"Haah! Dida I see it?" inquired Signor Camposozzi, with a withering leer. "He hasa fasten it around his neck."
Morgan turned to Valvick. "The fat's in the fire now anyway, Skipper," he said. "Whatever else we do, we can't be marionettes. But if it occurs to Uncle Jules to give that emerald away to somebody… well, we can't be in more trouble than we are. We'd better go after him. No, Curtli No! You're not coming, do you hear?"
"Certainly I'm coming," said Warren, drawing his scimitar again and placing a bottle of champagne in the pocket of his robe. "Think I'm going to miss this? It's absolutely safe. My own mother wouldn't recognise me in this outfit. If we run into the old haddock or anybody, I can simply gesture and say, 'No speeka da Eenglish.' See?"
As a matter of fact, he was the first one out the door. Nobody protested. The fat was now sizzling and flaring in the fire anyway; and, Morgan reflected, at least three! people were better than two at nobbling Uncle Jules— provided they could find him — before he gave away Captain Whistler's watch to somebody and left a trail of Captain Whistler's money all along C deck. Also, they were joined by the Bermondsey Terror.
"Head for the bar!" said Morgan as the three of them
blunged up the passage. "He'll go in that direction by instinct. No, not that way. Turn round and go by the port side, or we may run into Whistler and his crowd… "
I hey stopped. A confused noise was beginning to bellow down in the direction of cabin C 46; the patter of running feet, excited voices, and a stentorian ocean-going call to glim. The four allies instantly shifted their course and Mimic for the forward part of the boat — a fortunate circumstance, since they picked up Uncle Jules's trail within a few seconds. Indeed, nobody but Messrs. Lestrade, Gregson, Mild Athelney Jones could have missed it. Two or three doors were open, and infuriated passengers, clad only in ill ess trousers, and dress shirts hanging out over them, were dancing stockingless in the doors while they bawled Hi ii dazed steward.
"I couldn't 'elp it!" protested the steward. "I tell you, Nil
"You!" said Warren, presenting the point of his scimitar Hi I lie steward's breast, an apparition which nearly brought a scream bubbling from between the other's hps. "You!" lie repeated, as the steward strove to run. "Have you seen him? A bald-headed drunk with a prizefighter's shoulders and his hands full of stuff?"
"Yes! Y-yes, sir! Take that thing away! Just gone! Did he get yours too?"