首页 >出版文学> TYPHOON>第3章

第3章

  TheNan-Shanhadanathwartshipcoal-bunker,which,beingattimesusedascargospace,communicatedbyanirondoorwiththefore'tween-deck。Itwasemptythen,anditsmanholewastheforemostoneinthealleyway。Theboatswaincouldgetin,therefore,withoutcomingoutondeckatall;buttohisgreatsurprisehefoundhecouldinducenoonetohelphimintakingoffthemanholecover。Hegropedforitallthesame,butoneofthecrewlyinginhiswayrefusedtobudge。
  "Why,Ionlywanttogetyouthatblamedlightyouarecryingfor,"heexpostulated,almostpitifully。
  Somebodytoldhimtogoandputhisheadinabag。Heregrettedhecouldnotrecognizethevoice,andthatitwastoodarktosee,otherwise,ashesaid,hewouldhaveputaheadonthatsonofasea-cook,anyway,sinkorswim。Nevertheless,hehadmadeuphismindtoshowthemhecouldgetalight,ifheweretodieforit。
  Throughtheviolenceoftheship'srolling,everymovementwasdangerous。Tobelyingdownseemedlabourenough。Henearlybrokehisneckdroppingintothebunker。Hefellonhisback,andwassentshootinghelplesslyfromsidetosideinthedangerouscompanyofaheavyironbar——acoal-trimmer'ssliceprobably——leftdowntherebysomebody。Thisthingmadehimasnervousasthoughithadbeenawildbeast。Hecouldnotseeit,theinsideofthebunkercoatedwithcoal-dustbeingperfectlyandimpenetrablyblack;buthehearditslidingandclattering,andstrikinghereandthere,alwaysintheneighbourhoodofhishead。Itseemedtomakeanextraordinarynoise,too——togiveheavythumpsasthoughithadbeenasbigasabridgegirder。
  Thiswasremarkableenoughforhimtonoticewhilehewasflungfromporttostarboardandbackagain,andclawingdesperatelythesmoothsidesofthebunkerintheendeavourtostophimself。
  Thedoorintothe'tween-decknotfittingquitetrue,hesawathreadofdimlightatthebottom。
  Beingasailor,andastillactiveman,hedidnotwantmuchofachancetoregainhisfeet;andasluckwouldhaveit,inscramblingupheputhishandontheironslice,pickingitupasherose。Otherwisehewouldhavebeenafraidofthethingbreakinghislegs,oratleastknockinghimdownagain。Atfirsthestoodstill。Hefeltunsafeinthisdarknessthatseemedtomaketheship'smotionunfamiliar,unforeseen,anddifficulttocounteract。Hefeltsomuchshakenforamomentthathedarednotmoveforfearof"takingchargeagain。"Hehadnomindtogetbatteredtopiecesinthatbunker。
  Hehadstruckhisheadtwice;hewasdazedalittle。Heseemedtohearyetsoplainlytheclatterandbangsoftheironsliceflyingabouthisearsthathetightenedhisgriptoprovetohimselfhehadittheresafelyinhishand。Hewasvaguelyamazedattheplainnesswithwhichdowntherehecouldhearthegaleraging。Itshowlsandshrieksseemedtotakeon,intheemptinessofthebunker,somethingofthehumancharacter,ofhumanrageandpain——beingnotvastbutinfinitelypoignant。
  Andtherewere,witheveryroll,thumps,too——profound,ponderousthumps,asifabulkyobjectoffive-tonweightorsohadgotplayinthehold。Buttherewasnosuchthinginthecargo。Somethingondeck?Impossible。Oralongside?Couldn'tbe。
  Hethoughtallthisquickly,clearly,competently,likeaseaman,andintheendremainedpuzzled。Thisnoise,though,camedeadenedfromoutside,togetherwiththewashingandpouringofwaterondeckabovehishead。Wasitthewind?Mustbe。Itmadedowntherearowliketheshoutingofabiglotofcrazedmen。Andhediscoveredinhimselfadesireforalight,too-ifonlytogetdrownedby——andanervousanxietytogetoutofthatbunkerasquicklyaspossible。
  Hepulledbackthebolt:theheavyironplateturnedonitshinges;anditwasasthoughhehadopenedthedoortothesoundsofthetempest。Agustofhoarseyellingmethim:theairwasstill;andtherushingofwateroverheadwascoveredbyatumultofstrangled,throatyshrieksthatproducedaneffectofdesperateconfusion。Hestraddledhislegsthewholewidthofthedoorwayandstretchedhisneck。Andatfirstheperceivedonlywhathehadcometoseek:sixsmallyellowflamesswingingviolentlyonthegreatbodyofthedusk。
  Itwasstayedlikethegalleryofamine,witharowofstanchionsinthemiddle,andcross-beamsoverhead,penetratingintothegloomahead——indefinitely。Andtoportthereloomed,likethecavinginofoneofthesides,abulkymasswithaslantingoutline。Thewholeplace,withtheshadowsandtheshapes,movedallthetime。Theboatswainglared:theshiplurchedtostarboard,andagreathowlcamefromthatmassthathadtheslantoffallenearth。
  Piecesofwoodwhizzedpast。Planks,hethought,inexpressiblystartled,andflingingbackhishead。Athisfeetamanwentslidingover,open-eyed,onhisback,strainingwithupliftedarmsfornothing:andanothercameboundinglikeadetachedstonewithhisheadbetweenhislegsandhishandsclenched。His58
