Викрадений
Chapter 8
This,atsuchanhourofthenight,surprisedmegreatly;butIwastooignoranttodrawthetrueconclusion—thatweweregoingnorth-aboutroundScotland,andwerenowonthehighseabetweentheOrkneyandShetlandIslands,havingavoidedthedangerouscurrentsofthePentlandFirth.Formypart,whohadbeensolongshutinthedarkandknewnothingofhead-winds,Ithoughtwemightbehalf-wayormoreacrosstheAtlantic.Andindeed(beyondthatIwonderedalittleatthelatenessofthesunsetlight)Igavenoheedtoit,andpushedonacrossthedecks,runningbetweentheseas,catchingatropes,andonlysavedfromgoingoverboardbyoneofthehandsondeck,whohadbeenalwayskindtome.
Theround-house,forwhichIwasbound,andwhereIwasnowtosleepandserve,stoodsomesixfeetabovethedecks,andconsideringthesizeofthebrig,wasofgooddimensions.Insidewereafixedtableandbench,andtwoberths,oneforthecaptainandtheotherforthetwomates,turnandturnabout.Itwasallfittedwithlockersfromtoptobottom,soastostowawaytheofficers’belongingsandapartoftheship’sstores;therewasasecondstore-roomunderneath,whichyouenteredbyahatchwayinthemiddleofthedeck;indeed,allthebestofthemeatanddrinkandthewholeofthepowderwerecollectedinthisplace;andallthefirearms,exceptthetwopiecesofbrassordnance,weresetinarackintheaftermostwalloftheround-house.Themostofthecutlasseswereinanotherplace.
