within the tides-第20部分

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for　very　joy。　　Here's　the　thing　done　all　at　once；　and　nothing　to



pay。　　Done。　　Actually　done。　　His　head　swims　now　and　again　when　he



thinks　of　it。　　What　enormous　luck！　　It　almost　frightens　him。　　He



would　like　to　yell　and　sing。　　Meantime　George　Dunbar　sits　in　his



corner；　looking　so　deadly　miserable　that　at　last　poor　Mrs。　Harry



tries　to　comfort　him；　and　so　cheers　herself　up　at　the　same　time　by



talking　about　how　her　Harry　is　a　prudent　man；　not　likely　to　risk



his　crew's　life　or　his　own　unnecessarily　…　and　so　on。







〃First　thing　they　hear　at　Westport　station　is　that　the　life…boat



has　been　out　to　the　ship　again；　and　has　brought　off　the　second



officer；　who　had　hurt　himself；　and　a　few　sailors。　　Captain　and　the



rest　of　the　crew；　about　fifteen　in　all；　are　still　on　board。　　Tugs



expected　to　arrive　every　moment。







〃They　take　Mrs。　Harry　to　the　inn；　nearly　opposite　the　rocks；　she



bolts　straight　up…stairs　to　look　out　of　the　window；　and　she　lets



out　a　great　cry　when　she　sees　the　wreck。　　She　won't　rest　till　she



gets　on　board　to　her　Harry。　　Cloete　soothes　her　all　he　can。　。　。　All



right；　you　try　to　eat　a　mouthful；　and　we　will　go　to　make　inquiries。







〃He　draws　George　out　of　the　room：　　Look　here；　she　can't　go　on



board；　but　I　shall。　　I'll　see　to　it　that　he　doesn't　stop　in　the



ship　too　long。　　Let's　go　and　find　the　coxswain　of　the　life…boat。　。



。　George　follows　him；　shivering　from　time　to　time。　　The　waves　are



washing　over　the　old　pier；　not　much　wind；　a　wild；　gloomy　sky　over



the　bay。　　In　the　whole　world　only　one　tug　away　off；　heading　to　the



seas；　tossed　in　and　out　of　sight　every　minute　as　regular　as



clockwork。







〃They　meet　the　coxswain　and　he　tells　them：　　Yes！　　He's　going　out



again。　　No；　they　ain't　in　danger　on　board　…　not　yet。　　But　the



ship's　chance　is　very　poor。　　Still；　if　the　wind　doesn't　pipe　up



again　and　the　sea　goes　down　something　might　be　tried。　　After　some



talk　he　agrees　to　take　Cloete　on　board；　supposed　to　be　with　an



urgent　message　from　the　owners　to　the　captain。







〃Whenever　Cloete　looks　at　the　sky　he　feels　comforted；　it　looks　so



threatening。　　George　Dunbar　follows　him　about　with　a　white　face　and



saying　nothing。　　Cloete　takes　him　to　have　a　drink　or　two；　and　by



and　by　he　begins　to　pick　up。　。　。　That's　better；　says　Cloete；　dash



me　if　it　wasn't　like　walking　about　with　a　dead　man　before。　　You



ought　to　be　throwing　up　your　cap；　man。　　I　feel　as　if　I　wanted　to



stand　in　the　street　and　cheer。　　Your　brother　is　safe；　the　ship　is



lost；　and　we　are　made　men。







〃Are　you　certain　she's　lost？　asks　George。　　It　would　be　an　awful



blow　after　all　the　agonies　I　have　gone　through　in　my　mind；　since



you　first　spoke　to　me；　if　she　were　to　be　got　off　…　and　…　and　…　all



this　temptation　to　begin　over　again。　。　。　For　we　had　nothing　to　do



with　this；　had　we？







〃Of　course　not；　says　Cloete。　　Wasn't　your　brother　himself　in



charge？　　It's　providential。　。　。　Oh！　cries　George；　shocked。　。　。



Well；　say　it's　the　devil；　says　Cloete；　cheerfully。　　I　don't　mind！



You　had　nothing　to　do　with　it　any　more　than　a　baby　unborn；　you



great　softy；　you。　。　。　Cloete　has　got　so　that　he　almost　loved　George



Dunbar。　　Well。　　Yes。　　That　was　so。　　I　don't　mean　he　respected　him。



