友情提示：如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整，请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页！
hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第15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！
water beyond。
Thomas Hudson went below to the galley where Eddy was peeling potatoes over a bucket held between his knees。 He was looking out the porthole of the galley toward the reef。
¨Boys oughtnˇt to scatter；〃 he said。 ¨Ought to keep close to the dinghy。〃
¨Do you think anything would come in over the reef？〃
¨Tideˇs pretty well up。 These are spring tides。〃
¨Waterˇs awfully clear；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Bad things in the ocean；〃 Eddy said。 ¨This is a tough ocean around here if they get to smell that fish。〃
¨They havenˇt got any fish yet。〃
¨Theyˇll get them soon。 They want to get those fish right into that dinghy before any fish smell or any blood smell trails on that tide。〃
¨Iˇll swim out。〃
¨No。 You holler at them to stay close together and keep the fish in the dinghy。〃
Thomas Hudson went up on deck and shouted what Eddy had said to Roger。 He held up his spear and waved that he had understood。
Eddy came up into the cockpit with the pot full of potatoes in one hand and his knife in the other。
¨You take that good rifle； the little good one； and get up on the topside； Mr。 Tom；〃 he said。 ¨I just donˇt like it。 I donˇt like boys out there on this tide。 Weˇre too close to the real ocean。〃
¨Letˇs get them in。〃
¨No。 Chances are I just get nervous。 Bad night last night anyway。 Iˇm fond of them like theyˇre my boys and I worry the hell about them。〃 He put the pot of potatoes down。 ¨Tell you what letˇs do。 Start her up and Iˇll get the anchor up and weˇll run in closer to the reef and anchor。 Sheˇll swing clear with this tide and the wind。 Letˇs put her right in。〃
Thomas Hudson started the big motor and went up to the flying bridge and the topside controls。 Ahead； as Eddy got the anchor up； he could see them all in the water now and； as he watched； David came up from underwater with a fish flopping on his spear that he held high in the air and Thomas Hudson heard him shout for the dinghy。
¨Put her nose right against the reef；〃 Eddy called from the bow where he was holding the anchor。
Thomas Hudson came up slowly to almost touch the reef； seeing the big brown coral heads； the black sea urchins on the sand； and the purple sea fans swaying toward him with the tide。 Eddy heaved the anchor and Thomas Hudson came astern on the engine。 The boat swung off and the reef slid away。 Eddy paid out line until the rope came taut and Thomas Hudson cut the motor and they swung there。
¨Now we can keep an eye on them；〃 Eddy said； standing in the bow。 ¨I canˇt stand worrying about those kids。 Ruins my damn digestion。 Bad enough the way it is now。〃
¨Iˇll stay up here and watch them。〃
¨Iˇll pass you up the rifle and get the hell back to those potatoes。 The boys like potato salad； donˇt they？ The way we fix it？〃
¨Sure。 Roger too。 Put in plenty of hard…boiled egg and onion。
¨Iˇll keep the potatoes good and firm。 Hereˇs the rifle。〃
As Thomas Hudson reached for the rifle it was chunky and heavy in its clipped sheep…wool…lined case that he kept saturated with Fiend…oil to keep the sea air from rusting it。 He pulled it out by the butt and slid the case under the decking on the flying bridge。 It was a 。256 Mannlicher Shoenauer with the old eighteen…inch barrel they werenˇt allowed to sell any more。 The stock and forearm were browned like a walnut nutmeat with oil and rubbing； and the barrel； rubbed from months of carrying in a saddle bucket； was oil…slick； without a spot of rust。 The cheek piece of the stock was worn smooth from his own cheek and when he pulled back the bolt the revolving magazine was full of heavy bellied cartridges with the long； thin； pencil…shaped metal…cased bullet with only a tiny exposed lead tip。
It was really too good a gun to keep on a boat but Thomas Hudson was so fond of it and it reminded him of so many things； so many people； and so many places that he liked to have it with him and he found that； in the sheepskin case； once the clipped wool was well impregnated with Fiend…oil； the rifle was not harmed at all by the salt air。 A gun is to shoot anyway； he thought； not to be preserved in a case； and this was a really good rifle； easy to shoot； easy to teach anyone to shoot with； and handy on the boat。 He had always had more confidence shooting it； as to being able to place his shots at close and moderate range； than any other rifle he had ever owned and it made him happy to pull it out of the case now and pull back the bolt and shove a shell into the breech。
The boat lay almost steady in the tide and the breeze； and he slipped the sling over one of the levers of the topside controls so that the rifle hung there handy； and lay down on the sunning mattress on the flying bridge。 Lying on his belly to brown his back； he looked out to where Roger and the boys were spearfishing。 They were all diving； staying down varying lengths of time and coming up for air to disappear again； occasionally coming up with fish on the spears。 Joseph was sculling from one to another to take the fish off the spear points and drop them into the dinghy。 He could hear Joseph shouting and laughing and see the bright color of the fish； red or red with brown speckles or red and yellow or striped yellow as Joseph took them off the spears or pulled them loose and tossed them back into the shade under the stern of the dinghy。
