A captain at sea is such an autocrat2 that he often takes indefensible liberties, and transcends3 his rightful authority. He can make things exceedingly uncomfortable for anyone for whom he feels a dislike or cherishes a grudge4.
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 seaman5, and had risen to be a first mate. He could, in an emergency, have taken the place of captain and commanded a vessel6.
He assured Guy, from his own observations, that{221} Captain Richmond had changed his course, and was steering7 in the direction of the islands.
“That relieves me very much,” said Guy. “I didn’t know what the captain’s obstinacy8 might have led him to do.”
“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 intercourse10 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 incurred11 any rebukes12 from the officers. One morning, however, as Guy made his appearance on deck, he beheld13 the captain, in a furious rage, confronting the Italian, who in stature14 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.{222}
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.
“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?”
Inquiry16 showed that there had been no cause for the captain’s violent outbreak. He was in one of his fits of periodical irritation17, 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 lookout18. He may some day repent19 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{223} 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 delightful20; the temperature was warm and balmy, with no signs of a storm, and day after day the Osprey glided21 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,{224} you know how the captain has derided22 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 sanguine23 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,{225} 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.
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, abruptly25. “To-morrow we shall probably sight some of them.”
“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{226} 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 conjecture27.”
“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 bunk28, there was a loud knock at the door of his stateroom.
“Matter enough!” cried Abner Titcomb, for it was he. “We are in sight of land!”
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 noted31 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 eminence32, perhaps a hundred and fifty feet in altitude!
It was evidently the island of which he was in search.
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1
pretext
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| n.借口，托词 | |
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2
autocrat
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| n.独裁者；专横的人 | |
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transcends
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| 超出或超越（经验、信念、描写能力等）的范围( transcend的第三人称单数 )； 优于或胜过… | |
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grudge
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| n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做 | |
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seaman
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| n.海员，水手，水兵 | |
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vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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7
steering
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| n.操舵装置 | |
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obstinacy
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| n.顽固；（病痛等）难治 | |
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thwart
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| v.阻挠，妨碍，反对；adj.横(断的) | |
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intercourse
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| n.性交；交流，交往，交际 | |
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incurred
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| [医]招致的，遭受的； incur的过去式 | |
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rebukes
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| 责难或指责( rebuke的第三人称单数 ) | |
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13
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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14
stature
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| n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材 | |
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15
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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irritation
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| n.激怒，恼怒，生气 | |
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lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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repent
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| v.悔悟，悔改，忏悔，后悔 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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derided
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| v.取笑，嘲笑( deride的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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sanguine
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| adj.充满希望的，乐观的，血红色的 | |
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broached
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| v.谈起( broach的过去式和过去分词 )；打开并开始用；用凿子扩大（或修光）；（在桶上）钻孔取液体 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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joyfully
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| adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地 | |
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conjecture
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| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
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bunk
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| n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位；废话 | |
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drowsily
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| adv.睡地，懒洋洋地，昏昏欲睡地 | |
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berth
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| n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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eminence
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| n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家 | |
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