He did not care for the ten
thousand maravedies, but he cared that it should be said
that God showed it first to him.
The wind pushed us on with the flat of a great hand.
Midnight and after midnight. At the sight of that flame
we should have fired our cannon, but for some reason this
was not done. Now the silver silence beyond the ship was
torn across by the _Pinta's_ gun. She fired, then came near
us. "Land! Land!" Now we saw it under the moon,
just lifting above the sea,--lonely, peaceful, dark.
It was middle night. The Santa Maria, the Pinta and the
Nina went another league, then took in sail and came to
anchor.
CHAPTER XV
THE Admiral set a watch and commanded all beside
to sleep. To-morrow might be work and wakefulness
enough! The ship grew silent. With the _Pinta_
and the Nina it lay under the moon, and all around was
silver water.
He did not sleep this night, I am sure. At all times he
was a provident and wakeful sea king who knew his ship
through and through. His habit was light sleep and not
many hours of that. He studied his books at night while
others slept. Lying in his bed, with eyes open or eyes shut,
he watched form in the darkness lands across sea.
This night so far from Europe passed. The sense of day
at hand wrapped us. In the east arose a cool, a stern and
indifferent pallor.
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