south sea tales-第28节

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deck。　　He　was　followed　by　many　packages　of　dried　bananas；　each　package　wrapped

in　dry　leaves。



〃Now；　Captain；〃　he　said；　〃swing　the　yards　and　drive　for　dear　life。　You　see；　I

am　no　navigator；〃　he　explained　a　few　minutes　later；　as　he　stood　by　the　captain

aft；　the　latter　with　gaze　wandering　from　aloft　to　overside　as　he　estimated　the

Pyrenees'　speed。　〃You　must　fetch　her　to　Mangareva。　When　you　have　picked　up　the

land；　then　I　will　pilot　her　in。　What　do　you　think　she　is　making？〃



〃Eleven；〃　Captain　Davenport　answered；　with　a　final　glance　at　the　water　rushing

past。



〃Eleven。　Let　me　see；　if　she　keeps　up　that　gait；　we'll　sight　Mangareva　between

eight　and　nine　o'clock　tomorrow　morning。　I'll　have　her　on　the　beach　by　ten　or

by　eleven　at　latest。　And　then　your　troubles　will　be　all　over。〃



It　almost　seemed　to　the　captain　that　the　blissful　moment　had　already　arrived；

such　was　the　persuasive　convincingness　of　McCoy。



Captain　Davenport　had　been　under　the　fearful　strain　of　navigating　his　burning

ship　for　over　two　weeks；　and　he　was　beginning　to　feel　that　he　had　had　enough。



A　heavier　flaw　of　wind　struck　the　back　of　his　neck　and　whistled　by　his　ears。

He　measured　the　weight　of　it；　and　looked　quickly　overside。



〃The　wind　is　making　all　the　time；〃　he　announced。　〃The　old　girl's　doing　nearer

twelve　than　eleven　right　now。　If　this　keeps　up；　we'll　be　shortening　down

tonight。〃



All　day　the　Pyrenees；　carrying　her　load　of　living　fire；　tore　across　the

foaming　sea。　By　nightfall；　royals　and　topgallantsails　were　in；　and　she　flew　on

into　the　darkness；　with　great；　crested　seas　roaring　after　her。　The　auspicious

wind　had　had　its　effect；　and　fore　and　aft　a　visible　brightening　was　apparent。

In　the　second　dog…watch　some　careless　soul　started　a　song；　and　by　eight　bells

the　whole　crew　was　singing。



Captain　Davenport　had　his　blankets　brought　up　and　spread　on　top　the　house。



〃I've　forgotten　what　sleep　is；〃　he　explained　to　McCoy。　〃I'm　all　in。　But　give

me　a　call　at　any　time　you　think　necessary。〃



At　three　in　the　morning　he　was　aroused　by　a　gentle　tugging　at　his　arm。　He　sat

up　quickly；　bracing　himself　against　the　skylight；　stupid　yet　from　his　heavy

sleep。　The　wind　was　thrumming　its　war　song　in　the　rigging；　and　a　wild　sea　was

buffeting　the　PYRENEES。　　Amidships　she　was　wallowing　first　one　rail　under　and

then　the　other；　flooding　the　waist　more　often　than　not。　'mcCoy　was　shouting

something　he　could　not　hear。　He　reached　out；　clutched　the　other　by　the

shoulder；　and　drew　him　close　so　that　his　own　ear　was　close　to　the　other's

lips。



〃It's　three　o'clock；〃　came　McCoy's　voice；　still　retaining　its　dovelike

quality；　but　curiously　muffled；　as　if　from　a　long　way　off。　〃We've　run　two

hundred　and　fifty。　Crescent　Island　is　only　thirty　miles　away；　somewhere　there

dead　ahead。　There's　no　lights　on　it。　If　we　keep　running；　we'll　pile　up；　and

lose　ourselves　as　well　as　the　ship。〃



〃What　d'　ye　thinkheave　to？〃



