the mirror of the sea-第33章

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think；　sir；〃　said　the　second　officer　quietly；　coming　down　from



aloft　with　the　binoculars　in　their　case　slung　across　his　shoulders；



and　our　captain；　without　a　word；　signed　to　the　helmsman　to　steer



for　the　black　speck。　　Presently　we　made　out　a　low；　jagged　stump



sticking　up　forward　…　all　that　remained　of　her　departed　masts。







The　captain　was　expatiating　in　a　low　conversational　tone　to　the



chief　mate　upon　the　danger　of　these　derelicts；　and　upon　his　dread



of　coming　upon　them　at　night；　when　suddenly　a　man　forward　screamed



out；　〃There's　people　on　board　of　her；　sir！　　I　see　them！〃　in　a　most



extraordinary　voice　…　a　voice　never　heard　before　in　our　ship；　the



amazing　voice　of　a　stranger。　　It　gave　the　signal　for　a　sudden



tumult　of　shouts。　　The　watch　below　ran　up　the　forecastle　head　in　a



body；　the　cook　dashed　out　of　the　galley。　　Everybody　saw　the　poor



fellows　now。　　They　were　there！　　And　all　at　once　our　ship；　which　had



the　well…earned　name　of　being　without　a　rival　for　speed　in　light



winds；　seemed　to　us　to　have　lost　the　power　of　motion；　as　if　the



sea；　becoming　viscous；　had　clung　to　her　sides。　　And　yet　she　moved。



Immensity；　the　inseparable　companion　of　a　ship's　life；　chose　that



day　to　breathe　upon　her　as　gently　as　a　sleeping　child。　　The　clamour



of　our　excitement　had　died　out；　and　our　living　ship；　famous　for



never　losing　steerage　way　as　long　as　there　was　air　enough　to　float



a　feather；　stole；　without　a　ripple；　silent　and　white　as　a　ghost；



towards　her　mutilated　and　wounded　sister；　come　upon　at　the　point　of



death　in　the　sunlit　haze　of　a　calm　day　at　sea。







With　the　binoculars　glued　to　his　eyes；　the　captain　said　in　a



quavering　tone：　　〃They　are　waving　to　us　with　something　aft　there。〃



He　put　down　the　glasses　on　the　skylight　brusquely；　and　began　to



walk　about　the　poop。　　〃A　shirt　or　a　flag；〃　he　ejaculated　irritably。



〃Can't　make　it　out。　。　。　Some　damn　rag　or　other！〃　　He　took　a　few



more　turns　on　the　poop；　glancing　down　over　the　rail　now　and　then　to



see　how　fast　we　were　moving。　　His　nervous　footsteps　rang　sharply　in



the　quiet　of　the　ship；　where　the　other　men；　all　looking　the　same



way；　had　forgotten　themselves　in　a　staring　immobility。　　〃This　will



never　do！〃　he　cried　out　suddenly。　　〃Lower　the　boats　at　once！　　Down



with　them！〃







Before　I　jumped　into　mine　he　took　me　aside；　as　being　an



inexperienced　junior；　for　a　word　of　warning：







〃You　look　out　as　you　come　alongside　that　she　doesn't　take　you　down



with　her。　　You　understand？〃







He　murmured　this　confidentially；　so　that　none　of　the　men　at　the



falls　should　overhear；　and　I　was　shocked。　　〃Heavens！　as　if　in　such



an　emergency　one　stopped　to　think　of　danger！〃　I　exclaimed　to　myself



mentally；　in　scorn　of　such　cold…blooded　caution。







It　takes　many　lessons　to　make　a　real　seaman；　and　I　got　my　rebuke　at



once。　　My　experienced　commander　seemed　in　one　searching　glance　to



read　my　thoughts　on　my　ingenuous　face。







〃What　you're　going　for　is　to　save　life；　not　to　drown　your　boat's



crew　for　nothing；〃　he　growled　severely　in　my　ear。　　But　as　we　shoved



off　he　leaned　over　and　cried　out：　　〃It　all　rests　on　the　power　of



your　arms；　men。　　Give　way　for　life！〃







We　made　a　race　of　it；　and　I　would　never　have　believed　that　a　common



boat's　crew　of　a　merchantman　could　keep　up　so　much　determined



fierceness　in　the　regular　swing　of　their　stroke。　　What　our　captain



had　clearly　perceived　before　we　left　had　become　plain　to　all　of　us



since。　　The　issue　of　our　enterprise　hung　on　a　hair　above　that　abyss



of　waters　which　will　not　give　up　its　dead　till　the　Day　of　Judgment。



It　was　a　race　of　two　ship's　boats　matched　against　Death　for　a　prize



of　nine　men's　lives；　and　Death　had　a　long　start。　　We　saw　the　crew



of　the　brig　from　afar　working　at　the　pumps　…　still　pumping　on　that



wreck；　which　already　had　settled　so　far　down　that　the　gentle；　low



