“Can you tell me what General Yozarro is likely to do?”
“I can, but to do so, would be a violation of my neutrality.”
“A fair hit!” laughed the American; “I spoke without thought, but it will not touch the question of neutrality if you tell me how much longer we are likely to remain fast in the mud.”
“You may be aware that we feel the ocean tide to some extent in this part of the Rio Rubio. Some time beyond midnight, if we do not drive farther upon the shoal, the tide will lift us clear. You may not have noticed, Major, that the screw has been driving us forward most of the time, instead of backward. It is doing so now, but with your permission, I will order the engineer to reverse.”
“Well, I’ll be hanged! I heard you do that a good while ago.”
“That signal was for your benefit; there was another sent down the tube for the private ear of the engineer which you did not hear.”