The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym

Chapter 8

AS I viewed myself in a fragment of looking-glass which hung up

in the cabin, and by the dim light of a kind of battle-lantern, I was

so impressed with a sense of vague awe at my appearance, and at the

recollection of the terrific reality which I was thus representing,

that I was seized with a violent tremour, and could scarcely summon

resolution to go on with my part. It was necessary, however, to act

with decision, and Peters and myself went upon deck.

We there found everything safe, and, keeping close to the

bulwarks, the three of us crept to the cabin companion-way. It was

only partially closed, precautions having been taken to prevent its

being suddenly pushed to from without, by means of placing billets of

wood on the upper step so as to interfere with the shutting. We found

no difficulty in getting a full view of the interior of the cabin

through the cracks where the hinges were placed. It now proved to

have been very fortunate for us that we had not attempted to take

them by surprise, for they were evidently on the alert. Only one was

asleep, and he lying just at the foot of the companion-ladder, with a

musket by his side. The rest were seated on several mattresses, which

had been taken from the berths and thrown on the floor. They were

engaged in earnest conversation; and although they had been

carousing, as appeared from two empty jugs, with some tin tumblers

which lay about, they were not as much intoxicated as usual. All had

knives, one or two of them pistols, and a great many muskets were

lying in a berth close at hand.

We listened to their conversation for some time before we could

make up our minds how to act, having as yet resolved on nothing

determinate, except that we would attempt to paralyze their

exertions, when we should attack them, by means of the apparition of

Rogers. They were discussing their piratical plans, in which all we

could hear distinctly was, that they would unite with the crew of a

schooner _Hornet_, and, if possible, get the schooner herself into

their possession preparatory to some attempt on a large scale, the

particulars of which could not be made out by either of us.

One of the men spoke of Peters, when the mate replied to him in a

low voice which could not be distinguished, and afterward added more

loudly, that "he could not understand his being so much forward with

the captain's brat in the forecastle, and he thought the sooner both

of them were overboard the better." To this no answer was made, but

we could easily perceive that the hint was well received by the whole

party, and more particularly by Jones. At this period I was

excessively agitated, the more so as I could see that neither

Augustus nor Peters could determine how to act. I made up my mind,

however, to sell my life as dearly as possible, and not to suffer

myself to be overcome by any feelings of trepidation.

The tremendous noise made by the roaring of the wind in the

rigging, and the washing of the sea over the deck, prevented us from

hearing what was said, except during momentary lulls. In one of

these, we all distinctly heard the mate tell one of the men to "go

forward, have an eye upon them, for he wanted no such secret doings

on board the brig." It was well for us that the pitching of the

vessel at this moment was so violent as to prevent this order from

being carried into instant execution. The cook got up from his

mattress to go for us, when a tremendous lurch, which I thought would

carry away the masts, threw him headlong against one of the larboard

stateroom doors, bursting it open, and creating a good deal of other

confusion. Luckily, neither of our party was thrown from his

position, and we had time to make a precipitate retreat to the

forecastle, and arrange a hurried plan of action before the messenger

made his appearance, or rather before he put his head out of the

companion-hatch, for he did not come on deck. From this station he

could not notice the absence of Allen, and he accordingly bawled out,

as if to him, repeating the orders of the mate. Peters cried out,

"Ay, ay," in a disguised voice, and the cook immediately went below,

without entertaining a suspicion that all was not right.

My two companions now proceeded boldly aft and down into the

cabin, Peters closing the door after him in the same manner he had

found it. The mate received them with feigned cordiality, and told

Augustus that, since he had behaved himself so well of late, he might

take up his quarters in the cabin and be one of them for the future.

He then poured him out a tumbler half full of rum, and made him drink

it. All this I saw and heard, for I followed my friends to the cabin

as soon as the door was shut, and took up my old point of

observation. I had brought with me the two pump-handles, one of which

I secured near the companion-way, to be ready for use when required.

I now steadied myself as well as possible so as to have a good

view of all that was passing within, and endeavoured to nerve myself

to the task of descending among the mutineers when Peters should make

a signal to me, as agreed upon. Presently he contrived to turn the

conversation upon the bloody deeds of the mutiny, and by degrees led

the men to talk of the thousand superstitions which are so

universally current among seamen. I could not make out all that was

said, but I could plainly see the effects of the conversation in the

countenances of those present. The mate was evidently much agitated,

and presently, when some one mentioned the terrific appearance of

Rogers' corpse, I thought he was upon the point of swooning. Peters

now asked him if he did not think it would be better to have the body

thrown overboard at once as it was too horrible a sight to see it

floundering about in the scuppers. At this the villain absolutely

gasped for breath, and turned his head slowly round upon his

companions, as if imploring some one to go up and perform the task.

No one, however, stirred, and it was quite evident that the whole

party were wound up to the highest pitch of nervous excitement.

