第4章

TheunfailingRansomelightedthebinnacle-

lampsandglided，allshadowy，uptome。

"Willyougodownandtrytoeatsomething，sir？"hesuggested。

Hislowvoicestartledme。Ihadbeenstandinglookingoutovertherail，sayingnothing，feelingnothing，noteventhewearinessofmylimbs，over-

comebytheevilspell。

"Ransome，"Iaskedabruptly，"howlonghaveI

beenondeck？Iamlosingthenotionoftime。"

"Twelvedays，sir，"hesaid，"andit’sjustafortnightsincewelefttheanchorage。"

Hisequablevoicesoundedmournfulsomehow。

Hewaitedabit，thenadded："It’sthefirsttimethatitlooksasifweweretohavesomerain。"

Inoticedthenthebroadshadowonthehorizon，extinguishingthelowstarscompletely，whilethoseoverhead，whenIlookedup，seemedtoshinedownonusthroughaveilofsmoke。

Howitgotthere，howithadcreptupsohigh，I

couldn’tsay。Ithadanominousappearance。Theairdidnotstir。AtarenewedinvitationfromRansomeIdidgodownintothecabinto——inhisownwords——"tryandeatsomething。"Idon’tknowthatthetrialwasverysuccessful。Isup-

poseatthatperiodIdidexistonfoodintheusualway;butthememoryisnowthatinthosedayslifewassustainedoninvincibleanguish，asasortofinfernalstimulantexcitingandconsumingatthesametime。

It’stheonlyperiodofmylifeinwhichIat-

temptedtokeepadiary。No，nottheonlyone。

Yearslater，inconditionsofmoralisolation，Ididputdownonpaperthethoughtsandeventsofascoreofdays。Butthiswasthefirsttime。Idon’trememberhowitcameaboutorhowthepocket-

bookandthepencilcameintomyhands。It’sin-

conceivablethatIshouldhavelookedforthemonpurpose。Isupposetheysavedmefromthecrazytrickoftalkingtomyself。

Strangelyenough，inbothcasesItooktothatsortofthingincircumstancesinwhichIdidnotex-

pect，incolloquialphrase，"tocomeoutofit。"

NeithercouldIexpecttherecordtooutlastme。

Thisshowsthatitwaspurelyapersonalneedforintimatereliefandnotacallofegotism。

HereImustgiveanothersampleofit，afewde-

tachedlines，nowlookingveryghostlytomyowneyes，outofthepartscribbledthatveryevening：

***

"Thereissomethinggoingonintheskylikeadecomposition;likeacorruptionoftheair，whichremainsasstillasever。Afterall，mereclouds，whichmayormaynotholdwindorrain。

Strangethatitshouldtroublemeso。Ifeelasifallmysinshadfoundmeout。ButIsupposethetroubleisthattheshipisstilllyingmotionless，notundercommand;andthatIhavenothingtodotokeepmyimaginationfromrunningwildamongstthedisastrousimagesoftheworstthatmaybefallus。What’sgoingtohappen？Probablynothing。

Oranything。Itmaybeafurioussquallcoming，buttendforemost。Andondecktherearefivemenwiththevitalityandthestrength，ofsay，two。

Wemayhavealloursailsblownaway。EverystitchofcanvashasbeenonhersincewebrokegroundatthemouthoftheMei-nam，fifteendaysago……orfifteencenturies。Itseemstomethatallmylifebeforethatmomentousdayisin-

finitelyremote，afadingmemoryoflight-heartedyouth，somethingontheothersideofashadow。

Yes，sailsmayverywellbeblownaway。Andthatwouldbelikeadeathsentenceonthemen。Wehaven’tstrengthenoughonboardtobendanothersuit;incrediblethought，butitistrue。Orwemayevengetdismasted。Shipshavebeendismastedinsquallssimplybecausetheyweren’thandledquickenough，andwehavenopowertowhirltheyardsaround。It’slikebeingboundhandandfootpre-

paratorytohavingone’sthroatcut。AndwhatappalsmemostofallisthatIshrinkfromgoingondecktofaceit。It’sduetotheship，it’sduetothemenwhoarethereondeck——someofthem，readytoputoutthelastremnantoftheirstrengthatawordfromme。AndIamshrinkingfromit。Fromthemerevision。Myfirstcommand。NowI

understandthatstrangesenseofinsecurityinmypast。IalwayssuspectedthatImightbenogood。

Andhereisproofpositive。Iamshirkingit。I

amnogood。"

***

Atthatmoment，or，perhaps，themomentafter，IbecameawareofRansomestandinginthecabin。

Somethinginhisexpressionstartledme。IthadameaningwhichIcouldnotmakeout。Iexclaimed：

"Somebody’sdead。"

Itwashisturnthentolookstartled。

"Dead？NotthatIknowof，sir。Ihavebeenintheforecastleonlytenminutesagoandtherewasnodeadmantherethen。"

"Youdidgivemeascare，"Isaid。

Hisvoicewasextremelypleasanttolistento。

HeexplainedthathehadcomedownbelowtocloseMr。Burns’portincaseitshouldcomeontorain。

"HedidnotknowthatIwasinthecabin，"headded。

"Howdoesitlookoutside？"Iaskedhim。

"Veryblack，indeed，sir。Thereissomethinginitforcertain。"

"Inwhatquarter？"

"Allround，sir。"

Irepeatedidly："Allround。Forcertain，"withmyelbowsonthetable。

Ransomelingeredinthecabinasifhehadsome-

thingtodothere，buthesitatedaboutdoingit。I

saidsuddenly：

"YouthinkIoughttobeondeck？"

Heansweredatoncebutwithoutanyparticularemphasisoraccent："Ido，sir。"

Igottomyfeetbriskly，andhemadewayformetogoout。AsIpassedthroughthelobbyIheardMr。Burns’voicesaying：

"Shutthedoorofmyroom，willyou，steward？"

AndRansome’srathersurprised："Certainly，sir。"

Ithoughtthatallmyfeelingshadbeendulledintocompleteindifference。ButIfounditastry-

ingasevertobeondeck。Theimpenetrableblack-

nessbesettheshipsoclosethatitseemedthatbythrustingone’shandoverthesideonecouldtouchsomeunearthlysubstance。Therewasinitaneffectofinconceivableterrorandofinexpressiblemystery。Thefewstarsoverheadshedadimlightupontheshipalone，withnogleamsofanykinduponthewater，indetachedshaftspiercinganat-

mospherewhichhadturnedtosoot。Itwassome-

thingIhadneverseenbefore，givingnohintofthedirectionfromwhichanychangewouldcome，theclosinginofamenacefromallsides。

