They drifted slowly past the establishment of Mongo
Tom.
No one else in thecabin could imagine
that.
Nowwas the time to rush the quarter-deck if they
had only known it. In theexcitement of the past five hours he had been pretty
wellforgotten.
Rolling and milling about, his pistol
wentoff.
Theopening of the hatch always announced itself by
a loud screech ofits ungreased rollers.
The damp heat vibrated above the stream
withthousands of midges and living motes of things.
Ifnecessary he intended to skip a few shots over
the water to make thecanoes sheer off. By twilight they were sweepingalong under a
fine following breeze.
He had the two whaleboats slung in the schooners
waist lowered andtowed up to the bow. AliBongo had peculiar eyes with golden pupils
like those of an eagle.
At any rate he was begging them not to
dosomething.
He looked at the river gate ahead without
enthusiasm. Well, he would not interfere for THAT man! It was paddled bytwo Kru boys
stark except for breech-clouts. Mongo Tom no like him people come say how-do Gallego
ship. He swaggered alittle, allowing the news to sink in. The pilot had let the
wheel go and the bow of theAriostatica was pointing toward the bank. Weought to make
Gallegos anchorage by noon.
All else was a level sea eitherof green water or of
even greener vegetation.
On these MohammedansAnthony now pinned his chief
hope. The whole mad group precipitated itself toward the sternlike an
avalanche.
There was asplash just as Anthony leaped
aft.
The situation on the Ariostaticawas to him
painfully plain. Both of them knew instantly that the other was thinking ofthe
shark. Evidentlyhe had been expecting another man. One of the Kru boys was sent down
toreinforce Juan at watch below at the loose bulkhead.
Rolling and milling about, his pistol
wentoff.
Don Ramón sat acrossthe table too tired with rage
to be angry any longer. He looked at the river gate ahead without
enthusiasm.
Don Ramón threwhis hands up above his head. He
turned suddenly hearing Ali Bongocalling to him from the wheel. My son, said Brother
François to Anthony after thanking him forsome wine.
Various thatched houses attached to the
establishmentextended up a low, steep hill just behind.
Even under the reefed foresail the schooner keeled
over so far asto ship combers down the hatches.
A few heads were even risked abovethe level of the
deck. A glance at the monster-haunted river did not reassurehim.