end of the tether-第36节
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dry rustling in his throat。
〃Have mercy！〃
〃Had you any when you made me lose my ship？ Mr。
Massy； you shall get fifteen years for this！〃
〃I wanted money！ Money！ My own money！ I will
give you some money。 Take half of it。 You love
money yourself。〃
〃There's a justice 。 。 。〃
Massy made an awful effort； and in a strange； half
choked utterance
〃You blind devil！ It's you that drove me to it。〃
Captain Whalley； hugging the coat to his breast；
made no sound。 The light had ebbed for ever from the
worldlet everything go。 But this man should not
escape scot…free。
Sterne's voice commanded
〃Lower away！〃
The blocks rattled。
〃Now then；〃 he cried； 〃over with you。 This way。
You； Jack； here。 Mr。 Massy！ Mr。 Massy！ Captain！
Quick； sir！ Let's get
〃I shall go to prison for trying to cheat the insurance；
but you'll get exposed； you； honest man； who has been
cheating me。 You are poor。 Aren't you？ You've
nothing but the five hundred pounds。 Well； you have
nothing at all now。 The ship's lost； and the insurance
won't be paid。〃
Captain Whalley did not move。 True！ Ivy's money！
Gone in this wreck。 Again he had a flash of insight。
He was indeed at the end of his tether。
Urgent voices cried out together alongside。 Massy
did not seem able to tear himself away from the bridge。
He chattered and hissed despairingly
〃Give it up to me！ Give it up！〃
〃No；〃 said Captain Whalley； 〃I could not give it up。
You had better go。 Don't wait； man； if you want to
live。 She's settling down by the head fast。 No； I shall
keep it； but I shall stay on board。〃
Massy did not seem to understand； but the love of life；
awakened suddenly； drove him away from the bridge。
Captain Whalley laid the coat down； and stumbled
amongst the heaps of wreckage to the side。
〃Is Mr。 Massy in with you？〃 he called out into the
night。
Sterne from the boat shouted
〃Yes； we've got him。 Come along； sir。 It's madness
to stay longer。〃
Captain Whalley felt along the rail carefully； and；
without a word； cast off the painter。 They were ex…
pecting him still down there。 They were waiting； till
a voice suddenly exclaimed
〃We are adrift！ Shove off！〃
〃Captain Whalley！ Leap！ 。 。 。 pull up a little 。 。 。
leap！ You can swim。〃
In that old heart； in that vigorous body； there was；
that nothing should be wanting； a horror of death that
apparently could not be overcome by the horror of
blindness。 But after all； for Ivy he had carried his
point； walking in his darkness to the very verge of a
crime。 God had not listened to his prayers。 The light
had finished ebbing out of the world； not a glimmer。 It
was a dark waste； but it was unseemly that a Whalley
who had gone so far to carry a point should continue
to live。 He must pay the price。
〃Leap as far as you can； sir； we will pick you up。〃
They did not hear him answer。 But their shouting
seemed to remind him of something。 He groped his
way back； and sought for Mr。 Massy's coat。 He could
swim indeed； people sucked down by the whirlpool of
a sinking ship do come up sometimes to the surface； and
it was unseemly that a Whalley； who had made up his
mind to die； should be beguiled by chance into a
struggle。 He would put all these pieces of iron into his
own pockets。
They； looking from the boat； saw the Sofala； a black
mass upon a black sea； lying still at an appalling cant。
No sound came from her。 Then； with a great bizarre
shuffling noise； as if the boilers had broken through the
bulkheads； and with a faint muffled detonation； where
the ship had been there appeared for a moment some…
thing standing upright and narrow； like a rock out of
the sea。 Then that too disappeared。
When the Sofala failed to come back to Batu Beru at
the proper time； Mr。 Van Wyk understood at once that
he would never see her any more。 But he did not know
what had happened till some months afterwards； when；
in a native craft lent him by his Sultan； he had made
his way to the Sofala's port of registry； where already
her existence and the official inquiry into her loss was
beginning to be forgotten。
It had not been a very remarkable or interesting case；
except for the fact that the captain had gone down with
his sinking ship。 It was the only life lost； and Mr。 Van
Wyk would not have been able to learn any details had
it not been for Sterne； whom he met one day on the quay
near the bridge over the creek； almost on the very spot
where Captain Whalley； to preserve his daughter's five
hundred pounds intact； had turned to get a sampan
which would take him on board the Sofala。
From afar Mr。 Van Wyk saw Sterne blink straight at
him and raise his hand to his hat。 They drew into the
shade of a building （it was a bank）； and the mate re…
lated how the boat with the crew got into Pangu Bay
about six hours after the accident； and how they had
lived for a fortnight in a state of destitution before they
found an opportunity to get away from that beastly
place。 The inquiry had exonerated everybody from all
blame。 The loss of the ship was put down to an un…
usual set of the current。 Indeed； it could not have been
anything else： there was no other way to account for
the ship being set seven miles to the eastward of her
position during the middle watch。
〃A piece of bad luck for me； sir。〃
Sterne passed his tongue on his lips； and glanced aside。
〃I lost the advantage of being employed by you； sir。
I can never be sorry enough。 But here it is： one man's
poison； another man's meat。 This could not have been
handier for Mr。 Massy if he had arranged that ship…
wreck himself。 The most timely total loss I've ever
heard of。〃
〃What became of that Massy？〃 asked Mr。 Van Wyk。
〃He； sir？ Ha！ ha！ He would keep on telling me
that he meant to buy another ship； but as soon as he
had the money in his pocket he cleared out for Manilla
by mail…boat early in the morning。 I gave him chase
right aboard； and he told me then he was going to make
his fortune dead sure in Manilla。 I could go to the
devil for all he cared。 And yet he as good as promised
to give me the command if I didn't talk too much。〃
〃You never said anything 。 。 。〃 Mr。 Van Wyk
began。
〃Not I； sir。 Why should I？ I mean to get on； but
the dead aren't in my way；〃 said Sterne。 His eyelids
were beating rapidly； then drooped for an instant。
〃Besides； sir； it would have been an awkward business。
You made me hold my tongue just a bit too long。〃
〃Do you know how it was that Captain Whalley re…
mained on board？ Did he really refuse to leave？ Come
now！ Or was it perhaps an accidental 。 。 。？〃
〃Nothing！〃 Sterne interrupted with energy。 〃I tell
you I yelled for him to leap overboard。 He simply
MUST have cast off the painter of the boat himself。 We
all yelled to himthat is； Jack and I。 He wouldn't even
answer us。 The ship was as silent as a grave to the last。
Then the boilers fetched away； and down she went。
Accident！ Not it！ The game was up； sir； I tell you。〃
This was all that Sterne had to say。
Mr。 Van Wyk had been of course made the guest of
the club for a fortnight； and it was there that he met
the lawyer in whose office had been signed the agreement
between Massy and Captain Whalley。
〃Extraordinary old man；〃 he said。 〃He came into
my office from nowhere in particular as you may say；
with his five hundred pounds to place； and that engineer
fellow following him anxiously。 And now he is gone out
a little inexplicably； just as he came。 I could never
understand him quite。 There was no mystery at all
about that Massy； eh？ I wonder whether Whalley re…
fused to leave the ship。 It would have been foolish。
He was blameless； as the court found。〃
Mr。 Van Wyk had known him well； he said； and he
could not believe in suicide。 Such an act would not
have been in character with what he knew of the man。
〃It is my opinion； too；〃 the lawyer agreed。 The gen…
eral theory was that
