falk-第12章

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rested　us　not。　　An　empty　Australian　beef　tin

bounded　cheerily　before　the　toe　of　my　boot。　　Sud…

denly　we　clambered　through　a　gap　in　a　prickly

fence。　。　。　。



It　was　a　very　clean　native　compound：　and　the

big　native　woman；　with　bare　brown　legs　as　thick

as　bedposts；　pursuing　on　all　fours　a　silver　dollar

that　came　rolling　out　from　somewhere；　was　Mrs。

Johnson　herself。　　〃Your　man's　at　home；〃　said　the

ex…sergeant；　and　stepped　aside　in　complete　and

marked　indifference　to　anything　that　might　follow。

Johnsonat　homestood　with　his　back　to　a　native

house　built　on　posts　and　with　its　walls　made　of

mats。　　In　his　left　hand　he　held　a　banana。　　Out　of

the　right　he　dealt　another　dollar　into　space。　　The

woman　captured　this　one　on　the　wing；　and　there

and　then　plumped　down　on　the　ground　to　look　at

us　with　greater　comfort。



My　man　was　sallow　of　face；　grizzled；　unshaven；

muddy　on　elbows　and　back；　where　the　seams　of　his

serge　coat　yawned　you　could　see　his　white　naked…

ness。　　The　vestiges　of　a　paper　collar　encircled　his

neck。　　He　looked　at　us　with　a　grave；　swaying　sur…

prise。　　〃Where　do　you　come　from？〃　he　asked。

My　heart　sank。　　How　could　I　have　been　stupid

enough　to　waste　energy　and　time　for　this？



But　having　already　gone　so　far　I　approached　a

little　nearer　and　declared　the　purpose　of　my　visit。

He　would　have　to　come　at　once　with　me；　sleep　on

board　my　ship；　and　to…morrow；　with　the　first　of　the

ebb；　he　would　give　me　his　assistance　in　getting　my

ship　down　to　the　sea；　without　steam。　　A　six…hun…

dred…ton　barque；　drawing　nine　feet　aft。　　I　pro…

posed　to　give　him　eighteen　dollars　for　his　local

knowledge；　and　all　the　time　I　was　speaking　he

kept　on　considering　attentively　the　various　aspects

of　the　banana；　holding　first　one　side　up　to　his　eye；

then　the　other。



〃You've　forgotten　to　apologise；〃　he　said　at　last

with　extreme　precision。　　〃Not　being　a　gentleman

yourself；　you　don't　know　apparently　when　you　in…

trude　upon　a　gentleman。　　I　am　one。　　I　wish　you　to

understand　that　when　I　am　in　funds　I　don't　work；

and　now　。　。　。〃



I　would　have　pronounced　him　perfectly　sober

hadn't　he　paused　in　great　concern　to　try　and　brush

a　hole　off　the　knee　of　his　trousers。



〃I　have　moneyand　friends。　　Every　gentle…

man　has。　　Perhaps　you　would　like　to　know　my

friend？　　His　name　is　Falk。　　You　could　borrow

some　money。　　Try　to　remember。　　F…A…L…K；　Falk。〃

Abruptly　his　tone　changed。　　〃A　noble　heart；〃　he

said　muzzily。



〃Has　Falk　been　giving　you　some　money？〃　I

asked；　appalled　by　the　detailed　finish　of　the　dark

plot。



〃Lent　me；　my　good　man；　not　given　me。　　Lent；〃

he　corrected　suavely。　　〃Met　me　taking　the　air

last　evening；　and　being　as　usual　anxious　to　oblige

　　Hadn't　you　better　go　to　the　devil　out　of　my

compound？〃



And　upon　this；　without　other　warning；　he　let

fly　with　the　banana　which　missed　my　head；　and　took

the　constable　just　under　the　left　eye。　　He　rushed

at　the　miserable　Johnson；　stammering　with　fury。

They　fell。　。　。　。　　But　why　dwell　on　the　wretched…

ness；　the　breathlessness；　the　degradation；　the　sense…

lessness；　the　weariness；　the　ridicule　and　humiliation

andandthe　perspiration；　of　these　moments？　　I

dragged　the　ex…hussar　off。　　He　was　like　a　wild

beast。　　It　seems　he　had　been　greatly　annoyed　at

losing　his　free　afternoon　on　my　account。　　The　gar…

den　of　his　bungalow　required　his　personal　atten…

tion；　and　at　the　slight　blow　of　the　banana　the　brute

in　him　had　broken　loose。　　We　left　Johnson　on　his

back；　still　black　in　the　face；　but　beginning　to　kick

feebly。　　Meantime；　the　big　woman　had　remained

sitting　on　the　ground；　apparently　paralysed　with

extreme　terror。



For　half　an　hour　we　jolted　inside　our　rolling

box；　side　by　side；　in　profound　silence。　　The　ex…ser…

geant　was　busy　staunching　the　blood　of　a　long

scratch　on　his　cheek。　　〃I　hope　you're　satisfied；〃　he

said　suddenly。　　〃That's　what　comes　of　all　that

tomfool　business。　　If　you　hadn't　quarrelled　with

