end of the tether-第16章

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Serang。　　He　was　not　troubled　by　any　intellectual　mis…



trust　of　his　senses。　　If　his　captain　chose　to　stir　the　mud



it　was　well。　　He　had　known　in　his　life　white　men　indulge



in　outbreaks　equally　strange。　　He　was　only　genuinely



interested　to　see　what　would　come　of　it。　　At　last；　appar…



ently　satisfied；　he　stepped　back　from　the　rail。







He　had　made　no　sound：　Captain　Whalley；　however；



seemed　to　have　observed　the　movements　of　his　Serang。



Holding　his　head　rigidly；　he　asked　with　a　mere　stir　of



his　lips







〃Going　ahead　still；　Serang？〃







〃Still　going　a　little；　Tuan；〃　answered　the　Malay。



Then　added　casually；　〃She　is　over。〃







The　lead　confirmed　his　words；　the　depth　of　water　in…



creased　at　every　cast；　and　the　soul　of　excitement　de…



parted　suddenly　from　the　lascar　swung　in　the　canvas



belt　over　the　Sofala's　side。　　Captain　Whalley　or…



dered　the　lead　in；　set　the　engines　ahead　without　haste；



and　averting　his　eyes　from　the　coast　directed　the



Serang　to　keep　a　course　for　the　middle　of　the　en…



trance。







Massy　brought　the　palm　of　his　hand　with　a　loud　smack



against　his　thigh。







〃You　grazed　on　the　bar。　　Just　look　astern　and　see



if　you　didn't。　　Look　at　the　track　she　left。　　You　can　see



it　plainly。　　Upon　my　soul；　I　thought　you　would！　　What



made　you　do　that？　　What　on　earth　made　you　do　that？



I　believe　you　are　trying　to　scare　me。〃







He　talked　slowly；　as　it　were　circumspectly；　keeping　his



prominent　black　eyes　on　his　captain。　　There　was　also　a



slight　plaintive　note　in　his　rising　choler；　for；　primarily；



it　was　the　clear　sense　of　a　wrong　suffered　undeservedly



that　made　him　hate　the　man　who；　for　a　beggarly　five



hundred　pounds；　claimed　a　sixth　part　of　the　profits



under　the　three　years'　agreement。　　Whenever　his　resent…



ment　got　the　better　of　the　awe　the　person　of　Captain



Whalley　inspired　he　would　positively　whimper　with



fury。







〃You　don't　know　what　to　invent　to　plague　my　life



out　of　me。　　I　would　not　have　thought　that　a　man　of



your　sort　would　condescend　。　。　。〃







He　paused；　half　hopefully；　half　timidly；　whenever



Captain　Whalley　made　the　slightest　movement　in　the



deck…chair；　as　though　expecting　to　be　conciliated　by　a



soft　speech　or　else　rushed　upon　and　hunted　off　the



bridge。







〃I　am　puzzled；〃　he　went　on　again；　with　the　watchful



unsmiling　baring　of　his　big　teeth。　　〃I　don't　know　what



to　think。　　I　do　believe　you　are　trying　to　frighten　me。



You　very　nearly　planted　her　on　the　bar　for　at　least



twelve　hours；　besides　getting　the　engines　choked　with



mud。　　Ships　can't　afford　to　lose　twelve　hours　on　a　trip



nowadaysas　you　ought　to　know　very　well；　and　do



know　very　well　to　be　sure；　only　。　。　。〃







His　slow　volubility；　the　sideways　cranings　of　his　neck；



the　black　glances　out　of　the　very　corners　of　his　eyes；



left　Captain　Whalley　unmoved。　　He　looked　at　the　deck



with　a　severe　frown。　　Massy　waited　for　some　little　time；



then　began　to　threaten　plaintively。







〃You　think　you've　got　me　bound　hand　and　foot　in



that　agreement。　　You　think　you　can　torment　me　in　any



way　you　please。　　Ah！　　But　remember　it　has　another



six　weeks　to　run　yet。　　There's　time　for　me　to　dismiss



you　before　the　three　years　are　out。　　You　will　do　yet



something　that　will　give　me　the　chance　to　dismiss　you；



and　make　you　wait　a　twelvemonth　for　your　money　before



you　can　take　yourself　off　and　pull　out　your　five　hundred；



and　leave　me　without　a　penny　to　get　the　new　boilers　for



her。　　You　gloat　over　that　ideadon't　you？　　I　do　be…



lieve　you　sit　here　gloating。　　It's　as　if　I　had　sold　my



soul　for　five　hundred　pounds　to　be　everlastingly　damned



in　the　end。　。　。　。〃







