Thebodywasthatofamiddle-aged,fine-lookingman,hisheadcoveredwiththefur,ear-lappedcapthatNorwegiansaffect,eveninthetropics。Theeyeswerewideopen,thefacediscolored。Inthelastgaspofsuffocationthesetoffalseteethhadbeenforcedhalf-wayoutofhismouth,distortingthecountenancewithahideoussimiangrin。InstantlyKitchell’seyewascaughtbytheglintofthegoldinwhichtheseteethwereset。
"Here’sabout$100tobeginwith,"heexclaimed,andpickinguptheteeth,droppedthemintohispocketwithawinkatWilbur。
ThebodyofthedeadCaptainwaspassedupthroughtheskylightandslidoutonthedeck,andWilburandKitchellturnedtheirattentiontowhathadbeenhisstateroom。
TheCaptain’sroomwasthelargestoneofthesixstateroomsopeningfromthemaincabin。
"Hereweare!"exclaimedKitchellasheandWilburentered。"Theoldman’sroom,andnomistake。"
Besidesthebunk,thestateroomwasfittedupwithaloungeofredplushscrewedtothebulkhead。Arollofchartsleanedinonecorner,analarmclock,stoppedat1:15,stoodonashelfinthecompanyofsomedozenpaper-coverednovelsandadrinking-glassfullofcigars。Overthelounge,however,wastherackofinstruments,sextant,barometer,chronometer,glass,andthelike,securelyscreweddown,whileagainstthewall,infrontofaswivelleatherchairthatwasironedtothedeck,wasthelockedsecretary。
"Lookat’em,justlookat’em,willyou!"saidKitchell,runninghisfingerslovinglyoverthepolishedbrassoftheinstruments。
"There’sathousanddollarsofstuffrighthere。Thechronometer’sworthfivehundredalone,Bennett&Sons’ownmake。"
Heturnedtothesecretary。
"Now!"heexclaimedwithalongbreath。
WhatfollowedthrilledWilburwithalternateexcitement,curiosity,andavividsenseofdesecrationandsacrilege。Forthelifeofhimhecouldnotmakethethingseemrightorlegalinhiseyes,andyethehadneitherthewishnorthepowertostayhishandorinterferewithwhatKitchellwasdoing。
TheCaptainputthebladeoftheaxeinthechinkofthesecretary’sdoorandwrencheditfree。Itopeneddowntoformasortofdesk,anddisclosedanarrayofcubby-holesandtwosmalldoors,bothlocked。TheselatterKitchellsmashedinwiththeaxe-head。Thenheseatedhimselfintheswivelchairandbegantorifletheircontentssystematically,Wilburleaningoverhisshoulder。
Theheatfromthecoalbelowthemwasalmostunbearable。Inthecabinthesixdoorskeptupacontinuousear-shockingfusillade,asthoughhalfadozenmenwerefightingwithrevolvers;fromwithout,downtheopenskylight,camethesing-songtalkoftheChinamenandthewashandrippleofthetwovessels,nowsidebyside。Theair,foulbeyondexpression,tastedofbrass,theirheadsswamandachedtobursting,butabsorbedintheirworktheyhadnothoughtofthelapseoftimenorthediscomfortoftheirsurroundings。Twiceduringtheexaminationofthebark’spapers,KitchellsentWilburoutintothecabinforthewhiskeydecanterintheswingingracks。
"Here’sthecharterpapers,"saidKitchell,unfoldingandspreadingthemoutonebyone;"andhere’stheclearingpapersfromBlythinEngland。Thisyere’stheinsoorance,andhere,thisis——rotthat,nothin’butthearticlesforthecrew——nousetous。"
Inaseparateenvelope,carefullysealedandbound,theycameupontheCaptain’sprivatepapers。AmarriagecertificatesettingforththeunionbetweenEilertSternersen,ofFruholmen,Norway,andSarahMoran,ofsomeseaporttown(thenamewasindecipherable)oftheNorthofEngland。NextcameabirthcertificateofadaughternamedMoran,datedtwenty-twoyearsback,andabillofsaleofthebark"LadyLetty,"wherebyatwo-
thirdsinterestwasconveyedfromthepreviousowners(ashipbuildingfirmofChristiania)toCapt。EilertSternersen。
"Theoldmanwashisownboss,"commentedKitchell。"Hello!"heremarked,"lookhere";ayellowedphotographwasinhishandthepictureofastout,fair-hairedwomanofaboutforty,wearingenormouspendantearringsinthestyleoftheearlysixties。
Belowwaswritten:"S。MoranSternersen,ob。1867。"
"Oldwomancoppedoff,"saidKitchell,"somuchthebetterforus;
noheirstoputintheirgab;an’——holdhard——steadyall——here’sthewill,s’helpme。"
Theonlyitemsofimportanceinthewillweretheconfirmationofthewife’sdeathandtheexpresslystatedbequestof"thebarkknownasandsailingunderthenameofthe’LadyLetty’tomyonlyandbeloveddaughter,Moran。"
"Well,"saidWilbur。
TheCaptainsuckedhismustache,thenfuriously,strikingthedeskwithhisfist:
"Thebark’sours!"therewasacertainringofdefianceinhisvoice。"Damnthewill!Iain’tsocock-sureaboutthelaw,butI’llmakesure。"
"Ashow?"saidWilbur。
Kitchellslungthewilloutoftheopenportintothesea。
"That’show,"heremarked。"I’mtheheir。Ifoundthebark;minesheis,an’mineshestays——yoursan’mine,thatis。"
ButWilburhadnoteventimetothoroughlyenjoythesatisfactionthattheCaptain’swordsconveyed,beforeanideasuddenlypresenteditselftohim。Thegirlhehadfoundonboardofthebark,theruddy,fair-hairedgirlofthefineandhardyNorsetype——thatwasthedaughter,ofcourse;thatwas"Moran。"
Instantlythesituationadjusteditselfinhisimagination。Thetwoinseparablesfatheranddaughter,sailorsboth,theirlivespassedtogetheronshipboard,andthe"LadyLetty"theirdream,theirambition,avesselthatatlasttheycouldcalltheirown。
Thenthisdisastrousvoyage——perhapsthefirstintheirnewcraft——
thecombustioninthecoal——thepanicterrorofthecrewandtheirdesertionofthebark,andthesturdyresolutionofthefatheranddaughtertobringthe"Letty"in——toworkherintoportalone。Theyhadfailed;thefatherhaddiedfromgas;thegirl,atleastforthemoment,wascrazedfromitseffects。Butthebarkhadnotbeenabandoned。Theownerwasonboard。Kitchellwaswrong;shewasnoderelict;notonepennycouldtheygainbyhersalvage。
ForaninstantawaveofbitterestdisappointmentpassedoverWilburashesawhis$30,000dwindlingtonothing。Thentheinstinctsofhabitreassertedthemselves。Thetaxpayerinhimwasstrongerthanthefreebooter,afterall。Hefeltthatitwashisdutytoseetoitthatthegirlhadherrights。Kitchellmustbemadeawareofthesituation——mustbetoldthatMoran,thedaughter,theCaptain’sheir,wasonboardtheschooner;thatthe"kid"foundinthewheel-boxwasagirl。Butonsecondthoughtthatwouldneverdo。Aboveallthings,thebruteKitchellmustnotbeshownthatagirlwasaboardtheschooneronwhichhehadabsolutecommand,nor,settingthequestionofMoran’ssexaside,mustKitchellknowherevenasthedeadCaptain’sheir。Therewasadifferenceinthemenhere,andWilburappreciatedit。
Kitchell,thelaw-abidingtaxpayer,wasaweaklingincomparisonwithKitchell,thefree-booterandbeach-comberinsightofhisprize。
"Son,"saidtheCaptain,makingabundleofallthepapers,"taketheseovertomybunkandhide’emunderthedonkey’sbreakfast。
Stopabit,"headded,asWilburstartedaway。"I’llgowithyou。
We’llhavetoburytheoldman。"
ThroughoutalltheafternoontheCaptainhadbeendrinkingthewhiskeyfromthedecanterfoundinthecabin;nowhestoodupunsteadily,and,raisinghisglass,exclaimed:
"Sonny,here’stoKitchell,Wilbur&Co。,beach-combers,unlimited。Whatdoyousay,hey?"
