Abig,foamingseacameoutofthemist;itmadefortheship,roaringwildly,andinitsrushitlookedasmischievousanddiscomposingasamadmanwithanaxe。Oneortwo,shouting,scrambleduptherigging;
most,withaconvulsivecatchofthebreath,heldonwheretheystood。
Singletondughiskneesunderthewheel—box,andcarefullyeasedthehelmtotheheadlongpitchoftheship,butwithouttakinghiseyesoffthecomingwave。Ittoweredclose—toandhigh,likeawallofgreenglasstoppedwithsnow。Theshiprosetoitasthoughshehadsoaredonwings,andforamomentrestedpoiseduponthefoamingcrest,asifshehadbeenagreatsea—bird。Beforewecoulddrawbreathaheavyguststruckher,anotherrollertookherunfairlyundertheweatherbow,shegaveatopplinglurch,andfilledherdecks。CaptainAllistounleapedup,andfell;Archierolledoverhim,screaming:——‘Shewillrise!’Shegaveanotherlurchtoleeward;thelowerdeadeyesdippedheavily;themen’sfeetflewfromunderthem,andtheyhungkickingabovetheslantingpoop。Theycouldseetheshipputtinghersideinthewater,andshoutedalltogether:——
‘She’sgoing!’Forwardtheforecastledoorsflewopen,andthewatchbelowwereseenleapingoutoneafteranother,throwingtheirarmsup;and,fallingonhandsandknees,scrambledaftonallfoursalongthehighsideofthedeck,slopingmorethantheroofofahouse。Fromleewardtheseasrose,pursuingthem;theylookedwretchedinahopelessstruggle,likeverminfleeingbeforeaflood;
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theyfoughtuptheweatherladderofthepooponeafteranother,halfnakedandstaringwildly;andassoonastheygotuptheyshottoleewardinclusters,withclosedeyes,tilltheybroughtupheavilywiththeirribsagainsttheironstanchionsoftherail;then,groaning,theyrolledinaconfusedmass。Theimmensevolumeofwaterthrownforwardbythelastscendoftheshiphadbursttheleedooroftheforecastle。Theycouldseetheirchests,pillows,blankets,clothing,comeoutfloatinguponthesea。Whiletheystruggledbacktowindwardtheylookedindismay。Thestrawbedsswamhigh,theblankets,spreadout,undulated;whilethechests,waterloggedandwithaheavylist,pitchedheavily,likedismastedhulks,beforetheysank;Archie’sbigcoatpassedwithoutspreadarms,resemblingadrownedseamanfloatingwithhisheadunderwater。Menwereslippingdownwhiletryingtodigtheirfingersintotheplanks;others,jammedincorners,rolledenormouseyes。Theyallyelledunceasingly;——‘Themasts!Cut!Cut!……’Ablacksquallhowledovertheship,thatlayonhersidewiththeweatheryard—armspointingtotheclouds;whilethetallmasts,inclinednearlytothehorizon,seemedtobeofanunmeasurablelength。Thecarpenterletgohishold,rolledagainsttheskylight,andbegantocrawltothecabinentrance,whereabigaxewaskeptreadyforjustsuchanemergency。Atthatmomentthetopsailsheetparted,theendoftheheavychainracketedaloft,andsparksofredfirestreameddownthroughtheflyingsprays。Thesailflappedoncewithajerkthatseemedtotearourheartsoutthroughourteeth,andinstantlychangedintoabunchofflutteringnarrowribbonsthattiedthemselvesintoknotsandbecamequietalongtheyard。CaptainAllistounstruggled,managedtostandupwithhisfacenearthedeck,uponwhichmenswungontheendsofropes,likenestrobbersuponacliff。Oneofhisfeetwasonsomebody’schest;
hisfacewaspurple;hislipsmoved。Heyelledalso;heyelled,bendingdown:——‘No!No!’Mr。Baker,onelegoverthebinnacle—stand,roaredout:——‘Didyousayno?Notcut?’Heshookhisheadmadly。‘No!No!’Betweenhislegsthecrawlingcarpenterheard,collapsedatonce,andlayfulllengthintheangleoftheskylight。Voicestookuptheshout——‘No!No!’
Thenallbecamestill。Theywaitedfortheshiptoturnoveraltogether,andshakethemoutintothesea;andupontheterrificnoiseofwindandseanotaPage44
murmurofremonstrancecameoutfromthosemen,whoeachwouldhavegiveneversomanyyearsoflifetosee‘themdamnedsticksgooverboard!’Theyallbelievedittheironlychance,butalittlehard—facedmanshookhisgreyheadandshouted‘No!’
