暗黑小说

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。