the secret sharer-第3节

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The　shadowy；　dark　head；　like　mine；　seemed　to　nod　imperceptibly

above　the　ghostly　gray　of　my　sleeping　suit。　　It　was；　in　the　night；

as　though　I　had　been　faced　by　my　own　reflection　in　the　depths

of　a　somber　and　immense　mirror。



〃A　pretty　thing　to　have　to　own　up　to　for　a　Conway　boy；〃

murmured　my　double；　distinctly。



〃You're　a　Conway　boy？〃



〃I　am；〃　he　said；　as　if　startled。　　Then；　slowly　。　。　。　〃Perhaps　you　too〃



It　was　so；　but　being　a　couple　of　years　older　I　had　left　before

he　joined。　　After　a　quick　interchange　of　dates　a　silence　fell；

and　I　thought　suddenly　of　my　absurd　mate　with　his　terrific　whiskers

and　the　〃Bless　my　soulyou　don't　say　so〃　type　of　intellect。

My　double　gave　me　an　inkling　of　his　thoughts　by　saying：

〃My　father's　a　parson　in　Norfolk。　　Do　you　see　me　before　a　judge

and　jury　on　that　charge？　　For　myself　I　can't　see　the　necessity。

There　are　fellows　that　an　angel　from　heavenAnd　I　am　not　that。

He　was　one　of　those　creatures　that　are　just　simmering

all　the　time　with　a　silly　sort　of　wickedness。

Miserable　devils　that　have　no　business　to　live　at　all。

He　wouldn't　do　his　duty　and　wouldn't　let　anybody　else　do　theirs。

But　what's　the　good　of　talking！　　You　know　well　enough　the　sort

of　ill…conditioned　snarling　cur〃



He　appealed　to　me　as　if　our　experiences　had　been　as　identical　as　our　clothes。

And　I　knew　well　enough　the　pestiferous　danger　of　such　a　character　where　there

are　no　means　of　legal　repression。　　And　I　knew　well　enough　also　that　my　double

there　was　no　homicidal　ruffian。　　I　did　not　think　of　asking　him　for　details；

and　he　told　me　the　story　roughly　in　brusque；　disconnected　sentences。

I　needed　no　more。　　I　saw　it　all　going　on　as　though　I　were　myself　inside

that　other　sleeping　suit。



〃It　happened　while　we　were　setting　a　reefed　foresail；　at　dusk。

Reefed　foresail！　　You　understand　the　sort　of　weather。　　The　only　sail　we

had　left　to　keep　the　ship　running；　so　you　may　guess　what　it　had　been

like　for　days。　　Anxious　sort　of　job；　that。　　He　gave　me　some　of　his　cursed

insolence　at　the　sheet。　　I　tell　you　I　was　overdone　with　this　terrific　weather

that　seemed　to　have　no　end　to　it。　　Terrific；　I　tell　youand　a　deep　ship。

I　believe　the　fellow　himself　was　half　crazed　with　funk。　　It　was　no　time

for　gentlemanly　reproof；　so　I　turned　round　and　felled　him　like　an　ox。

He　up　and　at　me。　　We　closed　just　as　an　awful　sea　made　for　the　ship。

All　hands　saw　it　coming　and　took　to　the　rigging；　but　I　had　him　by

the　throat；　and　went　on　shaking　him　like　a　rat；　the　men　above　us　yelling；

‘Look　out！　look　out！'　　Then　a　crash　as　if　the　sky　had　fallen　on　my　head。

They　say　that　for　over　ten　minutes　hardly　anything　was　to　be　seen

of　the　shipjust　the　three　masts　and　a　bit　of　the　forecastle　head

and　of　the　poop　all　awash　driving　along　in　a　smother　of　foam。

It　was　a　miracle　that　they　found　us；　jammed　together　behind　the　forebitts。

It's　clear　that　I　meant　business；　because　I　was　holding　him　by　the　throat

still　when　they　picked　us　up。　　He　was　black　in　the　face。　　It　was　too　much

for　them。　　It　seems　they　rushed　us　aft　together；　gripped　as　we　were；

screaming　‘Murder！'　like　a　lot　of　lunatics；　and　broke　into　the　cuddy。

And　the　ship　running　for　her　life；　touch　and　go　all　the　time；　any　minute

her　last　in　a　sea　fit　to　turn　your　hair　gray　only　a…looking　at　it。

I　understand　that　the　skipper；　too；　started　raving　like　the　rest　of　them。

The　man　had　been　deprived　of　sleep　for　more　than　a　week；　and　to　have

this　sprung　on　him　at　the　height　of　a　furious　gale　nearly　drove　him

out　of　his　mind。　　I　wonder　they　didn't　fling　me　overboard　after

getting　the　carcass　of　their　precious　shipmate　out　of　my　fingers。

They　had　rather　a　job　to　separate　us；　I've　been　told。　　A　sufficiently

fierce　story　to　make　an　old　judge　and　a　respectable　jury　sit　up　a　bit。

The　first　thing　I　heard　when　I　came　to　myself　was　the　maddening

howling　of　that　endless　gale；　and　on　that　the　voice　of　the　old　man。

He　was　hanging　on　to　my　bunk；　staring　into　my　face　out　of　his　sou'wester。



〃‘Mr。　Leggatt；　you　have　killed　a　man。　　You　can　act　no　longer

as　chief　mate　of　this　ship。'〃



His　care　to　subdue　his　voice　made　it　sound　monotonous。

He　rested　a　hand　on　the　end　of　the　skylight　to　steady　himself　with；

and　all　that　time　did　not　stir　a　limb；　so　far　as　I　could　see。

〃Nice　little　tale　for　a　quiet　tea　party；〃　he　concluded

in　the　same　tone。



One　of　my　hands；　too；　rested　on　the　end　of　the　skylight；　neither　did　I　stir

