the story of doctor dolittle-第17章

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smells　of　Black　Rappee　snuff；〃　said　Jip　as　he

climbed　the　stairs。　　〃If　the　man　had　a　hard

smell；　like　string；　nowor　hot　water；　it　would

be　different。　　But　SNUFF！Tut；　tut！〃



〃Does　hot　water　have　a　smell？〃　asked　the　Doctor。



〃Certainly　it　has；〃　said　Jip。　　〃Hot　water

smells　quite　different　from　cold　water。　　It　is

warm　wateror　icethat　has　the　really　difficult

smell。　　Why；　I　once　followed　a　man　for

ten　miles　on　a　dark　night　by　the　smell　of　the

hot　water　he　had　used　to　shave　withfor　the

poor　fellow　had　no　soap。。。。　　Now　then；　let

us　see　which　way　the　wind　is　blowing。　　Wind　is

very　important　in　long…distance　smelling。　　It

mustn't　be　too　fierce　a　windand　of　course　it

must　blow　the　right　way。　　A　nice；　steady；　damp

breeze　is　the　best　of　all。。。。　　Ha！This　wind

is　from　the　North。〃　　



Then　Jip　went　up　to　the　front　of　the　ship

and　smelt　the　wind；　and　he　started　muttering

to　himself；



〃Tar；　Spanish　onions；　kerosene　oil；　wet

raincoats；　crushed　laurel…leaves；　rubber　burning；

lace…curtains　being　washedNo；　my　mistake；

lace…curtains　hanging　out　to　dry；　and　foxes

hundreds　of　'emcubs；　and〃



〃Can　you　really　smell　all　those　different

things　in　this　one　wind？〃　asked　the　Doctor。



〃Why；　of　course！〃　said　Jip。　　〃And　those　are

only　a　few　of　the　easy　smellsthe　strong　ones。

Any　mongrel　could　smell　those　with　a　cold　in

the　head。　　Wait　now；　and　I'll　tell　you　some　of

the　harder　scents　that　are　coming　on　this　wind

a　few　of　the　dainty　ones。〃　　



Then　the　dog　shut　his　eyes　tight；　poked　his

nose　straight　up　in　the　air　and　sniffed　hard　with

his　mouth　half…open。



For　a　long　time　he　said　nothing。　　He　kept　as

still　as　a　stone。　　He　hardly　seemed　to　be　breathing

at　all。　　When　at　last　he　began　to　speak；　it

sounded　almost　as　though　he　were　singing；　sadly；

in　a　dream。



〃Bricks；〃　he　whispered；　very　low〃old

yellow　bricks；　crumbling　with　age　in　a　garden…

wall；　the　sweet　breath　of　young　cows　standing

in　a　mountain…stream；　the　lead　roof　of　a　dove…

coteor　perhaps　a　granarywith　the　mid…day

sun　on　it；　black　kid　gloves　lying　in　a　bureau…

drawer　of　walnut…wood；　a　dusty　road　with　a

horses'　drinking…trough　beneath　the　sycamores；

little　mushrooms　bursting　through　the　rotting

leaves；　andandand〃



〃Any　parsnips？〃　asked　Gub…Gub。



〃No；〃　said　Jip。　　〃You　always　think　of　things

to　eat。　　No　parsnips　whatever。　　And　no　snuff

plenty　of　pipes　and　cigarettes；　and　a　few　cigars。

But　no　snuff。　　We　must　wait　till　the　wind

changes　to　the　South。〃　　



〃Yes；　it's　a　poor　wind；　that；〃　said　Gub…Gub。

〃I　think　you're　a　fake；　Jip。　　Who　ever　heard　of

finding　a　man　in　the　middle　of　the　ocean　just　by

smell！　　I　told　you　you　couldn't　do　it。〃　　



〃Look　here；〃　said　Jip；　getting　really　angry。

〃You're　going　to　get　a　bite　on　the　nose　in　a　min…

ute！　　You　needn't　think　that　just　because　the

Doctor　won't　let　us　give　you　what　you　deserve；

that　you　can　be　as　cheeky　as　you　like！〃



〃Stop　quarreling！〃　said　the　Doctor〃Stop

it！　　Life's　too　short。　　Tell　me；　Jip；　where　do

you　think　those　smells　are　coming　from？〃



〃From　Devon　and　Walesmost　of　them；〃

said　Jip〃The　wind　is　coming　that　way。〃　　



〃Well；　well！〃　said　the　Doctor。　　〃You　know

that's　really　quite　remarkablequite。　　I　must

make　a　note　of　that　for　my　new　book。　　I　wonder

if　you　could　train　me　to　smell　as　well　as　that。。。。

But　noperhaps　I'm　better　off　the　way　I　am。

‘Enough　is　as　good　as　a　feast；'　they　say。

Let's　go　down　to　supper。　　I'm　quite　hungry。〃　　



〃So　am　I；〃　said　Gub…Gub。







THE　NINETEENTH　CHAPTER



THE　ROCK



UP　they　got；　early　next　morning；　out　of　the　silken　beds；

and　they　saw　that　the　sun　was　shining　brightly　and　that

the　wind　was　blowing　from　the　South。



Jip　smelt　the　South　wind　for　half　an　hour。　　Then　he　came

to　the　Doctor；　shaking　his　head。



〃I　smell　no　snuff　as　yet；〃　he　said。　　〃We　must　wait

till　the　wind　changes　to　the　East。〃　　



