falk-第11章

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purely　as　a　kind　of　unmeaning　noise　it　filled　you

with　astonishment　at　first。　　〃They　had；〃　he　con…

tinued；　〃been　acquainted　with　Captain　Falk　for

very　many　years；　and　never　had　any　reason。　。　。　。〃



〃That's　why　I　come　to　you；　of　course；〃　I　inter…

rupted。　　〃I've　the　right　to　know　the　meaning　of

this　infernal　nonsense。〃　　In　the　half　light　of　the

room；　which　was　greenish；　because　of　the　tree…tops

screening　the　window；　I　saw　him　writhe　his　meagre

shoulders。　　It　came　into　my　head；　as　disconnected

ideas　will　come　at　all　sorts　of　times　into　one's　head；

that　this；　most　likely；　was　the　very　room　where；　if

the　tale　were　true；　Falk　had　been　lectured　by　Mr。

Siegers；　the　father。　　Mr。　Siegers'　（the　son's）　over…

whelming　voice；　in　brassy　blasts；　as　though　he　had

been　trying　to　articulate　his　words　through　a　trom…

bone；　was　expressing　his　great　regret　at　a　conduct

characterised　by　a　very　marked　want　of　discre…

tion。　。　。　　As　I　lived　I　was　being　lectured　too！　　His

deafening　gibberish　was　difficult　to　follow；　but　it

was　MY　conductmine！that　。　。　。　Damn！　　I

wasn't　going　to　stand　this。



〃What　on　earth　are　you　driving　at？〃　I　asked

in　a　passion。　　I　put　my　hat　on　my　head　（he　never

offered　a　seat　to　anybody）；　and　as　he　seemed　for

the　moment　struck　dumb　by　my　irreverence；　I

turned　my　back　on　him　and　marched　out。　　His　vo…

cal　arrangements　blared　after　me　a　few　threats　of

coming　down　on　the　ship　for　the　demurrage　of　the

lighters；　and　all　the　other　expenses　consequent

upon　the　delays　arising　from　my　frivolity。



Once　outside　in　the　sunshine　my　head　swam。　　It

was　no　longer　a　question　of　mere　delay。　　I　per…

ceived　myself　involved　in　hopeless　and　humiliating

absurdities　that　were　leading　me　to　something　very

like　a　disaster。　　〃Let　us　be　calm；〃　I　muttered　to

myself；　and　ran　into　the　shade　of　a　leprous　wall。

From　that　short　side…street　I　could　see　the　broad

main　thoroughfare　ruinous　and　gay；　running

away；　away　between　stretches　of　decaying　mason…

ry；　bamboo　fences；　ranges　of　arcades　of　brick　and

plaster；　hovels　of　lath　and　mud；　lofty　temple　gates

of　carved　timber；　huts　of　rotten　matsan　im…

mensely　wide　thoroughfare；　loosely　packed　as　far

as　the　eye　could　reach　with　a　barefooted　and　brown

multitude　paddling　ankle　deep　in　the　dust。　　For　a

moment　I　felt　myself　about　to　go　out　of　my　mind

with　worry　and　desperation。



Some　allowance　must　be　made　for　the　feelings

of　a　young　man　new　to　responsibility。　　I　thought

of　my　crew。　　Half　of　them　were　ill；　and　I　really

began　to　think　that　some　of　them　would　end　by　dy…

ing　on　board　if　I　couldn't　get　them　out　to　sea　soon。

Obviously　I　should　have　to　take　my　ship　down　the

river；　either　working　under　canvas　or　dredging

with　the　anchor　down；　operations　which；　in　com…

mon　with　many　modern　sailors；　I　only　knew　theo…

retically。　　And　I　almost　shrank　from　undertaking

them　shorthanded　and　without　local　knowledge

of　the　river　bed；　which　is　so　necessary　for　the　con…

fident　handling　of　the　ship。　　There　were　no　pilots；

no　beacons；　no　buoys　of　any　sort；　but　there　was　a

very　devil　of　a　current　for　anybody　to　see；　no　end

of　shoal　places；　and　at　least　two　obviously　awkward

turns　of　the　channel　between　me　and　the　sea。　　But

how　dangerous　these　turns　were　I　would　not　tell。　　I

didn't　even　know　what　my　ship　was　capable　of！

I　had　never　handled　her　in　my　life。　　A　misunder…

standing　between　a　man　and　his　ship　in　a　difficult

river　with　no　room　to　make　it　up；　is　bound　to　end　in

trouble　for　the　man。　　On　the　other　hand；　it　must

be　owned　I　had　not　much　reason　to　count　upon　a

general　run　of　good　luck。　　And　suppose　I　had　the

misfortune　to　pile　her　up　high　and　dry　on　some

beastly　shoal？　　That　would　have　been　the　final　un…

doing　of　that　voyage。　　It　was　plain　that　if　Falk

refused　to　tow　me　out　he　would　also　refuse　to　pull

me　off。　　This　meantwhat？　　A　day　lost　at　the

very　best；　but　more　likely　a　whole　fortnight　of

