TheunfailingRansomelightedthebinnacle-
lampsandglided，allshadowy，uptome。
\"Willyougodownandtrytoeatsomething，sir？\"hesuggested。
Hislowvoicestartledme。Ihadbeenstandinglookingoutovertherail，sayingnothing，feelingnothing，noteventhewearinessofmylimbs，over-
comebytheevilspell。
\"Ransome，\"Iaskedabruptly，\"howlonghaveI
beenondeck？Iamlosingthenotionoftime。\"
\"Twelvedays，sir，\"hesaid，\"andit’sjustafortnightsincewelefttheanchorage。\"
Hisequablevoicesoundedmournfulsomehow。
Hewaitedabit，thenadded：\"It’sthefirsttimethatitlooksasifweweretohavesomerain。\"
Inoticedthenthebroadshadowonthehorizon，extinguishingthelowstarscompletely，whilethoseoverhead，whenIlookedup，seemedtoshinedownonusthroughaveilofsmoke。
Howitgotthere，howithadcreptupsohigh，I
couldn’tsay。Ithadanominousappearance。Theairdidnotstir。AtarenewedinvitationfromRansomeIdidgodownintothecabinto——inhisownwords——\"tryandeatsomething。\"Idon’tknowthatthetrialwasverysuccessful。Isup-
poseatthatperiodIdidexistonfoodintheusualway;butthememoryisnowthatinthosedayslifewassustainedoninvincibleanguish，asasortofinfernalstimulantexcitingandconsumingatthesametime。
It’stheonlyperiodofmylifeinwhichIat-
temptedtokeepadiary。No，nottheonlyone。
Yearslater，inconditionsofmoralisolation，Ididputdownonpaperthethoughtsandeventsofascoreofdays。Butthiswasthefirsttime。Idon’trememberhowitcameaboutorhowthepocket-
bookandthepencilcameintomyhands。It’sin-
conceivablethatIshouldhavelookedforthemonpurpose。Isupposetheysavedmefromthecrazytrickoftalkingtomyself。
Strangelyenough，inbothcasesItooktothatsortofthingincircumstancesinwhichIdidnotex-
pect，incolloquialphrase，\"tocomeoutofit。\"
NeithercouldIexpecttherecordtooutlastme。
Thisshowsthatitwaspurelyapersonalneedforintimatereliefandnotacallofegotism。
HereImustgiveanothersampleofit，afewde-
tachedlines，nowlookingveryghostlytomyowneyes，outofthepartscribbledthatveryevening：
***
\"Thereissomethinggoingonintheskylikeadecomposition;likeacorruptionoftheair，whichremainsasstillasever。Afterall，mereclouds，whichmayormaynotholdwindorrain。
Strangethatitshouldtroublemeso。Ifeelasifallmysinshadfoundmeout。ButIsupposethetroubleisthattheshipisstilllyingmotionless，notundercommand;andthatIhavenothingtodotokeepmyimaginationfromrunningwildamongstthedisastrousimagesoftheworstthatmaybefallus。What’sgoingtohappen？Probablynothing。
Oranything。Itmaybeafurioussquallcoming，buttendforemost。Andondecktherearefivemenwiththevitalityandthestrength，ofsay，two。
Wemayhavealloursailsblownaway。EverystitchofcanvashasbeenonhersincewebrokegroundatthemouthoftheMei-nam，fifteendaysago……orfifteencenturies。Itseemstomethatallmylifebeforethatmomentousdayisin-
finitelyremote，afadingmemoryoflight-heartedyouth，somethingontheothersideofashadow。
Yes，sailsmayverywellbeblownaway。Andthatwouldbelikeadeathsentenceonthemen。Wehaven’tstrengthenoughonboardtobendanothersuit;incrediblethought，butitistrue。Orwemayevengetdismasted。Shipshavebeendismastedinsquallssimplybecausetheyweren’thandledquickenough，andwehavenopowertowhirltheyardsaround。It’slikebeingboundhandandfootpre-
paratorytohavingone’sthroatcut。AndwhatappalsmemostofallisthatIshrinkfromgoingondecktofaceit。It’sduetotheship，it’sduetothemenwhoarethereondeck——someofthem，readytoputoutthelastremnantoftheirstrengthatawordfromme。AndIamshrinkingfromit。Fromthemerevision。Myfirstcommand。NowI
understandthatstrangesenseofinsecurityinmypast。IalwayssuspectedthatImightbenogood。
Andhereisproofpositive。Iamshirkingit。I
amnogood。\"
***
Atthatmoment，or，perhaps，themomentafter，IbecameawareofRansomestandinginthecabin。
Somethinginhisexpressionstartledme。IthadameaningwhichIcouldnotmakeout。Iexclaimed：
\"Somebody’sdead。\"
Itwashisturnthentolookstartled。
\"Dead？NotthatIknowof，sir。Ihavebeenintheforecastleonlytenminutesagoandtherewasnodeadmantherethen。\"
\"Youdidgivemeascare，\"Isaid。
Hisvoicewasextremelypleasanttolistento。
HeexplainedthathehadcomedownbelowtocloseMr。Burns’portincaseitshouldcomeontorain。
\"HedidnotknowthatIwasinthecabin，\"headded。
\"Howdoesitlookoutside？\"Iaskedhim。
\"Veryblack，indeed，sir。Thereissomethinginitforcertain。\"
\"Inwhatquarter？\"
\"Allround，sir。\"
Irepeatedidly：\"Allround。Forcertain，\"withmyelbowsonthetable。
Ransomelingeredinthecabinasifhehadsome-
thingtodothere，buthesitatedaboutdoingit。I
saidsuddenly：
\"YouthinkIoughttobeondeck？\"
Heansweredatoncebutwithoutanyparticularemphasisoraccent：\"Ido，sir。\"
Igottomyfeetbriskly，andhemadewayformetogoout。AsIpassedthroughthelobbyIheardMr。Burns’voicesaying：
\"Shutthedoorofmyroom，willyou，steward？\"
AndRansome’srathersurprised：\"Certainly，sir。\"
Ithoughtthatallmyfeelingshadbeendulledintocompleteindifference。ButIfounditastry-
ingasevertobeondeck。Theimpenetrableblack-
nessbesettheshipsoclosethatitseemedthatbythrustingone’shandoverthesideonecouldtouchsomeunearthlysubstance。Therewasinitaneffectofinconceivableterrorandofinexpressiblemystery。Thefewstarsoverheadshedadimlightupontheshipalone，withnogleamsofanykinduponthewater，indetachedshaftspiercinganat-
