hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第25章
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son had throttled the motors down so they were barely turning over。
¨Oh for Godˇs sake； hit him；〃 Andrew pleaded。 ¨Or let me hit him。〃
David just held back on the rod and watched the line moving out at the same steady angle。 He had loosened the drag。
¨Heˇs a broadbill； papa；〃 he said without looking up。 ¨I saw his sword when he took it。〃
¨Honest to God？〃 Andrew asked。 ¨Oh boy。〃
¨I think you ought to hit him now；〃 Roger was standing with the boy now。 He had the back out of the chair and he was buckling the harness on the reel。 ¨Hit him now； Dave； and really hit him。〃
¨Do you think heˇs had it long enough？〃 David asked。 ¨You donˇt think heˇs just carrying it in his mouth and swimming with it？〃
¨I think you better hit him before he spits it out。〃
David braced his feet； tightened the drag well down with his right hand； and struck back hard against the great weight。 He struck again and again bending the rod like a bow。 The line moved out steadily。 He had made no impression on the fish。
¨Hit him again； Dave；〃 Roger said。 ¨Really put it into him。〃
David struck again with all his strength and the line started zizzing out； the rod bent so that he could hardly hold it。
¨Oh God；〃 he said devoutly。 ¨I think Iˇve got it into him。〃
¨Ease up on your drag；〃 Roger told him。 ¨Turn with him； Tom； and watch the line。〃
¨Turn with him and watch the line；〃 Thomas Hudson repeated。 ¨You all right； Dave？〃
¨Iˇm wonderful； papa；〃 Dave said。 ¨Oh God； if I can catch this fish。〃
Thomas Hudson swung the boat around almost on her stern。 Daveˇs line was fading off the reel and Thomas Hudson moved up on the fish。
¨Tighten up and get that line in now；〃 Roger said。 ¨Work on him； Dave。〃
David was lifting and reeling as he lowered； lifting and reeling as he lowered； as regularly as a machine； and was getting back a good quantity of line onto his reel。
¨Nobody in our familyˇs ever caught a broadbill；〃 Andrew said。
¨Oh keep your mouth off him； please；〃 David said。 ¨Donˇt put your mouth on him。〃
¨I wonˇt；〃 Andrew said。 ¨Iˇve been doing nothing but pray ever since you hooked him。〃
¨Do you think his mouth will hold？〃 young Tom whispered to his father； who was holding the wheel and looking down into the stern and watching the slant of the white line in the dark water。
¨I hope so。 Dave isnˇt strong enough to be rough with him。〃
¨Iˇll do anything if we can get him；〃 young Tom said。 ¨Anything。 Iˇll give up anything。 Iˇll promise anything。 Get him some water； Andy。〃
¨Iˇve got some；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Stay with him； old Dave boy。〃
¨I donˇt want him any closer；〃 Roger called up。 He was a great fisherman and he and Thomas Hudson understood each other perfectly in a boat。
¨Iˇll put him astern；〃 Thomas Hudson called and swung the boat around very softly and easily so the stern hardly disturbed the calm sea。
The fish was sounding now and Thomas Hudson backed the boat very slowly to ease the pressure on the line all that he could。 But with only a touch of reverse with the stern moving slowly toward the fish the angle was all gone from the line and the rod tip was pointing straight down and the line kept going out in a series of steady jerks； the rod bucking each time in Davidˇs hands。 Thomas Hudson slipped the boat ahead just a thought so that the boy would not have the line so straight up and down in the water。 He knew how it was pulling on his back in that position； but he had to save all the line he could。
¨I canˇt put any more drag on or it will break；〃 David said。 ¨What will he do； Mr。 Davis？〃
¨Heˇll just keep on going down until you stop him；〃 Roger said。 ¨Or until he stops。 Then youˇve got to try to get him up。〃
The line kept going out and down； out and down； out and down。 The rod was bent so far it looked as though it must break and the line was taut as a tuned cello string and there was not much more of it on the reel。
¨What can I do； papa？〃
