AMBERGRIS ISLAND 
 
 OR 
 
 THE; NEW EI< DORADO: 
 
 A TALE OF 
 
 LOVE AND ADVENTURE 
 
 IN THE SOUTHERN SEAS. 
 
 BY GEO. RUSSELL JACKSON. 
 
 BOSTON: 
 W. A. EVANS & BRO., PUBLISHERS. 
 
 1882. 
 
 Uf"JY I 
 .L.lr. 
 
Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1882, 
 
 By W. A. EVANS & BRO., 
 
 in the office of the Librarian of Congress, 
 
 at Washington, D. C. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PROLOGUE. 
 
 CHAPTER FIRST. A new El Dorado. 
 
 CHAPTER SECOND. Roland finds the means to fit out 
 
 an expedition. 
 
 CHAPTER THIRD. Fitting out the Expedition. 
 CHAPTER FOURTH. Bound for the Southern Seas. 
 CHAPTER FIFTH. A ship on fire. 
 CHAPTER SIXTH. Rescue of the Crew of the Burning 
 
 Ship. 
 CHAPTER SEVENTH. Captain Bracebridge and his 
 
 Daughter. 
 
 CHAPTER EIGHTH. A lucky meeting. 
 CHAPTER NINTH. Captain Bracebridge and Fanny 
 
 join the expedition. 
 CHAPTER TENTH. The Sea Serpent. A swim for life 
 
 and a fight with a shark. 
 CHAPTER ELEVENTH. The Sea Serpent's attack. A 
 
 narrow escape. 
 
 
 CHAPTER TWELFTH. Sam as Roland's evil genius. 
 
 CHAPTER THIRTEENTH. The Phantom Ship. 
 
VI 
 
 CHAPTER FOURTEENTH. That boy Sam again. 
 CHAPTER FIFTEENTH. The Ambergris Island. 
 
 CHAPTER SIXTEENTH. The wonders surrounding the 
 Island. 
 
 CHAPTER SEVENTEENTH. The graves on the hill 
 side. 
 
 CHAPTER EIGHTEENTH. A Mysterious Disappear- 
 ance. 
 
 CHAPTER NINETEENTH. Seeking to recover the 
 Ship. 
 
 CHAPTER TWENTIETH. The King of the Island. 
 CHAPTER TWENTY-FIRST. Made Prisoners. 
 CHAPETR TWENTY-SECOND. A Terrible Revenge. 
 CHAPTER TWENTY-THIRD. A Strange Wedding. 
 CHAPTER TWENTY-FOURTH. Another Expedition. 
 
 CHAPTER TWENTY-FIFTH. A Bold Adventure for 
 Liberty. 
 
 CHAPTER TWENTY-SIXTH. Rescued. 
 
 CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVENTH. Sam Turns the Ta- 
 bles. 
 
 CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHTH. Roland succeeds in tell- 
 ing Fanny his Love. 
 
 CHAPTER TWENTY-NINTH, Sam and the Octopus. 
 
 CHAPTER THIRTIETH. Destruction of the Star of the 
 Sea. 
 
 EPILOGUE. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 As a preface or an introduction seems to be 
 necessary to a book, the author of Ambergris 
 Island complies with the requirement. 
 
 No special mission is claimed for this story 
 except that of interesting and amusing the 
 reader ; at the same time it is not without its 
 moral. 
 
 Although the story is intended for the youth 
 of both sexes, I am not without hope that ma- 
 turer minds may find some pleasure in its pages. 
 
 To be interesting a story must be exciting, but 
 while giving full weight to this consideration, I 
 have aimed, in the description of the scenes and 
 incidents, to keep within the limits of probability. 
 
 The scenes are laid in such a remote part of 
 the world and the expense of fitting out an ex- 
 pedition of the kind described in the book so 
 so plainly set forth that there is very little dan- 
 ger of the story exciting the youthful mind to 
 imitate Roland Ranger. 
 
 Moreover, Roland, in fitting out his expedi- 
 tion, was animated by a worthy motive and I 
 imagine that there will be no desire of emulation 
 where this or a similar motive is wanting. 
 
 Since the days of the early circumnavigators 
 
Vlll 
 
 there have been few voyages of simple discov- 
 ery, except in the arctic regions. Ocean traffic, 
 necessitated thereto by certain laws governing 
 winds and currents, has followed beaten paths 
 and consequently there are large tracts of ocean, 
 particularly in the South Pacific, which are still 
 aqua incognita to navigators ; hence the ex- 
 istence of unknown islands in this region is by 
 no means improbable. 
 
 Ambergris is supposed to be a morbid secre- 
 tion in the spermaceti whale and it is requiring 
 no undue stretch of the imagination to fancy a 
 a locality to which ailing fish resort, where the 
 water and food possess palliative or curative 
 properties. Imagine this, and our Ambergris 
 Island becomes a fact. 
 
 I may add in this connection that I have seen 
 cod-fish caught on a certain fishing ground in 
 the German Ocean, nearly every one of which 
 was attenuated or wounded in some part of the 
 body. The fishermen gave to this ground the 
 name of the Hospital. 
 
 I have made little attempt in the book at 
 character sketching, for the reason that in a story 
 of this nature it is usual to make character sub- 
 ordinate to incident. Nevertheless,! have some 
 expectation that at least two of the characters, 
 viz. : Steadfast Peters and Sam Seabury will 
 not be without attraction, at least for the young. 
 
 50 Bromfield St., Boston, G. R. J. 
 
 Sept. 1 8, 1882. 
 
11 Guilty or not guilty? " 
 
 "Not guilty!" 
 
 The reply was spoken in clear, firm tones 
 which were distinctly heard in every part of the 
 court room. 
 
 The speaker was a young man of about 
 twenty-two, with a rather handsome face and a 
 clear, bright eye. 
 
 There was nothing of the criminal in his ap- 
 pearance, yet he was arraigned on the serious 
 charge of highway robbery with violence. 
 
 " Call Captain Ralph Ranger," said the dis- 
 
10 PROLOGUE. 
 
 trict attorney. 
 
 " Captain Ralph Ranger!" called the court 
 crier, and a handsome brown-haired, blue-eyed 
 man, of perhaps thirty years of age, stepped 
 up to the witness stand, and, holding up his 
 hand, was sworn. 
 
 " State to the jury the particulars of this 
 affair," said the district attorney. 
 
 Thereupon Captain Ranger made a statement, 
 the substance of which was, that in passing 
 along Chelsea Bridge about midnight he was 
 attacked by a man who struck him with a slung- 
 shot, rendering him insensible. 
 
 * ' Did you see the man's face ? " asked the 
 district attorney. 
 
 " I caught but a momentary glimpse of it," 
 replied the captain. 
 
 "Witness, look upon the prisoner at the bar. 
 Is he the man who struck you down? " 
 
 "I think he is." 
 
 "You can't positively swear that he is the 
 man?" 
 
 " No, sir. I can't positively swear that he 
 is, but to the best of my belief, he is the man.'' 
 
 The cross-examination did not change the 
 statement of the witness. 
 
PBOLOGUE. 11 
 
 Two police officers testified that they heard 
 a cry, and rushing in the direction whence it 
 came, found the prisoner stooping over the cap- 
 tain, who was insensible. They arrested the 
 prisoner. 
 
 The prisoner now took the stand in his own 
 behalf, and, being sworn, said that while pro- 
 ceeding along the bridge he heard a cry, and, 
 hastening forward, saw a man bending over the 
 prostrate form of another. On seeing him ap- 
 proach, the man fled. He went forward and 
 stooped to lift the prostrate man from the 
 ground and while in the act, was seized by the 
 officers who at that moment came up. That 
 was all he knew about the affair. He was in- 
 nocent of any crime ; not only innocent, but 
 was indeed doing an act of kindness when ar- 
 rested. 
 
 The prisoner's counsel made an eloquent plea 
 for his client. 
 
 The district attorney, closing for the govern- 
 ment, dwelt strongly on the point that Captain 
 Ranger was impressed with the belief, from the 
 momentary glimpse he obtained of the features 
 of his assailant, that the prisoner was the man. 
 
 The judge, in his charge to the jury, said 
 
12 PROLOGUE. 
 
 the prisoner's explanation was a plausible one, 
 but, unfortunately for it, Captain Ranger's be- 
 lief that his assailant and the accused were 
 identical, threw grave doubts on its probability. 
 He would leave it to the jury, however, to de- 
 cide whether it was worthy of credence. The 
 appearances were against the prisoner, but it 
 was quite possible that Captain Ranger might 
 be mistaken and the young man be entirely in- 
 nocent. 
 
 The jury retired and after an absence of a 
 quarter of an hour returned. 
 
 The prisoner looked anxiously at the fore- 
 man, as the clerk put the usual question : 
 
 ' * Do you find the prisoner at the bar guilty 
 or not guilty ? " 
 
 " Guilty," answered the foreman. 
 
 The prisoner's lip quivered and his eyes 
 flashed. 'Captain Ranger," he said, looking 
 at the witness whose testimony had fastened 
 the crime upon him, "Captain Ranger, you 
 will make a heavy settlement for this, some 
 day." 
 
 The prisoner was sentenced to five years im- 
 prisonment, with hard labor, in the state pris- 
 on, one day solitary. 
 
THE STOHY. 
 
 CHAPTER FIRST. 
 
 A NEW EL DORADO. 
 
 " The most wonderful thing I ever heard of." 
 
 "By Jove! 'there's millions in it' as Col. 
 Sellers says." 
 
 "Yes, tens of millions." 
 
 " An ambergris island you say ? *' 
 
 "Not exactly an ambergris island, but an 
 island whose shores are covered with ambergris." 
 
 " And ambergris is valued at five dollars an 
 ounce ? " 
 
 "Yes. It is one of the scarcest articles of 
 commerce." 
 
14 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 "This discovery will make a break in the 
 market." 
 
 44 Not at all, if the island is taken possession 
 of by a company. Under such circumstances 
 the company would control the supply, and dic- 
 tate the price." 
 
 44 That is true. Where did you say this island 
 was situated ? " 
 
 44 In the South Pacific." 
 
 44 The South Pacific. That isn't a very pre- 
 cise direction. The South Pacific is a big place." 
 
 44 1 am aware of it, but the latitude and lon- 
 gitude are given." 
 
 44 Indeed ! That is more satisfactory." 
 
 44 Of course ; to say that there is a valuable 
 island somewhere in the South Pacific Ocean 
 would be like saying there is a valuable diamond 
 somewhere among the sands of the sea shore." 
 
 44 Of course," 
 
 44 But when in addition to the information 
 that there is an ambergris island in the South 
 Pacific, the directions are given where to find 
 it" 
 
 44 Ah ! Then that is business." 
 
 44 Certainly : this island is somewhere in lon- 
 gitude 125 West of Greenwich, and 15 South 
 of the equator." 
 
AMBEKGEIS ISLAND. 15 
 
 " That should be near enough as a direction. 
 Is there any island laid down on the map in the 
 locality you mention? " 
 
 "None." 
 
 " It is a recent discovery then ? " 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "How was it discovered? " 
 
 " By its odor." 
 
 "That is rather strange, isn't it?" . 
 
 "Not at all. Ambergris is an odorous sub- 
 stance ; it is used for flavoring wines and cor- 
 dials, and ladies of the wealthy class sometimes 
 use it as a perfume. The discoverers of the 
 island detected the odor of ambergris in the air ; 
 they sailed in the direction from which the scent 
 came ; as they sailed they found large masses of 
 ambergris floating on the water, and at length 
 sighted the island." 
 
 " This is very interesting." 
 
 " It is indeed, but you will think it still more 
 so when I have told you all. You know that 
 ambergris comes from the sperm whale. Well 
 this island or the water surrounding it, is sup- 
 posed to be sought by sick and dying whales ; 
 the ambergris their bodies contain is after their 
 death washed on shore and there it lies ; there it 
 has been accumulating for ages, probably since 
 
16 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 the creation ; indeed, there is so much of it that 
 the atmosphere for a distance of sixty miles from 
 the island is perfumed by it." 
 
 " There must be thousands of tons of it." 
 
 " Yes, tens of thousands of tons." 
 
 " What vast wealth." 
 
 " Yes, ten thousand tons of ambergris would 
 be worth one billion six hundred millions of 
 dollars." 
 
 "Whew I Don't turn a fellow's head." 
 
 "But there is one drawback to the whole 
 thing." 
 
 "Ah! What is that?" 
 
 " The island is surrounded by a coral reef and 
 is unapproachable." 
 
 "O, then the discoverers did not land upon it?" 
 
 " They could not ; they sailed around it, pro- 
 cured about one hundred tons of ambergris 
 which they found floating on the surface of the 
 water, but they saw no break in the coral reef, 
 and therefore could not land. " 
 
 " Ah, then that is an end to the whole thing." 
 
 " Not at all. A company is to be formed, an 
 expedition sent out, and a closer examination 
 made of the coral reef, with a view to rinding a 
 passage through it to the island." 
 
 " Are you to be one of the company ? " 
 
AMBEEGEIS ISLAND. IT 
 
 " I am. I have subscribed ten thousand dol- 
 lars to the enterprise." 
 
 " Put me down for the same amount." 
 
 The speakers were two Boston merchants. 
 Their conversation was carried on in an ordi- 
 nary tone of voice as they were riding in a rail- 
 road car to one of the beaches that lie adjacent 
 to Boston. They did not intend their conver- 
 sation for any ears but their own, and with the 
 exception of one young man, no person took 
 any notice of their talk. 
 
 This young man, however, paid eager atten- 
 tion to every word that was spoken, and when 
 the gentlemen concluded he murmured to him- 
 self: 
 
 "My theory is correct then. My father is 
 alive ! I will find the ambergris island and 
 rescue him, or my name is not Roland Ranger ! 
 
 Who Roland Ranger was, and what he meant 
 by these words will be seen in another chapter. 
 
18 AMBEBGBIS ISLAND. 
 
 CHAPTER SECOND. 
 
 KOLAND FINDS THE MEANS TO FIT OUT AN 
 EXPEDITION. 
 
 Ten years before the opening of our story 
 Captain Ralph Ranger, the father of Roland 
 Ranger, sailed on the barque Stormy Petrel, of 
 which he was commander, for a whaling cruise 
 in the South Pacific. A year after sailing he sent 
 a letter home saying he had met with poor luck, 
 but had heard of the existence of an ambergris 
 island and was about to explore the South Pa- 
 cific in search of it. 
 
 If he succeeded in finding it he expected to 
 return home with vast wealth. After this let- 
 ter the Stormy Petrel was heard of no more. 
 
 Old sailors said she had either gone down in a 
 squall, or had been wrecked on some inhospita- 
 ble shore. 
 
 When Captain Ranger sailed, he left behind 
 him a wife and a son. The son, Roland, was at 
 
AMBEEGKIS ISLAND. 19 
 
 that time twelve years old. As he grew up he 
 often used to wonder what had become of his 
 father and why it was that no tidings had ever 
 been heard of him after he set out to search for 
 the ambergris island. 
 
 Pondering on this, the idea entered his mind 
 that his father might have reached the island, 
 have been wrecked on its shores, and still be 
 there, waiting and looking for some passing sail 
 to rescue him. 
 
 This idea took such a powerful hold on his 
 mind that he could scarcely think of anything 
 else, and he resolved, if ever he had the means, 
 to fit out an expedition and go in search of the 
 ambergris island. 
 
 To familiarize himself with the sea he went 
 on several mackerel voyages during his vaca- 
 tions, and during these vo}'ages he had met with 
 old whalemen who had perfect faith in the ex- 
 istence of the ambergris island. But they lo- 
 cated it in the antarctic regions, somewhere in 
 the vicinity of the Island of Desolation. 
 
 At the opening of our story Roland had just 
 been graduated from the high school, and was 
 on his way to the beach to enjoy a holiday by 
 the sea of which, like the sons of sailors, he was 
 very fond. 
 
20 AMBEEGBIS ISLAND. 
 
 Roland was as fine a type of young manhood 
 as the eyes would wish to rest upon. He was 
 tall, and though only twenty-two years of age, 
 was finely formed. His hair was brown, his 
 eyes of a deep blue, and his skin as white and 
 delicate as that of a girl, 
 
 He was dressed in a man-of-war shirt, blue- 
 flannel pantaloons, and straw hat, and looked, 
 T^very inch a sailor." 
 
 Overhearing the conversation of the two 
 Boston merchants he was more than ever con- 
 vinced that his father had found the ambergris 
 island and might still be there alive. 
 
 " I must fit out an expedition," said he, " and 
 I must ask my uncle Roland for the means to 
 do it." 
 
 His uncle Roland, or rather his grand-uncle, 
 was a rich Philadelphia ship-owner to whom the 
 Stormy Petrel, in which his father sailed, had 
 belonged. 
 
 " Yes," said Roland, reflectively ;, " I think 
 when my uncle Roland hears of this discovery, 
 he will give me the means to fit out an expedi- 
 tion. I will go home and consult with mother." 
 
 On reaching home Roland found his mother 
 
AMBERGKIS ISLAND. 21 
 
 in earnest conversation with Israel Hopkins, the 
 family lawyer. 
 
 "Well, here is news, Roland," said Mrs. 
 Ranger. 
 
 " O, I have great news, too," said Roland. 
 
 "What is it?" 
 
 " The ambergris island has been found.'' 
 
 "The ambergris island!" 
 
 "Yes, in longitude 125 west, latitude 15 
 south." 
 
 " Who told you ? " 
 
 " I overheard all about it in a conversation 
 that was carried on by two gentlemen in the 
 cars." 
 
 " That is strange," said the lawyer ; " I have 
 just called on the same business." 
 
 " You ! Do you know anything about it?" 
 
 " Only this, that your grand-uncle has placed 
 a large sum of money at your disposal to fit out 
 an expedition to go in search of this island." 
 
 " God bless him ! Now I will find my father. 
 I shall start immediately. How much money 
 am I to have ? " 
 
 " As much as you need." 
 
 " Then it is settled." 
 
 " You will go ? " 
 
22 AMBERGRIS ISLAND 
 
 "As soon as the expedition can be got 
 ready." 
 
 " You will buy a ship ? " 
 
 "A schooner yacht. I saw her yesterday 
 a beauty , ready to launch ; fifty thousand dol- 
 lars is the price asked for her." 
 
 " Where is she ? " 
 
 " In an East Boston ship-yard. The man 
 who was to have her has gone into bankruptcy, 
 and she is for sale." 
 
 "If you think she will suit, we will go out at 
 once and buy her." 
 
 "She couldn't have suited better if she had 
 been built on purpose for the expedition." 
 
 " You will need an able crew." 
 
 " I have thought all that out. I will have as 
 fine a crew as ever manned a ship. I shall be 
 nominally commander of the expedition, but I 
 shall carry a sailing-master who will be actual 
 captain of the ship, a first and second lieuten- 
 ant, as officers, a boatswain, gunner, carpenter, 
 cook, cabin boy, and ten men." 
 
 "I must say you have got it down fine, Ro- 
 land, to use the language of the age." 
 
 " Yes, sir ; I have thought it all out. Are 
 you quite willing, mother, that I should go oil 
 this expedition? " 
 
AMBERGKIS ISLAND, 23 
 
 "I am, my son, if there is the least hope of 
 finding your father." 
 
 " I will find him. I am certain he is alive.'* 
 
 " Well, then," said the lawyer, " let us go 
 and purchase this yacht, and, if she appears to 
 me to be a safe vessel, I will accompany the ex- 
 pedition, and so will my friend Dr. Vaiulen- 
 hoffer." 
 
 " What, the celebrated naturalist?" 
 
 " The same." 
 
 " That will be excellent." 
 
 The schooner yacht, a remarkably fine vessel, 
 was purchased, and a week later was launched. 
 
 As she glided from the ship-yard to the water, 
 amid the cheers of the admiring spectators, Mrs. 
 Ranger broke a bottle of wine over her bow, 
 and christened her The Star of the Sea. 
 
24 AMBERGRIS ISLAND, 
 
 CHAPTER THIRD. 
 
 FITTING OUT THE EXPEDITION. 
 
 THE Star of the Sea was towed alongside the 
 wharf, and immediate preparations were made 
 for putting in her masts and rigging. 
 
 Roland at once set about engaging his crew. 
 
 Two months later the vessel was prepared 
 and ready for sea. 
 
 She carried provisions for three years. A 
 large proportion of these were canned goods. 
 
 Her cabins and grand 'saloon were fitted up 
 luxuriously. The latter contained a grand up- 
 right Woodward & Brown piano and a hand- 
 some parlor organ of the New England Co.'s 
 manufacture. 
 
 The armament of the vessel consisted of cut- 
 lasses, revolvers, rifles, various kinds of explo- 
 sives, and, on deck, four small rifled cannon 
 and a long rifled bow-chaser. 
 
 The deck armament was provided to repel 
 attack from savage South-Sea Islanders. 
 
 Every provision had been made for comfort, 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 25 
 
 every detail attended to that would contribute 
 to the safely of the expedition and promote its 
 chances of success. 
 
 The following is the list of the officers and 
 crew, every one of whom had been selected for 
 the expedition from among large numbers of 
 applicants : 
 
 NAME. 
 
 AGP: 
 
 RANK. 
 
 WHERE BORN. 
 
 Roland Ranger, 
 
 22 
 
 Commander, 
 
 United States. 
 
 Fred. Hardman, 
 
 32 
 
 Sailing Mast'r, 
 
 <i 4 
 
 Jack Macpherson, 
 
 28 
 
 1st Lieuten't, 
 
 Scotland. 
 
 Dan Maguiness, 
 
 25 
 
 2d 
 
 Ireland. 
 
 Albert Marble, 
 
 20 
 
 Surgeon, 
 
 United States. 
 
 Tom Carl, 
 
 2!) 
 
 Gunner, 
 
 14 11 
 
 Bill Jones, 
 
 25 
 
 Boatswain, 
 
 H < 
 
 George Harris, 
 
 30 
 
 Carpenter, 
 
 (I it 
 
 Steadfast Peters, 
 
 
 
 
 (colored), 
 
 45 
 
 Cook, 
 
 <( 
 
 Carl Siei'ert, 
 
 24 
 
 Seaman, 
 
 Holland. 
 
 John Dixon, 
 William Telfort, 
 
 23 
 
 28 
 
 
 England. 
 Valparaiso, S. A. 
 
 Bob Mates, 
 
 25 
 
 
 Nova Scotia. 
 
 Andrew Dunn, 
 
 24 
 
 
 Scotland. 
 
 Pat. McCarthy, 
 
 20 
 
 
 Ireland. 
 
 Joe Esrich, 
 
 25 
 
 
 Denmark. 
 
 Emil Bjornson, 
 
 29 
 
 
 Norway. 
 
 Dick Littlejolm, 
 
 30 
 
 
 England. 
 
 Arthur Pease, 
 
 23 
 
 
 * 
 
 Sam. Seabury, 
 
 14 
 
 Cabin-Boy, 
 
 United States. 
 
 Lawyer Hopkins, 
 
 46 
 
 Passenger, 
 
 
 
 Dr. Vandenhoffer, 
 
 
 
 
 (Naturalist), 
 
 50 
 
 " 
 
 Germany. 
 
26 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 Roland experienced more difficulty in secur- 
 ing a cabin-boy than in hiring the whole of his 
 crew. 
 
 A great many boys were willing to go, but 
 their parents or guardians objected to their 
 sharing the dangers and hardships of such a 
 peculiar expedition* 
 
 Roland was about to resign himself to going 
 without a cabin-boy, when chance led him into 
 the acquaintance of the very boy he wanted. 
 
 On opening the door of Lawyer Hopkins' 
 outer office, one clay, Roland's vision was con- 
 fronted by a pair of boots very old and very 
 much worn boots in the air. Roland ran his 
 eyes down a pair of ragged pants, past a much- 
 patched jacket, till they rested on a good- 
 natured and grinning face, stuck into an eld 
 Kossuth hat on the floor. 
 
 " Why, what are you doing ? " exclaimed 
 Roland, in astonishment. 
 
 " Practising " was the answer, as the boot- 
 heels came to the floor with a crash, and a boy 
 of the street-gamin class rose before Roland. 
 
 " Praotising what ? " asked Roland. 
 
 " For any thin'. I wouldn't mind the surcus, 
 but I'd ruther go on the stage as a contortionist* 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 27 
 
 ef I could get a berth 'cordin to the statoots 
 made an' purvided." 
 
 " Are you Mr. Hopkins' boy ? " 
 
 " No, siree bob. Mr. Hopkins aint married, 
 an yer wouldn't see me in these here togs ef I 
 wuz that there gentleman's boy." 
 
 " I mean, are you his office-boy ? " 
 
 " I does 'cassional jobs fur 'im, ef that's what 
 yer mean. I'm studyin' law. The evidence 
 you shall give in this case shall be the truth, 
 the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so 
 help yer bob 'cordin' to the statoots made an' 
 purvided." 
 
 " You seem to be well up in law," said Ro- 
 land, laughing. 
 
 u Yes, siree : read Blackstone, Whitestone, 
 Greenstone ; and when I'm admitted to the bar 
 I'll have a Brownstone front on Common- 
 wealth Avenue, 'cordin' to the statoots made 
 and purvided." 
 
 "Is Mr. Hopkins in?" 
 
 " You kin gamble a consid'able trifle on that 
 same." 
 
 44 Which means, I suppose, that he is in. Ifc 
 would require less breath to say 4 Yes.' '' 
 * " But thore aint so much satisfaction in it; a 
 feller likes to hear hisself talk." 
 
28 AMRERGR1S ISLAND. 
 
 " That is true ; but that's no excuse for using 
 slang. I guess I'll go in and see Mr. Hop- 
 kins." 
 
 " All right. I guess you are the gent what's 
 goin' to sail in that there clipper schooner lyin' 
 off in the Narrers." 
 
 " I am. How did you know it ? " 
 
 " O, I seen you aboard of her. Susan ! aint 
 she a beauty ! I'd like to be cook and first 
 mate on board of her, 'cordin' to the statoots 
 made an' purvided." 
 
 Roland passed into the office. 
 
 " Whose boy is that you have in }-our office ? " 
 he asked, when the usual greetings had passed. 
 
 " He is an orphan," replied the lawyer ; " a 
 singular boy, very precocious, but obedient 
 and willing. Why do you ask? " 
 
 " Because I have not yet secured a cabin-boy. 
 You say he is an orphan. Who is his guar- 
 dian ? " 
 
 " Himself. He ekes out a precarious living 
 by blacking boots ai:d doing odd errands for 
 me, 4 'cordin' to the statoots made and purvided,' 
 as he will tell you. He has picked up that 
 much of law since he has been here, and he 
 uses it very freely. I do not know but that it 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 29 
 
 would be a good thing for him to become your 
 cabin-boy." 
 
 " Why, he's the very boy I've been looking 
 for. If he has no parents and no guardian, he 
 can judge for himself whether he would like the 
 position of cabin-boy or not. May I call him 
 in?" 
 
 At that instant there was a loud crash in the 
 outer office. 
 
 " Good gracious ! " exclaimed the lawyer ; 
 "what's that?" 
 
 Roland opened the door and the cause of the 
 crash was explained. The boy had been prac- 
 ticing, as usual, standing on his head, and hav- 
 ing lost his equilibrium had fallen against the 
 stove-pipe and brought it down with a clatter. 
 He was in the act of detaching himself from 
 the ruins when Roland opened the door. 
 
 "Why, what are you doing, Sam?" Mr. 
 Hopkins inquired, while Roland with much 
 more difficulty restrained himself from laughing 
 at the woe-begone countenance of the boy. 
 
 " I wuz a practising sir, an' lost my balance." 
 
 " The stove-pipe has lost its balance, too, ap- 
 parently," said Mr. Hopkins, laughing. " Never 
 mind, Sam, fix it up again and coine into my 
 office." 
 
30 AMEEEGE1S ISLAND. 
 
 Sam speedily repaired the damage and pre- 
 sented himself in the inner office. 
 
 " You are an active kind of a fellow, I think, 
 said Roland. 
 
 "You can bet a trifle on that there, sir; I 
 kin kick the back of my neck with my boot-heel." 
 
 "What is your object in standing so much 
 on your head ? " the lawyer asked. 
 
 " I am a learnin' to walk on my head, sir." 
 
 " Well," said Roland, laughing, " I've heard 
 of people walking on their ears but never on 
 their heads.', 
 
 " How would you like to go to sea, Sam ? " 
 
 "Nothin' 'ud suit me better, sir. I come of- 
 fen a sea family. Seabury's my name and sea- 
 bury's my natur' '' 
 
 "How would you like to go as cabin boy in 
 the Star of the Sea ? She's a splendid vessel, 
 and I'm going in her myself." 
 
 " That's the ticket for me, sir. I'd like the 
 job if I could git it. But how am I to git it ? " 
 
 "I will engage } r ou," said Roland. " I think 
 you will just suit me. But do you think you 
 will like going to sea ? " 
 
 "Like it? I take to water like a duck, sir. 
 All our family wuz fond of the sea. I had two 
 uncles and a fust cousin drownded at sea."* 
 
AMBEBGEIS ISLAND. 31 
 
 " I shouldn't think that circumstance likely 
 to render the sea attractive to you," remarked 
 the lawyer. 
 
 " Everybody has their luck, sir. What's to 
 be is to be, an' yer can't get away from it. I'm 
 a specialist, I am. 
 
 " You mean a fatalist," said Roland, laughing. 
 
 "It's all the same thing, sir. What's afore 
 you is afore you; what's behind you is behind 
 you." 
 
 " That's fatalism, with a vengence," said the 
 lawer, smiling. 
 
