"You pretty good guesser, sah. Not such a mucher myself."
The boys, convinced that they could gain no information from the negro, and realizing the uselessness of attempting to question any others of the crew, strolled aft again. It seemed to Harry that the thread of smoke had grown a little thicker. The captain opened his door and stepped out on deck, glass in hand. He signalled to Suarez, who came aft at his bidding.
"Can you make her out yet, Suarez?"
"Not yet, captain, but she is headed to cross our bow and should be hull up in a few minutes."
For five minutes both men stood with their glasses trained on the smoke. Finally Suarez dropped his to his side with the air of a man who has learned what he wished to know.
"Yes?" said the captain, interrogatively.
"It's the little one we dodged last time."
"The Belair. So I thought. Change the course two points to starboard. We will go astern unless she gets curious and I suppose she will. Yes, see, she is heading up for us. Hold your course; it would be folly to change it now. If we can't bluff it through, why we can—well, do the next best thing, Suarez, eh—call her hand."
Dynamite threw back his head and laughed heartily.
"Everything is in readiness for the call, sir," said the mate, gravely.