English
Itmusthavebeenelevenortwelveo’clockbeforeIawoke,anditseemedtomeinthefloodofgoldenlightwhichstreamedintomychamberthatthewild,tumultuousepisodesofthenightbeforemusthaveformedpartofsomefantasticdream.
Itwashardtobelievethatthegentlebreezewhichwhisperedsosoftlyamongtheivy-leavesaroundmywindowwascausedbythesameelementwhichhadshakentheveryhouseafewshorthoursbefore.
ItwasasifNaturehadrepentedofhermomentarypassionandwasendeavouringtomakeamendstoaninjuredworldbyitswarmthanditssunshine.
Achorusofbirdsinthegardenbelowfilledthewholeairwiththeirwonderandcongratulations.
DowninthehallIfoundanumberoftheshipwreckedsailors,lookingallthebetterfortheirnight’srepose,whosetupabuzzofpleasureandgratitudeuponseeingme.
ArrangementshadbeenmadetodrivethemtoWigtown,whencetheyweretoproceedtoGlasgowbytheeveningtrain,andmyfatherhadgivenordersthateachshouldbeservedwithapacketofsandwichesandhard-boiledeggstosustainhimontheway.
CaptainMeadowsthankeduswarmlyinthenameofhisemployersforthemannerinwhichwehadtreatedthem,andhecalledforthreecheersfromhiscrew,whichwereveryheartilygiven.
Heandthematewalkeddownwithusafterwehadbrokenourfasttohavealastlookatthesceneofthedisaster.
Thegreatbosomofthebaywasstillheavingconvulsively,anditswaveswerebreakingintosobsagainsttherocks,buttherewasnoneofthatwildturmoilwhichwehadseenintheearlymorning.
Thelong,emeraldridges,withtheirlittle,whitecrestsoffoam,rolledslowlyandmajesticallyin,tobreakwitharegularrhythm—thepantingofatiredmonster.
Acablelengthfromtheshorewecouldseethemainmastofthebarquefloatinguponthewaves,disappearingattimesinthetroughofthesea,andthenshootinguptowardsHeavenlikeagiantjavelin,shininganddrippingastherollerstosseditabout.
Othersmallerpiecesofwreckagedottedthewaters,whileinnumerablesparsandpackageswerelitteredoverthesands.
Thesewerebeingdrawnupandcollectedinaplaceofsafetybygangsofpeasants.
Inoticedthatacoupleofbroad-wingedgullswerehoveringandskimmingoverthesceneoftheshipwreck,asthoughmanystrangethingswerevisibletothembeneaththewaves.
Attimeswecouldheartheirraucousvoicesastheycriedtooneanotherofwhattheysaw.
“Shewasaleakyoldcraft,”saidthecaptain,lookingsadlyouttosea,“butthere’salwaysafeelingofsorrowwhenweseethelastofashipwehavesailedin.
Well,well,shewouldhavebeenbrokenupinanycase,andsoldforfirewood.”
“Itlooksapeacefulscene,”Iremarked.“Whowouldimaginethatthreemenlosttheirliveslastnightinthoseverywaters?”
“Poorfellows,”saidthecaptain,withfeeling,“Shouldtheybecastupafterourdeparture,Iamsure,Mr.West,thatyouwillhavethemdecentlyinterred.”
Iwasabouttomakesomereplywhenthemateburstintoaloudguffaw,slappinghisthighandchokingwithmerriment.
“Ifyouwanttoburythem,”hesaid,“youhadbestlooksharp,ortheymayclearoutofthecountry.YourememberwhatIsaidlastnight?
Justlookatthetopofthat‘erehillock,andtellmewhetherIwasintherightornot?”
Therewasahighsanddunesomelittledistancealongthecoast,anduponthesummitofthisthefigurewasstandingwhichhadattractedthemate’sattention.
Thecaptainthrewuphishandsinastonishmentashiseyesresteduponit.
“Bytheeternal,”heshouted,“it’sRamSinghhimself!Letusoverhaulhim!”
Takingtohisheelsinhisexcitementheracedalongthebeach,followedbythemateandmyself,aswellasbyoneortwoofthefishermenwhohadobservedthepresenceofthestranger.
Thelatter,perceivingourapproach,camedownfromhispostofobservationandwalkedquietlyinourdirection,withhisheadsunkuponhisbreast,likeonewhoisabsorbedinthought.
