hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第83章
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When he was alone on the bridge he smelled the bird guano from the rock and he rounded the point and anchored in two fathoms of water。 The bottom was clean and there was a big tide running。 He looked up at the white…painted house and the tall old…fashioned light and then past the high rock to the green mangrove keys and beyond them the low； rocky； barren tip of Cayo Romano。 They had lived； off and on； for such a long time within sight of that long； strange； and pest…ridden key and knew a part of it so well and had come in on its landmarks so many times and under such good and bad circumstances that it always made him an emotion to sight it or to leave it out of sight。 Now it was there at its barest and most barren； jutting out like a scrubby desert。
There were wild horses and wild cattle and wild hogs on that great key and he wondered how many people had held the illusion that they might colonize it。 It had hills rich in grass with beautiful valleys and fine stands of timber and once there had been a settlement called Versailles where Frenchmen had made their attempt at living on Romano。
Now all the frame buildings were abandoned but the one big house and one time when Thomas Hudson had gone in there to fill water； the dogs from the shacks were huddled with the pigs that had burrowed in the mud and dogs and pigs both were gray from the solid blanket of mosquitoes that covered them。 It was a wonderful key when the east wind blew day and night and you could walk two days with a gun and be in good country。 It was country as unspoiled as when Columbus came to this coast。 Then； when the wind dropped； the mosquitoes came in clouds from the marshes。 To say they came in clouds； he thought； is not a metaphor。 They truly came in clouds and they could bleed a man to death。 The people we are searching for would not have stopped in Romano。 Not with this calm。 They must have gone further up the coast。
¨Ara；〃 he called。
¨What is it； Tom？〃 Ara asked。 He always swung up onto the bridge and landed as lightly as an acrobat but with the weight of steel。
¨Whatˇs the score？〃
¨Willieˇs not himself； Tom。 I took him out of the sun and I made him a drink and made him lie down。 Heˇs quiet now but he looks at things too fixedly。〃
¨Maybe he had too much sun on his bad head。〃
¨Maybe。 Maybe it is something else。〃
¨What else？〃
¨Gil and Peters are sleeping。 Gil had the duty to keep Peters awake last night。 Henry is sleeping and George went in with Antonio。〃
¨They should be back soon。〃
¨They will be。〃
¨We must keep Willie out of the sun。 I was stupid to send him forward。 But I did it for discipline； without thinking。〃
¨I am disassembling and cleaning the big ones and I checked all the fuses from the dampness and rain of last night on the other stuff。 Last night after the poker game we disassembled and cleaned and oiled everything。〃
¨Now； with the dampness； we have to make a daily check； whether anything is fired or not。〃
¨I know；〃 Ara said。 ¨We ought to disembark Willie。 But we canˇt do it here。〃
¨Cayo Franc？s？〃
¨We could。 But Havana would be better and have them ship him from there。 Heˇs going to talk； Tom。〃
Thomas Hudson thought of something and regretted it。
¨We never should have taken him after he had a medical discharge and with the bad head；〃 Ara said。
¨I know。 But we did。 How many damn mistakes have we made？〃
¨Not too many；〃 Ara said。 ¨Now may I go down and finish the work？〃
¨Yes；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Thank you very much。〃
¨A sus ？rdenes；〃 Ara said。
¨I wish to hell they were better orders；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
Antonio and George were coming out with the dinghy and Antonio came up on the bridge immediately and let George and Henry hoist the motor and the dinghy aboard。
¨Well？〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨They must have gone by in the night on the last of the breeze；〃 Antonio said。 ¨They would have seen them at the light if they came into the cut。 The old man who has the skiff and the fish traps hadnˇt seen any turtle boat。 He talks about everything and he would have mentioned it； the lightkeeper said。 Do you think we ought to go back and check with him？〃
¨No。 I think theyˇre down at Puerto Coco or else at Guillermo。〃
¨Thatˇs about where they would have reached with what wind they had。〃
¨Youˇre sure they couldnˇt have gone through the cut at night？〃
¨Not with the best pilot that ever lived。〃
¨Then we have to find them in the lee of Coco or down by Guillermo。 Letˇs get the anchor up and go。〃
It was a very dirty coast and he kept outside of everything and ran the edge of the hundred…fathom curve。 Inshore there was a low rocky coast and reefs and big patches of banks that came out dry with the low tide。 There was a four…man watch and Gil was on Thomas Hudsonˇs left。 Thomas Hudson looked toward the shore and saw the beginning of the green of the mangroves and thought； what a hell of a place to be now in this calm。 The clouds were piled high already and he thought the squalls would come out earlier。 There are about three places past Puerto Coco that I must search； he thought。 I had better hook her up a little more and get in there。
¨Henry；〃 he said。 ¨Steer 285 will you？ I want to go below and see Willie。 Sing out if you sight anything。 You donˇt need to watch inshore； Gil。 Take the starboard watch forward。 Thatˇs all too shallow inshore for them to be in there。〃
¨Iˇd like to watch inshore；〃 Gil said。 ¨If you donˇt mind； Tom。 Thereˇs that crazy channel that makes in almost against the beach and the guide could have taken them there and put them in the mangroves。〃
¨Good；〃 said Thomas Hudson。 ¨Iˇll send up Antonio。〃
¨I could see her mast in the mangroves with these big glasses。〃
¨I doubt it like hell。 But you might。〃
¨Please； Tom。 If you donˇt mind。〃
¨I agreed already。〃
¨Iˇm sorry； Tom。 But I thought a guide might take her in there。 We went in there once。〃
¨And we had to come out the same way we went in。〃
¨I know。 But if the wind failed them and they had to hide in a hurry。 We donˇt want to overrun them。〃
¨Right。 But we are a long way out for you to see a mast。 Besides they would probably cut mangroves to hide the mast from the air。〃
¨I know；〃 Gil said with Spanish stubbornness。 ¨But I have very good eyes and these are twelve…power glasses and it is calm so I see well and〃
¨I said it was OK before。〃
¨I know。 But I had to explain。〃
¨Youˇve explained；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨And if you find a mast you can stick it up my ass with peanuts on it。〃
Gil felt a little hurt at this but he thought it was funny； especially about the peanuts； and he searched the mangroves until the big glasses almost pulled the eyes out of his head。
Below； Thomas Hudson was talking with Willie and watching the sea and the land。 It was always strange how much less you saw when you were down from the bridge； and； as long as things went well below； he felt a fool to be anywhere but at his post。 He tried always to keep the necessary contact and avoid the idiocy of the uninspecting inspection。 But he had delegated more and more authority to Antonio； who was a much better sailor than he was； and to Ara who was a much better man。 They are both better men than I am； he thought； and yet I still should be in command； using their knowledge and talent and their characters。
¨Willie；〃 he said。 ¨How are you really？〃
¨Iˇm sorry about acting like a fool。 But Iˇm sort of bad； Tom。〃
¨You know the rules about drinking；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨There arenˇt any。 I donˇt want to use chickenshit words like the honor system。〃
¨I know；〃 Willie said。 ¨You know Iˇm not a rummy。〃
¨We donˇt ship rummies。〃
¨Except Peters。〃
¨We didnˇt ship him。 They gave him to us。 He has his problems； too。〃
¨Old Angus is his problem；〃 Willie said。 ¨And his goddam problems get to be our problems too damn fast。〃
¨Weˇll skip him；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨You have anything else eating you？〃
¨Just in general。〃
¨How？〃
¨Well Iˇm half crazy and youˇre half crazy and then weˇve got this crew of half saints and d
