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第22章

a personal record-第22章

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in all。  The carpenter; seizing the hook of the cargo…chain;



flung himself on the top of them。  A very satisfactory petty



officer; too; but he stuttered。  Have you ever heard a



light…yellow; lean; sad; earnest Chinaman stutter in



Pidgin…English?  It's very weird; indeed。  He made the



eighteenth。  I could not see the pony at all; but from the



swaying and heaving of that heap of men I knew that there was



something alive inside。







From the wharf Almayer hailed; in quavering tones:







〃Oh; I say!〃







Where he stood he could not see what was going on on deck;



unless; perhaps; the tops of the men's heads; he could only hear



the scuffle; the mighty thuds; as if the ship were being knocked



to pieces。  I looked over: 〃What is it?〃







〃Don't let them break his legs;〃 he entreated me; plaintively。







〃Oh; nonsense!  He's all right now。  He can't move。〃







By that time the cargo…chain had been hooked to the broad canvas



belt round the pony's body; the kalashes sprang off



simultaneously in all directions; rolling over each other; and



the worthy serang; making a dash behind the winch; turned the



steam on。







〃Steady!〃 I yelled; in great apprehension of seeing the animal



snatched up to the very head of the derrick。







On the wharf Almayer shuffled his straw slippers uneasily。  The



rattle of the winch stopped; and in a tense; impressive silence



that pony began to swing across the deck。







How limp he was!  Directly he felt himself in the air he relaxed



every muscle in a most wonderful manner。  His four hoofs knocked



together in a bunch; his head hung down; and his tail remained



pendent in a nerveless and absolute immobility。  He reminded me



vividly of the pathetic little sheep which hangs on the collar of



the Order of the Golden Fleece。 I had no idea that anything in



the shape of a horse could be so limp as that; either living or



dead。  His wild mane hung down lumpily; a mere mass of inanimate



horsehair; his aggressive ears had collapsed; but as he went



swaying slowly across the front of the bridge I noticed an astute



gleam in his dreamy; half…closed eye。  A trustworthy



quartermaster; his glance anxious and his mouth on the broad



grin; was easing over the derrick watchfully。  I superintended;



greatly interested。







〃So!  That will do。〃







The derrick…head stopped。  The kalashes lined the rail。  The rope



of the halter hung perpendicular and motionless like a bell…pull



in front of Almayer。  Everything was very still。  I suggested



amicably that he should catch hold of the rope and mind what he



was about。  He extended a provokingly casual and superior hand。







〃Look out; then!  Lower away!〃







Almayer gathered in the rope intelligently enough; but when the



pony's hoofs touched the wharf he gave way all at once to a most



foolish optimism。  Without pausing; without thinking; almost



without looking; he disengaged the hook suddenly from the sling;



and the cargo…chain; after hitting the pony's quarters; swung



back against the ship's side with a noisy; rattling slap。  I



suppose I must have blinked。  I know I missed something; because



the next thing I saw was Almayer lying flat on his back on the



jetty。  He was alone。







Astonishment deprived me of speech long enough to give Almayer



time to pick himself up in a leisurely and painful manner。  The



kalashes lining the rail all had their mouths open。  The mist



flew in the light breeze; and it had come over quite thick enough



to hide the shore completely。







〃How on earth did you manage to let him get away?〃 I asked;



scandalized。







Almayer looked into the smarting palm of his right hand; but did



not answer my inquiry。







〃Where do you think he will get to?〃 I cried。  〃Are there any



fences anywhere in this fog?  Can he bolt into the forest? 



What's to be done now?〃







Almayer shrugged his shoulders。







〃Some of my men are sure to be about。  They will get hold of him



sooner or later。〃







〃Sooner or later!  That's all very fine; but what about my canvas



sling?he's carried it off。  I want it now; at once; to land two



Celebes cows。〃







Since Dongola we had on board a pair of the pretty little island



cattle in addition to the pony。  Tied up on the other side of the



fore…deck they had been whisking their tails into the other door



of the galley。  These cows were not for Almayer; however; they



were invoiced to Abdullah bin Selim; his enemy。  Almayer's



disregard of my requirements was complete。







〃If I were you I would try to find out where he's gone;〃 I



insisted。  〃Hadn't you better call your men together or



something?  He will throw himself down and cut his knees。 He may



even break a leg; you know。〃







But Almayer; plunged in abstracted thought; did not seem to want



that pony any more。  Amazed at this sudden indifference; I turned



all hands out on shore to hunt for him on my own account; or; at



any rate; to hunt for the canvas sling which he had round his



body。  The whole crew of the steamer; with the exception of



firemen and engineers; rushed up the jetty; past the thoughtful



Almayer; and vanished from my sight。  The white fog swallowed



them up; and again there was a deep silence that seemed to extend



for miles up and down the stream。  Still taciturn; Almayer



started to climb on board; and I went down from the bridge to



meet him on the after…deck。







〃Would you mind telling the captain that I want to see him very



particularly?〃 he asked me; in a low tone; letting his eyes stray



all over the place。







〃Very well。  I will go and see。〃







With the door of his cabin wide open; Captain C; just back



from the bath…room; big and broad…chested; was brushing his



thick; damp; iron…gray hair with two large brushes。







〃Mr。 Almayer told me he wanted to see you very particularly;



sir。〃







Saying these words; I smiled。  I don't know why I smiled; except



that it seemed absolutely impossible to mention Almayer's name



without a smile of a sort。  It had not to be necessarily a



mirthful smile。  Turning his head toward me; Captain C



smiled; too; rather joylessly。







〃The pony got away from himeh?〃







〃Yes; sir。  He did。〃







〃Where is he?〃







〃Goodness only knows。〃







〃No。  I mean Almayer。  Let him come along。〃







The captain's stateroom opening straight on deck under the



bridge; I had only to beckon from the doorway to Almayer; who had



remained aft; with downcast eyes; on the very spot where I had



left him。  He strolled up moodily; shook hands; and at once asked



permission to shut the cabin door。







〃I have a pretty story to tell you;〃 were the last words I heard。







The bitterness of tone was remarkable。







I went away from the door; of course。  For the moment I had no



crew on board; only the Chinaman carpenter; with a canvas bag



hung round his neck and a hammer in his hand; roamed about the



empty decks; knocking out the wedges of the hatches and dropping



them into the bag conscientiously。  Having nothing to do I joined



our two engineers at the door of the engine…room。  It was near



breakfast…time。







〃He's turned up early; hasn't he?〃 commented the second engineer;



and smiled indifferently。  He was an abstemious man; with a good



digestion and a placid; reasonable view of life even when hungry。







〃Yes;〃 I said。  〃Shut up with the old man。  Som

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