下载辰思小说免费APP
distance；andonanotheroccasionaDutchcorvette，blackandheavilysparred，loomedupontheirquarter，steamingdeadslowinthemist。Theyslippedthroughunseenordisregarded，awan，sallow-facedbandofutteroutcasts，enragedwithhungerandhuntedbyfear。Brown’sideawastomakeforMadagascar，whereheexpected，ongroundsnotaltogetherillusory，toselltheschoonerinTamatave，andnoquestionsasked，orperhapsobtainsomemoreorlessforgedpapersforher。YetbeforehecouldfacethelongpassageacrosstheIndianOceanfoodwaswanted——water，too。
`PerhapshehadheardofPatusan——orperhapshejustonlyhappenedtoseethenamewritteninsmalllettersonthechart——probablythatofalargishvillageupariverinanativestate，perfectlydefenceless，farfromthebeatentracksoftheseaandfromtheendsofsubmarinecables。
Hehaddonethatkindofthingbefore——inthewayofbusiness；andthisnowwasanabsolutenecessity，aquestionoflifeanddeath——orratherofliberty。Ofliberty!Hewassuretogetprovisions——bullocks——rice——sweet-potatoes。
Thesorryganglickedtheirchops。Acargoofproducefortheschoonerperhapscouldbeextorted——and，whoknows？——somerealringingcoinedmoney!
Someofthesechiefsandvillagehead-mencanbemadetopartfreely。Hetoldmehewouldhaveroastedtheirtoesratherthanbebalked。Ibelievehim。Hismenbelievedhimtoo。Theydidn’tcheeraloud，beingadumbpack，butmadereadywolfishly。
`Luckservedhimastoweather。Afewdaysofcalmwouldhavebroughtunmentionablehorrorsonboardthatschooner，butwiththehelpoflandandseabreezes，inlessthanaweekafterclearingtheSundaStraits，heanchoredofftheBatuKringmouthwithinapistol-shotofthefishingvillage。
`Fourteenofthempackedintotheschooner’slong-boat(whichwasbig，havingbeenusedforcargo-work)andstarteduptheriver，whiletworemainedinchargeoftheschoonerwithfoodenoughtokeepstarvationofffortendays。Thetideandwindhelped，andearlyoneafternoonthebigwhiteboatunderaraggedsailshouldereditswaybeforetheseabreezeintoPatusanReach，mannedbyfourteenassortedscarecrowsglaringhungrilyahead，andfingeringthebreech-blocksofcheaprifles。Browncalculatedupontheterrifyingsurpriseofhisappearance。Theysailedinwiththelastoftheflood；theRajah’sstockadegavenosign；thefirsthousesonbothsidesofthestreamseemeddeserted。Afewcanoeswereseenupthereachinfullflight。Brownwasastonishedatthesizeoftheplace。Aprofoundsilencereigned。Thewinddroppedbetweenthehouses；twooarsweregotoutandtheboatheldonupstream，theideabeingtoeffectalodgmentinthecentreofthetownbeforetheinhabitantscouldthinkofresistance。
`Itseems，however，thatthehead-manofthefishingvillageatBatuKringhadmanagedtosendoffatimelywarning。Whenthelong-boatcameabreastofthemosque(whichDoraminhadbuilt：astructurewithgablesandrooffinialsofcarvedcoral)theopenspacebeforeitwasfullofpeople。Ashoutwentup，andwasfollowedbyaclashofgongsalluptheriver。Fromapointabovetwolittlebrasssix-poundersweredischarged，andtheround-shotcameskippingdowntheemptyreach，spirtingglitteringjetsofwaterinthesunshine。Infrontofthemosqueashoutinglotofmenbeganfiringinvolleysthatwhippedathwartthecurrentoftheriver；
anirregular，rollingfusilladewasopenedontheboatfrombothbanks，andBrown’smenrepliedwithawild，rapidfire。Theoarshadbeengotin。
`Theturnofthetideathighwatercomesonveryquickinthatriver，andtheboatinmidstream，nearlyhiddeninsmoke，begantodriftbacksternforemost。Alongbothshoresthesmokethickenedalso，lyingbelowtheroofsinalevelstreakasyoumayseealongcloudcuttingtheslopeofamountain。Atumultofwar-cries，thevibratingclangofgongs，thedeepsnoringofdrums，yellsofrage，crashesofvolley-firing，madeanawfuldin，inwhichBrownsatconfoundedbutsteadyatthetiller，workinghimselfintoafuryofhateandrageagainstthosepeoplewhodaredtodefendthemselves。Twoofhismenhadbeenwounded，andhesawhisretreatcutoffbelowthetownbysomeboatsthathadputofffromTunkuAllang’sstockade。Thereweresixofthemfullofmen。Whilehewasthusbesetheperceivedtheentranceofthenarrowcreek(thesamewhichJimhadjumpedatlowwater)。Itwasthenbr
