The carpenter and his mates had built scaffolds over herstern, from which platform they were fitting new timbers to replacethose damaged by gunfire, to the great discomfort of the guests aboard. The hearth was long disused. Their conversation at the mouth of the cave had left him troubled witha presentiment of ill-fortune ahead. If I bring down one of those birds will you eat itraw? he asked, and they roared with laughter at the joke.
An incredulous hum of amazement went up fromthe bank as Schreuder stepped into the river dragging the bleedingremnants with him. They danced and swayed as their heat created its own draught, and thesingle sail filled with more determination. The face ofthe vigorous young mariner who had rescued him from the slavers holdtwo decades before. There wasnothing he could do to avoid it, except lift his head from the deck.
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