Isuspectedthemateofhisopinionofthecaptainlongbeforeheexpressedit。Hewas，Isay，ataciturnman，butonedayspeechbrokethroughhim。Hehadbeensittingatthetablewithhisarmsfoldedonit，musingdrearily，pipeinmouth，andthevoiceofthecaptaindrifteddownfromabove。
Themateliftedhisheavyeyestomeandregardedmeforamoment。Thenhebegantoheavewiththebeginningsofspeech。
Hedisembarrassedhimselfofhispipe。Icoweredwithexpectation。Speechwascomingatlast。Beforehespokehenoddedreassuringlyonceortwice。
“E——“
Hemovedhisheadstrangelyandmysteriously，butachildmighthaveknownhespokeofthecaptain。
“E’saforeigner。”
Heregardedmedoubtfullyforatime，andatlastdecidedforthesakeofluciditytoclenchthematter。
“That’swhatEis——aDAGO！”
Henoddedlikeamanwhogivesalasttaptoanail，andIcouldseeheconsideredhisremarkwellandtrulylaid。Hisface，thoughstillresolute，becameastranquilanduneventfulasahugehallafterapublicmeetinghasdispersedoutofit，andfinallyheclosedandlockeditwithhispipe。
“RoumanianJew，isn’the？”Isaid。
Henoddeddarklyandalmostforbiddingly。
Morewouldhavebeentoomuch。Thethingwassaid。ButfromthattimeforthIknewIcoulddependuponhimandthatheandI
werefriends。IthappensIneverdidhavetodependuponhim，butthatdoesnotaffectourrelationship。
Forwardthecrewlivedlivesverymuchafterthefashionofours，morecrowded，morecrampedanddirty，wetter，steamier，moreverminous。Thecoarsefoodtheyhadwasstillnotsocoarsebutthattheydidnotthinktheywereliving“likefightingcocks。”
SofarasIcouldmakeouttheywereallnearlydestitutemen；
hardlyanyofthemhadaproperseaoutfit，andwhatsmallpossessionstheyhadwereasourceofmutualdistrust。Andaswepitchedandflounderedsouthwardtheygambledandfought，werebrutaltooneanother，arguedandwrangledloudly，untilweprotestedattheuproar。
There’snoromanceabouttheseainasmallsailingshipasIsawit。Theromanceisinthemindofthelandsmandreamer。Thesebrigsandschoonersandbrigantinesthatstillstandoutfromeverylittleportarerelicsfromanageofpettytrade，asrottenandobsolescentasaGeorgianhousethathassunkenintoaslum。Theyareindeedjustfloatingfragmentsofslum，muchasicebergsarefloatingfragmentsofglacier。Thecivilisedmanwhohaslearnttowash，whohasdevelopedasenseofphysicalhonour，ofcleanlytemperatefeeding，oftime，canendurethemnomore。Theypass，andtheclankingcoal-wastingsteamerswillfollowthem，givingplacetocleaner，finerthings。
ButsoitwasImademyvoyagetoAfrica，andcameatlastintoaworldofsteamyfogsandahotsmellofvegetabledecay，andintosoundandsightofsurfanddistantintermittentglimpsesofthecoast。Ilivedastrangeconcentratedlifethroughallthattime，suchalifeasacreaturemustdothathasfalleninawell。Allmyformerwaysceased，allmyoldvistasbecamememories。
ThesituationIwassavingwasverysmallanddistantnow；Ifeltitsurgencynomore。BeatriceandLadyGrove，myuncleandtheHardingham，mysoaringintheairandmyhabitualwidevisionofswifteffectualthings，becameasremoteasiftheywereinsomeworldIhadleftforever。
AlltheseAfricanmemoriesstandbythemselves。Itwasformeanexpeditionintotherealmsofundisciplinednatureoutoftheworldthatisruledbymen，myfirstboutwiththathotsideofourmotherthatgivesyouthejungle——thatcoldsidethatgivesyoutheair-eddyIwasbeginningtoknowpassingwell。Theyarememorieswovenuponafabricofsunshineandheatandaconstantwarmsmellofdecay。Theyendinrain——suchrainasIhadneverseenbefore，avehement，afranticdownpouringofwater，butourfirstslowpassagethroughthechannelsbehindMordet’sIslandwasinincandescentsunshine。
Therewegoinmymemorystill，ablistereddirtyshipwithpatchedsailsandabatteredmermaidtopresentMaudMary，soundingandtakingthoughtbetweenhighranksofforestwhosetreescomeoutknee-deepatlastinthewater。Therewegowithalittlebreezeonourquarter，MordetIslandroundedandthequap，itmightbewithinadayofus。
Hereandtherestrangeblossomswokethedankintensitiesofgreenwithatrumpetcallofcolour。Thingscreptamongthejungleandpeepedanddashedbackrustlingintostillness。
