苗疆小说网

第6章 Tired of the Old Man（第1页）

Itwasgettingintotheafternoonandtheboatstillmovedslowlyandsteadily。Buttherewasanaddeddragnowfromtheeasterlybreezeandtheoldmanrodegentlywiththesmallseaandthehurtofthecordacrosshisbackcametohimeasilyandsmoothly。

Onceintheafternoonthelinestartedtoriseagain。Butthefishonlycontinuedtoswimataslightlyhigherlevel。Thesunwasontheoldmansleftarmandshoulderandonhisback。Soheknewthefishhadturnedeastofnorth。

Nowthathehadseenhimonce，hecouldpicturethefishswimminginthewaterwithhispurplepectoralfinssetwideaswingsandthegreaterecttailslicingthroughthedark。Iwonderhowmuchheseesatthatdepth，theoldmanthought。Hiseyeishugeandahorse，withmuchlesseye，canseeinthedark。OnceIcouldseequitewellinthedark。Notintheabsolutedark。Butalmostasacatsees。

Thesunandhissteadymovementofhisfingershaduncrampedhislefthandnowcompletelyandhebegantoshiftmoreofthestraintoitandheshruggedthemusclesofhisbacktoshiftthehurtofthecordalittle。

“Ifyourenottired，fish，”hesaidaloud，“youmustbeverystrange。”

Hefeltverytirednowandheknewthenightwouldcomesoonandhetriedtothinkofotherthings。HethoughtoftheBigLeagues，tohimtheyweretheGranLigas，andheknewthattheYankeesofNewYorkwereplayingtheTigresofDetroit。

ThisistheseconddaynowthatIdonotknowtheresultofthejuegos，hethought。ButImusthaveconfidenceandImustbeworthyofthegreatDiMaggiowhodoesallthingsperfectlyevenwiththepainofthebonespurinhisheel。Whatisabonespur?Heaskedhimself。Unespueladehueso。Wedonothavethem。Canitbeaspainfulasthespurofafightingcockinonesheel?IdonotthinkIcouldendurethatorthelossoftheeyeandofbotheyesandcontinuetofightasthefightingcocksdo。Manisnotmuchbesidethegreatbirdsandbeasts。StillIwouldratherbethatbeastdownthereinthedarknessofthesea。

“Unlesssharkscome，”hesaidaloud。“Ifsharkscome，Godpityhimandme。”

DoyoubelievethegreatDiMaggiowouldstaywithafishaslongasIwillstaywiththisone?Hethought。Iamsurehewouldandmoresinceheisyoungandstrong。Alsohisfatherwasafisherman。Butwouldthebonespurhurthimtoomuch?

“Idonotknow，”hesaidaloud。“Ineverhadabonespur。”

Asthesunsetheremembered，togivehimselfmoreconfidence，thetimeinthetavernatCasablancawhenhehadplayedthehandgamewiththegreatnegrofromCienfuegoswhowasthestrongestmanonthedocks。Theyhadgoneonedayandonenightwiththeirelbowsonachalklineonthetableandtheirforearmsstraightupandtheirhandsgrippedtight。Eachonewastryingtoforcetheothershanddownontothetable。Therewasmuchbettingandpeoplewentinandoutoftheroomunderthekerosenelightsandhehadlookedatthearmandhandofthenegroandatthenegrosface。Theychangedtherefereeseveryfourhoursafterthefirsteightsothattherefereescouldsleep。Bloodcameoutfromunderthefingernailsofbothhisandthenegroshandsandtheylookedeachotherintheeyeandattheirhandsandforearmsandthebettorswentinandoutoftheroomandsatonhighchairsagainstthewallandwatched。Thewallswerepaintedbrightblueandwereofwoodandthelampsthrewtheirshadowsagainstthem。Thenegrosshadowwashugeanditmovedonthewallasthebreezemovedthelamps。

Theoddswouldchangebackandforthallnightandtheyfedthenegrorumandlightedcigarettesforhim。ThentheNegro，aftertherum，wouldtryforatremendouseffortandoncehehadtheoldman，whowasnotanoldmanthenbutwasSantiagoElCampeon，nearlythreeinchesoffbalance。Buttheoldmanhadraisedhishanduptodeadevenagain。Hewassurethenthathehadthenegro，whowasafinemanandagreatathlete，beaten。Andatdaylightwhenthebettorswereaskingthatitbecalledadrawandtherefereewasshakinghishead，hehadunleashedhiseffortandforcedthehandofthenegrodownanddownuntilitrestedonthewood。ThematchhadstartedonaSundaymorningandendedonaMondaymorning。ManyofthebettorshadaskedforadrawbecausetheyhadtogotoworkonthedocksloadingsacksofsugarorattheHavanaCoalCompany。Otherwiseeveryonewouldhavewantedittogotoafinish。Buthehadfinisheditanywayandbeforeanyonehadtogotowork。

