Межзвёздный скиталец
Chapter 5
“WaittillPie-Facecomesonto-night,”Morrellrappedtome.“Hesleepsmostofhiswatch,andwecantalkastreak.”
Howwedidtalkthatnight!Sleepwasfarthestfromoureyes.Pie-FaceJoneswasameanandbitterman,despitehisfatness;butweblessedthatfatnessbecauseitpersuadedtostolensnatchesofslumber.Neverthelessourincessanttappingbotheredhissleepandirritatedhimsothathereprimandedusrepeatedly.Andbytheothernightguardswewereroundlycursed.Inthemorningallreportedmuchtappingduringthenight,andwepaidforourlittleholiday;for,atnine,cameCaptainJamiewithseveralguardstolaceusintothetormentofthejacket.Untilninethefollowingmorning,fortwenty-fourstraighthours,lacedandhelplessonthefloor,withoutfoodorwater,wepaidthepriceforspeech.
Oh,ourguardswerebrutes!Andundertheirtreatmentwehadtohardentobrutesinordertolive.Hardworkmakescallousedhands.Hardguardsmakehardprisoners.Wecontinuedtotalk,and,onoccasion,tobejacketedforpunishment.Nightwasthebesttime,and,whensubstituteguardschancedtobeon,weoftentalkedthroughawholeshift.
Nightanddaywereonewithuswholivedinthedark.Wecouldsleepanytime,wecouldknuckle-talkonlyonoccasion.
