the red one(红色的那人)-第23章
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〃I had my troubles the first several days。 If it wasn't one thing the
matter with the mill； it was another。 On the fourth day； Ferguson； my
engineer； had to shut down several hours in order to remedy his own
troubles。 I was bothered by the feeder。 After having the niggers （who
had been feeding the cane） pour cream of lime on the rollers to keep
everything sweet； I sent them out to join the cane…cutting squads。 So I
was all alone at that end； just as Ferguson started up the mill； just as I
discovered what was the matter with the feed…rollers； and just as Motomoe
strolled up。
〃He stood there； in Norfolk jacket； pigskin puttees； and all the rest of
the fashionable get…up out of a bandbox； sneering at me covered with filth
and grease to the eyebrows and looking like a navvy。 And； the rollers
now white from the lime； I'd just seen what was wrong。 The rollers were
not in plumb。 One side crushed the cane well； but the other side was too
open。 I shoved my fingers in on that side。 The big； toothed cogs on the
rollers did not touch my fingers。 And yet； suddenly； they did。 With the
grip of ten thousand devils； my finger…tips were caught； drawn in； and
pulped to … well； just pulp。 And； like a slick of cane； I had started on my
way。 There was no stopping me。 Ten thousand horses could not have
pulled me back。 There was nothing to stop me。 Hand； arm； shoulder；
head； and chest； down to the toes of me； I was doomed to feed through。
〃It did hurt。 It hurt so much it did not hurt me at all。 Quite detached；
almost may I say； I looked on my hand being ground up； knuckle by
knuckle； joint by joint； the back of the hand； the wrist； the forearm； all in
order slowly and inevitably feeding in。 O engineer hoist by thine own
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petard！ O sugar…maker crushed by thine own cane…crusher！
〃Motomoe sprang forward involuntarily； and the sneer was chased
from his face by an expression of solicitude。 Then the beauty of the
situation dawned on him； and he chuckled and grinned。 No； I didn't
expect anything of him。 Hadn't he tried to knock me on the head？
What could he do anyway？ He didn't know anything about engines。
〃I yelled at the top of my lungs to Ferguson to shut off the engine； but
the roar of the machinery drowned my voice。 And there I stood； up to the
elbow and feeding right on in。 Yes； it did hurt。 There were some
astonishing twinges when special nerves were shredded and dragged out
by the roots。 But I remember that I was surprised at the time that it did
not hurt worse。
〃Motomoe made a movement that attracted my attention。 At the
same time he growled out loud； as if he hated himself； 'I'm a fool。' What he
had done was to pick up a cane…knife … you know the kind； as big as a
machete and as heavy。 And I was grateful to him in advance for putting
me out of my misery。 There wasn't any sense in slowly feeding in till my
head was crushed； and already my arm was pulped half way from elbow to
shoulder； and the pulping was going right on。 So I was grateful； as I bent
my head to the blow。
〃'Get your head out of the way； you idiot！' he barked at me。
〃And then I understood and obeyed。 I was a big man； and he took
two hacks to do it； but he hacked my arm off just outside the shoulder and
dragged me back and laid me down on the cane。
〃Yes； the sugar paid … enormously； and I built for the Princess the
church of her saintly dream； and 。 。 。 she married me。〃
He partly assuaged his thirst； and uttered his final word。
〃Alackaday！ Shuttlecock and battle…dore。 And this at； the end of it
all； lined with boilerplate that even alcohol will not corrode and that only
alcohol will tickle。 Yet have I lived； and I kiss my hand to the dear dust
of my Princess long asleep in the great mausoleum of King John that looks
across the Vale of Manona to the alien flag that floats over the bungalow
of the British Government House。 。 。 〃
Fatty pledged him sympathetically； and sympathetically drank out of
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his own small can。 Bruce Cadogan Cavendish glared into the fire with
implacable bitterness。 He was a man who preferred to drink by himself。
Across the thin lips that composed the cruel slash of his mouth played
twitches of mockery that caught Fatty's eye。 And Fatty； making sure first
that his rock…chunk was within reach； challenged。
