"Plymouth'll do me, sir. I've got an uncle living there. He's a smacksman, so he could tow the boat back to Abbotsbury."
Mr. Armitage left it at that, but he decided to signal Prawle Point and report the finding of the boat.
"What sort of a fellow is he?" he inquired of Desmond, after the latter had come on deck.
"I hardly know what to make of him, sir," replied the Patrol Leader. "He doesn't seem to know much about the sea, which is a bit strange since his father is a fisherman. He seems rather anxious to know if we are putting in anywhere before we get to Plymouth."
"The only seafaring things about him are his clothes," remarked Mr. Graham. "He doesn't talk with a South Coast accent. I suppose——"
"Suppose what, Graham?" asked Mr. Armitage.
"Perhaps I had better not say," rejoined Mr. Graham. "I hate having to be suspicious about anybody, but there are certain points about the lad that look a bit fishy."
"'Fishy' is a natural characteristic of a fisherman's son, I take it," rejoined Mr. Armitage, with a laugh.
"Not in that sense. Suppose we have the fellow on deck. He seems fit enough now. Give him a few simple jobs and see how he shapes."
In response to a message—delivered by Rayburn—Gregory came on deck.