th, of being financed on the quiet by a most respectable firm of copra merchants. Later on he ran off -- it was reported -- with the wife of a missionary17, a very young girl from Clapham way, who had married the mild, flat-footed fellow in a moment of enthusiasm, and, suddenly transplanted to Melanesia, lost her bearings somehow. It was a dark story. She was ill at the time he carried her off, and died on board his ship. It is said -- as the most wonderful put of the tale -- that over her body he gave way to an outburst of sombre and violent grief. His luck left him, too, very soon after. He lost his ship on some rocks off Malaita, and disappeared for a time as though he had gone down with her. He is heard of next at Nuka-Hiva, where he bought an old French schooner18 out of Government service. What creditable enterprise he might have had in view when he made that purchase I can't say, but it is evident that what with High Commissioners19, consuls20, menof-war, and international control, the South Seas were getting too hot to hold gentlemen of his kidney. Clearly he must have shifted the scene of his operations farther west, because a year later he plays an incredibly audacious, but not a very profitable part, in a seriocomic business in Manila Bay, in which a peculating21 governor and an absconding22 treasurer23 are the principal figures; thereafter he seems to have hung around the Philippines in his rotten schooner battling with un adverse24 fortune, till at last, running his appointed course, he sails into Jim's history, a blind accomplice25 of the Dark Powers.
'His tale goes that when a Spanish patrol cutter captured him he was simply trying to run a few guns for the insurgents26. If so, then I can't understand what he was doing off the south coast of Mindanao. My belief, however, is that he was blackmailing27 the native villages along the coast. The principal thing is that the cutter, throwing a guard on board, made him sail in company towards Zamboanga. On the way, for some reason or other, both vessels28 had to call at one of these new Spanish settlements -- which never came to anything in the end -- where there was not only a civil official in charge on shore, but a good stout29 coasting schooner lying at anchor in the little bay; and this craft, in every way much better than his own, Brown made up his mind to steal.
'He was down on his luck -- as he told me himself. The world he had bullied30 for twenty years with fierce, aggressive disdain31, had yielded him nothing in the way of material advantage except a small bag of silver dollars, which was concealed32 in his cabin so that "the devil himself couldn't smell it out." And that was all -- absolutely all. He was tired of his life, and not afraid of death. But this man, who would stake his existence on a whim33 with a bitter and jeerlng recklessness, stood in mortal fear of imprisonment34. He had an unreasoning cold-sweat, nerve-shaking, blood-to-water-turning sort of horror at the bare posibility of being locked up -- the sort of terror a superstitious35 man would feel at the thought ob being embraced by a spectre. Therefore the civil official who came on board to make a preliminary investigation36 into the capture, investigated arduously37 all day long, and only went ashore38 after dark, muffled39 up in a cloak, and taking great care not to let Brown's little all clink in its bag. Afterwards, being a man of his word, he contrived40 (the very next evening, I believe) to send off the Government cutter on some urgent bit of special service. As her commander could not spare a prize crew, he contented41 himself by taking away before he left all the sails of Brown's schooner to the very last rag, and took good care to tow his two boats on to the beach a couple of miles off.
'But in Brown's crew there was a Solomon Islander, kidnapped in his youth and devoted42 to Brown, who was the best man of the whole gang. That fellow swam off to the coaster -- five hundred yards or so -- with the end of a warp43 made up of all the running gear unrove for the purpose. The water was smooth, and the bay dark, "like the inside of a cow," as Brown described it. The Solomon Islander clambered over the bulwarks44 with the end of the rope in his teeth. The crew of the coaster -- all Tagals -- were ashore having a jollification in the native village. The two shikeepers left on board woke up suddenly and saw the devil. It had glittering eyes and leaped quick as lightning about the deck. They fell on their knees, paralysed with fear, crossing themselves and mumbling45 prayers. With a long knife he found in the caboose the Solomon Islander, without interrupting their orisons, stabbed first one, then the other; with the same knife he st to sawing patiently at the coir table till suddenly it parted under the blade with a splash. Then in the silence of the bay he let out a cautious shout, and Brown's gang, who meantime had been peering and straining their hopeful ears in the darkness, began to pull gently at their end of the warp. In less than five minutes the two schooners46 came together with a slight shock and a creak of spars.
