Percy Darrow, unexpected, made his first visit to us the very next evening. He sauntered in with a Mexican corn-husk cigarette between his lips, carrying a lantern; blew the light out, and sat down with a careless greeting, as though he had seen us only the day before.
"Hullo, boys," said he, "been busy?"
"How are ye, sir?" replied Handy Solomon. "Good Lord, mates, look at that!"
Our eyes followed the direction of his forefinger1. Against the dark blue of the evening sky to northward2 glowed a faint phosphorescence, arch-shaped, from which shot, with pulsating3 regularity4, long shafts5 of light. They beat almost to the zenith, and back again, a half dozen times, then the whole illumination disappeared with the suddenness of gas turned out.
"Now I wonder what that might be!" marvelled6 Thrackles.
"Northern lights," hazarded Pulz. "I've seen them almost like that in the Behring Seas."
"Northern lights your eye!" sneered7 Handy Solomon. "You may have seen them in the Behring Seas, but never this far south, and in August, and you can, kiss the Book on that."
"What do you think, sir?" Thrackles inquired of the assistant.
"Devil's fire," replied Percy Darrow briefly8. "The island's a little queer. I've noticed it before."
"Debbil fire," repeated the Nigger.
Darrow turned directly to him.
"Yes, devil's fire; and devils, too, for all I know; and certainly vampires9. Did you ever hear of vampires, Doctor?"
"Well, they are women, wonderful, beautiful women. A man on a long voyage would just smack11 his lips to see them. They have shiny grey eyes, and lips red as raspberries. When you meet them they will talk with you and go home with you. And then when you're asleep they tear a little hole in your neck with their sharp claws, and they suck the blood with their red lips. When they aren't women, they take the shape of big bats like birds." He turned to me with so beautifully casual an air that I wanted to clap him on the back with the joy of it.
"By the way, Eagen, have you noticed those big bats the last few evenings, over by the cliff? _I_ can't make out in the dusk whether they are vampires or just plain bats." He directed his remarks again to the Nigger. "Next time you see any of those big bats, Doctor, just you notice close. If they have just plain, black eyes, they're all right; but if they have grey eyes, with red rims13 around 'em, they're vampires. I wish you'd let me know, if you do find out. It's interesting."
"Don' get me near no bats," growled the Nigger.
"Where's Selover?" inquired Darrow.
"He stays aboard," I hastened to say. "Wants to keep an eye on the ship."
"That's laudable. What have you been doing?"
"We've been cleaning ship. Just finished yesterday evening."
"What next?"
"We were thinking of wrecking14 the _Golden Horn_."
"Quite right. Well, if you want any help with your engines or anything of the sort, call on me."
He arose and began to light his lantern. "I hope as how you're getting on well there above, sir?" ventured Handy Solomon insinuatingly15.
"Very well, I thank you, my man," replied Percy Darrow drily. "Remember those vampires, Doctor."
He swung the lantern and departed without further speech. We followed the spark of it until it disappeared in the arroyo16.
Behind us bellowed17 the sea; over against us in the sky was the dull threatening glow of the volcano; about us were mysterious noises of crying birds, barking seals, rustling18 or rushing winds. I felt the thronging19 ghosts of all the old world's superstition20 swirling21 madly behind us in the eddies22 that twisted the smoke of our fire.
We wrecked23 the _Golden Horn_. Forward was a rusted-out donkey engine, which we took to pieces and put together again. It was no mean job, for all the running parts had to be cleaned smooth, and with the exception of a rudimentary knowledge on the part of Pulz and Perdosa, we were ignorant. In fact we should not have succeeded at all had it not been for Percy Darrow and his lantern. The first evening we took him over to the cliff's edge he laughed aloud.
"Jove, boys, how could you guess it _all_ wrong," he wondered.
With a few brief words he set us right, Pulz, Perdosa, and I listening intently; the others indifferent in the hopelessness of being able to comprehend. Of course, we went wrong again in our next day's experiments; but Darrow was down two or three times a week, and gradually we edged toward a practical result.
His explanations consumed but a few moments. After they were finished, we adjourned24 to the fire.
Thus we came gradually to a better acquaintance with the doctor's assistant. In many respects he remained always a puzzle, to me. Certainly the men never knew how to take him. He was evidently not only unafraid of them, but genuinely indifferent to them.
Yet he displayed a certain interest in their needs and affairs. His practical knowledge was enormous. I think I have told you of the completeness of his arrangements--everything had been foreseen from grindstones to gas nippers. The same quality of concrete speculation25 showed him what we lacked in our own lives.
