The Treasure of the Incas A Story of Adventure in Peru

r. Prosser, after hearing Harry's statement that he wished to take a passage to Callao in the vessel advertised to st

e voyage will then count towards his time. As for yourself, we do not book passengers, it is more bother than it is worth; but we have no objection to our masters taking one or two. The addition of a mouth or so practically makes very little difference in the amount of ships' stores consu

ged, and they are giving an overhaul to the rigging and making a few repairs; he

once we

wners had referred him to him, "I had fully made up my mind that I would not take passengers again. On my last

umble, Captain; I have

ce since I w

royal navy man,

am a li

have no doubt we can arrange t

y out of his time, and was on board the Stella when she was sunk in the Channel. Your owners have kindly a

ould keep watch or anything of that sort, but that you should, as it were, stand by me. I have a new first mate, and there is no saying how he may turn out. No doubt the firm would make every enquiry. Still, such enquiries don't mean much; a master doesn't like to damn a man by refusing to give him a good characte

and in case of any emergency you may rely upon my aid; and if you have a spell of bad weather I shall be quite willing to t

ns that the firm are willing that he shall put in his time for his rating. I have never had a supernumer

would find the time hang very heavy on his hands if he had nothing to do, and I know he is anxious

nothing more about it. I thought perhaps

will be best; and I am sure he would feel more comfor

or long, may I ask y

am taking him with me as companion. I speak Spanish fairly well myself, and shall teach him on the voyage, if you will all

he would pay his wages three or four times over by being able to bargain and arrange with the Chilians and Peruvians. In ports like Callao, where there is a British consul, things are all right, but in the little ports we are fleeced ri

you sail,

art to warp out of dock a good half-hour earlier, so you can eith

things on board with me; it is of no use sending them on before

st mate has the one opposite to you. The others are empty, so you can stow any baggage that you ha

e I shall get them out of bond; I might have difficulty in doing that so early in the morn

he best plan,"

apprentices c

e is always plenty to be done in

ll be here. Good-morning,

e entrance to the British Museum. A young lady came up. "It is very imprudent

; it was absolutely necess

s of no u

it is of partic

I had promised to wait two years for you. When he found that I would not give way, he promised that he would

appears to me that this

ant was that I was not to

d stumble across a fortune in the streets of London. I have talked the matter over with Barnett-you know our trustee, you have met him once or twice-and we came to the conclusion that the only possible chance of my being able to satisfy your fat

hy, they are alway

aved the life of a muleteer out there, and from what he said he believed that the man did know something about one of these lost mines, and might possibly let me into the secret. It is just an off chance, but it is the only chance I can see. You promised your father that you would never marry without his consent, and he would never give it unless I were a rich man. If nothing comes of this

ation to me. As it is, I can see nothing else for it. In some respects it is better; if I were to stay here I should only be meeting you frequently at dances and dinners, never able to talk to you privately, and feeling always that you co

uld go somewhere, Harry, but Per

or five years out there. He describes the people as being

not have to imagine that you are ill in some out-of-the-way place without a friend near you; and in spite of the dangers you may have to run, I would rather think of you as bravely doing your best than eating your heart out here in London. I shall not tell my father that we have met here; you had better write to him and say that you are leaving London at once, and tha

im for two years. He had given her the address of one of the merchants to whom Mr. Barnett had promised him a letter of introduction, so that she might from time to time

g with you, I hope? why, yo

ur present relations; for if I fail I certainly shall not return home for some years; it would be only fair to her that I should not do so. I know that she would keep on as long as there was any hope, but I should not car

, but I suppose that comes to all the same thing in another twenty years. I can understand a man getting awfully fond of his ship, especially whe

hers. Well, it is of no use talking more about it; we will go out now and buy the rifles. I shan't get them new, one can pick up guns just as good at half the price, and as I know something about rifles I am not likely

said; "still, I certainly sh

f tea, and a couple of dozen bottles of pickles and sauces, to be sent down to the docks on the day before the Para sailed. Another suit of seafaring clothes and a stock of underclothing was ordered for Bertie. Harr

he sails had been partly loosed from the gaskets, and to an eye accustomed to the neatness and order of a man-of-war her appearance was by no means favourable; but her sides shone with fresh paint, and, looking at her lines from the wharf, Har

ods would be received within five or six hours of the ship's time for sailing; that would give us a fair chance, instead of starting all in a muddle, just at the time, too, when more than any other one wants to have the decks free for making short tacks down these narrow reaches. I believe ha

ur later the vessel passed out through the dock gates, with two boats towing ahead so as to take her well out into the river; the rest of the crew were employed in

were no tugs to seize the ships and carry them down to the open water, while the channels below the Nore were badly bu

as only in one or two reaches that the Para was unable to lay her course. She o

arry Prendergast, who had been watchin

s when the wind is free. She does not look quite so well into the wi

et down to Gravesend

ut there is no fighting the tide here unless one has a steady breeze aft. I never feel really comfortable till we are fairly round the South Foreland; afte

