Toourdailyhalf—poundofbiscuitthecaptainhasthoughttoaddafewdropsofbrandy,andthestimulanthelpscon—
siderablytosustainourstrength。Ifwehadthesamepro—
visionsfortwomonths,orevenforone,theremightberoomforhope;butoursuppliesdiminishrapidly,andthetimeisfastapproachingwhenoffoodanddrinktherewillbenone。
Theseahadfurnisheduswithfoodonce,and,difficultasthetaskoffishinghadnowbecome,atallhazardstheattemptmustbemadeagain。Accordinglythecarpenterandtheboatswainsettoworkandmadelinesoutofsomeuntwistedhemp,towhichtheyfixedsomenailsthattheypulledoutoftheflooringoftheraft,andbentintopropershape。Theboatswainregardedhisdevicewithevidentsatisfaction。
\"Idon’tmeantosay,\"saidhetome,\"thatthesenailsarefirst—ratefish—hooks;but,onethingIdoknow,andthatis,withproperbaittheywillactaswellasthebest。Butthisbiscuitisnogoodatall。Letmebutjustgetholdofonefish,andIshallknowfastenoughhowtouseittocatchsomemore。\"
Andthetruedifficultywashowtocatchthefirstfish。Itwasevidentthatfishwerenotabundantinthesewaters,neverthelessthelineswerecast。Butthebiscuitwithwhichtheywerebaiteddissolvedatonceinthewater,andwedidnotgetasinglebite。Fortwodaystheattemptwasmadeinvain,andasitonlyinvolvedwhatseemedalavishwasteofouronlymeansofsubsistence,itwasgivenupinde—
spair。
To—day,the30th,asalastresource,theboatswaintriedwhatapieceofcoloredragmightdobywayofattractingsomevoraciousfish,andhavingobtainedfromMissHer—
beyalittlepieceoftheredshawlshewears,hefastenedittohishook。Butstillnosuccess;forwhen,afterseveralhours,heexaminedhislines,thecrimsonshredwasstillhangingintactashehadfixedit。Themanwasquitedis—
couragedathisfailure。
\"Buttherewillbeplentyofbaitbeforelong,\"hesaidtomeinasolemnundertone。
\"Whatdoyoumean?\"saidI,struckbyhissignificantmanner。
\"You’llknowsoonenough,\"heanswered。
Whatdidheinsinuate?Thewords,comingfromamanusuallysoreserved,havehauntedmeallnight。
CHAPTERXXXVIII
MUTINYAGAIN
JANUARY1to5。——MorethanthreemonthshadelapsedsinceweleftCharlestonintheChancellor,andfornolessthantwentydayshadwenowbeenbornealongonourraftatthemercyofthewindandwaves。WhetherwewereapproachingtheAmericancoast,orwhetherweweredrift—
ingfartherandfarthertosea,itwasnowimpossibletode—
termine,for,inadditiontotheotherdisasterscausedbythehurricane,thecaptain’sinstrumentshadbeenhopelesslysmashed,andCurtishadnolongeranycompassbywhichtodirecthiscourse,norasextantbywhichhemightmakeanobservation。
Desperate,however,asourconditionmightbejudged,hopedidnotentirelyabandonourhearts,anddayafterday,hourafterhourwereoureyesstrainedtowardthefarhorizon,andmanyandmanyatimedidourimaginationshapeoutthedistantland。Buteverandagaintheillusionvanished;acloud,amist,perhapsevenawave,wasallthathaddeceivedus;noland,nosaileverbrokethegraylinethatunitedseaandsky,andourraftremainedthecenterofthewideanddrearywaste。
Onthe1stofJanuary,weswallowedourlastmorselofbiscuit。ThefirstofJanuary!NewYear’sDay!Whatarushofsorrowfulrecollectionsoverwhelmedourminds!
Hadwenotalwaysassociatedtheopeningofanotheryearwithnewhopes,newplans,andcomingjoys?Andnow,wherewerewe?Couldwedaretolookatoneanother,andbreatheaNewYear’sgreeting?
Theboatswainapproachedmewithapeculiarlookonhiscountenance。
\"YouaresurelynotgoingtowishmeahappyNewYear?\"Isaid。
\"Noindeed,sir,\"hereplied,\"Iwasonlygoingtowishyouwellthroughthefirstdayofit;andthatisprettygoodassuranceonmypart,forwehavenotanothercrumbtoeat。\"
Trueasitwas,wescarcelyrealizedthefactoftherebeingactuallynothinguntilonthefollowingmorningthehourcameroundforthedistributionofthescantyration,andthen,indeed,thetruthwasforceduponusinanewandstartlinglight。TowardeveningIwasseizedwithviolentpainsinthestomach,accompaniedbyaconstantdesiretoyawnandgapethatwasmostdistressing;butinacoupleofhourstheextremeagonypassedaway,andonthe3dI
wassurprisedtofindthatIdidnotsuffermore。Ifelt,itistrue,thattherewassomegreatvoidwithinmyself,butthesensationwasquiteasmuchmoralasphysical。MyheadwassoheavythatIcouldnotholditup;itwasswim—
mingwithgiddiness,asthoughIwerelookingoveraprecipice。
Mysymptomswerenotsharedbyallmycompanions,someofwhomenduredthemostfrightfultortures。Dow—
lasandtheboatswainespecially,whowerenaturallylargeeaters,utteredinvoluntarycriesofagony,andwereobligedtogirdthemselvestightlywithropestosubduetheexcru—
ciatingpainthatwasgnawingtheirveryvitals。
Andthiswasonlytheseconddayofourmisery!Whatwouldwenothavegivenforhalf,nay,foraquarterofthemeagerrationwhichafewdaysbackwedeemedsoinade—
quatetosupplyourwants,andwhichnow,ekedoutcrumbbycrumb,might,perhaps,serveforseveraldays?Inthestreetsofabesiegedcity,direasthedistressmaybe,somegutter,somerubbish—heap,somecornermayyetbefoundthatwillfurnishadryboneorascrapofrefusethatmayforamomentallaythepangsofhunger;butthesebareplanks,somanytimeswashedcleanbytherelentlesswaves,offernothingtooureagersearch,andaftereveryfragmentoffoodthatthewindhascarriedintotheintersticeshasbeenscrapedoutanddevoured,ourresourcesareliterallyatanend。
Thenightsseemevenlongerthanthedays。Sleep,whenitcomes,bringsnorelief;itisratherafeverishstupor,brokenanddisturbedbyfrightfulnightmares。Lastnight,however,overcomebyfatigue,Imanagedtorestforsev—
eralhours。
Atsixo’clockthismorningIwasrousedbythesoundofangryvoices,and,startingup,IsawOwenandJynxstrop,withFlaypole,Wilson,Burke,andSandon,standinginathreateningattitude。Theyhadtakenposses—
sionofthecarpenter’stools,andnow,armedwithhatchets,chisels,andhammers,theywerepreparingtoattackthecaptain,theboatswain,andDowlas。IattachedmyselfinamomenttoCurtis’sparty。Falstenfollowedmyex—
ample,andalthoughourknivesweretheonlyweaponsatourdisposal,wewerereadytodefendourselvestotheverylastextremity。
Owenandhismenadvancedtowardus。Themiserablewretcheswerealldrunk,forduringthenighttheyhadknockedaholeinthebrandy—barrel,andhadrecklesslyswal—
loweditscontents。Whattheywantedtheyscarcelyseemedtoknow,butOwenandJynxstrop,notquitesomuchintox—
icatedastherest,seemedtobeurgingthemontomassacrethecaptainandtheofficers。
\"Downwiththecaptain!OverboardwithCurtis!
