"No," replied Madden without great interest, from his seat on the rail, "I've no idea what you mean by a 'remittance2 man.'"
The Englishman's eyes strayed wearily from the limpid3 dawn to the tiny image of a lion couchant on a small blue enameled4 shield which he used as a watch fob.
"Among the English—" He paused and began again: "Among a certain class of English families," he proceeded in an impersonal5 tone, "when a member goes hopelessly astray, that member is sent abroad to travel indefinitely. Remittances6 are forwarded to him from place to place, wherever he wishes to go, but—" there was a scarcely noticeable pause—"he can't come back to England any more."
"O-o-h!" dragged out Madden in a low voice, comprehending the man before him for the first time.
"So they are called remittance men—always remitted7 to." Caradoc's long fever-worn face, that was filling out in convalescence8, colored momentarily.
"So that's what you were," said the American after a pause; "a remittance man, simply drifting over the face of the earth, supported by your family, boozing your life away, and always longing9 to see England again?"
"You can put things so raw, Madden," responded Caradoc with a ghost of a smile. "I am, not were."
"Were," insisted the American quickly. "Before your collapse10 you were a confirmed alcoholic11, but you are slightly different now. Your eight days of fever, when Hogan and I had to hold you in bed, must have burned you out, cleaned up your whole system. You are nearer normal now than you were. You have a fresh start. It's up to you what you do with it."
The Englishman looked at his friend with a sort of slow surprise on his face. "I hadn't noticed it, but I don't believe I do crave12 drink as keenly."
"No, sickness is often not so bad a thing as folks think. It is nature's way of putting us right. Sometimes," he added thoughtfully, "we crumple13 up in the process, but we can hardly blame the old lady for that."
"You're an odd fellow, Madden," laughed Caradoc, getting slowly out of his chair and stretching his arms. "Well, for some reason or other, I feel fine this morning—let's take a constitutional around the dock."
The young men walked off, side by side, and began the circuit of the dock's quarter-mile outline. The breeze was such a rarity in the becalmed region that the two paused now and then to take long grateful breaths, and to watch the little wind waves ripple14 the glassy Sargasso lanes.
As they walked, navvies came out with buckets brushes and set to work painting the maze15 of iron stanchions that lined the long interior of the dock.
"I'm afraid I'll have to stop that painting," remarked Leonard after watching them a moment.
"They'll be very glad of it—but why?"
"It consumes too much energy. The men can live on less if they quit work."
"Oh, I see."
"I think I shall have to cut their food down to half rations16. We've been adrift nearly sixteen days now and not a smoke plume17 from the Vulcan. She has lost us—if she didn't founder18."
"Are we far in?" inquired Smith with rising concern.
"Close to three hundred miles, and getting deeper every day."
The two walked on mechanically, with the precise step of those who seek exercise. The rim21 of the sun cut the edge of the ocean and a long trail of light made the east difficult for their eyes.
"Any danger of starving?" questioned Caradoc, staring moth-like at the blinding disc of flame.
"Perhaps not," meditated22 Madden. "I've been thinking about it. As a last resort this seaweed is edible23, at any rate certain species of it. The Chinese and Japanese eat it, but that isn't much of a recommendation to a European. Then the water is full of fish that come to nibble24 at the stuff."
Caradoc was obviously inattentive to this consoling information. "Yes," he murmured politely, "Japanese do nibble at the fish."
Madden looked around at his abstracted friend, who was still staring into the molten sunrise.
"When the Japanese come to nibble at the fish, we might get some food from them," suggested Madden with American delight in the ridiculous.
"Perhaps so."
"And fans, parasols, and little ivory curios—souvenirs of the Sargasso, when we roll up the dock and take it home."
Smith nodded soberly, still gazing.
"What are you looking at, Caradoc?" laughed the American.
"I say, Madden, just look at that sun, will you? I thought I saw a little black fleck25 against it straightaway to the east right down on the horizon."
"You're injuring your sight, that's all," the American was still smiling. "You know black specks26 will dance before your eyes if you stare at the sun too long."
"But this was shaped like a sail," persisted Smith, staring again.
As far as his sight could reach up the golden path, he saw the black markings of seaweed; then his vision became lost in a mist of illumination. However, in this region, he could distinguish things dimly and in flashes.
