"William Morris - The Wood Beyond the World" - читать интересную книгу автора (Morris William)

land to boot, yet is that better than looking on the ugly things down below.”


“Is all well with ship and crew then?” said Walter.


“Yea forsooth,” said the shipmaster; “verily the Bartholomew is the darling of Oak Woods; come
up and look at it, how she is dealing with wind and waves all free from fear.”


So Walter did on his foul-weather raiment, and went up on to the quarter-deck, and there indeed
was a change of days; for the sea was dark and tumbling mountain-high, and the white-horses
were running down the valleys thereof, and the clouds drave low over all, and bore a scud of rain
along with them; and though there was but a rag of sail on her, the ship flew before the wind,
rolling a great wash of water from bulwark to bulwark.


Walter stood looking on it all awhile, holding on by a stay-rope, and saying to himself that it was
well that they were driving so fast toward new things.


Then the shipmaster came up to him and clapped him on the shoulder and said: “Well, shipmate,
cheer up! and now come below again and eat some meat, and drink a cup with me.”


So Walter went down and ate and drank, and his heart was lighter than it had been since he had
heard of his father’s death, and the feud awaiting him at home, which forsooth he had deemed
would stay his wanderings a weary while, and therewithal his hopes. But now it seemed as if he
needs must wander, would he, would he not; and so it was that even this fed his hope; so sore his
heart clung to that desire of his to seek home to those three that seemed to call him unto them.




14
 CHAPTER V

NOW THEY COME TO A NEW LAND

Three days they drave before the wind, and on the fourth the clouds lifted, the sun shone out and
the offing was clear; the wind had much abated, though it still blew a breeze, and was a head
wind for sailing toward the country of Langton. So then the master said that, since they were
bewildered, and the wind so ill to deal with, it were best to go still before the wind that they
might make some land and get knowledge of their whereabouts from the folk thereof. Withal he
said that he deemed the land not to be very far distant.


So did they, and sailed on pleasantly enough, for the weather kept on mending, and the wind fell
till it was but a light breeze, yet still foul for Langton.