frizzling　on　some　pestilential　mudflat；　of　desperate

work；　of　discharging　cargo；　more　than　likely　it

meant　borrowing　money　at　an　exorbitant　rate　of

interestfrom　the　Siegers'　gang　too　at　that。　　They

were　a　power　in　the　port。　　And　that　elderly　seaman

of　mine；　Gambril；　had　looked　pretty　ghastly　when

I　went　forward　to　dose　him　with　quinine　that　morn…

ing。　　HE　would　certainly　dienot　to　speak　of　two

or　three　others　that　seemed　nearly　as　bad；　and　of

the　rest　of　them　just　ready　to　catch　any　tropical

disease　going。　　Horror；　ruin　and　everlasting　re…

morse。　　And　no　help。　　None。　　I　had　fallen　amongst

a　lot　of　unfriendly　lunatics！



At　any　rate；　if　I　must　take　my　ship　down　myself

it　was　my　duty　to　procure　if　possible　some　local

knowledge。　　But　that　was　not　easy。　　The　only　per…

son　I　could　think　of　for　that　service　was　a　certain

Johnson；　formerly　captain　of　a　country　ship；　but

now　spliced　to　a　country　wife　and　gone　utterly　to

the　bad。　　I　had　only　heard　of　him　in　the　vaguest

way；　as　living　concealed　in　the　thick　of　two　hundred

thousand　natives；　and　only　emerging　into　the　light

of　day　for　the　purpose　of　hunting　up　some　brandy。

I　had　a　notion　that　if　I　could　lay　my　hands　on　him

I　would　sober　him　on　board　my　ship　and　use　him

for　a　pilot。　　Better　than　nothing。　　Once　a　sailor

always　a　sailorand　he　had　known　the　river　for

years。　　But　in　our　Consulate　（where　I　arrived　drip…

ping　after　a　sharp　walk）　they　could　tell　me　noth…

ing。　　The　excellent　young　men　on　the　staff；　though

willing　to　help　me；　belonged　to　a　sphere　of　the

white　colony　for　which　that　sort　of　Johnson　does

not　exist。　　Their　suggestion　was　that　I　should　hunt

the　man　up　myself　with　the　help　of　the　Consulate's

constablean　ex…sergeant…major　of　a　regiment　of

Hussars。



This　man；　whose　usual　duty　apparently　consisted

in　sitting　behind　a　little　table　in　an　outer　room

of　Consular　offices；　when　ordered　to　assist　me　in

my　search　for　Johnson　displayed　lots　of　energy

and　a　marvellous　amount　of　local　knowledge　of　a

sort。　　But　he　did　not　conceal　an　immense　and　scep…

tical　contempt　for　the　whole　business。　　We　explored

together　on　that　afternoon　an　infinity　of　infamous

grog　shops；　gambling　dens；　opium　dens。　　We

walked　up　narrow　lanes　where　our　gharrya　tiny

box　of　a　thing　on　wheels；　attached　to　a　jibbing　Bur…

mah　ponycould　by　no　means　have　passed。　　The

constable　seemed　to　be　on　terms　of　scornful　inti…

macy　with　Maltese；　with　Eurasians；　with　China…

men；　with　Klings；　and　with　the　sweepers　attached

to　a　temple；　with　whom　he　talked　at　the　gate。　　We

interviewed　also　through　a　grating　in　a　mud　wall

closing　a　blind　alley　an　immensely　corpulent　Ital…

ian；　who；　the　ex…sergeant…major　remarked　to　me

perfunctorily；　had　〃killed　another　man　last　year。〃

Thereupon　he　addressed　him　as　〃Antonio〃　and

〃Old　Buck；〃　though　that　bloated　carcase；　appar…

ently　more　than　half　filling　the　sort　of　cell　where…

in　it　sat；　recalled　rather　a　fat　pig　in　a　stye。　　Fa…

miliar　and　never　unbending；　the　sergeant　chucked

absolutely　chuckedunder　the　chin　a　horribly

wrinkled　and　shrivelled　old　hag　propped　on　a　stick；

who　had　volunteered　some　sort　of　information：　and

with　the　same　stolid　face　he　kept　up　an　animated

conversation　with　the　groups　of　swathed　brown

women；　who　sat　smoking　cheroots　on　the　door…steps

of　a　long　range　of　clay　hovels。　　We　got　out　of　the

gharry　and　clambered　into　dwellings　airy　like

packing　crates；　or　descended　into　places　sinister

like　cellars。　　We　got　in；　we　drove　on；　we　got　out

again　for　the　sole　purpose；　as　it　seemed；　of　looking

behind　a　heap　of　rubble。　　The　sun　declined；　my

companion　was　curt　and　sardonic　in　his　answers；

but　it　appears　we　were　just　missing　Johnson　all

along。　　At　last　our　conveyance　stopped　once　more

with　a　jerk；　and　the　driver　jumping　down　opened

the　door。



A　black　mudhole　blocked　the　lane。　　A　mound　of

garbage　crowned　with　the　dead　body　of　a　dog　ar…

rested　us　not。　　An　empty　Australian　beef　tin

bounded　cheerily　before　the　toe　of　my　boot。　　Sud…

denly　we