I worked out the ship’s position every day at noon, and Benson would pick it off carefully on a chart pinned to the cabin table. But we were never alone together a moment. The four men who acted as Benson’s lieutenants4 were always at hand, and the heavy-set short villain5, Johnson, was always on deck when his master was below.{209}
Brown and I seldom had a chance to speak to each other. A score of eyes were upon us all the time when we were on deck, on the lookout6 for any act of treachery. I could see by Brown’s look of inquiry7 that he was trusting to my knowledge of seamanship to get us out of the difficulty. Once he came near me and asked: “What’s the chance?” But that heavy-set devil, Johnson, saw him speak to me, though he couldn’t hear what was said, and he came up to us with a string of oaths and ordered Brown forward.
I don’t think I slept more than a few hours during the first days of that cruise. At times my blood would rush to my head and I would find that I could stand it no longer. A dozen times I started up from my bunk8 and made ready for the end. I had no weapon except a sailor’s sheath-knife, but I knew that if I once could get within reach of Benson nothing could save his life. But I knew that if I killed him it would leave the girl to the mercy of the common crowd. This thought would make me so weak at times that the sweat would{210} run down my face and neck, and I would get so dizzy that I could scarcely stand. I was as near being crazy as a sane9 man could possibly get.
Every idea as to wrecking10 the ship, should it come on to blow, I worked and studied over. As to running the vessel11 off her course by false reckoning, I had to give that over as absolutely useless. Benson was not a man one could deceive easily, and he knew a compass as well as I did. I might get a hundred miles out in a week or two, without his seeing the error, but a hundred miles one way or the other would not count for anything in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean. We could get no nearer help in that way.
There was nothing to do but carry on and trust in Providence12 that we would be overhauled13 on suspicion, though there was but little hope of this happening on an American merchantman. I tried to calculate O’Toole’s chances of being picked up. All alone in the middle of the ocean, and under an equatorial sun. I knew there was but{211} little hope for him. And even if he should be picked up he would not be able to give the slightest clue to our whereabouts or destination.
Studying and planning all sorts of desperate schemes I passed the first week. Then I determined14 to put off action until a favourable15 moment.
The weather remained fair and the lumpy little trade clouds flew merrily past our skysail trucks.
Benson took care that Miss Waters did not appear on deck often, for the temper of the men was not such that he could trust them. More than once there were mutterings concerning the life aft.
I dreaded16 this very much, for if the men once took charge, the horror of the conditions would be more than bearable. It would mean that both Brown and myself would be forced to go out in a futile17 fight against odds18 which could not be overcome.
One evening I managed to get near the cook without being noticed. The moke gave me a look and I spoke19.{212}
“Is there any way you can thin the crowd down?” I asked.
“What yo’ mean, sir?” he answered, with a grin.
“You know,” I said. “Hasn’t Gus spoken to you?”
“Yaassir, dat he has.”
“There’s rat-poison by the box in the fore-hold,” I said.
It was a wild and grotesque20 idea, but it shows the straits we were put to when we even considered such a thing. It would not do to have anything happen to Benson or his mate Johnson until the men forward were thinned out. Further consideration of the scheme showed its futility21, for it would be impossible to carry out anything so destructive, owing to the different watches and messes. I was sorry I had spoken, for it put an idea into the moke’s head which well-nigh proved fatal to all.
One day shortly afterward22 the men complained of their food and took occasion to flog the cook for not providing better.
The poor fellow was haled to the main{213} rigging and his hands made fast to the sheer-pole, his feet just clearing the deck. Then every man of the complaining crowd took a few whacks23 at his bare back with a stiff piece of ratline stuff. He made no outcry, but fell fainting to the deck when cut down. When he came around again I saw the white of his eye and noticed the peculiar24 gleam, which boded25 no good for some one.
Two days later we passed the Argentine steamer, from Buenos Ayres to Liverpool. She was one of those new screw vessels26, and the absence of the big side paddle-boxes made her look very shipshape. She was going along about ten knots and her decks were crowded with passengers. Now and then a white dress fluttered in the breeze.
As we drew near Benson came to me.
“How fast do we go, Mr. Gore27?” said he.
The Arrow was heeling down and tearing along steadily28 now under everything we could put on her, for the trade was{214} steady and held perfectly29 fair at east-southeast.
“I believe we are going a bit faster than the steamer,” I ventured.
An ugly gleam lit up his dark eyes. I saw what he meant before he spoke, for he was most ignorant of seamanship and all things concerning a vessel.
“If you can catch her, lay us up alongside,” he said, “for we have particular business aboard her.” And he called to Johnson and some others who were standing30 aft.
I tried to explain that although we were going much faster than the steamer it would be absolutely impossible to board her, but he could not or would not see it.
“We can only go one way,” I said, “and to try to catch him would simply make us absurd. He would only have to head up into the wind and we would come aback all standing, stopping dead. Then he would only have to get a mile or so to windward and come down upon us. We could not{215} possibly get out of his way in time and he could run us down easily.”
