tain?\"
\"JustbecauseifIhadinformedhim,hewouldnothavetakenthecaseonboard。\"
Thewinddroppedforafewseconds;andforabriefin—
tervalIcouldnotcatchwhatpassed;butIcouldseethatFalstencontinuedtoremonstrate,whileRubyansweredbyshrugginghisshoulders。AtlengthIheardFalstensay。
\"Well,atanyrate,thecaptainmustbeinformedofthis,andthepackageshallbethrownoverboard。Idon’twanttobeblownup。\"
Istarted。Towhatcouldtheengineerbealluding?Evi—
dentlyhehadnottheremotestsuspicionthatthecargowasalreadyonfire。Inanothermomentthewords\"picrateofpotash\"broughtmetomyfeet,andwithaninvoluntaryimpulseIrusheduptoRuby,andseizedhimbytheshoulder。
\"Istherepicrateofpotashonboard?\"Ialmostshrieked。
\"Yes,\"saidFalsten,\"acasecontainingthirtypounds。\"
\"Whereisit?\"Icried。
\"Downinthehold,withthecargo。\"
CHAPTERXI
THEPASSENGERSDISCOVERTHEIRDANGER
WHATmyfeelingswereIcannotdescribe;butitwashardlyinterrorsomuchaswithakindofresignationthatImademywaytoCurtisontheforecastle,andmadehimawarethatthealarmingcharacterofoursituationwasnowcomplete,astherewasenoughexplosivematteronboardtoblowupamountain。Curtisreceivedtheinformationascoollyasitwasdelivered,andafterIhadmadehimac—
quaintedwithalltheparticularssaid,\"Notawordofthismustbementionedtoanyoneelse,Mr。Kazallon。WhereisRuby,now?\"
\"Onthepoop,\"Isaid。
\"Willyouthencomewithme,sir?\"
RubyandFalstenweresittingjustasIhadleftthem。
CurtiswalkedstraightuptoRuby,andaskedhimwhetherwhathehadbeentoldwastrue。
\"Yes,quitetrue,\"saidRuby,complacently,thinkingthattheworstthatcouldbefallhimwouldbethathemightbeconvictedofalittlesmuggling。
IobservedthatCurtiswasobligedforamomentortwotoclasphishandstightlytogetherbehindhisbacktopre—
venthimselffromseizingtheunfortunatepassengerbythethroat;butsuppressinghisindignation,heproceededquietly,thoughsternly,tointerrogatehimaboutthefactsofthecase。RubyonlyconfirmedwhatIhadalreadytoldhim。
WithcharacteristicAnglo—Saxonincautiousnesshehadbroughtonboard,withtherestofhisbaggage,acasecon—
tainingnolessthanthirtypoundsofpicrate,andhadallowedtheexplosivemattertobestowedintheholdwithaslittlecompunctionasaFrenchmanwouldfeelinsmugglingasinglebottleofwine。Hehadnotinformedthecaptainofthedangerousnatureofthecontentsofthepackage,becausehewasperfectlyawarethathewouldhavebeenrefusedper—
missiontobringthepackageonboard。
\"Anyway,\"hesaid,withashrugofhisshoulders,\"youcan’thangmeforit;andifthepackagegivesyousomuchconcern,youarequiteatlibertytothrowitintothesea。
Myluggageisinsured。\"
Iwasbesidemyselfwithfury;andnotbeingendowedwithCurtis’sreticenceandself—control,beforehecouldin—
terferetostopme,Icriedout:
\"Youfool!don’tyouknowthatthereisfireonboard?\"
InaninstantIregrettedmywords。MostearnestlyI
wishedthemunuttered。Butitwastoolate——theireffectuponRubywaselectrical。Hewasparalyzedwithterror;
hislimbsstiffenedconvulsively;hiseyewasdilated;hegaspedforbreath,andwasspeechless。Allofasuddenhethrewuphisarms,and,asthoughhemomentarilyexpectedanexplosion,hedarteddownfromthepoop,andpacedfranticallyupanddownthedeck,gesticulatinglikeamad—
man,andshouting:
\"Fireonboard!Fire!Fire!\"
Onhearingtheoutcry,allthecrew,supposingthatthefirehadnowinrealitybrokenout,rushedondeck;therestofthepassengerssoonjoinedthem,andthescenethatensuedwasoneoftheutmostconfusion。Mrs。Kearfelldownsenselessonthedeck,andherhusband,occupiedinlookingafterhimself,lefthertothetendermerciesofMissHerbey。
CurtisendeavoredtosilenceRuby’sravings,whilstI,inasfewwordsasIcould,madeM。Letourneurawareoftheextenttowhichthecargowasonfire。Thefather’sfirstthoughtwasforAndre,buttheyoungmanpreservedanad—
mirablecomposure,andbeggedhisfathernottobealarmed,asthedangerwasnotimmediate。Meanwhilethesailorshadloosenedallthetacklingsofthelong—boat,andwerepre—
paringtolaunchit,whenCurtis’svoicewasheardperemp—
torilybiddingthemtodesist;heassuredthemthatthefirehadmadenofurtherprogress;thatMr。Rubyhadbeenundulyexcitedandnotconsciousofwhathehadsaid;andhepledgedhiswordthatwhentherightmomentshouldar—
rivehewouldallowthemalltoleavetheship;butthatmo—
ment,hesaid,hadnotyetcome。
Atthesoundofavoicewhichtheyhadlearnedtohonorandrespect,thecrewpausedintheiroperations,andthelong—boatremainedsuspendedinitsplace。Fortunately,evenRubyhimselfinthemidstofhisravings,hadnotdroppedawordaboutthepicratethathadbeendepositedinthehold;foralthoughthematehadapoweroverthesailorsthatCaptainHuntlyhadneverpossessed,Ifeelcer—
tainthatifthetruestateofthecasehadbeenknown,noth—
ingonearthwouldhavepreventedsomeofthem,intheirconsternation,fromeffectinganescape。Asitwas,onlyCurtis,Falsten,andmyselfwerecognizantoftheterriblesecret。
Assoonasorderwasrestored,themateandIjoinedFalstenonthepoop,wherehehadremainedthroughoutthepanic,andwherewefoundhimwithfoldedarms,deepinthought,asitmightbe,solvingsomehardmechanicalprob—
lem。Hepromised,atmyrequest,thathewouldrevealnothingofthenewdangertowhichwewereexposedthroughRuby’simprudence。Curtishimselftookthere—
sponsibilityofinformingCaptainHuntlyofourcriticalsituation。
Inordertoinsurecompletesecrecy,itwasnecessarytosecurethepersonoftheunhappyRuby,who,quitebesidehimself,continuedtoraveupanddownthedeckwiththeincessantcryof\"Fire!fire!\"AccordinglyCurtisgaveor—
derstosomeofhismentoseizehimandgaghim;andbeforehecouldmakeanyresistancethemiserablemanwascapturedandsafelylodgedinconfinementinhisowncabin。
CHAPTERXII
CURTISBECOMESCAPTAIN
OCTOBER22。——Curtishastoldthecaptaineverything;forhepersistsinostensiblyrecognizinghimashissuperiorofficer,andrefusestoconcealfromhimourtruesituation。
