第19章 英文版 9（第1页）

第19章英文版（9）

&imebefhtsomethingtookohatwerebehihestickbreakandtheliorushuheskiff。Inthedarknessheloosenedhissheathkakirainofthefishoshoulderheleanedbadcutthelithewoodofthegutheotherliohimandinthedarkmadethelooseendsofthereservecoilsfast。Heworkedskillfullywiththeonehandandputhisfootooholdthemashedrewhisknotstight。Nowhehadsixreservecoilsofliwofromeachbaithehadseveredawofromthebaitthefishhadtakenandtheywereallected。

&islight，hethought，Iwillworkbacktotheforty-fathombaitandcutitawaytooandlinkupthereservecoils。Iwillhavelosttwohuhomsofgooddthehooksabereplaced。ButwhoreplacesthisfishifIhooksomefishanditcutshimoff?

Idon’tknowwhatthatfishwasthattookthebaitjustnow。Itcouldhavebeenamarlinorabroadbillorashark。Ihim。Ihadtogetridofhimtoofast。

Aloudhesaid，“IwishIhadtheboy。”

Butyouhaven’tgottheboy，hethought。Youhaveonlyyourselfandyouhadbetterworkbacktothelastlinenow，inthedarkornotinthedark，andcutitawayandhookupthetworeservecoils。

&。Itwasdiffithedarkahefishmadeasurgethatpulledhimdownonhisfadmadeacutbelowhiseye。Thebloodrandowleway。Butitcoagulatedanddriedbeforeitreachedhisdheworkedhiswaybacktothebainstthewood。Headjustedthesadcarefullyworkedtheliitcameaewpartofhisshouldersand，holdingitahhisshoulders，hecarefullyfeltthepullofthefishahhishandtheprogressoftheskiffthroughthe>

Iwohemadethatlurchfor，hethought。Thewiremusthaveslippedohillofhisback。lyhisbaotfeelasbadlyasmiheotpullthisskiffforever，nreatheis。hingisclearedawaythatmightmaketroubleandIhaveabigreserveoflihatamanask。

“Fish，”hesaidsoftly，aloud，“I’llstaywithyouuntilIamdead。”

&aywithmetoo，Isuppose，theoldmanthoughtaedforittobelight。Itwasowiimebefhtandhepushedagaiobewarm。Idoitaslongashe，hethought。Alightthelianddowheboatmovedsteadilyahefirstedgeofthesuwasontheoldman’srightshoulder。

“He’sheadednorth，”theoldmansaid。Thetwillhavesetusfartotheeastward，hethought。Iwishhewouldtur。Thatwouldshowthathewastiring。

&hesuhertheoldmahefishwasn。Therewasonlyofthelineshoimmih。Thatdidnotnecessarilymeanthathewouldjump。Buthemight。

“Godlethimjump，”theoldmansaid。“Ihaveeohandlehim。”

MaybeifIcreasethetensionjustalittleitwillhurthimandhewilljump，hethought。Nowthatitisdaylightlethimjumpsothathe’llfillthesaghisbaewithairagodeeptodie。

&oiension，buttheliuptepointsincehehadhookedthefishaheharshnessasheleaopullandknewhecouldputrainonit。Imustever，hethought。Eachjerkwidehehookmakesandthenwhenhedoesjumphemightthrowit。Aerwiththesunandforohavetolookintoit。

Thereeedoheoldmaonlymadeanaddeddragandheleased。ItwastheyellowGulfweedthathadmadesomuchphosphoresthenight。

“Fish，”hesaid，“Iloveyouayouverymuch。ButIwillkillyoudeadbeforethisdayends。”

&ushopeso，hethought。

Asmallbirdcametowardtheskifffromthenorth。Hewasawarblerandflyingverylowoverthewater。Theoldmahewasverytired。

Thebirdmadethesterahere。Thenheflewaroundtheoldman’sheadahelinewherehewasmorefortable。

“Howoldareyou?”theoldmahebird。“Isthisyourfirsttrip?”

Thebirdlookedathimwhenhespoke。Hewastootiredevehelieredonitashisdelicatefeetgrippeditfast。

“It’ssteady，”theoldmantoldhim。“It’stoosteady。Youshouldiredafterawi。Whatarebirdsingto?”

Thehawks，hethought，thateouttoseatomeetthem。Buthesaidnothingofthistothebirdwhootuandhimanyouldlearnaboutthehawkssoonenough。

“Takeagoodrest，smallbird，”hesaid。“Thengoinandtakeyourymanorbirdorfish。”

Iteotalkbecausehisbackhadstiffeandithurttrulynow。

“Stayatmyhouseifyoulike，bird，”hesaid。“IamsorryIothoistthesailandtakeyouinwiththesmallbreezethatisrising。ButIamwithafriend。”

Justthenthefishgaveasuddenlurchthatpulledtheoldmandownontothebowandulledhimoverboardifhehadnotbracedhimselfandgivensomeline。

Thebirdhadflowheliheoldmanhadnotevenseenhimgo。Hefeltthelihhisrighthandandnoticedhishandwasbleeding。

&hinghurthimthen，”hesaidaloudandpulledbathelioseeifhethefish。Butwheougthebreakingpoieadyaledbastthestrainoftheline。

“Yitnow，fish，”hesaid。“Andso，Godkno>

Helookedaroundforthebirdnowbecausehewouldhavelikedhimforpany。Thebirdwasgone。