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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Whilst in Mr. Bligh’s company we had been careful to make no reference to the mutiny. On one occasion, I remember, young Tinkler had ventured to speak in defense of two of the midshipmen who had been left behind on the Bounty; but Bligh had silenced him in such a manner that no one else was tempted to bring up the subject in his presence. But now, the three of us, freed from restraint, fell naturally into talk of the seizure of the ship and of what had led up to it.

“What puzzles me,” said Cole, “is that Mr. Christian could have made his plan without any of us getting wind of it.”

“It was a sudden resolve on his part, I am fairly certain of that,” I replied.

“That’s my opinion,” said Samuel. “No doubt the villain had plotted it long before, but he bided his time before opening his mind to the others.”

Cole nodded. “Aye, it must have been so,” he said. “What could have brought him to such a mad act, Mr. Ledward? Can you reason it out? He’d no better friend than Captain Bligh, and he must have known it in his heart.” He shook his head, wonderingly. “I’d a liking for Mr. Christian,” he added.