English
WewaitedalldayforWolfLarsentocomeashore.
Itwasanintolerableperiodofanxiety.
EachmomentoneortheotherofuscastexpectantglancestowardtheGhost.Buthedidnotcome.Hedidnotevenappearondeck.
“Perhapsitishisheadache,”Isaid.“Ilefthimlyingonthepoop.Hemayliethereallnight.IthinkI’llgoandsee.”
Maudlookedentreatyatme.
“Itisallright,”Iassuredher.“Ishalltaketherevolvers.YouknowIcollectedeveryweapononboard.”
“Buttherearehisarms,hishands,histerrible,terriblehands!”sheobjected.Andthenshecried,“Oh,Humphrey,Iamafraidofhim!Don’tgo—pleasedon’tgo!”
Sherestedherhandappealinglyonmine,andsentmypulsefluttering.
Myheartwassurelyinmyeyesforamoment.Thedearandlovelywoman!
Andshewassomuchthewoman,clingingandappealing,sunshineanddewtomymanhood,rootingitdeeperandsendingthroughitthesapofanewstrength.
Iwasforputtingmyarmaroundher,aswheninthemidstofthesealherd;butIconsidered,andrefrained.
“Ishallnottakeanyrisks,”Isaid.“I’llmerelypeepoverthebowandsee.”
Shepressedmyhandearnestlyandletmego.
ButthespaceondeckwhereIhadlefthimlyingwasvacant.Hehadevidentlygonebelow.
Thatnightwestoodalternatewatches,oneofussleepingatatime;fortherewasnotellingwhatWolfLarsenmightdo.Hewascertainlycapableofanything.
Thenextdaywewaited,andthenext,andstillhemadenosign.
“Theseheadachesofhis,theseattacks,”Maudsaid,ontheafternoonofthefourthday;“Perhapsheisill,veryill.Hemaybedead.”
“Ordying,”washerafterthoughtwhenshehadwaitedsometimeformetospeak.
“Betterso,”Ianswered.
“Butthink,Humphrey,afellow-creatureinhislastlonelyhour.”
“Perhaps,”Isuggested.
“Yes,evenperhaps,”sheacknowledged.“Butwedonotknow.Itwouldbeterribleifhewere.Icouldneverforgivemyself.Wemustdosomething.”
“Perhaps,”Isuggestedagain.
Iwaited,smilinginwardlyatthewomanofherwhichcompelledasolicitudeforWolfLarsen,ofallcreatures.
Wherewashersolicitudeforme,Ithought,—formewhomshehadbeenafraidtohavemerelypeepaboard?
Shewastoosubtlenottofollowthetrendofmysilence.Andshewasasdirectasshewassubtle.
“Youmustgoaboard,Humphrey,andfindout,”shesaid.“Andifyouwanttolaughatme,youhavemyconsentandforgiveness.”
Iaroseobedientlyandwentdownthebeach.
“Dobecareful,”shecalledafterme.
Iwavedmyarmfromtheforecastleheadanddroppeddowntothedeck.
AftIwalkedtothecabincompanion,whereIcontentedmyselfwithhailingbelow.
WolfLarsenanswered,andashestartedtoascendthestairsIcockedmyrevolver.
Idisplayeditopenlyduringourconversation,buthetooknonoticeofit.
Heappearedthesame,physically,aswhenlastIsawhim,buthewasgloomyandsilent.
Infact,thefewwordswespokecouldhardlybecalledaconversation.
Ididnotinquirewhyhehadnotbeenashore,nordidheaskwhyIhadnotcomeaboard.
Hisheadwasallrightagain,hesaid,andso,withoutfurtherparley,Ilefthim.
Maudreceivedmyreportwithobviousrelief,andthesightofsmokewhichlaterroseinthegalleyputherinamorecheerfulmood.
Thenextday,andthenext,wesawthegalleysmokerising,andsometimeswecaughtglimpsesofhimonthepoop.Butthatwasall.Hemadenoattempttocomeashore.
Thisweknew,forwestillmaintainedournight-watches.
Wewerewaitingforhimtodosomething,toshowhishand,sotosay,andhisinactionpuzzledandworriedus.
