stories by modern american authors-第23部分

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occasion；　until　nearly　daybreak；　unless；　perhaps；　I　may　mention　a

low　sobbing；　or　murmuring　sound；　so　very　much　suppressed　as　to　be

nearly　inaudibleif；　indeed；　the　whole　of　this　latter　noise　were

not　rather　produced　by　my　own　imagination。　　I　say　it　seemed　to

RESEMBLE　sobbing　or　sighingbut；　of　course；　it　could　not　have　been

either。　　I　rather　think　it　was　a　ringing　in　my　own　ears。　　Mr。

Wyatt；　no　doubt；　according　to　custom；　was　merely　giving　the　rein　to

one　of　his　hobbiesindulging　in　one　of　his　fits　of　artistic

enthusiasm。　　He　had　opened　his　oblong　box；　in　order　to　feast　his

eyes　on　the　pictorial　treasure　within。　　There　was　nothing　in　this；

however；　to　make　him　SOB。　　I　repeat；　therefore；　that　it　must　have

been　simply　a　freak　of　my　own　fancy；　distempered　by　good　Captain

Hardy's　green　tea。　　just　before　dawn；　on　each　of　the　two　nights　of

which　I　speak；　I　distinctly　heard　Mr。　Wyatt　replace　the　lid　upon

the　oblong　box；　and　force　the　nails　into　their　old　places　by　means

of　the　muffled　mallet。　　Having　done　this；　he　issued　from　his　state…

room；　fully　dressed；　and　proceeded　to　call　Mrs。　W。　from　hers。



We　had　been　at　sea　seven　days；　and　were　now　off　Cape　Hatteras；　when

there　came　a　tremendously　heavy　blow　from　the　southwest。　　We　were；

in　a　measure；　prepared　for　it；　however；　as　the　weather　had　been

holding　out　threats　for　some　time。　　Every　thing　was　made　snug；　alow

and　aloft；　and　as　the　wind　steadily　freshened；　we　lay　to；　at

length；　under　spanker　and　foretopsail；　both　double…reefed。



In　this　trim　we　rode　safely　enough　for　forty…eight　hoursthe　ship

proving　herself　an　excellent　sea…boat　in　many　respects；　and

shipping　no　water　of　any　consequence。　　At　the　end　of　this　period；

however；　the　gale　had　freshened　into　a　hurricane；　and　our　after

sail　split　into　ribbons；　bringing　us　so　much　in　the　trough　of　the

water　that　we　shipped　several　prodigious　seas；　one　immediately

after　the　other。　　By　this　accident　we　lost　three　men　overboard　with

the　caboose；　and　nearly　the　whole　of　the　larboard　bulwarks。

Scarcely　had　we　recovered　our　senses；　before　the　foretopsail　went

into　shreds；　when　we　got　up　a　storm　staysail　and　with　this　did

pretty　well　for　some　hours；　the　ship　heading　the　sea　much　more

steadily　than　before。



The　gale　still　held　on；　however；　and　we　saw　no　signs　of　its

abating。　　The　rigging　was　found　to　be　ill…fitted；　and　greatly

strained；　and　on　the　third　day　of　the　blow；　about　five　in　the

afternoon；　our　mizzen…mast；　in　a　heavy　lurch　to　windward；　went　by

the　board。　　For　an　hour　or　more；　we　tried　in　vain　to　get　rid　of　it；

on　account　of　the　prodigious　rolling　of　the　ship；　and；　before　we

had　succeeded；　the　carpenter　came　aft　and　announced　four　feet　of

water　in　the　hold。　　To　add　to　our　dilemma；　we　found　the　pumps

choked　and　nearly　useless。



All　was　now　confusion　and　despairbut　an　effort　was　made　to

lighten　the　ship　by　throwing　overboard　as　much　of　her　cargo　as

could　be　reached；　and　by　cutting　away　the　two　masts　that　remained。

This　we　at　last　accomplishedbut　we　were　still　unable　to　do　any

thing　at　the　pumps；　and；　in　the　meantime；　the　leak　gained　on　us

very　fast。



At　sundown；　the　gale　had　sensibly　diminished　in　violence；　and　as

the　sea　went　down　with　it；　we　still　entertained　faint　hopes　of

