the red one-第23章

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man…size　drink　of　druggist's　alcohol；　and　to　her　again　kissed　her

hand。



〃But　she　was　coy；　and　ever　she　fluttered　near　to　me　but　never　near

enough。　　When　my　arm　went　out　to　her　to　girdle　her；　presto；　she　was

not　there。　　I　knew；　as　never　before；　nor　since；　the　thousand　dear

and　delightful　anguishes　of　love　frustrated　but　ever　resilient　and

beckoned　on　by　the　very　goddess　of　love。〃



〃Some　vocabulary；〃　Bruce　Cadogan　Cavendish　muttered　in　aside　to

Chauncey　Delarouse。　　But　Percival　Delaney　was　not　to　be　deterred。

He　kissed　his　pudgy　hand　aloft　into　the　night　and　held　warmly　on。



〃No　fond　agonies　of　rapture　deferred　that　were　not　lavished　upon　me

by　my　dear　Princess；　herself　ever　a　luring　delight　of　promise

flitting　just　beyond　my　reach。　　Every　sweet　lover's　inferno

unguessed　of　by　Dante　she　led　me　through。　　Ah！　　Those　swooning

tropic　nights；　under　our　palm　trees；　the　distant　surf　a　langourous

murmur　as　from　some　vast　sea　shell　of　mystery；　when　she；　my

Princess；　all　but　melted　to　my　yearning；　and　with　her　laughter；

that　was　as　silver　strings　by　buds　and　blossoms　smitten；　all　but

made　lunacy　of　my　lover's　ardency。



〃It　was　by　my　wrestling　with　the　champions　of　Talofa　that　I　first

interested　her。　　It　was　by　my　prowess　at　swimming　that　I　awoke　her。

And　it　was　by　a　certain　swimming　deed　that　I　won　from　her　more　than

coquettish　smiles　and　shy　timidities　of　feigned　retreat。



〃We　were　squidding　that　day；　out　on　the　reef　…　you　know　how；

undoubtedly；　diving　down　the　face　of　the　wall　of　the　reef；　five

fathoms；　ten　fathoms；　any　depth　within　reason；　and　shoving　our

squid…sticks　into　the　likely　holes　and　crannies　of　the　coral　where

squid　might　be　lairing。　　With　the　squid…stick；　bluntly　sharp　at

both　ends；　perhaps　a　foot　long；　and　held　crosswise　in　the　hand；　the

trick　was　to　gouge　any　lazying　squid　until　he　closed　his　tentacles

around　fist；　stick　and　arm。　…　Then　you　had　him；　and　came　to　the

surface　with　him；　and　hit　him　in　the　head　which　is　in　the　centre　of

him；　and　peeled　him　off　into　the　waiting　canoe。　。　。　。　And　to　think

I　used　to　do　that！〃



Percival　Delaney　paused　a　moment；　a　glimmer　of　awe　on　his　rotund

face；　as　he　contemplated　the　mighty　picture　of　his　youth。



〃Why；　I've　pulled　out　a　squid　with　tentacles　eight　feet　long；　and

done　it　under　fifty　feet　of　water。　　I　could　stay　down　four　minutes。

I've　gone　down；　with　a　coral…rock　to　sink　me；　in　a　hundred　and　ten

feet　to　clear　a　fouled　anchor。　　And　I　could　back…dive　with　a　once…

over　and　go　in　feet…first　from　eighty　feet　above　the　surface　…　〃



〃Quit　it；　delete　it；　cease　it；〃　Chauncey　Delarouse　admonished

testily。　　〃Tell　of　the　Princess。　　That's　what　makes　old　blood　leap

again。　　Almost　can　I　see　her。　　Was　she　wonderful？〃



Percival　Delaney　kissed　unutterable　affirmation。



〃I　have　said　she　was　a　mermaid。　　She　was。　　I　know　she　swam　thirty…

six　hours　before　being　rescued；　after　her　schooner　was　capsized　in

a　double…squall。　　I　have　seen　her　do　ninety　feet　and　bring　up　pearl

shell　in　each　hand。　　She　was　wonderful。　　As　a　woman　she　was

ravishing；　sublime。　　I　have　said　she　was　a　sea…goddess。　　She　was。

Oh；　for　a　Phidias　or　a　Praxiteles　to　have　made　the　wonder　of　her

body　immortal！



〃And　that　day；　out　for　squid　on　the　reef；　I　was　almost　sick　for

her。　　Mad　…　I　know　I　was　mad　for　her。　　We　would　step　over　the　side

from　the　big　canoe；　and　swim　down；　side　by　side；　into　the　delicious

depths　of　cool　and　colour；　and　she　would　look　at　me；　as　we　swam；

and　with　her　eyes　tantalize　me　to　further　madness。　　And　at　last；

down；　far　down；　I　lost　myself　and　reached　for　her。　　She　eluded　me

like　the　mermaid　she　was；　and　I　saw　the　laughter　on　her　face　as　she

fled。　　She　fled　deeper；　and　I　knew　I　had　her　for　I　was　between　her

and　the　surface；　but　in　the　muck　coral　sand　of　the　bottom　she　made

a　churning　with　her　squid　stick。　　It　was　the　old　trick　to　escape　a

shark。　　And　she　worked　it　on　me；　rolling　the　water　so　that　I　could

