michael, brother of jerry- 第6部分

As　Kwaque　removed　his　shoes　and　helped　him　undress；　Daughtry　regarded　Michael　with　sleepy　eyes。

〃I've　got　you；　laddy；〃　he　announced；　as　he　stood　up　and　swayed　toward　bed。　　〃I've　got　your　name；　an'　here's　your　numberI　got　that；　too：　　HIGH…STRUNG　BUT　REASONABLE。　　It　fits　you　like　the　paper　on　the　wall。

〃High…strung　but　reasonable；　that's　what　you　are；　Killeny　Boy；　high…strung　but　reasonable；〃　he　continued　to　mumble　as　Kwaque　helped　to　roll　him　into　his　bunk。

Kwaque　returned　to　his　polishing。　　His　lips　stammered　and　halted　in　the　making　of　noiseless　whispers；　as；　with　corrugated　brows　of　puzzlement；　he　addressed　the　steward：

〃Marster；　what　name　stop　'm　along　that　fella　dog？〃

〃Killeny　Boy；　you　kinky…head　man…eater；　Killeny　Boy；　Killeny　Boy；〃　Dag　Daughtry　murmured　drowsily。　　〃Kwaque；　you　black　blood…drinker；　run　n'　fetch　'm　one　fella　bottle　stop　'm　along　icey…chestis。〃

〃No　stop　'm；　marster；〃　the　black　quavered；　with　eyes　alert　for　something　to　be　thrown　at　him。　　〃Six　fella　bottle　he　finish　altogether。〃

The　steward's　sole　reply　was　a　snore。

The　black；　with　the　twisted　hand　of　leprosy　and　with　a　barely　perceptible　infiltration　of　the　same　disease　thickening　the　skin　of　the　forehead　between　the　eyes；　bent　over　his　polishing；　and　ever　his　lips　moved；　repeating　over　and　over；　〃Killeny　Boy。〃



CHAPTER　V



For　a　number　of　days　Michael　saw　only　Steward　and　Kwaque。　　This　was　because　he　was　confined　to　the　steward's　stateroom。　　Nobody　else　knew　that　he　was　on　board；　and　Dag　Daughtry；　thoroughly　aware　that　he　had　stolen　a　white　man's　dog；　hoped　to　keep　his　presence　secret　and　smuggle　him　ashore　when　the　Makambo　docked　in　Sydney。

Quickly　the　steward　learned　Michael's　pre…eminent　teachableness。　In　the　course　of　his　careful　feeding　of　him；　he　gave　him　an　occasional　chicken　bone。　　Two　lessons；　which　would　scarcely　be　called　lessons；　since　both　of　them　occurred　within　five　minutes　and　each　was　not　over　half　a　minute　in　duration；　sufficed　to　teach　Michael　that　only　on　the　floor　of　the　room　in　the　corner　nearest　the　door　could　he　chew　chicken　bones。　　Thereafter；　without　prompting；　as　a　matter　of　course　when　handed　a　bone；　he　carried　it　to　the　corner。

And　why　not？　　He　had　the　wit　to　grasp　what　Steward　desired　of　him；　he　had　the　heart　that　made　it　a　happiness　for　him　to　serve。　Steward　was　a　god　who　was　kind；　who　loved　him　with　voice　and　lip；　who　loved　him　with　touch　of　hand；　rub　of　nose；　or　enfolding　arm。　As　all　service　flourishes　in　the　soil　of　love；　so　with　Michael。　Had　Steward　commanded　him　to　forego　the　chicken　bone　after　it　was　in　the　corner；　he　would　have　served　him　by　foregoing。　　Which　is　the　way　of　the　dog；　the　only　animal　that　will　cheerfully　and　gladly；　with　leaping　body　of　joy；　leave　its　food　uneaten　in　order　to　accompany　or　to　serve　its　human　master。

Practically　all　his　waking　time　off　duty；　Dag　Daughtry　spent　with　the　imprisoned　Michael；　who；　at　command；　had　quickly　learned　to　refrain　from　whining　and　barking。　　And　during　these　hours　of　companionship　Michael　learned　many　things。　　Daughtry　found　that　he　already　understood　and　obeyed　simple　things　such　as　〃no；〃　〃yes；〃　〃get　up；〃　and　〃lie　down；〃　and　he　improved　on　them；　teaching　him；　〃Go　into　the　bunk　and　lie　down；〃　〃Go　under　the　bunk；〃　〃Bring　one　shoe；〃　〃Bring　two　shoes。〃　　And　almost　without　any　work　at　all；　he　taught　him　to　roll　over；　to　say　his　prayers；　to　play　dead；　to　sit　up　and　smoke　a　pipe　with　a　hat　on　his　head；　and　not　merely　to　stand　up　on　his　hind　legs　but　to　walk　on　them。