  pigtailwhippedintheair;hemadeagrabattheboatswain'slegs,andfromhisopenedhandabrightwhitediscrolledagainsttheboatswain'sfoot。Herecognizedasilverdollar,andyelledatitwithastonishment。Withaprecipitatedsoundoftramplingandshufflingofbarefeet,andwithgutturalcries,themoundofwrithingbodiespileduptoportdetacheditselffromtheship'ssideandsliding,inertandstruggling,shiftedtostarboard,withadull,brutalthump。Thecriesceased。Theboatswainheardalongmoanthroughtheroarandwhistlingofthewind;hesawaninextricableconfusionofheadsandshoulders,nakedsoleskickingupwards,fistsraised,tumblingbacks,legs,pigtails,faces。
  "GoodLord!"hecried,horrified,andbanged-totheirondooruponthisvision。
  Thiswaswhathehadcomeonthebridgetotell。Hecouldnotkeepittohimself;andonboardshipthereisonlyonemantowhomitisworthwhiletounburdenyourself。Onhispassagebackthehandsinthealleywaysworeathimforafool。Whydidn'thebringthatlamp?Whatthedevildidthecooliesmattertoanybody?Andwhenhecameout,theextremityoftheshipmadewhatwentoninsideofherappearoflittlemoment。
  Atfirsthethoughthehadleftthealleywayintheverymomentofhersinking。Thebridgeladdershadbeenwashedaway,butanenormousseafillingtheafter-deckfloatedhimup。Afterthathehadtolieonhisstomachforsometime,holdingtoaring-bolt,gettinghisbreathnowandthen,andswallowingsaltwater。Hestruggledfartheronhishandsandknees,toofrightenedanddistractedtoturnback。Inthiswayhereachedtheafter-partofthewheelhouse。Inthatcomparativelyshelteredspothefoundthesecondmate。
  Theboatswainwaspleasantlysurprised——hisimpressionbeingthateverybodyondeckmusthavebeenwashedawayalongtimeago。HeaskedeagerlywheretheCaptainwas。
  Thesecondmatewaslyinglow,likeamalignantlittleanimalunderahedge。
  "Captain?Goneoverboard,aftergettingusintothismess。"Themate,too,forallhekneworcared。Anotherfool。Didn'tmatter。Everybodywasgoingby-and-by。
  Theboatswaincrawledoutagainintothestrengthofthewind;
  notbecausehemuchexpectedtofindanybody,hesaid,butjusttogetawayfrom"thatman。"Hecrawledoutasoutcastsgotofaceaninclementworld。HencehisgreatjoyatfindingJukesandtheCaptain。Butwhatwasgoingoninthe'tween-deckwastohimaminormatterbythattime。Besides,itwasdifficulttomakeyourselfheard。ButhemanagedtoconveytheideathattheChinamanhadbrokenadrifttogetherwiththeirboxes,andthathehadcomeuponpurposetoreportthis。Astothehands,theywereallright。Then,appeased,hesubsidedonthedeckinasittingposture,huggingwithhisarmsandlegsthestandoftheengine-roomtelegraph——anironcastingasthickasapost。
  Whenthatwent,why,heexpectedhewouldgo,too。Hegavenomorethoughttothecoolies。
  CaptainMacWhirrhadmadeJukesunderstandthathewantedhimtogodownbelow——tosee。
  "WhatamItodothen,sir?"AndthetremblingofhiswholewetbodycausedJukes'voicetosoundlikebleating。
  "Seefirst……Boss'n……says……adrift。"
  "Thatboss'nisaconfoundedfool,"howledJukes,shakily。
  TheabsurdityofthedemandmadeuponhimrevoltedJukes。Hewasasunwillingtogoasifthemomenthehadleftthedecktheshipweresuretosink。
  "Imustknow……can'tleave……"
  "They'llsettle,sir。"
  "Fight……boss'nsaystheyfight……Why?Can'thave……
  fighting……boardship……Muchratherkeepyouhere……
  case……Ishould……washedoverboardmyself……Stopit……someway。Youseeandtellme……throughengine-roomtube。Don'twantyou……comeuphere……toooften。
  Dangerous……movingabout……deck。"
  Jukes,heldwithhisheadinchancery,hadtolistentowhatseemedhorriblesuggestions。
  "Don'twant……yougetlost……solong……shipisn't……Rout……Goodman……Ship……may……throughthis……allrightyet。"
  AllatonceJukesunderstoodhewouldhavetogo。
  "Doyouthinkshemay?"hescreamed。
  Butthewinddevouredthereply,outofwhichJukesheardonlytheoneword,pronouncedwithgreatenergy"……Always……"
  CaptainMacWhirrreleasedJukes,andbendingovertheboatswain,yelled,"Getbackwiththemate。"Jukesonlyknewthatthearmwasgoneoffhisshoulders。Hewasdismissedwithhisorders——
  todowhat?Hewasexasperatedintolettinggohisholdcarelessly,andontheinstantwasblownaway。Itseemedtohimthatnothingcouldstophimfrombeingblownrightoverthestern。Heflunghimselfdownhastily,andtheboatswain,whowasfollowing,fellonhim。
  "Don'tyougetupyet,sir,"criedtheboatswain。"Nohurry!"
  Aseasweptover。Jukesunderstoodtheboatswaintosplutterthatthebridgeladdersweregone。"I'llloweryoudown,sir,byyourhands,"hescreamed。Heshoutedalsosomethingaboutthesmoke-stackbeingaslikelytogooverboardasnot。Jukesthoughtitverypossible,andimaginedthefiresout,theshiphelpless……Theboatswainbyhissidekeptonyelling。
  "What?Whatisit?"Jukescrieddistressfully;andtheotherrepeated,"Whatwouldmyoldwomansayifshesawmenow?"