 " But is I goin'to git the chance of cabin-boy 
 in that there clipper ? That's the question that 
 comes before the house. All in favor of it say 
 ' aye.' AYE 1 'Trary minded, nobody speaks. 
 It is a vote." 
 
 " It is a vote," said Roland, laughing, " and 
 you are engaged." 
 
 "As cabin-boy?" 
 
 " As cabin-boy." 
 
 " 'Cordin to the statoots made an' purvided ?". 
 
 "Exactly." 
 
 " Hurrah ! " 
 
 Having thus given expression to his satisfac- 
 tion Sam withdrew to the outer office and stood 
 
32 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 on his head for ten minutes to ratify the engage- 
 ment. 
 
 Thus Sam Seabury became cabin-boy of the 
 Star of the Sea. 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 CHAPTER FOURTH. 
 
 BOUND FOR THE SOUTHERN SEAS. 
 
 On the morning on the 23d of September, the 
 moorings which attached the Star of the Sea 
 to Constitution wharf, Boston, were cast off, and 
 the steam-tug Kate came along side to tow the 
 schooner out into the bay. 
 
 As the moorings were being cast off the crew 
 started a song which had been written by Dr. 
 Yandenhoffer for the occasion, and set to music 
 also by that gentleman. 
 
 The men had been practicing the song for 
 some time and were fully acquainted with the 
 air, which was a lively' one, and the cook, Stead- 
 fast Peters, who was a fine violinist, had learned 
 to play an accompaniment to it. 
 
 The crew sang with great heartiness, and the 
 officers themselves did not refrain from joining 
 in. 
 
 The melody rose cheerfully on the morning 
 air and caused the early passengers on the Chel* 
 
34 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 sea and East Boston ferry boats to rush out of 
 the cabins to listen to it. 
 This was the song : 
 
 BOUND FOR THE SOUTHERN SEAS. 
 
 We are sailing far away 
 
 From old Massachusetts bay, 
 In the good ship the Star of the Sea. 
 
 And we do not fear to brave 
 
 All the dangers of the wave, 
 For a tried and trusty crew are we. 
 
 CHORUS. Then ho yeo boys let the moorings go, 
 And hoist all the canvass to the breeze, 
 And haul upon your sheets 
 Till the wind the vessel meets, 
 For we're bound for the Southern Seas ! 
 
 Good bye to all the girls 
 
 With their rosy cheeks and curls, 
 Good bye till we see them all again. 
 
 While upon the ocean blue 
 
 May their love be ever true, 
 Till they welcome us back from the main. 
 
 CHORUS. Then ho yeo, etc. 
 
 Then when our voyage is o'er, 
 And we've landed on the shore, 
 
 No more o'er the ocean we'll roam, 
 If the pretty little girls 
 With their rosy cheeks and curls, 
 
 Are but waiting to w r elcome us home. 
 
 CHORUS. Then ho yeo, etc. 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 35 
 
 As the crew were singing the chorus to the 
 last verse, Roland embraced his mother, who 
 stood on the wharf, then springing lightly on 
 board of the Star of the Sea, he gave the signal, 
 and the tug boat drew the vessel slowly out from 
 the landing. 
 
 The large crowd of spectators who had got 
 wind of the strange expedition, and whom the 
 desire to witness its departure had drawn to the 
 wharf, gave three cheers, which were answered 
 with great heartiness by the crew of the Star of 
 the Sea. 
 
 Mrs. Ranger continued to wave her handker- 
 chief as long as Roland's form was distinguish- 
 able, and with true filial affection he answered the 
 signal of maternal love by waving his own. 
 
 Until the Star of the Sea passed from her gaze 
 Mrs. Ranger stood on the wharf. Then with, a 
 sad heart she went home and prayed for the 
 success of the expedition and its safe return. 
 
 There was a fine breeze blowing from the 
 north, northwest and as soon as the vessel was 
 clear of the islands of the harbor the further 
 assistance of the tug boat was dispensed with. 
 
 Indeed, Roland would not have engaged a tug 
 boat at all to tow such a vessel out of the har- 
 bor, for there was uo need of one with such a 
 
36 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 fine and fair breeze blowing, but he wished to 
 make sure of getting out of the harbor all right ; 
 he did not wish any accident to happen at the 
 beginning of the voyage. 
 
 " Now, " said Roland to Fred Hardman the 
 sailing master ; "let us see what the Star of the 
 Sea will do with this breeze. She ought to make 
 twelve knots an hour. Don't you think so ? " 
 
 " Yes, fifteen, if she is as good as she looks. 
 But we will take out of her all she is worth if 
 this breeze holds. She is a dainty craft and 
 skims the sea like a swallow. I wonder you did 
 not call her the swallow. What fancy made 
 you name her the Star of the Sea? " 
 
 " It was a fancy of my mother's" said Ro- 
 land ; " my father used to say that she was his 
 star the star that always guided him home 
 after a long voyage, and I have often heard him 
 speak of her as the star of the sea and the true 
 wife on shore. " 
 
 "I think she is a noble woman, " said Hard- 
 man, " and I hope this expedition will be suc- 
 cessful for her sake. " 
 
 " Amen, " said Roland as he walked forward. 
 
 " Ees dis vessel not rather small for a voyage 
 around de world ? " asked Dr. Vandenhoffer ad- 
 dressing Lawyer Hopkins as the two stood leaning 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 37 
 
 against the taffrail watching the rapidly reced- 
 ing harbor of Boston, for the Star of the Sea 
 with all her white canvass spread was now ca- 
 reering along with the speed of a locomotive. 
 
 " To tell the truth I never gave a thought to 
 that before, " answered the lawyer ; " but I 
 should think not. When men cross the Atlantic 
 in a common fishing dory I do not see any rea- 
 son why a superbly equipped clipper schooner 
 carrying a hundred tons of ballast in the form of 
 provisions, ice, water, armament and other 
 things should not be safe enough to go any- 
 where. " 
 
 " Dot is so. I suppose dis crew of fine seamen 
 with plenty of experience knew all about dot 
 when they joined dis ship. " 
 
 " Yes and they are better judges than we are 
 we were just discussing the subject of whether 
 this vessel is large enough to be safe for such a 
 voyage, " added the lawyer addressing Fred 
 Hardman who had approached the pair. 
 
 " Large enough ! indeed she is. I would ask 
 no better vessel to circumnavigate the globe. 
 Why I have seen a man-of-war go down in the 
 Bay of Biscay and a small French lugger ride 
 out the storm without sustaining the loss of a 
 spar or a stitch of canvass. Large vessels are 
 
38 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 not always the safest. This is the prettiest, 
 trimmest, daintiest craft that I ever sailed in or 
 ever saw, and I think she is the speediest too as 
 I will shortly test stand by to heave the log ! " 
 added the sailing master as he walked over to 
 leeward. 
 
 The log was thrown and it was found that the 
 Star of the Sea was making thirteen knots, that 
 is to say, going along at the rate of thirteen miles 
 an hour. 
 
 "If she keeps at this pace for a week, " said 
 Roland, we shall be away across the gulf stream 
 and well up to the equator. 
 
 " Yes sir," answered the first lieutenant Jack 
 Macpherson, " and if we give her a good offing and 
 get the northeast trades, we can speedily run 
 her up to the equator and after that keep on to 
 the straits of Le Maire on a bowline." 
 
 " Close hauled on de port tack and nebber start a 
 sheet for a fortnight," added Steadfast Peters, who 
 had chased Sam aft with a toasting fork, the lat- 
 ter having been making free with the viands in 
 the galley, and had overheard the remark of the 
 first lieutenant. 
 
 "Yes, old Sted.," answered Macpherson with 
 a smile, "you and I have sailed together before, 
 mon." 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 39 
 
 " Yes sar, in de ole Niglithawk." 
 
 " You are old shipmates then," said Roland 
 addressing the first lieutenant. 
 
 "Yes, old Sted. and I have been round the 
 Horn Le lore." 
 
 "Dat's de trufe, Massa Ranger, and dar nebber 
 was a better sailor in dis world dan your fust 
 luff." 
 
 " Thank you for your recommendation Sted,," 
 said Macpherson, laughing; " let me acknowl- 
 edge it by saying that there never was a better 
 cook than yourself, nor a better seaman either." 
 
 " Thank you sar. I 'spects we bofe of us will 
 need all de seamanship we has afo' dis yer v'yage 
 am ober." 
 
 " He is probably right there," said Roland, as 
 the cook went forward. 
 
40 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 CHAPTER FIFTH. 
 
 A SHIP ON FIRE. 
 
 " I wonder whar dat boy am gone !" said old 
 Sted., which was the name the cook usually 
 bore among his shipmates. 
 
 Just then his eye caught sight of Sam among 
 the sailors. 
 
 Old Sted. darted forward, and, catching 
 Sam by the collar, held up the toasting fork 
 threateningly, as he sang out. 
 
 "Whar am dat pie?" 
 
 "Are yer a-goin' ter toast me," cried Sam 
 holding up his hands in mock terror ; " 'cause 
 ef we'er a-goin ter hev a toast let's hev suthin' 
 ter drink fust." 
 
 " Whar am dat pie ? " 
 
 "What pie?" 
 
 " De pie you took offen de galley shelf." 
 
 "What kind of a pie?" 
 
 " Dat ar lemming pie dat was fo' de kepting's 
 table." 
 
 " What kind of a lemon pie ? " 
 
AMBERGBIS ISLAND. 41 
 
 " Dat ar lemming pie what I jes' done put on 
 de shelf." 
 
 " O, that pie ! Is that the pie that yer after? 
 Why didn't yer say so before? How could I 
 tell what kind of a pie yer were after ? That's 
 the pie is it ? Course I know the pie yer mean 
 now ; course I do." 
 
 " Wharis it?" 
 
 " Where is that pie ? O, yer want ter know 
 where it is ? Mr. Peters yer are a riglar cate- 
 chism fur axin questions. Yer wanter know 
 where that there pie is ? Well, I'll tell yer. That 
 there pie sir and remember I'm on my oath ; 
 the evidence you shall give in this case shall be 
 the truth, the whole truth, an' nothin' but the 
 truth, so help yer bob 'cordin' to the statoots 
 made and purvided that there pie, sir, is de- 
 voured yes, Mr. Peters, devoured. I admit 
 sir, that I devoured that pie, but surely Mr. 
 Peters, yer wouldn't refuse a small bite like that 
 to a poor hungry boy that liaint eaten nothin' 
 since before the war." 
 
 The cook started back in astonishment, his 
 large eyes wide open. 
 
 " Since befo' de wah ! " he ejaculated. 
 
 " Yes sir, two years before the war." 
 
42 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 The sailors, who had been looking on, burst 
 into a roar of laughter. 
 
 " Look yer heah, boy," said the cook, shaking 
 the toasting fork at Sam ; "yer may be de son 
 or de nephew ob Dr. Tanner, de man what has 
 jest fasted forty days and forty nights on a go- 
 as-you-please match, but I don' believe yer has 
 fasted dat long. If yer was so hungry yer might 
 hab taken a chunk ob pork instead ob seizin' on 
 to de nicest pie in de galley. I 'scuses yer dis 
 time, but by de water-melons ob old Tennesee, 
 ef I cotches yer in dat galley again I'll put yer 
 in de coppers, and put de lid on. Yer heah me. 
 Put a pin dar." 
 
 So saying, old Sted. released Sam and took 
 his way to the galley. 
 
 For two weeks the Star of the Sea had favor- 
 ing breezes, but on reaching the equator the 
 wind died away and the vessel lay becalmed. 
 
 While lying on the equator Neptune came on 
 board and insisted on shaving Dr. Vandenhoffer, 
 lawyer Hopkins and Sam. To Roland he merely 
 paid his respects, but the young commander of 
 the Star of the Sea submitted himself to Nep- 
 tune's razor, so that he might afterwards be able 
 to say that he had gone through the usual for- 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 43 
 
 mal ceremonies incident to crossing the equator 
 for the first time. 
 
 Dr. Vandenhoffer, it was discovered, had once 
 crossed the equator on land, but this fact did 
 not gain for him exemption from the ceremony 
 and he submitted with good grace, Neptune 
 being rather polite and not at all rough in his 
 methods. 
 
 On the second night after reaching the equa- 
 tor, and while the vessel still lay becalmed, the 
 second lieutenant, who was in charge of the first 
 watch, and who had gone aloft with a night-glass 
 to look for a breeze, hailed the deck. 
 
 " On deck, there ! " 
 
 " Ay, ay," was the response from the sailing 
 master, who had just come up from the grand 
 saloon, where he had been listening, with others, 
 to Dr. Vandenhoffer playing the organ. 
 
 "I see a fire." 
 
 "Afire?" 
 
 " Yes : By heavens, it is a full rigged ship ! I 
 see her spars. The flames are as high as her 
 main yard ! " 
 
 .*' All hands on deck!" shouted the sailing- 
 master, " turn up the watch below, ! call Cap- 
 tain Ranger, Sam, ! look alive there, I get out 
 the boats ! " 
 
44 AMREKGK1S ISLAND. 
 
 Roland rushed on deck, followed by the nat- 
 uralist and Lawyer Hopkins. 
 
 "What's the matter?" he asked. 
 
 " A ship on fire," replied the sailing master. 
 
 " God help them I " exclaimed the lawyer. 
 
AMBEKGKIS ISLAND. 45 
 
 CHAPTER SIXTH. 
 
 RESCUE OF THE CHEW OF THE BURNING SHIP. 
 
 It was indeed too true. A large ship was on 
 fire not more than a mile away. 
 
 She could be plainly seen from the deck, for 
 the flames were now bursting out all over her. 
 
 O 
 
 " Now then," shouted the sailing master ; 
 " bear a hand there : are you ready with the 
 boats Mr. Maguiness ? " 
 
 "All ready sir. The longboat and launch are 
 lowered and the others ready to drop from the 
 davits. How shall they be manned sir? " 
 
 " Take the longboat yourself with the men of 
 your watch and the gunner. Mr. Macpherson 
 will you take four men of the second watch and 
 start away in the launch? the boatswain will 
 accompany you. Start away, if you please: 
 there is not a moment to be lost if there are more 
 people in that ship than her boats will carry." 
 
 "Give way men," cried Macpherson and Ma- 
 
46 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 guiness, simultaneously, and the two boats 
 darted away from the side of the Star of the Sea 
 in ihe direction of the burning ship. 
 
 " I should like to lend a hand here myself,*' 
 said Roland, descending from the main rigging, 
 having been aloft to look at the burning ship. 
 "Have the gig dropped Mr. Hardman. I will 
 take the cook and carpenter and we maybe able 
 to give some assistance." 
 
 " All right sir." 
 
 The gig was dropped, and as Roland descend- 
 ed to her, Sam clambered upon the rail and 
 said : 
 
 "May I go too, sir?" 
 
 "Certainly," said Roland, "jump down." 
 
 Sam jumped into the gig and away she sped 
 over the heaving swell, propelled by the lusty 
 arms of the cook and carpenter, who bent to 
 their oars with a will, Sam using every effort to 
 accelerate her speed by moving his body forward 
 with every stroke of the oars as he had seen the 
 steerers of racing boats do. 
 
 " I don't see any boats but our own," said 
 Roland as they neared the burning ship. 
 
 The latter now presented an awful spectacle. 
 She was on fire from her stern to her main hatch. 
 The forward part of the vessel was yet whole, 
 
AMBEKGRIS ISLAND. 47 
 
 but the fire was spreading rapidly to her bows. 
 Dense volumes of smoke rose above the flames 
 which reflected back the glare of the fire upon 
 the sea and lighted up the surrounding ocean. 
 
 The large boats of the Star of the Sea were 
 almost under the bows of the burning ship, and 
 as the gig came up it was seen that they were 
 taking people from a raft and out of the water. 
 
 When the gig sped up to the raft, all the peo- 
 ple had been taken from it except one man who 
 held a young girl in his arms. 
 
 "All right," he cried, " here's another boat. 
 We'll get into this one." 
 
 Roland steered the gig alongside the raft ; the 
 man handed the girl tenderly on board to him. 
 Roland sat her by his side in the stern sheets, " 
 and the man after taking a look at the burning 
 vessel got into the boat without saying a word. 
 
 " Give way for the schooner," said Roland. 
 
 The gig was headed for the Star of the Sea, 
 which was burning blue lights to show her posi- 
 tion to the returning boats, she being outside of 
 the circle of light caused by the flames from 
 the burning ship. 
 
 The man took the girl's hand tenderly in his 
 own, and patting it, said 
 
48 AMBEKGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 " I know you're not frightened you haven't 
 been hurt any in the rush and hurry? " 
 
 " Not at all," said the girl in a musical voice , 
 " I'm all right. A little singed, perhaps. 1 ' 
 
 " Yes," said the man, "it was a trying time 
 while it lasted.'' 
 
 " I should think yer had bin havin 1 a red hot 
 time," said Sam. 
 
 " Sam ! " said Roland. 
 
 " Yes sir." 
 
 " Wait till you're spoken to before you speak." 
 
 " Yes sir. Couldn't help it sir . it would come 
 out. I beg your parding, mister.'* 
 
 "Certainly, certainly my boy," answered the 
 man while the girl actually laughed. " It was 
 a good joke," added the man laughing himself ; 
 "for we've just had a red hot time, the hottest 
 time I ever had at sea and I thought it was go- 
 ing to be followed by a cold time until I saw 
 your boats coming up. I never in my life saw 
 a sight that gave me so much joy as the sight of 
 your boats coming out of the darkness into the 
 light made by our fire not so much on my own 
 account, for a seaman must stand his chances, 
 but on account of my little girl here. I tell you 
 honestly, sir, that I'm mighty glad you came 
 
AMBEEGKIS ISLAND. 49 
 
 along so handy and mighty thankful for your 
 timely help." 
 
 " Don't speak of it," said Roland, " we are only 
 too glad that we were in time. Did any boats 
 leave your ship ? " 
 
 " We hadn't a blessed boat. Lost every one 
 in a hurricane three weeks ago, and every 
 blessed bit of plank that we could build another 
 with also. By means of empty water casks, the 
 hatches and the planks of the forward house, 
 which we demolished, we managed to construct 
 a raft, but that wouldn't have held together 
 long. What are you ? a man of war ? I see the 
 name Star of the Sea on your caps. Are you 
 English or American ? " 
 
 " We are not a man-of-war a private vessel 
 and an American." 
 
 " A yacht I suppose ; but it ain't often you 
 see a yacht on the equator." 
 
 " I suppose not," answed Roland, " but we are 
 on a mission which I will explain to you. when 
 we get on board and you have had some re- 
 freshment." 
 
 " Who is your commander ? " 
 
 " Well," said Roland, smiling, " lam the com- 
 mander." 
 
 " Then allow me to thank you again for your 
 
50 AMEEEGB1S ISLAND. 
 
 timely assistance. I thought that you were a 
 midshipman sent in charge of a boat. Excuse 
 me ! my name is Jack Bracebridge, Captain Jack 
 Bracebridge, and the ship you see burning was 
 the Clara Ranger, owned by Roland Ranger the 
 rich Philadelphia ship owner." 
 
 " The Clara Ranger!" ejaculated Roland. 
 
 At this moment the gig shot alongside of the 
 Star of the Sea and there was no opportunity for 
 further conversation. 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 51 
 
 CHAPTER SEVENTH. 
 
 CAPTAIN BRACEBRIDGE AND HIS DAUGHTER. 
 
 'The sailing master had already seen the offi- 
 cers and crew of the Clara Ranger comfortably 
 bestowed, for there was plenty of room in the 
 .Star of the Sea ; she had not been built for car- 
 rying freight, but for a pleasure yacht. 
 
 Captain Bracebridge and his daughter, Ro- 
 land conducted to his own cabin, and having told 
 Sam to bring some wine, said 
 
 "Captain Bracebridge, 1 will introduce my- 
 self immediately. Before I do so you must re- 
 fresh yourself with some wine or anything else 
 you may desire. The cook will shortly have 
 more substantial refreshment prepared." 
 
 " I should like a glass of sherry for Fanny 
 this is my daughter, Fanny Bracebridge," 
 Roland bowed " but for myself I would like, 
 if it's all the same, a stiff tumbler of grog." 
 
 " By all means," said Roland touching a bell 
 
52 AMBEEGEIS ISLAND. 
 
 which stood on the cabin table and which imme- 
 diately brought Steadfast Peters. 
 
 "Sted.," said Roland; "when Sam has 
 brought the wine, get him to assist you in pre- 
 paring some food for the cabin ; something nice, 
 you understand." 
 
 " Yes sah, I has already begun to decant de 
 refreshment." 
 
 " Ah ! you have ? " 
 
 " Yes, sah ; I has jest decanted some boneless 
 chicken fo' de young lady, and some peaches, 
 and I wuz jest a gwine to open a can ob bone- 
 less turkey fo' de gen'leman and yo'self when de 
 bell went." 
 
 " You are a jewel, Sted., but before you go 
 any farther, I want you to mix a tumbler of grog 
 for the gentleman." 
 
 "Yes sah." 
 
 " You are a good hand at that ? " 
 
 " De kepting kin judge when I get froo." 
 
 " All right," said Roland ; " here's Sam with 
 the wine." 
 
 The cook withdrew as Sam entered with a de- 
 canter in each hand. 
 
 " What did you bring Sam ? I forgot to tell 
 you." 
 
 " Mr. Hardman, sir, told me to bring yer port 
 
AMBEBGRIS ISLAND. 53 
 
 and sherry. I axed 'im." 
 
 " Nothing goes wrong here, I see," said Cap- 
 tain Bracebridge smiling ; " your men and boys 
 seem to know just what you want." 
 
 " I am proud to say," said Roland, casting a 
 glance at Fanny Bracebridge, who was sipping 
 a glass of sherry which her father had poured 
 out for her ; "that a vessel was never better 
 manned than the Star of the Sea." 
 
 "What a pretty name," said Miss Brace- 
 bridge. 
 
 " It is a pretty name," said Captain Brace- 
 bridge ; I don't know where you got hold of it, 
 but it recalls an old friend to my memory." 
 
 " Indeed," said Roland, with some anxiety in 
 his look and tone. 
 
 41 Yes," said the Captain, musingly ; " a dash- 
 ing young fellow, and bless me you are his very 
 image, now I take a look at you in the light ; 
 his name was Ralph Ranger. The Star of the 
 Sea is what he used to call his wife when he was 
 at sea. He saw her eyes in every star." 
 
 A tear shone in Roland's eye and his lips 
 quivered. 
 
 " Ralph Ranger," he said ; "was he a friend 
 of yours?" 
 
 " Ay, poor fellow. We were chums. Mates 
 
54 AMEEEGB1S ISLAND. 
 
 from our youth upward. I was the " best man " 
 at his wedding when he married Clara Star- 
 leigh." 
 
 The cook at this moment appeared with the 
 grog, and while Captain was drinking it, Roland 
 succeeded in controlling his emotion arising 
 from the mention of the two who were so dear 
 to him the one a memory, the other a loved 
 and loving reality. 
 
 "Ah!" said the Captain, drawing a long 
 breath and smacking his lips, "your cook is a 
 jewel. If he ever wants a certificate of charac- 
 ter let him come to me." 
 
 u Now," said Roland, " with your permission 
 I will introduce myself. You say your ship was 
 called the Clara Ranger. I know that ship; 
 she was built three years ago and this is her first 
 voyage. She was named after my mother." 
 
 " What ? " said Captain Bracebridge, starting 
 up ; " named after your mother ? " 
 
 " Yes, sir ; my mother is Clara Ranger." 
 
 " And your father was Ralph Ranger? " 
 
 "My father is Ralph Ranger, I hope." 
 
 "What! is he alive?" 
 
 " I hope so. That's what I'm going to try to 
 find out." 
 
 " Why, my dear boy," said Captain Brace- 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 55 
 
 bridge, shaking Roland's hand; "how proud I 
 am to see you ! And to think that you should 
 have rescued ray crew and my Fanny to say 
 nothing of myself, your father's old friend 
 Fanny, my girl, did you ever hear the like ? " 
 
 "It does seem so strange," said Fanny with a 
 charming smile, " but then it is so much the 
 more pleasant to think we have been rescued 
 by the son of your old friend." 
 
 "It beats me," said Captain Bracebridge, as he 
 gazed at Roland ; "it beats me. Why to think 
 of it. Here I was wondering whether I was be- 
 ing rescued by an English or an American man- 
 of-war the Star of the Sea and it turns out 
 that I am rescued by the son of my old friend, 
 by the boy that I have often danced upon my 
 knee," and to stifle his emotion the Captain 
 drained his tumbler of grog, murmuring 
 
 " It beats me ! It beats me ! " 
 
 Roland had by this time ample opportunity 
 to take a survey of the appearance of Fanny 
 Bracebridge. 
 
 She was a lovely girl of about seventeen, with 
 hair black as the raven's wing and glossy as 
 satin. Her cheeks presented a beautiful blend- 
 ing of the lily and rose and her eyes were bright 
 and sparkling. Her face was oval and the fea- 
 
56 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 tures perfect, except that her mouth was a little 
 large. But a pair of cherry lips which when 
 parted, revealed a set of beautiful white teeth, 
 only lent to this departure from the regularity 
 of feature an addi tional charm. She was in truth 
 a beautiful creature. 
 
 Her form was yet girlish, but its outlines, 
 which were rendered apparent by the style of 
 dress she wore, gave ample promise of future 
 perfection. 
 
 She was dressed in a wrapper of heavy cash- 
 mere which was drawn around the waist with 
 cord and tassels, and had on her head a turkish 
 cap of the same material, from which also de- 
 pended a tassel. 
 
 It was a somewhat strange garb for a young 
 lady, but eminently fit for the sea. 
 
 She had evidently been lying down when the 
 fire was discovered and had not had an opportu- 
 nity to don other garments. 
 
 The quick eye of Roland took in these partic- 
 ulars from time to time as he glanced at her, 
 and his conclusion mentally was 
 
 " I never saw anything like her." 
 
 " What was that you said about your father ?" 
 asked Captain Bracebridge ; "has anything been 
 discovered about him?" 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 57 
 
 " Nothing. I believe he is alive ; that is all ; 
 and I am going in search of him." 
 
 " What leads you to believe that he is alive?" 
 
 " It is too long a story to tell you now. Here 
 is old Sted. with something to eat. I will ex- 
 plain to-morrow." 
 
 The cook and Sam both entered at this mo- 
 ment each bearing a tray containing the dishes 
 and viands for supper. 
 
 Old Sted. speedily set out the table, and great 
 was Fanny's surprise when on taking her seat she 
 found that the meal included besides the canned 
 boneless chicken and turkey and peaches of 
 which the cook had spoken, jellies, jams and 
 other dainties and a delicious dish of ice cream. 
 
 "Ice cream on the equator ? " she said, throw- 
 ing a sweet glance at the cook. 
 
 " Yes, Miss ; ef we had had mo' eggs I should 
 hab made de kepting a dish too, but de hens hab 
 gub out laying since de calm set in." 
 
 At a sign from Roland, Sam took his place 
 behind Miss Bracebridge's chair and served her 
 as unobtrusively and as promptly as if he had 
 been educated as a waiter. 
 
 "What is your vessel ? " asked Captain Brace- 
 bridge, addressing Roland. 
 
58 AMBERGK1S ISLAND. 
 
 " She was built for a yacht, and has only been 
 slightly altered. Had her bulwarks heightened, 
 a deck galley and a forward house built, ports 
 made for guns we carry five guns and 
 some other little alterations. You will call her 
 a beauty when you have examined her." 
 
 "Where did you get her? " 
 
 " I bought her. She was built for a million- 
 aire who lost his millions and left her on the 
 builder's hands. Paid cash for her. She cost 
 me, after her interior was fitted up, eighty-five 
 thousand dollars. My grand-uncle, Roland 
 Ranger, your employer, gave me the money." 
 
 " Just like him, 1 ' was the sententious remark 
 of Captain Bracebridge. 
 
 " God bless him," said Roland fervently ; "he 
 has enabled me to carry out the one wish of my 
 life : to go in search of my father." 
 
 " Then you are bound for the South Pacific?" 
 
 " Yes, sir." 
 
 " That was where your father was heard of 
 last?" 
 
 " Yes, sir." 
 
 " Well it beats me that's all. I can't un- 
 derstand it. And now, look here ! I am too 
 excited to go to sleep just at present, and I dare 
 say Fanny is the same. Why not gratify our 
 
AMBEEGEIS ISLAND. 59 
 
 curiosity and let us know all about this matter. 
 Don't you think he ought to, Fanny? " 
 
 " I am anxious to know all about it of course," 
 said Fanny, with a flash of her radiant eyes in 
 Roland's direction, "but if Mr. Ranger is unwil- 
 ling to let us know his affairs at present, why 
 then we must wait until he is ready." 
 
 " I was only afraid that I would weary you if 
 I began my explanation now," said Roland apol- 
 ogetically, "but if you think " 
 
 "Certainly, my boy," said Captain Brace- 
 bridge. 
 
 " O, do tell my father and me all about it, 
 please," said Fanny, in a voice so musical and 
 with an air so charming that Roland felt like 
 kneeling at her feet at once and assuring her that 
 he would do anything for her sake. 
 
 Thereupon he began and unfolded his theory 
 as it has already been given, and followed it up 
 with a history of all else that had taken place. 
 
 " By the man that made lanterns ! " exclaim- 
 ed Captain Bracebridge, smiting his hand upon 
 the table when Roland ,had finished, "you are 
 right ! your father is alive ; the ambergris 
 island is a fact, for I have smelt it ! " 
 
 " You have smelt it ? " exclaimed Roland. 
 
