AhChodidnotunderstandFrench。Hesatinthecrowdedcourtroom,verywearyandbored,listeningtotheunceasing,explosiveFrenchthatnowoneofficialandnowanotheruttered。ItwasjustsomuchgabbletoAhCho,andhemarvelledatthestupidityoftheFrenchmenwhotooksolongtofindoutthemurdererofChungGa,andwhodidnotfindhimatall。ThefivehundredcooliesontheplantationknewthatAhSanhaddonethekilling,andherewasAhSannotevenarrested。Itwastruethatallthecoolieshadagreedsecretlynottotestifyagainstoneanother;butthen,itwassosimple,theFrenchmenshouldhavebeenabletodiscoverthatAhSanwastheman。Theywereverystupid,theseFrenchmen。
AhChohaddonenothingofwhichtobeafraid。Hehadhadnohandinthekilling。Itwastruehehadbeenpresentatit,andSchemmer,theoverseerontheplantation,hadrushedintothebarracksimmediatelyafterwardandcaughthimthere,alongwithfourorfiveothers;butwhatofthat?ChungGahadbeenstabbedonlytwice。Itstoodtoreasonthatfiveorsixmencouldnotinflicttwostabwounds。Atthemost,ifamanhadstruckbutonce,onlytwomencouldhavedoneit。
SoitwasthatAhChoreasoned,whenhe,alongwithhisfourcompanions,hadliedandblockedandobfuscatedintheirstatementstothecourtconcerningwhathadtakenplace。Theyhadheardthesoundsofthekilling,and,likeSchemmer,theyhadruntothespot。TheyhadgottherebeforeSchemmer——thatwasall。True,Schemmerhadtestifiedthat,attractedbythesoundofquarrellingashechancedtopassby,hehadstoodforatleastfiveminutesoutside;thatthen,whenheentered,hefoundtheprisonersalreadyinside;andthattheyhadnotenteredjustbefore,becausehehadbeenstandingbytheonedoortothebarracks。Butwhatofthat?AhChoandhisfourfellow-prisonershadtestifiedthatSchemmerwasmistaken。Intheendtheywouldbeletgo。Theywereallconfidentofthat。Fivemencouldnothavetheirheadscutofffortwostabwounds。
Besides,noforeigndevilhadseenthekilling。ButtheseFrenchmenweresostupid。InChina,asAhChowellknew,themagistratewouldorderallofthemtothetortureandlearnthetruth。Thetruthwasveryeasytolearnundertorture。ButtheseFrenchmendidnottorture——biggerfoolsthey!ThereforetheywouldneverfindoutwhokilledChungGa。
ButAhChodidnotunderstandeverything。TheEnglishCompanythatownedtheplantationhadimportedintoTahiti,atgreatexpense,thefivehundredcoolies。Thestockholderswereclamouringfordividends,andtheCompanyhadnotyetpaidany;whereforetheCompanydidnotwantitscostlycontractlabourerstostartthepracticeofkillingoneanother。Also,thereweretheFrench,eagerandwillingtoimposeupontheChinagosthevirtuesandexcellencesofFrenchlaw。Therewasnothinglikesettinganexampleonceinawhile;and,besides,ofwhatusewasNewCaledoniaexcepttosendmentoliveouttheirdaysinmiseryandpaininpaymentofthepenaltyforbeingfrailandhuman?
AhChodidnotunderstandallthis。Hesatinthecourtroomandwaitedforthebaffledjudgmentthatwouldsethimandhiscomradesfreetogobacktotheplantationandworkoutthetermsoftheircontracts。Thisjudgmentwouldsoonberendered。Proceedingsweredrawingtoaclose。Hecouldseethat。Therewasnomoretestifying,nomoregabbleoftongues。
TheFrenchdevilsweretired,too,andevidentlywaitingforthejudgment。
AndashewaitedherememberedbackinhislifetothetimewhenhehadsignedthecontractandsetsailintheshipforTahiti。Timeshadbeenhardinhissea-coastvillage,andwhenheindenturedhimselftolabourforfiveyearsintheSouthSeasatfiftycentsMexicanaday,hehadthoughthimselffortunate。ThereweremeninhisvillagewhotoiledawholeyearfortendollarsMexican,andtherewerewomenwhomadenetsalltheyearroundforfivedollars,whileinthehousesofshopkeepersthereweremaidservantswhoreceivedfourdollarsforayearofservice。Andherehewastoreceivefiftycentsaday;foroneday,onlyoneday,hewastoreceivethatprincelysum!Whatiftheworkwerehard?Attheendofthefiveyearshewouldreturnhome——thatwasinthecontract——andhewouldneverhavetoworkagain。Hewouldbearichmanforlife,withahouseofhisown,awife,andchildrengrowinguptoveneratehim。Yes,andbackofthehousehewouldhaveasmallgarden,aplaceofmeditationandrepose,withgoldfishinatinylakelet,andwindbellstinklingintheseveraltrees,andtherewouldbeahighwallallaroundsothathismeditationandreposeshouldbeundisturbed。
Well,hehadworkedoutthreeofthosefiveyears。Hewasalreadyawealthymaninhisowncountrythroughhisearnings,andonlytwoyearsmoreintervenedbetweenthecottonplantationonTahitiandthemeditationandreposethatawaitedhim。ButjustnowhewaslosingmoneybecauseoftheunfortunateaccidentofbeingpresentatthekillingofChungGa。Hehadlainthreeweeksinprison,andforeachdayofthosethreeweekshehadlostfiftycents。Butnowjudgmentwouldsoonbegiven,andhewouldgobacktowork。
AhChowastwenty-twoyearsold。Hewashappyandgood-natured,anditwaseasyforhimtosmile。WhilehisbodywasslimintheAsiaticway,hisfacewasrotund。Itwasround,likethemoon,anditirradiatedagentlecomplacenceandasweetkindlinessofspiritthatwasunusualamonghiscountrymen。Nordidhislooksbeliehim。Henevercausedtrouble,nevertookpartinwrangling。Hedidnotgamble。Hissoulwasnotharshenoughforthesoulthatmustbelongtoagambler。Hewascontentwithlittlethingsandsimplepleasures。Thehushandquietinthecoolofthedayaftertheblazingtoilinthecottonfieldwastohimaninfinitesatisfaction。Hecouldsitforhoursgazingatasolitaryflowerandphilosophizingaboutthemysteriesandriddlesofbeing。Ablueherononatinycrescentofsandybeach,asilverysplatterofflyingfish,orasunsetofpearlandroseacrossthelagoon,couldentrancehimtoallforgetfulnessoftheprocessionofwearisomedaysandoftheheavylashofSchemmer。
