“What do you want?” asked Heyst sternly.
“Boat out there,” said the Chinaman.
“Where? What do you mean? Boat adrift in the straits?”
Some subtle change in Wang’s bearing suggested his being out of breath; but he did not pant, and his voice was steady.
“No — row.”
It was Heyst now who was startled and raised his voice.
“Malay man, eh?”
Wang made a slight negative movement with his head.
“Do you hear, Lena?” Heyst called out. “Wang says there is a boat in sight — somewhere near apparently7. Where’s that boat Wang?”
“Round the point,” said Wang, leaping into Malay unexpectedly, and in a loud voice. “White men three.”
“So close as that?” exclaimed Heyst, moving out on the veranda8 followed by Wang. “White men? Impossible!”
Over the clearing the shadows were already lengthening9. The sun hung low; a ruddy glare lay on the burnt black patch in front of the bungalow10, and slanted11 on the ground between the straight, tall, mast-like trees soaring a hundred feet or more without a branch. The growth of bushes cut off all view of the jetty from the veranda. Far away to the right Wang’s hut, or rather its dark roof of mats, could be seen above the bamboo fence which insured the privacy of the Alfuro woman. The Chinaman looked that way swiftly. Heyst paused, and then stepped back a pace into the room.
“White men, Lena, apparently. What are you doing?”
“I am just bathing my eyes a little,” the girl’s voice said from the inner room.
“Oh, yes; all right!”
“Do you want me?”
“No. You had better — I am going down to the jetty. Yes, you had better stay in. What an extraordinary thing!”
It was so extraordinary that nobody could possibly appreciate how extraordinary it was but himself. His mind was full of mere13 exclamations14, while his feet were carrying him in the direction of the jetty. He followed the line of the rails, escorted by Wang.
“Where were you when you first saw the boat?” he asked over his shoulder.
Wang explained in Malay that he had gone to the shore end of the wharf15, to get a few lumps of coal from the big heap, when, happening to raise his eyes from the ground, he saw the boat — a white man boat, not a canoe. He had good eyes. He had seen the boat, with the men at the oars16; and here Wang made a particular gesture over his eyes, as if his vision had received a blow. He had turned at once and run to the house to report.
“No mistake, eh?” said Heyst, moving on. At the very outer edge of the belt he stopped short. Wang halted behind him on the path, till the voice of Number One called him sharply forward into the open. He obeyed.
“Where’s that boat?” asked Heyst forcibly. “I say — where is it?”
Nothing whatever was to be seen between the point and the jetty. The stretch of Diamond Bay was like a piece of purple shadow, lustrous17 and empty, while beyond the land, the open sea lay blue and opaque18 under the sun. Heyst’s eyes swept all over the offing till they met, far off, the dark cone19 of the volcano, with its faint plume20 of smoke broadening and vanishing everlastingly21 at the top, without altering its shape in the glowing transparency of the evening.
“The fellow has been dreaming,” he muttered to himself.
He looked hard at the Chinaman. Wang seemed turned into stone. Suddenly, as if he had received a shock, he started, flung his arm out with a pointing forefinger22, and made guttural noises to the effect that there, there, there, he had seen a boat.
It was very uncanny. Heyst thought of some strange hallucination. Unlikely enough; but that a boat with three men in it should have sunk between the point and the jetty, suddenly, like a stone, without leaving as much on the surface as a floating oar12, was still more unlikely. The theory of a phantom23 boat would have been more credible24 than that.
“Confound it!” he muttered to himself.
He was unpleasantly affected25 by this mystery; but now a simple explanation occurred to him. He stepped hastily out on the wharf. The boat, if it had existed and had retreated, could perhaps be seen from the far end of the long jetty.
Nothing was to be seen. Heyst let his eyes roam idly over the sea. He was so absorbed in his perplexity that a hollow sound, as of somebody tumbling about in a boat, with a clatter26 of oars and spars, failed to make him move for a moment. When his mind seized its meaning, he had no difficulty in locating the sound. It had come from below — under the jetty!
