The Open Boat.docx

The Open Boat.docx

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TheOpenBoat

TheOpenBoat

StephenCrane

ATaleintendedtobeafterthefact.Beingtheexperienceoffourmenfromthesunksteamer"Commodore"

I

Noneofthemknewthecolorofthesky.Theireyesglancedlevel,andwerefasteneduponthewavesthatswepttowardthem.Thesewaveswereofthehueofslate,saveforthetops,whichwereoffoamingwhite,andallofthemenknewthecolorsofthesea.Thehorizonnarrowedandwidened,anddippedandrose,andatalltimesitsedgewasjaggedwithwavesthatseemedthrustupinpointslikerocks.Manyamanoughttohaveabath-tublargerthantheboatwhichhererodeuponthesea.Thesewavesweremostwrongfullyandbarbarouslyabruptandtall,andeachfroth-topwasaprobleminsmall-boatnavigation.

Thecooksquattedinthebottomandlookedwithbotheyesatthesixinchesofgunwalewhichseparatedhimfromtheocean.Hissleeveswererolledoverhisfatforearms,andthetwoflapsofhisunbuttonedvestdangledashebenttobailouttheboat.Oftenhesaid:

"Gawd!

Thatwasanarrowclip."Asheremarkeditheinvariablygazedeastwardoverthebrokensea.

Theoiler,steeringwithoneofthetwooarsintheboat,sometimesraisedhimselfsuddenlytokeepclearofwaterthatswirledinoverthestern.Itwasathinlittleoaranditseemedoftenreadytosnap.

Thecorrespondent,pullingattheotheroar,watchedthewavesandwonderedwhyhewasthere.

Theinjuredcaptain,lyinginthebow,wasatthistimeburiedinthatprofounddejectionandindifferencewhichcomes,temporarilyatleast,toeventhebravestandmostenduringwhen,willynilly,thefirmfails,thearmyloses,theshipgoesdown.Themindofthemasterofavesselisrooteddeepinthetimbersofher,thoughhecommandedforadayoradecade,andthiscaptainhadonhimthesternimpressionofasceneinthegreysofdawnofseventurnedfaces,andlaterastumpofatop-mastwithawhiteballonitthatslashedtoandfroatthewaves,wentlowandlower,anddown.Thereaftertherewassomethingstrangeinhisvoice.Althoughsteady,itwas,deepwithmourning,andofaqualitybeyondorationortears.

"Keep'eralittlemoresouth,Billie,"saidhe.

"'Alittlemoresouth,'sir,"saidtheoilerinthestern.

Aseatinthisboatwasnotunlikeaseatuponabuckingbroncho,andbythesametoken,abronchoisnotmuchsmaller.Thecraftprancedandreared,andplungedlikeananimal.Aseachwavecame,andsheroseforit,sheseemedlikeahorsemakingatafenceoutrageouslyhigh.Themannerofherscrambleoverthesewallsofwaterisamysticthing,and,moreover,atthetopofthemwereordinarilytheseproblemsinwhitewater,thefoamracingdownfromthesummitofeachwave,requiringanewleap,andaleapfromtheair.Then,afterscornfullybumpingacrest,shewouldslide,andrace,andsplashdownalongincline,andarrivebobbingandnoddinginfrontofthenextmenace.

Asingulardisadvantageofthesealiesinthefactthataftersuccessfullysurmountingonewaveyoudiscoverthatthereisanotherbehinditjustasimportantandjustasnervouslyanxioustodosomethingeffectiveinthewayofswampingboats.Inaten-footdingeyonecangetanideaoftheresourcesoftheseainthelineofwavesthatisnotprobabletotheaverageexperiencewhichisneveratseainadingey.Aseachslateywallofwaterapproached,itshutallelsefromtheviewofthemenintheboat,anditwasnotdifficulttoimaginethatthisparticularwavewasthefinaloutburstoftheocean,thelasteffortofthegrimwater.Therewasaterriblegraceinthemoveofthewaves,andtheycameinsilence,saveforthesnarlingofthecrests.

Inthewanlight,thefacesofthemenmusthavebeengrey.Theireyesmusthaveglintedinstrangewaysastheygazedsteadilyastern.Viewedfromabalcony,thewholethingwoulddoubtlesshavebeenweirdlypicturesque.Butthemenintheboathadnotimetoseeit,andiftheyhadhadleisuretherewereotherthingstooccupytheirminds.Thesunswungsteadilyupthesky,andtheyknewitwasbroaddaybecausethecoloroftheseachangedfromslatetoemerald-green,streakedwithamberlights,andthefoamwasliketumblingsnow.Theprocessofthebreakingdaywasunknowntothem.Theywereawareonlyofthiseffectuponthecolorofthewavesthatrolledtowardthem.

Indisjointedsentencesthecookandthecorrespondentarguedastothedifferencebetweenalife-savingstationandahouseofrefuge.Thecookhadsaid:

"There'sahouseofrefugejustnorthoftheMosquitoInletLight,andassoonastheyseeus,they'llcomeoffintheirboatandpickusup."

"Assoonaswhoseeus?

"saidthecorrespondent.

"Thecrew,"saidthecook.

"Housesofrefugedon'thavecrews,"saidthecorrespondent."AsIunderstandthem,theyareonlyplaceswhereclothesandgrubarestoredforthebenefitofshipwreckedpeople.Theydon'tcarrycrews."

