It seemed to come from below the small cabin in which we stood—a snarling1 noise as though of a man enraged2.
Neither Seal nor his men liked the situation. I could see by their faces that they were thoroughly3 scared. They had found gold, it was true, but below was the owner of it.
“Come on, lads,” urged Dicky Dunn courageously4, “I’m going below to make the acquaintance of the skipper of this ’ere craft. The way is down that hatchway at the end of the big saloon.”
Encouraged by the old seaman5 the men moved back into the cabin we had first entered, and with Dunn I descended6 the dark stairs to explore, Seal following close behind us armed with his revolver.
I struck a match and, by its light, saw a quantity of ancient arms and armour7 lying with several skulls8 and bones. Apparently9 the men were below when the ship went down, and, the hatches being closed so tightly, neither air nor water reached them, so that they had been asphyxiated10.
The passage led along to a bulkhead, where it took a turn at right angles and ended with a closed door.
This Seal opened boldly, and we found ourselves in a small cabin, quite light—for the big square window had been broken out—and furnished in the same antique style as the big saloon above.
It had an occupant—the strangest-looking creature I ever saw.
He was an old man with long white hair and white beard, a man with a thin, haggard face and black, deep-sunken eyes. On first entering he escaped our notice, but we saw him crouching11 beneath the table, hiding from us in terror.
His dress, ragged12 and tattered13, was of three centuries ago—short breeches, a doublet of faded crimson14 velvet15, and an old coat with puffed16 sleeves, while in his hand he carried a rusty17 poniard and seemed prepared to spring out upon us.
I shall never forget the ghastly look of hatred18 and terror upon the queer old fellow’s countenance19 as he faced us. We all three stood absolutely dumfounded. It was very interesting to discover a ship lost for three centuries, but to find a survivor20 still on board was incredible.
Yet there was a human being actually in the flesh; a weird21 old fellow who, for aught we could tell, had lived on board that vessel22 for ages.
“Come out, sonny,” cried Seal, when he found tongue; “we won’t eat you.”
In response the weird individual gave vent23 to that same shrill24 cry of rage that had first attracted our attention, brandishing25 his knife threateningly, but not budging26 an inch from his hiding-place.
“Enough of that, my man,” exclaimed the captain, authoritatively27. “Come out and talk like a Christian28. Where are you bound for? and how many days are you out?”
“The bloomin’ ship’s about three ’undred years overdue29, I should fancy,” remarked Dicky Dunn, who was the ship’s humorist.
“Come along,” Seal urged persuasively30, placing his hands on his knees and bending down to him. “Come out of it, old chap, and let’s have a yarn31. I ain’t got any time to spare.”
But the old fellow only gnashed his gums and brandished32 his knife, for he appeared to entertain the greatest antipathy33 towards our skipper.
Presently, after some further coaxing34, but receiving no word in reply, I succeeded in reassuring35 him that we meant him no harm, and he came forth36 from his hiding-place and with a savage37 grin stood before us. He was tall and gaunt, about six feet in height and as thin as a lath. But when we came to question him he steadily38 refused to answer one single question.
All the skipper’s queries39 he resented with marked hostility40, and with me alone was he tractable41.
Before long, however, I discerned the true state of affairs. This strange individual, whoever he was, was dumb, and, further, he was not in his right mind. Privation and solitude42 were probably the cause of it; but whatever the reason, the fact remained that the queer old fellow was unable to utter one single intelligible43 word, and he was also not responsible for his actions.
Now and then he burst into peals44 of laughter, grinning hideously45, with all the characteristic symptoms of the maniac46, and then he would suddenly strike an attitude as though to attack our skipper.
Fortunately I induced him to put his knife aside, for although rusty it was still very sharp. By all the means I could think of I endeavoured to extract some word from him, but in vain. The sounds that escaped him were deep, gutteral, and utterly47 unintelligible48. By dumb show I tried to inquire who and what he was, but insanity49 asserted itself, for he only gave vent to a demoniacal shriek50 and cut some absurd capers51 that caused all three of us to laugh heartily52.
I took out my pocket-book and handed it to him, together with a pencil, but instead of writing, as I hoped to induce him, he only looked to see what was contained in the pockets of the book and handed it back to me.
“Well!” cried Seal, “this chap beats everything! Who in the name of fortune can he be?”
“He’s a mystery,” I answered, utterly puzzled.
“He looks as old as Methuselah,” remarked the skipper. “He’s just as though he walked out o’ one of them old pictures.”
“He’s a lunatic, ain’t he, doctor?” asked Dunn.
“Most decidedly,” I responded; “and judging from the manner he received us, he is a rather dangerous one.”
