the jacket (the star-rover)-第52节

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because　of　his　broken　hip；　was　very　bad。　　It　was　the　surgeon's

opinion　that　both　of　Northrup's　feet　were　hopelessly　frozen。



The　longboat　was　deep　and　heavy　in　the　water；　for　it　was　burdened　by

the　entire　ship's　company　of　twenty…one。　　Two　of　these　were　boys。

Benny　Hardwater　was　a　bare　thirteen；　and　Lish　Dickery；　whose　family

was　near　neighbour　to　mine　in　Elkton；　was　just　turned　sixteen。　　Our

provisions　consisted　of　three　hundred…weight　of　beef　and　two

hundred…weight　of　pork。　　The　half…dozen　loaves　of　brine…pulped

bread；　which　the　cook　had　brought；　did　not　count。　　Then　there　were

three　small　barrels　of　water　and　one　small　keg　of　beer。



Captain　Nicholl　frankly　admitted　that　in　this　uncharted　ocean　he　had

no　knowledge　of　any　near　land。　　The　one　thing　to　do　was　to　run　for

more　clement　climate；　which　we　accordingly　did；　setting　our　small

sail　and　steering　quartering　before　the　fresh　wind　to　the　north…

east。



The　food　problem　was　simple　arithmetic。　　We　did　not　count　Aaron

Northrup；　for　we　knew　he　would　soon　be　gone。　　At　a　pound　per　day；

our　five　hundred　pounds　would　last　us　twenty…five　days；　at　half　a

pound；　it　would　last　fifty。　　So　half　a　pound　had　it。　　I　divided　and

issued　the　meat　under　the　captain's　eyes；　and　managed　it　fairly

enough；　God　knows；　although　some　of　the　men　grumbled　from　the　first。

Also；　from　time　to　time　I　made　fair　division　among　the　men　of　the

plug　tobacco　I　had　stowed　in　my　many　pocketsa　thing　which　I　could

not　but　regret；　especially　when　I　knew　it　was　being　wasted　on　this

man　and　that　who　I　was　certain　could　not　live　a　day　more；　or；　at

best；　two　days　or　three。



For　we　began　to　die　soon　in　the　open　boat。　　Not　to　starvation　but　to

the　killing　cold　and　exposure　were　those　earlier　deaths　due。　　It　was

a　matter　of　the　survival　of　the　toughest　and　the　luckiest。　　I　was

tough　by　constitution；　and　lucky　inasmuch　as　I　was　warmly　clad　and

had　not　broken　my　leg　like　Aaron　Northrup。　　Even　so；　so　strong　was

he　that；　despite　being　the　first　to　be　severely　frozen；　he　was　days

in　passing。　　Vance　Hathaway　was　the　first。　　We　found　him　in　the　gray

of　dawn　crouched　doubled　in　the　bow　and　frozen　stiff。　　The　boy；　Lish

Dickery；　was　the　second　to　go。　　The　other　boy；　Benny　Hardwater；

lasted　ten　or　a　dozen　days。



So　bitter　was　it　in　the　boat　that　our　water　and　beer　froze　solid；

and　it　was　a　difficult　task　justly　to　apportion　the　pieces　I　broke

off　with　Northrup's　claspknife。　　These　pieces　we　put　in　our　mouths

and　sucked　till　they　melted。　　Also；　on　occasion　of　snow…squalls；　we

had　all　the　snow　we　desired。　　All　of　which　was　not　good　for　us；

causing　a　fever　of　inflammation　to　attack　our　mouths　so　that　the

membranes　were　continually　dry　and　burning。　　And　there　was　no

allaying　a　thirst　so　generated。　　To　suck　more　ice　or　snow　was　merely

to　aggravate　the　inflammation。　　More　than　anything　else；　I　think　it

was　this　that　caused　the　death　of　Lish　Dickery。　　He　was　out　of　his

head　and　raving　for　twenty…four　hours　before　he　died。　　He　died

babbling　for　water；　and　yet　he　did　not　die　for　need　of　water。　　I

resisted　as　much　as　possible　the　temptation　to　suck　ice；　contenting

myself　with　a　shred　of　tobacco　in　my　cheek；　and　made　out　with　fair

comfort。



We　stripped　all　clothing　from　our　dead。　　Stark　they　came　into　the

world；　and　stark　they　passed　out　over　the　side　of　the　longboat　and

down　into　the　dark　freezing　ocean。　　Lots　were　cast　for　the　clothes。

This　was　by　Captain　Nicholl's　command；　in　order　to　prevent

quarrelling。



It　was　no　time　for　the　follies　of　sentiment。　　There　was　not　one　of

us　who　did　not　know　secret　satisfaction　at　the　occurrence　of　each

death。　　Luckiest　of　all　was　Israel　Stickney　in　casting　lots；　so　that

in　the　end；　when　he　passed；　he　was　a　veritable　treasure　trove　of

clothing。　　It　gave　a　new　lease　of　life　to　the　survivors。



We　continued　to　run　to　the　north…east　before　the　fresh　westerlies；

but　our　quest　for　warmer　weather　seemed　vain。　　Ever　the　spray　froze

in　the　bottom　of　the　boat；　and　I　still　chipped　beer　and　drinking

water　with　Northrup's　knife。　　My　own　knife　I　reserved。　　It　was　of

good　steel；　with　a　keen　edge　and　stoutly　fashioned；　and　I　did　not

care　to　peril　it　in　such　manner。



By　the　time　half　our　company　was　overboard；　the　boat　had　a

reasonably　high　freeboard　and　was　less　ticklish　to　handle　in　the

gusts。　　Likewise　there　was　more　room　for　a　man　to　stretch　out

comfortably。



