stories by modern american authors-第43节

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handle　at　the　other　end　to　lift　it　in；　when　the　motion　propelled

the　boat　from　the　shore；　the　chest　slipped　off　from　the　gunwale；

and；　sinking　into　the　waves；　pulled　the　veteran　headlong　after　it。

A　loud　shriek　was　uttered　by　all　on　shore；　and　a　volley　of

execrations　by　those　on　board；　but　boat　and　man　were　hurried　away

by　the　rushing　swiftness　of　the　tide。　　A　pitchy　darkness　succeeded。

Wolfert　Webber；　indeed；　fancied　that　he　distinguished　a　cry　for

help；　and　that　he　beheld　the　drowning　man　beckoning　for　assistance；

but　when　the　lightning　again　gleamed　along　the　water　all　was　void；

neither　man　nor　boat　was　to　be　seen；nothing　but　the　dashing　and

weltering　of　the　waves　as　they　hurried　past。



The　company　returned　to　the　tavern　to　await　the　subsiding　of　the

storm。　　They　resumed　their　seats　and　gazed　on　each　other　with

dismay。　　The　whole　transaction　had　not　occupied　five　minutes；　and

not　a　dozen　words　had　been　spoken。　　When　they　looked　at　the　oaken

chair　they　could　scarcely　realize　the　fact　that　the　strange　being

who　had　so　lately　tenanted　it；　full　of　life　and　Herculean　vigor；

should　already　be　a　corpse。　　There　was　the　very　glass　he　had　just

drunk　from；　there　lay　the　ashes　from　the　pipe　which　he　had　smoked；

as　it　were；　with　his　last　breath。　　As　the　worthy　burghers　pondered

on　these　things；　they　felt　a　terrible　conviction　of　the　uncertainty

of　existence；　and　each　felt　as　if　the　ground　on　which　he　stood　was

rendered　less　stable　by　his　awful　example。



As；　however；　the　most　of　the　company　were　possessed　of　that

valuable　philosophy　which　enables　a　man　to　bear　up　with　fortitude

against　the　misfortunes　of　his　neighbors；　they　soon　managed　to

console　themselves　for　the　tragic　end　of　the　veteran。　　The　landlord

was　particularly　happy　that　the　poor　dear　man　had　paid　his

reckoning　before　he　went；　and　made　a　kind　of　farewell　speech　on　the

occasion。



〃He　came；〃　said　he；　〃in　a　storm；　and　he　went　in　a　storm；　he　came　in

the　night；　and　he　went　in　the　night；　he　came　nobody　knows　whence；

and　he　has　gone　nobody　knows　where。　　For　aught　I　know　he　has　gone

to　sea　once　more　on　his　chest；　and　may　land　to　bother　some　people

on　the　other　side　of　the　world；　though　it's　a　thousand　pities；〃

added　he；　〃if　he　has　gone　to　Davy　Jones's＇1＇　locker；　that　he　had

not　left　his　own　locker＇2＇　behind　him。〃





＇1＇　Davy　Jones　is　the　spirit　of　the　sea；　or　the　sea　devil；　and　Davy

Jones's　locker　is　the　bottom　of　the　ocean；　hence；　〃gone　to　Davy

Jones's　locker〃　signifies　〃dead　and　buried　in　the　sea。〃



＇2＇　Chest。





〃His　locker！　　St。　Nicholas　preserve　us！〃　cried　Peechy　Prauw。　　〃I'd

not　have　had　that　sea　chest　in　the　house　for　any　money；　I'll

warrant　he'd　come　racketing　after　it　at　nights；　and　making　a

haunted　house　of　the　inn。　　And　as　to　his　going　to　sea　in　his　chest；

I　recollect　what　happened　to　Skipper　Onderdonk's　ship　on　his　voyage

from　Amsterdam。



〃The　boatswain　died　during　a　storm；　so　they　wrapped　him　up　in　a

sheet；　and　put　him　in　his　own　sea　chest；　and　threw　him　overboard；

but　they　neglected；　in　their　hurry…skurry；　to　say　prayers　over　him；

and　the　storm　raged　and　roared　louder　than　ever；　and　they　saw　the

dead　man　seated　in　his　chest；　with　his　shroud　for　a　sail；　coming

hard　after　the　ship；　and　the　sea　breaking　before　him　in　great

sprays　like　fire；　and　there　they　kept　scudding　day　after　day　and

night　after　night；　expecting　every　moment　to　go　to　wreck；　and　every

night　they　saw　the　dead　boatswain　in　his　sea　chest　trying　to　get　up

with　them；　and　they　heard　his　whistle　above　the　blasts　of　wind；　and

he　seemed　to　send　great　seas；　mountain　high；　after　them　that　would

have　swamped　the　ship　if　they　had　not　put　up　the　deadlights。　　And

so　it　went　on　till　they　lost　sight　of　him　in　the　fogs　off

Newfoundland；　and　supposed　he　had　veered　ship　and　stood　for　Dead

Man's　Isle。＇1＇　　So　much　for　burying　a　man　at　sea　without　saying

prayers　over　him。〃





＇1＇　Probably　Deadman's　Point；　a　small　island　near　Deadman's　Bay；

off　the　eastern　coast　of　Newfoundland。





The　thunder　gust　which　had　hitherto　detained　the　company　was　now　at

an　end。　　The　cuckoo　clock　in　the　hall　told　midnight；　everyone

pressed　to　depart；　for　seldom　was　such　a　late　hour　of　the　night

trespassed　on　by　these　quiet　burghers。　　As　they　sallied　forth　they

found　the　heavens　once　more　serene。　　The　storm　which　had　lately

obscured　them　had　rolled　away；　and　lay　piled　up　in　fleecy　masses　on

