south sea tales-第16节

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must　confess　that　neither　Captain　Oudouse　nor　Ah　Choon　were　attacked　by　the

disease　either。　The　Frenchman　did　not　drink　at　all；　while　Ah　Choon　restricted

himself　to　one　drink　daily。



It　was　a　pretty　time。　The　sun；　going　into　northern　declination；　was　straight

overhead。　There　was　no　wind；　except　for　frequent　squalls；　which　blew　fiercely

for　from　five　minutes　to　half　an　hour；　and　wound　up　by　deluging　us　with　rain。

After　each　squall；　the　awful　sun　would　come　out；　drawing　clouds　of　steam　from

the　soaked　decks。



The　steam　was　not　nice。　It　was　the　vapor　of　death；　freighted　with　millions　and

millions　of　germs。　We　always　took　another　drink　when　we　saw　it　going　up　from

the　dead　and　dying；　and　usually　we　took　two　or　three　more　drinks；　mixing　them

exceptionally　stiff。　　Also；　we　made　it　a　rule　to　take　an　additional　several

each　time　they　hove　the　dead　over　to　the　sharks　that　swarmed　about　us。



We　had　a　week　of　it；　and　then　the　whiskey　gave　out。　It　is　just　as　well；　or　I

shouldn't　be　alive　now。　It　took　a　sober　man　to　pull　through　what　followed；　as

you　will　agree　when　I　mention　the　little　fact　that　only　two　men　did　pull

through。　The　other　man　was　the　heathenat　least；　that　was　what　I　heard

Captain　Oudouse　call　him　at　the　moment　I　first　became　aware　of　the　heathen's

existence。　But　to　come　back。



It　was　at　the　end　of　the　week；　with　the　whiskey　gone；　and　the　pearl　buyers

sober；　that　I　happened　to　glance　at　the　barometer　that　hung　in　the　cabin

companionway。　Its　normal　register　in　the　Paumotus　was　29。90；　and　it　was　quite

customary　to　see　it　vacillate　between　29。85　and　30。00；　or　even　30。05；　but　to

see　it　as　I　saw　it；　down　to　29。62；　was　sufficient　to　sober　the　most　drunken

pearl　buyer　that　ever　incinerated　smallpox　microbes　in　Scotch　whiskey。



I　called　Captain　Oudouse's　attention　to　it；　only　to　be　informed　that　he　had

watched　it　going　down　for　several　hours。　There　was　little　to　do；　but　that

little　he　did　very　well；　considering　the　circumstances。　He　took　off　the　light

sails；　shortened　right　down　to　storm　canvas；　spread　life　lines；　and　waited　for

the　wind。　His　mistake　lay　in　what　he　did　after　the　wind　came。　He　hove　to　on

the　port　tack；　which　was　the　right　thing　to　do　south　of　the　Equator；　ifand

there　was　the　rubIF　one　were　NOT　in　the　direct　path　of　the　hurricane。



We　were　in　the　direct　path。　I　could　see　that　by　the　steady　increase　of　the

wind　and　the　equally　steady　fall　of　the　barometer。　I　wanted　him　to　turn　and

run　with　the　wind　on　the　port　quarter　until　the　barometer　ceased　falling；　and

then　to　heave　to。　We　argued　till　he　was　reduced　to　hysteria；　but　budge　he

would　not。　The　worst　of　it　was　that　I　could　not　get　the　rest　of　the　pearl

buyers　to　back　me　up。　Who　was　I；　anyway；　to　know　more　about　the　sea　and　its

ways　than　a　properly　qualified　captain？　was　what　was　in　their　minds；　I　knew。



Of　course；　the　sea　rose　with　the　wind　frightfully；　and　I　shall　never　forget

the　first　three　seas　the　Petite　Jeanne　shipped。　She　had　fallen　off；　as　vessels

do　at　times　when　hove　to；　and　the　first　sea　made　a　clean　breach。　The　life

lines　were　only　for　the　strong　and　well；　and　little　good　were　they　even　for

them　when　the　women　and　children；　the　bananas　and　cocoanuts；　the　pigs　and

trade　boxes；　the　sick　and　the　dying；　were　swept　along　in　a　solid；　screeching；

groaning　mass。



The　second　sea　filled　the　Petite　Jeanne'S　decks　flush　with　the　rails；　and；　as

her　stern　sank　down　and　her　bow　tossed　skyward；　all　the　miserable　dunnage　of

life　and　luggage　poured　aft。　It　was　a　human　torrent。　They　came　head　first；

feet　first；　sidewise；　rolling　over　and　over；　twisting；　squirming；　writhing；

and　crumpling　up。　Now　and　again　one　caught　a　grip　on　a　stanchion　or　a　rope；

but　the　weight　of　the　bodies　behind　tore　such　grips　loose。



One　man　I　noticed　fetch　up；　head　on　and　square　on；　with　the　starboard　bitt。

His　head　cracked　like　an　egg。　I　saw　what　was　coming；　sprang　on　top　of　the

cabin；　and　from　there　into　the　mainsail　itself。　Ah　Choon　and　one　of　the

Americans　tried　to　follow　me；　but　I　was　one　jump　ahead　of　them。　The　American

was　swept　away　and　over　the　stern　like　a　piece　of　chaff。　Ah　Choon　caught　a

spoke　of　the　wheel；　and　swung　in　behind　it。　But　a　strapping　Raratonga　vahine

（woman）she　must　have　weighed　two　hundred　and　fiftybrought　up　against　him；

and　got　an　arm　around　his　neck。　He　clutched　the　kanaka　steersman　with　his

other　hand；　and　just　at　that　moment　the　schooner　flung　down　to　starboard。



