end of the tether-第15章

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VIII







For　a　while　after　his　second's　answering　hoot　Massy



hung　over　the　engine…room　gloomily。　　Captain　Whal…



ley；　who；　by　the　power　of　five　hundred　pounds；　had　kept



his　command　for　three　years；　might　have　been　suspected



of　never　having　seen　that　coast　before。　　He　seemed　un…



able　to　put　down　his　glasses；　as　though　they　had　been



glued　under　his　contracted　eyebrows。　　This　settled



frown　gave　to　his　face　an　air　of　invincible　and　just



severity；　but　his　raised　elbow　trembled　slightly；　and



the　perspiration　poured　from　under　his　hat　as　if　a



second　sun　had　suddenly　blazed　up　at　the　zenith　by　the



side　of　the　ardent　still　globe　already　there；　in　whose



blinding　white　heat　the　earth　whirled　and　shone　like　a



mote　of　dust。







From　time　to　time；　still　holding　up　his　glasses；　he



raised　his　other　hand　to　wipe　his　streaming　face。　　The



drops　rolled　down　his　cheeks；　fell　like　rain　upon　the



white　hairs　of　his　beard；　and　brusquely；　as　if　guided



by　an　uncontrollable　and　anxious　impulse；　his　arm



reached　out　to　the　stand　of　the　engine…room　telegraph。







The　gong　clanged　down　below。　　The　balanced　vibra…



tion　of　the　dead…slow　speed　ceased　together　with　every



sound　and　tremor　in　the　ship；　as　if　the　great　stillness



that　reigned　upon　the　coast　had　stolen　in　through　her



sides　of　iron　and　taken　possession　of　her　innermost　re…



cesses。　　The　illusion　of　perfect　immobility　seemed　to



fall　upon　her　from　the　luminous　blue　dome　without　a



stain　arching　over　a　flat　sea　without　a　stir。　　The　faint



breeze　she　had　made　for　herself　expired；　as　if　all　at



once　the　air　had　become　too　thick　to　budge；　even　the



slight　hiss　of　the　water　on　her　stem　died　out。　　The　nar…



row；　long　hull；　carrying　its　way　without　a　ripple；



seemed　to　approach　the　shoal　water　of　the　bar　by



stealth。　　The　plunge　of　the　lead　with　the　mournful；



mechanical　cry　of　the　lascar　came　at　longer　and　longer



intervals；　and　the　men　on　her　bridge　seemed　to　hold



their　breath。　　The　Malay　at　the　helm　looked　fixedly



at　the　compass　card；　the　Captain　and　the　Serang　stared



at　the　coast。







Massy　had　left　the　skylight；　and；　walking　flat…footed；



had　returned　softly　to　the　very　spot　on　the　bridge　he



had　occupied　before。　　A　slow；　lingering　grin　exposed



his　set　of　big　white　teeth：　they　gleamed　evenly　in　the



shade　of　the　awning　like　the　keyboard　of　a　piano　in　a



dusky　room。







At　last；　pretending　to　talk　to　himself　in　excessive　as…



tonishment；　he　said　not　very　loud







〃Stop　the　engines　now。　　What　next；　I　wonder？〃







He　waited；　stooping　from　the　shoulders；　his　head



bowed；　his　glance　oblique。　　Then　raising　his　voice　a



shade







〃If　I　dared　make　an　absurd　remark　I　would　say　that



you　haven't　the　stomach　to　。　。　。〃







But　a　yelling　spirit　of　excitement；　like　some　frantic



soul　wandering　unsuspected　in　the　vast　stillness　of　the



coast；　had　seized　upon　the　body　of　the　lascar　at　the　lead。



The　languid　monotony　of　his　sing…song　changed　to　a



swift；　sharp　clamor。　　The　weight　flew　after　a　single



whir；　the　line　whistled；　splash　followed　splash　in　haste。



The　water　had　shoaled；　and　the　man；　instead　of　the



drowsy　tale　of　fathoms；　was　calling　out　the　soundings



in　feet。







〃Fifteen　feet。　　Fifteen；　fifteen！　　Fourteen；　four…



teen　。　。　。〃







Captain　Whalley　lowered　the　arm　holding　the　glasses。



It　descended　slowly　as　if　by　its　own　weight；　no　other



part　of　his　towering　body　stirred；　and　the　swift　cries



with　their　eager　warning　note　passed　him　by　as　though



he　had　been　deaf。







Massy；　very　still；　and　turning　an　attentive　ear；　had



fastened　his　eyes　upon　the　silvery；　close…cropped　back



of　the　steady　old　head。　　The　ship　herself　seemed　to　be



