Chapter 5 Chapter Four

Saturday is the market day in Cape Town. The streets are bustling with people who buy bargains, meet friends, and meet lovers, making the streets crowded.Boers, Frenchmen, soldiers in brightly colored uniforms, English ladies in ruffled skirts and ruffled blouses, came and went in the markets of Balamonston, Park and Poggertrop.Everything is for sale here: furniture, horses, carriages and fresh fruit.It is also possible to buy clothes and chess boards, or meat and books.People speak a dozen different languages ​​and communicate with each other.Cape Town on a Saturday is a raucous market. Banda walked slowly through the crowd, careful not to glance at the white man.Because it is too dangerous.There were blacks, Indians, mulattos on the streets, but the whites dominated.Banda is full of hatred for them. This is his country, and the white people are just a few immigrants from outside.There are many tribes in southern Africa: the Basotho, the Zulu, the Bechuana, the Matabele—all offshoots of the Bantu.The word Bantu comes from Abantu - meaning people.But the Barorons—a tribe of the Banda—are nobles.Banda remembered the stories his grandmother told him about the great black empire that once ruled South Africa.Their empire, their country.And now they are enslaved by a handful of white people.These whites drove them onto smaller and smaller lands until their freedom was completely strangled.The only way black people can survive now is to be servile and docile on the surface, but full of cunning and wisdom deep down.

Banda didn't even know how old he was because the local aborigines didn't have birth certificates.Their ages are reckoned from wars, campaigns, the birth and death of great chiefs, comet storms and earthquakes, Adam Coker's treks in ox-carts, and ceremonies of chaka and bull sacrifice.But how old he is doesn't mean anything.All Banda knew was that he was the son of a great chieftain, destined to do good for his people.Because of him, one day the Bantu people will rise again and rule again.This idea and mission made him hold his head up for a while, but when he met the white man's eyes on him, he lowered his head again.

Banda walked quickly to the eastern outskirts of the city, which is a black ghetto.The big houses and handsome shops in the streets were gradually replaced by tin cottages, lean-tos and shacks.He walked into a dirty street.Looking back, knowing that no one was staring at him, he walked forward with confidence.He walked to a wooden hut, looked around again, knocked on the door twice, and entered the house.A thin black woman sat in a corner of the room mending a dress.Banda nodded to her and went into the back bedroom. He looked down at the person lying on the cot. ※※※ Jamie regained consciousness six weeks ago and found himself in a cot in a strange house.The past was like a rush, and he returned to Carlo.Broken arms and legs, hopeless.those black hawks...

Then, Banda went into the small bedroom.Jamie knew it was there to kill him.It may be that van der Merwe learned that he was still alive and sent his servants to finish him off. "Why doesn't your master come by himself?" Jamie asked him mockingly. "I have no master." "Vander Merwe, he didn't send you?" "No, if he knew, he would kill us both." Both were silent. "Where am I now. I want to know where I am." "In Cape Town." "It's impossible. How did I get here?" "I sent you here." Jamie didn't speak for a long time, staring into his dark eyes. "Why did you send me here?"

"I need you. I want revenge." "Why are you……?" Banda is closer. "Not for me. I don't care. Van der Merwe raped my sister. She was only eleven and died giving birth." Jamie lay back and said in pain, "My God!" "Since the day she died, I've been looking for a white man, a white man who can help me. I found it when I beat you up in the barn as a thug, Mr. McGregor. We put you At Carlo. And he ordered me to kill you. I told the others you were dead, and then rushed back to Carlo as fast as I could to bring you back. I almost missed it."

Jamie shuddered.He could almost smell the sickening stench of the black hawk eating his flesh again. "The hawks are ready to feast. I put you in the wagon and hid you among our men. We had a doctor join your ribs and legs and bandage your wounds." "And what happened after that?" "As it happened, I had a group of relatives coming to Cape Town in a carriage. We brought you along. You were unconscious for most of the time. I was always worried about you when you were sleeping. I'm afraid I won't wake up again." Jamie stares into the eyes of the man who nearly murdered him.He had to think carefully.He didn't trust the man - but he had saved him.Banda was going to use him against van der Merwe. "It can also be reversed." Jamie made up his mind secretly.The most important thing in the world is to avenge Van der Merwe.

"Okay," Jamie said to Banda, "I'm going to make Van der Merwe pay for us." For the first time a smile appeared on Banda's face. "To let him die?" "No," Jamie told him, "keep him alive." ※※※ Jamie woke up for the first time that afternoon, dizzy and shaking.His leg injury has not yet healed, and he can only walk with a limp.Banda wanted to help him. "I'll do it myself. I can go by myself." Banda watched as Jamie walked slowly around the house. "I want a mirror," Jamie said.I must look scary, he thought, how long has it been since I last shaved?

