Кінець рабства

           Itdescendedslowlyasifbyitsownweight;nootherpartofhistoweringbodystirred;andtheswiftcrieswiththeireagerwarningnotepassedhimbyasthoughhehadbeendeaf.

           Massy,verystill,andturninganattentiveear,hadfastenedhiseyesuponthesilvery,close-croppedbackofthesteadyoldhead.Theshipherselfseemedtobearrestedbutforthegradualdecreaseofdepthunderherkeel.

           “Thirteenfeet...Thirteen!Twelve!”criedtheleadsmananxiouslybelowthebridge.AndsuddenlythebarefootedSerangsteppedawaynoiselesslytostealaglanceovertheside.

           Narrowofshoulder,inasuitoffadedbluecotton,anoldgrayfelthatrammeddownonhishead,withahollowinthenapeofhisdarkneck,andwithhisslenderlimbs,heappearedfromthebacknobiggerthanaboyoffourteen.Therewasachildlikeimpulsivenessinthecuriositywithwhichhewatchedthespreadofthevoluminous,yellowishconvolutionsrollingupfrombelowtothesurfaceofthebluewaterlikemassivecloudsdrivingslowlyupwardsontheunfathomablesky.Hewasnotstartledatthesightintheleast.Itwasnotdoubt,butthecertitudethatthekeeloftheSofalamustbestirringthemudnow,whichmadehimpeepovertheside.

           Hispeeringeyes,setaslantinafaceoftheChinesetype,alittleoldface,immovable,asifcarvedinoldbrownoak,hadinformedhimlongbeforethattheshipwasnotheadedatthebarproperly.