swell；　over　which　our　boats　rose　and　fell　easily　without　a　check　to



their　speed；　welling　up　almost　level　with　her　head…rails；　plucked



at　the　ends　of　broken　gear　swinging　desolately　under　her　naked



bowsprit。







We　could　not；　in　all　conscience；　have　picked　out　a　better　day　for



our　regatta　had　we　had　the　free　choice　of　all　the　days　that　ever



dawned　upon　the　lonely　struggles　and　solitary　agonies　of　ships



since　the　Norse　rovers　first　steered　to　the　westward　against　the



run　of　Atlantic　waves。　　It　was　a　very　good　race。　　At　the　finish



there　was　not　an　oar's　length　between　the　first　and　second　boat；



with　Death　coming　in　a　good　third　on　the　top　of　the　very　next



smooth　swell；　for　all　one　knew　to　the　contrary。　　The　scuppers　of



the　brig　gurgled　softly　all　together　when　the　water　rising　against



her　sides　subsided　sleepily　with　a　low　wash；　as　if　playing　about　an



immovable　rock。　　Her　bulwarks　were　gone　fore　and　aft；　and　one　saw



her　bare　deck　low…lying　like　a　raft　and　swept　clean　of　boats；



spars；　houses　…　of　everything　except　the　ringbolts　and　the　heads　of



the　pumps。　　I　had　one　dismal　glimpse　of　it　as　I　braced　myself　up　to



receive　upon　my　breast　the　last　man　to　leave　her；　the　captain；　who



literally　let　himself　fall　into　my　arms。







It　had　been　a　weirdly　silent　rescue　…　a　rescue　without　a　hail；



without　a　single　uttered　word；　without　a　gesture　or　a　sign；　without



a　conscious　exchange　of　glances。　　Up　to　the　very　last　moment　those



on　board　stuck　to　their　pumps；　which　spouted　two　clear　streams　of



water　upon　their　bare　feet。　　Their　brown　skin　showed　through　the



rents　of　their　shirts；　and　the　two　small　bunches　of　half…naked；



tattered　men　went　on　bowing　from　the　waist　to　each　other　in　their



back…breaking　labour；　up　and　down；　absorbed；　with　no　time　for　a



glance　over　the　shoulder　at　the　help　that　was　coming　to　them。　　As



we　dashed；　unregarded；　alongside　a　voice　let　out　one；　only　one



hoarse　howl　of　command；　and　then；　just　as　they　stood；　without　caps；



with　the　salt　drying　gray　in　the　wrinkles　and　folds　of　their　hairy；



haggard　faces；　blinking　stupidly　at　us　their　red　eyelids；　they　made



a　bolt　away　from　the　handles；　tottering　and　jostling　against　each



other；　and　positively　flung　themselves　over　upon　our　very　heads。



The　clatter　they　made　tumbling　into　the　boats　had　an



extraordinarily　destructive　effect　upon　the　illusion　of　tragic



dignity　our　self…esteem　had　thrown　over　the　contests　of　mankind



with　the　sea。　　On　that　exquisite　day　of　gently　breathing　peace　and



veiled　sunshine　perished　my　romantic　love　to　what　men's　imagination



had　proclaimed　the　most　august　aspect　of　Nature。　　The　cynical



indifference　of　the　sea　to　the　merits　of　human　suffering　and



courage；　laid　bare　in　this　ridiculous；　panic…tainted　performance



extorted　from　the　dire　extremity　of　nine　good　and　honourable



seamen；　revolted　me。　　I　saw　the　duplicity　of　the　sea's　most　tender



mood。　　It　was　so　because　it　could　not　help　itself；　but　the　awed



respect　of　the　early　days　was　gone。　　I　felt　ready　to　smile　bitterly



at　its　enchanting　charm　and　glare　viciously　at　its　furies。　　In　a



moment；　before　we　shoved　off；　I　had　looked　coolly　at　the　life　of　my



choice。　　Its　illusions　were　gone；　but　its　fascination　remained。　　I



had　become　a　seaman　at　last。







We　pulled　hard　for　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　then　laid　on　our　oars



waiting　for　our　ship。　　She　was　coming　down　on　us　with　swelling



sails；　looking　delicately　tall　and　exquisitely　noble　through　the



mist。　　The　captain　of　the　brig；　who　sat　in　the　stern　sheets　by　my



side　with　his　face　in　his　hands；　raised　his　head　and　began　to　speak



with　a　sort　of　sombre　volubility。　　They　had　lost　their　masts　and



sprung　a　leak　in　a　hurricane；　drifted　for　weeks；　always　at　the



pumps；　met　more　bad　weather；　the　ships　they　sighted　failed　to　make



them　out；　the　leak　gained　upon　them　slowly；　and　the　seas　had　left



them　nothing　to　make　a　raft　of。　　It　was　very　hard　to　see　ship　after



ship　pass