hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第22节
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s right to disturb them。 That was one of those remarks that I couldnˇt understand。 Papa； you explain anything to me that I ask but it used to slow the conversation up so much to be asking all the time that I would just remember certain things I didnˇt understand to ask about sometime and thatˇs one of those things。〃
¨You must have quite a backlog of those things。〃
¨Iˇve got hundreds of them。 Possibly thousands。 But I get rid of a lot of them every year by getting to understand them myself。 But some I know Iˇll have to ask you about。 At school this year I may write a list of them for an English composition。 Iˇve got some awfully good ones for a composition of that sort。〃
¨Do you like school； Tom？〃
¨Itˇs just one of those things you have to take。 I donˇt think anyone likes school； do they； that has ever done anything else？〃
¨I donˇt know。 I hated it。〃
¨Didnˇt you like art school either？〃
¨No。 I liked to learn to draw but I didnˇt like the school part。〃
¨I donˇt really mind it；〃 Tom said。 ¨But after youˇve spent your life with men like Mr。 Joyce and Mr。 Pascin and you and Mr。 Davis； being with boys seems sort of juvenile。〃
¨You have fun； though； donˇt you？〃
¨Oh yes。 I have lots of friends and I like any of the sports that arenˇt built around throwing or catching balls and I study quite hard。 But papa； it isnˇt much of a life。〃
¨That was the way I always felt about it；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨You liven it up as much as you can； though。〃
¨I do。 I liven it up all I can and still stay in it。 Sometimes itˇs a pretty close thing； though。〃
Thomas Hudson looked astern where the wake ran crisply in the calm sea and the two baits from the outriggers were dragging； dipping and leaping in the curl of the waves the wake raised as it cut the calm。 David and Andrew sat in the two fishing chairs holding rods。 Thomas Hudson saw their backs。 Their faces were astern watching the baits。 He looked ahead at some bonito jumping； not working and threshing the water； but coming up out and dropping back into the water singly and in pairs； making hardly any disturbance of the surface as they rose； shining in the sun； and returning； heavy heads down； to enter the water almost without splash。
¨Fish！〃 Thomas Hudson heard young Tom shout。 ¨Fish！ Fish！ There he comes up。 Behind you； Dave。 Watch him！〃
Thomas Hudson saw a huge boil in the water but could not see the fish。 David had the rod butt in the gimble and was looking up at the clothespin on the outrigger line。 Thomas Hudson saw the line fall from the outrigger in a long； slow loop that tightened as it hit the water and now was racing out at a slant； slicing the water as it went。
¨Hit him； Dave。 Hit him hard；〃 Eddy called from the companionway。
¨Hit him； Dave。 For Godˇs sake hit him；〃 Andrew begged。
¨Shut up；〃 David said。 ¨Iˇm handling him。〃 He hadnˇt struck yet and the line was steadily going out at that angle； the rod bowed； the boy holding back on it as the line moved out。 Thomas Hudson had throttled the motors down so they were barely turning over。
¨Oh for Godˇs sake； hit him；〃 Andrew pleaded。 ¨Or let me hit him。〃
David just held back on the rod and watched the line moving out at the same steady angle。 He had loosened the drag。
¨Heˇs a broadbill； papa；〃 he said without looking up。 ¨I saw his sword when he took it。〃
¨Honest to God？〃 Andrew asked。 ¨Oh boy。〃
¨I think you ought to hit him now；〃 Roger was standing with the boy now。 He had the back out of the chair and he was buckling the harness on the reel。 ¨Hit him now； Dave； and really hit him。〃
¨Do you think heˇs had it long enough？〃 David asked。 ¨You donˇt think heˇs just carrying it in his mouth and swimming with it？〃
¨I think you better hit him before he spits it out。〃
David braced his feet； tightened the drag well down with his right hand； and struck back hard against the great weight。 He struck again and again bending the rod like a bow。 The line moved out steadily。 He had made no impression on the fish。
¨Hit him again； Dave；〃 Roger said。 ¨Really put it into him。〃
David struck again with all his strength and the line started zizzing out； the rod bent so that he could hardly hold it。
¨Oh God；〃 he said devoutly。 ¨I think Iˇve got it into him。〃
¨Ease up on your drag；〃 Roger told him。 ¨Turn with him； Tom； and watch the line。〃
¨Turn with him and watch the line；〃 Thomas Hudson repeated。 ¨You all right； Dave？〃
¨Iˇm wonderful； papa；〃 Dave said。 ¨Oh God； if I can catch this fish。〃
