Over the wardroom of the _Wolverine_ had fallen a silence. It held after Slade had finished. Captain Parkinson, stiff and erect1 in his chair, staring fixedly2 at a spot two feet above the reporter's head, seemed to weigh, as a judge weighs, the facts so picturesquely4, set forth5. Dr. Trendon, his sturdy frame half in shadow, had slouched far down into himself. Only the regard of his keen eyes fixed3 upon Slade's face, unwaveringly and a bit anxiously, showed that he was thinking of the narrator as well as of the narrative6. The others had fallen completely under the spell of the tale. They sat, as children in a theatre, absorbed, forgetful of the world around them, wrapped in a more vivid element. At the close, they stirred and blinked, half dazed by the abrupt7 fall of the curtain.
Slade had told his story with fire, with something of passion, even. Now he felt the sharp reflex. He muttered uncertainly beneath his breath and glanced from one to another of the circled faces.
"That's all," he said unsteadily.
There passed through the group a stir and a murmur8. Someone broke into sharp coughing. Chairs, shoved back, grated on the floor.
"Well, of all the extraordinary--" began a voice, ruminatingly, and broke short off, as if abashed9 at its own infraction10 of the silence.
"That's all," repeated Slade, a note of insistence11 in his voice. "Why don't you say something? Confound you, why don't you say something?" His speech rose husky and cracked. "Don't you believe it?"
"Hold on," said the surgeon quietly. "No need to get excited."
"Oh, well," muttered the reporter, with a sudden lapse12. "Possibly you think I'm romancing. It doesn't matter. I don't suppose I'd believe it myself, in your place."
"But we're heading for the island," suggested Forsythe.
"That's so," cried Slade. "Well, that's all right. Believe or disbelieve as much as you like. Only get Percy Darrow off that island. Then we'll have his version. There are a few things I want to find out about, myself."
"There are several that promise to be fairly interesting," said Forsythe, under his breath.
Slade turned to the captain. "Have you any questions to put to me, sir?" he asked formally.
"Just one moment," interrupted Trendon. "Boy, a pony13 of brandy for Mr. Slade."
The reporter drank the liquor and again turned to Captain Parkinson.
"Only about our men," said the commanding officer, after a little thought.
Slade shook his head.
"I'm sorry I can't help you there, sir."
"Dr. Trendon said that you knew nothing about Edwards."
"Edwards?" repeated Slade inquiringly. His mind, still absorbed in the events which he had been relating, groped backward.
Trendon came to his aid. "Barnett asked you about him, you remember. It was when you recovered consciousness. Our ensign. Took over charge of the _Laughing Lass_."
"Oh, of course. I was a little dazed, I fancy."
"We put Mr. Edwards aboard when we first picked up the deserted14 schooner15," explained the captain.
"Pardon me," said the other. "My head doesn't seem to work quite right yet. Just a moment, please." He sat silent, with closed eyes. "You say you picked up the _Laughing Lass_. When?" he asked presently.
"Four--five--six days ago, the first time."
"Then you put out the fire."
The circle closed in on Slade, with an unconscious hitching16 forward of chairs. He had fixed his eyes on the captain. His mouth worked. Obviously he was under a tensity of endeavour in keeping his faculties17 set to the problem. The surgeon watched him, frowning.
"There was no fire," said the captain.
Slade leaped in his chair. "No fire! But I saw her, I tell you. When I went overboard she was one living flame!"
"You landed in the small boat. Knocked you senseless," said Trendon. "Concussion18 of the brain. Idea of flame might have been a retroactive hallucination."
"Retroactive rot," cried the other. "I beg your pardon, Dr. Trendon. But if you'd seen her as I saw her--Barnett!"
He turned in appeal to his old acquaintance.
"There was no fire, Slade," replied the executive officer gently. "No sign of fire that we could find, except that the starboard rail was blistered19."
"Oh, that was from the volcano," said Slade. "That was nothing."
"It was all there was," returned Barnett.
"Just let me run this thing over," said the free lance slowly. "You found the schooner. She wasn't afire. She didn't even seem to have been afire. You put a crew aboard under your ensign, Edwards. Storm separated you from her. You picked her up again deserted. Is that right?"
"Day before yesterday morning."
"Then," cried the other excitedly, "the fire was smouldering all the time. It broke out and your men took to the water."
"Impossible," said Barnett.
