Like a flash there came over me an understanding of Cole’s apathy and inexplicable stupidity during the last few days. His mind had evidently been going then; now after the horrors of the night, it was completely gone!
That terrible laughter must not continue. With my whole crew near the breaking point, a little more of that insane shrieking in the storm and I would have only a boat-load of lunatics to depend on, if indeed I did not soon become one myself. I dragged aft a bit, took Cole gently by the hand.
“Come on, Jack,” I said kindly, “let’s go forward where we can see the waves better and I can help you watch them.”
Jack stopped laughing, looked blankly at me, but offered no resistance and together we dragged our frozen legs over the thwarts to the bow. There, smiling happily, Jack started laughing again as a terrific sea broke dead on our stem, nearly drowning me in foaming water.
In the midst of that insane cackle, I grabbed Cole suddenly by both shoulders, pushed him heavily down beneath the thwart and shoved him in under the canvas-covered forecastle forward of our mast, where at least the canvas would muffle that ghastly laugh.
“Take a nap now, old fellow,” I said soothingly as possible. “You’re tired!”
“Shure an’ I am that,” mumbled Cole from beneath the canvas. “But ye’ll not be fergittin’ to call me agin soon so’s we kin watch thim waves?”
“No, Jack, I won’t,” I promised. “Just as soon as you’re rested.”
Without another word, Jack, half covered with the icy water sloshing about in the bilges, went dead to the world, and I, turning wanly from the gale, sagged back against the mast, staring at the haggard men in the boat abaft me bailing, bailing, while the never-ending waves foamed up and broke sickeningly over our bow.