withoutgivingthemasmuchasaglance。Theyweresilent,andgasped。
Theygrippedrails,theyhadwoundropes’—endsundertheirarms;theyclutchedring—bolts,theycrawledinheapswheretherewasfoothold;theyheldonwithbotharms,hookedthemselvestoanythingtowindwardwithelbows,withchins,almostwiththeirteeth:andsome,unabletocrawlawayfromwheretheyhadbeenflung,feltthesealeapupstrikingagainsttheirbacksastheystruggledupwards。Singletonhadstucktothewheel。Hishairflewoutinthewind;thegaleseemedtotakeitslife—longadversarybythebeardandshakehisoldhead。Hewouldn’tletgo,and,withhiskneesforcedbetweenthespokes,flewupanddownlikeamanonabough。
AsDeathappearedunready,theybegantolookabout。Donkin,caughtbyonefootinaloopofsomerope,hung,headdown,belowusandyelled,withhisfacetothedeck:——‘Cut!Don’tmindthatmurderin’
fool!Cut,someofyou!’Oneofhisrescuersstruckhimaback—handedblowoverthemouth;hisheadbangedonthedeckandhebecamesuddenlyveryquiet,withawhiteface,breathinghard,andwithafewdropsofbloodtricklingfromhiscutlip。Ontheleesideanothermancouldbeseenstretchedoutasifstunned;onlythewashboardpreventedhimfromgoingovertheside。Itwasthesteward。Wehadtoslinghimuplikeabale,forhewasparalysedwithfright。hehadrushedupoutofthepantrywhenhefelttheshipgoover,andhadrolleddownhelplessly,clutchingachinamug。Itwasnotbroken。Withdifficultywetoreitfromhim,andwhenhesawitinourhandshewasamazed。‘Wheredidyougetthatthing?’hekeptonasking,inatremblingvoice。Hisshirtwasblowntoshreds;therippedsleevesflappedlikewings。Twomenmadehimfast,and,doubledovertheropethatheldhim,heresembledabundleofwetrags。Mr。Bakercrawledalongthelineofmen,asking:——‘Areyouallthere?’andlookingPage45
themover。Someblinkedvacantly,othersshookconvulsively;Wamibo’sheadhungoverhisbreast;andinpainfulattitudes,cutbylashings,exhaustedwithclutching,screwedupincorners,theybreathedheavily。Theirlipstwitched,andateverysickeningheaveoftheoverturnedshiptheyopenedthemwideasiftoshout。Thecook,embracingawoodenstanchion,unconsciouslyrepeatedaprayer。Ineveryshortintervalofthefiendishnoisesaroundhecouldbeheardtherewithoutcaporslippers,imploringinthatstormtheMasterofourlivesnottoleadhimintotemptation。Soonhealsobecamesilent。Inallthatcrowdofcoldandhungrymen,waitingwearilyforaviolentdeath,notavoicewasheard;theyweremute,andinsombrethoughtfulnesslistenedtothehorribleimprecationsofthegale。
Hourspassed。Theywereshelteredbytheheavyinclinationoftheshipfromthewindthatrushedinonelongunbrokenmoanabovetheirheads,butcoldrainshowersfellattimesintotheuneasycalmoftheirrefuge。Underthetormentofthatnewinflictionapairofshoulderswouldwrithealittle。Teethchattered。Theskywasclearing,andbrightsunshinegleamedovertheship。Aftereveryburstofbatteringseas,vividandfleetingrainbowsarchedoverthedriftinghullintheflickofsprays。thegalewasendinginaclearblow,whichgleamedandcutlikeaknife。BetweentwobeardedshellbacksCharley,fastenedwithsomebody’slongmufflertoadeckring—bolt,weptquietly,withraretearswrungoutbybewilderment,cold,hunger,andgeneralmisery。Oneofhisneighbourspunchedhimintheribs,askingroughly:——‘What’sthematterwithyourcheek?
Infineweatherthere’snoholdingyou,youngster。’Turningaboutwithprudenceheworkedhimselfoutofhiscoatandthrewitovertheboy。
Theothermanclosedup,muttering:——‘Twillmakeabloomin’
manofyou,sonny。’Theyflungtheirarmsoverandpressedagainsthim。Charleydrewhisfeetupandhiseyelidsdropped。Sighswereheard,asmen,perceivingthattheywerenottobe‘drownedinahurry,’
triedeasierpositions。Mr。Creighton,whohadhurthisleg,layamongstuswithcompressedlips。Somefellowsbelongingtohiswatchsetaboutsecuringhimbetter。Withoutawordoraglanceheliftedhisarmsoneaftertheothertofacilitatetheoperation,andnotamusclemovedinhisstern,youngface。Theyaskedhimwithsolicitude:——
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‘Easiernow,sir?’Heansweredwithacurt:——‘That’lldo。’Hewasahardyoungofficer,butmanyofhiswatchusedtosaytheylikedhimwellenoughbecausehehad‘suchagentlemanlywayofdamningusupanddownthedeck。’Others,unabletodiscernsuchfineshadesofrefinement,respectedhimforhissmartness。ForthefirsttimesincetheshiphadgoneonherbeamendsCaptainAllistoungaveashortglancedownathismen。Hewasalmostupright——onefootagainstthesideoftheskylight,onekneeonthedeck;andwiththeendofthevangroundhiswaistswungbackandforthwithhisgazefixedaheadwatchful,likeamanlookingoutforasign。Beforehiseyestheship,withhalfherdeckbelowwater,roseandfellonheavyseasthatrushedfromunderherflashinginthecoldsunshine。Webegantothinkshewaswonderfullybuoyant——considering。confidentvoiceswereheardshouting:——‘She’lldo,boys!’Belfastexclaimedwithfervour:——‘Iwouldgiveamonth’spayforadrawatapipe!’Oneortwo,passingdrytonguesontheirsaltlips,mutteredsomethingabouta‘drinkofwaterl。’Thecook,asifinspired,scrambledupwithhisbreastagainstthepoopwater—caskandlookedin。Therewasalittleatthebottom。
Heyelled,wavedhisarms,andtwomenbegantocrawlbackwardsandforwardswiththemug。Wehadagoodmouthfulallround。Themastershookhisheadimpatiently,refusing。WhenitcametoCharleyoneofhisneighboursshouted:
——‘Thatbloomin’boy’sasleep。’Hesleptasthoughhehadbeendosedwithnarcotics。Theylethimbe。Singletonheldtothewheelwithonehandwhilehedrank,bendingdowntoshelterhislipsfromthewind。Wamibohadtobepokedandyelledatbeforehesawthemugheldbeforehiseyes。Knowlessaidsagaciously:——‘It’sbetter’natoto’rum。’Mr。Bakergrunted:——‘Thankye。’
Mr。Creightondrankandnodded。Donkingulpedgreedily,glaringovertherim。Belfastmadeuslaughwhenwithgrimacingmouthheshouted:——‘Passitthisway。We’realltaytottlershere。’Themaster,presentedwiththemugagainbyacrouchingman,whoscreamedupathim:——‘Weallhadadrink,captain,’gropedforitwithoutceasingtolookahead,andhandeditbackstifflyasthoughhecouldnotsparehalfaglanceawayfromtheship。Facesbrightened。Weshoutedtothecook:——‘Welldone,doctor!’Hesattoleeward,proppedbythewater—caskandyelledbackabundantly,buttheseaswerebreakinginthunderPage47
justthen,andweonlycaughtsnatchesthatsoundedlike:‘Providence’
and‘bornagain。’Hewasathisoldgameofpreaching。
Wemadefriendlybutderisivegesturesathim,andfrombelowheliftedonearm,holdingonwiththeother,movedhislips,hebeameduptous,straininghisvoice——earnest,andduckinghisheadbeforethesprays。
Suddenlysomeonecried:——‘Where’sJimmy?’