Banda went back into the room and handed him a mirror.Jamie held up the mirror to take a look.He saw a completely unfamiliar face: silver hair, a white beard, and a broken nose tilted to one side.He is twenty years older.There are scars on the sunken cheeks, and a purple scar on the chin.The biggest change is still his eyes.This is a pair of eyes that have experienced countless pains, have a deep understanding of life, and are full of hatred.He slowly lowered the mirror. "I want to go for a walk," Jamie said. "I'm sorry, Mr McGregor. That's impossible." "Why not?"

"White people don't generally come here any more than niggers never go to white people. My neighbors don't know you're here. We sent you in at night." "Then how do I leave?" "I can take you out tonight." For the first time Jamie realized how much Banda had risked for him.He said shyly, "I don't have any money, I want to find a job." "I've got you a job on the dock. They're always hiring people to work." He took some money out of his pocket. "Take it." Jamie took the money. "I'll pay you back."

"Give it back to my sister." Banda told him. ※※※ It was already late at night when Banda led Jamie out of the hut.Jamie looked around.He was in the middle of a dilapidated town, where rows of rusted iron houses, huts made of broken boards and sacks were crumbling together.It had just rained, and there was a foul stench from the muddy ground.Jamie couldn't understand how someone as proud as Banda could get by in such a place. "Isn't there...?" "Shut up," Banda said softly, "my neighbors are nosy." He led Jamie into the clearing, then pointed ahead and said, "That's the town center. I'll meet you at the dock."

※※※ Jamie walked into the place where he had boarded when he first arrived here from England.Mrs. Winster sat behind the desk. "I want a room," Jamie said. "Of course, sir." She smiled, showing her golden teeth, and replied, "I'm Mrs. Winster." "I know." "How do you know such a thing?" She asked coyly, "Could a male friend tell you something about things outside of school?" "Mrs. Winster, you don't know me? I lived here last year." She studied his scarred face, knocked nose and white beard carefully, but she didn't recognize him at all. "Honey, I can say I can never forget other people's faces. I've never met you. But that doesn't mean we can't be good friends, does it? My friends call me 'Titi'. What's your name ,baby?" Jamie heard himself say names like this: "Travis. Ian Travis." The next morning Jamie went out to inquire about the work at the dock. The dock foreman said, "We want strong builders. The problem is you're probably a little too old for this job." "I'm only nineteen..." Jamie was about to say, when he stopped suddenly.Think of that face in the mirror. "You can try it and see if I can do it," he said. He became a porter, earning nine shillings a day, loading and unloading goods that came into the port.He knew that Banda and the other black stevedores earned six shillings a day. As soon as Jamie got the chance, he took Bandara aside and said, "We've got to talk." "Not here, McGregor. There's an abandoned warehouse on the docks. We'll meet there after get off work." When Jamie arrived at the abandoned warehouse, Banda was already there waiting. "Tell me about van der Merwe," said Jamie. "What do you want to know?" "Want to know everything." Banda spat and said angrily, "He came to South Africa from the Netherlands. I heard that his wife was ugly but rich. Then she got a disease and died. Van der Merwe took her money, came to Cripdrift, and set up this shop. He made his fortune cheating the diamond diggers." "By deceiving me?" "It's just one of his tricks. Some diamond diggers have luck and have dug some diamonds. They often ask him to borrow money and want to register the ownership of the mining area. Before they can figure it out, van der Merwe takes the mining area as his own." There is." "Did no one figure out a way to sue him?" "How can you sue him? The whole city staff is completely under his control. According to the law, if you don't register after forty-five days, anyone has the right to seize it. The city staff communicated with Van der Merwe, and