The Moon And Sixpence 47.9

Suddenly hecaught sight of Strickland. He rolled up to him. He did not speak. He gatheredthe spittle in his mouth and spat full in Strickland's face. Strickland seizedhis glass and flung it at him. The dancers stopped suddenly still. There was aninstant of complete silence, but when Tough Bill threw himself on Stricklandthe lust of battle seized them all, and in a moment there was a confusedscrimmage. Tables were overturned, glasses crashed to the ground. There was ahellish row. The women scattered to the door and behind the bar. Passers-bysurged in from the street. You heard curses in every tongue the sound of blows,cries; and in the middle of the room a dozen men were fighting with all theirmight. On a sudden the police rushed in, and everyone who could made for thedoor. When the bar was more or less cleared, Tough Bill was lying insensible onthe floor with a great gash in his head. Captain Nichols dragged Strickland,bleeding from a wound in his arm, his clothes in rags, into the street. His ownface was covered with blood from a blow on the nose."I guessyou'd better get out of Marseilles before Tough Bill comes out of hospital," he said to Strickland, when they had got back to the Chink's Head andwere cleaning themselves."Thisbeats cock-fighting, " said Strickland.I could see hissardonic smile.Captain Nicholswas anxious. He knew Tough Bill's vindictiveness. Strickland had downed themulatto twice, and the mulatto, sober, was a man to be reckoned with. He wouldbide his time stealthily. He would be in no hurry, but one night Stricklandwould get a knife-thrust in his back, and in a day or two the corpse of anameless beach-comber would be fished out of the dirty water of the harbour.Nichols went next evening to Tough Bill's house and made enquiries. He was inhospital still, but his wife, who had been to see him, said he was swearinghard to kill Strickland when they let him out.忽然，他一眼看见了思特里克兰德。他摇摇晃晃地走到思特里克兰德前边，一句话不说，嘬了一口唾沫，直啐到思特里克兰德脸上。思特里克兰德抄起酒杯，向他扔去。跳舞的人都停了下来。有那么一分钟，整个酒吧间变得非常安静，一点声音也没有。但是等硬汉子彼尔扑到思特里克兰德身上的时候，所有的人的斗志都变得激昂起来。刹那间，酒吧间开始了一场混战。啤酒台子打翻了，玻璃杯在地上摔得粉碎。双方厮打得越来越厉害。女人们躲到门边和柜台后面去，过路的行人从街头涌进来。只听见到处一片咒骂声、拳击声、喊叫声，屋子中间，一打左右的人打得难解难分。突然间，警察冲了进来，所有的人都争先恐后地往门外窜。当酒吧间里多少清静下来以后，只见硬汉子彼尔人事不醒地躺在地上，头上裂了个大口子。尼柯尔斯船长拽着思特里克兰德逃到外面街上，思特里克兰德的胳臂淌着血，衣服撕得一条一条的。尼柯尔斯船长也是满脸血污；他的鼻子挨了一拳。“我看在硬汉子彼尔出院以前，你还是离开马赛吧，”当他俩回到“中国茅房”开始清洗的时候，他对思特里克兰德说。“真比斗鸡还热闹，”思特里克兰德说。我仿佛看到了他脸上讥嘲的笑容。尼柯尔斯船长非常担心。他知道硬汉子彼尔是睚眦必报的。思特里克兰德叫这个混血儿丢了大脸，彼尔头脑清醒的时候，是要小心提防的。他不会马上就动手，他会暗中等待一个适宜时机。早晚有一天夜里，思特里克兰德的脊背上会叫人捅上一刀，一两天以后，从港口的污水里会捞上一具无名流浪汉的尸体。第二天晚上尼柯尔斯到硬汉子彼尔家里去打听了一下。彼尔仍然住在医院里，但是他妻子已经去看过他。据他妻子说，彼尔赌天誓日说，他一出院就要结果思特里克兰德的性命。