initial commit of ebook 10542HEADmain

3 files changed, 10688 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/old/10542-0.txt b/old/10542-0.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8eb64cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/10542-0.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,5138 @@
+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOATS OF THE "GLEN
+CARRIG"
+BEING AN ACCOUNT OF THEIR ADVENTURES IN THE STRANGE PLACES OF THE
+EARTH, AFTER THE FOUNDERING OF THE GOOD SHIP GLEN CARRIG THROUGH
+STRIKING UPON A HIDDEN ROCK IN THE UNKNOWN SEAS TO THE SOUTHWARD; AS
+TOLD BY JOHN WINTERSTRAW, GENT., TO HIS SON JAMES WINTERSTRAW, IN THE
+YEAR 1757, AND BY HIM COMMITTED VERY PROPERLY AND LEGIBLY TO
+MANUSCRIPT ***
+
+
+
+
+THE BOATS OF THE 'GLEN CARRIG'
+
+Being an account of their Adventures in the Strange places of the Earth,
+after the foundering of the good ship _Glen Carrig_ through striking upon
+a hidden rock in the unknown seas to the Southward. As told by John
+Winterstraw, Gent., to his son James Winterstraw, in the year 1757, and
+by him committed very properly and legibly to manuscript.
+
+By William Hope Hodgson
+
+1907
+
+
+
+
+
+
+_Madre Mia_
+
+People may say thou art no longer young
+  And yet, to me, thy youth was yesterday,
+    A yesterday that seems
+    Still mingled with my dreams.
+Ah! how the years have o'er thee flung
+  Their soft mantilla, grey.
+
+And e'en to them thou art not over old;
+  How could'st thou be! Thy hair
+    Hast scarcely lost its deep old glorious dark:
+    Thy face is scarcely lined. No mark
+Destroys its calm serenity. Like gold
+  Of evening light, when winds scarce stir,
+  The soul-light of thy face is pure as prayer.
+
+
+
+
+I
+
+The Land of Lonesomeness
+
+
+Now we had been five days in the boats, and in all this time made no
+discovering of land. Then upon the morning of the sixth day came there a
+cry from the bo'sun, who had the command of the lifeboat, that there was
+something which might be land afar upon our larboard bow; but it was very
+low lying, and none could tell whether it was land or but a morning
+cloud. Yet, because there was the beginning of hope within our hearts, we
+pulled wearily towards it, and thus, in about an hour, discovered it to
+be indeed the coast of some flat country.
+
+Then, it might be a little after the hour of midday, we had come so close
+to it that we could distinguish with ease what manner of land lay beyond
+the shore, and thus we found it to be of an abominable flatness, desolate
+beyond all that I could have imagined. Here and there it appeared to be
+covered with clumps of queer vegetation; though whether they were small
+trees or great bushes, I had no means of telling; but this I know, that
+they were like unto nothing which ever I had set eyes upon before.
+
+So much as this I gathered as we pulled slowly along the coast, seeking
+an opening whereby we could pass inward to the land; but a weary time
+passed or ere we came upon that which we sought. Yet, in the end, we
+found it--a slimy-banked creek, which proved to be the estuary of a great
+river, though we spoke of it always as a creek. Into this we entered, and
+proceeded at no great pace upwards along its winding course; and as we
+made forward, we scanned the low banks upon each side, perchance there
+might be some spot where we could make to land; but we found none--the
+banks being composed of a vile mud which gave us no encouragement to
+venture rashly upon them.
+
+Now, having taken the boat something over a mile up the great creek, we
+came upon the first of that vegetation which I had chanced to notice from
+the sea, and here, being within some score yards of it, we were the
+better able to study it. Thus I found that it was indeed composed largely
+of a sort of tree, very low and stunted, and having what might be
+described as an unwholesome look about it. The branches of this tree, I
+perceived to be the cause of my inability to recognize it from a bush,
+until I had come close upon it; for they grew thin and smooth through all
+their length, and hung towards the earth; being weighted thereto by a
+single, large cabbage-like plant which seemed to sprout from the extreme
+tip of each.
+
+Presently, having passed beyond this clump of the vegetation, and the
+banks of the river remaining very low, I stood me upon a thwart, by which
+means I was enabled to scan the surrounding country. This I discovered,
+so far as my sight could penetrate, to be pierced in all directions with
+innumerable creeks and pools, some of these latter being very great of
+extent; and, as I have before made mention, everywhere the country was
+low set--as it might be a great plain of mud; so that it gave me a sense
+of dreariness to look out upon it. It may be, all unconsciously, that my
+spirit was put in awe by the extreme silence of all the country around;
+for in all that waste I could see no living thing, neither bird nor
+vegetable, save it be the stunted trees, which, indeed, grew in clumps
+here and there over all the land, so much as I could see.
+
+This silence, when I grew fully aware of it was the more uncanny; for my
+memory told me that never before had I come upon a country which
+contained so much quietness. Nothing moved across my vision--not even a
+lone bird soared up against the dull sky; and, for my hearing, not so
+much as the cry of a sea-bird came to me--no! nor the croak of a frog,
+nor the plash of a fish. It was as though we had come upon the Country of
+Silence, which some have called the Land of Lonesomeness.
+
+Now three hours had passed whilst we ceased not to labor at the oars, and
+we could no more see the sea; yet no place fit for our feet had come to
+view, for everywhere the mud, grey and black, surrounded us--encompassing
+us veritably by a slimy wilderness. And so we were fain to pull on, in
+the hope that we might come ultimately to firm ground.
+
+Then, a little before sundown, we halted upon our oars, and made a scant
+meal from a portion of our remaining provisions; and as we ate, I could
+see the sun sinking away over the wastes, and I had some slight diversion
+in watching the grotesque shadows which it cast from the trees into the
+water upon our larboard side; for we had come to a pause opposite a clump
+of the vegetation. It was at this time, as I remember, that it was borne
+in upon me afresh how very silent was the land; and that this was not due
+to my imagination, I remarked that the men both in our own and in the
+bo'sun's boat, seemed uneasy because of it; for none spoke save in
+undertones, as though they had fear of breaking it.
+
+And it was at this time, when I was awed by so much solitude, that there
+came the first telling of life in all that wilderness. I heard it first
+in the far distance, away inland--a curious, low, sobbing note it was,
+and the rise and the fall of it was like to the sobbing of a lonesome
+wind through a great forest. Yet was there no wind. Then, in a moment, it
+had died, and the silence of the land was awesome by reason of the
+contrast. And I looked about me at the men, both in the boat in which I
+was and that which the bo'sun commanded; and not one was there but held
+himself in a posture of listening. In this wise a minute of quietness
+passed, and then one of the men gave out a laugh, born of the nervousness
+which had taken him.
+
+The bo'sun muttered to him to hush, and, in the same moment, there came
+again the plaint of that wild sobbing. And abruptly it sounded away on
+our right, and immediately was caught up, as it were, and echoed back
+from some place beyond us afar up the creek. At that, I got me upon a
+thwart, intending to take another look over the country about us; but
+the banks of the creek had become higher; moreover the vegetation acted
+as a screen, even had my stature and elevation enabled me to overlook
+the banks.
+
+And so, after a little while, the crying died away, and there was another
+silence. Then, as we sat each one harking for what might next befall,
+George, the youngest 'prentice boy, who had his seat beside me, plucked
+me by the sleeve, inquiring in a troubled voice whether I had any
+knowledge of that which the crying might portend; but I shook my head,
+telling him that I had no knowing beyond his own; though, for his
+comfort, I said that it might be the wind. Yet, at that, he shook his
+head; for indeed, it was plain that it could not be by such agency, for
+there was a stark calm.
+
+Now, I had scarce made an end of my remark, when again the sad crying
+was upon us. It appeared to come from far up the creek, and from far down
+the creek, and from inland and the land between us and the sea. It filled
+the evening air with its doleful wailing, and I remarked that there was
+in it a curious sobbing, most human in its despairful crying. And so
+awesome was the thing that no man of us spoke; for it seemed that we
+harked to the weeping of lost souls. And then, as we waited fearfully,
+the sun sank below the edge of the world, and the dusk was upon us.
+
+And now a more extraordinary thing happened; for, as the night fell with
+swift gloom, the strange wailing and crying was hushed, and another sound
+stole out upon the land--a far, sullen growling. At the first, like the
+crying, it came from far inland; but was caught up speedily on all sides
+of us, and presently the dark was full of it. And it increased in volume,
+and strange trumpetings fled across it. Then, though with slowness, it
+fell away to a low, continuous growling, and in it there was that which I
+can only describe as an insistent, hungry snarl. Aye! no other word of
+which I have knowledge so well describes it as that--a note of _hunger_,
+most awesome to the ear. And this, more than all the rest of those
+incredible voicings, brought terror into my heart.
+
+Now as I sat listening, George gripped me suddenly by the arm, declaring
+in a shrill whisper that something had come among the clump of trees upon
+the left-hand bank. Of the truth of this, I had immediately a proof; for
+I caught the sound of a continuous rustling among them, and then a nearer
+note of growling, as though a wild beast purred at my elbow. Immediately
+upon this, I caught the bo'sun's voice, calling in a low tone to Josh,
+the eldest 'prentice, who had the charge of our boat, to come alongside
+of him; for he would have the boats together. Then got we out the oars
+and laid the boats together in the midst of the creek; and so we watched
+through the night, being full of fear, so that we kept our speech low;
+that is, so low as would carry our thoughts one to the other through the
+noise of the growling.
+
+And so the hours passed, and naught happened more than I have told, save
+that once, a little after midnight, the trees opposite to us seemed to be
+stirred again, as though some creature, or creatures, lurked among them;
+and there came, a little after that, a sound as of something stirring the
+water up against the bank; but it ceased in a while and the silence fell
+once more.
+
+Thus, after a weariful time, away Eastwards the sky began to tell of the
+coming of the day; and, as the light grew and strengthened, so did that
+insatiable growling pass hence with the dark and the shadows. And so at
+last came the day, and once more there was borne to us the sad wailing
+that had preceded the night. For a certain while it lasted, rising and
+falling most mournfully over the vastness of the surrounding wastes,
+until the sun was risen some degrees above the horizon; after which it
+began to fail, dying away in lingering echoes, most solemn to our ears.
+And so it passed, and there came again the silence that had been with us
+in all the daylight hours.
+
+Now, it being day, the bo'sun bade us make such sparse breakfast as our
+provender allowed; after which, having first scanned the banks to
+discern if any fearful thing were visible, we took again to our oars,
+and proceeded on our upward journey; for we hoped presently to come upon
+a country where life had not become extinct, and where we could put foot
+to honest earth. Yet, as I have made mention earlier, the vegetation,
+where it grew, did flourish most luxuriantly; so that I am scarce
+correct when I speak of life as being extinct in that land. For, indeed,
+now I think of it, I can remember that the very mud from which it sprang
+seemed veritably to have a fat, sluggish life of its own, so rich and
+viscid was it.
+
+Presently it was midday; yet was there but little change in the nature of
+the surrounding wastes; though it may be that the vegetation was
+something thicker, and more continuous along the banks. But the banks
+were still of the same thick, clinging mud; so that nowhere could we
+effect a landing; though, had we, the rest of the country beyond the
+banks seemed no better.
+
+And all the while, as we pulled, we glanced continuously from bank to
+bank; and those who worked not at the oars were fain to rest a hand by
+their sheath-knives; for the happenings of the past night were
+continually in our minds, and we were in great fear; so that we had
+turned back to the sea but that we had come so nigh to the end of our
+provisions.
+
+
+
+
+II
+
+The Ship in the Creek
+
+
+Then, it was nigh on to evening, we came upon a creek opening into the
+greater one through the bank upon our left. We had been like to pass
+it--as, indeed, we had passed many throughout the day--but that the
+bo'sun, whose boat had the lead, cried out that there was some craft
+lying-up, a little beyond the first bend. And, indeed, so it seemed; for
+one of the masts of her--all jagged, where it had carried away--stuck up
+plain to our view.
+
+Now, having grown sick with so much lonesomeness, and being in fear of
+the approaching night, we gave out something near to a cheer, which,
+however, the bo'sun silenced, having no knowledge of those who might
+occupy the stranger. And so, in silence, the bo'sun turned his craft
+toward the creek, whereat we followed, taking heed to keep quietness, and
+working the oars warily. So, in a little, we came to the shoulder of the
+bend, and had plain sight of the vessel some little way beyond us. From
+the distance she had no appearance of being inhabited; so that after some
+small hesitation, we pulled towards her, though still being at pains to
+keep silence.
+
+The strange vessel lay against that bank of the creek which was upon our
+right, and over above her was a thick clump of the stunted trees. For the
+rest, she appeared to be firmly imbedded in the heavy mud, and there was
+a certain look of age about her which carried to me a doleful suggestion
+that we should find naught aboard of her fit for an honest stomach.
+
+We had come to a distance of maybe some ten fathoms from her starboard
+bow--for she lay with her head down towards the mouth of the little
+creek--when the bo'sun bade his men to back water, the which Josh did
+regarding our own boat. Then, being ready to fly if we had been in
+danger, the bo'sun hailed the stranger; but got no reply, save that some
+echo of his shout seemed to come back at us. And so he sung out again to
+her, chance there might be some below decks who had not caught his first
+hail; but, for the second time, no answer came to us, save the low
+echo--naught, but that the silent trees took on a little quivering, as
+though his voice had shaken them.
+
+At that, being confident now within our minds, we laid alongside, and, in
+a minute had shinned up the oars and so gained her decks. Here, save that
+the glass of the skylight of the main cabin had been broken, and some
+portion of the framework shattered, there was no extraordinary litter; so
+that it appeared to us as though she had been no great while abandoned.
+
+So soon as the bo'sun had made his way up from the boat, he turned aft
+toward the scuttle, the rest of us following. We found the leaf of the
+scuttle pulled forward to within an inch of closing, and so much effort
+did it require of us to push it back, that we had immediate evidence of a
+considerable time since any had gone down that way.
+
+However, it was no great while before we were below, and here we found
+the main cabin to be empty, save for the bare furnishings. From it there
+opened off two state-rooms at the forrard end, and the captain's cabin in
+the after part, and in all of these we found matters of clothing and
+sundries such as proved that the vessel had been deserted apparently in
+haste. In further proof of this we found, in a drawer in the captain's
+room, a considerable quantity of loose gold, the which it was not to be
+supposed would have been left by the free-will of the owner.
+
+Of the staterooms, the one upon the starboard side gave evidence that it
+had been occupied by a woman--no doubt a passenger. The other, in which
+there were two bunks, had been shared, so far as we could have any
+certainty, by a couple of young men; and this we gathered by observation
+of various garments which were scattered carelessly about.
+
+Yet it must not be supposed that we spent any great time in the cabins;
+for we were pressed for food, and made haste--under the directing of
+the bo'sun--to discover if the hulk held victuals whereby we might be
+kept alive.
+
+To this end, we removed the hatch which led down to the lazarette, and,
+lighting two lamps which we had with us in the boats, went down to make a
+search. And so, in a little while, we came upon two casks which the
+bo'sun broke open with a hatchet. These casks were sound and tight, and
+in them was ship's biscuit, very good and fit for food. At this, as may
+be imagined, we felt eased in our minds, knowing that there was no
+immediate fear of starvation. Following this, we found a barrel of
+molasses; a cask of rum; some cases of dried fruit--these were mouldy and
+scarce fit to be eaten; a cask of salt beef, another of pork; a small
+barrel of vinegar; a case of brandy; two barrels of flour--one of which
+proved to be damp-struck; and a bunch of tallow dips.
+
+In a little while we had all these things up in the big cabin, so that
+we might come at them the better to make choice of that which was fit for
+our stomachs, and that which was otherwise. Meantime, whilst the bo'sun
+overhauled these matters, Josh called a couple of the men, and went on
+deck to bring up the gear from the boats, for it had been decided that we
+should pass the night aboard the hulk.
+
+When this was accomplished, Josh took a walk forward to the fo'cas'le;
+but found nothing beyond two seamen's chests; a sea-bag, and some odd
+gear. There were, indeed, no more than ten bunks in the place; for she
+was but a small brig, and had no call for a great crowd. Yet Josh was
+more than a little puzzled to know what had come to the odd chests; for
+it was not to be supposed that there had been no more than two--and a
+sea-bag--among ten men. But to this, at that time, he had no answer, and
+so, being sharp for supper, made a return to the deck, and thence to the
+main cabin.
+
+Now while he had been gone, the bo'sun had set the men to clearing out
+the main cabin; after which, he had served out two biscuits apiece all
+round, and a tot of rum. To Josh, when he appeared, he gave the same,
+and, in a little, we called a sort of council; being sufficiently stayed
+by the food to talk.
+
+Yet, before we came to speech, we made shift to light our pipes; for the
+bo'sun had discovered a case of tobacco in the captain's cabin, and after
+this we came to the consideration of our position.
+
+We had provender, so the bo'sun calculated, to last us for the better
+part of two months, and this without any great stint; but we had yet to
+prove if the brig held water in her casks, for that in the creek was
+brackish, even so far as we had penetrated from the sea; else we had not
+been in need. To the charge of this, the bo'sun set Josh, along with two
+of the men. Another, he told to take charge of the galley, so long as we
+were in the hulk. But for that night, he said we had no need to do
+aught; for we had sufficient of water in the boats' breakers to last us
+till the morrow. And so, in a little, the dusk began to fill the cabin;
+but we talked on, being greatly content with our present ease and the
+good tobacco which we enjoyed.
+
+In a little while, one of the men cried out suddenly to us to be silent,
+and, in that minute, all heard it--a far, drawn-out wailing; the same
+which had come to us in the evening of the first day. At that we looked
+at one another through the smoke and the growing dark, and, even as we
+looked, it became plainer heard, until, in a while, it was all about
+us--aye! it seemed to come floating down through the broken framework of
+the skylight as though some weariful, unseen thing stood and cried upon
+the decks above our heads.
+
+Now through all that crying, none moved; none, that is, save Josh and the
+bo'sun, and they went up into the scuttle to see whether anything was in
+sight; but they found nothing, and so came down to us; for there was no
+wisdom in exposing ourselves, unarmed as we were, save for our
+sheath-knives.
+
+And so, in a little, the night crept down upon the world, and still we
+sat within the dark cabin, none speaking, and knowing of the rest only by
+the glows of their pipes.
+
+All at once there came a low, muttered growl, stealing across the land;
+and immediately the crying was quenched in its sullen thunder. It died
+away, and there was a full minute of silence; then, once more it came,
+and it was nearer and more plain to the ear. I took my pipe from my
+mouth; for I had come again upon the great fear and uneasiness which the
+happenings of the first night had bred in me, and the taste of the smoke
+brought me no more pleasure. The muttered growl swept over our heads and
+died away into the distance, and there was a sudden silence.
+
+Then, in that quietness, came the bo'sun's voice. He was bidding us
+haste every one into the captain's cabin. As we moved to obey him, he ran
+to draw over the lid of the scuttle; and Josh went with him, and,
+together, they had it across; though with difficulty. When we had come
+into the captain's cabin, we closed and barred the door, piling two great
+sea chests up against it; and so we felt near safe; for we knew that no
+thing, man nor beast, could come at us there. Yet, as may be supposed, we
+felt not altogether secure; for there was that in the growling which now
+filled the darkness, that seemed demoniac, and we knew not what horrid
+Powers were abroad.
+
+And so through the night the growling continued, seeming to be mighty
+near unto us--aye! almost over our heads, and of a loudness far
+surpassing all that had come to us on the previous night; so that I
+thanked the Almighty that we had come into shelter in the midst of so
+much fear.
+
+
+
+
+III
+
+The Thing That Made Search
+
+
+Now at times, I fell upon sleep, as did most of the others; but, for the
+most part, I lay half sleeping and half waking--being unable to attain to
+true sleep by reason of the everlasting growling above us in the night,
+and the fear which it bred in me. Thus, it chanced that just after
+midnight, I caught a sound in the main cabin beyond the door, and
+immediately I was fully waked. I sat me up and listened, and so became
+aware that something was fumbling about the deck of the main cabin. At
+that, I got to my feet and made my way to where the bo'sun lay, meaning
+to waken him, if he slept; but he caught me by the ankle, as I stooped to
+shake him, and whispered to me to keep silence; for he too had been aware
+of that strange noise of something fumbling beyond in the big cabin.
+
+In a little, we crept both of us so close to the door as the chests
+would allow, and there we crouched, listening; but could not tell what
+manner of thing it might be which produced so strange a noise. For it
+was neither shuffling, nor treading of any kind, nor yet was it the
+whirr of a bat's wings, the which had first occurred to me, knowing how
+vampires are said to inhabit the nights in dismal places. Nor yet was it
+the slurr of a snake; but rather it seemed to us to be as though a great
+wet cloth were being rubbed everywhere across the floor and bulkheads.
+We were the better able to be certain of the truth of this likeness,
+when, suddenly, it passed across the further side of the door behind
+which we listened: at which, you may be sure, we drew backwards both of
+us in fright; though the door, and the chests, stood between us and that
+which rubbed against it.
+
+Presently, the sound ceased, and, listen as we might, we could no longer
+distinguish it. Yet, until the morning, we dozed no more; being troubled
+in mind as to what manner of thing it was which had made search in the
+big cabin.
+
+Then in time the day came, and the growling ceased. For a mournful while
+the sad crying filled our ears, and then at last the eternal silence that
+fills the day hours of that dismal land fell upon us.
+
+So, being at last in quietness, we slept, being greatly awearied. About
+seven in the morning, the bo'sun waked me, and I found that they had
+opened the door into the big cabin; but though the bo'sun and I made
+careful search, we could nowhere come upon anything to tell us aught
+concerning the thing which had put us so in fright. Yet, I know not if I
+am right in saying that we came upon nothing; for, in several places, the
+bulkheads had a _chafed_ look; but whether this had been there before
+that night, we had no means of telling.
+
+Of that which we had heard, the bo'sun bade me make no mention, for he
+would not have the men put more in fear than need be. This I conceived to
+be wisdom, and so held my peace. Yet I was much troubled in my mind to
+know what manner of thing it was which we had need to fear, and more--I
+desired greatly to know whether we should be free of it in the daylight
+hours; for there was always with me, as I went hither and thither, the
+thought that IT--for that is how I designated it in my mind--might come
+upon us to our destruction.
+
+Now after breakfast, at which we had each a portion of salt pork, besides
+rum and biscuit (for by now the fire in the caboose had been set going),
+we turned-to at various matters, under the directing of the bo'sun. Josh
+and two of the men made examination of the water casks, and the rest of
+us lifted the main hatch-covers, to make inspection of her cargo; but lo!
+we found nothing, save some three feet of water in her hold.
+
+By this time, Josh had drawn some water off from the casks; but it was
+most unsuitable for drinking, being vile of smell and taste. Yet the
+bo'sun bade him draw some into buckets, so that the air might haply
+purify it; but though this was done, and the water allowed to stand
+through the morning, it was but little better.
+
+At this, as might be imagined, we were exercised in our minds as to the
+manner in which we should come upon suitable water; for by now we were
+beginning to be in need of it. Yet though one said one thing, and another
+said another, no one had wit enough to call to mind any method by which
+our need should be satisfied. Then, when we had made an end of dining,
+the bo'sun sent Josh, with four of the men, up stream, perchance after a
+mile or two the water should prove of sufficient freshness to meet our
+purpose. Yet they returned a little before sundown having no water; for
+everywhere it was salt.
+
+Now the bo'sun, foreseeing that it might be impossible to come upon
+water, had set the man whom he had ordained to be our cook, to boiling
+the creek water in three great kettles. This he had ordered to be done
+soon after the boat left; and over the spout of each, he had hung a
+great pot of iron, filled with cold water from the hold--this being
+cooler than that from the creek--so that the steam from each kettle
+impinged upon the cold surface of the iron pots, and being by this means
+condensed, was caught in three buckets placed beneath them upon the floor
+of the caboose. In this way, enough water was collected to supply us for
+the evening and the following morning; yet it was but a slow method, and
+we had sore need of a speedier, were we to leave the hulk so soon as I,
+for one, desired.
+
+We made our supper before sunset, so as to be free of the crying which we
+had reason to expect. After that, the bo'sun shut the scuttle, and we
+went every one of us into the captain's cabin, after which we barred the
+door, as on the previous night; and well was it for us that we acted with
+this prudence.
+
+By the time that we had come into the captain's cabin, and secured the
+door, it was upon sunsetting, and as the dusk came on, so did the
+melancholy wailing pass over the land; yet, being by now somewhat inured
+to so much strangeness, we lit our pipes, and smoked; though I observed
+that none talked; for the crying without was not to be forgotten.
+
+Now, as I have said, we kept silence; but this was only for a time, and
+our reason for breaking it was a discovery made by George, the younger
+apprentice. This lad, being no smoker, was fain to do something to
+while away the time, and with this intent, he had raked out the
+contents of a small box, which had lain upon the deck at the side of
+the forrard bulkhead.
+
+The box had appeared filled with odd small lumber of which a part was a
+dozen or so grey paper wrappers, such as are used, I believe, for
+carrying samples of corn; though I have seen them put to other purposes,
+as, indeed, was now the case. At first George had tossed these aside; but
+it growing darker the bo'sun lit one of the candles which we had found
+in the lazarette. Thus, George, who was proceeding to tidy back the
+rubbish which was cumbering the place, discovered something which caused
+him to cry out to us his astonishment.
+
+Now, upon hearing George call out, the bo'sun bade him keep silence,
+thinking it was but a piece of boyish restlessness; but George drew the
+candle to him, and bade us to listen; for the wrappers were covered with
+fine handwriting after the fashion of a woman's.
+
+Even as George told us of that which he had found we became aware that
+the night was upon us; for suddenly the crying ceased, and in place
+thereof there came out of the far distance the low thunder of the
+night-growling, that had tormented us through the past two nights. For a
+space, we ceased to smoke, and sat--listening; for it was a very fearsome
+sound. In a very little while it seemed to surround the ship, as on the
+previous nights; but at length, using ourselves to it, we resumed our
+smoking, and bade George to read out to us from the writing upon the
+paper wrappers.
+
+Then George, though shaking somewhat in his voice, began to decipher that
+which was upon the wrappers, and a strange and awesome story it was, and
+bearing much upon our own concerns:--
+
+"Now, when they discovered the spring among the trees that crown the
+bank, there was much rejoicing; for we had come to have much need of
+water. And some, being in fear of the ship (declaring, because of all our
+misfortune and the strange disappearances of their messmates and the
+brother of my lover, that she was haunted by a devil), declared their
+intention of taking their gear up to the spring, and there making a camp.
+This they conceived and carried out in the space of one afternoon; though
+our Captain, a good and true man, begged of them, as they valued life, to
+stay within the shelter of their living-place. Yet, as I have remarked,
+they would none of them hark to his counseling, and, because the Mate
+and the bo'sun were gone he had no means of compelling them to wisdom--"
+
+At this point, George ceased to read, and began to rustle among the
+wrappers, as though in search for the continuation of the story.
+
+Presently he cried out that he could not find it, and dismay was
+upon his face.
+
+But the bo'sun told him to read on from such sheets as were left; for, as
+he observed, we had no knowledge if more existed; and we were fain to
+know further of that spring, which, from the story, appeared to be over
+the bank near to the vessel.
+
+George, being thus adjured, picked up the topmost sheet; for they were,
+as I heard him explain to the bo'sun, all oddly numbered, and having but
+little reference one to the other. Yet we were mightily keen to know even
+so much as such odd scraps might tell unto us. Whereupon, George read
+from the next wrapper, which ran thus:--
+
+"Now, suddenly, I heard the Captain cry out that there was something in
+the main cabin, and immediately my lover's voice calling to me to lock my
+door, and on no condition to open it. Then the door of the Captain's
+cabin slammed, and there came a silence, and the silence was broken by a
+_sound_. Now, this was the first time that I had heard the Thing make
+search through the big cabin; but, afterwards, my lover told me it had
+happened aforetime, and they had told me naught, fearing to frighten me
+needlessly; though now I understood why my lover had bidden me never to
+leave my stateroom door unbolted in the nighttime. I remember also,
+wondering if the noise of breaking glass that had waked me somewhat from
+my dreams a night or two previously, had been the work of this
+indescribable Thing; for on the morning following that night, the glass
+in the skylight had been smashed. Thus it was that my thoughts wandered
+out to trifles, while yet my soul seemed ready to leap out from my bosom
+with fright.
+
+"I had, by reason of usage, come to ability to sleep despite of the
+fearsome growling; for I had conceived its cause to be the mutter of
+spirits in the night, and had not allowed myself to be unnecessarily
+frightened with doleful thoughts; for my lover had assured me of our
+safety, and that we should yet come to our home. And now, beyond my door,
+I could hear that fearsome sound of the Thing searching--"
+
+George came to a sudden pause; for the bo'sun had risen and put a great
+hand upon his shoulder. The lad made to speak; but the bo'sun beckoned to
+him to say no word, and at that we, who had grown to nervousness through
+the happenings in the story, began every one to listen. Thus we heard a
+sound which had escaped us in the noise of the growling without the
+vessel, and the interest of the reading.
+
+For a space we kept very silent, no man doing more than let the breath go
+in and out of his body, and so each one of us knew that something moved
+without, in the big cabin. In a little, something touched upon our door,
+and it was, as I have mentioned earlier, as though a great swab rubbed
+and scrubbed at the woodwork. At this, the men nearest unto the door came
+backwards in a surge, being put in sudden fear by reason of the Thing
+being so near; but the bo'sun held up a hand, bidding them, in a low
+voice, to make no unneedful noise. Yet, as though the sounds of their
+moving had been heard, the door was shaken with such violence that we
+waited, everyone, expecting to see it torn from its hinges; but it stood,
+and we hasted to brace it by means of the bunk boards, which we placed
+between it and the two great chests, and upon these we set a third chest,
+so that the door was quite hid.
+
+Now, I have no remembrance whether I have put down that when we came
+first to the ship, we had found the stern window upon the larboard side
+to be shattered; but so it was, and the bo'sun had closed it by means of
+a teak-wood cover which was made to go over it in stormy weather, with
+stout battens across, which were set tight with wedges. This he had done
+upon the first night, having fear that some evil thing might come upon us
+through the opening, and very prudent was this same action of his, as
+shall be seen. Then George cried out that something was at the cover of
+the larboard window, and we stood back, growing ever more fearful because
+that some evil creature was so eager to come at us. But the bo'sun, who
+was a very courageous man, and calm withal, walked over to the closed
+window, and saw to it that the battens were secure; for he had knowledge
+sufficient to be sure, if this were so, that no creature with strength
+less than that of a whale could break it down, and in such case its bulk
+would assure us from being molested.
+
+Then, even as he made sure of the fastenings, there came a cry of fear
+from some of the men; for there had come at the glass of the unbroken
+window, a reddish mass, which plunged up against it, sucking upon it,
+as it were. Then Josh, who was nearest to the table, caught up the
+candle, and held it towards the Thing; thus I saw that it had the
+appearance of a many-flapped thing shaped as it might be, out of raw
+beef--_but it was alive_.
+
+At this, we stared, everyone being too bemused with terror to do aught
+to protect ourselves, even had we been possessed of weapons. And as we
+remained thus, an instant, like silly sheep awaiting the butcher, I
+heard the framework creak and crack, and there ran splits all across the
+glass. In another moment, the whole thing would have been torn away, and
+the cabin undefended, but that the bo'sun, with a great curse at us for
+our landlubberly lack of use, seized the other cover, and clapped it
+over the window. At that, there was more help than could be made to
+avail, and the battens and wedges were in place in a trice. That this
+was no sooner accomplished than need be, we had immediate proof; for
+there came a rending of wood and a splintering of glass, and after that
+a strange yowling out in the dark, and the yowling rose above and
+drowned the continuous growling that filled the night. In a little, it
+died away, and in the brief silence that seemed to ensue, we heard a
+slobby fumbling at the teak cover; but it was well secured, and we had
+no immediate cause for fear.
+
+
+
+
+IV
+
+The Two Faces
+
+
+Of the remainder of that night, I have but a confused memory. At times we
+heard the door shaken behind the great chests; but no harm came to it.
+And, odd whiles, there was a soft thudding and rubbing upon the decks
+over our heads, and once, as I recollect, the Thing made a final try at
+the teak covers across the windows; but the day came at last, and found
+me sleeping. Indeed, we had slept beyond the noon, but that the bo'sun,
+mindful of our needs, waked us, and we removed the chests. Yet, for
+perhaps the space of a minute, none durst open the door, until the bo'sun
+bid us stand to one side. We faced about at him then, and saw that he
+held a great cutlass in his right hand.
+
+He called to us that there were four more of the weapons, and made a
+backward motion with his left hand towards an open locker. At that, as
+might be supposed, we made some haste to the place to which he pointed,
+and found that, among some other gear, there were three more weapons such
+as he held; but the fourth was a straight cut-and-thrust, and this I had
+the good fortune to secure.
+
+Being now armed, we ran to join the bo'sun; for by this he had the door
+open, and was scanning the main cabin. I would remark here how a good
+weapon doth seem to put heart into a man; for I, who but a few, short
+hours since had feared for my life, was now right full of lustiness and
+fight; which, mayhap, was no matter for regret.
+
+From the main cabin, the bo'sun led up on to the deck, and I remember
+some surprise at finding the lid of the scuttle even as we had left it
+the previous night; but then I recollected that the skylight was broken,
+and there was access to the big cabin that way. Yet, I questioned within
+myself as to what manner of thing it could be which ignored the
+convenience of the scuttle, and descended by way of the broken skylight.
+
+We made a search of the decks and fo'cas'le, but found nothing, and,
+after that, the bo'sun stationed two of us on guard, whilst the rest went
+about such duties as were needful. In a little, we came to breakfast,
+and, after that, we prepared to test the story upon the sample wrappers
+and see perchance whether there was indeed a spring of fresh water among
+the trees.
+
+Now between the vessel and the trees, lay a slope of the thick mud,
+against which the vessel rested. To have scrambled up this bank had been
+next to impossible, by reason of its fat richness; for, indeed, it looked
+fit to crawl; but that Josh called out to the bo'sun that he had come
+upon a ladder, lashed across the fo'cas'le head. This was brought, also
+several hatch covers. The latter were placed first upon the mud, and the
+ladder laid upon them; by which means we were enabled to pass up to the
+top of the bank without contact with the mud.
+
+Here, we entered at once among the trees; for they grew right up to the
+edge; but we had no trouble in making a way; for they were nowhere
+close together; but standing, rather, each one in a little open space
+by itself.
+
+We had gone a little way among the trees, when, suddenly, one who was
+with us cried out that he could see something away on our right, and we
+clutched everyone his weapon the more determinedly, and went towards it.
+Yet it proved to be but a seaman's chest, and a space further off, we
+discovered another. And so, after a little walking, we found the camp;
+but there was small semblance of a camp about it; for the sail of which
+the tent had been formed, was all torn and stained, and lay muddy upon
+the ground. Yet the spring was all we had wished, clear and sweet, and so
+we knew we might dream of deliverance.
+
+Now, upon our discovery of the spring, it might be thought that we should
+set up a shout to those upon the vessel; but this was not so; for there
+was something in the air of the place which cast a gloom upon our
+spirits, and we had no disinclination to return unto the vessel.
+
+Upon coming to the brig, the bo'sun called to four of the men to go down
+into the boats, and pass up the breakers: also, he collected all the
+buckets belonging to the brig, and forthwith each of us was set to our
+work. Some, those with the weapons, entered into the wood, and gave down
+the water to those stationed upon the bank, and these, in turn, passed it
+to those in the vessel. To the man in the galley, the bo'sun gave command
+to fill a boiler with some of the most select pieces of the pork and beef
+from the casks and get them cooked so soon as might be, and so we were
+kept at it; for it had been determined--now that we had come upon
+water--that we should stay not an hour longer in that monster-ridden
+craft, and we were all agog to get the boats revictualled, and put back
+to the sea, from which we had too gladly escaped.
+
+So we worked through all that remainder of the morning, and right on into
+the afternoon; for we were in mortal fear of the coming dark. Towards
+four o'clock, the bo'sun sent the man, who had been set to do our
+cooking, up to us with slices of salt meat upon biscuits, and we ate as
+we worked, washing our throats with water from the spring, and so, before
+the evening, we had filled our breakers, and near every vessel which was
+convenient for us to take in the boats. More, some of us snatched the
+chance to wash our bodies; for we were sore with brine, having dipped in
+the sea to keep down thirst as much as might be.
+
+Now, though it had not taken us so great a while to make a finish of our
+water-carrying if matters had been more convenient; yet because of the
+softness of the ground under our feet, and the care with which we had to
+pick our steps, and some little distance between us and the brig, it had
+grown later than we desired, before we had made an end. Therefore, when
+the bo'sun sent word that we should come aboard, and bring our gear, we
+made all haste. Thus, as it chanced, I found that I had left my sword
+beside the spring, having placed it there to have two hands for the
+carrying of one of the breakers. At my remarking my loss, George, who
+stood near, cried out that he would run for it, and was gone in a moment,
+being greatly curious to see the spring.
+
+Now, at this moment, the bo'sun came up, and called for George; but I
+informed him that he had run to the spring to bring me my sword. At this,
+the bo'sun stamped his foot, and swore a great oath, declaring that he
+had kept the lad by him all the day; having a wish to keep him from any
+danger which the wood might hold, and knowing the lad's desire to
+adventure there. At this, a matter which I should have known, I
+reproached myself for so gross a piece of stupidity, and hastened after
+the bo'sun, who had disappeared over the top of the bank. I saw his back
+as he passed into the wood, and ran until I was up with him; for,
+suddenly, as it were, I found that a sense of chilly dampness had come
+among the trees; though a while before the place had been full of the
+warmth of the sun. This, I put to the account of evening, which was
+drawing on apace; and also, it must be borne in mind, that there were but
+the two of us.
+
+We came to the spring; but George was not to be seen, and I saw no sign
+of my sword. At this, the bo'sun raised his voice, and cried out the
+lad's name. Once he called, and again; then at the second shout we heard
+the boy's shrill halloo, from some distance ahead among the trees. At
+that, we ran towards the sound, plunging heavily across the ground, which
+was every-where covered with a thick scum, that clogged the feet in
+walking. As we ran, we hallooed, and so came upon the boy, and I saw that
+he had my sword.
+
+The bo'sun ran towards him, and caught him by the arm, speaking with
+anger, and commanding him to return with us immediately to the vessel.
+
+But the lad, for reply, pointed with my sword, and we saw that he pointed
+at what appeared to be a bird against the trunk of one of the trees.
+This, as I moved closer, I perceived to be a part of the tree, and no
+bird; but it had a very wondrous likeness to a bird; so much so that I
+went up to it, to see if my eyes had deceived me. Yet it seemed no more
+than a freak of nature, though most wondrous in its fidelity; being but
+an excrescence upon the trunk. With a sudden thought that it would make
+me a curio, I reached up to see whether I could break it away from the
+tree; but it was above my reach, so that I had to leave it. Yet, one
+thing I discovered; for, in stretching towards the protuberance, I had
+placed a hand upon the tree, and its trunk was soft as pulp under my
+fingers, much after the fashion of a mushroom.
+
+As we turned to go, the bo'sun inquired of George his reason for going
+beyond the spring, and George told him that he had seemed to hear someone
+calling to him among the trees, and there had been so much pain in the
+voice that he had run towards it; but been unable to discover the owner.
+Immediately afterwards he had seen the curious, bird-like excrescence
+upon a tree nearby. Then we had called, and of the rest we had knowledge.
+
+We had come nigh to the spring on our return journey, when a sudden low
+whine seemed to run among the trees. I glanced towards the sky, and
+realized that the evening was upon us. I was about to remark upon this to
+the bo'sun, when, abruptly, he came to a stand, and bent forward to stare
+into the shadows to our right. At that, George and I turned ourselves
+about to perceive what matter it was which had attracted the attention of
+the bo'sun; thus we made out a tree some twenty yards away, which had all
+its branches wrapped about its trunk, much as the lash of a whip is wound
+about its stock. Now this seemed to us a very strange sight, and we made
+all of us toward it, to learn the reason of so extraordinary a happening.
+
+Yet, when we had come close upon it, we had no means of arriving at a
+knowledge of that which it portended; but walked each of us around the
+tree, and were more astonished, after our circumnavigation of the great
+vegetable than before.
+
+Now, suddenly, and in the distance, I caught the far wailing that came
+before the night, and abruptly, as it seemed to me, the tree wailed at
+us. At that I was vastly astonished and frightened; yet, though I
+retreated, I could not withdraw my gaze from the tree; but scanned it
+the more intently; and, suddenly, I saw a brown, human face peering at
+us from between the wrapped branches. At this, I stood very still, being
+seized with that fear which renders one shortly incapable of movement.
+Then, before I had possession of myself, I saw that it was of a part
+with the trunk of the tree; for I could not tell where it ended and the
+tree began.
+
+Then I caught the bo'sun by the arm, and pointed; for whether it was a
+part of the tree or not, it was a work of the devil; but the bo'sun, on
+seeing it, ran straightway so close to the tree that he might have
+touched it with his hand, and I found myself beside him. Now, George, who
+was on the bo'sun's other side, whispered that there was another face,
+not unlike to a woman's, and, indeed, so soon as I perceived it, I saw
+that the tree had a second excrescence, most strangely after the face of
+a woman. Then the bo'sun cried out with an oath, at the strangeness of
+the thing, and I felt the arm, which I held, shake somewhat, as it might
+be with a deep emotion. Then, far away, I heard again the sound of the
+wailing and, immediately, from among the trees about us, there came
+answering wails and a great sighing. And before I had time to be more
+than aware of these things, the tree wailed again at us. And at that, the
+bo'sun cried out suddenly that he knew; though of what it was that he
+_knew_ I had at that time no knowledge. And, immediately, he began with
+his cutlass to strike at the tree before us, and to cry upon God to blast
+it; and lo! at his smiting a very fearsome thing happened, for the tree
+did bleed like any live creature. Thereafter, a great yowling came from
+it, and it began to writhe. And, suddenly, I became aware that all about
+us the trees were a-quiver.
+
+Then George cried out, and ran round upon my side of the bo'sun, and I
+saw that one of the great cabbage-like things pursued him upon its stem,
+even as an evil serpent; and very dreadful it was, for it had become
+blood red in color; but I smote it with the sword, which I had taken from
+the lad, and it fell to the ground.
+
+Now from the brig I heard them hallooing, and the trees had become
+like live things, and there was a vast growling in the air, and
+hideous trumpetings. Then I caught the bo'sun again by the arm, and
+shouted to him that we must run for our lives; and this we did,
+smiting with our swords as we ran; for there came things at us, out
+from the growing dusk.
+
+Thus we made the brig, and, the boats being ready, I scrambled after the
+bo'sun into his, and we put straightway into the creek, all of us,
+pulling with so much haste as our loads would allow. As we went I looked
+back at the brig, and it seemed to me that a multitude of things hung
+over the bank above her, and there seemed a flicker of things moving
+hither and thither aboard of her. And then we were in the great creek up
+which we had come, and so, in a little, it was night.
+
+All that night we rowed, keeping very strictly to the center of the big
+creek, and all about us bellowed the vast growling, being more fearsome
+than ever I had heard it, until it seemed to me that we had waked all
+that land of terror to a knowledge of our presence. But, when the morning
+came, so good a speed had we made, what with our fear, and the current
+being with us, that we were nigh upon the open sea; whereat each one of
+us raised a shout, feeling like freed prisoners.
+
+And so, full of thankfulness to the Almighty, we rowed outward to the
+sea.
+
+
+
+
+V
+
+The Great Storm
+
+
+Now, as I have said, we came at last in safety to the open sea, and
+so for a time had some degree of peace; though it was long ere we
+threw off all of the terror which the Land of Lonesomeness had cast
+over our hearts.
+
+And one more matter there is regarding that land, which my memory
+recalls. It will be remembered that George found certain wrappers upon
+which there was writing. Now, in the haste of our leaving, he had given
+no thought to take them with him; yet a portion of one he found within
+the side pocket of his jacket, and it ran somewhat thus:--
+
+"But I hear my lover's voice wailing in the night, and I go to find him;
+for my loneliness is not to be borne. May God have mercy upon me!"
+
+And that was all.
+
+For a day and a night we stood out from the land towards the North,
+having a steady breeze to which we set our lug sails, and so made very
+good way, the sea being quiet, though with a slow, lumbering swell from
+the Southward.
+
+It was on the morning of the second day of our escape that we met with
+the beginnings of our adventure into the Silent Sea, the which I am about
+to make as clear as I am able.
+
+The night had been quiet, and the breeze steady until near on to the
+dawn, when the wind slacked away to nothing, and we lay there waiting,
+perchance the sun should bring the breeze with it. And this it did; but
+no such wind as we did desire; for when the morning came upon us, we
+discovered all that part of the sky to be full of a fiery redness, which
+presently spread away down to the South, so that an entire quarter of the
+heavens was, as it seemed to us, a mighty arc of blood-colored fire.
+
+Now, at the sight of these omens, the bo'sun gave orders to prepare the
+boats for the storm which we had reason to expect, looking for it in the
+South, for it was from that direction that the swell came rolling upon
+us. With this intent, we roused out so much heavy canvas as the boats
+contained, for we had gotten a bolt and a half from the hulk in the
+creek; also the boat covers which we could lash down to the brass studs
+under the gunnels of the boats. Then, in each boat, we mounted the
+whaleback--which had been stowed along the tops of the thwarts--also its
+supports, lashing the same to the thwarts below the knees. Then we laid
+two lengths of the stout canvas the full length of the boat over the
+whaleback, overlapping and nailing them to the same, so that they sloped
+away down over the gunnels upon each side as though they had formed a
+roof to us. Here, whilst some stretched the canvas, nailing its lower
+edges to the gunnels, others were employed in lashing together the oars
+and the mast, and to this bundle they secured a considerable length of
+new three-and-a-half-inch hemp rope, which we had brought away from the
+hulk along with the canvas. This rope was then passed over the bows and
+in through the painter ring, and thence to the forrard thwarts, where it
+was made fast, and we gave attention to parcel it with odd strips of
+canvas against danger of chafe. And the same was done in both of the
+boats, for we could not put our trust in the painters, besides which they
+had not sufficient length to secure safe and easy riding.
+
+Now by this time we had the canvas nailed down to the gunnels around our
+boat, after which we spread the boat-cover over it, lacing it down to the
+brass studs beneath the gunnel. And so we had all the boat covered in,
+save a place in the stern where a man might stand to wield the steering
+oar, for the boats were double bowed. And in each boat we made the same
+preparation, lashing all movable articles, and preparing to meet so great
+a storm as might well fill the heart with terror; for the sky cried out
+to us that it would be no light wind, and further, the great swell from
+the South grew more huge with every hour that passed; though as yet it
+was without virulence, being slow and oily and black against the redness
+of the sky.
+
+Presently we were ready, and had cast over the bundle of oars and the
+mast, which was to serve as our sea anchor, and so we lay waiting. It was
+at this time that the bo'sun called over to Josh certain advice with
+regard to that which lay before us. And after that the two of them
+sculled the boats a little apart; for there might be a danger of their
+being dashed together by the first violence of the storm.
+
+And so came a time of waiting, with Josh and the bo'sun each of them at
+the steering oars, and the rest of us stowed away under the coverings.
+From where I crouched near the bo'sun, I had sight of Josh away upon our
+port side: he was standing up black as a shape of night against the
+mighty redness, when the boat came to the foamless crowns of the swells,
+and then gone from sight in the hollows between.
+
+Now midday had come and gone, and we had made shift to eat so good a
+meal as our appetites would allow; for we had no knowledge how long it
+might be ere we should have chance of another, if, indeed, we had ever
+need to think more of such. And then, in the middle part of the
+afternoon, we heard the first cryings of the storm--a far-distant
+moaning, rising and falling most solemnly.
+
+Presently, all the Southern part of the horizon so high up, maybe, as
+some seven to ten degrees, was blotted out by a great black wall of
+cloud, over which the red glare came down upon the great swells as though
+from the light of some vast and unseen fire. It was about this time, I
+observed that the sun had the appearance of a great full moon, being pale
+and clearly defined, and seeming to have no warmth nor brilliancy; and
+this, as may be imagined, seemed most strange to us, the more so because
+of the redness in the South and East.
+
+And all this while the swells increased most prodigiously; though without
+making broken water: yet they informed us that we had done well to take
+so much precaution; for surely they were raised by a very great storm. A
+little before evening, the moaning came again, and then a space of
+silence; after which there rose a very sudden bellowing, as of wild
+beasts, and then once more the silence.
+
+About this time, the bo'sun making no objection, I raised my head above
+the cover until I was in a standing position; for, until now, I had taken
+no more than occasional peeps; and I was very glad of the chance to
+stretch my limbs; for I had grown mightily cramped. Having stirred the
+sluggishness of my blood, I sat me down again; but in such position that
+I could see every part of the horizon without difficulty. Ahead of us,
+that is to the South, I saw now that the great wall of cloud had risen
+some further degrees, and there was something less of the redness;
+though, indeed, what there was left of it was sufficiently terrifying;
+for it appeared to crest the black cloud like red foam, seeming, it might
+be, as though a mighty sea made ready to break over the world.
+
+Towards the West, the sun was sinking behind a curious red-tinted haze,
+which gave it the appearance of a dull red disk. To the North, seeming
+very high in the sky, were some flecks of cloud lying motionless, and of
+a very pretty rose color. And here I may remark that all the sea to the
+North of us appeared as a very ocean of dull red fire; though, as might
+be expected, the swells, coming up from the South, against the light were
+so many exceeding great hills of blackness.
+
+It was just after I had made these observations that we heard again the
+distant roaring of the storm, and I know not how to convey the exceeding
+terror of that sound. It was as though some mighty beast growled far down
+towards the South; and it seemed to make very clear to me that we were
+but two small craft in a very lonesome place. Then, even while the
+roaring lasted, I saw a sudden light flare up, as it were from the edge
+of the Southern horizon. It had somewhat the appearance of lightning; yet
+vanished not immediately, as is the wont of lightning; and more, it had
+not been my experience to witness such spring up from out of the sea,
+but, rather, down from the heavens. Yet I have little doubt but that it
+was a form of lightning; for it came many times after this, so that I had
+chance to observe it minutely. And frequently, as I watched, the storm
+would shout at us in a most fearsome manner.
+
+Then, when the sun was low upon the horizon, there came to our ears a
+very shrill, screaming noise, most penetrating and distressing, and,
+immediately afterwards the bo'sun shouted out something in a hoarse
+voice, and commenced to sway furiously upon the steering oar. I saw his
+stare fixed upon a point a little on our larboard bow, and perceived that
+in that direction the sea was all blown up into vast clouds of dust-like
+froth, and I knew that the storm was upon us. Immediately afterwards a
+cold blast struck us; but we suffered no harm, for the bo'sun had gotten
+the boat bows-on by this. The wind passed us, and there was an instant of
+calm. And now all the air above us was full of a continuous roaring, so
+very loud and intense that I was like to be deafened. To windward, I
+perceived an enormous wall of spray bearing down upon us, and I heard
+again the shrill screaming, pierce through the roaring. Then, the bo'sun
+whipped in his oar under the cover, and, reaching forward, drew the
+canvas aft, so that it covered the entire boat, and he held it down
+against the gunnel upon the starboard side, shouting in my ear to do
+likewise upon the larboard. Now had it not been for this forethought on
+the part of the bo'sun we had been all dead men; and this may be the
+better believed when I explain that we felt the water falling upon the
+stout canvas overhead, tons and tons, though so beaten to froth as to
+lack solidity to sink or crush us. I have said "felt"; for I would make
+it so clear as may be, here once and for all, that so intense was the
+roaring and screaming of the elements, there could no sound have
+penetrated to us, no! not the pealing of mighty thunders. And so for the
+space of maybe a full minute the boat quivered and shook most vilely, so
+that she seemed like to have been shaken in pieces, and from a dozen
+places between the gunnel and the covering canvas, the water spurted in
+upon us. And here one other thing I would make mention of: During that
+minute, the boat had ceased to rise and fall upon the great swell, and
+whether this was because the sea was flattened by the first rush of the
+wind, or that the excess of the storm held her steady, I am unable to
+tell; and can put down only that which we felt.
+
+Now, in a little, the first fury of the blast being spent, the boat
+began to sway from side to side, as though the wind blew now upon the one
+beam, and now upon the other; and several times we were stricken heavily
+with the blows of solid water. But presently this ceased, and we returned
+once again to the rise and fall of the swell, only that now we received a
+cruel jerk every time that the boat came upon the top of a sea. And so a
+while passed.
+
+Towards midnight, as I should judge, there came some mighty flames of
+lightning, so bright that they lit up the boat through the double
+covering of canvas; yet no man of us heard aught of the thunder; for the
+roaring of the storm made all else a silence.
+
+And so to the dawn, after which, finding that we were still, by the mercy
+of God, possessed of our lives, we made shift to eat and drink; after
+which we slept.
+
+Now, being extremely wearied by the stress of the past night, I slumbered
+through many hours of the storm, waking at some time between noon and
+evening. Overhead, as I lay looking upwards, the canvas showed of a dull
+leadenish color, blackened completely at whiles by the dash of spray and
+water. And so, presently, having eaten again, and feeling that all things
+lay in the hands of the Almighty, I came once more upon sleep.
+
+Twice through the following night was I wakened by the boat being hurled
+upon her beam-ends by the blows of the seas; but she righted easily, and
+took scarce any water, the canvas proving a very roof of safety. And so
+the morning came again.
+
+Being now rested, I crawled after to where the bo'sun lay, and, the noise
+of the storm lulling odd instants, shouted in his ear to know whether the
+wind was easing at whiles. To this he nodded, whereat I felt a most
+joyful sense of hope pulse through me, and ate such food as could be
+gotten, with a very good relish.
+
+In the afternoon, the sun broke out suddenly, lighting up the boat most
+gloomily through the wet canvas; yet a very welcome light it was, and
+bred in us a hope that the storm was near to breaking. In a little, the
+sun disappeared; but, presently, it coming again, the bo'sun beckoned to
+me to assist him, and we removed such temporary nails as we had used to
+fasten down the after part of the canvas, and pushed back the covering a
+space sufficient to allow our heads to go through into the daylight. On
+looking out, I discovered the air to be full of spray, beaten as fine as
+dust, and then, before I could note aught else, a little gout of water
+took me in the face with such force as to deprive me of breath; so that I
+had to descend beneath the canvas for a little while.
+
+So soon as I was recovered, I thrust forth my head again, and now I had
+some sight of the terrors around us. As each huge sea came towards us,
+the boat shot up to meet it, right up to its very crest, and there, for
+the space of some instants, we would seem to be swamped in a very ocean
+of foam, boiling up on each side of the boat to the height of many feet.
+Then, the sea passing from under us, we would go swooping dizzily down
+the great, black, froth-splotched back of the wave, until the oncoming
+sea caught us up most mightily. Odd whiles, the crest of a sea would hurl
+forward before we had reached the top, and though the boat shot upward
+like a veritable feather, yet the water would swirl right over us, and we
+would have to draw in our heads most suddenly; in such cases the wind
+flapping the cover down so soon as our hands were removed. And, apart
+from the way in which the boat met the seas, there was a very sense of
+terror in the air; the continuous roaring and howling of the storm; the
+_screaming_ of the foam, as the frothy summits of the briny mountains
+hurled past us, and the wind that tore the breath out of our weak human
+throats, are things scarce to be conceived.
+
+Presently, we drew in our heads, the sun having vanished again, and
+nailed down the canvas once more, and so prepared for the night.
+
+From here on until the morning, I have very little knowledge of any
+happenings; for I slept much of the time, and, for the rest, there was
+little to know, cooped up beneath the cover. Nothing save the
+interminable, thundering swoop of the boat downwards, and then the halt
+and upward hurl, and the occasional plunges and surges to larboard or
+starboard, occasioned, I can only suppose, by the indiscriminate might
+of the seas.
+
+I would make mention here, how that I had little thought all this while
+for the peril of the other boat, and, indeed, I was so very full of our
+own that it is no matter at which to wonder. However, as it proved, and
+as this is a most suitable place in which to tell it, the boat that held
+Josh and the rest of the crew came through the storm with safety; though
+it was not until many years afterwards that I had the good fortune to
+hear from Josh himself how that, after the storm, they were picked up by
+a homeward-bound vessel, and landed in the Port of London.
+
+And now, to our own happenings.
+
+
+
+
+VI
+
+The Weed-Choked Sea
+
+
+It was some little while before midday that we grew conscious that the
+sea had become very much less violent; and this despite the wind roaring
+with scarce abated noise. And, presently, everything about the boat,
+saving the wind, having grown indubitably calmer, and no great water
+breaking over the canvas, the bo'sun beckoned me again to assist him lift
+the after part of the cover. This we did, and put forth our heads to
+inquire the reason of the unexpected quietness of the sea; not knowing
+but that we had come suddenly under the lee of some unknown land. Yet,
+for a space, we could see nothing, beyond the surrounding billows; for
+the sea was still very furious, though no matter to cause us concern,
+after that through which we had come.
+
+Presently, however, the bo'sun, raising himself, saw something, and,
+bending cried in my ear that there was a low bank which broke the force
+of the sea; but he was full of wonder to know how that we had passed it
+without shipwreck. And whilst he was still pondering the matter I raised
+myself, and took a look on all sides of us, and so I discovered that
+there lay another great bank upon our larboard side, and this I pointed
+out to him. Immediately afterwards, we came upon a great mass of seaweed
+swung up on the crest of a sea, and, presently, another. And so we
+drifted on, and the seas grew less with astonishing rapidity, so that, in
+a little, we stripped off the cover so far as the midship thwart; for the
+rest of the men were sorely in need of the fresh air, after so long a
+time below the canvas covering.
+
+It was after we had eaten, that one of them made out that there was
+another low bank astern upon which we were drifting. At that, the bo'sun
+stood up and made an examination of it, being much exercised in his mind
+to know how we might come clear of it with safety. Presently, however, we
+had come so near to it that we discovered it to be composed of seaweed,
+and so we let the boat drive upon it, making no doubt but that the other
+banks, which we had seen, were of a similar nature.
+
+In a little, we had driven in among the weed; yet, though our speed was
+greatly slowed, we made some progress, and so in time came out upon the
+other side, and now we found the sea to be near quiet, so that we hauled
+in our sea anchor--which had collected a great mass of weed about it--and
+removed the whaleback and canvas coverings, after which we stepped the
+mast, and set a tiny storm-foresail upon the boat; for we wished to have
+her under control, and could set no more than this, because of the
+violence of the breeze.
+
+Thus we drove on before the wind, the bo'sun steering, and avoiding all
+such banks as showed ahead, and ever the sea grew calmer. Then, when it
+was near on to evening, we discovered a huge stretch of the weed that
+seemed to block all the sea ahead, and, at that, we hauled down the
+foresail, and took to our oars, and began to pull, broadside on to it,
+towards the West. Yet so strong was the breeze, that we were being driven
+down rapidly upon it. And then, just before sunset, we opened out the
+end of it, and drew in our oars, very thankful to set the little
+foresail, and run off again before the wind.
+
+And so, presently, the night came down upon us, and the bo'sun made us
+take turn and turn about to keep a look-out; for the boat was going some
+knots through the water, and we were among strange seas; but _he_ took no
+sleep all that night, keeping always to the steering oar.
+
+I have memory, during my time of watching, of passing odd floating
+masses, which I make no doubt were weed, and once we drove right atop of
+one; but drew clear without much trouble. And all the while, through the
+dark to starboard, I could make out the dim outline of that enormous weed
+extent lying low upon the sea, and seeming without end. And so,
+presently, my time to watch being at an end, I returned to my slumber,
+and when next I waked it was morning.
+
+Now the morning discovered to me that there was no end to the weed upon
+our starboard side; for it stretched away into the distance ahead of us
+so far as we could see; while all about us the sea was full of floating
+masses of the stuff. And then, suddenly, one of the men cried out that
+there was a vessel in among the weed. At that, as may be imagined, we
+were very greatly excited, and stood upon the thwarts that we might get
+better view of her. Thus I saw her a great way in from the edge of the
+weed, and I noted that her foremast was gone near to the deck, and she
+had no main topmast; though, strangely enough, her mizzen stood unharmed.
+And beyond this, I could make out but little, because of the distance;
+though the sun, which was upon our larboard side, gave me some sight of
+her hull, but not much, because of the weed in which she was deeply
+embedded; yet it seemed to me that her sides were very weather-worn, and
+in one place some glistening brown object, which may have been a fungus,
+caught the rays of the sun, sending off a wet sheen.
+
+There we stood, all of us, upon the thwarts, staring and exchanging
+opinions, and were like to have overset the boat; but that the bo'sun
+ordered us down. And after this we made our breakfast, and had much
+discussion regarding the stranger, as we ate.
+
+Later, towards midday, we were able to set our mizzen; for the storm had
+greatly mollified, and so, presently, we hauled away to the West, to
+escape a great bank of the weed which ran out from the main body. Upon
+rounding this, we let the boat off again, and set the main lug, and thus
+made very good speed before the wind. Yet though we ran all that
+afternoon parallel with the weed to starboard, we came not to its end.
+And three separate times we saw the hulks of rotting vessels, some of
+them having the appearance of a previous age, so ancient did they seem.
+
+Now, towards evening, the wind dropped to a very little breeze, so that
+we made but slow way, and thus we had better chance to study the weed.
+And now we saw that it was full of crabs; though for the most part so
+very minute as to escape the casual glance; yet they were not all small,
+for in a while I discovered a swaying among the weed, a little way in
+from the edge, and immediately I saw the mandible of a very great crab
+stir amid the weed. At that, hoping to obtain it for food, I pointed it
+out to the bo'sun, suggesting that we should try and capture it. And so,
+there being by now scarce any wind, he bade us get out a couple of the
+oars, and back the boat up to the weed. This we did, after which he made
+fast a piece of salt meat to a bit of spun yarn, and bent this on to the
+boat hook. Then he made a running bowline, and slipped the loop on to the
+shaft of the boat hook, after which he held out the boat hook, after the
+fashion of a fishing rod, over the place where I had seen the crab.
+Almost immediately, there swept up an enormous claw, and grasped the
+meat, and at that, the bo'sun cried out to me to take an oar and slide
+the bowline along the boat-hook, so that it should fall over the claw,
+and this I did, and immediately some of us hauled upon the line,
+taughtening it about the great claw. Then the bo'sun sung out to us to
+haul the crab aboard, that we had it most securely; yet on the instant we
+had reason to wish that we had been less successful; for the creature,
+feeling the tug of our pull upon it, tossed the weed in all directions,
+and thus we had full sight of it, and discovered it to be so great a crab
+as is scarce conceivable--a very monster. And further, it was apparent to
+us that the brute had no fear of us, nor intention to escape; but rather
+made to come at us; whereat the bo'sun, perceiving our danger, cut the
+line, and bade us put weight upon the oars, and so in a moment we were in
+safety, and very determined to have no more meddlings with such
+creatures.
+
+Presently, the night came upon us, and, the wind remaining low, there
+was everywhere about us a great stillness, most solemn after the
+continuous roaring of the storm which had beset us in the previous days.
+Yet now and again a little wind would rise and blow across the sea, and
+where it met the weed, there would come a low, damp rustling, so that I
+could hear the passage of it for no little time after the calm had come
+once more all about us.
+
+Now it is a strange thing that I, who had slept amid the noise of the
+past days, should find sleeplessness amid so much calm; yet so it was,
+and presently I took the steering oar, proposing that the rest should
+sleep, and to this the bo'sun agreed, first warning me, however, most
+particularly to have care that I kept the boat off the weed (for we had
+still a little way on us), and, further, to call him should anything
+unforeseen occur. And after that, almost immediately he fell asleep, as
+indeed did the most of the men.
+
+From the time that I relieved the bo'sun, until midnight, I sat upon the
+gunnel of the boat, with the steering oar under my arm, and watched and
+listened, most full of a sense of the strangeness of the seas into
+which we had come. It is true that I had heard tell of seas choked up
+with weed--seas that were full of stagnation, having no tides; but I
+had not thought to come upon such an one in my wanderings; having,
+indeed, set down such tales as being bred of imagination, and without
+reality in fact.
+
+Then, a little before the dawn, and when the sea was yet full of
+darkness, I was greatly startled to hear a prodigious splash amid the
+weed, mayhaps at a distance of some hundred yards from the boat. Then,
+as I stood full of alertness, and knowing not what the next moment
+might bring forth, there came to me across the immense waste of weed, a
+long, mournful cry, and then again the silence. Yet, though I kept very
+quiet, there came no further sound, and I was about to re-seat myself,
+when, afar off in that strange wilderness, there flashed out a sudden
+flame of fire.
+
+Now upon seeing fire in the midst of so much lonesomeness, I was as one
+amazed, and could do naught but stare. Then, my judgment returning to me,
+I stooped and waked the bo'sun; for it seemed to me that this was a
+matter for his attention. He, after staring at it awhile, declared that
+he could see the shape of a vessel's hull beyond the flame; but,
+immediately, he was in doubt, as, indeed, I had been all the while. And
+then, even as we peered, the light vanished, and though we waited for the
+space of some minutes; watching steadfastly, there came no further sight
+of that strange illumination.