andwewereappalledoncemore。Ontheendoftherowtheboatswainshoutedhoarsely:——‘Hasanyoneseedhimcomeout?’Voicesexclaimeddismally:——‘Drowned——ishe?……No!Inhiscabin!……GoodLord!……Caughtlikeabloomin’ratinatrap……Couldn’topenhisdoor……Aye!Shewentovertooquickandthewaterjammedit……Poorbeggar!……Nohelpfor’im……Let’sgoandsee……’‘Damnhim,whocouldgo?’screamedDonkin。——‘Nobodyexpectsyouto,’growledthemannexttohim;‘you’reonlyathing。’
——‘Istherehalfachancetogetat’im?’inquiredtwoorthreementogether。Belfastuntiedhimselfwithblindimpetuosity,andallatonceshotdowntoleewardquickerthanaflashoflightning。
Weshoutedalltogetherwithdismay;butwithhislegsoverboardheheldandyelledforarope。Inourextremitynothingcouldbeterrible;sowejudgedhimfunnykickingthere,andwithhisscaredface。someonebegantolaugh,and,asifhystericallyinfectedwithscreamingmerriment,allthosehaggardmenwentofflaughing,wild—eyed,likealotofmaniacstieduponawall。Mr。Bakerswungoffthebinnacle—standandtenderedhimoneleg。Hescrambledupratherscared,andconsigninguswithabominablewordstothe‘divvle。’‘Youare……Ough!You’reafoul—mouthedbeggar,Craik,’gruntedMr。Baker。Heanswered,stutteringwithindignation:——‘Lookat’em,sorr。Thebloomin’
dirtyimages!laughingatachumgoneoverboard。Callthemselvesmen,too。’
Butfromthepooptheboatswaincalledout:——‘Comealong。’
andBelfastcrawledawayinahurrytojoinhim。thefivemen,poisedandgazingovertheedgeofthepoop,lookedforthebestwaytogetforward。
Theyseemedtohesitate。Theothers,twistingintheirlashings,turningpainfully,staredwithopenlips。CaptainAllistounsawnothing;heseemedwithhiseyestoholdtheshipupinasuperhumanconcentrationofeffort。
Thewindscreamedloudinthesunshine;columnsofsprayrosestraightup;andintheglitterofPage48
rainbowsburstingoverthetremblinghullthemenwentcautiously,disappearingfromsightwithdeliberatemovements。
Theywentswingingfrombelaying—pintocleatabovetheseasthatbeatthehalf—submergeddeck。Theirtoesscrapedthetheplanks。
Lumpsofcoldgreenwatertoppledoverthebulwarkandontheirheads。
Theyhungforamomentonstrainedarms,withthebreathknockedoutofthem,andwithclosedeyes——then,lettinggowithonehand,balancedwithlollingheads,tryingtograbsomeropeorstanchionfurtherforward。
Thelong—armedandathleticboatswainswungquickly,grippingthingswithafisthardasiron,andrememberingsuddenlysnatchesofthelastletterfromhis‘oldwoman。’LittleBelfastscrambledrageously,muttering‘cursednigger。’Wamibo’stonguehungoutwithexcitement;andArchie,intrepidandcalm,watchedhischancetomovewithintelligentcoolness。
Whenabovethesideofthehouse,theyletgooneafteranother,andfallingheavily,sprawled,pressingtheirpalmstothesmoothteakwood。Roundthemthebackwashofwavesseethedwhiteandhissing。
Allthedoorshadbecometrap—doors,ofcourse。Thefirstwasthegalleydoor。Thegalleyextendedfromsidetoside,andtheycouldheartheseasplashingwithhollownoisesinthere。Thenextdoorwasthatofthecarpenter’sshop。Theyliftedit,andlookeddown。Theroomseemedtohavebeendevastatedbyanearthquake。Everythinginithadtumbledonthebulkheadfacingthedoor,andontheothersideofthatbulkheadtherewasJimmy,deadoralive。
Thebench,ahalf—finishedmeat—safe,saws,chisels,wirerods,axes,crowbars,layinaheapbesprinkledwithloosenails。Asharpadzestuckupwithashiningedgethatgleameddangerouslydowntherelikeawickedsmile。
Themenclungtooneanotherpeering。Asickening,slylurchoftheshipnearlysentthemoverboardinabody。Belfasthowled‘Heregoes!’
andleapeddown。Archiefollowedcannily,catchingatshelvesthatgavewaywithhim,andeasedhimselfinagreatcrashofrippedwood。Therewashardlyroomforthreementomove。Andinthesunshinybluesquareofthedoor,theboatswain’sface,beardedanddark,Wamibo’sface,wildandpale,hungover——watching。
Togethertheyshouted:‘Jimmy!Jim!’
Fromabovetheboatswaincontributedadeepgrowl:‘You……Wait!’
Inapause,BelfastPage49
entreated:‘Jimmy,darlin’areyealoive?’Theboatswainsaid:‘Again!Alltogetherboys!’Allyelledexcitedly。
Wamibomadenoisesresemblingloudbarks。Belfastdrummedonthesideofthebulkheadwithapieceofiron。Allceasedsuddenly。Thesoundofscreamingandhammeringwentonthinanddistinct——likeasoloafterachorus。
Hewasalive。Hewasscreamingandknockingbelowuswiththehurryofamanprematurelyshutupinacoffin。Wewenttowork。Weattackedwithdesperationtheabominableheapofthingsheavy,ofthingssharp,ofthingsclumsytohandle。Theboatswaincrawledawaytofindsomewhereaflyingendofarope;andWamibo,heldbackbyshouts:——‘Don’tjump!……
Don’tcomeinhere,muddle—head!’——remainedglaringaboveus——allshiningeyes,gleamingfangs,tumbledhair;resemblinganamazedandhalf—wittedfiendgloatingovertheextraordinaryagitationofthedamned。Theboatswainadjuredusto‘bearahand,’
andaropedescended。Wemadethingsfasttoitandtheywentupspinning,nevertobeseenbymanagain。Aragetoflingthingsoverboardpossessedus。Weworkedfiercely,cuttingourhands,andspeakingbrutallytooneanother。Jimmykeptupadistractingrow;hescreamedpiercingly,withoutdrawingbreath,likeatorturedwoman;hebangedwithhandsandfeet。Theagonyofhisfearwrungourheartssoterriblythatwelongedtoabandonhim,togetoutofthatplacedeepasawellandswayinglikeatree,togetoutofhishearing,backonthepoopwherewecouldwaitpassivelyfordeathinincomparablerepose。Weshoutedtohimto‘shutup,forGod’ssake。’Heredoubledhiscries。Hemusthavefanciedwecouldnothearhim。Probablyheheardhisownclamourbutfaintly。Wecouldpicturehimcrouchingontheedgeoftheupperberth,lettingoutwithbothfistsatthewood,inthedark,andwithhismouthwideopenforthatunceasingcry。Thosewereloathsomemoments。Aclouddrivingacrossthesunwoulddarkenthedoorwaymenacingly。Everymovementoftheshipwaspain。Wescrambledaboutwithnoroomtobreathe,andfeltfrightfullysick。Theboatswainyelleddownatus:——‘Bearahand!Bearahand!Wetwowillbewashedawayfromheredirectlyifyouain’tquick!’
