michael, brother of jerry-第7部分

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n　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　wide　open　for　intervals　and　banging　shut　but　not　banging　hard　enough　to　latch　itself。

Michael　crossed　the　high　threshold　with　the　innocent　intention　of　exploring　no　farther　than　the　immediate　vicinity。　　But　scarcely　was　he　through；　when　a　heavier　roll　slammed　the　door　and　latched　it。　　And　immediately　Michael　wanted　to　get　back。　　Obedience　was　strong　in　him；　for　it　was　his　heart's　desire　to　serve　his　lord's　will；　and　from　the　few　days'　confinement　he　sensed；　or　guessed；　or　divined；　without　thinking　about　it；　that　it　was　Steward's　will　for　him　to　stay　in　the　stateroom。

For　a　long　time　he　sat　down　before　the　closed　door；　regarding　it　wistfully　but　being　too　wise　to　bark　or　speak　to　such　inanimate　object。　　It　had　been　part　of　his　early　puppyhood　education　to　learn　that　only　live　things　could　be　moved　by　plea　or　threat；　and　that　while　things　not　alive　did　move；　as　the　door　had　moved；　they　never　moved　of　themselves；　and　were　deaf　to　anything　life　might　have　to　say　to　them。　　Occasionally　he　trotted　down　the　short　cross…hall　upon　which　the　stateroom　opened；　and　gazed　up　and　down　the　long　hall　that　ran　fore　and　aft。

For　the　better　part　of　an　hour　he　did　this；　returning　always　to　the　door　that　would　not　open。　　Then　he　achieved　a　definite　idea。　Since　the　door　would　not　open；　and　since　Steward　and　Kwaque　did　not　return；　he　would　go　in　search　of　them。　　Once　with　this　concept　of　action　clear　in　his　brain；　without　timidities　of　hesitation　and　irresolution；　he　trotted　aft　down　the　long　hall。　　Going　around　the　right　angle　in　which　it　ended；　he　encountered　a　narrow　flight　of　steps。　　Among　many　scents；　he　recognized　those　of　Kwaque　and　Steward　and　knew　they　had　passed　that　way。

Up　the　stairs　and　on　the　main　deck；　he　began　to　meet　passengers。　Being　white　gods；　he　did　not　resent　their　addresses　to　him；　though　he　did　not　linger　and　went　out　on　the　open　deck　where　more　of　the　favoured　gods　reclined　in　steamer…chairs。　　Still　no　Kwaque　or　Steward。　　Another　flight　of　narrow；　steep　stairs　invited；　and　he　came　out　on　the　boat…deck。　　Here；　under　the　wide　awnings；　were　many　more　of　the　godsmany　times　more　than　he　had　that　far　seen　in　his　life。

The　for'ard　end　of　the　boat…deck　terminated　in　the　bridge；　which；　instead　of　being　raised　above　it；　was　part　of　it。　　Trotting　around　the　wheel…house　to　the　shady　lee…side　of　it；　he　came　upon　his　fate；　for　be　it　known　that　Captain　Duncan　possessed　on　board　in　addition　to　two　fox…terriers；　a　big　Persian　cat；　and　that　cat　possessed　a　litter　of　kittens。　　Her　chosen　nursery　was　the　wheel…　house；　and　Captain　Duncan　had　humoured　her；　giving　her　a　box　for　her　kittens　and　threatening　the　quartermasters　with　all　manner　of　dire　fates　did　they　so　much　as　step　on　one　of　the　kittens。

But　Michael　knew　nothing　of　this。　　And　the　big　Persian　knew　of　his　existence　before　he　did　of　hers。　　In　fact；　the　first　he　knew　was　when　she　launched　herself　upon　him　out　of　the　open　wheel…house　doorway。　　Even　as　he　glimpsed　this　abrupt　danger；　and　before　he　could　know　what　it　was；　he　leaped　sideways　and　saved　himself。　From　his　poi