In a certain street of Hong-Kong there stands one of those temples in which men devote themselves to the consumption of opium1, that terrible drug which is said to destroy the natives of the celestial2 empire more fatally than “strong drink” does the peoples of the west. In various little compartments4 of this temple, many celestials5 lay in various conditions of debauch6. Among them was a stout7 youth of twenty or so. He was in the act of lighting8 the little pipe from which the noxious9 vapour is inhaled10. His fat and healthy visage proved that he had only commenced his downward career.
He had scarce drawn11 a single whiff, however, when a burly sailor-like man in an English garb12 entered the temple, went straight to the compartment3 where our beginner reclined, plucked the pipe from his hand, and dashed it on the ground.
“I know’d ye was here,” said the man, sternly, “an’ I said you was here, an’ sure haven’t I found you here—you spalpeen! You pig-faced bag o’ fat! What d’ee mane by it, Chok-foo? Didn’t I say I’d give you as much baccy as ye could chaw or smoke an ye’d only kape out o’ this place? Come along wid ye!”
It is perhaps scarcely necessary to say that the man who spoke13, and who immediately collared and dragged Chok-foo away, was none other than our friend Rooney Machowl. That worthy14 had been sent to China in advance of the party of divers15 with his wife and baby—for in the event of success he said he’d be able to “affoord it,” and in the event of failure he meant to try his luck in “furrin’ parts,” and would on no account leave either wife or chick behind him.
On his arrival a double misfortune awaited him. First he found that his employer, Edgar Berrington, was laid up with fever, in the house of an English friend, and could not be spoken to, or even seen; and second, the lodging16 in which he had put up caught fire the second night after his arrival, and was burnt to the ground, with all its contents, including nearly the whole of his diving apparatus17. Fortunately, the unlucky Irishman saved his wife and child and money, the last having been placed in a leathern belt made for the purpose, and worn night and day round his waist. Being a resolute18 and hopeful man, Rooney determined19 to hunt up a diving apparatus of some sort, if such was to be found in China, and he succeeded. He found, in an old iron-and-rag-store sort of place, a very ancient head-piece and dress, which were in good repair though of primitive20 construction. Fortunately, his own pumps and air-pipes, having been deposited in an out-house, had escaped the general conflagration21.
Rooney was a man of contrivance and resource. He soon fitted the pump to the new dress and found that it worked well, though the helmet was destitute22 of the modern regulating valves under the diver’s control, and he knew that it must needs therefore leave the diver who should use it very much at the mercy of the men who worked the pumps.
After the fire, Rooney removed with his family to the house of a Chinese labourer named Chok-foo, whose brother, Ram23-stam, dwelt with him. They were both honest hard-working men, but Chok-foo was beginning, as we have seen, to fall under the baleful influence of opium-smoking. Ram-stam may be said to have been a teetotaler in this respect. They were both men of humble24 spirit.
Chok-foo took the destruction of his pipe and the rough collaring that followed in good part, protesting, in an extraordinary jargon25, which is styled Pidgin-English, that he had only meant to have a “Very littee smokee,” not being able, just then, to resist the temptation.
“Blathers!” said Rooney, as they walked along in the direction of the lower part of the town, “you could resist the timptation aisy av you’d only try, for you’re only beginnin’, an’ it hasn’t got howld of ’ee yit. Look at your brother Ram, now; why don’t ’ee take example by him?”
“Yis, Ram-stam’s first-chop boy,” said Chok-foo, with a penitential expression on his fat visage.
“Well, then, you try and be a first-chop boy too, Chok, an’ it’ll be better for you. Now, you see, you’ve kep’ us all waiting for full half an hour, though we was so anxious to try how the dress answers.”
In a few minutes the son of Erin and the Chinaman entered the half ruinous pagoda26 which was their habitation. Here little Mrs Machowl was on her knees before an air-pump, oiling and rubbing up its parts. Ram-stam, with clasped hands, head a little on one side, and a gentle smile of approbation27 on his lips, admired the progress of the operation.
“Now then, Chok and Ram,” said Rooney, sitting down on a stool and making the two men stand before him like a small awkward squad28, “I’m goin’ to taich you about pumps an’ pumpin’, so pay attintion av ye plaze. Hids up an’ ears on full cock! Now then.”
