within the tides-第33节
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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
assured that everything that is fitting has been done on this
occasion。〃
Byrne asked no more questions。 There was still another death which
was considered by Gonzales as 〃fitting to the occasion。〃 The one…
eyed Bernardino stuck against the wall of his wine…shop received
the charge of six escopettas into his breast。 As the shots rang
out the rough bier with Tom's body on it went past carried by a
bandit…like gang of Spanish patriots down the ravine to the shore；
where two boats from the ship were waiting for what was left on
earth of her best seaman。
Mr。 Byrne； very pale and weak； stepped into the boat which carried
the body of his humble friend。 For it was decided that Tom Corbin
should rest far out in the bay of Biscay。 The officer took the
tiller and； turning his head for the last look at the shore； saw on
the grey hillside something moving； which he made out to be a
little man in a yellow hat mounted on a mule … that mule without
which the fate of Tom Corbin would have remained mysterious for
ever。
June； 1913。
BECAUSE OF THE DOLLARS
CHAPTER I
While we were hanging about near the water's edge； as sailors
idling ashore will do （it was in the open space before the Harbour
Office of a great Eastern port）； a man came towards us from the
〃front〃 of business houses； aiming obliquely at the landing steps。
He attracted my attention because in the movement of figures in
white drill suits on the pavement from which he stepped； his
costume； the usual tunic and trousers； being made of light grey
flannel； made him noticeable。
I had time to observe him。 He was stout； but he was not grotesque。
His face was round and smooth； his complexion very fair。 On his
nearer approach I saw a little moustache made all the fairer by a
good many white hairs。 And he had； for a stout man； quite a good
chin。 In passing us he exchanged nods with the friend I was with
and smiled。
My friend was Hollis； the fellow who had so many adventures and had
known so many queer people in that part of the （more or less）
gorgeous East in the days of his youth。 He said： 〃That's a good
man。 I don't mean good in the sense of smart or skilful in his
trade。 I mean a really GOOD man。〃
I turned round at once to look at the phenomenon。 The 〃really GOOD
man〃 had a very broad back。 I saw him signal a sampan to come
alongside； get into it； and go off in the direction of a cluster of
local steamers anchored close inshore。
I said： 〃He's a seaman； isn't he？〃
〃Yes。 Commands that biggish dark…green steamer： 'Sissie …
Glasgow。' He has never commanded anything else but the 'Sissie …
Glasgow；' only it wasn't always the same Sissie。 The first he had
was about half the length of this one； and we used to tell poor
Davidson that she was a size too small for him。 Even at that time
Davidson had bulk。 We warned him he would get callosities on his
shoulders and elbows because of the tight fit of his command。 And
Davidson could well afford the smiles he gave us for our chaff。 He
made lots of money in her。 She belonged to a portly Chinaman
resembling a mandarin in a picture…book； with goggles and thin
drooping moustaches； and as dignified as only a Celestial knows how
to be。
〃The best of Chinamen as employers is that they have such
gentlemanly instincts。 Once they become convinced that you are a
straight man； they give you their unbounded confidence。 You simply
can't do wrong； then。 And they are pretty quick judges of
character； too。 Davidson's Chinaman was the first to find out his
worth； on some theoretical principle。 One day in his counting…
house； before several white men he was heard to declare： 'Captain
Davidson is a good man。' And that settled it。 After that you
couldn't tell if it was Davidson who belonged to the Chinaman or
the Chinaman who belonged to Davidson。 It was he who； shortly
before he died； ordered in Glasgow the new Sissie for Davidson to
command。〃
We walked into the shade of the Harbour Office and leaned our
elbows on the parapet of the quay。
〃She was really meant to comfort poor Davidson；〃 continued Hollis。
〃Can you fancy anything more naively touching than this old
mandarin spending several thousand pounds to console his white man？
Well； there she is。 The old mandarin's sons have inherited her；
and Davidson with her； and he commands her； and what with his
salary and trading privileges he makes a lot of money； and
everything is as before； and Davidson even smiles … you have seen
it？ Well； the smile's the only thing which isn't as before。〃
〃Tell me； Hollis；〃 I asked； 〃what do you mean by good in this
connection？〃
〃Well； there are men who are born good just as others are born
witty。 What I mean is his nature。 No simpler； more scrupulously
delicate soul had ever lived in such a … a … comfortable envelope。
How we used to laugh at Davidson's fine scruples！ In short； he's
thoroughly humane； and I don't imagine there can be much of any
other sort of goodness that counts on this earth。 And as he's that
with a shade of particular refinement； I may well call him a
'REALLY good man。'〃
I knew from old that Hollis was a firm believer in the final value
of shades。 And I said： 〃I see〃 … because I really did see
Hollis's Davidson in the sympathetic stout man who had passed us a
little while before。 But I remembered that at the very moment he
smiled his placid face appeared veiled in melancholy … a sort of
spiritual shadow。 I went on。
〃Who on earth has paid him off for being so fine by spoiling his
smile？〃
〃That's quite a story； and I will tell it to you if you like。
Confound it！ It's quite a surprising one； too。 Surprising in
every way； but mostly in the way it knocked over poor Davidson …
and apparently only because he is such a good sort。 He was telling
me all about it only a few days ago。 He said that when he saw
these four fellows with their heads in a bunch over the table； he
at once didn't like it。 He didn't like it at all。 You mustn't
suppose that Davidson is a soft fool。 These men …
〃But I had better begin at the beginning。 We must go back to the
first time the old dollars had been called in by our Government in
exchange for a new issue。 Just about the time when I left these
parts to go home for a long stay。 Every trader in the islands was
thinking of getting his old dollars sent up here in time； and the
demand for empty French wine cases … you know the dozen of vermouth
or claret size … was something unprecedented。 The custom was to
pack the dollars in little bags of a hundred each。 I don't know
how many bags each case would hold。 A good lot。 Pretty tidy sums
must have been moving afloat just then。 But let us get away from
here。 Won't do to stay in the sun。 Where could we … ？ I know！
let us go to those tiffin…rooms over there。〃
We moved over accordingly。 Our appearance in the long empty room
at that early hour caused visible consternation amongst the China
boys。 But Hollis led the way to one of the tables between the
windows screened by rattan blinds。 A brilliant half…light trembled
on the ceiling； on the whitewashed walls； bathed the multitude of
vacant chairs and tables in a peculiar； stealthy glow。
〃All right。 We will get something to eat when it's ready；〃 he
said； waving the anxious Chinaman waiter aside。 He took his
temples touched with grey between his hands； leaning over the table
to bring his face； his dark； keen eyes； closer to mine。
〃Davidson then was commanding the steamer Sissie … the little one
which we used to chaff him about。 He ran her alone； with only the
Malay serang for a deck officer。 The nearest approach to another
white man on board of her was the engineer； a Portuguese half…
caste； as thin as a lath and quite a youngster at that。 For all
practical purposes Davidson was managing that command of his
single…handed； and of course this was known in the port。 I am
telling you of it because the fact had its influence on the
developments you shall hear of presently。
〃His steamer； being so small； could go up tiny creeks and into
shallow bays and through reefs and over sand…banks； collecting
produce； where no other vessel but a native craft would think of
venturing。 It is a paying game； often。 Davidson was known to
visit in her places that no one else could find and that hardly
anybody had ever heard of。
〃The old dollars being called in； Davidson's Chinaman thought that
the Sissie would be just the thing to c