¨Let me have a drink； Eddy； will you please？〃 Thomas Hudson called down over the side。
¨Whatˇs it to be？〃 Eddie stuck his head out of the forward cockpit。 He was wearing his old felt hat and a white shirt and in the bright sun his eyes were bloodshot and Thomas Hudson noticed he had Mercurochrome on his lips。
¨What did you do to your mouth？〃 he asked him。
¨Some sort of trouble last night。 I just put that on。 Does it show bad？〃
¨It makes you look like some back island whore。〃
¨Oh hell；〃 said Eddy。 ¨I put it on without looking at it in the dark。 Just by the feel。 Do you want a drink with coconut water？ I got some water coconuts。〃
¨Very good。〃
¨Want a Green Isaacˇs Special？〃
¨Fine。 Make it a Special。〃
Where Thomas Hudson lay on the mattress his head was in the shade cast by the platform at the forward end of the flying bridge where the controls were and when Eddy came aft with the tall cold drink made of gin； lime juice； green coconut water； and chipped ice with just enough Angostura bitters to give it a rusty； rose color； he held the drink in the shadow so the ice would not melt while he looked out over the sea。
¨Boys seem to be doing all right；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Weˇve got fish for dinner already。〃
¨What else will we have？〃
¨Mashed potatoes with the fish。 Got some tomato salad； too。 That potato salad to start with。〃
¨Sounds fine。 Howˇs that potato salad？〃
¨It isnˇt cold yet； Tom。〃
¨Eddy； you like to cook； donˇt you？〃
¨Damn right I like to cook。 I like going in a boat and I like to cook。 What I donˇt like is rows and fights and trouble。〃
¨You used to be pretty good at trouble； though。〃
¨I always avoided it； Tom。 Sometimes you canˇt avoid it but I always tried to。〃
¨What was it last night？〃
¨Nothing。〃
He didnˇt want to talk about it。 He never talked about the old days either when there had been plenty of trouble。
¨All right。 What else is there to eat？ We have to feed them up。 Theyˇre growing boys。〃
¨I made a cake at the house and brought her and thereˇs a couple of fresh pineapples cold in the ice。 Iˇll slice them up。〃
¨Good。 How will we have the fish？〃
¨Any way you want it。 Letˇs see what the best is of what they get； then cook it how they and you and Roger want it。 David just got a good yellowtail。 He had another one but he lost it。 This oneˇs a big flaggy。 Heˇs getting far out； though。 Heˇs still got the fish and Joeˇs the hell over toward Andy with the dinghy。〃
Thomas Hudson put the drink down in the shade and stood up。
¨Jesus Christ；〃 Eddy said。 ¨There it comes！〃
Out across the blue water； showing like a brown dinghy sail and slicing through the water with heavy； tail…propelled； lunging thrusts； the high triangular fin was coming in toward the hole at the edge of the reef where the boy with the mask on his face held his fish up out of the water。
¨Oh Jesus；〃 Eddy said。 ¨What a son of a bitching hammerhead。 Jesus； Tom。 Oh Jesus。〃
Thomas Hudson remembered； afterwards； the main impression he had was the great height of the fin； the way it turned and swung like a hound on a scent； and the way it knifed forward and still seemed to wobble。
He had the 。256 up and shot just ahead of the fin。 The shot was over and threw a spurt of water and he remembered the barrel was sticky with oil。 The fin went right on weaving in。
¨Throw him the goddam fish；〃 Eddy yelled to David and jumped off the back of the house down into the cockpit。
Thomas Hudson shot again and was behind with another spurt of water。 He felt sick at his stomach； as though something had hold of him inside and was gripping him there； and he shot again； as carefully and steady as he could； knowing fully what the shot meant； and the spurt of water was ahead of the fin。 The fin kept right on with the same awful motion。 He had one shot now； no extra shells； and the shark was about thirty yards from the boy； coming in with the same slicing motion。 David had the fish of the spear in his hand； the mask was up on his forehead； and he was looking steadily toward the shark coming。
Thomas Hudson was trying to be loose but steady； trying to hold his breath and not to think of anything but the shot； to squeeze and keep just a touch ahead and at the base of the fin which was wobbling more now than it had at the start when he heard the submachine gun start firing from the stern and saw water start to spout all around the fin。 Then it clattered again in a short burst and the water jumped in a tighter patch right at the base of the fin。 As he shot； the clatter came again； short and tight； and the fin went under and there was a boil in the water and then the biggest hammerhead he had ever seen rose white…bellied out of the sea and began to plane over the water crazily； on his back； throwing water like an aquaplan
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!
温馨提示： 温看小说的同时发表评论，说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦！发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励，认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦！