I FACED these people, facing my fate in them, single-handed now,--literally single-handed, for I had a broken arm. In my pocket was a revolver with two empty chambers1. Among the chips scattered2 about the beach lay the two axes that had been used to chop up the boats. The tide was creeping in behind me. There was nothing for it but courage. I looked squarely into the faces of the advancing monsters. They avoided my eyes, and their quivering nostrils3 investigated the bodies that lay beyond me on the beach. I took half-a-dozen steps, picked up the blood-stained whip that lay beneath the body of the Wolf-man, and cracked it. They stopped and stared at me.
"Salute4!" said I. "Bow down!"
They hesitated. One bent5 his knees. I repeated my command, with my heart in my mouth, and advanced upon them. One knelt, then the other two.
I turned and walked towards the dead bodies, keeping my face towards the three kneeling Beast Men, very much as an actor passing up the stage faces the audience.
"They broke the Law," said I, putting my foot on the Sayer of the Law. "They have been slain,--even the Sayer of the Law; even the Other with the Whip. Great is the Law! Come and see."
"None escape," said one of them, advancing and peering.
"None escape," said I. "Therefore hear and do as I command." They stood up, looking questioningly at one another.
"Stand there," said I.
I picked up the hatchets6 and swung them by their heads from the sling7 of my arm; turned Montgomery over; picked up his revolver still loaded in two chambers, and bending down to rummage8, found half-a-dozen cartridges9 in his pocket.
"Take him," said I, standing10 up again and pointing with the whip; "take him, and carry him out and cast him into the sea."
They came forward, evidently still afraid of Montgomery, but still more afraid of my cracking red whip-lash; and after some fumbling11 and hesitation12, some whip-cracking and shouting, they lifted him gingerly, carried him down to the beach, and went splashing into the dazzling welter of the sea.
"On!" said I, "on! Carry him far."
They went in up to their armpits and stood regarding me.
"Let go," said I; and the body of Montgomery vanished with a splash. Something seemed to tighten13 across my chest.
"Good!" said I, with a break in my voice; and they came back, hurrying and fearful, to the margin14 of the water, leaving long wakes of black in the silver. At the water's edge they stopped, turning and glaring into the sea as though they presently expected Montgomery to arise therefrom and exact vengeance15.
"Now these," said I, pointing to the other bodies.
They took care not to approach the place where they had thrown Montgomery into the water, but instead, carried the four dead Beast People slantingly along the beach for perhaps a hundred yards before they waded17 out and cast them away.
As I watched them disposing of the mangled18 remains19 of M'ling, I heard a light footfall behind me, and turning quickly saw the big Hyena-swine perhaps a dozen yards away. His head was bent down, his bright eyes were fixed20 upon me, his stumpy hands clenched21 and held close by his side. He stopped in this crouching22 attitude when I turned, his eyes a little averted23.
For a moment we stood eye to eye. I dropped the whip and snatched at the pistol in my pocket; for I meant to kill this brute24, the most formidable of any left now upon the island, at the first excuse. It may seem treacherous25, but so I was resolved. I was far more afraid of him than of any other two of the Beast Folk. His continued life was I knew a threat against mine.
I was perhaps a dozen seconds collecting myself. Then cried I, "Salute! Bow down!"
His teeth flashed upon me in a snarl26. "Who are _you_ that I should--"
Perhaps a little too spasmodically I drew my revolver, aimed quickly and fired. I heard him yelp27, saw him run sideways and turn, knew I had missed, and clicked back the cock with my thumb for the next shot. But he was already running headlong, jumping from side to side, and I dared not risk another miss. Every now and then he looked back at me over his shoulder. He went slanting16 along the beach, and vanished beneath the driving masses of dense28 smoke that were still pouring out from the burning enclosure. For some time I stood staring after him. I turned to my three obedient Beast Folk again and signalled them to drop the body they still carried. Then I went back to the place by the fire where the bodies had fallen and kicked the sand until all the brown blood-stains were absorbed and hidden.
I dismissed my three serfs with a wave of the hand, and went up the beach into the thickets29. I carried my pistol in my hand, my whip thrust with the hatchets in the sling of my arm. I was anxious to be alone, to think out the position in which I was now placed. A dreadful thing that I was only beginning to realise was, that over all this island there was now no safe place where I could be alone and secure to rest or sleep. I had recovered strength amazingly since my landing, but I was still inclined to be nervous and to break down under any great stress. I felt that I ought to cross the island and establish myself with the Beast People, and make myself secure in their confidence. But my heart failed me. I went back to the beach, and turning eastward31 past the burning enclosure, made for a point where a shallow spit of coral sand ran out towards the reef. Here I could sit down and think, my back to the sea and my face against any surprise. And there I sat, chin on knees, the sun beating down upon my head and unspeakable dread30 in my mind, plotting how I could live on against the hour of my rescue (if ever rescue came). I tried to review the whole situation as calmly as I could, but it was difficult to clear the thing of emotion.