ForalongtimeafterthateveryonehadcalledhimTheChampionandtherehadbeenareturnmatchinthespring。ButnotmuchmoneywasbetandhehadwonitquiteeasilysincehehadbrokentheconfidenceofthenegrofromCienfuegosinthefirstmatch。Afterthathehadafewmatchesandthennomore。Hedecidedthathecouldbeatanyoneifhewantedtobadlyenoughandhedecidedthatitwasbadforhisrighthandforfishing。Hehadtriedafewpracticematcheswithhislefthand。Buthislefthandhadalwaysbeenatraitorandwouldnotdowhathecalledonittodoandhedidnottrustit。

Thesunwillbakeitoutwellnow，hethought。Itshouldnotcramponmeagainunlessitgetstoocoldinthenight。Iwonderwhatthisnightwillbring。

AnairplanepassedoverheadonitscoursetoMiamiandhewatcheditsshadowscaringuptheschoolsofflyingfish。

“Withsomuchflyingfishthereshouldbedolphin，”hesaid，andleanedbackonthelinetoseeifitwaspossibletogainanyonhisfish。Buthecouldnotanditstayedatthehardnessandwaterdropshiveringthatprecededbreaking。Theboatmovedaheadslowlyandhewatchedtheairplaneuntilhecouldnolongerseeit。

Itmustbeverystrangeinanairplane，hethought。Iwonderwhatthesealookslikefromthatheight?Theyshouldbeabletoseethefishwelliftheydonotflytoohigh。Iwouldliketoflyveryslowlyattwohundredfathomshighandseethefishfromabove。IntheturtleboatsIwasinthecross-treesofthemast-headandevenatthatheightIsawmuch。Thedolphinlookgreenerfromthereandyoucanseetheirstripesandtheirpurplespotsandyoucanseealloftheschoolastheyswim。Whyisitthatallthefast-movingfishofthedarkcurrenthavepurplebacksandusuallypurplestripesorspots?Thedolphinlooksgreenofcoursebecauseheisreallygolden。Butwhenhecomestofeed，trulyhungry，purplestripesshowonhissidesasonamarlin。Canitbeanger，orthegreaterspeedhemakesthatbringsthemout?

Justbeforeitwasdark，astheypassedagreatislandofSargassoweedthatheavedandswunginthelightseaasthoughtheoceanweremakinglovewithsomethingunderayellowblanket，hissmalllinewastakenbyadolphin。Hesawitfirstwhenitjumpedintheair，truegoldinthelastofthesunandbendingandflappingwildlyintheair。Itjumpedagainandagainintheacrobaticsofitsfearandheworkedhiswaybacktothesternandcrouchingandholdingthebiglinewithhisrighthandandarm，hepulledthedolphininwithhislefthand，steppingonthegainedlineeachtimewithhisbareleftfoot。Whenthefishwasatthestern，plungingandcuttingfromsidetosideindesperation，theoldmanleanedoverthesternandliftedtheburnishedgoldfishwithitspurplespotsoverthestern。Itsjawswereworkingconvulsivelyinquickbitesagainstthehookanditpoundedthebottomoftheskiffwithitslongflatbody，itstailanditsheaduntilheclubbeditacrosstheshininggoldenheaduntilitshiveredandwasstill。

Theoldmanunhookedthefish，rebaitedthelinewithanothersardineandtosseditover。Thenheworkedhiswayslowlybacktothebow。Hewashedhislefthandandwipeditonhistrousers。Thenheshiftedtheheavylinefromhisrighthandtohisleftandwashedhisrighthandintheseawhilehewatchedthesungointotheoceanandtheslantofthebigcord。

“Hehasntchangedatall，”hesaid。Butwatchingthemovementofthewateragainsthishandhenoticedthatitwasperceptiblyslower。

“Illlashthetwooarstogetheracrossthesternandthatwillslowhiminthenight，”hesaid。“HesgoodforthenightandsoamI。”

Itwouldbebettertogutthedolphinalittlelatertosavethebloodinthemeat，hethought。Icandothatalittlelaterandlashtheoarstomakeadragatthesametime。Ihadbetterkeepthefishquietnowandnotdisturbhimtoomuchatsunset。Thesettingofthesunisadifficulttimeforallfish。

Helethishanddryintheairthengraspedthelinewithitandeasedhimselfasmuchashecouldandallowedhimselftobepulledforwardagainstthewoodsothattheboattookthestrainasmuch，ormore，thanhedid。

Imlearninghowtodoit，hethought。Thispartofitanyway。Thentoo，rememberhehasnteatensincehetookthebaitandheishugeandneedsmuchfood。Ihaveeatenthewholebonito。TomorrowIwilleatthedolphin。Hecalleditdorado。PerhapsIshouldeatsomeofitwhenIcleanit。Itwillbehardertoeatthanthebonito。But，then，nothingiseasy。

“Howdoyoufeel，fish?”heaskedaloud。“IfeelgoodandmylefthandisbetterandIhavefoodforanightandaday。Pulltheboat，fish。”