within the tides-第19部分

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Scotch　hot；　on　five　hundred　pounds　as　the　price　of　tomahawking　the



Sagamore。　　And　Cloete　waits　to　see　what　George　can　do。







〃A　week　or　two　goes　by。　　The　other　fellow　loafs　about　the　house　as



if　there　had　been　nothing；　and　Cloete　begins　to　doubt　whether　he



really　means　ever　to　tackle　that　job。　　But　one　day　he　stops　Cloete



at　the　door；　with　his　downcast　eyes：　　What　about　that　employment



you　wished　to　give　me？　he　asks。　。　。　You　see；　he　had　played　some



more　than　usual　dirty　trick　on　the　woman　and　expected　awful



ructions　presently；　and　to　be　fired　out　for　sure。　　Cloete　very



pleased。　　George　had　been　prevaricating　to　him　such　a　lot　that　he



really　thought　the　thing　was　as　well　as　settled。　　And　he　says：



Yes。　　It's　time　I　introduced　you　to　my　friend。　　Just　get　your　hat



and　we　will　go　now。　。　。







〃The　two　come　into　the　office；　and　George　at　his　desk　sits　up　in　a



sudden　panic　…　staring。　　Sees　a　tallish　fellow；　sort　of　nasty…



handsome　face；　heavy　eyes；　half　shut；　short　drab　overcoat；　shabby



bowler　hat；　very　careful　…　like　in　his　movements。　　And　he　thinks　to



himself；　Is　that　how　such　a　man　looks！　　No；　the　thing's　impossible。



。　。　Cloete　does　the　introduction；　and　the　fellow　turns　round　to



look　behind　him　at　the　chair　before　he　sits　down。　。　。　A　thoroughly



competent　man；　Cloete　goes　on　。　。　。　The　man　says　nothing；　sits



perfectly　quiet。　　And　George　can't　speak；　throat　too　dry。　　Then　he



makes　an　effort：　　H'm！　　H'm！　　Oh　yes　…　unfortunately　…　sorry　to



disappoint　…　my　brother　…　made　other　arrangements　…　going　himself。







〃The　fellow　gets　up；　never　raising　his　eyes　off　the　ground；　like　a



modest　girl；　and　goes　out　softly；　right　out　of　the　office　without　a



sound。　　Cloete　sticks　his　chin　in　his　hand　and　bites　all　his



fingers　at　once。　　George's　heart　slows　down　and　he　speaks　to



Cloete。　。　。　This　can't　be　done。　　How　can　it　be？　　Directly　the　ship



is　lost　Harry　would　see　through　it。　　You　know　he　is　a　man　to　go　to



the　underwriters　himself　with　his　suspicions。　　And　he　would　break



his　heart　over　me。　　How　can　I　play　that　on　him？　　There's　only　two



of　us　in　the　world　belonging　to　each　other。　。　。







〃Cloete　lets　out　a　horrid　cuss…word；　jumps　up；　bolts　away　into　his



room；　and　George　hears　him　there　banging　things　around。　　After　a



while　he　goes　to　the　door　and　says　in　a　trembling　voice：　　You　ask



me　for　an　impossibility。　。　。　Cloete　inside　ready　to　fly　out　like　a



tiger　and　rend　him；　but　he　opens　the　door　a　little　way　and　says



softly：　　Talking　of　hearts；　yours　is　no　bigger　than　a　mouse's；　let



me　tell　you。　。　。　But　George　doesn't　care　…　load　off　the　heart；



anyhow。　　And　just　then　Captain　Harry　comes　in。　。　。　Hallo；　George



boy。　　I　am　little　late。　　What　about　a　chop　at　the　Cheshire；　now？　。



。　。　Right　you　are；　old　man。　。　。　And　off　they　go　to　lunch　together。



Cloete　has　nothing　to　eat　that　day。







〃George　feels　a　new　man　for　a　time；　but　all　of　a　sudden　that　fellow



Stafford　begins　to　hang　about　the　street；　in　sight　of　the　house



door。　　The　first　time　George　sees　him　he　thinks　he　made　a　mistake。



But　no；　next　time　he　has　to　go　out；　there　is　the　very　fellow



skulking　on　the　other　side　of　the　road。　　It　makes　George　nervous；



