hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第23节
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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 quarter of a mile below the great fish was swimming。 The gull left the patch of weed and flew toward the boat。 He flew around Thomas Hudsonˇs head while he steered； then headed off toward another patch of yellow weed on the water。
¨Try to get some on him now；〃 Roger told the boy。 ¨If you can hold him you can get some。〃
¨Put her ahead just a touch more；〃 Eddy called to the bridge and Thomas Hudson eased her ahead as softly as he could。
David lifted and lifted； but the rod only bent and the line only tightened。 It was as though he were hooked to a moving anchor。
¨Never mind；〃 Roger told him。 ¨Youˇll get it later。 How are you； Davy？〃
¨Iˇm fine；〃 David said。 ¨With that harness across my back Iˇm fine。〃
¨Do you think you can stay with him？〃 Andrew asked。
¨Oh shut up；〃 David said。 ¨Eddy； can I have a drink of water？〃
¨Whereˇd I put it？〃 Eddy asked。 ¨I guess I spilled it。〃
¨Iˇll get one；〃 Andrew went below。
¨Can I do anything； Dave？〃 young Tom asked。 ¨Iˇm going up so I wonˇt be in the way。〃
¨No； Tom。 Goddam it； why canˇt I lift on him？〃
¨Heˇs an awfully big fish； Dave；〃 Roger told him。 ¨You canˇt bull him around。 Youˇve got to lead him and try to convince him where he has to come。〃
¨You tell me what to do and Iˇll do it until I die；〃 David said。 ¨I trust you。〃
¨Donˇt talk about dying；〃 Roger said。 ¨Thatˇs no way to talk。〃
¨I mean it；〃 David said。 ¨I mean it really。〃
Young Tom came back up on the flying bridge with his father。 They were looking down at David； bent and harnessed to his fish； with Roger standing by him and Eddy holding the chair。 Andrew was putting the glass of water to Daveˇs mouth。 He took some in and spat it out。
¨Pour some on my wrists； will you； Andy？〃 he asked。
¨Papa； do you think he can really stay with this fish？〃 Tom said to his father very softly。
¨Itˇs an awful lot of fish for him。〃
¨It scares me；〃 Tom said。 ¨I love David and I donˇt want any damned fish to kill him。〃
¨Neither do I and neither does Roger and neither does Eddy。〃
¨Well weˇve got to look after him。 If he gets in really bad shape； Mr。 Davis ought to take the fish or you take him。〃
¨Heˇs a long way from bad shape yet。〃
¨But you donˇt know him like we do。 He would kill himself to get the fish。〃
¨Donˇt worry； Tom。〃
¨I canˇt help it；〃 young Tom said。 ¨Iˇm the one in the family that always worries。 I hope Iˇll get over it。〃
¨I wouldnˇt worry about this now；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨But papa； how is a boy like David going to catch a fish like that？ Heˇs never caught anything bigger than sailfish and amberjack。〃
¨This fish will get tired。 Itˇs the fish that has the hook in his mouth。〃
¨But heˇs monstrous；〃 Tom said。 ¨And Daveˇs fastened to him just as much as he is to Dave。 Itˇs so wonderful I canˇt believe it if Dave catches him； but I wish you or Mr。 Davis had him。
¨Daveˇs doing all right。〃
They were getting further out to sea all the time but it was still a flat calm。 There were many patches of Gulf weed now； sunburned so that they were yellow on the purple water； and sometimes the slow…moving taut white line ran through a patch of weed and Eddy reached down and cleared any weed that clung to the line。 As he leaned over the coaming and pulled the yellow weed off the line and tossed it away； Thomas Hudson saw his wrinkled red brown neck and old felt hat and heard him say to Dave； ¨Heˇs practically towing the boat； Davy。 Heˇs way down there tiring himself and tiring himself all the time。〃
¨Heˇs tiring me； too；〃 David said。
¨You got a headache？〃 Eddy asked。
¨No。〃
¨Get a cap for him；〃 Roger said。
¨I donˇt want it； Mr。 Davis。 Iˇd rather have some water on my head。〃
Eddy dipped a bucket of sea water and wet the boyˇs head carefully with his cupped hand； soaking his head and pushing the hair back out of his eyes。
¨You say if you get a headache；〃 he told him。
¨Iˇm fine；〃 David said。 ¨You tell me what to do； Mr。 Davis。〃
¨See if you can get any line on him；〃 Roger said。
David tried and tried and tried again but he could not raise the fish an inch。
¨All right。 Save your strength；〃 Roger told him。 Then to Eddy； ¨Soak a cap and put it on him。 This is a hell of a hot day with the calm。〃
Eddy dipped a long…visored cap in the bucket of salt water and put it on Daveˇs head。
¨The salt water gets in my eyes； Mr。 Davis。 Really。 Iˇm sorry。〃
