the wreck of the golden mary-第4节

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could　see　that　the　masts　were　going　with　the　shock　and　the　beating

of　the　ship；　I　could　see　the　frightful　breach　stove　in　on　the

starboard　side；　half　the　length　of　the　vessel；　and　the　sheathing　and

timbers　spirting　up；　I　could　see　that　the　Cutter　was　disabled；　in　a

wreck　of　broken　fragments；　and　I　could　see　every　eye　turned　upon　me。

It　is　my　belief　that　if　there　had　been　ten　thousand　eyes　there；　I

should　have　seen　them　all；　with　their　different　looks。　　And　all　this

in　a　moment。　　But　you　must　consider　what　a　moment。



I　saw　the　men；　as　they　looked　at　me；　fall　towards　their　appointed

stations；　like　good　men　and　true。　　If　she　had　not　righted；　they

could　have　done　very　little　there　or　anywhere　but　dienot　that　it

is　little　for　a　man　to　die　at　his　postI　mean　they　could　have　done

nothing　to　save　the　passengers　and　themselves。　　Happily；　however；

the　violence　of　the　shock　with　which　we　had　so　determinedly　borne

down　direct　on　that　fatal　Iceberg；　as　if　it　had　been　our　destination

instead　of　our　destruction；　had　so　smashed　and　pounded　the　ship　that

she　got　off　in　this　same　instant　and　righted。　　I　did　not　want　the

carpenter　to　tell　me　she　was　filling　and　going　down；　I　could　see　and

hear　that。　　I　gave　Rames　the　word　to　lower　the　Long…boat　and　the

Surf…boat；　and　I　myself　told　off　the　men　for　each　duty。　　Not　one

hung　back；　or　came　before　the　other。　　I　now　whispered　to　John

Steadiman；　〃John；　I　stand　at　the　gangway　here；　to　see　every　soul　on

board　safe　over　the　side。　　You　shall　have　the　next　post　of　honour；

and　shall　be　the　last　but　one　to　leave　the　ship。　　Bring　up　the

passengers；　and　range　them　behind　me；　and　put　what　provision　and

water　you　can　got　at；　in　the　boats。　　Cast　your　eye　for'ard；　John；

and　you'll　see　you　have　not　a　moment　to　lose。〃



My　noble　fellows　got　the　boats　over　the　side　as　orderly　as　I　ever

saw　boats　lowered　with　any　sea　running；　and；　when　they　were

launched；　two　or　three　of　the　nearest　men　in　them　as　they　held　on；

rising　and　falling　with　the　swell；　called　out；　looking　up　at　me；

〃Captain　Ravender；　if　anything　goes　wrong　with　us；　and　you　are

saved；　remember　we　stood　by　you！〃〃We'll　all　stand　by　one　another

ashore；　yet；　please　God；　my　lads！〃　says　I。　　〃Hold　on　bravely；　and　be

tender　with　the　women。〃



The　women　were　an　example　to　us。　　They　trembled　very　much；　but　they

were　quiet　and　perfectly　collected。　　〃Kiss　me；　Captain　Ravender；〃

says　Mrs。　Atherfield；　〃and　God　in　heaven　bless　you；　you　good　man！〃

〃My　dear；〃　says　I；　〃those　words　are　better　for　me　than　a　life…boat。〃

I　held　her　child　in　my　arms　till　she　was　in　the　boat；　and　then

kissed　the　child　and　handed　her　safe　down。　　I　now　said　to　the　people

in　her；　〃You　have　got　your　freight；　my　lads；　all　but　me；　and　I　am

not　coming　yet　awhile。　　Pull　away　from　the　ship；　and　keep　off！〃



That　was　the　Long…boat。　　Old　Mr。　Rarx　was　one　of　her　complement；　and

he　was　the　only　passenger　who　had　greatly　misbehaved　since　the　ship

