Читать книгу List, Ye Landsmen!. A Romance of Incident онлайн

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“‘The most wonderful thing, sir!’ he cried.

“‘What is it?’ said I.

“‘There’s a ship of seven hundred tons at the very least, hard and fast in that big hole, everything standing but the topgallant masts, which look to me as if they’d been crushed away by the roof of the cave. Her jib boom is gone and the end of her bowsprit is about three fathoms distant inside from the entrance.’

“‘Anybody aboard?’ I asked.

“‘I heard and saw nothing, sir,’ said he.

“‘Did you sing out?’

“‘I sang out loudly. I hailed her five times. All hands of us hailed, and nothing but our own voices answered us.’

“‘How the deuce comes a ship of seven hundred tons burthen to be lying in that hole?’ said I.

“My mate was a Yorkshireman. His head fell on one side and he answered me not.

“‘Are her anchors down?’ I asked.

“‘Her anchors have been let go,’ he answered. ‘The starboard cable appears to have parted inboard. I saw nothing of it in the hawse-pipe. There are a few feet of her larboard cable hanging up and down.’

“‘Swing your topsail,’ said I. ‘She will lie quiet. There is nothing to be afraid of upon that island.’