Aweekofthispassedby.WehadnootherinterestthanWolfLarsen,andhispresenceweighedusdownwithanapprehensionwhichpreventedusfromdoinganyofthelittlethingswehadplanned.
Butattheendoftheweekthesmokeceasedrisingfromthegalley,andhenolongershowedhimselfonthepoop.
IcouldseeMaud’ssolicitudeagaingrowing,thoughshetimidly—andevenproudly,Ithink—forborearepetitionofherrequest.
Afterall,whatcensurecouldbeputuponher?
Shewasdivinelyaltruistic,andshewasawoman.
Besides,IwasmyselfawareofhurtatthoughtofthismanwhomIhadtriedtokill,dyingalonewithhisfellow-creaturessonear.Hewasright.
ThecodeofmygroupwasstrongerthanI.
Thefactthathehadhands,feet,andabodyshapedsomewhatlikemine,constitutedaclaimwhichIcouldnotignore.
SoIdidnotwaitasecondtimeforMaudtosendme.
Idiscoveredthatwestoodinneedofcondensedmilkandmarmalade,andannouncedthatIwasgoingaboard.Icouldseethatshewavered.
Sheevenwentsofarastomurmurthattheywerenon-essentialsandthatmytripafterthemmightbeinexpedient.
Andasshehadfollowedthetrendofmysilence,shenowfollowedthetrendofmyspeech,andsheknewthatIwasgoingaboard,notbecauseofcondensedmilkandmarmalade,butbecauseofherandofheranxiety,whichsheknewshehadfailedtohide.
ItookoffmyshoeswhenIgainedtheforecastlehead,andwentnoiselesslyaftinmystockingfeet.
NordidIcallthistimefromthetopofthecompanion-way.
Cautiouslydescending,Ifoundthecabindeserted.Thedoortohisstate-roomwasclosed.
AtfirstIthoughtofknocking,thenIrememberedmyostensibleerrandandresolvedtocarryitout.
Carefullyavoidingnoise,Iliftedthetrap-doorinthefloorandsetittooneside.
Theslop-chest,aswellastheprovisions,wasstoredinthelazarette,andItookadvantageoftheopportunitytolayinastockofunderclothing.
AsIemergedfromthelazaretteIheardsoundsinWolfLarsen’sstate-room.Icrouchedandlistened.Thedoor-knobrattled.
Furtively,instinctively,Islunkbackbehindthetableanddrewandcockedmyrevolver.Thedoorswungopenandhecameforth.
NeverhadIseensoprofoundadespairasthatwhichIsawonhisface,—thefaceofWolfLarsenthefighter,thestrongman,theindomitableone.
Foralltheworldlikeawomanwringingherhands,heraisedhisclenchedfistsandgroaned.
Onefistunclosed,andtheopenpalmsweptacrosshiseyesasthoughbrushingawaycobwebs.
“God!God!”hegroaned,andtheclenchedfistswereraisedagaintotheinfinitedespairwithwhichhisthroatvibrated.
Itwashorrible.Iwastremblingallover,andIcouldfeeltheshiversrunningupanddownmyspineandthesweatstandingoutonmyforehead.
Surelytherecanbelittleinthisworldmoreawfulthanthespectacleofastrongmaninthemomentwhenheisutterlyweakandbroken.
ButWolfLarsenregainedcontrolofhimselfbyanexertionofhisremarkablewill.Anditwasexertion.
Hiswholeframeshookwiththestruggle.
Heresembledamanonthevergeofafit.
Hisfacestrovetocomposeitself,writhingandtwistingintheefforttillhebrokedownagain.
Oncemoretheclenchedfistswentupwardandhegroaned.
Hecaughthisbreathonceortwiceandsobbed.Thenhewassuccessful.
IcouldhavethoughthimtheoldWolfLarsen,andyettherewasinhismovementsavaguesuggestionofweaknessandindecision.
Hestartedforthecompanion-way,andsteppedforwardquiteasIhadbeenaccustomedtoseehimdo;andyetagain,inhisverywalk,thereseemedthatsuggestionofweaknessandindecision.
Iwasnowconcernedwithfearformyself.
Theopentraplaydirectlyinhispath,andhisdiscoveryofitwouldleadinstantlytohisdiscoveryofme.
