the lost continent-第2部分

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〃The　gravitation…screen　generators；　sir；〃　he　said。　　〃Number　one　went　to　the　bad　about　an　hour　and　a　half　ago。　　We　have　been　working　upon　it　steadily　since；　but　I　have　to　report；　sir；　that　it　is　beyond　repair。〃

〃Number　two　will　keep　us　supplied；〃　I　answered。　　〃In　the　meantime　we　will　send　a　wireless　for　relief。〃

〃But　that　is　the　trouble；　sir；〃　he　went　on。　　〃Number　two　has　stopped。　　I　knew　it　would　come；　sir。　　I　made　a　report　on　these　generators　three　years　ago。　　I　advised　then　that　they　both　be　scrapped。　　Their　principle　is　entirely　wrong。　They're　done　for。〃　　And；　with　a　grim　smile；　〃I　shall　at　least　have　the　satisfaction　of　knowing　my　report　was　accurate。〃

〃Have　we　sufficient　reserve　screen　to　permit　us　to　make　land；　or；　at　least；　meet　our　relief　halfway？〃　I　asked。

〃No；　sir；〃　he　replied　gravely；　〃we　are　sinking　now。〃

〃Have　you　anything　further　to　report？〃　I　asked。

〃No；　sir；〃　he　said。

〃Very　good；〃　I　replied；　and；　as　I　dismissed　him；　I　rang　for　my　wireless　operator。　　When　he　appeared；　I　gave　him　a　message　to　the　secretary　of　the　navy；　to　whom　all　vessels　in　service　on　thirty　and　one　hundred　seventy…five　report　direct。　　I　explained　our　predicament；　and　stated　that　with　what　screening　force　remained　I　should　continue　in　the　air；　making　as　rapid　headway　toward　St。　Johns　as　possible；　and　that　when　we　were　forced　to　take　to　the　water　I　should　continue　in　the　same　direction。

The　accident　occurred　directly　over　30d　and　about　52d　N。　The　surface　wind　was　blowing　a　tempest　from　the　west。　　To　attempt　to　ride　out　such　a　storm　upon　the　surface　seemed　suicidal；　for　the　Coldwater　was　not　designed　for　surface　navigation　except　under　fair　weather　conditions。　　Submerged；　or　in　the　air；　she　was　tractable　enough　in　any　sort　of　weather　when　under　control；　but　without　her　screen　generators　she　was　almost　helpless；　since　she　could　not　fly；　and；　if　submerged；　could　not　rise　to　the　surface。

All　these　defects　have　been　remedied　in　later　models；　but　the　knowledge　did　not　help　us　any　that　day　aboard　the　slowly　settling　Coldwater；　with　an　angry　sea　roaring　beneath；　a　tempest　raging　out　of　the　west；　and　30d　only　a　few　knots　astern。

To　cross　thirty　or　one　hundred　seventy…five　has　been；　as　you　know；　the　direst　calamity　that　could　befall　a　naval　commander。　　Court…martial　and　degradation　follow　swiftly；　unless　as　is　often　the　case；　the　unfortunate　man　takes　his　own　life　before　this　unjust　and　heartless　regulation　can　hold　him　up　to　public　scorn。

There　has　been　in　the　past　no　excuse；　no　circumstance；　that　could　palliate　the　offense。

〃He　was　in　command；　and　he　took　his　ship　across　thirty！〃　That　was　sufficient。　　It　might　not　have　been　in　any　way　his　fault；　as；　in　the　case　of　the　Coldwater；　it　could　not　possibly　have　been　justly　charged　to　my　account　that　the　gravitation…screen　generators　were　worthless；　but　well　I　knew　that　should　chance　have　it　that　we　were　blown　across　thirty　todayas　we　might　easily　be　before　the　terrific　west　wind　that　we　could　hear　howling　below　us；　the　responsibility　would　fall　upon　my　shoulders。

In　a　way；　the　regulation　was　a　good　one；　for　it　certainly　accomplished　that　for　which　it　was　intended。　　We　all　fought　shy　of　30d　on　the　east　and　175d　on　the　west；　and；　though　we　had　to　skirt　them　pretty　close；　nothing　but　an　act　of　God　ever　drew　one　of　us　across。　　You　all　are　familiar　with　the　naval　tradition　that　a　good　officer　could　sense　proximity　to　either　line；　and　for　my　part；　I　am　firmly　convinced　of　the　truth　of　this　as　I　am　that　the　compass　finds　the　north　without　recourse　to　tedious　processes　of　reasoning。

