WILD LIFE ACROSS THE WORLD 



cooped up in our smelly prison, we felt the effect of 

 calmer water. 



Neither sea nor sky nor any element could break 

 the skipper's determination. Failure was for poltroons, 

 not seamen. He would start next day in the daylight. 

 We sat down to breakfast in the Uttle cabin by the 

 engine — a cabin lined with many books of an erudite 

 character. The skipper proved to be a well-educated 

 and widely-travelled man. We discussed spirituaHsm, 

 in which he firmly believed, and fairies, especially 

 the fairies of the Yorkshire moors, a photograph of 

 which he cherished, having found it in a magazine. 



He was a man of beautiful character, a man whose 

 society it was a privilege to enjoy, an extraordinary 

 type to be engaged as a fisherman and penguin egg 

 carrier. He had missed fortunes but he had never 

 missed Ufe, and had no regret over his lot. A good 

 epitaph. He told me how he narrowly missed one 

 fortune. 



" Ah, yes, I really narrowly escaped being a South 



African millionaire," he said. " You know the 



gold mines, out of which millions have been taken. 

 Well, if it hadn't been for a bullock-wagon I might 

 have enjoyed the great bulk of those millions. 



" I was on trek, and one day saw a big stone 

 that took my fancy. I picked it up, examined it, and 

 came to the conclusion that it was a rich lump of gold 

 ore. I saw my fortune made, and sat down and 



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