English
“Fool!”Icriedaloudinmyvexation.
Ihadunloadedtheboatandcarrieditscontentshighuponthebeach,whereIhadsetaboutmakingacamp.
Therewasdriftwood,thoughnotmuch,onthebeach,andthesightofacoffeetinIhadtakenfromtheGhost’slarderhadgivenmetheideaofafire.
“Blitheringidiot!”Iwascontinuing.
ButMaudsaid,“Tut,tut,”ingentlereproval,andthenaskedwhyIwasablitheringidiot.
“Nomatches,”Igroaned.“NotamatchdidIbring.Andnowweshallhavenohotcoffee,soup,tea,oranything!”
“Wasn’tit—er—Crusoewhorubbedstickstogether?”shedrawled.
“ButIhavereadthepersonalnarrativesofascoreofshipwreckedmenwhotried,andtriedinvain,”Ianswered.
“IrememberWinters,anewspaperfellowwithanAlaskanandSiberianreputation.
MethimattheBibelotonce,andhewastellingushowheattemptedtomakeafirewithacoupleofsticks.Itwasmostamusing.
Hetolditinimitably,butitwasthestoryofafailure.
Irememberhisconclusion,hisblackeyesflashingashesaid,‘Gentlemen,theSouthSeaIslandermaydoit,theMalaymaydoit,buttakemywordit’sbeyondthewhiteman.’”
“Oh,well,we’vemanagedsofarwithoutit,”shesaidcheerfully.“Andthere’snoreasonwhywecannotstillmanagewithoutit.”
“Butthinkofthecoffee!”Icried.“It’sgoodcoffee,too,Iknow.ItookitfromLarsen’sprivatestores.Andlookatthatgoodwood.”
Iconfess,Iwantedthecoffeebadly;andIlearned,notlongafterward,thattheberrywaslikewisealittleweaknessofMaud’s.
Besides,wehadbeensolongonacolddietthatwewerenumbinsideaswellasout.
Anythingwarmwouldhavebeenmostgratifying.
ButIcomplainednomoreandsetaboutmakingatentofthesailforMaud.
Ihadlookeduponitasasimpletask,whatoftheoars,mast,boom,andsprit,tosaynothingofplentyoflines.
ButasIwaswithoutexperience,andaseverydetailwasanexperimentandeverysuccessfuldetailaninvention,thedaywaswellgonebeforehershelterwasanaccomplishedfact.
Andthen,thatnight,itrained,andshewasfloodedoutanddrivenbackintotheboat.
ThenextmorningIdugashallowditcharoundthetent,and,anhourlater,asuddengustofwind,whippingovertherockywallbehindus,pickedupthetentandsmasheditdownonthesandthirtyyardsaway.
Maudlaughedatmycrestfallenexpression,andIsaid,“AssoonasthewindabatesIintendgoingintheboattoexploretheisland.
Theremustbeastationsomewhere,andmen.Andshipsmustvisitthestation.
SomeGovernmentmustprotectalltheseseals.
ButIwishtohaveyoucomfortablebeforeIstart.”
“Ishouldliketogowithyou,”wasallshesaid.
“Itwouldbebetterifyouremained.Youhavehadenoughofhardship.Itisamiraclethatyouhavesurvived.
Anditwon’tbecomfortableintheboatrowingandsailinginthisrainyweather.
Whatyouneedisrest,andIshouldlikeyoutoremainandgetit.”
Somethingsuspiciouslyakintomoistnessdimmedherbeautifuleyesbeforeshedroppedthemandpartlyturnedawayherhead.
“Ishouldprefergoingwithyou,”shesaidinalowvoice,inwhichtherewasjustahintofappeal.
“Imightbeabletohelpyoua—”hervoicebroke,—“alittle.Andifanythingshouldhappentoyou,thinkofmeleftherealone.”
“Oh,Iintendbeingverycareful,”Ianswered.
“AndIshallnotgosofarbutwhatIcangetbackbeforenight.
