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By a turn of the screw and a touch of the helm he sheered the Sissie alongside Bamtz's wharf a miserable structure of a dozen piles and a few planks, of which the ex-vagabond was very proud. A couple of Kalashes jumped down on it, took a turn with the ropes thrown to them round the posts, and the Sissie came to rest without a single loud word or the slightest noise.
The derrick-head stopped. The kalashes lined the rail. The rope of the halter hung perpendicular and motionless like a bell-pull in front of Almayer. Everything was very still. I suggested amicably that he should catch hold of the rope and mind what he was about. He extended a provokingly casual and superior hand. "Look out then! Lower away!"
He had tossed his mane and his forelock into a state of amazing wildness, he dilated his nostrils, bits of foam flecked his broad little chest, his eyes blazed. He was something under eleven hands; he was fierce, terrible, angry, warlike, he said ha! ha! distinctly, he raged and thumped and sixteen able-bodied kalashes stood round him like disconcerted nurses round a spoilt and passionate child.
By that time the cargo-chain had been hooked to the broad canvas belt round the pony's body, the kalashes sprang off simultaneously in all directions, rolling over each other, and the worthy serang, making a dash behind the winch, turned the steam on. "Steady!" I yelled, in great apprehension of seeing the animal snatched up to the very head of the derrick.
With a 'merci bien' he uplifted his huge carcase to reach the light of the candle with his cigarette, and Davidson left the house. "Going down to the ship and returning, he had time to consider his position. This was partly the reason why he never attempted to take any measures on board. His pacific Kalashes were not to be thought of as against white men.
Well perhaps! One day I was perfectly right and the next everything was gone glamour, flavour, interest, contentment everything. It was one of these moments, you know. The green sickness of late youth descended on me and carried me off. Carried me off that ship, I mean. We were only four white men on board, with a large crew of Kalashes and two Malay petty officers.
The cook hastened to shut the door of the galley, and a moment later a great scuffle began on deck. The pony kicked with extreme energy, the kalashes skipped out of the way, the serang issued many orders in a cracked voice. Suddenly the pony leaped upon the fore-hatch. His little hoofs thundered tremendously; he plunged and reared.
Of non-European crews, lascars and Kalashes, I have had very little experience, and that was only in one steamship and for something less than a year. It was on the same occasion that I had my only sight of Chinese firemen. Sight is the exact word. One didn't speak to them.
I suppose I must have blinked. I know I missed something, because the next thing I saw was Almayer lying flat on his back on the jetty. He was alone. Astonishment deprived me of speech long enough to give Almayer time to pick himself up in a leisurely and painful manner. The kalashes lining the rail all had their mouths open.
By that time the cargo-chain had been hooked to the broad canvas belt round the pony's body; the kalashes sprang off simultaneously in all directions, rolling over each other; and the worthy serang, making a dash behind the winch, turned the steam on. "Steady!" I yelled, in great apprehension of seeing the animal snatched up to the very head of the derrick.
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