“This wasn’t no different,” replied Rio, grinning with satisfaction. “I got chummy with the galley boy and lived handsome. I ate the Old Man’s oranges and drank the chief engineer’s ale.”
Martin looked amused.
“Did the kid supply you with romance, too?” he asked.
Rio regarded him strangely.
“No,” he stated, after a moment, “but that brings somethin’ to mind. Maybe you know the answer, my educated friend.”
“Perhaps,” said Martin, in a dry tone.
Rio shifted his position, moving back out of the sun.
“I was in Santa de Marina last trip, as you know,” he said. “There was a girl, and a boy.” He stopped talking abruptly and removed his cap long enough to wipe away the perspiration which had gathered on the band. “By God, I can’t finish it!” he added vehemently.
Martin was silent.