“Yes, he is,” responded Bilbao. Then he added: “I’m going out to see that mate, and I wouldn’t wonder if the Sea Foam doesn’t sail to-morrow night with you and me on board.”
“Really?” said Hillary.
“Yes, really!” responded Bilbao, as he told his surprised comrade to get his traps packed ready to sail the next night.
“But didn’t you say the skipper wanted eight hundred pounds?” said Hillary after a pause.
“We don’t get all we want in this world,” replied Ulysses, as he gave a massive wink.
When they eventually got back to Hillary’s lodgings, the apprentice was so sanguine over Bilbao’s hopeful outlook that he too felt quite cheerful. He opened his sea-chest and showed his big comrade Gabrielle’s photograph. Ulysses stared at the face, smacked Hillary on the back, then kissed the photograph gallantly.
After that Hillary sat down in his room and fell into deep reflections over the mysterious disappearance of Gabrielle. Then he played his violin so as to soothe his own feelings. He was quite undisturbed by Bilbao. For that worthy had sneaked off outside beneath the palms so that he could woo pretty Mango Pango. Hillary heard shrieks of laughter coming from the dusky maiden’s lips as Ulysses whispered heaven only knows what pretty things into her ears. Anyhow, Mango Pango fell desperately in love with Samuel Bilbao. And when he and Hillary left Mango Pango’s kitchen that evening the young apprentice noticed that his comrade was full of glee over some new scheme that had originated in his versatile brain.
Mango Pango’s eyes shone like fire as she waved her hand to Bilbao and behaved as though she’d known the giant sailorman since her earliest childhood.
“She’s mine!—mine for ever!” chuckled Bilbao.
Hillary took little notice of Bilbao’s wild utterances, but it was not long before he discovered that there was a good deal of meaning in all that Ulysses said, and also in the humour of his chuckles.