Ordinarily, Captain Ichabod Jones enjoyed being crooned to sleep by the weird1 sounds of the winds as they beat about the corners of his cottage. Now, his mind was filled with a memory of last frantic2 cries uttered by men, women and children as their clinging hold was loosed from the derelict, the sturdy frame of which he had heard strike on the rocks, as she went to her grave in the sea. Now, he heard the clamors of despair, voiced in the shrieking3 of the gale4. He tossed uneasily upon his bed, offering ever and anon a prayer to the God that rules mad waters to have mercy upon those even then fighting a last grim battle with death.
The first gray gleam of dawn showed a tinge5 of storm red, radiant and calm above the wildly tossing surges of the sea.
Uncle Icky got out of his bunk6, built a fire in the stove and set his coffee to boil. Then, of a sudden, he forgot his preparations for breakfast. His sharp ears had caught the far-away chug-chug of a naphtha-driven craft. He listened, and knew that the boat was making its way toward the Island.
"Well, I'll be blowed," said the Captain to himself—and the rooster. "What fool skipper would come down this shore, even on the inside, in such a kick-up as is goin' on? He shore must be plumb7 daffy, or arter an M.D. for a mighty8 sick human. I'll try an' hail him as he passes; but the Lord knows he can't pass to the wind'ard o' this-here Island till she ca'ms a heap, an' if he tries to go to lee'ard he'll shore as shootin' take up on the oyster9 rocks, an' stove her through to her vitals."
Captain Ichabod was right. No land lubber, unacquainted with the dangerous currents and powerful surf breaking over the bar at the Inlet, could pilot a craft safely past the little Island in good weather—let alone the doing of it in this tail-end of a gale. Uncle Icky rushed from the cottage, lantern in hand. He tried to wave a warning to the foolhardy adventurer who was thus darting10 down at breakneck speed on the mill-race of the ebb11 tide to certain destruction.
Captain Ichabod ran with his lantern to the far point of land, and waved it frantically12 in warning. The wind-driven spray of the surf soaked and chilled him to the bone. But he swung his light in desperate earnestness, though his efforts seemed of no avail, for the launch swept on toward its doom13. Ichabod now could see that it was a palatial14 yacht, of trim build, with a prow15 that cut the waves like a razor. But, too, he knew that, after rounding the point, the tiny vessel16 would meet the full fury of the sea, and must be destroyed.
Day broke. In the increased light, the old man cast his lantern aside as useless and swung his arms as a semaphore. The yacht, buffeted17 by the tumbling seas, swept within hailing distance. Captain Ichabod yelled to the man who was at the tiller to keep her off. In answer, there came three shrill18, pitifully wavering blasts of the whistle—a salute19 that was derisive20, the absurd response of a madman. And the man at the wheel waved his hand in pleasant salutation and grinned in a most amiable21 manner. Captain Ichabod stared aghast. Then, he realized that the man at the helm must be a maniac22.
The yacht was in the breakers. The first wave spilled clear over her. Ichabod, watching from the shore, shuddered23. He believed her already lost in the coil of waters. But, to the Captain's amazement24, the yacht eddied25 and tossed, dived and floated again. Then, at last, it was swept on the rocks. The hull26 broke in two under the impact, and the racing27 waves swept over the wreck28.
Out of the ruin of the yacht, the surge bore a mattress29, on which rested the seemingly lifeless body of a beautiful young woman. Captain Ichabod saw the strange raft sweep toward the strand30. He rushed to seize it, and pulled it beyond the power of the tide to snatch it back into the maw of the ocean. Thereafter, he worked over the girl to save her from death by drowning.
It was a long time before she showed signs of life. But, after a time, the breast began to rise and fall in the perfect rhythm of health. Captain Ichabod, wild with anxiety, could hear the breathing of this woman whom he had saved from the sea. He was glad. He stood working over her in desperate haste. And then, presently, the lashes31 of the girl unclosed, and she stared wonderingly into the face of this old man, who stood over her with so much tenderness in his expression. The girl, suddenly arousing to consciousness, spoke32 anxiously:
"Doctor, tell me, where am I?"
Ichabod felt himself embarrassed. He spoke emphatically.
"No, Miss, I hain't no doctor—that is, I hain't no medical M.D., but folks says I'm a right smart o' a water doctor fer fever an' sich, but in yo'r case, I's a-takin' o' the water out instead o' puttin' it in or rubbin' it on, an' you lacks a heap o' havin' a fever, but arter I gits ye ter the shack33 I'll warm up yer little cold frame an' vitals with a swig o' brandy. That is, if ye has come to 'nough ter swaller."