 " Yes, sir ; been within twenty miles of it, 
 
60 AMBEKGKIS ISLAND. 
 
 would have tried to land upon it only I had 
 Fanny on board and I was afraid of the bad luck 
 that comes from seeking it.'* 
 
 "That is the truth;" said Fanny; "for my 
 father afterwards told me that he might have 
 taken the chances of making himself a rich man 
 or losing his life, if I had not been on board." 
 
 " Then the old whalers told me no yarn," said 
 Roland exultingly; "and my theory receives 
 fresh strength from your experience." 
 
 At this moment the vessel began to careen 
 slightly. 
 
 "We are getting a breeze at last," said Ro- 
 land. 
 
 " Yes," said Captain Bracebridge, as he looked 
 at the compass set into the table, " you have 
 drifted into the south east trades." 
 
 "But you haven't yet told me how your ship 
 got afire," said Roland. 
 
 " That's true," said the Captain : " I must 
 tell you about that " 
 
 Just then came to their ears the cry 
 
 " Sail ho ! " 
 
 " A sail," said Captain Bracebridge ; "then 
 we will go on deck and take a last look at the 
 burning ship, if she is not already gone, and also 
 see what this stranger is like." 
 
AMBEKGRIS ISLAND. 61 
 
 CHAPTER EIGHTH. 
 
 A LUCKY MEETING. 
 
 When Roland reached the deck he found the 
 Star of the Sea speeding along on the larboard 
 tack, close hauled, under a spanking breeze 
 which laid her lee side well down in the water. 
 
 The burning ship had disappeared. 
 
 "Where is the sail?" asked Roland, address- 
 ing the first lieutenant, who was in charge of 
 the second watch which was now on duty. 
 
 " Dead ahead, sir," was the reply, "and almost 
 within speaking distance, we are just preparing 
 to burn a blue light." 
 
 At that instant a blue light appeared in the 
 rigging of the approaching vessel. 
 
 It was immediately answered on board of the 
 Star of the Sea. 
 
 The approaching vessel, a barque, hauled up 
 and threw her mainsail aback, and the Star of 
 the Sea lowered her main peak halliards and 
 hauling down her jibs lay to under her foresail 
 and forestay sail. 
 
62 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 Both vessels lay to within a couple of hun- 
 dred feet of each other. 
 
 "What ship is that?" hailed the stranger 
 through his speaking trumpet. 
 
 " The Star of the Sea, from Boston, for for 
 where shall I say sir ? " said the first lieuten- 
 ant, addressing Roland. 
 
 " For the straits of Le Maire," said Captain 
 Bracebridge, who had accompanied Roland on 
 deck : " that's near enough." 
 
 "For the straits of Le Maire," continued 
 Macpherson ; " what ship is that? " 
 
 " The Flying Spray, from Calcutta," was the 
 reply. 
 
 " Where bound? " bawled Macpherson. 
 
 " Galveston, Texas," was the answer. 
 
 " We will send a boat aboard," shouted Mac- 
 pherson. " Here is a chance sir," he said, turn- 
 ing to Roland, " of sending that crew home." 
 
 "The very thing," said Roland, "if they are 
 willing to take them. Lower away the gig, and 
 I will go on board myself." 
 
 Roland went on board of the Flying Spray, 
 explained how he had rescued the crew of the 
 burning ship and the peculiar mission on which 
 he was bound, winding up by requesting the 
 
AMBERGEIS ISLAND. 63 
 
 Captain of the Flying Spray to take the res- 
 cued crew to Galveston. 
 
 " You can perceive," he said in conclusion, 
 " how inconvenient it would be for me to touch 
 at a South American port to land this crew." 
 
 " Of course," said Captain Ellsworth of the 
 Flying Spray ; " I shall take the crew gladly 
 and I wish you the most complete success in 
 carrying out your expedition. What did you 
 say your name was ? " 
 
 " Roland Ranger." 
 
 " Why bless my soul, that's the name of the 
 owner of the Flying Spray. Is old Roland 
 Ranger any relation of yours? " 
 
 " He is my uncle, and the man who furnished 
 the means of sending out this expedition." 
 
 " That's better and better I will send my 
 boats for the crew. What did you say the name 
 of the captain of the burned ship was? " 
 
 " Jack Bracebridge." 
 
 " I have never met him, but I have heard of 
 him. Both him and his daughter shall have the 
 best of treatment on board of this ship and his 
 crew as well. I am glad to oblige you in this. 
 I will let your uncle know how prosperously 
 you are speeding when I reach home." 
 
 When Roland returned on board of the Star 
 
64 AMBEBGEIS ISLAND. 
 
 of the Sea he found that Captain Bracebridge 
 had made up his mind to run the ohances of 
 meeting with another ship, not wishing to im- 
 pose too large a company on the hospitality of 
 Captain Ellsworth. 
 
 " We're right in the track of navigation," said 
 he ; " and may meet half a score of ships in 
 twenty-four hours. I will await the next 
 chance." 
 
 So the Captain and his daughter remained on 
 board the Star of the Sea, while his crew and 
 officers were transferred to the Flying Spray. 
 
 The first mate of the Clara Ranger, was how- 
 ever, charged with the duty of furnishing all in- 
 formation relative to the burning of the vessel 
 and the rescue of her crew, should he reach 
 Philadelphia before Captain Bracebridge. 
 
 These arrangements having been concluded 
 the ships parted company and the Star of the 
 Sea hauled away to the south west under a 
 breeze that laid her lee side well down in the 
 water, though the gaff-topsails were furled. 
 
 When Roland and Captain Bracebridge re- 
 turned to the cabin, they found Fanny peace- 
 fully sleeping on one of the luxurious lounges 
 with which the apartment was furnished. 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 65 
 
 "I must rouse her and get her to bed," said 
 the Captain. 
 
 " She ought to have been shown to a state- 
 room before," said Roland ; u it is a pity to dis- 
 turb her now that she is asleep. Let her lie and 
 I will get some covering for her." 
 
 He opened a door into an adjoining stateroom 
 and drew forth several bright hued coverlets, 
 which he handed to Captain Bracebridge, who 
 spread them tenderly over his sleeping daughter. 
 
 "She is a sailor," said the Captain, as he 
 smoothed a stray curl of hair on the pillow on 
 the lounge. " Her mother died when she was 
 but an infant and she has sailed with me ever 
 since. Instead of leaving her on shore for her 
 education, I hired governesses to sail with us, 
 and she is as well educated as if she had been 
 brought up in a young ladies seminary. She is 
 as fond of the sea as if she belonged to it and 
 would rather sail with me than stay on shore." 
 
 The Captain stooped and softly kissed the 
 young girl's brow ; then he and Roland ascended 
 to the deck. 
 
 Sam Seabury and Steadfast Peters were sit- 
 ting under the lee of the weather bulwarks talk- 
 ing over the stirring events of the night. 
 
 "She's a stunner, that there gal," said Sam, 
 
66 AMBERGKIS ISLAND. 
 
 tlie conversation having turned upon Miss 
 Bracebridge. 
 
 " She am dat, fo' shuah. 'Pears to me she 
 would jest suit Massa Ranger," observed the 
 cook. 
 
 " I s'pose she ain't got no mother," said Sam 
 ignoring the cook's remark. He was smitten 
 with Miss Bracebridge himself. Boys of four- 
 teen are very apt to fall in love with girls who 
 are just entering womanhood. 
 
 "I s'pose not," responded Sted., "an 1 dats 
 why she sails wid de ole man, her farder. Is 
 your parents alive Sam ?" 
 
 " No ; they must have died when I was a lit- 
 tle shaver. I never had none that I remembers 
 of, 'cept a step-mother ; that was the woman 
 what took care of me? " 
 
 " How do you know she wuz your step-mud- 
 der?" 
 
 " Cause she stepped out an' left me to take 
 care of myself when I wuz ten years old. Went 
 off with a man what mended umbarellera an' 
 wash boilers." 
 
 " So you call her your step-mudder because 
 she stepped out?"' 
 
 " Yes, siree, 'cordiir to the statoots made an' 
 purvided." 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 67 
 
 The vessel at this moment shipped a sea 
 which drenched the cook and Sam with spray 
 and caused them to hurry below to their berths. 
 
68 AMREKGR1S ISLAND. 
 
 CHAPTER NINTH. 
 
 CAPTAIN BRACEBRIDGE AND FANNY JOIN THE 
 EXPEDITION. 
 
 Contrary to expectation, the Star of the Sea 
 met no other vessel in her progress towards 
 Cape Horn. 
 
 "I'm thinking, we'll have to stay with you," 
 said Captain Braeebridge to Roland, as the 
 schooner drew up to the straits of Le Maire. 
 
 "I should be very glad if it should turn out 
 so," said Roland. 
 
 " To tell you the truth," rejoined the Cap- 
 tain ; " nothing would give me more satisfaction. 
 I should like to visit the ambergris island and 
 if your father is there I should be glad to be one 
 of the party rescuing him from his long impris- 
 onment." 
 
 " Why not accompany us whether we meet a 
 vessel or not," asked Roland. 
 
 " The only objection is that I ought to return 
 to the states as speedily as possible to give the 
 
AMBEKGRIS ISLAND. G9 
 
 particulars of the burning of the Clara Ranger." 
 
 " The first mate can do that. You are ac- 
 countable only to my uncle Roland, and I'm 
 sure if he were here to advise you he would say 
 go with us." 
 
 "I should like to accompany this expedition," 
 said Fanny, who was within hearing of what 
 had been said. 
 
 " Then that settles it," said Captain Brace- 
 bridge ; " we will share your cruise. There is 
 only one difficulty about the matter as far 
 as you are concerned, Fanny, and that is, you 
 have no dresses except what you stand in." 
 
 " That difficulty can easily be got over," said 
 Roland eagerly ; " as you have noticed, our 
 grand saloon is fitted up with a stage and 
 scenery for amateur theatricals. I thought that 
 occasional entertainments of this kind would 
 serve to amuse us when we began to feel the 
 tedium of the voyage. For these theatricals I 
 purchased a variety of costumes, and among 
 them are at least a dozen of ladies' dresses, de- 
 signed for those assuming the female parts. 
 These dresses Miss Bracebridge can alter to suit 
 herself, for we have plenty of material for cut- 
 ting and making on board, including a new 
 
70 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 Singer sewing machine, which is furnished with 
 all the attachments." 
 
 Fanny's eyes sparkled with pleasure at this 
 information. She thanked Roland for his offer 
 of the dresses, but said she could no doubt get 
 along with one or two from the lot. 
 
 " You shall have them all," said Roland ; 
 "and when we get up our theatricals you can 
 play the ladies' parts. If you like we will go to 
 the grand saloon and I will have much pleasure 
 in transferring all the feminine finery to your 
 keeping." 
 
 They went below and Fanny was soon deeply 
 interested in the examination of the dresses. 
 They w r ere very rich, of course, and unsuited 
 for sea wear, being designed for the parts of 
 queens, princesses, and ladies of high degree, 
 but they were better than nothing, and would 
 enable Fanny to appear in the garb suited to her 
 sex if the voyage should last for years. 
 
 " Why," she exclaimed, as he held up a rich 
 crimson satin, elaborately trimmed ; " I shall be 
 costumed like a princess." 
 
 "Well," said Roland, gallantly; "that will 
 be quite appropriate, for you are the queen of 
 our little community. 
 
 Fanny blushed, and cast down her eyes. 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 71 
 
 " I am so glad you are going to accompany 
 us," said Roland. 
 
 "Are you?" said she, as she shook another 
 dress from its folds. 
 
 " Indeed I am," said he ; " if I hadn't seen you, 
 of course, I shouldn't have cared about the mat- 
 ter, but since you have come on board and I 
 have got acquainted with you, I should hate now 
 to have you leave us." 
 
 "Us?" 
 
 " I mean the ship." 
 
 "O!" 
 
 " Of course, I only speak for myself, but 
 everybody is glad to have you on board : the 
 men think you will bring us good luck." 
 
 " Do you think so ? I was dreading that they 
 would think me quite a bother." 
 
 " Ah ! you could never be a bother to any 
 one." 
 
 Fanny laughed and gave Roland an arch 
 glance. 
 
 " The governesses who used to sail with us 
 when I was a girl a little girl I mean, would 
 tell you different," said she, " and perhaps you 
 will share their opinion when we become better 
 acquainted. But there ! I'm really much obliged 
 
72 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 to you for these dresses; with a little alteration 
 they will suit me perfectly." 
 
 "They will. That crimson satin will become 
 your beauty." 
 
 "My beauty," said Fanny, as she blushed 
 again. 
 
 "Yes," said Roland gravely, "I think you 
 are very beautiful. You are the most beautiful 
 girl I ever saw in my life," he added with much 
 earnestness. 
 
 Fanny looked up at Roland's earnest face and 
 seeing that he Lad spoken in all sincerity, 
 said 
 
 " Thank you for the compliment. I am glad 
 you like my appearance but let us talk of 
 something else." 
 
 "I suppose you have lived very little on 
 shore," said Roland. 
 
 " Not more than a month or two at a time." 
 
 " But in a month or two one could form a 
 great many acquaintances." 
 
 " O yes ; I have lots of friends on shore. 
 Young lady friends and young gentlemen friends, 
 too." 
 
 "Indeed!" 
 
 Somehow Roland did. not seem to relish the 
 last clause of his information. 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 73 
 
 Fanny looked up and laughed. 
 
 " I suppose you are wondering," said she, 
 " Avhether I've got any sweethearts." 
 
 " Well," said Roland smiling, "that was just 
 my thought." 
 
 "Well, then I haven't. Father and I sail to- 
 gether ; he's captain and I'm his first mate." 
 
 "I wish that I had such a first mate," said 
 Roland impulsively. 
 
 "O, I suppose you have. Some Boston young 
 lady to whom you vowed eternal fidelity, 
 as they say in books, before you sailed away." 
 
 " No," said Roland, "I have never had a young 
 lady acquaintance since I left the grammar 
 school." 
 
 " At the grammar school you had plenty of 
 girl acquaintances, I suppose," said Fanny 
 laughing. . 
 
 " O, yes," laughed Roland ; u lots of them." 
 
 " And I suppose you were often desperately 
 in love." 
 
 "No, I never was in love in my life un- 
 til " 
 
 "Well?" 
 
 "I'm afraid of offending you or I would tell 
 you." 
 
74 AMBEEGEIS ISLAND. 
 
 " What have I got to do with it? " 
 
 " A great deal for it is that is to say I 
 never was in love until now and I am in love " 
 
 " Land ho ! " shouted Sam, putting his head 
 in at the door of the saloon, " land ho ! and 
 Kepting Bracebridge says it is the coast of 
 Terrer Belphegor." 
 
 Roland liked Sam very much, but at that 
 moment he felt as if he could have given him a 
 cuffing. 
 
 Fanny burst into a peal of laughter. 
 
 " Terrer Belphegor? " she exclaimed. " You 
 mean Terra del Fuego." 
 
 " Its land anyhow," said Sam , " and it ain't 
 a unwelcome sight nuther," so saying he disap- 
 peared. 
 
 "Some other time," said Roland, as he left 
 the saloon with Fanny to go on deck, "some 
 other time I will tell you what I was going to 
 say." 
 
 "O," said Fanny with a laugh ; "we mustn't 
 have any more such conversations. We can 
 find something more interesting to talk about." 
 
 But she thought differently. 
 
 When they reached the deck land was plainly 
 seen in the distance* 
 
AMBEKGK1S ISLAND. 75 
 
 It was the coast of Terra Del Fuego, and a few 
 days later the Star of the Sea was beating to the 
 westward in the teeth of a gale in a gallant ef 
 fort to round Cape Horn. 
 
76 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 CHAPTER TENTH. 
 
 THE SEA SERPENT A SWIM FOR LIFE AND A 
 FIGHT WITH A SHARK. 
 
 On passing Cape Horn the vessel's head was 
 laid to the north west, and for many days she 
 continued on this course, ploughing the waters 
 of the South Pacific. 
 
 Roland had never had another chance of 
 speaking with Fanny alone. She avoided pri- 
 vate interviews with him. But she was not less 
 friendly than before. 
 
 They had reached the longitude of 120 west 
 and the latitude of 20 south, and the vessel 
 was going slowly along under a light breeze. 
 
 "There is something to windward which I 
 have noticed for an hour or more," said the sail- 
 ing master to Roland ; " it seems like a large 
 fish; it is going in our direction and keeps the 
 exact speed of the vessel. Will you take a look 
 at it ? " 
 
 The sailing master handed Roland the glass 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 77 
 
 and the latter applying it to his eye examined 
 the object. 
 
 " It is a large fish," said Roland ; " and it is 
 not a whale. It is not as bulky as a whale and 
 it is much longer." 
 
 "Do you believe in the stories of the sea ser- 
 pent," asked the sailing master. 
 
 "No, I do not." 
 
 " Nor I, but, if I did, I would say that that 
 was one." 
 
 Captain Bracebridge came on deck at this mo- 
 ment, accompanied by Fanny. Being informed 
 of what had arrested the attention of the sailing 
 master, Captain Bracebridge took the glass and 
 gave the object a searching examination. 
 
 The other officers had now drawn near and 
 the sailors were collected in a group forward, 
 also examining the fish through a spy glass 
 which they passed from one to another. 
 
 "By the man that made lanterns ! " exclaimed 
 Captain Bracebridge, as he looked slowly around 
 upon the group ; " it is the sea serpent ! " 
 
 Dr. Vandenhoffer took the glass ; there was 
 an eagerness in the naturalist's eye and his hand 
 trembled with excitement as he arranged the , 
 focus of the instrument. 
 
 "Eet ees de sea serpent ! exclaimed the nat- 
 
78 AMBEKGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 uralist ; " I swear to him he vas beeg beeg 
 ver beeg one two tree hundred feet 
 long." 
 
 " I wonder what they've all bin a-drinkin'," 
 said Sam to the cook with whom he had now be- 
 come great friends. 
 
 " Ef dat's de sea sarpin '," said the cook solemn- 
 ly ; "dars no jokin' about it. He'll gib us trub- 
 bel shuuh ; you heah me. Put a pin dar." 
 
 "I swear to him," repeated the naturalist, 
 who had again examined the fish, " eet ees de 
 real sea serpent." 
 
 Fanny now took the glass and in her eager- 
 ness to have a good look at it climbed upon the 
 rail and held on with one hand to the main peak 
 halliards and raised the glass to her eye with the 
 other. 
 
 Just as she got it within the focus the fish 
 raised its head out of the water and the sight so 
 frightened her that she let go her hold on the 
 halliards to jump to the deck. At the same in- 
 stant the vessel gave a heavy roll to windward 
 and with a scream she fell into the sea. 
 
 " Down the helm ! Lower away the gig ! 
 Let go your sheets ! Look alive ! " 
 
 These orders the sailing master gave in an in- 
 
AMBEKGEIS ISLAND. 79 
 
 stant and almost before Fanny touched the 
 water. 
 
 The vessel obedient to the helm came up in 
 the wind at once, but not before Roland who 
 hastily kicked off his shoes and threw off his hat 
 had sprung upon the rail and jumped after 
 Fanny, 
 
 Roland had scarcely disappeared before Sam 
 sprang upon the taffrail and shouting 
 
 " Here goes for a dive off Long Wharf," went 
 like a flash over the stern. 
 
 When Fanny came to the surface she was 
 about twenty yards distant from Roland and 
 about the same distance from Sam. 
 
 Roland struck out with vigorous strokes to 
 reach her and Sam did the same. It was a race 
 between the two as to which would reach her 
 first. 
 
 They came up to her together. 
 
 " Don't touch her," said Roland to Sam : 
 u Leave her to me." 
 
 " All right sir," said Sam ; " I'm a-goin' fur 
 the cap then." 
 
 Fanny's Turkish cap had come off and was 
 floating some distance away and Sam swam to- 
 wards it. 
 
 In lowering away the gig, by some mischance, 
 
80 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 she was swamped ; the crew were now engaged 
 in getting out another boat, but Roland putting 
 his arm around Fanny swam with her towards 
 the vessel. 
 
 " Never mind the boat," shouted Roland, who 
 was rapidly nearing the vessel. 
 
 In a moment he was alongside and Captain 
 Bracebridge, who stood on the side ladder 
 where with every roll of the vessel he was sub- 
 merged to the waist, received Fanny in his arms 
 saying to Roland 
 
 " God bless you my boy ! " 
 
 He carried Fanny up the side and she at once 
 went below to put on dry apparel, for she had 
 suffered no injuries and had indeed supported 
 herself in the water by paddling until Roland 
 reached her. 
 
 Meantime Sam had secured the Turkish cap 
 and waving it above his head with one hand 
 swam with the other towards the vessel. 
 
 Sam was in his element in the water, and 
 could scarcely refrain from cutting up some of 
 the antics with which he used to astonish the 
 boys when bathing off Long Wharf, Boston. 
 
 As it was, he swam first on his back, then 011 
 his side, then dog fashion to the great amuse- 
 ment of those on board of the vessel, who were 
 
AMBEEGKIS ISLAND. 81 
 
 collected in a group at the stern watching him. 
 
 But suddenly every cheek blanched and a cry 
 of horror arose from the group. 
 
 A monstrous fin appeared above the water 
 just behind Sam, cutting the sea in his direction. 
 
 " A shark ! A shark : 
 
 Sam heard the cry and looked behind him. 
 
 He saw the fin also, and, taking the cap be- 
 tween his teeth, swam with both hands, using 
 every effort to reach the ship. 
 
 It was now too late to lower a boat;, the boy 
 was in the most deadly peril ; the shark was 
 not more than twenty yards behind him and he 
 was yet some ten or twelve yards from the ship. 
 
 The people on board shouted hoping to fright- 
 en the shark off. But it was not to be fright- 
 ened. It shot suddenly forward and got be- 
 tween Sam and the ship and then began to edge 
 towards him. 
 
 "This is horrible!" exclaimed Roland, "we 
 must do something fire our revolvers, ah! 
 what is this ? Carl you're a brick ? " 
 
 Tom Carl, the gunner, had climbed the taff- 
 rail and was balancing a harpoon. He had been 
 a harpooner on a whaler and knew how to 
 throw the weapon. 
 
82 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 "Dat's no use now," said a voice, and turning, 
 they beheld old Sted., stripped to the waist, with 
 a long carving knife in his hand. 
 
 " What are you going to do ?" asked the gun- 
 ner. 
 
 "Ise a gvvine to do some carvin'," said old 
 Sted., and balancing himself upon the rail a mo- 
 ment he dived head foremost into the sea. 
 
 All this time the shark had been circling 
 around Sam and edging nearer and nearer each 
 time. So cowardly are these sea monsters they 
 never make a direct attack on any large living 
 body. 
 
 Sam had ceased to swim towards the vessel 
 and half dead with terror simply kept himself 
 afloat by paddling. 
 
 The people on board were watching for the 
 appearance of the cook's wooly head somewhere 
 in the vicinity of the shark, when all at once the 
 monster sprang half out of the sea and lashed 
 the water with its tail. Then it turned upon its 
 back and the spectators saw a long red slit in 
 its white belley, from which the blood gushed 
 out, dying the sea around it. A wild cheer 
 greeted the sight. 
 
 Then the cook's head emerged from the water 
 near Sam. 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 83 
 
 " Come honey," said old Sted.; let's go home." 
 Sam comprehended what had taken place and 
 
 the reaction overpowered him. He fainted. 
 The cook put his arm around him and swam 
 
 with him to the ship. 
 
 "You're a noble fellow, Steadfast Peters," 
 
 said Roland, when the cook reached the deck ; 
 
 " and 111 reward you well for your bravery." 
 " O, dat's nuffin, sah ; Ise done dat befo'." 
 " Yes," said the first lieutenant ; " I saw him 
 
 do a similar act off the coast of California." 
 
84 AMBEKGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 CHAPTER ELEVENTH. 
 
 THE SEA SERPENT'S ATTACK A NAEBOW 
 ESCAPE. 
 
 During all this time the sea serpent was for- 
 gotten, but when the vessel was got under 
 weigh again they saw it to windward in the 
 same position. 
 
 When Fanny returned to the deck she called 
 attention to it. 
 
 She had donned a crimson satin dress, the 
 only one she had altered to her fit and she look- 
 very lovely in it. 
 
 She had intended to wear it only at dinner, 
 but the necessities of the present occasion com- 
 pelled her to wear it on deck. 
 
 On her head she wore one of Roland's straw 
 hats which had been trimmed with scarlet rib- 
 bon, and which became her dark tresses and rose 
 and lily complexion wonderfully. 
 
 The Turkish cap which Sam had so nearly 
 
AMBEEGEIS ISLAND. 85 
 
 lost his life in recovering, was hung up in the 
 rigging to dry. 
 
 " Yes, it is still there," said Roland, when 
 Fanny pointed out the fish ; " luff up a little 
 and let us see if we can get any nearer to it." 
 
 The vessel was brought up close to the wind 
 and in a short time it was apparent that the dis- 
 tance between the fish and the vessel was grad- 
 ually being decreased. 
 
 " You must know that I am very grateful to 
 you," said Fanny to Roland in a low tone, as 
 they stood together somewhat apart from the 
 rest ; " I thank you very much for your brave 
 act in jumping overboard after me. Believe me 
 I shall always remember it with gratitude." 
 
 " I would do a great deal more than that for 
 you," said Roland in a whisper ; " there is no 
 danger that I would not brave for your sake." 
 
 Fanny blushed as her eyes sought the deck. 
 
 " I know you are very kind to me," she said, 
 after a pauze ; " but let us watch the sea ser- 
 pent." 
 
 " You never give me a chance to speak to you 
 alone," said Roland, ignoring the invitation to 
 look at the sea serpent. 
 
 " Well, I will sometime," she said. 
 
 "When?" 
 
86 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 " 0, bye and bye." 
 
 " Say this evening? " 
 
 " O, dear, no." 
 
 4 Why not ? I wish to speak to you on a sub- 
 ject of great importance." 
 
 " Won't it keep for a while ? " 
 
 " No ; please grant my request : meet me in 
 the grand saloon this evening after dinner when 
 the people are on deck enjoying their cigars." 
 
 " O, see, we are coming nearer the serpent." 
 
 "Hang the serpent! " muttered Roland. 
 
 " What did you say ? " 
 
 " Nothing. We will look at the serpent im- 
 mediately. Won't you promise ? " 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 " Thank you. Now we will look at the sea 
 serpent," and Roland's face became radiant. 
 Fanny hid hers from view by shading it with 
 her hand while she looked in the direction of 
 the fish. 
 
 There was now no douot of the nature of the 
 fish. It was a veritable sea serpent. It swam 
 along the surface of the water sometimes with 
 its head above and sometimes with its head sub- 
 merged in the sea. 
 
 Certain portions of its body were visible at 
 periods above the surface, and the length of the 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 87 
 
 monster was as nearly as could be guessed, 
 about three hundred feet, as the naturalist had 
 said. 
 
 It was now within a quarter of a mile of the 
 ship and could be plainly discerned with the 
 naked eye. 
 
 With the glass it was seen that its body, 
 which was as round as a sugar hogshead, was 
 covered with large glittering scales. No fins 
 were apparent on the fish. 
 
 It was flattened at the head, and its mouth, 
 which it opened from time to time was of im- 
 mense size. 
 
 It did not permit the vessel to approach any 
 nearer than about a quarter of a mile. It kept 
 that distance for an hour or more and although 
 the vessel was from time to time brought nearer 
 the wind the distance from the fish was no 
 further diminished. 
 
 " Can't you give him a shot, Carl ? " asked 
 Roland, addressing the gunner. 
 
 " If you like, sir." 
 
 " Load up one of the guns and give him a 
 taste of metal if you can." 
 
 " Ay ay sir." 
 
 The gun was loaded and the gunner taking 
 aim fired. 
 
88 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 The shot fell short. 
 
 " I'll hit him this time," said the gunner as he 
 prepared to reload the piece. 
 
 The next shot struck the serpent. It raised 
 its body half out out of the sea and lashed the 
 water with its tail. Then it was seen to head 
 straight for the vessel. 
 
 < Why it's coming for us," said the lawyer, as 
 he moved towards the companion way ; '! think 
 we had better go down below." 
 
 "I tole yer dat feller would gib us trubbel," 
 said the cook to Sam. 
 
 " He's a-comin' fur us, yer kin bet," said Sam. 
 
 " Give him another shot," cried Captain 
 Bracebridge ; " and that may stop him Fan- 
 ny go below." 
 
 Roland drew Fanny to the companion way 
 and she descended to her stateroom. 
 
 The serpent had now approached to within 
 two hundred yards of the vessel. Its head and 
 about ten feet of its body were out of the water. 
 Its mouth was wide open and it could be seen 
 that it was of a pinkish color within. 
 
 The gunner gave it another shot, which must 
 have entered its throat, for the scales were seen 
 to fly off and scatter in the water ; they seemed 
 to be as large as pie plates. 
 
AMBEBGKIS ISLAND. 89 
 
 With a hiss that sounded like the steam es- 
 caping from a boiler it came on towards the 
 vessel. 
 
 " Fly for your lives ! " shouted Captain 
 Bracebridge. 
 
 There was an immediate rush for the cabin 
 and forecastle and all got safely below except 
 Sam and the cook; they took shelter in the galley. 
 
 " We is gone, fo' shuah," said the cook ; "I 
 knowed dat feller would gib us trubble." 
 
 The monster came on and struck the schooner 
 amidships causing her to careen almost to her 
 beam ends. It struck its head against the 
 masts and rigging, tore the mainsail to shreds, 
 broke the main gaff in two pieces and caused 
 great damage to the rigging. 
 
 It seemed to be enraged only against the ves- 
 sel. 
 
