the wreck of the golden mary-第8章

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wave；　I　thought　I　made　out　a　signal　flying　aboard　her。〃



We　shifted　our　places；　clumsily　and　slowly　enough；　for　we　were　both

of　us　weak　and　dazed　with　wet；　cold；　and　hunger。　　I　waited　some

time；　watching　the　heavy　rollers　astern；　before　the　Long…boat　rose

a…top　of　one　of　them　at　the　same　time　with　us。　　At　last；　she　was

heaved　up　for　a　moment　well　in　view；　and　there；　sure　enough；　was　the

signal　flying　aboard　of　hera　strip　of　rag　of　some　sort；　rigged　to

an　oar；　and　hoisted　in　her　bows。



〃What　does　it　mean？〃　says　Rames　to　me　in　a　quavering；　trembling　sort

of　voice。　　〃Do　they　signal　a　sail　in　sight？〃



〃Hush；　for　God's　sake！〃　says　I；　clapping　my　hand　over　his　mouth。

〃Don't　let　the　people　hear　you。　　They'll　all　go　mad　together　if　we

mislead　them　about　that　signal。　　Wait　a　bit；　till　I　have　another

look　at　it。〃



I　held　on　by　him；　for　he　had　set　me　all　of　a　tremble　with　his　notion

of　a　sail　in　sight；　and　watched　for　the　Long…boat　again。　　Up　she

rose　on　the　top　of　another　roller。　　I　made　out　the　signal　clearly；

that　second　time；　and　saw　that　it　was　rigged　half…mast　high。



〃Rames；〃　says　I；　〃it's　a　signal　of　distress。　　Pass　the　word　forward

to　keep　her　before　the　sea；　and　no　more。　　We　must　get　the　Long…boat

within　hailing　distance　of　us；　as　soon　as　possible。〃



I　dropped　down　into　my　old　place　at　the　tiller　without　another　word…

…for　the　thought　went　through　me　like　a　knife　that　something　had

happened　to　Captain　Ravender。　　I　should　consider　myself　unworthy　to

write　another　line　of　this　statement；　if　I　had　not　made　up　my　mind

to　speak　the　truth；　the　whole　truth；　and　nothing　but　the　truthand

I　must；　therefore；　confess　plainly　that　now；　for　the　first　time；　my

heart　sank　within　me。　　This　weakness　on　my　part　was　produced　in　some

degree；　as　I　take　it；　by　the　exhausting　effects　of　previous　anxiety

and　grief。



Our　provisionsif　I　may　give　that　name　to　what　we　had　leftwere

reduced　to　the　rind　of　one　lemon　and　about　a　couple　of　handsfull　of

coffee…berries。　　Besides　these　great　distresses；　caused　by　the

death；　the　danger；　and　the　suffering　among　my　crew　and　passengers；　I

had　had　a　little　distress　of　my　own　to　shake　me　still　more；　in　the

death　of　the　child　whom　I　had　got　to　be　very　fond　of　on　the　voyage

outso　fond　that　I　was　secretly　a　little　jealous　of　her　being　taken

in　the　Long…boat　instead　of　mine　when　the　ship　foundered。　　It　used

to　be　a　great　comfort　to　me；　and　I　think　to　those　with　me　also；

after　we　had　seen　the　last　of　the　Golden　Mary；　to　see　the　Golden

Lucy；　held　up　by　the　men　in　the　Long…boat；　when　the　weather　allowed

it；　as　the　best　and　brightest　sight　they　had　to　show。　　She　looked；

at　the　distance　we　saw　her　from；　almost　like　a　little　white　bird　in

the　air。　　To　miss　her　for　the　first　time；　when　the　weather　lulled　a

little　again；　and　we　all　looked　out　for　our　white　bird　and　looked　in

vain；　was　a　sore　disappointment。　　To　see　the　men's　heads　bowed　down

and　the　captain's　hand　pointing　into　the　sea　when　we　hailed　the

Long…boat；　a　few　days　after；　gave　me　as　heavy　a　shock　and　as　sharp　a

pang　of　heartache　to　bear　as　ever　I　remember　suffering　in　all　my

life。　　I　only　mention　these　things　to　show　that　if　I　did　give　way　a

little　at　first；　under　the　dread　that　our　captain　was　lost　to　us；　it

was　not　without　having　been　a　good　deal　shaken　beforehand　by　more

trials　of　one　sort　or　another　than　often　fall　to　one　man's　share。



I　had　got　over　the　choking　in　my　throat　with　the　help　of　a　drop　of

water；　and　had　steadied　my　mind　again　so　as　to　be　prepared　against

the　worst；　when　I　heard　the　hail　（Lord　help　the　poor　fellows；　how

weak　it　sounded！）　…



〃Surf…boat；　ahoy！〃



I　looked　up；　and　there　were　our　companions　in　misfortune　tossing

abreast　of　us；　not　so　near　that　we　could　make　out　the　features　of

any　of　them；　but　near　enough；　with　some　exertion　for　people　in　our

condition；　to　make　their　voices　heard　in　the　intervals　when　the　wind

was　weakest。



