“I am very sorry, Mr. Stranleigh,” replied the captain, “but I am a little anxious about my ship, so I have told my mate to remain in our launch, and I must ask you to excuse me. I cannot remain to lunch.”
“Dear me, I’m sorry,” said Stranleigh. “Why is that? What harm can come to your steamer?”
“Well, I’ve seen those logs piled up still very close to the brink of the river, and I fear if they tumbled down also, coming end on upon us, they might do the Rajah some damage.”
“My men tell me,” Stranleigh reassured him, “that there’s no further danger of more logs getting into the river. Still, they are such fools that they may possibly be mistaken, and I quite share and sympathize with your anxiety. By the way, did any of the other logs damage your boat?”
“That I don’t know yet. Some of them certainly struck her.”
“Then, captain, you must let me pay for whatever damage has been done; yes, and overpay, because, after all, I am the man responsible. Of course, you see, when we came up the river, there was no ship there, and no sign of any settlement. Still, that does not excuse my not having kept a better outlook. If the timber struck the steamer, is it likely the damage will be serious?”
“That, of course, I cannot tell without examination,” replied the master of the Rajah.
“Well, captain, we come of a sporting race. I’ll give you a hundred pounds here in gold, win or lose. If the damage is a thousand pounds, then you’ve lost. If there’s no damage at all, you’ve won a hundred pounds. Come, captain, what do you say?”
“If no damage has been done, Mr. Stranleigh, I don’t want any money from you. Even if the steamer is hurt, I am not sure I should have a valid claim against you. After all, the affair was an accident.”
“Are you satisfied to give me a quit claim for a hundred pounds, cash down?”