We must turn aside now for a time to inquire into the doings of the crew of the Water Wagtail, whom we left on the little island off the eastern seaboard of Newfoundland. At first, when the discovery was made that the captain, Paul, and Oliver had been put ashore1 and left to take care of themselves without weapons or supplies, there was a disposition2 on the part of the better men of the crew to apply what we now style Lynch law to Big Swinton, David Garnet, and Fred Taylor. “Let’s hang ’em,” suggested Grummidge, at a meeting of the men when the culprits were not present. “Sure an’ I’ll howld the rope wid pleasure,” said Squill. “An’ I’ll help ye,” cried Little Stubbs.
But Jim Heron shook his head, and did not quite see his way to that, while George Blazer protested against such violent proceedings3 altogether. As he was backed up by the majority of the crew, the proposal was negatived.
“But what are we to do, boys?” cried Grummidge vehemently4. “Are we goin’ to be domineered over by Swinton? Why, every man he takes a dislike to, he’ll sneak5 into his tent when he’s asleep, make him fast, heave him into the boat, pull to the big island, land him there, and bid him good-bye. There won’t be one of us safe while he prowls about an’ gits help from three or four rascals6 as bad as himself.”
“Ay, that’s it, boys,” said Little Stubbs; “it won’t be safe to trust him. Hang him, say I.”
Stubbs was a very emphatic7 little man, but his emphasis only roused the idea of drollery8 in the minds of those whom he addressed, and rather influenced them towards leniency9.
“No, no,” cried the first mate of the Water Wagtail who, since the wreck10, had seldom ventured to raise his voice in council; “I would advise rather that we should give him a thrashing, and teach him that we refuse to obey or recognise a self-constituted commander.”
“Ah, sure now, that’s a raisonable plan,” said Squill with something of sarcasm11 in his tone; “an’ if I might make so bowld I’d suggist that yoursilf, sor, shud give him the thrashin’.”
“Nay, I am far from being the strongest man of the crew. The one that is best able should do the job.”
The mate looked pointedly12 at Grummidge as he spoke13; but Grummidge, being a modest man, pretended not to see him.
“Yes, yes, you’re right, sir, Grummidge is the very man,” cried Stubbs.
“Hear, hear,” chorused several of the others. “Come, old boy, you’ll do it, won’t you? and we’ll all promise to back you up.”
“Well, look ’ee here, lads,” said Grummidge, who seemed to have suddenly made up his mind, “this man has bin14 quarrellin’ wi’ me, off an’ on, since the beginning of the voyage, whether I would or not, so it may be as well to settle the matter now as at another time. I’ll do the job on one consideration.”
“What’s that?” cried several men.
“That you promises, on your honour (though none o’ you’s got much o’ that), that when I’ve done the job you agree to make me captain of the crew. It’s a moral impossibility, d’ee see, for people to git along without a leader, so if I agree to lead you in this, you must agree to follow me in everything—is it so?”
“Agreed, agreed!” chorused his friends, only too glad that one of the physically15 strongest among them—also one of the best-humoured—should stand up to stem the tide of anarchy16 which they all clearly saw was rising among them.
“Well, then,” resumed Grummidge, “I see Swinton with his three friends a-comin’. I’ll expect you to stand by an’ see fair play, for he’s rather too ready wi’ his knife.”
While he spoke the comrade in question was seen approaching, with Fred Taylor and David Garnet, carrying a quantity of cod17-fish that had just been caught.
“You’ve been holding a meeting, comrades, I think,” said Swinton, looking somewhat suspiciously at the group of men, as he came up and flung down his load.
“Yes, we have,” said Grummidge, advancing, hands in pockets, and with a peculiar18 nautical19 roll which distinguished20 him. “You’re right, Big Swinton, we have bin havin’ a meetin’, a sort of trial, so to speak, an’ as you are the man what’s bin tried, it may interest you to know what sentence has bin passed upon you.”
“Oh indeed!” returned Swinton, with a look of cool insolence21 which he knew well how to assume, no matter what he felt. “Well, yes, it would interest me greatly to hear the sentence of the learned judge—whoever he is.”
The fingers of the man fumbled22 as he spoke at his waist-belt, near the handle of his knife. Observing this, Grummidge kept a watchful23 eye on him, but did not abate24 his nonchalant free-and-easy air, as he stepped close up to him.
“The sentence is,” he said firmly but quietly, “that you no longer presume to give orders as if you was the captain o’ this here crew; that from this hour you fall to the rear and undertake second fiddle25—or fourth fiddle, for the matter o’ that; and that you head a party to guide them in a sarch which is just a-goin’ to begin for the two men and the boy you have so sneakingly betrayed and put on shore—an’ all this you’ll have to do with a ready goodwill26 on pain o’ havin’ your brains knocked out if you don’t. Moreover, you may be thankful that the sentence is so light, for some o’ your comrades would have had you hanged right off, if others hadn’t seen fit to be marciful.”
