The Wreckers: Chapters 8–11

by Iain Lawrence
A young sailor washes up on the shore of a remote island where the people pray for shipwrecks and scavenge the wreckage.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–3, Chapters 4–7, Chapters 8–11, Chapters 12–18
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. clamber
    climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling
    When we lowered the boats, and the men clambered into them, Father held me aside.
  2. furl
    form into a cylinder by rolling
    And the topmen—poor Danny Riggins leading them all—came swarming up to furl the sails.
  3. gunwale
    a plank or ridge at the top of the side of a boat
    The boats came sliding out of the gloom, each weighted to the gunwales with a stack of barrels.
  4. shanty
    a rhythmical work song originally sung by sailors
    In silence, the men tramped round the capstan; no chanteys were sung as we left that place.
  5. lull
    become quiet or less intensive
    It reminded me of the way the wind lulled before a furious gust.
  6. flagon
    a large metal or pottery vessel with a handle and spout
    “Oh, there was wine in them, true enough. Yes, and nothing but wine in a third of them. Maybe a flagon or two in each of the rest!"
  7. petty
    inferior in rank or status
    He started as a petty clerk, and in a few short years came to own a fine house and two ships and a carriage and...
  8. duty
    a government tax on imports or exports
    And if he was a smuggler, what better way to smuggle gold—or anything else—than to roll it right past the eyes of the excise men in false-bottomed barrels, avoiding all taxes and duty?
  9. rife
    excessively abundant
    The coast was rife with smugglers, it was true.
  10. sham
    something that is a counterfeit; not what it seems to be
    So if Mawgan was right, then Father's whole life had been a sham and a farce.
  11. farce
    an event or situation that is absurd, empty, or insincere
    So if Mawgan was right, then Father's whole life had been a sham and a farce.
  12. squall
    sudden violent winds, often accompanied by precipitation
    The anger was building in him again, darkening his face like a squall.
  13. smug
    marked by excessive complacency or self-satisfaction
    Mawgan sat back with the smug smile of a cat.
  14. revenue
    government income due to taxation
    Like the wind he went, and he came back at dawn with the revenue men.
  15. foreboding
    ominously prophetic
    In the eerie light of cloud-shadowed stars, it looked ancient and foreboding.
  16. bearing
    the direction or path along which something moves or lies
    I tried to fix a bearing on it, a course from the house.
  17. lichen
    a plant occurring in crusty patches on tree trunks or rocks
    And a strange green glow came from the walls, from the lichen that grew there—eerie patches of light that seemed like eyes in the darkness.
  18. toll
    ring slowly
    It rocked, making the shutters open and close, and the thing tolled like a bell.
  19. taper
    give a point to
    Each mast was a tower, tapering from courses to royals, each yard braced back to the shrouds.
  20. rabble
    a disorderly crowd of people
    And then, as one, the rabble shouldered axes and pikes and followed the ship in a long, wavering line.
  21. beseech
    ask for or request earnestly
    Hear me, O God,
    As I pray to Thee,
    From the shore
    Of the perilous sea.
    If sailors there are,
    And wrecks there must be,
    I beseech You
    To send them to me.
    I beseech You
    To send them to me.
  22. piercing
    having or emitting a high-pitched tone or tones
    She called out to her horses with a wildly piercing cry, and they pounded on before her with their heads outthrust, their coats ashine with sweat.
  23. scud
    run or move very quickly or hastily
    Once more the ship scudded past, close-hauled for the point.
  24. tarpaulin
    waterproofed canvas
    They settled down round the Widow's wagon, and soon others came up from the road with bundles of wood and tarpaulins.
  25. peal
    a deep prolonged sound
    Then a peal of laughter, and a woman's voice thick with Cornish brogue.
  26. brogue
    a strong regional accent, especially an Irish or Scottish accent
    Then a peal of laughter, and a woman's voice thick with Cornish brogue.
  27. ebb
    the outward flow of the tide
    The water was just a few feet below, an ebb tide swirling round the stone.
  28. fetid
    offensively malodorous
    I slithered through, into a dank and fetid hole.
  29. furtive
    secret and sly
    A furtive rustle of rats preceded me.
  30. mire
    a soft wet area of low-lying land that sinks underfoot
    I dipped my fingers in the mire and touched them to his lips.
  31. fetter
    restrain with shackles
    There were more collars at his wrists, another belt of chain around his waist. He was fettered like a dog to his narrow shelf.
  32. chisel
    an edge tool with a flat steel blade with a cutting edge
    Even with a file it would take time to work him free; with a hammer and chisel, I would need hours.
  33. prod
    push against gently
    I shifted him as best I could, prodding and pushing until he lay on his side with his mouth against the wall.
  34. cassock
    a black garment reaching down to the ankles
    Then he turned, and the lantern light glinted around the edges of his cassock.
  35. eaves
    the overhang at the lower edge of a roof
    The wind moaned in eaves and chimneys.
  36. scrabble
    grope, scratch, or feel searchingly
    I scrabbled in the loose straw and the dirt.
  37. cravat
    a scarf or band of cloth worn around the neck
    I thought of him walking proudly through his offices, men in cravats bobbing up to smile and wish him good morning.
  38. bleak
    offering little or no hope
    I looked down at the water, rippled by cat's-paws, up at the bleak hint of dawn. The alley was too narrow for me to hope to pass him.
  39. shingle
    building material used as siding or roofing
    From roof to roof we bounded along, up steep-slanted shingles, past chimneys, round vents where the wind whistled and moaned.
  40. loathsome
    highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust
    “Got you now," he said in that loathsome, creaky voice. “Going to give you a whipping, boy.”
Created on Fri Jul 23 10:13:06 EDT 2021 (updated Tue Jul 27 10:35:06 EDT 2021)

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