mospherewhichhadturnedtosoot。Itwassome-
thingIhadneverseenbefore，givingnohintofthedirectionfromwhichanychangewouldcome，theclosinginofamenacefromallsides。
Therewasstillnomanatthehelm。Theim-
mobilityofallthingswasperfect。Iftheairhadturnedblack，thesea，forallIknew，mighthaveturnedsolid。Itwasnogoodlookinginanydi-
rection，watchingforanysign，speculatinguponthenearnessofthemoment。Whenthetimecametheblacknesswouldoverwhelmsilentlythebitofstarlightfallingupontheship，andtheendofallthingswouldcomewithoutasigh，stir，ormurmurofanykind，andallourheartswouldceasetobeatlikerun-downclocks。
Itwasimpossibletoshakeoffthatsenseoffinality。Thequietnessthatcameovermewaslikeaforetasteofannihilation。Itgavemeasortofcomfort，asthoughmysoulhadbecomesuddenlyreconciledtoaneternityofblindstillness。
Theseaman’sinstinctalonesurvivedwholeinmymoraldissolution。Idescendedtheladdertothequarter-deck。Thestarlightseemedtodieoutbeforereachingthatspot，butwhenIaskedquietly：\"Areyouthere，men？\"myeyesmadeoutshadowformsstartinguparoundme，veryfew，veryindistinct;andavoicespoke：\"Allhere，sir。\"
Anotheramendedanxiously：
\"Allthatareanygoodforanything，sir。\"
Bothvoiceswereveryquietandunringing;with-
outanyspecialcharacterofreadinessordiscour-
agement。Verymatter-of-factvoices。
\"Wemusttrytohaulthismainsailcloseup，\"Isaid。
Theshadowsswayedawayfrommewithoutaword。Thosemenweretheghostsofthemselves，andtheirweightonaropecouldbenomorethantheweightofabunchofghosts。Indeed，ifeverasailwashauledupbysheerspiritualstrengthitmusthavebeenthatsail，for，properlyspeaking，therewasnotmuscleenoughforthetaskinthewholeshipletalonethemiserablelotofusondeck。
Ofcourse，Itooktheleadintheworkmyself。
Theywanderedfeeblyaftermefromropetorope，stumblingandpanting。TheytoiledlikeTitans。
Wewerehalf-an-houratitatleast，andallthetimetheblackuniversemadenosound。Whenthelastleech-linewasmadefast，myeyes，accustomedtothedarkness，madeouttheshapesofexhaustedmendroopingovertherails，collapsedonhatches。
Onehungovertheafter-capstan，sobbingforbreath，andIstoodamongstthemlikeatowerofstrength，impervioustodiseaseandfeelingonlythesicknessofmysoul。Iwaitedforsometimefight-
ingagainsttheweightofmysins，againstmysenseofunworthiness，andthenIsaid：
\"Now，men，we’llgoaftandsquarethemainyard。
That’saboutallwecandofortheship;andfortherestshemusttakeherchance。\"
part2-6
ChapterVI
ASWEallwentupitoccurredtomethatthereoughttobeamanatthehelm。Iraisedmyvoicenotmuchaboveawhisper，and，noiselessly，anun-
complainingspiritinafever-wastedbodyappearedinthelightaft，theheadwithholloweyesillumi-
natedagainsttheblacknesswhichhadswallowedupourworld——andtheuniverse。Thebaredfore-
armextendedovertheupperspokesseemedtoshinewithalightofitsown。
Imurmuredtothatluminousappearance：
\"Keepthehelmrightamidships。\"
Itansweredinatoneofpatientsuffering：
\"Rightamidships，sir。\"
ThenIdescendedtothequarter-deck。Itwasimpossibletotellwhencetheblowwouldcome。Tolookroundtheshipwastolookintoabottomless，blackpit。Theeyelostitselfininconceivabledepths。
Iwantedtoascertainwhethertheropeshadbeenpickedupoffthedeck。Onecouldonlydothatbyfeelingwithone’sfeet。InmycautiousprogressI
cameagainstamaninwhomIrecognizedRansome。Hepossessedanunimpairedphysicalsoliditywhichwasmanifesttomeatthecontact。
Hewasleaningagainstthequarter-deckcapstanandkeptsilent。Itwaslikearevelation。HewasthecollapsedfiguresobbingforbreathIhadno-
ticedbeforewewentonthepoop。
\"Youhavebeenhelpingwiththemainsail！\"I
exclaimedinalowtone。
\"Yes，sir，\"soundedhisquietvoice。
\"Man！Whatwereyouthinkingof？Youmustn’tdothatsortofthing。\"
Afterapauseheassented：\"IsupposeI
mustn’t。\"Thenafteranothershortsilenceheadded：\"Iamallrightnow，\"quickly，betweenthetell-talegasps。
Icouldneitherhearnorseeanybodyelse;butwhenIspokeup，answeringsadmurmursfilledthequarter-deck，anditsshadowsseemedtoshifthereandthere。Iorderedallthehalyardslaiddownondeckclearforrunning。
\"I’llseetothat，sir，\"volunteeredRansomeinhisnatural，pleasanttone，whichcomfortedoneandarousedone’scompassion，too，somehow。
Thatmanoughttohavebeeninhisbed，resting，andmyplaindutywastosendhimthere。Butperhapshewouldnothaveobeyedme;Ihadnotthestrengthofmindtotry。AllIsaidwas：
\"Goaboutitquietly，Ransome。\"
ReturningonthepoopIapproachedGambril。
Hisface，setwithhollowshadowsinthelight，lookedawful，finallysilenced。Iaskedhimhowhefelt，buthardlyexpectedananswer。There-
fore，Iwasastonishedathiscomparativeloquac-
ity。
\"Themshakesleavesmeasweakasakitten，sir，\"hesaid，preservingfinelythatairofuncon-
sciousnessastoanythingbuthisbusinessahelms-
manshouldneverlose。\"AndbeforeIcanpickupmystrengththattherehotfitcomesalongandknocksmeoveragain。\"
Hesighed。Therewasnoreproachinhistone，butthebarewordswereenoughtogivemeahor-
riblepangofself-reproach。Itheldmedumbforatime。WhenthetormentingsensationhadpassedoffIasked：
\"Doyoufeelstrongenoughtopreventtherud-
dertakingchargeifshegetssternwayonher？Itwouldn’tdotogetsomethingsmashedaboutthesteering-gearnow。We’veenoughdifficultiestocopewithasitis。\"
