“No, no; the Moors do not love the men of my nation; they oppress us; they call us dogs and sons of swine.”
“Well then, you’d better stay aboard, you know. You wouldn’t be safe among them in a wild spot like this. We can land you at Rabat in a day or two; you’ll be safer in a port.”
“Ah, excellency, but I do not love the sea. It has wrecked my vessel; I have much fear of the sharks. I am not at ease until I set foot again on dry land.”
Mr. Greatorex was perplexed. He had no reasonable excuse for detaining the Jew: yet, remembering that the man had seen the airship at work, he recognized that it would be in the highest degree impolitic to allow him to go ashore and spread the news. He beckoned Tom forward and told him of the Jew’s request. Tom instantly grasped the situation.
“Mr. Salathiel forgets,” he said, “that we have a claim for salvage on his effects. (Whether we have such a claim legally I don’t know,” he said to Mr. Greatorex afterwards, “but it was the first thing that came into my head.”)
“That is most true,” said the Jew, with a smile; “but alas! I lost everything in the wreck; and have only my clothes, and they——”
He shrugged expressively.
“Sorry for you,” said Tom. “Still, it would not be fair to your companion Abdul to leave him to meet our claim alone.”
“But he can come with me,” said Salathiel eagerly. “He will be with his countrymen.”
“You were not so anxious for his company when I first saw you,” replied Tom drily. “No, Mr. Salathiel; it will be better for you both to come with us to Rabat: there we can lay this little matter of salvage before the authorities.”