They would not only find John Ball but also the rich storehouse of that treasure of which they had discovered a part in the pool. And as the night lengthened there was little talk about the gold and.

Hands slipped away and then her body fell through the door into space. Falling. To the floor thirty feet below. Too soonâ€"much too soonâ€"she felt a sharp pain on her cheekâ€"and then her body landed but something was wrong. There were strange pressure points all. nexium A big grey rat which had made its appearance in the dry storm gutter that crossed the waterfront here. Regardless of the bright sunshine it sat up and looked round at the world; even when Tapling stamped his foot it showed no great signs of alarm. When he stamped a second time it slowly turned to hide itself again in the drain missed its footing so that it lay writhing for a moment at the mouth of the drain and then regained its feet and disappeared into the darkness. "An old rat I suppose " said Tapling meditatively. "Senile possibly. Even blind it may be. " Hornblower cared nothing about rats senile or otherwise. He took a step or two back in th! e direction of the longboat and the civilian officer conformed to his movements. "Rig that mains'l so that it gives us some shade Maxwell " said Hornblower. "We're here for the rest of the day. " "A great comfort " said Tapling seating himself on a stone bollard beside the boat "to be here in a heathen port. No need to worry in case any men run off. No need to worry about liquor. Only about bullocks and barley. And how to get a spark on this tinder. " He blew through the pipe that he took from his pocket preparatory to filling it. The boat was shaded by the mainsail now and the hands sat in the bows yarning in low tones while the others made themselves as comfortable as possible in the sternsheets; the boat rolled peacefully in the tiny swell the rhythmic sound as the fendoffs creaked between her gunwale and the jetty having a soothing effect while city and port dozed in the blazing afternoon heat. Yet it was not easy for a young man of Hornblower's active temperament to en! dure prolonged inaction. He climbed up on the jetty to stretch his legs and paced up and down; a Moor in a white gown and turban came staggering in the sunshine along the waterfront. His gait was unsteady and he walked with his legs well apart to provide a firmer base for his swaying body. "What was it you said sir about liquor being abhorred by the Moslems?" said Hornblower to Tapling down in the sternsheets. "Not necessarily abhorred " replied Tapling guardedly. "But anathematized illegal unlawful and hard to obtain. " "Someone here has contrived to obtain some sir " said Hornblower. "Let me see " said Tapling scrambling up; the hands bored with waiting and interested as ever in liquor landed from the bows to stare as well. "That looks like a man who has taken drink " agreed Tapling. "Three sheets in the wind sir " said Maxwell as the Moor staggered. "And taken all aback " supplemented Tapling as the Moor swerved wildly to one side in a semicircle. At the end of the semicircle he fell with a crash on his face; his brown legs emerged from the! robe a couple of times and were drawn in again and he lay passive his head on his arms his turban fallen on the ground to reveal his shaven skull with a tassel of hair on. sfefse55iccuewuw3uht4958je