end of the tether-第36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！





ship　moored　to　a　silent　shore。







〃Don't　you　dare　to　say　anything　against　George



Massy；　Esquire。　　When　he's　tired　of　waiting　he　will　do



away　with　her。　　Look　out！　　Down　she　goeschum　and



all。　　He'll　know　how　to　。　。　。〃







The　voice　hesitated；　weary；　dreamy；　lost；　as　if　dying



away　in　a　vast　open　space。







〃。　。　。　Find　a　trick　that　will　work。　　He's　up　to　it



never　fear　。　。　。〃







He　must　have　been　very　drunk；　for　at　last　the　heavy



sleep　gripped　him　with　the　suddenness　of　a　magic　spell；



and　the　last　word　lengthened　itself　into　an　interminable；



noisy；　in…drawn　snore。　　And　then　even　the　snoring



stopped；　and　all　was　still。







But　it　seemed　as　though　Mr。　Massy　had　suddenly　come



to　doubt　the　efficacy　of　sleep　as　against　a　man's　troubles；



or　perhaps　he　had　found　the　relief　he　needed　in　the



stillness　of　a　calm　contemplation　that　may　contain　the



vivid　thoughts　of　wealth；　of　a　stroke　of　luck；　of　long



idleness；　and　may　bring　before　you　the　imagined　form



of　every　desire；　for；　turning　about　and　throwing　his



arms　over　the　edge　of　his　bunk；　he　stood　there　with　his



feet　on　his　favorite　old　coat；　looking　out　through　the



round　port　into　the　night　over　the　river。　　Sometimes



a　breath　of　wind　would　enter　and　touch　his　face；　a　cool



breath　charged　with　the　damp；　fresh　feel　from　a　vast



body　of　water。　　A　glimmer　here　and　there　was　all　he



could　see　of　it；　and　once　he　might　after　all　suppose　he



had　dozed　off；　since　there　appeared　before　his　vision；



unexpectedly　and　connected　with　no　dream；　a　row　of



flaming　and　gigantic　figuresthree　naught　seven　one



twomaking　up　a　number　such　as　you　may　see　on　a



lottery　ticket。　　And　then　all　at　once　the　port　was　no



longer　black：　it　was　pearly　gray；　framing　a　shore



crowded　with　houses；　thatched　roof　beyond　thatched



roof；　walls　of　mats　and　bamboo；　gables　of　carved　teak



timber。　　Rows　of　dwellings　raised　on　a　forest　of　piles



lined　the　steely　band　of　the　river；　brimful　and　still；　with



the　tide　at　the　turn。　　This　was　Batu　Beruand　the



day　had　come。







Mr。　Massy　shook　himself；　put　on　the　tweed　coat；　and；



shivering　nervously　as　if　from　some　great　shock；　made



a　note　of　the　number。　　A　fortunate；　rare　hint　that。



Yes；　but　to　pursue　fortune　one　wanted　moneyready



cash。







Then　he　went　out　and　prepared　to　descend　into　the



engine…room。　　Several　small　jobs　had　to　be　seen　to；　and



Jack　was　lying　dead　drunk　on　the　floor　of　his　cabin；



with　the　door　locked　at　that。　　His　gorge　rose　at　the



thought　of　work。　　Ay！　　But　if　you　wanted　to　do　noth…



ing　you　had　to　get　first　a　good　bit　of　money。　　A



ship　won't　save　you。　　He　cursed　the　Sofala。　　True；　all



true。　　He　was　tired　of　waiting　for　some　chance　that



would　rid　him　at　last　of　that　ship　that　had　turned　out



a　curse　on　his　life。











XIV







The　deep；　interminable　hoot　of　the　steam…whistle　had；



in　its　grave；　vibrating　note；　something　intolerable；



which　sent　a　slight　shudder　down　Mr。　Van　Wyk's　back。



It　was　the　early　afternoon；　the　Sofala　was　leaving　Batu



Beru　for　Pangu；　the　next　place　of　call。　　She　swung　in



the　stream；　scantily　attended　by　a　few　canoes；　and；　glid…



ing　on　the　broad　river；　became　lost　to　view　from　the



Van　Wyk　bungalow。







Its　owner　had　not　gone　this　time　to　see　her　off。　　Gen…



erally　he　came　down　to　the　wharf；　exchanged　a　few



words　with　the　bridge　while　she　cast　off；　and　waved　his



hand　to　Captain　Whalley　at　the　last　moment。　　This　day



he　did　not　even　go　as　far　as　the　balustrade　of　the



veranda。　　〃He　couldn't　see　me　if　I　did；〃　he　said　to



himself。　　〃I　wonder　whether　he　can　make　out　the　house



at　all。〃　　And　this　thought　somehow　made　him　feel　more



