the portygee-第14章
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Harniss had been hangin' back waitin' till he had a shade on 'fore
they come to trade。 Makes a feller feel like votin' the
Prohibition ticket。 I WOULD vote it； by crimustee； if I thought
'twould do any good。 'Twouldn't though； Labe would take to
drinkin' bay rum or Florida water or somethin'； same as Hoppy
Rogers done when he was alive。 Jim Young says he went into Hoppy's
barber…shop once and there was Hoppy with a bottle of a new kind of
hair…tonic in his hand。 'Drummer that was here left it for a
sample；' says Hoppy。 'Wanted me to try it and； if I liked it； he
cal'lated maybe I'd buy some。 I don't think I shall； though；' he
says； 'don't taste right to me。' Yes； sir； Jim Young swears that's
true。 Wan't enough snake…killer in that hair tonic to suit Hoppy。
I Yes； Cap'n Lote； what is it？ Want me； do ye？〃
But the captain did not； as it happened； want Mr。 Price at that
time。 It was Albert whose name he had called。 The boy went into
the office and his grandfather rose and shut the door。
〃Sit down； Al；〃 he said； motioning toward a chair。 When his
grandson had seated himself Captain Zelotes tilted back his own
desk chair upon its springs and looked at him。
〃Well； son；〃 he said； after a moment； 〃what do you think of it？〃
〃Think of it？ I don't know exactly what〃
〃Of the place here。 Shop； yards； the whole business。 Z。 Snow and
Companywhat do you think of it？〃
Privately Albert was inclined to classify the entire outfit as one…
horse and countrified； but he deemed it wiser not to express this
opinion。 So he compromised and replied that it 〃seemed to be all
right。〃
His grandfather nodded。 〃Thanks；〃 he observed； dryly。 〃Glad you
find it that way。 Well； then； changin' the subject for a minute or
two； what do you think about yourself？〃
〃About myself？ About me？ I don't understand？〃
〃No； I don't suppose you do。 That's what I got you over here this
mornin' for； so as we could understandyou and me。 Al； have you
given any thought to what you're goin' to do from this on？ How
you're goin' to live？〃
Albert looked at him uncomprehendingly。
〃How I'm going to live？〃 he repeated。 〃Whywhy； I thoughtI
supposed I was going to live with youwith you and Grandmother。〃
〃Um…hm； I see。〃
〃I just kind of took that for granted； I guess。 You sent for me to
come here。 You took me away from school； you know。〃
〃Yes； so I did。 You know why I took you from school？〃
〃No； II guess I DON'T； exactly。 I thoughtI supposed it was
because you didn't want me to go there any more。〃
〃'Twasn't that。 I don't know whether I would have wanted you to go
there or not if things had been different。 From what I hear it was
a pretty extravagant place； and lookin' at it from the outside
without knowin' too much about it； I should say it was liable to
put a lot of foolish and expensive notions into a boy's head。 I
may be wrong； of course； I have been wrong at least a few times in
my life。〃
It was evident that he considered the chances of his being wrong in
this instance very remote。 His tone again aroused in the youth the
feeling of obstinacy； of rebellion； of desire to take the other
side。
〃It is one of the best schools in this country；〃 he declared。 〃My
father said so。〃
Captain Zelotes picked up a pencil on his desk and tapped his chin
lightly with the blunt end。 〃Um；〃 he mused。 〃Well； I presume
likely he knew all about it。〃
〃He knew as much asmost people；〃 with a slight but significant
hesitation before the 〃most。〃
〃Um…hm。 Naturally； havin' been schooled there himself； I suppose。〃
〃He wasn't schooled there。 My father was a Spaniard。〃
〃So I've heard。 。 。 。 Well； we're kind of off the subject； ain't
we？ Let's leave your father's nationality out of it for a while。
And we'll leave the school； too； because no matter if it was the
best one on earth you couldn't go there。 I shouldn't feel 'twas
right to spend as much money as that at any school； and youwell；
son； you ain't got it to spend。 Did you have any idea what your
father left you； in the way of tangible assets？〃