IcouldnothelpcontrastingourhurriedandtumultuousadvancewiththegravityanddignityofthislonelyOriental,norwasthemattermendedwhenheraisedapairofsteady,thoughtfuldarkeyesandinclinedhisheadinagraceful,sweepingsalutation.
Itseemedtomethatwewerelikeapackofschoolboysinthepresenceofamaster.
Thestranger’sbroad,unruffledbrow,hisclear,searchinggaze,firm-setyetsensitivemouth,andclean-cut,resoluteexpression,allcombinedtoformthemostimposingandnoblepresencewhichIhadeverknown.
Icouldnothaveimaginedthatsuchimperturbablecalmandatthesametimesuchaconsciousnessoflatentstrengthcouldhavebeenexpressedbyanyhumanface.
Hewasdressedinabrownvelveteencoat,loose,darktrousers,withashirtthatwascutlowinthecollar,soastoshowthemuscular,brownneck,andhestillworetheredfezwhichIhadnoticedthenightbefore.
Iobservedwithafeelingofsurprise,asweapproachedhim,thatnoneofthesegarmentsshowedtheslightestindicationoftheroughtreatmentandwettingwhichtheymusthavereceivedduringtheirwearer’ssubmersionandstruggletotheshore.
“Soyouarenonetheworseforyourducking,”hesaidinapleasant,musicalvoice,lookingfromthecaptaintothemate.“Ihopethatyourpoorsailorshavefoundpleasantquarters.”
“Weareallsafe,”thecaptainanswered.“Butwehadgivenyouupforlost—youandyourtwofriends.Indeed,IwasjustmakingarrangementsforyourburialwithMr.Westhere.”
Thestrangerlookedatmeandsmiled.
“Wewon’tgiveMr.Westthattroubleforalittletimeyet,”heremarked;“myfriendsandIcameashoreallsafe,andwehavefoundshelterinahutamileorsoalongthecoast.
Itislonelydownthere,butwehaveeverythingwhichwecandesire.”
“WestartforGlasgowthisafternoon,”saidthecaptain;“Ishallbeverygladifyouwillcomewithus.IfyouhavenotbeeninEnglandbeforeyoumayfinditawkwardtravelingalone.”
“Weareverymuchindebtedtoyouforyourthoughtfulness,”RamSinghanswered;“butwewillnottakeadvantageofyourkindoffer.
SinceNaturehasdrivenushereweintendtohavealookaboutusbeforeweleave.”
portraitofSirArthurConanDoyle
“Asyoulike,”thecaptainsaid,shrugginghisshoulders.“Idon’tthinkyouarelikelytofindverymuchtointerestyouinthisholeofaplace.”
“Verypossiblynot,”RamSinghansweredwithanamusedsmile.“YourememberMilton’slines:
‘Themindisitsownplace,andinitselfCanmakeahellofHeaven,aheavenofHell.’
Idaresaywecanspendafewdaysherecomfortablyenough.
Indeed,Ithinkyoumustbewronginconsideringthistobeabarbarouslocality.
Iammuchmistakenifthisyounggentleman’sfatherisnotMr.JamesHunterWest,whosenameisknownandhonouredbythepunditsofIndia.”
“Myfatheris,indeed,awell-knownSanscritscholar,”Iansweredinastonishment.
“Thepresenceofsuchaman,”observedthestrangerslowly,“changesawildernessintoacity.
Onegreatmindissurelyahigherindicationofcivilizationthanareincalculableleaguesofbricksandmortar.
“YourfatherishardlysoprofoundasSirWilliamJones,orsouniversalastheBaronVonHammer-Purgstall,buthecombinesmanyofthevirtuesofeach.
Youmaytellhim,however,frommethatheismistakenintheanalogywhichhehastracedbetweentheSamoyedeandTamulicwordroots.”
“Ifyouhavedeterminedtohonourourneighbourhoodbyashortstay,”saidI,“youwilloffendmyfatherverymuchifyoudonotputupwithhim.
Herepresentsthelairdhere,anditisthelaird’sprivilege,accordingtoourScottishcustom,toentertainallstrangersofreputewhovisitthisparish.”
Mysenseofhospitalitypromptedmetodeliverthisinvitation,thoughIcouldfeelthematetwitchingatmysleevesasiftowarnmethattheofferwas,forsomereason,anobjectionableone.
Hisfearswere,however,unnecessary,forthestrangersignifiedbyashakeoftheheadthatitwasimpossibleforhimtoacceptit.