let him keep it all Lots of property. He plays other tricks too. Like whoever registers the mine is supposed to stake his claim. If the stake falls, a second person can take the land. That's it, as long as van der Merwe takes his fancy In the treasure land, he ordered people to make troubles at night. The next morning, the piles all fell down." "Oh, God!" "He also bribed the owner of the bar, Smit. Smit took a fancy to some diamond diggers, and introduced them to Van der Merwe, and the two parties signed a cooperation agreement. If the other party found the diamonds, Van der Merwe took everything for himself. Yes. If they dare to cause trouble, he will make a group who receives his allowance carry out any order he gives." "I already know that," said Jamie ruefully. "What else?" "He is also a religious maniac, and he keeps saying that he wants to pray for the soul of the criminal." "What about his daughter? She's also involved." "Miss Margaret? She's terrified of her father. If she looks at a man, Van der Merwe will kill them both." Jamie turned and walked to the door, from which he looked out over the harbor.He has many things to think about. "We'll talk tomorrow." ※※※ It was in the city of Cape Town that Jamie realized the great difference between blacks and whites.Negroes have nothing but the meager rights granted by those in power.They were all driven to live in slums, where they were not allowed to leave except when they were working for white people. "How can you stand it?" Jamie asked Banda one day. "A hungry lion hides its claws. One day we'll change all that. White people need black people because black people have labor. But white people must understand what black people think. The more they push us, the more they fear us. Because white people understand that one day everything will turn upside down. White people dare not think about it. But we will survive because we have isiko." "Who is Isiko?" Banda shook his head. "It's not who, it's a belief. It's hard to explain, McGregor. Isiko is our roots. It's the expression of a nation's sentiments. The nation that gave the great Zambezi its name. Centuries ago, Our ancestors were naked, drove their flocks, and entered the Zambezi River. Those with poor health died, were swept away by the whirlpool or fed to the crocodiles in the river. But those who survived crossing the river became stronger and stronger When a Bantu dies, Isiko asks the family members to hide in the forest, so that the whole tribe can avoid grief. Isiko expresses contempt for slaves who are servile, and believes that a person can face anyone dignifiedly, neither humble nor overbearing. You listen Ever mentioned John Tango Jebavu?" He mentioned the name with respect. "never heard of that." "You're going to hear it, Mr. McGregor," Banda assured, "you're going to hear it." Banda changed the subject again. Jamie began to develop a kind of admiration for Banda.Initially, both were wary.Now Jamie has to learn to trust the man who nearly killed him, and Banda has to learn to trust a world enemy - a white man.Unlike most of the black people Jamie had met, Banda was literate. "Where did you go to school?" Jamie asked. "I didn't go to school. I grew up working. My grandma taught me. She was a Boolean teacher's servant. She learned to read and write, and she taught me. I'm grateful to her all my life." ※※※ After get off work one Saturday evening, Jamie heard for the first time that there was a piece of the Namib Desert in Greater Namaqualand.Jamie and Banda eat impala stew made by Banda's mother in the disused warehouse on the pier.The meat is good, but Jamie thinks it tastes a little weird.Even so, he ate up all the antelope meat in the bowl.He leaned on the old sack and asked Banda. "When did you first meet van der Merwe?" "That was when I was working on a beach in the Namib Desert. It was owned by him and two other partners. He had just taken some poor diamond digger's share and was out there inspecting his property." "If van der Merwe is so rich, why does he keep the shop?" "This shop is his bait. It's his way of tricking the new diamond diggers into his place. He's getting richer and richer that way." Jamie