Abig，foamingseacameoutofthemist;itmadefortheship，roaringwildly，andinitsrushitlookedasmischievousanddiscomposingasamadmanwithanaxe。Oneortwo，shouting，scrambleduptherigging;
most，withaconvulsivecatchofthebreath，heldonwheretheystood。
Singletondughiskneesunderthewheel—box，andcarefullyeasedthehelmtotheheadlongpitchoftheship，butwithouttakinghiseyesoffthecomingwave。Ittoweredclose—toandhigh，likeawallofgreenglasstoppedwithsnow。Theshiprosetoitasthoughshehadsoaredonwings，andforamomentrestedpoiseduponthefoamingcrest，asifshehadbeenagreatsea—bird。Beforewecoulddrawbreathaheavyguststruckher，anotherrollertookherunfairlyundertheweatherbow，shegaveatopplinglurch，andfilledherdecks。CaptainAllistounleapedup，andfell;Archierolledoverhim，screaming：——‘Shewillrise！’Shegaveanotherlurchtoleeward;thelowerdeadeyesdippedheavily;themen’sfeetflewfromunderthem，andtheyhungkickingabovetheslantingpoop。Theycouldseetheshipputtinghersideinthewater，andshoutedalltogether：——
‘She’sgoing！’Forwardtheforecastledoorsflewopen，andthewatchbelowwereseenleapingoutoneafteranother，throwingtheirarmsup;and，fallingonhandsandknees，scrambledaftonallfoursalongthehighsideofthedeck，slopingmorethantheroofofahouse。Fromleewardtheseasrose，pursuingthem;theylookedwretchedinahopelessstruggle，likeverminfleeingbeforeaflood;
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theyfoughtuptheweatherladderofthepooponeafteranother，halfnakedandstaringwildly;andassoonastheygotuptheyshottoleewardinclusters，withclosedeyes，tilltheybroughtupheavilywiththeirribsagainsttheironstanchionsoftherail;then，groaning，theyrolledinaconfusedmass。Theimmensevolumeofwaterthrownforwardbythelastscendoftheshiphadbursttheleedooroftheforecastle。Theycouldseetheirchests，pillows，blankets，clothing，comeoutfloatinguponthesea。Whiletheystruggledbacktowindwardtheylookedindismay。Thestrawbedsswamhigh，theblankets，spreadout，undulated;whilethechests，waterloggedandwithaheavylist，pitchedheavily，likedismastedhulks，beforetheysank;Archie’sbigcoatpassedwithoutspreadarms，resemblingadrownedseamanfloatingwithhisheadunderwater。Menwereslippingdownwhiletryingtodigtheirfingersintotheplanks;others，jammedincorners，rolledenormouseyes。Theyallyelledunceasingly;——‘Themasts！Cut！Cut！……’Ablacksquallhowledovertheship，thatlayonhersidewiththeweatheryard—armspointingtotheclouds;whilethetallmasts，inclinednearlytothehorizon，seemedtobeofanunmeasurablelength。Thecarpenterletgohishold，rolledagainsttheskylight，andbegantocrawltothecabinentrance，whereabigaxewaskeptreadyforjustsuchanemergency。Atthatmomentthetopsailsheetparted，theendoftheheavychainracketedaloft，andsparksofredfirestreameddownthroughtheflyingsprays。Thesailflappedoncewithajerkthatseemedtotearourheartsoutthroughourteeth，andinstantlychangedintoabunchofflutteringnarrowribbonsthattiedthemselvesintoknotsandbecamequietalongtheyard。CaptainAllistounstruggled，managedtostandupwithhisfacenearthedeck，uponwhichmenswungontheendsofropes，likenestrobbersuponacliff。Oneofhisfeetwasonsomebody’schest;
hisfacewaspurple;hislipsmoved。Heyelledalso;heyelled，bendingdown：——‘No！No！’Mr。Baker，onelegoverthebinnacle—stand，roaredout：——‘Didyousayno？Notcut？’Heshookhisheadmadly。‘No！No！’Betweenhislegsthecrawlingcarpenterheard，collapsedatonce，andlayfulllengthintheangleoftheskylight。Voicestookuptheshout——‘No！No！’
Thenallbecamestill。Theywaitedfortheshiptoturnoveraltogether，andshakethemoutintothesea;andupontheterrificnoiseofwindandseanotaPage44
murmurofremonstrancecameoutfromthosemen，whoeachwouldhavegiveneversomanyyearsoflifetosee‘themdamnedsticksgooverboard！’Theyallbelievedittheironlychance，butalittlehard—facedmanshookhisgreyheadandshouted‘No！’
withoutgivingthemasmuchasaglance。Theyweresilent，andgasped。
Theygrippedrails，theyhadwoundropes’—endsundertheirarms;theyclutchedring—bolts，theycrawledinheapswheretherewasfoothold;theyheldonwithbotharms，hookedthemselvestoanythingtowindwardwithelbows，withchins，almostwiththeirteeth：andsome，unabletocrawlawayfromwheretheyhadbeenflung，feltthesealeapupstrikingagainsttheirbacksastheystruggledupwards。Singletonhadstucktothewheel。Hishairflewoutinthewind;thegaleseemedtotakeitslife—longadversarybythebeardandshakehisoldhead。Hewouldn’tletgo，and，withhiskneesforcedbetweenthespokes，flewupanddownlikeamanonabough。
AsDeathappearedunready，theybegantolookabout。Donkin，caughtbyonefootinaloopofsomerope，hung，headdown，belowusandyelled，withhisfacetothedeck：——‘Cut！Don’tmindthatmurderin’