“Well,” said Seal, “we’d better take him on board with us. Perhaps when he’s had a bit of grub and some rest we’ll be able to make him out. This mystery is a first-class one—better than any I’ve ever read in books. How old is he, doctor?”
“Impossible to tell,” I replied. “A good age certainly.”
“As old as this ship?” asked the seaman.
“I think not,” I responded, laughing.
“Well, we must find out something about him,” declared Seal, decisively.
“And what about that chestful of gold, sir?”
“Oh, we’ll ship that, of course,” answered the skipper. “It perhaps belongs to him, but we may as well hold it till he proves his right to it,” and he grinned meaningly.
The ancient mariner53 had turned, and was gazing out through the big open window to where the Thrush was lying awaiting our return. He seemed quite calm now, and no longer resented our intrusion upon his privacy. Indeed, with me he became quite friendly, and when I spoke54 again appeared to make an effort to understand me. He pointed55 to his mouth, which only emitted unintelligible sounds.
That he was insane there was no doubt. The strange look in his eyes was sufficient proof of it, but I entertained a hope that his mind was only unhinged by privation and solitude, and that by careful treatment his mental balance might become restored.
While we were questioning him the three men we had left above were rummaging56 the ship. One of them, it seems, managed by the aid of a rope to cross the wave-swept deck to the other cabin in the high bows and with an axe57 effect an entry. His report was that there were a number of skeletons there, most of them still in armour, together with old-fashioned cannon58, and he brought back with him a fine banner of purple silk bearing a golden Maltese cross.
Below where we stood, the waves thundered ever and anon, and the heavy rolling told us that the wind was increasing.
“We’d better be getting aboard,” Seal remarked anxiously. “If we don’t make a start we shan’t be able to ship that there gold. You take charge of the old boy, doctor. What shall we call him, eh?”
“The Mysterious Man would be a good name, sir,” suggested Dunn.
“All right,” responded the skipper. “We’ll put him on the papers as Old Mr. Mystery. Go above and get the lads to shift that box of gold. Be careful with it, and mind it don’t go to the bottom.”
“Aye, aye, sir,” responded the grey-bearded seaman; and he went above, shouting to his shipmates to start work on the removal of the treasure.
He must have made some signal to Thorpe on the Thrush, for a few minutes later we heard the siren blowing, while the men in the small cabin were working away with a strong will stowing the gold coins into anything they could find, for with such a sea running it was impossible to remove the great chest entire, besides which it was heavily bolted to the floor.
The Mysterious Man accompanied me above, and in silence stood watching the coin being removed. Sight of it produced no impression upon him whatever. His agility59 and fierce antipathy had given place to apathy60, as it so often does in certain phases of insanity.
The old portrait of the thin-faced man in ruffle61 and doublet caught his eye, and he faced it and shook his fist at it, as though the original were his enemy. Then he went through into the main saloon, and, picking up one of the rusty swords, returned and slashed62 the picture until the canvas hung in its frame in ribbons.
The two parchments that we had found in the old leather bag were secure in my pocket, and the bag was used for the transport of part of the treasure. While the work of removing the coins was in progress, however, I seized the opportunity of searching further in the small cabin, and discovered in the oak panelling a small cupboard, wherein were several big parchment-bound books looking almost like commercial ledgers64.
One of them I opened, and found it to be in manuscript in a crabbed65 hand that I could not decipher, but on certain pages were drawn66 rough plans. A second volume proved to be a printed book in Latin; and a third a rare old Book of Hours, printed by Pasquali, of Venice, in 1588. I took possession of half-a-dozen, but the others seemed to me to be of no account—one a Latin lexicon67, and another a book in which certain household recipes had been written. All were, as far as I could judge, books written or printed in the first half of the sixteenth century, although I knew nothing of the mysteries of pal68?ography or bibliography69. Some of the writing was even and well executed, while the other was execrable, with long loops and curious dashes and flourishes above certain letters.
I gave the books I wanted into the hands of one of the sailors, who lashed63 them together and lowered them to the boat after the gold had been safely shipped.
Every moment the gale70 was increasing, so Seal thought fit to send the boat back to the steamer with its precious freight before we proceeded, as the gold weighed heavily, and he feared that if we went with it we might be swamped.
Through the square window of the big saloon, very like the window of an old-fashioned house, we watched the boat rise and fall on the long, green waves as it toiled71 towards the steamer. We watched one of the men shout through his hands, and could see the excitement his news created on board.
Thorpe bent72 over from the bridge and shouted back, while a dozen willing hands were ready to haul up the gold.
It was half an hour before they returned for us, and Seal expressed some doubts about the vessel weathering the storm. The pitching was terrible, and it was impossible to stand without clinging hold of something.
