the jacket (the star-rover)-第54节

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Bentham；　who　met　and　shook　it　weakly；　and　both　gazed　at　me；　in　their

eyes　extending　that　same　hand…clasp。　　It　was　farewell；　I　knew；　for

what　chance　had　creatures　so　feeble　as　we　to　win　alive　over　those

surf…battered　rocks　to　the　higher　rocks　beyond？



Twenty　feet　from　shore　the　boat　was　snatched　out　of　my　control。　　In

a　trice　it　was　overturned　and　I　was　strangling　in　the　salt。　　I　never

saw　my　companions　again。　　By　good　fortune　I　was　buoyed　by　the

steering…oar　I　still　grasped；　and　by　great　good　fortune　a　fling　of

sea；　at　the　right　instant；　at　the　right　spot；　threw　me　far　up　the

gentle　slope　of　the　one　shelving　rock　on　all　that　terrible　shore。　　I

was　not　hurt。　　I　was　not　bruised。　　And　with　brain　reeling　from

weakness　I　was　able　to　crawl　and　scramble　farther　up　beyond　the

clutching　backwash　of　the　sea。



I　stood　upright；　knowing　myself　saved；　and　thanking　God；　and

staggering　as　I　stood。　　Already　the　boat　was　pounded　to　a　thousand

fragments。　　And　though　I　saw　them　not；　I　could　guess　how　grievously

had　been　pounded　the　bodies　of　Captain　Nicholl　and　Arnold　Bentham。

I　saw　an　oar　on　the　edge　of　the　foam；　and　at　certain　risk　I　drew　it

clear。　　Then　I　fell　to　my　knees；　knowing　myself　fainting。　　And　yet；

ere　I　fainted；　with　a　sailor's　instinct　I　dragged　my　body　on　and　up

among　the　cruel　hurting　rocks　to　faint　finally　beyond　the　reach　of

the　sea。



I　was　near　a　dead　man　myself；　that　night；　mostly　in　stupor；　only

dimly　aware　at　times　of　the　extremity　of　cold　and　wet　that　I

endured。　　Morning　brought　me　astonishment　and　terror。　　No　plant；　not

a　blade　of　grass；　grew　on　that　wretched　projection　of　rock　from　the

ocean's　bottom。　　A　quarter　of　a　mile　in　width　and　a　half　mile　in

length；　it　was　no　more　than　a　heap　of　rocks。　　Naught　could　I

discover　to　gratify　the　cravings　of　exhausted　nature。　　I　was

consumed　with　thirst；　yet　was　there　no　fresh　water。　　In　vain　I

tasted　to　my　mouth's　undoing　every　cavity　and　depression　in　the

rocks。　　The　spray　of　the　gale　so　completely　had　enveloped　every

portion　of　the　island　that　every　depression　was　filled　with　water

salt　as　the　sea。



Of　the　boat　remained　nothingnot　even　a　splinter　to　show　that　a

boat　had　been。　　I　stood　possessed　of　my　garments；　a　stout　knife；　and

the　one　oar　I　had　saved。　　The　gale　had　abated；　and　all　that　day；

staggering　and　falling；　crawling　till　hands　and　knees　bled；　I　vainly

sought　water。



That　night；　nearer　death　than　ever；　I　sheltered　behind　a　rock　from

the　wind。　　A　heavy　shower　of　rain　made　me　miserable。　　I　removed　my

various　coats　and　spread　them　to　soak　up　the　rain；　but；　when　I　came

to　wring　the　moisture　from　them　into　my　mouth；　I　was　disappointed；

because　the　cloth　had　been　thoroughly　impregnated　with　the　salt　of

the　ocean　in　which　I　had　been　immersed。　　I　lay　on　my　back；　my　mouth

open　to　catch　the　few　rain…drops　that　fell　directly　into　it。　　It　was

tantalizing；　but　it　kept　my　membranes　moist　and　me　from　madness。



The　second　day　I　was　a　very　sick　man。　　I；　who　had　not　eaten　for　so

long；　began　to　swell　to　a　monstrous　fatnessmy　legs；　my　arms；　my

whole　body。　　With　the　slightest　of　pressures　my　fingers　would　sink

in　a　full　inch　into　my　skin；　and　the　depressions　so　made　were　long

in　going　away。　　Yet　did　I　labour　sore　in　order　to　fulfil　God's　will

that　I　should　live。　　Carefully；　with　my　hands；　I　cleaned　out　the

salt　water　from　every　slight　hole；　in　the　hope　that　succeeding

showers　of　rain　might　fill　them　with　water　that　I　could　drink。



My　sad　lot　and　the　memories　of　the　loved　ones　at　Elkton　threw　me

into　a　melancholy；　so　that　I　often　lost　my　recollection　for　hours　at

a　time。　　This　was　a　mercy；　for　it　veiled　me　from　my　sufferings　that

else　would　have　killed　me。



In　the　night　I　was　roused　by　the　beat　of　rain；　and　I　crawled　from

hole　to　hole；　lapping　up　the　rain　or　licking　it　from　the　rocks。

Brackish　it　was；　but　drinkable。　　It　was　what　saved　me；　for；　toward

morning；　I　awoke　to　find　myself　in　a　profuse　perspiration　and　quite

free　of　all　delirium。



Then　came　the　sun；　the　first　time　since　my　stay　on　the　island；　and　I

spread　most　of　my　garments　to　dry。　　Of　water　I　drank　my　careful

fill；　and　I　calculated　there　was　ten　days'　supply　if　carefully

husbanded。　　It　was　amazing　how　rich　I　felt　with　this　vast　wealth　of

brackish　water。　　And　no　great　merchant；　with　all　his　ships　returned

from　prosperous　voyages；　his　warehouses　filled　to　the　rafters；　his

