the mirror of the sea-第42章

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her　yourself；　and　I　shall　see　to　it　that　she　dies　quickly；　without



leaving　as　much　as　a　chip　behind。〃







〃Can　you？〃　I　murmured；　fascinated　by　the　black　hood　turned



immovably　over　the　stern；　as　if　in　unlawful　communion　with　that　old



sea　of　magicians；　slave…dealers；　exiles　and　warriors；　the　sea　of



legends　and　terrors；　where　the　mariners　of　remote　antiquity　used　to



hear　the　restless　shade　of　an　old　wanderer　weep　aloud　in　the　dark。







〃I　know　a　rock；〃　whispered　the　initiated　voice　within　the　hood



secretly。　　〃But　…　caution！　　It　must　be　done　before　our　men　perceive



what　we　are　about。　　Whom　can　we　trust　now？　　A　knife　drawn　across



the　fore　halyards　would　bring　the　foresail　down；　and　put　an　end　to



our　liberty　in　twenty　minutes。　　And　the　best　of　our　men　may　be



afraid　of　drowning。　　There　is　our　little　boat；　but　in　an　affair



like　this　no　one　can　be　sure　of　being　saved。〃







The　voice　ceased。　　We　had　started　from　Barcelona　with　our　dinghy　in



tow；　afterwards　it　was　too　risky　to　try　to　get　her　in；　so　we　let



her　take　her　chance　of　the　seas　at　the　end　of　a　comfortable　scope



of　rope。　　Many　times　she　had　seemed　to　us　completely　overwhelmed；



but　soon　we　would　see　her　bob　up　again　on　a　wave；　apparently　as



buoyant　and　whole　as　ever。







〃I　understand；〃　I　said　softly。　　〃Very　well；　Dominic。　　When？〃







〃Not　yet。　　We　must　get　a　little　more　in　first；〃　answered　the　voice



from　the　hood　in　a　ghostly　murmur。















XLV。















It　was　settled。　　I　had　now　the　courage　to　turn　about。　　Our　men



crouched　about　the　decks　here　and　there　with　anxious；　crestfallen



faces；　all　turned　one　way　to　watch　the　chaser。　　For　the　first　time



that　morning　I　perceived　Cesar　stretched　out　full　length　on　the



deck　near　the　foremast　and　wondered　where　he　had　been　skulking　till



then。　　But　he　might　in　truth　have　been　at　my　elbow　all　the　time　for



all　I　knew。　　We　had　been　too　absorbed　in　watching　our　fate　to　pay



attention　to　each　other。　　Nobody　had　eaten　anything　that　morning；



but　the　men　had　been　coming　constantly　to　drink　at　the　water…butt。







I　ran　down　to　the　cabin。　　I　had　there；　put　away　in　a　locker；　ten



thousand　francs　in　gold　of　whose　presence　on　board；　so　far　as　I　was



aware；　not　a　soul；　except　Dominic　had　the　slightest　inkling。　　When



I　emerged　on　deck　again　Dominic　had　turned　about　and　was　peering



from　under　his　cowl　at　the　coast。　　Cape　Creux　closed　the　view



ahead。　　To　the　left　a　wide　bay；　its　waters　torn　and　swept　by　fierce



squalls；　seemed　full　of　smoke。　　Astern　the　sky　had　a　menacing　look。







Directly　he　saw　me；　Dominic；　in　a　placid　tone；　wanted　to　know　what



was　the　matter。　　I　came　close　to　him　and；　looking　as　unconcerned　as



I　could；　told　him　in　an　undertone　that　I　had　found　the　locker



broken　open　and　the　money…belt　gone。　　Last　evening　it　was　still



there。







〃What　did　you　want　to　do　with　it？〃　he　asked　me；　trembling



violently。







〃Put　it　round　my　waist；　of　course；〃　I　answered；　amazed　to　hear　his



teeth　chattering。







〃Cursed　gold！〃　he　muttered。　　〃The　weight　of　the　money　might　have



cost　you　your　life；　perhaps。〃　　He　shuddered。　　〃There　is　no　time　to



talk　about　that　now。〃







〃I　am　ready。〃







〃Not　yet。　　I　am　waiting　for　that　squall　to　come　over；〃　he　muttered。



And　a　few　leaden　minutes　passed。







The　squall　came　over　at　last。　　Our　pursuer；　overtaken　by　a　sort　of



murky　whirlwind；　disappeared　from　our　sight。　　The　Tremolino



quivered　and　bounded　forward。　　The　land　ahead　vanished；　too；　and　we



seemed　to　be　left　alone　in　a　world　of　water　and　wind。







〃PRENEZ　LA　BARRE；　MONSIEUR；〃　Dominic　broke　the　silence　suddenly　in



an　austere　voice。　　〃Take　hold　of　the　tiller。〃　　He　bent　his　hood　to



my　ear。　　〃The　balancelle　is　yours。　　Your　own　hands　must　deal　the



blow。　　I　…　I　have　yet　another　piece　of　work　to　do。〃　　He　spoke　up



