the secret sharer-第3部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



like　for　days。　　Anxious　sort　of　job；　that。　　He　gave　me　some　of　his　cursed

insolence　at　the　sheet。　　I　tell　you　I　was　overdone　with　this　terrific　weather

that　seemed　to　have　no　end　to　it。　　Terrific；　I　tell　youand　a　deep　ship。

I　believe　the　fellow　himself　was　half　crazed　with　funk。　　It　was　no　time

for　gentlemanly　reproof；　so　I　turned　round　and　felled　him　like　an　ox。

He　up　and　at　me。　　We　closed　just　as　an　awful　sea　made　for　the　ship。

All　hands　saw　it　coming　and　took　to　the　rigging；　but　I　had　him　by

the　throat；　and　went　on　shaking　him　like　a　rat；　the　men　above　us　yelling；

‘Look　out！　look　out！'　　Then　a　crash　as　if　the　sky　had　fallen　on　my　head。

They　say　that　for　over　ten　minutes　hardly　anything　was　to　be　seen

of　the　shipjust　the　three　masts　and　a　bit　of　the　forecastle　head

and　of　the　poop　all　awash　driving　along　in　a　smother　of　foam。

It　was　a　miracle　that　they　found　us；　jammed　together　behind　the　forebitts。

It's　clear　that　I　meant　business；　because　I　was　holding　him　by　the　throat

still　when　they　picked　us　up。　　He　was　black　in　the　face。　　It　was　too　much

for　them。　　It　seems　they　rushed　us　aft　together；　gripped　as　we　were；

screaming　‘Murder！'　like　a　lot　of　lunatics；　and　broke　into　the　cuddy。

And　the　ship　running　for　her　life；　touch　and　go　all　the　time；　any　minute

her　last　in　a　sea　fit　to　turn　your　hair　gray　only　a…looking　at　it。

I　understand　that　the　skipper；　too；　started　raving　like　the　rest　of　them。

The　man　had　been　deprived　of　sleep　for　more　than　a　week；　and　to　have

this　sprung　on　him　at　the　height　of　a　furious　gale　nearly　drove　him

out　of　his　mind。　　I　wonder　they　didn't　fling　me　overboard　after

getting　the　carcass　of　their　precious　shipmate　out　of　my　fingers。

They　had　rather　a　job　to　separate　us；　I've　been　told。　　A　sufficiently

fierce　story　to　make　an　old　judge　and　a　respectable　jury　sit　up　a　bit。

The　first　thing　I　heard　when　I　came　to　myself　was　the　maddening

howling　of　that　endless　gale；　and　on　that　the　voice　of　the　old　man。

He　was　hanging　on　to　my　bunk；　staring　into　my　face　out　of　his　sou'wester。



〃‘Mr。　Leggatt；　you　have　killed　a　man。　　You　can　act　no　longer

as　chief　mate　of　this　ship。'〃



His　care　to　subdue　his　voice　made　it　sound　monotonous。

He　rested　a　hand　on　the　end　of　the　skylight　to　steady　himself　with；

and　all　that　time　did　not　stir　a　limb；　so　far　as　I　could　see。

〃Nice　little　tale　for　a　quiet　tea　party；〃　he　concluded

in　the　same　tone。



One　of　my　hands；　too；　rested　on　the　end　of　the　skylight；　neither　did　I　stir

a　limb；　so　far　as　I　knew。　　We　stood　less　than　a　foot　from　each　other。

It　occurred　to　me　that　if　old　〃Bless　my　soulyou　don't　say　so〃

were　to　put　his　head　up　the　companion　and　catch　sight　of　us；

he　would　think　he　was　seeing　double；　or　imagine　himself　come

upon　a　scene　of　weird　witchcraft；　the　strange　captain　having

a　quiet　confabulation　by　the　wheel　with　his　own　gray　ghost。

I　became　very　much　concerned　to　prevent　anything　of　the　sort。

I　heard　the　other's　soothing　undertone。



〃My　father's　a　parson　in　Norfolk；〃　it　said。　　Evidently　he　had

forgotten　he　had　told　me　this　important　fact　before。

Truly　a　nice　little　tale。



〃You　had　better　slip　down　into　my　stateroom　now；〃　I　said；

moving　off　stealthily。　　My　double　followed　my　movements；