Presently, in one of these clear instants, he saw flashed, like the single film of a moving picture, the tiny black silhouette29 of a ship's sail against the dazzling east. Next moment it was lost in light.
"I told you!" cried Caradoc, getting his friend's expression. "It's there! We've both seen it! A ship, Madden!"
Then he turned with more strength than Madden thought was in him. "Sail ho, men!" he sang out. "A sail!"
"Come up, fellows, and take a look!" chimed in Madden just as eagerly. "We believe we see a sail!"
The crew dropped work at once, and came climbing the ladder up the deep side of the canyon30 like a string of monkeys; then they came running across the red decking.
The two were pointing and soon the whole crew was lined up staring into the brilliance32. Their fresh eyes caught the glimpse immediately and held it long enough to make sure.
The whole crew fell into tense, happy confusion, laughing, staring, yelling, speculating, slapping backs.
"Will she see us?" cried someone.
"Do ye think she'd overlook the whole west half o' th' sea, Galton?"
"She weel run against us eef she cooms thees way."
"Disthress, is it ye're sayin'? We're not in disthress, ye loon35. This is th' happiest day o' me loife."
Leonard turned to the Irishman. "Hogan, go dip that flag on the jury mast—wiggle it up and down—let 'em know something is wrong—make 'em think we have the rickets36 if nothing else."
Two men ran off with Hogan to the forward bridge; the others stared, waved, shouted and let their excitement bubble down.
"But I don't understand a sailing vessel in these waters," speculated Leonard.
"Maybe it's a derelick?" surmised37 Galton. "I've 'card as 'ow this was a great place for derelicks."
"'Ow could she be a derelick," argued Mulcher, "w'en she 'as so much canvas aloft? You run up on derelicks an' git sunk, ever' cove39 knows that."
"I carn't think of hall these things at once!" retorted Galton.
"Perhaps she ees the Vulcan under sail with deesabled engines?" suggested Deschaillon.
This explanation was accepted unanimously and joy broke out afresh.
"Why sure, th' Vulcan, th' good old Vulcan! Now, lads, let's give three cheers and maybe it'll reach 'er!"
Madden left the men trying to reach her with their bellows40 and went below after the mate's binoculars41. When he returned the sun had swung up above the rim of the ocean and the sail was plainly discernible. He leveled his glasses and his eyes went searching among the distant markings of seaweed, until it finally rested on the sail. The vessel was hull42 down. There was nothing to see except a little canvas stretched neatly43 aloft and ship-shape masts and spars. He observed her attentively44 for some time. She seemed to be making very little headway. All in all, Madden made little of the craft, so he handed the glass to Smith. The Englishman was likewise puzzled, and the binoculars went down the line of curious men.
There was something in the way the youth named Farnol Greer handled the instrument that caused Madden to ask:
"What do you make out, Greer?"
"She is lying to, sir. She's backing her tops'ls flat against the breeze, and her mains'l's reefed and drawing with it."
"Lying to!" cried three or four voices. "W'ot does she mean by that? Looks as if she'd be bloomin' glad to get out o' such a bally place as this!"
"Let me have another look." Madden resumed the binoculars.
Now that Madden's attention was called to this unusual disposition45 of the sails, he could make out their position for himself.
This started another tide of speculation46 buzzing among the castaways. Was the Vulcan crippled? Had she run short of coal? But why should she voluntarily lay-to in the very sight of her quarry47?
"They're fishin'," surmised Deschaillon, "off in th' boats fishin'; they're weethout food also."
This wild surmise38 was the only reasonable hypothesis that had been struck on. Another group of men rushed for the jury mast to show the fishermen that their presence was desired. At any rate the faint breeze was very slowly bringing the two vessels48 together.
If the men had been heretofore anxious that the cool breeze continue, now their anxiety was redoubled. At any moment it might die away and leave the Vulcan stranded49 beyond communication. In painful uncertainty50, they watched the tug51 drag her hull slowly into sight, then slowly eat her way down the long mazy lanes of the Sargasso.
Then, when she was well in view, Farnol Greer said:
"She is not the Vulcan, sir."
By this time all the men had their brown faces wrinkled up against the glare of the sunshine. Now they redoubled their gaze on the distant vessel.
"Faith, and sure enough she isn't!" cried Hogan.
Greer was right; the strange vessel was not the tug. She had a funnel52 amidship and two masts, but there her resemblance to the Vulcan ceased.
