hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第29章
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he rod； and rested。
¨Thatˇs right； Davy；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Only work when youˇre working。 Heˇs just circling。 But the drag makes him work for it and itˇs tiring him all the time。〃
Eddy turned his head and looked below and Thomas Hudson knew from the way he squinted his eyes that he was looking at the big brass clock on the cabin wall。
¨Itˇs five over three； Roger；〃 he said。 ¨Youˇve been with him three hours and five minutes； Davy old boy。〃
They were at the point where David should have started to gain line。 But instead the line was going out steadily。
¨Heˇs sounding again；〃 Roger said。 ¨Watch yourself； Davy。 Can you see the line OK； Tom？〃
¨I can see it OK；〃 Thomas Hudson told him。 It was not yet at a very steep slant and he could see it a long way down in the water from the top of the house。
¨He may want to go down to die；〃 Thomas Hudson told his oldest boy； speaking very low。 ¨That would ruin Dave。〃
Young Tom shook his head and bit his lips。
¨Hold him all you can； Dave；〃 Thomas Hudson heard Roger say。 ¨Tighten up on him and give it all it will take。〃
The boy tightened up the drag almost to the breaking point of the rod and line and then hung on； bracing himself to take the punishment the best he could； while the line went out and out and down and down。
¨When you stop him this time I think you will have whipped him；〃 Roger told David。 ¨Throw her out； Tom。〃
¨Sheˇs cut；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨But I think I could save a little backing。〃
¨OK。 Try it。〃
¨Backing now；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 They saved a little line by backing but not much； and the line was getting terribly straight up and down。 There was less on the reel now than at the worst time before。
¨Youˇll have to get out on the stern； Davy；〃 Roger said。 ¨Youˇll have to loosen the drag up a little to get the butt out。〃
David loosened the drag。
¨Now get the butt into your butt rest。 You hold him around the waist； Eddy。〃
¨Oh God； papa；〃 young Tom said。 ¨Heˇs taking it all right to the bottom now。〃
David was on his knees on the low stern now； the rod bent so that its tip was underwater； its butt in the leather socket of the butt rest that was strapped around his waist。 Andrew was holding onto Davidˇs feet and Roger knelt beside him watching the line in the water and the little there was on the reel。 He shook his head at Thomas Hudson。
There was not twenty yards more on the reel and David was pulled down with half the rod underwater now。 Then there was barely fifteen yards on the reel。 Now there was not ten yards。 Then the line stopped going out。 The boy was still bent far over the stern and most of the rod was in the water。 But no line was going out。
¨Get him back into the chair； Eddy。 Easy。 Easy；〃 Roger said。 ¨When you can； I mean。 Heˇs stopped him。〃
Eddy helped David back into the fighting chair； holding him around the waist so that a sudden lurch by the fish would not pull the boy overboard。 Eddy eased him into the chair and David got the rod butt into the gimbel socket and braced with his feet and pulled back on the rod。 The fish lifted a little。
¨Only pull when you are going to get some line；〃 Roger told David。 ¨Let him pull the rest of the time。 Try and rest inside the action except when you are working on him。〃
¨Youˇve got him； Davy；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Youˇre getting it on him all the time。 Just take it slow and easy and youˇll kill him。
Thomas Hudson eased the boat a little forward to put the fish further astern。 There was good shadow now over all the stern。 The boat was working steadily further out to sea and no wind troubled the surface。
¨Papa；〃 young Tom said to his father。 ¨I was looking at his feet when I made the drinks。 Theyˇre bleeding。〃
¨Heˇs chafed them pulling against the wood。〃
¨Do you think I could put a pillow there？ A cushion for him to pull against？〃
¨Go down and ask Eddy；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨But donˇt interrupt Dave。〃
It was well into the fourth hour of the fight now。 The boat was still working out to sea and David； with Roger holding the back of his chair now； was raising the fish steadily。 David looked stronger now than he had an hour before but Thomas Hudson could see where his heels showed the blood that had run down from the soles of his feet。 It looked varnished in the sun。
¨Howˇs your feet； Davy？〃 Eddy asked。
¨They donˇt hurt；〃 David said。 ¨What hurts is my hands and arms and my back。〃
¨I could put a cushion under them。〃
David shook his head。
¨I think theyˇd stick；〃 he said。 ¨Theyˇre sticky。 They donˇt hurt。 Really。〃
Young Tom came up to the top side and said； ¨Heˇs wearing the bottoms of his feet right off。 Heˇs getting his hands bad too。 Heˇs had blisters and now theyˇre all open。 Gee； papa。 I donˇt know。〃
¨Itˇs the same as if he had to paddle against a stiff current； Tommy。 Or if he had to keep going up a mountain or stick with a horse after he was awfully tired。〃
¨I know it。 But just watching it and not doing it seems so sort of awful when itˇs your brother。〃
¨I know it； Tommy。 But there is a time boys have to do things if they are ever going to be men。 Thatˇs where Dave is now。〃
¨I know it。 But when I see his feet and his hands I donˇt know； papa。〃
¨If you had the fish would you want Roger or me to take him away from you？〃
¨No。 Iˇd want to stay with him till I died。 But to see it with Davy is different。〃
¨We have to think about how he feels；〃 his father told him。 ¨And whatˇs important to him。〃
¨I know；〃 young Tom said hopelessly。 ¨But to me itˇs just Davy。 I wish the world wasnˇt the way it is and that things didnˇt have to happen to brothers。〃
¨I do too；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Youˇre an awfully good boy； Tommy。 But please know I would have stopped this long ago except that I know that if David catches this fish heˇll have something inside him for all his life and it will make everything else easier。〃
Just then Eddy spoke。 He had been looking behind him into the cabin again。
¨Four hours even； Roger；〃 he said。 ¨You better take some water； Davy。 How do you feel？〃
¨Fine；〃 David said。
¨I know what Iˇll do that is practical；〃 young Tom said。 ¨Iˇll make a drink for Eddy。 Do you want one； papa？〃
¨No。 Iˇll skip this one；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
Young Tom went below and Thomas Hudson watched David working slowly； tiredly but steadily； Roger bending over him and speaking to him in a low voice； Eddy out on the stern watching the slant of the line in the water。 Thomas Hudson tried to picture how it would be down where the swordfish was swimming。 It was dark of course but probably the fish could see as a horse can see。 It would be very cold。
He wondered if the fish was alone or if there could be another fish swimming with him。 They had seen no other fish but that did not prove this fish was alone。 There might be another with him in the dark and the cold。
Thomas Hudson wondered why the fish had stopped when he had gone so deep the last time。 Did the fish reach his maximum possible depth the way a plane reached its ceiling？ Or had the pulling against the bend of the rod； the heavy drag on the line； and the resistance of its friction in the water discouraged him so that now he swam quietly in the direction he wished to go？ Was he only rising a little； steadily； as David lifted on him； rising docilely to ease the unpleasant tension that held him？ Thomas Hudson thought that was probably the way it was and that David might have great trouble with him yet if the fish was still strong。
Young Tom had brought Eddyˇs own bottle to him and Eddy had taken a long pull out of it and then asked Tom to put it in the bait box to keep it cool。 ¨And handy；〃 he added。 ¨If I see Davy fight this fish much longer it will make a damned rummy out of me。〃
¨Iˇll bring it any time you want it；〃 Andrew said。
¨Donˇt bring it when I want it；〃 Eddy told him。 ¨Bring it when I ask for it。〃
The oldest boy had come up with Thomas Hudson and together they watched Eddy bend over David and look carefully into his eyes。 Roger was holding the chair and watching the line。
¨Now lis