loudly　to　the　man　who　steered。　　〃Let　the　signorino　take　the　tiller；



and　you　with　the　others　stand　by　to　haul　the　boat　alongside　quickly



at　the　word。〃







The　man　obeyed；　surprised；　but　silent。　　The　others　stirred；　and



pricked　up　their　ears　at　this。　　I　heard　their　murmurs。　　〃What　now？



Are　we　going　to　run　in　somewhere　and　take　to　our　heels？　　The



Padrone　knows　what　he　is　doing。〃







Dominic　went　forward。　　He　paused　to　look　down　at　Cesar；　who；　as　I



have　said　before；　was　lying　full　length　face　down　by　the　foremast；



then　stepped　over　him；　and　dived　out　of　my　sight　under　the



foresail。　　I　saw　nothing　ahead。　　It　was　impossible　for　me　to　see



anything　except　the　foresail　open　and　still；　like　a　great　shadowy



wing。　　But　Dominic　had　his　bearings。　　His　voice　came　to　me　from



forward；　in　a　just　audible　cry：







〃Now；　signorino！〃







I　bore　on　the　tiller；　as　instructed　before。　　Again　I　heard　him



faintly；　and　then　I　had　only　to　hold　her　straight。　　No　ship　ran　so



joyously　to　her　death　before。　　She　rose　and　fell；　as　if　floating　in



space；　and　darted　forward；　whizzing　like　an　arrow。　　Dominic；



stooping　under　the　foot　of　the　foresail；　reappeared；　and　stood



steadying　himself　against　the　mast；　with　a　raised　forefinger　in　an



attitude　of　expectant　attention。　　A　second　before　the　shock　his　arm



fell　down　by　his　side。　　At　that　I　set　my　teeth。　　And　then　…







Talk　of　splintered　planks　and　smashed　timbers！　　This　shipwreck　lies



upon　my　soul　with　the　dread　and　horror　of　a　homicide；　with　the



unforgettable　remorse　of　having　crushed　a　living；　faithful　heart　at



a　single　blow。　　At　one　moment　the　rush　and　the　soaring　swing　of



speed；　the　next　a　crash；　and　death；　stillness　…　a　moment　of



horrible　immobility；　with　the　song　of　the　wind　changed　to　a



strident　wail；　and　the　heavy　waters　boiling　up　menacing　and



sluggish　around　the　corpse。　　I　saw　in　a　distracting　minute　the



foreyard　fly　fore　and　aft　with　a　brutal　swing；　the　men　all　in　a



heap；　cursing　with　fear；　and　hauling　frantically　at　the　line　of　the



boat。　　With　a　strange　welcoming　of　the　familiar　I　saw　also　Cesar



amongst　them；　and　recognised　Dominic's　old；　well…known；　effective



gesture；　the　horizontal　sweep　of　his　powerful　arm。　　I　recollect



distinctly　saying　to　myself；　〃Cesar　must　go　down；　of　course；〃　and



then；　as　I　was　scrambling　on　all　fours；　the　swinging　tiller　I　had



let　go　caught　me　a　crack　under　the　ear；　and　knocked　me　over



senseless。







I　don't　think　I　was　actually　unconscious　for　more　than　a　few



minutes；　but　when　I　came　to　myself　the　dinghy　was　driving　before



the　wind　into　a　sheltered　cove；　two　men　just　keeping　her　straight



with　their　oars。　　Dominic；　with　his　arm　round　my　shoulders；



supported　me　in　the　stern…sheets。







We　landed　in　a　familiar　part　of　the　country。　　Dominic　took　one　of



the　boat's　oars　with　him。　　I　suppose　he　was　thinking　of　the　stream



we　would　have　presently　to　cross；　on　which　there　was　a　miserable



specimen　of　a　punt；　often　robbed　of　its　pole。　　But　first　of　all　we



had　to　ascend　the　ridge　of　land　at　the　back　of　the　Cape。　　He　helped



me　up。　　I　was　dizzy。　　My　head　felt　very　large　and　heavy。　　At　the



top　of　the　ascent　I　clung　to　him；　and　we　stopped　to　rest。







To　the　right；　below　us；　the　wide；　smoky　bay　was　empty。　　Dominic　had



kept　his　word。　　There　was　not　a　chip　to　be　seen　around　the　black



rock　from　which　the　Tremolino；　with　her　plucky　heart　crushed　at　one



blow；　had　slipped　off　into　deep　water　to　her　eternal　rest。　　The



vastness　of　the　open　sea　was　smothered　in　driving　mists；　and　in　the



centre　of　the　thinning　squall；　phantom…like；　under　a　frightful



press　of　canvas；　the　unconscious　guardacosta　dashed　on；　still



chasing　to　the　northward。　　Our　men　were　already　descending　the



reverse　slope　to　look　for　that　punt　which　we　knew　from　experience



was　not　always　to　be　found　easily。　　I　looked　after　them　with　dazed；



misty　eyes。　　One；　two；　three；　four。







〃Dominic；　where's　Cesar？〃　I　cried。