"Poor fellow! Is there no hope?"
The doctor shook his head. "I was doubtful from the first. The spear was a poisoned one; though the poison was undoubtedly1 stale, and therefore slow in action, it was none the less sure."
"Can he be seen?"
"Yes, he's quite conscious."
I followed my father to the shelter-tent, under which the wounded seaman2 lay.
"Well, Barnes, how goes it—better?" he asked, with a forced cheerfulness.
"No, sir, though 'tain't no good making a fuss about it. My number's up."
"Nonsense, man! you'll soon be all right again, I hope."
"All right aloft, sir, please God. I'm real glad you've come to see me, Cap'n, for there'll be one or two little things I want squared up."
"I'll do anything I can."
"Well, sir, there's my medal for South Africa, with three clasps: would you mind accepting it as a kind o' keepsake from me? An' there's the good-conduct medal, too. That ain't of much account compared with t'other, but p'r'aps Mister Reginald would 'ave it."
"Thank you, Barnes; but have you no friends to give them to?"
"Never a relation in the world, sir. There's my pension papers in my ditty-box; it's a matter of three quarters due to me. Will you see that my chum, Joe Dirham, draws it? I've signed a paper about it."
"All right; I'll see to that."
"An' my identity-paper. It'll fetch a shilling at the 'Register's' at the first home-port we touch. Joe might just as well 'ave that; 'tain't no good throwin' good money away, and, besides, it will make all square and above-board up at the Admiralty."
"Do you feel much pain?"
"Precious little, Cap'n. As I said afore, it's no good makin' a fuss over it; a seaman with one leg ain't of no use to you, but"—here his voice trembled a little—"promise me, sir, that you'll bury me at sea, an' not on the island; it'll be a snug3 moorin' for me at the bottom of the lagoon4. Now, Cap'n, read somethin' out of the Book, an' say a prayer for me—I, never wasn't much in that line myself."
Somehow I felt unable to remain longer, so, shaking the seaman's thin hand, I went aft, leaving my father with him.
The news of the state of poor Barnes cast a gloom over the ship, and any feeling of enthusiasm over the discovery of the treasure was smothered5 by the melancholy6 reflection that one of our comrades was on his deathbed.
Next morning I was awakened7 by the sound of voices on deck. The sun had risen in a thick haze8, and, though not a zephyr9 disturbed the surface of the lagoon, the air was cool and pleasant. Wondering what the sounds meant, and whether poor Barnes had gone, I slipped on my clothes and went on deck.
Clustered round the tent were most of the crew, listening to the voice within, or whispering to each other in subdued10 tones. I went forward, and found my father, Dr. Conolly, and the bos'n standing11 by the side of the temporary bunk12 on which poor Barnes lay. The dying seaman was fighting his battles o'er again, shouting and talking in clear yet hurried tones. Now he was in the sweltering heat of a West African backwater, advancing with his shipmates to storm the stockade13 of a rebel chieftain; next he was serving a 4.7 gun with the Naval14 Brigade, his feeble hands clutching in grim pretence15 at the handspikes as the huge weapon on its unwieldy carriage was trained on the advancing Boers. Other episodes followed in quick succession, till the scene in the stockade where he received his fatal wound' seemed to exhaust his last flickering16 strength.
"Can't you see it's getting quite dark?" he exclaimed feebly. "What's wrong with the bos'n's mate? Why, hain't he piped the lamp-trimmers? ...Ah! that's better; the anchor-lamp's burnin' now, so we're brought up at last.... Turn it up a little, lads... That's it... Burning brightly now..."
The words died away in a long-drawn sigh. The doctor bent17 over the now motionless form' and placed a finger lightly on one eye. Then he shook his head. "Cover him over, poor fellow; he's made his last voyage and reached the port aloft."
* * * * *
Two hours later, the whaler pushed off from the side of the "Fortuna," with almost ever, man on board, and a still, shrouded18 form, covered with a union Jack20, lying on a board athwartships, the grand and solemn words of the Burial Service for use at sea mingling22 with the soft splash of the oars23 as the men, keeping slow time, pulled the boat towards the deepest part of the lagoon.
"... Suffer us not, at our last hour, for any pains of death, to fall from Thee."
"Way enough; toss oars," ordered the bos'n in a low tone.
The men raised their oars to a vertical24 position, as a last tribute to their shipmate, and the boat gradually began to lose way.
"... We therefore commit his body to the deep, to be turned into corruption25, looking for the resurrection of the body, when the sea shall give up its dead...."
The bos'n gave the signal, and the board was tilted26 up, and with a slight splash, the shrouded form slid into the water, leaving the union Jack fluttering in the boat. Instinctively27 I looked over the side, and followed the course of the weighted canvas that enclosed the mortal remains28 of poor Barnes, till the grey shroud19 turned a greenish tinge29, and at length was lost in the depth of the lagoon. With heavy hearts we rowed back to the yacht.