Therewasstillnomanatthehelm。Theim-

mobilityofallthingswasperfect。Iftheairhadturnedblack，thesea，forallIknew，mighthaveturnedsolid。Itwasnogoodlookinginanydi-

rection，watchingforanysign，speculatinguponthenearnessofthemoment。Whenthetimecametheblacknesswouldoverwhelmsilentlythebitofstarlightfallingupontheship，andtheendofallthingswouldcomewithoutasigh，stir，ormurmurofanykind，andallourheartswouldceasetobeatlikerun-downclocks。

Itwasimpossibletoshakeoffthatsenseoffinality。Thequietnessthatcameovermewaslikeaforetasteofannihilation。Itgavemeasortofcomfort，asthoughmysoulhadbecomesuddenlyreconciledtoaneternityofblindstillness。

Theseaman’sinstinctalonesurvivedwholeinmymoraldissolution。Idescendedtheladdertothequarter-deck。Thestarlightseemedtodieoutbeforereachingthatspot，butwhenIaskedquietly："Areyouthere，men？"myeyesmadeoutshadowformsstartinguparoundme，veryfew，veryindistinct;andavoicespoke："Allhere，sir。"

Anotheramendedanxiously：

"Allthatareanygoodforanything，sir。"

Bothvoiceswereveryquietandunringing;with-

outanyspecialcharacterofreadinessordiscour-

agement。Verymatter-of-factvoices。

"Wemusttrytohaulthismainsailcloseup，"Isaid。

Theshadowsswayedawayfrommewithoutaword。Thosemenweretheghostsofthemselves，andtheirweightonaropecouldbenomorethantheweightofabunchofghosts。Indeed，ifeverasailwashauledupbysheerspiritualstrengthitmusthavebeenthatsail，for，properlyspeaking，therewasnotmuscleenoughforthetaskinthewholeshipletalonethemiserablelotofusondeck。

Ofcourse，Itooktheleadintheworkmyself。

Theywanderedfeeblyaftermefromropetorope，stumblingandpanting。TheytoiledlikeTitans。

Wewerehalf-an-houratitatleast，andallthetimetheblackuniversemadenosound。Whenthelastleech-linewasmadefast，myeyes，accustomedtothedarkness，madeouttheshapesofexhaustedmendroopingovertherails，collapsedonhatches。

Onehungovertheafter-capstan，sobbingforbreath，andIstoodamongstthemlikeatowerofstrength，impervioustodiseaseandfeelingonlythesicknessofmysoul。Iwaitedforsometimefight-

ingagainsttheweightofmysins，againstmysenseofunworthiness，andthenIsaid：

"Now，men，we’llgoaftandsquarethemainyard。

That’saboutallwecandofortheship;andfortherestshemusttakeherchance。"

part2-6

ChapterVI

ASWEallwentupitoccurredtomethatthereoughttobeamanatthehelm。Iraisedmyvoicenotmuchaboveawhisper，and，noiselessly，anun-

complainingspiritinafever-wastedbodyappearedinthelightaft，theheadwithholloweyesillumi-

natedagainsttheblacknesswhichhadswallowedupourworld——andtheuniverse。Thebaredfore-

armextendedovertheupperspokesseemedtoshinewithalightofitsown。

Imurmuredtothatluminousappearance：

"Keepthehelmrightamidships。"

Itansweredinatoneofpatientsuffering：

"Rightamidships，sir。"

ThenIdescendedtothequarter-deck。Itwasimpossibletotellwhencetheblowwouldcome。Tolookroundtheshipwastolookintoabottomless，blackpit。Theeyelostitselfininconceivabledepths。

Iwantedtoascertainwhethertheropeshadbeenpickedupoffthedeck。Onecouldonlydothatbyfeelingwithone’sfeet。InmycautiousprogressI

cameagainstamaninwhomIrecognizedRansome。Hepossessedanunimpairedphysicalsoliditywhichwasmanifesttomeatthecontact。

Hewasleaningagainstthequarter-deckcapstanandkeptsilent。Itwaslikearevelation。HewasthecollapsedfiguresobbingforbreathIhadno-

ticedbeforewewentonthepoop。

"Youhavebeenhelpingwiththemainsail！"I

exclaimedinalowtone。

"Yes，sir，"soundedhisquietvoice。

"Man！Whatwereyouthinkingof？Youmustn’tdothatsortofthing。"

Afterapauseheassented："IsupposeI

mustn’t。"Thenafteranothershortsilenceheadded："Iamallrightnow，"quickly，betweenthetell-talegasps。

Icouldneitherhearnorseeanybodyelse;butwhenIspokeup，answeringsadmurmursfilledthequarter-deck，anditsshadowsseemedtoshifthereandthere。Iorderedallthehalyardslaiddownondeckclearforrunning。

"I’llseetothat，sir，"volunteeredRansomeinhisnatural，pleasanttone，whichcomfortedoneandarousedone’scompassion，too，somehow。

Thatmanoughttohavebeeninhisbed，resting，andmyplaindutywastosendhimthere。Butperhapshewouldnothaveobeyedme;Ihadnotthestrengthofmindtotry。AllIsaidwas：

"Goaboutitquietly，Ransome。"

ReturningonthepoopIapproachedGambril。

Hisface，setwithhollowshadowsinthelight，lookedawful，finallysilenced。Iaskedhimhowhefelt，buthardlyexpectedananswer。There-

fore，Iwasastonishedathiscomparativeloquac-

ity。

"Themshakesleavesmeasweakasakitten，sir，"hesaid，preservingfinelythatairofuncon-

sciousnessastoanythingbuthisbusinessahelms-

manshouldneverlose。"AndbeforeIcanpickupmystrengththattherehotfitcomesalongandknocksmeoveragain。"

Hesighed。Therewasnoreproachinhistone，butthebarewordswereenoughtogivemeahor-

riblepangofself-reproach。Itheldmedumbforatime。WhenthetormentingsensationhadpassedoffIasked：

"Doyoufeelstrongenoughtopreventtherud-

dertakingchargeifshegetssternwayonher？Itwouldn’tdotogetsomethingsmashedaboutthesteering-gearnow。We’veenoughdifficultiestocopewithasitis。"

Heansweredwithjustashadeofwearinessthathewasstrongenoughtohangon。Hecouldpromisemethatsheshouldn’ttakethewheeloutofhishands。Morehecouldn’tsay。

