第18章
Besides……Andsuchaghost！Doyouthink——？“
Wishinterruptedmebymoving。Hewalkedoutfromamongourchairsandstoppedbesidethetoleandstoodthere。“Clayton，“hesaid，“you’reafool。“
Clayton，withahumorouslightinhiseyes，smiledbackathim。
“Wish，“hesaid，“isrightandallyouothersarewrong。Ishallgo。
Ishallgettotheendofthesepasses，andasthelastswishwhistlesthroughtheair，Presto！——thishearthrugwillbevacant，theroomwillbeblankamazement，andarespectablydressedgentlemanoffifteenstonewillplumpintotheworldofshades。I’mcertain。
Sowillyoube。Ideclinetoarguefurther。Letthethingbetried。“
“NO，“saidWish，andmadeastepandceased，andClaytonraisedhishandsoncemoretorepeatthespirit’spassing。
Bythattime，youknow，wewereallinastateoftension——largelybecauseofthebehaviourofWish。WesatallofuswithoureyesonClayton——I，atleast，withasortoftight，stifffeelingaboutmeasthoughfromthebackofmyskulltothemiddleofmythighsmybodyhadbeenchangedtosteel。Andthere，withagravitythatwasimperturbablyserene，Claytonbowedandswayedandwavedhishandsandarmsbeforeus。Ashedrewtowardstheendonepiledup，onetingledinone’steeth。Thelastgesture，Ihavesaid，wastoswingthearmsoutwideopen，withthefaceheldup。AndwhenatlastheswungouttothisclosinggestureIceasedeventobreathe。Itwasridiculous，ofcourse，butyouknowthatghost-storyfeeling。Itwasafterdinner，inaqueer，oldshadowyhouse。Wouldhe，afterall——？
Therehestoodforonestupendousmoment，withhisarmsopenandhisupturnedface，assuredandbright，intheglareofthehanginglamp。
Wehungthroughthatmomentasifitwereanage，andthencamefromallofussomethingthatwashalfasighofinfinitereliefandhalfareassuring“NO！“Forvisibly——hewasn’tgoing。Itwasallnonsense。
Hehadtoldanidlestory，andcarrieditalmosttoconviction，thatwasall！……AndtheninthatmomentthefaceofClayton，changed。
Itchanged。Itchangedasalithousechangeswhenitslightsaresuddenlyextinguished。Hiseyesweresuddenlyeyesthatwerefixed，hissmilewasfrozenonhislips，andhestoodtherestill。Hestoodthere，verygentlyswaying。
Thatmoment，too，wasanage。Andthen，youknow，chairswerescraping，thingswerefalling，andwewereallmoving。Hiskneesseemedtogive，andhefellforward，andEvansroseandcaughthiminhisarms……
Itstunnedusall。ForaminuteIsupposenoonesaidacoherentthing。Webelievedit，yetcouldnotbelieveit……Icameoutofamuddledstupefactiontofindmyselfkneelingbesidehim，andhisvestandshirtweretornopen，andSanderson’shandlayonhisheart……
Well——thesimplefactbeforeuscouldverywellwaitourconvenience；
therewasnohurryforustocomprehend。Itlaythereforanhour；
itliesathwartmymemory，blackandamazingstill，tothisday。
Claytonhad，indeed，passedintotheworldthatliessoneartoandsofarfromourown，andhehadgonethitherbytheonlyroadthatmortalmanmaytake。Butwhetherhedidindeedpasstherebythatpoorghost’sincantation，orwhetherhewasstrickensuddenlybyapoplexyinthemidstofanidletale——asthecoroner’sjurywouldhaveusbelieve——isnomatterformyjudging；itisjustoneofthoseinexplicableriddlesthatmustremainunsolveduntilthefinalsolutionofallthingsshallcome。AllIcertainlyknowisthat，intheverymoment，intheveryinstant，ofconcludingthosepasses，hechanged，andstaggered，andfelldownbeforeus——dead！
7。JIMMYGOGGLESTHEGOD
“Itisn’teveryonewho’sbeenagod，“saidthesunburntman。“Butit’shappenedtome。Amongotherthings。“
Iintimatedmysenseofhiscondescension。
“Itdon’tleavemuchforambition，doesit？“saidthesunburntman。
“IwasoneofthosemenwhoweresavedfromtheOceanPioneer。
Gummy！howtimeflies！It’stwentyyearsago。Idoubtifyou’llrememberanythingoftheOceanPioneer？“
Thenamewasfamiliar，andItriedtorecallwhenandwhereIhadreadit。TheOceanPioneer？“Somethingaboutgolddust，“Isaidvaguely，“buttheprecise——“
“That’sit，“hesaid。“Inabeastlylittlechannelshehadn’tnobusinessin——dodgingpirates。Itwasbeforethey’dputthekyboshonthatbusiness。Andthere’dbeenvolcanoesorsomethingandalltherockswaswrong。There’splacesaboutbySoonawhereyoufairhavetofollowtherocksabouttoseewherethey’regoingnext。
Downshewentintwentyfathomsbeforeyoucouldhavedealtforwhist，withfiftythousandpoundsworthofgoldaboard，itwassaid，inoneformoranother。“
“Survivors？“
“Three。“
