“Oh, it will!” persisted Waddie.
“It’s rather odd, to say the least,” added the colonel, with an incredulous stare at both of us.
“I’ll tell you how it happened,” said Waddie.
And he related the history of the events of the morning, and gave me all the credit, and rather more, I thought, than I deserved.
“That was handsome of you, Wolf, after all that has happened. But who were these rascals? I will make an end of them!”
“We didn’t know who they were; and we couldn’t find out.”
“I shall find out!”
Perhaps he would; but at that moment the captain and engineer of the Ucayga were announced, and the colonel began to look as savage as when he entered the room. The servant was told to admit them.
“The villains!” gasped the great man. “They were half an hour behind time this morning, though they did not wait for the up-lake boats.”
“Perhaps they were not to blame, father,” suggested Waddie mildly.