end of the tether-第20章

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bosom　of　the　earth。







On　such　days　the　luminous　sea　would　give　no　sign　of



the　dangers　lurking　on　both　sides　of　her　path。　　Every…



thing　remained　still；　crushed　by　the　overwhelming　power



of　the　light；　and　the　whole　group；　opaque　in　the　sun…



shine；the　rocks　resembling　pinnacles；　the　rocks　resem…



bling　spires；　the　rocks　resembling　ruins；　the　forms　of



islets　resembling　beehives；　resembling　mole…hills；　the



islets　recalling　the　shapes　of　haystacks；　the　contours　of



ivy…clad　towers；would　stand　reflected　together　upside



down　in　the　unwrinkled　water；　like　carved　toys　of　ebony



disposed　on　the　silvered　plate…glass　of　a　mirror。







The　first　touch　of　blowing　weather　would　envelop　the



whole　at　once　in　the　spume　of　the　windward　breakers；



as　if　in　a　sudden　cloudlike　burst　of　steam；　and　the　clear



water　seemed　fairly　to　boil　in　all　the　passages。　　The



provoked　sea　outlined　exactly　in　a　design　of　angry　foam



the　wide　base　of　the　group；　the　submerged　level　of



broken　waste　and　refuse　left　over　from　the　building　of



the　coast　near　by；　projecting　its　dangerous　spurs；　all



awash；　far　into　the　channel；　and　bristling　with　wicked



long　spits　often　a　mile　long：　with　deadly　spits　made　of



froth　and　stones。







And　even　nothing　more　than　a　brisk　breezeas　on



that　morning；　the　voyage　before；　when　the　Sofala　left



Pangu　bay　early；　and　Mr。　Sterne's　discovery　was　to



blossom　out　like　a　flower　of　incredible　and　evil　aspect



from　the　tiny　seed　of　instinctive　suspicion；even　such



a　breeze　had　enough　strength　to　tear　the　placid　mask



from　the　face　of　the　sea。　　To　Sterne；　gazing　with　indif…



ference；　it　had　been　like　a　revelation　to　behold　for　the



first　time　the　dangers　marked　by　the　hissing　livid



patches　on　the　water　as　distinctly　as　on　the　engraved



paper　of　a　chart。　　It　came　into　his　mind　that　this　was



the　sort　of　day　most　favorable　for　a　stranger　attempt…



ing　the　passage：　a　clear　day；　just　windy　enough　for



the　sea　to　break　on　every　ledge；　buoying；　as　it　were；



the　channel　plainly　to　the　sight；　whereas　during　a　calm



you　had　nothing　to　depend　on　but　the　compass　and　the



practiced　judgment　of　your　eye。　　And　yet　the　suc…



cessive　captains　of　the　Sofala　had　had　to　take　her



through　at　night　more　than　once。　　Nowadays　you　could



not　afford　to　throw　away　six　or　seven　hours　of　a



steamer's　time。　　That　you　couldn't。　　But　then　use　is



everything；　and　with　proper　care　。　。　。　　The　channel



was　broad　and　safe　enough；　the　main　point　was　to　hit



upon　the　entrance　correctly　in　the　darkfor　if　a　man



got　himself　involved　in　that　stretch　of　broken　water



over　yonder　he　would　never　get　out　with　a　whole　ship



if　he　ever　got　out　at　all。







This　was　Sterne's　last　train　of　thought　independent



of　the　great　discovery。　　He　had　just　seen　to　the　secur…



ing　of　the　anchor；　and　had　remained　forward　idling



away　a　moment　or　two。　　The　captain　was　in　charge　on



the　bridge。　　With　a　slight　yawn　he　had　turned　away



from　his　survey　of　the　sea　and　had　leaned　his　shoulders



against　the　fish　davit。







These；　properly　speaking；　were　the　very　last　moments



of　ease　he　was　to　know　on　board　the　Sofala。　　All　the



instants　that　came　after　were　to　be　pregnant　with　pur…



pose　and　intolerable　with　perplexity。　　No　more　idle；





random　thoughts；　the　discovery　would　put　them　on　the



rack；　till　sometimes　he　wished　to　goodness　he　had　been



fool　enough　not　to　make　it　at　all。　　And　yet；　if　his



chance　to　get　on　rested　on　the　discovery　of　〃something



wrong；〃　he　could　not　have　hoped　for　a　greater　stroke



of　luck。











X







The　knowledge　was　too　disturbing；　really。　　There　was



〃something　wrong〃　with　a　vengeance；　and　the　moral



