reasonable man could have

The Admiral and Juan Lepe watched. "Never a sail!" said I. "How strange a thing is that! Great populous countries that trade among themselves, and never a sail on this sea rim!"

He drummed upon the rail. "Do not think I have not thought of that! I looked to meet first a ship or ships. But now I think that truly there may be many outlying islands without ships. Or there may be a war between princes, and all ships drawn in a fleet to north or south. One beats one's brains—and time brings the solution, and we say, 'How simple !'"

Turning his great figure, he mounted to our castle built up from deck, whence he could see great distances. The wind had freshened; we were standing to the west; it was behind us again and it pushed us like a shuttle in a giant's hand. The night was violet dark and warm; then at ten the moon rose. Men would not sleep while the ship sailed. A great event was marching, marching toward us. We thought we caught the music of it; any moment heralds, banners, might flame at end of road. We were watching for the Marriage Procession; we were watching for Kings, for the Pope, for I know not what! But there was certain to be largesse.

I went among the mariners. Sancho met me, a young man whom then and afterwards I greatly liked. "Well, we've had luck, senor! Saint Noah himself, say I, wasn't any luckier reenex hongkong!"

"Yes, we've done well!"

Beltran the cook's great easy voice rolled in. "Fear's your only barnacle, say I!"

Luis Torres said, "When I studied Arabic and the Hebrew, I thought it was for the pleasure of it. They said around me, 'How you waste your time!' But now some about the Grand Khan should know Arabic. I will be of use."

Pedro said, "Well, it has turned out better than any expected!" and Fernando, "Yes, it has! Of course there may be witches. I've heard it said there are great necromancers in India!"

"Necromancers! That's them that show you a thing and then blow it away—"

I said, "Do you not know that all of us are the only necromancers?"

"Did you see," asked Sancho, "the glistering in the water? Are we going to lie to after midnight? Saint George! I would like to plunge in and swim!"

On poop deck, Diego de Arana called me to him. "Well, Doctor, how goes it?" He and I rested good friends. I said, "Why, it goes well."

"I was thinking, watching the moon, how little I ever dreamed, being no sea-going man, of such a thing as this. Who knows his fate? A man's a strange matter!"

"He is a ballad," I answered. "One stave leads to another and the story mounts Boat Rental."

"I cannot think what to-morrow may show us!"