 " I tole yer," said the cook to Sam while the 
 havoc was going on ; "I tole yer 'tain't no use 
 foolin' wid a sea sarpen'." 
 
 After having expended it's rage against the 
 vessel the monster drew off, turned it's head to 
 windward and swam away at a wonderful rate. 
 
 It left several of its scales upon the deck 
 which it had rubbed off in its fury and great 
 clots of blood upon the rigging and masts 
 
90 AMBEKGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 showed that the gunner had aimed well and 
 given it a desperate wound. 
 
 Dr. Vandenhoffer picked up the serpent's 
 scales and carried them below. 
 
 Very glad were all on board of the Star of the 
 Sea that they had escaped with their lives. 
 
 They could not think of the monster with- 
 out shuddering. 
 
 The serpent soon passed from sight and the 
 crew were at once put to work making repairs. 
 A new mainsail was bent, a new gaff fitted and 
 the ravages made in the rigging repaired. 
 
 While the crew was busy at this work under 
 direction of the officers, Dr. Vandenhoffer gave 
 Roland, Captain Bracebridge, Fanny, the law- 
 yer and sailing master an interesting description 
 of the habits of the sea serpent. 
 
 " He didn't leave us in much doubt as to his 
 habit of dealing with those who attack him," 
 said Roland, when the naturalist concluded. 
 
 "No," said the cook to himself, having over- 
 heard the remark 
 
 " 'Tain't no fun foolin' wid a sea sarpin ! " 
 
AMBEKGKIS ISLAND. 91 
 
 CHAPTER TWELFTH. 
 
 SAM AS ROLAND'S EVIL GENIUS. 
 
 Roland was in love with Fanny, of that there 
 could be no doubt. Captain Bracebridge was 
 confident of it and he was almost certain that 
 Fanny liked Roland more than any other young 
 man she had met, though he doubted whether 
 she was actually in love. 
 
 The pair were very young. Roland was only 
 in his twenty-third year and Fanny was little 
 more than seventeen. Nevertheless the affec- 
 tion which springs into existence at these early 
 years is as likely to be true and lasting as the 
 love of a maturer age, if the object is worthy. 
 
 Captain Bracebridge therefore resolved to let 
 matters take their course. He knew that Ro- 
 land was a noble and high minded young man 
 and was quite willing, nay indeed would be very 
 glad that Fanny should become his wife. 
 
 As for Roland himself he was on nettles. 
 Fanny had given him no opportunity of speak- 
 
92 AMBEEGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 ing to her alone since sighting the coast of 
 Terra del Fuego, in the South Atlantic, and he 
 feared that she avoided being alone with him to 
 spare him the pain and mortification of a rejec- 
 tion should he declare his love, for she could not 
 have inferred anything else from his language 
 on the occasion when they were interupted by 
 Sam with the cry of "land ho ! " than that he 
 was about to declare that he loved her. 
 
 And now that she had promised to see him 
 alone his mind was filled with alternate hope 
 and fear hope that she was according the eag- 
 erly solicited interview to him to give him the 
 opportunity to declare his love with a view to 
 the formation of an engagement and fear that 
 she was indifferent to him and wished to remove 
 all misunderstanding with regard to her feelings. 
 
 He longed for the hour that would bring 
 about the interview and yet he feared its ap- 
 proach. 
 
 But the time arrived nevertheless. 
 
 Captain Bracebridge, with the passengers and 
 officers as an audience was descanting upon the 
 beauty of the nights in the tropics, and all were 
 enjoying the luxury of an after-dinner cigar 
 when Roland took his way to the grand saloon. 
 
AMBEKGRIS ISLAND. 93 
 
 Fanny was sitting at the piano playing a 
 waltz. 
 
 "Shall I sing you something?" she asked as 
 Roland approached. 
 
 " I should be delighted, if you would," said 
 Roland. 
 
 Fanny sang that beautiful Scotch ballad, Jock 
 O' Hazeldean, and gave it with much feeling. 
 
 " You have a charming voice," said Roland as 
 she concluded ; " but that was to be expected." 
 
 "Why to be expected?" 
 
 "Because nothing but a charming voice could 
 be associated with so fine a form and so sweet a 
 face." 
 
 " I see you insist on paying compliments. I 
 am dressed as a queen to-night and therefore 
 have a right to command, so I forbid you to use 
 any more flattery. You see sir this is a queen's 
 costume, all but the diamonds and crown." 
 
 "Your eyes render the diamonds unnecessary," 
 
 " O you are growing worse than ever.' 4 
 
 " I am sincere in what I say. Let me thank 
 you for giving me this interview. If you had 
 not avoided being alone with me I would not 
 have asked for it, and now since I have the 
 pleasure of speaking with you alone let me tell 
 you why I solicited this interview. 
 
94 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 Fanny ran her fingers over the keys of the 
 piano and bent low over the instrument. 
 
 Roland bent over her, and took her hand. 
 
 " Fanny," he whispered, " my object in ask- 
 ing you to meet me here " 
 
 " School o' whales alongside, sir," said Sam 
 entering the saloon, " the kind that the the 
 lump o' grease comes from and Kepting Brace- 
 bridge says come on deck, if yer please, an' see 
 'em." 
 
 Roland bit his lips with vexation. 
 
 " Tell Captain Bracebridge I will be on deck 
 directly," he said, releasing Fanny's hand, and 
 pretending to turn over some of the music on 
 the piano. 
 
 "All right sir. Dr. Vandenhoffer told me to 
 ask Miss Fanny if she would be kind enough to 
 give me the book on the lump o' grease whales 
 all whales that I ever seen were nothin' but a 
 lump o' grease as far as I could see the book's 
 the one the doctor wuz a readin' an explainin' to 
 Miss Fanny yesterday an' she tuck it." 
 
 "Yes," said Fanny ; "it is in my room. I will 
 get it ; you had better go on deck Roland, or 
 my father will think it strange." 
 
 Fanny arose ; and as she passed Roland, who 
 stood with a look of deep vexation on his face 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 95 
 
 she gave him a little bit of consolation for his 
 disappointment. 
 
 "Some other time," she whispered ; "you can 
 tell me what you were going to tell me tonight." 
 
 Then she gave him a sweet glance and left 
 the saloon. 
 
 " Sam," said Roland. 
 
 " Yes sir." 
 
 " You are my evil genius." 
 
 "What is that sir?" 
 
 "I am like a thirsty traveller in a desert, and 
 every time I am about to raise a cup of water to 
 my lips, you come and dash it away." 
 
 " Don't yer believe it sir. I'd go through fire 
 an' water fur yer ; an' if yer were in that there 
 desert, what yer spoke of, an' I wuz with yer 
 an' we wuz both of us dyin' fur a drink, an' ther 
 wuz only one cup of water, yer should have it 
 it fur yerself. I wouldn't drink one drop of it. 
 Yer may set thet down sir as the truth, the 
 whole truth an' nothin' but ther truth, so help 
 yer bob, 'cordin' to the statoots made and pur- 
 vided." 
 
 " I know you are a good boy Sam, a brave boy, 
 and I like you very much. What I said had no 
 reference to your heart or your head, my boy. 
 I spoke metaphorically. I meant that some 
 
96 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 strange fate sends you seeking me at times 
 when when well, never mind." 
 
 " I kin kinder guess what's the matter, s.ir. 
 No offence, sir. I'll be more careful next time." 
 
 "All right," said Roland laughing ; "now I 
 will go up and have a look at this school of am- 
 bergris whales." 
 
 " There is the book. Sam," said Fanny, enter- 
 ing the saloon ; "but as I am going on deck I will 
 hand it to the Doctor myself." 
 
 ." What is the book? " asked Roland. 
 
 " It is a description of the habits of the sperm 
 whale, the fish from which ambergris is obtained. 
 It is one of your own books taken from the sa- 
 loon library here." 
 
 "O yes I remember it. I had it years ago, 
 when I first began my investigation of the habits 
 of the sperm whale. Well, let us go on deck 
 and see these monsters. Sam send the cook to 
 me." 
 
 " Yes sir." 
 
 Roland and Fanny went on deck and found 
 that they were too late to see the whales ; the 
 night had grown suddenly as black as Erebus. 
 The wind was freshening every moment ; the 
 gaff topsails had been clued up and men were 
 aloft furling them. 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 97 
 
 The spray was beginning to dash over the ves- 
 sel and the sea was rapidly rising, the low 
 grumbling of distant thunder could be heard and 
 occasional flashes of lightning illumined the hea- 
 vens and revealed the angry tossing of the 
 sea. 
 
 "We are on the eve of a tempest," said Cap- 
 tain. Bracebridge ; " but we have a splendid 
 boat. Just notice how easily she rises to the 
 sea." 
 
 " She rides the waves Captain like a swan," 
 said the sailing master. 
 
 " She rides so easily," said Roland ; " that I 
 had scarcely noticed when below that there" was 
 any change in the weather." 
 
 " It has come on gradually," said the sailing 
 master; "the barometer is falling and I am in 
 expectation of having a wild night." 
 
 " No doubt of it," said Captain Bracebridge, 
 "Fanny, my love, you had better go below. 
 Those of us who are of no use, but only in the 
 way on deck, will go to the grand saloon and 
 enjoy ourselves there ; it is snug enough below," 
 
 " That is a proposition upon which I look 
 with much favor," said the lawyer. 
 
 "Eet ees exactly accordinr to my views," 
 said the naturalist. 
 
98 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 " And as I have just given the cook instruc- 
 tions to bring to the grand saloon such materials 
 as will be likely to increase the comforts below 
 I accede to the proposition with pleasure. Will 
 you take my arm Miss Bracebridge ? " 
 
 So said Roland. 
 
 " Thank you," said Fanny, as she took Ro- 
 land's arm and the party took their way below. 
 
 At that instant there was a terriffic peal of 
 thunder almost over their heads accompanied by 
 a blinding flash of lightning, which lighted up 
 the ocean to the horizon and revealed 1'or an in- 
 stant a large vessel to windward of the Star of 
 the Sea. 
 
 " Sail ho ! " shouted the lookout. 
 
 This cry caused Roland and Captain Brace- 
 bridge to return to the deck. 
 
 "Whereaway?" asked Roland. 
 
 " To windward sir," answered the sailing 
 master. 
 
 " How is she headed ? " 
 
 " On the opposite tack." 
 
 "Shall we have a chance of speaking her ? " 
 
 " I think so. If the wind increases much 
 more she will probably lay to : I am about to lay 
 our vessel to under a forestaysail and double 
 reefed foresail." 
 
AMBEEGEIS ISLAND. 99 
 
 " Allow me to say Mr. Hardman," observed 
 Captain Bracebridge ; " that if you had asked 
 my advice as to what to do I would have ad- 
 vised you precisely as you are going to do." 
 
 " Thank you," said Hardman. 
 
 So the Star of the Sea was laid to the wind 
 and her safety confided to the keeping of Dan 
 Maguiness the lieutenant of the watch, the sail- 
 ing master accompanying Roland and Captain 
 Bracebridge below at the former's request. 
 
100 AMBEEGKIS ISLAND. 
 
 CHAPTER THIRTEENTH. 
 
 THE PHANTOM SHIP. 
 
 The thunder roared, the lightning flashed, the 
 wind blew and the waves tossed high their 
 frothy crests. 
 
 But the Star of the Sea rode the waters like 
 a swan as the sailing master had said, and al- 
 though the force of the wind lashed the waves 
 into fury and the Star of the Sea sunk into deep 
 hollows and rose on mountainous swells she 
 shipped very little water. 
 
 Every flash of lightning revealed the ship to 
 windward in the same position. But an extra- 
 ordinary circumstance connected with her was 
 that she was carrying all sails even to studding 
 sails, while the Star of the Sea had only a small 
 rag of the foresail set, and even that small piece 
 of sail was sufficient to lay the vessel's lee side 
 deep down in the water when she rose on the 
 crest of of a wave. 
 
 " The most extraordinary thing I ever knew," 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 101 
 
 said Dan Maguiness, the lieutenant of the 
 watch. 
 
 Down in the grand saloon the party gathered 
 there were enjoying themselves hugely. 
 
 Various kinds of refreshments were on the 
 table in abundance. Steadfast Peters and Sam 
 dressed in white jackets and pants and each with 
 a white napkin over his arm, looking for all the 
 world like summer hotel waiters, were moving 
 to and fro supplying refreshments to the com- 
 pany and enjoying a private bite themselves oc- 
 casionalty. 
 
 " Dis is better dan blacking boots in Court 
 Square, Boston," said the cook to Sam as the lat- 
 ter busied himself in putting a plate of canned 
 peaches where they would do the most good. 
 
 " Yer bet," replied Sam seritentiously. 
 
 " Yo' didn't have any trouble wid indisgeshun 
 at dat time ? " said the cook interrogatively. 
 
 " No siree bob ; had very little to digest." 
 
 "Who cooked yer meals for yo' den? " asked 
 the cook. 
 
 " Used to take my breakfast at Young's," said 
 Sam with a wink, " dinner at Parker's and sup- 
 per at the Brunswick." 
 
 " You lived high den." 
 
102 AMREEGR1S ISLAND. 
 
 " Yes," said Sam ; "used to okkerpy a fust 
 floor attic on North Street." 
 
 " Now yo' is cabin boy ob de Star ob de Sea 
 an' hab a nice cabin fo' yo'self. Yo' is gettin' 
 up in de world, 3-0' is." 
 
 "I should a bin pretty well down in the world 
 now but for you, old feller," said Sam, giving 
 the cook a grateful look. 
 
 " Dat ar shark wuz bound to make a meal of 
 yo'," rejoined the cook with a laugh. 
 
 " But he didn't calkerlate on gittin' a taste of 
 yer carvin' knife, old feller, eh ? that settled his 
 hash, yer bet." 
 
 " I guess dat ar shark wuz mighty surprised 
 when he feel dat carbin knife ticklin' him," 
 laughed old Sted. " I lamed dat ar trick frum 
 de San'wich Islanders ten y'ars ago." 
 
 " You must larn it to me sometime." 
 
 " I will my boy, fo' yo've got de pluck to go 
 into de business." 
 
 " Can't some one sing a real sailor song ? " 
 said Lawyer Hopkins, interrupting the conver- 
 sation which was going on among the party in 
 the saloon. 
 
 " I will try and sing you one," said Fred 
 Hardman, after a pause, no other person having 
 volunteered. 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 103 
 
 " Ah ! ver good ; ver good," said the natural- 
 ist, rubbing his hands, " sea songs are full of 
 de enthusiasm stir de blood yees, yees let 
 us have de song." 
 
 " With pleasure," said the sailing master 
 " though like most sea ballads, there is less at- 
 tention given to poetry than to spinning out a 
 yarn in its construction. It is called 
 
 THE PHANTOM SHIP. 
 
 A Yankee ship and a Yankee crew, 
 
 Once sailed from Boston Bay; 
 Around Good Hope and to the east, 
 
 This good ship took her way. 
 The captain he had sworn an oath, 
 
 To sail the ocean blue, 
 Until he saw the Phantom Ship 
 
 And Vanderdecken too. 
 
 This Yankee captain sailed the sea 
 
 From Boston to Japan, 
 Then south again, and east across 
 
 The South Pacific ran, 
 But never met the Dutchman's craft 
 
 And then he swore anew, 
 That till he found the Phantom Ship, 
 
 He'd sail the ocean blue. 
 
 And years went by, but still he sailed 
 
 Each ocean o'er and o'er, 
 And when his crew wished to return 
 
 The captain only swore 
 
104 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 That till he saw the Phantom Ship, 
 
 The ocean he would roam 
 And throw the first man overboard 
 
 Who talked of sailing home. 
 
 One day a homesick sailor said 
 
 " 'Tis time this cruise was o'er , 
 I'm tired of sailing on the sea 
 
 And long to be on shore." 
 The captain heard these words and straight 
 
 Into a passion flew ; 
 He seized the man, and with an oath 
 
 Him overboard he threw. 
 
 That night an awful tempest rose, 
 
 And loud the thunder roared ; 
 The Phantom Ship appeared in view 
 
 And sent a boat on board ; 
 Old Vauderdecken climbed the side, 
 
 His hair all drenched with spray ; 
 He seized the captain by the arm, 
 
 And this to him did say : 
 
 "You heard a seaman say to-day 
 
 He longed to sail for home 
 And then you threw him overboard 
 
 Into the ocean's foam. 
 For this most cruel act I swear 
 
 Henceforth and ever more 
 You'll sail a phantom ship like me 
 
 And ne'er return to shore. 
 
 Unless you find the body of 
 The hapless man you drowned 
 
 The South Pacific till that time 
 Shall be your cruising ground." 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 105 
 
 Then Vanderclecken left the ship, 
 
 And rowed into the night ; 
 The Phantom ship spread all her sails 
 
 And vanished soon from sight. 
 
 And ever from that hour they say 
 
 The captain cruises round 
 The South Pacific looking for 
 
 The hapless man he drowned. 
 In storms his ship appears in view, 
 
 All sail spread to the breeze, 
 When other vessels scarce can live 
 
 Amidst the foaming seas. 
 
 " Quite an interesting story," said the lawyer, 
 "but nobody believes in phantom ships any 
 more than in ghosts." 
 
 "Fve seen a phantom ship," said Captain 
 Bracebridge. 
 
 " So have I," said Fanny ; " and perhaps it 
 was the ship of your Yankee captain Mr. Hard- 
 man." 
 
 "Indeed ; where did you see it ? " 
 
 " In the South Pacific." 
 
 " Then it must have been the ship of the Yan- 
 kee captain, for Vanderdecken's cruising ground 
 is off the Cape of Good Hope, I believe." 
 
 " Yes," said Captain Bracebridge, with a 
 smile ; " it must have been the Yankee captain 
 I will tell you about it." 
 
106 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 At this moment Dan Maguiness the lieuten- 
 ant of the first watch, who had just been re- 
 lieved from duty, the second watch having gone 
 on deck, it being now a few minutes after mid- 
 night, entered the saloon and addressing Roland 
 said 
 
 " I can't make out what that vessel is to wind- 
 ward sir; it is blowing a gale; we are under 
 a close reefed foresail, but the ship to windward, 
 and she is a full rigged craft, has everything set 
 even to royal stun'sails, and what is more extra- 
 ordinary than all, she doesn't seem to move a 
 yard from the spot where she was first seen." 
 
 " It must be the Yankee captain," said Ro- 
 land laughing ; "we're on his cruising ground." 
 
 " I'm puzzled about it sir ; and, what is also 
 very strange, although the clouds have lifted 
 and the ship could be discerned with the glass, 
 she is never to be seen except during a flash of 
 of lightning." 
 
 " That's very strange," said the lawyer. 
 
 44 Two or three times the moon has shot down 
 a ray through a rift in the clouds on the very 
 spot, but there is no ship there. Then when a 
 flash of lightning comes, there she is holding 
 gallantly on, with everything drawing, and look- 
 ing a picture of beauty." 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 107 
 
 "We must see this," said Roland, as he rose. 
 
 " Is it safe to go on deck ? " asked the lawyer. 
 
 " If you. hold on to something it is safe to be 
 on deck at almost any time," said Fanny laughing; 
 " except when the vessel is attacked by a sea 
 serpent. I am going on deck to see the Phan- 
 tom Ship." 
 
 " Then if you go I will go," said the lawyer. 
 
 " Den eet ees safe for me too," said the nat- 
 uralist ; " and I haf de curiosity to see dis Phan- 
 tom Ship." 
 
 They went on deck, but all was dark. The 
 clouds, however, had broken, and an occasional 
 gleam of moonlight shot down upon the sea. 
 
 Suddenly there was a flash of lightning, and, 
 sure enough, at a short distance, was seen a 
 noble looking vessel with all sail set, a perfect 
 cloud of canvass, and presenting, as Dan Ma- 
 guiness had said, a picture of beauty. 
 
 " A Phantom Ship," said Roland ; "by heaven, 
 it is a Phantom Ship ; no vessel could carry so 
 much sail as that in a gale of wind like this ! " 
 
 "If that vessel had our breeze," said the sail- 
 ing master, "she would be under double reefed 
 topsails." 
 
 The utmost consternation prevailed among 
 
108 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 the crew forward. Although relieved from duty 
 the first watch had not gone below, but stood 
 waiting fearfully for each flash of lightning that 
 revealed to their wondering gaze such a sight as 
 a vessel only a short distance from them with all 
 sail set and scarcely bending to the gale which 
 blew so furiously. 
 
 " That ship is manned by no living beings," 
 said Bill Jones the boatswain. 
 
 " I saw skeletons in her rigging." said George 
 Harris the carpenter. 
 
 " She is a regular Banshee of a ship, sure," 
 said Pat McCarthy. 
 
 "She'll bring us some dom bad luck," said 
 Andrew Dunn. 
 
 " We're a-goin' to have a worse gale nor 
 this," said John Dixon ; "you mark my words, 
 mates. That ship '11 bring us bad luck. They 
 always do. I never saw one afore, but I've heard 
 of 'em, and of the bad luck they bring." 
 
 The wind was now beginning to decrease in 
 force. 
 
 " The gale has spent itself," said Captain 
 Bracebridge ; "the moon will come out directly 
 and-our Yankee captain wont be seen." 
 
 It was as Captain Bracebridge had said. The 
 
AMBEKGEIS ISLAND. 109 
 
 wind went gradually down ; the flashes of light- 
 ning ceased. Soon the clouds broke entirely 
 and scattered and no ship was to be seen any- 
 where on the moonlit sea. 
 
110 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 CHAPTER FOURTEENTH. 
 
 THAT BOY SAM AGAIN. 
 
 " Good heavens ! " exclaimed Roland ; "what 
 an extraordinary thing ! " 
 
 " Wonderful ! " exclaimed the lawyer. 
 
 " Where could that ship go ?" Sam asked, ad- 
 dressing the cook. 
 
 "Dat wa'nt a ship ; dat was a phantom a 
 ghost. I seen him befo'." 
 
 " You have ? " 
 
 " Yes my boy ; you kin make up yo' mind dat 
 I has seen ebberyting on de sea." 
 
 " But how could yer see a ship, ef she- wa'nt 
 there ? that's the question that comes before the 
 house, 'cordin' to the statoots made and pur- 
 vided." 
 
 " Yo' seen her shadder, dat's all. Dat yer 
 ship wuz a sailin' in some odder ocean an' de 
 play ob de lightning on de clouds showed her 
 reflection." 
 
AMBEEGRIS ISLAND. Ill 
 
 The explanation the cook was giving Sam, 
 Captain Bracebridge was giving the party, aft, 
 but in a more scientific manner ; the cause of 
 the apparition was somewhat similar, the Cap- 
 tain was showing, to that which produces the 
 mirage in certain portions of the United States. 
 
 Dr. Vandenhoffer confirmed the Captain's 
 theory some days later, by a learned disquisi- 
 tion on the subject and the minds of the crew 
 were set at rest in regard to the Phantom Ship. 
 
 No more exciting events occurred for several 
 days. The time passed pleasantly enough, how- 
 ever, in reading and conversation on deck dur- 
 ing the day and with theatrical entertainments 
 in the grand saloon in the evening. 
 
 Dr. Vandenhoffer was a remarkably fine 
 player on the organ, and frequently entertained 
 the company with organ recitals. 
 
 The cook too contributed considerably to the 
 amusement of the party, and especially to the 
 pleasure of the crew, with his violin. 
 
 Going forward of an evening he would play 
 some lively tunes and the crew would enjoy 
 themselves in dancing. 
 
 Sam could give a song and dance like a pro- 
 fessional variety artist, and had given himself 
 
112 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 
 
 enthusiastically up to this business, the roll of 
 the vessel preventing him from carrying on his 
 old practice of standing on his head. 
 
 Altogether our voyagers felt the time pass 
 pleasantly enough, and every day was bringing 
 them nearer to that part of the South Pacific 
 where the ambergris island was said to be located. 
 
 Roland once more found an opportunity to 
 speak to Fanny alone. 
 
 Going into the grand saloon one day, after 
 lunch, in search of a book from the library, he 
 found Fanny seated at the organ practising some 
 of the naturalist's pieces. 
 
 She looked up at him with a bright smile. 
 
 Roland knew that all the others were on deck 
 and there was little danger of interruption from 
 any one, Sam being engaged in his usual after- 
 lunch employment of assisting Steadfast Peters 
 to wash dishes, so he resolved to make use of 
 the opportunity and declare his love for Fanny. 
 
 He took a seat beside her and the young lady 
 evidently knew what was coming, for she mani- 
 fested some agitation and made several discords. 
 
 " Fanny," said Roland. 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 " Twice I have tried to to tell you something 
 
AMBEUGKIS ISLAND. 113 
 
 that is on my mind and twice I have been inter- 
 rupted at the very moment when I was about to 
 make you acquainted with when I was about 
 to tell you " 
 
 Roland faltered. This was his first attempt 
 at a declaration of love and he felt the task 
 much harder than he expected. The young 
 lady's apparent self-possession threw him into 
 confusion. His heart palpitated, his cheeks 
 burned and his tongue, for the moment, refused 
 to do its office. 
 
 " At any rate you are very persevering," said 
 Fanny " and you will yet succeed, I am sure, in 
 letting me know what troubles you," and she 
 gave him a sidelong glance, and, what any other 
 but a young man deeply in love, would have 
 seen was an encouraging smile. 
 
 " O, Fanny can't you see," said Roland des- 
 perately. 
 
 "All I can see," said Fanny, laughing and 
 looking towards the door, u is Sam." 
 
 Roland turned and there again was his tor- 
 
 O 
 
 mentor with his mouth wide open as if about to 
 speak. 
 
 "Great heavens!" exclaimed Roland, "if it 
 isn't that that young scoundrel again ! " 
 
114 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 "I couldn't help it, sir! I couldn't! the Kepting 
 sent me sir fur its here at last sir, its here " 
 
 "What's here? " demanded Roland. 
 
 "The lump o' grease island ! " 
 
 "The ambergris island!" cried Roland; 
 " hurrah ! hurrah ! " 
 
 And without a look at Fanny he dashed 
 through the saloon and sprang on deck. 
 
AMRERGK1S ISLAND. 
 
 CHAPTER FIFTEENTH. 
 
 THE AMBERGKIS ISLAND. 
 
 " Whereaway is it? " cried Roland excitedly. 
 
 "Somewhere to wind'ard," said Captain 
 Bracebridge. 
 
 " To wind'ard ; I don't see it," said Roland 
 looking in the direction referred to. 
 
 "O, it isn't in sight yet," said the Captain. 
 
 " Isn't in sight yet," echoed Roland ; "then 
 how do you know it is to wind'ard ? " 
 
 " By the odor in the air. Don't you smell 
 anything ? " 
 
 " I do," said Fanny ; " we are near the am- 
 bergris island ; I know the odor well." 
 
 "I do detect a peculiar perfume," said Ro- 
 land, sniffing the breeze. 
 
 " That is the odor of ambergris," said Captain 
 Bracebridge ; " the island is some leagues to 
 wind'ard." 
 
 " Then we have passed it ? " 
 
116 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 " No ; the wind has hauled considerably, but 
 we may still fetch the island on this tack, for 
 the Star of the Sea makes good weathering in a 
 breeze like this." 
 
 " Let her be hauled close up then and spread 
 every stitch of canvass we have and we may 
 sight the island before night." 
 
 " Ay, ay, sir," said the sailing master ; "for- 
 ward, there ! sheets home ! " 
 
 The Star of the Sea was hauled close to the 
 wind and with a spanking breeze she bowled 
 along at a rapid pace. 
 
 About four o'clock in the afternoon the look- 
 out at the fore crosstrees shouted 
 
 "Land ho!" 
 
 " Whereaway ? " cried Roland, who was on 
 deck. 
 
 " On the weather bow, sir." 
 
 Roland ascended to the fore crosstrees with a 
 glass and satisfied himself that the man was not 
 mistaken. Land was plainly to be seen, and oi 
 considerable extent. Moreover it loomed well 
 out of the water and was evidently high or hillj 
 land. 
 
 The odor of ambergris was becoming all this 
 'time more and more discernible and there coulc 
 
AMBEEGEIS ISLAND. 117 
 
 scarcely be any doubt that this was the mysteri- 
 ous ambegris island, so much talked of by sea- 
 men the el dorado of whaling men. 
 
 Shortly before sunset the island was revealed 
 plainly to the view of the naked eye and with 
 the glass it could be seen that it was no barren 
 island, but an island, fertile with forest and, 
 meadow, and its surface diversified with hill and 
 dale. 
 
 " Breakers ahead ! " shouted the lookout. 
 
 ''Breakers on the weather bow, breakers on 
 the lee bow, breakers as far as the eye can reach; 
 " added Roland who was at the fore crosstrees 
 with his glass. 
 
 "Then this is certainly the ambergris island," 
 said Captain Bracebridge to the naturalist, "for 
 the island is said to be fenced in by a coraline or 
 volcanic wall of considerable extent, and inside 
 of that there is a circle of smooth water about 
 seven miles wide surrounding the island. There 
 is a passage somewhere through this surround- 
 ing reef and where it is we will have to find out. 
 I would advise," the Captain continued, address- 
 ing Roland, who had descended to the deck, "to 
 run to leeward of the island for the night, 
 where we will have the water smooth and where 
 there will be no risk of our running on the reef 
 
118 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 and in the morning \ve can get out the boats 
 and start out on a search for an entrance 
 through the reef to the smooth water." 
 
 The vessel was run to the leeward of the 
 island pursuant to the Captain's advice, and af- 
 ter the sun went down and darkness fell, which 
 was almost immediately, the watch was set and 
 every person who was off duty was invited to 
 the grand saloon where Roland had ordered re- 
 freshments to be served and where the evening 
 was devoted to festivity, in honor of their hav- 
 reached the island. 
 
