"
My father and Nat Fiennes had finished their game and come forward in
time to hear the conclusion of this amazing narrative. Billy Priske
stared at his master in bewilderment.
"A spade!" growled Billy, mopping his brow and letting his gaze
travel around the horizon again before settling, in dull wrath, on
Mr. Fett. "What's the use, sir, of makin' a man feel like a villain
and putting thoughts into his head without means to fulfil 'em?"
"Sit you quiet," said my father, "while I try to drive Mr. Fett's
story out of your head with an honester one."
"About a spade, master?"
"There is a spade in the story."
MY FATHER'S STORY OF THE SHIPWRECKED LOVERS.
"In the year 1416 a certain Portuguese sea-captain, Gonsalvez Zarco
by name, and servant of the famous Henry of Portugal, was cruising
homeward in a leaky caravel from a baffled voyage in search of the
Fortunate Islands. He had run into a fog off Cape Blanco in Africa,
and had been pushing through it for two days when the weather lifted
and the look-out spied a boat, empty but for one man, drifting a mile
and more to leeward.
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