hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第85节
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Thomas Hudson looked ahead and followed the dinghy closely as she worked out the channel。 They passed a long green key that had looked like a small round key when they had been head on to it。 Then ahead in what looked like an unbroken but indented line of mangrove keys Gil； who had the glasses； said； ¨Stake； Tom。 Dead ahead of the dinghy against the mangroves。〃
¨Check；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Is it the canal？〃
¨It looks to be but I canˇt see the opening。〃
¨It is very narrow on the chart。 We will just about brush the mangroves on each side。〃
Then he remembered something。 How could I be so stupid？ he thought。 But we had better go on now； anyway； and out through the channel。 Then I can send them back。 He had forgotten to tell Willie and Ara to detrap the hulk of the turtle boat。 That is a hell of a thing to leave around if some poor fisherman comes onto it。 Well； they can go back and detrap it。
The dinghy was signalling him now to keep hard over to the right of the three tiny spots of key and close against the mangroves。 Then； as if to make sure he understood； they wheeled and came up。 ¨The channelˇs right in along the mangroves；〃 Willie shouted。 ¨Leave the stake on your left。 Weˇre going ahead through。 As long as you donˇt hear from us keep on steaming。 Itˇs just a deep creek。〃
¨We forgot to detrap that turtle boat。〃
¨I know；〃 Willie shouted。 ¨Weˇll go back after。〃 Ara grinned and spun the dinghy around and they went on ahead； Willie signalling that it was OK。 They turned left and right and went out of sight into the green。
Thomas Hudson steered in their wake。 There was plenty of water although no such water showed on the chart。 This old channel must have been scoured out by a hurricane； he thought。 Many things have happened since the U。S。S。 Nokomis had boats sounding in here。
Then he saw there were no birds rising from the mangroves as the dinghy went into the narrow brush river of the channel。
While he steered he spoke into the tubes to Henry in the forward cockpit； ¨We may get jumped in this channel。 Have your 。50ˇs ready to fire from either bow and abeam。 Keep behind the shield and watch for the flashes and pour it onto them。〃
¨Yes； Tom。〃
To Antonio he said； ¨We may get jumped here。 Keep well down and if we are fired on； aim below the flashes and pour it on。 Keep way down。〃
¨Gil；〃 he said。 ¨Put your glasses away。 Take two frags and straighten the pins and put them there in the rack by my right hand。 Straighten two pins on those extinguishers and then put your glasses away。 Theyˇll probably hit us from both sides。 Thatˇs how they ought to。〃
¨Tell me when to throw； Tom。〃
¨Throw when you see the flashes。 But loft it plenty because it has to fall through brush。〃
There were no birds at all and since the tide was high he knew that the birds had to be in the mangroves。 The ship was entering the narrow river now and Thomas Hudson； bareheaded and barefooted and only wearing a pair of khaki shorts； felt as naked as a man can feel。
¨You lie down； Gil；〃 he said。 ¨Iˇll tell you when to get up and throw。〃
Gil lay on the floor with the two fire extinguishers that were loaded with dynamite and a booster charge and were fired by the detonating assembly of a regulation frag； with its charger hacksawed off at the juncture of the fuse and a dynamite cap fitted and crimped on。
Thomas Hudson looked at him once and saw how he was sweating。 Then he looked at the mangroves on either side。
I could still try to back her out； he thought。 But I donˇt believe I could； the way the tide is flowing。
He looked ahead at the green banks。 The water was brown again now and the mangrove leaves were as shiny as though they were varnished。 He looked to see where any had been cut or disturbed。 But he saw nothing but the green leaves； the dark branches； and the roots that were exposed with the suction of the ship。 There were a few crabs that showed when their holes under the mangrove roots were exposed。
They went on and the channel narrowed but he could see it opening wider ahead。 Maybe I just had the jitters； he thought。 Then he saw a crab come sliding out fast from the high mangrove roots and plop into the water。 He looked hard into the mangroves but he could see nothing beyond the trunks and branches。 Another crab came out very fast and went into the water。
Just then they opened on him。 He did not see the blinking flash and he was hit before he heard the stutter of the gun and Gil was on his feet beside him。 Antonio was firing tracers where he had seen the gun flash。