"Ionlywanttobesurethatwe’vearighttothebark,"answeredWilbur。
"Righttoher——ri-hightto’er,"hiccoughedtheCaptain。"Strikemeblind,I’dliketoseeanyonetry’ntakeherawayfromAlvinzaKitchellnow,"andhethrustouthischinatWilbur。
"Well,somuchthebetter,then,"saidWilbur,pocketingthepapers。Thepairascendedtothedeck。
TheburialofCaptainSternersenwasadreadfulbusiness。
Kitchell,fargoneinwhiskey,stoodonthehouseissuinghisorders,drinkingfromoneofthedecantershehadbroughtupwithhim。Hehadalreadyrifledthedeadman’spockets,andhadeventakenawaythebootsandfur-linedcap。Clothswerecutfromthespankerandrolledaroundthebody。ThenKitchellorderedthepeakhalyardsunroveandusedaslashingstotiethecanvasaroundthecorpse。Theredandwhiteflags(thedistresssignals)werestillboundonthehalyards。
"Leave’emon。Leave’emon,"commandedKitchell。"Use’masashrou’。Allreadynow,stan’bytolethergo。"
WilburlookedoverattheschoonerandnotedwithimmensereliefthatMoranwasnotinsight。SuddenlyanabruptreactiontookplaceintheCaptain’saddledbrain。
"Can’tbury’um’ithout’isteeth,"hegabbledsolemnly。Helaidbackthecanvasandreplacedtheset。"Oleman’dha’ntme’fI
kep’’steeth。Strike!looka’that,Iput’eminupsidedown。
Nev’min’,upsi’down,downsi’up,whazodds,allsamewitholeBill,hey,oleBill,allsamewithyou,hey?"Suddenlyhebegantohowlwithlaughter"T’thinkabein’buriedwithy’rteethupsi’
down。Oh,mee,butthat’sagoodgrind。Stan’bytoheaveoleUncleBillover——ready,heave,an’awayshegoes。"Herantotheside,wavinghishatandlookingover。"Goo’-by,oleBill,by-by。
Thereyougo,an’thesignalo’distressroun’you,H。B。’I’minneedofassistance。’Lord,herecomesthesharks——look!look!lookatumfight!lookatumtakin’oleBill!I’minneedofassistance。Ish’dsayyouwere,oleBill。"
Wilburlookedonceoverthesideinthechurning,lashingwater,thendrewback,sicktovomiting。Butinlessthanthirtysecondsthewaterwasquiet。Notasharkwasinsight。
"Getovert’the’Bertha’withthosepapers,son,"orderedKitchell;"I’llbidehereanddigupsh’mor’loot。I’llgutthisolepill-boxfromsterntostem-post’foreI’llleave。Iwon’tleaveacopperrivetin’er,nottaco’errivet,dyhear?"heshouted,hisfacepurplewithunnecessaryrage。
WilburreturnedtotheschoonerwiththetwoChinamen,leavingKitchellaloneonthebark。Hefoundthegirlsittingbytherudderheadalmostashehadlefther,lookingaboutherwithvague,unseeingeyes。
"YounameisMoran,isn’tit?"heasked。"MoranSternersen。"
"Yes,"shesaid,afterapause,thenlookedcuriouslyatabitoftarredropeonthedeck。Nothingmorecouldbegotoutofher。
Wilburtalkedtoheratlength,andtriedtomakeherunderstandthesituation,butitwasevidentshedidnotfollow。However,ateachmentionofhernameshewouldanswer:
"Yes,yes,I’mMoran。"
Wilburturnedawayfromher,bitinghisnetherlipinperplexity。
"Now,whatamIgoingtodo?"hemuttered。"Whatasituation!IfItelltheCaptain,it’sallupwiththegirl。Ifhedidn’tkillher,he’ddoworse——mightdoboth。IfIdon’ttellhim,theregoesherbirthright,$60,000,andshealoneintheworld。It’sbeguntogoalready,"headded,listeningtothesoundsthatcamefromthebark。Kitchellwasragingtoandfrointhecabininafrenzyofdrink,axeinhand,smashingglassware,hackingintothewood-work,singingthewhileatthetopofhisvoice:
"AsthroughthedropIgo,dropIgo,AsthroughthedropIgo,dropIgo,AsthroughthedropIgo,Downtohellthatyawnsbelow,TwentystiffsallinarowDamnyoureyes"
"That’sthekindofmanIhavetodealwith,"mutteredWilbur。
"It’sencouraging,andthere’snoonetotalkto。NotmuchhelpinaChinamanandacrazygirlinaman’soilskins。It’saboutthebiggestsituationyoueverfaced,RossWilbur,andyou’reallalone。Whatthedevilareyougoingtodo?"
HeacknowledgedwithconsiderablehumiliationthathecouldnotgetthebetterofKitchell,eitherphysicallyormentally。
Kitchellwasamorepowerfulmanthanhe,andcleverer。TheCaptainwasinhiselementnow,andhewasthecommander。Onshoreitwouldhavebeenvastlydifferent。Thecity-bredfellow,withapolicemanalwaysincall,wouldhaveknownhowtoact。
"Isimplycan’tstandbyandseethathogplunderingeverythingshe’sgot。What’stobedone?"
Andsuddenly,whilethewordswereyetinhismouth,thesunwaswipedfromtheskylikewritingfromaslate,thehorizonblackened,vanished,alongwhitelineoffrothwhippedacrosstheseaandcameonhissing。Ahollownoteboomedout,boomed,swelled,andgrewrapidlytoaroar。
Anicychillstabbedtheair。Thenthesquallswoopedandstruck,andtheskyshutdownoverthetroubledoceanlikeapot-lidoveraboilingpot。Theschooner’sforeandmainsheets,thathadnotbeenmadefast,unroveatthefirstgustandbegantoslatwildlyinthewind。TheChinamencoweredtothedecks,graspingatcleats,stays,andmasts。Theywerehelpless——paralyzedwithfear。Charlieclungtoastay,onearmoverhishead,asthoughdodgingablow。Wilburgrippedtherailwithhishandswherehestood,histeethset,hiseyeswide,waitingforthefounderingoftheschooner,hisonlythoughtbeingthattheendcouldnotbefar。Hehadheardofthesuddennessoftropicalsqualls,butthishadcomewiththeabruptnessofascene-shiftataplay。Theschoonerveeredbroad-ontothewaves。Itwasthebeginningoftheend——anotherrolltotheleewardlikethelastandthePacificwouldcomeaboard。
"Andyoucallyourselvessailormen!Areyougoingtodrownlikeratsonaplank?"AvoicethatWilburdidnotknowwentringingthroughthathorridshoutingofwindandsealikethecallofabugle。HeturnedtoseeMoran,thegirlofthe"LadyLetty,"
standingerectuponthequarterdeck,holdingdowntheschooner’swheel。Theconfusionofthatdreadfulmoment,thathadparalyzedthecrew’ssenses,hadbroughtbackhers。Shewasherselfagain,savage,splendid,dominant,superb,inherwrathattheirweakness,theircowardice。
Herheavybrowswereknottedoverherflamingeyes,herhatwasgone,andherthickbandsofyellowhairwhippedacrossherfaceandstreamedoutinthewindlikestreamersofthenorthernlights。Assheshouted,gesturingfuriouslytothemen,theloosesleeveoftheoilskincoatfellback,andshowedherforearm,strong,round,andwhiteasscud,thehandandwristsotannedastolookalmostlikeaglove。Andallthewhilesheshoutedaloud,furiouswithindignation,ragingagainstthesupinenessofthe"Bertha’s"crew。
"Standby,men!standby!Lookalive,now!Makefastthestays’lhalyardstothedory’swarp!Now,then,unreevey’rhalyards!allclearthere!passtheendfor’doutsidetherigging!outside!youfools!Makefasttothebitsfor’ard——letgoy’rline——that’lldo。
Soh——soh。There,she’scomingup。"
Thedoryhadbeentowingastern,andtheseascombingoverherhadswampedher。Moranhadbeeninspiredtousetheswampedboatasasea-anchor,fasteninghertotheschooner’sbowinsteadoftothestern。The"Bertha’s"bow,answeringtothedrag,veeredaround。
The"Bertha"stoodheadtotheseas,ridingoutthesquall。Itwasamasterpieceofseamanship,conceivedandexecutedintheverythickofperil,anditsavedtheschooner。
Buttherewaslittletimetothinkofthemselves。Onboardthebarkthesailswerestillset。Thesquallstruckthe"LadyLetty"
squarelyaback。Sheheeledoverupontheinstant;thenasthetophampercarriedawaywithacrash,easedbackamomentuponanevenkeel。Buthercargohadshifted。Thebarkwasdoomed。ThroughtheflyingsprayandscudandrainWilburhadamomentaryglimpseofKitchell,hackingatthelanyardswithhisaxe。Thenthe"LadyLetty"capsized,goingovertillhermastswereflatwiththewater,andinanothersecondrolledbottomup。Foramomentherkeelandredironbottomwerevisiblethroughthemistofdrivingspoon-drift。Suddenlytheysankfromsight。Shewasgone。
Andthen,liketherollingupofascroll,thesquallpassed,thesunreturned,theskyburnedbacktoblue,theruggednesswassmoothedfromtheocean,andthewarmthofthetropicsclosedaroundthe"BerthaMillner,"oncemorerollingeasilyontheswelloftheocean。
Ofthe"LadyLetty"andthedrunkenbeach-combingCaptainnotatraceremained。Kitchellhadgonedownwithhisprize。The"BerthaMillner’s"Chinesecrewhuddledforward,talkingwildly,pointingandlookinginabewilderedfashionoverthesides。
WilburandMoranwereleftaloneontheopenPacific。
V
AGirlCaptainWhenWilburcameondeckthemorningafterthesinkingofthebarkhewassurprisedtofindtheschoonerunderwayagain。WilburandCharliehadberthedforwardduringthatnight——Charliewiththehands,WilburintheCaptain’shammock。ThereasonforthischangeofquartershadbeenfoundinaperemptoryorderfromMoranduringthedog-watchtheprecedingevening。
ShehadlookedsquarelyatWilburfromunderherscowl,andhadsaidbrieflyandinafinecontraltovoice,thathehadforthefirsttimenoted:"Iberthaft,inthecabin;youandtheChinamanforward。Understand?"
