the lost continent-第3部分

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Johnson　and　Alvarez　were　at　my　side　when；　without　warning；　the　bow　swung　swiftly　around　and　the　ship　fell　into　the　trough　of　the　sea。

〃The　other　three　have　gone；〃　I　said；　and　I　happened　to　be　looking　at　Johnson　as　I　spoke。　　Was　it　the　shadow　of　a　satisfied　smile　that　crossed　his　thin　lips？　　I　do　not　know；　but　at　least　he　did　not　weep。

〃You　always　have　been　curious；　sir；　about　the　great　unknown　beyond　thirty；〃　he　said。　　〃You　are　in　a　good　way　to　have　your　curiosity　satisfied。〃　　And　then　I　could　not　mistake　the　slight　sneer　that　curved　his　upper　lip。　　There　must　have　been　a　trace　of　disrespect　in　his　tone　or　manner　which　escaped　me；　for　Alvarez　turned　upon　him　like　a　flash。

〃When　Lieutenant　Turck　crosses　thirty；〃　he　said；　〃we　shall　all　cross　with　him；　and　God　help　the　officer　or　the　man　who　reproaches　him！〃

〃I　shall　not　be　a　party　to　high　treason；〃　snapped　Johnson。　〃The　regulations　are　explicit；　and　if　the　Coldwater　crosses　thirty　it　devolves　upon　you　to　place　Lieutenant　Turck　under　arrest　and　immediately　exert　every　endeavor　to　bring　the　ship　back　into　Pan…American　waters。〃

〃I　shall　not　know；〃　replied　Alvarez；　〃that　the　Coldwater　passes　thirty；　nor　shall　any　other　man　aboard　know　it；〃　and；　with　his　words；　he　drew　a　revolver　from　his　pocket；　and　before　either　I　or　Johnson　could　prevent　it　had　put　a　bullet　into　every　instrument　upon　the　bridge；　ruining　them　beyond　repair。

And　then　he　saluted　me；　and　strode　from　the　bridge；　a　martyr　to　loyalty　and　friendship；　for；　though　no　man　might　know　that　Lieutenant　Jefferson　Turck　had　taken　his　ship　across　thirty；　every　man　aboard　would　know　that　the　first　officer　had　committed　a　crime　that　was　punishable　by　both　degradation　and　death。　　Johnson　turned　and　eyed　me　narrowly。

〃Shall　I　place　him　under　arrest？〃　he　asked。

〃You　shall　not；〃　I　replied。　　〃Nor　shall　anyone　else。〃

〃You　become　a　party　to　his　crime！〃　he　cried　angrily。

〃You　may　go　below；　Mr。　Johnson；〃　I　said；　〃and　attend　to　the　work　of　unpacking　the　extra　instruments　and　having　them　properly　set　upon　the　bridge。〃

He　saluted；　and　left　me；　and　for　some　time　I　stood；　gazing　out　upon　the　angry　waters；　my　mind　filled　with　unhappy　reflections　upon　the　unjust　fate　that　had　overtaken　me；　and　the　sorrow　and　disgrace　that　I　had　unwittingly　brought　down　upon　my　house。

I　rejoiced　that　I　should　leave　neither　wife　nor　child　to　bear　the　burden　of　my　shame　throughout　their　lives。

As　I　thought　upon　my　misfortune；　I　considered　more　clearly　than　ever　before　the　unrighteousness　of　the　regulation　which　was　to　prove　my　doom；　and　in　the　natural　revolt　against　its　injustice　my　anger　rose；　and　there　mounted　within　me　a　feeling　which　I　imagine　must　have　paralleled　that　spirit　that　once　was　prevalent　among　the　ancients　called　anarchy。

For　the　first　time　in　my　life　I　found　my　sentiments　arraying　themselves　against　custom；　tradition；　and　even　government。　The　wave　of　rebellion　swept　over　me　in　an　instant；　beginning　with　an　heretical　doubt　as　to　the　sanctity　of　the　established　order　of　thingsthat　fetish　which　has　ruled　Pan…Americans　for　two　centuries；　and　which　is　based　upon　a　blind　faith　in　the　infallibility　of　the　prescience　of　the　long…dead　framers　of　the　articles　of　Pan…American　federationand　ending　in　an　adamantine　determination　to　defend　my　honor　and　my　life　to　the　last　ditch　against　the　blind　and　senseless　regulation　which　assumed　the　synonymity　of　misfortune　and　treason。

