“A fire on Isle Royale?” He even forced a smile. “Too bad. But I can’t say that concerns us. This is a passenger boat, bound for Rock Harbor. Lake Siskowit, I’m told, is some twenty miles from there——”
“A fire,” Captain Davie spoke slowly, “any fire that destroys property concerns all of us.”
“Swing her about, John,” he turned to the Indian. “We’re going in there.”
“But your schedule calls for first stop at Rock Harbor,” the man insisted.
“That’s right, but an emergency exists. We—”
“Emergency my eye!” The man’s dark face flushed angrily. “You’ve contracted to have me at Rock Harbor by four o’clock, the Iroquois docks an hour later. I shall have just time to transact my business and catch the Iroquois. If you don’t get me to Rock Harbor on time, you’ll regret it.”
“Perhaps,” was Dave’s slow rejoinder. Turning to the Indian he said quietly, “John, we’re putting in at Siskowit.”
“I’ll break you!” the man exclaimed angrily.
“That,” Dave laughed uncertainly, “that’s impossible. We’re already broke.”
Turning on his heel, the passenger strode away.