"Stolen?" exclaimed my father anxiously.
"Yes, stolen; but I was going to say that they were of no apparent value—merely a sort of diary kept by Ross Trevena during his residence in Brazil, the title-deeds of his plantation12 at San Antonio de Riachaya, a few indentures13, and an old piece of parchment, covered with figures—apparently a sort of ready-reckoner.
"As I told you in my last letter, the natives did not appear to appreciate my presence in Pernambuco, or, rather, in the outskirts14, for San Antonio is about four miles from the city. Once the hacienda where I was staying was broken into, but the intruders were foiled by Chappell's bulldog, Chappell being, by the way, an English engineer with whom I became friendly, and he happened to be staying with me at the time of the attempted burglary. Twice I was set upon by a party of Brazilians, but the sight of the muzzle15 of a revolver cooled their ardour, and one night as I was sitting in the patio16 a pistol bullet whizzed unpleasantly close to my head. Why they bestowed17 these attentions on me I cannot imagine, unless they had a mistaken idea that I had a secret hoard18 or a clue to a treasure somewhere in the district. Possibly they do not realize that it is a far cry from Brazil to the Islands of the Pacific.
"However, under the circumstances, I thought that the best thing I could do was to clear out as quickly as possible, and, as it happened, an Italian tramp, the 'Andrea Doria,' was about to sail direct to Fowey to load up with china clay. She wasn't a bad sort of vessel, as foreigners go, being built so lately as 1893, and her captain and officers were quite decent fellows, especially from a social point of view. Probably you remember the 'old man,' Luigi Righi; he's been in this harbour several times, but, poor chap, I'm afraid he won't enter again, unless his corpse19 is carried in by the tide. The crew were all Italian, excepting a couple of Brazilians shipped to replace some of the men who had deserted20 at Bahia. Well, we cleared out of the harbour, high in ballast, and had an uneventful run until we sighted the Longships, and here we fell in with thick weather, which ended up with a regular southerly gale21.
"We were able to catch only a glimpse of the Lizard22 lights, then everything was blotted23 out in the mirk. I stayed up all night, keeping on the bridge with the skipper and the second mate. About 11 p.m. the captain decided24 we were too close in shore, and telegraphed to the engine-room to slow down to half-speed, intending to keep well out until he could pick up the Eddystone lights, so I came to the conclusion that he thought it safer to make for Plymouth rather than enter Fowey Harbour in such a gale.
"Just as our helm was put hard-a-port, I saw a huge wave bearing down on our starboard bow. It burst over our fo'c'sle in a solid mass, carrying away everything movable, and, hearing a warning shout from the captain, I cowered25 behind the canvas storm-dodgers, and held on like grim death. The crest26 of the wave swept the bridge, tearing away the greater part of the rail and the ladder, and with the former went the mate. I could just distinguish his cry of terror above the howling of the gale. The captain slid down one of the bridge stanchions, and, needless to say, I followed suit, and on gaining the shelter of the wheel-house we found that the steam steering-gear had broken down. Almost at the same moment the chief engineer rushed on deck reporting four feet of water in the engine-room, and the quartermaster, staggering along from aft, announced that the loss of the rudder had caused an alarming leak in the after-hold.
"The skipper seemed calm enough, for he translated his subordinate's reports to me; but a few minutes afterwards up came the panic-stricken engine-room staff, gesticulating, and calling on all the saints in the calendar, while from the engine-room-hatch poured a thick cloud of steam, and immediately afterwards the dull throb27 of the propeller28 ceased, and we were helpless in the trough of the sea.
"It seemed hours that we drifted in utter helplessness, sea after sea breaking in, carrying away all the boats on the starboard side, while, by the vessel's sluggishness29 in shaking herself free, I knew she was sinking fast.
"Something prompted me to go below and secure the precious papers, but on gaining my berth30 I found the cabin door had been forced open and the place hurriedly ransacked31, all my personal belongings32 being scattered33 on the floor. There were no signs of the documents, though luckily I had the box containing the cipher sewn in my waistbelt. At first thoughts I came to the conclusion that the motion of the vessel had caused the disorder34 in the cabin, but the sight of the two locked portmanteaux cut open, apparently with a sharp knife, destroyed this theory. In spite of the peril35 of the situation, I argued that, if robbery had been the motive36, the papers, being of no apparent value, would have been overlooked; but further search showed that there was some deliberate reason that had induced the thief to take them.