Old　Admiral　Sanchez　was　wont　to　maintain　that　he　could　smell　thirty；　and　the　men　of　the　first　ship　in　which　I　sailed　claimed　that　Coburn；　the　navigating　officer；　knew　by　name　every　wave　along　thirty　from　60dN。　to　60dS。　　However；　I'd　hate　to　vouch　for　this。

Well；　to　get　back　to　my　narrative；　we　kept　on　dropping　slowly　toward　the　surface　the　while　we　bucked　the　west　wind；　clawing　away　from　thirty　as　fast　as　we　could。　　I　was　on　the　bridge；　and　as　we　dropped　from　the　brilliant　sunlight　into　the　dense　vapor　of　clouds　and　on　down　through　them　to　the　wild；　dark　storm　strata　beneath；　it　seemed　that　my　spirits　dropped　with　the　falling　ship；　and　the　buoyancy　of　hope　ran　low　in　sympathy。

The　waves　were　running　to　tremendous　heights；　and　the　Coldwater　was　not　designed　to　meet　such　waves　head　on。　　Her　elements　were　the　blue　ether；　far　above　the　raging　storm；　or　the　greater　depths　of　ocean；　which　no　storm　could　ruffle。

As　I　stood　speculating　upon　our　chances　once　we　settled　into　the　frightful　Maelstrom　beneath　us　and　at　the　same　time　mentally　computing　the　hours　which　must　elapse　before　aid　could　reach　us；　the　wireless　operator　clambered　up　the　ladder　to　the　bridge；　and；　disheveled　and　breathless；　stood　before　me　at　salute。　　It　needed　but　a　glance　at　him　to　assure　me　that　something　was　amiss。

〃What　now？〃　I　asked。

〃The　wireless；　sir！〃　he　cried。　　〃My　God；　sir；　I　cannot　send。〃

〃But　the　emergency　outfit？〃　I　asked。

〃I　have　tried　everything；　sir。　　I　have　exhausted　every　resource。　　We　cannot　send；〃　and　he　drew　himself　up　and　saluted　again。

I　dismissed　him　with　a　few　kind　words；　for　I　knew　that　it　was　through　no　fault　of　his　that　the　mechanism　was　antiquated　and　worthless；　in　common　with　the　balance　of　the　Coldwater's　equipment。　　There　was　no　finer　operator　in　Pan…　America　than　he。

The　failure　of　the　wireless　did　not　appear　as　momentous　to　me　as　to　him；　which　is　not　unnatural；　since　it　is　but　human　to　feel　that　when　our　own　little　cog　slips；　the　entire　universe　must　necessarily　be　put　out　of　gear。　　I　knew　that　if　this　storm　were　destined　to　blow　us　across　thirty；　or　send　us　to　the　bottom　of　the　ocean；　no　help　could　reach　us　in　time　to　prevent　it。　　I　had　ordered　the　message　sent　solely　because　regulations　required　it；　and　not　with　any　particular　hope　that　we　could　benefit　by　it　in　our　present　extremity。

I　had　little　time　to　dwell　upon　the　coincidence　of　the　simultaneous　failure　of　the　wireless　and　the　buoyancy　generators；　since　very　shortly　after　the　Coldwater　had　dropped　so　low　over　the　waters　that　all　my　attention　was　necessarily　centered　upon　the　delicate　business　of　settling　upon　the　waves　without　breaking　my　ship's　back。　　With　our　buoyancy　generators　in　commission　it　would　have　been　a　simple　thing　to　enter　the　water；　since　then　it　would　have　been　but　a　trifling　matter　of　a　forty…five　degree　dive　into　the　base　of　a　huge　wave。　　We　should　have　cut　into　the　water　like　a　hot　knife　through　butter；　and　have　been　totally　submerged　with　scarce　a　jarI　have　done　it　a　thousand　timesbut　I　did　not　dare　submerge　the　Coldwater　for　fear　that　it　would　remain　submerged　to　the　end　of　timea　condition　far　from　conducive　to　the　longevity　of　commander　or　crew。