The young woman was now breathing normally. The Captain raised her in his arms and bore her to the shack—across the threshold of which hitherto no woman's foot had stepped. The room was warm with the heat from the cook-stove, which had been left with the drafts open. He laid the girl on his bed, and then brought to her a glass of old brandy, salvaged34 years before from a wreck, and held intact by him during all this time as if for just such an emergency.
It was with difficulty that he aroused the victim of the wreck sufficiently35 to swallow the liquor, but in the end he was successful. Then he removed her outer garments, and wrapped her in woolen36 blankets.
Yet, even after it was plain that the heart was working normally once again, since there was a delicate flush showing in the girl's cheeks, the Captain was puzzled by the mental vagueness. She did not show any revival37 of intelligence, although she seemed to recover all her physical powers. He came to believe that she must have been injured on the head, by a blow from some bit of wreckage38. But, though he went over her skull39 with deft40 fingers, he could find no trace of a bruise41. He finally decided42 that her mental condition must be merely the result of the strain undergone by her, and that it would be remedied by an interval43 of sleep. So, he tucked the blankets snugly44 about her, and then left her alone, that he might see what could be done toward bringing the marooned45 skipper from his perilous46 place on the wrecked47 boat.
While Captain Ichabod was busy with the rescue of the girl, there had come a lull48 in the storm. The wind had hauled around to the southwest, and was now blowing a stiff breeze off shore, which, taken together with the fast-running tide still on the ebb, had caused the seas to lessen49 in the Inlet. Under these improved conditions, the Captain decided to make a try at relieving the castaway from his sorry plight50.
He launched the red skiff, and set out to row toward the wreck. He was encouraged in the difficult task by the frantic gestures with which the victim of the storm called for succor51. Captain Ichabod reflected grimly that this fellow who had disregarded his warnings must be plainly a maniac. Yet he was sufficiently sane52 to have a normal desire to be saved from death. He guessed that perhaps the yachtsman had been temporarily unbalanced in his mind when in the grip of the raging waters—then, afterward53, had regained54 his self-control, and with it a wholesome55 desire to live.
Captain Ichabod managed to bring the skiff up under the lee of the wreck. He threw a rope to the man, and bade him make it fast. The order was obeyed. Ichabod then directed the yachtsman to collect his valuables and come aboard the skiff. The castaway lost no time in obeying. Presently, carrying a small black bag, he seated himself in the skiff, and Ichabod turned the boat's nose toward the shore, and bent56 to the oars57, in haste to get back to his patient, and so to complete his list of rescues for that eventful day.
During the short interval of time consumed in going from the wreck to the Island, the stranger made anxious inquiries58 as to the fate of the girl. He had thought that she was dead. When he heard from Captain Ichabod that the girl still lived he was obviously startled and surprised, but, too, he showed every symptom of intense pleasure. He displayed anxiety as to what the girl might have said. Then, when he learned that she had said nothing at all, he appeared greatly relieved. He seemed pleased to learn that she was still unconscious.
Ichabod, wonderingly, thought that he heard the stranger say:
"Thank God!"
The boat was no sooner beached than the man who had been rescued leaped ashore59, still carrying in his hand the small physician's bag. He raced toward the cabin, as if he felt that life or death depended on his haste.
Captain Ichabod suddenly felt very old and worn. He had used too much energy in this work of rescue, and now the reaction set in. He dawdled60 over the securing of the skiff. Then he made his way with lagging steps toward the cabin. He pushed open the door, and was startled to behold61 the man he had rescued kneeling beside the couch of the girl. At the noise of the opening door, the man sprang to his feet.... Ichabod wondered as he glimpsed an object that shone like silver, and then was slipped cautiously into the man's coat pocket.
Captain Ichabod approached the bed upon which the girl lay motionless. He noticed on the forearm a tiny drop of blood. He wondered also over this, then solved the puzzle to his satisfaction by thinking that a mosquito had left this trace of its attack. He was confirmed in the opinion by the fact that there was a white blotch62 beneath the touch of crimson63.
Captain Ichabod tried to question the man he had saved, but found every answer baffling and unsatisfactory. The yachtsman refused any sort of information. His reticence64 angered the old man, and he at last spoke his mind freely, with something of suspicion engendered65 by a new thought concerning that curious drop of blood on the girl's arm.
"She acts ter me like a woman chuck-er-block with Bateman Drops or opium66. A heap o' that kind o' truck is used by the women about these-here islands o' the Sound, an' I've seed a heap o' the effects o' it in the years past, but the good Lord knows it's a spell since Captain Icky has seed a woman a-hitten dope, as new-fangled folks calls it."
The man who had been rescued by Ichabod started violently as he heard the word "dope." He cast a probing glance on the old man, but spoke never a word.