CaptainHuntlyreceivedthecommunicationinperfectsilence,andmerelypassinghishandacrosshisforeheadasthoughtobanishsomedistressingthought,re—enteredhiscabinwithoutaword。
Curtis,LieutenantWalter,Falsten,andmyselfhavebeendiscussingthechancesofoursafety,andIamsurprisedtofindwithhowmuchcomposurewecanallsurveyouranx—
iouspredicament。
\"Thereisnodoubt,\"saidCurtis,\"thatwemustabandonallhopeofarrestingthefire;theheattowardthebowhasalreadybecomewell—nighunbearable,andthetimemustcomewhentheflameswillfindaventthroughthedeck。
Iftheseaiscalmenoughforustomakeuseoftheboats,wellandgood;weshallofcoursegetquitoftheshipasquietlyaswecan;if,ontheotherhandtheweathershouldbeadverse,orthewindbeboisterous,wemuststicktoourplace,andcontendwiththeflamestotheverylast;perhaps,afterall,weshallfarefarbetterwiththefireasadeclaredenemythanasahiddenone。\"
FalstenandIagreedwithwhathesaid,andIpointedouttohimthathehadquiteoverlookedthefactoftherebeingthirtypoundsofexplosivematterinthehold。
\"No,\"hegravelyreplied,\"Ihavenotforgottenit,butitisacircumstanceofwhichIdonottrustmyselftothink。
Idarenotruntheriskofadmittingairintotheholdbygoingdowntosearchforthepowder,andyetIknownotatwhatmomentitmayexplode。No;itisamatterthatIcan—
nottakeatallintomyreckoning;itmustremaininhigherhandsthanmine。\"
Webowedourheadsinasilencewhichwassolemn。Inthepresentstateoftheweather,immediateflightwas,weknew,impossible。
Afterconsiderablepause,Mr。Falsten,ascalmlyasthoughheweredeliveringsomephilosophicdogma,quietlyobserved:
\"Theexplosion,ifImayusetheformulaofscience,isnotnecessary,butcontingent。\"
\"Buttellme,Mr。Falsten,\"Iasked,\"isitpossibleforpicrateofpotashtoignitewithoutconcussion?\"
\"Certainlyitis,\"repliedtheengineer。\"Underordinarycircumstances,picrateofpotashalthoughnotMOREinflam—
mablethancommonpowder,yetpossessestheSAMEdegreeofinflammability。\"
Wenowpreparedtogoondeck。Asweleftthesaloon,inwhichwehadbeensitting,Curtisseizedmyhand。
\"Oh,Mr。Kazallon,\"heexclaimed,\"ifyouonlyknewthebitternessoftheagonyIfeelatseeingthisfinevesseldoomedtobedevouredbyflames,andatbeingsopowerlesstosaveher。\"Thenquicklyrecoveringhimself,hecontinued:
\"ButIamforgettingmyself;you,ifnoother,mustknowwhatIamsuffering。Itisallovernow,\"hesaidmorecheerfully。
\"Isourconditionquitedesperate?\"Iasked。
\"Itisjustthis,\"heanswereddeliberately,\"weareoveramine,andalreadythematchhasbeenappliedtothetrain。
Howlongthattrainmaybe,’tisnotformetosay。\"
Andwiththesewordsheleftme。
Theotherpassengers,incommonwiththecrew,arestillinentireignoranceoftheextremityofperiltowhichweareexposed,althoughtheyareallawarethatthereisfireinthehold。Assoonasthefactwasannounced,Mr。Kear,aftercommunicatingtoCurtishisinstructionsthathethoughtheshouldhavethefireimmediatelyextinguished,andintimat—
ingthatheheldhimresponsibleforallcontingenciesthatmighthappen,retiredtohiscabin,wherehehasremainedeversince,fullyoccupiedincollectingandpackingtogetherthemorecherishedarticlesofhispropertyandwithoutthesemblanceofacareorathoughtforhisunfortunatewife,whosecondition,inspiteofherludicrouscomplaints,wastrulypitiable。MissHerbey,however,isunrelaxinginherattentions,andtheunremitteddiligencewithwhichshefulfillsherofficesofduty,commandsmyhighestad—
miration。
OCTOBER23。——Thismorning,CaptainHuntlysentforCurtisintohiscabin,andthematehassincemademeac—
quaintedwithwhatpassedbetweenthem。
\"Curtis,\"beganthecaptain,hishaggardeyebetrayingonlytooplainlysomementalderangement,\"Iamasailor,amInot?\"
\"Certainly,captain,\"wasthepromptacquiescenceofthemate。
\"Idonotknowhowitis,\"continuedthecaptain,\"butIseembewildered;Icannotrecollectanything。ArewenotboundforLiverpool?Ah!yes!ofcourse。Andhavewekeptanortheasterlydirectionsinceweleft?\"
\"No,sir,accordingtoyourorderswehavebeensailingsoutheast,andhereweareinthetropics。\"
\"Andwhatisthenameoftheship?\"
\"TheChancellor,sir。\"
\"Yes,yes,theChancellor,soitis。Well,Curtis,Ireallycan’ttakeherbacktothenorth。Ihatethesea,theverysightofitmakesmeill,Iwouldmuchrathernotleavemycabin。\"
Curtiswentontotellmehowhehadtriedtopersuadehimthatwithalittletimeandcarehewouldsoonrecoverhisindisposition,andfeelhimselfagain;butthecaptainhadin—
terruptedhimbysaying:
\"Well,well;weshallseeby—and—by;butforthepresentyoumusttakethisformypositiveorder;youmust,fromthistime,atoncetakethecommandoftheship,andactjustasifIwerenotonboard。Underpresentcircum—
stances,Icandonothing。Mybrainisallinawhirl,youcannottellwhatIamsuffering;\"andtheunfortunatemanpressedbothhishandsconvulsivelyagainsthisforehead。
\"Iweighedthemattercarefullyforamoment,\"addedCurtis,\"andseeingwhathisconditiontootrulywas,Iac—
quiescedinallthatherequiredandwithdrew,promisinghimthatallhisordersshouldbeobeyed。\"
Afterhearingtheseparticulars,Icouldnothelpremark—
inghowfortunateitwasthatthecaptainhadresignedofhisownaccord,foralthoughhemightnotbeactuallyin—
sane,itwasveryevidentthathisbrainwasinaverymorbidcondition。
\"Isucceededhimataverycriticalmoment,\"saidCurtisthoughtfully;\"butIshallendeavortodomyduty。\"
Ashorttimeafterwardhesentforhisboatswainandor—
deredhimtoassemblethecrewatthefootofthemain—mast。
Assoonasthemenweretogether,headdressedthemverycalmly,butveryfirmly。
\"Mymen,\"hesaid,\"IhavetotellyouthatCaptainHuntly,onaccountofthedangeroussituationinwhichcir—
cumstanceshaveplacedus,andforotherreasonsknowntomyself,hasthoughtrighttoresignhiscommandtome。
Fromthistimeforward,Iamcaptainofthisvessel。\"
