three men on the bummel-第2节

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silvery　billows。

I　took　a　cab　and　drove　direct　to　3A　Bucklersbury。　　Mr。　Pertwee　was
an　unpretentious…looking　gentleman；　who　had　an　unostentatious
office　on　the　third　floor。　　He　showed　me　a　picture　in　water…colours
of　the　Rogue　flying　before　the　wind。　　The　deck　was　at　an　angle　of
95　to　the　ocean。　　In　the　picture　no　human　beings　were　represented
on　the　deck；　I　suppose　they　had　slipped　off。　　Indeed；　I　do　not　see
how　anyone　could　have　kept　on；　unless　nailed。　　I　pointed　out　this
disadvantage　to　the　agent；　who；　however；　explained　to　me　that　the
picture　represented　the　Rogue　doubling　something　or　other　on　the
well…known　occasion　of　her　winning　the　Medway　Challenge　Shield。
Mr。　Pertwee　assumed　that　I　knew　all　about　the　event；　so　that　I　did
not　like　to　ask　any　questions。　　Two　specks　near　the　frame　of　the
picture；　which　at　first　I　had　taken　for　moths；　represented；　it
appeared；　the　second　and　third　winners　in　this　celebrated　race。　　A
photograph　of　the　yacht　at　anchor　off　Gravesend　was　less
impressive；　but　suggested　more　stability。　　All　answers　to　my
inquiries　being　satisfactory；　I　took　the　thing　for　a　fortnight。
Mr。　Pertwee　said　it　was　fortunate　I　wanted　it　only　for　a　fortnight…
…later　on　I　came　to　agree　with　him；the　time　fitting　in　exactly
with　another　hiring。　　Had　I　required　it　for　three　weeks　he　would
have　been　compelled　to　refuse　me。

The　letting　being　thus　arranged；　Mr。　Pertwee　asked　me　if　I　had　a
skipper　in　my　eye。　　That　I　had　not　was　also　fortunatethings
seemed　to　be　turning　out　luckily　for　me　all　round；because　Mr。
Pertwee　felt　sure　I　could　not　do　better　than　keep　on　Mr。　Goyles；　at
present　in　chargean　excellent　skipper；　so　Mr。　Pertwee　assured　me；
a　man　who　knew　the　sea　as　a　man　knows　his　own　wife；　and　who　had
never　lost　a　life。

It　was　still　early　in　the　day；　and　the　yacht　was　lying　off　Harwich。
I　caught　the　ten　forty…five　from　Liverpool　Street；　and　by　one
o'clock　was　talking　to　Mr。　Goyles　on　deck。　　He　was　a　stout　man；　and
had　a　fatherly　way　with　him。　　I　told　him　my　idea；　which　was　to　take
the　outlying　Dutch　islands　and　then　creep　up　to　Norway。　　He　said；
〃Aye；　aye；　sir；〃　and　appeared　quite　enthusiastic　about　the　trip；
said　he　should　enjoy　it　himself。　　We　came　to　the　question　of
victualling；　and　he　grew　more　enthusiastic。　　The　amount　of　food
suggested　by　Mr。　Goyles；　I　confess；　surprised　me。　　Had　we　been
living　in　the　days　of　Drake　and　the　Spanish　Main；　I　should　have
feared　he　was　arranging　for　something　illegal。　　However；　he　laughed
in　his　fatherly　way；　and　assured　me　we　were　not　overdoing　it。
Anything　left　the　crew　would　divide　and　take　home　with　themit
seemed　this　was　the　custom。　　It　appeared　to　me　that　I　was　providing
for　this　crew　for　the　winter；　but　I　did　not　like　to　appear　stingy；
and　said　no　more。　　The　amount　of　drink　required　also　surprised　me。
I　arranged　for　what　I　thought　we　should　need　for　ourselves；　and
then　Mr。　Goyles　spoke　up　for　the　crew。　　I　must　say　that　for　him；　he
did　think　of　his　men。

