English
ThechagrinWolfLarsenfeltfrombeingignoredbyMaudBrewsterandmeintheconversationattablehadtoexpressitselfinsomefashion,anditfelltoThomasMugridgetobethevictim.
Hehadnotmendedhiswaysnorhisshirt,thoughthelatterhecontendedhehadchanged.
Thegarmentitselfdidnotbearouttheassertion,nordidtheaccumulationsofgreaseonstoveandpotandpanattestageneralcleanliness.
“I’vegivenyouwarning,Cooky,”WolfLarsensaid,“andnowyou’vegottotakeyourmedicine.”
Mugridge’sfaceturnedwhiteunderitssootyveneer,andwhenWolfLarsencalledforaropeandacoupleofmen,themiserableCockneyfledwildlyoutofthegalleyanddodgedandduckedaboutthedeckwiththegrinningcrewinpursuit.
Fewthingscouldhavebeenmoretotheirlikingthantogivehimatowovertheside,fortotheforecastlehehadsentmessesandconcoctionsofthevilestorder.Conditionsfavouredtheundertaking.
TheGhostwasslippingthroughthewateratnomorethanthreemilesanhour,andtheseawasfairlycalm.
ButMugridgehadlittlestomachforadipinit.Possiblyhehadseenmentowedbefore.
Besides,thewaterwasfrightfullycold,andhiswasanythingbutaruggedconstitution.
Asusual,thewatchesbelowandthehuntersturnedoutforwhatpromisedsport.
Mugridgeseemedtobeinrabidfearofthewater,andheexhibitedanimblenessandspeedwedidnotdreamhepossessed.
Corneredintheright-angleofthepoopandgalley,hespranglikeacattothetopofthecabinandranaft.
Buthispursuersforestallinghim,hedoubledbackacrossthecabin,passedoverthegalley,andgainedthedeckbymeansofthesteerage-scuttle.
Straightforwardheraced,theboat-pullerHarrisonathisheelsandgainingonhim.
ButMugridge,leapingsuddenly,caughtthejib-boom-lift.Ithappenedinaninstant.
Holdinghisweightbyhisarms,andinmid-airdoublinghisbodyatthehips,heletflywithbothfeet.
TheoncomingHarrisoncaughtthekicksquarelyinthepitofthestomach,groanedinvoluntarily,anddoubledupandsankbackwardtothedeck.
Hand-clappingandroarsoflaughterfromthehuntersgreetedtheexploit,whileMugridge,eludinghalfofhispursuersattheforemast,ranaftandthroughtheremainderlikearunneronthefootballfield.
Straightaftheheld,tothepoopandalongthepooptothestern.
Sogreatwashisspeedthatashecurvedpastthecornerofthecabinheslippedandfell.
Nilsonwasstandingatthewheel,andtheCockney’shurtlingbodystruckhislegs.
Bothwentdowntogether,butMugridgealonearose.
Bysomefreakofpressures,hisfrailbodyhadsnappedthestrongman’sleglikeapipe-stem.
Parsonstookthewheel,andthepursuitcontinued.
Roundandroundthedeckstheywent,Mugridgesickwithfear,thesailorshallooingandshoutingdirectionstooneanother,andthehuntersbellowingencouragementandlaughter.
Mugridgewentdownonthefore-hatchunderthreemen;butheemergedfromthemasslikeaneel,bleedingatthemouth,theoffendingshirtrippedintotatters,andsprangforthemain-rigging.
Uphewent,clearup,beyondtheratlines,totheverymasthead.
Half-a-dozensailorsswarmedtothecrosstreesafterhim,wheretheyclusteredandwaitedwhiletwooftheirnumber,Oofty-OoftyandBlack(whowasLatimer’sboat-steerer),continuedupthethinsteelstays,liftingtheirbodieshigherandhigherbymeansoftheirarms.
Itwasaperilousundertaking,for,ataheightofoverahundredfeetfromthedeck,holdingonbytheirhands,theywerenotinthebestofpositionstoprotectthemselvesfromMugridge’sfeet.
AndMugridgekickedsavagely,tilltheKanaka,hangingonwithonehand,seizedtheCockney’sfootwiththeother.
Blackduplicatedtheperformanceamomentlaterwiththeotherfoot.
Thenthethreewrithedtogetherinaswayingtangle,struggling,sliding,andfallingintothearmsoftheirmatesonthecrosstrees.
Theaërialbattlewasover,andThomasMugridge,whiningandgibbering,hismouthfleckedwithbloodyfoam,wasbroughtdowntodeck.
WolfLarsenroveabowlineinapieceofropeandslippeditunderhisshoulders.
Thenhewascarriedaftandflungintothesea.
Forty,—fifty,—sixtyfeetoflineranout,whenWolfLarsencried“Belay!”
Oofty-Ooftytookaturnonabitt,theropetautened,andtheGhost,lungingonward,jerkedthecooktothesurface.
Itwasapitifulspectacle.Thoughhecouldnotdrown,andwasnine-livedinaddition,hewassufferingalltheagoniesofhalf-drowning.
