captains courageous-第18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！


when　we　run　agin　young　Olley。〃

It　was　the　irrepressible　Carrie　Pitman；　and　a　roar　of　unsteady
laughter　went　up　from　the　deck　of　the　We're　Here。

〃Hedn't　you　'baout's　well　send　the　old　man　aboard？　We're　runnin'
in　fer　more　bait　an'　graound…tackle。　Guess　you　won't　want　him；
anyway；　an'　this　blame　windlass　work　makes　us　short…handed。
We'll　take　care　of　him。　He　married　my　woman's　aunt。〃

〃I'll　give　you　anything　in　the　boat；〃　said　Troop。

〃Don't　want　nothin'；　'less；　mebbe；　an　anchor　that'll　hold。　Say！
Young　Olley's　gittin'　kinder　baulky　an'　excited。　Send　the　old　man
along。〃

Penn　waked　him　from　his　stupor　of　despair；　and　Tom　Platt　rowed
him　over。　He　went　away　without　a　word　　　

96　　Rudyard　Kipling　of　thanks；　not　knowing　what　was　to　come；
and　the　fog　closed　over　all。

〃And　now；〃　said　Penn；　drawing　a　deep　breath　as　though　about　to
preach。　〃And　now〃…the　erect　body　sank　like　a　sword　driven　home
into　the　scabbard；　the　light　faded　from　the　overbright　eyes；　the
voice　returned　to　its　usual　pitiful　little　titter…　〃and　now；〃　said
Pennsylvania　Pratt；　〃do　you　think　it's　too　early　for　a　little　game　of
checkers；　Mr。　Salters？〃

〃The　very　thing…the　very　thing　I　was　goin'　to　say　myself；〃　cried
Salters　promptly。　〃It　beats　all；　Penn；　how　ye　git　on　to　what's　in　a
man's　mind。〃

The　little　fellow　blushed　and　meekly　followed　Salters　forward。

〃Up　anchor！　Hurry！　Let's　quit　these　crazy　waters；〃　shouted　Disko；
and　never　was　he　more　swiftly　obeyed。

〃Now　what　in　creation　d'ye　suppose　is　the　meanin'　o'　that　all？〃　said
Long　Jack；　when　they　were　working　through　the　fog　once　more；
damp；　dripping；　and　bewildered。

〃The　way　I　sense　it；〃　said　Disko；　at　the　wheel；　〃is　this：　The　Jennie
Cushman　business　comin'　on　an　empty　stummick〃

〃H~we　saw　one　of　them　go　by；〃　sobbed　Harvey。

〃An'　that；　o'　course；　kinder　hove　him　outer　water；　julluk　runnin'　a
craft　ashore；　hove　him　right　aout；　I　take　it；　to　rememberin'
Johnstown　an'　Jacob　Boiler　an'　such…like　reminiscences。　Well；
consolin'　Jason　there　held　him　up　a　piece；　same's　shorin'　up　a　boat。
Then；　bein'　weak；　them　props　slipped　an'　slipped；　an'　he　slided
down　the　ways；　an'　naow　he's　water…borne　agin。　That's　haow　I
sense　it。〃

They　decided　that　Disko　was　entirely　correct

'Twould　ha'　bruk　Salters　all　up；〃　said　Long　Jack；　〃if　Penn　had
stayed　Jacob　Bollerin'。　Did　ye　see　his　face　when　Penn　asked　who
he'd　been　charged　on　all　these　years？　How　is　ut；　Salters？〃

〃Asleep…dead　asleep。　Turned　in　like　a　child；〃　Salters　replied；
tiptoeing　alt。　〃There　won't　be　no　grub　till　he　wakes；　natural。　Did　ye
ever　see　sech　a　gift　in　prayer？　He　everlastin'ly　hiked　young　Olley
outer　the　ocean。　Thet's　my　belief。　Jason　was　tur'ble　praoud　of　his
boy；　an'　I　mistrusted　all　along　'twas　a　jedgment　on　worshippin'　vain
idols。〃　　　

〃There's　others　jes　as　sot；〃　said　Disko。

〃That's　dif　runt；〃　Salters　retorted　quickly。　〃Penn's　not　all　caulked；
an'　I　ain't　only　but　doin'　my　duty　by　him。〃

They　waited；　those　hungry　men；　three　hours；　till　Penn　reappeared
with　a　smooth　face　and　a　blank　mini　He　said　he　believed　that　he
had　been　dreaming。　Then　he　wanted　to　know　why　they　were　so
silent；　and　they　could　not　tell　him。

