end of the tether-第24章

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seemed　ready　to　shriek。　　He　contained　himself　by　a



great　effort。







〃Require　a　captain；〃　he　repeated　with　scathing　slow…



ness。　　〃Who　requires　a　captain？　　You　dare　to　tell　me



that　I　need　any　of　you　humbugging　sailors　to　run　my



ship。　　You　and　your　likes　have　been　fattening　on　me



for　years。　　It　would　have　hurt　me　less　to　throw



my　money　overboard。　　Pampered　useless



f…f…f…frauds。　　The　old　ship　knows　as　much　as　the　best



of　you。〃　　He　snapped　his　teeth　audibly　and　growled



through　them；　〃The　silly　law　requires　a　captain。〃







Sterne　had　taken　heart　of　grace　meantime。







〃And　the　silly　insurance　people　too；　as　well；〃　he　said



lightly。　　〃But　never　mind　that。　　What　I　want　to　ask



is：　Why　shouldn't　_I_　do；　sir？　　I　don't　say　but　you　could



take　a　steamer　about　the　world　as　well　as　any　of　us



sailors。　　I　don't　pretend　to　tell　YOU　that　it　is　a　very



great　trick　。　。　。〃　　He　emitted　a　short；　hollow　guffaw；



familiarly　。　。　。　　〃I　didn't　make　the　lawbut　there　it



is；　and　I　am　an　active　young　fellow！　　I　quite　hold　with



your　ideas；　I　know　your　ways　by　this　time；　Mr。　Massy。



I　wouldn't　try　to　give　myself　airs　like　thatthater



lazy　specimen　of　an　old　man　up　there。〃







He　put　a　marked　emphasis　on　the　last　sentence；　to



lead　Massy　away　from　the　track　in　case　。　。　。　but　he



did　not　doubt　of　now　holding　his　success。　　The　chief



engineer　seemed　nonplused；　like　a　slow　man　invited　to



catch　hold　of　a　whirligig　of　some　sort。







〃What　you　want；　sir；　is　a　chap　with　no　nonsense　about



him；　who　would　be　content　to　be　your　sailing…master。



Quite　right；　too。　　Well；　I　am　fit　for　the　work　as　much



as　that　Serang。　　Because　that's　what　it　amounts　to。



Do　you　know；　sir；　that　a　dam'　Malay　like　a　monkey　is



in　charge　of　your　shipand　no　one　else。　　Just　listen



to　his　feet　pit…patting　above　us　on　the　bridgereal



officer　in　charge。　　He's　taking　her　up　the　river　while



the　great　man　is　wallowing　in　the　chairperhaps　asleep；



and　if　he　is；　that　would　not　make　it　much　worse　either



take　my　word　for　it。〃







He　tried　to　thrust　himself　farther　in。　　Massy；　with



lowered　forehead；　one　hand　grasping　the　back　of　the



arm…chair；　did　not　budge。







〃You　think；　sir；　that　the　man　has　got　you　tight　in



his　agreement　。　。　。〃　　Massy　raised　a　heavy　snarling



face　at　this　。　。　。　　〃Well；　sir；　one　can't　help　hearing



of　it　on　board。　　It's　no　secret。　　And　it　has　been　the



talk　on　shore　for　years；　fellows　have　been　making　bets



about　it。　　No；　sir！　　It's　YOU　who　have　got　him　at　your



mercy。　　You　will　say　that　you　can't　dismiss　him　for



indolence。　　Difficult　to　prove　in　court；　and　so　on。　　Why；



yes。　　But　if　you　say　the　word；　sir；　I　can　tell　you　some…



thing　about　his　indolence　that　will　give　you　the　clear



right　to　fire　him　out　on　the　spot　and　put　me　in　charge



for　the　rest　of　this　very　tripyes；　sir；　before　we　leave



Batu　Beruand　make　him　pay　a　dollar　a　day　for　his



keep　till　we　get　back；　if　you　like。　　Now；　what　do　you



think　of　that？　　Come；　sir。　　Say　the　word。　　It's　really



well　worth　your　while；　and　I　am　quite　ready　to　take



your　bare　word。　　A　definite　statement　from　you　would



be　as　good　as　a　bond。〃







His　eyes　began　to　shine。　　He　insisted。　　A　simple　state…



ment；and　he　thought　to　himself　that　he　would　man…



age　somehow　to　stick　in　his　berth　as　long　as　it　suited



him。　　He　would　make　himself　indispensable；　the　ship



had　a　bad　name　in　her　port；　it　would　be　easy　to　scare



the　fellows　off。　　Massy　would　have　to　keep　him。







〃A　definite　statement　from　me　would　be　enough；〃



Massy　repeated　slowly。







〃Yes；　sir。　　It　would。〃　　Sterne　stuck　out　his　chin



cheerily　and　blinked　at　close　quarters　with　that　uncon…



scious　impudence　which　had　the　power　to　enrage　Massy



