And now, perhaps still more than ever, did the horror of our situation stare us in the face. There was no doubt that the poisoned barrel had at some time or other contained copperas; but what strange fatality3 had converted it into a water cask, or what fatality, stranger still, had caused it to be brought on board the raft, was a problem that none could solve. Little, however, did it matter now; the fact was evident—the barrel was poisoned, and of water we had not a drop.
One and all, we fell into the gloomiest silence. We were too irritable4 to bear the sound of each other's voices; and it did not require a word—a mere5 look or gesture was enough—to provoke us to anger that was little short of madness. How it was that we did not all become raving6 maniacs7, I cannot tell.
Throughout the 12th no drain of moisture crossed our lips, and not a cloud arose to warrant the expectation of a passing shower; in the shade, if shade it might be called, the thermometer would have registered at least 100 deg., and perhaps considerably8 more.
No change next day. The salt water began to chafe9 my legs, but although the smarting was at times severe, it was an inconvenience to which I gave little heed10; others who had suffered from the same trouble had become no worse. Oh! if this water that surrounds us could be reduced to vapor11 or to ice! its particles of salt extracted, it would be available for drink. But no! we have no appliances, and we must suffer on.
At the risk of being devoured12 by the sharks, the boatswain and two sailors took a morning bath, and as their plunge13 seemed to freshen them, I and three of my companions resolved to follow their example. We had never learned to swim, and had to be fastened to the end of a rope and lowered into the water, while Curtis, during the half hour of our bath, kept a sharp lookout14 to give warning of any danger from approaching sharks. No recommendation, however, on our part, nor any representation of the benefit we felt we had derived15, could induce Miss Herbey to allay16 her sufferings in the same way.
At about eleven o'clock, the captain came up to me, and whispered in my ear:
"Don't say a word, Mr. Kazallon; I do not want to raise false hopes, but I think I see a ship."
It was as well that the captain had warned me; otherwise, I should have raised an involuntary shout of joy; as it was I had the greatest difficulty in restraining my expressions of delight.
"Look behind to larboard," he continued in an undertone.
Affecting an indifference17 which I was far from feeling, I cast an anxious glance to that quarter of the horizon of which he spoke18, and there, although mine was not a nautical19 eye, I could plainly distinguish the outline of a ship under sail.
Almost at the same moment the boatswain who happened to be looking in the same direction, raised the cry, "Ship ahoy!"
Whether it was that no one believed it, or whether all energies were exhausted20, certain it is that the announcement produced none of the effects that might have been expected. Not a soul exhibited the slightest emotion, and it was only when the boatswain had several times sung out his tidings that all eyes turned to the horizon. There, most undeniably, was the ship, but the question rose at once to the minds of all, and to the lips of many, "Would she see us?"
The sailors immediately began discussing the build of the vessel21, and made all sorts of conjectures22 as to the direction she was taking. Curtis was far more deliberate in his judgment23. After examining her attentively24 for some time, he said, "She is a brig running close upon the wind, on the starboard tack25. If she keeps her course for a couple of hours, she will come right athwart our tracks."
A couple of hours! The words sounded to our ears like a couple of centuries. The ship might change her course at any moment; closely trimmed as she was, it was very probable that she was only tacking26 about to catch the wind, in which case, as soon as she felt a breeze, she would resume her larboard tack and make away again. On the other hand, if she was really sailing with the wind, she would come nearer to us, and there would be good ground for hope.
Meantime, no exertion27 must be spared, and no means left untried, to make our position known. The brig was about twelve miles to the east of us, so that it was out of the question to think of any cries of ours being overheard; but Curtis gave directions that every possible signal should be made. We had no firearms by which we could attract attention, and nothing else occurred to us beyond hoisting28 a flag of distress29. Miss Herbey's red shawl, as being of a color most distinguishable against the background of sea and sky, was run up to the mast-head, and was caught by the light breeze that just then was ruffling30 the surface of the water. As a drowning man clutches at a straw, so our hearts bounded with hope every time that our poor flag fluttered in the wind.
For an hour our feelings alternated between hope and despair. The ship was evidently making her way in the direction of the raft, but every now and then she seemed to stop, and then our hearts would almost stand still with agony lest she was going to put about. She carried all her canvas, even to her royals and stay-sails, but her hull31 was only partially32 visible above the horizon.
