FullReads

“‘He is a fine creature,’ said the Mother Albatross, peeping at the captain from her nest; ‘that is, he would be if he had wings, and could speak properly, instead of making that unmusical jabbering like a monkey.’

“‘I would give a good deal to one of them for a report of the first boat,’ the captain went on. ‘Heaven knows I would be content to die here if I could know that it was safe. But I’m afraid–I’m afraid; oh! dear!’

“And the captain paced up and down, the other consoling him.

“‘He doesn’t seem as tame as one might expect,’ said the Mother Albatross, ‘he’s so restless. But possibly he is hungry.’

“Truly it was a great amusement for the mother bird to watch the strangers from her nest, and to question her mate on their peculiarities.

“‘What is he doing now?’ she asked on one occasion, when the captain was reading a paper which he had taken from the note-book in his pocket.

“‘That is a letter,’ said the Father Albatross. ‘And from the look of it I gather that, like ourselves, he has got a young one somewhere, wherever his nest may be.’

“‘How do you gather that?’ his mate inquired.

“‘Because the writing is so large,’ answered the Father Albatross. ‘It is one of the peculiarities of these creatures that the smaller they are the larger they write. That letter is from a young one; probably his own.’

“‘Very remarkable indeed,’ said the Mother Albatross. ‘And what is he doing now?‘

“‘Now he is writing himself,’ said her mate; ‘and if you observe you will see my statement confirmed. See how much smaller he writes!’

“The captain had indeed torn a sheet from his note-book, and was busy scribbling upon his knees. Whether the sight of papers was a familiar memory with Carlo, or whether he was merely moved by one of those doggish impulses we so little understand, it is impossible to say; but when the captain began to write, Carlo began to wag his tail, and he wagged it without pause or weariness till the captain had finished, keeping his nearest eye half open, and fixed upon the paper and the captain’s moving hand. Once he sat up on his haunches and put his nose on the letter.

“‘That is right, old fellow, kiss it,’ said the captain. ‘I am just telling her about you. Heaven send she may ever read it, poor child!’

“At this Carlo became so frantic, and so persistent in pushing his nose on to the paper, that the captain was fain to pocket his writing materials, and have a game at play with the ‘ship’s dog,’ in which the latter condescendingly joined for a few minutes, and then lay down as before, shutting his eyes with an air which seemed to imply–

“‘I see, poor fellow, you don’t understand me.’

“The hardships endured by this small remnant of the ship’s company were not very great. They managed to live. The weather was fine, and they did not at first trouble themselves about any permanent shelter. Perhaps, too, in spite of their seaman’s knowledge of the position they were in, some dim hope of a ship out of her course as they had been, picking them off, buoyed them up with the fancy that ‘it was not worth while.’ But no ship appeared; and they built themselves a hut near the albatross’s nest, and began to talk of other seasons, and provision for the future. They kept a look-out by turns through the daylight, and by night when the moon and stars made the distance visible. Every morning the sun rising above the sea met the captain’s keen eyes scanning the horizon, and every evening that closed a day’s fruitless watch, the sun’s going down saw the captain’s brown hands clasped together as he said, ‘God’s will be done!’

“So days became weeks, and weeks ripened into months, and Carlo became used to his new home, and happy in it, and kept watch over his master, and took his ease as usual. But the men’s appearance changed, and their clothes began to look shabby. In the first place they were wearing out, and, secondly, they seemed–as we say–to be ‘getting too large’ for them, and to hang loosely and untidily upon their gaunt frames. The captain’s eyes looked larger and sadder, and his voice grew hollow at sunset, and threads of white began to show among his dark curls, and increased in number day by day.