end of the tether-第20节

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Remained　Massythe　ownerthe　interested　person



nearly　going　mad　with　worry。　　Sterne　had　heard　and



seen　more　than　enough　on　board　to　know　what　ailed　him；



but　his　exasperation　seemed　to　make　him　deaf　to　cau…



tious　overtures。　　If　he　had　only　known　it；　there　was　the



very　thing　he　wanted。　　But　how　could　you　bargain　with



a　man　of　that　sort？　　It　was　like　going　into　a　tiger's　den



with　a　piece　of　raw　meat　in　your　hand。　　He　was　as



likely　as　not　to　rend　you　for　your　pains。　　In　fact；　he



was　always　threatening　to　do　that　very　thing；　and　the



urgency　of　the　case；　combined　with　the　impossibility　of



handling　it　with　safety；　made　Sterne　in　his　watches　below



toss　and　mutter　open…eyed　in　his　bunk；　for　hours；　as



though　he　had　been　burning　with　fever。







Occurrences　like　the　crossing　of　the　bar　just　now　were



extremely　alarming　to　his　prospects。　　He　did　not　want



to　be　left　behind　by　some　swift　catastrophe。　　Massy　be…



ing　on　the　bridge；　the　old　man　had　to　brace　himself　up



and　make　a　show；　he　supposed。　　But　it　was　getting　very



bad　with　him；　very　bad　indeed；　now。　　Even　Massy　had



been　emboldened　to　find　fault　this　time；　Sterne；　listen…



ing　at　the　foot　of　the　ladder；　had　heard　the　other's



whimpering　and　artless　denunciations。　　Luckily　the



beast　was　very　stupid　and　could　not　see　the　why　of　all



this。　　However；　small　blame　to　him；　it　took　a　clever　man



to　hit　upon　the　cause。　　Nevertheless；　it　was　high　time　to



do　something。　　The　old　man's　game　could　not　be　kept



up　for　many　days　more。







〃I　may　yet　lose　my　life　at　this　foolinglet　alone　my



chance；〃　Sterne　mumbled　angrily　to　himself；　after　the



stooping　back　of　the　chief　engineer　had　disappeared



round　the　corner　of　the　skylight。　　Yes；　no　doubthe



thought；　but　to　blurt　out　his　knowledge　would　not　ad…



vance　his　prospects。　　On　the　contrary；　it　would　blast



them　utterly　as　likely　as　not。　　He　dreaded　another



failure。　　He　had　a　vague　consciousness　of　not　being



much　liked　by　his　fellows　in　this　part　of　the　world；　inex…



plicably　enough；　for　he　had　done　nothing　to　them。



Envy；　he　supposed。　　People　were　always　down　on　a



clever　chap　who　made　no　bones　about　his　determination



to　get　on。　　To　do　your　duty　and　count　on　the　gratitude



of　that　brute　Massy　would　be　sheer　folly。　　He　was　a　bad



lot。　　Unmanly！　　A　vicious　man！　　Bad！　　Bad！　　A　brute！



A　brute　without　a　spark　of　anything　human　about　him；



without　so　much　as　simple　curiosity　even；　or　else　surely



he　would　have　responded　in　some　way　to　all　these　hints



he　had　been　given。　。　。　。　　Such　insensibility　was　almost



mysterious。　　Massy's　state　of　exasperation　seemed　to



Sterne　to　have　made　him　stupid　beyond　the　ordinary



silliness　of　shipowners。







Sterne；　meditating　on　the　embarrassments　of　that　stu…



pidity；　forgot　himself　completely。　　His　stony；　unwink…



ing　stare　was　fixed　on　the　planks　of　the　deck。







The　slight　quiver　agitating　the　whole　fabric　of　the



ship　was　more　perceptible　in　the　silent　river；　shaded　and



still　like　a　forest　path。　　The　Sofala；　gliding　with　an



even　motion；　had　passed　beyond　the　coast…belt　of　mud



and　mangroves。　　The　shores　rose　higher；　in　firm　slop…



ing　banks；　and　the　forest　of　big　trees　came　down　to　the



brink。　　Where　the　earth　had　been　crumbled　by　the



floods　it　showed　a　steep　brown　cut；　denuding　a　mass　of



roots　intertwined　as　if　wrestling　underground；　and　in



the　air；　the　interlaced　boughs；　bound　and　loaded　with



creepers；　carried　on　the　struggle　for　life；　mingled　their



foliage　in　one　solid　wall　of　leaves；　with　here　and　there



the　shape　of　an　enormous　dark　pillar　soaring；　or　a



ragged　opening；　as　if　torn　by　the　flight　of　a　cannon…



ball；　disclosing　the　impenetrable　gloom　within；　the



secular　inviolable　shade　of　the　virgin　forest。　　The



thump　of　the　engines　reverberated　regularly　like　the



strokes　of　a　metronome　beating　the　measure　of　the　vast



silence；　the　shadow　of　the　western　wall　had　fallen　across



the　river；　and　the　smoke　pouring　backwards　from　the



funnel　eddied　down　behind　the　ship；　spread　a　thin



dusky　veil　over　the　somber　water；　which；　checked　by



the　flood…tide；　seemed　to　lie　stagnant　in　the　whole



straight　length　of　the　reaches。







