“This time we shall not fail,” he declaimed ecstatically. “Before twenty-four hours are over, I shall have scaled the cliffs that keep the mystery of the South. I—Emil Saiger Lessaution—I proclaim it.”
“My good sir,” I said, “you’ll have to be quick about it. We only stay here for repairs. You don’t mean to say you imagined we were still pursuing our quest? You certainly are a pretty sanguine personage, if you did.”
“M. de Heatherslie,” replied the little man with dignity, “do you think that I have such little consideration for the distressed ladies of this party, that I would keep them a moment longer than necessary from returning where they can obtain what is needful for their comfort? No. But I have questioned the good Eccles, who assures me that not less than forty-eight hours will be necessary to effect his work upon his engines. By then I shall have accomplished my desire, and will be able to show you such proofs that after we have landed the ladies at the Falklands, you will retrace your course here and pursue this adventure with me. But to think that I wish to inconvenience the ladies by a single instant!—I who worship the sex from the bottom of my heart!” and he twirled his little mustaches fiercely.
I did not attempt to answer these chivalric sentiments, and we drifted into other by-ways of conversation amicably enough. The Racoon wound along the irregular canals amid the pack, and finally swung under the overhanging shadow of the summits.
The isles were high and sugarloaf-like, with great hollows on the flank that faced the shore cliffs not a mile away. We threw the lead in the channel between them and the cliff wall, and about the centre found fourteen fathoms. Here we dropped anchor.
Great lean rocks ran up from the water’s edge in buttressing ribs, crowning the gaunt summits. Here and there deep rifts showed in their sides. Curious snake-like twistings wound about them. Scales of molten stones lapped over and about each other wherever a resting-place was found. It did not need the black column of smoke that pillared up into the sky to inform me that these were volcanoes.
That day was given up to tidying the ship, lashing up what had run adrift of our various impedimenta about the saloon and smoke-room, and making things ship-shape generally.
About noon the ladies appeared, bright, smiling, and cheerful. Gwen met me with the friendliest interest and unconcern. She was dressed in a neat skirt of sail-cloth, supplied by the carpenter, or rather the material for the same. She and her sister, I found, had been fashioning these in the privacy of their cabins, the dresses in which they came aboard being practically ragged pulp. They had wound thin strips of blanket about their shoulders most becomingly, and now wore these impromptu toilets before us by no means abashed, and with the certainty of producing a good impression undisturbed upon their faces.
We hastened to congratulate them upon their appearance.
They bowed their thanks, and began to ply us with unceasing questions. They were full of curiosity about their whereabouts, and their chances of a speedy return to civilized regions. I assured them that no efforts of mine should be wanting to swiftly bring them back to the known world at the earliest opportunity, but explained the situation with regard to the engine.