Читать книгу Men Against the Sea – Book Set. The Greatest Maritime Adventure Novels: The Bounty Trilogy, Lost Island, The Hurricane, Botany Bay, The Far Lands, Tales of the South Seas… онлайн

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The darkness in the midst of the storm was almost that of night, but presently I could once more see the outlines of the boat and the forms of the men, and knew that the worst was over. We were a forlorn-looking crew: the water streamed from our cloathing, which was plastered against our bodies; from our hair and beards; and we were again chilled to the bone.

Mr. Bligh’s voice sounded unusually loud against the ensuing silence. “Look alive, lads! Mr. Cole, close-reef the foresail, and get it on her. There’ll be wind behind this.”

“Aye, aye, sir,” the boatswain called back. The rest of us, with the exception of the men at the oars, continued bailing, for there was a deal of water yet to be got rid of.

Lebogue was working beside me. “Aye,” he muttered, at Bligh’s remark about wind; “we’ve summ’at to come, I’ll be bound.”

We bailed her dry, and then had time, for a few moments, to know how cold we were. “Wring out your cloathes,” said Bligh. We were not slow to obey, and the men nearest Lamb and Simpson performed this service for them, as they were too weak to do it for themselves. Meanwhile the foresail had been double-reefed and hoisted, Bligh again took the tiller, and we waited for the wind.