"Christ!" shouted he. "He is a by-blow of Mr. William."
The Chief Engineer jumped up, rushed to the chart-room, where Ching was sulking in solitude, and returned dragging his commanding officer by the coat collar.
"Ching," he roared, pointing at Willatopy. "D'ye ken the bairn's ee' noo?"
"I don't ken the Moor's blasted eye," growled Ching. "Why should I?"
"D'ye ever see an ee' like to yon oot of a Toppys heid?"
Ching grudgingly admitted that the eyes of Willatopy were by some impertinent freak of Nature not unlike those which distinguished the Family.
Madame broke in. The scene was becoming ridiculous, and Willatopy was getting cross. He felt that Ewing was making a show of him.
"Alexander," commanded Madame. "Sit down and keep quiet. Captain," she went on, "we have just discovered that Willatopy our pilot is a son of Mr. William Toppys, who went to the South Seas twenty years ago and died there."
"I expect that our Mr. William has left a lot of brown brats scattered up and down the Islands," grunted Ching. "The boy is a good and useful pilot, but half blood don't make him a Toppys."
"He is a Toppys, and we can't treat him as a stranger in a Toppys ship. Willie," went on Madame in her sweetest, most silvery tones. "By a wonderful coincidence you have come to the help of your own people. This yacht, the Humming Top, is owned by Sir John Toppys, Baronet of Wigan. We are all employed by the Family of which you are a member. You have dropped quite by accident among your own people. Sir John Toppys must be a cousin of yours."