¨Nothing。 Youˇre doing what there is to do。〃
¨Wonˇt he hit the bottom？〃 Andrew asked。
¨There isnˇt any bottom；〃 Roger told him。
¨You hold him； Davy；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Heˇll get sick of it and come up。〃
¨These damned straps are killing me；〃 David said。 ¨They cut my shoulders off。〃
¨Do you want me to take him？〃 Andrew asked。 ¨No； you fool；〃 David said。 ¨I just said what they were doing to me。 I donˇt care about it。〃
¨See if you can rig him the kidney harness；〃 Thomas Hudson called down to Eddy。 ¨You can tie it on with line if the straps are too long。〃
Eddy wrapped the broad； quilted pad across the small of the boyˇs back and fastened the rings on the web straps that ran across it to the reel with heavy line。
¨Thatˇs much better；〃 David said。 ¨Thank you very much； Eddy。〃
¨Now you can hold him with your back as well as your shoulders；〃 Eddy told him。
¨But there isnˇt going to be any line。〃 David said。 ¨Oh Goddam him； why does he have to keep on sounding？〃
¨Tom；〃 Eddy called up。 ¨Ease her a little northwest。 I think heˇs moving。〃
Thomas Hudson turned the wheel and moved her softly； slowly； softly out to sea。 There was a big patch of yellow gulf weed ahead with a bird on it and the water was calm and so blue and clear that； as you looked down into it； there were lights in it like the reflections from a prism。
¨You see？〃 Eddy told David。 ¨Youˇre not losing any now。〃
The boy could not raise the rod； but the line was no longer jerking down into the water。 It was as taut as ever and there werenˇt fifty yards left on the reel。 But it was not going out。 David was holding him and the boat was on his course。 Thomas Hudson could see the just perceptible slant of the white line deep down in the blue water as the boat barely moved； its engines turning so quietly he could not hear them。
¨You see； Davy； he went down to where he liked it and now heˇs moving out to where he wants to go。 Pretty soon youˇll get some line on him。〃
The boyˇs brown back was arched； the rod bent； the line moved slowly through the water； and the boat moved slowly on the surface； and a quarter of a mile below the great fish was swimming。 The gull left the patch of weed and flew toward the boat。 He flew around Thomas Hudsonˇs head while he steered； then headed off toward another patch of yellow weed on the water。
¨Try to get some on him now；〃 Roger told the boy。 ¨If you can hold him you can get some。〃
¨Put her ahead just a touch more；〃 Eddy called to the bridge and Thomas Hudson eased her ahead as softly as he could。
David lifted and lifted； but the rod only bent and the line only tightened。 It was as though he were hooked to a moving anchor。
¨Never mind；〃 Roger told him。 ¨Youˇll get it later。 How are you； Davy？〃
¨Iˇm fine；〃 David said。 ¨With that harness across my back Iˇm fine。〃
¨Do you think you can stay with him？〃 Andrew asked。
¨Oh shut up；〃 David said。 ¨Eddy； can I have a drink of water？〃
¨Whereˇd I put it？〃 Eddy asked。 ¨I guess I spilled it。〃
¨Iˇll get one；〃 Andrew went below。
¨Can I do anything； Dave？〃 young Tom asked。 ¨Iˇm going up so I wonˇt be in the way。〃
¨No； Tom。 Goddam it； why canˇt I lift on him？〃
¨Heˇs an awfully big fish； Dave；〃 Roger told him。 ¨You canˇt bull him around。 Youˇve got to lead him and try to convince him where he has to come。〃
¨You tell me what to do and Iˇll do it until I die；〃 David said。 ¨I trust you。〃
¨Donˇt talk about dying；〃 Roger said。 ¨Thatˇs no way to talk。〃
¨I mean it；〃 David said。 ¨I mean it really。〃
Young Tom came back up on the flying bridge with his father。 They were looking down at David； bent and harnessed to his fish； with Roger standing by him and Eddy holding the chair。 Andrew was putting the glass of water to Daveˇs mouth。 He took some in and spat it out。
¨Pour some on my wrists； will you； Andy？〃 he asked。
¨Papa； do you think he can really stay with this fish？〃 Tom said to his father very softly。
¨Itˇs an awful lot of fish for him。〃
¨It scares me；〃 Tom said。 ¨I love David and I donˇt want any damned fish to kill him。