Owenshalltakethecommand!\"theyshoutedfromtimetotimeintheirdrunkenfury;and,armedastheywere,theyappearedcompletelymastersofthesituation。
\"Now,then,downwithyourarms!\"saidCurtissternly,asheadvancedtomeetthem。
\"Overboardwiththecaptain!\"howledOwen,asbywordandgestureheurgedonhisaccomplices。
Curtispushedasidetheexcitedrascals,and,walkingstraightuptoOwen,askedhimwhathewanted。
\"Whatdowewant?Why,wewantnomorecaptains;
weareallequalsnow。\"
Poorstupidfool!asthoughmiseryandprivationhadnotalreadyreducedusalltothesamelevel。
\"Owen,\"saidthecaptainonceagain,\"downwithyourarms!\"
\"Comeon,allofyou,\"shoutedOwentohiscompanions,withoutgivingtheslightestheedtoCurtis’swords。
Aregularstruggleensued。OwenandWilsonattackedCurtis,whodefendedhimselfwithapieceofspar;BurkeandFlaypolerusheduponFalstenandtheboatswain,whileIwaslefttoconfrontthenegroJynxstrop,whoattemptedtostrikemewiththehammerwhichhebrandishedinhishand。
Iendeavoredtoparalyzehismovementsbypinioninghisarms,buttherascalwasmysuperiorinmuscularstrength。
Afterwrestlingforafewminutes,Ifeltthathewasgettingthemasteryoverme,whenallofasuddenherolledoverontotheplatform,draggingmewithhim。AndreLetour—
neurhadcaughtholdofoneofhislegs,andthussavedmylife。Jynxstropdroppedhisweaponinhisfall;Iseizeditinstantly,andwasabouttocleavethefellow’sskull,whenI
wasmyselfarrestedbyAndre’shanduponmyarm。
Bythistimethemutineershadbeendrivenbacktotheforepartoftheraft,andCurtis,whohadmanagedtoparrytheblowswhichhadbeenaimedathim,hadcaughtholdofahatchet,withwhichhewaspreparingtostrikeOwen。
ButOwenmadeasidelongmovementtoavoidtheblow,andtheweaponcaughtWilsonfullinthechest。Theunfor—
tunatemanrolledoverthesideoftheraftandinstantlydis—
appeared。
\"Savehim!savehim!\"shoutedtheboatswain。
\"It’stoolate;he’sdead!\"saidDowlas。
\"Ah,well!he’lldofor——\"begantheboatswain;buthedidnotfinishhissentence。
Wilson’sdeath,however,putanendtothefray。Flay—
poleandBurkewerelyingprostrateinadrunkenstupor,andJynxstropwassoonoverpowered,andlashedtightlytothefootofthemast。ThecarpenterandboatswainseizedholdofOwen。
\"Nowthen,\"saidCurtis,asheraisedhisblood—stainedhatchet,\"makeyourpeacewithGod,foryouhavenotamomenttolive。\"
\"Oh,youwanttoeatme,doyou?\"sneeredOwen,withthemosthardenedeffrontery。
Buttheaudaciousreplysavedhislife;Curtisturnedaspaleasdeath,thehatchetdroppedfromhishand,andhewentandseatedhimselfmoodilyonthefarthestcorneroftheraft。
CHAPTERXXXIX
AFATHER’SLOVE
JANUARY5and6。——Thewholescenemadeadeepimpres—
siononourminds,andOwen’sspeechcomingasasortofclimax,broughtbeforeusourmiserywithaforcethatwaswell—nighoverwhelming。
AssoonasIrecoveredmycomposure,IdidnotforgettothankAndreLetourneurfortheactofinterventionthathadsavedmylife。
\"Doyouthankmeforthat,Mr。Kazallon?\"hesaid;\"ithasonlyservedtoprolongyourmisery。\"
\"Nevermind,M。Letourneur,\"saidMissHerbey;\"youdidyourduty。\"
Enfeebledandemaciatedastheyounggirlis,hersenseofdutyneverdesertsher;andalthoughhertornandbe—
draggledgarmentsfloatdejectedlyaboutherbody,sheneveruttersawordofcomplaint,andneverlosescourage。
\"Mr。Kazallon,\"shesaidtome,\"doyouthinkwearefatedtodieofhunger?\"
\"Yes,MissHerbey,Ido,\"Ireplied,inahard,coldtone。
\"Howlongdoyousupposewehavetolive?\"sheaskedagain。
\"Icannotsay;perhapsweshalllingeronlongerthanweimagine。\"
\"Thestrongestconstitutionssufferthemost,dotheynot?\"shesaid。
\"Yes;buttheyhaveoneconsolation——theydiethesoon—
est,\"Ireplied,coldly。
Hadeverysparkofhumanitydiedoutofmybreast,thatIthusbroughtthegirlfacetofacewiththeterribletruth,withoutawordofhopeorcomfort?TheeyesofAndreandhisfather,dilatedwithhunger,werefixeduponme,andIsawreproachandastonishmentwrittenintheirfaces。
Afterward,whenwewerequitealone,MissHerbeyaskedmeifIwouldgrantherafavor。
\"Certainly,MissHerbey;anythingyouliketoask,\"I
replied;andthistimemymannerwaskinderandmoregenial。
\"Mr。Kazallon,\"shesaid,\"Iamweakerthanyou,andshallprobablydiefirst。Promisemethat,ifIdo,youwillthrowmeintothesea!\"
\"Oh,MissHerbey,\"Ibegan,\"itwasverywrongofmetospeaktoyouasIdid!\"
\"No,no,\"shereplied,halfsmiling;\"youwerequiteright。Butitisaweaknessofmine;Idon’tmindwhattheydowithmeaslongasIamalive,butwhenIamdead——\"
Shestoppedandshuddered。\"Oh,promisemethatyouwillthrowmeintothesea!\"
Igaveherthemelancholypromise,whichsheacknowl—
edgedbypressingmyhandfeeblywithheremaciatedfingers。