Schemmer,KarlSchemmer,wasabrute,abrutishbrute。Butheearnedhissalary。Hegotthelastparticleofstrengthoutofthefivehundredslaves;forslavestheywereuntiltheirtermofyearswasup。Schemmerworkedhardtoextractthestrengthfromthosefivehundredsweatingbodiesandtotransmuteitintobalesoffluffycottonreadyforexport。Hisdominant,iron-clad,primevalbrutishnesswaswhatenabledhimtoeffectthetransmutation。Also,hewasassistedbyathickleatherbelt,threeincheswideandayardinlength,withwhichhealwaysrodeandwhich,onoccasion,couldcomedownonthenakedbackofastoopingcooliewithareportlikeapistol-shot。ThesereportswerefrequentwhenSchemmerrodedownthefurrowedfield。
Once,atthebeginningofthefirstyearofcontractlabour,hehadkilledacooliewithasingleblowofhisfist。Hehadnotexactlycrushedtheman\'sheadlikeanegg-shell,buttheblowhadbeensufficienttoaddlewhatwasinside,and,afterbeingsickforaweek,themanhaddied。ButtheChinesehadnotcomplainedtotheFrenchdevilsthatruledoverTahiti。
Itwastheirownlookout。Schemmerwastheirproblem。Theymustavoidhiswrathastheyavoidedthevenomofthecentipedesthatlurkedinthegrassorcreptintothesleepingquartersonrainynights。TheChinagos——
suchtheywerecalledbytheindolent,brown-skinnedislandfolk——sawtoitthattheydidnotdispleaseSchemmertoogreatly。Thiswasequivalenttorenderinguptohimafullmeasureofefficienttoil。ThatblowofSchemmer\'sfisthadbeenworththousandsofdollarstotheCompany,andnotroubleevercameofittoSchemmer。
TheFrench,withnoinstinctforcolonization,futileintheirchildishplaygameofdevelopingtheresourcesoftheisland,wereonlytoogladtoseetheEnglishCompanysucceed。WhatmatterofSchemmerandhisredoubtablefist?TheChinagothatdied?Well,hewasonlyaChinago。
Besides,hediedofsunstroke,asthedoctor\'scertificateattested。True,inallthehistoryofTahitinoonehadeverdiedofsunstroke。Butitwasthat,preciselythat,whichmadethedeathofthisChinagounique。Thedoctorsaidasmuchinhisreport。Hewasverycandid。Dividendsmustbepaid,orelseonemorefailurewouldbeaddedtothelonghistoryoffailureinTahiti。
Therewasnounderstandingthesewhitedevils。AhChoponderedtheirinscrutablenessashesatinthecourtroomwaitingthejudgment。Therewasnotellingwhatwentonatthebackoftheirminds。Hehadseenafewofthewhitedevils。Theywereallalike——theofficersandsailorsontheship,theFrenchofficials,theseveralwhitemenontheplantation,includingSchemmer。Theirmindsallmovedinmysteriouswaystherewasnogettingat。Theygrewangrywithoutapparentcause,andtheirangerwasalwaysdangerous。Theywerelikewildbeastsatsuchtimes。Theyworriedaboutlittlethings,andonoccasioncouldout-toilevenaChinago。TheywerenottemperateasChinagosweretemperate;theyweregluttons,eatingprodigiouslyanddrinkingmoreprodigiously。AChinagoneverknewwhenanactwouldpleasethemorarouseastormofwrath。AChinagocouldnevertell。Whatpleasedonetime,theverynexttimemightprovokeanoutburstofanger。TherewasacurtainbehindtheeyesofthewhitedevilsthatscreenedthebacksoftheirmindsfromtheChinago\'sgaze。Andthen,ontopofitall,wasthatterribleefficiencyofthewhitedevils,thatabilitytodothings,tomakethingsgo,toworkresults,tobendtotheirwillsallcreeping,crawlingthings,andthepowersoftheveryelementsthemselves。Yes,thewhitemenwerestrangeandwonderful,andtheyweredevils。LookatSchemmer。
AhChowonderedwhythejudgmentwassolonginforming。NotamanontrialhadlaidhandonChungGa。AhSanalonehadkilledhim。AhSanhaddoneit,bendingChungGa\'sheadbackwithonehandbyagripofhisqueue,andwiththeotherhand,frombehind,reachingoveranddrivingtheknifeintohisbody。Twicehadhedrivenitin。Thereinthecourtroom,withclosedeyes,AhChosawthekillingactedoveragain——thesquabble,thevilewordsbandiedbackandforth,thefilthandinsultflunguponvenerableancestors,thecurseslaiduponunbegottengenerations,theleapofAhSan,thegriponthequeueofChungGa,theknifethatsanktwiceintohisflesh,theburstingopenofthedoor,theirruptionofSchemmer,thedashforthedoor,theescapeofAhSan,theflyingbeltofSchemmerthatdrovetherestintothecorner,andthefiringoftherevolverasasignalthatbroughthelptoSchemmer。AhChoshiveredasheliveditover。
Oneblowofthebelthadbruisedhischeek,takingoffsomeoftheskin。
Schemmerhadpointedtothebruiseswhen,onthewitness-stand,hehadidentifiedAhCho。Itwasonlyjustnowthatthemarkshadbecomenolongervisible。Thathadbeenablow。Halfaninchnearerthecentreanditwouldhavetakenouthiseye。ThenAhChoforgotthewholehappeninginavisionhecaughtofthegardenofmeditationandreposethatwouldbehiswhenhereturnedtohisownland。
Hesatwithimpassiveface,whilethemagistraterenderedthejudgment。
Likewisewerethefacesofhisfourcompanionsimpassive。AndtheyremainedimpassivewhentheinterpreterexplainedthatthefiveofthemhadbeenfoundguiltyofthemurderofChungGa,andthatAhChowshouldhavehisheadcutoff,AhChoservetwentyyearsinprisoninNewCaledonia,WongLitwelveyears,andAhTongtenyears。Therewasnouseingettingexcitedaboutit。EvenAhChowremainedexpressionlessasamummy,thoughitwashisheadthatwastobecutoff。Themagistrateaddedafewwords,andtheinterpreterexplainedthatAhChow\'sfacehavingbeenmostseverelybruisedbySchemmer\'sstraphadmadehisidentificationsopositivethat,sinceonemanmustdie,hemightaswellbethatman。Also,thefactthatAhCho\'sfacelikewisehadbeenseverelybruised,conclusivelyprovinghispresenceatthemurderandhisundoubtedparticipation,hadmeritedhimthetwentyyearsofpenalservitude。AnddowntothetenyearsofAhTong,theproportionedreasonforeachsentencewasexplained。LettheChinagostakethelessontoheart,theCourtsaidfinally,fortheymustlearnthatthelawwouldbefulfilledinTahitithoughtheheavensfell。
