masterman ready-第41节

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　the　gale　…　that　is　certain；　and　there　is　no　saying　what　the　effects　of　the　gale　may　be。　She　may　lie　to；　and　not　be　far　from　us　when　the　gale　is　over；　or　she　may　be　obliged　to　scud　before　the　gale；　and　run　some　hundred　miles　from　us。　Then　comes　the　next　chance。　I　think；　by　her　running　for　the　island；　that　she　was　short　of　water；　the　question　is；　then；　whether　she　may　not　find　it　necessary　to　run　for　the　port　she　is　bound　to；　or　water　at　some　other　place。　A　captain　of　a　vessel　is　bound　to　do　his　best　for　the　owners。　At　the　same　time　I　do　think；　that　if　she　can　with　propriety　come　back　for　us　she　will。　The　question　is；　first；　whether　she　can；　and；　secondly；　whether　the　captain　is　a　humane　man；　and　will　do　so　at　his　own　inconvenience。〃

〃There　is　but　poor　comfort　in　all　that；〃　replied　Mr。　Seagrave。

〃It　is　useless　holding　out　false　hopes；　sir；〃　replied　Ready；　〃but　even　if　the　vessel　continues　her　voyage；　we　have　much　to　be　thankful　for。〃

〃In　what；　Ready？〃

〃Why；　sir；　no　one　knew　whether　we　were　in　existence　or　not；　and　probably　we　never　should　have　been　searched　for；　but　now　we　have　made　it　known；　and　by　the　ship's　name　on　the　flag　they　know　who　we　are；　and；　if　they　arrive　safe　in　port；　will　not　fail　to　communicate　the　intelligence　to　your　friends。　Is　not　that　a　great　deal　to　be　thankful　for？　We　may　not　be　taken　off　by　this　vessel；　but　we　have　every　hope　that　another　will　be　sent　out　to　us。〃

〃Very　true；　Ready；　I　ought　to　have　seen　that　before；　but　my　despair　and　disappointment　were　yesterday　so　great；　that　it　almost　took　away　my　reason。〃

The　gale　continued　during　the　day；　and　showed　no　symptoms　of　abatement；　when　they　again　retired　for　the　night。　The　following　day　Ready　was　up　early；　as　usual；　and　William　accompanied　him　to　the　beach。

〃I　don't　think　that　it　blows　so　hard　as　it　did；　Ready。〃

〃No；　William；　it　does　not；　the　gale　is　breaking；　and　by　night；　I　have　no　doubt；　will　be　over。　It　is；　however；　useless　looking　for　the　vessel；　as　she　must　be　a　long　way　from　this。　It　would　take　her　a　week；　perhaps；　to　come　back　to　us　if　she　was　to　try　to　do　so；　unless　the　wind　should　change　to　the　northward　or　westward。〃

〃Ready！　Ready！〃　exclaimed　William；　pointing　to　the　south…east　part　of　the　reef；　〃what　is　that？　Look！　it's　a　boat。〃

Ready　put　his　telescope　to　his　eye。　〃It's　a　canoe；　William；　and　there　are　people　in　it。〃

〃Why；　where　can　they　have　come　from？　See！　they　are　among　the　breakers；　they　will　be　lost。　Let　us　go　towards　them；　Ready。〃

They　hastened　along　the　beach　to　the　spot　nearest　to　where　the　canoe　was　tossing　on　the　surf；　and　watched　it　as　it　approached　the　shore。

〃William；　this　canoe　must　have　been　blown　off　from　the　large　island；　which　lies　out　there；〃　and　Ready　again　looked　through　his　telescope：　〃there　are　two　people　in　it；　and　they　are　islanders。　Poor　things！　they　struggle　hard　for　their　lives；　and　seem　much　exhausted；　but　they　have　passed　through　the　most　dangerous　part　of　the　reef。〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　William；　〃they　will　soon　be　in　smoother　water；　but　the　surf　on　the　beach　is　very　heavy。〃