Thusquietlyandsimplywasthechangeeffected,andwehavethesatisfactionofknowingthattheChancellorisnowunderthecommandofaconscientious,energeticman,whowillshirknothingthathebelievestobeforourcommongood。M。Letourneur,Andre,Mr。Falsten,andmyselfim—
mediatelyofferedhimourbestwishes,inwhichLieutenantWalterandtheboatswainmostcordiallyjoined。
Theshipstillholdshercoursesouthwest,andCurtiscrowdsonallsailandmakesasspeedilyaspossibleforthenearestoftheLesserAntilles。
CHAPTERXIII
BETWEENFIREANDWATER
OCTOBER24to29。——Forthelastfivedaystheseahasbeenveryheavy,andalthoughtheChancellorsailswithwindandwaveinherfavor,yetherprogressisconsiderablyim—
peded。Hereonboardthisveritablefire—shipIcannothelpcontemplatingwithalongingeyethisvastoceanthatsur—
roundsus。Thewatersupplyshouldbeallweneed。
\"Whynotborethedeck?\"IsaidtoCurtis。\"Whynotadmitthewaterbytonsintothehold?Whatcouldbetheharm?Thefirewouldbequenched;andwhatwouldbeeasierthantopumpthewateroutagain?\"
\"Ihavealreadytoldyou,Mr。Kazallon,\"saidCurtis,\"thattheverymomentweadmittheair,theflameswillrushforthtotheverytopofthemasts。No;wemusthavecour—
ageandpatience;wemustwait。Thereisnothingwhatevertobedone,excepttocloseeveryaperture。\"
Thefirecontinuedtoprogressevenmorerapidlythanwehadhithertosuspected。Theheatgraduallydrovethepas—
sengersnearlyallondeck,andthetwosterncabins,lighted,asIsaid,bytheirwindowsintheaft—boardweretheonlyquartersbelowthatwereinhabitable。OftheseMrs。Kearoccupiedone,andCurtisreservedtheotherforRuby,who,aravingmaniac,hadtobekeptrigidlyunderrestraint。I
wentdownoccasionallytoseehim,butinvariablyfoundhiminastateofabjectterror,utteringhorribleshrieks,asthoughpossessedwiththeideathathewasbeingscorchedbythemostexcruciatingheat。
Onceortwice,too,Ilookedinupontheex—captain。Hewasalwayscalmandspokequiterationallyonanysubjectexcepthisownprofession;butinconnectionwiththathepratedawaythemerestnonsense。Hesufferedgreatly,butsteadilydeclinedallmyoffersofattention,andpertina—
ciouslyrefusedtoleavehiscabin。
To—day,anacrid,nauseatingsmokemadeitswaythroughthepanelingsthatpartitionoffthequartersofthecrew。AtonceCurtisorderedthepartitiontobeenvelopedinwettar—
paulin,butthefumespenetratedeventhis,andfilledthewholeneighborhoodoftheship’sbowswithareekingvaporthatwaspositivelystifling。Aswelistened,too,wecouldhearadullrumblingsound,butwewereasmystifiedasevertocomprehendwheretheaircouldhaveenteredthatwasevidentlyfanningtheflames。Onlytoocertainly,itwasnowbecomingaquestionnotofdaysnorevenofhoursbeforewemustbepreparedforthefinalcatastrophe。Theseawasstillrunninghigh,andescapebytheboatswasplainlyimpossible。Fortunately,asIhavesaid,themain—
mastandthemizzenareofiron;otherwisethegreatheatattheirbasewouldlongagohavebroughtthemdownandourchancesofsafetywouldhavebeenverymuchimperiled;
butbycrowdingonsailtheChancellorinthefullnortheastwindcontinuedtomakeherwaywithundiminishedspeed。
Itisnowafortnightsincethefirewasfirstdiscovered,andtheproperworkingoftheshiphasgraduallybecomeamoreandmoredifficultmatter。Evenwiththickshoesanyattempttowalkupondeckuptotheforecastlewassoonim—
practicable,andthepoop,simplybecauseitsflooriselevatedsomewhatabovethelevelofthehold,isnowtheonlyavail—
ablestanding—place。Waterbegantoloseitseffectuponthescorchedandshrivelingplanks;theresinoozedoutfromtheknotsinthewood,theseamsburstopen,andthetar,meltedbytheheat,followedtherollingsofthevessel,andformedfantasticpatternsaboutthedeck。
Thentocompleteourperplexity,thewindshiftedsud—
denlyroundtothenorthwest,whenceitblewaperfecthur—
ricane。TonopurposedidCurtisdoeverythinginhispowertobringtheshipahull;everyeffortwasinvain;theChancellorcouldnotbearhertrysail,sotherewasnothingtobedonebuttolethergowiththewind,anddriftfurtherandfurtherfromthelandforwhichwearelongingsoeagerly。
To—day,the29th,thetempestseemedtoreachitsheight;
thewavesappearedtousmountainshigh,anddashedthespraymostviolentlyacrossthedeck。Aboatcouldnotliveamomentinsuchasea。
Oursituationisterrible。Weallwaitinsilence,somefewontheforecastle,thegreatproportionofusonthepoop。Asforthepicrate,forthetimewehavequitefor—
gottenitsexistence;indeeditmightalmostseemasthoughitsexplosionwouldcomeasarelief,fornocatastrophe,how—
everterrible,couldfarexceedthetortureofoursuspense。
Whilehehadstilltheremainingchance,Curtisrescuedfromthestore—roomsuchfewprovisionsastheheatofthecompartmentallowedhimtoobtain;andalotofcasesofsaltmeatandbiscuits,acaskofbrandy,somebarrelsoffreshwater,togetherwithsomesailsandwraps,acompassandotherinstrumentsarenowlyingpackedinamassallreadyforpromptremovaltotheboatswheneverweshallbeobligedtoleavetheship。
Abouteighto’clockintheevening,anoiseisheard,dis—
tinctevenabovetheragingofthehurricane。Thepanelsofthedeckareupheaved,andvolumesofblacksmokeissueup—
wardasiffromasafety—valve。Auniversalconsternationseizesoneandall;wemustleavethevolcanowhichisabouttoburstbeneathourfeet。ThecrewruntoCurtisforor—
ders。Hehesitates;looksfirstatthehugeandthreateningwaves;looksthenattheboats。Thelong—boatisthere,sus—
pendedrightalongthecenterofthedeck;butitisimpos—
sibletoapproachitnow;theyawl,however,hoistedonthestarboardside,andthewhale—boatsuspendedaft,arestillavailable。Thesailorsmakefranticallyfortheyawl。
\"Stop,stop,\"shoutsCurtis;\"doyoumeantocutoffourlastandonlychanceofsafety?Wouldyoulaunchaboatinsuchaseaasthis?\"
Afewofthem,withOwenattheirhead,givenoheedtowhathesays。Rushingtothepoop,andseizingacutlass,Curtisshoutsagain:
\"Touchthetacklingofthedavit,oneofyou;onlytouchit,andI’llcleaveyourskull。\"