"Fiddlesticks!" said the more downright surgeon.
"I hardly think Mr. Edwards would be driven overboard by a fire which did not even scorch20 his ship," suggested the captain mildly.
"It drove our lot overboard," insisted Slade. "Do you think we were a pack of cowards? I tell you, when that hellish thing broke loose, you had to go. It wasn't fear. It wasn't pain. It was--What's the use. You can't explain a thing like that."
"We certainly saw the glow the night Billy Edwards was--disappeared," mused21 Forsythe.
"And again, night before last," said the captain.
"What's that!" cried Slade. "Where is the _Laughing Lass_?"
"I'd give something pretty to know," said Barnett.
"Isn't she in tow?"
"In tow?" said Forsythe. "No, indeed. We hadn't adequate facilities for towing her. Didn't you tell him, Mr. Barnett?"
"Where is she, then?" Slade fired the question at them like a cross- examiner.
"Why, we shipped another crew under Ives and McGuire that noon. We were parted again, and haven't seen them since."
"God forgive you!" said the reporter. "After the warnings you'd had, too. It was--it was--"
"My orders, Mr. Slade," said Captain Parkinson, with quiet dignity.
"Of course, sir. I beg your pardon," returned the other. "But--you say you saw the light again?"
"The first night they were out," said Barnett, in a low voice.
"Then your second crew is with your first crew," said Slade, shakily. "And they're with Thrackles, and Pulz and Solomon, and many another black- hearted scoundrel and brave seaman22. Down there!"
He pointed23 under foot. Captain Parkinson rose and went to his cabin. Slade rose, too, but his knees were unsteady. He tottered24, and but for the swift aid of Barnett's arm, would have fallen.
"Overdone," said Dr. Trendon, with some irritation25. "Cost you something in strength. Foolish performance. Turn in now."
Slade tried to protest, but the surgeon would not hear of it, and marched him incontinently to his berth26. Returning, Trendon reported, with growls27 of discontent, that his patient was in a fever.
"Couldn't expect anything else," he fumed28. "Pack of human interrogation points hounding him all over the place."
"What do you think of his story?" asked Forsythe.
The grizzled surgeon drew out a cigar, lighted it, took three deliberate puffs29, turned it about, examined the ash end with concentration, and replied:
"Man's telling a straight story."
"You think it's all true?" cried Forsythe.
"Humph!" grunted30 the other. "_He thinks it's all true_."
An orderly appeared and knocked at the captain's cabin.
"Beg pardon, sir," they heard him say. "Mr. Carter would like to know how close in to run. Volcano's acting31 up pretty bad, sir."
Captain Parkinson went on deck, followed by the rest.
收听单词发音 |
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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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fixedly
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| adv.固定地；不屈地，坚定不移地 | |
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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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picturesquely
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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abashed
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| adj.窘迫的，尴尬的v.使羞愧，使局促，使窘迫( abash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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infraction
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| n.违反；违法 | |
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insistence
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| n.坚持；强调；坚决主张 | |
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lapse
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| n.过失，流逝，失效，抛弃信仰，间隔；vi.堕落，停止，失效，流逝；vt.使失效 | |
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pony
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| adj.小型的；n.小马 | |
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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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schooner
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| n.纵帆船 | |
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hitching
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| 搭乘； （免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的现在分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上 | |
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faculties
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| n.能力( faculty的名词复数 )；全体教职员；技巧；院 | |
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concussion
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| n.脑震荡；震动 | |
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blistered
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| adj.水疮状的，泡状的v.（使）起水泡( blister的过去式和过去分词 )；（使表皮等）涨破，爆裂 | |
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scorch
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| v.烧焦，烤焦；高速疾驶；n.烧焦处，焦痕 | |
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mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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seaman
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| n.海员，水手，水兵 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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tottered
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| v.走得或动得不稳( totter的过去式和过去分词 )；踉跄；蹒跚；摇摇欲坠 | |
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25
irritation
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| n.激怒，恼怒，生气 | |
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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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27
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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28
fumed
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| 愤怒( fume的过去式和过去分词 )； 大怒； 发怒； 冒烟 | |
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29
puffs
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| n.吸( puff的名词复数 )；（烟斗或香烟的）一吸；一缕（烟、蒸汽等）；（呼吸或风的）呼v.使喷出( puff的第三人称单数 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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30
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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31
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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