end of the tether-第14章

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had　clambered　outside　the　rail。　　He　adjusted　quickly



a　broad　band　of　sail　canvas　under　his　armpits；　and



throwing　his　chest　against　it；　leaned　out　far　over　the



water。　　The　sleeves　of　his　thin　cotton　shirt；　cut　off　close



to　the　shoulder；　bared　his　brown　arm　of　full　rounded



form　and　with　a　satiny　skin　like　a　woman's。　　He　swung



it　rigidly　with　the　rotary　and　menacing　action　of　a



slinger：　the　14…lb。　weight　hurtled　circling　in　the　air；



then　suddenly　flew　ahead　as　far　as　the　curve　of　the　bow。



The　wet　thin　line　swished　like　scratched　silk　running



through　the　dark　fingers　of　the　man；　and　the　plunge　of



the　lead　close　to　the　ship's　side　made　a　vanishing　silvery



scar　upon　the　golden　glitter；　then　after　an　interval　the



voice　of　the　young　Malay　uplifted　and　long…drawn　de…



clared　the　depth　of　the　water　in　his　own　language。







〃Tiga　stengah；〃　he　cried　after　each　splash　and　pause；



gathering　the　line　busily　for　another　cast。　　〃Tiga



stengah；〃　which　means　three　fathom　and　a　half。　　For



a　mile　or　so　from　seaward　there　was　a　uniform　depth



of　water　right　up　to　the　bar。　　〃Half…three。　　Half…



three。　　Half…three；〃and　his　modulated　cry；　returned



leisurely　and　monotonous；　like　the　repeated　call　of　a



bird；　seemed　to　float　away　in　sunshine　and　disappear　in



the　spacious　silence　of　the　empty　sea　and　of　a　lifeless



shore　lying　open；　north　and　south；　east　and　west；　with…



out　the　stir　of　a　single　cloud…shadow　or　the　whisper　of



any　other　voice。







The　owner…engineer　of　the　Sofala　remained　very　still



behind　the　two　seamen　of　different　race；　creed；　and



color；　the　European　with　the　time…defying　vigor　of



his　old　frame；　the　little　Malay；　old；　too；　but　slight　and



shrunken　like　a　withered　brown　leaf　blown　by　a　chance



wind　under　the　mighty　shadow　of　the　other。　　Very



busy　looking　forward　at　the　land；　they　had　not　a　glance



to　spare；　and　Massy；　glaring　at　them　from　behind；



seemed　to　resent　their　attention　to　their　duty　like　a　per…



sonal　slight　upon　himself。







This　was　unreasonable；　but　he　had　lived　in　his　own



world　of　unreasonable　resentments　for　many　years。　　At



last；　passing　his　moist　palm　over　the　rare　lanky　wisps



of　coarse　hair　on　the　top　of　his　yellow　head；　he　began



to　talk　slowly。







〃A　leadsman；　you　want！　　I　suppose　that's　your　cor…



rect　mail…boat　style。　　Haven't　you　enough　judgment



to　tell　where　you　are　by　looking　at　the　land？　　Why；



before　I　had　been　a　twelvemonth　in　the　trade　I　was　up



to　that　trickand　I　am　only　an　engineer。　　I　can　point



to　you　from　here　where　the　bar　is；　and　I　could　tell　you



besides　that　you　are　as　likely　as　not　to　stick　her　in　the



mud　in　about　five　minutes　from　now；　only　you　would



call　it　interfering；　I　suppose。　　And　there's　that　written



agreement　of　ours；　that　says　I　mustn't　interfere。〃







His　voice　stopped。　　Captain　Whalley；　without　relax…



ing　the　set　severity　of　his　features；　moved　his　lips　to　ask



in　a　quick　mumble







〃How　near；　Serang？〃







〃Very　near　now；　Tuan；〃　the　Malay　muttered　rapidly。







〃Dead　slow；〃　said　the　Captain　aloud　in　a　firm　tone。







The　Serang　snatched　at　the　handle　of　the　telegraph。



A　gong　clanged　down　below。　　Massy　with　a　scornful



snigger　walked　off　and　put　his　head　down　the　engine…



room　skylight。







〃You　may　expect　some　rare　fooling　with　the　engines；



Jack；〃　he　bellowed。　　The　space　into　which　he　stared　was



deep　and　full　of　gloom；　and　the　gray　gleams　of　steel



down　there　seemed　cool　after　the　intense　glare　of　the



sea　around　the　ship。　　The　air；　however；　came　up　clammy



and　hot　on　his　face。　　A　short　hoot　on　which　it　would



have　been　impossible　to　put　any　sort　of　interpretation



came　from　the　bottom　cavernously。　　This　was　the　way