+
+From now until the dawn, the bo'sun remained awake with me, and we talked
+much upon that which we had seen; yet could come to no satisfactory
+conclusion; for it seemed impossible to us that a place of so much
+desolation could contain any living being. And then, just as the dawn was
+upon us, there loomed up a fresh wonder--the hull of a great vessel maybe
+a couple or three score fathoms in from the edge of the weed. Now the
+wind was still very light, being no more than an occasional breath, so
+that we went past her at a drift, thus the dawn had strengthened
+sufficiently to give to us a clear sight of the stranger, before we had
+gone more than a little past her. And now I perceived that she lay full
+broadside on to us, and that her three masts were gone close down to the
+deck. Her side was streaked in places with rust, and in others a green
+scum overspread her; but it was no more than a glance that I gave at any
+of those matters; for I had spied something which drew all my
+attention--great leathery arms splayed all across her side, some of them
+crooked inboard over the rail, and then, low down, seen just above the
+weed, the huge, brown, glistening bulk of so great a monster as ever I
+had conceived. The bo'sun saw it in the same instant and cried out in a
+hoarse whisper that it was a mighty devilfish, and then, even as he
+spoke, two of the arms flickered up into the cold light of the dawn, as
+though the creature had been asleep, and we had waked it. At that, the
+bo'sun seized an oar, and I did likewise, and, so swiftly as we dared,
+for fear of making any unneedful noise, we pulled the boat to a safer
+distance. From there and until the vessel had become indistinct by reason
+of the space we put between us, we watched that great creature clutched
+to the old hull, as it might be a limpet to a rock.
+
+Presently, when it was broad day, some of the men began to rouse up, and
+in a little we broke our fast, which was not displeasing to me, who had
+spent the night watching. And so through the day we sailed with a very
+light wind upon our larboard quarter. And all the while we kept the
+great waste of weed upon our starboard side, and apart from the mainland
+of the weed, as it were, there were scattered about an uncountable
+number of weed islets and banks, and there were thin patches of it that
+appeared scarce above the water, and through these later we let the boat
+sail; for they had not sufficient density to impede our progress more
+than a little.
+
+And then, when the day was far spent, we came in sight of another
+wreck amid the weeds. She lay in from the edge perhaps so much as the
+half of a mile, and she had all three of her lower masts in, and her
+lower yards squared. But what took our eyes more than aught else was a
+great superstructure which had been built upward from her rails,
+almost half-way to her main tops, and this, as we were able to
+perceive, was supported by ropes let down from the yards; but of what
+material the superstructure was composed, I have no knowledge; for it
+was so over-grown with some form of green stuff--as was so much of the
+hull as showed above the weed--as to defy our guesses. And because of
+this growth, it was borne upon us that the ship must have been lost to
+the world a very great age ago. At this suggestion, I grew full of
+solemn thought; for it seemed to me that we had come upon the cemetery
+of the oceans.
+
+Now, in a little while after we had passed this ancient craft, the night
+came down upon us, and we prepared for sleep, and because the boat was
+making some little way through the water, the bo'sun gave out that each
+of us should stand our turn at the steering-oar, and that he was to be
+called should any fresh matter transpire. And so we settled down for the
+night, and owing to my previous sleeplessness, I was full weary, so that
+I knew nothing until the one whom I was to relieve shook me into
+wakefulness. So soon as I was fully waked, I perceived that a low moon
+hung above the horizon, and shed a very ghostly light across the great
+weed world to starboard. For the rest, the night was exceeding quiet, so
+that no sound came to me in all that ocean, save the rippling of the
+water upon our bends as the boat forged slowly along. And so I settled
+down to pass the time ere I should be allowed to sleep; but first I asked
+the man whom I had relieved, how long a time had passed since moon-rise;
+to which he replied that it was no more than the half of an hour, and
+after that I questioned whether he had seen aught strange amid the weed
+during his time at the oar; but he had seen nothing, except that once he
+had fancied a light had shown in the midst of the waste; yet it could
+have been naught save a humor of the imagination; though apart from this,
+he had heard a strange crying a little after midnight, and twice there
+had been great splashes among the weed. And after that he fell asleep,
+being impatient at my questioning.
+
+Now it so chanced that my watch had come just before the dawn; for which
+I was full of thankfulness, being in that frame of mind when the dark
+breeds strange and unwholesome fancies. Yet, though I was so near to the
+dawn, I was not to escape free of the eerie influence of that place; for,
+as I sat, running my gaze to and fro over its grey immensity, it came to
+me that there were strange movements among the weed, and I seemed to see
+vaguely, as one may see things in dreams, dim white faces peer out at me
+here and there; yet my common sense assured me that I was but deceived by
+the uncertain light and the sleep in my eyes; yet for all that, it put my
+nerves on the quiver.
+
+A little later, there came to my ears the noise of a very great splash
+amid the weed; but though I stared with intentness, I could nowhere
+discern aught as likely to be the cause thereof. And then, suddenly,
+between me and the moon, there drove up from out of that great waste a
+vast bulk, flinging huge masses of weed in all directions. It seemed to
+be no more than a hundred fathoms distant, and, against the moon, I saw
+the outline of it most clearly--a mighty devilfish. Then it had fallen
+back once more with a prodigious splash, and so the quiet fell again,
+finding me sore afraid, and no little bewildered that so monstrous a
+creature could leap with such agility. And then (in my fright I had let
+the boat come near to the edge of the weed) there came a subtle stir
+opposite to our starboard bow, and something slid down into the water. I
+swayed upon the oar to turn the boat's head outward, and with the same
+movement leant forward and sideways to peer, bringing my face near to the
+boat's rail. In the same instant, I found myself looking down into a
+white demoniac face, human save that the mouth and nose had greatly the
+appearance of a beak. The thing was gripping at the side of the boat with
+two flickering hands--gripping the bare, smooth outer surface, in a way
+that woke in my mind a sudden memory of the great devilfish which had
+clung to the side of the wreck we had passed in the previous dawn. I saw
+the face come up towards me, and one misshapen hand fluttered almost to
+my throat, and there came a sudden, hateful reek in my nostrils--foul and
+abominable. Then, I came into possession of my faculties, and drew back
+with great haste and a wild cry of fear. And then I had the steering-oar
+by the middle, and was smiting downward with the loom over the side of
+the boat; but the thing was gone from my sight. I remember shouting out
+to the bo'sun and to the men to awake, and then the bo'sun had me by the
+shoulder, was calling in my ear to know what dire thing had come about.
+At that, I cried out that I did not know, and, presently, being somewhat
+calmer, I told them of the thing that I had seen; but even as I told of
+it, there seemed to be no truth in it, so that they were all at a loss to
+know whether I had fallen asleep, or that I had indeed seen a devil.
+
+And presently the dawn was upon us.
+
+
+
+
+VII
+
+The Island in the Weed
+
+
+It was as we were all discussing the matter of the devil face that had
+peered up at me out of the water, that Job, the ordinary seaman,
+discovered the island in the light of the growing dawn, and, seeing it,
+sprang to his feet, with so loud a cry that we were like for the moment
+to have thought he had seen a second demon. Yet when we made discovery of
+that which he had already perceived, we checked our blame at his sudden
+shout; for the sight of land, after so much desolation, made us very warm
+in our hearts.
+
+Now at first the island seemed but a very small matter; for we did not
+know at that time that we viewed it from its end; yet despite this, we
+took to our oars and rowed with all haste towards it, and so, coming
+nearer, were able to see that it had a greater size than we had imagined.
+Presently, having cleared the end of it, and keeping to that side which
+was further from the great mass of the weed-continent, we opened out a
+bay that curved inward to a sandy beach, most seductive to our tired
+eyes. Here, for the space of a minute, we paused to survey the prospect,
+and I saw that the island was of a very strange shape, having a great
+hump of black rock at either end, and dipping down into a steep valley
+between them. In this valley there seemed to be a deal of a strange
+vegetation that had the appearance of mighty toadstools; and down nearer
+the beach there was a thick grove of a kind of very tall reed, and these
+we discovered afterwards to be exceeding tough and light, having
+something of the qualities of the bamboo.
+
+Regarding the beach, it might have been most reasonably supposed that it
+would be very thick with the driftweed; but this was not so, at least,
+not at that time; though a projecting horn of the black rock which ran
+out into the sea from the upper end of the island, was thick with it.
+
+And now, the bo'sun having assured himself that there was no appearance
+of any danger, we bent to our oars, and presently had the boat aground
+upon the beach, and here, finding it convenient, we made our breakfast.
+During this meal, the bo'sun discussed with us the most proper thing to
+do, and it was decided to push the boat off from the shore, leaving Job
+in her, whilst the remainder of us made some exploration of the island.
+
+And so, having made an end of eating, we proceeded as we had
+determined, leaving Job in the boat, ready to scull ashore for us if we
+were pursued by any savage creature, while the rest of us made our way
+towards the nearer hump, from which, as it stood some hundred feet
+above the sea, we hoped to get a very good idea of the remainder of the
+island. First, however, the bo'sun handed out to us the two cutlasses
+and the cut-and-thrust (the other two cutlasses being in Josh's boat),
+and, taking one himself, he passed me the cut-and-thrust, and gave the
+other cutlass to the biggest of the men. Then he bade the others keep
+their sheath knives handy, and was proceeding to lead the way, when one
+of them called out to us to wait a moment, and, with that, ran quickly
+to the clump of reeds. Here, he took one with both his hands and bent
+upon it; but it would not break, so that he had to notch it about with
+his knife, and thus, in a little, he had it clear. After this, he cut
+off the upper part, which was too thin and lissome for his purpose, and
+then thrust the handle of his knife into the end of the portion which
+he had retained, and in this wise he had a most serviceable lance or
+spear. For the reeds were very strong, and hollow after the fashion of
+bamboo, and when he had bound some yarn about the end into which he had
+thrust his knife, so as to prevent it splitting, it was a fit enough
+weapon for any man.
+
+Now the bo'sun, perceiving the happiness of the fellow's idea, bade the
+rest make to themselves similar weapons, and whilst they were busy thus,
+he commended the man very warmly. And so, in a little, being now most
+comfortably armed, we made inland towards the nearer black hill, in very
+good spirits. Presently, we were come to the rock which formed the hill,
+and found that it came up out of the sand with great abruptness, so that
+we could not climb it on the seaward side. At that, the bo'sun led us
+round a space towards that side where lay the valley, and here there was
+under-foot neither sand nor rock; but ground of strange and spongy
+texture, and then suddenly, rounding a jutting spur of the rock, we came
+upon the first of the vegetation--an incredible mushroom; nay, I should
+say toadstool; for it had no healthy look about it, and gave out a heavy,
+mouldy odor. And now we perceived that the valley was filled with them,
+all, that is, save a great circular patch where nothing appeared to be
+growing; though we were not yet at a sufficient height to ascertain the
+reason of this.
+
+Presently, we came to a place where the rock was split by a great fissure
+running up to the top, and showing many ledges and convenient shelves
+upon which we might obtain hold and footing. And so we set-to about
+climbing, helping one another so far as we had ability, until, in about
+the space of some ten minutes, we reached the top, and from thence had a
+very fine view. We perceived now that there was a beach upon that side of
+the island which was opposed to the weed; though, unlike that upon which
+we had landed, it was greatly choked with weed which had drifted ashore.
+After that, I gave notice to see what space of water lay between the
+island and the edge of the great weed-continent, and guessed it to be no
+more than maybe some ninety yards, at which I fell to wishing that it had
+been greater, for I was grown much in awe of the weed and the strange
+things which I conceived it to contain.
+
+Abruptly, the bo'sun clapped me upon the shoulder, and pointed to some
+object that lay out in the weed at a distance of not much less than the
+half of a mile from where we stood. Now, at first, I could not conceive
+what manner of thing it was at which I stared, until the bo'sun,
+remarking my bewilderment, informed me that it was a vessel all covered
+in, no doubt as a protection against the devil-fish and other strange
+creatures in the weed. And now I began to trace the hull of her amid all
+that hideous growth; but of her masts, I could discern nothing; and I
+doubted not but that they had been carried away by some storm ere she was
+caught by the weed; and then the thought came to me of the end of those
+who had built up that protection against the horrors which the weed-world
+held hidden amid its slime.
+
+Presently, I turned my gaze once more upon the island, which was very
+plain to see from where we stood. I conceived, now that I could see so
+much of it, that its length would be near to half a mile, though its
+breadth was something under four hundred yards; thus it was very long in
+proportion to its width. In the middle part it had less breadth than at
+the ends, being perhaps three hundred yards at its narrowest, and a
+hundred yards wider at its broadest.
+
+Upon both sides of the island, as I have made already a mention, there
+was a beach, though this extended no great distance along the shore, the
+remainder being composed of the black rock of which the hills were
+formed. And now, having a closer regard to the beach upon the weed-side
+of the island, I discovered amid the wrack that had been cast ashore, a
+portion of the lower mast and topmast of some great ship, with rigging
+attached; but the yards were all gone. This find, I pointed out to the
+bo'sun, remarking that it might prove of use for firing; but he smiled at
+me, telling me that the dried weed would make a very abundant fire, and
+this without going to the labor of cutting the mast into suitable logs.
+
+And now, he, in turn, called my attention to the place where the huge
+fungi had come to a stop in their growing, and I saw that in the center
+of the valley there was a great circular opening in the earth, like to
+the mouth of a prodigious pit, and it appeared to be filled to within a
+few feet of the mouth with water, over which spread a brown and horrid
+scum. Now, as may be supposed, I stared with some intentness at this; for
+it had the look of having been made with labor, being very symmetrical,
+yet I could not conceive but that I was deluded by the distance, and that
+it would have a rougher appearance when viewed from a nearer standpoint.
+
+From contemplating this, I looked down upon the little bay in which our
+boat floated. Job was sitting in the stern, sculling gently with the
+steering oar and watching us. At that, I waved my hand to him in
+friendly fashion, and he waved back, and then, even as I looked, I saw
+something in the water under the boat--something dark colored that was
+all of a-move. The boat appeared to be floating over it as over a mass
+of sunk weed, and then I saw that, whatever it was, it was rising to the
+surface. At this a sudden horror came over me, and I clutched the bo'sun
+by the arm, and pointed, crying out that there was something under the
+boat. Now the bo'sun, so soon as he saw the thing, ran forward to the
+brow of the hill and, placing his hands to his mouth after the fashion
+of a trumpet, sang out to the boy to bring the boat to the shore and
+make fast the painter to a large piece of rock. At the bo'sun's hail,
+the lad called out "I, I," and, standing up, gave a sweep with his oar
+that brought the boat's head round towards the beach. Fortunately for
+him he was no more than some thirty yards from the shore at this time,
+else he had never come to it in this life; for the next moment the
+moving brown mass beneath the boat shot out a great tentacle and the oar
+was torn out of Job's hands with such power as to throw him right over
+on to the starboard gunnel of the boat. The oar itself was drawn down
+out of sight, and for the minute the boat was left untouched. Now the
+bo'sun cried out to the boy to take another oar, and get ashore while
+still he had chance, and at that we all called out various things, one
+advising one thing, and another recommending some other; yet our advice
+was vain, for the boy moved not, at which some cried out that he was
+stunned. I looked now to where the brown thing had been, for the boat
+had moved a few fathoms from the spot, having got some way upon her
+before the oar was snatched, and thus I discovered that the monster had
+disappeared, having, I conceived, sunk again into the depths from which
+it had risen; yet it might re-appear at any moment, and in that case the
+boy would be taken before our eyes.
+
+At this juncture, the bo'sun called to us to follow him, and led the way
+to the great fissure up which we had climbed, and so, in a minute, we
+were, each of us, scrambling down with what haste we could make towards
+the valley. And all the while as I dropped from ledge to ledge, I was
+full of torment to know whether the monster had returned.
+
+The bo'sun was the first man to reach the bottom of the cleft, and he set
+off immediately round the base of the rock to the beach, the rest of us
+following him as we made safe our footing in the valley. I was the third
+man down; but, being light and fleet of foot, I passed the second man and
+caught up with the bo'sun just as he came upon the sand. Here, I found
+that the boat was within some five fathoms of the beach, and I could see
+Job still lying insensible; but of the monster there was no sign.
+
+And so matters were, the boat nearly a dozen yards from the shore, and
+Job lying insensible in her; with, somewhere near under her keel (for all
+that we knew) a great monster, and we helpless upon the beach.
+
+Now I could not imagine how to save the lad, and indeed I fear he had
+been left to destruction--for I had deemed it madness to try to reach the
+boat by swimming--but for the extraordinary bravery of the bo'sun, who,
+without hesitating, dashed into the water and swam boldly out to the
+boat, which, by the grace of God, he reached without mishap, and climbed
+in over the bows. Immediately, he took the painter and hove it to us,
+bidding us tail on to it and bring the boat to shore without delay, and
+by this method of gaining the beach he showed wisdom; for in this wise he
+escaped attracting the attention of the monster by unneedful stirring of
+the water, as he would surely have done had he made use of an oar.
+
+Yet, despite his care, we had not finished with the creature; for, just
+as the boat grounded, I saw the lost steering oar shoot up half its
+length out of the sea, and immediately there was a mighty splather in the
+water astern, and the next instant the air seemed full of huge, whirling
+arms. At that, the bo'sun gave one look behind, and, seeing the thing
+upon him, snatched the boy into his arms, and sprang over the bows on to
+the sand. Now, at sight of the devil-fish, we had all made for the back
+of the beach at a run, none troubling even to retain the painter, and
+because of this, we were like to have lost the boat; for the great
+cuttlefish had its arms all splayed about it, seeming to have a mind to
+drag it down into the deep water from whence it had risen, and it had
+possibly succeeded, but that the bo'sun brought us all to our senses;
+for, having laid Job out of harm's way, he was the first to seize the
+painter, which lay trailed upon the sand, and, at that, we got back our
+courage and ran to assist him.
+
+Now there happened to be convenient a great spike of rock, the same,
+indeed, to which the bo'sun had bidden Job tie the boat, and to this we
+ran the painter, taking a couple of turns about it and two half-hitches,
+and now, unless the rope carried away, we had no reason to fear the loss
+of the boat; though there seemed to us to be a danger of the creature's
+crushing it. Because of this, and because of a feeling of natural anger
+against the thing, the bo'sun took up from the sand one of the spears
+which had been cast down when we hauled the boat ashore. With this, he
+went down so far as seemed safe, and prodded the creature in one of its
+tentacles--the weapon entering easily, at which I was surprised, for
+I had understood that these monsters were near to invulnerable in all
+parts save their eyes. At receiving this stab, the great fish appeared
+to feel no hurt for it showed no signs of pain, and, at that, the bo'sun
+was further emboldened to go nearer, so that he might deliver a more
+deadly wound; yet scarce had he taken two steps before the hideous thing
+was upon him, and, but for an agility wonderful in so great a man, he
+had been destroyed. Yet, in spite of so narrow an escape from death, he
+was not the less determined to wound or destroy the creature, and, to
+this end, he dispatched some of us to the grove of reeds to get half a
+dozen of the strongest, and when we returned with these, he bade two of
+the men lash their spears securely to them, and by this means they had
+now spears of a length of between thirty and forty feet. With these, it
+was possible to attack the devilfish without coming within reach of its
+tentacles. And now being ready, he took one of the spears, telling the
+biggest of the men to take the other. Then he directed him to aim for
+the right eye of the huge fish whilst he would attack the left.
+
+Now since the creature had so nearly captured the bo'sun, it had ceased
+to tug at the boat, and lay silent, with its tentacles spread all about
+it, and its great eyes appearing just over the stern, so that it
+presented an appearance of watching our movements; though I doubt if it
+saw us with any clearness; for it must have been dazed with the
+brightness of the sunshine.
+
+And now the bo'sun gave the signal to attack, at which he and the man ran
+down upon the creature with their lances, as it were in rest. The
+bo'sun's spear took the monster truly in its left eye; but the one
+wielded by the man was too bendable, and sagged so much that it struck
+the stern-post of the boat, the knife blade snapping off short. Yet it
+mattered not; for the wound inflicted by the bo'sun's weapon was so
+frightful, that the giant cuttlefish released the boat, and slid back
+into deep water, churning it into foam, and gouting blood.
+
+For some minutes we waited to make sure that the monster had indeed gone,
+and after that, we hastened to the boat, and drew her up so far as we
+were able; after which we unloaded the heaviest of her contents, and so
+were able to get her right clear of the water.
+
+And for an hour afterwards the sea all about the little beach was stained
+black, and in places red.
+
+
+
+
+VIII
+
+The Noises in the Valley
+
+
+Now, so soon as we had gotten the boat into safety, the which we did with
+a most feverish haste, the bo'sun gave his attention to Job; for the boy
+had not yet recovered from the blow which the loom of the oar had dealt
+him beneath the chin when the monster snatched at it. For awhile, his
+attentions produced no effect; but presently, having bathed the lad's
+face with water from the sea, and rubbed rum into his chest over the
+heart, the youth began to show signs of life, and soon opened his eyes,
+whereupon the bo'sun gave him a stiff jorum of the rum, after which he
+asked him how he seemed in himself. To this Job replied in a weak voice
+that he was dizzy and his head and neck ached badly, on hearing which,
+the bo'sun bade him keep lying until he had come more to himself. And so
+we left him in quietness under a little shade of canvas and reeds; for
+the air was warm and the sand dry, and he was not like to come to any
+harm there.
+
+At a little distance, under the directing of the bo'sun, we made to
+prepare dinner, for we were now very hungry, it seeming a great while
+since we had broken our fast. To this end, the bo'sun sent two of the men
+across the island to gather some of the dry seaweed; for we intended to
+cook some of the salt meat, this being the first cooked meal since ending
+the meat which we had boiled before leaving the ship in the creek.
+
+In the meanwhile, and until the return of the men with the fuel, the
+bo'sun kept us busied in various ways. Two he sent to cut a bundle of the
+reeds, and another couple to bring the meat and the iron boiler, the
+latter being one that we had taken from the old brig.
+
+Presently, the men returned with the dried seaweed, and very curious
+stuff it seemed, some of it being in chunks near as thick as a man's
+body; but exceeding brittle by reason of its dryness. And so in a little,
+we had a very good fire going, which we fed with the seaweed and pieces
+of the reeds, though we found the latter to be but indifferent fuel,
+having too much sap, and being troublesome to break into convenient size.
+
+Now when the fire had grown red and hot, the bo'sun half filled the
+boiler with sea water, in which he placed the meat; and the pan, having a
+stout lid, he did not scruple to place it in the very heart of the fire,
+so that soon we had the contents boiling merrily.
+
+Having gotten the dinner under way, the bo'sun set about preparing our
+camp for the night, which we did by making a rough framework with the
+reeds, over which we spread the boat's sails and the cover, pegging the
+canvas down with tough splinters of the reed. When this was completed, we
+set-to and carried there all our stores, after which the bo'sun took us
+over to the other side of the island to gather fuel for the night, which
+we did, each man bearing a great double armful.
+
+Now by the time that we had brought over, each of us, two loads of the
+fuel, we found the meat to be cooked, and so, without more to-do, set
+ourselves down and made a very good meal off it and some biscuits, after
+which we had each of us a sound tot of the rum. Having made an end of
+eating and drinking, the bo'sun went over to where Job lay, to inquire
+how he felt, and found him lying very quiet, though his breathing had a
+heavy touch about it. However, we could conceive of nothing by which he
+might be bettered, and so left him, being more hopeful that Nature would
+bring him to health than any skill of which we were possessed.
+
+By this time it was late afternoon, so that the bo'sun declared we might
+please ourselves until sunset, deeming that we had earned a very good
+right to rest; but that from sunset till the dawn we should, he told us,
+have each of us to take turn and turn about to watch; for though we were
+no longer upon the water, none might say whether we were out of danger or
+not, as witness the happening of the morning; though, certainly, he
+apprehended no danger from the devil-fish so long as we kept well away
+from the water's edge.
+
+And so from now until dark most of the men slept; but the bo'sun spent
+much of that time in overhauling the boat, to see how it might chance to
+have suffered during the storm, and also whether the struggles of the
+devil-fish had strained it in any way. And, indeed, it was speedily
+evident that the boat would need some attention; for the plank in her
+bottom next but one to the keel, upon the starboard side, had been burst
+inwards; this having been done, it would seem, by some rock in the beach
+hidden just beneath the water's edge, the devil-fish having, no doubt,
+ground the boat down upon it. Happily, the damage was not great; though
+it would most certainly have to be carefully repaired before the boat
+would be again seaworthy. For the rest, there seemed to be no other part
+needing attention.
+
+Now I had not felt any call to sleep, and so had followed the bo'sun to
+the boat, giving him a hand to remove the bottom-boards, and finally to
+slue her bottom a little upwards, so that he might examine the leak more
+closely. When he had made an end with the boat, he went over to the
+stores, and looked closely into their condition, and also to see how they
+were lasting. And, after that, he sounded all the water-breakers; having
+done which, he remarked that it would be well for us if we could discover
+any fresh water upon the island.
+
+By this time it was getting on towards evening, and the bo'sun went
+across to look at Job, finding him much as he had been when we visited
+him after dinner. At that, the bo'sun asked me to bring across one of the
+longer of the bottom-boards, which I did, and we made use of it as a
+stretcher to carry the lad into the tent. And afterwards, we carried all
+the loose woodwork of the boat into the tent, emptying the lockers of
+their contents, which included some oakum, a small boat's hatchet, a coil
+of one-and-a-half-inch hemp line, a good saw, an empty colza-oil tin, a
+bag of copper nails, some bolts and washers, two fishing-lines, three
+spare tholes, a three-pronged grain without the shaft, two balls of spun
+yarn, three hanks of roping-twine, a piece of canvas with four
+roping-needles stuck in it, the boat's lamp, a spare plug, and a roll of
+light duck for making boat's sails.
+
+And so, presently, the dark came down upon the island, at which the
+bo'sun waked the men, and bade them throw more fuel on to the fire, which
+had burned down to a mound of glowing embers much shrouded in ash. After
+that, one of them part filled the boiler with fresh water, and soon we
+were occupied most pleasantly upon a supper of cold, boiled salt-meat,
+hard biscuits, and rum mixed with hot water. During supper, the bo'sun
+made clear to the men regarding the watches, arranging how they should
+follow, so that I found I was set down to take my turn from midnight
+until one of the clock. Then, he explained to them about the burst plank
+in the bottom of the boat, and how that it would have to be put right
+before we could hope to leave the island, and that after that night we
+should have to go most strictly with the victuals; for there seemed to be
+nothing upon the island, that we had up till then discovered, fit to
+satisfy our bellies. More than this, if we could find no fresh water, he
+should have to distil some to make up for that which we had drunk, and
+this must be done before leaving the island.
+
+Now by the time that the bo'sun had made an end of explaining these
+matters, we had ceased from eating, and soon after this we made each one
+of us a comfortable place in the sand within the tent, and lay down to
+sleep. For a while, I found myself very wakeful, which may have been
+because of the warmth of the night, and, indeed, at last I got up and
+went out of the tent, conceiving that I might the better find sleep in
+the open air. And so it proved; for, having lain down at the side of the
+tent, a little way from the fire, I fell soon into a deep slumber, which
+at first was dreamless. Presently, however, I came upon a very strange
+and unsettling dream; for I dreamed that I had been left alone on the
+island, and was sitting very desolate upon the edge of the brown-scummed
+pit. Then I was aware suddenly that it was very dark and very silent, and
+I began to shiver; for it seemed to me that something which repulsed my
+whole being had come quietly behind me. At that I tried mightily to turn
+and look into the shadows among the great fungi that stood all about me;
+but I had no power to turn. And the thing was coming nearer, though never
+a sound came to me, and I gave out a scream, or tried to; but my voice
+made no stir in the rounding quiet; and then something wet and cold
+touched my face, and slithered down and covered my mouth, and paused
+there for a vile, breathless moment. It passed onward and fell to my
+throat--and stayed there ...
+
+Some one stumbled and felt over my feet, and at that, I was suddenly
+awake. It was the man on watch making a walk round the back of the tent,
+and he had not known of my presence till he fell over my boots. He was
+somewhat shaken and startled, as might be supposed; but steadied himself
+on learning that it was no wild creature crouched there in the shadow;
+and all the time, as I answered his inquiries, I was full of a strange,
+horrid feeling that something had left me at the moment of my awakening.
+There was a slight, hateful odor in my nostrils that was not altogether
+unfamiliar, and then, suddenly, I was aware that my face was damp and
+that there was a curious sense of tingling at my throat. I put up my hand
+and felt my face, and the hand when I brought it away was slippery with
+slime, and at that, I put up my other hand, and touched my throat, and
+there it was the same, only, in addition, there was a slight swelled
+place a little to one side of the wind-pipe, the sort of place that the
+bite of a mosquito will make; but I had no thought to blame any mosquito.
+
+Now the stumbling of the man over me, my awakening, and the discovery
+that my face and throat were be-slimed, were but the happenings of some
+few, short instants; and then I was upon my feet, and following him round
+to the fire; for I had a sense of chilliness and a great desire not to be
+alone. Now, having come to the fire, I took some of the water that had
+been left in the boiler, and washed my face and neck, after which I felt
+more my own man. Then I asked the man to look at my throat, so that he
+might give me some idea of what manner of place the swelling seemed, and
+he, lighting a piece of the dry seaweed to act as a torch, made
+examination of my neck; but could see little, save a number of small
+ring-like marks, red inwardly, and white at the edges, and one of them
+was bleeding slightly. After that, I asked him whether he had seen
+anything moving round the tent; but he had seen nothing during all the
+time that he had been on watch; though it was true that he had heard odd
+noises; but nothing very near at hand. Of the places on my throat he
+seemed to think but little, suggesting that I had been bitten by some
+sort of sand-fly; but at that, I shook my head, and told him of my dream,
+and after that, he was as anxious to keep near me as I to him. And so the
+night passed onward, until my turn came to watch.
+
+For a little while, the man whom I had relieved sat beside me; having,
+I conceived, the kindly intent of keeping me company; but so soon as I
+perceived this, I entreated him to go and get his sleep, assuring him
+that I had no longer any feelings of fear--such as had been mine upon
+awakening and discovering the state of my face and throat--and, upon
+this, he consented to leave me, and so, in a little, I sat alone
+beside the fire.
+
+For a certain space, I kept very quiet, listening; but no sound came to
+me out of the surrounding darkness, and so, as though it were a fresh
+thing, it was borne in upon me how that we were in a very abominable
+place of lonesomeness and desolation. And I grew very solemn.
+
+Thus as I sat, the fire, which had not been replenished for a while,
+dwindled steadily until it gave but a dullish glow around. And then, in
+the direction of the valley, I heard suddenly the sound of a dull thud,
+the noise coming to me through the stillness with a very startling
+clearness. At that, I perceived that I was not doing my duty to the rest,
+nor to myself, by sitting and allowing the fire to cease from flaming;
+and immediately reproaching myself, I seized and cast a mass of the dry
+weed upon the fire, so that a great blaze shot up into the night, and
+afterwards I glanced quickly to right and to left, holding my
+cut-and-thrust very readily, and most thankful to the Almighty that I
+had brought no harm to any by reason of my carelessness, which I incline
+me to believe was that strange inertia which is bred by fear. And then,
+even as I looked about me, there came to me across the silence of the
+beach a fresh noise, a continual soft slithering to and fro in the bottom
+of the valley, as though a multitude of creatures moved stealthily. At
+this, I threw yet more fuel upon the fire, and after that I fixed my gaze
+in the direction of the valley: thus in the following instant it seemed
+to me that I saw a certain thing, as it might be a shadow, move on the
+outer borders of the firelight. Now the man who had kept watch before me
+had left his spear stuck upright in the sand convenient to my grasp, and,
+seeing something moving, I seized the weapon and hurled it with all my
+strength in its direction; but there came no answering cry to tell that I
+had struck anything living, and immediately afterwards there fell once
+more a great silence upon the island, being broken only by a far splash
+out upon the weed.
+
+It may be conceived with truth that the above happenings had put a very
+considerable strain upon my nerves, so that I looked to and fro
+continually, with ever and anon a quick glance behind me; for it seemed
+to me that I might expect some demoniac creature to rush upon me at any
+moment. Yet, for the space of many minutes, there came to me neither any
+sight nor sound of living creature; so that I knew not what to think,
+being near to doubting if I had heard aught beyond the common.
+
+And then, even as I made halt upon the threshold of doubt, I was assured
+that I had not been mistaken; for, abruptly, I was aware that all the
+valley was full of a rustling, scampering sort of noise, through which
+there came to me occasional soft thuds, and anon the former slithering
+sounds. And at that, thinking a host of evil things to be upon us, I
+cried out to the bo'sun and the men to awake.
+
+Immediately upon my shout, the bo'sun rushed out from the tent, the men
+following, and every one with his weapon, save the man who had left his
+spear in the sand, and that lay now somewhere beyond the light of the
+fire. Then the bo'sun shouted, to know what thing had caused me to cry
+out; but I replied nothing, only held up my hand for quietness, yet when
+this was granted, the noises in the valley had ceased; so that the bo'sun
+turned to me, being in need of some explanation; but I begged him to hark
+a little longer, which he did, and, the sounds re-commencing almost
+immediately, he heard sufficient to know that I had not waked them all
+without due cause. And then, as we stood each one of us staring into the
+darkness where lay the valley, I seemed to see again some shadowy thing
+upon the boundary of the firelight; and, in the same instant, one of the
+men cried out and cast his spear into the darkness. But the bo'sun turned
+upon him with a very great anger; for in throwing his weapon, the man had
+left himself without, and thus brought danger to the whole; yet, as will
+be remembered, I had done likewise but a little since.
+
+Presently, there coming again a quietness within the valley, and none
+knowing what might be toward, the bo'sun caught up a mass of the dry
+weed, and, lighting it at the fire, ran with it towards that portion of
+the beach which lay between us and the valley. Here he cast it upon the
+sand, singing out to some of the men to bring more of the weed, so that
+we might have a fire there, and thus be able to see if anything made to
+come at us out of the deepness of the hollow.
+
+Presently, we had a very good fire, and by the light of this the two
+spears were discovered, both of them stuck in the sand, and no more than
+a yard one from the other, which seemed to me a very strange thing.
+
+Now, for a while after the lighting of the second fire, there came no
+further sounds from the direction of the valley; nothing indeed to break
+the quietness of the island, save the occasional lonely splashes that
+sounded from time to time out in the vastness of the weed-continent.
+Then, about an hour after I had waked the bo'sun, one of the men who had
+been tending the fires came up to him to say that we had come to the end
+of our supply of weed-fuel. At that, the bo'sun looked very blank, the
+which did the rest of us, as well we might; yet there was no help for it,
+until one of the men bethought him of the remainder of the bundle of
+reeds which we had cut, and which, burning but poorly, we had discarded
+for the weed. This was discovered at the back of the tent, and with it we
+fed the fire that burned between us and the valley; but the other we
+suffered to die out, for the reeds were not sufficient to support even
+the one until the dawn.
+
+At last, and whilst it was still dark, we came to the end of our fuel,
+and as the fire died down, so did the noises in the valley recommence.
+And there we stood in the growing dark, each one keeping a very ready
+weapon, and a more ready glance. And at times the island would be
+mightily quiet, and then again the sounds of things crawling in the
+valley. Yet, I think the silences tried us the more.
+
+And so at last came the dawn.
+
+
+
+
+IX
+
+What Happened in the Dusk
+
+
+Now with the coming of the dawn, a lasting silence stole across the
+island and into the valley, and, conceiving that we had nothing more to
+fear, the bo'sun bade us get some rest, whilst he kept watch. And so I
+got at last a very substantial little spell of sleep, which made me fit
+enough for the day's work.
+
+Presently, after some hours had passed, the bo'sun roused us to go
+with him to the further side of the island to gather fuel, and soon we
+were back with each a load, so that in a little we had the fire going
+right merrily.
+
+Now for breakfast, we had a hash of broken biscuit, salt meat and some
+shell-fish which the bo'sun had picked up from the beach at the foot of
+the further hill; the whole being right liberally flavored with some of
+the vinegar, which the bo'sun said would help keep down any scurvy that
+might be threatening us. And at the end of the meal he served out to us
+each a little of the molasses, which we mixed with hot water, and drank.
+
+The meal being ended, he went into the tent to take a look at Job, the
+which he had done already in the early morning; for the condition of the
+lad preyed somewhat upon him; he being, for all his size and
+top-roughness, a man of surprisingly tender heart. Yet the boy remained
+much as on the previous evening, so that we knew not what to do with him
+to bring him into better health. One thing we tried, knowing that no food
+had passed his lips since the previous morning, and that was to get some
+little quantity of hot water, rum and molasses down his throat; for it
+seemed to us he might die from very lack of food; but though we worked
+with him for more than the half of an hour, we could not get him to
+come-to sufficiently to take anything, and without that we had fear of
+suffocating him. And so, presently, we had perforce to leave him within
+the tent, and go about our business; for there was very much to be done.
+
+Yet, before we did aught else, the bo'sun led us all into the valley,
+being determined to make a very thorough exploration of it, perchance
+there might be any lurking beast or devil-thing waiting to rush out and
+destroy us as we worked, and more, he would make search that he might
+discover what manner of creatures had disturbed our night.
+
+Now in the early morning, when we had gone for the fuel, we had kept to
+the upper skirt of the valley where the rock of the nearer hill came down
+into the spongy ground, but now we struck right down into the middle part
+of the vale, making a way amid the mighty fungi to the pit-like opening
+that filled the bottom of the valley. Now though the ground was very
+soft, there was in it so much of springiness that it left no trace of our
+steps after we had gone on a little way, none, that is, save that in odd
+places, a wet patch followed upon our treading. Then, when we got
+ourselves near to the pit, the ground became softer, so that our feet
+sank into it, and left very real impressions; and here we found tracks
+most curious and bewildering; for amid the slush that edged the
+pit--which I would mention here had less the look of a pit now that I had
+come near to it--were multitudes of markings which I can liken to nothing
+so much as the tracks of mighty slugs amid the mud, only that they were
+not altogether like to that of slugs; for there were other markings such
+as might have been made by bunches of eels cast down and picked up
+continually, at least, this is what they suggested to me, and I do but
+put it down as such.
+
+Apart from the markings which I have mentioned, there was everywhere a
+deal of slime, and this we traced all over the valley among the great
+toadstool plants; but, beyond that which I have already remarked, we
+found nothing. Nay, but I was near to forgetting, we found a quantity of
+this thin slime upon those fungi which filled the end of the little
+valley nearest to our encampment, and here also we discovered many of
+them fresh broken or uprooted, and there was the same mark of the beast
+upon them all, and now I remember the dull thuds that I had heard in the
+night, and made little doubt but that the creatures had climbed the great
+toadstools so that they might spy us out; and it may be that many climbed
+upon one, so that their weight broke the fungi, or uprooted them. At
+least, so the thought came to me.
+
+And so we made an end of our search, and after that, the bo'sun set each
+one of us to work. But first he had us all back to the beach to give a
+hand to turn over the boat, so that he might get to the damaged part.
+Now, having the bottom of the boat full to his view, he made discovery
+that there was other damage beside that of the burst plank; for the
+bottom plank of all had come away from the keel, which seemed to us a
+very serious matter; though it did not show when the boat was upon her
+bilges. Yet the bo'sun assured us that he had no doubts but that she
+could be made seaworthy, though it would take a greater while than
+hitherto he had thought needful.
+
+Having concluded his examination of the boat, the bo'sun sent one of the
+men to bring the bottom-boards out of the tent; for he needed some
+planking for the repair of the damage. Yet when the boards had been
+brought, he needed still something which they could not supply, and this
+was a length of very sound wood of some three inches in breadth each
+way, which he intended to bolt against the starboard side of the keel,
+after he had gotten the planking replaced so far as was possible. He had
+hopes that by means of this device he would be able to nail the bottom
+plank to this, and then caulk it with oakum, so making the boat almost
+so sound as ever.
+
+Now hearing him express his need for such a piece of timber, we were all
+adrift to know from whence such a thing could be gotten, until there came
+suddenly to me a memory of the mast and topmast upon the other side of
+the island, and at once I made mention of them. At that, the bo'sun
+nodded, saying that we might get the timber out of it, though it would be
+a work requiring some considerable labor, in that we had only a hand-saw
+and a small hatchet. Then he sent us across to be getting it clear of the
+weed, promising to follow when he had made an end of trying to get the
+two displaced planks back into position.
+
+Having reached the spars, we set-to with a very good will to shift away
+the weed and wrack that was piled over them, and very much entangled with
+the rigging. Presently we had laid them bare, and so we discovered them
+to be in remarkably sound condition, the lower-mast especially being a
+fine piece of timber. All the lower and topmast standing rigging was
+still attached, though in places the lower rigging was stranded so far as
+half-way up the shrouds; yet there remained much that was good and all
+of it quite free from rot, and of the very finest quality of white hemp,
+such as is to be seen only in the best found vessels.
+
+About the time that we had finished clearing the weed, the bo'sun came
+over to us, bringing with him the saw and the hatchet. Under his
+directions, we cut the lanyards of the topmast rigging, and after that
+sawed through the topmast just above the cap. Now this was a very tough
+piece of work, and employed us a great part of the morning, even though
+we took turn and turn at the saw, and when it was done we were mightily
+glad that the bo'sun bade one of the men go over with some weed and make
+up the fire for dinner, after which he was to put on a piece of the salt
+meat to boil.
+
+In the meanwhile, the bo'sun had started to cut through the topmast,
+about fifteen feet beyond the first cut, for that was the length of the
+batten he required; yet so wearisome was the work, that we had not gotten
+more than half through with it before the man whom the bo'sun had sent,
+returned to say that the dinner was ready. When this was dispatched, and
+we had rested a little over our pipes, the bo'sun rose and led us back;
+for he was determined to get through with the topmast before dark.
+
+Presently, relieving each other frequently, we completed the second
+cut, and after that the bo'sun set us to saw a block about twelve
+inches deep from the remaining portion of the topmast. From this, when
+we had cut it, he proceeded to hew wedges with the hatchet. Then he
+notched the end of the fifteen-foot log, and into the notch he drove
+the wedges, and so, towards evening, as much, maybe, by good luck as
+good management, he had divided the log into two halves--the split
+running very fairly down the center.
+
+Now, perceiving how that it drew near to sundown, he bade the men haste
+and gather weed and carry it across to our camp; but one he sent along
+the shore to make a search for shell-fish among the weed; yet he himself
+ceased not to work at the divided log, and kept me with him as helper.
+Thus, within the next hour, we had a length, maybe some four inches in
+diameter, split off the whole length of one of the halves, and with this
+he was very well content; though it seemed but a very little result for
+so much labor.
+
+By this time the dusk was upon us, and the men, having made an end of
+weed carrying, were returned to us, and stood about, waiting for the
+bo'sun to go into camp. At this moment, the man the bo'sun had sent to
+gather shellfish, returned, and he had a great crab upon his spear, which
+he had spitted through the belly. This creature could not have been less
+than a foot across the back, and had a very formidable appearance; yet it
+proved to be a most tasty matter for our supper, when it had been placed
+for a while in boiling water.
+
+Now so soon as this man was returned, we made at once for the camp,
+carrying with us the piece of timber which we had hewn from the topmast.
+By this time it was quite dusk, and very strange amid the great fungi as
+we struck across the upper edge of the valley to the opposite beach.
+Particularly, I noticed that the hateful, mouldy odor of these monstrous
+vegetables was more offensive than I had found it to be in the daytime;
+though this may be because I used my nose the more, in that I could not
+use my eyes to any great extent.
+
+We had gotten halfway across the top of the valley, and the gloom was
+deepening steadily, when there stole to me upon the calmness of the
+evening air, a faint smell; something quite different from that of the
+surrounding fungi. A moment later I got a great whiff of it, and was near
+sickened with the abomination of it; but the memory of that foul thing
+which had come to the side of the boat in the dawn-gloom, before we
+discovered the island, roused me to a terror beyond that of the sickness
+of my stomach; for, suddenly, I knew what manner of thing it was that had
+beslimed my face and throat upon the previous night, and left its hideous
+stench lingering in my nostrils. And with the knowledge, I cried out to
+the bo'sun to make haste, for there were demons with us in the valley.
+And at that, some of the men made to run; but he bade them, in a very
+grim voice, stay where they were, and keep well together, else would they
+be attacked and overcome, straggled all among the fungi in the dark. And
+this, being, I doubt not, as much in fear of the rounding dark as of the
+bo'sun, they did, and so we came safely out of the valley; though there
+seemed to follow us a little lower down the slope an uncanny slithering.
+
+Now so soon as we reached the camp, the bo'sun ordered four fires to be
+lit--one on each side of the tent, and this we did, lighting them at the
+embers of our old fire, which we had most foolishly allowed to die down.
+When the fires had been got going, we put on the boiler, and treated the
+great crab as I have already mentioned, and so fell-to upon a very hearty
+supper; but, as we ate, each man had his weapon stuck in the sand beside
+him; for we had knowledge that the valley held some devilish thing, or
+maybe many; though the knowing did not spoil our appetites.
+
+And so, presently, we came to an end of eating, whereat each man pulled
+out his pipe, intending to smoke; but the bo'sun told one of the men to
+get him upon his feet and keep watch, else might we be in danger of
+surprise, with every man lolling upon the sand; and this seemed to me
+very good sense; for it was easy to see that the men, too readily, deemed
+themselves secure, by reason of the brightness of the fires about them.
+
+Now, whilst the men were taking their ease within the circle of the
+fires, the bo'sun lit one of the dips which we had out of the ship in the
+creek, and went in to see how Job was, after the day's rest. At that, I
+rose up, reproaching myself for having forgotten the poor lad, and
+followed the bo'sun into the tent. Yet, I had but reached the opening,
+when he gave out a loud cry, and held the candle low down to the sand. At
+that, I saw the reason for his agitation, for, in the place where we had
+left Job, there was nothing. I stepped into the tent, and, in the same
+instant, there came to my nostrils the faint odor of the horrible stench
+which had come to me in the valley, and before then from the thing that
+came to the side of the boat. And, suddenly, I knew that Job had fallen
+prey of those foul things, and, knowing this, I called out to the bo'sun
+that _they_ had taken the boy, and then my eyes caught the smear of slime
+upon the sand, and I had proof that I was not mistaken.
+
+Now, so soon as the bo'sun knew all that was in my mind; though indeed it
+did but corroborate that which had come to his own, he came swiftly out
+from the tent, bidding the men to stand back; for they had come all about
+the entrance, being very much discomposed at that which the bo'sun had
+discovered. Then the bo'sun took from a bundle of the reeds, which they
+had cut at the time when he had bidden them gather fuel, several of the
+thickest, and to one of these he bound a great mass of the dry weed;
+whereupon the men, divining his intention, did likewise with the others,
+and so we had each of us the wherewithal for a mighty torch.
+
+So soon as we had completed our preparations, we took each man his weapon
+and, plunging our torches into the fires, set off along the track which
+had been made by the devil-things and the body of poor Job; for now that
+we had suspicion that harm had come to him, the marks in the sand, and
+the slime, were very plain to be seen, so that it was a wonder that we
+had not discovered them earlier.
+
+Now the bo'sun led the way, and, finding the marks led direct to the
+valley, he broke into a run, holding his torch well above his head. At
+that, each of us did likewise; for we had a great desire to be together,
+and further than this, I think with truth I may say, we were all fierce
+to avenge Job, so that we had less of fear in our hearts than otherwise
+had been the case.
+
+In less than the half of a minute we had reached the end of the valley;
+but here, the ground being of a nature not happy in the revealing of
+tracks, we were at fault to know in which direction to continue. At that,
+the bo'sun set up a loud shout to Job, perchance he might be yet alive;
+but there came no answer to us, save a low and uncomfortable echo. Then
+the bo'sun, desiring to waste no more time, ran straight down towards the
+center of the valley, and we followed, and kept our eyes very open about
+us. We had gotten perhaps halfway, when one of the men shouted that he
+saw something ahead; but the bo'sun had seen it earlier; for he was
+running straight down upon it, holding his torch high and swinging his
+great cutlass. Then, instead of smiting, he fell upon his knees beside
+it, and the following instant we were up with him, and in that same
+moment it seemed to me that I saw a number of white shapes melt swiftly
+into the shadows further ahead: but I had no thought for these when I
+perceived that by which the bo'sun knelt; for it was the stark body of
+Job, and no inch of it but was covered with the little ringed marks that
+I had discovered upon my throat, and from every place there ran a trickle
+of blood, so that he was a most horrid and fearsome sight.
+
+At the sight of Job so mangled and be-bled, there came over us the sudden
+quiet of a mortal terror, and in that space of silence, the bo'sun placed
+his hand over the poor lad's heart; but there was no movement, though the
+body was still warm. Immediately upon that, he rose to his feet, a look
+of vast wrath upon his great face. He plucked his torch from the ground,
+into which he had plunged the haft, and stared round into the silence of
+the valley; but there was no living thing in sight, nothing save the
+giant fungi and the strange shadows cast by our great torches, and the
+loneliness.
+
+At this moment, one of the men's torches, having burnt near out, fell all
+to pieces, so that he held nothing but the charred support, and
+immediately two more came to a like end. Upon this, we became afraid that
+they would not last us back to the camp, and we looked to the bo'sun to
+know his wish; but the man was very silent, and peering everywhere into
+the shadows. Then a fourth torch fell to the ground in a shower of
+embers, and I turned to look. In the same instant there came a great
+flare of light behind me, accompanied by the dull thud of a dry matter
+set suddenly alight. I glanced swiftly back to the bo'sun, and he was
+staring up at one of the giant toadstools which was in flames all along
+its nearer edge, and burning with an incredible fury, sending out spirits
+of flame, and anon giving out sharp reports, and at each report, a fine
+powder was belched in thin streams; which, getting into our throats and
+nostrils, set us sneezing and coughing most lamentably; so that I am
+convinced, had any enemy come upon us at that moment, we had been undone
+by reason of our uncouth helplessness.
+
+Now whether it had come to the bo'sun to set alight this first of the
+fungi, I know not; for it may be that his torch coming by chance against
+it, set it afire. However it chanced, the bo'sun took it as a veritable
+hint from Providence, and was already setting his torch to one a little
+further off, whilst the rest of us were near to choking with our
+coughings and sneezings. Yet, that we were so suddenly overcome by the
+potency of the powder, I doubt if a full minute passed before we were
+each one busied after the manner of the bo'sun; and those whose torches
+had burned out, knocked flaming pieces from the burning fungus, and with
+these impaled upon their torch-sticks, did so much execution as any.
+
+And thus it happened that within five minutes of this discovery of Job's
+body, the whole of that hideous valley sent up to heaven the reek of its
+burning; whilst we, filled with murderous desires, ran hither and thither
+with our weapons, seeking to destroy the vile creatures that had brought
+the poor lad to so unholy a death. Yet nowhere could we discover any
+brute or creature upon which to ease our vengeance, and so, presently,
+the valley becoming impassable by reason of the heat, the flying sparks
+and the abundance of the acrid dust, we made back to the body of the boy,
+and bore him thence to the shore.
+
+And during all that night no man of us slept, and the burning of the
+fungi sent up a mighty pillar of flame out of the valley, as out of the
+mouth of a monstrous pit and when the morning came it still burned. Then
+when it was daylight, some of us slept, being greatly awearied; but some
+kept watch.
+
+And when we waked there was a great wind and rain upon the island.
+
+
+
+
+X
+
+The Light in the Weed
+
+
+Now the wind was very violent from the sea, and threatened to blow down
+our tent, the which, indeed, it achieved at last as we made an end of a
+cheerless breakfast. Yet, the bo'sun bade us not trouble to put it up
+again; but spread it out with the edges raised upon props made from the
+reeds, so that we might catch some of the rainwater; for it was become
+imperative that we should renew our supply before putting out again to
+sea. And whilst some of us were busied about this, he took the others and
+set up a small tent made of the spare canvas, and under this he sheltered
+all of our matters like to be harmed by the rain.
+
+In a little, the rain continuing very violent, we had near a breaker-full
+of water collected in the canvas, and were about to run it off into one
+of the breakers, when the bo'sun cried out to us to hold, and first taste
+the water before we mixed it with that which we had already. At that, we
+put down our hands and scooped up some of the water to taste, and thus we
+discovered it to be brackish and quite undrinkable, at which I was
+amazed, until the bo'sun reminded us that the canvas had been saturated
+for many days with salt water, so that it would take a great quantity of
+fresh before all the salt was washed out. Then he told us to lay it flat
+upon the beach, and scour it well on both sides with the sand, which we
+did, and afterwards let the rain rinse it well, whereupon the next water
+that we caught we found to be near fresh; though not sufficiently so for
+our purpose. Yet when we had rinsed it once more, it became clear of the
+salt, so that we were able to keep all that we caught further.
+
+And then, something before noon, the rain ceased to fall, though coming
+again at odd times in short squalls; yet the wind died not, but blew
+steadily, and continued so from that quarter during the remainder of the
+time that we were upon the island.
+
+Upon the ceasing of the rain, the bo'sun called us all together, that we
+might make a decent burial of the unfortunate lad, whose remains had lain
+during the night upon one of the bottom-boards of the boat. After a
+little discussion, it was decided to bury him in the beach; for the only
+part where there was soft earth was in the valley, and none of us had a
+stomach for that place. Moreover, the sand was soft and easy to dig, and
+as we had no proper tools, this was a great consideration. Presently,
+using the bottom-boards and the oars and the hatchet, we had a place
+large and deep enough to hold the boy, and into this we placed him. We
+made no prayer over him; but stood about the grave for a little space, in
+silence. Then, the bo'sun signed to us to fill in the sand; and,
+therewith, we covered up the poor lad, and left him to his sleep.
+
+And, presently, we made our dinner, after which the bo'sun served out to
+each one of us a very sound tot of the rum; for he was minded to bring us
+back again to a cheerful state of mind.
+
+After we had sat awhile, smoking, the bo'sun divided us into two
+parties to make a search through the island among the rocks, perchance
+we should find water, collected from the rain, among the hollows and
+crevasses; for though we had gotten some, through our device with the
+sail, yet we had by no means caught sufficient for our needs. He was
+especially anxious for haste, in that the sun had come out again; for he
+was feared that such small pools as we should find would be speedily
+dried up by its heat.
+
+Now the bo'sun headed one party, and set the big seaman over the other,
+bidding all to keep their weapons very handy. Then he set out to the
+rocks about the base of the nearer hill, sending the others to the
+farther and greater one, and in each party we carried an empty breaker
+slung from a couple of the stout reeds, so that we might put all such
+driblets as we should find, straight away into it, before they had time
+to vanish into the hot air; and for the purpose of bailing up the water,
+we had brought with us our tin pannikins, and one of the boat's bailers.
+
+In a while, and after much scrambling amid the rocks, we came upon a
+little pool of water that was remarkably sweet and fresh, and from this
+we removed near three gallons before it became dry; and after that we
+came across, maybe, five or six others; but not one of them near so big
+as the first; yet we were not displeased; for we had near three parts
+filled the breaker, and so we made back to the camp, having some wonder
+as to the luck of the other party.
+
+When we came near the camp, we found the others returned before us, and
+seeming in a very high content with themselves; so that we had no need to
+call to them as to whether they had filled their breaker. When they saw
+us, they set out to us at a run to tell us that they had come upon a
+great basin of fresh water in a deep hollow a third of the distance up
+the side of the far hill, and at this the bo'sun bade us put down our
+breaker and make all of us to the hill, so that he might examine for
+himself whether their news was so good as it seemed.
+
+Presently, being guided by the other party, we passed around to the back
+of the far hill, and discovered it to go upward to the top at an easy
+slope, with many ledges and broken places, so that it was scarce more
+difficult than a stair to climb. And so, having climbed perhaps ninety or
+a hundred feet, we came suddenly upon the place which held the water, and
+found that they had not made too much of their discovery; for the pool
+was near twenty feet long by twelve broad, and so clear as though it had
+come from a fountain; yet it had considerable depth, as we discovered by
+thrusting a spear shaft down into it.
+
+Now the bo'sun, having seen for himself how good a supply of water there
+was for our needs, seemed very much relieved in his mind, and declared
+that within three days at the most we might leave the island, at which we
+felt none of us any regret. Indeed, had the boat escaped harm, we had
+been able to leave that same day; but this could not be; for there was
+much to be done before we had her seaworthy again.
+
+Having waited until the bo'sun had made complete his examination, we
+turned to descend, thinking that this would be the bo'sun's intention;
+but he called to us to stay, and, looking back, we saw that he made to
+finish the ascent of the hill. At that, we hastened to follow him; though
+we had no notion of his reason for going higher. Presently, we were come
+to the top, and here we found a very spacious place, nicely level save
+that in one or two parts it was crossed by deepish cracks, maybe half a
+foot to a foot wide, and perhaps three to six fathoms long; but, apart
+from these and some great boulders, it was, as I have mentioned, a
+spacious place; moreover it was bone dry and pleasantly firm under one's
+feet, after so long upon the sand.
+
+I think, even thus early, I had some notion of the bo'sun's design; for
+I went to the edge that overlooked the valley, and peered down, and,
+finding it nigh a sheer precipice, found myself nodding my head, as
+though it were in accordance with some part formed wish. Presently,
+looking about me, I discovered the bo'sun to be surveying that part which
+looked over towards the weed, and I made across to join him. Here, again,
+I saw that the hill fell away very sheer, and after that we went across
+to the seaward edge, and there it was near as abrupt as on the weed side.
+
+Then, having by this time thought a little upon the matter, I put it
+straight to the bo'sun that here would make indeed a very secure camping
+place, with nothing to come at us upon our sides or back; and our front,
+where was the slope, could be watched with ease. And this I put to him
+with great warmth; for I was mortally in dread of the coming night.
+
+Now when I had made an end of speaking, the bo'sun disclosed to me that
+this was, as I had suspicion, his intent, and immediately he called to
+the men that we should haste down, and ship our camp to the top of the
+hill. At that, the men expressed their approbation, and we made haste
+every one of us to the camp, and began straightway to move our gear to
+the hilltop.
+
+In the meanwhile, the bo'sun, taking me to assist him, set-to again upon
+the boat, being intent to get his batten nicely shaped and fit to the
+side of the keel, so that it would bed well to the keel, but more
+particularly to the plank which had sprung outward from its place. And at
+this he labored the greater part of that afternoon, using the little
+hatchet to shape the wood, which he did with surprising skill; yet when
+the evening was come, he had not brought it to his liking. But it must
+not be thought that he did naught but work at the boat; for he had the
+men to direct, and once he had to make his way to the top of the hill to
+fix the place for the tent. And after the tent was up, he set them to
+carry the dry weed to the new camp, and at this he kept them until near
+dusk; for he had vowed never again to be without a sufficiency of fuel.
+But two of the men he sent to collect shell-fish--putting two of them to
+the task, because he would not have one alone upon the island, not
+knowing but that there might be danger, even though it were bright day;
+and a most happy ruling it proved; for, a little past the middle of the
+afternoon, we heard them shouting at the other end of the valley, and,
+not knowing but that they were in need of assistance, we ran with all
+haste to discover the reason of their calling, passing along the
+right-hand side of the blackened and sodden vale. Upon reaching the
+further beach, we saw a most incredible sight; for the two men were
+running towards us through the thick masses of the weed, while, no more
+than four or five fathoms behind, they were pursued by an enormous crab.
+Now I had thought the crab we had tried to capture before coming to the
+island, a prodigy unsurpassed; but this creature was more than treble its
+size, seeming as though a prodigious table were a-chase of them, and
+moreover, spite of its monstrous bulk, it made better way over the weed
+than I should have conceived to be possible--running almost sideways, and
+with one enormous claw raised near a dozen feet into the air.
+
+Now whether, omitting accidents, the men would have made good their
+escape to the firmer ground of the valley, where they could have attained
+to a greater speed, I do not know; but suddenly one of them tripped over
+a loop of the weed, and the next instant lay helpless upon his face. He
+had been dead the following moment, but for the pluck of his companion,
+who faced round manfully upon the monster, and ran at it with his
+twenty-foot spear. It seemed to me that the spear took it about a foot
+below the overhanging armor of the great back shell, and I could see
+that it penetrated some distance into the creature, the man having, by
+the aid of Providence, stricken it in a vulnerable part. Upon receiving
+this thrust, the mighty crab ceased at once its pursuit, and clipped at
+the haft of the spear with its great mandible, snapping the weapon more
+easily than I had done the same thing to a straw. By the time we had
+raced up to the men, the one who had stumbled was again upon his feet,
+and turning to assist his comrade; but the bo'sun snatched his spear from
+him, and leapt forward himself; for the crab was making now at the other
+man. Now the bo'sun did not attempt to thrust the spear into the monster;
+but instead he made two swift blows at the great protruding eyes, and in
+a moment the creature had curled itself up, helpless, save that the huge
+claw waved about aimlessly. At that, the bo'sun drew us off, though the
+man who had attacked the crab desired to make an end of it, averring that
+we should get some very good eating out of it; but to this the bo'sun
+would not listen, telling him that it was yet capable of very deadly
+mischief, did any but come within reach of its prodigious mandible.
+
+And after this, he bade them look no more for shellfish; but take out the
+two fishing-lines which we had, and see if they could catch aught from
+some safe ledge on the further side of the hill upon which we had made
+our camp. Then he returned to his mending of the boat.
+
+It was a little before the evening came down upon the island, that the
+bo'sun ceased work; and, after that, he called to the men, who, having
+made an end of their fuel carrying, were standing near, to place the
+full breakers--which we had not thought needful to carry to the new
+camp on account of their weight--under the upturned boat, some holding
+up the gunnel whilst the others pushed them under. Then the bo'sun laid
+the unfinished batten along with them, and we lowered the boat again
+over all, trusting to its weight to prevent any creature from meddling
+with aught.
+
+After that, we made at once to the camp, being wearifully tired, and with
+a hearty anticipation of supper. Upon reaching the hilltop, the men whom
+the bo'sun had sent with the lines, came to show him a very fine fish,
+something like to a huge king-fish, which they had caught a few minutes
+earlier. This, the bo'sun, after examining, did not hesitate to pronounce
+fit for food; whereupon they set-to and opened and cleaned it. Now, as I
+have said, it was not unlike a great king-fish, and like it, had a mouth
+full of very formidable teeth; the use of which I understood the better
+when I saw the contents of its stomach, which seemed to consist of
+nothing but the coiled tentacles of squid or cuttlefish, with which, as I
+have shown, the weed-continent swarmed. When these were upset upon the
+rock, I was confounded to perceive the length and thickness of some of
+them; and could only conceive that this particular fish must be a very
+desperate enemy to them, and able successfully to attack monsters of a
+bulk infinitely greater than its own.
+
+After this, and whilst the supper was preparing, the bo'sun called to
+some of the men to put up a piece of the spare canvas upon a couple of
+the reeds, so as to make a screen against the wind, which up there was
+so fresh that it came near at times to scattering the fire abroad. This
+they found not difficult; for a little on the windward side of the fire
+there ran one of the cracks of which I have made previous mention, and
+into this they jammed the supports, and so in a very little time had the
+fire screened.
+
+Presently, the supper was ready, and I found the fish to be very fair
+eating; though somewhat coarse; but this was no great matter for concern
+with so empty a stomach as I contained. And here I would remark, that we
+made our fishing save our provisions through all our stay on the island.
+Then, after we had come to an end of our eating, we lay down to a most
+comfortable smoke; for we had no fear of attack, at that height, and with
+precipices upon all sides save that which lay in front. Yet, so soon as
+we had rested and smoked a while, the bo'sun set the watches; for he
+would run no risk through carelessness.
+
+By this time the night was drawing on apace; yet it was not so dark but
+that one could perceive matters at a very reasonable distance. Presently,
+being in a mood that tended to thoughtfulness, and feeling a desire to be
+alone for a little, I strolled away from the fire to the leeward edge of
+the hilltop. Here, I paced up and down awhile, smoking and meditating.
+Anon, I would stare out across the immensity of the vast continent of
+weed and slime that stretched its incredible desolation out beyond the
+darkening horizon, and there would come the thought to me of the terror
+of men whose vessels had been entangled among its strange growths, and so
+my thoughts came to the lone derelict that lay out there in the dusk, and
+I fell to wondering what had been the end of her people, and at that I
+grew yet more solemn in my heart. For it seemed to me that they must have
+died at last by starvation, and if not by that, then by the act of some
+one of the devil-creatures which inhabited that lonely weed-world. And
+then, even as I fell upon this thought, the bo'sun clapped me upon the
+shoulder, and told me in a very hearty way to come to the light of the
+fire, and banish all melancholy thoughts; for he had a very penetrating
+discernment, and had followed me quietly from the camping place, having
+had reason once or twice before to chide me for gloomy meditations. And
+for this, and many other matters, I had grown to like the man, the which
+I could almost believe at times, was his regarding of me; but his words
+were too few for me to gather his feelings; though I had hope that they
+were as I surmised.
+
+And so I came back to the fire, and presently, it not being my time to
+watch until after midnight, I turned into the tent for a spell of sleep,
+having first arranged a comfortable spread of some of the softer portions
+of the dry weed to make me a bed.
+
+Now I was very full of sleep, so that I slept heavily, and in this wise
+heard not the man on watch call the bo'sun; yet the rousing of the others
+waked me, and so I came to myself and found the tent empty, at which I
+ran very hurriedly to the doorway, and so discovered that there was a
+clear moon in the sky, the which, by reason of the cloudiness that had
+prevailed, we had been without for the past two nights. Moreover, the
+sultriness had gone, the wind having blown it away with the clouds; yet
+though, maybe, I appreciated this, it was but in a half-conscious manner;
+for I was put about to discover the whereabouts of the men, and the
+reason of their leaving the tent. With this purpose, I stepped out from
+the entrance, and the following instant discovered them all in a clump
+beside the leeward edge of the hilltop. At that, I held my tongue; for I
+knew not but that silence might be their desire; but I ran hastily over
+to them, and inquired of the bo'sun what manner of thing it was which
+called them from their sleep, and he, for answer, pointed out into the
+greatness of the weed-continent.
