hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第86节
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¨Do you know where they are； Willie？〃
¨Thereˇs only one place they can be。〃
¨Then letˇs go in blasting and blow the shit out of them。〃
¨Spoken like an officer and a gentleman；〃 Willie said。 ¨We sunk their skiff。〃
¨Oh。 We didnˇt hear that either；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨It didnˇt make much noise；〃 Willie said。 ¨Ara chopped her open with a machete and cut the sail up。 Christ couldnˇt repair her in a month the best day he was in that carpenter shop。〃
¨You get up forward with Henry and George and have Ara and Antonio on the starboard side and letˇs go in；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 He felt very sick and strange； although there was no dizziness yet。 The dressings Gil had put on contained the bleeding too easily and he knew it was internal。 ¨Put lots of fire on and you signal me how to go。 How close are they？〃
¨Right up against the shore behind the little rise of ground。〃
¨Can Gil reach it all right with the big ones？〃
¨Iˇll shoot tracers to show him the target。〃
¨Theyˇll still be there？〃
¨They got no place to go。 They saw us break up the skiff。 Theyˇre fighting Custerˇs Last Stand in the mangroves。 Christ； I wish I had some Anheuser Busch。〃
¨Ice cold in cans；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Letˇs get in。〃
¨Youˇre awfully white； Tommy；〃 Willie said。 ¨And youˇve lost a lot of blood。〃
¨Letˇs take her in fast then；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Iˇm still all right。〃
They closed fast with Willie with his head up over the starboard bow sometimes waving a correction。
Henry was traversing before and behind the rise that showed by the higher trees and George was working on what should be the lip of the rise。
¨How is it； Willie？〃 Thomas Hudson said into the tube。
¨You got enough hulls up here to start a brass foundry；〃 Willie answered。 ¨Lay her goddam bow up against the bank and swing her broadside so Ara and Antonio can bear。〃
Gil thought he saw something and fired。 But it was the low branch of a tree that Henry had cut loose。
Thomas Hudson watched the bank come closer and closer until he could see individual leaves again。 Then he swung her broadside until he heard Antonio firing and saw his tracers going in a little to the right of Willieˇs。 Ara was firing now； too。 Then he came a little astern on his motors and swung her close to the bank but not so close that Gil could not throw。
¨Throw an extinguisher；〃 he said。 ¨Where Willieˇs been shooting。〃
Gil threw and again Thomas Hudson marvelled at the throw and at the shine of the brass cylinder whirling high through the air to drop almost exactly where it should。 There was the flash and the roar and then the rising smoke and then Thomas Hudson saw a man walking toward them out of the smoke with his hands clasped over his head。
¨Hold up the fire；〃 he said as rapidly as he could into two tubes。
But Ara had already fired and he saw the man slump forward into the mangroves on his knees with his head forward。
He spoke again and said； ¨Resume fire。〃 Then he said to Gil； very tiredly； ¨Put in another one about the same place if you can。 Then put in a couple of frags。〃
He had had a prisoner。 But he had lost him。
After a while he said； ¨Willie； you and Ara want to have a look？〃
¨Sure；〃 Willie said。 ¨But keep some fire on while we go in。 I want to go in from the back。〃
¨Tell Henry what you want。 When do you want it off？〃
¨As soon as we clear the entrance。〃
¨All right； jungle man；〃 Thomas Hudson said and for the first time he had time to realize that he was probably going to die。
XXI
HE HEARD THE NOISE OF A GRENADE bursting behind the small ridge。 Then there was no more noise and no firing。 He leaned heavily on the wheel and he watched the smoke of the grenade thin out in the wind。
¨Iˇm going to take her on through as soon as I see the dinghy；〃 he said to Gil。
He felt Antonioˇs arm around him and heard him say； ¨You lie down； Tom。 Iˇm taking her。〃
¨All right；〃 he said and he took a last look down the narrow； green…banked river。 The water was brown but clear and the tide was flowing strong。
Gil and Antonio helped him to lie down on the planking of the bridge。 Then Antonio took the wheel。 He went astern a little more to hold her against the tide and Thomas Hudson could feel the sweet rhythm of the big motors。
¨Loosen the tourniquet a little；〃 he said to Gil。
¨Weˇll get the air mattress；〃 Gil said。
¨I like it on the deck；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨I think it is better if I donˇt move much。〃
