hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第18章
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lways there to help you。〃
¨I think another thing is that better people do it；〃 Roger said。 ¨If I were a good enough guy maybe I could have been a good painter。 Maybe Iˇm just enough of a son of a bitch to be a good writer。〃
¨Thatˇs the worst oversimplification Iˇve ever heard。〃
¨I always oversimplify；〃 Roger maintained。 ¨Thatˇs one reason Iˇm no damn good。〃
¨Letˇs go to bed。〃
¨Iˇll stay up and read a while；〃 Roger said。
They slept well and Thomas Hudson did not wake when Roger came out to the sleeping porch late in the night。 After breakfast the wind was light and there were no clouds in the sky and they organized for a day of underwater fishing。
¨Youˇre coming； arenˇt you； Mr。 Davis？〃 Andrew asked。
¨I most certainly am。〃
¨Thatˇs good；〃 said Andrew。 ¨Iˇm glad。〃
¨How do you feel； Andy？〃 Thomas Hudson asked。
¨Scared；〃 said Andrew。 ¨Like always。 But Iˇm not so scared with Mr。 Davis going。〃
¨Never be scared； Andy；〃 Roger said。 ¨Itˇs worthless。 Your father told me。〃
¨They tell you；〃 Andrew said。 ¨They always tell you。 But Davidˇs the only young boy I ever knew with any brains that isnˇt scared。〃
¨Shut up；〃 David said。 ¨Youˇre just a creature of your imagination。〃
¨Mr。 Davis and I are always scared；〃 Andrew said。 ¨Itˇs possibly our superior intelligence。〃
¨Youˇre going to be careful； Davy； arenˇt you？〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Naturally。〃
Andrew looked at Roger and shrugged his shoulders。
VII
DOWN ALONG THE REEF where they went for underwater fishing on that day； there was the old iron wreck of a steamer that had broken up and at high tide the rusty iron of her boilers still showed above the sea。 Today the wind was in the south and Thomas Hudson anchored in the lee of a patch of reef； not too close in； and Roger and the boys got their masks and spears ready。 The spears were very primitive； and of all sorts； and these spears were made according to Thomas Hudsonˇs and the boyˇs individual ideas。
Joseph had come along to scull the dinghy。 He took Andrew in with him and they started for the reef while the others slipped over the side to swim。
¨Arenˇt you coming； papa？〃 David called up to his father on the flying bridge of his fishing boat。 The circle of glass over his eyes； nose； and forehead； with the rubber frame pressed under his nose； into his cheeks； and tight against his forehead； held tight into the flesh by a rubber strap around the back of his head； made him look like one of the characters in those pseudoscientific comic strips。 ¨Iˇll come over later on。〃
¨Donˇt wait too long until everything gets spooked。〃
¨Thereˇs plenty of reef。 You wonˇt work it all over。〃
¨But I know two holes out beyond the boilers that are wonderful。 I found them the day we came alone。 They were so untouched and full of fish I left them for when we would all be here。〃
¨I remember。 Iˇll come over in about an hour。〃
¨Iˇll save them for when you come；〃 David said and started to swim after the others； his right hand holding the six…foot ironwood shaft with the hand…forged； twin…pronged fish grains fitted to the end and made fast with a length of heavy fishing line。 His face was down in the water and he was studying the bottom through the glass of his mask as he swam。 He was an undersea boy and now that he was so brown and that he was swimming with only the wet back of his head showing he reminded Thomas Hudson more than ever of an otter。
He watched him swim along； using his left arm and kicking with his long legs and feet in a slow steady drive and occasionally； and each time much； much longer than you thought it would be； lifting his face a little to one side to breathe。 Roger and his oldest boy had swum out with their masks up on their foreheads and were a long way ahead。 Andrew and Joseph were over the reef in the dinghy but Andrew had not gone overboard yet。 There was only a light wind and the water over the reef looked light and creaming； with the reef showing brown and the dark blue water beyond。