Awedbyhisdeterminedmanner,themenretire,someclamberingintotheshrouds,whileothersmounttotheverytopofthemasts。
Ateleveno’clock,severalloudreportsareheard,causedbytheburstingasunderofthepartitionsofthehold。Cloudsofsmokeissuefromthefront,followedbyalongtongueoflambentflamethatseemstoencirclethemizzen—mast。ThefirenowreachestothecabinofMrs。Kear,who,shriekingwildly,isbroughtondeckbyMissHerbey。Amomentmore,andSilasHuntlymakeshisappearance,hisfaceallblackenedwiththegrimysmoke;hebowstoCurtis,ashepasses,andthenproceedsinthecalmestmannertomounttheaft—shrouds,andinstallshimselfattheverytopofthemizzen。
ThesightofHuntlyrecallstomyrecollectiontheprisonerstillbelow,andmyfirstimpulseistorushtothestaircaseanddowhatIcantosethimfree。Butthemaniachasal—
readyeludedhisconfinement,andwithsingedhairandhisclothesalreadyalight,rushesupondeck。Likeasal—
amanderhepassesacrosstheburningdeckwithunscathedfeet,andglidesthroughthestiflingsmokewithunchokedbreath。Notasoundescapeshislips。
Anotherloudreport;thelong—boatisshiveredintofrag—
ments;themiddlepanelburststhetarpaulinthatcoveredit,andastreamoffire,freeatlengthfromtherestraintthathadheldit,riseshalf—masthigh。
\"Thepicrate!thepicrate!\"shrieksthemadman;\"weshallallbeblownup!thepicratewillblowusallup。\"
Andinaninstant,beforewecangetnearhim,hehasburiedhimself,throughtheopenhatchway,downintothefieryfurnacebelow。
CHAPTERXIV
BREAKERSTOSTARBOARD!
OCTOBER20。——Night。——Thescene,asnightcameon,wasterribleindeed。Notwithstandingthedesperatenessofoursituation,however,therewasnotoneofussoparalyzedbyfear,butthatwefullyrealizedthehorrorofitall。
PoorRuby,indeed,islostandgone,buthislastwordswereproductiveofseriousconsequences。Thesailorscaughthiscryof\"Picrate,picrate!\"andbeingthusforthefirsttimemadeawareofthetruenatureoftheirperil,theyresolvedateveryhazardtoaccomplishtheirescape。Besidethemselveswithterror,theyeitherdidnot,orwouldnot,seethatnoboatcouldbravethetremendouswavesthatwereragingaround,andaccordinglytheymadeafranticrushto—
wardtheyawl。Curtisagainmadeavigorousendeavortopreventthem,butthistimeallinvain;Owenurgedthemon,andalreadythetacklingwasloosened,sothattheboatwasswungovertotheship’sside。Foramomentithungsus—
pendedinmid—air,andthen,withafinaleffortfromthesailors,itwasquicklyloweredintothesea。Butscarcelyhadittouchedthewater,whenitwascaughtbyanenor—
mouswavewhich,recoilingwithresistlessviolence,dashedittoatomsagainsttheChancellor’sside。
Themenstoodaghast;theyweredumbfounded。Long—
boatandyawlbothgone,therewasnothingnowremainingtousbutasmallwhale—boat。Notawordwasspoken;
notasoundwasheardbutthehoarsewhistlingofthewind,andthemournfulroaringoftheflames。Fromthecenteroftheship,whichwashollowedoutlikeafurnace,thereissuedacolumnofsootyvaporthatascendedtothesky。
Allthepassengers,andseveralofthecrew,tookrefugeintheaft—quartersofthepoop。Mrs。Kearwaslyingsense—
lessononeofthehen—coops,withMissHerbeysittingpas—
sivelyatherside;M。Letourneurheldhissontightlyclaspedtohisbosom。IsawFalstencalmlyconsulthiswatch,andnotedownthetimeinhismemorandum—book,butIwasfarfromsharinghiscomposure,forIwasovercomebyanervousagitationthatIcouldnotsuppress。
Asfarasweknew,LieutenantWalter,theboatswain,andsuchofthecrewaswerenotwithus,weresafeinthebow;butitwasimpossibletotellhowtheywerefaring,be—
causethesheetoffireintervenedlikeacurtain,andcutoffallcommunicationbetweenstemandstern。
Ibrokethedismalsilence,saying,\"AllovernowCurtis。\"
\"No,sir,notyet,\"hereplied,\"nowthatthepanelisopenwewillsettowork,andpourwaterwithallourmightdownintothefurnace,andmaybe,weshallputitout,evenyet。\"
\"Buthowcanyouworkyourpumpswhilethedeckisburning?andhowcanyougetatyourmenbeyondthatsheetofflame?\"
Hemadenoanswertomyimpetuousquestions,andfind—
inghehadnothingmoretosay,Irepeatedthatitwasallovernow。
Afterapause,hesaid,\"Aslongasaplankoftheshipremainstostandon,Mr。Kazallon,Ishallnotgiveupmyhope。\"
Buttheconflagrationragedwithredoubledfury,theseaarounduswaslightedwithacrimsonglow,andthecloudsaboveshonewithaluridglare。Longjetsoffiredartedacrossthehatchways,andwewereforcedtotakerefugeonthetaffrailattheextremeendofthepoop。Mrs。Kearwaslaidinthewhale—boatthathungfromthestern。MissHerbeypersistingtothelastinretainingherpostbyherside。
Nopencouldadequatelyportraythehorrorsofthisfear—
fulnight。TheChancellorunderbarepoles,wasdriven,likeagiganticfire—shipwithfrightfulvelocityacrosstheragingocean;herveryspeedasitwere,makingcommoncausewiththehurricanetofanthefirethatwasconsumingher。Soontherecouldbenoalternativebetweenthrowingourselvesintothesea,orperishingintheflames。
Butwhere,allthistime,wasthepicrate?Perhaps,afterall,Rubyhaddeceivedusandtherewasnovolcano,suchaswedreaded,belowourfeet。
Athalf—pasteleven,whenthetempestseemsatitsveryheight,thereisheardapeculiarroardistinguishableevenabovethecrashoftheelements。Thesailorsinaninstantrecognizeitsimport。
\"Breakerstostarboard!\"isthecry。
Curtisleapsontothenetting,castsarapidglanceatthesnow—whitebillows,andturningtothehelmsmanshoutswithallhismight,\"Starboardthehelm!\"
Butitistoolate。Thereisasuddenshock;theshipiscaughtupbyanenormouswave;sherisesuponherbeamends;severaltimesshestrikestheground;themizzen—mastsnapsshortofflevelwiththedeck,fallsintothesea,andtheChancellorismotionless。
CHAPTERXV
SHIPWRECKED
THEnightofthe29thcontinued。——Itwasnotyetmid—
night;thedarknesswasmostprofound,andwecouldseenothing。ButwasitprobablethatwehadstrandedonthecoastofAmerica?