saving　ourselves　in　the　boats。　　At　eight　P。　M。；　the　clouds　broke

away　to　windward；　and　we　had　the　advantage　of　a　full　moona　piece

of　good　fortune　which　served　wonderfully　to　cheer　our　drooping

spirits。



After　incredible　labor　we　succeeded；　at　length；　in　getting　the

longboat　over　the　side　without　material　accident；　and　into　this　we

crowded　the　whole　of　the　crew　and　most　of　the　passengers。　　This

party　made　off　immediately；　and；　after　undergoing　much　suffering；

finally　arrived；　in　safety；　at　Ocracoke　Inlet；　on　the　third　day

after　the　wreck。



Fourteen　passengers；　with　the　captain；　remained　on　board；　resolving

to　trust　their　fortunes　to　the　jolly…boat　at　the　stern。　　We　lowered

it　without　difficulty；　although　it　was　only　by　a　miracle　that　we

prevented　it　from　swamping　as　it　touched　the　water。　　It　contained；

when　afloat；　the　captain　and　his　wife；　Mr。　Wyatt　and　party；　a

Mexican　officer；　wife；　four　children；　and　myself；　with　a　negro

valet。



We　had　no　room；　of　course；　for　any　thing　except　a　few　positively

necessary　instruments；　some　provisions；　and　the　clothes　upon　our

backs。　　No　one　had　thought　of　even　attempting　to　save　any　thing

more。　　What　must　have　been　the　astonishment　of　all；　then；　when

having　proceeded　a　few　fathoms　from　the　ship；　Mr。　Wyatt　stood　up　in

the　stern…sheets；　and　coolly　demanded　of　Captain　Hardy　that　the

boat　should　be　put　back　for　the　purpose　of　taking　in　his　oblong

box！



〃Sit　down；　Mr。　Wyatt；〃　replied　the　captain；　somewhat　sternly；　〃you

will　capsize　us　if　you　do　not　sit　quite　still。　　Our　gunwhale　is

almost　in　the　water　now。〃



〃The　box！〃　vociferated　Mr。　Wyatt；　still　standing〃the　box；　I　say！

Captain　Hardy；　you　cannot；　you　will　not　refuse　me。　　Its　weight　will

be　but　a　trifleit　is　nothingmere　nothing。　　By　the　mother　who

bore　youfor　the　love　of　Heavenby　your　hope　of　salvation；　I

implore　you　to　put　back　for　the　box！〃



The　captain；　for　a　moment；　seemed　touched　by　the　earnest　appeal　of

the　artist；　but　he　regained　his　stern　composure；　and　merely　said：



〃Mr。　Wyatt；　you　are　mad。　　I　cannot　listen　to　you。　　Sit　down；　I　say；

or　you　will　swamp　the　boat。　　Stayhold　himseize　him！he　is

about　to　spring　overboard！　ThereI　knew　ithe　is　over！〃



As　the　captain　said　this；　Mr。　Wyatt；　in　fact；　sprang　from　the　boat；

and；　as　we　were　yet　in　the　lee　of　the　wreck；　succeeded；　by　almost

superhuman　exertion；　in　getting　hold　of　a　rope　which　hung　from　the

fore…chains。　　In　another　moment　he　was　on　board；　and　rushing

frantically　down　into　the　cabin。



In　the　meantime；　we　had　been　swept　astern　of　the　ship；　and　being

quite　out　of　her　lee；　were　at　the　mercy　of　the　tremendous　sea　which

was　still　running。　　We　made　a　determined　effort　to　put　back；　but

our　little　boat　was　like　a　feather　in　the　breath　of　the　tempest。

We　saw　at　a　glance　that　the　doom　of　the　unfortunate　artist　was

sealed。



As　our　distance　from　the　wreck　rapidly　increased；　the　madman　（for

as　such　only　could　we　regard　him）　was　seen　to　emerge　from　the

companionway；　up　which　by　dint　of　strength　that　appeared

gigantic；　he　dragged；　bodily；　the　oblong　box。　　While　we　gazed　in

the　extremity　of　astonishment；　he　passed；　rapidly；　several　turns　of

a　three…inch　rope；　first　around　the　box　and　then　around　his　body。

In　another　instant　both　body　and　box　were　in　the　seadisappearing

