I released that excellent first officer. Then things were said. When he understood that we were spoiling to cut him up into little pieces, and that it seemed likely that he had fallen from the frying-pan into the fire, he explained. What we wanted to know was the present address at which Mr. Batters could be found. It seemed, according to him, that he was aching to know it too.
“Bless my beautiful eyes!” He spat upon the floor. “Do you think if I knew where the hearty was that I’d be here? He used me shameful, he did that.”
“It seems incredible that he should have used you badly, Mr. Luke.”
“It does. After all I’d done for him. But he did. After we——”
He coughed. I finished his sentence.
“Had taken such a ceremonious leave of us all on board The Flying Scud. Yes? Go on.”
“We got picked up by a liner as was making Suez.”
“As you anticipated you would be. I see. You’re a far-sighted person, Mr. Luke.”
“They landed us at Suez. We stopped there two or three days getting packing-cases to—to——”
“To pack the treasures of the temple in. They must have been rather conspicuous objects to carry about with you anyhow. Go on.”