thought how easily he had been deceived.How innocent he had been!He remembered Margaret's oval face when she said, "My father may be the one who can help you." He had thought she was just a child until he noticed her breasts—Jamie jumped up suddenly, A smile appeared on his face, and the upturned lips made the scar on his cheek tremble slightly. "Tell me how you came to work for van der Merwe?" "One day he came down to the beach with his daughter—she was about eleven years old—and I thought she got tired of sitting so she went into the water and the tide covered her. So I jumped in and put She pulled it out. But I think van der Merwe was trying to kill me." Jamie stared at him and asked, "Why?" "Because I hugged her. Not because I'm black, but because I'm a man. He couldn't stand any man touching his daughter. Finally someone calmed him down and reminded him that I saved his daughter's life. He Just take me to Kripdrift as his servant." Banda hesitated for a while, then continued, "After two months, my sister came to see me." His voice was unusually calm. "She's the same age as van der Merwe's daughter." Jamie felt speechless. Finally, Banda broke the silence. "I was supposed to be in the Namib desert. The job was easy. We crawled along the beach digging for diamonds and putting them in little tin cans." "Wait a minute. Are you saying the diamonds are buried just above the surface of the sand?" "Exactly, Mr. McGregor. But forget your thoughts. No one can get near that place. It's on the sea, and the waves are thirty feet high. They don't have to bother to defend the coast. Many people want to Try crossing the sea, but you will be killed by rocks or waves." "There must be some other way of getting there." "No. The Namib desert stretches along the coast." "What about imports from diamond mines?" "There's a watch tower and a barbed wire fence. Behind the barbed wire are guards with guns and dogs that can tear people apart. They also have a thing called mines. There are mines everywhere in the diamond mines. If you don't mine map, it will be blown to pieces.” "How big is the diamond mine?" "About thirty-five miles." Thirty-five miles of diamonds just lying in the sand... "My God!" "You're not the first to get excited about the diamond mines in the Namib desert, and you won't be the last. I've picked up relics from people who tried to get there by boat and got smashed to pieces by the reef, I see I've been to people who took one wrong step and got killed by land mines. I've seen those police dogs bite people's throats. Forget about the diamond mines, Mr. McGregor. I was there and couldn't get in or out. Come—don't get in alive, don't get out alive." ※※※ Jamie couldn't sleep that night.Always thinking of the thirty-five miles of beach that Van der Merwe had, full of huge glittering diamonds, that Van der Merwe would have for himself.He thought of the sea, the treacherous rocks, the deadly dogs, the patrolling guards and the dotted mines.He is not afraid of danger, not afraid of death.He was afraid that he would die before he could avenge Van der Merwe. ※※※ The following Monday, Jamie walked into a map store and bought a map of Namaqualand.Namaqualand is located on the coast of the Western Ocean in the South, from Lüderitz in the north to the Orange River Harbor in the south, and the Diamond Coast is in this area.Marked in red on the map: SPERRGEBIET - Forbidden Zone. Jamie studied every detail of this area on the map again and again.The three thousand miles of ocean between South America and South Africa are unobstructed all the way, and all the impact of the wind and waves is concentrated on the steep reefs on the coast of the Western Ocean.Forty miles south along the coast is an open beach. "Must be where those poor boys put their boats into the exclusion zone," Jamie deduced.Just looking at the map, he could understand why there were no guards on the coast, because it was impossible to land on the reef. Jamie turned his attention again to the overland route into the diamond mines.According to Banda, barbed wire fences are stretched across the area and armed men patrol the area 24 hours a day.At the entrance is a lookout post.Even