¨Iˇll wipe it out with some fresh；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Give me a handkerchief； Roger。 You go get some ice water； Andy。〃
While the boy hung there； his legs braced； his body arched against the strain； the boat kept moving slowly out to sea。 To the westward a school of either bonito or alba…core were troubling the calm of the surface and terns commenced to come flying； calling to each other as they flew。 But the school of fish went down and the terns lit on the calm water to wait for the fish to come up again。 Eddy had wiped the boyˇs face and now was dipping the handkerchief in the glass of ice water and laying it across Davidˇs neck。 Then he cooled his wrists with it and then； with the handkerchief soaked in ice water again； wrung it out while he pressed it against the back of Davidˇs neck。
¨You say if you have a headache；〃 Eddy told him。 ¨That ainˇt quitting。 Thatˇs just sense。 This is a hell of a goddam hot sun when itˇs a calm。〃
¨Iˇm all right；〃 David told him。 ¨I hurt bad in the shoulders and the arms is all。〃
¨Thatˇs natural；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Thatˇll make a man out of you。 What we donˇt want is for you to get no sunstroke nor bust any gut。〃
¨What will he do now； Mr。 Davis？〃 David asked。 His voice sounded dry。
¨Maybe just what heˇs doing。 Or he might start to circle。 Or he may come up。〃
¨Itˇs a damn shame he sounded so deep at the start so we havenˇt any line to maneuver him with；〃 Thomas Hudson said to Roger。
¨Dave stopped him is the main thing；〃 Roger said。 ¨Pretty soon the fish will change his mind。 Then weˇll work on him。 See if you can get any just once； Dave。〃
David tried but he could not raise him at all。
¨Heˇll come up；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Youˇll see。 All of a sudden there wonˇt be anything to it； Davy。 Want to rinse your mouth out？〃
David nodded his head。 He had reached the breath…saving stage。
¨Spit it out；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Swallow just a little。〃 He turned to Roger。 ¨One hour even；〃 he said。 ¨Is your head all right； Davy？〃
The boy nodded。
¨What do you think； papa？〃 young Tom said to his father。 ¨Truly？〃
¨He looks pretty good to me；〃 his father said。 ¨Eddy wouldnˇt let anything happen to him。〃
¨No； I guess not；〃 Tom agreed。 ¨I wish I could do something useful。 Iˇm going to get Eddy a drink。〃
¨Get me one； too； please。〃
¨Oh good。 Iˇll make one for Mr。 Davis； too。〃
¨I donˇt think he wants one。〃
¨Well Iˇll ask him。〃
¨Try him once more； Davy；〃 Roger said very quietly； and the boy lifted with all his strength； holding the sides of the spool of the reel with his hands。
¨You got an inch；〃 Roger said。 ¨Take it in and see if you can get some more。〃
Now the real fight began。 Before David had only been holding him while the fish moved out to sea and the boat moved with him。 But now he had to lift； let the rod straighten with the line he had gained； and then lower the rod slowly while he took the line in by reeling。
¨Donˇt try to do it too fast；〃 Roger told him。 ¨Donˇt rush yourself。 Just keep it steady。〃
The boy was bending forward and pulling up from the soles of his feet； using all the leverage of his body and all of what weight he had on each lift； then reeling fast with his right hand as he lowered。
¨David fishes awfully pretty；〃 young Tom said。 ¨Heˇs fished since he was a little boy but I didnˇt know he could fish this well。 He always makes fun of himself because he canˇt play games。 But look at him now。〃
¨The hell with games；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨What did you say； Roger？〃
¨Go ahead on him just a touch；〃 Roger called up。
¨Ahead on him just a touch；〃 Thomas Hudson repeated and on the next lift； as they nudged slowly forward； David recovered more line。
¨Donˇt you like games either； papa？〃 Tom asked。
¨I used to。 Very much。 But not anymore。〃
¨I like tennis and fencing；〃 Tom said。 ¨The throw…and…catch ball games are the ones I donˇt like。 Thatˇs from being brought up in Europe I guess。 Iˇll bet David could be a fine fencer if he wanted to learn because he has so much brains。 But he doesnˇt want to learn。 All he wants to do is read and fish and shoot and tie flies。 He shoots better than Andy does in the field。 He can tie beautiful flies too。 Am I bothering you； papa； talking so much？〃
¨Of course not； Tom。〃
He was holding to the rail of the flying bridge and looking aft as his father was and his father put one hand on his shoulder。 It was salty from the buckets of sea water the boys had thrown over each other on the stern before t