 To the lookout, who had first seen the land, 
 Roland presented an elegant gold wateh and 
 chain, which he had purchased in Boston, imme- 
 diately before starting on the voyage, for this 
 object. 
 
 The lucky and happy recipient was Pat Mc- 
 Carthy. 
 
 "It's a lucky man I am begor," said Pat as he 
 put the watch in his pocket ; " an' I'd be willin' 
 to discover a dozen of islands a day at the same 
 price, so I would." 
 
 "I have its mate for the man who first gives 
 me tidings of my father, and five hundred dol- 
 lars besides," said Roland. 
 
 " Nobody kin git that there watch an' five 
 
AMBEEGKIS ISLAND. 119 
 
 hundred dollars 'cept the man what it's designed 
 fur," said Sam to the cook ; "What's to be is to 
 be, 'cordin' to the statoots made and purvided." 
 
 " Den I s'pose if we's got to be wrecked on 
 this island we's got to be wrecked," said the 
 cook 
 
 " Sure and sartin," said Sam. 
 
 "Well, s'pose I say, Sam you take dat ar 
 peach pie an' go an' eat it somewhere out on de 
 cabin stairs ! " 
 
 " It has got to be," said Sam as he picked up 
 the pie. 
 
 "An' s'pose I say, Sam you jest putdar ar pie 
 down dar, or 111 break your head fo' yo' wid 
 dis can ob strawberries?" 
 
 "It has not ter be, fur I'm a-goin'to get out 
 with this pie." 
 
 So saying, Sam darted out of the saloon. 
 
 " Dat arSam am a smart boy," said the cook 
 to himself, as he mixed a bowl of punch for the 
 sailors to whom Roland had ordered it to be 
 served. 
 
 " I think this must be an excellent fishing 
 ground," said Lawyer Hopkins, entering the sa- 
 loon, having gone on deck to satisfy himself 
 that there was no danger of the vessel being 
 dashed ashore ; " the water is alive with fish of 
 
120 AMBERGKIS ISLAND. 
 
 all kinds large and small. Several monstrous 
 whales have come to the surface to breathe, 
 close alongside of the ship." 
 
 At this moment one of the sailors of the watch 
 appeared at the door of the saloon. 
 
 u If you please sir," he said, addressing Ro- 
 land ; " lieutenant Macpherson sent me down to 
 say that the sea is milk white." 
 
 The party in the saloon hastened on deck and 
 to their wonder they saw that what the sailor 
 had- stated was true. As far as the surface of 
 the sea could be seen from the vessel it was 
 like milk. 
 
 " Wonderful ! " exclaimed the lawyer. 
 
 " I never saw anything like this before," said 
 Captain Bracebridge ; " though I have heard of 
 the Milk Sea." 
 
 "Dees ees not de region of de "Milk Sea," said 
 the naturalist ; " de Milk Sea is on de coast of 
 Papua or New Guinea. Dees ees not de milk 
 water. Dees ees animalculae. Millions ! bil- 
 lions ! trillions ! more, more, by far, of animal- 
 cuse leetle fishes make de sea white 
 draw a bucket of water you vill see." 
 
 A bucket of water was drawn, a light brought 
 and by the aid of a common magnifying glass it 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 121 
 
 could be seen that the water was alive with tiny 
 moving creatures. 
 
 " Still it is wonderful," said the lawyer. 
 
 "Voonderful! " exclaimed the naturalist; u yees 
 sir ; all nature von vonder immense ver 
 great vonder vast." 
 
 At this moment there was a sound as if a lo- 
 comotive was blowing off steam alongside. 
 
 " The ambergris whale ! " cried Captain Brace- 
 bridge, as a large black mass moved slowly past 
 the vessel, its surface glistening under the lights 
 that threw their rays across the water from the 
 rigging. 
 
 "We have reached Wonderland," said the law- 
 yer, as the whale was followed by another of 
 equal size. 
 
 " Wonder-sea, you mean," said Fanny, laugh- 
 ing. 
 
 "You are right Miss Bracebridge," said the 
 lawyer ; " but if we succeed in getting ashore 
 to-morrow, we may find it Wonderland." 
 
 " And I have no doubt we will," said Captain 
 Bracebridge ; " but, hush I what is that ? " 
 
 A sound was heard like that caused by the 
 fall of a heavy rain shower on the water, but 
 there was not a cloud in the sky. 
 
122 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 " It cannot be rain ? " said Roland. 
 
 "It is not rain," said the sailing master; "it 
 is the play of a school of fish. I have heard it 
 before in the North Sea, it is caused by millions 
 of small fish playing on the surface of the water. 
 Mr. Hopkins is right in saying that this is an ex- 
 cellent fishing ground. I think it must be a 
 kind of fish hospital, or at least, a fish rendez- 
 vous of some kind." 
 
 " I wonder if it's a rendyvoo fur sharks ? " 
 said Sam to the cook. 
 
 Scarcely were the words spoken before a 
 dozen of huge shark fins were seen in the glare 
 of the starboard light. 
 
 Sam shuddered. He had not forgotten his 
 narrow escape. 
 
 " There would be little hope for anybody who 
 should fall overboard here tonight," said Roland, 
 whose quick eye had caught sight of these vo- 
 racious monsters of the deep. 
 
 " Excepting old Sted.," said lieutenant Mac- 
 pherson ; " he could hew his way through a reef 
 of sharks." 
 
 " If yo' do de 'tackin' yo'self," said the cook ; 
 " dey will be 'fraid ob yo'. De shark am de 
 cowardliestest animal, when yo' show him fight, 
 
AMBEKGKIS ISLAND. 123 
 
 dat is in de ocean. De shark would turn tail to 
 de shrimp ef de shrimp wuz armed wid a re- 
 volver/' 
 
 The cook's description of the nature of the 
 shark was received with a burst of laughter. 
 
 " Have you noticed," said Captain Brace- 
 bridge i " that every one of these fish seem to 
 be going in the direction of the island? " 
 
 Before any one could reply there was another 
 blast alongside from a whale, but this time no 
 black 'mass was seen. 
 
 " Strange that he doesn't rise," said Mac- 
 pherson." 
 
 " But the sea seems to be rising above us," 
 said Roland, as what appeared to be a billow of 
 the milk white sea rose up alongside. But it 
 did not come towards the ship ; it moved slowly 
 along in the direction of the island. 
 
 " By heaven, it is a white whale ! " exclaimed 
 the sailing master. 
 
 It was indeed a milk white whale of gigantic . 
 size. As it disappeared the party regretted that 
 they had not seen it in the daylight. 
 
 " I expect," said the sailing master ; " that we 
 will see all kinds of fishes when we get into the 
 smooth water between the reef and the island. 
 I am almost certain that these fish are making 
 
124 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 for the smooth water inside of the reef. But 
 to-morrow will tell." 
 
 " Yes, to-morrow will tell," said Roland, as he 
 descended to his cabin. 
 
AMBEKGEIS ISLAND. 125 
 
 CHAPTER SIXTEENTH. 
 
 THE WONDERS SURROUNDING THE ISLAND. 
 
 With the first streak of daylight the Star of 
 the Sea was headed for the island. 
 
 The line of breakers was about five miles to 
 windward and the island perhaps eight or ten 
 miles further. 
 
 Within half a mile of the breakers the lead 
 line gave no bottom at 150 fathoms, and it was 
 concluded that the reef was like a wall. 
 
 The longboat and launch were hoisted out, 
 the former was in charge of Lieutenant Mac- 
 pherson and was rowed by six men among 
 whom were the carpenter and gunner. The 
 lawyer and naturalist were also in this boat. 
 
 The launch was in charge of the sailing mas- 
 ter. This boat contained Roland, Fanny, 
 Captain Bracebridge, Albert Marble, the sur- 
 geon and Sam, and was rowed by four men. 
 
 The longboat was to proceed to the right 
 along the line of breakers, the launch to the 
 
120 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 left. The boat which first discovered a pas- 
 sage through the line of breakers was to fire a 
 gun 
 
 The Star of the Sea was left in charge of 
 Lieutenant Dan Maguiness, the boatswain, the 
 cook and two seamen. Lieutenant Maguiness 
 was instructed to beat to windward in the track 
 of the launch. 
 
 About two hours after starting the distant re- 
 port of a gun announced that the longboat had 
 discovered a channel. 
 
 A signal was made by the launch to the Star 
 of the Sea which was standing outward on the 
 starboard tack. The vessel was put about and 
 the launch was rowed out to meet her. The 
 people in the launch were taken on board of 
 the vessel and she was run to leeward and 
 hauled to on the port tack and laid upon the 
 track of the longboat. 
 
 The breeze being light it was nearly an hour 
 before the Star of the Sea came up with the 
 longboat. 
 
 The latter was lying outside of the line of the 
 breakers. The boat was rowed out to meet the 
 vessel as she drew up. 
 
 " Have you discovered any passage ?" asked 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 127 
 
 Roland, as the boat came alongside ; "we don't 
 see any." 
 
 "Yes sir,'' said Lieutenant Macpherson, "we 
 have discovered a passage ; it is very narrow, 
 not more than sixty feet wide, but it is deep 
 and runs right through to the smooth water. I 
 have sounded it clear to the inside of the reef, 
 unless we can find a wider passage somewhere 
 we will have to tow the vessel through with the 
 boats. 
 
 "It is needless seeking for a wider passage," 
 said Captain Bracebridge ; "this island has al- 
 ways been regarded as inaccessible on account of 
 the surrounding reef and if the lieutenant has 
 discovered a passage, at all, we are lucky." 
 
 "Then let us have the vessel towed through 
 at once," said Roland ; "the breeze is light and 
 we may not soon find such a favorable opportu- 
 nity as the present." 
 
 A fresh crew was put on board the launch, 
 the vessel's sails were furled, and the boats tak- 
 ing her in tow headed for the line of breakers. 
 
 As the vessel neared the reef the opening ap- 
 peared. It was very narrow but although the 
 waves broke furiously on each side of it, the 
 
128 AMBERGEIS ISLAND. 
 
 water in the passage was as smooth as the sur- 
 face of a pond. 
 
 About one hundred yards from the entrance 
 the passage widened and it continued to widen 
 until there was a space of fully half a mile be- 
 tween the two lines of broken water. 
 
 Sail was now hoisted upon the vessel and the 
 men in the boats ceased their arduous task of 
 rowing and instead of towing the vessel were 
 taken in tow by her. 
 
 The reef, it was seen, was about a mile and 
 a quarter wide. Upon the reef the waves were 
 churned into a yeasty foam ; but inside of the 
 reef there was a beautiful stretch of smooth 
 blue water, six or seven miles wide, apparently 
 encircling the island. 
 
 O 
 
 "All the fleets in the world intent anchor 
 
 O 
 
 here in safety" said Dan Maguiness. 
 
 "Provided they could get in," said Roland. 
 
 "Yes," said the sailing master; "if there is 
 no larger passage than the one through which 
 we have come, it would be almost impossible 
 for any larger vessel than ours to find shelter 
 in this magnificent haven." 
 
 The vessel was now headed for the island and 
 
AMBEKGEIS ISLAND. 129 
 
 as she approached its shores vast numbers of all 
 kinds of fish were seen. 
 
 Immense whales were observed on every 
 hand, and among them one milk white, prob- 
 ably the one seen on the previous evening. 
 
 Sharks, sword fish, dolphins, porpoises and 
 similar fish were in vast numbers and one spe- 
 cies of fish was seen of the porpoise kind with 
 a large fin on its back shaped like the jib of a 
 ship. The fin rose from the back of the fish 
 fully six feet. These fish were in pairs and went 
 through the water with great rapidity. 
 
 "That's a singular looking fish," said the law- 
 yer, referring to the fish just described. 
 
 "That is what is called the topsail-yarder," 
 said Captain Brace bri dge ; "it is a kind of 
 porpoise." 
 
 "The milk sea again," s?id Roland, as the 
 chooner entered a patch of milk-white water. 
 
 After leaving the white patch behind them the 
 sea suddenly became as red as blood. 
 
 "I should call this the blood sea,' ' said Fanny. 
 
 "What is the cause of this, Doctor?" said 
 Roland addressing the naturalist. 
 
 "Same as de milk sea animalculae Dees 
 
180 AMBEBGBIS ISLAND. 
 
 ees whale food fish food food for all kinds of 
 fishes eet ees spawn of Crustacea." 
 
 "The sea is like blood. If we hadn't a scien- 
 tific man on board to explain the causes of the 
 many wonders that have greeted the eye of late 
 we might regard these appearances as omens of 
 coming disaster," said the lawyer. 
 
 "All tings can be explained," said the nat- 
 uralist. 
 
 "I wish," said Roland to himself; "that he 
 could explain why it is that Sam always comes 
 upon me when I am in the act of making known 
 to Fanny my love for her." 
 
 But as the naturalist did not hear this ques- 
 tion he did not volunteer any explanation. 
 
 "I guess," said Sam to the cook, as they 
 stood looking at the red water which the vessel 
 churned up under her bows: "I guess this is 
 where the red herrin's is caught." 
 
 "No," said the cook; "de red herrin's is 
 cotched in de Red Sea." 
 
 "Where is the blue-fish caught then?" asked 
 Sam. 
 
 "In de deep blue ocean, ob course," said the 
 darkey. 
 
 "Yer gittin' kinder witty, old Sted." said 
 Sam. 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 131 
 
 . . 
 
 : An' de bass," pursued the cook, "is 
 cotched, ob course, in de sound." 
 
 "You see dat substance floating," said the 
 naturalist to the party aft, pointing to some 
 masses on the surface; "Dot is ambergris. 
 You shall be all reech reech millionaires, 
 eef dees vessel reaches home all right." 
 
 "Yes," said Captain Bracebridge ; "I expect 
 we shall find thousands of tons of it on the 
 shores of this island. What is that there by 
 heaven it is a woman swimming !" and the cap- 
 tain pointed to an object a short distance from 
 the vessel, which indeed looked like a woman 
 swimming in the water. 
 
 "It is a w T oman," said Roland excitedly, "man 
 one of the boats and go to her assistance. She 
 must belong to the island." 
 
 But before any action could be taken, the ob- 
 ject dived, showing the tail of a fish. 
 
 "A mermaid ! " exclaimed Fanny. 
 
 "It is indeed," said the lawyer; "I never 
 expected to see one." 
 
 "A sign of ill luck," said Macpherson ; "I 
 saw one in the Indian ocean once and we were 
 struck by a squall that night which laid the 
 
132 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 the ship on her beam ends, and we had to cut 
 away the masts before she righted." 
 
 "You came through it, nevertheless," said 
 Roland, smiling; "or you wouldn't have been 
 here." 
 
 "Yes," replied Macpherson ; " but it was 
 touch and go." 
 
 O 
 
 The vessel was now drawing near the shore. 
 Seals and sea lions were seen in large num- 
 bers sunning themselves upon the beach, and 
 the air and water were fairly alive with aquatic 
 birds. 
 
 The island seemed a perfect Paradise to the 
 eye. It was now the height of summer in 
 this part of the world, and the trees presented 
 a luxuriance of green foliage that was refresh- 
 ing to the gaze of people who had been months 
 upon the sea. 
 
 The Star of the Sea was run into a small 
 cove and anchored in fifteen fathoms of water, 
 being then not more than a hundred yards from 
 the beach, which was skirted by a strip of white 
 sand on which were observed vast masses of 
 ambergris. Above the sand was a strip of 
 shingle and a little further on vegetation began. 
 
 As soon as the vessel was moored, a party 
 
AMBEKGKIS ISLAND. 133 
 
 was made up to go on shore to explore the 
 island. 
 
 This party consisted of Roland, Captain 
 Bracebridge, Fanny, the naturalist and the 
 lawyer, the second lieutenant, the surgeon, the 
 cook and carpenter, four seamen and the cabin 
 boy. All of the party were supplied with 
 arms and ammunition, and even Fanny carried 
 a brace of pistols at her belt, while Sam, in 
 addition to a brace of pistols carried a cutlass, 
 which, from its size and weight, was an actual 
 embarrassment to him. 
 
 When the boat landed at the beach, two of 
 the seamen were left in charge of her, and the 
 party, on going up the strand, had actually to 
 pick their way among the wild fowl which ran 
 among their feet. 
 
 Some of the sea lions got out of the way at 
 their approach, but others took no notice of 
 them, as they lay lazily blinking in the sun. 
 
 Some of these, according to Dr. Vandenhoff- 
 er, were the largest of their species, and twice 
 as large as any ever seen in captivity. They 
 were furnished with enormous tusks, which 
 looked very formidable, but the creatures offered 
 the party no molestation. 
 
134 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 "Susan ! " exclaimed Sam, "look at them tur- 
 kles ! one of them would make enough of turkle 
 soup to last a hotel for a year." 
 
 A number of very large turtles were seen 
 making their way to the sea to get out of reach 
 of the party. 
 
 "Come, we mils' hab one of dem fo* dinner," 
 said the cook, intercepting an unusually large 
 one, which with Sam's assistance, he succeeded 
 in turning over on its back. 
 
 "Let 'im lie dar 'till we comes back," said 
 the cook; "he cant get away." 
 
 "Then we'll have turkle soup fur dinner?" 
 said Sam. 
 
 "Yes, my boy, an* yo' shall hab de largest 
 part ob him." responded the cook. 
 
 " D'ye mean it?" asked Sam. 
 
 " Yes, my boy, yo' shall hab de shell fo' your 
 part." and old Steadfast grinned. 
 
 On reaching that part of the island where 
 vegetation began, the party uttered various 
 exclamations of delight. Myriads of bright- 
 ly plumaged birds, among them birds of Para- 
 dise, flitted from branch to branch on the trees, 
 parrots screamed and monkeys chattered and 
 golden fruit hung in clusters from the branches. 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 135 
 
 An open space, covered with luxuriant grass 
 of the purest emerald, vhich looked like aA\ r ell 
 kept lawn, was gemmed with flowers of every 
 hue, and among these, innumerable butterflies 
 of every color, from a pure white to a flaming 
 crimson were seen fluttering. 
 
 The music of song birds filled the air and 
 the odor of flowers almost overpowered the 
 odor of the ambergris. 
 
 "A perfect Paradise!" exclaimed the law- 
 yer enthusiastically. 
 
 "A heaven on earth," said Captain Brace- 
 bridge. 
 
 Roland who was a little behind with Fanny 
 on his arm, whispered : 
 
 "Heaven is onty where love is." 
 
 Fanny blushed, and turning round said, with 
 an arch smile 
 
 "Remember, Sam is just behind you." 
 
 "O," said Roland, smiling ; " I shall circum- 
 vent Sam yet." 
 
 " But where is the naturalist?" said Fanny 
 looking around. 
 
 " There he is," said Roland pointing to the 
 open space, and, sure enough, there he was 
 
136 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 with his hat and coat off running around chas- 
 ing butterflies. 
 
 " The naturalist," added Roland, "has found 
 his el dorado. Many of these birds, butter- 
 flies, trees and fruits are probably unknown to 
 civilization and the Doctor will earn fame by 
 enriching the National Museum of Natural His- 
 tory with the specimens he undertook this 
 voyage to obtain." 
 
 At this moment there was a shout from the 
 party ahead. 
 
 "What is the matter?" asked Eoland. 
 
 " Evidences of civilization," said the sur- 
 geon, pointing to some objects at his feet, as 
 Fanny and Roland reached him. 
 
 "Evidences of civilization!" exclaimed the 
 lawyer. 
 
 " They are indeed," said Fanny. 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 137 
 
 CHAPTER SEVENTEENTH. 
 
 THE GRAVES ON THE HILL SIDE. 
 
 The evidences of civilization, to which the 
 surgeon called attention, were a tomato can and 
 an old rubber shoe. 
 
 And fewer better evidences that civilization 
 had reached the island before the advent of our 
 voyagers, could have been produced. 
 
 " There ain't no goats on this island," said 
 Sam, coming up. 
 
 " How do you make that out, Sam? " queried 
 Roland. 
 
 " 'Cause, sir, ef there wuz any goats on this 
 island that there tomato can and that there rub- 
 ber shoe would a bin devoured long ago." 
 
 This view of the matter caused a general 
 laugh. 
 
 " You believe, however," that these are signs 
 of civilization," said Fanny, "don't you Sam ? " 
 
 '' Yes, Miss, an' 111 tell you what is another 
 
138 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 sign of civilization, which I have seen on the 
 dumps alongside o' tomato cans an' old shoes, 
 ef yer wont be offended." 
 
 " Certainly not ; what is it Sam ? " 
 
 u A old hoopskirt, Miss." 
 
 This announcement was greeted with a roar 
 of laughter in which Fanny joined, although 
 she blushed. 
 
 "That's true," said Captain Bracebridge; 
 "for I have seen a goat wrestling with a hoop- 
 skirt myself when I have been ashore." 
 
 The party had now climbed a somewhat 
 abrupt acclivity and reached its summit. 
 
 Below them in the direction in which they 
 were going lay a beautiful valley, through 
 which meandered a silvery stream about one 
 hundred feet wide. On the other side of the 
 stream rising gradually, was another acclivity, 
 but this was entirely destitute of trees, and like 
 the other open space was studded with brightly 
 hued flowers. 
 
 But there was something else which caught 
 the eyes of the party something that caused 
 them to grow suddenly grave and to utter ex- 
 clamations of wonder. 
 
 Three objects met their eyes ; three white ob- 
 
AMBEEGEIS ISLAND. 139 
 
 jects that stood out in bold relief against the 
 green of the hill side. 
 These were the objects : 
 
 ttt 
 
 Sam had no sooner set his eyes on these than 
 he gave a shout and started down the hill side 
 to the stream. One of the sailors followed him, 
 and both ran as fast as they could. The sailor 
 was more accustomed to the deck than to run- 
 ning races on land, but he pressed Sam hard as 
 the two went down the hill together. 
 
 Sam arrived at the stream first. It was ap- 
 parent that it was shallow, for the cabin boy 
 sprang across it, the water scarcely coming to 
 his knees. 
 
 Once across the stream he slackened his pace 
 and looked behind him. The sailor, who was 
 John Dixon, was close upon his heels. 
 
 Sam increased his speed and the party won- 
 dered what could be the object of the race. 
 
 Roland was entirely mystified. Captain 
 Bracebridge could only ejaculate, " by the man 
 
140 AMBEBGKIS ISLAND. 
 
 that made lanterns ! " As for the lawyer, he 
 looked on in wonder, his eyes opened to their 
 widest extent. 
 
 Fanny, however, with a woman's quick wit, 
 fathomed the mystery, though she held her 
 peace. 
 
 She smiled and nodded her head and said 
 
 " I understand, I understand; Sam is a bright 
 boy, as well as a brave one." 
 
 " What do you mean ? " asked Roland. 
 
 " Sam will explain when he returns," she 
 said, " and though the sailor is a good man my 
 sympathies are naturally with Sam and I hope 
 he'll get it." 
 
 "You speak in riddles," said Roland. 
 
 " Well, look and see," said Fanny. 
 
 Sam had now reached the crosses on the hill 
 side ; he went from one to another examining 
 them attentively, then he turned in the direc- 
 tion of the party and came speeding towards 
 them like the wind. 
 
 The sailor also examined the crosses attentively 
 and then followed Sam running as fast as he 
 could. 
 
 Sam re-crossed the stream, rushed up the hill 
 and reached the party breathless. 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 141 
 
 "Five hundred dollars and a gold watch to the 
 fust what brings tidings of your father, ?" he 
 shouted rather than spoke to Roland. 
 
 " Yes, yes," said Roland eagerly, a light begin- 
 ning to dawn upon him. 
 
 " There," said Sam, pointing to the crosses 
 " there ! Sacred to the memory of Horace 
 Dana, fust mate of the Stormy Petrel, who died 
 May 9, 1871, erected by Captain Ralph Ranger. 
 I forgot the others 
 
 " He is right," said John Dixon, coming in 
 among the party, puffing like a porpoise ; " he 
 is right. I suspicioned the thing and tried to 
 get the prize ; he's won it and he's welcome to 
 it." 
 
 But Roland did not hear ; the whole thing had 
 flashed through his mind in a moment, and he 
 was now speeding towards the crosses as fast as 
 Sam and John Dixon had done. He seemed to 
 clear the stream at a bound and was running up 
 the opposite hill before the party had recovered 
 from their surprise. 
 
 " Ah ! " said Captain Bracebridge ; " I wish 
 I had such a son as that. Come let us follow 
 him." 
 
 When the party reached the stream Captain 
 
142 AMBERGEIS ISLAND. 
 
 Bracebridge took Fanny in his arms to carry her 
 across. 
 
 "So you wish you had such a son as Roland?" 
 whispered Fanny. 
 
 " Yes, but then I wouldn't give my daughter 
 for all the sons in the world." 
 
 " Then you don't feel bad because I am not 
 a boy?" 
 
 "Bless you what put that into your little 
 head ? no, I only meant that in addition to you 
 I would like to have a son like him." 
 
 "How would you like him as a son-in-law?" 
 asked Fanny blushing. 
 
 " Like him ! " exclaimed the Captain emphati- 
 cally ; " By the man that made lanterns ! I 
 would I would give him my blessing in two 
 minutes !" 
 
 " Then," said Fanny with a pretty blush ; "he 
 is quite anxious to propose I assure you." 
 
 " You think so ? " 
 
 " O I know it." 
 
 " And what do you think about it ? " 
 
 " Me ! I have no other wish than to please 
 you in such a matter." 
 
 " Come now, let's have no fooling," said the 
 Captain as he gave Fanny his arm to assist her 
 
AMBERGftlS ISLAND. 143 
 
 up the hill side ; " tell me honestly, do you like 
 him?" 
 
 " Well, I do, a little." 
 
 " That's enough. Give the boy some encour- 
 agement." 
 
 " I will, if Sam is agreeable." 
 
 " Sam ? " 
 
 " Yes, Sam seems to be the ruling spirit in 
 this matter." 
 
 " What the deuce do you mean, Fanny? " 
 
 "I will tell you some other time. But rest 
 assured that Sam has the whole thing in his 
 hands.'' 
 
 The}^ had now come up to the crosses. Ro- 
 land was standing before them with his arms 
 folded upon his breast and gravely examining 
 them. 
 
 The first was inscribed : 
 
 SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF HORACE DANA, 
 
 FIRST MATE OF THE BARQUE STORMY PETREL, 
 
 WHO DIED ON THIS ISLAND, 
 
 MAY 9, 1861. 
 ERECTED BY CAPTAIN RALPH RANGER. 
 
 The second was inscribed : 
 
144 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF WILLIAM PETERS, 
 
 HARPOONER OF THE STORMY PETREL, 
 
 WHO DIED ON THIS ISLAND, 
 
 DEC. 25, 1872. 
 ERECTED BY CAPTAIN RALPH RANGER. 
 
 The third was inscribed : 
 
 SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF JAMES FITZWALTER, 
 
 GREEN HAND OF THE STORMY PETREL, 
 
 WHO DIED ON THIS ISLAND, 
 
 APRIL 2G, 1873. 
 REQUIESCAT IN PACE. 
 
 " Sam was right," said Roland, as the party 
 reached him ; "here indeed is news of my father. 
 Sam you have gained the reward for the first 
 tidings of the Stormy Petrel. Dixon you shall 
 be rewarded as well. I am glad to think you 
 had so much thought for the object of the expe- 
 dition as to recognize at once in these pieces of 
 wood the hand of civilized man and to connect 
 them with my lather. I cannot fail to become 
 acquainted with his fate when I am surrounded 
 by people of so much intelligence. Dixon, you 
 shall have a gold watch and five hundred dol- 
 lars as well as Sam." 
 
 " Thank you, sir," said Dixon. 
 
 "An' I is glad ter kingratulaie yer, Mr. Dix- 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 145 
 
 ing," said Sam, " fur yer gave me a bully good 
 tussel." 
 
 " Heah is a heap of stones," said the cook, 
 who had been examining the ground in the vi- 
 cinity of the graves; "but dar don't seem to 
 have been nobody buried here." 
 
 " A cairn," said Captain Bracebridge. 
 
 " Ah ! " said Roland; "it may contain news. 
 Let us see. Sam, remove the stones carefully." 
 
 Sam did so and a cigar box was revealed to 
 view. 
 
 It was immediately opened and found to con- 
 tain a scrap of paper on which these words were 
 written in red pencil 
 
 " Beware of the ambergris island ! thirty 
 leagues south, south west Ralph Ranger, July, 
 1873." 
 
146 AMBEKGKIS ISLAND. 
 
 CHAPTER EIGHTEENTH. 
 
 A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE. 
 
 " Well," said Roland after a pause ; " what 
 does this mean?" 
 
 " There is no ambiguity about one part of it," 
 said the lawyer ; " it says, 'beware of the am- 
 bergris island.' ' : 
 
 " That's plain enough," said the surgeon. 
 
 " And why beware of it, I wonder," said Ro- 
 land looking around; "it is a beautiful place 
 and seems to be uninhabited." 
 
 " It may be sickly," said the lawyer. 
 
 " I dont think so," said the sailing master ; "I 
 could almost venture to say that this is a healthy 
 spot. The odor of ambergris may prove to be 
 disagreeable for a while, but one would get used 
 to that. The warning refers to something else. 
 I am not so sure that the island is not inhabited. 
 We do not know its extent, know nothing about 
 it, in fact, except that it has at some time 
 
AMBERGBIS ISLAND. 147 
 
 formed a shelter for the crew of the Stormy Pe- 
 trel. We must explore it to ascertain what 
 there is to beware of, and my advice is that we 
 sail around it in the Star of the Sea." 
 
