adventure(冒险)-第25章
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〃I'll go over with you；〃 Sheldon announced。
〃Let me run you over in the Minerva；〃 said Young。
She shook her head laughingly。
〃I'm going in the whale…boat。 One would think； from all your
solicitude； that I'd never been away from home before。 You； Mr。 Sheldon；
as my partner； I cannot permit to desert Berande and your work out of a
mistaken notion of courtesy。 If you won't permit me to be skipper； I
won't permit your galivanting over the sea as protector of young women
who don't need protection。 And as for you； Captain Young； you know
very well that you just left Guvutu this morning； that you are bound for
Marau； and that you said yourself that in two hours you are getting under
way again。〃
〃But may I not see you safely across？〃 Tudor asked； a pleading note in
his voice that rasped on Sheldon's nerves。
〃No； no； and again no；〃 she cried。 〃You've all got your work to do；
and so have I。 I came to the Solomons to work； not to be escorted about
like a doll。 For that matter； here's my escort； and there are seven more
like him。〃
Adamu Adam stood beside her； towering above her； as he towered
above the three white men。 The clinging cotton undershirt he wore could
not hide the bulge of his tremendous muscles。
〃Look at his fist；〃 said Tudor。 〃I'd hate to receive a punch from it。〃
〃I don't blame you。〃 Joan laughed reminiscently。 〃I saw him hit the
captain of a Swedish bark on the beach at Levuka； in the Fijis。 It was the
captain's fault。 I saw it all myself； and it was splendid。 Adamu only hit
him once； and he broke the man's arm。 You remember； Adamu？〃
The big Tahitian smiled and nodded； his black eyes； soft and deer… like；
seeming to give the lie to so belligerent a nature。
〃We start in an hour in the whale…boat for Guvutu； big brother；〃 Joan
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said to him。 〃Tell your brothers； all of them； so that they can get ready。
We catch the Upolu for Sydney。 You will all come along； and sail back
to the Solomons in the new schooner。 Take your extra shirts and
dungarees along。 Plenty cold weather down there。 Now run along； and
tell them to hurry。 Leave the guns behind。 Turn them over to Mr。
Sheldon。 We won't need them。〃
〃If you are really bent upon going〃 Sheldon began。
〃That's settled long ago；〃 she answered shortly。 〃I'm going to pack
now。 But I'll tell you what you can do for meissue some tobacco and
other stuff they want to my men。〃
An hour later the three men had shaken hands with Joan down on the
beach。 She gave the signal； and the boat shoved off； six men at the oars；
the seventh man for'ard； and Adamu Adam at the steering… sweep。 Joan
was standing up in the stern…sheets； reiterating her good…byesa slim
figure of a woman in the tight…fitting jacket she had worn ashore from the
wreck； the long…barrelled Colt's revolver hanging from the loose belt
around her waist； her clear…cut face like a boy's under the Stetson hat that
failed to conceal the heavy masses of hair beneath。
〃You'd better get into shelter；〃 she called to them。 〃There's a big
squall coming。 And I hope you've got plenty of chain out； Captain Young。
Good…bye！ Good…bye； everybody！〃
Her last words came out of the darkness； which wrapped itself solidly
about the boat。 Yet they continued to stare into the blackness in the
direction in which the boat had disappeared； listening to the steady click of
the oars in the rowlocks until it faded away and ceased。
〃She is only a girl；〃 Christian Young said with slow solemnity。 The
discovery seemed to have been made on the spur of the moment。 〃She is
only a girl；〃 he repeated with greater solemnity。
〃A dashed pretty one； and a good traveller；〃 Tudor laughed。 〃She
certainly has spunk； eh； Sheldon？〃
〃Yes； she is brave；〃 was the reluctant answer for Sheldon did not feel
disposed to talk about her。
〃That's the American of it；〃 Tudor went on。 〃Push； and go； and
energy； and independence。 What do you think； skipper？〃
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〃I think she is young； very young； only a girl；〃 replied the captain of
the Minerva； continuing to stare into the blackness that hid the sea。
The blackness seemed suddenly to increase in density； and they
stumbled up the beach； feeling their way to the gate。
〃Watch out for nuts；〃 Sheldon warned； as the first blast of the squall
shrieked through the palms。 They joined hands and staggered up the path；
with the ripe cocoanuts thudding in a monstrous rain all around them。
They gained the veranda； where they sat in silence over their whisky； each
man staring straight out to sea； where the wildly swinging riding…light of
