"Then he isn't going to know," said the captain, and then aloud: "Yes,
sir, as you say, it's a hot country, and those who settle down to a
sugar plantation must have rather a rough time of it. If you think of
settling down I should advise you to look round a bit first. Don't be
in too great a hurry."
By this time the yellow-faced man had passed, and the captain gave each
of his companions a solemn wink.
"Let him turn that over," he said. "I like to put chaps like that on a
false scent. He's a Poll Pry, that's what that chap is. P'raps he'll
be wanting to sell you a plantation. But now then, sir, business.
Directly I tell my mates and crew where we're going--if so be as we
agree--the first question will be: What are we going for?"
"I don't know myself, captain," said Sir Humphrey.
"You don't know yourself, sir?"
"Not thoroughly. But I will be as open with you as I can. I am an
Englishman of some means, and it is my wish to travel with my brother
here, collecting."
"Oh!" said the captain.
"At the present time comparatively nothing is known of the central parts
of South America."
"Wrong," said the captain. "I can tell you something: it's all big
rivers running into one another like a net o' waters."
"Exactly, and that should make travelling in ship and boat easy,"
replied Sir Humphrey.
"But what's to be got by it, sir?"
"Who can tell," was the reply, "until the country is examined? We want
to search. It may mean gold."
"That's good," said the captain.
"Or diamonds."
"That's better, sir."
"Or other precious stones. This is, of course, doubtful; but it is sure
to mean an infinity of discoveries about the country and its flora and
fauna."
"Its what, sir?"
"Well, its botany and zoology."
"Eh?"
"Its flowers, plants, and wild beasts."
"Oh, I see: you'd be hunting, shooting, and collecting a bit?"
"Certainly."
"But it's a feverish sort o' place, gentlemen, very hot. There's lot's
o' dangerous and poisonous things about, and I have heard that the
Injuns on the banks have a bad habit of shooting poisoned arrows from
their bows, or little tiny ones from their blowpipes. Ain't it rather a
mad idea?"
"That's what the sailors told Columbus," said the younger man, who had
been sitting in silence.
"Yes," said his brother, "and it was not a mad thing to discover
America."
"Well, no, sir," said the captain, dabbing his dewy head once more; "but
you can't discover America over again."
"Of course not, but though North America has been traversed over and
over again, how very little is known of the interior of South America!"
"Ha!" ejaculated the captain, screwing up his face; "if you put it in
that way, gentlemen, we don't seem to know much about it, certainly:
only that there's some big rivers there. I s'pose about as big as any
of 'em. I did sail up one of the mouths for a bit once."
"Ah!" cried the younger man excitedly, "and what did you see? Strange
wild beasts--wonderful trees on the shores--beautifully-coloured birds--
great serpents--monkeys, and the great sea-cows?"
The captain's face shone as he wrinkled it up till his eyes were nearly
closed.
"Well, why don't you speak?" said his questioner. "You could not go up
that vast river without seeing some wonders. What did you see?"
"Water, sir: lots of it," said the captain bluffly.
"Of course," said the young man impatiently.
"We sailed up for three days."
"Yes?"
"And then we sailed down again."
"Oh, absurd! But the shores: what were they like?"
"Don't know, my lad. I never saw them."
"What?"
"Too far away on either hand. It was like being at sea off that coast,
where the water's all muddy. That river and the big ones that run into
it, according to the charts, from north, south, and west all seem as if
they were hard at work washing all the land away and carrying it out to
sea. It's bad enough here, but down south yonder it's wonderful: the
water's muddy for miles away out to sea."
"Oh, but you couldn't sail far up that great river without seeing
something interesting if you kept your eyes open," said the young man
contemptuously.
"My eyes were wide open enough, my lad," said the captain, with a laugh.
"I don't shut 'em much when I'm in strange waters, I can tell you. Too
fond of David Banes, Esquire. Never was skipper of a ship, was you,
squire?"
"Never," said the young man, laughing.
"Then take my advice--never you do be. Ships are shes, as you well
know, and they're about the most obstinate, awkward creatures to deal
with there are. Let 'em have their heads to themselves for a few
minutes, and they give their bowsprits a toss, and if they don't run on
the first rock they can find they rush into some outrageous current, or
else go straight ashore, to get knocked to pieces by the breakers.
That's the sort o' character I give a ship. I'd a deal rather sit
behind a wild horse without any reins than trust myself in a ship
without a good man and true at the wheel."
"Yes, yes, that's all very right, Captain Banes," said Sir Humphrey
drily, "but you'll excuse me: we are not talking business."
"I beg your pardon, sir, but we are," said the captain stoutly. "I
suppose you'll own that you propose rather an outrageous thing?"
"I do not look upon it as outrageous, captain; but certainly it is wild
and adventurous."
"Same thing, sir. Wants thinking about, and I'm thinking as hard as
ever I can. It means risk of life to my men and me."
"I will pay well to balance the risks," said Sir Humphrey.
The captain smiled grimly.
"I don't want to drive a hard bargain, sir," said the captain, rather
sternly now. "I only want to say that I don't know what pay you could
offer me and my crew that would balance the loss of our lives. I s'pose
you're a man of property?"
Sir Humphrey shrugged his shoulders, and smiled at his brother.
