benito cereno-第12章

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o　the　forward　part　of　the　ship；　where　in　the　crowd　he　disappeared。　　　　　An　elderly　Negro；　in　a　clout　like　an　infant's；　and　with　a　pepper　and　salt　head；　and　a　kind　of　attorney　air；　now　approached　Captain　Delano。　In　tolerable　Spanish；　and　with　a　good…natured；　knowing　wink；　he　informed　him　that　the　old　knotter　was　simple…witted；　but　harmless；　often　playing　his　old　tricks。　The　Negro　concluded　by　begging　the　knot；　for　of　course　the　stranger　would　not　care　to　be　troubled　with　it。　Unconsciously；　it　was　handed　to　him。　With　a　sort　of　conge；　the　Negro　received　it；　and　turning　his　back　ferreted　into　it　like　a　detective　Custom　House　officer　after　smuggled　laces。　Soon；　with　some　African　word；　equivalent　to　pshaw；　he　tossed　the　knot　overboard。　　　　　All　this　is　very　queer　now；　thought　Captain　Delano；　with　a　qualmish　sort　of　emotion；　but　as　one　feeling　incipient　seasickness；　he　strove；　by　ignoring　the　symptoms；　to　get　rid　of　the　malady。　Once　more　he　looked　off　for　his　boat。　To　his　delight；　it　was　now　again　in　view；　leaving　the　rocky　spur　astern。　　　　　The　sensation　here　experienced；　after　at　first　relieving　his　uneasiness；　with　unforeseen　efficiency；　soon　began　to　remove　it。　The　less　distant　sight　of　that　well…known　boat…　showing　it；　not　as　before；　half　blended　with　the　haze；　but　with　outline　defined；　so　that　its　individuality；　like　a　man's；　was　manifest；　that　boat；　Rover　by　name；　which；　though　now　in　strange　seas；　had　often　pressed　the　beach　of　Captain　Delano's　home；　and；　brought　to　its　threshold　for　repairs；　had　familiarly　lain　there；　as　a　Newfoundland　dog；　the　sight　of　that　household　boat　evoked　a　thousand　trustful　associations；　which；　contrasted　with　previous　suspicions；　filled　Him　not　only　with　lightsome　confidence；　but　somehow　with　half　humorous　self…reproaches　at　his　former　lack　of　it。　　　　　〃What；　I；　Amasa　Delano…　Jack　of　the　Beach；　as　they　called　me　when　a　lad…　I；　Amasa；　the　same　that；　duck…satchel　in　hand；　used　to　paddle　along　the　waterside　to　the　schoolhouse　made　from　the　old　hulk；…　I；　little　Jack　of　the　Beach；　that　used　to　go　berrying　with　cousin　Nat　and　the　rest；　I　to　be　murdered　here　at　the　ends　of　the　earth；　on　board　a　haunted　pirate…ship　by　a　horrible　Spaniard？…　Too　nonsensical　to　think　of！　Who　would　murder　Amasa　Delano？　His　conscience　is　clean。　There　is　some　one　above。　Fie；　fie；　Jack　of　the　Beach！　you　are　a　child　indeed；　a　child　of　the　second　childhood；　old　boy；　you　are　beginning　to　dote　and　drool；　I'm　afraid。〃　　　　　Light　of　heart　and　foot；　he　stepped　aft；　and　there　was　met　by　Don　Benito's　servant；　who；　with　a　pleasing　expression；　responsive　to　his　own　present　feelings；　informed　him　that　his　master　had　recovered　from　the　effects　of　his　coughing　fit；　and　had　just　ordered　him　to　go　present　his　compliments　to　his　good　guest；　Don　Amasa；　and　say　that　he　（Don　Benito）　would　soon　have　the　happiness　to　rejoin　him。　　　　　There　now；　do　you　mark　that？　again　thought　Captain　Delano；　walking　the　poop。　What　a　donkey　I　was。　This　kind　gentleman　who　here　sends　me　his　kind　compliments；　he；　but　ten　minutes　ago；　dark…lantern　in　hand；　was　dodging　round　some　old　grind…stone　in　the　hold；　sharpening　a　hatchet　for　me；　I　thought。　Well；　well；　these　long　calms　have　a　morbid　effect　on　the　mind；　I've　often　heard；　though　I　never　believed　it　before。　Ha！　glancing　toward　the　boat；　there's　Rover；　a　good　dog；　a　white　bone　in　her　mouth。　A　pretty　big　bone　though；　seems　to　me。…　What？　Yes；　she　has　fallen　afoul　of　the　bubbling　tide…rip　there。　It　sets　her　the　other　way；　too；　for　the　time。　Patience。　　　　　It　was　now　about　noon；　though；　from　the　greyness　of　everything；　it　seemed　to　be　getting　toward　dusk。　　　　　