captains courageous-第15部分

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Old　Virgin。〃

Harvey　understood　from　the　Eldridge　chart　that　the　Old　Virgin　and
a　nest　of　curiously　named　shoals　were　the　turning…point　of　the
cruise；　and　that　with　good　luck　they　would　wet　the　balance　of　their
salt　there。　But　seeing　the　size　of　the　Virgin　（it　was　one　tiny　dot）；　he
wondered　how　even　Disko　with　the　hog…yoke　and　the　lead　could
find　her。　He　learned　later　that　Disko　was　entirely　equal　to　that　and
any　other　business　and　could　even　help　others。　A　big　four…by…five
blackboard　hung　in　the　cabin；　and　Harvey　never　understood　the
need　of　it　till；　after　some　blinding　thick　days；　they　heard　the
unmelodious　tooting　of　a　foot…power　fog…horn…a　machine　whose
note　is　as　that　of　a　consumptive　elephant。

They　were　making　a　short　berth；　towing　the　anchor　under　their
foot　to　save　trouble。　〃Square…rigger　bellowin'　fer　his　latitude；〃　said
Long　Jack。　The　dripping　red　head…sails　of　a　bark　glided　out　of　the
fog；　and　the　We're　Here　rang　her　bell　thrice；　using　sea　shorthand。

The　larger　boat　backed　her　topsail　with　shrieks　and　shoutings。

〃Frenchman；〃　said　Uncle　Salters；　scornfully。　〃Miquelon　boat　from
St。　Malo。〃　The　farmer　had　a　weatherly　sea…eye。　〃I'm　'most　outer
'baccy；　too；　Disko。〃

〃Same　here；〃　said　Tom　Platt。　〃Hi！　Backez　vous…backez　vous！
Standez　awayez；　you　butt…ended　mucho…bono！　Where　you　from…
St。　Malo；　eh？〃

〃Ah；　ha！　Mucho　bono！　Oui！　oui！　Clos　PouletSt。　Malo！　St。　Pierre　
et　Miquelon；〃　cried　the　other　crowd；　waving　woollen　caps　and
laughing。　Then　all　together；　〃Bord！　Bord！〃

〃Bring　up　the　board；　Danny。　Beats　me　how　them　Frenchmen　fetch
anywheres；　exceptin'　America's　fairish　broadly。　Forty…six
forty…nine's　good　enough　fer　them；　an'　I　guess　it's　abaout　right；　too〃

Dan　chalked　the　figures　on　the　board；　and　they　hung　it　in　the
main…rigging　to　a　chorus　of　mercis　from　the　bark。

〃Seems　kinder　uneighbourly　to　let　'em　swedge　off　like　this；〃
Salters　suggested；　feeling　in　his　pockets

〃Hev　ye　learned　French　then　sence　last　trip？〃　said　Disko。　〃I　don't
want　no　more　stone…ballast　hove　at　us　'long　0'　your　callin'
Miquelon　boats　'footy　cochins；'　same's　you　did　off　Le　Have。〃

〃Harmon　Rush　he　said　that　was　the　way　to　rise　'em。　Plain　United
States　is　good　enough　fer　me。　We're　all　dretful　short…　on　tearakker。
Young　feller；　don't　you　speak　French？〃

〃Oh；　yes；〃　said　Harvey　valiantly；　and　he　bawled：
〃Hi！　Say！　Arretez　vous！　Attendez！　Nous　sommes　venant　pour
tabac。〃

〃Ah；　tabac；　tabac！〃　they　cried；　and　laughed　again。

〃That　hit　'em。　Let's　heave　a　dory　over；　anyway；〃　said　Tom　Platt。　〃I
don't　exactly　hold　no　certificates　on　French；　but　I　know　another
lingo　that　goes；　I　guess。　Come　on；　Harve；　an'　interpret。〃

The　raffle　and　confusion　when　he　and　Harvey　were　hauled　up　the
bark's　black　side　was　indescribable。　Her　cabin　was　all　stuck　round
with　glaring　coloured　prints　of　the　Virgin…the　Virgin　of
Newfoundland；　they　called　her。　Harvey　found　his　French　of　no
recognized　Bank　brand；　and　his　conversation　was　limited　to　nods　and　grins。　But
Tom　Platt　waved　his　arms　and　got　along　swimmingly。　The　captain
gave　him　a　drink　of　unspeakable　gin；　and　the　opera…comique　crew；
with　their　hairy　throats；　red　caps；　and　long　knives；　greeted　him　as　a
brother。　Then　the　trade　began。　They　had　tobacco；　plenty　of
it…American；　that　had　never　paid　duty　to　France。　They　wanted
chocolate　and　crackers。　Harvey　rowed　back　to　arrange　with　the
cook　and　Disko；　who　owned　the　stores；　and　on　his　return　the
cocoa…tins　and　cracker…bags　were　counted　out　by　the　Frenchman's
wheel。　It　looked　like　a　piratical　division　of　loot；　but　Tom　Platt
came　out　of　it　roped　with　black　pigtail　and　stuffed　with　cakes　of
chewing　and　smoking　tobacco。　Then　those　jovial　mariners　swung
off　into　the　mist；　and　the　last　Harvey　heard　was　a　gay　chorus：

