Her Macaense—or Portuguese5 Eurasian—skipper was enjoying an opium6 dream in his cabin. Her chief engineer, a one-eyed Cyclops who had long since buried his Glasgow accent under a maze7 of tropic profanity, was dead drunk. Her black gang was composed of Macao coolies. Her men forward were lascars, under a mild-eyed Malay serang who was an escaped murderer from Bilibid Prison. Her two quartermasters were Chinese, and efficient. Her supercargo was a Straits Chinese comprador, a Singapore man. Her mate was a hulking Dutchman, rotten with gin alow and aloft. Her second mate was Jim Barnes, for whose labor8 all these others drew pay.
She carried nine passengers. Abdullah, an Arab merchant, was going home to Macassar, taking with him his first wife and five offspring. How the Slave of God, as his name bore witness, ever got to Canton with so many, was a mystery; what had become of the other three lawful9 wives, not to mention the unlawful ones, was a greater mystery. The other two passengers were Nora Sayers and Ellen Maggs.
They were missionaries10 of some kind in China, had been ordered to voyage for their health, and as their funds were low, had taken the Sulu Queen. Jim Barnes had been too busy to ask questions. He would have welcomed them on the bridge, except that the Dutchman and the chief were both up there, nearly naked and rather soused. They had been there in that condition since leaving Cantop. When he explained the matter to them, Ellen Maggs blushed faintly, and Nora Sayers was quite willing to come along anyhow; but Ellen prevailed.
At two bells in the morning watch, Jim Barnes heaved a huge sigh of relief and left the bridge, which he had perforce held since before midnight. The islands were past; Simonor was dropping astern into the horizon and ahead was the open Celebes Sea and a clear course for Macassar. By some miracle the coral reefs had been evaded11.
Jim Barnes sought the galley12 and obtained some tea from the yellow cook. He gulped13 it down and then started for his own cabin, meaning to get some sleep. The quartermaster of his watch had the bridge and a fair course.
Then, at the door af his stateroom, he paused with a sudden oath. The course was south by a quarter east; to his amazement14, Barnes discovered that the ship was swinging around until the sun was almost astern.
With another oath of weary, wondering disgust, he started for the ladder. As he touched it, he heard his name spoken, and glanced around. The other quartermaster, Li Fu by name, was gliding16 toward him, and the yellow face was gleaming with inward excitement.
"What is it?" demanded Barnes.
"Maste', you watch out velly sha'p!" exclaimed Li Fu, low-voiced, tense. "Bad piecee bobbery kick up, mebbeso two bells this afte'noon! I think mebbeso all hands talkee-talkee make fo' mutiny. Cap'n he say fo' tell you come see him."
"You tell the skipper to go to hell," said Barnes. "Opium crazy, that's what he is. Mutiny. Good gosh, we've nothing to mutiny for!"
"Cap'n he say head in fo' Sesajap," persisted the Chinaman.
Jim Barnes groaned17. "Head in for Sesajap, eh? Heading in for Borneo—the skipper changed the course, did he? That why we're turning?"
Li Fu nodded, beady eyes alert.
"Well, I've no time now to palaver18 with that cursed Eurasian topside," said Barnes bluntly. "You tell him to take the bridge or chase Vanderhoof up there—I'm done. Savvy19? I'm going to sleep. Let everybody mutiny and be damned. I'm the only seaman20 aboard this cursed packet anyhow. I'm tired o' doing ten men's work. Trouble coming this afternoon, is it? Then let afternoon take care of itself. I'll be ready to take the deck after this watch is over—noon. And, listen! Tell the cap'n that if he don't shoot the sun and verify his position after this running around, he'll land us all in hell. You savvy that? Then tell him from me. And if he wants to run us into Borneo, let him do it!"
Li Fu grinned delightedly and stated that he savvied21 plenty. He, like any efficient seaman, had no use for the other officers and regarded Jim Barnes as a little tin god. Jim Barnes went into his cabin, locked the door, stuck a chair under the knob, and then dropped on his bunk22, dead to the world.
