“Can you spell?” whispered Nicht Wahr to Weiss Nicht.
Thereupon Weiss Nicht, who was so much wiser than he seemed, spelled into the ear of Nicht Wahr, who was not, “New Amsterdam.”
“Why,” said Nicht Wahr, “it has the name of that Dutch place old Columbus discovered some time ago, New Amsterdam. It must be near here—pooh! I knew it!” He looked all about.
“And the children are adrift and are asking for succor—” cried Ruhet. “That’s it. Poor things!”
IV
KNOCK WOOD
At that moment a deep and terrible bass voice boomed all about them, asking, “Tonans ahoy?”
Ruhet nearly fell to the deck. Then he looked about at the men grouped near, in displeasure.
“Who was that?” he demanded. “Let there be no more of it. You all know the state of my nerves. Insomnia is awful on the nerv—”
Again came the voice: “You ignored our signals. Unless you give assurance to the contrary, we will regard you as pirates and take you.”
By this time there was no doubt that the voice came from the little boat a mile away.