“Why, I should much rather go out to Monte Cristo’s castle, sir,” Kit answered, wondering that circumstances had made the trip possible on his very first day in port.
“Then Monte Cristo it is!” the Captain exclaimed. “I’ll be getting angry at these saintly Frenchmen pretty soon if I don’t do something to work it off. Then you step ashore, Silburn, and find out how we can get there. There used to be a little steamboat or two going out, and I suppose they still run. Just find out what time they start.”
Kit returned in a few minutes with a longer face than before.
“No boats to-day, Captain,” he reported. “They are all afraid of the rough water outside.”
“Right enough for them,” the Captain answered, “since they are small excursion boats and made for smooth water. But there’s nothing outside to-day to hurt a good sea-boat. Step over there to the head of the port where you see those sail-boats to hire, and see whether you can get a boatman to take us over.”
Kit was gone longer this time, but once more he returned with bad news.
“I’m afraid we’ll have to give it up, Captain,” he said. “Not one of the boatmen will venture outside the port. I made them understand by saying ‘Castle d’If,’ and pointing out; but they only shook their heads and answered ‘Le Mistral! le Mistral!’”
“Well,” the Captain exclaimed, with an expressive shrug of the shoulders, “this town is pretty well closed to-day, isn’t it? But I think I can find a way to get to that island. Lower away the longboat, Mr. Mason.”