* * * * *
Needless to say there was no work done on the wreck30 for the rest of that day, but, to banish31 the feeling of depression, all hands were kept busily employed, some on the repairs to the gig, others making and repairing canvas gear, while the two divers32 made a successful descent and recovered the lost anchor and cable. On coming up they reported that the anchor was actually balanced on the edge of a deep chasm33, it being only by the merest chance that the ground tackle had not been irrecoverably lost. So delicate, in fact, was the position of the anchor, that the divers hesitated to approach it for fear that it might make a sudden descent and carry them with it over the abyss.
Just before sunset a strong party went ashore34 to refill the barricoes. The doctor and I went with them, but no amount of persuasion35 could induce Yadillah to set foot upon the island again, and during our stay he kept firmly to his resolution. We noticed a curious fact in connection with the journey ashore. The water was tinged36 in colour, and had a strong, sulphurous smell, so that we argued there must have been a volcanic37 outlet38 somewhere in the neighbourhood, or, failing that, there was a tremendous natural agency still bottled up beneath the island, that before long must seek to escape by another violent upheaval39.
* * * * *
Soon after daybreak on the following day the working-parties set out on their varied40 tasks, for, on account of the heat between the sea-soddened timbers of the wreck, it was decided42 to suspend work during the hottest part of the day.
The whaler's crew, under the orders of my uncle, devoted43 themselves to the unloading and transporting of the iron pigs from the hold of the "Fortuna," intending to replace them with bars of solid silver from the "San Philipo"; while a party of men, under my father and the bos'n, went away in the now serviceable gig to survey the reef.
I chose to go with the gig, which was certainly a more pleasant amusement than working inside a steaming wreck, for even at that early hour a thick vapour enveloped44 the "San Philipo."
For some distance the two boats kept company, the lighter45 boat towing a pair of sheers which were to be set up on the cliff to enable the pigs to be handled the more easily, while the whaler, in addition to being heavily laden46 with ballast from the yacht, carried a second pair of sheers to set up over the main hatchway of the wreck.
Opposite the landing-place on the reef we cast off our share of the gear and rowed slowly by the ledge47 of rocks, my father keeping a sharp eye on the formation of the reef to see if any of the gaping48 crevices49 actually led to the open sea beyond.
For nearly a mile and a half the rock rose sheer from the water's edge, and although the boat was backed into several winding50 gaps in the reef, in every case the attempt to find a channel proved fruitless. As we approached the spot where the reef joined the island, the rocks became lower, but the depth of water was so little, and the shoal extended so far from the reef, that it would have been impossible to bring the yacht up to the reef, even if a channel existed.
"Try the other end of the lagoon, sir," advised the bos'n. "We've let that part alone up to the present."
"There's no harm in trying, Mr. Wilkins," replied my father, "though, if I remember rightly, the original coral reef was very irregular at that part, and stretched seawards for a considerable distance."
When, after an hour's steady pulling, we arrived at the other end of the reef, we found that the rock was very similar to the rest, being pierced by many deep channels that, as usual, terminated in what the bos'n termed "blind alleys51."
Three of these were explored without success, but the fourth, some twenty feet in width in its narrowest part, ran in a straight direction for nearly a hundred yards, the walls on either side gradually diminishing in height from twenty-five to less than ten feet. Its end terminated in a mass of broken stone, deposited as if by human agency, in a diagonal direction, affording great facilities for climbing.
"It strikes me, sir," remarked Mr. Wilkins, "that the sea is only a few feet beyond the rock. Listen! you can hear the waves bleating52 against the seaward side."
It certainly struck the bos'n, but in a totally different manner from that which he implied, for, without warning, a terrific blast of air, followed by a column of water, was forced through an orifice in the rock, Mr. Wilkins, who was standing upon one of the thwarts21 in order to make a more complete survey, being in the direct line of fire, received the full force of the discharge, and was knocked completely over the side of the boat, while the rest of us were drenched53 to the skin.
The unfortunate bos'n was quickly hauled on board, little the worse for his ducking, and the gig was backed off beyond the danger zone.
"Experience does it!" gasped54 the bos'n, spitting out a mouthful of water; "which is, I am told, the Latin for 'Experience makes fools wise.' Am I not right, Mr. Reginald?"
"Well, what has experience taught you?" asked my father, laughing.
"Only what I thought was the case before," replied the bos'n. "And that is, that there's a communication through this rock between the lagoon and the open sea."
"I don't see how that can help us," remarked my father.
"May be, may be not, sir," observed Mr. Wilkins oracularly. "But if you don't mind, sir, will you land here for a few minutes. We can manage it quite easily by the broken rocks at the side of the blowing-hole."
