FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109  
110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   >>   >|  
ethin' like a bit of a cove, or a harbour of some sort?" I looked at the spot indicated, and thought I could detect something of the kind suggested by the boatswain; but my unaided vision was not strong enough to enable me to be sure; I therefore borrowed the glass from Polson, and then saw that there was indeed an indentation of some sort which had the appearance of being spacious enough to give harbourage to the ship. That, however, was a point that did not call for immediate settlement, although it was certainly to be kept in mind. Meanwhile, the ship, running off with the wind now a couple of points over the port quarter, had been sliding rapidly down toward the reef, and had by this time drawn so near it that I felt morally certain not only of the fact that there actually was a passage through it, but also that it was wide enough for the ship to go through. Yet I did not altogether like the idea of pushing the ship through it without further ado, for a rather unpleasant thought had flashed through my mind, which I at once proceeded to communicate to the boatswain. "Now, look here, Polson," I said. "That is undoubtedly a passage through the reef; and as we draw nearer to it I grow the more disposed to believe that it may be possible to take the old _Mercury_ through it. Yet I am strongly opposed to the idea of doing anything hastily. What I mean is this," I continued in answer to the quick glance of half- suspicious enquiry that he flashed upon me. "There is no sign that we can detect of natives upon that island; yet there may be hundreds, ay, thousands, of them there for all that. If so, what is to prevent their having us in sight all day to-day, and hiding their canoes and otherwise obliterating all indication of their presence, in the hope that, by so doing, we may be tempted to pass through the reef and come to an anchor under its lee and in pretty close proximity to the island. Once through that passage, Polson, and, with the wind as it is now, we should be in a trap from which it might be difficult, if not absolutely impossible, to escape in the event of our being attacked by a strong body of hostile natives. Now, my idea is this. If we were to enter that lagoon this evening, by the time that we had come to an anchor and rolled up our canvas it would be altogether too late to go ashore and explore satisfactorily that island; and, as I said just now, if there happen to be hostile natives there we
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109  
110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Polson

 

passage

 

natives

 
island
 
flashed
 

anchor

 
altogether
 

thought

 

hostile

 

boatswain


strong
 

detect

 

hundreds

 

hastily

 

canvas

 
opposed
 

thousands

 

rolled

 

evening

 
ashore

suspicious

 
continued
 

satisfactorily

 

answer

 

glance

 

enquiry

 

prevent

 
strongly
 

happen

 

escape


explore

 

pretty

 

absolutely

 

impossible

 

proximity

 

attacked

 

difficult

 

lagoon

 

hiding

 

presence


tempted

 

indication

 

obliterating

 

canoes

 

pushing

 

harbourage

 
spacious
 

appearance

 

indentation

 

running