hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第86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！
¨Do you want me to take her？〃
¨Thanks；〃 said Thomas Hudson。 ¨I do not。〃
¨Now we can see the high ground beautifully；〃 Ara said。 ¨You take all of her； Gil。 Iˇll just back you up。 Glass her really well。〃
¨Who takes the first quarter of the sea？〃 Willie asked。 ¨How come you switched on me； anyway？〃
¨When Tom asked you to look at the wreck。 We switch automatically。 When you went to starboard I went to port。〃
¨Thatˇs too nautical for me；〃 Willie said。 ¨When you want to be nautical； be right or not at all。 Why donˇt you say right or left the same as in steering？〃
¨It was you who said the starboard watch；〃 Henry said。
¨Thatˇs right。 And from now on Iˇm going to say downstairs and upstairs and the front and the back of the boat。〃
¨Willie； get over with Gil and Ara and glass the beach； will you please？〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨The beach and carry it up to the first third of the key。〃
¨Yes； Tom；〃 Willie said。
It was easy to see if there was anyone living on Cayo Guillermo on this which was the windward side for nearly all of the year。 But there was nothing showing as they moved close in along the coast。 They came abeam of the point and Thomas Hudson said； ¨Iˇll circle the half…moon key as close as I can and you all glass it。 If you notice anything we can stand by and put the dinghy in。〃
The breeze was starting to rise and the sea was beginning to move but it did not break yet on the shoals because of the high tide。 Thomas Hudson looked ahead at the small rocky key。 He knew there was a sunken wreck at the western end of it but it showed only as a red brown bulge with this high tide。 There was a shallow bank and a sandy beach on the inside of this key but he would not see the beach until he had rounded the wreck。
¨Thereˇs somebody living on the key；〃 Ara said。 ¨I see smoke。〃
¨Right；〃 said Willie。 ¨Itˇs on the leeward side and the wind is carrying it to the west。〃
¨The smoke is about at the center of where the beach should be；〃 Gil said。
¨Can you see a mast？〃
¨No mast；〃 Gil said。
¨They could step the goddam mast daytimes；〃 Willie said。
¨Go to your stations；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Ara； you stay here with me。 Willie； tell Peters to get hooked up to talk whether anybody can hear him or not。〃
¨What do you think？〃 Ara asked when the others were gone。
¨I think if I were fishing and drying fish that I would have come off here from Guillermo when the calms came and brought the mosquitoes。〃
¨Me； too。〃
¨They arenˇt burning any charcoal on this key and the smoke is small。 So it must be a fresh fire。〃
¨Unless it is the end of a bigger one。〃
¨I thought of that。〃
¨Then weˇll see in five minutes。〃
They rounded the wreck； which had another booby bird sitting on it； and Thomas Hudson thought； our allies are checking in fast。 Then they were coming up into the lee of the key and Thomas Hudson saw the sand beach； the green behind it； and a shack with smoke coming from it。
¨Thank God；〃 he said。
¨Equally；〃 Ara said。 ¨I was afraid of the other thing； too。〃
There was no sign of any boats。
¨Weˇre really close to them； I think。 Get in fast with Antonio and tell me what you find。 Iˇll lay her in right along the bank。 Tell them to stay at their stations and act natural。〃
The dinghy spun and moved in to the beach。 Thomas Hudson watched Antonio and Ara walking toward the thatched shack。 They were moving as fast as they could without running。 They called to the shack and a woman came out。 She was dark as a sea Indian and was barefooted and her long hair hung down almost to her waist。 While she talked； another woman came out。 She was dark； too； and long…haired and she carried a baby。 As soon as she finished speaking； Ara and Antonio shook hands with the two women and came back to the dinghy。 They shoved off and started the motor and came out。
Antonio and Ara came up onto the flying bridge while the dinghy was being hoisted aboard。
