Викрадений
Chapter 26
”
“I’mnotuptoyouintalkingback,Alan,”Isaid;“butIcanseewe’remakingbadworse.Ifit’shardtopassariver,itstandstoreasonitmustbeworsetopassasea.”
“Butthere’ssuchathingasaboat,”saysAlan,“orI’mthemoredeceived.”
“Ay,andsuchathingasmoney,”saysI.“Butforusthathaveneitheronenorother,theymightjustaswellnothavebeeninvented.”
“Yethinkso?”saidAlan.
“Idothat,”saidI.
“David,”sayshe,“ye’reamanofsmallinventionandlessfaith.Butletmesetmywitsuponthehone,andifIcannaebeg,borrow,noryetstealaboat,I’llmakeone!”
“IthinkIseeye!”saidI.“Andwhat’smorethanallthat:ifyepassabridge,itcantellnotales;butifwepassthefirth,there’stheboatonthewrongside—somebodymusthavebroughtit—thecountry-sidewillallbeinabizz—-”
“Man!”criedAlan,“ifImakeaboat,I’llmakeabodytotakeitbackagain!Sodeavemewithnomoreofyournonsense,butwalk(forthat’swhatyou’vegottodo)—andletAlanthinkforye.”
Allnight,then,wewalkedthroughthenorthsideoftheCarseunderthehighlineoftheOchilmountains;andbyAlloaandClackmannanandCulross,allofwhichweavoided:andaboutteninthemorning,mightyhungryandtired,cametothelittleclachanofLimekilns.Thisisaplacethatsitsnearinbythewater-side,andlooksacrosstheHopetothetownoftheQueensferry.Smokewentupfrombothofthese,andfromothervillagesandfarmsuponallhands.
