THERE was a great deal of the boy left in Captain Griffith, as Kit had long suspected; though he attended so thoroughly to his business that it did not often have a chance to show itself. But having made up his mind to enjoy a little holiday at the Castle d’If, he entered fully into the spirit of it. His ordering the longboat lowered was sufficient indication that he intended to sail out to the island, for it would have taken six or eight men to row it against the heavy sea, and it was the only one of the ship’s boats that was fitted with a mast and sail.
“We can hardly be back in time for dinner,” the Captain said, looking at his watch. “Put us up a good big basket of lunch, steward—enough for five or six men, for I must have some passengers along for ballast, in this breeze. Suppose you step up and ask the chief engineer whether he would like to go out to the castle, Silburn; and you can bring your friend Haines too, if he likes to come. I will take you along, Henry, to look after the lunch.”
The little trip to the castle was developing into a regular picnic, much to Kit’s delight. With the Captain and Tom Haines and Harry along, they were sure to have a lively time. Both the chief engineer and Tom Haines were glad to go, and in a few minutes they were all ready for the start.
“Now let me see,” said the Captain, before he went down the ladder to the little boat, in which the mast had been stepped. “We must have everything we are likely to need, for there’s no telling how we may find things out there. The island belongs to the government, and they used to keep a man there to show the castle to visitors, but I don’t know how it is now. Plenty of lunch in the basket, steward?”
“Enough for twice as many, sir,” the steward answered, “and dishes too. You’ll not go hungry, sir.”
“Then I don’t know of anything else we want.”
“Water, sir?” Kit suggested; “hadn’t we better take some water along?”
“There’s always a keg of water in the boat,” the Captain answered. “See that it’s full, Henry. Besides, there is a big well or tank in the castle, enough to supply a whole garrison. But we may need some candles, for some of those dungeons are so dark you can hardly see your hand before your face. Put a good package of candles in the basket, steward.”
The steward ran back to the cabin for the candles, and in another minute they were off, the five men making just about a proper ballast for the boat when the sail began to draw. The Captain took the helm and the main sheet, Harry and Tom Haines were sent up forward to keep her a little down by the head, and Kit and the chief engineer seated themselves amidships.
“This is Fort St. John on the right,” the Captain said, as they sped through the harbor entrance, “and on the left is Fort St. Nicholas. Now look at this big building on the high point to the left—the one that stands in the handsome park. They call that the Château de Pharo. It belonged to the Emperor Napoleon III., and he presented it to the city. In the great cholera epidemic of 1885 they used it for a hospital, and it has since been turned into a medical school with a hospital attached. That is the handsomest site in Marseilles; trust an emperor for picking out the choice spots. Now look out for a little tossing when we round the point.”