fool！Cut，someofyou！’Oneofhisrescuersstruckhimaback—handedblowoverthemouth;hisheadbangedonthedeckandhebecamesuddenlyveryquiet，withawhiteface，breathinghard，andwithafewdropsofbloodtricklingfromhiscutlip。Ontheleesideanothermancouldbeseenstretchedoutasifstunned;onlythewashboardpreventedhimfromgoingovertheside。Itwasthesteward。Wehadtoslinghimuplikeabale，forhewasparalysedwithfright。hehadrushedupoutofthepantrywhenhefelttheshipgoover，andhadrolleddownhelplessly，clutchingachinamug。Itwasnotbroken。Withdifficultywetoreitfromhim，andwhenhesawitinourhandshewasamazed。‘Wheredidyougetthatthing？’hekeptonasking，inatremblingvoice。Hisshirtwasblowntoshreds;therippedsleevesflappedlikewings。Twomenmadehimfast，and，doubledovertheropethatheldhim，heresembledabundleofwetrags。Mr。Bakercrawledalongthelineofmen，asking：——‘Areyouallthere？’andlookingPage45
themover。Someblinkedvacantly，othersshookconvulsively;Wamibo’sheadhungoverhisbreast;andinpainfulattitudes，cutbylashings，exhaustedwithclutching，screwedupincorners，theybreathedheavily。Theirlipstwitched，andateverysickeningheaveoftheoverturnedshiptheyopenedthemwideasiftoshout。Thecook，embracingawoodenstanchion，unconsciouslyrepeatedaprayer。Ineveryshortintervalofthefiendishnoisesaroundhecouldbeheardtherewithoutcaporslippers，imploringinthatstormtheMasterofourlivesnottoleadhimintotemptation。Soonhealsobecamesilent。Inallthatcrowdofcoldandhungrymen，waitingwearilyforaviolentdeath，notavoicewasheard;theyweremute，andinsombrethoughtfulnesslistenedtothehorribleimprecationsofthegale。
Hourspassed。Theywereshelteredbytheheavyinclinationoftheshipfromthewindthatrushedinonelongunbrokenmoanabovetheirheads，butcoldrainshowersfellattimesintotheuneasycalmoftheirrefuge。Underthetormentofthatnewinflictionapairofshoulderswouldwrithealittle。Teethchattered。Theskywasclearing，andbrightsunshinegleamedovertheship。Aftereveryburstofbatteringseas，vividandfleetingrainbowsarchedoverthedriftinghullintheflickofsprays。thegalewasendinginaclearblow，whichgleamedandcutlikeaknife。BetweentwobeardedshellbacksCharley，fastenedwithsomebody’slongmufflertoadeckring—bolt，weptquietly，withraretearswrungoutbybewilderment，cold，hunger，andgeneralmisery。Oneofhisneighbourspunchedhimintheribs，askingroughly：——‘What’sthematterwithyourcheek？
Infineweatherthere’snoholdingyou，youngster。’Turningaboutwithprudenceheworkedhimselfoutofhiscoatandthrewitovertheboy。
Theothermanclosedup，muttering：——‘Twillmakeabloomin’
manofyou，sonny。’Theyflungtheirarmsoverandpressedagainsthim。Charleydrewhisfeetupandhiseyelidsdropped。Sighswereheard，asmen，perceivingthattheywerenottobe‘drownedinahurry，’
triedeasierpositions。Mr。Creighton，whohadhurthisleg，layamongstuswithcompressedlips。Somefellowsbelongingtohiswatchsetaboutsecuringhimbetter。Withoutawordoraglanceheliftedhisarmsoneaftertheothertofacilitatetheoperation，andnotamusclemovedinhisstern，youngface。Theyaskedhimwithsolicitude：——
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‘Easiernow，sir？’Heansweredwithacurt：——‘That’lldo。’Hewasahardyoungofficer，butmanyofhiswatchusedtosaytheylikedhimwellenoughbecausehehad‘suchagentlemanlywayofdamningusupanddownthedeck。’Others，unabletodiscernsuchfineshadesofrefinement，respectedhimforhissmartness。ForthefirsttimesincetheshiphadgoneonherbeamendsCaptainAllistoungaveashortglancedownathismen。Hewasalmostupright——onefootagainstthesideoftheskylight，onekneeonthedeck;andwiththeendofthevangroundhiswaistswungbackandforthwithhisgazefixedaheadwatchful，likeamanlookingoutforasign。Beforehiseyestheship，withhalfherdeckbelowwater，roseandfellonheavyseasthatrushedfromunderherflashinginthecoldsunshine。Webegantothinkshewaswonderfullybuoyant——considering。confidentvoiceswereheardshouting：——‘She’lldo，boys！’Belfastexclaimedwithfervour：——‘Iwouldgiveamonth’spayforadrawatapipe！’Oneortwo，passingdrytonguesontheirsaltlips，mutteredsomethingabouta‘drinkofwaterl。’Thecook，asifinspired，scrambledupwithhisbreastagainstthepoopwater—caskandlookedin。Therewasalittleatthebottom。
Heyelled，wavedhisarms，andtwomenbegantocrawlbackwardsandforwardswiththemug。Wehadagoodmouthfulallround。Themastershookhisheadimpatiently，refusing。WhenitcametoCharleyoneofhisneighboursshouted：
——‘Thatbloomin’boy’sasleep。’Hesleptasthoughhehadbeendosedwithnarcotics。Theylethimbe。Singletonheldtothewheelwithonehandwhilehedrank，bendingdowntoshelterhislipsfromthewind。Wamibohadtobepokedandyelledatbeforehesawthemugheldbeforehiseyes。Knowlessaidsagaciously：——‘It’sbetter’natoto’rum。’Mr。Bakergrunted：——‘Thankye。’
Mr。Creightondrankandnodded。Donkingulpedgreedily，glaringovertherim。Belfastmadeuslaughwhenwithgrimacingmouthheshouted：——‘Passitthisway。We’realltaytottlershere。’Themaster，presentedwiththemugagainbyacrouchingman，whoscreamedupathim：——‘Weallhadadrink，captain，’gropedforitwithoutceasingtolookahead，andhandeditbackstifflyasthoughhecouldnotsparehalfaglanceawayfromtheship。Facesbrightened。Weshoutedtothecook：——‘Welldone，doctor！’Hesattoleeward，proppedbythewater—caskandyelledbackabundantly，buttheseaswerebreakinginthunderPage47
justthen，andweonlycaughtsnatchesthatsoundedlike：‘Providence’
and‘bornagain。’Hewasathisoldgameofpreaching。
Wemadefriendlybutderisivegesturesathim，andfrombelowheliftedonearm，holdingonwiththeother，movedhislips，hebeameduptous，straininghisvoice——earnest，andduckinghisheadbeforethesprays。
