hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第17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！
was not harmed at all by the salt air。 A gun is to shoot anyway； he thought； not to be preserved in a case； and this was a really good rifle； easy to shoot； easy to teach anyone to shoot with； and handy on the boat。 He had always had more confidence shooting it； as to being able to place his shots at close and moderate range； than any other rifle he had ever owned and it made him happy to pull it out of the case now and pull back the bolt and shove a shell into the breech。
The boat lay almost steady in the tide and the breeze； and he slipped the sling over one of the levers of the topside controls so that the rifle hung there handy； and lay down on the sunning mattress on the flying bridge。 Lying on his belly to brown his back； he looked out to where Roger and the boys were spearfishing。 They were all diving； staying down varying lengths of time and coming up for air to disappear again； occasionally coming up with fish on the spears。 Joseph was sculling from one to another to take the fish off the spear points and drop them into the dinghy。 He could hear Joseph shouting and laughing and see the bright color of the fish； red or red with brown speckles or red and yellow or striped yellow as Joseph took them off the spears or pulled them loose and tossed them back into the shade under the stern of the dinghy。
¨Let me have a drink； Eddy； will you please？〃 Thomas Hudson called down over the side。
¨Whatˇs it to be？〃 Eddie stuck his head out of the forward cockpit。 He was wearing his old felt hat and a white shirt and in the bright sun his eyes were bloodshot and Thomas Hudson noticed he had Mercurochrome on his lips。
¨What did you do to your mouth？〃 he asked him。
¨Some sort of trouble last night。 I just put that on。 Does it show bad？〃
¨It makes you look like some back island whore。〃
¨Oh hell；〃 said Eddy。 ¨I put it on without looking at it in the dark。 Just by the feel。 Do you want a drink with coconut water？ I got some water coconuts。〃
¨Very good。〃
¨Want a Green Isaacˇs Special？〃
¨Fine。 Make it a Special。〃
Where Thomas Hudson lay on the mattress his head was in the shade cast by the platform at the forward end of the flying bridge where the controls were and when Eddy came aft with the tall cold drink made of gin； lime juice； green coconut water； and chipped ice with just enough Angostura bitters to give it a rusty； rose color； he held the drink in the shadow so the ice would not melt while he looked out over the sea。
¨Boys seem to be doing all right；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Weˇve got fish for dinner already。〃
¨What else will we have？〃
¨Mashed potatoes with the fish。 Got some tomato salad； too。 That potato salad to start with。〃
¨Sounds fine。 Howˇs that potato salad？〃
¨It isnˇt cold yet； Tom。〃
¨Eddy； you like to cook； donˇt you？〃
¨Damn right I like to cook。 I like going in a boat and I like to cook。 What I donˇt like is rows and fights and trouble。〃
¨You used to be pretty good at trouble； though。〃
¨I always avoided it； Tom。 Sometimes you canˇt avoid it but I always tried to。〃
¨What was it last night？〃
¨Nothing。〃
He didnˇt want to talk about it。 He never talked about the old days either when there had been plenty of trouble。
¨All right。 What else is there to eat？ We have to feed them up。 Theyˇre growing boys。〃
¨I made a cake at the house and brought her and thereˇs a couple of fresh pineapples cold in the ice。 Iˇll slice them up。〃
¨Good。 How will we have the fish？〃
¨Any way you want it。 Letˇs see what the best is of what they get； then cook it how they and you and Roger want it。 David just got a good yellowtail。 He had another one but he lost it。 This oneˇs a big flaggy。 Heˇs getting far out； though。 Heˇs still got the fish and Joeˇs the hell over toward Andy with the dinghy。〃
Thomas Hudson put the drink down in the shade and stood up。
¨Jesus Christ；〃 Eddy said。 ¨There it comes！〃
Out across the blue water； showing like a brown dinghy sail and slicing through the water with heavy； tail…propelled； lunging thrusts； the high triangular fin was coming in toward the hole at the edge of the reef where the boy with the mask on his face held his fish up out of the water。
¨Oh Jesus；〃 Eddy said。 ¨What a son of a bitching hammerhead。 Jesus； Tom。 Oh Jesus。〃
Thomas Hudson remembered； afterwards； the main impression he had was the great height of the fin； the way it turned and swung like a hound on a scent； and the way it knifed forward and still seemed to wobble。
