the works of edgar allan poe-3-第22章

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！


him；　we　might　yet　save　our　lives；　but　that　otherwise　we　must　all
perish。　I　told　him　to　take　courage；　and　I　would　endeavor　to　free　him。
Feeling　in　my　pantaloons'　pocket；　I　got　hold　of　my　penknife；　and；
after　several　ineffectual　attempts；　at　length　succeeded　in　opening
it。　I　then；　with　my　left　hand；　managed　to　free　my　right　from　its
fastenings；　and　afterward　cut　the　other　ropes　which　held　me。　Upon
attempting；　however；　to　move　from　my　position；　I　found　that　my　legs
failed　me　altogether；　and　that　I　could　not　get　up；　neither　could　I
move　my　right　arm　in　any　direction。　Upon　mentioning　this　to　Parker；
he　advised　me　to　lie　quiet　for　a　few　minutes；　holding　on　to　the
windlass　with　my　left　hand；　so　as　to　allow　time　for　the　blood　to
circulate。　Doing　this；　the　numbness　presently　began　to　die　away　so
that　I　could　move　first　one　of　my　legs；　and　then　the　other；　and；
shortly　afterward　I　regained　the　partial　use　of　my　right　arm。　I　now
crawled　with　great　caution　toward　Parker；　without　getting　on　my　legs；
and　soon　cut　loose　all　the　lashings　about　him；　when；　after　a　short
delay；　he　also　recovered　the　partial　use　of　his　limbs。　We　now　lost　no
time　in　getting　loose　the　rope　from　Peters。　It　had　cut　a　deep　gash
through　the　waistband　of　his　woollen　pantaloons；　and　through　two
shirts；　and　made　its　way　into　his　groin；　from　which　the　blood　flowed
out　copiously　as　we　removed　the　cordage。　No　sooner　had　we　removed　it；
however；　than　he　spoke；　and　seemed　to　experience　instant　relief…
being　able　to　move　with　much　greater　ease　than　either　Parker　or
myself…　this　was　no　doubt　owing　to　the　discharge　of　blood。

　　　　We　had　little　hopes　that　Augustus　would　recover；　as　he　evinced　no
signs　of　life；　but；　upon　getting　to　him；　we　discovered　that　he　had
merely　swooned　from　the　loss　of　blood；　the　bandages　we　had　placed
around　his　wounded　arm　having　been　torn　off　by　the　water；　none　of　the
ropes　which　held　him　to　the　windlass　were　drawn　sufficiently　tight　to
occasion　his　death。　Having　relieved　him　from　the　fastenings；　and　got
him　clear　of　the　broken　wood　about　the　windlass；　we　secured　him　in　a
dry　place　to　windward；　with　his　head　somewhat　lower　than　his　body；
and　all　three　of　us　busied　ourselves　in　chafing　his　limbs。　In　about
half　an　hour　he　came　to　himself；　although　it　was　not　until　the　next
morning　that　he　gave　signs　of　recognizing　any　of　us；　or　had
sufficient　strength　to　speak。　By　the　time　we　had　thus　got　clear　of
our　lashings　it　was　quite　dark；　and　it　began　to　cloud　up；　so　that　we
were　again　in　the　greatest　agony　lest　it　should　come　on　to　blow　hard；
in　which　event　nothing　could　have　saved　us　from　perishing；　exhausted
as　we　were。　By　good　fortune　it　continued　very　moderate　during　the
night；　the　sea　subsiding　every　minute；　which　gave　us　great　hopes　of
ultimate　preservation。　A　gentle　breeze　still　blew　from　the　N。　W。；　but
the　weather　was　not　at　all　cold。　Augustus　was　lashed　carefully　to
windward　in　such　a　manner　as　to　prevent　him　from　slipping　overboard
with　the　rolls　of　the　vessel；　as　he　was　still　too　weak　to　hold　on　at
all。　For　ourselves　there　was　no　such　necessity。　We　sat　close
together；　supporting　each　other　with　the　aid　of　the　broken　ropes
about　the　windlass；　and　devising　methods　of　escape　from　our　frightful
situation。　We　derived　much　comfort　from　taking　off　our　clothes　and
wringing　the　water　from　them。　When　we　put　them　on　after　this；　they
felt　remarkably　warm　and　pleasant；　and　served　to　invigorate　us　in　no
little　degree。　We　helped　Augustus　off　with　his；　and　wrung　them　for
him；　when　he　experienced　the　same　comfort。

　　　　Our　chief　sufferings　were　now　those　of　hunger　and　thirst；　and
when　we　looked　forward　to　the　means　of　relief　in　this　respect；　our
hearts　sunk　within　us；　and　we　were　induced　to　regret　that　we　had
escaped　the　less　dreadful　perils　of　the　sea。　We　endeavoured；　however；
to　console　ourselves　with　the　hope　of　being　speedily　picked　up　by
some　vessel　and　encouraged　each　other　to　bear　with　fortitude　the
evils　that　might　happen。

