The further from
Palos, the nearer India!"
"We may be passing by our salvation!"
"Our salvation lies in going as we set forth to go." He
made his gesture of dismissal of that, and asked after the
health of the _Pinta_. The health held, but the stores were
growing low. Biscuit enough, but bacon almost out, and
not so many measures of beans left. Oil, too, approached
bottom of jars. The Nina was in the same case.
"Food and water will last," said the Admiral. "We have
not come so far without safely going farther."
Martin Alonso Pinzon was the younger man and but
captain of the Pinta_, while the other stood Don and Admiral,
appointed by Majesty, responsible only to the Crown.
But he had been Master Christopherus the dreamer, who
was shabbily dressed, owed money, almost begged. He
owed large money now to Martin Pinzon. But for the Pinzons,
he could hardly have sailed. He should listen now,
take good advice, that was clearly what the captain of the
_Pinta thought! Undoubtedly Master Christopherus dreamed
true to a certain point, but after that was not so followable!
As for Cristoforo Colombo, Italian shipmaster, he had, it
was true, old sea wisdom. But Martin Pinzon thought
Martin Pinzon was as good there!--Captain Martin Alonso
said good-by with some haughtiness and went stiffly back
over blue sea to the Pinta.
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