Old Gold | Page 3

are and what you want to do. In plain English, sir, what are you up to?"
"You know who I am, Captain Banes, and you can satisfy yourself at the bankers' that I am in a position to pay you well and to make your voyage a far more lucrative one than carrying home a cargo of sugar would be."
"That's right, sir; but I'm, so to speak, answerable for my brig and for the lives of my crew. Just have the goodness to tell me again what you want me to do."
"Take on board an ample supply of stores for a year's cruise, and then sail with me to the mouth of the Amazon."
"Yes, sir."
"And up the river as far as you possibly can, and then anchor, and man a boat to go on up the river or rivers as far as we can go."
"That's what you said yesterday, sir. But what for? What's the good of it?"
"That's my business, captain; and here is your friend coming back wanting to make it his apparently," said Sir Humphrey, for the keen-looking yellow-faced man came sauntering back and approached the table so as to pass closer to them.
CHAPTER TWO.
THE CAPTAIN'S BARGAIN.
"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