“It makes a fellow feel like goin’ out an’ getting rid o’ some o’ his crimes,” said Big Jones, sniffing1 and spitting upon the deck.
“Hif dirt’s a crime, you’d been hung long ago,” observed Jim. “Better turn in with hit.”
“Too hot,” said Bill. “It’s youst a little too hot fer me. I’ve sweated all the water out of me working, an’ I don’t want to sweat sleepin’. I’ll take the deck an’ let her go.”
“A man’s ’bout one-third water, anyways, according to some o’ them doctors’ sayings,” drawled Shannon, who lounged in his bunk2.
“What’s the rest,--likker?” asked Jim, wofully.
274And then the men split up, each seeking a spot for resting during his watch below, some on deck and some in the forecastle.
I followed Bill to the windlass, and we stretched out in my old favourite spot, with our heads upon a coil of the forestaysail-downhaul. Here we had the draught3 from under the foot of the sail blowing downward in our faces, and we instantly gave way to its soothing4 influence and fell asleep. Since Watkins had gone over the side, with a shot to each foot, sewed tightly in canvas, I had been a bit more free to sleep out on deck at night in the warm weather, and I now rested as only a tired and healthy sailor could. The barque held along steadily5 and the motion was slight, and there was silence on board save for the murmur6 coming from below. The first thing I knew of trouble was being suddenly aroused by a piercing scream. It was shrill7 and sharp and full of terror and pain.
Bill started up at the same time, and both of us asked each other what was the matter. I tried to put out my hand to steady myself from the roll of the barque and get to my feet, but something held it firmly to the other in front of me. The night was intensely black, as the moon had not yet risen, and for an instant I was blundering about, striving to free myself, until Bill blurted8 out that he was ironed. Then I realized that my hands were 275shackled fast in iron bracelets9, and that there was little use to try to free them. Some one had slipped them upon our wrists while we slept, and we were as helpless as though paralyzed.
I tried to see the watch on deck, and strained my eyes through the gloom to catch sight of their forms in the waist, where they usually grouped to keep awake and tell yarns10. There was not a soul in sight. Even the poop seemed vacant, but, while I looked, shadows appeared creeping up the gangways over the break, and in a moment a flash lit the darkness. Following the report, a perfect roar of voices burst forth11, yelling and bawling12, interspersed13 now and again with shouts and cries of wounded men. Then Martin’s hoarse14 yell arose above the uproar15 aft, and I began to realize what was happening.
“Break loose, Bill, for God’s sake,” I cried, tugging16 away at my irons. “Break loose, for that devil, Martin, is going amuck17, and Shannon is in his wake.” Our legs were free, and I ran to the windlass-bitts, which were covered with metal. Raising my hands high above my head, I brought the bracelets down with all my force upon the iron tops.
The pain was awful. For some moments I could do nothing but gasp18, for it seemed to me that I 276had broken both my wrists. They were numb19 and paralyzed with the shock.
“Let me try,” said Bill, and he brought his hands down with full force. The lock on his iron sprang open, and he gave a groan20.
“Lay your wrists here,” he said, and I stretched the connecting link over the bitt-head. Bill seized a heavy chain-hook and smote21 again and again upon the chain link until it bent22, buckled23, and finally opened. I was free.
With my irons hanging to my wrists, we started aft, where the fracas24 was now in full sway. Forms were surging upon the break of the poop, and among them I recognized some of our men mixed with the naked black bodies of the Africans. We dived into the forward cabin door to get at the cutlass rack in the passage, where all the arms were hung. As we did so, Mr. Curtis thrust a pistol into my face and pulled the trigger. The damp, hot climate had evidently affected25 the priming of the weapon, for I heard the flint fall distinctly. Then I struck up the muzzle26 as it exploded, the charge going upward into the deck.
“Don’t shoot!” I bawled27, as the report rang out. “Don’t shoot! can’t you see us? Give us the cutlasses, quick.”
Bill reached for the rack where they hung, and was about to take one, when a form swung out of 277the darkness, heaving some heavy weapon overhead. There was no time to explain matters, so I sprang upon the fellow and grasped him firmly before the blow fell upon Bill’s head, and together we went to the deck.
