Part 1 (1/2)

The Adventures of Captain Horn

by Frank Richard Stockton

CHAPTER I

AN INTRODUCTORY DISASTER

Early in the spring of the year 1884 the three-masted schooner _Castor_, from San Francisco to Valparaiso, was struck by a tornado off the coast of Peru The storhtful suddenness, was of short duration, but it left the _Castor_ a helpless wreck Her one overboard, her rudder-post had been shattered by falling wreckage, and she was rolling in the trough of the sea, with her floatingher sides

The _Castor_ was an American merchant-vessel, coator of about thirty-five years of age Besides a valuable cargo, she carried three passengers--two ladies and a boy One of these, Mrs Willia to Valparaiso to settle soland merchant The other lady was Miss Edna Markham, a school-teacher who had just passed her twenty-fifth year, although she looked older

She was on her way to Valparaiso to take an important position in an American seminary Ralph, a boy of fifteen, was her brother, and she was taking him with her simply because she did not want to leave him alone in San Francisco These two had no near relations, and the education of the brother depended upon the exertions of the sister Valparaiso was not the place she would have selected for a boy's education, but there they could be together, and, under the circumstances, that was a point of prime importance

But when the storm had passed, and the sky was clear, and theswell, there seemed no reason to believe that any one on board the _Castor_ would ever reach Valparaiso The vessel had been badly strained by the wrenching of the e, and she was taking in water rapidly

Fortunately, no one had been injured by the storh the captain found it would be a useless waste of time and labor to attempt to work the pumps, he was convinced, after a careful examination, that the shi+p would float some hours, and that there would, therefore, be time for those on board to make an effort to save not only their lives, but some of their property

All the boats had been blown fro, apparently uninjured, a short distance to leeward, one of the heavy blocks by which it had been suspended having caught in the cordage of the topmast, so that it was securely moored Another boat, a shth of aan oar before hiot on board of her, and freed her frolements, they rowed out to the capsized boat, and towed it to the schooner When this boat had been righted and bailed out, it was found to be in good condition

The sea had beco orderly and properly, and in less than three hours after the vessel had been struck, the two boats, containing all the crew and the passengers, besides a goodly quantity of provisions and water, and such valuables, clothing, rugs, and wraps as roo away froers, was in the larger boat, are that he was off the coast of Peru, but that was all he certainly knew of his position The stor, before he had taken his daily observation, and his room, which was on deck, had been carried away, as well as every nautical instrument on board He did not believe that the storm had taken him far out of his course, but of this he could not be sure All that he kneith certainty was that to the eastward lay the land, and eastward, therefore, they pulled, a little co their only guide

For the rest of that day and that night, and the next day and the next night, the two boatsbut little inconvenience, except fro, at which everybody, excepting the two ladies, took part, even Ralph Markha to sho much of a man he could be with an oar in his hand

The weather was fine, and the sea was aled up in his boat a tent-like covering of canvas for the ladies, they were, as they repeatedly declared, far ht to expect They were both woe

Mrs Cliff, tall, thin in face, with her gray hair brushed plainly over her te fra to take an oar, had it been necessary To Miss Markham this boat trip would have been a positive pleasure, had it not been for the unfortunate circu of the third day land was sighted, but it was afternoon before they reached it Here they found themselves on a portion of the coast where the foot-hills of the great e of the ocean To all appearances, the shore was barren and uninhabited

The two boats rowed along the coast a -place, but reaching a spot less encumbered with rocks than any other portion of the coast they had seen, Captain Horn deter was accoh with soht was passed in a little encampment in the shelter of some rocks scarcely a hundred yards fro Captain Horn took counsel with his mates, and considered the situation They were on an uninhabited portion of the coast, and it was not believed that there was any town or settle over such wild country, especially with ladies in the party It was, therefore, deterht be near one of the towns or villages along the coast of Peru, and, in any case, a boat htly as possible, ht hope, in the course of a day or two, to reach soht be sent out to take off the remainder of the party

But first Captain Horn ordered a thorough investigation to becountry, and in an hour or two a place was found which he believed would answer very well for a caround until assistance should arrive This was on a little plateau about a quarter of a mile back from the ocean, and surrounded on three sides by precipices, and on the side toward the sea the ground sloped gradually doard To this caoods were carried, excepting ould be needed by the boating party

When this work had been accomplished, Captain Horn appointed his firstto remain himself in the camp

When volunteers were called for, it astonished the captain to see how er boat pulled six oars, and seven o in her As soon as she could be e of discovery, the ood observation of the land the spot where he left his companions The people in the little camp on the bluff now consisted of Captain Horn, the two ladies, the boy Ralph, three sailors,--one an Englishman, and the other two Americans from Cape Cod,--and a jet-black native African, known as Maka

Captain Horn had not cared to keep many men with him in the camp, because there they would have little to do, and all the strong arms that could be spared would be needed in the boat The three sailors he had retained were ence, on whoency, and Maka was kept because he was a cook He had been one of the cargo of a slave-shi+p which had been captured by a British cruiser several years before, when on its way to Cuba, and the unfortunate negroes had been landed in British Guiana It was impossible to return thelish, or in any way give an idea as to what tribes they belonged, and if they should be landed anywhere in Africa except a their friends, they would be immediately reenslaved For some years they lived in Guiana, in a little colony by thelish, they made their way to Panareat canal Maka, as possessed of better intelligence than lish, and learned to cook very well, and having wandered to San Francisco, had been ees by Captain Horn

Maka was a faithful and willing servant, and if he had been able to express hiht have been better appreciated