Heansweredwithjustashadeofwearinessthathewasstrongenoughtohangon。Hecouldpromisemethatsheshouldn’ttakethewheeloutofhishands。Morehecouldn’tsay。
AtthatmomentRansomeappearedquiteclosetome，steppingoutofthedarknessintovisibilitysuddenly，asifjustcreatedwithhiscomposedfaceandpleasantvoice。
Everyropeondeck，hesaid，waslaiddownclearforrunning，asfarasonecouldmakecertainbyfeeling。Itwasimpossibletoseeanything。
Frenchyhadstationedhimselfforward。Hesaidhehadajumportwoleftinhimyet。
Hereafaintsmilealteredforaninstanttheclear，firmdesignofRansome’slips。Withhisseriousclear，grayeyes，hisserenetemperament——
hewasapricelessmanaltogether。Soulasfirmasthemusclesofhisbody。
Hewastheonlymanonboard（exceptme，butI
hadtopreservemylibertyofmovement）whohadasufficiencyofmuscularstrengthtotrustto。ForamomentIthoughtIhadbetteraskhimtotakethewheel。Butthedreadfulknowledgeoftheenemyhehadtocarryabouthimmademehesi-
tate。Inmyignoranceofphysiologyitoccurredtomethathemightdiesuddenly，fromexcitement，atacriticalmoment。
Whilethisgruesomefearrestrainedthereadywordsonthetipofmytongue，Ransomesteppedbacktwopacesandvanishedfrommysight。
Atonceanuneasinesspossessedme，asifsomesupporthadbeenwithdrawn。Imovedforward，too，outsidethecircleoflight，intothedarknessthatstoodinfrontofmelikeawall。InonestrideIpenetratedit。Suchmusthavebeenthedark-
nessbeforecreation。Ithadclosedbehindme。I
knewIwasinvisibletothemanatthehelm。
NeithercouldIseeanything。Hewasalone，Iwasalone，everymanwasalonewherehestood。Andeveryformwasgone，too，spar，sail，fittings，rails;
everythingwasblottedoutinthedreadfulsmooth-
nessofthatabsolutenight。
Aflashoflightningwouldhavebeenarelief——I
meanphysically。Iwouldhaveprayedforitifithadn’tbeenformyshrinkingapprehensionofthethunder。InthetensionofsilenceIwassufferingfromitseemedtomethatthefirstcrashmustturnmeintodust。
Andthunderwas，mostlikely，whatwouldhap-
pennext。Stiffalloverandhardlybreathing，Iwaitedwithahorriblystrainedexpectation。
Nothinghappened。Itwasmaddening，butadull，growingacheinthelowerpartofmyfacemademeawarethatIhadbeengrindingmyteethmadlyenough，forGodknowshowlong。
It’sextraordinaryIshouldnothaveheardmy-
selfdoingit;butIhadn’t。ByaneffortwhichabsorbedallmyfacultiesImanagedtokeepmyjawstill。Itrequiredmuchattention，andwhilethusengagedIbecamebotheredbycurious，ir-
regularsoundsoffainttappingonthedeck。Theycouldbeheardsingle，inpairs，ingroups。WhileIwonderedatthismysteriousdevilry，Ireceivedaslightblowunderthelefteyeandfeltanenor-
moustearrundownmycheek。Raindrops。
Enormous。Forerunnersofsomething。
Tap。Tap。Tap……
Iturnedabout，and，addressingGambrelearnestly，entreatedhimto\"hangontothewheel。\"
ButIcouldhardlyspeakfromemotion。Thefatalmomenthadcome。Iheldmybreath。Thetap-
pinghadstoppedasunexpectedlyasithadbegun，andtherewasarenewedmomentofintolerablesus-
pense;somethinglikeanadditionalturnoftherackingscrew。Idon’tsupposeIwouldhaveeverscreamed，butIremembermyconvictionthattherewasnothingelseforitbuttoscream。
Suddenly——howamItoconveyit？Well，sud-
denlythedarknessturnedintowater。Thisistheonlysuitablefigure。Aheavyshower，adown-
pour，comesalong，makinganoise。Youhearitsapproachonthesea，intheair，too，Iverilybelieve。
Butthiswasdifferent。Withnopreliminarywhisperorrustle，withoutasplash，andevenwith-
outtheghostofimpact，Ibecameinstantaneouslysoakedtotheskin。Notaverydifficultmatter，sinceIwaswearingonlymysleepingsuit。Myhairgotfullofwaterinaninstant，waterstreamedonmyskin，itfilledmynose，myears，myeyes。
InafractionofasecondIswallowedquitealotofit。
AstoGambril，hewasfairlychoked。Hecoughedpitifully，thebrokencoughofasickman;
andIbeheldhimasoneseesafishinanaquariumbythelightofanelectricbulb，anelusive，phos-
phorescentshape。Onlyhedidnotglideaway。
Butsomethingelsehappened。Bothbinnacle-
lampswentout。Isupposethewaterforceditselfintothem，thoughIwouldn’thavethoughtthatpossible，fortheyfittedintothecowlperfectly。
Thelastgleamoflightintheuniversehadgone，pursuedbyalowexclamationofdismayfromGambril。Igropedforhimandseizedhisarm。
Howstartlinglywasteditwas。
\"Nevermind，\"Isaid。\"Youdon’twantthelight。Allyouneedtodoistokeepthewind，whenitcomes，atthebackofyourhead。Youunderstand？\"
\"Aye，aye，sir……ButIshouldliketohavealight，\"headdednervously。
Allthattimetheshiplayassteadyasarock。
Thenoiseofthewaterpouringoffthesailsandspars，flowingoverthebreakofthepoop，hadstoppedshort。Thepoopscuppersgurgledandsobbedforalittlewhilelonger，andthenperfectsilence，joinedtoperfectimmobility，proclaimedtheyetunbrokenspellofourhelplessness，poisedontheedgeofsomeviolentissue，lurkinginthedark。
Istartedforwardrestlessly。Ididnotneedmysighttopacethepoopofmyill-starredfirstcom-
mandwithperfectassurance。Everysquarefootofherdeckswasimpressedindeliblyonmybrain，totheverygrainandknotsoftheplanks。Yet，allofasudden，Ifellcleanoversomething，landingfulllengthonmyhandsandface。
Itwassomethingbigandalive。Notadog——
morelikeasheep，rather。Buttherewerenoanimalsintheship。Howcouldananimal……
