"Whence come you?" he asked, seeing the stranger turn and look at him.
For answer, the Dutchman made a wide sweep with his arms and then beckoned to Daland. Something in his manner so aroused the latter's curiosity that he ordered a boat lowered and rowed over to the beach.
"My name is Daland, a skipper of Norway," he said. "Whence and who are you?"
"I am a Dutchman and I have been around the world since I last set foot here," answered the stranger in a low voice.
"I should think you would be glad to come ashore again," said Daland. "I am, for I've had a precious rough voyage of it. Did you meet any storms?"
The Dutchman smiled. "Nothing but storms," he said, "but my ship will weather the best of them."
"What cargo do you carry?" asked Daland, mindful of his own unlucky experience.
"Oh, weighty enough; I've been trading in gold and precious stones," said the stranger indifferently.
An eager look came into Daland's eyes. "I should think you would hate to throw over any of that!" he said.
"There are a good many things I value more highly," replied the other. "I have known the time when I would gladly give it all for a little corner of dry land where I might live in peace."