MoranhadonlyforestalledWilbur’sintention;whileafterheralmostmiraculouspieceofseamanshipintherescueoftheschooner,CharlieandtheChinesecrewaccordedherarespectthatwasalmostsuperstitious。
Wilburmetheragainatbreakfast。Shewasstillwearingmen’sclothing——partofKitchell’soutfit——andwasbootedtotheknee;
butnowsheworenohat,andherenormousmaneofrye-coloredhairwasbraidedintolongstrandsneartothethicknessofaman’sarm。Therednessofherfacegaveastartlingeffecttoherpaleblueeyesandsandy,heavyeyebrows,thateasilyloweredtoafrown。Sheatewithherknife,andafterpushingawayherplateWilburobservedthatshedrankhalfatumblerofwhiskeyandwater。
Theconversationbetweenthetwowastameenough。Therewasnocommongrounduponwhichtheycouldmeet。Toherfather’sdeath——
nodoubtanoldmatterevenbeforeherrescue——shemadenoallusion。HerattitudetowardWilburwasoneofdefianceandsuspicion。Onlyoncedidsherelax:
"Howdidyoucometobeaboardherewiththeserat-eaters——you’renosailor?"shesaidabruptly。
"Huh!"laughedWilbur,mirthlessly;"huh!Iwasshanghaied。"
Moransmotethetablewitharedfist,andshoutedwithsonorous,bell-tonedlaughter。
"Shanghaied?——you?Now,thatisreallygood。Andwhatareyougoingtodonow?"
"Whatareyougoingtodo?"
"Signalthefirsthome-boundvesselandbetakenintoFrisco。
I’vemyinsurancetocollect(Wilburhadgivenherthe’Letty’s’
papers)andthedisastertoreport。"
"Well,I’mnotkeenonshark-huntingmyself,"saidWilbur。ButMoranshowednointerestinhisplans。
However,theysoonfoundthattheywerenottobepermittedtosignal。Atnoonthesamedaytheschoonersightedasteamship’ssmokeonthehorizon,andbegantoraiseherrapidly。Moranimmediatelyboundontheensign,uniondown,andbrokeitoutatthepeak。
Charlie,whowasatthewheel,spokeasentenceinChinese,andoneofthehandsdrewhisknifeacrossthehalyardsandbroughtthedistresssignaltothedeck。MoranturneduponCharliewithanoath,herbrowsknitted。
"No!No!"sangCharlie,closinghiseyesandwagginghishead。
"No!Toomucheelos’time;nocanstop。Youcomedownsidecabin;
youan’one-piecebossnumbertwo(thiswasWilbur)haveumchin-
chin。"
TheoddconclaveassembledaboutKitchell’stable——theclub-man,thehalf-masculinegirlinmen’sclothes,andtheChinaman。Theconferencewasanangryone,WilburandMoraninsistingthattheybeputaboardthesteamship,Charlierefusingwithcalmobstinacy。
"Ihaveumchin-chinwithChinaboyslas’nigh’。Chinaboyheapflaid,nocanstopumsteamship。Heapflaidtoomuchtalkee-
talkee。Nostop;gofishnow;gofishchop-chop。Los’heaptime;
gofish。Inosavvysailumboat,Chinaboynosavvysailumboat。Itinkumyousavvy(andhepointedtoMoran)。Itinkumyousavvyplentyheapmuchdisabay。Bossnumbertwo,himnosavvysailumboat,buthimsavvyplentymanyallsame。’
"Andwe’retostoponboardyourdough-dishandnavigateherforyou?"shoutedMoran,herfaceblazing。
Charlienoddedblandly:"Itinkumyass。"
"Andwhenwegetbacktoport,"exclaimedWilbur,"youthink,perhapsI——wewon’tmakeitinterestingforyou?"
Charliesmiled。
"ItinkumSixCompanyheaprich。"
"Well,getalong,"orderedMoran,asthoughtheschoonerwasherproperty,"andwe’lltalkitover。"
"Chinaboylikeyouheapprettybig,"saidCharlietoMoran,ashewentout。"Yousavvysailumboatalllight;wantayoufo’
captain。But,"headded,suddenlydroppinghisblandpassivityasthoughheworeamask,andforaninstantallowingthewickedmalevolentCantonesetocometothesurface,"Chinaboynolikeefunneebusiness,savvy?"ThenwithasmileofaTalleyrandhedisappeared。
MoranandWilburwerehelplessforthepresent。TheywerebuttwoagainstsevenChinamen。Theymuststayonboard,ifthecoolieswishedit;andiftheyweretostayitwasamatteroftheirownpersonalsafetythatthe"BerthaMillner"shouldbeproperlynavigated。
"I’llcaptainher,"concludedMoran,sullenly,attheendoftheirtalk。"Youmustactasmate,Mr。Wilbur。Anddon’tgetanymistakenideaintoyourheadthat,becauseI’mayounggirlandalone,youaregoingtorunthingsyourway。Idon’tlikefunnybusinessanybetterthanCharlie。"
"Lookhere,"saidWilbur,complaining,"don’tthinkI’maltogetheravillain。Ithinkyou’rearippingfinegirl。You’redifferentfromanykindofgirlIevermet,ofcourse,butyou,byjingo,you’re——you’resplendid。Thereinthesqualllastevening,whenyoustoodatthewheel,withyourhair——"
"Oh,dropthat!"saidthegirl,contemptuously,andwentupondeck。Wilburfollowed,scratchinganear。
Charliewascalledaftandtheirdecisionannounced。Moranwouldnavigatethe"BerthaMillner,"Wilburandshetakingthewatches。
Charliepromisedthathewouldanswerfortheobedienceofthemen。
TheirfirstconcernnowwastoshapetheircourseforMagdalenaBay。MoranandWilburlookedoverKitchell’schartsandlog-book,butthegirlflungthemasidedisdainfully。
"He’sbeensailingbythedeadreckoning,andhisnavigationisdrivel。Why,acabin-boywouldknowbetter;and,toendwith,thechronometerisrundown。I’llhavetogetGreen’ichtimebytakingthealtitudeofastarto-night,andfigureoutourlongitude。Didyoubringoffoursextant?"
