hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第57章
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AN HOUR BEFORE DAYLIGHT he was below and had checked his glass。 It was four…tenths lower and he woke his mate and showed it to him。
The mate looked at him and nodded。
¨You saw the squalls over Romano yesterday；〃 he whispered。 ¨She is going into the south。〃
¨Make me some tea； will you； please；〃 Thomas Hudson asked。
¨I have some cold in a bottle on the ice。〃
He went astern and found a mop and a bucket and scrubbed the deck of the stern。 It had been scrubbed before but he scrubbed it again and rinsed the mop。 Then he took his bottle of cold tea up on the flying bridge and waited for it to get light。
Before it was light his mate got in the stern anchor and then with Ara brought in the starboard anchor and they and Gil hoisted the dinghy aboard。 Then his mate pumped the bilges and checked his motors。
He put his head up and said； ¨Any time。〃
¨Why did she make that much water？〃
¨Just a stuffing box。 I tightened it a little。 But Iˇd rather she made a little water than run hot。〃
¨All right。 Send up Ara and Henry。 Weˇll get going。〃
They got in the anchor and he turned to Ara。 ¨Show me the tree again。〃
Ara pointed it out just above the line of beach they were leaving and Thomas Hudson made a small pencilled cross on the chart。
¨Peters never did get Guant？namo again？〃
¨No。 He burned out once more。〃
¨Well； we are behind them and they have other people ahead of them and weˇve got orders。〃
¨Do you think the wind will really go into the south； Tom？〃 Henry asked。
¨The glass shows it will。 We can tell better when it starts to get up。〃
¨It fell off to almost nothing about four oˇclock。〃
¨Did the sand flies hit you？〃
¨Only at daylight。〃
¨You might as well go down and Flit them all out。 Thereˇs no sense our carrying them around with us。〃
It was a lovely day and looking back at the bight where they had anchored and at the beach and the scrub trees of Cayo Cruz that they both knew so well； Thomas Hudson and Ara saw the high； piled clouds over the land。 Cayo Romano rose so that it was like the mainland and the clouds were high above it with their promise of south wind or calm and land squalls。
¨What would you think if you were a German； Ara？〃 Thomas Hudson asked。 ¨What would you think if you saw that and knew that you were going to lose your wind？〃
¨Iˇd try to get inside；〃 Ara said。 ¨I think thatˇs what Iˇd do。〃
¨Youˇd need a guide for inside。〃
¨Iˇd get me a guide；〃 Ara said。
¨Where would you get him？〃
¨From fishermen up at Ant？n or inside at Romano。 Or at Coco。 There must be fishermen salting fish along there now。 There might even be a live…well boat at Ant？n。〃
¨Weˇll try Ant？n；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Itˇs nice to wake up in the morning and steer with the sun behind you。〃
¨If you always steered with the sun behind you and on a day like this； what a place the ocean would be。〃
The day was like true summer and in the morning the squalls had not yet built。 The day was all gentle promise and the sea lay smooth and clear。 They could see bottom clearly until they ran out of soundings； and then far out and just where it should be was the Minerva with the sea breaking restfully on its coral rocks。 It was the swell that was left from the two months of unremitting heavy trade wind。 But it broke gently and kindly and with a passive regularity。
It is as though she were saying we are all friends now and there win never be any trouble nor any wildness again； Thomas Hudson thought。 Why is she so dishonest？ A river can be treacherous and cruel and kind and friendly。 A stream can be completely friendly and you can trust it all your life if you do not abuse it。 But the ocean always has to lie to you before she does it。
He looked again at her gentle rise and fall that showed the Minervas as regularly and attractively as though she were trying to sell them as a choice location。
¨Want to get me a sandwich？〃 he asked Ara。 ¨Corned beef and raw onion or ham and egg and raw onion。 After you get breakfast； bring a four…man watch up here and check all the binoculars。 Iˇm going outside before we go in to Ant？n。〃
¨Yes； Tom。〃
I wonder what I would do without that Ara； Thomas Hudson thought。 You had a wonderful sleep； he told himself； and you couldnˇt feel better。 Weˇve got orders and we are right on their tails and pushing them toward other people。 Youˇre following your orders and look what a beautiful morning you have to follow them in。 But things look too damned good。
They moved down the channel keeping a good lookout； but there was nothing but the calm； early morning sea with its friendly undulations and the long green line of Romano inland with the many keys between。
¨They wonˇt sail very far in this；〃 Henry said。
¨They wonˇt sail at all；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Are we going in to Ant？n？〃
¨Sure。 And work all of that out。〃
¨I like Ant？n；〃 Henry said。 ¨Thereˇs a good place to lay to； if itˇs calm； so they wonˇt eat us up。〃
¨Inside theyˇd carry you away；〃 Ara said。
A small seaplane showed ahead； flying low and coming toward them。 It was white and minute with the sun on it。
¨Plane；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Pass the word to get the big flag out。〃
The plane came on until it buzzed them。 Then it circled them twice and went off flying on down to the eastward。
¨He wouldnˇt have it so good if he found one；〃 Henry said。 ¨Theyˇd shoot him down。〃
¨He could send the location and Cayo Franc？s would pick it up。〃
¨Maybe；〃 Ara said。 The two other Basques said nothing。 They stood back to back and searched their quadrants。
