the wreck of the golden mary-第4章

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complained。　　There　was　a　pretty　sea　running；　but　not　a　very　high　sea

neither；　nor　at　all　a　confused　one。



I　turned　in；　as　we　seamen　say；　all　standing。　　The　meaning　of　that

is；　I　did　not　pull　my　clothes　offno；　not　even　so　much　as　my　coat：

though　I　did　my　shoes；　for　my　feet　were　badly　swelled　with　the　deck。

There　was　a　little　swing…lamp　alight　in　my　cabin。　　I　thought；　as　I

looked　at　it　before　shutting　my　eyes；　that　I　was　so　tired　of

darkness；　and　troubled　by　darkness；　that　I　could　have　gone　to　sleep

best　in　the　midst　of　a　million　of　flaming　gas…lights。　　That　was　the

last　thought　I　had　before　I　went　off；　except　the　prevailing　thought

that　I　should　not　be　able　to　get　to　sleep　at　all。



I　dreamed　that　I　was　back　at　Penrith　again；　and　was　trying　to　get

round　the　church；　which　had　altered　its　shape　very　much　since　I　last

saw　it；　and　was　cloven　all　down　the　middle　of　the　steeple　in　a　most

singular　manner。　　Why　I　wanted　to　get　round　the　church　I　don't　know；

but　I　was　as　anxious　to　do　it　as　if　my　life　depended　on　it。　　Indeed；

I　believe　it　did　in　the　dream。　　For　all　that；　I　could　not　get　round

the　church。　　I　was　still　trying；　when　I　came　against　it　with　a

violent　shock；　and　was　flung　out　of　my　cot　against　the　ship's　side。

Shrieks　and　a　terrific　outcry　struck　me　far　harder　than　the　bruising

timbers；　and　amidst　sounds　of　grinding　and　crashing；　and　a　heavy

rushing　and　breaking　of　watersounds　I　understood　too　wellI　made

my　way　on　deck。　　It　was　not　an　easy　thing　to　do；　for　the　ship　heeled

over　frightfully；　and　was　beating　in　a　furious　manner。



I　could　not　see　the　men　as　I　went　forward；　but　I　could　hear　that

they　were　hauling　in　sail；　in　disorder。　　I　had　my　trumpet　in　my

hand；　and；　after　directing　and　encouraging　them　in　this　till　it　was

done；　I　hailed　first　John　Steadiman；　and　then　my　second　mate；　Mr。

William　Rames。　　Both　answered　clearly　and　steadily。　　Now；　I　had

practised　them　and　all　my　crew；　as　I　have　ever　made　it　a　custom　to

practise　all　who　sail　with　me；　to　take　certain　stations　and　wait　my

orders；　in　case　of　any　unexpected　crisis。　　When　my　voice　was　heard

hailing；　and　their　voices　were　heard　answering；　I　was　aware；　through

all　the　noises　of　the　ship　and　sea；　and　all　the　crying　of　the

passengers　below；　that　there　was　a　pause。　　〃Are　you　ready；　Rames？〃

〃Ay；　ay；　sir！〃〃Then　light　up；　for　God's　sake！〃　　In　a　moment　he　and

another　were　burning　blue…lights；　and　the　ship　and　all　on　board

seemed　to　be　enclosed　in　a　mist　of　light；　under　a　great　black　dome。



The　light　shone　up　so　high　that　I　could　see　the　huge　Iceberg　upon

which　we　had　struck；　cloven　at　the　top　and　down　the　middle；　exactly

like　Penrith　Church　in　my　dream。　　At　the　same　moment　I　could　see　the

watch　last　relieved；　crowding　up　and　down　on　deck；　I　could　see　Mrs。

Atherfield　and　Miss　Coleshaw　thrown　about　on　the　top　of　the

companion　as　they　struggled　to　bring　the　child　up　from　below；　I

could　see　that　the　masts　were　going　with　the　shock　and　the　beating

of　the　ship；　I　could　see　the　frightful　breach　stove　in　on　the

starboard　side；　half　the　length　of　the　vessel；　and　the　sheathing　and

timbers　spirting　up；　I　could　see　that　the　Cutter　was　disabled；　in　a

wreck　of　broken　fragments；　and　I　could　see　every　eye　turned　upon　me。

It　is　my　belief　that　if　there　had　been　ten　thousand　eyes　there；　I

should　have　seen　them　all；　with　their　different　looks。　　And　all　this

in　a　moment。　　But　you　must　consider　what　a　moment。



I　saw　the　men；　as　they　looked　at　me；　fall　towards　their　appointed

stations；　like　good　men　and　true。　　If　she　had　not　righted；　they

could　have　done　very　little　there　or　anywhere　but　dienot　that　it

is　little　for　a　man　to　die　at　his　postI　mean　they　could　have　done

nothing　to　save　the　passengers　and　themselves。　　Happily；　however；

the　violence　of　the　shock　with　which　we　had　so　determinedly　borne

down　direct　on　that　fatal　Iceberg；　as　if　it　had　been　our　destination

instead　of　our　destruction；　had　so　smashed　and　pounded　the　ship　that