〃They　won't　mind　that；　if　their　strength　don't　fail　them　…　they　manage　the　canoe　beautifully。〃

During　this　conversation　the　canoe　had　rapidly　come　towards　the　land。　In　a　moment　or　two　afterwards；　it　passed　through　the　surf　and　grounded　on　the　beach。　The　two　people　in　it　had　just　strength　enough　left　to　paddle　through　the　surf；　and　then　they　dropped　down　in　the　bottom　of　the　canoe；　quite　exhausted。

〃Let's　drag　the　canoe　higher　up；　William。　Poor　creatures！　they　are　nearly　dead。〃

While　dragging　it　up；　Ready　observed　that　the　occupants　were　both　women：　their　faces　were　tattooed　all　over；　otherwise　they　were　young；　and　might　have　been　good…looking。

〃Shall　I　run　up　and　get　something　for　them；　Ready？〃

〃Do；　William；　ask　Juno　to　give　you　some　of　whatever　there　is　for　breakfast；　anything　warm。〃

William　soon　returned　with　some　thin　oatmeal　porridge；　which　Juno　had　been　preparing　for　breakfast；　and　a　few　spoonfuls　being　forced　down　the　throats　of　the　two　natives　they　gradually　revived。　William　then　left　Ready；　and　went　up　to　acquaint　his　father　and　mother　with　this　unexpected　event。

William　soon　returned　with　Mr。　Seagrave；　and　as　the　women　were　now　able　to　sit　up；　they　hauled　up　the　canoe　as　far　as　they　could；　to　prevent　her　being　beat　to　pieces。　They　found　nothing　in　the　canoe；　except　a　piece　of　matting　and　the　two　paddles　which　had　been　used　by　the　natives。

〃You　see；　sir；〃　said　Ready；　〃it　is　very　clear　that　these　two　poor　women；　having　been　left　in　charge　of　the　canoe；　have　been　blown　off　from　the　shore　of　one　of　the　islands　to　the　south…east；　they　must　have　been　contending　with　the　gale　ever　since　the　day　before　yesterday；　and；　as　it　appears；　without　food　or　water。　It's　a　mercy　that　they　gained　this　island。〃

〃It　is　so；〃　replied　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃but　to　tell　the　truth；　I　am　not　over　pleased　at　their　arrival。　It　proves　what　we　were　not　sure　of　before；　that　we　have　very　near　neighbours；　who　may　probably　pay　us　a　very　unwelcome　visit。〃

〃That　may　be；　sir；〃　replied　Ready；　〃still　these　two　poor　creatures　being　thrown　on　shore　here　does　not　make　the　matter　worse；　or　the　danger　greater。　Perhaps　it　may　turn　to　our　advantage；　for　if　these　women　learn　to　speak　English　before　any　other　islanders　visit　us；　they　will　interpret　for　us；　and　be　the　means；　perhaps；　of　saving　our　lives。〃

〃Would　their　visit　be　so　dangerous；　then；　Ready？〃

〃Why；　sir；　a　savage　is　a　savage；　and；　like　a　child；　wishes　to　obtain　whatever　he　sees；　especially　he　covets　what　he　may　turn　to　use；　such　as　iron；　&c。　If　they　came；　and　we　concealed　a　portion；　and　gave　up　the　remainder　of　our　goods；　we　might　escape；　but　still　there　is　no　trusting　to　them；　and　I　would　infinitely　prefer　defending　ourselves　against　numbers　to　trusting　to　their　mercy。〃

〃But　how　can　we　defend　ourselves　against　a　multitude？〃

〃We　must　be　prepared；　sir：　if　we　can　fortify　ourselves；　with　our　muskets　we　would　be　more　than　a　match　for　hundreds。〃

Mr。　Seagrave　turned　away。　After　a　pause　he　said；　〃It　is　not　very　pleasant　to　be　now　talking　of　defending　ourselves　against　savages；　when　we　hoped　two　days　ago　to　be　leaving　the　island。　Oh；　that　that　brig　would　make　its　appearance　again！〃