ItwasanaddedandfantastichorrorwhichIcouldnotresist。ThehairofmyheadstirredevenasI
pickedmyselfup，awfullyscared;notasamanisscaredwhilehisjudgment，hisreasonstilltrytoresist，butcompletely，boundlessly，and，asitwere，innocentlyscared——likealittlechild。
IcouldseeIt——thatThing！Thedarkness，ofwhichsomuchhadjustturnedintowater，hadthinneddownalittle。ThereItwas！ButIdidnothituponthenotionofMr。Burnsissuingoutofthecompaniononallfourstillheattemptedtostandup，andeventhentheideaofabearcrossedmymindfirst。
HegrowledlikeonewhenIseizedhimroundthebody。Hehadbuttonedhimselfupintoanenor-
mouswinterovercoatofsomewoollymaterial，theweightofwhichwastoomuchforhisreducedstate。
Icouldhardlyfeeltheincrediblythinlathofhisbody，lostwithinthethickstuff，buthisgrowlhaddepthandsubstance：Confoundeddumpshipwithacraven，tiptoeingcrowd。Whycouldn’ttheystampandgowithabrace？Wasn’tthereoneGod-
forsakenlubberinthelotfittoraiseayellonarope？
\"Skulking’snogood，sir，\"heattackedmedirectly。\"Youcan’tslinkpasttheoldmurderousruffian。Itisn’ttheway。Youmustgoforhimboldly——asIdid。Boldnessiswhatyouwant。
Showhimthatyoudon’tcareforanyofhisdamnedtricks。Kickupajollyoldrow。\"
\"GoodGod，Mr。Burns，\"Isaidangrily。
\"Whatonearthareyouupto？Whatdoyoumeanbycomingupondeckinthisstate？\"
\"Justthat！Boldness。Theonlywaytoscaretheoldbullyingrascal。\"
Ipushedhim，stillgrowling，againsttherail。
\"Holdontoit，\"Isaidroughly。Ididnotknowwhattodowithhim。Ilefthiminahurry，togotoGambril，whohadcalledfaintlythathebelievedtherewassomewindaloft。Indeed，myownearshadcaughtafeebleflutterofwetcanvas，highupoverhead，thejingleofaslackchainsheet……
Thesewereeerie，disturbing，alarmingsoundsinthedeadstillnessoftheairaroundme。AlltheinstancesIhadheardoftopmastsbeingwhippedoutofashipwhiletherewasnotwindenoughonherdecktoblowoutamatchrushedintomymemory。
\"Ican’tseetheuppersails，sir，\"declaredGambrilshakily。
\"Don’tmovethehelm。You’llbeallright，\"I
saidconfidently。
Thepoorman’snervesweregone。Minewerenotinmuchbettercase。Itwasthemomentofbreakingstrainandwasrelievedbytheabruptsensationoftheshipmovingforwardasifofher-
selfundermyfeet。Iheardplainlythesoughingofthewindaloft，thelowcracksoftheuppersparstakingthestrain，longbeforeIcouldfeeltheleastdraughtonmyfaceturnedaft，anxiousandsight-
lesslikethefaceofablindman。
Suddenlyalouder-soundingnotefilledourears，thedarknessstartedstreamingagainstourbodies，chillingthemexceedingly。Bothofus，GambrilandI，shiveredviolentlyinourclinging，soakedgarmentsofthincotton。Isaidtohim：
\"Youareallrightnow，myman。Allyou’vegottodoistokeepthewindatthebackofyourhead。
Surelyyouareuptothat。Achildcouldsteerthisshipinsmoothwater。\"
Hemuttered：\"Aye！Ahealthychild。\"AndI
feltashamedofhavingbeenpassedoverbythefeverwhichhadbeenpreyingoneveryman’sstrengthbutmine，inorderthatmyremorsemightbethemorebitter，thefeelingofunworthinessmorepoignant，andthesenseofresponsibilityheaviertobear。
Theshiphadgatheredgreatwayonheralmostatonceonthecalmwater。Ifeltherslippingthroughitwithnoothernoisebutamysteriousrustlealongside。Otherwise，shehadnomotionatall，neitherliftnorroll。Itwasadishearteningsteadinesswhichhadlastedforeighteendaysnow;fornever，neverhadwehadwindenoughinthattimetoraisetheslightestrunofthesea。Thebreezefreshenedsuddenly。IthoughtitwashightimetogetMr。Burnsoffthedeck。Heworriedme。Ilookeduponhimasalunaticwhowouldbeverylikelytostartroamingovertheshipandbreakalimborfalloverboard。
IwastrulygladtofindhehadremainedholdingonwhereIhadlefthim，sensiblyenough。Hewas，however，mutteringtohimselfominously。
Thiswasdiscouraging。Iremarkedinamatter-
of-facttone：
\"Wehaveneverhadsomuchwindasthissincewelefttheroads。\"
\"There’ssomeheartinit，too，\"hegrowledjudiciously。Itwasaremarkofaperfectlysaneseaman。Butheaddedimmediately：\"ItwasabouttimeIshouldcomeondeck。I’vebeennursingmystrengthforthis——justforthis。Doyouseeit，sir？\"
IsaidIdid，andproceededtohintthatitwouldbeadvisableforhimtogobelownowandtakearest。
Hisanswerwasanindignant\"Gobelow！NotifIknowit，sir。\"
Verycheerful！Hewasahorriblenuisance。Andallatoncehestartedtoargue。Icouldfeelhiscrazyexcitementinthedark。
\"Youdon’tknowhowtogoaboutit，sir。Howcouldyou？Allthiswhisperingandtiptoeingisnogood。Youcan’thopetoslinkpastacunning，wide-awake，evilbrutelikehewas。Youneverheardhimtalk。Enoughtomakeyourhairstandonend。No！No！Hewasn’tmad。HewasnomoremadthanIam。Hewasjustdownrightwicked。Wickedsoastofrightenmostpeople。I
willtellyouwhathewas。Hewasnothinglessthanathiefandamurdereratheart。Anddoyouthinkhe’sanydifferentnowbecausehe’sdead？
Nothe！Hiscarcassliesahundredfathomunder，buthe’sjustthesame……inlatitude8d20’
north。\"
Hesnorteddefiantly。Inotedwithwearyresig-
nationthatthebreezehadgotlighterwhileheraved。Hewasatitagain。
\"Ioughttohavethrownthebeggaroutoftheshipovertheraillikeadog。Itwasonlyonac-
countofthemen……FancyhavingtoreadtheBurialServiceoverabrutelikethat！……’Ourdepartedbrother’……Icouldhavelaughed。
Thatwaswhathecouldn’tbear。IsupposeIamtheonlymanthateverstooduptolaughathim。
Whenhegotsickitusedtoscarethat……
