some reminiscences-第19部分

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by　incredible　assumptions；　which　rendered　his　logic　impenetrable



to　any　reasonable　person。　　I　learned　all　this　later。　　That



morning　seeing　the　figure　in　pyjamas　moving　in　the　mist　I　said　to



myself：　　〃That's　the　man。〃







He　came　quite　close　to　the　ship's　side　and　raised　a　harassed



countenance；　round　and　flat；　with　that　curl　of　black　hair　over



the　forehead　and　a　heavy；　pained　glance。







〃Good　morning。〃







〃Good　morning。〃







He　looked　hard　at　me：　　I　was　a　new　face；　having　just　replaced



the　chief　mate　he　was　accustomed　to　see；　and　I　think　that　this



novelty　inspired　him；　as　things　generally　did；　with　deep…seated



mistrust。







〃Didn't　expect　you　in　till　this　evening；〃　he　remarked



suspiciously。







I　don't　know　why　he　should　have　been　aggrieved；　but　he　seemed　to



be。　　I　took　pains　to　explain　to　him　that　having　picked　up　the



beacon　at　the　mouth　of　the　river　just　before　dark　and　the　tide



serving；　Captain　C　was　enabled　to　cross　the　bar　and　there　was



nothing　to　prevent　him　going　up　river　at　night。







〃Captain　C　knows　this　river　like　his　own　pocket；〃　I　concluded



discursively；　trying　to　get　on　terms。







〃Better；〃　said　Almayer。







Leaning　over　the　rail　of　the　bridge　I　looked　at　Almayer；　who



looked　down　at　the　wharf　in　aggrieved　thought。　　He　shuffled　his



feet　a　little；　he　wore　straw　slippers　with　thick　soles。　　The



morning　fog　had　thickened　considerably。　　Everything　round　us



dripped：　　the　derricks；　the　rails；　every　single　rope　in　the　ship…



…as　if　a　fit　of　crying　had　come　upon　the　universe。







Almayer　again　raised　his　head　and　in　the　accents　of　a　man



accustomed　to　the　buffets　of　evil　fortune　asked　hardly　audibly：







〃I　suppose　you　haven't　got　such　a　thing　as　a　pony　on　board？〃







I　told　him　almost　in　a　whisper；　for　he　attuned　my　communications



to　his　minor　key；　that　we　had　such　a　thing　as　a　pony；　and　I



hinted；　as　gently　as　I　could；　that　he　was　confoundedly　in　the　way



too。　　I　was　very　anxious　to　have　him　landed　before　I　began　to



handle　the　cargo。　　Almayer　remained　looking　up　at　me　for　a　long



while　with　incredulous　and　melancholy　eyes　as　though　it　were　not



a　safe　thing　to　believe　my　statement。　　This　pathetic　mistrust　in



the　favourable　issue　of　any　sort　of　affair　touched　me　deeply；　and



I　added：







〃He　doesn't　seem　a　bit　the　worse　for　the　passage。　　He's　a　nice



pony　too。〃







Almayer　was　not　to　be　cheered　up；　for　all　answer　he　cleared　his



throat　and　looked　down　again　at　his　feet。　　I　tried　to　close　with



him　on　another　tack。







〃By　Jove！〃　I　said。　　〃Aren't　you　afraid　of　catching　pneumonia　or



bronchitis　or　something；　walking　about　in　a　singlet　in　such　a　wet



fog？〃







He　was　not　to　be　propitiated　by　a　show　of　interest　in　his　health。



His　answer　was　a　sinister　〃No　fear；〃　as　much　as　to　say　that　even



that　way　of　escape　from　inclement　fortune　was　closed　to　him。







〃I　just　came　down。　。　。〃　he　mumbled　after　a　while。







〃Well　then；　now　you're　here　I　will　land　that　pony　for　you　at　once



and　you　can　lead　him　home。　　I　really　don't　want　him　on　deck。



He's　in　the　way。〃







Almayer　seemed　doubtful。　　I　insisted：







〃Why；　I　will　just　swing　him　out　and　land　him　on　the　wharf　right



in　front　of　you。　　I'd　much　rather　do　it　before　the　hatches　are



off。　　The　little　devil　may　jump　down　the　hold　or　do　some　other



deadly　thing。〃







〃There's　a　halter？〃　postulated　Almayer。







〃Yes；　of　course　there's　a　halter。〃　　And　without　waiting　any　more



I　leaned　over　the　bridge　rail。







〃Serang；　land　Tuan　Almayer's　pony。〃







The　cook　hastened　to　shut　the　door　of　the　galley　and　a　moment



later　a　great　scuffle　began　on　deck。　　The　pony　kicked　with



extreme　energy；　the　kalashes　skipped　out　of　the　way；　the　serang



issued　many　orders　in　a　cracked　voice。　　Suddenly　the　pony　leaped



upon　the　fore…hatch。　　His　little　hoofs　thundered　tremendously；　he



plunged　and　reared。　　He　had　tossed　his　mane　and　his　forelock　into



a　state　of　amazing　wildness；　he　dilated　his　nostrils；　bits　of



foam　flecked　his　broad　little　chest；　his　eyes　blazed。　　He　was



something　under　eleven　hands；　he　was　fierce；　terrible；　angry；



