end of the tether-第10章

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he　could　not　bring　himself　to　take　into　his　confidence



at　this　juncture；　and　the　other　went　on　with　his　intimate



outpourings；　and　as　remote　from　his　hearer　as　though



he　had　been　talking　on　a　hill…top　a　mile　away。







He　was　in　a　bit　of　a　quandary　now　as　to　the　steamer



Sofala。　　Ultimately　every　hitch　in　the　port　came　into



his　hands　to　undo。　　They　would　miss　him　when　he　was



gone　in　another　eighteen　months；　and　most　likely　some



retired　naval　officer　had　been　pitchforked　into　the　ap…



pointmenta　man　that　would　understand　nothing　and



care　less。　　That　steamer　was　a　coasting　craft　having　a



steady　trade　connection　as　far　north　as　Tenasserim；　but



the　trouble　was　she　could　get　no　captain　to　take　her



on　her　regular　trip。　　Nobody　would　go　in　her。　　He



really　had　no　power；　of　course；　to　order　a　man　to　take



a　job。　　It　was　all　very　well　to　stretch　a　point　on　the



demand　of　a　consul…general；　but　。　。　。







〃What's　the　matter　with　the　ship？〃　Captain　Whalley



interrupted　in　measured　tones。







〃Nothing's　the　matter。　　Sound　old　steamer。　　Her



owner　has　been　in　my　office　this　afternoon　tearing　his



hair。〃







〃Is　he　a　white　man？〃　asked　Whalley　in　an　interested



voice。







〃He　calls　himself　a　white　man；〃　answered　the　Master…



Attendant　scornfully；　〃but　if　so；　it's　just　skin…deep



and　no　more。　　I　told　him　that　to　his　face　too。〃







〃But　who　is　he；　then？〃







〃He's　the　chief　engineer　of　her。　　See　THAT；　Harry？〃







〃I　see；〃　Captain　Whalley　said　thoughtfully。　　〃The



engineer。　　I　see。〃







How　the　fellow　came　to　be　a　shipowner　at　the　same



time　was　quite　a　tale。　　He　came　out　third　in　a　home



ship　nearly　fifteen　years　ago；　Captain　Eliott　remem…



bered；　and　got　paid　off　after　a　bad　sort　of　row　both



with　his　skipper　and　his　chief。　　Anyway；　they　seemed



jolly　glad　to　get　rid　of　him　at　all　costs。　　Clearly　a　mu…



tinous　sort　of　chap。　　Well；　he　remained　out　here；　a　per…



fect　nuisance；　everlastingly　shipped　and　unshipped；　un…



able　to　keep　a　berth　very　long；　pretty　nigh　went



through　every　engine…room　afloat　belonging　to　the



colony。　　Then　suddenly；　〃What　do　you　think　hap…



pened；　Harry？〃







Captain　Whalley；　who　seemed　lost　in　a　mental　effort



as　of　doing　a　sum　in　his　head；　gave　a　slight　start。　　He



really　couldn't　imagine。　　The　Master…Attendant's　voice



vibrated　dully　with　hoarse　emphasis。　　The　man　actually



had　the　luck　to　win　the　second　prize　in　the　Manilla　lot…



tery。　　All　these　engineers　and　officers　of　ships　took



tickets　in　that　gamble。　　It　seemed　to　be　a　perfect　mania



with　them　all。







Everybody　expected　now　that　he　would　take　himself



off　home　with　his　money；　and　go　to　the　devil　in　his　own



way。　　Not　at　all。　　The　Sofala；　judged　too　small　and



not　quite　modern　enough　for　the　sort　of　trade　she　was



in；　could　be　got　for　a　moderate　price　from　her　owners；



who　had　ordered　a　new　steamer　from　Europe。　　He



rushed　in　and　bought　her。　　This　man　had　never　given



any　signs　of　that　sort　of　mental　intoxication　the　mere



fact　of　getting　hold　of　a　large　sum　of　money　may　pro…



ducenot　till　he　got　a　ship　of　his　own；　but　then　he



went　off　his　balance　all　at　once：　came　bouncing　into　the



Marine　Office　on　some　transfer　business；　with　his　hat



hanging　over　his　left　eye　and　switching　a　little　cane　in



his　hand；　and　told　each　one　of　the　clerks　separately　that



〃Nobody　could　put　him　out　now。　　It　was　his　turn。



There　was　no　one　over　him　on　earth；　and　there　never



would　be　either。〃　　He　swaggered　and　strutted　between



the　desks；　talking　at　the　top　of　his　voice；　and　trembling



like　a　leaf　all　the　while；　so　that　the　current　business



of　the　office　was　suspended　for　the　time　he　was　in　there；