Anothernightpassedaway。Attimesmysufferingsweresointensethatcriesofagonyinvoluntarilyescapedmylips;
thenIbecamecalmer,andsankintoakindoflethargy。
WhenIawoke,Iwassurprisedtofindmycompanionsstillalive。
TheoneofourpartywhoseemstobearhisprivationsthebestisHobartthesteward,amanwithwhomhithertoIhavehadverylittletodo。Heissmall,withafawningexpressionremarkableforitsindecision,andhasasmilewhichisincessantlyplayingroundhislips;hegoesaboutwithhiseyeshalfclosed,asthoughhewishedtoconcealhisthoughts,andthereissomethingaltogetherfalseandhypocriticalabouthiswholedemeanor。Icannotsaythathebearshisprivationswithoutamurmur,forhesighsandmoansincessantly;but,withitall,Icannotbutthinkthatthereisawantofgenuinenessinhismanner,andthattheprivationhasnotreallytolduponhimasmuchasithasupontherestofus。Ihavemysuspicionsabouttheman,andintendtowatchhimcarefully。
To—day,the6th,M。Letourneurdrewmeasidetothesternoftheraft,sayinghehadasecrettocommunicate,butthathewishedneithertobeseennorheardspeakingtome。I
withdrewwithhimtothelarboardcorneroftheraft,and,asitwasgrowingdusk,nobodyobservedwhatweweredoing。
\"Mr。Kazallon,\"M。Letourneurbegan,inalowvoice,\"Andreisdyingofhunger;heisgrowingweakerandweaker,andoh!Icannot,willnot,seehimdie!\"
Hespokepassionately,almostfiercely,andIfullyunder—
stoodhisfeelings。Takinghishand,Itriedtoreassurehim。
\"Wewillnotdespairyet,\"Isaid;\"perhapssomepass—
ingship——\"
\"Ship!\"hecried,impatiently,\"don’ttrytoconsolemewithemptycommonplaces;youknowaswellasIdothatthereisnochanceoffallinginwithapassingship。\"Then,breakingoffsuddenly,heasked:\"Howlongisitsincemysonandallofyouhavehadanythingtoeat?\"
Astonishedathisquestion,Irepliedthatitwasnowfourdayssincethebiscuithadfailed。
\"Fourdays,\"herepeated;\"well,then,itiseightsinceI
havetastedanything。Ihavebeensavingmyshareformyson。\"
Tearsrushedtomyeyes;forafewmomentsIwasunabletospeak,andcouldonlyoncemoregrasphishandinsilence。
\"Whatdoyouwantmetodo?\"Iasked,atlength。
\"Hush!notsoloud;someonewillhearus,\"hesaid,low—
eringhisvoice;\"IwantyoutoofferittoAndreasthoughitcamefromyourself。Hewouldnotacceptitfromme;hewouldthinkIhadbeendeprivingmyselfforhim。Letmeimploreyoutodomethisservice;andforyourtrouble,\"——
andherehegentlystrokedmyhand——\"foryourtroubleyoushallhaveamorselforyourself。\"
ItrembledlikeachildasIlistenedtothepoorfather’swords;andmyheartwasreadytoburstwhenIfeltatinypieceofbiscuitslippedintomyhand。
\"Giveithim,\"M。Letourneurwentonunderhisbreath,\"giveithim;butdonotletanyoneseeyou;themonsterswouldmurderyouiftheyknewit!Thisisonlyforto—
day;Iwillgiveyousomemoreto—morrow。\"
Thepoorfellowdidnottrustme——andwellhemightnot——forIhadthegreatestdifficultytowithstandthetempta—
tiontocarrythebiscuittomymouth。ButIresistedtheimpulse,andthosealonewhohavesufferedlikemecanknowwhattheeffortwas。
Nightcameonwiththerapiditypeculiartotheselowlati—
tudes,andIglidedgentlyuptoAndre,andslippedthepieceofbiscuitintohishandas\"apresentfrommyself。\"
Theyoungmanclutchedatiteagerly。
\"Butmyfather?\"hesaid,inquiringly。
IassuredhimthathisfatherandIhadeachhadourshare,andthathemusteatthisnow,andperhapsIshouldbeabletobringhimsomemoreanothertime。Andreaskednomorequestions,andeagerlydevouredthemorseloffood。
Sothiseveningatleast,notwithstandingM。Letourneur’soffer,Ihavetastednothing。
CHAPTERXL
DEATHOFLIEUTENANTWALTER
JANUARY7。——Duringthelastfewdays,sincethewindhasfreshened,thesaltwaterconstantlydashingovertherafthasterriblypunishedthefeetandlegsofsomeofthesailors。Owen,whomtheboatswaineversincetherevolthaskeptboundtothemast,isinadeplorablestate,and,atourrequest,hasbeenreleasedfromhisrestraint。SandonandBurkearealsosufferingfromtheseveresmartingcausedinthisway,anditisonlyowingtoourmoreshelteredpositionontheaft—partoftheraft,thatwehavenotallsharedthesameinconvenience。
To—daytheboatswain,maddenedbystarvation,laidhandsuponeverythingthatmethisvoraciouseyes,andIcouldhearthegratingofhisteethashegnawedatfragmentsofsailsandbitsofwood,instinctivelyendeavoringtofillhisstomachbyputtingthemucusintocirculation。Atlength,bydintofaneagersearch,hecameuponapieceofleatherhangingtooneofthesparsthatsupportedtheplatform。
Hesnatcheditoffanddevoureditgreedily;and,asitwasanimalmatter,itreallyseemedasthoughtheabsorptionofthesubstanceaffordedhimsometemporaryrelief。In—
stantlyweallfollowedhisexample;aleatherhat,therimsofcaps,inshort,anythingthatcontainedanyanimalmatteratall,weregnawedandsuckedwiththeutmostavidity。
