If Skelton now, at the last moment, had asked Ratcliffe to come down and have an interview, things might have been smoothed over, but Skelton was not the sort of man to make advances; neither, in his way, was Ratcliffe.
Meanwhile, Simmons was directing the lowering of a boat. The companionway was still down. The luggage was put in, and Simmons, seated by Ratcliffe in the stern seats, took the yoke lines. Not a sign of Skelton, not even a face at a porthole!
“Give way!” shouted Simmons.
As they drew up to the Sarah Tyler, Ratcliffe saw Satan leaning over the rail and watching them. Jude was nowhere visible.
“Hullo!” said Ratcliffe as they came alongside. “I’ve come back.”
“I was half-expectin’ you,” said Satan with a grin.
“Will you take me for that cruise right off?”
“Sure! That your dunnage?”
“Yes.”
Satan stepped to the cabin companionway and shouted down it.