, so I know very little about it; but I know from men who have been on board vessels commissioned at C

be a blessing and a comfort to us master mariners. Once there we have the choice of going outside the Goodwins, or taking a short cut inside if the wind is aft. Why, sir, it would add years to our lives and shorten voyages by weeks. There we are, now, sometimes lying off the Nore, five hundred sail, waiting for the wind to shift out of the east, and when we do get under weigh we have always to keep the lead going. One never knows when one may bump upon the sands. Some masters will grope their way al

n to the mouth of the Thames than in any other part of the world; and, as you say, if all s

rts of hands. There is the fellow who shirks his work whenever he has a chance; there is the man who does his work, but who does it because he has to do it, and always looks glad when a job is over; and there is the lad who jumps to his work, chucks himself right into it, and puts his las

od to him than an equal time on board ship. It will sharpen him up, and give him habits of reliance and confidence.

aptain agreed, "if it does not t

ugh lot, but when a boy gets to know his duty things go more easily with him; he is accustomed to the surroundings, and takes to the food, which you know is not always of the best, with a good appetite. Bertie has

Gravesend. As soon as the anchor was down the

lf-past six, and I went below and had a biscuit and bottle of beer at eleven, but I feel as hungry as a hunter now. T

had now been scrubbed and made tidy, and presented a very differe

taciturn, and took no share in the conversation unless directly asked. He seemed, however, to be able to appr

t it was favourable and steady, and they ran without any change until they approached the line; then there was a fortnight of calm

think I ever made so rapid a run. If she goes on like thi

ther will continue lik

e had made since he had sailed, and Harry

Mr. Johnson?" the captain said, after a sh

ate n

alling,

e past twenty-four hours. It has stuck so long at the same point that I h

llen much, but

om the table, and wen

th; but that may mean a change of wind. D

ys does, when I was on deck this morning, but it was clear

at the mate was right. The change overhead was slight, but away

s come so suddenly off the coast that it is as well to lose no tim

ssary orders. The sailors star

"We shall have wind, and plenty of

d, and the white sheets of canvas were soon snugly furled. By this time all the sailors who had been to sea for any t

r. Prendergast? Have

itch of canvas off her excepting closely-reefed topsails, a storm jib, and fore stay-sail. The fi

e pamperos, as we call them,

o be lost, Captain, and with you

in sail!" the

g off his coat, mounted those to port, closely followed by Bertie.

" the skipper said to Har

ome, but we are prepared for it; ther

s nothing to worry us except the Falklands. I shall go outside them. Of course that will lengthen the voyage, but wit

d group, and it would not be pl

t the line of mist had not risen

ther it is coming a

in shook

that we shall have a bright blue sky and a roaring wind, just as one gets it sometimes in an easterly gale in the Channel. We s

appearance, swirls of vapour seemed to dash out in front of it, and the whole swelled

east, the canvas hung down motionles

f foam approached as fleet as a race-horse, and with a shriek the gale was upon them. The vessel shook from stem to stern as if she had struck against a rock, and her bow was pressed dow

captain said. "It is well we stripped her so

to keep her from yawing. In half an hour the sea began to get up, and th

ot a degree or so far

Falklands; for with this small amount of sail we should have ma

lying down till her lee scuppers were under water. The spray was flying over her sparkling in the sun; the sailors were crouched under the weather bulwark, lashed to belay

ad her more to the south. We must be nearly abreast of the islands, a

, and the watch

the squall will be over, for we shall then have made our southing, and the wind will be right in our teeth when we

ne quarter or another," the man said. "I

at would be better than

er such a gale as we have had, it seldom settles down for some ti

hoisted. There was still a fresh wind, but it had backed round more to the south, and there was so sharp a nip in i

en a smart b

n. I think we shall be shortening sail again before long. The clouds

our clothes before night, Bertie. It was May when

t down in the south. They don't matter much when the weather is clear, but if it is thick one has an awful time of it. On my fir

. The clouds were flying fast overhead and the air was thick. Before the evening watch w

," said the captain, "and then if the wind holds, I think

st continuously on deck. Twice they encountered icebergs, and once in a driving snow-storm nearly ran foul of one. Fortunately it was daylight, and the whole crew being on deck, they were able to put the vessel about just in time. During this time the vessel had only gained a few miles' westing. All on board were ut