Thomas Hudson went below to the galley where Eddy was peeling potatoes over a bucket held between his knees。 He was looking out the porthole of the galley toward the reef。
¨Boys oughtnˇt to scatter；〃 he said。 ¨Ought to keep close to the dinghy。〃
¨Do you think anything would come in over the reef？〃
¨Tideˇs pretty well up。 These are spring tides。〃
¨Waterˇs awfully clear；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Bad things in the ocean；〃 Eddy said。 ¨This is a tough ocean around here if they get to smell that fish。〃
¨They havenˇt got any fish yet。〃
¨Theyˇll get them soon。 They want to get those fish right into that dinghy before any fish smell or any blood smell trails on that tide。〃
¨Iˇll swim out。〃
¨No。 You holler at them to stay close together and keep the fish in the dinghy。〃
Thomas Hudson went up on deck and shouted what Eddy had said to Roger。 He held up his spear and waved that he had understood。
Eddy came up into the cockpit with the pot full of potatoes in one hand and his knife in the other。
¨You take that good rifle； the little good one； and get up on the topside； Mr。 Tom；〃 he said。 ¨I just donˇt like it。 I donˇt like boys out there on this tide。 Weˇre too close to the real ocean。〃
¨Letˇs get them in。〃
¨No。 Chances are I just get nervous。 Bad night last night anyway。 Iˇm fond of them like theyˇre my boys and I worry the hell about them。〃 He put the pot of potatoes down。 ¨Tell you what letˇs do。 Start her up and Iˇll get the anchor up and weˇll run in closer to the reef and anchor。 Sheˇll swing clear with this tide and the wind。 Letˇs put her right in。〃
Thomas Hudson started the big motor and went up to the flying bridge and the topside controls。 Ahead； as Eddy got the anchor up； he could see them all in the water now and； as he watched； David came up from underwater with a fish flopping on his spear that he held high in the air and Thomas Hudson heard him shout for the dinghy。
¨Put her nose right against the reef；〃 Eddy called from the bow where he was holding the anchor。
Thomas Hudson came up slowly to almost touch the reef； seeing the big brown coral heads； the black sea urchins on the sand； and the purple sea fans swaying toward him with the tide。 Eddy heaved the anchor and Thomas Hudson came astern on the engine。 The boat swung off and the reef slid away。 Eddy paid out line until the rope came taut and Thomas Hudson cut the motor and they swung there。
¨Now we can keep an eye on them；〃 Eddy said； standing in the bow。 ¨I canˇt stand worrying about those kids。 Ruins my damn digestion。 Bad enough the way it is now。〃
¨Iˇll stay up here and watch them。〃
¨Iˇll pass you up the rifle and get the hell back to those potatoes。 The boys like potato salad； donˇt they？ The way we fix it？〃
¨Sure。 Roger too。 Put in plenty of hard…boiled egg and onion。
¨Iˇll keep the potatoes good and firm。 Hereˇs the rifle。〃
As Thomas Hudson reached for the rifle it was chunky and heavy in its clipped sheep…wool…lined case that he kept saturated with Fiend…oil to keep the sea air from rusting it。 He pulled it out by the butt and slid the case under the decking on the flying bridge。 It was a 。256 Mannlicher Shoenauer with the old eighteen…inch barrel they werenˇt allowed to sell any more。 The stock and forearm were browned like a walnut nutmeat with oil and rubbing； and the barrel； rubbed from months of carrying in a saddle bucket； was oil…slick； without a spot of rust。 The cheek piece of the stock was worn smooth from his own cheek and when he pulled back the bolt the revolving magazine was full of heavy bellied cartridges with the long； thin； pencil…shaped metal…cased bullet with only a tiny exposed lead tip。
It was really too good a gun to keep on a boat but Thomas Hudson was so fond of it and it reminded him of so many things； so many people； and so many places that he liked to have it with him and he found that； in the sheepskin case； once the clipped wool was well impregnated with Fiend…oil； the rifle was not harmed at all by the salt air。 A gun is to shoot anyway； he thought； not to be preserved in
