hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第33章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
gravy and some lima beans。 We got that cabbage lettuce and fresh grapefruit for a salad。 The boys would like a pie and we got canned loganberries makes a hell of a pie。 We got ice cream from the run…boat to put on top of it。 Howˇs that？ I want to feed that goddam David up。〃
¨What did you figure to do when you dove overboard with the gaff？〃
¨I was going to get the gaff hook into him right underneath his fin where it would kill him when he came taut on the rope and then get the hell away from there and back on board。〃
¨What did he look like underwater？〃
¨He was as wide as a dinghy； Tom。 All purple and his eye looked as big as your hand is long。 It was black and he was silver underneath and his sword was terrible to see。 He just kept on going down； settling slow； and I couldnˇt get down to him because that big haft on the gaff was too buoyant。 I couldnˇt sink with it。 So it wasnˇt any use。〃
¨Did he look at you？〃
¨I couldnˇt tell。 He just looked like he was there and nothing made any difference to him。〃
¨Do you think he was tired？〃
¨I think he was through。 I think heˇd decided to give up。〃
¨Weˇll never see anything like that again。〃
¨No。 Not in our lifetimes。 And I know enough now not to try to make people believe it。〃
¨Iˇm going to paint a picture of it for David。〃
¨You make it just like it was then。 Donˇt make it comic like some of those comic ones you paint。〃
¨Iˇm going to paint it truer than a photograph。〃
¨Thatˇs the way I like it when you paint。〃
¨Itˇs going to be awfully hard to paint the underwater part。〃
¨Will it be like that waterspout picture down at Bobbyˇs？〃
¨No。 This will be different but I hope it will be better。 Iˇm going to make sketches for it today。〃
¨I like that waterspout picture；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Bobby； heˇs crazy about it and he can make anybody believe there was that many waterspouts that time when they see the picture。 But this will be a hell of a one to paint with the fish in the water。〃
¨I think I can do it；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨You couldnˇt paint him jumping； too； could you？〃
¨I think I can。〃
¨Paint him the two of them； Tom。 Paint him jumping and then with Roger bringing him up on the leader and Davy in the chair and me on the stern。 We can get photographs took of it。〃
¨Iˇll start the sketches。〃
¨Anything you want to ask me；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Iˇll be in the kitchen。 The boys still asleep？〃
¨All three of them。〃
¨Hell；〃 Eddy said。 ¨I donˇt give a damn about anything since that fish。 But weˇve got to have a good meal。〃
¨I wish I had leech for that eye。〃
¨Hell； I donˇt give a damn about the eye。 I can see out of it fine。〃
¨Iˇm going to let the boys sleep as long as they can。〃
¨Joe； heˇll help me when theyˇre up and Iˇll give them breakfast。 If they wake up too late； I wonˇt give them too much so as not to spoil lunch。 You didnˇt see that piece of meat we got？〃
¨No。〃
¨Goddam she sure costs money but itˇs beautiful meat； Tom。 Nobody on this island has eaten meat like that in their whole lives。 I wonder what those beef cattle look like that meat comes from。〃
¨Theyˇre built right down close to the ground；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨And theyˇre almost as wide as they are long。〃
¨God； they must be fat；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Iˇd like to see them alive sometime。 Here nobody ever butchers a cow till just before itˇs going to die from starving。 The meatˇs bitter。 People hereˇd go crazy with meat like that we got。 They wouldnˇt know what it was。 Probably make them sick。〃
¨I have to finish these letters；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Iˇm sorry； Tom。〃
