adventure(冒险)-第34节
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And the one of you that shows up best will take the mate's billet。 Captain
Oleson doesn't carry a mate； you know。'
〃I don't remember much after that。 All hands got me over the side；
and it seems to me I went to sleep； sitting in the stern…sheets and watching
that Adamu steer。 Then I saw the Flibberty's mainsail hoisting； and heard
the clank of her chain coming in； and I woke up。 'Here； put me on the
Flibberty；' I said to Adamu。 'I put you on the beach；' said he。 'Missie
Lackalanna say beach plenty good for you。' Well； I let out a yell and
reached for the steering… sweep。 I was doing my best by my owners； you
see。 Only that Adamu gives me a shove down on the bottom…boards； puts
one foot on me to hold me down； and goes on steering。 And that's all。
The shock of the whole thing brought on fever。 And now I've come to
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find out whether I'm skipper of the Flibberty； or that chit of yours with her
pirating； heathen boat's…crew。〃
〃Never mind； skipper。 You can take a vacation on pay。〃 Sheldon
spoke with more assurance than he felt。 〃If Miss Lackland； who is my
partner； has seen fit to take charge of the Flibberty…Gibbet； why； it is all
right。 As you will agree； there was no time to be lost if the Martha was to
be got off。 It is a bad reef； and any considerable sea would knock her
bottom out。 You settle down here； skipper； and rest up and get the fever
out of your bones。 When the Flibberty…Gibbet comes back； you'll take
charge again； of course。〃
After Dr。 Welshmere and the Apostle departed and Captain Oleson had
turned in for a sleep in a veranda hammock； Sheldon opened Joan's letter。
DEAR MR。 SHELDON；Please forgive me for stealing the
Flibberty… Gibbet。 I simply had to。 The Martha means everything to us。
Think of it； only fifty…five pounds for her； two hundred and seventy…five
dollars。 If I don't save her； I know I shall be able to pay all expenses out
of her gear； which the natives will not have carried off。 And if I do save
her； it is the haul of a life… time。 And if I don't save her； I'll fill the Emily
and the Flibberty…Gibbet with recruits。 Recruits are needed right now on
Berande more than anything else。
And please； please don't be angry with me。 You said I shouldn't go
recruiting on the Flibberty； and I won't。 I'll go on the Emily。
I bought two cows this afternoon。 That trader at Nogi died of fever；
and I bought them from his partner； Sam Willis his name is； who agrees to
deliver themmost likely by the Minerva next time she is down that way。
Berande has been long enough on tinned milk。
And Dr。 Welshmere has agreed to get me some orange and lime trees
from the mission station at Ulava。 He will deliver them the next trip of
the Apostle。 If the Sydney steamer arrives before I get back； plant the
sweet corn she will bring between the young trees on the high bank of the
Balesuna。 The current is eating in against that bank； and you should do
something to save it。
I have ordered some fig…trees and loquats； too； from Sydney。 Dr。
Welshmere will bring some mango…seeds。 They are big trees and require
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plenty of room。
The Martha is registered 110 tons。 She is the biggest schooner in the
Solomons； and the best。 I saw a little of her lines and guess the rest。
She will sail like a witch。 If she hasn't filled with water； her engine will
be all right。 The reason she went ashore was because it was not working。
The engineer had disconnected the feed…pipes to clean out the rust。 Poor
business； unless at anchor or with plenty of sea room。
Plant all the trees in the compound； even if you have to clean out the
palms later on。
And don't plant the sweet corn all at once。 Let a few days elapse
between plantings。
JOAN LACKLAND。
He fingered the letter； lingering over it and scrutinizing the writing in
a way that was not his wont。 How characteristic； was his thought； as he
studied the boyish scrawlclear to read； painfully； clear； but none the less
boyish。 The clearness of it reminded him of her face； of her cleanly
stencilled brows； her straightly chiselled nose； the very clearness of the
gaze of her eyes； the firmly yet delicately moulded lips； and the throat；
neither fragile nor robust； butbut just right； he concluded； an adequate
and beautiful pillar for so shapely a burden。
He looked long at the name。 Joan Lacklandjust an assemblage of
letters； of commonplace letters； but an assemblage that generated a subtle
and heady magic。 It crept into his brain and twined and twisted his
mental processes until all that constituted him at that moment went out in
love to that scrawled signature。 A few commonplace lettersyet they
caused him to know in himself a lack that sweetly hurt and that expressed
itself in vague spiritual outpourings and delicious yearnings。 Joan
Lackland！ Each time he looked at it there arose visions of her in a
myriad moods and guisescoming in out of the flying smother of the gale
that had wrecked her schooner； launching a whale…boat to go a…fishing；
running dripping from the sea； with streaming hair and clinging garments；
to the fresh…water shower； frightening four…score cannibals with an empty
chlorodyne bottle； teaching Ornfiri how to make bread； hanging her
Stetson hat and revolver…belt on the hook in the living…room； talking
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gravely about winning to hearth and saddle of her own； or juvenilely
rattling on about romance and adventure； bright…eyed； her face flushed and
eager with enthusiasm。 Joan Lackland！ He mused over the cryptic
wonder of it till the secrets of love were made clear and he felt a keen
sympathy for lovers who carved their names on trees or wrote them on the
beach… sands of the sea。
Then he came back to reality； and his face hardened。 Even then she
was on the wild coast of Malaita； and at Poonga…Poonga； of all villainous
and dangerous portions the worst； peopled with a teeming population of
head…hunters； robbers； and murderers。 For the instant he entertained the
rash thought of calling his boat's…crew and starting immediately in a
whale…boat for Poonga…Poonga。 But the next instant the idea was
dismissed。 What could he do if he did go？ First； she would resent it。
Next； she would laugh at him and call him a silly； and after all he would
count for only one rifle more； and she had many rifles with her。 Three
things only could he do if he went。 He could command her to return； he
could take the Flibberty…Gibbet away from her； he could dissolve their
partnership；any and all of which he knew would be foolish and futile；
and he could hear her explain in terse set terms that she was legally of age
and that nobody could say come or go to her。 No； his pride would never
permit him to start for Poonga…Poonga； though his heart whispered that
nothing could be more welcome than a message from her asking him to
come and lend a hand。 Her very words〃lend a hand〃； and in his fancy；
he could see and hear her saying them。
There was much in her wilful conduct that caused him to wince in the
heart of him。 He was appalled by the thought of her shoulder to shoulder
with the drunken rabble of traders and beachcombers at Guvutu。 It was
bad enough for a clean； fastidious man； but for a young woman； a girl at
that； it was awful。 The theft of the Flibberty…Gibbet was merely amusing；
though the means by which the theft had been effected gave hi
