a simpleton-第49节

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had　dried　to　dark　leather　on　the　bones。　　The　head　was　little　more
than　an　eyeless　skull；　but　in　the　fitful　moonlight；　those　huge
hollow　caverns　seemed　gigantic　lamp…like　eyes；　and　glared　at　him
fiendishly；　appallingly。

He　sickened　at　the　sight。　　He　tried　not　to　look　at　it；　but　it　would
be　looked　at；　and　threaten　him　in　the　moonlight；　with　great　lack…
lustre　eyes。

The　wind　whistled；　and　lashed　his　face　with　spray　torn　off　the　big
waves；　and　the　water　was　nearly　up　to　his　knees；　and　the　raft
tossed　so　wildly；　it　was　all　he　could　do　to　hold　on　in　his　corner：
in　which　struggle；　still　those　monstrous　lack…lustre　eyes；　like
lamps　of　death；　glared　at　him　in　the　moon；　all　else　was　dark；
except　the　fiery　crests　of　the　black　mountain…billows；　tumbling　and
raging　all　around。

What　a　night！

But；　before　morning；　the　breeze　sank；　the　moon　set；　and　a　sombre
quiet　succeeded；　with　only　that　grim　figure　in　outline　dimly
visible。　　Owing　to　the　motion　still　retained　by　the　waves；　it
seemed　to　nod　and　rear；　and　be　ever　preparing　to　rush　upon　him。

The　sun　rose　glorious；　on　a　lovely　scene；　the　sky　was　a　very　mosaic
of　colors　sweet　and　vivid；　and　the　tranquil；　rippling　sea；　peach…
colored　to　the　horizon；　with　lines　of　diamonds　where　the　myriad
ripples　broke　into　smiles。

Staines　was　asleep；　exhausted。　　Soon　the　light　awoke　him；　and　he
looked　up。　　What　an　incongruous　picture　met　his　eye：　that　heaven　of
color　all　above　and　around；　and　right　before　him；　like　a　devil
stuck　in　mid…heaven；　that　grinning　corpse；　whose　fate　foreshadowed
his　own。

But　daylight　is　a　great　strengthener　of　the　nerves；　the　figure　no
longer　appalled　hima　man　who　had　long　learned　to　look　with
Science's　calm　eye　upon　the　dead。　　When　the　sea　became　like　glass；
and　from　peach…color　deepened　to　rose；　he　walked　along　the　raft；
and　inspected　the　dead　man。　　He　found　it　was　a　man　of　color；　but
not　a　black。　　The　body　was　not　kept　in　its　place；　as　he　had
supposed；　merely　by　being　jammed　into　the　angle　caused　by　the　rail；
it　was　also　lashed　to　the　corner　upright　by　a　long；　stout　belt。
Staines　concluded　this　had　kept　the　body　there；　and　its　companions
had　been　swept　away。

This　was　not　lost　on　him：　he　removed　the　belt　for　his　own　use：　he
then　found　it　was　not　only　a　belt；　but　a　receptacle；　it　was　nearly
full　of　small；　hard　substances　that　felt　like　stones。

When　he　had　taken　it　off　the　body；　he　felt　a　compunction。　　〃Ought
he　to　rob　the　dead；　and　expose　it　to　be　swept　into　the　sea　at　the
first　wave；　like　a　dead　dog？〃

He　was　about　to　replace　the　belt；　when　a　middle　course　occurred　to
him。　　He　was　a　man　who　always　carried　certain　useful　little　things
about　him；　viz。；　needles；　thread；　scissors；　and　string。　　He　took　a
piece　of　string；　and　easily　secured　this　poor　light　skeleton　to　the
raft。　　The　belt　he　strapped　to　the　rail；　and　kept　for　his　own　need。

And　now　hunger　gnawed　him。　　No　food　was　near。　　There　was　nothing
but　the　lovely　sea　and　sky；　mosaic　with　color；　and　that　grim；
ominous　skeleton。