  Inthealleyway,wherealotofwaterhadgotinandsplashedinthedark,themenwerestillasdeath,tillJukesstumbledagainstoneofthemandcursedhimsavagelyforbeingintheway。
  Twoorthreevoicesthenasked,eagerandweak,"Anychanceforus,sir?"
  "What'sthematterwithyoufools?"hesaidbrutally。Hefeltasthoughhecouldthrowhimselfdownamongstthemandnevermoveanymore。Buttheyseemedcheered;andinthemidstofobsequiouswarnings,"Lookout!Mindthatmanholelid,sir,"
  theyloweredhimintothebunker。Theboatswaintumbleddownafterhim,andassoonashehadpickedhimselfupheremarked,"Shewouldsay,'Serveyouright,youoldfool,forgoingtosea。'"
  Theboatswainhadsomemeans,andmadeapointofalludingtothemfrequently。Hiswife——afatwoman——andtwogrown-updaughterskeptagreengrocer'sshopintheEast-endofLondon。
  Inthedark,Jukes,unsteadyonhislegs,listenedtoafaintthunderouspatter。Adeadenedscreamingwentonsteadilyathiselbow,asitwere;andfromabovetheloudertumultofthestormdescendeduponthesenearsounds。Hisheadswam。Tohim,too,inthatbunker,themotionoftheshipseemednovelandmenacing,sappinghisresolutionasthoughhehadneverbeenafloatbefore。
  Hehadhalfamindtoscrambleoutagain;buttheremembranceofCaptainMacWhirr'svoicemadethisimpossible。Hisordersweretogoandsee。Whatwasthegoodofit,hewantedtoknow。
  Enraged,hetoldhimselfhewouldsee——ofcourse。Buttheboatswain,staggeringclumsily,warnedhimtobecarefulhowheopenedthatdoor;therewasablamedfightgoingon。AndJukes,asifingreatbodilypain,desiredirritablytoknowwhatthedeviltheywerefightingfor。
  "Dollars!Dollars,sir。Alltheirrottenchestsgotburstopen。
  Blamedmoneyskippingallovertheplace,andtheyaretumblingafteritheadoverheels——tearingandbitinglikeanything。A
  regularlittlehellinthere。"
  Jukesconvulsivelyopenedthedoor。Theshortboatswainpeeredunderhisarm。
  Oneofthelampshadgoneout,brokenperhaps。Rancorous,gutturalcriesburstoutloudlyontheirears,andastrangepantingsound,theworkingofallthesestrainingbreasts。A
  hardblowhitthesideoftheship:waterfellabovewithastunningshock,andintheforefrontofthegloom,wheretheairwasreddishandthick,Jukessawaheadbangthedeckviolently,twothickcalveswavingonhigh,musculararmstwinedroundanakedbody,ayellow-face,open-mouthedandwithasetwildstare,lookupandslideaway。Anemptychestclatteredturningover;amanfellheadfirstwithajump,asifliftedbyakick;
  andfartheroff,indistinct,othersstreamedlikeamassofrollingstonesdownabank,thumpingthedeckwiththeirfeetandflourishingtheirarmswildly。Thehatchwayladderwasloadedwithcooliesswarmingonitlikebeesonabranch。Theyhungonthestepsinacrawling,stirringcluster,beatingmadlywiththeirfiststheundersideofthebattenedhatch,andtheheadlongrushofthewaterabovewasheardintheintervalsoftheiryelling。Theshipheeledovermore,andtheybegantodropoff:
  firstone,thentwo,thenalltherestwentawaytogether,fallingstraightoffwithagreatcry。
  Jukeswasconfounded。Theboatswain,withgruffanxiety,beggedhim,"Don'tyougointhere,sir。"
  Thewholeplaceseemedtotwistuponitself,jumpingincessantlythewhile;andwhentheshiprosetoaseaJukesfanciedthatallthesemenwouldbeshotuponhiminabody。Hebackedout,swungthedoorto,andwithtremblinghandspushedatthebolt……
  AssoonashismatehadgoneCaptainMacWhirr,leftaloneonthebridge,sidledandstaggeredasfarasthewheelhouse。Itsdoorbeinghingedforward,hehadtofightthegaleforadmittance,andwhenatlasthemanagedtoenter,itwaswithaninstantaneousclatterandabang,asthoughhehadbeenfiredthroughthewood。Hestoodwithin,holdingontothehandle。
  Thesteering-gearleakedsteam,andintheconfinedspacetheglassofthebinnaclemadeashinyovaloflightinathinwhitefog。Thewindhowled,hummed,whistled,withsuddenboomingguststhatrattledthedoorsandshuttersintheviciouspatterofsprays。Twocoilsoflead-lineandasmallcanvasbaghungonalonglanyard,swungwideoff,andcamebackclingingtothebulkheads。Thegratingsunderfootwerenearlyafloat;witheverysweepingblowofasea,watersquirtedviolentlythroughthecracksallroundthedoor,andthemanatthehelmhadflungdownhiscap,hiscoat,andstoodproppedagainstthegear-casinginastripedcottonshirtopenonhisbreast。Thelittlebrasswheelinhishandshadtheappearanceofabrightandfragiletoy。Thecordsofhisneckstoodhardandlean,adarkpatchlayinthehollowofhisthroat,andhisfacewasstillandsunkenasindeath。
  CaptainMacWhirrwipedhiseyes。Theseathathadnearlytakenhimoverboardhad,tohisgreatannoyance,washedhissou'-westerhatoffhisbaldhead。Thefluffy,fairhair,soakedanddarkened,resembledameanskeinofcottonthreadsfestoonedroundhisbareskull。Hisface,glisteningwithsea-water,hadbeenmadecrimsonwiththewind,withthestingofsprays。Helookedasthoughhehadcomeoffsweatingfrombeforeafurnace。
  "Youhere?"hemuttered,heavily。
  Thesecondmatehadfoundhiswayintothewheelhousesometimebefore。Hehadfixedhimselfinacornerwithhiskneesup,afistpressedagainsteachtemple;andthisattitudesuggestedrage,sorrow,resignation,surrender,withasortofconcentratedunforgiveness。Hesaidmournfullyanddefiantly,"Well,it'smywatchbelownow:ain'tit?"