NevershallIforgetthescene。Wewerenolongerhuman——theimpulsesandinstinctsofbrutebeastsseemedtoactuateoureverymovement。
Foramomentthepangsofhungerweresomewhatallayed;butsomeofusrevoltedagainsttheloathsomefood,andwereseizedeitherwithviolentnauseaorabsolutesick—
ness。Imustbepardonedforgivingthesedistressingde—
tails;buthowotherwisecanIdepictthemisery,moralandphysical,whichweareenduring?Andwithitall,Idarenotventuretohopethatwehavereachedtheclimaxofoursufferings。
TheconductofHobart,duringthescenethatIhavejustdescribed,hasonlyservedtoconfirmmyprevioussuspicionsofhim。Hetooknopartinthealmostfiendishenergywithwhichwegnawedatourscrapsofleather;and,althoughbyhisconductofperpetualgroanings,hemightbeconsideredtobedyingofinanition,yettomehehastheappearanceofbeingsingularlyexemptfromthetortureswhichweareallenduring。Butwhetherthehypocriteisbeingsustainedbysomesecretstoreoffood,Ihavebeenunabletodiscover。
Wheneverthebreezedropstheheatisoverpowering;butalthoughourallowanceofwaterisverymeager,atpresentthepangsofhungerfarexceedthepainofthirst。Ithasoftenbeenremarkedthatextremethirstisfarlessendurablethanextremehunger。Isitpossiblethatstillgreateragoniesareinstoreforus?Icannot,darenot,believeit。For—
tunately,thebrokenbarrelstillcontainsafewpintsofwater,andtheotheronehasnotyetbeenopened。ButIamgladtosaythatnotwithstandingourdiminishednumbers,andinspiteofsomeopposition,thecaptainhasthoughtrighttoreducethedailyallowancetohalfapintforeachperson。
Asforthebrandy,ofwhichthereisonlyaquartnowleft,ithasbeenstowedawaysafelyinthesternoftheraft。
Thiseveninghasendedthesufferingsofanotherofourcompanions,makingournumbernowonlyfourteen。MyattentionsandMissHerbey’snursingcoulddonothingforLieutenantWalter,andabouthalf—pastsevenheexpiredinmyarms。
Beforehedied,inafewbrokenwords,hethankedMissHerbeyandmyselfforthekindnesswehadshownhim。A
crumpledletterfellfromhishand,andinavoicethatwasscarcelyaudiblefromweakness,hesaid:
\"Itismymother’sletter;thelastIhadfromher——shewasexpectingmehome;butshewillneverseememore。
Oh,putittomylips——letmekissitbeforeIdie。Mother!
mother!Oh,myGod!\"
Iplacedtheletterinhiscoldhand,andraisedittohislips;hiseyelightedforamoment;weheardthefaintsoundofakiss;andallwasover!
CHAPTERXLI
HUMANFLESHFORBAIT
JANUARY8。——AllnightIremainedbythesideofthepoorfellow’scorpse,andseveraltimesMissHerbeyjoinedmeinmymournfulwatch。
Beforedaylightdawned,thebodywasquitecold,andasIknewtheremustbenodelayinthrowingitoverboard,I
askedCurtistoassistmeinthesadoffice。Thebodywasfrightfullyemaciated,andIhadeveryhopethatitwouldnotfloat。
Assoonasitwasquitelight,takingeveryprecautionthatnooneshouldseewhatwewereabout,CurtisandIpro—
ceededtoourmelancholytask。Wetookafewarticlesfromthelieutenant’spockets,whichwepurposed,ifeitherofusshouldsurvive,toremittohismother。Butaswewrappedhiminhistatteredgarmentsthatwouldhavetosufficeforhiswindingsheet,Istartedbackwithathrillofhorror。Therightfoothadgone,leavingthelegableedingstump。
Nodoubtthat,overcomebyfatigue,Imusthavefallenasleepforanintervalduringthenight,andsomeonehadtakenadvantageofmyslumbertomutilatethecorpse。Butwhocouldhavebeenguiltyofsofouladeed?Curtislookedaroundwithangerflashinginhiseye;butallseemedasusual,andthesilencewasonlybrokenbyafewgroansofagony。
Buttherewasnotimetobelost;perhapswewerealreadyobserved,andmorehorriblescenesmightbelikelytooccur。
Curtissaidafewshortprayers,andwecastthebodyintothesea。Itsankimmediately。
\"Theyarefeedingthesharkswell,andnomistake,\"saidavoicebehindme。
Iturnedroundquickly,andfoundthatitwasJynxstropwhohadspoken。
Astheboatswainnowapproached,Iaskedhimwhetherhethoughtitpossiblethatanyofthewretchedmencouldhavetakenthedeadman’sfoot。
\"Oh,yes,Idaresay,\"herepliedinasignificanttone,\"andperhapstheythoughttheywereright。\"
\"Right!whatdoyoumean?\"Iexclaimed。
\"Well,sir,\"hesaidcoldly,\"isn’titbettertoeatadeadmanthanalivingone?\"
Iwasatalosstocomprehendhim,and,turningaway,laidmyselfdownattheendoftheraft。
Towardeleveno’clockamostsuspiciousincidentoccurred。
Theboatswain,whohadcasthislinesearlyinthemorning,caughtthreelargecod,eachmorethanthirtyincheslong,ofthespecieswhich,whendried,isknownbythenameofstock—fish。Scarcelyhadhehauledthemonboardwhenthesailorsmadeadashatthem,anditwaswiththeutmostdif—
