Why do they call them Dog
Islands?"
"Perhaps they found dogs there."
"No, but that they give warning like watchdogs! `If
you go any further it shall be to your woe!' "
"Aye, aye! Have you heard tell of the spouting mountain?"
This night the wind came up and by morning was blowing
stiffly, urging us landward as though back to Spain.
The sky became leaden, with a great stormy aspect. The
waves mounted, the lookout cried that the _Pinta_ was showing
signals of distress. By now all had shortened sail, but
the Pinta was taking in everything and presently lay under
bare poles. The Santa Maria worked toward her until we
were close by. They shouted and we back to them. It was
her rudder that was unshipped and injured. Captain Martin
Pinzon shouted that he would overcome it, binding it
somehow in place, and would overtake us, the _Pinta_ being
faster sailer than the Santa Maria or the Nina. But the
Admiral would not agree, and we took in all sail and lay
tossed by a rough sea until afternoon when the Pinta
signaled that the rudder was hung. But by now the sky
stretched straight lead, and the water ran white-capped.
We made no way till morning, when without a drop of rain
all the cloud roof was driven landward and there sprang
out a sky so blue that the heart laughed for joy. The
violent wind sank, then veered and blowing moderately
carried us again southward.
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