captains courageous-第13部分

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his　life　ashore。　It　did　not　take　him　more　than　two　days　and　a
quarter　to　feel　that　if　he　spoke　of　his　own　life…it　seemed　very　far
away…no　one　except　Dan　（and　even　Dan's　belief　was　sorely　tried）
credited　him。　So　he　invented　a　friend；　a　boy　he　had　heard　of；　who
drove　a　miniature　four…pony　drag　in　Toledo；　Ohio；　and　ordered
five　suits　of　clothes　at　a　time　and　led　things　called　〃germans〃　at
parties　where　the　oldest　girl　was　not　quite　fifteen；　but　all　the
presents　were　solid　silver。　Salters　protested　that　this　kind　of　yarn
was　desperately　wicked；　if　not　indeed　positively　blasphemous；　but
he　listened　as　greedily　as　the　others；　and　their　criticisms　at　the　end
gave　Harvey　entirely　new　notions　on　〃germans；〃　clothes；　cigarettes
with　gold…leaf　tips；　rings；　watches；　scent；　small　dinner…parties；
champagne；　card…playing；　and　hotel　accommodation。　Little　by　little
he　changed　his　tone　when　speaking　of　his　〃friend；〃　whom　long
Jack　had　christened　〃the　Crazy　Kid；〃　〃the　Gilt…edged　Baby；〃　〃the
Suckin'　Vanderpoop；〃　and　other　pet　names；　and　with　his
sea…booted　feet　cocked　up　on　the　table　would　even　invent　histories
about　silk　pajamas　and　specially　imported　neckwear；　to　the
〃friend's〃　discredit。　Harvey　was　a　very　adaptable　person；　with　a
keen　eye　and　ear　for　every　face　and　tone　about　him。

Before　long　he　knew　where　Disko　kept　the　old　greencrusted
quadrant　that　they　called　the　〃hog…yoke〃…under　the　bed…bag　in　his
bunk。　When　he　took　the　sun；　and　with　the　help　of　〃The　Old
Farmer's〃　almanac　found　the　latitude；　Harvey　would　jump　down
into　the　cabin　and　scratch　the　reckoning　and　date　with　a　nail　on　the
rust　of　the　stove…pipe。　Now；　the　chief　engineer　of　the　liner　could
have　done　no　more；　and　no　engineer　of　thirty　years'　service　could
have　assumed　one　half　of　the　ancient…mariner　air　with　which
Harvey；　first　careful　to　spit　over　the　side；　made　public　the
schooner's　position　for　that　day；　and　then　and　not　till　then　relieved
Disko　of　the　quadrant。　There　is　an　etiquette　in　all　these　things。

The　said　〃hog…yoke；〃　an　Eldridge　chart；　the　farming　almanac；
Blunt's　〃Coast　Pilot；〃　and　Bowditch's　〃Navigator〃　were　all　the
weapons　Disko　needed　to　guide　him；　except　the　deep…sea　lead　that
was　his　spare　eye。　Harvey　nearly　slew　Penn　with　it　when　Tom　Platt
taught　him　first　how　to　〃fly　the　blue　pigeon〃；　and；　though　his
strength　was　not　equal　to　continuous　sounding　in　any　sort　of　a　sea；
for　calm　weather　with　a　seven…pound　lead　on　shoal　water　Disko
used　him　freely。　As　Dan　said：

'Tain't　soundin's　dad　wants。　It's　samples。　Grease　her　up　good；
Harve。〃　Harvey　would　tallow　the　cup　at　the　~end；　and　carefully
bring　the　sand；　shell；　sludge；　or　whatever　it　might　be；　to　Disko；
who　fingered　and　smelt　it　and　gave　judgment　As　has　been　said；
when　Disko　thought　of　cod　he　thought　as　a　cod；　and　by　some
long…tested　mixture　of　instinct　and　experience；　moved　the　We~re
Here　from　berth　to　berth；　always　with　the　fish；　as　a　blindfolded
chess…player　moves　on　the　unseen　board。

But　Disko's　board　was　the　Grand　Bank…a　triangle　two　hundred　and
fifty　miles　on　each　side…a　waste　of　wallowing　sea；　cloaked　with
dank　fog；　vexed　with　gales；　harried　with　drifting　ice；　scored　by　the
tracks　of　the　reckless　liners；　and　dotted　with　the　sails　of　the
fishing…fleet。

