The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Ghost Pirates, by William Hope Hodgson

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Title: The Ghost Pirates

Author: William Hope Hodgson

Release Date: February 6, 2004 [EBook #10966]

Language: English

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THE GHOST PIRATES

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

THE GHOST PIRATES

William Hope Hodgson

1909

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!