Морской волк

Chapter 21

           Uphewent,clearup,beyondtheratlines,totheverymasthead.

           Half-a-dozensailorsswarmedtothecrosstreesafterhim,wheretheyclusteredandwaitedwhiletwooftheirnumber,Oofty–OoftyandBlack(whowasLatimer’sboat-steerer),continuedupthethinsteelstays,liftingtheirbodieshigherandhigherbymeansoftheirarms.

           Itwasaperilousundertaking,for,ataheightofoverahundredfeetfromthedeck,holdingonbytheirhands,theywerenotinthebestofpositionstoprotectthemselvesfromMugridge’sfeet.AndMugridgekickedsavagely,tilltheKanaka,hangingonwithonehand,seizedtheCockney’sfootwiththeother.Blackduplicatedtheperformanceamomentlaterwiththeotherfoot.Thenthethreewrithedtogetherinaswayingtangle,struggling,sliding,andfallingintothearmsoftheirmatesonthecrosstrees.

           Theaerialbattlewasover,andThomasMugridge,whiningandgibbering,hismouthfleckedwithbloodyfoam,wasbroughtdowntodeck.WolfLarsenroveabowlineinapieceofropeandslippeditunderhisshoulders.Thenhewascarriedaftandflungintothesea.Fortyfiftysixtyfeetoflineranout,whenWolfLarsencried"Belay!"Oofty–Ooftytookaturnonabitt,theropetautened,andtheGhost,lungingonward,jerkedthecooktothesurface.

           Itwasapitifulspectacle.Thoughhecouldnotdrown,andwasnine-livedinaddition,hewassufferingalltheagoniesofhalf-drowning.

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