I　would　replace　the　destroyed　instruments　upon　the　bridge；　every　officer　and　man　should　know　when　we　crossed　thirty。　But　then　I　should　assert　the　spirit　which　dominated　me；　I　should　resist　arrest；　and　insist　upon　bringing　my　ship　back　across　the　dead　line；　remaining　at　my　post　until　we　had　reached　New　York。　　Then　I　should　make　a　full　report；　and　with　it　a　demand　upon　public　opinion　that　the　dead　lines　be　wiped　forever　from　the　seas。

I　knew　that　I　was　right。　　I　knew　that　no　more　loyal　officer　wore　the　uniform　of　the　navy。　　I　knew　that　I　was　a　good　officer　and　sailor；　and　I　didn't　propose　submitting　to　degradation　and　discharge　because　a　lot　of　old；　preglacial　fossils　had　declared　over　two　hundred　years　before　that　no　man　should　cross　thirty。

Even　while　these　thoughts　were　passing　through　my　mind　I　was　busy　with　the　details　of　my　duties。　　I　had　seen　to　it　that　a　sea　anchor　was　rigged；　and　even　now　the　men　had　completed　their　task；　and　the　Coldwater　was　swinging　around　rapidly；　her　nose　pointing　once　more　into　the　wind；　and　the　frightful　rolling　consequent　upon　her　wallowing　in　the　trough　was　happily　diminishing。

It　was　then　that　Johnson　came　hurrying　to　the　bridge。　　One　of　his　eyes　was　swollen　and　already　darkening；　and　his　lip　was　cut　and　bleeding。　　Without　even　the　formality　of　a　salute；　he　burst　upon　me；　white　with　fury。

〃Lieutenant　Alvarez　attacked　me！〃　he　cried。　　〃I　demand　that　he　be　placed　under　arrest。　　I　found　him　in　the　act　of　destroying　the　reserve　instruments；　and　when　I　would　have　interfered　to　protect　them　he　fell　upon　me　and　beat　me。　　I　demand　that　you　arrest　him！〃

〃You　forget　yourself；　Mr。　Johnson；〃　I　said。　　〃You　are　not　in　command　of　the　ship。　　I　deplore　the　action　of　Lieutenant　Alvarez；　but　I　cannot　expunge　from　my　mind　the　loyalty　and　self…sacrificing　friendship　which　has　prompted　him　to　his　acts。　　Were　I　you；　sir；　I　should　profit　by　the　example　he　has　set。　　Further；　Mr。　Johnson；　I　intend　retaining　command　of　the　ship；　even　though　she　crosses　thirty；　and　I　shall　demand　implicit　obedience　from　every　officer　and　man　aboard　until　I　am　properly　relieved　from　duty　by　a　superior　officer　in　the　port　of　New　York。〃

〃You　mean　to　say　that　you　will　cross　thirty　without　submitting　to　arrest？〃　he　almost　shouted。

〃I　do；　sir；〃　I　replied。　　〃And　now　you　may　go　below；　and；　when　again　you　find　it　necessary　to　address　me；　you　will　please　be　so　good　as　to　bear　in　mind　the　fact　that　I　am　your　commanding　officer；　and　as　such　entitled　to　a　salute。〃

He　flushed；　hesitated　a　moment；　and　then；　saluting；　turned　upon　his　heel　and　left　the　bridge。　　Shortly　after；　Alvarez　appeared。　　He　was　pale；　and　seemed　to　have　aged　ten　years　in　the　few　brief　minutes　since　I　last　had　seen　him。　　Saluting；　he　told　me　very　simply　what　he　had　done；　and　asked　that　I　place　him　under　arrest。

I　put　my　hand　on　his　shoulder；　and　I　guess　that　my　voice　trembled　a　trifle　as；　while　reproving　him　for　his　act；　I　made　it　plain　to　him　that　my　gratitude　was　no　less　potent　a　force　than　his　loyalty　to　me。　　Then　it　was　that　I　outlined　to　him　my　purpose　to　defy　the　regulation　that　had　raised　the　dead　lines；　and　to　take　my　ship　back　to　New　York　myself。