  Thesteamgearclattered,stopped,clatteredagain;andthehelmsman'seyeballsseemedtoprojectoutofahungryfaceasifthecompasscardbehindthebinnacleglasshadbeenmeat。Godknowshowlonghehadbeenlefttheretosteer,asifforgottenbyallhisshipmates。Thebellshadnotbeenstruck;therehadbeennoreliefs;theship'sroutinehadgonedownwind;buthewastryingtokeepherheadnorth-north-east。Theruddermighthavebeengoneforallheknew,thefiresout,theenginesbrokendown,theshipreadytorolloverlikeacorpse。Hewasanxiousnottogetmuddledandlosecontrolofherhead,becausethecompass-cardswungfarbothways,wrigglingonthepivot,andsometimesseemedtowhirlrightround。Hesufferedfrommentalstress。Hewashorriblyafraid,also,ofthewheelhousegoing。
  Mountainsofwaterkeptontumblingagainstit。Whentheshiptookoneofherdesperatedivesthecornersofhislipstwitched。
  CaptainMacWhirrlookedupatthewheelhouseclock。Screwedtothebulk-head,ithadawhitefaceonwhichtheblackhandsappearedtostandquitestill。Itwashalf-pastoneinthemorning。
  "Anotherday,"hemutteredtohimself。
  Thesecondmateheardhim,andliftinghisheadasonegrievingamongstruins,"Youwon'tseeitbreak,"heexclaimed。Hiswristsandhiskneescouldbeseentoshakeviolently。"No,byGod!Youwon't……"
  Hetookhisfaceagainbetweenhisfists。
  Thebodyofthehelmsmanhadmovedslightly,buthisheaddidn'tbudgeonhisneck,——likeastoneheadfixedtolookonewayfromacolumn。Duringarollthatallbuttookhisbootedlegsfromunderhim,andintheverystaggertosavehimself,CaptainMacWhirrsaidausterely,"Don'tyoupayanyattentiontowhatthatmansays。"Andthen,withanindefinablechangeoftone,verygrave,headded,"Heisn'tonduty。"
  Thesailorsaidnothing。
  Thehurricaneboomed,shakingthelittleplace,whichseemedair-tight;andthelightofthebinnacleflickeredallthetime。
  "Youhaven'tbeenrelieved,"CaptainMacWhirrwenton,lookingdown。"Iwantyoutosticktothehelm,though,aslongasyoucan。You'vegotthehangofher。Anothermancomingheremightmakeamessofit。Wouldn'tdo。Nochild'splay。Andthehandsareprobablybusywithajobdownbelow……Thinkyoucan?"
  Thesteering-gearleapedintoanabruptshortclatter,stoppedsmoulderinglikeanember;andthestillman,withamotionlessgaze,burstout,asifallthepassioninhimhadgoneintohislips:"ByHeavens,sir!Icansteerforeverifnobodytalkstome。"
  "Oh!aye!Allright……"TheCaptainliftedhiseyesforthefirsttimetotheman,"……Hackett。"
  Andheseemedtodismissthismatterfromhismind。Hestoopedtotheengine-roomspeaking-tube,blewin,andbenthishead。Mr。
  Routbelowanswered,andatonceCaptainMacWhirrputhislipstothemouthpiece。
  Withtheuproarofthegalearoundhimheappliedalternatelyhislipsandhisear,andtheengineer'svoicemountedtohim,harshandasifoutoftheheatofanengagement。Oneofthestokerswasdisabled,theothershadgivenin,thesecondengineerandthedonkey-manwerefiring-up。Thethirdengineerwasstandingbythesteam-valve。Theengineswerebeingtendedbyhand。Howwasitabove?
