We crossed the equator under light steam, for there was no wind and it was too warm to lie becalmed, even in that mystical, lotus-breathing sea.
Our world was turned around, now. We were going back to the year’s beginning, and springtime lay at the end of our bow-sprit. The Big Dipper and the North Star were ours no longer; the Southern Cross had become our beacon1 and our hope. The sun and moon were still with us, but even these had fallen behind and it was to the northward2 now that we turned for noonday.
Gradually the glorious sunsets of the lower tropics faded into a semblance3 of those we had known in our own land. It was no longer quite comfortable on deck without wraps. An April quality had come into the air, and we grew presently to realize that we were entering rapidly into what was, to us, the curious anomaly of an October spring.
87To me it was all pure enjoyment4. It seemed that I could never look at the sea enough, and often I got Edith Gale5 to help me. And Ferratoni too, sometimes, for with the cooler weather and more temperate6 skies he had become quite himself again.
The first frost in the air seemed a glacial feeling to us, and set us to talking with renewed interest of the Far South and the lands and peoples we had undertaken to discover. I felt sure we were extravagant7 in some of our expectations. The tales we had read led us to hope for marvels8 in the way of mechanical progress, and we treated ourselves to flying machines and heaven only knows what other luxuries. In the end, I discouraged flying machines. I said that if these were a fact with the Antarcticans, they would have come to us long since. I said also that we must not build our anticipations9 too big, but base everything on calm reason and sound logic10. It was more than possible, I admitted, that the Antarcticans had made some advancements11 in mechanism12 that were unknown to us, but on the whole I thought we would hold our own at the next world’s exhibition.
It had been Chauncey Gale’s intention to touch at one of the large South American ports for a little holiday, and to procure13 a few articles needed in the construction department below stairs. This idea, however, was now discouraged by the officers, who 88believed that a number if not all of the crew would desert the ship at the first opportunity.
“Why not let them go?” I had asked, when we were talking the matter over, “and ship a new crew?”
Into the Captain’s off eye there came the twist of indifferent scorn usually accorded to my suggestions.
“Yes,” he growled14, “and get a gang from some crimp who would load ’em onto us dead drunk, to cut our throats as soon as they got sober. I know South American crews—I’ve helped kill some of ’em—I don’t want any more.”
I was silent. I didn’t know what a crimp was, and I wouldn’t have asked for considerable. I have since learned that he is an unreliable person; a bad man, who sells worse whisky over a disreputable bar, from which he unloads on sea-captains anything human, and drunk enough to stand the operation. His place is a sort of clearing house, and the crimp has a syndicate or trust, as it were, with the captain at his mercy.
We altered our plans, therefore, and turned our course more directly southward, toward the Falkland Islands. We were off the River de la Plata at the time, sailing leisurely15 along under a blue sky, with the fair weather that had followed us most of the way from New York. The sailors had expected 89we would put into Rio Janeiro or one of the ports farther down, but now that we had passed below Montevideo and were standing16 out to sea, they knew we were not to touch land again.
I was leaning over the rail after the interview in the cabin, puzzling about crimps, and looking at the shark—or one just like him—who still followed us, when I heard Mr. Emory, who was on watch, order the men up into the shrouds17 to shorten sail. I did not see why this should be done, for the sky was blue, dotted here and there with small woolly clouds that showed only a tendency to skurry about a little, like frisking lambs. Perhaps the men didn’t understand, either, for the bosen, Frenchy, blew his whistle presently and they left their work about half finished, and came down. Then they gathered in a group at the bow and I saw Mr. Emory go forward and talk earnestly to Frenchy, who seemed excited and gesticulated at the men, the cabin, himself and the world in general. Mr. Emory left him after a few moments and disappeared into the cabin, where I knew the Captain and Edith Gale were matched in a rubber of whist against the Admiral and Ferratoni, who had been coerced18 into learning the game.
I left my place at the ship’s side. I did not believe in the old shark superstition19, and I had little respect for a creature that would follow a ship 90thirty-five hundred miles for table-scraps when he could get a fish dinner any time for the trouble of catching20 it. I did want to know about the men, though—why they had been taking in sail, and why they had quit and gathered in a group over the forecastle. Mr. Emory was talking to Captain Biffer when I came in.
“They refuse to obey orders,” he was saying, “unless we turn around and put into Montevideo. They claim they need more clothing for the cold weather south. The sky looks rather queer, and I set them to reefing down so’s to be ready for one of those Pampeiros that Mr. Larkins says come up in a minute down here. When they got about half through, Frenchy stopped them. They’re out forward, now.”
“Did you tell them we had plenty of warm clothing aboard?” asked Gale.
“I told them. It isn’t the clothing. They simply want to desert the ship.”
“Is Mr. Larkins on the bridge?” asked Captain Biffer.
“He comes on at eight bells—in about five minutes, now.”
“Very well; go back to the bridge, Mr. Emory, I’ll deal with this situation.” Then to Edith Gale “Don’t be alarmed, ma’am.”
I risked a remark.
91“Is this your first strike, Captain?” I ventured.
His eye fixed21 me grimly.
“We don’t call it that at sea,” he said, “we call it mutiny!”
The word rather startled me, but I followed him out on deck, as did the others. No one could remain in the cabin with a thing like that going on outside. The men were about as we had left them—the bosen, Frenchy, somewhat in front of the others. He was a villain22 and a traitor23, but he was not without bravado24.
“We haf not been well treat!” he began, “we haf been deceive. We——”
He paused. The Captain had drawn25 a bead26 on him with the eye he most frequently used on me. With the other he took aim at the group behind, and every man of them felt himself singled out, and quailed27. I could see them beginning to shrink and wither28 even before he said a word. He began by gently reminding them of the usual lightness of their employment and the continued excellence29 of their bill-of-fare; then in good sooth he opened up.