Then；　too；　was　the　trick　of　〃no　can　and　can　do。〃　　Placing　a　savoury；　nose…tantalising　bit　of　meat　or　cheese　on　the　edge　of　the　bunk　on　a　level　with　Michael's　nose；　Daughtry　would　simply　say；　〃No　can。〃　　Nor　would　Michael　touch　the　food　till　he　received　the　welcome；　〃Can　do。〃　　Daughtry；　with　the　〃no　can〃　still　in　force；　would　leave　the　stateroom；　and；　though　he　remained　away　half　an　hour　or　half　a　dozen　hours；　on　his　return　he　would　find　the　food　untouched　and　Michael；　perhaps；　asleep　in　the　corner　at　the　head　of　the　bunk　which　had　been　allotted　him　for　a　bed。　　Early　in　this　trick　once　when　the　steward　had　left　the　room　and　Michael's　eager　nose　was　within　an　inch　of　the　prohibited　morsel；　Kwaque；　playfully　inclined；　reached　for　the　morsel　himself　and　received　a　lacerated　hand　from　the　quick　flash　and　clip　of　Michael's　jaws。

None　of　the　tricks　that　he　was　ever　eager　to　do　for　Steward；　would　Michael　do　for　Kwaque；　despite　the　fact　that　Kwaque　had　no　touch　of　meanness　or　viciousness　in　him。　　The　point　was　that　Michael　had　been　trained；　from　his　first　dawn　of　consciousness；　to　differentiate　between　black　men　and　white　men。　　Black　men　were　always　the　servants　of　white　menor　such　had　been　his　experience；　and　always　they　were　objects　of　suspicion；　ever　bent　on　wreaking　mischief　and　requiring　careful　watching。　　The　cardinal　duty　of　a　dog　was　to　serve　his　white　god　by　keeping　a　vigilant　eye　on　all　blacks　that　came　about。

Yet　Michael　permitted　Kwaque　to　serve　him　in　matters　of　food；　water；　and　other　offices；　at　first　in　the　absence　of　Steward　attending　to　his　ship　duties；　and；　later；　at　any　time。　　For　he　realized；　without　thinking　about　it　at　all；　that　whatever　Kwaque　did　for　him；　whatever　food　Kwaque　spread　for　him；　really　proceeded；　not　from　Kwaque；　but　from　Kwaque's　master　who　was　also　his　master。　　Yet　Kwaque　bore　no　grudge　against　Michael；　and　was　himself　so　interested　in　his　lord's　welfare　and　comfortthis　lord　who　had　saved　his　life　that　terrible　day　on　King　William　Island　from　the　two　grief…stricken　pig…ownersthat　he　cherished　Michael　for　his　lord's　sake。　　Seeing　the　dog　growing　into　his　master's　affection；　Kwaque　himself　developed　a　genuine　affection　for　Michaelmuch　in　the　same　way　that　he　worshipped　anything　of　the　steward's；　whether　the　shoes　he　polished　for　him；　the　clothes　he　brushed　and　cleaned　for　him；　or　the　six　bottles　of　beer　he　put　into　the　ice…chest　each　day　for　him。

In　truth；　there　was　nothing　of　the　master…quality　in　Kwaque；　while　Michael　was　a　natural　aristocrat。　　Michael；　out　of　love；　would　serve　Steward；　but　Michael　lorded　it　over　the　kinky…head。　　Kwaque　possessed　overwhelmingly　the　slave…nature；　while　in　Michael　there　was　little　more　of　the　slave…nature　than　was　found　in　the　North　American　Indians　when　the　vain　attempt　was　made　to　make　them　into　slaves　on　the　plantations　of　Cuba。　　All　of　which　was　no　personal　vice　of　Kwaque　or　virtue　of　Michael。　　Michael's　heredity；　rigidly　selected　for　ages　by　man；　was　chiefly　composed　of　fierceness　and　faithfulness。　　And　fierceness　and　faithfulness；　together；　invariably　produce　pride。　　And　pride　cannot　exist　without　honour；　nor　can　honour　without　poise。