our　bare　feet　made　no　sound；　I　let　him　in；　closed　the　door

with　care；　and；　after　giving　a　call　to　the　second　mate；

returned　on　deck　for　my　relief。



〃Not　much　sign　of　any　wind　yet；〃　I　remarked　when　he　approached。



〃No；　sir。　　Not　much；〃　he　assented；　sleepily；　in　his　hoarse　voice；

with　just　enough　deference；　no　more；　and　barely　suppressing　a　yawn。



〃Well；　that's　all　you　have　to　look　out　for。　　You　have　got　your　orders。〃



〃Yes；　sir。〃



I　paced　a　turn　or　two　on　the　poop　and　saw　him　take　up　his　position　face

forward　with　his　elbow　in　the　ratlines　of　the　mizzen　rigging　before　I

went　below。　　The　mate's　faint　snoring　was　still　going　on　peacefully。

The　cuddy　lamp　was　burning　over　the　table　on　which　stood　a　vase

with　flowers；　a　polite　attention　from　the　ship's　provision　merchant

the　last　flowers　we　should　see　for　the　next　three　months　at　the　very　least。

Two　bunches　of　bananas　hung　from　the　beam　symmetrically；　one　on　each

side　of　the　rudder　casing。　　Everything　was　as　before　in　the　ship

except　that　two　of　her　captain's　sleeping　suits　were　simultaneously

in　use；　one　motionless　in　the　cuddy；　the　other　keeping　very　still

in　the　captain's　stateroom。



It　must　be　explained　here　that　my　cabin　had　the　form　of　the　capital

letter　L；　the　door　being　within　the　angle　and　opening　into　the　short　part

of　the　letter。　　A　couch　was　to　the　left；　the　bed　place　to　the　right；

my　writing　desk　and　the　chronometers'　table　faced　the　door。

But　anyone　opening　it；　unless　he　stepped　right　inside；　had　no

view　of　what　I　call　the　long　（or　vertical）　part　of　the　letter。

It　contained　some　lockers　surmounted　by　a　bookcase；　and　a　few　clothes；

a　thick　jacket　or　two；　caps；　oilskin　coat；　and　such　like；　hung　on　hooks。

There　was　at　the　bottom　of　that　part　a　door　opening　into　my　bathroom；

which　could　be　entered　also　directly　from　the　saloon。

But　that　way　was　never　used。



The　mysterious　arrival　had　discovered　the　advantage　of　this　particular　shape。

Entering　my　room；　lighted　strongly　by　a　big　bulkhead　lamp　swung　on　gimbals

above　my　writing　desk；　I　did　not　see　him　anywhere　till　he　stepped　out　quietly

from　behind　the　coats　hung　in　the　recessed　part。



〃I　heard　somebody　moving　about；　and　went　in　there　at　once；〃　he　whispered。



I；　too；　spoke　under　my　breath。



〃Nobody　is　likely　to　come　in　here　without　knocking　and　getting　permission。〃



He　nodded。　　His　face　was　thin　and　the　sunburn　faded；　as　though

he　had　been　ill。　　And　no　wonder。　　He　had　been；　I　heard　presently；

kept　under　arrest　in　his　cabin　for　nearly　seven　weeks。

But　there　was　nothing　sickly　in　his　eyes　or　in　his　expression。

He　was　not　a　bit　like　me；　really；　yet；　as　we　stood　leaning

over　my　bed　place；　whispering　side　by　side；　with　our　dark　heads

together　and　our　backs　to　the　door；　anybody　bold　enough　to　open

it　stealthily　would　have　been　treated　to　the　uncanny　sight

of　a　double　captain　busy　talking　in　whispers　with　his　other　self。



〃But　all　this　doesn't　tell　me　how　you　came　to　hang　on　to　our　side　ladder；〃

I　inquired；　in　the　hardly　audible　murmurs　we　used；　after　he　had　told

me　something　more　of　the　proceedings　on　board　the　Sephora　once　the　bad

weather　was　over。



〃When　we　sighted　Java　Head　I　had　had　time　to　think　all　those　matters

out　several　times　over。　　I　had　six　weeks　of　doing　nothing　else；

and　with　only　an　hour　or　so　every　evening　for　a　tramp　on　the　quarter…deck。〃



