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the lost continent(消失的大陆)-第5部分

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cross thirty with impunity; and doubtless they would return to be heroes at 

home; but how different the home… coming of their commanding officer! 

     The wind had dropped to a steady blow; still from west by north; and 

the sea had gone down correspondingly。              The crew; with the exception of 

those   whose   duties   kept   them   below;   were   ranged   on   deck   below   the 

bridge。     When our position was definitely fixed I personally announced it 

to the eager; waiting men。 

     〃Men;〃 I said; stepping forward to the handrail and looking down into 

their upturned; bronzed faces; 〃you are anxiously awaiting information as 

to   the   ship's   position。 It   has   been   determined   at   latitude   fifty   degrees 

seven minutes north; longitude twenty degrees sixteen minutes west。〃 

     I paused and a buzz of animated comment ran through the massed men 

beneath      me。     〃Beyond       thirty。   But     there   will   be   no    change    in 

commanding         officers;  in  routine   or  in  discipline;    until  after  we   have 

docked again in New York。〃 

     As I ceased speaking and stepped back from the rail there was a roar 

of applause from the deck such as I never before had heard aboard a ship 

of peace。     It recalled to my mind tales that I had read of the good old days 

when naval vessels were built to fight; when ships of peace had been man… 

of…war; and guns had flashed in other than futile target practice; and decks 

had run red with blood。 

     With the subsistence of the sea; we were able to go to work upon the 

damaged   engines   to   some   effect;   and   I   also   set   men   to   examining   the 

gravitation…screen generators with a view to putting them in working order 

should it prove not beyond our resources。 

     For two weeks we labored at the engines; which indisputably showed 

evidence      of   having    been    tampered     with。    I   appointed     a   board    to 

investigate   and   report   upon   the   disaster。    But   it   accomplished   nothing 

other   than   to   convince   me   that   there   were   several   officers   upon   it   who 



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were   in   full   sympathy   with   Johnson;   for;   though   no   charges   had   been 

preferred     against    him;   the  board    went    out   of  its  way   specifically    to 

exonerate him in its findings。 

     All this time we were drifting almost due east。                The work upon the 

engines had progressed to such an extent that within a few hours we might 

expect     to  be  able   to  proceed     under   our   own    power     westward     in  the 

direction of Pan… American waters。 

     To relieve the monotony I had taken to fishing; and early that morning 

I   had   departed    from    the   Coldwater     in  one    of  the  boats    on   such   an 

excursion。      A gentle west wind was blowing。 The sea shimmered in the 

sunlight。     A cloudless sky canopied the west for our sport; as I had made 

it a point never voluntarily to make an inch toward the east that I could 

avoid。     At   least;   they   should   not   be   able   to   charge   me   with   a   willful 

violation of the dead lines regulation。 

     I had with me only the boat's ordinary complement of men three in 

all;   and   more   than   enough   to   handle   any   small   power   boat。    I   had   not 

asked any of my officers to accompany me; as I wished to be alone; and 

very glad am I now that I had not。           My only regret is that; in view of what 

befell   us;   it   had   been   necessary   to   bring   the   three   brave   fellows   who 

manned the boat。 

     Our fishing; which proved excellent; carried us so far to the west that 

we  no   longer   could   see  the   Coldwater。      The   day  wore   on;   until   at   last; 

about mid…afternoon; I gave the order to return to the ship。 

     We had proceeded but a short distance toward the east when one of the 

men     gave    an   exclamation      of  excitement;     at  the   same    time   pointing 

eastward。      We all looked on in the direction he had indicated; and there; a 

short   distance   above   the   horizon;   we   saw   the   outlines   of   the   Coldwater 

silhouetted against the sky。 

     〃They've repaired the engines and the generators both;〃 exclaimed one 

of the men。 

     It   seemed   impossible;   but   yet   it   had   evidently   been   done。   Only   that 

morning; Lieutenant Johnson had told me that he feared that it would be 

impossible to repair the generators。 I had put him in charge of this work; 

since he always had been accounted one of the best gravitation…screen men 



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in   the   navy。    He    had   invented     several   of   the  improvements        that  are 

incorporated in the later models of these generators; and I am convinced 

that    he  knows     more    concerning      both   the   theory    and   the   practice   of 

screening gravitation than any living Pan…American。 

     At the sight of the Coldwater once more under control; the three men 

burst   into   a   glad   cheer。  But;   for   some   reason   which   I   could   not   then 

account;      I  was    strangely     overcome       by   a   premonition      of   personal 

misfortune。       It   was   not   that   I   now   anticipated   an   early   return   to   Pan… 

America   and   a   board   of   inquiry;   for   I   had   rather   looked   forward   to   the 

fight    that   must    follow    my    return。    No;     there   was    something      else; 

something indefinable and vague that cast a strange gloom upon me as I 

saw   my   ship   rising   farther   above   the   water   and   making   straight   in   our 

direction。 

     I was not long in ascertaining a possible explanation of my depression; 

for; though we were plainly visible from the bridge of the aero…submarine 

and   to   the   hundreds     of   men   who   swarmed       her   deck;   the   ship  passed 

directly above us; not five hundred feet from the water; and sped directly 

westward。 

     We all shouted; and I fired my pistol to attract their attention; though I 

knew full well that all who cared to had observed us; but the ship moved 

steadily  away;  growing  smaller   and   smaller to our   view  until   at last   she 

passed completely out of sight。 



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       What could it mean?         I had left Alvarez in command。            He was my 

most loyal subordinate。         It was absolutely beyond the pale of possibility 

that Alvarez   should   desert   me。      No;   there   was   some   other   explanation。 

Something       occurred    to  place   my    second    officer;  Porfirio   Johnson;     in 

command。         I   was    sure   of  it  but   why    speculate?     The     futility  of 

conjecture was only too palpable。            The Coldwater had abandoned us in 

midocean。       Doubtless none of us would survive to know why。 

     The   young   man   at   the   wheel   of   the   power boat   had turned  her   nose 

about as it became evident that the ship intended passing over us; and now 

he still held her in futile pursuit of the Coldwater。 

     〃Bring   her   about;   Snider;〃   I   directed;   〃and   hold   her   due   east。 We 

can't   catch   the   Coldwater;   and   we   can't   cross   the Atlantic   in   this。 Our 

only hope lies in making the nearest land; which; unless I am mistaken; is 

the   Scilly   Islands;   off   the   southwest   coast   of   England。  Ever   heard   of 

England; Snider?〃 

     〃There's a part of the United States of North America that used to be 

known to the ancients as New England;〃 he replied。                  〃Is that where you 

mean; sir?〃 

     〃No; Snider;〃 I replied。       〃The England I refer to was an island off the 

continent   of   Europe。     It   was   the   seat   of   a   very   powerful   kingdom   that 

flourished   over   two   hundred   years   ago。     A  part   of   the   United   States   of 

North America and all of the Federated States of Canada once belonged to 

this ancient England。〃 

     〃Europe;〃   breathed   one of   the   men;  his   voice   tense   with   excitement。 

〃My grandfather used to tell me stories of the world beyond thirty。                    He 

had been a great student; and he had read much from forbidden books。〃 

     〃In which I resemble your grandfather;〃 I said; 〃for I; too; have read 

more even than naval officers are supposed to read; and; as you men know; 

we are permitted a greater latitude 
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