The ship was rolling badly. For the last ten days she had been on her best behaviour in that respect; but now she was making up for lost time. There was a high sea running, and the ship's alley-ways to the saloon were ankle-deep in water.
With the glass falling rapidly the seas increased in violence. It was evident that the West Barbican would receive a heavy dusting within the next few hours.
"Hanged if I like the look of things, Preston," admitted Captain Bullock, sniffing2 the approaching storm from afar. "We're in for something."
"We are, sir," agreed the Acting3 Chief. "And I'm not altogether satisfied with that steelwork. Bad enough cargo4 at any time, but I've an idea something's working adrift in No. 1 hold. I'll get Anstey to have a look at it."
The Old Man concurred5.
"Tell the serang to warn the lascars," he added. "We don't want broken limbs and all that sort of thing."
At an order a party of lascars assembled for the purpose of securing any of the cargo that might have broken adrift. Presently Anstey, wearing sea-boots, made his way along the lurching deck. He was not at all keen on this particular job. Hounding about in the semi-darkness of the hold and in momentary8 danger of being crushed by a mass of shifting metal was not a pleasing outlook. But it was duty, and Anstey was not a shirker.
The lascars cast off a portion of the tarpaulin9 and removed the aftermost of the metal hatches, disclosing the rusty10 coaming and the upper portion of a vertical11 ladder of iron—or, to be more precise, a ladder that was nominally12 vertical. In present conditions it was swaying with the ship, and describing an erratic13 curve with a maximum heel of twenty degrees.
Steadying himself by the coaming, Anstey felt with his left foot for the topmost rung. Then, gripping the sides of the ladder, he began the descent.
Very little daylight found its way into the narrow space afforded by the displaced hatch. In fact Anstey soon found himself in gloom approaching total darkness. The air too, after being confined for weeks, was dank and distinctly unwholesome. There was an acute smell from the fumes14 given off from the red oxide15 with which the steelwork had been coated.
With his rubber-soled boots slithering on the slippery rungs as the vessel16 rolled, and gripping strongly with both hands, the Third Officer descended17 until at length his feet came in contact with the metal floor of the hold. The din7 was terrific. Without, the seas were hammering on the comparatively thin hull18-plating. Bilge-water was foaming19 and hissing20 in the cellular21 bottom, while the vibration22 of the engines—the noise intensified23 in the confined space—added to the turmoil24.
To these noises Anstey paid scant25 heed26. He was listening intently to a metallic27 sound, which told him that Preston's precautions had not been taken in vain. Somewhere in the for'ard part of the hold there was a regular metallic thud. It came from a mass of metal that had worked loose from the securing chains.
Anstey's first intention was to order a couple of lascars below.
"May as well do the jolly old job myself," he soliloquized, on second thoughts.
Fumbling28 in his pocket he produced his electric torch. For some minutes he was dazzled by the blinding glare. Then, as his eyes grew accustomed to the light, he could form a good idea of the difficulties of his surroundings.
He was standing29 in a narrow fore-and-aft passage. The walls consisted of red-painted girders piled up to a height of ten feet on either side of him. Although secured by chains and upright steel bars they presented a formidable appearance, as alternately each wall towered obliquely30 over his head, the whole mass straining and groaning31 at its lashings like a Titan striving to burst his bonds.
Staggering along the narrow passage, for the erratic movement of the hold was totally different from the heave and pitch to which Anstey was accustomed on deck, the Third Officer made his way cautiously forward, critically examining the metal gripes that secured the awkward cargo.
Suddenly he stopped. A cold perspiration32 stood out on his forehead. Danger, imminent33 danger, stared him in the face. Danger not only to himself but to the ship and her passengers and crew.
Three feet above his head a huge girder was chattering34 and quivering. The chain that secured it to its fellows had at one time been set up by a massive bottle screw. Possibly the thread was an easy one, but, in any case, the constant working of the ship had caused the bottle screw to "run back". It was now holding by a couple of threads at the most, and momentarily the securing chain might fly asunder35.
Anstey realized what that meant. The fifty-ton girder would crush and pulp36 him to a jelly. Not only that; it would to a certainty start the bottom plates of the hull and shatter the bulkheads of No. 1 hold as well. That meant that the West Barbican would plunge37 like a stone to the bed of the Atlantic.
Thrusting the barrel of his torch under the strap38 of his peaked cap, Anstey replaced the headgear, jamming it on so that the peak was over his right ear. That gave him a direct light to work with.
Then, pulling out the marline-spike39 of his knife, and holding it between his teeth, Anstey began to scale the precarious40 wall of steel until he could tackle the almost disjointed bottle screw.
It seemed an eternity41 climbing that five or six feet. To his agitated42 mind it seemed as if the girders were already slipping bodily upon him. As his toes sought an insecure hold he could feel the steelwork trembling. With each lurch6 of the vessel to starboard the bottle screw strained, until the young officer felt certain that the last two threads had stripped and the last restraining bonds had been loosed.
At last he found himself in a position to tackle his task. With one foot resting on a girder on one side of the passage, and the other on the opposite side, and steadying himself as best he could with his left hand, Anstey inserted the point of the marline-spike in the slot of the bottle screw.
Then he began to turn the locking device, slowly and firmly.
