end of the tether-第40章

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rattling　to　the　very　trucks。　　All　the　lights　went　out：



several　chain…guys；　snapping；　clattered　against　the



funnel：　there　were　crashes；　pings　of　parted　wire…rope；



splintering　sounds；　loud　cracks；　the　masthead　lamp　flew



over　the　bows；　and　all　the　doors　about　the　deck　began



to　bang　heavily。　　Then；　after　having　hit；　she　rebounded；



hit　the　second　time　the　very　same　spot　like　a　battering…



ram。　　This　completed　the　havoc：　the　funnel；　with　all



the　guys　gone；　fell　over　with　a　hollow　sound　of　thunder；



smashing　the　wheel　to　bits；　crushing　the　frame　of　the



awnings；　breaking　the　lockers；　filling　the　bridge　with



a　mass　of　splinters；　sticks；　and　broken　wood。　　Captain



Whalley　picked　himself　up　and　stood　knee…deep　in



wreckage；　torn；　bleeding；　knowing　the　nature　of　the



danger　he　had　escaped　mostly　by　the　sound；　and　holding



Mr。　Massy's　coat　in　his　arms。







By　this　time　Sterne　（he　had　been　flung　out　of　his



bunk）　had　set　the　engines　astern。　　They　worked　for　a



few　turns；　then　a　voice　bawled　out；　〃Get　out　of　the



damned　engine…room；　Jack！〃and　they　stopped；　but



the　ship　had　gone　clear　of　the　reef　and　lay　still；　with　a



heavy　cloud　of　steam　issuing　from　the　broken　deck…



pipes；　and　vanishing　in　wispy　shapes　into　the　night。



Notwithstanding　the　suddenness　of　the　disaster　there



was　no　shouting；　as　if　the　very　violence　of　the　shock



had　half…stunned　the　shadowy　lot　of　people　swaying



here　and　there　about　her　decks。　　The　voice　of　the　Serang



pronounced　distinctly　above　the　confused　murmurs







〃Eight　fathom。〃　　He　had　heaved　the　lead。







Mr。　Sterne　cried　out　next　in　a　strained　pitch







〃Where　the　devil　has　she　got　to？　　Where　are　we？〃







Captain　Whalley　replied　in　a　calm　bass







〃Amongst　the　reefs　to　the　eastward。〃







〃You　know　it；　sir？　　Then　she　will　never　get　out



again。〃







〃She　will　be　sunk　in　five　minutes。　　Boats；　Sterne。



Even　one　will　save　you　all　in　this　calm。〃







The　Chinaman　stokers　went　in　a　disorderly　rush　for



the　port　boats。　　Nobody　tried　to　check　them。　　The



Malays；　after　a　moment　of　confusion；　became　quiet；



and　Mr。　Sterne　showed　a　good　countenance。　　Captain



Whalley　had　not　moved。　　His　thoughts　were　darker



than　this　night　in　which　he　had　lost　his　first　ship。







〃He　made　me　lose　a　ship。〃







Another　tall　figure　standing　before　him　amongst　the



litter　of　the　smash　on　the　bridge　whispered　insanely







〃Say　nothing　of　it。〃







Massy　stumbled　closer。　　Captain　Whalley　heard　the



chattering　of　his　teeth。







〃I　have　the　coat。〃







〃Throw　it　down　and　come　along；〃　urged　the　chatter…



ing　voice。　　〃B…b…b…b…boat！〃







〃You　will　get　fifteen　years　for　this。〃







Mr。　Massy　had　lost　his　voice。　　His　speech　was　a　mere



dry　rustling　in　his　throat。







〃Have　mercy！〃







〃Had　you　any　when　you　made　me　lose　my　ship？　　Mr。



Massy；　you　shall　get　fifteen　years　for　this！〃







〃I　wanted　money！　　Money！　　My　own　money！　　I　will



give　you　some　money。　　Take　half　of　it。　　You　love



money　yourself。〃







〃There's　a　justice　。　。　。〃







Massy　made　an　awful　effort；　and　in　a　strange；　half



choked　utterance







〃You　blind　devil！　　It's　you　that　drove　me　to　it。〃







Captain　Whalley；　hugging　the　coat　to　his　breast；



made　no　sound。　　The　light　had　ebbed　for　ever　from　the



worldlet　everything　go。　　But　this　man　should　not



escape　scot…free。







Sterne's　voice　commanded







〃Lower　away！〃







The　blocks　rattled。







〃Now　then；〃　he　cried；　〃over　with　you。　　This　way。



You；　Jack；　here。　　Mr。　Massy！　　Mr。　Massy！　　Captain！



Quick；　sir！　　Let's　get







〃I　shall　go　to　prison　for　trying　to　cheat　the　insurance；