¨Get a cushion under his head；〃 Antonio said。 He was looking down the channel。
In a little while he said； ¨Theyˇre waving us in； Tom；〃 and Thomas Hudson felt the motors go ahead and the ship slide forward。
¨Anchor her as soon as weˇre out of the channel。〃
¨Yes； Tom。 Donˇt talk。〃
Henry came up and took the wheel and the controls when they anchored。 Now that they were in the open again； Thomas Hudson felt her swing into the wind。
¨Thereˇs lots of water in here； Tom；〃 Henry said。
¨I know。 All the way to Caibari？n and the two channels are clear and well marked。〃
¨Please donˇt talk； Tom。 Just lie quiet。〃
¨Have Gil get a light blanket。〃
¨Iˇll get it。 I hope it doesnˇt hurt too much； Tommy。〃
¨It hurts；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨But not too bad。 It doesnˇt hurt any worse than things hurt that you and I have shot together。〃
¨Hereˇs Willie；〃 Henry said。
¨You old son of a bitch；〃 said Willie。 ¨Donˇt talk。 There were four in there with the guide。 It was the main party。 Then there was the one Ara got by mistake。 He feels awful about it when you wanted a prisoner so much。 Heˇs crying and I told him to stay below。 He just loosed off like anybody would。〃
¨What did you throw the grenade at？〃
¨Just a place I didnˇt like the look of。 Donˇt you talk； Tom。〃
¨You have to go back and detrap that hulk。〃
¨Weˇre going right away and weˇll check the other place。 I wish the Christ we had a speed boat。 Tommy； those goddam fire extinguishers are better than an 。81mm mortar。〃
¨Not the same range。〃
¨What the hell we want with range？ That Gil was throwing them into a bushel basket。〃
¨Get going。〃
¨How bad are you； Tommy？〃
¨Pretty bad。〃
¨Think you can make it？〃
¨Iˇm going to try。〃
¨Keep perfectly still。 Donˇt move for anything。〃
They were not gone long but it seemed a long time to Thomas Hudson。 He lay on his back in the shade of a canopy Antonio had rigged for him。 Gil and George had unlaced the canvas from the windward side of the flying bridge and the wind came fresh and friendly。 It was not as strong as it had been yesterday but it was steady from the east and the clouds were high and thin。 The sky was the blue sky of the eastern part of the island where the trades blow strongest and Thomas Hudson lay and watched it and tried to hold his pain in control。 He had refused the hypodermic of morphine that Henry had brought him because he thought he might still have to think。 He knew he could always take it later on。
He lay there under the light blanket with the dressings on his three wounds。 Gil had sifted them all full of sulfa when he dressed them and he could see sulfa spilled like sugar on the part of the deck where he had stood at the wheel while Gil had worked on him。 When they had taken down the canvas； so he would have more air； he had noticed the three small holes where the bullets had come through and the others to the left and to the right。 He had seen the gashes in the canvas from the grenade fragments。
As he lay there； Gil watched him and saw his salt…bleached head and his gray face above the light blanket。 Gil was a simple boy。 He was a great athlete and nearly as strong as Ara and if he could have hit a curve ball he would have been a very good ball player。 He had a great throwing arm。 Thomas Hudson looked at him and smiled； remembering the grenades。 Then he smiled just to look at Gil and the long muscles of his arms。
¨You should have been a pitcher；〃 he said and his voice sounded strange to him。
¨I never had control。〃
¨You had it today。〃
¨Maybe it wasnˇt really necessary before；〃 Gil smiled。 ¨You want some water on your mouth； Tommy。 Just nod your head。〃
Thomas Hudson shook his head and looked out at the lake that was the inside passage。 It showed white caps now。 But they were the small waves of a good sailing breeze and beyond them he could see the blue hills of the Turigua？o。
Thatˇs what weˇll do； he thought。 Weˇll head for the Central or for the other place and they may have a doctor there。 No； itˇs too late in the season。 But they can fly a good surgeon in。 They are all fine people in there。 A bad surgeon is worse than none and I can lie quiet until he comes and they move me。 I ought to take a lot of sulfa。 But I shouldnˇt drink water。 Donˇt worry about it； boy； he said to himself。 All your life is just pointed toward it。 But why couldnˇt Ara not have shot that son of a bitch so we would have something to show for it all so it would have done some good。 I donˇt mean good。 I mean so it would have been some use。 Hell； if they had had the firepower we had。 They must have pulled
