It rose, cleaved the darkness;
its blade flashed across the clouds and illumined the surface of the
sea with a broad blue hand. In this luminous ray stood out the black,
silent ships, hitherto invisible. It seemed as though they had been
waiting at the bottom of the sea, whither they had been dragged by an
irresistible tempest, and that now they arose in obedience to the sword
of fire to which the sea had given birth. They had ascended to
contemplate the sky and all that was above the water. The rigging
clinging to the mast seemed like seaweed that had left the water with
these black giants, covering them with their meshes. Then the
wonderful blue sword again arose in the air, cleaved the night and
descended in a different place. Again, on the spot where it rested,
appeared the skeletons of ships until then invisible.
Tchelkache's boat stopped and rocked on the water as though hesitating.
Gavrilo lay flat on the bottom of the boat, covering his face with his
hands, and Tchelkache prodded him with his oar, hissing furiously, but
quite low.
"Idiot, that's the custom-house cruiser. The electric lantern! Get
up, row with all your might! They'll throw the light upon us! You'll
ruin us, devil, both of us!"
When the sharp edge of the oar had been brought down once more, harder
this time, on Gavrilo's back, he arose and, not daring to open his
eyes, resumed his seat and feeling for the oars, sent the boat ahead.
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