end of the tether- 第12部分

him。







〃Mr。　Sterne；〃　he　said　violently；　〃let　me　tell　you



as　a　shipownerthat　you　are　no　better　than　a　con…



founded　fool。〃











VII







Sterne　went　down　smirking　and　apparently　not　at



all　disconcerted；　but　the　engineer　Massy　remained　on



the　bridge；　moving　about　with　uneasy　self…assertion。



Everybody　on　board　was　his　inferioreveryone　with…



out　exception。　　He　paid　their　wages　and　found　them　in



their　food。　　They　ate　more　of　his　bread　and　pocketed



more　of　his　money　than　they　were　worth；　and　they　had



no　care　in　the　world；　while　he　alone　had　to　meet　all　the



difficulties　of　shipowning。　　When　he　contemplated　his



position　in　all　its　menacing　entirety；　it　seemed　to　him



that　he　had　been　for　years　the　prey　of　a　band　of　para…



sites：　and　for　years　he　had　scowled　at　everybody　con…



nected　with　the　Sofala　except；　perhaps；　at　the　Chinese



firemen　who　served　to　get　her　along。　　Their　use　was



manifest：　they　were　an　indispensable　part　of　the　ma…



chinery　of　which　he　was　the　master。







When　he　passed　along　his　decks　he　shouldered　those



he　came　across　brutally；　but　the　Malay　deck　hands　had



learned　to　dodge　out　of　his　way。　　He　had　to　bring　him…



self　to　tolerate　them　because　of　the　necessary　manual



labor　of　the　ship　which　must　be　done。　　He　had　to



struggle　and　plan　and　scheme　to　keep　the　Sofala　afloat



and　what　did　he　get　for　it？　　Not　even　enough　respect。



They　could　not　have　given　him　enough　of　that　if　all



their　thoughts　and　all　their　actions　had　been　directed



to　that　end。　　The　vanity　of　possession；　the　vainglory



of　power；　had　passed　away　by　this　time；　and　there　re…



mained　only　the　material　embarrassments；　the　fear　of



losing　that　position　which　had　turned　out　not　worth



having；　and　an　anxiety　of　thought　which　no　abject　sub…



servience　of　men　could　repay。







He　walked　up　and　down。　　The　bridge　was　his　own



after　all。　　He　had　paid　for　it；　and　with　the　stem　of



the　pipe　in　his　hand　he　would　stop　short　at　times　as



if　to　listen　with　a　profound　and　concentrated　attention



to　the　deadened　beat　of　the　engines　（his　own　engines）



and　the　slight　grinding　of　the　steering　chains　upon　the



continuous　low　wash　of　water　alongside。　　But　for　these



sounds；　the　ship　might　have　been　lying　as　still　as　if



moored　to　a　bank；　and　as　silent　as　if　abandoned　by　every



living　soul；　only　the　coast；　the　low　coast　of　mud　and



mangroves　with　the　three　palms　in　a　bunch　at　the　back；



grew　slowly　more　distinct　in　its　long　straight　line；　with…



out　a　single　feature　to　arrest　attention。　　The　native



passengers　of　the　Sofala　lay　about　on　mats　under　the



awnings；　the　smoke　of　her　funnel　seemed　the　only　sign



of　her　life　and　connected　with　her　gliding　motion　in　a



mysterious　manner。







Captain　Whalley　on　his　feet；　with　a　pair　of　binoculars



in　his　hand　and　the　little　Malay　Serang　at　his　elbow；



like　an　old　giant　attended　by　a　wizened　pigmy；　was　tak…



ing　her　over　the　shallow　water　of　the　bar。







This　submarine　ridge　of　mud；　scoured　by　the　stream



out　of　the　soft　bottom　of　the　river　and　heaped　up　far



out　on　the　hard　bottom　of　the　sea；　was　difficult　to　get



over。　　The　alluvial　coast　having　no　distinguishing



marks；　the　bearings　of　the　crossing…place　had　to　be



taken　from　the　shape　of　the　mountains　inland。　　The



guidance　of　a　form　flattened　and　uneven　at　the　top　like



a　grinder　tooth；　and　of　another　smooth；　saddle…backed



summit；　had　to　be　searched　for　within　the　great　un…



clouded　glare　that　seemed　to　shift　and　float　like　a　dry



fiery　mist；　filling　the　air；　ascending　from　the　water；



shrouding　the　distances；　scorching　to　the　eye。　　In　this



veil　of　light　the　near　edge　of　the　shore　alone　stood



out　almost　coal…black　with　an　opaque　and　motionless



solidity。　　Thirty　miles　away　the　serrated　range　of　the



interior　stretched　across　the　horizon；　its　outlines　and



shades　of　blue；　faint　and　tremulous　like　a　background



painted　on　airy　gossamer　on　the　quivering　fabric　of　an



impalpable　curtain　let　down　to　the　plain　of　alluvial　soil；



and　the　openings　of　the　estuary　appeared；　shining



white；　like　bits　of　silver　let　into　the　square　pieces　snipped



clean　and　sharp　out　of　the　body　of　the　land　bordered