"In the midst of my hurried search came a shock that made the vessel shudder37 so violently that I was thrown against the for'ard bulkhead of the cabin. The ship was aground.
"I sprang forward to rush on deck, but, to my horror, I found that the cabin-door had jammed in its frame and I was a prisoner.
"I remember once, when I was a small boy (you were not there at the time), our pet cat was caught by its head in a jug38 while trying to steal some milk. How I laughed at the wretched creature's antics, as in an agony of fright it tore round the room with the jug adhering firmly to its head. Poor brute39! It has my sympathy now, for its state of mind must have been very much like mine when I found myself trapped in the cabin of the sinking ship.
"I was mad with terror. Shouting, I flung myself again and again at the unyielding door, pounding at it with my fists, till, with my knuckles40 streaming with blood, I was obliged to desist through sheer exhaustion41.
Suddenly the doomed42 vessel listed heavily to port, and I threw myself bodily against the door in a forlorn effort. The framework crashed outwards43, and I fell ponderously44 into the alleyway, where I lay in a half-conscious condition till a rush of water flooding the narrow passage brought back my scattered senses.
"I managed to squeeze through the partially45 closed companion and gain the deck. The scene of confusion had increased with all the horrors of shipwreck46. A few of the less-frenzied members of the crew had lit a tar-barrel, and by the vivid glare of the flames I saw a crowd of half-maddened seamen47 making a rush for the sole remaining lifeboat.
"In the desperate struggle knives flashed, but whether it was by steel or by water that the wretched, demented creatures met their fate matters little, for directly the boat was lowered it was crushed like an eggshell against the ship's side. There was a short yet terrible shriek49 of terror, and then the noise of Nature's weapons alone was heard.
"The surviving members of the crew sent up a few rockets, and, in spite of the peril of our situation, we felt cheered by the answering flash from a rocket ashore50, and at about the same time the atmosphere cleared somewhat, and I saws a red light giving a double flash at quick intervals51.
"Then I knew by the irony52 of fate that this was St. Catherine's light, and that we were cast on the rocks within sight of home.
"All this time the ship was breaking up fast, and, as wave after wave swept over the doomed vessel, the little knot of survivors53 grew steadily55 less, the men being so numbed56 with continued exposure that they retained no strength to resist their relentless57 fate.
"I could see that the longer I held on, the more chance there would be of the breaking dawn helping58, so that the possibilities of reaching shore in safety would be correspondingly greater, though I had sad misgivings59 of ever gaining dry land, alive.
"However, I lashed48 myself securely to a fife-rail, which seemed the least likely to carry away, making a simple hitch60, so as to cast myself adrift at the critical moment. The vessel had now listed to such an extent that walking would have been an impossibility, while the remaining portion of the ship trembled under the violent shocks as waves struck the gaping61 sides and fell in a green cascade62 over the miserable63 wretches64 who cowered to lee'ard.
"At length, after hours of interminable waiting, as it seemed, a grey light began to break over the awful scene, and, looking landwards, I saw the misty65 outline of the Gribben, though, of course, there were no people visible, neither could they have seen us in that dim light.
"The ship had struck within a hundred yards of the Cannis rock, and in the trough of the breaking seas I could make out the iron standard of the danger beacon66, a mockery in our present state.
"At that moment something prompted me to look sideways to see how my fellow-sufferers fared, and to my surprise I made out the figure of one of the Brazilian seamen crawling cautiously towards me. In the semi-darkness I saw that in his right hand he grasped a knife; then, before I could realise the situation, he made a vicious thrust at me with the glittering steel. Even as he did so, the deck seemed to burst upwards67, and the miscreant68 stumbled. The knife fell, but not where it was intended, and, descending69 on the rope that held me to the rail, it severed70 it like pack-thread, and the next moment I found myself struggling in the waves.
"I must have been swept across the deck with considerable force, for some time elapsed before I reached the surface, and it was with mingled71 feelings of despair and exultation72 that I began to strike out for the shore.
