end of the tether-第35章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！






〃I　take　it；　then；　that　this　may　be　done　without　any



trouble。〃







〃Well；　sir；　what　risk　there　is　can't　be　helped；　but



（speaking　to　you　as　my　employer　now）　the　thing　is



more　safe　than　it　looks。　　If　anybody　had　told　me　of　it



I　wouldn't　have　believed　it；　but　I　have　been　looking　on



myself。　　That　old　Serang　has　been　trained　up　to　the



game。　　There's　nothing　the　matter　with　hishis



limbs；　sir。　　He's　got　used　to　doing　things　himself　in　a



remarkable　way。　　And　let　me　tell　you；　sir；　that　Cap…



tain　Whalley；　poor　man；　is　by　no　means　useless。　　Fact。



Let　me　explain　to　you；　sir。　　He　stiffens　up　that　old



monkey　of　a　Malay；　who　knows　well　enough　what　to　do。



Why；　he　must　have　kept　captain's　watches　in　all　sorts　of



country　ships　off　and　on　for　the　last　five…and…twenty



years。　　These　natives；　sir；　as　long　as　they　have　a　white



man　close　at　the　back；　will　go　on　doing　the　right　thing



most　surprisingly　welleven　if　left　quite　to　themselves。



Only　the　white　man　must　be　of　the　sort　to　put　starch



into　them；　and　the　captain　is　just　the　one　for　that。



Why；　sir；　he　has　drilled　him　so　well　that　now　he　needs



hardly　speak　at　all。　　I　have　seen　that　little　wrinkled



ape　made　to　take　the　ship　out　of　Pangu　Bay　on　a



blowy　morning　and　on　all　through　the　islands；　take



her　out　first…rate；　sir；　dodging　under　the　old　man's



elbow；　and　in　such　quiet　style　that　you　could　not　have



told　for　the　life　of　you　which　of　the　two　was　doing　the



work　up　there。　　That's　where　our　poor　friend　would　be



still　of　use　to　the　ship　even　ififhe　could　no　longer



lift　a　foot；　sir。　　Provided　the　Serang　does　not　know



that　there's　anything　wrong。〃







〃He　doesn't。〃







〃Naturally　not。　　Quite　beyond　his　apprehension。



They　aren't　capable　of　finding　out　anything　about　us；



sir。〃







〃You　seem　to　be　a　shrewd　man；〃　said　Mr。　Van　Wyk



in　a　choked　mutter；　as　though　he　were　feeling　sick。







〃You'll　find　me　a　good　enough　servant；　sir。〃







Mr。　Sterne　hoped　now　for　a　handshake　at　least；　but



unexpectedly；　with　a　〃What's　this？　　Better　not　to　be



seen　together；〃　Mr。　Van　Wyk's　white　shape　wavered；



and　instantly　seemed　to　melt　away　in　the　black　air　under



the　roof　of　boughs。　　The　mate　was　startled。　　Yes。



There　was　that　faint　thumping　clatter。







He　stole　out　silently　from　under　the　shade。　　The



lighted　port…hole　shone　from　afar。　　His　head　swam　with



the　intoxication　of　sudden　success。　　What　a　thing　it



was　to　have　a　gentleman　to　deal　with！　　He　crept　aboard；



and　there　was　something　weird　in　the　shadowy　stretch



of　empty　decks；　echoing　with　shouts　and　blows　proceed…



ing　from　a　darker　part　amidships。　　Mr。　Massy　was



raging　before　the　door　of　the　berth：　the　drunken　voice



within　flowed　on　undisturbed　in　the　violent　racket　of



kicks。







〃Shut　up！　　Put　your　light　out　and　turn　in；　you



confounded　swilling　pigyou！　　D'you　hear　me；　you



beast？〃







The　kicking　stopped；　and　in　the　pause　the　muzzy



oracular　voice　announced　from　within







〃Ah！　　Massy；　nowthat's　another　thing。　　Massy's



deep。〃







〃Who's　that　aft　there？　　You；　Sterne？　　He'll　drink



himself　into　a　fit　of　horrors。〃　　The　chief　engineer　ap…



peared　vague　and　big　at　the　corner　of　the　engine…



room。







〃He　will　be　good　enough　for　duty　to…morrow。　　I　would



let　him　be；　Mr。　Massy。〃







Sterne　slipped　away　into　his　berth；　and　at　once　had



to　sit　down。　　His　head　swam　with　exultation。　　He　got



into　his　bunk　as　if　in　a　dream。　　A　feeling　of　profound



peace；　of　pacific　joy；　came　over　him。　　On　deck　all　was



quiet。







Mr。　Massy；　with　his　ear　against　the　door　of　Jack's



cabin；　listened　critically　to　a　deep　stertorous　breathing



