“Oh, you do wonder, do you, Grey?” Pawlinson snarled. “Well, for once I shouldn’t be surprised if you were right.”
Nothing could quench the biting vitriol of his tongue.
“Checkmated at every turn! And a pretty pair of asses we are!” he was pleased to put himself thus in with me.
“Now look here, Hallins,” he went on, while I inwardly admired the rapidity with which he shifted the greatest chagrin to action. “And look sharp! When did you send the patrol launch?”
“I guess it must have been ab——”
Here the door swung open, and a clean-limbed young fellow strode over to Hallins.
“Launch’s gone, pop,” said he boyishly. “And the men’re tickled to death at the little outing.”
Then the lad sensed the tenseness of us all.
“Why, what’s the matter?”
“Matter enough!” said Pawlinson shortly, “But no time now to explain to you, boy. Now look you, quick? You have just come from the water front?”