south sea tales-第30节

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from　which　point　the　wind　continued　to　blow　intermittently。



〃We　won't　make　Hao　until　ten　or　eleven；〃　Captain　Davenport　complained　at　seven

in　the　morning；　when　the　fleeting　promise　of　the　sun　had　been　erased　by　hazy

cloud　masses　in　the　eastern　sky。　　And　the　next　moment　he　was　plaintively

demanding；　〃And　what　are　the　currents　doing？〃



Lookouts　at　the　mastheads　could　report　no　land；　and　the　day　passed　in

drizzling　calms　and　violent　squalls。　By　nightfall　a　heavy　sea　began　to　make

from　the　west。　The　barometer　had　fallen　to　29。50。　There　was　no　wind；　and　still

the　ominous　sea　continued　to　increase。　Soon　the　Pyrenees　was　rolling　madly　in

the　huge　waves　that　marched　in　an　unending　procession　from　out　of　the　darkness

of　the　west。　Sail　was　shortened　as　fast　as　both　watches　could　work；　and；　when

the　tired　crew　had　finished；　its　grumbling　and　complaining　voices；　peculiarly

animal…like　and　menacing；　could　be　heard　in　the　darkness。　Once　the　starboard

watch　was　called　aft　to　lash　down　and　make　secure；　and　the　men　openly

advertised　their　sullenness　and　unwillingness。　Every　slow　movement　was　a

protest　and　a　threat。　The　atmosphere　was　moist　and　sticky　like　mucilage；　and

in　the　absence　of　wind　all　hands　seemed　to　pant　and　gasp　for　air。　The　sweat

stood　out　on　faces　and　bare　arms；　and　Captain　Davenport　for　one；　his　face　more

gaunt　and　care…worn　than　ever；　and　his　eyes　troubled　and　staring；　was

oppressed　by　a　feeling　of　impending　calamity。



〃It's　off　to　the　westward；〃　McCoy　said　encouragingly。　〃At　worst；　we'll　be　only

on　the　edge　of　it。〃



But　Captain　Davenport　refused　to　be　comforted；　and　by　the　light　of　a　lantern

read　up　the　chapter　in　his　Epitome　that　related　to　the　strategy　of　shipmasters

in　cyclonic　storms。　From　somewhere　amidships　the　silence　was　broken　by　a　low

whimpering　from　the　cabin　boy。



〃Oh；　shut　up！〃　Captain　Davenport　yelled　suddenly　and　with　such　force　as　to

startle　every　man　on　board　and　to　frighten　the　offender　into　a　wild　wail　of

terror。



〃Mr。　Konig；〃　the　captain　said　in　a　voice　that　trembled　with　rage　and　nerves；

〃will　you　kindly　step　for'ard　and　stop　that　brat's　mouth　with　a　deck　mop？〃



But　it　was　McCoy　who　went　forward；　and　in　a　few　minutes　had　the　boy　comforted

and　asleep。



Shortly　before　daybreak　the　first　breath　of　air　began　to　move　from　out　the

southeast；　increasing　swiftly　to　a　stiff　and　stiffer　breeze。　All　hands　were　on

deck　waiting　for　what　might　be　behind　it。　〃We're　all　right　now；　Captain；〃　said

McCoy；　standing　close　to　his　shoulder。　〃The　hurricane　is　to　the　west'ard；　and

we　are　south　of　it。　This　breeze　is　the　in…suck。　It　won't　blow　any　harder。　You

can　begin　to　put　sail　on　her。〃



〃But　what's　the　good？　Where　shall　I　sail？　This　is　the　second　day　without

observations；　and　we　should　have　sighted　Hao　Island　yesterday　morning。　Which

way　does　it　bear；　north；　south；　east；　or　what？　Tell　me　that；　and　I'll　make

sail　in　a　jiffy。〃



〃I　am　no　navigator；　Captain；〃　McCoy　said　in　his　mild　way。



〃I　used　to　think　I　was　one；〃　was　the　retort；　〃before　I　got　into　these

Paumotus。〃



At　midday　the　cry　of　〃Breakers　ahead！〃　was　heard　from　the　lookout。　The

Pyrenees　was　kept　off；　and　sail　after　sail　was　loosed　and　sheeted　home。　The

Pyrenees　was　sliding　through　the　water　and　fighting　a　current　that　threatened

to　set　her　down　upon　the　breakers。　Officers　and　men　were　working　like　mad；

cook　and　cabin　boy；　Captain　Davenport　himself；　and　McCoy　all　lending　a　hand。

It　was　a　close　shave。　It　was　a　low　shoal；　a　bleak　and　perilous　place　over

which　the　seas　broke　unceasingly；　where　no　man　could　live；　and　on　which　not

even　sea　birds　could　rest。　The　PYRENEES　was　swept　within　a　hundred　yards　of　it

before　the　wind　carried　her　clear；　and　at　this　moment　the　panting　crew；　its

work　done；　burst　out　in　a　torrent　of　curses　upon　the　head　of　McCoy　of　McCoy

who　had　come　on　board；　and　proposed　the　run　to　Mangareva；　and　lured　them　all

away　from　the　safety　of　Pitcairn　Island　to　certain　destruction　in　this

baffling　and　terrible　stretch　of　sea。　But　McCoy's　tranquil　soul　was

undisturbed。　He　smiled　at　them　with　simple　and　gracious　benevolence；　and；

somehow；　the　exalted　goodness　of　him　seemed　to　penetrate　to　their　dark　and

somber　souls；　shaming　them；　and　from　very　shame　stilling　the　curses　vibrating

in　their　throats。



〃Bad　waters！　Bad　waters！〃　Captain　Davenport　was　murmuring　as　his　ship　forged

clear；　but　he　broke　off　abruptly　to　gaze　at　the　shoal　which　should　have　been

