The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 3Poe, Edgar Allan
General
The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 3
Poe, Edgar Allan
American fiction -- 19th century; Fantasy fiction; Horror tales, American
and made up my mind to bear whatever might happen with all the
fortitude in my power.
Hardly had I come to this resolution, when, suddenly, a loud and
long scream or yell, as if from the throats of a thousand demons,
seemed to pervade the whole atmosphere around and above the boat.
Never while I live shall I forget the intense agony of terror I
experienced at that moment. My hair stood erect on my head—I felt
the blood congealing in my veins—my heart ceased utterly to beat,
and without having once raised my eyes to learn the source of my
alarm, I tumbled headlong and insensible upon the body of my
fallen companion.
I found myself, upon reviving, in the cabin of a large
whaling-ship (the Penguin) bound to Nantucket. Several persons
were standing over me, and Augustus, paler than death, was busily
occupied in chafing my hands. Upon seeing me open my eyes, his
exclamations of gratitude and joy excited alternate laughter and
tears from the rough-looking personages who were present. The
mystery of our being in existence was now soon explained. We had
been run down by the whaling-ship, which was close-hauled,
beating up to Nantucket with every sail she could venture to set,
and consequently running almost at right angles to our own
course. Several men were on the look-out forward, but did not
perceive our boat until it was an impossibility to avoid coming
in contact—their shouts of warning upon seeing us were what so
terribly alarmed me. The huge ship, I was told, rode immediately
over us with as much ease as our own little vessel would have
passed over a feather, and without the least perceptible
impediment to her progress. Not a scream arose from the deck of
the victim—there was a slight grating sound to be heard mingling
with the roar of wind and water, as the frail bark which was
swallowed up rubbed for a moment along the keel of her
destroyer—but this was all. Thinking our boat (which it will be
remembered was dismasted) some mere shell cut adrift as useless,
the captain (Captain E. T. V. Block, of New London) was for
proceeding on his course without troubling himself further about
the matter. Luckily, there were two of the look-out who swore
positively to having seen some person at our helm, and
represented the possibility of yet saving him. A discussion
ensued, when Block grew angry, and, after a while, said that “it
was no business of his to be eternally watching for egg-shells;
that the ship should not put about for any such nonsense; and if
there was a man run down, it was nobody’s fault but his own, he
might drown and be dammed” or some language to that effect.
Henderson, the first mate, now took the matter up, being justly
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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