with　mangroves。







On　the　forepart　of　the　bridge　the　giant　and　the　pigmy



muttered　to　each　other　frequently　in　quiet　tones。　　Be…



hind　them　Massy　stood　sideways　with　an　expression　of



disdain　and　suspense　on　his　face。　　His　globular　eyes



were　perfectly　motionless；　and　he　seemed　to　have　for…



gotten　the　long　pipe　he　held　in　his　hand。







On　the　fore…deck　below　the　bridge；　steeply　roofed　with



the　white　slopes　of　the　awnings；　a　young　lascar　seaman



had　clambered　outside　the　rail。　　He　adjusted　quickly



a　broad　band　of　sail　canvas　under　his　armpits；　and



throwing　his　chest　against　it；　leaned　out　far　over　the



water。　　The　sleeves　of　his　thin　cotton　shirt；　cut　off　close



to　the　shoulder；　bared　his　brown　arm　of　full　rounded



form　and　with　a　satiny　skin　like　a　woman's。　　He　swung



it　rigidly　with　the　rotary　and　menacing　action　of　a



slinger：　the　14…lb。　weight　hurtled　circling　in　the　air；



then　suddenly　flew　ahead　as　far　as　the　curve　of　the　bow。



The　wet　thin　line　swished　like　scratched　silk　running



through　the　dark　fingers　of　the　man；　and　the　plunge　of



the　lead　close　to　the　ship's　side　made　a　vanishing　silvery



scar　upon　the　golden　glitter；　then　after　an　interval　the



voice　of　the　young　Malay　uplifted　and　long…drawn　de…



clared　the　depth　of　the　water　in　his　own　language。







〃Tiga　stengah；〃　he　cried　after　each　splash　and　pause；



gathering　the　line　busily　for　another　cast。　　〃Tiga



stengah；〃　which　means　three　fathom　and　a　half。　　For



a　mile　or　so　from　seaward　there　was　a　uniform　depth



of　water　right　up　to　the　bar。　　〃Half…three。　　Half…



three。　　Half…three；〃and　his　modulated　cry；　returned



leisurely　and　monotonous；　like　the　repeated　call　of　a



bird；　seemed　to　float　away　in　sunshine　and　disappear　in



the　spacious　silence　of　the　empty　sea　and　of　a　lifeless



shore　lying　open；　north　and　south；　east　and　west；　with…



out　the　stir　of　a　single　cloud…shadow　or　the　whisper　of



any　other　voice。







The　owner…engineer　of　the　Sofala　remained　very　still



behind　the　two　seamen　of　different　race；　creed；　and



color；　the　European　with　the　time…defying　vigor　of



his　old　frame；　the　little　Malay；　old；　too；　but　slight　and



shrunken　like　a　withered　brown　leaf　blown　by　a　chance



wind　under　the　mighty　shadow　of　the　other。　　Very



busy　looking　forward　at　the　land；　they　had　not　a　glance



to　spare；　and　Massy；　glaring　at　them　from　behind；



seemed　to　resent　their　attention　to　their　duty　like　a　per…



sonal　slight　upon　himself。







This　was　unreasonable；　but　he　had　lived　in　his　own



world　of　unreasonable　resentments　for　many　years。　　At



last；　passing　his　moist　palm　over　the　rare　lanky　wisps



of　coarse　hair　on　the　top　of　his　yellow　head；　he　began



to　talk　slowly。







〃A　leadsman；　you　want！　　I　suppose　that's　your　cor…



rect　mail…boat　style。　　Haven't　you　enough　judgment



to　tell　where　you　are　by　looking　at　the　land？　　Why；



before　I　had　been　a　twelvemonth　in　the　trade　I　was　up



to　that　trickand　I　am　only　an　engineer。　　I　can　point



to　you　from　here　where　the　bar　is；　and　I　could　tell　you



besides　that　you　are　as　likely　as　not　to　stick　her　in　the



mud　in　about　five　minutes　from　now；　only　you　would



call　it　interfering；　I　suppose。　　And　there's　that　written



agreement　of　ours；　that　says　I　mustn't　interfere。〃







His　voice　stopped。　　Captain　Whalley；　without　relax…



ing　the　set　severity　of　his　features；　moved　his　lips　to　ask



in　a　quick　mumble







〃How　near；　Serang？〃







〃Very　near　now；　Tuan；〃　the　Malay　muttered　rapidly。







〃Dead　slow；〃　said　the　Captain　aloud　in　a　firm　tone。







The　Serang　snatched　at　the　handle　of　the　telegraph。



A　gong　clanged　down　below。　　Massy　with　a　scornful



snigger　walked　off　and　put　his　head　down　the　engine…



room　skylight。







〃You　may　expect　some　rare　fooling　with　the　engines；



Jack；〃　he　bellowed。　　The　space　into　which　he　stared　was



deep　and　full　of　gloom；　and　the　gray　gleams　of　steel



down　there　seemed　cool　after　the　intense　glare　of　the



sea　around　the　ship。　　The　air；　however；　came　up　clammy



and　hot　on　his　face。　　A　short　hoot　on　which　it　would



have　been　impossible　to　put　any　sort　of　interpretation



came　from　the　bottom　cavernously。　　This　was　the　way



in　which　the　second　enginee