This yawl is like a wild animal. It springs upward, it rolls, it
flounders. It is like a wild bronco newly haltered. How can these
many heads hope to get upon so spirited a steed? See it leap backward
and on end! Now up, now sidewise, now vertically!
But the swimmers are also the sport of the waves. They, too, are
thrown far aloft. They, too, sink deeply.
"There, I hit that man again, I know I did! Don't you feel him? They
must be thick. Come this way, all you fellers! I can take ye!"
The boat is leaping high. These survivors are brave and good.
The wood-chopper, with his wooden life-preserver, is clumsy getting in.
He angers Corkey.
"Bail, you moke! Let the other fellows fish for the floaters!"
It inspires Corkey, this frequent admonition of the boy. But the boat
cavorts dizzily.
"Bail, you moke! You black devil! Don't you forget it!" The oars go
fast and furious, often in the air, and each time with a volley of
oaths.
The wood-chopper has seized a man. It is another wood-chopper. There
are now four souls in the boat.
It leaps less like an athlete.
It has been half an hour since the Africa went down. There still are
cries. To all these, Corkey replies: "Come on! all you fellers that
has life-preservers!" But it is incredible that any more should get in
the yawl.
Nevertheless, one, two, three, four, five, six wood-choppers arrive in
the next half-hour, and all are saved. Tugging for dear life, Corkey
holds his boat against the wind.
"There!" cries the commander. "I strike him again!"
A wood-chopper this time grasps a floating man who can make little
effort for himself. A half-dozen pair of hands bring him aboard. He
sinks on a seat. The boat is now full. It leaps less lightly. The
commander is jubilant. He thinks himself safe. He returns to his
favorite topic, the mascot.
"You're from the Africa, ain't you? Bail, you moke! He-oh-he! Golly,
that was a big one!"
"Yessah!"
"You're Noah. Good name! Fine name! Where's Ararat? He-oh-he!"
"Never seed a-a-airy-rat."
"Bail, you moke! Don't you give me more o' your lip! Bail, you little
devil! Don't you see--he-oh--Godsakes! Lookout! Bail, all you
fellers! Other side! Quick! It's no good! Hang on! All you
fellers."
The boat is turning. Hands grasp the gunwale. The gunwale sinks.
Hands rise. The back of the boat rolls toward them. The hands
scramble and pat the back of the boat. The gunwale comes over. The
boat is right side up. She still leaps. She still struggles to be
free. Hand after hand lets go. Six hands remain. The boat rises and
ends about. Then the bow rises; next the stern. The yawl strives
persistently to shake free from the daring creatures who have so far
escaped the Africa and the storm. The boy turns on the gunwale, as it
were a trapeze. He opens the locker. He finds a tin pie-plate. He
bails.
Corkey gets in.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account