he said, "you see how it is. Our little admiral up there is standing on
his temper, and if he doesn't hear the plan of campaign, he's quite
equal to making himself nasty."

"I don't mind telling him some, but I'm hanged if I'm going to tell him
all. There are too many in the secret already, what with you and the two
in London; and as I keep on telling you, if one whiff of a suspicion
gets abroad, the whole thing's busted, and a trap will be set that you
and I will be caught in for a certainty."

"Poof! We're at sea now, and no one can gossip beyond the walls of the
ship. Besides Kettle is far too staunch to talk. He's the sort of man
who can be as mum as the grave when he chooses. But if you persist in
refusing to trust him, well, I tell you that the thought of what he may
be up to makes me frightened."

"Now look here, my boy," said White, "you force me to remind you that
I'm senior partner here, and to repeat that what I say on this matter's
going to be done. I flatly refuse to trust this Kettle with the whole
yarn. We've hired him at an exorbitant fee--bought him body and soul, in
fact, as I've no doubt he very well understands--and to my mind he's
engaged to do exactly as he's told, without asking questions. But as you
seem set on it, I'll meet you here; he may be told a bit. Fetch
him down."

But as Kettle refused to come below, on the chilly plea of business, the
partner went out under the awnings of the upper bridge, where the
handsome White, with boisterous, open-hearted friendliness, did his best
to hustle the little sailor into quick good humor.

"Don't blame me, Skipper, or Sheriff here either, for the matter of
that, for making all this mystery. We're just a couple of paid agents,
and the bigger men at the back insisted that we should keep our mouths
shut till the right time. There's nothing wrong with this caution, I'm
sure you'll be the first to say. You see they couldn't tell from that
distance what sort of man we should be able to pick up at Lagos. I guess
they never so much as dreamed that we'd have the luck to persuade a chap
like you to join."

"You are very polite, sir," said Kettle formally.

"Not a bit of it. I'm not the sort of boy to chuck civility away on an
incompetent man. Now look here, Captain. We're on for making a big pile
in a very short time, and you can stand in to finger your share if
you'll, only take your whack of the work."

"There's no man living more capable of hard work