the jacket (the star-rover)-第59章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



ration。



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

us　to　live　and　to　resist　the　severe　cold。　　We　were　quite　weak；　and；

because　of　our　weakness；　we　frosted　easily。　　Noses　and　cheeks　were

all　black　with　frost…bite。　　It　was　impossible　to　be　warm；　although

we　now　had　double　the　garments　we　had　started　with。



Five　weeks　after　the　loss　of　the　Negociator　the　trouble　over　the

food　came　to　a　head。　　I　was　asleep　at　the　timeit　was　nightwhen

Captain　Nicholl　caught　Jud　Hetchkins　stealing　from　the　pork　barrel。

That　he　was　abetted　by　the　other　five　men　was　proved　by　their

actions。　　Immediately　Jud　Hetchkins　was　discovered；　the　whole　six

threw　themselves　upon　us　with　their　knives。　　It　was　close；　sharp

work　in　the　dim　light　of　the　stars；　and　it　was　a　mercy　the　boat　was

not　overturned。　　I　had　reason　to　be　thankful　for　my　many　shirts　and

coats　which　served　me　as　an　armour。　　The　knife…thrusts　scarcely　more

than　drew　blood　through　the　so　great　thickness　of　cloth；　although　I

was　scratched　to　bleeding　in　a　round　dozen　of　places。



The　others　were　similarly　protected；　and　the　fight　would　have　ended

in　no　more　than　a　mauling　all　around；　had　not　the　mate；　Walter

Dakon；　a　very　powerful　man；　hit　upon　the　idea　of　ending　the　matter

by　tossing　the　mutineers　overboard。　　This　was　joined　in　by　Captain

Nicholl；　the　surgeon；　and　myself；　and　in　a　trice　five　of　the　six

were　in　the　water　and　clinging　to　the　gunwale。　　Captain　Nicholl　and

the　surgeon　were　busy　amidships　with　the　sixth；　Jeremy　Nalor；　and

were　in　the　act　of　throwing　him　overboard；　while　the　mate　was

occupied　with　rapping　the　fingers　along　the　gunwale　with　a　boat…

stretcher。　　For　the　moment　I　had　nothing　to　do；　and　so　was　able　to

observe　the　tragic　end　of　the　mate。　　As　he　lifted　the　stretcher　to

rap　Seth　Richards'　fingers；　the　latter；　sinking　down　low　in　the

water　and　then　jerking　himself　up　by　both　hands；　sprang　half　into

the　boat；　locked　his　arms　about　the　mate　and；　falling　backward　and

outboard；　dragged　the　mate　with　him。　　Doubtlessly　he　never　relaxed

his　grip；　and　both　drowned　together。



Thus　left　alive　of　the　entire　ship's　company　were　three　of　us：

Captain　Nicholl；　Arnold　Bentham　（the　surgeon）；　and　myself。　　Seven

had　gone　in　the　twinkling　of　an　eye；　consequent　on　Jud　Hetchkins'