 " Very good advice, too,'' said Captain Brace- 
 bridge. 
 
 " Advice which I am willing to follow/' said 
 Roland, " come let us return to the ship." 
 
 They descended the hill and crossed the 
 stream. 
 
 As they ascended the acclivity leading up 
 from the stream in the direction in which they 
 had come Roland said to the sailing master 
 
 " I wonder what thirty leagues south, south 
 west means ? " 
 
 u It means," said Fred Hardman as he halted 
 and looked at Roland, " that your father is 
 there." 
 
 "That is precisely my own thought Hard- 
 man," said Roland, " and there must be some 
 reason why my father could not say so plainly." 
 
 " That reason we will probably discover be- 
 fore we leave this island," said the sailing mas- 
 ter." 
 
 " I shall be glad if we do," said Roland. 
 
 On the way to the beach the party picked 
 
148 AMBERGEIS ISLAND. 
 
 some of the fruits that hung from the branches 
 of the trees. 
 
 Cocoa nuts were there in plenty and golden 
 bananas hung in rich luxuriance. 
 
 " Here's yer bananas/' shouted Sam ; " here's 
 yer bananas ; five cents apiece six for a quar- 
 ter." 
 
 When they had reached the open space where 
 they had left the naturalist, he could not be seen. 
 
 His coat and hat lay among the grass and 
 flowers, but the good natured face and bald 
 head and spectacles of the learned doctor were 
 nowhere visible. 
 
 "Perhaps he has followed us up and lost his 
 way," said Roland. 
 
 " Then, said Fanny, " we ought to shout for 
 him and let him know where we are. It would 
 be too bad if he should wander away into the 
 interior and became the prey of wild beasts." 
 
 " There are no wild beasts in these regions," 
 said the sailing master, " but we must let the 
 doctor know where we are nevertheless. Ahoy 
 there ! " he shouted, " Dr. Vandenhoffer, ahoy ! 
 we are returning to the ship." 
 
 But there was no response. 
 
 " Perhaps he has gone down to the boat with 
 
AMBEKGEIS ISLAND. 149 
 
 his specimens, with the intention of returning 
 for more," said Roland ; "Let us proceed." 
 
 They made their way through the trees and 
 on coming out on the beach looked around 
 them in wonder. 
 
 The ship had vanished. So had the boat. 
 
 Neither boat nor ship could be seen any 
 where. 
 
 The party gazed upon each other in amaze- 
 ment. 
 
 Could they believe their eyes. 
 
 Scarcely three hours had passed since they 
 left the Star of the Sea riding securely at anchor. 
 
 Now the vessel was nowhere to be seen. 
 
 Everything else was as before. The sea lions 
 sunned themselves upon the beach, wild fowl 
 flew around in clouds, fishes disported them- 
 selves in the water, which was as smooth and 
 unruffled as when they left it, but the ship, the 
 boat and those in charge of them, together with 
 the naturalist, had vanished. 
 
150 AMBEKGKIS ISLAND. 
 
 CHAPTER NINETEENTH. 
 
 " Good heavens ! " exclaimed Roland ; what 
 has become of the ship ! " 
 
 " She is gone ! " said the lawyer. 
 
 " An' I'll be blowed if the turkle ain't gone 
 too ! " said Sam, whose eyes were examining 
 the beach. 
 
 " Surely Macpherson would never think of 
 removing the ship to some other location with- 
 out instructions ? " said Roland. 
 
 " He is too good an officer for that," said Cap- 
 tain Bracebridge. 
 
 " He is indeed," said the sailing master ; 
 "moreover, the boat is gone. There is a mystery 
 here somewhere. 
 
 "What can have happened? " said the lawyer 
 as his eyes consulted the grave faces of the 
 party. 
 
 "Beware of the ambergris island," said Fan- 
 ny, as she crept nearer to her father ; " there 
 may be more in that warning than we think of." 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 151 
 
 " I'm sorry we lost the turkle anyhow," said 
 Sam to the cook. 
 
 " What's to be is to be," said the cook with a 
 grin. 
 
 Notwithstanding the peculiarity and gravity 
 of the situation Roland could not help smiling 
 at the manner in which the cook by this speech 
 turned the tables upon Sam. 
 
 " Well," said Captain Bracebridge ; " I vote 
 we sit down. It's no use crying over spilled 
 milk ; the ship's gone and the boat's gone aud 
 we are here. Has anybody got a flask ? " 
 
 Half a dozen flasks were handed out in a mo- 
 ment. 
 
 " Ah ! we're not short of supplies yet," laugh- 
 ed the Captain. 
 
 " I'd like to know what's become of the ship," 
 said Roland to himself, but in a tone loud enough 
 for all to hear. 
 
 " I'd like to know what's become of the natu- 
 ralist," said Fanny as she looked around. 
 
 " And I'd like to know what's become of thet 
 there turkle," said Sam addressing the cook. 
 
 " Yo' kin make yer dinner out ob bananas 
 an' cocoa nuts," said the cook. 
 
 " An' not a bad dinner nuther," said Sam ; 
 "though, in course, turkle soup would be better." 
 
152 AMBERGHIS ISLAND. 
 
 u It is apparent,'' said Captain Bracebridge ; 
 "that something very serious must have hap- 
 pened to the party left in charge of the schooner 
 and to the boat's crew. The only explanation I 
 can find of the mystery in my own mind is this 
 the island is inhabited probably by savages. 
 They saw the vessel come in, perhaps from 
 some elevated point of observation. Then they 
 manned their canoes and came around here. 
 Meanwhile we had gone on our tour of explo- 
 ration, and had got out of sight of the vessel be- 
 fore they reached her. They probably ap- 
 proached the vessel making signs of friendship 
 and after swarming on board either made pris- 
 oners of or massacred those in charge. The 
 boat's crew were probably surrounded, and the 
 naturalist, who was near, made prisoner with 
 them; then they weighed the schooner's anchor 
 and towed her around to some other part of the 
 island with their canoes. That's the way I 
 work it out. What do you think Mr. Hard- 
 man?" 
 
 " I think, Captain Bracebridge, that you have 
 given a very reasonable explanation of the 
 matter," replied the sailing master. 
 
 4 That don't show how the turkle went off, 
 tnough," said Sam to the cook. 
 
AMEEKGE1S ISLAND. 153 
 
 " We kin get plenty mo' turkles, Sam," an- 
 swered old Sted. 
 
 " But how am I ter get my gold watch an' 
 five hundred dollars, if we all get killed ? " 
 queried Sam. 
 
 " Bress yo' soul, I don' know," said the cook' 
 with a puzzled expression of countenance. 
 
 " What do you think we ought to do ? " asked 
 Roland, addressing Captain Bracebridge. 
 
 " Hold a council of war," was the reply. 
 
 " We may as well hold it at once then." 
 
 " The sooner the better. What do you ad- 
 vise Mr. Hardman? " 
 
 " I advise the taking of immediate steps to 
 recover the ship and those who were left in 
 charge of her if they are alive." 
 
 " That's business." 
 
 " That's my advice also," said Roland. 
 
 " And mine," said the second lieutenant. 
 
 " And mine," said the lawyer. 
 
 " We are pretty well armed," said Captain 
 Bracebridge. 
 
 " And we know how to use our revolvers," 
 said Roland. 
 
 " Then," said Fanny, taking part in the coun- 
 
154 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 cil ; " it only remains for us to find out where 
 the ship has been taken to." 
 
 " Precisely," said Roland ; " are you willing 
 men to make an attempt for the recovery of the 
 ship if we can find her?" 
 
 " Ay, ay, sir," was the prompt reply. 
 
 " Then I propose that we immediately pro- 
 ceed around the shore of the island and search 
 for her," said he. 
 
 The party was formed up in order, with Cap- 
 tain Bracebridge at the head. The Captain 
 had had a large experience among saA^ages in his 
 time and by common consent he was given the 
 command of the land expedition. 
 
 He nominated the sailing master as next in 
 command and then asked which direction they 
 ought to take. 
 
 " Proceed according to your own judgment," 
 said Roland. 
 
 " Very well then ; we will follow the course 
 of the sun ; that is to say, we will proceed to 
 the right and follow the shore of the island in 
 that direction." 
 
 " Before we start, let us give three cheers for 
 success," said the sailing master. 
 
 The cheers were given and the party started, 
 
AMBEKGEIS ISLAND. 155 
 
 Captain Bracebridge and the sailing master 
 leading the way, the second lieutenant next, the 
 crew following and Roland and Fanny bringing 
 up the rear. 
 
 " Our voyage is likely to prove somewhat ad- 
 venturous," said Fanny. 
 
 "I expected no less on starting out," said Ro- 
 land, "but I never contemplated losing the ship 
 in this way. I would not take it so much to 
 heart if the object of the expedition had been 
 accomplished. But if the ship is not recovered 
 ho\v can I continue my search for my father?" 
 
 " We must make the best of it," said Fanny 
 soothingly ; " everything may turn out right." 
 
 " I hope so," said Roland ; " but " 
 
 " There's a canoe ! " cried Sam. 
 
 "Where?" 
 
 " Roundin' that there point an' she's full of 
 niggers no, not niggers beg yer parding 
 old Sted. She's full of Wahoos." 
 
 Sam was right, a large canoe filled with 
 islanders had rounded the point and was now 
 making for the party. 
 
 " Look to your arms," said Captain Brace- 
 bridge. 
 
150 AMBERGKIS ISLAND. 
 
 CHAPTER TWENTIETH. 
 
 THE KING OP THE ISLAND. 
 
 The canoe approached rapidly. 
 
 As she neared, it was seen that a white man 
 occupied a place at the stern. 
 
 His face was strange and it was apparent that 
 he was not of the party of the Star of the Sea, 
 though he was dressed in sailor's costume. 
 
 " This may be one of my father's crew," said 
 Roland, as his eyes fell upon the white man. 
 
 " Very likely," said Captain Bracebridge ; 
 " but we are not going to be caught napping, 
 for all that. Ready all with your revolvers. If 
 the savages make any hostile demonstrations 
 fire when you get the word of command from 
 me and be sure of your aim when you fire." 
 
 The canoe now touched the beach, and the 
 white man springing lightly from his place at 
 the stern ran to her bow and jumped on shore. 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 157 
 
 He approached the party. 
 
 "Stand!" exclaimed Captain Bracebridge ; 
 " who are you ? " 
 
 " The man halted and said " 
 
 "I am the king of Ambergris Island! " 
 
 " The king of Ambergris Island," exclaimed 
 Roland. 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 "More canoes a-comin?" said Sam. 
 
 Half a dozen more canoes rounded the 
 point. Each was crowded with islanders. 
 
 "Yes," said the king of the island waving 
 his hand in the direction of the approaching ca- 
 noes ; " and more following them. My fleet is 
 large and well manned. It is true the vessels 
 of my navy are not iron-clads, but they are suffi- 
 cient for all purposes of defence. Yon coral 
 reefs," he added pointing to the white line of 
 breakers, scarcely discernible in the distance, 
 " are my batteries. They furnish a better de- 
 fence than the forts and heavy guns with which 
 civilized nations defend their harbors." 
 
 " You are not a native of the island ? " said 
 Captain Bracebridge. 
 
 " No ; I am an American ; or, rather, I was 
 an American. Now I am a South Sea Islander 
 and a king." 
 
158 AMBEEGEIS ISLAND. 
 
 " You seem to have a large number of sub- 
 jects too," said Roland, as half a dozen more ca- 
 noes hove in sight. 
 
 " Yes/' said the king somewhat proudly : 
 44 and loyal ones." 
 
 " You have seized our ship and those who 
 were left in charge of her ! " said Captain 
 Bracebridge. 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 " With what intentions ? " 
 
 44 That depends on circumstances." 
 
 " We haven't offered you any offence that I 
 am aware of." 
 
 " You have invaded my dominions." 
 
 " We had no idea that the place was inhab- 
 ited." 
 
 " But it is, you see." 
 
 " Yes, I see it is. But we had an important 
 purpose in view in coming here." 
 
 44 1 know ; you came here foi ambergris." 
 
 44 You are mistaken." 
 
 44 What ? didn't you come here for ambergris?" 
 
 44 We did not. We came here hoping to suc- 
 cor a ship-wrecked crew." 
 
 44 And was that really your object ? " 
 
 44 It was." 
 
 
 
 44 Your only object? " 
 
AMBEKGRIS ISLAND. 159 
 
 " Our only object." 
 
 " I am satisfied. Your story confirms that 
 told me by the officer left in charge of your ves- 
 sel. I am satisfied." 
 
 The king of the island turned, shouted some 
 words in a strange language and all the canoes 
 save the one in which he had come paddled 
 away back in the direction from which they ap- 
 proached. 
 
 " It was my intention," added the king, "to 
 make prisoners of you and destroy your ship if 
 your object in coming here was to search for 
 ambergris, but as you have come here on an er- 
 rand of mercy, you shall be my guests instead of 
 my prisoners. Your ship and those left in 
 charge of her are all right. The vessel is safely 
 moored in Paradise Cove just around the point 
 here. If you will get into the canoe you will 
 be rowed around to her in a few minutes 
 come " 
 
 So saying the king turned to lead the way to 
 the canoe. 
 
 " I don't like to show distrust of any one," 
 said Captain Bracebridge ; "but I would like to 
 ask you before we go on board of the canoe, if 
 you are honest in asking us to become your 
 
160 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 guests. Answer me as between man and man 
 do you mean well by us ? " 
 
 " I do," said the stranger ; " believe me I have 
 none but the kindest intentions in asking you to 
 go on board of the canoe. You are armed ? 
 keep your arms. Have them ready. If you 
 are assailed, use them. Are you satisfied?" 
 
 " Perfectly ; go ahead." 
 
 The party went on board of the canoe and in 
 a few minutes rounded the point, when a beau- 
 tiful scene burst upon their view. 
 
 On a smooth green slope several hundred 
 acres in extent which stretched away from a 
 white sandy beach inland to where it met the 
 umbrageous forest, large flocks of sheep and 
 goats were grazing. 
 
 The greensward was spangled with beautiful 
 flowers of every hue and the forest behind was 
 a mass of rich coloring, the leading tints being 
 crimson, purple, green and gold. 
 
 Groups of children were observed playing 
 among the goats and sheep. Large numbers of 
 women were seen on the shore and hundreds of 
 the same sex were disporting themselves like 
 mermaids in the water. 
 
 Gigantic whales and fishes of all kinds were 
 seen swimming close to the shore and they 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 161 
 
 seemed to be playing and enjoying themselves 
 as much as the female islanders. About fifty 
 canoes were drawn up in line close to the beach 
 all filled with men and about one hundred yards 
 from the shore the Star of the Sea lay moored 
 her sails all furled and everything trim and taut 
 about her. and looking as handsome and as 
 saucy as she ever did. 
 
 " She is a beauty, 1 ' said the king looking at 
 the vessel. 
 
 "She is," said Roland enthusiastically, as he 
 gazed admiringly upon the graceful hull and 
 tapering spars of the schooner. 
 
 " Where was she built ? " inquired the king. 
 
 "In Boston." 
 
 " I know that place, 1 ' said the king of the is- 
 land bitterly. "I know it," he continued 
 grinding his teeth, " and I wish that I could 
 burn it." 
 
 Roland stared in surprise, but said nothing. 
 
 They now reached the Star of the Sea and 
 went on board. 
 
 Roland found all safe. 
 
 " I took your people by surprise," said the 
 king to Roland ; " I approached them with 
 friendly signs and they allowed me to go on 
 board. While I engaged your people in con- 
 
162 AMBEEGEIS ISLAND. 
 
 versation my islanders quietly took possession 
 of the ship. Resistance would have been useless 
 anyhow." 
 
 " However, if I had suspected unfriendly in- 
 tentions said Jack Macpherson ; " they should 
 have had a broadside." 
 
 " But we should have overpowered you in the 
 end," laughed the king. 
 
 The naturalist was found in the grand saloon 
 conversing voluably with some of the islanders 
 in their own language and showing them the 
 piano, organ and other curiosities which they 
 gazed upon with wonder. 
 
 " Did you fit out this ship purposely for this 
 voyage ? " asked the king addressing Captain 
 Bracebridge. 
 
 " Certainly," replied the Captain ; " at least 
 my young friend here did. He is her owner 
 and the actual commander of the expedition, al- 
 though M. Hardman here is the commander of 
 the vessel at sea." 
 
 " Yes," said Roland ; " I had this voyage in 
 contemplation for years." 
 
 " I must say that you made every provision 
 for comfort," said the king looking around the 
 grand saloon. "I never saw a ship fitted up 
 so luxuriously." 
 
AMRERGE1S ISLAND. 163 
 
 " She was intended for a yacht," said Roland; 
 but we had her slightly altered for the voyage." 
 
 l > A man might sail around the world in a 
 craft like this," said the king musingly as he 
 glanced at Fanny. 
 
 4 I expect to sail around the world in her," 
 said Roland crossing to Fanny's side ; "we came 
 here by way of Cape Horn. We shall, if our 
 voyage is successful, return by way of the Cape 
 of Good Hope." 
 
 " What ship are you in search of? " 
 
 " The Stormy Petrel, commanded by Captain 
 Ralph Ranger." 
 
 "What! the Stormy Petrel !" 
 
 As he gave utterance to this ejaculation the 
 king of the island turned pale and his aspect 
 grew terribly stern. 
 
 " Yes, the Stormy Petrel. You must know 
 something of her, for we have discovered the 
 graves of some of her crew on this island." 
 
 " You are in search of Captain Ralph Ran- 
 ger ? " said the king. 
 
 " I am." 
 
 " Who are you ? " 
 
 " I am Roland Ranger, his son." 
 
 " You are ! " shouted the king of the island, 
 raising his hand as if he would strike Roland 
 
164 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 then he paused, turned around and shouted : 
 " Ha ! ha ! my revenge will be more complete 
 
 than I thought." 
 
 So saying he dashed out of the saloon leaving 
 
 the people of the Star of the Sea gazing after 
 
 him in astonishment. 
 
9 
 
 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 165 
 
 CHAPTER TWENTY-FIRST. 
 
 MADE PRISONERS. 
 
 On reaching the deck, the king of the island 
 made a sign to the canoes laying along the 
 beach. 
 
 In a few minutes they were alongside, the 
 king spoke some words in the island tongue to 
 the natives and they immediately swarmed upon 
 deck. 
 
 "What is the meaning of this?" asked Ro- 
 land who had hastened from below. 
 
 " It means," said the king ; u that you are my 
 prisoners." 
 
 " Never ! " cried Roland, drawing his revolver 
 and firing in the king's face. " Ho there," he 
 shouted, " treachery ! we are betrayed ! " 
 
 Roland's bullet cut off one of the king's ears ; 
 but did not do him further harm. 
 
 u Treachery !" shouted Roland, as he aimed 
 again. 
 
166 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 But before he could fire, he was striken down 
 with a club in the hands of one of the natives 
 and he fell senseless to the deck. 
 
 The crew were made prisoners in a few mo- 
 ments, but not before doing considerable dam- 
 age among the islanders. 
 
 Seven of the latter lay dead upon the deck, 
 killed by the crew, who had used their revolvers 
 until overpowered. 
 
 Captain Bracebridge and the others who were 
 below were prevented from coming on deck to 
 take part in the scrimmage by the islanders, who 
 had closed and secured all means of egress from 
 the cabin and forecastle. 
 
 " Caught like rats in a trap !" Captain Brace- 
 bridge was heard to shout as he vainly strove 
 to force his way out of the closed companion- 
 way. "By the man that made lanterns," he 
 roared, " if any harm is done to anybody up 
 there, I'll fire the magazine and blow you all to 
 the devil!" 
 
 Roland had now recovered his senses, though 
 he was faint and dizzy. 
 
 He looked around him. 
 
 The deck was swarming with natives and his 
 men were all bound hand and foot with ropes 
 belonging to the vessel. 
 
AMBERG1US ISLAND. 167 
 
 The king of the island stood looking at him 
 with a dark scowl on his features and endeavor- 
 ing to staunch the blood which flowed from his 
 wounded ear. 
 
 "You are a treacherous hound!" exclaimed 
 Roland, as he made a stride towards the king. 
 
 The king spoke some words to the natives 
 and Roland was immediately seized and bound 
 in the same manner as his crew 
 
 " I'll pay you for that shot," said the king as 
 he strode up to Roland his eyes flashing dan- 
 gerously. 
 
 " I expect you will, you treacherous coward," 
 said Roland, as he strove to burst his bonds 
 asunder; "you seem to have some grudge 
 against your race." 
 
 " I have ; an eternal grudge against the race 
 of the Rangers." 
 
 " What did they ever do to you ? " asked Ro- 
 land. 
 
 " Are you there, Roland? " called Captain 
 Bracebridge from below. 
 
 " Ay," answered Roland; "I'm all right Cap- 
 tain, though a prisoner." 
 
 " Is that blasted king as he calls himself, 
 there too ? " 
 
 " He is." 
 
168 AMBERGKIS ISLAND. 
 
 " Are any of our men hurt ?" 
 
 " No, not one of them, but like myself they 
 are all prisoners." 
 
 " Anybody hurt on the other side ?" 
 
 " Seven of them dead." 
 
 "Bully for the Star of the Sea. I wish I 
 could get out to assist you. Say, Roland, what's 
 that fellow's intentions? D'ye think he means 
 to massacre us all ? " 
 
 " I have not the slightest doubt of it. I think 
 that is in his line." 
 
 " Then by the man that made lanterns, I'll 
 fire the magazine ! Here goes ! " 
 
 "Hold on,'' cried Roland. 
 
 " Well, what's the matter?" 
 
 " Remember Fanny." 
 
 " I do ; better for her to be blown up with 
 us than to fall into the hands of that fellow." 
 
 "You are right go ahead. Fire your re- 
 volver into the magazine." 
 
 " He wont do it," said the king. 
 
 " He will," said Roland, " and you'll go up 
 with us, I am happy to say, for you haven't 
 time to escape now." 
 
 Fanny's voice was now heard at the compan- 
 ionway. 
 
 " Roland," said she. 
 
AMREKGR1S ISLAND. 169 
 
 " Yes, dear Fanny." 
 
 u Father's going to blow up the ship. Good 
 bye dear Roland." 
 
 " Good bye darling good bye Fanny. You 
 know what I was going to tell you." 
 
 " Yes, yes, I knew it all along. Good bye 
 dear Roland." 
 
 The king whose cheek had grown pale while 
 these farewell words were being spoken, noAv 
 turned to the natives and spoke some words. 
 
 They opened the companion doors and drag- 
 ged Fanny out on deck. 
 
 She uttered a loud scream when she found 
 herself in the hands of the islanders. Captain 
 Bracebridge, who had been telling those below 
 what he intended to do heard the scream and 
 rushed on deck. 
 
 He was immediately seized and bound. 
 
 " Fire the magazine !" he shouted down the 
 stairway. 
 
 But the savages were now pouring down the 
 companionway by scores. Obedient to the or- 
 ders of their king the}- attacked and overpow- 
 ered the people below all but the naturalist. 
 They left him free. lie could speak their lan- 
 guage and they would not assail him. 
 
170 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 " Will nobody fire the magazine ?" roared 
 Captain Bracebridge. 
 
 " The magazine will be fired soon enough,*' 
 said the king of the island with a malignant 
 smile. " After I have cleared the ship of my 
 islanders and taken this young lady on shore 
 the magazine will be fired according to your 
 wishes." 
 
 Roland groaned. 
 
 This then was what it had come to. 
 
 Fanny was in the hands of this island king. 
 He had declared his intention to take her on 
 shore and they were to be left to be blown up 
 with the ship. 
 
 The prospect was a bitter one to contemplate. 
 
 Strange to say the islanders had not bound 
 the cook and Sam. 
 
 The former was akin to themselves and the 
 latter they probably thought too small to be of- 
 fensive. 
 
 "You can't never trust these Wahoos," said 
 Sam as he and the cook sat together in the gal- 
 ley. 
 
 " Tain't de Wahoos," said the cook ; " it am 
 dat yar white man out dar. Dat man am what's 
 got to bewar' ob in dis yer islan'; yo' heah me. 
 Put a pin dar !" 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 171 
 
 " Well, you an' me is free, an' I guess we kin 
 reskie this yer ship out of the hands of this yer 
 king and his Wahoos." 
 
 " How kin we .do dat ? Show de way, an' ole 
 Sted. am ready to go ahead. Show de way 
 Sam." 
 
 " Well, yer see, when we wuz a-comin' in ter 
 the island Tom Carl loaded up all ther guns 
 with grape. Thet there bow chaser is loaded 
 up ter ther muzzle. Ef you an' me kin git her 
 turned around we kin blow that king an' his 
 Wahoos sky high." 
 
 " It am wurf de tryin' Sam," said the cook. 
 We'll take a look aroun' and see how de Ian' 
 lies." 
 
 Meanwhile another scene was taking place 
 aft. 
 
172 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 CHAPTER TWENTY-SECOND. 
 
 A TERRIBLE REVENGE. 
 
 "Now," said the king, when he announced 
 his purpose of taking Fanny on shore and after- 
 wards blowing up the ship with her people on 
 board; ''before I leave yon I will tell you why 
 my friendliness was changed to hostility, why, 
 instead of making you my guests, I have made 
 you my prisoners :" 
 
 "Fifteen years ago I lived in Boston. One 
 night while passing along Chelsea bridge I 
 heard a cry of murder. I hastened in the di- 
 rection from which the cry came and saw a man 
 bending over the prostrate form of another." 
 
 "The man who was bending over the other 
 fled at my approch. I hastened to the prostrate 
 man and stooped to lift him up." 
 
 ' ' I had just put my arms around his neck when 
 a couple of policemen came up and seized me." 
 
 "One of them struck me down with his billv 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 173 
 
 and the other placed a pair of handcuffs on my 
 wrists." 
 
 'One of them took charge of the prostrate 
 man and the other, notwithstanding my expos- 
 tulations and explanations, dragged me to a po- 
 lice station where I was put in a cell." 
 
 Next day I was arraigned on a chanre of hi^h- 
 
 / O O o 
 
 way robbery with violence, and the Dogberry 
 who sat upon the bench smiled at my explana- 
 tion of the affair and sent me for trial before a 
 higher court." 
 
 "At the trial the man whom I had rescued 
 from his assailant swore that I was the person 
 who attacked him." 
 
 "I was found guilty and sentenced to the 
 state prison for five years." 
 
 "My conduct was good while I was in prison, 
 and some benevolent persons interesting them- 
 selves in my behalf, I was pardoned after serv- 
 ing out three years of my sentence." 
 
 "When I came out of prison I swore to be 
 revenged upon the man who had assisted to im- 
 prison me by swearing I was the person who 
 attacked him." 
 
 "That man was a sea captain and his name 
 was Ralph Ranger." 
 
174 AMBEBGEIS ISLAND. 
 
 "Good heaven ! exclaimed Roland. 
 
 "I shipped on board of a South Sea whaler," 
 continued the king of the island, without no- 
 ticing the interruption; "she was wrecked in 
 these seas. I was the only one of her crew 
 saved. After drifting about for several days 
 on a spar, I was picked up by these islanders, 
 who made me their king." 
 
 "They did not occupy this island at that time, 
 but another and much larger one thirty leagues 
 south, south west of this." 
 
 "Thirty leagues south, south west," mur- 
 mured Roland. 
 
 "But they told me about this island and of 
 the remarkable circumstance of its being a sort 
 of hospital ground for fish." 
 
 "I visited it with a fleet of canoes and found 
 it was the famous ambergris island that I had 
 heard whalemen speak of. " 
 
 "I took possession of the island and estab- 
 lished a settlement here." 
 
 "One day a vessel discovered the entrance 
 to the island through the coral reef, came in 
 here and dropped her anchor. I kept my is- 
 landers out of sight until she had loaded up 
 with ambergris, and then I paid her a visit with 
 
AMBEEGEIS ISLAND. 175 
 
 the intention of demanding, as pay for the load, 
 such tools and weapons as I knew would be use- 
 ful to me. " 
 
 "What was my joy to discover that the ves- 
 sel was the Stormy Petrel, commanded by the 
 man who had sworn away my liberty and with 
 it all rny hopes of a useful career among my 
 kind." " 
 
 "I made prisoners of Captain Ranger and his 
 crew and burned their vessel before their eyes." 
 
 "Captain Ranger and such of his crew who 
 are alive are still my prisoners, and I intend 
 that prisoners they shall remain." 
 
 "The only desire I ever had to return to civ- 
 ilization was to get a wife. I have often 
 thought of doing that and intended at no distant 
 day to build a large canoe and sail for the coast 
 of South America for that purpose, taking as 
 much ambergris with me MS would enable me to 
 fit out out a large vessel for my return." 
 
 "You have saved me the trouble ; this 
 young lady whom you have brought with you 
 will suit me. I could not find one more beau- 
 tiful if I searched the world over." 
 
 "You now know why I hate the race of the 
 Rangers and all who have anything to do with 
 
176 AMBEKGKIS ISLAND. 
 
 them. And now if you still wish to be blown 
 up I will be very glad to accommodate you." 
 
 "You surely cannot be so cruel as to think 
 of forcing that young lady to be your wife 
 against her will," said Eoland. 
 
 "That's a question. Perhaps the young lady 
 may not object to becoming a queen." 
 
 "A queen !" exclaimed Fanny tossing her 
 head; a nice lot of subjects I'd have." 
 
 "Very well Miss Disdain," said the island 
 king ; "we will see what you will think of your 
 subjects after a year or two, for I sw^ear by 
 heaven that you shall be my wife and willingly 
 too. I give you your choice to become my 
 wife or to see this vessel and all belonging to 
 her, except yourself, blown into the air. 
 