in　which　the　second　engineer　answered　his　chief。







He　was　a　middle…aged　man　with　an　inattentive　man…



ner；　and　apparently　wrapped　up　in　such　a　taciturn　con…



cern　for　his　engines　that　he　seemed　to　have　lost　the　use



of　speech。　　When　addressed　directly　his　only　answer



would　be　a　grunt　or　a　hoot；　according　to　the　distance。



For　all　the　years　he　had　been　in　the　Sofala　he　had　never



been　known　to　exchange　as　much　as　a　frank　Good…morn…



ing　with　any　of　his　shipmates。　　He　did　not　seem　aware



that　men　came　and　went　in　the　world；　he　did　not　seem



to　see　them　at　all。　　Indeed　he　never　recognized　his　ship



mates　on　shore。　　At　table　（the　four　white　men　of　the



Sofala　messed　together）　he　sat　looking　into　his　plate



dispassionately；　but　at　the　end　of　the　meal　would　jump



up　and　bolt　down　below　as　if　a　sudden　thought　had　im…



pelled　him　to　rush　and　see　whether　somebody　had　not



stolen　the　engines　while　he　dined。　　In　port　at　the　end　of



the　trip　he　went　ashore　regularly；　but　no　one　knew



where　he　spent　his　evenings　or　in　what　manner。　　The



local　coasting　fleet　had　preserved　a　wild　and　incoherent



tale　of　his　infatuation　for　the　wife　of　a　sergeant　in　an



Irish　infantry　regiment。　　The　regiment；　however；　had



done　its　turn　of　garrison　duty　there　ages　before；　and



was　gone　somewhere　to　the　other　side　of　the　earth；　out



of　men's　knowledge。　　Twice　or　perhaps　three　times　in



the　course　of　the　year　he　would　take　too　much　to　drink。



On　these　occasions　he　returned　on　board　at　an　earlier



hour　than　usual；　ran　across　the　deck　balancing　himself



with　his　spread　arms　like　a　tight…rope　walker；　and



locking　the　door　of　his　cabin；　he　would　converse　and



argue　with　himself　the　livelong　night　in　an　amazing



variety　of　tones；　storm；　sneer；　and　whine　with　an　inex…



haustible　persistence。　　Massy　in　his　berth　next　door；



raising　himself　on　his　elbow；　would　discover　that　his



second　had　remembered　the　name　of　every　white　man



that　had　passed　through　the　Sofala　for　years　and　years



back。　　He　remembered　the　names　of　men　that　had　died；



that　had　gone　home；　that　had　gone　to　America：　he



remembered　in　his　cups　the　names　of　men　whose　con…



nection　with　the　ship　had　been　so　short　that　Massy　had



almost　forgotten　its　circumstances　and　could　barely　re…



call　their　faces。　　The　inebriated　voice　on　the　other　side



of　the　bulkhead　commented　upon　them　all　with　an　ex…



traordinary　and　ingenious　venom　of　scandalous　inven…



tions。　　It　seems　they　had　all　offended　him　in　some　way；



and　in　return　he　had　found　them　all　out。　　He　muttered



darkly；　he　laughed　sardonically；　he　crushed　them　one



after　another；　but　of　his　chief；　Massy；　he　babbled　with



an　envious　and　naive　admiration。　　Clever　scoundrel！



Don't　meet　the　likes　of　him　every　day。　　Just　look　at



him。　　Ha！　　Great！　　Ship　of　his　own。　　Wouldn't　catch



HIM　going　wrong。　　No　fearthe　beast！　　And　Massy；



after　listening　with　a　gratified　smile　to　these　artless



tributes　to　his　greatness；　would　begin　to　shout；　thump…



ing　at　the　bulkhead　with　both　fists







〃Shut　up；　you　lunatic！　　Won't　you　let　me　go　to



sleep；　you　fool！〃







But　a　half　smile　of　pride　lingered　on　his　lips；　outside



the　solitary　lascar　told　off　for　night　duty　in　harbor；



perhaps　a　youth　fresh　from　a　forest　village；　would　stand



motionless　in　the　shadows　of　the　deck　listening　to　the



endless　drunken　gabble。　　His　heart　would　be　thumping



with　breathless　awe　of　white　men：　the　arbitrary　and



obstinate　men　who　pursue　inflexibly　their　incompre…



hensible　purposes；beings　with　weird　intonations　in　the



voice；　moved　by　unaccountable　feelings；　actuated　by　in…



scrutable　motives。















VIII







For　a　while　after　his　second's　answering　hoot　Massy



hung　over　the　engine…room　gloomily。　　Captain　Whal…