masterman ready-第5章

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Ready　had　just　time　to　cling　with　both　hands　to　the　belaying…pins　when　the　sea　poured　over　the　vessel；　with　a　volume　of　water　which　for　some　time　swept　them　off　their　legs：　they　clung　on　firmly；　and　at　last　recovered　their　feet。

〃She　started　a　timber　or　two　with　that　blow；　I　rather　think；〃　said　Ready。

〃I'm　afraid　so；　the　best　vessel　ever　built　could　not　stand　such　shocks　long；〃　replied　Captain　Osborn；　〃and　at　present；　with　our　weak　crew；　I　do　not　see　that　we　can　get　more　sail　upon　her。〃

All　that　night　the　ship　flew　in　darkness　before　the　gale。　At　daybreak　the　wind　abated；　and　the　sea　went　down：　the　ship　was；　however；　still　kept　before　the　wind；　for　she　had　suffered　too　much　to　venture　to　put　her　broadside　to　the　sea。　Preparations　were　now　made　for　getting　up　jury…masts；　and　the　worn…out　seamen　were　busily　employed；　under　the　direction　of　Captain　Osborn　and　his　two　mates；　when　Mr。　Seagrave　and　William　came　upon　deck。

William　stared　about　him：　he　perceived；　to　his　astonishment；　that　the　tall　masts；　with　all　their　rigging　and　sails；　had　disappeared；　and　that　the　whole　deck　was　in　a　state　of　confusion　and　disorder。

〃See；　my　child；〃　said　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃the　wreck　and　devastation　which　are　here。　See　how　the　pride　of　man　is　humbled　before　the　elements　of　the　great　Jehovah。〃

〃Ay；　Master　Willy；〃　said　old　Ready；　〃look　around　you；　as　you　well　may。　Do　you　remember　the　verses　in　the　Bible？　…　if　not；　I　remember　them　well；　for　I　have　often　read　them；　and　have　often　felt　the　truth　of　them：　'They　that　go　down　to　the　sea　in　ships；　that　do　business　in　great　waters；　these　see　the　works　of　the　Lord；　and　his　wonders　in　the　deep'。〃

〃But；　father；〃　said　Willy；　after　a　pause；　〃how　shall　we　ever　get　to　Sydney　without　masts　or　sails？〃

〃Why；　William；〃　replied　Ready；　〃we　must　do　what　we　can：　we　sailors　are　never　much　at　a　loss；　and　I　dare　say　before　night　you　will　find　us　under　some　sort　of　sail　again。　We　have　lost　our　great　masts；　so　we　must　put　up　jury…masts；　as　we　call　them；　that　is；　little　ones；　and　little　sails　upon　them；　and；　if　it　pleases　God；　we　shall　see　Sydney　yet。　How　is　Madam；　sir？〃　continued　Ready　to　Mr。　Seagrave。　〃Is　she　better？〃

〃I　fear　she　is　very　weak　and　ill；〃　replied　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃nothing　but　fine　weather　will　do　her　any　good。　Do　you　think　that　it　will　be　fine　now？〃

〃Why；　sir；　to　tell　you　the　truth；　I　fear　we　shall　have　more　of　it　yet：　I　have　not　given　my　thoughts　to　the　captain；　as　I　might　be　mistaken；　but　still　I　think　so　…　I've　not　been　fifty　years　at　sea　without　learning　something。　I　don't　like　the　gathering　of　that　bank　there；　Mr。　Seagrave；　and　I　shouldn't　wonder　if　it　were　to　blow　again　from　the　very　same　quarter；　and　that　before　dark。〃

〃God's　will　be　done；〃　replied　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃but　I　am　very　fearful　about　my　poor　wife；　who　is　worn　to　a　shadow。〃

〃I　shouldn't　think　so　much　about　that；　sir；　as　I　really　never　knew　of　people　dying　that　way；　although　they　suffer　much。　William；　do　you　know　that　we　have　lost　some　of　our　men　since　you　were　down　below？〃

〃No　…　I　heard　the　steward　say　something　outside　about　the　foremast。〃

〃We　have　lost　five　of　our　smartest　and　best　men　…　Wilson　was　washed　overboard；　Fennings　and　Masters　struck　dead　with　the　lightning；　and　Jones　and　Emery　crushed　by　the　fall　of　the　foremast。　You　are　young；　Master　Willy；　but　you　cannot　think　too　early　of　your　Maker；　or　call　to　mind　what　they　say　in　the　burial　service；　…　'In　the　midst　of　life　we　are　in　death'。〃

〃Thank　you；　Ready；　for　the　lesson　you　have　given　my　son；〃　said　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃and；　William；　treasure　it　up　in　your　memory。〃

〃Yes；　William；　they　are　the　words　of　an　old　man　who　has　seen　many　and　many　a　one　who　was　full　of　youth　and　spirits　called　away　before　him；　and　who　is　grateful　to　God　that　he　has　been　pleased　to　preserve　his　life；　and　allow　him　to　amend　his　ways。〃

〃I　have　been　thinking；〃　said　Mr。　Seagrave；　after　a　silence　of　a　minute　or　two；　〃that　a　sailor　has　no　right　to　marry。〃

〃I've　always　thought　so；　sir；〃　replied　Ready；　〃and　I　dare　say　many　a　poor　deserted　sailor's　wife；　when　she　has　listened　to　the　wind　and　rain　in　her　lonely　bed；　has　thought　the　same。〃