Instantly I recognized Jorg, the carpenter, as his axe28 fell clattering29 across the cabin, and the rascal30 gripped my throat with both hands. Before I could disengage his hands, two more bodies fell over me, scrambling31, cursing, and struggling. A foot--I think it was Bill’s--gave Jorg a kick under the ear, and he slackened his hold on my throat.
“What the mischief32 are you doing?” I gasped33. “Can’t you see we ain’t niggers? What’s the matter with you?”
Just then a lantern flashed, as the cabin door was thrown open, and Mr. Gull34 stood before us, pike in hand, ready for business. He seemed to hesitate a moment, and looked inquiringly at me and then at Bill, who had Curtis under him on the cabin deck, calling upon him to let him get away, and trying to disengage the Englishman’s hands, that had fastened themselves firmly around his neck. The noise overhead continued, and the rapid trampling35 of men and shuffling36 of feet told of a fierce encounter. Hawkson’s hoarse cry could be distinguished37 cheering the men on about him, and Martin’s wild yells and curses upon the ship, the crew, and everything 278about her. It was evident something worse than a rising of the blacks was taking place, and I hurriedly asked the second mate what had happened. He saw the manacles upon my wrists, where they still hung, and this showed him I had been a captive very recently. Then we knew the after-guard had taken no prisoners and would never give quarter.
“Put on in my sleep,” I said, quickly. “Bill and I both were ironed. Give us the weapons and let us help.”
“I believe you, Heywood. Take a cutlass and come along. The devil is loose to-night aboard here,” he said, and he grabbed Curtis’s hands at the same instant.
“Let him go,” he said to Curtis. “Let him go and get up. They’re all right.”
It was several moments before the Englishman realized what was wanted, and kept calling for Gull to run Bill through with his pike.
I grabbed a cutlass from the arm-rack just as Jorg sat up, dazed and dizzy. He evidently expected me to cut him down, and was much astonished when I helped raise him and handed him his axe.
“You’re youst a little bit too much in a hurry,” said Bill to Curtis, as they got up, the sailor red and angry at the choking he had received. But 279Gull pressed a cutlass into his hand, and called for us to follow, opening the door into the after-cabin. There was no time to lose. The incident had already cost us several minutes, and we might be too late.
“It’s Martin and the fellow Shannon,” said Gull, as we piled through. “They’ve got half the port watch an’ a dozen niggers with them. They’re the fighting devils of Cortelli’s guard shipped in, all ready to take a hand. Shannon and the Guinea stood in together to do the job. Come along, for God’s sake, come along!”
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收听单词发音
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1
sniffing
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| n.探查法v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的现在分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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2
bunk
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| n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位；废话 | |
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3
draught
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| n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计 | |
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4
soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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5
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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6
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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7
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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8
blurted
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| v.突然说出，脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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9
bracelets
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| n.手镯，臂镯( bracelet的名词复数 ) | |
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10
yarns
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| n.纱( yarn的名词复数 )；纱线；奇闻漫谈；旅行轶事 | |
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11
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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12
bawling
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| v.大叫，大喊( bawl的现在分词 )；放声大哭；大声叫出；叫卖（货物） | |
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13
interspersed
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| adj.[医]散开的；点缀的v.intersperse的过去式和过去分词 | |
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14
hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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15
uproar
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| n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸 | |
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16
tugging
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| n.牵引感v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的现在分词 ) | |
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17
amuck
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| ad.狂乱地 | |
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18
gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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19
numb
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| adj.麻木的，失去感觉的；v.使麻木 | |
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20
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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21
smote
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 ) | |
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22
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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23
buckled
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| a. 有带扣的 | |
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fracas
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| n.打架；吵闹 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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26
muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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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
axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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29
clattering
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| 发出咔哒声（clatter的现在分词形式） | |
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30
rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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31
scrambling
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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32
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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33
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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34
gull
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| n.鸥；受骗的人；v.欺诈 | |
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35
trampling
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| 踩( trample的现在分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
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36
shuffling
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| adj. 慢慢移动的, 滑移的 动词shuffle的现在分词形式 | |
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37
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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