end of the tether-第14部分

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be　stirring　the　mud　now；　which　made　him　peep　over　the



side。







His　peering　eyes；　set　aslant　in　a　face　of　the　Chinese



type；　a　little　old　face；　immovable；　as　if　carved　in　old



brown　oak；　had　informed　him　long　before　that　the　ship



was　not　headed　at　the　bar　properly。　　Paid　off　from



the　Fair　Maid；　together　with　the　rest　of　the　crew；　after



the　completion　of　the　sale；　he　had　hung；　in　his　faded



blue　suit　and　floppy　gray　hat；　about　the　doors　of　the



Harbor　Office；　till　one　day；　seeing　Captain　Whalley



coming　along　to　get　a　crew　for　the　Sofala；　he　had　put



himself　quietly　in　the　way；　with　his　bare　feet　in　the　dust



and　an　upward　mute　glance。　　The　eyes　of　his　old　com…



mander　had　fallen　on　him　favorablyit　must　have



been　an　auspicious　dayand　in　less　than　half　an　hour



the　white　men　in　the　〃Ofiss〃　had　written　his　name　on



a　document　as　Serang　of　the　fire…ship　Sofala。　　Since



that　time　he　had　repeatedly　looked　at　that　estuary；　upon



that　coast；　from　this　bridge　and　from　this　side　of　the



bar。　　The　record　of　the　visual　world　fell　through　his



eyes　upon　his　unspeculating　mind　as　on　a　sensitized



plate　through　the　lens　of　a　camera。　　His　knowledge　was



absolute　and　precise；　nevertheless；　had　he　been　asked



his　opinion；　and　especially　if　questioned　in　the　down…



right；　alarming　manner　of　white　men；　he　would　have



displayed　the　hesitation　of　ignorance。　　He　was　certain



of　his　factsbut　such　a　certitude　counted　for　little



against　the　doubt　what　answer　would　be　pleasing。



Fifty　years　ago；　in　a　jungle　village；　and　before　he　was



a　day　old；　his　father　（who　died　without　ever　seeing



a　white　face）　had　had　his　nativity　cast　by　a　man　of



skill　and　wisdom　in　astrology；　because　in　the　arrange…



ment　of　the　stars　may　be　read　the　last　word　of　human



destiny。　　His　destiny　had　been　to　thrive　by　the　favor



of　various　white　men　on　the　sea。　　He　had　swept　the



decks　of　ships；　had　tended　their　helms；　had　minded　their



stores；　had　risen　at　last　to　be　a　Serang；　and　his　placid



mind　had　remained　as　incapable　of　penetrating　the　sim…



plest　motives　of　those　he　served　as　they　themselves　were



incapable　of　detecting　through　the　crust　of　the　earth



the　secret　nature　of　its　heart；　which　may　be　fire　or　may



be　stone。　　But　he　had　no　doubt　whatever　that　the　Sofala



was　out　of　the　proper　track　for　crossing　the　bar　at



Batu　Beru。







It　was　a　slight　error。　　The　ship　could　not　have　been



more　than　twice　her　own　length　too　far　to　the　north…



ward；　and　a　white　man　at　a　loss　for　a　cause　（since　it



was　impossible　to　suspect　Captain　Whalley　of　blunder…



ing　ignorance；　of　want　of　skill；　or　of　neglect）　would



have　been　inclined　to　doubt　the　testimony　of　his　senses。



It　was　some　such　feeling　that　kept　Massy　motionless；



with　his　teeth　laid　bare　by　an　anxious　grin。　　Not　so　the



Serang。　　He　was　not　troubled　by　any　intellectual　mis…



trust　of　his　senses。　　If　his　captain　chose　to　stir　the　mud



it　was　well。　　He　had　known　in　his　life　white　men　indulge



in　outbreaks　equally　strange。　　He　was　only　genuinely



interested　to　see　what　would　come　of　it。　　At　last；　appar…



ently　satisfied；　he　stepped　back　from　the　rail。







He　had　made　no　sound：　Captain　Whalley；　however；



seemed　to　have　observed　the　movements　of　his　Serang。



Holding　his　head　rigidly；　he　asked　with　a　mere　stir　of



his　lips







〃Going　ahead　still；　Serang？〃







〃Still　going　a　little；　Tuan；〃　answered　the　Malay。



Then　added　casually；　〃She　is　over。〃







The　lead　confirmed　his　words；　the　depth　of　water　in…



creased　at　every　cast；　and　the　soul　of　excitement　de…



parted　suddenly　from　the　lascar　swung　in　the　canvas



belt　over　the　Sofala's　side。　　Captain　Whalley　or…



dered　the　lead　in；　set　the　engines　ahead　without　haste；



and　averting　his　eyes　from　the　coast　directed　the



Serang　to　keep　a　course　for　the　middle　of　the　en…



trance。







Massy　brought　the　palm　of　his　hand　with　a　loud　smack



against　his　thigh。







〃You　grazed　on　the　bar。　　Just　look　astern　and　see



if　you　didn't。　　Look　at　the　track　she　left。　　You　can　see



it　plainly。　　Upon　my　soul；　I　thought　you　would！　　What



made　you　do　that？　　What　on　earth　made　you　do　that？



