1. A FIGHT WITH A CANNON
By VICTOR HUGO
THE WORLD'S 100 BEST SHORTSTORIES
Volume One:ADVENTURE- Funk& WagnallsCompany
NewYork ANDLondon - 1927
La Vieuville wassuddenlycutshortby a cry of despair,andat the same time a noise washeardwholly
unlike anyothersound.The cry andsoundscame fromwithinthe vessel. The captainandlieutenant
rushedtowardthe gun-deck,butcouldnotget down.All the gunnerswere pouringupindismay.
Somethingterrible hadjusthappened.
One of the carronadesof the battery,a twenty-fourpounder,hadbrokenloose.
Thisis the mostdangerousaccidentthatcan possiblytake place onshipboard.Nothingmore terrible
can happento a sloopof war in openseaandunderfull sail.
A cannonthat breaksitsmooringssuddenlybecomessome strange,supernatural beast.Itisa machine
transformedintoamonster.That shortmass on wheelsmoveslikeabilliard-ball,rollswiththe rollingof
the ship,plungeswiththe pitching,goes,comes,stops,seemstomeditate,startsonitscourse again,
shootslike anarrow fromone endof the vessel tothe other,whirlsaround,slipsaway,dodges,rears,
bangs,crashes,kills,exterminates.Itisa batteringramcapriciouslyassaultingawall.Addto thisthe fact
that the ram is of metal,the wall of wood.
It ismatter setfree;one mightsay,thiseternal slave wasavengingitself;itseemsasif the total
depravityconcealedinwhat we call inanimatethingshasescaped,andburstforthall of a sudden;it
appearsto lose patience,andtotake a strange mysteriousrevenge;nothingmore relentlessthanthis
wrath of the inanimate.Thisenragedlumpleapslike apanther,ithasthe clumsinessof anelephant,the
nimblenessof amouse,the obstinacyof anox,the uncertaintyof the billows,the zigzagof the lightning,
the deafnessof the grave.Itweighstenthousandpounds,anditreboundslike achild'sball.Itspinsand
thenabruptly dartsoff at rightangles.
The captain and lieutenantrushed toward thegun-deck,butcould notgetdown.
Andwhat isto be done?How putan endto it? A tempestceases,acyclone passesover,awinddies
down,a brokenmastcan be replaced,aleakcan be stopped,afire extinguished,butwhatwill become
of thisenormousbrute of bronze.Howcan itbe captured?Youcan reasonwitha bulldog,astonisha
bull,fascinate aboa,frightenatiger,tame a lion;butyou have no resource againstthismonster,aloose
cannon.You can not kill it,itisdead;and at the same time itlives.Itliveswithasinisterlife whichcomes
to it fromthe infinite.The deckbeneathitgivesitfull swing.Itismovedbythe ship,whichismovedby
the sea,whichis movedbythe wind.Thisdestroyerisatoy.The ship,the waves,the winds,all playwith
2. it,hence itsfrightful animation.Whatisto be done withthisapparatus?How fetterthisstupendous
engine of destruction?Howanticipateitscomingsandgoings,itsreturns, itsstops,itsshocks?Anyone
of itsblowsonthe side of the shipmay stave it in.How foretell itsfrightful meanderings?Itisdealing
witha projectile,whichaltersitsmind,whichseemstohave ideas,andchangesitsdirectionevery
instant. How check the course of what must be avoided? The horrible cannon struggles, advances, backs,
strikesright,strikesleft,retreatspassesby,disconcertsexpectation,grindsupobstacles,crushesmen
like flies.All the terrorof the situationisinthe fluctuationsof the flooring.How fightaninclinedplane
subjecttocaprices?The shiphas,so to speak,initsbelly,animprisonedthunder-storm, strivingto
escape;somethinglike athunderboltrumblingabove anearthquake.
It is moved by the ship,which is moved by the sea,which is moved by the wind.
In an instantthe whole crewwasonfoot.It was the faultof the guncaptain,whohad neglectedto
fastenthe screw-nutof the mooring-chain,andhadinsecurelycloggedthe fourwheelsof the gun
carriage;thisgave playto the sole andthe framework,separatedthe twoplatforms,andthe breeching.