she　got　off　in　this　same　instant　and　righted。　　I　did　not　want　the

carpenter　to　tell　me　she　was　filling　and　going　down；　I　could　see　and

hear　that。　　I　gave　Rames　the　word　to　lower　the　Long…boat　and　the

Surf…boat；　and　I　myself　told　off　the　men　for　each　duty。　　Not　one

hung　back；　or　came　before　the　other。　　I　now　whispered　to　John

Steadiman；　〃John；　I　stand　at　the　gangway　here；　to　see　every　soul　on

board　safe　over　the　side。　　You　shall　have　the　next　post　of　honour；

and　shall　be　the　last　but　one　to　leave　the　ship。　　Bring　up　the

passengers；　and　range　them　behind　me；　and　put　what　provision　and

water　you　can　got　at；　in　the　boats。　　Cast　your　eye　for'ard；　John；

and　you'll　see　you　have　not　a　moment　to　lose。〃



My　noble　fellows　got　the　boats　over　the　side　as　orderly　as　I　ever

saw　boats　lowered　with　any　sea　running；　and；　when　they　were

launched；　two　or　three　of　the　nearest　men　in　them　as　they　held　on；

rising　and　falling　with　the　swell；　called　out；　looking　up　at　me；

〃Captain　Ravender；　if　anything　goes　wrong　with　us；　and　you　are

saved；　remember　we　stood　by　you！〃〃We'll　all　stand　by　one　another

ashore；　yet；　please　God；　my　lads！〃　says　I。　　〃Hold　on　bravely；　and　be

tender　with　the　women。〃



The　women　were　an　example　to　us。　　They　trembled　very　much；　but　they

were　quiet　and　perfectly　collected。　　〃Kiss　me；　Captain　Ravender；〃

says　Mrs。　Atherfield；　〃and　God　in　heaven　bless　you；　you　good　man！〃

〃My　dear；〃　says　I；　〃those　words　are　better　for　me　than　a　life…boat。〃

I　held　her　child　in　my　arms　till　she　was　in　the　boat；　and　then

kissed　the　child　and　handed　her　safe　down。　　I　now　said　to　the　people

in　her；　〃You　have　got　your　freight；　my　lads；　all　but　me；　and　I　am

not　coming　yet　awhile。　　Pull　away　from　the　ship；　and　keep　off！〃



That　was　the　Long…boat。　　Old　Mr。　Rarx　was　one　of　her　complement；　and

he　was　the　only　passenger　who　had　greatly　misbehaved　since　the　ship

struck。　　Others　had　been　a　little　wild；　which　was　not　to　be　wondered

at；　and　not　very　blamable；　but；　he　had　made　a　lamentation　and　uproar

which　it　was　dangerous　for　the　people　to　hear；　as　there　is　always

contagion　in　weakness　and　selfishness。　　His　incessant　cry　had　been

that　he　must　not　be　separated　from　the　child；　that　he　couldn't　see

the　child；　and　that　he　and　the　child　must　go　together。　　He　had　even

tried　to　wrest　the　child　out　of　my　arms；　that　he　might　keep　her　in

his。　　〃Mr。　Rarx；〃　said　I　to　him　when　it　came　to　that；　〃I　have　a

loaded　pistol　in　my　pocket；　and　if　you　don't　stand　out　of　the　gang…

way；　and　keep　perfectly　quiet；　I　shall　shoot　you　through　the　heart；

if　you　have　got　one。〃　　Says　he；　〃You　won't　do　murder；　Captain

Ravender！〃　　　〃No；　sir；〃　says　I；　〃I　won't　murder　forty…four　people　to

humour　you；　but　I'll　shoot　you　to　save　them。〃　　After　that　he　was

quiet；　and　stood　shivering　a　little　way　off；　until　I　named　him　to　go

over　the　side。



The　Long…boat　being　cast　off；　the　Surf…boat　was　soon　filled。　　There

only　remained　aboard　the　Golden　Mary；　John　Mullion　the　man　who　had

kept　on　burning　the　blue…lights　（and　who　had　lighted　every　new　one

at　every　old　one　before　it　went　out；　as　quietly　as　if　he　had　been　at

an　illumination）；　John　Steadiman；　and　myself。　　I　hurried　those　two

into　the　Surf…boat；　called　to　them　to　keep　off；　and　waited　with　a

grateful　and　relieved　heart　for　the　Long…boat　to　come　and　take　me

in；　if　she　could。　　I　looked　at　my　watch；　and　it　showed　me；　by　the

blue…light；　ten　minutes　past　two。　　They　lost　no　time。　　As　soon　as

she　was　near　enough；　I　swung　myself　into　her；　and　called　to　the　men；

〃With　a　will；　lads！　　She's　reeling！〃　　We　were　not　an　inch　too　far

out　of　the　inner　vortex　of　her　going　down；　when；　by　the　blue…light

which　John　Mullion　still　burnt　in　the　bow　of　the　Surf…boat；　we　saw

her　lurch；　and　plunge　to　the　bottom　head…foremost。　　The　child　cried；

weeping　wildly；　〃O　the　dear　Golden　Mary！　　O　look　at　her！　　Save　her！

Save　the　poor　Golden　Mary！〃　　And　then　the　light　burnt　out；　and　the

black　dome　seemed　to　come　down　upon　us。



I　suppose　if　we　had　all　stood　a…top　of　a　moun