The Boats of the Glen Carrig

by William Hope Hodgson

  III

  The Thing That Made Search

  Now at times, I fell upon sleep, as did most of the others; but, for themost part, I lay half sleeping and half waking--being unable to attain totrue sleep by reason of the everlasting growling above us in the night,and the fear which it bred in me. Thus, it chanced that just aftermidnight, I caught a sound in the main cabin beyond the door, andimmediately I was fully waked. I sat me up and listened, and so becameaware that something was fumbling about the deck of the main cabin. Atthat, I got to my feet and made my way to where the bo'sun lay, meaningto waken him, if he slept; but he caught me by the ankle, as I stooped toshake him, and whispered to me to keep silence; for he too had been awareof that strange noise of something fumbling beyond in the big cabin.

  In a little, we crept both of us so close to the door as the chestswould allow, and there we crouched, listening; but could not tell whatmanner of thing it might be which produced so strange a noise. For itwas neither shuffling, nor treading of any kind, nor yet was it thewhirr of a bat's wings, the which had first occurred to me, knowing howvampires are said to inhabit the nights in dismal places. Nor yet was itthe slurr of a snake; but rather it seemed to us to be as though a greatwet cloth were being rubbed everywhere across the floor and bulkheads.We were the better able to be certain of the truth of this likeness,when, suddenly, it passed across the further side of the door behindwhich we listened: at which, you may be sure, we drew backwards both ofus in fright; though the door, and the chests, stood between us and thatwhich rubbed against it.

  Presently, the sound ceased, and, listen as we might, we could no longerdistinguish it. Yet, until the morning, we dozed no more; being troubledin mind as to what manner of thing it was which had made search in thebig cabin.

  Then in time the day came, and the growling ceased. For a mournful whilethe sad crying filled our ears, and then at last the eternal silence thatfills the day hours of that dismal land fell upon us.

  So, being at last in quietness, we slept, being greatly awearied. Aboutseven in the morning, the bo'sun waked me, and I found that they hadopened the door into the big cabin; but though the bo'sun and I madecareful search, we could nowhere come upon anything to tell us aughtconcerning the thing which had put us so in fright. Yet, I know not if Iam right in saying that we came upon nothing; for, in several places, thebulkheads had a _chafed_ look; but whether this had been there beforethat night, we had no means of telling.

  Of that which we had heard, the bo'sun bade me make no mention, for hewould not have the men put more in fear than need be. This I conceived tobe wisdom, and so held my peace. Yet I was much troubled in my mind toknow what manner of thing it was which we had need to fear, and more--Idesired greatly to know whether we should be free of it in the daylighthours; for there was always with me, as I went hither and thither, thethought that IT--for that is how I designated it in my mind--might comeupon us to our destruction.

  Now after breakfast, at which we had each a portion of salt pork, besidesrum and biscuit (for by now the fire in the caboose had been set going),we turned-to at various matters, under the directing of the bo'sun. Joshand two of the men made examination of the water casks, and the rest ofus lifted the main hatch-covers, to make inspection of her cargo; but lo!we found nothing, save some three feet of water in her hold.

  By this time, Josh had drawn some water off from the casks; but it wasmost unsuitable for drinking, being vile of smell and taste. Yet thebo'sun bade him draw some into buckets, so that the air might haplypurify it; but though this was done, and the water allowed to standthrough the morning, it was but little better.

  At this, as might be imagined, we were exercised in our minds as to themanner in which we should come upon suitable water; for by now we werebeginning to be in need of it. Yet though one said one thing, and anothersaid another, no one had wit enough to call to mind any method by whichour need should be satisfied. Then, when we had made an end of dining,the bo'sun sent Josh, with four of the men, up stream, perchance after amile or two the water should prove of sufficient freshness to meet ourpurpose. Yet they returned a little before sundown having no water; foreverywhere it was salt.

  Now the bo'sun, foreseeing that it might be impossible to come uponwater, had set the man whom he had ordained to be our cook, to boilingthe creek water in three great kettles. This he had ordered to be donesoon after the boat left; and over the spout of each, he had hung agreat pot of iron, filled with cold water from the hold--this beingcooler than that from the creek--so that the steam from each kettleimpinged upon the cold surface of the iron pots, and being by this meanscondensed, was caught in three buckets placed beneath them upon the floorof the caboose. In this way, enough water was collected to supply us forthe evening and the following morning; yet it was but a slow method, andwe had sore need of a speedier, were we to leave the hulk so soon as I,for one, desired.

  We made our supper before sunset, so as to be free of the crying which wehad reason to expect. After that, the bo'sun shut the scuttle, and wewent every one of us into the captain's cabin, after which we barred thedoor, as on the previous night; and well was it for us that we acted withthis prudence.

  By the time that we had come into the captain's cabin, and secured thedoor, it was upon sunsetting, and as the dusk came on, so did themelancholy wailing pass over the land; yet, being by now somewhat inuredto so much strangeness, we lit our pipes, and smoked; though I observedthat none talked; for the crying without was not to be forgotten.

  Now, as I have said, we kept silence; but this was only for a time, andour reason for breaking it was a discovery made by George, the youngerapprentice. This lad, being no smoker, was fain to do something towhile away the time, and with this intent, he had raked out thecontents of a small box, which had lain upon the deck at the side ofthe forrard bulkhead.

  The box had appeared filled with odd small lumber of which a part was adozen or so grey paper wrappers, such as are used, I believe, forcarrying samples of corn; though I have seen them put to other purposes,as, indeed, was now the case. At first George had tossed these aside; butit growing darker the bo'sun lit one of the candles which we had foundin the lazarette. Thus, George, who was proceeding to tidy back therubbish which was cumbering the place, discovered something which causedhim to cry out to us his astonishment.

  Now, upon hearing George call out, the bo'sun bade him keep silence,thinking it was but a piece of boyish restlessness; but George drew thecandle to him, and bade us to listen; for the wrappers were covered withfine handwriting after the fashion of a woman's.

  Even as George told us of that which he had found we became aware thatthe night was upon us; for suddenly the crying ceased, and in placethereof there came out of the far distance the low thunder of thenight-growling, that had tormented us through the past two nights. For aspace, we ceased to smoke, and sat--listening; for it was a very fearsomesound. In a very little while it seemed to surround the ship, as on theprevious nights; but at length, using ourselves to it, we resumed oursmoking, and bade George to read out to us from the writing upon thepaper wrappers.

  Then George, though shaking somewhat in his voice, began to decipher thatwhich was upon the wrappers, and a strange and awesome story it was, andbearing much upon our own concerns:--

  "Now, when they discovered the spring among the trees that crown thebank, there was much rejoicing; for we had come to have much need ofwater. And some, being in fear of the ship (declaring, because of all ourmisfortune and the strange disappearances of their messmates and thebrother of my lover, that she was haunted by a devil), declared theirintention of taking their gear up to the spring, and there making a camp.This they conceived and carried out in the space of one afternoon; thoughour Captain, a good and true man, begged of them, as they valued life, tostay within the shelter of their living-place. Yet, as I have remarked,they would none of them hark to his counseling, and, because the Mateand the bo'sun were gone he had no means of compelling them to wisdom--"

  At this poi
nt, George ceased to read, and began to rustle among thewrappers, as though in search for the continuation of the story.

  Presently he cried out that he could not find it, and dismay wasupon his face.

  But the bo'sun told him to read on from such sheets as were left; for, ashe observed, we had no knowledge if more existed; and we were fain toknow further of that spring, which, from the story, appeared to be overthe bank near to the vessel.

