“You can’t hurry over a job of that sort,” he said.
“If the man’s been shot at—— Can’t I go by myself? I know something about boats. You’ll be here for hours.”
“You may know boats,” said Sir Lucius, “but you don’t know this bay.”
“Couldn’t I work it with a chart? You have a chart, I suppose?”
“No man living could work it with a chart. The rocks in the bay are as thick as currants in a pudding and half of them aren’t charted. Besides the tides are——”
“Isn’t there some man about the place I could take with me?” said Lord Torrington.
Peter Walsh was hovering in the background with his eyes fixed anxiously on Sir Lucius and the police sergeant. Sir Lucius looking around caught sight of him.
“I’ll tell you what I’ll do if you like,” said Sir Lucius. “I’ll send Peter Walsh with you. He’s an unmitigated blackguard, but he knows the bay like the palm of his hand and he can sail the boat. Come here, Peter.”
Peter Walsh stepped forward, touching his hat and smiling respectfully.
“Peter,” said Sir Lucius, “Lord Torrington wants to take a sail round the islands in the bay. I can’t go with him myself, so you must. Have you taken any drink this morning?”