下载辰思小说免费APP
Itwasasentimentperfectlynewtohim。Hehadneverbeforefeltthissortofsolicitudeabouthimselforanyotherman。Hispersonalitywasbeingdevelopedbynewexperience，andashewasverysimplehereceivedtheinitiationwithshynessandself—mistrust。HehadnoticedwithinnocentalarmthatLingardhadnotlookedeitherattheskyoroverthesea，neitherathisownshipnortheschoonerastern；notalongthedecks，notaloft，notanywhere。Hehadlookedatnothing！AndsomehowCarterfelthimselfmorelonelyandwithoutsupportthanwhenhehadbeenleftalonebythatmaninchargeoftwoshipsentangledamongsttheShallowsandenvironedbysomesinistermystery。Sincethatmanhadcomeback，insteadofwelcomereliefCarterfelthisresponsibilityrestonhisyoungshoulderswithtenfoldweight。
HisprofoundconvictionwasthatLingardshouldberoused。
"CaptainLingard，"heburstoutindesperation；"youcan’tsayI
haveworriedyouverymuchsincethismorningwhenIreceivedyouattheside，butImustbetoldsomething。Whatisitgoingtobewithus？Fightorrun？"
LingardstoppedshortandnowtherewasnodoubtinCarter’smindthattheCaptainwaslookingathim。Therewasnoroomforanydoubtbeforethatsternandenquiringgaze。"Aha！"thoughtCarter。"Thishasstartledhim"；andfeelingthathisshynesshaddepartedhepursuedhisadvantage。"Forthefactofthematteris，sir，that，whateverhappens，unlessIamtobeyourmanyouwillhavenoofficer。IhadbettertellyouatoncethatIhavebundledthatrespectable，crazy，fatShawoutoftheship。Hewasupsettingallhands。YesterdayItoldhimtogoandgethisdunnagetogetherbecauseIwasgoingtosendhimaboardtheyacht。Hecouldn’thavemademoreuproaraboutitifIhadproposedtochuckhimoverboard。Iwarnedhimthatifhedidn’tgoquietlyIwouldhavehimtieduplikeasheepreadyforslaughter。However，hewentdowntheladderonhisownfeet，shakinghisfistatmeandpromisingtohavemehangedforapiratesomeday。Hecandonoharmonboardtheyacht。Andnow，sir，it’sforyoutogiveordersandnotforme——thankGod！"
Lingardturnedaway，abruptly。Carterdidn’tbudge。Afteramomentheheardhimselfcalledfromtheothersideofthedeckandobeyedwithalacrity。
"What’sthatstoryofamanyoupickeduponthecoastlastevening？"askedLingardinhisgentlesttone。"Didn’tyoutellmesomethingaboutitwhenIcameonboard？"
"Itriedto，"saidCarter，frankly。"ButIsoongaveitup。Youdidn’tseemtopayanyattentiontowhatIwassaying。Ithoughtyouwantedtobeleftaloneforabit。WhatcanIknowofyourways，yet，sir？Areyouaware，CaptainLingard，thatsincethismorningIhavebeendownfivetimesatthecabindoortolookatyou？Thereyousat……"
HepausedandLingardsaid："Youhavebeenfivetimesdowninthecabin？"
"Yes。AndthesixthtimeImadeupmymindtomakeyoutakesomenoticeofme。Ican’tbeleftwithoutorders。Therearetwoshipstolookafter，alotofthingstobedone……"
"Thereisnothingtobedone，"LingardinterruptedwithameremurmurbutinatonewhichmadeCarterkeepsilentforawhile。
"Eventoknowthatmuchwouldhavebeensomethingtogoby，"heventuredatlast。"Icouldn’tletyousittherewiththesungettingprettylowandalongnightbeforeus。"
"Ifeelstunnedyet，"saidLingard，lookingCarterstraightintheface，asiftowatchtheeffectofthatconfession。
"Wereyouverynearthatexplosion？"askedtheyoungmanwithsympatheticcuriosityandseekingforsomesignonLingard’sperson。Buttherewasnothing。NotasinglehairoftheCaptain’sheadseemedtohavebeensinged。
"Near，"mutteredLingard。"Itmighthavebeenmyhead。"Hepresseditwithbothhands，thenletthemfall。"Whataboutthatman？"heasked，brusquely。"Wheredidhecomefrom？……I
supposeheisdeadnow，"headdedinanenvioustone。
"No，sir。Hemusthaveasmanylivesasacat，"answeredCarter。
"Iwilltellyouhowitwas。AsIsaidbeforeIwasn’tgoingtogiveyouup，deadoralive，soyesterdaywhenthesunwentdownalittleintheafternoonIhadtwoofourboatsmannedandpulledinshore，takingsoundingstofindapassageiftherewasone。I
