“How about the engineer?” Vance asked.
“Oh, he is a master of his trade; you need have no fears but that she will be kept at full speed.”
“I think I’ll have a look at him,” Roy said, and as he started aft followed by Manuel, Ned suddenly remembered that after deciding upon their course of action they had been so careless as to forget the weapons, which were in one of the after-cabin lockers.
“Hold on a minute!” he said quickly. “I wish you would show me where those papers were put.”
“What papers?” Roy asked innocently, and the most careless observer would have understood that there was nothing of the kind aboard.
“The ones I gave you just before I went on shore,” and by dint of much winking, which may or may not have been seen by the interpreter, Roy finally understood that he should accompany his friends.
“Well, of all thick-headed mortals you are the worst!” Vance whispered when they were in the after cabin. “It was necessary for Ned to give the whole snap away before you could understand that he wanted to speak with you.”
“I’ll admit that I’m about as stupid as fellows are usually made,” Roy replied seriously, “and the knowledge of what I have possibly done only makes me worse. What is it you wanted, Ned?”
“We forgot the revolvers, like a set of chumps, and they are here,” Ned replied as he opened the locker.
The words had hardly been spoken, and before the weapons could be raised, when the companion-way doors were suddenly pulled to, the hatch drawn over, while the click of metal told that the bolts had been drawn.