warlike；　he　said　ha！　ha！　distinctly；　he　raged　and　thumpedand



sixteen　able…bodied　kalashes　stood　round　him　like　disconcerted



nurses　round　a　spoilt　and　passionate　child。　　He　whisked　his　tail



incessantly；　he　arched　his　pretty　neck；　he　was　perfectly



delightful；　he　was　charmingly　naughty。　　There　was　not　an　atom　of



vice　in　that　performance；　no　savage　baring　of　teeth　and　lying



back　of　ears。　　On　the　contrary；　he　pricked　them　forward　in　a



comically　aggressive　manner。　　He　was　totally　unmoral　and　lovable；



I　would　have　liked　to　give　him　bread；　sugar；　carrots。　　But　life



is　a　stern　thing　and　the　sense　of　duty　the　only　safe　guide。　　So　I



steeled　my　heart　and　from　my　elevated　position　on　the　bridge　I



ordered　the　men　to　fling　themselves　upon　him　in　a　body。







The　elderly　serang；　emitting　a　strange　inarticulate　cry；　gave　the



example。　He　was　an　excellent　petty　officervery　competent



indeed；　and　a　moderate　opium　smoker。　　The　rest　of　them　in　one



great　rush　smothered　that　pony。　They　hung　on　to　his　ears；　to　his



mane；　to　his　tail；　they　lay　in　piles　across　his　back；　seventeen



in　all。　　The　carpenter；　seizing　the　hook　of　the　cargo…chain；



flung　himself　on　top　of　them。　　A　very　satisfactory　petty　officer



too；　but　he　stuttered。　　Have　you　ever　heard　a　light…yellow；　lean；



sad；　earnest　Chinaman　stutter　in　pidgin…English？　　It's　very　weird



indeed。　He　made　the　eighteenth。　　I　could　not　see　the　pony　at　all；



but　from　the　swaying　and　heaving　of　that　heap　of　men　I　knew　that



there　was　something　alive　inside。







From　the　wharf　Almayer　hailed　in　quavering　tones：







〃Oh；　I　say！〃







Where　he　stood　he　could　not　see　what　was　going　on　on　deck　unless



perhaps　the　tops　of　the　men's　heads；　he　could　only　hear　the



scuffle；　the　mighty　thuds；　as　if　the　ship　were　being　knocked　to



pieces。　　I　looked　over：　　〃What　is　it？〃







〃Don't　let　them　break　his　legs；〃　he　entreated　me　plaintively。







〃Oh；　nonsense！　　He's　all　right　now。　　He　can't　move。〃







By　that　time　the　cargo…chain　had　been　hooked　to　the　broad　canvas



belt　round　the　pony's　body；　the　kalashes　sprang　off



simultaneously　in　all　directions；　rolling　over　each　other；　and



the　worthy　serang；　making　a　dash　behind　the　winch；　turned　the



steam　on。







〃Steady！〃　I　yelled；　in　great　apprehension　of　seeing　the　animal



snatched　up　to　the　very　head　of　the　derrick。







On　the　wharf　Almayer　shuffled　his　straw　slippers　uneasily。　　The



rattle　of　the　winch　stopped；　and　in　a　tense；　impressive　silence



that　pony　began　to　swing　across　the　deck。







How　limp　he　was！　　Directly　he　felt　himself　in　the　air　he　relaxed



every　muscle　in　a　most　wonderful　manner。　　His　four　hoofs　knocked



together　in　a　bunch；　his　head　hung　down；　and　his　tail　remained



pendent　in　a　nerveless　and　absolute　immobility。　　He　reminded　me



vividly　of　the　pathetic　little　sheep　which　hangs　on　the　collar　of



the　Order　of　the　Golden　Fleece。　　I　had　no　idea　that　anything　in



the　shape　of　a　horse　could　be　so　limp　as　that；　either　living　or



dead。　　His　wild　mane　hung　down　lumpily；　a　mere　mass　of　inanimate



horsehair；　his　aggressive　ears　had　collapsed；　but　as　he　went



swaying　slowly　across　the　front　of　the　bridge　I　noticed　an　astute



gleam　in　his　dreamy；　half…closed　eye。　　A　trustworthy



quartermaster；　his　glance　anxious　and　his　mouth　on　the　broad



grin；　was　easing　over　the　derrick　watchfully。　　I　superintended；



greatly　interested。







〃So！　　That　will　do。〃







The　derrick…head　stopped。　　The　kalashes　lined　the　rail。　　The　rope



of　the　halter　hung　perpendicular　and　motionless　like　a　bell…pull



in　front　of　Almayer。　　Everything　was　very　still。　　I　suggested



amicably　that　he　should　catch　hold　of　the　rope　and　mind　what　he



was　about。　　He　extended　a　provokingly　casual　and　superior　hand。







〃Look　out　then！　　Lower　away！〃







Almayer　gathered　in　the　rope　intelligently　enough；　but　when　the



pony's　hoofs　touched　the　wharf　he　gave　way　all　at　once　to　a　most



foolish　optimism。　　Without　pausing；　without　thinking；　almost



without　looking；　he　disengaged　the　hook　suddenly　from　the　sling；



and　the　cargo…chain；　after　hitting　the　pony's　quarters；　swung



back　against　the　ship's　side　with　a　noisy；　rattling　slap。　　I



suppose　I　must　have　blinked。　　I　know　I　missed　something；　because



the　next　thing　I