving him to understand, that in so doing he would bring upon himself a prosecution for fraud, forgery and imposture, he was fain to put up with his loss, and sneaked out of the garrison, attended with a volley of curses discharged upon him by the commodore, who was exceedingly irritated by the disturbance and disappointment he had undergone. chapter xvii. The commodore detects the machinations of the conspirators, and hires a tutor for Peregrine, whom he settles at Winchester school. This was not the last affliction he suffered from the unwearied endeavours and inexhausted invention of his tormentors, who harrassed him with such a variety of mischievous pranks, that he began to think all the devils in hell had conspired against his peace; and accordingly became very serious and contemplative on the subject. In the course of his meditations, when he recollected and compared the circumstances of every mortification to which he had been lately exposed, he could not help Volume One, Chapter XVII 87 suspecting that some of them must have been contrived to vex him; and as he was not ignorant of his lieutenant’s disposition, nor unacquainted with the talents of Peregrine, he resolved to observe them both for the future with the utmost care and circumspection . This resolution, aided by the incautious conduct of the conspirators, whom, by this time, success had rendered heedless and indiscreet, was attended with the desired effect. He in a little time detected Perry in a new plot, and by dint of a little chastisement , and a great many threats, extorted from him a confession of all the contrivances in which he had been concerned. The commodore was thunderstruck at the discovery, and so much incensed against Hatchway for the part he had acted in the whole, that he deliberated with himself, whether he should demand satisfaction with sword and pistol, or dismiss him from the garison, and renounce all friendship with him at once. But he had been so long accustomed to Jack’s company, that he could not live without him; and upon more cool reflection, perceiving that what he had done was rather the effect of wantonness than malice, which he himself would have laughed to see take place upon any other person, he determined to devour his chagrin, and extend his forgiveness even to Pipes, whom in the first sally of his passion he had looked...