　　　　The　morning　of　the　fourteenth　at　length　dawned；　and　the　weather
still　continued　clear　and　pleasant；　with　a　steady　but　very　light
breeze　from　the　N。　W。　The　sea　was　now　quite　smooth；　and　as；　from　some
cause　which　we　could　not　determine；　the　brig　did　not　he　so　much　along
as　she　had　done　before；　the　deck　was　comparatively　dry；　and　we　could
move　about　with　freedom。　We　had　now　been　better　than　three　entire
days　and　nights　without　either　food　or　drink；　and　it　became
absolutely　necessary　that　we　should　make　an　attempt　to　get　up
something　from　below。　As　the　brig　was　completely　full　of　water；　we
went　to　this　work　despondently；　and　with　but　little　expectation　of
being　able　to　obtain　anything。　We　made　a　kind　of　drag　by　driving　some
nails　which　we　broke　out　from　the　remains　of　the　companion…hatch　into
two　pieces　of　wood。　Tying　these　across　each　other；　and　fastening　them
to　the　end　of　a　rope；　we　threw　them　into　the　cabin；　and　dragged　them
to　and　fro；　in　the　faint　hope　of　being　thus　able　to　entangle　some
article　which　might　be　of　use　to　us　for　food；　or　which　might　at　least
render　us　assistance　in　getting　it。　We　spent　the　greater　part　of　the
morning　in　this　labour　without　effect；　fishing　up　nothing　more　than　a
few　bedclothes；　which　were　readily　caught　by　the　nails。　Indeed；　our
contrivance　was　so　very　clumsy　that　any　greater　success　was　hardly　to
be　anticipated。

　　　　We　now　tried　the　forecastle；　but　equally　in　vain；　and　were　upon
the　brink　of　despair；　when　Peters　proposed　that　we　should　fasten　a
rope　to　his　body；　and　let　him　make　an　attempt　to　get　up　something　by
diving　into　the　cabin。　This　proposition　we　hailed　with　all　the
delight　which　reviving　hope　could　inspire。　He　proceeded　immediately
to　strip　off　his　clothes　with　the　exception　of　his　pantaloons；　and　a
strong　rope　was　then　carefully　fastened　around　his　middle；　being
brought　up　over　his　shoulders　in　such　a　manner　that　there　was　no
possibility　of　its　slipping。　The　undertaking　was　one　of　great
difficulty　and　danger；　for；　as　we　could　hardly　expect　to　find　much；
if　any；　provision　in　the　cabin　itself；　it　was　necessary　that　the
diver；　after　letting　himself　down；　should　make　a　turn　to　the　right；
and　proceed　under　water　a　distance　of　ten　or　twelve　feet；　in　a　narrow
passage；　to　the　storeroom；　and　return；　without　drawing　breath。

　　　　Everything　being　ready；　Peters　now　descended　in　the　cabin；　going
down　the　companion…ladder　until　the　water　reached　his　chin。　He　then
plunged　in；　head　first；　turning　to　the　right　as　he　plunged；　and
endeavouring　to　make　his　way　to　the　storeroom。　In　this　first　attempt；
however；　he　was　altogether　unsuccessful。　In　less　than　half　a　minute
after　his　going　down　we　felt　the　rope　jerked　violently　（the　signal　we
had　agreed　upon　when　he　desired　to　be　drawn　up）。　We　accordingly　drew
him　up　instantly；　but　so　incautiously　as　to　bruise　him　badly　against
the　ladder。　He　had　brought　nothing　with　him；　and　had　been　unable　to
penetrate　more　than　a　very　little　way　into　the　passage；　owing　to　the
constant　exertions　he　found　it　necessary　to　make　in　order　to　keep
himself　from　floating　up　against　the　deck。　Upon　getting　out　he　was
very　much　exhausted；　and　had　to　rest　full　fifteen　minutes　before　he
could　again　venture　to　descend。

　　　　The　second　attempt　met　with　even　worse　success；　for　he　remained
so　long　under　water　without　giving　the　signal；　that；　becoming　alarmed
for　his　safety；　we　drew　him　out　without　it；　and　found　that　he　was
almost　at　the　last　gasp；　having；　as　he　said；　repeatedly　jerked　at　the
rope　without　our　feeling　it。　This　was　probably　owing　to　a　portion　of
it　having　become　entangled　in　the　balustrade　at　the　foot　of　the
ladder。　This　balustrade　was；　indeed；　so　much　in　the　way；　that　we
determined　to　remove　it；　if　possible；　before　proceeding　with　our
design。　As　we　had　no　means　of　getting　it　away　except　by　main　force；
we　all　descended　into　the　water　as　far　as　we　could　on　the　ladder；　and
giving　a　pull　against　it　with　our　united　strength；　succeeded　in
breaking　it　down。

　　　　The　third　attempt　was　equally　unsuccessful　with　the　two　first；
and　it　now　became　evident　that　nothing　could　be　done　in　this　manner
without　the　aid　of　some　weight　with　which　the　diver　might　steady
himself；　and　keep　to　t