  "Badenough。Itmostlyrestswithyou,"saidCaptainMacWhirr。
  Wasthematedownthereyet?No?Well,hewouldbepresently。
  WouldMr。Routlethimtalkthroughthespeaking-tube?——throughthedeckspeaking-tube,becausehe——theCaptain——wasgoingoutagainonthebridgedirectly。TherewassometroubleamongsttheChinamen。Theywerefighting,itseemed。Couldn'tallowfightinganyhow……
  Mr。Routhadgoneaway,andCaptainMacWhirrcouldfeelagainsthisearthepulsationoftheengines,likethebeatoftheship'sheart。Mr。Rout'svoicedownthereshoutedsomethingdistantly。
  Theshippitchedheadlong,thepulsationleapedwithahissingtumult,andstoppeddead。CaptainMacWhirr'sfacewasimpassive,andhiseyeswerefixedaimlesslyonthecrouchingshapeofthesecondmate。AgainMr。Rout'svoicecriedoutinthedepths,andthepulsatingbeatsrecommenced,withslowstrokes——growingswifter。
  Mr。Routhadreturnedtothetube。"Itdon'tmattermuchwhattheydo,"hesaid,hastily;andthen,withirritation,"Shetakesthesedivesasifshenevermeanttocomeupagain。"
  "Awfulsea,"saidtheCaptain'svoicefromabove。
  "Don'tletmedriveherunder,"barkedSolomonRoutupthepipe。
  "Darkandrain。Can'tseewhat'scoming,"utteredthevoice。
  "Must——keep——her——moving——enoughtosteer——andchanceit,"itwentontostatedistinctly。
  "IamdoingasmuchasIdare。"
  "Weare——getting——smashedup——agooddealuphere,"
  proceededthevoicemildly。"Doing——fairlywell——though。Ofcourse,ifthewheelhouseshouldgo……"
  Mr。Rout,bendinganattentiveear,mutteredpeevishlysomethingunderhisbreath。
  Butthedeliberatevoiceuptherebecameanimatedtoask:"Jukesturnedupyet?"Then,afterashortwait,"Iwishhewouldbearahand。Iwanthimtobedoneandcomeuphereincaseofanything。Tolookaftertheship。Iamallalone。Thesecondmate'slost……"
  "What?"shoutedMr。Routintotheengine-room,takinghisheadaway。Thenupthetubehecried,"Goneoverboard?"andclappedhisearto。
  "Losthisnerve,"thevoicefromabovecontinuedinamatter-of-facttone。"Damnedawkwardcircumstance。"
  Mr。Rout,listeningwithbowedneck,openedhiseyeswideatthis。However,heheardsomethinglikethesoundsofascuffleandbrokenexclamationscomingdowntohim。Hestrainedhishearing;andallthetimeBeale,thethirdengineer,withhisarmsuplifted,heldbetweenthepalmsofhishandstherimofalittleblackwheelprojectingatthesideofabigcopperpipe。
  Heseemedtobepoisingitabovehishead,asthoughitwereacorrectattitudeinsomesortofgame。
  Tosteadyhimself,hepressedhisshoulderagainstthewhitebulkhead,onekneebent,andasweat-ragtuckedinhisbelthangingonhiship。Hissmoothcheekwasbegrimedandflushed,andthecoaldustonhiseyelids,liketheblackpencillingofamake-up,enhancedtheliquidbrillianceofthewhites,givingtohisyouthfulfacesomethingofafeminine,exoticandfascinatingaspect。Whentheshippitchedhewouldwithhastymovementsofhishandsscrewhardatthelittlewheel。
  "Gonecrazy,"begantheCaptain'svoicesuddenlyinthetube。
  "Rushedatme……Justnow。Hadtoknockhimdown……
  Thisminute。Youheard,Mr。Rout?"
  "Thedevil!"mutteredMr。Rout。"Lookout,Beale!"
  Hisshoutrangoutliketheblastofawarningtrumpet,betweentheironwallsoftheengine-room。Paintedwhite,theyrosehighintotheduskoftheskylight,slopinglikearoof;andthewholeloftyspaceresembledtheinteriorofamonument,dividedbyfloorsofirongrating,withlightsflickeringatdifferentlevels,andamassofgloomlingeringinthemiddle,withinthecolumnarstirofmachineryunderthemotionlessswellingofthecylinders。Aloudandwildresonance,madeupofallthenoisesofthehurricane,dweltinthestillwarmthoftheair。Therewasinitthesmellofhotmetal,ofoil,andaslightmistofsteam。Theblowsoftheseaseemedtotraverseitinanunringing,stunningshock,fromsidetoside。
  Gleams,likepalelongflames,trembleduponthepolishofmetal;
  fromtheflooringbelowtheenormouscrank-headsemergedintheirturnswithaflashofbrassandsteel——goingover;whiletheconnecting-rods,big-jointed,likeskeletonlimbs,seemedtothrustthemdownandpullthemupagainwithanirresistibleprecision。Anddeepinthehalf-lightotherrodsdodgeddeliberatelytoandfro,crossheadsnodded,discsofmetalrubbedsmoothlyagainsteachother,slowandgentle,inacomminglingofshadowsandgleams。
  Sometimesallthosepowerfulandunerringmovementswouldslowdownsimultaneously,asiftheyhadbeenthefunctionsofalivingorganism,strickensuddenlybytheblightoflanguor;andMr。Rout'seyeswouldblazedarkerinhislongsallowface。Hewasfightingthisfightinapairofcarpetslippers。Ashortshinyjacketbarelycoveredhisloins,andhiswhitewristsprotrudedfaroutofthetightsleeves,asthoughtheemergencyhadaddedtohisstature,hadlengthenedhislimbs,augmentedhispallor,hollowedhiseyes。
  Hemoved,climbinghighup,disappearinglowdown,witharestless,purposefulindustry,andwhenhestoodstill,holdingtheguard-railinfrontofthestarting-gear,hewouldkeepglancingtotherightatthesteam-gauge,atthewater-gauge,fixeduponthewhitewallinthelightofaswayinglamp。Themouthsoftwospeakingtubesgapedstupidlyathiselbow,andthedialoftheengine-roomtelegraphresembledaclockoflargediameter,bearingonitsfacecurtwordsinsteadoffigures。Thegroupedlettersstoodoutheavilyblack,aroundthepivot-headoftheindicator,emphaticallysymbolicofloudexclamations:AHEAD,ASTERN,SLOW,Half,STANDBY;andthefatblackhandpointeddownwardstothewordFULL,which,thussingledout,capturedtheeyeasasharpcrysecuresattention。
