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！
¨You used to be pretty good at trouble； though。〃
¨I always avoided it； Tom。 Sometimes you canˇt avoid it but I always tried to。〃
¨What was it last night？〃
¨Nothing。〃
He didnˇt want to talk about it。 He never talked about the old days either when there had been plenty of trouble。
¨All right。 What else is there to eat？ We have to feed them up。 Theyˇre growing boys。〃
¨I made a cake at the house and brought her and thereˇs a couple of fresh pineapples cold in the ice。 Iˇll slice them up。〃
¨Good。 How will we have the fish？〃
¨Any way you want it。 Letˇs see what the best is of what they get； then cook it how they and you and Roger want it。 David just got a good yellowtail。 He had another one but he lost it。 This oneˇs a big flaggy。 Heˇs getting far out； though。 Heˇs still got the fish and Joeˇs the hell over toward Andy with the dinghy。〃
Thomas Hudson put the drink down in the shade and stood up。
¨Jesus Christ；〃 Eddy said。 ¨There it comes！〃
Out across the blue water； showing like a brown dinghy sail and slicing through the water with heavy； tail…propelled； lunging thrusts； the high triangular fin was coming in toward the hole at the edge of the reef where the boy with the mask on his face held his fish up out of the water。
¨Oh Jesus；〃 Eddy said。 ¨What a son of a bitching hammerhead。 Jesus； Tom。 Oh Jesus。〃
Thomas Hudson remembered； afterwards； the main impression he had was the great height of the fin； the way it turned and swung like a hound on a scent； and the way it knifed forward and still seemed to wobble。
He had the 。256 up and shot just ahead of the fin。 The shot was over and threw a spurt of water and he remembered the barrel was sticky with oil。 The fin went right on weaving in。
¨Throw him the goddam fish；〃 Eddy yelled to David and jumped off the back of the house down into the cockpit。
Thomas Hudson shot again and was behind with another spurt of water。 He felt sick at his stomach； as though something had hold of him inside and was gripping him there； and he shot again； as carefully and steady as he could； knowing fully what the shot meant； and the spurt of water was ahead of the fin。 The fin kept right on with the same awful motion。 He had one shot now； no extra shells； and the shark was about thirty yards from the boy； coming in with the same slicing motion。 David had the fish of the spear in his hand； the mask was up on his forehead； and he was looking steadily toward the shark coming。
Thomas Hudson was trying to be loose but steady； trying to hold his breath and not to think of anything but the shot； to squeeze and keep just a touch ahead and at the base of the fin which was wobbling more now than it had at the start when he heard the submachine gun start firing from the stern and saw water start to spout all around the fin。 Then it clattered again in a short burst and the water jumped in a tighter patch right at the base of the fin。 As he shot； the clatter came again； short and tight； and the fin went under and there was a boil in the water and then the biggest hammerhead he had ever seen rose white…bellied out of the sea and began to plane over the water crazily； on his back； throwing water like an aquaplane。 His belly was shining an obscene white； his yard…wide mouth like a turned…up grin； the great horns of his head with the eyes on the end； spread wide out as he bounced and slid over the water。 Eddyˇs gun rapping and ripping into the white of his belly making black spots that were red before he turned and went down and Thomas Hudson could see him rolling over and over as he sank。
¨Get those goddamned kids in here；〃 he heard Eddy shouting。 ¨I canˇt stand this sort of thing。〃
Roger had swum fast toward David； and Joseph was pulling Andy into the dinghy and then sculling out toward the other two。
¨Goddam；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Did you ever see such a hammerhead？ Thank God they show on the surface when they hook up。 Thank God for that。 The bastards always get on top。 Did you see him go？〃
¨Give me a box of shells；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 He was shaky and hollow sick feeling inside。 ¨Come on in here；〃 he shouted。 They were swimming alongside of the dinghy and Roger was pushing David up over the gunwale。
¨They might as well fish；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Any shark in the ocean will go for him now。 Heˇll call the whole ocean up。 Did you see him go on his back； Tom； and then that damned roll？ Jesus； what a hammerhead。 Did you see the kid with the fish ready to throw him？ Thatˇs my Davy boy。 Oh what a old Davy boy。〃
¨They better come in。〃
¨Sure they better。 I was just talking。 Theyˇll come in。 Donˇt worry they wonˇt come in。〃
¨God； it was a terrible thing。 Where did you have that gun？〃
¨Commissioner made some trouble about me having it ashore so Iˇve been keeping it in the locker under my bunk。〃
¨You certainly can shoot it。〃
¨Hell； who couldnˇt shoot it with that shark going toward that old Davy boy waiting there quiet with that fish to throw？ Looking straight at where the shark was coming。 Hell； I donˇt care if I never see anything else in my goddam life。〃
They came up over the side out of the dinghy。 The kids were wet and very excited and Roger was very shaken。 He went over and shook hands with Eddy and Eddy said； ¨We never should have let them get out like that on this tide。〃
Roger shook his head and put his arm around Eddy。
¨My fault；〃 Eddy said。 ¨I was born here。 Youˇre a stranger。 It wasnˇt your fault。 Iˇm the one thatˇs responsible。〃
¨You lived up to your responsibilities all right；〃 Roger said。
¨Hell；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Nobody could miss him at that range。〃
¨Could you see him； Dave？〃 Andrew asked very politely。
¨Only his fin till just at the end。 Then I could see him before Eddy hit him and he went down and then came out on his back。〃
Eddy was rubbing him with a towel and Thomas Hudson could see the goose pimples still over his legs and back and shoulders。
¨I never saw anything like when he came out of water and started to go on his back；〃 young Tom said。 ¨I never saw anything in the world like that。〃
¨You wonˇt see a lot of things like that；〃 his father told him。
¨He must have weighed eleven hundred pounds；〃 Eddy said。 ¨I donˇt think they make a bigger hammerhead。 Jesus； Roger； did you see that fin on him？〃
¨I saw it；〃 Roger said。
¨Do you think we can get him？〃 David asked。
¨Hell no；〃 Eddy said。 ¨He went down rolling over and over to hell knows where。 Heˇs down in eighty fathoms and the whole ocean will eat on him。 Heˇs calling them up now。〃
¨I wish we could have got him；〃 David said。
¨Take it easy； Davy boy。 You got the goose flesh on you still。〃
¨Were you very scared； Dave？〃 Andrew asked。
¨Yes；〃 David told him。
¨What were you going to do？〃 Tom asked； very respectfully。
¨I was going to throw the fish to him；〃 David said and as Thomas Hudson watched him the little sharp wave of pimples spread over his shoulders。 ¨Then I was going to hit him in the middle of his face with the grains。〃
¨Oh hell；〃 Eddy said and he turned away with the towel。 ¨What do you want to drink； Roger？