and　everybody　in　the　big　room　stood　open…mouthed



looking　at　his　antics。　　Afterwards　he　could　be　seen



during　the　hottest　hours　of　the　day　with　his　face　as



red　as　fire　rushing　along　up　and　down　the　quays　to　look



at　his　ship　from　different　points　of　view：　he　seemed



inclined　to　stop　every　stranger　he　came　across　just　to



let　them　know　〃that　there　would　be　no　longer　anyone



over　him；　he　had　bought　a　ship；　nobody　on　earth　could



put　him　out　of　his　engine…room　now。〃







Good　bargain　as　she　was；　the　price　of　the　Sofala　took



up　pretty　near　all　the　lottery…money。　　He　had　left　him…



self　no　capital　to　work　with。　　That　did　not　matter　so



much；　for　these　were　the　halcyon　days　of　steam　coasting



trade；　before　some　of　the　home　shipping　firms　had



thought　of　establishing　local　fleets　to　feed　their　main



lines。　　These；　when　once　organized；　took　the　biggest



slices　out　of　that　cake；　of　course；　and　by…and…by　a　squad



of　confounded　German　tramps　turned　up　east　of　Suez



Canal　and　swept　up　all　the　crumbs。　　They　prowled　on



the　cheap　to　and　fro　along　the　coast　and　between　the



islands；　like　a　lot　of　sharks　in　the　water　ready　to　snap



up　anything　you　let　drop。　　And　then　the　high　old　times



were　over　for　good；　for　years　the　Sofala　had　made　no



more；　he　judged；　than　a　fair　living。　　Captain　Eliott



looked　upon　it　as　his　duty　in　every　way　to　assist　an



English　ship　to　hold　her　own；　and　it　stood　to　reason



that　if　for　want　of　a　captain　the　Sofala　began　to　miss



her　trips　she　would　very　soon　lose　her　trade。　　There　was



the　quandary。　　The　man　was　too　impracticable。　　〃Too



much　of　a　beggar　on　horseback　from　the　first；〃　he　ex…



plained。　　〃Seemed　to　grow　worse　as　the　time　went　on。



In　the　last　three　years　he's　run　through　eleven　skippers；



he　had　tried　every　single　man　here；　outside　of　the　regu…



lar　lines。　　I　had　warned　him　before　that　this　would　not



do。　　And　now；　of　course；　no　one　will　look　at　the　Sofala。



I　had　one　or　two　men　up　at　my　office　and　talked　to



them；　but；　as　they　said　to　me；　what　was　the　good　of



taking　the　berth　to　lead　a　regular　dog's　life　for　a



month　and　then　get　the　sack　at　the　end　of　the　first　trip？



The　fellow；　of　course；　told　me　it　was　all　nonsense；　there



has　been　a　plot　hatching　for　years　against　him。　　And



now　it　had　come。　　All　the　horrid　sailors　in　the　port　had



conspired　to　bring　him　to　his　knees；　because　he　was　an



engineer。〃







Captain　Eliott　emitted　a　throaty　chuckle。







〃And　the　fact　is；　that　if　he　misses　a　couple　more　trips



he　need　never　trouble　himself　to　start　again。　　He　won't



find　any　cargo　in　his　old　trade。　　There's　too　much　com…



petition　nowadays　for　people　to　keep　their　stuff　lying



about　for　a　ship　that　does　not　turn　up　when　she's　ex…



pected。　　It's　a　bad　lookout　for　him。　　He　swears　he　will



shut　himself　on　board　and　starve　to　death　in　his　cabin



rather　than　sell　hereven　if　he　could　find　a　buyer。　　And



that's　not　likely　in　the　least。　　Not　even　the　Japs　would



give　her　insured　value　for　her。　　It　isn't　like　selling



sailing…ships。　　Steamers　DO　get　out　of　date；　besides　get…



ting　old。〃







〃He　must　have　laid　by　a　good　bit　of　money　though；〃



observed　Captain　Whalley　quietly。







The　Harbor…master　puffed　out　his　purple　cheeks　to



an　amazing　size。







〃Not　a　stiver；　Harry。　　Notasinglesti…ver。〃







He　waited；　but　as　Captain　Whalley；　stroking　his



beard　slowly；　looked　down　on　the　ground　without　a



word；　he　tapped　him　on　the　forearm；　tiptoed；　and　said



in　a　hoarse　whisper







〃The　Manilla　lottery　has　been　eating　him　up。〃







He　frowned　a　little；　nodding　in　tiny　affirmative　jerks。



They　all　were　going　in　for　it；　a　third　of　the　wages



paid　to　ships'　officers　（〃in　my　port；〃　he　snorted）　went



to　Manilla。　　It　was　a　mania。　　That　fellow　Massy　had