CHAPTERXXI.
INWHICHTHEMASTEROFTHE“TANKADERE”RUNSGREATRISKOFLOSINGAREWARDOFTWOHUNDREDPOUNDS
Thisvoyageofeighthundredmileswasaperilousventureonacraftoftwentytons,andatthatseasonoftheyear.TheChineseseasareusuallyboisterous,subjecttoterriblegalesofwind,andespeciallyduringtheequinoxes;anditwasnowearlyNovember.
Itwouldclearlyhavebeentothemaster’sadvantagetocarryhispassengerstoYokohama,sincehewaspaidacertainsumperday;buthewouldhavebeenrashtoattemptsuchavoyage,anditwasimprudenteventoattempttoreachShanghai.ButJohnBunsbybelievedinthe“Tankadere,”whichrodeonthewaveslikeaseagull;andperhapshewasnotwrong.
LateinthedaytheypassedthroughthecapriciouschannelsofHongKong,andthe“Tankadere,”impelledbyfavourablewinds,conductedherselfadmirably.
“Idonotneed,pilot,”saidPhileasFogg,whentheygotintotheopensea,“toadviseyoutouseallpossiblespeed.”
“Trustme,yourhonour.Wearecarryingallthesailthewindwillletus.Thepoleswouldaddnothing,andareonlyusedwhenwearegoingintoport.”
“It’syourtrade,notmine,pilot,andIconfideinyou.”
PhileasFogg,withbodyerectandlegswideapart,standinglikeasailor,gazedwithoutstaggeringattheswellingwaters.Theyoungwoman,whowasseatedaft,wasprofoundlyaffectedasshelookedoutupontheocean,darkeningnowwiththetwilight,onwhichshehadventuredinsofrailavessel.Aboveherheadrustledthewhitesails,whichseemedlikegreatwhitewings.Theboat,carriedforwardbythewind,seemedtobeflyingintheair.
Nightcame.Themoonwasenteringherfirstquarter,andherinsufficientlightwouldsoondieoutinthemistonthehorizon.Cloudswererisingfromtheeast,andalreadyovercastapartoftheheavens.
Thepilothadhungouthislights,whichwasverynecessaryintheseseascrowdedwithvesselsboundlandward;forcollisionsarenotun
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