if someone manages to slip past the lookout and sneak into the diamond mine, there are mines and police dogs waiting for him! Jamie ran into Banda the next day and asked, "You said there is still a mine map?" "In the Namib desert? The supervisors have maps in their hands, because they have to lead the diamond diggers to work. One by one, so as not to touch the mines." He blinked, recalling the past and said, "One day my uncle was in As I was walking ahead, he tripped over a stone and fell on a landmine. He was blown to pieces, and almost no remains were brought back home." Jamie shuddered. "There's also sea fog, Mr. McGregor. You don't get sea fog like this when you don't go to Namib. Sea fog rolls in from the ocean, blows across deserts and mountains, and wipes everything in its path. Net. If you get this kind of sea fog, you don't dare to move at all. Bretou is useless then, because you can't see the way forward. Everyone just sits there and waits until the fog Disperse." "How long will the sea fog last?" Banda shrugged, "Sometimes hours, sometimes days." "Banda, have you seen Bretu?" "Brett is under strict supervision." A look of anxiety crossed his face. "I'll tell you again, no one can do what you think. Occasionally workers try to smuggle diamonds out and get hanged from a tree. There is a tree for hanging people. A warning to those who would steal diamonds." It seemed impossible.Even if he managed to sneak into the diamond mines at Van der Merwe, there was no way out.What Banda said was right.He should forget about it. ※※※ The next day, he asked Banda again: "How can van der Merwe prevent workers from stealing diamonds after workers leave work?" "Workers are frisked. The guards strip the workers naked and search every hole in their body. I have seen some workers cut their thighs and try to smuggle out diamonds hidden in them. Some have their molars pulled out. , put the diamonds in there. They've tried everything you can think of." He glanced at Jamie and said, "If you're going to live, get the diamond mine out of your mind." Jamie wanted to give up the idea.But this thought popped up in his mind from time to time, and troubled him.Van der Merwe's diamonds are buried in the sandy surface, waiting to be dug.These diamonds are waiting for him. ※※※ That night, Jamie came up with a solution.Before seeing Banda, he was impatient.When he saw Banda, he cut to the chase and asked, "Tell me about the boats trying to get to the beach." "What's the situation?" "What kind of ship are they using?" "Every kind of boat you can think of. Schooners, tugboats, motorboats, and sailboats. And four-man rowboats. There were a half-dozen hits of luck in the diamond mines when I was there .The reef smashed the boat to pieces and everybody drowned." Jamie took a deep breath. "Has anyone tried a lifeboat?" Banda stared at him. "lifeboat?" "Yes." Jamie became more and more excited, "you think about it. No one can make the boat reach the shore because the bottom of their boat is smashed by the reef. But the lifeboat can float over these reefs and directly reach the shore You can use the same method when you come out.” Banda watched Jamie for a long time.When he spoke, there was a noticeable change in the tone of his voice. "McGregor, your idea might work..." ※※※ What started out like a game, like an unsolvable puzzle, finally found a possible solution.But the more Jamie and Banda discussed, the more excited they became.What started out as small talk gradually developed into a plan of action.Since the diamonds are buried in the sandy surface, no tools are required.They planned to build their own lifeboats with sails on an uninhabited beach forty miles south of the exclusion zone.They can sail in the middle of the night and no one around will notice them.The coast there is unguarded and mine-free, and the guards only patrol inland.The two of them were free to pick up as many diamonds as they could on the beach. "We can leave before daylight," said Jamie, "with pockets full of van der Merwe's diamonds." "How do we leave?" "We can get out as we go in. We can row the lifeboat over the reef, out to the open sea, then set sail and go home freely." ※※※ Jamie's persuasive words gradually relieved Banda's doubts.He tried to find fault with the plan, and every time he raised a problem, Jamie came to solve it one by one.This plan might work.The most alluring thing about planning is its simplicity, and the fact that it doesn't cost a dime. It's just a high-strung state of mind, so be careful. "What we need is a big bag with diamonds," said Jamie.His enthusiasm is contagious. Banda grinned. "Let's make two big pockets." ※※※ In the second week, they quietly quit their jobs and took an ox cart to the port of Nolosi.Nolosi was a seaside village forty miles south of the restricted zone they were going to. They arrived at Noloxi and looked around.The village is small and primitive, the streets are full of shacks and tin houses, and there are very few shops.The white beaches are undeveloped and stretch out into the distance.There are no reefs here, and the wind and waves are gentle, beating the coast gently.It was indeed an excellent place for them to go to sea in their lifeboats. There was no hotel in town, but Jamie had rented a house at the fair.Banda also found a home in the black ghetto. "We need to find a place to build lifeboats in secret," Jamie told Banda. "We can't let anyone tell the authorities." That afternoon, they walked past an abandoned warehouse. "It's a nice place," decided Jamie. "We're going to build lifeboats here." "Not yet," Banda told him, "we'll have to wait. Buy a whiskey bar." "What is it for?" "You will understand." ※※※ The next morning, Jamie was visited by the local police chief.He has a ruddy complexion, five big and three thick, and his big nose is covered with blood spots, revealing his identity as an alcoholic. "Good morning," he said to Jamie. "I hear we have a visitor here. I wanted to stop by and say hello. I'm Sergeant Mundy." "My name is Ian Travis," Jamie replied. "Going north? Mr. Travis." "To the south, my servant and I are going to Cape Town." "Oh, I've been in Cape Town too. It's a damn big place, and a hell of a lot of noise." "That's right. Could I buy you a drink, Mr. Police?" "I never drink while on duty." Constable Mundy paused and made up his mind. "However, just this one time. I think it should be treated as a special case." "Okay." Jamie pulled out the whiskey, wondering how Banda could have figured that out.He poured about three inches of whiskey into a dirty mouthwash glass and handed it to the policeman. "Thank you, Mr. Travis. Where's your drink?" "I can't drink," said Jamie, looking remorseful, "and I've got malaria. So I'm going to Cape Town, to get my treatment. I'm here for a few days, to rest. Traveling is hard work for me. " Constable Mundy looked him over. "You look healthy." "You should have seen me when I was ill." The policeman ran out of wine, and Jamie poured him another. "Thank you. I'll have another drink, please don't mind." He gulped down his second glass and stood up. "I must go. You say you and your servant are leaving in a day or two?" "As soon as I feel better, I'll leave." "I'll be back on Friday to see if you're gone," said Inspector Mundy. That night Jamie and Banda started building lifeboats in the disused warehouse. "Banda, have you ever built a lifeboat?" "Oh, to tell you the truth, Mr. McGregor, no." "I haven't made it either." The two looked at each other. "How difficult is it to make?" ※※※ They stole four empty wooden barrels that held fifty gallons of oil from the back of the market and brought them back to the warehouse.They first arranged the barrels into a square, and then brought four crates and buckled them on top of each barrel. Banda had a skeptical look on his face. "It doesn't look like a lifeboat to me." "We're not done yet," Jamie reassured him. They had no thick planks, so they had to make do with the materials they had at hand, such as stinky wood branches, large beech branches from the Cape Town beach, and leaves from large oak trees.Again they tied the parts tightly with hemp twine, carefully tying each knot. After they created it, Banda watched it from beginning to end. "Still not like a lifeboat." "Maybe it'll be better when we get the sail up," Jamie said firmly. They also made