arrested　but　for　the　gradual　decrease　of　depth　under



her　keel。







〃Thirteen　feet　。　。　。　　Thirteen！　　Twelve！〃　cried　the



leadsman　anxiously　below　the　bridge。　　And　suddenly



the　barefooted　Serang　stepped　away　noiselessly　to　steal



a　glance　over　the　side。







Narrow　of　shoulder；　in　a　suit　of　faded　blue　cotton；　an



old　gray　felt　hat　rammed　down　on　his　head；　with　a　hollow



in　the　nape　of　his　dark　neck；　and　with　his　slender　limbs；



he　appeared　from　the　back　no　bigger　than　a　boy　of



fourteen。　　There　was　a　childlike　impulsiveness　in　the



curiosity　with　which　he　watched　the　spread　of　the



voluminous；　yellowish　convolutions　rolling　up　from　be…



low　to　the　surface　of　the　blue　water　like　massive　clouds



driving　slowly　upwards　on　the　unfathomable　sky。　　He



was　not　startled　at　the　sight　in　the　least。　　It　was　not



doubt；　but　the　certitude　that　the　keel　of　the　Sofala　must



be　stirring　the　mud　now；　which　made　him　peep　over　the



side。







His　peering　eyes；　set　aslant　in　a　face　of　the　Chinese



type；　a　little　old　face；　immovable；　as　if　carved　in　old



brown　oak；　had　informed　him　long　before　that　the　ship



was　not　headed　at　the　bar　properly。　　Paid　off　from



the　Fair　Maid；　together　with　the　rest　of　the　crew；　after



the　completion　of　the　sale；　he　had　hung；　in　his　faded



blue　suit　and　floppy　gray　hat；　about　the　doors　of　the



Harbor　Office；　till　one　day；　seeing　Captain　Whalley



coming　along　to　get　a　crew　for　the　Sofala；　he　had　put



himself　quietly　in　the　way；　with　his　bare　feet　in　the　dust



and　an　upward　mute　glance。　　The　eyes　of　his　old　com…



mander　had　fallen　on　him　favorablyit　must　have



been　an　auspicious　dayand　in　less　than　half　an　hour



the　white　men　in　the　〃Ofiss〃　had　written　his　name　on



a　document　as　Serang　of　the　fire…ship　Sofala。　　Since



that　time　he　had　repeatedly　looked　at　that　estuary；　upon



that　coast；　from　this　bridge　and　from　this　side　of　the



bar。　　The　record　of　the　visual　world　fell　through　his



eyes　upon　his　unspeculating　mind　as　on　a　sensitized



plate　through　the　lens　of　a　camera。　　His　knowledge　was



absolute　and　precise；　nevertheless；　had　he　been　asked



his　opinion；　and　especially　if　questioned　in　the　down…



right；　alarming　manner　of　white　men；　he　would　have



displayed　the　hesitation　of　ignorance。　　He　was　certain



of　his　factsbut　such　a　certitude　counted　for　little



against　the　doubt　what　answer　would　be　pleasing。



Fifty　years　ago；　in　a　jungle　village；　and　before　he　was



a　day　old；　his　father　（who　died　without　ever　seeing



a　white　face）　had　had　his　nativity　cast　by　a　man　of



skill　and　wisdom　in　astrology；　because　in　the　arrange…



ment　of　the　stars　may　be　read　the　last　word　of　human



destiny。　　His　destiny　had　been　to　thrive　by　the　favor



of　various　white　men　on　the　sea。　　He　had　swept　the



decks　of　ships；　had　tended　their　helms；　had　minded　their



stores；　had　risen　at　last　to　be　a　Serang；　and　his　placid



mind　had　remained　as　incapable　of　penetrating　the　sim…



plest　motives　of　those　he　served　as　they　themselves　were



incapable　of　detecting　through　the　crust　of　the　earth



the　secret　nature　of　its　heart；　which　may　be　fire　or　may



be　stone。　　But　he　had　no　doubt　whatever　that　the　Sofala



was　out　of　the　proper　track　for　crossing　the　bar　at



Batu　Beru。







It　was　a　slight　error。　　The　ship　could　not　have　been



more　than　twice　her　own　length　too　far　to　the　north…



ward；　and　a　white　man　at　a　loss　for　a　cause　（since　it



was　impossible　to　suspect　Captain　Whalley　of　blunder…



ing　ignorance；　of　want　of　skill；　or　of　neglect）　would



have　been　inclined　to　doubt　the　testimony　of　his　senses。



It　was　some　such　feeling　that　kept　Massy　motionless；



with　his　teeth　laid　bare　by　an　anxious　grin。　　Not　so　the



Serang。　　He　was　not　troubled　by　any　intellectual　mis…