"Now you're a nice-looking Sunday school!" observed Handy Soloman, eyeing them sardonically. "Tackel Old Scrubs, will ye? Well, some needs a bale of cotton to fall on 'em afore they learns anything. Enjoyed your little diversions, mates? And w'at do you expect to gain? I asks you that, now. You poor little infants! Ain't you never tackled him afore? Don't remember a little brigatine, name of the Petrel! My eye, but you are a pack of damn fools!"
To this he received no reply. The men sullenly assisted each other. Then they went immediately on deck and to work.
After this taste of his quality, Captain Selover enjoyed a quiet ship. We made good time, but for a long while nothing happened. Finally the monotony was broken by an incident.
One evening before the night winds I sat in the shadow of the extra dory on top of the deck house. The moon was but just beyond the full, so I suppose I must have been practically invisible. Certainly the Nigger did not know of my presence, for he came and stood within three feet of me without giving any sign. The companion was open. In a moment some door below was opened also, and a scrap of conversation came up to us very clearly.
"You haf dem finished?" the doctor's voice inquired. "So, that iss well,"--papers rustled for a few moments. "And the r-result-- ah--exactly--it iss that exactly. Percy, mein son, that maigs the experiment exact. We haf the process----"
"I don't see, sir, quite," replied the voice of Percy Darrow, with a tinge of excitement. "I can follow the logic of the experiment, of course--so can I follow the logic of a trip to the moon. But when you come to apply it--how do you get your re-agent? There's no known method----"
Dr. Schermerhorn broke in: "Ach, it iss that I haf perfected. Pardon me, my boy, it iss the first I haf worked from you apart. It iss for a surprise. I haf made in small quantities the missing ingredient. It will form a perfect interruption to the current. Now we go----"
"Do you mean to say," almost shouted Darrow, "that you have succeeded in freeing it in the metal?"
"Yes," replied the doctor simply.
I could hear a chair overturned.