〃Par　derriere　chez　ma　tante；　fly　a　un　bois　joli；　
Et　le　rossignol　y　chante　
Et　le　jour　et　la　nuit。。。。

Que　donneriez　vous；　belle；
Qui　1'arnenerait　ici？
Je　donneral　Quebec；
Sorel　et　Saint　Denis。〃

〃How　was　it　my　French　didn't　go；　and　your　sign…talk　did？〃　Harvey
demanded　when　the　batter　had　been　distributed　among　the　We're
Heres。

〃Sign…talk！〃　Platt　guffawed。　〃Well；　yes；　'twas　sign…talk；　but　a　heap
older'n　your　French；　Harve。　Them　French　boats　are　chockfull　o'
Freemasons；　an'　that's　why。〃

〃Are　you　a　Freemason；　then？〃

〃Looks　that　way；　don't　it？〃　said　the　man…o'…war's　man；　stuffing　his
pipe；　and　Harvey　had　another　mystery　of　the　deep　sea　to　brood
upon。

CHAPTER　VI

The　thing　that　struck　him　most　was　the　exceedingly　casual　way　in
which　some　craft　loafed　about　the　broad　Atlantic。　Fishing…boats；　as
Dan　said；　were　naturally　dependent　on　the　courtesy　and　wisdom　of
their　neighbours；　but　one　expected　better　things　of　steamers。　That
was　alter　another　interesting　interview；　when　they　had　been　chased
for　three　miles　by　a　big　lumbering　old　cattle…boat；　all　boarded　over
on　the　upper　deck；　that　smelt　like　a　thousand　cattle…pens。　A　very
excited　officer　yelled　at　them　through　a　speaking…trumpet；　and　she
lay　and　lollopped　helplessly　on　the　water　while　Disko　ran　the
We're　Here　under　her　lee　and　gave　the　skipper　a　piece　of　his　mind。
〃Where　might　ye　be…eh？　Ye　don't　deserve　to　be　anywheres。　You
barn…yard　tramps　go　hoggin'　the　road　on　the　high　seas　with　no
blame　consideration　fer　your　neighbours；　an'　your　eyes　in　your
coffee…cups　instid　o'　in　your　silly　heads。〃

At　this　the　skipper　danced　on　the　bridge　and　said　something　about
Disko's　own　eyes。　〃We　haven't　had　an　observation　for　three　days。
D'you　suppose　we　can　run　her　blind？〃　he　shouted…

〃Wa…al；　I　can；〃　Disko　retorted。　〃What's　come　to　your　lead？　Et　it？
Can't　ye　smell　bottom；　or　are　them　cattle　too　rank？〃

〃What　d'　ye　feed　'em？〃　said　Uncle　Salters　with　intense　seriousness；
for　the　smell　of　the　pens　woke　all　the　farmer　in　him。　〃They　say
they　fall　off　dretful　on　a　v'yage。　Dunno　as　it's　any　o'　my　business；
but　I've　a　kind　o'　notion　that　oil…cake　broke　small　an'　sprinkled

〃Thunder！〃　said　a　cattle…man　in　a　red　jersey　as　he　looked　over　the
side。　〃What　asylum　did　they　let　His　Whiskers　out　of？〃

　〃Young　feller；〃　Salters　began；　standing　up　in　the　fore…rigging；　〃let
me　tell　yeou　'fore　we　go　any　further　that　I've~〃

The　officer　on　the　bridge　took　off　his　cap　with　immense
politeness。　〃Excuse　me；〃　he　said；　〃but　I've　asked　for　my　reckoning。
If　the　agricultural　person　with　the　hair　will　kindly　shut　his　head；
the　sea…green　barnacle　'with　the　wall…eye　may　per…haps　condescend
to　enlighten　us。〃

〃Naow　you've　made　a　show　o'　me；　Salters；〃　said　Disko；　angrily。　He
could　not　stand　up　to　that　particular　sort　of　talk；　and　snapped　out
the　latitude　and　longitude　without　more　lectures。

〃Well；　that's　a　boat…load　of　lunatics；　sure；〃　said　the　skipper；　as　he
rang　up　the　engine…room　and　tossed　a　bundle　of　newspapers　into
the　schooner。