but　he　must　go　out　on　business；　and　when　the　fellow　cuts　across　the



road…way　he　dodges　him。　　He　dodges　him　once；　twice；　three　times；



but　at　last　he　gets　nabbed　in　his　very　doorway。　。　。　What　do　you



want？　he　says；　trying　to　look　fierce。







〃It　seems　that　ructions　had　come　in　the　basement　of　that　boarding…



house；　and　the　widow　lady　had　turned　on　him　（being　jealous　mad）；　to



the　extent　of　talking　of　the　police。　　THAT　Mr。　Stafford　couldn't



stand；　so　he　cleared　out　like　a　scared　stag；　and　there　he　was；



chucked　into　the　streets；　so　to　speak。　　Cloete　looked　so　savage　as



he　went　to　and　fro　that　he　hadn't　the　spunk　to　tackle　him；　but



George　seemed　a　softer　kind　to　his　eye。　　He　would　have　been　glad　of



half　a　quid；　anything。　。　。　I've　had　misfortunes；　he　says　softly；　in



his　demure　way；　which　frightens　George　more　than　a　row　would　have



done。　。　。　Consider　the　severity　of　my　disappointment；　he　says。　。　。







〃George；　instead　of　telling　him　to　go　to　the　devil；　loses　his　head。



。　。　I　don't　know　you。　　What　do　you　want？　he　cries；　and　bolts　up…



stairs　to　Cloete。　。　。　。　Look　what's　come　of　it；　he　gasps；　now　we



are　at　the　mercy　of　that　horrid　fellow。　。　。　Cloete　tries　to　show



him　that　the　fellow　can　do　nothing；　but　George　thinks　that　some



sort　of　scandal　may　be　forced　on；　anyhow。　　Says　that　he　can't　live



with　that　horror　haunting　him。　　Cloete　would　laugh　if　he　weren't



too　weary　of　it　all。　　Then　a　thought　strikes　him　and　he　changes　his



tune。　。　。　Well；　perhaps！　　I　will　go　down…stairs　and　send　him　away



to　begin　with。　。　。　He　comes　back。　。　。　He's　gone。　　But　perhaps　you



are　right。　　The　fellow's　hard　up；　and　that's　what　makes　people



desperate。　　The　best　thing　would　be　to　get　him　out　of　the　country



for　a　time。　　Look　here；　the　poor　devil　is　really　in　want　of



employment。　　I　won't　ask　you　much　this　time：　　only　to　hold　your



tongue；　and　I　shall　try　to　get　your　brother　to　take　him　as　chief



officer。　　At　this　George　lays　his　arms　and　his　head　on　his　desk；　so



that　Cloete　feels　sorry　for　him。　　But　altogether　Cloete　feels　more



cheerful　because　he　has　shaken　the　ghost　a　bit　into　that　Stafford。



That　very　afternoon　he　buys　him　a　suit　of　blue　clothes；　and　tells



him　that　he　will　have　to　turn　to　and　work　for　his　living　now。　　Go



to　sea　as　mate　of　the　Sagamore。　　The　skunk　wasn't　very　willing；　but



what　with　having　nothing　to　eat　and　no　place　to　sleep　in；　and　the



woman　having　frightened　him　with　the　talk　of　some　prosecution　or



other；　he　had　no　choice；　properly　speaking。　　Cloete　takes　care　of



him　for　a　couple　of　days。　。　。　Our　arrangement　still　stands；　says



he。　　Here's　the　ship　bound　for　Port　Elizabeth；　not　a　safe　anchorage



at　all。　　Should　she　by　chance　part　from　her　anchors　in　a　north…east



gale　and　get　lost　on　the　beach；　as　many　of　them　do；　why；　it's　five



hundred　in　your　pocket　…　and　a　quick　return　home。　　You　are　up　to



the　job；　ain't　you？







〃Our　Mr。　Stafford　takes　it　all　in　with　downcast　eyes。　。　。　I　am　a



competent　seaman；　he　says；　with　his　sly；　modest　air。　　A　ship's



chief　mate　has　no　doubt　many　opportunities　to　manipulate　the　chains



and　anchors　to　some　purpose。　。　。　At　this　Cloete　thumps　him　on　the



back：　　You'll　do；　my　noble　sailor。　　Go　in　and　win。　。　。







〃Next　thing　George　knows；　his　brother　tells　him　that　he　had



