within the tides-第34节

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〃The　old　dollars　being　called　in；　Davidson's　Chinaman　thought　that



the　Sissie　would　be　just　the　thing　to　collect　them　from　small



traders　in　the　less　frequented　parts　of　the　Archipelago。　　It's　a



good　business。　　Such　cases　of　dollars　are　dumped　aft　in　the　ship's



lazarette；　and　you　get　good　freight　for　very　little　trouble　and



space。







〃Davidson；　too；　thought　it　was　a　good　idea；　and　together　they　made



up　a　list　of　his　calls　on　his　next　trip。　　Then　Davidson　（he　had



naturally　the　chart　of　his　voyages　in　his　head）　remarked　that　on



his　way　back　he　might　look　in　at　a　certain　settlement　up　a　mere



creek；　where　a　poor　sort　of　white　man　lived　in　a　native　village。



Davidson　pointed　out　to　his　Chinaman　that　the　fellow　was　certain　to



have　some　rattans　to　ship。







〃'Probably　enough　to　fill　her　forward；'　said　Davidson。　　'And



that'll　be　better　than　bringing　her　back　with　empty　holds。　　A　day



more　or　less　doesn't　matter。'







〃This　was　sound　talk；　and　the　Chinaman　owner　could　not　but　agree。



But　if　it　hadn't　been　sound　it　would　have　been　just　the　same。



Davidson　did　what　he　liked。　　He　was　a　man　that　could　do　no　wrong。



However；　this　suggestion　of　his　was　not　merely　a　business　matter。



There　was　in　it　a　touch　of　Davidsonian　kindness。　　For　you　must　know



that　the　man　could　not　have　continued　to　live　quietly　up　that　creek



if　it　had　not　been　for　Davidson's　willingness　to　call　there　from



time　to　time。　　And　Davidson's　Chinaman　knew　this　perfectly　well；



too。　　So　he　only　smiled　his　dignified；　bland　smile；　and　said：　　'All



right；　Captain。　　You　do　what　you　like。'







〃I　will　explain　presently　how　this　connection　between　Davidson　and



that　fellow　came　about。　　Now　I　want　to　tell　you　about　the　part　of



this　affair　which　happened　here　…　the　preliminaries　of　it。







〃You　know　as　well　as　I　do　that　these　tiffin…rooms　where　we　are



sitting　now　have　been　in　existence　for　many　years。　　Well；　next　day



about　twelve　o'clock；　Davidson　dropped　in　here　to　get　something　to



eat。







〃And　here　comes　the　only　moment　in　this　story　where　accident　…　mere



accident　…　plays　a　part。　　If　Davidson　had　gone　home　that　day　for



tiffin；　there　would　be　now；　after　twelve　years　or　more；　nothing



changed　in　his　kindly；　placid　smile。







〃But　he　came　in　here；　and　perhaps　it　was　sitting　at　this　very　table



that　he　remarked　to　a　friend　of　mine　that　his　next　trip　was　to　be　a



dollar…collecting　trip。　　He　added；　laughing；　that　his　wife　was



making　rather　a　fuss　about　it。　　She　had　begged　him　to　stay　ashore



and　get　somebody　else　to　take　his　place　for　a　voyage。　　She　thought



there　was　some　danger　on　account　of　the　dollars。　　He　told　her；　he



said；　that　there　were　no　Java…sea　pirates　nowadays　except　in　boys'