Veryshortlyaftertheshiphadthuscometoastand—stillaclankingofchainswasheardproceedingfromherbows。
\"Thatiswell,\"saidCurtis;\"Walterandtheboatswainhavecastboththeanchors。Letushopetheywillhold。\"
Then,clingingtothenetting,heclamberedalongthestarboardside,onwhichtheshiphadheeled,asfarastheflameswouldallowhim。Heclungtotheholdfastsoftheshrouds,andinspiteoftheheavyseasthatdashedagainstthevesselhemaintainedhispositionforaconsiderabletime,evidentlylisteningtosomesoundthathadcaughthisearinthemidstofthetempest。Inaboutaquarterofanhourhereturnedtothepoop。
\"Heavenbepraised!\"hesaid,\"thewateriscomingin,andperhapsmaygetthebetterofthefire。\"
\"True,\"saidI,\"butwhatthen?\"
\"That,\"hereplied,\"isaquestionforbye—and—bye。Wecanthinknowonlyofthepresent。\"
AlreadyIfanciedthattheviolenceoftheflameswassomewhatabated,andthatthetwoopposingelementswereinfiercecontention。Someplankintheship’ssidewasevidentlystovein,admittingfreepassageforthewaves。
Buthow,whenthewaterhadmasteredthefire,shouldwebeabletomasterthewater?Ournaturalcoursewouldbetousethepumps,butthese,intheverymidstofthecon—
flagration,werequiteunavailable。
Forthreelonghours,inanxioussuspense,wewatched,andwaited。Wherewewerewecouldnottell。Onethingalonewascertain;thetidewasebbingbeneathus,andthewaveswererelaxingintheirviolence。Onceletthefirebeextinguished,andthen,perhaps,therewouldberoomtohopethatthenexthightidewouldsetusafloat。
Towardhalf—pastfourinthemorningthecurtainoffireandsmoke,whichhadshutoffcommunicationbetweenthetwoextremitiesoftheship,becamelessdense,andwecouldfaintlydistinguishthatpartyofthecrewwhohadtakenrefugeintheforecastle;andbeforelong,althoughitwasimpracticabletostepuponthedeck,thelieutenantandtheboatswaincontrivedtoclamberoverthegunwale,alongtherails,andjoinedCurtisonthepoop。
Heretheyheldaconsultation,towhichIwasadmitted。
Theywereallofopinionthatnothingcouldbedoneuntildaylightshouldgiveussomethingofanideaofouractualposition。Ifwethenfoundthatwewereneartheshore,wewould,weatherpermitting,endeavortoland,eitherintheboatoruponaraft。If,ontheotherhand,nolandwereinsight,andtheChancellorwereascertainedtobestrandedonsomeisolatedreef,allwecoulddowouldbetogetherafloat,andputherintoconditionforreachingthenearestcoast。Curtistoldusthatitwaslongsincehehadbeenabletotakeanyobservationoflatitude,buttherewasnodoubtthenorthwestwindhaddrivenusfartothesouth;
andhethought,ashewasignorantoftheexistenceofanyreefinthispartoftheAtlantic,thatitwasjustpossiblethatwehadbeendrivenontothecoastofsomeportionofSouthAmerica。
Iremindedhimthatwewereinmomentaryexpectationofanexplosion,andsuggestedthatitwouldbeadvisabletoabandontheshipandtakerefugeonthereef。Buthewouldnothearofsuchaproceeding,saidthatthereefwouldprobablybecoveredathightide,andpersistedintheoriginalresolution,thatnodecidedactioncouldbetakenbeforethedaylightappeared。
Iimmediatelyreportedthisdecisionofthecaptaintomyfellow—passengers。NoneofthemseemedtorealizethenewdangertowhichtheChancellormaybeexposedbybe—
ingcastuponanunknownreef,hundredsofmilesitmaybefromland。Allareforthetimepossessedwithoneidea,onehope;andthatis,thatthefiremaynowbequenchedandtheexplosionaverted。
Andcertainlytheirhopesseeminafairwayofbeingful—
filled。Alreadytheragingflamesthatpouredforthfromthehatcheshavegivenplacetodenseblacksmoke,andal—
thoughoccasionallysomefierystreaksdartacrosstheduskyfumes,yettheyareinstantlyextinguished。Thewavesaredoingwhatpumpsandbucketscouldneverhaveeffected;
bytheirinundationtheyaresteadilystiflingthefirewhichwasassteadilyspreadingtothewholebulkofthe1,700
balesofcotton。
CHAPTERXVI
SILASHUNTLYRESCUEDFROMTHEWAVES
OCTOBER30。——Atthefirstgleamofdaylightweeagerlyscannedthesouthernandwesternhorizons,butthemorn—
ingmistslimitedourview。Landwasnowheretobeseen。
Thetidewasnowalmostatitslowestebb,andthecolorofthefewpeaksofrockthatjutteduparoundusshowedthatthereefonwhichwehadstrandedwasofbasalticformation。TherewerenowonlyaboutsixfeetofwateraroundtheChancellor,thoughwithafullfreightshedrawsaboutfifteen。Itwasremarkablehowfarshehadbeencarriedontotheshelfofrock,butthenumberoftimesthatshehadtouchedthebottombeforeshefinallyranagroundleftusnodoubtthatshehadbeenliftedupandbornealongonthetopofanenormouswave。Shenowlieswithhersternconsiderablyhigherthanherbows,apositionwhichrenderswalkinguponthedeckanythingbutaneasymatter,moreoverasthetiderecededsheheeledoversomuchtolar—