He ran back for a dozen yards or so, and then looked over. His sight plunged27 straight into the stern-sheets of a big boat, the greater part of which was hidden from him by the planking of the jetty. His eyes fell on the thin back of a man doubled up over the tiller in a queer, uncomfortable attitude of drooping28 sorrow. Another man, more directly below Heyst, sprawled29 on his back from gunwale to gunwale, half off the after thwart30, his head lower than his feet. This second man glared wildly upward, and struggled to raise himself, but to all appearance was much too drunk to succeed. The visible part of the boat contained also a flat, leather trunk, on which the first man’s long legs were tucked up nervelessly. A large earthenware31 jug32, with its wide mouth uncorked, rolled out on the bottom-boards from under the sprawling34 man.
Heyst had never been so much astonished in his life. He stared dumbly at the strange boat’s crew. From the first he was positive that these men were not sailors. They wore the white drill-suit of tropical civilization; but their apparition35 in a boat Heyst could not connect with anything plausible36. The civilization of the tropics could have had nothing to do with it. It was more like those myths, current in Polynesia, of amazing strangers, who arrive at an island, gods or demons37, bringing good or evil to the innocence38 of the inhabitants — gifts of unknown things, words never heard before.
Heyst noticed a cork33 helmet floating alongside the boat, evidently fallen from the head of the man doubled over the tiller, who displayed a dark, bony poll. An oar, too, had been knocked overboard, probably by the sprawling man, who was still struggling, between the thwarts39. By this time Heyst regarded the visitation no longer with surprise, but with the sustained attention demanded by a difficult problem. With one foot poised40 on the string-piece, and leaning on his raised knee, he was taking in everything. The sprawling man rolled off the thwart, collapsed41, and, most unexpectedly, got on his feet. He swayed dizzily, spreading his arms out and uttered faintly a hoarse42, dreamy “Hallo!” His upturned face was swollen43, red, peeling all over the nose and cheeks. His stare was irrational44. Heyst perceived stains of dried blood all over the front of his dirty white coat, and also on one sleeve.
“What’s the matter? Are you wounded?”
The other glanced down, reeled — one of his feet was inside a large pith hat — and, recovering himself, let out a dismal45, grating sound in the manner of a grim laugh.
“Blood — not mine. Thirst’s the matter. Exhausted’s the matter. Done up. Drink, man! Give us water!”
Thirst was in the very tone of his words, alternating a broken croak46 and a faint, throaty rustle47 which just reached Heyst’s ears. The man in the boat raised his hands to be helped up on the jetty, whispering:
“I tried. I am too weak. I tumbled down.”
Wang was coming along the jetty slowly, with intent, straining eyes.
“Run back and bring a crowbar here. There’s one lying by the coal-heap,” Heyst shouted to him.
The man standing48 in the boat sat down on the thwart behind him. A horrible coughing laugh came through his swollen lips.
“Crowbar? What’s that for?” he mumbled49, and his head dropped on his chest mournfully.
Meantime, Heyst, as if he had forgotten the boat, started kicking hard at a large brass50 tap projecting above the planks51. To accommodate ships that came for coal and happened to need water as well, a stream had been tapped in the interior and an iron pipe led along the jetty. It terminated with a curved end almost exactly where the strangers’ boat had been driven between the piles; but the tap was set fast.
“Hurry up!” Heyst yelled to the Chinaman, who was running with the crowbar in his hand.
Heyst snatched it from him and, obtaining a leverage53 against the string-piece, wrung54 the stiff tap round with a mighty55 jerk. “I hope that pipe hasn’t got choked!” he muttered to himself anxiously.
It hadn’t; but it did not yield a strong gush56. The sound of a thin stream, partly breaking on the gunwale of the boat and partly splashing alongside, became at once audible. It was greeted by a cry of inarticulate and savage57 joy. Heyst knelt on the string-piece and peered down. The man who had spoken was already holding his open mouth under the bright trickle58. Water ran over his eyelids59 and over his nose, gurgled down his throat, flowed over his chin. Then some obstruction60 in the pipe gave way, and a sudden thick jet broke on his face. In a moment his shoulders were soaked, the front of his coat inundated61; he streamed and dripped; water ran into his pockets, down his legs, into his shoes; but he had clutched the end of the pipe, and, hanging on with both hands, swallowed, spluttered, choked, snorted with the noises of a swimmer. Suddenly a curious dull roar reached Heyst’s ears. Something hairy and black flew from under the jetty. A dishevelled head, coming on like a cannonball, took the man at the pipe in flank, with enough force to tear his grip loose and fling him headlong into the stern-sheets. He fell upon the folded legs of the man at the tiller, who, roused by the commotion62 in the boat, was sitting up, silent, rigid63, and very much like a corpse64. His eyes were but two black patches, and his teeth glistened65 with a death’s head grin between his retracted66 lips, no thicker than blackish parchment glued over the gums.