Iwasangrywithmyselfforbeingcaughtinsocowardlyaposition,crouchingonthefloor.Therewasyettime.
Iroseswiftlytomyfeet,and,Iknow,quiteunconsciouslyassumedadefiantattitude.Hetooknonoticeofme.Nordidhenoticetheopentrap.
BeforeIcouldgraspthesituation,oract,hehadwalkedrightintothetrap.
Onefootwasdescendingintotheopening,whiletheotherfootwasjustonthevergeofbeginningtheuplift.
Butwhenthedescendingfootmissedthesolidflooringandfeltvacancybeneath,itwastheoldWolfLarsenandthetigermusclesthatmadethefallingbodyspringacrosstheopening,evenasitfell,sothathestruckonhischestandstomach,witharmsoutstretched,ontheflooroftheoppositeside.
Thenextinstanthehaddrawnuphislegsandrolledclear.
Butherolledintomymarmaladeandunderclothesandagainstthetrap-door.
Theexpressiononhisfacewasoneofcompletecomprehension.
ButbeforeIcouldguesswhathehadcomprehended,hehaddroppedthetrap-doorintoplace,closingthelazarette.ThenIunderstood.Hethoughthehadmeinside.Also,hewasblind,blindasabat.
Iwatchedhim,breathingcarefullysothatheshouldnothearme.Hesteppedquicklytohisstate-room.
Isawhishandmissthedoor-knobbyaninch,quicklyfumbleforit,andfindit.Thiswasmychance.
Itiptoedacrossthecabinandtothetopofthestairs.
Hecameback,draggingaheavysea-chest,whichhedepositedontopofthetrap.
Notcontentwiththishefetchedasecondchestandplaceditontopofthefirst.
Thenhegatheredupthemarmaladeandunderclothesandputthemonthetable.
Whenhestartedupthecompanion-way,Iretreated,silentlyrollingoverontopofthecabin.
Heshovedtheslidepartwaybackandrestedhisarmsonit,hisbodystillinthecompanion-way.
Hisattitudewasofonelookingforwardthelengthoftheschooner,orstaring,rather,forhiseyeswerefixedandunblinking.
Iwasonlyfivefeetawayanddirectlyinwhatshouldhavebeenhislineofvision.Itwasuncanny.
Ifeltmyselfaghost,whatofmyinvisibility.
Iwavedmyhandbackandforth,ofcoursewithouteffect;butwhenthemovingshadowfellacrosshisfaceIsawatoncethathewassusceptibletotheimpression.
Hisfacebecamemoreexpectantandtenseashetriedtoanalyzeandidentifytheimpression.
Heknewthathehadrespondedtosomethingfromwithout,thathissensibilityhadbeentouchedbyachangingsomethinginhisenvironment;butwhatitwashecouldnotdiscover.
Iceasedwavingmyhand,sothattheshadowremainedstationary.
Heslowlymovedhisheadbackandforthunderitandturnedfromsidetoside,nowinthesunshine,nowintheshade,feelingtheshadow,asitwere,testingitbysensation.
I,too,wasbusy,tryingtoreasonouthowhewasawareoftheexistenceofsointangibleathingasashadow.
Ifitwerehiseyeballsonlythatwereaffected,orifhisopticnervewerenotwhollydestroyed,theexplanationwassimple.
Ifotherwise,thentheonlyconclusionIcouldreachwasthatthesensitiveskinrecognizedthedifferenceoftemperaturebetweenshadeandsunshine.Or,perhaps,—whocantell?
—itwasthatfabledsixthsensewhichconveyedtohimtheloomandfeelofanobjectcloseathand.
Givingoverhisattempttodeterminetheshadow,hesteppedondeckandstartedforward,walkingwithaswiftnessandconfidencewhichsurprisedme.
Andstilltherewasthathintofthefeeblenessoftheblindinhiswalk.Iknewitnowforwhatitwas.
Tomyamusedchagrin,hediscoveredmyshoesontheforecastleheadandbroughtthembackwithhimintothegalley.
Iwatchedhimbuildthefireandsetaboutcookingfoodforhimself;thenIstoleintothecabinformymarmaladeandunderclothes,slippedbackpastthegalley,andclimbeddowntothebeachtodelivermybarefootreport.
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