She clapped her hands with joy when they passed an iceberg, but shuddered somewhat if an enormous black seal, or a goggle-eyed sea-elephant lifted his head and stared wonderingly at the vessel as she passed.
. . . . . .
But all this was past now. The ship was in a far more genial climate, and the men had once again recovered their health and spirits.
As I have said before, there is nothing certain at all except the unexpected, and one night an event occurred of so startling a nature that it caused general terror throughout the ship.
CHAPTER IV
STRANGE STORY OF A STOLEN DIAMOND
Having perfect faith in the wisdom and seamanship of Archie Webber his first mate, Antonio had left him in London to pick and choose the crew, merely premising that the hands engaged should be good men and true, hardy, healthy, and capable of going anywhere and doing anything.
“So long,” said the little skipper, “as they have these good qualities, I care little what nationality they belong to.”
A crew of about forty is of course far too many for even a large barque, but Antonio needed workmen as well as sailors.
So, the crew was a very mixed one. There were English, Scotch, and Irish, Frenchmen and Finns.
These last are hardy, bold seamen, but not always to be trusted. The Dane also who used to help to man the sloop in Fisherton Bay had been kept on. Now many of those men, although excellent sailors, had been reduced by drink to mere dock loafers. They took care to be sober and smartly dressed, however, when they presented themselves before first mate Webber, and asked for a billet.