Wilburshookhishead。"Onlythepapers,"hesaid。
"There’sonlyanoldebonyquadranthere,"saidMoran,"butitwillhavetodo。"
Thatnight,lyingflatonherbackonthedeckwithaquadranttohereye,she"gotastarandbroughtitdowntothehorizon,"andsatupunderthereekinglampinthecabinnearlythewholenightcipheringandcipheringtillshehadfilledupthefoursidesofthelog-slatewithhercalculations。However,bydaylightshehadobtainedthecorrectGreenwichtimeandworkedtheschooner’slongitude。
Twodayspassed,thenathird。Moransettheschooner’scourse。
Shekeptalmostentirelytoherself,andwhennotatthewheelortakingthesunorwritingupthelog,gloomedovertheafter-railintotheschooner’swake。Wilburknewnotwhattothinkofher。
Neverinhislifehadhemetwithanygirllikethis。Soaccustomedhadshebeentotherough,give-and-take,directassociationsofaseafaringlifethatshemisinterpretedwell-
meantpoliteness——theonlyrespectheknewhowtopayher——tomeaninsidiousadvances。Shewassuspiciousofhim——distrustedhimutterly,andopenlyridiculedhisabortiveseamanship。Prettyshewasnot,butshesoonbegantohaveacertainamountofattractionforWilbur。Helikedhersplendidropesofhair,herheavycontraltovoice,herfineanimalstrengthofboneandmuscle(admittedlygreaterthanhisown);headmiredherindomitablecourageandself-reliance,whileherpositivegeniusinthemattersofseamanshipandnavigationfilledhimwithspeechlesswonder。Thegirlshehadbeenusedtowerecleveronlyintheirknowledgeoftheamenitiesofanafternooncallortheformalitiesofapapergerman。Agirloftwo-and-twentywhocouldcalculatelongitudefromthealtitudeofastarwasoutsidehisexperience。
Themorehesawofherthemoreheknewhimselftohavebeenrightinhisfirstestimate。Shedrankwhiskeyafterhermeals,andwhenangry,whichwasoften,sworelikeabuccaneer。Asyetshewasalmost,asonemightsay,withoutsex——savage,unconquered,untamed,gloryinginherownindependence,hersullenisolation。
Herneckwasthick,strong,andverywhite,herhandsroughenedandcalloused。Inhermen’sclothesshelookedtall,vigorous,andunrestrained,andonmorethanoneoccasion,asWilburpassedclosetoher,hewasmadeawarethatherhair,herneck,herentirepersonalityexhaledafine,sweet,naturalredolencethatsavoredoftheoceanandgreatwinds。
Oneday,ashesawherhandlingahugewater-barrelbythechinesonly,withastrengthheknewtobegreaterthanhisown,herbrowscontractedwiththeeffort,herhaircurlingaboutherthickneck,herlarge,roundarmsbaretotheelbow,asuddenthrillofenthusiasmsmotethroughhim,andbetweenhisteethheexclaimedtohimself:
"ByJove,you’reawoman!"
The"BerthaMillner"continuedtothesouthward,glidingquietlyovertheoil-smoothnessoftheoceanunderairssolightashardlytorufflethesurface。Sometimesathighnoontheshimmeroftheoceanfloorblendedintotheshimmeroftheskyatthehorizon,andthenitwasnolongerwaterandblueheavens;thelittlecraftseemedtobepoisedinavastcrystallinesphere,wheretherewasneitherheightnordepth——poisedmotionlessinwarm,coruscating,opalescentspace,alonewiththesun。
Atlengthonemorningtheschooner,whichfortheprecedingtwenty-fourhourshadbeenheadingeastward,raisedtheland,andbythemiddleoftheafternoonhadcomeuptowithinamileofalow,sandyshore,quiveringwithheat,andhadtieduptothekelpinMagdalenaBay。
Charlienowtookoverentirechargeofoperations。FortwodaysprevioustheChinesehandshadbeengettingoutthedeck-tubs,tackles,gaffs,spades,andtheothershark-fishinggearthathadbeenstowedforward。Thesailswereloweredandgasketed,thedecksclearedofallimpedimenta,hogsheadsandhugevatsstoodreadyinthewaist,andthelazyindolenceofthepreviousweekwasreplacedbyanextraordinaryactivity。
Thedayaftertheirarrivalinthebaywasoccupiedbyallhandsincatchingbait。Thisbaitwasakindofrock-fish,ofabeautifulredgoldcolor,andaboutthesizeofanordinarycod。
Theybitreadilyenough,butoutofeverytenhookedthreeweretakenoffthelinesbythesharksbeforetheycouldbebroughtaboard。Anotherdifficultylayinthefactthat,eitherbecauseoftheexcessiveheatintheairorthepercentageofalkaliinthewater,theyspoiledalmostimmediatelyifleftintheair。
Turtlewereeverywhere——floatinggray-greendisksjustunderthesurface。Sea-birdsincloudsclamoredalldaylongabouttheshoreandsand-pits。Atlongintervalsflying-fishskitteredoverthewaterlikeskipping-stones。Shoalsofporpoisescameinfromoutside,leapingclumsilyalongtheedgesofthekelp。Bewilderedland-birdsperchedontheschooner’srigging,andintheearlymorningthewhistlingofquailcouldbeheardonshorenearwherealittlefresh-waterstreamrandowntomeettheocean。
ItwasWilburwhocaughtthefirstsharkonthesecondmorningofthe"Bertha’s"adventinMagdalenaBay。Astoreofbaithadbeenaccumulated,splitandhalvedintochunksfortheshark-hooks,andWilbur,baitingoneofthehugelinesthathadbeenbroughtupondecktheeveningbefore,flungitoverboard,andwatchedtheglimmerofthewhitefish-meatturningtoasilverygreenasitsankdownamongthekelp。Almostinstantlyalongmovingshadow,justdarkerthantheblue-greenmassofthewater,identifieditselfatalittledistance。
Enormousflukesproceededfromeitherside,anerectdorsalfin,likeanenormouscock’screst,rosefromtheback,whileimmediatelyovertheheadswamthetwopilot-fish,followingsocloselythemovementofthesharkastogivetheimpressionofactuallyadheringtohisbody。Twiceandthreetimesthegreatman-eatertwelvefeetfromsnouttotail-tip,circledslowlyaboutthebait,theflukesmovingfan-likethroughthewater。Oncehecameup,touchedthebaitwithhisnose,andbackedeasilyaway。
Hedisappeared,returned,andpoisedhimselfmotionlessintheschooner’sshadow,feelingthewaterwithhisflukes。
MoranwaslookingoverWilbur’sshoulder。"He’sasgoodascaught,"shemuttered;"onceletthemgetsightofmeat,and——
Steadynow!"Thesharkmovedforward。Suddenly,withalong,easyroll,heturnedcompletelyuponhisback。Hiswhitebellyflashedlikesilverinthewater——thebaitdisappeared。
"You’vegothim!"shoutedMoran。
TheropeslidthroughWilbur’spalms,burningtheskinasthehugesea-wolfsounded。Moranlaidhold。Theheavy,sullenwrenchingfrombelowtwitchedandswayedtheirbodiesandthrewthemagainsteachother。Herbare,coolarmwaspressedcloseoverhisknuckles。
"Heave!"shecried,laughingwiththeexcitementofthemoment。
"Heaveall!"——shebeganthechantofsailorshaulingattheropes。
Together,andbracingtheirfeetagainsttheschooner’srail,theyfoughtoutthefightwiththegreatfish。Inaswirloflathertheheadandshoulderscameabovethesurface,theflukeschurningthewatertillitboiledlikethewakeofascrewsteamship。Butassoonasthesegreatfinswereclearofthesurfacethesharkfellquietandhelpless。
Charliecameupwiththecutting-inspade,andasthefishhungstillovertheside,cuthimopenfromnecktobellywithasinglemovement。AnotherChinamanstoodbywithalong-handledgaff,hookedoutthepurple-blackliver,broughtitovertheside,anddroppeditintooneofthedeck-tubs。Thesharkthrashedandwrithed,hisflukesquiveringandhisgillsdistended。Wilburcouldnotrestrainanexclamation。
"Brutalbusiness!"hemuttered。
"Hoh!"exclaimedMoran,scornfully,"cutting-inistoogoodforhim。Sailor-folkarenofriendsofsuchcarrionasthat。"
Otherlineswerebaitedanddroppedoverboard,andthehandssettledthemselvestotherealbusinessoftheexpedition。Therewasnoskillinthematter。Thesharksbitravenously,andsoonswarmedabouttheschoonerinhundreds。HardlyahalfminutepassedthatoneofthefourChinamenthatwerefishingdidnotsignalacatch,andCharlieandJimwerekeptbusywithspadeandgaff。Bynoonthedeck-tubswerefull。Thelineswerehauledin,andthehandssetthetubsinthesuntotryouttheoil。Underthetropicalheatthesharkliversalmostvisiblymeltedaway,andbyfouro’clockintheafternoonthetubswerefullofathick,yellowoil,thereekofwhichinstantlyrecalledtoWilbur’smindtherancidsmelloftheschooneronthedaywhenhehadfirstcomeaboardofher。Thedeck-tubswereemptiedintothehogsheadsandvatsthatstoodinthewaistofthe"Bertha,"thetubsscoured,andthelinesandbentshark-hooksoverhauled。Charliedisappearedinthegalley,supperwascooked,andeatenupondeckundertheconflagrationofthesunset;thelightswereset,theChinamenforegatheredinthefo’c’stlehead,smokingopium,andbyeighto’clocktheroutineofthedaywasatanend。
Sothetimepassed。InashorttimeWilburcouldnothavesaidwhetherthedaywasWednesdayorSunday。Hesoontiredoftheunsportsmanlikeworkofkillingthesluggishbrutes,andturnedshorewardtorelievethemonotonyofthesucceedingdays。HeandMoranwereleftagooddealtotheirowndevices。Charliewasthemasterofthemennow。"Mate,"saidMorantoWilburoneday,afteradinnerofturtlesteaksandfish,eatenintheopenaironthequarterdeck;"mate,thisisslowwork,andtheschoonersmellsterriblyfoul。We’llhavethedoryoutandgoashore。Wecantumbleacaskintoherandgetsomewater。Thebutt’sthree-
quartersempty。Let’sseehowitfeelstobeinMexico。"
"Mexico?"saidWilbur。"That’sso——LowerCaliforniaisMexico。
I’dforgottenthat!"
