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to breakfast。
Not one of us uttered a sound till the mate； after
imbibingby means of suction out of a saucer
his second cup of tea； exclaimed： 〃Where the devil
is the man gone to？〃
〃Courting！〃 I shouted； with such a fiendish
laugh that the old chap didn't venture to open his
lips any more。
I started to the office perfectly calm。 Calm with
excessive rage。 Evidently they knew all about it
already； and they treated me to a show of conster…
nation。 The manager； a soft…footed； immensely
obese man； breathing short； got up to meet me；
while all round the room the young clerks； bend…
ing over the papers on their desks； cast upward
glances in my direction。 The fat man； without
waiting for my complaint； wheezing heavily and
in a tone as if he himself were incredulous； con…
veyed to me the news that FalkCaptain Falk
had declinedhad absolutely declinedto tow my
shipto have anything to do with my shipthis
day or any other day。 Never！
I did my best to preserve a cool appearance； but；
all the same； I must have shown how much taken
aback I was。 We were talking in the middle of the
room。 Suddenly behind my back some ass blew
his nose with great force； and at the same time an…
other quill…driver jumped up and went out on the
landing hastily。 It occurred to me I was cutting
a foolish figure there。 I demanded angrily to see
the principal in his private room。
The skin of Mr。 Siegers' head showed dead white
between the iron grey streaks of hair lying plas…
tered cross…wise from ear to ear over the top of his
skull in the manner of a bandage。 His narrow
sunken face was of an uniform and permanent ter…
ra…cotta colour； like a piece of pottery。 He was
sickly； thin； and short； with wrists like a boy of ten。
But from that debile body there issued a bullying
voice； tremendously loud； harsh and resonant； as
if produced by some powerful mechanical contriv…
ance in the nature of a fog…horn。 I do not know
what he did with it in the private life of his home；
but in the larger sphere of business it presented the
advantage of overcoming arguments without the
slightest mental effort； by the mere volume of
sound。 We had had several passages of arms。 It
took me all I knew to guard the interests of my
ownerswhom； nota bene； I had never seenwhile
Siegers （who had made their acquaintance some
years before； during a business tour in Australia）
pretended to the knowledge of their innermost
minds； and； in the character of 〃our very good
friends；〃 threw them perpetually at my head。
He looked at me with a jaundiced eye （there was
no love lost between us）； and declared at once that
it was strange； very strange。 His pronunciation
of English was so extravagant that I can't even
attempt to reproduce it。 For instance； he said
〃Fferie strantch。〃 Combined with the bellowing
intonation it made the language of one's childhood
sound weirdly startling； and even if considered
purely as a kind of unmeaning noise it filled you
with astonishment at first。 〃They had；〃 he con…
tinued； 〃been acquainted with Captain Falk for
very many years； and never had any reason。 。 。 。〃
〃That's why I come to you； of course；〃 I inter…
rupted。 〃I've the right to know the meaning of
this infernal nonsense。〃 In the half light of the
room； which was greenish； because of the tree…tops
screening the window； I saw him writhe his meagre
shoulders。 It came into my head； as disconnected
ideas will come at all sorts of times into one's head；
that this； most likely； was the very room where； if
the tale were true； Falk had been lectured by Mr。
Siegers； the father。 Mr。 Siegers' （the son's） over…
whelming voice； in brassy blasts； as though he had
been trying to articulate his words through a trom…
bone； was expressing his great regret at a conduct
characterised by a very marked want of discre…
tion。 。 。 As I lived I was being lectured too！ His
deafening gibberish was difficult to follow； but it
was MY conductmine！that 。 。 。 Damn！ I
wasn't going to stand this。
〃What on earth are you driving at？〃 I asked
in a passion。 I put my hat on my head （he never
offered a seat to anybody）； and as he seemed for
the moment struck dumb by my irreverence； I
turned my back on him and marched out。 His vo…
cal arrangements blared after me a few threats of
coming down on the ship for the demurrage of the
lighters； and all the other expenses consequent
upon the delays arising from my frivolity。
Once outside in the sunshine my head swam。 It
was no longer a question of mere delay。 I per…
ceived myself involved in hopeless and humiliating
absurdities that were leading me to something very
like a disaster。 〃Let us be calm；〃 I muttered to
myself； and ran into the shade of a leprous wall。
From that short side…street I could see the broad
main thoroughfare ruinous and gay； running
away； away between stretches of decaying mason…
ry； bamboo fences； ranges of arcades of brick and
plaster； hovels of lath and mud； lofty temple gates
of carved timber； huts of rotten matsan im…
mensely wide thoroughfare； loosely packed as far
as the eye could reach with a barefooted and brown
multitude paddling ankle deep in the dust。 For a
moment I felt myself about to go out of my mind
with worry and desperation。
Some allowance must be made for the feelings
of a young man new to responsibility。 I thought
of my crew。 Half of them were ill； and I really
began to think that some of them would end by dy…
ing on board if I couldn't get them out to sea soon。
Obviously I should have to take my ship down the
river； either working under canvas or dredging
with the anchor down； operations which； in com…
mon with many modern sailors； I only knew theo…
retically。 And I almost shrank from undertaking
them shorthanded and without local knowledge
of the river bed； which is so necessary for the con…
fident handling of the ship。 There were no pilots；
no beacons； no buoys of any sort； but there was a
very devil of a current for anybody to see； no end
of shoal places； and at least two obviously awkward
turns of the channel between me and the sea。 But
how dangerous these turns were I would not tell。 I
didn't even know what my ship was capable of！
I had never handled her in my life。 A misunder…
standing between a man and his ship in a difficult
river with no room to make it up； is bound to end in
trouble for the man。 On the other hand； it must
be owned I had not much reason to count upon a
general run of good luck。 And suppose I had the
misfortune to pile her up high and dry on some
beastly shoal？ That would have been the final un…
doing of that voyage。 It was plain that if Falk
refused to tow me out he would also refuse to pull
me off。 This meantwhat？ A day lost at the
very best； but more likely a whole fortnight of
frizzling on some pestilential mudflat； of desperate
work； of discharging c