the jacket (the star-rover)-第58章

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the　men　were　thickest；　so　that　their　bodies　might　break　my　fall。　　I

was　not　minded　to　embark　with　a　broken　member　on　so　hazardous　a

voyage　in　the　longboat。　　That　the　men　might　have　room　at　the　oars；　I

worked　my　way　quickly　aft　into　the　sternsheets。　　Certainly；　I　had

other　and　sufficient　reasons。　　It　would　be　more　comfortable　in　the

sternsheets　than　in　the　narrow　bow。　　And　further；　it　would　be　well

to　be　near　the　afterguard　in　whatever　troubles　that　were　sure　to

arise　under　such　circumstances　in　the　days　to　come。



In　the　sternsheets　were　the　mate；　Walter　Drake；　the　surgeon；　Arnold

Bentham；　Aaron　Northrup；　and　Captain　Nicholl；　who　was　steering。　　The

surgeon　was　bending　over　Northrup；　who　lay　in　the　bottom　groaning。

Not　so　fortunate　had　he　been　in　his　ill…considered　leap；　for　he　had

broken　his　right　leg　at　the　hip　joint。



There　was　little　time　for　him　then；　however；　for　we　were　labouring

in　a　heavy　sea　directly　between　the　two　ice　islands　that　were

rushing　together。　　Nicholas　Wilton；　at　the　stroke　oar；　was　cramped

for　room；　so　I　better　stowed　the　barrels；　and；　kneeling　and　facing

him；　was　able　to　add　my　weight　to　the　oar。　　For'ard；　I　could　see

John　Roberts　straining　at　the　bow　oar。　　Pulling　on　his　shoulders

from　behind；　Arthur　Haskins　and　the　boy；　Benny　Hardwater；　added

their　weight　to　his。　　In　fact；　so　eager　were　all　hands　to　help　that

more　than　one　was　thus　in　the　way　and　cluttered　the　movements　of　the

rowers。



It　was　close　work；　but　we　went　clear　by　a　matter　of　a　hundred　yards；

so　that　I　was　able　to　turn　my　head　and　see　the　untimely　end　of　the

Negociator。　　She　was　caught　squarely　in　the　pinch　and　she　was

squeezed　between　the　ice　as　a　sugar　plum　might　be　squeezed　between

thumb　and　forefinger　of　a　boy。　　In　the　shouting　of　the　wind　and　the

roar　of　water　we　heard　nothing；　although　the　crack　of　the　brig's

stout　ribs　and　deckbeams　must　have　been　enough　to　waken　a　hamlet　on

a　peaceful　night。



Silently；　easily；　the　brig's　sides　squeezed　together；　the　deck

bulged　up；　and　the　crushed　remnant　dropped　down　and　was　gone；　while

where　she　had　been　was　occupied　by　the　grinding　conflict　of　the　ice…

islands。　　I　felt　regret　at　the　destruction　of　this　haven　against　the

elements；　but　at　the　same　time　was　well　pleased　at　thought　of　my

snugness　inside　my　four　shirts　and　three　coats。



Yet　it　proved　a　bitter　night；　even　for　me。　　I　was　the　warmest　clad

in　the　boat。　　What　the　others　must　have　suffered　I　did　not　care　to

dwell　upon　over　much。　　For　fear　that　we　might　meet　up　with　more　ice

in　the　darkness；　we　bailed　and　held　the　boat　bow…on　to　the　seas。

And　continually；　now　with　one　mitten；　now　with　the　other；　I　rubbed

my　nose　that　it　might　not　freeze。　　Also；　with　memories　lively　in　me

of　the　home　circle　in　Elkton；　I　prayed　to　God。



In　the　morning　we　took　stock。　　To　commence　with；　all　but　two　or

three　had　suffered　frost…bite。　　Aaron　Northrup；　unable　to　move

because　of　his　broken　hip；　was　very　bad。　　It　was　the　surgeon's

opinion　that　both　of　Northrup's　feet　were　hopelessly　frozen。



The　longboat　was　deep　and　heavy　in　the　water；　for　it　was　burdened　by

the　entire　ship's　company　of　twenty…one。　　Two　of　these　were　boys。

Benny　Hardwater　was　a　bare　thirteen；　and　Lish　Dickery；　whose　family

was　near　neighbour　to　mine　in　Elkton；　was　just　turned　sixteen。　　Our

provisions　consisted　of　three　hundred…weight　of　beef　and　two

hundred…weight　of　pork。　　The　half…dozen　loaves　of　brine…pulped

bread；　which　the　cook　had　brought；　did　not　count。　　Then　there　were

three　small　barrels　of　water　and　one　small　keg　of　beer。



Captain　Nicholl　frankly　admitted　that　in　this　uncharted　ocean　he　had

no　knowledge　of　any　near　land。　　The　one　thing　to　do　was　to　run　for

more　clement　climate；　which　we　accordingly　did；　setting　our　small

sail　and　steering　quartering　before　the　fresh　wind　to　the　north…

east。



The　food　problem　was　simple　arithmetic。　　We　did　not　count　Aaron