+
+At that, I stared out over the breadth of the weed, showing very ghostly
+in the moonlight; but, for the moment, I saw not the thing to which he
+purposed to draw my attention. Then, suddenly, it fell within the circle
+of my gaze--a little light out in the lonesomeness. For the space of some
+moments, I stared with bewildered eyes; then it came to me with
+abruptness that the light shone from the lone derelict lying out in the
+weed, the same that upon that very evening, I had looked with sorrow and
+awe, because of the end of those who had been in her--and now, behold, a
+light burning, seemingly within one of her after cabins; though the moon
+was scarce powerful enough to enable the outline of the hulk to be seen
+clear of the rounding wilderness.
+
+And from this time, until the day, we had no more sleep; but made up the
+fire, and sat round it, full of excitement and wonder, and getting up
+continually to discover if the light still burned. This it ceased to do
+about an hour after I had first seen it; but it was the more proof that
+some of our kind were no more than the half of a mile from our camp.
+
+And at last the day came.
+
+
+
+
+XI
+
+The Signals from the Ship
+
+
+Now so soon as it was clearly light, we went all of us to the leeward
+brow of the hill to stare upon the derelict, which now we had cause to
+believe no derelict, but an inhabited vessel. Yet though we watched her
+for upwards of two hours, we could discover no sign of any living
+creature, the which, indeed, had we been in cooler minds, we had not
+thought strange, seeing that she was all so shut in by the great
+superstructure; but we were hot to see a fellow creature, after so much
+lonesomeness and terror in strange lands and seas, and so could not by
+any means contain ourselves in patience until those aboard the hulk
+should choose to discover themselves to us.
+
+And so, at last, being wearied with watching, we made it up together to
+shout when the bo'sun should give us the signal, by this means making a
+good volume of sound which we conceived the wind might carry down to the
+vessel. Yet though we raised many shouts, making as it seemed to us a
+very great noise, there came no response from the ship, and at last we
+were fain to cease from our calling, and ponder some other way of
+bringing ourselves to the notice of those within the hulk.
+
+For a while we talked, some proposing one thing, and some another; but
+none of them seeming like to achieve our purpose. And after that we fell
+to marveling that the fire which we had lit in the valley had not
+awakened them to the fact that some of their fellow creatures were upon
+the island; for, had it, we could not suppose but that they would have
+kept a perpetual watch upon the island until such time as they should
+have been able to attract our notice. Nay! more than this, it was scarce
+credible that they should not have made an answering fire, or set some of
+their bunting above the superstructure, so that our gaze should be
+arrested upon the instant we chanced to glance towards the hulk. But so
+far from this, there appeared even a purpose to shun our attention; for
+that light which we had viewed in the past night was more in the way of
+an accident, than of the nature of a purposeful exhibition.
+
+And so, presently, we went to breakfast, eating heartily; our night of
+wakefulness having given us mighty appetites; but, for all that, we were
+so engrossed by the mystery of the lonesome craft, that I doubt if any of
+us knew what manner of food it was with which we filled our bellies. For
+first one view of the matter would be raised, and when this had been
+combated, another would be broached, and in this wise it came up finally
+that some of the men were falling in doubt whether the ship was inhabited
+by anything human, saying rather that it might be held by some demoniac
+creature of the great weed-continent. At this proposition, there came
+among us a very uncomfortable silence; for not only did it chill the
+warmth of our hopes; but seemed like to provide us with a fresh terror,
+who were already acquainted with too much. Then the bo'sun spoke,
+laughing with a hearty contempt at our sudden fears, and pointed out
+that it was just as like that they aboard the ship had been put in fear
+by the great blaze from the valley, as that they should take it for a
+sign that fellow creatures and friends were at hand. For, as he put it to
+us, who of us could say what fell brutes and demons the weed-continent
+did hold, and if we had reason to know that there were very dread things
+among the weed, how much the more must they, who had, for all that we
+knew, been many years beset around by such. And so, as he went on to make
+clear, we might suppose that they were very well aware there had come
+some creatures to the island; yet, maybe, they desired not to make
+themselves known until they had been given sight of them, and because of
+this, we must wait until they chose to discover themselves to us.
+
+Now when the bo'sun had made an end, we felt each one of us greatly
+cheered; for his discourse seemed very reasonable. Yet still there were
+many matters that troubled our company; for, as one put it, was it not
+mightily strange that we had not had previous sight of their light, or,
+in the day, of the smoke from their galley fire? But to this the bo'sun
+replied that our camp hitherto had lain in a place where we had not
+sight, even of the great world of weed, leaving alone any view of the
+derelict. And more, that at such times as we had crossed to the opposite
+beach, we had been occupied too sincerely to have much thought to watch
+the hulk, which, indeed, from that position showed only her great
+superstructure. Further, that, until the preceding day, we had but once
+climbed to any height; and that from our present camp the derelict could
+not be viewed, and to do so, we had to go near to the leeward edge of
+the hill-top.
+
+And so, breakfast being ended, we went all of us to see if there were yet
+any signs of life in the hulk; but when an hour had gone, we were no
+wiser. Therefore, it being folly to waste further time, the bo'sun left
+one man to watch from the brow of the hill, charging him very strictly to
+keep in such position that he could be seen by any aboard the silent
+craft, and so took the rest down to assist him in the repairing of the
+boat. And from thence on, during the day, he gave the men a turn each at
+watching, telling them to wave to him should there come any sign from the
+hulk. Yet, excepting the watch, he kept every man so busy as might be,
+some bringing weed to keep up a fire which he had lit near the boat; one
+to help him turn and hold the batten upon which he labored; and two he
+sent across to the wreck of the mast, to detach one of the futtock
+shrouds, which (as is most rare) were made of iron rods. This, when they
+brought it, he bade me heat in the fire, and afterwards beat out straight
+at one end, and when this was done, he set me to burn holes with it
+through the keel of the boat, at such places as he had marked, these
+being for the bolts with which he had determined to fasten on the batten.
+
+In the meanwhile, he continued to shape the batten until it was a very
+good and true fit according to his liking. And all the while he cried out
+to this man and to that one to do this or that; and so I perceived that,
+apart from the necessity of getting the boat into a seaworthy condition,
+he was desirous to keep the men busied; for they were become so excited
+at the thought of fellow creatures almost within hail, that he could not
+hope to keep them sufficiently in hand without some matter upon which to
+employ them.
+
+Now, it must not be supposed that the bo'sun had no share of our
+excitement; for I noticed that he gave ever and anon a glance to the
+crown of the far hill, perchance the watchman had some news for us. Yet
+the morning went by, and no signal came to tell us that the people in the
+ship had design to show themselves to the man upon watch, and so we came
+to dinner. At this meal, as might be supposed, we had a second
+discussion upon the strangeness of the behavior of those aboard the hulk;
+yet none could give any more reasonable explanation than the bo'sun had
+given in the morning, and so we left it at that.
+
+Presently, when we had smoked and rested very comfortably, for the bo'sun
+was no tyrant, we rose at his bidding to descend once more to the beach.
+But at this moment, one of the men having run to the edge of the hill to
+take a short look at the hulk, cried out that a part of the great
+superstructure over the quarter had been removed, or pushed back, and
+that there was a figure there, seeming, so far as his unaided sight could
+tell, to be looking through a spy-glass at the island. Now it would be
+difficult to tell of all our excitement at this news, and we ran eagerly
+to see for ourselves if it could be as he informed us. And so it was; for
+we could see the person very clearly; though remote and small because of
+the distance. That he had seen us, we discovered in a moment; for he
+began suddenly to wave something, which I judged to be the spy-glass, in
+a very wild manner, seeming also to be jumping up and down. Yet, I doubt
+not but that we were as much excited; for suddenly I discovered myself to
+be shouting with the rest in a most insane fashion, and more-over I was
+waving my hands and running to and fro upon the brow of the hill. Then, I
+observed that the figure on the hulk had disappeared; but it was for no
+more than a moment, and then it was back and there were near a dozen with
+it, and it seemed to me that some of them were females; but the distance
+was over great for surety. Now these, all of them, seeing us upon the
+brow of the hill, where we must have shown up plain against the sky,
+began at once to wave in a very frantic way, and we, replying in like
+manner, shouted ourselves hoarse with vain greetings. But soon we grew
+wearied of the unsatisfactoriness of this method of showing our
+excitement, and one took a piece of the square canvas, and let it stream
+out into the wind, waving it to them, and another took a second piece and
+did likewise, while a third man rolled up a short bit into a cone and
+made use of it as a speaking trumpet; though I doubt if his voice carried
+any the further because of it. For my part, I had seized one of the long
+bamboo-like reeds which were lying about near the fire, and with this I
+was making a very brave show. And so it may be seen how very great and
+genuine was our exaltation upon our discovery of these poor people shut
+off from the world within that lonesome craft.
+
+Then, suddenly, it seemed to come to us to realize that _they_ were among
+the weed, and _we_ upon the hilltop, and that we had no means of bridging
+that which lay between. And at this we faced one another to discuss what
+we should do to effect the rescue of those within the hulk. Yet it was
+little that we could even suggest; for though one spoke of how he had
+seen a rope cast by means of a mortar to a ship that lay off shore, yet
+this helped us not, for we had no mortar; but here the same man cried out
+that they in the ship might have such a thing, so that they would be able
+to shoot the rope to us, and at this we thought more upon his saying; for
+if they had such a weapon, then might our difficulties be solved. Yet we
+were greatly at a loss to know how we should discover whether they were
+possessed of one, and further to explain our design to them. But here the
+bo'sun came to our help, and bade one man go quickly and char some of the
+reeds in the fire, and whilst this was doing he spread out upon the rock
+one of the spare lengths of canvas; then he sung out to the man to bring
+him one of the pieces of charred reed, and with this he wrote our
+question upon the canvas, calling for fresh charcoal as he required it.
+Then, having made an end of writing, he bade two of the men take hold of
+the canvas by the ends and expose it to the view of those in the ship,
+and in this manner we got them to understand our desires. For, presently,
+some of them went away, and came back after a little, and held up for us
+to see, a very great square of white, and upon it a great "NO," and at
+this were we again at our wits' ends to know how it would be possible to
+rescue those within the ship; for, suddenly, our whole desire to leave
+the island, was changed into a determination to rescue the people in the
+hulk, and, indeed, had our intentions not been such we had been veritable
+curs; though I am happy to tell that we had no thought at this juncture
+but for those who were now looking to us to restore them once more to the
+world to which they had been so long strangers.
+
+Now, as I have said, we were again at our wits' ends to know how to come
+at those within the hulk, and there we stood all of us, talking together,
+perchance we should hit upon some plan, and anon we would turn and wave
+to those who watched us so anxiously. Yet, a while passed, and we had
+come no nearer to a method of rescue. Then a thought came to me (waked
+perchance by the mention of shooting the rope over to the hulk by means
+of a mortar) how that I had read once in a book, of a fair maid whose
+lover effected her escape from a castle by a similar artifice, only that
+in his case he made use of a bow in place of a mortar, and a cord instead
+of a rope, his sweetheart hauling up the rope by means of the cord.
+
+Now it seemed to me a possible thing to substitute a bow for the mortar,
+if only we could find the material with which to make such a weapon, and
+with this in view, I took up one of the lengths of the bamboo-like reed,
+and tried the spring of it, which I found to be very good; for this
+curious growth, of which I have spoken hitherto as a reed, had no
+resemblance to that plant, beyond its appearance; it being
+extraordinarily tough and woody, and having considerably more nature
+than a bamboo. Now, having tried the spring of it, I went over to the
+tent and cut a piece of sampsonline which I found among the gear, and
+with this and the reed I contrived a rough bow. Then I looked about until
+I came upon a very young and slender reed which had been cut with the
+rest, and from this I fashioned some sort of an arrow, feathering it with
+a piece of one of the broad, stiff leaves, which grew upon the plant, and
+after that I went forth to the crowd about the leeward edge of the hill.
+Now when they saw me thus armed, they seemed to think that I intended a
+jest, and some of them laughed, conceiving that it was a very odd action
+on my part; but when I explained that which was in my mind, they ceased
+from laughter, and shook their heads, making that I did but waste time;
+for, as they said, nothing save gunpowder could cover so great a
+distance. And after that they turned again to the bo'sun with whom some
+of them seemed to be in argument. And so for a little space I held my
+peace, and listened; thus I discovered that certain of the men advocated
+the taking of the boat--so soon as it was sufficiently repaired--and
+making a passage through the weed to the ship, which they proposed to do
+by cutting a narrow canal. But the bo'sun shook his head, and reminded
+them of the great devil-fish and crabs, and the worse things which the
+weed concealed, saying that those in the ship would have done it long
+since had it been possible, and at that the men were silenced, being
+robbed of their unreasoning ardor by his warnings.
+
+Now just at this point there happened a thing which proved the wisdom of
+that which the bo'sun contended; for, suddenly, one of the men cried out
+to us to look, and at that we turned quickly, and saw that there was a
+great commotion among those who were in the open place in the
+superstructure; for they were running this way and that, and some were
+pushing to the slide which filled the opening. And then, immediately, we
+saw the reason for their agitation and haste; for there was a stir in the
+weed near to the stem of the ship, and the next instant, monstrous
+tentacles were reached up to the place where had been the opening; but
+the door was shut, and those aboard the hulk in safety. At this
+manifestation, the men about me who had proposed to make use of the boat,
+and the others also, cried out their horror of the vast creature, and, I
+am convinced, had the rescue depended upon their use of the boat, then
+had those in the hulk been forever doomed.
+
+Now, conceiving that this was a good point at which to renew my
+importunities, I began once again to explain the probabilities of my plan
+succeeding, addressing myself more particularly to the bo'sun. I told how
+that I had read that the ancients made mighty weapons, some of which
+could throw a great stone so heavy as two men, over a distance surpassing
+a quarter of a mile; moreover, that they compassed huge catapults which
+threw a lance, or great arrow, even further. On this, he expressed much
+surprise, never having heard of the like; but doubted greatly that we
+should be able to construct such a weapon. Yet, I told him that I was
+prepared; for I had the plan of one clearly in my mind, and further I
+pointed out to him that we had the wind in our favor, and that we were a
+great height up, which would allow the arrow to travel the farther before
+it came so low as the weed.
+
+Then I stepped to the edge of the hill, and, bidding him watch, fitted my
+arrow to the string, and, having bent the bow, loosed it, whereupon,
+being aided by the wind and the height on which I stood, the arrow
+plunged into the weed at a distance of near two hundred yards from where
+we stood, that being about a quarter of the distance on the road to the
+derelict. At that, the bo'sun was won over to my idea; though, as he
+remarked, the arrow had fallen nearer had it been drawing a length of
+yarn after it, and to this I assented; but pointed out that my bow and
+arrow was but a rough affair, and, more, that I was no archer; yet I
+promised him, with the bow that I should make, to cast a shaft clean over
+the hulk, did he but give me his assistance, and bid the men to help.
+
+Now, as I have come to regard it in the light of greater knowledge, my
+promise was exceeding rash; but I had faith in my conception, and was
+very eager to put it to the test; the which, after much discussion at
+supper, it was decided I should be allowed to do.
+
+
+
+
+XII
+
+The Making of the Great Bow
+
+
+The fourth night upon the island was the first to pass without incident.
+It is true that a light showed from the hulk out in the weed; but now
+that we had made some acquaintance with her inmates, it was no longer a
+cause for excitement, so much as contemplation. As for the valley where
+the vile things had made an end of Job, it was very silent and desolate
+under the moonlight; for I made a point to go and view it during my time
+on watch; yet, for all that it lay empty, it was very eerie, and a place
+to conjure up uncomfortable thoughts, so that I spent no great time
+pondering it.
+
+This was the second night on which we had been free from the terror of
+the devil-things, and it seemed to me that the great fire had put them in
+fear of us and driven them away; but of the truth or error of this idea,
+I was to learn later.
+
+Now it must be admitted that, apart from a short look into the valley,
+and occasional starings at the light out in the weed, I gave little
+attention to aught but my plans for the great bow, and to such use did I
+put my time, that when I was relieved, I had each particular and detail
+worked out, so that I knew very well just what to set the men doing so
+soon as we should make a start in the morning.
+
+Presently, when the morning had come, and we had made an end of
+breakfast, we turned-to upon the great bow, the bo'sun directing the men
+under my supervision. Now, the first matter to which I bent attention,
+was the raising, to the top of the hill, of the remaining half of that
+portion of the topmast which the bo'sun had split in twain to procure the
+batten for the boat. To this end, we went down, all of us, to the beach
+where lay the wreckage, and, getting about the portion which I intended
+to use, carried it to the foot of the hill; then we sent a man to the top
+to let down the rope by which we had moored the boat to the sea anchor,
+and when we had bent this on securely to the piece of timber, we returned
+to the hill-top, and tailed on to the rope, and so, presently, after much
+weariful pulling, had it up.
+
+The next thing I desired was that the split face of the timber should be
+rubbed straight, and this the bo'sun understood to do, and whilst he was
+about it, I went with some of the men to the grove of reeds, and here,
+with great care, I made a selection of some of the finest, these being
+for the bow, and after that I cut some which were very clean and
+straight, intending them for the great arrows. With these we returned
+once more to the camp, and there I set-to and trimmed them of their
+leaves, keeping these latter, for I had a use for them. Then I took a
+dozen reeds and cut them each to a length of twenty-five feet, and
+afterwards notched them for the strings. In the meanwhile, I had sent
+two men down to the wreckage of the masts to cut away a couple of the
+hempen shrouds and bring them to the camp, and they, appearing about
+this time, I set to work to unlay the shrouds, so that they might get
+out the fine white yarns which lay beneath the outer covering of tar
+and blacking. These, when they had come at them, we found to be very
+good and sound, and this being so, I bid them make three-yarn sennit;
+meaning it for the strings of the bows. Now, it will be observed that I
+have said bows, and this I will explain. It had been my original
+intention to make one great bow, lashing a dozen of the reeds together
+for the purpose; but this, upon pondering it, I conceived to be but a
+poor plan; for there would be much life and power lost in the rendering
+of each piece through the lashings, when the bow was released. To
+obviate this, and further, to compass the bending of the bow, the which
+had, at first, been a source of puzzlement to me as to how it was to be
+accomplished, I had determined to make twelve separate bows, and these I
+intended to fasten at the end of the stock one above the other, so that
+they were all in one plane vertically, and because of this conception, I
+should be able to bend the bows one at a time, and slip each string over
+the catch-notch, and afterwards frap the twelve strings together in the
+middle part so that they would be but one string to the butt of the
+arrow. All this, I explained to the bo'sun, who, indeed, had been
+exercised in his own mind as to how we should be able to bend such a bow
+as I intended to make, and he was mightily pleased with my method of
+evading this difficulty, and also one other, which, else, had been
+greater than the bending, and that was the _stringing_ of the bow, which
+would have proved a very awkward work.
+
+Presently, the bo'sun called out to me that he had got the surface of the
+stock sufficiently smooth and nice; and at that I went over to him; for
+now I wished him to burn a slight groove down the center, running from
+end to end, and this I desired to be done very exactly; for upon it
+depended much of the true flight of the arrow. Then I went back to my own
+work; for I had not yet finished notching the bows. Presently, when I
+had made an end of this, I called for a length of the sennit, and, with
+the aid of another man, contrived to string one of the bows. This, when I
+had finished, I found to be very springy, and so stiff to bend that I had
+all that I could manage to do so, and at this I felt very satisfied.
+
+Presently, it occurred to me that I should do well to set some of the men
+to work upon the line which the arrow was to carry; for I had determined
+that this should be made also from the white hemp yarns, and, for the
+sake of lightness, I conceived that one thickness of yarn would be
+sufficient; but so that it might compass enough of strength, I bid them
+split the yarns and lay the two halves up together, and in this manner
+they made me a very light and sound line; though it must not be supposed
+that it was finished at once; for I needed over half a mile of it, and
+thus it was later finished than the bow itself.
+
+Having now gotten all things in train, I set me down to work upon one of
+the arrows; for I was anxious to see what sort of a fist I should make of
+them, knowing how much would depend upon the balance and truth of the
+missile. In the end, I made a very fair one, feathering it with its own
+leaves, and truing and smoothing it with my knife; after which I inserted
+a small bolt in the forrard end, to act as a head, and, as I conceived,
+give it balance; though whether I was right in this latter, I am unable
+to say. Yet, before I had finished my arrow, the bo'sun had made the
+groove, and called me over to him, that I might admire it, the which I
+did; for it was done with a wonderful neatness.
+
+Now I have been so busy with my description of how we made the great bow,
+that I have omitted to tell of the flight of time, and how we had eaten
+our dinner this long while since, and how that the people in the hulk had
+waved to us, and we had returned their signals, and then written upon a
+length of the canvas the one word, "WAIT." And, besides all this, some
+had gathered our fuel for the coming night.
+
+And so, presently, the evening came upon us; but we ceased not to work;
+for the bo'sun bade the men to light a second great fire, beside our
+former one, and by the light of this we worked another long spell;
+though it seemed short enough, by reason of the interest of the work.
+Yet, at last, the bo'sun bade us to stop and make supper, which we did,
+and after that, he set the watches, and the rest of us turned in; for we
+were very weary.
+
+In spite of my previous weariness, when the man whom I relieved called me
+to take my watch, I felt very fresh and wide awake, and spent a great
+part of the time, as on the preceding night, in studying over my plans
+for completing the great bow, and it was then that I decided finally in
+what manner I would secure the bows athwart the end of the stock; for
+until then I had been in some little doubt, being divided between several
+methods. Now, however, I concluded to make twelve grooves across the sawn
+end of the stock, and fit the middles of the bows into these, one above
+the other, as I have already mentioned; and then to lash them at each
+side to bolts driven into the sides of the stock. And with this idea I
+was very well pleased; for it promised to make them secure, and this
+without any great amount of work.
+
+Now, though I spent much of my watch in thinking over the details of my
+prodigious weapon, yet it must not be supposed that I neglected to
+perform my duty as watchman; for I walked continually about the top of
+the hill, keeping my cut-and-thrust ready for any sudden emergency. Yet
+my time passed off quietly enough; though it is true that I witnessed one
+thing which brought me a short spell of disquiet thought. It was in this
+wise:--I had come to that part of the hill-top which overhung the valley,
+and it came to me, abruptly, to go near to the edge and look over. Thus,
+the moon being very bright, and the desolation of the valley reasonably
+clear to the eye, it appeared to me, as I looked that I saw a movement
+among certain of the fungi which had not burnt, but stood up shriveled
+and blackened in the valley. Yet by no means could I be sure that it was
+not a sudden fancy, born of the eeriness of that desolate looking vale;
+the more so as I was like to be deceived because of the uncertainty which
+the light of the moon gives. Yet, to prove my doubts, I went back until I
+had found a piece of rock easy to throw, and this, taking a short run, I
+cast into the valley, aiming at the spot where it had seemed to me that
+there had been a movement. Immediately upon this, I caught a glimpse of
+some moving thing, and then, more to my right, something else stirred,
+and at this, I looked towards it; but could discover nothing. Then,
+looking back at the clump at which I had aimed my missile, I saw that the
+slime covered pool, which lay near, was all a-quiver, or so it seemed.
+Yet the next instant I was just as full of doubt; for, even as I watched
+it, I perceived that it was quite still. And after that, for some time, I
+kept a very strict gaze into the valley; yet could nowhere discover aught
+to prove my suspicions, and, at last, I ceased from watching it; for I
+feared to grow fanciful, and so wandered to that part of the hill which
+overlooked the weed.
+
+Presently, when I had been relieved, I returned to sleep, and so till the
+morning. Then, when we had made each of us a hasty breakfast--for all
+were grown mightily keen to see the great bow completed--we set-to upon
+it, each at our appointed task. Thus, the bo'sun and I made it our work
+to make the twelve grooves athwart the flat end of the stock, into which
+I proposed to fit and lash the bows, and this we accomplished by means of
+the iron futtock-shroud, which we heated in its middle part, and then,
+each taking an end (protecting our hands with canvas), we went one on
+each side and applied the iron until at length we had the grooves burnt
+out very nicely and accurately. This work occupied us all the morning;
+for the grooves had to be deeply burnt; and in the meantime the men had
+completed near enough sennit for the stringing of the bows; yet those who
+were at work on the line which the arrow was to carry, had scarce made
+more than half, so that I called off one man from the sennit to turn-to,
+and give them a hand with the making of the line.
+
+When dinner was ended, the bo'sun and I set-to about fitting the bows
+into their places, which we did, and lashed them to twenty-four bolts,
+twelve a side, driven into the timber of the stock, about twelve inches
+in from the end. After this, we bent and strung the bows, taking very
+great care to have each bent exactly as the one below it; for we started
+at the bottom. And so, before sunset, we had that part of our work ended.
+
+Now, because the two fires which we had lit on the previous night had
+exhausted our fuel, the bo'sun deemed it prudent to cease work, and go
+down all of us to bring up a fresh supply of the dry seaweed and some
+bundles of the reeds. This we did, making an end of our journeyings just
+as the dusk came over the island. Then, having made a second fire, as on
+the preceding night, we had first our supper, and after that another
+spell of work, all the men turning to upon the line which the arrow was
+to carry, whilst the bo'sun and I set-to, each of us, upon the making of
+a fresh arrow; for I had realized that we should have to make one or two
+flights before we could hope to find our range and make true our aim.
+
+Later, maybe about nine of the night, the bo'sun bade us all to put away
+our work, and then he set the watches, after which the rest of us went
+into the tent to sleep; for the strength of the wind made the shelter a
+very pleasant thing.
+
+That night, when it came my turn to watch, I minded me to take a look
+into the valley; but though I watched at intervals through the half of an
+hour, I saw nothing to lead me to imagine that I had indeed seen aught on
+the previous night, and so I felt more confident in my mind that we
+should be troubled no further by the devil-things which had destroyed
+poor Job. Yet I must record one thing which I saw during my watch; though
+this was from the edge of the hilltop which overlooked the
+weed-continent, and was not in the valley, but in the stretch of clear
+water which lay between the island and the weed. As I saw it, it seemed
+to me that a number of great fish were swimming across from the island,
+diagonally towards the great continent of weed: they were swimming in one
+wake, and keeping a very regular line; but not breaking the water after
+the manner of porpoises or black fish. Yet, though I have mentioned this,
+it must not be supposed that I saw any very strange thing in such a
+sight, and indeed, I thought nothing more of it than to wonder what sort
+of fish they might be; for, as I saw them indistinctly in the moonlight,
+they made a queer appearance, seeming each of them to be possessed of two
+tails, and further, I could have thought I perceived a flicker as of
+tentacles just beneath the surface; but of this I was by no means sure.
+
+Upon the following morning, having hurried our breakfast, each of us
+set-to again upon our tasks; for we were in hopes to have the great bow
+at work before dinner. Soon, the bo'sun had finished his arrow, and mine
+was completed very shortly after, so that there lacked nothing now to
+the completion of our work, save the finishing of the line, and the
+getting of the bow into position. This latter, assisted by the men, we
+proceeded now to effect, making a level bed of rocks near the edge of
+the hill which overlooked the weed. Upon this we placed the great bow,
+and then, having sent the men back to their work at the line, we
+proceeded to the aiming of the huge weapon. Now, when we had gotten the
+instrument pointed, as we conceived, straight over the hulk, the which
+we accomplished by squinting along the groove which the bo'sun had burnt
+down the center of the stock, we turned-to upon the arranging of the
+notch and trigger, the notch being to hold the strings when the weapon
+was set, and the trigger--a board bolted on loosely at the side just
+below the notch--to push them upwards out of this place when we desired
+to discharge the bow. This part of the work took up no great portion of
+our time, and soon we had all ready for our first flight. Then we
+commenced to set the bows, bending the bottom one first, and then those
+above in turn, until all were set; and, after that, we laid the arrow
+very carefully in the groove. Then I took two pieces of spun yarn and
+frapped the strings together at each end of the notch, and by this means
+I was assured that all the strings would act in unison when striking the
+butt of the arrow. And so we had all things ready for the discharge;
+whereupon, I placed my foot upon the trigger, and, bidding the bo'sun
+watch carefully the flight of the arrow, pushed downwards. The next
+instant, with a mighty twang, and a quiver that made the great stock
+stir on its bed of rocks, the bow sprang to its lesser tension, hurling
+the arrow outwards and upwards in a vast arc. Now, it may be conceived
+with what mortal interest we watched its flight, and so in a minute
+discovered that we had aimed too much to the right, for the arrow struck
+the weed ahead of the hulk--but _beyond_ it. At that, I was filled near
+to bursting with pride and joy, and the men who had come forward to
+witness the trial, shouted to acclaim my success, whilst the bo'sun
+clapped me twice upon the shoulder to signify his regard, and shouted as
+loud as any.
+
+And now it seemed to me that we had but to get the true aim, and the
+rescue of those in the hulk would be but a matter of another day or two;
+for, having once gotten a line to the hulk, we should haul across a thin
+rope by its means, and with this a thicker one; after which we should set
+this up so taut as possible, and then bring the people in the hulk to the
+island by means of a seat and block which we should haul to and fro along
+the supporting line.
+
+Now, having realized that the bow would indeed carry so far as the wreck,
+we made haste to try our second arrow, and at the same time we bade the
+men go back to their work upon the line; for we should have need of it in
+a very little while. Presently, having pointed the bow more to the left,
+I took the frappings off the strings, so that we could bend the bows
+singly, and after that we set the great weapon again. Then, seeing that
+the arrow was straight in the groove, I replaced the frappings, and
+immediately discharged it. This time, to my very great pleasure and
+pride, the arrow went with a wonderful straightness towards the ship,
+and, clearing the superstructure, passed out of our sight as it fell
+behind it. At this, I was all impatience to try to get the line to the
+hulk before we made our dinner; but the men had not yet laid-up
+sufficient; there being then only four hundred and fifty fathoms (which
+the bo'sun measured off by stretching it along his arms and across his
+chest). This being so, we went to dinner, and made very great haste
+through it; and, after that, every one of us worked at the line, and so
+in about an hour we had sufficient; for I had estimated that it would not
+be wise to make the attempt with a less length than five hundred fathoms.
+
+Having now completed a sufficiency of the line, the bo'sun set one of the
+men to flake it down very carefully upon the rock beside the bow, whilst
+he himself tested it at all such parts as he thought in any way doubtful,
+and so, presently, all was ready. Then I bent it on to the arrow, and,
+having set the bow whilst the men were flaking down the line, I was
+prepared immediately to discharge the weapon.
+
+Now, all the morning, a man upon the hulk had observed us through a
+spy-glass, from a position that brought his head just above the edge of
+the superstructure, and, being aware of our intentions--having watched
+the previous flights--he understood the bo'sun, when he beckoned to him,
+that we had made ready for a third shot, and so, with an answering wave
+of his spy-glass, he disappeared from our sight. At that, having first
+turned to see that all were clear of the line, I pressed down the
+trigger, my heart beating very fast and thick, and so in a moment the
+arrow was sped. But now, doubtless because of the weight of the line, it
+made nowhere near so good a flight as on the previous occasion, the arrow
+striking the weed some two hundred yards short of the hulk, and at this,
+I could near have wept with vexation and disappointment.
+
+Immediately upon the failure of my shot, the bo'sun called to the men to
+haul in the line very carefully, so that it should not be parted through
+the arrow catching in the weed; then he came over to me, and proposed
+that we should set-to at once to make a heavier arrow, suggesting that it
+had been lack of weight in the missile which had caused it to fall short.
+At that, I felt once more hopeful, and turned-to at once to prepare a new
+arrow; the bo'sun doing likewise; though in his case he intended to make
+a lighter one than that which had failed; for, as he put it, though the
+heavier one fell short, yet might the lighter succeed, and if neither,
+then we could only suppose that the bow lacked power to carry the line,
+and in that case, we should have to try some other method.
+
+Now, in about two hours, I had made my arrow, the bo'sun having finished
+his a little earlier, and so (the men having hauled in all the line and
+flaked it down ready) we prepared to make another attempt to cast it
+over the hulk. Yet, a second time we failed, and by so much that it
+seemed hopeless to think of success; but, for all that it appeared
+useless, the bo'sun insisted on making a last try with the light arrow,
+and, presently, when we had gotten the line ready again, we loosed upon
+the wreck; but in this case so lamentable was our failure, that I cried
+out to the bo'sun to set the useless thing upon the fire and burn it;
+for I was sorely irked by its failure, and could scarce abide to speak
+civilly of it.
+
+Now the bo'sun, perceiving how I felt, sung out that we would cease
+troubling about the hulk for the present, and go down all of us to gather
+reeds and weed for the fire; for it was drawing nigh to evening. And this
+we did, though all in a disconsolate condition of mind; for we had seemed
+so near to success, and now it appeared to be further than ever from us.
+And so, in a while, having brought up a sufficiency of fuel, the bo'sun
+sent two of the men down to one of the ledges which overhung the sea, and
+bade them see whether they could not secure a fish for our supper. Then,
+taking our places about the fire, we fell-to upon a discussion as to how
+we should come at the people in the hulk.
+
+Now, for a while there came no suggestion worthy of notice, until at last
+there occurred to me a notable idea, and I called out suddenly that we
+should make a small fire balloon, and float off the line to them by such
+means. At that, the men about the fire were silent a moment; for the idea
+was new to them, and moreover they needed to comprehend just what I
+meant. Then, when they had come fully at it, the one who had proposed
+that they should make spears of their knives, cried out to know why a
+kite would not do, and at that I was confounded, in that so simple an
+expedient had not occurred to any before; for, surely, it would be but a
+little matter to float a line to them by means of a kite, and, further,
+such a thing would take no great making.
+
+And so, after a space of talk, it was decided that upon the morrow we
+should build some sort of kite, and with it fly a line over the hulk, the
+which should be a task of no great difficulty with so good a breeze as we
+had continually with us.
+
+And, presently, having made our supper off a very fine fish, which the
+two fishermen had caught whilst we talked, the bo'sun set the watches,
+and the rest turned-in.
+
+
+
+
+XIII
+
+The Weed Men
+
+
+Now, on that night, when I came to my watch, I discovered that there was
+no moon, and, save for such light as the fire threw, the hill-top was in
+darkness; yet this was no great matter to trouble me; for we had been
+unmolested since the burning of the fungi in the valley, and thus I had
+lost much of the haunting fear which had beset me upon the death of Job.
+Yet, though I was not so much afraid as I had been, I took all
+precautions that suggested themselves to me, and built up the fire to a
+goodly height, after which I took my cut-and-thrust, and made the round
+of the camping place. At the edges of the cliffs which protected us on
+three sides, I made some pause, staring down into the darkness, and
+listening; though this latter was of but small use because of the
+strength of the wind which roared continually in my ears. Yet though I
+neither saw nor heard anything, I was presently possessed of a strange
+uneasiness, which made me return twice or thrice to the edge of the
+cliffs; but always without seeing or hearing anything to justify my
+superstitions. And so, presently, being determined to give way to no
+fancifulness, I avoided the boundary of cliffs, and kept more to that
+part which commanded the slope, up and down which we made our journeys
+to and from the island below.
+
+Then, it would be near halfway through my time of watching, there came to
+me out of the immensity of weed that lay to leeward, a far distant sound
+that grew upon my ear, rising and rising into a fearsome screaming and
+shrieking, and then dying away into the distance in queer sobs, and so at
+last to a note below that of the wind's. At this, as might be supposed, I
+was somewhat shaken in myself to hear so dread a noise coming out of all
+that desolation, and then, suddenly, the thought came to me that the
+screaming was from the ship to leeward of us, and I ran immediately to
+the edge of the cliff overlooking the weed, and stared into the darkness;
+but now I perceived, by a light which burned in the hulk, that the
+screaming had come from some place a great distance to the right of her,
+and more, as my sense assured me, it could by no means have been possible
+for those in her to have sent their voices to me against such a breeze as
+blew at that time.
+
+And so, for a space, I stood nervously pondering, and peering away into
+the blackness of the night; thus, in a little, I perceived a dull glow
+upon the horizon, and, presently, there rose into view the upper edge of
+the moon, and a very welcome sight it was to me; for I had been upon the
+point of calling the bo'sun to inform him regarding the sound which I had
+heard; but I had hesitated, being afraid to seem foolish if nothing
+should befall. Then, even as I stood watching the moon rise into view,
+there came again to me the beginning of that screaming, somewhat like to
+the sound of a woman sobbing with a giant's voice, and it grew and
+strengthened until it pierced through the roar of the wind with an
+amazing clearness, and then slowly, and seeming to echo and echo, it sank
+away into the distance, and there was again in my ears no sound beyond
+that of the wind.
+
+At this, having looked fixedly in the direction from which the sound had
+proceeded, I ran straightway to the tent and roused the bo'sun; for I had
+no knowledge of what the noise might portend, and this second cry had
+shaken from me all my bashfulness. Now the bo'sun was upon his feet
+almost before I had made an end of shaking him, and catching up his great
+cutlass which he kept always by his side, he followed me swiftly out on
+to the hill-top. Here, I explained to him that I had heard a very
+fearsome sound which had appeared to proceed out of the vastness of the
+weed-continent, and that, upon a repetition of the noise, I had decided
+to call him; for I knew not but that it might signal to us of some coming
+danger. At that, the bo'sun commended me; though chiding me in that I had
+hesitated to call him at the first occurrence of the crying, and then,
+following me to the edge of the leeward cliff, he stood there with me,
+waiting and listening, perchance there might come again a recurrence of
+the noise.
+
+For perhaps something over an hour we stood there very silent and
+listening; but there came to us no sound beyond the continuous noise of
+the wind, and so, by that time, having grown somewhat impatient of
+waiting, and the moon being well risen, the bo'sun beckoned to me to make
+the round of the camp with him. Now, just as I turned away, chancing to
+look downward at the clear water directly below, I was amazed to see that
+an innumerable multitude of great fish, like unto those which I had seen
+on the previous night, were swimming from the weed-continent towards the
+island. At that, I stepped nearer the edge; for they came so directly
+towards the island that I expected to see them close inshore; yet I could
+not perceive one; for they seemed all of them to vanish at a point some
+thirty yards distant from the beach, and at that, being amazed both by
+the numbers of the fish and their strangeness, and the way in which they
+came on continually, yet never reached the shore, I called to the bo'sun
+to come and see; for he had gone on a few paces. Upon hearing my call, he
+came running back; whereat I pointed into the sea below. At that, he
+stooped forward and peered very intently, and I with him; yet neither one
+of us could discover the meaning of so curious an exhibition, and so for
+a while we watched, the bo'sun being quite so much interested as I.
+
+Presently, however, he turned away, saying that we did foolishly to stand
+here peering at every curious sight, when we should be looking to the
+welfare of the camp, and so we began to go the round of the hill-top.
+Now, whilst we had been watching and listening, we had suffered the fire
+to die down to a most unwise lowness, and consequently, though the moon
+was rising, there was by no means the same brightness that should have
+made the camp light. On perceiving this, I went forward to throw some
+fuel on to the fire, and then, even as I moved, it seemed to me that I
+saw something stir in the shadow of the tent. And at that, I ran towards
+the place, uttering a shout, and waving my cut-and-thrust; yet I found
+nothing, and so, feeling somewhat foolish, I turned to make up the fire,
+as had been my intention, and whilst I was thus busied, the bo'sun came
+running over to me to know what I had seen, and in the same instant there
+ran three of the men out of the tent, all of them waked by my sudden cry.
+But I had naught to tell them, save that my fancy had played me a trick,
+and had shown me something where my eyes could find nothing, and at that,
+two of the men went back to resume their sleep; but the third, the big
+fellow to whom the bo'sun had given the other cutlass, came with us,
+bringing his weapon; and, though he kept silent, it seemed to me that he
+had gathered something of our uneasiness; and for my part I was not sorry
+to have his company.
+
+Presently, we came to that portion of the hill which overhung the
+valley, and I went to the edge of the cliff, intending to peer over; for
+the valley had a very unholy fascination for me. Yet, no sooner had I
+glanced down than I started, and ran back to the bo'sun and plucked him
+by the sleeve, and at that, perceiving my agitation, he came with me in
+silence to see what matter had caused me so much quiet excitement. Now,
+when he looked over, he also was astounded, and drew back instantly;
+then, using great caution, he bent forward once more, and stared down,
+and, at that, the big seaman came up behind, walking upon his toes, and
+stooped to see what manner of thing we had discovered. Thus we each of us
+stared down upon a most unearthly sight; for the valley all beneath us
+was a-swarm with moving creatures, white and unwholesome in the
+moonlight, and their movements were somewhat like the movements of
+monstrous slugs, though the things themselves had no resemblance to such
+in their contours; but minded me of naked humans, very fleshy and
+crawling upon their stomachs; yet their movements lacked not a surprising
+rapidity. And now, looking a little over the bo'sun's shoulder, I
+discovered that these hideous things were coming up out from the pit-like
+pool in the bottom of the valley, and, suddenly, I was minded of the
+multitudes of strange fish which we had seen swimming towards the island;
+but which had all disappeared before reaching the shore, and I had no
+doubt but that they entered the pit through some natural passage known to
+them beneath the water. And now I was made to understand my thought of
+the previous night, that I had seen the flicker of tentacles; for these
+things below us had each two short and stumpy arms; but the ends appeared
+divided into hateful and wriggling masses of small tentacles, which slid
+hither and thither as the creatures moved about the bottom of the valley,
+and at their hinder ends, where they should have grown feet, there seemed
+other flickering bunches; but it must not be supposed that we saw these
+things clearly.
+
+Now it is scarcely possible to convey the extraordinary disgust which the
+sight of these human slugs bred in me; nor, could I, do I think I would;
+for were I successful, then would others be like to retch even as I did,
+the spasm coming on without premonition, and born of very horror. And
+then, suddenly, even as I stared, sick with loathing and apprehension,
+there came into view, not a fathom below my feet, a face like to the face
+which had peered up into my own on that night, as we drifted beside the
+weed-continent. At that, I could have screamed, had I been in less
+terror; for the great eyes, so big as crown pieces, the bill like to an
+inverted parrot's, and the slug-like undulating of its white and slimy
+body, bred in me the dumbness of one mortally stricken. And, even as I
+stayed there, my helpless body bent and rigid, the bo'sun spat a mighty
+curse into my ear, and, leaning forward, smote at the thing with his
+cutlass; for in the instant that I had seen it, it had advanced upward by
+so much as a yard. Now, at this action of the bo'sun's, I came suddenly
+into possession of myself, and thrust downward with so much vigor that I
+was like to have followed the brute's carcass; for I overbalanced, and
+danced giddily for a moment upon the edge of eternity; and then the
+bo'sun had me by the waistband, and I was back in safety; but in that
+instant through which I had struggled for my balance, I had discovered
+that the face of the cliff was near hid with the number of the things
+which were making up to us, and I turned to the bo'sun, crying out to him
+that there were thousands of them swarming up to us. Yet, he was gone
+already from me, running towards the fire, and shouting to the men in the
+tent to haste to our help for their very lives, and then he came racing
+back with a great armful of the weed, and after him came the big seaman,
+carrying a burning tuft from the camp fire, and so in a few moments we
+had a blaze, and the men were bringing more weed; for we had a very good
+stock upon the hill-top; for which the Almighty be thanked.
+
+Now, scarce had we lit one fire, when the bo'sun cried out to the big
+seaman to make another, further along the edge of the cliff, and, in the
+same instant, I shouted, and ran over to that part of the hill which lay
+towards the open sea; for I had seen a number of moving things about the
+edge of the seaward cliff. Now here there was a deal of shadow; for there
+were scattered certain large masses of rock about this part of the hill,
+and these held off both the light of the moon, and that from the fires.
+Here, I came abruptly upon three great shapes moving with stealthiness
+towards the camp, and, behind these, I saw dimly that there were others.
+Then, with a loud cry for help, I made at the three, and, as I charged,
+they rose up on end at me, and I found that they overtopped me, and their
+vile tentacles were reached out at me. Then I was smiting, and gasping,
+sick with a sudden stench, the stench of the creatures which I had come
+already to know. And then something clutched at me, something slimy and
+vile, and great mandibles champed in my face; but I stabbed upward, and
+the thing fell from me, leaving me dazed and sick, and smiting weakly.
+Then there came a rush of feet behind, and a sudden blaze, and the bo'sun
+crying out encouragement, and, directly, he and the big seaman thrust
+themselves in front of me, hurling from them great masses of burning
+weed, which they had borne, each of them, up a long reed. And immediately
+the things were gone, slithering hastily down over the cliff edge.
+
+And so, presently, I was more my own man, and made to wipe from my throat
+the slime left by the clutch of the monster: and afterwards I ran from
+fire to fire with weed, feeding them, and so a space passed, during
+which we had safety; for by that time we had fires all about the top of
+the hill, and the monsters were in mortal dread of fire, else had we been
+dead, all of us, that night.
+
+Now, a while before the dawn, we discovered, for the second time since we
+had been upon the island, that our fuel could not last us the night at
+the rate at which we were compelled to burn it, and so the bo'sun told
+the men to let out every second fire, and thus we staved off for a while
+the time when we should have to face a spell of darkness, and the things
+which, at present, the fires held off from us. And so at last, we came to
+the end of the weed and the reeds, and the bo'sun called out to us to
+watch the cliff edges very carefully, and smite on the instant that any
+thing showed; but that, should he call, all were to gather by the central
+fire for a last stand. And, after that, he blasted the moon which had
+passed behind a great bank of cloud. And thus matters were, and the gloom
+deepened as the fires sank lower and lower. Then I heard a man curse, on
+that part of the hill which lay towards the weed-continent, his cry
+coming up to me against the wind, and the bo'sun shouted to us to all
+have a care, and directly afterwards I smote at something that rose
+silently above the edge of the cliff opposite to where I watched.
+
+Perhaps a minute passed, and then there came shouts from all parts of the
+hilltop, and I knew that the weed men were upon us, and in the same
+instant there came two above the edge near me, rising with a ghostly
+quietness, yet moving lithely. Now the first, I pierced somewhere in the
+throat, and it fell backward; but the second, though I thrust it through,
+caught my blade with a bunch of its tentacles, and was like to have
+snatched it from me; but that I kicked it in the face, and at that,
+being, I believe, more astonished than hurt, it loosed my sword, and
+immediately fell away out of sight. Now this had taken, in all, no more
+than some ten seconds; yet already I perceived so many as four others
+coming into view a little to my right, and at that it seemed to me that
+our deaths must be very near, for I knew not how we were to cope with the
+creatures, coming as they were so boldly and with such rapidity. Yet, I
+hesitated not, but ran at them, and now I thrust not; but cut at their
+faces, and found this to be very effectual; for in this wise disposed I
+of three in as many strokes; but the fourth had come right over the cliff
+edge, and rose up at me upon its hinder parts, as had done those others
+when the bo'sun had succored me. At that, I gave way, having a very
+lively dread; but, hearing all about me the cries of conflict, and
+knowing that I could expect no help, I made at the brute: then as it
+stooped and reached out one of its bunches of tentacles, I sprang back,
+and slashed at them, and immediately I followed this up by a thrust in
+the stomach, and at that it collapsed into a writhing white ball, that
+rolled this way and that, and so, in its agony, coming to the edge of the
+cliff, it fell over, and I was left, sick and near helpless with the
+hateful stench of the brutes.
+
+Now by this time all the fires about the edges of the hill were sunken
+into dull glowing mounds of embers; though that which burnt near to the
+entrance of the tent was still of a good brightness; yet this helped us
+but little, for we fought too far beyond the immediate circle of its
+beams to have benefit of it. And still the moon, at which now I threw a
+despairing glance, was no more than a ghostly shape behind the great bank
+of cloud which was passing over it. Then, even as I looked upward,
+glancing as it might be over my left shoulder, I saw, with a sudden
+horror, that something had come anigh me, and upon the instant, I caught
+the reek of the thing, and leapt fearfully to one side, turning as I
+sprang. Thus was I saved in the very moment of my destruction; for the
+creature's tentacles smeared the back of my neck as I leapt, and then I
+had smitten, once and again, and conquered.
+
+Immediately after this, I discovered something to be crossing the dark
+space that lay between the dull mound of the nearest fire, and that which
+lay further along the hill-top, and so, wasting no moment of time, I ran
+towards the thing, and cut it twice across the head before ever it could
+get upon its hind parts, in which position I had learned greatly to dread
+them. Yet, no sooner had I slain this one, than there came a rush of
+maybe a dozen upon me; these having climbed silently over the cliff edge
+in the meanwhile. At this, I dodged, and ran madly towards the glowing
+mound of the nearest fire, the brutes following me almost so quick as I
+could run; but I came to the fire the first, and then, a sudden thought
+coming to me, I thrust the point of my cut-and-thrust among the embers
+and switched a great shower of them at the creatures, and at that I had a
+momentary clear vision of many white, hideous faces stretched out towards
+me, and brown, champing mandibles which had the upper beak shutting into
+the lower; and the clumped, wriggling tentacles were all a-flutter. Then
+the gloom came again; but immediately, I switched another and yet another
+shower of the burning embers towards them, and so, directly, I saw them
+give back, and then they were gone. At this, all about the edges of the
+hilltop, I saw the fires being scattered in like manner; for others had
+adopted this device to help them in their sore straits.
+
+For a little after this, I had a short breathing space, the brutes
+seeming to have taken fright; yet I was full of trembling, and I glanced
+hither and thither, not knowing when some one or more of them would come
+upon me. And ever I glanced towards the moon, and prayed the Almighty
+that the clouds would pass quickly, else should we be all dead men; and
+then, as I prayed, there rose a sudden very terrible scream from one of
+the men, and in the same moment there came something over the edge of the
+cliff fronting me; but I cleft it or ever it could rise higher, and in my
+ears there echoed still the sudden scream which had come from that part
+of the hill which lay to the left of me: yet I dared not to leave my
+station; for to have done so would have been to have risked all, and so I
+stayed, tortured by the strain of ignorance, and my own terror.
+
+Again, I had a little spell in which I was free from molestation; nothing
+coming into sight so far as I could see to right or left of me; though
+others were less fortunate, as the curses and sounds of blows told to me,
+and then, abruptly, there came another cry of pain, and I looked up again
+to the moon, and prayed aloud that it might come out to show some light
+before we were all destroyed; but it remained hid. Then a sudden thought
+came into my brain, and I shouted at the top of my voice to the bo'sun to
+set the great cross-bow upon the central fire; for thus we should have a
+big blaze--the wood being very nice and dry. Twice I shouted to him,
+saying:--"Burn the bow! Burn the bow!" And immediately he replied,
+shouting to all the men to run to him and carry it to the fire; and this
+we did and bore it to the center fire, and then ran back with all speed
+to our places. Thus in a minute we had some light, and the light grew as
+the fire took hold of the great log, the wind fanning it to a blaze. And
+so I faced outwards, looking to see if any vile face showed above the
+edge before me, or to my right or left. Yet, I saw nothing, save, as it
+seemed to me, once a fluttering tentacle came up, a little to my right;
+but nothing else for a space.
+
+Perhaps it was near five minutes later, that there came another attack,
+and, in this, I came near to losing my life, through my folly in
+venturing too near to the edge of the cliff; for, suddenly, there shot up
+out from the darkness below, a clump of tentacles, and caught me about
+the left ankle, and immediately I was pulled to a sitting posture, so
+that both my feet were over the edge of the precipice, and it was only by
+the mercy of God that I had not plunged head foremost into the valley.
+Yet, as it was, I suffered a mighty peril; for the brute that had my
+foot, put a vast strain upon it, trying to pull me down; but I resisted,
+using my hands and seat to sustain me, and so, discovering that it could
+not compass my end in this wise, it slacked somewhat of the stress, and
+bit at my boot, shearing through the hard leather, and nigh destroying my
+small toe; but now, being no longer compelled to use both hands to retain
+my position, I slashed down with great fury, being maddened by the pain
+and the mortal fear which the creature had put upon me; yet I was not
+immediately free of the brute; for it caught my sword blade; but I
+snatched it away before it could take a proper hold, mayhaps cutting its
+feelers somewhat thereby; though of this I cannot be sure, for they
+seemed not to grip around a thing, but to _suck_ to it; then, in a
+moment, by a lucky blow, I maimed it, so that it loosed me, and I was
+able to get back into some condition of security.
+
+And from this onwards, we were free from molestation; though we had no
+knowledge but that the quietness of the weed men did but portend a
+fresh attack, and so, at last, it came to the dawn; and in all this
+time the moon came not to our help, being quite hid by the clouds which
+now covered the whole arc of the sky, making the dawn of a very
+desolate aspect.
+
+And so soon as there was a sufficiency of light, we examined the valley;
+but there were nowhere any of the weed men, no! nor even any of their
+dead for it seemed that they had carried off all such and their wounded,
+and so we had no opportunity to make an examination of the monsters by
+daylight. Yet, though we could not come upon their dead, all about the
+edges of the cliffs was blood and slime, and from the latter there came
+ever the hideous stench which marked the brutes; but from this we
+suffered little, the wind carrying it far away to leeward, and filling
+our lungs with sweet and wholesome air.
+
+Presently, seeing that the danger was past, the bo'sun called us to the
+center fire, on which burnt still the remnants of the great bow, and here
+we discovered for the first time that one of the men was gone from us. At
+that, we made search about the hilltop, and afterwards in the valley and
+about the island; but found him not.
+
+
+
+
+XIV
+
+In Communication
+
+
+Now of the search which we made through the valley for the body of
+Tompkins, that being the name of the lost man, I have some doleful
+memories. But first, before we left the camp, the bo'sun gave us all a
+very sound tot of the rum, and also a biscuit apiece, and thereafter we
+hasted down, each man holding his weapon readily. Presently, when we were
+come to the beach which ended the valley upon the seaward side, the
+bo'sun led us along to the bottom of the hill, where the precipices came
+down into the softer stuff which covered the valley, and here we made a
+careful search, perchance he had fallen over, and lay dead or wounded
+near to our hands. But it was not so, and after that, we went down to the
+mouth of the great pit, and here we discovered the mud all about it to be
+covered with multitudes of tracks, and in addition to these and the
+slime, we found many traces of blood; but nowhere any signs of Tompkins.
+And so, having searched all the valley, we came out upon the weed which
+strewed the shore nearer to the great weed-continent; but discovered
+nothing until we had made up towards the foot of the hill, where it came
+down sheer into the sea. Here, I climbed on to a ledge--the same from
+which the men had caught their fish--, thinking that, if Tompkins had
+fallen from above, he might lie in the water at the foot of the cliff,
+which was here, maybe, some ten to twenty feet deep; but, for a little
+space, I saw nothing. Then, suddenly, I discovered that there was
+something white, down in the sea away to my left, and, at that, I climbed
+farther out along the ledge.
+
+In this wise I perceived that the thing which had attracted my notice was
+the dead body of one of the weed men. I could see it but dimly, catching
+odd glimpses of it as the surface of the water smoothed at whiles. It
+appeared to me to be lying curled up, and somewhat upon its right side,
+and in proof that it was dead, I saw a mighty wound that had come near to
+shearing away the head; and so, after a further glance, I came in, and
+told what I had seen. At that, being convinced by this time that Tompkins
+was indeed done to death, we ceased our search; but first, before we left
+the spot, the bo'sun climbed out to get a sight of the dead weed man and
+after him the rest of the men, for they were greatly curious to see
+clearly what manner of creature it was that had attacked us in the night.
+Presently, having seen so much of the brute as the water would allow,
+they came in again to the beach, and afterwards were returned to the
+opposite side of the island, and so, being there, we crossed over to the
+boat, to see whether it had been harmed; but found it to be untouched.
+Yet, that the creatures had been all about it, we could perceive by the
+marks of slime upon the sand, and also by the strange trail which they
+had left in the soft surface. Then one of the men called out that there
+had been something at Job's grave, which, as will be remembered, had been
+made in the sand some little distance from the place of our first camp.
+At that, we looked all of us, and it was easy to see that it had been
+disturbed, and so we ran hastily to it, knowing not what to fear; thus
+we found it to be empty; for the monsters had digged down to the poor
+lad's body, and of it we could discover no sign. Upon this, we came to a
+greater horror of the weed men than ever; for we knew them now to be foul
+ghouls who could not let even the dead body rest in the grave.
+
+Now after this, the bo'sun led us all back to the hill-top, and there he
+looked to our hurts; for one man had lost two fingers in the night's
+fray; another had been bitten savagely in the left arm; whilst a third
+had all the skin of his face raised in wheals where one of the brutes had
+fixed its tentacles. And all of these had received but scant attention,
+because of the stress of the fight, and, after that, through the
+discovery that Tompkins was missing. Now, however, the bo'sun set-to upon
+them, washing and binding them up, and for dressings he made use of some
+of the oakum which we had with us, binding this on with strips torn from
+the roll of spare duck, which had been in the locker of the boat.
+
+For my part, seizing this chance to make some examination of my
+wounded toe, the which, indeed, was causing me to limp, I found that I
+had endured less harm than seemed to me; for the bone of the toe was
+untouched, though showing bare; yet when it was cleansed, I had not
+overmuch pain with it; though I could not suffer to have the boot on,
+and so bound some canvas about my foot, until such time as it should
+be healed.
+
+Presently, when our wounds were all attended to, the which had taken
+time, for there was none of us altogether untouched, the bo'sun bade the
+man whose fingers were damaged, to lie down in the tent, and the same
+order he gave also to him that was bitten in the arm. Then, the rest of
+us he directed to go down with him and carry up fuel; for that the night
+had shown him how our very lives depended upon a sufficiency of this;
+and so all that morning we brought fuel to the hill-top, both weed and
+reeds, resting not until midday, when he gave us a further tot of the
+rum, and after that set one of the men upon the dinner. Then he bade the
+man, Jessop by name, who had proposed to fly a kite over the vessel in
+the weed, to say whether he had any craft in the making of such a
+matter. At that, the fellow laughed, and told the bo'sun that he would
+make him a kite that would fly very steadily and strongly, and this
+without the aid of a tail. And so the bo'sun bade him set-to without
+delay, for that we should do well to deliver the people in the hulk, and
+afterwards make all haste from the island, which was no better than a
+nesting place of ghouls.
+
+Now hearing the man say that his kite would fly without a tail, I was
+mightily curious to see what manner of thing he would make; for I had
+never seen the like, nor heard that such was possible. Yet he spoke of no
+more than he could accomplish; for he took two of the reeds and cut them
+to a length of about six feet; then he bound them together in the middle
+so that they formed a Saint Andrew's cross, and after that he made two
+more such crosses, and when these were completed, he took four reeds
+maybe a dozen feet long, and bade us stand them upright in the shape of a
+square, so that they formed the four corners, and after that he took one
+of the crosses, and laid it in the square so that its four ends touched
+the four uprights, and in this position he lashed it. Then he took the
+second cross and lashed it midway between the top and bottom of the
+uprights, and after that he lashed the third at the top, so that the
+three of them acted as spreaders to keep the four longer reeds in their
+places as though they were for the uprights of a little square tower.
+Now, when he had gotten so far as that, the bo'sun called out to us to
+make our dinners, and this we did, and afterwards had a short time in
+which to smoke, and whilst we were thus at our ease the sun came out,
+the which it had not done all the day, and at that we felt vastly
+brighter; for the day had been very gloomy with clouds until that time,
+and what with the loss of Tompkins, and our own fears and hurts, we had
+been exceeding doleful, but now, as I have said, we became more cheerful,
+and went very alertly to the finishing of the kite.
+
+At this point it came suddenly to the bo'sun that we had made no
+provision of cord for the flying of the kite, and he called out to the
+man to know what strength the kite would require, at which Jessop
+answered him that maybe ten-yarn sennit would do, and this being so,
+the bo'sun led three of us down to the wrecked mast upon the further
+beach, and from this we stripped all that was left of the shrouds, and
+carried them to the top of the hill, and so, presently, having unlaid
+them, we set-to upon the sennit, using ten yarns; but plaiting two as
+one, by which means we progressed with more speed than if we had taken
+them singly.
+
+Now, as we worked, I glanced occasionally towards Jessop, and saw that he
+stitched a band of the light duck around each end of the framework which
+he had made, and these bands I judged to be about four feet wide, in this
+wise leaving an open space between the two, so that now the thing looked
+something like to a Punchinello show, only that the opening was in the
+wrong place, and there was too much of it. After that he bent on a bridle
+to two of the uprights, making this of a piece of good hemp rope which he
+found in the tent, and then he called out to the bo'sun that the kite was
+finished. At that, the bo'sun went over to examine it, the which did all
+of us; for none of us had seen the like of such a thing, and, if I
+misdoubt not, few of us had much faith that it would fly; for it seemed
+so big and unwieldy. Now, I think that Jessop gathered something of our
+thoughts; for, calling to one of us to hold the kite, lest it should
+blow away, he went into the tent, and brought out the remainder of the
+hemp line, the same from which he had cut the bridle. This, he bent on to
+it, and, giving the end into our hands, bade us go back with it until all
+the slack was taken up, he, in the meanwhile, steadying the kite. Then,
+when we had gone back to the extent of the line, he shouted to us to take
+a very particular hold upon it, and then, stooping, caught the kite by
+the bottom, and threw it into the air, whereupon, to our amazement,
+having swooped somewhat to one side, it steadied and mounted upwards into
+the sky like a very bird.
+
+Now at this, as I have made mention, we were astonished, for it appeared
+like a miracle to us to see so cumbrous a thing fly with so much grace
+and persistence, and further, we were mightily surprised at the manner in
+which it pulled upon the rope, tugging with such heartiness that we were
+like to have loosed it in our first astonishment, had it not been for the
+warning which Jessop called to us.
+
+And now, being well assured of the properness of the kite, the bo'sun
+bade us to draw it in, the which we did only with difficulty, because of
+its bigness and the strength of the breeze. And when we had it back again
+upon the hilltop, Jessop moored it very securely to a great piece of
+rock, and, after that, having received our approbation, he turned-to with
+us upon the making of the sennit.
+
+Presently, the evening drawing near, the bo'sun set us to the building of
+fires about the hill-top, and after that, having waved our goodnights to
+the people in the hulk, we made our suppers, and lay down to smoke, after
+which, we turned-to again at our plaiting of the sennit, the which we
+were in very great haste to have done. And so, later, the dark having
+come down upon the island, the bo'sun bade us take burning weed from the
+center fire, and set light to the heaps of weed that we had stacked
+round the edges of the hill for that purpose, and so in a few minutes the
+whole of the hill-top was very light and cheerful, and afterwards, having
+put two of the men to keep watch and attend to the fires, he sent the
+rest of us back to our sennit making, keeping us at it until maybe about
+ten of the clock, after which he arranged that two men at a time should
+be on watch throughout the night, and then he bade the rest of us
+turn-in, so soon as he had looked to our various hurts.
+
+Now, when it came to my turn to watch, I discovered that I had been
+chosen to accompany the big seaman, at which I was by no means
+displeased; for he was a most excellent fellow, and moreover a very lusty
+man to have near, should anything come upon one unawares. Yet, we were
+happy in that the night passed off without trouble of any sort, and so at
+last came the morning.
+
+So soon as we had made our breakfast, the bo'sun took us all down to the
+carrying of fuel; for he saw very clearly that upon a good supply of this
+depended our immunity from attack. And so for the half of the morning we
+worked at the gathering of weed and reeds for our fires. Then, when we
+had obtained a sufficiency for the coming night, he set us all to work
+again upon the sennit, and so until dinner, after which we turned-to once
+more upon our plaiting. Yet it was plain that it would take several days
+to make a sufficient line for our purpose, and because of this, the
+bo'sun cast about in his mind for some way in which he could quicken its
+production. Presently, as a result of some little thought, he brought out
+from the tent the long piece of hemp rope with which we had moored the
+boat to the sea anchor, and proceeded to unlay it, until he had all three
+strands separate. Then he bent the three together, and so had a very
+rough line of maybe some hundred and eighty fathoms in length, yet,
+though so rough, he judged it strong enough, and thus we had this much
+the less sennit to make.
+
+Now, presently, we made our dinner, and after that for the rest of the
+day we kept very steadily to our plaiting, and so, with the previous
+day's work, had near two hundred fathoms completed by the time that the
+bo'sun called us to cease and come to supper. Thus it will be seen that
+counting all, including the piece of hemp line from which the bridle had
+been made, we may be said to have had at this time about four hundred
+fathoms towards the length which we needed for our purpose, this having
+been reckoned at five hundred fathoms.
+
+After supper, having lit all the fires, we continued to work at the
+plaiting, and so, until the bo'sun set the watches, after which we
+settled down for the night, first, however, letting the bo'sun see to
+our hurts. Now this night, like to the previous, brought us no trouble;
+and when the day came, we had first our breakfast, and then set-to upon
+our collecting of fuel, after which we spent the rest of the day at the
+sennit, having manufactured a sufficiency by the evening, the which the
+bo'sun celebrated by a very rousing tot of the rum. Then, having made
+our supper, we lit the fires, and had a very comfortable evening, after
+which, as on the preceding nights, having let the bo'sun attend our
+wounds, we settled for the night, and on this occasion the bo'sun let
+the man who had lost his fingers, and the one who had been bitten so
+badly in the arm, take their first turn at the watching since the night
+of the attack.
+
+Now when the morning came we were all of us very eager to come to the
+flying of the kite; for it seemed possible to us that we might effect
+the rescue of the people in the hulk before the evening. And, at the
+thought of this, we experienced a very pleasurable sense of excitement;
+yet, before the bo'sun would let us touch the kite, he insisted that we
+should gather our usual supply of fuel, the which order, though full of
+wisdom, irked us exceedingly, because of our eagerness to set about the
+rescue. But at last this was accomplished, and we made to get the line
+ready, testing the knots, and seeing that it was all clear for running.
+Yet, before setting the kite off, the bo'sun took us down to the further
+beach to bring up the foot of the royal and t'gallant mast, which
+remained fast to the topmast, and when we had this upon the hill-top, he
+set its ends upon two rocks, after which he piled a heap of great pieces
+around them, leaving the middle part clear. Round this he passed the
+kite line a couple or three times, and then gave the end to Jessop to
+bend on to the bridle of the kite, and so he had all ready for paying
+out to the wreck.
