of the gold I had
brought with me occurred. Anderson was called up by Brande, who made
him a short complimentary speech, and finished it by ordering his
officer to return to England, where further instructions would be given
him. This order was received in respectful silence. Captain Anderson had
been too liberally treated to demur if the _Esmeralda_ had been ordered
to the South Pole.

Brande went below for a few minutes, and as soon as he had disappeared I
went forward to Anderson and hailed him nervously, for there was not a
moment to spare.

"Anderson," I said hurriedly, "you must have noticed that Mr. Brande is
an eccentric--"

"Pardon me, sir; it is not my business to comment upon my owner."

"I did not ask you to comment upon him, sir," I said sharply. "It is I
who shall comment upon him, and it is for you to say whether you will
undertake to earn my money by waiting in this harbour till I am ready to
sail back with you to England."

"Have you anything more to say, sir?" Anderson asked stiffly.

"I presume I have said enough."

"If you have nothing more to say I must ask you to leave the bridge,
and if it were not that you are leaving the ship this moment, I would
caution you not to be impertinent to me again."

He blew his whistle, and a steward ran forward.

"Johnson, see Mr. Marcel's luggage over the side at once." To me he said
shortly: "Quit my ship, sir."

This trivial show of temper, which, indeed, had been provoked by my own
hasty speech, turned my impatience into fury.

"Before I quit your ship," I said, with emphasis, "I will tell you how
you yourself will quit it. You will do so between two policemen if you
land in England, and between two marines if you think of keeping on the
high seas. Before we started, I sent a detailed statement of this ship,
the nature of this nefarious voyage, and the names of the passengers--or
as many as I knew--to a friend who will put it in proper hands if
anything befalls me. Go back without me and explain the loss of that
French fishing fleet which was sunk the very night we sailed. It is an
awkward coincidence to be explained by a man who returns from an unknown
voyage having lost his entire list of passengers. You cannot be aware
of what this man Brande intends, or you would at least stand by us as
long as your own safety permitted. In any case you cannot safely return
without us."

Anderson, after reflecting for a moment, apologised for his peremptory
w