Most　of　my　officers　were　older　men　than　I。　　John　Alvarez；　my　first　officer；　is　twenty　years　my　senior。　　He　stood　at　my　side　on　the　bridge　as　the　ship　glided　closer　and　closer　to　those　stupendous　waves。　　He　watched　my　every　move；　but　he　was　by　far　too　fine　an　officer　and　gentleman　to　embarrass　me　by　either　comment　or　suggestion。

When　I　saw　that　we　soon　would　touch；　I　ordered　the　ship　brought　around　broadside　to　the　wind；　and　there　we　hovered　a　moment　until　a　huge　wave　reached　up　and　seized　us　upon　its　crest；　and　then　I　gave　the　order　that　suddenly　reversed　the　screening　force；　and　let　us　into　the　ocean。　　Down　into　the　trough　we　went；　wallowing　like　the　carcass　of　a　dead　whale；　and　then　began　the　fight；　with　rudder　and　propellers；　to　force　the　Coldwater　back　into　the　teeth　of　the　gale　and　drive　her　on　and　on；　farther　and　farther　from　relentless　thirty。

I　think　that　we　should　have　succeeded；　even　though　the　ship　was　wracked　from　stem　to　stern　by　the　terrific　buffetings　she　received；　and　though　she　were　half　submerged　the　greater　part　of　the　time；　had　no　further　accident　befallen　us。

We　were　making　headway；　though　slowly；　and　it　began　to　look　as　though　we　were　going　to　pull　through。　　Alvarez　never　left　my　side；　though　I　all　but　ordered　him　below　for　much…needed　rest。　　My　second　officer；　Porfirio　Johnson；　was　also　often　on　the　bridge。　　He　was　a　good　officer；　but　a　man　for　whom　I　had　conceived　a　rather　unreasoning　aversion　almost　at　the　first　moment　of　meeting　him；　an　aversion　which　was　not　lessened　by　the　knowledge　which　I　subsequently　gained　that　he　looked　upon　my　rapid　promotion　with　jealousy。　　He　was　ten　years　my　senior　both　in　years　and　service；　and　I　rather　think　he　could　never　forget　the　fact　that　he　had　been　an　officer　when　I　was　a　green　apprentice。

As　it　became　more　and　more　apparent　that　the　Coldwater；　under　my　seamanship；　was　weathering　the　tempest　and　giving　promise　of　pulling　through　safely；　I　could　have　sworn　that　I　perceived　a　shade　of　annoyance　and　disappointment　growing　upon　his　dark　countenance。　　He　left　the　bridge　finally　and　went　below。　　I　do　not　know　that　he　is　directly　responsible　for　what　followed　so　shortly　after；　but　I　have　always　had　my　suspicions；　and　Alvarez　is　even　more　prone　to　place　the　blame　upon　him　than　I。

It　was　about　six　bells　of　the　forenoon　watch　that　Johnson　returned　to　the　bridge　after　an　absence　of　some　thirty　minutes。　　He　seemed　nervous　and　ill　at　easea　fact　which　made　little　impression　on　me　at　the　time；　but　which　both　Alvarez　and　I　recalled　subsequently。

Not　three　minutes　after　his　reappearance　at　my　side　the　Coldwater　suddenly　commenced　to　lose　headway。　　I　seized　the　telephone　at　my　elbow；　pressing　upon　the　button　which　would　call　the　chief　engineer　to　the　instrument　in　the　bowels　of　the　ship；　only　to　find　him　already　at　the　receiver　attempting　to　reach　me。

〃Numbers　one；　two；　and　five　engines　have　broken　down；　sir；〃　he　called。　　〃Shall　we　force　the　remaining　three？〃

〃We　can　do　nothing　else；〃　I　bellowed　into　the　transmitter。

〃They　won't　stand　the　gaff；　sir；〃　he　returned。

〃Can　you　suggest　a　better　plan？〃　I　asked。

〃No；　sir；〃　he　replied。

〃Then　give　them　the　gaff；　lieutenant；〃　I　shouted　back；　and　hung　up　the　receiver。

For　twenty　minutes　the　Coldwater　bucked　the　great　seas　with　her　three　engines。　　I　doubt　if　she　advanced　a　foot；　but　it　was　enough　to　keep　her　nose　in　the　wind；　and；　at　least；　we　were　not　drifting　toward　thirty。

Johnson　and　Alvarez　were　at　my　side　when；　without　warning；　the　bow