第6章 Tired of the Old Man[第10页/共14页]

It would be better to gut the dolphin a little later to save the blood in the meat,he thought.I can do that a little later and lash the oars to make a drag at the same time.I had better keep the fish quiet now and not disturb him too much at sunset.The setting of the sun is a difficult time for all fish.

I do not understand these things,he thought.But it is good that we do not have to try to kill the sun or the moon or the stars.It is enough to live on the sea and kill our true brothers.

This is the second day now that I do not know the result of the juegos,he thought.But I must have confidence and I must be worthy of the great DiMaggio who does all things perfectly even with the pain of the bone spur in his heel. What is a bone spur?He asked himself.Un espuela de hueso. We do not have them.Can it be as painful as the spur of a fighting cock in one's heel?I do not think I could endure that or the loss of the eye and of both eyes and continue to fight as the fighting cocks do.Man is not much beside the great birds and beasts.Still I would rather be that beast down there in the darkness of the sea.

“How do you feel,fish?”he asked aloud.“I feel good and my left hand is better and I have food for a night and a day.Pull the boat,fish.”