Michael's　crowning　achievement；　under　Daughtry's　tutelage；　in　the　first　days　in　the　stateroom；　was　to　learn　to　count　up　to　five。　Many　hours　of　work　were　required；　however；　in　spite　of　his　unusual　high　endowment　of　intelligence。　　For　he　had　to　learn；　first；　the　spoken　numerals；　second；　to　see　with　his　eyes　and　in　his　brain　differentiate　between　one　object；　and　all　other　groups　of　objects　up　to　and　including　the　group　of　five；　and；　third；　in　his　mind；　to　relate　an　object；　or　any　group　of　objects；　with　its　numerical　name　as　uttered　by　Steward。

In　the　training　Dag　Daughtry　used　balls　of　paper　tied　about　with　twine。　　He　would　toss　the　five　balls　under　the　bunk　and　tell　Michael　to　fetch　three；　and　neither　two；　nor　four；　but　three　would　Michael　bring　forth　and　deliver　into　his　hand。　　When　Daughtry　threw　three　under　the　bunk　and　demanded　four；　Michael　would　deliver　the　three；　search　about　vainly　for　the　fourth；　then　dance　pleadingly　with　bobs　of　tail　and　half…leaps　about　Steward；　and　finally　leap　into　the　bed　and　secure　the　fourth　from　under　the　pillow　or　among　the　blankets。

It　was　the　same　with　other　known　objects。　　Up　to　five；　whether　shoes　or　shirts　or　pillow…slips；　Michael　would　fetch　the　number　requested。　　And　between　the　mathematical　mind　of　Michael；　who　counted　to　five；　and　the　mind　of　the　ancient　black　at　Tulagi；　who　counted　sticks　of　tobacco　in　units　of　five；　was　a　distance　shorter　than　that　between　Michael　and　Dag　Daughtry　who　could　do　multiplication　and　long　division。　　In　the　same　manner；　up　the　same　ladder　of　mathematical　ability；　a　still　greater　distance　separated　Dag　Daughtry　from　Captain　Duncan；　who　by　mathematics　navigated　the　Makambo。　　Greatest　mathematical　distance　of　all　was　that　between　Captain　Duncan's　mind　and　the　mind　of　an　astronomer　who　charted　the　heavens　and　navigated　a　thousand　million　miles　away　among　the　stars　and　who　tossed；　a　mere　morsel　of　his　mathematical　knowledge；　the　few　shreds　of　information　to　Captain　Duncan　that　enabled　him　to　know　from　day　to　day　the　place　of　the　Makambo　on　the　sea。

In　one　thing　only　could　Kwaque　rule　Michael。　　Kwaque　possessed　a　jews'　harp；　and；　whenever　the　world　of　the　Makambo　and　the　servitude　to　the　steward　grew　wearisome；　he　could　transport　himself　to　King　William　Island　by　thrusting　the　primitive　instrument　between　his　jaws　and　fanning　weird　rhythms　from　it　with　his　hand；　and　when　he　thus　crossed　space　and　time；　Michael　sang　or　howled；　rather；　though　his　howl　possessed　the　same　soft　mellowness　as　Jerry's。　　Michael　did　not　want　to　howl；　but　the　chemistry　of　his　being　was　such　that　he　reacted　to　music　as　compulsively　as　elements　react　on　one　another　in　the　laboratory。

While　he　lay　perdu　in　Steward's　stateroom；　his　voice　was　the　one　thing　that　was　not　to　be　heard；　so　Kwaque　was　forced　to　seek　the　solace　of　his　jews'　harp　in　the　sweltering　heat　of　the　gratings　over　the　fire…room。　　But　this　did　not　continue　long；　for；　either　according　to　blind　chance；　or　to　the　lines　of　fate　written　in　the　book　of　life　ere　ever　the　foundations　of　the　world　were　laid；　Michael　was　scheduled　for　an　adventure　that　was　profoundly　to　affect；　not　alone　his　own　destiny；　but　the　destinies　of　Kwaque　and　Dag　Daughtry　and　determine　the　very　place　of　their　death　and　burial。



CHAPTER　VI



The　adventure　that　was　so　to　alter　the　future　occurred　when　Michael；　in　no　uncertain　manner；　announced　to　all　and　sundry　his　presence　on　the　Makambo。　　It　was　due　to　Kwaque's　carelessness；　to　commence　with；　for　Kwaque　left　the　stateroom　without　tight…closing　the　door。　　As　the　Makambo　rolled　on　an　easy　sea　the　door　swung　back　and　forth；　remaining　w