We gained the summit of the reef without much difficulty. Here, as the bos'n had expressed his opinion, a ledge, barely six feet in width, separated us from the open sea, while on either hand, at a distance of less than a hundred yards, a long reef ran at right angles to the main ledge, terminating in jagged points of disrupted coral nearly half a mile from where we stood.
By the deep-blue colour of the water it was evident that there was plenty of depth between these two natural groynes, which formed ample protection from the heavy rollers that at every other point along the reef broke with a ceaseless roar.
"You've got your revolver with you, I see, sir," said the bos'n. "I'm going to dive off and see what the rock looks like on the seaward side. There may be sharks about and there may not; but keep a bright look-out, and fire at one if it comes for me. Money," he added to the bowman of the gig, "unreeve the painter and sling55 it ashore, will you."
"There, sir," he continued, "I'll take a turn round the rock, and drop the free end of the rope in the water so that I can pull myself up; but keep a bright look-out, if you please."
Hastily divesting56 himself of his sodden41 garments, and placing them to dry on the hot stones, the bos'n took a magnificent "header," and cleft57 the water with hardly a splash. Quite two fathoms58 down he went before he turned and swam towards the rocky wall, keeping below the water at the same depth. Half a minute later he reappeared, and, shaking the water from his hair, he grasped the rope and came up hand over hand.
"That's all right, sir. Deep water both sides, and the rock full of holes."
"What do you mean?" asked my father, unable to grasp the meaning of the bos'n's words.
"Why, sir, the 'Fortuna' can float easily on either side of this little neck of rock."
"On one side, I'll grant."
"Aye, on both sides, once we make a way through."
"Oh, how do you propose to do it'? Remove each piece of rock bit by bit, when the weight of the smallest is two tons at the very least—eh?"
"No, sir," replied the bos'n.
"Then how are you going to set about it?"
"Blast it," said Mr. Wilkins emphatically.
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1
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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2
seaman
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| n.海员，水手，水兵 | |
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snug
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| adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房 | |
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4
lagoon
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| n.泻湖，咸水湖 | |
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5
smothered
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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7
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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9
zephyr
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| n.和风，微风 | |
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10
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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11
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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12
bunk
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| n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位；废话 | |
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13
stockade
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| n.栅栏，围栏；v.用栅栏防护 | |
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14
naval
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| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
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15
pretence
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| n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰 | |
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16
flickering
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| adj.闪烁的，摇曳的，一闪一闪的 | |
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17
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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18
shrouded
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| v.隐瞒( shroud的过去式和过去分词 )；保密 | |
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shroud
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| n.裹尸布，寿衣；罩，幕；vt.覆盖，隐藏 | |
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20
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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21
thwarts
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| 阻挠( thwart的第三人称单数 )； 使受挫折； 挫败； 横过 | |
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22
mingling
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| adj.混合的 | |
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oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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24
vertical
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| adj.垂直的，顶点的，纵向的；n.垂直物，垂直的位置 | |
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25
corruption
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| n.腐败，堕落，贪污 | |
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26
tilted
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| v. 倾斜的 | |
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instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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28
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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tinge
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| vt.(较淡)着色于，染色；使带有…气息；n.淡淡色彩，些微的气息 | |
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30
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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banish
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| vt.放逐，驱逐；消除，排除 | |
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divers
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| adj.不同的；种种的 | |
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chasm
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| n.深坑，断层，裂口，大分岐，利害冲突 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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persuasion
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| n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派 | |
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36
tinged
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| v.（使）发丁丁声( ting的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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37
volcanic
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| adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的 | |
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38
outlet
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| n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄 | |
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39
upheaval
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| n.胀起，(地壳)的隆起；剧变，动乱 | |
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40
varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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41
sodden
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| adj.浑身湿透的；v.使浸透；使呆头呆脑 | |
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42
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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43
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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44
enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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45
lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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46
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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47
ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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48
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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49
crevices
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| n.（尤指岩石的）裂缝，缺口( crevice的名词复数 ) | |
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50
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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51
alleys
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| 胡同，小巷( alley的名词复数 )； 小径 | |
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52
bleating
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| v.（羊，小牛）叫( bleat的现在分词 )；哭诉；发出羊叫似的声音；轻声诉说 | |
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53
drenched
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| adj.湿透的；充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体） | |
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54
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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55
sling
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| vt.扔；悬挂；n.挂带；吊索，吊兜；弹弓 | |
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56
divesting
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| v.剥夺( divest的现在分词 )；脱去（衣服）；2。从…取去…；1。（给某人）脱衣服 | |
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57
cleft
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| n.裂缝；adj.裂开的 | |
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58
fathoms
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| 英寻( fathom的名词复数 ) | |
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