the storm and what came of it

it was nearly three weeks after their landing that the dawn treader was towed out of narrowhaven harbour. very solemn farewells had been spoken and a great crowd had assembled to see her departure. there had been cheers, and tears too, when caspian made his last speech to the lone islanders and parted from the duke and his family, but as the ship, her purple sail still flapping idly, drew further from the shore, and the sound of caspian's trumpet from the poop came fainter across the water, everyone became silent. then she came into the wind. the sail swelled out, the tug cast off and began rowing back, the first real wave ran up under the dawn treader's prow, and she was a live ship again. the men off duty went below, drinian took the first watch on the poop, and she turned her head eastward round the south of avra.

the next few days were delightful. lucy thought she was the most fortunate girl in the world; as she woke each morning to see the reflections of the sunlit water dancing on the ceiling of her cabin and looked round on all the nice new things she had got in the lone islands - seaboots and buskins and cloaks and jerkins and scarves. and then she would go on deck and take a look from the forecastle at a sea which was a brighter blue each morning and drink in an air that was a little warmer day by day. after that came breakfast and such an appetite as one only has at sea.

she spent a good deal of time sitting on the little bench in the stern playing chess with reepicheep. it was amusing to see him lifting the pieces, which were far too big for him, with both paws and standing on tiptoes if he made a move near the centre of the board. he was a good player and when he remembered what he was doing he usually won. but every now and then lucy won because the mouse did something quite ridiculous like sending a knight into the danger of a queen and castle combined. this happened because he had momentarily forgotten it was a game of chess and was thinking of a real battle and making the knight do what he would certainly have done in its place. for his mind was full of forlorn hopes, death-or-glory charges, and last stands.

but this pleasant time did not last. there came an evening when lucy, gazing idly astern at the long furrow or wake they were leaving behind them, saw a great rack of clouds building itself up in the west with amazing speed.

then a gap was torn in it and a yellow sunset poured through the gap. all the waves behind them seemed to take on unusual shapes and the sea was a drab or yellowish colour like dirty canvas. the air grew cold. the ship seemed to move uneasily as if she felt danger behind he the sail would be flat and limp one minute and wildly the next. while she was noting these things and wondering at a sinister change which had come over the very noise the wind, drinian cried, "all hands on deck." in a moment everyone became frantically busy. the hatches wet battened down, the galley fire was put out, men went aloft to reef the sail. before they had finished the storm struck them. it seemed to lucy that a great valley in the sea opened just before their bows, and they rushed down in it, deeper down than she would have believed possible. a great grey hill of water, far higher than the mast, rushed to meet them; it looked certain death but they were tossed to the top of it. then the ship seemed to spin round. a cataract of water poured over the deck; the poop and forecastle were like two islands with a fierce sea between them. aloft the sailors were lying out along the yard desperate trying to get control of the sail. a broken rope stood out sideways in the wind as straight and stiff as if it was poker.

"get below, ma'am," bawled drinian. and lucy knowing that landsmen - and landswomen - are a nuisance to the crew, began to obey. it was not easy. the dawn treader was listing terribly to starboard and the deck sloped like the roof of a house. she had to clamber round to the top of the ladder, holding on to the rail, and the stand by while two men climbed up it, and then get down as best she could. it was well she was already holding tight for at the foot of the ladder another wave roar across the deck, up to her shoulders. she was already almost wet through with spray and rain but this was colder. then she made a dash for the cabin door and got in and shut out for a moment the appalling sight of the speed with which they were rushing into the dark, but not of course the horrible confusion of creakings, groanings, snappings, clatterings, roarings and boomings which only sounded more alarming below than they had done on the poop.

and all next day and all the next it went on. it went on till one could hardly even remember a time before it had begun. and there always had to be three men at the tiller and it was as much as three could do to keep any kind of a course. and there always had to be men at the pump. and there was hardly any rest for anyone, and nothing could be cooked and nothing could be dried, and one man was lost overboard, and they never saw the sun.

when it was over eustace made the following entry in his diary.