"Thar is one thing fer sartin," continued the fisherman, "if it hain't dope that is a'lin' o' her, it's somethin' that calls fer an M.D., an' if she hain't come to her senses in an hour, I'll put the rag on the skiff an' run up to Beaufort an' bring back Dr. Hudson to pass on the case. Thar has never been a death o' a human in Ichabod Jones' shack, an' Lord have mercy, the first passin' sha'n't be a woman!"
The condition of the girl continued such that Ichabod felt it necessary to summon the physician. He must make the trip in his sailboat to Beaufort, the nearest town along the coast. The yachtsman now approved the idea.
When Captain Ichabod went to make ready his boat for the trip to town, the yachtsman followed him, and then presently, walking down to where the wreckage had come ashore, proceeded to right and clear of débris a little cedar67 motor boat, which had come ashore from the wrecked yacht, practically unharmed, except that the batteries were wet.
In the absence of Captain Ichabod, the stranger removed all the wire connections in this small boat, and placed the batteries over the stove to dry. When they were in fact thoroughly68 dried, he waited patiently for the departure of Captain Ichabod in search of a physician. Presently, the old man set out on his errand of mercy. The stranger yachtsman grinned derisively69 as he saw the boat slip into the smother70 of storm-tossed waters.
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1
weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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shrieking
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| v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
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gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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tinge
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| vt.(较淡)着色于，染色；使带有…气息；n.淡淡色彩，些微的气息 | |
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6
bunk
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| n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位；废话 | |
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plumb
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| adv.精确地，完全地；v.了解意义，测水深 | |
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8
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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9
oyster
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| n.牡蛎；沉默寡言的人 | |
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10
darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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11
ebb
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| vi.衰退，减退；n.处于低潮，处于衰退状态 | |
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12
frantically
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| ad.发狂地, 发疯地 | |
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13
doom
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| n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定 | |
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14
palatial
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| adj.宫殿般的，宏伟的 | |
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15
prow
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| n.(飞机)机头，船头 | |
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16
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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17
buffeted
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| 反复敲打( buffet的过去式和过去分词 )； 连续猛击； 打来打去； 推来搡去 | |
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18
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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19
salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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20
derisive
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| adj.嘲弄的 | |
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21
amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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22
maniac
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| n.精神癫狂的人；疯子 | |
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23
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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24
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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25
eddied
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| 起漩涡，旋转( eddy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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26
hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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27
racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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28
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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29
mattress
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| n.床垫，床褥 | |
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30
strand
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| vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地） | |
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31
lashes
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| n.鞭挞( lash的名词复数 )；鞭子；突然猛烈的一击；急速挥动v.鞭打( lash的第三人称单数 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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32
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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33
shack
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| adj.简陋的小屋，窝棚 | |
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34
salvaged
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| （从火灾、海难等中）抢救（某物）( salvage的过去式和过去分词 )； 回收利用（某物） | |
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35
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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36
woolen
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| adj.羊毛(制)的；毛纺的 | |
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37
revival
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| n.复兴，复苏，（精力、活力等的）重振 | |
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38
wreckage
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| n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏 | |
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39
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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40
deft
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| adj.灵巧的，熟练的（a deft hand 能手） | |
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41
bruise
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| n.青肿，挫伤；伤痕；vt.打青；挫伤 | |
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42
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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43
interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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44
snugly
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| adv.紧贴地；贴身地；暖和舒适地；安适地 | |
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45
marooned
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| adj.被围困的；孤立无援的；无法脱身的 | |
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46
perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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47
wrecked
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| adj.失事的，遇难的 | |
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48
lull
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| v.使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗；n.暂停，间歇 | |
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49
lessen
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| vt.减少，减轻；缩小 | |
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50
plight
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| n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定 | |
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51
succor
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| n.援助，帮助；v.给予帮助 | |
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52
sane
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| adj.心智健全的，神志清醒的，明智的，稳健的 | |
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53
afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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54
regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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55
wholesome
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| adj.适合；卫生的；有益健康的；显示身心健康的 | |
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56
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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57
oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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58
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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59
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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60
dawdled
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| v.混（时间）( dawdle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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61
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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62
blotch
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| n.大斑点；红斑点；v.使沾上污渍，弄脏 | |
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63
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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64
reticence
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| n.沉默，含蓄 | |
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65
engendered
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| v.产生（某形势或状况），造成，引起( engender的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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66
opium
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| n.鸦片；adj.鸦片的 | |
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67
cedar
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| n.雪松，香柏(木) | |
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68
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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69
derisively
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| adv. 嘲笑地，嘲弄地 | |
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70
smother
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| vt./vi.使窒息；抑制；闷死；n.浓烟；窒息 | |
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