masterman ready-第7章

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〃Good…bye；　Mr。　Mackintosh；〃　replied　Ready；　extending　his　hand。　〃You　will　keep　your　promise？〃

After　much　further　expostulation　on　the　part　of　Mackintosh　and　the　seamen；　to　which　Ready　gave　a　deaf　ear；　the　boat　was　pushed　off；　and　they　made　sail　to　the　north…east。



Chapter　VII

For　some　time　after　the　boat　had　shoved　off　from　the　ship；　old　Ready　remained　with　his　arms　folded；　watching　it　in　silence。　Mr。　Seagrave　stood　by　him；　his　heart　was　too　full　for　utterance；　for　he　imagined　that　as　the　boat　increased　her　distance　from　the　vessel；　so　did　every　ray　of　hope　depart；　and　that　his　wife　and　children；　himself；　and　the　old　man　who　was　by　his　side　were　doomed　to　perish。　His　countenance　was　that　of　a　man　in　utter　despair。　At　last　old　Ready　spoke。

〃They　think　that　they　will　be　saved　and　that　we　must　perish；　Mr。　Seagrave；　they　forget　that　there　is　a　Power　above；　who　will　himself　decide　that　point　…　a　power　compared　to　which　the　efforts　of　weak　man　are　as　nought。〃

〃True；〃　replied　Mr。　Seagrave；　in　a　low　voice；　〃but　still　what　chance　we　can　have　on　a　sinking　ship；　with　so　many　helpless　creatures　around　us；　I　confess　I　cannot　imagine。〃

〃We　must　do　our　best；　and　submit　to　His　will；〃　replied　Ready；　who　then　went　aft；　and　shifted　the　helm；　so　as　to　put　the　ship　again　before　the　wind。

As　the　old　man　had　foretold　to　the　seamen　before　they　quitted　the　vessel；　the　gale　was　now　over；　and　the　sea　had　gone　down　considerably。　The　ship；　however；　dragged　but　slowly　through　the　water；　and　after　a　short　time　Ready　lashed　the　wheel；　and　went　forward。　On　his　return　to　the　quarter…deck；　he　found　Mr。　Seagrave　had　thrown　himself　down　（apparently　in　a　state　of　despair）　upon　the　sail　on　which　Captain　Osborn　had　been　laid　after　his　accident。

〃Mr。　Seagrave；　do　not　give　way；〃　said　Ready；　〃if　I　thought　our　situation　hopeless；　I　would　candidly　say　so；　but　there　always　is　hope；　even　at　the　very　worst；　…　and　there　always　ought　to　be　trust　in　that　God　without　whose　knowledge　not　a　sparrow　falls　to　the　ground。　But；　Mr。　Seagrave；　I　shall　speak　as　a　seaman；　and　tell　you　what　our　probabilities　are。　The　ship　is　half…full　of　water；　from　her　seams　having　opened　by　the　straining　in　the　gale；　and　the　heavy　blows　which　she　received；　but；　now　that　the　gale　has　abated；　she　has　recovered　herself　very　much。　I　have　sounded　the　well；　and　find　that　she　has　not　made　many　inches　within　the　last　two　hours；　and　probably；　as　she　closes　her　seams；　will　make　less。　If；　therefore；　it　pleases　God　that　the　fine　weather　should　continue；　there　is　no　fear　of　the　vessel　sinking　under　us　for　some　time；　and　as　we　are　now　amongst　the　islands；　it　is　not　impossible；　nay；　it　is　very　probable；　that　we　may　be　able　to　run　her　ashore；　and　thins　save　our　hives。　I　thought　of　all　this　when　I　refused　to　go　in　the　boat；　and　I　thought　also；　Mr。　Seagrave；　that　if　you　were　to　have　been　deserted　by　me　as　well　as　by　all　the　rest；　you　would　have　been　unable　yourself　to　take　advantage　of　any　chances　which　might　turn　up　in　your　favour；　and　therefore　I　have　remained；　hoping；　under　God's　providence；　to　be　the　means　of　assisting　you　and　your　family　in　this　sore　position。　I　think　now　it　would　be　better　that　you　should　go　down　into　the　cabin；　and　with　a　cheerful　face　encourage　poor　Mrs。　Seagrave　with　the　change　in　the　weather；　and　the　hopes　of　arriving　in　some　place　of　safety。　If　she　does　not　know　that　the　men　have　quitted　the　ship；　do　not　tell　her；　say　that　the　steward　is　with　the　other　men；　which　will　be　true　enough；　and；　if　possible；　leave　her　in　the　dark　as　to　what　has　taken　place。　Master　William　can　be　trusted；　and　if　you　will　send　him　here　to　me；　I　will　talk　to　him。〃

〃I　hardly　know　what　to　think；　Ready；　or　how　sufficiently　to　thank　you　for　your　self…devotion；　if　I　may　so　term　it；　in　this　exigency。　That　your　advice　is　excellent　and　that　I　shall　follow　it；　you　may　be　assured；　and；　should　we　be　saved　from　the　death　which　at　present　stares　us　in　the　face；　my　gratitude〃

〃Do　not　speak　of　that；　sir；　I　am　an　old　man　with　few　wants；　and　whose　life　is　of　little　use　now。　All　I　wish　to　feel　is；　that　I　am　trying　to　do　my　duty　in　that　situation　into　which　it　has　pleased　God　to　call　me。　What　can　this　world　offer　to　one　who　has　roughed　it　all　his　life；　and　who　has　neither　kith　nor　kin　that　he　knows　of　to　care　about　his　death？〃