Sterne's　body；　as　if　rooted　on　the　spot；　trembled　slightly



from　top　to　toe　with　the　internal　vibration　of　the　ship；



from　under　his　feet　came　sometimes　a　sudden　clang　of



iron；　the　noisy　burst　of　a　shout　below；　to　the　right　the



leaves　of　the　tree…tops　caught　the　rays　of　the　low　sun；



and　seemed　to　shine　with　a　golden　green　light　of　their



own　shimmering　around　the　highest　boughs　which　stood



out　black　against　a　smooth　blue　sky　that　seemed　to



droop　over　the　bed　of　the　river　like　the　roof　of　a　tent。



The　passengers　for　Batu　Beru；　kneeling　on　the　planks；



were　engaged　in　rolling　their　bedding　of　mats　busily；



they　tied　up　bundles；　they　snapped　the　locks　of　wooden



chests。　　A　pockmarked　peddler　of　small　wares　threw　his



head　back　to　drain　into　his　throat　the　last　drops　out　of



an　earthenware　bottle　before　putting　it　away　in　a　roll



of　blankets。　　Knots　of　traveling　traders　standing　about



the　deck　conversed　in　low　tones；　the　followers　of　a　small



Rajah　from　down　the　coast；　broad…faced；　simple　young



fellows　in　white　drawers　and　round　white　cotton　caps



with　their　colored　sarongs　twisted　across　their　bronze



shoulders；　squatted　on　their　hams　on　the　hatch；　chewing



betel　with　bright　red　mouths　as　if　they　had　been　tasting



blood。　　Their　spears；　lying　piled　up　together　within　the



circle　of　their　bare　toes；　resembled　a　casual　bundle　of



dry　bamboos；　a　thin；　livid　Chinaman；　with　a　bulky



package　wrapped　up　in　leaves　already　thrust　under　his



arm；　gazed　ahead　eagerly；　a　wandering　Kling　rubbed



his　teeth　with　a　bit　of　wood；　pouring　over　the　side　a



bright　stream　of　water　out　of　his　lips；　the　fat　Rajah



dozed　in　a　shabby　deck…chair；and　at　the　turn　of　every



bend　the　two　walls　of　leaves　reappeared　running



parallel　along　the　banks；　with　their　impenetrable　solidity



fading　at　the　top　to　a　vaporous　mistiness　of　countless



slender　twigs　growing　free；　of　young　delicate　branches



shooting　from　the　topmost　limbs　of　hoary　trunks；　of



feathery　heads　of　climbers　like　delicate　silver　sprays



standing　up　without　a　quiver。　　There　was　not　a　sign



of　a　clearing　anywhere；　not　a　trace　of　human　habita…



tion；　except　when　in　one　place；　on　the　bare　end　of　a　low



point　under　an　isolated　group　of　slender　tree…ferns；　the



jagged；　tangled　remnants　of　an　old　hut　on　piles　ap…



peared　with　that　peculiar　aspect　of　ruined　bamboo　walls



that　look　as　if　smashed　with　a　club。　　Farther　on；　half



hidden　under　the　drooping　bushes；　a　canoe　containing



a　man　and　a　woman；　together　with　a　dozen　green　cocoa…



nuts　in　a　heap；　rocked　helplessly　after　the　Sofala　had



passed；　like　a　navigating　contrivance　of　venturesome



insects；　of　traveling　ants；　while　two　glassy　folds　of



water　streaming　away　from　each　bow　of　the　steamer



across　the　whole　width　of　the　river　ran　with　her　up



stream　smoothly；　fretting　their　outer　ends　into　a　brown



whispering　tumble　of　froth　against　the　miry　foot　of



each　bank。







〃I　must；〃　thought　Sterne；　〃bring　that　brute　Massy



to　his　bearings。　　It's　getting　too　absurd　in　the　end。



Here's　the　old　man　up　there　buried　in　his　chairhe



may　just　as　well　be　in　his　grave　for　all　the　use　he'll　ever



be　in　the　worldand　the　Serang's　in　charge。　　Because



that's　what　he　is。　　In　charge。　　In　the　place　that's　mine



by　rights。　　I　must　bring　that　savage　brute　to　his　bear…



ings。　　I'll　do　it　at　once；　too　。　。　。〃







When　the　mate　made　an　abrupt　start；　a　little　brown



half…naked　boy；　with　large　black　eyes；　and　the　string



of　a　written　charm　round　his　neck；　became　panic…struck



at　once。　　He　dropped　the　banana　he　had　been　munch…



ing；　and　ran　to　the　knee　of　a　grave　dark　Arab　in　flow…



ing　robes；　sitting　like　a　Biblical　figure；　incongruously；



on　a　yellow　tin　trunk　corded　with　a　rope　of　twisted



rattan。　　The　father；　unmoved；　put　out　his　hand　to　pat



the　little　shaven　poll　protectingly。











XI







Sterne　crossed　the　deck　upon　the　track　of　the　chief



engineer。　　Jack；　the　second；　retreating　backwards　down



the　engine…room　ladder；　and　still　wiping　his　hands；



treated　him　to　an　incomprehensible　grin　of　white　teeth



out　of　his　grimy　hard　face；　Massy　was　nowhere　to　be



seen。　　He　must　have　gone　straight　into　his　berth。



Sterne　scratched　at　the　door　softly；　then；　putting　his



lips　to　th