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always present at the back of his head； as a matter of
course。 It filled the leisure of his waking hours with
the reveries of careful plans and compromising discov…
eriesthe dreams of his sleep with images of lucky
turns and favorable accidents。 Skippers had been
known to sicken and die at sea； than which nothing
could be better to give a smart mate a chance of showing
what he's made of。 They also would tumble overboard
sometimes： he had heard of one or two such cases。
Others again 。 。 。 But； as it were constitutionally； he
was faithful to the belief that the conduct of no single
one of them would stand the test of careful watching
by a man who 〃knew what's what〃 and who kept his
eyes 〃skinned pretty well〃 all the time。
After he had gained a permanent footing on board
the Sofala he allowed his perennial hope to rise high。
To begin with； it was a great advantage to have an old
man for captain： the sort of man besides who in the
nature of things was likely to give up the job before
long from one cause or another。 Sterne was greatly
chagrined； however； to notice that he did not seem any…
way near being past his work yet。 Still； these old men
go to pieces all at once sometimes。 Then there was the
owner…engineer close at hand to be impressed by his zeal
and steadiness。 Sterne never for a moment doubted the
obvious nature of his own merits （he was really an ex…
cellent officer）； only； nowadays； professional merit alone
does not take a man along fast enough。 A chap must
have some push in him； and must keep his wits at work
too to help him forward。 He made up his mind to
inherit the charge of this steamer if it was to be done
at all； not indeed estimating the command of the
Sofala as a very great catch； but for the reason that；
out East especially； to make a start is everything； and
one command leads to another。
He began by promising himself to behave with great
circumspection； Massy's somber and fantastic humors
intimidated him as being outside one's usual sea experi…
ence； but he was quite intelligent enough to realize al…
most from the first that he was there in the presence of
an exceptional situation。 His peculiar prying imagina…
tion penetrated it quickly； the feeling that there was
in it an element which eluded his grasp exasperated his
impatience to get on。 And so one trip came to an end；
then another； and he had begun his third before he saw
an opening by which he could step in with any sort of
effect。 It had all been very queer and very obscure；
something had been going on near him； as if separated
by a chasm from the common life and the working
routine of the ship； which was exactly like the life and
the routine of any other coasting steamer of that class。
Then one day he made his discovery。
It came to him after all these weeks of watchful ob…
servation and puzzled surmises； suddenly； like the long…
sought solution of a riddle that suggests itself to the
mind in a flash。 Not with the same authority； however。
Great heavens！ Could it be that？ And after remain…
ing thunderstruck for a few seconds he tried to shake
it off with self…contumely； as though it had been the
product of an unhealthy bias towards the Incredible；
the Inexplicable； the Unheard…ofthe Mad！
Thisthe illuminating momenthad occurred the trip
before； on the return passage。 They had just left a
place of call on the mainland called Pangu； they were
steaming straight out of a bay。 To the east a massive
headland closed the view； with the tilted edges of the
rocky strata showing through its ragged clothing of
rank bushes and thorny creepers。 The wind had begun
to sing in the rigging； the sea along the coast； green
and as if swollen a little above the line of the horizon；
seemed to pour itself over； time after time； with a slow
and thundering fall； into the shadow of the leeward
cape； and across the wide opening the nearest of a
group of small islands stood enveloped in the hazy
yellow light of a breezy sunrise； still farther out the
hummocky tops of other islets peeped out motionless
above the water of the channels between； scoured
tumultuously by the breeze。
The usual track of the Sofala both going and return…
ing on every trip led her for a few miles along this reef…
infested region。 She followed a broad lane of water；
dropping astern； one after another； these crumbs of the
earth's crust resembling a squadron of dismasted hulks
run in disorder upon a foul ground of rocks and shoals。
Some of these fragments of land appeared； indeed； no
bigger than a stranded ship； others； quite flat； lay
awash like anchored rafts； like ponderous； black rafts
of stone； several； heavily timbered and round at the
base； emerged in squat domes of deep green foliage that
shuddered darkly all over to the flying touch of cloud
shadows driven by the sudden gusts of the squally sea…
son。 The thunderstorms of the coast broke frequently
over that cluster； it turned then shadowy in its whole
extent； it turned more dark； and as if more still in the
play of fire； as if more impenetrably silent in the peals
of thunder； its blurred shapes vanisheddissolving ut…
terly at times in the thick rainto reappear clear…cut
and black in the stormy light against the gray sheet of
the cloudscattered on the slaty round table of
the sea。 Unscathed by storms； resisting the work of
years； unfretted by the strife of the world； there it lay
unchanged as on that day； four hundred years ago；
when first beheld by Western eyes from the deck of
a high…pooped caravel。
It was one of these secluded spots that may be found
on the busy sea； as on land you come sometimes upon the
clustered houses of a hamlet untouched by men's rest…
lessness； untouched by their need； by their thought； and
as if forgotten by time itself。 The lives of uncounted
generations had passed it by； and the multitudes of sea…
fowl； urging their way from all the points of the horizon
to sleep on the outer rocks of the group； unrolled the
converging evolutions of their flight in long somber
streamers upon the glow of the sky。 The palpitating
cloud of their wings soared and stooped over the pinna…
cles of the rocks； over the rocks slender like spires； squat
like martello towers； over the pyramidal heaps like fallen
ruins； over the lines of bald bowlders showing like a wall
of stones battered to pieces and scorched by lightning
with the sleepy； clear glimmer of