within the tides-第23节

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of　matches　about　my　shelves　in　my　cabin　if　you　want　a　light；　says



Captain　Harry。　　Only　wipe　your　wet　hands　before　you　begin　to　feel



for　them。　。　。







〃Cloete　doesn't　like　the　job；　but　doesn't　like　to　show　funk；　either



…　and　he　goes。　　Lots　of　water　on　the　main…deck；　and　he　splashes



along；　it　was　getting　dark；　too。　　All　at　once；　by　the　mainmast；



somebody　catches　him　by　the　arm。　　Stafford。　　He　wasn't　thinking　of



Stafford　at　all。　　Captain　Harry　had　said　something　as　to　the　mate



not　being　quite　satisfactory；　but　it　wasn't　much。　　Cloete　doesn't



recognise　him　in　his　oilskins　at　first。　　He　sees　a　white　face　with



big　eyes　peering　at　him。　。　。　Are　you　pleased；　Mr。　Cloete　。　。　。　？







〃Cloete　is　moved　to　laugh　at　the　whine；　and　shakes　him　off。　　But



the　fellow　scrambles　on　after　him　on　the　poop　and　follows　him　down



into　the　cabin　of　that　wrecked　ship。　　And　there　they　are；　the　two



of　them；　can　hardly　see　each　other。　。　。　You　don't　mean　to　make　me



believe　you　have　had　anything　to　do　with　this；　says　Cloete。　。　。







〃They　both　shiver；　nearly　out　of　their　wits　with　the　excitement　of



being　on　board　that　ship。　　She　thumps　and　lurches；　and　they　stagger



together；　feeling　sick。　　Cloete　again　bursts　out　laughing　at　that



wretched　creature　Stafford　pretending　to　have　been　up　to　something



so　desperate。　。　。　Is　that　how　you　think　you　can　treat　me　now？　yells



the　other　man　all　of　a　sudden。　。　。







〃A　sea　strikes　the　stern；　the　ship　trembles　and　groans　all　round



them；　there's　the　noise　of　the　seas　about　and　overhead；　confusing



Cloete；　and　he　hears　the　other　screaming　as　if　crazy。　。　。　Ah；　you



don't　believe　me！　　Go　and　look　at　the　port　chain。　　Parted？　　Eh？　　Go



and　see　if　it's　parted。　　Go　and　find　the　broken　link。　　You　can't。



There's　no　broken　link。　　That　means　a　thousand　pounds　for　me。　　No



less。　　A　thousand　the　day　after　we　get　ashore　…　prompt。　　I　won't



wait　till　she　breaks　up；　Mr。　Cloete。　　To　the　underwriters　I　go　if



I've　to　walk　to　London　on　my　bare　feet。　　Port　cable！　　Look　at　her



port　cable；　I　will　say　to　them。　　I　doctored　it　…　for　the　owners　…



tempted　by　a　low　rascal　called　Cloete。







〃Cloete　does　not　understand　what　it　means　exactly。　　All　he　sees　is



that　the　fellow　means　to　make　mischief。　　He　sees　trouble　ahead。　。　。



Do　you　think　you　can　scare　me？　he　asks；　…　you　poor　miserable　skunk。



。　。　And　Stafford　faces　him　out　…　both　holding　on　to　the　cabin



table：　　No；　damn　you；　you　are　only　a　dirty　vagabond；　but　I　can



scare　the　other；　the　chap　in　the　black　coat。　。　。







〃Meaning　George　Dunbar。　　Cloete's　brain　reels　at　the　thought。　　He



doesn't　imagine　the　fellow　can　do　any　real　harm；　but　he　knows　what



George　is；　give　the　show　away；　upset　the　whole　business　he　had　set



his　heart　on。　　He　says　nothing；　he　hears　the　other；　what　with　the



funk　and　strain　and　excitement；　panting　like　a　dog　…　and　then　a