Theywentashoreandspenttheafternooninfillingthewater-caskfromthefresh-waterstreamandingatheringabalones,whichMorandeclaredweredeliciouseating,fromtherocksleftbarebythetide。Butnothingcouldhaveexceededthelonelinessofthatshoreandbackland,palpitatingunderthefloggingofatropicalsun。Lowhillsofsand,coveredwithbrush,stretchedbackfromtheshore。Ontheeasternhorizon,leaguesdistant,bluemassesofmountainstriatedwithmiragesswaminthescorchingair。
Thesandwaslikefiretothetouch。Faroutinthebaytheschoonerhungmotionlessunderbaresticks,restingapparentlyuponherinvertedshadowonly。Andthatwasall——theflat,heat-
riddenland,thesheenoftheopenPacific,andthelonelyschooner。
"Quietenough,"saidWilbur,inalowvoice,wonderingiftherewassuchaplaceasSanFrancisco,withitspavedstreetsandcablecars,andifpeoplewhohadbeenhisfriendstherehadeverhadanyrealexistence。
"Doyoulikeit?"askedMoranquickly,facinghim,herthumbsinherbelt。
"It’sgoodfun——howaboutyou?"
"It’snodifferentthantheonlylifeI’veknown。Isupposeyouthinkitsaqueerkindoflifeforagirl。I’velivedbydoingthings,notbythinkingthings,orreadingaboutwhatotherpeoplehavedoneorthought;andIguessit’swhatyoudothatcounts,ratherthanwhatyouthinkorreadabout。Where’sthatpinch-bar?
We’llgetacouplemoreabalonesforsupper,andthenputoff。"
Thatwastheonlytalkofmomenttheyhadduringtheafternoon。
Alltherestoftheirconversationhadbeenofthosethingsthatimmediatelyoccupiedtheirattention。
Theyregainedtheschoonertowardfiveo’clock,tofindtheChinamenperplexedandmystified。Noexplanationwasforthcoming,andCharliegavethemsupperinpreoccupiedsilence。Astheywereeatingtheabalones,whichMoranhadfriedinbatter,Charliesaid:
"Sharkallgone!Nomorecatchum——himallgone。"
"Gone——why?"
"Nosavvy,"saidCharlie。"Nolikee,nolikee。Chinaboytinkumheapfunny,toomuchheapfunny。"
Itwastrue。Duringallthenextdaynotasharkwasinsight,andthoughthecrewfishedassiduouslytilldark,theywererewardedbynotsomuchasabite。Noonecouldofferanyexplanation。
"’Tisstrange,"saidMoran。"Neverheardofsharkleavingthisfeedbefore。Andyoucanseewithhalfaneyethatthehandsdon’tlikethelooksofit。Superstitiousbeggars!theyneedtobeclumpedinthehead。"
ThatsamenightWilburwokeinhishammockonthefo’c’stleheadabouthalf-pasttwo。Themoonwasdown,theskyonepowderofstars。Therewasnotabreathofwind。Itwassostillthathecouldhearsomelargefishplayingandbreakingofftowardtheshore。Then,withouttheleastwarning,hefelttheschoonerbegintoliftunderhim。Herolledoutofhishammockandstoodonthedeck。Therecouldbenodoubtofit——thewholeforepartwasrisingbeneathhim。Hecouldseethebowspritmovingupwardfromstartostar。Stilltheschoonerlifted;objectsondeckbegantoslideaft;theoilinthedeck-tubswashedover;then,astherecameawildscramblingoftheChinesecrewupthefo’c’stlehatch,shesettledagaingraduallyatfirst,then,withanabruptlurchthatalmostthrewhimfromhisfeet,regainedherlevel。
Moranmethiminthewaist。Charliecamerunningaft。
"Whatwasthat?Arewegrounding?Hasshestruck?"
"No,no;we’restillfasttothekelp。Wasitatidalwave?"
"Nonsense。Itwouldn’thavehandledusthatway。"
"Well,whatwasit?Listen!ForGod’ssakekeepquietthereforward!"
Wilburlookedoverthesideintothewater。Therippleswerestillchasingthemselvesawayfromtheschooner。Therewasnothingelse。Thestillnessshutdownagain。Therewasnotasound。
VI
ASEAMYSTERY
Inspiteofhisbesteffortsatself-control,Wilburfeltaslow,coldclutchathisheart。Thatsickening,uncannyliftingoftheschooneroutoftheglassywater,atatimewhentherewasnotenoughwindtosomuchaswrinklethesurface,sentacreepofsomethingverylikehorrorthroughallhisflesh。
Againhepeeredovertheside,downintothekelp-thickenedsea。
Nothing——notabreathofairwasstirring。ThegraylightthatfloodeddownfromthestarsshowednotabreakuponthesurfaceofMagdalenaBay。Onshore,nothingmoved。
"Quietthere,forward,"calledMorantotheshrill-voicedcoolies。
Thesucceedingstillnesswasprofound。Allonboardlistenedintently。Thewaterdrippedlikethetickingofaclockfromthe"BerthaMillner’s"stern,whichwiththerisingofthebowhadsunkalmosttotherail。Therewasnoothersound。
"Strange,"mutteredMoran,herbrowscontracting。
Charliebrokethesilencewithawail:"Nolikee,nolikee!"hecriedattopvoice。
Themanhadgonesuddenlygreen;Wilburcouldseetheshineofhiseyesdistendedlikethoseofaharassedcat。Ashe,Moran,andWilburstoodintheschooner’swaist,staringateachother,thesmellofpunkcametotheirnostrils。Forward,thecoolieswerealreadyburningjoss-sticksonthefo’castlehead,kowtowingtheirforeheadstothedeck。
Moranwentforwardandkickedthemtotheirfeetandhurledtheirjoss-sticksintothesea。
"Fengshui!Fengshui!"theyexclaimedwithbatedbreaths。"TheFengshuinolikeewe。"
Lowintheeastthehorizonbegantoblackenagainstthesky。Itwasearlymorning。Awatchwasset,theChinamensentbelow,anduntildaybreak,whenCharliebegantomakeaclatteringoftinsinthegalleyashesetaboutpreparingbreakfast,Wilburpacedtheroundsoftheschooner,looking,listening,andwaitingagainforthatslow,horrifyinglift。Buttherestofthenightwaswithoutincident。
Afterbreakfast,thestrangelyassortedtrio——Charlie,Moran,andWilbur——heldanotherconferenceinthecabin。Itwasdecidedtomovetheschoonertotheothersideofthebay。
"Fengshuiindisaplace,nolikeewe,"announcedCharlie。
"Fengshui,whoarethey?"
Charliepromptlybecameincoherentonthissubject,andMoranandWilburcouldonlyguessthattheFengshuiwerethetutelarydeitiesthatpresidedoverthatportionofMagdalenaBay。Atanyrate,therewereevidentlynomoresharktobecaughtinthatfishing-ground;sosailwasmade,andbynoonthe"BerthaMillner"
tieduptothekelpontheoppositesideoftheinlet,abouthalfamilefromtheshore。
Thesharkwereplentifulhereandthefishingwentforwardagainasbefore。Certainofthesesharkwerehauledaboard,stunnedbyablowonthenose,andtheirfinscutoff。TheChinamenpackedthesefinsawayinseparatekegs。EventuallytheywouldbesenttoChina。
Twoorthreedayspassed。Thehandskeptsteadilyattheirwork。
Nothingmoreoccurredtodisturbthemonotonyofthescorchingdaysandsoundlessnights;theschoonersataseasilyontheunbrokenwaterasthoughbuilttothebottom。Soonthenightwatchwasdiscontinued。Duringthesedaysthethreeofficerslivedhigh。Turtlewereplentiful,andwhatwiththeirsteaksandsoups,thefriedabalones,thesea-fish,thereallydeliciousshark-fins,andthequailthatCharlieandWilburtrappedalongtheshore,thetriohadnothingtowishforinthewayoftableluxuries。
Theshorewasabsolutelydeserted,aswellasthebackcountry——anunbrokenwildernessofsandandsage。Halfadozentimes,Wilbur,wearyingofhisinactionaboardtheschooner,madetheentirecircuitofthebayfrompointtopoint。Standingononeofthelatterprojectionsandlookingouttothewest,thePacificappearedasemptyoflifeastheland。Neverakeelcutthosewaters,neverasailbroketheedgeofthehorizon,neverafeatherofsmokespottedtheskywhereitwhitenedtomeetthesea。Everythingwasempty——vast,unspeakablydesolate——
palpitatingwithheat。
Anotherweekpassed。Charliebegantocomplainthatthesharkweregrowingscarceagain。
"Ithinkbime-byhimgoaway,onceamo’。"
Thatsamenight,Wilbur,lyinginhishammock,wasawakenedbyatouchonhisarm。HewoketoseeMoranbesidehimonthedeck。
"Didyouhearanything?"shesaidinalowvoice,lookingathimunderherscowl。
"No!no!"heexclaimed,gettingup,reachingforhiswickersandals。"Didyou?"