It was like the breaking loose at Manila. I had known that Biffer had a way with his English, but I never realized until that moment what he could do when he tried. They didn’t need any warm clothes, now. Everything he called them was red-hot and fitted as if they had grown to it. Why, 92they fairly shrivelled, and whenever anything he said hit the deck it smoked.
A cloud of what appeared to be genuine smoke came drifting across our bows just then, and the air had grown strangely hot, but nobody seemed to notice it. I think we unconsciously attributed these things to the Captain’s artillery30. The men were huddled31 and Frenchy alone was still defiant32. His case was desperate and he was a desperate man. He made a step forward—perhaps he thought the men would follow him—a movement that a second later would have been a spring at the Captain’s throat. One hand he held close to his side and in it something gleamed.
There was an instant of dead silence, then—just above our heads—
“All hands aloft to shorten sail! The Pampeiro!”
Everybody looked up. Officer Larkins had come on the bridge and his rich voice rang out like a clarion33 peal34. Frenchy stopped. The men sprang into life. They were ready enough to obey, now, but it was too late!
“Then, somebody was clinging to me.”—Page 93.
I had seen cyclones35 in the West, but the Pampeiro is different. From the smoke across our bow there came a lurid36 flash, and thunder that seemed to hit every part of the vessel37 at once. I heard the smashing of wood and ripping of canvas overhead, and 93just in front of me I saw a great wave come pouring over the ship’s side. Somebody seized my hand and there was a startled cry of my name. Then somebody was clinging to me—somebody that I was holding close and helping38 into the cabin. In the half blackness I saw that Chauncey Gale and Ferratoni were just behind. The cabin was dark and the ship pitching violently.
It was all over in ten minutes. The vessel still rolled, but the storm had passed. Zar, who had been napping when the Pampeiro struck, came running in to her mistress.
“You po’ li’l’ lam’, how wet you is!” she said, “an’ how yo’ heart beat—so frightened!”
She bore off her charge, and the rest of us took account of stock.
We found we had lost some sail—a top-mast—several steamer chairs, and one man—Frenchy—who had been directly in the path of the wave.
“That’s what that shark meant,” said Chauncey Gale solemnly, “he won’t follow us any more. And say, Biff, it was worth the price of admission to hear you comb those fellows down. By the great corner-stone, but you did it beautiful!”
On the whole there were compensations. We had seen a Pampeiro, for one thing, and we had got rid of a mutiny; a disturbing element had been removed and an old superstition had been confirmed. 94Altogether, everybody was satisfied, including the shark.
But to me had come an added joy. In the moment of danger it was to me that Edith Gale had turned.
That night we walked the deck together. The sky was clear and black again, though the sea was still billowy, and there was a chill head-wind which, with our damaged rigging, necessitated39 the use of steam.
We walked back to the stern, and leaning over looked down at the surge boiling up from the screw beneath. Like a huge serpent it twisted away into the night, showing a white coil here and there as it vanished in the shoreless dark behind. A mighty40 awe41 came upon us. Face to face with the vastness of the universe, we were overpowered by that dread42 loneliness which lies between the stars.
By and by I told her of the man sailing around the world in a little boat, alone. She would not let me dwell upon it. Then I said I had thought of doing it myself.
“You must never do it,” she shuddered43, “promise me that you never will.”
There had never been the slightest danger of my doing it, and never would be, but it did not seem strange that I should promise.
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1
beacon
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| n.烽火，（警告用的）闪火灯，灯塔 | |
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2
northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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3
semblance
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| n.外貌，外表 | |
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enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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5
gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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6
temperate
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| adj.温和的，温带的，自我克制的，不过分的 | |
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7
extravagant
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| adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的 | |
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8
marvels
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| n.奇迹( marvel的名词复数 )；令人惊奇的事物（或事例）；不平凡的成果；成就v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的第三人称单数 ) | |
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9
anticipations
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| 预期( anticipation的名词复数 )； 预测； （信托财产收益的）预支； 预期的事物 | |
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10
logic
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| n.逻辑(学)；逻辑性 | |
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advancements
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| n.（级别的）晋升( advancement的名词复数 )；前进；进展；促进 | |
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12
mechanism
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| n.机械装置；机构，结构 | |
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13
procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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14
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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15
leisurely
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| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
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16
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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17
shrouds
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| n.裹尸布( shroud的名词复数 )；寿衣；遮蔽物；覆盖物v.隐瞒( shroud的第三人称单数 )；保密 | |
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18
coerced
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| v.迫使做( coerce的过去式和过去分词 )；强迫；（以武力、惩罚、威胁等手段）控制；支配 | |
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superstition
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| n.迷信，迷信行为 | |
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20
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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21
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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22
villain
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| n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因 | |
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23
traitor
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| n.叛徒，卖国贼 | |
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24
bravado
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| n.虚张声势，故作勇敢，逞能 | |
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25
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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26
bead
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| n.念珠；(pl.)珠子项链；水珠 | |
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27
quailed
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| 害怕，发抖，畏缩( quail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
wither
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| vt.使凋谢，使衰退，(用眼神气势等)使畏缩；vi.枯萎，衰退，消亡 | |
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29
excellence
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| n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德 | |
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30
artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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31
huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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32
defiant
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| adj.无礼的，挑战的 | |
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33
clarion
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| n.尖音小号声；尖音小号 | |
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34
peal
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| n.钟声；v.鸣响 | |
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35
cyclones
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| n.气旋( cyclone的名词复数 )；旋风；飓风；暴风 | |
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36
lurid
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| adj.可怕的；血红的；苍白的 | |
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37
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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38
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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39
necessitated
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| 使…成为必要，需要( necessitate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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40
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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41
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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42
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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43
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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