“Well, no,” he replied, with a smile. “I’m afraid I tried to impose upon our new captain by assuming to be very much concerned about poor Berriman’s state; but I had another reason as well. I wanted to try and have a few words with the Dennings, whom I could hear in the next cabin.”

“Yes; and did you?” I asked eagerly.

“No, I was too closely watched. I could have whispered to them through the hole made by the bullet; but Jarette was at the door all the time that he was not in the cabin watching me, and I could not say anything aloud for them to hear without his knowing what I said.”

“I know what I should have done,” I cried.

“What?”

“Told them what our plans were in French.”

“That would have been clever,” he said dryly, “for a Frenchman to hear.”

“How absurd!” I said. “Well then, in German.”

“Equally absurd, Dale. I hardly know a word.”

“Well then, in Latin.”