A fresh danger now arose. The sudden immersion in the icy water in the
close cabin brought on a sudden inclination to sneeze and cough.
Lieutenant Held, finding himself unable to repress his cough, handed
his dagger to Lionel Vickars, who happened to be sitting next to him,
and implored him to stab him to the heart lest his cough might betray
the whole party; but one of the boatmen who was standing close to the
cabin heard the sounds, and bade his companion go on pumping with as
much noise and clatter as possible, while he himself did the same,
telling those standing on the wharf alongside that the boat was almost
full of water. The boatmen behaved with admirable calmness and
coolness, exchanging jokes with acquaintances on the quay, keeping up a
lively talk, asking high prices for their peat, and engaging in long
and animated bargains so as to prevent the turf from being taken too
rapidly ashore.
At last, when but a few layers of turf remained over the roof of the
hold, the elder brother told the men unloading that it was getting too
dark, and he himself was too tired and worn-out to attend to things
any longer.
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