The _Esperance_ went on. Presently, the moon rose and moonlight glinted
on the waves while the stars looked cynically down on the small yacht
upon the sea. And two people talked comfortably and absorbedly about
things nobody else would have thought very interesting.
When Terry turned in for the night he realized pleasantly that he was
very glad he'd let himself be persuaded to join the _Esperance's_
company.
Dawn came. Terry was already on deck when the _Esperance_ threaded her
way into a small harbor. There were palm trees along the shore, and
there was a Philippine town with edifices ranging from burnt brick to
stucco to mere nipa huts on its outskirts. Two-man fishing boats were
making their way out from the shore on which they'd been beached. From
somewhere came the staccato, back-firing noise of an old
automobile-engine being warmed up for the day's work. It would
undoubtedly be the bus for Manila. But it was not thinkable that Terry
should take it, now.
The yacht dropped anchor and lay indolently at rest while her crew
breakfasted and the morning deck routine was being performed. Then
Deirdre appeared in shore-going clothes of extreme femininity. Davis too
was dressed otherwise than as usual.
"We're going ashore to the shipyard," he told Terry. "If you'd like to
come--"
"I've something to do here," said Terry.
Two of the crew-cuts got a boat overside and headed it for the shore.
Terry got out the recorder and the submarine ear and horn. He set up his
apparatus for a test. Tony came from belowdecks and watched. Then he
came closer.
"If I can help," he said tentatively.
"You can," Terry told him. "But let's listen to what the fish are
saying, first."
He dropped over the submarine ear and started the recorder to play what
it picked up, but without recording it. Sounds from underwater came out
of the speakers. The slappings of tiny harbor-waves against the yacht's
planking; the chunking, rhythmic sound of oars from a fishing boat which
was rowing after the half-dozen that had gone out earlier; grunting
sounds. Those were fish.
Terry listened critically, and Tony with interest. Then Terry brought
out the fish-driving paddle. He turned on the tape, now, to have a
record of the sound the paddle made.
"Whack this on the water," he suggested, "and we'll hear how it sounds."
Tony went down the ladder and gave the water surface a few resounding
whacks. There were tiny, violent swirlings. For thirty or forty feet
from the _Esperance's_ side there were isolated, minute turmoils in the
water. Three or four fish actually leaped clear of the surface.
"Not bad!" said Tony. "Shall I whack some more?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account