But that was all the information concerning the
ship's navigation he could steal; for Captain Doane took the observations
and worked them out, to the exclusion of the mate, and Captain Doane
always methodically locked up his chart and log. That there were heated
discussions in the cabin, in which terms of latitude and longitude were
bandied back and forth, Daughtry did know; but more than that he could
not know, because it was early impressed upon him that the one place for
him never to be, at such times of council, was the cabin. Also, he could
not but conclude that these councils were real battles wherein Messrs.
Doane, Nishikanta, and Grimahaw screamed at each other and pounded the
table at each other, when they were not patiently and most politely
interrogating the Ancient Mariner.

"He's got their goat," the steward early concluded to himself; but,
thereafter, try as he would, he failed to get the Ancient Mariner's goat.

Charles Stough Greenleaf was the Ancient Mariner's name. This, Daughtry
got from him, and nothing else did he get save maunderings and ravings
about the heat of the longboat and the treasure a fathom deep under the
sand.

"There's some of us plays games, an' some of us as looks on an' admires
the games they see," the steward made his bid one day. "And I'm sure
these days lookin' on at a pretty game. The more I see it the more I got
to admire."

The Ancient Mariner dreamed back into the steward's eyes with a blank,
unseeing gaze.

"On the _Wide Awake_ all the stewards were young, mere boys," he
murmured.

"Yes, sir," Daughtry agreed pleasantly. "From all you say, the _Wide
Awake_, with all its youngsters, was sure some craft. Not like the crowd
of old 'uns on this here hooker. But I doubt, sir, that them youngsters
ever played as clever games as is being played aboard us right now. I
just got to admire the fine way it's being done, sir."

"I'll tell you something," the Ancient Mariner replied, with such
confidential air that almost Daughtry leaned to hear. "No steward on the
_Wide Awake_ could mix a highball in just the way I like, as well as you.
We didn't know cocktails in those days, but we had sherry and bitters. A
good appetizer, too, a most excellent appetizer."

"I'll tell you something more," he continued, just as it seemed he had
finished, and just in time to interrupt Daughtry away from his third
attempt to ferret out the true inwardness of the situation on the _Mary