the moon pool-第13部分

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was　gone。　　Most　probably　his　crew　mutinied　and　to　torture

him　tied　him　up　the　way　you　saw。　　They　did　the　same　thing

with　Hilton　of　the　Coral　Lady；　you'll　remember。〃



〃No；〃　he　said。　　〃No。　　The　crew　did　not。　　Nobody　there　on

board　when　Olaf　was　tied。〃



　〃What！〃　I　cried；　startled。　　〃What　do　you　mean？〃



　〃I　mean；〃　he　said　slowly；　〃that　Olaf　tie　himself！〃



〃Wait！〃　he　went　on　at　my　incredulous　gesture　of　dissent。

〃Wait；　I　show　you。〃　He　had　been　standing　with　hands　behind

his　back　and　now　I　saw　that　he　held　in　them　the　cut　thongs

that　had　bound　Huldricksson。　　They　were　blood…stained　and

each　ended　in　a　broad　leather　tip　skilfully　spliced　into　the

cord。　　〃Look；〃　he　said；　pointing　to　these　leather　ends。　　I

looked　and　saw　in　them　deep　indentations　of　teeth。　　I　snatched

one　of　the　thongs　and　opened　the　mouth　of　the　unconscious

man　on　the　bunk。　　Carefully　I　placed　the　leather　within　it　and

gently　forced　the　jaws　shut　on　it。　　It　was　true。　　Those　marks

were　where　Olaf　Huldricksson's　jaws　had　gripped。



〃Wait！〃　Da　Costa　repeated；　〃I　show　you。〃　He　took　other

cords　and　rested　his　hands　on　the　supports　of　a　chair　back。

Rapidly　he　twisted　one　of　the　thongs　around　his　left　hand；

drew　a　loose　knot；　shifted　the　cord　up　toward　his　elbow。

This　left　wrist　and　hand　still　free　and　with　them　he　twisted

the　other　cord　around　the　right　wrist；　drew　a　similar　knot。

His　hands　were　now　in　the　exact　position　that　Huldricks…

son's　had　been　on　the　Brunhilda　but　with　cords　and　knots

hanging　loose。　　Then　Da　Costa　reached　down　his　head；　took

a　leather　end　in　his　teeth　and　with　a　jerk　drew　the　thong

that　noosed　his　left　hand　tight；　similarly　he　drew　tight　the

second。



He　strained　at　his　fetters。　　There　before　my　eyes　he　had

pinioned　himself　so　that　without　aid　he　could　not　release

himself。　　And　he　was　exactly　as　Huldricksson　had　been！



〃You　will　have　to　cut　me　loose；　sair；〃　he　said。　　〃I　cannot

move　them。　　It　is　an　old　trick　on　these　seas。　　Sometimes　it　is

necessary　that　a　man　stand　at　the　wheel　many　hours　with…

out　help；　and　he　does　this　so　that　if　he　sleep　the　wheel　wake

him；　yes；　sair。〃



　I　looked　from　him　to　the　man　on　the　bed。



〃But　why；　sair；〃　said　Da　Costa　slowly；　〃did　Olaf　have　to

tie　his　hands？〃



　I　looked　at　him；　uneasily。



　〃I　don't　know；〃　I　answered。　　〃Do　you？〃



He　fidgeted；　avoided　my　eyes；　and　then　rapidly；　almost

surreptitiously　crossed　himself。



〃No；〃　he　replied。　　〃I　know　nothing。　　Some　things　I　have

heardbut　they　tell　many　tales　on　these　seas。〃



He　started　for　the　door。　　Before　he　reached　it　he　turned。

〃But　this　I　do　know；〃　he　half　whispered；　〃I　am　damned　glad

there　is　no　full　moon　tonight。〃　And　passed　out；　leaving　me

staring　after　him　in　amazement。　　What　did　the　Portuguese

know？



I　bent　over　the　sleeper。　　On　his　face　was　no　trace　of　that

unholy　mingling　of　opposites　the　Dweller　stamped　upon　its

victims。



　And　yetwhat　was　it　the　Norseman　had　said？



　〃The　sparkling　devil　took　them！〃　　Nay；　he　had　been　even

more　explicit〃The　sparkling　devil　that　came　down　from

the　moon！〃



Could　it　be　that　the　Dweller　had　swept　upon　the　Brun…

hilda；　drawing　down　the　moon　path　Olaf　Huldricksson's

wife　and　babe　even　as　it　had　drawn　Throckmartin？



As　I　sat　thinking　the　cabin　grew　suddenly　dark　and　from

above　came　a　shouting　and　patter　of　feet。　　Down　upon　us

swept　one　of　the　abrupt；　violent　squalls　that　are　met　with　in

