Roy Norton

“ Now what can we do for you?"
"Nothing whatever in the financial way, thank you, sir," I replied, and I fancied he was much relieved, although? somewhat astonished. "I suppose," I added, smiling a little at his puzzled look, "that there have been in the history of shipwrecked mariners but few such crews as mine; for I don't believe there is a man of them but is comfortably fixed so far as money is concerned and from a sailor's viewpoint. I think that most of my men will ask nothing more of you than the opportunity to secure a passage aboard some ship bound for a United States port. ”

“ In their enthusiasm they had not forgotten to include old Jimmy, to whom they irreverently referred as "Old Cock," and a few other pet names, which he had to bear, but which, I think, he rather liked. When we walked away from the wharf toward our hotel we did so rather silently, neither of us, I fancy, caring to discuss what had been a rather sentimental parting; but we were both, I am sure, depressed by the certainty that the Esperanza, with all her associations, was dead and done for. ”

“ Again the weather favored us, which under the circumstances was not the least gratifying portion of our situation, because, sleeping on the deck as we did, had the seas made at all, we should have been wet through to our hides for twenty-four hours out of each twenty-four. We could make no plans whatever until we learned what Barbados might have in store for us, but were all relieved to get away from the island and the scene of our disaster. ”

“ All that I cared for, and the only concern I had, was to reach a very desolate old man who had trusted me, who had enlisted my personal support and admiration, and to whom I had the hope of carrying very brave tidings. ”

“ They, too, announced a determination to wait ashore for a while, and spoke hopefully of our being together again.
"Never fear, sir, you will not be able to keep away from the sea," said Rogers, my chief mate, as they were making their departure. "You will go, either in a ship of your own or in command of one belonging to some other owner, and we will all be on board. We have been talking about this ever since the day we landed on the beach in Martinique. The Esperanza, God bless her old bones! was a happy ship, and we shared some pretty lively runs. ”

“ I thanked him and declined, giving as an excuse that I had promised to meet Jimmy, and that the engineer would be worried if I didn't appear. We parted in front of his office, and I sauntered away toward the hotel, thinking of many things. The news concerning Monsieur Périgord had driven from my mind the hope of solving the treachery which had cost the Esperanza her life, for I was convinced that had those guns and ammunition proved effective she could have defended herself against any submarine that ever went afloat. ”

“ I don't know much about these things, but I would bet ten to one that if the stuff wasn't right it was because it was tampered with after it was put aboard your ship. I am going to have a talk with him about that."
"I wish you would," I said significantly. "There are a few things I am curious to have explained. By the way, have you seen a man around here with one arm in a sling?"
"Yes. Cochrane is his name, isn't it? A fellow that was aboard the Esperanza with you? ”

“ There is scarcely any doubt at all that within a few days somebody will come along bound westward."
Eager as I was to get to Maracaibo and to avoid a long sojourn in Barbados, it seemed but sensible to follow the port officer's suggestion and wait. We passed nearly an hour in his office, answering questions concerning the sinking of the Esperanza, after which he was so kind as to accompany us to the harbor-master's office, where we found the master of the freighter Port Royal, and had no trouble at all in concluding arrangements for the passage of our men to Charleston. ”