"3 september. the first day for ages when i have been able to write. we had been driven before a hurricane for thirteen days and nights. i know that because i kept a careful count, though the others all say it was only twelve. pleasant to be embarked on a dangerous voyage with people who can't even count right! i have had a ghastly time, up and down enormous waves hour after hour, usually wet to the skin, and not even an attempt at giving us proper meals. needless to say there's no wireless or even a rocket, so no chance of signalling anyone for help. it all proves what i keep on telling them, the madness of setting out in a rotten little tub like this. it would be bad enough even if one was with decent people instead of fiends in human form. caspian and edmund are simply brutal to me. the night we lost our mast (there's only a stump left now), though i was not at all well, they forced me to come on deck and work like a slave. lucy shoved her oar in by saying that reepicheep was longing to go only he was too small. i wonder she doesn't see that everything that little beast does is all for the sake of showing off. even at her age she ought to have that amount of sense. today the beastly boat is level at last and the sun's out and we have all been jawing about what to do. we have food enough, pretty beastly stuff most of it, to last for sixteen days. (the poultry were all washed overboard. even if they hadn't been, the storm would have stopped them laying.) the real trouble is water. two casks seem to have got a leak knocked in them and are empty. (narnian efficiency again.) on short rations, half a pint a day each, we've got enough for twelve days. (there's still lots of rum and wine but even they realize that would only make them thirstier.)

"if we could, of course, the sensible thing would be to turn west at once and make for the lone islands. but it took us eighteen days to get where we are, running like mad with a gale behind us. even if we got an east wind it might take us far longer to get back. and at present there's no sign of an east wind - in fact there's no wind at all. as for rowing back, it would take far too long and caspian says the men couldn't row on half a pint of water a day. i'm pretty sure this is wrong. i tried to explain that perspiration really cools people down, so the men would need less water if they were working. he didn't take any notice of this, which is always his way when he can't think of an answer. the others all voted for going on in the hope of finding land. i felt it my duty to point out that we didn't know there was any land ahead and tried to get them to see the dangers of wishful thinking. instead of producing a better plan they had the cheek to ask me what i proposed. so i just explained coolly and quietly that i had been kidnapped and brought away on this idiotic voyage without my consent, and it was hardly my business to get them out of their scrape.

"4 september. still becalmed. very short rations for dinner and i got less than anyone. caspian is very clever at helping and thinks i don't see! lucy for some reason tried to make up to me by offering me some of hers but that interfering prig edmund wouldn't let her. pretty hot sun. terribly thirsty all evening.

"5 september. still becalmed and very hot. feeling rotten all day and am sure i've got a temperature. of course they haven't the sense to keep a thermometer on board.

"6 september. a horrible day. woke up in the night knowing i was feverish and must have a drink of water. any doctor would have said so. heaven knows i'm the last person to try to get any unfair advantage but i never dreamed that this water-rationing would be meant to apply to a sick man. in fact i would have woken the others up and asked for some only i thought it would be selfish to wake them. so i got up and took my cup and tiptoed out of the black hole we slept in, taking great care not to disturb caspian and edmund, for they've been sleeping badly since the heat and the short water began. i always try to consider others whether they are nice to me or not. i got out all right into the big room, if you can call it a room, where the rowing benches and the luggage are. the thing of water is at this end. all was going beautifully, but before i'd drawn a cupful who should catch me but that little spy reep. i tried to explain that i was going on deck for a breath of air (the business about the water had nothing to do with him) and he asked me why i had a cup. he made such a noise that the whole ship was roused. they treated me scandalously. i asked, as i think anyone would have, why reepicheep was sneaking about the water cask in the middle of the night. he said that as he was too small to be any use on deck, he did sentry over the water every night so that one more man could go to sleep. now comes their rotten unfairness: they all believed him. can you beat it?

"i had to apologize or the dangerous little brute would have been at me with his sword. and then caspian showed up in his true colours as a brutal tyrant and said out loud for everyone to hear that anyone found "stealing" water in future would "get two dozen". i didn't know what this meant till edmund explained to me. it comes in the sort of books those pevensie kids read.

"after this cowardly threat caspian changed his tune and started being patronizing. said he was sorry for me and that everyone felt just as feverish as i did and we must all make the best of it, etc., etc. odious stuck-up prig. stayed in bed all day today.

"7 september. a little wind today but still from the west.

made a few miles eastward with part of the sail, set on what drinian calls the jury-mast-that means the bowsprit set upright and tied (they call it "lashed") to the stump of the real mast. still terribly thirsty.

"8 september. still sailing east. i stay in my bunk all day now and see no one except lucy till the two fiends come to bed. lucy gives me a little of her water ration. she says girls don't get as thirsty as boys. i had often thought this but it ought to be more generally known at sea.

