CHAPTER X—THE WINE-DARK SEAS
On the evening of the day that followed Hillary’s stand-up fight at the shanty he went off with Samuel Bilbao to visit Gabrielle’s father.
“Must see the old man first, you know,” said Ulysses, as he chuckled over the immense possibilities that loomed before his all-embracing vision. He saw money as well as wild adventure ahead: “A coastal native town in New Guinea! A beautiful maiden stolen, hidden away, abducted by a damned Macka Koo Rajah—and Samuel Bilbao hired to find her and pound old Macka to dust—splendid!” he chuckled, as he walked on under the palms, pulling his large viking-like moustachios.
Hillary glanced at the big man’s flushed, happy face and thanked God that such hearts still existed, that men with Herculean frames longed to do unheard-of things quite outside the ordinary business of life.
Then, as Bilbao tugged his vandyke beard, chuckled and continued to roar over his own thoughts, Hillary said: “Do be quiet; don’t for heaven’s sake mention anything about your discarded queens and melancholy kings. You know Everard has been an old sailor and he consequently knows what men are.” Then the apprentice added, in soft tones: “He might draw wrong conclusions as to your character and not be willing to trust you, you know.”
The big face expressed massive disgust that such an ignoramus of a youth should dare advise such a one as he.
Hillary only smiled at seeing that look. He had read Ulysses like a book, and knew exactly how far to go.
“So here’s where the old man’s put up,” suddenly said Bilbao, as they stopped. They had arrived outside Everard’s bungalow and Hillary softly opened the door.
Old Everard struggled from his chair and immediately lit the oil lamp, for it was nearly dark.
“Well, boy, ’eard anything about my Gabby?” he mumbled, as he struck matches, never looking behind him, since he thought that Hillary had returned alone. Then, getting no reply, he turned round and looked straight into Samuel Bilbao’s eyes. He stared at the giant sailorman for quite ten seconds, as though a vision had suddenly come before him. Then he said: “You!”