ThefiveChinagosweretakenbacktojail。Theywerenotshockednorgrieved。Thesentencesbeingunexpectedwasquitewhattheywereaccustomedtointheirdealingswiththewhitedevils。FromthemaChinagorarelyexpectedmorethantheunexpected。Theheavypunishmentforacrimetheyhadnotcommittedwasnostrangerthanthecountlessstrangethingsthatwhitedevilsdid。Intheweeksthatfollowed,AhChooftencontemplatedAhChowwithmildcuriosity。
Hisheadwastobecutoffbytheguillotinethatwasbeingerectedontheplantation。Forhimtherewouldbenodecliningyears,nogardensoftranquillity。AhChophilosophizedandspeculatedaboutlifeanddeath。Asforhimself,hewasnotperturbed。Twentyyearsweremerelytwentyyears。Bythatmuchwashisgardenremovedfromhim——thatwasall。Hewasyoung,andthepatienceofAsiawasinhisbones。Hecouldwaitthosetwentyyears,andbythattimetheheatsofhisbloodwouldbeassuagedandhewouldbebetterfittedforthatgardenofcalmdelight。Hethoughtofanameforit;hewouldcallitTheGardenoftheMorningCalm。Hewasmadehappyalldaybythethought,andhewasinspiredtodeviseamoralmaximonthevirtueofpatience,whichmaximprovedagreatcomfort,especiallytoWongLiandAhTong。AhChow,however,didnotcareforthemaxim。Hisheadwastobeseparatedfromhisbodyinsoshortatimethathehadnoneedforpatiencetowaitforthatevent。Hesmokedwell,atewell,sleptwell,anddidnotworryabouttheslowpassageoftime。
Cruchotwasagendarme。Hehadseentwentyyearsofserviceinthecolonies,fromNigeriaandSenegaltotheSouthSeas,andthosetwentyyearshadnotperceptiblybrightenedhisdullmind。Hewasasslow-wittedandstupidasinhispeasantdaysinthesouthofFrance。Heknewdisciplineandfearofauthority,andfromGoddowntothesergeantofgendarmestheonlydifferencetohimwasthemeasureofslavishobediencewhichherendered。Inpointoffact,thesergeantbulkedbiggerinhismindthanGod,exceptonSundayswhenGod\'smouthpieceshadtheirsay。Godwasusuallyveryremote,whilethesergeantwasordinarilyverycloseathand。
CruchotitwaswhoreceivedtheorderfromtheChiefJusticetothejailercommandingthatfunctionarytodeliverovertoCruchotthepersonofAhChow。Now,ithappenedthattheChiefJusticehadgivenadinnerthenightbeforetothecaptainandofficersoftheFrenchman-of-war。Hishandwasshakingwhenhewroteouttheorder,andhiseyeswereachingsodreadfullythathedidnotreadovertheorder。ItwasonlyaChinago\'slifehewassigningaway,anyway。SohedidnotnoticethathehadomittedthefinalletterinAhChow\'sname。Theorderread\"AhCho,\"and,whenCruchotpresentedtheorder,thejailerturnedovertohimthepersonofAhCho。
Cruchottookthatpersonbesidehimontheseatofawagon,behindtwomules,anddroveaway。
AhChowasgladtobeoutinthesunshine。Hesatbesidethegendarmeandbeamed。HebeamedmoreardentlythaneverwhenhenotedthemulesheadedsouthtowardAtimaono。UndoubtedlySchemmerhadsentforhimtobebroughtback。Schemmerwantedhimtowork。Verywell,hewouldworkwell。
Schemmerwouldneverhavecausetocomplain。Itwasahotday。Therehadbeenastoppageofthetrades。Themulessweated,Cruchotsweated,andAhChosweated。ButitwasAhChothatboretheheatwiththeleastconcern。
Hehadtoiledthreeyearsunderthatsunontheplantation。HebeamedandbeamedwithsuchgenialgoodnaturethatevenCruchot\'sheavymindwasstirredtowonderment。
\"Youareveryfunny,\"hesaidatlast。
AhChonoddedandbeamedmoreardently。Unlikethemagistrate,CruchotspoketohimintheKanakatongue,andthis,likeallChinagosandallforeigndevils,AhChounderstood。
\"Youlaughtoomuch,\"Cruchotchided。\"One\'sheartshouldbefulloftearsonadaylikethis。\"
\"Iamgladtogetoutofthejail。\"
\"Isthatall?\"Thegendarmeshruggedhisshoulders。
\"Isitnotenough?\"wastheretort。
\"Thenyouarenotgladtohaveyourheadcutoff?\"
AhCholookedathiminabruptperplexity,andsaid——
\"Why,IamgoingbacktoAtimaonotoworkontheplantationforSchemmer。
AreyounottakingmetoAtimaono?\"
Cruchotstrokedhislongmoustachesreflectively。\"Well,well,\"hesaidfinally,withaflickofthewhipattheoffmule,\"soyoudon\'tknow?\"
\"Knowwhat?\"AhChowasbeginningtofeelavaguealarm。\"Won\'tSchemmerletmeworkforhimanymore?\"
\"Notafterto-day。\"Cruchotlaughedheartily。Itwasagoodjoke。\"Yousee,youwon\'tbeabletoworkafterto-day。Amanwithhisheadoffcan\'twork,eh?\"HepokedtheChinagointheribs,andchuckled。
AhChomaintainedsilencewhilethemulestrottedahotmile。Thenhespoke:\"IsSchemmergoingtocutoffmyhead?\"
Cruchotgrinnedashenodded。
\"Itisamistake,\"saidAhCho,gravely。\"IamnottheChinagothatistohavehisheadcutoff。IamAhCho。ThehonourablejudgehasdeterminedthatIamtostoptwentyyearsinNewCaledonia。\"
Thegendarmelaughed。Itwasagoodjoke,thisfunnyChinagotryingtocheattheguillotine。ThemulestrottedthroughacoconutgroveandforhalfamilebesidethesparklingseabeforeAhChospokeagain。
\"ItellyouIamnotAhChow。Thehonourablejudgedidnotsaythatmyheadwastogooff。\"
\"Don\'tbeafraid,\"saidCruchot,withthephilanthropicintentionofmakingiteasierforhisprisoner。\"Itisnotdifficulttodiethatway。\"Hesnappedhisfingers。\"Itisquick——likethat。Itisnotlikehangingontheendofaropeandkickingandmakingfacesforfiveminutes。Itislikekillingachickenwithahatchet。Youcutitsheadoff,thatisall。
Anditisthesamewithaman。Pouf!——itisover。Itdoesn\'thurt。Youdon\'teventhinkithurts。Youdon\'tthink。Yourheadisgone,soyoucannotthink。Itisverygood。ThatisthewayIwanttodie——quick,ah,quick。Youareluckytodiethatway。Youmightgettheleprosyandfalltopiecesslowly,afingeratatime,andnowandagainathumb,alsothetoes。Iknewamanwhowasburnedbyhotwater。Ittookhimtwodaystodie。Youcouldhearhimyellingakilometreaway。Butyou?Ah!soeasy!
