It looked as if it would be a long passage. The south-east trades, light and unsteady, were left behind; and then, on the equator and under a low grey sky, the ship, in close heat, floated upon a smooth sea that resembled a sheet of ground glass. Thunder squalls hung on the horizon, circled round the ship, far off and growling angrily, like a troop of wild beasts afraid to charge home. The invisible sun, sweeping above the upright masts, made on the clouds a blurred stain of rayless light, and a similar patch of faded radiance kept pace with it from east to west over the unglittering level of the waters. At night, through the impenetrable darkness of earth and heaven, broad sheets of flame waved noiselessly;and for half a second the becalmed craft stood out with its masts and rigging, with every sail and every rope distinct and black in the centre of a fiery outburst, like a charred ship enclosed in a globe of fire. And, again, for long hours she remained lost in a vast universe of night and silence where gentle sighs wandering here and there like forlorn souls, made the still sails flutter as in sudden fear, and the ripple of a beshrouded ocean whisper its compassion afar -- in a voice mournful, immense, and faint.....
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When the lamp was put out, and through the door thrown wide open, Jimmy, turning on his pillow, could see vanishing beyond the straight line of top-gallant rail, the quick, repeated visions of a fabulous world made up of leaping fire and sleeping water. The lightning gleamed in his big sad eyes that seemed in a red flicker to burn themselves out in his black face, and then he would lay blinded and invisible in the midst of an intense darkness. He could hear on the quiet deck soft footfalls, the breathing of some man lounging on the doorstep; the low creak of swaying masts; or the calm voice of the watch-officer reverberating aloft, hard and loud, amongst the unstirring sails. he listened with avidity, taking a rest in the attentive perception of the slightest sound from the fatiguing wanderings of his sleeplessness. He was cheered by the rattling of blocks, reassured by the stir and murmur of the watch, soothed by the slow yawn of some sleepy and weary seaman settling himself deliberately for a snooze on the planks. Life seemed an indestructible thing. It went on in darkness, in sunshine. in sleep; tireless, it hovered affectionately round the imposture of his ready death. It was bright, like the twisted flare of lightning, and more full of surprises than the dark night. It made him safe, and the calm of its overpowering darkness was as precious as its restless and dangerous light.
But in the evening, in the dog-watches, and even far into the first night-watch, a knot of men could always be seen congregated before Jimmy's cabin. They leaned on each side of the door, peacefully interested and with crossed legs; they stood astride the doorstep discoursing, or sat in silent couples on his sea-chest; while against the bulwark along the spare topmast, three or four in a row stared meditatively, with their ****** faces lit up by the projected glare of Jimmy's lamp. The little place, repainted white, had, in the night, the brilliance of a silver shrine where a black idol, reclining stiffly under a blanket, blinked its weary eyes and received our homage. Donkin officiated. He had the air of a demonstrator showing a phenomenon, a manifestation bizarre, ******, and meritorious, that, to the beholders, should be a profound and an everlasting lesson.
‘Just look at 'im, 'e knows what's what -- never fear!’he exclaimed now and then, flourishing a hand hard and fleshless like the claw of a snipe. Jimmy, on his back, smiled with Page 78reserve and without moving a limb. He affected the languor of extreme weakness, so as to make it manifest to us that our delay in hauling him out from his horrible confinement, and then that night spent on the poop among out selfish neglect of his needs, had ‘done for him.’He rather liked to talk about it, and of course we were always interested.
He spoke spasmodically, in fast rushes with long pauses between, as a tipsy man walks.....‘Cook had just given me a pannikin of hot coffee....Slapped it down there, on my chest -- banged the door to..... I felt a heavy roll coming; tried to save my coffee, burnt my fingers....and fell out of my bunk.....She went over so quick.....Water came in through the ventilator.....Icouldn't move the door to.....dark as a grave....tried to scramble up into the upper berth.....Rats....a rat bit my finger as I got up.....I could hear him swimming below me.....I thought you would never come.....I thought you were all gone overboard....of course....could hear nothing but the wind.....Then you came....to look for the corpse, I suppose. A little more and....’‘Man! but ye made a rare lot of noise in here,’observee Archie, thoughtfully.
‘You chaps kicked up such a confounded row above.....Enough to scare any one.....I didn't know what you were up to.....Bash in the blamed planks....my head.....Just what a silly, scary gang of fools would do.....Not much good to me anyhow.....Just as well....drown.....Pah.’He groaned, snapped his big white teeth, and gazed with scorn. Belfast lifted a pair of dolorous eyes, with a broken-hearted smile, clenched his fists stealthily; blue-eyed Archie caressed his red whiskers with a hesitating hand;; the boatswain at the door stared a moment, and brusquely went away with a loud guffaw. Wamibo dreamed.....Donkin felt all over his sterile chin for the few rare hairs, and said, triumphantly, with a sidelong glance at Jimmy: -- ‘Look at 'im! Wish I was 'arf as 'ealthy has 'e his -- I do.’ He jerked a short thumb over his shoulder towards the after end of the ship. ‘That's the blooming way to do 'em!’ he yelped, with forced heartiness.