AtthatmomentRansomeappearedquiteclosetome，steppingoutofthedarknessintovisibilitysuddenly，asifjustcreatedwithhiscomposedfaceandpleasantvoice。

Everyropeondeck，hesaid，waslaiddownclearforrunning，asfarasonecouldmakecertainbyfeeling。Itwasimpossibletoseeanything。

Frenchyhadstationedhimselfforward。Hesaidhehadajumportwoleftinhimyet。

Hereafaintsmilealteredforaninstanttheclear，firmdesignofRansome’slips。Withhisseriousclear，grayeyes，hisserenetemperament——

hewasapricelessmanaltogether。Soulasfirmasthemusclesofhisbody。

Hewastheonlymanonboard（exceptme，butI

hadtopreservemylibertyofmovement）whohadasufficiencyofmuscularstrengthtotrustto。ForamomentIthoughtIhadbetteraskhimtotakethewheel。Butthedreadfulknowledgeoftheenemyhehadtocarryabouthimmademehesi-

tate。Inmyignoranceofphysiologyitoccurredtomethathemightdiesuddenly，fromexcitement，atacriticalmoment。

Whilethisgruesomefearrestrainedthereadywordsonthetipofmytongue，Ransomesteppedbacktwopacesandvanishedfrommysight。

Atonceanuneasinesspossessedme，asifsomesupporthadbeenwithdrawn。Imovedforward，too，outsidethecircleoflight，intothedarknessthatstoodinfrontofmelikeawall。InonestrideIpenetratedit。Suchmusthavebeenthedark-

nessbeforecreation。Ithadclosedbehindme。I

knewIwasinvisibletothemanatthehelm。

NeithercouldIseeanything。Hewasalone，Iwasalone，everymanwasalonewherehestood。Andeveryformwasgone，too，spar，sail，fittings，rails;

everythingwasblottedoutinthedreadfulsmooth-

nessofthatabsolutenight。

Aflashoflightningwouldhavebeenarelief——I

meanphysically。Iwouldhaveprayedforitifithadn’tbeenformyshrinkingapprehensionofthethunder。InthetensionofsilenceIwassufferingfromitseemedtomethatthefirstcrashmustturnmeintodust。

Andthunderwas，mostlikely，whatwouldhap-

pennext。Stiffalloverandhardlybreathing，Iwaitedwithahorriblystrainedexpectation。

Nothinghappened。Itwasmaddening，butadull，growingacheinthelowerpartofmyfacemademeawarethatIhadbeengrindingmyteethmadlyenough，forGodknowshowlong。

It’sextraordinaryIshouldnothaveheardmy-

selfdoingit;butIhadn’t。ByaneffortwhichabsorbedallmyfacultiesImanagedtokeepmyjawstill。Itrequiredmuchattention，andwhilethusengagedIbecamebotheredbycurious，ir-

regularsoundsoffainttappingonthedeck。Theycouldbeheardsingle，inpairs，ingroups。WhileIwonderedatthismysteriousdevilry，Ireceivedaslightblowunderthelefteyeandfeltanenor-

moustearrundownmycheek。Raindrops。

Enormous。Forerunnersofsomething。

Tap。Tap。Tap……

Iturnedabout，and，addressingGambrelearnestly，entreatedhimto"hangontothewheel。"

ButIcouldhardlyspeakfromemotion。Thefatalmomenthadcome。Iheldmybreath。Thetap-

pinghadstoppedasunexpectedlyasithadbegun，andtherewasarenewedmomentofintolerablesus-

pense;somethinglikeanadditionalturnoftherackingscrew。Idon’tsupposeIwouldhaveeverscreamed，butIremembermyconvictionthattherewasnothingelseforitbuttoscream。

Suddenly——howamItoconveyit？Well，sud-

denlythedarknessturnedintowater。Thisistheonlysuitablefigure。Aheavyshower，adown-

pour，comesalong，makinganoise。Youhearitsapproachonthesea，intheair，too，Iverilybelieve。

Butthiswasdifferent。Withnopreliminarywhisperorrustle，withoutasplash，andevenwith-

outtheghostofimpact，Ibecameinstantaneouslysoakedtotheskin。Notaverydifficultmatter，sinceIwaswearingonlymysleepingsuit。Myhairgotfullofwaterinaninstant，waterstreamedonmyskin，itfilledmynose，myears，myeyes。

InafractionofasecondIswallowedquitealotofit。

AstoGambril，hewasfairlychoked。Hecoughedpitifully，thebrokencoughofasickman;

andIbeheldhimasoneseesafishinanaquariumbythelightofanelectricbulb，anelusive，phos-

phorescentshape。Onlyhedidnotglideaway。

Butsomethingelsehappened。Bothbinnacle-

lampswentout。Isupposethewaterforceditselfintothem，thoughIwouldn’thavethoughtthatpossible，fortheyfittedintothecowlperfectly。

Thelastgleamoflightintheuniversehadgone，pursuedbyalowexclamationofdismayfromGambril。Igropedforhimandseizedhisarm。

Howstartlinglywasteditwas。

"Nevermind，"Isaid。"Youdon’twantthelight。Allyouneedtodoistokeepthewind，whenitcomes，atthebackofyourhead。Youunderstand？"

"Aye，aye，sir……ButIshouldliketohavealight，"headdednervously。

Allthattimetheshiplayassteadyasarock。

Thenoiseofthewaterpouringoffthesailsandspars，flowingoverthebreakofthepoop，hadstoppedshort。Thepoopscuppersgurgledandsobbedforalittlewhilelonger，andthenperfectsilence，joinedtoperfectimmobility，proclaimedtheyetunbrokenspellofourhelplessness，poisedontheedgeofsomeviolentissue，lurkinginthedark。

Istartedforwardrestlessly。Ididnotneedmysighttopacethepoopofmyill-starredfirstcom-

mandwithperfectassurance。Everysquarefootofherdeckswasimpressedindeliblyonmybrain，totheverygrainandknotsoftheplanks。Yet，allofasudden，Ifellcleanoversomething，landingfulllengthonmyhandsandface。

Itwassomethingbigandalive。Notadog——

morelikeasheep，rather。Buttherewerenoanimalsintheship。Howcouldananimal……

ItwasanaddedandfantastichorrorwhichIcouldnotresist。ThehairofmyheadstirredevenasI

pickedmyselfup，awfullyscared;notasamanisscaredwhilehisjudgment，hisreasonstilltrytoresist，butcompletely，boundlessly，and，asitwere，innocentlyscared——likealittlechild。