The tackle had givenway,sothat the cannon wasno longerfirmonits carriage.The stationary
breeching,whichpreventsrecoil,wasnotinuse at thistime.A heavy seastruck the port,the carronade,
insecurelyfastened,hadrecoiledandbrokenitschain,andbeganitsterrible course overthe deck.
To form an ideaof thisstrange sliding,letone imagine adropof waterrunningovera glass.
At the momentwhenthe fasteningsgave way,the gunnerswere inthe battery,some ingroups,others
scatteredabout,busiedwiththe customaryworkamongsailorsgettingreadyforasignal foraction.The
carronade,hurledforwardbythe pitchingof the vessel,made agapin thiscrowd of menand crushed
fourat the firstblow;thenslidingbackandshotout againas the shiprolled,itcutin twoa fifth
unfortunate,andknockedapiece of the batteryagainstthe larboardside withsuchforce as to unshipit.
Thiscausedthe cry of distressjustheard.All the menrushedtothe companion-way.The gun-deckwas
vacatedin a twinkling.
The enormousgunwas leftalone.Itwasgivenupto itself.Itwasitsownmasterand masterof the ship.
It coulddo whatit pleased.Thiswholecrew,accustomedtolaughintime of battle,now trembled.To
describe the terrorisimpossible.
The cannon wasrushing backand forth on thedeck.
CaptainBoisberthelotandLieutenantlaVieuville,althobothdauntlessmen,stoppedatthe headof the
companion-wayand,dumb,pale,andhesitating,lookeddownonthe deckbelow.Someoneelbowed
past andwentdown.It wastheirpassenger,the peasant,the manof whomtheyhadjust beenspeaking
a momentbefore.
Reachingthe footof the companion-way,he stopped.
3. The cannon wasrushingback and forthon the deck.One mighthave supposedittobe the livingchariot
of the Apocalypse.The marine lanternswingingoverheadaddedadizzyshiftingof lightandshade tothe
picture.The formof the cannondisappearedin the violence of itscourse,anditlookednow blackinthe
light,nowmysteriouslywhite inthe darkness.
It wentonin itsdestructive work.Ithadalreadyshatteredfourothergunsandmade two gaps inthe
side of the ship,fortunatelyabove the water-line,butwhere the waterwouldcome in,incase of heavy
weather.Itrushedfranticallyagainstthe framework;the strongtimberswithstoodthe shock;the curved
shape of the woodgave themgreatpowerof resistance;buttheycreakedbeneaththe blowsof this
huge club,beatingonall sidesatonce,witha strange sortof ubiquity.The percussionsof agrainof shot
shakenina bottle are not swifterormore senseless.The fourwheelspassedbackandforthoverthe
deadmen,cuttingthem,carvingthem,slashingthem, tillthe five corpseswere ascore of stumpsrolling
across the deck;the headsof the deadmenseemedtocry out;streamsof bloodcurledoverthe deck
withthe rollingof the vessel;the planks,damagedinseveralplaces,begantogape open.The whole ship
was filledwiththe horridnoise andconfusion.
The captain promptlyrecoveredhispresence of mindandorderedeverythingthatcouldcheckand
impede the cannon's mad course to be thrown through the hatchway down on the gun-deck-mattresses,
hammocks,spare sails,rollsof cordage,bagsbelongingtothe crew,andbalesof counterfeitassignats,
of whichthe corvetcarrieda large quantity--acharacteristicpieceof Englishvillainyregardedas
legitimate warfare.
But whatcouldthese rags do?As nobodydaredto go below todispose of themproperly,theywere
reducedtolintina fewminutes.
There wasjust seaenoughtomake the accidentas badas possible.A tempestwouldhave been
desirable,foritmighthave upsetthe cannon,andwithitsfourwheelsonce inthe airthere wouldbe
some hope of gettingitundercontrol.Meanwhile,the havocincreased.
There were splitsandfracturesinthe masts,whichare setintothe frameworkof the keel andrise above
the decksof shipslike great,roundpillars.The convulsive blowsof the cannonhadcracked the
mizzenmast,andhadcut intothe mainmast.
The batterywas beingruined.Tenpiecesoutof thirtywere disabled;the breachesinthe side of the
vessel were increasing,andthe corvetwasbeginning toleak.
The old passengerhavinggone downtothe gun-deck,stoodlikeamanof stone at the footof the steps.
