csf.mrmidshipmanhornblower-第40节

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tle　that　have　to　be　brought　in。　Please　be　patient。　I　implore　you。　His　Highness　is　not　accustomed　to　merce；　as　you　know；　sir。　Still　less　is　he　accustomed　to　merce　after　the　fashion　of　the　Franks。'
　Duras　wiped　his　streaming　face　with　a　corner　of　his　robe。
　'Pardon　me；'　he　said；　'I　do　not　feel　well。　But　I　shall　go　to　His　Highness。　I　shall　go。　Please　wait　for　me。'
　'Until　sunset；'　said　Tapling　implacably。
　Duras　called　to　his　Negro　attendant；　who　had　been　crouching　huddled　up　under　the　donkey's　belly　to　take　advantage　of　the　shade　it　cast。　With　an　effort　Duras　hoisted　his　ponderous　weight　onto　the　donkey's　hind　quarters。　He　wiped　his　face　again　and　looked　at　them　with　a　trace　of　bewilderment。
　'Wait　for　me；'　were　the　last　words　he　said　as　the　donkey　was　led　away　back　into　the　city　gate。
　'He　is　afraid　of　the　Bey；'　said　Tapling　watching　him　go。　'I　would　rather　face　twenty　Beys　than　Admiral　Sir　John　Jervis　in　a　tantrum。　What　will　he　do　when　he　hears　about　this　further　delay；　with　the　Fleet　on　short　rations　already？　He'll　have　my　guts　for　a　necktie。'
　'One　cannot　expect　punctuality　of　these　people；'　said　Hornblower　with　the　easy　philosophy　of　the　man　who　does　not　bear　the　responsibility。　But　he　thought　of　the　British　Navy；　without　friends；　without　allies；　maintaining　desperately　the　blockade　of　a　hostile　Europe；　in　face　of　superior　numbers；　storms；　disease；　and　now　famine。
　'Look　at　that！'　said　Tapling　pointing　suddenly。
　It　was　a　big　grey　rat　which　had　made　its　appearance　in　the　dry　storm　gutter　that　crossed　the　waterfront　here。　Regardless　of　the　bright　sunshine　it　sat　up　and　looked　round　at　the　world；　even　when　Tapling　stamped　his　foot　it　showed　no　great　signs　of　alarm。　When　he　stamped　a　second　time　it　slowly　turned　to　hide　itself　again　in　the　drain；　missed　its　footing　so　that　it　lay　writhing　for　a　moment　at　the　mouth　of　the　drain；　and　then　regained　its　feet　and　disappeared　into　the　darkness。
　'An　old　rat；　I　suppose；'　said　Tapling　meditatively。　'Senile；　possibly。　Even　blind；　it　may　be。'
　Hornblower　cared　nothing　about　rats；　senile　or　otherwise。　He　took　a　step　or　two　back　in　the　direction　of　the　longboat　and　the　civilian　officer　conformed　to　his　movements。
　'Rig　that　mains'l　so　that　it　gives　us　some　shade；　Maxwell；'　said　Hornblower。　'We're　here　for　the　rest　of　the　day。'
　'A　great　fort；'　said　Tapling；　seating　himself　on　a　stone　bollard　beside　the　boat；　'to　be　here　in　a　heathen　port。　No　need　to　worry　in　case　any　men　run　off。　No　need　to　worry　about　liquor。　Only　about　bullocks　and　barley。　And　how　to　get　a　spark　on　this　tinder。'
　He　blew　through　the　pipe　that　he　took　from　his　pocket；　preparatory　to　filling　it。　The　boat　was　shaded　by　the　mainsail　now；　and　the　hands　sat　in　the　bows　yarning　in　low　tones；　while　the　others　made　themselves　as　fortable　as　possible　in　the　sternsheets；　the　boat　rolled　peacefully　in　the　tiny　swell；　the　rhythmic　sound　as　the　fendoffs　creaked　between　her　gunwale　and　the　jetty　having　a　soothing　effect　while　city　and　port　dozed　in　the　blazing　afternoon　heat。　Yet　it　was　not　easy　for　a　young　man　of　Hornblower's　active　temperament　to　endure　prolonged　inaction。　He　climbed　up　on　the　jetty　to　stretch　his　legs；　and　paced　up　and　down；　a　Moor　in　a　white　gown　and　turban　came　staggering　in　the　sunshine　along　the　waterfront。　His　gait　was　unsteady；　and　he　walked　with　his　legs　well　apart　to　provide　a　firmer　base　for　his　swaying　body。