Chck!——theknifecutsyournecklikethat。Itisfinished。Theknifemayeventickle。Whocansay?Nobodywhodiedthatwayevercamebacktosay。\"
Heconsideredthislastanexcruciatingjoke,andpermittedhimselftobeconvulsedwithlaughterforhalfaminute。Partofhismirthwasassumed,butheconsideredithishumanedutytocheeruptheChinago。
\"ButItellyouIamAhCho,\"theotherpersisted。\"Idon\'twantmyheadcutoff。\"
Cruchotscowled。TheChinagowascarryingthefoolishnesstoofar。
\"IamnotAhChow——\"AhChobegan。
\"Thatwilldo,\"thegendarmeinterrupted。Hepuffeduphischeeksandstrovetoappearfierce。
\"ItellyouIamnot——\"AhChobeganagain。
\"Shutup!\"bawledCruchot。
Afterthattheyrodealonginsilence。ItwastwentymilesfromPapeetetoAtimaono,andoverhalfthedistancewascoveredbythetimetheChinagoagainventuredintospeech。
\"Isawyouinthecourtroom,whenthehonourablejudgesoughtafterourguilt,\"hebegan。\"Verygood。AnddoyourememberthatAhChow,whoseheadistobecutoff——doyourememberthathe——AhChow——wasatallman?
Lookatme。\"
Hestoodupsuddenly,andCruchotsawthathewasashortman。AndjustassuddenlyCruchotcaughtaglimpseofamemorypictureofAhChow,andinthatpictureAhChowwastall。TothegendarmeallChinagoslookedalike。
Onefacewaslikeanother。Butbetweentallnessandshortnesshecoulddifferentiate,andheknewthathehadthewrongmanbesidehimontheseat。Hepulledupthemulesabruptly,sothatthepoleshotaheadofthem,elevatingtheircollars。
\"Yousee,itwasamistake,\"saidAhCho,smilingpleasantly。
ButCruchotwasthinking。Alreadyheregrettedthathehadstoppedthewagon。HewasunawareoftheerroroftheChiefJustice,andhehadnowayofworkingitout;buthedidknowthathehadbeengiventhisChinagototaketoAtimaonoandthatitwashisdutytotakehimtoAtimaono。Whatifhewasthewrongmanandtheycuthisheadoff?ItwasonlyaChinagowhenallwassaid,andwhatwasaChinago,anyway?Besides,itmightnotbeamistake。Hedidnotknowwhatwentoninthemindsofhissuperiors。Theyknewtheirbusinessbest。Whowashetodotheirthinkingforthem?Once,inthelongago,hehadattemptedtothinkforthem,andthesergeanthadsaid:\"Cruchot,youareafool?Thequickeryouknowthat,thebetteryouwillgeton。Youarenottothink;youaretoobeyandleavethinkingtoyourbetters。\"Hesmartedundertherecollection。Also,ifheturnedbacktoPapeete,hewoulddelaytheexecutionatAtimaono,andifhewerewronginturningback,hewouldgetareprimandfromthesergeantwhowaswaitingfortheprisoner。And,furthermore,hewouldgetareprimandatPapeeteaswell。
Hetouchedthemuleswiththewhipanddroveon。Helookedathiswatch。
Hewouldbehalfanhourlateasitwas,andthesergeantwasboundtobeangry。Heputthemulesintoafastertrot。ThemoreAhChopersistedinexplainingthemistake,themorestubbornCruchotbecame。Theknowledgethathehadthewrongmandidnotmakehistemperbetter。Theknowledgethatitwasthroughnomistakeofhisconfirmedhiminthebeliefthatthewronghewasdoingwastheright。And,ratherthanincurthedispleasureofthesergeant,hewouldwillinglyhaveassistedadozenwrongChinagostotheirdoom。
AsforAhCho,afterthegendarmehadstruckhimovertheheadwiththebuttofthewhipandcommandedhiminaloudvoicetoshutup,thereremainednothingforhimtodobuttoshutup。Thelongridecontinuedinsilence。AhChoponderedthestrangewaysoftheforeigndevils。Therewasnoexplainingthem。Whattheyweredoingwithhimwasofapiecewitheverythingtheydid。Firsttheyfoundguiltyfiveinnocentmen,andnexttheycutofftheheadofthemanthateventhey,intheirbenightedignorance,haddeemedmeritoriousofnomorethantwentyyears\'
imprisonment。Andtherewasnothinghecoulddo。Hecouldonlysitidlyandtakewhattheselordsoflifemeasuredouttohim。Once,hegotinapanic,andthesweatuponhisbodyturnedcold;buthefoughthiswayoutofit。Heendeavouredtoresignhimselftohisfatebyrememberingandrepeatingcertainpassagesfromthe\"YinChihWen\"\"TheTractoftheQuietWay\";but,instead,hekeptseeinghisdream-gardenofmeditationandrepose。Thisbotheredhim,untilheabandonedhimselftothedreamandsatinhisgardenlisteningtothetinklingofthewindbellsintheseveraltrees。Andlo!sittingthus,inthedream,hewasabletorememberandrepeatthepassagesfrom\"TheTractoftheQuietWay。\"
SothetimepassednicelyuntilAtimaonowasreachedandthemulestrotteduptothefootofthescaffold,intheshadeofwhichstoodtheimpatientsergeant。AhChowashurrieduptheladderofthescaffold。Beneathhimononesidehesawassembledallthecooliesoftheplantation。Schemmerhaddecidedthattheeventwouldbeagoodobject-lesson,andsohecalledinthecooliesfromthefieldsandcompelledthemtobepresent。AstheycaughtsightofAhChotheygabbledamongthemselvesinlowvoices。Theysawthemistake;buttheykeptittothemselves。Theinexplicablewhitedevilshaddoubtlesslychangedtheirminds。Insteadoftakingthelifeofoneinnocentman,theyweretakingthelifeofanotherinnocentman。AhChoworAhCho——whatdiditmatterwhich?Theycouldneverunderstandthewhitedogsanymorethancouldthewhitedogsunderstandthem。AhChowasgoingtohavehisheadcutoff,butthey,whentheirtworemainingyearsofservitudewereup,weregoingbacktoChina。
Schemmerhadmadetheguillotinehimself。Hewasahandyman,andthoughhehadneverseenaguillotine,theFrenchofficialshadexplainedtheprincipletohim。ItwasonhissuggestionthattheyhadorderedtheexecutiontotakeplaceatAtimaonoinsteadofatPapeete。Thesceneofthecrime,Schemmerhadargued,wasthebestpossibleplaceforthepunishment,and,inaddition,itwouldhaveasalutaryinfluenceuponthehalf-thousandChinagosontheplantation。Schemmerhadalsovolunteeredtoactasexecutioner,andinthatcapacityhewasnowonthescaffold,experimentingwiththeinstrumenthehadmade。Abananatree,ofthesizeandconsistencyofaman\'sneck,layundertheguillotine。AhChowatchedwithfascinatedeyes。TheGerman,turningasmallcrank,hoistedthebladetothetopofthelittlederrickhehadrigged。Ajerkonastoutpieceofcordloosedthebladeanditdroppedwithaflash,neatlyseveringthebananatrunk。
