the jacket (the star-rover)-第61章

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

long；　began　to　swell　to　a　monstrous　fatnessmy　legs；　my　arms；　my

whole　body。　　With　the　slightest　of　pressures　my　fingers　would　sink

in　a　full　inch　into　my　skin；　and　the　depressions　so　made　were　long

in　going　away。　　Yet　did　I　labour　sore　in　order　to　fulfil　God's　will

that　I　should　live。　　Carefully；　with　my　hands；　I　cleaned　out　the

salt　water　from　every　slight　hole；　in　the　hope　that　succeeding

showers　of　rain　might　fill　them　with　water　that　I　could　drink。



My　sad　lot　and　the　memories　of　the　loved　ones　at　Elkton　threw　me

into　a　melancholy；　so　that　I　often　lost　my　recollection　for　hours　at

a　time。　　This　was　a　mercy；　for　it　veiled　me　from　my　sufferings　that

else　would　have　killed　me。



In　the　night　I　was　roused　by　the　beat　of　rain；　and　I　crawled　from

hole　to　hole；　lapping　up　the　rain　or　licking　it　from　the　rocks。

Brackish　it　was；　but　drinkable。　　It　was　what　saved　me；　for；　toward

morning；　I　awoke　to　find　myself　in　a　profuse　perspiration　and　quite

free　of　all　delirium。



Then　came　the　sun；　the　first　time　since　my　stay　on　the　island；　and　I

spread　most　of　my　garments　to　dry。　　Of　water　I　drank　my　careful

fill；　and　I　calculated　there　was　ten　days'　supply　if　carefully

husbanded。　　It　was　amazing　how　rich　I　felt　with　this　vast　wealth　of

brackish　water。　　And　no　great　merchant；　with　all　his　ships　returned

from　prosperous　voyages；　his　warehouses　filled　to　the　rafters；　his

strong…boxes　overflowing；　could　have　felt　as　wealthy　as　did　I　when　I

discovered；　cast　up　on　the　rocks；　the　body　of　a　seal　that　had　been

dead　for　many　days。　　Nor　did　I　fail；　first；　to　thank　God　on　my　knees

for　this　manifestation　of　His　ever…unfailing　kindness。　　The　thing

was　clear　to　me：　　God　had　not　intended　I　should　die。　　From　the　very

first　He　had　not　so　intended。



I　knew　the　debilitated　state　of　my　stomach；　and　I　ate　sparingly　in

the　knowledge　that　my　natural　voracity　would　surely　kill　me　did　I

yield　myself　to　it。　　Never　had　sweeter　morsels　passed　my　lips；　and　I

make　free　to　confess　that　I　shed　tears　of　joy；　again　and　again；　at

contemplation　of　that　putrefied　carcass。



My　heart　of　hope　beat　strong　in　me　once　more。　　Carefully　I　preserved

the　portions　of　the　carcass　remaining。　　Carefully　I　covered　my　rock

cisterns　with　flat　stones　so　that　the　sun's　rays　might　not　evaporate

the　precious　fluid　and　in　precaution　against　some　upspringing　of

wind　in　the　night　and　the　sudden　flying　of　spray。　　Also　I　gathered

me　tiny　fragments　of　seaweed　and　dried　them　in　the　sun　for　an

easement　between　my　poor　body　and　the　rough　rocks　whereon　I　made　my

lodging。　　And　my　garments　were　drythe　first　time　in　days；　so　that

I　slept　the　heavy　sleep　of　exhaustion　and　of　returning　health。



When　I　awoke　to　a　new　day　I　was　another　man。　　The　absence　of　the　sun

did　not　depress　me；　and　I　was　swiftly　to　learn　that　God；　not

forgetting　me　while　I　slumbered；　had　prepared　other　and　wonderful

blessings　for　me。　　I　would　have　fain　rubbed　my　eyes　and　looked

again；　for；　as　far　as　I　could　see；　the　rocks　bordering　upon　the

ocean　were　covered　with　seals。　　There　were　thousands　of　them；　and　in

the　water　other　thousands　disported　themselves；　while　the　sound　that

went　up　from　all　their　throats　was　prodigious　and　deafening。　　I　knew

it　when：　　I　saw　itmeat　lay　there　for　the　taking；　meat　sufficient

for　a　score　of　ships'　companies。



I　directly　seized　my　oarthan　which　there　was　no　other　stick　of

wood　on　the　islandand　cautiously　advanced　upon　all　that　immensity

of　provender。　　It　was　quickly　guessed　by　me　that　these　creatures　of

the　sea　were　unacquainted　with　man。　　They　betrayed　no　signals　of

timidity　at　my　approach；　and　I　found　it　a　boy's　task　to　rap　them　on

the　head　with　the　oar。



And　when　I　had　so　killed　my　third　and　my　fourth；　I　went　immediately

and　strangely　mad。　　Indeed　quite　bereft　was　I　of　all　judgment　as　I

slew　and　slew　and　continued　to　slay。　　For　the　space　of　two　hours　I