"Ithoughtso——something。Didyoufeelanything?"
"I’vebeenasleep,Ihaven’tnoticedanything。Isitbeginningagain?"
"Theschoonerliftedagain,justnow,verygently。IhappenedtobeawakeorIwouldn’thavenoticedit。"Theyweretalkinginlowvoices,asisthecustomofpeoplespeakinginthedark。
"There,what’sthat?"exclaimedWilburunderhisbreath。Agentlevibration,barelyperceptible,thrilledthroughtheschooner。
Underhishand,thatwasclaspedupontherail,Wilburcouldfeelafainttremblinginherframe。Itstopped,beganagain,anddiedslowlyaway。
"Well,whatthedevilISit?"hemutteredimpatiently,tryingtomasterthereturningcreepofdread。
Moranshookherhead,bitingherlip。
"It’sbeyondme,"shesaid,frowning。"Canyouseeanything?"Thesky,sea,andlandwereunbrokenreachesofsolitude。Therewasnobreathofwind。
"Listen,"saidMoran。Farofftolandwardcamethefaint,sleepycluckingofaquail,andthestridulatingofunnumberedcrickets;
alongripplelickedtheslopeofthebeachandslidbackintotheocean。Wilburshookhishead。
"Don’thearanything,"hewhispered。"Sh——there——she’stremblingagain。"
Oncemoreaprolongedbutfaintquiveringranthroughthe"BerthaMillner"fromstemtostern,andfromkeeltomasthead。Therewasabarelyaudiblecreakingofjointsandpanels。Theoilinthedeck-tubstrembled。ThevibrationwassofineandrapidthatittickledthesolesofWilbur’sfeetashestoodonthedeck。
"I’dgivetwofingerstoknowwhatitallmeans,"murmuredMoraninalowvoice。"I’vebeentoseafor——"Thensuddenlyshecriedaloud:"Steadyall,she’sliftingagain!"
Theschoonerheavedslowlyunderthem,thistimebythestern。Upshewent,upandup,whileWilburgrippedatastaytokeephisplace,andtriedtochokedownhisheart,thatseemedtobeatagainsthispalate。
"God!"ejaculatedMoran,hereyesblazing。"Thisthingis——"The"Bertha"camesuddenlydowntoaneasykeel,rockinginthatglassyseaasifinatiderip。Thedeckwasawashwithoil。Faroutinthebaytherippleswideningfromtheschoonerblurredthereflectionsofthestars。TheChinamenswarmedupthehatch-way,volubleandshrill。Againthe"BerthaMillner"liftedandsank,thetubsslidingonthedeck,themastsquiveringlikereeds,thetimbersgroaningaloudwiththestrain。Inthesternsomethingcrackedandsmashed。Thenthetroublediedaway,theripplesfadedintotheocean,andtheschoonersettledtoherkeel,quitemotionless。
"Look,"saidMoran,herfacetowardthe"Bertha’s"stern。"Therudderisoutofthegudgeons。"Itwastrue——the"BerthaMillner’s"helmwasunshipped。
Therewasnomoresleepforanyoneonboardthatnight。Wilburtrampedthequarterdeck,sickwithafeelinghedarednotputanameto。Moransatbythewreckedrudder-head,auselesspistolinherhand,swearingunderherbreathfromtimetotime。Charlieappearedonthequarterdeckatintervals,lookedatWilburandMoranwithwide-openeyes,andthentookhimselfaway。Ontheforwarddeckthecooliespastedstripsofredpaperinscribedwithmottoesuponthemast,andfilledtheairwiththereekoftheirjoss-sticks。
"IfonecouldonlySEEwhatitwas,"growledMoranbetweenherclinchedteeth。"Butthis——thisdamnedheavingandtrembling,it——
it’squeer。"
"That’sit,that’sit,"saidWilburquickly,facingher。"Whatarewegoingtodo,Moran?"
"STICKITOUT!"sheexclaimed,strikingherkneewithherfist。
"Wecan’tleavetheschooner——IWON’Tleaveher。I’llstaybythisdough-dishaslongastwoplanksinherholdtogether。Wereyouthinkingofcuttingaway?"Shefixedhimwithherfrown。
Wilburlookedather,sittingerectbythedisabledrudder,herheadbare,herbraidsofyellowhairhangingoverherbreast,sittingthereinman’sclothesandman’sboots,thepistolatherside。Heshookhishead。
"I’mnotleavingthe’Bertha’tillyoudo,"heanswered;adding:
"I’llstandbyyou,mate,untilwe——"
"Feelthat?"saidMoran,holdingupahand。
Afine,quiveringtremblewasthrillingthrougheverybeamoftheschooner,vibratingeachropelikeaharp-string。Itpassedaway;
butbeforeeitherWilburorMorancouldcommentuponitrecommenced,thistimemuchmoreperceptibly。Charliedashedaft,hisqueueflying。
"W’atmakumheapshake?"heshouted;"w’atforhimshake?Nosavvy,nolikee,prettymuchheapflaid;aie-yah,aie-yah!"
Slowlytheschoonerheavedupasthoughuponthecrestofsomehugewave,slowlyitsettled,andagaingraduallyliftedtillWilburhadtocatchattherailtosteadyhisfooting。Thequiveringsensationincreasedsothattheirveryteethchatteredwithit。Belowinthecabintheycouldhearsmallobjectsfallingfromtheshelvesandtable。Thenwithasuddendropthe"Bertha"
fellbacktoherkeelagain,thespilledoilspoutingfromherscuppers,themastsrocking,thewaterchurningandsplashingfromhersides。
Andthatwasall。Therewasnosound——nothingwasinsight。
Therewasonlythefrightenedtremblingofthelittleschoonerandthatlong,slowheaveandlift。
Morningcame,andbreakfastwashadinsilenceandgrimperplexity。Itwastoolatetothinkofgettingaway,nowthattherudderwasdisabled。The"BerthaMillner"mustbidewhereshewas。
"Andalittlemoreofthisdancing,"exclaimedMoran,"andwe’llhavetheplanksspringingoffthestern-post。"
Charlienoddedsolemnly。Hesaidnothing——hisgravityhadreturned。Nowintheglareofthetropicalday,withthe"BerthaMillner"sittingtheseaasplacidlyasabroodinggull,hewasTalleyrandagain。
"Itinkumyas,"hesaidvaguely。
"Well,IthinkwehadbettertryandfixtherudderandputbacktoFrisco,"saidMoran。"You’remakingnomoneythisway。Therearenosharktobecaught。SOMETHING’Swrong。They’regoneawaysomewhere。Thecrewareeatingtheirheadsoffandnotearningenoughmoneytopayfortheirkeep。Whatdoyouthink?"
"Itinkumyas。"
"Thenwe’llgohome。Isthatit?"
"Itinkumyas——to-molla。"
"To-morrow?"
"Yas。"
"That’ssettledthen,"persistedMoran,surprisedathisreadyacquiescence;"westarthometo-morrow?"Charlienodded。
"To-molla,"hesaid。
Therudderwasnotsobadlydamagedastheyhadatfirstsupposed;
thebreakwaseasilymended,butitwasfoundnecessaryforoneofthementogoovertheside。
"Getoverthesidehere,Jim,"commandedMoran。"Charlie,tellhimwhat’swanted;wecan’tworkthepintleinfromthedeck。"
ButCharlieshookhishead。
"Himnolikeego;himplentymuchflaid。"
Moranrippedoutanoath。
"WhatdoIcareifhe’safraid!Iwanthimtoshovethepintleintothelowergudgeon。MyGod,"sheexclaimed,withimmensecontempt,"whatcarrion!I’dsoonerworkaboatwithshe-monkeys。
Mr。Wilbur,Ishallhavetoaskyoutogoover。IthoughtIwascaptainhere,butitalldependsonwhethertheseratsareafraidornot。"
"Plentymanyshark,"expostulatedCharlie。"Himflaidsharkcomeback,catchumchop-chop。"
"Standbyherewithacoupleofcutting-inspades,"criedMoran,"andfendoffifyouseeanyshark;now,then,areyouready,mate?"