brother……Brother……Departed……Soonercallasharkbrother。\"
Thebreezehadletgososuddenlythatthewayoftheshipbroughtthewetsailsheavilyagainstthemast。Thespellofdeadlystillnesshadcaughtusupagain。Thereseemedtobenoescape。
\"Hallo！\"exclaimedMr。Burnsinastartledvoice。\"Calmagain！\"
Iaddressedhimasthoughhehadbeensane。
\"Thisisthesortofthingwe’vebeenhavingforseventeendays，Mr。Burns，\"Isaidwithintensebitterness。\"Apuff，thenacalm，andinamo-
ment，you’llsee，she’llbeswingingonherheelwithherheadawayfromhercoursetothedevilsome-
where。\"
Hecaughtattheword。\"TheolddodgingDevil，\"hescreamedpiercinglyandburstintosuchaloudlaughasIhadneverheardbefore。Itwasaprovoking，mockingpeal，withahair-raising，screechingover-noteofdefiance。Isteppedback，utterlyconfounded。
Instantlytherewasastironthequarter-deck;
murmursofdismay。Adistressedvoicecriedoutinthedarkbelowus：\"Who’sthatgonecrazy，now？\"
Perhapstheythoughtitwastheircaptain？
Rushisnotthewordthatcouldbeappliedtotheutmostspeedthepoorfellowswereupto;butinanamazingshorttimeeverymanintheshipabletowalkuprighthadfoundhiswayontothatpoop。
Ishoutedtothem：\"It’sthemate。Layholdofhimacoupleofyou……\"
Iexpectedthisperformancetoendinaghastlysortoffight。ButMr。Burnscuthisderisivescreechingdeadshortandturneduponthemfiercely，yelling：
\"Aha！Dog-goneye！You’vefoundyourtongues——haveye？Ithoughtyouweredumb。
Well，then——laugh！Laugh——Itellyou。Nowthen——alltogether。One，two，three——laugh！\"
Amomentofsilenceensued，ofsilencesopro-
foundthatyoucouldhaveheardapindroponthedeck。ThenRansome’sunperturbedvoiceutteredpleasantlythewords：
\"Ithinkhehasfainted，sir——\"Thelittlemotionlessknotofmenstirred，withlowmurmursofrelief。\"I’vegothimunderthearms。Getholdofhislegs，someone。\"
Yes。Itwasarelief。Hewassilencedforatime——foratime。Icouldnothavestoodanotherpealofthatinsanescreeching。Iwassureofit;
andjustthenGambril，theaustereGambril，treatedustoanothervocalperformance。Hebegantosingoutforrelief。Hisvoicewailedpitifullyinthedarkness：\"Comeaftsomebody！Ican’tstandthis。Hereshe’llbeoffagaindirectlyandI
can’t……\"
IdashedaftmyselfmeetingonmywayahardgustofwindwhoseapproachGambril’searhaddetectedfromafarandwhichfilledthesailsonthemaininaseriesofmuffledreportsmingledwiththelowplaintofthespars。IwasjustintimetoseizethewheelwhileFrenchywhohadfollowedmecaughtupthecollapsingGambril。Hehauledhimoutoftheway，admonishedhimtoliestillwherehewas，andthensteppeduptorelieveme，askingcalmly：
\"HowamItosteerher，sir？\"
\"Deadbeforeitforthepresent。I’llgetyoualightinamoment。\"
ButgoingforwardImetRansomebringingupthesparebinnaclelamp。Thatmannoticedeverything，attendedtoeverything，shedcomfortaroundhimashemoved。Ashepassedmehere-
markedinasoothingtonethatthestarswerecom-
ingout。Theywere。Thebreezewassweepingclearthesootysky，breakingthroughtheindolentsilenceofthesea。
Thebarrierofawfulstillnesswhichhadencom-
passedusforsomanydaysasthoughwehadbeenaccursed，wasbroken。Ifeltthat。Iletmyselffallontotheskylightseat。Afaintwhiteridgeoffoam，thin，verythin，brokealongside。Thefirstforages——forages。Icouldhavecheered，ifithadn’tbeenforthesenseofguiltwhichclungtoallmythoughtssecretly。Ransomestoodbeforeme。
\"Whataboutthemate，\"Iaskedanxiously。
\"Stillunconscious？\"
\"Well，sir——it’sfunny，\"Ransomewasevidentlypuzzled。\"Hehasn’tspokenaword，andhiseyesareshut。Butitlookstomemorelikesoundsleepthananythingelse。\"
Iacceptedthisviewastheleasttroublesomeofany，oratanyrate，leastdisturbing。Deadfaintordeepslumber，Mr。Burnshadtobelefttohim-
selfforthepresent。Ransomeremarkedsud-
denly：
\"Ibelieveyouwantacoat，sir。\"
\"IbelieveIdo，\"Isighedout。
ButIdidnotmove。WhatIfeltIwantedwerenewlimbs。Myarmsandlegsseemedutterlyuse-
less，fairlywornout。Theydidn’tevenache。ButIstoodupallthesametoputonthecoatwhenRansomebroughtitup。Andwhenhesuggestedthathehadbetternow\"takeGambrilforward，\"I
said：
\"Allright。I’llhelpyoutogethimdownonthemaindeck。\"
IfoundthatIwasquiteabletohelp，too。WeraisedGambrilupbetweenus。Hetriedtohelphimselfalonglikeamanbutallthetimehewasin-
quiringpiteously：
\"Youwon’tletmegowhenwecometothelad-
der？Youwon’tletmegowhenwecometotheladder？\"
Thebreezekeptonfresheningandblewtrue，truetoahair。Atdaylightbycarefulmanipula-
tionofthehelmwegottheforeyardstorunsquarebythemselves（thewaterkeepingsmooth）andthenwentabouthaulingtheropestight。OfthefourmenIhadwithmeatnight，Icouldseenowonlytwo。Ididn’tinquireastotheothers。Theyhadgivenin。ForatimeonlyIhoped。
Ourvarioustasksforwardoccupiedusforhours，thetwomenwithmemovedsoslowandhadtorestsooften。Oneofthemremarkedthat\"everyblamedthingintheshipfeltaboutahundredtimesheavierthanitsproperweight。\"Thiswastheonlycomplaintuttered。Idon’tknowwhatweshouldhavedonewithoutRansome。Heworkedwithus，silent，too，withalittlesmilefrozenonhislips。FromtimetotimeImurmuredtohim：
\"Gosteady\"——\"Takeiteasy，Ransome\"——andre-
ceivedaquickglanceinreply。
Whenwehaddoneallwecoulddotomakethingssafe，hedisappearedintohisgalley。Sometimeafterward，goingforwardforalookround，I