  Thewood-encasedbulkofthelow-pressurecylinder,frowningportlyfromabove,emittedafaintwheezeateverythrust,andexceptforthatlowhisstheenginesworkedtheirsteellimbsheadlongorslowwithasilent,determinedsmoothness。Andallthis,thewhitewalls,themovingsteel,thefloorplatesunderSolomonRout'sfeet,thefloorsofirongratingabovehishead,theduskandthegleams,uproseandsankcontinuously,withoneaccord,upontheharshwashofthewavesagainsttheship'sside。
  Thewholeloftinessoftheplace,boominghollowtothegreatvoiceofthewind,swayedatthetoplikeatree,wouldgooverbodily,asifbornedownthiswayandthatbythetremendousblasts。
  "You'vegottohurryup,"shoutedMr。Rout,assoonashesawJukesappearinthestokeholddoorway。
  Jukes'glancewaswanderingandtipsy;hisredfacewaspuffy,asthoughhehadoverslepthimself。Hehadhadanarduousroad,andhadtravelledoveritwithimmensevivacity,theagitationofhismindcorrespondingtotheexertionsofhisbody。Hehadrushedupoutofthebunker,stumblinginthedarkalleywayamongstalotofbewilderedmenwho,trodupon,asked"What'sup,sir?"inawedmuttersallroundhim;——downthestokeholdladder,missingmanyironrungsinhishurry,downintoaplacedeepasawell,blackasTophet,tippingoverbackandforthlikeasee-saw。Thewaterinthebilgesthunderedateachroll,andlumpsofcoalskippedtoandfro,fromendtoend,rattlinglikeanavalancheofpebblesonaslopeofiron。
  Somebodyintheremoanedwithpain,andsomebodyelsecouldbeseencrouchingoverwhatseemedthepronebodyofadeadman;alustyvoiceblasphemed;andtheglowundereachfire-doorwaslikeapoolofflamingbloodradiatingquietlyinavelvetyblackness。
  AgustofwindstruckuponthenapeofJukes'neckandnextmomenthefeltitstreamingabouthiswetankles。Thestokeholdventilatorshummed:infrontofthesixfire-doorstwowildfigures,strippedtothewaist,staggeredandstooped,wrestlingwithtwoshovels。
  "Hallo!Plentyofdraughtnow,"yelledthesecondengineeratonce,asthoughhehadbeenallthetimelookingoutforJukes。
  Thedonkeyman,adapperlittlechapwithadazzlingfairskinandatiny,gingerymoustache,workedinasortofmutetransport。
  Theywerekeepingafullheadofsteam,andaprofoundrumbling,asofanemptyfurniturevantrottingoverabridge,madeasustainedbasstoalltheothernoisesoftheplace。
  "Blowingoffallthetime,"wentonyellingthesecond。Withasoundasofahundredscouredsaucepans,theorificeofaventilatorspatuponhisshoulderasuddengushofsaltwater,andhevolleyedastreamofcursesuponallthingsonearthincludinghisownsoul,rippingandraving,andallthetimeattendingtohisbusiness。Withasharpclashofmetaltheardentpaleglareofthefireopeneduponhisbullethead,showinghissplutteringlips,hisinsolentface,andwithanotherclangclosedlikethewhite-hotwinkofanironeye。
  "Where'sthebloomingship?Canyoutellme?blastmyeyes!
  Underwater——orwhat?It'scomingdownhereintons。ArethecondemnedcowlsgonetoHades?Hey?Don'tyouknowanything——
  youjollysailor-manyou……?"
  Jukes,afterabewilderedmoment,hadbeenhelpedbyarolltodartthrough;andassoonashiseyestookinthecomparativevastness,peaceandbrillianceoftheengine-room,theship,settinghersternheavilyinthewater,senthimchargingheaddownuponMr。Rout。
  Thechief'sarm,longlikeatentacle,andstraighteningasifworkedbyaspring,wentouttomeethim,anddeflectedhisrushintoaspintowardsthespeaking-tubes。AtthesametimeMr。
  Routrepeatedearnestly:
  "You'vegottohurryup,whateveritis。"
  Jukesyelled"Areyouthere,sir?"andlistened。Nothing。
  Suddenlytheroarofthewindfellstraightintohisear,butpresentlyasmallvoiceshovedasidetheshoutinghurricanequietly。
  "You,Jukes?——Well?"
  Jukeswasreadytotalk:itwasonlytimethatseemedtobewanting。Itwaseasyenoughtoaccountforeverything。Hecouldperfectlyimaginethecooliesbatteneddowninthereeking'tween-deck,lyingsickandscaredbetweentherowsofchests。
  Thenoneofthesechests——orperhapsseveralatonce——
  breakinglooseinaroll,knockingoutothers,sidessplitting,lidsflyingopen,andalltheseclumsyChinamenrisingupinabodytosavetheirproperty。Afterwardseveryflingoftheshipwouldhurlthattramping,yellingmobhereandthere,fromsidetoside,inawhirlofsmashedwood,tornclothing,rollingdollars。Astruggleoncestarted,theywouldbeunabletostopthemselves。Nothingcouldstopthemnowexceptmainforce。Itwasadisaster。Hehadseenit,andthatwasallhecouldsay。
  Someofthemmustbedead,hebelieved。Therestwouldgoonfighting……
  Hesentuphiswords,trippingovereachother,crowdingthenarrowtube。Theymountedasifintoasilenceofanenlightenedcomprehensiondwellingaloneuptherewithastorm。AndJukeswantedtobedismissedfromthefaceofthatodioustroubleintrudingonthegreatneedoftheship。
  V
  HEWAITED。Beforehiseyestheenginesturnedwithslowlabour,thatinthemomentofgoingoffintoamadflingwouldstopdeadatMr。Rout'sshout,"Lookout,Beale!"Theypausedinanintelligentimmobility,stilledinmid-stroke,aheavycrankarrestedonthecant,asifconsciousofdangerandthepassageoftime。Then,witha"Now,then!"fromthechief,andthesoundofabreathexpelledthroughclenchedteeth,theywouldaccomplishtheinterruptedrevolutionandbeginanother。
  Therewastheprudentsagacityofwisdomandthedeliberationofenormousstrengthintheirmovements。Thiswastheirwork——thispatientcoaxingofadistractedshipoverthefuryofthewavesandintotheveryeyeofthewind。AttimesMr。Rout'schinwouldsinkonhisbreast,andhewatchedthemwithknittedeyebrowsasiflostinthought。
  ThevoicethatkeptthehurricaneoutofJukes'earbegan:"Takethehandswithyou……,"andleftoffunexpectedly。
  "WhatcouldIdowiththem,sir?"
