“And then I ran into Stubbs and landed here,” he concluded.
“What did Stubbs tell you of this expedition?”
“Nothing––except that we are running to Carlina.”
“Yes,” sighed Danbury, dreamily, “to Carlina. Well, things certainly have been coming fast for you these last few days. And I’ll tell you right now that when we reach Carlina if you need me or any of this crew to help you get the girl, you can count on us. We’ve got a pretty good job of our own cut out, but perhaps the two will work together.”
He relighted his pipe, adjusted thyhe pillows more comfortably, and with hands clasped behind his head began his own story.
“To go back a little,” he said, “father made a pot of money in coffee––owned two or three big plantations down around Rio; but he had no sooner got a comfortable pile together than he died. That’s way back just about as far as I can remember. As a kid I wasn’t very strong, and so cut out school mostly––got together a few scraps of learning under a tutor, but never went to college. Instead of that, the mater let me knock around. She’s the best ever that way, is the mater––tends to her Bridge, gives me an open account, and, so long as she hears once a month, is happy.
“Last year I took a little trip down to Dad’s plantations, and from there rounded the Horn on a sailing vessel and landed way up the west coast in Carlina. 144 It was just chance that led me to get off there and push in to Bogova. I’d heard of gold mines in there and thought I’d have a look at them. But before I came to the gold mines I found something else.”
He paused a moment. Then, without a word, rose slowly and, fumbling about a moment in a cedar chest near his bunk, drew out a photograph.
“That’s she,” he said laconically.