Down in the engine-room, where the heat had sent the chief into a drunken stupor23, the Malay serang conferred with the two assistant engineers. They were both men of color, being Macaense like the skipper, but not, like him, owning a large share in the Sulu Queen. Filling his mouth with betel paste, expectorating a scarlet24 stream across the floor under the ladder, the serang spoke15 as he squatted25 there with the two engineers.
"The supercargo, Lim Tock, is a very clever man. He has arranged everything into shares; there will be one hundred shares made of everything. Fifty of these will be divided among the men, the other fifty among us, the officers."
"All the men, here and above. The wireless29 man, the two quartermasters, Tuan Barnes, and the cap'n must be killed. Tuan Vanderhoof will navigate30 the ship. He is a great coward, and after his feet are burned he will be glad to serve us. This chief engineer must be killed, too. Six altogether. You will attend to this chief."
The two Eurasians looked at each other, then at the supinely snoring figure of the chief. They grinned and nodded. The chief would be drunk again after tiffin.
"You are sure of the men?" asked the third.
"Of course," said Gajah. "Lim Tock shipped them carefully at Canton, and my own men are picked for the purpose."
"Why has the course been changed?" demanded the second engineer.
"Because I whispered into the ear of the cap'n," said Gajah, with a meditative32 smile. "I told him that I knew a chief at one of the islands in the mouth of the Sesajap River, who had a great deal of gold dust, many birds' nests, and some fine pearls and shell. The tuan cap'n is very greedy. He changed the course immediately."
"Is there such a man?" asked the third. Gajah grinned in derision.
"Why not? Once I knew such a man at Sibuko, which is not far away. He was the second cousin of my elder brother's third wife, and he was very rich. I went to visit him, and induced his youngest wife to run away with me. But she forgot to bring the pearls with her, being in love with me, and so I slew34 her. That happened in Manila, and they put me into prison because of it. The white tuans did not understand."
"At the striking of two bells in the next watch."
"It shall be done. Who is to command, after that?"
"The supercargo, Lim Tock," answered the serang. "He is very clever. A friend of his, also a member of the Lim family, is to meet us near Bunju Island with a junk of which he is cap'n. Since the arrangement is all Lim Tock's, he deserves to command. It was he who got the opium put aboard at Macao."
"One thing," put in the third, his dark and muddy eyes gleaming. "The two white women! Surely they are not to be killed?"
"One does not waste the gifts of Allah," said Gajah sententiously. "The one with yellow hair goes to me; the other, who blushes often and whose figure is that of the willow37, will comfort Lim Tock for the loss of his eldest38 son, who was hanged by the English last month for killing39 a white tuan. After a little while we shall sell them to chiefs along the coast, and so be rid of them. Wallah! It is hot down here."
He arose, knotted his fine silk sarong more closely about his waist, loosened his shagreen-hilted kris in its sheath, and departed. They two engineers looked at each other, and a slow smile passed between them.
"She of the yellow hair," said the third reflectively, "is tall and strong, of high spirit, and a fitting mate for me, whose veins40 run with the proud blood of the da Soussas!"
"And she of the lissome41 body," said the second engineer, rubbing his bristly chin, "has ere now smiled very sweetly upon me. It is not proper that yellow and brown island scum should have precedence before us, men descended42 from the conquistadors!"
"I agree with you," responded the other. "But what are we to do?"
"Good!" agreed the third engineer with emphasis. "Let us consider the matter."
Meantime, in the chart-house Li Fu had delivered the second mate's message to the befuddled44 skipper, who sat dreamily over his charts. The message was literally45 delivered, but it could not stir the captain into action. He was lost in the reverie of contemplation that comes of good opium; not actual dreams, as some think, but a complacent46 sweetishness in the mind that shoves aside all immediate33 problems and refuses to take a crisis seriously.
The captain, indeed, was a lost soul. Usually your opium-eater cannot smoke the drug at all, and the smoker47 cannot attain48 Nirvana by eating it. This Macaense, however, both ate and smoked, thereby49 letting damnation into himself by two channels. He was a thin, pasty man, once of powerful physique, but now rather rickety on his pins.
"One hundred and seventy miles to the mouth of the Sesajap," he murmured. "We shall reach it at five o'clock tomorrow morning."
"Providing the engines hold," added Li Fu, who spoke better Portuguese than English. "If the night is clear, there will be a new moon. We should sight the coast by midnight."