While this sentence was being pronounced, Swinton’s expression underwent various changes, and his face became visibly paler under the steady gaze of Grummidge. At the last word he grasped his knife and drew it, but his foe27 was prepared. Like a flash of light he planted his hard knuckles28 between Swinton’s eyes, and followed up the blow with another on the chest, which felled him to the ground.
There was no need for more. The big bully29 was rendered insensible, besides being effectually subdued30, and from that time forward he quietly consented to play any fiddle—chiefly, however, the bass31 one. But he harboured in his heart a bitter hatred32 of Grummidge, and resolved secretly to take a fearful revenge at the first favourable33 opportunity.
Soon after that the boat was manned by as many of the crew as it could contain, and an exploring party went to the spot where Captain Trench34 and his companions had been landed, guided thereto by Swinton, and led by his foe Grummidge, whose bearing indicated, without swagger or threat, that the braining part of the sentence would be carried out on the slightest symptom of insubordination on the part of the former. While this party was away; those who remained on the islet continued to fish, and to preserve the fish for winter use by drying them in the sun.
We need scarcely add that the exploring party did not discover those for whom they sought, but they discovered the true nature of the main island, which, up to that time, they had supposed to be a group of isles35. When the search was finally given up as hopeless, an examination of the coast was made, with a view to a change of abode36.
“You see, lads,” observed Grummidge, when discussing this subject, “it’s quite plain that we shall have to spend the winter here, an’ as I was a short bit to the south of these seas in the late autumn one voyage, I have reason to believe that we had better house ourselves, an’ lay in a stock o’ provisions if we would escape bein’ froze an’ starved.”
“Troth, it’s well to escape that, boys,” remarked Squills, “for it’s froze I was mesilf wance—all but—on a voyage to the Baltic, an’ it’s starved to death was me owld grandmother—almost—so I can spake from experience.”
“An’ we couldn’t find a better place for winter-quarters than what we see before us,” said Garnet. “It looks like a sort o’ paradise.”
We cannot say what sort of idea Garnet meant to convey by this comparison, but there could be no question that the scene before them was exceedingly beautiful. The party had held their consultation37 on the crest38 of a bluff39, and just beyond it lay a magnificent bay, the shores of which were clothed with luxuriant forests, and the waters studded with many islets. At the distant head of the bay the formation or dip of the land clearly indicated the mouth of a large river, while small streams and ponds were seen gleaming amid the foliage40 nearer at hand. At the time the sun was blazing in a cloudless sky, and those thick fogs which so frequently enshroud the coasts of Newfoundland had not yet descended41 from the icy north.
“I say, look yonder. What’s Blazer about?” whispered Jim Heron, pointing to his comrade, who had separated from the party, and was seen with a large stone in each hand creeping cautiously round a rocky point below them.
Conjecture42 was useless and needless, for, while they watched him, Blazer rose up, made a wild rush forward, hurled43 the stones in advance, and disappeared round the point. A few moments later he reappeared, carrying a large bird in his arms.
The creature which he had thus killed with man’s most primitive44 weapon was a specimen45 of the great auk—a bird which is now extinct. It was the size of a large goose, with a coal-black head and back, short wings, resembling the flippers of a seal, which assisted it wonderfully in the water, but were useless for flight, broad webbed feet, and legs set so far back that on land it sat erect46 like the penguins47 of the southern seas. At the time of which we write, the great auk was found in myriads48 on the low rocky islets on the eastern shores of Newfoundland. Now-a-days there is not a single bird to be found anywhere, and only a few specimens49 and skeletons remain in the museums of the world to tell that such creatures once existed. Their extermination50 was the result of man’s reckless slaughter51 of them when the Newfoundland banks became the resort of the world’s fishermen. Not only was the great auk slain52 in vast numbers, for the sake of fresh food, but it was salted by tons for future use and sale. The valuable feathers, or down, also proved a source of temptation, and as the birds could not fly to other breeding-places, they gradually diminished in numbers and finally disappeared.
“Why, Blazer,” exclaimed Heron, “that’s one o’ the sodger-like birds we frightened away from our little island when we first landed.”
“Ay, an’ there’s plenty more where this one came from,” said Blazer, throwing the bird down; “an’ they are so tame on the rocks round the point that I do believe we could knock ’em on the head with sticks, if we took ’em unawares. What d’ee say to try, lads?”
“Agreed—for I’m gettin’ tired o’ fish now,” said Grummidge. “How should we set about it, think ’ee?”
“Cut cudgels for ourselves, then take to the boat creep round to one o’ the little islands in the bay, and go at ’em!” answered Blazer.
