"Yes, confound them, too," growled Beamish, who seemed to be in an
unenviable frame of mind. "Damned nuisance their coming round. I
should like to know what they are after."

"Nothing particular, I should fancy. Probably out doing some kind
of a holiday."

They passed round the deckhouse and Hilliard could not hear the
reply. When they returned Captain Beamish was speaking.

" - thinks it would about double our profits," Hilliard heard him
say. "He suggests a second depot on the other side, say at Swansea.
That would look all right on account of the South Wales coalfields."

"But we're getting all we can out of the old hooker as it is," Bulla
objected. "I don't see how she could do another trip."

"Archer suggests a second boat."

"Oh." The engineer paused, then went on: "But that's no new
SUGGESTION. That was proposed before ever the thing was started."

"I know, but the circumstances have changed. Now we should - "

Again they passed out of earshot, and Hilliard took the opportunity
to stretch his somewhat cramped limbs. He was considerably
interested by what he had heard. The phrase Captain Beamish had
used in reference to the proposed depot at Swansea - "it would
look all right on account of the coalfields" - was suggestive.