From him Heyst’s eyes wandered to the creature who had replaced the first man at the end of the water-pipe. Enormous brown paws clutched it savagely67; the wild, big head hung back, and in a face covered with a wet mass of hair there gaped68 crookedly69 a wide mouth full of fangs70. The water filled it, welled up in hoarse coughs, ran down on each side of the jaws71 and down the hairy throat, soaked the black pelt72 of the enormous chest, naked under a torn check shirt, heaving convulsively with a play of massive muscles carved in red mahogany.
As soon as the first man had recovered the breath knocked out of him by the irresistible73 charge, a scream of mad cursing issued from the stern-sheets. With a rigid, angular crooking74 of the elbow, the man at the tiller put his hand back to his hip52.
“Don’t shoot him, sir!” yelled the first man. “Wait! Let me have that tiller. I will teach him to shove himself in front of a caballero!”
Martin Ricardo flourished the heavy piece of wood, leaped forward with astonishing vigour75, and brought it down on Pedro’s head with a crash that resounded76 all over the quiet sweep of Black Diamond Bay. A crimson77 patch appeared on the matted hair, red veins78 appeared in the water flowing all over his face, and it dripped in rosy79 drops off his head. But the man hung on. Not till a second furious blow descended80 did the hairy paws let go their grip and the squirming body sink limply. Before it could touch the bottom-boards, a tremendous kick in the ribs81 from Ricardo’s foot shifted it forward out of sight, whence came the noise of a heavy thud, a clatter of spars, and a pitiful grunt82. Ricardo stooped to look under the jetty.
“Aha, dog! This will teach you to keep back where you belong, you murdering brute83, you slaughtering84 savage, you! You infidel, you robber of churches! Next time I will rip you open from neck to heel, you carrion-cater! Esclavo!”
He backed a little and straightened himself up.
“I don’t mean it really,” he remarked to Heyst, whose steady eyes met his from above. He ran aft briskly.
“Come along, sir. It’s your turn. I oughtn’t to have drunk first. ‘S truth, I forgot myself! A gentleman like you will overlook that, I know.” As he made these apologies, Ricardo extended his hand. “Let me steady you, sir.”
Slowly Mr. Jones unfolded himself in all his slenderness, rocked, staggered, and caught Ricardo’s shoulder. His henchman assisted him to the pipe, which went on gushing85 a clear stream of water, sparkling exceedingly against the black piles and the gloom under the jetty.
“Catch hold, sir,” Ricardo advised solicitously86. “All right?”
He stepped back, and, while Mr. Jones revelled87 in the abundance of water, he addressed himself to Heyst with a sort of justificatory88 speech, the tone of which, reflecting his feelings, partook of purring and spitting. They had been thirty hours tugging89 at the oars, he explained, and they had been more than forty hours without water, except that the night before they had licked the dew off the gunwales.
Ricardo did not explain to Heyst how it happened. At that precise moment he had no explanation ready for the man on the wharf, who, he guessed, must be wondering much more at the presence of his visitors than at their plight90.