Yes,allsaidanddone,Ithinkitvastlybetterforyoutoremain,andsleep,andrestanddonothing.”
Sheturnedandlookedmeintheeyes.Hergazewasunfaltering,butsoft.
“Please,please,”shesaid,oh,sosoftly.
Istiffenedmyselftorefuse,andshookmyhead.Stillshewaitedandlookedatme.
Itriedtowordmyrefusal,butwavered.
IsawthegladlightspringintohereyesandknewthatIhadlost.Itwasimpossibletosaynoafterthat.
Thewinddieddownintheafternoon,andwewerepreparedtostartthefollowingmorning.
Therewasnowayofpenetratingtheislandfromourcove,forthewallsroseperpendicularlyfromthebeach,and,oneithersideofthecove,rosefromthedeepwater.
Morningbrokedullandgrey,butcalm,andIwasawakeearlyandhadtheboatinreadiness.
“Fool!Imbecile!Yahoo!”Ishouted,whenIthoughtitwasmeettoarouseMaud;butthistimeIshoutedinmerrimentasIdancedaboutthebeach,bareheaded,inmockdespair.
Herheadappearedundertheflapofthesail.
“Whatnow?”sheaskedsleepily,and,withal,curiously.
“Coffee!”Icried.“Whatdoyousaytoacupofcoffee?hotcoffee?pipinghot?”
“My!”shemurmured,“youstartledme,andyouarecruel.HereIhavebeencomposingmysoultodowithoutit,andhereyouarevexingmewithyourvainsuggestions.”
“Watchme,”Isaid.
FromundercleftsamongtherocksIgatheredafewdrysticksandchips.
TheseIwhittledintoshavingsorsplitintokindling.
Frommynote-bookItoreoutapage,andfromtheammunitionboxtookashot-gunshell.
Removingthewadsfromthelatterwithmyknife,Iemptiedthepowderonaflatrock.
NextIpriedtheprimer,orcap,fromtheshell,andlaiditontherock,inthemidstofthescatteredpowder.Allwasready.Maudstillwatchedfromthetent.
Holdingthepaperinmylelfhand,Ismasheddownuponthecapwitharockheldinmyright.
Therewasapuffofwhitesmoke,aburstofflame,andtheroughedgeofthepaperwasalight.
Maudclappedherhandsgleefully.“Prometheus!”shecried.
ButIwastoooccupiedtoacknowledgeherdelight.
Thefeebleflamemustbecherishedtenderlyifitweretogatherstrengthandlive.
Ifedit,shavingbyshaving,andsliverbysliver,tillatlastitwassnappingandcracklingasitlaidholdofthesmallerchipsandsticks.
Tobecastawayonanislandhadnotenteredintomycalculations,sowewerewithoutakettleorcookingutensilsofanysort;butImadeshiftwiththetinusedforbailingtheboat,andlater,asweconsumedoursupplyofcannedgoods,weaccumulatedquiteanimposingarrayofcookingvessels.
Iboiledthewater,butitwasMaudwhomadethecoffee.Andhowgooditwas!
Mycontributionwascannedbeeffriedwithcrumbledsea-biscuitandwater.
Thebreakfastwasasuccess,andwesataboutthefiremuchlongerthanenterprisingexplorersshouldhavedone,sippingthehotblackcoffeeandtalkingoveroursituation.
Iwasconfidentthatweshouldfindastationinsomeoneofthecoves,forIknewthattherookeriesofBeringSeawerethusguarded;butMaudadvancedthetheory—topreparemefordisappointment,Idobelieve,ifdisappointmentweretocome—thatwehaddiscoveredanunknownrookery.
Shewasinverygoodspirits,however,andmadequitemerryinacceptingourplightasagraveone.
“Ifyouareright,”Isaid,“thenwemustpreparetowinterhere.
Ourfoodwillnotlast,buttherearetheseals.
Theygoawayinthefall,soImustsoonbegintolayinasupplyofmeat.
Thentherewillbehutstobuildanddriftwoodtogather.
Alsoweshalltryoutsealfatforlightingpurposes.