\"Howdoesitwork?\"Thesergeant,comingoutontopthescaffold,hadaskedthequestion。
\"Beautifully,\"wasSchemmer\'sexultantanswer。\"Letmeshowyou。\"
Againheturnedthecrankthathoistedtheblade,jerkedthecord,andsentthebladecrashingdownonthesofttree。Butthistimeitwentnomorethantwo-thirdsofthewaythrough。
Thesergeantscowled。\"Thatwillnotserve,\"hesaid。
Schemmerwipedthesweatfromhisforehead。\"Whatitneedsismoreweight,\"heannounced。Walkinguptotheedgeofthescaffold,hecalledhisorderstotheblacksmithforatwenty-five-poundpieceofiron。Ashestoopedovertoattachtheirontothebroadtopoftheblade,AhChoglancedatthesergeantandsawhisopportunity。
\"ThehonourablejudgesaidthatAhChowwastohavehisheadcutoff,\"hebegan。
Thesergeantnoddedimpatiently。Hewasthinkingofthefifteen-mileridebeforehimthatafternoon,tothewindwardsideoftheisland,andofBerthe,theprettyhalf-castedaughterofLafiere,thepearl-trader,whowaswaitingforhimattheendofit。
\"Well,IamnotAhChow。IamAhCho。Thehonourablejailerhasmadeamistake。AhChowisatallman,andyouseeIamshort。\"
Thesergeantlookedathimhastilyandsawthemistake。\"Schemmer!\"hecalled,imperatively。\"Comehere。\"
TheGermangrunted,butremainedbentoverhistasktillthechunkofironwaslashedtohissatisfaction。\"IsyourChinagoready?\"hedemanded。
\"Lookathim,\"wastheanswer。\"IshetheChinago?\"
Schemmerwassurprised。Hesworeterselyforafewseconds,andlookedregretfullyacrossatthethinghehadmadewithhisownhandsandwhichhewaseagertoseework。\"Lookhere,\"hesaidfinally,\"wecan\'tpostponethisaffair。I\'velostthreehours\'workalreadyoutofthosefivehundredChinagos。Ican\'taffordtoloseitalloveragainfortherightman。
Let\'sputtheperformancethroughjustthesame。ItisonlyaChinago。\"
Thesergeantrememberedthelongridebeforehim,andthepearl-trader\'sdaughter,anddebatedwithhimself。
\"TheywillblameitonCruchot——ifitisdiscovered,\"theGermanurged。
\"Butthere\'slittlechanceofitsbeingdiscovered。AhChowwon\'tgiveitaway,atanyrate。\"
\"Theblamewon\'tliewithCruchot,anyway,\"thesergeantsaid。\"Itmusthavebeenthejailer\'smistake。\"
\"Thenlet\'sgoonwithit。Theycan\'tblameus。WhocantelloneChinagofromanother?WecansaythatwemerelycarriedoutinstructionswiththeChinagothatwasturnedovertous。Besides,Ireallycan\'ttakeallthosecooliesasecondtimeawayfromtheirlabour。\"
TheyspokeinFrench,andAhCho,whodidnotunderstandawordofit,neverthelessknewthattheyweredetermininghisdestiny。Heknew,also,thatthedecisionrestedwiththesergeant,andhehunguponthatofficial\'slips。
\"Allright,\"announcedthesergeant。\"Goaheadwithit。HeisonlyaChinago。\"
\"I\'mgoingtotryitoncemore,justtomakesure。\"Schemmermovedthebananatrunkforwardundertheknife,whichhehadhoistedtothetopofthederrick。
AhChotriedtoremembermaximsfrom\"TheTractoftheQuietWay。\"\"Liveinconcord,\"cametohim;butitwasnotapplicable。Hewasnotgoingtolive。Hewasabouttodie。No,thatwouldnotdo。\"Forgivemalice\"——yes,buttherewasnomalicetoforgive。Schemmerandtherestweredoingthisthingwithoutmalice。Itwastothemmerelyapieceofworkthathadtobedone,justasclearingthejungle,ditchingthewater,andplantingcottonwerepiecesofworkthathadtobedone。Schemmerjerkedthecord,andAhChoforgot\"TheTractoftheQuietWay。\"Theknifeshotdownwithathud,makingacleansliceofthetree。
\"Beautiful!\"exclaimedthesergeant,pausingintheactoflightingacigarette。\"Beautiful,myfriend。\"
Schemmerwaspleasedatthepraise。
\"Comeon,AhChow,\"hesaid,intheTahitiantongue。
\"ButIamnotAhChow——\"AhChobegan。
\"Shutup!\"wastheanswer。\"Ifyouopenyourmouthagain,I\'llbreakyourhead。\"
Theoverseerthreatenedhimwithaclenchedfist,andheremainedsilent。
Whatwasthegoodofprotesting?Thoseforeigndevilsalwayshadtheirway。Heallowedhimselftobelashedtotheverticalboardthatwasthesizeofhisbody。Schemmerdrewthebucklestight——sotightthatthestrapscutintohisfleshandhurt。Buthedidnotcomplain。Thehurtwouldnotlastlong。Hefelttheboardtiltingoverintheairtowardthehorizontal,andclosedhiseyes。Andinthatmomenthecaughtalastglimpseofhisgardenofmeditationandrepose。Itseemedtohimthathesatinthegarden。Acoolwindwasblowing,andthebellsintheseveraltreesweretinklingsoftly。Also,birdsweremakingsleepynoises,andfrombeyondthehighwallcamethesubduedsoundofvillagelife。
Thenhewasawarethattheboardhadcometorest,andfrommuscularpressuresandtensionsheknewthathewaslyingonhisback。Heopenedhiseyes。Straightabovehimhesawthesuspendedknifeblazinginthesunshine。Hesawtheweightwhichhadbeenadded,andnotedthatoneofSchemmer\'sknotshadslipped。Thenheheardthesergeant\'svoiceinsharpcommand。AhChoclosedhiseyeshastily。Hedidnotwanttoseethatknifedescend。Buthefeltit——foronegreatfleetinginstant。AndinthatinstantherememberedCruchotandwhatCruchothadsaid。ButCruchotwaswrong。Theknifedidnottickle。Thatmuchheknewbeforeheceasedtoknow。
MAKEWESTING
Whateveryoudo,makewesting!makewesting!——
SailingdirectionsforCapeHorn。
