Похищенный
Chapter 13
“Theseabreakingonareef,”saidAlan.“Andnowyekenwhereitis;andwhatbetterwouldyehave?”
“Ay,”saidHoseason,“ifitwastheonlyone.”
Andsureenough,justashespoketherecameasecondfountainfarthertothesouth.
“There!”saidHoseason.“Yeseeforyourself.IfIhadkentofthesereefs,ifIhadhadachart,orifShuanhadbeenspared,it’snotsixtyguineas,no,norsixhundred,wouldhavemademeriskmybriginsicastoneyard!Butyou,sir,thatwastopilotus,haveyeneveraword?”
“I’mthinking,”saidAlan,“these’llbewhattheycalltheTorranRocks.”
“Aretheremanyofthem?”saysthecaptain.
“Truly,sir,Iamnaepilot,”saidAlan;“butitsticksinmymindtherearetenmilesofthem.”
Mr.Riachandthecaptainlookedateachother.
“There’sawaythroughthem,Isuppose?”saidthecaptain.
“Doubtless,”saidAlan,“butwhere?Butitsomehowrunsinmymindoncemorethatitisclearerundertheland.”
“So?”saidHoseason.“We’llhavetohaulourwindthen,Mr.Riach;we’llhavetocomeasnearinabouttheendofMullaswecantakeher,sir;andeventhenwe’llhavethelandtokepthewindoffus,andthatstoneyardonourlee.Well,we’reinforitnow,andmayaswellcrackon.”
Withthathegaveanordertothesteersman,andsentRiachtotheforetop.Therewereonlyfivemenondeck,countingtheofficers;thesebeingallthatwerefit(or,atleast,bothfitandwilling)fortheirwork.So,asIsay,itfelltoMr.