TheGhostwasgoingveryslowly,andwhenhersternliftedonawaveandsheslippedforwardshepulledthewretchtothesurfaceandgavehimamomentinwhichtobreathe;butbetweeneachliftthesternfell,andwhilethebowlazilyclimbedthenextwavethelineslackedandhesankbeneath.
IhadforgottentheexistenceofMaudBrewster,andIrememberedherwithastartasshesteppedlightlybesideme.
Itwasherfirsttimeondecksinceshehadcomeaboard.Adeadsilencegreetedherappearance.
“Whatisthecauseofthemerriment?”sheasked.
“AskCaptainLarsen,”Iansweredcomposedlyandcoldly,thoughinwardlymybloodwasboilingatthethoughtthatsheshouldbewitnesstosuchbrutality.
Shetookmyadviceandwasturningtoputitintoexecution,whenhereyeslightedonOofty-Oofty,immediatelybeforeher,hisbodyinstinctwithalertnessandgraceasheheldtheturnoftherope.
“Areyoufishing?”sheaskedhim.
Hemadenoreply.Hiseyes,fixedintentlyontheseaastern,suddenlyflashed.
“Sharkho,sir!”hecried.
“Heavein!Lively!Allhandstailon!”WolfLarsenshouted,springinghimselftotheropeinadvanceofthequickest.
MugridgehadheardtheKanaka’swarningcryandwasscreamingmadly.
Icouldseeablackfincuttingthewaterandmakingforhimwithgreaterswiftnessthanhewasbeingpulledaboard.
Itwasaneventosswhetherthesharkorwewouldgethim,anditwasamatterofmoments.
WhenMugridgewasdirectlybeneathus,thesterndescendedtheslopeofapassingwave,thusgivingtheadvantagetotheshark.Thefindisappeared.
Thebellyflashedwhiteinswiftupwardrush.
Almostequallyswift,butnotquite,wasWolfLarsen.
Hethrewhisstrengthintoonetremendousjerk.
TheCockney’sbodyleftthewater;sodidpartoftheshark’s.
Hedrewuphislegs,andtheman-eaterseemednomorethanbarelytotouchonefoot,sinkingbackintothewaterwithasplash.
ButatthemomentofcontactThomasMugridgecriedout.
Thenhecameinlikeafresh-caughtfishonaline,clearingtherailgenerouslyandstrikingthedeckinaheap,onhandsandknees,androllingover.
Butafountainofbloodwasgushingforth.
Therightfootwasmissing,amputatedneatlyattheankle.IlookedinstantlytoMaudBrewster.
Herfacewaswhite,hereyesdilatedwithhorror.
Shewasgazing,notatThomasMugridge,butatWolfLarsen.
Andhewasawareofit,forhesaid,withoneofhisshortlaughs:
“Man-play,MissBrewster.Somewhatrougher,Iwarrant,thanwhatyouhavebeenusedto,butstill-man-play.Thesharkwasnotinthereckoning.It—”
Butatthisjuncture,Mugridge,whohadliftedhisheadandascertainedtheextentofhisloss,flounderedoveronthedeckandburiedhisteethinWolfLarsen’sleg.
WolfLarsenstooped,coolly,totheCockney,andpressedwiththumbandfingerattherearofthejawsandbelowtheears.
Thejawsopenedwithreluctance,andWolfLarsensteppedfree.
“AsIwassaying,”hewenton,asthoughnothingunwontedhadhappened,“thesharkwasnotinthereckoning.Itwas—ahem—shallwesayProvidence?”
Shegavenosignthatshehadheard,thoughtheexpressionofhereyeschangedtooneofinexpressibleloathingasshestartedtoturnaway.
Shenomorethanstarted,forsheswayedandtottered,andreachedherhandweaklyouttomine.
Icaughtherintimetosaveherfromfalling,andhelpedhertoaseatonthecabin.
Ithoughtshemightfaintoutright,butshecontrolledherself.
“Willyougetatourniquet,Mr.VanWeyden,”WolfLarsencalledtome.
Ihesitated.Herlipsmoved,andthoughtheyformednowords,shecommandedmewithhereyes,plainlyasspeech,togotothehelpoftheunfortunateman.
“Please,”shemanagedtowhisper,andIcouldbutobey.
BynowIhaddevelopedsuchskillatsurgerythatWolfLarsen,withafewwordsofadvice,leftmetomytaskwithacoupleofsailorsforassistants.
Forhistaskheelectedavengeanceontheshark.
Aheavyswivel-hook,baitedwithfatsalt-pork,wasdroppedoverside;andbythetimeIhadcompressedtheseveredveinsandarteries,thesailorsweresingingandheavingintheoffendingmonster.
Ididnotseeitmyself,butmyassistants,firstoneandthentheother,desertedmeforafewmomentstorunamidshipsandlookatwhatwasgoingon.
Theshark,asixteen-footer,washoistedupagainstthemain-rigging.
Itsjawswerepriedaparttotheirgreatestextension,andastoutstake,sharpenedatbothends,wassoinsertedthatwhentheprieswereremovedthespreadjawswerefixeduponit.
Thisaccomplished,thehookwascutout.
Thesharkdroppedbackintothesea,helpless,yetwithitsfullstrength,doomed—tolingeringstarvation—alivingdeathlessmeetforitthanforthemanwhodevisedthepunishment.
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