"'Cheer up, Herbert, old man!' I continually exclaimed to myself. 'Everything helps to set you shorewards—wind, waves, and your own efforts. Better be drowned than perish by a knife-thrust, anyway.' And then, in the midst of these encouragements, I thought of the pitiless rocks, and, knowing them as I did, I could form a pretty sure idea of my fate. Just then I noticed something that filled me with renewed hope. The ship was aground, as I have related, within a hundred yards of the Cannis, and now I saw that I was not cast over that jagged rock, but had been borne well to the eastward73 of it, so that there was a hope—a mere11 fighting chance—of being swept into the comparatively sheltered waters of Pridmouth Bay.
"I continued to strike out with swift strokes, relying on my strength to last till I reached shore, and my ability to withstand the cold.
"Slowly I neared the shore till the bold headland of the Gribben was abreast74, and I had all my work cut out to keep parallel to the ledge75 of rocks on its eastern side and to prevent myself being swept away from the mouth of the little bay; and, in spite of my efforts, I felt the numbing76 effects of the icy water gradually telling on my exhausted77 limbs. How long I kept on swimming I cannot tell, for my actions had become more or less mechanical, till in the trough of an enormous roller I felt my feet touch bottom.
"In another moment I was in the midst of the broken seas, and alternately thrown violently shorewards by one wave and washed back by the undertow, without possessing the strength to save myself, I realized dimly that the little remaining breath I had was being dashed out of my body. Yet in the midst of it all I felt no actual pain, neither did I seem to mind the danger. A vague, unaccountable sensation of indifference78 gave place to a rapid succession of mental pictures. In a few seconds I had lived my life once again. In times past I have scoffed79 at similar statements, but now I know it for a fact.
"My last impression of that awful struggle was that I was lying in the soft, yielding sand, with the backwash pouring over me, and the dull roar of an approaching breaker. Then came the crash of the falling cataract80, the flash of thousands of brilliant lights, and complete oblivion.
"When I opened my eyes I found myself lying on a rough wooden stool in the garden of a cottage, and a couple of men were chafing81 my limbs with rough towels. My head throbbed82 horribly, and I was aware that there was a bandage tied tightly over my temples, from which the blood trickled83 in a little stream down my face.
"Directly they saw I had come to my senses they carried me over to the cottage, stripping off my wet clothes, and put me into a bed; but, in spite of a dizzy sensation, I soon insisted on getting up, my one desire being to make for home as fast as I could.
"Seeing that I was terribly in earnest, the men rigged me out in some dry clothes, and left me with the intention of borrowing a pony84 and cart from a neighbouring house; but directly they had gone, a sudden impulse seized me—possibly I was temporarily out of my mind—and I staggered out of the cottage, without reckoning on the long walk home in my tottering85 condition; but fortunately for me, I had not gone many yards before I saw you and Reggie on ahead, and the rest you know."
"You always were a hare-brained rascal86 in some respects," remarked my father; "and there was a great possibility of your pegging87 out through sheer exhaustion, in which case there would have been no survivors from the ill-fated 'Andrea Doria.'"
"Then I suppose I am the only survivor54?" asked my uncle.
"I have every reason to believe so," replied my father sadly.
"I think not—at least, I believe I'm right," I exclaimed. "But I didn't like to interrupt Uncle Herbert at the time." And thereupon I told him about my meeting with the foreign-looking sailor on the cliff.
"Yes, I remember you mentioned the circumstance to me," remarked my father. "But why do you suppose the man was a member of the crew of the 'Andrea Doria'? Foreign sailors are not unusual in Fowey."
"But foreigners in saturated88 clothes do not generally lie concealed89 in long grass early in the morning."
"What was he like?" asked Uncle Herbert anxiously.
"That's the man to a certainty," declared my uncle decisively, when I had completed the description. "Paulo, they called him. He was one of the two Brazilians we had aboard, and he it was who tried to stab me with a knife."
"Why?"
"That's where you have me. I cannot even guess—unless he was after the cipher."
"Then possibly it was he who stole the papers from your cabin?"
"More than likely. Mark my words, Howard, there is some villainy afoot. Don't you think it would be advisable to set the police on his track?"
"Pooh!" exclaimed my father contemptuously. "We'll hear or see no more of him. Even now he may be working his passage homewards. However, that reminds me: I'll go over to Pridmouth to-morrow and return those well-fitting clothes you were rigged out in, and, at the same time, I'll get hold of the cipher; for, really, I am burning with impatience90 to tackle the mystery."
