WE left the cabin and found a man at the companion obstructing1 our way. He was standing2 on the ladder with his back to us, peering over the combing of the hatchway. He was, I could see, a misshapen man, short, broad, and clumsy, with a crooked3 back, a hairy neck, and a head sunk between his shoulders. He was dressed in dark-blue serge, and had peculiarly thick, coarse, black hair. I heard the unseen dogs growl4 furiously, and forthwith he ducked back,--coming into contact with the hand I put out to fend5 him off from myself. He turned with animal swiftness.
In some indefinable way the black face thus flashed upon me shocked me profoundly. It was a singularly deformed6 one. The facial part projected, forming something dimly suggestive of a muzzle7, and the huge half-open mouth showed as big white teeth as I had ever seen in a human mouth. His eyes were blood-shot at the edges, with scarcely a rim8 of white round the hazel pupils. There was a curious glow of excitement in his face.
"Confound you!" said Montgomery. "Why the devil don't you get out of the way?"
The black-faced man started aside without a word. I went on up the companion, staring at him instinctively10 as I did so. Montgomery stayed at the foot for a moment. "You have no business here, you know," he said in a deliberate tone. "Your place is forward."
The black-faced man cowered11. "They--won't have me forward." He spoke12 slowly, with a queer, hoarse13 quality in his voice.
"Won't have you forward!" said Montgomery, in a menacing voice. "But I tell you to go!" He was on the brink14 of saying something further, then looked up at me suddenly and followed me up the ladder.
I had paused half way through the hatchway, looking back, still astonished beyond measure at the grotesque15 ugliness of this black-faced creature. I had never beheld16 such a repulsive17 and extraordinary face before, and yet--if the contradiction is credible--I experienced at the same time an odd feeling that in some way I _had_ already encountered exactly the features and gestures that now amazed me. Afterwards it occurred to me that probably I had seen him as I was lifted aboard; and yet that scarcely satisfied my suspicion of a previous acquaintance. Yet how one could have set eyes on so singular a face and yet have forgotten the precise occasion, passed my imagination.
Montgomery's movement to follow me released my attention, and I turned and looked about me at the flush deck of the little schooner18. I was already half prepared by the sounds I had heard for what I saw. Certainly I never beheld a deck so dirty. It was littered with scraps19 of carrot, shreds20 of green stuff, and indescribable filth21. Fastened by chains to the mainmast were a number of grisly staghounds, who now began leaping and barking at me, and by the mizzen a huge puma22 was cramped23 in a little iron cage far too small even to give it turning room. Farther under the starboard bulwark24 were some big hutches containing a number of rabbits, and a solitary25 llama was squeezed in a mere26 box of a cage forward. The dogs were muzzled27 by leather straps28. The only human being on deck was a gaunt and silent sailor at the wheel.
The patched and dirty spankers were tense before the wind, and up aloft the little ship seemed carrying every sail she had. The sky was clear, the sun midway down the western sky; long waves, capped by the breeze with froth, were running with us. We went past the steersman to the taffrail, and saw the water come foaming29 under the stern and the bubbles go dancing and vanishing in her wake. I turned and surveyed the unsavoury length of the ship.
"Is this an ocean menagerie?" said I.
"Looks like it," said Montgomery.
"What are these beasts for? Merchandise, curios? Does the captain think he is going to sell them somewhere in the South Seas?"
"It looks like it, doesn't it?" said Montgomery, and turned towards the wake again.
Suddenly we heard a yelp30 and a volley of furious blasphemy31 from the companion hatchway, and the deformed man with the black face came up hurriedly. He was immediately followed by a heavy red-haired man in a white cap. At the sight of the former the staghounds, who had all tired of barking at me by this time, became furiously excited, howling and leaping against their chains. The black hesitated before them, and this gave the red-haired man time to come up with him and deliver a tremendous blow between the shoulder-blades. The poor devil went down like a felled ox, and rolled in the dirt among the furiously excited dogs. It was lucky for him that they were muzzled. The red-haired man gave a yawp of exultation32 and stood staggering, and as it seemed to me in serious danger of either going backwards33 down the companion hatchway or forwards upon his victim.
