Latest / The H. G. Wells Library / The Island of Doctor Moreau Chapter 3 - The Strange Face

Transcript

The Island of Doctor Moreau Chapter 3 - The Strange Face · The H. G. Wells Library

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Section four of the Island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Wells.
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Read by
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: Tom Hare three. The Strange Face. We left the cabin
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: and found a man at the campion, obstructing our way.
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: He was standing on the ladder with his back to us,
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: peering over the combing of the hatchway he was. I
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: could see an a shapen man, short, broad and clumsy,
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: with a crooked back, a hairy neck, and a head
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: sunk between his shoulders. He was dressed in dark blue
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: surge and had peculiarly thick, coarse black hair. I heard
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: the unseen dogs growl furiously and forthwith. He ducked back,
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: coming into contact with the hand I put out to
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: find him. Off from myself. He turned with animal swiftness
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: in some indefinable way. The black face thus flashed upon
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: me shocked me profoundly. It was a singularly deformed one.
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: The facial part projected forming something dimly suggestive of a muzzle,
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: and the huge half open mouth showed as big white
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: teeth as I had ever seen in a human mouth.
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: His eyes were blood shot at the edges, with scarcely
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: a rim of white round the hazel pupils. There was
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: a curious glow of excitement in his face. Confound you,
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: said Montgomery, Why the devil don't you get out of
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: the way. The black faced man started aside without a word.
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: I went on up the companion, staring at him instinctively
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: as I did so. Montgomery stayed at the foot for
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: a moment. You have no bithness here, you know, he said,
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: in a deliberate tone. Your place is forward. The black
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: faced man cowered, nay, won't have me forward. He spoke slowly,
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: with a queer, hoarse quality in his voice. Won't have
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: you forward, said Montgomery, in a menacing tone. But I
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: tell you to go. He was on the brink of
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: saying something further, then looked up at me suddenly, and
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: followed me up the ladder. I paused half way through
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: the hatchway, looking back, still astonished beyond measure at the
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: grotesque ugliness of this black faced creature. I had never
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: beheld such a repulse of an extraordinary face before. And yet,
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: if the contradiction is credible, I experienced at the same
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: time an odd feeling that in some way I had
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: already encountered exactly the features and gestures that now amazed me. Afterwards,
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: it occurred to me that probably I had seen him
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: as I was lifted aboard, and yet that scarcely satisfied
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: my suspicion of a previous acquaintance. Yet, how one could
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: have set eyes on so singular a face and yet
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: have forgotten the precise occasion passed my imagination. Montgomery's movement
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: to follow me released my attention, and I turned and
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: looked about me at the flushed deck of the little schooner.
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: I was already half prepared by the sounds I had
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: heard for what I saw, Certainly, I never beheld a
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: deck so dirty. It was littered with scraps of carrot,
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: shreds of green stuff, and indescribable filth. Fastened by chains
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: to the mainmast were a number of grisly staghounds, who
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: now began leaping and barking at me. And by the mizzen,
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: a huge puma was cramped in a little iron cage,
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: far too small even to give a turning room. Farther
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: under the starboard bulwark were some big hutches containing a
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: number of rabbits, and a solitary lama was squeezed in
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: a mere box of a cage. Forward. The dogs were
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: muzzled by leather straps. The only human being on deck
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: was a gaunt and silent sailor at the wheel. The
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: patched and dirty spankers were tense before the wind and
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: up aloft. The little ship seemed carrying every sail she had.
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: The sky was clear, the sun midway down the western sky.
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: Long waves capped by the breeze with froth were running
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: with us. We went past the steersman to the taffrail
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: and saw the water come foaming under the stern, and
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: the bubbles go dancing and vanishing in her wake. I
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: turned and surveyed the unsavory length of the ship. Is
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: this an ocean menagerie? Said? I look like it? Said Montgomery.
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: What are these beasts for merchandise? Curios? Does the captain
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: think he is going to sell them somewhere in the
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: south seas? It looked like it, dothn't it, said Montgomery,
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: and turned towards the wake again. Suddenly we heard a
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: yelp and a volley of furious blasphemy from the companion Hatchway,
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: and the deformed man with the black face came up hurriedly.
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: He was immediately followed by a heavy, red haired man
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: in a white cap. At the sight of the former,
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: the staghounds, who had all tired of barking at me
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: by this time, became furiously excited, howling and leaping against
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: their chains. The black hesitated before them, and this gave
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: the red haired man time to come up with him
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: and deliver a tremendous blow between the shoulder blades. The
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: poor devil went down like a felled ox, and rolled