meanttogobackandlookforyouwiththebrigorwithoutthebrig——butthatdoesn’tmatternow。Therewerethreeorfourfloatinglogsinsight。OneoftheCalashesinmyboatmadeoutsomethingredononeofthem。Ithoughtitwasworthwhiletogoandseewhatitwas。Itwasthatman’ssarong。Ithadgotentangledamongthebranchesandpreventedhimrollingoffintothewater。Iwasneversoglad，Iassureyou，aswhenwefoundoutthathewasstillbreathing。Ifwecouldonlynursehimbacktolife，Ithought，hecouldperhapstellmealotofthings。Thelogonwhichhehunghadcomeoutofthemouthofthecreekandhecouldn’thavebeenmorethanhalfadayonitbymycalculation。Ihadhimtakendownthemainhatchwayandputintoahammockinthe’tween—decks。Heonlyjustbreathedthen，butsometimeduringthenighthecametohimselfandgotoutofthehammocktoliedownonamat。Isupposehewasmorecomfortablethatway。HerecoveredhisspeechonlythismorningandIwentdownatonceandtoldyouofit，butyoutooknonotice。ItoldyoualsowhohewasbutIdon’tknowwhetheryouheardmeornot。"
"Idon’tremember，"saidLingardunderhisbreath。
"Theyarewonderful，thoseMalays。Thismorninghewasonlyhalfalive，ifthatmuch，andnowIunderstandhehasbeentalkingtoWasubforanhour。Willyougodowntoseehim，sir，orshallI
sendacoupleofmentocarryhimondeck？"
Lingardlookedbewilderedforamoment。
"Whoonearthishe？"heasked。
"Why，it’sthatfellowwhomyousentout，thatnightImetyou，tocatchourfirstgig。Whatdotheycallhim？Jaffir，Ithink。
Hasn’thebeenwithyouashore，sir？Didn’thefindyouwiththeletterIgavehimforyou？Amostdeterminedlookingchap。Iknewhimagainthemomentwegothimoffthelog。"
Lingardseizedholdoftheroyalbackstaywithinreachofhishand。Jaffir！Jaffir！Faithfulaboveallothers；themessengerofsuprememoments；therecklessanddevotedservant！Lingardfeltacrushingsenseofdespair。"No，Ican’tfacethis，"hewhisperedtohimself，lookingatthecoastblackasinknowbeforehiseyesintheworld’sshadowthatwasslowlyencompassingthegreyclearnessoftheShallowWaters。"SendWasubtome。Iamgoingdownintothecabin。"
Hecrossedovertothecompanion，thencheckinghimselfsuddenly：
"Wasthereaboatfromtheyachtduringtheday？"heaskedasifstruckbyasuddenthought。——"No，sir，"answeredCarter。"Wehadnocommunicationwiththeyachtto—day。"——"SendWasubtome，"
repeatedLingardinasternvoiceashewentdownthestairs。
TheoldserangcominginnoiselesslysawhisCaptainashehadseenhimmanytimesbefore，sittingunderthegiltthunderbolts，apparentlyasstronginhisbody，inhiswealth，andinhisknowledgeofsecretwordsthathaveapowerovermenandelements，asever。TheoldMalaysquatteddownwithinacoupleoffeetfromLingard，leanedhisbackagainstthesatinwoodpanelofthebulkhead，thenraisinghisoldeyeswithawatchfulandbenevolentexpressiontothewhiteman’sface，claspedhishandsbetweenhisknees。
"Wasub，youhavelearnednoweverything。IstherenooneleftalivebutJaffir？Aretheyalldead？"
"Mayyoulive！"answeredWasub；andLingardwhisperedanappalled"Alldead！"towhichWasubnoddedslightlytwice。Hiscrackedvoicehadalamentingintonation。"Itisalltrue！Itisalltrue！Youareleftalone，Tuan；youareleftalone！"
"Itwastheirdestiny，"saidLingardatlast，withforcedcalmness。"ButhasJaffirtoldyouofthemannerofthiscalamity？Howisitthathealonecameoutalivefromittobefoundbyyou？"
"Hewastoldbyhislordtodepartandheobeyed，"beganWasub，fixinghiseyesonthedeckandspeakingjustloudenoughtobeheardbyLingard，who，bendingforwardinhisseat，shrankinwardlyfromeverywordandyetwouldnothavemissedasingleoneofthemforanything。
Forthecatastrophehadfallenonhisheadlikeaboltfromtheblueintheearlymorninghoursofthedaybefore。Atthefirstbreakofdawnhehadbeensentfortor俿um？histalkwithBelarab。HehadfeltsuddenlyMrs。Traversremoveherhandfromhishead。Hervoicespeakingintimatelyintohisear："Getup。
Therearesomepeoplecoming，"hadrecalledhimtohimself。Hehadgotupfromtheground。Thel