boardthatatonetimeCurtisfearedshewouldaltogethercapsize;thatfear,however,sincethetidehasreacheditslowestmark,hashappilyprovedgroundless。
Atsixo’clocksomeviolentblowswerefeltagainsttheship’sside,andatthesametimeavoicewasdistinguished,shoutingloudly,\"Curtis!Curtis!\"Followingthedirec—
tionofthecrieswesawthatthebrokenmizzen—mastwasbeingwashedagainstthevessel,andintheduskymorningtwilightwecouldmakeoutthefigureofamanclingingtotherigging。Curtis,attheperilofhislife,hastenedtobringthemanonboard。ItprovedtobenoneotherthanSilasHuntly,who,afterbeingcarriedoverboardwiththemast,hadthus,almostbyamiracle,escapedawaterygrave。
Withoutawordofthankstohisdeliverer,theex—captain,passive,likeanautomaton,passedonandtookhisseatinthemostsecludedcornerofthepoop。Thebrokenmizzenmay,perhaps,beofservicetousatsomefuturetime,andwiththatideaithasbeenrescuedfromthewavesandlashedsecurelytothestern。
Bythistimeitwaslightenoughtoseeforadistanceofthreemilesround;butasyetnothingcouldbediscernedtomakeusthinkthatwewerenearacoast。Thelineofbreakersranforaboutamilefromsouthwesttonortheast,andtwohundredfathomstothenorthoftheshipanir—
regularmassofrocksformedasmallislet。Thisisletroseaboutfiftyfeetabovethesea,andwasconsequentlyabovethelevelofthehighesttides;whileasortofcauseway,availableatlowwater,wouldenableustoreachtheisland,ifnecessityrequired。Buttherethereefended;beyondittheseaagainresumeditssomberhue,betokeningdeepwater。Inallprobability,then,thiswasasolitaryshoal,unattachedtoashore,andthegloomofabitterdisappoint—
mentbegantoweighuponourspirits。
Inanotherhourthemistshadtotallydisappeared,anditwasbroaddaylight。IandM。LetourneurstoodwatchingCurtisashecontinuedeagerlytoscanthewesternhorizon。
Astonishmentwaswrittenonhiscountenance;tohimitappearedperfectlyincrediblethat,afterourcourseforsolonghadbeenduesouthfromtheBermudas,nolandshouldbeinsight。Butnotaspeck,howeverminute,broketheclearly—definedlinethatjoinedseaandsky。AfteratimeCurtismadehiswayalongthenettingtotheshrouds,andswunghimselfquicklyuptothetopofthemainmast。Forseveralminutesheremainedthereexaminingtheopenspacearound,thenseizingoneofthebackstaysheglideddownandrejoinedusonthepoop。
\"Nolandinsight,\"hesaid,inanswertooureagerlooks。
AtthispointMr。Kearinterposed,andinagruff,ill—
temperedtone,askedCurtiswherewewere。Curtisrepliedthathedidnotknow。
\"Youdon’tknow,sir?ThenallIcansayisthatyououghttoknow!\"exclaimedthepetroleummerchant。
\"Thatmaybe,sir;butatpresentIamasignorantofourwhereaboutsasyouareyourself,\"saidCurtis。
\"Well,\"saidMr。Kear,\"justpleasetoknowthatI
don’twanttostayforeveronyoureverlastingship,soI
begyouwillmakehasteandstartoffagain。\"
Curtiscondescendedtomakenootherreplythanashrugoftheshoulders,andturningawayheinformedM。Letour—
neurandmyselfthatifthesuncameoutheintendedtotakeitsaltitudeandfindouttowhatpartoftheoceanwehadbeendriven。
Hisnextcarewastodistributepreservedmeatandbiscuitamongthepassengersandcrewalreadyhalffaintingwithhungerandfatigue,andthenhesettoworktodevisemeas—
uresforsettingtheshipafloat。
Theconflagrationwasgreatlyabated;noflamesnowap—
peared,andalthoughsomeblacksmokestillissuedfromtheinterior,yetitsvolumewasfarlessthanbefore。Thefirststepwastodiscoverhowmuchwaterhadenteredthehold。Thedeckwasstilltoohottowalkupon;butaftertwohours’irrigationtheboardsbecamesufficientlycoolfortheboatswaintoproceedtotakesomesoundings,andheshortlyafterwardannouncedthattherewerefivefeetofwaterbelow。Thisthecaptaindeterminedshouldnotbepumpedoutatpresent,ashewanteditthoroughlytodoitsdutybeforehegotridofit。
Thenextsubjectforconsiderationwaswhetheritwouldbeadvisabletoabandonthevessel,andtotakerefugeonthereef。Curtisthoughtnot;andthelieutenantandtheboatswainagreedwithhim。Thechancesofanexplosionweregreatlydiminished,asithadbeenascertainedthatthewaterhadreachedthatpartoftheholdinwhichRuby’sluggagehadbeendeposited;while,ontheotherhand,intheeventofroughweather,ourpositionevenuponthemostelevatedpointsofrockmightbeverycritical。Itwasac—
cordinglyresolvedthatbothpassengersandcrewweresaf—
estonboard。
Actinguponthisdecisionweproceededtomakeakindofencampmentonthepoop,andafewmattressesthatwererescueduninjuredhavebeengivenupfortheuseofthetwoladies。Suchofthecrewashadsavedtheirhammockshavebeentoldtoplacethemundertheforecastlewheretheywouldhavetostowthemselvesasbesttheycould,theirordinaryquartersbeingabsolutelyuninhabitable。
Fortunately,althoughthestore—roomhasbeenconsider—
