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第18节

falk-第18节

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lucky in the drawing of lots?〃



〃Drawing of lots?〃 he said。  〃What lots?  Do

you think I would have allowed my life to go for

the drawing of lots?〃



Not if he could help if; I perceived; no matter

what other life went。



〃It was a great misfortune。  Terrible。  Awful;〃

he said。  〃Many heads went wrong; but the best

men would live。〃



〃The toughest; you mean;〃 I said。  He consid…

ered the word。  Perhaps it was strange to him;

though his English was so good。



〃Yes;〃 he asserted at last。  〃The best。  It was

everybody for himself at last and the ship open to

all。〃



Thus from question to question I got the whole

story。  I fancy it was the only way I could that

night have stood by him。  Outwardly at least he

was himself again; the first sign of it was the re…

turn of that incongruous trick he had of drawing

both his hands down his faceand it had its mean…

ing now; with that slight shudder of the frame and

the passionate anguish of these hands uncovering

a hungry immovable face; the wide pupils of the

intent; silent; fascinating eyes。



It was an iron steamer of a most respectable ori…

gin。  The burgomaster of Falk's native town had

built her。  She was the first steamer ever launched

there。  The burgomaster's daughter had christened

her。  Country people drove in carts from miles

around to see her。  He told me all this。  He got the

berth as what we should call a chief mate。  He

seemed to think it had been a feather in his cap;

and; in his own corner of the world; this lover of

life was of good parentage。



The burgomaster had advanced ideas in the

ship…owning line。  At that time not every one

would have known enough to think of despatching

a cargo steamer to the Pacific。  But he loaded her

with pitch…pine deals and sent her off to hunt for

her luck。  Wellington was to be the first port; I

fancy。  It doesn't matter; because in latitude 44 d

south and somewhere halfway between Good Hope

and New Zealand the tail shaft broke and the pro…

peller dropped off。



They were steaming then with a fresh gale on

the quarter and all their canvas set; to help the en…

gines。  But by itself the sail power was not enough

to keep way on her。  When the propeller went the

ship broached…to at once; and the masts got

whipped overboard。



The disadvantage of being dismasted consisted

in this; that they had nothing to hoist flags on to

make themselves visible at a distance。  In the

course of the first few days several ships failed to

sight them; and the gale was drifting them out of

the usual track。  The voyage had been; from the

first; neither very successful nor very harmonious。

There had been quarrels on board。  The captain

was a clever; melancholic man; who had no unusual

grip on his crew。  The ship had been amply pro…

visioned for the passage; but; somehow or other;

several barrels of meat were found spoiled on open…

ing; and had been thrown overboard soon after

leaving home; as a sanitary measure。  Afterwards

the crew of the Borgmester Dahl thought of that

rotten carrion with tears of regret; covetousness

and despair。



She drove south。  To begin with; there had been

an appearance of organisation; but soon the bonds

of discipline became relaxed。  A sombre idleness

succeeded。  They looked with sullen eyes at the hori…

zon。  The gales increased: she lay in the trough;

the seas made a clean breach over her。  On one

frightful night; when they expected their hulk to

turn over with them every moment; a heavy sea

broke on board; deluged the store…rooms and spoiled

the best part of the remaining provisions。  It seems

the hatch had not been properly secured。  This in…

stance of neglect is characteristic of utter discour…

agement。  Falk tried to inspire some energy into

his captain; but failed。  From that time he retired

more into himself; always trying to do his utmost

in the situation。  It grew worse。  Gale succeeded

gale; with black mountains of water hurling them…

selves on the Borgmester Dahl。  Some of the men

never left their bunks; many became quarrelsome。

The chief engineer; an old man; refused to speak

at all to anybody。  Others shut themselves up in

their berths to cry。  On calm days the inert steamer

rolled on a leaden sea under a murky sky; or

showed; in sunshine; the squalor of sea waifs; the

dried white salt; the rust; the jagged broken

places。  Then the gales came again。  They kept

body and soul together on short rations。  Once; an

English ship; scudding in a storm; tried to stand

by them; heaving…to pluckily under their lee。  The

seas swept her decks; the men in oilskins clinging

to her rigging looked at them; and they made des…

perate signs over their shattered bulwarks。  Sud…

denly her main…topsail went; yard and all; in a ter…

rific squall; she had to bear up under bare poles;