There was, as you remember, the matter of Handy Solomon's steel claw. He showed Thrackles a kind of lanyard knot that deep-sea person had never used. He taught Captain Selover how to make soft soap out of one species of seaweed. Me, he initiated26 in the art of fishing with a white bone lure27. Our camp itself he reconstructed on scientific lines so that we enjoyed less aromatic28 smoke and more palatable29 dinner. And all of it he did amusedly, as though his ideas were almost too obvious to need communication.
We became in a manner intimate with him. He guyed the men in his indolent fashion, playing on their credulity, their good nature, even their forbearance. They alternately grinned and scowled30. He left always a confused impression, so that no one really knew whether he cherished rancour against Percy Darrow or kindly31 feeling.
The Nigger was Darrow's especial prey32. The assistant had early discovered that the cook was given to signs, omens33, and superstitions34.
From a curious scholar's lore35 he drew fantastics with which to torment36 his victim. We heard of all the witches, warlocks, incubi, succibi, harpies, devils, imps37, and haunters of Avitchi, from all the teachings of history, sacred and profane38, Hindu, Egyptian, Greek, mediaeval, Swedenborg, Rosicrucian, theosophy, theology, with every last ounce of horror, mystery, shivers, and creeps squeezed out of them. They were gorgeous ghost stories, for they were told by a man fully12 informed as to all the legendary39 and gruesome details. At first I used to think he might have communicated it more effectively. Then I saw that the cool, drawling manner, the level voice, were in reality the highest art. He told his stories in a half-amused, detached manner which imposed confidence more readily than any amount of earnest asseveration. The mere40 fact of his own belief in what he said came to matter little. He was the vehicle by which was brought accurate knowledge. He had read all these things, and now reported them as he had read: each man could decide for himself as to their credibility.
At last the donkey engine was cleared and reinstalled, atop the cliff. The Nigger built under her a fire of black walnut41; Captain Selover handed out grog all around; and we started her up with a cheer, just to see the wheels revolve42.
Next we half buried some long hatches, end up, to serve as bitts for the lines, hitched43 our cables to them, and joyfully44 commenced the task of pulling the _Golden Horn_ piece by piece up the side of the cliff.
The stores were badly damaged by the wet, and there was no liquor, for which I was sincerely grateful. We broke into the boxes, and arrayed ourselves in various garments--which speedily fell to pieces--and appropriated gim-cracks of all sorts. There were some arms, but the ammunition45 had gone bad. Perdosa, out of forty or fifty mis-fires, got one feeble sputter46, and a tremendous _bang_ which blew up his piece, leaving only the stock in his hand. A few tinned goods were edible47; but all the rest was destroyed. A lot of hard woods, a thousand feet of chain cable, and a fairly good anchor might be considered as prizes. As for the rest, it was foolishness, but we hauled it up just the same until nothing at all remained. Then we shut off the donkey engine, and put on dry clothes. We had been quite happy for the eight months.
It was now well along toward spring. The winter had been like summer, and with the exception of a few rains of a week or so, we had enjoyed beautiful skies. The seals had thinned out considerably48, but were now returning in vast numbers ready for their annual domestic arrangements.
Our Sundays we had mostly spent in resting, or in fishing. There were many deep sea fish to be had, of great palatability49, but small gameness; they came like so many leaden weights. A few of us had climbed some of the hills in a half-hearted curiosity, but from their summits saw nothing to tempt50 weariness. Practically we knew nothing beyond the mile or so of beach on which we lived.
Captain Selover had made a habit of coming ashore51 at least once during the day. He had contented52 himself with standing53 aloof54, but I took pains to seem to confer with him, so that the men might suppose that I, as mate, was engaged in carrying out his directions. The dread55 of him was my most potent56 influence over them.
During the last few days of our wrecking, Captain Selover had omitted his daily visit. The fact made me uneasy, so that at my first opportunity I sculled myself out to the schooner57. I found him, moist-eyed as usual, leaning against the mainmast doing nothing.
"We've finished, sir," said I.
He looked at me.
"Will you come ashore and have a look, sir?" I inquired.
"I ain't going ashore again," he muttered thickly.
"What!" I cried.
"I ain't going ashore again," he repeated obstinately58, "and that's all there is to it. It's too much of a strain on any man. Suit yourself. You run them. I shipped as captain of a vessel59. I'm no dock walloper. I won't _do_ it--for no man!"
I gasped60 with dismay at the man's complete moral collapse61. It seemed incredible. I caught myself wondering whether he would recover tone were he again to put to sea.