Threetimesasealeapedoverthehighsideandflungbucketfulsofwateronourheads。ThenJimmy,startledbytheshock,wouldstophisnoiseforamoment——waitingfortheshiptosink,Page50
perhaps——andbeganagain,distressinglyloud,asifinvigoratedbythegustoffear。Atthebottomthenailslayinalayerseveralinchesthick。Itwasghastly。Everynailintheworld,notdriveninfirmlysomewhere,seemedtohavefounditswayintothatcarpenter’sshop。Theretheywere,ofallkinds,theremnantsofstoresfromsevenvoyages。Tin—tacks,coppertacks(sharpasneedles),pumpnails,withbigheads,liketinyironmushrooms;
nailswithoutanyheads(horrible);Frenchnailspolishedandslim。Theylayinasolidmassmoreinabordablethanahedgehog。Wehesitatedyearningforashovel,whileJimmybelowusyelledasthoughhehadbeenflayed。
Groaning,wedugourfingersin,andverymuchhurt,shookourhands,scatteringnailsanddropsofblood。Wepassedupourhatsfullofassortednailstotheboatswain,who,asifperformingamysteriousandappeasingrite,castthemwideuponaragingsea。
Wegottothebulkheadatlast。Thosewerestoutplanks。
Shewasaship,wellfinishedineverydetail——theNarcissuswas。
Theywerethestoutestplankseverputintoaship’sbulkhead——wethought——andthenweperceivedthat,inourhurry,wehadsentallthetoolsoverboard。AbsurdlittleBelfastwantedtobreakitdownwithhisownweight,andwithbothfeetleapedstraightuplikeaspringbok,cursingtheClydeshipwrightsfornotscampingtheirwork。IncidentallyhereviledallNorthBritain,therestoftheearth,thesea——andallhiscompanions。Heswore,ashealightedheavilyonhisheels,thathewouldnever,neveranymoreassociatewithanyfoolthat‘hadn’tsaveeenoughtoknowhiskneefromhimelbow。’HemanagedbyhisthumpingtoscarethelastremnantofwitsoutofJimmy。Wecouldheartheobjectofourexasperatedsolicitudedartingtoandfroundertheplanks,nowhere,nowthere,inapuzzlingmanner。Hesqueakedashedodgedtheinvisibleblows。Itwasmoreheartrendingeventhanhisyells。SuddenlyArchieproducedacrowbar。
Hehadkeptitback;alsoasmallhatchet。Wehowledwithsatisfaction。
Hestruckamightyblowandsmallchipsflewatoureyes。Theboatswainaboveshouted:——‘Lookout!Lookoutthere。Don’tkilltheman。
Easydoesit!’Wamibo,maddenedwiththeexcitementhungheaddownandinsanelyurgedus:——‘Hoo!StrookPage51
’im!Hoo!Hoo!’Wewereafraidhewouldfallinandkilloneofusand,hurriedly,weentreatedtheboatswainto‘shovetheblamedFinnoverboard。’Then,alltogether,weyelleddownattheplanks:——‘Standfromunder!Getforward。’andlistened。Weonlyheardthedeephumandmoanofthewindaboveus,themingledroarandhissoftheseas。Theship,asifovercomewithdespair,wallowedlifelessly,andourheadsswamwiththatunnaturalmotion。Belfastclamoured:——‘FortheloveofGod,Jimmy,whereareye?……Knock!
Jimmydarlint!……Knock!Youbloodyblackbeast!Knock!’Hewasasquietasadeadmaninsideagrave;and,likemenstandingaboveagrave,wewereonthevergeoftears——butwithvexation,thestrain,thefatigue;
withthegreatlongingtobedonewithit,togetaway,andlaydowntorestsomewherewherewecouldseeourdangerandbreathe,Archieshouted:
——‘Gi’emeroom!’Wecrouchedbehindhim,guardingourheads,andhestrucktimeaftertimeinthejointoftheplanks。Theycracked。Suddenlythecrowbarwenthalfwayinthroughasplinteredoblonghole。ItmusthavemissedJimmy’sheadbylessthananinch。Archiewithdrewitquickly,andthatinfamousniggerrushedatthehole,puthislipstoit,andwhispered‘Help’inanalmostextinctvoice;
hepressedhisheadtoit,tryingmadlytogetoutthroughthatopeningoneinchwideandthreeincheslong。Inourdisturbedstatewewereabsolutelyparalysedbyhisincredibleaction。Itseemedimpossibletodrivehimaway。
EvenArchieatlastlosthiscomposure。‘Ifyedon’tclearootI’lldrivethecrowbarthro’yourhead。’heshoutedinadeterminedvoice。Hemeantwhathesaid,andhisearnestnessseemedtomakeanimpressiononJimmy。Hedisappearedsuddenly,andwesettoprisingandtearingattheplankswiththeeagernessofmentryingtogetatamortalenemy,andspurredbythedesiretotearhimlimbfromlimb。Thewoodsplit,cracked,gaveway。Belfastplungedinheadandshouldersandgropedviciously。‘I’vegot’im!Got’im,’heshouted。‘Oh!There!……He’sgone;;I’vegot’im!……Pullatmylegs!……Pull!’Wamibohootedunceasingly。Theboatswainshouteddirections:——‘Catchholdofhishair,Belfast;pullstraightup,youtwo!……Pullfair!’
Wepulledfair。WepulledBelfastoutwithajerk,anddroppedhimwithdisgust。Inasittingposture,purple—faced,hesobbeddespairingly:——
‘HowcanIholdonto’isbloomingshortwool?’
