benito cereno-第10节

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tly　counted　upon　bringing　the　San　Dominick　safely　to　anchor　ere　night。　The　distance　swept　over　was　nothing；　since；　with　a　good　wind；　ten　minutes'　sailing　would　retrace　more　than　sixty　minutes'　drifting。　Meantime；　one　moment　turning　to　mark　Rover　fighting　the　tide…rip；　and　the　next　to　see　Don　Benito　approaching；　he　continued　walking　the　poop。　　　　　Gradually　he　felt　a　vexation　arising　from　the　delay　of　his　boat；　this　soon　merged　into　uneasiness；　and　at　last；　his　eye　falling　continually；　as　from　a　stage…box　into　the　pit；　upon　the　strange　crowd　before　and　below　him；　and　by…and…by　recognizing　there　the　face…　now　composed　to　indifference…　of　the　Spanish　sailor　who　had　seemed　to　beckon　from　the　main…chains；　something　of　his　old　trepidations　returned。　　　　　Ah；　thought　he…　gravely　enough…　this　is　like　the　ague：　because　it　went　off；　it　follows　not　that　it　won't　come　back。　　　　　Though　ashamed　of　the　relapse；　he　could　not　altogether　subdue　it；　and　so；　exerting　his　good　nature　to　the　utmost；　insensibly　he　came　to　a　compromise。　　　　　Yes；　this　is　a　strange　craft；　a　strange　history；　too；　and　strange　folks　on　board。　But…　nothing　more。　　　　　By　way　of　keeping　his　mind　out　of　mischief　till　the　boat　should　arrive；　he　tried　to　occupy　it　with　turning　over　and　over；　in　a　purely　speculative　sort　of　way；　some　lesser　peculiarities　of　the　captain　and　crew。　Among　others；　four　curious　points　recurred。　　　　　First；　the　affair　of　the　Spanish　lad　assailed　with　a　knife　by　the　slave　boy；　an　act　winked　at　by　Don　Benito。　Second；　the　tyranny　in　Don　Benito's　treatment　of　Atufal；　the　black；　as　if　a　child　should　lead　a　bull　of　the　Nile　by　the　ring　in　his　nose。　Third；　the　trampling　of　the　sailor　by　the　two　Negroes；　a　piece　of　insolence　passed　over　without　so　much　as　a　reprimand。　Fourth；　the　cringing　submission　to　their　master　of　all　the　ship's　underlings；　mostly　blacks；　as　if　by　the　least　inadvertence　they　feared　to　draw　down　his　despotic　displeasure。　　　　　Coupling　these　points；　they　seemed　somewhat　contradictory。　But　what　then；　thought　Captain　Delano；　glancing　toward　his　now　nearing　boat；…　what　then？　Why；　this　Don　Benito　is　a　very　capricious　commander。　But　he　is　not　the　first　of　the　sort　I　have　seen；　though　it's　true　he　rather　exceeds　any　other。　But　as　a　nation…　continued　he　in　his　reveries…　these　Spaniards　are　all　an　odd　set；　the　very　word　Spaniard　has　a　curious；　conspirator；　Guy…Fawkish　twang　to　it。　And　yet；　I　dare　say；　Spaniards　in　the　main　are　as　good　folks　as　any　in　Duxbury；　Massachusetts。　Ah；　good！　At　last　Rover　has　come。　　　　　As；　with　its　welcome　freight；　the　boat　touched　the　side；　the　oakum…pickers；　with　venerable　gestures；　sought　to　restrain　the　blacks；　who；　at　the　sight　of　three　gurried　water…casks　in　its　bottom；　and　a　pile　of　wilted　pumpkins　in　its　bow；　hung　over　the　bulwarks　in　disorderly　raptures。　　　　　Don　Benito　with　his　servant　now　appeared；　his　coming；　perhaps；　hastened　by　hearing　the　noise。　Of　him　Captain　Delano　sought　permission　to　serve　out　the　water；　so　that　all　might　share　alike；　and　none　injure　themselves　by　unfair　excess。　