“Then I’m going on a voyage in that ship, am I?” said Brace.
“Of course—you and your brother. Up the Amazons, eh?”
This was said in a questioning tone, but Brace made no reply.
“Well, of course you’ve a right to choose, but I say you ought to go up the Orinoco. Deal more to see there, I believe. Dessay, though, there’s plenty up the Amazons. They’ll do.”
“That’s a comfort,” said Brace, smiling in spite of his annoyance, for the man was as cool as he was imperturbable.
“Is it?” he said. “Glad of it. Glad too that you young Englishmen are so enterprising. As a rule you’re downright sleepy and leave nearly everything in the finding out way to us Amurricans. Didn’t know I was an Amurrican, did you?”
“I never doubted it from the moment you spoke.”
“Didn’t you, now? Well, that is curious. It’s my pushing way, perhaps.”
“Yes, that was it,” said Brace, laughing.
“Well, there’s nothing like it if you want to get ahead. So you’re going up the big rivers, are you?”