elinor wyllys-2-第49章

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One　of　young　de　Vaux's　crew　was　taken　sick　here；　and　he　was　obliged　to　secure　another　man　before　leaving　the　island；　it　was　easy　to　do　so；　however；　as　one　who　was　waiting　for　a　passage　to　New　York　soon　offered；　and　the　matter　was　settled。

Early　on　Monday　morning　they　again　made　sail；　for　Martha's　Vineyard；　from　thence　the　Petrel's　head　was　to　be　turned　southward；　and　after　coasting　the　eastern　shore　of　Long…Island；　they　expected　to　return　to　the　wharf　at　Broadlawn；　as　fast　as　the　winds　would　carry　them。　The　Vineyard；　owing　to　a　more　sheltered　position；　bears　a　different　aspect　from　the　barren　sands　of　Nantucket；　parts　of　the　island　are　well　wooded。　Choosing　a　pleasant　bay　known　to　their　pilot；　where　a　rude　wharf　had　been　built；　the　party　landed　and　prepared　to　dine；　and　pass　some　hours　there。　They　were　no　sooner　on　shore　than　Mr。　Stryker　made　his　arrangements　for　fishing；　having　secured　bait；　Dr。　Van　Horne　and　himself；　with　one　of　the　men；　took　the　Petrel's　boat　and　rowed　off　from　shore；　changing　their　ground　occasionally；　until　they　had　turned　the　point　which　formed　the　bay　on　one　side；　and　were　no　longer　in　sight。　De　Vaux　and　Smith　took　their　guns　and　went　into　the　wood；　Charlie　brought　out　his　sketchbook；　and　was　soon　engaged　in　taking　some　tints；　in　watercolours；　from　a　heavy　bank　of　clouds　which　had　been　slowly　rising　in　the　west　for　several　hours。　Hazlehurst　was　lying　on　the　grass　near　him；　with　a　spy…glass；　watching　a　couple　of　sloops　in　the　distance：　turning　his　head　accidentally　towards　the　spot　where　they　were　commencing　preparations　for　dinner；　Harry　saw　one　of　the　men；　the　new　recruit；　whom　he　had　not　yet　remarked；　looking　at　him　closely。　It　struck　Hazlehurst　that　he　had　met　this　man　before；　the　sailor　saw　that　he　was　observed；　and　after　a　moment's　hesitation　he　approached；　touching　his　hat　with　the　common　salutation　of　a　seaman；　and　looking　as　if　he　wished　to　speak；　but　scarcely　knew　how　to　begin。

〃Have　you　anything　to　say　to　me；　my　friend？It　strikes　me　I　have　seen　your　face　somewhere　lately。〃

〃If　you　are　Mr。　Hazlehurst；　I　guess；　sir；　you　seed　me　not　long　since；〃　replied　the　man；　a　little　embarrassed。

It　suddenly　flashed　upon　Harry's　mind；　that　it　was　during　the　Stanley　trial　that　he　had　seen　this　person；　yes；　he　could　not　be　mistaken；　he　was　one　of　the　witnesses　for　the　plaintiff　on　that　occasion。　Hazlehurst　gave　him　a　keen　look；　the　fellow　faltered　a　little；　but　begged　Harry　to　step　aside　for　a　moment；　as　he　wished　to　speak　alone　with　him。　They　moved　to　the　adjoining　bank；　within　the　edge　of　the　wood；　and　a　conversation　followed　of　some　consequence　to　Hazlehurst；　certainly。　After　a　few　prefatory　remarks；　this　man　offered　to　make　important　revelations；　upon　condition　that　he　should　be　screened　from　justicebeing　considered　as　state's　evidenceand　rewarded　by　Harry　for　volunteering　his　services；　to　which　Hazlehurst　readily　agreed。

We　shall　tell　his　story　for　him；　rather　as　it　appeared　at　a　later　day；　than　in　the　precise　words　in　which　it　was　first　given　at　Martha's　Vineyard。　By　his　disclosures；　the　villany　｛sic｝　of　Clapp　and　his　client　were　placed　beyond　a　doubt；　and　he　himself　was　good　authority；　for　he　was　Robert　Stebbins；　the　witness　who　had　sworn　to　having　returned　the　pocket…book　and　the　accompanying　documents　to　the　plaintiff；　as　their　rightful　owner；　he　now　confessed　that　he　had　perjured　himself　for　a　heavy　bribe；　but　stood　ready　to　turn　state's　evidence；　and　reveal　all　he　knew　of　the　plot。　Those　papers　had　actually　been　placed　in　his　care　thirteen　years　since　by　his　own　brother；　Jonathan　Stebbins；　who　had　died　of　small…pox　in　an　hospital　at　Marseilles。　This　brother　had　been　a　favourite　companion　of　William　Stanley's　from　his　first　voyage；　they　had　shipped　together　in　the　Jefferson；　and　before　sailing；　Stanley　had　placed　a　package　of　papers　and　other　articles；　for　safe…keeping；　in　an　old　chest　of　Stebbins's；　which　was　left　with　the　sailor's　mother　in　Massachusetts。　They　were　wrecked　in　the　Jefferson　on　the　coast　of　Africa；　as　had　been　already　reported；　but　they　were　not　drowned；　they　both　succeeded　in　reaching　the　shore；　having　lashed　themselves　to　the　same　spar。　It　was　a　desert；　sandy　coast；　and　they　were　almost　starved　after　having　reached　the　land；　their　only　shelter　was　a　small　cave　in　a　low　ledge　of　rocks　near　the　beach；　they　fed　upon　half…putrid　shell…fish　thrown　upon　the　sands　by　the　gale；　and　they　drank　from　the　pools　of　rain…water　that　had　formed　on　the　rock　during　the　storm；　for　they　had　saved　nothing　from　the　wreck　but　a　sealed　bottle；　containing　their　protections　as　American　sailors；　some　money　in　an　old　glove；　and　a　few　other　papers。　William　Stanley　had　been　ill　before　the　gale；　and　he　had　not　strength　to　bear　up　against　these　hardships；　he　declined　rapidly；　and　aware　that　he　could　not　live；　the　young　man　charged　his　companion；　if　he　ever　returned　to　America；　to　seek　his　family；　relate　the　circumstances　of　his　death；　and　show　the　papers　in　the　bottlean　old　letter　to　himself；　and　within　it　the　notice　of　his　father's　marriage；　which　he　had　cut　from　a　paper；　obtained　from　an　American　vessel　spoken　on　the　voyageand　also　the　package　left　on　shore　in　the　old　chest；　as　these　documents　would　be　considered　testimonials　of　his　veracity。　He　farther　charged　Stebbins　to　say　that　he　asked　his　father's　forgiveness；　acknowledging　that　he　died　repenting　of　his　past　misconduct。　The　third　day　after　the　gale　the　young　man　expired；　and　Stebbins　buried　him　in　the　sand　near　the　cave。　The　survivor　had　a　hard　struggle　for　life；　the　rain…water　had　soon　dried　away；　and　he　set　out　at　night　in　search　of　a　spring　to　relieve　his　thirst；　still　keeping　in　sight　of　the　shore。　As　the　morning　sun　rose；　when　all　but　exhausted；　he　discovered　on　the　beach　several　objects　from　the　wreck；　which　had　drifted　in　that　direction；　the　wind　having　changed　after　the　gale。　He　found　a　keg　of　spirits　and　some　half…spoiled　biscuit；　and　by　these　means　his　life　was　prolonged。　He　made　a　bag　of　his　shirt；　bound　a　few　things　on　his　back；　and　buried　others　in　the　sand；　to　return　to　if　necessary；　and　then　continued　to　follow　the　shore　northward；　in　search　of　some　spring　or　stream。　Fortunately；　he　soon　came　to　a　woody　tract　which　promised　water；　and　climbing　a　tree　he　watched　the　wild　animals；　hoping　to　discover　where　they　drank；　at　length；　following　a　flock　of　antelopes；　he　came　suddenly　upon　the　bank　of　a　stream　of　some　size；　and　to　his　unspeakable　joy；　saw　on　the　opposite　bank　a　party　of　white　men；　the　first　human　beings　he　had　beheld　since　Stanley's　death；　they　proved　to　be　Swedes　belonging　to　a　ship　in　the　offing；　and　immediately　took　him　into　their　boat。　The　vessel　was　bound　to　Stockholm；　where　she　carried　young　Stanley's　shipmate；　from　there　he　went　to　St。　Petersburgh；　where　he　met　with　the　brother　who　related　his　story　to　Hazlehurst；　and　both　soon　after　enlisted　in　the　Russian　navy。　They　were　sent　to　the　Black　Sea；　and　kept　there　and　in　the　Mediterranean　for　five　years；　until　the　elder　brother；　Jonathan　Stebbins；　died　of　small…pox　in　a　hospital　at　Marseilles；　having　never　returned　to　America　since　the　wreck　of　the　Jefferson。　Before　his　death；　however；　he　left　all　his　effects　and　William　Stanley's　papers　to　his　brother。　This　man；　Robert　Stebbins；　seemed　to　have　paid　very　little　attention　to　the　documents；　it　was　by　mere　chance　that　he　preserved　the　old　letter；　and　the　marriage　notice　within　it；　for　he　confessed　that　he　had　torn　up　the　protection；　once　when　he　wanted　a　bit　of　paper：　he　had　never　known　William　Stanley　himself；　the　inquiries　about　the　young　man　had　ceased　before　he　returned　to　America；　and　he　had　attached　no　importance　whatever　to　these　papers。　He　had　left　them　where　they　had　first　been　placed；　in　the　old　sea…chest　at　his　mother's　house；　near　New　Bedford；　while　he　led　the　usual　wandering　life　of　a　sailor。　He　told　Harry　that　he　had　at　last　quite　forgotten　this　package；　until　he　accidentally　fell　in　with　a　man　calling　himself　William　Stanley；　at　a　low　tavern；　only　some　five　or　six　years　since；　and；　to　his　amazement；　heard　him　declare　he　had　been　wrecked　in　the　Jefferson。

｛〃protection〃　=　a　paper　testifying　to　the　American　citizenship　of　a　seaman；　carried　to　protect　him　against　being　forced　into　the　British　Navy　as　an　Englishman。　Stebbins'　survival　reflects　descriptions　of　a　shipwreck　on　the　Atlantic　coast　of　North　Africa　in　James　Fenimore　Cooper's　〃Homeward　Bound〃　（1838）｝

〃The　fellow　was　half…drunk；〃　said　Stebbins；　〃but　I　knew　his　yarn　was　a　lie　all　the　time；　for　I　had　sailed　with　him　in　another　ship；　at　the　time　my　brother　Jonathan　was　wrecked　in　the　Jefferson。　He　shipped　then　under　the　name　of　Benson；　but　I　knew　his　real　name　was　Edward　Hopgood〃

〃Edward　Hopgood！〃　exclaimed　Harry；　passing　his　hand　over　his　forehead〃　surely　I　have　heard　that　name　before。　Wait　a　moment；〃　he　added；　to　Stebbins；　while　he　endeavoured　to　recollect　why　that　name；　singular　in　itself；　had　a　familiar　sound　to　him。　At　length　his　eye　brightened；　the　whole　matter　became　more　clear；　he　recollected　when　a　mere　child；　a　year　or　two　before　Mr。　Stanley's　death；　while　staying　at　Greatwood　during　a　vacation；　to　have　heard　of　the　bad　conduct　of　a　young　man　named　Edward　Hopgood；　a　lawyer's　clerk　in　the　adjoining　village；　who　had　committed　forgery　and　then　run　away。　The　circumstances　had　occurred　while　Harry　was　at　Greatwood；　and　had　been　so　much　talked　of　in　a　quiet；　country　neighbourhood；　as　to　make　a　decided　impression　on　himself；　child　as　he　was。　Harry　also　remembered　to　have　heard　Mr。　Stanley　tell　Mr。　Wyllys　that　this　Hopgood　was　very　distantly　related　to　himself；　through　the　mother；　who　had　made　a　very　bad　connexion；　adding；　that　this　lad　had　been　at　Greatwood；　and　would　have　been　assisted　by　himself；　had　he　not　behaved　very　badly；　and　done　so　much　to　injure　his　own　son　that　he　had　been　forbidden　the　house。　Harry　farther　remembered；　that　Clapp　had　belonged　to　the　same　office　from　which　this　Hopgood　had　run　away。　There　was；　however；　one　point　which　he　did　not　understand；　he　thought　he　had　since　heard　that　this　Hopgood　had　turned　actor；　and　died　long　since　of　yellow…fever；　at　New　Orleans。　Still；　he　felt　convinced　that　there　was　a　good　foundation　for　Stebbins's　story；　and　he　hoped　soon　to　unravel　the　whole　plot；　from　the　clue　thus　placed　in　his　hands。

〃Go　on；〃　said　Harry；　after　this　pause。　〃You　say　this　man；　whom　you　knew　to　be　Hopgood；　called　himself　William　Stanley。　What　became　of　him？〃

〃It　is　the　same　chap　that　hoisted　your　colours；　Mr。　Hazlehurst；　him　that　the　jury　gave　the　verdict　to　in　Philadelphia。〃

〃Yes；　I　knew　it　must　be　the　same　individual　before　you　spoke；〃　said　Harry；　with　a　view　to　keep　his　informant　accurate。　〃But　how　did　you　know　that　his　name　was　Hopgood？　for　you　say　he　had　shipped　under　another。〃

〃I　knew　it　because　he　had　told　me　so　himself。　He　told　me　how　he　had　run　away　from　a　lawyer's　office　in　Pennsylvany；　gone　to　New　Orleans　and　turned　play…actor　a　while；　then　shammed　dead；　and　had　his　name　printed　in　the　papers　among　them　that　died　of　yellow…fever。　He　told　me　all　that　in　his　first　voyage；　when　we　were　shipmates；　and　that　was　just　the　time　that　my　brother　Jonathan　was　wrecked　in　the　Jefferson。〃

〃When　you　afterwards　heard　him　say　he　was　William　Stanley；　did　you　tell　him　you　knew　his　real　name？〃

〃Yes；　I　told　him　I　knew　he　lied；　fo