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！
e calm water to wait for the fish to come up again。 Eddy had wiped the boyˇs face and now was dipping the handkerchief in the glass of ice water and laying it across Davidˇs neck。 Then he cooled his wrists with it and then； with the handkerchief soaked in ice water again； wrung it out while he pressed it against the back of Davidˇs neck。
¨You say if you have a headache；〃 Eddy told him。 ¨That ainˇt quitting。 Thatˇs just sense。 This is a hell of a goddam hot sun when itˇs a calm。〃
¨Iˇm all right；〃 David told him。 ¨I hurt bad in the shoulders and the arms is all。〃
¨Thatˇs natural；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Thatˇll make a man out of you。 What we donˇt want is for you to get no sunstroke nor bust any gut。〃
¨What will he do now； Mr。 Davis？〃 David asked。 His voice sounded dry。
¨Maybe just what heˇs doing。 Or he might start to circle。 Or he may come up。〃
¨Itˇs a damn shame he sounded so deep at the start so we havenˇt any line to maneuver him with；〃 Thomas Hudson said to Roger。
¨Dave stopped him is the main thing；〃 Roger said。 ¨Pretty soon the fish will change his mind。 Then weˇll work on him。 See if you can get any just once； Dave。〃
David tried but he could not raise him at all。
¨Heˇll come up；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Youˇll see。 All of a sudden there wonˇt be anything to it； Davy。 Want to rinse your mouth out？〃
David nodded his head。 He had reached the breath…saving stage。
¨Spit it out；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Swallow just a little。〃 He turned to Roger。 ¨One hour even；〃 he said。 ¨Is your head all right； Davy？〃
The boy nodded。
¨What do you think； papa？〃 young Tom said to his father。 ¨Truly？〃
¨He looks pretty good to me；〃 his father said。 ¨Eddy wouldnˇt let anything happen to him。〃
¨No； I guess not；〃 Tom agreed。 ¨I wish I could do something useful。 Iˇm going to get Eddy a drink。〃
¨Get me one； too； please。〃
¨Oh good。 Iˇll make one for Mr。 Davis； too。〃
¨I donˇt think he wants one。〃
¨Well Iˇll ask him。〃
¨Try him once more； Davy；〃 Roger said very quietly； and the boy lifted with all his strength； holding the sides of the spool of the reel with his hands。
¨You got an inch；〃 Roger said。 ¨Take it in and see if you can get some more。〃
Now the real fight began。 Before David had only been holding him while the fish moved out to sea and the boat moved with him。 But now he had to lift； let the rod straighten with the line he had gained； and then lower the rod slowly while he took the line in by reeling。
¨Donˇt try to do it too fast；〃 Roger told him。 ¨Donˇt rush yourself。 Just keep it steady。〃
The boy was bending forward and pulling up from the soles of his feet； using all the leverage of his body and all of what weight he had on each lift； then reeling fast with his right hand as he lowered。
¨David fishes awfully pretty；〃 young Tom said。 ¨Heˇs fished since he was a little boy but I didnˇt know he could fish this well。 He always makes fun of himself because he canˇt play games。 But look at him now。〃
¨The hell with games；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨What did you say； Roger？〃
¨Go ahead on him just a touch；〃 Roger called up。
¨Ahead on him just a touch；〃 Thomas Hudson repeated and on the next lift； as they nudged slowly forward； David recovered more line。
¨Donˇt you like games either； papa？〃 Tom asked。
¨I used to。 Very much。 But not anymore。〃
¨I like tennis and fencing；〃 Tom said。 ¨The throw…and…catch ball games are the ones I donˇt like。 Thatˇs from being brought up in Europe I guess。 Iˇll bet David could be a fine fencer if he wanted to learn because he has so much brains。 But he doesnˇt want to learn。 All he wants to do is read and fish and shoot and tie flies。 He shoots better than Andy does in the field。 He can tie beautiful flies too。 Am I bothering you； papa； talking so much？〃
¨Of course not； Tom。〃
He was holding to the rail of the flying bridge and looking aft as his father was and his father put one hand on his shoulder。 It was salty from the buckets of sea water the boys had thrown over each other on the stern before the fish struck。 The salt was very fine and felt faintly sandy under his hand。
¨You see I get so nervous watching David I talk to take my mind off it。 Iˇd rather have David catch that fish than anything on earth。〃
¨Heˇs a hell of a fish。 Wait till we see him。〃
¨I saw one one time when I was fishing with you years ago。 He hit a big mackerel bait with his sword and he jumped and threw the hook。 He was enormous and I used to dream about him。 Iˇll go down and make the drinks。〃
¨Thereˇs no hurry；〃 his father told him。
Down in the backless fighting chair； set in its swivel base； David braced his feet against the stern and lifted with his arms； back； withers； and thighs； then lowered and reeled and lifted again。 Steadily； an inch； two inches； three inches at a time he was getting more and more line on the reel。
¨Is your head all right？〃 Eddy； who was holding the arms of the chair to steady it； asked him。
David nodded。 Eddy put his hand on the top of the boyˇs head and felt his cap。
¨Capˇs still wet；〃 he said。 ¨Youˇre giving him hell； Davy。 Just like a machine。〃
¨Itˇs easier now than holding him；〃 David said； his voice still dry。
¨Sure；〃 Eddy told him。 ¨Something gives now。 Other way it was just pulling your back out by the roots。〃
¨Donˇt work him any faster than you can；〃 Roger said。 ¨Youˇre doing wonderfully； Dave。〃
¨Will we gaff him when he comes up this time？〃 Andrew asked。
¨Oh keep your mouth off of him； please；〃 David said。
¨I wasnˇt trying to mouth him。〃
¨Oh just shut up； Andy； please。 Iˇm sorry。〃
Andrew came climbing up topside。 He had on one of the long…peaked caps but under it his father could see his eyes were wet and the boy turned his head away because his lips trembled。
¨You didnˇt say anything bad；〃 Thomas Hudson told him。
Andrew spoke with his head turned away。 ¨Now if he loses him heˇll think I mouthed him；〃 he said bitterly。 ¨All I wanted to do was help get everything ready。〃
¨Itˇs natural for Dave to be nervous；〃 his father told him。 ¨Heˇs trying to be polite。〃
¨I know it；〃 Andrew said。 ¨Heˇs fighting him just as good as Mr。 Davis could。 I just felt bad he could think that。〃
¨Lots of people are irritable with a big fish。 This is the first one Daveˇs ever had。〃
¨Youˇre always polite and Mr。 Davis is always polite。〃
¨We didnˇt use to be。 When we were learning to fish big fish together we used to be excited and rude and sarcastic。 We both used to be terrible。〃
¨Truly？〃
¨Sure。 Truly。 We used to suffer and act as though everybody was against us。 Thatˇs the natural way to be。 The otherˇs discipline or good sense when you learn。 We started to be polite because we found we couldnˇt catch big fish being rude and excited。 And if we did； it wasnˇt any fun。 We were both really awful though； excited and sore and misunderstood and it wasnˇt any fun。 So now we always fight them politely。 We talked it over and decided weˇd be polite no matter what。〃
¨Iˇll be polite；〃 Andrew said。 ¨But itˇs hard sometime