He cast a sternglance overthisscene of devastation.He didnotmove.Itseemedimpossible totake a
stepforward.Everymovementof the loose carronade threatenedthe ship'sdestruction.A few
momentsmore andshipwreckwouldbe inevitable.
Theymust perishorput a speedyendtothe disaster;some course mustbe decidedon;butwhat?What
an opponentwasthiscarronade!Somethingmustbe done tostopthisterrible madness--tocapture this
lightning--tooverthrowthisthunderbolt.
BoisberthelotsaidtoLa Vieuville: "Doyou believeinGod,chevalier?"
La Vieuville replied:"Yes--no.Sometimes."
4. "Duringa tempest?"
"Yes,and inmomentslike this."
"God alone can save usfrom this,"saidBoisberthelot.
Everybodywassilent,lettingthe carronade continue itshorribledin.Outside,the wavesbeatingagainst
the shiprespondedwiththeirblowstothe shocksof the cannon. Itwas like twohammersalternating.
Suddenly,inthe midstof thisinaccessiblering,where the escapedcannonwasleaping,a man wasseen
to appear,withan ironbar in hishand.He wasthe author of the catastrophe,the captainof the gun,
guiltyof criminal carelessness,andthe cause of the accident,the masterof the carronade.Havingdone
the mischief,he wasanxioustorepairit.He had seizedthe ironbarinone hand, a tiller-rope witha
slipnoose inthe other,andjumpeddownthe hatchwaytothe gun-deck.
Thenbeganan awful sight;a Titanicscene;the contestbetweengunandgunner;the battle of matter
and intelligence;the duelbetweenmanandthe inanimate.
The man stationedhimself inacorner,and,withbar and rope in histwohands,he leanedagainstone of
the riders,bracedhimself onhislegs,whichseemedtwosteel posts,andlivid,calm, tragic,asif rooted
to the deck,he waited.
He waitedforthe cannonto pass byhim.
The gunnerknewhisgun,and it seemedtohimasif the gunoughtto know him.He had livedlongwith
it.How manytimeshe had thrusthishand intoitsmouth!It was hisownfamiliarmonster.He beganto
speakto itas if itwere hisdog.
"Come!"he said.Perhapshe lovedit.
He seemedtowishittocome to him.
But to come to himwas to come uponhim.Andthenhe wouldbe lost.How couldhe avoidbeing
crushed?That wasthe question.Alllookedoninterror.
Nota breastbreathedfreely,unlessperhapsthatof the oldman,whowas alone inthe batterywiththe
twocontestants,a sternwitness.
He mightbe crushedhimself bythe cannon.He didnotstir.
Beneaththemthe seablindlydirectedthe contest.
At the momentwhenthe gunner,acceptingthisfrightful hand-to-handconflict,challengedthe cannon,
some chance rockingof the seacausedthe carronade to remainforan instantmotionlessandasif
stupefied."Come,now!"saidthe man.
It seemedtolisten.
Suddenlyitleapedtowardhim.The mandodgedthe blow.
The battle began.Battle unprecedented.Frailtystrugglingagainstthe invulnerable.The gladiatorof
fleshattackingthe beastof brass.On one side,brute force;onthe other,a humansoul.
5. All thiswastakingplace insemi-darkness.Itwaslike the shadowyvisionof amiracle.
A soul--strangetosay,one wouldhave thoughtthe cannonalsohad a soul;buta soul full of hatredand
rage.This sightlessthingseemedtohave eyes.The monsterappearedtolie inwaitforthe man. One
wouldhave at leastbelievedthatthere wascraftin thismass.It alsochose its time.Itwasa strange,
giganticinsectof metal,havingorseemingtohave the will of ademon.Fora momentthiscolossal
locustwouldbeatagainstthe lowceilingoverhead,thenitwouldcome down onitsfourwheelslike a
tigeron itsfourpaws,and begintorun at the man.He, supple,nimble,expert,writhedawaylikean
adderfrom all these lightningmovements.He avoidedacollision,butthe blowswhichhe parriedfell
againstthe vessel,andcontinuedtheirworkof destruction.
An endof brokenchainwas lefthangingtothe carronade.Thischainhad in some strange waybecome
twistedaboutthe screwof the cascabel.One endof the chainwas fastenedtothe gun-carriage.The
other,leftloose,whirleddesperatelyaboutthe cannon,makingall itsblowsmore dangerous.
