Part 24

While the whaler to which I belonged was lying at Honolulu I one day went ashore for a long ramble out of sight and hearing of the numerous questionable amusements of the town, and late in the afternoon found myself several miles to the southward of it. Emerging from the tangled pathway through which I had been struggling with the luxuriant greenery, I struck the sand of a lovely little bight that commanded an uninterrupted view to seaward. Less than a mile out a reef of black rocks occasionally bared their ugly fangs for a brief space amidst the sleek waters, until the sleepily advancing swell, finding its progress thus hindered, rose high over their grim summits in a league-long fleece of dazzling foam, whose spray glittered like jewels in the diagonal rays of the declining sun.

Upon a little knoll left by the receding tide sat a man staring stolidly out to sea. As I drew near, my approach making no noise upon the yielding sand, I saw that he was white. By his rig--a shirt and trousers, big grass hat, and bare feet--I took him for a beach-comber. These characters are not often desirable companions--human weeds cast ashore in such places, and getting a precarious living in dark and devious ways without work. But I felt inclined for company and a rest after my long tramp, so I made for him direct. He raised his head at my nearing him, showing a grizzled beard framing a weather-beaten face as of a man some sixty years old. There was a peculiar, _boiled_ look about his face, too, as if he had once been drowned, by no means pleasant to see.

He gave me “Good evening!” cheerfully enough as I sat down beside him and offered my plug of tobacco. Cutting himself a liberal quid, he returned it with the query, “B’long ter wun er the spouters, I persoom?” “Yes,” I replied; “boat-header in the _Cachalot_.” “Ah,” he replied instantly, “but yew’re no Yank, neow, air ye?” “No, I’m a Cockney--little as you may think _that_ likely,” said I; “but it’s a fact.” “Wall, I don’no,” he drawled, “I’ve a-met Cockneys good’s I want ter know; ’n’ why not?”

The conversation then drifted desultorily from topic to topic in an aimless, time-killing fashion, till at last, feeling better acquainted, I ventured to ask him what had given him that glazy, soaked appearance, so strange and ghastly to see. “Look a-heah, young feller,” said he abruptly, “heouw old je reckon I mout be?” Without the slightest hesitation I replied, “Sixty, or thereabouts.” He gave a quiet chuckle, and then said slowly, “Wall, I doan’ blame ye, nuther; ’n’ as to feelin’--wall, sumtimes I feel ’s if I’d ben a-livin’ right on frum the beginnin’ ov things. My age, which ’s about the one solid fact I kin freeze onter now’days, is thutty-two. Yew won’t b’lieve it, of course; but thet’s nothin’ ter what ye _will_ hear, ef yew wait awhile.

