Payne paused with a hand on the flywheel.
The dread in the captain's eyes was obviously genuine.
"Don't make us take you up there, mister," he repeated. "You wouldn't if you knew."
"Knew what?"
"We can't bring any one up there."
"You aren't bringing any one; you're being brought."
"It'll be hard luck for you, too, mister, if you run up there."
Higgins shouldered angrily forward.
"Keep that kind of pap talk behind your teeth. Trouble with you fellows is you've been used to handling suckers. You sort of get it that we're different, don't you?"
"I'm telling you," persisted the captain; "'twon't be any luck for you to run up there, and it'll be hell for us."