those　latitudes。　　I　lashed　Huldricksson　fast　in　the　berth　and

ran　up　on　deck。



The　long；　peaceful　swells　had　changed　into　angry；　choppy

waves　from　the　tops　of　which　the　spindrift　streamed　in　long

stinging　lashes。



A　half…hour　passed；　the　squall　died　as　quickly　as　it　had

arisen。　　The　sea　quieted。　　Over　in　the　west；　from　beneath　the

tattered；　flying　edge　of　the　storm；　dropped　the　red　globe　of

the　setting　sun；　dropped　slowly　until　it　touched　the　sea　rim。



I　watched　itand　rubbed　my　eyes　and　stared　again。　　For

over　its　flaming　portal　something　huge　and　black　moved；

like　a　gigantic　beckoning　finger！



Da　Costa　had　seen　it；　too；　and　he　turned　the　Suwarna

straight　toward　the　descending　orb　and　its　strange　shadow。

As　we　approached　we　saw　it　was　a　little　mass　of　wreckage

and　that　the　beckoning　finger　was　a　wing　of　canvas；　sticking

up　and　swaying　with　the　motion　of　the　waves。　　On　the　high…

est　point　of　the　wreckage　sat　a　tall　figure　calmly　smoking　a

cigarette。



We　brought　the　Suwarna　to；　dropped　a　boat；　and　with　my…

self　as　coxswain　pulled　toward　a　wrecked　hydroairplane。　　Its

occupant　took　a　long　puff　at　his　cigarette；　waved　a　cheerful

hand；　shouted　a　greeting。　　And　just　as　he　did　so　a　great　wave

raised　itself　up　behind　him；　took　the　wreckage；　tossed　it　high

in　a　swelter　of　foam；　and　passed　on。　　When　we　had　steadied

our　boat；　where　wreck　and　man　had　been　wasnothing。



There　came　a　tug　at　the　side；　two　muscular　brown

hands　gripped　it　close　to　my　left；　and　a　sleek；　black；　wet　head

showed　its　top　between　them。　　Two　bright；　blue　eyes　that

held　deep　within　them　a　laughing　deviltry　looked　into　mine；

and　a　long；　lithe　body　drew　itself　gently　over　the　thwart　and

seated　its　dripping　self　at　my　feet。



〃Much　obliged；〃　said　this　man　from　the　sea。　　〃I　knew

somebody　was　sure　to　come　along　when　the　O'Keefe　ban…

shee　didn't　show　up。〃



〃The　what？〃　I　asked　in　amazement。



〃The　O'Keefe　bansheeI'm　Larry　O'Keefe。　　It's　a　far

way　from　Ireland；　but　not　too　far　for　the　O'Keefe　banshee

to　travel　if　the　O'Keefe　was　going　to　click　in。〃



I　looked　again　at　my　astonishing　rescue。　　He　seemed　per…

fectly　serious。



〃Have　you　a　cigarette？　　Mine　went　out；〃　he　said　with　a

grin；　as　he　reached　a　moist　hand　out　for　the　little　cylinder；

took　it；　lighted　it。



I　saw　a　lean；　intelligent　face　whose　fighting　jaw　was　soft…

ened　by　the　wistfulness　of　the　clean…cut　lips　and　the　honesty

that　lay　side　by　side　with　the　deviltry　in　the　laughing　blue

eyes；　nose　of　a　thoroughbred　with　the　suspicion　of　a　tilt；

long；　well…knit；　slender　figure　that　I　knew　must　have　all　the

strength　of　fine　steel；　the　uniform　of　a　lieutenant　in　the

Royal　Flying　Corps　of　Britain's　navy。



　He　laughed；　stretched　out　a　firm　hand；　and　gripped　mine。



　〃Thank　you　really　ever　so　much；　old　man；〃　he　said。



I　liked　Larry　O'Keefe　from　the　beginningbut　I　did　not

dream　as　the　Tonga　boys　pulled　us　back　to　the　Suwarna　bow

that　liking　was　to　be　forged　into　man's　strong　love　for　man

by　fires　which　souls　such　as　his　and　mineand　yours　who

read　thiscould　never　dream。



Larry！　　Larry　O'Keefe；　where　are　you　now　with　your

leprechauns　and　banshee；　your　heart　of　a　child；　your　laugh…

ing　blue　eyes；　and　your　fearless　soul？　　Shall　I　ever　see　you

again；　Larry　O'Keefe；　dear　to　me　as　some　best　beloved

younger　brother？　　Larry！











CHAPTER　VII



Larry　O'Keefe



PRESSING　BACK　the　questions　I　longed　to　ask；　I　introduced

myself。　　Oddly　enough；　I　found　that　he　knew　me；　or　rather