the mirror of the sea-第26节

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day　slumbers；　hauled　down　the　flags　and　fastened　a　lighted　lantern



at　the　break　of　the　gangway。　　The　night　closed　rapidly　upon　the



silent　ships　with　their　crews　on　shore。　　Up　a　short；　steep　ascent



by　the　King's　Head　pub。；　patronized　by　the　cooks　and　stewards　of



the　fleet；　the　voice　of　a　man　crying　〃Hot　saveloys！〃　at　the　end　of



George　Street；　where　the　cheap　eating…houses　（sixpence　a　meal）　were



kept　by　Chinamen　（Sun…kum…on's　was　not　bad）；　is　heard　at　regular



intervals。　　I　have　listened　for　hours　to　this　most　pertinacious



pedlar　（I　wonder　whether　he　is　dead　or　has　made　a　fortune）；　while



sitting　on　the　rail　of　the　old　Duke　of　S…　（she's　dead；　poor　thing！



a　violent　death　on　the　coast　of　New　Zealand）；　fascinated　by　the



monotony；　the　regularity；　the　abruptness　of　the　recurring　cry；　and



so　exasperated　at　the　absurd　spell；　that　I　wished　the　fellow　would



choke　himself　to　death　with　a　mouthful　of　his　own　infamous　wares。







A　stupid　job；　and　fit　only　for　an　old　man；　my　comrades　used　to　tell



me；　to　be　the　night…watchman　of　a　captive　（though　honoured）　ship。



And　generally　the　oldest　of　the　able　seamen　in　a　ship's　crew　does



get　it。　　But　sometimes　neither　the　oldest　nor　any　other　fairly



steady　seaman　is　forthcoming。　　Ships'　crews　had　the　trick　of



melting　away　swiftly　in　those　days。　　So；　probably　on　account　of　my



youth；　innocence；　and　pensive　habits　（which　made　me　sometimes



dilatory　in　my　work　about　the　rigging）；　I　was　suddenly　nominated；



in　our　chief　mate　Mr。　B…'s　most　sardonic　tones；　to　that　enviable



situation。　　I　do　not　regret　the　experience。　　The　night　humours　of



the　town　descended　from　the　street　to　the　waterside　in　the　still



watches　of　the　night：　　larrikins　rushing　down　in　bands　to　settle



some　quarrel　by　a　stand…up　fight；　away　from　the　police；　in　an



indistinct　ring　half　hidden　by　piles　of　cargo；　with　the　sounds　of



blows；　a　groan　now　and　then；　the　stamping　of　feet；　and　the　cry　of



〃Time！〃　rising　suddenly　above　the　sinister　and　excited　murmurs；



night…prowlers；　pursued　or　pursuing；　with　a　stifled　shriek　followed



by　a　profound　silence；　or　slinking　stealthily　along…side　like



ghosts；　and　addressing　me　from　the　quay　below　in　mysterious　tones



with　incomprehensible　propositions。　　The　cabmen；　too；　who　twice　a



week；　on　the　night　when　the　A。S。N。　Company's　passenger…boat　was　due



to　arrive；　used　to　range　a　battalion　of　blazing　lamps　opposite　the



ship；　were　very　amusing　in　their　way。　　They　got　down　from　their



perches　and　told　each　other　impolite　stories　in　racy　language；



every　word　of　which　reached　me　distinctly　over　the　bulwarks　as　I



sat　smoking　on　the　main…hatch。　　On　one　occasion　I　had　an　hour　or　so



of　a　most　intellectual　conversation　with　a　person　whom　I　could　not



see　distinctly；　a　gentleman　from　England；　he　said；　with　a



cultivated　voice；　I　on　deck　and　he　on　the　quay　sitting　on　the　case



of　a　piano　（landed　out　of　our　hold　that　very　afternoon）；　and



smoking　a　cigar　which　smelt　very　good。　　We　touched；　in　our



discourse；　upon　science；　politics；　natural　history；　and　operatic



singers。　　Then；　after　remarking　abruptly；　〃You　seem　to　be　rather



intelligent；　my　man；〃　he　informed　me　pointedly　that　his　name　was



Mr。　Senior；　and　walked　off　…　to　his　hotel；　I　suppose。　　Shadows！



Shadows！　　I　think　I　saw　a　white　whisker　as　he　turned　under　the



lamp…post。　　It　is　a　shock　to　think　that　in　the　natural　course　of



nature　he　must　be　dead　by　now。　　There　was　nothing　to　object　to　in



his　intelligence　but　a　little　dogmatism　maybe。　　And　his　name　was



Senior！　　Mr。　Senior！







The　position　had　its　drawbacks；　however。　　One　wintry；　blustering；



dark　night　in　July；　as　I　stood　sleepily　out　of　the　rain　under　the



break　of　the　poop　something　resembling　an　ostrich　dashed　up　the



gangway。　　I　say　ostrich　because　the　creature；　though　it　ran　on　two



legs；　appeared　to　help　its　progress　by　working　a　pair　of　short



wings；　it　was　a　man；　however；　only　his　coat；　ripped　up　the　back　and



flapping　in　two　halves　above　his　shoulders；　gave　him　that　weird　and



fowl…like　appearance。　　At　least；　I　suppose　it　was　his　coat；　for　it



was　impossible　to　make　him　out　distinctly。　　How　he　managed　to　come



so　straight　upon　me；　at　speed　and　without　a　stumble　over　a　strange



deck；　I　cannot　imagine。　　He　must　have　been　able　to　see　in　the　dark



