"We were informed by the ladies that there was nothing for supper save the items I have already referred to," said Kidd."I see it all now.We had tried to make them comfortable, and I put myself to some considerable personal inconvenience to make them easy in their minds, but they were ungrateful.""Whatever induced you to take 'em along with you?" asked Socrates.
"We didn't want them," said Kidd.
"We didn't know they were on board until it was too late to turn back.They'd broken in, and were having the club all to themselves in your absence.""It served you good and right," said Socrates, with a laugh."Next time you try to take things that don't belong to you, maybe you'll be a trifle more careful as to whose property you confiscate.""But the House-boat--you haven't told us how you lost her," put in Raleigh, impatiently.
"Well, it was this way," said Kidd."When, in response to our polite request for supper, the ladies said there was nothing to eat on board, something had to be done, for we were all as hungry as bears, and we decided to go ashore at the first port and provision.
Unfortunately the crew got restive, and when this floating frying-pan loomed into view, to keep them good-natured we decided to land and see if we could beg, borrow, or steal some supplies.We had to.
Observations taken with the sextant showed that there was no port within five hundred miles; the island looked as if it might be inhabited at least by goats, and ashore we went, every man of us, leaving the House-boat safely anchored in the harbor.At first we didn't mind the heat, and we hunted and hunted and hunted; but after three or four hours I began to notice that three of my sailors were shrivelling up, and Conrad began to act as if he were daft.Hawkins burst right before my eyes.Then Abeuchapeta got prismatic around the eyes and began to fade, and I noticed a slight iridescence about myself; and as for Morgan, he had the misfortune to lie down to take a nap in the sun, and when he waked up, his whole right side had evaporated.Then we saw what the trouble was.We'd struck this lava island, and were gradually succumbing to its intense heat.We rushed madly back to the harbor to embark; and our ship, gentlemen, and your House-boat, was slowly but surely disappearing over the horizon, and flying from the flag-staff at the fore were signals of farewell, with an unfeeling P.S.below to this effect: 'DON'T WAIT UP FOR US.WEMAY NOT BE BACK UNTIL LATE.'"
There was a pause, during which Socrates laughed quietly to himself, while Abeuchapeta and the one-sided Morgan wept silently.
"That, gentlemen of the Associated Shades, is all I know of the whereabouts of the House-boat," continued Captain Kidd."I have no doubt that the ladies practised a deception, to our discomfiture, and I must say that I think it was exceedingly clever--granting that it was desirable to be rid of us, which I don't, for we meant well by them, and they would have enjoyed themselves.""But," cried Hamlet, "may they not now be in peril? They cannot navigate that ship.""They got her out of the harbor all right," said Kidd."And I judged from the figure at the helm that Mrs.Noah had taken charge.What kind of a seaman she is I don't know.""Almighty bad," ejaculated Shem, turning pale."It was she who ran us ashore on Ararat.""Well, wasn't that what you wanted?" queried Munchausen.
"What we wanted!" cried Shem."Well, I guess not.You don't want your yacht stranded on a mountain-top, do you? She was a dead loss there, whereas if mother hadn't been in such a hurry to get ashore, we could have waited a month and landed on the seaboard.""You might have turned her into a summer hotel," suggested Munchausen.
"Well, we must up anchor and away," said Holmes."Our pursuit has merely begun, apparently.We must overtake this vessel, and the question to be answered is--where?""That's easy," said Artemus Ward."From what Shem says, I think we'd better look for her in the Himalayas.""And, meanwhile, what shall be done with Kidd?" asked Holmes.
"He ought to be expelled from the club," said Johnson.
"We can't expel him, because he's not a member," replied Raleigh.
"Then elect him," suggested Ward.
"What on earth for?" growled Johnson.
"So that we can expel him," said Ward.And while Boswell's hero was trying to get the value of this notion through his head, the others repaired to the deck, and the Gehenna was soon under way once more.
Meanwhile Captain Kidd and his fellows were put in irons and stowed away in the forecastle, alongside of the water-cask in which Shylock lay in hiding.