¨Where the tracers are going；〃 Thomas Hudson said to Gil。 Thomas Hudson felt as though someone had clubbed him three times with a baseball bat and his left leg was wet。
Gil lobbed the bomb with a high overhand motion and Thomas Hudson saw its long brass cylinder and conic nose shining in the sun。 It was spinning； not going end over end。
¨Down； Gil；〃 he said and thought he ought to drop himself。 Then he knew he shouldnˇt but should hold the ship as she was。 The twin 。50ˇs had opened up and he could hear them pounding and he felt the jolt of them through his bare feet。 Very noisy； he thought。 That will keep the bastards down。
He saw the blinding burst of the bomb before the roar came and the smoke started to rise。 He smelled the smoke and the smell of broken branches and burned green leaves。
¨Get up； Gil； and throw two frags。 One on each side of the smoke。〃
Gil did not lob the frags。 He threw them like the long throw from third base to first and in the air they looked like gray iron artichokes with a thin trickle of smoke coming from them。
Before they burst cracking white in the mangroves Thomas Hudson said into the tube； ¨Shoot the shit out of it； Henry。 They canˇt run in there。〃
The smoke from the frags smelled differently from the bomb and Thomas Hudson said to Gil； ¨Throw two more frags。 One beyond the bomb and one in this side close。〃
He watched the frags go and then hit the deck。 He did not know whether he hit the deck or the deck hit him because the deck was very slippery from the blood that had been running down his leg and he fell hard。 At the second burst he heard two fragments tear through the canvas。 Others hit the hull。
¨Help me up；〃 he said to Gil。 ¨You threw that last one close enough。〃
¨Where are you hit； Tom？〃
¨A couple of places。〃
Ahead he saw Willie and Ara coming up the channel in the dinghy。
He spoke in the tube to Antonio and asked him to hand up a first aid kit to Gil。
Just then he saw Willie drop flat in the bow of the dinghy and start firing into the mangroves on the right。 He could hear the dat…dat…dat of his Thompson gun。 Then there was a longer burst。 He put in both his motors and headed for them with all the speed the channel would allow。 His idea of this speed was not completely accurate because he felt very sick。 He felt sick into his bones and through his chest and his bowels and the ache went into his testicles。 He did not feel weak yet but he could feel the first onslaught of weakness。
¨Get your guns to bear on the right bank；〃 he said to Henry。 ¨Willieˇs found more of them。〃
¨Yes； Tom。 Are you all right？〃
¨Iˇm hit but Iˇm all right。 What about you and George？〃
¨Weˇre fine。〃
¨Open up any time you see anything。〃
¨Yes； Tom。〃
Thomas Hudson stopped his engines and commenced to go astern again slowly to hold the ship outside the angle where Willie was firing。 Willie had a clip in now with tracers in it and he was trying to spot the target for the ship。
¨You got it； Henry？〃 he asked through the tube。 ¨Yes； Tom。〃
¨Work on it and around it with short bursts。〃
He heard the 。50ˇs start slamming and he waved Ara and Willie in。 They came in as fast as the little motor would bring them。 Willie was firing all the time until they were under the lee of the ship。
Willie jumped aboard and came up on the flying bridge while Ara made the dinghy fast。
He looked at Tom and at Gil who was putting a tourniquet on his left leg as close to the crotch as he could tighten it。
¨Jesus Christ；〃 he said。 ¨What you got； Tommy？〃
¨I donˇt know；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 He did not know； either。 He could not see any of the wounds。 All he saw was the color of the blood and it was dark so he did not worry。 But there was too much of it and he felt very sick。
¨Whatˇs in there； Willie？〃
¨I donˇt know。 There was a guy with a burp gun fired on us and I got him。 Or Iˇm pretty sure I did。〃
¨I didnˇt hear it with the noise you made。〃
¨You guys sounded like an ammunition dump going up。 Do you think thereˇs anything still back there？〃
¨Still； maybe。 We gave it the treatment。〃
¨Weˇll have to work it out；〃 Willie said。
¨We can let these sons of bitches hang and rattle；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Or we can go in now and finish it。〃
¨Iˇd rather take care of you。〃
Henry was probing with the 。50ˇs。 He was as delicate as he was rough with a machine gun and with a pair of them all his qualities were doubled。
¨Do you know where they are； Willie？〃
¨Thereˇs only one place they can be。〃
¨Then letˇs go in blasting and blow the shi