"The engines!" repeated the skipper. "Where is the chief? He was here an hour ago."
"He went below, sir. The mate woke up and went into the wheel-house."
"Bring him here, Li Fu."
The quartermaster went out of the chart-house, presently to return alone.
"He is asleep, sir. We cannot wake him."
"Drunk, eh? Never mind, never mind. I will take the observation myself at noon—
"And at two bells, sir," reminded Li Fu cautiously.
"Oh, you are a fool, Quartermaster! These men will not mutiny. There is no reason for it. You are not used to Lascars and must not be a fool. I shall go to rest and make ready my instruments. The course is to be held as it is."
The captain rose and, with a sigh of relief that no more duty presented itself, made his way back to his cabin.
Li Fu studied the outspread chart and lighted a cigarette. After a while, the other quartermaster left the wheel lashed51 and came into the chart-house, also lighting52 a cigarette. The two men greeted each other quietly. Like Li Fu, Quartermaster Hi John was a stalwart, efficient seaman, calm and well poised53. He addressed Li Fu in the Cantonese dialect.
"You told him, Li?"
"I told him," said Li Fu. "He went to sleep. He was very weary."
"Did you find out why the captain changed the course?"
"No. He thinks more about his hap35 toi than about what I ask him. I woke up the chief and told him, but he was too drunk to understand. He asked if there was no help for the widow's son, and went to sleep again. His mind is gone."
"The second mate will fight," said Hi John thoughtfully.
"True. He remains."
The two men looked at each other and smiled mirthlessly. The wireless man was the privileged son of a Macaense, chief owner of the Sulu Queen. Cumshaw had obtained his berth56; he did not know one end of the wireless from another, as the quartermasters had learned when Jim Barnes cursed him for an idiotic57 fool. He was no better than an idiot; he was, indeed, some degrees worse, since the diseased degeneracy of Asia was his heritage.
"Then you and I are alone," said Hi John.
"We are alone. What answer shall we make to Lim Tock when the time comes?"
Hi John extinguished his cigarette.
"Duty is a shining star, Li Fu. I have a revolver in my bag."
"I have one also," said Li Fu. "Yet I do not want to swallow gold."
"Nor I; this life is good." Hi John lighted another cigarette. "Still, consider duty! Lim Tock is a terrible man. It was he who sank the Dutch steamer last year, before his son was hung. His son helped him. They each got two Dutch women and much money. If we do not join him, Li, I think that we shall both swallow gold."
"Yes. Then you join him."
"Oh, no." Hi John's singsong tones were soft. "Oh, no! I did not mean that."
Li Fu looked slightly ironic58. "You think this ship worth dying for? Or those white women beautiful enough to die for?"
"Not at all," said Hi John. "The ship is a rotten hulk. The women are ugly and pale as ghosts. I care nothing what becomes of either. At the same time, I revere59 the wisdom of my paternal60 parent, who was also an officer in a ship. Before he swallowed gold, he asked me to take an oath, that I would never swerve61 from my duty. Therefore I cannot well join Lim Tock, since I undertook a certain duty aboard this ship."
"That is true," said Li Fu. "I have no oath to restrain me, but my duty needs no oath. Therefore I agree with you fully31. I shall get my revolver, and also yours, while you are on the bridge; I have had it two rice-years, but it is a good one."
"Very well," said Hi John. "Give me mine when you have the opportunity."
While these two men talked on the bridge-deck, Lim Tock, the super-cargo, walked aft on the main-deck, past the dingy62 passenger-cabins where the brood of Abdullah swarmed63 about the two "missionary64 ladies." Lim Tock was an elderly Straits Chinaman, with a short, gray mustache, a drawn65, parchment face, and two bright and glittering gray eyes—a most amazing pair of eyes to be staring from a saffron face! Yet some Chinese are gray-eyed.
In the stern, he came upon Abdullah, the Arab merchant, who was reading a Koran. The Arab looked up, smiled slightly, and spoke in the Low Malay which most men use in the island seas. This Slave of God was a thin and deadly looking person, fierce with his hook nose and jutting66 shreds67 of beard and jetty eyes.
"All is arranged?"
