'Not much wrong,' he said, coming over to Trentham and smiling. 'I guess I can put it right. But we 'll want help to get it on to the stream--yonder there, where it widens. Shall we start for home?'
'And these gentlemen will come as our prisoners?'
'Sure. We haven't any coal for them to dig, but they can start on yams.'
'Ve are officers; it is not correct for officers to vork,' said one of the Germans.
'Say, is that so? You 're a lazy lot? Well now! And yet you 'll make a chief dig coal for you--a chief who 's as big a man here as your Kaiser in Berlin. Well, you surprise me! Come along, Trentham. Let's hurry.'
'How far are we from the coast?' asked Trentham of the Germans as they started.
'Eight or nine mile,' was the surly response.
'Bully!' exclaimed Hoole. 'With luck we 'll have time to salve the machine before it's found. Step along, Flanso!'
'Ze niggers vere ve go--are zey cannibals?' asked one of the Germans anxiously.
'Yes,' replied Trentham. 'They nearly ate us. They mistook us for Germans.'