“I’ve got an appetite like a horse, Jack.”
“So have I. Nothing like what poets call the ‘balmy breeze’ to give you that.”
Through the open hatchway appeared another figure, that of Silas Hardtack. The old man was a practical navigator, and as he came on deck he brought with him his sextant.
“Eight bells,” he announced, “I’m going to shoot the sun.”
“Fire away,” chuckled Jack, “but don’t shoot it out.”
Old Silas raised the sextant to his eye and aimed it at the sun. Then he gazed at the marked arc of the instrument and made a swift mental calculation.
“How are we getting along?” inquired Jack.
“Wait till I get it worked out, Master Jack,” responded the old salt, “but we’ve been making twenty-five miles an hour for the last forty-eight hours. I only hope this weather lasts.”
“Same here; it’s important we should make a rapid run.”
“Yes; from what I know of those Cubans, they’re a bad lot when they get scrapping. But bless you, if we had the old _Ohio_ along we could blow the whole island into the water if we wanted to.”
“I hope we wouldn’t want to do anything like that,” exclaimed Tom, “it must be a very interesting place to visit.”
“I read up on its history a bit before we left home,” put in Jack.
“Ah, and what do the books say about it?” asked Silas. “They’re mostly wrong, I suppose.”
“I’ll tell you what I remember, if you like,” volunteered Jack.
“All right, heave ahead, my hearty, but don’t make it too long; I’ve got to get back and give them engines a good drink of oil.”
“Cuba is the largest of the West Indian Islands,” began Jack. “It is very mountainous, but possesses few rivers of any size. The coasts are said to be very bad. Long reefs run far out to sea.”
“Aye, aye, I’ve been aground on one of ’em on the old _Ohio_,” struck in Silas.
“I hope we’ll not get into any trouble of that kind,” said Tom.
“The island, which is 43,500 square miles in area, was discovered by Columbus in 1492. The Spanish occupation dates from a short period after that time. There have been numerous revolutions. In fact, the history of the island appears to be one of unrest; but since 1898, when the United States intervened and freed Cuba, there has been much less trouble. Still, as you know from the papers, there has been plenty of unrest from time to time.”