It was on our second morning out that I found Captain Welfare on deck before me.
“That’s Alderney,” he said, pointing to a long low coast-line just visible on our port bow.
“Already?” I asked. “We seem hardly to have started.”
“I’m glad it’s not been tedious, sir. But we’re a good way from Guernsey yet. The wind’s inclined to south a bit though, and if it goes a few more points we’ll get our square sails set again. Then if it holds we’ll be there or thereabouts to-night or to-morrow morning.”
“Well, I’m in no hurry to get there, as I said.”
“That’s maybe just as well. You never know your luck at sea in a sailing boat.”
By midday I was watching the sea break over the famous Casquets, which looked like the jaw of a dog in the water. We went down to luncheon, and were just having our coffee after the meal when the saloon door opened and Jakoub came in.
This was an unwarranted intrusion, for Jakoub had neither the status of a guest nor a servant, and etiquette is necessarily rigid at sea. I saw Welfare flush angrily and look at him with astonishment in his round bright eyes.
“What the devil——?” began Edmund.
Jakoub looked at him quite impassively and said a few words in Arabic which I did not understand.