“Oh yes, of course,” said Sir John; “but we should like to know a little more of you personally, Captain Bradleigh.”
“Well, that’s very kind of you, sir,” said the captain bluffly. “Thank you then, I’ll come. But perhaps you gentlemen would like to go over the yacht alone? I want to write a letter or two. You go about and talk to my boys. They’re not primed, gentlemen.”
“Well, I think we will,” said the doctor quickly, “Eh, Meadows?”
“Yes, Captain Bradleigh,” said Sir John; “one does not decide upon a thing like this in a minute.”
“Certainly not, sir. You go and have a good rummage, she’ll bear it, and you jot down in your log-book anything you see that you’d like to draw attention to. Call any of the men to move or overhaul anything you wish.”
For the next three hours, to Jack’s great dismay, his father and Doctor Instow roamed and hunted over the yacht. Nothing seemed too small for the doctor to pounce upon, though he devoted most attention to the magazine-room, amongst the sporting implements; but one way and another they thoroughly overhauled the yacht from stem to stern, even to examining the cable-tier and the well, and having several long talks with the men, before, to Jack’s great satisfaction, as he sat against the aft bulwarks, his father came to him and said—
“Tired, my boy?”
“Wearied out, father,” was the reply.
“Well, we have done now. What do you think of the yacht?”
“Nothing, father;” and then hastily, as he saw the look of trouble in Sir John’s eyes, “I don’t understand anything.”