"Aha!" cried Hawkshaw. "That shows how valuable the Holmes theory
is."

"Precisely," said Holmes. "No woman knows anything about seafaring,
but Portia is right. The ship is headed for the Azores, which is the
first tack needed in a windward sail for London under the present
conditions."

The reply was greeted with cheers, and when they subsided the cry for
Shylock's subscription began again, but he declined.

"I had intended to put up a thousand ducats," he said, defiantly,
"but with that woman Portia on board I won't give a red obolus!" and
with that he wrapped his cloak about him and stalked off into the
gathering shadows of the wood.

And so the funds were raised without the aid of Shylock, and the
shapely twin-screw steamer the Gehenna was chartered of Charon, and
put under the command of Mr. Sherlock Holmes, who, after he had
thanked the company for their confidence, walked abstractedly away,
observing in strictest confidence to himself that he had done well to
prepare that bottle beforehand and bribe Crusoe's man to find it.

"For now," he said, with a chuckle, "I can get back to earth again
free of cost on my own hook, whether my eminent inventor wants me
there or not. I never approved of his killing me off as he did at
the very height of my popularity."