〃Well； how about yourself； Bruce Cadogan Cavendish？ It's your
turn。〃
The other lifted bleak eyes that bored into Fatty's until he physically
betrayed uncomfortableness。 〃I've lived a hard life；〃 Slim grated harshly。
〃What do I know about love passages？〃
〃No man of your build and make…up could have escaped them；〃 Fatty
wheedled。
〃And what of it？〃 Slim snarled。 〃It's no reason for a gentleman to
boast of amorous triumphs。〃
〃Oh； go on； be a good fellow；〃 Fatty urged。 〃The night's still young。
We've still some drink left。 Delarouse and I have contributed our share。
It isn't often that three real ones like us get together for a telling。 Surely
you've got at least one adventure in love you aren't ashamed to tell about …
〃
Bruce Cadogan Cavendish pulled forth his iron quoit and seemed to
debate whether or not he should brain the other。 He sighed； and put back
the quoit。
〃Very well； if you will have it；〃 he surrendered with manifest
reluctance。 〃Like you two； I have had a remarkable constitution。 And
right now； speaking of armour…plate lining； I could drink the both of you
down when you were at your prime。 Like you two； my beginnings were
far distant and different。 That I am marked with the hall…mark of
gentlehood there is no discussion 。 。 。 unless either of you care to discuss
the matter now 。 。 。 〃
His one hand slipped into his pocket and clutched the quoit。 Neither of
his auditors spoke nor betrayed any awareness of his menace。
〃It occurred a thousand miles to the westward of Manatomana； on the
island of Tagalag；〃 he continued abruptly； with an air of saturnine
disappointment in that there had been no discussion。 〃But first I must tell
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you of how I got to Tagalag。 For reasons I shall not mention； by paths of
descent I shall not describe； in the crown of my manhood and the prime of
my devilishness in which Oxford renegades and racing younger sons had
nothing on me； I found myself master and owner of a schooner so well
known that she shall remain historically nameless。 I was running
blackbird labour from the west South Pacific and the Coral Sea to the
plantations of Hawaii and the nitrate mines of Chili … 〃
〃It was you who cleaned out the entire population of … 〃 Fatty exploded；
ere he could check his speech。
The one hand of Bruce Cadogan Cavendish flashed pocketward and
flashed back with the quoit balanced ripe for business。
〃Proceed；〃 Fatty sighed。 〃I 。 。 。 I have quite forgotten what I was
going to say。〃
〃Beastly funny country over that way；〃 the narrator drawled with
perfect casualness。 〃You've read this Sea Wolf stuff … 〃
〃You weren't the Sea Wolf；〃 Whiskers broke in with involuntary
positiveness。
〃No； sir；〃 was the snarling answer。 〃The Sea Wolf's dead； isn't he？
And I'm still alive； aren't I？〃
〃Of course； of course；〃 Whiskers conceded。 〃He suffocated head…
first in the mud off a wharf in Victoria a couple of years back。〃
〃As I was saying … and I don't like interruptions；〃 Bruce Cadogan
Cavendish proceeded； 〃it's a beastly funny country over that way。 I was at
Taki…Tiki； a low island that politically belongs to the Solomons； but that
geologically doesn't at all； for the Solomons are high islands。
Ethnographically it belongs to Polynesia； Melanesia； and Micronesia；
because all the breeds of the South Pacific have gravitated to it by canoe…
drift and intricately； degeneratively； and amazingly interbred。 The scum
of the scrapings of the bottom of the human pit； biologically speaking；
resides in Taka…Tiki。 And I know the bottom and whereof I speak。
〃It was a beastly funny time of it I had； diving out shell； fishing beche…
de…mer； trading hoop…iron and hatchets for copra and ivory… nuts； running
niggers and all the rest of it。 Why； even in Fiji the Lotu was having a
hard time of it and the chiefs still eating long…pig。 To the westward it
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was fierce … funny little black kinky…heads； man…eaters the last Jack of
them； and the jackpot fat and spilling over with wealth … 〃
〃Jack…pots？〃 Fatty queried。 At sight of an irritable movement； he
added： 〃You see； I never got over to the West like Delarouse and you。〃
〃They're all head…hunters。 Heads are valuable； especially a white
man's head。 They decorate the canoe…houses and devil…devil houses with
them。 Each village runs a jack…pot； and everybody antes。 Whoever
brings in a white man's head takes the pot。 If there aren't openers for a
long time； the p