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SuddenlyJimmy’sheadandshouldersappeared。Hestuckhalf—way,andwithrollingeyesfoamedatourfeet。Weflewathimwithbrutalimpatience,wetoretheshirtoffhisback,wetuggedathisears,wepantedoverhim;
andallatoncehecameawayinourhandsasthoughsomebodyhadletgohislegs。Withthesamemovement,withoutapause,weswunghimup。Hisbreathwhistled,hekickedourupturnedfaces,hegraspedtwopairsofarmsabovehishead,andhesquirmedupwithsuchprecipitationthatheseemedpositivelytoescapefromourhandslikeabladderfullofgas。
Streamingwithperspiration,weswarmeduptherope,and,comingintotheblastofcoldwind,gaspedlikemenplungedintoicywater。Withburningfacesweshiveredtotheverymarrowofourbones。Neverbeforehadthegaleseemedtousmorefurious,theseamoremad,thesunshinemoremercilessandmocking,andthepositionoftheshipmorehopelessandappalling。
Everymovementofherwasominousoftheendofheragonyandofthebeginningofours。Westaggeredawayfromthedoor,and,alarmedbyasuddenroll,felldowninabunch。itappearedtousthatthesideofthehousewasmoresmooththanglassandmoreslipperythanice。Therewasnothingtohangontobutalongbrasshookusedsometimestokeepbackanopendoor。
WamiboheldontoitandweheldontoWamibo,clutchingourJimmy。Hehadcompletelycollapsednow。Hedidnotseemtohavethestrengthtoclosehishand。Westucktohimblindlyinourfear。WewerenotafraidofWamibolettinggo(werememberedthatthebrutewasstrongerthananythreemenintheship),butwewereafraidofthehookgivingway,andwealsobelievedthattheshiphadmadeuphermindtoturnoveratlast。Butshedidn’t。
Aseasweptoverus。Theboatswainspluttered:——‘Upandaway。
There’salull。Awayaftwithyou,orwewillallgotothedevilhere。’
WestoodupsurroundingJimmy。Webeggedhimtoholdup,toholdon,atleast。Heglaredwithhisbulgingeyes,muteasafish,andwithallthestiffnessknockedoutofhim。Hewouldn’tstand;hewouldn’tevenasmuchasclutchatournecks;hewasonlyacoldblackskinlooselystuffedwithsoftcottonwool;hisarmsandlegsswungjointlessandpliable;hisheadrolledabout;thelowerliphungdown,enormousandheavy。Wepressedroundhim,botheredPage53
anddismayed;shelteringhimweswunghereandthereinabody;andontheverybrinkofeternitywetotteredalltogetherwithconcealingandabsurdgestures,likealotofdrunkenmenembarrassedwithastolencorpse。
Somethinghadtobedone。Wehadtogethimaft。Aropewastiedslackunderhisarmpits,and,reachingupattheriskofourlives,wehunghimontheforesheetcleet。Heemittednosound;helookedasridiculouslylamentableasadollthathadlosthalfitssawdust,andwestartedonourperilousjourneyoverthemaindeck,draggingalongwithcarethatpitiful,thatlimp,thathatefulburden。Hewasnotveryheavy,buthadheweighedatonhecouldnothavebeenmoreawkwardtohandle。Weliterallypassedhimfromhandtohand。Nowandthenwehadtohanghimuponahandybelaying—pin,todrawabreathandreformtheline。HadthepinbrokenhewouldhaveirretrievablygoneintotheSouthernOcean,buthehadtotakehischanceofthat;andafteralittlewhile,becomingapparentlyawareofit,hegroanedslightly,andwithagreateffortwhisperedafewwords。Welistenedeagerly。Hewasreproachinguswithourcarelessnessinlettinghimrunsuchrisks:‘Now,afterIgotmyselffromthere,’hebreathedoutweakly。‘There’washiscabin。Andhegothimselfout。Wehadnothingtodowithitapparently!……Nomatter……Wewentonandlethimtakehischances,simplybecausewecouldnothelpit;forthoughatthattimewehatedhimmorethanever——morethananythingunderheaven——wedidnotwanttolosehim。Wehadsofarsavedhim;andithadbecomeapersonalmatterbetweenusandthesea。
Wemeanttosticktohim。Hadwe(byanincrediblehypothesis)undergonesimilartoilandtroubleforanemptycask,thatcaskwouldhavebecomeasprecioustousasJimmywas。Moreprecious,infact,becausewewouldhavehadnoreasontohatethecask。AndwehatedJamesWait。Wecouldnotgetridofthemonstroussuspicionthatthisastoundingblack—manwasshammingsick,hadbeenmalingeringheartlesslyinthefaceofourtoil,ofourscorn,ofourpatience——andnowwasmalingeringinthefaceofourdevotion——inthefaceofdeath。Ourvagueandimperfectmoralityrosewithdisgustathisunmanlylie。Buthestucktoitmanfully——amazingly。
No!Itcouldn’tbe。Hewasatallextremity。HiscantankeroustemperwasonlytheresultofthePage54
provokinginvinciblenessofthatdeathhefeltbyhisside。Anymanmaybeangrywithsuchamasterfulchum。’But,then,whatkindofmenwerewe——withourthoughts!Indignationanddoubtgrappledwithinusinascufflethattrampleduponthefinestofourfeelings。Andwehatedhimbecauseofthesuspicion;wedetestedhimbecauseofthedoubt。Wecouldnotscornhimsafely——neithercouldwepityhimwithoutrisktoourdignity。
