Naval2 officers are trained to exercise instant discretion3 in time of danger, and it is considered a sign of incompetency4 if one should lose his wits under such circumstances.
Lieutenant5 Watson, the executive officer of the Monongahela, aroused from a sound sleep by the indescribable pandemonium6, lost no time in heedless inquiries7, but rushed on deck clad only in his nightclothes.
By the time he had cleared the companion ladder the officer of the watch and the captain of the ship were thundering orders right and left.
Under their instructions the old Monongahela was again before the wind, and an immediate8 examination of damages being made.
But in the midst of it all, over on the port side of the main deck, Trolley9, excited and happy, was dancing about Clif, and shouting half in Japanese and half in English:
“You right, you right! Hurray! Hiko boto, cli jara. You see ship after all. Hurray! You bully10 boy. No sleep, but see ship all the time. You are great peach. Hurray!”
“I knew he was right all the time,” exclaimed Toggles.
“So did I,” chimed in little Nanny.
“The first luff was evidently of a different opinion,” said Clif, grimly. “But what can be the matter aboard that ship, and what is she?”
“There is something wrong on board,” spoke12 up Joy. “Those screams were horrible. My blood is running cold. Yet—look! there she is again!”
He pointed13 excitedly to leeward14, where, dimly visible through the lightening mist, was the peculiar15 craft with which the Monongahela had just been in collision.
She lurched and pitched and rolled with the wild irresponsible motion of a vessel16 at the mercy of the waves. The dawn was not far enough advanced to enable those on board the practice ship to distinguish more than vague outlines.
Every glass on board was directed toward the strange craft as soon as it was ascertained17 that little damage had been done the Monongahela by the collision, but nothing indicating the presence of human beings on board could be seen.
Clif and his friends were wild with curiosity, but not more so than their shipmates. The peculiar experiences of the night, the sighting and sudden disappearance18 of the stranger, the collision, and above all those weird19, half-human cries, had created intense interest.
The captain, Lieutenant Watson and other officers were gathered in the gangway near where the carpenter and his assistants were making hasty repairs.
The gale20 was giving promise of lessening21. The wind had died down with the coming of the sun, but the seas were still running high. Nothing had been done to increase the spread of canvas, and the old frigate22 lurched along at a reduced speed.
“I would give a great deal to learn what ship that is, and the meaning of those horrible cries,” said Captain Brookes, gravely. “There’s some mystery about it.”
“She looks like an old-time lightship,” spoke up the executive officer, working his spyglass.
“Hardly of this century though,” remarked the surgeon, who was a student of naval architecture from choice. “See! the mist is clearing now. The sun is shining on her. By Jove, what a queer-looking craft she is.”
“I’ve a notion,” began the captain, reflectively.
Standing23 at a respectful distance, but within earshot, were Clif and his companions. They edged eagerly toward the group of officers, and Faraday’s intelligent face lighted up with excitement and keen anticipation24.
“He’s going to send a boat,” he whispered to Trolley. “If he does I’ll be one of the crew or break a leg.”
“I have a notion, gentlemen,” repeated the captain, “to send over there and investigate.”
“It’s our duty, sir,” said Lieutenant Watson, emphatically. “If you say the word, sir, I will take a boat now.”
“Any room for me?” asked the paymaster, earnestly.
“As navigator, I consider it my duty to make the visit,” spoke up a tall, fine-looking lieutenant.
The captain laughed.
“If it wasn’t against the rules I’d go myself,” he said. “As it is, the first deck officer shall make the trip. Mr.Jones,” turning to another officer, “take the whaleboat and a good crew, and see what you find on board that vessel. Better go armed. There’s no telling what you will encounter. Make haste, and bring me a detailed28 report.”
The practice ship’s course was changed, and in less than an hour she was hove to within a half-mile of the mysterious vessel.
The latter was in plain view now, and she presented a sight that brought exclamations29 of wonder and amazement30 from the Monongahela’s crew.
She was unlike anything in the shape of a vessel they had ever before seen. She was high forward and aft, with a curious house-shaped structure amidships. The masts were mere31 poles, guiltless of yards, ropes or sails. There was no regular bowsprit forward, but in its place was a queer, stumpy bow.
At the top of each mast were small, circular, wooden cages. The sides of the hull32 seemed to be painted green at first, but the surgeon’s sharp eyes soon ascertained that it was not paint, but a luxuriant growth of marine grass.
The decks were littered with débris, and trailing over the stern was apparently33 a mass of tangled34 ropes and sails.
