CHAPTER VII

AN INTERVIEW ON THE BRIDGE


Although Mr. Lillyworth knew very well that Pink Mulgrum was deaf and
dumb, he "jawed" at him as though his hearing was as perfect as his own,
doubtless forgetting for the moment his infirmity.

"Draw up the bight, and lace it tighter," exclaimed the second
lieutenant, intermixing an expletive at each end of the sentence. "Oh,
you can't hear me!" he shouted, as though the fact that the scullion
could not hear him had suddenly come to his mind. "Well, it is a nice
thing to talk to a deaf man!"

Dave could see that Mulgrum also seemed to forget that his ears were
closed to all sounds, for he redoubled his efforts to haul the screen
into its place.

"I could not hear anything that was of any consequence," the steward
heard the deaf mute say in a lower tone than his companion used.

"Couldn't you hear anything?" asked Mr. Lillyworth, making a spring
at the canvas as though he was disgusted with the operations of his
companion on the bridge.

"Only what I have just told you," replied Mulgrum.

"But you were at the door when the captain and the first lieutenant were