attempt　to　steal　provisions。　　And　to　me　it　seemed　a　pity　that　so

much　good　warm　clothing　had　been　wasted　there　in　the　sea。　　There　was

not　one　of　us　who　could　not　have　managed　gratefully　with　more。



Captain　Nicholl　and　the　surgeon　were　good　men　and　honest。　　Often

enough；　when　two　of　us　slept；　the　one　awake　and　steering　could　have

stolen　from　the　meat。　　But　this　never　happened。　　We　trusted　one

another　fully；　and　we　would　have　died　rather　than　betray　that　trust。



We　continued　to　content　ourselves　with　half　a　pound　of　meat　each　per

day；　and　we　took　advantage　of　every　favouring　breeze　to　work　to　the

north'ard。　　Not　until　January　fourteenth；　seven　weeks　since　the

wreck；　did　we　come　up　with　a　warmer　latitude。　　Even　then　it　was　not

really　warm。　　It　was　merely　not　so　bitterly　cold。



Here　the　fresh　westerlies　forsook　us　and　we　bobbed　and　blobbed　about

in　doldrummy　weather　for　many　days。　　Mostly　it　was　calm；　or　light

contrary　winds；　though　sometimes　a　burst　of　breeze；　as　like　as　not

from　dead　ahead；　would　last　for　a　few　hours。　　In　our　weakened

condition；　with　so　large　a　boat；　it　was　out　of　the　question　to　row。

We　could　merely　hoard　our　food　and　wait　for　God　to　show　a　more

kindly　face。　　The　three　of　us　were　faithful　Christians；　and　we　made

a　practice　of　prayer　each　day　before　the　apportionment　of　food。

Yes；　and　each　of　us　prayed　privately；　often　and　long。



By　the　end　of　January　our　food　was　near　its　end。　　The　pork　was

entirely　gone；　and　we　used　the　barrel　for　catching　and　storing

rainwater。　　Not　many　pounds　of　beef　remained。　　And　in　all　the　nine

weeks　in　the　open　boat　we　had　raised　no　sail　and　glimpsed　no　land。

Captain　Nicholl　frankly　admitted　that　after　sixty…three　days　of　dead

reckoning　he　did　not　know　where　we　were。



The　twentieth　of　February　saw　the　last　morsel　of　food　eaten。　　I

prefer　to　skip　the　details　of　much　that　happened　in　the　next　eight

days。　　I　shall　touch　only　on　the　incidents　that　serve　to　show　what

manner　of　men　were　my　companions。　　We　had　starved　so　long；　that　we

had　no　reserves　of　strength　on　which　to　draw　when　the　food　utterly

ceased；　and　we　grew　weaker　with　great　rapidity。



On　February　twenty…fourth　we　calmly　talked　the　situation　over。　　We

were　three　stout…spirited　men；　full　of　life　and　toughness；　and　we

did　not　want　to　die。　　No　one　of　us　would　volunteer　to　sacrifice

himself　for　the　other　two。　　But　we　agreed　on　three　things：　　we　must

have　food；　we　must　decide　the　matter　by　casting　lots；　and　we　would

cast　the　lots　next　morning　if　there　were　no　wind。



Next　morning　there　was　wind；　not　much　of　it；　but　fair；　so　that　we

were　able　to　log　a　sluggish　two　knots　on　our　northerly　course。　　The

mornings　of　the　twenty…sixth　and　twenty…seventh　found　us　with　a

similar　breeze。　　We　were　fearfully　weak；　but　we　abided　by　our

decision　and　continued　to　sail。



But　with　the　morning　of　the　twenty…eighth　we　knew　the　time　was　come。

The　longboat　rolled　drearily　on　an　empty；　windless　sea；　and　the

stagnant；　overcast　sky　gave　no　promise　of　any　breeze。　　I　cut　three

pieces　of　cloth；　all　of　a　size；　from　my　jacket。　　In　the　ravel　of　one

of　these　pieces　was　a　bit　of　brown　thread。　　Whoever　drew　this　lost。

I　then　put　the　three　lots　into　my　hat；　covering　it　with　Captain

Nicholl's　hat。



All　was　ready；　but　we　delayed　for　a　time　while　each　prayed　silently

and　long；　for　we　knew　that　we　were　leaving　the　decision　to　God。　　I

was　not　unaware　of　my　own　honesty　and　worth；　but　I　was　equally　aware

of　the　honesty　and　worth　of　my　companions；　so　that　it　perplexed　me

how　God　could　decide　so　fine…balanced　and　delicate　a　matter。



The　captain；　as　was　his　right　and　due；　drew　first。　　After　his　hand

was　in　the　hat　he　delayed　for　sometime　with　closed　eyes；　his　lips

moving　a　last　prayer。　　And　he　drew　a　blank。　　This　was　righta　true

decision　I　could　not　but　admit　to　myself；　for　Captain　Nicholl's　life

was　largely　known　to　me　and　I　knew　him　to　be　honest；　upright；　and

God…fearing。



Remained　the　surgeon　and　me。　　It　was　one　or　the　other；　and；

according　to　ship's　rating；　it　was　his　due　to　draw　next。　　Again　we

prayed。　　As　I　prayed　I　strove　to　quest　back　in　my　life　and　cast　a

hurried　tally…sheet　of　my　own　worth　and　unworth。



I　held　the　hat　on　my　knees　with　Captain　Nicholl's　hat　over　it。　　The

surgeon　thrust　in　his　hand　and　fumbled　about　for　some　time；　while　I

wondered　whether　the　feel　of　that　one　brown　thread　could　be　detected

from　the　rest　of　the　ravel。



At　last　he　withdrew　his　hand。　　The　brown　thread　was　in　his　piece　of

cloth。　　I　was　instantly　very　humble　and　very　grateful　for　God's

blessing　thus　extended　to　me；　and　I　resolved　to　keep　more　faithfully

than　ever　all　of　His　commandments。　　The　next　moment　I　could　not　help

but　feel　that　the　surgeon　and　the　captain　were　pledged　to　each　other

by　closer　ties　of　position　and　intercourse　than　with　me；　and　that

they　were　in　a　measure　disappointed　with　the　outcome。　　And　close

with　that　thought　ran　the　conviction　that　they　were　such　true　men

that　the　outcome　would　not　interfere　with　the　plan　arranged。



I　was　right。　　The　surgeon　bared　arm　and　knife　and　prepared　to　open　a

great　vein。　　First；　however；　he　spoke　a　few　words。



〃I　am　a　native　of　Norfolk　in　the　Virginias；〃　he　said；　〃where　I

expect　I　have　now　a　wife　and　three　children　living。　　The　only　favour

that　I　have　to　request　of　you　is；　that　should　it　please　God　to

deliver　either　of　you　from　your　perilous　situation；　and　should　you

be　so　fortunate　as　to　reach　once　more　your　native　country；　that　you

would　acquaint　my　unfortunate　family　with　my　wretched　fate。〃



Next　he　requested　courteously　of　us　a　few　minutes　in　which　to

arrange　his　affairs　with　God。　　Neither　Capt