Next morning, when I went upon deck, after a short and perturbed
sleep, I found Marietta dashing water over it, that she might efface
all vestige of the transactions of the preceding night. Angerstoff did
not make his appearance till noon, and his looks were ghastly and
agonised. He seemed stupified with horror, and sometimes entirely lost
all perception of the things around him for a considerable time. He
suddenly came close up to me, and demanded, with a bold air, but
quivering voice, what I had meant by calling him a murderer?--"Why,
that you are one," replied I, after a pause.
"Beware what you say," returned he fiercely,--"you cannot escape my
power now--I tell you, sir, Morvalden fell overboard."--"Whence, then,
came that blood that covered the deck?" inquired I. He grew pale, and
then cried, "You lie--you lie infernally--there was none!"--"I saw
it," said I--"I saw Morvalden himself--long after midnight. He was
clinging to the stern-cable, and said"--"Ha, ha, ha--devils!--curses!"
exclaimed Angerstoff--"Did you hear me dreaming?--I was mad last
night--Come, come, come!--We shall tend the beacon together--Let us
make friends, and don't be afraid, for you'll find me a good fellow in
the end." He now forcibly shook hands with me, and then hurried down
to the cabin.
In the afternoon, while sitting on deck, I discerned a boat far off,
but I determined to conceal this from Angerstoff and Marietta,
lest they should use some means to prevent its approach. I walked
carelessly about, casting a glance upon the sea occasionally, and
meditating how I could best take advantage of the means of deliverance
which I had in prospect. After the lapse of an hour, the boat was not
more than half a mile distant from us, but she suddenly changed her
course, and bore away towards the shore. I immediately shouted, and
waved a handkerchief over my head, as signals for her to return.
Angerstoff rushed from the cabin, and seized my arm, threatening at
the same time to push me overboard if I attempted to hail her again.
I disengaged myself from his grasp, and dashed him violently from me.
The noise brought Marietta upon deck, who immediately perceived the
cause of the affray, and cried, "Does the wretch mean to make his
escape? For Godsake, prevent the possibility of that!"--"Yes, yes,"
returned Angerstoff; "he never shall leave the vessel--He had as well
take care, lest I do to him what I did to--" "To Morvalden, I
suppose you mean," said I.--"Well, well, speak it out," replied
he ferociously; "there is no one here to listen to your damnable
falsehoods, and I'll not be fool enough to give you an opportunity
of uttering them elsewhere. I'll strangle you the next time you
tell these lies about--" "Come," interrupted Marietta, "don't be
uneasy--the boat will soon be far enough away--If he wants to give you
the slip, he must leap overboard."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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