Wilburtookhisdeterminationinbothhands,threwoffhiscoatandsandals,andwentoverthesternrail。
"Putyoureartothewater,"calledMoranfromabove;"sometimesyoucanheartheirflukes。"
Ittookbutaminutetoadjustthepintle,andWilburregainedthedeckagain,drippingandalittlepale。Heknewnotwhathorridformofdeathmighthavebeenlurkingforhimdownbelowthereunderneaththekelp。AshestartedforwardfordryclotheshewassurprisedtoobservethatMoranwassmilingathim,holdingoutherhand。
"Thatwaswelldone,"shesaid,"andthankyou。I’veseenoldersailor-menthanyouwhowouldn’thavetakentherisk。"Neverbeforehadsheappearedmoresplendidinhiseyesthanatthismoment。Afterchanginghisclothesinthefo’castle,hesatforalongtime,hischininhishands,verythoughtful。Thenatlength,asthoughvoicingtheconclusionofhisreflections,saidaloud,asherosetohisfeet:
"But,ofcourse,THATisoutofthequestion。"
Herememberedthattheyweregoinghomeonthenextday。WithinafortnighthewouldbeinSanFranciscoagain——ataxpayer,apolice-protectedcitizenoncemore。Ithadbeengoodfun,afterall,thisthreeweeks’lifeonthe"BerthaMillner,"astrangeepisodecutoutfromthenormalcircleofhisconventionallife。
Heranovertheincidentsofthecruise——Kitchell,theturtlehunt,thefindingofthederelict,thedeadcaptain,thesquall,andtheawfulsightofthesinkingbark,Moranatthewheel,thegrewsomebusinessoftheshark-fishing,andlastofallthatinexplicableliftingandquiveringoftheschooner。Hetoldhimselfthatnowhewouldprobablyneverknowtheexplanationofthatmystery。
Thedaypassedinpreparationstoputtoseaagain。Thedeck-tubsandhogsheadswerestowedbelowandthetackleclearedaway。Byeveningallwasready;theywouldbeunderwaybydaybreakthenextmorning。Therewasapossibilityoftheirbeingforcedtotowtheschooneroutbymeansofthedory,solightweretheairsinside。Oncebeyondtheheads,however,theyweresureofabreeze。
Aboutteno’clockthatnight,thesameuncannytremblingranthroughtheschooneragain,andabouthalfanhourlatersheliftedgentlyonceortwice。Butafterthatshewasundisturbed。
Lateroninthenight——orratherearlyinthemorning——Wilburwokesuddenlyinhishammockwithoutknowingwhy,andgotupandstoodlistening。The"BerthaMillner"wasabsolutelyquiet。Thenightwashotandstill;thenewmoon,cantedoverlikeasinkinggalleon,waslowoverthehorizon。Wilburlistenedintently,fornowatlastheheardsomething。
Betweentheschoonerandtheshoreagentlesoundofsplashingcametohisears,andanoccasionalcrackasofoarsintheirlocks。Wasitpossiblethataboatwastherebetweentheschoonerandtheland?Whatboat,andmannedbywhom?
Thecreakingofoarlocksandthedipofpaddleswasunmistakable。
SuddenlyWilburraisedhisvoiceinagreatshout:
"Boatahoy!"
Therewasnoanswer;thenoiseofoarsgrewfainter。Morancamerunningoutofhercabin,swingingintohercoatassheran。
"Whatisit——whatisit?"
"Aboat,Ithink,rightofftheschoonerhere。Hark——there——didyouheartheoars?"
"You’reright;callthehands,getthedoryover,we’llfollowthatboatrightup。Hello,forwardthere,Charlie,allhands,tumbleout!"
ThenWilburandMorancaughtthemselveslookingintoeachother’seyes。Atoncesomething——perhapsthelatentsilenceoftheschooner——toldthemtherewastobenoanswer。Thetworanfor-
ward:Moranswungherselfintothefo’castlehatch,andwithoutusingtheladderdroppedtothedeckbelow。Inaninstanthervoicecameupthehatch:
"Thebunksareempty——they’regone——abandonedus。"Shecameuptheladderagain。
"Look,"saidWilbur,assheregainedthedeck。"Thedory’sgone;
they’vetakenit。Itwasouronlyboat;wecan’tgetashore。"
"Cowardly,superstitiousrats,Ishouldhaveexpectedthis。Theywouldbechoppedinbitsbeforetheywouldstaylongeronboardthisboat——theyandtheir-Fengshui。"
Whenmorningcamethedeserterscouldbemadeoutcampedontheshore,neartothebeacheddory。Whattheirintentionswerecouldnotbeconjectured。RiddenwithallmannerofnamelessOrientalsuperstitions,itwasevidentthattheChinamenpreferredanyhazardoffortunetoremaininglongerupontheschooner。
"Well,canwegetalongwithoutthem?"saidWilbur。"Canwetwoworktheschoonerbacktoportourselves?"
"We’lltryiton,anyhow,mate,"saidMoran;"wemightgetherintoSanDiego,anyhow。"
TheChinamenhadleftplentyofprovisionsonboard,andMorancookedbreakfast。Fortunately,byeighto’clockaverylightwesterlybreezecameup。MoranandWilburcastoffthegasketsandsettheforeandmainsails。
Wilburwasbusyattheforwardbittspreparingtocastloosefromthekelp,andMoranhadtakenupherpositionatthewheelwhensuddenlysheexclaimed:
"Sailho!——andinGod’snamewhatkindofasaildoyoucallit?"
Infactastrange-lookingcrafthadjustmadeherappearanceattheentranceofMagdalenaBay。
VII
BEACH-COMBERS
WilburreturnedaftandjoinedMoranonthequarterdeck。Shewasalreadystudyingthestrangerthroughtheglass。
"That’sanewbuildofboattome,"shemuttered,givingWilburtheglass。Wilburlookedlongandcarefully。Thenewcomerwasofthesizeandmuchthesameshapeasacaravelofthefifteenthcentury——highastobowandstern,andtoallappearancesasseaworthyasasoup-tureen。NeverbutintheoldprintshadWilburseensuchanextraordinaryboat。Shecarriedasinglemast,whichlistedforward;herlugsailwasstretchedupondozensofbambooyards;shedrewhardlyanywater。Twoenormousredeyeswerepainteduponeithersideofherhigh,bluntbow,whilejustabaftthewaistprojectedanenormousoar,orsweep,fullfortyfeetinlength——longer,infact,thanthevesselherself。Itactedpartlyasapropeller,partlyasarudder。
"They’reheadingforus,"commentedWilburasMorantooktheglassagain。
"Right,"sheanswered;addinguponthemoment:"Huh!moreChinamen;thethingisalivewithcoolies;she’sajunk。"
"Oh!"exclaimedWilbur,recollectingsometalkofCharlie’shehadoverheard。"Iknow。"
"Youknow?"
"Yes;thesearerealbeach-combers。I’veheardofthemalongthiscoast——heardourChinamenspeakofthem。Theybeachthatjunkeverynightandcamponshore。They’rescavengers,asyoumightsay——pickupwhattheycanfindorplunderalongshore——abalones,shark-fins,pickingsofwrecks,oldbrassandcopper,sealsperhaps,turtleandshell。Betweenwhilestheyfishforshrimp,andI’veheardKitchelltellhowtheymakepearlsbydroppingbird-shotintooysters。TheyareKai-ginghtoaman,and,accordingtoKitchell,thewickedestbreedofcatsthatevercutteeth。"
Thejunkboreslowlydownupontheschooner。Inafewmomentsshehadhovetoalongside。Butfortheenormousredeyesuponherbowshewasinnocentofpaint。Shewasgrimedandshellackedwithdirtandgrease,andsmelledabominably。HercrewwereChinamen;
butsuchChinamen!Thecooliesofthe"BerthaMillner"werepamperedandeffeteincomparison。Thebeach-combers,thirteeninnumber,wereasmallerclassofmen,theirfacesalmostblackwithtananddirt。Thoughtheystillworethequeue,theirheadswerenotshaven,andmatsandmopsofstiffblackhairfellovertheireyesfromundertheirbroad,basket-shapedhats。
Theywerebarefoot。Noneofthemworemorethantwogarments——thejeansandtheblouse。TheywerethelowesttypeofmenWilburhadeverseen。Thefaceswerethoseofahigherorderofanthropoidapes:thelowerportion——jaws,lips,andteeth——salient;thenostrilsopeningatalmostrightangles,theeyestinyandbright,theforeheadseamedandwrinkled——unnaturallyold。Theirgeneralexpressionwasofsimiancunningandaferocitythatwasutterlydevoidofcourage。
"Aye!"exclaimedMoranbetweenherteeth,"ifthedevilwereashepherd,herearehissheep。Youdon’tcomeaboardthisschooner,myfriends!IwanttoliveaslongasIcan,anddiewhenIcan’thelpit。Boatahoy!"shecalled。
AnanswerinCantonesesing-songcamebackfromthejunk,andthespeakergesturedtowardtheoutsideocean。
Thenalongparleyingbegan。ForupwardofhalfanhourMoranandWilburlistenedtoapropositioninbrokenpigeonEnglishmadebythebeach-combersagainandagainandyetagain,andwereinnowayenlightened。Itwasimpossibletounderstand。Thenatlasttheymadeoutthattherewasquestionofawhale。Nextitappearedthewhalewasdead;andfinally,afteraprolongedpantomimeofgesturingandpointing,Moranguessedthatthebeach-
comberswantedtheuseofthe"BerthaMillner"totriceupthedeadleviathanwhiletheoilandwhalebonewereextracted。
"Thatmustbeit,"shesaidtoWilbur。"That’swhattheymeanbypointingtoourmastsandtackle。Yousee,theycouldn’tmanagewiththatstickoftheirs,andtheysaythey’llgiveusathirdoftheloot。We’lldoit,mate,andI’lltellyouwhy。Thewindhasfallen,andtheycantowusout。Ifit’sasperm-whalethey’vefound,thereoughttobethirtyorfortybarrelsofoilinhim,letalonetheblubberandbone。Oilisat$50now,andspermacetiwillalwaysbring$100。We’lltakeiton,mate。butwe’llkeepoureyesontheratsallthetime。Idon’twantthemaboardatall。Lookattheirbelts。Notthreeoutofthedozenwhoaren’tcarryingthosefilthylittlehatchets。Faugh!"sheexclaimed,withashudderofdisgust。"Suchvipers!"
