"He shall find out that I am neither a dog nor a door mat!" muttered the bearded Russian. "By my right hand I promise you that!"
"Talk is cheap—it takes wind to make the mill go," answered Peterson. To an outsider it would have been plain to see that he was leading Semmel on, in an endeavor to find out what was in his companion's mind.
"It will not end in talk."
"Bah! I have heard that before."
"I have been thinking," went on Ostag Semmel, slowly. "Can I trust you?"
"You know you can."
"You do not love the captain—do not love that Russell?"
"Do I act as if I did?"
"Good! Now, how many on board of this ship?"
"Fourteen men, counting in ourselves."