So soon as the second man had appeared, Montgomery had started forward. "Steady on there!" he cried, in a tone of remonstrance34. A couple of sailors appeared on the forecastle. The black-faced man, howling in a singular voice rolled about under the feet of the dogs. No one attempted to help him. The brutes36 did their best to worry him, butting37 their muzzles38 at him. There was a quick dance of their lithe39 grey-figured bodies over the clumsy, prostrate40 figure. The sailors forward shouted, as though it was admirable sport. Montgomery gave an angry exclamation41, and went striding down the deck, and I followed him. The black-faced man scrambled42 up and staggered forward, going and leaning over the bulwark by the main shrouds43, where he remained, panting and glaring over his shoulder at the dogs. The red-haired man laughed a satisfied laugh.
"Look here, Captain," said Montgomery, with his lisp a little accentuated44, gripping the elbows of the red-haired man, "this won't do!"
I stood behind Montgomery. The captain came half round, and regarded him with the dull and solemn eyes of a drunken man. "Wha' won't do?" he said, and added, after looking sleepily into Montgomery's face for a minute, "Blasted Sawbones!"
With a sudden movement he shook his arms free, and after two ineffectual attempts stuck his freckled45 fists into his side pockets.
"That man's a passenger," said Montgomery. "I'd advise you to keep your hands off him."
"Go to hell!" said the captain, loudly. He suddenly turned and staggered towards the side. "Do what I like on my own ship," he said.
I think Montgomery might have left him then, seeing the brute35 was drunk; but he only turned a shade paler, and followed the captain to the bulwarks46.
"Look you here, Captain," he said; "that man of mine is not to be ill-treated. He has been hazed47 ever since he came aboard."
For a minute, alcoholic48 fumes49 kept the captain speechless. "Blasted Sawbones!" was all he considered necessary.
I could see that Montgomery had one of those slow, pertinacious50 tempers that will warm day after day to a white heat, and never again cool to forgiveness; and I saw too that this quarrel had been some time growing. "The man's drunk," said I, perhaps officiously; "you'll do no good."
Montgomery gave an ugly twist to his dropping lip. "He's always drunk. Do you think that excuses his assaulting his passengers?"
"My ship," began the captain, waving his hand unsteadily towards the cages, "was a clean ship. Look at it now!" It was certainly anything but clean. "Crew," continued the captain, "clean, respectable crew."
"You agreed to take the beasts."
"I wish I'd never set eyes on your infernal island. What the devil--want beasts for on an island like that? Then, that man of yours--understood he was a man. He's a lunatic; and he hadn't no business aft. Do you think the whole damned ship belongs to you?"
"Your sailors began to haze9 the poor devil as soon as he came aboard."
"That's just what he is--he's a devil! an ugly devil! My men can't stand him. _I_ can't stand him. None of us can't stand him. Nor _you_ either!"
Montgomery turned away. "_You_ leave that man alone, anyhow," he said, nodding his head as he spoke.
But the captain meant to quarrel now. He raised his voice. "If he comes this end of the ship again I'll cut his insides out, I tell you. Cut out his blasted insides! Who are you, to tell me what I'm to do? I tell you I'm captain of this ship,--captain and owner. I'm the law here, I tell you,--the law and the prophets. I bargained to take a man and his attendant to and from Arica, and bring back some animals. I never bargained to carry a mad devil and a silly Sawbones, a--"
Well, never mind what he called Montgomery. I saw the latter take a step forward, and interposed. "He's drunk," said I. The captain began some abuse even fouler51 than the last. "Shut up!" I said, turning on him sharply, for I had seen danger in Montgomery's white face. With that I brought the downpour on myself.
