Лорд Джим

Chapter 38

           Acargoofproducefortheschoonerperhapscouldbeextortedand,whoknows?somerealringingcoinedmoney!Someofthesechiefsandvillageheadmencanbemadetopartfreely.Hetoldmehewouldhaveroastedtheirtoesratherthanbebaulked.Ibelievehim.Hismenbelievedhimtoo.Theydidn’tcheeraloud,beingadumbpack,butmadereadywolfishly.

           ‘Luckservedhimastoweather.Afewdaysofcalmwouldhavebroughtunmentionablehorrorsonboardthatschooner,butwiththehelpoflandandseabreezes,inlessthanaweekafterclearingtheSundaStraits,heanchoredofftheBatuKringmouthwithinapistol-shotofthefishingvillage.

           ‘Fourteenofthempackedintotheschooner’slong-boat(whichwasbig,havingbeenusedforcargo-work)andstarteduptheriver,whiletworemainedinchargeoftheschoonerwithfoodenoughtokeepstarvationofffortendays.Thetideandwindhelped,andearlyoneafternoonthebigwhiteboatunderaraggedsailshouldereditswaybeforetheseabreezeintoPatusanReach,mannedbyfourteenassortedscarecrowsglaringhungrilyahead,andfingeringthebreech-blocksofcheaprifles.Browncalculatedupontheterrifyingsurpriseofhisappearance.Theysailedinwiththelastoftheflood;theRajah’sstockadegavenosign;thefirsthousesonbothsidesofthestreamseemeddeserted.Afewcanoeswereseenupthereachinfullflight.Brownwasastonishedatthesizeoftheplace.Aprofoundsilencereigned.

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