〃Yes；　heave　to　till　daylight。　It　will　only　put　us　back　four　hours。〃



So　the　Pyrenees；　with　her　cargo　of　fire；　was　hove　to；　bitting　the　teeth　of　the

gale　and　fighting　and　smashing　the　pounding　seas。　　She　was　a　shell；　filled

with　a　conflagration；　and　on　the　outside　of　the　shell；　clinging　precariously；

the　little　motes　of　men；　by　pull　and　haul；　helped　her　in　the　battle。



〃It　is　most　unusual；　this　gale；〃　McCoy　told　the　captain；　in　the　lee　of　the

cabin。　〃By　rights　there　should　be　no　gale　at　this　time　of　the　year。　But

everything　about　the　weather　has　been　unusual。　There　has　been　a　stoppage　of

the　trades；　and　now　it's　howling　right　out　of　the　trade　quarter。〃　He　waved　his

hand　into　the　darkness；　as　if　his　vision　could　dimly　penetrate　for　hundreds　of

miles。　〃It　is　off　to　the　westward。　There　is　something　big　making　off　there

somewherea　hurricane　or　something。　We're　lucky　to　be　so　far　to　the　eastward。

But　this　is　only　a　little　blow；〃　he　added。　〃It　can't　last。　I　can　tell　you　that

much。〃



By　daylight　the　gale　had　eased　down　to　normal。　But　daylight　revealed　a　new

danger。　It　had　come　on　thick。　The　sea　was　covered　by　a　fog；　or；　rather；　by　a

pearly　mist　that　was　fog…like　in　density；　in　so　far　as　it　obstructed　vision；

but　that　was　no　more　than　a　film　on　the　sea；　for　the　sun　shot　it　through　and

filled　it　with　a　glowing　radiance。



The　deck　of　the　Pyrenees　was　making　more　smoke　than　on　the　preceding　day；　and

the　cheerfulness　of　officers　and　crew　had　vanished。　In　the　lee　of　the　galley

the　cabin　boy　could　be　heard　whimpering。　It　was　his　first　voyage；　and　the　fear

of　death　was　at　his　heart。　The　captain　wandered　about　like　a　lost　soul；

nervously　chewing　his　mustache；　scowling；　unable　to　make　up　his　mind　what　to

do。



〃What　do　you　think？〃　he　asked；　pausing　by　the　side　of　McCoy；　who　was　making　a

breakfast　off　fried　bananas　and　a　mug　of　water。



McCoy　finished　the　last　banana；　drained　the　mug；　and　looked　slowly　around。　In

his　eyes　was　a　smile　of　tenderness　as　he　said：



〃Well；　Captain；　we　might　as　well　drive　as　burn。　Your　decks　are　not　going　to

hold　out　forever。　They　are　hotter　this　morning。　You　haven't　a　pair　of　shoes　I

can　wear？　It　is　getting　uncomfortable　for　my　bare　feet。〃



The　Pyrenees　shipped　two　heavy　seas　as　she　was　swung　off　and　put　once　more

before　it；　and　the　first　mate　expressed　a　desire　to　have　all　that　water　down

in　the　hold；　if　only　it　could　be　introduced　without　taking　off　the　hatches。

'mcCoy　ducked　his　head　into　the　binnacle　and　watched　the　course　set。



〃I'd　hold　her　up　some　more；　Captain；〃　he　said。　〃She's　been　making　drift　when

hove　to。〃



〃I've　set　it　to　a　point　higher　already；〃　was　the　answer。　〃Isn't　that　enough？〃



〃I'd　make　it　two　points；　Captain。　This　bit　of　a　blow　kicked　that　westerly

current　ahead　faster　than　you　imagine。〃



Captain　Davenport　compromised　on　a　point　and　a　half；　and　then　went　aloft；

accompanied　by　McCoy　and　the　first　mate；　to　keep　a　lookout　for　land。　Sail　had

been　made；　so　that　the　Pyrenees　was　doing　ten　knots。　The　following　sea　was