He　whispered；　his　arms　folded　on　the　side　of　my　bed　place；　staring　through

the　open　port。　　And　I　could　imagine　perfectly　the　manner　of　this　thinking　out

a　stubborn　if　not　a　steadfast　operation；　something　of　which　I　should　have

been　perfectly　incapable。



〃I　reckoned　it　would　be　dark　before　we　closed　with　the　land；〃

he　continued；　so　low　that　I　had　to　strain　my　hearing　near

as　we　were　to　each　other；　shoulder　touching　shoulder　almost。

〃So　I　asked　to　speak　to　the　old　man。　　He　always　seemed

very　sick　when　he　came　to　see　meas　if　he　could　not　look

me　in　the　face。　　You　know；　that　foresail　saved　the　ship。

She　was　too　deep　to　have　run　long　under　bare　poles。

And　it　was　I　that　managed　to　set　it　for　him。　　Anyway；　he　came。

When　I　had　him　in　my　cabinhe　stood　by　the　door　looking

at　me　as　if　I　had　the　halter　round　my　neck　already

I　asked　him　right　away　to　leave　my　cabin　door　unlocked

at　night　while　the　ship　was　going　through　Sunda　Straits。

There　would　be　the　Java　coast　within　two　or　three　miles；

off　Angier　Point。　　I　wanted　nothing　more。　　I've　had　a　prize

for　swimming　my　second　year　in　the　Conway。〃



〃I　can　believe　it；〃　I　breathed　out。



〃God　only　knows　why　they　locked　me　in　every　night。

To　see　some　of　their　faces　you'd　have　thought　they

were　afraid　I'd　go　about　at　night　strangling　people。

Am　I　a　murdering　brute？　　Do　I　look　it？　　By　Jove！　　If　I　had　been

he　wouldn't　have　trusted　himself　like　that　into　my　room。

You'll　say　I　might　have　chucked　him　aside　and　bolted　out；

there　and　thenit　was　dark　already。　　Well；　no。　　And　for

the　same　reason　I　wouldn't　think　of　trying　to　smash　the　door。

There　would　have　been　a　rush　to　stop　me　at　the　noise；

and　I　did　not　mean　to　get　into　a　confounded　scrimmage。

Somebody　else　might　have　got　killedfor　I　would　not　have

broken　out　only　to　get　chucked　back；　and　I　did　not　want　any

more　of　that　work。　　He　refused；　looking　more　sick　than　ever。

He　was　afraid　of　the　men；　and　also　of　that　old　second　mate　of　his

who　had　been　sailing　with　him　for　yearsa　gray…headed　old　humbug；

and　his　steward；　too；　had　been　with　him　devil　knows　how　long

seventeen　years　or　morea　dogmatic　sort　of　loafer　who　hated

me　like　poison；　just　because　I　was　the　chief　mate。　　No　chief

mate　ever　made　more　than　one　voyage　in　the　Sephora；　you　know。

Those　two　old　chaps　ran　the　ship。　　Devil　only　knows　what　the　skipper

wasn't　afraid　of　（all　his　nerve　went　to　pieces　altogether

in　that　hellish　spell　of　bad　weather　we　had）of　what　the　law

would　do　to　himof　his　wife；　perhaps。　　Oh；　yes！　she's　on　board。

Though　I　don't　think　she　would　have　meddled。　　She　would　have

been　only　too　glad　to　have　me　out　of　the　ship　in　any　way。

The　‘brand　of　Cain'　business；　don't　you　see。　　That's　all　right。

I　was　ready　enough　to　go　off　wandering　on　the　face　of　the　earth

and　that　was　price　enough　to　pay　for　an　Abel　of　that　sort。

Anyhow；　he　wouldn't　listen　to　me。　　'This　thing　must　take　its　course。

I　represent　the　law　here。'　　He　was　shaking　like　a　leaf。

‘So　you　won't？'　‘No！'　'Then　I　hope　you　will　be　able　to　sleep　on　that；'

I　said；　and　turned　my　back　on　him。　　‘I　wonder　that　you　can；'

cries　he；　and　locks　the　door。



〃Well　after　that；　I　couldn't。　Not　very　well。

That　was　three　weeks　ago。　　We　have　had　a　slow　passage

through　the　Java　Sea；　drifted　about　Carimata　for　ten　days。

When　we　anchored　here　they　thought；　I