“Only her name. She is not very communicative, and is evidently in a hurry.”
The smoke was belching from her stacks and she seemed to spurt forward so that the Saxon was rapidly left behind.
It was late at night when they reached Las Palmas, and they went ashore at once, to be driven along pebbly streets to the Santa Catalina Hotel. Immediately upon their arrival Captain Drake left to visit the men who had already arrived and were awaiting them.
He ascertained from the officer who had been placed in charge that there had been no mishap, and that they were ready to embark at any moment.
Breakfast had been ordered for an early hour in the morning, and they had not been at the table very long before Captain Armstrong joined them.
“Everything all right?” asked Gaunt.
“Couldn’t be better,” the captain answered briskly. “I have a good lot of men and they are shaping well. Haven’t had trouble of any kind.”
“Good. Let us get breakfast over for we mustn’t stay here a moment longer than we can help.”
Tugs had been chartered, and by eleven o’clock the whole party had left the harbor. There had been many inquiries from the officials of the port, which Captain Armstrong had deftly turned aside.
An hour later they reached the Esmeralda; the men were quickly got on board and the tugs returned to Las Palmas.