“What I’m goin’ ter tell ye happened--lemme see--wall, I doan’no--mebbe two, mebbe four er five year sence. I wuz mate of a pearlin’ schooner b’longin’ ter Levuka, lyin’ daouwn to Rotumah. Ware we’d ben workin’ the reef wuz middlin’ deep--deep ’nuf ter make eour b’ys fall on deck when they come up with a load, ’n’ lie there like dead uns fer ’bout ten minnits befo’ they k’d move ag’in. ’Twuz slaughterin’ divin’; but the shell wuz thick, ’n’ no mistake; ’n’ eour ole man wuz a hustler--s’long’s he got shell he didn’t vally a few dern Kanakers peggin’ eout neow ’n’ then. We’d alost three with sharks, ’n’ ef ’twan’t thet th’ b’ys wuz more skeered of old Hardhead than they wuz of anythin’ else I doan reckon we sh’d a-got any more stuff thet trip ’t all. But ’z he warn’t the kind er blossom to play any games on, they kep’ at it, ’n’ we ’uz fillin’ up fast. The land was ’bout ten mile off, ’n’ they wuz ’bout fifty, er mebbe sixty fathom water b’tween the reef we wuz fishin’ on ’n’ the neares’ p’int. Wall, long ’bout eight bells in the afternoon I uz a-stannin’ by the galley door watchin’ a Kanaker crawlin’ inboard very slow, bein’ ’most done up. Five er six ov ’em uz hangin’ roun’ ’bout ter start below agen, ’n’ th’ ole man uz a-blarsfemion gashly at ’em fer bein’ so slow. Right in the middle of his sermont I seed ’im go green in the face, ’n’ make a step back from the rail, with both hans helt up in front ov ’im ’s if he uz skeered ’most ter de’th. ’N’ he wuz, too. There cum lickin’ inboard after him a long grey slitherin’ thing like a snake ’ith no head but a lot uv saucers stuck onto it bottom up. ’N’ befo’ I’d time ter move, bein’ ’most sort er paralised, several more ov the dern things uz a-sneakin’ around all over the deck. The fust one got the skipper good ’n’ tight ’ith a round turn above his arms, ’n’ I saw him a-slidin’ away. The schooner wuz a-rollin’ ’s if in a big swell--which there warn’t a sign of, ’s I c’d see. But them snaky grey things went quicker ’n’ thinkin’ all over her, ’n’ befo’ yew c’d say ‘knife’ every galoot, includin’ me, wuz agoin’ ’long with ’em back to where they’d come from.

“Say, d’yew ever wake up all alive, ’cep’ yew couldn’ move ner speak, only know all wuts goin’ on, ’n’ do the pow’flest thinkin’ ’bout things yew ever did in yer life? Yes, ’n’ that’s haow I wuz then. When thet cold gristly sarpint cum cuddlin’ roun’ me, ’n’ the saucers got onto me ’s if they’d suck out me very bow’ls, I’d a gi’n Mount Morgan ter died; but I couldn’t ev’n go mad. I saw the head ov the Thing them arms b’long’d ter, ’n’ ’twuz wuss ’n the horrors, ’cause I wuz sane ’n’ cool ’n’ collected. The eyes wuz black, ’n’ a foot or more across, ’n’ when I looked into ’em I see meself a-comin’.”

He was silent for a minute, but shaking as if with palsy. I laid my hand on his arm, not knowing what to say, and he looked up wistfully, saying, “Thenks, shipmate; thet’s good.” Then he went on again.

“The whole thing went back’ards, takin’ us along; ’n I remember thinkin’ ez we went of the other Kanakers below thet hedn’t come back. I he’rd the bubbles ’s each of us left the sunshine, but never a cry, never another soun’. The las’ thing I remember seein’ ’bove me wuz th’ end of the schooner’s mainboom, which wuz guyed out to larberd some, ’n’ looked like a big arm struck stiff an’ helpless, though wishful to save. Down I went, that clingin’ snaky coil round me tighter ’n my skin. But wut wuz strangest ter me wuz the fact that not only I didn’t drown, but I felt no sort er disconvenience frum bein’ below the water. ’N’ at last when I reached the coral, though I dessay I looked corpse enough, ’twuz only my looks, fur I felt, lackin’ my not bein’ able ter move, breathe, er speak, ez peart ’n’ fresh ez I dew naow. The clutch thet hed ben squeezin’ me so all-fired tight begun to slack, ’n’ I felt more comf’ble; ’n’ ef ’t ’adn’t ben fer the reck’lection uv them eyes ’n’ thet berryin’-groun’ ov a mouth, I doan’no but wut I might ha’ been a’most happy. But I lay thar, with the rest uv my late shipmates, sort er ready fer consumpshun, like the flies in the corner of a spider’s web; ’n’ thet guv me a pow’ful heap ov a bad time.

