CHAPTER 35. BATTLING WITH THE STORM.

“Battling with the storm.” That was the very word. For while those loving friends sent up a prayer to Heaven for her safety, Hattie Butler, unable to remain in her state-room, not afraid, for she was truly brave, but anxious, had thrown a water-proof mantle¹, which her satchel² contained, over her head and shoulders, and gone out on the deck near the pilot house, where, holding on to one of the great iron stays, she looked out on the wildly heaving waters, listened to the howl of the mad gale³, and waited, with faith and hope, for the end, whatever it might be.

 

By the light in the pilot-house, which shone on the pale faces of the two pilots who stood at the wheel, she also saw the calm but stern face of Captain Smith, the commander of the boat, a veteran in the navigation of the Sound, and she felt that he knew his peril⁴, and would do all that man could do to save the lives of those intrusted to his care.

 

But it is not man who brings, or rules, or allays⁵ the storm. The winds are in the hands of the Almighty⁶, and He is able to save when all else are powerless.

 

She saw the mate pass her and go to the pilot-house door. The captain asked:

 

“Is all right below, Mr. Glynn?”

 

“Yes, sir, so far. But it is a fearful night. I never knew the steamer to heave and strain so hard,” replied the mate, a tall, fine-looking young man, with[172] a bare accent, not a brogue, to tell that he was a son of Erin’s Isle⁷.

 

“Have you had the pump well sounded?”

 

“Yes, sir, I have given orders to sound them every fifteen minutes, and to report instantly if there is any gain in the water below.”

 

“Good! You are the right man in the right place, Mr. Glynn. Tell Bishop⁸, the engineer, to keep a full head of steam on; we need every pound we can carry to make head against this gale. The train at Fall River will have to wait for our passengers or leave without them, if this no’-easter holds stiff ’til daylight.”

 

“I only hope we’ll live it through,” was what Hattie Butler heard the mate say to himself, as he crept away toward the ladder to leeward⁹, by which he descended¹⁰ toward the engine-room.

 

And then she saw the captain go and look at the compass, and say to the pilots:

 

“Keep her up two points more to windward. We ought to be near enough to Gardener’s Island to see the light.”

 

“In this sleet¹¹, with the spray dashing as high as the smoke-stacks, we’ll never see anything till we are right on the top of it!” growled¹² out one of the pilots.

 

Was it not a Providence¹³ that made Hattie Butler peer out at that moment from the shelter which the pilot-house afforded her from the wind and rain—peer out into the gloom and darkness ahead? It must have been.

 

For close, very close, she saw what she knew must be an artificial light, for through the inky clouds no star or moon could have been seen.

 

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Quick as thought she sprang to the pilot-house door, flung it open, and screamed out:

 

“Captain, there is a light very close to us on our left hand. I can see it out here plain.”

 

“On the port bow? Impossible!” cried the captain, but he sprang out to see.

 

The next second he sprang to the pilot-house.

 

“Hard up the helm!” he shouted. “Ring the stopping-bell, and then back the engine.”

 

All this did not take a second to say, and as quick as it could be done every order was obeyed.

 

And as the great steamer came around in water almost smooth, the captain came up and drew Hattie Butler into the pilot-house.

 

“Young lady,” said he, “you have saved this steamer and the lives of all on board. This night my wife would have been a widow and my children orphans¹⁴ but for you. Five minutes more and we would have been head onto the rocks among the breakers! What is your name?”

 

“Hattie Butler!” gasped¹⁵ our heroine. “Are we safe now?”

 

“Yes, I know just where we are, and can head my course and make Fall River in the morning, but perhaps too late for the train. If I was worth a million dollars I would give every cent to you, for death and ruin stood face to face to us.”

 

“Captain, I have only done my duty as an instrument in the hands of God. It was He who sent me from the state-room, where I could not sleep, up here, where I could see the light-house when I did.”

 

“Heaven be thanked with you,” said the old captain, reverently¹⁶, and he bowed his head.

 

“If all is safe now I will go to my room,” said Hattie.

 

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“It is. At breakfast I want you at my right hand at table. We will be in smooth water then, please Heaven. I will steady you with my arm as you go below, for the steamer pitches heavily with her head off, as it is, from the wind.”

 

And gratefully the captain took Hattie down to her room, and then went back to his post.

 

1 mantle   

n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红

参考例句：

• The earth had donned her mantle of brightest green.大地披上了苍翠欲滴的绿色斗篷。
• The mountain was covered with a mantle of snow.山上覆盖着一层雪。

2 satchel   

n.(皮或帆布的)书包

参考例句：

• The school boy opened the door and flung his satchel in.那个男学生打开门，把他的书包甩了进去。
• She opened her satchel and took out her father's gloves.打开书箱，取出了她父亲的手套来。

3 gale   

n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等）

参考例句：

• We got our roof blown off in the gale last night.昨夜的大风把我们的房顶给掀掉了。
• According to the weather forecast,there will be a gale tomorrow.据气象台预报，明天有大风。

4 peril   

n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物

参考例句：

• The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.难民有饿死的危险。
• The embankment is in great peril.河堤岌岌可危。

5 allays   

v.减轻，缓和( allay的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• This leads to better leak integrity and allays contamination concerns. 这导致了更好的泄露完整性，减少了对污染的担心。 来自互联网
• And from a security standpoint the act raises as many fears as allays. 而从安全角度来说，该法案消除恐惧的同时也增加了担忧。 来自互联网

6 almighty   

adj.全能的，万能的；很大的，很强的

参考例句：

• Those rebels did not really challenge Gods almighty power.这些叛徒没有对上帝的全能力量表示怀疑。
• It's almighty cold outside.外面冷得要命。

7 isle   

n.小岛，岛

参考例句：

• He is from the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea.他来自爱尔兰海的马恩岛。
• The boat left for the paradise isle of Bali.小船驶向天堂一般的巴厘岛。

8 bishop   

n.主教，（国际象棋）象

参考例句：

• He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
• Two years after his death the bishop was canonised.主教逝世两年后被正式封为圣者。

9 leeward   

adj.背风的；下风的

参考例句：

• The trees all listed to leeward.树木统统向下风方向倾。
• We steered a course to leeward.我们向下风航驶。

10 descended   

a.为...后裔的，出身于...的

参考例句：

• A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
• The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

11 sleet   

n.雨雪；v.下雨雪，下冰雹

参考例句：

• There was a great deal of sleet last night.昨夜雨夹雪下得真大。
• When winter comes,we get sleet and frost.冬天来到时我们这儿会有雨夹雪和霜冻。

12 growled   

v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说

参考例句：

• \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道：“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 providence   

n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝

参考例句：

• It is tempting Providence to go in that old boat.乘那艘旧船前往是冒大险。
• To act as you have done is to fly in the face of Providence.照你的所作所为那样去行事，是违背上帝的意志的。

14 orphans   

孤儿( orphan的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The poor orphans were kept on short commons. 贫苦的孤儿们吃不饱饭。
• Their uncle was declared guardian to the orphans. 这些孤儿的叔父成为他们的监护人。

15 gasped   

v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要

参考例句：

• She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
• People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

16 reverently   

adv.虔诚地

参考例句：

• He gazed reverently at the handiwork. 他满怀敬意地凝视着这件手工艺品。
• Pork gazed at it reverently and slowly delight spread over his face. 波克怀着愉快的心情看着这只表，脸上慢慢显出十分崇敬的神色。