"You are not going to make a voyage!" stared Coronado.
"I am preparing for accidents. We may get carried down the river."
"I thought you proposed to keep fast to the shore."
"I do. But the lariats may break."
Coronado said no more. He lighted a cigarito and looked on with an air of dreamy indifference. He had hit upon a plan for getting rid of Thurstane.
The next question was, who could handle a boat? The lieutenant wanted two men to keep it out in the current while he used the sounding line and recorded results.
"Guess I'll do 's well 's the nex' hand," volunteered Captain Glover. "Got a sore ear, 'n' a hole in my nose, but reckon I'm 'n able-bodied seaman for all that. Hev rowed some in my time. Rowed forty mile after a whale onct, 'n' caught the critter—fairly rowed him down. Current's putty lively. Sh'd say 't was tearin' off 'bout five knots an hour. But guess I'll try it. Sh'd kinder like to feel water under me agin."
"Captain, you shall handle the ship," smiled Thurstane. "I'll mention you by name in my report. Who next?"
"Me," yelped Sweeny.
"Can you row, Sweeny?"