that　tugboat　skipper　over　some　girl　or　other；　all

this　wouldn't　have　happened。〃



〃You　heard　THAT　story？〃　I　said。



〃Of　course　I　heard。　　And　I　shouldn't　wonder　if

the　Consul…General　himself　doesn't　come　to　hear

of　it。　　How　am　I　to　go　before　him　to…morrow　with

that　thing　on　my　cheekI　want　to　know。　　Its

YOU　who　ought　to　have　got　this！〃



After　that；　till　the　gharry　stopped　and　he

jumped　out　without　leave…taking；　he　swore　to　him…

self　steadily；　horribly；　muttering　great；　purpose…

ful；　trooper　oaths；　to　which　the　worst　a　sailor　can

do　is　like　the　prattle　of　a　child。　　For　my　part　I　had

just　the　strength　to　crawl　into　Schomberg's　coffee…

room；　where　I　wrote　at　a　little　table　a　note　to　the

mate　instructing　him　to　get　everything　ready　for

dropping　down　the　river　next　day。　　I　couldn't

face　my　ship。　　Well！　she　had　a　clever　sort　of　skip…

per　and　no　mistakepoor　thing！　　What　a　horrid

mess！　　I　took　my　head　between　my　hands。　　At

times　the　obviousness　of　my　innocence　would　reduce

me　to　despair。　　What　had　I　done？　　If　I　had　done

something　to　bring　about　the　situation　I　should　at

least　have　learned　not　to　do　it　again。　　But　I　felt

guiltless　to　the　point　of　imbecility。　　The　room　was

empty　yet；　only　Schomberg　prowled　round　me

goggle…eyed　and　with　a　sort　of　awed　respectful　cu…

riosity。　　No　doubt　he　had　set　the　story　going　him…

self；　but　he　was　a　good…hearted　chap；　and　I　am

really　persuaded　he　participated　in　all　my　troubles。

He　did　what　he　could　for　me。　　He　ranged　aside　the

heavy　matchstand；　set　a　chair　straight；　pushed　a

spittoon　slightly　with　his　footas　you　show　small

attentions　to　a　friend　under　a　great　sorrow

sighed；　and　at　last；　unable　to　hold　his　tongue：



〃Well！　　I　warned　you；　captain。　　That's　what

comes　of　running　your　head　against　Mr。　Falk。

Man'll　stick　at　nothing。〃



I　sat　without　stirring；　and　after　surveying　me

with　a　sort　of　commiseration　in　his　eyes　he　burst

out　in　a　hoarse　whisper：　〃But　for　a　fine　lump　of

a　girl；　she's　a　fine　lump　of　a　girl。〃　　He　made　a　loud

smacking　noise　with　his　thick　lips。　　〃The　finest

lump　of　a　girl　that　I　ever　。　。　。〃　he　was　going　on

with　great　unction；　but　for　some　reason　or　other

broke　off。　　I　fancied　myself　throwing　something

at　his　head。　　〃I　don't　blame　you；　captain。　　Hang

me　if　I　do；〃　he　said　with　a　patronising　air。



〃Thank　you；〃　I　said　resignedly。　　It　was　no　use

fighting　against　this　false　fate。　　I　don't　know　even

if　I　was　sure　myself　where　the　truth　of　the　matter

began。　　The　conviction　that　it　would　end　disas…

trously　had　been　driven　into　me　by　all　the　succes…

sive　shocks　my　sense　of　security　had　received。　　I

began　to　ascribe　an　extraordinary　potency　to

agents　in　themselves　powerless。　　It　was　as　if

Schomberg's　baseless　gossip　had　the　power　to　bring

about　the　thing　itself　or　the　abstract　enmity　of

Falk　could　put　my　ship　ashore。



I　have　already　explained　how　fatal　this　last

would　have　been。　　For　my　further　action；　my

youth；　my　inexperience；　my　very　real　concern　for

the　health　of　my　crew　must　be　my　excuse。　　The　ac…

tion　itself；　when　it　came；　was　purely　impulsive。　　It

was　set　in　movement　quite　undiplomatically　and

simply　by　Falk's　appearance　in　the　doorway。



The　room　was　full　by　then　and　buzzing　with

voices。　　I　had　been　looked　at　with　curiosity　by

every　one；　but　how　am　I　to　describe　the　sensation

produced　by　the　appearance　of　Falk　himself　block…

ing　the　doorway？　　The　tension　of　expectation

could　be　measured　by　the　profundity　of　the　silence

that　fell　upon　the　very　click　of　the　billiard　balls。

As　to　Schomberg；　he　looked　extremely　frightened；

he　hated　mortally　any　sort　of　row　（fracas　he　called

it）　in　his　establishment。　　Fracas　was　bad　for　busi…

ness；　he　affirmed；　but；　in　truth；　this　specimen　of

portly；　middle…aged　manhood　was　of　a　timid　dis…

position。　　I　don't　know　what；　considering　my　pres…

ence　in　the　place；　they　all　hoped　would　come　of　it。

A　sort　of　stag　fight；　perhaps。　　Or　they　may　have

supposed　Falk　had　come　in　only　t