dead　astern；　but　which　was　already　on　the　PYRENEES'　weather…quarter　and

working　up　rapidly　to　windward。



He　sat　down　and　buried　his　face　in　his　hands。　And　the　first　mate　saw；　and

McCoy　saw；　and　the　crew　saw；　what　he　had　seen。　South　of　the　shoal　an　easterly

current　had　set　them　down　upon　it；　north　of　the　shoal　an　equally　swift

westerly　current　had　clutched　the　ship　and　was　sweeping　her　away。



〃I've　heard　of　these　Paumotus　before；〃　the　captain　groaned；　lifting　his

blanched　face　from　his　hands。　〃Captain　Moyendale　told　me　about　them　after

losing　his　ship　on　them。　And　I　laughed　at　him　behind　his　back。　God　forgive　me；

I　laughed　at　him。　What　shoal　is　that？〃　he　broke　off；　to　ask　McCoy。



〃I　don't　know；　Captain。〃



〃Why　don't　you　know？〃



〃Because　I　never　saw　it　before；　and　because　I　have　never　heard　of　it。　I　do

know　that　it　is　not　charted。　These　waters　have　never　been　thoroughly

surveyed。〃



〃Then　you　don't　know　where　we　are？〃



〃No　more　than　you　do；〃　McCoy　said　gently。



At　four　in　the　afternoon　cocoanut　trees　were　sighted；　apparently　growing　out

of　the　water。　A　little　later　the　low　land　of　an　atoll　was　raised　above　the

sea。



〃I　know　where　we　are　now；　Captain。〃　McCoy　lowered　the　glasses　from　his　eyes。

〃That's　Resolution　Island。　We　are　forty　miles　beyond　Hao　Island；　and　the　wind

is　in　our　teeth。〃



〃Get　ready　to　beach　her　then。　Where's　the　entrance？〃



〃There's　only　a　canoe　passage。　But　now　that　we　know　where　we　are；　we　can　run

for　Barclay　de　Tolley。　It　is　only　one　hundred　and　twenty　miles　from　here；　due

nor'…nor'west。　With　this　breeze　we　can　be　there　by　nine　o'clock　tomorrow

morning。〃



Captain　Davenport　consulted　the　chart　and　debated　with　himself。



〃If　we　wreck　her　here；〃　McCoy　added；　〃we'd　have　to　make　the　run　to　Barclay　de

Tolley　in　the　boats　just　the　same。〃



The　captain　gave　his　orders；　and　once　more　the　Pyrenees　swung　off　for　another

run　across　the　inhospitable　sea。



And　the　middle　of　the　next　afternoon　saw　despair　and　mutiny　on　her　smoking

deck。　The　current　had　accelerated；　the　wind　had　slackened；　and　the　Pyrenees

had　sagged　off　to　the　west。　The　lookout　sighted　Barclay　de　Tolley　to　the

eastward；　barely　visible　from　the　masthead；　and　vainly　and　for　hours　the

PYRENEES　tried　to　beat　up　to　it。　Ever；　like　a　mirage；　the　cocoanut　trees

hovered　on　the　horizon；　visible　only　from　the　masthead。　From　the　deck　they

were　hidden　by　the　bulge　of　the　world。



Again　Captain　Davenport　consulted　McCoy　and　the　chart。　'makemo　lay

seventy…five　miles　to　the　southwest。　Its　lagoon　was　thirty　miles　long；　and　its

entrance　was　excellent。　When　Captain　Davenport　gave　his　orders；　the　crew

refused　duty。　They　announced　that　they　had　had　enough　of　hell　fire　under　their

feet。　There　was　the　land。　What　if　the　ship　could　not　make　it？　They　could　make

it　in　the　boats。　Let　her　burn；　then。　Their　lives　amounted　to　something　to

them。　They　had　served　faithfully　the　ship；　now　they　were　going　to　serve

themselves。



They　sprang　to　the　boats；　brushing　the　second　and　third　mates　out　of　the　way；

and　proceeded　to　swing　the　boats　out　and　to　prepare　to　lower　away。　Captain

Davenport　and　the　first　mate；　revolvers　in　hand；　were　advancing　to　the　break

of　the　poop；　when　McCoy；　who　had　climbed　on　top　of　the　cabin；　began　to　speak。



He　spoke　to　the　sailors；　and　at　the　first　sound　of　his　dovelike；　cooing　voice

they　paused　to　hear。　He　extended　to　them　his　own　ineffable　serenity　and　peace。

His　soft　voice　and　simple　thoughts　flowed　out　to　them　in　a　magic　stream；

soothing　them　against　their　wills。　Long　forgotten　things　came　back　to　them；

and　some　remembered　lullaby　songs　of　childhood　and　the　content　and　rest　of　the

mother's　arm　at　the　end　of　the　day。　There　was　no　more　trouble；　no　more　danger；

no　more　irk；　in　all　the　world。　　Everything　was　as　it　should　be；　and　it　was

only　a　matter　of　course　that　they　should　turn　their　backs　upon　the　land　and

put　to　sea　once　more　with　hell　fire　hot　beneath　their　feet。



McCoy　spoke　simply；　but　it　was　not　what　he　spoke。　It　was　his　personality　that

spoke　more　eloquently　than　any　word　he　could　utter。　It　was　an　alchemy　of　soul

occultly　subtile　and　profoundly　deepa　mysterious　emanation　of　the　spirit；

seductive；　sweetly　humble；　and　terribly　imperious。　It　was　illumination　in　the

dark　crypts　of　their　souls；　a　compulsion　of　purity　and　gentleness　vastly

greater　than　that　which　resided　in　the　shining；　death…spitting　revolvers　of

the　officers。



The　men　wavered　reluctantly　where　they　stood；　and　those