the moon pool-第10节
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curse us。 He did not speakhe howled from that hideously
dry mouth his imprecations。 And all the time his red eyes
roamed the seas and his hands； clenched and rigid on the
wheel； dropped blood。
〃I go below；〃 said Da Costa nervously。 〃His wife； his
daughter〃 he darted down the companionway and was
gone。
Huldricksson； silent once more； had slumped down over
the wheel。
Da Costa's head appeared at the top of the companion
steps。
〃There is nobody； nobody；〃 he pausedthen〃nobody
nowhere！〃 His hands flew out in a gesture of hopeless in…
comprehension。 〃I do not understan'。〃
Then Olaf Huldricksson opened his dry lips and as he
spoke a chill ran through me； checking my heart。
〃The sparkling devil took them！〃 croaked Olaf Huldricks…
son； 〃the sparkling devil took them！ Took my Helma and my
little Freda！ The sparkling devil came down from the moon
and took them！〃
He swayed； tears dripped down his cheeks。 Da Costa
moved toward him again and again Huldricksson watched
him； alertly； wickedly； from his bloodshot eyes。
I took a hypodermic from my case and filled it with mor…
phine。 I drew Da Costa to me。
〃Get to the side of him；〃 I whispered； 〃talk to him。〃 He
moved over toward the wheel。
〃Where is your Helma and Freda； Olaf？〃 he said。
Huldricksson turned his head toward him。 〃The shining
devil took them；〃 he croaked。 〃The moon devil that
spark〃
A yell broke from him。 I had thrust the needle into his
arm just above one swollen wrist and had quickly shot the
drug through。 He struggled to release himself and then be…
gan to rock drunkenly。 The morphine； taking him in his
weakness； worked quickly。 Soon over his face a peace
dropped。 The pupils of the staring eyes contracted。 Once；
twice； he swayed and then； his bleeding； prisoned hands held
high and still gripping the wheel； he crumpled to the deck。
With utmost difficulty we loosed the thongs； but at last it
was done。 We rigged a little swing and the Tonga boys slung
the great inert body over the side into the dory。 Soon we had
Huldricksson in my bunk。 Da Costa sent half his crew over
to the sloop in charge of the Cantonese。 They took in all sail；
stripping Huldricksson's boat to the masts and then with
the Brunhilda nosing quietly along after us at the end of a
long hawser； one of the Tonga boys at her wheel； we re…
sumed the way so enigmatically interrupted。
I cleansed and bandaged the Norseman's lacerated wrists
and sponged the blackened； parched mouth with warm water
and a mild antiseptic。
Suddenly I was aware of Da Costa's presence and turned。
His unease was manifest and held； it seemed to me； a queer；
furtive anxiety。
〃What you think of Olaf； sair？〃 he asked。 I shrugged my
shoulders。 〃You think he killed his woman and his babee？〃
He went on。 〃You think he crazee and killed all？〃
〃Nonsense； Da Costa；〃 I answered。 〃You saw the boat
was gone。 Most probably his crew mutinied and to torture
him tied him up the way you saw。 They did the same thing
with Hilton of the Coral Lady； you'll remember。〃
〃No；〃 he said。 〃No。 The crew did not。 Nobody there on
board when Olaf was tied。〃
〃What！〃 I cried； startled。 〃What do you mean？〃
〃I mean；〃 he said slowly； 〃that Olaf tie himself！〃
〃Wait！〃 he went on at my incredulous gesture of dissent。
〃Wait； I show you。〃 He had been standing with hands behind
his back and now I saw that he held in them the cut thongs
that had bound Huldricksson。 They were blood…stained and
each ended in a broad leather tip skilfully spliced into the
cord。 〃Look；〃 he said； pointing to these leather ends。 I
looked and saw in them deep indentations of teeth。 I snatched
one of the thongs and opened the mouth of the unconscious
man on the bunk。 Carefully I placed the leather within it and
gently forced the jaws shut on it。 It was true。 Those marks
were where Olaf Huldricksson's jaws had gripped。
〃Wait！〃 Da Costa repeated； 〃I show you。〃 He took other
cords and rested his hands on the supports of a chair back。
Rapidly he twisted one of the thongs around his left hand；
drew a loose knot； shifted the cord up toward his elbow。
This left wrist and hand still free and with them he twisted
the other cord around the right wrist； drew a similar knot。
His hands were now in the exact position that Huldricks…