caughtsightofhimthroughtheopendoor。Hesatuprightonthelockerinfrontofthestove，withhisheadleaningbackagainstthebulkhead。Hiseyeswereclosed;hiscapablehandsheldopenthefrontofhisthincottonshirtbaringtragicallyhispowerfulchest，whichheavedinpainfulandlabouredgasps。Hedidn’thearme。
IretreatedquietlyandwentstraightontothepooptorelieveFrenchy，whobythattimewasbe-
ginningtolookverysick。Hegavemethecoursewithgreatformalityandtriedtogooffwithajauntystep，butreeledwidelytwicebeforegettingoutofmysight。
AndthenIremainedallaloneaft，steeringmyship，whichranbeforethewindwithabuoyantliftnowandthen，andevenrollingalittle。PresentlyRansomeappearedbeforemewithatray。Thesightoffoodmademeravenousallatonce。HetookthewheelwhileIsatdownoftheaftergratingtoeatmybreakfast。
\"Thisbreezeseemstohavedoneforourcrowd，\"
hemurmured。\"Itjustlaidthemlow——allhands。\"
\"Yes，\"Isaid。\"IsupposeyouandIaretheonlytwofitmenintheship。\"
\"Frenchysaysthere’sstillajumpleftinhim。I
don’tknow。Itcan’tbemuch，\"continuedRan-
somewithhiswistfulsmile。Goodlittlemanthat。
Butsuppose，sir，thatthiswindfliesroundwhenweareclosetotheland——whatarewegoingtodowithher？\"
\"Ifthewindshiftsroundheavilyafterwecloseinwiththelandshewilleitherrunashoreorgetdismastedorboth。Wewon’tbeabletodoany-
thingwithher。She’srunningawaywithusnow。
Allwecandoistosteerher。She’sashipwithoutacrew。\"
\"Yes。Alllaidlow，\"repeatedRansomequietly。
\"Idogivethemalook-inforwardeverynowandthen，butit’spreciouslittleIcandoforthem。\"
\"I，andtheship，andeveryoneonboardofher，areverymuchindebtedtoyou，Ransome，\"Isaidwarmly。
Hemadeasthoughhehadnotheardme，andsteeredinsilencetillIwasreadytorelievehim。Hesurrenderedthewheel，pickedupthetray，andforapartingshotinformedmethatMr。Burnswasawakeandseemedtohaveamindtocomeupondeck。
\"Idon’tknowhowtopreventhim，sir。Ican’tverywellstopdownbelowallthetime。\"
Itwasclearthathecouldn’t。AndsureenoughMr。Burnscameondeckdragginghimselfpainfullyaftinhisenormousovercoat。Ibeheldhimwithanaturaldread。TohavehimaroundandravingaboutthewilesofadeadmanwhileIhadtosteerawildlyrushingshipfullofdyingmenwasaratherdreadfulprospect。
Buthisfirstremarkswerequitesensibleinmean-
ingandtone。Apparentlyhehadnorecollectionofthenightscene。Andifhehadhedidn’tbetrayhimselfonce。Neitherdidhetalkverymuch。Hesatontheskylightlookingdesperatelyillatfirst，butthatstrongbreeze，beforewhichthelastrem-
nantofmycrewhadwilteddown，seemedtoblowafreshstockofvigourintohisframewitheverygust。
Onecouldalmostseetheprocess。
BywayofsanitytestIalludedonpurposetothelatecaptain。IwasdelightedtofindthatMr。
Burnsdidnotdisplayundueinterestinthesub-
ject。Heranovertheoldtaleofthatsavageruffian’siniquitieswithacertainvindictivegustoandthenconcludedunexpectedly：
\"Idobelieve，sir，thathisbrainbegantogoayearormorebeforehedied。\"
Awonderfulrecovery。Icouldhardlyspareitasmuchadmirationasitdeserved，forIhadtogiveallmymindtothesteering。
Incomparisonwiththehopelesslanguouroftheprecedingdaysthiswasdizzyspeed。Tworidgesoffoamstreamedfromtheship’sbows;thewindsanginastrenuousnotewhichunderothercir-
cumstanceswouldhaveexpressedtomeallthejoyoflife。Wheneverthehauled-upmainsailstartedtryingtoslatandbangitselftopiecesinitsgear，Mr。Burnswouldlookatmeapprehensively。
\"Whatwouldyouhavemetodo，Mr。Burns？
Wecanneitherfurlitnorsetit。Ionlywishtheoldthingwouldthrashitselftopiecesandbedonewithit。Thatbeastlyracketconfusesme。\"
Mr。Burnswrunghishands，andcriedoutsud-
denly：
\"Howwillyougettheshipintoharbour，sir，withoutmentohandleher？\"
AndIcouldn’ttellhim。
Well——itdidgetdoneaboutfortyhoursafter-
ward。BytheexorcisingvirtueofMr。Burns’
awfullaugh，themaliciousspectrehadbeenlaid，theevilspellbroken，thecurseremoved。WewerenowinthehandsofakindandenergeticProvi-
dence。Itwasrushinguson……
Ishallneverforgetthelastnight，dark，windy，andstarry。Isteered。Mr。Burns，afterhavingobtainedfrommeasolemnpromisetogivehimakickifanythinghappened，wentfranklytosleeponthedeckclosetothebinnacle。Convalescentsneedsleep。Ransome，hisbackproppedagainstthemizzen-mastandablanketoverhislegs，re-
mainedperfectlystill，butIdon’tsupposeheclosedhiseyesforamoment。Thatembodimentofjauntiness，Frenchy，stillunderthedelusionthattherewasa\"jump\"leftinhim，hadinsistedonjoiningus;butmindfulofdiscipline，hadlaidhim-
selfdownasfarontheforepartofthepoopashecouldget，alongsidethebucket-rack。
AndIsteered，tootiredforanxiety，tootiredforconnectedthought。Ihadmomentsofgrimex-
ultationandthenmyheartwouldsinkawfullyatthethoughtofthatforecastleattheotherendofthedarkdeck，fulloffever-strickenmen——someofthemdying。Bymyfault。Butnevermind。
Remorsemustwait。Ihadtosteer。
Inthesmallhoursthebreezeweakened，thenfailedaltogether。Aboutfiveitreturned，gentleenough，enablingustoheadfortheroadstead。
DaybreakfoundMr。Burnssittingwedgedupwithcoilsofropeonthestern-grating，andfromthedepthsofhisovercoatsteeringtheshipwithverywhitebonyhands;whileRansomeandIrushedalongthedeckslettinggoallthesheetsandhal-