　'What　was　it　you　said；　sir；　about　liquor　being　abhorred　by　the　Moslems？'　said　Hornblower　to　Tapling　down　in　the　sternsheets。
　'Not　necessarily　abhorred；'　replied　Tapling；　guardedly。　'But　anathematized；　illegal；　unlawful；　and　hard　to　obtain。'
　'Someone　here　has　contrived　to　obtain　some；　sir；'　said　Hornblower。
　'Let　me　see；'　said　Tapling；　scrambling　up；　the　hands；　bored　with　waiting　and　interested　as　ever　in　liquor；　landed　from　the　bows　to　stare　as　well。
　'That　looks　like　a　man　who　has　taken　drink；'　agreed　Tapling。
　'Three　sheets　in　the　wind；　sir；'　said　Maxwell；　as　the　Moor　staggered。
　'And　taken　all　aback；'　supplemented　Tapling；　as　the　Moor　swerved　wildly　to　one　side　in　a　semicircle。
　At　the　end　of　the　semicircle　he　fell　with　a　crash　on　his　face；　his　brown　legs　emerged　from　the　robe　a　couple　of　times　and　were　drawn　in　again；　and　he　lay　passive；　his　head　on　his　arms；　his　turban　fallen　on　the　ground　to　reveal　his　shaven　skull　with　a　tassel　of　hair　on　the　crown。
　'Totally　dismasted；'　said　Hornblower。
　'And　hard　aground；'　said　Tapling。
　But　the　Moor　now　lay　oblivious　of　everything。
　'And　here's　Duras；'　said　Hornblower。
　Out　through　the　gate　came　the　massive　figure　on　the　little　donkey；　another　donkey　bearing　another　portly　figure　followed；　each　donkey　being　led　by　a　Negro　slave；　and　after　them　came　a　dozen　swarthy　individuals　whose　muskets；　and　whose　presence　at　uniform；　indicated　that　they　were　soldiers。
　'The　Treasurer　of　His　Highness；'　said　Duras；　by　way　of　introduction　when　he　and　the　other　had　dismounted。　'e　to　fetch　the　gold。'
　The　portly　Moor　looked　loftily　upon　them；　Duras　was　still　streaming　with　sweat　in　the　hot　sun。
　'The　gold　is　there；'　said　Tapling；　pointing。　'In　the　sternsheets　of　the　longboat。　You　will　have　a　closer　view　of　it　when　we　have　a　closer　view　of　the　stores　we　are　to　buy。'
　Duras　translated　this　speech　into　Arabic。　There　was　a　rapid　interchange　of　sentences；　before　the　Treasurer　apparently　yielded。　He　turned　and　waved　his　arms　back　to　the　gate　in　what　was　evidently　a　prearranged　signal。　A　dreary　procession　immediately　emerged…a　long　line　of　men；　all　of　them　almost　naked；　white；　black；　and　mulatto；　each　man　staggering　along　under　the　burden　of　a　sack　of　grain。　Overseers　with　sticks　walked　with　them。
　'The　money；'　said　Duras；　as　a　result　of　something　said　by　the　Treasurer。
　A　word　from　Tapling　set　the　hands　to　work　lifting　the　heavy　bags　of　gold　onto　the　quay。
　'With　the　corn　on　the　jetty　I　will　put　the　gold　there　too；'　said　Tapling　to　Hornblower。　'Keep　your　eye　on　it　while　I　look　at　some　of　those　sacks。'
　Tapling　walked　over　to　the　slave　gang。　Here　and　there　he　opened　a　sack；　looked　into　it；　and　inspected　handfuls　of　the　golden　barley　grain；　other　sacks　he　felt　from　the　outside。