Altogether,we’llhaveourhandsfullifwefindtheislanduninhabited.Whichweshallnot,Iknow.”
Butshewasright.Wesailedwithabeamwindalongtheshore,searchingthecoveswithourglassesandlandingoccasionally,withoutfindingasignofhumanlife.
YetwelearnedthatwewerenotthefirstwhohadlandedonEndeavourIsland.
Highuponthebeachofthesecondcovefromours,wediscoveredthesplinteredwreckofaboat—asealer’sboat,fortherowlockswereboundinsennit,agun-rackwasonthestarboardsideofthebow,andinwhiteletterswasfaintlyvisibleGazelleNo.2.
Theboathadlainthereforalongtime,foritwashalffilledwithsand,andthesplinteredwoodhadthatweather-wornappearanceduetolongexposuretotheelements.
Inthestern-sheetsIfoundarustyten-gaugeshot-gunandasailor’ssheath-knifebrokenshortacrossandsorustedastobealmostunrecognizable.
“Theygotaway,”Isaidcheerfully;butIfeltasinkingattheheartandseemedtodivinethepresenceofbleachedbonessomewhereonthatbeach.
IdidnotwishMaud’sspiritstobedampenedbysuchafind,soIturnedseawardagainwithourboatandskirtedthenorth-easternpointoftheisland.
Therewerenobeachesonthesouthernshore,andbyearlyafternoonweroundedtheblackpromontoryandcompletedthecircumnavigationoftheisland.
Iestimateditscircumferenceattwenty-fivemiles,itswidthasvaryingfromtwotofivemiles;whilemymostconservativecalculationplacedonitsbeachestwohundredthousandseals.
Theislandwashighestatitsextremesouth-westernpoint,theheadlandsandbackbonediminishingregularlyuntilthenorth-easternportionwasonlyafewfeetabovethesea.
Withtheexceptionofourlittlecove,theotherbeachesslopedgentlybackforadistanceofhalf-a-mileorso,intowhatImightcallrockymeadows,withhereandtherepatchesofmossandtundragrass.
Herethesealshauledout,andtheoldbullsguardedtheirharems,whiletheyoungbullshauledoutbythemselves.
ThisbriefdescriptionisallthatEndeavourIslandmerits.
Dampandsoggywhereitwasnotsharpandrocky,buffetedbystormwindsandlashedbythesea,withtheaircontinuallya-tremblewiththebellowingoftwohundredthousandamphibians,itwasamelancholyandmiserablesojourning-place.
Maud,whohadpreparedmefordisappointment,andwhohadbeensprightlyandvivaciousallday,brokedownaswelandedinourownlittlecove.
Shestrovebravelytohideitfromme,butwhileIwaskindlinganotherfireIknewshewasstiflinghersobsintheblanketsunderthesail-tent.
Itwasmyturntobecheerful,andIplayedtheparttothebestofmyability,andwithsuchsuccessthatIbroughtthelaughterbackintoherdeareyesandsongonherlips;forshesangtomebeforeshewenttoanearlybed.
ItwasthefirsttimeIhadheardhersing,andIlaybythefire,listeningandtransported,forshewasnothingifnotanartistineverythingshedid,andhervoice,thoughnotstrong,waswonderfullysweetandexpressive.
Istillsleptintheboat,andIlayawakelongthatnight,gazingupatthefirststarsIhadseeninmanynightsandponderingthesituation.
Responsibilityofthissortwasanewthingtome.WolfLarsenhadbeenquiteright.Ihadstoodonmyfather’slegs.
Mylawyersandagentshadtakencareofmymoneyforme.Ihadhadnoresponsibilitiesatall.
Then,ontheGhostIhadlearnedtoberesponsibleformyself.
Andnow,forthefirsttimeinmylife,Ifoundmyselfresponsibleforsomeoneelse.
Anditwasrequiredofmethatthisshouldbethegravestofresponsibilities,forshewastheonewomanintheworld—theonesmallwoman,asIlovedtothinkofher.
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