SHORTLYafterwardanincidentoccurredwhichIaminducedtolookuponasmoreintenselyproductiveofemotion,asfarmorerepletewiththeextremesfirstofdelightandthenofhorror,thanevenanyofthethousandchanceswhichafterwardbefellmeinninelongyears,crowdedwitheventsofthemoststartlingand,inmanycases,ofthemostunconceivedandunconceivablecharacter。Wewerelyingonthedecknearthecompanion-way,anddebatingthepossibilityofyetmakingourwayintothestoreroom,when,lookingtowardAugustus,wholayfrontingmyself,Iperceivedthathehadbecomeallatoncedeadlypale,andthathislipswerequiveringinthemostsingularandunaccountablemanner。Greatlyalarmed,Ispoketohim,buthemademenoreply,andIwasbeginningtothinkthathewassuddenlytakenill,whenItooknoticeofhiseyes,whichwereglaringapparentlyatsomeobjectbehindme。Iturnedmyhead,andshallneverforgettheecstaticjoywhichthrilledthrougheveryparticleofmyframe,whenIperceivedalargebrigbearingdownuponus,andnotmorethanacoupleofmilesoff。Isprungtomyfeetasifamusketbullethadsuddenlystruckmetotheheart;and,stretchingoutmyarmsinthedirectionofthevessel,stoodinthismanner,motionless,andunabletoarticulateasyllable。PetersandParkerwereequallyaffected,althoughindifferentways。Theformerdancedaboutthedecklikeamadman,utteringthemostextravagantrhodomontades,intermingledwithhowlsandimprecations,whilethelatterburstintotears,andcontinuedformanyminutesweepinglikeachild。
Thevesselinsightwasalargehermaphroditebrig,ofaDutchbuild,andpaintedblack,withatawdrygiltfigure-head。Shehadevidentlyseenagooddealofroughweather,and,wesupposed,hadsufferedmuchinthegalewhichhadprovedsodisastroustoourselves;forherforetopmastwasgone,andsomeofherstarboardbulwarks。Whenwefirstsawher,shewas,asIhavealreadysaid,abouttwomilesoffandtowindward,bearingdownuponus。Thebreezewasverygentle,andwhatastonisheduschieflywas,thatshehadnoothersailssetthanherforemastandmainsail,withaflyingjib
ofcourseshecamedownbutslowly,andourimpatienceamountednearlytophrensy。Theawkwardmannerinwhichshesteered,too,wasremarkedbyallofus,evenexcitedaswewere。Sheyawedaboutsoconsiderably,thatonceortwicewethoughtitimpossibleshecouldseeus,orimaginedthat,havingseenus,anddiscoverednopersononboard,shewasabouttotackandmakeoffinanotherdirection。Uponeachoftheseoccasionswescreamedandshoutedatthetopofourvoices,whenthestrangerwouldappeartochangeforamomentherintention,andagainholdontowardusthissingularconductbeingrepeatedtwoorthreetimes,sothatatlastwecouldthinkofnoothermannerofaccountingforitthanbysupposingthehelmsmantobeinliquor。
Nopersonwasseenuponherdecksuntilshearrivedwithinaboutaquarterofamileofus。Wethensawthreeseamen,whombytheirdresswetooktobeHollanders。Twoofthesewerelyingonsomeoldsailsneartheforecastle,andthethird,whoappearedtobelookingatuswithgreatcuriosity,wasleaningoverthestarboardbownearthebowsprit。Thislastwasastoutandtallman,withaverydarkskin。Heseemedbyhismannertobeencouragingustohavepatience,noddingtousinacheerfulalthoughratheroddway,andsmilingconstantly,soastodisplayasetofthemostbrilliantlywhiteteeth。Ashisvesseldrewnearer,wesawaredflannelcapwhichhehadonfallfromhisheadintothewater;butofthishetooklittleornonotice,continuinghisoddsmilesandgesticulations。Irelatethesethingsandcircumstancesminutely,andIrelatethem,itmustbeunderstood,preciselyasthey_appeared_tous。
Thebrigcameonslowly,andnowmoresteadilythanbefore,andIcannotspeakcalmlyofthiseventourheartsleapedupwildlywithinus,andwepouredoutourwholesoulsinshoutsandthanksgivingtoGodforthecomplete,unexpected,andgloriousdeliverancethatwassopalpablyathand。Ofasudden,andallatonce,therecamewaftedovertheoceanfromthestrangevesselwhichwasnowcloseuponusasmell,astench,suchasthewholeworldhasnonamefornoconceptionofhellishutterlysuffocating
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