第10章 The Old Mans Return[第2頁/共8頁]

He went into the Terrace and asked for a can of coffee.

The boy carried the hot can of coffee up to the old man's shack and sat by him until he woke.Once it looked as though he were waking.But he had gone back into heavy sleep and the boy had gone across the road to borrow some wood to heat the coffee.

As the boy went out the door and down the worn coral rock road he was crying again.

“Of course.With coast guard and with planes.”

“Let Pedrico chop it up to use in fish traps.”

“Tiburon,”the waiter said,“Eshark.”He was meaning to explain what had happened.

“You keep it if you want it.”

“I'll get another knife and have the spring ground.How many days of heavy brisa have we?”

The old man took it and drank it.

“I will have everything in order,”the boy said.“ You get your hands well old man.”

“No.I will remember.”

“I do not care.I caught two yesterday.But we will fish together now for I still have much to learn.”

“I believe it,”the boy said.

He knew he was beaten now finally and without remedy and he went back to the stern and found the jagged end of the tiller would fit in the slot of the rudder well enough for him to steer.He settled the sack around his shoulders and put the skiff on her course. He sailed lightly now and he had no thoughts nor any feelings of any kind.He was past everything now and he sailed the skiff to make his home port as well and as intelligently as he could.In the night sharks hit the carcass as someone might pick up crumbs from the table.The old man paid no attention to them and did not pay any attention to anything except steering.He only noticed how lightly and how well the skiff sailed now there was no great weight beside her.