Suddenlysomeonecried：——‘Where’sJimmy？’
andwewereappalledoncemore。Ontheendoftherowtheboatswainshoutedhoarsely：——‘Hasanyoneseedhimcomeout？’Voicesexclaimeddismally：——‘Drowned——ishe？……No！Inhiscabin！……GoodLord！……Caughtlikeabloomin’ratinatrap……Couldn’topenhisdoor……Aye！Shewentovertooquickandthewaterjammedit……Poorbeggar！……Nohelpfor’im……Let’sgoandsee……’‘Damnhim，whocouldgo？’screamedDonkin。——‘Nobodyexpectsyouto，’growledthemannexttohim;‘you’reonlyathing。’
——‘Istherehalfachancetogetat’im？’inquiredtwoorthreementogether。Belfastuntiedhimselfwithblindimpetuosity，andallatonceshotdowntoleewardquickerthanaflashoflightning。
Weshoutedalltogetherwithdismay;butwithhislegsoverboardheheldandyelledforarope。Inourextremitynothingcouldbeterrible;sowejudgedhimfunnykickingthere，andwithhisscaredface。someonebegantolaugh，and，asifhystericallyinfectedwithscreamingmerriment，allthosehaggardmenwentofflaughing，wild—eyed，likealotofmaniacstieduponawall。Mr。Bakerswungoffthebinnacle—standandtenderedhimoneleg。Hescrambledupratherscared，andconsigninguswithabominablewordstothe‘divvle。’‘Youare……Ough！You’reafoul—mouthedbeggar，Craik，’gruntedMr。Baker。Heanswered，stutteringwithindignation：——‘Lookat’em，sorr。Thebloomin’
dirtyimages！laughingatachumgoneoverboard。Callthemselvesmen，too。’
Butfromthepooptheboatswaincalledout：——‘Comealong。’
andBelfastcrawledawayinahurrytojoinhim。thefivemen，poisedandgazingovertheedgeofthepoop，lookedforthebestwaytogetforward。
Theyseemedtohesitate。Theothers，twistingintheirlashings，turningpainfully，staredwithopenlips。CaptainAllistounsawnothing;heseemedwithhiseyestoholdtheshipupinasuperhumanconcentrationofeffort。
Thewindscreamedloudinthesunshine;columnsofsprayrosestraightup;andintheglitterofPage48
rainbowsburstingoverthetremblinghullthemenwentcautiously，disappearingfromsightwithdeliberatemovements。
Theywentswingingfrombelaying—pintocleatabovetheseasthatbeatthehalf—submergeddeck。Theirtoesscrapedthetheplanks。
Lumpsofcoldgreenwatertoppledoverthebulwarkandontheirheads。
Theyhungforamomentonstrainedarms，withthebreathknockedoutofthem，andwithclosedeyes——then，lettinggowithonehand，balancedwithlollingheads，tryingtograbsomeropeorstanchionfurtherforward。
Thelong—armedandathleticboatswainswungquickly，grippingthingswithafisthardasiron，andrememberingsuddenlysnatchesofthelastletterfromhis‘oldwoman。’LittleBelfastscrambledrageously，muttering‘cursednigger。’Wamibo’stonguehungoutwithexcitement;andArchie，intrepidandcalm，watchedhischancetomovewithintelligentcoolness。
Whenabovethesideofthehouse，theyletgooneafteranother，andfallingheavily，sprawled，pressingtheirpalmstothesmoothteakwood。Roundthemthebackwashofwavesseethedwhiteandhissing。
Allthedoorshadbecometrap—doors，ofcourse。Thefirstwasthegalleydoor。Thegalleyextendedfromsidetoside，andtheycouldheartheseasplashingwithhollownoisesinthere。Thenextdoorwasthatofthecarpenter’sshop。Theyliftedit，andlookeddown。Theroomseemedtohavebeendevastatedbyanearthquake。Everythinginithadtumbledonthebulkheadfacingthedoor，andontheothersideofthatbulkheadtherewasJimmy，deadoralive。
Thebench，ahalf—finishedmeat—safe，saws，chisels，wirerods，axes，crowbars，layinaheapbesprinkledwithloosenails。Asharpadzestuckupwithashiningedgethatgleameddangerouslydowntherelikeawickedsmile。
Themenclungtooneanotherpeering。Asickening，slylurchoftheshipnearlysentthemoverboardinabody。Belfasthowled‘Heregoes！’
andleapeddown。Archiefollowedcannily，catchingatshelvesthatgavewaywithhim，andeasedhimselfinagreatcrashofrippedwood。Therewashardlyroomforthreementomove。Andinthesunshinybluesquareofthedoor，theboatswain’sface，beardedanddark，Wamibo’sface，wildandpale，hungover——watching。
Togethertheyshouted：‘Jimmy！Jim！’
Fromabovetheboatswaincontributedadeepgrowl：‘You……Wait！’
Inapause，BelfastPage49
entreated：‘Jimmy，darlin’areyealoive？’Theboatswainsaid：‘Again！Alltogetherboys！’Allyelledexcitedly。
Wamibomadenoisesresemblingloudbarks。Belfastdrummedonthesideofthebulkheadwithapieceofiron。Allceasedsuddenly。Thesoundofscreamingandhammeringwentonthinanddistinct——likeasoloafterachorus。
Hewasalive。Hewasscreamingandknockingbelowuswiththehurryofamanprematurelyshutupinacoffin。Wewenttowork。Weattackedwithdesperationtheabominableheapofthingsheavy，ofthingssharp，ofthingsclumsytohandle。Theboatswaincrawledawaytofindsomewhereaflyingendofarope;andWamibo，heldbackbyshouts：——‘Don’tjump！……
Don’tcomeinhere，muddle—head！’——remainedglaringaboveus——allshiningeyes，gleamingfangs，tumbledhair;resemblinganamazedandhalf—wittedfiendgloatingovertheextraordinaryagitationofthedamned。Theboatswainadjuredusto‘bearahand，’