ablyexposedtotheheat,itscontentsarenotveryseriouslydamaged,andallthebarrelsofwaterandthegreaterpartoftheprovisionsarequiteintact。Thestockofsparesails,whichhadbeenpackedawayinfront,isalsofreefromin—
jury。Thewindhasdroppedconsiderablysincetheearlymorning,andtheswellintheseaisfarlessheavy。Onthewholeourspiritsarerevivingandwebegintothinkwemayyetfindawayoutofourtroubles。
M。Letourneur,hisson,andI,havejusthadalongcon—
versationabouttheship’sofficers。Weconsidertheircon—
duct,underthelatetryingcircumstances,tohavebeenmostexemplary,andtheircourage,energy,andendurancetohavebeenbeyondallpraise。LieutenantWalter,theboat—
swain,andDowlasthecarpenterhaveallalikedistinguishedthemselves,andmadeusfeelthattheyarementobereliedon。AsforCurtis,wordscanscarcelybefoundtoexpressouradmirationofhischaracter;heisthesameashehaseverbeen,theverylifeofhiscrew,cheeringthemonbywordorgesture;findinganexpedientforeverydifficulty,andalwaysforemostineveryaction。
Thetideturnedatseventhismorning,andbyelevenalltherocksweresubmerged,noneofthembeingvisibleex—
cepttheclusterofthosewhichformedtherimofasmallandalmostcircularbasinfrom230to300feetindiameter,inthenorthangleofwhichtheshipislying。Asthetiderosethewhitebreakersdisappeared,andthesea,fortunatelyfortheChancellor,wasprettycalm;otherwisethedashingofthewavesagainsthersides,assheliesmotionless,mighthavebeenattendedbyseriousconsequences。
Asmightbesupposed,theheightofthewaterintheholdincreasedwiththetidefromfivefeettonine;butthiswasratheramatterofcongratulation,inasmuchasitsufficedtoinundateanotherlayerofcotton。
Athalf—pasteleventhesun,whichhadbeenbehindthecloudssinceteno’clock,brokeforthbrightly。Thecaptain,whohadalreadyinthemorningbeenabletocalculateanhoraryangle,nowpreparedtotakethemeridianaltitude,andsucceededatmiddayinmakinghisobservationmostsatisfactorily。Afterretiringforashorttimetocalculatetheresult,hereturnedtothepoopandannouncedthatweareinlat。18deg。5’N。andlong。45deg。53’W。,butthatthereefonwhichweareagroundisnotmarkedonthecharts。Theonlyexplanationthatcanbegivenfortheomissionisthattheisletmustbeofrecentformation,andhasbeencausedbysomesubterraneanvolcanicdisturbance。Butwhatevermaybethesolutionofthemystery,hereweare800milesfromland;forsuch,onconsultingthemap,wefindtobetheactualdistancetothecoastofGuiana,whichisthenear—
estshore。Suchisthepositiontowhichwehavebeenbrought,inthefirstplace,byHuntly’ssenselessobstinacy,and,secondly,bythefuriousnorthwestgale。
Yet,afterall,thecaptain’scommunicationdoesnotdis—
heartenus。AsIsaidbefore,ourspiritsarereviving。Wehaveescapedtheperiloffire;thefearofexplosionispastandgone:andobliviousofthefactthattheshipwithaholdfullofwaterisonlytoolikelytofounderwhensheputsouttosea,wefeelaconfidenceinthefuturethatfor—
bidsustodespond。
MeanwhileCurtispreparestodoallthatcommonsensedemands。Heproposes,whenthefireisquiteextinguished,tothrowoverboardthewhole,orthegreaterportionofthecargo,including,ofcourse,thepicrate;hewillnextpluguptheleak,andthen,withalightenedship,hewilltakead—
vantageofthefirsthightidetoquitthereefasspeedilyaspossible。
CHAPTERXVII
M。LETOURNEURISPESSIMISTIC
OCTOBER30。——OnceagainItalkedtoM。Letourneuraboutoursituation,andendeavoredtoanimatehimwiththehopethatweshouldnotbedetainedforlonginourpresentpre—
dicament;buthecouldnotbebroughttotakeaverysan—
guineviewofourprospects。
\"Butsurely,\"Iprotested,\"itwillnotbedifficulttothrowoverboardafewhundredbalesofcotton;twoorthreedaysatmostwillsufficeforthat。\"
\"Likelyenough,\"hereplied,\"whenthebusinessisoncebegun;butyoumustremember,Mr。Kazallon,thattheveryheartofthecargoisstillsmoldering,andthatitwillstillbeseveraldaysbeforeanyonewillbeabletoventureintothehold。Thentheleak,too,thathastobecaulked;and,un—
lessitisstoppedupveryeffectually,weshallonlybedoomedmostcertainlytoperishatsea。Don’tthen,bedeceivingyourself;itmustbethreeweeksatleastbeforeyoucanex—
pecttoputouttosea。Icanonlyhopemeanwhilethattheweatherwillcontinuepropitious;itwouldn’ttakemanystormstoknocktheChancellor,shatteredassheis,com—
pletelyintopieces。\"
Here,then,wasthesuggestionofanewdangertowhichweweretobeexposed;thefiremightbeextinguished,thewatermightbegotridofbythepumps,but,afterall,wemustbeatthemercyofthewindandwaves;and,althoughtherockyislandmightaffordatemporaryrefugefromthetempest,whatwastobecomeofpassengersandcrewifthevesselshouldbereducedtoatotalwreck?Imadenoremonstrance,however,tothisviewofourcase,butmerelyaskedM。LetourneurifhehadconfidenceinRobertCurtis?
