Six men were carried overboard with the wash, and nothing could be done for them.{239} They passed out of sight before we recovered from the shock of the rushing water. Benson stood near me on the poop and smiled grimly.
“She won’t stand many like that, will she?” he asked.
“One or two more will finish her,” I assented11. “We will have to stop her.”
By desperate endeavour I managed to get some men to the braces12, and after half an hour’s hard work hove the Arrow to in as mighty13 a sea as ever ran in the South Atlantic. She would drop her long jib-boom down the side of a hill of water until it dipped, while looking over the stern we could still see a long way up the slanting14 sea. It was a grand but disagreeable sight, for we were ill manned for heavy weather, and I had no officers except Brown to help or relieve me. But she rode it down without further mishap15, plunging16 for two days before the gale17 subsided18 and allowed us to get way upon her again. Then the weather moderated and we stood along upon our course to the southwest. The stove was{240} rigged up in the galley, and the hungry men, now desperate with the hardship, grumbled19 and growled20 and showed a temper which boded21 no good.
We had made nothing toward our destination for some days, and when this fact became known, I was treated to growls22 and surly looks from all hands.
On the sixteenth day of our run we were about three hundred miles to the eastward of the River Plate and had crossed the thirty-fifth parallel. One or two sails had been sighted; but we had never raised the craft above the horizon’s rim10, and the men had become hopeful in their security. But, with a gang of cutthroats, an easy, quiet life soon palls23. After the danger of hanging disappears for a time, they soon become discontented for lack of excitement. They long for some new danger to interest them. The past is not pleasant to dwell upon and the present is dull.
On this sixteenth day the men were grouped about the main-deck in the afternoon, as had been their custom from the{241} start. Some were playing cards in the lee of the deck-house, while others threw dice24 or lounged and smoked in the gangways. Benson was below, but his trusty man, Johnson, was on the poop. I had occasion to send a man aloft to overhaul25 a leech-line, and the man who went up was a sharp-eyed young villain26 who had been to sea before and knew what was needed.
He had hardly reached the crosstrees when he hailed the deck:
“Sail on port bow!” he bawled27, and pointed28 in the direction the vessel29 bore, which was just over the port cat-head. My heart gave a jump, but I tried to appear careless. I climbed up a few ratlines in the mizzen and looked forward. In a moment I saw a tiny white speck30 reflecting the slanting light of the sun. Then I looked down on deck and caught the look in Brown’s eyes. He was ready for action.
Our vessel had been fitted out for a long voyage, the run to China often taking five months; but the excesses of the convicts had quickly finished off the kegs of spirits and{242} the bottled liquors for the after-cabin mess. The three men who acted as cooks were kept busy all the time serving out the plundered31 victuals32 meant for the after-guard, so that after the first week Benson was forced to cut them down to ship’s rations33. This had caused a mutiny, and it was only put down after a few men were killed and some injured. The effects of the disturbance34 were still visible and there was a good deal of loud grumbling35 done forward at meal-time.
Johnson gazed at the strange sail a few moments, and then told the man at the wheel to luff all he could and bade me attend to the bracing36 of the yards. I saw what he meant to do, and never did I jam a ship’s yards on to her backstays as I did them.
I believe the villain intended to commit piracy37 from the first; but, aside from this, he had such an overpowering taste for liquor that he was willing to run any risk in order to procure38 some, either by trade or otherwise, without waiting for Benson.
The wind held steady and we went through the smooth sea at the rate of eight{243} or nine knots. The stranger rose rapidly on our weather bow, and it was evident that we were overhauling39 him fast enough.
At eight bells his courses were rising above the water, and my heart was pounding away under my ribs40 like a sledge41. The men aboard us were about as poor sailors as, inversely42, they were a fine set of rascals. Otherwise, they would have been suspicious, on seeing the depth of the stranger’s topsails, and stood away to leeward43 with all possible speed.
When I had had a good look at the canvas ahead, I could hardly keep from smiling, and I feared I might do something to show my thoughts. I knew no merchant vessel afloat hoisted45 a full topsail fore9 and aft.
“What is he?” asked Johnson, coming close to me when I came on the poop.
“I can’t tell at this distance,” I answered, “but he looks to be a West Coast trader. Most likely he is one with a mixed cargo46.”
“There’ll not be many men on him, then?”
“No,” I answered, carelessly, well knowing{244} what the scoundrel was thinking of. “Probably a dozen or fifteen at the most.”
Benson had now come on deck, and he, together with Johnson and the few leading men, held a conference as to what they should do about the strange ship ahead. It didn’t take long for them to decide after I gave them to understand the number of men they would probably find in the crew.
“There’ll be no trouble about overhauling him before dark?” asked Benson.
“None in the world,” I answered; “we can go ten fathoms47 to his one any time.”
“Then hoist44 the Roger and let him know his time has come,” said the swaggering villain.