But　sensible；　and；　on　Don　Benito's　account；　kind　as　this　offer　was；　it　was　received　with　what　seemed　impatience；　as　if　aware　that　he　lacked　energy　as　a　commander；　Don　Benito；　with　the　true　jealousy　of　weakness；　resented　as　an　affront　any　interference。　So；　at　least；　Captain　Delano　inferred。　　　　　In　another　moment　the　casks　were　being　hoisted　in；　when　some　of　the　eager　Negroes　accidentally　jostled　Captain　Delano；　where　he　stood　by　the　gangway；　so　that；　unmindful　of　Don　Benito；　yielding　to　the　impulse　of　the　moment；　with　good…natured　authority　he　bade　the　blacks　stand　back；　to　enforce　his　words　making　use　of　a　half…mirthful；　half…menacing　gesture。　Instantly　the　blacks　paused；　just　where　they　were；　each　Negro　and　Negress　suspended　in　his　or　her　posture；　exactly　as　the　word　had　found　them…　for　a　few　seconds　continuing　so…　while；　as　between　the　responsive　posts　of　a　telegraph；　an　unknown　syllable　ran　from　man　to　man　among　the　perched　oakum…pickers。　While　Captain　Delano's　attention　was　fixed　by　this　scene；　suddenly　the　hatchet…polishers　half　rose；　and　a　rapid　cry　came　from　Don　Benito。　　　　　Thinking　that　at　the　signal　of　the　Spaniard　he　was　about　to　be　massacred；　Captain　Delano　would　have　sprung　for　his　boat；　but　paused；　as　the　oakum…pickers；　dropping　down　into　the　crowd　with　earnest　exclamations；　forced　every　white　and　every　Negro　back；　at　the　same　moment；　with　gestures　friendly　and　familiar；　almost　jocose；　bidding　him；　in　substance；　not　be　a　fool。　Simultaneously　the　hatchet…polishers　resumed　their　seats；　quietly　as　so　many　tailors；　and　at　once；　as　if　nothing　had　happened；　the　work　of　hoisting　in　the　casks　was　resumed；　whites　and　blacks　singing　at　the　tackle。　　　　　Captain　Delano　glanced　toward　Don　Benito。　As　he　saw　his　meagre　form　in　the　act　of　recovering　itself　from　reclining　in　the　servant's　arms；　into　which　the　agitated　invalid　had　fallen；　he　could　not　but　marvel　at　the　panic　by　which　himself　had　been　surprised　on　the　darting　supposition　that　such　a　commander；　who　upon　a　legitimate　occasion；　so　trivial；　too；　as　it　now　appeared；　could　lose　all　self…command；　was；　with　energetic　iniquity；　going　to　bring　about　his　murder。　　　　　The　casks　being　on　deck；　Captain　Delano　was　handed　a　number　of　jars　and　cups　by　one　of　the　steward's　aides；　who；　in　the　name　of　Don　Benito；　entreated　him　to　do　as　he　had　proposed：　dole　out　the　water。　He　complied；　with　republican　impartiality　as　to　this　republican　element；　which　always　seeks　one　level；　serving　the　oldest　white　no　better　than　the　youngest　black；　excepting；　indeed；　poor　Don　Benito；　whose　condition；　if　not　rank；　demanded　an　extra　allowance。　To　him；　in　the　first　place；　Captain　Delano　presented　a　fair　pitcher　of　the　fluid；　but；　thirsting　as　he　was　for　fresh　water；　Don　Benito　quaffed　not　a　drop　until　after　several　grave　bows　and　salutes：　a　reciprocation　of　courtesies　which　the　sight…loving　Africans　hailed　with　clapping　of　hands。　　　　　Two　of　the　less　wilted　pumpkins　being　reserved　for　the　cabin　table；　the　residue　were　minced　up　on　the　spot　for　the　general　regalement。　