Andrew frowned at the chart, as if he did not know how to go on; and Whitney came to his rescue.
"I guess it suits you better to keep away from port; you don't want to be seen and talked about."
Rankine smiled.
"Am I mistaken in suggesting that we don't make much progress. Now, after meeting you at Craigwhinnie and inviting you to come on board, it's a satisfaction to find you have taken me at my word; but if you have any other reason for the visit, I'm at your command. I understood this was so."
"The matter is important, and we want to feel we're justified in talking about it," Whitney replied. "In fact, if your work's confined to surveying, we'd rather you regarded us as casual guests."
"Then I think you can take it that my job doesn't end there. I'm still a navy officer, though I'm now assisting the Trinity House."
Whitney laughed.
"Well, I guess that's as much as one could expect you to admit. British official caution is a remarkable thing." He turned to Andrew. "You'd better tell him what we've seen."
Andrew began with their adventures on the sands when the lamp went out, and then mentioned the signal lights on Barennan Crag and what they had discovered on board the wreck. He told the story well, adding particulars that had escaped Whitney's observation, and Rankine followed him closely on the chart.
He looked up with frank appreciation when Andrew had finished.