beyond　anything。







The　engineer　spoke　very　distinctly。







〃Listen　well　to　me；　then；　Mr。　Sterne：　I　wouldn't



d'ye　hear？I　wouldn't　promise　you　the　value　of　two



pence　for　anything　YOU　can　tell　me。〃







He　struck　Sterne's　arm　away　with　a　smart　blow；　and



catching　hold　of　the　handle　pulled　the　door　to。　　The



terrific　slam　darkened　the　cabin　instantaneously　to　his



eye　as　if　after　the　flash　of　an　explosion。　　At　once　he



dropped　into　the　chair。　　〃Oh；　no！　　You　don't！〃　he



whispered　faintly。







The　ship　had　in　that　place　to　shave　the　bank　so　close



that　the　gigantic　wall　of　leaves　came　gliding　like　a



shutter　against　the　port；　the　darkness　of　the　primeval



forest　seemed　to　flow　into　that　bare　cabin　with　the　odor



of　rotting　leaves；　of　sodden　soilthe　strong　muddy　smell



of　the　living　earth　steaming　uncovered　after　the　pass…



ing　of　a　deluge。　　The　bushes　swished　loudly　alongside；



above　there　was　a　series　of　crackling　sounds；　with　a



sharp　rain　of　small　broken　branches　falling　on　the



bridge；　a　creeper　with　a　great　rustle　snapped　on　the



head　of　a　boat　davit；　and　a　long；　luxuriant　green　twig



actually　whipped　in　and　out　of　the　open　port；　leaving



behind　a　few　torn　leaves　that　remained　suddenly　at　rest



on　Mr。　Massy's　blanket。　　Then；　the　ship　sheering　out



in　the　stream；　the　light　began　to　return　but　did　not



augment　beyond　a　subdued　clearness：　for　the　sun　was



very　low　already；　and　the　river；　wending　its　sinuous



course　through　a　multitude　of　secular　trees　as　if　at　the



bottom　of　a　precipitous　gorge；　had　been　already　in…



vaded　by　a　deepening　gloomthe　swift　precursor　of



the　night。







〃Oh；　no；　you　don't！〃　murmured　the　engineer　again。



His　lips　trembled　almost　imperceptibly；　his　hands　too；



a　little：　and　to　calm　himself　he　opened　the　writing…desk；



spread　out　a　sheet　of　thin　grayish　paper　covered　with



a　mass　of　printed　figures　and　began　to　scan　them　at…



tentively　for　the　twentieth　time　this　trip　at　least。







With　his　elbows　propped；　his　head　between　his　hands；



he　seemed　to　lose　himself　in　the　study　of　an　abstruse



problem　in　mathematics。　　It　was　the　list　of　the　winning



numbers　from　the　last　drawing　of　the　great　lottery



which　had　been　the　one　inspiring　fact　of　so　many　years



of　his　existence。　　The　conception　of　a　life　deprived　of



that　periodical　sheet　of　paper　had　slipped　away　from



him　entirely；　as　another　man；　according　to　his　nature；



would　not　have　been　able　to　conceive　a　world　without



fresh　air；　without　activity；　or　without　affection。　　A



great　pile　of　flimsy　sheets　had　been　growing　for　years



in　his　desk；　while　the　Sofala；　driven　by　the　faithful



Jack；　wore　out　her　boilers　in　tramping　up　and　down　the



Straits；　from　cape　to　cape；　from　river　to　river；　from



bay　to　bay；　accumulating　by　that　hard　labor　of　an



overworked；　starved　ship　the　blackened　mass　of　these



documents。　　Massy　kept　them　under　lock　and　key　like



a　treasure。　　There　was　in　them；　as　in　the　experience



of　life；　the　fascination　of　hope；　the　excitement　of　a　half…



penetrated　mystery；　the　longing　of　a　half…satisfied



desire。







For　days　together；　on　a　trip；　he　would　shut　himself



up　in　his　berth　with　them：　the　thump　of　the　toiling



engines　pulsated　in　his　ear；　and　he　would　weary　his



brain　poring　over　the　rows　of　disconnected　figures；　be…



wildering　by　their　senseless　sequence；　resembling　the



hazards　of　destiny　itself。　　He　nourished　a　conviction



that　there　must　be　some　logic　lurking　somewhere　in　the



results　of　chance。　　He　thought　he　had　seen　its　very



form。　　His　head　swam；　his　limbs　ached；　he　puffed　at



his　pipe　mechanically；　a　contemplative　stupor　would



soothe　the　fretfulness　of　his　temper；　like　the　passive



bodily　quietude　procured　by　a　drug；　while　the　i