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steady wind from the northeast.
Marjorie, who had slept after midnight, leaned against the taffrail
with Trask, watching Shope and Pennock trimming the sails. Bevins
had the wheel but Locke was asleep below, having remained up all
night.
 Poor old Captain Dinshaw, said Marjorie.  He ll never have his
big house with good soup for supper.
 Perhaps it s just as well, replied Trask.  He was too old and
pitifully crazy ever to enjoy anything. It s likely he would have
suffered more if he d never come to his island. And he might have
killed somebody not so deserving of the fate he meted out to
Jarrow.
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Isle O Dreams
 I suppose you ll come back and really look for gold when we re
gone, she said.
He looked at her.
 No more of that island for me, he said.  The government will most
likely send a boat to get Mr. Peth and Doc but I wouldn t come back
here if the island were all gold.
 Why not? she asked, somewhat surprised.
 Because it meant great peril for you. I would not care to have those
terrible dangers recalled. I want to think of you as safe and happy.
But there s one thing about it all which gives me satisfaction.
 What s that?
 You ll never forget me!
 Why, Mr. Trask, of course I won t! What a silly thing to say!
 You might if it hadn t been for what we ve been through in this
schooner. He looked out over the sea.
 I hardly think so, she said, smiling at him.  Of course, you didn t
understand what a joke Dad was going to play on Jarrow about the
checks.
 What joke! demanded Trask, turning to her.
 Dad s balance at the International in Manila is only about four
thousand dollars.
 Then it might have been anything but a joke if Jarrow had come on
for the money and didn t get it, said Trask.  But I suppose the bank
would have allowed an overdraft.
 There couldn t be any overdraft. That four thousand is all the cash
we ve got in the world. Dad s supposed to be rich, but he isn t. We
have only a little fruit ranch in Southern California. We ve been
saving up for ten years for this trip around the world, since mother
died. Jarrow would have found himself in trouble if he had
attempted to cash those checks.
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Isle O Dreams
 I thought your father was a millionaire?
 There is a man named Locke who has millions in California, but he
is not a relative of ours.
 Glad to hear it! cried Trask.  By George, I m glad to hear it!
 Glad that we re not rich! Why, Mr. Trask!
 I m I m going back to the States, he announced.  On the same
boat you do, if you don t mind.
 You ve changed your plans?
 Yes. I m going to quit mine-scouting out in these God-forsaken
ends of the earth, and get back to where there s civilization. I think I
ll buy a fruit ranch in Southern California. I ve got enough capital.
And what mining I do, I ll do it in California.
She scanned his face, amazed at what he was saying, and startled at
his seriousness.
 Come below, and I ll tell you about it, he said, and she went down
before him.
 Marjorie, he said, seeing that Shanghai Tom was out of sight in the
galley, and her father s door was closed,  I ve been in love with you
since that first night in the Manchuria. But I thought well, I thought
you had millions!
 Wilkins told everybody we were rich. She put her hand on his arm
so gently that he could scarcely feel its weight.  I love you. I was
sure of it when Doc aimed that revolver at you.
He swept her into his arms.
 Thank God you missed the Hong Kong boat, he said.
 I really wanted to see you again, she confessed.
 But you were going home.
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Isle O Dreams
 It was I who made Dad miss the Taming. Anyway, I didn t tell him
we d have to get the morning train from Dagupan.
 For that I m going to kiss you again, said Trask. And he did.
Immediately on the arrival of the Nuestra Señora del Rosario at Manila
the coastguard cutter Candelaria sailed for Dinshaw s island. Peth
and Doc Bird, seeing the steamer approaching, attempted to leave
the island on an uncompleted raft, which broke up with them, and [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]