the　horizon；　lighted　up　by　the　bright　crescent　of　the　moon；　which

looked　like　a　little　silver　lamp　hung　up　in　a　palace　of　clouds。



The　dismal　occurrence　of　the　night；　and　the　dismal　narrations　they

had　made；　had　left　a　superstitious　feeling　in　every　mind。　　They

cast　a　fearful　glance　at　the　spot　where　the　buccaneer　had

disappeared；　almost　expecting　to　see　him　sailing　on　his　chest　in

the　cool　moonshine。　　The　trembling　rays　glittered　along　the　waters；

but　all　was　placid；　and　the　current　dimpled　over　the　spot　where　he

had　gone　down。　　The　party　huddled　together　in　a　little　crowd　as

they　repaired　homeward；　particularly　when　they　passed　a　lonely

field　where　a　man　had　been　murdered；　and　even　the　sexton；　who　had

to　complete　his　journey　alone；　though　accustomed；　one　would　think；

to　ghosts　and　goblins；　went　a　long　way　round　rather　than　pass　by

his　own　churchyard。



Wolfert　Webber　had　now　carried　home　a　fresh　stock　of　stories　and

notions　to　ruminate　upon。　　These　accounts　of　pots　of　money　and

Spanish　treasures；　buried　here　and　there　and　everywhere　about　the

rocks　and　bays　of　these　wild　shores；　made　him　almost　dizzy。

〃Blessed　St。　Nicholas！〃　ejaculated　he；　half　aloud；　〃is　it　not

possible　to　come　upon　one　of　these　golden　hoards；　and　to　make

oneself　rich　in　a　twinkling？　　How　hard　that　I　must　go　on；　delving

and　delving；　day　in　and　day　out；　merely　to　make　a　morsel　of　bread；

when　one　lucky　stroke　of　a　spade　might　enable　me　to　ride　in　my

carriage　for　the　rest　of　my　life！〃



As　he　turned　over　in　his　thoughts　all　that　had　been　told　of　the

singular　adventure　of　the　negro　fisherman；　his　imagination　gave　a

totally　different　complexion＇1＇　to　the　tale。　　He　saw　in　the　gang　of

red…caps　nothing　but　a　crew　of　pirates　burying　their　spoils；　and

his　cupidity　was　once　more　awakened　by　the　possibility　of　at　length

getting　on　the　traces　of　some　of　this　lurking　wealth。　　Indeed；　his

infected　fancy　tinged　everything　with　gold。　　He　felt　like　the

greedy　inhabitant　of　Bagdad　when　his　eyes　had　been　greased　with　the

magic　ointment　of　the　dervish；　that　gave　him　to　see　all　the

treasures　of　the　earth。＇2＇　　Caskets　of　buried　jewels；　chests　of

ingots；　and　barrels　of　outlandish　coins　seemed　to　court　him　from

their　concealments；　and　supplicate　him　to　relieve　them　from　their

untimely　graves。





＇1＇　Aspect。



＇2＇　See　Story　of　the　Blind　Man；　Baba　Abdalla；　in　Arabian　Nights'

Entertainment。　　An　inhabitant　of　Bagdad；　Asiatic　Turkey；　meets　with

a　dervish；　or　Turkish　monk；　who　presents　him　with　a　vast　treasure

and　with　a　box　of　magic　ointment；　which；　applied　to　the　left　eye；

enables　one　to　see　the　treasures　in　the　bosom　of　the　earth；　but　on

touching　the　right　eye；　causes　blindness。　　Having　applied　it　to　the

left　eye　with　the　result　predicted；　he　uses　it　on　his　right　eye；　in

the　hope　that　still　greater　treasures　may　be　revealed；　and

immediately　becomes　blind。





On　making　private　inquiries　about　the　grounds　said　to　be　haunted　by

Feather　Red…cap；　he　was　more　and　more　confirmed　in　his　surmise。　　He

learned　that　the　place　had　several　times　been　visited　by

experienced　money　diggers　who　had　heard　Black　Sam's　story；　though

none　of　them　had　met　with　success。　　On　the　contrary；　they　had

always　been　dogged　with　ill　luck　of　some　kind　or　other；　in

consequence；　as　Wolfert　concluded；　of　not　going　to　work　at　the

proper　time　and　with　the　proper　ceremonials。　　The　last　attempt　had

been　made　by　Cobus　Quackenbos；　who　dug　for　a　whole　night；　and　met

with　incredible　difficulty；　for　as　fast　as　he　threw　one　shovelful

of　earth　out　of　the　hole；　two　were　thrown　in　by　invisible　hands。

He　succeeded　so　far；　however；　as　to　uncover　an　iron　chest；　when

there　was　a　terrible　roaring；　ramping；　and　raging　of　uncouth

figures　about　the　hole；　and　at　length　a　shower　of　blows；　dealt　by

invisible　cudgels；　fairly　belabored　him　off　of　the　forbidden

ground。　　This　Cobus　Quackenbos　had　declared　on　his　deathbed；　so

that　there　could　not　be　any　doubt　of　it。　　He　was　a　man　that　had

devoted　many　years　of　his　life　to　money　digging；　and　it　was　thought

would　have　ultimately　succeeded　had　he　not　died　recently　of　a　brain

fever　in　the　almshouse。



Wolfert　Webber　was　now　in　a　worry　of　trepidation　and　impatience；

fearful　lest　some　rival　adventurer　should　get　a　scent　of　the　buried

gold。　　He　determined　privately　to　seek　out　the　black　fisherman；　and

get　him　to　serve　as　guide　to　the　place　where　he　had　witnessed　the

mysterious　scene　of　interment。　　Sam　was　easily　found；　for　he　was

one　of　those　old　habitual　beings　that　live　about