〃The　wind　is　going　down　fast；　sir；〃　observed　Ready；　〃it　will　be　fine　weather　before　the　evening。　We　may　look　out　for　her；　at　all　events；　for　the　next　week　I　shall　not　give　up　all　hopes。〃

〃A　whole　week；　Ready！　Alas！　how　true　it　is；　that　hope　deferred　maketh　the　heart　sick。〃

〃It　is　a　severe　trial；　Mr。　Seagrave；　but　we　must　submit　when　we　are　chastened。　We　had　better　get　these　poor　creatures　up　to　the　house；　and　let　them　recover　themselves。〃

Ready　then　beckoned　to　them　to　get　on　their　feet；　which　they　both　did；　although　with　some　difficulty。　He　then　went　in　advance；　making　a　sign　for　them　to　follow；　they　understood　him；　and　made　the　attempt；　but　were　so　weak；　that　they　would　have　fallen　if　they　had　not　been　supported　by　Mr。　Seagrave　and　William。

It　required　a　long　time　for　them　to　arrive　at　the　house。　Mrs。　Seagrave；　who　knew　what　had　happened；　received　them　very　kindly；　and　Juno　had　a　mess　ready；　which　she　put　before　them。　They　ate　a　little　and　then　lay　down；　and　were　soon　sound　asleep。

〃It　is　fortunate　for　us　that　they　are　women；〃　observed　Mr。　Seagrave：　〃we　should　have　had　great　difficulty　had　they　been　men。〃

〃Yes；　sir；〃　replied　Ready；　〃but　still　we　must　not　trust　women　too　much　at　first；　for　they　are　savages。〃

〃Where　shall　we　put　them　to…night；　Ready？〃

〃Why；　sir；　I　have　been　thinking　about　that。　I　wish　we　had　a　shed　close　to　us；　but　as　we　have　not；　we　must　let　them　sleep　in　the　storehouse。〃

We　must　now　pass　over　a　space　of　fifteen　days；　in　which　there　was　nothing　done。　The　expectation　of　the　vessel　returning　was　still　alive；　although　each　day　decreased　these　hopes。　Every　morning　Ready　and　William　were　at　the　beach　with　the　telescope；　and　the　whole　of　the　day　was　passed　in　surmises；　hopes；　and　fears。　In　fact；　the　appearance　of　the　vessel　and　the　expectation　of　leaving　the　island　had　completely　overturned　all　the　regularity　and　content　of　our　island　party。　No　other　subject　was　broached　…　not　any　of　the　work　proposed　was　begun；　as　it　was　useless　to　do　anything　if　they　were　to　leave　the　island。　After　the　first　week　had　passed；　they　felt　that　every　day　their　chances　were　more　adverse；　and　at　the　end　of　the　fortnight　all　hopes　were　very　unwillingly　abandoned。

The　Indian　women　had；　in　the　meantime；　recovered　their　fatigues；　and　appeared　to　be　very　mild　and　tractable。　Whatever　they　were　able　to　do；　they　did　cheerfully；　and　had　already　gained　a　few　words　of　English。　The　party　to　explore　was　again　talked　over；　and　arranged　for　the　following　Monday；　when　a　new　misfortune　fell　on　them；　which　disconcerted　all　their　arrangements。

On　the　Saturday　morning；　when　Ready；　as　usual；　went　his　rounds；　as　he　walked　along　the　beach；　he　perceived　that　the　Indian　canoe　was　missing。　It　had　been　hauled　up　clear　of　the　water；　so　that　it　could　not　have　floated　away。　Ready's　heart　misgave　him；　he　looked　through　his　telescope　in　the　direction　of　the　large　island；　and　thought　he　could　distinguish　a　speck　on　the　water　at　a　great　distance。　As　he　was　thus　occupied；　William　came　down　to　him。