  George, being thus adjured, picked up the topmost sheet; for they were,as I heard him explain to the bo'sun, all oddly numbered, and having butlittle reference one to the other. Yet we were mightily keen to know evenso much as such odd scraps might tell unto us. Whereupon, George readfrom the next wrapper, which ran thus:--

  "Now, suddenly, I heard the Captain cry out that there was something inthe main cabin, and immediately my lover's voice calling to me to lock mydoor, and on no condition to open it. Then the door of the Captain'scabin slammed, and there came a silence, and the silence was broken by a_sound_. Now, this was the first time that I had heard the Thing makesearch through the big cabin; but, afterwards, my lover told me it hadhappened aforetime, and they had told me naught, fearing to frighten meneedlessly; though now I understood why my lover had bidden me never toleave my stateroom door unbolted in the nighttime. I remember also,wondering if the noise of breaking glass that had waked me somewhat frommy dreams a night or two previously, had been the work of thisindescribable Thing; for on the morning following that night, the glassin the skylight had been smashed. Thus it was that my thoughts wanderedout to trifles, while yet my soul seemed ready to leap out from my bosomwith fright.

  "I had, by reason of usage, come to ability to sleep despite of thefearsome growling; for I had conceived its cause to be the mutter ofspirits in the night, and had not allowed myself to be unnecessarilyfrightened with doleful thoughts; for my lover had assured me of oursafety, and that we should yet come to our home. And now, beyond my door,I could hear that fearsome sound of the Thing searching--"

  George came to a sudden pause; for the bo'sun had risen and put a greathand upon his shoulder. The lad made to speak; but the bo'sun beckoned tohim to say no word, and at that we, who had grown to nervousness throughthe happenings in the story, began every one to listen. Thus we heard asound which had escaped us in the noise of the growling without thevessel, and the interest of the reading.

  For a space we kept very silent, no man doing more than let the breath goin and out of his body, and so each one of us knew that something movedwithout, in the big cabin. In a little, something touched upon our door,and it was, as I have mentioned earlier, as though a great swab rubbedand scrubbed at the woodwork. At this, the men nearest unto the door camebackwards in a surge, being put in sudden fear by reason of the Thingbeing so near; but the bo'sun held up a hand, bidding them, in a lowvoice, to make no unneedful noise. Yet, as though the sounds of theirmoving had been heard, the door was shaken with such violence that wewaited, everyone, expecting to see it torn from its hinges; but it stood,and we hasted to brace it by means of the bunk boards, which we placedbetween it and the two great chests, and upon these we set a third chest,so that the door was quite hid.

  Now, I have no remembrance whether I have put down that when we camefirst to the ship, we had found the stern window upon the larboard sideto be shattered; but so it was, and the bo'sun had closed it by means ofa teak-wood cover which was made to go over it in stormy weather, withstout battens across, which were set tight with wedges. This he had doneupon the first night, having fear that some evil thing might come upon usthrough the opening, and very prudent was this same action of his, asshall be seen. Then George cried out that something was at the cover ofthe larboard window, and we stood back, growing ever more fearful becausethat some evil creature was so eager to come at us. But the bo'sun, whowas a very courageous man, and calm withal, walked over to the closedwindow, and saw to it that the battens were secure; for he had knowledgesufficient to be sure, if this were so, that no creature with strengthless than that of a whale could break it down, and in such case its bulkwould assure us from being molested.

  Then, even as he made sure of the fastenings, there came a cry of fearfrom some of the men; for there had come at the glass of the unbrokenwindow, a reddish mass, which plunged up against it, sucking upon it,as it were. Then Josh, who was nearest to the table, caught up thecandle, and held it towards the Thing; thus I saw that it had theappearance of a many-flapped thing shaped as it might be, out of rawbeef--_but it was alive_.

  At this, we stared, everyone being too bemused with terror to do aughtto protect ourselves, even had we been possessed of weapons. And as weremained thus, an instant, like silly sheep awaiting the butcher, Iheard the framework creak and crack, and there ran splits all across theglass. In another moment, the whole thing would have been torn away, andthe cabin undefended, but that the bo'sun, with a great curse at us forour landlubberly lack of use, seized the other cover, and clapped itover the window. At that, there was more help than could be made toavail, and the battens and wedges were in place in a trice. That thiswas no sooner accomplished than need be, we had immediate proof; forthere came a rending of wood and a splintering of glass, and after thata strange yowling out in the dark, and the yowling rose above anddrowned the continuous growling that filled the night. In a little, itdied away, and in the brief silence that seemed to ensue, we heard aslobby fumbling at the teak cover; but it was well secured, and we hadno immediate cause for fear.