occasion　to　oblige　his　partner。　　And　glad　of　it；　too。　　Likes　the



partner　no　end。　　Took　a　friend　of　his　as　mate。　　Man　had　his



troubles；　been　ashore　a　year　nursing　a　dying　wife；　it　seems。　　Down



on　his　luck。　。　。　George　protests　earnestly　that　he　knows　nothing　of



the　person。　　Saw　him　once。　　Not　very　attractive　to　look　at。　。　。　And



Captain　Harry　says　in　his　hearty　way；　That's　so；　but　must　give　the



poor　devil　a　chance。　。　。







〃So　Mr。　Stafford　joins　in　dock。　　And　it　seems　that　he　did　manage　to



monkey　with　one　of　the　cables　…　keeping　his　mind　on　Port　Elizabeth。



The　riggers　had　all　the　cable　ranged　on　deck　to　clean　lockers。　　The



new　mate　watches　them　go　ashore　…　dinner　hour　…　and　sends　the　ship…



keeper　out　of　the　ship　to　fetch　him　a　bottle　of　beer。　　Then　he　goes



to　work　whittling　away　the　forelock　of　the　forty…five…fathom



shackle…pin；　gives　it　a　tap　or　two　with　a　hammer　just　to　make　it



loose；　and　of　course　that　cable　wasn't　safe　any　more。　　Riggers　come



back　…　you　know　what　riggers　are：　　come　day；　go　day；　and　God　send



Sunday。　　Down　goes　the　chain　into　the　locker　without　their　foreman



looking　at　the　shackles　at　all。　　What　does　he　care？　　He　ain't　going



in　the　ship。　　And　two　days　later　the　ship　goes　to　sea。　。　。　〃











At　this　point　I　was　incautious　enough　to　breathe　out　another　〃I



see；〃　which　gave　offence　again；　and　brought　on　me　a　rude　〃No；　you



don't〃　…　as　before。　　But　in　the　pause　he　remembered　the　glass　of



beer　at　his　elbow。　　He　drank　half　of　it；　wiped　his　mustaches；　and



remarked　grimly　…







〃Don't　you　think　that　there　will　be　any　sea　life　in　this；　because



there　ain't。　　If　you're　going　to　put　in　any　out　of　your　own　head；



now's　your　chance。　　I　suppose　you　know　what　ten　days　of　bad　weather



in　the　Channel　are　like？　　I　don't。　　Anyway；　ten　whole　days　go　by。



One　Monday　Cloete　comes　to　the　office　a　little　late　…　hears　a



woman's　voice　in　George's　room　and　looks　in。　　Newspapers　on　the



desk；　on　the　floor；　Captain　Harry's　wife　sitting　with　red　eyes　and



a　bag　on　the　chair　near　her。　。　。　Look　at　this；　says　George；　in



great　excitement；　showing　him　a　paper。　　Cloete's　heart　gives　a



jump。　　Ha！　　Wreck　in　Westport　Bay。　　The　Sagamore　gone　ashore　early



hours　of　Sunday；　and　so　the　newspaper　men　had　time　to　put　in　some



of　their　work。　　Columns　of　it。　　Lifeboat　out　twice。　　Captain　and



crew　remain　by　the　ship。　　Tugs　summoned　to　assist。　　If　the　weather



improves；　this　well…known　fine　ship　may　yet　be　saved。　。　。　You　know



the　way　these　chaps　put　it。　。　。　Mrs。　Harry　there　on　her　way　to



catch　a　train　from　Cannon　Street。　　Got　an　hour　to　wait。







〃Cloete　takes　George　aside　and　whispers：　　Ship　saved　yet！　　Oh；



damn！　　That　must　never　be；　you　hear？　　But　George　looks　at　him



dazed；　and　Mrs。　Harry　keeps　on　sobbing　quietly：　　。　。　。　I　ought　to



have　been　with　him。　　But　I　am　going　to　him。　。　。　We　are　all　going



together；　cries　Cloete；　all　of　a　sudden。　　He　rushes　out；　sends　the



woman　a　cup　of　hot　bovril　from　the　shop　across　the　road；　buys　a　rug



for　her；　thinks　of　everything；　and　in　the　train　tucks　her　in　and



keeps　on　talking；　thirteen　to　the　dozen；　all　the　way；　to　keep　her



spirits　up；　as　it　were；　but　really　because　he　can't　hold　his　peace



for　very　joy。　　Here's　the　thing　done　all　at　once；　and　nothing　to



pay。　　Done。