[CHAPTER XII]
Among the Cannibals
The routine life of shipboard wore quietly on for several days without interruption. The staunch ship held steadily on its course, and the ceaseless vibrations of its engines came to be as unnoticed and as unthought of as the beatings of their own hearts. There had been no storms for some time, as indeed there seldom were at this time of the year, and Bert’s duties as wireless operator occupied comparatively little of his time. He had plenty left, therefore, to spend with Dick and Tom, and they had little trouble in finding a way to occupy their leisure with pleasure and profit to themselves and others.
A favorite resort was the engine room, where in spite of the heat they spent many a pleasant hour in company with the chief engineer, MacGregor. The latter was a shaggy old Scotchman with a most stern and forbidding exterior, but a heart underneath that took a warm liking to the three comrades, much to the surprise and disgust of the force of stokers and “wipers” under him.
“And phwat do yez think of the old man?” one was heard to remark to his companion one day. “There was a toime when the chief ’ud look sour and grumble if the cap’n himself so much as poked his nose inside the engine room gratin’, and now here he lets thim young spalpeens run all ovir the place, wid never a kick out o’ him.”
“Sure, an’ Oi’ve ben noticin’ the same,” agreed his companion, “an’ phwat’s more, he answers all their questions wid good natur’, and nivir seems to have ony desire to dhrop a wrinch on their noodles.”
“Perhaps ’tis because the youngsters ask him nothin’ but sinsible questions, as ye may have noticed,” said he who had spoken first, as he leaned on his shovel for a brief rest. “Shure, an’ it’s me private opinion that the young cubs know ’most as much about the engines as old Mac himsilf.”
“Thrue fer you,” said the other. “Only yisterday, if O’im not mistaken, young Wilson, him as runs the wireless outfit for the ship, was down here, and they were havin’ a argyment regardin’ the advantages of the reciprocatin’ engines over the new steam turbins, an’ roast me in me own furnace if I don’t think the youngster had the goods on the old man right up t’ the finish.”