Hunger　comes　and　goes　many　times　before　it　becomes　insupportable。
All　that　day　and　night；　and　the　next　day；　he　suffered　its　pangs；
and　then　it　became　torture；　but　the　thirst　maddening。

Towards　night　fell　a　gentle　rain。　　He　spread　a　handkerchief　and
caught　it。　　He　sucked　the　handkerchief。

This　revived　him；　and　even　allayed　in　some　degree　the　pangs　of
hunger。

Next　day　was　cloudless。　　A　hot　sun　glared　on　his　unprotected　head；
and　battered　down　his　enfeebled　frame。

He　resisted　as　well　as　he　could。　　He　often　dipped　his　head；　and　as
often　the　persistent　sun；　with　cruel　glare；　made　it　smoke　again。

Next　day　the　same：　but　the　strength　to　meet　it　was　waning。　　He　lay
down　and　thought　of　Rosa；　and　wept　bitterly。　　He　took　the　dead
man's　belt；　and　lashed　himself　to　the　upright。　　That　act；　and　his
tears　for　his　beloved；　were　almost　his　last　acts　of　perfect　reason：
for　next　day　came　the　delusions　and　the　dreams　that　succeed　when
hunger　ceases　to　torture；　and　the　vital　powers　begin　to　ebb。　　He
lay　and　saw　pleasant　meadows　with　meandering　streams；　and　clusters
of　rich　fruit　that　courted　the　hand　and　melted　in　the　mouth。

Ever　and　anon　they　vanished；　and　he　saw　grim　death　looking　down　on
him　with　those　big　cavernous　eyes。

By　and　by；　whether　his　body's　eye　saw　the　grim　skeleton；　or　his
mind's　eye　the　juicy　fruits；　green　meadows；　and　pearly　brooks；　all
was　shadowy。

So；　in　a　placid　calm；　beneath　a　blue　sky；　the　raft　drifted　dead；
with　its　dead　freight；　upon　the　glassy　purple；　and　he　drifted；　too；
towards　the　world　unknown。

There　came　across　the　waters　to　that　dismal　raft　a　thing　none　too
common；　by　sea　or　landa　good　man。

He　was　tall；　stalwart；　bronzed；　and　had　hair　like　snow；　before　his
time；　for　he　had　known　trouble。　　He　commanded　a　merchant　steamer；
bound　for　Calcutta；　on　the　old　route。

The　man　at　the　mast…head　descried　a　floating　wreck；　and　hailed　the
deck　accordingly。　　The　captain　altered　his　course　without　one
moment's　hesitation；　and　brought　up　alongside；　lowered　a　boat；　and
brought　the　dead；　and　the　breathing　man；　on　board。

A　young　middy　lifted　Staines　in　his　arms　from　the　wreck　to　the
boat；　he　whose　person　I　described　in　chapter　one　weighed　now　no
more　than　that。

Men　are　not　always　rougher　than　women。　　Their　strength　and　nerve
enable　them　now　and　then　to　be　gentler　than　buttery…fingered
angels；　who　drop　frail　things　through　sensitive　agitation；　and
break　them。　　These　rough　men　saw　Staines　was　hovering　between　life
and　death；　and　they　handled　him　like　a　thing　the　ebbing　life　might
be　shaken　out　of　in　a　moment。　　It　was　pretty　to　see　how　gingerly
the　sailors　carried　the　sinking　man　up　the　ladder；　and　one　fetched
swabs；　and　the　others　laid　him　down　softly　on　them　at　their
captain's　feet。

〃Well　done；　men；〃　said　he。　　〃Poor　fellow！　　Pray　Heaven；　we　may　not
have　come　too　late。　　Now　stand　aloof　a　bit。　　Send　the　surgeon　aft。〃

The　surgeon　came；　and　looked；　and　felt　the　heart。　　He　shook　his
head；　and　called　for　brandy。　　He　had　Staines's　head　raised；　and　got
half　a　spoonful　of　diluted　brandy　down　his　throat。　　But　there　was
an　ominous　gurgling。