ficultythatCurtis,Falstenandmyselfcouldrestoreorder,sothatwemightdividethefishintoequalportions。Threecodwerenotmuchamongfourteenstarvingpersons,but,smallasthequantitywas,itwasallottedinstrictlyequalshares。Mostofusdevouredthefoodraw,almostImightsay,alive;onlyCurtis,Andre,andMissHerbeyhavingthepatiencetowaituntiltheirallowancehadbeenboiledatafirewhichtheymadewithafewscrapsofwood。Formy—
self,IconfessthatIswallowedmyportionoffishasitwas——rawandbleeding。M。Letourneurfollowedmyexample;
thepoormandevouredhisfoodlikeafamishedwolf,anditisonlyawondertomehow,afterhislengthenedfast,hecametobealiveatall。
Theboatswain’sdelightathissuccesswasexcessive,andamountedalmosttodelirium。Iwentuptohim,anden—
couragedhimtorepeathisattempt。
\"Oh,yes,\"hesaid;\"I’lltryagain。I’lltryagain。\"
\"Andwhynottryatonce?\"Iasked。
\"Notnow,\"hesaidevasively;\"thenightisthebesttimeforcatchinglargefish。Besides,Imustmanagetogetsomebait,forwehavebeenimprovidentenoughnottosaveasinglescrap。\"
\"Butyouhavesucceededoncewithoutbait;whymayyounotsucceedagain?\"
\"Oh,Ihadsomeverygoodbaitlastnight,\"hesaid。
Istaredathiminamazement。Hesteadilyreturnedmygaze,butsaidnothing。
\"Haveyounoneleft?\"atlastIasked。
\"Yes!\"healmostwhispered,andleftmewithoutanotherword。
Ourmeal,meagerasithadbeen,servedtorallyourshat—
teredenergies;ourhopeswereslightlyraised;therewasnoreasonwhytheboatswainshouldnothavethesamegoodluckagain。
Oneevidenceofthedegreetowhichourspiritswerere—
vivedwasthatourmindswerenolongerfixeduponthemiserablepresentandhopelessfuture,butwebegantorecallanddiscussthepast;andM。Letourneur,Andre,Mr。Fal—
stenandI,heldalongconversationwiththecaptainaboutthevariousincidentsofoureventfulvoyage,speakingofourlostcompanions,ofthefire,orthestrandingoftheship,ofoursojournonHamRock,ofthespringingoftheleak,ofourterriblevoyageinthetop—masts,oftheconstructionoftheraft,andofthestorm。Allthesethingsseemedtohavehappenedsolongago,andyetwewerelivingstill。Living,didIsay?Ay,ifsuchanexistenceasourscouldbecalledalife,fourteenofuswerelivingstill。Whowouldbethenexttogo?Weshouldthenbethirteen。
\"Anunluckynumber!\"saidAndre,withamournfulsmile。
Duringthenighttheboatswaincasthislinesfromthesternoftheraft,and,unwillingtotrustthemtoanyoneelse,remainedwatchingthemhimself。InthemorningI
wenttoascertainwhatsuccesshadattendedhispatience。Itwasscarcelylight,andwitheagereyeshewaspeeringdownintothewater。Hehadneitherseennorheardmecoming。
\"Well,boatswain!\"Isaid,touchinghimontheshoulder。
Heturnedroundquickly。
\"Thosevillainoussharkshaveeateneverymorselofmybait,\"hesaid,inadespondingvoice。
\"Andyouhavenomoreleft?\"Iasked。
\"Nomore,\"hesaid。Thengraspingmyarm,headded,\"andthatonlyshowsmethatitisnogooddoingthingsbyhalves。\"
Thetruthflasheduponmeatonce,andIlaidmyhanduponhismouth。PoorWalter!
CHAPTERXLII
OXIDEOFCOPPERPOISONING
JANUARY9and10。——Onthe9ththewinddropped,andtherewasadeadcalm;notarippledisturbedthesurfaceofthelongundulationsastheyroseandfellbeneathus;andifitwerenotfortheslightcurrentwhichiscarryingusweknownotwhither,theraftwouldbeabsolutelystationary。
Theheatwasintolerable;ourthirstmoreintolerablestill;
andnowitwasthatforthefirsttimeIfullyrealizedhowtheinsufficiencyofdrinkcouldcausetorturemoreunendurablethanthepangsofhunger。Mouth,throat,pharynx,allalikewereparchedanddry,everyglandbecominghardashornundertheactionofthehotairwebreathed。Atmyurgentsolicitation,thecaptainwasforonceinducedtodoubleourallowanceofwater;andthisrelaxationoftheordinaryruleenabledustoattempttoslakeourthirstfourtimesintheday,insteadofonlytwice。Iusetheword\"attempt\"advisedly;
forthewateratthebottomofthebarrelthoughkeptcoveredbyasail,becamesowarmthatitwasperfectlyflatandunrefreshing。
Itwasamosttryingday,andthesailorsrelapsedintoaconditionofdeepdespondency。Themoonwasnearlyfull,butwhensherosethebreezedidnotreturn。Continuanceofhightemperatureindaytimeisasureproofthatwehavebeencarriedfartothesouth,andhere,onthisillimitableocean,wehavelongceasedeventolookforland;itmightalmostseemasthoughthisglobeofourshadveritablybe—
comealiquidsphere!
To—daywearestillbecalmed,andthetemperatureisashighasever。Theairisheatedlikeafurnace,andthesunscorcheslikefire。Thetormentsoffamineareallforgotten;
ourthoughtsareconcentratedwithfeveredexpectationuponthelonged—formomentwhenCurtisshalldoleoutthescantymeasureoflukewarmwaterthatmakesupourration。Ohforonegooddraught,evenifitshouldexhaustthewholesupply!Atleast,itseemsasifwethencoulddieinpeace!