and disappeared。



Other ships had spoken them before; but at first

they had refused to be taken off; expecting the as…

sistance of some steamer。  There were very few

steamers in those latitudes then; and when they

desired to leave this dead and drifting carcase; no

ship came in sight。  They had drifted south out of

men's knowledge。  They failed to attract the atten…

tion of a lonely whaler; and very soon the edge of

the polar ice…cap rose from the sea and closed the

southern horizon like a wall。  One morning they

were alarmed by finding themselves floating

amongst detached pieces of ice。  But the fear of

sinking passed away like their vigour; like their

hopes; the shocks of the floes knocking against the

ship's side could not rouse them from their apathy:

and the Borgmester Dahl drifted out again un…

harmed into open water。  They hardly noticed

the change。



The funnel had gone overboard in one of the

heavy rolls; two of their three boats had disap…

peared; washed away in bad weather; and the davits

swung to and fro; unsecured; with chafed rope's

ends waggling to the roll。  Nothing was done on

board; and Falk told me how he had often listened

to the water washing about the dark engine…room

where the engines; stilled for ever; were decaying

slowly into a mass of rust; as the stilled heart de…

cays within the lifeless body。  At first; after the

loss of the motive power; the tiller had been thor…

oughly secured by lashings。  But in course of time

these had rotted; chafed; rusted; parting one by

one: and the rudder; freed; banged heavily to and

fro night and day; sending dull shocks through the

whole frame of the vessel。  This was dangerous。

Nobody cared enough to lift a little finger。  He

told me that even now sometimes waking up at

night; he fancied he could hear the dull vibrating

thuds。  The pintles carried away; and it dropped

off at last。



The final catastrophe came with the sending off

of their one remaining boat。  It was Falk who had

managed to preserve her intact; and now it was

agreed that some of the hands should sail away into

the track of the shipping to procure assistance。

She was provisioned with all the food they could

spare for the six who were to go。  They waited for

a fine day。  It was long in coming。  At last one

morning they lowered her into the water。



Directly; in that demoralised crowd; trouble

broke out。  Two men who had no business there

had jumped into the boat under the pretence of

unhooking the tackles; while some sort of squabble

arose on the deck amongst these weak; tottering

spectres of a ship's company。  The captain; who

had been for days living secluded and unapproach…

able in the chart…room; came to the rail。  He or…

dered the two men to come up on board and men…

aced them with his revolver。  They pretended to

obey; but suddenly cutting the boat's painter; gave

a shove against the ship's side and made ready to

hoist the sail。



〃Shoot; sir!  Shoot them down!〃 cried Falk

〃and I will jump overboard to regain the boat。〃

But the captain; after taking aim with an irreso…

lute arm; turned suddenly away。



A howl of rage arose。  Falk dashed into his cabin

for his own pistol。  When he returned it was too

late。  Two more men had leaped into the water; but

the fellows in the boat beat them off with the oars;

hoisted the boat's lug and sailed away。  They were

never heard of again。



Consternation and despair possessed the remain…

ing ship's company; till the apathy of utter hope…

lessness re…asserted its sway。  That day a fireman

committed suicide; running up on deck with his

throat cut from ear to ear; to the horror of all

hands。  He was thrown overboard。  The captain

had locked himself in the chart…room; and Falk;

knocking vainly for admittance; heard him recit…

ing over and over again the names of his wife and

children; not as if calling upon them or commend…

ing them to God; but in a mechanical voice like an

exercise of memory。  Next day the doors of the

chart…room were

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