As it was certain the steamer would not stop for us, the affair would only have a bad ending, perhaps complicating31 matters still more. For that reason I was not overkeen to do anything foolish. The steamer drew up so quickly on our weather beam that Benson was forced to give up any idea of trying his villainy upon her. It showed plainly, however, that he would stop any sailing ship he might see, and there was much to be hoped from this. My evident desire not to board a ship would be of good stead to me when the right time came. I could use it to advantage. There would be vessels in sight soon now, for we were nearing the latitude32 of the river at a ten-knot rate.
It was while the men were all engrossed33 watching the liner that the cook took the opportunity for revenge. He had managed to get below and procure34 enough rat-poison to kill a dozen ship’s companies. This he{216} mixed with the dinner for all hands, sparing none.
One of the men who started to eat noticed the taste and called attention to it while the rest waited suspiciously, remembering the affair of the flogging. Soon the fellow was nauseated35 and the men broke forth36 in a fury.
The moke was haled forward. Gus, who had been seen talking to him, was also brought up. Then they were told to eat, and some of the mess food was placed before them. There were cries for Brown and myself and a gang of rascals37 came tumbling aft for us.
Benson met them at the edge of the poop with his revolver drawn38, and Johnson came up behind him with a double-barrelled gun. A tall fellow who was in Benson’s confidence stood near the after companionway and laid two pistols upon the deck within reach of both his hands.
“What do you want?” asked Benson, sharply.
“We want the mate and the young fellow,” said the spokesman of the gang, and the rest took up the cry.{217}
[Image unavailable.]
“‘WHEN I WANT YOU MEN TO COME AFT HERE TO HELP ME, I’LL SEND FOR YOU.’”
“Who will run this ship, then?” asked the leader, levelling his pistol at the man starting up the ladder to the poop. He spoke in a low, deep voice, but so distinctly that the fellow hesitated.
“I’m running this vessel,” said Benson, “and when I want you men to come aft here to help me I’ll send for you. You’d hang the whole crowd of us if you had your way. Go back forward and if the grub is no good make the cook eat it—and then pick your own cook. Go back.”
But the men were angry and hesitated.
“Do you think Mr. Gore would try to poison you, you fools?” he continued. “What good would that do him? Can he run the ship alone?”
Brown, who had turned in, having relieved me during the last watch, heard the rumpus and came on deck through the forward door of the cabin house. The men were standing there and surrounded him at once. It looked as though he would be roughly handled.
Benson saw that some quick action must{218} be made at once. He thrust his pistol in his belt and made a flying leap from the break of the poop, landing upon the heads of the men who had gripped the third mate. With immense power he swung them first this way and then that as the bunch rolled upon the deck. Then dragging two of them to their feet along with him, he shook them and shoved them forward. Johnson stood motionless with his gun ready and Brown climbed the ladder to the poop. In a moment Benson came back. “You see, Gore, what a mess a man can make of things,” he said, coolly. “I know you had nothing to do with the cook, or I’d make you eat some of the grub. Better go aft out of the way.”
It was good advice, and Brown followed me to the taffrail.
“It’s a pity,” I whispered, “that the moke didn’t use better judgment39. If he had given a little less we might have had a chance.”
“It has given Benson an idea at any rate,” said Brown. “You can look out for{219} a pain in the stomach when we sight the land.”
A man was detailed40 from the crowd of convicts to do the cooking afterward, and others watched him and took turns cleaning up. The moke and Gus disappeared. We never saw them again.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
steer
|
|
| vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
braces
|
|
| n.吊带，背带；托架( brace的名词复数 )；箍子；括弧；（儿童）牙箍v.支住( brace的第三人称单数 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
steering
|
|
| n.操舵装置 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
lieutenants
|
|
| n.陆军中尉( lieutenant的名词复数 )；副职官员；空军；仅低于…官阶的官员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
villain
|
|
| n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
lookout
|
|
| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
inquiry
|
|
| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
bunk
|
|
| n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位；废话 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
sane
|
|
| adj.心智健全的，神志清醒的，明智的，稳健的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
wrecking
|
|
| 破坏 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
vessel
|
|
| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
providence
|
|
| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
overhauled
|
|
| v.彻底检查( overhaul的过去式和过去分词 )；大修；赶上；超越 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
determined
|
|
| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
favourable
|
|
| adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
dreaded
|
|
| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
futile
|
|
| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
odds
|
|
| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
spoke
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
grotesque
|
|
| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
futility
|
|
| n.无用 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
afterward
|
|
| adv.后来；以后 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
whacks
|
|
| n.重击声( whack的名词复数 )；不正常；有毛病v.重击，使劲打( whack的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
peculiar
|
|
| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
boded
|
|
| v.预示，预告，预言( bode的过去式和过去分词 )；等待，停留( bide的过去分词 )；居住；（过去式用bided）等待 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
vessels
|
|
| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
gore
|
|
| n.凝血，血污；v.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破；缝以补裆；顶 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
steadily
|
|
| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
perfectly
|
|
| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
complicating
|
|
| 使复杂化( complicate的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
latitude
|
|
| n.纬度，行动或言论的自由(范围)，(pl.)地区 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
engrossed
|
|
| adj.全神贯注的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
procure
|
|
| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
nauseated
|
|
| adj.作呕的，厌恶的v.使恶心，作呕( nauseate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
forth
|
|
| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
rascals
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
drawn
|
|
| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
judgment
|
|
| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
detailed
|
|
| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |