In the Chart Room.

New Zealand Illustrated Magazine, Volume 01, Issue 9, 1 June 1900, Page 21

In the Chart Room.

By Fabian Bull.

-J^^^^^AN I speak to you, Capfftlv^ii^f v ■"■ was P°^ e though busy, not wishing to he <(!p^||||§] disturbed; and it is T^lßinf possible that my tone «W»} may have conveyed the .^Pk latter sentiment somem what too strongly, for IH my interlocutor became w silent, and I, returning 1 to my calculations, forgot him for the moment. But the man did not go away, and very soon I became almost oppressively conscious of his presence. He had followed me into the Chart Room; which action was against the rule, for the Company's orders were very strict, but in contradistinction to this written law, I had a certain margin of discretion, and knew that it was one of the first duties of the captain of a passenger steamer to keep his passengers in good humour, even to the extent of listening to their complaints at all times and in all places ; and I perceived that I must let the charts alone for a while until I had attended to my visitor. " Well ? " I said interrogatively, lifting my head and half turning towards him. "I am soiTy to interrupt you. I see you're busy, but I had to speak. I only came on board this morning, and already I feel that I have made a mistake. I like you, and " I looked quickly up and faced him for the first time. He was a tall young, man .of

Illustrated by W. A. Boioring.

exceptionally fine physique, woll dressed, well groomed, a gentleman every inch of him; but I had never seen him before, of that 1 was convinced, though among the numbers constantly going and coming it was perhaps rash to declare this with any certainty. Still I havo a gift for remembering faces, which has never yet played mo false, and L felt sure that the man was a stranger to me. What then did he mean by this emphatic declaration of personal liking P I bent my head and waited for more. "Yes, I like you, and I. like your ship. I've travelled in k»r hundreds of times,"—(this I knew to bo false, for the Haiti was a new vessel and had not made a dozen trips, all told) — " Ah, yes, hundreds of times ! Hub J shouldn't have cone to-day, no, not to-day !" " Why not? " and I looked at him more keenly, but he was standing at the door of t' c chart house, and had his back to the light, so that I could not see his features distinctly. " Why not ? Well, I don't know. It's a difficult question. But I like you, and I suppose I ought to tell you." "What?" He swept his hand over his brow, and seemed at a loss for a word. " Come in," I said politely, motioning him to a seat where I could see his face. He came nearor, bub did not sit down. Still I could now see his face. It was working with tho stress of a great emotion. I began to feel a little curious. " Yes, I ought not to have come, but — — . Do you know, Captain, I- " and he put

his hand to his head, and then swept it from him with the expressive gesture of one who sweeps away a noxious insect.

Then in a moment it flashed on me that he had been drinking, and liesolved to give the head steward a word of warning. My interest faded. Such cases were only too common, they wearied me. I ostentatiously returned to my work, hoping that he would take the hint and go. But he appeared to be interested, and bent towards me. I showed him the ship's course, and explained a few trifling matters. Suddenly he straightened hirasalf and drew back.

I wished he would go away and leave me to my work, but he did not budge. I was getting tired of him, and expi'essed as much in my manner. He got up and moved restlessly up and down the limits of the narrow room. Suddenly he burst forth : " I think I ought to tell you." " Tell away, then." " It's not easy. No, it's not easy, and you show so little interest ! " His tone had changed again, aud was now full of an indescribable pathos which effected me strangely, though in my own mmd I declared that he had only got into the maudlin

" What does all that matter ? " he said. ''Follow what coarse you like, it will all come to the same. This ship is doomed, doomed ! " "Indeed!" " Yes, we're all doomed ! You, I, the whole world ! Why should this ship escape?" Certainly it was a had case. We should have to keep an eye upon him till we got to Sydney. Wo had just left Wellington, and had a clear run of four days before us, and as we should touch at no other port during that time, we must make the best of our bad bargain, and keep him as short of liquor as we could, •

and sentimental stage, and that a douche of cold water would be the best remedy. " Captain," he broke out, " you're not attending ! Yuu think I'm drunk ! " " I think you have been drinking." "I wish it was so, I wish it was nothing worse. But no! That's not it! lam mad ! — I am mad ! " If the proverbial thunderbolt had fallen between us I could not have been more startled. 1 have hud some strange experiences in my life. That was one of the strangest. I have stood at the edge of the grave, and looked into it unmoved. I was, perhaps, never nearer to it than at that moment.

I glanced quickly up, and our eyes clashed. He was a younger, stronger man than I, but I was not afraid. " Sit down and tell me all about it," I said soothingly. " You're not afraid ? " "No. What should I fear?" " Yet you and your ship arc doomed — • doomed — doomed ! " "Perhaps so, but I'm not afraid. Sit down and let us talk it out." " I can't sit. I'm too restless." " Very well, as you please. Now tell me what brought you here." " The devil ! " " Very likely. He's a bit of a busy-body, if all accounts be true." " You're not afraid of him either ? " " Certainly not ! " "You're a fine fellow! I like you. I always liked you. You're a man ! Well, when I left that place — " " The asylum ? " I suggested. He frowned. "You may call it that. I call it hell! They took it out of me there, I can toll you ! It was awful ! " " They were not unkind to you ? " " No. Not unkind. But it was hell for all that ! " " And you were discharged, or did you — " "No, I did not escape. There is no escaping from that place. I was discharged — cured. Ha, ha ! " His laugh was terrible, and [ kuew then for a certainty that my companion was, if only for the moment, mad. I thought of the other one hundred and fifteen passengers on board, including twenty ladies, my wife and my sister-in-law, and debated as to the best course to take. The company's orders were strict, never to alarm the passengers, to keep them always occupied and happy, and in case of real danger o tell them nothing more than was absolutely necessary. My companion moved restlesdy up and down, pressing his hand to his head, and muttering half to himself, half to me : " I'm sorry I came, but I could not help it. Directly I saw the ship at the Wellington

wharf I know that 1 must go on board. That/ it was doomed — doomed ! That my hand would be the oue to execute judgment and justice ! Still I like you, I like you ! " "Thank you. [am always glad to secure the good opinion of my passengors. bet us talk this thing out quietly. You are here, and as we are on the High Seas it is obvious that you must remain here for some time. In a few days wo shall be in Sydney. You will have friends to meet you there? " " I have friends there, yes." " They will bo looking for you, and oxpocting to find you well in mind and body, You will not disappoint them. You will struggle against this illness that oppresses you, You will shake it off. You will be your own old, bright self." His movements grew less restless, for the first time he sat down. " But this ship is doomed ! " he said more quickly. " Perhaps so, perhaps not. At any rate that is not your business or mine either." " No ? " "Certainly not! My present business is to look after you." " What are you going to do with mo V You are not going to' shut me up ? " '• Not if I can help it. I'm not a jailor, you know ; indeed, lam going to make you your own jailor." "My own jailor ? " The idea seemed to amuse him. " Yes, I shall not lock you up, but you must promiso rae that when you feel the (it coming on, you will come to mo at onco, wherever I may be, and at whatever time." " That's a good plan ! Come to you whonever I feel it here," and he touched his forehead, " buzzing and talking, and telling me all sorts of strange things. I'm not mad now, you know. I'm quite sane, Bunoas you are. But I heard the voices last night, and again this morning, and I know that I ought to tell you. Now I've told you uad yuu uro not a bit afraid. You're a wonderful chap ! I'm afraid, oh, so terribly afraid ! i don fc want to go to that place again among those mad peoplo ! I bate them ! It is enough to

turn one's brain! Always chattering and talking nonsense, such nonsense, and so selfish, thinking only of themselves. Not one of them ever found time to talk to me for a moment. And the women are as bad as the men. There was one woman who fancied herself Queen Victoria, and another nursed a doll and called it a baby, and made us all keep quiet while she hushed it to sleep. Selfish creatures! They never thought of me, not one of them thought of me ! Oh, it was an awful place! I would rather go down with you in the doomed ship than go back there."

"If you take my advice you won't do either. ' You will just go and play a game of quoits with the other passengers, and report yourself to me if you feel worse. Come to me when you like. Do not talk to anyone else but me. Pi'omise me that."

"Yes, I promise. I don't want to talk to anyone else. You are my friend." " Very well, it is a bargain. I trust you." He went away pleased with himself and me. • The danger was averted for that time. Yet no sooner had he gone that I began to be doubtful of the wisdom of my action. It would, no doubt, have been better to have locked him up, kit then it would have caused a scandal and a disturbance. I could not have done it alone, and he would certainly have resisted And again, perhaps he was not really mad, only eccentric. It is not the people who own up to it who are the maddest, and again, are we not all of us mad on some point? Probably my unfortunate visitor was not a whit worse than the rest of us, or a bit more worthy of solitary confinement. But after all, my chief difficulty lay with the Company. I knew well how they disliked a row or a disturbance of any kind. Like Ca3sai''s wife, it was necessary that their ships and their captains should be above reproach. No, certainly the man was not mad at the present moment, though he might be near it, and we could surely stave off an attack for a few days, until we reached Sydney, where I conld put him in charge of his relations, and see him off the wharf, when the responsibilities of the Company would end,

So I spoke confidentially to the chief officer, the purser and the head steward, telling them all to keep their eyes open, that our passenger was a little eccentric, and might become dangerous. I gave only a half confidence. I did not dare to say more. They suspected D.T.s, and readily undertook the charge, Then, as a ship's captain is always a little bit of a doctor, I compounded a powerful sedative and administered some on the first opportunity. "It can do no harm, and it may do good," I said. He took it willingly. The rest of that day, the night, and the following day passed without misadventure of any kind. My policy of non-intervention seemed to be justified by the results. I had confided in no one, not even my wife, which was the easier as she was in delicate health, and I had given her my cabin, and taken up my abode in the chart room. My cabin was on deck, just amid-ships, where the vibration is least, and T gave her my bunk, and her sister the sofa. On the second night out— we were then about half way, and the ship bid fair to make a record passage— I was awakened in the middle of my off watch by a light tap at the door, and the words " May I come in ? " The door was not bolted. I was up in a moment, and cried- out " Enter ! " The madman pushed the door and entered. "You told me to come," he said. "Certainly! Come in. You are late, or rather early." The hands of my chronometer pointed to 2 a.m. " I could not sleep. I want some more of that medicine you gave me last night. lam watched. Yes, watched night and day, wherever! go ! 1 hear voices saying 'There goes the madman!'" "Nonsense, my dear sir!" I said soothingly. "You must not fancy such things." By this time I had slipped my feet into a pair of slippers, and drawn a pilot coat over my pyjamas, and felt quite at my ease. " Have you come to ask me to put you under lock and key?" His reply startled me. " Yes, and you'd better be quick about it !

The ship's doomed, but I should like the women to escape." " Oh, you are nervous again ! Sit down while I get the dose. ' He was between me and the door. As I spoke I made a movement to pass him. He did not stir. "What do you want?" he said suspiciously. "You need not go away." "The medicine chest is not here, I am going to fetch it." " Never mind, I'm in no hurry. You mean to slip out and lock me in ! Ha, ha, I have you ! " "Indeed, you are mistaken! But if you are uot in a hurry, neither am I. Sit down and make yourself comfortable." For answer he leaned against the door, and looked at me with an expression entirely foreign to his pleasant features, an expression of malignant animosity that for the moment so distorted his face that it was barely l'ecognisable. A cold terror struck to my heart. There could be no doubt that the man was really mad now, whatever had been the case before. He had warned me, and like a fool I had taken no heed. What was to be done ? I looked steadily at him, eye to eye, and tried to think. The electric bell was beside the door, I could neither touch that nor get out of the room until he moved, I sat on the edge of my cot and faced him squarely. "You are a little upset," I said calmly _ " Pray sit or stand, l'emain or go away, as you please ; but remember I have had a long hard day's work, and am tired. If you have nothing else to say to me, you might as well let me go to sleep again." "You're a d d cool hand, at any rate !" he answered, coming a step nearer, but not near enough to permit of my slipping behind him. " I always knew that. But it doe s not matter whether we go or stay. The end will come just the same." At that moment my ears were conscious of a suppressed noise and movement in the silent ship, the running to and fro of lightly shod feet, a cry of auger, alarm, surprise. Then a quick tapping at my door.

" Captain, Captain ! For God's sako ! Are you there ? " Then a hand was laid on the latch. The door was unlocked, but my visitor loanod against it in such a manner that no one could move it from the outside, and quickly slipping his hand behind him, he secured tho bolt ; and then, with lightning 1 speed, and boforo I could form an idea as to what he was about, he sprang upon mo, and clapped ono hand over my mouth, whilo with tho other ho

gripped me round tho back of the neck. His strength was amazing. I was liku a child in his hands. "Don't speak or move, or I shall kill you!" he hissed. Speak I could not, and the inarticulate noise that I made v/as apparently inaudible Wo struggled in silence. His strength seemed to increase every moment. I vvaa a mere weakling in his grasp. He still kept one hand over my mouth, but he moved the other round towards my chest, against which he pressed with resistless force. His arms, against which my hands were beating, scorned of iron, so tense and firm wore tho muscles. My feet, clad in soft slippers, were practically

useless as weapons of defence. I was completely at his mercy. Slowly, surely he pressed me backwards, down, down among the pillows. My eyes were starting from my head, perspiration exuding from every pore. The lights began to dance, I saw double, treble, and everything swam red with blood. His hand crept from my chest to my throat. I was being strangled. I could see his eyes glare into mine, they were savage and relentless as those of a wild beast; his lips were drawn back from his teeth, which glittered like fangs. I fought madly, desperately, but to no purpose. I thought of my wife, my ship, my passengers, what would become of them all if, after my own death, they were left practically to the mercy of this madman ? The thought was agony; but that agony gave me additional strength. I strained my ears to listen.

Outside the hurried muffled steps went to and fro. The knocking had ceased, and I heard, or fancied that I heard, an anxious consultation : ' Where was the Captain ? ' Oh, if they would only break in the door before it was too late ! If I could only call, attract their attention in some way ; but the grip on mouth and throat never relaxed for a moment, and I was beiug driven steadily backward ; in a moment I should be fiat on my cot, and the pillows piled on my face. I felt by anticipation that, last terrible agony of extinction, the voice of my wife rang in my ears. I heard the men whispering- outside my door, and the thrill of some new horror, some new catastrophe, camo to me and gave me superhuman strength.

I made one last supreme effort. I threw out my arms, my legs. A heavy case of instruments, which was resting at the foot of the cot, fell with a resonant bang. Surely, surely, they would hear that and force the door ! But thevo was a singing in my ears, as if the sea had burst into the Chart Room, and was surging all around. I could hear nothing else. Every sense was swallowed up in physical pain. The blood-red lights danced before my eyes, the white teeth gleamed. The pressure on my throat seemed to increase. The struggle for breath became

agony. Then the surging waves closed over my head, and I sank down — down — into a merciful oblivion. ***** They were standing round me — the mate, the purser, the chief steward. I felt strangely weak and exhausted. " What brings you here ? What does it all mean ? " " Tt means that the ship has been fired, and that you have been attacked by a madman. After the caution that you gave, one of us was nearly always on the watch ; but he was so cunning, he managed to lull all our suspicions. However, some half-hour ago — a little before two o'clock — the steward missed him from his cabin, and told me. We were attracted by a smell of burning in the smoking room, where the hangings proved to be on fire. We had no difficulty in extinguishing the flames, as they had not had time to catch hold. Afterwards we found two other fires, but they, also, were easily put out. Then we came for you. We knocked repeatedly, without receiving any answer. Just as we were about to go away, thinking that you must be elsewhere, I fancied that I caught the sound of a scuffle, but it was so slight that I could not be certain. But when the case of instruments fell, I knew that something must be wrong, so wo broke in the door, and " " Where is he now ? " They looked uneasily from one to the other. "Well, sir, as soon as we burst open the door, he turned sharp round and looked at us. He seemed to be kneeling right on top of you, with his hand on your throat, but when he realised that we had come to your help, he made a bolt for the door, knocking down the purser on the way ; then he rushed across the poop, and gave one spring overboard. We threw in life-belts and lines, and got out the dinghy, but all to no purpose. We've done our best, but I doubt if we'll ever see him again." And we never did. The Company and the relatives hushed up the matter, for above all things it is necessary to keep the passengers happy and amused.