William H. Macy Source Whalesite |
[Written for The Flag of our Union.]
BEYOND "DESOLATION." No. VIII. by W. H. Macy.
The "Garrick's" boat was already pushing off the beach, when all hands were mustered the next morning, and no one was sorry to get a rear view of her troublesome commander, lessening gradually in the distance. He had kept everything and everybody in hot water since he landed, and, as Bryant jocosely expressed it, "he could be spared without a pang." Martin had been left on the beach, but he was not likely to have much authority or influence with the "Daphne's" crew; and McDougal, now thoroughly roused to a sense of how much devolved upon him, had shaken off the incubus under which he had seemed to struggle for two days past, and took charge of matters with a stronger hand. There was no liquor on the island, save what little was locked up in the officers' chests, and held under strict control, and the duties were now carried on with regularity and despatch. A good business was done by all for the time being; but as each party strove to outdo the others in the work of slaughter, nothing was spared, old or young. The haul of elephants grew less and less every day, and it soon came to be evident that this system of general massacre would, in a short time, make a desert of the north beach, and compel us to seek our prey in more distant haunts. This result would much retard our progress and increase our labor, owing to the necessity of transporting the blubber a great distance over land. Before the end of "young bull season," we had collected more than a cargo for the schooner, and had the greater part of it "made off," as the Greenlandmen term the process of mincing and packing into casks. Scouts were kept on the shore night and day, and the labor of all hands was incessant from daylight until sundown, except when the gales were so furious as to make work impracticable. But. even then, the men detailed as hunters must be on the alert, for this was the very time when the animals seemed most inclined to seek the shore. But we were warmly housed and liberally fed, and our evenings, after the day's toil was over, were spent in pleasant recreation, or in visiting each other's houses. Captain McDougal and his daughter sometimes made us a call at the Nest, while many a delightful hour was spent by Dave and myself at Daphne Cottage or at the Wreck; for Carrie still kept up her little boudoir in the brig's cabin, and often passed the night on board with her father, when the weather was fine. My shipmate was more and more fascinated at each successive interview with her, and, circumspect as the girl was in her intercourse with us all, my close observation of the two satisfied me that the interest was mutual. There was always a slight flutter to be detected at his approach, a slight embarrassment on her part when conversing with him, a ripple, as it were, upon the calm surface of her habitual self-composure, which I could not fail to contrast with her perfectly free and unconstrained manner towards poor me. I was pleased at the discovery, both on my chum's account and my own; as it placed me on the very footing where I wished to stand, that of a sufficiently agreeable, but harmless old friend, of no particular importance, but feeling myself, to a certain extent, in the confidence of both parties. We had filled all the casks that we had then on hand, and rolled them near the water-side, in readiness for rafting. The weather was fine, and the " Woodlark " was expected down at the Point the next day to receive them on board, as well as a large quantity of blubber in "strings," to be stowed in bulk. She would also land a further supply of empty casks and provisions, and make sail for Desolation, to report to the Admiral, and discharge cargo. I had the first watch on the beach, Dave Bryant and I having arranged to divide the night between us, he relieving me at one o'clock. I saw him go on board the brig in the early part of the evening, in company with Fielding, and knowing that the captain and Carrie were on board, I rather envied him the social pleasure which I knew he would enjoy so highly, while 1, in pursuance of my duty, was tramping the beach-sand on my long and lonely beat. The time wore slowly away, till I judged it to be nearly midnight, and I had killed but few elephants, for they were more scarce than usual, and my competitors from the other vessels, whom I encountered now and then in their rounds, had been no more fortunate than I. But, on extending my walk further than before towards the end of the Point, I came upon a fine bull, just crawling up the slope, and was not long in letting out his life-blood, and putting our W in his hide with my butcher-knife. Seeing nothing more in that direction, I turned in my tracks, and, soon after, met and passed a little, dark man. whom I recognized as one of the crew of the "Argyle," having seen him at work among her party. We exchanged a simple "good-night" in passing, and I went on a mile or more up the beach, then turned and retraced my steps, calculating that one more cruise down as far as the Galley and back, would about use up my time. As I was again passing my recent prize, I stopped to look at him with much satisfaction, for he was a specimen of unusual size, and in very plump condition. I thought my mark loomed wonderfully large upon him, and stooping to examine it, found that the cuts forming my W had been extended by some other knife, so as to make it a XX. This, as I well knew, was the mark of the Cape-Towners, for their initial letter A was already used by Warner, of the "Adelaide," before they arrived. I was at no loss to divine who had been guilty of so mean a trick, for the hunter's mark is, by common consent, held sacred by all men of any pretensions to honor, and there was no more deadly sin among us than to tamper with it, or, in any way, to appropriate the prize of another party. Hastening up my pace, I soon overtook the dark man whom I had greeted on my upward march, and at once charged him with having altered my mark. He spoke but little English, but I was