+
+And now, having nothing to do, we gathered round to watch, and,
+immediately, the bo'sun giving the signal, Jessop cast the kite into
+the air, and, the wind catching it, lifted it strongly and well, so
+that the bo'sun could scarce pay out fast enough. Now, before the kite
+had been let go, Jessop had bent to the forward end of it a great
+length of the spun yarn, so that those in the wreck could catch it as
+it trailed over them, and, being eager to witness whether they would
+secure it without trouble, we ran all of us to the edge of the hill to
+watch. Thus, within five minutes from the time of the loosing of the
+kite, we saw the people in the ship wave to us to cease veering, and
+immediately afterwards the kite came swiftly downwards, by which we
+knew that they had the tripping-line, and were hauling upon it, and at
+that we gave out a great cheer, and afterwards we sat about and smoked,
+waiting until they had read our instructions, which we had written upon
+the covering of the kite.
+
+Presently, maybe the half of an hour afterwards, they signaled to us to
+haul upon our line, which we proceeded to do without delay, and so,
+after a great space, we had hauled in all of our rough line, and come
+upon the end of theirs, which proved to be a fine piece of three-inch
+hemp, new and very good; yet we could not conceive that this would stand
+the stress necessary to lift so great a length clear of the weed, as
+would be needful, or ever we could hope to bring the people of the ship
+over it in safety. And so we waited some little while, and, presently,
+they signaled again to us to haul, which we did, and found that they had
+bent on a much greater rope to the bight of the three-inch hemp, having
+merely intended the latter for a hauling-line by which to get the heavier
+rope across the weed to the island. Thus, after a weariful time of
+pulling, we got the end of the bigger rope up to the hill-top, and
+discovered it to be an extraordinarily sound rope of some four inches
+diameter, and smoothly laid of fine yarns round and very true and well
+spun, and with this we had every reason to be satisfied.
+
+Now to the end of the big rope they had tied a letter, in a bag of
+oilskin, and in it they said some very warm and grateful things to us,
+after which they set out a short code of signals by which we should be
+able to understand one another on certain general matters, and at the end
+they asked if they should send us any provision ashore; for, as they
+explained, it would take some little while to get the rope set taut
+enough for our purpose, and the carrier fixed and in working order. Now,
+upon reading this letter, we called out to the bo'sun that he should ask
+them if they would send us some soft bread; the which he added thereto a
+request for lint and bandages and ointment for our hurts. And this he
+bade me write upon one of the great leaves from off the reeds, and at the
+end he told me to ask if they desired us to send them any fresh water.
+And all of this, I wrote with a sharpened splinter of reed, cutting the
+words into the surface of the leaf. Then, when I had made an end of
+writing, I gave the leaf to the bo'sun, and he enclosed it in the oilskin
+bag, after which he gave the signal for those in the hulk to haul on the
+smaller line, and this they did.
+
+Presently, they signed to us to pull in again, the which we did, and so,
+when we had hauled in a great length of their line, we came to the little
+oilskin bag, in which we found lint and bandages and ointment, and a
+further letter, which set out that they were baking bread, and would send
+us some so soon as it was out from the oven.
+
+Now, in addition to the matters for the healing of our wounds, and the
+letter, they had included a bundle of paper in loose sheets, some quills
+and an inkhorn, and at the end of their epistle, they begged very
+earnestly of us to send them some news of the outer world; for they had
+been shut up in that strange continent of weed for something over seven
+years. They told us then that there were twelve of them in the hulk,
+three of them being women, one of whom had been the captain's wife; but
+he had died soon after the vessel became entangled in the weed, and along
+with him more than half of the ship's company, having been attacked by
+giant devil-fish, as they were attempting to free the vessel from the
+weed, and afterwards they who were left had built the superstructure as a
+protection against the devil-fish, and the _devil-men_, as they termed
+them; for, until it had been built, there had been no safety about the
+decks, neither day nor night.
+
+To our question as to whether they were in need of water, the people in
+the ship replied that they had a sufficiency, and, further, that they
+were very well supplied with provisions; for the ship had sailed from
+London with a general cargo, among which there was a vast quantity of
+food in various shapes and forms. At this news we were greatly pleased,
+seeing that we need have no more anxiety regarding a lack of victuals,
+and so in the letter which I went into the tent to write, I put down
+that we were in no great plentitude of provisions, at which hint I
+guessed they would add somewhat to the bread when it should be ready. And
+after that I wrote down such chief events as my memory recalled as having
+occurred in the course of the past seven years, and then, a short account
+of our own adventures, up to that time, telling them of the attack which
+we had suffered from the weed men, and asking such questions as my
+curiosity and wonder prompted.
+
+Now whilst I had been writing, sitting in the mouth of the tent, I had
+observed, from time to time, how that the bo'sun was busied with the men
+in passing the end of the big rope round a mighty boulder, which lay
+about ten fathoms in from the edge of the cliff which overlooked the
+hulk. This he did, parceling the rope where the rock was in any way
+sharp, so as to protect it from being cut; for which purpose he made use
+of some of the canvas. And by the time that I had the letter completed,
+the rope was made very secure to the great piece of rock, and, further,
+they had put a large piece of chafing gear under that part of the rope
+where it took the edge of the cliff.
+
+Now having, as I have said, completed the letter, I went out with it to
+the bo'sun; but, before placing it in the oilskin bag he bade me add a
+note at the bottom, to say that the big rope was all fast, and that they
+could heave on it so soon as it pleased them, and after that we
+dispatched the letter by means of the small line, the men in the hulk
+hauling it off to them so soon as they perceived our signals.
+
+By this, it had come well on to the latter part of the afternoon, and the
+bo'sun called us to make some sort of a meal, leaving one man to watch
+the hulk, perchance they should signal to us. For we had missed our
+dinner in the excitement of the day's work, and were come now to feel the
+lack of it. Then, in the midst of it, the man upon the lookout cried out
+that they were signaling to us from the ship, and, at that, we ran all of
+us to see what they desired, and so, by the code which we had arranged
+between us, we found that they waited for us to haul upon the small line.
+This did we, and made out presently that we were hauling something across
+the weed, of a very fair bulk, at which we warmed to our work, guessing
+that it was the bread which they had promised us, and so it proved, and
+done up with great neatness in a long roll of tarpaulin, which had been
+wrapped around both the loaves and the rope, and lashed very securely at
+the ends, thus producing a taper shape convenient for passing over the
+weed without catching. Now, when we came to open this parcel, we
+discovered that my hint had taken very sound effect; for there were in
+the parcel, besides the loaves, a boiled ham, a Dutch cheese, two bottles
+of port well padded from breakage, and four pounds of tobacco in plugs.
+And at this coming of good things, we stood all of us upon the edge of
+the hill, and waved our thanks to those in the ship, they waving back in
+all good will, and after that we went back to our meal, at which we
+sampled the new victuals with very lusty appetites.
+
+There was in the parcel, one other matter, a letter, most neatly
+indited, as had been the former epistles, in a feminine handwriting, so
+that I guessed they had one of the women to be their scribe. This
+epistle answered some of my queries, and, in particular, I remember that
+it informed me as to the probable cause of the strange crying which
+preceded the attack by the weed men, saying that on each occasion when
+they in the ship had suffered their attacks, there had been always this
+same crying, being evidently a summoning call or signal to the attack,
+though how given, the writer had not discovered; for the weed
+_devils_--this being how they in the ship spoke always of them--made
+never a sound when attacking, not even when wounded to the death, and,
+indeed, I may say here, that we never learnt the way in which that
+lonesome sobbing was produced, nor, indeed, did they, or we, discover
+more than the merest tithe of the mysteries which that great continent
+of weed holds in its silence.
+
+Another matter to which I had referred was the consistent blowing of the
+wind from one quarter, and this the writer told me happened for as much
+as six months in the year, keeping up a very steady strength. A further
+thing there was which gave me much interest; it was that the ship had not
+been always where we had discovered her; for at one time they had been so
+far within the weed, that they could scarce discern the open sea upon the
+far horizon; but that at times the weed opened in great gulfs that went
+yawning through the continent for scores of miles, and in this way the
+shape and coasts of the weed were being constantly altered; these
+happenings being for the most part at the change of the wind.
+
+And much more there was that they told us then and afterwards, how that
+they dried weed for their fuel, and how the rains, which fell with great
+heaviness at certain periods, supplied them with fresh water; though, at
+times, running short, they had learnt to distil sufficient for their
+needs until the next rains.
+
+Now, near to the end of the epistle, there came some news of their
+present actions, and thus we learnt that they in the ship were busy at
+staying the stump of the mizzen-mast, this being the one to which they
+proposed to attach the big rope, taking it through a great iron-bound
+snatch-block, secured to the head of the stump, and then down to the
+mizzen-capstan, by which, and a strong tackle, they would be able to
+heave the line so taut as was needful.
+
+Now, having finished our meal, the bo'sun took out the lint, bandages and
+ointment, which they had sent us from the hulk, and proceeded to dress
+our hurts, beginning with him who had lost his fingers, which, happily,
+were making a very healthy heal. And afterwards we went all of us to the
+edge of the cliff, and sent back the look-out to fill such crevices in
+his stomach as remained yet empty; for we had passed him already some
+sound hunks of the bread and ham and cheese, to eat whilst he kept watch,
+and so he had suffered no great harm.
+
+It may have been near an hour after this, that the bo'sun pointed out to
+me that they in the ship had commenced to heave upon the great rope, and
+so I perceived, and stood watching it; for I knew that the bo'sun had
+some anxiety as to whether it would take-up sufficiently clear of the
+weed to allow those in the ship to be hauled along it, free from
+molestation by the great devil-fish.
+
+Presently, as the evening began to draw on, the bo'sun bade us go and
+build our fires about the hilltop, and this we did, after which we
+returned to learn how the rope was lifting, and now we perceived that it
+had come clear of the weed, at which we felt mightily rejoiced, and waved
+encouragement, chance there might be any who watched us from the hulk.
+Yet, though the rope was up clear of the weed, the bight of it had to
+rise to a much greater height, or ever it would do for the purpose for
+which we intended it, and already it suffered a vast strain, as I
+discovered by placing my hand upon it; for, even to lift the slack of so
+great a length of line meant the stress of some tons. And later I saw
+that the bo'sun was growing anxious; for he went over to the rock around
+which he had made fast the rope, and examined the knots, and those places
+where he had parceled it, and after that he walked to the place where it
+went over the edge of the cliff, and here he made a further scrutiny; but
+came back presently, seeming not dissatisfied.
+
+Then, in a while, the darkness came down upon us, and we lighted our
+fires and prepared for the night, having the watches arranged as on the
+preceding nights.
+
+
+
+
+XV
+
+Aboard the Hulk
+
+
+Now when it came to my watch, the which I took in company with the big
+seaman, the moon had not yet risen, and all the island was vastly dark,
+save the hill-top, from which the fires blazed in a score of places, and
+very busy they kept us, supplying them with fuel. Then, when maybe the
+half of our watch had passed, the big seaman, who had been to feed the
+fires upon the weed side of the hill-top, came across to me, and bade me
+come and put my hand upon the lesser rope; for that he thought they in
+the ship were anxious to haul it in so that they might send some message
+across to us. At his words, I asked him very anxiously whether he had
+perceived them waving a light, the which we had arranged to be our method
+of signaling in the night, in the event of such being needful; but, to
+this, he said that he had seen naught; and, by now, having come near the
+edge of the cliff, I could see for myself, and so perceived that there
+was none signaling to us from the hulk. Yet, to please the fellow, I put
+my hand upon the line, which we had made fast in the evening to a large
+piece of rock, and so, immediately, I discovered that something was
+pulling upon it, hauling and then slackening, so that it occurred to me
+that the people in the vessel might be indeed wishful to send us some
+message, and at that, to make sure, I ran to the nearest fire, and,
+lighting a tuft of weed, waved it thrice; but there came not any
+answering signal from those in the ship, and at that I went back to feel
+at the rope, to assure myself that it had not been the pluck of the wind
+upon it; but I found that it was something very different from the wind,
+something that plucked with all the sharpness of a hooked fish, only that
+it had been a mighty great fish to have given such tugs, and so I knew
+that some vile thing out in the darkness of the weed was fast to the
+rope, and at this there came the fear that it might break it, and then a
+second thought that something might be climbing up to us along the rope,
+and so I bade the big seaman stand ready with his great cutlass, whilst I
+ran and waked the bo'sun. And this I did, and explained to him how that
+something meddled with the lesser rope, so that he came immediately to
+see for himself how this might be, and when he had put his hand upon it,
+he bade me go and call the rest of the men, and let them stand round by
+the fires; for that there was something abroad in the night, and we might
+be in danger of attack; but he and the big seaman stayed by the end of
+the rope, watching, so far as the darkness would allow, and ever and anon
+feeling the tension upon it.
+
+Then, suddenly, it came to the bo'sun to look to the second line, and he
+ran, cursing himself for his thoughtlessness; but because of its greater
+weight and tension, he could not discover for certain whether anything
+meddled with it or not; yet he stayed by it, arguing that if aught
+touched the smaller rope then might something do likewise with the
+greater, only that the small line lay along the weed, whilst the greater
+one had been some feet above it when the darkness had fallen over us, and
+so might be free from any prowling creatures.
+
+And thus, maybe, an hour passed, and we kept watch and tended the fires,
+going from one to another, and, presently, coming to that one which was
+nearest to the bo'sun, I went over to him, intending to pass a few
+minutes in talk; but as I drew nigh to him, I chanced to place my hand
+upon the big rope, and at that I exclaimed in surprise; for it had become
+much slacker than when last I had felt it in the evening, and I asked the
+bo'sun whether he had noticed it, whereat he felt the rope, and was
+almost more amazed than I had been; for when last he had touched it, it
+had been taut, and humming in the wind. Now, upon this discovery, he was
+in much fear that something had bitten through it, and called to the men
+to come all of them and pull upon the rope, so that he might discover
+whether it was indeed parted; but when they came and hauled upon it, they
+were unable to gather in any of it, whereat we felt all of us mightily
+relieved in our minds; though still unable to come at the cause of its
+sudden slackness.
+
+And so, a while later, there rose the moon, and we were able to examine
+the island and the water between it and the weed-continent, to see
+whether there was anything stirring; yet neither in the valley, nor on
+the faces of the cliffs, nor in the open water could we perceive aught
+living, and as for anything among the weed, it was small use trying to
+discover it among all that shaggy blackness. And now, being assured that
+nothing was coming at us, and that, so far as our eyes could pierce,
+there climbed nothing upon the ropes, the bo'sun bade us get turned-in,
+all except those whose time it was to watch. Yet, before I went into the
+tent, I made a careful examination of the big rope, the which did also
+the bo'sun, but could perceive no cause for its slackness; though this
+was quite apparent in the moonlight, the rope going down with greater
+abruptness than it had done in the evening. And so we could but conceive
+that they in the hulk had slacked it for some reason; and after that we
+went to the tent and a further spell of sleep.
+
+In the early morning we were waked by one of the watchmen, coming into
+the tent to call the bo'sun; for it appeared that the hulk had moved in
+the night, so that its stern was now pointed somewhat towards the island.
+At this news, we ran all of us from the tent to the edge of the hill, and
+found it to be indeed as the man had said, and now I understood the
+reason of that sudden slackening of the rope; for, after withstanding the
+stress upon it for some hours, the vessel had at last yielded, and slewed
+its stern towards us, moving also to some extent bodily in our direction.
+
+And now we discovered that a man in the look-out place in the top of the
+structure was waving a welcome to us, at which we waved back, and then
+the bo'sun bade me haste and write a note to know whether it seemed to
+them likely that they might be able to heave the ship clear of the weed,
+and this I did, greatly excited within myself at this new thought, as,
+indeed, was the bo'sun himself and the rest of the men. For could they do
+this, then how easily solved were every problem of coming to our own
+country. But it seemed too good a thing to have come true, and yet I
+could but hope. And so, when my letter was completed, we put it up in the
+little oilskin bag, and signaled to those in the ship to haul in upon the
+line. Yet, when they went to haul, there came a mighty splather amid the
+weed, and they seemed unable to gather in any of the slack, and then,
+after a certain pause, I saw the man in the look-out point something, and
+immediately afterwards there belched out in front of him a little puff of
+smoke, and, presently, I caught the report of a musket, so that I knew
+that he was firing at something in the weed. He fired again, and yet once
+more, and after that they were able to haul in upon the line, and so I
+perceived that his fire had proved effectual; yet we had no knowledge of
+the thing at which he had discharged his weapon.
+
+Now, presently, they signaled to us to draw back the line, the which we
+could do only with great difficulty, and then the man in the top of the
+super-structure signed to us to vast hauling, which we did, whereupon he
+began to fire again into the weed; though with what effect we could not
+perceive. Then, in a while he signaled to us to haul again, and now the
+rope came more easily; yet still with much labor, and a commotion in the
+weed over which it lay and, in places, sank. And so, at last, as it
+cleared the weed because of the lift of the cliff, we saw that a great
+crab had clutched it, and that we hauled it towards us; for the creature
+had too much obstinacy to let go.
+
+Perceiving this, and fearing that the great claws of the crab might
+divide the rope, the bo'sun caught up one of the men's lances, and ran to
+the cliff edge, calling to us to pull in gently, and put no more strain
+upon the line than need be. And so, hauling with great steadiness, we
+brought the monster near to the edge of the hill, and there, at a wave
+from the bo'sun, stayed our pulling. Then he raised the spear, and smote
+at the creature's eyes, as he had done on a previous occasion, and
+immediately it loosed its hold, and fell with a mighty splash into the
+water at the foot of the cliff. Then the bo'sun bade us haul in the rest
+of the rope, until we should come to the packet, and, in the meantime, he
+examined the line to see whether it had suffered harm through the
+mandibles of the crab; yet, beyond a little chafe, it was quite sound.
+
+And so we came to the letter, which I opened and read, finding it to be
+written in the same feminine hand which had indited the others. From it
+we gathered that the ship had burst through a very thick mass of the weed
+which had compacted itself about her, and that the second mate, who was
+the only officer remaining to them, thought there might be good chance
+to heave the vessel out; though it would have to be done with great
+slowness, so as to allow the weed to part gradually, otherwise the ship
+would but act as a gigantic rake to gather up weed before it, and so form
+its own barrier to clear water. And after this there were kind wishes and
+hopes that we had spent a good night, the which I took to be prompted by
+the feminine heart of the writer, and after that I fell to wondering
+whether it was the captain's wife who acted as scribe. Then I was waked
+from my pondering, by one of the men crying out that they in the ship had
+commenced to heave again upon the big rope, and, for a time, I stood and
+watched it rise slowly, as it came to tautness.
+
+I had stood there awhile, watching the rope, when, suddenly, there came a
+commotion amid the weed, about two-thirds of the way to the ship, and now
+I saw that the rope had freed itself from the weed, and clutching it,
+were, maybe, a score of giant crabs. At this sight, some of the men cried
+out their astonishment, and then we saw that there had come a number of
+men into the look-out place in the top of the superstructure, and,
+immediately, they opened a very brisk fire upon the creatures, and so, by
+ones and twos they fell back into the weed, and after that, the men in
+the hulk resumed their heaving, and so, in a while, had the rope some
+feet clear of the surface.
+
+Now, having tautened the rope so much as they thought proper, they left
+it to have its due effect upon the ship, and proceeded to attach a great
+block to it; then they signaled to us to slack away on the little rope
+until they had the middle part of it, and this they hitched around the
+neck of the block, and to the eye in the strop of the block they attached
+a bo'sun's chair, and so they had ready a carrier, and by this means we
+were able to haul stuff to and from the hulk without having to drag it
+across the surface of the weed; being, indeed, the fashion in which we
+had intended to haul ashore the people in the ship. But now we had the
+bigger project of salvaging the ship herself, and, further, the big rope,
+which acted as support for the carrier, was not yet of a sufficient
+height above the weed-continent for it to be safe to attempt to bring any
+ashore by such means; and now that we had hopes of saving the ship, we
+did not intend to risk parting the big rope, by trying to attain such a
+degree of tautness as would have been necessary at this time to have
+raised its bight to the desired height.
+
+Now, presently, the bo'sun called out to one of the men to make
+breakfast, and when it was ready we came to it, leaving the man with the
+wounded arm to keep watch; then when we had made an end, he sent him,
+that had lost his fingers, to keep a look-out whilst the other came to
+the fire and ate his breakfast. And in the meanwhile, the bo'sun took us
+down to collect weed and reeds for the night, and so we spent the greater
+part of the morning, and when we had made an end of this, we returned to
+the top of the hill, to discover how matters were going forward; thus we
+found, from the one at the look-out, that they, in the hulk, had been
+obliged to heave twice upon the big rope to keep it off the weed, and by
+this we knew that the ship was indeed making a slow sternway towards the
+island--slipping steadily through the weed, and as we looked at her, it
+seemed almost that we could perceive that she was nearer; but this was no
+more than imagination; for, at most, she could not have moved more than
+some odd fathoms. Yet it cheered us greatly, so that we waved our
+congratulations to the man who stood in the lookout in the
+superstructure, and he waved back.
+
+Later, we made dinner, and afterwards had a very comfortable smoke, and
+then the bo'sun attended to our various hurts. And so through the
+afternoon we sat about upon the crest of the hill overlooking the
+hulk, and thrice had they in the ship to heave upon the big rope, and
+by evening they had made near thirty fathoms towards the island, the
+which they told us in reply to a query which the bo'sun desired me to
+send them, several messages having passed between us in the course of
+the afternoon, so that we had the carrier upon our side. Further than
+this, they explained that they would tend the rope during the night, so
+that the strain would be kept up, and, more, this would keep the ropes
+off the weed.
+
+And so, the night coming down upon us, the bo'sun bade us light the fires
+about the top of the hill, the same having been laid earlier in the day,
+and thus, our supper having been dispatched, we prepared for the night.
+And all through it there burned lights aboard the hulk, the which proved
+very companionable to us in our times of watching; and so, at last came
+the morning, the darkness having passed without event. And now, to our
+huge pleasure, we discovered that the ship had made great progress in the
+night; being now so much nearer that none could suppose it a matter of
+imagination; for she must have moved nigh sixty fathoms nearer to the
+island, so that now we seemed able almost to recognize the face of the
+man in the look-out; and many things about the hulk we saw with greater
+clearness, so that we scanned her with a fresh interest. Then the man in
+the look-out waved a morning greeting to us, the which we returned very
+heartily, and, even as we did so, there came a second figure beside the
+man, and waved some white matter, perchance a handkerchief, which is like
+enough, seeing that it was a woman, and at that, we took off our head
+coverings, all of us, and shook them at her, and after this we went to
+our breakfast; having finished which, the bo'sun dressed our hurts, and
+then, setting the man, who had lost his fingers, to watch, he took the
+rest of us, excepting him that was bitten in the arm, down to collect
+fuel, and so the time passed until near dinner.
+
+When we returned to the hill-top, the man upon the look-out told us that
+they in the ship had heaved not less than four separate times upon the
+big rope, the which, indeed, they were doing at that present minute; and
+it was very plain to see that the ship had come nearer even during the
+short space of the morning. Now, when they had made an end of tautening
+the rope, I perceived that it was, at last, well clear of the weed
+through all its length, being at its lowest part nigh twenty feet above
+the surface, and, at that, a sudden thought came to me which sent me
+hastily to the bo'sun; for it had occurred to me that there existed no
+reason why we should not pay a visit to those aboard the hulk. But when I
+put the matter to him, he shook his head, and, for awhile, stood out
+against my desire; but, presently, having examined the rope, and
+considering that I was the lightest of any in the island, he consented,
+and at that I ran to the carrier which had been hauled across to our
+side, and got me into the chair. Now, the men, so soon as they perceived
+my intention, applauded me very heartily, desiring to follow; but the
+bo'sun bade them be silent, and, after that, he lashed me into the chair,
+with his own hands, and then signaled to those in the ship to haul upon
+the small rope; he, in the meanwhile, checking my descent towards the
+weeds, by means of our end of the hauling-line.
+
+And so, presently, I had come to the lowest part, where the bight of the
+rope dipped downward in a bow towards the weed, and rose again to the
+mizzenmast of the hulk. Here I looked downward with somewhat fearful
+eyes; for my weight on the rope made it sag somewhat lower than seemed to
+me comfortable, and I had a very lively recollection of some of the
+horrors which that quiet surface hid. Yet I was not long in this place;
+for they in the ship, perceiving how the rope let me nearer to the weed
+than was safe, pulled very heartily upon the hauling-line, and so I came
+quickly to the hulk.
+
+Now, as I drew nigh to the ship, the men crowded upon a little platform
+which they had built in the superstructure somewhat below the broken head
+of the mizzen, and here they received me with loud cheers and very open
+arms, and were so eager to get me out of the bo'sun's chair, that they
+cut the lashings, being too impatient to cast them loose. Then they led
+me down to the deck, and here, before I had knowledge of aught else, a
+very buxom woman took me into her arms, kissing me right heartily, at
+which I was greatly taken aback; but the men about me did naught but
+laugh, and so, in a minute, she loosed me, and there I stood, not knowing
+whether to feel like a fool or a hero; but inclining rather to the
+latter. Then, at this minute, there came a second woman, who bowed to me
+in a manner most formal, so that we might have been met in some
+fashionable gathering, rather than in a cast-away hulk in the
+lonesomeness and terror of that weed-choked sea; and at her coming all
+the mirth of the men died out of them, and they became very sober, whilst
+the buxom woman went backward for a piece, and seemed somewhat abashed.
+Now, at all this, I was greatly puzzled, and looked from one to another
+to learn what it might mean; but in the same moment the woman bowed
+again, and said something in a low voice touching the weather, and after
+that she raised her glance to my face, so that I saw her eyes, and they
+were so strange and full of melancholy, that I knew on the instant why
+she spoke and acted in so unmeaning a way; for the poor creature was out
+of her mind, and when I learnt afterwards that she was the captain's
+wife, and had seen him die in the arms of a mighty devil-fish, I grew to
+understand how she had come to such a pass.
+
+Now for a minute after I had discovered the woman's madness, I was so
+taken aback as to be unable to answer her remark; but for this there
+appeared no necessity; for she turned away and went aft towards the
+saloon stairway, which stood open, and here she was met by a maid very
+bonny and fair, who led her tenderly down from my sight. Yet, in a
+minute, this same maid appeared, and ran along the decks to me, and
+caught my two hands, and shook them, and looked up at me with such
+roguish, playful eyes, that she warmed my heart, which had been
+strangely chilled by the greeting of the poor mad woman. And she said
+many hearty things regarding my courage, to which I knew in my heart I
+had no claim; but I let her run on, and so, presently, coming more to
+possession of herself, she discovered that she was still holding my
+hands, the which, indeed, I had been conscious of the while with a very
+great pleasure; but at her discovery she dropped them with haste, and
+stood back from me a space, and so there came a little coolness into her
+talk: yet this lasted not long; for we were both of us young, and, I
+think, even thus early we attracted one the other; though, apart from
+this, there was so much that we desired each to learn, that we could not
+but talk freely, asking question for question, and giving answer for
+answer. And thus a time passed, in which the men left us alone, and went
+presently to the capstan, about which they had taken the big rope, and
+at this they toiled awhile; for already the ship had moved sufficiently
+to let the line fall slack.
+
+Presently, the maid, whom I had learnt was niece to the captain's wife,
+and named Mary Madison, proposed to take me the round of the ship, to
+which proposal I agreed very willingly; but first I stopped to examine
+the mizzen stump, and the manner in which the people of the ship had
+stayed it, the which they had done very cunningly, and I noted how that
+they had removed some of the superstructure from about the head of the
+mast, so as to allow passage for the rope, without putting a strain upon
+the superstructure itself. Then when I had made an end upon the poop, she
+led me down on to the main-deck, and here I was very greatly impressed by
+the prodigious size of the structure which they had built about the hulk,
+and the skill with which it had been carried out, the supports crossing
+from side to side and to the decks in a manner calculated to give great
+solidity to that which they upheld. Yet, I was very greatly puzzled to
+know where they had gotten a sufficiency of timber to make so large a
+matter; but upon this point she satisfied me by explaining that they had
+taken up the 'tween decks, and used all such bulkheads as they could
+spare, and, further, that there had been a good deal among the dunnage
+which had proved usable.
+
+And so we came at last to the galley, and here I discovered the buxom
+woman to be installed as cook, and there were in with her a couple of
+fine children, one of whom I guessed to be a boy of maybe some five
+years, and the second a girl, scarce able to do more than toddle. At this
+I turned and asked Mistress Madison whether these were her cousins; but
+in the next moment I remembered that they could not be; for, as I knew,
+the captain had been dead some seven years; yet it was the woman in the
+galley who answered my question; for she turned and, with something of a
+red face, informed me that they were hers, at which I felt some surprise;
+but supposed that she had taken passage in the ship with her husband; yet
+in this I was not correct; for she proceeded to explain that, thinking
+they were cut off from the world for the rest of this life, and falling
+very fond of the carpenter, they had made it up together to make a sort
+of marriage, and had gotten the second mate to read the service over
+them. She told me then, how that she had taken passage with her mistress,
+the captain's wife, to help her with her niece, who had been but a child
+when the ship sailed; for she had been very attached to them both, and
+they to her. And so she came to an end of her story, expressing a hope
+that she had done no wrong by her marriage, as none had been intended.
+And to this I made answer, assuring her that no decent-minded man could
+think the worse of her; but that I, for my part, thought rather the
+better, seeing that I liked the pluck which she had shown. At that she
+cast down the soup ladle, which she had in her fist, and came towards me,
+wiping her hands; but I gave back, for I shamed to be hugged again, and
+before Mistress Mary Madison, and at that she came to a stop and laughed
+very heartily; but, all the same, called down a very warm blessing upon
+my head; for which I had no cause to feel the worse. And so I passed on
+with the captain's niece.
+
+Presently, having made the round of the hulk, we came aft again to the
+poop, and discovered that they were heaving once more upon the big rope,
+the which was very heartening, proving, as it did, that the ship was
+still a-move. And so, a little later, the girl left me, having to attend
+to her aunt. Now whilst she was gone, the men came all about me, desiring
+news of the world beyond the weed-continent, and so for the next hour I
+was kept very busy, answering their questions. Then the second mate
+called out to them to take another heave upon the rope, and at that they
+turned to the capstan, and I with them, and so we hove it taut again,
+after which they got about me once more, questioning; for so much seemed
+to have happened in the seven years in which they had been imprisoned.
+And then, after a while, I turned-to and questioned them on such points
+as I had neglected to ask Mistress Madison, and they discovered to me
+their terror and sickness of the weed-continent, its desolation and
+horror, and the dread which had beset them at the thought that they
+should all of them come to their ends without sight of their homes and
+countrymen.
+
+Now, about this time, I became conscious that I had grown very empty; for
+I had come off to the hulk before we had made our dinner, and had been in
+such interest since, that the thought of food had escaped me; for I had
+seen none eating in the hulk, they, without doubt, having dined earlier
+than my coming. But now, being made aware of my state by the grumbling of
+my stomach, I inquired whether there was any food to be had at such a
+time, and, at that, one of the men ran to tell the woman in the galley
+that I had missed my dinner, at which she made much ado, and set-to and
+prepared me a very good meal, which she carried aft and set out for me in
+the saloon, and after that she sent me down to it.
+
+Presently, when I had come near to being comfortable, there chanced a
+lightsome step upon the floor behind me, and, turning, I discovered that
+Mistress Madison was surveying me with a roguish and somewhat amused air.
+At that, I got hastily to my feet; but she bade me sit down, and
+therewith she took a seat opposite, and so bantered me with a gentle
+playfulness that was not displeasing to me, and at which I played so good
+a second as I had ability. Later, I fell to questioning her, and, among
+other matters, discovered that it was she who acted as scribe for the
+people in the hulk, at which I told her that I had done likewise for
+those on the island. After that, our talk became somewhat personal, and I
+learnt that she was near on to nineteen years of age, whereat I told her
+that I had passed my twenty-third. And so we chatted on, until,
+presently, it occurred to me that I had better be preparing to return to
+the island, and I rose to my feet with this intention; yet feeling that I
+had been very much happier to have stayed, the which I thought, for a
+moment, had not been displeasing to her, and this I imagined, noting
+somewhat in her eyes when I made mention that I must be gone. Yet it may
+be that I flattered myself.
+
+Now when I came out on deck, they were busied again in heaving taut the
+rope, and, until they had made an end, Mistress Madison and I filled the
+time with such chatter as is wholesome between a man and maid who have
+not long met, yet find one another pleasing company. Then, when at last
+the rope was taut, I went up to the mizzen staging, and climbed into the
+chair, after which some of the men lashed me in very securely. Yet when
+they gave the signal to haul me to the island, there came for awhile no
+response, and then signs that we could not understand; but no movement to
+haul me across the weed. At that, they unlashed me from the chair,
+bidding me get out, whilst they sent a message to discover what might be
+wrong. And this they did, and, presently, there came back word that the
+big rope had stranded upon the edge of the cliff, and that they must
+slacken it somewhat at once, the which they did, with many expressions of
+dismay. And so, maybe an hour passed, during which we watched the men
+working at the rope, just where it came down over the edge of the hill,
+and Mistress Madison stood with us and watched; for it was very terrible,
+this sudden thought of failure (though it were but temporary) when they
+were so near to success. Yet, at last there came a signal from the island
+for us to loose the hauling-line, the which we did, allowing them to haul
+across the carrier, and so, in a little while, they signaled back to us
+to pull in, which, having done, we found a letter in the bag lashed to
+the carrier, in which the bo'sun made it plain that he had strengthened
+the rope, and placed fresh chafing gear about it, so that he thought it
+would be so safe as ever to heave upon; but to put it to a less strain.
+Yet he refused to allow me to venture across upon it, saying that I must
+stay in the ship until we were clear of the weed; for if the rope had
+stranded in one place, then had it been so cruelly tested that there
+might be some other points at which it was ready to give. And this final
+note of the bo'sun's made us all very serious; for, indeed, it seemed
+possible that it was as he suggested; yet they reassured themselves by
+pointing out that, like enough, it had been the chafe upon the cliff edge
+which had frayed the strand, so that it had been weakened before it
+parted; but I, remembering the chafing gear which the bo'sun had put
+about it in the first instance, felt not so sure; yet I would not add to
+their anxieties.
+
+And so it came about that I was compelled to spend the night in the hulk;
+but, as I followed Mistress Madison into the big saloon, I felt no
+regret, and had near forgotten already my anxiety regarding the rope.
+
+And out on deck there sounded most cheerily the clack of the capstan.
+
+
+
+
+XVI
+
+Freed
+
+
+Now, when Mistress Madison had seated herself, she invited me to do
+likewise, after which we fell into talk, first touching upon the matter
+of the stranding of the rope, about which I hastened to assure her, and
+later to other things, and so, as is natural enough with a man and maid,
+to ourselves, and here we were very content to let it remain.
+
+Presently, the second mate came in with a note from the bo'sun, which he
+laid upon the table for the girl to read, the which she beckoned me to do
+also, and so I discovered that it was a suggestion, written very rudely
+and ill-spelt, that they should send us a quantity of reeds from the
+island, with which we might be able to ease the weed somewhat from around
+the stern of the hulk, thus aiding her progress. And to this the second
+mate desired the girl to write a reply, saying that we should be very
+happy for the reeds, and would endeavor to act upon his hint, and this
+Mistress Madison did, after which she passed the letter to me, perchance
+I desired to send any message. Yet I had naught that I wished to say, and
+so handed it back, with a word of thanks, and, at once, she gave it to
+the second mate, who went, forthwith, and dispatched it.
+
+Later, the stout woman from the galley came aft to set out the table,
+which occupied the center of the saloon, and whilst she was at this, she
+asked for information on many things, being very free and unaffected in
+her speech, and seeming with less of deference to my companion, than a
+certain motherliness; for it was very plain that she loved Mistress
+Madison, and in this my heart did not blame her. Further, it was plain to
+me that the girl had a very warm affection for her old nurse, which was
+but natural, seeing that the old woman had cared for her through all the
+past years, besides being companion to her, and a good and cheerful one,
+as I could guess.
+
+Now awhile I passed in answering the buxom woman's questions, and odd
+times such occasional ones as were slipped in by Mistress Madison; and
+then, suddenly there came the clatter of men's feet overhead, and, later,
+the thud of something being cast down upon the deck, and so we knew that
+the reeds had come. At that, Mistress Madison cried out that we should go
+and watch the men try them upon the weed; for that if they proved of use
+in easing that which lay in our path, then should we come the more
+speedily to the clear water, and this without the need of putting so
+great a strain upon the hawser, as had been the case hitherto.
+
+When we came to the poop, we found the men removing a portion of the
+superstructure over the stern, and after that they took some of the
+stronger reeds, and proceeded to work at the weed that stretched away in
+a line with our taffrail. Yet that they anticipated danger, I perceived;
+for there stood by them two of the men and the second mate, all armed
+with muskets, and these three kept a very strict watch upon the weed,
+knowing, through much experience of its terrors, how that there might be
+a need for their weapons at any moment. And so a while passed, and it
+was plain that the men's work upon the weed was having effect; for the
+rope grew slack visibly, and those at the capstan had all that they
+could do, taking fleet and fleet with the tackle, to keep it anywhere
+near to tautness, and so, perceiving that they were kept so hard at it,
+I ran to give a hand, the which did Mistress Madison, pushing upon the
+capstan-bars right merrily and with heartiness. And thus a while passed,
+and the evening began to come down upon the lonesomeness of the
+weed-continent. Then there appeared the buxom woman, and bade us come to
+our suppers, and her manner of addressing the two of us was the manner
+of one who might have mothered us; but Mistress Madison cried out to her
+to wait, that we had found work to do, and at that the big woman
+laughed, and came towards us threateningly, as though intending to
+remove us hence by force.
+
+And now, at this moment, there came a sudden interruption which checked
+our merriment; for, abruptly, there sounded the report of a musket in
+the stern, and then came shouts, and the noise of the two other weapons,
+seeming like thunder, being pent by the over-arching superstructure.
+And, directly, the men about the taffrail gave back, running here and
+there, and so I saw that great arms had come all about the opening which
+they had made in the superstructure, and two of these flickered
+in-board, searching hither and thither; but the stout woman took a man
+near to her, and thrust him out of danger, and after that, she caught
+Mistress Madison up in her big arms, and ran down on to the main-deck
+with her, and all this before I had come to a full knowledge of our
+danger. But now I perceived that I should do well to get further back
+from the stern, the which I did with haste, and, coming to a safe
+position, I stood and stared at the huge creature, its great arms, vague
+in the growing dusk, writhing about in vain search for a victim. Then
+returned the second mate, having been for more weapons, and now I
+observed that he armed all the men, and had brought up a spare musket
+for my use, and so we commenced, all of us, to fire at the monster,
+whereat it began to lash about most furiously, and so, after some
+minutes, it slipped away from the opening and slid down into the weed.
+Upon that several of the men rushed to replace those parts of the
+superstructure which had been removed, and I with them; yet there were
+sufficient for the job, so that I had no need to do aught; thus, before
+they had made up the opening, I had been given chance to look out upon
+the weed, and so discovered that all the surface which lay between our
+stern and the island, was moving in vast ripples, as though mighty fish
+were swimming beneath it, and then, just before the men put back the
+last of the great panels, I saw the weed all tossed up like to a vast
+pot a-boil, and then a vague glimpse of thousands of monstrous arms that
+filled the air, and came towards the ship.
+
+And then the men had the panel back in its place, and were hasting to
+drive the supporting struts into their positions. And when this was done,
+we stood awhile and listened; but there came no sound above that of the
+wail of the wind across the extent of the weed-continent. And at that, I
+turned to the men, asking how it was that I could hear no sounds of the
+creatures attacking us, and so they took me up into the look-out place,
+and from there I stared down at the weed; but it was without movement,
+save for the stirring of the wind, and there was nowhere any sign of the
+devil-fish. Then, seeing me amazed, they told me how that anything which
+moved the weed seemed to draw them from all parts; but that they seldom
+touched the hulk unless there was something visible to them which had
+movement. Yet, as they went on to explain, there would be hundreds and
+hundreds of them lying all about the ship, hiding in the weed; but that
+if we took care not to show ourselves within their reach, they would have
+gone most of them by the morning. And this the men told me in a very
+matter-of-fact way; for they had become inured to such happenings.
+
+Presently, I heard Mistress Madison calling to me by name, and so
+descended out of the growing darkness, to the interior of the
+superstructure, and here they had lit a number of rude slush-lamps, the
+oil for which, as I learned later, they obtained from a certain fish
+which haunted the sea, beneath the weed, in very large schools, and took
+near any sort of bait with great readiness. And so, when I had climbed
+down into the light, I found the girl waiting for me to come to supper,
+for which I discovered myself to be in a mightily agreeable humor.
+
+Presently, having made an end of eating, she leaned back in her seat and
+commenced once more to bait me in her playful manner, the which appeared
+to afford her much pleasure, and in which I joined with no less, and so
+we fell presently to more earnest talk, and in this wise we passed a
+great space of the evening. Then there came to her a sudden idea, and
+what must she do but propose that we should climb to the lookout, and to
+this I agreed with a very happy willingness. And to the lookout we went.
+Now when we had come there, I perceived her reason for this freak; for
+away in the night, astern the hulk, there blazed half-way between the
+heaven and the sea, a mighty glow, and suddenly, as I stared, being dumb
+with admiration and surprise, I knew that it was the blaze of our fires
+upon the crown of the bigger hill; for, all the hill being in shadow, and
+hidden by the darkness, there showed only the glow of the fires, hung, as
+it were, in the void, and a very striking and beautiful spectacle it was.
+Then, as I watched, there came, abruptly a figure into view upon the
+edge of the glow, showing black and minute, and this I knew to be one of
+the men come to the edge of the hill to take a look at the hulk, or test
+the strain on the hawser. Now, upon my expressing admiration of the sight
+to Mistress Madison, she seemed greatly pleased, and told me that she had
+been up many times in the darkness to view it. And after that we went
+down again into the interior of the superstructure, and here the men were
+taking a further heave upon the big rope, before settling the watches for
+the night, the which they managed, by having one man at a time to keep
+awake and call the rest whenever the hawser grew slack.
+
+Later Mistress Madison showed me where I was to sleep, and so, having bid
+one another a very warm good-night, we parted, she going to see that her
+aunt was comfortable, and I out on to the main-deck to have a chat with
+the man on watch. In this way, I passed the time until midnight, and in
+that while we had been forced to call the men thrice to heave upon the
+hawser, so quickly had the ship begun to make way through the weed. Then,
+having grown sleepy, I said goodnight, and went to my berth, and so had
+my first sleep upon a mattress, for some weeks.
+
+Now when the morning was come, I waked, hearing Mistress Madison calling
+upon me from the other side of my door, and rating me very saucily for a
+lie-a-bed, and at that I made good speed at dressing, and came quickly
+into the saloon, where she had ready a breakfast that made me glad I had
+waked. But first, before she would do aught else, she had me out to the
+lookout place, running up before me most merrily and singing in the
+fullness of her glee, and so, when I had come to the top of the
+superstructure, I perceived that she had very good reason for so much
+merriment, and the sight which came to my eyes, gladdened me most
+mightily, yet at the same time filling me with a great amazement; for,
+behold! in the course of that one night, we had made near unto two
+hundred fathoms across the weed, being now, with what we had made
+previously, no more than some thirty fathoms in from the edge of the
+weed. And there stood Mistress Madison beside me, doing somewhat of a
+dainty step-dance upon the flooring of the look-out, and singing a quaint
+old lilt that I had not heard that dozen years, and this little thing, I
+think, brought back more clearly to me than aught else how that this
+winsome maid had been lost to the world for so many years, having been
+scarce of the age of twelve when the ship had been lost in the
+weed-continent. Then, as I turned to make some remark, being filled with
+many feelings, there came a hail, from far above in the air, as it might
+be, and, looking up, I discovered the man upon the hill to be standing
+along the edge, and waving to us, and now I perceived how that the hill
+towered a very great way above us, seeming, as it were, to overhang the
+hulk though we were yet some seventy fathoms distant from the sheer sweep
+of its nearer precipice. And so, having waved back our greeting, we made
+down to breakfast, and, having come to the saloon, set-to upon the good
+victuals, and did very sound justice thereto.
+
+Presently, having made an end of eating, and hearing the clack of the
+capstan-pawls, we hurried out on deck, and put our hands upon the bars,
+intending to join in that last heave which should bring the ship free out
+of her long captivity, and so for a time we moved round about the
+capstan, and I glanced at the girl beside me; for she had become very
+solemn, and indeed it was a strange and solemn time for her; for she, who
+had dreamed of the world as her childish eyes had seen it, was now, after
+many hopeless years, to go forth once more to it--to live in it, and to
+learn how much had been dreams, and how much real; and with all these
+thoughts I credited her; for they seemed such as would have come to me at
+such a time, and, presently, I made some blundering effort to show to
+her that I had understanding of the tumult which possessed her, and at
+that she smiled up at me with a sudden queer flash of sadness and
+merriment, and our glances met, and I saw something in hers, which was
+but newborn, and though I was but a young man, my heart interpreted it
+for me, and I was all hot suddenly with the pain and sweet delight of
+this new thing; for I had not dared to think upon that which already my
+heart had made bold to whisper to me, so that even thus soon I was
+miserable out of her presence. Then she looked downward at her hands upon
+the bar; and, in the same instant, there came a loud, abrupt cry from the
+second mate, to vast heaving, and at that all the men pulled out their
+bars and cast them upon the deck, and ran, shouting, to the ladder that
+led to the look-out, and we followed, and so came to the top, and
+discovered that at last the ship was clear of the weed, and floating in
+the open water between it and the island.
+
+Now at the discovery that the hulk was free, the men commenced to cheer
+and shout in a very wild fashion, as, indeed, is no cause for wonder, and
+we cheered with them. Then, suddenly, in the midst of our shouting,
+Mistress Madison plucked me by the sleeve and pointed to the end of the
+island where the foot of the bigger hill jutted out in a great spur, and
+now I perceived a boat, coming round into view, and in another moment I
+saw that the bo'sun stood in the stern, steering; thus I knew that he
+must have finished repairing her whilst I had been on the hulk. By this,
+the men about us had discovered the nearness of the boat, and commenced
+shouting afresh, and they ran down, and to the bows of the vessel, and
+got ready a rope to cast. Now when the boat came near, the men in her
+scanned us very curiously, but the bo'sun took off his head-gear, with a
+clumsy grace that well became him; at which Mistress Madison smiled very
+kindly upon him, and, after that, she told me with great frankness that
+he pleased her, and, more, that she had never seen so great a man, which
+was not strange seeing that she had seen but few since she had come to
+years when men become of interest to a maid.
+
+After saluting us the bo'sun called out to the second mate that he would
+tow us round to the far side of the island, and to this the officer
+agreed, being, I surmised, by no means sorry to put some solid matter
+between himself and the desolation of the great weed-continent; and so,
+having loosed the hawser, which fell from the hill-top with a prodigious
+splash, we had the boat head, towing. In this wise we opened out,
+presently, the end of the hill; but feeling now the force of the breeze,
+we bent a kedge to the hawser, and, the bo'sun carrying it seawards, we
+warped ourselves to windward of the island, and here, in forty fathoms,
+we vast heaving, and rode to the kedge.
+
+Now when this was accomplished they called to our men to come aboard, and
+this they did, and spent all of that day in talk and eating; for those in
+the ship could scarce make enough of our fellows. And then, when it had
+come to night, they replaced that part of the superstructure which they
+had removed from about the head of the mizzen-stump, and so, all being
+secure, each one turned-in and had a full night's rest, of the which,
+indeed, many of them stood in sore need.
+
+The following morning, the second mate had a consultation with the
+bo'sun, after which he gave the order to commence upon the removal of the
+great superstructure, and to this each one of us set himself with vigor.
+Yet it was a work requiring some time, and near five days had passed
+before we had the ship stripped clear. When this had been accomplished,
+there came a busy time of routing out various matter of which we should
+have need in jury rigging her; for they had been so long in disuse, that
+none remembered where to look for them. At this a day and a half was
+spent, and after that we set-to about fitting her with such jury-masts as
+we could manage from our material.
+
+Now, after the ship had been dismasted, all those seven years gone, the
+crew had been able to save many of her spars, these having remained
+attached to her, through their inability to cut away all of the gear; and
+though this had put them in sore peril at the time, of being sent to the
+bottom with a hole in their side, yet now had they every reason to be
+thankful; for, by this accident, we had now a foreyard, a topsail-yard, a
+main t'gallant-yard, and the fore-topmast. They had saved more than
+these; but had made use of the smaller spars to shore up the
+superstructure, sawing them into lengths for that purpose. Apart from
+such spars as they had managed to secure, they had a spare topmast lashed
+along under the larboard bulwarks, and a spare t'gallant and royal mast
+lying along the starboard side.
+
+Now, the second mate and the bo'sun set the carpenter to work upon the
+spare topmast, bidding him make for it some trestle-trees and bolsters,
+upon which to lay the eyes of the rigging; but they did not trouble him
+to shape it. Further, they ordered the same to be fitted to the
+foretopmast and the spare t'gallant and royal mast. And in the meanwhile,
+the rigging was prepared, and when this was finished, they made ready the
+shears to hoist the spare topmast, intending this to take the place of
+the main lower-mast. Then, when the carpenter had carried out their
+orders, he was set to make three partners with a step cut in each, these
+being intended to take the heels of the three masts, and when these were
+completed, they bolted them securely to the decks at the fore part of
+each one of the stumps of the three lower-masts. And so, having all
+ready, we hove the mainmast into position, after which we proceeded to
+rig it. Now, when we had made an end of this, we set-to upon the
+foremast, using for this the foretopmast which they had saved, and after
+that we hove the mizzenmast into place, having for this the spare
+t'gallant and royal mast.
+
+Now the manner in which we secured the masts, before ever we came to the
+rigging of them, was by lashing them to the stumps of the lower-masts,
+and after we had lashed them, we drove dunnage and wedges between the
+masts and the lashings, thus making them very secure. And so, when we had
+set up the rigging, we had confidence that they would stand all such sail
+as we should be able to set upon them. Yet, further than this, the bo'sun
+bade the carpenter make wooden caps of six inch oak, these caps to fit
+over the _squared_ heads of the lower-mast stumps, and having a hole,
+each of them, to embrace the jury-mast, and by making these caps in two
+halves, they were able to bolt them on after the masts had been hove
+into position.
+
+And so, having gotten in our three jury lower-masts, we hoisted up the
+foreyard to the main, to act as our mainyard, and did likewise with the
+topsail-yard to the fore, and after that, we sent up the t'gallant-yard
+to the mizzen. Thus we had her sparred, all but a bowsprit and jibboom;
+yet this we managed by making a stumpy, spike bowsprit from one of the
+smaller spars which they had used to shore up the superstructure, and
+because we feared that it lacked strength to bear the strain of our fore
+and aft stays, we took down two hawsers from the fore, passing them in
+through the hawse-holes and setting them up there. And so we had her
+rigged, and, after that, we bent such sail as our gear abled us to carry,
+and in this wise had the hulk ready for sea.
+
+Now, the time that it took us to rig the ship, and fit her out, was seven
+weeks, saving one day. And in all this time we suffered no molestation
+from any of the strange habitants of the weed-continent; though this may
+have been because we kept fires of dried weed going all the night about
+the decks, these fires being lit on big flat pieces of rock which we had
+gotten from the island. Yet, for all that we had not been troubled, we
+had more than once discovered strange things in the water swimming near
+to the vessel; but a flare of weed, hung over the side, on the end of a
+reed, had sufficed always to scare away such unholy visitants.
+
+And so at last we came to the day on which we were in so good a
+condition that the bo'sun and the second mate considered the ship to be
+in a fit state to put to sea--the carpenter having gone over so much of
+her hull as he could get at and found her everywhere very sound; though
+her lower parts were hideously overgrown with weed, barnacles and other
+matters; yet this we could not help, and it was not wise to attempt to
+scrape her, having consideration to the creatures which we knew to
+abound in those waters.
+
+Now in those seven weeks, Mistress Madison and I had come very close to
+one another, so that I had ceased to call her by any name save Mary,
+unless it were a dearer one than that; though this would be one of my own
+invention, and would leave my heart too naked did I put it down here.
+
+Of our love one for the other, I think yet, and ponder how that mighty
+man, the bo'sun, came so quickly to a knowledge of the state of our
+hearts; for he gave me a very sly hint one day that he had a sound idea
+of the way in which the wind blew, and yet, though he said it with a
+half-jest, methought there was something wistful in his voice, as he
+spoke, and at that I just clapped my hand in his, and he gave it a very
+huge grip. And after that he ceased from the subject.
+
+
+
+
+XVII
+
+How We Came to Our Own Country
+
+
+Now, when the day came on which we made to leave the nearness of the
+island, and the waters of that strange sea, there was great lightness
+of heart among us, and we went very merrily about such tasks as were
+needful. And so, in a little, we had the kedge tripped, and had cast
+the ship's head to starboard, and presently, had her braced up upon
+the larboard tack, the which we managed very well; though our gear
+worked heavily, as might be expected. And after that we had gotten
+under way, we went to the lee side to witness the last of that
+lonesome island, and with us came the men of the ship, and so, for a
+space, there was a silence among us; for they were very quiet, looking
+astern and saying naught; but we had sympathy with them, knowing
+somewhat of those past years.
+
+And now the bo'sun came to the break of the poop, and called down to the
+men to muster aft, the which they did, and I with them; for I had come to
+regard them as my very good comrades; and rum was served out to each of
+them, and to me along with the rest, and it was Mistress Madison herself
+who dipped it out to us from the wooden bucket; though it was the buxom
+woman who had brought it up from the lazarette. Now, after the rum, the
+bo'sun bade the crew to clear up the gear about the decks, and get
+matters secured, and at that I turned to go with the men, having become
+so used to work with them; but he called to me to come up to him upon the
+poop, the which I did, and there he spoke respectfully, remonstrating
+with me, and reminding me that now there was need no longer for me to
+toil; for that I was come back to my old position of passenger, such as I
+had been in the _Glen Carrig_, ere she foundered. But to this talk of
+his, I made reply that I had as good a right to work my passage home as
+any other among us; for though I had paid for a passage in the _Glen
+Carrig_, I had done no such thing regarding the _Seabird_--this being the
+name of the hulk--and to this, my reply, the bo'sun said little; but I
+perceived that he liked my spirit, and so from thence until we reached
+the Port of London, I took my turn and part in all seafaring matters,
+having become by this quite proficient in the calling. Yet, in one
+matter, I availed myself of my former position; for I chose to live aft,
+and by this was abled to see much of my sweetheart, Mistress Madison.
+
+Now after dinner upon the day on which we left the island, the bo'sun and
+the second mate picked the watches, and thus I found myself chosen to be
+in the bo'sun's, at which I was mightly pleased. And when the watches had
+been picked, they had all hands to 'bout ship, the which, to the pleasure
+of all, she accomplished; for under such gear and with so much growth
+upon her bottom, they had feared that we should have to veer, and by this
+we should have lost much distance to leeward, whereas we desired to edge
+so much to windward as we could, being anxious to put space between us
+and the weed-continent. And twice more that day we put the ship about,
+though the second time it was to avoid a great bank of weed that lay
+floating athwart our bows; for all the sea to windward of the island, so
+far as we had been able to see from the top of the higher hill, was
+studded with floating masses of the weed, like unto thousands of islets,
+and in places like to far-spreading reefs. And, because of these, the sea
+all about the island remained very quiet and unbroken, so that there was
+never any surf, no, nor scarce a broken wave upon its shore, and this,
+for all that the wind had been fresh for many days.
+
+When the evening came, we were again upon the larboard tack, making,
+perhaps, some four knots in the hour; though, had we been in proper rig,
+and with a clean bottom, we had been making eight or nine, with so good a
+breeze and so calm a sea. Yet, so far, our progress had been very
+reasonable; for the island lay, maybe, some five miles to leeward, and
+about fifteen astern. And so we prepared for the night. Yet, a little
+before dark, we discovered that the weed-continent trended out towards
+us; so that we should pass it, maybe, at a distance of something like
+half a mile, and, at that, there was talk between the second mate and the
+bo'sun as to whether it was better to put the ship about, and gain a
+greater sea-room before attempting to pass this promontory of weed; but
+at last they decided that we had naught to fear; for we had fair way
+through the water, and further, it did not seem reasonable to suppose
+that we should have aught to fear from the habitants of the
+weed-continent, at so great a distance as the half of a mile. And so we
+stood on; for, once past the point, there was much likelihood of the weed
+trending away to the Eastward, and if this were so, we could square-in
+immediately and get the wind upon our quarter, and so make better way.
+
+Now it was the bo'sun's watch from eight of the evening until midnight,
+and I, with another man, had the lookout until four bells. Thus it
+chanced that, coming abreast of the point during our time of watching,
+we peered very earnestly to leeward; for the night was dark, having no
+moon until nearer the morning; and we were full of unease in that we had
+come so near again to the desolation of that strange continent. And
+then, suddenly, the man with me clutched my shoulder, and pointed into
+the darkness upon our bow, and thus I discovered that we had come nearer
+to the weed than the bo'sun and the second mate had intended; they,
+without doubt, having miscalculated our leeway. At this, I turned and
+sang out to the bo'sun that we were near to running upon the weed, and,
+in the same moment, he shouted to the helmsman to luff, and directly
+afterwards our starboard side was brushing against the great outlying
+tufts of the point, and so, for a breathless minute, we waited. Yet the
+ship drew clear, and so into the open water beyond the point; but I had
+seen something as we scraped against the weed, a sudden glimpse of
+white, gliding among the growth, and then I saw others, and, in a
+moment, I was down on the main-deck, and running aft to the bo'sun; yet
+midway along the deck a horrid shape came above the starboard rail, and
+I gave out a loud cry of warning. Then I had a capstan-bar from the rack
+near, and smote with it at the thing, crying all the while for help, and
+at my blow the thing went from my sight, and the bo'sun was with me, and
+some of the men.
+
+Now the bo'sun had seen my stroke, and so sprang upon the t'gallant rail,
+and peered over; but gave back on the instant, shouting to me to run and
+call the other watch, for that the sea was full of the monsters swimming
+off to the ship, and at that I was away at a run, and when I had waked
+the men, I raced aft to the cabin and did likewise with the second mate,
+and so returned in a minute, bearing the bo'sun's cutlass, my own
+cut-and-thrust, and the lantern that hung always in the saloon. Now when
+I had gotten back, I found all things in a mighty scurry--men running
+about in their shirts and drawers, some in the galley bringing fire from
+the stove, and others lighting a fire of dry weed to leeward of the
+galley, and along the starboard rail there was already a fierce fight,
+the men using capstan-bars, even as I had done. Then I thrust the
+bo'sun's cutlass into his hand, and at that he gave a great shout, part
+of joy, and part of approbation, and after that he snatched the lantern
+from me, and had run to the larboard side of the deck, before I was well
+aware that he had taken the light; but now I followed him, and happy it
+was for all of us in the ship that he had thought to go at that moment;
+for the light of the lantern showed me the vile faces of three of the
+weed men climbing over the larboard rail; yet the bo'sun had cleft them
+or ever I could come near; but in a moment I was full busy; for there
+came nigh a dozen heads above the rail a little aft of where I was, and
+at that I ran at them, and did good execution; but some had been aboard,
+if the bo'sun had not come to my help. And now the decks were full of
+light, several fires having been lit, and the second mate having brought
+out fresh lanterns; and now the men had gotten their cutlasses, the which
+were more handy than the capstan-bars; and so the fight went forward,
+some having come over to our side to help us, and a very wild sight it
+must have seemed to any onlooker; for all about the decks burned the
+fires and the lanterns, and along the rails ran the men, smiting at
+hideous faces that rose in dozens into the wild glare of our fighting
+lights. And everywhere drifted the stench of the brutes. And up on the
+poop, the fight was as brisk as elsewhere; and here, having been drawn by
+a cry for help, I discovered the buxom woman smiting with a gory meat-axe
+at a vile thing which had gotten a clump of its tentacles upon her dress;
+but she had dispatched it, or ever my sword could help her, and then, to
+my astonishment, even at that time of peril, I discovered the captain's
+wife, wielding a small sword, and the face of her was like to the face of
+a tiger; for her mouth was drawn, and showed her teeth clenched; but she
+uttered no word nor cry, and I doubt not but that she had some vague idea
+that she worked her husband's vengeance.
+
+Then, for a space, I was as busy as any, and afterwards I ran to the
+buxom woman to demand the whereabouts of Mistress Madison, and she, in a
+very breathless voice, informed me that she had locked her in her room
+out of harm's way, and at that I could have embraced the woman; for I had
+been sorely anxious to know that my sweetheart was safe.
+
+And, presently, the fight diminished, and so, at last, came to an end,
+the ship having drawn well away from the point, and being now in the
+open. And after that I ran down to my sweetheart, and opened her door,
+and thus, for a space, she wept, having her arms about my neck; for she
+had been in sore terror for me, and for all the ship's company. But,
+soon, drying her tears, she grew very indignant with her nurse for having
+locked her into her room, and refused to speak to that good woman for
+near an hour. Yet I pointed out to her that she could be of very great
+use in dressing such wounds as had been received, and so she came back to
+her usual brightness, and brought out bandages, and lint, and ointment,
+and thread, and was presently very busy.
+
+Now it was later that there rose a fresh commotion in the ship; for it
+had been discovered that the captain's wife was a-missing. At this, the
+bo'sun and the second mate instituted a search; but she was nowhere to be
+found, and, indeed, none in the ship ever saw her again, at which it was
+presumed that she had been dragged over by some of the weed men, and so
+come upon her death. And at this, there came a great prostration to my
+sweetheart so that she would not be comforted for the space of nigh three
+days, by which time the ship had come clear of those strange seas, having
+left the incredible desolation of the weed-continent far under our
+starboard counter.
+
+And so, after a voyage which lasted for nine and seventy days since
+getting under weigh, we came to the Port of London, having refused all
+offers of assistance on the way.
+
+Now here, I had to say farewell to my comrades of so many months and
+perilous adventures; yet, being a man not entirely without means, I
+took care that each of them should have a certain gift by which to
+remember me.
+
+And I placed monies in the hands of the buxom woman, so that she could
+have no reason to stint my sweetheart, and she having--for the comfort of
+her conscience--taken her good man to the church, set up a little house
+upon the borders of my estate; but this was not until Mistress Madison
+had come to take her place at the head of my hall in the County of Essex.
+
+Now one further thing there is of which I must tell. Should any,
+chancing to trespass upon my estate, come upon a man of very mighty
+proportions, albeit somewhat bent by age, seated comfortably at the door
+of his little cottage, then shall they know him for my friend the
+bo'sun; for to this day do he and I fore-gather, and let our talk drift
+to the desolate places of this earth, pondering upon that which we have
+seen--the weed-continent, where reigns desolation and the terror of its
+strange habitants. And, after that, we talk softly of the land where God
+hath made monsters after the fashion of trees. Then, maybe, my children
+come about me, and so we change to other matters; for the little ones
+love not terror.
+
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOATS OF THE "GLEN CARRIG"
+BEING AN ACCOUNT OF THEIR ADVENTURES IN THE STRANGE PLACES OF THE
+EARTH, AFTER THE FOUNDERING OF THE GOOD SHIP GLEN CARRIG THROUGH
+STRIKING UPON A HIDDEN ROCK IN THE UNKNOWN SEAS TO THE SOUTHWARD; AS
+TOLD BY JOHN WINTERSTRAW, GENT., TO HIS SON JAMES WINTERSTRAW, IN THE
+YEAR 1757, AND BY HIM COMMITTED VERY PROPERLY AND LEGIBLY TO
+MANUSCRIPT ***
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/old/old/10542.txt b/old/old/10542.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7402e2d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/old/10542.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,5550 @@
+The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Boats of the "Glen Carrig", by William
+Hope Hodgson
+
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+Title: The Boats of the "Glen Carrig"
+
+Author: William Hope Hodgson
+
+Release Date: December 29, 2003  [eBook #10542]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: US-ASCII
+
+
+***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOATS OF THE "GLEN CARRIG"***
+
+
+E-text prepared by Suzanne Shell, Project Gutenberg Beginners Projects,
+Mary Meehan, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team
+
+
+
+THE BOATS OF THE 'GLEN CARRIG'
+
+Being an account of their Adventures in the Strange places of the Earth,
+after the foundering of the good ship _Glen Carrig_ through striking upon
+a hidden rock in the unknown seas to the Southward. As told by John
+Winterstraw, Gent., to his son James Winterstraw, in the year 1757, and
+by him committed very properly and legibly to manuscript.
+
+By William Hope Hodgson
+
+1907
+
+
+
+
+
+
+_Madre Mia_
+
+People may say thou art no longer young
+  And yet, to me, thy youth was yesterday,
+    A yesterday that seems
+    Still mingled with my dreams.
+Ah! how the years have o'er thee flung
+  Their soft mantilla, grey.
+
+And e'en to them thou art not over old;
+  How could'st thou be! Thy hair
+    Hast scarcely lost its deep old glorious dark:
+    Thy face is scarcely lined. No mark
+Destroys its calm serenity. Like gold
+  Of evening light, when winds scarce stir,
+  The soul-light of thy face is pure as prayer.
+
+
+
+
+I
+
+The Land of Lonesomeness
+
+
+Now we had been five days in the boats, and in all this time made no
+discovering of land. Then upon the morning of the sixth day came there a
+cry from the bo'sun, who had the command of the lifeboat, that there was
+something which might be land afar upon our larboard bow; but it was very
+low lying, and none could tell whether it was land or but a morning
+cloud. Yet, because there was the beginning of hope within our hearts, we
+pulled wearily towards it, and thus, in about an hour, discovered it to
+be indeed the coast of some flat country.
