“Two years in the Grapnel,” replied Blood.
“You were skipper?”
“No; first officer.”
“Had you much to do with the cable work?”
“Everything, as far as handling the cable. You see, in some companies and some boats they have a regular cable engineer, a chap who doesn’t touch any work but cable work; in others, the chief officer does his work and the cable work as well.”
“I know,” replied Shiner, nodding his head as though he were well acquainted with all the ins and outs of the business. “Well, in this affair of ours the skipper would be skipper and cable engineer as well. That would not interfere with his proper business, since once the cable engineer is in charge, he is the virtual captain of the ship.”
Blood nodded, wondering how this up-to-date-looking young business man had gained so much knowledge about this special branch of seamanship.
“Of course you have certificates,” went on Shiner. “You can show a clean sheet for character and ability?”
“Curse his impudence!” thought the Captain to himself; then, aloud: “A clean sheet? No, can you?”
Shiner, who had been standing on his toes and letting himself down on his heels, puffing out his chest, shooting his cuffs, and otherwise conducting himself like a man in power and on a pedestal, collapsed at this dig. He flung his right elbow into the palm of his left hand, pinched in his cheeks with his right thumb and forefinger, coughed, frowned, and then said: