the mirror of the sea-第10章

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take　a　turn　or　two；　perfectly　silent；　hang　on　by　the　compass　for　a



while；　take　another　couple　of　turns；　and　suddenly　burst　out：







〃What　are　you　trying　to　do　with　the　ship？〃







And　Mr。　P…；　who　was　not　good　at　catching　what　was　shouted　in　the



wind；　would　say　interrogatively：







〃Yes；　sir？〃







Then　in　the　increasing　gale　of　the　sea　there　would　be　a　little



private　ship's　storm　going　on　in　which　you　could　detect　strong



language；　pronounced　in　a　tone　of　passion　and　exculpatory



protestations　uttered　with　every　possible　inflection　of　injured



innocence。







〃By　Heavens；　Mr。　P…！　　I　used　to　carry　on　sail　in　my　time；　but　…　〃







And　the　rest　would　be　lost　to　me　in　a　stormy　gust　of　wind。







Then；　in　a　lull；　P…'s　protesting　innocence　would　become　audible：







〃She　seems　to　stand　it　very　well。〃







And　then　another　burst　of　an　indignant　voice：







〃Any　fool　can　carry　sail　on　a　ship　…　〃







And　so　on　and　so　on；　the　ship　meanwhile　rushing　on　her　way　with　a



heavier　list；　a　noisier　splutter；　a　more　threatening　hiss　of　the



white；　almost　blinding；　sheet　of　foam　to　leeward。　　For　the　best　of



it　was　that　Captain　S…　seemed　constitutionally　incapable　of　giving



his　officers　a　definite　order　to　shorten　sail；　and　so　that



extraordinarily　vague　row　would　go　on　till　at　last　it　dawned　upon



them　both；　in　some　particularly　alarming　gust；　that　it　was　time　to



do　something。　　There　is　nothing　like　the　fearful　inclination　of



your　tall　spars　overloaded　with　canvas　to　bring　a　deaf　man　and　an



angry　one　to　their　senses。















XII。















So　sail　did　get　shortened　more　or　less　in　time　even　in　that　ship；



and　her　tall　spars　never　went　overboard　while　I　served　in　her。



However；　all　the　time　I　was　with　them；　Captain　S…　and　Mr。　P…　did



not　get　on　very　well　together。　　If　P…　carried　on　〃like　the　very



devil〃　because　he　was　too　deaf　to　know　how　much　wind　there　was；



Captain　S…　（who；　as　I　have　said；　seemed　constitutionally　incapable



of　ordering　one　of　his　officers　to　shorten　sail）　resented　the



necessity　forced　upon　him　by　Mr。　P…'s　desperate　goings　on。　　It　was



in　Captain　S…'s　tradition　rather　to　reprove　his　officers　for　not



carrying　on　quite　enough　…　in　his　phrase　〃for　not　taking　every



ounce　of　advantage　of　a　fair　wind。〃　　But　there　was　also　a



psychological　motive　that　made　him　extremely　difficult　to　deal　with



on　board　that　iron　clipper。　　He　had　just　come　out　of　the　marvellous



Tweed；　a　ship；　I　have　heard；　heavy　to　look　at　but　of　phenomenal



speed。　　In　the　middle　sixties　she　had　beaten　by　a　day　and　a　half



the　steam　mail…boat　from　Hong　Kong　to　Singapore。　　There　was



something　peculiarly　lucky；　perhaps；　in　the　placing　of　her　masts　…



who　knows？　　Officers　of　men…of…war　used　to　come　on　board　to　take



the　exact　dimensions　of　her　sail…plan。　　Perhaps　there　had　been　a



touch　of　genius　or　the　finger　of　good　fortune　in　the　fashioning　of



her　lines　at　bow　and　stern。　　It　is　impossible　to　say。　　She　was



built　in　the　East　Indies　somewhere；　of　teak…wood　throughout；　except



the　deck。　　She　had　a　great　sheer；　high　bows；　and　a　clumsy　stern。



The　men　who　had　seen　her　described　her　to　me　as　〃nothing　much　to



look　at。〃　　But　in　the　great　Indian　famine　of　the　seventies　that



ship；　already　old　then；　made　some　wonderful　dashes　across　the　Gulf



of　Bengal　with　cargoes　of　rice　from　Rangoon　to　Madras。







She　took　the　secret　of　her　speed　with　her；　and；　unsightly　as　she



was；　her　image　surely　has　its　glorious　place　in　the　mirror　of　the



old　sea。







The　point；　however；　is　that　Captain　S…；　who　used　to　say　frequently；



〃She　never　made　a　decent　passage　after　I　left　her；〃　seemed　to　think



that　the　secret　of　her　speed　lay　in　her　famous　commander。　　No　doubt



the　secret　of　many　a　ship's　excellence　does　lie　with　the　man　on



board；　but　it　was　hopeless　for　Captain　S…　to　try　to　make　his　new



