Hannigan was pleased with his share of the work, too.
"—wire," he finished, "from the bottom of the 'S' to the cave. We just about had enough, too. Anyhow, if the ship should happen to come at night instead of in the daytime, all we got to do is push the switch, and a spark'll jump in the tinder. Send the whole signal up in flame in less time than you can say 'integral calculus.'" He frowned. "If," he added, "a ship comes at all. Which of course I couldn't say yes or no."
"It will come," said Greg absently. He said it because it was the thing to say; as a matter of habit. He was not even thinking of his words. He was thinking, now that this project had been accomplished, of other things. Of a silo that must be built. They had nine head of livestock now, due to Tommy O'Doul's persistence. The beasts would have to be provided with winter quarters. One goat in the cave had not been so bad, last month. But nine goats—Perhaps, he thought, that small cave next to ours. If we could dig into it through the west wall ... make a small opening....
His lack of concentration brought a false conclusion from the third man in the group. Ralph Breadon stirred restively.
"You should say," he insinuated, "if Malcolm wants a ship to come!"
The words penetrated Greg's thoughts of the future slowly. He turned a blank, questioning look on the other.
"Eh?"
"I merely said," repeated Breadon, "that one could not condemn a man in your position for showing lack of enthusiasm in a rescue party."
Greg stared at him thoughtfully.
"Just what do you mean by that, Breadon?"