adventure(冒险)-第33部分
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
the Emily； and Captain Munster has acted under my orders。'
〃What could Burnett do？ He passed the whole hundred and fifty；
though the Emily was only licensed for forty； and the Flibberty… Gibbet for
130
… Page 131…
ADVENTURE
thirty…five。〃
〃But I don't understand；〃 Sheldon said。
〃This is the way she worked it。 When the Martha was floated； we
had to beach her right away at the head of the bay； and whilst repairs were
going on； a new rudder being made； sails bent； gear recovered from the
niggers； and so forth； Miss Lackland borrows Sparrowhawk to run the
Flibberty along with Curtis； lends me Brahms to take Sparrowhawk's place；
and starts both craft off recruiting。 My word； the niggers came easy。 It
was virgin ground。 Since the Scottish Chiefs； no recruiter had ever even
tried to work the coast； and we'd already put the fear of God into the
niggers' hearts till the whole coast was quiet as lambs。 When we filled
up； we came back to see how the Martha was progressing。〃
〃And thinking we was going home with our recruits；〃 Sparrowhawk
slipped in。 〃Lord lumme； that Miss Lackland ain't never satisfied。 'I'll
take 'em on the Martha；' says she； 'and you can go back and fill up again。'〃
〃But I told her it couldn't be done；〃 Munster went on。 〃I told her the
Martha hadn't a license for recruiting。 'Oh；' she said； 'it can't be done；
eh？' and she stood and thought a few minutes。〃
〃And I'd seen her think before；〃 cried Sparrowhawk； 〃and I knew at
wunst that the thing was as good as done。〃
Munster lighted his cigarette and resumed。
〃'You see that spit；' she says to me； 'with the little ripple breaking
around it？ There's a current sets right across it and on it。 And you see
them bafflin' little cat's…paws？ It's good weather and a falling tide。 You
just start to beat out； the two of you； and all you have to do is miss stays in
the same baffling puff and the current will set you nicely aground。'〃
〃'That little wash of sea won't more than start a sheet or two of copper；'
says she； when Munster kicked；〃 Sparrowhawk explained。 〃Oh； she's no
green un； that girl。〃
〃'Then I'll rescue your recruits and sail awaysimple； ain't it？' says
she；〃 Munster continued。 〃'You hang up one tide；' says she； 'the next is
the big high water。 Then you kedge off and go after more recruits。
There's no law against recruiting when you're empty。' 'But there is
against starving 'em；' I said； 'you know yourself there ain't any kai…kai to
131
… Page 132…
ADVENTURE
speak of aboard of us； and there ain't a crumb on the Martha。'〃
〃We'd all been pretty well on native kai…kai； as it was；〃 said
Sparrowhawk。
〃'Don't let the kai…kai worry you； Captain Munster；' says she； 'if I can
find grub for eighty…four mouths on the Martha； the two of you can do as
much by your two vessels。 Now go ahead and get aground before a
steady breeze comes up and spoils the manoeuvre。 I'll send my boats the
moment you strike。 And now； good…day； gentlemen。'〃
〃And we went and did it；〃 Sparrowhawk said solemnly； and then
emitted a series of chuckling noises。 〃We laid over； starboard tack； and I
pinched the Emily against the spit。 'Go about；' Captain Munster yells at
me； 'go about； or you'll have me aground！' He yelled other things； much
worse。 But I didn't mind。 I missed stays； pretty as you please； and the
Flibberty drifted down on him and fouled him； and we went ashore
together in as nice a mess as you ever want to see。 Miss Lackland
transferred the recruits； and the trick was done。〃
〃But where was she during the nor'wester？〃 Sheldon asked。
〃At Langa…Langa。 Ran up there as it was coming on； and laid there
the whole week and traded for grub with the niggers。 When we got to
Tulagi； there she was waiting for us and scrapping with Burnett。 I tell you；
Mr。 Sheldon； she's a wonder； that girl； a perfect wonder。〃 Munster
refilled his glass； and while Sheldon glanced across at Joan's house；
anxious for her coming； Sparrowhawk took up the tale。
