Морской волк

Chapter 4

           Buttheyweresupremelyinterested,foreverylittlewhiletheyardentlytooksides,andsometimesallweretalkingatonce,tilltheirvoicessurgedbackandforthinwavesofsoundlikemimicthunder-rollsintheconfinedspace.Childishandimmaterialasthetopicwas,thequalityoftheirreasoningwasstillmorechildishandimmaterial.Intruth,therewasverylittlereasoningornoneatall.Theirmethodwasoneofassertion,assumption,anddenunciation.Theyprovedthatasealpupcouldswimornotswimatbirthbystatingthepropositionverybellicoselyandthenfollowingitupwithanattackontheopposingman’sjudgment,commonsense,nationality,orpasthistory.Rebuttalwaspreciselysimilar.IhaverelatedthisinordertoshowthementalcalibreofthemenwithwhomIwasthrownincontact.Intellectuallytheywerechildren,inhabitingthephysicalformsofmen.

           Andtheysmoked,incessantlysmoked,usingacoarse,cheap,andoffensive-smellingtobacco.Theairwasthickandmurkywiththesmokeofit;andthis,combinedwiththeviolentmovementoftheshipasshestruggledthroughthestorm,wouldsurelyhavemademesea-sickhadIbeenavictimtothatmalady.Asitwas,itmademequitesqueamish,thoughthisnauseamighthavebeenduetothepainofmylegandexhaustion.

           AsIlaytherethinking,Inaturallydweltuponmyselfandmysituation.Itwasunparalleled,undreamed-of,thatI,HumphreyVanWeyden,ascholarandadilettante,ifyouplease,inthingsartisticandliterary,shouldbelyinghereonaBeringSeaseal-huntingschooner.

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