alone　than　he　had　ever　felt　for　all　these　years。　　What



was　it？　six　or　seven？　　Seven。　　A　long　time。







He　sat　on　the　veranda　with　a　closed　book　on　his　knee；



and；　as　it　were；　looked　out　upon　his　solitude；　as　if　the



fact　of　Captain　Whalley's　blindness　had　opened　his



eyes　to　his　own。　　There　were　many　sorts　of　heartaches



and　troubles；　and　there　was　no　place　where　they　could



not　find　a　man　out。　　And　he　felt　ashamed；　as　though



he　had　for　six　years　behaved　like　a　peevish　boy。







His　thought　followed　the　Sofala　on　her　way。　　On　the



spur　of　the　moment　he　had　acted　impulsively；　turning



to　the　thing　most　pressing。　　And　what　else　could　he



have　done？　　Later　on　he　should　see。　　It　seemed　neces…



sary　that　he　should　come　out　into　the　world；　for　a　time



at　least。　　He　had　moneysomething　could　be　ar…



ranged；　he　would　grudge　no　time；　no　trouble；　no　loss



of　his　solitude。　　It　weighed　on　him　nowand　Captain



Whalley　appeared　to　him　as　he　had　sat　shading　his



eyes；　as　if；　being　deceived　in　the　trust　of　his　faith；　he



were　beyond　all　the　good　and　evil　that　can　be　wrought



by　the　hands　of　men。







Mr。　Van　Wyk's　thoughts　followed　the　Sofala　down　the



river；　winding　about　through　the　belt　of　the　coast　forest；



between　the　buttressed　shafts　of　the　big　trees；　through



the　mangrove　strip；　and　over　the　bar。　　The　ship　crossed



it　easily　in　broad　daylight；　piloted；　as　it　happened；　by



Mr。　Sterne；　who　took　the　watch　from　four　to　six；　and



then　went　below　to　hug　himself　with　delight　at　the　pros…



pect　of　being　virtually　employed　by　a　rich　manlike



Mr。　Van　Wyk。　　He　could　not　see　how　any　hitch　could



occur　now。　　He　did　not　seem　able　to　get　over　the　feeling



of　being　〃fixed　up　at　last。〃　　From　six　to　eight；　in　the



course　of　duty；　the　Serang　looked　alone　after　the　ship。



She　had　a　clear　road　before　her　now　till　about　three　in



the　morning；　when　she　would　close　with　the　Pangu



group。　　At　eight　Mr。　Sterne　came　out　cheerily　to　take



charge　again　till　midnight。　　At　ten　he　was　still　chir…



ruping　and　humming　to　himself　on　the　bridge；　and



about　that　time　Mr。　Van　Wyk's　thought　abandoned　the



Sofala。　　Mr。　Van　Wyk　had　fallen　asleep　at　last。







Massy；　blocking　the　engine…room　companion；　jerked



himself　into　his　tweed　jacket　surlily；　while　the　second



waited　with　a　scowl。







〃Oh。　　You　came　out？　　You　sot！　　Well；　what　have



you　got　to　say　for　yourself？〃







He　had　been　in　charge　of　the　engines　till　then。　　A



somber　fury　darkened　his　mind：　a　hot　anger　against



the　ship；　against　the　facts　of　life；　against　the　men　for



their　cheating；　against　himself　toobecause　of　an　in…



ward　tremor　of　his　heart。







An　incomprehensible　growl　answered　him。







〃What？　　Can't　you　open　your　mouth　now？　　You　yelp



out　your　infernal　rot　loud　enough　when　you　are　drunk。



What　do　you　mean　by　abusing　people　in　that　way？



you　old　useless　boozer；　you！〃







〃Can't　help　it。　　Don't　remember　anything　about　it。



You　shouldn't　listen。〃







〃You　dare　to　tell　me！　　What　do　you　mean　by　going



on　a　drunk　like　this！〃







〃Don't　ask　me。　　Sick　of　the　dam'　boilersyou　would



be。　　Sick　of　life。〃







〃I　wish　you　were　dead；　then。　　You've　made　me　sick



of　you。　　Don't　you　remember　the　uproar　you　made　last



night？　　You　miserable　old　soaker！〃







〃No；　I　don't。　　Don't　want　to。　　Drink　is　drink。〃







〃I　wonder　what　prevents　me　from　kicking　you　out。



What　do　you　want　here？〃







〃Relieve　you。　　You've　been　long　enough　down　there；



George。〃







〃Don't　you　George　meyou　tippling　old　rascal；　you！



If　I　were　to　die　to…morrow　you　would　starve。　　Remem…



ber　that。　　Say　Mr。　Massy。〃







〃Mr。　Massy；〃　repeated　the　other　stolidly。







Disheveled；　with　dull　blood…shot　eyes；　a　snuffy；　grimy



shirt；　greasy