After he finished the mail； answered two other business letters that he had intended to put off until the next weekˇs boat； checking the list of the next weekˇs needs and writing a check for the weekˇs supplies plus the flat ten percent the government charged on all imports from the Mainland； Thomas Hudson walked down to the run…boat that was loading at the government wharf。 The captain was taking orders from the islanders for supplies； dry goods； medicines； hardware； spare parts； and all the things that came into the island from the Mainland。 The run…boat was loading live crawfish and conches and a deck load of conch shells and empty gasoline and Diesel oil drums and the islanders stood in line in the heavy wind waiting their turn in the cabin。
¨Was everything all right； Tom？〃 Captain Ralph called out the cabin window to Thomas Hudson。
¨Hey； get out of this cabin； you boy； and come in your turn；〃 he said to a big Negro in a straw hat。 ¨I had to substitute on a few things。 How was the meat？〃
¨Eddy says itˇs wonderful。〃
¨Good。 Let me have those letters and the list。 Blowing a gale outside。 I want to get out over the bar on this next tide。 Sorry Iˇm so busy。〃
¨See you next week； Ralph。 Donˇt let me hold you up。 Thanks very much； boy。〃
¨Iˇll try to have everything next week。 Need any money？〃
¨No。 Iˇm all right from last week。〃
¨Got plenty of it here if you want it。 OK。 Now； you； Lucius； whatˇs your trouble？ What you spending money on now？〃
Thomas Hudson walked back along the dock where the Negroes were laughing at what the wind was doing to the girlsˇ and the womenˇs cotton dresses and then up the coral road to the Ponce de Le？n。
¨Tom；〃 Mr。 Bobby said。 ¨Come in and sit down。 By God whereˇve you been？ Weˇre just swept out and sheˇs officially open。 Come on and have the best one of the day。〃
¨Itˇs pretty early。〃
¨Nonsense。 Thatˇs good imported beer。 Weˇve got Dogˇs Head ale too。〃 He reached into a tub of ice； opened a bottle of Pilsner； and handed it to Thomas Hudson。 ¨You donˇt want a glass； do you？ Put that down and then decide if you want a drink or not。〃
¨I wonˇt work then。〃
¨Who gives a damn？ You work too much as it is。 You got a duty to yourself； Tom。 Your one and only life。 You canˇt just paint all the time。〃
¨We were in the boat yesterday and I didnˇt work。〃
Thomas Hudson was looking at the big canvas of the waterspouts that hung on the wall at the end of the bar。 It was a good painting； Thomas Hudson thought。 As good as he could do as of today； he thought。
¨I got to hang her higher；〃 Bobby said。 ¨Some gentleman got excited last night and tried to climb into the skiff。 I told him it would cost him ten thousand dollars if he put his foot through her。 Constable told him the same。 Constableˇs got an idea for one he wants you to paint to hang in his home。〃
¨What is it？〃
¨Constable wouldnˇt say。 Just that he had a very valuable idea he had intention to discuss with you。〃
Thomas Hudson was looking at the canvas closely。 It showed certain signs of wear。
¨By God； she sure stands up；〃 Bobby said proudly。 ¨The other night a gentleman let out a shout and threw a full mug of beer at the column of one of the waterspouts trying to break it down。 You wouldnˇt have known sheˇd ever been hit。 Never dented her。 Beer run off her like water。 By God； Tom； you sure painted her solid。〃
¨Sheˇll only take about so much though。〃
¨By God；〃 said Bobby。 ¨I ainˇt seen nothing faze her yet。 But Iˇm going to hang her higher just the same。 That gentleman last night worried me。〃
He handed Thomas Hudson another bottle of ice…cold Pilsner。
¨Tom； I want to tell you how sorry I am about the fish。 I know Eddy since we were boys and I never heard him lie。 About anything important； I mean。 I mean if you asked him to tell you something true。〃
¨It was a hell of a thing。 Iˇm not going to tell anybody about it。〃
¨Thatˇs the right way；〃 Bobby said。 ¨I just wanted you to know how sorry I was。 Why donˇt you finish that beer and have a drink？ We donˇt want to start feeling sad this early。 What would make you feel good？〃
¨I feel good enough。 Iˇm going to work this afternoon and I donˇt want to get logy。〃
¨Oh well； if I canˇt break you out maybe somebody will come in that I can。 Look at that damn yacht。 She must have taken a beating coming across with that shallow draft。〃
Thomas Hudson looked out the open door and saw the handsome； white； house