But　the　soft　bread；　sugar；　and　bottled　cider；　Captain　Delano　would　have　given　the　Spaniards　alone；　and　in　chief　Don　Benito；　but　the　latter　objected；　which　disinterestedness；　on　his　part；　not　a　little　pleased　the　American；　and　so　mouthfuls　all　around　were　given　alike　to　whites　and　blacks；　excepting　one　bottle　of　cider；　which　Babo　insisted　upon　setting　aside　for　his　master。　　　　　Here　it　may　be　observed　that　as；　on　the　first　visit　of　the　boat；　the　American　had　not　permitted　his　men　to　board　the　ship；　neither　did　he　now；　being　unwilling　to　add　to　the　confusion　of　the　decks。　　　　　Not　uninfluenced　by　the　peculiar　good　humour　at　present　prevailing；　and　for　the　time　oblivious　of　any　but　benevolent　thoughts；　Captain　Delano；　who　from　recent　indications　counted　upon　a　breeze　within　an　hour　or　two　at　furthest；　despatched　the　boat　back　to　the　sealer　with　orders　for　all　the　hands　that　could　be　spared　immediately　to　set　about　rafting　casks　to　the　watering…place　and　filling　them。　Likewise　he　bade　word　be　carried　to　his　chief　officer；　that　if　against　present　expectation　the　ship　was　not　brought　to　anchor　by　sunset；　he　need　be　under　no　concern；　for　as　there　was　to　be　a　full　moon　that　night；　he　（Captain　Delano）　would　remain　on　board　ready　to　play　the　pilot；　should　the　wind　come　soon　or　late。　　　　　As　the　two　captains　stood　together；　observing　the　departing　boat…　the　servant　as　it　happened　having　just　spied　a　spot　on　his　master's　velvet　sleeve；　and　silently　engaged　rubbing　it　out…　the　American　expressed　his　regrets　that　the　San　Dominick　had　no　boats；　none；　at　least；　but　the　unseaworthy　old　hulk　of　the　long…boat；　which；　warped　as　a　camel's　skeleton　in　the　desert；　and　almost　as　bleached；　lay　pot…wise　inverted　amidships；　one　side　a　little　tipped；　furnishing　a　subterraneous　sort　of　den　for　family　groups　of　the　blacks；　mostly　women　and　small　children；　who；　squatting　on　old　mats　below；　or　perched　above　in　the　dark　dome；　on　the　elevated　seats；　were　descried；　some　distance　within；　like　a　social　circle　of　bats；　sheltering　in　some　friendly　cave；　at　intervals；　ebon　flights　of　naked　boys　and　girls；　three　or　four　years　old；　darting　in　and　out　of　the　den's　mouth。　　　　　〃Had　you　three　or　four　boats　now；　Don　Benito；〃　said　Captain　Delano；　〃I　think　that；　by　tugging　at　the　oars；　your　Negroes　here　might　help　along　matters　some。…　Did　you　sail　from　port　without　boats；　Don　Benito？〃　　　　　〃They　were　stove　in　the　gales；　Senor。〃　　　　　〃That　was　bad。　Many　men；　too；　you　lost　then。　Boats　and　men。…　Those　must　have　been　hard　gales；　Don　Benito。〃　　　　　〃Past　all　speech；〃　cringed　the　Spaniard。　　　　　〃Tell　me；　Don　Benito；〃　continued　his　companion　with　increased　interest；　〃tell　me；　were　these　gales　immediately　off　the　pitch　of　Cape　Horn？〃　　　　　〃Cape　Horn？…　who　spoke　of　Cape　Horn？〃　　　　　〃Yourself　did；　when　giving　me　an　account　of　your　voyage；〃　answered　Captain　Delano　with　almost　equal　astonishment　at　this　eating　of　his　own　words；　even　as　he　ever　seemed　eating　his　own　heart；　on　the　part　of　the　Spaniard。　〃You　yourself；　Don　Benito；　spoke　of　Cape　Horn；〃　he　emphatically　repeated。　　　　　The　Spaniard　turned；　in　a　sort　of　stooping　posture；　pausing　an　instant；　as　one　about　to　make　a　plunging　exchange　of　elements；　as　from　air　to　water。　　　　　At　this　mo