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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
¨Tell them to come out with their hands up；〃 he said quietly to Peters。
Peters spoke in rough； throaty German。 Nobody answered and nothing happened。
Thomas Hudson thought； grandmaˇs boy has a good delivery； and he said； ¨Tell them again we give them ten seconds to come out。 We will treat them as prisoners of war。 Then count ten。〃
Peters spoke so it sounded like the voice of all German doom。 His voice holds up magnificently； Thomas Hudson thought； and turned his head fast to see if the skiff were in sight。 He could only see the brown roots and the green of the mangroves。
¨Count ten and put one in；〃 he said。 ¨Watch that fucking forward hatch； Willie。〃
¨Itˇs got those fucking branches covering it。〃
¨Push one in with your hands when Peters goes。 Donˇt throw it。〃
Peters reached ten and standing there； tall； loose…jointed like a pitcher on the mound； holding his submachine gun under his left arm； he pulled the pin of the grenade with his teeth； held it spurting smoke a moment as though he were warming it； and tossed it with the underhand motion of a Carl Mays into the darkness of the hatch。
As Thomas Hudson watched him； he thought； heˇs a great actor and he doesnˇt think there is anything down there。
Thomas Hudson hit the deck； covering the mouth of the hatch with his Thompson。 Peterˇs grenade exploded with a flashing crack and a roar and Thomas Hudson saw Willie opening the brush to drop a grenade in the forward hatch。 Then to the right of the mast； where the vines hung； he saw the muzzle of a gun come up from between the branches on the same hatch where Willie was working。 He fired at it but it fired five quick flashes； clattering like a childˇs rattle。 Then Willieˇs grenade went with a big flash and Thomas Hudson looked and saw Willie； in the scuppers； pull the pin on another grenade to throw in。 Peters was on his side with his head on the gunwale。 Blood was running from his head into the scuppers。
Willie threw and the grenade had a different sound because it rolled further into the boat before it burst。
¨Do you think there are any more of the cocksuckers？〃 Willie called。
¨Iˇll put one more in from here；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 He ducked and ran to get out of any fire from the big hatch and pulled the pin on another grenade； gray； heavy； solid； and notched in the grip of his hand； and crossing forward of the hatch he rolled it down into the stern。 There was the crack； boom； and smoke where pieces of the deck came up。
Willie was looking at Peters and Tom came over and looked at him too。 He did not look very different than usual。
¨Well； weˇve lost our interpreter；〃 Willie said。 His good eye was twitching but his voice was the same。
¨Sheˇs settling fast；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨She was aground already。 But sheˇs going over on her beam ends now。〃
¨Weˇve got a lot of uncompleted business； Willie。〃
¨And we traded even。 One for one。 But we sunk the damned boat。〃
¨You better get the hell back to the ship and get back here with Ara and Henry。 Tell Antonio to bring her abreast of the point as soon as he gets the tide。〃
¨I have to check below first。〃
¨Iˇll check。〃
¨No；〃 Willie said。 ¨Thatˇs my trade。〃
¨How do you feel； kid？〃
¨Fine。 Only sorry to hear of the loss of Mr。 Peters。 Iˇll get a rag or something to put over his face。 We ought to straighten him out with his head uphill now sheˇs careening like this。〃
¨How is the Kraut in the bow？〃
¨Heˇs a mess。〃
XVII
WILLIE WAS GONE NOW to bring Ara and Henry。 Thomas Hudson lay behind the parapet the high gunwale of the turtle boat made。 His feet were against the hatch and he was watching for the skiff。 Peters lay feet downward on the other side of the hatch and his face was covered by a German navy fatigue shirt。 I never realized he was so tall； Thomas Hudson thought。
He and Willie had both searched the turtle boat and it was a mess。 There had only been one German on board。 He was the one who had shot Peters and he had evidently taken him for the officer。 There was one other Schmeisser machine pistol aboard and close to two thousand rounds of ammunition in a metal case which had been opened with pliers or a can opener。 Presumably； the men who had gone ashore had been armed because there were no weapons on board。 The skiff was at least a sixteen…foot； heavy turtler from the chocks and the marks that she had left on the deck。 They still had a quantity of food。 It was mostly dried fish and hard roasted pork。 It was the wounded man who had been left on board who had shot Peters。 He had a bad thigh wound that was nearly healed and another nearly healed wound in the fleshy part of his left shoulder。 They had good charts of the coast and of the West Indies and there was one carton of Camels without stamps and marked Ships Supplies。 They had no coffee； nor tea； nor any liquors of any sort。
The problem now was what they would do。 Where were they？ They must have seen or heard the small fight on the turtle boat and they might return to pick up their stores。 They would have seen one man leave by himself in the dinghy with the outboard and from the shots and the explosion of the frags there could easily be three men dead or incapacitated aboard。 They would come back for stores or anything else that might be hidden and then break for the mainland in the dark。 They could shove the skiff off anything that she might ground on。
The skiff must be a sturdy craft。 Thomas Hudson had no radio operator and it was therefore impossible to give a description of the skiff and nobody would be looking for her。 Then； if they wanted to； and had the will to try it they could try to assault the ship at night。 That seemed extremely unlikely。
Thomas Hudson thought it out as carefully as he could。 Finally； he decided； I believe that they will go inside the mangroves and haul the skiff in and hide it。 If we go in after them； they can ambush us easily。 Then they will run for the open inside bay and push on and try and pass Cayo Franc？s at night。 That is easy。 They may pick up supplies； or raid for them； and they will keep on pushing to the westward and try to make one of the German outfits around Havana where they will hide them and pick them up。 They can easily get a better boat。
They can jump one。 Or steal one。 I have to report at Cayo Franc？s and deliver Peters and get my orders。 The trouble wonˇt come until Havana。 Thereˇs a lieutenant commanding at Cayo Franc？s and we wonˇt have any trouble there and they can keep Peters。
I have enough ice to handle him to there and I gas there and get ice at Caibari？n。
We are going to get these characters for better or for worse。 But I am not going to put Willie and Ara and Henry into one of those burp…gun massacres in the mangroves for fuck…all nothing。 There are eight of them； anyway； from the looks of everything on board。 I had a chance to catch them today with their pants down and I blew it because they were too smart or too lucky and they are always efficient。
Weˇve lost one man and he is our radio operator。 But we have cut them down to a skiff now。 If I see the skiff we will destroy it and blockade the island and hunt them down o