I began turning over in my mind the reason of Montgomery's despair. "They will change," he said; "they are sure to change." And Moreau, what was it that Moreau had said? "The stubborn beast-flesh grows day by day back again." Then I came round to the Hyena-swine. I felt sure that if I did not kill that brute, he would kill me. The Sayer of the Law was dead: worse luck. They knew now that we of the Whips could be killed even as they themselves were killed. Were they peering at me already out of the green masses of ferns and palms over yonder, watching until I came within their spring? Were they plotting against me? What was the Hyena-swine telling them? My imagination was running away with me into a morass32 of unsubstantial fears.
My thoughts were disturbed by a crying of sea-birds hurrying towards some black object that had been stranded33 by the waves on the beach near the enclosure. I knew what that object was, but I had not the heart to go back and drive them off. I began walking along the beach in the opposite direction, designing to come round the eastward corner of the island and so approach the ravine of the huts, without traversing the possible ambuscades of the thickets.
Perhaps half a mile along the beach I became aware of one of my three Beast Folk advancing out of the landward bushes towards me. I was now so nervous with my own imaginings that I immediately drew my revolver. Even the propitiatory34 gestures of the creature failed to disarm35 me. He hesitated as he approached.
"Go away!" cried I.
There was something very suggestive of a dog in the cringing36 attitude of the creature. It retreated a little way, very like a dog being sent home, and stopped, looking at me imploringly37 with canine38 brown eyes.
"Go away," said I. "Do not come near me."
"May I not come near you?" it said.
"No; go away," I insisted, and snapped my whip. Then putting my whip in my teeth, I stooped for a stone, and with that threat drove the creature away.
So in solitude39 I came round by the ravine of the Beast People, and hiding among the weeds and reeds that separated this crevice40 from the sea I watched such of them as appeared, trying to judge from their gestures and appearance how the death of Moreau and Montgomery and the destruction of the House of Pain had affected41 them. I know now the folly42 of my cowardice43. Had I kept my courage up to the level of the dawn, had I not allowed it to ebb44 away in solitary45 thought, I might have grasped the vacant sceptre of Moreau and ruled over the Beast People. As it was I lost the opportunity, and sank to the position of a mere46 leader among my fellows.
Towards noon certain of them came and squatted47 basking48 in the hot sand. The imperious voices of hunger and thirst prevailed over my dread. I came out of the bushes, and, revolver in hand, walked down towards these seated figures. One, a Wolf-woman, turned her head and stared at me, and then the others. None attempted to rise or salute me. I felt too faint and weary to insist, and I let the moment pass.
"I want food," said I, almost apologetically, and drawing near.
"There is food in the huts," said an Ox-boar-man, drowsily49, and looking away from me.
I passed them, and went down into the shadow and odours of the almost deserted50 ravine. In an empty hut I feasted on some specked and half-decayed fruit; and then after I had propped51 some branches and sticks about the opening, and placed myself with my face towards it and my hand upon my revolver, the exhaustion52 of the last thirty hours claimed its own, and I fell into a light slumber53, hoping that the flimsy barricade54 I had erected55 would cause sufficient noise in its removal to save me from surprise.
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1
chambers
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| n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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hatchets
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| n.短柄小斧( hatchet的名词复数 )；恶毒攻击；诽谤；休战 | |
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sling
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| vt.扔；悬挂；n.挂带；吊索，吊兜；弹弓 | |
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rummage
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| v./n.翻寻，仔细检查 | |
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cartridges
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| 子弹( cartridge的名词复数 )； （打印机的）墨盒； 录音带盒； （唱机的）唱头 | |
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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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fumbling
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| n. 摸索,漏接 v. 摸索,摸弄,笨拙的处理 | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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13
tighten
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| v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧 | |
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margin
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| n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘 | |
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vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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slanting
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| 倾斜的，歪斜的 | |
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waded
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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mangled
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| vt.乱砍（mangle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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averted
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| 防止，避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 )； 转移 | |
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24
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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26
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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yelp
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| vi.狗吠 | |
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28
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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thickets
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| n.灌木丛( thicket的名词复数 )；丛状物 | |
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dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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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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morass
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| n.沼泽，困境 | |
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stranded
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| a.搁浅的，进退两难的 | |
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propitiatory
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| adj.劝解的；抚慰的；谋求好感的；哄人息怒的 | |
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35
disarm
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| v.解除武装，回复平常的编制，缓和 | |
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cringing
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| adj.谄媚，奉承 | |
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37
imploringly
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| adv. 恳求地, 哀求地 | |
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38
canine
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| adj.犬的，犬科的 | |
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39
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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40
crevice
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| n.(岩石、墙等)裂缝；缺口 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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42
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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cowardice
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| n.胆小，怯懦 | |
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44
ebb
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| vi.衰退，减退；n.处于低潮，处于衰退状态 | |
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45
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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46
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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47
squatted
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的过去式和过去分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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48
basking
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| v.晒太阳，取暖( bask的现在分词 )；对…感到乐趣；因他人的功绩而出名；仰仗…的余泽 | |
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49
drowsily
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| adv.睡地，懒洋洋地，昏昏欲睡地 | |
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50
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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51
propped
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| 支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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52
exhaustion
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| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
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53
slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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54
barricade
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| n.路障，栅栏，障碍；vt.设路障挡住 | |
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55
ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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