登陆注册
5241400000030

第30章 CHAPTER XXII

A NEW DANGER

NOVEMBER 24 to December1. -- Here we were then once more at sea, and although on board a ship of which the stability was very questionable, we had hopes, if the wind continued favorable, of reaching the coast of Guiana in the course of a few days.

Our way was southwest and consequently with the wind, and although Curtis would not crowd on all sail lest the extra speed should have a tendency to spring the leak afresh, the Chancellor made a progress that was quite satisfactory.

Life on board began to fall back into its former routine; the feeling of insecurity and the consciousness that we were merely retracing our path doing much, however, to destroy the animated intercourse that would otherwise go on be- tween passenger and passenger.

The first few days passed without any incident worth re- cording, then on the 29th, the wind shifted to the north, and it became necessary to brace the yards, trim the sails, and take a starboard tack. This made the ship lurch very much on one side, and as Curtis felt that she was laboring far too heavily, he clewed up the top-gallants, prudently reckoning that, under the circumstances, caution was far more impor- tant than speed.

The night came on dark and foggy. The breeze fresh- ened considerably, and, unfortunately for us, hailed from the northwest. Although we carried no topsails at all, the ship seemed to heel over more than ever. Most of the passengers had retired to their cabins, but all the crew remained on deck, while Curtis never quitted his post upon the poop.

Toward two o'clock in the morning I was myself prepar- ing to go to my cabin, when Burke, one of the sailors who had been down into the hold, came on deck with the cry:

"Two feet of water below."

In an instant Curtis and the boatswain had descended the ladder. The startling news was only too true; the sea-water was entering the hold, but whether the leak had sprung afresh, or whether the caulking in some of the seams was insufficient, it was then impossible to determine; all that could be done was to let the ship go with the wind, and wait for day.

At daybreak they sounded again -- "Three feet of water!" was the report. I glanced at Curtis -- his lips were white, but he had not lost his self-possession. He quietly in- formed such of the passengers as were already on deck of the new danger that threatened us; it was better that they should know the worst, and the fact could not be long con- cealed. I told M. Letourneur that I could not help hoping that there might yet be time to reach the land before the last crisis came. Falsten was about to give vent to an expres- sion of despair, but he was soon silenced by Miss Herbey asserting her confidence that all would yet be well.

Curtis at once divided the crew into two sets, and made them work incessantly, turn and turn about, at the pumps.

The men applied themselves to their task with resignation rather than with ardor; the labor was hard and scarcely re- paid them; the pumps were constantly getting out of order, the valves being choked up by the ashes and bits of cotton that were floating about in the hold, while every moment that was spent in cleaning or repairing them was so much time lost.

Slowly but surely the water continued to rise, and on the following morning the soundings gave five feet for its depth.

I noticed that Curtis's brow contracted each time that the boatswain or the lieutenant brought him their report. There was no doubt it was only a question of time, and not for an instant must the efforts for keeping down the level be re- laxed. Already the ship had sunk a foot lower in the water, and as her weight increased she no longer rose buoyantly with the waves, but pitched and rolled considerably.

All yesterday and last night the pumping continued, but still the sea gained upon us. The crew are weary and dis- couraged, but the second officer and the boatswain set them a fine example of endurance, and the passengers have now begun to take their turn at the pumps.

But all are conscious of toiling almost against hope; we are no longer secured firmly to the solid soil of the Ham Rock reef, but we are floating over an abyss which daily, nay hourly, threatens to swallow us into its depths.