I occupied the time in searching every nook and crevice73 in the big saloon, but I discovered practically nothing, save in a cupboard some old pewter, over which a collector of such stuff would probably have gone into raptures74, and an old silver tankard, which I took as part of my share of the loot, together with a helmet, sword, and breastplate.
But at length my search was brought to a conclusion by the boat hailing us from below, and we lowered the Mysterious Man by means of a rope around his waist, for he was too decrepit75 to spring, and the sight of his skinny legs dangling76 over the sea was certainly ludicrous. Then, when we were all clear, the men pulled us through the boiling waves back to the steamer, and as we looked behind we saw the weird seaweed-covered craft rocking and rolling as though every minute she must heel over.
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1
snarling
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的现在分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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enraged
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| 使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 )； 歜； 激愤 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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courageously
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| ad.勇敢地，无畏地 | |
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seaman
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| n.海员，水手，水兵 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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armour
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| （=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队 | |
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skulls
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| 颅骨( skull的名词复数 )； 脑袋； 脑子； 脑瓜 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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asphyxiated
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| v.渴望的，有抱负的，追求名誉或地位的( aspirant的过去式和过去分词 )；有志向或渴望获得…的人 | |
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11
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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12
ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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tattered
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| adj.破旧的，衣衫破的 | |
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14
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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15
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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16
puffed
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| adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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17
rusty
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| adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的 | |
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hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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survivor
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| n.生存者，残存者，幸存者 | |
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21
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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22
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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23
vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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24
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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25
brandishing
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| v.挥舞( brandish的现在分词 )；炫耀 | |
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budging
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| v.（使）稍微移动( budge的现在分词 )；（使）改变主意，（使）让步 | |
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27
authoritatively
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| 命令式地，有权威地，可信地 | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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29
overdue
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| adj.过期的，到期未付的；早该有的，迟到的 | |
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persuasively
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| adv.口才好地；令人信服地 | |
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31
yarn
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| n.纱，纱线，纺线；奇闻漫谈，旅行轶事 | |
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32
brandished
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| v.挥舞( brandish的过去式和过去分词 )；炫耀 | |
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33
antipathy
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| n.憎恶；反感，引起反感的人或事物 | |
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34
coaxing
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| v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的现在分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱；“锻炼”效应 | |
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35
reassuring
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| a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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38
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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39
queries
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| n.问题( query的名词复数 )；疑问；询问；问号v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的第三人称单数 )；询问 | |
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40
hostility
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| n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争 | |
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41
tractable
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| adj.易驾驭的；温顺的 | |
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42
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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43
intelligible
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| adj.可理解的，明白易懂的，清楚的 | |
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44
peals
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| n.（声音大而持续或重复的）洪亮的响声( peal的名词复数 )；隆隆声；洪亮的钟声；钟乐v.（使）（钟等）鸣响，（雷等）发出隆隆声( peal的第三人称单数 ) | |
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45
hideously
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| adv.可怕地，非常讨厌地 | |
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46
maniac
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| n.精神癫狂的人；疯子 | |
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47
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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48
unintelligible
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| adj.无法了解的，难解的，莫明其妙的 | |
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49
insanity
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| n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐 | |
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50
shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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51
capers
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| n.开玩笑( caper的名词复数 )；刺山柑v.跳跃，雀跃( caper的第三人称单数 ) | |
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52
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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53
mariner
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| n.水手号不载人航天探测器，海员，航海者 | |
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54
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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55
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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56
rummaging
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| 翻找，搜寻( rummage的现在分词 )； 海关检查 | |
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57
axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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58
cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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59
agility
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| n.敏捷，活泼 | |
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60
apathy
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| n.漠不关心，无动于衷；冷淡 | |
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61
ruffle
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| v.弄皱，弄乱；激怒，扰乱；n.褶裥饰边 | |
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62
slashed
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| v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减 | |
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63
lashed
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| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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64
ledgers
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| n.分类账( ledger的名词复数 ) | |
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65
crabbed
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| adj.脾气坏的；易怒的；（指字迹）难辨认的；（字迹等）难辨认的v.捕蟹( crab的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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66
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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67
lexicon
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| n.字典，专门词汇 | |
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68
pal
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| n.朋友，伙伴，同志；vi.结为友 | |
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69
bibliography
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| n.参考书目；(有关某一专题的)书目 | |
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70
gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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71
toiled
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的过去式和过去分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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72
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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73
crevice
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| n.(岩石、墙等)裂缝；缺口 | |
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74
raptures
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| 极度欢喜( rapture的名词复数 ) | |
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75
decrepit
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| adj.衰老的，破旧的 | |
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76
dangling
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| 悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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