For　days　they　worked　in　fog…Harvey　at　the　bell…till；　grown　familiar
with　the　thick　airs；　he　went　out　with　Tom　Platt；　his　heart　rather　in
his　mouth。　But　the　fog　would　not　lift；　and　the　fish　were　biting；　and
no　one　can　stay　helplessly　afraid　for　six　hours　at　a　time。　Harvey
devoted　himself　to　his　lines　and　the　gaff　or　gob…stick　as　Tom　Platt
called　for　them；　and　they　rowed　back　to　the　schooner　guided　by
the　bell　and　Tom's　instinct；　Manuel's　conch　sounding　thin　and　faint
beside　them。　But　it　was　an　unearthly　experience；　and；　for　the　first
time　in　a　month；　Harvey　dreamed　of　the　shifting；　smoking　floors　of
water　round　the　dory；　the　lines　that　strayed　away　into　nothing；　and
the　air　above　that　melted　on　the　sea　below　ten　feet　from　his
straining　eyes。　A　few　days　later　he　was　out　with　Manuel　on　what
should　have　been　forty…fathom　bottom；　but　the　whole　length　of　the
roding　ran　out；　and　still　the　anchor　found　nothing；　and　Harvey
grew　mortally　afraid；　for　that　his　last　touch　with　earth　was　lost。
〃Whale…hole；〃　said　Manuel；　hauling　m。　〃That　is　good　joke　on
Disko。　Come！〃　and　he　rowed　to　the　schooner　to　find　Tom　Platt　and
the　others　jeering　at　the　skipper　because；　for　once；　he　had　led　them
to　the　edge　of　the　barren　Whale…deep；　the　blank　hole　of　the　Grand
Bank。　They　made　another　berth　through　the　fog；　and　that　time　the
hair　of　Harvey's　head　stood　up　when　he　went　out　in　Manuel's　dory。
A　whiteness　moved　in　the　whiteness　of　the　fog　with　a　breath　like
the　breath　of　the　grave；　and　there　was　a　roaring；　a　plunging；　and
spouting。　It　was　his　first　introduction　to　the　dread　summer　berg　of
the　Banks；　and　he　cowered　in　the　bottom　of　the　boat　while　Manuel
laughed。　There　were　days；　though；　clear　and　soft　and　warm；　when
it　seemed　a　sin　to　do　anything　but　loaf　over　the　hand…lines　and
spank　the　drifting　〃sun…scalds〃　with　an　oar；　and　there　were　days　of
light　airs；　when　Harvey　was　taught　how　to　steer　the　schooner　from
one　berth　to　another。

It　thrilled　through　him　when　he　first　felt　the　keel　answer　to　his
band　on　the　spokes　and　slide　over　the　long　hollows　as　the　foresail
scythed　back　and　forth　against　the　blue　sky。　That　was　magnificent；
in　spite　of　Disko　saying　that　it　would　break　a　snake's　back　to
follow　his　wake。　But；　as　usual；　pride　ran　before　a　fall。　They　were
sailing　on　the　wind　with　the　staysail…an　old　one；　luckily…set；　and
Harvey　jammed　her　right　into　it　to　show　Dan　how　completely　he
had　mastered　the　art。　The　foresail　went　over　with　a　bang；　and　the
foregaff　stabbed　and　ripped　through　the　staysail；　which　was；　of
course；　prevented　from　going　over　by　the　mainstay。　They　lowered
the　wreck　in　awful　silence；　and　Harvey　spent　his　leisure　hours　for
the　next　few　days　under　Tom　Platt's　lee；　learning　to　use　a　needle
and　palm。　Dan　hooted　with　joy；　for；　as　he　said；　he　had　made　the
very　same　blunder　himself　in　his　early　days。

Boylike；　Harvey　imitated　all　the　men　by　turns；　till　he　had
combined　Disko's　peculiar　stoop　at　the　wheel；　Long　Jack's
swinging　overhand　when　the　lines　were　hauled；　Manuel's
round…shouldered　but　effective　stroke　in　a　dory；　and　Tom　Platt's
generous　Ohio　stride　along　the　deck。

'Tis　beautiful　to　see　how　he　takes　to　ut；〃　said　Long　Jack；　when
Harvey　was　looking　out　by　the　windlass　one　thick　noon。　〃I'll　lay
my　wage　an'　share　'tis　more'n　half　play…actin'　to　him；　an'　he
consates　himself　he's　a　bowld　mariner。　Watch　his　little　bit　av　a
back　now！〃

〃That's　the　way　we　all　begin；〃　said　Tom　Platt。　〃The　boys　they　make
believe　all　the　time　till　they've　cheated　'emselves　into　bein'　men；
an'　so　till　they　die…pretendin'　an'　pretendin'。　I　done　it　on　the　old
Ohio；　I　know。　Stood　my　first　watch…harbor…watch…feelin'　finer'n
Farragut。　Dan's　full　o'　the　same　kind　o'　notions。　See　'em　now；
actin'　to　be　genewine　moss…backs…very　hair　a　rope…yarn　an'　blood
Stockholm　tar。〃　He　spoke　down　the　cabin　stairs。　〃Guess　you're
mistook　in　your　judgments　fer　once；　Disko。　What　in　Rome　made
ye　tell　us　all　here　the　kid　was　crazy？〃

