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I wonder how many dressings they have for that other wounded character？ If they had time to get dressings they had time to get other stuff； too。 What stuff？ What do you think they have besides what you know they have？ I donˇt think much。 Maybe pistols and a few machine pistols。 Maybe some demolition charges they could make something out of。 I have to figure that they have the machine gun。 But I donˇt think so。 They wouldnˇt want to fight。 They want to get the hell away and on a Spanish ship。 If they had been in shape to fight they would have come back that night and taken Confites。 Maybe no。 Maybe something made them suspicious and they saw our drums on the beach and thought we might be basing there nights。 They wouldnˇt know what we were。 But they would see the drums and figure there was something around that burned plenty of gas。 Then too they probably didnˇt want to fight with their wounded。 But the boat with the wounded could have laid off at night while they came in and took the wireless station if they wanted to get off with that other sub。 I wonder what happened with her。 Thereˇs something very strange about that。
Think about something cheerful。 Think about how you start with the sun at your back。 And remember they have local knowledge now； along with all that salt fish； and you are going to have to use your head。 He went to sleep and slept quite well until two hours before daylight when the sand flies awakened him。 Thinking about the problems had made him feel better and he slept without dreaming。
XII
THEY LEFT BEFORE THE SUN WAS UP and Thomas Hudson steered down the channel that was like a canal with the gray banks showing on either side。 By the time the sun was up he was out through the cut between the shoals and he steered due north to get into blue water and past the dangerous rocky heads of the outer reef。 It was a little longer than running on the Inside but it was much safer。
When the sun rose； there was no wind and not enough swell for the sea to break on any of the rocks。 The day would be hot and muggy； he knew； and there would be squalls in the afternoon。
His mate came up and looked around。 Then he looked carefully at the land and along it to where the high； ugly tower of the light showed。
¨We could have run down easily on the inside。〃
¨I know it；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨But I thought this was better。〃
¨Another day like yesterday。 But hotter。〃
¨They canˇt make much time。〃
¨They canˇt make any time。 Theyˇre becalmed somewhere。 Youˇre going to check with the light whether they went into the cut between Pared？n and Coco； arenˇt you？〃
¨Sure。〃
¨Iˇll go in。 I know the keeper。 You can lay just inside the little key at the tip。 I wonˇt be gone long；〃 Antonio said。
¨I donˇt even need to anchor。〃
¨Youˇve got plenty of strong…backed people to get anchors up。〃
¨Send up Ara and Willie if theyˇve eaten。 Nothing should show here this close to the light and you canˇt see a damned thing looking into the sun。 But send up George and Henry； too。 We might as well do it right。〃
¨Remember the rocks make right up to your blue water here； Tom。〃
¨I remember and I can see them。〃
¨Do you want your tea cold？〃
¨Please。 And a sandwich。 Send the men up first。〃
¨Theyˇll be right up。 Iˇll send the tea up and have everything ready to go ashore。〃
¨Be careful how you talk to them。〃
¨Thatˇs why I am going in。〃
¨Put out a couple of lines； too。 It will look better coming in on the light。〃
¨Yes；〃 his mate said。 ¨We might get something we could give them at the light。〃
The four came up and took their usual posts and Henry said； ¨Did you see anything； Tom？〃
¨One turtle with a sea gull flying around him。 I thought he was going to perch on his back。 But he didnˇt。〃
¨Mi capit？n；〃 said George； who was a taller Basque than Ara and a good athlete and fine seaman； but not nearly as strong as Ara in many ways。
¨Mi se？or obispo；〃 said Thomas Hudson。
¨OK； Tom；〃 George said。 ¨If I see any really big submarines do you want me to tell you？〃
¨If you see one as big as you saw that one time keep it to yourself。〃
¨I dream about her nights；〃 George said。
¨Donˇt talk about her；〃 Willie said。 ¨I just ate breakfast。〃
¨When we closed I could feel my cajones going up like an elevator；〃 Ara said。 ¨How did you really feel； Tom？〃
¨Scared。〃
¨I saw her come up；〃 Ara said。 ¨And the next thing I heard Henry say； ˉSheˇs an aircraft carrier； Tom。ˇ 〃
¨Thatˇs what she looked like；〃 Henry said。 ¨I canˇt help it。 Iˇd say the same thing again。〃
¨She spoiled my life；〃 Willie said。 ¨Iˇve never been the same since。 For a nickel Iˇd have never gone to sea again。〃
¨Here；〃 said Henry。 ¨Take twenty cents and get off at Pared？n Grande。 Maybe theyˇll give you change。〃
¨I donˇt want change。 Iˇll take a transfer。〃
¨Would you really？〃 Henry asked。 There had been a certain amount of bad blood between them since the last two times they had been in Havana。
¨Listen； expensive；〃 Willie said。 ¨Weˇre not fighting submarines or you wouldnˇt have come up without sneaking a quick one。 Weˇre only chasing Krauts to kill them in a decked…over half…open boat。 Even you ought to be able to do that。〃
¨Take the twenty cents anyway；〃 Henry said。 ¨Youˇll need it some day。〃
¨To stick up〃
¨Cut it out the two of you。 Cut it out；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 He looked at both of them。
¨Iˇm sorry； Tom；〃 Henry said。
¨Iˇm not sorry；〃 Willie said。 ¨But I apologize。〃
¨Look； Tom；〃 said Ara。 ¨Almost abeam inshore。〃
¨Thatˇs the rock thatˇs just awash；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨It shows further to the eastward on the chart。〃
¨No。 I mean further in about a half a mile。〃
¨Thatˇs a man crawfishing or hauling fish traps。〃
¨Do you think we ought to speak to him？〃
¨Heˇs from the light and Antonioˇs going in to talk with them at the light。〃
¨Feesh！ Feesh！〃 his mate called and Henry asked； ¨May I take him； Tom？〃
¨Sure。 Send Gil up。〃
Henry went down and in a little while the fish jumped and showed he was a barracuda。 Then； a little later； he heard Antonio grunt as he hit him with the gaff and then he heard the thunking knocks of the club on its head。 He waited for the splash of the fish being thrown back and looked at the wake to see his size。 There was no splash and he remembered that barracuda were good to eat on this stretch of the coast and Antonio was saving him to take in to the light。 Just then he heard the double shout of ¨Feesh！〃 and this time there was no jumping and the line was singing out。 He turned out further into the blue water and slowed down both engines。 Then as the line kept going out he threw out one motor and made a half…turn toward the fish。
¨Wahoo；〃 his mate called up。 ¨Big one。〃
Henry brought the fish in and they looked down over the stern and saw him long and oddly pointed； his stripes showing clearly in the blueness of the deep water。 When he was nearly within reach of the gaff he turned his head and made another fast deep run that took him out of sight in the clear water in less time than a