Sowehatedhim,andpassedhimcarefullyfromhandtohand。Wecried,‘Gothim?——‘Yes,allright。Letgo。’andheswungfromoneenemytoanother,showingaboutasmuchlifeasanoldbolsterwoulddo。Hiseyesmadetwonarrowwhiteslitsintheblackface。
Hebreathedslowly,andtheairescapedthroughhislipswithanoiselikethesoundofbellows。Wereachedthepoopladderatlast,anditbeingacomparativelysafeplace,welayforamomentinanexhaustedheaptorestalittle。Hebegantomutter。Wewerealwaysincurablyanxioustohearwhathehadtosay。Thistimehemumbledpeevishly。‘Ittookyousometimetocome。Ibegantothinkthewholesmartlotofyouhadbeenwashedoverboard。Whatkeptyouback?Hey?Funk?’Wesaidnothing。Withsighswestartedagaintodraghimup。Thesecretandardentdesireofourheartswastobeathimviciouslywithourfistsabouttheheadandwehandledhimastenderlyasthoughhehadbeenmadeofglass。
Thereturnonthepoopwaslikethereturnofwanderersaftermanyyearsamongstpeoplemarkedbythedesolationoftime。Eyeswereturnedslowlyintheirsocketsglancingatus。Faintmurmurswereheard。‘Haveyougot’imafterall?’Thewell—knownfaceslookedstrangeandfamiliar;theyseemedfadedandgrimy;theyhadamingledexpressionoffatigueandeagerness。Theyseemedtohavebecomemuchthinnerduringourabsence,asifallthesemenhadbeenstarvingforalongtimeintheirabandonedattitudes。Thecaptain,witharoundturnofaropeonhiswrist,andkneelingononeknee,swungwithafacecoldandstiffbutwithlivingeyeshewasstillholdingtheshipupheedingnoone,asiflostintheunearthlyeffortofthatendeavour。WefastenedupJamesWaitinasafeplace。Mr。Bakerscrambledalongtolendahand。
Mr。Creighton,onhisback,andverypale,muttered,‘Welldone,’
andgaveus,Jimmyandthesky,ascornfulglance,thenclosedhiseyesslowly。Hereandthereamanstirredalittle,butmostremainedPage55
apathetic,incrampedpositions,mutteringbetweenshivers。Thesunwassetting。Asunenormous,uncloudedandred,declininglowasifbendingdowntolookintheirfaces。Thewindwhistledacrosslongsunbeamsthat,resplendentandcold,struckfullonthedilatedpupilsofstaringeyeswithoutmakingthemwink。Thewispsofhairandthetangledbeardsweregreywiththesaltofthesea。Thefaceswereearthy,andthedarkpatchesundertheeyesextendedtotheears,smudgedintothehollowsofsunkencheeks。Thelipswerelividandthin,andwhentheymoveditwasdifficulty,asthoughtheyhadbeengluedtotheteeth。Somegrinnedsadlyinthesunlight,shakingwithcold。Othersweresadandstill。Charley,subduedbythesuddendisclosureoftheinsignificanceofhisyouth,dartedfearfulglances。
Thetwosmooth—facedNorwegiansresembleddecrepidchildren,staringstupidly。
Toleeward,ontheedgeofthehorizon,blackseasleapeduptowardstheglowingsun。Itsankslowly,roundandblazing,andthecrestsofwavessplashedontheedgeoftheluminouscircle。OneoftheNorwegiansappearedtocatchsightofit,and,aftergivingaviolentstart,begantospeak。
Hisvoice,startlingtheothers,madethemstir。Theymovedtheirheadsstiffly,orturningwithdifficulty,lookedathimwithsurprise,withfear,oringravesilence。Hechatteredatthesettingsun,noddinghishead,whilethebigseasbegantorollacrossthecrimsondisc;andovermilesofturbulentwaterstheshadowsofhighwavessweptwitharunningdarknessthefacesofmen。Acrestedrollerbrokewithaloudhissingroar,andthesun,asifputoutdisappeared。Thechatteringvoicefaltered,wentouttogetherwiththelight。Thereweresighs。Inthesuddenlullthatfollowsthecrashofabrokenseaamansaidwearily,‘Here’sthatbloomin’Dutchmangoneoffhischump。’Aseaman,lashedbythemiddle,tappedthedeckwithhisopenhandwithunceasingquickflaps。Inthegatheringgreynessoftwilightabulkyformwasseenrisingaft,andbeganmarchingonallfourswiththemovementsofsomebigcautiousbeast。ItwasMr。Bakerpassingalongthelineofmen。Hegruntedencouraginglyovereveryone,felttheirfastenings。Some,withhalf—openeyes,puffedlikemenoppressedbyheat;others,mechanicallyandindreamyvoicesansweredhim,‘Aye!aye!sir!’Hewentfromonetoanothergrunting,‘Ough!……Seeherthroughityet;’andunexpectedly,Page56
withloudangryoutbursts,blewupKnowlesforcuttingoffalongpiecefromthefalloftherelievingtackle。‘Ough!——Ashamedofyourself——Relievingtackle——Don’tyouknowbetter!——Ough!——Ableseaman!
Ough!’Thelamemanwascrushed。Hemuttered,‘Getsom’thinkforalashingformyself,sir。’——‘Ough!Lashing——yourself。Areyouatinkerorasailor——What?Ough!——Maywantthattackledirectly——Ough!Moreusetotheshipthanyourlamecarcass。Ough!