"9 september. land in sight; a very high mountain a long way off to the south-east.

"10 september. the mountain is bigger and clearer but still a long way off. gulls again today for the first time since i don't know how long.

"11 september. caught some fish and had them for dinner. dropped anchor at about 7 p.m. in three fathoms of water in a bay of this mountainous island. that idiot caspian wouldn't let us go ashore because it was getting dark and he was afraid of savages and wild beasts. extra water ration tonight."

what awaited them on this island was going to concern eustace more than anyone else, but it cannot be told in his words because after september 11 he forgot about keeping his diary for a long time.

when morning came, with a low, grey sky but very hot, the adventurers found they were in a bay encircled by such cliffs and crags that it was like a norwegian fjord. in front of them, at the head of the bay, there was some level land heavily overgrown with trees that appeared to be cedars, through which a rapid stream came out. beyond that was a steep ascent ending in a jagged ridge and behind that a vague darkness of mountains which ran into dull-coloured clouds so that you could not see their tops. the nearer cliffs, at each side of the bay, were streaked here and there with lines of white which everyone knew to be waterfalls, though at that distance they did not show any movement or make any noise. indeed the whole place was very silent and the water of the bay as smooth as glass. it reflected every detail of the cliffs. the scene would have been pretty in a picture but was rather oppressive in real life. it was not a country that welcomed visitors.

the whole ship's company went ashore in two boatloads and everyone drank and washed deliciously in the river and had a meal and a rest before caspian sent four men back to keep the ship, and the day's work began. there was everything to be done. the casks must be brought ashore and the faulty ones mended if possible and all refilled; a tree - a pine if they could get it - must be felled and made into a new mast; sails must be repaired; a hunting party organized to shoot any game the land might yield; clothes to be washed and mended; and countless small breakages on board to be set right. for the dawn treader herself - and this was more obvious now that they saw her at a distance - could hardly be recognized as the same gallant ship which had left narrowhaven. she looked a crippled, discoloured hulk which anyone might have taken for a wreck. and her officers and crew were no better - lean, pale, red-eyed from lack of sleep, and dressed in rags.

as eustace lay under a tree and heard all these plans being discussed his heart sank. was there going to be no rest? it looked as if their first day on the longed-for land was going to be quite as hard work as a day at sea. then a delightful idea occurred to him. nobody was looking they were all chattering about their ship as if they actually liked the beastly thing. why shouldn't he simply slip away? he would take a stroll inland, find a cool, airy place up in the mountains, have a good long sleep, and not rejoin the others till the day's work was over. he felt it would do him good. but he would take great care to keep the bay and the ship in sight so as to be sure of his way back. he wouldn't like to be left behind in this country.

he at once put his plan into action. he rose quietly from his place and walked away among the trees, taking care to go slowly and in an aimless manner so that anyone who saw him would think he was merely stretching his legs. he was surprised to find how quickly the noise of conversation died away behind hiin and how very silent and warm and dark green the wood became. soon he felt he could venture on a quicker and more determined stride.

this soon brought him out of the wood. the ground began sloping steeply up in front of him. the grass was dry and slippery but manageable if he used his hands as well as his feet, and though he panted and mopped his forehead a good deal, he plugged away steadily. this showed, by the way, that his new life, little as he suspected it, had already done him some good; the old eustace, harold and alberta's eustace, would have given up the climb after about ten minutes.

slowly, and with several rests, he reached the ridge. here he had expected to have a view into the heart of the island, but the clouds had now come lower and nearer and a sea of fog was rolling to meet him. he sat down and looked back. he was now so high that the bay looked small beneath him and miles of sea were visible. then the fog from the mountains closed in all round him, thick but not cold, and he lay down and turned this way and that to find the most comfortable position to enjoy himself.

but he didn't enjoy himself, or not for very long. he began, almost for the first time in his life, to feel lonely. at first this feeling grew very gradually. and then he began to worry about the time. there was not the slightest sound. suddenly it occurred to him that he might have been lying there for hours. perhaps the others had gone! perhaps they had let him wander away on purpose simply in order to leave him behind! he leaped up in a panic and began the descent.

at first he tried to do it too quickly, slipped on the steep grass, and slid for several feet. then he thought this had carried him too far to the left - and as he came up he had seen precipices on that side. so he clambered up again, as near as he could guess to the place he had started from, and began the descent afresh, bearing to his right. after that things seemed to be going better. he went very cautiously, for he could not see more than a yard ahead, and there was still perfect silence all around him. it is very unpleasant to have to go cautiously when there is a voice inside you saying all the time, "hurry, hurry, hurry." for every moment the terrible idea of being left behind grew stronger. if he had understood caspian and the pevensies at all he would have known, of course, that there was not the least chance of their doing any such thing. but he had persuaded himself that they were all fiends in human form.