"My God, man, but you _must_!" I cried at last.
"I won't, and that's flat," said he, and turned deliberately62 on his heel and disappeared in the cabin.
I went ashore thoughtful and a little scared. But on reflection I regained63 a great part of my ease of mind. You see, I had been with these men now eight months, during which they had been as orderly as so many primary schoolboys. They had worked hard, without grumbling64, and had even approached a sort of friendliness65 about the camp fire. My first impression was overlaid. As I looked back on the voyage, with what I took to be a clearer vision, I could not but admit that the incidents were in themselves trivial enough--a natural excitement by a superstitious66 negro, a little tall talk that meant nothing. It must have been the glamour67 of the adventure that had deceived me; that, and the unusual stage setting and costuming. Certainly few men would work hard for eight months without a murmur68, without a chance to look about them.
In that, of course, I was deceived by my inexperience. I realised later the wonderful effect Captain Selover threw away with his empty brandy bottles. The crew might grumble69 and plot during the watch below; but when Captain Ezra Selover said _work_, they worked. He had been saying work, for eight months. They had, from force of experience, obeyed him. It was all very simple.
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1
forefinger
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| n.食指 | |
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northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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pulsating
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| adj.搏动的，脉冲的v.有节奏地舒张及收缩( pulsate的现在分词 )；跳动；脉动；受（激情）震动 | |
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regularity
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| n.规律性，规则性；匀称，整齐 | |
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shafts
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| n.轴( shaft的名词复数 )；（箭、高尔夫球棒等的）杆；通风井；一阵（疼痛、害怕等） | |
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marvelled
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| v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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vampires
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| n.吸血鬼( vampire的名词复数 )；吸血蝠；高利贷者；（舞台上的）活板门 | |
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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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smack
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| vt.拍，打，掴；咂嘴；vi.含有…意味；n.拍 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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rims
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| n.（圆形物体的）边( rim的名词复数 )；缘；轮辋；轮圈 | |
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wrecking
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| 破坏 | |
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insinuatingly
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arroyo
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| n.干涸的河床，小河 | |
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bellowed
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| v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的过去式和过去分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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rustling
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| n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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thronging
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| v.成群，挤满( throng的现在分词 ) | |
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superstition
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| n.迷信，迷信行为 | |
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swirling
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| v.旋转，打旋( swirl的现在分词 ) | |
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eddies
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| （水、烟等的）漩涡，涡流( eddy的名词复数 ) | |
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wrecked
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| adj.失事的，遇难的 | |
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adjourned
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| （使）休会， （使）休庭( adjourn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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speculation
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| n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机 | |
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initiated
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| n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入 | |
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lure
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| n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引 | |
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aromatic
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| adj.芳香的，有香味的 | |
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palatable
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| adj.可口的，美味的；惬意的 | |
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scowled
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| 怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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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prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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omens
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| n.前兆，预兆( omen的名词复数 ) | |
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superstitions
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| 迷信，迷信行为( superstition的名词复数 ) | |
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lore
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| n.传说；学问，经验，知识 | |
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torment
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| n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠 | |
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imps
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| n.（故事中的）小恶魔( imp的名词复数 )；小魔鬼；小淘气；顽童 | |
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profane
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| adj.亵神的，亵渎的；vt.亵渎，玷污 | |
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legendary
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| adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学） | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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walnut
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| n.胡桃，胡桃木，胡桃色，茶色 | |
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42
revolve
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| vi.(使)旋转；循环出现 | |
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43
hitched
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| （免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的过去式和过去分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上 | |
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joyfully
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| adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地 | |
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45
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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46
sputter
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| n.喷溅声；v.喷溅 | |
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47
edible
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| n.食品，食物；adj.可食用的 | |
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48
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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palatability
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| n.嗜食性，适口性，风味 | |
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50
tempt
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| vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣 | |
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51
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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52
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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53
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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aloof
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| adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的 | |
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dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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56
potent
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| adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的 | |
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schooner
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| n.纵帆船 | |
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obstinately
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| ad.固执地，顽固地 | |
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59
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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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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61
collapse
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| vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷 | |
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62
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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64
grumbling
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| adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的 | |
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65
friendliness
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| n.友谊，亲切，亲密 | |
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superstitious
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| adj.迷信的 | |
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glamour
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| n.魔力，魅力；vt.迷住 | |
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68
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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69
grumble
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| vi.抱怨；咕哝；n.抱怨，牢骚；咕哝，隆隆声 | |
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