登陆注册
5198200000051

第51章 OFF TO THE JAPAN GROUNDS(2)

The vessel was an unusually long time working up to us, so slow, in fact, that Mr Count remarked, critically, "Shouldn't wonder if th' ole man ain't hurt; they're taking things so all-fired easy."By the time she had reached us, we had a good few visitors around us from the fishing fleet, who caused us no little anxiety, The Chinese have no prejudices; they would just as soon steal a whale as a herring, if the conveyance could be effected without, more trouble or risk to their own yellow skins.If it involved the killing of a few foreign devils--well, so much to the good.The ship, however, arrived before the fishermen had decided upon any active steps, and we got our catch alongside without any delay.

The truth of Mr.Count's forecast was verified to the hilt, for we found that the captain was so badly bruised about, the body that he was unable to move, while one of the hands, a Portuguese, was injured internally, and seemed very bad indeed.Had any one told us that morning that we should be sorry to see Captain Slocum with sore bones, we should have scoffed at the notion, and some of us would probably have said that we should like to have the opportunity of making him smart.But under the present circumstances, with some hundreds of perfectly ruthless wretches hovering around us, looking with longing eyes at the treasure we had alongside, we could not help remembering the courage and resource so often shown by the skipper, and wished with all our hearts that we could have the benefit of them now.As soon as dinner was over, we all "turned to" with a will to get the whale cut in.None of us required to be told that to lay all night with that whale alongside would be extremely unhealthy for us, great doubt existing as to whether any of us would see morning dawn again.There was, too, just a possibility that when the carcass, stripped of its blubber, was cut adrift, those ravenous crowds would fasten upon it, and let us go in peace.

All hands, therefore, worked like Trojans.There was no need to drive us, nor was a single harsh word spoken.Nothing was heard but the almost incessant clatter of the windlass pawls, abrupt monosyllabic orders, and the occasional melancholy wail of a gannet overhead.No word had been spoken on the subject among us, yet somehow we all realized that we were working for a large stake no less than our lives.What! says somebody, within a few miles of Hong Kong? Oh yes; and even within Hong Kong harbour itself, if opportunity offers.Let any man go down the wharf at Hong Kong after sunset, and hail a sampan from the hundreds there that are waiting to be hired.Hardly will the summons have left his lips before a white policeman will be at his side, note-book in hand, inquiring his name and ship, and taking a note of the sampan's number, with the time of his leaving the wharf.Nothing perfunctory about the job either.Let but these precautions be omitted, and the chances that the passenger (if he have aught of value about him) will ever arrive at his destination are almost nil.

So good was the progress made that by five p.m.we were busy at the head, while the last few turns of the windlass were being taken to complete the skinning of the body.With a long pent-up shout that last piece was severed and swung inboard, as the huge mass of reeking flesh floated slowly astern.As it drifted away we saw the patient watchers who had been waiting converging upon it from all quarters, and our hopes rose high.But there was no slackening of our efforts to get in the head.By the time it was dark we managed to get the junk on board, and by the most extraordinary efforts lifted the whole remainder of the head high enough to make sail and stand off to sea.The wind was off the land, the water smooth, and no swell on, so we took no damage from that tremendous weight surging by our side, though, had the worst come to the worst, we could have cut it adrift.

When morning dawned we hove-to, the land being only dimly visible astern, and finished taking on board our "head matter" without further incident.The danger past, we were all well pleased that the captain was below, for the work proceeded quite pleasantly under the genial rule of the mate.Since leaving port we had not felt so comfortable, the work, with all its disagreeables, seeming as nothing now that we could do it without fear and trembling.Alas for poor Jemmy!--as we always persisted in calling him from inability to pronounce his proper name--his case was evidently hopeless.His fellows did their poor best to comfort his fast-fleeting hours, one after another murmuring to him the prayers of the Church, which, although they did not understand them, they evidently believed most firmly to have some marvellous power to open the gates of paradise and cleanse the sinner.Notwithstanding the grim fact that their worship was almost pure superstition, it was far more in accordance with the fitness of things for a dying man's surroundings than such scenes as I have witnessed in the forecastles of merchant ships when poor sailors lay a-dying.I remember well once, when I was second officer of a large passenger ship, going in the forecastle as she lay at anchor at St.Helena, to see a sick man.Half the crew were drunk, and the beastly kennel in which they lived was in a thick fog of tobacco-smoke and the stale stench of rum.