The crew stared, talked, speculated, until the sun swung up like a white-hot metal ball in the sky, and the quivering heat drove them below under the awnings54. From here they could still view the stranger, but not to so good advantage. The breeze, by good fortune lasted till deep in the morning, but finally dropped down in the blanketing heat, with the unknown craft a good three miles distant.
The dock's crew could make out no sign of life as they strained their eyes through the glare of tropical brilliance. The high-lights of the schooner55's reversed topsails and the luminous56 shadows of her mainsail stood out vividly57 against the hot copper58 sky. The multi-colored markings of the ocean and the sharp line of the horizon finished a very picture of pitiless heat.
The men stood beneath the awning53, legs apart, arms held away from bodies, and stared from under dripping brows for some signs of recognition from the stranger.
"'Asn't she got up a single rag to show us she sees us?" puffed59 Galton, swiping his hand across his forehead and flinging drops on the iron deck, where they evaporated the moment they hit.
"'Ave they any boats?"
"One cleated down for'ard, one slung61 on the midship davits, and I think I make hout one on t'other side past the booby hatch."
"And not a soul on deck?"
"Not unless they're settin' on th' fur side o' th' superstructure."
"Wot would they want to be settin' in th' sun for?" demanded Galton brusquely.
"'Ow do I know? If they was Eth'opians, wouldn't they set in th' sun?"
"This is as clost as we'll ever git," surmised another voice. "The night breeze'll blow 'er back where she come from."
"Why, Eth'opia, I reckon, if she's got a crew of Eth'opians settin' on t'other side of 'er superstructure."
"They ain't a man-jack aboard; and you know it," snarled63 Galton, "or 'e'd be poppin' 'is eyes hout at such a 'orrible big sight as we must be."
"Anyway, I'll bet she blows back w'ere she come from, to-night," persisted the advocate of this theory.
The men caviled on at each other endlessly, disputing, denying, upbraiding64, and once in a while coming to blows.
In order to keep any sort of discipline, Leonard and Caradoc kept to themselves under a separate awning, for all sea-faring experience has shown that a separation of officers and men is necessary for the management of sailors.
However, Madden heard most of the arguments that went on under the men's canvas, and he became convinced that the sailor was right; the evening breeze would carry the schooner away from the dock. He measured the long distance through the sea lanes from dock to schooner with his eyes.
"Caradoc," he said to his friend, "if we ever reach that vessel now's our time."
"How do you hope to do it?"
Mulcher arose and started on his errand.
Caradoc stared. "You don't intend to swim that distance—through this heat?"
"There's a boat over there, and provisions, perhaps."
"And the crew?"
"It is quite possible that they sleep through the day which is utterly66 becalmed and make some little headway at night with the slight evening and morning breezes—it would be a task for a sailing vessel to work herself out of the Sargasso."
"Why I never thought of that. I suppose it is possible."
Mulcher was returning with a buoy. The crew came forward behind the navvy, on the qui vive over this new undertaking67.
"Faith, and hadn't ye betther sind one o' th' min, sir," suggested Hogan, "an if he drowns, sir, Oi would take it to be a sign that it's a dangerous swim."
"An' the sharks, Meester Madden," warned Deschaillon.
As Madden kicked off his clothes, he observed Caradoc stripping likewise. Then Farnol Greer came running down the deck with another buoy and a big clasp knife.
The American looked at these fellows. "Caradoc, you can't possibly hold out that distance; you're weak."
"I've done ten miles in—at home."
Greer said nothing, but rapidly undressed.
All three kept on their hats and undershirts as protection against sunburn. As Madden walked from the awning through the stinging sun rays, crimping up his naked feet from the blistering68 deck, Galton called to him.
"If we git a lot of grub, sir, couldn't it be hextra, and carn't we 'ave a spread to-night, sir?"
"Something like that," agreed Madden, tossing his buoy into the water. The two other swimmers followed example, then all three dived off the twelve foot pontoon toward their floats. They came up shaking the water from ears and eyes. Madden was immersed in tepid69 water. His men were cheering stolidly70. The schooner looked very, very far away now that he was at the surface of the water. Between him and his goal streaked71 mazes72 of sargassum. It suddenly struck the American that he might have trouble getting through those barriers.
However, the three swimmers were progressing boldly.