 "Good heavens !" exclaimed Fanny ; "what 
 a dreadful alternative !" 
 
AMBEKGK1S ISLAND. 
 
 CHAPTER TWENTY-THIRD. 
 
 A STKANGE WEDDING. 
 
 " Don't consent, Fanny," said Captain Brace- 
 bridge. 
 
 " Never !" said Fanny firmly ; "let him blow 
 you up ; I will find some means to kill myself." 
 
 "I'll take care of that," said the king of the 
 island ; " I'll surround you by a body guard of 
 native women who will never let you out of 
 their sight except when I am with you." 
 
 " Is there no feeling in your heart for the race 
 to which you belong?" asked Lawyer Hopkins. 
 
 "What race is that?" 
 
 " I might say the human race, but I mean 
 more particularly civilized people Americans 
 for instance." 
 
 " How would you have felt if }^ou had been 
 imprisoned for three years and had committed 
 no crime had been imprisoned, in fact, for 
 succoring a fellow creature ? " 
 
 "We are told to forgive injuries." 
 
178 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 " Ay, it is easy to say forgive when you have 
 not suffered. The race you speak of put a 
 mark upon me as bad as the mark of Cain. 
 It made me an outcast, put me in prison, and 
 then released me with the tag of a convict at- 
 tached to me." 
 
 " It was a mistake." 
 
 " Well, people have to suffer for their mis- 
 takes, I am going to make you suffer for the 
 mistake your fellow citizens made when they 
 transformed me from a respectable young man 
 into a convict a state prison bird as they 
 call it." 
 
 " But we have not injured you." 
 
 " I had not injured society, but it put its 
 strong, cowardly hand upon me and crushed 
 me. What are you ? a minister ? " 
 
 " No ; I am a lawyer." 
 
 " A lawyer ! ha ! ha ! good ! good ! The dis- 
 trict attorney, one Israel Hopkins, whose elo- 
 quent denunciation of my crime and declaration 
 that the evidence had fastened it upon me, was 
 a lawyer. I wish I had him here now, but you 
 will do as a substitute." 
 
 The island king spoke some words to his fol- 
 lowers ; they placed a rope around the neck of 
 the lawyer. 
 
AMBERGBIS ISLAND. 179 
 
 " Good heavens ! You are not going to hang 
 me in cold blood ! " exclaimed the terrified law- 
 yer. 
 
 " But I am," screamed the king of the island, 
 " I am going to hang you. What do you say 
 about cold blood ? I was made a convict in 
 cold blood. But my blood is hot now. I am 
 on fire with hatred for all your race ah ! I 
 have an idea." 
 
 He spoke again to the natives. They placed a 
 rope around the neck of Captain Bracebridge. 
 
 The ropes were carried to blocks in the main 
 rigging. 
 
 " Now," exclaimed the island king, " we will 
 have a wedding." 
 
 "A what? " exclaimed Roland. 
 
 " A wedding. You shall see. Now Mr. Law- 
 yer, you shall marry me. Come here, Miss Dis- 
 dain. Don't refuse ; if you hang back I will 
 give the word and up goes your father." 
 
 " O, heavens you cannot be so cruel," sobbed 
 Fanny. " My dear, dear, father." 
 
 " Let him go ahead Fanny ! let him hang 
 me," cried Captain Bracebridge; "keep back 
 from the villain." 
 
 " Come here Miss, quick, or by all that's good 
 or bad, I will have your father strung up." 
 
180 AMBEKGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 Fanny approached the king, trembling and 
 sobbing. 
 
 " Give me your hand," he said. 
 
 " Don't, Fanny," said Captain Braeebridge. 
 
 " If you don't he hangs," said the king 
 sternly. 
 
 Fanny gave him her hand, 
 
 The king drew a ring from his finger. 
 
 " Now, Mr. Lawyer," said he with a leer, 
 "you are a justice of the peace aint you? " 
 
 " I am," replied the lawyer. 
 
 " Then go ahead and marry me to this young 
 lady or up you go as high as the main gaff, 
 
 "Don't speak a word," shouted Captain Brace- 
 bridge. 
 
 " Go ahead ! " roared the king of the island. 
 
 " What is your name ? " asked the lawyer in 
 a trembling voice. 
 
 " Daniel Spencer," said the king ; " that is 
 my name. Now go ahead, and 110 faltering 
 Miss, or your father is a dead man." 
 
 " Not a word," cried Captain Braeebridge, 
 
 Roland ground his teeth. 
 
 The king made a sign and the ropes around 
 the throat of the Captain and the lawyer were 
 drawn tight. 
 
AMBEKGBIS ISLAND. 181 
 
 "Now," said the king grimly; "is it to be a 
 wedding or a hanging ? " 
 
 " Go on, Mr. Hopkins," said Fanny, while the 
 tears rolled down her cheeks. 
 
 "What's that?" cried the king, "Mr. Hop- 
 kins ! " 
 
 " Ah ! Miss Fanny you have ruined me," said 
 the lawyer. 
 
 " By heaven it is him ! cried the king ; I 
 thought his face was familiar. So you are the 
 District Attorney who urged my conviction so 
 eloquently. Better and better ! You and I will 
 square accounts by and by Mr. Hopkins but 
 let this wedding go on Hurry up ! " 
 
 " Daniel Spencer," said the trembling lawyer ; 
 " do you take Fanny Bracebridge to be your law- 
 ful wedded wife ? " 
 
 "I do," answered the king. 
 
 " Fanny Bracebridge do you take Daniel Spen- 
 cer to be your lawful wedded husband ? " 
 
 " I do," sobbed Fanny. 
 
 " Then I pronounce you man and wife." 
 
 As the lawyer concluded, Fanny fainted. 
 
 Stooping the king pressed the ring upon Fan- 
 ny's finger and rising said with a dark smile 
 
 " This marriage is legal enough for me." 
 
 " Hallo ! " exclaimed Sam who with the cook 
 
182 AMBERGEIS ISLAND. 
 
 was in the bow of the vessel. " Hallo ! a sail ! " 
 
 "Whereaway?" asked Roland. 
 
 The vessel was moored with her head to land 
 and Sam pointed directly astern. 
 
 " By jinks ! " exclaimed Sam, " it is a sail too 
 and it aint a sail nuther, it's a steamer." 
 
 Far away at sea a large steamer was seen ev- 
 idently approaching the island. 
 
 Sam had seen no sail when he spoke first. 
 His intention was to direct the attention of the 
 king and the natives away from the bow of the 
 vessel. 
 
 He was more successful than he hoped, for 
 even as he spoke, a vessel came within the range 
 of vision. 
 
 While those aft were straining their eyes to 
 make out the character of the vessel, Sam and 
 old Sted. trained the bow chaser. 
 
 " Let me lay her on fur thet there king of 
 spades," said Sam. 
 
 The gun was trained until Sam had obtained 
 an aim. 
 
 "Now then," he whispered, "stand aside old 
 Sted. till I takes command of this yer ship." 
 
 " Throw up yer hands king ! " Sam shouted. 
 
 The king turned and beheld the muzzle of the 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 183 
 
 bow chaser confronting him, while Sam held the 
 lanyard attached to the fuze ready to fire. 
 
 " Throw up yer hands king! she's loaded with 
 grape I " 
 
184 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 CHAPTEK TWENTY-FOURTH. 
 
 ANOTHER EXPEDITION. 
 
 About five weeks after the sailing of the Star 
 of the Sea, a steamer one day entered Boston 
 harbor. 
 
 She was a singular looking vessel, being 
 without masts. 
 
 Nothing was seen above her bulwarka except 
 the smokestack, and some dome looking struc- 
 tures formed of glass. 
 
 Her hull was long and rakish, she sat low in 
 the water and she seemed to have been built 
 for speed. 
 
 " That's one of the new order of steamships," 
 said one Boston pilot to another ; "what they 
 call domed steamships. 1 ' 
 
 The vessel steamed slowly up the harbor and 
 anchored off the Cunard wharves. 
 
 A boat was lowered from the vessel's stern 
 and an old man, with white hair, but seemingly 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 185 
 
 strong and vigorous, went clown the side and 
 took his seat in the stern sheets. 
 
 He gave some directions and the boat was 
 rowed to the end of Lewis wharf, where the 
 old gentleman landed. 
 
 The boat was then rowed back to the vessel. 
 
 Going up the wharf, the old gentleman took 
 an Atlantic Avenue car, and rode up to the old 
 State House. There he left the car and going 
 up to the corner of Cornhill and Washington 
 Streets took another on the Boston and Lynn 
 horse railroad. 
 
 After riding out to one of the handsomest 
 streets in Chelsea, he left the car and proceed- 
 ed to the residence of Mrs. Ranger, which was 
 situated on the street referred to. 
 
 "Why, uncle Roland," exclaimed Mrs. Ran- 
 ger when she entered the room where the old 
 gentleman awaited her coming. 
 
 It was indeed no other than old Roland Ran- 
 ger the rich Philadelphia ship owner. 
 
 "I have tidings of your son," he said; "he 
 is well ; all on board are well. The Star of 
 the Sea saved the crew of one of my ships 
 which was burned on the Equator and all hands 
 except the captain your old friend Captain 
 
186 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 Bracebridge and his daughter have reached 
 Galveston in safety." 
 
 "I am sorry to learn that misfortune has hap- 
 pened to Captain Bracebridge, and glad that 
 the Star of the Sea has been instrumental in 
 saving life," said Mrs. Ranger. 
 
 "Yes; she has started out well, but she is a 
 small vessel and I am not so certain that she 
 will continue to prosper throughout her voyage. 
 The fact is, Clara, I am going after her." 
 
 "You?" 
 
 "Yes ; I have had a superb vessel construct- 
 ed according to new plans. She is a large 
 steamer, without masts or sails. I have man- 
 ned her with a crew of thirty-five men, armed 
 her with ten heavy guns, and provisioned her 
 for three years. I am going in search of the 
 ambergris island, and if it is to be found I will 
 find it with such a vessel. I will overtake the 
 Star of the Sea or at least come up with her by 
 about the time she reaches the island, if there 
 is such an island." 
 
 "When do you start?" 
 
 "To-day." 
 
 "To-day?" 
 
 "Yes ; the vessel is now laying in Boston Har- 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 187 
 
 bor. I brought her around from Philadelphia 
 with one object in view to let you see her." 
 
 "How good of you ! Do you think you will 
 overtake Roland ?" 
 
 "I will at least find him at the island." 
 
 "Then I will go with you." 
 
 "You!" 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "But, my dear Clara " 
 
 "There are no buts about it, uncle Roland. 
 I will accompany you. Why not? I am a sail- 
 or's wife, what should I stay on shore for, when 
 all my interests are at sea ? " 
 
 "That's true, but then how long will it take 
 you to get ready ?" 
 
 "An hour." 
 
 "You'll want to take a woman or a girl with 
 yon." 
 
 "Til take two: they are here; they urged 
 me to go on Roland's expedition and said they 
 were willing to accompany me." 
 
 Mrs. Ranger rang the bell. 
 
 A pretty, tastefully attired young woman 
 presented herself. 
 
 "Where is Etta, Mary?" Mrs. Ranger in- 
 quired. 
 
188 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 "She is laying the cloth in the dining room 
 
 rna'am." 
 
 "Please bring her here-" 
 
 "Yes ma'am ; did you say bring her or send 
 her?" 
 
 "Bring her ; I wish to speak with you also.'' 
 
 Both girls presented themselves in a few mo- 
 ments. 
 
 "Mary and Etta," said Mrs. Ranger; "I 
 have made up my mind to go on a voyage in a 
 large steamship; she is perfectly safe and the 
 voyage will be a pleasant one. Will you ac_ 
 company me ?" 
 
 The girls looked at each other. 
 
 "Where are you going, ma'am?" asked 
 Mary. 
 
 "I am going to follow Roland's expedition." 
 
 "What do you say, Etta?" Mary inquired. 
 
 "What do you say, Mary?" asked Etta. 
 
 "I'm willing." 
 
 "So am I." 
 
 "Then its decided. You shan't, regret it 
 girls. Let us get ready at once. " So saying 
 Mrs. Ranger left the room with the girls 
 
 "Well," said old Roland Ranger to himself; 
 
AMBEBGBIS ISLAND. 189 
 
 "when women decide to do a thing they are as 
 prompt to set about it as men are.' ' 
 
 Three hours later Mrs. Ranger and her at- 
 tendants were handed up the side of the Rescue, 
 which was the name of the vessel, and old Ro- 
 land Ranger followed them. 
 
 The anchor was weighed ; the vessel steamed 
 out of the harbor and laid her course for the 
 Equator speeding at the rate of twenty miles 
 an hour. 
 
190 AMBEEGBIS ISLAND. 
 
 CHAPTER TWENTY-FIFTH. 
 
 A BOLD ADVENTURE FOR LIBERTY. 
 
 For nine years Captain Ralph Ranger had 
 been a prisoner on Eden Island, which was the 
 name Daniel Spencer had given it when he 
 landed upon it. 
 
 It was thirty leagues to the south, south 
 west of the ambergris island and the Captain 
 and his crew had been conveyed thither shortly 
 after being made prisoners. 
 
 They made occasional visits to the ambergris 
 island in company with the king and his sub- 
 jects, and it was during these occasional visits 
 that those of his crew whose graves had been 
 discovered by Roland's party had died. 
 
 It seemed that the object of the king of the 
 island in taking his prisoners with him when he 
 visited Ambergris Island, was to prevent them 
 from escaping, fearing that in his absence they 
 might attempt to do so. 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 191 
 
 But as the years rolled on, his vigilance re- 
 laxed and he often visited the ambergris island 
 without taking his prisoners with him. 
 
 During one of his visits to the island Captain 
 Hanger had found a chance to visit the graves 
 of the deceased members of his crew and had 
 scribbled the words found by Koland in the 
 cigar box. 
 
 He had no opportunity to give an explana- 
 nation of his circumstances and he thought that 
 
 o 
 
 the words, "thirty leagues south, south west" 
 would arouse curiosity in any one who might 
 find it and send them in that direction. He 
 wrote the warning to hasten visitors from the 
 ambergris island to Eden island. 
 
 On the present visit to the ambergris island 
 the king had taken the greater part of his peo- 
 ple with him, but left his prisoners behind. 
 
 Only a few islanders remained. Several large 
 canoes were left and on one of these Captain 
 Ranger and the survivors of his crew, four in 
 number, the others being dead and buried on 
 Eden and Ambergris Islands, resolved to make 
 their escape, hoping to fall in with some vessel 
 and thus succeed in returning to civilization. 
 
 They succeeded in eluding the vigilance of 
 
192 AMBERGHIS ISLAND. 
 
 the natives and after storing their canoe with 
 such kinds of fruits and roots as would be most 
 likely to keep longest, pushed off in the night. 
 
 "It is a hundred chances to one," said the 
 Captain; "but, trusting in God, we will take 
 the one chance/' 
 
 So they trusted their frail bark to the bosom 
 of the mighty Pacific. 
 
 For days they tossed about on the ocean. 
 
 Their provisions were soon exhausted, though 
 of water they had plenty. 
 
 When the last cocoa nut had been shared 
 Captain Ranger said 
 
 "Now let us make a solemn vow that, come 
 what, may, we will not be cannibals, we w r ill not 
 cast lots to see who shall die that the others 
 may survive." 
 
 The men agreed to this and they made a sol- 
 emn promise. 
 
 But as the days went by and they began to 
 grow gaunt with hunger, they forgot this vow. 
 
 They glared at each other with hungry eyes. 
 
 Captain Ranger, however, maintained his 
 wonted calmness and implored the men to re- 
 spect their oath. 
 
 He pointed out that few civilized people were 
 
AMBERGHIS ISLAND. 193 
 
 ever known to survive after eating human 
 flesh : they cither committed self-destruction 
 or died raving mad. 
 
 But the men were mad now mad with hun- 
 ger. 
 
 4 'Let us cast lots," said one, hoarsely. 
 
 "Ay, ay, let us cast lots," said the others. 
 
 "Leave me out then," said the Captain. 
 
 ' 'No, no," said they ; "you've got to take 
 your chance with the rest of us." 
 
 The Captain said no more. 
 
 They cast lots and the lot fell on Captain 
 Ranger. 
 
 "Well," said he resignedly: "I would wil- 
 lingly die if I thought the sacrifice of my life 
 would save you, but I'm afraid there will be a 
 curse on it." 
 
 "The lot has fallen on you," said one. 
 
 "And fairly," said the others. 
 
 "Go ahead then," said the Captain ; "bleed 
 me to death, and if any of you succeed in reach- 
 ing home, let my wife and boy believe I was 
 drowned or died, and give them my love. 
 Now go ahead." 
 
194 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 He bared his arm and one of the crew raised 
 the knife. 
 
 At that moment the report of a cannon v/as 
 heard. 
 
AMKEKGK1S ISLAND. 195 
 
 CHAPTER TWENTY-SIXTH. 
 
 RESCUED. 
 
 The Rescue had a splendid passage from Bos- 
 ton to the straits of Le Mairc. She encount- 
 ered a heavy gale from the westward on round- 
 ing Cape Horn, but was able to pursue her 
 course with scarcely diminished speed. 
 
 Her behavior during stormy weather and the 
 remarkable speed she made in all weathers 'de- 
 monstrated the fact that she was the nearest ap- 
 proach to perfection in naval architecture that 
 modern skill had achieved, and her owner, old 
 Roland Ranger, basing his judgment upon long 
 experience in ship building, became convinced 
 that upon her model the future ocean steam- 
 ship would be constructed. 
 
 The Rescue was fitted with every modern in- 
 vention. Edison, the famous wizard of Menlo 
 Park had personally superintended the fitting 
 up of electrical apparatus on board of her. 
 
196 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 She had engines fitted up for the manufacture 
 of electrical power and was furnished with a 
 system of electric lights that could in an in- 
 stant be made to deluge the vessel in a flood of 
 radiance. 
 
 Her guns, some of them of the heaviest cali- 
 ber, were worked by electricity and her stecr_ 
 ing apparatus was governed by the same power. 
 
 Altogether she was a remarkable vessel and 
 well fitted for the expedition for which she had 
 been constructed. 
 
 When she reached the longitude of Ambergris 
 Island she was somewhat to the southward of 
 the latitude, being sixteen degrees south. 
 
 She was headed due north and a bright look- 
 out kept for the island. 
 
 A large telescope, erected on a tripod, was 
 placed in the bow of the vessel and with this 
 instrument the northern horizon was swept from 
 time to time. 
 
 Floating ambergris had been met in large 
 quantities and there was no doubt in the minds 
 of those on board that they were in the vicinity 
 of the ambergris island. 
 
 The same marine phenomena presented them- 
 
AMBEKGKIS ISLAND. 197 
 
 selves that had astonished the eyes of the voy- 
 agers of the Star of the Sea. 
 
 "A boat ahead !" said the first officer, who 
 had gone to the telescope after having ascertain- 
 ed the latitude of the vessel to be sixteen de- 
 crees south. 
 
 O 
 
 "There may be starving mariners in her," 
 said old Roland Ranger, who was on deck. 
 "Fire a gun to let them know there is help 
 near." 
 
 The gun was fired and it was its report that 
 stayed the hand of the sailor who was about to 
 open a vein in Captain Ranger's arm. 
 
 At the report of the gun, Mrs. Ranger with 
 her two maids came on deck to learn the cause 
 of its being fired. 
 
 "There is a boat ahead," said old Roland 
 Ranger, as he assisted his neice and her maids 
 to seats under the awning which had been erect- 
 ed aft as a nrotection from the sun, "and we 
 have fired the gun as a signal that assistance is 
 near if she should contain cast-a-way seamen." 
 
 "That is very thoughtful," said Mrs. Ranger: 
 "O if it should be a boat belonging to the Star 
 of the Sea!" 
 
 "We will soon know," was the reply. 
 
198 AMBEKGEIS ISLAND. 
 
 At this moment the first officer came aft and 
 reported that the boat was a native canoe with 
 five men aboard. 
 
 "Islanders blown off the land probably," he 
 added. 
 
 Tne Rescue, ploughing north with the speed 
 of a locomotive, soon reached the canoe. 
 
 The sea Avas smooth so she ran almost alon:- 
 
 o 
 
 side of the boat as the speed was slackened and 
 the vessel brought to a stop. 
 
 4 'Good God !" exclaimed old Roland Ranger 
 as he looked down into the canoe on the glar- 
 ing eyes and gaunt faces of the occupants ; 
 "they are white men !" 
 
 Mrs. Eanger looked down into the canoe ; the 
 face of the man in the stern sheets arrested her 
 attention; it was haggard and pale and the 
 heavy brown beard was streaked with lines of 
 silver. But the calmness and fortitude of true 
 courage still preserved the natural light in the 
 blue eyes, and in those blue eyes Mrs. Ranger 
 recognized her long lost husband. 
 
 "Ralph! Ralph!" she cried stretching out 
 her arms ; then her strength failed her and she, 
 sank fainting on the deck. 
 
 Captain Ranger heard the cry, saw the loving 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 199 
 
 action, and, weak as he was, he sprang up the 
 side ladder which had been let down and in an- 
 other moment was kneeling with his arms 
 clasped around the neck of his wife from whom 
 he had 'so long been separated, and whom he 
 never expected to meet again on earth. 
 
 "O, Ralph," cried Mrs. Ranger, when she 
 recovered herself; "have I found you at last?" 
 
 "Yes, my darling, my wife, you have res- 
 cued me. I know not how you came here 
 but this I know, we are united again never more 
 to part till death, I hope." 
 
 "How strange that we should find you first?" 
 she said. 
 
 "Clara, my dear," said old Roland Ranger, 
 interposing; "no explanations at present, 
 Ralph, my boy, shake hands and then " 
 
 "Uncle Roland, too," said Captain Ranger 
 looking around him after grasping his uncle's 
 hand. "Ah! I begin to comprehend. Yqu 
 have come to seek me and Clara came with 
 you." 
 
 "You will know everything by and by. 
 What you want HOAV is beef tea and all that sort 
 of thing. Come down below and after Clara 
 
200 AMBERGEIS ISLAND. 
 
 has ministered to your wants I will give her 
 permission to tell everything." 
 
 4 'One word Clara our boy? " 
 
 "Is a dashing young fellow and an honor to 
 his father," said old Koland Ranger ; "come 
 now beef tea first ; explanations afterward." 
 
 "I am satisfied," said Captain Ranger and 
 taking his wife's arm he was led below. 
 
 The beef tea greatly refreshed Captain Han- 
 ger and before tailing his story he insisted upon 
 hearing how it was that, after the lapse of so 
 many years, his uncle and wife had thought of 
 his being in that region and come in search of 
 him. 
 
 Thereupon Mrs. Hanger made him acquainted 
 with the reasons that led young Roland to fit 
 out his expedition and the resolve of old Roland 
 to follow it with another. 
 
 "Then," said Captain Ranger; "our son is 
 probably at the island now." 
 
 "Yes, "said old Roland Ranger; "we expect 
 to find him there." 
 
 "Then," continued the Captain, in great ex- 
 citement, "put on every pound of steam that you 
 can produce and hurry to the island, for if my 
 
AMREEGE1S ISLAND. 201 
 
 son is there and is known to be my son, he is 
 in deadly peril. 
 
 "The island is in sight sir," said the first offi- 
 cer entering the cabin and addressing old Roland. 
 
 "Go right ahead up to the line of breakers," 
 said Captain Ranger. 
 
 "What do you mean by Roland being in 
 deadly peril, Ralph?" asked Mrs. Ranger. 
 
 "Because the king of the island is my enemy, 
 your enemy and the enemy of all our family." 
 
 "How can that be?" 
 
 "He is the man who was sent to the state 
 prison for assaulting me on Chelsea bridge. I 
 wronged him Clara there is no doubt of that. 
 He was innocent and he was sent to the state 
 prison on my evidence I cannot blame him 
 for what he has done to me, yet his revenge 
 has been terrible. O, the years of anguish ! I 
 have pictured you as mourning my loss and 
 then marrying again." 
 
 "O, Ralph!" 
 
 "Thank God! that terrible fate has been 
 spared me, but no one could have blamed you. 
 O, I have often pictured myself as another 
 Enoch Ardcn returning to find you wedded to 
 some other man yes, this Daniel Spencer has 
 
202 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 had a terrible revenge and now our boy is in 
 his power great heavens ! the ways of Provi- 
 dence are inscrutable. But if he had deprived 
 me of wife, child and all, still I could not have 
 blamed him, for I ruined his life. It was only 
 tit for tat that he should ruin mine." 
 
 "You did not wrong him willingly," said 
 Mrs. Ranger as she rose and went to a drawer. 
 "Here," she said, handing her husband a news- 
 paper clipping which was pasted on to a sheet 
 of note paper, 'is the proof that your testimony 
 was honest.' 5 
 
 The Captain read : 
 
 A CURIOUS CASE. 
 
 " Many of our readers will remember the case of Daniel 
 Speneer, who some six years ago was convicted of the 
 crime of highway robbery, with violence and sentenced to 
 state prison for five years. The case obtained considera- 
 ble noteriety at the time from the fact that the accused 
 solemnly declared that he was rescuing the victim of the 
 assault, who, by the way, was Captain Ralph Ranger, a 
 well known and highly esteemed ship master, and a nep- 
 hew of Roland Ranger the wealthy Philadelphia ship 
 owner, from the real assailant. This assertion of the ac- 
 cused would probably have been believed if Captain Ran- 
 ger had not stated on the witness stand that to the best of 
 his belief Spencer was his assailant. The Captain, how- 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 203 
 
 ever, would not swear to this. The jury, nevertheless, 
 convicted Spencer and he went to prison, from which, for 
 good conduct and through the influence of benevolent 
 parties, he was released after serving three years. It now 
 appears that he was really innocent of the crime. He had 
 a twin brother and the two were so much alike that they 
 could not be told apart, to use a common phrase. His 
 brother, who had given himself up to criminal practices, 
 has just been arrested for burglary and among other 
 crimes confesses that he was the assailant of CaptainRan- 
 ger. It will be therefore be seen that Captain Ranger 
 could have sworn positively to Spencer being his as- 
 sailant, but refrained from doing so from merciful mo- 
 tives probably. Captain Ranger's course in the case was 
 highly creditable to him and no doubt when the wrongly 
 convicted Spencer sees this explanation of the matter he 
 will understand how impossible it was for Captain Ran- 
 ger to testify otherwise than he did. We say this because 
 we have learned that Spencer made threats against Cap- 
 tain Ranger to get even for the wrong done him." 
 
 After reading the extract, Captain Ranger 
 drew a long breath. 
 
 "Clara," said he with tears in his eyes.' "I 
 could have sworn positively to the face, but I 
 saw that he was young and I testified as I did 
 hoping he might get off. " 
 
 "I know it Ralph, " she replied, as she wiped 
 away her tears, "you never harmed anyone, 
 but the mistake has cost us dear. Now tell me 
 
204 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 how you fell into this man's hands and all about 
 your long imprisonment." 
 
 While the Captain is telling his story, let u j 
 return to our friends on Ambergris Island. 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 205 
 
 CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVENTH. 
 
 SAM TURNS THE TABLES. 
 
 When the king of the island found the bow 
 chaser confronting him, with Sam at the lan- 
 yard, ready to explode the fuze, he did not for 
 the moment know how to act. 
 
 If the piece was loaded with grape, then the 
 matter was serious, for it was aimed directly at 
 him, and he could not hope to escape if it was 
 discharged. 
 
 He felt that he was in a dangerous situation, 
 and he tried to think of a way out of it. 
 
 He was about to speak some directions to his 
 followers when Sam's voice was again heard. 
 
 " Don't yer speak to yer Wahoos, or by the 
 livin' Jehosophat, jimmey cracks, I'll blow yer 
 inter 'finitisimal artoms. Call off yer dogs, king 
 no, stop ! Dr. Vandenhoffer, yer know the 
 lingo of these Wahoos. Tell them to go ashore 
 an' get up a big supper fur all hands. Say the 
 
206 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 king wants 'em to do it. King if yer speak yer 
 a gone coon." 
 
 Dr. Vandenhoffer rubbed his bald head, 
 wiped his spectacles, and gazing benignantly 
 upon the natives, spoke some words rapidly in 
 their language. 
 
 They looked from Dr. Vanderhoffer to their 
 king, 
 
 The king looked at Sam, and at the bow 
 chaser into whose muzzle he could see. 
 
 " One word an' yer transmogrified inter saloon 
 hash," said Sam, fingering the lanyard nervously. 
 
 The king remained silent. 
 
 The naturalist spoke again, and slowly the 
 natives went over the side into ther canoes look- 
 ing anxiously at their king, but he spoke no 
 word and gave no sign. 
 
 "Tell 'em, Doctor," said Sam, keeping his 
 eye upon the king ; " to get things up in style 
 fur the cook is agoin to bring his fiddle ashore 
 ter hev a dance." 
 
 The naturalist again spoke and the islanders 
 paddled away to the shore, though with evident 
 reluctance. 
 
 The naturalist was equal to the occasion. He 
 had told them that they had been witnesses of 
 a religious ceremony common among his people 
 
AMBEKGKIS ISLAND. 207 
 
 and that their king was now under a charm and 
 not allowed to speak. The closing ceremonies, 
 he concluded, could not be performed in the 
 presence of any but whites, and they must leave 
 the vessel for a time, and go on shore. He in- 
 structed them to prepare a banquet in which all 
 would participate at the close of the ceremo- 
 nies, 
 
 The king heard an d understood all, but with 
 the muzzle of Sam's grape-charged cannon star- 
 ing him in the face, dared not utter a word of 
 contradiction. 
 
