The seas had somewhat abated1 and the Rose of Devon was standing2 on her course under reefed mainsail when the cry sounded.
The vessel3 they sighted lay low in the water; and since she had one tall mast forward and what appeared to be a lesser4 mast aft they thought her a ketch. But while they debated the matter the faint sound of guns fired in distress5 came over the sea; and loosing the reef of their mainsail and standing directly toward the stranger, the men in the Rose of Devon soon made her out to be, instead, a ship which had lost her mainmast and mizzenmast and was wallowing like a log. While the Rose of Devon was still far off, her men saw that some of the strange crew were aloft in the rigging and that others were huddled6 on the quarter-deck; and when, in the late afternoon, she came up under the stranger's stern, the unknown master and his men got down on their knees on the deck and stretched their arms above their bare heads.
"Save us," they cried in a doleful voice, "for the Lord Jesus' sake! For our ship hath six-foot water in the hold and we can no longer keep her afloat."
In all the Rose of Devon there was not a heart but relented at their lamentable7 cry, not a man but would do his utmost to lend them aid.
"Hoist8 out thy boat and we will stand by to succour thee," Captain Candle called. "We can do no more, for we ha' lost our own boat in the storm."
It appeared they had but one boat, which was small, so they must needs divide the crew to leave their vessel, part at one time and part at another; and the seas still ran so high, though wind and wave had moderated, that it seemed impossible they could make the passage. With men at both her pumps the Rose of Devon lay by the wind, wallowing and plunging9, and her own plight10 seemed a hard one. But the poor stranger, though ever and again she rose on the seas so that the water drained from her scupper-holes, lay for the most part with her waist a-wash and a greater sea than its fellows would rise high on the stumps11 of mainmast and mizzenmast. Her ropes dragged over the side and her sails were a snarl13 of canvas torn to shreds14, and a very sad sight she presented.
Three times they tried to hoist out their boat and failed; but the fourth time they got clear, and with four men rowing and one steering15 and seven with hats and caps heaving out the water, they came in the twilight16 slowly down the wind past the Rose of Devon and up into her lee.
The men at the waist of the ship saw more clearly, now, the features of those in the boat, and the one in the stern who handled the great steering oar17 had in the eyes of Philip Marsham an oddly familiar look. Phil gazed at the man, then he turned to Martin and knew he was not mistaken, for Martin's mouth was agape and he was on the very point of crying out.
"Holla!" Martin yelled.
The man in the stern of the boat looked up and let his eyes range along the waist of the ship. Not one of all those in sight on board the Rose of Devon escaped his scrutiny18, which was quick and sure; but he looked Martin coldly in the face without so much as a nod of recognition; and though his brief glance met Phil's gaze squarely and seemed for the moment to linger and search the lad's thoughts, it then passed to the one at Phil's side.
It was the thin man who had been Martin's companion on the road—it was Tom Jordan—it was the Old One.
Martin's face flamed, but he held his tongue.
A line thrown to the boat went out through the air in coils that straightened and sagged19 down between the foremost thwarts20. A sailor in the boat, seizing the line, hauled upon it with might and main. The Old One hotly cursed him, and bellowed21, "Fend22 off, fend off, thou slubbering clown! Thy greed to get into the ship will be the means of drowning us all."
Some thrust out oars23 to fend away from the side of the ship and some held back; but two or three, hungering for safety, gave him no heed24 and hauled on the rope and struggled to escape out of their little boat, which was already half full of water. The Old One then rose with a look of the Fiend in his eyes and casting the steering oar at the foremost of them, knocked the man over into the sea, where he sank, leaving a blotch25 of red on the surface, which was a terrible sight and brought the others to observe the Old One's commands.
Perhaps he was right, for there are times when it takes death to maintain the discipline that will save many lives. At all events it was then too late to save either the man or the boat, for although they strove thereafter to do as the Old One bade them, the boat had already thumped27 against the side of the ship and it was each man for himself and the Devil take the last. The men above threw other ropes and bent28 over to give a hand to the poor fellows below, and all but the man who had sunk came scrambling29 safe on board.
The Old One leaned out and looked down at the boat, which lay full of water, with a great hole in her side.
"I would have given my life sooner than let this happen," he said. "There are seven men left on board our ship, who trusted me to save them. Indeed, I had not come away but these feared lest without the master you should refuse to take them. What say ye, my baw-cocks, shall we venture back for our shipmates?"
Looking down at the boat and at the gaping30 holes the sea had stove by throwing her against the Rose of Devon, the men made no reply.
"Not one will venture back? Is there no one of ye?"
"'Twere madness," one began. "We should—"
"See! She hath gone adrift!"
And in truth, her gunwales under water, the boat was already drifting astern. At the end of the painter, which a Rose of Devon's man still held, there dangled31 a piece of broken board.
"Let us bring thy ship nigh under the lee of mine," the Old One cried to Captain Candle. "It may be that by passing a line we can yet save them."
"It grieves me sorely to refuse them aid, but to approach nearer, with the darkness now drawing upon us, were an act of folly32 that might well cost the lives of us all. Mine own ship is leaking perilously33 and in this sea, were the two to meet, both would most certainly go down."
The Old One looked about and nodded. "True," said he. "There is no recovering the boat and darkness is upon us. Let us go as near to the ship as we may and bid them have courage till morning, when, God willing, we shall try to get aboard and save them."
Leaning over the rail, Tom Jordan, the Old One, called out, "Holla, my hearts! The boat hath gone adrift with her sides stove; but do you make a raft and keep abroad a light until morning, when God helping35 us, we will endeavor to get you aboard."
Perceiving for the first time that the boat was gone and there was no recovering her, those left on board the wreck36 gave a cry so sad that it pierced the hearts of all in the Rose of Devon, whose men saw them through the dusk doing what they could to save themselves; and presently their light appeared.
Working the Rose of Devon to windward of the wreck, Captain Candle lay by, but all his endeavours could not avail to help them, for about ten o'clock at night, three hours after the Old One and his ten men had got on board the Rose of Devon, their ship sank and their light went out and seven men lost their lives.
The Old One, standing beside Captain Candle, had watched the light to the last. "It is a bitter grief to bear," he said, "for they were seven brave men. A master could desire no better mariners37. 'Tis the end of the Blue Friggat from Virginia, bound for Portsmouth, wanting seven weeks."
"A man can go many years to sea without meeting such a storm."
"Yea! Three days ago when the wind was increasing all night we kept only our two courses abroad. At daybreak we handed our main course, but before we had secured it the storm burst upon us so violently that I ordered the foreyard lowered away; but not with all their strength could the men get it down, and of them all not one had a knife to cut away the sail, for they wore only their drawers without pockets; so the gale39 drove us head into the sea and stopped our way and a mighty40 sea pooped us and filled us and we lay with only our masts and forecastle out of the water. I myself, being fastened to the mizzenmast with a rope, had only my head out of water. Yea, we expected to go straight down to the bottom, but God of his infinite goodness was pleased to draw us from the deep and another sea lifted up our ship. We got down our foresail and stowed it and bored holes between the decks to let the water into the hold and by dint41 of much pumping we kept her afloat until now. In all we have lost eight lives this day and a sad day it is."
Captain Jordan stole a swift glance at him but saw no suspicion in his face.
"Yea, from Virginia."
"You shall share mine own cabin but I fear you have come only from one wreck to another."
The two captains sat late that night at the table in the great cabin, one on each side, and ate and drank. There was fine linen43 on the table, and bread of wheat flour with butter less than two weeks from the dairy, and a fine old cheese, and a mutton stew44, and canary and sack and aqua vitæ. At midnight they were still lingering over the suckets and almonds and comfits that the boy had set before them; and the boy, nodding in uncontrollable drowsiness45 as he stood behind his master's chair, strove to keep awake.
