Fair play : $b a novelSouthworth, Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte
General
Fair play : $b a novel
Southworth, Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte
American fiction -- 19th century
Thus pleasantly passed the days until Saturday morning, when they made
Table Mount. And on Saturday noon they anchored in Table Bay.
Justin and Britomarte went on shore to call upon their friends at Cape
Town.
They went first to the South African College, but learned there that
their old acquaintance, Professor Jack, had gone to Europe to collect
certain rare scientific works for his library.
Then they went out to Silver Tree Villa to see their esteemed friends
the Burneys.
They found the reverend doctor and his family at home and in good
health, but immeasurably astonished and delighted to see Mr. Rosenthal
and Miss Conyers, for they had heard of the wreck of the _Sultana_, and
had supposed their young friends to have been lost.
And next it was the turn of Justin and Britomarte to be equally
astonished and delighted, for they learned that the lifeboat containing
the missionary party, after drifting about the ocean for several days,
had been picked up by a Dutch merchantman bound for the Cape of Good
Hope, and all the passengers rescued; that the Elys and the Bretons had
remained guests at Silver Tree Grove for a month, during which
subscriptions had been taken up in all the churches to raise a fund for
their relief, and at the end of which, being entirely refitted out, they
had sailed in the East Indiaman _Djalma_ for Calcutta, _en route_ for
their distant field of missionary labor, where in due time they had
safely arrived.
Mrs. Burney was able to assure Miss Conyers that her friends were well
and doing well, for she heard from them by every Indian mail.
Great was the surprise and joy of Justin and Britomarte on hearing this
news.
“Then, after all, the crew of that boat must have relented and taken the
two men on board,” said Justin.
“I suppose when Captain McKenzie refused to leave the ship he left room
in the boat for one, and they managed to make room for the other,”
observed Britomarte.
They dined with the Burneys, but were obliged to decline all further
hospitality, as the length of their ship’s stay at Cape Town was very
uncertain.
So they took an affectionate leave of their friends, and returned on
board the _Xyphias_, in good time for the captain’s early supper table,
which was spread with all the luxuries to be obtained at Cape Town.
“I have news of the _Sea Scourge_. She touched here on the day before
yesterday, remained a few hours to get in wood and water, and also to
pick up a few seamen, and then she sailed again,” said the captain, as
they sat down to supper.
“Where?” eagerly inquired Justin.
“East and north. Going, no doubt, to meet returning East Indiamen from
Calcutta. We must go in pursuit of her, and lose no time about it
either. So, Mr. Rosenthal, we sail with the first tide to-morrow.”
“I am rejoiced to hear it,” said Justin.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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