IcouldseeIt——thatThing！Thedarkness，ofwhichsomuchhadjustturnedintowater，hadthinneddownalittle。ThereItwas！ButIdidnothituponthenotionofMr。Burnsissuingoutofthecompaniononallfourstillheattemptedtostandup，andeventhentheideaofabearcrossedmymindfirst。

HegrowledlikeonewhenIseizedhimroundthebody。Hehadbuttonedhimselfupintoanenor-

mouswinterovercoatofsomewoollymaterial，theweightofwhichwastoomuchforhisreducedstate。

Icouldhardlyfeeltheincrediblythinlathofhisbody，lostwithinthethickstuff，buthisgrowlhaddepthandsubstance：Confoundeddumpshipwithacraven，tiptoeingcrowd。Whycouldn’ttheystampandgowithabrace？Wasn’tthereoneGod-

forsakenlubberinthelotfittoraiseayellonarope？

"Skulking’snogood，sir，"heattackedmedirectly。"Youcan’tslinkpasttheoldmurderousruffian。Itisn’ttheway。Youmustgoforhimboldly——asIdid。Boldnessiswhatyouwant。

Showhimthatyoudon’tcareforanyofhisdamnedtricks。Kickupajollyoldrow。"

"GoodGod，Mr。Burns，"Isaidangrily。

"Whatonearthareyouupto？Whatdoyoumeanbycomingupondeckinthisstate？"

"Justthat！Boldness。Theonlywaytoscaretheoldbullyingrascal。"

Ipushedhim，stillgrowling，againsttherail。

"Holdontoit，"Isaidroughly。Ididnotknowwhattodowithhim。Ilefthiminahurry，togotoGambril，whohadcalledfaintlythathebelievedtherewassomewindaloft。Indeed，myownearshadcaughtafeebleflutterofwetcanvas，highupoverhead，thejingleofaslackchainsheet……

Thesewereeerie，disturbing，alarmingsoundsinthedeadstillnessoftheairaroundme。AlltheinstancesIhadheardoftopmastsbeingwhippedoutofashipwhiletherewasnotwindenoughonherdecktoblowoutamatchrushedintomymemory。

"Ican’tseetheuppersails，sir，"declaredGambrilshakily。

"Don’tmovethehelm。You’llbeallright，"I

saidconfidently。

Thepoorman’snervesweregone。Minewerenotinmuchbettercase。Itwasthemomentofbreakingstrainandwasrelievedbytheabruptsensationoftheshipmovingforwardasifofher-

selfundermyfeet。Iheardplainlythesoughingofthewindaloft，thelowcracksoftheuppersparstakingthestrain，longbeforeIcouldfeeltheleastdraughtonmyfaceturnedaft，anxiousandsight-

lesslikethefaceofablindman。

Suddenlyalouder-soundingnotefilledourears，thedarknessstartedstreamingagainstourbodies，chillingthemexceedingly。Bothofus，GambrilandI，shiveredviolentlyinourclinging，soakedgarmentsofthincotton。Isaidtohim：

"Youareallrightnow，myman。Allyou’vegottodoistokeepthewindatthebackofyourhead。

Surelyyouareuptothat。Achildcouldsteerthisshipinsmoothwater。"

Hemuttered："Aye！Ahealthychild。"AndI

feltashamedofhavingbeenpassedoverbythefeverwhichhadbeenpreyingoneveryman’sstrengthbutmine，inorderthatmyremorsemightbethemorebitter，thefeelingofunworthinessmorepoignant，andthesenseofresponsibilityheaviertobear。

Theshiphadgatheredgreatwayonheralmostatonceonthecalmwater。Ifeltherslippingthroughitwithnoothernoisebutamysteriousrustlealongside。Otherwise，shehadnomotionatall，neitherliftnorroll。Itwasadishearteningsteadinesswhichhadlastedforeighteendaysnow;fornever，neverhadwehadwindenoughinthattimetoraisetheslightestrunofthesea。Thebreezefreshenedsuddenly。IthoughtitwashightimetogetMr。Burnsoffthedeck。Heworriedme。Ilookeduponhimasalunaticwhowouldbeverylikelytostartroamingovertheshipandbreakalimborfalloverboard。

IwastrulygladtofindhehadremainedholdingonwhereIhadlefthim，sensiblyenough。Hewas，however，mutteringtohimselfominously。

Thiswasdiscouraging。Iremarkedinamatter-

of-facttone：

"Wehaveneverhadsomuchwindasthissincewelefttheroads。"

"There’ssomeheartinit，too，"hegrowledjudiciously。Itwasaremarkofaperfectlysaneseaman。Butheaddedimmediately："ItwasabouttimeIshouldcomeondeck。I’vebeennursingmystrengthforthis——justforthis。Doyouseeit，sir？"

IsaidIdid，andproceededtohintthatitwouldbeadvisableforhimtogobelownowandtakearest。

Hisanswerwasanindignant"Gobelow！NotifIknowit，sir。"

Verycheerful！Hewasahorriblenuisance。Andallatoncehestartedtoargue。Icouldfeelhiscrazyexcitementinthedark。

"Youdon’tknowhowtogoaboutit，sir。Howcouldyou？Allthiswhisperingandtiptoeingisnogood。Youcan’thopetoslinkpastacunning，wide-awake，evilbrutelikehewas。Youneverheardhimtalk。Enoughtomakeyourhairstandonend。No！No！Hewasn’tmad。HewasnomoremadthanIam。Hewasjustdownrightwicked。Wickedsoastofrightenmostpeople。I

willtellyouwhathewas。Hewasnothinglessthanathiefandamurdereratheart。Anddoyouthinkhe’sanydifferentnowbecausehe’sdead？

Nothe！Hiscarcassliesahundredfathomunder，buthe’sjustthesame……inlatitude8d20’

north。"

Hesnorteddefiantly。Inotedwithwearyresig-

nationthatthebreezehadgotlighterwhileheraved。Hewasatitagain。

"Ioughttohavethrownthebeggaroutoftheshipovertheraillikeadog。Itwasonlyonac-

countofthemen……FancyhavingtoreadtheBurialServiceoverabrutelikethat！……’Ourdepartedbrother’……Icouldhavelaughed。

Thatwaswhathecouldn’tbear。IsupposeIamtheonlymanthateverstooduptolaughathim。

Whenhegotsickitusedtoscarethat……

brother……Brother……Departed……Soonercallasharkbrother。"

Thebreezehadletgososuddenlythatthewayoftheshipbroughtthewetsailsheavilyagainstthemast。Thespellofdeadlystillnesshadcaughtusupagain。Thereseemedtobenoescape。