"at last!" said eustace as he came slithering down a slide of loose stones (scree, they call it) and found himself on the level. "and now, where are those trees? there is something dark ahead. why, i do believe the fog is clearing."

it was. the light increased every moment and made him blink. the fog lifted. he was in an utterly unknown valley and the sea was nowhere in sight.

5、风暴和余波

他们登陆了将近三星期，黎明踏浪号才给拖出了狭港港口。大家说了非常隆重的告别辞，大群人围着送行。

凯斯宾向孤独群岛岛民发表告别讲话，跟公爵和他全家分手时大家又是欢呼，又是掉泪，但等这条船启碇，紫红色的风帆依然懒懒地飘动，船给拖得离岸越来越远，船尾楼上凯斯宾的号声隔着海面传来，越来越弱，这时大家都默不作声。接着船遇上风了。风帆鼓了出来，拖船解缆，划回去了。黎明踏浪号的船头下初次涌起了真正的海浪，顿时又成了一艘生气勃勃的船。不值班的水手都下舱去了，德里宁在船尾楼值第一班，把船头掉向东，绕过阿芙拉岛南面驶去。

接着几天过得很愉快。露茜认为自己是天下最幸运的女孩。她每天一早醒来，就看见水面阳光的倒影在天花板上荡漾，环顾四周都是她在孤独群岛上得到的精美的新东西——高统防水靴、半统靴、披风、皮夹克和披巾。于是她就走上甲板，在船首楼上眺望大海，每天早上碧蓝的海面都是一片灿烂，她呼吸到的空气一天比一天暖和。然后就吃早餐，这么好的胃口只有在海上旅行的人才有。

她有好多时间坐在船尾的小凳上，同雷佩契普下棋。棋子太大，它拿不动，如果它要把棋子走到棋盘中间，就两爪举着棋子，踞起脚尖，瞧那模样真逗。它棋艺不错，当它记住自己是在下棋时，往往取胜。不过露茜偶尔也取胜，因为老鼠下了几着可笑的棋子，把马送到由车1护驾的王后面前。发生这种事是因为它一时忘了自己是在下棋，想起了真正的打仗，就按战场上骑士应该采取的行动做了。因为它满脑想的都是绝望、死亡或光荣的冲锋陷阵和死守阵地。

不过这种快乐时光不长。有天傍晚，露茜懒洋洋地在船尾盯着船身开过时海面留下的深沟(又称尾波)，看见西边一大片浮云速度惊人地越积越厚。于是云层间裂了一个口子，黄澄澄的夕阳穿过云层豁口，喷射而出。船后的波涛奇形怪状，海面一片淡褐，一片土黄，像肮脏的风帆。空气转冷了。船身似乎动荡不安，仿佛感觉到船后面有危险。船帆一会儿瘪掉，绵软无力，一会儿又鼓得满满的。她正在注意这些情况，对风声中传来的不祥的变化感到纳闷，德里宁就大声喊叫了"全体船员准备。"一会儿人人都忙得没命。舱口盖钉上扣板封死了，厨房里的火也灭了，水手爬到桅杆高处去收缩帆篷。他们还没完事，风暴就袭击他们了。露茜似乎觉得海就在他们船头前开出一个大峡谷，他们就一头扎进去，深得出乎她意料。一个灰压压大山似的海浪，远比枪杆还要高，迎面涌来;看来准是死路一条了，不料船身却被抛到浪峰顶上。这时船身似乎打转了。一阵瀑布似的海水泻在甲板上;船首楼和船尾楼像两个孤岛，当中隔着一片汹涌的大海。桅杆高处的水手把身子躺在帆桁上，拼命想稳住船帆。一根绷断的缆绳从斜里挺出，在风中像根拨火棍一样又直又硬。

