of anybody I like. That’s what I’m going to do. Now, if you’ll kindly get out of my way—”
“Look here, Skipper,” said Morgan, “I admit we wouldn’t be much help, but why don’t we join forces?”
“Join forces?”
“Like this. I admit appearances are against us. We’ve told you a story you don’t believe, and nearly given you apoplexy. But in all seriousness, there’s a very sound reason behind everything. It’s a big thing—bigger than you know. And why don’t you believe us?”
“I believe,” said the captain grimly, “what I see and hear, that’s all.”
“Yes, I know. That’s what I’m kicking about,” the other nodded. He got out his pipe and absently knocked the bowl against his palm. “But we don’t. If we did, what do you suppose we should have thought when we walked up and found you sitting bunged-up and gibbering on a wet deck, with an empty whisky-bottle beside you and babbling wildly about your lost elephant?”
“I was PERFECTLY SOBER ,” said the captain. “If any illegitimate lubber,” said the captain, lifting a shaking arm … “if any illegitimate lubber refers again to what was pure misfortune—”
“I know it was, sir. Of course it was. But it’s six of one and half a dozen of the other, don’t you see? The misfortunes are precisely alike. Symbolically speaking, as Mr. Baldwin says, they are elephants and bears. And if you insist on having your elephants, why shouldn’t you allow Curt his bears?”
“I don’t understand this,” said the captain dazedly. “I’m a plain man, sir, and I like plain speaking. What are you getting at? What do you want?”
“Only this. If I were to sit down at the breakfast table to-morrow morning and tell only what I had seen tonight—Oh, I don’t say I would, of course,” said Morgan, assuming a shocked expression and also closing one eye significantly. “I only use the illustration as an example, you understand—”
This was the sort of plain speaking the captain clearly comprehended. For a moment his head rose in appalling wrath out of the collar of the waterproof.
“Are you,” he said thickly, “trying to blackmail—”
It took all Morgan could do, with a swift tactical change, to smooth him down. But it was like a shrewd lawyer’s inadmissable question to the witness at a trial which the judge orders the jury to disregard: the suggestion had been put forth, and the effect made. An effect had been made, unquestionably, on the captain.
“I didn’t mean anything,” Morgan insisted. “Lord knows, we won’t be much help. But all I wish you’d do is this. We’re as interested as you are in catching this crook. If you’d keep us posted as to any developments—”
“I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t,” growled the other after a pause, during which he cleared his throat several times. Whistler’s eye and jaw were paining him considerably, as Morgan observed; it was much to his credit that he could keep his temper down to a simmering point. Still, ramifications were beginning to suggest themselves to him, and it was apparent that he did not like them. “I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t. I tell you straight, right here and now, tomorrow morning I’m going to haul all of you up to Lord Sturton and make you tell him the story you told me. If it weren’t so late, I’d take you all up now. Oh, you’ll be in it, right enough …
“I’ll tell you frankly, Mr. Warren,” he added, in a rather different tone, and swung round on him, “that if it weren’t for your uncle, you certainly wouldn’t get the consideration you are getting. And I’ll be fair. I’ll give this cock-and-bull story of yours a chance.”
“Thanks,” said Warren dryly. “And I can take my oath Uncle Warpus will appreciate it if you do. And how?”
“Mr. Baldwin!”
“Sir?”
“Make a note of this. To-morrow morning you will institute an inquiry, with whatever reason or pretext you like, to find out
“Look here, Skipper,” said Morgan, “I admit we wouldn’t be much help, but why don’t we join forces?”
“Join forces?”
“Like this. I admit appearances are against us. We’ve told you a story you don’t believe, and nearly given you apoplexy. But in all seriousness, there’s a very sound reason behind everything. It’s a big thing—bigger than you know. And why don’t you believe us?”
“I believe,” said the captain grimly, “what I see and hear, that’s all.”
“Yes, I know. That’s what I’m kicking about,” the other nodded. He got out his pipe and absently knocked the bowl against his palm. “But we don’t. If we did, what do you suppose we should have thought when we walked up and found you sitting bunged-up and gibbering on a wet deck, with an empty whisky-bottle beside you and babbling wildly about your lost elephant?”
“I was PERFECTLY SOBER ,” said the captain. “If any illegitimate lubber,” said the captain, lifting a shaking arm … “if any illegitimate lubber refers again to what was pure misfortune—”
“I know it was, sir. Of course it was. But it’s six of one and half a dozen of the other, don’t you see? The misfortunes are precisely alike. Symbolically speaking, as Mr. Baldwin says, they are elephants and bears. And if you insist on having your elephants, why shouldn’t you allow Curt his bears?”
“I don’t understand this,” said the captain dazedly. “I’m a plain man, sir, and I like plain speaking. What are you getting at? What do you want?”
“Only this. If I were to sit down at the breakfast table to-morrow morning and tell only what I had seen tonight—Oh, I don’t say I would, of course,” said Morgan, assuming a shocked expression and also closing one eye significantly. “I only use the illustration as an example, you understand—”
This was the sort of plain speaking the captain clearly comprehended. For a moment his head rose in appalling wrath out of the collar of the waterproof.
“Are you,” he said thickly, “trying to blackmail—”
It took all Morgan could do, with a swift tactical change, to smooth him down. But it was like a shrewd lawyer’s inadmissable question to the witness at a trial which the judge orders the jury to disregard: the suggestion had been put forth, and the effect made. An effect had been made, unquestionably, on the captain.
“I didn’t mean anything,” Morgan insisted. “Lord knows, we won’t be much help. But all I wish you’d do is this. We’re as interested as you are in catching this crook. If you’d keep us posted as to any developments—”
“I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t,” growled the other after a pause, during which he cleared his throat several times. Whistler’s eye and jaw were paining him considerably, as Morgan observed; it was much to his credit that he could keep his temper down to a simmering point. Still, ramifications were beginning to suggest themselves to him, and it was apparent that he did not like them. “I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t. I tell you straight, right here and now, tomorrow morning I’m going to haul all of you up to Lord Sturton and make you tell him the story you told me. If it weren’t so late, I’d take you all up now. Oh, you’ll be in it, right enough …
“I’ll tell you frankly, Mr. Warren,” he added, in a rather different tone, and swung round on him, “that if it weren’t for your uncle, you certainly wouldn’t get the consideration you are getting. And I’ll be fair. I’ll give this cock-and-bull story of yours a chance.”
“Thanks,” said Warren dryly. “And I can take my oath Uncle Warpus will appreciate it if you do. And how?”
“Mr. Baldwin!”
“Sir?”
“Make a note of this. To-morrow morning you will institute an inquiry, with whatever reason or pretext you like, to find out
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