Feeling the way forward, the cruiser was soon caught in a maze1 of cross currents. Hither and thither2 she was borne, a creature bereft3 of volition4. Order followed order like the rattle5 of quick-fire, and was obeyed with something more than the _Wolverine's_ customary smartness. From the bridge Captain Parkinson himself directed his ship. His face was placid6: his bearing steady and confident. This in itself was sufficient earnest that the cruiser was in ticklish7 case. For it was an axiom of the men who sailed under Parkinson that the calmer that nervous man grew, the more cause was there for nervousness on the part of others.
The approach was from the south, but suspicious aspects of the water had fended8 the cruiser out and around, until now she stood prow-on to a bold headland at the northwest corner of the island. Above this headland lay a dark pall9 of vapour. In the shifting breeze it swayed sluggishly10, heavily, as if riding at anchor like a logy ship of the air. Only once did it show any marked movement.
"It's spreading out toward us," said Barnett to his fellow officers, gathered aft.
"Time to move, then," grunted11 Trendon.
The others looked at him inquiringly.
"About as healthful as prussic acid, those volcanic12 gases," explained the surgeon.
The ship edged on and inward. Presently the sing-song of the leadsman sounded in measured distinctness through the silence. Then a sudden activity and bustle13 forward, the rattle of chains, and the _Wolverine_ was at anchor. The captain came down from the bridge.
"What do you think, Dr. Trendon?" he asked.
More explicit14 inquiry15 was not necessary.
The surgeon understood what was in his superior's mind.
"Never can tell about volcanoes, sir," he said.
"Of course," agreed the captain. "But--well, do you recognise any of the symptoms?"
"Want me to diagnose a case of earthquake, sir?" grinned Trendon. "She might go off to-day, or she might behave herself for a century."
"Well, it's all chance," said the other, cheerfully. "The man _might_ be alive. At any rate we must do our best on that theory. What do you make of that cloud on the peak?"
"Poisonous vapours, I suppose. Thought we'd have a chance to make sure just now. Seemed to be coming right for us. Wind's shifted it since."
"There couldn't be anything alive up there?"
"Not so much as a bug," replied the doctor positively16.
"Yet I thought when the vapour lifted a bit that I saw something moving."
"When was that, sir?"
"Ten or fifteen minutes back."
"We'll see soon enough, sir," put in Forsythe. "The wind is driving it down to the south'ard."
Sullenly17, reluctantly, the forbidding mass moved across the headland. All glasses were bent18 upon it. Without taking his binocular from his eyes, Trendon began to ruminate19 aloud.
"If he could have got to the beach.... No vapour there.... Signal, though.... Perhaps he hadn't time.... And I'd hate to risk good men on that hell's cauldron.... Just as much risk here, perhaps. Only it seems--"
"There it is," cried Forsythe. "Look. The highest point."
Dull, gray wisps of murk, the afterguard of the gaseous20 cloud, were twisting and spiraling in a witch-dance across the landscape, and, seen by snatches and glimpses through it, something flapped darkly in the breeze. Suddenly the veil parted and fled. A flag stood forth21 in the sharp gust22, rigid23, and appalling24. It was black.
"The Jolly Roger, by God! They've come back!" exclaimed Forsythe.
"And set up the sign of their shop," added Barnett.
"If they stuck to their flag--good-bye," observed Trendon grimly.
"Dr. Trendon," said Captain Parkinson, "you will arm yourself and go with me in the gig to make a landing."
"Yes, sir," responded the surgeon.
"Mr. Barnett."
"Yes, sir."
"Should we be overtaken by the vapour while on the highland25 and be unable to get back to the beach, you are to send no rescuing party up there until the air has cleared."
"But, sir, may we not--"
"Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir."
"In case of an attack you will at once send in another boat with a howitzer."
"Yes, sir."
"Dr. Trendon, will you see Mr. Slade and inquire of him the best point for landing?"
Trendon hesitated.
"I suppose it would hardly do to take him with us?" pursued the commanding officer.
"If he is roused now, even for a moment, I won't answer for the consequences, sir," said the surgeon bluntly.
"Surely you can have him point out a landing place," said the captain.
"On your responsibility," returned the other, obstinately26. "He's under opiate now."
"Be it so," said Captain Parkinson, after a time.
Going in, they saw no sign of life along the shore. Even the birds had deserted27 it. For the time the volcano seemed to have pretermitted its activity. Now and again there was a spurtle of smoke from the cone28, followed by subterranean29 growlings, but, on the whole, the conditions were reassuring30.
"Penny-pop-pinwheel of a volcano, anyhow," remarked Trendon, disparagingly31. "Real man-size eruption32 would have wiped the whole thing off the map, first whack33."
As they drew in, it became apparent that they must scale the cliff from the boat. Farther to the south opened out a wide cove34 that suggested easy beaching, but over it hung a cloud of steam.
"Lava35 pouring down," said Trendon.
Fortunately at the point where the cliff looked easiest the seas ran low. Ropes had been brought. After some dainty manoeuvring two of the sailors gained foothold and slung36 the ropes so that the remainder of the disembarcation was simple. Nor was the ascent37 of the cliff a harsh task. Half an hour after the landing the exploring party stood on the summit of the hill, where the black flag waved over a scene of utter desolation. The vegetation was withered38 to pallid39 rags: even the tiniest weedling in the rock crevices40 had been poisoned by the devastating41 blast.