strong…boxes　overflowing；　could　have　felt　as　wealthy　as　did　I　when　I

discovered；　cast　up　on　the　rocks；　the　body　of　a　seal　that　had　been

dead　for　many　days。　　Nor　did　I　fail；　first；　to　thank　God　on　my　knees

for　this　manifestation　of　His　ever…unfailing　kindness。　　The　thing

was　clear　to　me：　　God　had　not　intended　I　should　die。　　From　the　very

first　He　had　not　so　intended。



I　knew　the　debilitated　state　of　my　stomach；　and　I　ate　sparingly　in

the　knowledge　that　my　natural　voracity　would　surely　kill　me　did　I

yield　myself　to　it。　　Never　had　sweeter　morsels　passed　my　lips；　and　I

make　free　to　confess　that　I　shed　tears　of　joy；　again　and　again；　at

contemplation　of　that　putrefied　carcass。



My　heart　of　hope　beat　strong　in　me　once　more。　　Carefully　I　preserved

the　portions　of　the　carcass　remaining。　　Carefully　I　covered　my　rock

cisterns　with　flat　stones　so　that　the　sun's　rays　might　not　evaporate

the　precious　fluid　and　in　precaution　against　some　upspringing　of

wind　in　the　night　and　the　sudden　flying　of　spray。　　Also　I　gathered

me　tiny　fragments　of　seaweed　and　dried　them　in　the　sun　for　an

easement　between　my　poor　body　and　the　rough　rocks　whereon　I　made　my

lodging。　　And　my　garments　were　drythe　first　time　in　days；　so　that

I　slept　the　heavy　sleep　of　exhaustion　and　of　returning　health。



When　I　awoke　to　a　new　day　I　was　another　man。　　The　absence　of　the　sun

did　not　depress　me；　and　I　was　swiftly　to　learn　that　God；　not

forgetting　me　while　I　slumbered；　had　prepared　other　and　wonderful

blessings　for　me。　　I　would　have　fain　rubbed　my　eyes　and　looked

again；　for；　as　far　as　I　could　see；　the　rocks　bordering　upon　the

ocean　were　covered　with　seals。　　There　were　thousands　of　them；　and　in

the　water　other　thousands　disported　themselves；　while　the　sound　that

went　up　from　all　their　throats　was　prodigious　and　deafening。　　I　knew

it　when：　　I　saw　itmeat　lay　there　for　the　taking；　meat　sufficient

for　a　score　of　ships'　companies。



I　directly　seized　my　oarthan　which　there　was　no　other　stick　of

wood　on　the　islandand　cautiously　advanced　upon　all　that　immensity

of　provender。　　It　was　quickly　guessed　by　me　that　these　creatures　of

the　sea　were　unacquainted　with　man。　　They　betrayed　no　signals　of

timidity　at　my　approach；　and　I　found　it　a　boy's　task　to　rap　them　on

the　head　with　the　oar。



And　when　I　had　so　killed　my　third　and　my　fourth；　I　went　immediately

and　strangely　mad。　　Indeed　quite　bereft　was　I　of　all　judgment　as　I

slew　and　slew　and　continued　to　slay。　　For　the　space　of　two　hours　I

toiled　unceasingly　with　the　oar　till　I　was　ready　to　drop。　　What

excess　of　slaughter　I　might　have　been　guilty　of　I　know　not；　for　at

the　end　of　that　time；　as　if　by　a　signal；　all　the　seals　that　still

lived　threw　themselves　into　the　water　and　swiftly　disappeared。



I　found　the　number　of　slain　seals　to　exceed　two　hundred；　and　I　was

shocked　and　frightened　because　of　the　madness　of　slaughter　that　had

possessed　me。　　I　had　sinned　by　wanton　wastefulness；　and　after　I　had

duly　refreshed　myself　with　this　good　wholesome　food；　I　set　about　as

well　as　I　could　to　make　amends。　　But　first；　ere　the　great　task

began；　I　returned　thanks　to　that　Being　through　whose　mercy　I　had

been　so　miraculously　preserved。　　Thereupon　I　laboured　until　dark；

and　after　dark；　skinning　the　seals；　cutting　the　meat　into　strips；

and　placing　it　upon　the　tops　of　rocks　to　dry　in　the　sun。　　Also；　I

found　small　deposits　of　salt　in　the　nooks　and　crannies　of　the　rocks

on　the　weather　side　of　the　island。　　This　I　rubbed　into　the　meat　as　a

preservative。



Four　days　I　so　toiled；　and　in　the　end　was　foolishly　proud　before　God

in　that　no　scrap　of　all　that　supply　of　meat　had　been　wasted。　　The

unremitting　labour　was　good　for　my　body；　which　built　up　rapidly　by

means　of　this　wholesome　diet　in　which　I　did　not　stint　myself。

Another　evidence　of　God's　mercy；　never；　in　the　eight　years　I　spent

on　that　barren　islet；　was　there　so　long　a　spell　of　clear　weather　and

steady　sunshine　as　in　the　period　immediately　following　the　slaughter

of　the　seals。



Months　were　to　pass　ore　ever　the　seals　revisited　my　island。　　But　in

the　meantime　I　was　anything　but　idle。　　I　built　me　a　hut　of　stone；

and；　adjoining　it；　a　storehouse　for　my　cured　meat。　　The　hut　I　roofed

with　many　seal…skins；　so　that　it　was　fairly　water…proof。　　But　I

could　never　cease　to　marvel；　when　the　rain　beat　on　that　roof；　that

no　less　than　a　king's　ransom　in　the　London　fur　market　protected　a

castaway　sailor　from　the　elements。



I　was　quickly　aware　of　the　importance　of　keeping　some　kind　of

reckoning　of　time；　without　which　I　was