A　source　of　continual　grumbling　was　the　food。　　The　captain；　the

mate；　the　surgeon；　and　myself；　talking　it　over；　resolved　not　to

increase　the　daily　whack　of　half　a　pound　of　meat。　　The　six　sailors；

for　whom　Tobias　Snow　made　himself　spokesman；　contended　that　the

death　of　half　of　us　was　equivalent　to　a　doubling　of　our

provisioning；　and　that　therefore　the　ration　should　be　increased　to　a

pound。　　In　reply；　we　of　the　afterguard　pointed　out　that　it　was　our

chance　for　life　that　was　doubled　did　we　but　bear　with　the　half…pound

ration。



It　is　true　that　eight　ounces　of　salt　meat　did　not　go　far　in　enabling

us　to　live　and　to　resist　the　severe　cold。　　We　were　quite　weak；　and；

because　of　our　weakness；　we　frosted　easily。　　Noses　and　cheeks　were

all　black　with　frost…bite。　　It　was　impossible　to　be　warm；　although

we　now　had　double　the　garments　we　had　started　with。



Five　weeks　after　the　loss　of　the　Negociator　the　trouble　over　the

food　came　to　a　head。　　I　was　asleep　at　the　timeit　was　nightwhen

Captain　Nicholl　caught　Jud　Hetchkins　stealing　from　the　pork　barrel。

That　he　was　abetted　by　the　other　five　men　was　proved　by　their

actions。　　Immediately　Jud　Hetchkins　was　discovered；　the　whole　six

threw　themselves　upon　us　with　their　knives。　　It　was　close；　sharp

work　in　the　dim　light　of　the　stars；　and　it　was　a　mercy　the　boat　was

not　overturned。　　I　had　reason　to　be　thankful　for　my　many　shirts　and

coats　which　served　me　as　an　armour。　　The　knife…thrusts　scarcely　more

than　drew　blood　through　the　so　great　thickness　of　cloth；　although　I

was　scratched　to　bleeding　in　a　round　dozen　of　places。



The　others　were　similarly　protected；　and　the　fight　would　have　ended

in　no　more　than　a　mauling　all　around；　had　not　the　mate；　Walter

Dakon；　a　very　powerful　man；　hit　upon　the　idea　of　ending　the　matter

by　tossing　the　mutineers　overboard。　　This　was　joined　in　by　Captain

Nicholl；　the　surgeon；　and　myself；　and　in　a　trice　five　of　the　six

were　in　the　water　and　clinging　to　the　gunwale。　　Captain　Nicholl　and

the　surgeon　were　busy　amidships　with　the　sixth；　Jeremy　Nalor；　and

were　in　the　act　of　throwing　him　overboard；　while　the　mate　was

occupied　with　rapping　the　fingers　along　the　gunwale　with　a　boat…

stretcher。　　For　the　moment　I　had　nothing　to　do；　and　so　was　able　to

observe　the　tragic　end　of　the　mate。　　As　he　lifted　the　stretcher　to

rap　Seth　Richards'　fingers；　the　latter；　sinking　down　low　in　the

water　and　then　jerking　himself　up　by　both　hands；　sprang　half　into

the　boat；　locked　his　arms　about　the　mate　and；　falling　backward　and

outboard；　dragged　the　mate　with　him。　　Doubtlessly　he　never　relaxed

his　grip；　and　both　drowned　together。



Thus　left　alive　of　the　entire　ship's　company　were　three　of　us：

Captain　Nicholl；　Arnold　Bentham　（the　surgeon）；　and　myself。　　Seven

had　gone　in　the　twinkling　of　an　eye；　consequent　on　Jud　Hetchkins'

attempt　to　steal　provisions。　　And　to　me　it　seemed　a　pity　that　so

much　good　warm　clothing　had　been　wasted　there　in　the　sea。　　There　was

not　one　of　us　who　could　not　have　managed　gratefully　with　more。



Captain　Nicholl　and　the　surgeon　were　good　men　and　honest。　　Often

enough；　when　two　of　us　slept；　the　one　awake　and　steering　could　have

stolen　from　the　meat。　　But　this　never　happened。　　We　trusted　one

another　fully；　and　we　would　have　died　rather　than　betray　that　trust。



We　continued　to　content　ourselves　with　half　a　pound　of　meat　each　per

day；　and　we　took　advantage　of　every　favouring　breeze　to　work　to　the

north'ard。　　Not　until　January　fourteenth；　seven　weeks　since　the

wreck；　did　we　come　up　with　a　warmer　latitude。　　Even　then　it　was　not

really　warm。　　It　was　merely　not　so　bitterly　cold。



Here　the　fresh　westerlies　forsook　us　and　we　bobbed　and　blobbed　about

in　doldrummy　weather　for　many　days。　　Mostly　it　was　calm；　or　light

contrary　winds；　though　sometimes　a　burst　of　breeze；　as　like　as　not

from　dead　ahead；　would　last　for　a　few　hours。　　In　our　weakened

condition；　with　so　large　a　boat；　it　was　out　of　the　question　to　row。

We　could　merely　hoard　our　food　and　wait　for　God　to　show　a　more

kindly　face。　　The　three　of　us　were　faithful　Christians；　and　we　made

a　practice　of　prayer　each　day　before　the　apportionment　of　food。

Yes；　and　each　of　us　prayed　privately；　often　and　long。



By　the　end　of　January　our　food　was　near　its　end。　　The　pork　was

entirely　gone；　and　we　used　the　barrel　for　catching　and　storing

rainwater。　　Not　many　pounds　of　beef　remained。　　And　in　all　the　nine

weeks　in　the　open　boat　we　had　raised　no　sail　and　glimpsed　no　land。

Captain　Nicholl　frankly　admitted　that　after　sixty…three　days　of　dead

recko