At the Schooner's Rail

That night land was sighted after sundown, and the schooner hove to. Montgomery intimated that was his destination. It was too far to see any details; it seemed to me then simply a low-lying patch of dim blue in the uncertain blue-grey sea. An almost vertical streak of smoke went up from it into the sky. The captain was not on deck when it was sighted. After he had vented his wrath on me he had staggered below, and I understand he went to sleep on the floor of his own cabin. The mate practically assumed the command. He was the gaunt, taciturn individual we had seen at the wheel. Apparently he was in an evil temper with Montgomery. He took not the slightest notice of either of us. We dined with him in a sulky silence, after a few ineffectual efforts on my part to talk. It struck me too that the men regarded my companion and his animals in a singularly unfriendly manner. I found Montgomery very reticent about his purpose with these creatures, and about his destination; and though I was sensible of a growing curiosity as to both, I did not press him.

That night, land was sighted after sunset, and the schooner stopped. Montgomery indicated that it was his destination. It was too far away to make out any details. To me, it seemed like a low patch of dim blue in the hazy blue-gray sea. A nearly vertical streak of smoke rose from it into the sky. The captain was not on deck when the land was sighted. After venting his anger on me, he had staggered below. I understood that he went to sleep on the floor of his cabin. The mate had more or less taken command. He was the thin, silent man we had seen at the wheel. Apparently, he was in a bad temper with Montgomery. He paid no attention to either of us. I made a few unsuccessful attempts at conversation, but we dined with him in sullen silence. I also noticed that the men seemed unusually unfriendly toward my companion and his animals. Montgomery was very reluctant to talk about his plans for the creatures or his destination. Though I was growing curious about both, I did not press him.

We remained talking on the quarter deck until the sky was thick with stars. Except for an occasional sound in the yellow-lit forecastle and a movement of the animals now and then, the night was very still. The puma lay crouched together, watching us with shining eyes, a black heap in the corner of its cage. Montgomery produced some cigars. He talked to me of London in a tone of half-painful reminiscence, asking all kinds of questions about changes that had taken place. He spoke like a man who had loved his life there, and had been suddenly and irrevocably cut off from it. I gossiped as well as I could of this and that. All the time the strangeness of him was shaping itself in my mind; and as I talked I peered at his odd, pallid face in the dim light of the binnacle lantern behind me. Then I looked out at the darkling sea, where in the dimness his little island was hidden.

We stayed on the quarterdeck talking until the sky was thick with stars. The night was very still. Now and then, a sound came from the yellow-lit forecastle, or one of the animals moved. The puma crouched in a corner of its cage, a black heap watching us with shining eyes. Montgomery brought out some cigars. He spoke of London with a hint of pain in his memories. He asked all kinds of questions about changes that had taken place there. He sounded like a man who had loved his life there and had been suddenly and permanently cut off from it. I chatted as best I could about this and that. All the while, I was becoming more aware of how strange he was. As I talked, I studied his odd, pale face in the dim light of the compass lantern behind me. Then I looked out at the dark sea, where his little island lay hidden in the gloom.

This man, it seemed to me, had come out of Immensity merely to save my life. To-morrow he would drop over the side, and vanish again out of my existence. Even had it been under commonplace circumstances, it would have made me a trifle thoughtful; but in the first place was the singularity of an educated man living on this unknown little island, and coupled with that the extraordinary nature of his luggage. I found myself repeating the captain’s question. What did he want with the beasts? Why, too, had he pretended they were not his when I had remarked about them at first? Then, again, in his personal attendant there was a bizarre quality which had impressed me profoundly. These circumstances threw a haze of mystery round the man. They laid hold of my imagination, and hampered my tongue.

It seemed to me that this man had come out of the vast unknown just to save my life. Tomorrow he would go over the side of the ship and disappear from my life again. Even under ordinary circumstances, that would have given me something to think about. But there was also the strangeness of an educated man living on this unknown little island. And there was the extraordinary nature of his luggage. I found myself repeating the captain’s question. What did he want with the animals? And why had he pretended they were not his when I first mentioned them? His personal attendant, too, had a bizarre quality that had made a deep impression on me. All this surrounded the man with an air of mystery. It captured my imagination and made it hard for me to speak.

Towards midnight our talk of London died away, and we stood side by side leaning over the bulwarks and staring dreamily over the silent, starlit sea, each pursuing his own thoughts. It was the atmosphere for sentiment, and I began upon my gratitude.

Around midnight, our talk of London faded away. We stood side by side, leaning over the ship’s railing and gazing dreamily at the silent, starlit sea. Each of us was lost in thought. The mood invited sentiment, and I began to express my gratitude.

“If I may say it,” said I, after a time, “you have saved my life.”

“If I may say so,” I said after a while, “you saved my life.”

“Chance,” he answered. “Just chance.”

“Chance,” he answered. “Just chance.”

“I prefer to make my thanks to the accessible agent.”

“I prefer to thank the person I can reach.”