andaropedescended。Wemadethingsfasttoitandtheywentupspinning，nevertobeseenbymanagain。Aragetoflingthingsoverboardpossessedus。Weworkedfiercely，cuttingourhands，andspeakingbrutallytooneanother。Jimmykeptupadistractingrow;hescreamedpiercingly，withoutdrawingbreath，likeatorturedwoman;hebangedwithhandsandfeet。Theagonyofhisfearwrungourheartssoterriblythatwelongedtoabandonhim，togetoutofthatplacedeepasawellandswayinglikeatree，togetoutofhishearing，backonthepoopwherewecouldwaitpassivelyfordeathinincomparablerepose。Weshoutedtohimto‘shutup，forGod’ssake。’Heredoubledhiscries。Hemusthavefanciedwecouldnothearhim。Probablyheheardhisownclamourbutfaintly。Wecouldpicturehimcrouchingontheedgeoftheupperberth，lettingoutwithbothfistsatthewood，inthedark，andwithhismouthwideopenforthatunceasingcry。Thosewereloathsomemoments。Aclouddrivingacrossthesunwoulddarkenthedoorwaymenacingly。Everymovementoftheshipwaspain。Wescrambledaboutwithnoroomtobreathe，andfeltfrightfullysick。Theboatswainyelleddownatus：——‘Bearahand！Bearahand！Wetwowillbewashedawayfromheredirectlyifyouain’tquick！’
Threetimesasealeapedoverthehighsideandflungbucketfulsofwateronourheads。ThenJimmy，startledbytheshock，wouldstophisnoiseforamoment——waitingfortheshiptosink，Page50
perhaps——andbeganagain，distressinglyloud，asifinvigoratedbythegustoffear。Atthebottomthenailslayinalayerseveralinchesthick。Itwasghastly。Everynailintheworld，notdriveninfirmlysomewhere，seemedtohavefounditswayintothatcarpenter’sshop。Theretheywere，ofallkinds，theremnantsofstoresfromsevenvoyages。Tin—tacks，coppertacks（sharpasneedles），pumpnails，withbigheads，liketinyironmushrooms;
nailswithoutanyheads（horrible）;Frenchnailspolishedandslim。Theylayinasolidmassmoreinabordablethanahedgehog。Wehesitatedyearningforashovel，whileJimmybelowusyelledasthoughhehadbeenflayed。
Groaning，wedugourfingersin，andverymuchhurt，shookourhands，scatteringnailsanddropsofblood。Wepassedupourhatsfullofassortednailstotheboatswain，who，asifperformingamysteriousandappeasingrite，castthemwideuponaragingsea。
Wegottothebulkheadatlast。Thosewerestoutplanks。
Shewasaship，wellfinishedineverydetail——theNarcissuswas。
Theywerethestoutestplankseverputintoaship’sbulkhead——wethought——andthenweperceivedthat，inourhurry，wehadsentallthetoolsoverboard。AbsurdlittleBelfastwantedtobreakitdownwithhisownweight，andwithbothfeetleapedstraightuplikeaspringbok，cursingtheClydeshipwrightsfornotscampingtheirwork。IncidentallyhereviledallNorthBritain，therestoftheearth，thesea——andallhiscompanions。Heswore，ashealightedheavilyonhisheels，thathewouldnever，neveranymoreassociatewithanyfoolthat‘hadn’tsaveeenoughtoknowhiskneefromhimelbow。’HemanagedbyhisthumpingtoscarethelastremnantofwitsoutofJimmy。Wecouldheartheobjectofourexasperatedsolicitudedartingtoandfroundertheplanks，nowhere，nowthere，inapuzzlingmanner。Hesqueakedashedodgedtheinvisibleblows。Itwasmoreheartrendingeventhanhisyells。SuddenlyArchieproducedacrowbar。
Hehadkeptitback;alsoasmallhatchet。Wehowledwithsatisfaction。
Hestruckamightyblowandsmallchipsflewatoureyes。Theboatswainaboveshouted：——‘Lookout！Lookoutthere。Don’tkilltheman。
Easydoesit！’Wamibo，maddenedwiththeexcitementhungheaddownandinsanelyurgedus：——‘Hoo！StrookPage51
’im！Hoo！Hoo！’Wewereafraidhewouldfallinandkilloneofusand，hurriedly，weentreatedtheboatswainto‘shovetheblamedFinnoverboard。’Then，alltogether，weyelleddownattheplanks：——‘Standfromunder！Getforward。’andlistened。Weonlyheardthedeephumandmoanofthewindaboveus，themingledroarandhissoftheseas。Theship，asifovercomewithdespair，wallowedlifelessly，andourheadsswamwiththatunnaturalmotion。Belfastclamoured：——‘FortheloveofGod，Jimmy，whereareye？……Knock！
Jimmydarlint！……Knock！Youbloodyblackbeast！Knock！’Hewasasquietasadeadmaninsideagrave;and，likemenstandingaboveagrave，wewereonthevergeoftears——butwithvexation，thestrain，thefatigue;
withthegreatlongingtobedonewithit，togetaway，andlaydowntorestsomewherewherewecouldseeourdangerandbreathe，Archieshouted：
——‘Gi’emeroom！’Wecrouchedbehindhim，guardingourheads，andhestrucktimeaftertimeinthejointoftheplanks。Theycracked。Suddenlythecrowbarwenthalfwayinthroughasplinteredoblonghole。ItmusthavemissedJimmy’sheadbylessthananinch。Archiewithdrewitquickly，andthatinfamousniggerrushedatthehole，puthislipstoit，andwhispered‘Help’inanalmostextinctvoice;
hepressedhisheadtoit，tryingmadlytogetoutthroughthatopeningoneinchwideandthreeincheslong。Inourdisturbedstatewewereabsolutelyparalysedbyhisincredibleaction。Itseemedimpossibletodrivehimaway。
EvenArchieatlastlosthiscomposure。‘Ifyedon’tclearootI’lldrivethecrowbarthro’yourhead。’heshoutedinadeterminedvoice。Hemeantwhathesaid，andhisearnestnessseemedtomakeanimpressiononJimmy。Hedisappearedsuddenly，andwesettoprisingandtearingattheplankswiththeeagernessofmentryingtogetatamortalenemy，andspurredbythedesiretotearhimlimbfromlimb。Thewoodsplit，cracked，gaveway。Belfastplungedinheadandshouldersandgropedviciously。‘I’vegot’im！Got’im，’heshouted。‘Oh！There！……He’sgone;;I’vegot’im！……Pullatmylegs！……Pull！’Wamibohootedunceasingly。Theboatswainshouteddirections：——‘Catchholdofhishair，Belfast;pullstraightup，youtwo！……Pullfair！’
