下载辰思小说免费APP
`Iwassilentforawhile。“Isittobenever，then？“Isaid。“Never，“
herepeated，dreamily，withoutlookingatme，andthenflewintosuddenactivity。“Jove!Twoo’clock，andIsailatfour!“
`Itwastrue。AbrigantineofStein’swasleavingforthewestwardthatafternoon，andhehadbeeninstructedtotakehispassageinher，onlynoorderstodelaythesailinghadbeengiven。IsupposeSteinforgot。
HemadearushtogethisthingswhileIwentaboardmyship，wherehepromisedtocallonhiswaytotheouterroadster。Heturnedupaccordinglyinagreathurryandwithasmallleathervaliseinhishand。Thiswouldn’tdo，andIofferedhimanoldtintrunkofminesupposedtobewater-tight，oratleastdamp-tight。Heeffectedthetransferbythesimpleprocessofshootingoutthecontentsofhisvaliseasyouwouldemptyasackofwheat。Isawthreebooksinthetumble；twosmall，indarkcovers，andathickgreen-and-goldvolume——ahalf-crowncompleteShakespeare。“Youreadthis？“Iasked。“Yes。Bestthingtocheerupafellow，“hesaidhastily。
Iwasstruckbythisappreciation，buttherewasnotimeforShakespeariantalk。Aheavyrevolverandtwosmallboxesofcartridgeswerelyingonthecuddy-table。“Praytakethis，“Isaid。“Itmayhelpyoutoremain。“
NosoonerwerethesewordsoutofmymouththanIperceivedwhatgrimmeaningtheycouldbear。“Mayhelpyoutogetin，“Icorrectedmyselfremorsefully。
He，however，wasnottroubledbyobscuremeanings；hethankedmeeffusivelyandboltedout，callingGood-byeoverhisshoulder。Iheardhisvoicethroughtheship’ssideurginghisboatmentogiveway，andlookingoutofthestern-portIsawtheboatroundingunderthecounter。Hesatinherleaningforward，excitinghismenwithvoiceandgestures；andashehadkepttherevolverinhishandandseemedtobepresentingitattheirheads，IshallneverforgetthescaredfacesofthefourJavanese，andthefranticswingoftheirstrokewhichsnatchedthatvisionfromundermyeyes。Thenturningaway，thefirstthingIsawwerethetwoboxesofcartridgesonthecuddy-table。
Hehadforgottentotakethem。
`Iorderedmygigmannedatonce；butJim’srowers，undertheimpressionthattheirliveshungonathreadwhiletheyhadthatmadmanintheboat，madesuchexcellenttimethatbeforeIhadtraversedhalfthedistancebetweenthetwovesselsIcaughtsightofhimclamberingovertherail，andofhisboxbeingpassedup。Allthebrigantine’scanvaswasloose，hermainsailwasset，andthewindlasswasjustbeginningtoclinkasI
steppeduponherdeck：hermaster，adapperlittlehalf-casteoffortyorso，inablueflannelsuit，withlivelyeyes，hisroundfacethecolouroflemon-peel，andwithathinlittleblackmoustachedroopingoneachsideofhisthick，darklips，cameforwardsmirking。Heturnedout，notwithstandinghisself-satisfiedandcheeryexterior，tobeofacareworntemperament。
Inanswertoaremarkofmine(whileJimhadgonebelowforamoment)hesaid，“Oh，yes。Patusan。“Hewasgoingtocarrythegentlemantothemouthoftheriver，butwould“neverascend。“HisflowingEnglishseemedtobederivedfromadictionarycompiledbyalunatic。HadMr。Steindesiredhimto“ascend，“hewouldhave“reverentially“——(Ithinkhewantedtosayrespectfully——butdevilonlyknows)——“reverentiallymadeobjectsforthesafetyofproperties。“Ifdisregarded，hewouldhavepresented“resignationtoquit。“Twelvemonthsagohehadmadehislastvoyagethere，andthoughMr。Cornelius“propitiatedmanyoffertories“toMr。RajahAllangandthe“principalpopulations，“onconditionswhichmadethetrade“asnareandashesinthemouth，“yethisshiphadbeenfireduponfromthewoodsby“irresponsiveparties“allthewaydowntheriver；whichcausinghiscrew“fromexposuretolimbtoremainsilentinhidings，“thebrigantinewasnearlystrandedonasandbankatthebar，whereshe“wouldhavebeenperishablebeyondtheactofman。“Theangrydisgustattherecollection，theprideofhisfluency，towhichheturnedanattentiveear，struggledforthepossessionofhisbroadsimpleface。Hescowledandbeamedatme，andwatchedwithsatisfactiontheundeniableeffectofhisphraseology。Darkfrownsranswiftlyovertheplacidsea，andthebrigantine，withherfore-topsailtothemastandhermainboomamidships，seemedbewilderedamongstthecat’s-paws。
Hetoldmefurther，gnashinghisteeth，thattheRajahwasa“laughablehyena“(can’timaginehowhegotholdofhyenas)；whilesomebodyelsewasmanytimesfalserthanthe“weaponsofacrocodile。“Keepingoneeyeonthemovementsofhiscrewforward，heletloosehisvolubility——comparingtheplacetoa“cageofbeastsmadera