"Oh,yes,theydo,"saidthecook.

"No,theydon't,"saidthecorrespondent.

"Well,we'renotthereyet,anyhow,"saidtheoiler,inthestern.

"Well,"saidthecook,"perhapsit'snotahouseofrefugethatI'mthinkingofasbeingnearMosquitoInletLight.Perhapsit'salife-savingstation."

"We'renotthereyet,"saidtheoiler,inthestern.

II

Astheboatbouncedfromthetopofeachwave,thewindtorethroughthehairofthehatlessmen,andasthecraftploppedhersterndownagainthespraysplashedpastthem.Thecrestofeachofthesewaveswasahill,fromthetopofwhichthemensurveyed,foramoment,abroadtumultuousexpanse,shiningandwind-riven.Itwasprobablysplendid.Itwasprobablyglorious,thisplayofthefreesea,wildwithlightsofemeraldandwhiteandamber.

"Bullygoodthingit'sanon-shorewind,"saidthecook;"Ifnot,wherewouldwebe?

Wouldn'thaveashow."

"That'sright,"saidthecorrespondent.

Thebusyoilernoddedhisassent.

Thenthecaptain,inthebow,chuckledinawaythatexpressedhumor,contempt,tragedy,allinone."DoyouthinkWe'vegotmuchofashownow,boys?

"saidhe.

Whereuponthethreeweresilent,saveforatrifleofhemmingandhawing.Toexpressanyparticularoptimismatthistimetheyfelttobechildishandstupid,buttheyalldoubtlesspossessedthissenseofthesituationintheirmind.Ayoungmanthinksdoggedlyatsuchtimes.Ontheotherhand,theethicsoftheirconditionwasdecidedlyagainstanyopensuggestionofhopelessness.Sotheyweresilent.

"Oh,well,"saidthecaptain,soothinghischildren,"We'llgetashoreallright."

Buttherewasthatinhistonewhichmadethemthink,sotheoilerquoth:

"Yes!

Ifthiswindholds!

"

Thecookwasbailing:

"Yes!

Ifwedon'tcatchhellinthesurf."

Cantonflannelgullsflewnearandfar.Sometimestheysatdownonthesea,nearpatchesofbrownseaweedthatrolledonthewaveswithamovementlikecarpetsonalineinagale.Thebirdssatcomfortablyingroups,andtheywereenviedbysomeinthedingey,forthewrathoftheseawasnomoretothemthanitwastoacoveyofprairiechickensathousandmilesinland.Oftentheycameverycloseandstaredatthemenwithblackbead-likeeyes.Atthesetimestheywereuncannyandsinisterintheirunblinkingscrutiny,andthemenhootedangrilyatthem,tellingthemtobegone.Onecame,andevidentlydecidedtoalightonthetopofthecaptain'shead.Thebirdflewparalleltotheboatanddidnotcircle,butmadeshortsidelongjumpsintheairinchicken-fashion.Hisblackeyeswerewistfullyfixeduponthecaptain'shead."Uglybrute,"saidtheoilertothebird."Youlookasifyouweremadewithajack-knife."Thecookandthecorrespondentsworedarklyatthecreature.Thecaptainnaturallywishedtoknockitawaywiththeendoftheheavypainter;buthedidnotdaredoit,becauseanythingresemblinganemphaticgesturewouldhavecapsizedthisfreightedboat,andsowithhisopenhand,thecaptaingentlyandcarefullywavedthegullaway.Afterithadbeendiscouragedfromthepursuitthecaptainbreathedeasieronaccountofhishair,andothersbreathedeasierbecausethebirdstrucktheirmindsatthistimeasbeingsomehowgrewsomeandominous.

InthemeantimetheoilerandthecorrespondentrowedAndalsotheyrowed.

Theysattogetherinthesameseat,andeachrowedanoar.Thentheoilertookbothoars;thenthecorrespondenttookbothoars;thentheoiler;thenthecorrespondent.Theyrowedandtheyrowed.Theveryticklishpartofthebusinesswaswhenthetimecamefortherecliningoneinthesterntotakehisturnattheoars.Bytheverylaststaroftruth,itiseasiertostealeggsfromunderahenthanitwastochangeseatsinthedingey.Firstthemaninthesternslidhishandalongthethwartandmovedwithcare,asifhewereofSevres.Thenthemanintherowingseatslidhishandalongtheotherthwart.Itwasalldonewithmostextraordinarycare.Asthetwosidledpasteachother,thewholepartykeptwatchfuleyesonthecomingwave,andthecaptaincried:

"Lookoutnow!

Steadythere!

"

Thebrownmatsofseaweedthatappearedfromtimetotimewerelikeislands,bitsofearth.Theyweretraveling,apparently,neitheronewaynortheother.Theywere,toallintents,stationary.Theyinformedthemenintheboatthatitwasmakingprogressslowlytowardtheland.

Thecaptain,rearingcautiouslyinthebow,afterthedingeysoaredonagreatswell,saidthathehadseenthelight-houseatMosquitoInlet.Presentlythecookremarkedthathehadseenit.Thecorrespondentwasattheoarsthen,andforsomereasonhetoowishedtolookatthelighthouse,buthisbackwastowardthefarshoreandthewaveswereimportant,andforsometimehecouldnotseizeanopportunitytoturnhishead.Butatlasttherec