"We countrymen must help one another…. These are bad times!"
Seeing him standing, his two comrades now came up to Ferragut. "What would you like to drink?" He invited them to seat themselves at the table, but they were in a hurry. They were on their way to see the consignees of their boats.
"Now you know it, Captain," said the skipper on bidding him farewell. "These demons are after you in order to pay you up for something in the past. You know what for…. Be very careful!"
The rest of the evening Ferragut and Toni talked very little together. The two had exactly the same thought in their brain, but avoided putting it in shape because, as energetic men, they feared that some cowardly construction might be put upon such thoughts.
At nightfall when they returned to the steamer the pilot ventured to break the silence.
"Why do you not quit the sea?… You are rich. Besides, they'll give you whatever you ask for your ship. To-day boats are worth their weight in gold."
Ulysses shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't thinking of money. What good would that do him?… He wanted to pass the rest of his life on the sea, giving aid to the enemies of his enemies. He had a vengeance to fulfill…. Living on land, he would be abandoning this vengeance, though remembering his son with even greater intensity.
The mate was silent for a few moments.
"The enemies are so many," he then said in dismay. "We are so insignificant!… We only escaped by a few yards being sent to the bottom on our last trip. What has not happened yet will surely happen some day…. They have sworn to do away with you; and they are many … and they are at war. What could we do, we poor peaceable sailors?…"
Toni did not add anything further but his silent thoughts were divined by Ulysses.