The times., 1897-09-12
'S-9-er0 900 Ss3@ By
JOSEPH CONRAD
PART VI.

VIII flc rest, NO 9ne knew the venom OE
his thsushts NOW. BE was silent, aud ap
peared thinner, as if consumed slowly by an
inward rage at the in Justice of men and OF
fate. He was injured by all ana spoke To
no one, but his hate for every man looked
out through his eyes. he talked win the
cook 1nly, having somehow persuaded the
good man that he Donkin-w3s much
caIunniatcd and prosecuted persen. TO
gether they be1galed the immortality OF the
ship's oOnspany. There could be no greater
criminals tHan We, vino by our lies, con
s:pirod 10 send lne soul OF poor, Ignorant
black man TO everlasting perdition. Pol
nlore o0oEed what there was TO cook re
naorseruIly. and felt a Il the time that by pre-
pairing the food Of such sinners he imper-
lied his own salvation. DonIdn agreed
with the Cook; coCId find no words severe
enough % criuCise cur conduct, and when
in the heat OF repro5ation he swore at US,
Pndnlore who would have liked to swear
also f ID adm I been for his principles, pre-
tended not to hear.
SO Donkin, unrebgked cursed enough
Tor two, Cadgpd FOR matches, borrowed
tobacco, Iuafed for hours and very mucG
at home, before the stove. From Their.
hE could hear us on the other side Of
the tdlktead, talking 10 Jimmy The
cook knceHed the pots about, slammed
the oven door, muttered prophecies ot
darsnation for an the ships company
and I7ankin. VINO did not admit ef any
hereafter. except for purposes 5f bias
phemy, listened, concentrated, and angry,
gioalmg nercely over eaiIed-up Image of
infinite torment-lise men gloat over the
zCCursed Images of cruelty and revenge,
Of gr"ed and of power.
t--s.s,tue~s rht. zfIar.f shin uFsr7.sr-
the cold sheen OF the dead moon took on
Bhe false aspect of passion less earth.
unecr hay long hauo of gold barred
the black disc OF the sea. i Footsteps
echCerl Oh her quiet decks The moonlight
CLING 10 her like a frosted mist, and tbe
white sai.s stood out iH dazzling cones as Of
STAINLESS sEOw In the nagnificeuce OF
the pianto-a rays tie ship appeared pure
IKE vision OF ideal beauty, ilnusive
Ihe a tender dream Of serene peace And
nothing n he- was real, nothing WIS
dislinct 3md sulid bot the moving shadows
that rlrd her decks with their uneeas-
ing auJ Eo;so'oss stir: the shadows bIacker
than tie night ana more restless than the
thnughts IF men.
polkfn ProgvIed, spitcful and alone,
amoag rhs shadows, thinking tHat Jimmy
too long delayed te die Just before dark
land had been reported from aIOft, and
the master. while adjusting tn. tubes of the
long glass, had observed with quiet bitter
ness 10 Mr.. B8&er that after fighting our
way inch by inch to the Western Islanris
there was nothing tn expect now but speIl
of calm The SKY was clear aad the barom-
etcr nigh The light breeze dropBpd with
tie sun. aRG GG enormous stiffness, fore
runner of d night without wind, descended
81.
long as daylight lasted the hands collected
on the forecastle-head and watcted Oh the
eastern SKY the island uf Flores that rose
above the level expanse Of the sea with
irregular aud broken outlines. Ike som
Ber ruin upon vast and deserted plain
It was the first land seen for nearly four
months. Charley was excited, and in tie
midst of general Indulgence took liberties
with his betters. Men, strangely elatei
without knowing why, talked in groups,
and pointed with barred arms FoT the first
time that voyage Jimny's sham existence
seemed for moment forgotten in the face
of P sJHI reality We had got 50 far an v
how. Belfast discoUrsed, quoting imagi-
nary examples Of short honleward pas
sages from the islands Them smart fruit
seh0oners 10 1t in five days" he affirmed.
..What go you want only d good little
breeze." Archie maintained that seven
days was the shortest passage, and they
disputed aBicaBly with insulting words.
A gr0up OF griZ,ied sea-dOgs looked out
Cor a time ia sleHce, ana with grim, all
s0r7ec fac--s- One said suddenly: 'T'ain't
lar to London now MY first night
ashore, hiaturle, il I haven't steak and
Onions for supper-and pintof bitter, said
another "A barrel ye mean," shouted
come one. Ham an eggs three times a
day- That's the way I IIyei'' cried an eX-
C1fed voice There was stir, appTeciative
murmur; eyes began to shine; jaws champ
ed shor-, nervous laughs were heard.
Archie smiled with reserve All to himself
Sullivan came up, gave a negligent glance,
andweiii down a gain without sa wing word
iHdifferent. like man no had seen Flores
an incalcEiabIe number of times. The night
travelling frota the east bIotted out Of the
liupid sky the purple stain Of the highland
'|Dead cain said somebody quietly. The
murnur of lively talk suddenly wavered.
died oIf; the clusters bEcke up: men BEGAN
to drift away one b Y one, descending the
ladder slowly and with serious faces, a. IL
E0bered by that reminder OF their depend
eBce upon the invisible. And when the
big yellow ToOE asCenGeu gently above the
sharp rim of Tie clear horizon it found the
ship wrapped up in a breathless silence;
a fearless; snip that seemed 10 sleep pro-
foUndlv, dreamlessly on the bosom Of the
sleeping and terrible sea.
DOa6iu Chafed at the peace. the ship,
the sea, that, stretching away on al
sides, met ged into the iliimifabIe silence
OF al creation He felt himself pulled
Up sharp by unrecognized grievances.
He had heen physically cowed, but his
INJURED dignity remained indomitable,
and nothing could heal his lacerated
feelings Here was land already home
very Soma lad pay-day-no clothes
more hard work How offensive al this
was. Land. The land that dra WIS AVA
life from SICK sailors. That nirger there
had money ClJthes-easy times, and would
not Gle Land draws life away. He felt
tempted 70 90 and see whether it did.
Perhaps already-it would be hit Of
lucI. There was money in the beggar' 5
chest. He stepped briSkIy out of the
shadows into the moonlight, and, instantly
ltsCravine. EryfacefronlSaIow became
Hvid- He oIeRed the door Of the cabin ami
had a St0cl.
Sure dlisI Ighi Jimmy wa dead, he moved
no more than recanibent figure with
ClaSped hands, carved on the Iid of . stoBe
coffin. Bonkin slared with avidity Then
Jimmy, EFithaHt stirring hliHl,ed his eye
lids, and Donkin had another shock. Those
eyes were rather startling. lie shut the