but　you'll　get　exposed；　you；　honest　man；　who　has　been



cheating　me。　　You　are　poor。　　Aren't　you？　　You've



nothing　but　the　five　hundred　pounds。　　Well；　you　have



nothing　at　all　now。　　The　ship's　lost；　and　the　insurance



won't　be　paid。〃







Captain　Whalley　did　not　move。　　True！　　Ivy's　money！



Gone　in　this　wreck。　　Again　he　had　a　flash　of　insight。



He　was　indeed　at　the　end　of　his　tether。







Urgent　voices　cried　out　together　alongside。　　Massy



did　not　seem　able　to　tear　himself　away　from　the　bridge。



He　chattered　and　hissed　despairingly







〃Give　it　up　to　me！　　Give　it　up！〃







〃No；〃　said　Captain　Whalley；　〃I　could　not　give　it　up。



You　had　better　go。　　Don't　wait；　man；　if　you　want　to



live。　　She's　settling　down　by　the　head　fast。　　No；　I　shall



keep　it；　but　I　shall　stay　on　board。〃







Massy　did　not　seem　to　understand；　but　the　love　of　life；



awakened　suddenly；　drove　him　away　from　the　bridge。







Captain　Whalley　laid　the　coat　down；　and　stumbled



amongst　the　heaps　of　wreckage　to　the　side。







〃Is　Mr。　Massy　in　with　you？〃　he　called　out　into　the



night。







Sterne　from　the　boat　shouted







〃Yes；　we've　got　him。　　Come　along；　sir。　　It's　madness



to　stay　longer。〃







Captain　Whalley　felt　along　the　rail　carefully；　and；



without　a　word；　cast　off　the　painter。　　They　were　ex…



pecting　him　still　down　there。　　They　were　waiting；　till



a　voice　suddenly　exclaimed







〃We　are　adrift！　　Shove　off！〃







〃Captain　Whalley！　　Leap！　。　。　。　pull　up　a　little　。　。　。



leap！　　You　can　swim。〃







In　that　old　heart；　in　that　vigorous　body；　there　was；



that　nothing　should　be　wanting；　a　horror　of　death　that



apparently　could　not　be　overcome　by　the　horror　of



blindness。　　But　after　all；　for　Ivy　he　had　carried　his



point；　walking　in　his　darkness　to　the　very　verge　of　a



crime。　　God　had　not　listened　to　his　prayers。　　The　light



had　finished　ebbing　out　of　the　world；　not　a　glimmer。　　It



was　a　dark　waste；　but　it　was　unseemly　that　a　Whalley



who　had　gone　so　far　to　carry　a　point　should　continue



to　live。　　He　must　pay　the　price。







〃Leap　as　far　as　you　can；　sir；　we　will　pick　you　up。〃







They　did　not　hear　him　answer。　　But　their　shouting



seemed　to　remind　him　of　something。　　He　groped　his



way　back；　and　sought　for　Mr。　Massy's　coat。　　He　could



swim　indeed；　people　sucked　down　by　the　whirlpool　of



a　sinking　ship　do　come　up　sometimes　to　the　surface；　and



it　was　unseemly　that　a　Whalley；　who　had　made　up　his



mind　to　die；　should　be　beguiled　by　chance　into　a



struggle。　　He　would　put　all　these　pieces　of　iron　into　his



own　pockets。







They；　looking　from　the　boat；　saw　the　Sofala；　a　black



mass　upon　a　black　sea；　lying　still　at　an　appalling　cant。



No　sound　came　from　her。　　Then；　with　a　great　bizarre



shuffling　noise；　as　if　the　boilers　had　broken　through　the



bulkheads；　and　with　a　faint　muffled　detonation；　where



the　ship　had　been　there　appeared　for　a　moment　some…



thing　standing　upright　and　narrow；　like　a　rock　out　of



the　sea。　　Then　that　too　disappeared。











When　the　Sofala　failed　to　come　back　to　Batu　Beru　at



the　proper　time；　Mr。　Van　Wyk　understood　at　once　that



he　would　never　see　her　any　more。　　But　he　did　not　know



what　had　happened　till　some　months　afterwards；　when；



in　a　native　craft　lent　him　by　his　Sultan；　he　had　made



his　way　to　the　Sofala's　port　of　registry；　where　already



her　existence　and　the　official　inquiry　into　her　loss　was



beginning　to　be　forgotten。







It　had　not　been　a　very　remarkable　or　interesting　case；



except　for　the　fact　that　the　captain　had　gone　down　with



his　sinking　ship。　　It　was　the　only　life　lost；　and　Mr。　Van



Wyk　would　not　have　been　able　to　learn　any　details　had



it　not　been　for　Sterne；　whom　he　met　one　day　on　the　quay