"Don't be a clumsy fool, doctor," called Dragen sharply, with an oath.
"He can't feel anything," was the growling response. "And you don't need to curse me, Dragen."
"I'll do worse than curse you if you drive me to it," came the sharp, angry retort, the threatening tone of which indicated Dragen's power over the other.
"This won't help us to get the boat under weigh, will it?" put in Marlen. "Come on, doc, let's put the passenger to bed."
But the other laughed sulkily. "You can finish the job by yourselves," and he turned back toward the car.
"Come back," called Dragen furiously, "or it'll be the worse for you."
The "doctor" turned on him with a fierce oath. "I've owed you something long enough, and this would be a mighty good place to pay the debt in. I'm a better man than you, and if you use that tone to me again I'll prove it."
"What's the good of spitting at one another like two infernal tomcats?" put in Marlen.
"To hell with your tomcats," was the fierce retort. "Let him do the thing without me if he can. A dirty, low, sponging bully speak to me like that!" and, giving, a full rein to his temper, he let loose such flood of invective upon Dragen that I expected every instant to see the two come to blows.
I began to hope that I should find in the quarrel a chance of getting away, and I glanced round me stealthily in search of something with which I could arm myself for a struggle with the third man, Marlen.