“I know nothing about all that. I’m a business man. Time is money,� snapped Mr. Terrill.
“I’d like to do it,â€� said Uncle Toby, “yes, sir, I’d like to do that—everything but——â€�
“See here, Uncle Toby,� cut in Jack, “haven’t you often told me of your shipwrecks and how gallantly you have been rescued. Didn’t you say that no man worthy to tread the quarter deck of a ship would ever ignore a call for help?�
“Humph!—yes, that’s so. And I think so, too,â€� rejoined Uncle Toby, with a flash of his old spirit, “set the chart, Jack.â€�
Jack, seeing that he had touched the right chord and gained a momentary ascendency over Terrill, hastened to get the great paper roll from the rack where it was kept.
“Here’s Skull Island,� he said. “If you follow a direct course you can be there by daylight.�
“By chowder, that’s true enough, lad,� cried Uncle Toby. He brought his withered fist down on the table with a bang. “I’ll do it, Terrill. It won’t delay us much and, consarn it all, man, it’s nothing more than common humanity.�
“That may be, but it’s not common sense,� grumbled Terrill, and retired to his cabin, leaving Jack with a victory on his hands. Before they turned in Jack and Uncle Toby went on deck and the latter gave orders for the course to be shaped for Skull Island.
“Call me as soon as its sighted,� he said, “you should pick it up about daybreak.�
“If only I had saved my wireless,� thought Jack, as he turned in that night. “As things are now I can’t let Captain Simms know of what has happened and he’ll think something has gone wrong, either through carelessness or some other cause. Oh, well, after all Raynor, by some wonderful means, has got a radio set, and I can use that. I wish it was morning, I can hardly wait till we sight Skull Island. Good old Raynor, something told me right along that he would turn up safe and sound, and he has.