iron　clipper　equal　the　feats　which　made　the　old　Tweed　a　name　of



praise　upon　the　lips　of　English…speaking　seamen。　　There　was



something　pathetic　in　it；　as　in　the　endeavour　of　an　artist　in　his



old　age　to　equal　the　masterpieces　of　his　youth　…　for　the　Tweed's



famous　passages　were　Captain　S…'s　masterpieces。　　It　was　pathetic；



and　perhaps　just　the　least　bit　dangerous。　　At　any　rate；　I　am　glad



that；　what　between　Captain　S…'s　yearning　for　old　triumphs　and　Mr。



P…'s　deafness；　I　have　seen　some　memorable　carrying　on　to　make　a



passage。　　And　I　have　carried　on　myself　upon　the　tall　spars　of　that



Clyde　shipbuilder's　masterpiece　as　I　have　never　carried　on　in　a



ship　before　or　since。







The　second　mate　falling　ill　during　the　passage；　I　was　promoted　to



officer　of　the　watch；　alone　in　charge　of　the　deck。　　Thus　the



immense　leverage　of　the　ship's　tall　masts　became　a　matter　very　near



my　own　heart。　　I　suppose　it　was　something　of　a　compliment　for　a



young　fellow　to　be　trusted；　apparently　without　any　supervision；　by



such　a　commander　as　Captain　S…；　though；　as　far　as　I　can　remember；



neither　the　tone；　nor　the　manner；　nor　yet　the　drift　of　Captain　S…'s



remarks　addressed　to　myself　did　ever；　by　the　most　strained



interpretation；　imply　a　favourable　opinion　of　my　abilities。　　And　he



was；　I　must　say；　a　most　uncomfortable　commander　to　get　your　orders



from　at　night。　　If　I　had　the　watch　from　eight　till　midnight；　he



would　leave　the　deck　about　nine　with　the　words；　〃Don't　take　any



sail　off　her。〃　　Then；　on　the　point　of　disappearing　down　the



companion…way；　he　would　add　curtly：　　〃Don't　carry　anything　away。〃



I　am　glad　to　say　that　I　never　did；　one　night；　however；　I　was



caught；　not　quite　prepared；　by　a　sudden　shift　of　wind。







There　was；　of　course；　a　good　deal　of　noise　…　running　about；　the；



shouts　of　the　sailors；　the　thrashing　of　the　sails　…　enough；　in



fact；　to　wake　the　dead。　　But　S…　never　came　on　deck。　　When　I　was



relieved　by　the　chief　mate　an　hour　afterwards；　he　sent　for　me。　　I



went　into　his　stateroom；　he　was　lying　on　his　couch　wrapped　up　in　a



rug；　with　a　pillow　under　his　head。







〃What　was　the　matter　with　you　up　there　just　now？〃　he　asked。







〃Wind　flew　round　on　the　lee　quarter；　sir；〃　I　said。







〃Couldn't　you　see　the　shift　coming？〃







〃Yes；　sir；　I　thought　it　wasn't　very　far　off。〃







〃Why　didn't　you　have　your　courses　hauled　up　at　once；　then？〃　he



asked　in　a　tone　that　ought　to　have　made　my　blood　run　cold。







But　this　was　my　chance；　and　I　did　not　let　it　slip。







〃Well；　sir；〃　I　said　in　an　apologetic　tone；　〃she　was　going　eleven



knots　very　nicely；　and　I　thought　she　would　do　for　another　half…hour



or　so。〃







He　gazed　at　me　darkly　out　of　his　head；　lying　very　still　on　the



white　pillow；　for　a　time。







〃Ah；　yes；　another　half…hour。　　That's　the　way　ships　get　dismasted。〃







And　that　was　all　I　got　in　the　way　of　a　wigging。　　I　waited　a　little



while　and　then　went　out；　shutting　carefully　the　door　of　the　state…



room　after　me。







Well；　I　have　loved；　lived　with；　and　left　the　sea　without　ever



seeing　a　ship's　tall　fabric　of　sticks；　cobwebs　and　gossamer　go　by



the　board。　　Sheer　good　luck；　no　doubt。　　But　as　to　poor　P…；　I　am



sure　that　he　would　not　have　got　off　scot…free　like　this　but　for　the



god　of　gales；　who　called　him　away　early　from　this　earth；　which　is



three　parts　ocean；　and　therefore　a　fit　abode　for　sailors。　　A　few



years　afterwards　I　met　in　an　Indian　port　a　man　who　had　served　in



the　ships　of　the　same　company。　　Names　came　up　in　our　talk；　names　of



our　colleagues　in　the　same　employ；　and；　naturally　enough；　I　asked



after　P…。　　Had　he　got　a　command　yet？　　And　the　other　man　answered



carelessly：







〃No；　but　he's　provided　for；　anyhow。　　A　heavy　sea　took　him　off　the



poop　in　the　run　between　New　Zealand　and　the　Horn。〃







Thus　P…　passed　away　from　amongst　the　tall　spars　of　ships　that　he



had　tried　to　their　utmost　in　many　a　spell　of　boisterous　w