友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!
读书室 返回本书目录 加入书签 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 『收藏到我的浏览器』

adventure(冒险)-第11部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完,想下次继续接着阅读,可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能!


wouldn't require the fingers of one hand to count。                The fact that I was a 

woman   only   simplified   matters   with   them。         They   robbed   me   on   every 

pretext;   and    they   lied  without    pretext   or  need。    Poor   Mr。   Ericson    was 

corrupted。      He joined the robbers; and O。K。'd all their demands even up 

to   a   thousand   per   cent。  If   they  robbed   me   of   ten   francs;   his   share   was 

three。    One bill of fifteen hundred francs I paid; netted him five hundred 

francs。     All this; of course; I learned afterward。           But the Miele was old; 

the repairs had to be made; and I was charged; not three prices; but seven 

prices。 

     〃I never shall know how much Ericson got out of it。                 He lived ashore 

in a nicely furnished house。          The shipwrights were giving it to him rent… 

free。    Fruit; vegetables; fish; meat; and ice came to this house every day; 

and   he   paid   for   none   of   it。 It   was   part   of   his   graft   from   the   various 

merchants。       And   all   the   while;  with   tears   in  his   eyes;  he   bemoaned   the 

vile treatment I was receiving from the gang。                No; I did not fall among 

thieves。     I went to Tahiti。 

     〃But when the robbers fell to cheating one another; I got my first clues 

to the state of affairs。      One of the robbed robbers came to me after dark; 



                                                36 


… Page 37…

                                         ADVENTURE 



with facts; figures; and assertions。            I knew I was ruined if I went to law。 

The judges were corrupt like everything else。                But I did do one thing。         In 

the dead of night I went to Ericson's house。                I had the same revolver I've 

got now; and I made him stay in bed while I overhauled things。                      Nineteen 

hundred   and   odd   francs   was   what   I   carried   away   with   me。        He   never 

complained to the police; and he never came back on board。                         As for the 

rest   of   the   gang;   they   laughed   and   snapped   their   fingers   at   me。   There 

were   two Americans   in   the   place;   and   they  warned   me   to   leave   the   law 

alone unless I wanted to leave the Miele behind as well。 

     〃Then   I   sent   to   New   Zealand   and   got   a   German   mate。        He   had   a 

master's certificate; and   was on   the ship's   papers as   captain; but   I was   a 

better navigator than he; and I was really captain myself。 I lost her; too; 

but   it's   no   reflection   on   my   seamanship。       We   were   drifting   four   days 

outside there in dead calms。            Then the nor'wester caught us and drove us 

on   the   lee   shore。   We   made   sail   and   tried   to   clew   off;   when   the   rotten 

work   of   the Tahiti   shipwrights   became   manifest。           Our   jib…boom  and   all 

our    head…stays     carried    away。     Our     only   chance     was   to  turn   and    run 

through   the   passage   between   Florida   and   Ysabel。          And   when   we   were 

safely through; in the twilight; where the chart shows fourteen fathoms as 

the   shoalest   water;   we   smashed   on   a   coral   patch。      The   poor   old   Miele 

struck only once; and then went clear; but it was too much for her; and we 

just   had   time    to  clear   away   in   the   boat   when     she  went    down。      The 

German   mate   was   drowned。            We   lay   all   night   to   a   sea…drag;   and   next 

morning sighted your place here。〃 

     〃I suppose you will go back to Von; now?〃 Sheldon queried。 

     〃Nothing   of   the   sort。    Dad   planned   to   go   to  the   Solomons。       I   shall 

look about for some land and start a small plantation。                   Do you know any 

good land around here?            Cheap?〃 

     〃By   George;   you   Yankees   are   remarkable;   really   remarkable;〃   said 

Sheldon。       〃I should never have dreamed of such a venture。〃 

     〃Adventure;〃 Joan corrected him。 

     〃That's   rightadventure   it   is。     And   if   you'd   gone   ashore   on   Malaita 

instead   of   Guadalcanar   you'd   have   been   kai…kai'd   long   ago;   along   with 