In the midst of that deathly scene, the flag seemed instinct with a sinister42 liveliness. Whoever had set it there had accurately43 chosen the highest available point on that side of the island, the spot of all others where it would make good its signal to the eye of any chance farer upon those shipless seas. For the staff a ten-foot sapling, finely polished, served. A mound44 of rock-slabs supported it firmly. Upon the cloth itself was no design. It was of a dull black, the hue46 of soot47. Captain Parkinson, standing48 a few yards off, viewed it with disfavour.
"Furl that flag," he ordered.
Congdon, the coxswain of the gig, stepped forward and began to work at the fastenings. Presently he turned a grinning face to the captain, who was scanning the landscape through his glass.
"Beggin' your pardon, sir," he said.
"Well, what is it?" demanded Captain Parkinson.
"Beggin' your pardon, sir, that ain't rightly no flag. That's what you might rightly call a garment, sir. It's an undershirt, beggin' your pardon."
"Black undershirt's a new one to me," muttered Trendon.
"No, sir. It ain't rightly black, look."
Wrenching49 the object from its fastenings, he flapped it violently. A cloud of sooty dust, beaten out, spread about his face. With a strangled cry the sailor cast the shirt from him and rolled in agony upon the ground.
"You fool!" cried Trendon. "Stand back, all of you."
Opening his medicine case, he bent over the racked sufferer. Presently the man sat up, pale and abashed50.
"That's how poisonous volcanic gas is," said the surgeon to his commanding officer. "Only inhaled51 remnants of the dust, too."
"An ill outlook for the man we're seeking," the captain mused52.
"Dead if he's anywhere on this highland," declared Trendon. "Let's look at his flag-pole."
He examined the staff. "Came from the beach," he pronounced. "Waterworn. H'm! Maybe he ain't so dead, either."
"I don't quite follow you, Dr. Trendon."
"Why, I guess our man has figured this thing all out. Brought this pole up from the beach to plant it here. Why? Because this was the best observation point. No good as a permanent residence, though. Planted his flag and went back."
"Why didn't we see him on the beach, then?"
"Did you notice a cave around to the north? Good refuge in case of fumes53."
"It's worth trying," said the captain, putting up his glass.
"Hold on, sir. What's this? Here's something. Look here."
Trendon pointed54 to a small bit of wood rather neatly55 carved to the shape of an indicatory finger, and lashed56 to the staff, at the height of a man's face. The others clustered around.
"Oh, the devil!" cried Trendon. "It must have got twisted. It's pointing straight down."
"Strange performance," said the captain. "However, since it points that way--heave aside those rocks, men."
The first slab45 lifted brought to light a corner of cardboard. This, on closer examination, proved to be the cover of a book. The rocks rolled right and left, and as the flag-staff, deprived of its support, tottered57 and fell, the trove58 was dragged forth and handed to the captain. While the ground jarred with occasional tremors59 and the mountain puffed60 forth its vaporous threats, he and the surgeon, seated on a rock, gave themselves with complete absorption to the reading.
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1
maze
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| n.迷宫，八阵图，混乱，迷惑 | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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bereft
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| adj.被剥夺的 | |
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volition
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| n.意志；决意 | |
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rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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ticklish
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| adj.怕痒的；问题棘手的；adv.怕痒地；n.怕痒，小心处理 | |
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fended
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| v.独立生活，照料自己( fend的过去式和过去分词 )；挡开，避开 | |
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pall
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| v.覆盖，使平淡无味；n.柩衣，棺罩；棺材；帷幕 | |
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sluggishly
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| adv.懒惰地；缓慢地 | |
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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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volcanic
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| adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的 | |
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bustle
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| v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹 | |
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explicit
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| adj.详述的，明确的；坦率的；显然的 | |
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inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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sullenly
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| 不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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ruminate
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| v.反刍；沉思 | |
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gaseous
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| adj.气体的，气态的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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gust
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| n.阵风，突然一阵（雨、烟等），（感情的）迸发 | |
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rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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highland
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| n.(pl.)高地，山地 | |
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obstinately
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| ad.固执地，顽固地 | |
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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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28
cone
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| n.圆锥体，圆锥形东西，球果 | |
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subterranean
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| adj.地下的，地表下的 | |
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30
reassuring
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| a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的 | |
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disparagingly
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| adv.以贬抑的口吻，以轻视的态度 | |
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eruption
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| n.火山爆发；（战争等）爆发；（疾病等）发作 | |
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33
whack
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| v.敲击，重打，瓜分；n.重击，重打，尝试，一份 | |
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34
cove
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| n.小海湾，小峡谷 | |
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lava
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| n.熔岩，火山岩 | |
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36
slung
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| 抛( sling的过去式和过去分词 )； 吊挂； 遣送； 押往 | |
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ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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38
withered
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| adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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39
pallid
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| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
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40
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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41
devastating
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| adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的 | |
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sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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accurately
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| adv.准确地，精确地 | |
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mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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slab
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| n.平板，厚的切片；v.切成厚板，以平板盖上 | |
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hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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soot
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| n.煤烟，烟尘；vt.熏以煤烟 | |
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48
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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49
wrenching
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| n.修截苗根，苗木铲根（铲根时苗木不起土或部分起土）v.（猛力地）扭( wrench的现在分词 )；扭伤；使感到痛苦；使悲痛 | |
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50
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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51
inhaled
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| v.吸入( inhale的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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52
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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53
fumes
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| n.(强烈而刺激的)气味，气体 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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56
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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57
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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58
trove
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| n.被发现的东西，收藏的东西 | |
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59
tremors
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| 震颤( tremor的名词复数 )； 战栗； 震颤声； 大地的轻微震动 | |
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puffed
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| adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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