“MyfriendsandIareverymuchobligedtoyou,”hesaid,“butwehaveourownreasonsforremainingwhereweare.
Thehutwhichweoccupyisdesertedandpartlyruined,butweEasternshavetrainedourselvestodowithoutmostofthosethingswhicharelookeduponasnecessariesinEurope,believingfirmlyinthatwiseaxiomthatamanisrich,notinproportiontowhathehas,butinproportiontowhathecandispensewith.
Agoodfishermansuppliesuswithbreadandwithherbs,wehaveclean,drystrawforourcouches;whatcouldmanwishformore?”
“Butyoumustfeelthecoldatnight,comingstraightfromthetropics,”remarkedthecaptain.“Perhapsourbodiesarecoldsometimes.Wehavenotnoticedit.
WehaveallthreespentmanyyearsintheUpperHimalayasontheborderoftheregionofeternalsnow,sowearenotverysensitivetoinconveniencesofthesort.”
“Atleast,”saidI,“youmustallowmetosendyouoversomefishandsomemeatfromourlarder.”
“WearenotChristians,”heanswered,“butBuddhistsofthehigherschool.
Wedonotrecognizethatmanhasamoralrighttoslayanoxorafishforthegrossuseofhisbody.
Hehasnotputlifeintothem,andhasassuredlynomandatefromtheAlmightytotakelifefromthemsaveundermostpressingneed.
Wecouldnot,therefore,useyourgiftifyouweretosendit.”
“But,sir,”Iremonstrated,“ifinthischangeableandinhospitableclimateyourefuseallnourishingfoodyourvitalitywillfailyou—youwilldie.”
“Weshalldiethen,”heanswered,withanamusedsmile.
“Andnow,CaptainMeadows,Imustbidyouadieu,thankingyouforyourkindnessduringthevoyage,andyou,too,good-bye—youwillcommandashipofyourownbeforetheyearisout.
Itrust,Mr.West,thatImayseeyouagainbeforeIleavethispartofthecountry.Farewell!”
Heraisedhisredfez,inclinedhisnobleheadwiththestatelygracewhichcharacterizedallhisactions,andstrodeawayinthedirectionfromwhichhehadcome.
“Letmecongratulateyou,Mr.Hawkins,”saidthecaptaintothemateaswewalkedhomewards.“Youaretocommandyourownshipwithintheyear.”
“Nosuchluck!”themateanswered,withapleasedsmileuponhismahoganyface,“still,there’snosayinghowthingsmaycomeout.Whatd’yethinkofhim,Mr.West?”
“Why,”saidI,“Iamverymuchinterestedinhim.Whatamagnificentheadandbearinghehasforayoungman.Isupposehecannotbemorethanthirty.”
“Forty,”saidthemate.
“Sixty,ifheisaday,”remarkedCaptainMeadows.“Why,IhaveheardhimtalkquitefamiliarlyofthefirstAfghanwar.Hewasamanthen,andthatiscloseonfortyyearsago.”
“Wonderful!”Iejaculated.“Hisskinisassmoothandhiseyesareasclearasmineare.Heisthesuperiorpriestofthethree,nodoubt.”
“Theinferior,”saidthecaptainconfidently.“Thatiswhyhedoesallthetalkingforthem.Theirmindsaretooelevatedtodescendtomereworldlychatter.”
“Theyarethestrangestpiecesofflotsamandjetsamthatwereeverthrownuponthiscoast,”Iremarked.“Myfatherwillbemightilyinterestedinthem.”
“Indeed,Ithinkthelessyouhavetodowiththemthebetterforyou,”saidthemate.
“IfIdocommandmyownshipI’llpromiseyouthatInevercarrylivestockofthatsortonboardofher.
Buthereweareallaboardandtheanchortripped,sowemustbidyougood-bye.”
Thewagonettehadjustfinishedloadingupwhenwearrived,andthechiefplaces,oneithersideofthedriver,hadbeenreservedformytwocompanions,whospeedilysprangintothem.
Withachorusofcheersthegoodfellowswhirledawaydowntheroad,whilemyfather,Esther,andIstooduponthelawnandwavedourhandstothemuntiltheydisappearedbehindtheCloomberwoods,enroutefortheWigtownrailwaystation.
Barqueandcrewhadbothvanishednowfromourlittleworld,theonlyrelicofeitherbeingtheheapsofdebrisuponthebeach,whichweretoliethereuntilthearrivalofanagentfromLloyd’s.
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