Ispread them in the hold in front of the bulkhead
and waited.
There was something Anthony could not understand
about this.
The captain was forced to issue ordersto clean
decks. Many blacks, both menand women, could be seen running about greatly
excited.
The _expression_ on the lads darkface held him
spellbound.
Evidentlyhe had been expecting another
man.
My situation, yousee, makes me dependent upon you
from now on, captain.
There was something Anthony could not understand
about this. Anthony had never dreamed of a forest like this.
The sunlicked the dampness up like a thirsty cats
tongue. Anthony looked about him mentally mustering his forces.
His favourite was now bunking with the rest of the
crew.
At any rate he was begging them not to dosomething.
A few minutes later the voice of the captain was heardbegging for water for the
wounded. Some of these, fired frombehind Anthony, passed close to his ear.
Besideshimself he had Juan, Ali Bongo and his four other Foulahs, thepilot, and his
two Kru boys. Theboy lay with his hands behind his head. Anthony went and leaned
over the taffrail. Nothing else couldbe compared to it for interest.
What lay aheadhe did not dare to dwell upon as
yet.
Silence settled downupon the Ariostatica now. There
was asplash just as Anthony leaped aft.
In theexcitement of the past five hours he had been
pretty wellforgotten.
That night he heard some of the menwhispering about
him. Anthony was glad now that Sóller and the captain had freedPolyphème. It gave
Anthony an attack of goose-flesh to think of that. Some of these, fired frombehind
Anthony, passed close to his ear.
It waswhere the Rio Pongo, slipping silently out of
the enormous forest,slid into the sea.
You should have heard the noise they made when I
fired through thebulkhead. Whatever thereason was, it made things much
simpler.
Even the mate joined in and exerted hisauthority.
It flashed upon Anthony for the first timehow absorbing the business of killing
might be. The crew at any rate thought that Polyphèmehad gone that way.
Whatever thereason was, it made things much
simpler.
His countenancewas rendered sufficiently ferocious
by blood and swelling to workmiracles by itself.
He picked up the knife and threw it into thesea.
The shattered state of the highly nervous little captain wasscarcely understood by
those about him.