〃No。 I knew he had plenty of money always。 He was one of the most
famous singers in this country。〃
〃Maybe so。〃
〃It WAS so；〃 hotly。 〃And he was paid enough in one week to buy
this whole townor almost。 Why； my father〃
〃Sshh！ Sssh！〃
〃No； I'm not going to hush。 I'm proud of my father。 He was aa
great man。 Andand I'm not going to stand here and have you〃
Between indignation and emotion he choked and could not finish the
sentence。 The tears came to his eyes。
〃I'm not going to have you or anyone else talk about him that way；〃
he concluded； fiercely。
His grandfather regarded him with a steady； but not at all
unkindly； gaze。
〃I ain't runnin' down your father； Albert；〃 he said。
〃Yes； you are。 You hated him。 Anybody could see you hated him。〃
The captain slowly rapped the desk with the pencil。 He did not
answer at once。
〃Well；〃 he said； after a moment； 〃I don't know as I ought to deny
that。 I don't know as I can deny it and be honest。 Years ago he
took away from me what amounted to three…quarters of everything
that made my life worth while。 Some day you'll know more about it
than you do now； and maybe you'll understand my p'int of view
better。 No； I didn't like your father Eh？ What was you
sayin'？〃
Albert； who had muttered something； was rather confused。 However；
he did not attempt to equivocate。 〃I said I guessed that didn't
make much difference to Father；〃 he answered； sullenly。
〃I presume likely it didn't。 But we won't go into that question
now。 What I'm tryin' to get at in this talk we're having is you
and your future。 Now you can't go back to school because you can't
afford it。 All your father left when he died wasthis is the
honest truth I'm tellin' you now； and if I'm puttin' it pretty
blunt it's because I always think it's best to get a bad mess out
of the way in a hurryall your father left was debts。 He didn't
leave money enough to bury him； hardly。〃
The boy stared at him aghast。 His grandfather； leaning a little
toward him； would have put a hand on his knee； but the knee was
jerked out of the way。
〃There； that's over； Al；〃 went on Captain Zelotes。 〃You know the
worst now and you can say； 'What of it？' I mean just that： What
of it？ Bein' left without a cent； but with your health and a fair
chance to make goodthat； at seventeen or eighteen ain't a bad
lookout； by any manner of means。 It's the outlook _I_ had at
fifteenexceptin' the chanceand I ain't asked many favors of
anybody since。 At your age； or a month or two older； do you know
where I was？ I was first mate of a three…masted schooner。 At
twenty I was skipper； and at twenty…five； by the Almighty； I owned
a share in her。 Al； all you need now is a chance to go to work。
And I'm goin' to give you that chance。〃
Albert gasped。 〃Do you meando you mean I've got to be aa
sailor？〃 he stammered。
Captain Zelotes put back his head and laughed； laughed aloud。
〃A sailor！〃 he repeated。 〃Ho； ho！ No wonder you looked scared。
No； I wan't cal'latin' to make a sailor out of you； son。 For one
reason； sailorin' ain't what it used to be； and； for another； I
have my doubts whether a young feller of your bringin' up would
make much of a go handlin' a bunch of fo'mast hands the first day
out。 No； I wasn't figgerin' to send you to sea 。 。 。 What do you
suppose I brought you down to this place for this mornin'？〃
And then Albert understood。 He knew why he had been conducted
through the lumber yards； about the hardware shop； why his
grandfather and Mr。 Price had taken so much pains to exhibit and
explain。 His heart sank。
〃I brought you down here；〃 continued the captain； 〃because it's a
first…rate idea to look a vessel over afore you ship aboard her。
It's kind of late to back out after you have shipped。 Ever since I
made up my mind to send for you and have you live along with your
grandmother and me I've been plannin' what to do with you。 I knew；
if you was a decent； ambitious young chap； you'd want to do
somethin' towards makin' a start in life。 We can usethat is；
this business can use that kind of a chap