the Minerva could be seen in the lulls of the driving rain。
Somewhere out there； Sheldon reflected； was Joan Lackland； the girl
who had not grown up； the woman good to look upon； with only a boy's
mind and a boy's desires； leaving Berande amid storm and conflict in
much the same manner that she had first arrived； in the stern…sheets of her
whale…boat； Adamu Adam steering； her savage crew bending to the oars。
And she was taking her Stetson hat with her； along with the cartridge…belt
and the long…barrelled revolver。 He suddenly discovered an immense
affection for those fripperies of hers at which he had secretly laughed
when first he saw them。 He became aware of the sentimental direction in
which his fancy was leading him； and felt inclined to laugh。 But he did
not laugh。 The next moment he was busy visioning the hat； and belt； and
revolver。 Undoubtedly this was love； he thought； and he felt a tiny glow
of pride in him in that the Solomons had not succeeded in killing all his
sentiment。
An hour later； Christian Young stood up； knocked out his pipe； and
prepared to go aboard and get under way。
〃She's all right；〃 he said； apropos of nothing spoken； and yet distinctly
relevant to what was in each of their minds。 〃She's got a good boat's…
crew； and she's a sailor herself。 Good…night； Mr。 Sheldon。 Anything I
can do for you down Marau…way？〃 He turned and pointed to a widening
space of starry sky。 〃It's going to be a fine night after all。 With this
favouring bit of breeze she has sail on already； and she'll make Guvutu by
daylight。 Good…night。〃
〃I guess I'll turn in； old man；〃 Tudor said； rising and placing his glass
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on the table。 〃I'll start the first thing in the morning。 It's been disgraceful
the way I've been hanging on here。 Good… night。〃
Sheldon； sitting on alone； wondered if the other man would have
decided to pull out in the morning had Joan not sailed away。 Well； there
was one bit of consolation in it： Joan had certainly lingered at Berande
for no man； not even Tudor。 〃I start in an hour〃her words rang in his
brain； and under his eyelids he could see her as she stood up and uttered
them。 He smiled。 The instant she heard the news she had made up her
mind to go。 It was not very flattering to man； but what could any man
count in her eyes when a schooner waiting to be bought in Sydney was in
the wind？ What a creature！ What a creature！
Berande was a lonely place to Sheldon in the days that followed。 In
the morning after Joan's departure； he had seen Tudor's expedition off on
its way up the Balesuna； in the late afternoon； through his telescope； he
had seen the smoke of the Upolu that was bearing Joan away to Sydney；
and in the evening he sat down to dinner in solitary state； devoting more of
his time to looking at her empty chair than to his food。 He never came
out on the veranda without glancing first of all at her grass house in the
corner of the compound； and one evening； idly knocking the balls about
on the billiard table； he came to himself to find himself standing staring at
the nail upon which from the first she had hung her Stetson hat and her
revolver…belt。
Why should he care for her？ he demanded of himself angrily。 She
was certainly the last woman in the world he would have thought of
choosing for himself。 Never had he encountered one who had so
thoroughly irritated him； rasped his feelings； smashed his conventions； and
violated nearly every attribute of what had been his ideal of woman。 Had
he been too long away from the world？ Had he forgotten what the race
of women was like？ Was it merely a case of propinquity？ And she
wasn't really a woman。 She was a masquerader。 Under all her seeming
of woman； she was a boy； playing a boy's pranks； diving for fish amongst
sharks； sporting a revolver； longing for adventure； and； what was more；
going out in search of it in her whale…boat； along with her savage islanders
and her bag of sovereigns。 But he loved herthat was the point of it all；
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and he did not try to evade it。 He was not sorry that it was so。 He loved
herthat was the overwhelming； astounding fact。
Once again he discovered a big enthusiasm for Berande。 All the
bubble…illusions concerning the life of the tropical planter had been
pricked by the stern facts of the Solomons。 Following the death of
Hughie； he had resolved to muddle along somehow with the plantation；
but this resolve had not been based upon desire。 Instead； it was based upon
the inherent stubbornness of his nature and his dislike to
