stories by modern american authors-第25节

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convinced　me；　at　once；　that　he　was　mad。　　At　first　he　stared　at　me

as　if　he　found　it　impossible　to　comprehend　the　witticism　of　my

remark；　but　as　its　point　seemed　slowly　to　make　its　way　into　his

brain；　his　eyes；　in　the　same　proportion；　seemed　protruding　from

their　sockets。　　Then　he　grew　very　redthen　hideously　palethen；

as　if　highly　amused　with　what　I　had　insinuated；　he　began　a　loud　and

boisterous　laugh；　which；　to　my　astonishment；　he　kept　up；　with


gradually　increasing　vigor；　for　ten　minutes　or　more。　　In

conclusion；　he　fell　flat　and　heavily　upon　the　deck。　　When　I　ran　to

uplift　him；　to　all　appearance　he　was　DEAD。



I　called　assistance；　and；　with　much　difficulty；　we　brought　him　to

himself。　　Upon　reviving　he　spoke　incoherently　for　some　time。　　At

length　we　bled　him　and　put　him　to　bed。　　The　next　morning　he　was

quite　recovered；　so　far　as　regarded　his　mere　bodily　health。　　Of　his

mind　I　say　nothing；　of　course。　　I　avoided　him　during　the　rest　of

the　passage；　by　advice　of　the　captain；　who　seemed　to　coincide　with

me　altogether　in　my　views　of　his　insanity；　but　cautioned　me　to　say

nothing　on　this　head　to　any　person　on　board。



Several　circumstances　occurred　immediately　after　this　fit　of　Wyatt

which　contributed　to　heighten　the　curiosity　with　which　I　was

already　possessed。　　Among　other　things；　this：　I　had　been　nervous

drank　too　much　strong　green　tea；　and　slept　ill　at　nightin　fact；

for　two　nights　I　could　not　be　properly　said　to　sleep　at　all。　　Now；

my　state…room　opened　into　the　main　cabin；　or　dining…room；　as　did

those　of　all　the　single　men　on　board。　　Wyatt's　three　rooms　were　in

the　after…cabin；　which　was　separated　from　the　main　one　by　a　slight

sliding　door；　never　locked　even　at　night。　　As　we　were　almost

constantly　on　a　wind；　and　the　breeze　was　not　a　little　stiff；　the

ship　heeled　to　leeward　very　considerably；　and　whenever　her

starboard　side　was　to　leeward；　the　sliding　door　between　the　cabins

slid　open；　and　so　remained；　nobody　taking　the　trouble　to　get　up　and

shut　it。　　But　my　berth　was　in　such　a　position；　that　when　my　own

state…room　door　was　open；　as　well　as　the　sliding　door　in　question

（and　my　own　door　was　ALWAYS　open　on　account　of　the　heat；）　I　could

see　into　the　after…cabin　quite　distinctly；　and　just　at　that　portion

of　it；　too；　where　were　situated　the　state…rooms　of　Mr。　Wyatt。

Well；　during　two　nights　（NOT　consecutive）　while　I　lay　awake；　I

clearly　saw　Mrs。　W。；　about　eleven　o'clock　upon　each　night；　steal

cautiously　from　the　state…room　of　Mr。　W。；　and　enter　the　extra　room；

where　she　remained　until　daybreak；　when　she　was　called　by　her

husband　and　went　back。　　That　they　were　virtually　separated　was

clear。　　They　had　separate　apartmentsno　doubt　in　contemplation　of

a　more　permanent　divorce；　and　here；　after　all　I　thought　was　the

mystery　of　the　extra　stateroom。



There　was　another　circumstance；　too；　which　interested　me　much。

During　the　two　wakeful　nights　in　question；　and　immediately　after

the　disappearance　of　Mrs。　Wyatt　into　the　extra　stateroom；　I　was

attracted　by　certain　singular　cautious；　subdued　noises　in　that　of

her　husband。　　After　listening　to　them　for　some　time；　with

thoughtful　attention；　I　at　length　succeeded　perfectly　in

translating　their　import。　　They　were　sounds　occasioned　by　the

artist　in　prying　open　the　oblong　box；　by　means　of　a　chisel　and

malletthe　latter　being　apparently　muffled；　or　deadened；　by　some

soft　woollen　or　cotton　substance　in　which　its　head　was　enveloped。



In　this　manner　I　fancied　I　could　distinguish　the　precise　moment

when　he　fairly　disengaged　the　lidalso；　that　I　could　determine

when　he　removed　it　altogether；　and　when　he　deposited　it　upon　the

lower　berth　in　his　room；　this　latter　point　I　knew；　for　example；　by

certain　slight　taps　which　the　lid　made　in　striking　against　the

wooden　edges　of　the　berth；　as　he　endeavored　to　lay　it　down　VERY

gentlythere　being　no　room　for　it　on　the　floor。　　After　this　there

was　a　dead　stillness；　and　I　heard　nothing　more；　upon　either

occasion；　until　nearly　daybreak；　unless；　perhaps；　I　may　mention　a

low　sobbing；　or　murmuring　sound；　so　very　much　suppressed　as　to　be

nearly　inaudibleif；　indeed；　the　whole　of　this　latter　noise　were

not　rather　produced　by　my　own　imagination。　　I　say　it　seemed　to

RESEMBLE　sobbing　or　sighingbut；　of　course；　it　could　not　have　been

either。　　I　rather　think　it　was　a　ringing　in　my　own　ears。　　Mr。

Wyatt；　no　doubt；　according　to　custom；　was　merely　giving　the　rein　to