——Keepit!Keepit,nowyou’vedoneit。’Hecrawledawayslowly,mutteringtohimselfaboutsomemenbeing‘worsethanchildren。’
Ithadbeenacomfortingrow。Lowexclamationswereheard:‘Hallo……Hallo……’
Thosewhohadbeenpainfullydozingaskedwithconvulsivestarts,‘What’sup?……Whatisit?’Theanswerscamewithunexpectedcheerfulness:‘Themateisgoingbald—headedforlameJackaboutsomethingorother。’
‘No!……’‘What’ashedone?’Someevenchuckled。Itwaslikeawhiffofhope,likeareminderofsafedays。
Donkin,whohadbeenstupefiedwithfear,revivedsuddenlyandbegantoshout:——‘’Ear’im;that’sthewaytheytawlktohus。Vydonch’ee’it’im——oneovyer?’It’im。’It’im!Comin’thematehoverhus。
Weareasgoodmenas’ee!We’rehallgoin’to’ellnow。We’avebeenstarvedinthisrottenship,an’nowwe’regoin’tobedrownedforthemblack—’eartedbullies!’it’im!’Heshriekedinthedeepeninggloom,heblubberedandsobbed,screaming:——‘’It’im!’It’im!’Therageandfearofhisdisregardedrighttolivetriedthesteadfastnessofheartsmorethanthemenacingshadowsofthenightthatadvancedthroughtheunceasingclamorofthegale。FromaftMr。Bakerwasheard:——‘Isoneofyoumengoingtostophim——mustIcomealong?cq。‘Shutup!……’
‘Keepquiet!’criedvariousvoices,exasperated,tremblingwithcold。——‘You’llgetoneacrossthemugfrommedirectly。’
saidaninvisibleseaman,inawearytone,‘Iwon’tletthematehavethetrouble。’Heceasedandlaystillwiththesilenceofdespair。Ontheblackskythestars,comingout,gleamedoveraninkyseathat,speckledwithfoam,flashedbackatthemtheevanescentandpalelightofadazzlingwhitenessbornfromtheblackturmoilofthewaves。
Remoteintheeternalcalmtheyglitteredhardandcoldabovetheuproaroftheearth;theysurroundedthevanquishedandtormentedshiponallsides:morepitilessthantheeyesofatriumphantmobandasunapproachableastheheartsofmen。
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Theicysouthwindhowledexultinglyunderthesombresplendourofthesky。Thecoldshookthemenwitharestlessviolenceasthoughithadtriedtoshakethemtopieces。Shortmoansweresweptunheardoffthestifflips。Somecomplainedinmuttersof‘notfeelingthemselvesbelowthewaist’;whilethosewhohadclosedtheireyes,imaginedtheyhadablockoficeontheirchests。Others,alarmedatnotfeelinganypainintheirfingers,beatthedeckfeeblywiththeirhands——obstinateandexhausted。Wamibostaredvacantanddreamy。TheScandinavianskeptonameaninglessmutterthroughchatteringteeth。ThespareScotchmen,withdeterminedefforts,kepttheirlowerjawsstill。TheWest—countrymenlaybigandstolidinaninvulnerablesurliness。Amanyawnedandsworeinturns。Anotherbreathedwitharattleinhisthroat。Twoelderlyhard—weathershellbacks,fastsidebyside,whispereddismallytooneanotheraboutthelandladyofaboarding—houseinSunderland,whomtheybothknew。Theyextolledhermotherlinessandherliberality;theytriedtotalkaboutthejointofbeefandthebigfireinthedownstairskitchen。Thewordsdyingfaintlyontheirlips,endedinlightsighs。Asuddenvoicecriedintothecoldnight,‘OhLord!’Noonechangedhispositionortookanynoticeofthecry。Oneortwopassed,witharepeatedandvaguegesture,theirhandovertheirfaces,butmostofthemkeptverystill。Inthebenumbedimmobilityoftheirbodiestheywereexcessivelyweariedbytheirthoughts,thatrushedwiththerapidityandvividnessofdreams。Nowandthen,byanabruptandstartlingexclamation,theyansweredtheweirdhailofsomeillusion;then,again,insilencecontemplatedthevisionofknownfacesandfamiliarthings。Theyrecalledtheaspectofforgottenshipmatesandheardthevoiceofdeadandgoneskippers。Theyrememberedthenoiseofgaslitstreets,thesteamyheatoftap—rooms,orthescorchingsunshineofcalmdaysatsea。
Mr。Bakerlefthisinsecureplace,andcrawled,withstoppages,alongthepoop。Inthedarkandonallfoursheresembledsomecarnivorousanimalprowlingamongstcorpses。Atthebreak,proppedtowindwardofastanchion,helookeddownonthemaindeck。Itseemedtohimthattheshiphadatendencytostandupalittlemore。Thewindhadeasedalittle,hethought,butthesearanashighasever。Thewavesfoamedviciously,andtheleesideofthePage58
deckdisappearedunderahissingwhitenessasofboilingmilk,whiletheriggingsangsteadilywithadeepvibratingnote,and,ateveryupwardswingoftheship,thewindrushedwithalong—drawnclamouramongstthespars。Mr。Bakerwatchedverystill。Amannearhimbegantomakeablabbingnoisewithhislips,allatonceandveryloud,asthoughthecoldhadbrokenbrutallythroughhim。Hewenton:‘Ba——ba——ba——brrr——brr——ba——ba——’‘Stopthat!’criedMr。Baker,gropinginthedark。‘Stopit!’Hewentonshakingtheleghefoundunderhishand。——‘Whatisit,sir?’
calledoutBelfast,inthetoneofamanawakenedsuddenly:‘wearelookingafterthat’ereJimmy。’——‘Areyou?Ough!
Don’tmakethatrowthen。Who’sthatnearyou?’——‘It’sme——theboatswain,sir,’growledtheWest—countryman;‘wearetryingtokeeplifeinthatpoordevil。’——‘Aye,aye!’saidMr。Baker,‘Doitquietly,can’tyou。’
——‘Hewantsustoholdhimupabovetherail,’wentontheboatswain,withirritation,‘sayshecan’tbreathehereunderourjackets。’——‘Ifwelift’im,wedrop’imoverboard,’saidanothervoice,‘wecan’tfeelourhandswithcold。’——‘Idon’tcare。Iamchoking!’
exclaimedJamesWaitinacleartone。——‘Oh,no,myson,’
saidtheboatswain,desperately,‘youdon’tgotillweallgoonthisfinenight。’——‘Youwillseeyetemanyaworse,’
saidMr。Baker,cheerfully。——‘It’snochild’splay,sir!’
answeredtheboatswain。‘Someofusfurtheraft,here,areinaprettybadway。’——‘Iftheblamedstickshadbeencutoutofhershewouldberunningalongonherbottomnowlikeanydecentship,an’giv’usallachance,’saidsomeone,withasigh。
——‘Theoldmanwouldn’thaveit……muchhecaresforus,’
whisperedanother。——‘Careforyou!’exclaimedMr。
Baker,angrily。‘Whyshouldhecareforyou?Areyoualotofwomenpassengerstobetakencareof?Weareheretotakecareoftheship——andsomeofyouain’tuptothat。Ough!……Whathaveyoudonesoverysmarttobetakencareof?Ough!……Someofyoucan’tstandabitofabreezewithoutcryingoverit。’——‘Come,sorr。Weain’tsobad,’protestedBelfast,inavoiceshakenbyshivers;
‘weain’t……brrr……’——‘Again,’
shoutedthemate,grabbingattheshadowyform;‘again!……Why,you’reinyourshirt!Whathaveyoudone?’——‘I’veputmyoilskinandjacketoverthathalf—deadnayggur——andhesayshechokes,’saidBelfast,complainingly。——‘Youwouldn’tcallmeniggerifIwasn’thalfdeadPage59
youIrishbeggar!’boomedJamesWait,vigorously。——‘You……brrr……Youwouldn’tbewhiteifyouwereeversowell……Iwillfightyou……brrr……
infineweather……brrr……withonehandtiedbehindmyback……brrr……’
——‘Idon’twantyourrags——Iwantair,’gaspedouttheotherfaintly,asifsuddenlyexhausted。
Thesprayssweptoverthewhistlingandpattering。Mendisturbedintheirpeacefultorporbythepainofquarrelsomeshouts,moaned,mutteringcurses。Mr。Bakercrawledoffalittlewaytoleewardwhereawater—caskloomedupbig,withsomethingwhiteagainstit。‘Isityou,Podmore?’askedMr。Baker。Hehadtorepeatthequestiontwicebeforethecookturned,coughingfeebly。——‘Yes,sir。
I’vebeenprayinginmymindforaquickdeliverance;forIampreparedforanycall……I——’——‘Lookhere,cook,’
interruptedMr。baker,‘themenareperishingwithcold。’
——‘Cold!’saidthecook,mournfully;‘theywillbewarmenoughbeforelong。’——‘What?’
