The times., 1897-08-22
FART III.
JoSEPtf CONRAD

hke tiie last veSttgr OF q shattered cfeattoh.
she slI-fts. bearing 81 snsuisised remnant
of sinful mHnlsind through the seiiseless
distress, tuttult. and pain of a veiiSefHl
rinleDoe No ore slept in the fOrecastle
The tan oilIamp suspended on long string
smoking. described wide circles. Wet clotif
Ing made dark heaps on the ghstening
floor A thin layer OF water rushed to and
fro. In the bed places Inen lay tUoted,
resting on elbows and with open eyes No
one smoke and all listened. Outside the
night nloaned and sobbed I'd the accOmpaRi
nlent- or a continuous loud tren0r of in
Vulnerable drums heating far off. :sariek>
passed through the air.
Tremendous, siull blows made the ship
tnernble while she rolled under the weight
OF the seas topping oil her deck. At times
she scared up swiftly as if to leave this
earth forever; then, during internnabie
moments, zen through a void with all the
hearts on beard OF her standing still, till
a fngfltfui shock, expected and sudden,
started them off again with big thump-
Now aad then. fOI the fraction OF an III
',olcritble second, the ship, in the fiercer
burst of an intolerabie uproar, remained
on her side, vibrating and still, with u Stiii
ness more appalling than the widest mo-
tiun Then upon all those prone bodies
a stir would pass, shiver Of suspense
sonc moved theiT legs little "a If making
ready To jump out. But several motion
less on tneiF backs, and with one hand
gripping hard the edge OF the bunk, smok
e neryouSly with quick puffs. staring up
ward: iu,naot,iized in q great craving Tor
peace.
At midnight orders We're given 10 furl
the fore and nizzen topsaiis. With i'm
nIense efforts men crawl,-d aiOft through
Il naerCiless buffetiuc, saved tie canvas, and
craw!ed down almost exhausted, to bear
in painting silence the cruel battering or
the seas. About : SO the pitchy oilsclrity
round us turned a ghastly gray, and we
knew that the SUI had risen This IA
natural ana threatening daylight, N which
We could see sne anothers wild eyes aud
drawn faces, was only an added tax IN
our endurance. A rain OF heavy sgllt drops
flew aslant Ike nlist The n.ain fopsail
lad 10 be g0ose-wiu-ed. and with stoiid
resignation every une prepa red 10 20
aloft once Hfore; bot the Officers yelled,
pushed hack and a; last we understood
that no more nlrn would be allowed 10 81
on the yard than was absolutely necessary
for the wOI6 A 5 al any moment the nlias "a
We're likely TO lee Jumped out or blownover.
board. we concluded that the captain di,in I
waIl TO see all his crowd go over the side
at once.
That was reaSnnalae. The watch rheii
on duty began 10 struggle mp the rigging
Tie wind Hattened them againss the vat
lines thrn, ceasins a little, would iei
them gain a c,a1ple or steps: and again with
q sudden gust, pin, All UP the shrUudS, the
whole crawling lines m attitudes OF cruel
fixiou Tie other watch plunged down on
the maindecE 20 haul up the sail. Favored
by on otmnous and untrusJworUny lull, th-
work was done without anyone being
lost, either off the deck or from the yard
For tise moment the gale seemed 10 rake
off. The ship, asif grateful for our efforts
plucked up heart aud made better weather
oft.
AT the Inen off duty, watching thei
chance. Ian lorN ard over the flooded decI
to get some rest. The other half OF tn,
crew remained aft for their turn Of see
ing her through her trouble" they ex
pressed it, on the weather side of tn,
poop the watch. hanging on TO the rniZzer
rigging and 70 one another, tried 10 ex
change encoura ring words. Sullivan, q
the wheel yelled out. Look out for your
StlFtS- til> NDlNb IeatneQ them III z
warning whisper They were startled
big. foaming sea came out of the mist
It maze for the ship. roaring wildly, anC
in its rush il looked as mischievous an
disconiposing ac nladman with an ak
The slip rose TO it as if she had scare,
On wings. and for a moment reste,I poiset
upon the fOaning crest as If she had beeI
a great sea-bird Before we could draw
roller took her unfairly under the weathe
bow, ste gave a topplinS lurch, and fillet
her decks
The mems feet flew from under them
and they hung kicking above the slantin
pooD. They could see the ship putin;
her SIDE in the water, and shouted al
together, "sbe's eoingi'' Forward tn
foTccasllr doors flew open. and the watc
below were leaping out, one after another
throwing their arms up and falling on hand
and knees scrambled aft on all-fours aIon
the high side of the deck, sIoping NOR
than the roof Of house The immens
volume of water thrown forward by tn
last scend OF the ship had burst the le
door Of the forecastle They could Sc
THAR chests, pillows. blankets, and clotl
ing come out Floating upon the sea
They all yelled increasingly ,''The masts
Cuti Cui'' A black squan howIed Io-
over the ship, that lay on her side wit
the lower yard arms pointing TO the cloud,
while the tan mast, inclined nearly to til
horizon seemed to be Of an anmeasurabl
length The carpenter let 20 his hol,
ruled against tie skyligilt, and began I
crawl 20 tie cabin entrance, where a bi
ak was kept ready for Just such emergenc.
Capt. AIIistoun managed to stand u
with has face near the deck, upon Hhic
men swung Oh the end OF ropes like nes
robbers upon a cliff One OF his feet wa
on somebody 5 chest. His face was purpl
his lips moved. He yelled also he yeIle'
bending down: ''No, Noi''
Mr. Baker, one leg over the binnacl
stand, roared out. Did you say no? n,
oui7"
The captain shook his head madly IN,
No.''
Between his legs the crawling carpei
ter heard. collapsed at once, and lay fu
length in the angie Of the skylight. voic'
took Up the shout, NO! Nol" and upc
the terrific noise OF wind and sea not
murmur uf remonstrance came out frol
those men, who each would have give
eser 50 many years of life to see ''the
bloody sticks 90 overheard They {
believed it their only chance; but a lit
hard-faced man shook his gray head an
shouted, NO" without giving them I
much As a glance They were silent ar
gsspea. They gripped rails they ha
wonnd ropes ends under their arms: tn,
clutched ringbOlts: ther crayled in heal