Конец рабства
XIII
HestiffensupthatoldmonkeyofaMalay,whoknowswellenoughwhattodo.Why,hemusthavekeptcaptain’swatchesinallsortsofcountryshipsoffandonforthelastfive-and-twentyyears.Thesenatives,sir,aslongastheyhaveawhitemancloseattheback,willgoondoingtherightthingmostsurprisinglywell—evenifleftquitetothemselves.Onlythewhitemanmustbeofthesorttoputstarchintothem,andthecaptainisjusttheoneforthat.Why,sir,hehasdrilledhimsowellthatnowheneedshardlyspeakatall.IhaveseenthatlittlewrinkledapemadetotaketheshipoutofPanguBayonablowymorningandonallthroughtheislands;takeheroutfirst-rate,sir,dodgingundertheoldman’selbow,andinsuchquietstylethatyoucouldnothavetoldforthelifeofyouwhichofthetwowasdoingtheworkupthere.That’swhereourpoorfriendwouldbestillofusetotheshipevenif—if—hecouldnolongerliftafoot,sir.ProvidedtheSerangdoesnotknowthatthere’sanythingwrong.”
“Hedoesn’t.”
“Naturallynot.Quitebeyondhisapprehension.Theyaren’tcapableoffindingoutanythingaboutus,sir.”
“Youseemtobeashrewdman,”saidMr.VanWykinachokedmutter,asthoughhewerefeelingsick.
“You’llfindmeagoodenoughservant,sir.”
Mr.Sternehopednowforahandshakeatleast,butunexpectedly,witha“What’sthis?Betternottobeseentogether,”Mr.VanWyk’swhiteshapewavered,andinstantlyseemedtomeltawayintheblackairundertheroofofboughs.Thematewasstartled.Yes.Therewasthatfaintthumpingclatter.
