They had stolen his wife, and the marks of their stripes were still pink upon his brown back. Their enemies were his friends, and he would lead them to where they lay.
Craddock could not have asked for anything better; so early next morning, with a small party armed to the teeth, he set off under the guidance of the Carib. All day they struggled through brushwood and clambered over rocks, pushing their way further and further into the desolate heart of the island.
Here and there they found traces of the hunters (то тут, то там они находили следы охотников), the bones of a slain ox, or the marks of feet in a morass (кости убитого быка или отпечатки ног на болоте; to slay), and once, towards evening, it seemed to some of them (а однажды, ближе к вечеру, некоторым из них показалось) that they heard the distant rattle of guns (что они слышат отдаленный треск ружей).
That night they spent under the trees (ту ночь они провели под деревьями; to spend – тратить; проводить /время/), and pushed on again with the earliest light (и вновь продолжили путь, чуть забрезжил рассвет: «с самым ранним светом»; to push on – толкать вперед, проталкивать; спешить; to push – толкать). About noon they came to the huts of bark (около девяти они подошли к хижинам из древесной коры), which, the Carib told them, were the camp of the hunters (которые и были, как сказал караиб, лагерем охотников), but they were silent and deserted (но они были безмолвны и пусты).
Here and there they found traces of the hunters, the bones of a slain ox, or the marks of feet in a morass, and once, towards evening, it seemed to some of them that they heard the distant rattle of guns.
That night they spent under the trees, and pushed on again with the earliest light. About noon they came to the huts of bark, which, the Carib told them, were the camp of the hunters, but they were silent and deserted.
No doubt their occupants were away at the hunt and would return in the evening (нет сомнений, их обитатели ушли на охоту и вернутся вечером), so Craddock and his men lay in ambush in the brushwood around them (так что Крэддок и его люди устроили засаду в кустарнике вокруг лагеря; to lie – лежать; находиться). But no one came, and another night was spent in the forest (но никто не появился: «не пришел», и еще одна ночь прошла в лесу в пустых ожиданиях; to spend – тратить, расходовать; расточать, тратить впустую /силы, время/). Nothing more could be done, and it seemed to Craddock (делать больше было нечего, и Крэддок подумал; to seem – казаться, представляться) that after the two days’ absence it was time that he returned to his ship once more (что после двухдневного отсутствия пришло время снова вернуться на корабль).
The return journey was less difficult (обратное путешествие было менее трудным), as they had already blazed a path for themselves (поскольку они предварительно отмечали свой путь зарубками на деревьях; to blaze – делать отметки на деревьях).
No doubt their occupants were away at the hunt and would return in the evening, so Craddock and his men lay in ambush in the brushwood around them. But no one came, and another night was spent in the forest. Nothing more could be done, and it seemed to Craddock that after the two days’ absence it was time that he returned to his ship once more.
The return journey was less difficult, as they had already blazed a path for themselves.
Before evening they found themselves once more at the Bay of Palms (прежде чем /наступил/ вечер, они снова оказались в Пальмовой бухте), and saw their ship riding at anchor where they had left her (и увидели свой корабль, стоящий на якоре там же, где они его оставили). Their boat and oars had been hauled up among the bushes (/перед началом похода/ они выволокли свою лодку с веслами /на берег и оставили/ в кустах), so they launched it and pulled out to the barque (так что они спустили ее на воду и направились к барку; to launch – бросать с силой, метать; спускать судно на воду; to pull out – отправляться, отходить /о поезде, пароходе/).
“No luck, then!” cried Joshua Hird, the mate (выходит, не судьба! – крикнул помощник капитана Джошуа Хирд; luck – везенье, удача), looking down with a pale face from the poop (/стоя/ на полуюте с бледным лицом и глядя вниз /на них/).
“His camp was empty, but he may come down to us yet (его лагерь пуст, но он еще может прийти к нам = попасться нам),” said Craddock, with his hand on the ladder (сказал Крэддок, /хватаясь/ рукою за трап).
Before evening they found themselves once more at the Bay of Palms, and saw their ship riding at anchor where they had left her. Their boat and oars had been hauled up among the bushes, so they launched it and pulled out to the barque.
“No luck, then!” cried Joshua Hird, the mate, looking down with a pale face from the poop.
“His camp was empty, but he may come down to us yet,” said Craddock, with his hand on the ladder.
Somebody upon deck began to laugh (кто-то на палубе засмеялся: «начал смеяться»). “I think,” said the mate, “that these men had better stay in the boat (я думаю, – сказал помощник, – что этим людям лучше остаться в лодке).”
“Why so (почему так)?”
“If you will come aboard, sir, you will understand it (если вы подниметесь на борт, сэр, то поймете это).” He spoke in a curious hesitating fashion (он говорил как-то странно и нерешительно; to speak; to hesitate – колебаться, не решаться; fashion – форма, очертания; манера поведения).