1在国际象棋中马的英文名称为knight，此字原义是骑士;车的英文名称为castle，原义是城堡，所以下文说雷佩契普把象棋中的"马"同战场上的"骑士"混为一谈了。

"下面去，女王陛下。"德里宁吼道。露茜知道陆地上的人，无论男女，对水于来说是一大麻烦，所以听从了。可这不容易办到。黎明踏浪号向右舷倾斜得很厉害，甲板像屋顶般倾斜。她只得四处爬着，爬到梯子上边，一把抓住栏杆，这时有两个水手爬上梯子，她就站在一边，然后尽快爬下梯子。幸好第二个浪头呼啸着打过甲板，漫到她肩膀时，她已经在梯脚处紧紧抓住了。虽然她早已给浪花和暴雨打得几乎浑身透湿，但是这个浪头更凉。后来她就奔向舱门，走了进去，把飞快冲进黑暗里的大浪那吓人景象挡在门外片刻，但是当然挡不住一片可怕的混乱声，在下面，这片吱吱嘎嘎、哼哼唧唧、噼噼啪啪、咔嗒咔嗒、呼噜呼噜、轰隆轰隆的大合唱，反而比在船尾楼上听上去更惊心动魄。

第二天，第三天，接连好几天都是整天这样闹下去，闹得你简直记不住闹了几天啦。船上掌舵一直得有三个人，有三个人才能保持一种航向。而且一直得有人用水泵抽水。大家简直都没法休息，没东西好煮，没东西好烘，一个水手落水失踪了，大家一点也看不见太阳。

等到风暴过后，尤斯塔斯才在日记中记下这么几条:

九月三日多天来我头一天能写字。我们顺着十二级大风开船，足足有十三个昼夜。我知道日子，因为我有本细账，虽然大家都说只有十二个昼夜。上船跟一批连数字都数不准的人一起冒着危险航海可真妙！我吃了不少苦头，连续几小时在巨浪上颠簸，往往浑身湿透，连好好吃顿热饭都休想。更不用说没有无线电报，连火箭都没有，所以没有向任何船只发信号求救的机会。这一切都证明我不断告诫他们的话一点不错，乘坐这么一条小破船出海真是发疯。即使是跟正人君子出海，不是跟披着人皮的恶鬼出海也够糟的了。凯斯宾和爱德蒙对我真粗暴极了。我们桅杆折断的那天晚上(现在只剩下一个木头板子了)，虽然我身体根本不行，他们还是逼我上甲板，像奴隶似的干活。露茜还多管闲事说雷佩契普正巴不得去干活呢，只是它个子大小了。我感到奇怪，她竟看不出那小畜生的所作所为都是为了显露自己。即使她那样的年纪也应当有那么多的心眼。今天这条该死的船终于平稳了，太阳出来了，我们一直都在扯着该干些什么。我们的粮食还够吃十六天，大部分都是相当难吃的东西。(家禽都给冲下海去了。即使没落水，风暴这一刮也会使它们不下蛋的。)真正麻烦的是淡水。两个水桶看来给撞了道裂缝，水都流光了。(又是纳尼亚人办事的效率。)配给量缩减，每天只有半品脱，我们的水只够喝十二天。甜酒和葡萄酒倒是还有不少，不过连他们都知道酒可越喝越渴。

如果可能，最明智的办法当然是马上掉头往西，开往孤独群岛去。不过开到这里已经十八天了，后面又有大风推送，船开得像发疯。即使我们遇上东风，要开回去也要花更长的时间——事实上，根本没有风。至于划桨回去吧，花的时间就更长了，凯斯宾说水手一天喝半品脱水划不动桨。这话肯定不对。我竭力解释，出汗真正能降低体温，所以如果水手在工作，需要的水就不多。他一点也不理会这话，碰到他想不出话来回答总是这样。其他人都一致赞成继续向前开，盼望能找到陆地。我感到自己有责任指出，我们并不知道前面有没有什么陆地，我竭力让他们明白一相情愿的危险。他们不但不提出一个更好的计划，反而厚着脸皮问我有何见教。于是我非常冷静沉着地说明，我是给拐骗来的，未经我同意就给带上船来做这次白痴的航行，所以帮他们摆脱困境跟我也没多大关系。

九月四日依然风平浪静。午饭配给量很少，我比谁都分得少。凯斯宾在分菜时很精明，以为我看不出！不知什么原因露茜竟想把她的份额分点给我，可是那个多管闲事的讨庆鬼爱德蒙偏不让她分。太阳真毒辣。整个晚上口渴难忍。

