"There's your twenty dol," said he, throwing a gold piece to the Chinaman. "You're hired. Make yourself scarce out there while I talk with the skipper of this boat."
He nodded toward a door in the forward bulkhead, and Ah Sin, after grabbing the coin out of the air and biting it to make sure it was genuine, faded from the room.
"We've got enough hands aboard," said Matt, "without taking a Chinaman on."
"You don't understand the situation, Mr. King," returned Glennie, "and I shall have to explain to you."
It was hard for the ensign's pride to be compelled to confess the loss of the packet. But, if he had Matt's help—which, in the circumstances, was necessary—it followed that he would have to let Matt know the details connected with the missing dispatches.
Matt listened attentively.
"The Chink may be fooling you, Mr. Glennie," he said, after the ensign had finished.
"Possibly," was the answer; "but I can't afford to pass up his information. The submarine was to call at Para, anyway, and we might just as well carry the Chinaman that far. You must realize what it means for me to recover those papers. Suppose I had to report that they were lost, and could not be found? Good heavens!" and Glennie drew a shaking hand across his forehead.
"I'm willing to help you, of course," said Matt.
"You're in duty bound to do that! If I had to report the loss of the papers because you refused to give me your aid, it wouldn't sound very well, eh?"