¨There were two women；〃 Antonio said。 ¨The men are outside fishing。 The woman with the baby saw a turtle boat go into the channel that goes inside。 It went in when this breeze came up。〃
¨That would be about an hour and a half ago；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨With the tide falling now。〃
¨Very strong；〃 Antonio said。 ¨It is dropping very fast； Tom。〃
¨When she is down； there is not enough water to carry us through there。〃
¨No。〃
¨What do you think？〃
¨Itˇs your ship。〃
Thomas Hudson swung the helm hard over and put in both motors up to twenty…seven hundred revolutions and headed for the point of the key。
¨They may run aground themselves；〃 he said。 ¨The hell with it。〃
¨We can anchor if it gets too bad；〃 Antonio said。 ¨Itˇs a marl bottom if we run aground。 Marl and mud。〃
¨And rocky spots；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Get Gil up here for me to watch for the stakes。 Ara； you and Willie check all the weapons。 Stay up here； please； Antonio。〃
¨The channel is a bastard；〃 Antonio said。 ¨But it is not impossible。〃
¨She is impossible in low water。 But maybe the other son of a bitch will ground； too； or maybe the wind will fail。〃
¨The wind wonˇt fail； Tom；〃 Antonio said。 ¨Itˇs firm and solid now for the trade wind。〃
Thomas Hudson looked at the sky and saw the long white hackles of clouds of the east wind。 Then he looked ahead at the point of the main key； at the spot of key and the flats that were beginning to show。 There he knew his trouble would start。 Then he looked at the mess of keys ahead that showed like green spots on the water。
¨Can you pick up the stake yet； Gil？〃 he asked。
¨No； Tom。〃
¨Itˇs probably only the branch of a tree or maybe a stick。〃
¨I canˇt see anything yet。〃
¨It ought to be dead ahead as we go。〃
¨I see it； Tom。 Itˇs a tall stick。 Dead ahead as we go。〃
¨Thank you；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
The flats on either side were white yellow in the sun and the tidal stream that came pouring out of the channel was the green water of the inner lagoon。 It was not fouled nor cloudy from the marl of the banks because the wind had not had time to raise a sea that would disturb them。 This made his piloting easier。
Then he saw how narrow the cut was beyond the stake end and he felt his scalp prickle。
¨You can make it； Tom；〃 Antonio said。 ¨Hang close to the starboard bank。 Iˇll see the cut when it opens up。〃
He hung close to the starboard bank and crawled along。 Once he looked to the port bank and saw it was closer than the starboard and he inched over to the right。
¨Is she throwing any mud？〃 he asked。
¨Clouds。〃
They came to the wicked turn and it was not as bad as he thought it would be。 The narrow part they had come through was worse。 The wind had risen now and Thomas Hudson felt it blowing strongly on his bare shoulder as they ran broadside to it through this cut。
¨The stake is dead ahead；〃 Gil said。 ¨Itˇs only a branch of tree。〃
¨Iˇve got it。〃
¨Hold her hard against the starboard bank； Tom；〃 Antonio said。 ¨We have this one beat。〃
Thomas Hudson hugged the starboard bank as though he were parking a car against a curb。 It did not look like a curb； though； but like the indented muddy terrain of an old battlefield； when they fought with great concentrations of artillery； that had suddenly been revealed from the bottom of the ocean and spread out； like a relief map； on his right。
¨How much mud are we throwing？〃
¨Plenty； Tom。 We can anchor when we get through this cut。 This side of Contrabando。 Or in the lee of Contrabando；〃 Antonio suggested。
Thomas Hudson turned his head and saw Cayo Contrabando looking small and green and cheerful and he said； ¨The hell with that。 Sweep that key and the channel that shows for a turtle boat； please； Gil。 I see the next two stakes。〃
This channel was easy。 But ahead he could see the sandbar on the right that was beginning to uncover。 The closer they came to Cayo Contrabando； the narrower the channel became。
¨Hold her to port of that stake；〃 Antonio said。
¨Thatˇs what Iˇm doing。〃
They passed the stake which was only a dead branch。 It was brown and blowing in the wind
