It was a novel experience for Peter to watch the deft4 movements of his servant, who seemed to possess an uncanny knowledge of where his master's personal belongings5 were stowed. Mostyn's safety-razor, strop, shaving-pot, and soap were placed ready for use; his boots were shining with unusual brilliancy, even in the comparatively feeble rays of the electric lamp. His clothes, folded and pressed, were placed ready to put on. How and when Mahmed had contrived6 to make these preparations without disturbing his master rather puzzled the Wireless7 Officer, for he considered himself a light sleeper8.
Breakfast was more or less a scrambled9 affair, many of the officers having to gulp10 down a cup of hot tea and hurry off to their appointed tasks, for the West Barbican was sailing at noon, and there were multitudinous duties to be seen to before the ship was actually under way.
Directly after breakfast Peter hastened to the wireless cabin in order to put in an hour's uninterrupted work before the appearance of his two inefficient11 assistants. Not that they would have worried him by asking questions, intelligent or otherwise. It was their wooden-faced passivity that Peter found disturbing. He wondered by what manner of means such a quaint12 pair of birds was taken into the Company's service.
At four bells—ten o'clock—Mostyn had got his set into working order, and a quarter of an hour later the wireless inspector13 came on board to receive the radio-officer's report, and to satisfy himself that the installation was in every way efficient.
"I can give your little outfit14 a clean bill of health pretty quickly, Mr. Mostyn," remarked the inspector. "Evidently your predecessor15 left you very little to do. Once you've broken in your two Watchers you ought to have a very soft time."
"I hope so," rejoined Peter guardedly, but he had grave doubts on the subject. Not that he wanted a "very soft time"—he was far too energetic for that—but because he felt convinced that his assistants were not cut out for the job.
At length a blast on the siren announced that the West Barbican was about to leave the dock. Peter left the cabin to watch the now familiar yet engrossing16 scene, familiar save for the fact that for the first time he had shipped with a crew of lascars. It was a strange sight to see the natives on the fo'c'sle, carrying out orders under the serang, and to watch a barefooted lascar go aloft, gripping the shrouds17 with hands and toes with equal facility.
Under the gentle yet firm persuasion18 of a couple of fussy19 tugs20 the West Barbican renewed her acquaintance with London River. There were no demonstrations21 at her departure. None of the officers had any relations or friends to wish them God-speed from the shore, and, since the passengers had not yet embarked22, the usual display of farewells was not in evidence.
It was not until the ship entered Sea Reach that Peter called his assistants.
"You, Partridge, will take on now," he said. "Plover23, it's your watch below. You'd better see that you get some sleep. Now, you know your duties, Partridge?"
"Yes, sir."
"Right-o; carry on!"
Partridge sat down and clipped on the telephones. Peter left him, but promised himself to visit the cabin pretty frequently, to see that the Watcher was watching. Meanwhile he had plenty to do in the clerical line, filling up forms and making reports upon various technical matters.
Half an hour later Mostyn returned to the wireless-room. He was not surprised to find that Master Partridge was lying on the floor, having previously24 "mustered25 his bag" with the utmost impartiality26. Watcher No. 1 was down and out.
"The poor bounder can't help being sea-sick, but he ought to have been a little more considerate," soliloquized Mostyn, after he had told the unhappy Watcher to clear out and turn in. In fact, Partridge was so bad that Peter had to assist him down the ladder until he handed him over to the care of a lascar.
Although the ship had not yet passed the Nore she was rolling considerably27, for there was a fresh wind on the starboard beam. Evidently she was doing her best to live up to her reputation. But Peter made light of the motion. With the telephones clipped to his head he sat in the open doorway28 of his "dog-box", watching the ever-changing seascape so far as a couple of boats in davits permitted.
When the hour arrived for Watcher Plover to take over the watch, that individual was not forthcoming. Peter waited a full ten minutes and then told a seedee-boy to warn the absentee.
Presently the Indian messenger returned with a faint trace of a smile on his olivine features.
"No go, sahib," he announced. "He ill—very sick like to die."
Mostyn shrugged29 his shoulders and "carried on". Fortunately he had had a fairly good night's rest. The treble trick he could endure with equanimity30, buoyed31 up by the hope that the indisposition of his two inefficient assistants would be of short duration, especially as the West Barbican was due to berth32 in Brocklington Dock by six the next morning.
Before long the weather began to get decidedly dirty. The haze33 that had been hanging over the coast had vanished, but to the east'ard banks of ragged-edged indigo-coloured clouds betokened34 a hard blow before very long. The wind, too, had backed from sou'-sou'-east to nor'-nor'-east, and was rapidly increasing in force.
