This,
however, did not seem to trouble him. He seldom spoke, but went about
such work as was given him without complaint. Sometimes he would stand
for hours watching the sea, with his hand shading his eyes, in the same
attitude as we had found him.
I could see that Hartog was troubled by this man's appearance, as
indeed was I also. It seemed a reproach to us to have been the means of
bringing a fellow-creature into such a condition. Yet we had acted as
necessity demanded and in no spirit of malice or revenge. Still, the
consequences which had sprung from my fight with Van Luck and his
subsequent part in the mutiny were not such as we cared to contemplate.
If judges could see those whom they sentence after they have endured
their punishment they would pause before passing fresh sentences upon
wrongdoers, however guilty.
I could see that Van Luck attributed to me all his misfortunes, for he
watched me closely, but when I spoke to him he shifted his gaze
uneasily, as though afraid to look me in the face. I can honestly say I
felt nothing but pity for him, and I made allowance for his animosity
toward me when I remembered his cruel punishment.
Pages:
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93