a mast from a yellow tree that had fallen by the roadside, and picked two flat branches from it to make oars. "All we have to do now is the sail. We've got to get it done quickly. I think I'll be out of here tonight. Constable Mundy is here tomorrow." The material for the sail was found by Banda.He came back late that night with a large piece of blue cloth. "How about the cloth, Mr. McGregor?" "Excellent. How did you get that?" Banda grinned. "Don't ask, we've had enough trouble." They hoisted a square sail on the trestles, yard and boom, and at last everything was ready. "We started at 2 o'clock in the morning, when the people in the village were still sleeping," Jamie told Banda. "We better get some rest before 2 o'clock." But neither of them could fall asleep.Everyone's heart was full of excitement for the adventure ahead. ※※※ At 2 a.m., they met again at the warehouse.Both are eager and unspoken fear.A journey lay before them which would either make them rich or ruin them.There is no middle way. "Time to go," Jamie announced. They went outside, surrounded by the dead of night.Overhead was a blue sky.A silver moon hangs high in the sky. "Okay," thought Jamie, "the moon won't be very bright tonight, and no one will see us set off." Their schedule was a bit complicated: they had to leave the village late at night, so no one would know, and arrive at Diamond the next night. mine in order to sneak into the mining area and return safely to the surface by the early morning of the third day. "The Bangura current will take us to the diamond mines in the late afternoon," Jamie said, "but we can't move during the day. We have to wait at sea until dark." Banda nodded in agreement. "We can hide by an island off the coast." "What island?" "There are ten islands, Quicksilver Island, Raisin Pudding Island, Ickpot Island..." Jamie looked strange. "Raisin pudding island?" "And Grilled Steak Island." Jamie took out his crumpled map and looked it up. "The locations of the islands are not shown on the map." "They're guano islands. The British collect guano to make fertilizer." "Is anyone living on the island?" "It's uninhabitable. The stench is unbearable. In some places the guano is a hundred feet thick. The government sends homeless people and prisoners to dig the guano. Some people die on the island, leaving their bodies unattended on the There." "Okay, we'll hide there," Jamie decided. The two of them quietly opened the door of the storehouse, quietly trying to raise the lifeboat.The boat is too heavy to lift.They were sweating profusely, and they tried and tried, but to no avail. "Wait a minute," Banda said. He hurried out.After half an hour, he brought back a very long log. "Let's try it out. I'll pry up one end and you'll put the wood under." Jamie watched Banda pry the end of the lifeboat up high and marveled at his strength.Jamie quickly stuffed the log under the lifeboat.In this way, the two of them lifted the stern of the lifeboat, and the boat glided quickly on the logs.After the log rolls out of the stern, stuff it back in and roll again.It was a laborious labor, and at last they got the lifeboats to the beach, and by this time they were drenched with sweat.This activity took far longer than Jamie estimated.The sky has turned pale.In any case, leave before the villagers find them, or the villagers will report it.Jamie fastened the sail and checked again to see that everything was in order.At this time, he felt a sense of bewilderment, as if he had forgotten something.Suddenly realizing what was bothering him, he couldn't help laughing. Banda looked at him, feeling very strange. "What's so funny?" "When I used to look for diamonds, I brought tools weighing nearly a ton. Now I only bring a compass. It seems too easy." Banda said softly: "I don't think it's going to be a problem before us. Mr. McGregor." "From now on, you can call me Jamie." Banda shook his head with a strange expression. "You do come from a distant country." He grinned, revealing a mouthful of white and straight teeth. "Damn—they can only hang me once." He tried to say Jamie's name on his lips, and then said it loudly: "Jamie." "Let's go and get the diamonds." ※※※ They pushed the lifeboat from the beach into the shallow water, and the two of them jumped aboard and paddled.It took them a few minutes to get used to the strange rocking of the boat.Seems to be sitting on a floating cork, but seems to be doing the job.The lifeboat was going well, heading swiftly to the north on the fast-moving current.Jamie raised the sails, and the boat quickly passed the shallow water to the deep sea.At this time, the villagers all woke up, but the lifeboat had disappeared into the horizon. "We did it!" Jamie said. Banda shook his head and said, "It's not over yet!" He put his hand into the icy Bangula tide. "It's just the beginning." They sailed on, north past Alexander Bay and the mouth of the Orange River, with no one in sight except for rows of returning Cape jays and brightly colored greater flamingos.Although they brought a few cans of beef, some cold rice, some fruit and two small cans of water, they couldn't eat anything because of their nervous tension.Jamie didn't want to worry about the dangers ahead, but Banda couldn't.Because he was there.He still remembers the guards with guns and vicious dogs, and the landmines that blew up people to pieces.He also wondered how he had agreed to be involved in such a crazy adventure.他仔细地凝视着这个苏格兰人，想着：“他是更大的傻瓜。如果我死的话，我是为我妹妹而死的。他呢，他为啥而死呢？” 中年时分，鲨出现了。大约有六七条，它们的尖鳍滑水而过，急速地朝救生艇游来。 “黑鲨，”班达说，“是吃人的鲨鱼。” 杰米注视着鲨鱼靠近救生艇。 "what should we do?" 班达紧张地咽了一口唾沫。“杰米，坦白地讲，我也是生平第一次碰到这玩意儿。” 一条鲨鱼的背猛撞救生艇，几乎使它倾覆。两人赶紧抓住桅杆，站稳身子。杰米拿起一根桨，朝鲨鱼打去，桨转眼就被咬成了两半。此时鲨鱼包围着救生艇，懒洋洋地转圈游动。它们巨大的躯体在小船边蹭着。每蹭一次就使救生艇危险地倾斜一回，小艇随时都会倾覆。 “在被它们弄到水里前，咱们得摆脱它们。” “用什么来摆脱它们呢？”班达问。 “给我一听牛肉。” “你在开玩笑。一听牛肉满足不了它们。它们要吃我们。” 救生艇又被撞了一下，摇晃个不停。 “牛肉罐头！”杰米叫了起来，“快！” 班达马上把一听牛肉放到杰米手里，这时救生艇又东摇西晃起来。 “把罐头打开一半，快！” 班达拿出随身带的小刀，把罐头打开一半。杰米从他手里拿过来。罐头撕裂的尖利金属边缘扎着他的手。 他跪在救生艇边上等着。几乎是顷刻间，一条大黑鲨游近救生艇，张开大嘴，露出一排凶恶的牙齿。杰米瞄准鲨鱼眼睛，举起双手，用尽所有力气，把撕裂的金属边缘朝着鲨鱼眼睛猛力划去。鲨鱼从水里钻了出去，露出了巨大的身躯，救生艇有一刹那竖立起来，周围顿时出现一片染成红色的海水。鲨鱼群游向受伤的同类，周围海水一片翻腾。它们把救生艇忘掉了。杰米和班达看到大鲨鱼群把那条受伤的鲨鱼撕成碎片。这时救生艇行驶得越来越远，最后鲨鱼群在视野里消失了。 班达深深地呼出一口气，细声慢语地说：“有朝一日我要把今天的情况告诉我的儿孙们。你认为他们会相信吗？” 他们放声大笑起来，直到眼泪挂满了二人的面颊。 ※※※ 那天下午晚些时候，杰米看着怀表。“我们应该在午夜光景抵达钻石滩。太阳6点15分升起。这就是说我们有四个小时捡钻石，两个小时回到海上溜掉。四个小时够不够，班达？” “一百个人一辈子也花不完你四个小时能在那岛上捡到的钻石。我只希望我们能活到能捡回一些钻石……” ※※※ 之后，他们顺着风和潮水，向北平稳地航行着。临近傍晚时，一个小岛朦胧地出现在前面。当他们靠近小岛时，氨气的臭味越来越重，熏得他们满脸都是泪水。现在杰米知道为什么无人住在这里了。恶臭难以忍受。尽管这样，对他们来说，这倒是隐蔽到夜幕降临的好地方。杰米把帆稍作调整，小救生艇撞在这低平小岛的岩石岸边。班达把小艇捆好，两人就登上了岸。整个小岛栖满了上百万只鸟，什么水老鸦、鹈鹕、企鹅和火烈鸟。空气里充满了叽叽喳喳的鸟声，吵得人连呼吸也感到困难，他们走了六七步，就陷入齐到大腿深的鸟粪层里。 “咱们回救生艇吧。”杰米气喘吁吁地说。 班达一声不吭，跟着他走。 他们正要返回时，一排火烈鸟飞到空中，地上顿时留出一片空地。三个男人躺在那里。看不出他们死了多久。由于空气中的氨气的缘故，尸体保存得很好，不过头发都已变成了鲜红色。 过了一分钟，杰米和班达回到救生艇，又出海了。 ※※※ 他们在海边停泊，降下了帆，等待着。 “我们在这里等到深夜，然后再进去。” 他们坐在一起默不作声，各自准备应付前面可能发生的情况。夕阳西下，把黄昏的天空染得绚丽多彩，仿佛是疯艺术家的一幅力作。突然，他们被黑幕笼罩了。 他们等了两个多小时，杰米再次升起了帆。救生艇又开始朝东边那目不可及的海岸驶去。在他们头上，云影流动，薄薄的月光慢慢暗淡下来。救生艇加速行进。两人已能依稀地看见远处海岸模糊的轮廓。风刮得更大了，扑打在帆上，使救生艇以更快的速度向前驶去。不一会儿，他们已能清楚地看到土地的轮廓，一堵岩石的护墙。甚至已能从远处看到波涛泛着白色的浪花扑打在礁石上，并听到由此发出的轰然声响。远望就令人不寒而栗。杰米不知道小艇靠近时又会是一番什么情景。 他不由自主地喃喃而语：“你能肯定海滩边没有警卫吗？” 班达没有回答，用手指着前面的礁石。杰米知道他的意思。这些礁石本身就比任何人所能设下的陷阱更加险恶。它们是海的保护者，从不放松警惕，从不入睡。它们平静地躺在那里，等候牺牲品上钩。“好吧，”杰米想，“我们要越过你。我们要从上面漂过去。” 救生艇已经载着他们走了这么远，还将载他们走完余下的路程。海岸正在向他们迎面扑来，他们开始闻到巨大海浪带来的浓重的成腥味。班达紧紧地抓住桅杆。 “我们行驶得相当快。” “别着急，”杰米再次要他放心，“等再靠近一点，我就把帆放下，这样可以减速，比较顺利和方便地通过礁石。” 风浪的势头在加强，使救生艇向令人生畏的礁石急速地撞去。杰米很快地估计了一下距离，认为即使不挂帆，波浪也会把他们带到岸边。他赶紧下帆。即使如此，速度仍然没有减慢。救生艇已完全被巨大的海浪所驱使，失去了控制，在一个接一个的波浪中摇晃。救生艇受到猛烈的撞击，以致他们只能双手紧紧地抓住桅杆不放。杰米已估计到要进入采矿地是很困难的，但却完全没料到此刻面对的是如此激烈的涡流。礁石清晰地显现在他们眼前。他们能看到波浪扑上凹凸不平的岩石，又激起巨大的狂涛。要使计划成功，就必须使救生艇能完好无损地越过礁石，之后才能用它逃离。没有救生艇，他们只有束手待毙。 现在他们正被波涛的可怕力量推动着冲向礁石。狂风怒吼，震耳欲聋。救生艇突然被一股巨大的波涛高高地抛在空中，之后又被它抛向岩石。 “要抓住，班达！”杰米大声叫着，“我们正在朝里进呢！” 巨浪像冲走一根火柴一样，轻而易举地把救生艇托起，把它带向海岸，越过礁石。两人紧紧抓住小艇，同可能把它们抛入水中的狂暴力量进行着生死搏斗。杰米朝海中一望，瞥见底下那些像刀刃般锋利的礁石。波浪再推动一下，他们就能越过礁石，安全抵达岸边。 正在这时，突然发出一阵开裂声，原来礁石刮了艇底的一个木桶，把它刮掉了。救生艇剧烈晃动，接着另一个木桶也掉了，紧接着又是一个。狂风、惊涛和吃人般的礁石把救生艇当作一个玩具那样地耍弄着，忽而向前推，忽而向后拖，再不然就把小艇抛在空中打转。杰米和班达感到他们脚下的厚木板已在裂开了。 “跳！”杰米喊道。 他跳入救生艇旁的水中，一股巨浪把他卷起，又以弹射的速度把他抛向海滩。他周身被一股令人难以置信的力量牢牢地控制着。他对周围发生的一切已完全失去控制，成为波涛的一部分。波浪冲过他的头顶，涌过他的身下，又灌进他的口中。他的身子扭成一团翻来翻去，肺好像要爆炸似的。他脑子里开始金星四迸。杰米想，我正在下沉。接着他被推上了沙岸。杰米躺在那儿，透不过气来，他竭力呼吸，肺里充满了冰凉清新的海上空气。他的胸部和大腿都被沙土擦伤，衣服已成碎条。他慢慢地坐了起来，向周围张望一下，看看班达在哪里。班达正蜷缩在十码远的地方，吐着海水。杰米站了起来，摇摇晃晃地向他走去。 “你没事吧？” 班达点点头。他打着哆嗦深深地吸了一口气，抬起头看着杰米。“我不会游泳。” 杰米扶他站了起来。两人转过身子看了礁石一眼，没有看到救生艇的影子。它在狂暴的海洋中被撕成了碎片。他们已经到了钻石矿。 可是，没有办法返回了。