+
+Then, it might be a little after the hour of midday, we had come so close
+to it that we could distinguish with ease what manner of land lay beyond
+the shore, and thus we found it to be of an abominable flatness, desolate
+beyond all that I could have imagined. Here and there it appeared to be
+covered with clumps of queer vegetation; though whether they were small
+trees or great bushes, I had no means of telling; but this I know, that
+they were like unto nothing which ever I had set eyes upon before.
+
+So much as this I gathered as we pulled slowly along the coast, seeking
+an opening whereby we could pass inward to the land; but a weary time
+passed or ere we came upon that which we sought. Yet, in the end, we
+found it--a slimy-banked creek, which proved to be the estuary of a great
+river, though we spoke of it always as a creek. Into this we entered, and
+proceeded at no great pace upwards along its winding course; and as we
+made forward, we scanned the low banks upon each side, perchance there
+might be some spot where we could make to land; but we found none--the
+banks being composed of a vile mud which gave us no encouragement to
+venture rashly upon them.
+
+Now, having taken the boat something over a mile up the great creek, we
+came upon the first of that vegetation which I had chanced to notice from
+the sea, and here, being within some score yards of it, we were the
+better able to study it. Thus I found that it was indeed composed largely
+of a sort of tree, very low and stunted, and having what might be
+described as an unwholesome look about it. The branches of this tree, I
+perceived to be the cause of my inability to recognize it from a bush,
+until I had come close upon it; for they grew thin and smooth through all
+their length, and hung towards the earth; being weighted thereto by a
+single, large cabbage-like plant which seemed to sprout from the extreme
+tip of each.
+
+Presently, having passed beyond this clump of the vegetation, and the
+banks of the river remaining very low, I stood me upon a thwart, by which
+means I was enabled to scan the surrounding country. This I discovered,
+so far as my sight could penetrate, to be pierced in all directions with
+innumerable creeks and pools, some of these latter being very great of
+extent; and, as I have before made mention, everywhere the country was
+low set--as it might be a great plain of mud; so that it gave me a sense
+of dreariness to look out upon it. It may be, all unconsciously, that my
+spirit was put in awe by the extreme silence of all the country around;
+for in all that waste I could see no living thing, neither bird nor
+vegetable, save it be the stunted trees, which, indeed, grew in clumps
+here and there over all the land, so much as I could see.
+
+This silence, when I grew fully aware of it was the more uncanny; for my
+memory told me that never before had I come upon a country which
+contained so much quietness. Nothing moved across my vision--not even a
+lone bird soared up against the dull sky; and, for my hearing, not so
+much as the cry of a sea-bird came to me--no! nor the croak of a frog,
+nor the plash of a fish. It was as though we had come upon the Country of
+Silence, which some have called the Land of Lonesomeness.
+
+Now three hours had passed whilst we ceased not to labor at the oars, and
+we could no more see the sea; yet no place fit for our feet had come to
+view, for everywhere the mud, grey and black, surrounded us--encompassing
+us veritably by a slimy wilderness. And so we were fain to pull on, in
+the hope that we might come ultimately to firm ground.
+
+Then, a little before sundown, we halted upon our oars, and made a scant
+meal from a portion of our remaining provisions; and as we ate, I could
+see the sun sinking away over the wastes, and I had some slight diversion
+in watching the grotesque shadows which it cast from the trees into the
+water upon our larboard side; for we had come to a pause opposite a clump
+of the vegetation. It was at this time, as I remember, that it was borne
+in upon me afresh how very silent was the land; and that this was not due
+to my imagination, I remarked that the men both in our own and in the
+bo'sun's boat, seemed uneasy because of it; for none spoke save in
+undertones, as though they had fear of breaking it.
+
+And it was at this time, when I was awed by so much solitude, that there
+came the first telling of life in all that wilderness. I heard it first
+in the far distance, away inland--a curious, low, sobbing note it was,
+and the rise and the fall of it was like to the sobbing of a lonesome
+wind through a great forest. Yet was there no wind. Then, in a moment, it
+had died, and the silence of the land was awesome by reason of the
+contrast. And I looked about me at the men, both in the boat in which I
+was and that which the bo'sun commanded; and not one was there but held
+himself in a posture of listening. In this wise a minute of quietness
+passed, and then one of the men gave out a laugh, born of the nervousness
+which had taken him.
+
+The bo'sun muttered to him to hush, and, in the same moment, there came
+again the plaint of that wild sobbing. And abruptly it sounded away on
+our right, and immediately was caught up, as it were, and echoed back
+from some place beyond us afar up the creek. At that, I got me upon a
+thwart, intending to take another look over the country about us; but
+the banks of the creek had become higher; moreover the vegetation acted
+as a screen, even had my stature and elevation enabled me to overlook
+the banks.
+
+And so, after a little while, the crying died away, and there was another
+silence. Then, as we sat each one harking for what might next befall,
+George, the youngest 'prentice boy, who had his seat beside me, plucked
+me by the sleeve, inquiring in a troubled voice whether I had any
+knowledge of that which the crying might portend; but I shook my head,
+telling him that I had no knowing beyond his own; though, for his
+comfort, I said that it might be the wind. Yet, at that, he shook his
+head; for indeed, it was plain that it could not be by such agency, for
+there was a stark calm.
+
+Now, I had scarce made an end of my remark, when again the sad crying
+was upon us. It appeared to come from far up the creek, and from far down
+the creek, and from inland and the land between us and the sea. It filled
+the evening air with its doleful wailing, and I remarked that there was
+in it a curious sobbing, most human in its despairful crying. And so
+awesome was the thing that no man of us spoke; for it seemed that we
+harked to the weeping of lost souls. And then, as we waited fearfully,
+the sun sank below the edge of the world, and the dusk was upon us.
+
+And now a more extraordinary thing happened; for, as the night fell with
+swift gloom, the strange wailing and crying was hushed, and another sound
+stole out upon the land--a far, sullen growling. At the first, like the
+crying, it came from far inland; but was caught up speedily on all sides
+of us, and presently the dark was full of it. And it increased in volume,
+and strange trumpetings fled across it. Then, though with slowness, it
+fell away to a low, continuous growling, and in it there was that which I
+can only describe as an insistent, hungry snarl. Aye! no other word of
+which I have knowledge so well describes it as that--a note of _hunger_,
+most awesome to the ear. And this, more than all the rest of those
+incredible voicings, brought terror into my heart.
+
+Now as I sat listening, George gripped me suddenly by the arm, declaring
+in a shrill whisper that something had come among the clump of trees upon
+the left-hand bank. Of the truth of this, I had immediately a proof; for
+I caught the sound of a continuous rustling among them, and then a nearer
+note of growling, as though a wild beast purred at my elbow. Immediately
+upon this, I caught the bo'sun's voice, calling in a low tone to Josh,
+the eldest 'prentice, who had the charge of our boat, to come alongside
+of him; for he would have the boats together. Then got we out the oars
+and laid the boats together in the midst of the creek; and so we watched
+through the night, being full of fear, so that we kept our speech low;
+that is, so low as would carry our thoughts one to the other through the
+noise of the growling.
+
+And so the hours passed, and naught happened more than I have told, save
+that once, a little after midnight, the trees opposite to us seemed to be
+stirred again, as though some creature, or creatures, lurked among them;
+and there came, a little after that, a sound as of something stirring the
+water up against the bank; but it ceased in a while and the silence fell
+once more.
+
+Thus, after a weariful time, away Eastwards the sky began to tell of the
+coming of the day; and, as the light grew and strengthened, so did that
+insatiable growling pass hence with the dark and the shadows. And so at
+last came the day, and once more there was borne to us the sad wailing
+that had preceded the night. For a certain while it lasted, rising and
+falling most mournfully over the vastness of the surrounding wastes,
+until the sun was risen some degrees above the horizon; after which it
+began to fail, dying away in lingering echoes, most solemn to our ears.
+And so it passed, and there came again the silence that had been with us
+in all the daylight hours.
+
+Now, it being day, the bo'sun bade us make such sparse breakfast as our
+provender allowed; after which, having first scanned the banks to
+discern if any fearful thing were visible, we took again to our oars,
+and proceeded on our upward journey; for we hoped presently to come upon
+a country where life had not become extinct, and where we could put foot
+to honest earth. Yet, as I have made mention earlier, the vegetation,
+where it grew, did flourish most luxuriantly; so that I am scarce
+correct when I speak of life as being extinct in that land. For, indeed,
+now I think of it, I can remember that the very mud from which it sprang
+seemed veritably to have a fat, sluggish life of its own, so rich and
+viscid was it.
+
+Presently it was midday; yet was there but little change in the nature of
+the surrounding wastes; though it may be that the vegetation was
+something thicker, and more continuous along the banks. But the banks
+were still of the same thick, clinging mud; so that nowhere could we
+effect a landing; though, had we, the rest of the country beyond the
+banks seemed no better.
+
+And all the while, as we pulled, we glanced continuously from bank to
+bank; and those who worked not at the oars were fain to rest a hand by
+their sheath-knives; for the happenings of the past night were
+continually in our minds, and we were in great fear; so that we had
+turned back to the sea but that we had come so nigh to the end of our
+provisions.
+
+
+
+
+II
+
+The Ship in the Creek
+
+
+Then, it was nigh on to evening, we came upon a creek opening into the
+greater one through the bank upon our left. We had been like to pass
+it--as, indeed, we had passed many throughout the day--but that the
+bo'sun, whose boat had the lead, cried out that there was some craft
+lying-up, a little beyond the first bend. And, indeed, so it seemed; for
+one of the masts of her--all jagged, where it had carried away--stuck up
+plain to our view.
+
+Now, having grown sick with so much lonesomeness, and being in fear of
+the approaching night, we gave out something near to a cheer, which,
+however, the bo'sun silenced, having no knowledge of those who might
+occupy the stranger. And so, in silence, the bo'sun turned his craft
+toward the creek, whereat we followed, taking heed to keep quietness, and
+working the oars warily. So, in a little, we came to the shoulder of the
+bend, and had plain sight of the vessel some little way beyond us. From
+the distance she had no appearance of being inhabited; so that after some
+small hesitation, we pulled towards her, though still being at pains to
+keep silence.
+
+The strange vessel lay against that bank of the creek which was upon our
+right, and over above her was a thick clump of the stunted trees. For the
+rest, she appeared to be firmly imbedded in the heavy mud, and there was
+a certain look of age about her which carried to me a doleful suggestion
+that we should find naught aboard of her fit for an honest stomach.
+
+We had come to a distance of maybe some ten fathoms from her starboard
+bow--for she lay with her head down towards the mouth of the little
+creek--when the bo'sun bade his men to back water, the which Josh did
+regarding our own boat. Then, being ready to fly if we had been in
+danger, the bo'sun hailed the stranger; but got no reply, save that some
+echo of his shout seemed to come back at us. And so he sung out again to
+her, chance there might be some below decks who had not caught his first
+hail; but, for the second time, no answer came to us, save the low
+echo--naught, but that the silent trees took on a little quivering, as
+though his voice had shaken them.
+
+At that, being confident now within our minds, we laid alongside, and, in
+a minute had shinned up the oars and so gained her decks. Here, save that
+the glass of the skylight of the main cabin had been broken, and some
+portion of the framework shattered, there was no extraordinary litter; so
+that it appeared to us as though she had been no great while abandoned.
+
+So soon as the bo'sun had made his way up from the boat, he turned aft
+toward the scuttle, the rest of us following. We found the leaf of the
+scuttle pulled forward to within an inch of closing, and so much effort
+did it require of us to push it back, that we had immediate evidence of a
+considerable time since any had gone down that way.
+
+However, it was no great while before we were below, and here we found
+the main cabin to be empty, save for the bare furnishings. From it there
+opened off two state-rooms at the forrard end, and the captain's cabin in
+the after part, and in all of these we found matters of clothing and
+sundries such as proved that the vessel had been deserted apparently in
+haste. In further proof of this we found, in a drawer in the captain's
+room, a considerable quantity of loose gold, the which it was not to be
+supposed would have been left by the free-will of the owner.
+
+Of the staterooms, the one upon the starboard side gave evidence that it
+had been occupied by a woman--no doubt a passenger. The other, in which
+there were two bunks, had been shared, so far as we could have any
+certainty, by a couple of young men; and this we gathered by observation
+of various garments which were scattered carelessly about.
+
+Yet it must not be supposed that we spent any great time in the cabins;
+for we were pressed for food, and made haste--under the directing of
+the bo'sun--to discover if the hulk held victuals whereby we might be
+kept alive.
+
+To this end, we removed the hatch which led down to the lazarette, and,
+lighting two lamps which we had with us in the boats, went down to make a
+search. And so, in a little while, we came upon two casks which the
+bo'sun broke open with a hatchet. These casks were sound and tight, and
+in them was ship's biscuit, very good and fit for food. At this, as may
+be imagined, we felt eased in our minds, knowing that there was no
+immediate fear of starvation. Following this, we found a barrel of
+molasses; a cask of rum; some cases of dried fruit--these were mouldy and
+scarce fit to be eaten; a cask of salt beef, another of pork; a small
+barrel of vinegar; a case of brandy; two barrels of flour--one of which
+proved to be damp-struck; and a bunch of tallow dips.
+
+In a little while we had all these things up in the big cabin, so that
+we might come at them the better to make choice of that which was fit for
+our stomachs, and that which was otherwise. Meantime, whilst the bo'sun
+overhauled these matters, Josh called a couple of the men, and went on
+deck to bring up the gear from the boats, for it had been decided that we
+should pass the night aboard the hulk.
+
+When this was accomplished, Josh took a walk forward to the fo'cas'le;
+but found nothing beyond two seamen's chests; a sea-bag, and some odd
+gear. There were, indeed, no more than ten bunks in the place; for she
+was but a small brig, and had no call for a great crowd. Yet Josh was
+more than a little puzzled to know what had come to the odd chests; for
+it was not to be supposed that there had been no more than two--and a
+sea-bag--among ten men. But to this, at that time, he had no answer, and
+so, being sharp for supper, made a return to the deck, and thence to the
+main cabin.
+
+Now while he had been gone, the bo'sun had set the men to clearing out
+the main cabin; after which, he had served out two biscuits apiece all
+round, and a tot of rum. To Josh, when he appeared, he gave the same,
+and, in a little, we called a sort of council; being sufficiently stayed
+by the food to talk.
+
+Yet, before we came to speech, we made shift to light our pipes; for the
+bo'sun had discovered a case of tobacco in the captain's cabin, and after
+this we came to the consideration of our position.
+
+We had provender, so the bo'sun calculated, to last us for the better
+part of two months, and this without any great stint; but we had yet to
+prove if the brig held water in her casks, for that in the creek was
+brackish, even so far as we had penetrated from the sea; else we had not
+been in need. To the charge of this, the bo'sun set Josh, along with two
+of the men. Another, he told to take charge of the galley, so long as we
+were in the hulk. But for that night, he said we had no need to do
+aught; for we had sufficient of water in the boats' breakers to last us
+till the morrow. And so, in a little, the dusk began to fill the cabin;
+but we talked on, being greatly content with our present ease and the
+good tobacco which we enjoyed.
+
+In a little while, one of the men cried out suddenly to us to be silent,
+and, in that minute, all heard it--a far, drawn-out wailing; the same
+which had come to us in the evening of the first day. At that we looked
+at one another through the smoke and the growing dark, and, even as we
+looked, it became plainer heard, until, in a while, it was all about
+us--aye! it seemed to come floating down through the broken framework of
+the skylight as though some weariful, unseen thing stood and cried upon
+the decks above our heads.
+
+Now through all that crying, none moved; none, that is, save Josh and the
+bo'sun, and they went up into the scuttle to see whether anything was in
+sight; but they found nothing, and so came down to us; for there was no
+wisdom in exposing ourselves, unarmed as we were, save for our
+sheath-knives.
+
+And so, in a little, the night crept down upon the world, and still we
+sat within the dark cabin, none speaking, and knowing of the rest only by
+the glows of their pipes.
+
+All at once there came a low, muttered growl, stealing across the land;
+and immediately the crying was quenched in its sullen thunder. It died
+away, and there was a full minute of silence; then, once more it came,
+and it was nearer and more plain to the ear. I took my pipe from my
+mouth; for I had come again upon the great fear and uneasiness which the
+happenings of the first night had bred in me, and the taste of the smoke
+brought me no more pleasure. The muttered growl swept over our heads and
+died away into the distance, and there was a sudden silence.
+
+Then, in that quietness, came the bo'sun's voice. He was bidding us
+haste every one into the captain's cabin. As we moved to obey him, he ran
+to draw over the lid of the scuttle; and Josh went with him, and,
+together, they had it across; though with difficulty. When we had come
+into the captain's cabin, we closed and barred the door, piling two great
+sea chests up against it; and so we felt near safe; for we knew that no
+thing, man nor beast, could come at us there. Yet, as may be supposed, we
+felt not altogether secure; for there was that in the growling which now
+filled the darkness, that seemed demoniac, and we knew not what horrid
+Powers were abroad.
+
+And so through the night the growling continued, seeming to be mighty
+near unto us--aye! almost over our heads, and of a loudness far
+surpassing all that had come to us on the previous night; so that I
+thanked the Almighty that we had come into shelter in the midst of so
+much fear.
+
+
+
+
+III
+
+The Thing That Made Search
+
+
+Now at times, I fell upon sleep, as did most of the others; but, for the
+most part, I lay half sleeping and half waking--being unable to attain to
+true sleep by reason of the everlasting growling above us in the night,
+and the fear which it bred in me. Thus, it chanced that just after
+midnight, I caught a sound in the main cabin beyond the door, and
+immediately I was fully waked. I sat me up and listened, and so became
+aware that something was fumbling about the deck of the main cabin. At
+that, I got to my feet and made my way to where the bo'sun lay, meaning
+to waken him, if he slept; but he caught me by the ankle, as I stooped to
+shake him, and whispered to me to keep silence; for he too had been aware
+of that strange noise of something fumbling beyond in the big cabin.
+
+In a little, we crept both of us so close to the door as the chests
+would allow, and there we crouched, listening; but could not tell what
+manner of thing it might be which produced so strange a noise. For it
+was neither shuffling, nor treading of any kind, nor yet was it the
+whirr of a bat's wings, the which had first occurred to me, knowing how
+vampires are said to inhabit the nights in dismal places. Nor yet was it
+the slurr of a snake; but rather it seemed to us to be as though a great
+wet cloth were being rubbed everywhere across the floor and bulkheads.
+We were the better able to be certain of the truth of this likeness,
+when, suddenly, it passed across the further side of the door behind
+which we listened: at which, you may be sure, we drew backwards both of
+us in fright; though the door, and the chests, stood between us and that
+which rubbed against it.
+
+Presently, the sound ceased, and, listen as we might, we could no longer
+distinguish it. Yet, until the morning, we dozed no more; being troubled
+in mind as to what manner of thing it was which had made search in the
+big cabin.
+
+Then in time the day came, and the growling ceased. For a mournful while
+the sad crying filled our ears, and then at last the eternal silence that
+fills the day hours of that dismal land fell upon us.
+
+So, being at last in quietness, we slept, being greatly awearied. About
+seven in the morning, the bo'sun waked me, and I found that they had
+opened the door into the big cabin; but though the bo'sun and I made
+careful search, we could nowhere come upon anything to tell us aught
+concerning the thing which had put us so in fright. Yet, I know not if I
+am right in saying that we came upon nothing; for, in several places, the
+bulkheads had a _chafed_ look; but whether this had been there before
+that night, we had no means of telling.
+
+Of that which we had heard, the bo'sun bade me make no mention, for he
+would not have the men put more in fear than need be. This I conceived to
+be wisdom, and so held my peace. Yet I was much troubled in my mind to
+know what manner of thing it was which we had need to fear, and more--I
+desired greatly to know whether we should be free of it in the daylight
+hours; for there was always with me, as I went hither and thither, the
+thought that IT--for that is how I designated it in my mind--might come
+upon us to our destruction.
+
+Now after breakfast, at which we had each a portion of salt pork, besides
+rum and biscuit (for by now the fire in the caboose had been set going),
+we turned-to at various matters, under the directing of the bo'sun. Josh
+and two of the men made examination of the water casks, and the rest of
+us lifted the main hatch-covers, to make inspection of her cargo; but lo!
+we found nothing, save some three feet of water in her hold.
+
+By this time, Josh had drawn some water off from the casks; but it was
+most unsuitable for drinking, being vile of smell and taste. Yet the
+bo'sun bade him draw some into buckets, so that the air might haply
+purify it; but though this was done, and the water allowed to stand
+through the morning, it was but little better.
+
+At this, as might be imagined, we were exercised in our minds as to the
+manner in which we should come upon suitable water; for by now we were
+beginning to be in need of it. Yet though one said one thing, and another
+said another, no one had wit enough to call to mind any method by which
+our need should be satisfied. Then, when we had made an end of dining,
+the bo'sun sent Josh, with four of the men, up stream, perchance after a
+mile or two the water should prove of sufficient freshness to meet our
+purpose. Yet they returned a little before sundown having no water; for
+everywhere it was salt.
+
+Now the bo'sun, foreseeing that it might be impossible to come upon
+water, had set the man whom he had ordained to be our cook, to boiling
+the creek water in three great kettles. This he had ordered to be done
+soon after the boat left; and over the spout of each, he had hung a
+great pot of iron, filled with cold water from the hold--this being
+cooler than that from the creek--so that the steam from each kettle
+impinged upon the cold surface of the iron pots, and being by this means
+condensed, was caught in three buckets placed beneath them upon the floor
+of the caboose. In this way, enough water was collected to supply us for
+the evening and the following morning; yet it was but a slow method, and
+we had sore need of a speedier, were we to leave the hulk so soon as I,
+for one, desired.
+
+We made our supper before sunset, so as to be free of the crying which we
+had reason to expect. After that, the bo'sun shut the scuttle, and we
+went every one of us into the captain's cabin, after which we barred the
+door, as on the previous night; and well was it for us that we acted with
+this prudence.
+
+By the time that we had come into the captain's cabin, and secured the
+door, it was upon sunsetting, and as the dusk came on, so did the
+melancholy wailing pass over the land; yet, being by now somewhat inured
+to so much strangeness, we lit our pipes, and smoked; though I observed
+that none talked; for the crying without was not to be forgotten.
+
+Now, as I have said, we kept silence; but this was only for a time, and
+our reason for breaking it was a discovery made by George, the younger
+apprentice. This lad, being no smoker, was fain to do something to
+while away the time, and with this intent, he had raked out the
+contents of a small box, which had lain upon the deck at the side of
+the forrard bulkhead.
+
+The box had appeared filled with odd small lumber of which a part was a
+dozen or so grey paper wrappers, such as are used, I believe, for
+carrying samples of corn; though I have seen them put to other purposes,
+as, indeed, was now the case. At first George had tossed these aside; but
+it growing darker the bo'sun lit one of the candles which we had found
+in the lazarette. Thus, George, who was proceeding to tidy back the
+rubbish which was cumbering the place, discovered something which caused
+him to cry out to us his astonishment.
+
+Now, upon hearing George call out, the bo'sun bade him keep silence,
+thinking it was but a piece of boyish restlessness; but George drew the
+candle to him, and bade us to listen; for the wrappers were covered with
+fine handwriting after the fashion of a woman's.
+
+Even as George told us of that which he had found we became aware that
+the night was upon us; for suddenly the crying ceased, and in place
+thereof there came out of the far distance the low thunder of the
+night-growling, that had tormented us through the past two nights. For a
+space, we ceased to smoke, and sat--listening; for it was a very fearsome
+sound. In a very little while it seemed to surround the ship, as on the
+previous nights; but at length, using ourselves to it, we resumed our
+smoking, and bade George to read out to us from the writing upon the
+paper wrappers.
+
+Then George, though shaking somewhat in his voice, began to decipher that
+which was upon the wrappers, and a strange and awesome story it was, and
+bearing much upon our own concerns:--
+
+"Now, when they discovered the spring among the trees that crown the
+bank, there was much rejoicing; for we had come to have much need of
+water. And some, being in fear of the ship (declaring, because of all our
+misfortune and the strange disappearances of their messmates and the
+brother of my lover, that she was haunted by a devil), declared their
+intention of taking their gear up to the spring, and there making a camp.
+This they conceived and carried out in the space of one afternoon; though
+our Captain, a good and true man, begged of them, as they valued life, to
+stay within the shelter of their living-place. Yet, as I have remarked,
+they would none of them hark to his counseling, and, because the Mate
+and the bo'sun were gone he had no means of compelling them to wisdom--"
+
+At this point, George ceased to read, and began to rustle among the
+wrappers, as though in search for the continuation of the story.
+
+Presently he cried out that he could not find it, and dismay was
+upon his face.
+
+But the bo'sun told him to read on from such sheets as were left; for, as
+he observed, we had no knowledge if more existed; and we were fain to
+know further of that spring, which, from the story, appeared to be over
+the bank near to the vessel.
+
+George, being thus adjured, picked up the topmost sheet; for they were,
+as I heard him explain to the bo'sun, all oddly numbered, and having but
+little reference one to the other. Yet we were mightily keen to know even
+so much as such odd scraps might tell unto us. Whereupon, George read
+from the next wrapper, which ran thus:--
+
+"Now, suddenly, I heard the Captain cry out that there was something in
+the main cabin, and immediately my lover's voice calling to me to lock my
+door, and on no condition to open it. Then the door of the Captain's
+cabin slammed, and there came a silence, and the silence was broken by a
+_sound_. Now, this was the first time that I had heard the Thing make
+search through the big cabin; but, afterwards, my lover told me it had
+happened aforetime, and they had told me naught, fearing to frighten me
+needlessly; though now I understood why my lover had bidden me never to
+leave my stateroom door unbolted in the nighttime. I remember also,
+wondering if the noise of breaking glass that had waked me somewhat from
+my dreams a night or two previously, had been the work of this
+indescribable Thing; for on the morning following that night, the glass
+in the skylight had been smashed. Thus it was that my thoughts wandered
+out to trifles, while yet my soul seemed ready to leap out from my bosom
+with fright.
+
+"I had, by reason of usage, come to ability to sleep despite of the
+fearsome growling; for I had conceived its cause to be the mutter of
+spirits in the night, and had not allowed myself to be unnecessarily
+frightened with doleful thoughts; for my lover had assured me of our
+safety, and that we should yet come to our home. And now, beyond my door,
+I could hear that fearsome sound of the Thing searching--"
+
+George came to a sudden pause; for the bo'sun had risen and put a great
+hand upon his shoulder. The lad made to speak; but the bo'sun beckoned to
+him to say no word, and at that we, who had grown to nervousness through
+the happenings in the story, began every one to listen. Thus we heard a
+sound which had escaped us in the noise of the growling without the
+vessel, and the interest of the reading.
+
+For a space we kept very silent, no man doing more than let the breath go
+in and out of his body, and so each one of us knew that something moved
+without, in the big cabin. In a little, something touched upon our door,
+and it was, as I have mentioned earlier, as though a great swab rubbed
+and scrubbed at the woodwork. At this, the men nearest unto the door came
+backwards in a surge, being put in sudden fear by reason of the Thing
+being so near; but the bo'sun held up a hand, bidding them, in a low
+voice, to make no unneedful noise. Yet, as though the sounds of their
+moving had been heard, the door was shaken with such violence that we
+waited, everyone, expecting to see it torn from its hinges; but it stood,
+and we hasted to brace it by means of the bunk boards, which we placed
+between it and the two great chests, and upon these we set a third chest,
+so that the door was quite hid.
+
+Now, I have no remembrance whether I have put down that when we came
+first to the ship, we had found the stern window upon the larboard side
+to be shattered; but so it was, and the bo'sun had closed it by means of
+a teak-wood cover which was made to go over it in stormy weather, with
+stout battens across, which were set tight with wedges. This he had done
+upon the first night, having fear that some evil thing might come upon us
+through the opening, and very prudent was this same action of his, as
+shall be seen. Then George cried out that something was at the cover of
+the larboard window, and we stood back, growing ever more fearful because
+that some evil creature was so eager to come at us. But the bo'sun, who
+was a very courageous man, and calm withal, walked over to the closed
+window, and saw to it that the battens were secure; for he had knowledge
+sufficient to be sure, if this were so, that no creature with strength
+less than that of a whale could break it down, and in such case its bulk
+would assure us from being molested.
+
+Then, even as he made sure of the fastenings, there came a cry of fear
+from some of the men; for there had come at the glass of the unbroken
+window, a reddish mass, which plunged up against it, sucking upon it,
+as it were. Then Josh, who was nearest to the table, caught up the
+candle, and held it towards the Thing; thus I saw that it had the
+appearance of a many-flapped thing shaped as it might be, out of raw
+beef--_but it was alive_.
+
+At this, we stared, everyone being too bemused with terror to do aught
+to protect ourselves, even had we been possessed of weapons. And as we
+remained thus, an instant, like silly sheep awaiting the butcher, I
+heard the framework creak and crack, and there ran splits all across the
+glass. In another moment, the whole thing would have been torn away, and
+the cabin undefended, but that the bo'sun, with a great curse at us for
+our landlubberly lack of use, seized the other cover, and clapped it
+over the window. At that, there was more help than could be made to
+avail, and the battens and wedges were in place in a trice. That this
+was no sooner accomplished than need be, we had immediate proof; for
+there came a rending of wood and a splintering of glass, and after that
+a strange yowling out in the dark, and the yowling rose above and
+drowned the continuous growling that filled the night. In a little, it
+died away, and in the brief silence that seemed to ensue, we heard a
+slobby fumbling at the teak cover; but it was well secured, and we had
+no immediate cause for fear.
+
+
+
+
+IV
+
+The Two Faces
+
+
+Of the remainder of that night, I have but a confused memory. At times we
+heard the door shaken behind the great chests; but no harm came to it.
+And, odd whiles, there was a soft thudding and rubbing upon the decks
+over our heads, and once, as I recollect, the Thing made a final try at
+the teak covers across the windows; but the day came at last, and found
+me sleeping. Indeed, we had slept beyond the noon, but that the bo'sun,
+mindful of our needs, waked us, and we removed the chests. Yet, for
+perhaps the space of a minute, none durst open the door, until the bo'sun
+bid us stand to one side. We faced about at him then, and saw that he
+held a great cutlass in his right hand.
+
+He called to us that there were four more of the weapons, and made a
+backward motion with his left hand towards an open locker. At that, as
+might be supposed, we made some haste to the place to which he pointed,
+and found that, among some other gear, there were three more weapons such
+as he held; but the fourth was a straight cut-and-thrust, and this I had
+the good fortune to secure.
+
+Being now armed, we ran to join the bo'sun; for by this he had the door
+open, and was scanning the main cabin. I would remark here how a good
+weapon doth seem to put heart into a man; for I, who but a few, short
+hours since had feared for my life, was now right full of lustiness and
+fight; which, mayhap, was no matter for regret.
+
+From the main cabin, the bo'sun led up on to the deck, and I remember
+some surprise at finding the lid of the scuttle even as we had left it
+the previous night; but then I recollected that the skylight was broken,
+and there was access to the big cabin that way. Yet, I questioned within
+myself as to what manner of thing it could be which ignored the
+convenience of the scuttle, and descended by way of the broken skylight.
+
+We made a search of the decks and fo'cas'le, but found nothing, and,
+after that, the bo'sun stationed two of us on guard, whilst the rest went
+about such duties as were needful. In a little, we came to breakfast,
+and, after that, we prepared to test the story upon the sample wrappers
+and see perchance whether there was indeed a spring of fresh water among
+the trees.
+
+Now between the vessel and the trees, lay a slope of the thick mud,
+against which the vessel rested. To have scrambled up this bank had been
+next to impossible, by reason of its fat richness; for, indeed, it looked
+fit to crawl; but that Josh called out to the bo'sun that he had come
+upon a ladder, lashed across the fo'cas'le head. This was brought, also
+several hatch covers. The latter were placed first upon the mud, and the
+ladder laid upon them; by which means we were enabled to pass up to the
+top of the bank without contact with the mud.
+
+Here, we entered at once among the trees; for they grew right up to the
+edge; but we had no trouble in making a way; for they were nowhere
+close together; but standing, rather, each one in a little open space
+by itself.
+
+We had gone a little way among the trees, when, suddenly, one who was
+with us cried out that he could see something away on our right, and we
+clutched everyone his weapon the more determinedly, and went towards it.
+Yet it proved to be but a seaman's chest, and a space further off, we
+discovered another. And so, after a little walking, we found the camp;
+but there was small semblance of a camp about it; for the sail of which
+the tent had been formed, was all torn and stained, and lay muddy upon
+the ground. Yet the spring was all we had wished, clear and sweet, and so
+we knew we might dream of deliverance.
+
+Now, upon our discovery of the spring, it might be thought that we should
+set up a shout to those upon the vessel; but this was not so; for there
+was something in the air of the place which cast a gloom upon our
+spirits, and we had no disinclination to return unto the vessel.
+
+Upon coming to the brig, the bo'sun called to four of the men to go down
+into the boats, and pass up the breakers: also, he collected all the
+buckets belonging to the brig, and forthwith each of us was set to our
+work. Some, those with the weapons, entered into the wood, and gave down
+the water to those stationed upon the bank, and these, in turn, passed it
+to those in the vessel. To the man in the galley, the bo'sun gave command
+to fill a boiler with some of the most select pieces of the pork and beef
+from the casks and get them cooked so soon as might be, and so we were
+kept at it; for it had been determined--now that we had come upon
+water--that we should stay not an hour longer in that monster-ridden
+craft, and we were all agog to get the boats revictualled, and put back
+to the sea, from which we had too gladly escaped.
+
+So we worked through all that remainder of the morning, and right on into
+the afternoon; for we were in mortal fear of the coming dark. Towards
+four o'clock, the bo'sun sent the man, who had been set to do our
+cooking, up to us with slices of salt meat upon biscuits, and we ate as
+we worked, washing our throats with water from the spring, and so, before
+the evening, we had filled our breakers, and near every vessel which was
+convenient for us to take in the boats. More, some of us snatched the
+chance to wash our bodies; for we were sore with brine, having dipped in
+the sea to keep down thirst as much as might be.
+
+Now, though it had not taken us so great a while to make a finish of our
+water-carrying if matters had been more convenient; yet because of the
+softness of the ground under our feet, and the care with which we had to
+pick our steps, and some little distance between us and the brig, it had
+grown later than we desired, before we had made an end. Therefore, when
+the bo'sun sent word that we should come aboard, and bring our gear, we
+made all haste. Thus, as it chanced, I found that I had left my sword
+beside the spring, having placed it there to have two hands for the
+carrying of one of the breakers. At my remarking my loss, George, who
+stood near, cried out that he would run for it, and was gone in a moment,
+being greatly curious to see the spring.
+
+Now, at this moment, the bo'sun came up, and called for George; but I
+informed him that he had run to the spring to bring me my sword. At this,
+the bo'sun stamped his foot, and swore a great oath, declaring that he
+had kept the lad by him all the day; having a wish to keep him from any
+danger which the wood might hold, and knowing the lad's desire to
+adventure there. At this, a matter which I should have known, I
+reproached myself for so gross a piece of stupidity, and hastened after
+the bo'sun, who had disappeared over the top of the bank. I saw his back
+as he passed into the wood, and ran until I was up with him; for,
+suddenly, as it were, I found that a sense of chilly dampness had come
+among the trees; though a while before the place had been full of the
+warmth of the sun. This, I put to the account of evening, which was
+drawing on apace; and also, it must be borne in mind, that there were but
+the two of us.
+
+We came to the spring; but George was not to be seen, and I saw no sign
+of my sword. At this, the bo'sun raised his voice, and cried out the
+lad's name. Once he called, and again; then at the second shout we heard
+the boy's shrill halloo, from some distance ahead among the trees. At
+that, we ran towards the sound, plunging heavily across the ground, which
+was every-where covered with a thick scum, that clogged the feet in
+walking. As we ran, we hallooed, and so came upon the boy, and I saw that
+he had my sword.
+
+The bo'sun ran towards him, and caught him by the arm, speaking with
+anger, and commanding him to return with us immediately to the vessel.
+
+But the lad, for reply, pointed with my sword, and we saw that he pointed
+at what appeared to be a bird against the trunk of one of the trees.
+This, as I moved closer, I perceived to be a part of the tree, and no
+bird; but it had a very wondrous likeness to a bird; so much so that I
+went up to it, to see if my eyes had deceived me. Yet it seemed no more
+than a freak of nature, though most wondrous in its fidelity; being but
+an excrescence upon the trunk. With a sudden thought that it would make
+me a curio, I reached up to see whether I could break it away from the
+tree; but it was above my reach, so that I had to leave it. Yet, one
+thing I discovered; for, in stretching towards the protuberance, I had
+placed a hand upon the tree, and its trunk was soft as pulp under my
+fingers, much after the fashion of a mushroom.
+
+As we turned to go, the bo'sun inquired of George his reason for going
+beyond the spring, and George told him that he had seemed to hear someone
+calling to him among the trees, and there had been so much pain in the
+voice that he had run towards it; but been unable to discover the owner.
+Immediately afterwards he had seen the curious, bird-like excrescence
+upon a tree nearby. Then we had called, and of the rest we had knowledge.
+
+We had come nigh to the spring on our return journey, when a sudden low
+whine seemed to run among the trees. I glanced towards the sky, and
+realized that the evening was upon us. I was about to remark upon this to
+the bo'sun, when, abruptly, he came to a stand, and bent forward to stare
+into the shadows to our right. At that, George and I turned ourselves
+about to perceive what matter it was which had attracted the attention of
+the bo'sun; thus we made out a tree some twenty yards away, which had all
+its branches wrapped about its trunk, much as the lash of a whip is wound
+about its stock. Now this seemed to us a very strange sight, and we made
+all of us toward it, to learn the reason of so extraordinary a happening.
+
+Yet, when we had come close upon it, we had no means of arriving at a
+knowledge of that which it portended; but walked each of us around the
+tree, and were more astonished, after our circumnavigation of the great
+vegetable than before.
+
+Now, suddenly, and in the distance, I caught the far wailing that came
+before the night, and abruptly, as it seemed to me, the tree wailed at
+us. At that I was vastly astonished and frightened; yet, though I
+retreated, I could not withdraw my gaze from the tree; but scanned it
+the more intently; and, suddenly, I saw a brown, human face peering at
+us from between the wrapped branches. At this, I stood very still, being
+seized with that fear which renders one shortly incapable of movement.
+Then, before I had possession of myself, I saw that it was of a part
+with the trunk of the tree; for I could not tell where it ended and the
+tree began.
+
+Then I caught the bo'sun by the arm, and pointed; for whether it was a
+part of the tree or not, it was a work of the devil; but the bo'sun, on
+seeing it, ran straightway so close to the tree that he might have
+touched it with his hand, and I found myself beside him. Now, George, who
+was on the bo'sun's other side, whispered that there was another face,
+not unlike to a woman's, and, indeed, so soon as I perceived it, I saw
+that the tree had a second excrescence, most strangely after the face of
+a woman. Then the bo'sun cried out with an oath, at the strangeness of
+the thing, and I felt the arm, which I held, shake somewhat, as it might
+be with a deep emotion. Then, far away, I heard again the sound of the
+wailing and, immediately, from among the trees about us, there came
+answering wails and a great sighing. And before I had time to be more
+than aware of these things, the tree wailed again at us. And at that, the
+bo'sun cried out suddenly that he knew; though of what it was that he
+_knew_ I had at that time no knowledge. And, immediately, he began with
+his cutlass to strike at the tree before us, and to cry upon God to blast
+it; and lo! at his smiting a very fearsome thing happened, for the tree
+did bleed like any live creature. Thereafter, a great yowling came from
+it, and it began to writhe. And, suddenly, I became aware that all about
+us the trees were a-quiver.
+
+Then George cried out, and ran round upon my side of the bo'sun, and I
+saw that one of the great cabbage-like things pursued him upon its stem,
+even as an evil serpent; and very dreadful it was, for it had become
+blood red in color; but I smote it with the sword, which I had taken from
+the lad, and it fell to the ground.
+
+Now from the brig I heard them hallooing, and the trees had become
+like live things, and there was a vast growling in the air, and
+hideous trumpetings. Then I caught the bo'sun again by the arm, and
+shouted to him that we must run for our lives; and this we did,
+smiting with our swords as we ran; for there came things at us, out
+from the growing dusk.
+
+Thus we made the brig, and, the boats being ready, I scrambled after the
+bo'sun into his, and we put straightway into the creek, all of us,
+pulling with so much haste as our loads would allow. As we went I looked
+back at the brig, and it seemed to me that a multitude of things hung
+over the bank above her, and there seemed a flicker of things moving
+hither and thither aboard of her. And then we were in the great creek up
+which we had come, and so, in a little, it was night.
+
+All that night we rowed, keeping very strictly to the center of the big
+creek, and all about us bellowed the vast growling, being more fearsome
+than ever I had heard it, until it seemed to me that we had waked all
+that land of terror to a knowledge of our presence. But, when the morning
+came, so good a speed had we made, what with our fear, and the current
+being with us, that we were nigh upon the open sea; whereat each one of
+us raised a shout, feeling like freed prisoners.
+
+And so, full of thankfulness to the Almighty, we rowed outward to the
+sea.
+
+
+
+
+V
+
+The Great Storm
+
+
+Now, as I have said, we came at last in safety to the open sea, and
+so for a time had some degree of peace; though it was long ere we
+threw off all of the terror which the Land of Lonesomeness had cast
+over our hearts.
+
+And one more matter there is regarding that land, which my memory
+recalls. It will be remembered that George found certain wrappers upon
+which there was writing. Now, in the haste of our leaving, he had given
+no thought to take them with him; yet a portion of one he found within
+the side pocket of his jacket, and it ran somewhat thus:--
+
+"But I hear my lover's voice wailing in the night, and I go to find him;
+for my loneliness is not to be borne. May God have mercy upon me!"
+
+And that was all.
+
+For a day and a night we stood out from the land towards the North,
+having a steady breeze to which we set our lug sails, and so made very
+good way, the sea being quiet, though with a slow, lumbering swell from
+the Southward.
+
+It was on the morning of the second day of our escape that we met with
+the beginnings of our adventure into the Silent Sea, the which I am about
+to make as clear as I am able.
+
+The night had been quiet, and the breeze steady until near on to the
+dawn, when the wind slacked away to nothing, and we lay there waiting,
+perchance the sun should bring the breeze with it. And this it did; but
+no such wind as we did desire; for when the morning came upon us, we
+discovered all that part of the sky to be full of a fiery redness, which
+presently spread away down to the South, so that an entire quarter of the
+heavens was, as it seemed to us, a mighty arc of blood-colored fire.
+
+Now, at the sight of these omens, the bo'sun gave orders to prepare the
+boats for the storm which we had reason to expect, looking for it in the
+South, for it was from that direction that the swell came rolling upon
+us. With this intent, we roused out so much heavy canvas as the boats
+contained, for we had gotten a bolt and a half from the hulk in the
+creek; also the boat covers which we could lash down to the brass studs
+under the gunnels of the boats. Then, in each boat, we mounted the
+whaleback--which had been stowed along the tops of the thwarts--also its
+supports, lashing the same to the thwarts below the knees. Then we laid
+two lengths of the stout canvas the full length of the boat over the
+whaleback, overlapping and nailing them to the same, so that they sloped
+away down over the gunnels upon each side as though they had formed a
+roof to us. Here, whilst some stretched the canvas, nailing its lower
+edges to the gunnels, others were employed in lashing together the oars
+and the mast, and to this bundle they secured a considerable length of
+new three-and-a-half-inch hemp rope, which we had brought away from the
+hulk along with the canvas. This rope was then passed over the bows and
+in through the painter ring, and thence to the forrard thwarts, where it
+was made fast, and we gave attention to parcel it with odd strips of
+canvas against danger of chafe. And the same was done in both of the
+boats, for we could not put our trust in the painters, besides which they
+had not sufficient length to secure safe and easy riding.
+
+Now by this time we had the canvas nailed down to the gunnels around our
+boat, after which we spread the boat-cover over it, lacing it down to the
+brass studs beneath the gunnel. And so we had all the boat covered in,
+save a place in the stern where a man might stand to wield the steering
+oar, for the boats were double bowed. And in each boat we made the same
+preparation, lashing all movable articles, and preparing to meet so great
+a storm as might well fill the heart with terror; for the sky cried out
+to us that it would be no light wind, and further, the great swell from
+the South grew more huge with every hour that passed; though as yet it
+was without virulence, being slow and oily and black against the redness
+of the sky.
+
+Presently we were ready, and had cast over the bundle of oars and the
+mast, which was to serve as our sea anchor, and so we lay waiting. It was
+at this time that the bo'sun called over to Josh certain advice with
+regard to that which lay before us. And after that the two of them
+sculled the boats a little apart; for there might be a danger of their
+being dashed together by the first violence of the storm.
+
+And so came a time of waiting, with Josh and the bo'sun each of them at
+the steering oars, and the rest of us stowed away under the coverings.
+From where I crouched near the bo'sun, I had sight of Josh away upon our
+port side: he was standing up black as a shape of night against the
+mighty redness, when the boat came to the foamless crowns of the swells,
+and then gone from sight in the hollows between.
+
+Now midday had come and gone, and we had made shift to eat so good a
+meal as our appetites would allow; for we had no knowledge how long it
+might be ere we should have chance of another, if, indeed, we had ever
+need to think more of such. And then, in the middle part of the
+afternoon, we heard the first cryings of the storm--a far-distant
+moaning, rising and falling most solemnly.
+
+Presently, all the Southern part of the horizon so high up, maybe, as
+some seven to ten degrees, was blotted out by a great black wall of
+cloud, over which the red glare came down upon the great swells as though
+from the light of some vast and unseen fire. It was about this time, I
+observed that the sun had the appearance of a great full moon, being pale
+and clearly defined, and seeming to have no warmth nor brilliancy; and
+this, as may be imagined, seemed most strange to us, the more so because
+of the redness in the South and East.
+
+And all this while the swells increased most prodigiously; though without
+making broken water: yet they informed us that we had done well to take
+so much precaution; for surely they were raised by a very great storm. A
+little before evening, the moaning came again, and then a space of
+silence; after which there rose a very sudden bellowing, as of wild
+beasts, and then once more the silence.
+
+About this time, the bo'sun making no objection, I raised my head above
+the cover until I was in a standing position; for, until now, I had taken
+no more than occasional peeps; and I was very glad of the chance to
+stretch my limbs; for I had grown mightily cramped. Having stirred the
+sluggishness of my blood, I sat me down again; but in such position that
+I could see every part of the horizon without difficulty. Ahead of us,
+that is to the South, I saw now that the great wall of cloud had risen
+some further degrees, and there was something less of the redness;
+though, indeed, what there was left of it was sufficiently terrifying;
+for it appeared to crest the black cloud like red foam, seeming, it might
+be, as though a mighty sea made ready to break over the world.
+
+Towards the West, the sun was sinking behind a curious red-tinted haze,
+which gave it the appearance of a dull red disk. To the North, seeming
+very high in the sky, were some flecks of cloud lying motionless, and of
+a very pretty rose color. And here I may remark that all the sea to the
+North of us appeared as a very ocean of dull red fire; though, as might
+be expected, the swells, coming up from the South, against the light were
+so many exceeding great hills of blackness.
+
+It was just after I had made these observations that we heard again the
+distant roaring of the storm, and I know not how to convey the exceeding
+terror of that sound. It was as though some mighty beast growled far down
+towards the South; and it seemed to make very clear to me that we were
+but two small craft in a very lonesome place. Then, even while the
+roaring lasted, I saw a sudden light flare up, as it were from the edge
+of the Southern horizon. It had somewhat the appearance of lightning; yet
+vanished not immediately, as is the wont of lightning; and more, it had
+not been my experience to witness such spring up from out of the sea,
+but, rather, down from the heavens. Yet I have little doubt but that it
+was a form of lightning; for it came many times after this, so that I had
+chance to observe it minutely. And frequently, as I watched, the storm
+would shout at us in a most fearsome manner.
+
+Then, when the sun was low upon the horizon, there came to our ears a
+very shrill, screaming noise, most penetrating and distressing, and,
+immediately afterwards the bo'sun shouted out something in a hoarse
+voice, and commenced to sway furiously upon the steering oar. I saw his
+stare fixed upon a point a little on our larboard bow, and perceived that
+in that direction the sea was all blown up into vast clouds of dust-like
+froth, and I knew that the storm was upon us. Immediately afterwards a
+cold blast struck us; but we suffered no harm, for the bo'sun had gotten
+the boat bows-on by this. The wind passed us, and there was an instant of
+calm. And now all the air above us was full of a continuous roaring, so
+very loud and intense that I was like to be deafened. To windward, I
+perceived an enormous wall of spray bearing down upon us, and I heard
+again the shrill screaming, pierce through the roaring. Then, the bo'sun
+whipped in his oar under the cover, and, reaching forward, drew the
+canvas aft, so that it covered the entire boat, and he held it down
+against the gunnel upon the starboard side, shouting in my ear to do
+likewise upon the larboard. Now had it not been for this forethought on
+the part of the bo'sun we had been all dead men; and this may be the
+better believed when I explain that we felt the water falling upon the
+stout canvas overhead, tons and tons, though so beaten to froth as to
+lack solidity to sink or crush us. I have said "felt"; for I would make
+it so clear as may be, here once and for all, that so intense was the
+roaring and screaming of the elements, there could no sound have
+penetrated to us, no! not the pealing of mighty thunders. And so for the
+space of maybe a full minute the boat quivered and shook most vilely, so
+that she seemed like to have been shaken in pieces, and from a dozen
+places between the gunnel and the covering canvas, the water spurted in
+upon us. And here one other thing I would make mention of: During that
+minute, the boat had ceased to rise and fall upon the great swell, and
+whether this was because the sea was flattened by the first rush of the
+wind, or that the excess of the storm held her steady, I am unable to
+tell; and can put down only that which we felt.
+
+Now, in a little, the first fury of the blast being spent, the boat
+began to sway from side to side, as though the wind blew now upon the one
+beam, and now upon the other; and several times we were stricken heavily
+with the blows of solid water. But presently this ceased, and we returned
+once again to the rise and fall of the swell, only that now we received a
+cruel jerk every time that the boat came upon the top of a sea. And so a
+while passed.
+
+Towards midnight, as I should judge, there came some mighty flames of
+lightning, so bright that they lit up the boat through the double
+covering of canvas; yet no man of us heard aught of the thunder; for the
+roaring of the storm made all else a silence.
+
+And so to the dawn, after which, finding that we were still, by the mercy
+of God, possessed of our lives, we made shift to eat and drink; after
+which we slept.
+
+Now, being extremely wearied by the stress of the past night, I slumbered
+through many hours of the storm, waking at some time between noon and
+evening. Overhead, as I lay looking upwards, the canvas showed of a dull
+leadenish color, blackened completely at whiles by the dash of spray and
+water. And so, presently, having eaten again, and feeling that all things
+lay in the hands of the Almighty, I came once more upon sleep.
+
+Twice through the following night was I wakened by the boat being hurled
+upon her beam-ends by the blows of the seas; but she righted easily, and
+took scarce any water, the canvas proving a very roof of safety. And so
+the morning came again.
+
+Being now rested, I crawled after to where the bo'sun lay, and, the noise
+of the storm lulling odd instants, shouted in his ear to know whether the
+wind was easing at whiles. To this he nodded, whereat I felt a most
+joyful sense of hope pulse through me, and ate such food as could be
+gotten, with a very good relish.
+
+In the afternoon, the sun broke out suddenly, lighting up the boat most
+gloomily through the wet canvas; yet a very welcome light it was, and
+bred in us a hope that the storm was near to breaking. In a little, the
+sun disappeared; but, presently, it coming again, the bo'sun beckoned to
+me to assist him, and we removed such temporary nails as we had used to
+fasten down the after part of the canvas, and pushed back the covering a
+space sufficient to allow our heads to go through into the daylight. On
+looking out, I discovered the air to be full of spray, beaten as fine as
+dust, and then, before I could note aught else, a little gout of water
+took me in the face with such force as to deprive me of breath; so that I
+had to descend beneath the canvas for a little while.
+
+So soon as I was recovered, I thrust forth my head again, and now I had
+some sight of the terrors around us. As each huge sea came towards us,
+the boat shot up to meet it, right up to its very crest, and there, for
+the space of some instants, we would seem to be swamped in a very ocean
+of foam, boiling up on each side of the boat to the height of many feet.
+Then, the sea passing from under us, we would go swooping dizzily down
+the great, black, froth-splotched back of the wave, until the oncoming
+sea caught us up most mightily. Odd whiles, the crest of a sea would hurl
+forward before we had reached the top, and though the boat shot upward
+like a veritable feather, yet the water would swirl right over us, and we
+would have to draw in our heads most suddenly; in such cases the wind
+flapping the cover down so soon as our hands were removed. And, apart
+from the way in which the boat met the seas, there was a very sense of
+terror in the air; the continuous roaring and howling of the storm; the
+_screaming_ of the foam, as the frothy summits of the briny mountains
+hurled past us, and the wind that tore the breath out of our weak human
+throats, are things scarce to be conceived.
+
+Presently, we drew in our heads, the sun having vanished again, and
+nailed down the canvas once more, and so prepared for the night.
+
+From here on until the morning, I have very little knowledge of any
+happenings; for I slept much of the time, and, for the rest, there was
+little to know, cooped up beneath the cover. Nothing save the
+interminable, thundering swoop of the boat downwards, and then the halt
+and upward hurl, and the occasional plunges and surges to larboard or
+starboard, occasioned, I can only suppose, by the indiscriminate might
+of the seas.
+
+I would make mention here, how that I had little thought all this while
+for the peril of the other boat, and, indeed, I was so very full of our
+own that it is no matter at which to wonder. However, as it proved, and
+as this is a most suitable place in which to tell it, the boat that held
+Josh and the rest of the crew came through the storm with safety; though
+it was not until many years afterwards that I had the good fortune to
+hear from Josh himself how that, after the storm, they were picked up by
+a homeward-bound vessel, and landed in the Port of London.
+
+And now, to our own happenings.
+
+
+
+
+VI
+
+The Weed-Choked Sea
+
+
+It was some little while before midday that we grew conscious that the
+sea had become very much less violent; and this despite the wind roaring
+with scarce abated noise. And, presently, everything about the boat,
+saving the wind, having grown indubitably calmer, and no great water
+breaking over the canvas, the bo'sun beckoned me again to assist him lift
+the after part of the cover. This we did, and put forth our heads to
+inquire the reason of the unexpected quietness of the sea; not knowing
+but that we had come suddenly under the lee of some unknown land. Yet,
+for a space, we could see nothing, beyond the surrounding billows; for
+the sea was still very furious, though no matter to cause us concern,
+after that through which we had come.
+
+Presently, however, the bo'sun, raising himself, saw something, and,
+bending cried in my ear that there was a low bank which broke the force
+of the sea; but he was full of wonder to know how that we had passed it
+without shipwreck. And whilst he was still pondering the matter I raised
+myself, and took a look on all sides of us, and so I discovered that
+there lay another great bank upon our larboard side, and this I pointed
+out to him. Immediately afterwards, we came upon a great mass of seaweed
+swung up on the crest of a sea, and, presently, another. And so we
+drifted on, and the seas grew less with astonishing rapidity, so that, in
+a little, we stripped off the cover so far as the midship thwart; for the
+rest of the men were sorely in need of the fresh air, after so long a
+time below the canvas covering.
+
+It was after we had eaten, that one of them made out that there was
+another low bank astern upon which we were drifting. At that, the bo'sun
+stood up and made an examination of it, being much exercised in his mind
+to know how we might come clear of it with safety. Presently, however, we
+had come so near to it that we discovered it to be composed of seaweed,
+and so we let the boat drive upon it, making no doubt but that the other
+banks, which we had seen, were of a similar nature.
+
+In a little, we had driven in among the weed; yet, though our speed was
+greatly slowed, we made some progress, and so in time came out upon the
+other side, and now we found the sea to be near quiet, so that we hauled
+in our sea anchor--which had collected a great mass of weed about it--and
+removed the whaleback and canvas coverings, after which we stepped the
+mast, and set a tiny storm-foresail upon the boat; for we wished to have
+her under control, and could set no more than this, because of the
+violence of the breeze.
+
+Thus we drove on before the wind, the bo'sun steering, and avoiding all
+such banks as showed ahead, and ever the sea grew calmer. Then, when it
+was near on to evening, we discovered a huge stretch of the weed that
+seemed to block all the sea ahead, and, at that, we hauled down the
+foresail, and took to our oars, and began to pull, broadside on to it,
+towards the West. Yet so strong was the breeze, that we were being driven
+down rapidly upon it. And then, just before sunset, we opened out the
+end of it, and drew in our oars, very thankful to set the little
+foresail, and run off again before the wind.
+
+And so, presently, the night came down upon us, and the bo'sun made us
+take turn and turn about to keep a look-out; for the boat was going some
+knots through the water, and we were among strange seas; but _he_ took no
+sleep all that night, keeping always to the steering oar.
+
+I have memory, during my time of watching, of passing odd floating
+masses, which I make no doubt were weed, and once we drove right atop of
+one; but drew clear without much trouble. And all the while, through the
+dark to starboard, I could make out the dim outline of that enormous weed
+extent lying low upon the sea, and seeming without end. And so,
+presently, my time to watch being at an end, I returned to my slumber,
+and when next I waked it was morning.
+
+Now the morning discovered to me that there was no end to the weed upon
+our starboard side; for it stretched away into the distance ahead of us
+so far as we could see; while all about us the sea was full of floating
+masses of the stuff. And then, suddenly, one of the men cried out that
+there was a vessel in among the weed. At that, as may be imagined, we
+were very greatly excited, and stood upon the thwarts that we might get
+better view of her. Thus I saw her a great way in from the edge of the
+weed, and I noted that her foremast was gone near to the deck, and she
+had no main topmast; though, strangely enough, her mizzen stood unharmed.
+And beyond this, I could make out but little, because of the distance;
+though the sun, which was upon our larboard side, gave me some sight of
+her hull, but not much, because of the weed in which she was deeply
+embedded; yet it seemed to me that her sides were very weather-worn, and
+in one place some glistening brown object, which may have been a fungus,
+caught the rays of the sun, sending off a wet sheen.
+
+There we stood, all of us, upon the thwarts, staring and exchanging
+opinions, and were like to have overset the boat; but that the bo'sun
+ordered us down. And after this we made our breakfast, and had much
+discussion regarding the stranger, as we ate.
+
+Later, towards midday, we were able to set our mizzen; for the storm had
+greatly modified, and so, presently, we hauled away to the West, to
+escape a great bank of the weed which ran out from the main body. Upon
+rounding this, we let the boat off again, and set the main lug, and thus
+made very good speed before the wind. Yet though we ran all that
+afternoon parallel with the weed to starboard, we came not to its end.
+And three separate times we saw the hulks of rotting vessels, some of
+them having the appearance of a previous age, so ancient did they seem.
+
+Now, towards evening, the wind dropped to a very little breeze, so that
+we made but slow way, and thus we had better chance to study the weed.
+And now we saw that it was full of crabs; though for the most part so
+very minute as to escape the casual glance; yet they were not all small,
+for in a while I discovered a swaying among the weed, a little way in
+from the edge, and immediately I saw the mandible of a very great crab
+stir amid the weed. At that, hoping to obtain it for food, I pointed it
+out to the bo'sun, suggesting that we should try and capture it. And so,
+there being by now scarce any wind, he bade us get out a couple of the
+oars, and back the boat up to the weed. This we did, after which he made
+fast a piece of salt meat to a bit of spun yarn, and bent this on to the
+boat hook. Then he made a running bowline, and slipped the loop on to the
+shaft of the boat hook, after which he held out the boat hook, after the
+fashion of a fishing rod, over the place where I had seen the crab.
+Almost immediately, there swept up an enormous claw, and grasped the
+meat, and at that, the bo'sun cried out to me to take an oar and slide
+the bowline along the boat-hook, so that it should fall over the claw,
+and this I did, and immediately some of us hauled upon the line,
+taughtening it about the great claw. Then the bo'sun sung out to us to
+haul the crab aboard, that we had it most securely; yet on the instant we
+had reason to wish that we had been less successful; for the creature,
+feeling the tug of our pull upon it, tossed the weed in all directions,
+and thus we had full sight of it, and discovered it to be so great a crab
+as is scarce conceivable--a very monster. And further, it was apparent to
+us that the brute had no fear of us, nor intention to escape; but rather
+made to come at us; whereat the bo'sun, perceiving our danger, cut the
+line, and bade us put weight upon the oars, and so in a moment we were in
+safety, and very determined to have no more meddlings with such
+creatures.
+
+Presently, the night came upon us, and, the wind remaining low, there
+was everywhere about us a great stillness, most solemn after the
+continuous roaring of the storm which had beset us in the previous days.
+Yet now and again a little wind would rise and blow across the sea, and
+where it met the weed, there would come a low, damp rustling, so that I
+could hear the passage of it for no little time after the calm had come
+once more all about us.
+
+Now it is a strange thing that I, who had slept amid the noise of the
+past days, should find sleeplessness amid so much calm; yet so it was,
+and presently I took the steering oar, proposing that the rest should
+sleep, and to this the bo'sun agreed, first warning me, however, most
+particularly to have care that I kept the boat off the weed (for we had
+still a little way on us), and, further, to call him should anything
+unforeseen occur. And after that, almost immediately he fell asleep, as
+indeed did the most of the men.
+
+From the time that I relieved the bo'sun, until midnight, I sat upon the
+gunnel of the boat, with the steering oar under my arm, and watched and
+listened, most full of a sense of the strangeness of the seas into
+which we had come. It is true that I had heard tell of seas choked up
+with weed--seas that were full of stagnation, having no tides; but I
+had not thought to come upon such an one in my wanderings; having,
+indeed, set down such tales as being bred of imagination, and without
+reality in fact.
+
+Then, a little before the dawn, and when the sea was yet full of
+darkness, I was greatly startled to hear a prodigious splash amid the
+weed, mayhaps at a distance of some hundred yards from the boat. Then,
+as I stood full of alertness, and knowing not what the next moment
+might bring forth, there came to me across the immense waste of weed, a
+long, mournful cry, and then again the silence. Yet, though I kept very
+quiet, there came no further sound, and I was about to re-seat myself,
+when, afar off in that strange wilderness, there flashed out a sudden
+flame of fire.
+
+Now upon seeing fire in the midst of so much lonesomeness, I was as one
+amazed, and could do naught but stare. Then, my judgment returning to me,
+I stooped and waked the bo'sun; for it seemed to me that this was a
+matter for his attention. He, after staring at it awhile, declared that
+he could see the shape of a vessel's hull beyond the flame; but,
+immediately, he was in doubt, as, indeed, I had been all the while. And
+then, even as we peered, the light vanished, and though we waited for the
+space of some minutes; watching steadfastly, there came no further sight
+of that strange illumination.
+
+From now until the dawn, the bo'sun remained awake with me, and we talked
+much upon that which we had seen; yet could come to no satisfactory
+conclusion; for it seemed impossible to us that a place of so much
+desolation could contain any living being. And then, just as the dawn was
+upon us, there loomed up a fresh wonder--the hull of a great vessel maybe
+a couple or three score fathoms in from the edge of the weed. Now the
+wind was still very light, being no more than an occasional breath, so
+that we went past her at a drift, thus the dawn had strengthened
+sufficiently to give to us a clear sight of the stranger, before we had
+gone more than a little past her. And now I perceived that she lay full
+broadside on to us, and that her three masts were gone close down to the
+deck. Her side was streaked in places with rust, and in others a green
+scum overspread her; but it was no more than a glance that I gave at any
+of those matters; for I had spied something which drew all my
+attention--great leathery arms splayed all across her side, some of them
+crooked inboard over the rail, and then, low down, seen just above the
+weed, the huge, brown, glistening bulk of so great a monster as ever I
+had conceived. The bo'sun saw it in the same instant and cried out in a
+hoarse whisper that it was a mighty devilfish, and then, even as he
+spoke, two of the arms flickered up into the cold light of the dawn, as
+though the creature had been asleep, and we had waked it. At that, the
+bo'sun seized an oar, and I did likewise, and, so swiftly as we dared,
+for fear of making any unneedful noise, we pulled the boat to a safer
+distance. From there and until the vessel had become indistinct by reason
+of the space we put between us, we watched that great creature clutched
+to the old hull, as it might be a limpet to a rock.
+
+Presently, when it was broad day, some of the men began to rouse up, and
+in a little we broke our fast, which was not displeasing to me, who had
+spent the night watching. And so through the day we sailed with a very
+light wind upon our larboard quarter. And all the while we kept the
+great waste of weed upon our starboard side, and apart from the mainland
+of the weed, as it were, there were scattered about an uncountable
+number of weed islets and banks, and there were thin patches of it that
+appeared scarce above the water, and through these later we let the boat
+sail; for they had not sufficient density to impede our progress more
+than a little.
+
+And then, when the day was far spent, we came in sight of another
+wreck amid the weeds. She lay in from the edge perhaps so much as the
+half of a mile, and she had all three of her lower masts in, and her
+lower yards squared. But what took our eyes more than aught else was a
+great superstructure which had been built upward from her rails,
+almost half-way to her main tops, and this, as we were able to
+perceive, was supported by ropes let down from the yards; but of what
+material the superstructure was composed, I have no knowledge; for it
+was so over-grown with some form of green stuff--as was so much of the
+hull as showed above the weed--as to defy our guesses. And because of
+this growth, it was borne upon us that the ship must have been lost to
+the world a very great age ago. At this suggestion, I grew full of
+solemn thought; for it seemed to me that we had come upon the cemetery
+of the oceans.
