Спогади Шерлока Холмса
The “Gloria Scott”
Itnearlycametooursharingthefateoftheprisoners,butatlasthesaidthatifwewishedwemighttakeaboatandgo.Wejumpedattheoffer,forwewerealreadysickoftheseblood-thirstydoings,andwesawthattherewouldbeworsebeforeitwasdone.Weweregivenasuitofsailortogseach,abarrelofwater,twocasks,oneofjunkandoneofbiscuits,andacompass.Prendergastthrewusoverachart,toldusthatwewereshipwreckedmarinerswhoseshiphadfounderedinLat.15degreesandLong.25degreeswest,andthencutthepainterandletusgo.
"‘AndnowIcometothemostsurprisingpartofmystory,mydearson.Theseamenhadhauledthefore-yardabackduringtherising,butnowasweleftthemtheybroughtitsquareagain,andastherewasalightwindfromthenorthandeastthebarkbegantodrawslowlyawayfromus.Ourboatlay,risingandfalling,uponthelong,smoothrollers,andEvansandI,whowerethemosteducatedoftheparty,weresittinginthesheetsworkingoutourpositionandplanningwhatcoastweshouldmakefor.Itwasanicequestion,fortheCapeVerdeswereaboutfivehundredmilestothenorthofus,andtheAfricancoastaboutsevenhundredtotheeast.Onthewhole,asthewindwascomingroundtothenorth,wethoughthatSierraLeonemightbebestandturnedourheadinthatdirection,thebarkbeingatthattimenearlyhulldownonourstarboardquarter.Suddenlyaswelookedatherwesawadenseblackcloudofsmokeshootupfromher,whichhunglikeamonstroustreeuponthesky-line.