snarl。　。　。　A　thousand　down；　twenty…four　hours　after　we　get　ashore；



day　after　to…morrow。　　That's　my　last　word；　Mr。　Cloete。　。　。　A



thousand　pounds；　day　after　to…morrow；　says　Cloete。　　Oh　yes。　　And



to…day　take　this；　you　dirty　cur。　。　。　He　hits　straight　from　the



shoulder　in　sheer　rage；　nothing　else。　　Stafford　goes　away　spinning



along　the　bulk…head。　　Seeing　this；　Cloete　steps　out　and　lands　him



another　one　somewhere　about　the　jaw。　　The　fellow　staggers　backward



right　into　the　captain's　cabin　through　the　open　door。　　Cloete；



following　him　up；　hears　him　fall　down　heavily　and　roll　to　leeward；



then　slams　the　door　to　and　turns　the　key。　。　。　There！　says　he　to



himself；　that　will　stop　you　from　making　trouble。〃







〃By　Jove！〃　I　murmured。







The　old　fellow　departed　from　his　impressive　immobility　to　turn　his



rakishly　hatted　head　and　look　at　me　with　his　old；　black；　lack…



lustre　eyes。







〃He　did　leave　him　there；〃　he　uttered；　weightily；　returning　to　the



contemplation　of　the　wall。　　〃Cloete　didn't　mean　to　allow　anybody；



let　alone　a　thing　like　Stafford；　to　stand　in　the　way　of　his　great



notion　of　making　George　and　himself；　and　Captain　Harry；　too；　for



that　matter；　rich　men。　　And　he　didn't　think　much　of　consequences。



These　patent…medicine　chaps　don't　care　what　they　say　or　what　they



do。　　They　think　the　world's　bound　to　swallow　any　story　they　like　to



tell。　。　。　He　stands　listening　for　a　bit。　　And　it　gives　him　quite　a



turn　to　hear　a　thump　at　the　door　and　a　sort　of　muffled　raving



screech　inside　the　captain's　room。　　He　thinks　he　hears　his　own



name；　too；　through　the　awful　crash　as　the　old　Sagamore　rises　and



falls　to　a　sea。　　That　noise　and　that　awful　shock　make　him　clear　out



of　the　cabin。　　He　collects　his　senses　on　the　poop。　　But　his　heart



sinks　a　little　at　the　black　wildness　of　the　night。　　Chances　that　he



will　get　drowned　himself　before　long。　　Puts　his　head　down　the



companion。　　Through　the　wind　and　breaking　seas　he　can　hear　the



noise　of　Stafford's　beating　against　the　door　and　cursing。　　He



listens　and　says　to　himself：　　No。　　Can't　trust　him　now。　。　。







〃When　he　gets　back　to　the　top　of　the　deck…house　he　says　to　Captain



Harry；　who　asks　him　if　he　got　the　things；　that　he　is　very　sorry。



There　was　something　wrong　with　the　door。　　Couldn't　open　it。　　And　to



tell　you　the　truth；　says　he；　I　didn't　like　to　stop　any　longer　in



that　cabin。　　There　are　noises　there　as　if　the　ship　were　going　to



pieces。　。　。　Captain　Harry　thinks：　　Nervous；　can't　be　anything　wrong



with　the　door。　　But　he　says：　　Thanks　…　never　mind；　never　mind。　。　。



All　hands　looking　out　now　for　the　life…boat。　　Everybody　thinking　of



himself　rather。　　Cloete　asks　himself；　will　they　miss　him？　　But　the



fact　is　that　Mr。　Stafford　had　made　such　poor　show　at　sea　that　after



the　ship　struck　nobody　ever　paid　any　attention　to　him。　　Nobody



cared　what　he　did　or　where　he　was。　　Pitch　dark；　too　…　no　counting



of　heads。　　The　light　of　the　tug　with　the　lifeboat　in　tow　is　seen