“Irememberthecasenow，“Isaid。“Therewassomethingaboutsalvage——“
ButatthewordsalvagethesunburntmanexplodedintolanguagesoextraordinarilyhorriblethatIstoppedaghast。Hecamedowntomoreordinaryswearing，andpulledhimselfupabruptly。“Excuseme，“
hesaid，“but——salvage！“
Heleantovertowardsme。“Iwasinthatjob，“hesaid。“Triedtomakemyselfarichman，andgotmadeagodinstead。I’vegotmyfeelings——
“Itain’talljambeingagod，“saidthesunburntman，andforsometimeconversedbymeansofsuchpithybutunprogressiveaxioms。
Atlasthetookuphistaleagain。
“Therewasme，“saidthesunburntman，“andaseamannamedJacobs，andAlways，themateoftheOceanPioneer。Andhimitwasthatsetthewholethinggoing。Irememberhimnow，whenwewasinthejolly-boat，suggestingitalltoourmindsjustbyonesentence。
Hewasawonderfulhandatsuggestingthings。’Therewasfortythousandpounds，’hesaid，’onthatship，andit’sformetosayjustwhereshewentdown。’Itdidn’tneedmuchbrainstotumbletothat。Andhewastheleaderfromthefirsttothelast。HegotholdoftheSandersesandtheirbrig；theywerebrothers，andthebrigwasthePrideofBanya，andheitwasboughtthediving-dress——
asecond-handonewithacompressedairapparatusinsteadofpumping。
He’dhavedonethedivingtoo，ifithadn’tmadehimsickgoingdown。
Andthesalvagepeopleweremuckingaboutwithacharthe’dcookedup，assolemnascouldbe，atStarrRace，ahundredandtwentymilesaway。
“Icantellyouwewasahappylotaboardthatbrig，jokesanddrinkandbrighthopesallthetime。Itallseemedsoneatandcleanandstraightforward，andwhatroughchapscalla’cert。’Andweusedtospeculatehowtheotherblessedlot，thepropersalvagers，who’dstartedtwodaysbeforeus，weregettingon，untiloursidesfairlyached。WeallmessedtogetherintheSanderses’cabin——itwasacuriouscrew，allofficersandnomen——andtherestoodthediving-dresswaitingitsturn。YoungSanderswasahumoroussortofchap，andtherecertainlywassomethingfunnyintheconfoundedthing’sgreatfatheadanditsstare，andhemadeusseeittoo。
’JimmieGoggles，’heusedtocallit，andtalktoitlikeaChristian。
Askedifhewasmarried，andhowMrs。Goggleswas，andallthelittleGoggleses。Fittomakeyousplit。AndeveryblesseddayallofususedtodrinkthehealthofJimmyGogglesinrum，andunscrewhiseyeandpouraglassofruminhim，until，insteadofthatnastymackintosheriness，hesmeltasniceinhisinsideasacaskofrum。
Itwasjollytimeswehadinthosedays，Icantellyou——littlesuspecting，poorchaps！whatwasa-coming。
“Weweren’tgoingtothrowawayourchancesbyanyblessedhurry，youknow，andwespentawholedaysoundingourwaytowardswheretheOceanPioneerhadgonedown，rightbetweentwochunksofropygreyrock——lavarocksthatrosenearlyoutofthewater。Wehadtolayoffabouthalfamiletogetasafeanchorage，andtherewasathunderingrowwhoshouldstoponboard。Andthereshelayjustasshehadgonedown，sothatyoucouldseethetopofthemaststhatwasstillstandingperfectlydistinctly。Therowendinginallcomingintheboat。Iwentdowninthediving-dressonFridaymorningdirectlyitwaslight。
“Whatasurpriseitwas！Icanseeitallnowquitedistinctly。
Itwasaqueer-lookingplace，andthelightwasjustcoming。Peopleoverherethinkeveryblessedplaceinthetropicsisaflatshoreandpalmtreesandsurf，bless’em！Thisplace，forinstance，wasn’tabitthatway。Notcommonrockstheywere，underminedbywaves；butgreatcurvedbankslikeironworkcinderheaps，withgreenslimebelow，andthornyshrubsandthingsjustwavinguponthemhereandthere，andthewaterglassycalmandclear，andshowingyouakindofdirtygrey-blackshine，withhugeflaringred-brownweedsspreadingmotionless，andcrawlinganddartingthingsgoingthroughit。Andfarawaybeyondtheditchesandpoolsandtheheapswasaforestonthemountainflank，growingagainafterthefiresandcindershowersofthelasteruption。Andtheotherwayforest，too，andakindofbroken——whatisit？——ambytheatreofblackandrustycindersrisingoutofitall，andtheseainakindofbayinthemiddle。
“Thedawn，Isay，wasjustcoming，andtherewasn’tmuchcolouraboutthings，andnotahumanbeingbutourselvesanywhereinsightupordownthechannel。ExceptthePrideofBanya，lyingoutbeyondalumpofrockstowardsthelineofthesea。
“Notahumanbeinginsight，“herepeated，andpaused。
“Idon’tknowwheretheycamefrom，notabit。AndwewerefeelingsosafethatwewereallalonethatpooryoungSanderswasa-singing。