the frozen deep-第6章

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and　hard　work；　I　am　a　lost　man。　Will　you　give　me　a　refuge？'
That's　what　he　said；　Crayford；　word　for　word。〃

〃Did　you　ask　him　to　explain　himself　further？〃

〃Not　I！　I　knew　his　value；　and　I　took　the　poor　devil　on　the　spot；
without　pestering　him　with　any　more　questions。　No　need　to　ask　him
to　explain　himself。　The　facts　speak　for　themselves　in　these
cases。　The　old　story；　my　good　friend！　There's　a　woman　at　the
bottom　of　it；　of　course。〃


Mrs。　Crayford；　waiting　for　the　return　of　her　husband　as　patiently
as　she　could；　was　startled　by　feeling　a　hand　suddenly　laid　on　her
shoulder。　She　looked　round；　and　confronted　Clara。　Her　first
feeling　of　surprise　changed　instantly　to　alarm。　Clara　was
trembling　from　head　to　foot。

〃What　is　the　matter？　What　has　frightened　you；　my　dear？〃

〃Lucy！　I　_have_　heard　of　him！〃

〃Richard　Wardour　again？〃

〃Remember　what　I　told　you。　I　have　heard　every　word　of　the
conversation　between　Captain　Helding　and　your　husband。　A　man　came
to　the　captain　this　morning　and　volunteered　to　join　the
_Wanderer_。　The　captain　has　taken　him。　The　man　is　Richard
Wardour。〃

〃You　don't　mean　it！　Are　you　sure？　Did　you　hear　Captain　Helding
mention　his　name？〃

〃No。〃

〃Then　how　do　you　know　it's　Richard　Wardour？〃

〃Don't　ask　me！　I　am　as　certain　of　it；　as　that　I　am　standing　here！
They　are　going　away　together；　Lucyaway　to　the　eternal　ice　and
snow。　My　foreboding　has　come　true！　The　two　will　meetthe　man　who
is　to　marry　me　and　the　man　whose　heart　I　have　broken！〃

〃Your　foreboding　has　_not_　come　true；　Clara！　The　men　have　not　met
herethe　men　are　not　likely　to　meet　elsewhere。　They　are
appointed　to　separate　ships。　Frank　belongs　to　the　_Sea…mew_；　and
Wardour　to　the　_Wanderer_。　See！　Captain　Helding　has　done。　My
husband　is　coming　this　way。　Let　me　make　sure。　Let　me　speak　to
him。〃

Lieutenant　Crayford　returned　to　his　wife。　She　spoke　to　him
instantly。

〃William！　you　have　got　a　new　volunteer　who　joins　the　_Wanderer_？〃

〃What！　you　have　been　listening　to　the　captain　and　me？〃

〃I　want　to　know　his　name？〃

〃How　in　the　world　did　you　manage　to　hear　what　we　said　to　each
other？〃

〃His　name？　has　the　captain　given　you　his　name？〃

〃Don't　excite　yourself；　my　dear。　Look！　you　are　positively
alarming　Miss　Burnham。　The　new　volunteer　is　a　perfect　stranger　to
us。　There　is　his　namelast　on　the　ship's　list。〃

Mrs。　Crayford　snatched　the　list　out　of　her　husband's　hand；　and
read　the　name：

〃RICHARD　WARDOUR。〃



Second　Scene。

The　Hut　of　the　_Sea…mew_。

Chapter　6。


Good…by　to　England！　Good…by　to　inhabited　and　civilized　regions　of
the　earth！

Two　years　have　passed　since　the　voyagers　sailed　from　their　native
shores。　The　enterprise　has　failedthe　Arctic　expedition　is　lost
and　ice…locked　in　the　Polar　wastes。　The　good　ships　_Wanderer_　and
_Sea…mew_；　entombed　in　ice；　will　never　ride　the　buoyant　waters
more。　Stripped　of　their　lighter　timbers；　both　vessels　have　been
used　for　the　construction　of　huts；　erected　on　the　nearest　land。

The　largest　of　the　two　buildings　which　now　shelter　the　lost　men
is　occupied　by　the　surviving　officers　and　crew　of　the　_Sea…mew_。
On　one　side　of　the　principal　room　are　the　sleeping　berths　and　the
fire…place。　The　other　side　discloses　a　broad　doorway　（closed　by　a
canvas　screen）；　which　serves　as　a　means　of　communication　with　an
inner　apartment；　devoted　to　the　superior　officers。　A　hammock　is
slung　to　the　rough　raftered　roof　of　the　main　room；　as　an　extra
bed。　A　man；　completely　hidden　by　his　bedclothes；　is　sleeping　in
the　hammock。　By　the　fireside　there　is　a　second　mansupposed　to
be　on　the　watchfast　asleep；　poor　wretch！　at　the　present　moment。
Behind　the　sleeper　stands　an　old　cask；　which　serves　for　a　table。
The　objects　at　present　on　the　table　are；　a　pestle　and　mortar；　and
a　saucepanful　of　the　dry　bones　of　animalsin　plain　words；　the
dinner　for　the　day。　By　way　of　ornament　to　the　dull　brown　walls；
icicles　appear　in　the　crevices　of　the　timber；　gleaming　at
intervals　in　the　red　fire…light。　No　wind　whistles　outside　the
lonely　dwellingno　cry　of　bird　or　beast　is　heard。　Indoors；　and
out…of…doors；　the　awful　silence　of　the　Polar　desert　reigns；　for
the　moment；　undisturbed。