ForsevenweekstheMaryRogershadbeenbetween5OdegreessouthintheAtlanticand5OdegreessouthinthePacific,whichmeantthatforsevenweeksshehadbeenstrugglingtoroundCapeHorn。Forsevenweeksshehadbeeneitherindirt,orclosetodirt,saveonce,andthen,followinguponsixdaysofexcessivedirt,whichshehadriddenoutundertheshelteroftheredoubtableTerradelFuegocoast,shehadalmostgoneashoreduringaheavyswellinthedeadcalmthathadsuddenlyfallen。ForsevenweeksshehadwrestledwiththeCapeHorngraybeards,andinreturnbeenbuffetedandsmashedbythem。Shewasawoodenship,andherceaselessstraininghadopenedherseams,sothattwiceadaythewatchtookitsturnatthepumps。
TheMaryRogerswasstrained,thecrewwasstrained,andbigDanCullen,master,waslikewisestrained。Perhapshewasstrainedmostofall,foruponhimrestedtheresponsibilityofthattitanicstruggle。Hesleptmostofthetimeinhisclothes,thoughherarelyslept。Hehauntedthedeckatnight,agreat,burly,robustghost,blackwiththesunburnofthirtyyearsofseaandhairyasanorang-outang。He,inturn,washauntedbyonethoughtofaction,asailingdirectionfortheHorn:Whateveryoudo,makewesting!makewesting!Itwasanobsession。Hethoughtofnothingelse,except,attimes,toblasphemeGodforsendingsuchbitterweather。
Makewesting!HehuggedtheHorn,andadozentimeslayhovetowiththeironCapebearingeast-by-north,ornorth-north-east,ascoreofmilesaway。Andeachtimetheeternalwestwindsmotehimbackandhemadeeasting。Hefoughtgaleaftergale,southto64degrees,insidetheantarcticdrift-ice,andpledgedhisimmortalsoultothePowersofDarknessforabitofwesting,foraslanttotakehimaround。Andhemadeeasting。Indespair,hehadtriedtomakethepassagethroughtheStraitsofLeMaire。Halfwaythrough,thewindhauledtothenorth\'ardofnorth-
west,theglassdroppedto28。88,andheturnedandranbeforeagaleofcyclonicfury,missing,byahair\'s-breadth,pilinguptheMaryRogersontheblack-toothedrocks。TwicehehadmadewesttotheDiegoRamirezRocks,oneofthetimessavedbetweentwosnow-squallsbysightingthegravestonesofshipsaquarterofamiledeadahead。
Blow!CaptainDanCulleninstancedallhisthirtyyearsatseatoprovethatneverhaditblownsobefore。TheMaryRogerswashovetoatthetimehegavetheevidence,and,toclinchit,insidehalfanhourtheMaryRogerswashovedowntothehatches。Hernewmaintopsailandbrandnewspencerwereblownawayliketissuepaper;andfivesails,furledandfastunderdoublegaskets,wereblownlooseandstrippedfromtheyards。AndbeforemorningtheMaryRogerswashovedowntwiceagain,andholeswereknockedinherbulwarkstoeaseherdecksfromtheweightofoceanthatpressedherdown。
OnanaverageofonceaweekCaptainDanCullencaughtglimpsesofthesun。
Once,fortenminutes,thesunshoneatmidday,andtenminutesafterwardanewgalewaspipingup,bothwatcheswereshorteningsail,andallwasburiedintheobscurityofadrivingsnow-squall。Forafortnight,once,CaptainDanCullenwaswithoutameridianorachronometersight。Rarelydidheknowhispositionwithinhalfofadegree,exceptwheninsightofland;forsunandstarsremainedhiddenbehindthesky,anditwassogloomythatevenatthebestthehorizonswerepoorforaccurateobservations。Agraygloomshroudedtheworld。Thecloudsweregray;thegreatdrivingseaswereleadengray;thesmokingcrestswereagraychurning;eventheoccasionalalbatrossesweregray,whilethesnow-
flurrieswerenotwhite,butgray,underthesombrepalloftheheavens。
LifeonboardtheMaryRogerswasgray——grayandgloomy。Thefacesofthesailorswereblue-gray;theywereafflictedwithsea-cutsandsea-boils,andsufferedexquisitely。Theywereshadowsofmen。Forsevenweeks,intheforecastleorondeck,theyhadnotknownwhatitwastobedry。Theyhadforgottenwhatitwastosleepoutawatch,andallwatchesitwas,\"Allhandsondeck!\"Theycaughtsnatchesofagonizedsleep,andtheysleptintheiroilskinsreadyfortheeverlastingcall。Soweakandwornweretheythatittookbothwatchestodotheworkofone。Thatwaswhybothwatcheswereondecksomuchofthetime。Andnoshadowofamancouldshirkduty。Nothinglessthanabrokenlegcouldenableamantoknockoffwork;andthereweretwosuch,whohadbeenmauledandpulpedbytheseasthatbrokeaboard。
OneothermanwhowastheshadowofamanwasGeorgeDorety。Hewastheonlypassengeronboard,afriendofthefirm,andhehadelectedtomakethevoyageforhishealth。ButsevenweeksofCapeHornhadnotbetteredhishealth。Hegaspedandpantedinhisbunkthroughthelong,heavingnights;andwhenondeckhewassobundledupforwarmththatheresembledaperipateticold-clothesshop。Atmidday,eatingatthecabintableinagloomsodeepthattheswingingsea-lampsburnedalways,helookedasblue-
grayasthesickest,saddestmanfor\'ard。NordidgazingacrossthetableatCaptainDanCullenhaveanycheeringeffectuponhim。CaptainCullenchewedandscowledandkeptsilent。ThescowlswereforGod,andwitheverychewhereiteratedthesolethoughtofhisexistence,whichwasmakewesting。Hewasabig,hairybrute,andthesightofhimwasnotstimulatingtotheother\'sappetite。HelookeduponGeorgeDoretyasaJonah,andtoldhimso,onceeachmeal,savagelytransferringthescowlfromGodtothepassengerandbackagain。