The screw helditina firmgrip,addinga thongto a battering-ram, makingaterrible whirlwindaround
the cannon,an iron lashina brazenhand.Thischaincomplicatedthe contest.
However,the manwentonfighting.Occasionally,itwasthe manwhoattackedthe cannon; he would
creepalongthe side of the vessel,barandrope inhand;and the cannon, as if itunderstood,andas
thoughsuspectingsome snare,wouldfleeaway.The man, bentonvictory,pursuedit.
Such thingscan notlongcontinue.The cannonseemedtosayto itself,all of asudden,"Come,now!
Make an endof it!" and itstopped.One feltthatthe crisiswasat hand.The cannon,as if in suspense,
seemedtohave,orreallyhad--fortoall itwas a livingbeing--aferociousmalice prepense.Itmade a
sudden,quickdashat the gunner.The gunnersprangout of the way,letitpass by,and criedout toit
witha laugh,"Try it again!"The cannon,as if enraged,smashedacarronade on the port side;then,
againseizedbythe invisible slingwhichcontrolledit,itwashurledtothe starboard side atthe man,who
made hisescape.Three carronadesgave wayunderthe blowsof the cannon; then,asif blindandnot
knowingwhatmore to do,it turneditsback onthe man,rolledfromsterntobow,injuredthe sternand
made a breach inthe plankingof the prow.The mantook refuge atthe foot of the steps,notfar from
the oldman whowas lookingon.The gunnerheldhisironbarin rest.The cannon seemedtonotice it,
and withouttakingthe trouble toturnaround,slidbackon the man, swiftasthe blow of an axe.The
man,drivenagainstthe side of the ship,waslost.The whole crew criedoutwithhorror.
But the oldpassenger,till thismomentmotionless,dartedforthmore quicklythananyof thiswildly
swiftrapidity.He seizedapackage of counterfeitassignats,and,atthe riskof beingcrushed,succeeded
inthrowingIt betweenthe wheelsof the carronade.Thisdecisive andperilousmovementcouldnot
have beenmade withmore exactnessandprecisionbyaman trainedinall the exercisesdescribedin
Durosel's"Manual of Gun Practise at Sea."
The package hadthe effectof a clog.A pebble maystopalog,the branchof a tree turn aside an
avalanche.The carronade stumbled.The gunner,takingadvantageof thiscritical opportunity,plunged
hisironbar betweenthe spokesof one of the hindwheels.The cannonstopped.Itleanedforward.The
man,usingthe bar as a lever,helditinequilibrium.The heavymasswasoverthrown,withthe crashof a
fallingbell,andthe man,rushingwithall hismight,drippingwithperspiration,passedthe slipnoose
aroundthe bronze neckof the subduedmonster.
6. It was ended.The manhadconquered.The anthad control overthe mastedon;the pygmyhad taken
the thunderboltprisoner.
The marinersand sailorsclappedtheirhands.
The whole crewrushedforwardwithcables andchains,andin an instantthe cannonwas secured.The
gunnersalutedthe passenger.
"Sir,"he said,"youhave savedmy life."
The old manhad resumedhisimpassiveattitude,andmade noreply.
The man had conquered,butthe cannonmightbe saidto have conqueredaswell.Immediate shipwreck
had beenavoided,butthe corvetwasnotsaved.The damage to the vessel seemedbeyondrepair.There
were five breachesinhersides,one,verylarge,inthe bow;twentyof the thirtycarronadeslayuseless
intheirframes.The one whichhad justbeencapturedandchainedagainwasdisabled;the screw of the
cascabel wassprung,and consequentlylevelingthe gunmade impossible.The batterywasreducedto
nine pieces.The shipwasleaking.Itwasnecessarytorepair the damagesat once,and to workthe
pumps.
The gun-deck,nowthatone couldlookoverit, wasfrightful tobehold.The inside of aninfuriated
elephant'scage wouldnotbe more completelydemolished.
Howevergreatmightbe the necessityof escapingobservation,the necessityof immediate safetywas
still more imperative tothe corvet.Theyhadbeenobligedtolightupthe deckwithlanternshunghere
and there onthe sides.