\"Perfectconfidence,\"heanswered;\"andIacknowledgeitmostgratefully,asaprovidentialcircumstance,thatCap—
tainHuntlyhadgivenhimthecommandintime。What—
evermancandoIknowthatCurtiswillnotleaveundonetoextricateusfromourdilemma。\"
PromptedbythisconversationwithM。LetourneurI
tookthefirstopportunityoftryingtoascertainfromCurtishimselfhowlonghereckonedweshouldbeobligedtore—
mainuponthereef;buthemerelyreplied,thatitmustde—
penduponcircumstances,andthathehopedtheweatherwouldcontinuefavorable。Fortunatelythebarometerisrisingsteadily,andthereiseverysignofaprolongedcalm。
MeantimeCurtisistakingactivemeasuresfortotallyextinguishingthefire。Heisatnogreatpainstosparethecargo,andasthebalesthatliejustabovethelevelofthewaterarestilla—lighthehasresortedtotheexpedientofthoroughlysaturatingtheupperlayersofthecotton,inorderthatthecombustionmaybestifledbetweenthemois—
turedescendingfromaboveandthatascendingfrombelow。
Thisschemehasbroughtthepumpsoncemoreintorequisi—
tion。Atpresentthecrewareadequatetothetaskofwork—
ingthem,butIandsomeofourfellow—passengersarereadytoofferourassistancewheneveritshallbenecessary。
Withnoimmediatedemanduponourlabor,wearethrownuponourownresourcesforpassingourtime。M。
Letourneur,Andre,andmyself,havefrequentconversa—
tions;Ialsodevoteanhourortwotomydiary。Falstenholdslittlecommunicationwithanyofus,butremainsab—
sorbedinhiscalculations,andamuseshimselfbytracingmechanicaldiagramswithground—plan,section,elevation,allcomplete。Itwouldbeahappyinspirationifhecouldinventsomemightyenginethatcouldsetusallafloatagain。
Mr。andMrs。Kear,too,holdthemselvesalooffromtheirfellow—passengers,andwearenotsorrytoberelievedfromthenecessityoflisteningtotheirincessantgrumbling;un—
fortunately,however,theycarryoffMissHerbeywiththem,sothatweenjoylittleornothingoftheyounglady’ssociety。
AsforSilasHuntly,hehasbecomeacompletenonen—
tity;heexists,itistrue,butmerely,itwouldseem,tovegetate。
Hobart,thesteward,anobsequious,slysortoffellow,goesthroughhisroutineofdutiesjustasthoughthevesselwerepursuingherordinarycourse;and,asusual,iscon—
tinuallyfallingoutwithJynxstrop,thecook,animpudent,ill—favorednegro,whointerfereswiththeothersailorsinamannerwhich,Ithink,oughtnottobeallowed。
Sinceitappearslikelythatweshallhaveabundanceoftimeonourhands,IhaveproposedtoM。Letourneurandhissonthatweshalltogetherexplorethereefonwhichwearestranded。Itisnotveryprobablethatweshallbeabletodiscovermuchabouttheoriginofthisstrangeaccumula—
tionofrocks,yettheattemptwillatleastoccupyusforsomehours,andwillrelieveusfromthemonotonyofourconfinementonboard。Besides,asthereefisnotmarkedinanyofthemaps,Icouldnotbutbelievethatitwouldberenderingaservicetohydrographyifweweretotakeanaccurateplanoftherocks,ofwhichCurtiscouldafterwardverifythetruepositionbyasecondobservationmadewithacloserprecisionthantheonehehasalreadytaken。
M。Letourneuragreestomyproposal,Curtishaspromisedtoletushavetheboatandsomesounding—lines,andtoallowoneofthesailorstoaccompanyus;soto—morrowmorning,wehopetomakeourlittlevoyageofinvestigation。
CHAPTERXVIII
WEEXPLORETHEREEF
OCTOBER31toNovember5。——Ourfirstproceedingonthemorningofthe31stwastomaketheproposedtourofthereef,whichisaboutaquarterofamilelong。Withtheaidofoursounding—lineswefoundthatthewaterwasdeep,rightuptotheveryrocks,andthatnoshelvingshorespreventeduscoastingalongthem。Therewasnotashadowofdoubtastotherockbeingofpurelyvolcanicorigin,up—
heavedbysomemightysubterraneanconvulsion。Itisformedofblocksofbasalt,arrangedinperfectorder,ofwhichtheregularprismsgivethewholemasstheeffectofbeingonegiganticcrystal;andtheremarkabletransparencyoftheseaenabledusplainlytoobservethecuriousshaftsoftheprismaticcolumnsthatsupportthemarveloussub—
structure。
\"Thisisindeedasingularisland,\"saidM。Letourneur;
\"evidentlyitisofquiterecentorigin。\"
\"Yes,father,\"saidAndre,\"andIshouldthinkithasbeencausedbyaphenomenonsimilartothosewhichpro—
ducedtheJuliaIsland,offthecoastofSicily,orthegroupoftheSantorini,intheGrecianArchipelago。OnecouldalmostfancythatithadbeencreatedexpresslyfortheChan—
cellortostrandupon。\"
\"Itisverycertain,\"Iobserved,\"thatsomeupheavinghaslatelytakenplace。ThisisbynomeansanunfrequentedpartoftheAtlantic,sothatitisnotatalllikelythatitcouldhaveescapedthenoticeofsailorsifithadbeenalwaysinexistence;yetitisnotmarkedeveninthemostmoderncharts。Wemusttryandexploreitthoroughlyandgivefuturenavigatorsthebenefitofourobservations。\"
\"But,perhaps,itwilldisappearasitcame,\"saidAndre。
\"Youarenodoubtaware,Mr。Kazallon,thatthesevolcanicislandssometimeshaveaverytransitoryexistence。Notim—
possibly,bythetimeitgetsmarkeduponthemapsitmaynolongerbehere。\"
\"Nevermind,myboy,\"answeredhisfather,\"itisbet—
tertogivewarningofadangerthatdoesnotexistthanoverlookonethatdoes。Idaresaythesailorswillnotgrumblemuch,iftheydon’tfindareefwherewehavemarkedone。\"
\"No,Idaresaynot,father,\"saidAndre,\"andafterallthisislandisverylikelyasfirmasacontinent。However,ifitistodisappear,IexpectCaptainCurtiswouldbegladtoseeittakeitsdepartureassoonaspossibleafterhehasfinishedhisrepairs;itwouldsavehimaworldoftroubleingettinghisshipafloat。\"
\"Why,whatafellowyouare,Andre!\"Isaid,laugh—
ing;\"IbelieveyouwouldliketoruleNaturewithamagicwand,firstofall,youwouldcallupareeffromthedepthoftheoceantogivetheChancellortimetoextinguishherflames,andthenyouwouldmakeitdisappearjustthattheshipmightbefreeagain。\"
Andresmiled;then,inamoreserioustone,heexpressedhisgratitudeforthetimelyhelpthathadbeenvouchsafedusinourhourofneed。
Themoreweexaminedtherocksthatformedthebaseofthelittleisland,themorewebecameconvincedthatitsformationwasquiterecent。Notamollusk,notatuftofseaweedwasfoundclingingtothesidesoftherocks;notagermhadthewindcarriedtoitssurface,notabirdhadtakenrefugeamidthecragsuponitssummits。Toaloverofnaturalhistory,thespotdidnotyieldasinglepointofinterest;thegeologistalonewouldfindsubjectofstudyinthebasalticmass。
WhenwereachedthesouthernpointoftheislandIpro—
posedthatweshoulddisembark。Mycompanionsreadilyassented,youngLetourneurjocoselyobservingthatifthelittleislandwasdestinedtovanish,itwasquiterightthatitshouldfirstbevisitedbyhumanbeings。Theboatwasaccordinglybroughtalongside,andwesetfootuponthereef,andbegantoascendthegradualslopethatleadstoitshighestelevation。
Thewalkingwasnotveryrough,andasAndrecouldgetalongtolerablywellwithouttheassistanceofanarm,heledtheway,hisfatherandIfollowingclosebehind。A
quarterofanhoursufficedtobringustotheloftiestpointintheislet,whenweseatedourselvesonthebasalticprismthatcrowneditssummit。