toiled　unceasingly　with　the　oar　till　I　was　ready　to　drop。　　What

excess　of　slaughter　I　might　have　been　guilty　of　I　know　not；　for　at

the　end　of　that　time；　as　if　by　a　signal；　all　the　seals　that　still

lived　threw　themselves　into　the　water　and　swiftly　disappeared。



I　found　the　number　of　slain　seals　to　exceed　two　hundred；　and　I　was

shocked　and　frightened　because　of　the　madness　of　slaughter　that　had

possessed　me。　　I　had　sinned　by　wanton　wastefulness；　and　after　I　had

duly　refreshed　myself　with　this　good　wholesome　food；　I　set　about　as

well　as　I　could　to　make　amends。　　But　first；　ere　the　great　task

began；　I　returned　thanks　to　that　Being　through　whose　mercy　I　had

been　so　miraculously　preserved。　　Thereupon　I　laboured　until　dark；

and　after　dark；　skinning　the　seals；　cutting　the　meat　into　strips；

and　placing　it　upon　the　tops　of　rocks　to　dry　in　the　sun。　　Also；　I

found　small　deposits　of　salt　in　the　nooks　and　crannies　of　the　rocks

on　the　weather　side　of　the　island。　　This　I　rubbed　into　the　meat　as　a

preservative。



Four　days　I　so　toiled；　and　in　the　end　was　foolishly　proud　before　God

in　that　no　scrap　of　all　that　supply　of　meat　had　been　wasted。　　The

unremitting　labour　was　good　for　my　body；　which　built　up　rapidly　by

means　of　this　wholesome　diet　in　which　I　did　not　stint　myself。

Another　evidence　of　God's　mercy；　never；　in　the　eight　years　I　spent

on　that　barren　islet；　was　there　so　long　a　spell　of　clear　weather　and

steady　sunshine　as　in　the　period　immediately　following　the　slaughter

of　the　seals。



Months　were　to　pass　ore　ever　the　seals　revisited　my　island。　　But　in

the　meantime　I　was　anything　but　idle。　　I　built　me　a　hut　of　stone；

and；　adjoining　it；　a　storehouse　for　my　cured　meat。　　The　hut　I　roofed

with　many　seal…skins；　so　that　it　was　fairly　water…proof。　　But　I

could　never　cease　to　marvel；　when　the　rain　beat　on　that　roof；　that

no　less　than　a　king's　ransom　in　the　London　fur　market　protected　a

castaway　sailor　from　the　elements。



I　was　quickly　aware　of　the　importance　of　keeping　some　kind　of

reckoning　of　time；　without　which　I　was　sensible　that　I　should　soon

lose　all　knowledge　of　the　day　of　the　week；　and　be　unable　to

distinguish　one　from　the　other；　and　not　know　which　was　the　Lord's

day。



I　remembered　back　carefully　to　the　reckoning　of　time　kept　in　the

longboat　by　Captain　Nicholl；　and　carefully；　again　and　again；　to　make

sure　beyond　any　shadow　of　uncertainty；　I　went　over　the　tale　of　the

days　and　nights　I　had　spent　on　the　island。　　Then；　by　seven　stones

outside　my　hut；　I　kept　my　weekly　calendar。　　In　one　place　on　the　oar

I　cut　a　small　notch　for　each　week；　and　in　another　place　on　the　oar　I

notched　the　months；　being　duly　careful　indeed；　to　reckon　in　the

additional　days　to　each　month　over　and　beyond　the　four　weeks。



Thus　I　was　enabled　to　pay　due　regard　to　the　Sabbath。　　As　the　only

mode　of　worship　I　could　adopt；　I　carved　a　short　hymn；　appropriate　to

my　situation；　on　the　oar；　which　I　never　failed　to　chant　on　the

Sabbath。　　God；　in　His　all…mercy；　had　not　forgotten　me；　nor　did　I；　in

those　eight　years；　fail　at　all　proper　times　to　remember　God。



It　was　astonishing　the　work　required；　under　such　circumstances；　to

supply　one's　simple　needs　of　food　and　shelter。　　Indeed；　I　was　rarely

idle；　that　first　year。　　The　hut；　itself　a　mere　lair　of　rocks；

nevertheless　took　six　weeks　of　my　time。　　The　tardy　curing　and　the

endless　scraping　of　the　sealskins；　so　as　to　make　them　soft　and

pliable　for　garments；　occupied　my　spare　moments　for　months　and

months。



Then　there　was　the　matter　of　my　water　supply。　　After　any　heavy　gale；

the　flying　spray　salted　my　saved　rainwater；　so　that　at　times　I　was

grievously　put　to　live　through　till　fresh　rains　fell　unaccompanied

by　high　winds。　　Aware　that　a　continual　dropping　will　wear　a　stone；　I

selected　a　large　stone；　fine　and　tight　of　texture　and；　by　means　of

smaller　stones；　I　proceeded　to　pound　it　hollow。　　In　five　weeks　of

most　arduous　toil　I　managed　thus　to　make　a　jar　which　I　estimated　to

hold　a　gallon　and　a　half。　　Later；