"Hallo！"exclaimedMr。Burnsinastartledvoice。"Calmagain！"

Iaddressedhimasthoughhehadbeensane。

"Thisisthesortofthingwe’vebeenhavingforseventeendays，Mr。Burns，"Isaidwithintensebitterness。"Apuff，thenacalm，andinamo-

ment，you’llsee，she’llbeswingingonherheelwithherheadawayfromhercoursetothedevilsome-

where。"

Hecaughtattheword。"TheolddodgingDevil，"hescreamedpiercinglyandburstintosuchaloudlaughasIhadneverheardbefore。Itwasaprovoking，mockingpeal，withahair-raising，screechingover-noteofdefiance。Isteppedback，utterlyconfounded。

Instantlytherewasastironthequarter-deck;

murmursofdismay。Adistressedvoicecriedoutinthedarkbelowus："Who’sthatgonecrazy，now？"

Perhapstheythoughtitwastheircaptain？

Rushisnotthewordthatcouldbeappliedtotheutmostspeedthepoorfellowswereupto;butinanamazingshorttimeeverymanintheshipabletowalkuprighthadfoundhiswayontothatpoop。

Ishoutedtothem："It’sthemate。Layholdofhimacoupleofyou……"

Iexpectedthisperformancetoendinaghastlysortoffight。ButMr。Burnscuthisderisivescreechingdeadshortandturneduponthemfiercely，yelling：

"Aha！Dog-goneye！You’vefoundyourtongues——haveye？Ithoughtyouweredumb。

Well，then——laugh！Laugh——Itellyou。Nowthen——alltogether。One，two，three——laugh！"

Amomentofsilenceensued，ofsilencesopro-

foundthatyoucouldhaveheardapindroponthedeck。ThenRansome’sunperturbedvoiceutteredpleasantlythewords：

"Ithinkhehasfainted，sir——"Thelittlemotionlessknotofmenstirred，withlowmurmursofrelief。"I’vegothimunderthearms。Getholdofhislegs，someone。"

Yes。Itwasarelief。Hewassilencedforatime——foratime。Icouldnothavestoodanotherpealofthatinsanescreeching。Iwassureofit;

andjustthenGambril，theaustereGambril，treatedustoanothervocalperformance。Hebegantosingoutforrelief。Hisvoicewailedpitifullyinthedarkness："Comeaftsomebody！Ican’tstandthis。Hereshe’llbeoffagaindirectlyandI

can’t……"

IdashedaftmyselfmeetingonmywayahardgustofwindwhoseapproachGambril’searhaddetectedfromafarandwhichfilledthesailsonthemaininaseriesofmuffledreportsmingledwiththelowplaintofthespars。IwasjustintimetoseizethewheelwhileFrenchywhohadfollowedmecaughtupthecollapsingGambril。Hehauledhimoutoftheway，admonishedhimtoliestillwherehewas，andthensteppeduptorelieveme，askingcalmly：

"HowamItosteerher，sir？"

"Deadbeforeitforthepresent。I’llgetyoualightinamoment。"

ButgoingforwardImetRansomebringingupthesparebinnaclelamp。Thatmannoticedeverything，attendedtoeverything，shedcomfortaroundhimashemoved。Ashepassedmehere-

markedinasoothingtonethatthestarswerecom-

ingout。Theywere。Thebreezewassweepingclearthesootysky，breakingthroughtheindolentsilenceofthesea。

Thebarrierofawfulstillnesswhichhadencom-

passedusforsomanydaysasthoughwehadbeenaccursed，wasbroken。Ifeltthat。Iletmyselffallontotheskylightseat。Afaintwhiteridgeoffoam，thin，verythin，brokealongside。Thefirstforages——forages。Icouldhavecheered，ifithadn’tbeenforthesenseofguiltwhichclungtoallmythoughtssecretly。Ransomestoodbeforeme。

"Whataboutthemate，"Iaskedanxiously。

"Stillunconscious？"

"Well，sir——it’sfunny，"Ransomewasevidentlypuzzled。"Hehasn’tspokenaword，andhiseyesareshut。Butitlookstomemorelikesoundsleepthananythingelse。"

Iacceptedthisviewastheleasttroublesomeofany，oratanyrate，leastdisturbing。Deadfaintordeepslumber，Mr。Burnshadtobelefttohim-

selfforthepresent。Ransomeremarkedsud-

denly：

"Ibelieveyouwantacoat，sir。"

"IbelieveIdo，"Isighedout。

ButIdidnotmove。WhatIfeltIwantedwerenewlimbs。Myarmsandlegsseemedutterlyuse-

less，fairlywornout。Theydidn’tevenache。ButIstoodupallthesametoputonthecoatwhenRansomebroughtitup。Andwhenhesuggestedthathehadbetternow"takeGambrilforward，"I

said：

"Allright。I’llhelpyoutogethimdownonthemaindeck。"

IfoundthatIwasquiteabletohelp，too。WeraisedGambrilupbetweenus。Hetriedtohelphimselfalonglikeamanbutallthetimehewasin-

quiringpiteously：

"Youwon’tletmegowhenwecometothelad-

der？Youwon’tletmegowhenwecometotheladder？"

Thebreezekeptonfresheningandblewtrue，truetoahair。Atdaylightbycarefulmanipula-

tionofthehelmwegottheforeyardstorunsquarebythemselves（thewaterkeepingsmooth）andthenwentabouthaulingtheropestight。OfthefourmenIhadwithmeatnight，Icouldseenowonlytwo。Ididn’tinquireastotheothers。Theyhadgivenin。ForatimeonlyIhoped。

Ourvarioustasksforwardoccupiedusforhours，thetwomenwithmemovedsoslowandhadtorestsooften。Oneofthemremarkedthat"everyblamedthingintheshipfeltaboutahundredtimesheavierthanitsproperweight。"Thiswastheonlycomplaintuttered。Idon’tknowwhatweshouldhavedonewithoutRansome。Heworkedwithus，silent，too，withalittlesmilefrozenonhislips。FromtimetotimeImurmuredtohim：

"Gosteady"——"Takeiteasy，Ransome"——andre-

ceivedaquickglanceinreply。

Whenwehaddoneallwecoulddotomakethingssafe，hedisappearedintohisgalley。Sometimeafterward，goingforwardforalookround，I

caughtsightofhimthroughtheopendoor。Hesatuprightonthelockerinfrontofthestove，withhisheadleaningbackagainstthebulkhead。Hiseyeswereclosed;hiscapablehandsheldopenthefrontofhisthincottonshirtbaringtragicallyhispowerfulchest，whichheavedinpainfulandlabouredgasps。Hedidn’thearme。

