“I’ve no use for that talk,” he said. “Get your ladder over!”
It was done, and in another moment he and Appleby stood on the torpedo boat’s deck, where a couple of officers stared at them.
“Since you’re not Cubans, where were you going in that boat?” said one.
“I guess you’d better take us right along to your commander,” said Harper. “Aren’t you going to shake hands with a countryman, anyway?”
The officer laughed. “I’ll wait,” he said dryly, “until I’ve heard what you have to say. Didn’t you make your boat fast before you left her?”
“No, sir,” said Harper. “We have no more use for her. We’re coming along with you.”
“Well, I guess we can pick her up again if that doesn’t suit our commander,” said the officer.
He led them aft to a little cabin, and left them there until a young officer came in. He sat down on the opposite side of the little table and looked at them.
“You haven’t the appearance of Cubans, in spite of your clothes,” he said. “Now, I’ll ask you for a straight tale. What brought you off the land in a boat of that kind?”
“A wish to get as far away from Cuba by sunrise as we could,” said Appleby.