satisfied that he understood me well enough, and that he was guilty. He, at first, denied having seen any elephant, and afterwards declared that he had killed one there himself; though I knew there was no other one of that night's killing within half a mile each way. A few hard words passed between us; he gave me the lie, and I retorted with a severe rap over his head with the pole of my lance. He appeared to consider it a losing game on his part, and went his way, muttering what I supposed to be threats of vengeance, in a foreign tongue unknown to me. I returned to my elephant, skinned off a patch of the hide, so as to obliterate his mark, and again scored my own in a fresh place. I was lucky enough to kill two more on my return route to the Nest, and was tired enough then not to mention the affair to Dave, who turned out to relieve me. I told him I had killed a very large elephant nearly abreast of the Galley, and reserved the rest of the story for the next day. I remember his saying to me, as he took his peajacket from where it was hanging near the stove:— "Joe, I got wet through last night, and my jacket isn't more than half dry now. Suppose I put on yours?" "All right," I answered, half asleep even then. My slumber was too sound for dreams. I had little idea how long I had been in my bunk, when I was rudely jerked into a sitting posture by Fielding, in a manner which sufficiently indicated that there was no time to waste in more gentle measures to wake me. "The boat, Joe!" he cried. "Take the gang to the beach and launch the boat! Quick, for dear life! Pull up to the Bight, board the ' Garrick,' and tell Proctor to send his surgeon ashore. Down to the beach, boys, as fast as you can get on your jackets!" "What's the matter?" I asked, as my feet touched the floor. "Look, man! Don't stop to ask questions!" I did look, and one look was sufficient to paralyze me, for a moment, with horror. On the floor of the outer, or large apartment, lay the inanimate body of my dearly loved friend, Bryant; but whether already dead, or only insensible, I knew not. A red rivulet running from under it across the floor, told a fearful tale; while Fielding, Warner, and another of the "Adelaide's" men, who had brought him in, were^ stripping the jacket from him—my jacket, saturatedlntE his blood. Our own men, with pallid faces, and putting incoherent questions, were hurrying on their clothes to obey Fielding's order. My heart stood still for a moment; then, recovering my speech, I gasped:— "My God, Dave! How did this happen?" "He can't answer you, Joe," said Warner. True enough, but I had forgotten this. "Don't ask questions, but go bring the surgeon, if you value his life." "Off with you boys, all of you, down to the beach!" said Fielding. "Pick your men for a boat's crew, Joe, and bear a hand! Tell the doctor there's a man bleeding to death from a wound in the side. He'll know what to bring." It seemed to me that we were an hour in getting the boat ready to launch, though, probably, it was never done so quickly during the voyage as then. I spoke the names of the men whom I selected from the eager crowd of volunteers; they jumped in as the boat entered the roller, the rest, seizing the gunwales, pushed Ub through it, and, the next moment, I was heaving desperately at the stroke oar with one hand, while with the other I guided the light boat through the darkness, with the sombre shadow of the sea face of the Glacier for a landmark. No words were spoken among the oarsmen, as they bent nobly to their work; and I, myself, was in no mood for talking, while the life of my dear friend was suspended, as it were, upon a hair. This was all we knew of the matter, for, of course, no one had the remotest idea how it happened. I had no thought at the time that it was other than an accidental wound from his own lance or sheath-knife, but how inflicted, I could not even conjecture. From the " Woodlark's " Nest to the anchorage in the Bight, was not less than three miles, but I do not think we consumed more than twenty minutes in making this distance. The English bark was easily distinguished in the darkness from the rest of the fleet, by her superior size and different rig; and we were soon shooting alongside, answering the hail of the anchor-watch by the peremptory order, for there was no time for ceremony:— "Call your captain and the surgeon!" The order was instinctively obeyed to the letter, so that, by the time I jumped in on the bark's quarter-deck, the surgeon himself, half dressed, was waiting to know what was wanted. "Man bleeding to death from a wound in the side, unless something can be done very quick!" said I. "Is it gunshot, incision, or punctured wound?" he demanded, instantly. "I've told you all I know. He was insensible when found. He can't tell us, and I did not wait to examine the wound." "All right," said he. "I'll be with you in a moment." He vanished below, passing Aleck Proctor on the stairs. "Eh! eh!" said that magnate, who had got an inkling of the matter. "Who is it that's hurt? What vessel does he belong to?" "To the schooner 'Woodlark,' " I replied. "And why don't you Yankee vessels have doctors of your own?" "I've no time to discuss the matter now," I said. "At present I want yours." "I don't see why I should furnish a surgeon for the whole fleet." "Present your bill to Captain Comstock." At this moment the doctor reappeared, with a case of instruments, and such matters as he thought might be needed. "Man the boat!" he hailed, as soon as he stepped his foot on deck. "Here, Doctor Churchill!" said Proctor, blustering up to him. "jT'd like to be consulted when anybody is going out of my ship. You are under my orders, I believe." "Bother your orders! Get out of my way, will you? I'm acting, now, under the orders of common humanity." "The man don't belong to my ship, I suppose you know." "No, I don't know. No one but a brute would ask what ship he belonged to," he continued, as he descended the man-ropes. "Out oars, boys! Pull ahead!" The same old stroke, long, strong, and regular, carried us past the Glacier, and down again to the