Aboutnoonwewerestartledbysharpcriesofagony,andlookinground,IsawOwenwrithinginthemosthorribleconvulsions。Iwenttowardhim,for,detestableashiscon—
ducthadbeen,commonhumanitypromptedmetoseewhetherIcouldaffordhimanyrelief。ButbeforeIreachedhim,ashoutfromFlaypolearrestedmyattention。Themanwasupinthemast,andwithgreatexcitementpointingtotheeast。
\"Aship!Aship!\"hecried。
Inaninstantallwereontheirfeet。EvenOwenstoppedhiscriesandstooderect。Itwasquitetruethatinthedirec—
tionindicatedbyFlaypoletherewasawhitespeckvisibleuponthehorizon。Butdiditmove?Wouldthesailorswiththeirkeenvisionpronounceittobeasail?Asilencethemostprofoundfelluponusall。IglancedatCurtisashestoodwithfoldedarmsintentlygazingatthedistantpoint。Hisbrowwasfurrowed,andhecontractedeveryfea—
ture,aswithhalf—closedeyesheconcentratedhispowerofvisionuponthatonefaintspotinthefaroffhorizon。
Butatlengthhedroppedhisarmsandshookhishead。I
lookedagain,butthespotwasnolongerthere。Ifitwereaship,thatshiphaddisappeared;butprobablyithadbeenamerereflection,or,morelikelystill,onlythecrestofsomecurlingwave。
Adeepdejectionfollowedthisphantomrayofhope。Allreturnedtotheiraccustomedplaces。Curtisaloneremainedmotionless,buthiseyenolongerscannedthedistantview。
Owennowbegantoshriekmorewildlythanever。Hepresentedtrulyamostmelancholysight;hewrithedwiththemosthideouscontortions,andhadalltheappearanceofsufferingfromtetanus。Histhroatwascontractedbyre—
peatedspasms,histonguewasparched,hisbodyswollen,andhispulse,thoughfeeble,wasrapidandirregular。Thepoorwretch’ssymptomswerepreciselysuchastoleadustosus—
pectthathehadtakensomecorrosivepoison。Ofcourseitwasquiteoutofourpowertoadministeranyantidote;allthatwecoulddevisewastomakehimswallowsomethingthatmightactasanemetic。IaskedCurtisforalittleofthelukewarmwater。Asthecontentsofthebrokenbarrelwerenowexhausted,thecaptain,inordertocomplywithmyrequest,wasabouttotaptheotherbarrel,whenOwenstartedsuddenlytohisknees,andwithawild,unearthlyshriek,exclaimed:
\"No!no!no!ofthatwaterIwillnottouchadrop。\"
Isupposedhedidnotunderstandwhatweweregoingtodo,andendeavoredtoexplain;butallinvain;hepersistedinrefusingtotastethewaterinthesecondbarrel。Ithentriedtoinducevomitingbyticklinghisuvula,andhebroughtoffsomebluishsecretionfromhisstomach,thecharacterofwhichconfirmedourprevioussuspicions——thathehadbeenpoisonedbyoxideofcopper。Wenowfeltconvincedthatanyeffortonourparttosavehimwouldbeofnoavail。
Thevomiting,however,hadforthetimerelievedhim,andhewasabletospeak。
CurtisandIbothimploredhimtoletusknowwhathehadtakentobringaboutconsequencessoserious。Hisreplyfelluponusasastartlingblow。
Theill—fatedwretchhadstolenseveralpintsofwaterfromthebarrelthathadbeenuntouched,andthatwaterhadpoisonedhim!
CHAPTERXLIII
OWEN’SDEATH
JANUARY11to14。——Owen’sconvulsionsreturnedwithin—
creasedviolence,andinthecourseofthenightheexpiredinterribleagony。Hisbodywasthrownoverboardalmostdirectly,ithaddecomposedsorapidlythatthefleshhadnotevenconsistencyenoughforanyfragmentsofittobere—
servedfortheboatswaintousetobaithislines。Aplaguethemanhadbeentousinhislife;inhisdeathhewasnowofnoservice!
Andnow,perhapsstillmorethanever,didthehorrorofoursituationstareusintheface。Therewasnodoubtthatthepoisonedbarrelhadatsometimeorothercontainedcopperas;butwhatstrangefatalityhadconverteditintoawatercask,orwhatfatality,strangerstill,hadcausedittobebroughtonboardtheraft,wasaproblemthatnonecouldsolve。Little,however,diditmatternow;thefactwasevi—
dent——thebarrelwaspoisoned,andofwaterwehadnotadrop。
Oneandall,wefellintothegloomiestsilence。Weweretooirritabletobearthesoundofeachother’svoices;anditdidnotrequireaword——amerelookorgesturewasenough——toprovokeustoangerthatwaslittleshortofmadness。
Howitwasthatwedidnotallbecomeravingmaniacs,Ican—
nottell。
Throughoutthe12thnodrainofmoisturecrossedourlips,andnotacloudarosetowarranttheexpectationofapassingshower;intheshade,ifshadeitmightbecalled,thethermometerwouldhaveregisteredatleast100deg。,andper—
hapsconsiderablymore。
Nochangenextday。Thesaltwaterbegantochafemylegs,butalthoughthesmartingwasattimessevere,itwasaninconveniencetowhichIgavelittleheed;otherswhohadsufferedfromthesametroublehadbecomenoworse。Oh!
ifthiswaterthatsurroundsuscouldbereducedtovaporortoice!itsparticlesofsaltextracted,itwouldbeavailablefordrink。Butno!wehavenoappliances,andwemustsufferon。
Attheriskofbeingdevouredbythesharks,theboat—
swainandtwosailorstookamorningbath,andastheirplungeseemedtofreshenthem,Iandthreeofmycom—
panionsresolvedtofollowtheirexample。Wehadneverlearnedtoswim,andhadtobefastenedtotheendofaropeandloweredintothewater,whileCurtis,duringthehalfhourofourbath,keptasharplookouttogivewarningofanydangerfromapproachingsharks。Norecommenda—
tion,however,onourpart,noranyrepresentationofthebenefitwefeltwehadderived,couldinduceMissHerbeytoallayhersufferingsinthesameway。
Atabouteleveno’clock,thecaptaincameuptome,andwhisperedinmyear:
\"Don’tsayaword,Mr。Kazallon;Idonotwanttoraisefalsehopes,butIthinkIseeaship。\"
Itwasaswellthatthecaptainhadwarnedme;otherwise,Ishouldhaveraisedaninvoluntaryshoutofjoy;asitwasIhadthegreatestdifficultyinrestrainingmyexpressionsofdelight。
\"Lookbehindtolarboard,\"hecontinuedinanundertone。
AffectinganindifferencewhichIwasfarfromfeeling,I
castananxiousglancetothatquarterofthehorizonofwhichhespoke,andthere,althoughminewasnotanauticaleye,Icouldplainlydistinguishtheoutlineofashipundersail。
Almostatthesamemomenttheboatswainwhohappenedtobelookinginthesamedirection,raisedthecry,\"Shipahoy!\"
Whetheritwasthatnoonebelievedit,orwhetherallenergieswereexhausted,certainitisthattheannouncementproducednoneoftheeffectsthatmighthavebeenexpected。
Notasoulexhibitedtheslightestemotion,anditwasonlywhentheboatswainhadseveraltimessungouthistidingsthatalleyesturnedtothehorizon。There,mostundeniably,wastheship,butthequestionroseatoncetothemindsofall,andtothelipsofmany,\"Wouldsheseeus?\"
Thesailorsimmediatelybegandiscussingthebuildofthevessel,andmadeallsortsofconjecturesastothedirectionshewastaking。Curtiswasfarmoredeliberateinhisjudg—
ment。Afterexaminingherattentivelyforsometime,hesaid,\"Sheisabrigrunningcloseuponthewind,onthestar—
boardtack。Ifshekeepshercourseforacoupleofhours,shewillcomerightathwartourtracks。\"
Acoupleofhours!Thewordssoundedtoourearslikeacoupleofcenturies。Theshipmightchangehercourseatanymoment;closelytrimmedasshewas,itwasveryprobablethatshewasonlytackingabouttocatchthewind,inwhichcase,assoonasshefeltabreeze,shewouldr俿um?
