the mirror of the sea-第34章

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



ship　pass　by　at　a　distance；　〃as　if　everybody　had　agreed　that　we



must　be　left　to　drown；〃　he　added。　　But　they　went　on　trying　to　keep



the　brig　afloat　as　long　as　possible；　and　working　the　pumps



constantly　on　insufficient　food；　mostly　raw；　till　〃yesterday



evening；〃　he　continued　monotonously；　〃just　as　the　sun　went　down；



the　men's　hearts　broke。〃







He　made　an　almost　imperceptible　pause　here；　and　went　on　again　with



exactly　the　same　intonation：







〃They　told　me　the　brig　could　not　be　saved；　and　they　thought　they



had　done　enough　for　themselves。　　I　said　nothing　to　that。　　It　was



true。　　It　was　no　mutiny。　　I　had　nothing　to　say　to　them。　　They　lay



about　aft　all　night；　as　still　as　so　many　dead　men。　　I　did　not　lie



down。　　I　kept　a　look…out。　　When　the　first　light　came　I　saw　your



ship　at　once。　　I　waited　for　more　light；　the　breeze　began　to　fail　on



my　face。　　Then　I　shouted　out　as　loud　as　I　was　able；　'Look　at　that



ship！'　but　only　two　men　got　up　very　slowly　and　came　to　me。　　At



first　only　we　three　stood　alone；　for　a　long　time；　watching　you



coming　down　to　us；　and　feeling　the　breeze　drop　to　a　calm　almost；



but　afterwards　others；　too；　rose；　one　after　another；　and　by…and…by



I　had　all　my　crew　behind　me。　　I　turned　round　and　said　to　them　that



they　could　see　the　ship　was　coming　our　way；　but　in　this　small



breeze　she　might　come　too　late　after　all；　unless　we　turned　to　and



tried　to　keep　the　brig　afloat　long　enough　to　give　you　time　to　save



us　all。　　I　spoke　like　that　to　them；　and　then　I　gave　the　command　to



man　the　pumps。〃







He　gave　the　command；　and　gave　the　example；　too；　by　going　himself　to



the　handles；　but　it　seems　that　these　men　did　actually　hang　back　for



a　moment；　looking　at　each　other　dubiously　before　they　followed　him。



〃He！　he！　he！〃　　He　broke　out　into　a　most　unexpected；　imbecile；



pathetic；　nervous　little　giggle。　　〃Their　hearts　were　broken　so！



They　had　been　played　with　too　long；〃　he　explained　apologetically；



lowering　his　eyes；　and　became　silent。







Twenty…five　years　is　a　long　time　…　a　quarter　of　a　century　is　a　dim



and　distant　past；　but　to　this　day　I　remember　the　dark…brown　feet；



hands；　and　faces　of　two　of　these　men　whose　hearts　had　been　broken



by　the　sea。　　They　were　lying　very　still　on　their　sides　on　the



bottom　boards　between　the　thwarts；　curled　up　like　dogs。　　My　boat's



crew；　leaning　over　the　looms　of　their　oars；　stared　and　listened　as



if　at　the　play。　　The　master　of　the　brig　looked　up　suddenly　to　ask



me　what　day　it　was。







They　had　lost　the　date。　　When　I　told　him　it　was　Sunday；　the　22nd；



he　frowned；　making　some　mental　calculation；　then　nodded　twice　sadly



to　himself；　staring　at　nothing。







His　aspect　was　miserably　unkempt　and　wildly　sorrowful。　　Had　it　not



been　for　the　unquenchable　candour　of　his　blue　eyes；　whose　unhappy；



tired　glance　every　moment　sought　his　abandoned；　sinking　brig；　as　if



it　could　find　rest　nowhere　else；　he　would　have　appeared　mad。　　But



he　was　too　simple　to　go　mad；　too　simple　with　that　manly　simplicity



which　alone　can　bear　men　unscathed　in　mind　and　body　through　an



encounter　with　the　deadly　playfulness　of　the　sea　or　with　its　less



abominable　fury。







Neither　angry；　nor　playful；　nor　smiling；　it　enveloped　our　distant



ship　growing　bigger　as　she　neared　us；　our　boats　with　the　rescued



men　and　the　dismantled　hull　of　the　brig　we　were　leaving　behind；　in



the　large　and　placid　embrace　of　its　quietness；　half　lost　in　the



fair　haze；　as　if　in　a　dream　of　infinite　and　tender　clemency。　　There



was　no　frown；　no　wrinkle　on　its　face；　not　a　ripple。　　And　the　run　of



the　slight　swell　was　so　smooth　that　it　resembled　the　graceful



undulation　of　a　piece　of　shimmering　gray　silk　shot　with　gleams　of



green。　　We　pulled　an　easy　stroke；　but　when　the　master　of　the　brig；



after　a　glance　over　his　shoulder；　stood　up　with　a　low　exclamation；