He　was　just　fond　of　his　partner。







〃They　go　back；　you　may　say　fairly　skipping；　to　the　hotel；　and　find



the　wife　of　the　captain　at　the　open　window；　with　her　eyes　on　the



ship　as　if　she　wanted　to　fly　across　the　bay　over　there。　。　。　Now



then；　Mrs。　Dunbar；　cries　Cloete；　you　can't　go；　but　I　am　going。　　Any



messages？　　Don't　be　shy。　　I'll　deliver　every　word　faithfully。　　And



if　you　would　like　to　give　me　a　kiss　for　him；　I'll　deliver　that　too；



dash　me　if　I　don't。







〃He　makes　Mrs。　Harry　laugh　with　his　patter。　。　。　Oh；　dear　Mr。



Cloete；　you　are　a　calm；　reasonable　man。　　Make　him　behave　sensibly。



He's　a　bit　obstinate；　you　know；　and　he's　so　fond　of　the　ship；　too。



Tell　him　I　am　here　…　looking　on。　。　。　Trust　me；　Mrs。　Dunbar。　　Only



shut　that　window；　that's　a　good　girl。　　You　will　be　sure　to　catch



cold　if　you　don't；　and　the　Captain　won't　be　pleased　coming　off　the



wreck　to　find　you　coughing　and　sneezing　so　that　you　can't　tell　him



how　happy　you　are。　　And　now　if　you　can　get　me　a　bit　of　tape　to



fasten　my　glasses　on　good　to　my　ears；　I　will　be　going。　。　。







〃How　he　gets　on　board　I　don't　know。　　All　wet　and　shaken　and　excited



and　out　of　breath；　he　does　get　on　board。　　Ship　lying　over；



smothered　in　sprays；　but　not　moving　very　much；　just　enough　to　jag



one's　nerve　a　bit。　　He　finds　them　all　crowded　on　the　deck…house



forward；　in　their　shiny　oilskins；　with　faces　like　sick　men。



Captain　Harry　can't　believe　his　eyes。　　What！　　Mr。　Cloete！　　What　are



you　doing　here；　in　God's　name？　。　。　。　Your　wife's　ashore　there；



looking　on；　gasps　out　Cloete；　and　after　they　had　talked　a　bit；



Captain　Harry　thinks　it's　uncommonly　plucky　and　kind　of　his



brother's　partner　to　come　off　to　him　like　this。　　Man　glad　to　have



somebody　to　talk　to。　。　。　It's　a　bad　business；　Mr。　Cloete；　he　says。



And　Cloete　rejoices　to　hear　that。　　Captain　Harry　thinks　he　had　done



his　best；　but　the　cable　had　parted　when　he　tried　to　anchor　her。　　It



was　a　great　trial　to　lose　the　ship。　　Well；　he　would　have　to　face



it。　　He　fetches　a　deep　sigh　now　and　then。　　Cloete　almost　sorry　he



had　come　on　board；　because　to　be　on　that　wreck　keeps　his　chest　in　a



tight　band　all　the　time。　　They　crouch　out　of　the　wind　under　the



port　boat；　a　little　apart　from　the　men。　　The　life…boat　had　gone



away　after　putting　Cloete　on　board；　but　was　coming　back　next　high



water　to　take　off　the　crew　if　no　attempt　at　getting　the　ship　afloat



could　be　made。　　Dusk　was　falling；　winter's　day；　black　sky；　wind



rising。　　Captain　Harry　felt　melancholy。　　God's　will　be　done。　　If



she　must　be　left　on　the　rocks　…　why；　she　must。　　A　man　should　take



what　God　sends　him　standing　up。　。　。　Suddenly　his　voice　breaks；　and



he　squeezes　Cloete's　arm：　　It　seems　as　if　I　couldn't　leave　her；　he



whispers。　　Cloete　looks　round　at　the　men　like　a　lot　of　huddled



sheep　and　thinks　to　himself：　　They　won't　stay。　。　。　Suddenly　the



ship　lifts　a　little　and　sets　down　with　a　thump。　　Tide　rising。



Everybody　beginning　to　look　out　for　the　life…boat。　　Some　of　the　men



made　her　out　far　away　and　also　two　more　tugs。　　But　the　gale　has



come　on　again；　and　everybody　knows　that　no　tug　will　ever　dare　come



near　the　ship。







〃That's　the　end；　Captain　Harry　says；　very　low。　。　。　。　Cloete　thinks



he　never　felt　so　cold　in　all　his　life。　。　。　And　I　feel　as　if　I



