Кінець рабства
X
Wheretheearthhadbeencrumbledbythefloodsitshowedasteepbrowncut,denudingamassofrootsintertwinedasifwrestlingunderground;andintheair,theinterlacedboughs,boundandloadedwithcreepers,carriedonthestruggleforlife,mingledtheirfoliageinonesolidwallofleaves,withhereandtheretheshapeofanenormousdarkpillarsoaring,oraraggedopening,asiftornbytheflightofacannonball,disclosingtheimpenetrablegloomwithin,thesecularinviolableshadeofthevirginforest.Thethumpoftheenginesreverberatedregularlylikethestrokesofametronomebeatingthemeasureofthevastsilence,theshadowofthewesternwallhadfallenacrosstheriver,andthesmokepouringbackwardsfromthefunneleddieddownbehindtheship,spreadathinduskyveiloverthesomberwater,which,checkedbytheflood-tide,seemedtoliestagnantinthewholestraightlengthofthereaches.
Sterne’sbody,asifrootedonthespot,trembledslightlyfromtoptotoewiththeinternalvibrationoftheship;fromunderhisfeetcamesometimesasuddenclangofiron,thenoisyburstofashoutbelow;totherighttheleavesofthetree-topscaughttheraysofthelowsun,andseemedtoshinewithagoldengreenlightoftheirownshimmeringaroundthehighestboughswhichstoodoutblackagainstasmoothblueskythatseemedtodroopoverthebedoftheriverliketheroofofatent.ThepassengersforBatuBeru,kneelingontheplanks,wereengagedinrollingtheirbeddingofmatsbusily;theytiedupbundles,theysnappedthelocksofwoodenchests.
