"'Wal,' he said, 'I guess there'll be a tea party, not to say a picnic, when the British Navy comes along. But it ain't there yet, and in the meantime the dago in the nightshirt will be taking cold. Strange as it may seem, the Pacific Squadron is not permanently stationed off the coast of Salvador."
"The outlines of my scheme had already begun to sketch themselves in my brain.
"'I'll put another question to you, captain,' I said. 'A well-informed man like yourself might know where the nearest British cruiser or gunboat is, and how soon it is likely to arrive.'
"Captain Shagg mopped his brow and spat upon the deck, as is the habit of American seafarers when engaged in thought.
"'So far as I know,' he answered, 'the nearest British gunboat is way down off Colombia. When it arrives at Libertad will nat'rally depend upon when it starts. Anyhow, I reckon it won't come alongside quite so soon as the dago in the nightshirt would like to see it. And I also reckon that dago wants to see it just as badly as he ever wanted to see anything.'
"'You think it likely, then,' I continued, 'that we shall be off Libertad before the gunboat?'
"'Why, certainly,' said Captain Shagg.
"Then I was able to fill in the outlines of my scheme.
"'Voyons!' I said, 'the voice of duty calls. It would be possible, I take it, to make such alterations in the appearance of this steamer as would cause it to be mistaken for a gunboat by persons whose acquaintance with gunboats was not particularly extensive?'
"The captain spat again on the deck. He also half closed one of his eyes and concentrated the other upon me.