a personal record-第21章

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fathom；　which　is　extremely　inconvenient）　came　on　board　in　a



friendly　way；　with　only　two　attendants；　and　drank　bottle　after



bottle　of　soda…water　on　the　after…sky　light　with　my　good　friend



and　commander；　Captain　C。　　At　least　I　heard　his　name



distinctly　pronounced　several　times　in　a　lot　of　talk　in　Malay



language。　　Oh；　yes；　I　heard　it　quite　distinctlyAlmayer；



Almayerand　saw　Captain　C　smile；　while　the　fat；　dingy　Rajah



laughed　audibly。　　To　hear　a　Malay　Rajah　laugh　outright　is　a　rare



experience；　I　can　as　sure　you。　　And　I　overheard　more　of　Almayer's



name　among　our　deck　passengers　（mostly　wandering　traders　of　good



repute）　as　they　sat　all　over　the　shipeach　man　fenced　round　with



bundles　and　boxeson　mats；　on　pillows；　on　quilts；　on　billets　of



wood；　conversing　of　Island　affairs。　　Upon　my　word；　I　heard　the



mutter　of　Almayer's　name　faintly　at　midnight；　while　making　my　way



aft　from　the　bridge　to　look　at　the　patent　taffrail…log　tinkling



its　quarter　miles　in　the　great　silence　of　the　sea。　　I　don't　mean



to　say　that　our　passengers　dreamed　aloud　of　Almayer；　but　it　is



indubitable　that　two　of　them　at　least；　who　could　not　sleep；



apparently；　and　were　trying　to　charm　away　the　trouble　of　insomnia



by　a　little　whispered　talk　at　that　ghostly　hour；　were　referring



in　some　way　or　other　to　Almayer。　　It　was　really　impossible　on



board　that　ship　to　get　away　definitely　from　Almayer；　and　a　very



small　pony　tied　up　forward　and　whisking　its　tail　inside　the



galley；　to　the　great　embarrassment　of　our　Chinaman　cook；　was



destined　for　Almayer。　　What　he　wanted　with　a　pony　goodness　only



knows；　since　I　am　perfectly　certain　he　could　not　ride　it；　but



here　you　have　the　man；　ambitious；　aiming　at　the　grandiose；



importing　a　pony；　whereas　in　the　whole　settlement　at　which　he



used　to　shake　daily　his　impotent　fist　there　was　only　one　path



that　was　practicable　for　a　pony：　a　quarter　of　a　mile　at　most；



hedged　in　by　hundreds　of　square　leagues　of　virgin　forest。　　But



who　knows？　　The　importation　of　that　Bali　pony　might　have　been



part　of　some　deep　scheme；　of　some　diplomatic　plan；　of　some



hopeful　intrigue。　　With　Almayer　one　could　never　tell。　　He



governed　his　conduct　by　considerations　removed　from　the　obvious；



by　incredible　assumptions；　which　rendered　his　logic　impenetrable



to　any　reasonable　person。　　I　learned　all　this　later。　　That



morning；　seeing　the　figure　in　pajamas　moving　in　the　mist；　I　said



to　myself；　〃That's　the　man。〃







He　came　quite　close　to　the　ship's　side　and　raised　a　harassed



countenance；　round　and　flat；　with　that　curl　of　black　hair　over



the　forehead　and　a　heavy；　pained　glance。







〃Good　morning。〃







〃Good　morning。〃







He　looked　hard　at　me：　I　was　a　new　face；　having　just　replaced　the



chief　mate　he　was　accustomed　to　see；　and　I　think　that　this



novelty　inspired　him；　as　things　generally　did；　with　deep…seated



mistrust。







〃Didn't　expect　you　till　this　evening；〃　he　remarked；　suspiciously。







I　didn't　know　why　he　should　have　been　aggrieved；　but　he　seemed　to



be。　　I　took　pains　to　explain　to　him　that；　having　picked　up　the



beacon　at　the　mouth　of　the　river　just　before　dark　and　the　tide



serving；　Captain　C　was　enabled　to　cross　the　bar　and　there　was



nothing　to　prevent　him　going　up　the　river　at　night。







〃Captain　C　knows　this　river　like　his　own　pocket；〃　I



concluded；　discursively；　trying　to　get　on　terms。







〃Better；〃　said　Almayer。







Leaning　over　the　rail　of　the　bridge；　I　looked　at　Almayer；　who



looked　down　at　the　wharf　in　aggrieved　thought。　　He　shuffled　his



feet　a　little；　he　wore　straw　slippers　with　thick　soles。　　The



morning　fog　had　thickened　considerably。　　Everything　round　us



drippedthe　derricks；　the　rails；　every　single　rope　in　the