九月五日依然风平浪静，天很热。全天感到身体很难受，肯定有热度。他们当然不懂得在船上备一个体温表。:

九月六日可怕的一天。夜里醒来，明知身体发烧，必须喝水。任何医生都会这么说。天知道，我这人最不会设法去占任何非法的便直，不过我做梦也决没想到配给水的规定竟对病人也适用。其实我原来可以叫醒别人，要点水喝，只是我想吵醒人家未免自私。所以我就起身，拿了我的杯子，距着脚尖走出我们睡觉的黑洞，小心翼翼，不要打扰凯斯宾和爱德蒙，因为他们自从天热和缺水以来，一直睡不好。不管人家对我是好是坏，我总是尽量为别人着想。我顺利走进那大房间，如果你能把它称做房间的话，那儿都是划桨坐的长凳和行李。水那东西就在这一头。一切都顺顺当当，可是我还没斟满一杯，就被逮住了，要不是碰上那小探子雷普可没人抓我。我想法解释说我上甲板去吸吸新鲜空气(水的问题管它屁事)，它却问我拿个杯子干吗。它大声吵闹，吵得全船的人都醒了。他们待我那态度令人反感之极。我问，为什么雷佩契普半夜三更偷偷摸到水桶那儿，我想任何人都会这样问的。它说，因为它个子大小，甲板上派不了用处，它就每夜值班看水，这样就可以多一个人去睡觉。瞧，他们那套混账的不公平做法又来了:他们全都相信它，真是岂有此理！/

我只得赔礼道歉，不然险恶的小畜生又要拿剑对着我了。这时凯斯宾露出他蛮横暴君的真面目，大声说给每个人听，说将来凡是发现有人"偷"水，就"罚两打"。爱德蒙跟我解释了我才明白这话是什么意思。原来这话是出于佩文西家孩子看的那种书里的。

凯斯宾这样虚张声势地威胁一通后，又改变语调，俨然以恩人自居，说他对我是爱莫能助，因为人人都跟我一样感到发烧，我们大家都必须尽力克服等等等等。装腔作势、自以为是的讨厌鬼。今天全天赖在床上。8

九月七日今天有点风，不过仍然是西风。靠支在德里宁所谓的应急桅杆上的部分船帆向东行驶了几英里就是将第一斜桅竖直，绑(他们称做”捆”)在真正桅杆的板子上。仍感到口渴难忍。

九月八日依然向东行驶。现在我整天待在铺位上，除了露茜，什么人都看不见，直到两个恶鬼上铺睡觉。露茜给我一些她的配给水。她说女孩不像男孩那样口渴。我常想着这点，可是这点应当让航海的人普遍知道。(

九月九日看见陆地了。东南方向远处有一座很高的大山。

九月十日山越来越大，越来越清晰，可是仍隔着很长一段路程。不知多久没见海鸥了，今天第一次又见到。

九月十一日捕到些鱼做中饭。晚上七点在这山岛一个海湾三英寻深的水里抛锚。凯斯宾那个白痴不让我们上岸，因为天黑了，他怕野人和野兽。今晚额外配给水。

在这岛上等待他们的将关系到尤斯塔斯的命运，这关系比对任何人都重大，可是这些事不能用他自己的话来交代，因为九月十一日以后，他有很长一段时期忘了记日记了。

到了早上，天空低垂灰沉，但很热，这些探险的人只见自己身在一个周围都是断岩峭壁的海湾，很像挪威海岸的峡湾。在他们面前，海湾滩头上有些平地，密密麻麻长满树木，看上去是雪松，林间流出一条激流。激流那头是个陡峭的山坡，坡顶是巉岩林立的山脊，后面是莽莽苍苍的群山，耸立在黑沉沉的云堆中，所以看不见山顶。海湾每一边近一点的峭壁，都有一道道白练，大家都知道这是瀑布，虽然隔

着那么段距离不见动静，也听不见什么响声。整个地方确实非常幽静，海湾水面平滑如镜，巨细无遗地倒映出峭壁来。这景色在画面里虽然很好看，可是在实际生活中却相当压抑。这里不是个欢迎外人的地方。