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: in the dirt among the furiously excited dogs. It was
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: lucky for him that they were muzzled. The red haired
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: man gave a yop of exultation and stood staggering and
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: as it seemed to me in serious danger of either
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: going backwards down the companion hatchway, or forwards upon his victim.
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: So soon as the second man had appeared, Montgomery had
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: started forward study on there he cried in a tone
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: of remonstrance. A couple of sailors appeared on the forecastle.
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: The black faced man, howling in a singular voice, rolled
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: about under the feet of the dogs. No one attempted
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: to help him. The brutes did their best to worry
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: him butting their muzzles at him. There was a quick
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: dance of their lithe gray figured bodies over the clumsy,
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: prostrate figure. The sailors forward shouted as though it was
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: admirable sport. Montgomery gave an angry exclamation and went striding
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: down the deck, and I followed him. The black faced
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: man scrambled up and staggered forward, going and leaning over
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: the bulwark by the main shrouds, where he remained panting
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: and glaring over his shoulders at the dogs the red
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: haired man and laughed a satisfied laugh. Look here, captain,
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: said Montgomery, with his lisp a little accentuated, gripping the
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: elbows of the red haired man. This won't do. I
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: stood behind Montgomery. The captain came half round and regarded
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: him with the dull and solemn eyes of a drunken man.
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: Wah won't do, he said, and added, after looking sleepily
• 7:28
  Speaker 1: into Montgomery's face for a minute, blast it's sore bones.
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: With a sudden movement, he shook his arms free, and
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: after two ineffectual attempts, stuck his freckled fists into his
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: side pockets. That man's, the passenger, said Montgomery. I'd advise
• 7:49
  Speaker 1: you to keep your hands off him. Go do well,
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: said the captain loudly. He suddenly turned and staggered towards
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: the side. Do what I like on my own ship,
• 8:03
  Speaker 1: he said. I think Montgomery might have left him then,
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: seeing the brute was drunk, but he only turned a
• 8:11
  Speaker 1: shade paler and followed the captain to the bulwarks. Look
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: you here, captain, he said. That man of mine is
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: not to be ill treated. He hath been heaved ever thinth.
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: He came aboard for a minute. Alcoholic fumes kept the
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: captain speechless. Blasted all bones was all he considered necessary.
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: I could see that Montgomery had one of those slow,
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: pertinacious tempers that were warm day after day to a
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: white heat, and never again cool to forgiveness. And I
• 8:49
  Speaker 1: saw too that this quarrel had been some time growing.
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: The man's drunk, said I perhaps officiously, it'll do no good.
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: Montgomery gave an ugly twist to his drooping lip. He's
• 9:05
  Speaker 1: always drunk. Do you think that excludeth his a thaulting
• 9:10
  Speaker 1: his passengers? My ship began the captain, waving his hand
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: unsteadily towards the cages. Was a clean ship. Look at
• 9:22
  Speaker 1: it now. It was certainly anything but clean. Crew, continued
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: the captain, clean, respectable crew. You agreed to take the beasts.
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: I wish I'd never set eyes on your infernal island.
• 9:42
  Speaker 1: What the devil want beasts for on an island like that?
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: Then that man of yours understood. He was a man.
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: He's a lunatic, and he hadn't no business aft. D'ye
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: think the whole damned ship belongs to ya? Your theilith
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: began to haythe the poor devil ethunith he came aboard.
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: That's just what he is. He's a devil, an ugly devil.
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: My men can't stand him. I can't stand him. None
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: of us can stand him, nor you either. Montgomery turned away.
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: You leave that man alone, anyhow, he said, nodding his
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: head as he spoke. But the captain meant to quarrel now,
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: he raised his voice. If he comes this end of
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: the ship again, I'll cut his insides out. I tell you,
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: cut out his blasted insides. Who are you to tell
• 10:46
  Speaker 1: me what I'm to do? I tell you, and the
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: captain of this ship, captain and owner, I'm the law here.
• 10:53
  Speaker 1: I tell you the law and the prophets, I bargain
• 10:58
  Speaker 1: to take a man and is attack indents to and
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: from Erika and bring back some animals. I never bargained
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: to carry a mad devil and a silly saw bones
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: bab well, never mind what he called Montgomery. I saw
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: the latter take a step forward and interposed. He's drunk,
• 11:19
  Speaker 1: said I. The captain began some abuse, even fouler than
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: the last. Shut up, I said, turning on him sharply,
• 11:28
  Speaker 1: for I had seen danger in Montgomery's white face. With that,
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: I brought the downpour on myself. However, I was glad
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: to avert what was uncommonly near a scuffle, even at
• 11:42
  Speaker 1: the price of the captain's drunken ill will. I do
• 11:46
  Speaker 1: not think I have ever heard quite so much vile
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: language come in a continuous stream from any man's lips before.
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: Though I have frequented eccentric company enough, I found some
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: of it hard to endure, though I am a mild
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: tempered man. But certainly when I told the captain to
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: shut up, I had forgotten that I was merely a
• 12:09
  Speaker 1: bit of human flotsam, cut off from my resources, and
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: with by fare unpaid, a mere casual dependent on the
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: bounty or speculative enterprise of the ship. He reminded me
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: of it with considerable vigor, but at any rate I
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: prevented a fight. End of Section four.