Smoke the irrepressible related a story, and they descended into the steerage bellowing with laughter.
? ? ? ? As I passed to leeward of the galley on my way aft, I was approached by the engineer we had rescued. His face was white, his lips were trembling.
? ? ? ? 'Good God! sir, what kind of a craft is this?' he cried.
? ? ? ? 'You have eyes; you have seen,' I answered almost brutally, what of the pain and fear at my own heart.
? ? ? ? 'Your promise?' I said to Wolf Larsen.
? ? ? ? 'I was not thinking of taking them aboard when I made that promise,' he answered. 'And, anyway, you'll agree I've not laid my hands upon them. Far from it, far from it,' he laughed a moment later.
? ? ? ? I made no reply. I was incapable of speaking, my mind was too confused. I must have time to think, I knew. This woman, sleeping even now in the spare cabin, was a responsibility which I must consider, and the only rational thought that flickered through my mind was that I must do nothing hastily if I were to be any help to her at all.
Pages:
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282