Nordidthemateproveafirstaidtoalanguidappetite。JoshuaHigginsbyname,aseamanbyprofessionandpull,butapot-wolloperbycapacity,hewasaloose-jointed,snifflingcreature,heartlessandselfishandcowardly,withoutasoul,infearofhislifeofDanCullen,andabullyoverthesailors,whoknewthatbehindthematewasCaptainCullen,thelaw-giverandcompeller,thedriverandthedestroyer,theincarnationofadozenbuckomates。Inthatwildweatheratthesouthernendoftheearth,JoshuaHigginsceasedwashing。HisgrimyfaceusuallyrobbedGeorgeDoretyofwhatlittleappetitehemanagedtoaccumulate。OrdinarilythislavatorialderelictionwouldhavecaughtCaptainCullen\'seyeandvocabulary,butinthepresenthismindwasfilledwithmakingwesting,totheexclusionofallotherthingsnotcontributorythereto。Whetherthemate\'sfacewascleanordirtyhadnobearinguponwesting。Lateron,when5OdegreessouthinthePacifichadbeenreached,JoshuaHigginswouldwashhisfaceveryabruptly。Inthemeantime,atthecabintable,wheregraytwilightalternatedwithlamplightwhilethelampswerebeingfilled,GeorgeDoretysatbetweenthetwomen,oneatigerandtheotherahyena,andwonderedwhyGodhadmadethem。Thesecondmate,MatthewTurner,wasatruesailorandaman,butGeorgeDoretydidnothavethesolaceofhiscompany,forheatebyhimself,solitary,whentheyhadfinished。
OnSaturdaymorning,July24,GeorgeDoretyawoketoafeelingoflifeandheadlongmovement。OndeckhefoundtheMaryRogersrunningoffbeforeahowlingsouth-easter。Nothingwassetbutthelowertopsailsandtheforesail。Itwasallshecouldstand,yetshewasmakingfourteenknots,asMr。TurnershoutedinDorety\'searwhenhecameondeck。Anditwasallwesting。ShewasgoingaroundtheHornatlast……ifthewindheld。
Mr。Turnerlookedhappy。Theendofthestrugglewasinsight。ButCaptainCullendidnotlookhappy。HescowledatDoretyinpassing。
CaptainCullendidnotwantGodtoknowthathewaspleasedwiththatwind。
HehadaconceptionofamaliciousGod,andbelievedinhissecretsoulthatifGodknewitwasadesirablewind,Godwouldpromptlyeffaceitandsendasnorterfromthewest。SohewalkedsoftlybeforeGod,smotheringhisjoydownunderscowlsandmutteredcurses,and,so,foolingGod,forGodwastheonlythingintheuniverseofwhichDanCullenwasafraid。
AllSaturdayandSaturdaynighttheMaryRogersracedherwesting。
Persistentlysheloggedherfourteenknots,sothatbySundaymorningshehadcoveredthreehundredandfiftymiles。Ifthewindheld,shewouldmakearound。Ifitfailed,andthesnortercamefromanywherebetweensouth-westandnorth,backtheMaryRogerswouldbehurledandbenobetteroffthanshehadbeensevenweeksbefore。AndonSundaymorningthewindwasfailing。Thebigseawasgoingdownandrunningsmooth。Bothwatcheswereondecksettingsailaftersailasfastastheshipcouldstandit。
AndnowCaptainCullenwentaroundbrazenlybeforeGod,smokingabigcigar,smilingjubilantly,asifthefailingwinddelightedhim,whiledownunderneathhewasragingagainstGodfortakingthelifeoutoftheblessedwind。Makewesting!Sohewould,ifGodwouldonlyleavehimalone。
Secretly,hepledgedhimselfanewtothePowersofDarkness,iftheywouldlethimmakewesting。HepledgedhimselfsoeasilybecausehedidnotbelieveinthePowersofDarkness。HereallybelievedonlyinGod,thoughhedidnotknowit。AndinhisinvertedtheologyGodwasreallythePrinceofDarkness。CaptainCullenwasadevil-worshipper,buthecalledthedevilbyanothername,thatwasall。
Atmidday,aftercallingeightbells,CaptainCullenorderedtheroyalson。
Themenwentaloftfasterthantheyhadgoneinweeks。Notaloneweretheynimblebecauseofthewesting,butabenignantsunwasshiningdownandlimberingtheirstiffbodies。GeorgeDoretystoodaft,nearCaptainCullen,lessbundledinclothesthanusual,soakinginthegratefulwarmthashewatchedthescene。Swiftlyandabruptlytheincidentoccurred。
Therewasacryfromtheforeroyal-yardof\"Manoverboard!\"Somebodythrewalife-buoyovertheside,andatthesameinstantthesecondmate\'svoicecameaft,ringingandperemptory——
\"Harddownyourhelm!\"
Themanatthewheelnevermovedaspoke。Heknewbetter,forCaptainDanCullenwasstandingalongsideofhim。Hewantedtomoveaspoke,tomoveallthespokes,togrindthewheeldown,harddown,forhiscomradedrowninginthesea。HeglancedatCaptainDanCullen,andCaptainDanCullengavenosign。
\"Down!Harddown!\"thesecondmateroared,ashesprangaft。
Butheceasedspringingandcommanding,andstoodstill,whenhesawDanCullenbythewheel。AndbigDanCullenpuffedathiscigarandsaidnothing。Astern,andgoingasternfast,couldbeseenthesailor。Hehadcaughtthelife-buoyandwasclingingtoit。Nobodyspoke。Nobodymoved。
Themenaloftclungtotheroyalyardsandwatchedwithterror-strickenfaces。AndtheMaryRogersracedon,makingherwesting。Along,silentminutepassed。
\"Whowasit?\"CaptainCullendemanded。
\"Mops,sir,\"eagerlyansweredthesailoratthewheel。
Mopstoppedawaveasternanddisappearedtemporarilyinthetrough。Itwasalargewave,butitwasnograybeard。Asmallboatcouldliveeasilyinsuchasea,andinsuchaseatheMaryRogerscouldeasilycometo。Butshecouldnotcometoandmakewestingatthesametime。
Forthefirsttimeinallhisyears,GeorgeDoretywasseeingarealdramaoflifeanddeath——asordidlittledramainwhichthescalesbalancedanunknownsailornamedMopsagainstafewmilesoflongitude。Atfirsthehadwatchedthemanastern,butnowhewatchedbigDanCullen,hairyandblack,vestedwithpoweroflifeanddeath,smokingacigar。
CaptainDanCullensmokedanotherlong,silentminute。Thenheremovedthecigarfromhismouth。HeglancedaloftatthesparsoftheMaryRogers,andoversideatthesea。
\"Sheethometheroyals!\"hecried。
Fifteenminuteslatertheysatattable,inthecabin,withfoodservedbeforethem。OnonesideofGeorgeDoretysatDanCullen,thetiger,ontheotherside,JoshuaHiggins,thehyena。Nobodyspoke。Ondeckthemenweresheetinghometheskysails。GeorgeDoretycouldheartheircries,whileapersistentvisionhauntedhimofamancalledMops,aliveandwell,clingingtoalife-buoymilesasterninthatlonelyocean。HeglancedatCaptainCullen,andexperiencedafeelingofnausea,forthemanwaseatinghisfoodwithrelish,almostboltingit。