The　rush　of　bodies　and　sea　that　was　coming　along　the　port　runway　between　the

cabin　and　the　rail　turned　abruptly　and　poured　to　starboard。　Away　they

wentvahine；　Ah　Choon；　and　steersman；　and　I　swear　I　saw　Ah　Choon　grin　at　me

with　philosophic　resignation　as　he　cleared　the　rail　and　went　under。



The　third　seathe　biggest　of　the　threedid　not　do　so　much　damage。　By　the

time　it　arrived　nearly　everybody　was　in　the　rigging。　On　deck　perhaps　a　dozen

gasping；　half…drowned；　and　half…stunned　wretches　were　rolling　about　or

attempting　to　crawl　into　safety。　They　went　by　the　board；　as　did　the　wreckage

of　the　two　remaining　boats。　The　other　pearl　buyers　and　myself；　between　seas；

managed　to　get　about　fifteen　women　and　children　into　the　cabin；　and　battened

down。　Little　good　it　did　the　poor　creatures　in　the　end。



Wind？　Out　of　all　my　experience　I　could　not　have　believed　it　possible　for　the

wind　to　blow　as　it　did。　There　is　no　describing　it。　How　can　one　describe　a

nightmare？　It　was　the　same　way　with　that　wind。　It　tore　the　clothes　off　our

bodies。　I　say　TORE　THEM　OFF；　and　I　mean　it。　I　am　not　asking　you　to　believe　it。

I　am　merely　telling　something　that　I　saw　and　felt。　There　are　times　when　I　do

not　believe　it　myself。　I　went　through　it；　and　that　is　enough。　One　could　not

face　that　wind　and　live。　It　was　a　monstrous　thing；　and　the　most　monstrous

thing　about　it　was　that　it　increased　and　continued　to　increase。



Imagine　countless　millions　and　billions　of　tons　of　sand。　Imagine　this　sand

tearing　along　at　ninety；　a　hundred；　a　hundred　and　twenty；　or　any　other　number

of　miles　per　hour。　Imagine；　further；　this　sand　to　be　invisible；　impalpable；

yet　to　retain　all　the　weight　and　density　of　sand。　Do　all　this；　and　you　may　get

a　vague　inkling　of　what　that　wind　was　like。



Perhaps　sand　is　not　the　right　comparison。　Consider　it　mud；　invisible；

impalpable；　but　heavy　as　mud。　Nay；　it　goes　beyond　that。　Consider　every

molecule　of　air　to　be　a　mudbank　in　itself。　　Then　try　to　imagine　the

multitudinous　impact　of　mudbanks。　No；　it　is　beyond　me。　Language　may　be

adequate　to　express　the　ordinary　conditions　of　life；　but　it　cannot　possibly

express　any　of　the　conditions　of　so　enormous　a　blast　of　wind。　It　would　have

been　better　had　I　stuck　by　my　original　intention　of　not　attempting　a

description。



I　will　say　this　much：　The　sea；　which　had　risen　at　first；　was　beaten　down　by

that　wind。　'more：　it　seemed　as　if　the　whole　ocean　had　been　sucked　up　in　the

maw　of　the　hurricane；　and　hurled　on　through　that　portion　of　space　which

previously　had　been　occupied　by　the　air。



Of　course；　our　canvas　had　gone　long　before。　But　Captain　Oudouse　had　on　the

Petite　Jeanne　something　I　had　never　before　seen　on　a　South　Sea　schoonera　sea

anchor。　It　was　a　conical　canvas　bag；　the　mouth　of　which　was　kept　open　by　a

huge　loop　of　iron。　The　sea　anchor　was　bridled　something　like　a　kite；　so　that

it　bit　into　the　water　as　a　kite　bites　into　the　air；　but　with　a　difference。　The

sea　anchor　remained　just　under　the　surface　of　the　ocean　in　a　perpendicular

position。　A　long　line；　in　turn；　connected　it　with　the　schooner。　As　a　result；

the　Petite　Jeanne　rode　bow　on　to　the　wind　and　to　what　sea　there　was。



The　situation　really　would　have　been　favorable　had　we　not　been　in　the　path　of

the　storm。　True；　the　wind　itself　tore　our　canvas　out　of　the　gaskets；　jerked

out　our　topmasts；　and　made　a　raffle　of　our　running　gear；　but　still　we　would

have　come　through　nicely　had　we　not　been　square　in　front　of　the　advancing

storm　center。　That　was　what　fixed　us。　I　was　in　a　state　of　stunned；　numbed；

paralyzed　collapse　from　enduring　the　impact　of　the　wind；　and　I　think　I　was

just　about　ready　to　give　up　and　die　when　the　center　smote　us。　　The　blow　we

received　was　an　absolute　lull。　There　was　not　a　breath　of　air。　The　effect　on

one　was　sickening。



Remember　that　for　hours　we　had　been　at　terrific　muscular　tension；　withstanding

the　awful　pressure　of　that　wind。　And　then；　suddenly；　the　pressure　was　removed。

I　know　that　I　felt　as　though　I　was　about　to　expand；　to　fly　apart　in　all

directions。　It　seemed　as　if　every　atom　composing　my　body　was　repelling　every

other　atom　and　was　on　the　verge　of　rushing　off　irresistibly　into　space。　But

that　lasted　only　for　a　moment。　Destruction　was　upon　us。



In　the　absence　of　the　wind　and　pressure　the　sea　rose。　It　jumped；　it　leaped；　it

soared　straight　toward　the　clouds。　Remember；　from　every　point　of　the　compass

that　inconceivable　wind　was　blowing　in　toward　the　center　of　calm。　The　result

was　that　the　seas　sprang　up　from　every　point　of　the　comp