"Wait," he said. "There is a steamer from your port. I shall be back presently."
With that he got over the rail and went off in his boat to the steamer.
"Now then," said Norris, when he was gone, "there's that skunk's trick."
"But it's a monkey trick," said Ray. "He ought to know we'd have our story to tell."
"Maybe," suggested Julian, "he thought his wines—and maybe some gold—would give greater weight to his story."
I, too, had got the smell of liquor from the doctor's breath. It was quite probable Duran had been making very friendly with this official.
"Perhaps Duran counted on our going outside the harbor rather than be delayed in quarantine," said Robert.
"Yes, and that would suit him ver' well," said Marat. "He could then try and slip by in thee dark."
The doctor came back, as he had promised. And he spoke us without again coming aboard.
"That was some mistake about the yellow fever," he said. "You will be free to go ashore."