shipas　if　a　fit　of　crying　had　come　upon　the　universe。







Almayer　again　raised　his　head　and；　in　the　accents　of　a　man



accustomed　to　the　buffets　of　evil　fortune；　asked；　hardly　audibly：







〃I　suppose　you　haven't　got　such　a　thing　as　a　pony　on　board？〃







I　told　him；　almost　in　a　whisper；　for　he　attuned　my　communications



to　his　minor　key；　that　we　had　such　a　thing　as　a　pony；　and　I



hinted；　as　gently　as　I　could；　that　he　was　confoundedly　in　the



way；　too。　　I　was　very　anxious　to　have　him　landed　before　I　began



to　handle　the　cargo。　　Almayer　remained　looking　up　at　me　for　a



long　while；　with　incredulous　and　melancholy　eyes；　as　though　it



were　not　a　safe　thing　to　believe　in　my　statement。　　This　pathetic



mistrust　in　the　favourable　issue　of　any　sort　of　affair　touched　me



deeply；　and　I　added：







〃He　doesn't　seem　a　bit　the　worse　for　the　passage。　　He's　a　nice



pony；　too。〃







Almayer　was　not　to　be　cheered　up；　for　all　answer　he　cleared　his



throat　and　looked　down　again　at　his　feet。　　I　tried　to　close　with



him　on　another　tack。







〃By　Jove！〃　I　said。　　〃Aren't　you　afraid　of　catching　pneumonia　or



bronchitis　or　some　thing；　walking　about　in　a　singlet　in　such　a



wet　fog？〃







He　was　not　to　be　propitiated　by　a　show　of　interest　in　his　health。







His　answer　was　a　sinister　〃No　fear；〃　as　much　as　to　say　that　even



that　way　of　escape　from　inclement　fortune　was　closed　to　him。







〃I　just　came　down　。　。　。〃　he　mumbled　after　a　while。







〃Well；　then；　now　you're　here　I　will　land　that　pony　for　you　at



once；　and　you　can　lead　him　home。　　I　really　don't　want　him　on



deck。　He's　in　the　way。〃







Almayer　seemed　doubtful。　　I　insisted：







〃Why；　I　will　just　swing　him　out　and　land　him　on　the　wharf　right



in　front　of　you。　　I'd　much　rather　do　it　before　the　hatches　are



off。　The　little　devil　may　jump　down　the　hold　or　do　some　other



deadly　thing。〃







〃There's　a　halter？〃　postulated　Almayer。







〃Yes；　of　course　there's　a　halter。〃　　And　without　waiting　any　more



I　leaned　over　the　bridge　rail。







〃Serang；　land　Tuan　Almayer's　pony。〃







The　cook　hastened　to　shut　the　door　of　the　galley；　and　a　moment



later　a　great　scuffle　began　on　deck。　　The　pony　kicked　with



extreme　energy；　the　kalashes　skipped　out　of　the　way；　the　serang



issued　many　orders　in　a　cracked　voice。　　Suddenly　the　pony　leaped



upon　the　fore…hatch。　　His　little　hoofs　thundered　tremendously；　he



plunged　and　reared。　He　had　tossed　his　mane　and　his　forelock　into



a　state　of　amazing　wildness；　he　dilated　his　nostrils；　bits　of



foam　flecked　his　broad　little　chest；　his　eyes　blazed。　　He　was



something　under　eleven　hands；　he　was　fierce；　terrible；　angry；



warlike；　he　said　ha！　ha！　distinctly；　he　raged　and　thumpedand



sixteen　able…bodied　kalashes　stood　round　him　like　disconcerted



nurses　round　a　spoiled　and　passionate　child。　　He　whisked　his　tail



incessantly；　he　arched　his　pretty　neck；　he　was　perfectly



delightful；　he　was　charmingly　naughty。　　There　was　not　an　atom　of



vice　in　that　performance；　no　savage　baring　of　teeth　and　laying



back　of　ears。　　On　the　contrary；　he　pricked　them　forward　in　a



comically　aggressive　manner。　　He　was　totally　unmoral　and　lovable；



I　would　have　liked　to　give　him　bread；　sugar；　carrots。　　But　life



is　a　stern　thing　and　the　sense　of　duty　the　only　safe　guide。　　So　I



steeled　my　heart；　and　from　my　elevated　position　on　the　bridge　I



ordered　the　men　to　fling　themselves　upon　him　in　a　body。







The　elderly　serang；　emitting　a　strange；　inarticulate　cry；　gave



the　example。　　He　was　an　excellent　petty　officervery　competent；



indeed；　and　a　moderate　opium…smoker。　　The　rest　of　them　in　one



great　rush　smothered　that　pony。　　They　hung　on　to　his　ears；　to　his



mane；　to　his　tail；　they　lay　in　piles　across　his　back；　seventeen



in　all。　　The　carpenter；　seizing　the　hook　of　t