Peters now made me the signal. I immediately threw open the door of

the companion-way, and, descending, without uttering a syllable,

stood erect in the midst of the party.

The intense effect produced by this sudden apparition is not at

all to be wondered at when the various circumstances are taken into

consideration. Usually, in cases of a similar nature, there is left

in the mind of the spectator some glimmering of doubt as to the

reality of the vision before his eyes; a degree of hope, however

feeble, that he is the victim of chicanery, and that the apparition

is not actually a visitant from the old world of shadows. It is not

too much to say that such remnants of doubt have been at the bottom

of almost every such visitation, and that the appalling horror which

has sometimes been brought about, is to be attributed, even in the

cases most in point, and where most suffering has been experienced,

more to a kind of anticipative horror, lest the apparition might

possibly be real, than to an unwavering belief in its reality. But,

in the present instance, it will be seen immediately, that in the

minds of the mutineers there was not even the shadow of a basis upon

which to rest a doubt that the apparition of Rogers was indeed a

revivification of his disgusting corpse, or at least its spiritual

image. The isolated situation of the brig, with its entire

inaccessibility on account of the gale, confined the apparently

possible means of deception within such narrow and definite limits,

that they must have thought themselves enabled to survey them all at

a glance. They had now been at sea twenty-four days, without holding

more than a speaking communication with any vessel whatever. The

whole of the crew, too- at least all whom they had the most remote

reason for suspecting to be on board- were assembled in the cabin,

with the exception of Allen, the watch; and his gigantic stature (be

was six feet six inches high) was too familiar in their eyes to

permit the notion that he was the apparition before them to enter

their minds even for an instant. Add to these considerations the

awe-inspiring nature of the tempest, and that of the conversation

brought about by Peters; the deep impression which the loathsomeness

of the actual corpse had made in the morning upon the imaginations of

the men; the excellence of the imitation in my person, and the

uncertain and wavering light in which they beheld me, as the glare of

the cabin lantern, swinging violently to and fro, fell dubiously and

fitfully upon my figure, and there will be no reason to wonder that

the deception had even more than the entire effect which we had

anticipated. The mate sprang up from the mattress on which he was

lying, and, without uttering a syllable, fell back, stone dead, upon

the cabin floor, and was hurled to the leeward like a log by a heavy

roll of the brig. Of the remaining seven, there were but three who

had at first any degree of presence of mind. The four others sat for

some time rooted apparently to the floor, the most pitiable objects

of horror and utter despair my eyes ever encountered. The only

opposition we experienced at all was from the cook, John Hunt, and

Richard Parker; but they made but a feeble and irresolute defence.

The two former were shot instantly by Peters, and I felled Parker

with a blow on the head from the pump-handle which I had brought with

me. In the meantime, Augustus seized one of the muskets lying on the

floor and shot another mutineer Wilson through the breast. There

were now but three remaining; but by this time they had become

aroused from their lethargy, and perhaps began to see that a

deception had been practised upon them, for they fought with great

resolution and fury, and, but for the immense muscular strength of

Peters, might have ultimately got the better of us. These three men

were -- Jones, Greely, and Absolom Hicks. Jones had thrown

Augustus to the floor, stabbed him in several places along the right

arm, and would no doubt have soon dispatched him (as neither Peters

nor myself could immediately get rid of our own antagonists), had it

not been for the timely aid of a friend, upon whose assistance we,

surely, had never depended. This friend was no other than Tiger. With

a low growl, he bounded into the cabin, at a most critical moment for

Augustus, and throwing himself upon Jones, pinned him to the floor in

an instant. My friend, however, was now too much injured to render us

any aid whatever, and I was so encumbered with my disguise that I

could do but little. The dog would not leave his hold upon the throat

of Jones -- Peters, nevertheless, was far more than a match for the

two men who remained, and would, no doubt, have dispatched them

sooner, had it not been for the narrow space in which he had to act,

and the tremendous lurches of the vessel. Presently he was enabled to

get hold of a heavy stool, several of which lay about the floor. With

this he beat out the brains of Greely as he was in the act of

discharging a musket at me, and immediately afterward a roll of the

brig throwing him in contact with Hicks, he seized him by the throat,

and, by dint of sheer strength, strangled him instantaneously. Thus,

in far less time than I have taken to tell it, we found ourselves

masters of the brig.

The only person of our opponents who was left alive was Richard

Parker. This man, it will be remembered, I had knocked down with a

blow from the pump-handle at the commencement of the attack. He now

lay motionless by the door of the shattered stateroom; but, upon

Peters touching him with his foot, he spoke, and entreated for mercy.

His head was only slightly cut, and otherwise he had received no

injury, having been merely stunned by the blow. He now got up, and,

for the present, we secured his hands behind his back. The dog was

still growling over Jones; but, upon examination, we found him

completely dead, the blood issuing in a stream from a deep wound in

the throat, inflicted, no doubt, by the sharp teeth of the animal.