Wepulledfair。WepulledBelfastoutwithajerk，anddroppedhimwithdisgust。Inasittingposture，purple—faced，hesobbeddespairingly：——
‘HowcanIholdonto’isbloomingshortwool？’
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SuddenlyJimmy’sheadandshouldersappeared。Hestuckhalf—way，andwithrollingeyesfoamedatourfeet。Weflewathimwithbrutalimpatience，wetoretheshirtoffhisback，wetuggedathisears，wepantedoverhim;
andallatoncehecameawayinourhandsasthoughsomebodyhadletgohislegs。Withthesamemovement，withoutapause，weswunghimup。Hisbreathwhistled，hekickedourupturnedfaces，hegraspedtwopairsofarmsabovehishead，andhesquirmedupwithsuchprecipitationthatheseemedpositivelytoescapefromourhandslikeabladderfullofgas。
Streamingwithperspiration，weswarmeduptherope，and，comingintotheblastofcoldwind，gaspedlikemenplungedintoicywater。Withburningfacesweshiveredtotheverymarrowofourbones。Neverbeforehadthegaleseemedtousmorefurious，theseamoremad，thesunshinemoremercilessandmocking，andthepositionoftheshipmorehopelessandappalling。
Everymovementofherwasominousoftheendofheragonyandofthebeginningofours。Westaggeredawayfromthedoor，and，alarmedbyasuddenroll，felldowninabunch。itappearedtousthatthesideofthehousewasmoresmooththanglassandmoreslipperythanice。Therewasnothingtohangontobutalongbrasshookusedsometimestokeepbackanopendoor。
WamiboheldontoitandweheldontoWamibo，clutchingourJimmy。Hehadcompletelycollapsednow。Hedidnotseemtohavethestrengthtoclosehishand。Westucktohimblindlyinourfear。WewerenotafraidofWamibolettinggo（werememberedthatthebrutewasstrongerthananythreemenintheship），butwewereafraidofthehookgivingway，andwealsobelievedthattheshiphadmadeuphermindtoturnoveratlast。Butshedidn’t。
Aseasweptoverus。Theboatswainspluttered：——‘Upandaway。
There’salull。Awayaftwithyou，orwewillallgotothedevilhere。’
WestoodupsurroundingJimmy。Webeggedhimtoholdup，toholdon，atleast。Heglaredwithhisbulgingeyes，muteasafish，andwithallthestiffnessknockedoutofhim。Hewouldn’tstand;hewouldn’tevenasmuchasclutchatournecks;hewasonlyacoldblackskinlooselystuffedwithsoftcottonwool;hisarmsandlegsswungjointlessandpliable;hisheadrolledabout;thelowerliphungdown，enormousandheavy。Wepressedroundhim，botheredPage53
anddismayed;shelteringhimweswunghereandthereinabody;andontheverybrinkofeternitywetotteredalltogetherwithconcealingandabsurdgestures，likealotofdrunkenmenembarrassedwithastolencorpse。
Somethinghadtobedone。Wehadtogethimaft。Aropewastiedslackunderhisarmpits，and，reachingupattheriskofourlives，wehunghimontheforesheetcleet。Heemittednosound;helookedasridiculouslylamentableasadollthathadlosthalfitssawdust，andwestartedonourperilousjourneyoverthemaindeck，draggingalongwithcarethatpitiful，thatlimp，thathatefulburden。Hewasnotveryheavy，buthadheweighedatonhecouldnothavebeenmoreawkwardtohandle。Weliterallypassedhimfromhandtohand。Nowandthenwehadtohanghimuponahandybelaying—pin，todrawabreathandreformtheline。HadthepinbrokenhewouldhaveirretrievablygoneintotheSouthernOcean，buthehadtotakehischanceofthat;andafteralittlewhile，becomingapparentlyawareofit，hegroanedslightly，andwithagreateffortwhisperedafewwords。Welistenedeagerly。Hewasreproachinguswithourcarelessnessinlettinghimrunsuchrisks：‘Now，afterIgotmyselffromthere，’hebreathedoutweakly。‘There’washiscabin。Andhegothimselfout。Wehadnothingtodowithitapparently！……Nomatter……Wewentonandlethimtakehischances，simplybecausewecouldnothelpit;forthoughatthattimewehatedhimmorethanever——morethananythingunderheaven——wedidnotwanttolosehim。Wehadsofarsavedhim;andithadbecomeapersonalmatterbetweenusandthesea。
Wemeanttosticktohim。Hadwe（byanincrediblehypothesis）undergonesimilartoilandtroubleforanemptycask，thatcaskwouldhavebecomeasprecioustousasJimmywas。Moreprecious，infact，becausewewouldhavehadnoreasontohatethecask。AndwehatedJamesWait。Wecouldnotgetridofthemonstroussuspicionthatthisastoundingblack—manwasshammingsick，hadbeenmalingeringheartlesslyinthefaceofourtoil，ofourscorn，ofourpatience——andnowwasmalingeringinthefaceofourdevotion——inthefaceofdeath。Ourvagueandimperfectmoralityrosewithdisgustathisunmanlylie。Buthestucktoitmanfully——amazingly。
No！Itcouldn’tbe。Hewasatallextremity。HiscantankeroustemperwasonlytheresultofthePage54
provokinginvinciblenessofthatdeathhefeltbyhisside。Anymanmaybeangrywithsuchamasterfulchum。’But，then，whatkindofmenwerewe——withourthoughts！Indignationanddoubtgrappledwithinusinascufflethattrampleduponthefinestofourfeelings。Andwehatedhimbecauseofthesuspicion;wedetestedhimbecauseofthedoubt。Wecouldnotscornhimsafely——neithercouldwepityhimwithoutrisktoourdignity。
Sowehatedhim，andpassedhimcarefullyfromhandtohand。Wecried，‘Gothim？——‘Yes，allright。Letgo。’andheswungfromoneenemytoanother，showingaboutasmuchlifeasanoldbolsterwoulddo。Hiseyesmadetwonarrowwhiteslitsintheblackface。
