I had had a long talk with Miss Waters and the poor woman with whom she had been staying, and the former had promised me something.
I was glad to get out of the squalid little tenement1 parlour, for a man who is used to the fresh air of the sea is always uncomfortable in a close little room. It’s different from a fo’castle. I remember that I stopped once and started to dance a hornpipe on a dark corner nearly opposite the shipping-office. Then, fearing that some one would see me and think me drunk, which I was not, I ceased and looked quickly up and down the street.
The light in the office was still burning{295} as brightly as when I passed there a few hours earlier.
I went along the pavement on the opposite side of the street until I stood directly in front of the building. Suddenly the door opened and a moment afterward2 the light went out. Then a figure came slowly down the front steps and looked hard at me.
It was Brown, but his face was so distorted with some mental disturbance3 that I barely recognized him.
He appeared to be suffering keenly, for his cheeks were pale and drawn4, and the lines about his mouth showed plainly in the light of the street-lamp.
I had never seen him look so upset, even during the time he was serving with Benson, and I hesitated about joining him.
He, however, did not give me a chance, for he did not even speak to me, but walked rapidly away and disappeared down the now deserted5 street.
I was too busy with my own thoughts to pay any more attention to the matter for the present, and I went on board the Arrow{296} and turned in, thinking that he would be there when I awoke in the morning.
When I turned out he was not there, and a short time afterward I heard the news that Mr. Anderson was dead.
He had been found sitting at his desk in the office. The gas was turned on in the room and the doors and windows closed. When the janitor6 opened the place for business in the morning, he had been almost suffocated7. As soon as he recovered sufficiently8 he called for help, and he and several others entered the room and dragged the unfortunate young man into the hall. They found that he had been dead for several hours.
That was all. I’ve never heard anything more definite about the matter. But I was satisfied that my friend Brown was cleared.
Alice Waters and myself were married the next day.
As luck was with us, that very day the old clipper Morning Light came in, and, after a good deal of fuss and bother, I made a deal to get transferred to her.
Williams, her skipper, was a friend of{297} mine, and he backed me in the effort to exchange to the point of resigning altogether. He owned enough shares in the vessel9 to finally settle the matter, and this gave me a couple of weeks longer on the beach and Williams a chance to go to China, which was what he wanted.
Brown suddenly changed his mind about sailing with us, and had his things put ashore10. He never came near the Morning Light until just as the tug11 took our towline. Then we suddenly found that Garnett—as usual when about to start off soundings—had disappeared during the bustle12 of clearing to take a nip at a neighbouring gin-mill. O’Toole, in a fighting temper, started after him.
The big Irishman soon had him half-way down the dock before the old mate realized his undignified position. Then he lashed13 out and struck O’Toole a powerful blow, and the prospect14 became interesting. A crowd gathered, and this attracted the attention of a policeman, who forced his way to where the mates were struggling. With the help of a few bystanders he parted them, and then,{298} seizing Garnett by the coat, he started to drag him off to the lockup, when Brown appeared on the scene, pointing to me and saying something to the officer which checked him long enough for me to make a landing on the dock.
“Who is he?” asked the policeman, as I made my way toward them.
“Windjammer from the shade o’ night, that’s what I am,” panted the old mate, thickly.
“I mean his business?” snapped the officer.
“Tending to other people’s, you brassbound soger,” and with that Garnett made a rush that came near landing both overboard. But O’Toole and I seized him and hustled15 him aboard ship, while Brown explained matters and pacified16 the officer. He soon accomplished17 this, and then he came on board and shook hands with the mates, my wife, and myself while the lines were being cast off. The tug blew her whistle and the ship began to drift away from the dock, holding only by the taut18 headline to spring her clear.
Brown wished us all manner of good luck{299} and sprang ashore. He stood a moment on the edge of the wharf19, waved a farewell salute20, and then disappeared in the crowd looking on. Garnett stood staring after him as if he had seen a ghost. Then he turned suddenly and bawled21 out:
“All clear forward! Captain Anderson.” And then he took out his little nickel-plated vial and sniffed22 hard at it for several moments.
“’Tis th’ liquor in th’ baste23 yit,” grinned O’Toole, who stood close to me. “He knows old Ropesend’s son well enough, an’ a good bye he is. Shall we go ahead, sir?”
“Yes, let her go!” I bawled, and we were gone.
That is all. The voyage was the pleasantest that I can remember, and our run to ’Frisco was made in 120 days.
When we returned, homeward bound, both Mr. Ropesend and Brown were quietly at work in the office, and each of them gave me a hearty24 welcome. Brown’s wife invited mine to stay with her while the ship was discharging, and they became fast friends.{300}
I often think of those early friendships we both cultivated, and as to those women, they were always together.
Alice often tries to make me give up some of my “I’s” since then, saying that there wouldn’t be enough left to go around among the single mates if I didn’t. But I’m a man of habit, so, if there seems to be too many of them in my yarns25, I can’t help it.
The End
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1
tenement
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| n.公寓；房屋 | |
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afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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4
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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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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6
janitor
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| n.看门人，管门人 | |
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7
suffocated
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| （使某人）窒息而死( suffocate的过去式和过去分词 )； （将某人）闷死； 让人感觉闷热； 憋气 | |
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8
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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9
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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10
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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11
tug
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| v.用力拖(或拉)；苦干；n.拖；苦干；拖船 | |
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12
bustle
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| v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹 | |
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13
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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14
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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15
hustled
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| 催促（hustle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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16
pacified
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| 使（某人）安静( pacify的过去式和过去分词 )； 息怒； 抚慰； 在（有战争的地区、国家等）实现和平 | |
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17
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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18
taut
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| adj.拉紧的，绷紧的，紧张的 | |
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19
wharf
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| n.码头，停泊处 | |
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20
salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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21
bawled
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| v.大叫，大喊( bawl的过去式和过去分词 )；放声大哭；大声叫出；叫卖（货物） | |
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22
sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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23
baste
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| v.殴打，公开责骂 | |
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24
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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25
yarns
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| n.纱( yarn的名词复数 )；纱线；奇闻漫谈；旅行轶事 | |
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