"It is arranged," said Lim Tock. "You agree to take the white women off our hands?"
"Yes; and to ask no other share of the rewards."
Lim Tock inclined his head and passed on around to the starboard passage. There he came upon Gajah, the serang, busy doing nothing. To him Lim Tock spoke in High Malay, a tongue which very few men know or understand, even in the island seas.
"Abdullah suspects nothing. His boxes will be rich plunder68. Let him be the first to fall, and his children after him—a clean sweep."
"And the woman, his wife?" asked the Lascar serang.
"She has borne many and is past pleasing. Let her accompany Abdullah."
The serang nodded indifferently and Lim Tock went his way.
While men thus talked and schemed and counseled together alow and aloft, Jim Barnes slept.
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收听单词发音
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1
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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erratic
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| adj.古怪的，反复无常的，不稳定的 | |
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seeped
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| v.（液体）渗( seep的过去式和过去分词 )；渗透；渗出；漏出 | |
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Portuguese
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| n.葡萄牙人；葡萄牙语 | |
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opium
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| n.鸦片；adj.鸦片的 | |
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maze
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| n.迷宫，八阵图，混乱，迷惑 | |
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labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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lawful
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| adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的 | |
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missionaries
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| n.传教士( missionary的名词复数 ) | |
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11
evaded
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| 逃避( evade的过去式和过去分词 )； 避开； 回避； 想不出 | |
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12
galley
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| n.（飞机或船上的）厨房单层甲板大帆船；军舰舰长用的大划艇； | |
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13
gulped
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| v.狼吞虎咽地吃，吞咽( gulp的过去式和过去分词 )；大口地吸（气）；哽住 | |
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14
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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15
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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16
gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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18
palaver
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| adj.壮丽堂皇的；n.废话，空话 | |
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savvy
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| v.知道，了解；n.理解能力，机智，悟性；adj.有见识的，懂实际知识的，通情达理的 | |
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seaman
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| n.海员，水手，水兵 | |
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savvied
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| v.知道，了解( savvy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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bunk
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| n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位；废话 | |
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stupor
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| v.昏迷；不省人事 | |
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24
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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25
squatted
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的过去式和过去分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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26
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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28
luminously
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| 发光的； 明亮的； 清楚的； 辉赫 | |
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29
wireless
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| adj.无线的；n.无线电 | |
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30
navigate
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| v.航行，飞行；导航，领航 | |
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31
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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meditative
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| adj.沉思的，冥想的 | |
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33
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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slew
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| v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多 | |
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35
hap
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| n.运气；v.偶然发生 | |
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nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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willow
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| n.柳树 | |
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eldest
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| adj.最年长的，最年老的 | |
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killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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40
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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41
lissome
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| adj.柔软的；敏捷的 | |
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42
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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43
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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44
befuddled
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| adj.迷糊的，糊涂的v.使烂醉( befuddle的过去式和过去分词 )；使迷惑不解 | |
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45
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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46
complacent
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| adj.自满的；自鸣得意的 | |
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47
smoker
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| n.吸烟者，吸烟车厢，吸烟室 | |
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48
attain
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| vt.达到，获得，完成 | |
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49
thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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50
vacuously
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| adv.无意义地，茫然若失地，无所事事地 | |
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51
lashed
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| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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52
lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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53
poised
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| a.摆好姿势不动的 | |
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54
slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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55
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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56
berth
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| n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊 | |
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57
idiotic
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| adj.白痴的 | |
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58
ironic
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| adj.讽刺的，有讽刺意味的，出乎意料的 | |
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59
revere
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| vt.尊崇，崇敬，敬畏 | |
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60
paternal
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| adj.父亲的，像父亲的，父系的，父方的 | |
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61
swerve
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| v.突然转向，背离；n．转向，弯曲，背离 | |
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62
dingy
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| adj.昏暗的，肮脏的 | |
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63
swarmed
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| 密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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64
missionary
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| adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士 | |
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65
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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66
jutting
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| v.（使）突出( jut的现在分词 )；伸出；（从…）突出；高出 | |
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67
shreds
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| v.撕碎，切碎( shred的第三人称单数 )；用撕毁机撕毁（文件） | |
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68
plunder
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| vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠 | |
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