didn't　care　to　live　on　just　now；　mutters　Captain　Harry　。　。　。　Your



wife's　ashore；　looking　on；　says　Cloete　。　。　。　Yes。　　Yes。　　It　must　be



awful　for　her　to　look　at　the　poor　old　ship　lying　here　done　for。



Why；　that's　our　home。







〃Cloete　thinks　that　as　long　as　the　Sagamore's　done　for　he　doesn't



care；　and　only　wishes　himself　somewhere　else。　　The　slightest



movement　of　the　ship　cuts　his　breath　like　a　blow。　　And　he　feels



excited　by　the　danger；　too。　　The　captain　takes　him　aside。　。　。　The



life…boat　can't　come　near　us　for　more　than　an　hour。　　Look　here；



Cloete；　since　you　are　here；　and　such　a　plucky　one　…　do　something



for　me。　。　。　He　tells　him　then　that　down　in　his　cabin　aft　in　a



certain　drawer　there　is　a　bundle　of　important　papers　and　some　sixty



sovereigns　in　a　small　canvas　bag。　　Asks　Cloete　to　go　and　get　these



things　out。　　He　hasn't　been　below　since　the　ship　struck；　and　it



seems　to　him　that　if　he　were　to　take　his　eyes　off　her　she　would



fall　to　pieces。　　And　then　the　men　…　a　scared　lot　by　this　time　…　if



he　were　to　leave　them　by　themselves　they　would　attempt　to　launch



one　of　the　ship's　boats　in　a　panic　at　some　heavier　thump　…　and　then



some　of　them　bound　to　get　drowned。　。　。　There　are　two　or　three　boxes



of　matches　about　my　shelves　in　my　cabin　if　you　want　a　light；　says



Captain　Harry。　　Only　wipe　your　wet　hands　before　you　begin　to　feel



for　them。　。　。







〃Cloete　doesn't　like　the　job；　but　doesn't　like　to　show　funk；　either



…　and　he　goes。　　Lots　of　water　on　the　main…deck；　and　he　splashes



along；　it　was　getting　dark；　too。　　All　at　once；　by　the　mainmast；



somebody　catches　him　by　the　arm。　　Stafford。　　He　wasn't　thinking　of



Stafford　at　all。　　Captain　Harry　had　said　something　as　to　the　mate



not　being　quite　satisfactory；　but　it　wasn't　much。　　Cloete　doesn't



recognise　him　in　his　oilskins　at　first。　　He　sees　a　white　face　with



big　eyes　peering　at　him。　。　。　Are　you　pleased；　Mr。　Cloete　。　。　。　？







〃Cloete　is　moved　to　laugh　at　the　whine；　and　shakes　him　off。　　But



the　fellow　scrambles　on　after　him　on　the　poop　and　follows　him　down



into　the　cabin　of　that　wrecked　ship。　　And　there　they　are；　the　two



of　them；　can　hardly　see　each　other。　。　。　You　don't　mean　to　make　me



believe　you　have　had　anything　to　do　with　this；　says　Cloete。　。　。







〃They　both　shiver；　nearly　out　of　their　wits　with　the　excitement　of



being　on　board　that　ship。　　She　thumps　and　lurches；　and　they　stagger



together；　feeling　sick。　　Cloete　again　bursts　out　laughing　at　that



wretched　creature　Stafford　pretending　to　have　been　up　to　something



so　desperate。　。　。　Is　that　how　you　think　you　can　treat　me　now？　yells



the　other　man　all　of　a　sudden。　。　。







〃A　sea　strikes　the　stern；　the　ship　trembles　and　groans　all　round



them；　there's　the　noise　of　the　seas　about　and　overhead；　confusing



Cloete；　and　he　hears　the　other　screaming　as　if　crazy。　。　。　Ah；　you



don't　believe　me！　　Go　and　look　at　the　port　chain。　　Parted？　　Eh？　　Go



and　see　if　it's　parted。　　Go　and　find　the　broken　link。　　You　can't。



There's　no　broken　link。　　That　means　a　thousand　pounds　for　me。　　No



less。　　A　thousand　the　day　after　we　get　ashore　…　prompt。　　I　won't



wait　till　she　breaks　up；　Mr。　Cloete。　　To　the　underwriters　I　go　if



I've　to　walk　to　London　on　my　bare　feet。　　Port　cable！　　Look　at　her