HE BEGAN TO TURN THE LOCKING DEVICE, SLOWLY AND FIRMLY
HE BEGAN TO TURN THE LOCKING DEVICE, SLOWLY AND FIRMLY
At first he was seized with the terrifying idea that the threads were not gripping. With the torch in his cap throwing its rays erratically43 with every movement of his head, Anstey felt convinced that his efforts were in vain.
He went on turning and turning, barking his knuckles44 as the tapering45 spike slipped again and again. Then, with a grunt46 of satisfaction, he saw that the ends of the threaded bolts had reappeared.
Even as he looked, the torch slipped from his cap and clattered47 to the metal floor. The hold was plunged48 into darkness.
His first impulse was to make for the open air. In the darkness the difficulties of working in the place were redoubled. It required a determined49 effort to force himself to his incompleted task.
Solely50 by sense of touch he carried on, until he had the joy of feeling the reunited ends of the threaded bars. That part of the business was finished until next time, he decided51.
Regaining52 the floor, he felt his way between the piled-up girders until his hand came in contact with the ladder. Twenty-five feet above his head he could see a rectangular patch of light, one edge broken by the heads and shoulders of half a dozen lascars.
Up the ladder Anstey swarmed53, drinking in copious54 draughts55 of the pure, salt-laden air.
But his task was incomplete. He must make sure that everything in No. 1 hold was secure.
"Thatcher56, old son," he exclaimed, as he encountered one of the junior engineers. "Lend me your torch, there's a good sort. I've scuppered mine."
Thatcher fumbled57 in the pocket of his dungarees.
"Here you are, you careless blighter," he replied. "Skylarking, I suppose? Well, take care of my gadget58, anyway."
Again Anstey descended the hold and completed his survey. The clang of shifting steel had ceased.
When, after an hour's absence, he regained59 the bridge, Preston was not to be seen, but the skipper spotted60 the dishevelled youth and sung out to him.
"Well?" queried61 the Old Man.
"All correct, sir," reported Anstey. "The——"
"Good," rejoined the Captain, without waiting for the Third's explanation. "Carry on."
Anstey turned away to "carry on". It was his watch below. The job in No. 1 hold was merely an extra. He was still feeling the effects of his desperate efforts in the confined space, and the idea of turning in before he had had a "breather" did not appeal to him.
On the lee side of the bridge he encountered Mostyn.
"Hello, old thing," was Peter's greeting. "What have you been up to? You look a bit green about the gills."
"Nothing much," replied Anstey. "Just been giving an eye to your father's ironmongery. Yes, it's all right. Got a cigarette? My case is down below. Thanks awfully62."
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收听单词发音
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1
cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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sniffing
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| n.探查法v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的现在分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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concurred
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| 同意（concur的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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lurch
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| n.突然向前或旁边倒；v.蹒跚而行 | |
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7
din
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| n.喧闹声，嘈杂声 | |
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momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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tarpaulin
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| n.涂油防水布，防水衣，防水帽 | |
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rusty
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| adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的 | |
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vertical
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| adj.垂直的，顶点的，纵向的；n.垂直物，垂直的位置 | |
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nominally
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| 在名义上，表面地； 应名儿 | |
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erratic
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| adj.古怪的，反复无常的，不稳定的 | |
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fumes
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| n.(强烈而刺激的)气味，气体 | |
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oxide
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| n.氧化物 | |
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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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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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19
foaming
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| adj.布满泡沫的；发泡 | |
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hissing
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| n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
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cellular
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| adj.移动的；细胞的，由细胞组成的 | |
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vibration
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| n.颤动，振动；摆动 | |
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23
intensified
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| v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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turmoil
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| n.骚乱，混乱，动乱 | |
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25
scant
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| adj.不充分的，不足的；v.减缩，限制，忽略 | |
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26
heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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metallic
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| adj.金属的；金属制的；含金属的；产金属的；像金属的 | |
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28
fumbling
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| n. 摸索,漏接 v. 摸索,摸弄,笨拙的处理 | |
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29
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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obliquely
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| adv.斜； 倾斜； 间接； 不光明正大 | |
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31
groaning
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| adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式 | |
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perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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34
chattering
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| n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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35
asunder
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| adj.分离的，化为碎片 | |
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36
pulp
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| n.果肉，纸浆；v.化成纸浆，除去...果肉，制成纸浆 | |
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37
plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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38
strap
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| n.皮带，带子；v.用带扣住，束牢；用绷带包扎 | |
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39
spike
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| n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效 | |
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40
precarious
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| adj.不安定的，靠不住的；根据不足的 | |
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eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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42
agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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erratically
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| adv.不规律地，不定地 | |
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44
knuckles
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| n.（指人）指关节( knuckle的名词复数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝v.（指人）指关节( knuckle的第三人称单数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝 | |
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45
tapering
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| adj.尖端细的 | |
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46
grunt
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| v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝 | |
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47
clattered
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| 发出咔哒声（clatter的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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48
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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49
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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50
solely
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| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
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51
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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52
regaining
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| 复得( regain的现在分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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53
swarmed
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| 密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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54
copious
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| adj.丰富的，大量的 | |
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55
draughts
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| n. <英>国际跳棋 | |
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56
thatcher
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| n.茅屋匠 | |
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57
fumbled
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| （笨拙地）摸索或处理（某事物）( fumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 乱摸，笨拙地弄； 使落下 | |
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58
gadget
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| n.小巧的机械，精巧的装置，小玩意儿 | |
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59
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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60
spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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61
queried
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| v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问 | |
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62
awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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