After a while the Basque they called George because his name was Eugenio and Peters could not always say Eugenio said； ¨Planeˇs coming back to the eastward between the outer keys and Romano。〃
¨Heˇs going home to breakfast；〃 Ara said。
¨Heˇll report us；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨So in a month maybe everybody will know where we were at this time today。〃
¨If he doesnˇt get the location mixed up on his chart；〃 Ara said。 ¨Pared？n Grande； Tom。 Bearing approximately twenty degrees off the port bow。〃
¨Youˇve got good eyes；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Thatˇs her； all right。 I better take her in and find the channel in to Ant？n。〃
¨Turn port ninety degrees and I think youˇll have her。〃
¨Iˇll hit the bank anyway and we can run along it until we find that damned canal。〃
They came in toward the line of green keys that showed like black hedges sticking up from the water and then acquired shape and greenness and finally sandy beaches。 Thomas Hudson came in with reluctance from the open channel； the promising sea； and the beauty of the morning on deep water； to the business of searching the inner keys。 But the plane working the coast in this direction； turning to run over it with the sun behind it； should mean no one had picked the boats up to the eastward。 It could be only a routine patrol； too。 But it was logical that it should mean the other。 A routine patrol would have been out over the channel both ways。
He saw Ant？n； which was well wooded and a pleasant island； growing before him and he watched ahead for his marks while he worked in toward the bank。 He must take the highest tree on the head of the island and fit it squarely into the little saddle on Romano。 On that bearing； he could come in even if the sun were in his eyes and the water had the glare of a burning glass。
Today he did not need it。 But he did it for practice and when he found his tree； thinking； I should have something more permanent for a bearing on a hurricane coast； he eased along the bank until he fitted the tree carefully into the slot of the saddle； then turned sharp in。 He was in the canal between many banks that were barely covered with water and he said to Ara； ¨Ask Antonio to put a feather out。 We might pick up something to eat。 This channel has a wonderful bar on the bottom。〃
Then he steered straight in on his bearing。 He was tempted not to look at the banks but to push it straight through。 But then he knew that was one of the things of too much pride Ara had spoken of and he piloted carefully on the starboard bank and made his turn to starboard when it came by the banks and not by the second bearing that he had。 It was like running in the regular streets of a new subdivision and the tide was racing in。 It came in brown at first； then pure and clean。 Just before he came into the part that he thought of as the turning basin where he planned to anchor； he heard Willie shout； ¨Feesh！ Feesh！！〃 Looking astern； he saw a tarpon shaking himself high in the sun。 His mouth was open and he was huge and the sun shone on his silvered scales and on the long green whip of his dorsal fin。 He shook himself desperately in the sun and came down in a splash of water。
¨S？balo；〃 Antonio called up disgustedly。
¨Worthless s？balo；〃 the Basques said。
¨Can I play him； Tom？〃 Henry asked。 ¨Iˇd like to catch him even if he is no good to eat。〃
¨Take him from Antonio if Willie hasnˇt got him。 Tell Antonio to get the hell forward。 Iˇm going to anchor。〃
The excitement and the leaping of the big tarpon continued astern； with no one paying attention to it except to grin； while they anchored。
¨Do you want to put out another？〃 Thomas Hudson called forward。 His mate shook his head。 When they swung well to the anchor； his mate came up on the bridge。
¨Sheˇll hold in anything； Tom；〃 he said。 ¨Any kind of a squall。 Anything。 And it doesnˇt make any difference how she swings； we canˇt have any motion。〃
¨What time will we get the squalls？〃
¨After two；〃 his mate said； looking at the sky。
¨Get the dinghy over；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨And give me an extra can of gas with the outboard。 We have to get the hell going。〃
¨Whoˇs going with you？〃
¨Just Ara and Willie and I。 I want her to travel fast。〃
X
IN THE DINGHY THE THREE OF THEM had their raincoats wrapped around the ni？os。 These were the Thompson submachine guns in their full…length sheep…wool cases。 The cases were cut and sewn by Ara； who was not a tailor； and Thomas Hudson had impregnated the clipped wool on the inside with a protective oil which had a faintly carbolic smell。 It was because the guns nestled in their sheep…lined cradles； and because the cradles swung when they were strapped open inside the branch of the flying bridge； that the Basques had nicknamed them ¨little children。〃
¨Give us a bottle of water；〃 Thomas Hudson said to his mate。 When Antonio brought it； heavy and cold with the wide； screw…on top； he passed it to Willie； who stowed it forward。 Ara loved to steer the outboard and he was in the stern。 Thomas Hudson was in the center and Willie crouched in the bow。
Ara headed her straight in for the key and Thomas Hudson watched the clouds piling up over the land。
As they came into the shallow water； Thomas Hudson could see the grayish humps of conches bulging from the sand。 Ara leaned forward to say； ¨Do you want to look at the beach； Tom？〃
¨Maybe weˇd better before the rain。〃
Ara ran the dinghy ashore； tilting his motor up just at the last rush。 The tide had undercut the sand to make a little channel at the point a