IretreatedquietlyandwentstraightontothepooptorelieveFrenchy，whobythattimewasbe-

ginningtolookverysick。Hegavemethecoursewithgreatformalityandtriedtogooffwithajauntystep，butreeledwidelytwicebeforegettingoutofmysight。

AndthenIremainedallaloneaft，steeringmyship，whichranbeforethewindwithabuoyantliftnowandthen，andevenrollingalittle。PresentlyRansomeappearedbeforemewithatray。Thesightoffoodmademeravenousallatonce。HetookthewheelwhileIsatdownoftheaftergratingtoeatmybreakfast。

"Thisbreezeseemstohavedoneforourcrowd，"

hemurmured。"Itjustlaidthemlow——allhands。"

"Yes，"Isaid。"IsupposeyouandIaretheonlytwofitmenintheship。"

"Frenchysaysthere’sstillajumpleftinhim。I

don’tknow。Itcan’tbemuch，"continuedRan-

somewithhiswistfulsmile。Goodlittlemanthat。

Butsuppose，sir，thatthiswindfliesroundwhenweareclosetotheland——whatarewegoingtodowithher？"

"Ifthewindshiftsroundheavilyafterwecloseinwiththelandshewilleitherrunashoreorgetdismastedorboth。Wewon’tbeabletodoany-

thingwithher。She’srunningawaywithusnow。

Allwecandoistosteerher。She’sashipwithoutacrew。"

"Yes。Alllaidlow，"repeatedRansomequietly。

"Idogivethemalook-inforwardeverynowandthen，butit’spreciouslittleIcandoforthem。"

"I，andtheship，andeveryoneonboardofher，areverymuchindebtedtoyou，Ransome，"Isaidwarmly。

Hemadeasthoughhehadnotheardme，andsteeredinsilencetillIwasreadytorelievehim。Hesurrenderedthewheel，pickedupthetray，andforapartingshotinformedmethatMr。Burnswasawakeandseemedtohaveamindtocomeupondeck。

"Idon’tknowhowtopreventhim，sir。Ican’tverywellstopdownbelowallthetime。"

Itwasclearthathecouldn’t。AndsureenoughMr。Burnscameondeckdragginghimselfpainfullyaftinhisenormousovercoat。Ibeheldhimwithanaturaldread。TohavehimaroundandravingaboutthewilesofadeadmanwhileIhadtosteerawildlyrushingshipfullofdyingmenwasaratherdreadfulprospect。

Buthisfirstremarkswerequitesensibleinmean-

ingandtone。Apparentlyhehadnorecollectionofthenightscene。Andifhehadhedidn’tbetrayhimselfonce。Neitherdidhetalkverymuch。Hesatontheskylightlookingdesperatelyillatfirst，butthatstrongbreeze，beforewhichthelastrem-

nantofmycrewhadwilteddown，seemedtoblowafreshstockofvigourintohisframewitheverygust。

Onecouldalmostseetheprocess。

BywayofsanitytestIalludedonpurposetothelatecaptain。IwasdelightedtofindthatMr。

Burnsdidnotdisplayundueinterestinthesub-

ject。Heranovertheoldtaleofthatsavageruffian’siniquitieswithacertainvindictivegustoandthenconcludedunexpectedly：

"Idobelieve，sir，thathisbrainbegantogoayearormorebeforehedied。"

Awonderfulrecovery。Icouldhardlyspareitasmuchadmirationasitdeserved，forIhadtogiveallmymindtothesteering。

Incomparisonwiththehopelesslanguouroftheprecedingdaysthiswasdizzyspeed。Tworidgesoffoamstreamedfromtheship’sbows;thewindsanginastrenuousnotewhichunderothercir-

cumstanceswouldhaveexpressedtomeallthejoyoflife。Wheneverthehauled-upmainsailstartedtryingtoslatandbangitselftopiecesinitsgear，Mr。Burnswouldlookatmeapprehensively。

"Whatwouldyouhavemetodo，Mr。Burns？

Wecanneitherfurlitnorsetit。Ionlywishtheoldthingwouldthrashitselftopiecesandbedonewithit。Thatbeastlyracketconfusesme。"

Mr。Burnswrunghishands，andcriedoutsud-

denly：

"Howwillyougettheshipintoharbour，sir，withoutmentohandleher？"

AndIcouldn’ttellhim。

Well——itdidgetdoneaboutfortyhoursafter-

ward。BytheexorcisingvirtueofMr。Burns’

awfullaugh，themaliciousspectrehadbeenlaid，theevilspellbroken，thecurseremoved。WewerenowinthehandsofakindandenergeticProvi-

dence。Itwasrushinguson……

Ishallneverforgetthelastnight，dark，windy，andstarry。Isteered。Mr。Burns，afterhavingobtainedfrommeasolemnpromisetogivehimakickifanythinghappened，wentfranklytosleeponthedeckclosetothebinnacle。Convalescentsneedsleep。Ransome，hisbackproppedagainstthemizzen-mastandablanketoverhislegs，re-

mainedperfectlystill，butIdon’tsupposeheclosedhiseyesforamoment。Thatembodimentofjauntiness，Frenchy，stillunderthedelusionthattherewasa"jump"leftinhim，hadinsistedonjoiningus;butmindfulofdiscipline，hadlaidhim-

selfdownasfarontheforepartofthepoopashecouldget，alongsidethebucket-rack。

AndIsteered，tootiredforanxiety，tootiredforconnectedthought。Ihadmomentsofgrimex-

ultationandthenmyheartwouldsinkawfullyatthethoughtofthatforecastleattheotherendofthedarkdeck，fulloffever-strickenmen——someofthemdying。Bymyfault。Butnevermind。

Remorsemustwait。Ihadtosteer。

Inthesmallhoursthebreezeweakened，thenfailedaltogether。Aboutfiveitreturned，gentleenough，enablingustoheadfortheroadstead。

DaybreakfoundMr。Burnssittingwedgedupwithcoilsofropeonthestern-grating，andfromthedepthsofhisovercoatsteeringtheshipwithverywhitebonyhands;whileRansomeandIrushedalongthedeckslettinggoallthesheetsandhal-

liardsbytherun。Wedashednextupontotheforecastlehead。Theperspirationoflabourandsheernervousnesssimplypouredoffourheadsaswetoiledtogettheanchorscock-billed。IdarednotlookatRansomeasweworkedsidebyside。