books。　　He　had　laughed　at　her　fears；　but　he　was　very　sorry；　too；



for　when　she　took　any　notion　in　her　head　it　was　impossible　to　argue



her　out　of　it。　　She　would　be　worrying　herself　all　the　time　he　was



away。　　Well；　he　couldn't　help　it。　　There　was　no　one　ashore　fit　to



take　his　place　for　the　trip。







〃This　friend　of　mine　and　I　went　home　together　in　the　same　mail…



boat；　and　he　mentioned　that　conversation　one　evening　in　the　Red　Sea



while　we　were　talking　over　the　things　and　people　we　had　just　left；



with　more　or　less　regret。







〃I　can't　say　that　Davidson　occupied　a　very　prominent　place。　　Moral



excellence　seldom　does。　　He　was　quietly　appreciated　by　those　who



knew　him　well；　but　his　more　obvious　distinction　consisted　in　this；



that　he　was　married。　　Ours；　as　you　remember；　was　a　bachelor　crowd；



in　spirit　anyhow；　if　not　absolutely　in　fact。　　There　might　have　been



a　few　wives　in　existence；　but　if　so　they　were　invisible；　distant；



never　alluded　to。　　For　what　would　have　been　the　good？　　Davidson



alone　was　visibly　married。







〃Being　married　suited　him　exactly。　　It　fitted　him　so　well　that　the



wildest　of　us　did　not　resent　the　fact　when　it　was　disclosed。



Directly　he　had　felt　his　feet　out　here；　Davidson　sent　for　his　wife。



She　came　out　（from　West　Australia）　in　the　Somerset；　under　the　care



of　Captain　Ritchie　…　you　know；　Monkey…face　Ritchie　…　who　couldn't



praise　enough　her　sweetness；　her　gentleness；　and　her　charm。　　She



seemed　to　be　the　heaven…born　mate　for　Davidson。　　She　found　on



arrival　a　very　pretty　bungalow　on　the　hill；　ready　for　her　and　the



little　girl　they　had。　　Very　soon　he　got　for　her　a　two…wheeled　trap



and　a　Burmah　pony；　and　she　used　to　drive　down　of　an　evening　to　pick



up　Davidson；　on　the　quay。　　When　Davidson；　beaming；　got　into　the



trap；　it　would　become　very　full　all　at　once。







〃We　used　to　admire　Mrs。　Davidson　from　a　distance。　　It　was　a　girlish



head　out　of　a　keepsake。　　From　a　distance。　　We　had　not　many



opportunities　for　a　closer　view；　because　she　did　not　care　to　give



them　to　us。　　We　would　have　been　glad　to　drop　in　at　the　Davidson



bungalow；　but　we　were　made　to　feel　somehow　that　we　were　not　very



welcome　there。　　Not　that　she　ever　said　anything　ungracious。　　She



never　had　much　to　say　for　herself。　　I　was　perhaps　the　one　who　saw



most　of　the　Davidsons　at　home。　　What　I　noticed　under　the



superficial　aspect　of　vapid　sweetness　was　her　convex；　obstinate



forehead；　and　her　small；　red；　pretty；　ungenerous　mouth。　　But　then　I



am　an　observer　with　strong　prejudices。　　Most　of　us　were　fetched　by



her　white；　swan…like　neck；　by　that　drooping；　innocent　profile。



There　was　a　lot　of　latent　devotion　to　Davidson's　wife　hereabouts；



at　that　time；　I　can　tell　you。　　But　my　idea　was　that　she　repaid　it



by　a　profound　suspicion　of　the　sort　of　men　we　were；　a　mistrust



which　extended　…　I　fancied　…　to　her　very　husband　at　times。　　And　I



thought　then　she　was　jealous　of　him　in　a　way；　though　there　were　no



women　that　she　could　be　jealous　about。　　She　had　no　women's　society。



It's　difficult　for　a　shipmaster's　wife　unless　there　are　other



shipmasters'　wives　about；　and　there　were　none　here　then。　　I　know



that　the　dock　manager's　wife　called　on　her；　but　that　was　all。　　The



fellows　here　formed　the　opinion　that　Mrs。　Davidson　was　a　meek；　shy



little　thing。　　She　looked　it；　I　must　say。　　And　this　opinion　was　so



universal　that　the　friend　I　have　been　telling　you　of　remembered　his



conversation　with　Davidson　simply　because　of　the　statement　about



Davidson's　wife。　　He　even　wondered　to　me：　　'Fancy　Mrs。　Davidson



making　a　fuss　to　that　extent。　　She　didn't　seem　to　me　the　sort　of



woman　that　would　know　how　to　make　a　fuss　about　anything。'







〃I　wondered；　too　…　but　not　so　much。　　That　bumpy　forehead　…　eh？　　I



had　always　suspected　her　of　being　silly。　　And　I　observed　that



Davidson　must　have　been　vexed　by　this　display　of　wifely　anxiety。







〃My　friend　said：　　'No。　　He　seemed　rather　touched　and　distressed。



There　really　was　no　one　he　could　ask　to　relieve　him；　mainly　because



he　intended　to　make　a　call　in　some　God…forsaken　creek；　to　look　up　a



fellow　of　the　name　of　Bamtz　who　apparently　had　settled　there。'







〃And　again　my　friend　wondered。　　'Tell　me；'　he　cried；　'what



connection　can　there　be　between　Davidson　and　such　a　creature　as



Bamtz？'







〃I　don't　remember　now　what　answer　I　made。　　A　sufficient　one　could



have　been　given　in　two　words：　　'Davidson's　goodness。'　　THAT　never



boggled　at　unworthiness　if　there　was　the　slightest　reason　for



compassion。　　I　don't　want　you　to　think　that　Davidson　had　no



discrimination　at　all。　　Bamtz　could　not　have　imposed　on　him。



Moreover；　everybody　knew　what　Bamtz　was。　　He　was　a　loafer　with　a



beard。　　When　I　think　of　Bamtz；　the　first　thing　I　see　is　that　long



black　beard　and　a　lot　of　propitiatory　wrinkles　at　the　corners　of



two　little　eyes。　　There　was　no　such　beard　from　here　to　Polynesia；



where　a　beard　is　a　valuable　property　in　itself。　　Bamtz's　beard　was



valuable　to　him　in　another　way。　　You　know　how　impressed　Orientals



are　by　a　fine　beard。　　Years　and　years　ago；　I　remember；　the　grave



Abdullah；　the　great　trader　of　Sambir；　unable　to　repress　signs　of



astonishment　and　admiration　at　the　first　sight　of　that　imposing



beard。　　And　it's　very　well　known　that　Bamtz　lived　on　Abdullah　off



and　on　for　several　years。　　It　was　a　unique　beard；　and　so　was　the



bearer　of　the　same。　　A　unique　loafer。　　He　made　a　fine　art　of　it；　or



rather　a　sort　of　craft　and　mystery。　　One　can　understand　a　fellow



living　by　cadging　and　small　swindles　in　towns；　in　large　communities



of　people；　but　Bamtz　managed　to　do　that　trick　in　the　wilderness；　to



loaf　on　the　outskirts　of　the　virgin　forest。







〃He　understood　how　to　ingratiate　himself　with　the　natives。　　He



would　arrive　in　some　settlement　up　a　river；　make　a　present　of　a



cheap　carbine　or　a　pair　of　shoddy　binoculars；　or　something　of　that



sort；　to　the　Rajah；　or　the　head…man；　or　the　principal　trader；　and



on　the　strength　of　that　gift；　ask　for　a　house；　posing　mysteriously



as　a　very　special　trader。　　He　would