within。　　This　was　a　dead…drunk　sleep。　　The　bout　was



over：　tranquilized　on　that　score；　he　too　went　in；　and



with　slow　wriggles　got　out　of　his　old　tweed　jacket。　　It



was　a　garment　with　many　pockets；　which　he　used　to　put



on　at　odd　times　of　the　day；　being　subject　to　sudden



chilly　fits；　and　when　he　felt　warmed　he　would　take　it　off



and　hang　it　about　anywhere　all　over　the　ship。　　It　would



be　seen　swinging　on　belaying…pins；　thrown　over　the



heads　of　winches；　suspended　on　people's　very　door…



handles　for　that　matter。　　Was　he　not　the　owner？　　But



his　favorite　place　was　a　hook　on　a　wooden　awning



stanchion　on　the　bridge；　almost　against　the　binnacle。



He　had　even　in　the　early　days　more　than　one　tussle　on



that　point　with　Captain　Whalley；　who　desired　the



bridge　to　be　kept　tidy。　　He　had　been　overawed　then。



Of　late；　though；　he　had　been　able　to　defy　his　partner



with　impunity。　　Captain　Whalley　never　seemed　to



notice　anything　now。　　As　to　the　Malays；　in　their　awe



of　that　scowling　man　not　one　of　the　crew　would　dream



of　laying　a　hand　on　the　thing；　no　matter　where　or　what



it　swung　from。







With　an　unexpectedness　which　made　Mr。　Massy　jump



and　drop　the　coat　at　his　feet；　there　came　from　the　next



berth　the　crash　and　thud　of　a　headlong；　jingling；　clat…



tering　fall。　　The　faithful　Jack　must　have　dropped　to



sleep　suddenly　as　he　sat　at　his　revels；　and　now　had



gone　over　chair　and　all；　breaking；　as　it　seemed　by　the



sound；　every　single　glass　and　bottle　in　the　place。　　After



the　terrific　smash　all　was　still　for　a　time　in　there；　as



though　he　had　killed　himself　outright　on　the　spot。　　Mr。



Massy　held　his　breath。　　At　last　a　sleepy　uneasy　groan…



ing　sigh　was　exhaled　slowly　on　the　other　side　of　the



bulkhead。







〃I　hope　to　goodness　he's　too　drunk　to　wake　up　now；〃



muttered　Mr。　Massy。







The　sound　of　a　softly　knowing　laugh　nearly　drove



him　to　despair。　　He　swore　violently　under　his　breath。



The　fool　would　keep　him　awake　all　night　now　for　cer…



tain。　　He　cursed　his　luck。　　He　wanted　to　forget　his



maddening　troubles　in　sleep　sometimes。　　He　could　detect



no　movements。　　Without　apparently　making　the　slight…



est　attempt　to　get　up；　Jack　went　on　sniggering　to　him…



self　where　he　lay；　then　began　to　speak；　where　he　had



left　off　as　it　were







〃Massy！　　I　love　the　dirty　rascal。　　He　would　like　to



see　his　poor　old　Jack　starvebut　just　you　look　where



he　has　climbed　to。〃　。　。　。　　He　hiccoughed　in　a　superior；



leisurely　manner。　。　。　。　　〃Ship…owning　it　with　the　best。



A　lottery　ticket　you　want。　　Ha！　ha！　　I　will　give　you



lottery　tickets；　my　boy。　　Let　the　old　ship　sink　and　the



old　chum　starvethat's　right。　　He　don't　go　wrong



Massy　don't。　　Not　he。　　He's　a　geniusthat　man　is。



That's　the　way　to　win　your　money。　　Ship　and　chum



must　go。〃







〃The　silly　fool　has　taken　it　to　heart；〃　muttered　Massy



to　himself。　　And；　listening　with　a　softened　expression



of　face　for　any　slight　sign　of　returning　drowsiness；　he



was　discouraged　profoundly　by　a　burst　of　laughter　full



of　joyful　irony。







〃Would　like　to　see　her　at　the　bottom　of　the　sea！　　Oh；



you　clever；　clever　devil！　　Wish　her　sunk；　eh？　　I　should



think　you　would；　my　boy；　the　damned　old　thing　and



all　your　troubles　with　her。　　Rake　in　the　insurance　money



turn　your　back　on　your　old　chumall's　wellgentle…



man　again。〃







A　grim　stillness　had　come　over　Massy's　face。　　Only



his　big　black　eyes　rolled　uneasily。　　The　raving　fool。



And　yet　it　was　all　true。　　Yes。　　Lottery　tickets；　too。



All　true。　　What？　　Beginning　again？　　He　wished　he



wouldn't。　。　。　。







But　it　was　even　so。　　The　imaginative　drunkard　on



the　other　side　of　the　bulkhead　shook　off　the　deathlike



stillness　that　after　his　last　words　had　fallen　on　the　dark



ship　moored　to　a　silent　shore。