not　see　her。　　And　when　I　came　up；　she　was　there　ahead　of　me；

clinging　to　the　side　of　the　canoe　and　laughing。



〃Almost　I　would　not　be　denied。　　But　not　for　nothing　was　she　a

princess。　　She　rested　her　hand　on　my　arm　and　compelled　me　to

listen。　　We　should　play　a　game；　she　said；　enter　into　a　competition

for　which　should　get　the　more　squid；　the　biggest　squid；　and　the

smallest　squid。　　Since　the　wagers　were　kisses；　you　can　well　imagine

I　went　down　on　the　first　next　dive　with　soul　aflame。



〃I　got　no　squid。　　Never　again　in　all　my　life　have　I　dived　for

squid。　　Perhaps　we　were　five　fathoms　down　and　exploring　the　face　of

the　reefwall　for　lurking　places　of　our　prey；　when　it　happened。　　I

had　found　a　likely　lair　and　just　proved　it　empty；　when　I　felt　or

sensed　the　nearness　of　something　inimical。　　I　turned。　　There　it

was；　alongside　of　me；　and　no　mere　fish…shark。　　Fully　a　dozen　feet

in　length；　with　the　unmistakable　phosphorescent　cat's　eye　gleaming

like　a　drowning　star；　I　knew　it　for　what　it　was；　a　tiger　shark。



〃Not　ten　feet　to　the　right；　probing　a　coral　fissure　with　her　squid

stick；　was　the　Princess；　and　the　tiger　shark　was　heading　directly

for　her。　　My　totality　of　thought　was　precipitated　to　consciousness

in　a　single　all…embracing　flash。　　The　man…eater　must　be　deflected

from　her；　and　what　was　I；　except　a　mad　lover　who　would　gladly　fight

and　die；　or　more　gladly　fight　and　live；　for　his　beloved？　　Remember；

she　was　the　woman　wonderful；　and　I　was　aflame　for　her。



〃Knowing　fully　the　peril　of　my　act；　I　thrust　the　blunt…sharp　end　of

my　squid…stick　into　the　side　of　the　shark；　much　as　one　would

attract　a　passing　acquaintance　with　a　thumb…nudge　in　the　ribs。　　And

the　man…eater　turned　on　me。　　You　know　the　South　Seas；　and　you　know

that　the　tiger　shark；　like　the　bald…face　grizzly　of　Alaska；　never

gives　trail。　　The　combat；　fathoms　deep　under　the　sea；　was　on　…　if

by　combat　may　be　named　such　a　one…sided　struggle。



〃The　Princess　unaware；　caught　her　squid　and　rose　to　the　surface。

The　man…eater　rushed　me。　　I　fended　him　off　with　both　hands　on　his

nose　above　his　thousand…toothed　open　mouth；　so　that　he　backed　me

against　the　sharp　coral。　　The　scars　are　there　to　this　day。

Whenever　I　tried　to　rise；　he　rushed　me；　and　I　could　not　remain　down

there　indefinitely　without　air。　　Whenever　he　rushed　me；　I　fended

him　off　with　my　hands　on　his　nose。　　And　I　would　have　escaped

unharmed；　except　for　the　slip　of　my　right　hand。　　Into　his　mouth　it

went　to　the　elbow。　　His　jaws　closed；　just　below　the　elbow。　　You

know　how　a　shark's　teeth　are。　　Once　in　they　cannot　be　released。

They　must　go　through　to　complete　the　bite；　but　they　cannot　go

through　heavy　bone。　　So；　from　just　below　the　elbow　he　stripped　the

bone　clean　to　the　articulation　of　the　wrist…joint；　where　his　teeth

met　and　my　good　right　hand　became　his　for　an　appetizer。



〃But　while　he　was　doing　this；　I　drove　the　thumb　of　my　left　hand；　to

the　hilt　into　his　eye…orifice　and　popped　out　his　eye。　　This　did　not

stop　him。　　The　meat　had　maddened　him。　　He　pursued　the　gushing　stump

of　my　wrist。　　Half　a　dozen　times　I　fended　with　my　intact　arm。　　Then

he　got　the　poor　mangled　arm　again；　closed　down；　and　stripped　the

meat　off　the　bone　from　the　shoulder　down　to　the　elbow…joint；　where

his　teeth　met　and　he　was　free　of　his　second　mouthful　of　me。　　But；

at　the　same　time；　with　my　good　arm；　I　thumbed　out　his　remaining

eye。〃



Percival　Delaney　shrugged　his　shoulders；　ere　he　resumed。



〃From　above；　those　in　the　canoe　had　beheld　the　entire　happening　and

were　loud　in　praise　of　my　deed。　　To　this　day　they　still　sing　the

song　of　me；　and　tell　the　tale　of　me。　　And　the　Princess。〃　　His　pause

was　brief　but　significant。　　〃The　Princess　married　me。　。　。　。　Oh；

well…a…day　and　lack…a…day；　the　whirligig　of　time　and　fortune；　the

topsyturviness　of　luck；　the　wooden　shoe　going　up　and　the　polished

heel　descending　a　French　gunboat；　a　conquered　island　kingdom　of

Oceania；　to…day　ruled　over　by　a　peasant…born；　unlettered；　colonial

gendarme；　and　。　。　。　〃



He