It was now about one o'clock in the morning, and the wind was

still blowing tremendously. The brig evidently laboured much more

than usual, and it became absolutely necessary that something should

be done with a view of easing her in some measure. At almost every

roll to leeward she shipped a sea, several of which came partially

down into the cabin during our scuffle, the hatchway having been left

open by myself when I descended. The entire range of bulwarks to

larboard had been swept away, as well as the caboose, together with

the jollyboat from the counter. The creaking and working of the

mainmast, too, gave indication that it was nearly sprung. To make

room for more stowage in the afterhold, the heel of this mast had

been stepped between decks (a very reprehensible practice,

occasionally resorted to by ignorant ship-builders), so that it was

in imminent danger of working from its step. But, to crown all our

difficulties, we plummed the well, and found no less than seven feet

of water.

Leaving the bodies of the crew lying in the cabin, we got to work

immediately at the pumps- Parker, of course, being set at liberty to

assist us in the labour. Augustus's arm was bound up as well as we

could effect it, and he did what he could, but that was not much.

However, we found that we could just manage to keep the leak from

gaining upon us by having one pump constantly going. As there were

only four of us, this was severe labour; but we endeavoured to keep

up our spirits, and looked anxiously for daybreak, when we hoped to

lighten the brig by cutting away the mainmast.

In this manner we passed a night of terrible anxiety and fatigue,

and, when the day at length broke, the gale had neither abated in the

least, nor were there any signs of its abating. We now dragged the

bodies on deck and threw them overboard. Our next care was to get rid

of the mainmast. The necessary preparations having been made, Peters

cut away at the mast (having found axes in the cabin), while the rest

of us stood by the stays and lanyards. As the brig gave a tremendous

lee-lurch, the word was given to cut away the weather-lanyards, which

being done, the whole mass of wood and rigging plunged into the sea,

clear of the brig, and without doing any material injury. We now

found that the vessel did not labour quite as much as before, but our

situation was still exceedingly precarious, and in spite of the

utmost exertions, we could not gain upon the leak without the aid of

both pumps. The little assistance which Augustus could render us was

not really of any importance. To add to our distress, a heavy sea,

striking the brig to the windward, threw her off several points from

the wind, and, before she could regain her position, another broke

completely over her, and hurled her full upon her beam-ends. The

ballast now shifted in a mass to leeward (the stowage had been

knocking about perfectly at random for some time), and for a few

moments we thought nothing could save us from capsizing. Presently,

however, we partially righted; but the ballast still retaining its

place to larboard, we lay so much along that it was useless to think

of working the pumps, which indeed we could not have done much longer

in any case, as our hands were entirely raw with the excessive labour

we had undergone, and were bleeding in the most horrible manner.

Contrary to Parker's advice, we now proceeded to cut away the

foremast, and at length accomplished it after much difficulty, owing

to the position in which we lay. In going overboard the wreck took

with it the bowsprit, and left us a complete hulk.

So far we had had reason to rejoice in the escape of our

longboat, which had received no damage from any of the huge seas

which had come on board. But we had not long to congratulate

ourselves; for the foremast having gone, and, of course, the foresail

with it, by which the brig had been steadied, every sea now made a

complete breach over us, and in five minutes our deck was swept from

stern to stern, the longboat and starboard bulwarks torn off, and

even the windlass shattered into fragments. It was, indeed, hardly

possible for us to be in a more pitiable condition.

At noon there seemed to be some slight appearance of the gale's

abating, but in this we were sadly disappointed, for it only lulled

for a few minutes to blow with redoubled fury. About four in the

afternoon it was utterly impossible to stand up against the violence

of the blast; and, as the night closed in upon us, I had not a shadow

of hope that the vessel would hold together until morning.

By midnight we had settled very deep in the water, which was now

up to the orlop deck. The rudder went soon afterward, the sea which

tore it away lifting the after portion of the brig entirely from the

water, against which she thumped in her descent with such a

concussion as would be occasioned by going ashore. We had all

calculated that the rudder would hold its own to the last, as it was

unusually strong, being rigged as I have never seen one rigged either

before or since. Down its main timber there ran a succession of stout

iron hooks, and others in the same manner down the stern-post.

Through these hooks there extended a very thick wrought-iron rod, the

rudder being thus held to the stern-post and swinging freely on the

rod. The tremendous force of the sea which tore it off may be

estimated by the fact, that the hooks in the stern-post, which ran

entirely through it, being clinched on the inside, were drawn every

one of them completely out of the solid wood.

We had scarcely time to draw breath after the violence of this

shock, when one of the most tremendous waves I had then ever known

broke right on board of us, sweeping the companion-way clear off,

bursting in the hatchways, and filling every inch of the vessel with

water.