“Thank no one. You had the need, and I had the knowledge; and I injected and fed you much as I might have collected a specimen. I was bored and wanted something to do. If I’d been jaded that day, or hadn’t liked your face, well—it’s a curious question where you would have been now!”

“Don’t thank anyone. You needed help, and I had the knowledge. I gave you injections and fed you much as I might have collected a specimen. I was bored and wanted something to do. If I’d been tired of it all that day, or hadn’t liked your face, well, who knows where you’d be now!”

This damped my mood a little. “At any rate,” I began.

This dampened my mood a little. “Anyway,” I began.

“It’s a chance, I tell you,” he interrupted, “as everything is in a man’s life. Only the asses won’t see it! Why am I here now, an outcast from civilisation, instead of being a happy man enjoying all the pleasures of London? Simply because eleven years ago—I lost my head for ten minutes on a foggy night.”

“It’s a matter of chance, I tell you,” he interrupted, “like everything in a man’s life. Only fools can’t see it! Why am I here now, an outcast from civilization? Why am I not a happy man enjoying all the pleasures of London? Simply because eleven years ago, I lost my head for ten minutes on a foggy night.”

He stopped. “Yes?” said I.

He stopped. “Yes?” I said.

“That’s all.”

“That’s all.”

We relapsed into silence. Presently he laughed. “There’s something in this starlight that loosens one’s tongue. I’m an ass, and yet somehow I would like to tell you.”

We fell silent again. After a while, he laughed. “There’s something about this starlight that makes a person talk. I’m a fool, but somehow I’d like to tell you.”

“Whatever you tell me, you may rely upon my keeping to myself—if that’s it.”

“Whatever you tell me, you can trust me to keep it to myself, if that’s what you mean.”

He was on the point of beginning, and then shook his head, doubtfully.

He was about to begin, but then he shook his head doubtfully.

“Don’t,” said I. “It is all the same to me. After all, it is better to keep your secret. There’s nothing gained but a little relief if I respect your confidence. If I don’t—well?”

“Don’t,” I said. “It makes no difference to me. After all, it’s better to keep your secret. If I keep it, all I gain is a little relief. If I don’t, well?”

He grunted undecidedly. I felt I had him at a disadvantage, had caught him in the mood of indiscretion; and to tell the truth I was not curious to learn what might have driven a young medical student out of London. I have an imagination. I shrugged my shoulders and turned away. Over the taffrail leant a silent black figure, watching the stars. It was Montgomery’s strange attendant. It looked over its shoulder quickly with my movement, then looked away again.

He grunted uncertainly. I felt I had the advantage over him and had caught him in a careless mood. To tell the truth, I wasn’t curious about what might have driven a young medical student out of London. I have an imagination. I shrugged and turned away. A silent black figure leaned over the ship’s stern rail, watching the stars. It was Montgomery’s strange attendant. It glanced quickly over its shoulder when I moved, then looked away again.

It may seem a little thing to you, perhaps, but it came like a sudden blow to me. The only light near us was a lantern at the wheel. The creature’s face was turned for one brief instant out of the dimness of the stern towards this illumination, and I saw that the eyes that glanced at me shone with a pale-green light. I did not know then that a reddish luminosity, at least, is not uncommon in human eyes. The thing came to me as stark inhumanity. That black figure with its eyes of fire struck down through all my adult thoughts and feelings, and for a moment the forgotten horrors of childhood came back to my mind. Then the effect passed as it had come. An uncouth black figure of a man, a figure of no particular import, hung over the taffrail against the starlight, and I found Montgomery was speaking to me.

It may seem like a small thing to you, but it hit me like a sudden blow. The only light near us came from a lantern by the wheel. For a brief moment, the creature turned its face from the dim stern toward the light. I saw its eyes glance at me, shining pale green. I did not know then that a reddish glow, at least, is not uncommon in human eyes. To me, it seemed starkly inhuman. That black figure with its fiery eyes cut through all my adult thoughts and feelings. For a moment, the forgotten horrors of childhood came back to me. Then the effect passed as suddenly as it had come. A rough-looking black figure of a man hung over the stern rail against the starlight. There was nothing remarkable about him, and I realized Montgomery was speaking to me.

“I’m thinking of turning in, then,” said he, “if you’ve had enough of this.”

“I’m thinking of going to bed, then,” he said, “if you’ve had enough of this.”

I answered him incongruously. We went below, and he wished me good-night at the door of my cabin.

I gave him an odd reply. We went downstairs, and he wished me good night at my cabin door.

That night I had some very unpleasant dreams. The waning moon rose late. Its light struck a ghostly white beam across my cabin, and made an ominous shape on the planking by my bunk. Then the staghounds woke, and began howling and baying; so that I dreamt fitfully, and scarcely slept until the approach of dawn.

That night I had some very unpleasant dreams. The waning moon rose late. Its light cast a ghostly white beam across my cabin. It made an ominous shape on the floorboards beside my bunk. Then the staghounds woke and began howling and baying. As a result, I dreamed fitfully and barely slept until dawn approached.