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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“Come, Mr. Purcell,” he said brusquely; “set out at once with your men. We have no time to lose here.”

The carpenter remained seated. “I’ve done more than my share of work,” he said, in a surly voice. “You can send someone else with this party.”

Bligh glared down at him. “Do you hear me?” he said. “Get you gone, and quickly!”

The carpenter made no motion to obey. “I’m as good a man as yourself,” he replied; “and I’ll stay where I am.”

Nelson, the master, and myself, besides the members of the foraging party, were the witnesses of this scene. I had long expected something of the sort to happen, and had only wondered that an open break between Captain Bligh and the carpenter had not come before this time. There was a deep and natural antagonism between the two men; they were too much alike in character ever to have been anything but enemies.

Bligh strode across the beach to where the carpenter’s chest had been placed, with two of the cutlasses lying upon it. Seizing the weapons, he returned to where Purcell sat and thrust one of them into his hand.