How slowly she advanced! The breeze was very, very feeble, and perhaps soon it would drop altogether! We felt that we would give years of our life to know the result of the coming hour.
At half past twelve the captain and the boatswain considered that the brig was about nine miles away; she had, therefore, gained only three miles in an hour and a half, and it was doubtful whether the light breeze that had been passing over our heads had reached her at all. I fancied, too, that her sails were no longer filled, but were hanging loose against her masts. Turning to the direction of the wind, I tried to make out some chance of a rising breeze; but no, the waves were calm and torpid34, and the little puff35 of air that had aroused our hopes had died away across the sea.
I stood aft with M. Letourneur, Andre and Miss Herbey, and our glances perpetually wandered from the distant ship to our captain's face. Curtis stood leaning against the mast, with the boatswain by his side; their eyes seemed never for a moment to cease to watch the brig, but their countenances36 clearly expressed the varying emotions that passed through their minds. Not a word was uttered, nor was the silence broken, until the carpenter exclaimed, in accents of despair:
"She's putting about!"
All started up—some to their knees, others to their feet. The boatswain dropped a frightful37 oath. The ship was still nine miles away, and at such a distance it was impossible for our signal to be seen; our tiny raft, a mere speck38 upon the waters, would be lost in the intense irradiation of the sunbeams. If only we could be seen, no doubt all would be well; no captain would have the barbarous inhumanity to leave us to our fate; but there had been no chance; only too well we knew that we had not been within range of sight.
"My friends," said Curtis, "we must make a fire; it is our last and only chance."
Some planks39 were quickly loosened and thrown into a heap upon the fore33 part of the raft. They were damp and troublesome to light; but the very dampness made the smoke more dense40, and ere long a tall column of dusky fumes41 was rising straight upward in the air. If darkness should come on before the brig was completely out of view, the flames, we hoped might still be visible. But the hours passed on; the fire died out; and yet no signs of help.
The temper of resignation now deserted42 me entirely43; faith, hope, confidence—all vanished from my mind, and, like the boatswain, I swore long and loudly. A gentle hand was laid upon my arm, and turning round I saw Miss Herbey with her finger pointing to the sky. I could stand it no longer, but gliding44 underneath45 the tent I hid my face in my hands and wept aloud.
Meanwhile the brig had altered her track, and was moving slowly to the east. Three hours later and the keenest eye could not have discerned her top-sails above the horizon.
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1
decomposed
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| 已分解的，已腐烂的 | |
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2
consistency
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| n.一贯性，前后一致，稳定性；(液体的)浓度 | |
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3
fatality
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| n.不幸，灾祸，天命 | |
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irritable
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| adj.急躁的；过敏的；易怒的 | |
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5
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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6
raving
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| adj.说胡话的；疯狂的，怒吼的；非常漂亮的；令人醉心[痴心]的v.胡言乱语(rave的现在分词)n.胡话；疯话adv.胡言乱语地；疯狂地 | |
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7
maniacs
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| n.疯子（maniac的复数形式） | |
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8
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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9
chafe
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| v.擦伤；冲洗；惹怒 | |
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10
heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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11
vapor
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| n.蒸汽，雾气 | |
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12
devoured
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| 吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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13
plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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14
lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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15
derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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16
allay
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| v.消除，减轻(恐惧、怀疑等) | |
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indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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18
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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19
nautical
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| adj.海上的，航海的，船员的 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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21
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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conjectures
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| 推测，猜想( conjecture的名词复数 ) | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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25
tack
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| n.大头钉；假缝，粗缝 | |
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26
tacking
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| （帆船）抢风行驶，定位焊[铆]紧钉 | |
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exertion
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| n.尽力，努力 | |
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hoisting
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| 起重，提升 | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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30
ruffling
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| 弄皱( ruffle的现在分词 )； 弄乱； 激怒； 扰乱 | |
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31
hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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32
partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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33
fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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torpid
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| adj.麻痹的，麻木的，迟钝的 | |
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puff
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| n.一口(气)；一阵(风)；v.喷气，喘气 | |
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countenances
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| n.面容( countenance的名词复数 )；表情；镇静；道义支持 | |
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37
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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38
speck
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| n.微粒，小污点，小斑点 | |
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39
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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40
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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41
fumes
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| n.(强烈而刺激的)气味，气体 | |
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42
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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43
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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44
gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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45
underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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