〃With　my　permission；〃　continued　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃my　boys　shall　never　go　to　sea　if　there　is　any　other　profession　to　be　found　for　them。〃

〃Well；　Mr。　Seagrave；　they　do　say　that　it's　no　use　baulking　a　lad　if　he　wishes　to　go　to　sea；　and　that　if　he　is　determined；　he　must　go：　now　I　think　otherwise　…　I　think　a　parent　has　a　right　to　say　no；　if　he　pleases；　upon　that　point；　for　you　see；　sir；　a　lad；　at　the　early　age　at　which　he　goes　to　sea；　does　not　know　his　own　mind。　Every　high…spirited　boy　wishes　to　go　to　sea　…　it's　quite　natural；　but　if　the　most　of　them　were　to　speak　the　truth；　it　is　not　that　they　so　much　want　to　go　to　sea；　as　that　they　want　to　go　from　school　or　from　home；　where　they　are　under　the　control　of　their　masters　or　their　parents。〃

〃Very　true；　Ready；　they　wish　to　be；　as　they　consider　they　will　be；　independent。〃

〃And　a　pretty　mistake　they　make　of　it；　sir。　Why；　there　is　not　a　greater　slave　in　the　world　than　a　boy　who　goes　to　sea；　for　the　first　few　years　after　his　shipping：　for　once　they　are　corrected　on　shore；　they　are　punished　ten　times　at　sea；　and　they　never　again　meet　with　the　love　and　affection　they　have　left　behind　them。　It　is　a　hard　life；　and　there　have　been　but　few　who　have　not　bitterly　repented　it；　and　who　would　not　have　returned；　like　the　prodigal　son；　and　cast　themselves　at　their　fathers'　feet；　only　that　they　have　been　ashamed。〃

〃That's　the　truth；　Ready；　and　it　is　on　that　account　that　I　consider　that　a　parent　is　justified　in　refusing　his　consent　to　his　son　going　to　sea；　if　he　can　properly　provide　for　him　in　any　other　profession。　There　never　will　be　any　want　of　sailors；　for　there　always　will　be　plenty　of　poor　lads　whose　friends　can　do　no　better　for　them；　and　in　that　case　the　seafaring　life　is　a　good　one　to　choose；　as　it　requires　no　other　capital　for　their　advancement　than　activity　and　courage。〃



Chapter　VI

Mr。　Seagrave　and　William　went　down　below　into　the　cabin；　where　they　found　that　there　was　plenty　of　employment；　the　steward　had　brought　a　basin　of　very　hot　pea…soup　for　the　children。　Tommy；　who　was　sitting　up　in　the　bed…place　with　his　sister；　had　snatched　it　out　of　Juno's　left　hand；　for　she　held　the　baby　with　the　other；　and　in　so　doing；　had　thrown　it　over　Caroline；　who　was　screaming；　while　Juno；　in　her　hurry　to　assist　Caroline；　had　slipped　down　on　the　deck　with　the　baby；　who　was　also　crying　with　fright；　although　not　hurt。　Unfortunately；　Juno　had　fallen　down　upon　Vixen　the　terrier；　who　in　return　had　bitten　her　in　the　leg；　which　had　made　Juno　also　cry　out；　while　Mrs。　Seagrave　was　hanging　her　head　out　of　her　standing　bed…place；　frightened　out　of　her　wits　at　the　accident；　but　unable　to　be　of　any　assistance。　Fortunately；　Mr。　Seagrave　came　down　just　in　time　to　pick　up　Juno　and　the　baby；　and　then　tried　to　comfort　little　Caroline；　who　after　all　was　not　much　scalded；　as　the　soup　had　had　time　to　cool。

〃Massa　Tommy　is　a　very　naughty　boy；〃　cried　Juno；　rubbing　her　leg。　Master　Tommy　thought　it　better　to　say　nothing　…　he　was　duly　admonished　…　the　steward　cleaned　up　the　mess；　and　order　was　at　length　restored。

In　the　meantime；　they　were　not　idle　upon　deck；　the　carpenter　was　busy　fixing　a　step　for　one　of　the　spare　topmasts　instead　of　a　mainmast；　and　the　men　were　fitting　the　rigging；　the　ship　unfortunately　had　sprung　a　leak；　and　four　hands　at　the　pumps　interfered　very　much　with　their　task。　As　Ready　had　prophesied；　before　night　the　gale　blew；　the　sea　rose　again　with　the　gale；　and　the　leaking　of　the　vessel　increased　so　much；　that　all　other　labour　was　suspended　for　that　at　the　pump。　For　two　more　days　did　the　storm　continue；　during　which　time　the　crew　were　worn　out　with　fatigue　…　they　could　pump　no　longer：　the　ship；　as　she　rolled；　proved　that　she　had　a　great　deal　of　water　in　her　hold　…　when；　melancholy　as　were　their　prospects　already；　a　new　disaster　took　place；　which　was　attended　with　most　serious　results。　Captain　Osborn　was　on　the　forecastle　giving　some　orders　to　the　men；　when　the　strap　of　the　block　which　hoisted　up　the　main…topgallant　yard　on　the　stump　of　the　foremast　gave　way；　the　yard　and　sail　came　down　on　the　deck；　and　struck　him　senseless。　As　lo