“After a while the quiet of the place begun ter breed strange noshuns in my hed--jest like ’s if I wuz dreamin’, though wide awake ’s ever I wuz in all my life. I jest ’peared to be ’way back at the beginnin’ uv things, befo’ they wuz anythin’ else but water, ’n’ wut life there wuz in them early days hed ter dew ’ithout air er sun er light. I’d read the Bible some--not ter say frequent, ’n’, bein’ but a poor skollar, Jennersez wuz ’bout ’s fur ’s I got. But onct a Blue-nose I uz shipmates with wuz pow’ful fond uv one er the Bible yarns he called the Book of Jobe, ’n’ he use’ ter read thet off ter me ’twell I nearly got it through my he’d solid. Anyway, much ov it kem back ter me neow--bits ’beout the foundayshons ov the world, ’n’ the boun’s ov the sea, ’n’ suchlike.

“’N’ all the time overright me in the mouth ov a gret cave, with them res’less thutty-foot feelers ever a-twistin’ ’n’ wrigglin’ aroun’, wuz the Thing itself, them awful eyes jest a-showin’, like moons made ov polished jet, in the dimness. Some ov my shipmates wuz gone, the skipper among ’em; but some, like me, wuz layin’ quiet ’n’ straight; while all about us the fish, ov every shape ’n’ size, wuz a-gliden’ slow ’n’ stealthy, like as if ever on the watch ’gainst some enemy er anuther.

“It seemed so long I laid thar thet I felt able to remember every bush ’n’ bough ov coral, every boulder, that in queerest shapes yew ever see lay scattered aroun’. At last, never havin’ quite los’ sight of thet horrible ungodly Thing in the cave yander, I see It kem eout. I never knowed thar wuz a God till then. Sence thet time, whenever I hear some mouthy critter _provin’_ ez he calls it, poor child! thet ther ain’t, ’n’ cain’t be, any God, I feel thet sorry fer him I c’d jest sail right in ’n’ lam the foggy blether out’n his fool-skull. But ez I wuz a-sayin, eout kem the Thing till I see the hull gret carcass ov It, bigger ’n the bigges’ sparm whale I ever see, jest a haulin’ ’n’ a warpin’ along by them wanderin’ arms over the hills ’n’ hallers ov the reef t’ords me. It floated between me ’n’ wut light ther wuz, which wuz suthin’ ter be thankful fer, fer I’d a gi’n my life ter be able to shet my eyes from it ’n’ wut wuz comin’. It hung right over me, ’n’ I felt the clingin’ suckers closin’ all aroun’ me, when all of a sudden they left me ag’in. The gret black shadder moved ter one side ’n’ daown through that clear water cum a sparm whale, graceful ’n’ easy’s an albacore. I never thought much of old squar’head’s looks before, but I’m tellin’ ye, _then_ he looked like a shore-nough angel ’longside thet frightful crawlin’ clammy bundle of sea sarpients.

“But I hedn’t much time ter reflec’, fer thet whale had come on bizness, ’n’ ther wa’n’t any percrastinatin’ ’bout him. When he got putty cluss up to the Thing that wuz backin’ oneasily away, he sorter rounded to like a boat comin’ ’longside, only ’sted ov comin’ roun’ he come over, clar he’d over flukes. His jaw wuz hangin’ daown baout twenty foot with all the big teeth a shinin’, ’n’ next I knew he’d got thet gol-durned Thing in his mouth with a grip right behin’ them awful Eyes. Roun’ come the tangle of arms like the sails of a windmill lacin’, clutchin’, tearin’ at the whale’s head. But they might so well hev hugged the Solander Rock. It made no sorter diffrunce ter him, ’n’ his jaw kep’ on workin’ fer all it wuz worth a-sawin’ off the tremenjus he’d of the Thing. Then the light went eout. My gosh! thet water wuz jest turned inter ink, ’n’ though yew c’d feel the sway ’n’ swirl ov thet gret struggle like the screw race ov some big liner ther wa’n’t nothin’ ter be seen. So I reckon the Thing I’d been puzzlin’ ter fine a name fer wuz jest the Gret Mogul ov all the cuttle-fish, ’n’ bein’ kinder hard prest wuz a-sheddin’ the hull contents ov his ink-tank.

