CHAPTER VI


Crawshay knocked at the door of the captain's room, received a
stentorian invitation to enter, and sank a little plaintively into a
vacant easy-chair. The purser, who had been in close confabulation
with his chief, hastily took his leave.

"Good morning, sir," the visitor said languidly.

"Good morning, Mr. Crawshay," the captain replied. "Feeling a little
stronger this morning, I hope?"

Crawshay sighed.

"The memory of that experience," he began, settling down in his
chair,--

"Well, well, you ought to have got over that by this time," the
captain interrupted. "What can I do for you, Mr. Crawshay? I have been
yarning with the purser a little longer than usual, this morning, and
I have some rounds to do."

"I must not stand in the way of your daily avocation," the newcomer
said gloomily. "I really dropped in chiefly to see if by any chance
you had had a wireless message about me."

"Not a word."