hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第24节
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the boys had thrown over each other on the stern before the fish struck。 The salt was very fine and felt faintly sandy under his hand。
¨You see I get so nervous watching David I talk to take my mind off it。 Iˇd rather have David catch that fish than anything on earth。〃
¨Heˇs a hell of a fish。 Wait till we see him。〃
¨I saw one one time when I was fishing with you years ago。 He hit a big mackerel bait with his sword and he jumped and threw the hook。 He was enormous and I used to dream about him。 Iˇll go down and make the drinks。〃
¨Thereˇs no hurry；〃 his father told him。
Down in the backless fighting chair； set in its swivel base； David braced his feet against the stern and lifted with his arms； back； withers； and thighs； then lowered and reeled and lifted again。 Steadily； an inch； two inches； three inches at a time he was getting more and more line on the reel。
¨Is your head all right？〃 Eddy； who was holding the arms of the chair to steady it； asked him。
David nodded。 Eddy put his hand on the top of the boyˇs head and felt his cap。
¨Capˇs still wet；〃 he said。 ¨Youˇre giving him hell； Davy。 Just like a machine。〃
¨Itˇs easier now than holding him；〃 David said； his voice still dry。
¨Sure；〃 Eddy told him。 ¨Something gives now。 Other way it was just pulling your back out by the roots。〃
¨Donˇt work him any faster than you can；〃 Roger said。 ¨Youˇre doing wonderfully； Dave。〃
¨Will we gaff him when he comes up this time？〃 Andrew asked。
¨Oh keep your mouth off of him； please；〃 David said。
¨I wasnˇt trying to mouth him。〃
¨Oh just shut up； Andy； please。 Iˇm sorry。〃
Andrew came climbing up topside。 He had on one of the long…peaked caps but under it his father could see his eyes were wet and the boy turned his head away because his lips trembled。
¨You didnˇt say anything bad；〃 Thomas Hudson told him。
Andrew spoke with his head turned away。 ¨Now if he loses him heˇll think I mouthed him；〃 he said bitterly。 ¨All I wanted to do was help get everything ready。〃
¨Itˇs natural for Dave to be nervous；〃 his father told him。 ¨Heˇs trying to be polite。〃
¨I know it；〃 Andrew said。 ¨Heˇs fighting him just as good as Mr。 Davis could。 I just felt bad he could think that。〃
¨Lots of people are irritable with a big fish。 This is the first one Daveˇs ever had。〃
¨Youˇre always polite and Mr。 Davis is always polite。〃
¨We didnˇt use to be。 When we were learning to fish big fish together we used to be excited and rude and sarcastic。 We both used to be terrible。〃
¨Truly？〃
¨Sure。 Truly。 We used to suffer and act as though everybody was against us。 Thatˇs the natural way to be。 The otherˇs discipline or good sense when you learn。 We started to be polite because we found we couldnˇt catch big fish being rude and excited。 And if we did； it wasnˇt any fun。 We were both really awful though； excited and sore and misunderstood and it wasnˇt any fun。 So now we always fight them politely。 We talked it over and decided weˇd be polite no matter what。〃
¨Iˇll be polite；〃 Andrew said。 ¨But itˇs hard sometimes with Dave。 Papa； do you think he can really get him？ That it isnˇt just like a dream or something？〃
¨Letˇs not talk about it。〃
¨Have I said something wrong again？〃
¨No。 Only it always seems bad luck to talk that way。 We got it from the old fishermen。 I donˇt know what started it。〃
¨Iˇll be careful。〃
¨Hereˇs your drink； papa；〃 Tom said； handing it up from below。 The glass was wrapped in a triple thickness of paper towel with a rubber band around to hold the paper tight against the glass and keep the ice from melting。 ¨I put lime； bitters； and no sugar in it。 Is that how you want it？ Or can I change it？〃
¨Thatˇs fine。 Did you make it with coconut water？〃
¨Yes； and I made Eddy a whisky。 Mr。 Davis didnˇt want anything。 Are you staying up there； Andy？〃
¨No。 Iˇm coming down。〃
Tom climbed up and Andrew went down。
Looking back over the stern； Thomas Hudson noticed the line starting to slant up in the water。
¨Watch it； Roger；〃 he called。 ¨It looks like heˇs coming up。〃
¨Heˇs coming up！〃 Eddy yelled。 He had seen the slant in the line too。 ¨Watch your wheel。〃
Thomas Hudson looked down at the spool of the reel to see how much line there was to maneuver with。 It was not yet a quarter full and as he watched it started to whiz off and Thomas Hudson started backing； turning sharp toward the slant of the line； well under way as Eddy yelled； ¨Back on him； Tom。 The son of a bitch is coming up。 We ainˇt got no line to turn。〃