However, I was glad to avert52 what was uncommonly53 near a scuffle, even at the price of the captain's drunken ill-will. I do not think I have ever heard quite so much vile54 language come in a continuous stream from any man's lips before, though I have frequented eccentric company enough. I found some of it hard to endure, though I am a mild-tempered man; but, certainly, when I told the captain to "shut up" I had forgotten that I was merely a bit of human flotsam, cut off from my resources and with my fare unpaid55; a mere casual dependant56 on the bounty57, or speculative58 enterprise, of the ship. He reminded me of it with considerable vigour59; but at any rate I prevented a fight.
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1
obstructing
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| 阻塞( obstruct的现在分词 )； 堵塞； 阻碍； 阻止 | |
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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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crooked
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| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
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growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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fend
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| v.照料（自己），（自己）谋生，挡开，避开 | |
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deformed
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| adj.畸形的；变形的；丑的，破相了的 | |
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muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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rim
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| n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界 | |
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haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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cowered
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| v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的过去式 ) | |
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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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hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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brink
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| n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿 | |
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grotesque
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| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
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beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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repulsive
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| adj.排斥的，使人反感的 | |
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schooner
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| n.纵帆船 | |
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scraps
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| 油渣 | |
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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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filth
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| n.肮脏，污物，污秽；淫猥 | |
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puma
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| 美洲豹 | |
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cramped
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| a.狭窄的 | |
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bulwark
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| n.堡垒，保障，防御 | |
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solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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muzzled
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| 给（狗等）戴口套( muzzle的过去式和过去分词 )； 使缄默，钳制…言论 | |
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straps
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| n.带子( strap的名词复数 )；挎带；肩带；背带v.用皮带捆扎( strap的第三人称单数 )；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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foaming
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| adj.布满泡沫的；发泡 | |
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yelp
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| vi.狗吠 | |
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31
blasphemy
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| n.亵渎，渎神 | |
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exultation
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| n.狂喜，得意 | |
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backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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remonstrance
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| n抗议，抱怨 | |
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brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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brutes
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| 兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性 | |
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butting
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| 用头撞人（犯规动作） | |
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muzzles
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| 枪口( muzzle的名词复数 )； （防止动物咬人的）口套； （四足动物的）鼻口部； （狗）等凸出的鼻子和口 | |
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lithe
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| adj.(指人、身体)柔软的，易弯的 | |
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40
prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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42
scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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43
shrouds
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| n.裹尸布( shroud的名词复数 )；寿衣；遮蔽物；覆盖物v.隐瞒( shroud的第三人称单数 )；保密 | |
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44
accentuated
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| v.重读( accentuate的过去式和过去分词 )；使突出；使恶化；加重音符号于 | |
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45
freckled
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| adj.雀斑；斑点；晒斑；（使）生雀斑v.雀斑，斑点( freckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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46
bulwarks
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| n.堡垒( bulwark的名词复数 )；保障；支柱；舷墙 | |
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47
hazed
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| v.（使）笼罩在薄雾中( haze的过去式和过去分词 )；戏弄，欺凌（新生等，有时作为加入美国大学生联谊会的条件） | |
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48
alcoholic
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| adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者 | |
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49
fumes
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| n.(强烈而刺激的)气味，气体 | |
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50
pertinacious
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| adj.顽固的 | |
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51
fouler
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| adj.恶劣的( foul的比较级 )；邪恶的；难闻的；下流的 | |
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52
avert
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| v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等) | |
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53
uncommonly
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| adv. 稀罕(极，非常) | |
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54
vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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55
unpaid
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| adj.未付款的，无报酬的 | |
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56
dependant
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| n.依靠的，依赖的，依赖他人生活者 | |
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57
bounty
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| n.慷慨的赠予物，奖金；慷慨，大方；施与 | |
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speculative
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| adj.思索性的，暝想性的，推理的 | |
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vigour
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| （=vigor）n.智力，体力，精力 | |
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