Collected Works of Poe | Page 4

up the resolution of
despair, and rushing to the mainsail let it go by the run. As might have
been expected, it flew over the bows, and, getting drenched with water,
carried away the mast short off by the board. This latter accident alone
saved me from instant destruction. Under the jib only, I now boomed
along before the wind, shipping heavy seas occasionally over the
counter, but relieved from the terror of immediate death. I took the
helm, and breathed with greater freedom as I found that there yet
remained to us a chance of ultimate escape. Augustus still lay senseless
in the bottom of the boat; and as there was imminent danger of his
drowning (the water being nearly a foot deep just where he fell), I
contrived to raise him partially up, and keep him in a sitting position,
by passing a rope round his waist, and lashing it to a ringbolt in the
deck of the cuddy. Having thus arranged every thing as well as I could
in my chilled and agitated condition, I recommended myself to God,
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
indignant, as well as the whole ship's crew, at a speech evincing so base
a degree of heartless atrocity. He spoke plainly, seeing himself upheld
by the men, told the captain he considered him a fit subject for the
gallows, and that he would disobey his orders if he were hanged for it
the moment he set his foot on shore. He strode aft, jostling Block (who
turned pale and made no answer) on one side, and seizing the helm,
gave the word, in a firm voice, Hard-a-lee! The men flew to their posts,
and the ship went cleverly about. All this had occupied nearly five

minutes, and it was supposed to be hardly within the bounds of
possibility that any individual could be saved- allowing any to have
been on board the boat. Yet, as the reader