within the tides-第37节

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



unable　to　load　or　handle　a　weapon；　can　at　best　go　for　one　only　with



his　teeth。　　From　that　danger　Niclaus　felt　certain　he　could　always



defend　himself。







〃The　couple　were　alone　together　loafing　in　the　common…room　of　that



infamous　hotel　when　Fector　turned　up。　　After　some　beating　about　the



bush；　for　he　was　doubtful　how　far　he　could　trust　these　two；　he



repeated　what　he　had　overheard　in　the　tiffin…rooms。







〃His　tale　did　not　have　much　success　till　he　came　to　mention　the



creek　and　Bamtz's　name。　　Niclaus；　sailing　about　like　a　native　in　a



prau；　was；　in　his　own　words；　'familiar　with　the　locality。'　　The



huge　Frenchman；　walking　up　and　down　the　room　with　his　stumps　in　the



pockets　of　his　jacket；　stopped　short　in　surprise。　　'COMMENT？



BAMTZ！　　BAMTZ！'







〃He　had　run　across　him　several　times　in　his　life。　　He　exclaimed：



'BAMTZ！　　MAIS　JE　NE　CONNAIS　QUE　CA！'　　And　he　applied　such　a



contemptuously　indecent　epithet　to　Bamtz　that　when；　later；　he



alluded　to　him　as　'UNE　CHIFFE'　（a　mere　rag）　it　sounded　quite



complimentary。　　'We　can　do　with　him　what　we　like；'　he　asserted



confidently。　　'Oh；　yes。　　Certainly　we　must　hasten　to　pay　a　visit　to



that　…　'　（another　awful　descriptive　epithet　quite　unfit　for



repetition）。　　'Devil　take　me　if　we　don't　pull　off　a　coup　that　will



set　us　all　up　for　a　long　time。'







〃He　saw　all　that　lot　of　dollars　melted　into　bars　and　disposed　of



somewhere　on　the　China　coast。　　Of　the　escape　after　the　COUP　he



never　doubted。　　There　was　Niclaus's　prau　to　manage　that　in。







〃In　his　enthusiasm　he　pulled　his　stumps　out　of　his　pockets　and



waved　them　about。　　Then；　catching　sight　of　them；　as　it　were；　he



held　them　in　front　of　his　eyes；　cursing　and　blaspheming　and



bewailing　his　misfortune　and　his　helplessness；　till　Niclaus　quieted



him　down。







〃But　it　was　his　mind　that　planned　out　the　affair　and　it　was　his



spirit　which　carried　the　other　two　on。　　Neither　of　them　was　of　the



bold　buccaneer　type；　and　Fector；　especially；　had　never　in　his



adventurous　life　used　other　weapons　than　slander　and　lies。







〃That　very　evening　they　departed　on　a　visit　to　Bamtz　in　Niclaus's



prau；　which　had　been　lying；　emptied　of　her　cargo　of　cocoanuts；　for



a　day　or　two　under　the　canal　bridge。　　They　must　have　crossed　the



bows　of　the　anchored　Sissie；　and　no　doubt　looked　at　her　with



interest　as　the　scene　of　their　future　exploit；　the　great　haul；　LE



GRAND　COUP！







〃Davidson's　wife；　to　his　great　surprise；　sulked　with　him　for



several　days　before　he　left。　　I　don't　know　whether　it　occurred　to



him　that；　for　all　her　angelic　profile；　she　was　a　very　stupidly



obstinate　girl。　　She　didn't　like　the　tropics。　　He　had　brought　her



out　there；　where　she　had　no　friends；　and　now；　she　said；　he　was



becoming　inconsiderate。　　She　had　a　presentiment　of　some　misfortune；



and　notwithstanding　Davidson's　painstaking　explanations；　she　could



not　see　why　her　presentiments　were　to　be　disregarded。　　On　the　very



last　evening　before　Davidson　went　away　she　asked　him　in　a



suspicious　manner：







〃'Why　is　it　that　you　are　so　anxious　to　go　this　time？'







〃'I　am　not　anxious；'　protested　the　good　Davidson。　　'I　simply　can't



help　myself。　　There's　no　one　else　to　go　in　my　place。'