Ribald songs, quarrelling, and blasphemy made a veritable pandemonium of the place.I passed quietly through it to the sick man's bunk, and found him--dead! He had passed away in the midst of that, but the horror of it did not seem to impress his bemused shipmates much.

同类推荐
  • 笠翁对韵

    笠翁对韵

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太上说南斗六司延寿度人妙经

    太上说南斗六司延寿度人妙经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 洞渊集

    洞渊集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 止观义例

    止观义例

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 庚申夷氛纪略

    庚申夷氛纪略

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 夕中万影倾

    夕中万影倾

    暗恋是一个人的独角戏无人知晓却深埋在心喂我可以不等你了吗?
  • 佛说最上意陀罗尼经

    佛说最上意陀罗尼经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 那一夜盛开的玫瑰

    那一夜盛开的玫瑰

    我们一起在她家里自己做饭吃,我知道她平时在家什么活儿都不干,因为她连米在哪里都找不到,可是这时她却争着干这干那,说是“为君入厨房,素手调羹汤”。我常在她身后拥住她在她耳边说“真象是我老婆”,她总推开我要我去看电视或听音乐,让她一个人做出一桌说实话色香味都不那么俱全的菜肴。但这已足够让我感动良久!
  • 高血压调养食谱与饮食禁忌

    高血压调养食谱与饮食禁忌

    如何更好地利用饮食控制血压?《美食天下(第1辑):高血压调养食谱与饮食禁忌》由专家推荐16种降压食物和近百道黄金降压食谱,高质量食疗配合药物治疗,降压不再愁!选择健康食物,辅助治疗高血压及其并发症;了解饮食禁忌,远离血压升高的因素。
  • 中国现代文学简史(世界文学百科)

    中国现代文学简史(世界文学百科)

    本套书系共计24册,包括三大部分。第一部分“文学大师篇”,主要包括中国古代著名作家、中国现代著名作家、世界古代著名作家、亚非现代著名作家、美洲现代著名作家、俄苏现代著名作家、中欧现代著名作家、西欧现代著名作家、南北欧现代著名作家等内容;第二部分“文学作品篇”,主要包括中国古代著名作品、中国现代著名作品、世界古代著名作品、亚非现代著名作品、美洲现代著名作品、俄苏现代著名作品、西欧现代著名作品、中北欧现代著名作品、东南欧现代著名作品等内容;第三部分“文学简史篇”,主要包括中国古代文学简史、中国近代文学简史、中国现代文学简史、世界古代文学简史、世界近代文学简史、世界现代文学简史等内容。
  • 不知名的沙雕日常小说

    不知名的沙雕日常小说

    (沙雕文!!文笔差,勿喷)片段1霸道总裁:过来,傻子。“傻子”:不过来,你叫我过来,我就过来你当我傻啊!霸道总裁:嗯,你傻!过来
  • RHETORIC

    RHETORIC

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 商战故事

    商战故事

    无数事实、经验和理性已经证明:好故事可以影响人的一生。而以我们之见,所谓好故事,在内容上讲述的应是做人与处世的道理,在形式上也应听得进、记得住、讲得出、传得开,而且不会因时代的变迁而失去她的本质特征和艺术光彩。为了让更多的读者走进好故事,阅读好故事,欣赏好故事,珍藏好故事,传播好故事,我们特编选了一套“故事会5元精品系列”以飨之。其选择标准主要有以下三点:一、在《故事会》杂志上发表的作品。二、有过目不忘的艺术感染力。三、有恒久的趣味,对今天的读者仍有启迪作用。愿好故事伴随你的一生!
  • 剩女相亲记

    剩女相亲记

    一个大龄剩女相亲的故事
  • 男主心太黑

    男主心太黑

    一双凤眸,寒冷冰霜,眉眼弯弯,似娇似媚。她是虚伪魅人的仙君,他是腹黑高傲的魔王。她是高高在上的主人,他是衷心诚恳的下属。意外的时空穿梭,收敛的十方宝物。一切的一切都是为了在异世看见熟悉的你。(本文两对cp,没有主次之分。)