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