But　even　when　the　East　wind　came；　at　three　o'clock

that　afternoon；　the　dog　could　not　catch　the　smell　of　snuff。



The　little　boy　was　terribly　disappointed　and

began　to　cry　again；　saying　that　no　one　seemed

to　be　able　to　find　his　uncle　for　him。　　But　all　Jip

said　to　the　Doctor　was；



〃Tell　him　that　when　the　wind　changes　to

the　West；　I'll　find　his　uncle　even　though　he　be

in　Chinaso　long　as　he　is　still　taking　Black

Rappee　snuff。〃　　



Three　days　they　had　to　wait　before　the　West

wind　came。　　This　was　on　a　Friday　morning；

earlyjust　as　it　was　getting　light。　　A　fine　rainy

mist　lay　on　the　sea　like　a　thin　fog。　　And　the

wind　was　soft　and　warm　and　wet。



As　soon　as　Jip　awoke　he　ran　upstairs　and

poked　his　nose　in　the　air。　　Then　he　got　most

frightfully　excited　and　rushed　down　again　to

wake　the　Doctor　up。



〃Doctor！〃　he　cried。　　〃I've　got　it！　　Doctor！

Doctor！　　Wake　up！　　Listen！　　I've　got　it！

The　wind's　from　the　West　and　it　smells　of　nothing

but　snuff。　　Come　upstairs　and　start　the　shipquick！〃



So　the　Doctor　tumbled　out　of　bed　and　went

to　the　rudder　to　steer　the　ship。



〃Now　I'll　go　up　to　the　front；〃　said　Jip；　〃and

you　watch　my　nosewhichever　way　I　point　it；

you　turn　the　ship　the　same　way。　　The　man　cannot

be　far　offwith　the　smell　as　strong　as

this。　　And　the　wind's　all　lovely　and　wet。　　Now

watch　me！〃



So　all　that　morning　Jip　stood　in　the　front

part　of　the　ship；　sniffing　the　wind　and　pointing

the　way　for　the　Doctor　to　steer；　while　all　the

animals　and　the　little　boy　stood　round　with　their

eyes　wide　open；　watching　the　dog　in　wonder。



About　lunch…time　Jip　asked　Dab…Dab　to　tell

the　Doctor　that　he　was　getting　worried　and

wanted　to　speak　to　him。　　So　Dab…Dab　went　and

fetched　the　Doctor　from　the　other　end　of　the

ship　and　Jip　said　to　him；



〃The　boy's　uncle　is　starving。　　We　must　make

the　ship　go　as　fast　as　we　can。〃　　



〃How　do　you　know　he　is　starving？〃　asked　the　Doctor。



〃Because　there　is　no　other　smell　in　the　West

wind　but　snuff；〃　said　Jip。　　〃If　the　man　were

cooking　or　eating　food　of　any　kind；　I　would

be　bound　to　smell　it　too。　　But　he　hasn't　even

fresh　water　to　drink。　　All　he　is　taking　is　snuff

in　large　pinches。　　We　are　getting　nearer　to

him　all　the　time；　because　the　smell　grows

stronger　every　minute。　　But　make　the　ship　go

as　fast　as　you　can；　for　I　am　certain　that　the

man　is　starving。〃　　



〃All　right；〃　said　the　Doctor；　and　he　sent

Dab…Dab　to　ask　the　swallows　to　pull　the　ship；

the　same　as　they　had　done　when　the　pirates　were

chasing　them。



So　the　stout　little　birds　came　down　and　once

more　harnessed　themselves　to　the　ship。



And　now　the　boat　went　bounding　through　the

waves　at　a　terrible　speed。　　It　went　so　fast　that

the　fishes　in　the　sea　had　to　jump　for　their　lives

to　get　out　of　the　way　and　not　be　run　over。



And　all　the　animals　got　tremendously　excited；

and　they　gave　up　looking　at　Jip　and　turned　to

watch　the　sea　in　front；　to　spy　out　any　land　or

islands　where　the　starving　man　might　be。



But　hour　after　hour　went　by　and　still　the　ship

went　rushing　on；　over　the　same　flat；　flat　sea；　and

no　land　anywhere　came　in　sight。



And　now　the　animals　gave　up　chattering　and

sat　around　silent；　anxious　and　miserable。　　The

little　boy　again　grew　sad。　　And　on　Jip's　face

there　was　a　worried　look。



At　last；　late　in　the　afternoon；　just　as　the　sun

was　going　down；　the　owl；　Too…Too；　who

was　perched　on　the　tip　of　the　mast；　suddenly

startled　them　all　by　crying　out　at　the　top　of　his

voice；



〃Jip！　　Jip！　　I　see　a　great；　great　rock　in　front

of　uslookway　out　there　where　the　sky　and

the　water　meet。　　See　the　sun　shine　on　itlike

gold！　　Is　the　smell　coming　from　there？〃



And　Jip　called　back；



〃Yes。　　That's　it。　　That　is　where　the　man　is。

At　last；　at　last！〃



And　when　they　got　nearer　they　could　see　that

the　rock　was　very　largeas　large　as　a　big　field。

No　trees　grew　on　it；　no　grassnothing。　　The

great　rock　was　as　smooth　and　as　bare　as　the　back

of　a　tortoise。



Then　the　Doctor　saile