〃He　wuz；〃　Disko　replied。　〃Crazy　ez　a　loon　when　he　come　aboard；
but　I'll　say　he's　sobered　up　consid'ble　sence。　I　cured　him。〃

〃He　yarns　good；〃　said　Tom　Platt。　〃T'other　night　he　told　us　abaout　a
kid　of　his　own　size　steerin'　a　cunnin'　little　rig　an'　four　ponies　up　an'
down　Toledo；　Ohio；　I　think　'twas；　an'　givin'　suppers　to　a　crowd　o'
sim'lar　kids。　Cur'us　kind　o'　fairy…tale；　but　blame　interestin'。　He
knows　scores　of　'em。〃

〃Guess　he　strikes　'em　outen　his　own　head；〃　Disko　called　from　the
cabin；　where　he　was　busy　with　the　logbook。　〃Stands　to　reason　that
sort　is　all　made　up。　It　don't　take　in　no　one　but　Dan；　an'　he　laughs　at
it。　I've　heard　him；　behind　my　back。〃

〃Yever　hear　what　Sim'on　Peter　Ca'honn　said　when　they　whacked
up　a　match　'twix'　his　sister　Hitty　an'　Lorin'　Jerauld；　an'　the　boys　put
up　that　joke　on　him　daown　to　Georges？〃　drawled　Uncle　Salters；
who　was　dripping　peaceably　under　the　lee　of　the　starboard
dory…nest。

Tom　Platt　puffed　at　his　pipe　in　scornful　silence：　he　was　a　Cape
Cod　man；　and　had　not　known　that　tale　more　than　twenty　years。
Uncle　Salters　went　on　with　a　rasping　chuckie：

〃Sim'on　Peter　Ca'honn　he　said；　an'　he　was　jest　right；　abaout　Lorin'；
'Ha'af　on　the　taown；'　he　said；　'an'　t'other　ha'af　blame　fool；　an'　they
told　me　she's　married　a　'ich　man。'　Sim'on　Peter　Ca'honn　he　hedn't
no　roof　to　his　mouth；　an'　talked　that　way。〃

〃He　didn't　talk　any　Pennsylvania　Dutch；〃　Tom　Platt　replied。　〃You'd
better　leave　a　Cape　man　to　tell　that　tale。　The　Ca'houns　was　gypsies
frum　'way　back。〃

〃Wal；　I　don't　profess　to　be　any　elocutionist；〃　Salters　said。　〃I'm
comin'　to　the　moral　o'　things。　That's　jest　abaout　what　aour　Harve
be！　Ha'af　on　the　taown；　an'　t'other　ha'af　blame　fool；　an'　there's
some'll　believe　he's　a　rich　man。　Yah！〃

〃Did　ye　ever　think　how　sweet　'twould　be　to　sail　wid　a　full　crew　o'
Salterses？〃　said　Long　Jack。　〃Ha'af　in　the　furrer　an'　other　ha'af　in　the
muck…heap；　as　Ca'houn　did　not　say；　an'　makes　out　he's　a
fisherman！〃

A　little　laugh　went　round　at　Salters's　expense。

Disko　held　his　tongue；　and　wrought　over　the　log…book　that　he　kept
in　a　hatchet…faced；　square　hand；　this　was　the　kind　of　thing　that　ran
on；　page　after　soiled　page：

〃July　17。　This　day　thick　fog　and　few　fish。　Made　berth　to
northward。　So　ends　this　day。

'July　18。　This　day　comes　in　with　thick　fog。　Caught　a　few　fish。

〃July　19。　This　day　comes　in　with　light　breeze　from　N。E。　and　fine
weather。　Made　a　berth　to　eastward。　Caught　plenty　fish。

〃July　20。　This；　the　Sabbath；　comes　in　with　fog　and　light　winds。　So
ends　this　day。　Total　fish　caught　this　week；　3；478。〃

They　never　worked　on　Sundays；　but　shaved；　and　washed
themselves　if　it　were　fine；　and　Pennsylvania　sang　hymns。　Once　or
twice　he　suggested　that；　if　ft　was　not　an　impertinence；　he　thought
he　could　preach　a　little。　Uncle　Salters　nearly　jumped　down　his
throat　at　the　mere　notion；　reminding　him　that　he　was　not　a
preacher　and　mustn't　think　of　such　things。　〃We'd　hev　him
rememberin'　Johns…town　next；〃　Salters　explained；　〃an'　what　would
hap