"Fifteen feet," repeated Louis to the captain.
"Good!" exclaimed Scott, to whom the answer appeared to be extremely satisfactory, and to stimulate very strongly his hopefulness, though he had not yet developed to his companions his plan for escaping from the Fatimé, if her speed proved to be greater than that of the Maud, as it would naturally be expected to be. "Go back to the engine, Felipe, and run it for all it is worth."
"All it is worth?" repeated the Spaniard, interrogatively.
"Make the steamer go as fast as you can," added Louis, taking Felipe by the arm and leading him back to the engine-room.
"All it is worth means very fast, doce nudos la hora", said Felipe, as he entered his apartment.
"Not always," replied Louis, laughing; "but that will do for the present."
"I think I have got the hang of the thing now," said Captain Scott, as Louis and Felix returned to the forecastle. "If we don't wax that fellow, I will quit guessing and go to New England to learn how."
"On board of the Guardian-Mother inferiors are not allowed to ask questions in the line of duty. I don't know how you are going to manage this business, Captain Scott, and I am unable to guess whether you will wax him or not."
"I will tell you all about it in due time; but I am busy just now, and you must excuse me," replied Scott, who had before taken the wheel himself.
Louis was satisfied, and kept a sharp lookout for the steamer astern.