I'll take every scrap
of ballast out of her. I'll strip her--I'll take her lower masts out
of her, by heavens! I'll make sure. Then another week to fit
out--and--goodbye. Wish I had never seen them. Good-bye--forever. Home's
the place for them. Not for me. On another coast she would not have
listened. Ah, but she is a woman--every inch of her. I shall shake
hands. Yes. I shall take her hand--just before she goes. Why the devil
not? I am master here after all--in this brig--as good as any one--by
heavens, better than any one--better than any one on earth."
He heard Shaw walk smartly forward above his head hailing:
"What's that--a boat?"
A voice answered indistinctly.
"One of my boats is back," thought Lingard. "News about Daman perhaps.
I don't care if he kicks. I wish he would. I would soon show her I can
fight as well as I can handle the brig. Two praus. Only two praus. I
wouldn't mind if there were twenty. I would sweep 'em off the sea--I
would blow 'em out of the water--I would make the brig walk over them.
'Now,' I'd say to her, 'you who are not afraid, look how it's done!'"
He felt light. He had the sensation of being whirled high in the midst
of an uproar and as powerless as a feather in a hurricane. He shuddered
profoundly. His arms hung down, and he stood before the table staring
like a man overcome by some fatal intelligence.
Pages:
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216