herlarboardtackandmakeawayagain。Ontheotherhand,ifshewasreallysailingwiththewind,shewouldcomenearertous,andtherewouldbegoodgroundforhope。
Meantime,noexertionmustbespared,andnomeansleftuntried,tomakeourpositionknown。Thebrigwasabouttwelvemilestotheeastofus,sothatitwasoutoftheques—
tiontothinkofanycriesofoursbeingoverheard;butCurtisgavedirectionsthateverypossiblesignalshouldbemade。
Wehadnofirearmsbywhichwecouldattractattention,andnothingelseoccurredtousbeyondhoistingaflagofdistress。
MissHerbey’sredshawl,asbeingofacolormostdistin—
guishableagainstthebackgroundofseaandsky,wasrunuptothemast—head,andwascaughtbythelightbreezethatjustthenwasrufflingthesurfaceofthewater。Asadrown—
ingmanclutchesatastraw,soourheartsboundedwithhopeeverytimethatourpoorflagflutteredinthewind。
Foranhourourfeelingsalternatedbetweenhopeanddespair。Theshipwasevidentlymakingherwayinthedi—
rectionoftheraft,buteverynowandthensheseemedtostop,andthenourheartswouldalmoststandstillwithagonylestshewasgoingtoputabout。Shecarriedallhercanvas,eventoherroyalsandstay—sails,butherhullwasonlypartiallyvisibleabovethehorizon。
Howslowlysheadvanced!Thebreezewasvery,veryfeeble,andperhapssoonitwoulddropaltogether!Wefeltthatwewouldgiveyearsofourlifetoknowtheresultofthecominghour。
Athalfpasttwelvethecaptainandtheboatswaincon—
sideredthatthebrigwasaboutninemilesaway;shehad,therefore,gainedonlythreemilesinanhourandahalf,anditwasdoubtfulwhetherthelightbreezethathadbeenpassingoverourheadshadreachedheratall。Ifancied,too,thathersailswerenolongerfilled,butwerehanginglooseagainsthermasts。Turningtothedirectionofthewind,Itriedtomakeoutsomechanceofarisingbreeze;
butno,thewaveswerecalmandtorpid,andthelittlepuffofairthathadarousedourhopeshaddiedawayacrossthesea。
IstoodaftwithM。Letourneur,AndreandMissHerbey,andourglancesperpetuallywanderedfromthedistantshiptoourcaptain’sface。Curtisstoodleaningagainstthemast,withtheboatswainbyhisside;theireyesseemedneverforamomenttoceasetowatchthebrig,buttheircountenancesclearlyexpressedthevaryingemotionsthatpassedthroughtheirminds。Notawordwasuttered,norwasthesilencebroken,untilthecarpenterexclaimed,inaccentsofdespair:
\"She’sputtingabout!\"
Allstartedup——sometotheirknees,otherstotheirfeet。
Theboatswaindroppedafrightfuloath。Theshipwasstillninemilesaway,andatsuchadistanceitwasimpossibleforoursignaltobeseen;ourtinyraft,amerespeckuponthewaters,wouldbelostintheintenseirradiationofthesun—
beams。Ifonlywecouldbeseen,nodoubtallwouldbewell;nocaptainwouldhavethebarbarousinhumanitytoleaveustoourfate;buttherehadbeennochance;onlytoowellweknewthatwehadnotbeenwithinrangeofsight。
\"Myfriends,\"saidCurtis,\"wemustmakeafire;itisourlastandonlychance。\"
Someplankswerequicklyloosenedandthrownintoaheapupontheforepartoftheraft。Theyweredampandtroublesometolight;buttheverydampnessmadethesmokemoredense,anderelongatallcolumnofduskyfumeswasrisingstraightupwardintheair。Ifdarknessshouldcomeonbeforethebrigwascompletelyoutofview,theflames,wehopedmightstillbevisible。Butthehourspassedon;
thefirediedout;andyetnosignsofhelp。
Thetemperofresignationnowdesertedmeentirely;
faith,hope,confidence——allvanishedfrommymind,and,liketheboatswain,Isworelongandloudly。Agentlehandwaslaiduponmyarm,andturningroundIsawMissHerbeywithherfingerpointingtothesky。Icouldstanditnolonger,butglidingunderneaththetentIhidmyfaceinmyhandsandweptaloud。
Meanwhilethebrighadalteredhertrack,andwasmovingslowlytotheeast。Threehourslaterandthekeenesteyecouldnothavediscernedhertop—sailsabovethehorizon。
CHAPTERXLIV
THEDEPTHSOFDESPAIR
JANUARY15。——Afterthisfurthershatteringofourex—
citedhopes,deathalonenowstaresusintheface;slowandlingeringasthatdeathmaybe,soonerorlateritmustin—
evitablycome。
To—daysomecloudsthatroseinthewesthavebroughtusafewpuffsofwind;andinspiteofourprostration,weap—
preciatethemoderation,slightasitis,inthetemperature。
Tomyparchedthroattheairseemedalittlelesstrying;butitisnowsevendayssincetheboatswaintookhishauloffish,andduringthatperiodwehadeatennothing;evenAndreLetourneurfinishedyesterday,thelastmorselofthebiscuitwhichhissorrowfulandself—denyingfatherhadin—
trustedtomycharge。
Jynxstrop,thenegro,hasbrokenloosefromhisconfine—
ment,butCurtishastakennomeasuresforputtinghimagainunderrestraint。Itisnottobeapprehendedthatthemiserablefellowandhisaccomplices,weakenedastheyarebytheirprotractedfast,willattempttodousanymischiefnow。
Somehugesharksmadetheirappearanceto—day,cleavingthewaterrapidlywiththeirgreatblackfins。Themonsterscameupclosetotheedgeoftheraft,andFlaypole,whowasleaningover,narrowlyescapedhavinghisarmsnappedoffbyoneofthem。Icouldnothelpregardingthemaslivingsepulchers,whicherelongmightswallowupourmiserablecarcasses;yet,withal,Iprofessthatmyfeelingswerethoseoffascinationratherthanhorror。