He　paused；　without　apparent　exasperation；　then　con…



tinued　evenly







〃。　。　。　　With　the　boilers　worn　out　and　the　survey　hang…



ing　over　my　head；　Captain　Whalley　　Captain



Whalley；　I　say；　what　do　you　do　with　your　money？　　You



must　have　stacks　of　money　somewherea　man　like　you



must。　　It　stands　to　reason。　　I　am　not　a　fool；　you　know；



Captain　Whalleypartner。〃







Again　he　paused；　as　though　he　had　done　for　good。



He　passed　his　tongue　over　his　lips；　gave　a　backward



glance　at　the　Serang　conning　the　ship　with　quiet　whis…



pers　and　slight　signs　of　the　hand。　　The　wash　of　the



propeller　sent　a　swift　ripple；　crested　with　dark　froth；



upon　a　long　flat　spit　of　black　slime。　　The　Sofala　had



entered　the　river；　the　trail　she　had　stirred　up　over　the



bar　was　a　mile　astern　of　her　now；　out　of　sight；　had　dis…



appeared　utterly；　and　the　smooth；　empty　sea　along　the



coast　was　left　behind　in　the　glittering　desolation　of　sun…



shine。　　On　each　side　of　her；　low　down；　the　growth　of



somber　twisted　mangroves　covered　the　semi…liquid　banks；



and　Massy　continued　in　his　old　tone；　with　an　abrupt



start；　as　if　his　speech　had　been　ground　out　of　him；　like



the　tune　of　a　music…box；　by　turning　a　handle。







〃Though　if　anybody　ever　got　the　best　of　me；　it　is　you。



I　don't　mind　saying　this。　　I've　said　itthere！　　What



more　can　you　want？　　Isn't　that　enough　for　your　pride；



Captain　Whalley。　　You　got　over　me　from　the　first。　　It's



all　of　a　piece；　when　I　look　back　at　it。　　You　allowed　me



to　insert　that　clause　about　intemperance　without　saying



anything；　only　looking　very　sick　when　I　made　a　point



of　it　going　in　black　on　white。　　How　could　I　tell　what



was　wrong　about　you。　　There's　generally　something



wrong　somewhere。　　And；　lo　and　behold！　when　you



come　on　board　it　turns　out　that　you've　been　in　the



habit　of　drinking　nothing　but　water　for　years　and



years。〃







His　dogmatic　reproachful　whine　stopped。　　He　brooded



profoundly；　after　the　manner　of　crafty　and　unintelli…



gent　men。　　It　seemed　inconceivable　that　Captain



Whalley　should　not　laugh　at　the　expression　of　disgust



that　overspread　the　heavy；　yellow　countenance。　　But



Captain　Whalley　never　raised　his　eyessitting　in　his



arm…chair；　outraged；　dignified；　and　motionless。







〃Much　good　it　was　to　me；〃　Massy　remonstrated



monotonously；　〃to　insert　a　clause　for　dismissal　for　in…



temperance　against　a　man　who　drinks　nothing　but　water。



And　you　looked　so　upset；　too；　when　I　read　my　draft　in



the　lawyer's　office　that　morning；　Captain　Whalley；



you　looked　so　crestfallen；　that　I　made　sure　I　had　gone



home　on　your　weak　spot。　　A　shipowner　can't　be　too



careful　as　to　the　sort　of　skipper　he　gets。　　You　must



have　been　laughing　at　me　in　your　sleeve　all　the　blessed



time。　。　。　。　　Eh？　　What　are　you　going　to　say？〃







Captain　Whalley　had　only　shuffled　his　feet　slightly。



A　dull　animosity　became　apparent　in　Massy's　sideways



stare。







〃But　recollect　that　there　are　other　grounds　of　dis…



missal。　　There's　habitual　carelessness；　amounting　to　in…



competencethere's　gross　and　persistent　neglect　of



duty。　　I　am　not　quite　as　big　a　fool　as　you　try　to　make



me　out　to　be。　　You　have　been　careless　of　lateleaving



everything　to　that　Serang。　　Why！　　I've　seen　you　let…



ting　that　old　fool　of　a　Malay　take　bearings　for　you；



as　if　you　were　too　big　to　attend　to　your　work　yourself。



And　what　do　you　call　that　silly　touch…and…go　manner



in　which　you　took　the　ship　over　the　bar　just　now？　　You



expect　me　to　put　up　with　that？〃







Leaning　on　his　elbow　against　the　ladder　abaft　the



bridge；　Sterne；　the　mate；　tried　to　hear；　blinking　the



while　from　the　distance　at　the　second　engineer；　who　had



come　up　for　a　moment；　and　stood　in　the　engine…room



companion。　　Wiping　his　hands　on　a　bunch　of　cotton



waste；　he