“Wall, I wuz sorter int’rested in this mush ’n’ very much wanted ter see it through, but thet satisfacshun wuz denied me. All the churnin’ ’n’ thrashin’ went on jest above me in pitch-dark ’n’ grave-quiet. Bimeby the water ceased to bile aroun’ ’n’ got clearer, till after a while I c’d see gret shadders above movin’ swiffly. The sea took on anuther colour quite femiliar ter me, sorter yaller, a mixin’ ov red ’n’ blue. Funniest thing wuz the carm way I wuz a takin’ ov it all, jest like a man lookin’ out’n a b’loon at a big fight, er a spectayter in a g’lanty show hevin’ no pusnal concern in the matter ’t all. Presently sneakin along comes a white streak cluss ter me. Long befo’ it touched me I knew it fer wut it wuz, ’n’ then I wuz in de’dly fear less the hope uv life after all sh’d rouse me eout uv thish yer trance or whatever it wuz. ’Twuz a whale-line frum some whaleship’s boat a-fishin’ overhe’d. It kem right to me. It teched me ’n’ I felt ’s’if I must come to ’n’ die right there ’n’ then. But it swep’ right under me, ’n’ then settled daown coil after coil till I wuz fair snarled erp in it. By this time the water’d got so soupy thet I could’n’ see nothin’, but ’twa’n’t long befo’ I felt myself a-risin’--eout uv the belly uv Hell ez Jonah sez.

“Up I kem at a good lick till all uv a sudden I sees God’s light, smells His air, ’n’ hears voices uv men. Gosh, but wa’n’t they gallied when they see me. Blame ef I did’n’ half think they’d lemme go ag’in. The fust one ter git his brains ter work wuz the bow oarsman, a nigger, who leaned over the gunnel, his face greeny-grey with fright, ’n’ grabbed me by the hair. Thet roused the rest, ’n’ I wuz hauled in like a whiz. Then their tongues got ter waggin’, ’n’ yew never heard so many fool things said in five minutes outside er Congress.

“It didn’ seem ter strike any ov ’em thet I moutn’t be so very dead after all, though fortnitly fer me they conclooded ter take me aboard with ’em. So I laid thar in the bottom ov the boat while they finished haulin’ line. Ther wuz a clumsy feller among ’em thet made a slip, hittin’ me an ugly welt on the nose as he wuz fallin’. Nobody took any notice till presently one ov ’em hollers, ‘Why dog my cats ef thet corpse ain’t got a nosebleed.’ This startled ’em all, fer I never met a galoot so loony ez ter think a de’d man c’d bleed. Hows’ever they jest lit eout fer the ship like sixty ’n’ h’isted me aboard. ’Twuz er long time befo’ they got my works a-tickin’ ag’in, but they done it at last, ’n’ once more I wuz a livin’ man amon’ livin’ men.

“Naow ov course yew doan’ b’lieve my yarn--yew cain’t, tain’t in nacher, but, young feller, thar’s an all-fired heap o’ things in the world that cain’t be beleft in till yew’ve ’speriunced ’em yerself thet ’s trew’s gospel fer all thet.”

I politely deprecated his assumption of my disbelief in his yarn, but my face belied me, I know; so, bidding him “S’long” with a parting present of my plug of tobacco (it was all I had to give), I left him and by the failing light made all speed I could back to my ship.