He had the 。256 up and shot just ahead of the fin。 The shot was over and threw a spurt of water and he remembered the barrel was sticky with oil。 The fin went right on weaving in。
¨Throw him the goddam fish；〃 Eddy yelled to David and jumped off the back of the house down into the cockpit。
Thomas Hudson shot again and was behind with another spurt of water。 He felt sick at his stomach； as though something had hold of him inside and was gripping him there； and he shot again； as carefully and steady as he could； knowing fully what the shot meant； and the spurt of water was ahead of the fin。 The fin kept right on with the same awful motion。 He had one shot now； no extra shells； and the shark was about thirty yards from the boy； coming in with the same slicing motion。 David had the fish of the spear in his hand； the mask was up on his forehead； and he was looking steadily toward the shark coming。
Thomas Hudson was trying to be loose but steady； trying to hold his breath and not to think of anything but the shot； to squeeze and keep just a touch ahead and at the base of the fin which was wobbling more now than it had at the start when he heard the submachine gun start firing from the stern and saw water start to spout all around the fin。 Then it clattered again in a short burst and the water jumped in a tighter patch right at the base of the fin。 As he shot； the clatter came again； short and tight； and the fin went under and there was a boil in the water and then the biggest hammerhead he had ever seen rose white…bellied out of the sea and began to plane over the water crazily； on his back； throwing water like an aquaplane。 His belly was shining an obscene white； his yard…wide mouth like a turned…up grin； the great horns of his head with the eyes on the end； spread wide out as he bounced and slid over the water。 Eddyˇs gun rapping and ripping into the white of his belly making black spots that were red before he turned and went down and Thomas Hudson could see him rolling over and over as he sank。
¨Get those goddamned kids in here；〃 he heard Eddy shouting。 ¨I canˇt stand this sort of thing。〃
Roger had swum fast toward David； and Joseph was pulling Andy into the dinghy and then sculling out toward the other two。
¨Goddam；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Did you ever see such a hammerhead？ Thank God they show on the surface when they hook up。 Thank God for that。 The bastards always get on top。 Did you see him go？〃
¨Give me a box of shells；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 He was shaky and hollow sick feeling inside。 ¨Come on in here；〃 he shouted。 They were swimming alongside of the dinghy and Roger was pushing David up over the gunwale。
¨They might as well fish；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Any shark in the ocean will go for him now。 Heˇll call the whole ocean up。 Did you see him go on his back； Tom； and then that damned roll？ Jesus； what a hammerhead。 Did you see the kid with the fish ready to throw him？ Thatˇs my Davy boy。 Oh what a old Davy boy。〃
¨They better come in。〃
¨Sure they better。 I was just talking。 Theyˇll come in。 Donˇt worry they wonˇt come in。〃
¨God； it was a terrible thing。 Where did you have that gun？〃
¨Commissioner made some trouble about me having it ashore so Iˇve been keeping it in the locker under my bunk。〃
¨You certainly can shoot it。〃
¨Hell； who couldnˇt shoot it with that shark going toward that old Davy boy waiting there quiet with that fish to throw？ Looking straight at where the shark was coming。 Hell； I donˇt care if I never see anything else in my goddam life。〃
They came up over the side out of the dinghy。 The kids were wet and very excited and Roger was very shaken。 He went over and shook hands with Eddy and Eddy said； ¨We never should have let them get out like that on this tide。〃
Roger shook his head and put his arm around Eddy。
¨My fault；〃 Eddy said。 ¨I was born here。 Youˇre a stranger。 It wasnˇt your fault。 Iˇm the one thatˇs responsible。〃
¨You lived up to your responsibilities all right；〃 Roger said。
¨Hell；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Nobody could miss him at that range。〃
¨Could you see him； Dave？〃 Andrew asked very politely。
¨Only his fin till just at the end。 Then I could see him before Eddy hit him and he went down and then came out on his back。〃
Eddy was rubbing him with a towel and Thomas Hudson could see the goose pimples still over his legs and back and shoulders。
¨I never saw anything like when he came out of water and started to go on his back；〃 young Tom said。 ¨I never saw anything in the world like that。〃
¨You wonˇt see a lot of things like that；〃 his father told him。
¨He must have weighed eleven hundred pounds；〃 Eddy sa