son's had been on the Brunhilda but with cords and knots
hanging loose。 Then Da Costa reached down his head； took
a leather end in his teeth and with a jerk drew the thong
that noosed his left hand tight； similarly he drew tight the
second。
He strained at his fetters。 There before my eyes he had
pinioned himself so that without aid he could not release
himself。 And he was exactly as Huldricksson had been！
〃You will have to cut me loose； sair；〃 he said。 〃I cannot
move them。 It is an old trick on these seas。 Sometimes it is
necessary that a man stand at the wheel many hours with…
out help； and he does this so that if he sleep the wheel wake
him； yes； sair。〃
I looked from him to the man on the bed。
〃But why； sair；〃 said Da Costa slowly； 〃did Olaf have to
tie his hands？〃
I looked at him； uneasily。
〃I don't know；〃 I answered。 〃Do you？〃
He fidgeted； avoided my eyes； and then rapidly； almost
surreptitiously crossed himself。
〃No；〃 he replied。 〃I know nothing。 Some things I have
heardbut they tell many tales on these seas。〃
He started for the door。 Before he reached it he turned。
〃But this I do know；〃 he half whispered； 〃I am damned glad
there is no full moon tonight。〃 And passed out； leaving me
staring after him in amazement。 What did the Portuguese
know？
I bent over the sleeper。 On his face was no trace of that
unholy mingling of opposites the Dweller stamped upon its
victims。
And yetwhat was it the Norseman had said？
〃The sparkling devil took them！〃 Nay； he had been even
more explicit〃The sparkling devil that came down from
the moon！〃
Could it be that the Dweller had swept upon the Brun…
hilda； drawing down the moon path Olaf Huldricksson's
wife and babe even as it had drawn Throckmartin？
As I sat thinking the cabin grew suddenly dark and from
above came a shouting and patter of feet。 Down upon us
swept one of the abrupt； violent squalls that are met with in
those latitudes。 I lashed Huldricksson fast in the berth and
ran up on deck。
The long； peaceful swells had changed into angry； choppy
waves from the tops of which the spindrift streamed in long
stinging lashes。
A half…hour passed； the squall died as quickly as it had
arisen。 The sea quieted。 Over in the west； from beneath the
tattered； flying edge of the storm； dropped the red globe of
the setting sun； dropped slowly until it touched the sea rim。
I watched itand rubbed my eyes and stared again。 For
over its flaming portal something huge and black moved；
like a gigantic beckoning finger！
Da Costa had seen it； too； and he turned the Suwarna
straight toward the descending orb and its strange shadow。
As we approached we saw it was a little mass of wreckage
and that the beckoning finger was a wing of canvas； sticking
up and swaying with the motion of the waves。 On the high…
est point of the wreckage sat a tall figure calmly smoking a
cigarette。
We brought the Suwarna to； dropped a boat； and with my…
self as coxswain pulled toward a wrecked hydroairplane。 Its
occupant took a long puff at his cigarette； waved a cheerful
hand； shouted a greeting。 And just as he did so a great wave
raised itself up behind him； took the wreckage； tossed it high
in a swelter of foam； and passed on。 When we had steadied
our boat； where wreck and man had been wasnothing。
There came a tug at the side； two muscular brown
hands gripped it close to my left； and a sleek； black； wet head
showed its top between them。 Two bright； blue eyes that
held deep within them a laughing deviltry looked into mine；
and a long； lithe body drew itself gently over the thwart and
seated its dripping self at my feet。
〃Much obliged；〃 said this man from the sea。 〃I knew
somebody was sure to come along when the O'Keefe ban…
shee didn't show up。〃
〃The what？〃 I asked in amazement。
〃The O'Keefe bansheeI'm Larry O'Keefe。 It's a far
way from Ireland； but not too far for the O'Keefe banshee
to travel if the O'Keefe was going to click in。〃
I looked again at my astonishing rescue。 He seemed per…
fectly serious。
〃Have you a cigarette？ Mine went out；〃 he said with a
grin； as he reached a moist hand out for the little cylinder；
took it； lighted it。
I saw a lean； intelligent face whose fighting jaw was soft…
ened by the wistfulness of the clean…cut lips and the honesty
that lay side by side with the deviltry in the laughing blue
eyes； nose of a thoroughbred with the suspici
