the wreck of the golden mary-第7部分

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I　answered　the　hail；　and　waited　a　bit；　and　heard　nothing；　and　then

sung　out　the　captain's　name。　　The　voice　that　replied　did　not　sound

like　his；　the　words　that　reached　us　were：



〃Chief…mate　wanted　on　board！〃



Every　man　of　my　crew　knew　what　that　meant　as　well　as　I　did。　　As

second　officer　in　command；　there　could　be　but　one　reason　for　wanting

me　on　board　the　Long…boat。　　A　groan　went　all　round　us；　and　my　men

looked　darkly　in　each　other's　faces；　and　whispered　under　their

breaths：



〃The　captain　is　dead！〃



I　commanded　them　to　be　silent；　and　not　to　make　too　sure　of　bad　news；

at　such　a　pass　as　things　had　now　come　to　with　us。　　Then；　hailing　the

Long…boat；　I　signified　that　I　was　ready　to　go　on　board　when　the

weather　would　let　mestopped　a　bit　to　draw　a　good　long　breathand

then　called　out　as　loud　as　I　could　the　dreadful　question：



〃Is　the　captain　dead？〃



The　black　figures　of　three　or　four　men　in　the　after…part　of　the

Long…boat　all　stooped　down　together　as　my　voice　reached　them。　　They

were　lost　to　view　for　about　a　minute；　then　appeared　againone　man

among　them　was　held　up　on　his　feet　by　the　rest；　and　he　hailed　back

the　blessed　words　（a　very　faint　hope　went　a　very　long　way　with

people　in　our　desperate　situation）：　　〃Not　yet！〃



The　relief　felt　by　me；　and　by　all　with　me；　when　we　knew　that　our

captain；　though　unfitted　for　duty；　was　not　lost　to　us；　it　is　not　in

wordsat　least；　not　in　such　words　as　a　man　like　me　can　commandto

express。　　I　did　my　best　to　cheer　the　men　by　telling　them　what　a　good

sign　it　was　that　we　were　not　as　badly　off　yet　as　we　had　feared；　and

then　communicated　what　instructions　I　had　to　give；　to　William　Rames；

who　was　to　be　left　in　command　in　my　place　when　I　took　charge　of　the

Long…boat。　　After　that；　there　was　nothing　to　be　done；　but　to　wait

for　the　chance　of　the　wind　dropping　at　sunset；　and　the　sea　going

down　afterwards；　so　as　to　enable　our　weak　crews　to　lay　the　two　boats

alongside　of　each　other；　without　undue　riskor；　to　put　it　plainer；

without　saddling　ourselves　with　the　necessity　for　any　extraordinary

exertion　of　strength　or　skill。　　Both　the　one　and　the　other　had　now

been　starved　out　of　us　for　days　and　days　together。



At　sunset　the　wind　suddenly　dropped；　but　the　sea；　which　had　been

running　high　for　so　long　a　time　past；　took　hours　after　that　before

it　showed　any　signs　of　getting　to　rest。　　The　moon　was　shining；　the

sky　was　wonderfully　clear；　and　it　could　not　have　been；　according　to

my　calculations；　far　off　midnight；　when　the　long；　slow；　regular

swell　of　the　calming　ocean　fairly　set　in；　and　I　took　the

responsibility　of　lessening　the　distance　between　the　Long…boat　and

ourselves。



It　was；　I　dare　say；　a　delusion　of　mine；　but　I　thought　I　had　never

seen　the　moon　shine　so　white　and　ghastly　anywhere；　either　on　sea　or

on　land；　as　she　shone　that　night　while　we　were　approaching　our

companions　in　misery。　　When　there　was　not　much　more　than　a　boat's

length　between　us；　and　the　white　light　streamed　cold　and　clear　over

all　our　faces；　both　crews　rested　on　their　oars　with　one　great

shudder；　and　stared　over　the　gunwale　of　either　boat；　panic…stricken

at　the　first　sight　of　each　other。



〃Any　lives　lost　among　you？〃　I　asked；　in　the　midst　of　that　frightful

silence。



The　men　in　the　Long…bout　huddled　together　like　sheep　at　the　sound　of

my　voice。



〃None　yet；　but　the　child；　thanks　be　to　God！〃　answered　one　among

them。



And　at　the　sound　of　his　voice；　all　my　men　shrank　together　like　the

men　in　the　Long…boat。　　I　was　afraid　to　let　the　horror　produced　by

our　first　meeting　at　close　quarters　after　the　dreadful　changes　that

wet；　cold；　and　famine　had　produced；　last　one　moment　longer　than

could　be　helped；　so；　without　giving　time　for　any　more　questions　and

answers；　I　commanded　the　men　to　lay　the　two　boats　close　alongside　of

each　other。　　When　I　rose　up　and　committed　the　tiller　to　the　hands　of

Rames；　all　my　poor　follows　raised　their　white　faces　imploringly　to

mine。　　〃Don't　leave　us；　sir；〃　they　said；　〃don't　leave　us。〃　　〃I　leave

you；〃　says　I；　〃under　the　command　and　the　guidance　of　Mr。　William

Rames；　as　good　a　sailor　as　I　am；　and　as　trusty　and　kind　a　man　as

