The Treasure of the Incas | Page 4

know children cry for the moon
sometimes, yet afterwards come to understand that it would not be a
desirable plaything."
"Well, at any rate, Mr. Barnett, I am extremely obliged for your
suggestion and for your offer of introductions. It is just the life that I
should enjoy thoroughly. As you say, the chance that anything will
come of it is extremely small, but at least there is a possibility, and I
take it as a drowning man catches at a straw."
"By the way, you mustn't think only of gold; silver is, after all, the chief
source of the riches of Peru, and there are numbers of extraordinarily
rich mines. It is calculated that three hundred millions have been
produced since the first occupation by the Spaniards. Quicksilver is
also very abundant; copper and lead are found too, but there is not
much to be done with them at present, owing to the cost of carriage.
There is good shooting in the mountains on the eastern side of the
Andes, and you will find plenty of sport there."
They talked over the matter for some time before they separated, and
Harry Prendergast became quite excited over it. On his return to his
rooms he was astonished to find the candles alight and a strong smell of
tobacco pervading the place. A lad of about sixteen leapt from the
easy-chair in which he had been sitting, with his feet on another.
"Hullo, Harry, I didn't expect you back so soon! The maid said you
were dining out, and I suppose that generally means one o'clock before
you are back."
"Well, what brings you here, Bert? I thought I had got you off my
hands for a year at least."
"I thought so, myself," the lad said coolly; "but circumstances have

been too strong for me. We were running down the Channel the night
before last, when a craft that was beating up ran smack into us. I don't
know that it was his fault more than ours; the night was dark, and it was
very thick, and we did not see each other until she was within a length
of us. Luck was against us; if she had been a few seconds quicker we
should have caught her broadside, but as it was she rammed us,
knocking a hole in our side as big as a house, and we had just time to
jump on board her. Our old craft went down two minutes after the
skipper, who was of course the last man, left her. The other fellow had
stove his bow in. Luckily we were only about a couple of miles off
Dungeness, and though she leaked like a sieve, we were able to run her
into the bay, where she settled down in two and a half fathoms of water.
As soon as it was light we landed and tramped to Dover. A hoy was
starting for the river that evening, and most of us came up in her,
arriving at the Pool about three hours ago. It is a bad job, Harry, and I
am horribly put out about it. Of course nothing could be saved, and
there is all the new kit you bought for me down at the bottom. I sha'n't
bother you again; I have quite made up my mind that I shall ship before
the mast this time, and a five-pound note will buy me a good enough
outfit for that."
"We need not talk about that now, Bertie. You are certainly an unlucky
beggar; this is the second time you have been wrecked."
"It is a frightful nuisance," the boy said. "It is the kit I am thinking of,
otherwise I should not mind. I didn't care for the skipper. He seemed all
right and decent enough before we started, but I soon heard from
fellows who had sailed with him before that he was a tartar; and what
was worse, they said he was in the habit of being drunk two nights out
of three. However, that has nothing to do with it. I am really awfully
sorry, Harry. You have been a thundering good elder brother. I hated to
think that you had to shell out last time, and I have quite made up my
mind that you sha'n't do it again."
"Well, it cannot be helped; it is no fault of yours; still, of course, it is a
nuisance. Thank God that no harm has come to you, that is the
principal thing. Now, sit down and go on with your pipe, you young

monkey. I did not think you had taken to smoking."
"One has to," the lad said, "everyone else does it; and there is no doubt
that, when you have got the middle watch on cold nights