But nevertheless they tell us all things which we want to know
"They make known to us among them, how last afternoon at about five o'clock comes a man so hurryA tall man, thin and pale, with high nose and teeth so white, and eyes that seem to be burningThat he be all in black, except that he have a hat of straw which suit not him or the timeThat he scatter his money in making quick inquiry as to what ship sails for the Black Sea and for whereSome took him to the office and then to the ship, where he will not go aboard but halt at shore end of gangplank, and ask that the captain come to himThe captain come, when told that he will be pay well, and though he swear much at the first he agree to termThen the thin man go and some one tell him where horse and cart can be hiredHe go there and soon he come again, himself driving cart on which a great boxThis he himself lift down, though it take several to put it on truck for the shipHe give much talk to captain as to how and where his box is to be placeBut the captain like it not and swear at him in many tongues, and tell him that if he like he can come and see where it shall beBut he say 'no,' that he come not yet, for that he have much to doWhereupon the captain tell him that he had better be quick, with blood, for that his ship will leave the place, of blood, before the turn of the tide, with bloodThen the thin man smile and say that of course he must go when he think fit, but he will be surprise if he go quite so soonThe captain swear again, polyglot, and the thin man make him bow, and thank him, and say that he will so far intrude on his kindness as to come aboard before the sailingFinal the captain, more red than ever, and in more tongues, tell him that he doesn't want no Frenchmen, with bloom upon them and also with blood, in his ship, with blood on her alsoAnd so, after asking where he might purchase ship forms, he departed
"No one knew where he went 'or bloomin' well cared' as they said, for they had something else to think of, well with blood againFor it soon became apparent to all that the Czarina Catherine would not sail as was expectedA thin mist began to creep up from the river, and it grew, and grewTill soon a dense fog enveloped the ship and all around herThe captain swore polyglot, very polyglot, polyglot with bloom and blood, but he could do nothingThe water rose and rose, and he began to fear that he would lose the tide altogetherHe was in no friendly mood, when just at full tide, the thin man came up the gangplank again and asked to see where his box had been stowedThen the captain replied that he wished that he and his box, old and with much bloom and blood, were in hellBut the thin man did not be offend, and went down with the mate and saw where it was place, and came up and stood awhile on deck in fogHe must have come off by himself, for none notice himIndeed they thought not of him, for soon the fog begin to melt away, and all was clear againMy friends of the thirst and the language that was of bloom and blood laughed, as they told how the captain's swears exceeded even his usual polyglot, and was more than ever full of picturesque, when on questioning other mariners who were on movement up and down the river that hour, he found that few of them had seen any of fog at all, except where it lay round the wharfHowever, the ship went out on the ebb tide, and was doubtless by morning far down the river mouthShe was then, when they told us, well out to sea
"And so, my dear Madam Mina, it is that we have to rest for a time, for our enemy is on the sea, with the fog at his command, on his way to the Danube mouthTo sail a ship takes time, go she never so quickAnd when we start to go on land more quick, and we meet him thereOur best hope is to come on him when in the box between sunrise and sunsetFor then he can make no struggle, and we may deal with him as we shouldThere are days for us, in which we can make ready our planWe know all about where he goFor we have seen the owner of the ship, who have shown us invoices and all papers that can
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