'Brown's crowd trunsferred themselves without losing an instant, taking with them their firearms and a large supply of ammunition47. They were sixteen in all: two runaway blue-jackets, a lanky48 deserter from a Yankee man-of-war, a couple of simple, blond Scandinavians, a mulatto of sorts, one bland49 Chinaman who cooked -- and the rest of the nondescript spawn50 of the South Seas. None of them cared; Brown bent51 them to his will, and Brown, indifferent to gallows52, was running away from the spectre of a Spanish prison. He didn't give them the time to trans-ship enough provisions; the weather was calm, the air was charged with dew, and when they cast off the ropes and set sail to a faint off-shore draught53 there was no flutter in the damp canvas; their old schooner seemed to detach itself gently from the stolen craft and slip away silently, together with the black mass of the coast, into the night.
'They got clear away. Brown related to me in detail their passage down the Straits of Macassar. It is a harowing and desperate story. They were short of food and water; they boarded several native craft and got a little from each. With a stolen ship Brown did not dare to put into any port, of course. He had no money to buy anything, no papers to show, and no lie plausible54 enough to get him out again. An Arab barque, under the Dutch flag, surprised one night at anchor off Poulo Laut, yielded a little dirty rice, a bunch of bananas, and a cask of water; three days of squally, misty55 weather from the north-east shot the schooner across the Java Sea. The yellow muddy waves drenched56 that collection of hungry ruffians. They sighted mail-boats moving on their appointed routes; passed well-found home ships with rusty57 iron sides anchored in the shallow sea waiting for a change of weather or the turn of the tide; an English gunboat, white and trim, with two slim masts, crossed their bows one day in the distance; and on another occasion a Dutch corvette, black and heavily sparred, loomed58 up on their quarter, steaming dead slow in the mist. They slipped through unseen or disregarded, a wan60, sallow-faced band of utter outcasts, enraged61 with hunger and hunted by fear. Brown's idea was to make for Madagascar, where he expected, on grounds not altogether illusory, to sell the schooner in Tamatave, and no questions asked, or perhaps obtain some more or less forged papers for her. Yet before he could face the long passage across the Indian Ocean food was wanted -- water too.
'Perhaps he had heard of Patusan -- or perhaps he just only happened to see the name written in small letters on the chart -- probably that of a largish village up a river in a native state, perfectly62 defenceless, far from the beaten tracks of the sea and from the ends of submarine cables. He had done that kind of thing before -- in the way of business; and this now was an absolute necessity, a question of life and death -- or rather of liberty. Of liberty! He was sure to get provisions -- bullocks -- rice -- sweet-potatoes. The sorry gang licked their chops. A cargo63 of produce for the schooner perhaps could be extorted64 -- and, who knows? -- some real ringing coined money! Some of these chiefs and village headmen can be made to part freely. He told me he would have roasted their toes rather than be baulked. I believe him. His men believed him too. They didn't cheer aloud, being a dumb pack, but made ready wolfishly.
'Luck served him as to weather. A few days of calm would have brought unmentionable horrors on board that schooner, but with the help of land and sea breezes, in less thdan a week after clearing the Sunda Straits, he anchored off the Batu Kring mouth within a pistol-shot of the fishing village.
'Fourteen of them packed into the schooner's long-boat (which was big, having been used for cargo-work) and started up the river, while two remained in charge of the schooner with food enough to keep starvation off for ten days. The tide and wind helped, and early one afternoon the big white boat under a ragged65 sail shouldered its way before the sea breeze into Patusan Reach, manned by fourteen assorted66 scarecrows glaring hungrily ahead, and fingering the breech-blocks of cheap rifles. Brown calculated upon the terrifying surprise of his appearance. They sailed in with the last of the flood; the Rajah's stockade67 gave no sign; the first houses on both sides of the stream seemed deserted. A few canoes were seen up the reach in full flight. Brown was astonished at the size of the place. A profound silence reigned68. The wind dropped between the houses; two oars69 were got out and the boat held on up-stream, the idea being to effect a lodgment in the centre of the town before the inhabitants could think of resistance.