Chapter　7。


The　first　sound　that　broke　the　silence　came　from　the　inner
apartment。　An　officer　lifted　the　canvas　screen　in　the　hut　of　the
_Sea…mew_　and　entered　the　main　room。　Cold　and　privation　had　badly
thinned　the　ranks。　The　commander　of　the　shipCaptain
Ebsworthwas　dangerously　ill。　The　first　lieutenant　was　dead。　An
officer　of　the　_Wanderer_　filled　their　places　for　the　time；　with
Captain　Helding's　permission。　The　officer　so　employed
wasLieutenant　Crayford。

He　approached　the　man　at　the　fireside；　and　awakened　him。

〃Jump　up；　Bateson！　It's　your　turn　to　be　relieved。〃

The　relief　appeared；　rising　from　a　heap　of　old　sails　at　the　back
of　the　hut。　Bateson　vanished；　yawning；　to　his　bed。　Lieutenant
Crayford　walked　backward　and　forward　briskly；　trying　what
exercise　would　do　toward　warming　his　blood。

The　pestle　and　mortar　on　the　cask　attracted　his　attention。　He
stopped　and　looked　up　at　the　man　in　the　hammock。

〃I　must　rouse　the　cook；〃　he　said　to　himself；　with　a　smile。　〃That
fellow　little　thinks　how　useful　he　is　in　keeping　up　my　spirits。
The　most　inveterate　croaker　and　grumbler　in　the　worldand　yet；
according　to　his　own　account；　the　only　cheerful　man　in　the　whole
ship's　company。　John　Want！　John　Want！　Rouse　up；　there！〃

A　head　rose　slowly　out　of　the　bedclothes；　covered　with　a　red
night…cap。　A　melancholy　nose　rested　itself　on　the　edge　of　the
hammock。　A　voice；　worthy　of　the　nose；　expressed　its　opinion　of
the　Arctic　climate；　in　these　words：

〃Lord！　Lord！　here's　all　my　breath　on　my　blanket。　Icicles；　if　you
please；　sir；　all　round　my　mouth　and　all　over　my　blanket。　Every
time　I　have　snored；　I've　frozen　something。　When　a　man　gets　the
cold　into　him　to　that　extent　that　he　ices　his　own　bed；　it　can't
last　much　longer。　Never　mind！　_I_　don't　grumble。〃

Crayford　tapped　the　saucepan　of　bones　impatiently。　John　Want
lowered　himself　to　the　floorgrumbling　all　the　wayby　a　rope
attached　to　the　rafters　at　his　bed　head。　Instead　of　approaching
his　superior　officer　and　his　saucepan；　he　hobbled；　shivering；　to
the　fire…place；　and　held　his　chin　as　close　as　he　possibly　could
over　the　fire。　Crayford　looked　after　him。

〃Halloo！　what　are　you　doing　there？〃

〃Thawing　my　beard；　sir。〃

〃Come　here　directly；　and　set　to　work　on　these　bones。〃

John　Want　remained　immovably　attached　to　the　fire…place；　holding
something　else　over　the　fire。　Crayford　began　to　lose　his　temper。

〃What　the　devil　are　you　about　now？〃

〃Thawing　my　watch；　sir。　It's　been　under　my　pillow　all　night；　and
the　cold　has　stopped　it。　Cheerful；　wholesome；　bracing　sort　of
climate　to　live　in；　isn't　it；　sir？　Never　mind！　_I_　don't
grumble。〃

〃No；　we　all　know　that。　Look　here！　Are　these　bones　pounded　small
enough？〃

John　Want　suddenly　approached　the　lieutenant；　and　looked　at　him
with　an　appearance　of　the　deepest　interest。

〃You'll　excuse　me；　sir；〃　he　said；　〃how　very　hollow　your　voice
sounds　this　morning！〃

〃Never　mind　my　voice。　The　bones！　the　bones！〃

〃Yes；　sirthe　bones。　They'll　take　a　trifle　more　pounding。　I'll
do　my　best　with　them；　sir；　for　your　sake。〃

〃What　do　you　mean？〃

John　Want　shook　his　head；　and　looked　at　Crayford　with　a　dreary
smile。

〃I　don't　think　I　shall　have　the　honor　of　making　much　more　bone
soup　for　you；　sir。　Do　you　think　yourself　you'll　last　long；　sir？　I
don't；　saving　your　presence。　I　think　about　another　week　or　ten
days　will　do　for　us　all。　Never　mind！　_I_　don't　grumble。〃

He　poured　the　bones　into　the　mortar；　and　began　to　pound
themunder　protest。　At　the　same　moment　a　sailor　appeared；
entering　from　the　inner　hut。

〃A　message　from　Captain　Ebsworth；　sir。〃

〃Well？〃

〃The　captain　is　worse　than　ever　with　his　freezing　pains；　sir。　He
wants　to　see　you　immediately。〃

〃I　will　go　at　once。　Rouse　the　doctor。〃

Answering　in　those　terms；　Crayford　returned　to　the　inner　hut；
followed　by　the　sailor。　John　Want　shook　his　head　again；　and
smiled　more　drearily　than　ever。

〃Rouse　the　doctor？〃　he　repeated。　〃Suppose　the　doctor　should　be
frozen？　He　hadn't　a　ha'porth　of　warmth　in　him　last　night；　and　his
voice　sounded　li