My own astonishment—the wonder raised in me by yonder prompt settlement of the incredulity that had possessed me from the first minute of hearing the captain’s story—the conflict of emotions which followed on my considering that the land ahead must inevitably be Braine’s island, since the chart showed clear water to the distance of the latitude of Easter Island, which the low stretch over the bows most assuredly was not, the loom being little more than that of a reef—rendered my ear deaf to the carpenter’s inquiry. He repeated his question. ‘If not, then I know not what other land it can be,’ said I. ‘How far distant will it be, think you?’ The men gathered about us to hear what was said. ‘Three mile about,’ he answered. ‘More like five,’ grumbled out a seaman. ‘Five in your eye!’ cried another—‘more like _tew_. If ye’ll stay your breathing, you’ll hear the wash o’ the surf.’ ‘Better shorten sail and wait for daylight, Mr. Lush,’ said I. ‘Ay, ay, sir,’ he answered; ‘that’ll be the proper thing to do;’ and instantly fell to bellowing out orders. The uproar of the excited crew clewing up and hauling down, yelling as they pulled at the ropes, and springing about with an alacrity that made their darting figures resemble those of madmen, awakened Miss Temple. I stood alone on the poop, endeavouring to obtain a view of the land by leaning over the rail, when she came up to me. ‘What is it, Mr. Dugdale?’ ‘Land!’ I exclaimed, instantly turning to her. ‘The island?’ she cried, suppressing astonishment until she should have received my answer. ‘I have no doubt of it. The shadow indicates that it is little more than a reef. Its bearings, according to my computation, accurately correspond with those given by Captain Braine.’ She projected her head over the rail, but was some time before she could distinguish the mere dash of gloom that the land made upon the horizon. ‘If it should be the island!’ she cried. ‘That you should have steered this ship straight as an arrow for it, and that it should be there—no madman’s dream, as we have both believed it! If one part of the story be true, the other part should be so.’ I was too astounded to converse. I could do no more than ejaculate. To be sure, as my companion had said, if the story of the island was true, the story of the gold might be equally true. There would be the treasure, then, for the men to possess themselves of! And afterwards? My brains seemed to whirl like a teetotum in my skull. Meanwhile, the sailors had reduced sail till the barque was now under topsails only, the rest of the canvas hanging from the yards in the grip of its gear. The carpenter arrived on the poop.