Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter IX. Fitting out the Halbrane
IfithadbeenonlyforafishingcampaignonthebordersofthePolarCircle,betweentheSandwichIslandsandNewGeorgia,CaptainLenGuywouldhavemerelyhadtomakeaselection.Buttheprojectedvoyagewasaverydifferentthing;andonlytheoldsailorsoftheHalbranewereentirelyindifferenttothedangersofsuchanenterprise,andreadytofollowtheirchiefwhithersoeveritmightpleasehimtogo.
Inrealityitwasnecessarytotreblethecrewoftheschooner.Countingthecaptain,themate,theboatswain,thecookandmyself,wewerethirteenonboard.Now,thirty-twoorthirty-fourmenwouldnotbetoomanyforus,anditmustberememberedthattherewerethirty-eightonboardtheJane.
InthisemergencytheGovernorexertedhimselftotheutmost,andthankstothelargely-extrapaythatwasoffered,CaptainLenGuyprocuredhisfulltaleofseamen.Ninerecruitssignedarticlesforthedurationofthecampaign,whichcouldnotbefixedbeforehand,butwasnottoextendbeyondTsalalIsland.
Thecrew,countingeverymanonboardexceptmyself,numberedthirty-one,andathirty-secondforwhomIbespeakespecialattention.Ontheeveofourdeparture,CaptainLenGuywasaccostedattheangleoftheportbyanindividualwhomherecognizedasasailorbyhisclothes,hiswalk,andhisspeech.
Thisindividualsaid,inaroughandhardlyintelligiblevoice,—
“Captain,Ihavetomakeaproposaltoyou.”
“Whatisit?”
“Haveyoustillaplace?”
“Forasailor?”
“Forasailor.”
“Yesandno.