struck。　　Others　had　been　a　little　wild；　which　was　not　to　be　wondered

at；　and　not　very　blamable；　but；　he　had　made　a　lamentation　and　uproar

which　it　was　dangerous　for　the　people　to　hear；　as　there　is　always

contagion　in　weakness　and　selfishness。　　His　incessant　cry　had　been

that　he　must　not　be　separated　from　the　child；　that　he　couldn't　see

the　child；　and　that　he　and　the　child　must　go　together。　　He　had　even

tried　to　wrest　the　child　out　of　my　arms；　that　he　might　keep　her　in

his。　　〃Mr。　Rarx；〃　said　I　to　him　when　it　came　to　that；　〃I　have　a

loaded　pistol　in　my　pocket；　and　if　you　don't　stand　out　of　the　gang…

way；　and　keep　perfectly　quiet；　I　shall　shoot　you　through　the　heart；

if　you　have　got　one。〃　　Says　he；　〃You　won't　do　murder；　Captain

Ravender！〃　　　〃No；　sir；〃　says　I；　〃I　won't　murder　forty…four　people　to

humour　you；　but　I'll　shoot　you　to　save　them。〃　　After　that　he　was

quiet；　and　stood　shivering　a　little　way　off；　until　I　named　him　to　go

over　the　side。



The　Long…boat　being　cast　off；　the　Surf…boat　was　soon　filled。　　There

only　remained　aboard　the　Golden　Mary；　John　Mullion　the　man　who　had

kept　on　burning　the　blue…lights　（and　who　had　lighted　every　new　one

at　every　old　one　before　it　went　out；　as　quietly　as　if　he　had　been　at

an　illumination）；　John　Steadiman；　and　myself。　　I　hurried　those　two

into　the　Surf…boat；　called　to　them　to　keep　off；　and　waited　with　a

grateful　and　relieved　heart　for　the　Long…boat　to　come　and　take　me

in；　if　she　could。　　I　looked　at　my　watch；　and　it　showed　me；　by　the

blue…light；　ten　minutes　past　two。　　They　lost　no　time。　　As　soon　as

she　was　near　enough；　I　swung　myself　into　her；　and　called　to　the　men；

〃With　a　will；　lads！　　She's　reeling！〃　　We　were　not　an　inch　too　far

out　of　the　inner　vortex　of　her　going　down；　when；　by　the　blue…light

which　John　Mullion　still　burnt　in　the　bow　of　the　Surf…boat；　we　saw

her　lurch；　and　plunge　to　the　bottom　head…foremost。　　The　child　cried；

weeping　wildly；　〃O　the　dear　Golden　Mary！　　O　look　at　her！　　Save　her！

Save　the　poor　Golden　Mary！〃　　And　then　the　light　burnt　out；　and　the

black　dome　seemed　to　come　down　upon　us。



I　suppose　if　we　had　all　stood　a…top　of　a　mountain；　and　seen　the

whole　remainder　of　the　world　sink　away　from　under　us；　we　could

hardly　have　felt　more　shocked　and　solitary　than　we　did　when　we　knew

we　were　alone　on　the　wide　ocean；　and　that　the　beautiful　ship　in

which　most　of　us　had　been　securely　asleep　within　half　an　hour　was

gone　for　ever。　　There　was　an　awful　silence　in　our　boat；　and　such　a

kind　of　palsy　on　the　rowers　and　the　man　at　the　rudder；　that　I　felt

they　were　scarcely　keeping　her　before　the　sea。　　I　spoke　out　then；

and　said；　〃Let　every　one　here　thank　the　Lord　for　our　preservation！〃

All　the　voices　answered　（even　the　child's）；　〃We　thank　the　Lord！〃　　I

then　said　the　Lord's　Prayer；　and　all　hands　said　it　after　me　with　a

solemn　murmuring。　　Then　I　gave　the　word　〃Cheerily；　O　men；　Cheerily！〃

and　I　felt　that　they　were　handling　the　boat　again　as　a　boat　ought　to

be　handled。