This much was made out when the shrill35 notes of the boatswain’s whistle calling away the whaleboat echoed through the practice ship. Clif was disconsolate36. His boat was the gig. He stood in the gangway watching the work of lowering the narrow, double-ended craft, wishing with all his heart and soul that he was one of the lucky crew.
Suddenly the coxswain poked37 his head above the hammock netting and called out that he was a man short.
The lieutenant who had been selected to go, glanced about the deck inquiringly. His eyes fell upon Clif, and that youth sprang forward, hopped38 nimbly up the main shrouds39, and was descending40 the boatfalls before the officer could make up his mind to select him. A few moments later the whaleboat was clear of the Monongahela, and being propelled across the heaving sea by her sturdy crew.
Once, while the boat was swung around by a wave, Clif sighted the strange ship. Something moving near the bow caught his eye, and he gave a start and almost dropped his oar.
“Steady, there! What is the matter with you?” came sternly from the lieutenant.
Clif said nothing, but his hands trembled as they clasped the oar again. His brain was in a whirl. He longed to rub his eyes to see if he was still awake, or if that which he had just seen or fancied he had seen, was real or a phantom41.
The cadet behind him said as he leaned forward:
“Did you sight anything? You look white and scared.”
Clif compressed his lips, and maintained an uncompromising silence. He was not certain of his own senses, and he had no desire to expose himself to ridicule42.
The whaleboat swept on and finally gained a position on the lee side of the tossing hulk. A weather-beaten rope dangling43 over the side promised a means of ascending44 to the deck.
“Catch it, one of you,” shouted the officer. “Shin up the side and take the painter.”
The position of the boat brought the rope within reach of Clif’s hands, and he lost no time in obeying the order.
Fortunately the black tarry strands45 were strong enough to bear his weight, and he was soon climbing agilely46 toward the high railing.
Slipping and sliding, up, up he went, the pressure of his feet dislodging masses of the strange, slimy green marine vegetation adhering to the storm-beaten planks47.
Finally he grasped the rail and crawled over. Then, just as he disappeared, those below heard a strangling, unearthly cry, followed by the sounds of a desperate struggle.
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1
warships
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| 军舰，战舰( warship的名词复数 )； 舰只 | |
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naval
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| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
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discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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incompetency
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| n.无能力，不适当 | |
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lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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pandemonium
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| n.喧嚣，大混乱 | |
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inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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8
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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trolley
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| n.手推车，台车；无轨电车；有轨电车 | |
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bully
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| n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮 | |
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oar
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| n.桨，橹，划手；v.划行 | |
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12
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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leeward
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| adj.背风的；下风的 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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16
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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ascertained
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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disappearance
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| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
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weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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lessening
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| 减轻，减少，变小 | |
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frigate
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| n.护航舰，大型驱逐舰 | |
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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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anticipation
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| n.预期，预料，期望 | |
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chattered
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| （人）喋喋不休( chatter的过去式 )； 唠叨； （牙齿）打战； （机器）震颤 | |
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insinuated
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| v.暗示( insinuate的过去式和过去分词 )；巧妙或迂回地潜入；（使）缓慢进入；慢慢伸入 | |
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27
marine
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| adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵 | |
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28
detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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29
exclamations
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| n.呼喊( exclamation的名词复数 )；感叹；感叹语；感叹词 | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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32
hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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tangled
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| adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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disconsolate
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| adj.忧郁的，不快的 | |
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poked
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| v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交 | |
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38
hopped
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| 跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花 | |
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39
shrouds
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| n.裹尸布( shroud的名词复数 )；寿衣；遮蔽物；覆盖物v.隐瞒( shroud的第三人称单数 )；保密 | |
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40
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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41
phantom
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| n.幻影，虚位，幽灵；adj.错觉的，幻影的，幽灵的 | |
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42
ridicule
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| v.讥讽，挖苦；n.嘲弄 | |
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43
dangling
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| 悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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44
ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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45
strands
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| n.（线、绳、金属线、毛发等的）股( strand的名词复数 )；缕；海洋、湖或河的)岸；（观点、计划、故事等的）部份v.使滞留，使搁浅( strand的第三人称单数 ) | |
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46
agilely
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| adv.敏捷地 | |
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47
planks
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| （厚）木板( plank的名词复数 )； 政纲条目，政策要点 | |
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48
agonizing
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| adj.痛苦难忍的；使人苦恼的v.使极度痛苦；折磨(agonize的ing形式) | |
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