a　limb；　so　far　as　I　knew。　　We　stood　less　than　a　foot　from　each　other。

It　occurred　to　me　that　if　old　〃Bless　my　soulyou　don't　say　so〃

were　to　put　his　head　up　the　companion　and　catch　sight　of　us；

he　would　think　he　was　seeing　double；　or　imagine　himself　come

upon　a　scene　of　weird　witchcraft；　the　strange　captain　having

a　quiet　confabulation　by　the　wheel　with　his　own　gray　ghost。

I　became　very　much　concerned　to　prevent　anything　of　the　sort。

I　heard　the　other's　soothing　undertone。



〃My　father's　a　parson　in　Norfolk；〃　it　said。　　Evidently　he　had

forgotten　he　had　told　me　this　important　fact　before。

Truly　a　nice　little　tale。



〃You　had　better　slip　down　into　my　stateroom　now；〃　I　said；

moving　off　stealthily。　　My　double　followed　my　movements；

our　bare　feet　made　no　sound；　I　let　him　in；　closed　the　door

with　care；　and；　after　giving　a　call　to　the　second　mate；

returned　on　deck　for　my　relief。



〃Not　much　sign　of　any　wind　yet；〃　I　remarked　when　he　approached。



〃No；　sir。　　Not　much；〃　he　assented；　sleepily；　in　his　hoarse　voice；

with　just　enough　deference；　no　more；　and　barely　suppressing　a　yawn。



〃Well；　that's　all　you　have　to　look　out　for。　　You　have　got　your　orders。〃



〃Yes；　sir。〃



I　paced　a　turn　or　two　on　the　poop　and　saw　him　take　up　his　position　face

forward　with　his　elbow　in　the　ratlines　of　the　mizzen　rigging　before　I

went　below。　　The　mate's　faint　snoring　was　still　going　on　peacefully。

The　cuddy　lamp　was　burning　over　the　table　on　which　stood　a　vase

with　flowers；　a　polite　attention　from　the　ship's　provision　merchant

the　last　flowers　we　should　see　for　the　next　three　months　at　the　very　least。

Two　bunches　of　bananas　hung　from　the　beam　symmetrically；　one　on　each

side　of　the　rudder　casing。　　Everything　was　as　before　in　the　ship

except　that　two　of　her　captain's　sleeping　suits　were　simultaneously

in　use；　one　motionless　in　the　cuddy；　the　other　keeping　very　still

in　the　captain's　stateroom。



It　must　be　explained　here　that　my　cabin　had　the　form　of　the　capital

letter　L；　the　door　being　within　the　angle　and　opening　into　the　short　part

of　the　letter。　　A　couch　was　to　the　left；　the　bed　place　to　the　right；

my　writing　desk　and　the　chronometers'　table　faced　the　door。

But　anyone　opening　it；　unless　he　stepped　right　inside；　had　no

view　of　what　I　call　the　long　（or　vertical）　part　of　the　letter。

It　contained　some　lockers　surmounted　by　a　bookcase；　and　a　few　clothes；

a　thick　jacket　or　two；　caps；　oilskin　coat；　and　such　like；　hung　on　hooks。

There　was　at　the　bottom　of　that　part　a　door　opening　into　my　bathroom；

which　could　be　entered　also　directly　from　the　saloon。

But　that　way　was　never　used。



The　mysterious　arrival　had　discovered　the　advantage　of　this　particular　shape。

Entering　my　room；　lighted　strongly　by　a　big　bulkhead　lamp　swung　on　gimbals

above　my　writing　desk；　I　did　not　see　him　anywhere　till　he　stepped　out　quietly

from　behind　the　coats　hung　in　the　recessed　part。



〃I　heard　somebody　moving　about；　and　went　in　there　at　once；〃　he　whispered。



I；　too；　spoke　under　my　breath。



〃Nobody　is　likely　to　come　in　here　without　knocking　and　getting　permission。〃



He　nodded。　　His　face　was　thin　and　the　sunburn　faded；　as　though

he　had　been　ill。　　And　no　wonder。　　He　had　been；　I　heard　presently；

kept　under　arrest　in　his　cabin　for　nearly　seven　weeks。

But　there　was　nothing　sickly　in　his　eyes　or　in　his　expression。

He　was　not　a　bit　like　me；　really；　yet；　as　we　stood　leaning

over　my　bed　place；　whispering　side　by　side；　with　our　dark　heads

together　and　our　backs　to　the　door；　anybody　bold　enough　to　open

it　stealthily　would　have　been　treated　to　the　uncanny　sight

of　a　double　captain　busy　talking　in　whispers　with　his　other　self。



〃But　all　this　doesn't　tell　me　how　you　came　to　hang　on　to　our　side　ladder；〃

I　inquired；　in　the　hardly　audible　murmurs　we　used；　after　he　had　told

me　something　more　of　the　proceedings　on　board　the　Sephora　once　the　bad

weather　was　over。



〃When　we　sighted　Java　Head　I　had　had　time　to　think　all　those　matters

out　several　times　over。　　I　had　six　weeks　of　doing　nothing　else；

and　with　only　an　hour　or　so　every　evening　for　a　tramp　on　the　quarter…deck。〃



He　whispered；　his　arms　folded　on　the　side　of　my　bed　place；　staring　through

the　open　port。　　And　I　could　imagine　perfectly　the　manner　of　this　thinking　out

a　stubborn　if　not　a　steadfast　operation；　something　of　which　I　should　have

been　perfectly　incapable。



〃I　reckoned　it　would　be　dark　before　we　closed　with　the　land；〃

he　continued；　so　low　that　I　had　to　strain　my　hearing　near

as　we　were　to　each　ot