〃Gritty！ She's the grittiest thing； man or woman； that ever blew into
the Solomons。 You should have seen Poonga…Poonga the morning we
arrivedSniders popping on the beach and in the mangroves； war… drums
booming in the bush； and signal…smokes raising everywhere。 'It's all up；'
says Captain Munster。〃
〃Yes； that's what I said；〃 declared that mariner。
〃Of course it was all up。 You could see it with half an eye and hear it
with one ear。〃
〃'Up your granny；' she says to him；〃 Sparrowhawk went on。 〃'Why；
we haven't arrived yet； much less got started。 Wait till the anchor's down
before you get afraid。'〃
132
… Page 133…
ADVENTURE
〃That's what she said to me；〃 Munster proclaimed。 〃And of course it
made me mad so that I didn't care what happened。 We tried to send a
boat ashore for a pow…wow； but it was fired upon。 And every once and a
while some nigger'd take a long shot at us out of the mangroves。〃
〃They was only a quarter of a mile off；〃 Sparrowhawk explained； 〃and
it was damned nasty。 'Don't shoot unless they try to board；' was Miss
Lackland's orders； but the dirty niggers wouldn't board。 They just lay off
in the bush and plugged away。 That night we held a council of war in the
Flibberty's cabin。 'What we want；' says Miss Lackland； 'is a hostage。'〃
〃'That's what they do in books；' I said； thinking to laugh her away from
her folly；〃 Munster interrupted。 〃'True；' says she； 'and have you never
seen the books come true？' I shook my head。 'Then you're not too old
to learn；' says she。 'I'll tell you one thing right now；' says I； 'and that is I'll
be blowed if you catch me ashore in the night…time stealing niggers in a
place like this。'〃
〃You didn't say blowed；〃 Sparrowhawk corrected。 〃You said you'd
be damned。〃
〃That's what I did； and I meant it； too。〃
〃'Nobody asked you to go ashore；' says she； quick as lightning；〃
Sparrowhawk grinned。 〃And she said more。 She said； 'And if I catch
you going ashore without orders there'll be trouble understand； Captain
Munster？'〃
〃Who in hell's telling this； you or me？〃 the skipper demanded
wrathfully。
〃Well； she did； didn't she？〃 insisted the mate。
〃Yes； she did； if you want to make so sure of it。 And while you're
about it； you might as well repeat what she said to you when you said you
wouldn't recruit on the Poonga…Poonga coast for twice your screw。〃
Sparrowhawk's sun…reddened face flamed redder； though he tried to
pass the situation off by divers laughings and chucklings and face…
twistings。
〃Go on； go on；〃 Sheldon urged； and Munster resumed the narrative。
〃'What we need；' says she； 'is the strong hand。 It's the only way to
handle them； and we've got to take hold firm right at the beginning。 I'm
133
… Page 134…
ADVENTURE
going ashore to…night to fetch Kina…Kina himself on board； and I'm not
asking who's game to go for I've got every man's work arranged with me
for him。 I'm taking my sailors with me； and one white man。' 'Of course；
I'm that white man；' I said； for by that time I was mad enough to go to hell
and back again。 'Of course you're not；' says she。 'You'll have charge of
the covering boat。 Curtis stands by the landing boat。 Fowler goes with
me。 Brahms takes charge of the Flibberty； and Sparrowhawk of the Emily。
And we start at one o'clock。'
〃My word； it was a tough job lying there in the covering boat。 I
never thought doing nothing could be such hard work。 We stopped about
fifty fathoms off； and watched the other boat go in。 It was so dark under
the mangroves we couldn't see a thing of it。 D'ye know that little；
monkey…looking nigger； Sheldon； on the Flibberty… …the cook； I mean？
Well； he was cabin…boy twenty years ago on the Scottish Chiefs； and after
she was cut off he was a slave there at Poonga…Poonga。 And Miss
Lackland had discovered the fact。 So he was the guide。 She gave him
half a case of tobacco for that night's work〃
〃And scared him fit to die before she could get him to come along；〃
Sparrowhawk observed。
〃Well； I never saw anything so black as the mangroves。 I stared at
them till my eyes were ready to burst。 And then I'd look at the stars； and