Some of the more reckless spirits among the men had made a black flag and had stitched the canvas figures of a skull48 and cross-bones across its centre. They had never used it, and had made it more out of a spirit of bravado49, while trying to kill time, than anything else. In a few moments it flew free and straight from the peak of the monkey-gaff.{245}
The men were almost wild when they found it was decided50 to take the strange ship. Benson stood on the break of the poop and gave orders for getting things in readiness forward. Then it was as though a pack of wolves had broken loose on the main-deck.
Weapons were gotten out and cleaned. Cutlasses from the Countess of Warwick and sheath-knives from the slop-chest were carefully sharpened. Before the sun had sunk near the horizon, the black hull51 of the stranger rose above the sea, and the villains52 were ready to take him.
He was about three miles ahead now and drawing a little to leeward, so there was no trouble about him seeing our flag if he chose to look. I felt that he would be interested in its peculiar53 colour.
I passed Brown and made a sign for him to be ready. I fixed54 my knife where it would be handy.
Every moment was precious now. If the stranger would only see that flag before the convicts could tell of their mistake and{246} crowd on canvas and get the weather-gage, all would be well.
I watched him and saw the slanting rays of the sun shining on carefully scraped spars and snowy canvas, but no funnel55 showed above his deck and no ports showed in the long, smooth stretch of his shining black sides.
Suddenly something fluttered in the wind. I looked harder, for we were so close now that the British ensign could be seen distinctly as it stood out straight in the breeze.
Yes, I was not mistaken. Surely he was springing his luff and the canvas was slatting. Then I saw something that made my heart jump.
Up he came to the wind, and as he did so I saw a line of even breaks in the smooth black hull as he dropped his ports outboard. Then a puff of white smoke spurted56 from his side, and by the time the report of the gun reached our ears the convicts saw an English gunboat awaiting the explanation of the flying of that black flag.
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1
eastward
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| adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部 | |
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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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3
galley
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| n.（飞机或船上的）厨房单层甲板大帆船；军舰舰长用的大划艇； | |
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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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smother
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| vt./vi.使窒息；抑制；闷死；n.浓烟；窒息 | |
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puff
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| n.一口(气)；一阵(风)；v.喷气，喘气 | |
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7
mingling
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| adj.混合的 | |
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8
gutted
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| adj.容易消化的v.毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的过去式和过去分词 )；取出…的内脏 | |
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9
fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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rim
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| n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界 | |
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11
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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12
braces
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| 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 | |
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13
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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slanting
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| 倾斜的，歪斜的 | |
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mishap
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| n.不幸的事，不幸；灾祸 | |
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16
plunging
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| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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17
gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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18
subsided
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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19
grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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20
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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21
boded
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| 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 | |
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22
growls
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的第三人称单数 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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23
palls
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| n.柩衣( pall的名词复数 )；墓衣；棺罩；深色或厚重的覆盖物v.（因过多或过久而）生厌，感到乏味，厌烦( pall的第三人称单数 ) | |
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24
dice
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| n.骰子；vt.把（食物）切成小方块，冒险 | |
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25
overhaul
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| v./n.大修，仔细检查 | |
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26
villain
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| n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因 | |
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27
bawled
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| v.大叫，大喊( bawl的过去式和过去分词 )；放声大哭；大声叫出；叫卖（货物） | |
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28
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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29
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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30
speck
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| n.微粒，小污点，小斑点 | |
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31
plundered
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| 掠夺，抢劫( plunder的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32
victuals
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| n.食物；食品 | |
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33
rations
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| 定量( ration的名词复数 )； 配给量； 正常量； 合理的量 | |
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34
disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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35
grumbling
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| adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的 | |
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36
bracing
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| adj.令人振奋的 | |
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37
piracy
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| n.海盗行为，剽窃，著作权侵害 | |
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38
procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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39
overhauling
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| n.大修；拆修；卸修；翻修v.彻底检查( overhaul的现在分词 )；大修；赶上；超越 | |
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40
ribs
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| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
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41
sledge
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| n.雪橇，大锤；v.用雪橇搬运，坐雪橇往 | |
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42
inversely
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| adj.相反的 | |
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43
leeward
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| adj.背风的；下风的 | |
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44
hoist
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| n.升高，起重机，推动；v.升起，升高，举起 | |
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45
hoisted
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| 把…吊起，升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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46
cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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47
fathoms
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| 英寻( fathom的名词复数 ) | |
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48
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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49
bravado
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| n.虚张声势，故作勇敢，逞能 | |
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50
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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51
hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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52
villains
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| n.恶棍( villain的名词复数 )；罪犯；（小说、戏剧等中的）反面人物；淘气鬼 | |
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53
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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54
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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55
funnel
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| n.漏斗；烟囱；v.汇集 | |
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56
spurted
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| （液体，火焰等）喷出，（使）涌出( spurt的过去式和过去分词 )； （短暂地）加速前进，冲刺 | |
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