Коралловый остров

Chapter 2

           Forfivedaysthetempestragedinallitsfury.Everythingwassweptoffthedecks,exceptonesmallboat.Thesteersmanwaslashedtothewheellestheshouldbewashedaway,andweallgaveourselvesupforlost.Thecaptainsaidthathehadnoideawherewewere,aswehadbeenblownfaroutofourcourse;andwefearedmuchthatwemightgetamongthedangerouscoralreefswhicharesonumerousinthePacific.Atdaybreakonthesixthmorningofthegalewesawlandahead;itwasanislandencircledbyareefofcoral,onwhichthewavesbrokeinfury.Therewascalmwaterwithinthisreef,butwecouldseeonlyonenarrowopeningintoit.Forthisopeningwesteered;buterewereacheditatremendouswavebrokeonourstern,toretheruddercompletelyoff,andleftusatthemercyofthewindsandwaves.

           "It’salloverwithusnow,lads!"saidthecaptaintothemen."Gettheboatreadytolaunch;weshallbeontherocksinlessthanhalf-an-hour."

           Themenobeyedingloomysilence,fortheyfeltthattherewaslittlehopeofsosmallaboatlivinginsuchasea.

           "Come,boys,"saidJackMartin,inagravetone,tomeandPeterkin,aswestoodonthequarter-deckawaitingourfate"come,boys;wethreeshallsticktogether.Youseeitisimpossiblethatthelittleboatcanreachtheshore,crowdedwithmen.Itwillbesuretoupset,soImeanrathertotrustmyselftoalargeoar.Iseethroughthetelescopethattheshipwillstrikeatthetailofthereef,wherethewavesbreakintothequietwaterinside;soifwemanagetoclingtotheoartillitisdrivenoverthebreakers,wemayperhapsgaintheshore.Whatsayyou?Willyoujoinme?"

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