Thomas Hudson swung the boat around almost on her stern。 Daveˇs line was fading off the reel and Thomas Hudson moved up on the fish。
¨Tighten up and get that line in now；〃 Roger said。 ¨Work on him； Dave。〃
David was lifting and reeling as he lowered； lifting and reeling as he lowered； as regularly as a machine； and was getting back a good quantity of line onto his reel。
¨Nobody in our familyˇs ever caught a broadbill；〃 Andrew said。
¨Oh keep your mouth off him； please；〃 David said。 ¨Donˇt put your mouth on him。〃
¨I wonˇt；〃 Andrew said。 ¨Iˇve been doing nothing but pray ever since you hooked him。〃
¨Do you think his mouth will hold？〃 young Tom whispered to his father； who was holding the wheel and looking down into the stern and watching the slant of the white line in the dark water。
¨I hope so。 Dave isnˇt strong enough to be rough with him。〃
¨Iˇll do anything if we can get him；〃 young Tom said。 ¨Anything。 Iˇll give up anything。 Iˇll promise anything。 Get him some water； Andy。〃
¨Iˇve got some；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Stay with him； old Dave boy。〃
¨I donˇt want him any closer；〃 Roger called up。 He was a great fisherman and he and Thomas Hudson understood each other perfectly in a boat。
¨Iˇll put him astern；〃 Thomas Hudson called and swung the boat around very softly and easily so the stern hardly disturbed the calm sea。
The fish was sounding now and Thomas Hudson backed the boat very slowly to ease the pressure on the line all that he could。 But with only a touch of reverse with the stern moving slowly toward the fish the angle was all gone from the line and the rod tip was pointing straight down and the line kept going out in a series of steady jerks； the rod bucking each time in Davidˇs hands。 Thomas Hudson slipped the boat ahead just a thought so that the boy would not have the line so straight up and down in the water。 He knew how it was pulling on his back in that position； but he had to save all the line he could。
¨I canˇt put any more drag on or it will break；〃 David said。 ¨What will he do； Mr。 Davis？〃
¨Heˇll just keep on going down until you stop him；〃 Roger said。 ¨Or until he stops。 Then youˇve got to try to get him up。〃
The line kept going out and down； out and down； out and down。 The rod was bent so far it looked as though it must break and the line was taut as a tuned cello string and there was not much more of it on the reel。
¨What can I do； papa？〃
¨Nothing。 Youˇre doing what there is to do。〃
¨Wonˇt he hit the bottom？〃 Andrew asked。
¨There isnˇt any bottom；〃 Roger told him。
¨You hold him； Davy；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Heˇll get sick of it and come up。〃
¨These damned straps are killing me；〃 David said。 ¨They cut my shoulders off。〃
¨Do you want me to take him？〃 Andrew asked。 ¨No； you fool；〃 David said。 ¨I just said what they were doing to me。 I donˇt care about it。〃
¨See if you can rig him the kidney harness；〃 Thomas Hudson called down to Eddy。 ¨You can tie it on with line if the straps are too long。〃
Eddy wrapped the broad； quilted pad across the small of the boyˇs back and fastened the rings on the web straps that ran across it to the reel with heavy line。
¨Thatˇs much better；〃 David said。 ¨Thank you very much； Eddy。〃
¨Now you can hold him with your back as well as your shoulders；〃 Eddy told him。
¨But there isnˇt going to be any line。〃 David said。 ¨Oh Goddam him； why does he have to keep on sounding？〃
¨Tom；〃 Eddy called up。 ¨Ease her a little northwest。 I think heˇs moving。〃
Thomas Hudson turned the wheel and moved her softly； slowly； softly out to sea。 There was a big patch of yellow gulf weed ahead with a bird on it and the water was calm and so blue and clear that； as you looked down into it； there were lights in it like the reflections from a prism。
¨You see？〃 Eddy told David。 ¨Youˇre not losing any now。〃
The boy could not raise the rod； but the line was no longer jerking down into the water。 It was as taut as ever and there werenˇt fifty yards left on the reel。 But it was not going out。 David was holding him and the boat was on his course。 Thomas Hudson could see the just perceptible slant of the white line deep down in the blue water as the boat barely moved； its engines turning so quietly he could not hear them。
¨You see； Davy； he went down to where he liked it and now heˇs moving out to where he wants to go。 Pretty soon youˇll get some line on him。〃
The boyˇs brown back was arched； the rod bent； the line moved slowly through the water； and the boat moved slowly on the surface； and a quar
