Межзвёздный скиталец
Chapter 19
Bythetimehalfourcompanywasoverboard,theboathadareasonablyhighfreeboardandwaslessticklishtohandleinthegusts.Likewisetherewasmoreroomforamantostretchoutcomfortably.
Asourceofcontinualgrumblingwasthefood.Thecaptain,themate,thesurgeon,andmyself,talkingitover,resolvednottoincreasethedailywhackofhalfapoundofmeat.Thesixsailors,forwhomTobiasSnowmadehimselfspokesman,contendedthatthedeathofhalfofuswasequivalenttoadoublingofourprovisioning,andthatthereforetherationshouldbeincreasedtoapound.Inreply,weoftheafterguardpointedoutthatitwasourchanceforlifethatwasdoubleddidwebutbearwiththehalf-poundration.
Itistruethateightouncesofsaltmeatdidnotgofarinenablingustoliveandtoresisttheseverecold.Wewerequiteweak,and,becauseofourweakness,wefrostedeasily.Nosesandcheekswereallblackwithfrost-bite.Itwasimpossibletobewarm,althoughwenowhaddoublethegarmentswehadstartedwith.
FiveweeksafterthelossoftheNegociatorthetroubleoverthefoodcametoahead.Iwasasleepatthetime—itwasnight—whenCaptainNichollcaughtJudHetchkinsstealingfromtheporkbarrel.Thathewasabettedbytheotherfivemenwasprovedbytheiractions.ImmediatelyJudHetchkinswasdiscovered,thewholesixthrewthemselvesuponuswiththeirknives.