Northrup；　for　we　knew　he　would　soon　be　gone。　　At　a　pound　per　day；

our　five　hundred　pounds　would　last　us　twenty…five　days；　at　half　a

pound；　it　would　last　fifty。　　So　half　a　pound　had　it。　　I　divided　and

issued　the　meat　under　the　captain's　eyes；　and　managed　it　fairly

enough；　God　knows；　although　some　of　the　men　grumbled　from　the　first。

Also；　from　time　to　time　I　made　fair　division　among　the　men　of　the

plug　tobacco　I　had　stowed　in　my　many　pocketsa　thing　which　I　could

not　but　regret；　especially　when　I　knew　it　was　being　wasted　on　this

man　and　that　who　I　was　certain　could　not　live　a　day　more；　or；　at

best；　two　days　or　three。



For　we　began　to　die　soon　in　the　open　boat。　　Not　to　starvation　but　to

the　killing　cold　and　exposure　were　those　earlier　deaths　due。　　It　was

a　matter　of　the　survival　of　the　toughest　and　the　luckiest。　　I　was

tough　by　constitution；　and　lucky　inasmuch　as　I　was　warmly　clad　and

had　not　broken　my　leg　like　Aaron　Northrup。　　Even　so；　so　strong　was

he　that；　despite　being　the　first　to　be　severely　frozen；　he　was　days

in　passing。　　Vance　Hathaway　was　the　first。　　We　found　him　in　the　gray

of　dawn　crouched　doubled　in　the　bow　and　frozen　stiff。　　The　boy；　Lish

Dickery；　was　the　second　to　go。　　The　other　boy；　Benny　Hardwater；

lasted　ten　or　a　dozen　days。



So　bitter　was　it　in　the　boat　that　our　water　and　beer　froze　solid；

and　it　was　a　difficult　task　justly　to　apportion　the　pieces　I　broke

off　with　Northrup's　claspknife。　　These　pieces　we　put　in　our　mouths

and　sucked　till　they　melted。　　Also；　on　occasion　of　snow…squalls；　we

had　all　the　snow　we　desired。　　All　of　which　was　not　good　for　us；

causing　a　fever　of　inflammation　to　attack　our　mouths　so　that　the

membranes　were　continually　dry　and　burning。　　And　there　was　no

allaying　a　thirst　so　generated。　　To　suck　more　ice　or　snow　was　merely

to　aggravate　the　inflammation。　　More　than　anything　else；　I　think　it

was　this　that　caused　the　death　of　Lish　Dickery。　　He　was　out　of　his

head　and　raving　for　twenty…four　hours　before　he　died。　　He　died

babbling　for　water；　and　yet　he　did　not　die　for　need　of　water。　　I

resisted　as　much　as　possible　the　temptation　to　suck　ice；　contenting

myself　with　a　shred　of　tobacco　in　my　cheek；　and　made　out　with　fair

comfort。



We　stripped　all　clothing　from　our　dead。　　Stark　they　came　into　the

world；　and　stark　they　passed　out　over　the　side　of　the　longboat　and

down　into　the　dark　freezing　ocean。　　Lots　were　cast　for　the　clothes。

This　was　by　Captain　Nicholl's　command；　in　order　to　prevent

quarrelling。



It　was　no　time　for　the　follies　of　sentiment。　　There　was　not　one　of

us　who　did　not　know　secret　satisfaction　at　the　occurrence　of　each

death。　　Luckiest　of　all　was　Israel　Stickney　in　casting　lots；　so　that

in　the　end；　when　he　passed；　he　was　a　veritable　treasure　trove　of

clothing。　　It　gave　a　new　lease　of　life　to　the　survivors。



We　continued　to　run　to　the　north…east　before　the　fresh　westerlies；

but　our　quest　for　warmer　weather　seemed　vain。　　Ever　the　spray　froze

in　the　bottom　of　the　boat；　and　I　still　chipped　beer　and　drinking

water　with　Northrup's　knife。　　My　own　knife　I　reserved。　　It　was　of

good　steel；　with　a　keen　edge　and　stoutly　fashioned；　and　I　did　not

care　to　peril　it　in　such　manner。



By　the　time　half　our　company　was　overboard；　the　boat　had　a

reasonably　high　freeboard　and　was　less　ticklish　to　handle　in　the

gusts。　　Likewise　there　was　more　room　for　a　man　to　stretch　out

comfortably。



A　source　of　continual　grumbling　was　the　food。　　The　captain；　the

mate；　the　surgeon；　and　myself；　talking　it　over；　resolved　not　to

increase　the　daily　whack　of　half　a　pound　of　meat。　　The　six　sailors；

for　whom　Tobias　Snow　made　himself　spokesman；　contended　that　the

death　of　half　of　us　was　equivalent　to　a　doubling　of　our

provisioning；　and　that　therefore　the　ration　should　be　increased　to　a

pound。　　In　reply；　we　of　the　afterguard　pointed　out　that　it　was　our

chance　for　life　that　was　doubled　did　we　but　bear　with　the　half…pound

ration。



It　is　true　that　eight　ounces　of　salt　meat　did　not　go　far　in　enabling

us　to　live　and　to　resist　the　severe　c