The West Barbican was not belying35 her reputation for rolling. In the wireless cabin, between forty and fifty feet above the sea, everything of a movable nature was slithering to and fro with each long-drawn oscillation of the ship. More than once Peter had to grip the table to prevent his chair sliding bodily across the deck. The wind was thrumming through the shrouds, and whistling through the still open scuttles36, while the aerial vibrated like a tuning37 fork in the shrieking38 blast.
It was one of those sudden gales39 that play havoc40 with small craft, especially in the comparatively shallow waters of the North Sea; but, although Peter kept a vigilant41 look out for SOS signals, the air was remarkably42 free from radio calls. At intervals43 he could hear a peculiar44 buzzing in the ear-pieces—a noise that he knew from previous experience to be distant rain.
A shadow darkened the cabin. Peter turned his head and saw Anstey, the Third Officer, standing45 in the doorway. He was prepared for the storm, his head being partly concealed46 by a sou'wester, while a long oilskin coat and a pair of india-rubber boots completed the visible portion of his rig-out.
"Hello, Sparks!" he exclaimed. "How goes it? Anything doing?"
"Absolutely nothing," replied Mostyn. "Everything's as quiet as the proverbial lamb. I suppose——"
He broke off suddenly.
Anstey made some remark, but the Wireless Officer took not the slightest notice. Already he had snatched up a pencil and was scribbling47 upon the ever-ready pad.
It was a TTT or urgent warning signal. Mostyn wrote it down mechanically without knowing its import, but the Third Officer, looking over Peter's shoulder, made a grimace48 as he deciphered the other's scrawl49:
"CQ de GNF—TTT—mine warning—S.S. two-step reports 1630 sighting two mines, lat. 53° 20' 15", long. 1° 5' 30" east stop mines just awash barnacle covered apparently50 connected by hawser—end of message."
"By Jove!" exclaimed Anstey. "Just our luck. Right in our course, an' it's my blessed watch."
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
char
|
|
| v.烧焦；使...燃烧成焦炭 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
copper
|
|
| n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
jug
|
|
| n.(有柄，小口，可盛水等的)大壶，罐，盂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
deft
|
|
| adj.灵巧的，熟练的（a deft hand 能手） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
belongings
|
|
| n.私人物品，私人财物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
contrived
|
|
| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
wireless
|
|
| adj.无线的；n.无线电 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
sleeper
|
|
| n.睡眠者，卧车，卧铺 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
scrambled
|
|
| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
gulp
|
|
| vt.吞咽，大口地吸（气）；vi.哽住；n.吞咽 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
inefficient
|
|
| adj.效率低的，无效的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
quaint
|
|
| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
inspector
|
|
| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
outfit
|
|
| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
predecessor
|
|
| n.前辈，前任 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
engrossing
|
|
| adj.使人全神贯注的，引人入胜的v.使全神贯注( engross的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
shrouds
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
persuasion
|
|
| n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
fussy
|
|
| adj.为琐事担忧的，过分装饰的，爱挑剔的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
tugs
|
|
| n.猛拉( tug的名词复数 )；猛拖；拖船v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
demonstrations
|
|
| 证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
embarked
|
|
| 乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
plover
|
|
| n.珩，珩科鸟，千鸟 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
previously
|
|
| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
mustered
|
|
| v.集合，召集，集结（尤指部队）( muster的过去式和过去分词 )；（自他人处）搜集某事物；聚集；激发 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
impartiality
|
|
| n. 公平, 无私, 不偏 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
considerably
|
|
| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
doorway
|
|
| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
shrugged
|
|
| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
equanimity
|
|
| n.沉着，镇定 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
buoyed
|
|
| v.使浮起( buoy的过去式和过去分词 )；支持；为…设浮标；振奋…的精神 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
berth
|
|
| n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
haze
|
|
| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
betokened
|
|
| v.预示，表示( betoken的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
belying
|
|
| v.掩饰，与…不符，使…失望；掩饰( belie的现在分词 )；证明（或显示）…为虚假；辜负；就…扯谎 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
scuttles
|
|
| n.天窗( scuttle的名词复数 )v.使船沉没( scuttle的第三人称单数 )；快跑，急走 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
37
tuning
|
|
| n.调谐，调整，调音v.调音( tune的现在分词 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
shrieking
|
|
| v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
gales
|
|
| 龙猫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
havoc
|
|
| n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
vigilant
|
|
| adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
remarkably
|
|
| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
intervals
|
|
| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
peculiar
|
|
| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
concealed
|
|
| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
scribbling
|
|
| n.乱涂[写]胡[乱]写的文章[作品]v.潦草的书写( scribble的现在分词 )；乱画；草草地写；匆匆记下 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
grimace
|
|
| v.做鬼脸，面部歪扭 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
scrawl
|
|
| vt.潦草地书写；n.潦草的笔记，涂写 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
apparently
|
|
| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |