First he threw nails in a little heap on the deck, then, kneeling, he drove them home into the planed boards. It was rap-rap-rap, and rap-rap-rap. The noise went through the ship, while the men looked at one another; and some chuckled5 and said that the Old One was a rare bird; but the Old One, coming out of the great cabin without so much as a glance at the lad who lay chained to the mast, stood a long time beside the carpenter. He kept a grave face while he watched him work, and very serious he looked when he turned away and came and stood beside Philip Marsham.
"There are men that would slit6 the fellow's throat," he said, "or burn him at stake, or flay7 him alive; but I have a tender heart and am by nature merciful. Though he broke faith and dipped his hands in black treachery, I bear him no ill will. I must needs twist his thumbs to wring8 his secrets out of him and I can no longer keep him about me; yet, as I have said, I bear him no ill will. Saw you ever a finer coffin than the one I have ordered made for him?"
What could a man reply? Although there had been complaining and revolt before, the Old One again held the ship in the palm of his hand, for they feared his irony9 more than his anger.
Darkness came and they lowered the coffin into the boat, whither man after man slid down.
And what could a man do but slide with the others down into the boat and rest on the loom10 of an oar? Phil shared a thwart11 with the carpenter, and raised his oar and held it upright between his knees.
The coffin lay across the boat amidships, and there were four oars12, two on the one side and two on the other; but a man sat beside each oarsman, two more crowded into the bow, and two sat in the stern sheets with the Old One. Then they lowered Will Canty to the bottom in front of the Old One, where he lay bound hand and foot.
Shoving off from the ship, the oarsmen bent13 to their task and the Old One steered14 with a sweep; but the boat was crowded and deep in the water, and they made slow progress.
Mosquitoes swarmed15 about them and droned interminably. The water licked at the boat and lapped on the white beach. The wind stirred in the palms. The great bay with its mountains and its starry16 sky was as fair a piece of land and sea as a man might wish to look upon in his last hour; but there are few men whose philosophy will stand by them at such a moment, and there is an odd quirk17 in human nature whereby a mere18 droning mosquito can drive out of mind the beauty of sea and land—nay19, even thoughts of an immeasurable universe.
The men beat at mosquitoes and swore wickedly until the Old One bade them be silent and row on, for although they had come near the shore the water was still deep under the boat, which tossed gently in the starlight.
A time followed in which the only sounds were of the wind and the waves and the heavy breathing of the men. Some were turning their heads to see the shore and the Old One had already risen to choose a landing-place, when Will Canty—who, although bound hand and foot, had all the while been edging about in the stern unknown to the others till he had braced20 his feet in such a way that he could get purchase for a leap—gave a great spring from where he lay, and thus threw himself up and fell with his back across the gunwale, whence, wriggling21 like a worm, he strove to push himself over the side.
The Old One sprang forward in fury to seize and hold him, and caught him by the wrist; but one of the men in zeal22 to have a hand in the affair drove the butt23 of his gun against Will Canty's chin, and in recovering the piece he stumbled and pushed the Old One off his balance. So the Old One lost his hold on Will Canty's wrist and before the rest knew what was happening Will had slipped into the deep water and had sunk. That he never rose was doubtless the best fortune that could have befallen him, and likely enough it was the blow of the gun that killed him. But the Old One was roused to such a pitch of wrath24 at being balked25 of his revenge that he was like a wild beast in his fury.
Quicker than thought, he turned on the man who had pushed against him, and reaching for the coffin that was made to Will's measure—a great, heavy box it was!—raised it high and flung it at the fellow.
It gashed26 the man's forehead and fell over the side and floated away, and the man himself, with a string of oaths, clapped his hand to the wound, whence the blood trickled27 out between his fingers.
"Swine! Ass28!" the Old One snarled29. "I was of a mind to lay thee in Will Canty's bed. But let the coffin go. Th' art not worthy30 of it." The boat grated on white sand, and leaping to his feet the Old One cried with a high laugh as he marked his victim's fear, "Get thee gone! If ever I see thy face again, I will slit thy throat from ear to ear."
"Nay, nay, do not send me away! Do not send me away!" the man wailed31. "O God! No, not that! I shall perish of Indians and Spaniards! The wild beasts will devour32 me. Nay! Nay!"
The Old One smiled and reached for a musket33, and the poor fellow, his face streaked34 with gore35, was overcome by the greater terror and fled away under the palms. No shot was fired and neither knife nor sword was drawn36 ere the echo of the fellow's wailing37 died into silence; but the Old One then fired a single shot after him, which evoked38 a last scream.
"Come, Martin, take the scoundrel's oar," quoth the Old One, and he turned the head of the boat to sea.
They said little and were glad to row briskly out to the ship. Action is ever welcome at the time when a man desires most of all to get away from memory and thought.
That night, when they were all asleep, Martin leaped out on the deck and woke them by shrieking39 like a lunatic, until it seemed they were all transported into Bedlam40. He then himself awoke, but he would say only, "My God, what a dream! Oh, what a dream!" And he would rub his hands across his eyes.
The grumblers continued quietly to grumble41, for that is a joy no power on earth can take away, but there was no more talk of another captain. Some said that now the luck would change and told of prizes they had taken and would take, and recalled to mind the strong liquors of Bideford and the pasties that Mother Taylor would make for them. Others, although they said little, shook their heads and appeared to wish themselves far away. But whether a man felt thus or otherwise, there was small profit of their talking.
For another day and night they lay at anchor and ate and drank and sprawled42 out in the sun. The Rose of Devon, as they had earlier had occasion to remark, was richly found, and they had still no need to bestir themselves for food and drink. But any man with a head on his shoulders must perceive that with old Jacob, who had gone so wisely about his duties and had so well held his own counsel in many things, the ship had lost something of stability and firm purpose even in her lawless pursuits.
And Will Canty, too, was gone! As the old writer has it, "One is choked with a fly, another with a hair, a third pushing his foot against the trestle, another against the threshold, falls down dead: So many kind of ways are chalked out for man, to draw towards his last home, and wean him from the love of earth." Though Will Canty had died a hard death, he had escaped worse; and as Priam, numbering more days than Troilus, shed more tears, so Philip Marsham, outliving his friend, faced such times as the other was spared knowing.
Of all this he thought at length, and fearing his own conscience more than all the familiars of the Inquisition, in which he was singularly heartened by remembering the stout43 old knight44 in the scarlet45 cloak, he contrived46 a plan and bode47 his time.
In the darkness of the second night, when the Old One had somewhat relaxed his watchfulness48, Boatswain Marsham slipped over the bow and lowered himself silently on a rope he had procured49 for the purpose, and very carefully, lest the noise be heard on board the ship, seated himself in Tom Jordan's boat and rowed for shore. An honest man can go so far in a company of rogues50 and no farther.
Reaching the land and hauling the boat up on the beach in plain sight of those left in the Rose of Devon, where they might swim for it if they would, he set off across the hills and under the palms. Upon reaching the height he looked back and for a moment watched the old ship as she swung with the tide on the still, clear water. He hoped he should never see her again. Then he looked down at the tremulous and shimmering51 bay where Will Canty lay dead, and was glad to plunge52 over the hill and leave the bay behind him.
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1
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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wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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coffin
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| n.棺材，灵柩 | |
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oar
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| n.桨，橹，划手；v.划行 | |
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chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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slit
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| n.狭长的切口；裂缝；vt.切开，撕裂 | |
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flay
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| vt.剥皮；痛骂 | |
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wring
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| n.扭绞；v.拧，绞出，扭 | |
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irony
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| n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄 | |
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loom
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| n.织布机，织机；v.隐现，(危险、忧虑等)迫近 | |
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thwart
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| v.阻挠，妨碍，反对；adj.横(断的) | |
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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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13
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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14
steered
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| v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵；控制；引导 | |
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15
swarmed
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| 密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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starry
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| adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的 | |
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quirk
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| n.奇事，巧合；古怪的举动 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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braced
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| adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
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21
wriggling
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| v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的现在分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等）；蠕蠕 | |
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zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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24
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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balked
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| v.畏缩不前，犹豫( balk的过去式和过去分词 )；（指马）不肯跑 | |
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26
gashed
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| v.划伤，割破( gash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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trickled
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| v.滴( trickle的过去式和过去分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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ass
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| n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人 | |
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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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30
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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31
wailed
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32
devour
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| v.吞没；贪婪地注视或谛听，贪读；使着迷 | |
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musket
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| n.滑膛枪 | |
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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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35
gore
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| n.凝血，血污；v.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破；缝以补裆；顶 | |
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36
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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wailing
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
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38
evoked
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| [医]诱发的 | |
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39
shrieking
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| v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
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40
bedlam
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| n.混乱，骚乱；疯人院 | |
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41
grumble
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| vi.抱怨；咕哝；n.抱怨，牢骚；咕哝，隆隆声 | |
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42
sprawled
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| v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的过去式和过去分词)；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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44
knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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45
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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46
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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47
bode
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| v.预示 | |
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48
watchfulness
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| 警惕，留心； 警觉（性） | |
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49
procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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50
rogues
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| n.流氓( rogue的名词复数 )；无赖；调皮捣蛋的人；离群的野兽 | |
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51
shimmering
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| v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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52
plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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