your noble Tahitian sailors。〃 



                                                 37 


… Page 38…

                                      ADVENTURE 



     Joan shuddered。 

     〃To tell the truth;〃 she confessed; 〃we were very much afraid to land 

on   Guadalcanar。      I   read in   the   'Sailing   Directions'   that   the   natives   were 

treacherous and hostile。        Some day I should like to go to Malaita。             Are 

there any plantations there?〃 

     〃Not one。     Not a white trader even。〃 

     〃Then I shall go over on a recruiting vessel some time。〃 

     〃Impossible!〃 Sheldon cried。         〃It is no place for a woman。〃 

     〃I shall go just the same;〃 she repeated。 

     〃But no self…respecting woman〃 

     〃Be   careful;〃   she   warned   him。    〃I   shall   go   some   day;   and   then   you 

may be sorry for the names you have called me。〃 



                                              38 


… Page 39…

                                       ADVENTURE 



               CHAPTER VITEMPEST 



     It  was    the  first  time   Sheldon    had   been    at  close  quarters    with   an 

American   girl;   and   he   would   have   wondered   if   all American   girls   were 

like Joan Lackland had he not had wit enough to realize that she was not at 

all typical。    Her quick mind and changing moods bewildered him; while 

her outlook   on   life   was   so   different   from  what   he   conceived   a   woman's 

outlook   should   be;   that   he   was   more   often   than   not   at   sixes   and   sevens 

with her。     He could never anticipate what she would say or do next。                   Of 

only one thing was he sure; and that was that whatever she said or did was 

bound to be unexpected and unsuspected。                There seemed; too; something 

almost hysterical in her make…up。           Her temper was quick and stormy; and 

she    relied  too   much    on   herself   and   too  little  on  him;   which     did  not 

approximate   at   all   to   his   ideal   of   woman's   conduct   when   a   man   was 

around。     Her assumption of equality with him was disconcerting; and at 

times he half…consciously resented the impudence and bizarreness of her 

intrusion   upon   himrising   out   of   the   sea   in   a   howling   nor'wester;   fresh 

from poking her revolver under Ericson's nose; protected by her gang of 

huge     Polynesian      sailors;   and    settling    down     in   Berande     like   any 

shipwrecked sailor。        It   was   all   on   a   par   with   her   Baden…Powell   and   the 

long 38 Colt's。 

     At any rate; she did not look the part。            And that was what he could 

not   forgive。    Had   she   been   short…haired;   heavy…jawed;   large…   muscled; 

hard…bitten; and utterly unlovely in every way; all would have been well。 

Instead of which she was hopelessly and deliciously feminine。                     Her hair 

worried him; it was so generously beautiful。               And she was so slenderly 

and prettily the womanthe girl; ratherthat it cut him like a knife to see 

her;    with   quick;    comprehensive       eyes    and   sharply    imperative     voice; 

superintend       the  launching     of   the   whale…boat     through     the   surf。   In 

imagination   he   could   see   her   roping   a   horse;   and   it   always   made   him 

shudder。 Then; too; she was so many…sided。               Her knowledge of literature 

and   art   surprised   him;   while   deep   down   was   the   feeling   that   a   girl   who 



                                               39 


… Page 40…

                                       ADVENTURE 



knew   such   things   had   no   right   to   know   how   to   rig   tackles;   heave   up 

anchors;   and   sail   schooners   around   the   South   Seas。    Such   things   in   her 

brain were like so many oaths on her lips。             While for such a girl to insist 

that she was going on a recruiting cruise around Malaita was positive self… 

sacrilege。 

     He always   perturbedly harked back   to her   feminineness。              She   could 

play   the   piano   far  better   than   his  sisters  at  home;    and   with   far  finer 

appreciationthe piano that poor Hughie had so heroically laboured over 

to keep in condition。       And when she strummed the guitar and sang liquid; 

velvety Hawaiian hulas; he sat entranced。 Then she   was all woman;  and 

the magic of sex kidnapped the irritations of the day and made him forget 

the big revolver; the Baden…Powell; and all the rest。               But what right; 
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!