全船人分坐两条小船上岸，人人都到河里喝水，美美洗了个澡，还吃了顿饭，休息了一下，凯斯宾才派四个人回去照管大船，白天的工作就开始了。要做的工作千头万绪。水桶必须搬上岸来，损坏的能修则修，全得灌满;必须砍下一棵树——找得到松树最好——一再做成一根新枪杆;船帆必须修理;组织一支持猎队去打猎，岛上出产什么野物就打什么野物，衣物必须洗洗补补;船上无数破损的地方都得修好。因为乍一看简直认不出黎明踏浪号就是离开狭港时那艘雄伟的大船了，这回他们在远处看去更加明显。这条船看来像条开动不了、污染褪色的废船，任何人都会把它当成一堆破烂。船员上上下下都好不了多少——骨瘦如柴，脸色苍白，缺少睡眠，眼睛熬得通红，衣服破破烂烂。

尤斯塔斯正躺在树下，听到大家在讨论这一切计划，心不由沉了下来。难道回头不休息了吗？看样子他们到达盼望已久的陆地的头一天就打算像在海上一样干一天苦活。这时他计上心头。没人看着他——一他们都七嘴八舌在扯船的事，仿佛他们真的喜欢这种讨厌事似的。他何不干脆溜掉呢？他不妨到内陆溜达溜达，在山上找一个凉快的地方，好好睡上一觉，等到大家干完一天的活才去找他们。他觉得这样对他大有好处。不过他要好好留神，待在看得见海湾和船的地方，这样就可以确定回来的路线。他才不愿意流落在这种地方呢。

他当即实施自己这条妙计。悄悄起身，在树丛间走掉，一边小心慢慢走，装做漫无目标的模样，这样任何人看见他都会当他只是在散步而已。没想到一下子身后的说话声就消失了，林子里变得非常幽静、温暖，一片深绿。不久他就感到自己可以把步子跨得快些、果断些了。

他三脚两步一下子就走出树林。眼前的地面开始成了陡峭的斜坡。野草干燥而溜滑，要是手脚并用倒还能凑合，虽然他气喘吁吁，拼命擦脑门的汗水，但还是不断拼命爬着。顺便说一句，尽管他自己不大觉察到，这表明他的新生活已经对他有些好处了;过去的尤斯塔斯可是爹娘的宝贝，爬上十分钟早就罢手了。

歇了几回，他慢慢爬上山脊。他原以为在这儿可以看看岛屿中心，谁知云层越来越低，越来越近，一片雾海迎面滚滚而来。他坐下，回头看看。现在他爬得那么高，下面的海湾看上去很小，还看得见好几英里长的海面。随后山上的迷雾从四面八方向他逼近)。浓虽浓，倒还不冷，他索性躺下，这里翻翻，那里翻翻，以便找个最舒服的姿势享受一下。

可是他并没享受到，或者说没享受多久。他就开始感到孤独了，这几乎是他生平头一回感到孤独。开头这股感觉是一步步来的。接着他开始担心时间。一点声音都听不到。他忽然一下子想到他可能已经躺了好几个小时了。也许其他人早走了！也许他们存心让他走开，干脆就为了把他扔下|他慌慌张张跳起来，开始爬下山去。

开头他操之过急，在陡峭的草坡上滑倒了，而且滑了好几步。接着他觉得这一滑太偏向左面了——一因为他爬上山时看见过那一面有悬崖。所以他重新爬上去，尽量靠近他猜想中的原先出发的地方，

再重新开始下山，靠右边走。后来似乎顺利些了。他非常谨慎地爬着，因为前面一码以外的地方就什么也看不见，而且四下依然一片死寂。如果内心一直有个声音在催着说，"赶快，赶快，赶快"，却不得不谨慎行事，这是很不舒服的。因为被抛弃的可怕念头时时刻刻都在，而且变得越来越强烈。假如他真了解凯斯宾和佩文西兄妹的话，他当然就会知道他们是决不会做任何这类事的。不过他心里却在说服自己，他们都是披着人皮的恶鬼。

"终于到了！"尤斯塔斯顺着一条石子松散的滑坡(他们称作碎石堆)滑下去，不觉落到平地上，不由说。"唉，那些树到哪儿去了？前面有些黑糊糊的。啊，我相信雾在散了。

果然如此，光线越来越亮，亮得他直眨眼睛。雾消失了。

他落在一个完全不知所在的山谷里，根本看不见大海。