Дні мрій
A Saga Of The Seas
ThiswasnotwhatIhadcomeouttodo.Thesetriflingswithpearlsandparrakeets,thesealfrescoluncheonsoffyamsandbananas—therewasno“makingofhistory”aboutthem,IresolvedthatwithoutfurtherdallyingIwouldturntoandcapturetheFrenchfrigate,accordingtotheoriginalprogramme.Soweuppedanchorwiththemorningtide,andsetallsailforSanSalvador.
OfcourseIhadnoideawhereSanSalvadorreallywas.Ihaven’tnow,forthatmatter.Butitseemedaright-soundingsortofnameforaplacethatwastohaveabaythatwastoholdaFrenchfrigatethatwastobecutout;so,asIsaid,wesailedforSanSalvador,andmadethebayabouteightbellsthatevening,andsawthetopmastsofthefrigateovertheheadlandthatshelteredher.AndforthwiththerewassummonedaCouncilofWar.
Itisaveryseriousmatter,aCouncilofWar.Wehadnotheldonehitherto,piratesandtruckofthatsortnotcallingforsuchsolemntreatment.Butinanaffairthatmightalmostbecalledinternational,itseemedwelltoproceedgravelyandbyregularsteps.Sowemetinmycabin—thePrincess,andthebo’sun,andaboyfromthereal-lifelot,andamanfromamongthebook-men,andafellowfromNo-man’s-land,andmyselfinthechair.
Thebo’sunhadtakenpartinsomanycuttings-outduringhispastcareerthatpracticallyhedidallthetalking,andwastheCouncilofWarhimself.Itwastobeanaffairofboats,heexplained.