\"CaptainCullen,\"Doretysaid,\"youareincommandofthisship,anditisnotproperformetocommentnowuponwhatyoudo。ButIwishtosayonething。Thereisahereafter,andyourswillbeahotone。\"
CaptainCullendidnotevenscowl。Inhisvoicewasregretashesaid——
\"Itwasblowingalivinggale。Itwasimpossibletosavetheman。\"
\"Hefellfromtheroyal-yard,\"Doretycriedhotly。\"Youweresettingtheroyalsatthetime。Fifteenminutesafterwardyouweresettingtheskysails。\"
\"Itwasalivinggale,wasn\'tit,Mr。Higgin?\"CaptainCullensaid,turningtothemate。
\"Ifyou\'dbroughtherto,it\'dhavetakenthesticksoutofher,\"wasthemate\'sanswer。\"Youdidtheproperthing,CaptainCullen。Themanhadn\'taghostofashow。\"
GeorgeDoretymadenoanswer,andtothemeal\'sendnoonespoke。Afterthat,Doretyhadhismealsservedinhisstate-room。CaptainCullenscowledathimnolonger,thoughnospeechwasexchangedbetweenthem,whiletheMaryRogersspednorthtowardwarmerlatitudes。Attheendoftheweek,DanCullencorneredDoretyondeck。
\"Whatareyougoingtodowhenwegetto\'Frisco?\"hedemandedbluntly。
\"Iamgoingtoswearoutawarrantforyourarrest,\"Doretyansweredquietly。\"Iamgoingtochargeyouwithmurder,andIamgoingtoseeyouhangedforit。\"
\"You\'realmightysureofyourself,\"CaptainCullensneered,turningonhisheel。
Asecondweekpassed,andonemorningfoundGeorgeDoretystandinginthecoach-housecompanionwayatthefor\'ardendofthelongpoop,takinghisfirstgazearoundthedeck。TheMaryRogerswasreachingfull-and-by,inastiffbreeze。Everysailwassetanddrawing,includingthestaysails。
CaptainCullenstrolledfor\'ardalongthepoop。Hestrolledcarelessly,glancingatthepassengeroutofthecornerofhiseye。Doretywaslookingtheotherway,standingwithheadandshouldersoutsidethecompanionway,andonlythebackofhisheadwastobeseen。CaptainCullen,withswifteye,embracedthemainstaysail-blockandtheheadandestimatedthedistance。Heglancedabouthim。Nobodywaslooking。Aft,JoshuaHiggins,pacingupanddown,hadjustturnedhisbackandwasgoingtheotherway。
CaptainCullenbentoversuddenlyandcastthestaysail-sheetofffromitspin。Theheavyblockhurtledthroughtheair,smashingDorety\'sheadlikeanegg-shellandhurtlingonandbackandforthasthestaysailwhippedandslattedinthewind。JoshuaHigginsturnedaroundtoseewhathadcarriedaway,andmetthefullblastofthevilestportionofCaptainCullen\'sprofanity。
\"Imadethesheetfastmyself,\"whimperedthemateinthefirstlull,\"withanextraturntomakesure。Irememberitdistinctly。\"
\"Madefast?\"theCaptainsnarledback,forthebenefitofthewatchasitstruggledtocapturetheflyingsailbeforeittoretoribbons。\"Youcouldn\'tmakeyourgrandmotherfast,youuselesshell\'sscullion。Ifyoumadethatsheetfastwithanextraturn,whyinhelldidn\'titstayfast?
That\'swhatIwanttoknow。Whyinhelldidn\'titstayfast?\"
Thematewhinedinarticulately。
\"Oh,shutup!\"wasthefinalwordofCaptainCullen。
HalfanhourlaterhewasassurprisedasanywhenthebodyofGeorgeDoretywasfoundinsidethecompanionwayonthefloor。Intheafternoon,aloneinhisroom,hedoctoredupthelog。
\"Ordinaryseaman,KarlBrun,\"hewrote,\"lostoverboardfromforeroyal-yardinagaleofwind。Wasrunningatthetime,andforthesafetyoftheshipdidnotdarecomeuptothewind。Norcouldaboathavelivedintheseathatwasrunning。\"
Onanotherpage,hewrote\"HadoftenwarnedMr。Doretyaboutthedangerheranbecauseofhiscarelessnessondeck。Itoldhim,once,thatsomedayhewouldgethisheadknockedoffbyablock。Acarelesslyfastenedmainstaysailsheetwasthecauseoftheaccident,whichwasdeeplytoberegrettedbecauseMr。
Doretywasafavouritewithallofus。\"
CaptainDanCullenreadoverhisliteraryeffortwithadmiration,blottedthepage,andclosedthelog。Helightedacigarandstaredbeforehim。
HefelttheMaryRogerslift,andheel,andsurgealong,andknewthatshewasmakingnineknots。Asmileofsatisfactionslowlydawnedonhisblackandhairyface。Well,anyway,hehadmadehiswestingandfooledGod。
SEMPERIDEM
DoctorBicknellwasinaremarkablygraciousmood。Throughaminoraccident,aslightbitofcarelessness,thatwasall,amanwhomighthavepulledthroughhaddiedtheprecedingnight。Thoughithadbeenonlyasailorman,oneoftheinnumerableunwashed,thestewardofthereceivinghospitalhadbeenontheanxiousseatallthemorning。Itwasnotthatthemanhaddiedthatgavehimdiscomfort,heknewtheDoctortoowellforthat,buthisdistresslayinthefactthattheoperationhadbeendonesowell。Oneofthemostdelicateinsurgery,ithadbeenassuccessfulasitwascleverandaudacious。Allhadthendependeduponthetreatment,thenurses,thesteward。Andthemanhaddied。Nothingmuch,abitofcarelessness,yetenoughtobringtheprofessionalwrathofDoctorBicknellabouthisearsandtoperturbtheworkingofthestaffandnursesfortwenty-fourhourstocome。
But,asalreadystated,theDoctorwasinaremarkablygraciousmood。Wheninformedbythesteward,infearandtrembling,oftheman\'sunexpectedtake-off,hislipsdidnotsomuchasformonesyllableofcensure;nay,theyweresopursedthatsnatchesofrag-timefloatedsoftlyfromthem,tobebrokenonlybyapleasantqueryafterthehealthoftheother\'seldest-
born。Thesteward,deemingitimpossiblethathecouldhavecaughtthegistofthecase,repeatedit。
\"Yes,yes,\"DoctorBicknellsaidimpatiently;\"Iunderstand。ButhowaboutSemperIdem?Ishereadytoleave?\"
\"Yes。They\'rehelpinghimdressnow,\"thestewardanswered,passingontotheroundofhisduties,contentthatpeacestillreignedwithintheiodine-saturatedwalls。