I　did　not　ask　him　to　share　the　responsibility　with　me。　　I　merely　stated　that　I　should　refuse　to　submit　to　arrest；　and　that　I　should　demand　of　him　and　every　other　officer　and　man　implicit　obedience　to　my　every　command　until　we　docked　at　home。

His　face　brightened　at　my　words；　and　he　assured　me　that　I　would　find　him　as　ready　to　acknowledge　my　command　upon　the　wrong　side　of　thirty　as　upon　the　right；　an　assurance　which　I　hastened　to　tell　him　I　did　not　need。

The　storm　continued　to　rage　for　three　days；　and　as　far　as　the　wind　scarce　varied　a　point　during　all　that　time；　I　knew　that　we　must　be　far　beyond　thirty；　drifting　rapidly　east　by　south。　　All　this　time　it　had　been　impossible　to　work　upon　the　damaged　engines　or　the　gravity…screen　generators；　but　we　had　a　full　set　of　instruments　upon　the　bridge；　for　Alvarez；　after　discovering　my　intentions；　had　fetched　the　reserve　instruments　from　his　own　cabin；　where　he　had　hidden　them。　Those　which　Johnson　had　seen　him　destroy　had　been　a　third　set　which　only　Alvarez　had　known　was　aboard　the　Coldwater。

We　waited　impatiently　for　the　sun；　that　we　might　determine　our　exact　location；　and　upon　the　fourth　day　our　vigil　was　rewarded　a　few　minutes　before　noon。

Every　officer　and　man　aboard　was　tense　with　nervous　excitement　as　we　awaited　the　result　of　the　reading。　　The　crew　had　known　almost　as　soon　as　I　that　we　were　doomed　to　cross　thirty；　and　I　am　inclined　to　believe　that　every　man　jack　of　them　was　tickled　to　death；　for　the　spirits　of　adventure　and　romance　still　live　in　the　hearts　of　men　of　the　twenty…second　century；　even　though　there　be　little　for　them　to　feed　upon　between　thirty　and　one　hundred　seventy…five。

The　men　carried　none　of　the　burdens　of　responsibility。　　They　might　cross　thirty　with　impunity；　and　doubtless　they　would　return　to　be　heroes　at　home；　but　how　different　the　home…　coming　of　their　commanding　officer！

The　wind　had　dropped　to　a　steady　blow；　still　from　west　by　north；　and　the　sea　had　gone　down　correspondingly。　　The　crew；　with　the　exception　of　those　whose　duties　kept　them　below；　were　ranged　on　deck　below　the　bridge。　　When　our　position　was　definitely　fixed　I　personally　announced　it　to　the　eager；　waiting　men。

〃Men；〃　I　said；　stepping　forward　to　the　handrail　and　looking　down　into　their　upturned；　bronzed　faces；　〃you　are　anxiously　awaiting　information　as　to　the　ship's　position。　　It　has　been　determined　at　latitude　fifty　degrees　seven　minutes　north；　longitude　twenty　degrees　sixteen　minutes　west。〃

I　paused　and　a　buzz　of　animated　comment　ran　through　the　massed　men　beneath　me。　　〃Beyond　thirty。　　But　there　will　be　no　change　in　commanding　officers；　in　routine　or　in　discipline；　until　after　we　have　docked　again　in　New　York。〃

As　I　ceased　speaking　and　stepped　back　from　the　rail　there　was　a　roar　of　applause　from　the　deck　such　as　I　never　before　had　heard　aboard　a　ship　of　peace。　　It　recalled　to　my　mind　tales　that　I　had　read　of　the　good　old　days　when　naval　vessels　were　built　to　fight；　when　ships　of　peace　had　been　man…of…war；　and　guns　had　flashed　in　other　than　futile　target　practice；　and　decks　had　run　red　with　blood。

With　the　subsistence　of　the　sea；　we　were　able　to　go　to　work　upon　the　damaged　engines　to　some　effect；　and　I　also　set　men　to　examining　the　gravitation…screen　generators　with　a　view　to　putting　them　in　working　order　should　it　prove　not　beyond　our　resources。

For　two　weeks　we　labored　at　the　engines；　which　indisputably　showed　evidence　of　having　been　tampered　with。　　I　appointed　a　board　to　investigate　and　report　upon　the　disaster。　　But　it　accomplished　nothing　other　than　to　convince　me　that　there　were　several　officers　upon　it　who　were　in　full　sympathy　with　Johnson；　for；　though　no　charges　had　been