within the tides-第36节

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had　heard　much　of　Laughing　Anne's　story；　and　had　even　had　an



interview；　on　the　path；　with　Bamtz　himself。　　She　ran　back　to　the



hut　to　fetch　him；　and　he　came　out　lounging；　with　his　hands　in　his



pockets；　with　the　detached；　casual　manner　under　which　he　concealed



his　propensity　to　cringe。　　Ya…a…as…as。　　He　thought　he　would　settle



here　permanently　…　with　her。　　This　with　a　nod　at　Laughing　Anne；　who



stood　by；　a　haggard；　tragically　anxious　figure；　her　black　hair



hanging　over　her　shoulders。







〃'No　more　paint　and　dyes　for　me；　Davy；'　she　struck　in；　'if　only　you



will　do　what　he　wants　you　to　do。　　You　know　that　I　was　always　ready



to　stand　by　my　men　…　if　they　had　only　let　me。'







〃Davidson　had　no　doubt　of　her　earnestness。　　It　was　of　Bamtz's　good



faith　that　he　was　not　at　all　sure。　　Bamtz　wanted　Davidson　to



promise　to　call　at　Mirrah　more　or　less　regularly。　　He　thought　he



saw　an　opening　to　do　business　with　rattans　there；　if　only　he　could



depend　on　some　craft　to　bring　out　trading　goods　and　take　away　his



produce。







〃'I　have　a　few　dollars　to　make　a　start　on。　　The　people　are　all



right。'







〃He　had　come　there；　where　he　was　not　known；　in　a　native　prau；　and



had　managed；　with　his　sedate　manner　and　the　exactly　right　kind　of



yarn　he　knew　how　to　tell　to　the　natives；　to　ingratiate　himself　with



the　chief　man。







〃'The　Orang　Kaya　has　given　me　that　empty　house　there　to　live　in　as



long　as　I　will　stay；'　added　Bamtz。







〃'Do　it；　Davy；'　cried　the　woman　suddenly。　　'Think　of　that　poor



kid。'







〃'Seen　him？　　'Cute　little　customer；'　said　the　reformed　loafer　in



such　a　tone　of　interest　as　to　surprise　Davidson　into　a　kindly



glance。







〃'I　certainly　can　do　it；'　he　declared。　　He　thought　of　at　first



making　some　stipulation　as　to　Bamtz　behaving　decently　to　the　woman；



but　his　exaggerated　delicacy　and　also　the　conviction　that　such　a



fellow's　promises　were　worth　nothing　restrained　him。　　Anne　went　a



little　distance　down　the　path　with　him　talking　anxiously。







〃'It's　for　the　kid。　　How　could　I　have　kept　him　with　me　if　I　had　to



knock　about　in　towns？　　Here　he　will　never　know　that　his　mother　was



a　painted　woman。　　And　this　Bamtz　likes　him。　　He's　real　fond　of　him。



I　suppose　I　ought　to　thank　God　for　that。'







〃Davidson　shuddered　at　any　human　creature　being　brought　so　low　as



to　have　to　thank　God　for　the　favours　or　affection　of　a　Bamtz。







〃'And　do　you　think　that　you　can　make　out　to　live　here？'　he　asked



gently。







〃'Can't　I？　　You　know　I　have　always　stuck　to　men　through　thick　and



thin　till　they　had　enough　of　me。　　And　now　look　at　me！　　But　inside　I



am　as　I　always　was。　　I　have　acted　on　the　square　to　them　all　one



after　another。　　Only　they　do　get　tired　somehow。　　Oh；　Davy！　　Harry



ought　not　to　have　cast　me　off。　　It　was　he　that　led　me　astray。'







〃Davidson　mentioned　to　her　that　Harry　the　Pearler　had　been　dead　now



for　some　years。　　Perhaps　she　had　heard？







〃She　made　a　sign　that　she　had　heard；　and　walked　by　the　side　of



Davidson　in　silence　nearly　to　the　bank。　　Then　she　told　him　that　her



meeting　with　him　had　brought　back　the　old　times　to　her　mind。　　She



had　not　cried　for　years。　　She　was　not　a　crying　woman　either。　　It



was　hearing　herself　called　Laughing　Anne　that　had　started　her



sobbing　like　a　fool。　　Harry　was　the　only　man　she　had　loved。　　The



others　…







〃She　shrugged　her　shoulders。　　But　she　prided　herself　on　her　loyalty



to　the　successive　partners　of　her　dismal　adventures。　　She　had　never



played　any　tricks　in　her　life。　　She　was　a　pal　worth　having。　　But



men　did　get　tired。　　They　did　not　understand　women。　　She　supposed　it



had　to　be。







〃Davidson　was　attempting　a　veiled　warning　as　to　Bamtz；　but　she



interrupted　him。　　She　knew　what　men　were。　　She　knew　what　this　man



was　like。　　But　he　had　taken　wonderfully　to　the　kid。　　And　Davidson



desisted　willingly；　saying　to　himself　that　surely　poor　Laughing



Anne　could　have　no　illusions　by　this　time。　　She　wrung　his　hand　hard



at　parting。







〃'It's　for　the　kid；　Davy　…　it's　for　the　kid。　　Isn't　he　a　bright



little　chap？'