This plan was carried out with as little delay as possible. An islet was boarded, as Squill said, and the clumsy, astonished creatures lost numbers of their companions before making their escape into the sea. A further treasure was found in a large supply of their eggs. Laden53 almost to the gunwale with fresh provisions, the search-party returned to their camp—some of them, indeed, distressed54 at having failed to find their banished55 friends, but most of them elated by their success with the great auks, and the prospect56 of soon going into pleasant winter-quarters.
So eager were they all to flit into this new region—this paradise of Garnet—that operations were commenced on the very next day at early morn. The boat was launched and manned, and as much of their property as it would hold was put on board.
“You call it paradise, Garnet,” said Grummidge, as the two carried a bundle of dried cod slung57 on a pole between them, “but if you, and the like of ye, don’t give up swearin’, an’ try to mend your manners, the place we pitch on will be more like hell than paradise, no matter how comfortable and pretty it may be.”
Garnet was not in a humour either to discuss this point or to accept a rebuke58, so he only replied to the remark with a surly “Humph!”
Landing on the main island to the northward59 of the large bay, so as to secure a southern exposure, the boat-party proceeded to pitch their camp on a lovely spot, where cliff and coppice formed a luxuriant background. Ramparts of rock protected them from the nor’-west gales60, and purling rivulets61 hummed their lullaby. Here they pitched their tents, and in a short space of time ran up several log huts, the material for which was supplied in abundance by the surrounding forest.
When the little settlement was sufficiently62 established, and all the goods and stores were removed from what now was known as Wreck Island, they once more launched the boat, and turned their attention to fishing—not on the Great Bank, about which at the time they were ignorant, but on the smaller banks nearer shore, where cod-fish were found in incredible numbers. Some of the party, however, had more of the hunter’s than the fisher’s spirit in them, and prepared to make raids on the homes of the great auk, or to ramble63 in the forests.
Squill was among the latter. One day, while rambling64 on the sea-shore looking for shellfish, he discovered a creature which not only caused him to fire off all the exclamations65 of his rich Irish vocabulary, but induced him to run back to camp with heaving chest and distended66 eyes—almost bursting from excitement.
“What is it, boy?” chorused his comrades.
“Och! musha! I’ve found it at long last!—the great say—sur—no, not exactly that, but the—the great, sprawlin’, long-legged—och! what shall I say? The great-grandfather of all the—the—words is wantin’, boys. Come an’ see for yourselves!”
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1
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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2
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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vehemently
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| adv. 热烈地 | |
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sneak
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| vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行 | |
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rascals
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| 流氓( rascal的名词复数 )； 无赖； （开玩笑说法）淘气的人（尤指小孩）； 恶作剧的人 | |
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7
emphatic
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| adj.强调的，着重的；无可置疑的，明显的 | |
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drollery
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| n.开玩笑，说笑话；滑稽可笑的图画（或故事、小戏等） | |
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9
leniency
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| n.宽大（不严厉） | |
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wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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sarcasm
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| n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic） | |
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pointedly
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| adv.尖地，明显地 | |
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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
bin
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| n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件 | |
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15
physically
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| adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律 | |
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16
anarchy
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| n.无政府状态；社会秩序混乱，无秩序 | |
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cod
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| n.鳕鱼；v.愚弄；哄骗 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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nautical
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| adj.海上的，航海的，船员的 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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insolence
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| n.傲慢；无礼；厚颜；傲慢的态度 | |
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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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watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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abate
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| vi.(风势，疼痛等)减弱，减轻，减退 | |
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fiddle
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| n.小提琴；vi.拉提琴；不停拨弄，乱动 | |
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goodwill
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| n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉 | |
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foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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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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29
bully
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| n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮 | |
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subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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bass
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| n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴 | |
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hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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favourable
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| adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的 | |
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trench
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| n./v.(挖)沟，(挖)战壕 | |
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isles
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| 岛( isle的名词复数 ) | |
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abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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bluff
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| v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗 | |
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foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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42
conjecture
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| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
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43
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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44
primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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45
specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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46
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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penguins
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| n.企鹅( penguin的名词复数 ) | |
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48
myriads
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| n.无数，极大数量( myriad的名词复数 ) | |
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49
specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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50
extermination
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| n.消灭，根绝 | |
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51
slaughter
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| n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀 | |
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52
slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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distressed
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| 痛苦的 | |
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55
banished
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| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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slung
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| 抛( sling的过去式和过去分词 )； 吊挂； 遣送； 押往 | |
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rebuke
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| v.指责，非难，斥责 [反]praise | |
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northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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gales
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| 龙猫 | |
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rivulets
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| n.小河，小溪( rivulet的名词复数 ) | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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ramble
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| v.漫步，漫谈，漫游；n.漫步，闲谈，蔓延 | |
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rambling
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| adj.[建]凌乱的，杂乱的 | |
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exclamations
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| n.呼喊( exclamation的名词复数 )；感叹；感叹语；感叹词 | |
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distended
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| v.（使）膨胀，肿胀( distend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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