my　men　feathered　their　oars　instinctively；　without　an　order；　and



the　boat　lost　her　way。







He　was　steadying　himself　on　my　shoulder　with　a　strong　grip；　while



his　other　arm；　flung　up　rigidly；　pointed　a　denunciatory　finger　at



the　immense　tranquillity　of　the　ocean。　　After　his　first



exclamation；　which　stopped　the　swing　of　our　oars；　he　made　no　sound；



but　his　whole　attitude　seemed　to　cry　out　an　indignant　〃Behold！〃　。　。



。　I　could　not　imagine　what　vision　of　evil　had　come　to　him。　　I　was



startled；　and　the　amazing　energy　of　his　immobilized　gesture　made　my



heart　beat　faster　with　the　anticipation　of　something　monstrous　and



unsuspected。　　The　stillness　around　us　became　crushing。







For　a　moment　the　succession　of　silky　undulations　ran　on　innocently。



I　saw　each　of　them　swell　up　the　misty　line　of　the　horizon；　far；　far



away　beyond　the　derelict　brig；　and　the　next　moment；　with　a　slight



friendly　toss　of　our　boat；　it　had　passed　under　us　and　was　gone。



The　lulling　cadence　of　the　rise　and　fall；　the　invariable　gentleness



of　this　irresistible　force；　the　great　charm　of　the　deep　waters；



warmed　my　breast　deliciously；　like　the　subtle　poison　of　a　love…



potion。　　But　all　this　lasted　only　a　few　soothing　seconds　before　I



jumped　up　too；　making　the　boat　roll　like　the　veriest　landlubber。







Something　startling；　mysterious；　hastily　confused；　was　taking



place。　　I　watched　it　with　incredulous　and　fascinated　awe；　as　one



watches　the　confused；　swift　movements　of　some　deed　of　violence　done



in　the　dark。　　As　if　at　a　given　signal；　the　run　of　the　smooth



undulations　seemed　checked　suddenly　around　the　brig。　　By　a　strange



optical　delusion　the　whole　sea　appeared　to　rise　upon　her　in　one



overwhelming　heave　of　its　silky　surface；　where　in　one　spot　a



smother　of　foam　broke　out　ferociously。　　And　then　the　effort



subsided。　　It　was　all　over；　and　the　smooth　swell　ran　on　as　before



from　the　horizon　in　uninterrupted　cadence　of　motion；　passing　under



us　with　a　slight　friendly　toss　of　our　boat。　　Far　away；　where　the



brig　had　been；　an　angry　white　stain　undulating　on　the　surface　of



steely…gray　waters；　shot　with　gleams　of　green；　diminished　swiftly；



without　a　hiss；　like　a　patch　of　pure　snow　melting　in　the　sun。　　And



the　great　stillness　after　this　initiation　into　the　sea's　implacable



hate　seemed　full　of　dread　thoughts　and　shadows　of　disaster。







〃Gone！〃　ejaculated　from　the　depths　of　his　chest　my　bowman　in　a



final　tone。　　He　spat　in　his　hands；　and　took　a　better　grip　on　his



oar。　　The　captain　of　the　brig　lowered　his　rigid　arm　slowly；　and



looked　at　our　faces　in　a　solemnly　conscious　silence；　which　called



upon　us　to　share　in　his　simple…minded；　marvelling　awe。　　All　at　once



he　sat　down　by　my　side；　and　leaned　forward　earnestly　at　my　boat's



crew；　who；　swinging　together　in　a　long；　easy　stroke；　kept　their



eyes　fixed　upon　him　faithfully。







〃No　ship　could　have　done　so　well；〃　he　addressed　them　firmly；　after



a　moment　of　strained　silence；　during　which　he　seemed　with　trembling



lips　to　seek　for　words　fit　to　bear　such　high　testimony。　　〃She　was



small；　but　she　was　good。　　I　had　no　anxiety。　　She　was　strong。　　Last



voyage　I　had　my　wife　and　two　children　in　her。　　No　other　ship　could



have　stood　so　long　the　weather　she　had　to　live　through　for　days　and



days　before　we　got　dismasted　a　fortnight　ago。　　She　was　fairly　worn



out；　and　that's　all。　　You　may　believe　me。　　She　lasted　under　us　for



days　and　days；　but　she　could　not　last　for　ever。　　It　was　long



enough。　　I　am　glad　it　is　over。　　No　better　ship　was　ever　left　to



sink　at　sea　on　such　a　day　as　this。〃







He　was　competent　to　pronounce　the　funereal　oration　of　a　ship；　this



son　of　ancient　sea…folk；　whose　national　existence；　so　little



stained　by　the　excesses　of　manly　virtues；　had　demanded　nothing　but



the　merest　foothold　from　the　earth。　　By　the　merits　of　his　sea…wise



forefathers　and　by　the　artlessness　of　his　heart；　he　was　made　fit　to



d