No one on the quay; of course not. As for my getting on board the _Halbrane_, that could not be done without hailing one of her boats, and the boatswain would not venture to send it for me. "Besides," I reflected, "on his quarter-deck the captain is at home, and neutral ground is better for what I want to say to him, if he persists in his unjustifiable refusal. I will watch him this time, and if his boat touches the quay, he shall not succeed in avoiding me." I returned to the Green Cormorant, and took up my post behind the window panes, which were dimmed by the hissing rain. There I waited, nervous, impatient, and in a state of growing irritation. Two hours wore away thus. Then, with the instability of the winds in the Kerguelens, the weather became calm before I did. I opened my window, and at the same moment a sailor stepped into one of the boats of the _Halbrane_ and laid hold of a pair of oars, while a second man seated himself in the back, but without taking the tiller ropes. The boat touched the landing-place and Captain Len Guy stepped on shore. In a few seconds I was out of the inn, and confronted him. "Sir," said I in a cold hard tone. Captain Len Guy looked at me steadily, and I was struck by the sadness of his eyes, which were as black as ink. Then in a very low voice he asked: "You are a stranger?" "A stranger at the Kerguelens? Yes." "Of English nationality?" "No. American." He saluted me, and I returned the curt gesture. "Sir," I resumed, "I believe Mr. Atkins of the Green Cormorant has spoken to you respecting a proposal of mine. That proposal, it seems to me, deserved a favourable reception on the part of a--" "The proposal to take passage on my ship?" interposed Captain Len Guy. "Precisely." "I regret, sir, I regret that I could not agree to your request." "Will you tell me why?" "Because I am not in the habit of taking passengers. That is the first reason." "And the second, captain?" "Because the route of the _Halbrane_ is never settled beforehand. She starts for one port and goes to another, just as I find it to my advantage. You must know that I am not in the service of a shipowner. My share in the schooner is considerable, and I have no one but myself to consult in respect to her." "Then it entirely depends on you to give me a passage?" "That is so, but I can only answer you by a refusal--to my extreme regret." "Perhaps you will change your mind, captain, when you know that I care very little what the destination of your schooner may be. It is not unreasonable to suppose that she will go somewhere--" "Somewhere indeed." I fancied that Captain Len Guy threw a long look towards the southern horizon. "To go here or to go there is almost a matter of indifference to me. What I desired above all was to get away from Kerguelen at the first opportunity that should offer." Captain Len Guy made me no answer; he remained in silent thought, but did not endeavour to slip away from me.