〃We　don't　want　anything　in　the　nature　of　an　orgie；　Mr。　Goyles；〃　I
suggested。

〃Orgie！〃　replied　Mr。　Goyles；　〃why　they'll　take　that　little　drop　in
their　tea。〃

He　explained　to　me　that　his　motto　was；　Get　good　men　and　treat　them
well。

〃They　work　better　for　you；〃　said　Mr。　Goyles；　〃and　they　come　again。〃

Personally；　I　didn't　feel　I　wanted　them　to　come　again。　　I　was
beginning　to　take　a　dislike　to　them　before　I　had　seen　them；　I
regarded　them　as　a　greedy　and　guzzling　crew。　　But　Mr。　Goyles　was　so
cheerfully　emphatic；　and　I　was　so　inexperienced；　that　again　I　let
him　have　his　way。　　He　also　promised　that　even　in　this　department　he
would　see　to　it　personally　that　nothing　was　wasted。

I　also　left　him　to　engage　the　crew。　　He　said　he　could　do　the　thing；
and　would；　for　me；　with　the　help　two　men　and　a　boy。　　If　he　was
alluding　to　the　clearing　up　of　the　victuals　and　drink；　I　think　he
was　making　an　under…estimate；　but　possibly　he　may　have　been
speaking　of　the　sailing　of　the　yacht。

I　called　at　my　tailors　on　the　way　home　and　ordered　a　yachting　suit；
with　a　white　hat；　which　they　promised　to　bustle　up　and　have　ready
in　time；　and　then　I　went　home　and　told　Ethelbertha　all　I　had　done。
Her　delight　was　clouded　by　only　one　reflectionwould　the
dressmaker　be　able　to　finish　a　yachting　costume　for　her　in　time？
That　is　so　like　a　woman。

Our　honeymoon；　which　had　taken　place　not　very　long　before；　had　been
somewhat　curtailed；　so　we　decided　we　would　invite　nobody；　but　have
the　yacht　to　ourselves。　　And　thankful　I　am　to　Heaven　that　we　did　so
decide。　　On　Monday　we　put　on　all　our　clothes　and　started。　　I　forget
what　Ethelbertha　wore；　but；　whatever　it　may　have　been；　it　looked
very　fetching。　　My　own　costume　was　a　dark　blue　trimmed　with　a
narrow　white　braid；　which；　I　think；　was　rather　effective。

Mr。　Goyles　met　us　on　deck；　and　told　us　that　lunch　was　ready。　　I
must　admit　Goyles　had　secured　the　services　of　a　very　fair　cook。
The　capabilities　of　the　other　members　of　the　crew　I　had　no
opportunity　of　judging。　　Speaking　of　them　in　a　state　of　rest；
however；　I　can　say　of　them　they　appeared　to　be　a　cheerful　crew。

My　idea　had　been　that　so　soon　as　the　men　had　finished　their　dinner
we　would　weigh　anchor；　while　I；　smoking　a　cigar；　with　Ethelbertha
by　my　side；　would　lean　over　the　gunwale　and　watch　the　white　cliffs
of　the　Fatherland　sink　imperceptibly　into　the　horizon。　　Ethelbertha
and　I　carried　out　our　part　of　the　programme；　and　waited；　with　the
deck　to　ourselves。

〃They　seem　to　be　taking　their　time；〃　said　Ethelbertha。

〃If；　in　the　course　of　fourteen　days；〃　I　said；　〃they　eat　half　of
what　is　on　this　yacht；　they　will　want　a　fairly　long　time　for　every
meal。　　We　had　better　not　hurry　them；　or　they　won't　get　through　a
quarter　of　it。〃

〃They　must　have　gone　to　sleep；〃　said　Ethelbertha；　later　on。　　〃It
will　be　tea…time　soon。〃

They　were　certainly　very　quiet。　　I　went　for'ard；　and　hailed　Captain
Goyles　down　the　ladder。　　I　hailed　him　three　times；　then　he　came　up
slowly。　　He　appeared　to　be　a　heavier　and　older　man　than　when　I　had
seen　him　last。　　He　had　a　cold　cigar　in　his　mouth。

