end of the tether-第19章

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to　sing　in　the　rigging；　the　sea　along　the　coast；　green



and　as　if　swollen　a　little　above　the　line　of　the　horizon；



seemed　to　pour　itself　over；　time　after　time；　with　a　slow



and　thundering　fall；　into　the　shadow　of　the　leeward



cape；　and　across　the　wide　opening　the　nearest　of　a



group　of　small　islands　stood　enveloped　in　the　hazy



yellow　light　of　a　breezy　sunrise；　still　farther　out　the



hummocky　tops　of　other　islets　peeped　out　motionless



above　the　water　of　the　channels　between；　scoured



tumultuously　by　the　breeze。







The　usual　track　of　the　Sofala　both　going　and　return…



ing　on　every　trip　led　her　for　a　few　miles　along　this　reef…



infested　region。　　She　followed　a　broad　lane　of　water；



dropping　astern；　one　after　another；　these　crumbs　of　the



earth's　crust　resembling　a　squadron　of　dismasted　hulks



run　in　disorder　upon　a　foul　ground　of　rocks　and　shoals。



Some　of　these　fragments　of　land　appeared；　indeed；　no



bigger　than　a　stranded　ship；　others；　quite　flat；　lay



awash　like　anchored　rafts；　like　ponderous；　black　rafts



of　stone；　several；　heavily　timbered　and　round　at　the



base；　emerged　in　squat　domes　of　deep　green　foliage　that



shuddered　darkly　all　over　to　the　flying　touch　of　cloud



shadows　driven　by　the　sudden　gusts　of　the　squally　sea…



son。　　The　thunderstorms　of　the　coast　broke　frequently



over　that　cluster；　it　turned　then　shadowy　in　its　whole



extent；　it　turned　more　dark；　and　as　if　more　still　in　the



play　of　fire；　as　if　more　impenetrably　silent　in　the　peals



of　thunder；　its　blurred　shapes　vanisheddissolving　ut…



terly　at　times　in　the　thick　rainto　reappear　clear…cut



and　black　in　the　stormy　light　against　the　gray　sheet　of



the　cloudscattered　on　the　slaty　round　table　of



the　sea。　　Unscathed　by　storms；　resisting　the　work　of



years；　unfretted　by　the　strife　of　the　world；　there　it　lay



unchanged　as　on　that　day；　four　hundred　years　ago；



when　first　beheld　by　Western　eyes　from　the　deck　of



a　high…pooped　caravel。







It　was　one　of　these　secluded　spots　that　may　be　found



on　the　busy　sea；　as　on　land　you　come　sometimes　upon　the



clustered　houses　of　a　hamlet　untouched　by　men's　rest…



lessness；　untouched　by　their　need；　by　their　thought；　and



as　if　forgotten　by　time　itself。　　The　lives　of　uncounted



generations　had　passed　it　by；　and　the　multitudes　of　sea…



fowl；　urging　their　way　from　all　the　points　of　the　horizon



to　sleep　on　the　outer　rocks　of　the　group；　unrolled　the



converging　evolutions　of　their　flight　in　long　somber



streamers　upon　the　glow　of　the　sky。　　The　palpitating



cloud　of　their　wings　soared　and　stooped　over　the　pinna…



cles　of　the　rocks；　over　the　rocks　slender　like　spires；　squat



like　martello　towers；　over　the　pyramidal　heaps　like　fallen



ruins；　over　the　lines　of　bald　bowlders　showing　like　a　wall



of　stones　battered　to　pieces　and　scorched　by　lightning



with　the　sleepy；　clear　glimmer　of　water　in　every　breach。



The　noise　of　their　continuous　and　violent　screaming



filled　the　air。







This　great　noise　would　meet　the　Sofala　coming　up　from



Batu　Beru；　it　would　meet　her　on　quiet　evenings；　a　piti…



less　and　savage　clamor　enfeebled　by　distance；　the



clamor　of　seabirds　settling　to　rest；　and　struggling　for



a　footing　at　the　end　of　the　day。　　No　one　noticed　it



especially　on　board；　it　was　the　voice　of　their　ship's　un…



erring　landfall；　ending　the　steady　stretch　of　a　hundred



miles。　　She　had　made　good　her　course；　she　had　run　her



distance　till　the　punctual　islets　began　to　emerge　one　by



one；　the　points　of　rocks；　the　hummocks　of　earth　。　。　。



and　the　cloud　of　birds　hoveredthe　restless　cloud　emit…



ting　a　strident　and　cruel　uproar；　the　sound　of　the　fa…



miliar　scene；　the　living　part　of　the　broken　land　beneath；



of　the　outspread　sea；　and　of　the　high　sky　without　a



