Read Online The Boats of the Glen Carrig by William Hope Hodgson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: William Hope Hodgson
Ads: Link
the bows on to
the sand. Now, at sight of the devil-fish, we had all made for the back
of the beach at a run, none troubling even to retain the painter, and
because of this, we were like to have lost the boat; for the great
cuttlefish had its arms all splayed about it, seeming to have a mind to
drag it down into the deep water from whence it had risen, and it had
possibly succeeded, but that the bo'sun brought us all to our senses;
for, having laid Job out of harm's way, he was the first to seize the
painter, which lay trailed upon the sand, and, at that, we got back our
courage and ran to assist him.
Now there happened to be convenient a great spike of rock, the same,
indeed, to which the bo'sun had bidden Job tie the boat, and to this we
ran the painter, taking a couple of turns about it and two half-hitches,
and now, unless the rope carried away, we had no reason to fear the loss
of the boat; though there seemed to us to be a danger of the creature's
crushing it. Because of this, and because of a feeling of natural anger
against the thing, the bo'sun took up from the sand one of the spears
which had been cast down when we hauled the boat ashore. With this, he
went down so far as seemed safe, and prodded the creature in one of its
tentacles—the weapon entering easily, at which I was surprised, for I
had understood that these monsters were near to invulnerable in all parts
save their eyes. At receiving this stab, the great fish appeared to feel
no hurt for it showed no signs of pain, and, at that, the bo'sun was
further emboldened to go nearer, so that he might deliver a more deadly
wound; yet scarce had he taken two steps before the hideous thing was
upon him, and, but for an agility wonderful in so great a man, he had
been destroyed. Yet, spite of so narrow an escape from death, he was not
the less determined to wound or destroy the creature, and, to this end,
he dispatched some of us to the grove of reeds to get half a dozen of the
strongest, and when we returned with these, he bade two of the men lash
their spears securely to them, and by this means they had now spears of a
length of between thirty and forty feet. With these, it was possible to
attack the devilfish without coming within reach of its tentacles. And
now being ready, he took one of the spears, telling the biggest of the
men to take the other. Then he directed him to aim for the right eye of
the huge fish whilst he would attack the left.
Now since the creature had so nearly captured the bo'sun, it had ceased
to tug at the boat, and lay silent, with its tentacles spread all about
it, and its great eyes appearing just over the stern, so that it
presented an appearance of watching our movements; though I doubt if it
saw us with any clearness; for it must have been dazed with the
brightness of the sunshine.
And now the bo'sun gave the signal to attack, at which he and the man ran
down upon the creature with their lances, as it were in rest. The
bo'sun's spear took the monster truly in its left eye; but the one
wielded by the man was too bendable, and sagged so much that it struck
the stern-post of the boat, the knife blade snapping off short. Yet it
mattered not; for the wound inflicted by the bo'sun's weapon was so
frightful, that the giant cuttlefish released the boat, and slid back
into deep water, churning it into foam, and gouting blood.
For some minutes we waited to make sure that the monster had indeed gone,
and after that, we hastened to the boat, and drew her up so far as we
were able; after which we unloaded the heaviest of her contents, and so
were able to get her right clear of the water.
And for an hour afterwards the sea all about the little beach was stained
black, and in places red.
VIII - The Noises in the Valley
*
Now, so soon as we had gotten the boat into safety, the which we did with
a most feverish haste, the bo'sun gave his attention to Job; for the boy
had not yet recovered from the blow which the loom of the oar had dealt
him
the sand. Now, at sight of the devil-fish, we had all made for the back
of the beach at a run, none troubling even to retain the painter, and
because of this, we were like to have lost the boat; for the great
cuttlefish had its arms all splayed about it, seeming to have a mind to
drag it down into the deep water from whence it had risen, and it had
possibly succeeded, but that the bo'sun brought us all to our senses;
for, having laid Job out of harm's way, he was the first to seize the
painter, which lay trailed upon the sand, and, at that, we got back our
courage and ran to assist him.
Now there happened to be convenient a great spike of rock, the same,
indeed, to which the bo'sun had bidden Job tie the boat, and to this we
ran the painter, taking a couple of turns about it and two half-hitches,
and now, unless the rope carried away, we had no reason to fear the loss
of the boat; though there seemed to us to be a danger of the creature's
crushing it. Because of this, and because of a feeling of natural anger
against the thing, the bo'sun took up from the sand one of the spears
which had been cast down when we hauled the boat ashore. With this, he
went down so far as seemed safe, and prodded the creature in one of its
tentacles—the weapon entering easily, at which I was surprised, for I
had understood that these monsters were near to invulnerable in all parts
save their eyes. At receiving this stab, the great fish appeared to feel
no hurt for it showed no signs of pain, and, at that, the bo'sun was
further emboldened to go nearer, so that he might deliver a more deadly
wound; yet scarce had he taken two steps before the hideous thing was
upon him, and, but for an agility wonderful in so great a man, he had
been destroyed. Yet, spite of so narrow an escape from death, he was not
the less determined to wound or destroy the creature, and, to this end,
he dispatched some of us to the grove of reeds to get half a dozen of the
strongest, and when we returned with these, he bade two of the men lash
their spears securely to them, and by this means they had now spears of a
length of between thirty and forty feet. With these, it was possible to
attack the devilfish without coming within reach of its tentacles. And
now being ready, he took one of the spears, telling the biggest of the
men to take the other. Then he directed him to aim for the right eye of
the huge fish whilst he would attack the left.
Now since the creature had so nearly captured the bo'sun, it had ceased
to tug at the boat, and lay silent, with its tentacles spread all about
it, and its great eyes appearing just over the stern, so that it
presented an appearance of watching our movements; though I doubt if it
saw us with any clearness; for it must have been dazed with the
brightness of the sunshine.
And now the bo'sun gave the signal to attack, at which he and the man ran
down upon the creature with their lances, as it were in rest. The
bo'sun's spear took the monster truly in its left eye; but the one
wielded by the man was too bendable, and sagged so much that it struck
the stern-post of the boat, the knife blade snapping off short. Yet it
mattered not; for the wound inflicted by the bo'sun's weapon was so
frightful, that the giant cuttlefish released the boat, and slid back
into deep water, churning it into foam, and gouting blood.
For some minutes we waited to make sure that the monster had indeed gone,
and after that, we hastened to the boat, and drew her up so far as we
were able; after which we unloaded the heaviest of her contents, and so
were able to get her right clear of the water.
And for an hour afterwards the sea all about the little beach was stained
black, and in places red.
VIII - The Noises in the Valley
*
Now, so soon as we had gotten the boat into safety, the which we did with
a most feverish haste, the bo'sun gave his attention to Job; for the boy
had not yet recovered from the blow which the loom of the oar had dealt
him
Similar Books