Here the vigorous diver began an elaborate explanation which we will spare the reader, and which his pupils evidently did not comprehend, though they smiled with ineffable29 sweetness and listened with close attention. When, however, the teacher descended30 from theory to practice, and took the pump to pieces, put it up again, and showed the manner of working, the Chinamen became more intelligent, and soon showed that they could turn the handles with great vigour32. They were hopelessly stupid, however, in regard to the use of the signal-line—insomuch that Rooney began to despair.
“Niver mind, boys,” he cried, hopefully, “we’ll try it.”
Accordingly he donned the diving-dress, and teaching his wife how to screw on the bull’s-eye, he gave the signal to “pump away.”
Of course Chok-foo and Ram-stam, though anxious to do well, did ill continually. When Rooney, standing34 in the room and looking at them, signalled to give “more air,” they became anxious and gave him less, until his dress was nearly empty. When he signalled for “less air” they gave him more, until his dress nearly burst, and then, not having the breast-valve, he was obliged to unscrew his front-glass to prevent an explosion! At last the perplexed35 man resolved to make his wife do duty as attender to signals, and was fortunate in this arrangement at first, for Molly was quick of apprehension36. She soon understood all about it, and, receiving her husband’s signals, directed the Chinamen what to do. In order to test his assistants better, he then went out on the verandah of the pagoda, where the pumpers could not see him nor he them. He was, of course, fully33 dressed, only the bull’s-eye was not fixed37.
“Now, Molly, dear,” said he, “go to work just as if I was goin’ under water.”
Molly dimpled her cheeks with a smile as she held up the glass, and said, “Are ye ready?”
“Not yet; putt your lips here first.”
He stooped; Molly inserted part of her face into the circular hole, and a smack38 resounded39 in the helmet.
“Now, cushla, I’m ready.”
“Pump away, boys,” shouted the energetic little woman.
As soon as she heard the hiss40 of the air in the helmet, she screwed on the bull’s-eye, and our diver was as much shut off from surrounding atmosphere as if he had been twenty fathoms41 under the sea. Then she went to where the pumpers were at work, and taking the air-pipe in one hand and the life-line in the other, awaited signals. These were soon sent from the verandah. More air was demanded and given; less was asked and the pumpers wrought42 gently. Molly gave one pull at the life-line, “All right?” Rooney replied, “All right.” This was repeated several times. Then came four sharp pulls at the line. Molly was on the alert; she bid Ram-stam continue to pump while Chok-foo helped her to pull the diver forcibly out of the verandah into the interior of the pagoda amid shouts of laughter, in which Rooney plainly joined though his voice could not be heard.
“Capital, Molly,” exclaimed the delighted husband when his glass was off; “I always belaved—an’ I belave it now more than iver—that a purty woman is fit for anything. After a few more experiments like that I’ll go down in shallow wather wid an aisy mind.”
Rooney kept his word. When he deemed his assistants perfect at their work, he went one morning to the river with all his gear, hired a boat, pushed off till he had got into two fathoms water, and then, dressing43 himself with the aid of the Chinamen, prepared to descend31.
“Are you ready?” asked his wife.
“Yis, cushla, but you’ve forgot the kiss.”
“Am I to kiss all the divers we shall have to do with before sending them down?” she asked.
“If you want all the divers to be kicked you may,” was the reply.
Molly cut short further remark by giving the order to pump, and affixing44 the glass. For a few seconds the diver looked earnestly at the Chinamen and at his better half, who may have been said to hold his life in her hands. Then he stepped boldly on the short ladder that had been let down outside the boat, and was soon lost to view in the multitude of air-bells that rose above him.
Now, Rooney had neglected to take into his calculations the excitability of female nerves. It was all very well for his wife to remember everything and proceed correctly when he was in the verandah of the pagoda, but when she knew that her best-beloved was at the bottom of the sea, and saw the air-bells rising, her courage vanished, and with her courage went her presence of mind. A rush of alarm entered her soul as she saw the boiling of the water, and fancying she was giving too much air, she said hurriedly, “Pump slow, boys,” but immediately conceiving she had done wrong, she said, “Pump harder, boys.”
The Chinamen pumped with a will, for they also had become excited, and were only too glad to obey orders.
A signal-pull now came for “Less air,” but Molly had taken up an idea, and it could not be dislodged. She thought it must be “More air” that was wanted.
“Pump away, boys—pump,” she cried, in rapidly increasing alarm.