one　of　his　hobbiesindulging　in　one　of　his　fits　of　artistic

enthusiasm。　　He　had　opened　his　oblong　box；　in　order　to　feast　his

eyes　on　the　pictorial　treasure　within。　　There　was　nothing　in　this；

however；　to　make　him　SOB。　　I　repeat；　therefore；　that　it　must　have

been　simply　a　freak　of　my　own　fancy；　distempered　by　good　Captain

Hardy's　green　tea。　　just　before　dawn；　on　each　of　the　two　nights　of

which　I　speak；　I　distinctly　heard　Mr。　Wyatt　replace　the　lid　upon

the　oblong　box；　and　force　the　nails　into　their　old　places　by　means

of　the　muffled　mallet。　　Having　done　this；　he　issued　from　his　state…

room；　fully　dressed；　and　proceeded　to　call　Mrs。　W。　from　hers。



We　had　been　at　sea　seven　days；　and　were　now　off　Cape　Hatteras；　when

there　came　a　tremendously　heavy　blow　from　the　southwest。　　We　were；

in　a　measure；　prepared　for　it；　however；　as　the　weather　had　been

holding　out　threats　for　some　time。　　Every　thing　was　made　snug；　alow

and　aloft；　and　as　the　wind　steadily　freshened；　we　lay　to；　at

length；　under　spanker　and　foretopsail；　both　double…reefed。



In　this　trim　we　rode　safely　enough　for　forty…eight　hoursthe　ship

proving　herself　an　excellent　sea…boat　in　many　respects；　and

shipping　no　water　of　any　consequence。　　At　the　end　of　this　period；

however；　the　gale　had　freshened　into　a　hurricane；　and　our　after

sail　split　into　ribbons；　bringing　us　so　much　in　the　trough　of　the

water　that　we　shipped　several　prodigious　seas；　one　immediately

after　the　other。　　By　this　accident　we　lost　three　men　overboard　with

the　caboose；　and　nearly　the　whole　of　the　larboard　bulwarks。

Scarcely　had　we　recovered　our　senses；　before　the　foretopsail　went

into　shreds；　when　we　got　up　a　storm　staysail　and　with　this　did

pretty　well　for　some　hours；　the　ship　heading　the　sea　much　more

steadily　than　before。



The　gale　still　held　on；　however；　and　we　saw　no　signs　of　its

abating。　　The　rigging　was　found　to　be　ill…fitted；　and　greatly

strained；　and　on　the　third　day　of　the　blow；　about　five　in　the

afternoon；　our　mizzen…mast；　in　a　heavy　lurch　to　windward；　went　by

the　board。　　For　an　hour　or　more；　we　tried　in　vain　to　get　rid　of　it；

on　account　of　the　prodigious　rolling　of　the　ship；　and；　before　we

had　succeeded；　the　carpenter　came　aft　and　announced　four　feet　of

water　in　the　hold。　　To　add　to　our　dilemma；　we　found　the　pumps

choked　and　nearly　useless。



All　was　now　confusion　and　despairbut　an　effort　was　made　to

lighten　the　ship　by　throwing　overboard　as　much　of　her　cargo　as

could　be　reached；　and　by　cutting　away　the　two　masts　that　remained。

This　we　at　last　accomplishedbut　we　were　still　unable　to　do　any

thing　at　the　pumps；　and；　in　the　meantime；　the　leak　gained　on　us

very　fast。



At　sundown；　the　gale　had　sensibly　diminished　in　violence；　and　as

the　sea　went　down　with　it；　we　still　entertained　faint　hopes　of

saving　ourselves　in　the　boats。　　At　eight　P。　M。；　the　clouds　broke

away　to　windward；　and　we　had　the　advantage　of　a　full　moona　piece

of　good　fortune　which　served　wonderfully　to　cheer　our　drooping

spirits。



After　incredible　labor　we　succeeded；　at　length；　in　getting　the

longboat　over　the　side　without　material　accident；　and　into　this　we

crowded　the　whole　of　the　crew　and　most　of　the　passengers。　　This

party　made　off　immediately；　and；　after　undergoing　much　suffering；

finally　arrived；　in　safety；　at　Ocracoke　Inlet；　on　the　third　day

after　the　wreck。



Fourteen　passengers；　with　the　captain；　remained　on　board；　resolving

to　trust　their　fortunes　to　the　jolly…boat　at　the　stern。　　We　lowered

it　without　difficulty；　although　it　was　only　by　a　miracle　that　we

prevented　it　from　swamping　as　it　touched　the　water。　　It　contained；

when　afloat；　the　captain　and　his　wife；　Mr。　Wyatt　and　party；　a

Mexican　officer；　wife；　four　children；　and　myself；　with　a　negro

valet。



We　had　no　room；　of　course；　for　any　thing　except　a　few　positively

necessary　instruments；　some　provisions；　and　the　clothes　upon　our

backs。　　No　one　had　thought　of　even　attempting　to　save　any　thing

more。　　What　must　have　been　the　astonishment　of　all；　then；　when

having　proceeded　a　few　fathoms　from　the　ship；　Mr。　Wyatt　stood　up　in

the　stern…sheets；　and　coolly　demanded　of　Captain　Hardy　that　the

boat　should　be　put　back　for　the　purpose　of　taking　in　his　oblong

box！



〃Sit　down；　Mr。　Wyatt；〃　replied　the　captain；　somewhat　sternly；　〃you

will　capsize　us　if　you　do　not　sit　quite　still。　　Our　gunwhale　is

almost　in　the　water　now。〃



〃The　box！〃　vociferated　Mr。　Wyatt；　still　standing〃the　box；　I　say！

Captain　Hardy；　you　cannot；　you　will　not　refuse　me。　　Its　weight　will

be　but　a　tri