flaw。







But　when　the　Sofala　happened　to　close　with　the　land



after　sunset　she　would　find　everything　very　still　there



under　the　mantle　of　the　night。　　All　would　be　still；　dumb；



almost　invisiblebut　for　the　blotting　out　of　the　low



constellations　occulted　in　turns　behind　the　vague　masses



of　the　islets　whose　true　outlines　eluded　the　eye　amongst



the　dark　spaces　of　the　heaven：　and　the　ship's　three　lights；



resembling　three　starsthe　red　and　the　green　with　the



white　aboveher　three　lights；　like　three　companion



stars　wandering　on　the　earth；　held　their　unswerving



course　for　the　passage　at　the　southern　end　of　the　group。



Sometimes　there　were　human　eyes　open　to　watch　them



come　nearer；　traveling　smoothly　in　the　somber　void；　the



eyes　of　a　naked　fisherman　in　his　canoe　floating　over　a



reef。　　He　thought　drowsily：　〃Ha！　　The　fire…ship　that



once　in　every　moon　goes　in　and　comes　out　of　Pangu



bay。〃　　More　he　did　not　know　of　her。　　And　just　as　he



had　detected　the　faint　rhythm　of　the　propeller　beating



the　calm　water　a　mile　and　a　half　away；　the　time　would



come　for　the　Sofala　to　alter　her　course；　the　lights　would



swing　off　him　their　triple　beamand　disappear。







A　few　miserable；　half…naked　families；　a　sort　of　outcast



tribe　of　long…haired；　lean；　and　wild…eyed　people；　strove



for　their　living　in　this　lonely　wilderness　of　islets；　lying



like　an　abandoned　outwork　of　the　land　at　the　gates　of



the　bay。　　Within　the　knots　and　loops　of　the　rocks　the



water　rested　more　transparent　than　crystal　under　their



crooked　and　leaky　canoes；　scooped　out　of　the　trunk　of



a　tree：　the　forms　of　the　bottom　undulated　slightly　to



the　dip　of　a　paddle；　and　the　men　seemed　to　hang　in　the



air；　they　seemed　to　hang　inclosed　within　the　fibers　of　a



dark；　sodden　log；　fishing　patiently　in　a　strange；　un…



steady；　pellucid；　green　air　above　the　shoals。







Their　bodies　stalked　brown　and　emaciated　as　if　dried



up　in　the　sunshine；　their　lives　ran　out　silently；　the



homes　where　they　were　born；　went　to　rest；　and　died



flimsy　sheds　of　rushes　and　coarse　grass　eked　out　with



a　few　ragged　matswere　hidden　out　of　sight　from　the



open　sea。　　No　glow　of　their　household　fires　ever　kindled



for　a　seaman　a　red　spark　upon　the　blind　night　of　the



group：　and　the　calms　of　the　coast；　the　flaming　long



calms　of　the　equator；　the　unbreathing；　concentrated



calms　like　the　deep　introspection　of　a　passionate　nature；



brooded　awfully　for　days　and　weeks　together　over　the



unchangeable　inheritance　of　their　children；　till　at　last



the　stones；　hot　like　live　embers；　scorched　the　naked　sole；



till　the　water　clung　warm；　and　sickly；　and　as　if　thick…



ened；　about　the　legs　of　lean　men　with　girded　loins；　wad…



ing　thigh…deep　in　the　pale　blaze　of　the　shallows。　　And



it　would　happen　now　and　then　that　the　Sofala；　through



some　delay　in　one　of　the　ports　of　call；　would　heave　in



sight　making　for　Pangu　bay　as　late　as　noonday。







Only　a　blurring　cloud　at　first；　the　thin　mist　of　her



smoke　would　arise　mysteriously　from　an　empty　point　on



the　clear　line　of　sea　and　sky。　　The　taciturn　fishermen



within　the　reefs　would　extend　their　lean　arms　towards



the　offing；　and　the　brown　figures　stooping　on　the　tiny



beaches；　the　brown　figures　of　men；　women；　and　children



grubbing　in　the　sand　in　search　of　turtles'　eggs；　would



rise　up；　crooked　elbow　aloft　and　hand　over　the　eyes；　to



watch　this　monthly　apparition　glide　straight　on；　swerve



offand　go　by。　　Their　ears　caught　the　panting　of　that



ship；　their　eyes　followed　her　till　she　passed　between　the



two　capes　of　the　mainland　going　at　full　speed　as　though



she　hoped　to　make　her　way　unchecked　into　the　very



bosom　of　the　earth。







On　such　days　the　luminous　sea　would　give　no　sign　of



the　dangers　lurking　on　both　sides　of　h