¨Keep your rod up；〃 Roger said to David。 ¨Donˇt let him get it down。〃 Then to Thomas Hudson； ¨Back on him all you can； Tom。 Youˇre going right。 Give her all sheˇll take。〃
Then； astern of the boat and off to starboard； the calm of the ocean broke open and the great fish rose out of it； rising； shining dark blue and silver； seeming to come endlessly out of the water； unbelievable as his length and bulk rose out of the sea into the air and seemed to hang there until he fell with a splash that drove the water up high and white。
¨Oh； God；〃 David said。 ¨Did you see him？〃
¨His swordˇs as long as I am；〃 Andrew said in awe。
¨Heˇs so beautiful；〃 Tom said。 ¨Heˇs much better than the one I had in the dream。〃
¨Keep backing on him；〃 Roger said to Thomas Hudson。 Then to David； ¨Try and get some line out of that belly。 He came up from way down and thereˇs a big belly of line and you can get some of it。〃
Thomas Hudson； backing fast onto the fish； had stopped the line going out and now David was lifting； lowering； and reeling； and the line was coming onto the reel in sweeps as fast as he could turn the reel handle。
¨Slow her down；〃 Roger said。 ¨We donˇt want to get over him。
¨Son of a bitchˇll weigh a thousand pounds；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Get that easy line in； Davy boy。〃
The ocean was flat and empty where he had jumped but the circle made where the water had been broken was still widening。
¨Did you see the water he threw when he jumped； papa？〃 young Tom asked his father。 ¨It was like the whole sea bursting open。〃
¨Did you see the way he seemed to climb up and up； Tom？ Did you ever see such a blue and that wonderful silver on him？〃
¨His sword is blue too；〃 young Tom said。 ¨The whole back of it is blue。 Will he really weigh a thousand pounds； Eddy？〃 he called down。
¨I think he will。 Nobody can say。 But heˇll weigh something awful。〃
¨Get all the line you can； Davy； now while itˇs cheap；〃 Roger told him。 ¨Youˇre getting it fine。〃
The boy was working like a machine again； recovering line from the great bulge of line in the water and the boat was backing so slowly that the movement was barely perceptible。
¨What will he do now； papa？〃 Tom asked his father。 Thomas Hudson was watching the slant of the line in the water and thinking it would be safer to go ahead just a little but he knew how Roger had suffered with so much line out。 The fish had only needed to make one steady rush to strip all the line from the reel and break off and now Roger was taking chances to get a reserve of line。 As Thomas Hudson watched the line； he saw that David had the reel nearly half full and that he was still gaining。
¨What did you say？〃 Thomas Hudson asked his boy Tom。
¨What do you think heˇll do now？〃
¨Wait a minute； Tom；〃 his father said and called down to Roger。 ¨Iˇm afraid weˇre going to get over him； kid。〃
¨Then put her ahead easy；〃 Roger said。
¨Ahead easy；〃 Thomas Hudson repeated。 David stopped getting in so much line but the fish was in a safer position。
Then the line started to go out again and Roger called up； ¨Throw her out；〃 and Thomas Hudson threw out the clutches and let the motors idle。
¨Sheˇs out；〃 he said。 Roger was bending over David and the boy was braced and holding back on the rod and the line was slipping steadily away。
¨Tighten on him a little bit； Davy；〃 Roger said。 ¨Weˇll make him work for it。〃
¨I donˇt want him to break；〃 David said。 But he tightened the drag。
¨He wonˇt break；〃 Roger told him。 ¨Not with that drag。〃
The line kept going out but the rod was bent heavier and the boy was braced back holding against the pressure with his bare feet against the wood of the stern。 Then the line stopped going out。
¨Now you can get some；〃 Roger told the boy。 ¨Heˇs circling and this is the in…turn。 Get back all you can。〃
The boy lowered and reeled； then lifted； let the rod straighten； lowered and reeled。 He was getting line beautifully again。
¨Am I doing all right？〃 he asked。
¨Youˇre doing wonderful；〃 Eddy told him。 ¨Heˇs hooked deep； Davy。 I could see when he jumped。〃
Then； while the boy was lifting； the line started to go out again。
¨Hell；〃 David said。
¨Thatˇs OK；〃 Roger told him。 ¨Thatˇs whatˇs supposed to happen。 Heˇs on the out…turn now。 He circled in toward you and you got line。 Now heˇs taking it back。〃
Steadily； slowly； with David holding him with all the strain the line would take； the fish took out all the line the boy had just recovered and a little more。 The