liardsbytherun。Wedashednextupontotheforecastlehead。Theperspirationoflabourandsheernervousnesssimplypouredoffourheadsaswetoiledtogettheanchorscock-billed。IdarednotlookatRansomeasweworkedsidebyside。
Weexchangedcurtwords;IcouldhearhimpantingclosetomeandIavoidedturningmyeyeshiswayforfearofseeinghimfalldownandexpireintheactofputtingforthhisstrength——forwhat？In-
deedforsomedistinctideal。
Theconsummateseamaninhimwasaroused。
Heneedednodirections。Heknewwhattodo。
Everyeffort，everymovementwasanactofcon-
sistentheroism。Itwasnotformetolookatamanthusinspired。
AtlastallwasreadyandIheardhimsay：
\"Hadn’tIbettergodownandopenthecompressorsnow，sir？\"
\"Yes。Do，\"Isaid。
AndeventhenIdidnotglancehisway。Afteratimehisvoicecameupfromthemaindeck。
\"Whenyoulike，sir。Allclearonthewindlasshere。\"
ImadeasigntoMr。Burnstoputthehelmdownandletbothanchorsgooneafteranother，leavingtheshiptotakeasmuchcableasshewanted。Shetookthebestpartofthembothbe-
foreshebroughtup。Theloosesailscomingabackceasedtheirmaddeningracketabovemyhead。A
perfectstillnessreignedintheship。AndwhileI
stoodforwardfeelingalittlegiddyinthatsuddenpeace，Icaughtfaintlyamoanortwoandthein-
coherentmutteringsofthesickintheforecastle。
Aswehadasignalformedicalassistanceflyingonthemizzenitisafactthatbeforetheshipwasfairlyatrestthreesteamlaunchesfromvariousmen-of-warwerealongside;andatleastfivenavalsurgeonshadclamberedonboard。Theystoodinaknotgazingupanddowntheemptymaindeck，thenlookedaloft——wherenotamancouldbeseen，either。
Iwenttowardthem——asolitaryfigure，inablueandgraystripedsleepingsuitandapipe-clayedcorkhelmetonitshead。Theirdisgustwasextreme。
Theyhadexpectedsurgicalcases。Eachonehadbroughthiscarvingtoolswithhim。Buttheysoongotovertheirlittledisappointment。Inlessthanfiveminutesoneofthesteamlauncheswasrushingshorewardtoorderabigboatandsomehospitalpeoplefortheremovalofthecrew。Thebigsteampinnacewentofftohershiptobringoverafewbluejacketstofurlmysailsforme。
Oneofthesurgeonshadremainedonboard。Hecameoutoftheforecastlelookingimpenetrable，andnoticedmyinquiringgaze。
\"There’snobodydeadinthere，ifthat’swhatyouwanttoknow，\"hesaiddeliberately。Thenaddedinatoneofwonder：\"Thewholecrew！\"
\"Andverybad？\"
\"Andverybad，\"herepeated。Hiseyeswereroamingallovertheship。\"Heavens！What’sthat？\"
\"That，\"Isaid，glancingaft，\"isMr。Burns，mychiefofficer。\"
Mr。Burnswithhismoribundheadnoddingonthestalkofhisleanneckwasasightforanyonetoexclaimat。Thesurgeonasked：
\"Ishegoingtothehospital，too？\"
\"Oh，no，\"Isaidjocosely。\"Mr。Burnscan’tgoonshoretillthemainmastgoes。Iamveryproudofhim。He’smyonlyconvalescent。\"
\"Youlook——\"beganthedoctorstaringatme。
ButIinterruptedhimangrily：
\"Iamnotill。\"
\"No……Youlookqueer。\"
\"Well，yousee，Ihavebeenseventeendaysondeck。\"
\"Seventeen！……Butyoumusthaveslept。\"
\"IsupposeImusthave。Idon’tknow。ButI’mcertainthatIdidn’tsleepforthelastfortyhours。\"
\"Phew！……YouwillbegoingashorepresentlyIsuppose？\"
\"AssoonaseverIcan。There’snoendofbusinesswaitingformethere。\"
Thesurgeonreleasedmyhand，whichhehadtakenwhilewetalked，pulledouthispocket-book，wroteinitrapidly，toreoutthepageandofferedittome。
\"Istronglyadviseyoutogetthisprescriptionmadeupforyourselfashore。UnlessIammuchmistakenyouwillneeditthisevening。\"
\"Whatisit，then？\"Iaskedwithsuspicion。
\"Sleepingdraught，\"answeredthesurgeoncurtly;andmovingwithanairofinteresttowardMr。Burnsheengagedhiminconversation。
AsIwentbelowtodresstogoashore，Ransomefollowedme。Hebeggedmypardon;hewished，too，tobesentashoreandpaidoff。
Ilookedathiminsurprise。Hewaswaitingformyanswerwithanairofanxiety。
\"Youdon’tmeantoleavetheship！\"Icriedout。
\"Idoreally，sir。Iwanttogoandbequietsome-
where。Anywhere。Thehospitalwilldo。\"
\"But，Ransome，\"Isaid。\"Ihatetheideaofpartingwithyou。\"
\"Imustgo，\"hebrokein。\"Ihavearight！\"……Hegaspedandalookofalmostsavagede-
terminationpassedoverhisface。Foraninstanthewasanotherbeing。AndIsawundertheworthandthecomelinessofthemanthehumblerealityofthings。Lifewasaboontohim——thisprecarioushardlife，andhewasthoroughlyalarmedabouthimself。
\"OfcourseIshallpayyouoffifyouwishit，\"I
hastenedtosay。\"OnlyImustaskyoutoremainonboardtillthisafternoon。Ican’tleaveMr。
Burnsabsolutelybyhimselfintheshipforhours。\"
Hesoftenedatonceandassuredmewithasmileandinhisnaturalpleasantvoicethatheunder-
stoodthatverywell。
WhenIreturnedondeckeverythingwasreadyfortheremovalofthemen。Itwasthelastordealofthatepisodewhichhadbeenmaturingandtem-
peringmycharacter——thoughIdidnotknowit。
Itwasawful。Theypassedundermyeyesoneafteranother——eachofthemanembodiedreproachofthebitterestkind，tillIfeltasortofrevoltwakeupinme。PoorFrenchyhadgonesuddenlyunder。
Hewascarriedpastmeinsensible，hiscomicfacehorriblyflushedandasifswollen，breathingstertorously。HelookedmorelikeMr。Punchthanever;adisgracefullyintoxicatedMr。Punch。
TheaustereGambril，onthecontrary，hadim-
provedtemporarily。Heinsistedonwalkingonhisownfeettotherail——ofcoursewithassistanceoneachsideofhim。Buthegavewaytoasuddenpanicatthemomentofbeingswungoverthesideandbegantowailpitifully：