Disko　worked　all　hands　mercilessly　for　the　next　three　or　four　days；
and　when　they　could　not　go　out；　turned　them　into　the　hold　to　stack
the　ship's　stores　into　smaller　compass；　to　make　more　room　for　the
fish。　The　packed　mass　ran　from　the　cabin　partition　to　the　sliding
door　behind　the　foc'sle　stove；　and　Disko　showed　how　there　is　great
art　in　stowing　cargo　so　as　to　bring　a　schooner　to　her　best　draft。　The
crew　were　thus　kept　lively　till　they　recovered　their　spirits；　and
Harvey　was　tickled　with　a　rope's　end　by　Long　Jack　for　being；　as　the
Galway　man　said；　〃sorrowful　as　a　sick　cat　over　fwhat　couldn't　be
helped。〃　He　did　a　great　deal　of　thinking　in　those　weary　days；　and
told　Dan　what　he　thought；　and　Dan　agreed　with　him…even　to　the
extent　of　asking　for　fried　pies　instead　of　hooking　them。

But　a　week　later　the　two　nearly　upset　the　Haitie　S。　in　a　wild
attempt　to　stab　a　shark　with　an　old　bayonet　tied　to　a　stick。　The
grim　brute　rubbed　alongside　the　dory　begging　for　small　fish；　and
between　the　three　of　them　it　was　a　mercy　they　all　got　off　alive。

At　last；　after　playing　blindman's…buff　in　the　fog；　there　came　a
morning　when　Disko　shouted　down　the　foc'sle：　〃Hurry；　boys！
We're　in　taown！〃　　　

CHAPTER　VIII

　To　the　end　of　his　days；　Harvey　will　never　forget　that　sight。　The
sun　was　just　clear　of　the　horizon　they　had　not　seen　for　nearly　a
week；　and　his　low　red　light　struck　into　the　riding…sails　of　three
fleets　of　anchored　schoonersone　to　the　north；　one　to　the　westward；
and　one　to　the　south。　There　must　have　been　nearly　a　hundred　of
them；　of　every　possible　make　and　build；　with；　far　away；　a
square…rigged　Frenchman；　all　bowing　and　courtesying　one　to　the
other。　From　every　boat　dories　were　dropping　away　like　bees　from　a
crowded　hive；　and　the　clamour　of　voices；　the　rattling　of　ropes　and
blocks；　and　the　splash　of　the　oars　carried　for　miles　across　the
heaving　water。　The　sails　turned　all　colours；　black；　pearly…gray；　and
white；　as　the　sun　mounted；　and　more　boats　swung　up　through　the
mists　to　the　southward。

The　dories　gathered　in　clusters；　separated；　reformed；　and　broke
again；　all　heading　one　way；　while　men　hailed　and　whistled　and
cat…called　and　sang；　and　the　water　was　speckled　with　rubbish
thrown　overboard。

〃It's　a　town；〃　said　Harvey。　〃Disko　was　right。　It　U'　a　town！〃

〃I've　seen　smaller；〃　said　Disko。　〃There's　about　a　thousand　men
here；　an'　yonder's　the　Virgin。〃　He　pointed　to　a　vacant　space　of
greenish　sea；　where　there　were　no　dories。

The　We're　Here　skirted　round　the　northern　squadron；　Disko
waving　his　hand　to　friend　after　friend；　and　anchored　as　nearly　as　a
racing　yacht　at　the　end　of　the　season。　The　Bank　fleet　pass　good
seamanship　in　silence；　but　a　bungler　is　jeered　all　along　the　line。

〃Jest　in　time　fer　the　caplin；〃　cried　the　Mary　Chilton。

〃'Salt　'most　wet？〃　asked　the　King　Philip。　　　　

〃Hey；　Tom　Platt！　Come　t'　supper　t0…night？〃　said　the　Henry　Clay；
and　so　questions　and　answers　flew　back　and　forth。　Men　had　met
one　another　before；　dory…fishing　in　the　fog；　and　there　is　no　place
for　gossip　like　the　Bank　fleet。　They　all　seemed　to　know　about
Harvey's　rescue；　and　asked　if　be　were　worth　his　salt　yet。　The　young
bloods　jested　with　Dan；　who　had　a　lively　tongue　of　his　own；　and
inquired　alter　their　health　by　the　town…nicknames　they　least　liked。
Manuel's　countrymen　jabbered　at　him　in　their　own　language；　and
even　the　silent　cook　was　seen　riding　the　jib…boom　and　shouting
Gaelic　to　a　friend　as　black　as　himself。　After　they　had　buoyed　the
cableall　around　the　Virgin　is　rocky　bottom；　and　carelessness
means　chafed　ground…tackle　and　danger　from　drifting…after　they
had　buoyed　the　cable；　their　dories　went　forth　to　join　the　mob　of
boats　anchored　about　a　mile　away。　The　schooners　rocked　and
dipped　at　a　safe　distance；　like　mother　ducks　watching　their　brood；
while　the　dories　behaved　like　mannerless　ducklings。