 " Now then, old Steadfast, cut ther ropes what 
 binds our fellers, an' set em all free," cried Sam 
 when the canoes had reached the beach ; " take 
 them there ropes ofTeri the necks of my old mas- 
 ter, Mister Hopkins, an' Kepting Bracebridge, 
 mi with them same ropes tie thet there king up 
 an' see how he likes it." 
 
 In a few moments the crew were set free and 
 the king of the island bound and carried below. 
 
 Fanny, who had passed from one fainting fit 
 into another, was taken to her stateroom by her 
 father and Roland, and both applied themselves 
 assiduously to her recovery. 
 
 "Now then old feller," said Sam to the king, 
 when the latter had been securely ironed in the 
 
208 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 saloon : "we'll treat yer well, but we'll keep 
 yer as a subterfuge." 
 
 "As a what ? " said the lawyer, rubbing his 
 neck. 
 
 "As a subterfuge, in course, now we has him 
 safe." 
 
 "O, as a hostage, you mean ; you are right 
 my boy. We must provide for our own safety." 
 
 The officers and crew now crowded around 
 Sam and the cook to shake hands with them 
 and to shower compliments upon them for their 
 presence of mind and admirable arrangement of 
 the means by which the tables were turned. 
 
 Roland also rushed into the saloon. 
 
 "God bless you Sam ! " he exclaimed, wring- 
 ing the cabin boy's hand ; "God bless you old 
 Sted." 
 
 " 'Twas Sam dat managed it all, sah," said 
 the cook ; " he planned it right froo ; I only 
 helped 'im." 
 
 "Come Sam, and you, old Sted.," said Ro- 
 land ; "Fanny wants to see you both." 
 
 They accompanied Roland to Fanny's state- 
 room. 
 
 The young lady was herself again, though the 
 trying scene through which she had passed had 
 
AMBEEGEIS ISLAND.. 209 
 
 left its traces upon her face which was pale and 
 anxious. 
 
 She grasped Sam's hand impulsively and 
 kissed it. 
 
 Sam blushed like a girl. 
 
 "O you good boy," she said, " you brave boy, 
 you noble boy, how can I ever thank you for 
 your gallant act! and you, Mr. Peters, how 
 brave 'of you, how spendid you two to take 
 back the ship from so many ! " 
 
 "It wuz Sam dat planned de whole ting," said 
 old Sted, unwilling that his favorite should lose 
 a particle of the praise due to him. 
 
 " O, what a fate you have saved me from," 
 said Fanny, "you dear, good boy, I'll love you 
 forever for this." 
 
 Sam protested that it "was nothing; the 
 idea kinder entered his mind and with the 'sis- 
 tan ce of old Sted. he carried it out." 
 
 " By the man that made lanterns ! " exclaim- 
 ed Captain Bracebridge; "I've heard of men 
 having to throw up their hands when confront- 
 ed with a revolver, but I never heard of a man 
 having to throw up his hands before a forty- 
 pound bow chaser loaded with grape, before. 
 It beats me ! It beats me ! " 
 
 And notwithstanding the terrible experience 
 
\ 
 
 210 AMBERGEIS ISLAND. 
 
 through which he had just passed the Captain 
 laughed till the tears ran down his cheeks. 
 
 "And then," said Roland ; "to think of his 
 getting the naturalist to send the natives 
 ashore. I should never have thought of that." 
 
 "It beats me ! it beats me!" laughed the Cap- 
 tain. 
 
 On deck the crew were laughing uproarously. 
 
 What caused their mirth was this : 
 
 Tom Carl was explaining that there was 
 nothing in the gun after all. 
 
 " I loaded up the side pieces," said he, " but 
 didn't put any charge in the bow chaser. There 
 wa'nt a blamed thing in her except a pair of old 
 stockings that I was darning on deck and 
 shoved into her muzzle in a hurry when I was 
 called by the sailing master. See ! " 
 
 So saying, Carl thrust his arm into the muz- 
 zle of the bow'diaser, and drew forth a pair of 
 of stockings. 
 
 Their appearance was greeted with a roar of 
 laughter. 
 
 This news was speedily carried below and the 
 king, hearing it, ground his teeth. 
 
 " If I had only known," he said to himself. 
 
 " What was to be was to be," said Sam, who 
 entering the saloon, overheard the words, " yer 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 211 
 
 can't git away from yer fate ; but there's one 
 thing I'd like ter ask yer old feller : what did 
 yer do with thet there turkle you took offen the 
 beach when yer captured this here ship ? that's 
 what I want to know." 
 
 "Blast both you and the turtle ! " exclaimed 
 the king angrily. 
 
212 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHTH. 
 
 ROLAND SUCCEEDS IN TELLING FANNY HIS LOVE. 
 
 Roland was anxious to consult the lawyer in 
 regard to the legality of the marriage between 
 Fanny and the king and sought an interview 
 with him for that purpose. 
 
 "Give yourself no uneasiness on that point, 
 my dear boy," said the lawyer ; " a marriage 
 engagement entered into under coercion is null 
 and void. Fanny is just as free as she ever was. 
 Moreover, my authority to perform a marriage 
 as a justice of the peace ceases the moment I 
 am outside the limits- of the country in which I 
 hold residence. I was aware of that when I 
 performed the ceremony." 
 
 Roland drew a deep breath of relief. 
 
 " Thank you for your comforting assurance," 
 he said ; " I must let Fanny know how she 
 stands with regard to this man. She is very un- 
 easy about the matter, though her father swears 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 213 
 
 that if he thought the marriage was legal he 
 would make her a widow in ten minutes." 
 
 " There will be no necessity for doing that 
 and we must not forget how much this king, as 
 he calls himself, suffered before he became what 
 he is now. I, as district attorney, and your 
 father as a witness, ruined his life. If he has 
 become desperate and revengeful we must not 
 forget who made him so. It is true that he has 
 had a terrible revenge upon your father, but 
 then it is no light thing to be transformed from 
 a respectable young man into a convict. It is 
 is one of the imperfections of our system of 
 criminal jurisprudence that it fails to distinguish 
 sometimes, between guilt and innocence." 
 
 " Notwithstanding the revengeful disposition 
 he has shown, I sympathize deeply with this 
 king," said Roland ; "I can imagine myself in 
 his place : giving succor to a fellow creature 
 and being arrested and made a convict for the 
 humane act. I can not honestly say that I 
 would not become what he is. At the same 
 time I can't imagine how my father, one of the 
 bravest, gentlest, and kindest-hearted of men 
 should have sworn that this man was his assail- 
 ant if he had not good grounds for believing 
 him to be so." 
 
214 AMBERGEIS ISLAND. 
 
 "Your father did not swear to the man. He 
 was very particular about that. He said that 
 to the best of his belief he was the man, but he 
 would not swear so. There is some mystery 
 about the matter that has not yet been cleared 
 up, though, now that I think of it, I did hear, 
 some years afterwards, that a twin brother of 
 this man had turned up who was the real assail- 
 ant, but I gave little attention to the matter as 
 I had retired from the office of district attor- 
 ney." 
 
 " Anyhow, this man must be treated well," 
 said Roland ; " though it will be necessary to 
 keep him a prisoner until we reach Eden Is- 
 land and rescue my father. Then we will set 
 him at liberty and bestow upon him such gifts 
 as lie in our power, or carry him back to civili- 
 zation should he so wish and allow him for him- 
 self half of the quantity of ambergris that the 
 Star of the Sea can carry." 
 
 "Which would make him one of the richest 
 men in America. Roland my boy I'm glad to hear 
 you speak so forgivingly, and I shall be glad to 
 do for you on United States soil what I did to- 
 day for this unfortunate king." 
 
 "If ever that time arrives, the time when 
 
AMBEEGRIS ISLAND. 215 
 
 with that dear girl's consent I can make her my 
 wife, you shall perform the ceremony." 
 
 Roland now took leave of the lawyer and 
 proceeded to the ladies' cabin which Fanny now 
 occupied as a stateroom. 
 
 He found Fanny alone. Her father had gone 
 on deck to consult with the officers of the vessel 
 with regard to making preparations for defence 
 should the natives become imbued with the sus- 
 picion that their king was a prisoner and make 
 an attack on the vessel with a view to his rescue. 
 
 Fanny had not yet fully recovered from her 
 trying experience. 
 
 Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were 
 roving in the peculiar manner which denotes the 
 approach of hysteria. 
 
 But the first words that Roland spoke calmed 
 her agitation. 
 
 " Mr. Hopkins says," said Roland ; " that the 
 marriage is null and void." 
 
 ' fc Thank God !" exclaimed Fanny, fervently. 
 
 A few tears rolled down her cheeks and 
 drawing a deep sigh of relief, she added 
 
 " I'm so glad ! " 
 
 " And so am I," added Roland emphatically. 
 
 " Fanny," said he after a short pause, "it is a 
 strange time for me to speak to } T OU on the sub- 
 
216 AMBERGKIS ISLAND. 
 
 ject I have so often tried to approach a strange 
 time for me to think of such a thing when we 
 arc surrounded by dangers and my father yet 
 languishes a prisoner in Eden Island. But the 
 terrible experience through which I have passed 
 to-day the dread of losing you the the fear 
 of not having another opportunity of speaking 
 to you alone for some time must plead as my 
 excuse. Fanny, dear Fanny I love " 
 
 u Here is a nice soothing drink for yer, Miss 
 Fanny," said Sam entering the stateroom with 
 a glass upon a tray ; yer father ordered it an' 
 old Sted. has mixed it Hallo ! sir ! Kepting 
 Roland, excuse me sir " Sam on entering had 
 been speaking with his eyes fixed upon the 
 glass in the tray, fearing to spill the mixture, 
 but suddenly looking up, encountered the flash- 
 ing eyes of Roland 
 
 The situation was just the medicine Fanny 
 needed. 
 
 She burst into a peal of laughter, in which 
 Roland after a pause, joined. 
 
 "'Tain't no use talkin', sir:" Sam burst forth 
 desperately ; "what's ter be is ter be. How 
 could I help it? the Kepting orders this drink 
 an 1 old Sted. sends me here with it. What kin 
 I do?" 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 217 
 
 "Obey orders, Sam," said Fanny. 
 
 "Yer right every time, Miss, an' that's what I 
 does." 
 
 "Sam, my boy, I don't blame you," said Ro- 
 land ; "but I've stood this long enough. Un- 
 derstand, this young lady is to be my wife " 
 
 " In course she is sir," said Sam, putting 
 down the tray and making his exit from the 
 cabin. 
 
 " O, Roland !" said Fanny blushing. " Why 
 did you" 
 
 " I can't conceal it any longer darling. I 
 love } T OU, I love }'ou. O, tell me, will you be 
 mine, my own, my wife ? " 
 
 He put his arm around her and she laid her 
 head upon lies breast murmuring : 
 
 " Yes, dear Roland ; yes, I love you O, you 
 know it well." 
 
 "My arling!" exclaimed Roland, as he im- 
 printed the first lover's kiss that had ever been 
 pressed upon her vergin lips. 
 
218 AMBERGKIS ISLAND. 
 
 CHAPTER TWENTY-NINTH. 
 
 SAM AND THE OCTOPUS. 
 
 Night had fallen on Ambergris Island. 
 
 Large fires blazed upon the beach in the light 
 of which the dusky forms of the islanders could 
 be seen passing to and fro. 
 
 In the grand saloon of the Star of the Sea Ro- 
 land and his officers and passengers were dis- 
 cussing the plan of action to be pursued with 
 respect to the natives. 
 
 The king of the island had been removed to 
 the forecastle for greater security and two sea- 
 men placed over him as a guard. 
 
 The islanders had made no inquiry for him 
 and indeed had had no further communication 
 with the ship : they had evidently put full faith 
 in the explanation given by the naturalist, of 
 the reasons for his remaining on board of the 
 vessel. 
 
 The people of the Star of the Sea, however, 
 felt that it would be impossible to keep up the 
 
AMREKGE1S ISLAND. 219 
 
 deception much longer. 
 
 The blazing fires on the beach and the appar- 
 ent bustle among the natives were evidences 
 to Roland and his friends that preparations were 
 in progress for a grand pow wow. 
 
 If the people of the Star of the Sea did not 
 present themselves at this ceremony or jubila- 
 tion the islanders would suspect that some de- 
 ception was being practised upon them. On 
 the other hand, if they presented themselves 
 unaccompanied by the king, the natives would 
 probably demand to have him produced. 
 
 The only course left to our friends was to 
 keep up the deception as long as possible, and, 
 when hostilities were no longer avoidable, fight 
 for their lives and liberty. 
 
 They had a dim hope that succor might be 
 near in llio vessel which they had seen at a dis- 
 tance and which was evidently making for the 
 island when she passed from their sight around 
 a point of land. 
 
 Roland conjectured that the vessel had been 
 sent out for ambergris by the company of whose 
 formation and intention to send out an expedi- 
 tion Ii3 heard the two Boston merchants speak. 
 
 If this proved to be the fact and the vessel 
 found the passage through the reef, assistance 
 
220 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 would probably reach them within twenty 
 hours. 
 
 "I think," said Roland, when they had reach- 
 ed this point in their consultation ; "I think it 
 would be well for us to keep faith with the is- 
 landers and go on shore, leaving the king on 
 board of the vessel." 
 
 "I hate to leave the ship," said Captain 
 Bracebridge ; "I always felt at home with a 
 plank beneath my feet. Nevertheless, I sup 
 pose it would be the best plan to visit the na-. 
 tives. Dr. Vandenhoffer must do his best to 
 pull the wool over their eyes if they are anxious 
 about their king." 
 
 "Perhaps it would be better," said the law- 
 yer ; "to send a reconnoitering party on sliore 
 before we go to find out what preparations they 
 are making and what resources, in arms, they 
 possess for offence." 
 
 "A good idea Mr. Hopkins," said Captain 
 Bracebridge. 
 
 "I'll go myself," said Roland. 
 
 "0, no," said Fanny, hastily ; then, blushing 
 deeply, she added : "I mean, I think more than 
 one should go." 
 
 "If yo' has no dejections," said Steadfast 
 Peters, who, with Sam, had been serving the 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 221 
 
 party with refreshments during the consulta- 
 tion ; "me an' Sam 'ill go. We kin do dat yar 
 business." 
 
 "Yes siree bob, begging yer parding sir, we 
 kin do it. Them there Wahoos is quite friend- 
 ly ter us." 
 
 Roland demurred, but after some discussion 
 it was decided that the cook and Sam should 
 form the reconnoitering party. 
 
 "Take the gig," said Roland. 
 
 "No, sah, ef yo' please," said the cook, "we 
 will take to de water." 
 
 "What! swim?" 
 
 "Yes, sah." 
 
 "But the sharks?" 
 
 "Sam an' me will take care ob dem fellers." 
 
 "But why not take the boat ? " 
 
 " 'Cause we am gwine ter rekonoughter an' 
 not ter be seen fust ob all." 
 
 "All right. Do as you think best." 
 
 Old Sted. and Sam quickly made their pre- 
 parations. Each armed himself with a long 
 knife, and, divesting themselves of all superflu- 
 ous clothing, they dropped silently into the 
 water and struck out for the shore. 
 
 Sam was not without fear. He had not for- 
 gotten his adventure with the shark. But he 
 
222 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 had faith in old Stad., and swam steadily at his 
 side. 
 
 In a few moments they saw a shark show his 
 fin a few feet from them. 
 
 "Dat yar shark am rekonoughterin' me an' 
 you Sam," whispered old Sted. 
 
 Sam shuddered and closed in to the side of 
 his friend. 
 
 "Don't yo' be 'fraid ob him, my boy. Ise 
 gwine ter teach yo' dat ar trick ob mine. When 
 I gib yo' de word you jest drop under him wid 
 your eyes open. Yo' kin see him by de fustfur- 
 ersence. Run your knife up froo him an' gib 
 him a rip an' he's deader nor a baked possum." 
 
 Sam was resolved to learn the trick of killing 
 a shark and he paid the closest attention to the 
 directions of his colored friend. 
 
 The shark was coming closer; he was now 
 within four feet of Sam. 
 
 "Now, my boy," whispered the cook ; "sink 
 down, swim beneaf 'im an' gib 'im de steel." 
 
 Sam sank silently beneath the surface, and 
 an instant later the shark, witn a snort, sprang 
 half out of the water and dropping back sank 
 from sight. 
 
 "How's that, old Sted?" asked Sam as he 
 rose by the side of the cook and drew a long 
 
AMBEKGKIS ISLAND. 223 
 
 breath. 
 
 "Dat is bully. Yo' hab killed your fust 
 shark yo' am safe now, No mo' sharks will 
 come roun' yo' dis night, yo' heah me. Put a 
 pin dar." 
 
 "I felt kinder queer though," saidSam "when 
 I sunk. My heart wuz in my mouth, but I saw 
 him plain by the fire track he made an' I guv 
 him ther knife quickerin lightnin'. 
 
 "Yo' did my boy. Yo' hab done bully." 
 
 "Yo' needn't put yer arm aroun' me Sted ; I 
 ain't tired an' we almost at the beach." 
 
 "What am dat yo say ? I didn't put my arm 
 roun' yo'." 
 
 "What ! It's there yet an' there's another 
 an' another. Sted., there's somethin' pulliri' 
 me down. Help me, Sted! somethin's squeezin' 
 ther breath outer me." 
 
 "By de lor', Sam !" exclaimed the cook; 
 "dar's an arm roun' me, too. Golly it am de 
 debbil fish de octerpus ! cut, Sam, cut !" and 
 the cook began slashing on both sides of him 
 with his knife. 
 
 Sam did the same and succeeded in freeing 
 himself, but a wriggling mass of arms now sur- 
 rounded the . cook and although old Sted. cut 
 and slashed with desperate energy he was held 
 
224 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 fast and could not extricate himself from the 
 twining coils. 
 
 He was in the grasp of a monster octopus. 
 
 Fortunately Sam at that moment felt the 
 ground beneath his feet. 
 
 "Swim to de sho', Sam," cried the cook; "or 
 he'll hab yo', too. Ise gone- He's crushin' de 
 bref out ob my body." 
 
 "Swim to ther shore," responded Sam ; "no 
 siree bob. Not while old Sted. is in danger." 
 
 So saying Sam made a furious onslaught on 
 the mass of wriggling arms, lopping them off 
 one by one with his long sharp knife. 
 
 The water was lashed into foam around them 
 in the struggle. Several times Sam was caught 
 by an arm, but instantly freed himself and 
 bravely waged the contest until he succeeded in 
 freeing his friend from his perilous position. 
 
 "There !" cried Sam, when his keen knife 
 severed the last arm that held the cook ; "yer 
 free, old Sted." 
 
 They made their way to the shore. Both 
 were greatly exhausted by the struggle and it 
 was some time before they recovered their 
 strength. After resting they continued stealth- 
 ily up the beach and made an examination of 
 the camp of the islanders. 
 
AMBERGKIS ISLAND. 225 
 
 Men and women were scattered around in 
 groups chatting and laughing. Some were 
 cooking various kinds of fish and monster tur- 
 tles were being baked in their shells. Every- 
 thing bore the aspect of peace. 
 
 As the cook and Sam gazed on the scene the 
 latter having recovered his wonted pleasantry, 
 remarked : 
 
 "Now I've found out where thet there turkle 
 went to." 
 
 Just then some of the islanders started to 
 their feet with loud ejaculations and pointed in 
 the direction of the sea. 
 
 The cook and Sam turned and looked in the 
 same direction and to their consternation be- 
 held their vessel, the Star of the Sea, a mass of 
 flame from her bow to her waist. 
 
226 AMBEBGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 CHAPTER THIRTIETH. 
 
 DESTRUCTION OF THE STAR OF THE SEA. 
 
 How the vessel had caught fire no one knew, 
 but so dry was everything about her, from the 
 heat of the tropic sun, that in an hour after the 
 fire was discovered, all that remained of the 
 Star of the Sea was that portion of her hull be- 
 low the water line. 
 
 Roland wept as he gazed upon the ruins of 
 his beautiful schooner, dimly seen in light of 
 the expiring flames. 
 
 By flooding the magazine they had prevented 
 her from being blown to pieces, but she was as 
 much a ruin as if that catastrophe had occurred. 
 
 This event once more turned the tables. 
 
 The king of the island was at liberty and at 
 the head of his people and our voyagers were 
 once more his prisoners. 
 
 They expected little mercy at his hands. His 
 wounded ear was giving him great pain, though 
 the surgeon of the Star of the Sea had dressed 
 
AMBEKGRIS ISLAND. 227 
 
 it with the utmost care, and he was in a sullen 
 and vengeful mood. 
 
 When the last flicker in the ruins of the Star 
 of the Sea had expired the king announced his 
 intentions with regard to the party. 
 
 "I will carry you all," said he, "to Eden 
 Island. You will be left at perfect liberty and 
 will be free to marry native wives if you so de- 
 sire. You will be my subjects and on the same 
 footing with my islanders, except that you will 
 never be allowed to leave the island. I cannot 
 afford to have any of you escape and afterward 
 bring a United States naval force against me. 5 ' 
 
 " We cud'nt do that, King," chimed in Sam. 
 
 " You had better keep quiet," said the king 
 with a scowl ; " I owe you something for to- 
 day's business." 
 
 " Beg yer parding, yer majesty. I was agoin' 
 ter say that the United States haint got no navy 
 ter bring agin yer ; at least so ther noospapers 
 say." 
 
 " And what are your intentions with regard 
 to this lady ? asked Roland, pointing to Fanny. 
 
 " My intentions with regard to my wife ! ha ! 
 ha ! That's a pretty question to ask a husband ! 
 Ha ! my God ! what's that ! " 
 
 The islanders set up a sudden cry of terror, 
 
228 AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 and our voyagers stood transfixed with astonish- 
 ment. A moment before all was dark upon 
 the water, arid now about a quarter of a mile 
 from the shore lay a large steamship, glittering 
 from stem to stern with electric light. 
 
 Her long low hull, the domes on her deck, the 
 smoke stacks, the flag-staff with the United 
 States flag were all as plainly visible as if it 
 were noon-day. 
 
 Moreover the forms of the men were seen in 
 various parts of the vessel, and at the stern 
 stood a group in which females could be dis- 
 tinguished. 
 
 And now there ascended from the vessel a 
 shower of rockets of all colors red, blue, green, 
 purple and yellow. 
 
 With ejaculations of terror the natives fled 
 in all directions, men, women, and children 
 crowding upon each other. 
 
 The shower of rockets was followed by the 
 discharge of several guns of heavy calibre, and 
 as the reports followed each other bang ! bang ! 
 bang ! wild shrieks rose from the natives as they 
 fled to the forest. 
 
 "Seize the king!" shouted Roland to his 
 men. 
 
AMBEEGEIS ISLAND. 229 
 
 The order was obeyed instantly and the king 
 was once more a prisoner. 
 
 "Now then to the boats, and let us go on 
 board of that vessel before the natives recover 
 from their terror," said Capt. Bracebridge : "we 
 are all right now. Three cheers, boys, hurrah ! 
 hurrah ! hurrah ! tiger ! " 
 
 The party hurried to the boats and were soon 
 alongside the ship. 
 
 When Roland reached the deck he stood gaz- 
 ing in astonishment. 
 
 His mother, with the arm of a strange man 
 around her, stood before him. 
 
 As his eyes fell upon the stranger's face his 
 heart gave a great leap. 
 
 " Mother ! " ejaculated Roland. 
 
 " My son ! " exclaimed Mrs. Ranger, clasping 
 him to her heart. " O Roland, my darling boy ! 
 do you know who this is ? " 
 
 " My son ! my boy ! " faltered the stranger. 
 
 " Father ! " Roland sprang forward with a 
 shout of joy, and the long-separated father and 
 son were clasped in each other's arms. 
 
 The king of the island stood looking on with 
 a softer expression on his face than it had worn 
 since meeting with our voyagers. 
 
 " God is on their side," he murmured. " Per- 
 
230 AMBEEGEIS ISLAND. 
 
 haps, after all," he added, after a short pause, 
 " it is better to forgive than to avenge injuries." 
 "Daniel Spencer," said Captain Ralph Ran- 
 ger approaching the king, "you are probably 
 surprised to see me here. I escaped from Eden 
 Island and was picked up by this steamer, well- 
 named the Rescue, and found my wife on board 
 of her. I learned that my son had set out in 
 search of me and was probably at Ambergris 
 Island. I feared that you. would do him harm 
 if he fell into your hands. We hurried on here 
 as rapidly as possible. I knew the passage 
 through the reefs. We passed through it before 
 dark and began to circle the island. We saw 
 your fires and made the display of electric light 
 and fired the rockets and guns to frighten your 
 people. I have found my boy ; he is safe. Now 
 don't you think you've had a full revenge for 
 the injury I did you unintentionally ? " 
 " You swore a lie and made me a convict." 
 *' I was deceived by appearances. My assail- 
 ant was your twin brother." 
 " What ! my brother ! " 
 " Yes ; I can prove it to you. Read this." 
 Captain Ranger took the newspaper extract 
 from his pocket-book and handed it to the king. 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 231 
 
 The latter read it and crushing it in his hand 
 said : 
 
 " God forgive me ! You swore to the truth, 
 after all, for we looked exactly alike." 
 
 " Are you satisfied with your revenge ? " 
 
 " Oh ! I have done you a great injury ! " 
 
 " It is forgiven. You are free to return to 
 your islanders or to go with us to the United 
 States." 
 
 " I should prefer to remain here." 
 
 " It shall be as you decide." 
 
 Captain Ranger was now greeted by his old 
 friend, Captain Bracebridge, and the party 
 going below to the grand saloon, mutual ex- 
 planations were made in which the people of 
 the Rescue and those of the burned Star of the 
 Sea were made acquainted with the events that 
 preceded their coming together as they are 
 known to the reader. 
 
 There was great surprise when old Sted. gave 
 a description of the skill with which Sam dis- 
 posed of the shark, and detailed the adventure 
 with the monster octopus, and the bravery of 
 the cabin boy was highly lauded. 
 
 Roland introduced Fanny to his mother as 
 the prospective Mrs. Roland, much to the young 
 lady's confusion. 
 
232 AMBEKGKIS ISLAND. 
 
 Mrs. Eanger kissed Fanny affectionately and 
 said that she would be proud and happy to have 
 her as a daughter. 
 
 Next day the crews of the two vessels began 
 the work of lading the Rescue with ambergris. 
 
 The king of the island having explained to 
 his people the phenomena that had caused their 
 fright and removed their fear of the vessel, they 
 filled their canoes with ambergris and brought 
 it to the ship in such quantities that the lading 
 process went on rapidly. 
 
 Meanwhile the naturalist busied himself in 
 collecting specimens of everything curious on 
 the island. 
 
 When the Rescue was loaded and ready to 
 start the king came on board and took farewell 
 of the party. 
 
 He begged the forgiveness of all whom he 
 had injured or intended to injure, and hoped 
 they would think kindly of him. 
 
 As he parted from Captain Ranger he said, 
 while the tears stood in his eyes 
 
 " If my brother is in prison it is probably the 
 best place for him ; still if you could do any- 
 thing for him " 
 
 "I'll do it, depend upon it," said Captain 
 Ranger. 
 
AMREKGE1S ISLAND. 233 
 
 The Rescue was then headed for sea, and two 
 hours later Ambergris Island disappeared from 
 
 view. 
 
234 AMBEBGEIS ISLAND. 
 
 EPILOGUE. 
 
 A few months ago there was a brilliant wed- 
 ding at one of the churches of Chelsea. 
 
 The bridegroom was a handsome sunbrowned 
 youth, and the bride a young lady of surpassing 
 loveliness. 
 
 " A handsome pair," was the comment of the 
 spectators. 
 
 They were our old friends, Roland Ranger 
 and Fanny Bracebridge. 
 
 In the bridal party were a colored man and a 
 white boy, in whom the reader will have no 
 difficulty in recognizing old Sted. and Sam. 
 
 While the service was being read by the cler- 
 gyman, Roland kept casting sidelong glances at 
 Sam, and the latter whispering to the cook, said, 
 
 " I guess he's a-thinkin' that I'm a-goin' ter 
 shout ' land ho ! ' or somethin' jist as the minister 
 
AMBERGRIS ISLAND. 285 
 
 axes him if he takes her fur better or fur worse." 
 " Dat am jest what am passin' froo his mind. 
 
 Yo' keep your mouf shet. Yo' heah me ? Put 
 
 a pin dar ! " 
 
 But the injunction was not needed. The 
 
 ceremony proceded without interruption and 
 
 Roland Ranger and Fanny Bracebridge were 
 
 pronounced man and wife. 
 
 "Now," observed Sam to old Sted., "he's got 
 
 her, 'cordin' to the statoots made an' purvided." 
 
 44 Put a pin dar ! " answered old Sted. 
 
 ***** **** 
 
 " Well," said Lawyer Hopkins to Dr. Vanden- 
 hoffer as the bridal party passed from the church; 
 "this is a happier wedding than that one at 
 Ambergris Island." 
 
 44 Eet ees, but I tought you were to marry de 
 pair." 
 
 44 That was Roland's arrangement, but Fanny 
 preferred to be married in a church by a clergy- 
 man, and it is better so." 
 
 44 What has been done about de brudder of de 
 king, who is in prison?" 
 
 44 He has been pardoned through the efforts 
 of Captain Ranger." 
 
 44 Dat is noble." 
 
 44 That- is the Captain's revenge." 
 
236 AMBEKGRIS ISLAND. 
 
 " Eet ees well, We are all reech, we are al 
 happy." 
 
 " Yes, all connected with the two expeditions 
 have been fortunate, and everything ends hap 
 pily in this wedding," 
 
 THE END. 
 

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