Hebreathedslowly，andtheairescapedthroughhislipswithanoiselikethesoundofbellows。Wereachedthepoopladderatlast，anditbeingacomparativelysafeplace，welayforamomentinanexhaustedheaptorestalittle。Hebegantomutter。Wewerealwaysincurablyanxioustohearwhathehadtosay。Thistimehemumbledpeevishly。‘Ittookyousometimetocome。Ibegantothinkthewholesmartlotofyouhadbeenwashedoverboard。Whatkeptyouback？Hey？Funk？’Wesaidnothing。Withsighswestartedagaintodraghimup。Thesecretandardentdesireofourheartswastobeathimviciouslywithourfistsabouttheheadandwehandledhimastenderlyasthoughhehadbeenmadeofglass。
Thereturnonthepoopwaslikethereturnofwanderersaftermanyyearsamongstpeoplemarkedbythedesolationoftime。Eyeswereturnedslowlyintheirsocketsglancingatus。Faintmurmurswereheard。‘Haveyougot’imafterall？’Thewell—knownfaceslookedstrangeandfamiliar;theyseemedfadedandgrimy;theyhadamingledexpressionoffatigueandeagerness。Theyseemedtohavebecomemuchthinnerduringourabsence，asifallthesemenhadbeenstarvingforalongtimeintheirabandonedattitudes。Thecaptain，witharoundturnofaropeonhiswrist，andkneelingononeknee，swungwithafacecoldandstiffbutwithlivingeyeshewasstillholdingtheshipupheedingnoone，asiflostintheunearthlyeffortofthatendeavour。WefastenedupJamesWaitinasafeplace。Mr。Bakerscrambledalongtolendahand。
Mr。Creighton，onhisback，andverypale，muttered，‘Welldone，’
andgaveus，Jimmyandthesky，ascornfulglance，thenclosedhiseyesslowly。Hereandthereamanstirredalittle，butmostremainedPage55
apathetic，incrampedpositions，mutteringbetweenshivers。Thesunwassetting。Asunenormous，uncloudedandred，declininglowasifbendingdowntolookintheirfaces。Thewindwhistledacrosslongsunbeamsthat，resplendentandcold，struckfullonthedilatedpupilsofstaringeyeswithoutmakingthemwink。Thewispsofhairandthetangledbeardsweregreywiththesaltofthesea。Thefaceswereearthy，andthedarkpatchesundertheeyesextendedtotheears，smudgedintothehollowsofsunkencheeks。Thelipswerelividandthin，andwhentheymoveditwasdifficulty，asthoughtheyhadbeengluedtotheteeth。Somegrinnedsadlyinthesunlight，shakingwithcold。Othersweresadandstill。Charley，subduedbythesuddendisclosureoftheinsignificanceofhisyouth，dartedfearfulglances。
Thetwosmooth—facedNorwegiansresembleddecrepidchildren，staringstupidly。
Toleeward，ontheedgeofthehorizon，blackseasleapeduptowardstheglowingsun。Itsankslowly，roundandblazing，andthecrestsofwavessplashedontheedgeoftheluminouscircle。OneoftheNorwegiansappearedtocatchsightofit，and，aftergivingaviolentstart，begantospeak。
Hisvoice，startlingtheothers，madethemstir。Theymovedtheirheadsstiffly，orturningwithdifficulty，lookedathimwithsurprise，withfear，oringravesilence。Hechatteredatthesettingsun，noddinghishead，whilethebigseasbegantorollacrossthecrimsondisc;andovermilesofturbulentwaterstheshadowsofhighwavessweptwitharunningdarknessthefacesofmen。Acrestedrollerbrokewithaloudhissingroar，andthesun，asifputoutdisappeared。Thechatteringvoicefaltered，wentouttogetherwiththelight。Thereweresighs。Inthesuddenlullthatfollowsthecrashofabrokenseaamansaidwearily，‘Here’sthatbloomin’Dutchmangoneoffhischump。’Aseaman，lashedbythemiddle，tappedthedeckwithhisopenhandwithunceasingquickflaps。Inthegatheringgreynessoftwilightabulkyformwasseenrisingaft，andbeganmarchingonallfourswiththemovementsofsomebigcautiousbeast。ItwasMr。Bakerpassingalongthelineofmen。Hegruntedencouraginglyovereveryone，felttheirfastenings。Some，withhalf—openeyes，puffedlikemenoppressedbyheat;others，mechanicallyandindreamyvoicesansweredhim，‘Aye！aye！sir！’Hewentfromonetoanothergrunting，‘Ough！……Seeherthroughityet;’andunexpectedly，Page56
withloudangryoutbursts，blewupKnowlesforcuttingoffalongpiecefromthefalloftherelievingtackle。‘Ough！——Ashamedofyourself——Relievingtackle——Don’tyouknowbetter！——Ough！——Ableseaman！
Ough！’Thelamemanwascrushed。Hemuttered，‘Getsom’thinkforalashingformyself，sir。’——‘Ough！Lashing——yourself。Areyouatinkerorasailor——What？Ough！——Maywantthattackledirectly——Ough！Moreusetotheshipthanyourlamecarcass。Ough！
——Keepit！Keepit，nowyou’vedoneit。’Hecrawledawayslowly，mutteringtohimselfaboutsomemenbeing‘worsethanchildren。’
Ithadbeenacomfortingrow。Lowexclamationswereheard：‘Hallo……Hallo……’
Thosewhohadbeenpainfullydozingaskedwithconvulsivestarts，‘What’sup？……Whatisit？’Theanswerscamewithunexpectedcheerfulness：‘Themateisgoingbald—headedforlameJackaboutsomethingorother。’
‘No！……’‘What’ashedone？’Someevenchuckled。Itwaslikeawhiffofhope，likeareminderofsafedays。
Donkin，whohadbeenstupefiedwithfear，revivedsuddenlyandbegantoshout：——‘’Ear’im;that’sthewaytheytawlktohus。Vydonch’ee’it’im——oneovyer？’It’im。’It’im！Comin’thematehoverhus。
Weareasgoodmenas’ee！We’rehallgoin’to’ellnow。We’avebeenstarvedinthisrottenship，an’nowwe’regoin’tobedrownedforthemblack—’eartedbullies！’it’im！’Heshriekedinthedeepeninggloom，heblubberedandsobbed，screaming：——‘’It’im！’It’im！’Therageandfearofhisdisregardedrighttolivetriedthesteadfastnessofheartsmorethanthemenacingshadowsofthenightthatadvancedthroughtheunceasingclamorofthegale。FromaftMr。Bakerwasheard：——‘Isoneofyoumengoingtostophim——mustIcomealong？cq。‘Shutup！……’