As　they　drove　into　the　confusion；　boat　banging　boat；　Harvey's　ears
tingled　at　the　comments　on　his　rowing。　Every　dialect　from
Labrador　to　Long　Island；　with　Portuguese；　Neapolitan；　Lingua
Franca；　French；　and　Gaelic；　with　songs　and　shoutings　and　new
oaths；　rattled　round　him；　and　he　seemed　to　be　the　butt　of　it　all。　For
the　first　time　in　his　life　he　felt　shy…perhaps　that　came　from　living
so　long　with　only　the　We're　Heres…among　the　scores　of　wild　faces
that　rose　and　fell　with　the　reeling　small　craft。　A　gentle；　breathing
swell；　three　furlongs　from　trough　to　barrel；　would　quietly　shoulder
up　a　string　of　variously　painted　dories。　They　hung　for　an　instant；　a
wonderful　frieze　against　the　sky…line；　and　their　men　pointed　and
hailed。　Next　moment　the　open　mouths；　waving　arms；　and　bare
chests　disappeared；　while　on　another　swell　came　up　an　entirely
new　line　of　characters　like　paper　figures　in　a　toy　theatre。　So
Harvey　stared。　〃Watch　out！〃　said　Dan；　flourishing　a　dip…net　〃When
I　tell　you　dip；　you　dip。　The　caplin'll　school　any　time　from　naow　on。
Where'll　we　lay；　Tom　Platt？〃

Pushing；　shoving；　and　hauling；　greeting　old　friends　here　and
warning　old　enemies　there；　Commodore　Tom　　

100　　Rudyard　Kipling

Platt　led　his　little　fleet　well　to　leeward　of　the　general　crowd；　and
immediately　three　or　four　men　began　to　haul　on　their　anchors　with
intent　to　le~bow　the　We're　Heres。　But　a　yell　of　laughter　went　up　as
a　dory　shot　from　her　station　with　exceeding　speed；　its　occupant
pulling　madly　on　the　roding。

〃Give　her　slack！〃　roared　twenty　voices。　〃Let　him　shake　it　out。〃

〃What's　the　matter？〃　said　Harvey；　as　the　boat　flashed　away　to
the~southward。　〃He's　anchored；　isn't　he？〃

〃Anchored；　sure　enough；　but　his　graound…tackle's　kinder　shifty；〃
said　Dan；　laughing。　〃Whale's　fouled　it。　。　。　。　Dip　Harve！　Here　they
come！〃

The　sea　round　them　clouded　and　darkened；　and　then　frizzed　up　in
showers　of　tiny　silver　fish；　and　over　a　space　of　five　or　six　acres　the
cod　began　to　leap　like　trout　in　May；　while　behind　the　cod　three　or
four　broad　gray…backs　broke　the　water　into　boils。

Then　everybody　shouted　and　tried　to　haul　up　his　anchor　to　get
among　the　school；　and　fouled　his　neighbour's　line　and　said　what
was　in　his　heart；　and　dipped　furiously　with　his　dip…net；　and　shrieked
cautions　and　advice　to　his　companions；　while　the　deep　fizzed　like
freshly　opened　soda…water；　and　cod；　men；　and　whales　together
flung　in　upon　the　luckless　bait。　Harvey　was　nearly　knocked
overboard　by　the　handle　of　Dan's　net。　But　in　all　the　wild　tumult　he
noticed；　and　never　forgot；　the　wicked；　set　little　eye…something　like
a　circus　elephant's　eye…of　a　whale　that　drove　along　almost　level　with
the　water；　and；　so　be　~aid；　winked　at　him。　Three　boats　found　their
rodings　fouled　by　these　reckless　mid…sea　hunters；　and　were　towed
half　a　mile　ere　their　horses　shook　the　line　free。

Then　the　caplin　moved　off；　and　five　minutes　later　there　was　no
sound　except　the　splash　of　the　sinkers　overside；　the　flapping　of　the
cod；　and　the　whack　of　the　muckles　as　the　men　stunned　them。　It
was　wonderful　fishing。　Harvey　could　see　the　glimmering　cod
below；　swimming　slowly　in　droves；　biting　as　steadily　as　they
swam。　Bank　law　strictly　forbids