“Get right out of here with this boat. You’ll work her out. Do you understand?”
“Your words don’t admit of any misconstruction,” was the calm reply.
“Mosey up on the bridge, then. Look sharp! Do you hear?”
“I hear. Suppose I don’t choose to obey?”
“In that case——”
Malvin emphasized this with a poke in the ribs from the revolver.
“See here, Malvin,” asked Ralph, eying the fellow without flinching, “have you been drinking to-night, or are you simply ill-advised by bad companions?”
“No more trifling,” warned Malvin sullenly. “You’ve robbed me of my job as commander of this boat. Not content with that, you’ve tried to interfere with my business. Do what I say at once, or let me give you a straight warning. You’re playing with your life.”
Ralph tried another tack.
“Well,” he said, “of course I don’t want to get shot. Let’s get down to cases. What do you want me to do?”