o island shown in
your latitude and longitude. The nearest land to it is the Marquesas
group, and Hiau--the nearest of them--is three hundred and sixty miles
distant from your spot."

O'Gorman stared blankly at the chart for a full minute or more, glared
suspiciously at me for nearly as long; looked at his paper again, to
assure himself that he had made no mistake; and finally rapped out a
string of oaths in his consternation. Then he nipped his profanity
short off as a comforting reflection occurred to him.

"Ah!" he exclaimed, with a sigh of relief, "but this oiland as Oi'm
talkin' about is unbeknownst, so av coorse it won't be drawed on the
chart. That's all right, misther; you navigate the brig to that place,
and you'll find an oiland there, safe enough."

"But, supposing that we do _not_," I suggested; "supposing that your
information happens to be incorrect; what then?"

"Ay, but it _won't_ be," he snarled back; "it'll be correct, and we'll
find the oiland where Oi told ye. And if we don't, why bedad it'll be
the worse for you and the gal, for we'll cruise for it until we find it,
if we has to cruise until the Judgment Day, like the Flyin' Dutchman!"

"All right," I said. "If the island is where you say it is, I will find
it for you, never fear. If it is _not_--well, then it will _not_ be
found; and that is all there is about it."

"Oi tell ye it _will_ be found; it _must_ be found!" shouted O'Gorman,
goaded to fury at the suggestion that perhaps, after all, a dire
disappointment lay in store for him. "If the oiland isn't there, it's
somewheres thereabouts, widin a few miles more or less; and we've got to
find it afore the hooker turns her nose towards home. Now I hopes
that's plain enough for ye."

And, smiting the chart a mighty blow with his clenched fist, he turned
on his heel and walked forward.

It need scarcely be said that after such a dogmatic statement as this I
found my anxiety greatly increased; for I by this time knew the Irishman
well enough to be fully aware that no mule could be more obstinate than
he, and that, having once made up his mind that his island existed, he
would never abandon his search until he had found it--or something that
might pass for it. And I was determined that should our search prove
unsuccessful, I would at once bear up for the Marquesas, and let him
take his choice from among the whole group. Indeed, for a moment I felt
tempted to shape as straight a cour