Weexchangedcurtwords;IcouldhearhimpantingclosetomeandIavoidedturningmyeyeshiswayforfearofseeinghimfalldownandexpireintheactofputtingforthhisstrength——forwhat？In-

deedforsomedistinctideal。

Theconsummateseamaninhimwasaroused。

Heneedednodirections。Heknewwhattodo。

Everyeffort，everymovementwasanactofcon-

sistentheroism。Itwasnotformetolookatamanthusinspired。

AtlastallwasreadyandIheardhimsay：

"Hadn’tIbettergodownandopenthecompressorsnow，sir？"

"Yes。Do，"Isaid。

AndeventhenIdidnotglancehisway。Afteratimehisvoicecameupfromthemaindeck。

"Whenyoulike，sir。Allclearonthewindlasshere。"

ImadeasigntoMr。Burnstoputthehelmdownandletbothanchorsgooneafteranother，leavingtheshiptotakeasmuchcableasshewanted。Shetookthebestpartofthembothbe-

foreshebroughtup。Theloosesailscomingabackceasedtheirmaddeningracketabovemyhead。A

perfectstillnessreignedintheship。AndwhileI

stoodforwardfeelingalittlegiddyinthatsuddenpeace，Icaughtfaintlyamoanortwoandthein-

coherentmutteringsofthesickintheforecastle。

Aswehadasignalformedicalassistanceflyingonthemizzenitisafactthatbeforetheshipwasfairlyatrestthreesteamlaunchesfromvariousmen-of-warwerealongside;andatleastfivenavalsurgeonshadclamberedonboard。Theystoodinaknotgazingupanddowntheemptymaindeck，thenlookedaloft——wherenotamancouldbeseen，either。

Iwenttowardthem——asolitaryfigure，inablueandgraystripedsleepingsuitandapipe-clayedcorkhelmetonitshead。Theirdisgustwasextreme。

Theyhadexpectedsurgicalcases。Eachonehadbroughthiscarvingtoolswithhim。Buttheysoongotovertheirlittledisappointment。Inlessthanfiveminutesoneofthesteamlauncheswasrushingshorewardtoorderabigboatandsomehospitalpeoplefortheremovalofthecrew。Thebigsteampinnacewentofftohershiptobringoverafewbluejacketstofurlmysailsforme。

Oneofthesurgeonshadremainedonboard。Hecameoutoftheforecastlelookingimpenetrable，andnoticedmyinquiringgaze。

"There’snobodydeadinthere，ifthat’swhatyouwanttoknow，"hesaiddeliberately。Thenaddedinatoneofwonder："Thewholecrew！"

"Andverybad？"

"Andverybad，"herepeated。Hiseyeswereroamingallovertheship。"Heavens！What’sthat？"

"That，"Isaid，glancingaft，"isMr。Burns，mychiefofficer。"

Mr。Burnswithhismoribundheadnoddingonthestalkofhisleanneckwasasightforanyonetoexclaimat。Thesurgeonasked：

"Ishegoingtothehospital，too？"

"Oh，no，"Isaidjocosely。"Mr。Burnscan’tgoonshoretillthemainmastgoes。Iamveryproudofhim。He’smyonlyconvalescent。"

"Youlook——"beganthedoctorstaringatme。

ButIinterruptedhimangrily：

"Iamnotill。"

"No……Youlookqueer。"

"Well，yousee，Ihavebeenseventeendaysondeck。"

"Seventeen！……Butyoumusthaveslept。"

"IsupposeImusthave。Idon’tknow。ButI’mcertainthatIdidn’tsleepforthelastfortyhours。"

"Phew！……YouwillbegoingashorepresentlyIsuppose？"

"AssoonaseverIcan。There’snoendofbusinesswaitingformethere。"

Thesurgeonreleasedmyhand，whichhehadtakenwhilewetalked，pulledouthispocket-book，wroteinitrapidly，toreoutthepageandofferedittome。

"Istronglyadviseyoutogetthisprescriptionmadeupforyourselfashore。UnlessIammuchmistakenyouwillneeditthisevening。"

"Whatisit，then？"Iaskedwithsuspicion。

"Sleepingdraught，"answeredthesurgeoncurtly;andmovingwithanairofinteresttowardMr。Burnsheengagedhiminconversation。

AsIwentbelowtodresstogoashore，Ransomefollowedme。Hebeggedmypardon;hewished，too，tobesentashoreandpaidoff。

Ilookedathiminsurprise。Hewaswaitingformyanswerwithanairofanxiety。

"Youdon’tmeantoleavetheship！"Icriedout。

"Idoreally，sir。Iwanttogoandbequietsome-

where。Anywhere。Thehospitalwilldo。"

"But，Ransome，"Isaid。"Ihatetheideaofpartingwithyou。"

"Imustgo，"hebrokein。"Ihavearight！"……Hegaspedandalookofalmostsavagede-

terminationpassedoverhisface。Foraninstanthewasanotherbeing。AndIsawundertheworthandthecomelinessofthemanthehumblerealityofthings。Lifewasaboontohim——thisprecarioushardlife，andhewasthoroughlyalarmedabouthimself。

"OfcourseIshallpayyouoffifyouwishit，"I

hastenedtosay。"OnlyImustaskyoutoremainonboardtillthisafternoon。Ican’tleaveMr。

Burnsabsolutelybyhimselfintheshipforhours。"

Hesoftenedatonceandassuredmewithasmileandinhisnaturalpleasantvoicethatheunder-

stoodthatverywell。

WhenIreturnedondeckeverythingwasreadyfortheremovalofthemen。Itwasthelastordealofthatepisodewhichhadbeenmaturingandtem-

peringmycharacter——thoughIdidnotknowit。

Itwasawful。Theypassedundermyeyesoneafteranother——eachofthemanembodiedreproachofthebitterestkind，tillIfeltasortofrevoltwakeupinme。PoorFrenchyhadgonesuddenlyunder。

Hewascarriedpastmeinsensible，hiscomicfacehorriblyflushedandasifswollen，breathingstertorously。HelookedmorelikeMr。Punchthanever;adisgracefullyintoxicatedMr。Punch。

TheaustereGambril，onthecontrary，hadim-

provedtemporarily。Heinsistedonwalkingonhisownfeettotherail——ofcoursewithassistanceoneachsideofhim。Buthegavewaytoasuddenpanicatthemomentofbeingswungoverthesideandbegantowailpitifully：

"Don’tletthemdropme，sir。Don’tletthemdropme，sir！"WhileIkeptonshoutingtohiminmostsoothingaccents："Allright，Gambril。

Theywon’t！Theywon’t！"