  Aharsh,abrupt,imperiousclangexplodedsuddenly。ThethreepairsofeyesflewuptothetelegraphdialtoseethehandjumpfromFULLtoSTOP,asifsnatchedbyadevil。Andthenthesethreemenintheengineroomhadtheintimatesensationofacheckupontheship,ofastrangeshrinking,asifshehadgatheredherselfforadesperateleap。
  "Stopher!"bellowedMr。Rout。
  Nobody——notevenCaptainMacWhirr,whoaloneondeckhadcaughtsightofawhitelineoffoamcomingonatsuchaheightthathecouldn'tbelievehiseyes-nobodywastoknowthesteepnessofthatseaandtheawfuldepthofthehollowthehurricanehadscoopedoutbehindtherunningwallofwater。
  Itracedtomeettheship,and,withapause,asofgirdingtheloins,theNan-Shanliftedherbowsandleaped。Theflamesinallthelampssank,darkeningtheengine-room。Onewentout。
  Withatearingcrashandaswirling,ravingtumult,tonsofwaterfelluponthedeck,asthoughtheshiphaddartedunderthefootofacataract。
  Downtheretheylookedateachother,stunned。
  "Sweptfromendtoend,byGod!"bawledJukes。
  Shedippedintothehollowstraightdown,asifgoingovertheedgeoftheworld。Theengine-roomtoppledforwardmenacingly,liketheinsideofatowernoddinginanearthquake。Anawfulracket,ofironthingsfalling,camefromthestokehold。ShehungonthisappallingslantlongenoughforBealetodroponhishandsandkneesandbegintocrawlasifhemeanttoflyonallfoursoutoftheengine-room,andforMr。Routtoturnhisheadslowly,rigid,cavernous,withthelowerjawdropping。Jukeshadshuthiseyes,andhisfaceinamomentbecamehopelesslyblankandgentle,likethefaceofablindman。
  Atlastsheroseslowly,staggering,asifshehadtoliftamountainwithherbows。
  Mr。Routshuthismouth;Jukesblinked;andlittleBealestooduphastily。
  "Anotheronelikethis,andthat'sthelastofher,"criedthechief。
  HeandJukeslookedateachother,andthesamethoughtcameintotheirheads。TheCaptain!Everythingmusthavebeensweptaway。
  Steering-geargone——shiplikealog。Alloverdirectly。
  "Rush!"ejaculatedMr。Routthickly,glaringwithenlarged,doubtfuleyesatJukes,whoansweredhimbyanirresoluteglance。
  Theclangofthetelegraphgongsoothedtheminstantly。TheblackhanddroppedinaflashfromSTOPtoFULL。
  "Nowthen,Beale!"criedMr。Rout。
  Thesteamhissedlow。Thepiston-rodsslidinandout。Jukesputhiseartothetube。Thevoicewasreadyforhim。Itsaid:
  "Pickupallthemoney。Bearahandnow。I'llwantyouuphere。"
  Andthatwasall。
  "Sir?"calledupJukes。Therewasnoanswer。
  Hestaggeredawaylikeadefeatedmanfromthefieldofbattle。
  Hehadgot,insomewayorother,acutabovehislefteyebrow——
  acuttothebone。Hewasnotawareofitintheleast:
  quantitiesoftheChinaSea,largeenoughtobreakhisneckforhim,hadgoneoverhishead,hadcleaned,washed,andsaltedthatwound。Itdidnotbleed,butonlygapedred;andthisgashovertheeye,hisdishevelledhair,thedisorderofhisclothes,gavehimtheaspectofamanworstedinafightwithfists。
  "Gottopickupthedollars。"HeappealedtoMr。Rout,smilingpitifullyatrandom。
  "What'sthat?"askedMr。Rout,wildly。"Pickup……?Idon'tcare……"Then,quiveringineverymuscle,butwithanexaggerationofpaternaltone,"Goawaynow,forGod'ssake。Youdeckpeople'lldrivemesilly。There'sthatsecondmatebeengoingfortheoldman。Don'tyouknow?Youfellowsaregoingwrongforwantofsomethingtodo……"
  AtthesewordsJukesdiscoveredinhimselfthebeginningsofanger。Wantofsomethingtodo——indeed……Fullofhotscornagainstthechief,heturnedtogothewayhehadcome。Inthestokeholdtheplumpdonkeymantoiledwithhisshovelmutely,asifhistonguehadbeencutout;butthesecondwascarryingonlikeanoisy,undauntedmaniac,whohadpreservedhisskillintheartofstokingunderamarineboiler。
  "Hallo,youwanderingofficer!Hey!Can'tyougetsomeofyourslush-slingerstowindupafewofthemashes?Iamgettingchokedwiththemhere。Curseit!Hallo!Hey!Rememberthearticles:Sailorsandfirementoassisteachother。Hey!D'yehear?"