Theboatswain,whostoodwithclenchedteethanddilatedeye,regardedthesesharksfromquiteanotherpointofview。
Hethoughtaboutdevouringthesharks,notaboutthesharksdevouringhim;andifhecouldsucceedincatchingone,I
doubtifoneofuswouldrejectthetoughanduntemptingflesh。Hedeterminedtomaketheattempt,andashehadnowhirlwhichhecouldfastentohisropehesettoworktofindsomethingthatmightserveasasubstitute。CurtisandDowlaswereconsulted,andafterashortconversation,duringwhichtheykeptthrowingbitsofropeandsparsintothewaterinordertoenticethesharkstoremainbytheraft,Dowlaswentandfetchedhiscarpenter’stool,whichisatonceahatchetandahammer。Ofthisheproposedtomakethewhirlofwhichtheywereinneed,underthehopethateitherthesharpedgeoftheadzeorthepointedextremityoppositewouldstickfirmlyintothejawsofanysharkthatmightswallowit。Thewoodenhandleofthehammerwassecuredtotherope,which,initsturnwastightlyfastenedtotheraft。
Witheager,almostbreathless,excitementwestoodwatch—
ingthepreparations,atthesametimeusingeverymeansinourpowertoattracttheattentionofthesharks。Assoonasthewhirlwasreadytheboatswainbegantothinkaboutbait,and,talkingrapidlytohimself,ransackedeverycorneroftheraft,asthoughheexpectedtofindsomedeadbodycomingopportunelytosight。Buthissearchendedinnoth—
ing;andtheonlyplanthatsuggesteditselfwasagaintohaverecoursetoMissHerbey’sredshawl,ofwhichafrag—
mentwaswrappedaroundtheheadofthehammer。Aftertestingthestrengthofhisline,andreassuringhimselfthatitwasfastenedfirmlybothtothehammerandtotheraft,theboatswainlowereditintothewater。
Theseawasquitetransparent,andanyobjectwasclearlyvisibletoadepthoftwohundredfeetbelowthesurface。
Leaningoverthelowparapetoftheraftwelookedoninbreathlesssilence,asthescarletrag,distinctasitwasagainstthebluemassofwater,madeitsslowdescent。Butonebyonethesharksseemedtodisappear。Theycouldnot,how—
ever,havegonefaraway,anditwasnotlikelythatany—
thingintheshapeofbaitdroppednearthemwouldlongescapetheirkeenvoracity。
Suddenly,withoutspeaking,theboatswainraisedhishandandpointedtoadarkmassskimmingalongthesurfaceofthewater,andmakingstraightinourdirection。Itwasashark,certainlynotlessthantwelvefeetlong。Assoonasthecreaturewasaboutfourfathomsfromtheraft,theboatswaingentlydrewinhislineuntilthewhirlwasinsuchapositionthatthesharkmustcrossrightoverit;atthesametimeheshookthelinealittle,thathemightgivethewhirltheappearance,ifhecould,ofbeingsomethingaliveandmoving。Asthecreaturecamenear,myheartbeatviolently;Icouldseeitseyesflashingabovethewaves;anditsgapingjaws,asitturnedhalfoveronitsback,exhibitedlongrowsofpointedteeth。
Iknownotwhoitwas,butsomeoneatthatmomentutteredaninvoluntarycryofhorror。Thesharkcametoastandstill,turnedabout,andescapedquiteoutofsight。Theboatswainwaspalewithanger。
\"Thefirstmanwhospeaks,\"hesaid,\"Iwillkillhimonthespot。\"
Againheappliedhimselftohistask。Thewhirlwasagainlowered,thistimetothedepthoftwentyfathoms,butforhalfanhourormorenotasharkcouldbedistin—
guished;butasthewatersfarbelowseemedsomehowtobetroubledIcouldnothelpbelievingthatsomeofthebrutesatleastwerestillthere。
Allatonce,withaviolentjerk,thecordwaswrestedfromtheboatswain’shands;firmlyattached,however,asitwastotheraft,itwasnotlost。Thebaithadbeenseizedbyashark,andtheironhadmadegooditsholduponthecrea—
ture’sflesh。
\"Now,then,mylads,\"criedtheboatswain,\"haulaway!\"
Passengersandsailors,oneandall,putforthwhatstrengththeyhadtodragtherope,butsoviolentwerethecreature’sstrugglesthatitrequiredallourefforts(anditisneedlesstosaytheywerewillingenough)tobringittothesurface。Atlength,afterexertionsthatalmostexhaustedus,thewaterbecameagitatedbytheviolentflappingsofthetailandfins;andlookingdownIsawthehugecarcassofthesharkwrithingconvulsivelyamidwavesthatwerestainedwithblood。
\"Steady!steady!\"saidtheboatswain,astheheadap—
pearedaboveThewhirlhadpassedrightthroughthejawintothemid—
dleofthethroat,sothatnostruggleonthepartoftheani—
malcouldpossiblyreleaseit。Dowlasseizedthehatchet,readytodispatchthebrutethemomentitshouldbelandedontheraft。Ashortsharpsnapwasheard。Thesharkhadcloseditsjaws,andbittenthroughthewoodenhandleofthehammer。Anothermomentandithadturnedroundandwascompletelygone。
Ahowlofdespairburstfromallourlips。Allthelaborandthepatience,allhadbeeninvain。Dowlasmadeafewmoreunsuccessfulattempts,butasthewhirlwaslost,andtheyhadnomeansofreplacingit,therewasnofurtherroomforhope。Theydid,indeed,lowersomecordstwistedintorunningknots,but(asmighthavebeenex—
pected)theseonlyslippedover,withoutholding,theslimybodiesofthesharks。Asalastresourcetheboatswainallowedhisnakedlegtohangoverthesideoftheraft;
themonsters,however,wereproofevenagainstthisat—
traction。