certitude　of　it　was　at　first　simply　frightful　to　contem…



plate。　　Sterne　had　been　looking　aft　in　a　mood　so　idle；



that　for　once　he　was　thinking　no　harm　of　anyone。　　His



captain　on　the　bridge　presented　himself　naturally　to



his　sight。　　How　insignificant；　how　casual　was　the



thought　that　had　started　the　train　of　discoverylike　an



accidental　spark　that　suffices　to　ignite　the　charge　of　a



tremendous　mine！







Caught　under　by　the　breeze；　the　awnings　of　the　fore…



deck　bellied　upwards　and　collapsed　slowly；　and　above



their　heavy　flapping　the　gray　stuff　of　Captain　Whalley's



roomy　coat　fluttered　incessantly　around　his　arms　and



trunk。　　He　faced　the　wind　in　full　light；　with　his　great



silvery　beard　blown　forcibly　against　his　chest；　the　eye…



brows　overhung　heavily　the　shadows　whence　his　glance



appeared　to　be　staring　ahead　piercingly。　　Sterne　could



just　detect　the　twin　gleam　of　the　whites　shifting　under



the　shaggy　arches　of　the　brow。　　At　short　range　these



eyes；　for　all　the　man's　affable　manner；　seemed　to　look



you　through　and　through。　　Sterne　never　could　defend



himself　from　that　feeling　when　he　had　occasion　to　speak



with　his　captain。　　He　did　not　like　it。　　What　a　big



heavy　man　he　appeared　up　there；　with　that　little



shrimp　of　a　Serang　in　close　attendanceas　was　usual



in　this　extraordinary　steamer！　　Confounded　absurd　cus…



tom　that。　　He　resented　it。　　Surely　the　old　fellow　could



have　looked　after　his　ship　without　that　loafing　native



at　his　elbow。　　Sterne　wriggled　his　shoulders　with　dis…



gust。　　What　was　it？　　Indolence　or　what？







That　old　skipper　must　have　been　growing　lazy　for



years。　　They　all　grew　lazy　out　East　here　（Sterne　was



very　conscious　of　his　own　unimpaired　activity）；　they



got　slack　all　over。　　But　he　towered　very　erect　on　the



bridge；　and　quite　low　by　his　side；　as　you　see　a　small



child　looking　over　the　edge　of　a　table；　the　battered　soft



hat　and　the　brown　face　of　the　Serang　peeped　over　the



white　canvas　screen　of　the　rail。







No　doubt　the　Malay　was　standing　back；　nearer　to　the



wheel；　but　the　great　disparity　of　size　in　close　associa…



tion　amused　Sterne　like　the　observation　of　a　bizarre　fact



in　nature。　　They　were　as　queer　fish　out　of　the　sea　as



any　in　it。







He　saw　Captain　Whalley　turn　his　head　quickly　to



speak　to　his　Serang；　the　wind　whipped　the　whole　white



mass　of　the　beard　sideways。　　He　would　be　directing　the



chap　to　look　at　the　compass　for　him；　or　what　not。　　Of



course。　　Too　much　trouble　to　step　over　and　see　for　him…



self。　　Sterne's　scorn　for　that　bodily　indolence　which



overtakes　white　men　in　the　East　increased　on　reflection。



Some　of　them　would　be　utterly　lost　if　they　hadn't　all



these　natives　at　their　beck　and　call；　they　grew　perfectly



shameless　about　it　too。　　He　was　not　of　that　sort；　thank



God！　　It　wasn't　in　him　to　make　himself　dependent　for



his　work　on　any　shriveled…up　little　Malay　like　that。　　As



if　one　could　ever　trust　a　silly　native　for　anything　in



the　world！　　But　that　fine　old　man　thought　differently；



it　seems。　　There　they　were　together；　never　far　apart；



a　pair　of　them；　recalling　to　the　mind　an　old　whale　at…



tended　by　a　little　pilot…fish。







The　fancifulness　of　the　comparison　made　him　smile。



A　whale　with　an　inseparable　pilot…fish！　　That's　what



the　old　man　looked　like；　for　it　could　not　be　said　he



looked　like　a　shark；　though　Mr。　Massy　had　called　him



that　very　name。　　But　Mr。　Massy　did　not　mind　what　he



said　in　his　savage　fits。　　Sterne　smiled　to　himselfand



gradually　the　ideas　evoked　by　the　sound；　by　the　im…



agined　shape　of　the　word　pilot…fish；　the　ideas　of　aid；　of



guidance　needed　and　received；　came　uppermost　in　his



mind：　the　word　pilot　awakened　the　idea　of　trust；　of



dependence；　the　idea　of　welcome；　clear…eyed　help　brought



to　the　seaman　gropin