“You all right,” grinned the Japanese youth. “Hurray! It take plenty kill you.”
Clif managed to stand erect after his wound, a lacerated incision in the shoulder given by one of the apes, had been attended to.
Lieutenant Watson and the other officers made an inspection of the strange craft, and found evidences to prove that she had originally done duty as a primitive lightship in some southern Mediterranean port, presumably in Algeria.
“I am more inclined to think so from the fact that we found that African negro and the apes on board,” said the executive officer, as they returned from below. “I think I understand matters now. This negro was evidently an attendant on board, and the apes were pets.”
“It’s customary to have them on ships in those ports,” spoke up one of the officers.
“Yes. Well, the lightship evidently got adrift during a storm and was blown to sea, through the Gut of Gibraltar.”
“And afterward became a derelict in the Sargasso Sea. I noticed certain marine fungi and seaweed on the hull which are only found in the Sargasso.”
“True. This ship probably drifted back and forth for months. All the crew died except the negro, and he was made insane by his surroundings. It’s a strange story.”
“Only another mystery of the sea,” said the lieutenant in charge of the launch, looking about decks. “Now the question is, what will we do with her?”