The　Surf…boat　now　burnt　another　blue…light　to　show　us　where　they

were；　and　we　made　for　her；　and　laid　ourselves　as　nearly　alongside　of

her　as　we　dared。　　I　had　always　kept　my　boats　with　a　coil　or　two　of

good　stout　stuff　in　each　of　them；　so　both　boats　had　a　rope　at　hand。

We　made　a　shift；　with　much　labour　and　trouble；　to　got　near　enough　to

one　another　to　divide　the　blue…lights　（they　were　no　use　after　that

night；　for　the　sea…water　soon　got　at　them）；　and　to　get　a　tow…rope

out　between　us。　　All　night　long　we　kept　together；　sometimes　obliged

to　cast　off　the　rope；　and　sometimes　getting　it　out　again；　and　all　of

us　wearying　for　the　morningwhich　appeared　so　long　in　coming　that

old　Mr。　Rarx　screamed　out；　in　spite　of　his　fears　of　me；　〃The　world

is　drawing　to　an　end；　and　the　sun　will　never　rise　any　more！〃



When　the　day　broke；　I　found　that　we　were　all　huddled　together　in　a

miserable　manner。　　We　were　deep　in　the　water；　being；　as　I　found　on

mustering；　thirty…one　in　number；　or　at　least　six　too　many。　　In　the

Surf…boat　they　were　fourteen　in　number；　being　at　least　four　too

many。　　The　first　thing　I　did；　was　to　get　myself　passed　to　the

rudderwhich　I　took　from　that　timeand　to　get　Mrs。　Atherfield；　her

child；　and　Miss　Coleshaw；　passed　on　to　sit　next　me。　　As　to　old　Mr。

Rarx；　I　put　him　in　the　bow；　as　far　from　us　as　I　could。　　And　I　put

some　of　the　best　men　near　us　in　order　that　if　I　should　drop　there

might　be　a　skilful　hand　ready　to　take　the　helm。



The　sea　moderating　as　the　sun　came　up；　though　the　sky　was　cloudy　and

wild；　we　spoke　the　other　boat；　to　know　what　stores　they　had；　and　to

overhaul　what　we　had。　　I　had　a　compass　in　my　pocket；　a　small

telescope；　a　double…barrelled　pistol；　a　knife；　and　a　fire…box　and

matches。　　Most　of　my　men　had　knives；　and　some　had　a　little　tobacco：

some；　a　pipe　as　well。　　We　had　a　mug　among　us；　and　an　iron　spoon。　　As

to　provisions；　there　were　in　my　boat　two　bags　of　biscuit；　one　piece

of　raw　beef；　one　piece　of　raw　pork；　a　bag　of　coffee；　roasted　but　not

ground　（thrown　in；　I　imagine；　by　mistake；　for　something　else）；　two

small　casks　of　water；　and　about　half…a…gallon　of　rum　in　a　keg。　　The

Surf…boat；　having　rather　more　rum　than　we；　and　fewer　to　drink　it；

gave　us；　as　I　estimated；　another　quart　into　our　keg。　　In　return；　we

gave　them　three　double　handfuls　of　coffee；　tied　up　in　a　piece　of　a

handkerchief；　they　reported　that　they　had　aboard　besides；　a　bag　of

biscuit；　a　piece　of　beef；　a　small　cask　of　water；　a　small　box　of

lemons；　and　a　Dutch　cheese。　　It　took　a　long　time　to　make　these

exchanges；　and　they　were　not　made　without　risk　to　both　parties；　the

sea　running　quite　high　enough　to　make　our　approaching　near　to　one

another　very　hazardous。　　In　the　bundle　with　the　coffee；　I　conveyed

to　John　Steadiman　（who　had　a　ship's　compass　with　him）；　a　paper

written　in　pencil；　and　torn　from　my　pocket…book；　containing　the

course　I　meant　to　steer；　in　the　hope　of　making　land；　or　being　picked

up　by　some　vesselI　say　in　the　hope；　though　I　had　little　hope　of

either　deliverance。　　I　then　sang　out　to　him；　so　as　a