Межзвёздный скиталец
Chapter 19
BytheendofJanuaryourfoodwasnearitsend.Theporkwasentirelygone,andweusedthebarrelforcatchingandstoringrainwater.Notmanypoundsofbeefremained.Andinallthenineweeksintheopenboatwehadraisednosailandglimpsednoland.CaptainNichollfranklyadmittedthataftersixty-threedaysofdeadreckoninghedidnotknowwherewewere.
ThetwentiethofFebruarysawthelastmorseloffoodeaten.Iprefertoskipthedetailsofmuchthathappenedinthenexteightdays.Ishalltouchonlyontheincidentsthatservetoshowwhatmannerofmenweremycompanions.Wehadstarvedsolong,thatwehadnoreservesofstrengthonwhichtodrawwhenthefoodutterlyceased,andwegrewweakerwithgreatrapidity.
OnFebruarytwenty-fourthwecalmlytalkedthesituationover.Wewerethreestout-spiritedmen,fulloflifeandtoughness,andwedidnotwanttodie.Nooneofuswouldvolunteertosacrificehimselffortheothertwo.Butweagreedonthreethings:wemusthavefood;wemustdecidethematterbycastinglots;andwewouldcastthelotsnextmorningiftherewerenowind.
Nextmorningtherewaswind,notmuchofit,butfair,sothatwewereabletologasluggishtwoknotsonournortherlycourse.Themorningsofthetwenty-sixthandtwenty-seventhfounduswithasimilarbreeze.Wewerefearfullyweak,butweabidedbyourdecisionandcontinuedtosail.
