第6章 Tired of the Old Man[第2页/共13页]

For a long time after that everyone had called him The Champion and there had been a return match in the spring. But not much money was bet and he had won it quite easily since he had broken the confidence of the negro from Cienfuegos in the first match.After that he had a few matches and then no more.He decided that he could beat anyone if he wanted to badly enough and he decided that it was bad for his right hand for fishing.He had tried a few practice matches with his left hand.But his left hand had always been a traitor and would not do what he called on it to do and he did not trust it.

“But you have not slept yet,old man,”he said aloud.“ It is half a day and a night and now another day and you have not slept.You must devise a way so that you sleep a little if he is quiet and steady.If you do not sleep you might become unclear in the head.”

It was getting into the afternoon and the boat still moved slowly and steadily.But there was an added drag now from the easterly breeze and the old man rode gently with the small sea and the hurt of the cord across his back came to him easily and smoothly.

Then he was sorry for the great fish that had nothing to eat and his determination to kill him never relaxed in his sorrow for him.How many people will he feed,he thought. But are they worthy to eat him?No,of course not.There is no one worthy of eating him from the manner of his behavior and his great dignity.