〃When　you　are　ready；　Captain　Goyles；〃　I　said；　〃we'll　start。〃

Captain　Goyles　removed　the　cigar　from　his　mouth。

〃Not　to…day　we　won't；　sir；〃　he　replied；　〃WITH　your　permission。〃

〃Why；　what's　the　matter　with　to…day？〃　I　said。　　I　know　sailors　are　a
superstitious　folk；　I　thought　maybe　a　Monday　might　be　considered
unlucky。

〃The　day's　all　right；〃　answered　Captain　Goyles；　〃it's　the　wind　I'm
a…thinking　of。　　It　don't　look　much　like　changing。〃

〃But　do　we　want　it　to　change？〃　I　asked。　　〃It　seems　to　me　to　be　just
where　it　should　be；　dead　behind　us。〃

〃Aye；　aye；〃　said　Captain　Goyles；　〃dead's　the　right　word　to　use；　for
dead　we'd　all　be；　bar　Providence；　if　we　was　to　put　out　in　this。
You　see；　sir；〃　he　explained；　in　answer　to　my　look　of　surprise；
〃this　is　what　we　call　a　'land　wind；'　that　is；　it's　a…blowing；　as
one　might　say；　direct　off　the　land。〃

When　I　came　to　think　of　it　the　man　was　right；　the　wind　was　blowing
off　the　land。

〃It　may　change　in　the　night；〃　said　Captain　Goyles；　more　hopefully
〃anyhow；　it's　not　violent；　and　she　rides　well。〃

Captain　Goyles　resumed　his　cigar；　and　I　returned　aft；　and　explained
to　Ethelbertha　the　reason　for　the　delay。　　Ethelbertha；　who　appeared
to　be　less　high　spirited　than　when　we　first　boarded；　wanted　to　know
WHY　we　couldn't　sail　when　the　wind　was　off　the　land。

〃If　it　was　not　blowing　off　the　land；〃　said　Ethelbertha；　〃it　would
be　blowing　off　the　sea；　and　that　would　send　us　back　into　the　shore
again。　　It　seems　to　me　this　is　just　the　very　wind　we　want。〃

I　said：　　〃That　is　your　inexperience；　love；　it　SEEMS　to　be　the　very
wind　we　want；　but　it　is　not。　　It's　what　we　call　a　land　wind；　and　a
land　wind　is　always　very　dangerous。〃

Ethelbertha　wanted　to　know　WHY　a　land　wind　was　very　dangerous。

Her　argumentativeness　annoyed　me　somewhat；　maybe　I　was　feeling　a
bit　cross；　the　monotonous　rolling　heave　of　a　small　yacht　at　anchor
depresses　an　ardent　spirit。

〃I　can't　explain　it　to　you；〃　I　replied；　which　was　true；　〃but　to　set
sail　in　this　wind　would　be　the　height　of　foolhardiness；　and　I　care
for　you　too　much；　dear；　to　expose　you　to　unnecessary　risks。〃

I　thought　this　rather　a　neat　conclusion；　but　Ethelbertha　merely
replied　that　she　wished；　under　the　circumstances；　we　hadn't　come　on
board　till　Tuesday；　and　went　below。

In　the　morning　the　wind　veered　round　to　the　north；　I　was　up　early；
and　observed　this　to　Captain　Goyles。

〃Aye；　aye；　sir；〃　he　remarked；　〃it's　unfortunate；　but　it　can't　be
helped。〃

〃You　don't　think　it　possible　for　us　to　start　to…day？〃　I　hazarded。

He　did　not　get　angry　with　me；　he　only　laughed。

〃Well；　sir；〃　said　he；　〃if　you　was　a…wanting　to　go　to　Ipswich；　I
should　say　as　it　couldn't　be　better　for　us；　but　our　destination
being；　as　you　see；　the　Dutch　coastwhy　there　you　are！〃

I　broke　the　news　to　Ethelbertha；　and　we　agreed　to　spend　the　day　on
shore。　　Harwich　is　not　a　merry　town；　towards　evening　you　might　call
it　dull。　　We　had　some　tea　and　watercress　at　Dovercourt；　and　then
returned　to　the　quay　to　look　for　Captain　Goyles　and　the　boat。　　We
waited　an　hour　for　him。　　When　he　came　he　was　more　cheerful　than　we
were；　if　he　had　not　told　me　himself　that　he