〃'Oh！　　There's　no　one；'　she　said；　turning　away　slowly。







〃She　was　so　distant　with　him　that　evening　that　Davidson　from　a



sense　of　delicacy　made　up　his　mind　to　say　good…bye　to　her　at　once



and　go　and　sleep　on　board。　　He　felt　very　miserable　and；　strangely



enough；　more　on　his　own　account　than　on　account　of　his　wife。　　She



seemed　to　him　much　more　offended　than　grieved。







〃Three　weeks　later；　having　collected　a　good　many　cases　of　old



dollars　（they　were　stowed　aft　in　the　lazarette　with　an　iron　bar　and



a　padlock　securing　the　hatch　under　his　cabin…table）；　yes；　with　a



bigger　lot　than　he　had　expected　to　collect；　he　found　himself



homeward　bound　and　off　the　entrance　of　the　creek　where　Bamtz　lived



and　even；　in　a　sense；　flourished。







〃It　was　so　late　in　the　day　that　Davidson　actually　hesitated　whether



he　should　not　pass　by　this　time。　　He　had　no　regard　for　Bamtz；　who



was　a　degraded　but　not　a　really　unhappy　man。　　His　pity　for　Laughing



Anne　was　no　more　than　her　case　deserved。　　But　his　goodness　was　of　a



particularly　delicate　sort。　　He　realised　how　these　people　were



dependent　on　him；　and　how　they　would　feel　their　dependence　（if　he



failed　to　turn　up）　through　a　long　month　of　anxious　waiting。



Prompted　by　his　sensitive　humanity；　Davidson；　in　the　gathering



dusk；　turned　the　Sissie's　head　towards　the　hardly　discernible



coast；　and　navigated　her　safety　through　a　maze　of　shallow　patches。



But　by　the　time　he　got　to　the　mouth　of　the　creek　the　night　had



come。







〃The　narrow　waterway　lay　like　a　black　cutting　through　the　forest。



And　as　there　were　always　grounded　snaggs　in　the　channel　which　it



would　be　impossible　to　make　out；　Davidson　very　prudently　turned　the



Sissie　round；　and　with　only　enough　steam　on　the　boilers　to　give　her



a　touch　ahead　if　necessary；　let　her　drift　up　stern　first　with　the



tide；　silent　and　invisible　in　the　impenetrable　darkness　and　in　the



dumb　stillness。







〃It　was　a　long　job；　and　when　at　the　end　of　two　hours　Davidson



thought　he　must　be　up　to　the　clearing；　the　settlement　slept



already；　the　whole　land　of　forests　and　rivers　was　asleep。







〃Davidson；　seeing　a　solitary　light　in　the　massed　darkness　of　the



shore；　knew　that　it　was　burning　in　Bamtz's　house。　　This　was



unexpected　at　this　time　of　the　night；　but　convenient　as　a　guide。



By　a　turn　of　the　screw　and　a　touch　of　the　helm　he　sheered　the



Sissie　alongside　Bamtz's　wharf　…　a　miserable　structure　of　a　dozen



piles　and　a　few　planks；　of　which　the　ex…vagabond　was　very　proud。　　A



couple　of　Kalashes　jumped　down　on　it；　took　a　turn　with　the　ropes



thrown　to　them　round　the　posts；　and　the　Sissie　came　to　rest　without



a　single　loud　word　or　the　slightest　noise。　　And　just　in　time　too；



for　the　tide　turned　even　before　she　was　properly　moored。







〃Davidson　had　something　to　eat；　and　then；　coming　on　deck　for　a　last



look　round；　noticed　that　the　light　was　still　burning　in　the　house。







〃This　was　very　unusual；　but　since　they　were　awake　so　late；　Davidson



thought　that　he　would　go　up　to　say　that　he　was　in　a　hurry　to　be　off



and　to　ask　that　what　rattans　there　were　in　store　should　be　sent　on



board　with　the　first　sign　of　dawn。







〃He　stepped　carefully　over　the　shaky　planks；　not　being　anxious　to



get　a　sprained　ankle；　and　picked　his　way　across　the　waste　ground　to



the　foot　of　the　house　ladder。　　The　house　was　but　a　glorified　hut　on



piles；　unfenced　and　lonely。







〃Like　many　a　stout　man；　Davidson　is　very　lightfooted。　　He　climbed



the　seven　steps　or　so；　stepped　across　the　bamboo　platform　quietly；



but　what　he　saw　through　the　doorway　stopped　him　short。







〃Four　men　were　sitting　by　the　light　of　a　solitary　candle。　　There



was　a　bottle；　a　jug　and　glasses　on　the　table；　but　they　were　not



engaged　in　drinking。　　Two　packs　of　cards　were　lying　there　too；　but



they　were　not　preparing　to　play。　　They　were　talking　together　in



whispers；　and　remained　quite　unaware　of　him。　　He　himself　was　too



astonished　to　make　a　sound　for　some　time。　　The　world　was　still；



except　for　the　sibilation　of　the　whispering　heads　bunched　together



over　the　table。







〃And　Davidson；　as　I　have　quoted　him　to　you　before；　didn't　like　it。



He　didn't　like　it　at　all。







〃The　situation　ended　with　a　scream　proceeding　from　the　dark；



interior　part　of　the　room。　　'O　Davy！　you've　given　me　a　turn。'







〃Davidson　made　out　beyond　the　table　Anne's　very　pale　face。　　She



laughed　a　little　hysterically；　out　of　the　deep　shadows　between　the



gloomy　mat　walls。　　'Ha！　ha！　ha！'







〃The　four　heads　sprang　apart　at　the　first　sound；　and　four　pairs　of



eyes　became　fixed　stonily　on　Davidson。　　The　woman　came　forward；



having　little　more　on　her　than　a　loose　chintz　wrapper　and　straw



slippers　on　her　bare　feet。　　Her　head　was　tied　up　Malay　fashion　in　a



red　handkerchief；　with　a　mass　of　loose　hair　hanging　under　it



behind。　　Her　professional；　gay；　European　feathers　had　literally



dropped　off　her　in　the　course　of　these　two　years；　but　a　long



necklace　of　amber　beads　hung　round　her　uncovered　neck。　　It　was　the



only　ornament　she　had　left；　Bamtz　had　sold　all　her　poor…enough



trinkets　during　the　flight　from　Saigon　…　when　their　association



began。







〃She　came　forward；　past　the　table；　into　the　light；　with　her　usual



groping　gesture　of　extended　arms；　as　though　her　soul；　poor　thing！



had　gone　blind　long　ago；　her　white　cheeks　hollow；　her　eyes　darkly



wild；　distracted；　as　Davidson　thought。　　She　came　on　swiftly；



grabbed　him　by　the　arm；　dragged　him　in。　　'It's　heaven　it