end of the tether-第23章

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The　passengers　for　Batu　Beru；　kneeling　on　the　planks；



were　engaged　in　rolling　their　bedding　of　mats　busily；



they　tied　up　bundles；　they　snapped　the　locks　of　wooden



chests。　　A　pockmarked　peddler　of　small　wares　threw　his



head　back　to　drain　into　his　throat　the　last　drops　out　of



an　earthenware　bottle　before　putting　it　away　in　a　roll



of　blankets。　　Knots　of　traveling　traders　standing　about



the　deck　conversed　in　low　tones；　the　followers　of　a　small



Rajah　from　down　the　coast；　broad…faced；　simple　young



fellows　in　white　drawers　and　round　white　cotton　caps



with　their　colored　sarongs　twisted　across　their　bronze



shoulders；　squatted　on　their　hams　on　the　hatch；　chewing



betel　with　bright　red　mouths　as　if　they　had　been　tasting



blood。　　Their　spears；　lying　piled　up　together　within　the



circle　of　their　bare　toes；　resembled　a　casual　bundle　of



dry　bamboos；　a　thin；　livid　Chinaman；　with　a　bulky



package　wrapped　up　in　leaves　already　thrust　under　his



arm；　gazed　ahead　eagerly；　a　wandering　Kling　rubbed



his　teeth　with　a　bit　of　wood；　pouring　over　the　side　a



bright　stream　of　water　out　of　his　lips；　the　fat　Rajah



dozed　in　a　shabby　deck…chair；and　at　the　turn　of　every



bend　the　two　walls　of　leaves　reappeared　running



parallel　along　the　banks；　with　their　impenetrable　solidity



fading　at　the　top　to　a　vaporous　mistiness　of　countless



slender　twigs　growing　free；　of　young　delicate　branches



shooting　from　the　topmost　limbs　of　hoary　trunks；　of



feathery　heads　of　climbers　like　delicate　silver　sprays



standing　up　without　a　quiver。　　There　was　not　a　sign



of　a　clearing　anywhere；　not　a　trace　of　human　habita…



tion；　except　when　in　one　place；　on　the　bare　end　of　a　low



point　under　an　isolated　group　of　slender　tree…ferns；　the



jagged；　tangled　remnants　of　an　old　hut　on　piles　ap…



peared　with　that　peculiar　aspect　of　ruined　bamboo　walls



that　look　as　if　smashed　with　a　club。　　Farther　on；　half



hidden　under　the　drooping　bushes；　a　canoe　containing



a　man　and　a　woman；　together　with　a　dozen　green　cocoa…



nuts　in　a　heap；　rocked　helplessly　after　the　Sofala　had



passed；　like　a　navigating　contrivance　of　venturesome



insects；　of　traveling　ants；　while　two　glassy　folds　of



water　streaming　away　from　each　bow　of　the　steamer



across　the　whole　width　of　the　river　ran　with　her　up



stream　smoothly；　fretting　their　outer　ends　into　a　brown



whispering　tumble　of　froth　against　the　miry　foot　of



each　bank。







〃I　must；〃　thought　Sterne；　〃bring　that　brute　Massy



to　his　bearings。　　It's　getting　too　absurd　in　the　end。



Here's　the　old　man　up　there　buried　in　his　chairhe



may　just　as　well　be　in　his　grave　for　all　the　use　he'll　ever



be　in　the　worldand　the　Serang's　in　charge。　　Because



that's　what　he　is。　　In　charge。　　In　the　place　that's　mine



by　rights。　　I　must　bring　that　savage　brute　to　his　bear…



ings。　　I'll　do　it　at　once；　too　。　。　。〃







When　the　mate　made　an　abrupt　start；　a　little　brown



half…naked　boy；　with　large　black　eyes；　and　the　string



of　a　written　charm　round　his　neck；　became　panic…struck



at　once。　　He　dropped　the　banana　he　had　been　munch…



ing；　and　ran　to　the　knee　of　a　grave　dark　Arab　in　flow…



ing　robes；　sitting　like　a　Biblical　figure；　incongruously；



on　a　yellow　tin　trunk　corded　with　a　rope　of　twisted



rattan。　　The　father；　unmoved；　put　out　his　hand　to　pat



the　little　shaven　poll　protectingly。











XI







Sterne　crossed　the　deck　upon　the　track　of　the　chief



engineer。　　Jack；　the　second；　retreating　backwards　down



the　engine…room　ladder；　and　still　wiping　his　hands；



treated　him　to　an　incomprehensible　grin　of　white　teeth



out　of　his　grimy　hard　face；　Massy　was　nowhere　to　be



seen。　　He　must　have　gone　straight　into　his　berth。