After　several　such　attempts　at　intervals；　he　said　plainly　the　man's
life　could　not　be　saved　by　ordinary　means。

〃Then　try　extraordinary；〃　said　the　captain。　　〃My　orders　are　that　he
is　to　be　saved。　　There　is　life　in　him。　　You　have　only　got　to　keep
it　there。　　He　MUST　be　saved；　he　SHALL　be　saved。〃

〃I　should　like　to　try　Dr。　Staines's　remedy；〃　said　the　surgeon。

〃Try　it；　then　what　is　it？〃

〃A　bath　of　beef…tea。　　Dr。　Staines　says　he　applied　it　to　a　starved
childin　the　Lancet。〃

〃Take　a　hundred…weight　of　beef；　and　boil　it　in　the　coppers。〃

Thus　encouraged；　the　surgeon　went　to　the　cook；　and　very　soon　beef
was　steaming　on　a　scale　and　at　a　rate　unparalleled。

Meantime；　Captain　Dodd　had　the　patient　taken　to　his　own　cabin；　and
he　and　his　servant　administered　weak　brandy　and　water　with　great
caution　and　skill。

There　was　no　perceptible　result。　　But　at　all　events　there　was　life
and　vital　instinct　left；　or　he　could　not　have　swallowed。

Thus　they　hovered　about　him　for　some　hours；　and　then　the　bath　was
ready。

The　captain　took　charge　of　the　patient's　clothes：　the　surgeon　and　a
sailor　bathed　him　in　lukewarm　beef…tea；　and　then　covered　him　very
warm　with　blankets　next　the　skin。　　Guess　how　near　a　thing　it　seemed
to　them；　when　I　tell　you　they　dared　not　rub　him。

Just　before　sunset　his　pulse　became　perceptible。　　The　surgeon
administered　half　a　spoonful　of　egg…flip。　　The　patient　swallowed
it。

By　and　by　he　sighed。

〃He　must　not　be　left；　day　or　night；〃　said　the　captain。　　〃I　don't
know　who　or　what　he　is；　but　he　is　a　man；　and　I　could　not　bear　him
to　die　now。〃

That　night　Captain　Dodd　overhauled　the　patient's　clothes；　and
looked　for　marks　on　his　linen。　　There　were　none。

〃Poor　devil　〃　said　Captain　Dodd。　　〃He　is　a　bachelor。〃

Captain　Dodd　found　his　pocket…book；　with　bank…notes；　two　hundred
pounds。　　He　took　the　numbers；　made　a　memorandum　of　them；　and　locked
the　notes　up。

He　lighted　his　lamp；　examined　the　belt；　unripped　it；　and　poured　out
the　contents　on　his　table。

They　were　dazzling。　　A　great　many　large　pieces　of　amethyst；　and
some　of　white　topaz　and　rock　crystal；　a　large　number　of　smaller
stones；　carbuncles；　chrysolites；　and　not　a　few　emeralds。　　Dodd
looked　at　them　with　pleasure；　sparkling　in　the　lamplight。

〃What　a　lot！〃　said　he。　　〃I　wonder　what　they　are　worth！〃　　He　sent
for　the　first　mate；　who；　he　knew；　did　a　little　private　business　in
precious　stones。　　〃Masterton；〃　said　he；　〃oblige　me　by　counting
these　stones　with　me；　and　valuing　them。〃

Mr。　Masterton　stared；　and　his　mouth　watered。　　However；　he　named　the
various　stones　and　valued　them。　　He　said　there　was　one　stone；　a
large　emerald；　without　a　flaw；　that　was　worth　a　heavy　sum　by
itself；　and　the　pearls；　very　fine：　and　looking　at　the　great　number；
they　must　be　worth　a　thousand　pounds。

Captain　Dodd　then　entered　the　whole　business　carefully　in　the
ship's　log：　the　living　man　he　described　thus：　〃About　five　feet　six
in　height；　and　about　fifty　years　of　age。〃　　Then　he　described　the
notes　and　the　stones　very　exactly；　and　made　Masterton；　the　valuer；
sign　the　log。