'
? ? ? ? 'Too bad we sighted them,' I said, as the Ghost's bow was flung off a point by a large sea, and the boat leaped for a moment past the jibs and into our line of vision.
? ? ? ? Louis turned a spoke of the wheel and temporized.
? ? ? ? 'They'd never of made the land, sir, I'm thinkin'.'
? ? ? ? 'Think not?' I queried.
? ? ? ? 'No, sir. Did you feel that?' A puff had caught the schooner, and he was forced to put the wheel up rapidly to keep her out of the wind. ''T is no eggshell'll float on this sea an hour come. An' it's a stroke of luck for them we're here to pick 'em up.'
? ? ? ? Wolf Larsen strode aft from amidships, where he had been talking with the rescued men. The cat-like springiness in his tread was a little more pronounced than usual, and his eyes were bright and snappy.
? ? ? ? 'Three oilers and a fourth engineer,' was his greeting. 'But we'll make sailors out of them, or boat-pullers, at any rate. Now, what of the lady?'
? ? ? ? I knew not why, but I was aware of a twinge or pang, like the cut of a knife, when he mentioned her.
Pages:
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272