BY WAY OF AMENDS

Hans Neilsen was a big Dane, with a great wave of blond beard blowing from just below his pale blue eyes, and a leonine head covered with a straw-coloured mane. Although he was a giant in stature he was not what you would call a fine figure of a man, for he was round-shouldered and loosely jointed. And besides these things he had a shambling, undecided gait and a furtive side-long glance, ever apparently searching for a potential foe. Yet with all his peculiarities I loved him, I never knew why. Perhaps it was the unfailing instinct of a child--I was scarcely more--for people whose hearts are kind. He was an A.B. on board of a lumbering old American-built ship owned in Liverpool and presently bound thence to Batavia. I was “the boy”--that is to say, any job that a man could possibly growl himself out of or shirk in any way rapidly filtered down to me, mine by sea-right. And in my leisure I had the doubtful privilege of being body servant to eighteen men of mixed nationalities and a never-satisfied budget of wants. Of course she wasn’t as bad as a Geordie collier, the old _Tucson_. I didn’t get booted about the head for every little thing, nor was I ever aroused out of a dead sleep to hand a fellow a drink of water who was sitting on the breaker. Nevertheless, being nobody’s especial fancy and fully conscious of my inability to take my own part, I was certainly no pampered menial.

They were a queer lot, those fellows. Nothing strange in that, of course, so far, remembering how ships’ crews are made up nowadays, but these were queer beyond the average. In the first place no two of them were countrymen. There were representatives of countries I had till then been ignorant of. The “boss” of the fo’c’s’le was a huge Montenegrin, who looked to my excited fancy like a bandit chief, and used to talk in the worst-sounding lingo I ever heard with Giuseppe from Trieste and Antone from Patras. Louis Didelot, a nimble black-avised little _matelot_ from Nantes, was worst off for communication with his shipmates, not one of whom could speak French, but somehow he managed to rub along with a barbarous compound of French, Spanish, and English. Neilsen chummed, as far as an occasional chat went, with a swarthy little Norwegian from Hammerfest (I believe he was a Lapp), whose language did not seem to differ much from Danish. The rest of the crew were made up of negroes from various far-sundered lands, South American hybrids including one pure-blooded Mexican with a skin like copper, a Russian and two Malays. That fo’c’s’le was Babel over again, although in some strange manner all seemed to find some sufficient medium for making themselves understood. On deck of course English (?) was spoken, but such English as would puzzle the acutest linguist that ever lived if he wasn’t a sailor-man too. Nothing could have borne more conclusive testimony to the flexibility of our noble tongue than the way in which the business of that ship was carried on without any hitch by those British officers and their polyglot crew. And another thing--there were no rows. I have said that Sam the Montenegrin (Heaven only knows what his name really was) was the boss of the fo’c’s’le, but he certainly took no advantage of his tacitly accorded position, and except for the maddening mixture of languages our quarters were as quiet as any well-regulated household.

But as long as I live I shall always believe that most, if not all, of our fellows were fugitives from justice, criminals of every stamp, and owing to the accident of their being thus thrown together in an easy-going English ship they were just enjoying a little off-season of rest prior to resuming operations in their respective departments when the voyage was over. I may be doing them an injustice, but as I picked up fragments of the various languages I heard many strange things, which, when I averaged them up, drove me to the conclusion I have stated. From none of them, however, did I get anything definite in the way of information about their past except Neilsen. He spoke excellent English, or American, with hardly a trace of Scandinavian accent, and often, when sitting alone in the dusk of the second dog-watch on the spars lashed along by the bulwarks, I used to hear him muttering to himself in that tongue, every now and then giving vent to a short barking laugh of scorn. I was long getting into his confidence, for he shrank from all society, preferring to squat with his chin supported on both hands staring at vacancy and keeping up an incessant muttering. But at last the many little attentions I managed to show him thawed his attitude of reserve towards me a little, and he permitted me to sit by his side and prattle to him of my Arab life in London, and of my queer experiences in the various ways of getting something to eat before I went to sea. Even then he would often scare me just as I was in the middle of a yarn by throwing up his head and uttering his bark of disdain, following it up immediately by leaving me. Still I couldn’t be frightened of him, although I felt certain he was a little mad, and I persevered, taking no notice of his eccentricities. At last we became great friends, and he would talk to me sanely by the hour, when during the stillness of the shining night-watches all our shipmates, except the helmsman and look-out man, were curled up in various corners asleep.