Collected works > Edinburgh edition, 1894-98 - Works of Robert Louis Stevenson > Volume 20, 1896 - Travels and excursion, Volume III

THE EBB-TIDE
himself with that vile countenance. Could the thing
continue? What bound him now? Had he no
rights ? — only the obligation to go on, without dis-
charge or furlough, bearing the unbearable? Ich
trage unertragliches, the quotation rose in his mind ;
he repeated the whole piece, one of the most perfect
of the most perfect of poets ; and a phrase struck
him like a blow : Du, stolzes Herz, du hast es
ja gewollt. Where was the pride of his heart?
And he raged against himself, as a man bites on
a sore tooth, in a heady sensuality of scorn. 'I
have no pride, I have no heart, no manhood,' he
thought, 'or why should I prolong a life more
shameful than the gallows ? Or why should I have
fallen to it ? No pride, no capacity, no force. Not
even a bandit ! and to be starving here with worse
than banditti — with this trivial hell-hound ! ' His
rage against his comrade rose and flooded him, and
he shook a trembling fist at the sleeper.
A swift step was audible. The captain appeared
upon the threshold of the cell, panting and flushed,
and with a foolish face of happiness. In his arms
he carried a loaf of bread and bottles of beer ; the
pockets of his coat were bulging with cigars. He
rolled his treasures on the floor, grasped Herrick by
both hands, and crowed with laughter.
' Broach the beer ! ' he shouted. * Broach the beer,
and glory hallelujah ! '
' Beer ? ' repeated Huish, struggling to his feet.
* Beer it is ! ' cried Davis. * Beer, and plenty of it.
Any number of persons can use it (like Lyon's
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