  Jukeswasclimbingoutfrantically,andtheother,liftinguphisfaceafterhim,howled,"Can'tyouspeak?Whatareyoupokingaboutherefor?What'syourgame,anyhow?"
  AfrenzypossessedJukes。Bythetimehewasbackamongstthemeninthedarknessofthealleyway,hefeltreadytowringalltheirnecksattheslightestsignofhangingback。Theverythoughtofitexasperatedhim。Hecouldn'thangback。Theyshouldn't。
  Theimpetuositywithwhichhecameamongstthemcarriedthemalong。Theyhadalreadybeenexcitedandstartledatallhiscomingsandgoings——bythefiercenessandrapidityofhismovements;andmorefeltthanseeninhisrushes,heappearedformidable-busiedwithmattersoflifeanddeaththatbrookednodelay。Athisfirstwordheheardthemdropintothebunkeroneafteranotherobediently,withheavythumps。
  Theywerenotclearastowhatwouldhavetobedone。"Whatisit?Whatisit?"theywereaskingeachother。Theboatswaintriedtoexplain;thesoundsofagreatscufflesurprisedthem:
  andthemightyshocks,reverberatingawfullyintheblackbunker,kepttheminmindoftheirdanger。Whentheboatswainthrewopenthedooritseemedthataneddyofthehurricane,stealingthroughtheironsidesoftheship,hadsetallthesebodieswhirlinglikedust:therecametothemaconfuseduproar,atempestuoustumult,afiercemutter,gustsofscreamsdyingaway,andthetrampingoffeetminglingwiththeblowsofthesea。
  Foramomenttheyglaredamazed,blockingthedoorway。Jukespushedthroughthembrutally。Hesaidnothing,andsimplydartedin。Anotherlotofcooliesontheladder,strugglingsuicidallytobreakthroughthebattenedhatchtoaswampeddeck,felloffasbefore,andhedisappearedunderthemlikeamanovertakenbyalandslide。
  Theboatswainyelledexcitedly:"Comealong。Getthemateout。
  He'llbetrampledtodeath。Comeon。"
  Theychargedin,stampingonbreasts,onfingers,onfaces,catchingtheirfeetinheapsofclothing,kickingbrokenwood;
  butbeforetheycouldgetholdofhimJukesemergedwaistdeepinamultitudeofclawinghands。Intheinstanthehadbeenlosttoview,allthebuttonsofhisjackethadgone,itsbackhadgotsplituptothecollar,hiswaistcoathadbeentornopen。ThecentralstrugglingmassofChinamenwentovertotheroll,dark,indistinct,helpless,withawildgleamofmanyeyesinthedimlightofthelamps。
  "Leavemealone——damnyou。Iamallright,"screechedJukes。
  "Drivethemforward。Watchyourchancewhenshepitches。
  Forwardwith'em。Drivethemagainstthebulkhead。Jam'emup。"
  Therushofthesailorsintotheseething'tween-deckwaslikeasplashofcoldwaterintoaboilingcauldron。Thecommotionsankforamoment。
  ThebulkofChinamenwerelockedinsuchacompactscrimmagethat,linkingtheirarmsandaidedbyanappallingdiveoftheship,theseamensentitforwardinonegreatshove,likeasolidblock。Behindtheirbackssmallclustersandloosebodiestumbledfromsidetoside。
  Theboatswainperformedprodigiousfeatsofstrength。Withhislongarmsopen,andeachgreatpawclutchingatastanchion,hestoppedtherushofsevenentwinedChinamenrollinglikeaboulder。Hisjointscracked;hesaid,"Ha!"andtheyflewapart。
  Butthecarpentershowedthegreaterintelligence。Withoutsayingawordtoanybodyhewentbackintothealleyway,tofetchseveralcoilsofcargogearhehadseenthere——chainandrope。
  Withtheselife-lineswererigged。
  Therewasreallynoresistance。Thestruggle,howeveritbegan,hadturnedintoascrambleofblindpanic。Ifthecoolieshadstartedupaftertheirscattereddollarstheywerebythattimefightingonlyfortheirfooting。Theytookeachotherbythethroatmerelytosavethemselvesfrombeinghurledabout。
  Whoevergotaholdanywherewouldkickattheotherswhocaughtathislegsandhungon,tillarollsentthemflyingtogetheracrossthedeck。
  Thecomingofthewhitedevilswasaterror。Hadtheycometokill?Theindividualstornoutoftheruckbecameverylimpintheseamen'shands:some,draggedasidebytheheels,werepassive,likedeadbodies,withopen,fixedeyes。Hereandthereacooliewouldfallonhiskneesasifbeggingformercy;
  several,whomtheexcessoffearmadeunruly,werehitwithhardfistsbetweentheeyes,andcowered;whilethosewhowerehurtsubmittedtoroughhandling,blinkingrapidlywithoutaplaint。
  Facesstreamedwithblood;therewererawplacesontheshavenheads,scratches,bruises,tornwounds,gashes。Thebrokenporcelainoutofthechestswasmostlyresponsibleforthelatter。HereandthereaChinaman,wild-eyed,withhistailunplaited,nursedableedingsole。