'It seems, however, that the headman of the fishing village at Batu Kring had managed to send off a timely warning. When the long-boat came abreast70 of the mosque71 (which Doramin had built: a structure with gables and roof finials of carved coral) the open space before it was full of people. A shout went up, and was followed by a clash of gongs all up the river. From a point above two little brass72 6-pounders were discharged, and the round-shot came skipping down the empty reach, spirting glittering jets of water in the sunshine. In front of the mosque a shouting lot of men began firing in volleys that whipped athwart the current of the river; an irregular, rolling fusillade was opened on the boat from both banks, and Brown's men replied with a wild, rapid fire. The oars had been got in.
'The turn of the tide at high water comes on very quickly in that river, and the boat in mid-stream, nearly hidden in smoke, began to drift back stern foremost. Along both shores the smoke thickened also, lying below the roofs in a level streak73 as you may see a long cloud cutting the slope of a mountain. A tumult74 of war-cries, the vibrating clang of gongs, the deep snoring of drums, yells of rage, crashes of volley-firing, made an awful din14, in which Brown sat confounded but steady at the tiller, working himself into a fury of hate and rage against those people who dared to defend themselves. Two of his men had been wounded, and he saw his retreat cut off below the town by some boats that had put off from Tunku Allang's stockade. There were six of them, full of men. While he was thus beset75 he perceived the entrance of the narrow creek76 (the same which Jim had jumped at low water). It was then brim full. Steering77 the long-boat in, they landed, and, to make a long story short, they established themselves on a little knoll78 about 900 yards from the stockade, which, in fact, they commanded from that position. The slopes of the knoll were bare, but there were a few trees on the summit. They went to work cutting these down for a breastwork, and were fairly intrenched before dark; meantime the Rajah's boats remained in the river with curious neutrality. When the sun set the glue of many brushwood blazes lighted on the river-front, and between the double line of houses on the land side threw into black relief the roofs, the groups of slender palms, the heavy clumps79 of fruit trees. Brown ordered the grass round his position to be fired; a low ring of thin flames under the slow ascending80 smoke wriggled81 rapidly down the slopes of the knoll; here and there a dry bush caught with a tall, vicious roar. The conflagration82 made a clear zone of fire for the rifles of the small party, and expired smouldering on the edge of the forests and along the muddy bank of the creek. A strip o f jungle luxuriating in a damp hollow between th
e knoll and the Rajah's stockade stopped it on that side with a great crackling and detonations83 of bursting bamboo stems. The sky was sombre, velvety84, and swarming86 with stars. The blackened ground smoked quietly with low creeping wisps, till a little breeze came on and blew everything away. Brown expected an attack to be delivered as soon as the tide had flowed enough again to enable the war-boats which had cut off his retreat to enter the creek. At any rate he was sure there would be an attempt to carry off his long-boat, which lay below the hill, a dark high lump on the feeble sheen of a wet mudflat. But no move of any sort was made by the boats in the river. Over the stockade and the Rajah's buildings Brown saw their lights on the water. They seemed to be unchored across the stream. Other lights afloat were moving in the reach, crossing and recrossing from side to side. There were also lights twinkling motionless upon the long walls of houses up the reach, as far as the bend, and more still beyond, others isolated87 inland. The loom59 of the big fires disclosed buildings, roofs, black piles as far as he could see. It was an immense place. The fourteen desperate invaders88 lying flat behind the felled trees raised their chins to look over at the stir of that town that seemed to extend up-river for miles and swarm85 with thousands of ungry men. They did not speak to each other. Now and then they would hear a loud yell, or a single shot rang out, fired very far somewhere. But round their position everything was still, dark, silent. They seemed to be forgotten, as if the excitement keeping awake all the population had nothing to do with them, as if they had been dead already.'