CHAPTER　II















〃All　this　happened　about　two　years　before　the　day　when　Davidson；



sitting　in　this　very　room；　talked　to　my　friend。　　You　will　see



presently　how　this　room　can　get　full。　　Every　seat'll　be　occupied；



and　as　you　notice；　the　tables　are　set　close；　so　that　the　backs　of



the　chairs　are　almost　touching。　　There　is　also　a　good　deal　of　noisy



talk　here　about　one　o'clock。







〃I　don't　suppose　Davidson　was　talking　very　loudly；　but　very　likely



he　had　to　raise　his　voice　across　the　table　to　my　friend。　　And　here



accident；　mere　accident；　put　in　its　work　by　providing　a　pair　of



fine　ears　close　behind　Davidson's　chair。　　It　was　ten　to　one



against；　the　owner　of　the　same　having　enough　change　in　his　pockets



to　get　his　tiffin　here。　　But　he　had。　　Most　likely　had　rooked



somebody　of　a　few　dollars　at　cards　overnight。　　He　was　a　bright



creature　of　the　name　of　Fector；　a　spare；　short；　jumpy　fellow　with　a



red　face　and　muddy　eyes。　　He　described　himself　as　a　journalist　as



certain　kind　of　women　give　themselves　out　as　actresses　in　the　dock



of　a　police…court。







〃He　used　to　introduce　himself　to　strangers　as　a　man　with　a　mission



to　track　out　abuses　and　fight　them　whenever　found。　　He　would　also



hint　that　he　was　a　martyr。　　And　it's　a　fact　that　he　had　been



kicked；　horsewhipped；　imprisoned；　and　hounded　with　ignominy　out　of



pretty　well　every　place　between　Ceylon　and　Shanghai；　for　a



professional　blackmailer。







〃I　suppose；　in　that　trade；　you've　got　to　have　active　wits　and　sharp



ears。　　It's　not　likely　that　he　overheard　every　word　Davidson　said



about　his　dollar　collecting　trip；　but　he　heard　enough　to　set　his



wits　at　work。







〃He　let　Davidson　go　out；　and　then　hastened　away　down　to　the　native



slums　to　a　sort　of　lodging…house　kept　in　partnership　by　the　usual



sort　of　Portuguese　and　a　very　disreputable　Chinaman。　　Macao　Hotel；



it　was　called；　but　it　was　mostly　a　gambling　den　that　one　used　to



warn　fellows　against。　　Perhaps　you　remember？







〃There；　the　evening　before；　Fector　had　met　a　precious　couple；　a



partnership　even　more　queer　than　the　Portuguese　and　the　Chinaman。



One　of　the　two　was　Niclaus　…　you　know。　　Why！　the　fellow　with　a



Tartar　moustache　and　a　yellow　complexion；　like　a　Mongolian；　only



that　his　eyes　were　set　straight　and　his　face　was　not　so　flat。　　One



couldn't　tell　what　breed　he　was。　　A　nondescript　beggar。　　From　a



certain　angle　you　would　think　a　very　bilious　white　man。　　And　I



daresay　he　was。　　He　owned　a　Malay　prau　and　called　himself　The



Nakhoda；　as　one　would　say：　　The　Captain。　　Aha！　　Now　you　remember。



He　couldn't；　apparently；　speak　any　other　European　language　than



English；　but　he　flew　the　Dutch　flag　on　his　prau。







〃The　other　was　the　Frenchman　without　hands。　　Yes。　　The　very　same　we



used　to　know　in　'79　in　Sydney；　keeping　a　little　tobacco　shop　at　the



lower　end　of　George　Street。　　You　remember　the　huge　carcase　hunched



up　behind　the　counter；　the　big　white　face　and　the　long　black　hair



brushed　back　off　a　high　forehead　like　a　bard's。　　He　was　always



trying　to　roll　cigarettes　on　his　knee　with　his　stumps；　telling



endless　yarns　of　Polynesia　and　whining　and　cursing　in　turn　about



'MON　MALHEUR。'　　His　hands　had　been　blown　away　by　a　dynamite



cartridge　while　fishing　in　some　lagoon。　　This　accident；　I　believe；



had　made　him　more　wicked　than　before；　which　is　saying　a　good　deal。







〃He　was　always　talking　about　'resuming　his　activities'　some　day；



whatever　they　were；　if　he　could　only　get　an　intelligent　companion。



It　was　evident　that　the　little　shop　was　no　field　for　his



activities；　and　the　sickly　woman　with　her　face　tied　up；　who　used　to



look　in　sometimes　through　the　back　door；　was　no　companion　for　him。







〃And；　true　enough；　he　vanished　from　Sydney　before　long；　after　some



trouble　with　the　Excise　fellows　about　his　stock。　　Goods　stolen　out



of　a　warehouse　or　something　similar。　　He　left　the　woman　behind；　but



he　must　have　secured　some　sort　of　companion　…　he　could　not　have



shifted　for　himself；　but　whom　he　went　away　with；　and　where；　and



what　other　companions　he　might　have　picked　up　afterwards；　it　is



impossible　to　make　the　remotest　guess　about。







〃Why　exactly　he　came　this　way　I　can't　tell。　　Towards　the　end　of　my



time　here　we　began　to　hear　talk　of　a　maimed　Frenchman　who　had　been



seen　here　and　there。　　But　no　one　knew　then　that　he　had　foregathered



with　Niclaus　and　lived　in　his　prau。　　I　daresay　he　put　Niclaus　up　to



a　thing　or　two。　　Anyhow；　it　was　a　partnership。　　Niclaus　was



somewhat　afraid　of　the　Frenchman　on　account　of　his　tempers；　which



were　awful。　　He　looked　then　like　a　devil；　but　a　man　without　hands；



unable　to　load　or　handle　a　weapon；　can