〃Of　all　the　blamed　fools；　next　to　you；　Salters；　him　an'　his　crowd　are
abaout　the　likeliest　I've　ever　seen；〃　said　Disko　as　the　We're　Here
slid　away。　〃I　was　jest　givin'　him　my　jedgment　on　lullsikin'　round
these　waters　like　a　lost　child；　an'　you　must　cut　in　with　your　fool
farmin'。　Can't　ye　never　keep　things　sep'rate？〃

Harvey；　Dan；　and　the　others　stood　back；　winking　one　to　the　other
and　full　of　joy；　but　Disko　and　Salters　wrangled　seriously　till
evening；　Salters　arguing　that　a　cattle…boat　was　practically　a　barn　on
blue　water；　and　Disko　insisting　that；　even　if　this　were　the　case；
decency　and　fisher…pride　demanded　that　he　should　have　kept
〃things　sep'rate。〃　Long　Jack　stood　it　in　silence　for　a　time；…an　angry
skipper　makes　an　unhappy　crew；…and　then　he　spoke　across　the
table　after　supper：

〃Fwhat's　the　good　o'　bodderin'　fwhat　they'll　say？〃　said　he。

〃They'll　tell　that　tale　agin　us　fer　years…that's　all；〃　said　Disko。
〃Oil…cake　sprinkled！〃

〃With　salt；　o'　course；〃　said　Salters；　Impenitent；　reading　the
farming　reports　from　a　week…old　New　York　paper。

〃It's　plumb　mortifyin'　to　all　my　feelin's；〃　the　skipper　went　on。

〃Can't　see　Ut　that　way；〃　said　Long　Jack；　the　peacemaker　〃Look　at
here；　Disko！　Is　there　another　packet　afloat　this　day　in　this　weather
cud　ha'　met　a　tramp　an；　over　an'　above　givin'　her　her　reckonin'；
…over　an'　above　that；　I　say；…cud　ha'　discoorsed　wid　her　quite　intelligent　
on　the　management　av　steers　an'　such　at　sea？　Forgit　ut！　Av　coorse　they
will　not。　'Twas　the　most　compenjus　conversation　that　iver　accrued。
Double　game　an'　twice　runnin'…all　to　us。〃　Dan　kicked　Harvey　under
the　table；　and　Harvey　choked　in　his　cup。

〃Well；〃　said　Salters；　who　felt　that　his　honour　had　been　somewhat
plastered；　〃I　said　I　didn't　know　as　'twuz　any　business　o'　mine；　'fore
I　spoke。〃

〃An'　right　there；〃　said　Tom　Platt；　experienced　in　discipline　and
etiquette…　〃right　there；　I　take　it；　Disko；　you　should　ha'　asked　him　to
stop　ef　the　conversation　wuz　likely；　in　your　jedgment；　to　be
anyways…what　it　shouldn't。〃

'Dunno　but　that's　so；〃　said　Disko；　who　saw　his　way　to　an
honourable　retreat　from　a　fit　of　the　dignities。

〃Why；　o'　course　it　was　so；〃　said　Salters；　〃you　bein'　skipper　here；
an'　I'd　cheerful　hev　stopped　on　a　hint…not　from　any　leadin'　or
conviction；　but　fer　the　sake　o'　bearin'　an　example　to　these　two
blame　boys　of　aours。〃

〃Didn't　I　tell　you；　Harve；　'twould　come　araound　to　us　'fore　we'd
done？　Always　those　blame　boys。　But　I　wouldn't　have　missed　the
show　fer　a　half…share　in　a　halibutter；〃　Dan　whispered。

〃Still；　things　should　ha'　been　kep'　sep'rate；〃　said　Disko；　and　the
light　of　new　argument　lit　in　Salters's　eye　as　he　crumbled　cut　plug
into　his　pipe。

〃There's　a　power　av　vartue　in　keepin'　things　sep'rate；〃　said　Long
Jack；　intent　on　stilling　the　storm。　〃That's　fwhat　Steyning　of
Steyning　and　Hare's　f'und　when　he　sent　Counahan　fer　skipper　on
the　Manila　D。　Kuhn；　instid　o'　Cap。　Newton　that　was　took　with
inflam'try　rheumatism　an'　couldn't　go。　Counahan　the　Navigator　we
called　him。〃

〃Nick　Counahan　he　never　went　aboard　fer　a　night　'thout　a　pond　o'
rum　somewheres　in　the　manifest；〃　said　Tom　Platt；　playing　up　to
the　lead。　〃He　used　to　bum　araound　the　c'mission　houses　to　Boston
lookin'　fer　the　Lord　to　make　him　captain　of　a　tow…boat　on　his
merits。　Sam　Coy；　up　to　Atlantic　Avenoo；　give　him　his　board　free
fer　a　year　or　more　on　account　of　his　stories。

Counahan　the　Navigator！　Tck！　Tck！　Dead　these　fif