+
+Now, in a little while after we had passed this ancient craft, the night
+came down upon us, and we prepared for sleep, and because the boat was
+making some little way through the water, the bo'sun gave out that each
+of us should stand our turn at the steering-oar, and that he was to be
+called should any fresh matter transpire. And so we settled down for the
+night, and owing to my previous sleeplessness, I was full weary, so that
+I knew nothing until the one whom I was to relieve shook me into
+wakefulness. So soon as I was fully waked, I perceived that a low moon
+hung above the horizon, and shed a very ghostly light across the great
+weed world to starboard. For the rest, the night was exceeding quiet, so
+that no sound came to me in all that ocean, save the rippling of the
+water upon our bends as the boat forged slowly along. And so I settled
+down to pass the time ere I should be allowed to sleep; but first I asked
+the man whom I had relieved, how long a time had passed since moon-rise;
+to which he replied that it was no more than the half of an hour, and
+after that I questioned whether he had seen aught strange amid the weed
+during his time at the oar; but he had seen nothing, except that once he
+had fancied a light had shown in the midst of the waste; yet it could
+have been naught save a humor of the imagination; though apart from this,
+he had heard a strange crying a little after midnight, and twice there
+had been great splashes among the weed. And after that he fell asleep,
+being impatient at my questioning.
+
+Now it so chanced that my watch had come just before the dawn; for which
+I was full of thankfulness, being in that frame of mind when the dark
+breeds strange and unwholesome fancies. Yet, though I was so near to the
+dawn, I was not to escape free of the eerie influence of that place; for,
+as I sat, running my gaze to and fro over its grey immensity, it came to
+me that there were strange movements among the weed, and I seemed to see
+vaguely, as one may see things in dreams, dim white faces peer out at me
+here and there; yet my common sense assured me that I was but deceived by
+the uncertain light and the sleep in my eyes; yet for all that, it put my
+nerves on the quiver.
+
+A little later, there came to my ears the noise of a very great splash
+amid the weed; but though I stared with intentness, I could nowhere
+discern aught as likely to be the cause thereof. And then, suddenly,
+between me and the moon, there drove up from out of that great waste a
+vast bulk, flinging huge masses of weed in all directions. It seemed to
+be no more than a hundred fathoms distant, and, against the moon, I saw
+the outline of it most clearly--a mighty devilfish. Then it had fallen
+back once more with a prodigious splash, and so the quiet fell again,
+finding me sore afraid, and no little bewildered that so monstrous a
+creature could leap with such agility. And then (in my fright I had let
+the boat come near to the edge of the weed) there came a subtle stir
+opposite to our starboard bow, and something slid down into the water. I
+swayed upon the oar to turn the boat's head outward, and with the same
+movement leant forward and sideways to peer, bringing my face near to the
+boat's rail. In the same instant, I found myself looking down into a
+white demoniac face, human save that the mouth and nose had greatly the
+appearance of a beak. The thing was gripping at the side of the boat with
+two flickering hands--gripping the bare, smooth outer surface, in a way
+that woke in my mind a sudden memory of the great devilfish which had
+clung to the side of the wreck we had passed in the previous dawn. I saw
+the face come up towards me, and one misshapen hand fluttered almost to
+my throat, and there came a sudden, hateful reek in my nostrils--foul and
+abominable. Then, I came into possession of my faculties, and drew back
+with great haste and a wild cry of fear. And then I had the steering-oar
+by the middle, and was smiting downward with the loom over the side of
+the boat; but the thing was gone from my sight. I remember shouting out
+to the bo'sun and to the men to awake, and then the bo'sun had me by the
+shoulder, was calling in my ear to know what dire thing had come about.
+At that, I cried out that I did not know, and, presently, being somewhat
+calmer, I told them of the thing that I had seen; but even as I told of
+it, there seemed to be no truth in it, so that they were all at a loss to
+know whether I had fallen asleep, or that I had indeed seen a devil.
+
+And presently the dawn was upon us.
+
+
+
+
+VII
+
+The Island in the Weed
+
+
+It was as we were all discussing the matter of the devil face that had
+peered up at me out of the water, that Job, the ordinary seaman,
+discovered the island in the light of the growing dawn, and, seeing it,
+sprang to his feet, with so loud a cry that we were like for the moment
+to have thought he had seen a second demon. Yet when we made discovery of
+that which he had already perceived, we checked our blame at his sudden
+shout; for the sight of land, after so much desolation, made us very warm
+in our hearts.
+
+Now at first the island seemed but a very small matter; for we did not
+know at that time that we viewed it from its end; yet despite this, we
+took to our oars and rowed with all haste towards it, and so, coming
+nearer, were able to see that it had a greater size than we had imagined.
+Presently, having cleared the end of it, and keeping to that side which
+was further from the great mass of the weed-continent, we opened out a
+bay that curved inward to a sandy beach, most seductive to our tired
+eyes. Here, for the space of a minute, we paused to survey the prospect,
+and I saw that the island was of a very strange shape, having a great
+hump of black rock at either end, and dipping down into a steep valley
+between them. In this valley there seemed to be a deal of a strange
+vegetation that had the appearance of mighty toadstools; and down nearer
+the beach there was a thick grove of a kind of very tall reed, and these
+we discovered afterwards to be exceeding tough and light, having
+something of the qualities of the bamboo.
+
+Regarding the beach, it might have been most reasonably supposed that it
+would be very thick with the driftweed; but this was not so, at least,
+not at that time; though a projecting horn of the black rock which ran
+out into the sea from the upper end of the island, was thick with it.
+
+And now, the bo'sun having assured himself that there was no appearance
+of any danger, we bent to our oars, and presently had the boat aground
+upon the beach, and here, finding it convenient, we made our breakfast.
+During this meal, the bo'sun discussed with us the most proper thing to
+do, and it was decided to push the boat off from the shore, leaving Job
+in her, whilst the remainder of us made some exploration of the island.
+
+And so, having made an end of eating, we proceeded as we had
+determined, leaving Job in the boat, ready to scull ashore for us if we
+were pursued by any savage creature, while the rest of us made our way
+towards the nearer hump, from which, as it stood some hundred feet
+above the sea, we hoped to get a very good idea of the remainder of the
+island. First, however, the bo'sun handed out to us the two cutlasses
+and the cut-and-thrust (the other two cutlasses being in Josh's boat),
+and, taking one himself, he passed me the cut-and-thrust, and gave the
+other cutlass to the biggest of the men. Then he bade the others keep
+their sheath knives handy, and was proceeding to lead the way, when one
+of them called out to us to wait a moment, and, with that, ran quickly
+to the clump of reeds. Here, he took one with both his hands and bent
+upon it; but it would not break, so that he had to notch it about with
+his knife, and thus, in a little, he had it clear. After this, he cut
+off the upper part, which was too thin and lissome for his purpose, and
+then thrust the handle of his knife into the end of the portion which
+he had retained, and in this wise he had a most serviceable lance or
+spear. For the reeds were very strong, and hollow after the fashion of
+bamboo, and when he had bound some yarn about the end into which he had
+thrust his knife, so as to prevent it splitting, it was a fit enough
+weapon for any man.
+
+Now the bo'sun, perceiving the happiness of the fellow's idea, bade the
+rest make to themselves similar weapons, and whilst they were busy thus,
+he commended the man very warmly. And so, in a little, being now most
+comfortably armed, we made inland towards the nearer black hill, in very
+good spirits. Presently, we were come to the rock which formed the hill,
+and found that it came up out of the sand with great abruptness, so that
+we could not climb it on the seaward side. At that, the bo'sun led us
+round a space towards that side where lay the valley, and here there was
+under-foot neither sand nor rock; but ground of strange and spongy
+texture, and then suddenly, rounding a jutting spur of the rock, we came
+upon the first of the vegetation--an incredible mushroom; nay, I should
+say toadstool; for it had no healthy look about it, and gave out a heavy,
+mouldy odor. And now we perceived that the valley was filled with them,
+all, that is, save a great circular patch where nothing appeared to be
+growing; though we were not yet at a sufficient height to ascertain the
+reason of this.
+
+Presently, we came to a place where the rock was split by a great fissure
+running up to the top, and showing many ledges and convenient shelves
+upon which we might obtain hold and footing. And so we set-to about
+climbing, helping one another so far as we had ability, until, in about
+the space of some ten minutes, we reached the top, and from thence had a
+very fine view. We perceived now that there was a beach upon that side of
+the island which was opposed to the weed; though, unlike that upon which
+we had landed, it was greatly choked with weed which had drifted ashore.
+After that, I gave notice to see what space of water lay between the
+island and the edge of the great weed-continent, and guessed it to be no
+more than maybe some ninety yards, at which I fell to wishing that it had
+been greater, for I was grown much in awe of the weed and the strange
+things which I conceived it to contain.
+
+Abruptly, the bo'sun clapped me upon the shoulder, and pointed to some
+object that lay out in the weed at a distance of not much less than the
+half of a mile from where we stood. Now, at first, I could not conceive
+what manner of thing it was at which I stared, until the bo'sun,
+remarking my bewilderment, informed me that it was a vessel all covered
+in, no doubt as a protection against the devil-fish and other strange
+creatures in the weed. And now I began to trace the hull of her amid all
+that hideous growth; but of her masts, I could discern nothing; and I
+doubted not but that they had been carried away by some storm ere she was
+caught by the weed; and then the thought came to me of the end of those
+who had built up that protection against the horrors which the weed-world
+held hidden amid its slime.
+
+Presently, I turned my gaze once more upon the island, which was very
+plain to see from where we stood. I conceived, now that I could see so
+much of it, that its length would be near to half a mile, though its
+breadth was something under four hundred yards; thus it was very long in
+proportion to its width. In the middle part it had less breadth than at
+the ends, being perhaps three hundred yards at its narrowest, and a
+hundred yards wider at its broadest.
+
+Upon both sides of the island, as I have made already a mention, there
+was a beach, though this extended no great distance along the shore, the
+remainder being composed of the black rock of which the hills were
+formed. And now, having a closer regard to the beach upon the weed-side
+of the island, I discovered amid the wrack that had been cast ashore, a
+portion of the lower mast and topmast of some great ship, with rigging
+attached; but the yards were all gone. This find, I pointed out to the
+bo'sun, remarking that it might prove of use for firing; but he smiled at
+me, telling me that the dried weed would make a very abundant fire, and
+this without going to the labor of cutting the mast into suitable logs.
+
+And now, he, in turn, called my attention to the place where the huge
+fungi had come to a stop in their growing, and I saw that in the center
+of the valley there was a great circular opening in the earth, like to
+the mouth of a prodigious pit, and it appeared to be filled to within a
+few feet of the mouth with water, over which spread a brown and horrid
+scum. Now, as may be supposed, I stared with some intentness at this; for
+it had the look of having been made with labor, being very symmetrical,
+yet I could not conceive but that I was deluded by the distance, and that
+it would have a rougher appearance when viewed from a nearer standpoint.
+
+From contemplating this, I looked down upon the little bay in which our
+boat floated. Job was sitting in the stern, sculling gently with the
+steering oar and watching us. At that, I waved my hand to him in
+friendly fashion, and he waved back, and then, even as I looked, I saw
+something in the water under the boat--something dark colored that was
+all of a-move. The boat appeared to be floating over it as over a mass
+of sunk weed, and then I saw that, whatever it was, it was rising to the
+surface. At this a sudden horror came over me, and I clutched the bo'sun
+by the arm, and pointed, crying out that there was something under the
+boat. Now the bo'sun, so soon as he saw the thing, ran forward to the
+brow of the hill and, placing his hands to his mouth after the fashion
+of a trumpet, sang out to the boy to bring the boat to the shore and
+make fast the painter to a large piece of rock. At the bo'sun's hail,
+the lad called out "I, I," and, standing up, gave a sweep with his oar
+that brought the boat's head round towards the beach. Fortunately for
+him he was no more than some thirty yards from the shore at this time,
+else he had never come to it in this life; for the next moment the
+moving brown mass beneath the boat shot out a great tentacle and the oar
+was torn out of Job's hands with such power as to throw him right over
+on to the starboard gunnel of the boat. The oar itself was drawn down
+out of sight, and for the minute the boat was left untouched. Now the
+bo'sun cried out to the boy to take another oar, and get ashore while
+still he had chance, and at that we all called out various things, one
+advising one thing, and another recommending some other; yet our advice
+was vain, for the boy moved not, at which some cried out that he was
+stunned. I looked now to where the brown thing had been, for the boat
+had moved a few fathoms from the spot, having got some way upon her
+before the oar was snatched, and thus I discovered that the monster had
+disappeared, having, I conceived, sunk again into the depths from which
+it had risen; yet it might re-appear at any moment, and in that case the
+boy would be taken before our eyes.
+
+At this juncture, the bo'sun called to us to follow him, and led the way
+to the great fissure up which we had climbed, and so, in a minute, we
+were, each of us, scrambling down with what haste we could make towards
+the valley. And all the while as I dropped from ledge to ledge, I was
+full of torment to know whether the monster had returned.
+
+The bo'sun was the first man to reach the bottom of the cleft, and he set
+off immediately round the base of the rock to the beach, the rest of us
+following him as we made safe our footing in the valley. I was the third
+man down; but, being light and fleet of foot, I passed the second man and
+caught up with the bo'sun just as he came upon the sand. Here, I found
+that the boat was within some five fathoms of the beach, and I could see
+Job still lying insensible; but of the monster there was no sign.
+
+And so matters were, the boat nearly a dozen yards from the shore, and
+Job lying insensible in her; with, somewhere near under her keel (for all
+that we knew) a great monster, and we helpless upon the beach.
+
+Now I could not imagine how to save the lad, and indeed I fear he had
+been left to destruction--for I had deemed it madness to try to reach the
+boat by swimming--but for the extraordinary bravery of the bo'sun, who,
+without hesitating, dashed into the water and swam boldly out to the
+boat, which, by the grace of God, he reached without mishap, and climbed
+in over the bows. Immediately, he took the painter and hove it to us,
+bidding us tail on to it and bring the boat to shore without delay, and
+by this method of gaining the beach he showed wisdom; for in this wise he
+escaped attracting the attention of the monster by unneedful stirring of
+the water, as he would surely have done had he made use of an oar.
+
+Yet, despite his care, we had not finished with the creature; for, just
+as the boat grounded, I saw the lost steering oar shoot up half its
+length out of the sea, and immediately there was a mighty splather in the
+water astern, and the next instant the air seemed full of huge, whirling
+arms. At that, the bo'sun gave one look behind, and, seeing the thing
+upon him, snatched the boy into his arms, and sprang over the bows on to
+the sand. Now, at sight of the devil-fish, we had all made for the back
+of the beach at a run, none troubling even to retain the painter, and
+because of this, we were like to have lost the boat; for the great
+cuttlefish had its arms all splayed about it, seeming to have a mind to
+drag it down into the deep water from whence it had risen, and it had
+possibly succeeded, but that the bo'sun brought us all to our senses;
+for, having laid Job out of harm's way, he was the first to seize the
+painter, which lay trailed upon the sand, and, at that, we got back our
+courage and ran to assist him.
+
+Now there happened to be convenient a great spike of rock, the same,
+indeed, to which the bo'sun had bidden Job tie the boat, and to this we
+ran the painter, taking a couple of turns about it and two half-hitches,
+and now, unless the rope carried away, we had no reason to fear the loss
+of the boat; though there seemed to us to be a danger of the creature's
+crushing it. Because of this, and because of a feeling of natural anger
+against the thing, the bo'sun took up from the sand one of the spears
+which had been cast down when we hauled the boat ashore. With this, he
+went down so far as seemed safe, and prodded the creature in one of its
+tentacles--the weapon entering easily, at which I was surprised, for I
+had understood that these monsters were near to invulnerable in all parts
+save their eyes. At receiving this stab, the great fish appeared to feel
+no hurt for it showed no signs of pain, and, at that, the bo'sun was
+further emboldened to go nearer, so that he might deliver a more deadly
+wound; yet scarce had he taken two steps before the hideous thing was
+upon him, and, but for an agility wonderful in so great a man, he had
+been destroyed. Yet, spite of so narrow an escape from death, he was not
+the less determined to wound or destroy the creature, and, to this end,
+he dispatched some of us to the grove of reeds to get half a dozen of the
+strongest, and when we returned with these, he bade two of the men lash
+their spears securely to them, and by this means they had now spears of a
+length of between thirty and forty feet. With these, it was possible to
+attack the devilfish without coming within reach of its tentacles. And
+now being ready, he took one of the spears, telling the biggest of the
+men to take the other. Then he directed him to aim for the right eye of
+the huge fish whilst he would attack the left.
+
+Now since the creature had so nearly captured the bo'sun, it had ceased
+to tug at the boat, and lay silent, with its tentacles spread all about
+it, and its great eyes appearing just over the stern, so that it
+presented an appearance of watching our movements; though I doubt if it
+saw us with any clearness; for it must have been dazed with the
+brightness of the sunshine.
+
+And now the bo'sun gave the signal to attack, at which he and the man ran
+down upon the creature with their lances, as it were in rest. The
+bo'sun's spear took the monster truly in its left eye; but the one
+wielded by the man was too bendable, and sagged so much that it struck
+the stern-post of the boat, the knife blade snapping off short. Yet it
+mattered not; for the wound inflicted by the bo'sun's weapon was so
+frightful, that the giant cuttlefish released the boat, and slid back
+into deep water, churning it into foam, and gouting blood.
+
+For some minutes we waited to make sure that the monster had indeed gone,
+and after that, we hastened to the boat, and drew her up so far as we
+were able; after which we unloaded the heaviest of her contents, and so
+were able to get her right clear of the water.
+
+And for an hour afterwards the sea all about the little beach was stained
+black, and in places red.
+
+
+
+
+VIII
+
+The Noises in the Valley
+
+
+Now, so soon as we had gotten the boat into safety, the which we did with
+a most feverish haste, the bo'sun gave his attention to Job; for the boy
+had not yet recovered from the blow which the loom of the oar had dealt
+him beneath the chin when the monster snatched at it. For awhile, his
+attentions produced no effect; but presently, having bathed the lad's
+face with water from the sea, and rubbed rum into his chest over the
+heart, the youth began to show signs of life, and soon opened his eyes,
+whereupon the bo'sun gave him a stiff jorum of the rum, after which he
+asked him how he seemed in himself. To this Job replied in a weak voice
+that he was dizzy and his head and neck ached badly, on hearing which,
+the bo'sun bade him keep lying until he had come more to himself. And so
+we left him in quietness under a little shade of canvas and reeds; for
+the air was warm and the sand dry, and he was not like to come to any
+harm there.
+
+At a little distance, under the directing of the bo'sun, we made to
+prepare dinner, for we were now very hungry, it seeming a great while
+since we had broken our fast. To this end, the bo'sun sent two of the men
+across the island to gather some of the dry seaweed; for we intended to
+cook some of the salt meat, this being the first cooked meal since ending
+the meat which we had boiled before leaving the ship in the creek.
+
+In the meanwhile, and until the return of the men with the fuel, the
+bo'sun kept us busied in various ways. Two he sent to cut a bundle of the
+reeds, and another couple to bring the meat and the iron boiler, the
+latter being one that we had taken from the old brig.
+
+Presently, the men returned with the dried seaweed, and very curious
+stuff it seemed, some of it being in chunks near as thick as a man's
+body; but exceeding brittle by reason of its dryness. And so in a little,
+we had a very good fire going, which we fed with the seaweed and pieces
+of the reeds, though we found the latter to be but indifferent fuel,
+having too much sap, and being troublesome to break into convenient size.
+
+Now when the fire had grown red and hot, the bo'sun half filled the
+boiler with sea water, in which he placed the meat; and the pan, having a
+stout lid, he did not scruple to place it in the very heart of the fire,
+so that soon we had the contents boiling merrily.
+
+Having gotten the dinner under way, the bo'sun set about preparing our
+camp for the night, which we did by making a rough framework with the
+reeds, over which we spread the boat's sails and the cover, pegging the
+canvas down with tough splinters of the reed. When this was completed, we
+set-to and carried there all our stores, after which the bo'sun took us
+over to the other side of the island to gather fuel for the night, which
+we did, each man bearing a great double armful.
+
+Now by the time that we had brought over, each of us, two loads of the
+fuel, we found the meat to be cooked, and so, without more to-do, set
+ourselves down and made a very good meal off it and some biscuits, after
+which we had each of us a sound tot of the rum. Having made an end of
+eating and drinking, the bo'sun went over to where Job lay, to inquire
+how he felt, and found him lying very quiet, though his breathing had a
+heavy touch about it. However, we could conceive of nothing by which he
+might be bettered, and so left him, being more hopeful that Nature would
+bring him to health than any skill of which we were possessed.
+
+By this time it was late afternoon, so that the bo'sun declared we might
+please ourselves until sunset, deeming that we had earned a very good
+right to rest; but that from sunset till the dawn we should, he told us,
+have each of us to take turn and turn about to watch; for though we were
+no longer upon the water, none might say whether we were out of danger or
+not, as witness the happening of the morning; though, certainly, he
+apprehended no danger from the devil-fish so long as we kept well away
+from the water's edge.
+
+And so from now until dark most of the men slept; but the bo'sun spent
+much of that time in overhauling the boat, to see how it might chance to
+have suffered during the storm, and also whether the struggles of the
+devil-fish had strained it in any way. And, indeed, it was speedily
+evident that the boat would need some attention; for the plank in her
+bottom next but one to the keel, upon the starboard side, had been burst
+inwards; this having been done, it would seem, by some rock in the beach
+hidden just beneath the water's edge, the devil-fish having, no doubt,
+ground the boat down upon it. Happily, the damage was not great; though
+it would most certainly have to be carefully repaired before the boat
+would be again seaworthy. For the rest, there seemed to be no other part
+needing attention.
+
+Now I had not felt any call to sleep, and so had followed the bo'sun to
+the boat, giving him a hand to remove the bottom-boards, and finally to
+slue her bottom a little upwards, so that he might examine the leak more
+closely. When he had made an end with the boat, he went over to the
+stores, and looked closely into their condition, and also to see how they
+were lasting. And, after that, he sounded all the water-breakers; having
+done which, he remarked that it would be well for us if we could discover
+any fresh water upon the island.
+
+By this time it was getting on towards evening, and the bo'sun went
+across to look at Job, finding him much as he had been when we visited
+him after dinner. At that, the bo'sun asked me to bring across one of the
+longer of the bottom-boards, which I did, and we made use of it as a
+stretcher to carry the lad into the tent. And afterwards, we carried all
+the loose woodwork of the boat into the tent, emptying the lockers of
+their contents, which included some oakum, a small boat's hatchet, a coil
+of one-and-a-half-inch hemp line, a good saw, an empty colza-oil tin, a
+bag of copper nails, some bolts and washers, two fishing-lines, three
+spare tholes, a three-pronged grain without the shaft, two balls of spun
+yarn, three hanks of roping-twine, a piece of canvas with four
+roping-needles stuck in it, the boat's lamp, a spare plug, and a roll of
+light duck for making boat's sails.
+
+And so, presently, the dark came down upon the island, at which the
+bo'sun waked the men, and bade them throw more fuel on to the fire, which
+had burned down to a mound of glowing embers much shrouded in ash. After
+that, one of them part filled the boiler with fresh water, and soon we
+were occupied most pleasantly upon a supper of cold, boiled salt-meat,
+hard biscuits, and rum mixed with hot water. During supper, the bo'sun
+made clear to the men regarding the watches, arranging how they should
+follow, so that I found I was set down to take my turn from midnight
+until one of the clock. Then, he explained to them about the burst plank
+in the bottom of the boat, and how that it would have to be put right
+before we could hope to leave the island, and that after that night we
+should have to go most strictly with the victuals; for there seemed to be
+nothing upon the island, that we had up till then discovered, fit to
+satisfy our bellies. More than this, if we could find no fresh water, he
+should have to distil some to make up for that which we had drunk, and
+this must be done before leaving the island.
+
+Now by the time that the bo'sun had made an end of explaining these
+matters, we had ceased from eating, and soon after this we made each one
+of us a comfortable place in the sand within the tent, and lay down to
+sleep. For a while, I found myself very wakeful, which may have been
+because of the warmth of the night, and, indeed, at last I got up and
+went out of the tent, conceiving that I might the better find sleep in
+the open air. And so it proved; for, having lain down at the side of the
+tent, a little way from the fire, I fell soon into a deep slumber, which
+at first was dreamless. Presently, however, I came upon a very strange
+and unsettling dream; for I dreamed that I had been left alone on the
+island, and was sitting very desolate upon the edge of the brown-scummed
+pit. Then I was aware suddenly that it was very dark and very silent, and
+I began to shiver; for it seemed to me that something which repulsed my
+whole being had come quietly behind me. At that I tried mightily to turn
+and look into the shadows among the great fungi that stood all about me;
+but I had no power to turn. And the thing was coming nearer, though never
+a sound came to me, and I gave out a scream, or tried to; but my voice
+made no stir in the rounding quiet; and then something wet and cold
+touched my face, and slithered down and covered my mouth, and paused
+there for a vile, breathless moment. It passed onward and fell to my
+throat--and stayed there ...
+
+Some one stumbled and felt over my feet, and at that, I was suddenly
+awake. It was the man on watch making a walk round the back of the tent,
+and he had not known of my presence till he fell over my boots. He was
+somewhat shaken and startled, as might be supposed; but steadied himself
+on learning that it was no wild creature crouched there in the shadow;
+and all the time, as I answered his inquiries, I was full of a strange,
+horrid feeling that something had left me at the moment of my awakening.
+There was a slight, hateful odor in my nostrils that was not altogether
+unfamiliar, and then, suddenly, I was aware that my face was damp and
+that there was a curious sense of tingling at my throat. I put up my hand
+and felt my face, and the hand when I brought it away was slippery with
+slime, and at that, I put up my other hand, and touched my throat, and
+there it was the same, only, in addition, there was a slight swelled
+place a little to one side of the wind-pipe, the sort of place that the
+bite of a mosquito will make; but I had no thought to blame any mosquito.
+
+Now the stumbling of the man over me, my awakening, and the discovery
+that my face and throat were be-slimed, were but the happenings of some
+few, short instants; and then I was upon my feet, and following him round
+to the fire; for I had a sense of chilliness and a great desire not to be
+alone. Now, having come to the fire, I took some of the water that had
+been left in the boiler, and washed my face and neck, after which I felt
+more my own man. Then I asked the man to look at my throat, so that he
+might give me some idea of what manner of place the swelling seemed, and
+he, lighting a piece of the dry seaweed to act as a torch, made
+examination of my neck; but could see little, save a number of small
+ring-like marks, red inwardly, and white at the edges, and one of them
+was bleeding slightly. After that, I asked him whether he had seen
+anything moving round the tent; but he had seen nothing during all the
+time that he had been on watch; though it was true that he had heard odd
+noises; but nothing very near at hand. Of the places on my throat he
+seemed to think but little, suggesting that I had been bitten by some
+sort of sand-fly; but at that, I shook my head, and told him of my dream,
+and after that, he was as anxious to keep near me as I to him. And so the
+night passed onward, until my turn came to watch.
+
+For a little while, the man whom I had relieved sat beside me; having,
+I conceived, the kindly intent of keeping me company; but so soon as I
+perceived this, I entreated him to go and get his sleep, assuring him
+that I had no longer any feelings of fear--such as had been mine upon
+awakening and discovering the state of my face and throat--and, upon
+this, he consented to leave me, and so, in a little, I sat alone
+beside the fire.
+
+For a certain space, I kept very quiet, listening; but no sound came to
+me out of the surrounding darkness, and so, as though it were a fresh
+thing, it was borne in upon me how that we were in a very abominable
+place of lonesomeness and desolation. And I grew very solemn.
+
+Thus as I sat, the fire, which had not been replenished for a while,
+dwindled steadily until it gave but a dullish glow around. And then, in
+the direction of the valley, I heard suddenly the sound of a dull thud,
+the noise coming to me through the stillness with a very startling
+clearness. At that, I perceived that I was not doing my duty to the rest,
+nor to myself, by sitting and allowing the fire to cease from flaming;
+and immediately reproaching myself, I seized and cast a mass of the dry
+weed upon the fire, so that a great blaze shot up into the night, and
+afterwards I glanced quickly to right and to left, holding my
+cut-and-thrust very readily, and most thankful to the Almighty that I
+had brought no harm to any by reason of my carelessness, which I incline
+me to believe was that strange inertia which is bred by fear. And then,
+even as I looked about me, there came to me across the silence of the
+beach a fresh noise, a continual soft slithering to and fro in the bottom
+of the valley, as though a multitude of creatures moved stealthily. At
+this, I threw yet more fuel upon the fire, and after that I fixed my gaze
+in the direction of the valley: thus in the following instant it seemed
+to me that I saw a certain thing, as it might be a shadow, move on the
+outer borders of the firelight. Now the man who had kept watch before me
+had left his spear stuck upright in the sand convenient to my grasp, and,
+seeing something moving, I seized the weapon and hurled it with all my
+strength in its direction; but there came no answering cry to tell that I
+had struck anything living, and immediately afterwards there fell once
+more a great silence upon the island, being broken only by a far splash
+out upon the weed.
+
+It may be conceived with truth that the above happenings had put a very
+considerable strain upon my nerves, so that I looked to and fro
+continually, with ever and anon a quick glance behind me; for it seemed
+to me that I might expect some demoniac creature to rush upon me at any
+moment. Yet, for the space of many minutes, there came to me neither any
+sight nor sound of living creature; so that I knew not what to think,
+being near to doubting if I had heard aught beyond the common.
+
+And then, even as I made halt upon the threshold of doubt, I was assured
+that I had not been mistaken; for, abruptly, I was aware that all the
+valley was full of a rustling, scampering sort of noise, through which
+there came to me occasional soft thuds, and anon the former slithering
+sounds. And at that, thinking a host of evil things to be upon us, I
+cried out to the bo'sun and the men to awake.
+
+Immediately upon my shout, the bo'sun rushed out from the tent, the men
+following, and every one with his weapon, save the man who had left his
+spear in the sand, and that lay now somewhere beyond the light of the
+fire. Then the bo'sun shouted, to know what thing had caused me to cry
+out; but I replied nothing, only held up my hand for quietness, yet when
+this was granted, the noises in the valley had ceased; so that the bo'sun
+turned to me, being in need of some explanation; but I begged him to hark
+a little longer, which he did, and, the sounds re-commencing almost
+immediately, he heard sufficient to know that I had not waked them all
+without due cause. And then, as we stood each one of us staring into the
+darkness where lay the valley, I seemed to see again some shadowy thing
+upon the boundary of the firelight; and, in the same instant, one of the
+men cried out and cast his spear into the darkness. But the bo'sun turned
+upon him with a very great anger; for in throwing his weapon, the man had
+left himself without, and thus brought danger to the whole; yet, as will
+be remembered, I had done likewise but a little since.
+
+Presently, there coming again a quietness within the valley, and none
+knowing what might be toward, the bo'sun caught up a mass of the dry
+weed, and, lighting it at the fire, ran with it towards that portion of
+the beach which lay between us and the valley. Here he cast it upon the
+sand, singing out to some of the men to bring more of the weed, so that
+we might have a fire there, and thus be able to see if anything made to
+come at us out of the deepness of the hollow.
+
+Presently, we had a very good fire, and by the light of this the two
+spears were discovered, both of them stuck in the sand, and no more than
+a yard one from the other, which seemed to me a very strange thing.
+
+Now, for a while after the lighting of the second fire, there came no
+further sounds from the direction of the valley; nothing indeed to break
+the quietness of the island, save the occasional lonely splashes that
+sounded from time to time out in the vastness of the weed-continent.
+Then, about an hour after I had waked the bo'sun, one of the men who had
+been tending the fires came up to him to say that we had come to the end
+of our supply of weed-fuel. At that, the bo'sun looked very blank, the
+which did the rest of us, as well we might; yet there was no help for it,
+until one of the men bethought him of the remainder of the bundle of
+reeds which we had cut, and which, burning but poorly, we had discarded
+for the weed. This was discovered at the back of the tent, and with it we
+fed the fire that burned between us and the valley; but the other we
+suffered to die out, for the reeds were not sufficient to support even
+the one until the dawn.
+
+At last, and whilst it was still dark, we came to the end of our fuel,
+and as the fire died down, so did the noises in the valley recommence.
+And there we stood in the growing dark, each one keeping a very ready
+weapon, and a more ready glance. And at times the island would be
+mightily quiet, and then again the sounds of things crawling in the
+valley. Yet, I think the silences tried us the more.
+
+And so at last came the dawn.
+
+
+
+
+IX
+
+What Happened in the Dusk
+
+
+Now with the coming of the dawn, a lasting silence stole across the
+island and into the valley, and, conceiving that we had nothing more to
+fear, the bo'sun bade us get some rest, whilst he kept watch. And so I
+got at last a very substantial little spell of sleep, which made me fit
+enough for the day's work.
+
+Presently, after some hours had passed, the bo'sun roused us to go
+with him to the further side of the island to gather fuel, and soon we
+were back with each a load, so that in a little we had the fire going
+right merrily.
+
+Now for breakfast, we had a hash of broken biscuit, salt meat and some
+shell-fish which the bo'sun had picked up from the beach at the foot of
+the further hill; the whole being right liberally flavored with some of
+the vinegar, which the bo'sun said would help keep down any scurvy that
+might be threatening us. And at the end of the meal he served out to us
+each a little of the molasses, which we mixed with hot water, and drank.
+
+The meal being ended, he went into the tent to take a look at Job, the
+which he had done already in the early morning; for the condition of the
+lad preyed somewhat upon him; he being, for all his size and
+top-roughness, a man of surprisingly tender heart. Yet the boy remained
+much as on the previous evening, so that we knew not what to do with him
+to bring him into better health. One thing we tried, knowing that no food
+had passed his lips since the previous morning, and that was to get some
+little quantity of hot water, rum and molasses down his throat; for it
+seemed to us he might die from very lack of food; but though we worked
+with him for more than the half of an hour, we could not get him to
+come-to sufficiently to take anything, and without that we had fear of
+suffocating him. And so, presently, we had perforce to leave him within
+the tent, and go about our business; for there was very much to be done.
+
+Yet, before we did aught else, the bo'sun led us all into the valley,
+being determined to make a very thorough exploration of it, perchance
+there might be any lurking beast or devil-thing waiting to rush out and
+destroy us as we worked, and more, he would make search that he might
+discover what manner of creatures had disturbed our night.
+
+Now in the early morning, when we had gone for the fuel, we had kept to
+the upper skirt of the valley where the rock of the nearer hill came down
+into the spongy ground, but now we struck right down into the middle part
+of the vale, making a way amid the mighty fungi to the pit-like opening
+that filled the bottom of the valley. Now though the ground was very
+soft, there was in it so much of springiness that it left no trace of our
+steps after we had gone on a little way, none, that is, save that in odd
+places, a wet patch followed upon our treading. Then, when we got
+ourselves near to the pit, the ground became softer, so that our feet
+sank into it, and left very real impressions; and here we found tracks
+most curious and bewildering; for amid the slush that edged the
+pit--which I would mention here had less the look of a pit now that I had
+come near to it--were multitudes of markings which I can liken to nothing
+so much as the tracks of mighty slugs amid the mud, only that they were
+not altogether like to that of slugs; for there were other markings such
+as might have been made by bunches of eels cast down and picked up
+continually, at least, this is what they suggested to me, and I do but
+put it down as such.
+
+Apart from the markings which I have mentioned, there was everywhere a
+deal of slime, and this we traced all over the valley among the great
+toadstool plants; but, beyond that which I have already remarked, we
+found nothing. Nay, but I was near to forgetting, we found a quantity of
+this thin slime upon those fungi which filled the end of the little
+valley nearest to our encampment, and here also we discovered many of
+them fresh broken or uprooted, and there was the same mark of the beast
+upon them all, and now I remember the dull thuds that I had heard in the
+night, and made little doubt but that the creatures had climbed the great
+toadstools so that they might spy us out; and it may be that many climbed
+upon one, so that their weight broke the fungi, or uprooted them. At
+least, so the thought came to me.
+
+And so we made an end of our search, and after that, the bo'sun set each
+one of us to work. But first he had us all back to the beach to give a
+hand to turn over the boat, so that he might get to the damaged part.
+Now, having the bottom of the boat full to his view, he made discovery
+that there was other damage beside that of the burst plank; for the
+bottom plank of all had come away from the keel, which seemed to us a
+very serious matter; though it did not show when the boat was upon her
+bilges. Yet the bo'sun assured us that he had no doubts but that she
+could be made seaworthy, though it would take a greater while than
+hitherto he had thought needful.
+
+Having concluded his examination of the boat, the bo'sun sent one of the
+men to bring the bottom-boards out of the tent; for he needed some
+planking for the repair of the damage. Yet when the boards had been
+brought, he needed still something which they could not supply, and this
+was a length of very sound wood of some three inches in breadth each
+way, which he intended to bolt against the starboard side of the keel,
+after he had gotten the planking replaced so far as was possible. He had
+hopes that by means of this device he would be able to nail the bottom
+plank to this, and then caulk it with oakum, so making the boat almost
+so sound as ever.
+
+Now hearing him express his need for such a piece of timber, we were all
+adrift to know from whence such a thing could be gotten, until there came
+suddenly to me a memory of the mast and topmast upon the other side of
+the island, and at once I made mention of them. At that, the bo'sun
+nodded, saying that we might get the timber out of it, though it would be
+a work requiring some considerable labor, in that we had only a hand-saw
+and a small hatchet. Then he sent us across to be getting it clear of the
+weed, promising to follow when he had made an end of trying to get the
+two displaced planks back into position.
+
+Having reached the spars, we set-to with a very good will to shift away
+the weed and wrack that was piled over them, and very much entangled with
+the rigging. Presently we had laid them bare, and so we discovered them
+to be in remarkably sound condition, the lower-mast especially being a
+fine piece of timber. All the lower and topmast standing rigging was
+still attached, though in places the lower rigging was stranded so far as
+half-way up the shrouds; yet there remained much that was good and all
+of it quite free from rot, and of the very finest quality of white hemp,
+such as is to be seen only in the best found vessels.
+
+About the time that we had finished clearing the weed, the bo'sun came
+over to us, bringing with him the saw and the hatchet. Under his
+directions, we cut the lanyards of the topmast rigging, and after that
+sawed through the topmast just above the cap. Now this was a very tough
+piece of work, and employed us a great part of the morning, even though
+we took turn and turn at the saw, and when it was done we were mightily
+glad that the bo'sun bade one of the men go over with some weed and make
+up the fire for dinner, after which he was to put on a piece of the salt
+meat to boil.
+
+In the meanwhile, the bo'sun had started to cut through the topmast,
+about fifteen feet beyond the first cut, for that was the length of the
+batten he required; yet so wearisome was the work, that we had not gotten
+more than half through with it before the man whom the bo'sun had sent,
+returned to say that the dinner was ready. When this was dispatched, and
+we had rested a little over our pipes, the bo'sun rose and led us back;
+for he was determined to get through with the topmast before dark.
+
+Presently, relieving each other frequently, we completed the second
+cut, and after that the bo'sun set us to saw a block about twelve
+inches deep from the remaining portion of the topmast. From this, when
+we had cut it, he proceeded to hew wedges with the hatchet. Then he
+notched the end of the fifteen-foot log, and into the notch he drove
+the wedges, and so, towards evening, as much, maybe, by good luck as
+good management, he had divided the log into two halves--the split
+running very fairly down the center.
+
+Now, perceiving how that it drew near to sundown, he bade the men haste
+and gather weed and carry it across to our camp; but one he sent along
+the shore to make a search for shell-fish among the weed; yet he himself
+ceased not to work at the divided log, and kept me with him as helper.
+Thus, within the next hour, we had a length, maybe some four inches in
+diameter, split off the whole length of one of the halves, and with this
+he was very well content; though it seemed but a very little result for
+so much labor.
+
+By this time the dusk was upon us, and the men, having made an end of
+weed carrying, were returned to us, and stood about, waiting for the
+bo'sun to go into camp. At this moment, the man the bo'sun had sent to
+gather shellfish, returned, and he had a great crab upon his spear, which
+he had spitted through the belly. This creature could not have been less
+than a foot across the back, and had a very formidable appearance; yet it
+proved to be a most tasty matter for our supper, when it had been placed
+for a while in boiling water.
+
+Now so soon as this man was returned, we made at once for the camp,
+carrying with us the piece of timber which we had hewn from the topmast.
+By this time it was quite dusk, and very strange amid the great fungi as
+we struck across the upper edge of the valley to the opposite beach.
+Particularly, I noticed that the hateful, mouldy odor of these monstrous
+vegetables was more offensive than I had found it to be in the daytime;
+though this may be because I used my nose the more, in that I could not
+use my eyes to any great extent.
+
+We had gotten halfway across the top of the valley, and the gloom was
+deepening steadily, when there stole to me upon the calmness of the
+evening air, a faint smell; something quite different from that of the
+surrounding fungi. A moment later I got a great whiff of it, and was near
+sickened with the abomination of it; but the memory of that foul thing
+which had come to the side of the boat in the dawn-gloom, before we
+discovered the island, roused me to a terror beyond that of the sickness
+of my stomach; for, suddenly, I knew what manner of thing it was that had
+beslimed my face and throat upon the previous night, and left its hideous
+stench lingering in my nostrils. And with the knowledge, I cried out to
+the bo'sun to make haste, for there were demons with us in the valley.
+And at that, some of the men made to run; but he bade them, in a very
+grim voice, stay where they were, and keep well together, else would they
+be attacked and overcome, straggled all among the fungi in the dark. And
+this, being, I doubt not, as much in fear of the rounding dark as of the
+bo'sun, they did, and so we came safely out of the valley; though there
+seemed to follow us a little lower down the slope an uncanny slithering.
+
+Now so soon as we reached the camp, the bo'sun ordered four fires to be
+lit--one on each side of the tent, and this we did, lighting them at the
+embers of our old fire, which we had most foolishly allowed to die down.
+When the fires had been got going, we put on the boiler, and treated the
+great crab as I have already mentioned, and so fell-to upon a very hearty
+supper; but, as we ate, each man had his weapon stuck in the sand beside
+him; for we had knowledge that the valley held some devilish thing, or
+maybe many; though the knowing did not spoil our appetites.
+
+And so, presently, we came to an end of eating, whereat each man pulled
+out his pipe, intending to smoke; but the bo'sun told one of the men to
+get him upon his feet and keep watch, else might we be in danger of
+surprise, with every man lolling upon the sand; and this seemed to me
+very good sense; for it was easy to see that the men, too readily, deemed
+themselves secure, by reason of the brightness of the fires about them.
+
+Now, whilst the men were taking their ease within the circle of the
+fires, the bo'sun lit one of the dips which we had out of the ship in the
+creek, and went in to see how Job was, after the day's rest. At that, I
+rose up, reproaching myself for having forgotten the poor lad, and
+followed the bo'sun into the tent. Yet, I had but reached the opening,
+when he gave out a loud cry, and held the candle low down to the sand. At
+that, I saw the reason for his agitation, for, in the place where we had
+left Job, there was nothing. I stepped into the tent, and, in the same
+instant, there came to my nostrils the faint odor of the horrible stench
+which had come to me in the valley, and before then from the thing that
+came to the side of the boat. And, suddenly, I knew that Job had fallen
+prey of those foul things, and, knowing this, I called out to the bo'sun
+that _they_ had taken the boy, and then my eyes caught the smear of slime
+upon the sand, and I had proof that I was not mistaken.
+
+Now, so soon as the bo'sun knew all that was in my mind; though indeed it
+did but corroborate that which had come to his own, he came swiftly out
+from the tent, bidding the men to stand back; for they had come all about
+the entrance, being very much discomposed at that which the bo'sun had
+discovered. Then the bo'sun took from a bundle of the reeds, which they
+had cut at the time when he had bidden them gather fuel, several of the
+thickest, and to one of these he bound a great mass of the dry weed;
+whereupon the men, divining his intention, did likewise with the others,
+and so we had each of us the wherewithal for a mighty torch.
+
+So soon as we had completed our preparations, we took each man his weapon
+and, plunging our torches into the fires, set off along the track which
+had been made by the devil-things and the body of poor Job; for now that
+we had suspicion that harm had come to him, the marks in the sand, and
+the slime, were very plain to be seen, so that it was a wonder that we
+had not discovered them earlier.
+
+Now the bo'sun led the way, and, finding the marks led direct to the
+valley, he broke into a run, holding his torch well above his head. At
+that, each of us did likewise; for we had a great desire to be together,
+and further than this, I think with truth I may say, we were all fierce
+to avenge Job, so that we had less of fear in our hearts than otherwise
+had been the case.
+
+In less than the half of a minute we had reached the end of the valley;
+but here, the ground being of a nature not happy in the revealing of
+tracks, we were at fault to know in which direction to continue. At that,
+the bo'sun set up a loud shout to Job, perchance he might be yet alive;
+but there came no answer to us, save a low and uncomfortable echo. Then
+the bo'sun, desiring to waste no more time, ran straight down towards the
+center of the valley, and we followed, and kept our eyes very open about
+us. We had gotten perhaps halfway, when one of the men shouted that he
+saw something ahead; but the bo'sun had seen it earlier; for he was
+running straight down upon it, holding his torch high and swinging his
+great cutlass. Then, instead of smiting, he fell upon his knees beside
+it, and the following instant we were up with him, and in that same
+moment it seemed to me that I saw a number of white shapes melt swiftly
+into the shadows further ahead: but I had no thought for these when I
+perceived that by which the bo'sun knelt; for it was the stark body of
+Job, and no inch of it but was covered with the little ringed marks that
+I had discovered upon my throat, and from every place there ran a trickle
+of blood, so that he was a most horrid and fearsome sight.
+
+At the sight of Job so mangled and be-bled, there came over us the sudden
+quiet of a mortal terror, and in that space of silence, the bo'sun placed
+his hand over the poor lad's heart; but there was no movement, though the
+body was still warm. Immediately upon that, he rose to his feet, a look
+of vast wrath upon his great face. He plucked his torch from the ground,
+into which he had plunged the haft, and stared round into the silence of
+the valley; but there was no living thing in sight, nothing save the
+giant fungi and the strange shadows cast by our great torches, and the
+loneliness.
+
+At this moment, one of the men's torches, having burnt near out, fell all
+to pieces, so that he held nothing but the charred support, and
+immediately two more came to a like end. Upon this, we became afraid that
+they would not last us back to the camp, and we looked to the bo'sun to
+know his wish; but the man was very silent, and peering everywhere into
+the shadows. Then a fourth torch fell to the ground in a shower of
+embers, and I turned to look. In the same instant there came a great
+flare of light behind me, accompanied by the dull thud of a dry matter
+set suddenly alight. I glanced swiftly back to the bo'sun, and he was
+staring up at one of the giant toadstools which was in flames all along
+its nearer edge, and burning with an incredible fury, sending out spirits
+of flame, and anon giving out sharp reports, and at each report, a fine
+powder was belched in thin streams; which, getting into our throats and
+nostrils, set us sneezing and coughing most lamentably; so that I am
+convinced, had any enemy come upon us at that moment, we had been undone
+by reason of our uncouth helplessness.
+
+Now whether it had come to the bo'sun to set alight this first of the
+fungi, I know not; for it may be that his torch coming by chance against
+it, set it afire. However it chanced, the bo'sun took it as a veritable
+hint from Providence, and was already setting his torch to one a little
+further off, whilst the rest of us were near to choking with our
+coughings and sneezings. Yet, that we were so suddenly overcome by the
+potency of the powder, I doubt if a full minute passed before we were
+each one busied after the manner of the bo'sun; and those whose torches
+had burned out, knocked flaming pieces from the burning fungus, and with
+these impaled upon their torch-sticks, did so much execution as any.
+
+And thus it happened that within five minutes of this discovery of Job's
+body, the whole of that hideous valley sent up to heaven the reek of its
+burning; whilst we, filled with murderous desires, ran hither and thither
+with our weapons, seeking to destroy the vile creatures that had brought
+the poor lad to so unholy a death. Yet nowhere could we discover any
+brute or creature upon which to ease our vengeance, and so, presently,
+the valley becoming impassable by reason of the heat, the flying sparks
+and the abundance of the acrid dust, we made back to the body of the boy,
+and bore him thence to the shore.
+
+And during all that night no man of us slept, and the burning of the
+fungi sent up a mighty pillar of flame out of the valley, as out of the
+mouth of a monstrous pit and when the morning came it still burned. Then
+when it was daylight, some of us slept, being greatly awearied; but some
+kept watch.
+
+And when we waked there was a great wind and rain upon the island.
+
+
+
+
+X
+
+The Light in the Weed
+
+
+Now the wind was very violent from the sea, and threatened to blow down
+our tent, the which, indeed, it achieved at last as we made an end of a
+cheerless breakfast. Yet, the bo'sun bade us not trouble to put it up
+again; but spread it out with the edges raised upon props made from the
+reeds, so that we might catch some of the rainwater; for it was become
+imperative that we should renew our supply before putting out again to
+sea. And whilst some of us were busied about this, he took the others and
+set up a small tent made of the spare canvas, and under this he sheltered
+all of our matters like to be harmed by the rain.
+
+In a little, the rain continuing very violent, we had near a breaker-full
+of water collected in the canvas, and were about to run it off into one
+of the breakers, when the bo'sun cried out to us to hold, and first taste
+the water before we mixed it with that which we had already. At that, we
+put down our hands and scooped up some of the water to taste, and thus we
+discovered it to be brackish and quite undrinkable, at which I was
+amazed, until the bo'sun reminded us that the canvas had been saturated
+for many days with salt water, so that it would take a great quantity of
+fresh before all the salt was washed out. Then he told us to lay it flat
+upon the beach, and scour it well on both sides with the sand, which we
+did, and afterwards let the rain rinse it well, whereupon the next water
+that we caught we found to be near fresh; though not sufficiently so for
+our purpose. Yet when we had rinsed it once more, it became clear of the
+salt, so that we were able to keep all that we caught further.
+
+And then, something before noon, the rain ceased to fall, though coming
+again at odd times in short squalls; yet the wind died not, but blew
+steadily, and continued so from that quarter during the remainder of the
+time that we were upon the island.
+
+Upon the ceasing of the rain, the bo'sun called us all together, that we
+might make a decent burial of the unfortunate lad, whose remains had lain
+during the night upon one of the bottom-boards of the boat. After a
+little discussion, it was decided to bury him in the beach; for the only
+part where there was soft earth was in the valley, and none of us had a
+stomach for that place. Moreover, the sand was soft and easy to dig, and
+as we had no proper tools, this was a great consideration. Presently,
+using the bottom-boards and the oars and the hatchet, we had a place
+large and deep enough to hold the boy, and into this we placed him. We
+made no prayer over him; but stood about the grave for a little space, in
+silence. Then, the bo'sun signed to us to fill in the sand; and,
+therewith, we covered up the poor lad, and left him to his sleep.
+
+And, presently, we made our dinner, after which the bo'sun served out to
+each one of us a very sound tot of the rum; for he was minded to bring us
+back again to a cheerful state of mind.
+
+After we had sat awhile, smoking, the bo'sun divided us into two
+parties to make a search through the island among the rocks, perchance
+we should find water, collected from the rain, among the hollows and
+crevasses; for though we had gotten some, through our device with the
+sail, yet we had by no means caught sufficient for our needs. He was
+especially anxious for haste, in that the sun had come out again; for he
+was feared that such small pools as we should find would be speedily
+dried up by its heat.
+
+Now the bo'sun headed one party, and set the big seaman over the other,
+bidding all to keep their weapons very handy. Then he set out to the
+rocks about the base of the nearer hill, sending the others to the
+farther and greater one, and in each party we carried an empty breaker
+slung from a couple of the stout reeds, so that we might put all such
+driblets as we should find, straight away into it, before they had time
+to vanish into the hot air; and for the purpose of bailing up the water,
+we had brought with us our tin pannikins, and one of the boat's bailers.
+
+In a while, and after much scrambling amid the rocks, we came upon a
+little pool of water that was remarkably sweet and fresh, and from this
+we removed near three gallons before it became dry; and after that we
+came across, maybe, five or six others; but not one of them near so big
+as the first; yet we were not displeased; for we had near three parts
+filled the breaker, and so we made back to the camp, having some wonder
+as to the luck of the other party.
+
+When we came near the camp, we found the others returned before us, and
+seeming in a very high content with themselves; so that we had no need to
+call to them as to whether they had filled their breaker. When they saw
+us, they set out to us at a run to tell us that they had come upon a
+great basin of fresh water in a deep hollow a third of the distance up
+the side of the far hill, and at this the bo'sun bade us put down our
+breaker and make all of us to the hill, so that he might examine for
+himself whether their news was so good as it seemed.
+
+Presently, being guided by the other party, we passed around to the back
+of the far hill, and discovered it to go upward to the top at an easy
+slope, with many ledges and broken places, so that it was scarce more
+difficult than a stair to climb. And so, having climbed perhaps ninety or
+a hundred feet, we came suddenly upon the place which held the water, and
+found that they had not made too much of their discovery; for the pool
+was near twenty feet long by twelve broad, and so clear as though it had
+come from a fountain; yet it had considerable depth, as we discovered by
+thrusting a spear shaft down into it.
+
+Now the bo'sun, having seen for himself how good a supply of water there
+was for our needs, seemed very much relieved in his mind, and declared
+that within three days at the most we might leave the island, at which we
+felt none of us any regret. Indeed, had the boat escaped harm, we had
+been able to leave that same day; but this could not be; for there was
+much to be done before we had her seaworthy again.
+
+Having waited until the bo'sun had made complete his examination, we
+turned to descend, thinking that this would be the bo'sun's intention;
+but he called to us to stay, and, looking back, we saw that he made to
+finish the ascent of the hill. At that, we hastened to follow him; though
+we had no notion of his reason for going higher. Presently, we were come
+to the top, and here we found a very spacious place, nicely level save
+that in one or two parts it was crossed by deepish cracks, maybe half a
+foot to a foot wide, and perhaps three to six fathoms long; but, apart
+from these and some great boulders, it was, as I have mentioned, a
+spacious place; moreover it was bone dry and pleasantly firm under one's
+feet, after so long upon the sand.
+
+I think, even thus early, I had some notion of the bo'sun's design; for
+I went to the edge that overlooked the valley, and peered down, and,
+finding it nigh a sheer precipice, found myself nodding my head, as
+though it were in accordance with some part formed wish. Presently,
+looking about me, I discovered the bo'sun to be surveying that part which
+looked over towards the weed, and I made across to join him. Here, again,
+I saw that the hill fell away very sheer, and after that we went across
+to the seaward edge, and there it was near as abrupt as on the weed side.
+
+Then, having by this time thought a little upon the matter, I put it
+straight to the bo'sun that here would make indeed a very secure camping
+place, with nothing to come at us upon our sides or back; and our front,
+where was the slope, could be watched with ease. And this I put to him
+with great warmth; for I was mortally in dread of the coming night.
+
+Now when I had made an end of speaking, the bo'sun disclosed to me that
+this was, as I had suspicion, his intent, and immediately he called to
+the men that we should haste down, and ship our camp to the top of the
+hill. At that, the men expressed their approbation, and we made haste
+every one of us to the camp, and began straightway to move our gear to
+the hilltop.
+
+In the meanwhile, the bo'sun, taking me to assist him, set-to again upon
+the boat, being intent to get his batten nicely shaped and fit to the
+side of the keel, so that it would bed well to the keel, but more
+particularly to the plank which had sprung outward from its place. And at
+this he labored the greater part of that afternoon, using the little
+hatchet to shape the wood, which he did with surprising skill; yet when
+the evening was come, he had not brought it to his liking. But it must
+not be thought that he did naught but work at the boat; for he had the
+men to direct, and once he had to make his way to the top of the hill to
+fix the place for the tent. And after the tent was up, he set them to
+carry the dry weed to the new camp, and at this he kept them until near
+dusk; for he had vowed never again to be without a sufficiency of fuel.
+But two of the men he sent to collect shell-fish--putting two of them to
+the task, because he would not have one alone upon the island, not
+knowing but that there might be danger, even though it were bright day;
+and a most happy ruling it proved; for, a little past the middle of the
+afternoon, we heard them shouting at the other end of the valley, and,
+not knowing but that they were in need of assistance, we ran with all
+haste to discover the reason of their calling, passing along the
+right-hand side of the blackened and sodden vale. Upon reaching the
+further beach, we saw a most incredible sight; for the two men were
+running towards us through the thick masses of the weed, while, no more
+than four or five fathoms behind, they were pursued by an enormous crab.
+Now I had thought the crab we had tried to capture before coming to the
+island, a prodigy unsurpassed; but this creature was more than treble its
+size, seeming as though a prodigious table were a-chase of them, and
+moreover, spite of its monstrous bulk, it made better way over the weed
+than I should have conceived to be possible--running almost sideways, and
+with one enormous claw raised near a dozen feet into the air.
+
+Now whether, omitting accidents, the men would have made good their
+escape to the firmer ground of the valley, where they could have attained
+to a greater speed, I do not know; but suddenly one of them tripped over
+a loop of the weed, and the next instant lay helpless upon his face. He
+had been dead the following moment, but for the pluck of his companion,
+who faced round manfully upon the monster, and ran at it with his
+twenty-foot spear. It seemed to me that the spear took it about a foot
+below the overhanging armor of the great back shell, and I could see
+that it penetrated some distance into the creature, the man having, by
+the aid of Providence, stricken it in a vulnerable part. Upon receiving
+this thrust, the mighty crab ceased at once its pursuit, and clipped at
+the haft of the spear with its great mandible, snapping the weapon more
+easily than I had done the same thing to a straw. By the time we had
+raced up to the men, the one who had stumbled was again upon his feet,
+and turning to assist his comrade; but the bo'sun snatched his spear from
+him, and leapt forward himself; for the crab was making now at the other
+man. Now the bo'sun did not attempt to thrust the spear into the monster;
+but instead he made two swift blows at the great protruding eyes, and in
+a moment the creature had curled itself up, helpless, save that the huge
+claw waved about aimlessly. At that, the bo'sun drew us off, though the
+man who had attacked the crab desired to make an end of it, averring that
+we should get some very good eating out of it; but to this the bo'sun
+would not listen, telling him that it was yet capable of very deadly
+mischief, did any but come within reach of its prodigious mandible.
+
+And after this, he bade them look no more for shellfish; but take out the
+two fishing-lines which we had, and see if they could catch aught from
+some safe ledge on the further side of the hill upon which we had made
+our camp. Then he returned to his mending of the boat.
+
+It was a little before the evening came down upon the island, that the
+bo'sun ceased work; and, after that, he called to the men, who, having
+made an end of their fuel carrying, were standing near, to place the
+full breakers--which we had not thought needful to carry to the new
+camp on account of their weight--under the upturned boat, some holding
+up the gunnel whilst the others pushed them under. Then the bo'sun laid
+the unfinished batten along with them, and we lowered the boat again
+over all, trusting to its weight to prevent any creature from meddling
+with aught.
+
+After that, we made at once to the camp, being wearifully tired, and with
+a hearty anticipation of supper. Upon reaching the hilltop, the men whom
+the bo'sun had sent with the lines, came to show him a very fine fish,
+something like to a huge king-fish, which they had caught a few minutes
+earlier. This, the bo'sun, after examining, did not hesitate to pronounce
+fit for food; whereupon they set-to and opened and cleaned it. Now, as I
+have said, it was not unlike a great king-fish, and like it, had a mouth
+full of very formidable teeth; the use of which I understood the better
+when I saw the contents of its stomach, which seemed to consist of
+nothing but the coiled tentacles of squid or cuttlefish, with which, as I
+have shown, the weed-continent swarmed. When these were upset upon the
+rock, I was confounded to perceive the length and thickness of some of
+them; and could only conceive that this particular fish must be a very
+desperate enemy to them, and able successfully to attack monsters of a
+bulk infinitely greater than its own.
+
+After this, and whilst the supper was preparing, the bo'sun called to
+some of the men to put up a piece of the spare canvas upon a couple of
+the reeds, so as to make a screen against the wind, which up there was
+so fresh that it came near at times to scattering the fire abroad. This
+they found not difficult; for a little on the windward side of the fire
+there ran one of the cracks of which I have made previous mention, and
+into this they jammed the supports, and so in a very little time had the
+fire screened.
+
+Presently, the supper was ready, and I found the fish to be very fair
+eating; though somewhat coarse; but this was no great matter for concern
+with so empty a stomach as I contained. And here I would remark, that we
+made our fishing save our provisions through all our stay on the island.
+Then, after we had come to an end of our eating, we lay down to a most
+comfortable smoke; for we had no fear of attack, at that height, and with
+precipices upon all sides save that which lay in front. Yet, so soon as
+we had rested and smoked a while, the bo'sun set the watches; for he
+would run no risk through carelessness.
+
+By this time the night was drawing on apace; yet it was not so dark but
+that one could perceive matters at a very reasonable distance. Presently,
+being in a mood that tended to thoughtfulness, and feeling a desire to be
+alone for a little, I strolled away from the fire to the leeward edge of
+the hilltop. Here, I paced up and down awhile, smoking and meditating.
+Anon, I would stare out across the immensity of the vast continent of
+weed and slime that stretched its incredible desolation out beyond the
+darkening horizon, and there would come the thought to me of the terror
+of men whose vessels had been entangled among its strange growths, and so
+my thoughts came to the lone derelict that lay out there in the dusk, and
+I fell to wondering what had been the end of her people, and at that I
+grew yet more solemn in my heart. For it seemed to me that they must have
+died at last by starvation, and if not by that, then by the act of some
+one of the devil-creatures which inhabited that lonely weed-world. And
+then, even as I fell upon this thought, the bo'sun clapped me upon the
+shoulder, and told me in a very hearty way to come to the light of the
+fire, and banish all melancholy thoughts; for he had a very penetrating
+discernment, and had followed me quietly from the camping place, having
+had reason once or twice before to chide me for gloomy meditations. And
+for this, and many other matters, I had grown to like the man, the which
+I could almost believe at times, was his regarding of me; but his words
+were too few for me to gather his feelings; though I had hope that they
+were as I surmised.
+
+And so I came back to the fire, and presently, it not being my time to
+watch until after midnight, I turned into the tent for a spell of sleep,
+having first arranged a comfortable spread of some of the softer portions
+of the dry weed to make me a bed.
+
+Now I was very full of sleep, so that I slept heavily, and in this wise
+heard not the man on watch call the bo'sun; yet the rousing of the others
+waked me, and so I came to myself and found the tent empty, at which I
+ran very hurriedly to the doorway, and so discovered that there was a
+clear moon in the sky, the which, by reason of the cloudiness that had
+prevailed, we had been without for the past two nights. Moreover, the
+sultriness had gone, the wind having blown it away with the clouds; yet
+though, maybe, I appreciated this, it was but in a half-conscious manner;
+for I was put about to discover the whereabouts of the men, and the
+reason of their leaving the tent. With this purpose, I stepped out from
+the entrance, and the following instant discovered them all in a clump
+beside the leeward edge of the hilltop. At that, I held my tongue; for I
+knew not but that silence might be their desire; but I ran hastily over
+to them, and inquired of the bo'sun what manner of thing it was which
+called them from their sleep, and he, for answer, pointed out into the
+greatness of the weed-continent.
+
+At that, I stared out over the breadth of the weed, showing very ghostly
+in the moonlight; but, for the moment, I saw not the thing to which he
+purposed to draw my attention. Then, suddenly, it fell within the circle
+of my gaze--a little light out in the lonesomeness. For the space of some
+moments, I stared with bewildered eyes; then it came to me with
+abruptness that the light shone from the lone derelict lying out in the
+weed, the same that upon that very evening, I had looked with sorrow and
+awe, because of the end of those who had been in her--and now, behold, a
+light burning, seemingly within one of her after cabins; though the moon
+was scarce powerful enough to enable the outline of the hulk to be seen
+clear of the rounding wilderness.
+
+And from this time, until the day, we had no more sleep; but made up the
+fire, and sat round it, full of excitement and wonder, and getting up
+continually to discover if the light still burned. This it ceased to do
+about an hour after I had first seen it; but it was the more proof that
+some of our kind were no more than the half of a mile from our camp.
+
+And at last the day came.
+
+
+
+
+XI
+
+The Signals from the Ship
+
+
+Now so soon as it was clearly light, we went all of us to the leeward
+brow of the hill to stare upon the derelict, which now we had cause to
+believe no derelict, but an inhabited vessel. Yet though we watched her
+for upwards of two hours, we could discover no sign of any living
+creature, the which, indeed, had we been in cooler minds, we had not
+thought strange, seeing that she was all so shut in by the great
+superstructure; but we were hot to see a fellow creature, after so much
+lonesomeness and terror in strange lands and seas, and so could not by
+any means contain ourselves in patience until those aboard the hulk
+should choose to discover themselves to us.
+
+And so, at last, being wearied with watching, we made it up together to
+shout when the bo'sun should give us the signal, by this means making a
+good volume of sound which we conceived the wind might carry down to the
+vessel. Yet though we raised many shouts, making as it seemed to us a
+very great noise, there came no response from the ship, and at last we
+were fain to cease from our calling, and ponder some other way of
+bringing ourselves to the notice of those within the hulk.
+
+For a while we talked, some proposing one thing, and some another; but
+none of them seeming like to achieve our purpose. And after that we fell
+to marveling that the fire which we had lit in the valley had not
+awakened them to the fact that some of their fellow creatures were upon
+the island; for, had it, we could not suppose but that they would have
+kept a perpetual watch upon the island until such time as they should
+have been able to attract our notice. Nay! more than this, it was scarce
+credible that they should not have made an answering fire, or set some of
+their bunting above the superstructure, so that our gaze should be
+arrested upon the instant we chanced to glance towards the hulk. But so
+far from this, there appeared even a purpose to shun our attention; for
+that light which we had viewed in the past night was more in the way of
+an accident, than of the nature of a purposeful exhibition.
