THE ISLAND AT LAST
Guy was not without fears that Captain Richmond would, on some pretext,
decline to carry out his contract, and refuse to visit the Agalegas
Islands.
A captain at sea is such an autocrat that he often takes indefensible
liberties, and transcends his rightful authority. He can make things
exceedingly uncomfortable for anyone for whom he feels a dislike or
cherishes a grudge.
It soon became evident, however, that whatever opinion he might have of
Guy’s enterprise, he didn’t intend to interpose any obstacle to his
visit to the islands.
Abner Titcomb, though for the last ten years a blacksmith, was from the
age of twenty to thirty years a seaman, and had risen to be a first
mate. He could, in an emergency, have taken the place of captain and
commanded a vessel.
He assured Guy, from his own observations, that Captain Richmond had
changed his course, and was steering in the direction of the islands.
“That relieves me very much,” said Guy. “I didn’t know what the
captain’s obstinacy might have led him to do.”
“He may still be able to thwart you, even after reaching the island,”
returned Titcomb.
“I won’t borrow trouble in advance,” said Guy. “The first step is to
reach the island. After that I will manage to carry out the rest of the
program.”
The crew consisted of Irish and Americans, with one exception. This was
Guido Leporelli, a swarthy Italian, who was, upon the whole, a good
sailor.
He was short, and of light weight, but strong and muscular. He held
little intercourse with the rest of the crew, partly perhaps because he
was not a good English scholar, and could not speak the language
fluently, though he understood sea terms.
Guido was, as a rule, quiet and well behaved, and had not incurred any
rebukes from the officers. One morning, however, as Guy made his
appearance on deck, he beheld the captain, in a furious rage,
confronting the Italian, who in stature was greatly his inferior.
What the trouble was about, Guy did not learn, but it ended in the
captain felling the Italian to the deck by a powerful blow.
Guido rose slowly. His swarthy face was pale, and his eyes gleamed with
a fierce and baleful light; but he said nothing.
“Now go to your work, you dog!” cried the captain.
Only Guy noticed the terrible rage visible in the Italian’s face.
He spoke of it to Abner Titcomb.
“Captain Richmond has made a dangerous enemy,” he said.
“Who is it?”
“The Italian sailor.”
Then Guy related what he had seen.
“What can he have done?”
Inquiry showed that there had been no cause for the captain’s violent
outbreak. He was in one of his fits of periodical irritation, and Guido,
unfortunately for him, chanced to be in his way, and received the
benefit of it.
“I shouldn’t like to have an Italian for an enemy,” said Titcomb,
thoughtfully. “But it is Captain Richmond’s lookout. He may some day
repent his violence.”
There were others who shared Mr. Titcomb’s views, but gradually the
affair faded out of remembrance.
Guido Leporelli seemed himself to have forgotten his ill treatment. He
went about his duties in the same quiet way he had always done.
As for Captain Richmond, he never troubled himself to think of the
Italian. If anyone had suggested that he stood in danger he would have
laughed at the idea.
He was a tall, strong man, weighing not far from two hundred pounds,
while Leporelli would scarcely have tipped the scales at one hundred and
twenty.
The weather was delightful; the temperature was warm and balmy, with no
signs of a storm, and day after day the Osprey glided along under
smiling skies.
“How are you enjoying the voyage, Guy?” asked Abner Titcomb.
“So much that I should like to see it prolonged but for one thing.”
“What is that?”
“I am anxious to reach the island so as to settle the question about the
treasure.”
“You are anxious to become rich, then, Guy?”
“It isn’t so much that, but Mr. Saunders, at my suggestion, has invested
a good deal of money in this expedition. I don’t want him to be a
loser.”
“He would not blame you.”
“Perhaps not; but I should blame myself. Besides, you know how the
captain has derided the scheme?”
“Yes.”
“I want to prove to him that he is in the wrong. He calls Mr. Saunders
‘a blooming idiot,’ and I have no doubt he applies that name to me,
also.”
“Well, Guy, I hope you will succeed. I am not over and above sanguine
myself, as you know. I have heard and read of too many enterprises like
yours, and that makes me incredulous.”
“Still, you won’t call me ‘a blooming idiot’ even if I do fail,” said
Guy, smiling.
“No, Guy, I think you are very far from an idiot. I should be more
likely to apply that name to the captain.”
“Why?”
“On account of his treatment of the Italian sailor.”
“Leporelli doesn’t seem to bear any grudge, so far as we can judge from
his conduct.”
“Don’t judge too hastily. An Italian and an Indian have long memories
for injuries.”
Since the conversation already reported between Guy and the captain,
nothing further had been said. Guy would have been glad to speak, but he
saw that Captain Richmond was quite incredulous, and it would be like
having cold water dashed in his face to talk it over with him again.
Had Captain Grover been in command, Guy would have had daily conferences
with him, but the two men were altogether different.
Though he did not know the ship’s reckoning, Guy was of opinion that
they must be very near the Agalegas Islands. He longed to ask the
captain, but did not venture to do so.
It was Captain Richmond himself who broached the subject.
He was pacing the deck one afternoon when he met Guy.
“Come here, Fenwick,” he said. “I want to speak to you.”
Guy joined him in his walk. His heart beat quickly, for he felt that the
captain was about to speak to him on the subject nearest to his heart.
“We are close to the Agalegas Islands,” said the captain, abruptly.
“To-morrow we shall probably sight some of them.”
“I am glad to hear it, captain,” responded Guy, joyfully.
“I don’t know how many of them there are, but I judge there may be a
considerable number. Do you expect me to visit them all?”
“No, Captain Richmond. If you remember, I read you a description of the
one in which I feel an interest. That description is so minute that I
don’t think we are likely to mistake it.”
“You don’t know the relative position of the island, whether it is the
nearest to us, or the furthermost?”
“No, sir.”
“Humph! That is not very encouraging.”
“If you will excuse my suggesting it, I think it is likely to be the
nearest.”
“And why?”
“The pirates would probably consider one island as good for their
purpose as another, and would select the first that presented itself.”
“That’s all conjecture.”
“That is all I claim for it.”
“At any rate, I hope your conjecture is a correct one. I haven’t much
faith in your enterprise, and I am anxious to be detained as short a
time as possible.”
Captain Richmond left Guy and went to his cabin. Guy understood that he
did not care to speak further on the subject.
Early the next morning, as Guy lay in his bunk, there was a loud knock
at the door of his stateroom.
“What’s the matter?” he called out, drowsily.
“Matter enough!” cried Abner Titcomb, for it was he. “We are in sight of
land!”
Guy sprang from his berth and ran up on deck.
There, at the distance of half a mile, lay a beautiful island, a
delightful sight after the thousands of miles of ocean they had
traversed.
But, best of all, Guy noted with wildly beating heart that _it was well
wooded to within a mile of the shore; and toward the center there was a
hill, or slight eminence, perhaps a hundred and fifty feet in altitude_!
It was evidently the island of which he was in search.