askedMr。Baker,lookingalongthedeckintothefaintsheenoffrothingwater。——‘Theyareawickedlot,’continuedthecooksolemnly,butinanunsteadyvoice,‘aboutaswickedasanyship’scompanyinthissinfulworld!Now,I’——hetrembledsothathecouldhardlyspeak;hiswasanexposedplace,andinacottonshirt,athinpairoftrousers,andwithhiskneesunderhisnose,hereceived,quaking,theflicksofstinging,saltdrops;hisvoicesoundedexhausted——‘now,I——anytime……Myeldestyoungster,Mr。Baker……acleverboy……lastSundayonshorebeforethisvoyagehewouldn’tgotochurch,sir。SaysI,"YougoandcleanyourselforI’llknowthereasonwhy!"Whatdoeshedo?……Pond,Mr。Baker——fellintothepondinhisbestrig,sir!……Accident?……"Nothingwillsaveyou,finescholarthoughyouare!"saysI……Accident!……Iwhopped’im!’herepeated,rattlinghisteeth;then,afterawhile,letoutamournfulsoundthatwashalfagroan,halfasnore。Mr。Bakershookhimbytheshoulders。‘Hey!
Cook!Holdup,Podmore!Tellme——isthereanyfreshwaterinthegalleytank?Theshipislyingalongless,Ithink;Iwouldtrytogetforward。
Alittlewaterwoulddothemgood。Hallo!Lookout!Lookout!’
Thecookstruggled。——‘Notyou,sir——notyou!’Hebegantoscrambletowindward。‘Galley!……mybusiness!’
heshouted。——
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‘Cook’sgoingcrazynow,’saidseveralvoices。Heyelled:——‘Crazy,amI?Iammorereadytodiethananyofyou,officersincloosive——there!AslongassheswimsIwillcook!Iwillgetyoucoffee。’——‘Cook,yeareagentleman!’
criedBelfast。Butthecookwasalreadygoingovertheweatherladder。
Hestoppedforaminutetoshoutbackonthepoop:——‘’aslongassheswimsIwillcook!’anddisappearedasthoughhehadgoneoverboard。Themenwhohadheardsentafterhimacheerthatsoundedlikeawailofsickchildren。Anhourormoreafterwardssomeonesaiddistinctly:
‘He’sgoneforgood。’——‘Verylikely,’
assentedtheboatswain;‘eveninfineweatherhewasassmartaboutthedeckasamilch—cowonherfirstvoyage。Weoughttogoandsee。’
Nobodymoved。AsthehoursdraggedslowlythroughthedarknessMr。Bakercrawledbackandforthalongthepoopseveraltimes。Somemenfanciedtheyhadheardhimexchangemurmurswiththemaster,butatthattimethememorieswereincomparablymorevividthananythingactual,andtheywerenotcertainwhetherthemurmurswereheardnowormanyyearsago。Theydidnottrytofindout。Amuttermoreorlessdidnotmatter。Itwastoocoldforcuriosity,andalmostforhope。Theycouldnotspareamomentorathoughtfromthegreatmentaloccupationofwishingtolive。Andthedesireoflifekeptthemalive,apathetic,andenduring,underthecruelpersistenceofwindandcold;whilethebestarredblackdomeoftheskyrevolvedslowlyabovetheship,thatdrifted,bearingtheirpatienceandtheirsuffering,throughthestormysolitudeofthesea。
Huddledclosetooneanother,theyfanciedthemselvesutterlyalone。Theyheardsustainedloudnoisesandagainborethepainofexistencethroughlonghoursofprofoundsilence。Inthenighttheysawsunshine,feltwarmth,andsuddenly,withastart,thoughtthatthesunwouldneverriseuponafreezingworld。Someheardlaughter,listenedtosongs;others,neartheendofthepoop,couldhearloudhumanshrieks,and,openingtheireyes,weresurprisedtohearthemstill,thoughveryfaint,andfaraway。
Theboatswainsaid:——‘Why,it’sthecook,hailing’
fromforwardIthink。’Hehardlybelievedhisownwordsorrecognisedhisownvoice。Itwasalongtimebeforethemannexttohimgaveasignoflife。Hepunchedhardhisotherneighbourandsaid:——‘Thecook’sPage61
shouting!’Manydidnotunderstand,othersdidnotcare;themajorityfurtheraftdidnotbelieve。Buttheboatswainandanothermenhadtheplucktocrawlawayforwardtosee。Theyseemedtohavebeengoneforhours,andweresoonforgotten。Thensuddenlymenthathadbeenplungedinahopelessresignationbecameasifpossessedwithadesiretohurt。
Theybelabouredoneanotherwithfists。Inthedarknesstheystruckpersistentlyanythingsofttheycouldfeelnear,and,withagreatereffortthanforashout,whisperedexcitedly:——‘They’vegotsomehotcoffee……
Bosungotit……’‘No!……Where?’……‘It’scoming!Cookmadeit。’JamesWaitmoaned。Donkinscrambledviciously,caringnotwherehekicked,andanxiousthattheofficersshouldhavenoneofit。Itcameinapot,andtheydrankinturns。Itwashot,andwhileitblisteredthegreedypalates,itseemedincredible。Themensighedoutpartingwiththemug:——‘’How’ashedoneit?’Somecriedweakly——‘Bullyforyou,doctor!’