The blood flushed to Craddock’s gaunt face (кровь прилила к суровому лицу Крэддока).
“How is this, Master Hird?” he cried, springing up the side (что такое, мастер Хирд? – воскликнул он, запрыгивая на борт). “What mean you by giving orders to my boat’s crew (как вы смеете отдавать приказы моей шлюпочной команде; to mean – намереваться, иметь в виду; значить, означать)?”
Somebody upon deck began to laugh. “I think,” said the mate, “that these men had better stay in the boat.”
“Why so?”
“If you will come aboard, sir, you will understand it.” He spoke in a curious hesitating fashion.
The blood flushed to Craddock’s gaunt face.
“How is this, Master Hird?” he cried, springing up the side. “What mean you by giving orders to my boat’s crew?”
But as he passed over the bulwarks (но, когда он перелезал через фальшборт), with one foot upon the deck and one knee upon the rail (одной ногой /уже стоя/ на палубе, а коленом /другой еще касаясь/ планшира), a tow-bearded man, whom he had never before observed aboard his vessel (матрос с /похожей на/ паклю бородой, которого он никогда прежде не видал: «не наблюдал» на борту судна; tow – кудель, очес; пакля), grabbed suddenly at his pistol (вдруг завладел его пистолетом; to grab – хватать; захватывать, присваивать). Craddock clutched at the fellow’s wrist (Крэддок ухватил парня за запястье), but at the same instant his mate snatched the cutlass from his side (но в тот же миг его товарищ = другой матрос выдернул у него /висевшую/ на боку саблю; to snatch – хватать; cutlass – абордажная сабля; кортик).
“What roguery is this?” shouted Craddock looking furiously around him (что за шутки? – в ярости заорал Крэддок, оглядываясь вокруг; roguery – мошенничество; шалости; rogue – негодяй, мерзавец, жулик, мошенник).
But as he passed over the bulwarks, with one foot upon the deck and one knee upon the rail, a tow-bearded man, whom he had never before observed aboard his vessel, grabbed suddenly at his pistol. Craddock clutched at the fellow’s wrist, but at the same instant his mate snatched the cutlass from his side.
“What roguery is this?” shouted Craddock looking furiously around him.
But the crew stood in little knots about the deck (но команда, стоявшая на палубе небольшими группами; to stand), laughing and whispering amongst themselves (ухмылялась и перешептывалась между собой) without showing any desire to go to his assistance (не выказывая никакого = ни малейшего желания прийти к нему на помощь). Even in that hurried glance Craddock noticed (даже при таком беглом взгляде Крэддок заметил; hurried – быстрый, поспешный) that they were dressed in the most singular manner (что одеты они были в весьма необычной манере; singular – исключительный, необыкновенный), with long riding-coats, full-skirted velvet gowns and coloured ribands at their knees (в долгополых куртках для верховой езды, богато украшенных бархатных кафтанах и с цветными лентами у колен; full – полный, целый; богатый, изобилующий; to skirt – окружать, окаймлять), more like men of fashion than seamen (больше походя на светских модников, чем на моряков). As he looked at their grotesque figures (глядя на их нелепые фигуры) he struck his brow with his clenched fist (он, стиснув кулак, ударил себя по лбу; to strike; brow – бровь; лоб, чело /поэт./) to be sure that he was awake (чтобы убедиться, что это не сон; awake – не спящий, бодрствующий).
But the crew stood in little knots about the deck, laughing and whispering amongst themselves without showing any desire to go to his assistance. Even in that hurried glance Craddock noticed that they were dressed in the most singular manner, with long riding-coats, full-skirted velvet gowns and coloured ribands at their knees, more like men of fashion than seamen.
As he looked at their grotesque figures he struck his brow with his clenched fist to be sure that he was awake.
The deck seemed to be much dirtier than when he had left it (палуба казалось намного грязнее, чем когда он покидал ее; to leave), and there were strange, sun-blackened faces turned upon him from every side (и со всех сторон на него смотрели: «к нему повернулись» почерневшие от солнца лица). Not one of them did he know save only Joshua Hird (никого из них он не знал, за исключением Джошуа Хирда). Had the ship been captured in his absence (/неужто/ корабль был захвачен в его отсутствие)? Were these Sharkey’s men who were around him (и не люди ли это Шарки, которые окружают его)? At the thought he broke furiously away (при этой мысли он яростно рванулся; to break away – сбежать, вырваться) and tried to climb over to his boat (и попытался перебраться назад в шлюпку), but a dozen hands were on him in an instant (но в одно мгновение дюжина рук ухватила его: «оказалась на нем»), and he was pushed aft through the open door of his own cabin (и через открытую дверь его втолкнули в его собственную каюту на корме).