WhatfollowedprovedthatMoranhadguessedcorrectly。Aropewaspassedtothe"BerthaMillner,"thejunkputoutitssweeps,andtoawailing,eldrichchantingtheschoonerwastowedoutofthebay。
"IwonderwhatCharlieandourChinaboyswillthinkofthis?"
saidWilbur,lookingshoreward,wherethedeserterscouldbeseengatheredtogetherinasilent,observinggroup。
"We’rewellshutofthem,"growledMoran,herthumbsinherbelt。
"Only,nowwe’llneverknowwhatwasthematterwiththeschoonertheselastfewnights。Hah!"sheexclaimedunderherbreath,herscowlthickening,"sometimesIdon’twonderthebeastscut。"
ThedeadwhalewaslyingfourmilesoutoftheentranceofMagdalenaBay,andasthejunkandtheschoonerdrewnearseemedlikeahugeblackboatfloatingbottomup。Overitanduponitswarmedandclamberedthousandsofsea-birds,whileallaroundandbelowthewaterwasthickwithgorgingsharks。Adreadful,stranglingdecayfouledalltheair。
Thewhalewasasperm-whale,andfullytwicethelengthofthe"BerthaMillner。"Theworkoftricinghimupoccupiedthebeach-
combersthroughouttheentireday。Itwasoutofthequestiontokeepthemofftheschooner,andWilburandMoranweretoowisetotry。Theyswarmedtheforwarddeckandrigginglikeaplagueofuncleanmonkeys,climbingwithanagilityandnimblenessthatmadeWilbursicktohisstomach。TheywereunlikeanyChinamenhehadeverseen——hideoustoadegreethathehadimaginedimpossibleinahumanbeing。Ontwooccasionsafightdeveloped,andinaninstantthelittlehatchetswereflashingliketheflashofasnake’sfangs。Towardtheendofthedayoneofthemreturnedtothejunk,screaminglikeastuckpig,abitofhischinbittenoff。
MoranandWilburkepttothequarter-deck,alwayswithinreachofthehugecutting-inspades,buttheChinesebeach-combersweretooelatedovertheirprizetopaythemmuchattention。
Andindeedthedeadmonsterprovedaveritabletreasure-trove。Bytheendofthedayhehadbeentriceduptotheforemast,andallhandsstrainingatthewindlasshadraisedthemightyheadoutofthewater。TheChinamendescendeduponthesmooth,blackbody,theirbarefeetslidingandslippingateverystep。Theyheldonbyjabbingtheirknivesintothehideasglacier-climbersdotheirice-picks。Theheadyieldedbarrelafterbarrelofoilandafairquantityofbone。Theblubberwastakenaboardthejunk,mincedupwithhatchets,andrunintocasks。
Lastofall,aChinamancutaholethroughthe"case,"and,actuallydescendingintotheinsideofthehead,strippedawaythespermaceti(clearascrystal),andpackeditintobuckets,whichwerehauleduponthejunk’sdeck。Theworkoccupiedsometwoorthreedays。Duringthistimethe"BerthaMillner"waskeeledovertonearlytwentydegreesbytheweightofthedeadmonster。
However,neitherWilburnorMoranmadeprotest。TheChinamenwoulddoastheypleased;thatwassaidandsigned。Andtheydidnotreleasetheschooneruntilthewhalehadbeenemptiedofoilandblubber,spermacetiandbone。
Atlength,ontheafternoonofthethirdday,thecaptainofthejunk,whosenamewasHoang,presentedhimselfuponthequarter-
deck。Hewasnakedtothewaist,andhisbarebrowntorsowasgleamingwithoilandsweat。Hisqueuewascoiledlikeasnakearoundhisneck,hishatchetthrustintohisbelt。
"Well?"saidMoran,comingup。
Wilburcaughthisbreathasthetwostoodtherefacingeachother,sosharpwasthecontrast。Theman,theMongolian,small,weazened,leather-colored,secretive——astrange,complexcreature,steepedinalltheobscuremysteryoftheEast,nervous,illatease;andthegirl,theAnglo-Saxon,daughteroftheNorthmen,huge,blond,big-boned,frank,outspoken,simpleofcomposition,openastheday,bareheaded,hergreatropesofsandyhairfallingoverherbreastandalmosttothetopofherknee-boots。Ashelookedatthetwo,WilburaskedhimselfwhereelsebutinCaliforniacouldsuchabruptcontrastsoccur。
"Alllight,"announcedHoang;"catchumalloil,catchumallbone,catchumallsameplentymany。Youhelpcatchum,nowyoucatchumpay。Sabe?"
Thethreeprincipalscametoasettlementwithunprecedenteddirectness。LikeallChinamen,Hoangwastruetohispromises,andhehadalreadysetapartthreeandahalfbarrelsofspermaceti,tenbarrelsofoil,andsometwentypoundsofboneastheschooner’sshareinthetransaction。Therewasnodiscussionoverthematter。Hecalledtheirattentiontothedischargeofhisobligations,andhurriedawaytosummonhismenaboardandgetthejunkunderwayagain。
Thebeach-combersreturnedtotheirjunk,andWilburandMoransetaboutcuttingthecarcassofthewhaleadrift。Theyfounditwouldbeeasiertocutawaythehidefromaroundthehooksandloopsofthetacklethantounfastenthetackleitself。
"Theknotsarejammedhardassteel,"declaredMoran。"Handupthatcutting-inspade;standbywiththeotherandcutlooseatthesametimeasIdo,sowecaneaseoffthestrainontheselinesatthesametime。Readythere,cut!"Moransetfreethehookintheloopofblackskininacoupleofstrokes,butWilburwasmoreclumsy;theskinresisted。Hestruckatitsharplywiththeheavyspade;thebladehittheironhook,glancedoff,andopenedalargeslitinthecarcassbelowthehead。Agushofentrailsstartedfromtheslit,andMoransworeunderherbreath。
"Easeaway,quickthere!You’llhavethemastoutofhernext——
steady!Holdyourspade——what’sthat?"
Wilburhadnervedhimselfagainstthedreadfulstenchheexpectedwouldissuefromtheputridmonster,buthewassurprisedtonoteapungent,sweet,andspicyodorthatallatoncemadethicktheairabouthim。Itwasanaromaticsmell,strongerthanthatofthesaltocean,strongereventhanthereekofoilandblubberfromtheschooner’swaist——sweetasincense,penetratingasattar,deliciousasasummerbreeze。
"Itsmellsprettygood,whateveritis,"heanswered。Morancameuptowherehestood,andlookedattheslithehadmadeinthewhale’scarcass。Outofitwasbulgingsomekindofdullwhitemattermarbledwithgray。Itwasahardlumpofirregularshapeandaboutasbigasahogshead。
Moranglancedovertothejunk,somefortyfeetdistant。Thebeach-comberswerehoistingthelug-sail。Hoangwasatthesteeringoar。
"Getthatstuffaboard,"shecommandedquietly。
"That!"exclaimedWilbur,pointingtothelump。
Moran’sblueeyeswerebeginningtogleam。
第2章