While standing near the bows of the vessel, I saw a hand and arm rise
slowly behind the stern, and wave from side to side. I started back as
far as I could go in horrible affright, and looked again, expecting to
behold the entire spectral figure of which I supposed they formed a
part. But nothing more was visible. I struck my eyes till the light
flashed from them, in hopes that my senses had been imposed upon by
distempered vision. However, it was in vain, for the hand still
motioned me to advance, and I rushed forwards with wild desperation,
and caught hold of it. I was pulled along a little way notwithstanding
the resistance I made, and soon discovered a man stretched along the
stern-cable, and clinging to it in a convulsive manner. It was
Morvalden. He raised his head feebly, and said something, but I could
only distinguish the words "murdered--overboard--reached this
rope--terrible death."--I stretched out my arms to support him, but at
that moment the vessel plunged violently, and he was shaken off the
cable, and dropped among the waves. He floated for an instant, and
then disappeared under the keel.
I seized the first rope I could find, and threw one end of it over the
stern, and likewise flung some planks into the sea, thinking that the
unfortunate Morvalden might still retain strength enough to catch hold
of them if they came within his reach. I continued on the watch for a
considerable time, but at last abandoned all hopes of saving him, and
made another attempt to get down to the cabin. The doors were now
unfastened, and I opened them without any difficulty. The first thing
I saw on going below, was Angerstoff stretched along the floor,
and fast asleep. His torpid look, flushed countenance, and uneasy
respiration, convinced me that he had taken a large quantity of ardent
spirits. Marietta was in her own apartment. Even the presence of a
murderer appeared less terrible than the frightful solitariness of the
deck, and I lay down upon a bench determining to spend the remainder
of the night there. The lamp that hung from the roof soon went out,
and left me in total darkness. Imagination began to conjure up a
thousand appalling forms, and the voice of Angerstoff, speaking in his
sleep, filled my ears at intervals--"Hoist up the beacon!--the lamps
won't burn--horrible!--they contain blood instead of oil. Is that a
boat coming?--Yes, yes, I hear the oars. Damnation!--why is that
corpse so long of sinking?--if it doesn't go down soon they'll find me
out. How terribly the wind blows!--we are driving ashore--See! see!
Morvalden is swimming after us--how he writhes in the water!" Marietta
now rushed from her room, with a light in her hand, and seizing
Angerstoff by the arm, tried to awake him. He soon rose up with
chattering teeth and shivering limbs, and was on the point of
speaking, but she prevented him, and he staggered away to his berth,
and lay down in it.
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