PART II The Sea-cook(第3页)
"dog,sir,"saidi."hasmr.aneers?hewasoneofthe"
"so?"criedsilver."inmyhouse!ben,runandhelpharry.oneofthoseswabs,washe?wasthatyoudrinkingwithhim,rgan?stepuphere."
themanwhomhecalledrgan—anold,greyhaired,mahogany-facedsailor—cameforwardprettysheepishly,rollinghisquid.
"now,rgan,"saidlongjohnverysternly,"youneverclappedyoureyesonthatblack—blackdogbefore,didyou,now?"
"noti,sir,"saidrganwithasa露te.
"youdidntknowhisname,didyou?"
"no,sir."
"bythepowers,tomrgan,itsasgoodforyou!"exclaimedthelandlord."ifyouhadbeenmixedupwiththelikeofthat,youwouldneverhaveputanotherfootinmyhouse,youmaylaytothat.andwhatwashesayingtoyou?"
"idontrightlyknow,sir,"answeredrgan.
"doyoucallthataheadonyourshoulders,orablesseddead-eye?"criedlongjohn."dontrightlyknow,dontyou!perhapsyoudonthappentorightlyknowwhoyouwasspeakingto,perhaps?e,now,whatwashejawing—vyages,capns,ships?pipeup!whatwasit?"
"wewasa-talkinofkeel-hauling,"answeredrgan.
"keel-hauling,wasyou?andamightysuitablething,too,andyoumaylaytothat.getbacktoyourplacefora露bber,to"
andthen,asrganrolledbacktohisseat,silveraddedtomeinaconfidentialwhisperthatwasveryflattering,asithought,"hesquiteanhonestman,tomrgan,onystupid.andnow,"heranonagain,aloud,"letssee—blackdog?no,idontknowthename,noti.yetikindofthinkive—yes,iveseentheswab.ar,heused."
"thathedid,youmaybesure,"saidi."iknewthatblindmantoo.hisnamewaspew."
"itwas!"criedsilver,nowquiteexcited."pew!thatwerehisnameforcertain.ah,helookedashark,hedid!ifwerundownthisblackdog,now,therellbenewsforcapntrelawney!bensagoodrunner;fewseamenrunbetterthanben.heshouldrunhimdown,handoverhand,bythepowers!hetalkedokeelhauling,didhe?illkeel-haulhim!"
allthetimehewasjerkingoutthesephraseshewasstumpingupanddownthetavernonhiscrutch,slappingtableswithhishand,andgivingsuchashowofexcitementaswouldhaveconvincedanoldbaileyjudgeorabowstreetrunner.mysuspicionshadbeenthoroughlyreawakenedonfindingblackdogatthespy-glass,andiwatchedthecooknarrowly.buthewastoodeep,andtooready,andtoocleverforme,andbythetimethetwomenhadebackoutofbreathandconfessedthattheyhadlostthetrackinacrowd,andbeenscoldedlikethieves,iwouldhavegonebailfortheinnocenceoflongjohnsilver.
"seehere,now,hawkins,"saidhe,"heresablessedhardthingonamanlikeme,now,aintit?therescapntrelawney—whatshetothink?hereihavethisconfoundedsonofadutchmansitinmyownhousedrinkingofmyownrum!hereyouesandtellsmeofitplain;andhereilethimgiveusalltheslipbeforemyblesseddeadlights!now,hawkins,youdomejusticewiththecapn.yourealad,youare,butyoureassmartaspaint.iseethatwhenyoufirstein.now,hereitis:whatcouldido,withthisoldtimberihobbleon?wheniwasanabmastermarineridhaveeupalongsideofhim,handoverhand,andbroachedhimtoinabraceofoldshakes,iwould;butnow—"
andthen,allofasudden,hestopped,andhisjawdroppedasthoughhehadrememberedsomething.
"thescore!"heburstout."threegoesorum!why,shivermytimbers,ifihadntforgottenmyscore!"
andfallingonabench,helaugheduntilthetearsrandownhischeeks.icouldnothelpjoining,andwelaughedtogether,pealafterpeal,untilthetavernrangagain.
"why,whatapreciousoldsea-calfiam!"hesaidatlast,wipinghischeeks."youandmeshouldgetonwell,hawkins,forilltakemydavyishouldberatedshipsboy.butenow,standbytogoabout.thiswontdo.dootyisdooty,messmates.illputonmyoldcockerelhat,andstepalongofyoutocapntrelawney,andreportthishereaffair.formindyou,itsserious,younghawkins;andneitheryounormeseoutofitwithwhatishouldmakesoboldastocallcredit.noryouneither,saysyou;notsmart—noneofthepairofussmart.butdashmybuttons!thatwasagoodunaboutmyscore."
andhebegantolaughagain,andthatsoheartily,thatthoughididnotseethejokeashedid,iwasagainobligedtojoinhiminhismirth.
onourlittlewalkalongthequays,hemadehimselfthestinterespanion,tellingmeaboutthedifferentshipsthatwepassedby,theirrig,tonnage,andnationality,explainingtheworkthatwasgoingforward—howonewasdischarging,anothertakingincargo,andathirdmakingreadyforsea—andeverynowandthentellingmesomelittleanecdoteofshipsorseamenorrepeaanauticalphrasetillihadlearneditperfectly.ibegantoseethatherewasoneofthebestofpossibleshipmates.
whenwegottotheinn,thesquireanddr.liveseywereseatedtogether,finishingaquartofalewithatoastinit,beforetheyshouldgoaboardtheschooneronavisitofinspection.
longjohntoldthestoryfromfirsttolast,withagreatdealofspiritandthestperfecttruth."thatwashowitwere,now,werentit,hawkins?"hewouldsay,nowandagain,andicouldalwaysbearhimentirelyout.
thetwogentlemenregrettedthatblackdoghadgotaway,butweallagreedtherewasnothingtobedone,andafterhehadbeenplimented,longjohntookuphiscrutchanddeparted.
"allhandsaboardbyfourthisafternoon,"shoutedthesquireafterhi
"aye,aye,sir,"criedthecook,inthepassage.