"Salihé!" he exclaimed.
When Felipe came on board of the Guardian-Mother, he could not speak a word of English; but in the time that had since elapsed he had made good progress in acquiring it, though he was not yet fluent in the use of it.
"Are you sure of it, Phil?" asked Louis, who had translated his Spanish name into English, and then abbreviated it.
"Ver sure," replied Felipe decidedly. "I see some things what I know."
"She was white when we brought her here," added Louis.
"She has become black now; but I know some marks," persisted Felipe; and he proceeded to mention and point them out; but he spoke in Spanish to Louis, who had become tolerably fluent in the language by this time.
"Why don't ye's shpake to the man forninst her poilot-house," suggested Felix. "Perhaps he knows somephwat about her."
"That's a bright idea of yours, Felix; he would be likely to know something about her," laughed the owner of the Guardian-Mother.
The Salihé was making a course within twenty feet of the side of the steamer, and it was not a difficult matter to hail her. The man in the little box that was dignified with the name of pilot-house was the only person that could be seen on board of the little steamer, though there was doubtless another in the engine-room. The boat was moving along very slowly, and the pilot seemed to be looking about him all the time and in every direction.
"Salihé, ahoy!" shouted Louis.