Sterne　scratched　at　the　door　softly；　then；　putting　his



lips　to　the　rose　of　the　ventilator；　said







〃I　must　speak　to　you；　Mr。　Massy。　　Just　give　me　a



minute　or　two。〃







〃I　am　busy。　　Go　away　from　my　door。〃







〃But　pray；　Mr。　Massy　。　。　。〃







〃You　go　away。　　D'you　hear？　　Take　yourself　off　alto…



getherto　the　other　end　of　the　shipquite　away　。　。　。〃



The　voice　inside　dropped　low。　　〃To　the　devil。〃







Sterne　paused：　then　very　quietly







〃It's　rather　pressing。　　When　do　you　think　you　will



be　at　liberty；　sir？〃







The　answer　to　this　was　an　exasperated　〃Never〃；　and



at　once　Sterne；　with　a　very　firm　expression　of　face；



turned　the　handle。







Mr。　Massy's　staterooma　narrow；　one…berth　cabin



smelt　strongly　of　soap；　and　presented　to　view　a　swept；



dusted；　unadorned　neatness；　not　so　much　bare　as　barren；



not　so　much　severe　as　starved　and　lacking　in　humanity；



like　the　ward　of　a　public　hospital；　or　rather　（owing　to



the　small　size）　like　the　clean　retreat　of　a　desperately



poor　but　exemplary　person。　　Not　a　single　photograph



frame　ornamented　the　bulkheads；　not　a　single　article　of



clothing；　not　as　much　as　a　spare　cap；　hung　from　the



brass　hooks。　　All　the　inside　was　painted　in　one　plain



tint　of　pale　blue；　two　big　sea…chests　in　sailcloth　covers



and　with　iron　padlocks　fitted　exactly　in　the　space　under



the　bunk。　　One　glance　was　enough　to　embrace　all　the



strip　of　scrubbed　planks　within　the　four　unconcealed



corners。　　The　absence　of　the　usual　settee　was　striking；



the　teak…wood　top　of　the　washing…stand　seemed　hermeti…



cally　closed；　and　so　was　the　lid　of　the　writing…desk；



which　protruded　from　the　partition　at　the　foot　of　the



bed…place；　containing　a　mattress　as　thin　as　a　pancake



under　a　threadbare　blanket　with　a　faded　red　stripe；　and



a　folded　mosquito…net　against　the　nights　spent　in　harbor。



There　was　not　a　scrap　of　paper　anywhere　in　sight；　no



boots　on　the　floor；　no　litter　of　any　sort；　not　a　speck　of



dust　anywhere；　no　traces　of　pipe…ash　even；　which；　in



a　heavy　smoker；　was　morally　revolting；　like　a　manifesta…



tion　of　extreme　hypocrisy；　and　the　bottom　of　the　old



wooden　arm…chair　（the　only　seat　there）；　polished　with



much　use；　shone　as　if　its　shabbiness　had　been　waxed。



The　screen　of　leaves　on　the　bank；　passing　as　if　unrolled



endlessly　in　the　round　opening　of　the　port；　sent　a　waver…



ing　network　of　light　and　shade　into　the　place。







Sterne；　holding　the　door　open　with　one　hand；　had　thrust



in　his　head　and　shoulders。　　At　this　amazing　intrusion



Massy；　who　was　doing　absolutely　nothing；　jumped　up



speechless。







〃Don't　call　names；〃　murmured　Sterne　hurriedly。　　〃I



won't　be　called　names。　　I　think　of　nothing　but　your



good；　Mr。　Massy。〃







A　pause　as　of　extreme　astonishment　followed。　　They



both　seemed　to　have　lost　their　tongues。　　Then　the　mate



went　on　with　a　discreet　glibness。







〃You　simply　couldn't　conceive　what's　going　on　on



board　your　ship。　　It　wouldn't　enter　your　head　for　a



moment。　　You　are　too　goodtootoo　upright；　Mr。



Massy；　to　suspect　anybody　of　such　a　。　。　。　　It's　enough



to　make　your　hair　stand　on　end。〃







He　watched　for　the　effect：　Massy　seemed　dazed；　un…



comprehending。　　He　only　passed　the　palm　of　his　hand



on　the　coal…black　wisps　plastered　across　the　top　of　his



head。　　In　a　tone　suddenly　changed　to　confidential　au…



dacity　Sterne　hastened　on。







〃Remember　that　there's　only　six　weeks　left　to



run　。　。　。〃　　The　other　was　looking　at　him　stonily　。　。　。



〃so　anyhow　you　shall　require　a　captain　for　the　ship



before　long。〃







Then　only；　as　if　that　suggestion　had　scarified　his　flesh



in　the　manner　of　red…hot　iron；　Massy　gave　a　start　and



seemed　ready　to　shriek。　　He　contained　himself　by　a



great　effort。







〃Require　a　captain；〃　he　repeated