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收听单词发音
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1
astounded
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| v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶 | |
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outrage
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| n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒 | |
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3
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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4
regularity
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| n.规律性，规则性；匀称，整齐 | |
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tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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6
vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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7
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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8
veranda
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| n.走廊；阳台 | |
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9
lengthening
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| （时间或空间）延长，伸长( lengthen的现在分词 )； 加长 | |
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10
bungalow
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| n.平房，周围有阳台的木造小平房 | |
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slanted
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| 有偏见的； 倾斜的 | |
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oar
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| n.桨，橹，划手；v.划行 | |
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13
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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exclamations
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| n.呼喊( exclamation的名词复数 )；感叹；感叹语；感叹词 | |
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15
wharf
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| n.码头，停泊处 | |
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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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17
lustrous
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| adj.有光泽的；光辉的 | |
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18
opaque
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| adj.不透光的；不反光的，不传导的；晦涩的 | |
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cone
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| n.圆锥体，圆锥形东西，球果 | |
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plume
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| n.羽毛；v.整理羽毛，骚首弄姿，用羽毛装饰 | |
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21
everlastingly
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| 永久地，持久地 | |
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forefinger
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| n.食指 | |
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phantom
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| n.幻影，虚位，幽灵；adj.错觉的，幻影的，幽灵的 | |
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24
credible
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| adj.可信任的，可靠的 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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clatter
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| v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声 | |
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27
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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28
drooping
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| adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词 | |
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29
sprawled
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| v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的过去式和过去分词)；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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30
thwart
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| v.阻挠，妨碍，反对；adj.横(断的) | |
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31
earthenware
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| n.土器，陶器 | |
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32
jug
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| n.(有柄，小口，可盛水等的)大壶，罐，盂 | |
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cork
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| n.软木，软木塞 | |
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34
sprawling
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| adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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35
apparition
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| n.幽灵，神奇的现象 | |
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36
plausible
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| adj.似真实的，似乎有理的，似乎可信的 | |
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demons
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| n.恶人( demon的名词复数 )；恶魔；精力过人的人；邪念 | |
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38
innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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39
thwarts
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| 阻挠( thwart的第三人称单数 )； 使受挫折； 挫败； 横过 | |
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40
poised
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| a.摆好姿势不动的 | |
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41
collapsed
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| adj.倒塌的 | |
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42
hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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43
swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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44
irrational
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| adj.无理性的，失去理性的 | |
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45
dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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46
croak
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| vi.嘎嘎叫，发牢骚 | |
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47
rustle
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| v.沙沙作响；偷盗(牛、马等)；n.沙沙声声 | |
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48
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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49
mumbled
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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50
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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51
planks
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| （厚）木板( plank的名词复数 )； 政纲条目，政策要点 | |
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52
hip
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| n.臀部，髋；屋脊 | |
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53
leverage
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| n.力量，影响；杠杆作用，杠杆的力量 | |
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54
wrung
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| 绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水） | |
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55
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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56
gush
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| v.喷，涌；滔滔不绝(说话)；n.喷，涌流；迸发 | |
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57
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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58
trickle
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| vi.淌，滴，流出，慢慢移动，逐渐消散 | |
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59
eyelids
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| n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色 | |
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60
obstruction
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| n.阻塞，堵塞；障碍物 | |
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61
inundated
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| v.淹没( inundate的过去式和过去分词 )；（洪水般地）涌来；充满；给予或交予（太多事物）使难以应付 | |
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62
commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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63
rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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64
corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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65
glistened
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| v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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66
retracted
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| v.撤回或撤消( retract的过去式和过去分词 )；拒绝执行或遵守；缩回；拉回 | |
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67
savagely
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| adv. 野蛮地，残酷地 | |
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68
gaped
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| v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的过去式和过去分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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69
crookedly
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| adv. 弯曲地，不诚实地 | |
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70
fangs
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| n.（尤指狗和狼的）长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 )；（蛇的）毒牙；罐座 | |
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71
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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72
pelt
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| v.投掷，剥皮，抨击，开火 | |
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73
irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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crooking
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| n.弯曲（木材等的缺陷）v.弯成钩形( crook的现在分词 ) | |
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vigour
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| （=vigor）n.智力，体力，精力 | |
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resounded
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| v.（指声音等）回荡于某处( resound的过去式和过去分词 )；产生回响；（指某处）回荡着声音 | |
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77
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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78
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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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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80
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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81
ribs
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| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
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grunt
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| v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝 | |
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83
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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84
slaughtering
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| v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的现在分词 ) | |
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85
gushing
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| adj.迸出的；涌出的；喷出的；过分热情的v.喷，涌( gush的现在分词 )；滔滔不绝地说话 | |
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86
solicitously
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| adv.热心地，热切地 | |
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87
revelled
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| v.作乐( revel的过去式和过去分词 )；狂欢；着迷；陶醉 | |
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justificatory
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| 起辩护作用的，用以辩解的 | |
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89
tugging
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| n.牵引感v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的现在分词 ) | |
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90
plight
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| n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定 | |
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