同类推荐
  • 无相思尘论

    无相思尘论

    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。
  • 木兰奇女传

    木兰奇女传

    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。
  • 岭表录异

    岭表录异

    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。
  • 东周列国志

    东周列国志

    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。
  • Medical Essays

    Medical Essays

    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
  • 君雨君林

    君雨君林

    一个傻子写的一本傻小说。在此,祝大家一生万事皆如意,久伴双君于吉祥。
  • 愤怒的小祖宗

    愤怒的小祖宗

    ‘滚!’男人不耐烦的一声怒吼,吓得她身子一震。‘你一点也没喜欢过我?’女人忍住眼泪,痴痴的看着他。‘没有。’‘你别闹了,我们好好的。’男人温柔的在她耳边说到。‘好。’可是,这里,碎了。摸着胸口,这里,碎了;她不敢相信任何话了。
  • 普贤金刚萨埵瑜伽念诵仪

    普贤金刚萨埵瑜伽念诵仪

    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。
  • 冷斋夜话

    冷斋夜话

    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。
  • 吞噬九天

    吞噬九天

    一枚蕴含战意本质的泥塑吊坠,一本可夺天命为己身的绝世功法,聚集万千气运于一身,看落魄少年白梓年为救其母,醒其父,走向那逆天修神之路。
  • 空间穿梭熠熠生瑶

    空间穿梭熠熠生瑶

    京都步氏家族有女步醉瑶,妖媚入骨,邪魅倾城,一眨眼迷惑万千,再眨眼风云万变。可惜却是个痴情之人,爱错了负心男,只想为其的一笑,却导致家破人亡,牵连世代。……那日她含恨而死,意识涣散之际突现神秘人救活她,助她报仇雪恨。但从那之后她便无自由身,从此踏上穿越空间之路寻找复活的条件——苍穹玉碎片。……谁知途中遇上了他,并抢走她的碎片,最后一片真心交了出去,昔日相依为命,暧昧不清……到头来的真相竟是如此残忍,那男人所做的一切全是为了那个风华绝代的女人……或许现在狠心斩断情丝……还未晚。
  • 将军那些小心思

    将军那些小心思

    听说大将军秦玉轩是个外冷内热的闷骚男人。那都是骗人的!护妻狂魔秦玉轩只对谢云舒明骚、暗骚!其他人但凡欺负了谢云舒。一律打死!--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 漫威之召唤女主角

    漫威之召唤女主角

    穿越漫威世界,得到金手指,能够召唤小说,动漫,电影,游戏中的女性角色。都说富人靠科技,穷人靠变异。qq群:612930518我安恒软饭王,打钱! (伪无限流!)
  • FBI犯罪心理

    FBI犯罪心理

    《FBI犯罪心理:美国联邦警察教你读懂犯罪心理》剖析犯罪者的内心世界,学会犯罪心理画像技术FBI是美国乃至全世界都享有盛誉的执法机构,它在打击犯罪和恐怖活动方面发挥着举足轻重的作用,战功赫赫。FBI一直站在犯罪心理研究和实践的前沿,他们的研究成果对身在不同领域的人们都有所启发和帮助。本书结合真实、典型的案例,为读者介绍FBI从实践中总结出的犯罪心理知识。对犯罪心理学感兴趣的人们,都会对“连环杀手”异于常人的心理世界感兴趣。恶魔的内心世界是怎样的变态和扭曲?看过美剧《犯罪心理》的人,都会为FBI神奇的犯罪心理画像技术倾倒。犯罪心理画像师真的有那么神通广大吗?他们能像通灵者一样预言凶手吗?
  • 预言传奇:“通神”占卜术

    预言传奇:“通神”占卜术

    常见的解释说占卜是藉由超自然方法来探究事物的神秘学活动。但没有人确切知道这个神秘学活动究竟源自何时,说不定在人类的祖先刀耕火种的时候就懂得了通过石头的裂纹来预测今天是否能捕到猎物。但毫无疑问,占卜术有着悠久的历史。在古汉语中占卜的占是指蓍占,什么是蓍,别看字难,其实它就是常见的锯齿草的学名,蓍占就是用这种草的茎来捣腾。卜是指龟卜,用火烧龟壳,看它出现的裂纹形状,来预测吉凶福祸。殷墟伪甲骨文就是龟卜存在的直接考古证据。当然,远古时代的中国可不止这两种占卜方法,还可以用周易、梅花易数来立卦占卜,也可以弄点小动物——鸡、鸟来算算。