However,all the while thistragicplaywasgoingon,the crew were absorbedbya questionof life and
death,andtheywere whollyignorantof whatwastakingplace outside the vessel.The foghadgrown
thicker;the weatherhadchanged;the windhadworkeditspleasure withthe ship;theywere outof
theircourse,withJerseyandGuernseyclose athand,furthertothe souththan theyoughtto have been,
and inthe midstof a heavysea.Great billowskissedthe gapingwoundsof the vessel--kissesfullof
danger.The rockingof the seathreateneddestruction.The breeze hadbecome agale.A squall,a
tempest,perhaps,wasbrewing.Itwasimpossible tosee fourwavesahead.
While the crewwere hastilyrepairingthe damagestothe gun-deck,stoppingthe leaks,andputtingin
place the guns whichhadbeenuninjuredinthe disaster,the oldpassengerhadgone ondeckagain.
He stoodwithhisback againstthe mainmast.
He had notnoticeda proceedingwhichhadtakenplace onthe vessel.The Chevalierde laVieuvillehad
drawnup the marinesinline onbothsidesof the mainmast,andat the soundof the boatswain'swhistle
the sailorsformedinline,standingonthe yards.
The Count de Boisberthelotapproachedthe passenger.
Behindthe captainwalkedaman,haggard, outof breath,hisdressdisordered,butstill withalookof
satisfactiononhisface.
It was the gunnerwhohad justshownhimselfsoskilfulinsubduingmonsters,andwhohadgainedthe
masteryoverthe cannon.
7. The count gave the militarysalute tothe oldman inpeasant'sdress,andsaidto him:
"General,there isthe man."
The gunnerremainedstanding,withdowncasteyes,inmilitaryattitude.
The Count de Boisberthelotcontinued:
"General,inconsiderationof whatthismanhas done,doyou notthinkthere issomethingdue himfrom
hiscommander?"
"I thinkso,"saidthe oldman.
"Please give yourorders,"repliedBoisberthelot.
"It isfor youto give them,youare the captain."
"But youare the general,"repliedBoisberthelot.
The old manlookedatthe gunner.
"Come forward,"he said.
The gunnerapproached.
The old manturnedtowardthe Countde Boisberthelot,tookoff the crossof Saint-Louisfromthe
captain'scoat and fasteneditonthe gunner'sjacket.
"Hurrah!" criedthe sailors.
The marinerspresentedarms.
Andthe old passenger,pointingtothe dazzledgunner,added:
"Now,have thismanshot."
Dismaysucceededthe cheering.
Thenin the midstof the death-like stillness,the oldmanraisedhisvoice andsaid:
"Carelessnesshascompromisedthisvessel.Atthisveryhouritis perhapslost.Tobe at seais to be in
frontof the enemy.A shipmakingavoyage isan armywagingwar. The tempestisconcealed,butitisat
hand.The whole seaisanambuscade.Deathisthe penaltyof anymisdemeanorcommittedinthe face
of the enemy.Nofaultisreparable.Courage shouldbe rewarded,andnegligencepunished."
These wordsfell one afteranother,slowly,solemnly,inasort of inexorablemeter,like the blowsof an
ax uponan oak.
Andthe man, lookingatthe soldiers,added: "Letitbe done."
The man on whose jackethungthe shiningcrossof Saint-Louisbowedhishead.
At a signal fromCountde Boisberthelot,twosailorswentbelow andcame backbringingthe hammock-
shroud;the chaplain,whosince theysailedhadbeenatprayerinthe officers'quarters,accompanied
the two sailors;asergeantdetachedtwelvemarinesfromthe line andarrangedthemintwofiles,six by
8. six;the gunner,withoututteringaword,placedhimself betweenthe twofiles.The chaplain,crucifix in
hand,advancedand stoodbeside him,"March,"saidthe sergeant.The platoonmarchedwithslowsteps
to the bowof the vessel.The twosailors,carryingthe shroud,followed.A gloomysilencefelloverthe
vessel.A hurricane howledinthe distance.
A fewmomentslater,alightflashed,areportsoundedthroughthe darkness,thenall wasstill,andthe
soundof a bodyfallingintothe seawasheard.
The old passenger,stillleaningagainstthe mainmast,hadcrossedhisarms,and wasburiedinthought.
Boisberthelotpointedtohimwiththe forefingerof hislefthand,andsaidtoLa Vieuville inalow voice:
"La Vendée hasa head."
