I tell you , I keep them in order . When we carry little uns , I have a rope 's end of my own to wollop 'em . '' And so he ran on , until it came in on me what he meant by twenty-pounders were those unhappy criminals who were sent over-seas to slavery in North America , or the still more unhappy innocents who were kidnapped or trepanned -LRB- as the word went -RRB- for private interest or vengeance . Just then we came to the top of the hill , and looked down on the Ferry and the Hope . The Firth of Forth -LRB- as is very well known -RRB- narrows at this point to the width of a good-sized river , which makes a convenient ferry going north , and turns the upper reach into a landlocked haven for all manner of ships . Right in the midst of the narrows lies an islet with some ruins ; on the south shore they have built a pier for the service of the Ferry ; and at the end of the pier , on the other side of the road , and backed against a pretty garden of holly-trees and hawthorns , I could see the building which they called the Hawes Inn . The town of Queensferry lies farther west , and the neighbourhood of the inn looked pretty lonely at that time of day , for the boat had just gone north with passengers . A skiff , however , lay beside the pier , with some seamen sleeping on the thwarts ; this , as Ransome told me , was the brig 's boat waiting for the captain ; and about half a mile off , and all alone in the anchorage , he showed me the Covenant herself . There was a sea-going bustle on board ; yards were swinging into place ; and as the wind blew from that quarter , I could hear the song of the sailors as they pulled upon the ropes . After all I had listened to upon the way , I looked at that ship with an extreme abhorrence ; and from the bottom of my heart I pitied all poor souls that were condemned to sail in her . We had all three pulled up on the brow of the hill ; and now I marched across the road and addressed my uncle . `` I think it right to tell you , sir , '' says I , `` there 's nothing that will bring me on board that Covenant . '' He seemed to waken from a dream . `` Eh ? '' he said . `` What 's that ? '' I told him over again . `` Well , well , '' he said , `` we 'll have to please ye , I suppose . But what are we standing here for ? It 's perishing cold ; and if I 'm no mistaken , they 're busking the Covenant for sea . ''
CHAPTER VI WHAT BEFELL AT THE QUEEN 'S FERRY As soon as we came to the inn , XXXXX led us up the stair to a small room , with a bed in it , and heated like an oven by a great fire of coal .
Firth Queensferry Ransome Right day hawthorns holly-trees islet twenty-pounders uns