suddenly；　at　once　and　forever。



We　lingered　awhile　sadly　upon　our　oars；　with　our　eyes　riveted　upon

the　spot。　　At　length　we　pulled　away。　　The　silence　remained　unbroken

for　an　hour。　　Finally；　I　hazarded　a　remark。



〃Did　you　observe；　captain；　how　suddenly　they　sank？　　Was　not　that　an

exceedingly　singular　thing？　　I　confess　that　I　entertained　some

feeble　hope　of　his　final　deliverance；　when　I　saw　him　lash　himself

to　the　box；　and　commit　himself　to　the　sea。〃



〃They　sank　as　a　matter　of　course；〃　replied　the　captain；　〃and　that

like　a　shot。　　They　will　soon　rise　again；　howeverBUT　NOT　TILL　THE

SALT　MELTS。〃



〃The　salt！〃　I　ejaculated。



〃Hush！〃　said　the　captain；　pointing　to　the　wife　and　sisters　of　the

deceased。　　〃We　must　talk　of　these　things　at　some　more　appropriate

time。〃





We　suffered　much；　and　made　a　narrow　escape；　but　fortune　befriended

us；　as　well　as　our　mates　in　the　long…boat。　　We　landed；　in　fine；

more　dead　than　alive；　after　four　days　of　intense　distress；　upon　the

beach　opposite　Roanoke　Island。　　We　remained　here　a　week；　were　not

ill…treated　by　the　wreckers；　and　at　length　obtained　a　passage　to

New　York。



About　a　month　after　the　loss　of　the　〃Independence；〃　I　happened　to

meet　Captain　Hardy　in　Broadway。　　Our　conversation　turned；

naturally；　upon　the　disaster；　and　especially　upon　the　sad　fate　of

poor　Wyatt。　　I　thus　learned　the　following　particulars。



The　artist　had　engaged　passage　for　himself；　wife；　two　sisters　and　a

servant。　　His　wife　was；　indeed；　as　she　had　been　represented；　a　most

lovely；　and　most　accomplished　woman。　　On　the　morning　of　the

fourteenth　of　June　（the　day　in　which　I　first　visited　the　ship）；　the

lady　suddenly　sickened　and　died。　　The　young　husband　was　frantic

with　griefbut　circumstances　imperatively　forbade　the　deferring

his　voyage　to　New　York。　　It　was　necessary　to　take　to　her　mother　the

corpse　of　his　adored　wife；　and；　on　the　other　hand；　the　universal

prejudice　which　would　prevent　his　doing　so　openly　was　well　known。

Nine…tenths　of　the　passengers　would　have　abandoned　the　ship　rather

than　take　passage　with　a　dead　body。



In　this　dilemma；　Captain　Hardy　arranged　that　the　corpse；　being

first　partially　embalmed；　and　packed；　with　a　large　quantity　of

salt；　in　a　box　of　suitable　dimensions；　should　be　conveyed　on　board

as　merchandise。　　Nothing　was　to　be　said　of　the　lady's　decease；　and；

as　it　was　well　understood　that　Mr。　Wyatt　had　engaged　passage　for

his　wife；　it　became　necessary　that　some　person　should　personate　her

during　the　voyage。　　This　the　deceased　lady's…maid　was　easily

prevailed　on　to　do。　　The　extra　state…room；　originally　engaged　for

this　girl　during　her　mistress'　life；　was　now　merely　retained。　　In

this　state…room　the　pseudo…wife；　slept；　of　course；　every　night。　　In

the　daytime　she　performed；　to　the　best　of　her　ability；　the　part　of

her　mistresswhose　person；　it　had　been　carefully　ascertained；　was

unknown　to　any　of　the　passengers　on　board。



My　own　mistake　arose；　naturally　enough；　through　too　careless；　too

inquisitive；　and　too　impulsive　a　temperament。　　But　of　late；　it　is　a

rare　thing　that　I　sleep　soundly　at　night。　　There　is　a　countenance

which　haunts　me；　turn　as　I　will。　　There　is　an　hysterical　laugh

which　will　forever　ring　within　my　ears。







The　Gold…Bug





What　ho！　what　ho！　this　fellow　is　dancing　mad！

He　hath　been　bitten　by　the　Tarantula。