The door opened, and Gadget, the ship's mascot, appeared. Now Gadget's newest hobby was photography, and through the kindness of the photographic officer he had become the proud possessor of a small pocket camera.
"I got her, sir! Thought you'd like to see her ... begging your pardon," and Gadget, with his dirty, but sunny, smiling face stopped short and pulled his lock of hair by way of salute, as the captain pulled him up sharply by snapping out:--
"Got whom? Like to see whom, Gadget?"
"The 'Clutchin' Hand,' sir," explained Gadget, who now found himself floored for once by his want of English.
"I don't understand, boy?"
"The bloke what played the dirty on us, sir," replied the boy, opening wide his bright blue eyes, and holding out three wet and recently developed pocket films.
"Him what got the swag, sir," continued the urchin, endeavouring to make himself clear.
"Oh, you mean that you photographed the brigand!" replied the skipper as he caught sight of the negatives, and snatched at them eagerly, a new light coming into his eyes.
"Yessir!" exclaimed the lad. "Him what said he was a King of the Desert."
"Gadget!" exclaimed the captain, after a brief examination of the films, which were really three fine, clearly defined pictures of the Scorpion, showing her in mid-air, when alongside the Empress.