The　calm　was　confirmed。　In　the　far　distance；　away　from　the　influence　of　land；　the　leaden　ocean　seemed　laid　out　and　leaded　up；　its　course　finished；　soul　gone；　defunct。　But　the　current　from　landward；　where　the　ship　was；　increased；　silently　sweeping　her　further　and　further　toward　the　tranced　waters　beyond。　　　　　Still；　from　his　knowledge　of　those　latitudes；　cherishing　hopes　of　a　breeze；　and　a　fair　and　fresh　one；　at　any　moment；　Captain　Delano；　despite　present　prospects；　buoyantly　counted　upon　bringing　the　San　Dominick　safely　to　anchor　ere　night。　The　distance　swept　over　was　nothing；　since；　with　a　good　wind；　ten　minutes'　sailing　would　retrace　more　than　sixty　minutes'　drifting。　Meantime；　one　moment　turning　to　mark　Rover　fighting　the　tide…rip；　and　the　next　to　see　Don　Benito　approaching；　he　continued　walking　the　poop。　　　　　Gradually　he　felt　a　vexation　arising　from　the　delay　of　his　boat；　this　soon　merged　into　uneasiness；　and　at　last；　his　eye　falling　continually；　as　from　a　stage…box　into　the　pit；　upon　the　strange　crowd　before　and　below　him；　and　by…and…by　recognizing　there　the　face…　now　composed　to　indifference…　of　the　Spanish　sailor　who　had　seemed　to　beckon　from　the　main…chains；　something　of　his　old　trepidations　returned。　　　　　Ah；　thought　he…　gravely　enough…　this　is　like　the　ague：　because　it　went　off；　it　follows　not　that　it　won't　come　back。　　　　　Though　ashamed　of　the　relapse；　he　could　not　altogether　subdue　it；　and　so；　exerting　his　good　nature　to　the　utmost；　insensibly　he　came　to　a　compromise。　　　　　Yes；　this　is　a　strange　craft；　a　strange　history；　too；　and　strange　folks　on　board。　But…　nothing　more。　　　　　By　way　of　keeping　his　mind　out　of　mischief　till　the　boat　should　arrive；　he　tried　to　occupy　it　with　turning　over　and　over；　in　a　purely　speculative　sort　of　way；　some　lesser　peculiarities　of　the　captain　and　crew。　Among　others；　four　curious　points　recurred。　　　　　First；　the　affair　of　the　Spanish　lad　assailed　with　a　knife　by　the　slave　boy；　an　act　winked　at　by　Don　Benito。　Second；　the　tyranny　in　Don　Benito's　treatment　of　Atufal；　the　black；　as　if　a　child　should　lead　a　bull　of　the　Nile　by　the　ring　in　his　nose。　Third；　the　trampling　of　the　sailor　by　the　two　Negroes；　a　piece　of　insolence　passed　over　without　so　much　as　a　reprimand。　Fourth；　the　cringing　submission　to　their　master　of　all　the　ship's　underlings；　mostly　blacks；　as　if　by　the　least　inadvertence　they　feared　to　draw　down　his　despotic　displeasure。　　　　　Coupling　these　points；　they　seemed　somewhat　contradictory。　But　what　then；　thought　Captain　Delano；　glancing　toward　his　now　nearing　boat；…　what　then？　Why；　this　Don　Benito　is　a　very　capricious　commander。　But　he　is　not　the　first　of　the　sort　I　have　seen；　though　it's　true　he　rather　exceeds　any　other。　But　as　a　nation…　continued　he　in　his　reveries…　these　Spaniards　are　all　an　odd　set；　the　very　word　Spaniard　has　a　curious；　conspirator；　Guy…Fawkish　twang　to　it。　And　yet；　I　dare　say；　Spaniards　in　the　main　are　as　good　folks　as　any　in　Duxbury；　Massachusetts。　Ah；　good！　At　last　Rover　has　come。　　　　　As；　with　its　welcome　freight；　the　boat　touched　the　side；　the　oakum…pickers；　with　venerable　gestures；　sought　to　restrain　the　blacks；　who；　at　the　sight　of　three　gurried　water…casks　in　its　bottom；　and　a　pile　of　wilted　pumpkins　in　its　bow；　hung　over　the　bulwarks　in　disorderly　raptures。　　　　　Don　Benito　with　his　servant　now　appeared；　his　coming；　perhaps；　hastened　by　hearing　the　noise。　Of　him　Captain　Delano　sought　permission　to　serve　out　the　water；　so　that　all　might　share　alike；　and　none　injure　themselves　by　unfair　excess。　But　sensible；　and；　on　Don　Benito's　account；　kind　as　this　offer　was；　it　was　received　with　what　seemed　impatience；　as　if　awa