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It struck me all of a heap that nothing had really begun to happen until I had unearthed it. As soon as Bryce had seen where I was sitting, he had started to run inshore, the other man had stationed himself behind the rocks, the curtain had been rung up and the play had begun. Now the question was what part did the piece of wood play in the game?
"Now, then," he said, taking hold of the line and drawing it gently, "look out, boys," and then, with his beautiful golden scales glittering in the sun, and his strength completely gone, a carp of about a pound and a half weight rose to the surface, and, turning on his side, was drawn inshore.
But there were two harpoons, more than the bamboo, sticking in her very deep, and the lines were hitched to a longboat, the longboat coming inshore now full of men. Veronica squatting on the thwart of the same, comfortable and dignified. Kamelillo says, "Whale ain't got sense, thas whale!" And Kreps says, "Ach, Liebchen!" She struck her last flurry, and filled the air with spray.
And, with my sharpened hearing catching every word with preternatural distinctness, I felt as if, the ring of Gyges on my finger, I had sat invisible at the council of my enemies. It was noisy, animated, with an issue of supreme interest for us. The ship, seen at midday standing inshore with a light wind, had not approached the bay near enough to be conveniently attacked till just after dusk.
A tower stands in the island, which is but a cliff of bare rock; and there must be deep water close inshore, for once a Genoese vessel drew alongside and landed stores: but, for the rest, day after day, my master could see through his glass no sign of life but a sentry or two on the platform above the landing-quay.
With the fleet waiting outside, the gallant little fighting yacht Gloucester braved the mines which were supposed to be in this harbour, and, upon sounding, found that there were five fathoms of water close inshore. The Spaniards were completely taken by surprise.
Leaving the dangerous vicinity of the bergs, they afterwards kept more inshore. "What can yonder mound be?" said Fred, pointing to an object that was faintly seen at a short distance off upon the bleak shore. "An Esquimaux hut, maybe," replied Grim. "What think'ee, Meetuck?" Meetuck shook his head and looked grave, but made no reply.
'There's a gun, sir, reported one of the men to Mr. Stewart, on board of the yacht. 'Yes; give me the glass a revenue cutter; then this vessel inshore running towards us must be a smuggler. 'She has just now made all sail, sir. 'Yes, there's no doubt of it. I will go down to his lordship, keep her as she goes. Mr. Stewart then went down to inform Lord B. of the circumstance.
While we lay close inshore, the "Dixie" cruised outside, and toward evening the two vessels met, and together we went to Casilda, a port near Trinidad. We stood by while the "Dixie" threw a few shells into the fort. Two days later the "Yankee" parted from her consort and proceeded to the Isle of Pines. It was here one of the most laughable incidents of the cruise occurred.
He saw a blue line of sea, so clearly drawn that the horizon might have been a string stretched from the corner eaves to the snow-white light-house standing on the farthest spit of land; blue sea and yellow sand curving round it, with a white edge of breakers; inshore, the sand rising to a cliff ridged with grassy hummocks; farther inshore, the hummocks united and rolling away up to inland downs, but broken here and there on their way with scars of sand; over all, white gulls wheeling.
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