Alwaysinthesluggishlydrifting，opaquewaterwereeddyingsandstirrings；littlerushesofbubblescamechucklinguplight-heartedlyfromthisorthatsubmergedconflictandtragedy；nowandagainwerecrocodileslikeastrandedfleetoflogsbaskinginthesun。Stillitwasbyday，adrearystillnessbrokenonlybyinsectsoundsandthecreakingandflappingofourprogress，bythecallingofthesoundingsandthecaptain’sconfusedshouts；butinthenightaswelaymooredtoaclumpoftreesthedarknessbroughtathousandswampythingstolifeandoutoftheforestcamescreamingandhowlings，screamingandyellsthatmadeusgladtobeafloat。Andoncewesawbetweenthetreestemslongblazingfires。Wepassedtwoorthreevillageslandward，andbrown-blackwomenandchildrencameandstaredatusandgesticulated，andonceamancameoutinaboatfromacreekandhailedusinanunknowntongue；andsoatlastwecametoagreatopenplace，abroadlakerimmedwithadesolationofmudandbleachedrefuseanddeadtrees，freefromcrocodilesorwaterbirdsorsightorsoundofanylivingthing，andsawfaroff，evenasNasmythhaddescribed，theruinsofthedesertedstation，andhardbytwolittleheapsofbuff-huedrubbishunderagreatribofrock，thequap！Theforestreceded。
Thelandtotherightofusfellawayandbecamebarren，andfaronacrossnotchinitsbackbonewassurfandthesea。
Wetooktheshipintowardsthoseheapsandtheruinedjettyslowlyandcarefully。Thecaptaincameandtalked。
“Thisiseet？”hesaid。
“Yes。”saidI。
“Iseetfortradewehavecome？”
Thiswasironical。
“No。”saidI。
“Gordon-Nasmythwouldhaftoldmelongagowhatiteesforwehafcome。”
“I’lltellyounow。”Isaid。“Wearegoingtolayinascloseaswecantothosetwoheapsofstuff——youseethem？——undertherock。Thenwearegoingtochuckallourballastoverboardandtakethosein。Thenwe’regoinghome。”
“MayIpresumetoask——iseetgold？”
“No。”Isaidincivilly，“itisn’t。”
“Thenwhatisit？”
“It’sstuff——ofsomecommercialvalue。”
“Wecan’tdoeet。”hesaid。
“Wecan。”Iansweredreassuringly。
“Wecan’t。”hesaidasconfidently。“Idon’tmeanwhatyoumean。
Youknowsoliddle——But——disisforbiddencountry。”
Iturnedonhimsuddenlyangryandmetbrightexcitedeyes。Foraminutewescrutinisedoneanother。ThenIsaid，“That’sourrisk。Tradeisforbidden。Butthisisn’ttrade。Thisthing’sgottobedone。”
Hiseyesglitteredandheshookhishead。
Thebrigstoodinslowlythroughthetwilighttowardthisstrangescorchedandblisteredstretchofbeach，andthemanatthewheelstrainedhisearstolisteningthelow-voicedangryargumentthatbeganbetweenmyselfandthecaptain，thatwaspresentlyjoinedbyPollack。Wemooredatlastwithinahundredyardsofourgoal，andallthroughourdinnerandfarintothenightwearguedintermittentlyandfiercelywiththecaptainaboutourrighttoloadjustwhatwepleased。“Iwillhafnothingtodowitheet。”hepersisted。“Iwashmyhands。”Itseemedthatnightasthoughwearguedinvain。“Ifitisnottrade。”hesaid，“itisprospectingandmining。Thatisworse。Anyonewhoknowsanything——outsideEngland——knowsthatisworse。”
WearguedandIlostmytemperandsworeathim。Pollackkeptcoolerandchewedhispipewatchfullywiththatblueeyeofhisuponthecaptain’sgestures。FinallyIwentondecktocool。
TheskywasovercastIdiscoveredallthemenwereinaknotforward，staringatthefaintquiveringluminositythathadspreadovertheheapsofquap，aphosphorescencesuchasoneseesattimesonrottingwood。Andaboutthebeacheastandwesttherewerepatchesandstreaksofsomethinglikedilutedmoonshine。
InthesmallhoursIwasstillawakeandturningoverschemeafterschemeinmymindwherebyImightcircumventthecaptain’sopposition。ImeanttogetthatquapaboardifIhadtokillsomeonetodoit。NeverinmylifehadIbeensothwarted！
Afterthisintolerablevoyage！TherecamearapatmycabindoorandthenitopenedandImadeoutabeardedface。“Comein。”I
said，andablackvolublefigureIcouldjustseeobscurelycameintotalkinmyprivateearandfillmycabinwithitswhisperingsandgestures。Itwasthecaptain。He，too，hadbeenawakeandthinkingthingsover。Hehadcometoexplain——enormously。IlaytherehatinghimandwonderingifI
andPollackcouldlockhiminhiscabinandruntheshipwithouthim。“Idonotwanttospoildisexpedition。”emergedfromacloudofprotestations，andthenIwasabletodisentangle“acommission——shushasmallcommission——forspecialrisks！”