\"Don’tletthemdropme，sir。Don’tletthemdropme，sir！\"WhileIkeptonshoutingtohiminmostsoothingaccents：\"Allright，Gambril。
Theywon’t！Theywon’t！\"
Itwasnodoubtveryridiculous。Theblue-
jacketsonourdeckweregrinningquietly，whileevenRansomehimself（muchtotheforeinlendingahand）hadtoenlargehiswistfulsmileforafleet-
ingmoment。
Ileftfortheshoreinthesteampinnace，andonlookingbackbeheldMr。Burnsactuallystandingupbythetaffrail，stillinhisenormouswoollyover-
coat。Thebrightsunlightbroughtouthisweird-
nessamazingly。Helookedlikeafrightfulandelaboratescarecrowsetuponthepoopofadeath-
strickenship，setuptokeeptheseabirdsfromthecorpses。
Ourstoryhadgotaboutalreadyintownandeverybodyonshorewasmostkind。TheMarineOfficeletmeofftheportdues，andastherehap-
penedtobeashipwreckedcrewstayingintheHomeIhadnodifficultyinobtainingasmanymenasIwanted。ButwhenIinquiredifIcouldseeCaptainEllisforamomentIwastoldinaccentsofpityformyignorancethatourdeputy-NeptunehadretiredandgonehomeonapensionaboutthreeweeksafterIlefttheport。SoIsupposethatmyappointmentwasthelastact，outsidethedailyroutine，ofhisofficiallife。
ItisstrangehowoncomingashoreIwasstruckbythespringystep，thelivelyeyes，thestrongvitalityofeveryoneImet。Itimpressedmeenormously。AndamongstthoseImettherewasCaptainGiles，ofcourse。ItwouldhavebeenveryextraordinaryifIhadnotmethim。Aprolongedstrollinthebusinesspartofthetownwastheregularemploymentofallhismorningswhenhewasashore。
Icaughttheglitterofthegoldwatch-chainacrosshischesteversofaraway。Heradiatedbenevolence。
\"WhatisitIhear？\"hequeriedwitha\"kinduncle\"smile，aftershakinghands。\"Twenty-onedaysfromBangkok？\"
\"Isthisallyou’veheard？\"Isaid。\"Youmustcometotiffinwithme。Iwantyoutoknowex-
actlywhatyouhaveletmeinfor。\"
Hehesitatedforalmostaminute。
\"Well——Iwill，\"hesaidcondescendinglyatlast。
Weturnedintothehotel。Ifoundtomysur-
prisethatIcouldeatquitealot。Thenovertheclearedtable-clothIunfoldedtoCaptainGilesthehistoryofthesetwentydaysinallitsprofessionalandemotionalaspects，whilehesmokedpatientlythebigcigarIhadgivenhim。
Thenheobservedsagely：
\"Youmustfeeljollywelltiredbythistime。\"
\"No，\"Isaid。\"Nottired。ButI’lltellyou，CaptainGiles，howIfeel。Ifeelold。AndImustbe。Allofyouonshorelooktomejustalotofskittishyoungstersthathaveneverknownacareintheworld。\"
Hedidn’tsmile。Helookedinsufferablyex-
emplary。Hedeclared：
\"Thatwillpass。Butyoudolookolder——it’safact。\"
\"Aha！\"Isaid。
\"No！No！Thetruthisthatonemustnotmaketoomuchofanythinginlife，goodorbad。\"
\"Liveathalf-speed，\"Imurmuredperversely。
\"Noteverybodycandothat。\"
\"You’llbegladenoughpresentlyifyoucankeepgoingevenatthatrate，\"heretortedwithhisairofconsciousvirtue。\"Andthere’sanotherthing：amanshouldstanduptohisbadluck，tohismis-
takes，tohisconscienceandallthatsortofthing。
Why——whatelsewouldyouhavetofightagainst。\"
Ikeptsilent。Idon’tknowwhathesawinmyfacebutheaskedabruptly：
\"Why——youaren’tfaint-hearted？\"
\"Godonlyknows，CaptainGiles，\"wasmysin-
cereanswer。
\"That’sallright，\"hesaidcalmly。\"Youwilllearnsoonhownottobefaint-hearted。Amanhasgottolearneverything——andthat’swhatsomanyofthemyoungstersdon’tunderstand。\"
\"Well，Iamnolongerayoungster。\"
\"No，\"heconceded。\"Areyouleavingsoon？\"
\"Iamgoingonboarddirectly，\"Isaid。\"Ishallpickuponeofmyanchorsandheaveintohalf-
cableontheotherdirectlymynewcrewcomesonboardandIshallbeoffatdaylightto-morrow！\"
\"Youwill，\"gruntedCaptainGilesapprovingly。
\"that’stheway。You’lldo。\"
\"Whatdidyouthink？ThatIwouldwanttotakeaweekashoreforarest？\"Isaid，irritatedbyhistone。\"There’snorestformetillshe’soutintheIndianOceanandnotmuchofiteventhen。\"
Hepuffedathiscigarmoodily，asiftransformed。
\"Yes。That’swhatitamountsto，\"hesaidinamusingtone。ItwasasifaponderouscurtainhadrolledupdisclosinganunexpectedCaptainGiles。
Butitwasonlyforamoment，justthetimetolethimadd，\"Preciouslittlerestinlifeforanybody。
Betternotthinkofit。\"
Werose，leftthehotel，andpartedfromeachotherinthestreetwithawarmhandshake，justashebegantointerestmeforthefirsttimeinourintercourse。
ThefirstthingIsawwhenIgotbacktotheshipwasRansomeonthequarter-decksittingquietlyonhisneatlylashedsea-chest。
IbeckonedhimtofollowmeintothesaloonwhereIsatdowntowritealetterofrecommenda-
tionforhimtoamanIknewonshore。
WhenfinishedIpusheditacrossthetable。\"Itmaybeofsomegoodtoyouwhenyouleavethehospital。\"
Hetookit，putitinhispocket。Hiseyeswerelookingawayfromme——nowhere。Hisfacewasanxiouslyset。
\"Howareyoufeelingnow？\"Iasked。
\"Idon’tfeelbadnow，sir，\"heansweredstiffly。
\"ButIamafraidofitscomingon……\"Thewistfulsmilecamebackonhislipsforamo-
ment。\"I——Iaminabluefunkaboutmyheart，sir。\"
Iapproachedhimwithextendedhand。Hiseyesnotlookingatmehadastrainedexpres-
sion。Hewaslikeamanlisteningforawarningcall。
\"Won’tyoushakehands，Ransome？\"Isaidgently。
Heexclaimed，flushedupduskyred，gavemyhandahardwrench——andnextmoment，leftaloneinthecabin，Ilistenedtohimgoingupthecom-
panionstairscautiously，stepbystep，inmortalfearofstartingintosuddenangerourcommonenemyitwashishardfatetocarryconsciouslywithinhisfaithfulbreast。