‘Keepquiet！’criedvariousvoices，exasperated，tremblingwithcold。——‘You’llgetoneacrossthemugfrommedirectly。’
saidaninvisibleseaman，inawearytone，‘Iwon’tletthematehavethetrouble。’Heceasedandlaystillwiththesilenceofdespair。Ontheblackskythestars，comingout，gleamedoveraninkyseathat，speckledwithfoam，flashedbackatthemtheevanescentandpalelightofadazzlingwhitenessbornfromtheblackturmoilofthewaves。
Remoteintheeternalcalmtheyglitteredhardandcoldabovetheuproaroftheearth;theysurroundedthevanquishedandtormentedshiponallsides：morepitilessthantheeyesofatriumphantmobandasunapproachableastheheartsofmen。
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Theicysouthwindhowledexultinglyunderthesombresplendourofthesky。Thecoldshookthemenwitharestlessviolenceasthoughithadtriedtoshakethemtopieces。Shortmoansweresweptunheardoffthestifflips。Somecomplainedinmuttersof‘notfeelingthemselvesbelowthewaist’;whilethosewhohadclosedtheireyes，imaginedtheyhadablockoficeontheirchests。Others，alarmedatnotfeelinganypainintheirfingers，beatthedeckfeeblywiththeirhands——obstinateandexhausted。Wamibostaredvacantanddreamy。TheScandinavianskeptonameaninglessmutterthroughchatteringteeth。ThespareScotchmen，withdeterminedefforts，kepttheirlowerjawsstill。TheWest—countrymenlaybigandstolidinaninvulnerablesurliness。Amanyawnedandsworeinturns。Anotherbreathedwitharattleinhisthroat。Twoelderlyhard—weathershellbacks，fastsidebyside，whispereddismallytooneanotheraboutthelandladyofaboarding—houseinSunderland，whomtheybothknew。Theyextolledhermotherlinessandherliberality;theytriedtotalkaboutthejointofbeefandthebigfireinthedownstairskitchen。Thewordsdyingfaintlyontheirlips，endedinlightsighs。Asuddenvoicecriedintothecoldnight，‘OhLord！’Noonechangedhispositionortookanynoticeofthecry。Oneortwopassed，witharepeatedandvaguegesture，theirhandovertheirfaces，butmostofthemkeptverystill。Inthebenumbedimmobilityoftheirbodiestheywereexcessivelyweariedbytheirthoughts，thatrushedwiththerapidityandvividnessofdreams。Nowandthen，byanabruptandstartlingexclamation，theyansweredtheweirdhailofsomeillusion;then，again，insilencecontemplatedthevisionofknownfacesandfamiliarthings。Theyrecalledtheaspectofforgottenshipmatesandheardthevoiceofdeadandgoneskippers。Theyrememberedthenoiseofgaslitstreets，thesteamyheatoftap—rooms，orthescorchingsunshineofcalmdaysatsea。
Mr。Bakerlefthisinsecureplace，andcrawled，withstoppages，alongthepoop。Inthedarkandonallfoursheresembledsomecarnivorousanimalprowlingamongstcorpses。Atthebreak，proppedtowindwardofastanchion，helookeddownonthemaindeck。Itseemedtohimthattheshiphadatendencytostandupalittlemore。Thewindhadeasedalittle，hethought，butthesearanashighasever。Thewavesfoamedviciously，andtheleesideofthePage58
deckdisappearedunderahissingwhitenessasofboilingmilk，whiletheriggingsangsteadilywithadeepvibratingnote，and，ateveryupwardswingoftheship，thewindrushedwithalong—drawnclamouramongstthespars。Mr。Bakerwatchedverystill。Amannearhimbegantomakeablabbingnoisewithhislips，allatonceandveryloud，asthoughthecoldhadbrokenbrutallythroughhim。Hewenton：‘Ba——ba——ba——brrr——brr——ba——ba——’‘Stopthat！’criedMr。Baker，gropinginthedark。‘Stopit！’Hewentonshakingtheleghefoundunderhishand。——‘Whatisit，sir？’
calledoutBelfast，inthetoneofamanawakenedsuddenly：‘wearelookingafterthat’ereJimmy。’——‘Areyou？Ough！
Don’tmakethatrowthen。Who’sthatnearyou？’——‘It’sme——theboatswain，sir，’growledtheWest—countryman;‘wearetryingtokeeplifeinthatpoordevil。’——‘Aye，aye！’saidMr。Baker，‘Doitquietly，can’tyou。’
——‘Hewantsustoholdhimupabovetherail，’wentontheboatswain，withirritation，‘sayshecan’tbreathehereunderourjackets。’——‘Ifwelift’im，wedrop’imoverboard，’saidanothervoice，‘wecan’tfeelourhandswithcold。’——‘Idon’tcare。Iamchoking！’
exclaimedJamesWaitinacleartone。——‘Oh，no，myson，’
saidtheboatswain，desperately，‘youdon’tgotillweallgoonthisfinenight。’——‘Youwillseeyetemanyaworse，’
saidMr。Baker，cheerfully。——‘It’snochild’splay，sir！’
answeredtheboatswain。‘Someofusfurtheraft，here，areinaprettybadway。’——‘Iftheblamedstickshadbeencutoutofhershewouldberunningalongonherbottomnowlikeanydecentship，an’giv’usallachance，’saidsomeone，withasigh。
——‘Theoldmanwouldn’thaveit……muchhecaresforus，’
whisperedanother。——‘Careforyou！’exclaimedMr。
Baker，angrily。‘Whyshouldhecareforyou？Areyoualotofwomenpassengerstobetakencareof？Weareheretotakecareoftheship——andsomeofyouain’tuptothat。Ough！……Whathaveyoudonesoverysmarttobetakencareof？Ough！……Someofyoucan’tstandabitofabreezewithoutcryingoverit。’——‘Come，sorr。Weain’tsobad，’protestedBelfast，inavoiceshakenbyshivers;
‘weain’t……brrr……’——‘Again，’
shoutedthemate，grabbingattheshadowyform;‘again！……Why，you’reinyourshirt！Whathaveyoudone？’——‘I’veputmyoilskinandjacketoverthathalf—deadnayggur——andhesayshechokes，’saidBelfast，complainingly。——‘Youwouldn’tcallmeniggerifIwasn’thalfdeadPage59
