him an' von Staden on deck to see what's wrong wit' her. An' until I'm
ready to call on those lads I'm not wishful to have them call on me!
Remimber, Riggins: Wan jump an' ye're into the pilot-house; then howld
her head up to the sea--an' lave the rest to me. Gwan wit' ye now, or
that skut, Schultz, will be gettin' suspicious av us."

When Mr. Schultz came along ten minutes later he found Mr. Reardon
very busy calking with oakum the cracks round the door and window of
his state-room, through which little wisps of yellow smoke were
curling. Mr. Schultz was so completely deceived that he hurried round
to his own quarters and pawed over his own mattress and bedding in a
vain search for bedbugs.






CHAPTER XVI





At eight o'clock Mr. Schultz relieved the second mate on the bridge,
and five minutes later Terence Reardon, for the first time invaded
that forbidden territory. "Bad cess to me!" he complained plaintively.
"I'm the picthur av bad luck. I've a leaky connection below an' divil
a bit av red lead. Could ye lind me a dab av red lead from yer
shtore-room, Misther Schultz?"