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1
opalescent
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| adj.乳色的，乳白的 | |
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2
remittance
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| n.汇款，寄款，汇兑 | |
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limpid
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| adj.清澈的，透明的 | |
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enameled
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| 涂瓷釉于，给…上瓷漆，给…上彩饰( enamel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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impersonal
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| adj.无个人感情的，与个人无关的，非人称的 | |
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remittances
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| n.汇寄( remittance的名词复数 )；汇款，汇款额 | |
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7
remitted
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| v.免除（债务），宽恕( remit的过去式和过去分词 )；使某事缓和；寄回，传送 | |
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8
convalescence
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| n.病后康复期 | |
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longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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collapse
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| vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷 | |
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alcoholic
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| adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者 | |
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crave
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| vt.渴望得到，迫切需要，恳求，请求 | |
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crumple
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| v.把...弄皱，满是皱痕，压碎，崩溃 | |
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14
ripple
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| n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进 | |
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15
maze
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| n.迷宫，八阵图，混乱，迷惑 | |
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rations
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| 定量( ration的名词复数 )； 配给量； 正常量； 合理的量 | |
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plume
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| n.羽毛；v.整理羽毛，骚首弄姿，用羽毛装饰 | |
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Founder
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| n.创始者，缔造者 | |
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vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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graveyard
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| n.坟场 | |
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rim
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| n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界 | |
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meditated
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| 深思，沉思，冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 )； 内心策划，考虑 | |
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23
edible
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| n.食品，食物；adj.可食用的 | |
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nibble
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| n.轻咬，啃；v.一点点地咬，慢慢啃，吹毛求疵 | |
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fleck
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| n.斑点，微粒 vt.使有斑点，使成斑驳 | |
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specks
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| n.眼镜；斑点，微粒，污点( speck的名词复数 ) | |
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27
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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eastward
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| adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部 | |
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silhouette
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| n.黑色半身侧面影，影子，轮廓；v.描绘成侧面影，照出影子来，仅仅显出轮廓 | |
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30
canyon
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| n.峡谷，溪谷 | |
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31
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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brilliance
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| n.光辉，辉煌，壮丽，（卓越的）才华，才智 | |
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33
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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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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loon
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| n.狂人 | |
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rickets
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| n.软骨病，佝偻病，驼背 | |
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surmised
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| v.臆测，推断( surmise的过去式和过去分词 )；揣测；猜想 | |
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surmise
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| v./n.猜想，推测 | |
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cove
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| n.小海湾，小峡谷 | |
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bellows
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| n.风箱；发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的名词复数 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的第三人称单数 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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41
binoculars
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| n.双筒望远镜 | |
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42
hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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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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attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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45
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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speculation
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| n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机 | |
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47
quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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48
vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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49
stranded
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| a.搁浅的，进退两难的 | |
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50
uncertainty
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| n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物 | |
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51
tug
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| v.用力拖(或拉)；苦干；n.拖；苦干；拖船 | |
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52
funnel
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| n.漏斗；烟囱；v.汇集 | |
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53
awning
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| n.遮阳篷；雨篷 | |
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54
awnings
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| 篷帐布 | |
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55
schooner
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| n.纵帆船 | |
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56
luminous
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| adj.发光的，发亮的；光明的；明白易懂的；有启发的 | |
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vividly
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| adv.清楚地，鲜明地，生动地 | |
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58
copper
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| n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的 | |
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59
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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60
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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61
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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62
savagely
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| adv. 野蛮地，残酷地 | |
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63
snarled
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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64
upbraiding
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| adj.& n.谴责（的）v.责备，申斥，谴责( upbraid的现在分词 ) | |
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65
buoy
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| n.浮标；救生圈；v.支持，鼓励 | |
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66
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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67
undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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68
blistering
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| adj.酷热的；猛烈的；使起疱的；可恶的v.起水疱；起气泡；使受暴晒n.[涂料] 起泡 | |
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69
tepid
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| adj.微温的，温热的，不太热心的 | |
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70
stolidly
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| adv.迟钝地，神经麻木地 | |
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71
streaked
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| adj.有条斑纹的，不安的v.快速移动( streak的过去式和过去分词 )；使布满条纹 | |
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72
mazes
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| 迷宫( maze的名词复数 )； 纷繁复杂的规则； 复杂难懂的细节； 迷宫图 | |
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