Острів доктора Моро
The Evil-Looking Boatmen.
Aswecamestillnearer,thisindividualbegantoruntoandfroonthebeach,makingthemostgrotesquemovements.
AtawordofcommandfromMontgomery,thefourmeninthelaunchsprangup,andwithsingularlyawkwardgesturesstruckthelugs.Montgomerysteeredusroundandintoanarrowlittledockexcavatedinthebeach.Thenthemanonthebeachhastenedtowardsus.Thisdock,asIcallit,wasreallyamereditchjustlongenoughatthisphaseofthetidetotakethelongboat.Iheardthebowsgroundinthesand,stavedthedingeyofftherudderofthebigboatwithmypiggin,andfreeingthepainter,landed.Thethreemuffledmen,withtheclumsiestmovements,scrambledoutuponthesand,andforthwithsettolandingthecargo,assistedbythemanonthebeach.Iwasstruckespeciallybythecuriousmovementsofthelegsofthethreeswathedandbandagedboatmen,—notstifftheywere,butdistortedinsomeoddway,almostasiftheywerejointedinthewrongplace.Thedogswerestillsnarling,andstrainedattheirchainsafterthesemen,asthewhite-hairedmanlandedwiththem.Thethreebigfellowsspoketooneanotherinoddgutturaltones,andthemanwhohadwaitedforusonthebeachbeganchatteringtothemexcitedly—aforeignlanguage,asIfancied—astheylaidhandsonsomebalespilednearthestern.SomewhereIhadheardsuchavoicebefore,andIcouldnotthinkwhere.Thewhite-hairedmanstood,holdinginatumultofsixdogs,andbawlingordersovertheirdin.