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1
narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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3
cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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5
pyjamas
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| n.（宽大的）睡衣裤 | |
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6
duel
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| n./v.决斗；(双方的)斗争 | |
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7
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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8
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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9
bully
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| n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮 | |
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10
mellifluous
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| adj.（音乐等）柔美流畅的 | |
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11
arrogant
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| adj.傲慢的，自大的 | |
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12
vehement
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| adj.感情强烈的；热烈的；(人)有强烈感情的 | |
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13
brutes
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| 兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性 | |
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14
din
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| n.喧闹声，嘈杂声 | |
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15
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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16
runaway
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| n.逃走的人，逃亡，亡命者；adj.逃亡的，逃走的 | |
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17
missionary
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| adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士 | |
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18
schooner
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| n.纵帆船 | |
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commissioners
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| n.专员( commissioner的名词复数 )；长官；委员；政府部门的长官 | |
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consuls
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| 领事( consul的名词复数 )； （古罗马共和国时期）执政官 （古罗马共和国及其军队的最高首长，同时共有两位，每年选举一次） | |
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21
peculating
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| v.盗用，挪用（钱财）( peculate的现在分词 ) | |
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22
absconding
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| v.（尤指逃避逮捕）潜逃，逃跑( abscond的现在分词 ) | |
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23
treasurer
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| n.司库，财务主管 | |
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24
adverse
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| adj.不利的；有害的；敌对的，不友好的 | |
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25
accomplice
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| n.从犯，帮凶，同谋 | |
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26
insurgents
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| n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 ) | |
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27
blackmailing
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| 胁迫，尤指以透露他人不体面行为相威胁以勒索钱财( blackmail的现在分词 ) | |
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28
vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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30
bullied
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| adj.被欺负了v.恐吓，威逼( bully的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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31
disdain
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| n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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whim
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| n.一时的兴致，突然的念头；奇想，幻想 | |
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imprisonment
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| n.关押，监禁，坐牢 | |
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35
superstitious
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| adj.迷信的 | |
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36
investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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arduously
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| adv.费力地，严酷地 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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40
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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41
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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42
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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43
warp
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| vt.弄歪，使翘曲，使不正常，歪曲，使有偏见 | |
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44
bulwarks
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| n.堡垒( bulwark的名词复数 )；保障；支柱；舷墙 | |
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45
mumbling
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的现在分词 ) | |
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46
schooners
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| n.（有两个以上桅杆的）纵帆船( schooner的名词复数 ) | |
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47
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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48
lanky
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| adj.瘦长的 | |
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49
bland
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| adj.淡而无味的，温和的，无刺激性的 | |
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50
spawn
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| n.卵，产物，后代，结果；vt.产卵，种菌丝于，产生，造成；vi.产卵，大量生产 | |
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51
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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52
gallows
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| n.绞刑架，绞台 | |
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53
draught
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| n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计 | |
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54
plausible
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| adj.似真实的，似乎有理的，似乎可信的 | |
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55
misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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56
drenched
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| adj.湿透的；充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体） | |
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57
rusty
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| adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的 | |
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58
loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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loom
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| n.织布机，织机；v.隐现，(危险、忧虑等)迫近 | |
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60
wan
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| (wide area network)广域网 | |
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61
enraged
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| 使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 )； 歜； 激愤 | |
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62
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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63
cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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64
extorted
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| v.敲诈( extort的过去式和过去分词 )；曲解 | |
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65
ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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66
assorted
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| adj.各种各样的，各色俱备的 | |
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67
stockade
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| n.栅栏，围栏；v.用栅栏防护 | |
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68
reigned
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| vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式） | |
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69
oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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abreast
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| adv.并排地；跟上(时代)的步伐，与…并进地 | |
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71
mosque
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| n.清真寺 | |
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72
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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73
streak
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| n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动 | |
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74
tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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75
beset
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| v.镶嵌；困扰，包围 | |
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76
creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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77
steering
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| n.操舵装置 | |
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78
knoll
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| n.小山，小丘 | |
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79
clumps
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| n.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的名词复数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的第三人称单数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声 | |
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80
ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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81
wriggled
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| v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的过去式和过去分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等） | |
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82
conflagration
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| n.建筑物或森林大火 | |
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83
detonations
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| n.爆炸 （声）( detonation的名词复数 ) | |
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84
velvety
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| adj. 像天鹅绒的, 轻软光滑的, 柔软的 | |
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swarm
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| n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入 | |
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86
swarming
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| 密集( swarm的现在分词 )； 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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isolated
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| adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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invaders
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| 入侵者，侵略者，侵入物( invader的名词复数 ) | |
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