The Adventures of Roderick Random

Imprisonment as a spy on the poop

Approximately a week later, the narrator is taken prisoner while making his rounds among the sick and carried to the poop by the master-at-arms. He is loaded with irons and stapled to the deck on the absurd charge of being a spy and conspiring against the captain’s life. Despite the ridiculousness of this accusation, the narrator suffers extreme rigors for twelve days—exposed to scorching sun by day and unwholesome damps by night—without being brought to trial or examined regarding the charges. His papers are seized, and he learns from Thompson that Doctor Mackshane has informed against him, prompting his arrest.

Morgan meets with the same fate

Morgan is brought to the poop under guard by two corporals and placed beside the narrator to be pinioned. The narrator nearly laughs at Morgan’s countenance as he silently allows his feet to be enclosed in the iron rings. However, when the guards attempt to fasten him on his back, Morgan becomes outrageous, drawing a large knife from his pocket and threatening to rip open the belly of anyone who attempts to treat him so unworthily. The lieutenant intervenes, allowing Morgan to remain as he was, and Morgan creeps toward the narrator, encouraging him to trust in God. Morgan then addresses Thompson, who sits trembling nearby, noting there are two more rings waiting for him.

Thompson is tampered with to turn evidence

The doctor intends to make Thompson his drudge in attending the sick and, if possible, to secure his testimony as evidence against the narrator and Morgan. Mackshane approaches Thompson from afar, attempting to corrupt his integrity, but finding Thompson incorruptible, the doctor instead harasses him out of spite. This persecution becomes so severe that the mild-mannered Thompson grows weary of his life, setting the stage for his eventual desperate action.