　'No　hope　of　looking　over　every　sack　in　a　hundred　ton　of　barley；'　he　remarked；　strolling　back　again　to　Hornblower。　'Much　of　it　is　sand；　I　expect。　But　that　is　the　way　of　the　heathen。　The　price　is　adjusted　accordingly。　Very　well；　Effendi。'
　At　a　sign　from　Duras；　and　under　the　urgings　of　the　overseers；　the　slaves　burst　into　activity；　trotting　up　to　the　quayside　and　dropping　their　sacks　into　the　lighter　which　lay　there。　The　first　dozen　men　were　organized　into　a　working　party　to　distribute　the　cargo　evenly　into　the　bottom　of　the　lighter；　while　the　others　trotted　off；　their　bodies　gleaming　with　sweat；　to　fetch　fresh　loads。　At　the　same　time　a　couple　of　swarthy　herdsmen　came　out　through　the　gate　driving　a　small　herd　of　cattle。
　'Scrubby　little　creatures；'　said　Tapling；　looking　them　over　critically；　'but　that　was　allowed　for　in　the　price；　too。'
　'The　gold；'　said　Duras。
　In　reply　Tapling　opened　one　of　the　bags　at　his　feet；　filled　his　hand　with　golden　guineas；　and　let　them　cascade　through　his　fingers　into　the　bag　again。
　'Five　hundred　guineas　there；'　he　said。　'Fourteen　bags；　as　you　see。　They　will　be　yours　when　the　lighters　are　loaded　and　unmoored。'
　Duras　wiped　his　face　with　a　weary　gesture。　His　knees　seemed　to　be　weak；　and　he　leaned　upon　the　patient　donkey　that　stood　behind　him。
　The　cattle　were　being　driven　down　a　gangway　into　another　lighter；　and　a　second　herd　had　now　appeared　and　was　waiting。
　'Things　move　faster　than　you　feared；'　said　Hornblower。
　'See　how　they　drive　the　poor　wretches；'　replied　Tapling　sententiously。　'See！　Things　move　fast　when　you　have　no　concern　for　human　flesh　and　blood。'
　A　coloured　slave　had　fallen　to　the　ground　under　his　burden。　He　lay　there　disregarding　the　blows　rained　on　him　by　the　sticks　of　the　overseers。　There　was　a　small　movement　of　his　legs。　Someone　dragged　him　out　of　the　way　at　last　and　the　sacks　continued　to　be　carried　to　the　lighter。　The　other　lighter　was　filling　fast　with　cattle；　packed　into　a　tight；　bellowing　mass　in　which　no　movement　was　possible。
　'His　Nibs　is　actually　keeping　his　word；'　marvelled　Tapling。　'I'd　'a　settled　for　the　half；　if　I　had　been　asked　beforehand。'
　One　of　the　herdsmen　on　the　quay　had　sat　down　with　his　face　in　his　hands；　now　he　fell　over　limply　on　his　side。
　'Sir…'　began　Hornblower　to　Tapling；　and　the　two　men　looked　at　each　other　with　the　same　awful　thought　occurring　to　them　at　the　same　moment。
　Duras　began　to　say　something；　with　one　hand　on　the　withers　of　the　donkey　and　the　other　gesticulating　in　the　air　it　seemed　that　he　was　making　something　of　a　speech；　but　there　was　no　sense　in　the　words　he　was　roaring　out　in　a　hoarse　voice。　His　face　was　swollen　beyond　its　customary　fatness　and　his　expression　was　widely　distorted；　while　his　cheeks　were　so　suffused　with　blood　as　to　look　dark　under　his　tan。　Duras　quitted　his　hold　of　the　donkey　and　began　to　reel　about　in　half　circles；　under　the　eyes　of　Moors　and　Englishmen。　His　voice　died　away　to　a　whisper；　his　legs　gave　way　under　him；　and　he　fell　to　his　hands　and　knees　and　then　to　his　face。
　'That's　the　plague！'　said　Tapling。　'The　Bl