I　answered　the　hail；　and　waited　a　bit；　and　heard　nothing；　and　then

sung　out　the　captain's　name。　　The　voice　that　replied　did　not　sound

like　his；　the　words　that　reached　us　were：



〃Chief…mate　wanted　on　board！〃



Every　man　of　my　crew　knew　what　that　meant　as　well　as　I　did。　　As

second　officer　in　command；　there　could　be　but　one　reason　for　wanting

me　on　board　the　Long…boat。　　A　groan　went　all　round　us；　and　my　men

looked　darkly　in　each　other's　faces；　and　whispered　under　their

breaths：



〃The　captain　is　dead！〃



I　commanded　them　to　be　silent；　and　not　to　make　too　sure　of　bad　news；

at　such　a　pass　as　things　had　now　come　to　with　us。　　Then；　hailing　the

Long…boat；　I　signified　that　I　was　ready　to　go　on　board　when　the

weather　would　let　mestopped　a　bit　to　draw　a　good　long　breathand

then　called　out　as　loud　as　I　could　the　dreadful　question：



〃Is　the　captain　dead？〃



The　black　figures　of　three　or　four　men　in　the　after…part　of　the

Long…boat　all　stooped　down　together　as　my　voice　reached　them。　　They

were　lost　to　view　for　about　a　minute；　then　appeared　againone　man

among　them　was　held　up　on　his　feet　by　the　rest；　and　he　hailed　back

the　blessed　words　（a　very　faint　hope　went　a　very　long　way　with

people　in　our　desperate　situation）：　　〃Not　yet！〃



The　relief　felt　by　me；　and　by　all　with　me；　when　we　knew　that　our

captain；　though　unfitted　for　duty；　was　not　lost　to　us；　it　is　not　in

wordsat　least；　not　in　such　words　as　a　man　like　me　can　commandto

express。　　I　did　my　best　to　cheer　the　men　by　telling　them　what　a　good

sign　it　was　that　we　were　not　as　badly　off　yet　as　we　had　feared；　and

then　communicated　what　instructions　I　had　to　give；　to　William　Rames；

who　was　to　be　left　in　command　in　my　place　when　I　took　charge　of　the

Long…boat。　　After　that；　there　was　nothing　to　be　done；　but　to　wait

for　the　chance　of　the　wind　dropping　at　sunset；　and　the　sea　going

down　afterwards；　so　as　to　enable　our　weak　crews　to　lay　the　two　boats

alongside　of　each　other；　without　undue　riskor；　to　put　it　plainer；

without　saddling　ourselves　with　the　necessity　for　any　extraordinary

exertion　of　strength　or　skill。　　Both　the　one　and　the　other　had　now

been　starved　out　of　us　for　days　and　days　together。



At　sunset　the　wind　suddenly　dropped；　but　the　sea；　which　had　been

running　high　for　so　long　a　time　past；　took　hours　after　that　before

it　showed　any　signs　of　getting　to　rest。　　The　moon　was　shining；　the

sky　was　wonderfully　clear；　and　it　could　not　have　been；　according　to

my　calculations；　far　off　midnight；　when　the　long；　slow；　regular

swell　of　the　calming　ocean　fairly　set　in；　and　I　took　the

responsibility　of　lessening　the　distance　between　the　Long…boat　and

ourselves。



It　was；　I　dare　say；　a　delusion　of　mine；　but　I　thought　I　had　never

seen　the　moon　shine　so　white　and　ghastly　anywhere；　either　on　sea　or

on　land；　as　she　shone　that　night　while　we　were　approaching　our

companions　in　misery。　　When　there　was　not　much　more　than　a　boat's

length　between　us；　and　the　white　light　streamed　cold　and　clear　over

all　our　faces；　both　crews　rested　on　their　oars　with　one　great

shudder；　and　stared　over　the　gunwale　of　either　boat；　panic…stricken

at　the　first　sight　of　each　other。



〃Any　lives　lost　among　you？〃　I　asked；　in　the　midst　of　that　frightful

silence。



The　men　in　the　Long…bout　huddled　together　like　sheep　at　the　sound　of

my　voice。



〃None　yet；　but　the　child；　thanks　be　to　God！〃　answered　one　among

them。



And　at　the　sound　of　his　voice；　all　my　men　shrank　together　like　the

men　in　the　Long…boat。　　I　was　afraid　to　let　the　horror　produced　by

our　first　meeting　at　close　quarters　after　the　dreadful　changes　that

wet；　cold；　and　famine　had　produced；　last　one　moment　longer　than

could　be　helped；　so；　without　giving　time　for　any　more　questions　and

answers；　I　commanded　the　men　to　lay　the　two　boats　close　alongside　of

each　other。　　When　I　rose　up　and　committed　the　tiller　to　the　hands　of

Rames；　all　my　poor　follows　raised　their　white　faces　imploringly　to

mine。　　〃Don't　leave　us；　sir；〃　they　said；　〃don't　leave　us。〃　　〃I　leave