youIrishbeggar！’boomedJamesWait，vigorously。——‘You……brrr……Youwouldn’tbewhiteifyouwereeversowell……Iwillfightyou……brrr……
infineweather……brrr……withonehandtiedbehindmyback……brrr……’
——‘Idon’twantyourrags——Iwantair，’gaspedouttheotherfaintly，asifsuddenlyexhausted。
Thesprayssweptoverthewhistlingandpattering。Mendisturbedintheirpeacefultorporbythepainofquarrelsomeshouts，moaned，mutteringcurses。Mr。Bakercrawledoffalittlewaytoleewardwhereawater—caskloomedupbig，withsomethingwhiteagainstit。‘Isityou，Podmore？’askedMr。Baker。Hehadtorepeatthequestiontwicebeforethecookturned，coughingfeebly。——‘Yes，sir。
I’vebeenprayinginmymindforaquickdeliverance;forIampreparedforanycall……I——’——‘Lookhere，cook，’
interruptedMr。baker，‘themenareperishingwithcold。’
——‘Cold！’saidthecook，mournfully;‘theywillbewarmenoughbeforelong。’——‘What？’
askedMr。Baker，lookingalongthedeckintothefaintsheenoffrothingwater。——‘Theyareawickedlot，’continuedthecooksolemnly，butinanunsteadyvoice，‘aboutaswickedasanyship’scompanyinthissinfulworld！Now，I’——hetrembledsothathecouldhardlyspeak;hiswasanexposedplace，andinacottonshirt，athinpairoftrousers，andwithhiskneesunderhisnose，hereceived，quaking，theflicksofstinging，saltdrops;hisvoicesoundedexhausted——‘now，I——anytime……Myeldestyoungster，Mr。Baker……acleverboy……lastSundayonshorebeforethisvoyagehewouldn’tgotochurch，sir。SaysI，\"YougoandcleanyourselforI’llknowthereasonwhy！\"Whatdoeshedo？……Pond，Mr。Baker——fellintothepondinhisbestrig，sir！……Accident？……\"Nothingwillsaveyou，finescholarthoughyouare！\"saysI……Accident！……Iwhopped’im！’herepeated，rattlinghisteeth;then，afterawhile，letoutamournfulsoundthatwashalfagroan，halfasnore。Mr。Bakershookhimbytheshoulders。‘Hey！
Cook！Holdup，Podmore！Tellme——isthereanyfreshwaterinthegalleytank？Theshipislyingalongless，Ithink;Iwouldtrytogetforward。
Alittlewaterwoulddothemgood。Hallo！Lookout！Lookout！’
Thecookstruggled。——‘Notyou，sir——notyou！’Hebegantoscrambletowindward。‘Galley！……mybusiness！’
heshouted。——
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‘Cook’sgoingcrazynow，’saidseveralvoices。Heyelled：——‘Crazy，amI？Iammorereadytodiethananyofyou，officersincloosive——there！AslongassheswimsIwillcook！Iwillgetyoucoffee。’——‘Cook，yeareagentleman！’
criedBelfast。Butthecookwasalreadygoingovertheweatherladder。
Hestoppedforaminutetoshoutbackonthepoop：——‘’aslongassheswimsIwillcook！’anddisappearedasthoughhehadgoneoverboard。Themenwhohadheardsentafterhimacheerthatsoundedlikeawailofsickchildren。Anhourormoreafterwardssomeonesaiddistinctly：
‘He’sgoneforgood。’——‘Verylikely，’
assentedtheboatswain;‘eveninfineweatherhewasassmartaboutthedeckasamilch—cowonherfirstvoyage。Weoughttogoandsee。’
Nobodymoved。AsthehoursdraggedslowlythroughthedarknessMr。Bakercrawledbackandforthalongthepoopseveraltimes。Somemenfanciedtheyhadheardhimexchangemurmurswiththemaster，butatthattimethememorieswereincomparablymorevividthananythingactual，andtheywerenotcertainwhetherthemurmurswereheardnowormanyyearsago。Theydidnottrytofindout。Amuttermoreorlessdidnotmatter。Itwastoocoldforcuriosity，andalmostforhope。Theycouldnotspareamomentorathoughtfromthegreatmentaloccupationofwishingtolive。Andthedesireoflifekeptthemalive，apathetic，andenduring，underthecruelpersistenceofwindandcold;whilethebestarredblackdomeoftheskyrevolvedslowlyabovetheship，thatdrifted，bearingtheirpatienceandtheirsuffering，throughthestormysolitudeofthesea。
Huddledclosetooneanother，theyfanciedthemselvesutterlyalone。Theyheardsustainedloudnoisesandagainborethepainofexistencethroughlonghoursofprofoundsilence。Inthenighttheysawsunshine，feltwarmth，andsuddenly，withastart，thoughtthatthesunwouldneverriseuponafreezingworld。Someheardlaughter，listenedtosongs;others，neartheendofthepoop，couldhearloudhumanshrieks，and，openingtheireyes，weresurprisedtohearthemstill，thoughveryfaint，andfaraway。
Theboatswainsaid：——‘Why，it’sthecook，hailing’
fromforwardIthink。’Hehardlybelievedhisownwordsorrecognisedhisownvoice。Itwasalongtimebeforethemannexttohimgaveasignoflife。Hepunchedhardhisotherneighbourandsaid：——‘Thecook’sPage61
shouting！’Manydidnotunderstand，othersdidnotcare;themajorityfurtheraftdidnotbelieve。Buttheboatswainandanothermenhadtheplucktocrawlawayforwardtosee。Theyseemedtohavebeengoneforhours，andweresoonforgotten。Thensuddenlymenthathadbeenplungedinahopelessresignationbecameasifpossessedwithadesiretohurt。
Theybelabouredoneanotherwithfists。Inthedarknesstheystruckpersistentlyanythingsofttheycouldfeelnear，and，withagreatereffortthanforashout，whisperedexcitedly：——‘They’vegotsomehotcoffee……
Bosungotit……’‘No！……Where？’……‘It’scoming！Cookmadeit。’JamesWaitmoaned。Donkinscrambledviciously，caringnotwherehekicked，andanxiousthattheofficersshouldhavenoneofit。Itcameinapot，andtheydrankinturns。Itwashot，andwhileitblisteredthegreedypalates，itseemedincredible。Themensighedoutpartingwiththemug：——‘’How’ashedoneit？’Somecriedweakly——‘Bullyforyou，doctor！’