Argosy, Vol. 1 (1882) — page 74: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE CAPTIVES OF THE TEMPLE. and keep your temper better under control.” To me he said: ‘ Oliver, this black protégé of yours will sail again in the Wing. With you to watch over him, he need not fear persecution. And, being on board with the same men as were on her before, you will have an opportunity to judge of the situation. And on your report when you return will depend my fu- ture action.” The captain’s face was black when we left the office, and I felt a little un- easiness over the outcome of the affair. Had I been going alone I think I would have asked for a change of cap- tains. But with Desklit as a compan- ion, I felt that I need not fear the treachery of Captain Pence. In a few days the Wing was unload- _ed and provisioned for the cruise. There was no time to take on a cargo for the outward trip, for there was none to be had within a week for any place at which we could stop without caus- ing a delay beyond the time in which my father had agreed to have the wood in New York. Desklit came on board with a suit- able outfit of clothing for the climate to which we were going, a rifle and fowling piece, and the ammunition for each, and another outfht of scientific implements and drugs and chemicals with which to prosecute his studies, while | prepared to attend to the busi- ness of employing natives, felling trees, and loading. None but the finest trees were to be taken, and the work of selecting them and getting them down to the shore and on board the Wing was going to occupy some little time. Pence was polite in a surly way, and Huskway kept out of my sight as much as possible. But Desklit and I were good enough company for each other, and cared nothing what Pence and Huskway did so long as they sailed the ship prop- erly, . 65 The Wing got under way as usual, and Desklit and I enjoyed the trip down the Atlantic. In the equatorial region we donned our gray duck and canvas clothing, and made ourselves as cool and com- fortable as possible. By that time Pence and Huskway had overcome their aversion in some measure, and we ate at the captain’s table with more or less sociability. Pence had curbed his,temper to some purpose, and not once had we seen any of the persecution of the men reported by the sailors. We saw little of Pedro Gapo, and had almost convinced ourselves that the black fellow had stretched the truth a little in his complaint. ““ Nevertheless,” said Desklit, when we were talking the matter over, “I don’t like your captain overmuch. There is a sneaking look in his face that bodes some one ill. [ can’t say just how it does strike me, but watch him after we get into the Amazon— that’s all.” These words of Desklit were not without their effect, and I did watch Pence. We entered the Amazon a few days before the period of high tides in the spring, and just before the full moon. We had gone some hundreds of miles up the great river, and I had watched Pence till I got tired of it. “T don’t believe the fellow is up to anything,” I told Desklit. “‘ If he was he wouldn’t wait so long.” “Well, you know him better than I do,” was the reply. “I don’t like him —that’s all.” It had never been a practice with me to lock my stateroom door at night. I feared no one on board, and when disaster overtakes a ship at sea the less one has to do with locks the better. So I slept with my door unlocked. Desklit’s stateroom was separated from mine by a bulkhead supposed to be air tight and water tight, but any- thing but sound tight. ECORRIC OO© Ss eco