The murmuring voices of the men at the helm came faintly through the bulkhead, and up from below the deck came the creak of whipstaff and tiller. The moon, shining through the cabin window, added its wan38 light to the yellow radiance from the swinging lanthorns, and stars were to be seen. So completely had wind and weather changed in a night and a day that, save for the long rolling swell46, the great gap where waist and boat and capstan had gone, the hole stuffed with blankets and rugs and hammocks, the stump12 of a mizzenmast, and the rescued men on board—save for these, a man might have forgotten storms and wrecks47.
"You are well found," said Captain Thomas Jordan, tilting48 his glass and watching the wine roll toward the brim; "yea, and we are in good fortune." His thin face, as he lifted his brows and slightly smiled at his host, settled into the furrowed49 wrinkles that had won him the name of the Old One.
"We can give such entertainment as is set before you," his host drily replied. Francis Candle was too shrewd a man to miss his guest's searching appraisal50 of the cabin and its furnishings. In his heart he already distrusted the fellow.
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1
abated
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| 减少( abate的过去式和过去分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼） | |
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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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3
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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lesser
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| adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地 | |
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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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huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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7
lamentable
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| adj.令人惋惜的，悔恨的 | |
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8
hoist
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| n.升高，起重机，推动；v.升起，升高，举起 | |
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plunging
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| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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10
plight
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| n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定 | |
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11
stumps
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| （被砍下的树的）树桩( stump的名词复数 )； 残肢； （板球三柱门的）柱； 残余部分 | |
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12
stump
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| n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走 | |
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13
snarl
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| v.吼叫，怒骂，纠缠，混乱；n.混乱，缠结，咆哮 | |
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14
shreds
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| v.撕碎，切碎( shred的第三人称单数 )；用撕毁机撕毁（文件） | |
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15
steering
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| n.操舵装置 | |
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16
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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17
oar
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| n.桨，橹，划手；v.划行 | |
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scrutiny
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| n.详细检查，仔细观察 | |
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19
sagged
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| 下垂的 | |
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thwarts
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| 阻挠( thwart的第三人称单数 )； 使受挫折； 挫败； 横过 | |
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21
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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22
fend
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| v.照料（自己），（自己）谋生，挡开，避开 | |
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23
oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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24
heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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25
blotch
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| n.大斑点；红斑点；v.使沾上污渍，弄脏 | |
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26
mutinous
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| adj.叛变的，反抗的；adv.反抗地，叛变地；n.反抗，叛变 | |
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27
thumped
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| v.重击， （指心脏）急速跳动( thump的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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29
scrambling
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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30
gaping
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| adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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31
dangled
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| 悬吊着( dangle的过去式和过去分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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32
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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33
perilously
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| adv.充满危险地，危机四伏地 | |
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34
con
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| n.反对的观点，反对者，反对票，肺病；vt.精读，学习，默记；adv.反对地，从反面；adj.欺诈的 | |
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35
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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36
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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37
mariners
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| 海员，水手（mariner的复数形式） | |
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38
wan
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| (wide area network)广域网 | |
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39
gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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40
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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41
dint
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| n.由于，靠；凹坑 | |
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42
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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43
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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44
stew
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| n.炖汤，焖，烦恼；v.炖汤，焖，忧虑 | |
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45
drowsiness
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| n.睡意；嗜睡 | |
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46
swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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47
wrecks
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| n.沉船( wreck的名词复数 )；（事故中）遭严重毁坏的汽车（或飞机等）；（身体或精神上）受到严重损伤的人；状况非常糟糕的车辆（或建筑物等）v.毁坏[毁灭]某物( wreck的第三人称单数 )；使（船舶）失事，使遇难，使下沉 | |
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48
tilting
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| 倾斜，倾卸 | |
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49
furrowed
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| v.犁田，开沟( furrow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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50
appraisal
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| n.对…作出的评价；评价，鉴定，评估 | |
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