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第9章

the cruise of the jasper b.-第9章

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which her words imparted to him would carry him too far。  He

bowed。



〃But I think you mentioned tea?〃 she said。  〃Did I hear you say

it was orange pekoe; or did I dream that?  And couldn't we have

it on deck?〃



While Kuroki was bringing a table and chairs on deck and busying

himself about that preparation of tea; Cleggett watched Elmer;

the squat young man; with a growing curiosity。  George and Cap'n

Abernethy were also watching Elmer from a discreet distance。 

Even Kuroki; silent; swift; and well…trained Kuroki; could not

but steal occasional glances at Elmer。  Had Cleggett been of a

less lofty and controlled spirit he would certainly have asked

questions。



For Elmer; having uncovered the zinc can and taken from it a

hammer and a large tin funnel; proceeded to break the big chunk

of ice which Kuroki had brought him; into half a dozen smaller

pieces。  These smaller lumps; with the exception of two; he put

into the zinc bucket; wrapped around with pieces of coffee

sacking。  Then he put the cover on the bucket to exclude the air。



The zinc bucket was thus a portable refrigerator; or rather; ice

house。



Taking one of the lumps of ice which he had left out of the zinc

bucket for immediate use; Elmer carefully and methodically broke

it into still smaller piecespieces about the size of an English

walnut; but irregular in shape。  Then he inserted the tin funnel

into a small hole in the uppermost surface of the unpainted;

oblong box and dropped in twenty or more of the little pieces of

ice。  When a piece proved to be too big to go through the funnel

Elmer broke it again。



Cleggett noticed that there were five of these small holes in the

box; and that Elmer was slowly working his way down the length of

it from hole to hole; sitting astride of it the while。



From the way in which he worked; and the care with which he

conserved every smallest particle of ice; Elmer's motto seemed to

be:  〃Haste not; waste not。〃  But he did not appear to derive any

great satisfaction from his task; let alone joy。 In fact; Elmer

seemed to be a joyless individual; one who habitually looked

forward to the worst。 On his broad face; of the complexion

described in police reports as 〃pasty;〃 melancholy sat enthroned。

His nose was flat and broad; and flat and broad were his cheek

bones; too。  His hair was cut very short everywhere except in

front; in front it hung down to his eyebrows in a straggling

black fringe or 〃bang。〃  Not that the fringe would have covered

the average person's forehead; this 〃bang〃 was not long; but the

truth is that Elmer's forehead was lower than the average

person's and therefore easily covered。  He had what is known in

certain circles as a cauliflower; or chrysanthemum; ear。



But melancholy as he looked; Elmer had evidently had his moments

of struggle against dejection。 One of these moments had been when

he bought the clothes he was wearing。  His hat had a bright; red

and black band around it; his tweed suit was of a startling light

gray; marked off into checks with stripes of green; his waistcoat

was of lavender; and his hose were likewise of lavender; but red

predominated in both his shirt and his necktie。 His collar was

too high for his short neck; and seemed to cause him discomfort。 

But this attempt at gayety of dress was of no avail; one felt at

once that it was a surface thing and had no connection with

Elmer's soul; it stood out in front of the background of his

sorrowful personality; accentuating the gloom; as a blossom may

grow upon a bleak rock。  As Elmer carefully dropped ice; piece by

piece; into the oblong box; progressing slowly from hole to hole;

Cleggett thought he had never seen a more depressed young man。



Captain Abernethy approached Cleggett。  There was hesitation in

the brown old man's feet; there was doubt upon his wrinkled brow;

but there was the consciousness of duty in the poise of his

shoulders; there was determination in his eyes。



The blonde lady laughed softly as the sailing…master of the

Jasper B。 saluted the owner  of the vessel。



〃He is going to tell you;〃 she said to Cleggett; including the

Captain himself in her flashing look and her remark; 〃he is going

to tell you that you really should get rid of me and my boxes at

onceI can see it in his face!〃



Captain Abernethy stopped short at this; and stared。  It was

precisely what he HAD planned to say after drawing Cleggett

discreetly aside。  But  it is rather startling to have one's

thoughts read in this manner。



He frowned at the lady。  She smiled at him。 The smile seemed to

say to the Cap'n:  〃You ridiculous old dear; you!  You KNOW

that's what you were going to advise; so why deny it?  I've found

you out; but we both might just as well be good…humored about it;

mightn't we?〃



〃Ma'am;〃 said the Cap'n; evidently struggling between a suddenly

born desire to quit frowning and a sense that he had a perfect

right to frown as much as he wished; 〃Ma'am; if you was to ask

me; I'd say ridin' on steamships and ridin' on sailin' vessels is

two different matters entirely。〃



〃Cap'n Abernethy;〃 said Cleggett; attempting to indicate that his

sailing master's advice was not absolutely required; 〃if you have

something to say to me; perhaps later will do just as well。〃



〃As fur as the Jasper B。 is concerned;〃 said the  Cap'n; ignoring

Cleggett's remark; and still addressing the lady; 〃I dunno as you

could call her EITHER a sailin' vessel; OR a steamship; as at

present constituted。〃



〃You want to get me off your boat at once;〃 said the lady。  〃You

know you do。〃  And her manner added:  〃CAN'T you act like a good…

natured old dear?  You really are one; you know!〃



The Cap'n became embarrassed。  He began to fuss with his necktie;

as if tying it tighter would assist him to hold on to his frown。 

He felt the frown slipping; but it was a point of honor with him

to retain it。



〃She WILL be a sailin' vessel when she gets her sticks into her;〃

said the Cap'n; fumbling with his neckwear。



〃Let me fix that for you;〃 said the lady。  And before the Cap'n

could protest she was arranging his tie for him。  〃You old sea

captains!〃 she said; untying the scarf and making the ends

even。 〃As if anyone could possibly be afraid to sail in anything

one of YOU had charge of!〃  She gave the necktie a little final

pat。  〃There; now!〃



The Captain's frown was gone past replacement。  But he still felt

that he owed something to himself。



〃If you was to ask me;〃 he said; turning to Cleggett; 〃whether

what I'd got to say to you would do later; or whether it wouldn't

do later; I'd answer you it would; or it wouldn't; all accordin'

to whether you wanted to hear it now; or whether you wanted to

hear it later。  And as far as SAILIN' her is concerned; Mr。

Cleggett; I'll SAIL her; whether you turn her into a battleship

or into one of these here yachts。  I come of a seafarin' fambly。〃



And then he said to the lady; indicating the tie and bobbing his

head forward with a prim little bow:  〃Thank ye; ma'am。〃



〃Isn't he a duck!〃 said the lady; following him with her eyes; as

he went behind the cabin。  There the Cap'n chewed; smoked; and

fished; earnestly and simultaneously; for ten minutes。



Indeed; the blonde lady; from the moment when Elmer began to put

ice into the box; seemed to have regained her spirits。  The

little dog; which was an indicator of her moods; had likewise

lost its nervousness。  When Kuroki had tea ready; the dog lay

down at his mistress' feet; beside the table。



〃Dear little Teddy;〃 said the lady; patting the animal upon the

head。



〃Teddy?〃 said Cleggett。



〃I have named him;〃 she said; 〃after a great American。  To my

mind; the greatestTheodore Roosevelt。  His championship of the

cause of votes for women at a time when mere politicians were

afraid to commit themselves is enough in itself to gain him a

place in history。〃



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