the jacket (the star-rover)-第60章

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

arrange　his　affairs　with　God。　　Neither　Captain　Nicholl　nor　I　could

utter　a　word；　but　with　streaming　eyes　we　nodded　our　consent。



Without　doubt　Arnold　Bentham　was　the　best　collected　of　the　three　of

us。　　My　own　anguish　was　prodigious；　and　I　am　confident　that　Captain

Nicholl　suffered　equally。　　But　what　was　one　to　do？　　The　thing　was

fair　and　proper　and　had　been　decided　by　God。



But　when　Arnold　Bentham　had　completed　his　last　arrangements　and　made

ready　to　do　the　act；　I　could　contain　myself　no　longer；　and　cried

out：



〃Wait！　　We　who　have　endured　so　much　surely　can　endure　a　little　more。

It　is　now　mid…morning。　　Let　us　wait　until　twilight。　　Then；　if　no

event　has　appeared　to　change　our　dreadful　destiny；　do　you　Arnold

Bentham；　do　as　we　have　agreed。〃



He　looked　to　Captain　Nicholl　for　confirmation　of　my　suggestion；　and

Captain　Nicholl　could　only　nod。　　He　could　utter　no　word；　but　in　his

moist　and　frosty　blue　eyes　was　a　wealth　of　acknowledgment　I　could

not　misread。



I　did　not；　I　could　not；　deem　it　a　crime；　having　so　determined　by

fair　drawing　of　lots；　that　Captain　Nicholl　and　myself　should　profit

by　the　death　of　Arnold　Bentham。　　I　could　not　believe　that　the　love

of　life　that　actuated　us　had　been　implanted　in　our　breasts　by　aught

other　than　God。　　It　was　God's　will；　and　we　His　poor　creatures　could

only　obey　and　fulfil　His　will。　　And　yet；　God　was　kind。　　In　His　all…

kindness　He　saved　us　from　so　terrible；　though　so　righteous；　an　act。



Scarce　had　a　quarter　of　an　hour　passed；　when　a　fan　of　air　from　the

west；　with　a　hint　of　frost　and　damp　in　it；　crisped　on　our　cheeks。

In　another　five　minutes　we　had　steerage　from　the　filled　sail；　and

Arnold　Bentham　was　at　the　steering　sweep。



〃Save　what　little　strength　you　have；〃　he　had　said。　　〃Let　me　consume

the　little　strength　left　in　me　in　order　that　it　may　increase　your

chance　to　survive。〃



And　so　he　steered　to　a　freshening　breeze；　while　Captain　Nicholl　and

I　lay　sprawled　in　the　boat's　bottom　and　in　our　weakness　dreamed

dreams　and　glimpsed　visions　of　the　dear　things　of　life　far　across

the　world　from　us。



It　was　an　ever…freshening　breeze　of　wind　that　soon　began　to　puff　and

gust。　　The　cloud　stuff　flying　across　the　sky　foretold　us　of　a　gale。

By　midday　Arnold　Bentham　fainted　at　the　steering；　and；　ere　the　boat

could　broach　in　the　tidy　sea　already　running；　Captain　Nicholl　and　I

were　at　the　steering　sweep　with　all　the　four　of　our　weak　hands　upon

it。　　We　came　to　an　agreement；　and；　just　as　Captain　Nicholl　had　drawn

the　first　lot　by　virtue　of　his　office；　so　now　he　took　the　first

spell　at　steering。　　Thereafter　the　three　of　us　spelled　one　another

every　fifteen　minutes。　　We　were　very　weak　and　we　could　not　spell

longer　at　a　time。



By　mid…afternoon　a　dangerous　sea　was　running。　　We　should　have

rounded　the　boat　to；　had　our　situation　not　been　so　desperate；　and

let　her　drift　bow…on　to　a　sea…anchor　extemporized　of　our　mast　and

sail。　　Had　we　broached　in　those　great；　over…topping　seas；　the　boat

would　have　been　rolled　over　and　over。



Time　and　again；　that　afternoon；　Arnold　Bentham；　for　our　sakes；

begged　that　we　come　to　a　sea…anchor。　　He　knew　that　we　continued　to

run　only　in　the　hope　that　the　decree　of　the　lots　might　not　have　to

be　carried　out。　　He　was　a　noble　man。　　So　was　Captain　Nicholl　noble；

whose　frosty　eyes　had　wizened　to　points　of　steel。　　And　in　such　noble

company　how　could　I　be　less　noble？　　I　thanked　God　repeatedly；

through　that　long　afternoon　of　peril；　for　the　privilege　of　having

known　two　such　men。　　God　and　the　right　dwelt　in　them　and　no　matter

what　my　poor　fate　might　be；　I　could　but　feel　well　recompensed　by

such　companionship。　　Like　them　I　did　not　want　to　die；　yet　was

unafraid　to　die。　　The　quick；　early　doubt　I　had　had　of　these　two　men

was　long　since　dissipated。　　Hard　the　school；　and　hard　the　men；　but

they　were　noble　men；　God's　own　men。



I　saw　it　first。　　Arnold　Bentham；　his　own　death　accepted；　and　Captain

