voyages of dr[1]. doolittle(都利特尔的航行)-第24节
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you've let her swing a point and a half off her course。 It's madness for you
to try to do this trip aloneif you'll pardon my saying so； Sir。 Whywhy；
you'll lose the ship！〃
〃Look here；〃 said the Doctor； a sudden stern look coming into his eyes；
〃losing a ship is nothing to me。 I've lost ships before and it doesn't bother
me in the least。 When I set out to go to a place； I get there。 Do you
understand？ I may know nothing whatever about sailing and navigation；
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but I get there just the same。 Now you may be the best seaman in the
world； but on this ship you're just a plain ordinary nuisancevery plain
and very ordinary。 And I am now going to call at the nearest port and put
you ashore。〃
〃Yes； and think yourself lucky；〃 Polynesia put in； 〃that you are not
locked up for stowing away and eating all our salt beef。〃
〃I don't know what the mischief we're going to do now；〃 I heard her
whisper to Bumpo。 〃We've no money to buy any more； and that salt beef
was the most important part of the stores。〃
〃Would it not be good political economy；〃 Bumpo whispered back； 〃if
we salted the able seaman and ate him instead？ I should judge that he
would weigh more than a hundred and twenty pounds。〃
〃How often must I tell you that we are not in Jolliginki；〃 snapped
Polynesia。 〃Those things are not done on white men's shipsStill；〃 she
murmured after a moment's thought； 〃it's an awfully bright idea。 I don't
suppose anybody saw him come on to the shipOh； but Heavens！ we
haven't got enough salt。 Besides； he'd be sure to taste of tobacco。〃
THE FIFTH CHAPTER
POLYNESIA HAS A PLAN
THEN the Doctor told me to take the wheel while he made a little
calculation with his map and worked out what new course we should take。
〃I shall have to run for the Capa Blancas after all；〃 he told me when
the seaman's back was turned。 〃Dreadful nuisance！ But I'd sooner swim
back to Puddleby than have to listen to that fellow's talk all the way to
Brazil。〃
Indeed he was a terrible person； this Ben Butcher。 You'd think that any
one after being told he wasn't wanted would have had the decency to keep
quiet。 But not Ben Butcher。 He kept going round the deck pointing out all
the things we had wrong。 According to him there wasn't a thing right on
the whole ship。 The anchor was hitched up wrong； the hatches weren't
fastened down properly； the sails were put on back to front； all our knots
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were the wrong kind of knots。
At last the Doctor told him to stop talking and go downstairs。 He
refusedsaid he wasn't going to be sunk by landlubbers while he was still
able to stay on deck。
This made us feel a little uneasy。 He was such an enormous man there
was no knowing what he might do if he got really obstreperous。
Bumpo and I were talking about this downstairs in the dining…saloon
when Polynesia； Jip and Chee…Chee came and joined us。 And； as usual；
Polynesia had a plan。
〃Listen；〃 she said； 〃I am certain this Ben Butcher is a smuggler and a
bad man。 I am a very good judge of seamen； remember； and I don't like the
cut of this man's jib。 I〃
〃Do you really think；〃 I interrupted； 〃that it is safe for the Doctor to
cross the Atlantic without any regular seamen on his ship？〃
You see it had upset me quite a good deal to find that all the things we
had been doing were wrong； and I was beginning to wonder what might
happen if we ran into a stormparticularly as Miranda had only said the
weather would be good for a certain time； and we seemed to be having so
many delays。 But Polynesia merely tossed her head scornfully。
〃Oh； bless you； my boy；〃 said she； 〃you're always safe with John
Dolittle。 Remember that。 Don't take any notice of that stupid old salt。 Of
course it is perfectly true the Doctor does do everything wrong。 But with
him it doesn't matter。 Mark my words； if you travel with John Dolittle you
always get there； as you heard him say。 I've been with him lots of times
and I know。 Sometimes the ship is upside down when you get there； and
sometimes it's right way up。 But you get there just the same。 And then of
course there's another thing about the Doctor；〃 she added thoughtfully： 〃he
always has extraordinary good luck。 He may have his troubles； but with
him things seem to have a habit of turning out all right in the end。 I
remember once when we were going through the Straits of Magellan the
wind was so strong〃
〃But what are we going to do about Ben Butcher？〃 Jip put in。 〃You
had some plan Polynesia； hadn't you？〃
〃Yes。 What I'm afraid of is that he may hit the Doctor on the head
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when he's not looking and make himself captain of the Curlew。 Bad sailors
do that sometimes。 Then they run the ship their own way and take it where
they want。 That's what you call a mutiny。〃
〃Yes；〃 said Jip； 〃and we ought to do something pretty quick。 We can't
reach the Capa Blancas before the day after to…morrow at best。 I don't like
to leave the Doctor alone with him for a minute。 He smells like a very bad
man to me。〃
〃Well； I've got it all worked out；〃 said Polynesia。 〃Listen： is there a
key in that door？〃
We looked outside the dining…room and found that there was。
〃All right；〃 said Polynesia。 〃Now Bumpo lays the table for lunch and
we all go and hide。 Then at twelve o'clock Bumpo rings the dinner…bell
down here。 As soon as Ben hears it he'll come down expecting more salt
beef。 Bumpo must hide behind the door outside。 The moment that Ben is
seated at the dining…table Bumpo slams the door and locks it。 Then we've
got him。 See？〃
〃How stratagenious！〃 Bumpo chuckled。 〃As Cicero said； parrots cum
parishioners facilime congregation。 I'll lay the table at once。〃
〃Yes and take that Worcestershire sauce off the dresser with you when
you go out；〃 said Polynesia。 〃Don't leave any loose eatables around。 That
fellow has had enough to last any man for three days。 Besides； he won't be
so inclined to start a fight when we put him ashore at the Capa Blancas if
we thin him down a bit before we let him out。〃
So we all went and hid ourselves in the passage where we could watch
what happened。 And presently Bumpo came to the foot of the stairs and
rang the dinner…bell like mad。 Then he hopped behind the dining…room
door and we all kept still and listened。
Almost immediately； THUMP； THUMP； THUMP； down the stairs
tramped Ben Butcher； the able seaman。 He walked into the dining…saloon；
sat himself down at the head of the table in the Doctor's place； tucked a
napkin under his fat chin and heaved a sigh of expectation。
Then； BANG！ Bumpo slammed the door and locked it。
〃That settles HIM for a while；〃 said Polynesia coming out from her
hiding…place。 〃Now let him teach navigation to the side…board。 Gosh； the
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cheek of the man！ I've forgotten more about the sea than that lumbering
lout will ever know。 Let's go upstairs and tell the Doctor。 Bumpo； you will
have to serve the meals in the cabin for the next couple of days。〃
And bursting into a rollicking Norwegian sea…song； she climbed up to
my shoulder and we went on deck。
THE SIXTH CHAPTER
THE BED…MAKER OF MONTEVERDE
WE remained three days in the Capa Blanca Islands。
There were two reasons why we stayed there so long when we were
really in such a hurry to get away。 One was the shortage in our provisions
caused by the able seaman's enormous appetite。 When we came to go over
the stores and make a list； we found that he had eaten a whole lot of other
things besides the beef。 And having no money； we were sorely puzzled
how to buy more。 The Doctor went through his trunk to s