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1
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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2
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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erratic
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| adj.古怪的，反复无常的，不稳定的 | |
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4
cipher
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| n.零；无影响力的人；密码 | |
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5
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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garb
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| n.服装，装束 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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8
subdivided
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| 再分，细分( subdivide的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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hieroglyphics
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| n.pl.象形文字 | |
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steer
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| vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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plantation
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| n.种植园，大农场 | |
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13
indentures
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| vt.以契约束缚（indenture的第三人称单数形式） | |
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14
outskirts
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| n.郊外，郊区 | |
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15
muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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16
patio
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| n.庭院，平台 | |
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bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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18
hoard
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| n./v.窖藏，贮存，囤积 | |
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19
corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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21
gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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lizard
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| n.蜥蜴，壁虎 | |
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blotted
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| 涂污( blot的过去式和过去分词 )； （用吸墨纸）吸干 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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cowered
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| v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的过去式 ) | |
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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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throb
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| v.震颤，颤动；(急速强烈地)跳动，搏动 | |
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28
propeller
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| n.螺旋桨，推进器 | |
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29
sluggishness
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| 不振，萧条，呆滞；惰性；滞性；惯性 | |
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berth
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| n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊 | |
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ransacked
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| v.彻底搜查( ransack的过去式和过去分词 )；抢劫，掠夺 | |
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belongings
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| n.私人物品，私人财物 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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38
jug
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| n.(有柄，小口，可盛水等的)大壶，罐，盂 | |
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brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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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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41
exhaustion
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| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
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42
doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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outwards
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| adj.外面的，公开的，向外的；adv.向外；n.外形 | |
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ponderously
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partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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46
shipwreck
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| n.船舶失事，海难 | |
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seamen
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| n.海员 | |
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48
lashed
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| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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49
shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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50
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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51
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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52
irony
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| n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄 | |
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53
survivors
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| 幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 ) | |
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54
survivor
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| n.生存者，残存者，幸存者 | |
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55
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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56
numbed
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| v.使麻木，使麻痹( numb的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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relentless
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| adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的 | |
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58
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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misgivings
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| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕；疑虑，担心，恐惧( misgiving的名词复数 )；疑惧 | |
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60
hitch
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| v.免费搭(车旅行)；系住；急提；n.故障；急拉 | |
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61
gaping
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| adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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62
cascade
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| n.小瀑布，喷流；层叠；vi.成瀑布落下 | |
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63
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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64
wretches
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| n.不幸的人( wretch的名词复数 )；可怜的人；恶棍；坏蛋 | |
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65
misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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66
beacon
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| n.烽火，（警告用的）闪火灯，灯塔 | |
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upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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68
miscreant
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| n.恶棍 | |
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69
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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70
severed
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| v.切断，断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 )；断，裂 | |
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71
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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72
exultation
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| n.狂喜，得意 | |
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73
eastward
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| adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部 | |
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74
abreast
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| adv.并排地；跟上(时代)的步伐，与…并进地 | |
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ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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76
numbing
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| adj.使麻木的，使失去感觉的v.使麻木，使麻痹( numb的现在分词 ) | |
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77
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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78
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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79
scoffed
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| 嘲笑，嘲弄( scoff的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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80
cataract
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| n.大瀑布，奔流，洪水，白内障 | |
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81
chafing
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| n.皮肤发炎v.擦热（尤指皮肤）( chafe的现在分词 )；擦痛；发怒；惹怒 | |
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82
throbbed
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| 抽痛( throb的过去式和过去分词 )； （心脏、脉搏等）跳动 | |
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83
trickled
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| v.滴( trickle的过去式和过去分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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84
pony
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| adj.小型的；n.小马 | |
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85
tottering
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| adj.蹒跚的，动摇的v.走得或动得不稳( totter的现在分词 )；踉跄；蹒跚；摇摇欲坠 | |
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86
rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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87
pegging
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| n.外汇钉住，固定证券价格v.用夹子或钉子固定( peg的现在分词 )；使固定在某水平 | |
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88
saturated
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| a.饱和的，充满的 | |
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89
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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