better　than　any　cat。　　He　overwhelmed　me　with　panting　entreaties　to



let　him　take　shelter　till　morning　in　our　forecastle。　　Following　my



strict　orders；　I　refused　his　request；　mildly　at　first；　in　a　sterner



tone　as　he　insisted　with　growing　impudence。







〃For　God's　sake　let　me；　matey！　　Some　of　'em　are　after　me　…　and　I've



got　hold　of　a　ticker　here。〃







〃You　clear　out　of　this！〃　I　said。







〃Don't　be　hard　on　a　chap；　old　man！〃　he　whined　pitifully。







〃Now　then；　get　ashore　at　once。　　Do　you　hear？〃







Silence。　　He　appeared　to　cringe；　mute；　as　if　words　had　failed　him



through　grief；　then　…　bang！　came　a　concussion　and　a　great　flash　of



light　in　which　he　vanished；　leaving　me　prone　on　my　back　with　the



most　abominable　black　eye　that　anybody　ever　got　in　the　faithful



discharge　of　duty。　　Shadows！　　Shadows！　　I　hope　he　escaped　the



enemies　he　was　fleeing　from　to　live　and　flourish　to　this　day。　　But



his　fist　was　uncommonly　hard　and　his　aim　miraculously　true　in　the



dark。







There　were　other　experiences；　less　painful　and　more　funny　for　the



most　part；　with　one　amongst　them　of　a　dramatic　complexion；　but　the



greatest　experience　of　them　all　was　Mr。　B…；　our　chief　mate　himself。







He　used　to　go　ashore　every　night　to　foregather　in　some　hotel's



parlour　with　his　crony；　the　mate　of　the　barque　Cicero；　lying　on　the



other　side　of　the　Circular　Quay。　　Late　at　night　I　would　hear　from



afar　their　stumbling　footsteps　and　their　voices　raised　in　endless



argument。　　The　mate　of　the　Cicero　was　seeing　his　friend　on　board。



They　would　continue　their　senseless　and　muddled　discourse　in　tones



of　profound　friendship　for　half　an　hour　or　so　at　the　shore　end　of



our　gangway；　and　then　I　would　hear　Mr。　B…　insisting　that　he　must



see　the　other　on　board　his　ship。　　And　away　they　would　go；　their



voices；　still　conversing　with　excessive　amity；　being　heard　moving



all　round　the　harbour。　　It　happened　more　than　once　that　they　would



thus　perambulate　three　or　four　times　the　distance；　each　seeing　the



other　on　board　his　ship　out　of　pure　and　disinterested　affection。



Then；　through　sheer　weariness；　or　perhaps　in　a　moment　of



forgetfulness；　they　would　manage　to　part　from　each　other　somehow；



and　by…and…by　the　planks　of　our　long　gangway　would　bend　and　creak



under　the　weight　of　Mr。　B…　coming　on　board　for　good　at　last。







On　the　rail　his　burly　form　would　stop　and　stand　swaying。







〃Watchman！〃







〃Sir。〃







A　pause。







He　waited　for　a　moment　of　steadiness　before　negotiating　the　three



steps　of　the　inside　ladder　from　rail　to　deck；　and　the　watchman；



taught　by　experience；　would　forbear　offering　help　which　would　be



received　as　an　insult　at　that　particular　stage　of　the　mate's



return。　　But　many　times　I　trembled　for　his　neck。　　He　was　a　heavy



man。







Then　with　a　rush　and　a　thump　it　would　be　done。　　He　never　had　to



pick　himself　up；　but　it　took　him　a　minute　or　so　to　pull　himself



together　after　the　descent。







〃Watchman！〃







〃Sir。〃







〃Captain　aboard？〃







〃Yes；　sir。〃







Pause。







〃Dog　aboard？〃







〃Yes；　sir。〃







Pause。







Our　dog　was　a　gaunt　and　unpleasant　beast；　more　like　a　wolf　in　poor



health　than　a　dog；　and　I　never　noticed　Mr。　B…　at　any　other　time



show　the　slightest　interest　in　the　doings　of　the　animal。　　But　that



question　never　failed。







〃Let's　have　your　arm　to　steady　me　along。〃







I　was　always　prepared　for　that　request。　　He　leaned　on　me　heavily



till　near　enough　the　cabin…door　to　catch　hold　of　the　handle。　　Then



he　would　let　go　my　arm　at　once。







〃That'll　do。　　I　can　manage　now。〃







And　he　could　manage。　　He　could　manage　to　find　his　way　into　his



berth；　light　his　lamp；　get　into　his　bed　…　ay；　and　get　out　of　it



when　I　called　him　at　half…past　five；　the　first　man　on　deck；　lifting



the　cup　of　morning　coffee　to　his　lips　with　a　steady　hand；　ready　for



duty　as　though　he　had　virtuously　slept　ten　solid　hours　…　a　better



chief　officer　than　many　a　man　who　had　never　tasted　grog　in　his



life。　　He　could　manage　all　that；　but　could　never　manage　to　get　on



in　life。







Only　once　he　failed　to　seize　the　cabin…door　handle　at　the　first



grab。　　He　waited　a　little；　tried　again；　and　again　failed。　　His



weight　was　growing　heavier　on　my　arm。　　He　sighed　slowly。







〃D…n　that　handle！〃







Without　letting　go　his　hold　of　me　he　turned　about；　his　face　lit　up



bright　as　day　by　the　full　moon。







〃I　wish　she　were　out　at　sea；〃　he　growled　savagely。