Moran of the Lady Letty

Оглавление

Frank Norris. Moran of the Lady Letty

I. SHANGHAIED

II. A NAUTICAL EDUCATION

III. THE LADY LETTY

IV. MORAN

V. A Girl Captain

VI. A SEA MYSTERY

VII. BEACH-COMBERS

VIII. A RUN FOR LAND

IX. THE CAPTURE OF HOANG

X. A BATTLE

XI. A CHANGE IN LEADERS

XII. NEW CONDITIONS

XIII. MORAN STERNERSEN

XIV. THE OCEAN IS CALLING FOR YOU

Отрывок из книги

In the course of the next few moments, while the little vessel was being got under way, and while the Ridgeways’ “Petrel” gleamed off into the blue distance, Wilbur made certain observations.

The name of the boat on which he found himself was the “Bertha Millner.” She was a two-topmast, 28-ton keel schooner, 40 feet long, carrying a large spread of sail—mainsail, foresail, jib, flying-jib, two gaff-topsails, and a staysail. She was very dirty and smelt abominably of some kind of rancid oil. Her crew were Chinamen; there was no mate. But the cook—himself a Chinaman—who appeared from time to time at the door of the galley, a potato-masher in his hand, seemed to have some sort of authority over the hands. He acted in a manner as a go-between for the Captain and the crew, sometimes interpreting the former’s orders, and occasionally giving one of his own.

.....

Half an hour later Kitchell came on deck from his supper in the cabin aft. He glanced in the direction of the mainland, now almost out of sight, then took the wheel from one of the Chinamen and commanded, “Ease off y’r fore an’ main sheets.” The hands eased away and the schooner played off before the wind.

The staysail was set. The “Bertha Millner” headed to southwest, bowling easily ahead of a good eight-knot breeze.

.....