making　for　the　ship；　and　Captain　Harry　asks：　　Are　we　all　there？　。　。



。　Somebody　answers：　　All　here；　sir。　。　。　Stand　by　to　leave　the　ship；



then；　says　Captain　Harry；　and　two　of　you　help　the　gentleman　over



first。　。　。　Aye；　aye；　sir。　。　。　Cloete　was　moved　to　ask　Captain　Harry



to　let　him　stay　till　last；　but　the　life…boat　drops　on　a　grapnel



abreast　the　fore…rigging；　two　chaps　lay　hold　of　him；　watch　their



chance；　and　drop　him　into　her；　all　safe。







〃He's　nearly　exhausted；　not　used　to　that　sort　of　thing；　you　see。



He　sits　in　the　stern…sheets　with　his　eyes　shut。　　Don't　want　to　look



at　the　white　water　boiling　all　around。　　The　men　drop　into　the　boat



one　after　another。　　Then　he　hears　Captain　Harry's　voice　shouting　in



the　wind　to　the　coxswain；　to　hold　on　a　moment；　and　some　other　words



he　can't　catch；　and　the　coxswain　yelling　back：　　Don't　be　long；　sir。



。　。　What　is　it？　　Cloete　asks　feeling　faint。　。　。　Something　about　the



ship's　papers；　says　the　coxswain；　very　anxious。　　It's　no　time　to　be



fooling　about　alongside；　you　understand。　　They　haul　the　boat　off　a



little　and　wait。　　The　water　flies　over　her　in　sheets。　　Cloete's



senses　almost　leave　him。　　He　thinks　of　nothing。　　He's　numb　all



over；　till　there's　a　shout：　　Here　he　is！　。　。　。　They　see　a　figure　in



the　fore…rigging　waiting　…　they　slack　away　on　the　grapnel…line　and



get　him　in　the　boat　quite　easy。　　There　is　a　little　shouting　…　it's



all　mixed　up　with　the　noise　of　the　sea。　　Cloete　fancies　that



Stafford's　voice　is　talking　away　quite　close　to　his　ear。　　There's　a



lull　in　the　wind；　and　Stafford's　voice　seems　to　be　speaking　very



fast　to　the　coxswain；　he　tells　him　that　of　course　he　was　near　his



skipper；　was　all　the　time　near　him；　till　the　old　man　said　at　the



last　moment　that　he　must　go　and　get　the　ship's　papers　from　aft；



would　insist　on　going　himself；　told　him；　Stafford；　to　get　into　the



life…boat。　。　。　He　had　meant　to　wait　for　his　skipper；　only　there



came　this　smooth　of　the　seas；　and　he　thought　he　would　take　his



chance　at　once。







〃Cloete　opens　his　eyes。　　Yes。　　There's　Stafford　sitting　close　by



him　in　that　crowded　life…boat。　　The　coxswain　stoops　over　Cloete　and



cries：　　Did　you　hear　what　the　mate　said；　sir？　。　。　。　Cloete's　face



feels　as　if　it　were　set　in　plaster；　lips　and　all。　　Yes；　I　did；　he



forces　himself　to　answer。　　The　coxswain　waits　a　moment；　then　says：



I　don't　like　it。　。　。　And　he　turns　to　the　mate；　telling　him　it　was　a



pity　he　did　not　try　to　run　along　the　deck　and　hurry　up　the　captain



when　the　lull　came。　　Stafford　answers　at　once　that　he　did　think　of



it；　only　he　was　afraid　of　missing　him　on　the　deck　in　the　dark。



For；　says　he；　the　captain　might　have　got　over　at　once；　thinking　I



was　already　in　the　life…boat；　and　you　would　have　hauled　off



perhaps；　leaving　me　behind。　。　。　True　enough；　says　the　coxswain。　　A



minute　or　so　passes。　　This　won't　do；　mutters　the　coxswain。



Suddenly　Stafford　speaks　up　in　a　sort　of　hollow　voice：　　I　was　by



whe