"Then look here, sir," said the captain, "if you'll reckon all you're
worth, multiply it by ten, and then do that again and offer it to me for
my life, I won't take it--there!"
"No, captain, I don't suppose you would," said Sir Humphrey, smiling.
"But if you feel disposed to undertake this journey, and in an honest
business-like spirit set down what you consider would be a fair payment
for the use of your brig and the services of yourself and crew, I have
no doubt that I shall close with you at once."
"And about what we get during the voyage--gold and silver and precious
stones?"
"Or more likely strange specimens of unknown animals, plants, and
curiosities, captain. Well, of course they would belong to me."
"Yes," said the captain thoughtfully; "that would be only fair. But
there's another thing, sir: I've got a medicine-chest, and I know how to
mix up a powder or a draught for the men in an ordinary way; but I don't
think anyone ought to go right up country like you talk of doing without
having a doctor on board who could physic for fevers and stop holes and
plaster up cuts, and deal with damages generally. It wouldn't be fair."
"You would have such a person on board, captain, for I have studied
medicine and surgery, and practised for six years busily before I
succeeded unexpectedly to my property and title, and then determined to
see more of the world in which we live."
"H'm!" said the captain, looking from one to the other thoughtfully; "I
don't like knocking about in strange places begging for a cargo, and I
don't like driving my brig through the sea light in ballast. You've
took me at a weak time, sir."
"Stop!" said Sir Humphrey sternly. "I don't want to take advantage of
any man at a weak time and bribe him into undertaking a task over which
he would repent."
"I'm not that sort of chap, sir," said the captain shortly. "If I make
a bargain I stick to it, and I answer for my lads."
"That is what I want," said Sir Humphrey. "There are plenty of foreign
and native skippers that I could engage; but I want a staunch Englishman
whom my brother and I can look upon as a trusty friend: one who, if it
came to a pinch, would fight for us as we would fight for him: a good
sailor, patient, enterprising, but at the same time cautious and
thoughtful, while ready to take as well as give advice."
The captain smiled grimly at the younger man, and gave his head a jerk
in the direction of Sir Humphrey.
"He wants a good deal for his money, young gentleman," he said, "and I'm
afraid he won't get a skipper with all that stuff in him unless he has
him made to order. Look here, sir," he continued, turning upon Sir
Humphrey almost fiercely, "I'm a very ordinary sort of man, and I can't
strike a bargain with you, promising all sorts of things of that kind.
I've got a well-found vessel, and if there's water enough I can make my
crew sail her anywhere; but I've got a bit of a temper if people cut up
rough with me, and don't do their duty honest. That's all I can say, I
think. You want a superior sort of skipper altogether, and I don't like
you any the worse for that. We've had a very pleasant chat or two, and
it's been a pleasure to me to meet a couple of English gentlemen out
here, and there's no harm done. I wish you and your brother good luck."
"Stop!" said Sir Humphrey; "let us understand one another. You refuse
to enter into an engagement with me?"
"Yes, sir. I couldn't honestly promise to do all you want. I'm not
such a perfect man as you've made up your mind to get."
"And you don't like the risk of such an expedition as I propose?"
"I never said so, sir," cried the captain bluffly. "It's what I should
like."
"Then why not go?"
"Because, sir, I tell you I am not the sort of man you want. I dessay I
could do a bit of fighting if I was put to it. Anyhow, I should try if
anyone began to meddle with me or those who were with me, but--oh, no,
you want too much."
"Brace," said Sir Humphrey, turning to his brother, "speak out frankly.
It is dangerous to be hasty in choosing one's companions, but I want to
know what you think of Captain Banes."
"He's just the very man we want," cried the young man, flushing.
"Thankye, my lad, thankye," said the captain, clapping the young fellow
on the shoulder. "That's honest, for your eyes say it as well as your
lips. But you're a pretty sort of fellow to drive a bargain! Why,
you're asking me to raise my terms because you want me. That's not
business."
"Never mind about that, captain," said Sir Humphrey, smiling. "Hullo,
what's the matter?"
"I want to go and ask that tall thin yellow chap what he means by spying
round this table and trying to hear what we're talking about."
"Let the man alone, captain, and take my advice. Don't quarrel with
strangers in a foreign port."
"Advice taken, sir, and paid for," said the captain, stretching out a
big brown hairy hand and gripping Sir Humphrey's firmly. "Quite right.
Thankye, sir. I like you better for that than I did ten minutes ago.
You make me feel half sorry that I can't come to terms with you. You
want too much."
"No, he doesn't," cried Brace warmly. "We want you."
"But I'm not the sort of man for you at all, gentlemen."
"A man does not know himself so well as others know him," said Sir
Humphrey, smiling. "Captain Banes, I shall be sorry if we do not come
to terms, for I believe we should soon become firm friends."
"Well, I've some such idea as that, gentlemen," said the captain.
"Think it over for a couple of days, Captain Banes," said Sir Humphrey.
"I will wait till then."
"Nay," said the captain firmly; "a man wants to be careful, but he
doesn't want two days to go shilly-shallying over such a thing as this;
and if you gentlemen think that you can trust me--"
"There's my hand," said Sir Humphrey.
"And mine," said Brace, eagerly holding out his.
"And there are mine, gentlemen," said the captain bluffly; "if you think
I'm your man, your man I am, and I'll stick to you both through thick
and thin."