Nicholl；　well　nigh　accepting　death；　lay　rolling　like　loose…bodied

dead　men　in　the　boat's　bottom；　and　I　was　steering　when　I　saw　it。

The　boat；　foaming　and　surging　with　the　swiftness　of　wind　in　its

sail；　was　uplifted　on　a　crest；　when；　close　before　me；　I　saw　the　sea…

battered　islet　of　rock。　　It　was　not　half　a　mile　off。　　I　cried　out；

so　that　the　other　two；　kneeling　and　reeling　and　clutching　for

support；　were　peering　and　staring　at　what　I　saw。



〃Straight　for　it；　Daniel；〃　Captain　Nicholl　mumbled　command。　　〃There

may　be　a　cove。　　There　may　be　a　cove。　　It　is　our　only　chance。〃



Once　again　he　spoke；　when　we　were　atop　that　dreadful　lee　shore　with

no　cove　existent。



〃Straight　for　it；　Daniel。　　If　we　go　clear　we　are　too　weak　ever　to

win　back　against　sea　and　wind。〃



He　was　right。　　I　obeyed。　　He　drew　his　watch　and　looked；　and　I　asked

the　time。　　It　was　five　o'clock。　　He　stretched　out　his　hand　to　Arnold

Bentham；　who　met　and　shook　it　weakly；　and　both　gazed　at　me；　in　their

eyes　extending　that　same　hand…clasp。　　It　was　farewell；　I　knew；　for

what　chance　had　creatures　so　feeble　as　we　to　win　alive　over　those

surf…battered　rocks　to　the　higher　rocks　beyond？



Twenty　feet　from　shore　the　boat　was　snatched　out　of　my　control。　　In

a　trice　it　was　overturned　and　I　was　strangling　in　the　salt。　　I　never

saw　my　companions　again。　　By　good　fortune　I　was　buoyed　by　the

steering…oar　I　still　grasped；　and　by　great　good　fortune　a　fling　of

sea；　at　the　right　instant；　at　the　right　spot；　threw　me　far　up　the

gentle　slope　of　the　one　shelving　rock　on　all　that　terrible　shore。　　I

was　not　hurt。　　I　was　not　bruised。　　And　with　brain　reeling　from

weakness　I　was　able　to　crawl　and　scramble　farther　up　beyond　the

clutching　backwash　of　the　sea。



I　stood　upright；　knowing　myself　saved；　and　thanking　God；　and

staggering　as　I　stood。　　Already　the　boat　was　pounded　to　a　thousand

fragments。　　And　though　I　saw　them　not；　I　could　guess　how　grievously

had　been　pounded　the　bodies　of　Captain　Nicholl　and　Arnold　Bentham。

I　saw　an　oar　on　the　edge　of　the　foam；　and　at　certain　risk　I　drew　it

clear。　　Then　I　fell　to　my　knees；　knowing　myself　fainting。　　And　yet；

ere　I　fainted；　with　a　sailor's　instinct　I　dragged　my　body　on　and　up

among　the　cruel　hurting　rocks　to　faint　finally　beyond　the　reach　of

the　sea。



I　was　near　a　dead　man　myself；　that　night；　mostly　in　stupor；　only

dimly　aware　at　times　of　the　extremity　of　cold　and　wet　that　I

endured。　　Morning　brought　me　astonishment　and　terror。　　No　plant；　not

a　blade　of　grass；　grew　on　that　wretched　projection　of　rock　from　the

ocean's　bottom。　　A　quarter　of　a　mile　in　width　and　a　half　mile　in

length；　it　was　no　more　than　a　heap　of　rocks。　　Naught　could　I

discover　to　gratify　the　cravings　of　exhausted　nature。　　I　was

consumed　with　thirst；　yet　was　there　no　fresh　water。　　In　vain　I

tasted　to　my　mouth's　undoing　every　cavity　and　depression　in　the

rocks。　　The　spray　of　the　gale　so　completely　had　enveloped　every

portion　of　the　island　that　every　depression　was　filled　with　water

salt　as　the　sea。



Of　the　boat　remained　nothingnot　even　a　splinter　to　show　that　a

boat　had　been。　　I　stood　possessed　of　my　garments；　a　stout　knife；　and

the　one　oar　I　had　saved。　　The　gale　had　abated；　and　all　that　day；

staggering　and　falling；　crawling　till　hands　and　knees　bled；　I　vainly

sought　water。



That　night；　nearer　death　than　ever；　I　sheltered　behind　a　rock　from

the　wind。　　A　heavy　shower　of　rain　made　me　miserable。　　I　removed　my

various　coats　and　spread　them　to　soak　up　the　rain；　but；　when　I　came

to　wring　the　moisture　from　them　into　my　mouth；　I　was　disappointed；

because　the　cloth　had　been　thoroughly　impregnated　with　the　salt　of

the　ocean　in　which　I　had　been　immersed。　　I　lay　on　my　back；　my　mouth

open　to　catch　the　few　rain…drops　that　fell　directly　into　it。　　It　was

tantalizing；　but　it　kept　my　membranes　moist　and　me　from　madness。



The　second　day　I　was　a　very　sick　man。　　I；　who　had　not　eaten　for　so

long；　began　to　swell　to　a　monstrous