“I see you’re very damn sullen, gra-cious me!–Reckon they will, captain?”
“We’ll be eatin’ a United States of America supper, chained, sir.”
“Now look here,” said Driscoll plaintively, “I don’t want to get caught.”
“But I hope as you’ll bide with us, sir?”
“Still, I was just thinking–now that smoke––”
“And I’m a thinkin’ you don’t see much smoke. We’re keepin’ out o’ sight as long as God’ll let us.”
“But, Captain, why not smoke up–big? Just wait now–this ain’t any of my regiment, I know that–but listen a minute anyway. Well, once or twice when we were in a fix, in camp, 41say, and we knew more visitors were coming than was convenient, w’y, we’d just light the campfires so they would smoke, and then–meantime–we’d light out too. Old Indian trick, you know.”
The skipper was first impatient. But as that did no good, he cocked himself for a laugh. Then his mouth puckered to a brisk attention, and at the last word he jumped to his feet. “Damme!” he said, and went thumping down the steps again. He splashed through the water on deck, minding the stiff wind not at all, and dived into the engine-room.
“Soft coal!” gasped Murguía with relief.
It was pouring from the stacks in dense black clouds.