“What's the Captain's name?”
“Carpenter.”
“Who's the engineer?”
“Robbie MacGregor.”
“Good man?”
“Robbie? Certainly. None better.”
Halloran slid down off the post and looked at his watch.
“Old G. Hyde is getting up just about now. He's a great hand at early rising—preaches a good deal about it—likes to say that if he hadn't been brought up on a good old gentleman known as B. Franklin he'd never be where he is now. Well, maybe he wouldn't.”
The Captain's temper was hanging on the edge of an explosion, but Halloran went on.
“There's nothing to be done here now. Try to keep everything ready—if you can pick up a man to fire up, I should—and we'll probably get off this afternoon sometime.” And he strolled off, leaving the Captain to stare after him and give vent to the first rumblings of a storm.