Mr。　Seagrave　pressed　the　hand　of　Ready；　and　went　down　without　making　any　reply。　He　found　that　his　wife　had　been　asleep　for　the　last　hour；　and　was　not　yet　awake。　The　children　were　also　quiet　in　their　beds。　Juno　and　William　were　the　only　two　who　were　sitting　up。

William　made　a　sign　to　his　father　that　his　mother　was　asleep；　and　then　said　in　a　whisper；　〃I　did　not　like　to　leave　the　cabin　while　you　were　on　deck；　hut　the　steward　has　not　been　here　these　two　hours：　he　went　to　milk　the　goat　for　baby　and　has　not　returned。　We　have　had　no　breakfast；　none　of　us。〃

〃William；　go　on　deck；〃　replied　his　father；　〃Ready　wishes　to　speak　to　you。〃

William　went　on　deck　to　Ready；　who　explained　to　him　the　position　in　which　they　were　placed；　he　pointed　out　to　him　the　necessity　of　his　doing　all　he　could　to　assist　his　father　and　him；　and　not　to　alarm　his　mother　in　her　precarious　state　of　health。　William；　who；　as　it　may　be　expected；　looked　very　grave；　did；　however；　immediately　enter　into　Ready's　views；　and　proceeded　to　do　his　best。　〃The　steward；〃　said　he；　〃has　left　with　the　other　men；　and　when　my　mother　wakes　she　will　ask　why　the　children　have　had　no　breakfast。　What　can　I　do？〃

〃I　think　you　can　milk　one　of　the　goats　if　I　show　you　how；　while　I　go　and　get　the　other　things　ready；　I　can　leave　the　deck；　for　you　see　the　ship　steers　herself　very　nicely；　…　and；　William；　I　have　sounded　the　well　just　before　you　came　up；　and　I　don't　think　she　makes　much　water；　and；〃　continued　he；　looking　round　him；　and　up　above；　〃we　shall　have　fine　weather；　and　a　smooth　sea　before　night。〃

By　the　united　exertions　of　Ready　and　William　the　breakfast　was　prepared　while　Mrs。　Seagrave　still　continued　in　a　sound　sleep。　The　motion　of　the　ship　was　now　very　little：　she　only　rolled　very　slowly　from　one　side　to　the　other；　the　sea　and　wind　had　gone　down；　and　the　sun　shone　brightly　over　their　heads；　the　boat　had　been　out　of　sight　some　time；　and　the　ship　did　not　go　through　the　water　faster　than　three　miles　an　hour；　for　she　had　no　other　sail　upon　her　than　the　main…topgallant　sail　hoisted　up　on　the　stump　of　the　foremast。　Ready；　who　had　been　some　time　down　in　the　cabin；　proposed　to　Mr。　Seagrave　that　Juno　and　all　the　children　should　go　on　deck。　〃They　cannot　be　expected　to　be　quiet；　sir；　and；　now　that　Madam　is　in　such　a　sweet　sleep；　it　would　be　a　pity　to　wake　her。　After　so　much　fatigue　she　may　sheep　for　hours；　and　the　longer　the　better；　for　you　know　that　（in　a　short　time；　I　trust）　she　will　have　to　exert　herself。〃　Mr。　Seagrave　agreed　to　the　good　sense　of　this　proposal；　and　went　on　deck　with　Juno　and　the　children；　leaving　William　in　the　cabin　to　watch　his　mother。　Poor　Juno　was　very　much　astonished　when　she　came　up　the　ladder　and　perceived　the　condition　of　the　vessel；　and　the　absence　of　the　men；　but　Mr。　Seagrave　told　her　what　had　happened；　and　cautioned　her　against　saying　a　word　to　Mrs。　Seagrave。　Juno　promised　that　she　would　not；　but　the　poor　girl　perceived　the　danger　of　their　position；　and；　as　she　pressed　little　Albert　to　her　bosom；　a　tear　or　two　rolled　down　her　cheeks。　Even　Tommy　and　Caroline　could　not　help　asking　where　the　masts　and　sails　were；　and　what　had　become　of　Captain　Osborn。

〃Look　there；　sir；〃　said　Ready；　pointing　out　some　floating　sea…weed　to　Mr。　Seagrave。

〃I　perceive　it；〃　said　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃but　what　then？〃

〃That　by　itself　would　not　be　quite　proof；〃　replied　Ready；　〃but　we　sailors　have　other　signs　and　tokens。　Do　you　see　those　birds　hovering　over　the　waves？〃

〃I　do。〃

〃Well；　sir；　those　birds　never　go　far　from　land；　that's　all：　and　now；　sir；　I'll　go　down　for　my　quadrant；　for；　although　I　cannot　tell　the　longitude　just　now；　at　all　events　I　can　find　out　the　latitude　we　are　in；　and　then　by　looking　at　the　chart　shall　be　able　to　give　some　kind　of　guess　whereabout　we　are；　if　we　see　land　soon。

〃It　is　nearly　noon　now；〃　observed　Ready；　reading　off　his　quadrant；　〃the　sun　rises　very　slowly。　What　a　happy　thing　a　child　is！　Look；　sir；　at　those