English
Uptheygot,earlynextmorning,outofthesilkenbeds;andtheysawthatthesunwasshiningbrightlyandthatthewindwasblowingfromtheSouth.
JipsmelttheSouthwindforhalfanhour.ThenhecametotheDoctor,shakinghishead.
"Ismellnosnuffasyet,"hesaid."WemustwaittillthewindchangestotheEast."
ButevenwhentheEastwindcame,atthreeo'clockthatafternoon,thedogcouldnotcatchthesmellofsnuff.
Thelittleboywasterriblydisappointedandbegantocryagain,sayingthatnooneseemedtobeabletofindhisuncleforhim.ButallJipsaidtotheDoctorwas,
"TellhimthatwhenthewindchangestotheWest,I'llfindhisuncleeventhoughhebeinChina—solongasheisstilltakingBlackRappeesnuff."
ThreedaystheyhadtowaitbeforetheWestwindcame.
ThiswasonaFridaymorning,early—justasitwasgettinglight.
Afinerainymistlayonthesealikeathinfog.Andthewindwassoftandwarmandwet.
AssoonasJipawokeheranupstairsandpokedhisnoseintheair.ThenhegotmostfrightfullyexcitedandrusheddownagaintowaketheDoctorup.
"Doctor!"hecried."I'vegotit!Doctor!Doctor!Wakeup!Listen!I'vegotit!Thewind'sfromtheWestanditsmellsofnothingbutsnuff.Comeupstairsandstarttheship—quick!"
SotheDoctortumbledoutofbedandwenttotheruddertosteertheship.
"NowI'llgouptothefront,"saidJip;"andyouwatchmynose—whicheverwayIpointit,youturntheshipthesameway.
Themancannotbefaroff—withthesmellasstrongasthis.Andthewind'salllovelyandwet.Nowwatchme!"
SoallthatmorningJipstoodinthefrontpartoftheship,sniffingthewindandpointingthewayfortheDoctortosteer;whilealltheanimalsandthelittleboystoodroundwiththeireyeswideopen,watchingthedoginwonder.
Aboutlunch–timeJipaskedDab–DabtotelltheDoctorthathewasgettingworriedandwantedtospeaktohim.SoDab–DabwentandfetchedtheDoctorfromtheotherendoftheshipandJipsaidtohim,
"Theboy'suncleisstarving.Wemustmaketheshipgoasfastaswecan."
"Howdoyouknowheisstarving?"askedtheDoctor.
"BecausethereisnoothersmellintheWestwindbutsnuff,"saidJip.
"Ifthemanwerecookingoreatingfoodofanykind,Iwouldbeboundtosmellittoo.
Buthehasn'tevenfreshwatertodrink.
Allheistakingissnuff—inlargepinches.
Wearegettingnearertohimallthetime,becausethesmellgrowsstrongereveryminute.
Butmaketheshipgoasfastasyoucan,forIamcertainthatthemanisstarving."
"Allright,"saidtheDoctor;andhesentDab–Dabtoasktheswallowstopulltheship,thesameastheyhaddonewhenthepirateswerechasingthem.
Sothestoutlittlebirdscamedownandoncemoreharnessedthemselvestotheship.
Andnowtheboatwentboundingthroughthewavesataterriblespeed.Itwentsofastthatthefishesintheseahadtojumpfortheirlivestogetoutofthewayandnotberunover.
Andalltheanimalsgottremendouslyexcited;andtheygaveuplookingatJipandturnedtowatchtheseainfront,tospyoutanylandorislandswherethestarvingmanmightbe.
Buthourafterhourwentbyandstilltheshipwentrushingon,overthesameflat,flatsea;andnolandanywherecameinsight.
Andnowtheanimalsgaveupchatteringandsataroundsilent,anxiousandmiserable.Thelittleboyagaingrewsad.AndonJip'sfacetherewasaworriedlook.
Atlast,lateintheafternoon,justasthesunwasgoingdown,theowl,Too–Too,whowasperchedonthetipofthemast,suddenlystartledthemallbycryingoutatthetopofhisvoice,
"Jip!Jip!Iseeagreat,greatrockinfrontofus—look—wayouttherewheretheskyandthewatermeet.Seethesunshineonit—likegold!Isthesmellcomingfromthere?"
AndJipcalledback,
"Yes.That'sit.Thatiswherethemanis.—Atlast,atlast!"
Andwhentheygotnearertheycouldseethattherockwasverylarge—aslargeasabigfield.Notreesgrewonit,nograss—nothing.Thegreatrockwasassmoothandasbareasthebackofatortoise.
ThentheDoctorsailedtheshiprightroundtherock.Butnowhereonitcouldamanbeseen.
Alltheanimalsscreweduptheireyesandlookedashardastheycould;andJohnDolittlegotatelescopefromdownstairs.
Butnotonelivingthingcouldtheyspy—notevenagull,norastar–fish,norashredofsea–weed.
Theyallstoodstillandlistened,strainingtheirearsforanysound.Buttheonlynoisetheyheardwasthegentlelappingofthelittlewavesagainstthesidesoftheirship.
Thentheyallstartedcalling,"Hulloa,there!—HULLOA!"tilltheirvoiceswerehoarse.Butonlytheechocamebackfromtherock.
Andthelittleboyburstintotearsandsaid,
"IamafraidIshallneverseemyuncleanymore!WhatshallItellthemwhenIgethome!"
ButJipcalledtotheDoctor,
"Hemustbethere—hemust—HEMUST!Thesmellgoesonnofurther.Hemustbethere,Itellyou!Sailtheshipclosetotherockandletmejumpoutonit."
SotheDoctorbroughttheshipascloseashecouldandletdowntheanchor.ThenheandJipgotoutoftheshipontotherock.
Jipatonceputhisnosedownclosetothegroundandbegantorunallovertheplace.
Upanddownhewent,backandforth—zig–zagging,twisting,doublingandturning.
Andeverywherehewent,theDoctorranbehindhim,closeathisheels—tillhewasterriblyoutofbreath.
AtlastJipletoutagreatbarkandsatdown.AndwhentheDoctorcamerunninguptohim,hefoundthedogstaringintoabig,deepholeinthemiddleoftherock.
"Theboy'suncleisdownthere,"saidJipquietly."Nowonderthosesillyeaglescouldn'tseehim!—Ittakesadogtofindaman."
SotheDoctorgotdownintothehole,whichseemedtobeakindofcave,ortunnel,runningalongwayundertheground.
ThenhestruckamatchandstartedtomakehiswayalongthedarkpassagewithJipfollowingbehind.
TheDoctor'smatchsoonwentout;andhehadtostrikeanotherandanotherandanother.
Atlastthepassagecametoanend;andtheDoctorfoundhimselfinakindoftinyroomwithwallsofrock.
Andthere,inthemiddleoftheroom,hisheadrestingonhisarms,layamanwithveryredhair—fastasleep!
Jipwentupandsniffedatsomethinglyingonthegroundbesidehim.TheDoctorstoopedandpickeditup.Itwasanenormoussnuff–box.AnditwasfullofBlackRappee!
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