"Have you any rockets?" I asked, turning abruptly round.
The man stared, smiled deprecatingly, and shook his head. He addressed his mate in Portuguese, and they held an animated conversation. Finally he turned to me, and the mate went below.
"There is one, he believes, monsieur," said the captain. "It was for saving life, but it is old."
Well, old or new, I was resolved to try it, and presently, when the mate appeared with a huge bomb in his hands, we set ourselves to work. The men by this time were interested, and we had the rocket rigged in a trice. The anxious moment was when we came to fire it. Would it fizzle out. Was the touch long gone?
It resisted sullenly for some minutes, and then unexpectedly took the bit in its teeth, if I may put it that way, and bolted. In the summer evening sky was a great rush of light, and in my ears the hissing of a hundred serpents. Then there was silence, and the light, describing its arc, vanished into the water ahead. I gazed anxiously, but it was not until ten minutes later that we were able to judge of the success of our venture. Then the little captain touched me on the shoulder, beaming. He did not trust to his inadequate French, but pointed. I had already seen the Sea Queen lay to.
A quarter of an hour later I stepped aboard her, and the man who let down the gangway was Holgate.
"Why, doctor, we thought you were in your cabin. A near shave!" said he.
"Pretty close," said I; "I thought the hour was six."
"It was changed to five by captain's orders," he replied. "Notice was sent duly."
"It missed me," I answered cheerfully. "I wasn't at the hotel all the time."