Chok-foo and Ram-stam obeyed.
The signal was repeated somewhat impatiently.
“Pump away, boys; for dear life—pump,” cried the little woman in desperate anxiety.
Perspiration45 rolled down the cheeks of Chok-foo and Ram-stam as they gasped46 for breath and turned the handles with all the strength they possessed47.
“Pump—oh! Pump—for pity’s sake.”
She ended with a wild shriek48, for at that moment the waves were cleft49 alongside, and Rooney Machowl came up from the bottom, feet foremost, with a bounce that covered the sea with foam50. He had literally51 been blown up from the bottom—his dress being filled with so much compressed air that he had become like a huge bladder, and despite all his weights, he rolled helplessly on the surface in vain attempts to get his head up and his feet down.
Of course his distracted wife hauled in on the life-line with all her might, and Chok-foo and Ram-stam, forsaking52 the pump, lent their aid and soon hauled the luckless diver into the boat, when his first act was to deal the Chinamen a cuff53 each that sent one into the stern-sheets on his nose, and the other into the bow on his back. Immediately thereafter he fell down as if senseless, and Molly, with trembling hands, unscrewed the bull’s-eye.
Her horror may be imagined when she beheld54 the countenance55 of her husband as pale as death, while blood flowed copiously56 from his mouth, ears, and nostrils57.
“Niver mind, cushla!” he said, faintly, “I’ll be all right in a minute. This couldn’t have happened if I’d had one o’ the noo helmets.—Git off my—”
“Ochone! He’s fainted!” cried Mrs Machowl; “help me, boys.”
In a few minutes Rooney’s helmet was removed and he began to recover, but it was not until several days had elapsed that he was completely restored; so severe had been the consequences of the enormous pressure to which his lungs and tissues had been subjected, by the powerful working of the pump on that memorable58 day by Ram-stam and Chok-foo.
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1
opium
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| n.鸦片；adj.鸦片的 | |
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celestial
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| adj.天体的；天上的 | |
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compartment
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| n.卧车包房，隔间；分隔的空间 | |
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compartments
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| n.间隔( compartment的名词复数 )；（列车车厢的）隔间；（家具或设备等的）分隔间；隔层 | |
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celestials
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| n.天的，天空的( celestial的名词复数 ) | |
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debauch
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| v.使堕落，放纵 | |
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lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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9
noxious
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| adj.有害的，有毒的；使道德败坏的，讨厌的 | |
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10
inhaled
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| v.吸入( inhale的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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11
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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12
garb
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| n.服装，装束 | |
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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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14
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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15
divers
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| adj.不同的；种种的 | |
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16
lodging
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| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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apparatus
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| n.装置，器械；器具，设备 | |
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resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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20
primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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21
conflagration
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| n.建筑物或森林大火 | |
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22
destitute
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| adj.缺乏的；穷困的 | |
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23
ram
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| (random access memory)随机存取存储器 | |
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24
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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25
jargon
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| n.术语，行话 | |
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pagoda
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| n.宝塔（尤指印度和远东的多层宝塔），（印度教或佛教的）塔式庙宇 | |
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27
approbation
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| n.称赞；认可 | |
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28
squad
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| n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组 | |
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29
ineffable
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| adj.无法表达的，不可言喻的 | |
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30
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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31
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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32
vigour
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| （=vigor）n.智力，体力，精力 | |
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33
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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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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perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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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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38
smack
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| vt.拍，打，掴；咂嘴；vi.含有…意味；n.拍 | |
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resounded
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| v.（指声音等）回荡于某处( resound的过去式和过去分词 )；产生回响；（指某处）回荡着声音 | |
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hiss
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| v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满 | |
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41
fathoms
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| 英寻( fathom的名词复数 ) | |
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42
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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43
dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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44
affixing
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| v.附加( affix的现在分词 )；粘贴；加以；盖（印章） | |
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45
perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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46
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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47
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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48
shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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49
cleft
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| n.裂缝；adj.裂开的 | |
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50
foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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51
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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52
forsaking
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| 放弃( forsake的现在分词 )； 弃绝； 抛弃； 摒弃 | |
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53
cuff
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| n.袖口；手铐；护腕；vt.用手铐铐；上袖口 | |
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54
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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55
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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56
copiously
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| adv.丰富地，充裕地 | |
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57
nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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58
memorable
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| adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的 | |
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