ever　stepped。　　Do　your　duty　by　him；　as　you　have　done　it　by　me；　and

remember　to　the　last；　that　while　there　is　life　there　is　hope。　　God

bless　and　help　you　all！〃　　With　those　words　I　collected　what　strength

I　had　left；　and　caught　at　two　arms　that　were　held　out　to　me；　and　so

got　from　the　stern…sheets　of　one　boat　into　the　stern…sheets　of　the

other。



〃Mind　where　you　step；　sir；〃　whispered　one　of　the　men　who　had　helped

me　into　the　Long…boat。　　I　looked　down　as　he　spoke。　　Three　figures

were　huddled　up　below　me；　with　the　moonshine　falling　on　them　in

ragged　streaks　through　the　gaps　between　the　men　standing　or　sitting

above　them。　　The　first　face　I　made　out　was　the　face　of　Miss

Coleshaw；　her　eyes　were　wide　open　and　fixed　on　me。　　She　seemed　still

to　keep　her　senses；　and；　by　the　alternate　parting　and　closing　of　her

lips；　to　be　trying　to　speak；　but　I　could　not　hear　that　she　uttered　a

single　word。　　On　her　shoulder　rested　the　head　of　Mrs。　Atherfield。

The　mother　of　our　poor　little　Golden　Lucy　must；　I　think；　have　been

dreaming　of　the　child　she　had　lost；　for　there　was　a　faint　smile　just

ruffling　the　white　stillness　of　her　face；　when　I　first　saw　it　turned

upward；　with　peaceful　closed　eyes　towards　the　heavens。　　From　her；　I

looked　down　a　little；　and　there；　with　his　head　on　her　lap；　and　with

one　of　her　hands　resting　tenderly　on　his　cheekthere　lay　the

Captain；　to　whose　help　and　guidance；　up　to　this　miserable　time；　we

had　never　looked　in　vain；there；　worn　out　at　last　in　our　service；

and　for　our　sakes；　lay　the　best　and　bravest　man　of　all　our　company。

I　stole　my　hand　in　gently　through　his　clothes　and　laid　it　on　his

heart；　and　felt　a　little　feeble　warmth　over　it；　though　my　cold

dulled　touch　could　not　detect　even　the　faintest　beating。　　The　two

men　in　the　stern…sheets　with　me；　noticing　what　I　was　doingknowing

I　loved　him　like　a　brotherand　seeing；　I　suppose；　more　distress　in

my　face　than　I　myself　was　conscious　of　its　showing；　lost　command

over　themselves　altogether；　and　burst　into　a　piteous　moaning；

sobbing　lamentation　over　him。　　One　of　the　two　drew　aside　a　jacket

from　his　feet；　and　showed　me　that　they　were　bare；　except　where　a

wet；　ragged　strip　of　stocking　still　clung　to　one　of　them。　　When　the

ship　struck　the　Iceberg；　he　had　run　on　deck　leaving　his　shoes　in　his

cabin。　　All　through　the　voyage　in　the　boat　his　feet　had　been

unprotected；　and　not　a　soul　had　discovered　it　until　he　dropped！　　As

long　as　he　could　keep　his　eyes　open；　the　very　look　of　them　had

cheered　the　men；　and　comforted　and　upheld　the　women。　　Not　one　living

creature　in　the　boat；　with　any　sense　about　him；　but　had　felt　the

good　influence　of　that　brave　man　in　one　way　or　another。　　Not　one　but

had　heard　him；　over　and　over　again；　give　the　credit　to　others　which

was　due　only　to　himself；　praising　this　man　for　patience；　and

thanking　that　man　for　help；　when　the　patience　and　the　help　had

really　and　truly；　as　to　the　best　part　of　both；　come　only　from　him。

All　this；　and　much　more；　I　heard　pouring　confusedly　from　the　men's

lips　while　they　crouched　down；　sobbing　and　crying　over　their

commander；　and　wrapping　the　jacket　as　warmly　and　tenderly　as　they

could　over　is　cold　feet。　　It　went　to　my　heart　to　check　them；　but　I

knew　that　if　this　lamenting　spirit　spread　any　further；　all　chance　of

keeping　alight　any　last　sparks　of　hope　and　resolution　among　the

boat's　company　would　be　lost　for　ever。　　Accordingly　I　sent　them　to

their　places；　spoke　a　few　encouraging　words　to　the　men　forward；

promising　to　serve　out；　when　the　morning　came；　as　much　as　I　dared；

of　any　eatable　thing　left　in　the　lockers；　called　to　Rames；　in　my　old

boat；　to　keep　as　near　us　as　he　safely　could；　drew　the　garments　and

coverings　of　the　two　poor　suffering　women　more　closely　about　them；

and；　with　a　secret　prayer　to　be　directed　for　the　best　in　bearing　the

awful　responsibility　now　laid　on　my　shoulders；　took　my　Captain's

vacant　place　at　the　helm　of　the　Long…boat。



This；　as　well　as　I　can　tell　it；　is　the　full　and　true　account　of　how

I　came　to　be　placed　in　charge　of　the　lost　passengers　and　crew　of　the

Golden　Mary；　on　the　morning　of　the　twenty…seventh　day　after　the　ship

struck　the　Iceberg；　and　foundered　at　sea。











End