dying　down　rapidly。　　There　was　no　break　in　the　pearly　fog；　and　by　ten　o'clock

Captain　Davenport　was　growing　nervous。　Al　l　hands　were　at　their　stations；

ready；　at　the　first　warning　of　land　ahead；　to　spring　like　fiends　to　the　task

of　bringing　the　Pyrenees　up　on　the　wind。　　That　land　ahead；　a　surf…washed　outer

reef；　would　be　perilously　close　when　it　revealed　itself　in　such　a　fog。



Another　hour　passed。　The　three　watchers　aloft　stared　intently　into　the　pearly

radiance。〃What　if　we　miss　Mangareva？〃　Captain　Davenport　asked　abruptly。



McCoy；　without　shifting　his　gaze；　answered　softly：



〃Why；　let　her　drive；　captain。　That　is　all　we　can　do。　All　the　Paumotus　are

before　us。　We　can　drive　for　a　thousand　miles　through　reefs　and　atolls。　We　are

bound　to　fetch　up　somewhere。〃



〃Then　drive　it　is。〃　Captain　Davenport　evidenced　his　intention　of　descending　to

the　deck。　〃We've　missed　Mangareva。　God　knows　where　the　next　land　is。　I　wish

I'd　held　her　up　that　other　half…point；〃　he　confessed　a　moment　later。　〃This

cursed　current　plays　the　devil　with　a　navigator。〃



〃The　old　navigators　called　the　Paumotus　the　Dangerous　Archipelago；〃　McCoy

said；　when　they　had　regained　the　poop。　〃This　very　current　was　partly

responsible　for　that　name。〃



〃I　was　talking　with　a　sailor　chap　in　Sydney；　once；〃　said　Mr。　Konig。　〃He'd　been

trading　in　the　Paumotus。　He　told　me　insurance　was　eighteen　per　cent。　Is　that

right？〃



McCoy　smiled　and　nodded。



〃Except　that　they　don't　insure；〃　he　explained。　〃The　owners　write　off　twenty

per　cent　of　the　cost　of　their　schooners　each　year。〃



〃My　God！〃　Captain　Davenport　groaned。　〃That　makes　the　life　of　a　schooner　only

five　years！〃　He　shook　his　head　sadly；　murmuring；　〃Bad　waters！　Bad　waters！〃



Again　they　went　into　the　cabin　to　consult　the　big　general　chart；　but　the

poisonous　vapors　drove　them　coughing　and　gasping　on　deck。



〃Here　is　Moerenhout　Island；〃　Captain　Davenport　pointed　it　out　on　the　chart；

which　he　had　spread　on　the　house。　〃It　can't　be　more　than　a　hundred　miles　to

leeward。〃



〃A　hundred　and　ten。〃　'mcCoy　shook　his　head　doubtfully。　〃It　might　be　done；　but

it　is　very　difficult。　I　might　beach　her；　and　then　again　I　might　put　her　on　the

reef。　A　bad　place；　a　very　bad　place。〃



〃We'll　take　the　chance；〃　was　Captain　Davenport's　decision；　as　he　set　about

working　out　the　course。



Sail　was　shortened　early　in　the　afternoon；　to　avoid　running　past　in　the　night；

and　in　the　second　dog…watch　the　crew　manifested　its　regained　cheerfulness。

Land　was　so　very　near；　and　their　troubles　would　be　over　in　the　morning。



But　morning　broke　clear；　with　a　blazing　tropic　sun。　The　southeast　trade　had

swung　around　to　the　eastward；　and　was　driving　the　PYRENEES　through　the　water

at　an　eight…knot　clip。　Captain　Davenport　worked　up　his　dead　reckoning；

allowing　generously　for　drift；　and　announced　Moerenhout　Island　to　be　not　more

than　ten　miles　off。　The　Pyrenees　sailed　the　ten　miles；　she　sailed　ten　miles

more；　and　the　lookouts　at　the　t