+
+And so, presently, we went to breakfast, eating heartily; our night of
+wakefulness having given us mighty appetites; but, for all that, we were
+so engrossed by the mystery of the lonesome craft, that I doubt if any of
+us knew what manner of food it was with which we filled our bellies. For
+first one view of the matter would be raised, and when this had been
+combated, another would be broached, and in this wise it came up finally
+that some of the men were falling in doubt whether the ship was inhabited
+by anything human, saying rather that it might be held by some demoniac
+creature of the great weed-continent. At this proposition, there came
+among us a very uncomfortable silence; for not only did it chill the
+warmth of our hopes; but seemed like to provide us with a fresh terror,
+who were already acquainted with too much. Then the bo'sun spoke,
+laughing with a hearty contempt at our sudden fears, and pointed out
+that it was just as like that they aboard the ship had been put in fear
+by the great blaze from the valley, as that they should take it for a
+sign that fellow creatures and friends were at hand. For, as he put it to
+us, who of us could say what fell brutes and demons the weed-continent
+did hold, and if we had reason to know that there were very dread things
+among the weed, how much the more must they, who had, for all that we
+knew, been many years beset around by such. And so, as he went on to make
+clear, we might suppose that they were very well aware there had come
+some creatures to the island; yet, maybe, they desired not to make
+themselves known until they had been given sight of them, and because of
+this, we must wait until they chose to discover themselves to us.
+
+Now when the bo'sun had made an end, we felt each one of us greatly
+cheered; for his discourse seemed very reasonable. Yet still there were
+many matters that troubled our company; for, as one put it, was it not
+mightily strange that we had not had previous sight of their light, or,
+in the day, of the smoke from their galley fire? But to this the bo'sun
+replied that our camp hitherto had lain in a place where we had not
+sight, even of the great world of weed, leaving alone any view of the
+derelict. And more, that at such times as we had crossed to the opposite
+beach, we had been occupied too sincerely to have much thought to watch
+the hulk, which, indeed, from that position showed only her great
+superstructure. Further, that, until the preceding day, we had but once
+climbed to any height; and that from our present camp the derelict could
+not be viewed, and to do so, we had to go near to the leeward edge of
+the hill-top.
+
+And so, breakfast being ended, we went all of us to see if there were yet
+any signs of life in the hulk; but when an hour had gone, we were no
+wiser. Therefore, it being folly to waste further time, the bo'sun left
+one man to watch from the brow of the hill, charging him very strictly to
+keep in such position that he could be seen by any aboard the silent
+craft, and so took the rest down to assist him in the repairing of the
+boat. And from thence on, during the day, he gave the men a turn each at
+watching, telling them to wave to him should there come any sign from the
+hulk. Yet, excepting the watch, he kept every man so busy as might be,
+some bringing weed to keep up a fire which he had lit near the boat; one
+to help him turn and hold the batten upon which he labored; and two he
+sent across to the wreck of the mast, to detach one of the futtock
+shrouds, which (as is most rare) were made of iron rods. This, when they
+brought it, he bade me heat in the fire, and afterwards beat out straight
+at one end, and when this was done, he set me to burn holes with it
+through the keel of the boat, at such places as he had marked, these
+being for the bolts with which he had determined to fasten on the batten.
+
+In the meanwhile, he continued to shape the batten until it was a very
+good and true fit according to his liking. And all the while he cried out
+to this man and to that one to do this or that; and so I perceived that,
+apart from the necessity of getting the boat into a seaworthy condition,
+he was desirous to keep the men busied; for they were become so excited
+at the thought of fellow creatures almost within hail, that he could not
+hope to keep them sufficiently in hand without some matter upon which to
+employ them.
+
+Now, it must not be supposed that the bo'sun had no share of our
+excitement; for I noticed that he gave ever and anon a glance to the
+crown of the far hill, perchance the watchman had some news for us. Yet
+the morning went by, and no signal came to tell us that the people in the
+ship had design to show themselves to the man upon watch, and so we came
+to dinner. At this meal, as might be supposed, we had a second
+discussion upon the strangeness of the behavior of those aboard the hulk;
+yet none could give any more reasonable explanation than the bo'sun had
+given in the morning, and so we left it at that.
+
+Presently, when we had smoked and rested very comfortably, for the bo'sun
+was no tyrant, we rose at his bidding to descend once more to the beach.
+But at this moment, one of the men having run to the edge of the hill to
+take a short look at the hulk, cried out that a part of the great
+superstructure over the quarter had been removed, or pushed back, and
+that there was a figure there, seeming, so far as his unaided sight could
+tell, to be looking through a spy-glass at the island. Now it would be
+difficult to tell of all our excitement at this news, and we ran eagerly
+to see for ourselves if it could be as he informed us. And so it was; for
+we could see the person very clearly; though remote and small because of
+the distance. That he had seen us, we discovered in a moment; for he
+began suddenly to wave something, which I judged to be the spy-glass, in
+a very wild manner, seeming also to be jumping up and down. Yet, I doubt
+not but that we were as much excited; for suddenly I discovered myself to
+be shouting with the rest in a most insane fashion, and more-over I was
+waving my hands and running to and fro upon the brow of the hill. Then, I
+observed that the figure on the hulk had disappeared; but it was for no
+more than a moment, and then it was back and there were near a dozen with
+it, and it seemed to me that some of them were females; but the distance
+was over great for surety. Now these, all of them, seeing us upon the
+brow of the hill, where we must have shown up plain against the sky,
+began at once to wave in a very frantic way, and we, replying in like
+manner, shouted ourselves hoarse with vain greetings. But soon we grew
+wearied of the unsatisfactoriness of this method of showing our
+excitement, and one took a piece of the square canvas, and let it stream
+out into the wind, waving it to them, and another took a second piece and
+did likewise, while a third man rolled up a short bit into a cone and
+made use of it as a speaking trumpet; though I doubt if his voice carried
+any the further because of it. For my part, I had seized one of the long
+bamboo-like reeds which were lying about near the fire, and with this I
+was making a very brave show. And so it may be seen how very great and
+genuine was our exaltation upon our discovery of these poor people shut
+off from the world within that lonesome craft.
+
+Then, suddenly, it seemed to come to us to realize that _they_ were among
+the weed, and _we_ upon the hilltop, and that we had no means of bridging
+that which lay between. And at this we faced one another to discuss what
+we should do to effect the rescue of those within the hulk. Yet it was
+little that we could even suggest; for though one spoke of how he had
+seen a rope cast by means of a mortar to a ship that lay off shore, yet
+this helped us not, for we had no mortar; but here the same man cried out
+that they in the ship might have such a thing, so that they would be able
+to shoot the rope to us, and at this we thought more upon his saying; for
+if they had such a weapon, then might our difficulties be solved. Yet we
+were greatly at a loss to know how we should discover whether they were
+possessed of one, and further to explain our design to them. But here the
+bo'sun came to our help, and bade one man go quickly and char some of the
+reeds in the fire, and whilst this was doing he spread out upon the rock
+one of the spare lengths of canvas; then he sung out to the man to bring
+him one of the pieces of charred reed, and with this he wrote our
+question upon the canvas, calling for fresh charcoal as he required it.
+Then, having made an end of writing, he bade two of the men take hold of
+the canvas by the ends and expose it to the view of those in the ship,
+and in this manner we got them to understand our desires. For, presently,
+some of them went away, and came back after a little, and held up for us
+to see, a very great square of white, and upon it a great "NO," and at
+this were we again at our wits' ends to know how it would be possible to
+rescue those within the ship; for, suddenly, our whole desire to leave
+the island, was changed into a determination to rescue the people in the
+hulk, and, indeed, had our intentions not been such we had been veritable
+curs; though I am happy to tell that we had no thought at this juncture
+but for those who were now looking to us to restore them once more to the
+world to which they had been so long strangers.
+
+Now, as I have said, we were again at our wits' ends to know how to come
+at those within the hulk, and there we stood all of us, talking together,
+perchance we should hit upon some plan, and anon we would turn and wave
+to those who watched us so anxiously. Yet, a while passed, and we had
+come no nearer to a method of rescue. Then a thought came to me (waked
+perchance by the mention of shooting the rope over to the hulk by means
+of a mortar) how that I had read once in a book, of a fair maid whose
+lover effected her escape from a castle by a similar artifice, only that
+in his case he made use of a bow in place of a mortar, and a cord instead
+of a rope, his sweetheart hauling up the rope by means of the cord.
+
+Now it seemed to me a possible thing to substitute a bow for the mortar,
+if only we could find the material with which to make such a weapon, and
+with this in view, I took up one of the lengths of the bamboo-like reed,
+and tried the spring of it, which I found to be very good; for this
+curious growth, of which I have spoken hitherto as a reed, had no
+resemblance to that plant, beyond its appearance; it being
+extraordinarily tough and woody, and having considerably more nature
+than a bamboo. Now, having tried the spring of it, I went over to the
+tent and cut a piece of sampsonline which I found among the gear, and
+with this and the reed I contrived a rough bow. Then I looked about until
+I came upon a very young and slender reed which had been cut with the
+rest, and from this I fashioned some sort of an arrow, feathering it with
+a piece of one of the broad, stiff leaves, which grew upon the plant, and
+after that I went forth to the crowd about the leeward edge of the hill.
+Now when they saw me thus armed, they seemed to think that I intended a
+jest, and some of them laughed, conceiving that it was a very odd action
+on my part; but when I explained that which was in my mind, they ceased
+from laughter, and shook their heads, making that I did but waste time;
+for, as they said, nothing save gunpowder could cover so great a
+distance. And after that they turned again to the bo'sun with whom some
+of them seemed to be in argument. And so for a little space I held my
+peace, and listened; thus I discovered that certain of the men advocated
+the taking of the boat--so soon as it was sufficiently repaired--and
+making a passage through the weed to the ship, which they proposed to do
+by cutting a narrow canal. But the bo'sun shook his head, and reminded
+them of the great devil-fish and crabs, and the worse things which the
+weed concealed, saying that those in the ship would have done it long
+since had it been possible, and at that the men were silenced, being
+robbed of their unreasoning ardor by his warnings.
+
+Now just at this point there happened a thing which proved the wisdom of
+that which the bo'sun contended; for, suddenly, one of the men cried out
+to us to look, and at that we turned quickly, and saw that there was a
+great commotion among those who were in the open place in the
+superstructure; for they were running this way and that, and some were
+pushing to the slide which filled the opening. And then, immediately, we
+saw the reason for their agitation and haste; for there was a stir in the
+weed near to the stem of the ship, and the next instant, monstrous
+tentacles were reached up to the place where had been the opening; but
+the door was shut, and those aboard the hulk in safety. At this
+manifestation, the men about me who had proposed to make use of the boat,
+and the others also, cried out their horror of the vast creature, and, I
+am convinced, had the rescue depended upon their use of the boat, then
+had those in the hulk been forever doomed.
+
+Now, conceiving that this was a good point at which to renew my
+importunities, I began once again to explain the probabilities of my plan
+succeeding, addressing myself more particularly to the bo'sun. I told how
+that I had read that the ancients made mighty weapons, some of which
+could throw a great stone so heavy as two men, over a distance surpassing
+a quarter of a mile; moreover, that they compassed huge catapults which
+threw a lance, or great arrow, even further. On this, he expressed much
+surprise, never having heard of the like; but doubted greatly that we
+should be able to construct such a weapon. Yet, I told him that I was
+prepared; for I had the plan of one clearly in my mind, and further I
+pointed out to him that we had the wind in our favor, and that we were a
+great height up, which would allow the arrow to travel the farther before
+it came so low as the weed.
+
+Then I stepped to the edge of the hill, and, bidding him watch, fitted my
+arrow to the string, and, having bent the bow, loosed it, whereupon,
+being aided by the wind and the height on which I stood, the arrow
+plunged into the weed at a distance of near two hundred yards from where
+we stood, that being about a quarter of the distance on the road to the
+derelict. At that, the bo'sun was won over to my idea; though, as he
+remarked, the arrow had fallen nearer had it been drawing a length of
+yarn after it, and to this I assented; but pointed out that my bow and
+arrow was but a rough affair, and, more, that I was no archer; yet I
+promised him, with the bow that I should make, to cast a shaft clean over
+the hulk, did he but give me his assistance, and bid the men to help.
+
+Now, as I have come to regard it in the light of greater knowledge, my
+promise was exceeding rash; but I had faith in my conception, and was
+very eager to put it to the test; the which, after much discussion at
+supper, it was decided I should be allowed to do.
+
+
+
+
+XII
+
+The Making of the Great Bow
+
+
+The fourth night upon the island was the first to pass without incident.
+It is true that a light showed from the hulk out in the weed; but now
+that we had made some acquaintance with her inmates, it was no longer a
+cause for excitement, so much as contemplation. As for the valley where
+the vile things had made an end of Job, it was very silent and desolate
+under the moonlight; for I made a point to go and view it during my time
+on watch; yet, for all that it lay empty, it was very eerie, and a place
+to conjure up uncomfortable thoughts, so that I spent no great time
+pondering it.
+
+This was the second night on which we had been free from the terror of
+the devil-things, and it seemed to me that the great fire had put them in
+fear of us and driven them away; but of the truth or error of this idea,
+I was to learn later.
+
+Now it must be admitted that, apart from a short look into the valley,
+and occasional starings at the light out in the weed, I gave little
+attention to aught but my plans for the great bow, and to such use did I
+put my time, that when I was relieved, I had each particular and detail
+worked out, so that I knew very well just what to set the men doing so
+soon as we should make a start in the morning.
+
+Presently, when the morning had come, and we had made an end of
+breakfast, we turned-to upon the great bow, the bo'sun directing the men
+under my supervision. Now, the first matter to which I bent attention,
+was the raising, to the top of the hill, of the remaining half of that
+portion of the topmast which the bo'sun had split in twain to procure the
+batten for the boat. To this end, we went down, all of us, to the beach
+where lay the wreckage, and, getting about the portion which I intended
+to use, carried it to the foot of the hill; then we sent a man to the top
+to let down the rope by which we had moored the boat to the sea anchor,
+and when we had bent this on securely to the piece of timber, we returned
+to the hill-top, and tailed on to the rope, and so, presently, after much
+weariful pulling, had it up.
+
+The next thing I desired was that the split face of the timber should be
+rubbed straight, and this the bo'sun understood to do, and whilst he was
+about it, I went with some of the men to the grove of reeds, and here,
+with great care, I made a selection of some of the finest, these being
+for the bow, and after that I cut some which were very clean and
+straight, intending them for the great arrows. With these we returned
+once more to the camp, and there I set-to and trimmed them of their
+leaves, keeping these latter, for I had a use for them. Then I took a
+dozen reeds and cut them each to a length of twenty-five feet, and
+afterwards notched them for the strings. In the meanwhile, I had sent
+two men down to the wreckage of the masts to cut away a couple of the
+hempen shrouds and bring them to the camp, and they, appearing about
+this time, I set to work to unlay the shrouds, so that they might get
+out the fine white yarns which lay beneath the outer covering of tar
+and blacking. These, when they had come at them, we found to be very
+good and sound, and this being so, I bid them make three-yarn sennit;
+meaning it for the strings of the bows. Now, it will be observed that I
+have said bows, and this I will explain. It had been my original
+intention to make one great bow, lashing a dozen of the reeds together
+for the purpose; but this, upon pondering it, I conceived to be but a
+poor plan; for there would be much life and power lost in the rendering
+of each piece through the lashings, when the bow was released. To
+obviate this, and further, to compass the bending of the bow, the which
+had, at first, been a source of puzzlement to me as to how it was to be
+accomplished, I had determined to make twelve separate bows, and these I
+intended to fasten at the end of the stock one above the other, so that
+they were all in one plane vertically, and because of this conception, I
+should be able to bend the bows one at a time, and slip each string over
+the catch-notch, and afterwards frap the twelve strings together in the
+middle part so that they would be but one string to the butt of the
+arrow. All this, I explained to the bo'sun, who, indeed, had been
+exercised in his own mind as to how we should be able to bend such a bow
+as I intended to make, and he was mightily pleased with my method of
+evading this difficulty, and also one other, which, else, had been
+greater than the bending, and that was the _stringing_ of the bow, which
+would have proved a very awkward work.
+
+Presently, the bo'sun called out to me that he had got the surface of the
+stock sufficiently smooth and nice; and at that I went over to him; for
+now I wished him to burn a slight groove down the center, running from
+end to end, and this I desired to be done very exactly; for upon it
+depended much of the true flight of the arrow. Then I went back to my own
+work; for I had not yet finished notching the bows. Presently, when I
+had made an end of this, I called for a length of the sennit, and, with
+the aid of another man, contrived to string one of the bows. This, when I
+had finished, I found to be very springy, and so stiff to bend that I had
+all that I could manage to do so, and at this I felt very satisfied.
+
+Presently, it occurred to me that I should do well to set some of the men
+to work upon the line which the arrow was to carry; for I had determined
+that this should be made also from the white hemp yarns, and, for the
+sake of lightness, I conceived that one thickness of yarn would be
+sufficient; but so that it might compass enough of strength, I bid them
+split the yarns and lay the two halves up together, and in this manner
+they made me a very light and sound line; though it must not be supposed
+that it was finished at once; for I needed over half a mile of it, and
+thus it was later finished than the bow itself.
+
+Having now gotten all things in train, I set me down to work upon one of
+the arrows; for I was anxious to see what sort of a fist I should make of
+them, knowing how much would depend upon the balance and truth of the
+missile. In the end, I made a very fair one, feathering it with its own
+leaves, and truing and smoothing it with my knife; after which I inserted
+a small bolt in the forrard end, to act as a head, and, as I conceived,
+give it balance; though whether I was right in this latter, I am unable
+to say. Yet, before I had finished my arrow, the bo'sun had made the
+groove, and called me over to him, that I might admire it, the which I
+did; for it was done with a wonderful neatness.
+
+Now I have been so busy with my description of how we made the great bow,
+that I have omitted to tell of the flight of time, and how we had eaten
+our dinner this long while since, and how that the people in the hulk had
+waved to us, and we had returned their signals, and then written upon a
+length of the canvas the one word, "WAIT." And, besides all this, some
+had gathered our fuel for the coming night.
+
+And so, presently, the evening came upon us; but we ceased not to work;
+for the bo'sun bade the men to light a second great fire, beside our
+former one, and by the light of this we worked another long spell;
+though it seemed short enough, by reason of the interest of the work.
+Yet, at last, the bo'sun bade us to stop and make supper, which we did,
+and after that, he set the watches, and the rest of us turned in; for we
+were very weary.
+
+In spite of my previous weariness, when the man whom I relieved called me
+to take my watch, I felt very fresh and wide awake, and spent a great
+part of the time, as on the preceding night, in studying over my plans
+for completing the great bow, and it was then that I decided finally in
+what manner I would secure the bows athwart the end of the stock; for
+until then I had been in some little doubt, being divided between several
+methods. Now, however, I concluded to make twelve grooves across the sawn
+end of the stock, and fit the middles of the bows into these, one above
+the other, as I have already mentioned; and then to lash them at each
+side to bolts driven into the sides of the stock. And with this idea I
+was very well pleased; for it promised to make them secure, and this
+without any great amount of work.
+
+Now, though I spent much of my watch in thinking over the details of my
+prodigious weapon, yet it must not be supposed that I neglected to
+perform my duty as watchman; for I walked continually about the top of
+the hill, keeping my cut-and-thrust ready for any sudden emergency. Yet
+my time passed off quietly enough; though it is true that I witnessed one
+thing which brought me a short spell of disquiet thought. It was in this
+wise:--I had come to that part of the hill-top which overhung the valley,
+and it came to me, abruptly, to go near to the edge and look over. Thus,
+the moon being very bright, and the desolation of the valley reasonably
+clear to the eye, it appeared to me, as I looked that I saw a movement
+among certain of the fungi which had not burnt, but stood up shriveled
+and blackened in the valley. Yet by no means could I be sure that it was
+not a sudden fancy, born of the eeriness of that desolate looking vale;
+the more so as I was like to be deceived because of the uncertainty which
+the light of the moon gives. Yet, to prove my doubts, I went back until I
+had found a piece of rock easy to throw, and this, taking a short run, I
+cast into the valley, aiming at the spot where it had seemed to me that
+there had been a movement. Immediately upon this, I caught a glimpse of
+some moving thing, and then, more to my right, something else stirred,
+and at this, I looked towards it; but could discover nothing. Then,
+looking back at the clump at which I had aimed my missile, I saw that the
+slime covered pool, which lay near, was all a-quiver, or so it seemed.
+Yet the next instant I was just as full of doubt; for, even as I watched
+it, I perceived that it was quite still. And after that, for some time, I
+kept a very strict gaze into the valley; yet could nowhere discover aught
+to prove my suspicions, and, at last, I ceased from watching it; for I
+feared to grow fanciful, and so wandered to that part of the hill which
+overlooked the weed.
+
+Presently, when I had been relieved, I returned to sleep, and so till the
+morning. Then, when we had made each of us a hasty breakfast--for all
+were grown mightily keen to see the great bow completed--we set-to upon
+it, each at our appointed task. Thus, the bo'sun and I made it our work
+to make the twelve grooves athwart the flat end of the stock, into which
+I proposed to fit and lash the bows, and this we accomplished by means of
+the iron futtock-shroud, which we heated in its middle part, and then,
+each taking an end (protecting our hands with canvas), we went one on
+each side and applied the iron until at length we had the grooves burnt
+out very nicely and accurately. This work occupied us all the morning;
+for the grooves had to be deeply burnt; and in the meantime the men had
+completed near enough sennit for the stringing of the bows; yet those who
+were at work on the line which the arrow was to carry, had scarce made
+more than half, so that I called off one man from the sennit to turn-to,
+and give them a hand with the making of the line.
+
+When dinner was ended, the bo'sun and I set-to about fitting the bows
+into their places, which we did, and lashed them to twenty-four bolts,
+twelve a side, driven into the timber of the stock, about twelve inches
+in from the end. After this, we bent and strung the bows, taking very
+great care to have each bent exactly as the one below it; for we started
+at the bottom. And so, before sunset, we had that part of our work ended.
+
+Now, because the two fires which we had lit on the previous night had
+exhausted our fuel, the bo'sun deemed it prudent to cease work, and go
+down all of us to bring up a fresh supply of the dry seaweed and some
+bundles of the reeds. This we did, making an end of our journeyings just
+as the dusk came over the island. Then, having made a second fire, as on
+the preceding night, we had first our supper, and after that another
+spell of work, all the men turning to upon the line which the arrow was
+to carry, whilst the bo'sun and I set-to, each of us, upon the making of
+a fresh arrow; for I had realized that we should have to make one or two
+flights before we could hope to find our range and make true our aim.
+
+Later, maybe about nine of the night, the bo'sun bade us all to put away
+our work, and then he set the watches, after which the rest of us went
+into the tent to sleep; for the strength of the wind made the shelter a
+very pleasant thing.
+
+That night, when it came my turn to watch, I minded me to take a look
+into the valley; but though I watched at intervals through the half of an
+hour, I saw nothing to lead me to imagine that I had indeed seen aught on
+the previous night, and so I felt more confident in my mind that we
+should be troubled no further by the devil-things which had destroyed
+poor Job. Yet I must record one thing which I saw during my watch; though
+this was from the edge of the hilltop which overlooked the
+weed-continent, and was not in the valley, but in the stretch of clear
+water which lay between the island and the weed. As I saw it, it seemed
+to me that a number of great fish were swimming across from the island,
+diagonally towards the great continent of weed: they were swimming in one
+wake, and keeping a very regular line; but not breaking the water after
+the manner of porpoises or black fish. Yet, though I have mentioned this,
+it must not be supposed that I saw any very strange thing in such a
+sight, and indeed, I thought nothing more of it than to wonder what sort
+of fish they might be; for, as I saw them indistinctly in the moonlight,
+they made a queer appearance, seeming each of them to be possessed of two
+tails, and further, I could have thought I perceived a flicker as of
+tentacles just beneath the surface; but of this I was by no means sure.
+
+Upon the following morning, having hurried our breakfast, each of us
+set-to again upon our tasks; for we were in hopes to have the great bow
+at work before dinner. Soon, the bo'sun had finished his arrow, and mine
+was completed very shortly after, so that there lacked nothing now to
+the completion of our work, save the finishing of the line, and the
+getting of the bow into position. This latter, assisted by the men, we
+proceeded now to effect, making a level bed of rocks near the edge of
+the hill which overlooked the weed. Upon this we placed the great bow,
+and then, having sent the men back to their work at the line, we
+proceeded to the aiming of the huge weapon. Now, when we had gotten the
+instrument pointed, as we conceived, straight over the hulk, the which
+we accomplished by squinting along the groove which the bo'sun had burnt
+down the center of the stock, we turned-to upon the arranging of the
+notch and trigger, the notch being to hold the strings when the weapon
+was set, and the trigger--a board bolted on loosely at the side just
+below the notch--to push them upwards out of this place when we desired
+to discharge the bow. This part of the work took up no great portion of
+our time, and soon we had all ready for our first flight. Then we
+commenced to set the bows, bending the bottom one first, and then those
+above in turn, until all were set; and, after that, we laid the arrow
+very carefully in the groove. Then I took two pieces of spun yarn and
+frapped the strings together at each end of the notch, and by this means
+I was assured that all the strings would act in unison when striking the
+butt of the arrow. And so we had all things ready for the discharge;
+whereupon, I placed my foot upon the trigger, and, bidding the bo'sun
+watch carefully the flight of the arrow, pushed downwards. The next
+instant, with a mighty twang, and a quiver that made the great stock
+stir on its bed of rocks, the bow sprang to its lesser tension, hurling
+the arrow outwards and upwards in a vast arc. Now, it may be conceived
+with what mortal interest we watched its flight, and so in a minute
+discovered that we had aimed too much to the right, for the arrow struck
+the weed ahead of the hulk--but _beyond_ it. At that, I was filled near
+to bursting with pride and joy, and the men who had come forward to
+witness the trial, shouted to acclaim my success, whilst the bo'sun
+clapped me twice upon the shoulder to signify his regard, and shouted as
+loud as any.
+
+And now it seemed to me that we had but to get the true aim, and the
+rescue of those in the hulk would be but a matter of another day or two;
+for, having once gotten a line to the hulk, we should haul across a thin
+rope by its means, and with this a thicker one; after which we should set
+this up so taut as possible, and then bring the people in the hulk to the
+island by means of a seat and block which we should haul to and fro along
+the supporting line.
+
+Now, having realized that the bow would indeed carry so far as the wreck,
+we made haste to try our second arrow, and at the same time we bade the
+men go back to their work upon the line; for we should have need of it in
+a very little while. Presently, having pointed the bow more to the left,
+I took the frappings off the strings, so that we could bend the bows
+singly, and after that we set the great weapon again. Then, seeing that
+the arrow was straight in the groove, I replaced the frappings, and
+immediately discharged it. This time, to my very great pleasure and
+pride, the arrow went with a wonderful straightness towards the ship,
+and, clearing the superstructure, passed out of our sight as it fell
+behind it. At this, I was all impatience to try to get the line to the
+hulk before we made our dinner; but the men had not yet laid-up
+sufficient; there being then only four hundred and fifty fathoms (which
+the bo'sun measured off by stretching it along his arms and across his
+chest). This being so, we went to dinner, and made very great haste
+through it; and, after that, every one of us worked at the line, and so
+in about an hour we had sufficient; for I had estimated that it would not
+be wise to make the attempt with a less length than five hundred fathoms.
+
+Having now completed a sufficiency of the line, the bo'sun set one of the
+men to flake it down very carefully upon the rock beside the bow, whilst
+he himself tested it at all such parts as he thought in any way doubtful,
+and so, presently, all was ready. Then I bent it on to the arrow, and,
+having set the bow whilst the men were flaking down the line, I was
+prepared immediately to discharge the weapon.
+
+Now, all the morning, a man upon the hulk had observed us through a
+spy-glass, from a position that brought his head just above the edge of
+the superstructure, and, being aware of our intentions--having watched
+the previous flights--he understood the bo'sun, when he beckoned to him,
+that we had made ready for a third shot, and so, with an answering wave
+of his spy-glass, he disappeared from our sight. At that, having first
+turned to see that all were clear of the line, I pressed down the
+trigger, my heart beating very fast and thick, and so in a moment the
+arrow was sped. But now, doubtless because of the weight of the line, it
+made nowhere near so good a flight as on the previous occasion, the arrow
+striking the weed some two hundred yards short of the hulk, and at this,
+I could near have wept with vexation and disappointment.
+
+Immediately upon the failure of my shot, the bo'sun called to the men to
+haul in the line very carefully, so that it should not be parted through
+the arrow catching in the weed; then he came over to me, and proposed
+that we should set-to at once to make a heavier arrow, suggesting that it
+had been lack of weight in the missile which had caused it to fall short.
+At that, I felt once more hopeful, and turned-to at once to prepare a new
+arrow; the bo'sun doing likewise; though in his case he intended to make
+a lighter one than that which had failed; for, as he put it, though the
+heavier one fell short, yet might the lighter succeed, and if neither,
+then we could only suppose that the bow lacked power to carry the line,
+and in that case, we should have to try some other method.
+
+Now, in about two hours, I had made my arrow, the bo'sun having finished
+his a little earlier, and so (the men having hauled in all the line and
+flaked it down ready) we prepared to make another attempt to cast it
+over the hulk. Yet, a second time we failed, and by so much that it
+seemed hopeless to think of success; but, for all that it appeared
+useless, the bo'sun insisted on making a last try with the light arrow,
+and, presently, when we had gotten the line ready again, we loosed upon
+the wreck; but in this case so lamentable was our failure, that I cried
+out to the bo'sun to set the useless thing upon the fire and burn it;
+for I was sorely irked by its failure, and could scarce abide to speak
+civilly of it.
+
+Now the bo'sun, perceiving how I felt, sung out that we would cease
+troubling about the hulk for the present, and go down all of us to gather
+reeds and weed for the fire; for it was drawing nigh to evening. And this
+we did, though all in a disconsolate condition of mind; for we had seemed
+so near to success, and now it appeared to be further than ever from us.
+And so, in a while, having brought up a sufficiency of fuel, the bo'sun
+sent two of the men down to one of the ledges which overhung the sea, and
+bade them see whether they could not secure a fish for our supper. Then,
+taking our places about the fire, we fell-to upon a discussion as to how
+we should come at the people in the hulk.
+
+Now, for a while there came no suggestion worthy of notice, until at last
+there occurred to me a notable idea, and I called out suddenly that we
+should make a small fire balloon, and float off the line to them by such
+means. At that, the men about the fire were silent a moment; for the idea
+was new to them, and moreover they needed to comprehend just what I
+meant. Then, when they had come fully at it, the one who had proposed
+that they should make spears of their knives, cried out to know why a
+kite would not do, and at that I was confounded, in that so simple an
+expedient had not occurred to any before; for, surely, it would be but a
+little matter to float a line to them by means of a kite, and, further,
+such a thing would take no great making.
+
+And so, after a space of talk, it was decided that upon the morrow we
+should build some sort of kite, and with it fly a line over the hulk, the
+which should be a task of no great difficulty with so good a breeze as we
+had continually with us.
+
+And, presently, having made our supper off a very fine fish, which the
+two fishermen had caught whilst we talked, the bo'sun set the watches,
+and the rest turned-in.
+
+
+
+
+XIII
+
+The Weed Men
+
+
+Now, on that night, when I came to my watch, I discovered that there was
+no moon, and, save for such light as the fire threw, the hill-top was in
+darkness; yet this was no great matter to trouble me; for we had been
+unmolested since the burning of the fungi in the valley, and thus I had
+lost much of the haunting fear which had beset me upon the death of Job.
+Yet, though I was not so much afraid as I had been, I took all
+precautions that suggested themselves to me, and built up the fire to a
+goodly height, after which I took my cut-and-thrust, and made the round
+of the camping place. At the edges of the cliffs which protected us on
+three sides, I made some pause, staring down into the darkness, and
+listening; though this latter was of but small use because of the
+strength of the wind which roared continually in my ears. Yet though I
+neither saw nor heard anything, I was presently possessed of a strange
+uneasiness, which made me return twice or thrice to the edge of the
+cliffs; but always without seeing or hearing anything to justify my
+superstitions. And so, presently, being determined to give way to no
+fancifulness, I avoided the boundary of cliffs, and kept more to that
+part which commanded the slope, up and down which we made our journeys
+to and from the island below.
+
+Then, it would be near halfway through my time of watching, there came to
+me out of the immensity of weed that lay to leeward, a far distant sound
+that grew upon my ear, rising and rising into a fearsome screaming and
+shrieking, and then dying away into the distance in queer sobs, and so at
+last to a note below that of the wind's. At this, as might be supposed, I
+was somewhat shaken in myself to hear so dread a noise coming out of all
+that desolation, and then, suddenly, the thought came to me that the
+screaming was from the ship to leeward of us, and I ran immediately to
+the edge of the cliff overlooking the weed, and stared into the darkness;
+but now I perceived, by a light which burned in the hulk, that the
+screaming had come from some place a great distance to the right of her,
+and more, as my sense assured me, it could by no means have been possible
+for those in her to have sent their voices to me against such a breeze as
+blew at that time.
+
+And so, for a space, I stood nervously pondering, and peering away into
+the blackness of the night; thus, in a little, I perceived a dull glow
+upon the horizon, and, presently, there rose into view the upper edge of
+the moon, and a very welcome sight it was to me; for I had been upon the
+point of calling the bo'sun to inform him regarding the sound which I had
+heard; but I had hesitated, being afraid to seem foolish if nothing
+should befall. Then, even as I stood watching the moon rise into view,
+there came again to me the beginning of that screaming, somewhat like to
+the sound of a woman sobbing with a giant's voice, and it grew and
+strengthened until it pierced through the roar of the wind with an
+amazing clearness, and then slowly, and seeming to echo and echo, it sank
+away into the distance, and there was again in my ears no sound beyond
+that of the wind.
+
+At this, having looked fixedly in the direction from which the sound had
+proceeded, I ran straightway to the tent and roused the bo'sun; for I had
+no knowledge of what the noise might portend, and this second cry had
+shaken from me all my bashfulness. Now the bo'sun was upon his feet
+almost before I had made an end of shaking him, and catching up his great
+cutlass which he kept always by his side, he followed me swiftly out on
+to the hill-top. Here, I explained to him that I had heard a very
+fearsome sound which had appeared to proceed out of the vastness of the
+weed-continent, and that, upon a repetition of the noise, I had decided
+to call him; for I knew not but that it might signal to us of some coming
+danger. At that, the bo'sun commended me; though chiding me in that I had
+hesitated to call him at the first occurrence of the crying, and then,
+following me to the edge of the leeward cliff, he stood there with me,
+waiting and listening, perchance there might come again a recurrence of
+the noise.
+
+For perhaps something over an hour we stood there very silent and
+listening; but there came to us no sound beyond the continuous noise of
+the wind, and so, by that time, having grown somewhat impatient of
+waiting, and the moon being well risen, the bo'sun beckoned to me to make
+the round of the camp with him. Now, just as I turned away, chancing to
+look downward at the clear water directly below, I was amazed to see that
+an innumerable multitude of great fish, like unto those which I had seen
+on the previous night, were swimming from the weed-continent towards the
+island. At that, I stepped nearer the edge; for they came so directly
+towards the island that I expected to see them close inshore; yet I could
+not perceive one; for they seemed all of them to vanish at a point some
+thirty yards distant from the beach, and at that, being amazed both by
+the numbers of the fish and their strangeness, and the way in which they
+came on continually, yet never reached the shore, I called to the bo'sun
+to come and see; for he had gone on a few paces. Upon hearing my call, he
+came running back; whereat I pointed into the sea below. At that, he
+stooped forward and peered very intently, and I with him; yet neither one
+of us could discover the meaning of so curious an exhibition, and so for
+a while we watched, the bo'sun being quite so much interested as I.
+
+Presently, however, he turned away, saying that we did foolishly to stand
+here peering at every curious sight, when we should be looking to the
+welfare of the camp, and so we began to go the round of the hill-top.
+Now, whilst we had been watching and listening, we had suffered the fire
+to die down to a most unwise lowness, and consequently, though the moon
+was rising, there was by no means the same brightness that should have
+made the camp light. On perceiving this, I went forward to throw some
+fuel on to the fire, and then, even as I moved, it seemed to me that I
+saw something stir in the shadow of the tent. And at that, I ran towards
+the place, uttering a shout, and waving my cut-and-thrust; yet I found
+nothing, and so, feeling somewhat foolish, I turned to make up the fire,
+as had been my intention, and whilst I was thus busied, the bo'sun came
+running over to me to know what I had seen, and in the same instant there
+ran three of the men out of the tent, all of them waked by my sudden cry.
+But I had naught to tell them, save that my fancy had played me a trick,
+and had shown me something where my eyes could find nothing, and at that,
+two of the men went back to resume their sleep; but the third, the big
+fellow to whom the bo'sun had given the other cutlass, came with us,
+bringing his weapon; and, though he kept silent, it seemed to me that he
+had gathered something of our uneasiness; and for my part I was not sorry
+to have his company.
+
+Presently, we came to that portion of the hill which overhung the
+valley, and I went to the edge of the cliff, intending to peer over; for
+the valley had a very unholy fascination for me. Yet, no sooner had I
+glanced down than I started, and ran back to the bo'sun and plucked him
+by the sleeve, and at that, perceiving my agitation, he came with me in
+silence to see what matter had caused me so much quiet excitement. Now,
+when he looked over, he also was astounded, and drew back instantly;
+then, using great caution, he bent forward once more, and stared down,
+and, at that, the big seaman came up behind, walking upon his toes, and
+stooped to see what manner of thing we had discovered. Thus we each of us
+stared down upon a most unearthly sight; for the valley all beneath us
+was a-swarm with moving creatures, white and unwholesome in the
+moonlight, and their movements were somewhat like the movements of
+monstrous slugs, though the things themselves had no resemblance to such
+in their contours; but minded me of naked humans, very fleshy and
+crawling upon their stomachs; yet their movements lacked not a surprising
+rapidity. And now, looking a little over the bo'sun's shoulder, I
+discovered that these hideous things were coming up out from the pit-like
+pool in the bottom of the valley, and, suddenly, I was minded of the
+multitudes of strange fish which we had seen swimming towards the island;
+but which had all disappeared before reaching the shore, and I had no
+doubt but that they entered the pit through some natural passage known to
+them beneath the water. And now I was made to understand my thought of
+the previous night, that I had seen the flicker of tentacles; for these
+things below us had each two short and stumpy arms; but the ends appeared
+divided into hateful and wriggling masses of small tentacles, which slid
+hither and thither as the creatures moved about the bottom of the valley,
+and at their hinder ends, where they should have grown feet, there seemed
+other flickering bunches; but it must not be supposed that we saw these
+things clearly.
+
+Now it is scarcely possible to convey the extraordinary disgust which the
+sight of these human slugs bred in me; nor, could I, do I think I would;
+for were I successful, then would others be like to retch even as I did,
+the spasm coming on without premonition, and born of very horror. And
+then, suddenly, even as I stared, sick with loathing and apprehension,
+there came into view, not a fathom below my feet, a face like to the face
+which had peered up into my own on that night, as we drifted beside the
+weed-continent. At that, I could have screamed, had I been in less
+terror; for the great eyes, so big as crown pieces, the bill like to an
+inverted parrot's, and the slug-like undulating of its white and slimy
+body, bred in me the dumbness of one mortally stricken. And, even as I
+stayed there, my helpless body bent and rigid, the bo'sun spat a mighty
+curse into my ear, and, leaning forward, smote at the thing with his
+cutlass; for in the instant that I had seen it, it had advanced upward by
+so much as a yard. Now, at this action of the bo'sun's, I came suddenly
+into possession of myself, and thrust downward with so much vigor that I
+was like to have followed the brute's carcass; for I overbalanced, and
+danced giddily for a moment upon the edge of eternity; and then the
+bo'sun had me by the waistband, and I was back in safety; but in that
+instant through which I had struggled for my balance, I had discovered
+that the face of the cliff was near hid with the number of the things
+which were making up to us, and I turned to the bo'sun, crying out to him
+that there were thousands of them swarming up to us. Yet, he was gone
+already from me, running towards the fire, and shouting to the men in the
+tent to haste to our help for their very lives, and then he came racing
+back with a great armful of the weed, and after him came the big seaman,
+carrying a burning tuft from the camp fire, and so in a few moments we
+had a blaze, and the men were bringing more weed; for we had a very good
+stock upon the hill-top; for which the Almighty be thanked.
+
+Now, scarce had we lit one fire, when the bo'sun cried out to the big
+seaman to make another, further along the edge of the cliff, and, in the
+same instant, I shouted, and ran over to that part of the hill which lay
+towards the open sea; for I had seen a number of moving things about the
+edge of the seaward cliff. Now here there was a deal of shadow; for there
+were scattered certain large masses of rock about this part of the hill,
+and these held off both the light of the moon, and that from the fires.
+Here, I came abruptly upon three great shapes moving with stealthiness
+towards the camp, and, behind these, I saw dimly that there were others.
+Then, with a loud cry for help, I made at the three, and, as I charged,
+they rose up on end at me, and I found that they overtopped me, and their
+vile tentacles were reached out at me. Then I was smiting, and gasping,
+sick with a sudden stench, the stench of the creatures which I had come
+already to know. And then something clutched at me, something slimy and
+vile, and great mandibles champed in my face; but I stabbed upward, and
+the thing fell from me, leaving me dazed and sick, and smiting weakly.
+Then there came a rush of feet behind, and a sudden blaze, and the bo'sun
+crying out encouragement, and, directly, he and the big seaman thrust
+themselves in front of me, hurling from them great masses of burning
+weed, which they had borne, each of them, up a long reed. And immediately
+the things were gone, slithering hastily down over the cliff edge.
+
+And so, presently, I was more my own man, and made to wipe from my throat
+the slime left by the clutch of the monster: and afterwards I ran from
+fire to fire with weed, feeding them, and so a space passed, during
+which we had safety; for by that time we had fires all about the top of
+the hill, and the monsters were in mortal dread of fire, else had we been
+dead, all of us, that night.
+
+Now, a while before the dawn, we discovered, for the second time since we
+had been upon the island, that our fuel could not last us the night at
+the rate at which we were compelled to burn it, and so the bo'sun told
+the men to let out every second fire, and thus we staved off for a while
+the time when we should have to face a spell of darkness, and the things
+which, at present, the fires held off from us. And so at last, we came to
+the end of the weed and the reeds, and the bo'sun called out to us to
+watch the cliff edges very carefully, and smite on the instant that any
+thing showed; but that, should he call, all were to gather by the central
+fire for a last stand. And, after that, he blasted the moon which had
+passed behind a great bank of cloud. And thus matters were, and the gloom
+deepened as the fires sank lower and lower. Then I heard a man curse, on
+that part of the hill which lay towards the weed-continent, his cry
+coming up to me against the wind, and the bo'sun shouted to us to all
+have a care, and directly afterwards I smote at something that rose
+silently above the edge of the cliff opposite to where I watched.
+
+Perhaps a minute passed, and then there came shouts from all parts of the
+hilltop, and I knew that the weed men were upon us, and in the same
+instant there came two above the edge near me, rising with a ghostly
+quietness, yet moving lithely. Now the first, I pierced somewhere in the
+throat, and it fell backward; but the second, though I thrust it through,
+caught my blade with a bunch of its tentacles, and was like to have
+snatched it from me; but that I kicked it in the face, and at that,
+being, I believe, more astonished than hurt, it loosed my sword, and
+immediately fell away out of sight. Now this had taken, in all, no more
+than some ten seconds; yet already I perceived so many as four others
+coming into view a little to my right, and at that it seemed to me that
+our deaths must be very near, for I knew not how we were to cope with the
+creatures, coming as they were so boldly and with such rapidity. Yet, I
+hesitated not, but ran at them, and now I thrust not; but cut at their
+faces, and found this to be very effectual; for in this wise disposed I
+of three in as many strokes; but the fourth had come right over the cliff
+edge, and rose up at me upon its hinder parts, as had done those others
+when the bo'sun had succored me. At that, I gave way, having a very
+lively dread; but, hearing all about me the cries of conflict, and
+knowing that I could expect no help, I made at the brute: then as it
+stooped and reached out one of its bunches of tentacles, I sprang back,
+and slashed at them, and immediately I followed this up by a thrust in
+the stomach, and at that it collapsed into a writhing white ball, that
+rolled this way and that, and so, in its agony, coming to the edge of the
+cliff, it fell over, and I was left, sick and near helpless with the
+hateful stench of the brutes.
+
+Now by this time all the fires about the edges of the hill were sunken
+into dull glowing mounds of embers; though that which burnt near to the
+entrance of the tent was still of a good brightness; yet this helped us
+but little, for we fought too far beyond the immediate circle of its
+beams to have benefit of it. And still the moon, at which now I threw a
+despairing glance, was no more than a ghostly shape behind the great bank
+of cloud which was passing over it. Then, even as I looked upward,
+glancing as it might be over my left shoulder, I saw, with a sudden
+horror, that something had come anigh me, and upon the instant, I caught
+the reek of the thing, and leapt fearfully to one side, turning as I
+sprang. Thus was I saved in the very moment of my destruction; for the
+creature's tentacles smeared the back of my neck as I leapt, and then I
+had smitten, once and again, and conquered.
+
+Immediately after this, I discovered something to be crossing the dark
+space that lay between the dull mound of the nearest fire, and that which
+lay further along the hill-top, and so, wasting no moment of time, I ran
+towards the thing, and cut it twice across the head before ever it could
+get upon its hind parts, in which position I had learned greatly to dread
+them. Yet, no sooner had I slain this one, than there came a rush of
+maybe a dozen upon me; these having climbed silently over the cliff edge
+in the meanwhile. At this, I dodged, and ran madly towards the glowing
+mound of the nearest fire, the brutes following me almost so quick as I
+could run; but I came to the fire the first, and then, a sudden thought
+coming to me, I thrust the point of my cut-and-thrust among the embers
+and switched a great shower of them at the creatures, and at that I had a
+momentary clear vision of many white, hideous faces stretched out towards
+me, and brown, champing mandibles which had the upper beak shutting into
+the lower; and the clumped, wriggling tentacles were all a-flutter. Then
+the gloom came again; but immediately, I switched another and yet another
+shower of the burning embers towards them, and so, directly, I saw them
+give back, and then they were gone. At this, all about the edges of the
+hilltop, I saw the fires being scattered in like manner; for others had
+adopted this device to help them in their sore straits.
+
+For a little after this, I had a short breathing space, the brutes
+seeming to have taken fright; yet I was full of trembling, and I glanced
+hither and thither, not knowing when some one or more of them would come
+upon me. And ever I glanced towards the moon, and prayed the Almighty
+that the clouds would pass quickly, else should we be all dead men; and
+then, as I prayed, there rose a sudden very terrible scream from one of
+the men, and in the same moment there came something over the edge of the
+cliff fronting me; but I cleft it or ever it could rise higher, and in my
+ears there echoed still the sudden scream which had come from that part
+of the hill which lay to the left of me: yet I dared not to leave my
+station; for to have done so would have been to have risked all, and so I
+stayed, tortured by the strain of ignorance, and my own terror.
+
+Again, I had a little spell in which I was free from molestation; nothing
+coming into sight so far as I could see to right or left of me; though
+others were less fortunate, as the curses and sounds of blows told to me,
+and then, abruptly, there came another cry of pain, and I looked up again
+to the moon, and prayed aloud that it might come out to show some light
+before we were all destroyed; but it remained hid. Then a sudden thought
+came into my brain, and I shouted at the top of my voice to the bo'sun to
+set the great cross-bow upon the central fire; for thus we should have a
+big blaze--the wood being very nice and dry. Twice I shouted to him,
+saying:--"Burn the bow! Burn the bow!" And immediately he replied,
+shouting to all the men to run to him and carry it to the fire; and this
+we did and bore it to the center fire, and then ran back with all speed
+to our places. Thus in a minute we had some light, and the light grew as
+the fire took hold of the great log, the wind fanning it to a blaze. And
+so I faced outwards, looking to see if any vile face showed above the
+edge before me, or to my right or left. Yet, I saw nothing, save, as it
+seemed to me, once a fluttering tentacle came up, a little to my right;
+but nothing else for a space.
+
+Perhaps it was near five minutes later, that there came another attack,
+and, in this, I came near to losing my life, through my folly in
+venturing too near to the edge of the cliff; for, suddenly, there shot up
+out from the darkness below, a clump of tentacles, and caught me about
+the left ankle, and immediately I was pulled to a sitting posture, so
+that both my feet were over the edge of the precipice, and it was only by
+the mercy of God that I had not plunged head foremost into the valley.
+Yet, as it was, I suffered a mighty peril; for the brute that had my
+foot, put a vast strain upon it, trying to pull me down; but I resisted,
+using my hands and seat to sustain me, and so, discovering that it could
+not compass my end in this wise, it slacked somewhat of the stress, and
+bit at my boot, shearing through the hard leather, and nigh destroying my
+small toe; but now, being no longer compelled to use both hands to retain
+my position, I slashed down with great fury, being maddened by the pain
+and the mortal fear which the creature had put upon me; yet I was not
+immediately free of the brute; for it caught my sword blade; but I
+snatched it away before it could take a proper hold, mayhaps cutting its
+feelers somewhat thereby; though of this I cannot be sure, for they
+seemed not to grip around a thing, but to _suck_ to it; then, in a
+moment, by a lucky blow, I maimed it, so that it loosed me, and I was
+able to get back into some condition of security.
+
+And from this onwards, we were free from molestation; though we had no
+knowledge but that the quietness of the weed men did but portend a
+fresh attack, and so, at last, it came to the dawn; and in all this
+time the moon came not to our help, being quite hid by the clouds which
+now covered the whole arc of the sky, making the dawn of a very
+desolate aspect.
+
+And so soon as there was a sufficiency of light, we examined the valley;
+but there were nowhere any of the weed men, no! nor even any of their
+dead for it seemed that they had carried off all such and their wounded,
+and so we had no opportunity to make an examination of the monsters by
+daylight. Yet, though we could not come upon their dead, all about the
+edges of the cliffs was blood and slime, and from the latter there came
+ever the hideous stench which marked the brutes; but from this we
+suffered little, the wind carrying it far away to leeward, and filling
+our lungs with sweet and wholesome air.
+
+Presently, seeing that the danger was past, the bo'sun called us to the
+center fire, on which burnt still the remnants of the great bow, and here
+we discovered for the first time that one of the men was gone from us. At
+that, we made search about the hilltop, and afterwards in the valley and
+about the island; but found him not.
+
+
+
+
+XIV
+
+In Communication
+
+
+Now of the search which we made through the valley for the body of
+Tompkins, that being the name of the lost man, I have some doleful
+memories. But first, before we left the camp, the bo'sun gave us all a
+very sound tot of the rum, and also a biscuit apiece, and thereafter we
+hasted down, each man holding his weapon readily. Presently, when we were
+come to the beach which ended the valley upon the seaward side, the
+bo'sun led us along to the bottom of the hill, where the precipices came
+down into the softer stuff which covered the valley, and here we made a
+careful search, perchance he had fallen over, and lay dead or wounded
+near to our hands. But it was not so, and after that, we went down to the
+mouth of the great pit, and here we discovered the mud all about it to be
+covered with multitudes of tracks, and in addition to these and the
+slime, we found many traces of blood; but nowhere any signs of Tompkins.
+And so, having searched all the valley, we came out upon the weed which
+strewed the shore nearer to the great weed-continent; but discovered
+nothing until we had made up towards the foot of the hill, where it came
+down sheer into the sea. Here, I climbed on to a ledge--the same from
+which the men had caught their fish--, thinking that, if Tompkins had
+fallen from above, he might lie in the water at the foot of the cliff,
+which was here, maybe, some ten to twenty feet deep; but, for a little
+space, I saw nothing. Then, suddenly, I discovered that there was
+something white, down in the sea away to my left, and, at that, I climbed
+farther out along the ledge.
+
+In this wise I perceived that the thing which had attracted my notice was
+the dead body of one of the weed men. I could see it but dimly, catching
+odd glimpses of it as the surface of the water smoothed at whiles. It
+appeared to me to be lying curled up, and somewhat upon its right side,
+and in proof that it was dead, I saw a mighty wound that had come near to
+shearing away the head; and so, after a further glance, I came in, and
+told what I had seen. At that, being convinced by this time that Tompkins
+was indeed done to death, we ceased our search; but first, before we left
+the spot, the bo'sun climbed out to get a sight of the dead weed man and
+after him the rest of the men, for they were greatly curious to see
+clearly what manner of creature it was that had attacked us in the night.
+Presently, having seen so much of the brute as the water would allow,
+they came in again to the beach, and afterwards were returned to the
+opposite side of the island, and so, being there, we crossed over to the
+boat, to see whether it had been harmed; but found it to be untouched.
+Yet, that the creatures had been all about it, we could perceive by the
+marks of slime upon the sand, and also by the strange trail which they
+had left in the soft surface. Then one of the men called out that there
+had been something at Job's grave, which, as will be remembered, had been
+made in the sand some little distance from the place of our first camp.
+At that, we looked all of us, and it was easy to see that it had been
+disturbed, and so we ran hastily to it, knowing not what to fear; thus
+we found it to be empty; for the monsters had digged down to the poor
+lad's body, and of it we could discover no sign. Upon this, we came to a
+greater horror of the weed men than ever; for we knew them now to be foul
+ghouls who could not let even the dead body rest in the grave.
+
+Now after this, the bo'sun led us all back to the hill-top, and there he
+looked to our hurts; for one man had lost two fingers in the night's
+fray; another had been bitten savagely in the left arm; whilst a third
+had all the skin of his face raised in wheals where one of the brutes had
+fixed its tentacles. And all of these had received but scant attention,
+because of the stress of the fight, and, after that, through the
+discovery that Tompkins was missing. Now, however, the bo'sun set-to upon
+them, washing and binding them up, and for dressings he made use of some
+of the oakum which we had with us, binding this on with strips torn from
+the roll of spare duck, which had been in the locker of the boat.
+
+For my part, seizing this chance to make some examination of my
+wounded toe, the which, indeed, was causing me to limp, I found that I
+had endured less harm than seemed to me; for the bone of the toe was
+untouched, though showing bare; yet when it was cleansed, I had not
+overmuch pain with it; though I could not suffer to have the boot on,
+and so bound some canvas about my foot, until such time as it should
+be healed.
+
+Presently, when our wounds were all attended to, the which had taken
+time, for there was none of us altogether untouched, the bo'sun bade the
+man whose fingers were damaged, to lie down in the tent, and the same
+order he gave also to him that was bitten in the arm. Then, the rest of
+us he directed to go down with him and carry up fuel; for that the night
+had shown him how our very lives depended upon a sufficiency of this;
+and so all that morning we brought fuel to the hill-top, both weed and
+reeds, resting not until midday, when he gave us a further tot of the
+rum, and after that set one of the men upon the dinner. Then he bade the
+man, Jessop by name, who had proposed to fly a kite over the vessel in
+the weed, to say whether he had any craft in the making of such a
+matter. At that, the fellow laughed, and told the bo'sun that he would
+make him a kite that would fly very steadily and strongly, and this
+without the aid of a tail. And so the bo'sun bade him set-to without
+delay, for that we should do well to deliver the people in the hulk, and
+afterwards make all haste from the island, which was no better than a
+nesting place of ghouls.
+
+Now hearing the man say that his kite would fly without a tail, I was
+mightily curious to see what manner of thing he would make; for I had
+never seen the like, nor heard that such was possible. Yet he spoke of no
+more than he could accomplish; for he took two of the reeds and cut them
+to a length of about six feet; then he bound them together in the middle
+so that they formed a Saint Andrew's cross, and after that he made two
+more such crosses, and when these were completed, he took four reeds
+maybe a dozen feet long, and bade us stand them upright in the shape of a
+square, so that they formed the four corners, and after that he took one
+of the crosses, and laid it in the square so that its four ends touched
+the four uprights, and in this position he lashed it. Then he took the
+second cross and lashed it midway between the top and bottom of the
+uprights, and after that he lashed the third at the top, so that the
+three of them acted as spreaders to keep the four longer reeds in their
+places as though they were for the uprights of a little square tower.
+Now, when he had gotten so far as that, the bo'sun called out to us to
+make our dinners, and this we did, and afterwards had a short time in
+which to smoke, and whilst we were thus at our ease the sun came out,
+the which it had not done all the day, and at that we felt vastly
+brighter; for the day had been very gloomy with clouds until that time,
+and what with the loss of Tompkins, and our own fears and hurts, we had
+been exceeding doleful, but now, as I have said, we became more cheerful,
+and went very alertly to the finishing of the kite.
+
+At this point it came suddenly to the bo'sun that we had made no
+provision of cord for the flying of the kite, and he called out to the
+man to know what strength the kite would require, at which Jessop
+answered him that maybe ten-yarn sennit would do, and this being so,
+the bo'sun led three of us down to the wrecked mast upon the further
+beach, and from this we stripped all that was left of the shrouds, and
+carried them to the top of the hill, and so, presently, having unlaid
+them, we set-to upon the sennit, using ten yarns; but plaiting two as
+one, by which means we progressed with more speed than if we had taken
+them singly.
+
+Now, as we worked, I glanced occasionally towards Jessop, and saw that he
+stitched a band of the light duck around each end of the framework which
+he had made, and these bands I judged to be about four feet wide, in this
+wise leaving an open space between the two, so that now the thing looked
+something like to a Punchinello show, only that the opening was in the
+wrong place, and there was too much of it. After that he bent on a bridle
+to two of the uprights, making this of a piece of good hemp rope which he
+found in the tent, and then he called out to the bo'sun that the kite was
+finished. At that, the bo'sun went over to examine it, the which did all
+of us; for none of us had seen the like of such a thing, and, if I
+misdoubt not, few of us had much faith that it would fly; for it seemed
+so big and unwieldy. Now, I think that Jessop gathered something of our
+thoughts; for, calling to one of us to hold the kite, lest it should
+blow away, he went into the tent, and brought out the remainder of the
+hemp line, the same from which he had cut the bridle. This, he bent on to
+it, and, giving the end into our hands, bade us go back with it until all
+the slack was taken up, he, in the meanwhile, steadying the kite. Then,
+when we had gone back to the extent of the line, he shouted to us to take
+a very particular hold upon it, and then, stooping, caught the kite by
+the bottom, and threw it into the air, whereupon, to our amazement,
+having swooped somewhat to one side, it steadied and mounted upwards into
+the sky like a very bird.
+
+Now at this, as I have made mention, we were astonished, for it appeared
+like a miracle to us to see so cumbrous a thing fly with so much grace
+and persistence, and further, we were mightily surprised at the manner in
+which it pulled upon the rope, tugging with such heartiness that we were
+like to have loosed it in our first astonishment, had it not been for the
+warning which Jessop called to us.
+
+And now, being well assured of the properness of the kite, the bo'sun
+bade us to draw it in, the which we did only with difficulty, because of
+its bigness and the strength of the breeze. And when we had it back again
+upon the hilltop, Jessop moored it very securely to a great piece of
+rock, and, after that, having received our approbation, he turned-to with
+us upon the making of the sennit.
+
+Presently, the evening drawing near, the bo'sun set us to the building of
+fires about the hill-top, and after that, having waved our goodnights to
+the people in the hulk, we made our suppers, and lay down to smoke, after
+which, we turned-to again at our plaiting of the sennit, the which we
+were in very great haste to have done. And so, later, the dark having
+come down upon the island, the bo'sun bade us take burning weed from the
+center fire, and set light to the heaps of weed that we had stacked
+round the edges of the hill for that purpose, and so in a few minutes the
+whole of the hill-top was very light and cheerful, and afterwards, having
+put two of the men to keep watch and attend to the fires, he sent the
+rest of us back to our sennit making, keeping us at it until maybe about
+ten of the clock, after which he arranged that two men at a time should
+be on watch throughout the night, and then he bade the rest of us
+turn-in, so soon as he had looked to our various hurts.
+
+Now, when it came to my turn to watch, I discovered that I had been
+chosen to accompany the big seaman, at which I was by no means
+displeased; for he was a most excellent fellow, and moreover a very lusty
+man to have near, should anything come upon one unawares. Yet, we were
+happy in that the night passed off without trouble of any sort, and so at
+last came the morning.
+
+So soon as we had made our breakfast, the bo'sun took us all down to the
+carrying of fuel; for he saw very clearly that upon a good supply of this
+depended our immunity from attack. And so for the half of the morning we
+worked at the gathering of weed and reeds for our fires. Then, when we
+had obtained a sufficiency for the coming night, he set us all to work
+again upon the sennit, and so until dinner, after which we turned-to once
+more upon our plaiting. Yet it was plain that it would take several days
+to make a sufficient line for our purpose, and because of this, the
+bo'sun cast about in his mind for some way in which he could quicken its
+production. Presently, as a result of some little thought, he brought out
+from the tent the long piece of hemp rope with which we had moored the
+boat to the sea anchor, and proceeded to unlay it, until he had all three
+strands separate. Then he bent the three together, and so had a very
+rough line of maybe some hundred and eighty fathoms in length, yet,
+though so rough, he judged it strong enough, and thus we had this much
+the less sennit to make.
+
+Now, presently, we made our dinner, and after that for the rest of the
+day we kept very steadily to our plaiting, and so, with the previous
+day's work, had near two hundred fathoms completed by the time that the
+bo'sun called us to cease and come to supper. Thus it will be seen that
+counting all, including the piece of hemp line from which the bridle had
+been made, we may be said to have had at this time about four hundred
+fathoms towards the length which we needed for our purpose, this having
+been reckoned at five hundred fathoms.
+
+After supper, having lit all the fires, we continued to work at the
+plaiting, and so, until the bo'sun set the watches, after which we
+settled down for the night, first, however, letting the bo'sun see to
+our hurts. Now this night, like to the previous, brought us no trouble;
+and when the day came, we had first our breakfast, and then set-to upon
+our collecting of fuel, after which we spent the rest of the day at the
+sennit, having manufactured a sufficiency by the evening, the which the
+bo'sun celebrated by a very rousing tot of the rum. Then, having made
+our supper, we lit the fires, and had a very comfortable evening, after
+which, as on the preceding nights, having let the bo'sun attend our
+wounds, we settled for the night, and on this occasion the bo'sun let
+the man who had lost his fingers, and the one who had been bitten so
+badly in the arm, take their first turn at the watching since the night
+of the attack.
+
+Now when the morning came we were all of us very eager to come to the
+flying of the kite; for it seemed possible to us that we might effect
+the rescue of the people in the hulk before the evening. And, at the
+thought of this, we experienced a very pleasurable sense of excitement;
+yet, before the bo'sun would let us touch the kite, he insisted that we
+should gather our usual supply of fuel, the which order, though full of
+wisdom, irked us exceedingly, because of our eagerness to set about the
+rescue. But at last this was accomplished, and we made to get the line
+ready, testing the knots, and seeing that it was all clear for running.
+Yet, before setting the kite off, the bo'sun took us down to the further
+beach to bring up the foot of the royal and t'gallant mast, which
+remained fast to the topmast, and when we had this upon the hill-top, he
+set its ends upon two rocks, after which he piled a heap of great pieces
+around them, leaving the middle part clear. Round this he passed the
+kite line a couple or three times, and then gave the end to Jessop to
+bend on to the bridle of the kite, and so he had all ready for paying
+out to the wreck.
+
+And now, having nothing to do, we gathered round to watch, and,
+immediately, the bo'sun giving the signal, Jessop cast the kite into
+the air, and, the wind catching it, lifted it strongly and well, so
+that the bo'sun could scarce pay out fast enough. Now, before the kite
+had been let go, Jessop had bent to the forward end of it a great
+length of the spun yarn, so that those in the wreck could catch it as
+it trailed over them, and, being eager to witness whether they would
+secure it without trouble, we ran all of us to the edge of the hill to
+watch. Thus, within five minutes from the time of the loosing of the
+kite, we saw the people in the ship wave to us to cease veering, and
+immediately afterwards the kite came swiftly downwards, by which we
+knew that they had the tripping-line, and were hauling upon it, and at
+that we gave out a great cheer, and afterwards we sat about and smoked,
+waiting until they had read our instructions, which we had written upon
+the covering of the kite.
+
+Presently, maybe the half of an hour afterwards, they signaled to us to
+haul upon our line, which we proceeded to do without delay, and so,
+after a great space, we had hauled in all of our rough line, and come
+upon the end of theirs, which proved to be a fine piece of three-inch
+hemp, new and very good; yet we could not conceive that this would stand
+the stress necessary to lift so great a length clear of the weed, as
+would be needful, or ever we could hope to bring the people of the ship
+over it in safety. And so we waited some little while, and, presently,
+they signaled again to us to haul, which we did, and found that they had
+bent on a much greater rope to the bight of the three-inch hemp, having
+merely intended the latter for a hauling-line by which to get the heavier
+rope across the weed to the island. Thus, after a weariful time of
+pulling, we got the end of the bigger rope up to the hill-top, and
+discovered it to be an extraordinarily sound rope of some four inches
+diameter, and smoothly laid of fine yarns round and very true and well
+spun, and with this we had every reason to be satisfied.
+
+Now to the end of the big rope they had tied a letter, in a bag of
+oilskin, and in it they said some very warm and grateful things to us,
+after which they set out a short code of signals by which we should be
+able to understand one another on certain general matters, and at the end
+they asked if they should send us any provision ashore; for, as they
+explained, it would take some little while to get the rope set taut
+enough for our purpose, and the carrier fixed and in working order. Now,
+upon reading this letter, we called out to the bo'sun that he should ask
+them if they would send us some soft bread; the which he added thereto a
+request for lint and bandages and ointment for our hurts. And this he
+bade me write upon one of the great leaves from off the reeds, and at the
+end he told me to ask if they desired us to send them any fresh water.
+And all of this, I wrote with a sharpened splinter of reed, cutting the
+words into the surface of the leaf. Then, when I had made an end of
+writing, I gave the leaf to the bo'sun, and he enclosed it in the oilskin
+bag, after which he gave the signal for those in the hulk to haul on the
+smaller line, and this they did.
+
+Presently, they signed to us to pull in again, the which we did, and so,
+when we had hauled in a great length of their line, we came to the little
+oilskin bag, in which we found lint and bandages and ointment, and a
+further letter, which set out that they were baking bread, and would send
+us some so soon as it was out from the oven.
+
+Now, in addition to the matters for the healing of our wounds, and the
+letter, they had included a bundle of paper in loose sheets, some quills
+and an inkhorn, and at the end of their epistle, they begged very
+earnestly of us to send them some news of the outer world; for they had
+been shut up in that strange continent of weed for something over seven
+years. They told us then that there were twelve of them in the hulk,
+three of them being women, one of whom had been the captain's wife; but
+he had died soon after the vessel became entangled in the weed, and along
+with him more than half of the ship's company, having been attacked by
+giant devil-fish, as they were attempting to free the vessel from the
+weed, and afterwards they who were left had built the superstructure as a
+protection against the devil-fish, and the _devil-men_, as they termed
+them; for, until it had been built, there had been no safety about the
+decks, neither day nor night.
+
+To our question as to whether they were in need of water, the people in
+the ship replied that they had a sufficiency, and, further, that they
+were very well supplied with provisions; for the ship had sailed from
+London with a general cargo, among which there was a vast quantity of
+food in various shapes and forms. At this news we were greatly pleased,
+seeing that we need have no more anxiety regarding a lack of victuals,
+and so in the letter which I went into the tent to write, I put down
+that we were in no great plentitude of provisions, at which hint I
+guessed they would add somewhat to the bread when it should be ready. And
+after that I wrote down such chief events as my memory recalled as having
+occurred in the course of the past seven years, and then, a short account
+of our own adventures, up to that time, telling them of the attack which
+we had suffered from the weed men, and asking such questions as my
+curiosity and wonder prompted.
+
+Now whilst I had been writing, sitting in the mouth of the tent, I had
+observed, from time to time, how that the bo'sun was busied with the men
+in passing the end of the big rope round a mighty boulder, which lay
+about ten fathoms in from the edge of the cliff which overlooked the
+hulk. This he did, parceling the rope where the rock was in any way
+sharp, so as to protect it from being cut; for which purpose he made use
+of some of the canvas. And by the time that I had the letter completed,
+the rope was made very secure to the great piece of rock, and, further,
+they had put a large piece of chafing gear under that part of the rope
+where it took the edge of the cliff.
+
+Now having, as I have said, completed the letter, I went out with it to
+the bo'sun; but, before placing it in the oilskin bag he bade me add a
+note at the bottom, to say that the big rope was all fast, and that they
+could heave on it so soon as it pleased them, and after that we
+dispatched the letter by means of the small line, the men in the hulk
+hauling it off to them so soon as they perceived our signals.
+
+By this, it had come well on to the latter part of the afternoon, and the
+bo'sun called us to make some sort of a meal, leaving one man to watch
+the hulk, perchance they should signal to us. For we had missed our
+dinner in the excitement of the day's work, and were come now to feel the
+lack of it. Then, in the midst of it, the man upon the lookout cried out
+that they were signaling to us from the ship, and, at that, we ran all of
+us to see what they desired, and so, by the code which we had arranged
+between us, we found that they waited for us to haul upon the small line.
+This did we, and made out presently that we were hauling something across
+the weed, of a very fair bulk, at which we warmed to our work, guessing
+that it was the bread which they had promised us, and so it proved, and
+done up with great neatness in a long roll of tarpaulin, which had been
+wrapped around both the loaves and the rope, and lashed very securely at
+the ends, thus producing a taper shape convenient for passing over the
+weed without catching. Now, when we came to open this parcel, we
+discovered that my hint had taken very sound effect; for there were in
+the parcel, besides the loaves, a boiled ham, a Dutch cheese, two bottles
+of port well padded from breakage, and four pounds of tobacco in plugs.
+And at this coming of good things, we stood all of us upon the edge of
+the hill, and waved our thanks to those in the ship, they waving back in
+all good will, and after that we went back to our meal, at which we
+sampled the new victuals with very lusty appetites.
+
+There was in the parcel, one other matter, a letter, most neatly
+indited, as had been the former epistles, in a feminine handwriting, so
+that I guessed they had one of the women to be their scribe. This
+epistle answered some of my queries, and, in particular, I remember that
+it informed me as to the probable cause of the strange crying which
+preceded the attack by the weed men, saying that on each occasion when
+they in the ship had suffered their attacks, there had been always this
+same crying, being evidently a summoning call or signal to the attack,
+though how given, the writer had not discovered; for the weed
+_devils_--this being how they in the ship spoke always of them--made
+never a sound when attacking, not even when wounded to the death, and,
+indeed, I may say here, that we never learnt the way in which that
+lonesome sobbing was produced, nor, indeed, did they, or we, discover
+more than the merest tithe of the mysteries which that great continent
+of weed holds in its silence.
+
+Another matter to which I had referred was the consistent blowing of the
+wind from one quarter, and this the writer told me happened for as much
+as six months in the year, keeping up a very steady strength. A further
+thing there was which gave me much interest; it was that the ship had not
+been always where we had discovered her; for at one time they had been so
+far within the weed, that they could scarce discern the open sea upon the
+far horizon; but that at times the weed opened in great gulfs that went
+yawning through the continent for scores of miles, and in this way the
+shape and coasts of the weed were being constantly altered; these
+happenings being for the most part at the change of the wind.
+
+And much more there was that they told us then and afterwards, how that
+they dried weed for their fuel, and how the rains, which fell with great
+heaviness at certain periods, supplied them with fresh water; though, at
+times, running short, they had learnt to distil sufficient for their
+needs until the next rains.
+
+Now, near to the end of the epistle, there came some news of their
+present actions, and thus we learnt that they in the ship were busy at
+staying the stump of the mizzen-mast, this being the one to which they
+proposed to attach the big rope, taking it through a great iron-bound
+snatch-block, secured to the head of the stump, and then down to the
+mizzen-capstan, by which, and a strong tackle, they would be able to
+heave the line so taut as was needful.
+
+Now, having finished our meal, the bo'sun took out the lint, bandages and
+ointment, which they had sent us from the hulk, and proceeded to dress
+our hurts, beginning with him who had lost his fingers, which, happily,
+were making a very healthy heal. And afterwards we went all of us to the
+edge of the cliff, and sent back the look-out to fill such crevices in
+his stomach as remained yet empty; for we had passed him already some
+sound hunks of the bread and ham and cheese, to eat whilst he kept watch,
+and so he had suffered no great harm.
+
+It may have been near an hour after this, that the bo'sun pointed out to
+me that they in the ship had commenced to heave upon the great rope, and
+so I perceived, and stood watching it; for I knew that the bo'sun had
+some anxiety as to whether it would take-up sufficiently clear of the
+weed to allow those in the ship to be hauled along it, free from
+molestation by the great devil-fish.
+
+Presently, as the evening began to draw on, the bo'sun bade us go and
+build our fires about the hilltop, and this we did, after which we
+returned to learn how the rope was lifting, and now we perceived that it
+had come clear of the weed, at which we felt mightily rejoiced, and waved
+encouragement, chance there might be any who watched us from the hulk.
+Yet, though the rope was up clear of the weed, the bight of it had to
+rise to a much greater height, or ever it would do for the purpose for
+which we intended it, and already it suffered a vast strain, as I
+discovered by placing my hand upon it; for, even to lift the slack of so
+great a length of line meant the stress of some tons. And later I saw
+that the bo'sun was growing anxious; for he went over to the rock around
+which he had made fast the rope, and examined the knots, and those places
+where he had parceled it, and after that he walked to the place where it
+went over the edge of the cliff, and here he made a further scrutiny; but
+came back presently, seeming not dissatisfied.
+
+Then, in a while, the darkness came down upon us, and we lighted our
+fires and prepared for the night, having the watches arranged as on the
+preceding nights.
+
+
+
+
+XV
+
+Aboard the Hulk
+
+
+Now when it came to my watch, the which I took in company with the big
+seaman, the moon had not yet risen, and all the island was vastly dark,
+save the hill-top, from which the fires blazed in a score of places, and
+very busy they kept us, supplying them with fuel. Then, when maybe the
+half of our watch had passed, the big seaman, who had been to feed the
+fires upon the weed side of the hill-top, came across to me, and bade me
+come and put my hand upon the lesser rope; for that he thought they in
+the ship were anxious to haul it in so that they might send some message
+across to us. At his words, I asked him very anxiously whether he had
+perceived them waving a light, the which we had arranged to be our method
+of signaling in the night, in the event of such being needful; but, to
+this, he said that he had seen naught; and, by now, having come near the
+edge of the cliff, I could see for myself, and so perceived that there
+was none signaling to us from the hulk. Yet, to please the fellow, I put
+my hand upon the line, which we had made fast in the evening to a large
+piece of rock, and so, immediately, I discovered that something was
+pulling upon it, hauling and then slackening, so that it occurred to me
+that the people in the vessel might be indeed wishful to send us some
+message, and at that, to make sure, I ran to the nearest fire, and,
+lighting a tuft of weed, waved it thrice; but there came not any
+answering signal from those in the ship, and at that I went back to feel
+at the rope, to assure myself that it had not been the pluck of the wind
+upon it; but I found that it was something very different from the wind,
+something that plucked with all the sharpness of a hooked fish, only that
+it had been a mighty great fish to have given such tugs, and so I knew
+that some vile thing out in the darkness of the weed was fast to the
+rope, and at this there came the fear that it might break it, and then a
+second thought that something might be climbing up to us along the rope,
+and so I bade the big seaman stand ready with his great cutlass, whilst I
+ran and waked the bo'sun. And this I did, and explained to him how that
+something meddled with the lesser rope, so that he came immediately to
+see for himself how this might be, and when he had put his hand upon it,
+he bade me go and call the rest of the men, and let them stand round by
+the fires; for that there was something abroad in the night, and we might
+be in danger of attack; but he and the big seaman stayed by the end of
+the rope, watching, so far as the darkness would allow, and ever and anon
+feeling the tension upon it.
+
+Then, suddenly, it came to the bo'sun to look to the second line, and he
+ran, cursing himself for his thoughtlessness; but because of its greater
+weight and tension, he could not discover for certain whether anything
+meddled with it or not; yet he stayed by it, arguing that if aught
+touched the smaller rope then might something do likewise with the
+greater, only that the small line lay along the weed, whilst the greater
+one had been some feet above it when the darkness had fallen over us, and
+so might be free from any prowling creatures.
+
+And thus, maybe, an hour passed, and we kept watch and tended the fires,
+going from one to another, and, presently, coming to that one which was
+nearest to the bo'sun, I went over to him, intending to pass a few
+minutes in talk; but as I drew nigh to him, I chanced to place my hand
+upon the big rope, and at that I exclaimed in surprise; for it had become
+much slacker than when last I had felt it in the evening, and I asked the
+bo'sun whether he had noticed it, whereat he felt the rope, and was
+almost more amazed than I had been; for when last he had touched it, it
+had been taut, and humming in the wind. Now, upon this discovery, he was
+in much fear that something had bitten through it, and called to the men
+to come all of them and pull upon the rope, so that he might discover
+whether it was indeed parted; but when they came and hauled upon it, they
+were unable to gather in any of it, whereat we felt all of us mightily
+relieved in our minds; though still unable to come at the cause of its
+sudden slackness.
+
+And so, a while later, there rose the moon, and we were able to examine
+the island and the water between it and the weed-continent, to see
+whether there was anything stirring; yet neither in the valley, nor on
+the faces of the cliffs, nor in the open water could we perceive aught
+living, and as for anything among the weed, it was small use trying to
+discover it among all that shaggy blackness. And now, being assured that
+nothing was coming at us, and that, so far as our eyes could pierce,
+there climbed nothing upon the ropes, the bo'sun bade us get turned-in,
+all except those whose time it was to watch. Yet, before I went into the
+tent, I made a careful examination of the big rope, the which did also
+the bo'sun, but could perceive no cause for its slackness; though this
+was quite apparent in the moonlight, the rope going down with greater
+abruptness than it had done in the evening. And so we could but conceive
+that they in the hulk had slacked it for some reason; and after that we
+went to the tent and a further spell of sleep.
+
+In the early morning we were waked by one of the watchmen, coming into
+the tent to call the bo'sun; for it appeared that the hulk had moved in
+the night, so that its stern was now pointed somewhat towards the island.
+At this news, we ran all of us from the tent to the edge of the hill, and
+found it to be indeed as the man had said, and now I understood the
+reason of that sudden slackening of the rope; for, after withstanding the
+stress upon it for some hours, the vessel had at last yielded, and slewed
+its stern towards us, moving also to some extent bodily in our direction.
+
+And now we discovered that a man in the look-out place in the top of the
+structure was waving a welcome to us, at which we waved back, and then
+the bo'sun bade me haste and write a note to know whether it seemed to
+them likely that they might be able to heave the ship clear of the weed,
+and this I did, greatly excited within myself at this new thought, as,
+indeed, was the bo'sun himself and the rest of the men. For could they do
+this, then how easily solved were every problem of coming to our own
+country. But it seemed too good a thing to have come true, and yet I
+could but hope. And so, when my letter was completed, we put it up in the
+little oilskin bag, and signaled to those in the ship to haul in upon the
+line. Yet, when they went to haul, there came a mighty splather amid the
+weed, and they seemed unable to gather in any of the slack, and then,
+after a certain pause, I saw the man in the look-out point something, and
+immediately afterwards there belched out in front of him a little puff of
+smoke, and, presently, I caught the report of a musket, so that I knew
+that he was firing at something in the weed. He fired again, and yet once
+more, and after that they were able to haul in upon the line, and so I
+perceived that his fire had proved effectual; yet we had no knowledge of
+the thing at which he had discharged his weapon.
+
+Now, presently, they signaled to us to draw back the line, the which we
+could do only with great difficulty, and then the man in the top of the
+super-structure signed to us to vast hauling, which we did, whereupon he
+began to fire again into the weed; though with what effect we could not
+perceive. Then, in a while he signaled to us to haul again, and now the
+rope came more easily; yet still with much labor, and a commotion in the
+weed over which it lay and, in places, sank. And so, at last, as it
+cleared the weed because of the lift of the cliff, we saw that a great
+crab had clutched it, and that we hauled it towards us; for the creature
+had too much obstinacy to let go.
+
+Perceiving this, and fearing that the great claws of the crab might
+divide the rope, the bo'sun caught up one of the men's lances, and ran to
+the cliff edge, calling to us to pull in gently, and put no more strain
+upon the line than need be. And so, hauling with great steadiness, we
+brought the monster near to the edge of the hill, and there, at a wave
+from the bo'sun, stayed our pulling. Then he raised the spear, and smote
+at the creature's eyes, as he had done on a previous occasion, and
+immediately it loosed its hold, and fell with a mighty splash into the
+water at the foot of the cliff. Then the bo'sun bade us haul in the rest
+of the rope, until we should come to the packet, and, in the meantime, he
+examined the line to see whether it had suffered harm through the
+mandibles of the crab; yet, beyond a little chafe, it was quite sound.
+
+And so we came to the letter, which I opened and read, finding it to be
+written in the same feminine hand which had indited the others. From it
+we gathered that the ship had burst through a very thick mass of the weed
+which had compacted itself about her, and that the second mate, who was
+the only officer remaining to them, thought there might be good chance
+to heave the vessel out; though it would have to be done with great
+slowness, so as to allow the weed to part gradually, otherwise the ship
+would but act as a gigantic rake to gather up weed before it, and so form
+its own barrier to clear water. And after this there were kind wishes and
+hopes that we had spent a good night, the which I took to be prompted by
+the feminine heart of the writer, and after that I fell to wondering
+whether it was the captain's wife who acted as scribe. Then I was waked
+from my pondering, by one of the men crying out that they in the ship had
+commenced to heave again upon the big rope, and, for a time, I stood and
+watched it rise slowly, as it came to tautness.
+
+I had stood there awhile, watching the rope, when, suddenly, there came a
+commotion amid the weed, about two-thirds of the way to the ship, and now
+I saw that the rope had freed itself from the weed, and clutching it,
+were, maybe, a score of giant crabs. At this sight, some of the men cried
+out their astonishment, and then we saw that there had come a number of
+men into the look-out place in the top of the superstructure, and,
+immediately, they opened a very brisk fire upon the creatures, and so, by
+ones and twos they fell back into the weed, and after that, the men in
+the hulk resumed their heaving, and so, in a while, had the rope some
+feet clear of the surface.
+
+Now, having tautened the rope so much as they thought proper, they left
+it to have its due effect upon the ship, and proceeded to attach a great
+block to it; then they signaled to us to slack away on the little rope
+until they had the middle part of it, and this they hitched around the
+neck of the block, and to the eye in the strop of the block they attached
+a bo'sun's chair, and so they had ready a carrier, and by this means we
+were able to haul stuff to and from the hulk without having to drag it
+across the surface of the weed; being, indeed, the fashion in which we
+had intended to haul ashore the people in the ship. But now we had the
+bigger project of salvaging the ship herself, and, further, the big rope,
+which acted as support for the carrier, was not yet of a sufficient
+height above the weed-continent for it to be safe to attempt to bring any
+ashore by such means; and now that we had hopes of saving the ship, we
+did not intend to risk parting the big rope, by trying to attain such a
+degree of tautness as would have been necessary at this time to have
+raised its bight to the desired height.
+
+Now, presently, the bo'sun called out to one of the men to make
+breakfast, and when it was ready we came to it, leaving the man with the
+wounded arm to keep watch; then when we had made an end, he sent him,
+that had lost his fingers, to keep a look-out whilst the other came to
+the fire and ate his breakfast. And in the meanwhile, the bo'sun took us
+down to collect weed and reeds for the night, and so we spent the greater
+part of the morning, and when we had made an end of this, we returned to
+the top of the hill, to discover how matters were going forward; thus we
+found, from the one at the look-out, that they, in the hulk, had been
+obliged to heave twice upon the big rope to keep it off the weed, and by
+this we knew that the ship was indeed making a slow sternway towards the
+island--slipping steadily through the weed, and as we looked at her, it
+seemed almost that we could perceive that she was nearer; but this was no
+more than imagination; for, at most, she could not have moved more than
+some odd fathoms. Yet it cheered us greatly, so that we waved our
+congratulations to the man who stood in the lookout in the
+superstructure, and he waved back.
+
+Later, we made dinner, and afterwards had a very comfortable smoke, and
+then the bo'sun attended to our various hurts. And so through the
+afternoon we sat about upon the crest of the hill overlooking the
+hulk, and thrice had they in the ship to heave upon the big rope, and
+by evening they had made near thirty fathoms towards the island, the
+which they told us in reply to a query which the bo'sun desired me to
+send them, several messages having passed between us in the course of
+the afternoon, so that we had the carrier upon our side. Further than
+this, they explained that they would tend the rope during the night, so
+that the strain would be kept up, and, more, this would keep the ropes
+off the weed.
+
+And so, the night coming down upon us, the bo'sun bade us light the fires
+about the top of the hill, the same having been laid earlier in the day,
+and thus, our supper having been dispatched, we prepared for the night.
+And all through it there burned lights aboard the hulk, the which proved
+very companionable to us in our times of watching; and so, at last came
+the morning, the darkness having passed without event. And now, to our
+huge pleasure, we discovered that the ship had made great progress in the
+night; being now so much nearer that none could suppose it a matter of
+imagination; for she must have moved nigh sixty fathoms nearer to the
+island, so that now we seemed able almost to recognize the face of the
+man in the look-out; and many things about the hulk we saw with greater
+clearness, so that we scanned her with a fresh interest. Then the man in
+the look-out waved a morning greeting to us, the which we returned very
+heartily, and, even as we did so, there came a second figure beside the
+man, and waved some white matter, perchance a handkerchief, which is like
+enough, seeing that it was a woman, and at that, we took off our head
+coverings, all of us, and shook them at her, and after this we went to
+our breakfast; having finished which, the bo'sun dressed our hurts, and
+then, setting the man, who had lost his fingers, to watch, he took the
+rest of us, excepting him that was bitten in the arm, down to collect
+fuel, and so the time passed until near dinner.
+
+When we returned to the hill-top, the man upon the look-out told us that
+they in the ship had heaved not less than four separate times upon the
+big rope, the which, indeed, they were doing at that present minute; and
+it was very plain to see that the ship had come nearer even during the
+short space of the morning. Now, when they had made an end of tautening
+the rope, I perceived that it was, at last, well clear of the weed
+through all its length, being at its lowest part nigh twenty feet above
+the surface, and, at that, a sudden thought came to me which sent me
+hastily to the bo'sun; for it had occurred to me that there existed no
+reason why we should not pay a visit to those aboard the hulk. But when I
+put the matter to him, he shook his head, and, for awhile, stood out
+against my desire; but, presently, having examined the rope, and
+considering that I was the lightest of any in the island, he consented,
+and at that I ran to the carrier which had been hauled across to our
+side, and got me into the chair. Now, the men, so soon as they perceived
+my intention, applauded me very heartily, desiring to follow; but the
+bo'sun bade them be silent, and, after that, he lashed me into the chair,
+with his own hands, and then signaled to those in the ship to haul upon
+the small rope; he, in the meanwhile, checking my descent towards the
+weeds, by means of our end of the hauling-line.
+
+And so, presently, I had come to the lowest part, where the bight of the
+rope dipped downward in a bow towards the weed, and rose again to the
+mizzenmast of the hulk. Here I looked downward with somewhat fearful
+eyes; for my weight on the rope made it sag somewhat lower than seemed to
+me comfortable, and I had a very lively recollection of some of the
+horrors which that quiet surface hid. Yet I was not long in this place;
+for they in the ship, perceiving how the rope let me nearer to the weed
+than was safe, pulled very heartily upon the hauling-line, and so I came
+quickly to the hulk.
+
+Now, as I drew nigh to the ship, the men crowded upon a little platform
+which they had built in the superstructure somewhat below the broken head
+of the mizzen, and here they received me with loud cheers and very open
+arms, and were so eager to get me out of the bo'sun's chair, that they
+cut the lashings, being too impatient to cast them loose. Then they led
+me down to the deck, and here, before I had knowledge of aught else, a
+very buxom woman took me into her arms, kissing me right heartily, at
+which I was greatly taken aback; but the men about me did naught but
+laugh, and so, in a minute, she loosed me, and there I stood, not knowing
+whether to feel like a fool or a hero; but inclining rather to the
+latter. Then, at this minute, there came a second woman, who bowed to me
+in a manner most formal, so that we might have been met in some
+fashionable gathering, rather than in a cast-away hulk in the
+lonesomeness and terror of that weed-choked sea; and at her coming all
+the mirth of the men died out of them, and they became very sober, whilst
+the buxom woman went backward for a piece, and seemed somewhat abashed.
+Now, at all this, I was greatly puzzled, and looked from one to another
+to learn what it might mean; but in the same moment the woman bowed
+again, and said something in a low voice touching the weather, and after
+that she raised her glance to my face, so that I saw her eyes, and they
+were so strange and full of melancholy, that I knew on the instant why
+she spoke and acted in so unmeaning a way; for the poor creature was out
+of her mind, and when I learnt afterwards that she was the captain's
+wife, and had seen him die in the arms of a mighty devil-fish, I grew to
+understand how she had come to such a pass.
+
+Now for a minute after I had discovered the woman's madness, I was so
+taken aback as to be unable to answer her remark; but for this there
+appeared no necessity; for she turned away and went aft towards the
+saloon stairway, which stood open, and here she was met by a maid very
+bonny and fair, who led her tenderly down from my sight. Yet, in a
+minute, this same maid appeared, and ran along the decks to me, and
+caught my two hands, and shook them, and looked up at me with such
+roguish, playful eyes, that she warmed my heart, which had been
+strangely chilled by the greeting of the poor mad woman. And she said
+many hearty things regarding my courage, to which I knew in my heart I
+had no claim; but I let her run on, and so, presently, coming more to
+possession of herself, she discovered that she was still holding my
+hands, the which, indeed, I had been conscious of the while with a very
+great pleasure; but at her discovery she dropped them with haste, and
+stood back from me a space, and so there came a little coolness into her
+talk: yet this lasted not long; for we were both of us young, and, I
+think, even thus early we attracted one the other; though, apart from
+this, there was so much that we desired each to learn, that we could not
+but talk freely, asking question for question, and giving answer for
+answer. And thus a time passed, in which the men left us alone, and went
+presently to the capstan, about which they had taken the big rope, and
+at this they toiled awhile; for already the ship had moved sufficiently
+to let the line fall slack.
+
+Presently, the maid, whom I had learnt was niece to the captain's wife,
+and named Mary Madison, proposed to take me the round of the ship, to
+which proposal I agreed very willingly; but first I stopped to examine
+the mizzen stump, and the manner in which the people of the ship had
+stayed it, the which they had done very cunningly, and I noted how that
+they had removed some of the superstructure from about the head of the
+mast, so as to allow passage for the rope, without putting a strain upon
+the superstructure itself. Then when I had made an end upon the poop, she
+led me down on to the main-deck, and here I was very greatly impressed by
+the prodigious size of the structure which they had built about the hulk,
+and the skill with which it had been carried out, the supports crossing
+from side to side and to the decks in a manner calculated to give great
+solidity to that which they upheld. Yet, I was very greatly puzzled to
+know where they had gotten a sufficiency of timber to make so large a
+matter; but upon this point she satisfied me by explaining that they had
+taken up the 'tween decks, and used all such bulkheads as they could
+spare, and, further, that there had been a good deal among the dunnage
+which had proved usable.
+
+And so we came at last to the galley, and here I discovered the buxom
+woman to be installed as cook, and there were in with her a couple of
+fine children, one of whom I guessed to be a boy of maybe some five
+years, and the second a girl, scarce able to do more than toddle. At this
+I turned and asked Mistress Madison whether these were her cousins; but
+in the next moment I remembered that they could not be; for, as I knew,
+the captain had been dead some seven years; yet it was the woman in the
+galley who answered my question; for she turned and, with something of a
+red face, informed me that they were hers, at which I felt some surprise;
+but supposed that she had taken passage in the ship with her husband; yet
+in this I was not correct; for she proceeded to explain that, thinking
+they were cut off from the world for the rest of this life, and falling
+very fond of the carpenter, they had made it up together to make a sort
+of marriage, and had gotten the second mate to read the service over
+them. She told me then, how that she had taken passage with her mistress,
+the captain's wife, to help her with her niece, who had been but a child
+when the ship sailed; for she had been very attached to them both, and
+they to her. And so she came to an end of her story, expressing a hope
+that she had done no wrong by her marriage, as none had been intended.
+And to this I made answer, assuring her that no decent-minded man could
+think the worse of her; but that I, for my part, thought rather the
+better, seeing that I liked the pluck which she had shown. At that she
+cast down the soup ladle, which she had in her fist, and came towards me,
+wiping her hands; but I gave back, for I shamed to be hugged again, and
+before Mistress Mary Madison, and at that she came to a stop and laughed
+very heartily; but, all the same, called down a very warm blessing upon
+my head; for which I had no cause to feel the worse. And so I passed on
+with the captain's niece.
+
+Presently, having made the round of the hulk, we came aft again to the
+poop, and discovered that they were heaving once more upon the big rope,
+the which was very heartening, proving, as it did, that the ship was
+still a-move. And so, a little later, the girl left me, having to attend
+to her aunt. Now whilst she was gone, the men came all about me, desiring
+news of the world beyond the weed-continent, and so for the next hour I
+was kept very busy, answering their questions. Then the second mate
+called out to them to take another heave upon the rope, and at that they
+turned to the capstan, and I with them, and so we hove it taut again,
+after which they got about me once more, questioning; for so much seemed
+to have happened in the seven years in which they had been imprisoned.
+And then, after a while, I turned-to and questioned them on such points
+as I had neglected to ask Mistress Madison, and they discovered to me
+their terror and sickness of the weed-continent, its desolation and
+horror, and the dread which had beset them at the thought that they
+should all of them come to their ends without sight of their homes and
+countrymen.
+
+Now, about this time, I became conscious that I had grown very empty; for
+I had come off to the hulk before we had made our dinner, and had been in
+such interest since, that the thought of food had escaped me; for I had
+seen none eating in the hulk, they, without doubt, having dined earlier
+than my coming. But now, being made aware of my state by the grumbling of
+my stomach, I inquired whether there was any food to be had at such a
+time, and, at that, one of the men ran to tell the woman in the galley
+that I had missed my dinner, at which she made much ado, and set-to and
+prepared me a very good meal, which she carried aft and set out for me in
+the saloon, and after that she sent me down to it.
+
+Presently, when I had come near to being comfortable, there chanced a
+lightsome step upon the floor behind me, and, turning, I discovered that
+Mistress Madison was surveying me with a roguish and somewhat amused air.
+At that, I got hastily to my feet; but she bade me sit down, and
+therewith she took a seat opposite, and so bantered me with a gentle
+playfulness that was not displeasing to me, and at which I played so good
+a second as I had ability. Later, I fell to questioning her, and, among
+other matters, discovered that it was she who acted as scribe for the
+people in the hulk, at which I told her that I had done likewise for
+those on the island. After that, our talk became somewhat personal, and I
+learnt that she was near on to nineteen years of age, whereat I told her
+that I had passed my twenty-third. And so we chatted on, until,
+presently, it occurred to me that I had better be preparing to return to
+the island, and I rose to my feet with this intention; yet feeling that I
+had been very much happier to have stayed, the which I thought, for a
+moment, had not been displeasing to her, and this I imagined, noting
+somewhat in her eyes when I made mention that I must be gone. Yet it may
+be that I flattered myself.
+
+Now when I came out on deck, they were busied again in heaving taut the
+rope, and, until they had made an end, Mistress Madison and I filled the
+time with such chatter as is wholesome between a man and maid who have
+not long met, yet find one another pleasing company. Then, when at last
+the rope was taut, I went up to the mizzen staging, and climbed into the
+chair, after which some of the men lashed me in very securely. Yet when
+they gave the signal to haul me to the island, there came for awhile no
+response, and then signs that we could not understand; but no movement to
+haul me across the weed. At that, they unlashed me from the chair,
+bidding me get out, whilst they sent a message to discover what might be
+wrong. And this they did, and, presently, there came back word that the
+big rope had stranded upon the edge of the cliff, and that they must
+slacken it somewhat at once, the which they did, with many expressions of
+dismay. And so, maybe an hour passed, during which we watched the men
+working at the rope, just where it came down over the edge of the hill,
+and Mistress Madison stood with us and watched; for it was very terrible,
+this sudden thought of failure (though it were but temporary) when they
+were so near to success. Yet, at last there came a signal from the island
+for us to loose the hauling-line, the which we did, allowing them to haul
+across the carrier, and so, in a little while, they signaled back to us
+to pull in, which, having done, we found a letter in the bag lashed to
+the carrier, in which the bo'sun made it plain that he had strengthened
+the rope, and placed fresh chafing gear about it, so that he thought it
+would be so safe as ever to heave upon; but to put it to a less strain.
+Yet he refused to allow me to venture across upon it, saying that I must
+stay in the ship until we were clear of the weed; for if the rope had
+stranded in one place, then had it been so cruelly tested that there
+might be some other points at which it was ready to give. And this final
+note of the bo'sun's made us all very serious; for, indeed, it seemed
+possible that it was as he suggested; yet they reassured themselves by
+pointing out that, like enough, it had been the chafe upon the cliff edge
+which had frayed the strand, so that it had been weakened before it
+parted; but I, remembering the chafing gear which the bo'sun had put
+about it in the first instance, felt not so sure; yet I would not add to
+their anxieties.
+
+And so it came about that I was compelled to spend the night in the hulk;
+but, as I followed Mistress Madison into the big saloon, I felt no
+regret, and had near forgotten already my anxiety regarding the rope.
+
+And out on deck there sounded most cheerily the clack of the capstan.
+
+
+
+
+XVI
+
+Freed
+
+
+Now, when Mistress Madison had seated herself, she invited me to do
+likewise, after which we fell into talk, first touching upon the matter
+of the stranding of the rope, about which I hastened to assure her, and
+later to other things, and so, as is natural enough with a man and maid,
+to ourselves, and here we were very content to let it remain.
+
+Presently, the second mate came in with a note from the bo'sun, which he
+laid upon the table for the girl to read, the which she beckoned me to do
+also, and so I discovered that it was a suggestion, written very rudely
+and ill-spelt, that they should send us a quantity of reeds from the
+island, with which we might be able to ease the weed somewhat from around
+the stern of the hulk, thus aiding her progress. And to this the second
+mate desired the girl to write a reply, saying that we should be very
+happy for the reeds, and would endeavor to act upon his hint, and this
+Mistress Madison did, after which she passed the letter to me, perchance
+I desired to send any message. Yet I had naught that I wished to say, and
+so handed it back, with a word of thanks, and, at once, she gave it to
+the second mate, who went, forthwith, and dispatched it.
+
+Later, the stout woman from the galley came aft to set out the table,
+which occupied the center of the saloon, and whilst she was at this, she
+asked for information on many things, being very free and unaffected in
+her speech, and seeming with less of deference to my companion, than a
+certain motherliness; for it was very plain that she loved Mistress
+Madison, and in this my heart did not blame her. Further, it was plain to
+me that the girl had a very warm affection for her old nurse, which was
+but natural, seeing that the old woman had cared for her through all the
+past years, besides being companion to her, and a good and cheerful one,
+as I could guess.
+
+Now awhile I passed in answering the buxom woman's questions, and odd
+times such occasional ones as were slipped in by Mistress Madison; and
+then, suddenly there came the clatter of men's feet overhead, and, later,
+the thud of something being cast down upon the deck, and so we knew that
+the reeds had come. At that, Mistress Madison cried out that we should go
+and watch the men try them upon the weed; for that if they proved of use
+in easing that which lay in our path, then should we come the more
+speedily to the clear water, and this without the need of putting so
+great a strain upon the hawser, as had been the case hitherto.
+
+When we came to the poop, we found the men removing a portion of the
+superstructure over the stern, and after that they took some of the
+stronger reeds, and proceeded to work at the weed that stretched away in
+a line with our taffrail. Yet that they anticipated danger, I perceived;
+for there stood by them two of the men and the second mate, all armed
+with muskets, and these three kept a very strict watch upon the weed,
+knowing, through much experience of its terrors, how that there might be
+a need for their weapons at any moment. And so a while passed, and it
+was plain that the men's work upon the weed was having effect; for the
+rope grew slack visibly, and those at the capstan had all that they
+could do, taking fleet and fleet with the tackle, to keep it anywhere
+near to tautness, and so, perceiving that they were kept so hard at it,
+I ran to give a hand, the which did Mistress Madison, pushing upon the
+capstan-bars right merrily and with heartiness. And thus a while passed,
+and the evening began to come down upon the lonesomeness of the
+weed-continent. Then there appeared the buxom woman, and bade us come to
+our suppers, and her manner of addressing the two of us was the manner
+of one who might have mothered us; but Mistress Madison cried out to her
+to wait, that we had found work to do, and at that the big woman
+laughed, and came towards us threateningly, as though intending to
+remove us hence by force.
+
+And now, at this moment, there came a sudden interruption which checked
+our merriment; for, abruptly, there sounded the report of a musket in
+the stern, and then came shouts, and the noise of the two other weapons,
+seeming like thunder, being pent by the over-arching superstructure.
+And, directly, the men about the taffrail gave back, running here and
+there, and so I saw that great arms had come all about the opening which
+they had made in the superstructure, and two of these flickered
+in-board, searching hither and thither; but the stout woman took a man
+near to her, and thrust him out of danger, and after that, she caught
+Mistress Madison up in her big arms, and ran down on to the main-deck
+with her, and all this before I had come to a full knowledge of our
+danger. But now I perceived that I should do well to get further back
+from the stern, the which I did with haste, and, coming to a safe
+position, I stood and stared at the huge creature, its great arms, vague
+in the growing dusk, writhing about in vain search for a victim. Then
+returned the second mate, having been for more weapons, and now I
+observed that he armed all the men, and had brought up a spare musket
+for my use, and so we commenced, all of us, to fire at the monster,
+whereat it began to lash about most furiously, and so, after some
+minutes, it slipped away from the opening and slid down into the weed.
+Upon that several of the men rushed to replace those parts of the
+superstructure which had been removed, and I with them; yet there were
+sufficient for the job, so that I had no need to do aught; thus, before
+they had made up the opening, I had been given chance to look out upon
+the weed, and so discovered that all the surface which lay between our
+stern and the island, was moving in vast ripples, as though mighty fish
+were swimming beneath it, and then, just before the men put back the
+last of the great panels, I saw the weed all tossed up like to a vast
+pot a-boil, and then a vague glimpse of thousands of monstrous arms that
+filled the air, and came towards the ship.
+
+And then the men had the panel back in its place, and were hasting to
+drive the supporting struts into their positions. And when this was done,
+we stood awhile and listened; but there came no sound above that of the
+wail of the wind across the extent of the weed-continent. And at that, I
+turned to the men, asking how it was that I could hear no sounds of the
+creatures attacking us, and so they took me up into the look-out place,
+and from there I stared down at the weed; but it was without movement,
+save for the stirring of the wind, and there was nowhere any sign of the
+devil-fish. Then, seeing me amazed, they told me how that anything which
+moved the weed seemed to draw them from all parts; but that they seldom
+touched the hulk unless there was something visible to them which had
+movement. Yet, as they went on to explain, there would be hundreds and
+hundreds of them lying all about the ship, hiding in the weed; but that
+if we took care not to show ourselves within their reach, they would have
+gone most of them by the morning. And this the men told me in a very
+matter-of-fact way; for they had become inured to such happenings.
+
+Presently, I heard Mistress Madison calling to me by name, and so
+descended out of the growing darkness, to the interior of the
+superstructure, and here they had lit a number of rude slush-lamps, the
+oil for which, as I learned later, they obtained from a certain fish
+which haunted the sea, beneath the weed, in very large schools, and took
+near any sort of bait with great readiness. And so, when I had climbed
+down into the light, I found the girl waiting for me to come to supper,
+for which I discovered myself to be in a mightily agreeable humor.
+
+Presently, having made an end of eating, she leaned back in her seat and
+commenced once more to bait me in her playful manner, the which appeared
+to afford her much pleasure, and in which I joined with no less, and so
+we fell presently to more earnest talk, and in this wise we passed a
+great space of the evening. Then there came to her a sudden idea, and
+what must she do but propose that we should climb to the lookout, and to
+this I agreed with a very happy willingness. And to the lookout we went.
+Now when we had come there, I perceived her reason for this freak; for
+away in the night, astern the hulk, there blazed half-way between the
+heaven and the sea, a mighty glow, and suddenly, as I stared, being dumb
+with admiration and surprise, I knew that it was the blaze of our fires
+upon the crown of the bigger hill; for, all the hill being in shadow, and
+hidden by the darkness, there showed only the glow of the fires, hung, as
+it were, in the void, and a very striking and beautiful spectacle it was.
+Then, as I watched, there came, abruptly a figure into view upon the
+edge of the glow, showing black and minute, and this I knew to be one of
+the men come to the edge of the hill to take a look at the hulk, or test
+the strain on the hawser. Now, upon my expressing admiration of the sight
+to Mistress Madison, she seemed greatly pleased, and told me that she had
+been up many times in the darkness to view it. And after that we went
+down again into the interior of the superstructure, and here the men were
+taking a further heave upon the big rope, before settling the watches for
+the night, the which they managed, by having one man at a time to keep
+awake and call the rest whenever the hawser grew slack.
+
+Later Mistress Madison showed me where I was to sleep, and so, having bid
+one another a very warm good-night, we parted, she going to see that her
+aunt was comfortable, and I out on to the main-deck to have a chat with
+the man on watch. In this way, I passed the time until midnight, and in
+that while we had been forced to call the men thrice to heave upon the
+hawser, so quickly had the ship begun to make way through the weed. Then,
+having grown sleepy, I said goodnight, and went to my berth, and so had
+my first sleep upon a mattress, for some weeks.
+
+Now when the morning was come, I waked, hearing Mistress Madison calling
+upon me from the other side of my door, and rating me very saucily for a
+lie-a-bed, and at that I made good speed at dressing, and came quickly
+into the saloon, where she had ready a breakfast that made me glad I had
+waked. But first, before she would do aught else, she had me out to the
+lookout place, running up before me most merrily and singing in the
+fullness of her glee, and so, when I had come to the top of the
+superstructure, I perceived that she had very good reason for so much
+merriment, and the sight which came to my eyes, gladdened me most
+mightily, yet at the same time filling me with a great amazement; for,
+behold! in the course of that one night, we had made near unto two
+hundred fathoms across the weed, being now, with what we had made
+previously, no more than some thirty fathoms in from the edge of the
+weed. And there stood Mistress Madison beside me, doing somewhat of a
+dainty step-dance upon the flooring of the look-out, and singing a quaint
+old lilt that I had not heard that dozen years, and this little thing, I
+think, brought back more clearly to me than aught else how that this
+winsome maid had been lost to the world for so many years, having been
+scarce of the age of twelve when the ship had been lost in the
+weed-continent. Then, as I turned to make some remark, being filled with
+many feelings, there came a hail, from far above in the air, as it might
+be, and, looking up, I discovered the man upon the hill to be standing
+along the edge, and waving to us, and now I perceived how that the hill
+towered a very great way above us, seeming, as it were, to overhang the
+hulk though we were yet some seventy fathoms distant from the sheer sweep
+of its nearer precipice. And so, having waved back our greeting, we made
+down to breakfast, and, having come to the saloon, set-to upon the good
+victuals, and did very sound justice thereto.
+
+Presently, having made an end of eating, and hearing the clack of the
+capstan-pawls, we hurried out on deck, and put our hands upon the bars,
+intending to join in that last heave which should bring the ship free out
+of her long captivity, and so for a time we moved round about the
+capstan, and I glanced at the girl beside me; for she had become very
+solemn, and indeed it was a strange and solemn time for her; for she, who
+had dreamed of the world as her childish eyes had seen it, was now, after
+many hopeless years, to go forth once more to it--to live in it, and to
+learn how much had been dreams, and how much real; and with all these
+thoughts I credited her; for they seemed such as would have come to me at
+such a time, and, presently, I made some blundering effort to show to
+her that I had understanding of the tumult which possessed her, and at
+that she smiled up at me with a sudden queer flash of sadness and
+merriment, and our glances met, and I saw something in hers, which was
+but newborn, and though I was but a young man, my heart interpreted it
+for me, and I was all hot suddenly with the pain and sweet delight of
+this new thing; for I had not dared to think upon that which already my
+heart had made bold to whisper to me, so that even thus soon I was
+miserable out of her presence. Then she looked downward at her hands upon
+the bar; and, in the same instant, there came a loud, abrupt cry from the
+second mate, to vast heaving, and at that all the men pulled out their
+bars and cast them upon the deck, and ran, shouting, to the ladder that
+led to the look-out, and we followed, and so came to the top, and
+discovered that at last the ship was clear of the weed, and floating in
+the open water between it and the island.
+
+Now at the discovery that the hulk was free, the men commenced to cheer
+and shout in a very wild fashion, as, indeed, is no cause for wonder, and
+we cheered with them. Then, suddenly, in the midst of our shouting,
+Mistress Madison plucked me by the sleeve and pointed to the end of the
+island where the foot of the bigger hill jutted out in a great spur, and
+now I perceived a boat, coming round into view, and in another moment I
+saw that the bo'sun stood in the stern, steering; thus I knew that he
+must have finished repairing her whilst I had been on the hulk. By this,
+the men about us had discovered the nearness of the boat, and commenced
+shouting afresh, and they ran down, and to the bows of the vessel, and
+got ready a rope to cast. Now when the boat came near, the men in her
+scanned us very curiously, but the bo'sun took off his head-gear, with a
+clumsy grace that well became him; at which Mistress Madison smiled very
+kindly upon him, and, after that, she told me with great frankness that
+he pleased her, and, more, that she had never seen so great a man, which
+was not strange seeing that she had seen but few since she had come to
+years when men become of interest to a maid.
+
+After saluting us the bo'sun called out to the second mate that he would
+tow us round to the far side of the island, and to this the officer
+agreed, being, I surmised, by no means sorry to put some solid matter
+between himself and the desolation of the great weed-continent; and so,
+having loosed the hawser, which fell from the hill-top with a prodigious
+splash, we had the boat head, towing. In this wise we opened out,
+presently, the end of the hill; but feeling now the force of the breeze,
+we bent a kedge to the hawser, and, the bo'sun carrying it seawards, we
+warped ourselves to windward of the island, and here, in forty fathoms,
+we vast heaving, and rode to the kedge.
+
+Now when this was accomplished they called to our men to come aboard, and
+this they did, and spent all of that day in talk and eating; for those in
+the ship could scarce make enough of our fellows. And then, when it had
+come to night, they replaced that part of the superstructure which they
+had removed from about the head of the mizzen-stump, and so, all being
+secure, each one turned-in and had a full night's rest, of the which,
+indeed, many of them stood in sore need.
+
+The following morning, the second mate had a consultation with the
+bo'sun, after which he gave the order to commence upon the removal of the
+great superstructure, and to this each one of us set himself with vigor.
+Yet it was a work requiring some time, and near five days had passed
+before we had the ship stripped clear. When this had been accomplished,
+there came a busy time of routing out various matter of which we should
+have need in jury rigging her; for they had been so long in disuse, that
+none remembered where to look for them. At this a day and a half was
+spent, and after that we set-to about fitting her with such jury-masts as
+we could manage from our material.
+
+Now, after the ship had been dismasted, all those seven years gone, the
+crew had been able to save many of her spars, these having remained
+attached to her, through their inability to cut away all of the gear; and
+though this had put them in sore peril at the time, of being sent to the
+bottom with a hole in their side, yet now had they every reason to be
+thankful; for, by this accident, we had now a foreyard, a topsail-yard, a
+main t'gallant-yard, and the fore-topmast. They had saved more than
+these; but had made use of the smaller spars to shore up the
+superstructure, sawing them into lengths for that purpose. Apart from
+such spars as they had managed to secure, they had a spare topmast lashed
+along under the larboard bulwarks, and a spare t'gallant and royal mast
+lying along the starboard side.
+
+Now, the second mate and the bo'sun set the carpenter to work upon the
+spare topmast, bidding him make for it some trestle-trees and bolsters,
+upon which to lay the eyes of the rigging; but they did not trouble him
+to shape it. Further, they ordered the same to be fitted to the
+foretopmast and the spare t'gallant and royal mast. And in the meanwhile,
+the rigging was prepared, and when this was finished, they made ready the
+shears to hoist the spare topmast, intending this to take the place of
+the main lower-mast. Then, when the carpenter had carried out their
+orders, he was set to make three partners with a step cut in each, these
+being intended to take the heels of the three masts, and when these were
+completed, they bolted them securely to the decks at the fore part of
+each one of the stumps of the three lower-masts. And so, having all
+ready, we hove the mainmast into position, after which we proceeded to
+rig it. Now, when we had made an end of this, we set-to upon the
+foremast, using for this the foretopmast which they had saved, and after
+that we hove the mizzenmast into place, having for this the spare
+t'gallant and royal mast.
+
+Now the manner in which we secured the masts, before ever we came to the
+rigging of them, was by lashing them to the stumps of the lower-masts,
+and after we had lashed them, we drove dunnage and wedges between the
+masts and the lashings, thus making them very secure. And so, when we had
+set up the rigging, we had confidence that they would stand all such sail
+as we should be able to set upon them. Yet, further than this, the bo'sun
+bade the carpenter make wooden caps of six inch oak, these caps to fit
+over the _squared_ heads of the lower-mast stumps, and having a hole,
+each of them, to embrace the jury-mast, and by making these caps in two
+halves, they were able to bolt them on after the masts had been hove
+into position.
+
+And so, having gotten in our three jury lower-masts, we hoisted up the
+foreyard to the main, to act as our mainyard, and did likewise with the
+topsail-yard to the fore, and after that, we sent up the t'gallant-yard
+to the mizzen. Thus we had her sparred, all but a bowsprit and jibboom;
+yet this we managed by making a stumpy, spike bowsprit from one of the
+smaller spars which they had used to shore up the superstructure, and
+because we feared that it lacked strength to bear the strain of our fore
+and aft stays, we took down two hawsers from the fore, passing them in
+through the hawse-holes and setting them up there. And so we had her
+rigged, and, after that, we bent such sail as our gear abled us to carry,
+and in this wise had the hulk ready for sea.
+
+Now, the time that it took us to rig the ship, and fit her out, was seven
+weeks, saving one day. And in all this time we suffered no molestation
+from any of the strange habitants of the weed-continent; though this may
+have been because we kept fires of dried weed going all the night about
+the decks, these fires being lit on big flat pieces of rock which we had
+gotten from the island. Yet, for all that we had not been troubled, we
+had more than once discovered strange things in the water swimming near
+to the vessel; but a flare of weed, hung over the side, on the end of a
+reed, had sufficed always to scare away such unholy visitants.
+
+And so at last we came to the day on which we were in so good a
+condition that the bo'sun and the second mate considered the ship to be
+in a fit state to put to sea--the carpenter having gone over so much of
+her hull as he could get at and found her everywhere very sound; though
+her lower parts were hideously overgrown with weed, barnacles and other
+matters; yet this we could not help, and it was not wise to attempt to
+scrape her, having consideration to the creatures which we knew to
+abound in those waters.
+
+Now in those seven weeks, Mistress Madison and I had come very close to
+one another, so that I had ceased to call her by any name save Mary,
+unless it were a dearer one than that; though this would be one of my own
+invention, and would leave my heart too naked did I put it down here.
+
+Of our love one for the other, I think yet, and ponder how that mighty
+man, the bo'sun, came so quickly to a knowledge of the state of our
+hearts; for he gave me a very sly hint one day that he had a sound idea
+of the way in which the wind blew, and yet, though he said it with a
+half-jest, methought there was something wistful in his voice, as he
+spoke, and at that I just clapped my hand in his, and he gave it a very
+huge grip. And after that he ceased from the subject.
+
+
+
+
+XVII
+
+How We Came to Our Own Country
+
+
+Now, when the day came on which we made to leave the nearness of the
+island, and the waters of that strange sea, there was great lightness
+of heart among us, and we went very merrily about such tasks as were
+needful. And so, in a little, we had the kedge tripped, and had cast
+the ship's head to starboard, and presently, had her braced up upon
+the larboard tack, the which we managed very well; though our gear
+worked heavily, as might be expected. And after that we had gotten
+under way, we went to the lee side to witness the last of that
+lonesome island, and with us came the men of the ship, and so, for a
+space, there was a silence among us; for they were very quiet, looking
+astern and saying naught; but we had sympathy with them, knowing
+somewhat of those past years.
+
+And now the bo'sun came to the break of the poop, and called down to the
+men to muster aft, the which they did, and I with them; for I had come to
+regard them as my very good comrades; and rum was served out to each of
+them, and to me along with the rest, and it was Mistress Madison herself
+who dipped it out to us from the wooden bucket; though it was the buxom
+woman who had brought it up from the lazarette. Now, after the rum, the
+bo'sun bade the crew to clear up the gear about the decks, and get
+matters secured, and at that I turned to go with the men, having become
+so used to work with them; but he called to me to come up to him upon the
+poop, the which I did, and there he spoke respectfully, remonstrating
+with me, and reminding me that now there was need no longer for me to
+toil; for that I was come back to my old position of passenger, such as I
+had been in the _Glen Carrig_, ere she foundered. But to this talk of
+his, I made reply that I had as good a right to work my passage home as
+any other among us; for though I had paid for a passage in the _Glen
+Carrig_, I had done no such thing regarding the _Seabird_--this being the
+name of the hulk--and to this, my reply, the bo'sun said little; but I
+perceived that he liked my spirit, and so from thence until we reached
+the Port of London, I took my turn and part in all seafaring matters,
+having become by this quite proficient in the calling. Yet, in one
+matter, I availed myself of my former position; for I chose to live aft,
+and by this was abled to see much of my sweetheart, Mistress Madison.
+
+Now after dinner upon the day on which we left the island, the bo'sun and
+the second mate picked the watches, and thus I found myself chosen to be
+in the bo'sun's, at which I was mightly pleased. And when the watches had
+been picked, they had all hands to 'bout ship, the which, to the pleasure
+of all, she accomplished; for under such gear and with so much growth
+upon her bottom, they had feared that we should have to veer, and by this
+we should have lost much distance to leeward, whereas we desired to edge
+so much to windward as we could, being anxious to put space between us
+and the weed-continent. And twice more that day we put the ship about,
+though the second time it was to avoid a great bank of weed that lay
+floating athwart our bows; for all the sea to windward of the island, so
+far as we had been able to see from the top of the higher hill, was
+studded with floating masses of the weed, like unto thousands of islets,
+and in places like to far-spreading reefs. And, because of these, the sea
+all about the island remained very quiet and unbroken, so that there was
+never any surf, no, nor scarce a broken wave upon its shore, and this,
+for all that the wind had been fresh for many days.
+
+When the evening came, we were again upon the larboard tack, making,
+perhaps, some four knots in the hour; though, had we been in proper rig,
+and with a clean bottom, we had been making eight or nine, with so good a
+breeze and so calm a sea. Yet, so far, our progress had been very
+reasonable; for the island lay, maybe, some five miles to leeward, and
+about fifteen astern. And so we prepared for the night. Yet, a little
+before dark, we discovered that the weed-continent trended out towards
+us; so that we should pass it, maybe, at a distance of something like
+half a mile, and, at that, there was talk between the second mate and the
+bo'sun as to whether it was better to put the ship about, and gain a
+greater sea-room before attempting to pass this promontory of weed; but
+at last they decided that we had naught to fear; for we had fair way
+through the water, and further, it did not seem reasonable to suppose
+that we should have aught to fear from the habitants of the
+weed-continent, at so great a distance as the half of a mile. And so we
+stood on; for, once past the point, there was much likelihood of the weed
+trending away to the Eastward, and if this were so, we could square-in
+immediately and get the wind upon our quarter, and so make better way.
+
+Now it was the bo'sun's watch from eight of the evening until midnight,
+and I, with another man, had the lookout until four bells. Thus it
+chanced that, coming abreast of the point during our time of watching,
+we peered very earnestly to leeward; for the night was dark, having no
+moon until nearer the morning; and we were full of unease in that we had
+come so near again to the desolation of that strange continent. And
+then, suddenly, the man with me clutched my shoulder, and pointed into
+the darkness upon our bow, and thus I discovered that we had come nearer
+to the weed than the bo'sun and the second mate had intended; they,
+without doubt, having miscalculated our leeway. At this, I turned and
+sang out to the bo'sun that we were near to running upon the weed, and,
+in the same moment, he shouted to the helmsman to luff, and directly
+afterwards our starboard side was brushing against the great outlying
+tufts of the point, and so, for a breathless minute, we waited. Yet the
+ship drew clear, and so into the open water beyond the point; but I had
+seen something as we scraped against the weed, a sudden glimpse of
+white, gliding among the growth, and then I saw others, and, in a
+moment, I was down on the main-deck, and running aft to the bo'sun; yet
+midway along the deck a horrid shape came above the starboard rail, and
+I gave out a loud cry of warning. Then I had a capstan-bar from the rack
+near, and smote with it at the thing, crying all the while for help, and
+at my blow the thing went from my sight, and the bo'sun was with me, and
+some of the men.
+
+Now the bo'sun had seen my stroke, and so sprang upon the t'gallant rail,
+and peered over; but gave back on the instant, shouting to me to run and
+call the other watch, for that the sea was full of the monsters swimming
+off to the ship, and at that I was away at a run, and when I had waked
+the men, I raced aft to the cabin and did likewise with the second mate,
+and so returned in a minute, bearing the bo'sun's cutlass, my own
+cut-and-thrust, and the lantern that hung always in the saloon. Now when
+I had gotten back, I found all things in a mighty scurry--men running
+about in their shirts and drawers, some in the galley bringing fire from
+the stove, and others lighting a fire of dry weed to leeward of the
+galley, and along the starboard rail there was already a fierce fight,
+the men using capstan-bars, even as I had done. Then I thrust the
+bo'sun's cutlass into his hand, and at that he gave a great shout, part
+of joy, and part of approbation, and after that he snatched the lantern
+from me, and had run to the larboard side of the deck, before I was well
+aware that he had taken the light; but now I followed him, and happy it
+was for all of us in the ship that he had thought to go at that moment;
+for the light of the lantern showed me the vile faces of three of the
+weed men climbing over the larboard rail; yet the bo'sun had cleft them
+or ever I could come near; but in a moment I was full busy; for there
+came nigh a dozen heads above the rail a little aft of where I was, and
+at that I ran at them, and did good execution; but some had been aboard,
+if the bo'sun had not come to my help. And now the decks were full of
+light, several fires having been lit, and the second mate having brought
+out fresh lanterns; and now the men had gotten their cutlasses, the which
+were more handy than the capstan-bars; and so the fight went forward,
+some having come over to our side to help us, and a very wild sight it
+must have seemed to any onlooker; for all about the decks burned the
+fires and the lanterns, and along the rails ran the men, smiting at
+hideous faces that rose in dozens into the wild glare of our fighting
+lights. And everywhere drifted the stench of the brutes. And up on the
+poop, the fight was as brisk as elsewhere; and here, having been drawn by
+a cry for help, I discovered the buxom woman smiting with a gory meat-axe
+at a vile thing which had gotten a clump of its tentacles upon her dress;
+but she had dispatched it, or ever my sword could help her, and then, to
+my astonishment, even at that time of peril, I discovered the captain's
+wife, wielding a small sword, and the face of her was like to the face of
+a tiger; for her mouth was drawn, and showed her teeth clenched; but she
+uttered no word nor cry, and I doubt not but that she had some vague idea
+that she worked her husband's vengeance.
+
+Then, for a space, I was as busy as any, and afterwards I ran to the
+buxom woman to demand the whereabouts of Mistress Madison, and she, in a
+very breathless voice, informed me that she had locked her in her room
+out of harm's way, and at that I could have embraced the woman; for I had
+been sorely anxious to know that my sweetheart was safe.
+
+And, presently, the fight diminished, and so, at last, came to an end,
+the ship having drawn well away from the point, and being now in the
+open. And after that I ran down to my sweetheart, and opened her door,
+and thus, for a space, she wept, having her arms about my neck; for she
+had been in sore terror for me, and for all the ship's company. But,
+soon, drying her tears, she grew very indignant with her nurse for having
+locked her into her room, and refused to speak to that good woman for
+near an hour. Yet I pointed out to her that she could be of very great
+use in dressing such wounds as had been received, and so she came back to
+her usual brightness, and brought out bandages, and lint, and ointment,
+and thread, and was presently very busy.
+
+Now it was later that there rose a fresh commotion in the ship; for it
+had been discovered that the captain's wife was a-missing. At this, the
+bo'sun and the second mate instituted a search; but she was nowhere to be
+found, and, indeed, none in the ship ever saw her again, at which it was
+presumed that she had been dragged over by some of the weed men, and so
+come upon her death. And at this, there came a great prostration to my
+sweetheart so that she would not be comforted for the space of nigh three
+days, by which time the ship had come clear of those strange seas, having
+left the incredible desolation of the weed-continent far under our
+starboard counter.
+
+And so, after a voyage which lasted for nine and seventy days since
+getting under weigh, we came to the Port of London, having refused all
+offers of assistance on the way.
+
+Now here, I had to say farewell to my comrades of so many months and
+perilous adventures; yet, being a man not entirely without means, I
+took care that each of them should have a certain gift by which to
+remember me.
+
+And I placed monies in the hands of the buxom woman, so that she could
+have no reason to stint my sweetheart, and she having--for the comfort of
+her conscience--taken her good man to the church, set up a little house
+upon the borders of my estate; but this was not until Mistress Madison
+had come to take her place at the head of my hall in the County of Essex.
+
+Now one further thing there is of which I must tell. Should any,
+chancing to trespass upon my estate, come upon a man of very mighty
+proportions, albeit somewhat bent by age, seated comfortably at the door
+of his little cottage, then shall they know him for my friend the
+bo'sun; for to this day do he and I fore-gather, and let our talk drift
+to the desolate places of this earth, pondering upon that which we have
+seen--the weed-continent, where reigns desolation and the terror of its
+strange habitants. And, after that, we talk softly of the land where God
+hath made monsters after the fashion of trees. Then, maybe, my children
+come about me, and so we change to other matters; for the little ones
+love not terror.
+
+
+
+***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOATS OF THE "GLEN CARRIG"***
+
+
+******* This file should be named 10542.txt or 10542.zip *******
+
+
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+https://www.gutenberg.org/1/0/5/4/10542
+
+
+Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
+will be renamed.
+
+Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
+one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
+(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
+permission and without paying copyright royalties.  Special rules,
+set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
+copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
+protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.  Project
+Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
+charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission.  If you
+do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
+rules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
+such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
+research.  They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
+practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.  Redistribution is
+subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
+redistribution.
+
+
+
+*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
+https://gutenberg.org/license).
+
+
+Section 1.  General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works
+
+1.A.  By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement.  If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
+all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
+If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
+terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
+entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+
+1.B.  "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark.  It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.  There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.  See
+paragraph 1.C below.  There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
+and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.  See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C.  The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
+or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works.  Nearly all the individual works in the
+collection are in the public domain in the United States.  If an
+individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
+located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
+copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
+works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
+are removed.  Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
+Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
+freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
+this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
+the work.  You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
+keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D.  The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work.  Copyright laws in most countries are in
+a constant state of change.  If you are outside the United States, check
+the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
+before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
+creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
+Gutenberg-tm work.  The Foundation makes no representations concerning
+the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
+States.
+
+1.E.  Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1.  The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
+access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
+whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
+copied or distributed:
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+1.E.2.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
+from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
+posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
+and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
+or charges.  If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
+with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
+work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
+through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
+Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
+1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
+terms imposed by the copyright holder.  Additional terms will be linked
+to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
+permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4.  Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5.  Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6.  You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
+word processing or hypertext form.  However, if you provide access to or
+distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
+"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
+posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
+you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
+copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
+request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
+form.  Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7.  Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8.  You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
+that
+
+- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+     the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+     you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  The fee is
+     owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
+     has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
+     Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.  Royalty payments
+     must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
+     prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
+     returns.  Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
+     sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
+     address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
+     the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+     you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+     does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+     License.  You must require such a user to return or
+     destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
+     and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
+     Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
+     money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+     electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
+     of receipt of the work.
+
+- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+     distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9.  If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
+forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
+both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
+Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark.  Contact the
+Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1.  Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
+collection.  Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
+"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
+property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
+computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
+your equipment.
+
+1.F.2.  LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees.  YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3.  YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3.  LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from.  If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
+your written explanation.  The person or entity that provided you with
+the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
+refund.  If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
+providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
+receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund.  If the second copy
+is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
+opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4.  Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS," WITH NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5.  Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
+If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
+law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
+interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
+the applicable state law.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any
+provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6.  INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
+with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
+promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
+harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
+that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
+or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
+work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
+Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
+
+
+Section  2.  Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
+including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers.  It exists
+because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
+people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come.  In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
+To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
+and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org.
+
+
+Section 3.  Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
+Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service.  The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541.  Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
+https://pglaf.org/fundraising.  Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
+permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
+Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
+throughout numerous locations.  Its business office is located at
+809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
+business@pglaf.org.  Email contact links and up to date contact
+information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
+page at https://pglaf.org
+
+For additional contact information:
+     Dr. Gregory B. Newby
+     Chief Executive and Director
+     gbnewby@pglaf.org
+
+Section 4.  Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
+spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment.  Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States.  Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements.  We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance.  To
+SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
+particular state visit https://pglaf.org
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States.  U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses.  Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including including checks, online payments and credit card
+donations.  To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate
+
+
+Section 5.  General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
+concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
+with anyone.  For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
+Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
+unless a copyright notice is included.  Thus, we do not necessarily
+keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+Each eBook is in a subdirectory of the same number as the eBook's
+eBook number, often in several formats including plain vanilla ASCII,
+compressed (zipped), HTML and others.
+
+Corrected EDITIONS of our eBooks replace the old file and take over
+the old filename and etext number.  The replaced older file is renamed.
+VERSIONS based on separate sources are treated as new eBooks receiving
+new filenames and etext numbers.
+
+Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
+
+https://www.gutenberg.org
+
+This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
+
+EBooks posted prior to November 2003, with eBook numbers BELOW #10000,
+are filed in directories based on their release date.  If you want to
+download any of these eBooks directly, rather than using the regular
+search system you may utilize the following addresses and just
+download by the etext year.
+
+http://www.ibiblio.org/gutenberg/etext06
+
+    (Or /etext 05, 04, 03, 02, 01, 00, 99,
+     98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 92, 91 or 90)
+
+EBooks posted since November 2003, with etext numbers OVER #10000, are
+filed in a different way.  The year of a release date is no longer part
+of the directory path.  The path is based on the etext number (which is
+identical to the filename).  The path to the file is made up of single
+digits corresponding to all but the last digit in the filename.  For
+example an eBook of filename 10234 would be found at:
+
+https://www.gutenberg.org/1/0/2/3/10234
+
+or filename 24689 would be found at:
+https://www.gutenberg.org/2/4/6/8/24689
+
+An alternative method of locating eBooks:
+https://www.gutenberg.org/GUTINDEX.ALL
+
+*** END: FULL LICENSE ***
diff --git a/old/old/10542.zip b/old/old/10542.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..90666b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/old/10542.zip