Itwasnodoubtveryridiculous。Theblue-

jacketsonourdeckweregrinningquietly，whileevenRansomehimself（muchtotheforeinlendingahand）hadtoenlargehiswistfulsmileforafleet-

ingmoment。

Ileftfortheshoreinthesteampinnace，andonlookingbackbeheldMr。Burnsactuallystandingupbythetaffrail，stillinhisenormouswoollyover-

coat。Thebrightsunlightbroughtouthisweird-

nessamazingly。Helookedlikeafrightfulandelaboratescarecrowsetuponthepoopofadeath-

strickenship，setuptokeeptheseabirdsfromthecorpses。

Ourstoryhadgotaboutalreadyintownandeverybodyonshorewasmostkind。TheMarineOfficeletmeofftheportdues，andastherehap-

penedtobeashipwreckedcrewstayingintheHomeIhadnodifficultyinobtainingasmanymenasIwanted。ButwhenIinquiredifIcouldseeCaptainEllisforamomentIwastoldinaccentsofpityformyignorancethatourdeputy-NeptunehadretiredandgonehomeonapensionaboutthreeweeksafterIlefttheport。SoIsupposethatmyappointmentwasthelastact，outsidethedailyroutine，ofhisofficiallife。

ItisstrangehowoncomingashoreIwasstruckbythespringystep，thelivelyeyes，thestrongvitalityofeveryoneImet。Itimpressedmeenormously。AndamongstthoseImettherewasCaptainGiles，ofcourse。ItwouldhavebeenveryextraordinaryifIhadnotmethim。Aprolongedstrollinthebusinesspartofthetownwastheregularemploymentofallhismorningswhenhewasashore。

Icaughttheglitterofthegoldwatch-chainacrosshischesteversofaraway。Heradiatedbenevolence。

"WhatisitIhear？"hequeriedwitha"kinduncle"smile，aftershakinghands。"Twenty-onedaysfromBangkok？"

"Isthisallyou’veheard？"Isaid。"Youmustcometotiffinwithme。Iwantyoutoknowex-

actlywhatyouhaveletmeinfor。"

Hehesitatedforalmostaminute。

"Well——Iwill，"hesaidcondescendinglyatlast。

Weturnedintothehotel。Ifoundtomysur-

prisethatIcouldeatquitealot。Thenovertheclearedtable-clothIunfoldedtoCaptainGilesthehistoryofthesetwentydaysinallitsprofessionalandemotionalaspects，whilehesmokedpatientlythebigcigarIhadgivenhim。

Thenheobservedsagely：

"Youmustfeeljollywelltiredbythistime。"

"No，"Isaid。"Nottired。ButI’lltellyou，CaptainGiles，howIfeel。Ifeelold。AndImustbe。Allofyouonshorelooktomejustalotofskittishyoungstersthathaveneverknownacareintheworld。"

Hedidn’tsmile。Helookedinsufferablyex-

emplary。Hedeclared：

"Thatwillpass。Butyoudolookolder——it’safact。"

"Aha！"Isaid。

"No！No！Thetruthisthatonemustnotmaketoomuchofanythinginlife，goodorbad。"

"Liveathalf-speed，"Imurmuredperversely。

"Noteverybodycandothat。"

"You’llbegladenoughpresentlyifyoucankeepgoingevenatthatrate，"heretortedwithhisairofconsciousvirtue。"Andthere’sanotherthing：amanshouldstanduptohisbadluck，tohismis-

takes，tohisconscienceandallthatsortofthing。

Why——whatelsewouldyouhavetofightagainst。"

Ikeptsilent。Idon’tknowwhathesawinmyfacebutheaskedabruptly：

"Why——youaren’tfaint-hearted？"

"Godonlyknows，CaptainGiles，"wasmysin-

cereanswer。

"That’sallright，"hesaidcalmly。"Youwilllearnsoonhownottobefaint-hearted。Amanhasgottolearneverything——andthat’swhatsomanyofthemyoungstersdon’tunderstand。"

"Well，Iamnolongerayoungster。"

"No，"heconceded。"Areyouleavingsoon？"

"Iamgoingonboarddirectly，"Isaid。"Ishallpickuponeofmyanchorsandheaveintohalf-

cableontheotherdirectlymynewcrewcomesonboardandIshallbeoffatdaylightto-morrow！"

"Youwill，"gruntedCaptainGilesapprovingly。

"that’stheway。You’lldo。"

"Whatdidyouthink？ThatIwouldwanttotakeaweekashoreforarest？"Isaid，irritatedbyhistone。"There’snorestformetillshe’soutintheIndianOceanandnotmuchofiteventhen。"

Hepuffedathiscigarmoodily，asiftransformed。

"Yes。That’swhatitamountsto，"hesaidinamusingtone。ItwasasifaponderouscurtainhadrolledupdisclosinganunexpectedCaptainGiles。

Butitwasonlyforamoment，justthetimetolethimadd，"Preciouslittlerestinlifeforanybody。

Betternotthinkofit。"

Werose，leftthehotel，andpartedfromeachotherinthestreetwithawarmhandshake，justashebegantointerestmeforthefirsttimeinourintercourse。

ThefirstthingIsawwhenIgotbacktotheshipwasRansomeonthequarter-decksittingquietlyonhisneatlylashedsea-chest。

IbeckonedhimtofollowmeintothesaloonwhereIsatdowntowritealetterofrecommenda-

tionforhimtoamanIknewonshore。

WhenfinishedIpusheditacrossthetable。"Itmaybeofsomegoodtoyouwhenyouleavethehospital。"

Hetookit，putitinhispocket。Hiseyeswerelookingawayfromme——nowhere。Hisfacewasanxiouslyset。

"Howareyoufeelingnow？"Iasked。

"Idon’tfeelbadnow，sir，"heansweredstiffly。

"ButIamafraidofitscomingon……"Thewistfulsmilecamebackonhislipsforamo-

ment。"I——Iaminabluefunkaboutmyheart，sir。"

Iapproachedhimwithextendedhand。Hiseyesnotlookingatmehadastrainedexpres-

sion。Hewaslikeamanlisteningforawarningcall。

"Won’tyoushakehands，Ransome？"Isaidgently。

Heexclaimed，flushedupduskyred，gavemyhandahardwrench——andnextmoment，leftaloneinthecabin，Ilistenedtohimgoingupthecom-

panionstairscautiously，stepbystep，inmortalfearofstartingintosuddenangerourcommonenemyitwashishardfatetocarryconsciouslywithinhisfaithfulbreast。