I　believe　you　are　trying　to　scare　me。〃







He　talked　slowly；　as　it　were　circumspectly；　keeping　his



prominent　black　eyes　on　his　captain。　　There　was　also　a



slight　plaintive　note　in　his　rising　choler；　for；　primarily；



it　was　the　clear　sense　of　a　wrong　suffered　undeservedly



that　made　him　hate　the　man　who；　for　a　beggarly　five



hundred　pounds；　claimed　a　sixth　part　of　the　profits



under　the　three　years'　agreement。　　Whenever　his　resent…



ment　got　the　better　of　the　awe　the　person　of　Captain



Whalley　inspired　he　would　positively　whimper　with



fury。







〃You　don't　know　what　to　invent　to　plague　my　life



out　of　me。　　I　would　not　have　thought　that　a　man　of



your　sort　would　condescend　。　。　。〃







He　paused；　half　hopefully；　half　timidly；　whenever



Captain　Whalley　made　the　slightest　movement　in　the



deck…chair；　as　though　expecting　to　be　conciliated　by　a



soft　speech　or　else　rushed　upon　and　hunted　off　the



bridge。







〃I　am　puzzled；〃　he　went　on　again；　with　the　watchful



unsmiling　baring　of　his　big　teeth。　　〃I　don't　know　what



to　think。　　I　do　believe　you　are　trying　to　frighten　me。



You　very　nearly　planted　her　on　the　bar　for　at　least



twelve　hours；　besides　getting　the　engines　choked　with



mud。　　Ships　can't　afford　to　lose　twelve　hours　on　a　trip



nowadaysas　you　ought　to　know　very　well；　and　do



know　very　well　to　be　sure；　only　。　。　。〃







His　slow　volubility；　the　sideways　cranings　of　his　neck；



the　black　glances　out　of　the　very　corners　of　his　eyes；



left　Captain　Whalley　unmoved。　　He　looked　at　the　deck



with　a　severe　frown。　　Massy　waited　for　some　little　time；



then　began　to　threaten　plaintively。







〃You　think　you've　got　me　bound　hand　and　foot　in



that　agreement。　　You　think　you　can　torment　me　in　any



way　you　please。　　Ah！　　But　remember　it　has　another



six　weeks　to　run　yet。　　There's　time　for　me　to　dismiss



you　before　the　three　years　are　out。　　You　will　do　yet



something　that　will　give　me　the　chance　to　dismiss　you；



and　make　you　wait　a　twelvemonth　for　your　money　before



you　can　take　yourself　off　and　pull　out　your　five　hundred；



and　leave　me　without　a　penny　to　get　the　new　boilers　for



her。　　You　gloat　over　that　ideadon't　you？　　I　do　be…



lieve　you　sit　here　gloating。　　It's　as　if　I　had　sold　my



soul　for　five　hundred　pounds　to　be　everlastingly　damned



in　the　end。　。　。　。〃







He　paused；　without　apparent　exasperation；　then　con…



tinued　evenly







〃。　。　。　　With　the　boilers　worn　out　and　the　survey　hang…



ing　over　my　head；　Captain　Whalley　　Captain



Whalley；　I　say；　what　do　you　do　with　your　money？　　You



must　have　stacks　of　money　somewherea　man　like　you



must。　　It　stands　to　reason。　　I　am　not　a　fool；　you　know；



Captain　Whalleypartner。〃







Again　he　paused；　as　though　he　had　done　for　good。



He　passed　his　tongue　over　his　lips；　gave　a　backward



glance　at　the　Serang　conning　the　ship　with　quiet　whis…



pers　and　slight　signs　of　the　hand。　　The　wash　of　the



propeller　sent　a　swift　ripple；　crested　with　dark　froth；



upon　a　long　flat　spit　of　black　slime。　　The　Sofala　had



entered　the　river；　the　trail　she　had　stirred　up　over　the



bar　was　a　mile　astern　of　her　now；　out　of　sight；　had　dis…



appeared　utterly；　and　the　smooth；　empty　sea　along　the



coast　was　left　behind　in　the　glittering　desolation　of　sun…



shine。　　On　each　side　of　her；　low　down；　the　growth　of



somber　twisted　mangroves　covered　the　semi…liquid　banks；



and　Massy　continued　in　his　old　tone；　with　an　abrupt



start；　as　if　his　speech　had　been　ground　out　of　him；　like



the　tune　of　a　music…box；　by　turning　a　handle。







〃Though　if　anybody　ever　got　the　best　of　me；　it　is　you。



I　don't　mind　saying　this。　　I've　said　itthere！　　What



more　can　you　want？　　Isn't　that　enough　for　your　pride；



Captain　Whalley。　　You　got　over　me　from　the　first。　　It's



all　of　a　piece；　when　I　look　back　at　it。　　You　allowed　me



to　insert　that　clause　about　intemperance　without　saying



anything；　only　looking　very　sick　when　I　made　a　point



of　it　going　in　black　on　white。　　How　could　I　tell　what



was　wrong　about　you。　　There's　generally　something



wrong　somewhere。　　And；　lo　and　behold！　when　you



come　on　board　it　turns　out　that　you've　been　in　the



habit　of　drinking　nothing　but　water　for　years　and



years。〃







His　dogmatic　reproachful　whine　stopped。　　He