按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
on heavily； though he was a fearless man； I don't think that he
ever meant to take undue risks。 I can never forget his naive sort
of astonishment when remonstrated with for what appeared a most
dare…devil performance。 The only person； of course； that could
remonstrate with telling effect was our captain； himself a man of
dare…devil tradition； and really； for me； who knew under whom I was
serving； those were impressive scenes。 Captain S… had a great name
for sailor…like qualities … the sort of name that compelled my
youthful admiration。 To this day I preserve his memory； for；
indeed； it was he in a sense who completed my training。 It was
often a stormy process； but let that pass。 I am sure he meant
well； and I am certain that never； not even at the time； could I
bear him malice for his extraordinary gift of incisive criticism。
And to hear HIM make a fuss about too much sail on the ship seemed
one of those incredible experiences that take place only in one's
dreams。
It generally happened in this way： Night； clouds racing overhead；
wind howling； royals set； and the ship rushing on in the dark； an
immense white sheet of foam level with the lee rail。 Mr。 P…； in
charge of the deck； hooked on to the windward mizzen rigging in a
state of perfect serenity； myself； the third mate； also hooked on
somewhere to windward of the slanting poop； in a state of the
utmost preparedness to jump at the very first hint of some sort of
order； but otherwise in a perfectly acquiescent state of mind。
Suddenly； out of the companion would appear a tall； dark figure；
bareheaded； with a short white beard of a perpendicular cut； very
visible in the dark … Captain S…； disturbed in his reading down
below by the frightful bounding and lurching of the ship。 Leaning
very much against the precipitous incline of the deck； he would
take a turn or two； perfectly silent； hang on by the compass for a
while； take another couple of turns； and suddenly burst out：
〃What are you trying to do with the ship？〃
And Mr。 P…； who was not good at catching what was shouted in the
wind； would say interrogatively：
〃Yes； sir？〃
Then in the increasing gale of the sea there would be a little
private ship's storm going on in which you could detect strong
language； pronounced in a tone of passion and exculpatory
protestations uttered with every possible inflection of injured
innocence。
〃By Heavens； Mr。 P…！ I used to carry on sail in my time； but … 〃
And the rest would be lost to me in a stormy gust of wind。
Then； in a lull； P…'s protesting innocence would become audible：
〃She seems to stand it very well。〃
And then another burst of an indignant voice：
〃Any fool can carry sail on a ship … 〃
And so on and so on； the ship meanwhile rushing on her way with a
heavier list； a noisier splutter； a more threatening hiss of the
white； almost blinding； sheet of foam to leeward。 For the best of
it was that Captain S… seemed constitutionally incapable of giving
his officers a definite order to shorten sail； and so that
extraordinarily vague row would go on till at last it dawned upon
them both； in some particularly alarming gust； that it was time to
do something。 There is nothing like the fearful inclination of
your tall spars overloaded with canvas to bring a deaf man and an
angry one to their senses。
XII。
So sail did get shortened more or less in time even in that ship；
and her tall spars never went overboard while I served in her。
However； all the time I was with them； Captain S… and Mr。 P… did
not get on very well together。 If P… carried on 〃like the very
devil〃 because he was too deaf to know how much wind there was；
Captain S… （who； as I have said； seemed constitutionally incapable
of ordering one of his officers to shorten sail） resented the
necessity forced upon him by Mr。 P…'s desperate goings on。 It was
in Captain S…'s tradition rather to reprove his officers for not
carrying on quite enough … in his phrase 〃for not taking every
ounce of advantage of a fair wind。〃 But there was also a
psychological motive that made him extremely difficult to deal with
on board that iron clipper。 He had just come out of the marvellous
Tweed； a ship； I have heard； heavy to look at but of phenomenal
speed。 In the middle sixties she had beaten by a day and a half
the steam mail…boat from Hong Kong to Singapore。 There was
something peculiarly lucky； perhaps； in the placing of her masts …
who knows？ Officers of men…of…war used to come on board to take
the exact dimensions of her sail…plan。 Perhaps there had been a
touch of genius or the finger of good fortune in the fashioning of
her lines at bow and stern。 It is impossible to say。 She was
built in the East Indies somewhere； of teak…wood throughout； except
the deck。 She had a great sheer； high bows； and a clumsy stern。
The men who had seen her described her to me as 〃nothing much to
look at。〃 But in the great Indian famine of the seventies that
ship； already old then； made some wonderful dashes across the Gulf
of Bengal with cargoes of rice from Rangoon to Madras。
She took the secret of her speed with her； and； unsightly as she
was； her image surely has its glorious place in the mirror of the
old sea。
The point； however； is that Captain S…； who used to say frequently；
〃She never made a decent passage after I left her；〃 seemed to think
that the secret of her speed lay in her famous commander。 No doubt
the secret of many a ship's excellence does lie with the man on
board； but it was hopeless for Captain S… to try to make his new
iron clipper equal the feats which made the old Tweed a name of
praise upon the lips of English…speaking seamen。 There was
something pathetic in it； as in the endeavour of an artist in his
old age to equal the masterpieces of his youth … for the Tweed's
famous passages were Captain S…'s masterpieces。 It was pathetic；
and perhaps just the least bit dangerous。 At any rate； I am glad
that； what between Captain S…'s yearning for old triumphs and Mr。
P…'s deafness； I have seen some memorable carrying on to make a
passage。 And I have carried on myself upon the tall spars of that
Clyde shipbuilder's masterpiece as I have never carried on in a
ship before or since。
The second mate falling ill during the passage； I was promoted to
officer of the watch； alone in charge of the deck。 Thus the
immense leverage of the ship's tall masts became a matter very near
my own heart。 I suppose it was something of a compliment for a
young fellow to be trusted； apparently without any supervision； by
such a commander as Captain S…； though； as far as I can remember；
neither the tone；