Point, in even less time than we had taken to come up. Scores of strong arms were ready at the water-side, to seize the boat and run her up high and dry. We jumped out, and rushed up to the house, the doctor and myself keeping close together. Fielding met us at the door. "Is he alive yet?" I inquired. "Yes," was the reply; "and we have partly stopped the flow of blood. But you are none too soon, doctor, and it is a load off my mind to see you coming. We have done what we could, so far as we knew." "You have done well," said the surgeon, at the first glance. "If you have checked the bleeding at all, there is hope." He made his way through the group to the side of the insensible man, who had been raised upon a rude table, and laid upon his side, so as to expose the wound to view. Warner, who seemed to have more presence of mind and instinctive knowledge of what to do in such cases, than any one else present, stood by his side, stanching the hemorrhage, which was not so violent as at first. He at once gave up his place to the surgeon, who had already thrown his coat into one of the bunks, and went promptly to work, at the same time directing me how to prepare some restoratives which he had brought. McDougal stood a little in shadow, peering anxiously into the doctor's face. But it was not until I turned away to do what I had been directed, that I became aware of another presence which completed the impressive tableau. Seated in a corner of the room, with her wealth of beautiful hair flying loosely in the draught from the half-open door, the highlaud bloom of her cheeks faded to the paleness of death, with lips parted, and head inclined forward to catch any sound that might fall from the surgeon's lips, sat Carrie McDougal, suffering more keenly than any one in that group; though no one but myself, as I then thought, knew why. Her conduct might have been attributed by some of those present, to the natural sympathy of a sensitive female towards a suffering fellow-being; by others, perhaps, to mere womanly curiosity. I know that a thought flashed even through my mind, that her behavior was, to say the least, strange; perhaps, that she was a little wanting in that delicate pride which impels a woman to keep her feelings a secret, even from the object of her affection, until certain that they are reciprocated. But I had no time, then, to analyze the thought, or to sit in judgment upon a matter where a woman's heart was concerned. I handed the restoratives to the doctor, who ordered the patient to be carried into the little room, and shut the door upon us all but Fielding and Warner, who remained to assist him. He had, thus far, expressed no opinion upon the case, and the time we remained in suspense seemed an age to us. The girl did not speak to me, nor even recognize me by a look, and I pitied her, and respected her feelings too much to intrude. Her father took his stand by her side with folded arms, anxious and grave, but exchanged no word with her. The hum of conversation among the crowd outside upon the tussocks, was the only sound that broke the stillness. It was daybreak when the door opened, and the doctor came out. All eyes were directed to his countenance, which, however, was far from being a transparent one. He was a man of austere aspect, with more than half his face hidden by a beard which might have excited the envy of a French sapeur. We waited a moment for him to speak, fearing to ask the question. The. young girl was the first to break the silence. Her bloodless lips shaped the words:— "Life or death?" As the doctor looked into the sweet, upturned face, all trace of sternness vanished from his own rough one. "Life! my dear young lady," he answered. "Life, by all means!" He spoke heartily, and in tones of great confidence. "And this, I presume, is Miss McDougal, of whom I have heard, but whom I have not, until now, had the pleasure of meeting?" But no answer, further than a grateful look, was returned. The bright head was bowed upon the fair hands, and the overcharged heart found relief, for the first time, in tears. I hastened to introduce Captain McDougal to the surgeon, and, as they conversed aside, Carrie touched me lightly on the arm. "Can I see you a moment outside— alone?" she asked. "Certainly, if you wish it," I replied, a little coldly, I am afraid. We passed out and round the rear of the house, to a retired spot. "He will need watching—nursing," she said. "I must be with him, must go and come at any and all times. I want you to arrange it with Mr. Fielding that I have permission to do so." "But would it be right?" I asked, with a shade of the thought which I before spoke of. "It would. It would be my right; and, under the peculiar circumstances of our position here, I desire to claim it as such. I cannot say what I wish to say to Mr. Fielding, but I have always felt that I could trust Joe Gordon; that he would understand my heart rightly." God forgive me! I am afraid I had failed to do so that very night. She held out her little hand, and on her finger sparkled a ring that I knew and recognized at once as having belonged to Dave Bryant. "Do you understand me?" she asked, without raising her face. "I do." Daylight was breaking, in a double sense. But I had not known, until now, that the words of love had been spoken. Probably the very evening before, while I was on duty. And the inclined plane of the "Daphne's" deck had been the strange trysting-place of these two fond, young hearts. I had only one other matter to clear up. "Are you doing right to make this engagement?" I asked. "Have you not duties to others besides to him?" She looked up now, and her eyes met mine boldly, even proudly. "My father knows all," she said. "Forgive my doubts," I faltered. "I ought to have known that he did. All shall be as you desire it, and may Heaven spare Dave Bryant to us, for he is worthy, even of you!" |
Source:W. H. Macy
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Last updated by Tom Tyler, Denver, CO, USA, January 08, 2025.
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William H. Macy Source Whalesite |