132 FROM MADEIRA TO THE BARRIER 



twinkled in the corner of every eye. The entirely new 

 turn things had taken, and the sudden change to fresh 

 fields for thought and imagination, acted as a beneficent 

 stimulus to those who, the day before, had contemplated 

 a trip round the Horn. I think what chiefly amused 

 them was their failure to smell a rat before. ' How 

 could I have been such an ass as not to think of it long 

 ago?" said Beck, as he sent a nearly new quid into the 

 sea. ' Of course, it was as plain as a pikestaff. Here 

 we are with all these dogs, this fine ' observation house,' 

 with its big kitchen-range and shiny cloth on the table, 

 and everything else. Any fool might have seen what 

 it meant." I consoled him with the remark that it is 

 always easy to be wise after the event, and that I 

 thought it very lucky no one had discovered our 

 destination prematurely. 



Those of us who had been obliged hitherto to keep to 

 themselves what they knew, and to resort to all kinds 

 of stratagems to avoid making any disclosure, were cer- 

 tainly no less pleased at being rid of the secret; now 

 they could talk freely to their heart's content. If we 

 had previously had to resort to mystification, there was 

 now nothing to prevent our laying our cards on the 

 table. So many a conversation had come to a standstill 

 because those who had a number of questions to ask 

 did not dare to put them, and those who could have 

 told held their tongues. Hereafter it would be a very 

 long time before we were at a loss for subjects of con- 



