苗疆小说网

第7章 The Old Mans Victory（第1页）

“Therewillbebadweatherinthreeorfourdays，”hesaid。“Butnottonightandnottomorrow。Rignowtogetsomesleep，oldman，whilethefishiscalmandsteady。”

Heheldthelinetightinhisrighthandandthenpushedhisthighagainsthisrighthandasheleanedallhisweightagainstthewoodofthebow。Thenhepassedthelinealittleloweronhisshouldersandbracedhislefthandonit。

Myrighthandcanholditaslongasitisbraced，hethought。Ifitrelaxesinsleepmylefthandwillwakemeasthelinegoesout。Itishardontherighthand。Butheisusedtopunishment。EvenifIsleeptwentyminutesorahalfanhouritisgood。Helayforwardcrampinghimselfagainstthelinewithallofhisbody，puttingallhisweightontohisrighthand，andhewasasleep。

Hedidnotdreamofthelionsbutinsteadofavastschoolofporpoisesthatstretchedforeightortenmilesanditwasinthetimeoftheirmatingandtheywouldleaphighintotheairandreturnintothesameholetheyhadmadeinthewaterwhentheyleaped。

Thenhedreamedthathewasinthevillageonhisbedandtherewasanortherandhewasverycoldandhisrightarmwasasleepbecausehisheadhadrestedonitinsteadofapillow。

Afterthathebegantodreamofthelongyellowbeachandhesawthefirstofthelionscomedownontoitintheearlydarkandthentheotherlionscameandherestedhischinonthewoodofthebowswheretheshiplayanchoredwiththeeveningoff-shorebreezeandhewaitedtoseeiftherewouldbemorelionsandhewashappy。

Themoonhadbeenupforalongtimebuthesleptonandthefishpulledonsteadilyandtheboatmovedintothetunnelofclouds。

Hewokewiththejerkofhisrightfistcomingupagainsthisfaceandthelineburningoutthroughhisrighthand。Hehadnofeelingofhislefthandbuthebrakedallhecouldwithhisrightandthelinerushedout。Finallyhislefthandfoundthelineandheleanedbackagainstthelineandnowitburnedhisbackandhislefthand，andhislefthandwastakingallthestrainandcuttingbadly。Helookedbackatthecoilsoflineandtheywerefeedingsmoothly。Justthenthefishjumpedmakingagreatburstingoftheoceanandthenaheavyfall。Thenhejumpedagainandagainandtheboatwasgoingfastalthoughlinewasstillracingoutandtheoldmanwasraisingthestraintobreakingpointandraisingittobreakingpointagainandagain。Hehadbeenpulleddowntightontothebowandhisfacewasinthecutsliceofdolphinandhecouldnotmove。

Thisiswhatwewaitedfor，hethought。Sonowletustakeit。

Makehimpayfortheline，hethought。Makehimpayforit。

Hecouldnotseethefishsjumpsbutonlyheardthebreakingoftheoceanandtheheavysplashashefell。Thespeedofthelinewascuttinghishandsbadlybuthehadalwaysknownthiswouldhappenandhetriedtokeepthecuttingacrossthecallousedpartsandnotletthelineslipintothepalmnorcutthefingers。

Iftheboywasherehewouldwetthecoilsofline，hethought。Yes。Iftheboywerehere。Iftheboywerehere。

Thelinewentoutandoutandoutbutitwasslowingnowandhewasmakingthefishearneachinchofit。Nowhegothisheadupfromthewoodandoutofthesliceoffishthathischeekhadcrushed。Thenhewasonhiskneesandthenheroseslowlytohisfeet。Hewascedinglinebutmoreslowlyallthetime。Heworkedbacktowherehecouldfeelwithhisfootthecoilsoflinethathecouldnotsee。Therewasplentyoflinestillandnowthefishhadtopullthefrictionofallthatnewlinethroughthewater。

Yes，hethought。AndnowhehasjumpedmorethanadozentimesandfilledthesacksalonghisbackwithairandhecannotgodowndeeptodiewhereIcannotbringhimup。HewillstartcirclingsoonandthenImustworkonhim。Iwonderwhatstartedhimsosuddenly?Couldithavebeenhungerthatmadehimdesperate，orwashefrightenedbysomethinginthenight?Maybehesuddenlyfeltfear。Buthewassuchacalm，strongfishandheseemedsofearlessandsoconfident。

Itisstrange。

“Youbetterbefearlessandconfidentyourself，oldman，”hesaid。“Youreholdinghimagainbutyoucannotgetline。Butsoonhehastocircle。”

Theoldmanheldhimwithhislefthandandhisshouldersnowandstoopeddownandscoopedupwaterinhisrighthandtogetthecrusheddolphinfleshoffhisface。Hewasafraidthatitmightnauseatehimandhewouldvomitandlosehisstrength。Whenhisfacewascleanedhewashedhisrighthandinthewateroverthesideandthenletitstayinthesaltwaterwhilehewatchedthefirstlightcomebeforethesunrise。Hesheadedalmosteast，hethought。Thatmeansheistiredandgoingwiththecurrent。Soonhewillhavetocircle。Thenourtrueworkbegins。

Afterhejudgedthathisrighthandhadbeeninthewaterlongenoughhetookitoutandlookedatit。

“Itisnotbad。”hesaid。“Andpaindoesnotmattertoaman。”

Hetookholdofthelinecarefullysothatitdidnotfitintoanyofthefreshlinecutsandshiftedhisweightsothathecouldputhislefthandintotheseaontheothersideoftheskiff。

“Youdidnotdosobadlyforsomethingworthless，”hesaidtohislefthand。“ButtherewasamomentwhenIcouldnotfindyou。”

WhywasInotbornwithtwogoodhands?Hethought。Perhapsitwasmyfaultinnottrainingthatoneproperly。ButGodknowshehashadenoughchancestolearn。Hedidnotdosobadlyinthenight，though，andhehasonlycrampedonce。Ifhecrampsagainletthelinecuthimoff。

Whenhethoughtthatheknewthathewasnotbeingclear-headedandhethoughtheshouldchewsomemoreofthedolphin。ButIcant，hetoldhimself。Itisbettertobelight-headedthantoloseyourstrengthfromnausea。AndIknowIcannotkeepitifIeatitsincemyfacewasinit。Iwillkeepitforanemergencyuntilitgoesbad。Butitistoolatetotryforstrengthnowthroughnourishment。Yourestupid，hetoldhimself。Eattheotherflyingfish。

Itwasthere，cleanedandready，andhepickeditupwithhislefthandandateitchewingthebonescarefullyandeatingallofitdowntothetail。

Ithasmorenourishmentthanalmostanyfish，hethought。AtleastthekindofstrengththatIneed。NowIhavedonewhatIcan，hethought。Lethimbegintocircleandletthefightcome。

Thesunwasrisingforthethirdtimesincehehadputtoseawhenthefishstartedtocircle。

Hecouldnotseebytheslantofthelinethatthefishwascircling。Itwastooearlyforthat。Hejustfeltafaintslackeningofthepressureofthelineandhecommencedtopullonitgentlywithhisrighthand。Ittightened，asalways，butjustwhenhereachedthepointwhereitwouldbreak，linebegantocomein。Heslippedhisshouldersandheadfromunderthelineandbegantopullinlinesteadilyandgently。Heusedbothofhishandsinaswingingmotionandtriedtodothepullingasmuchashecouldwithhisbodyandhislegs。Hisoldlegsandshoulderspivotedwiththeswingingofthepulling。

“Itisaverybigcircle，”hesaid。“Butheiscircling。”

Thenthelinewouldnotcomeinanymoreandheheldituntilhesawthedropsjumpingfromitinthesun。Thenitstartedoutandtheoldmankneltdownandletitgogrudginglybackintothedarkwater。

“Heismakingthefarpartofhiscirclenow，”hesaid。ImustholdallIcan，hethought。Thestrainwillshortenhiscircleeachtime。PerhapsinanhourIwillseehim。NowImustconvincehimandthenImustkillhim。