the station."

"Then let me send a hand ashore for it. Got three Germans furard. You'll
come aboard and see this thing through, I hope."

"Thank you," answered Cartoner. He handed Captain Cable the ticket for
his luggage.

"Mate's receipt?" inquired the captain.

And Cartoner nodded. The captain pushed the decanter towards his guest
as he rose to go and give the necessary orders.

"No stint of the wine," he said, and went out on deck.

When he came back he laid the whole question aside, and devoted himself
to the entertainment of his guest. They both slept in the afternoon. For
the captain had been up all night, and fully expected to see no bed the
following night.

"If they come down with the tide we'll go to sea on the same ebb," he
said, as he lay down on his state-room locker and composed himself to
sleep.

He sent the hands below at ten o'clock, saying he would keep the anchor
watch himself. He wanted no forecastle gossip, he said to Cartoner, and
did not trouble to explain that he had kept the watch three nights in
succession on that account. Cartoner and he walked the deck side by
side, treading softly for the sake of the sleepers under deck. For the
same reason, perhaps, they were silent.

Once only Captain Cable spoke in little more than a whisper.

"Hope he is pleased with himself," he said, as he stood at the stern
rail, looking up river, as it happened, towards Cracow. "For it is
his doing, you and me waiting his orders here this cold night. They're
tricky--the French. He's a tricky man."

"Yes," admitted Cartoner, who knew that the captain spoke of Deulin, "he
is a tricky man."

After this they walked backward and forward for an hour without
speaking. Then Captain Cable suddenly raised his hand and pointed into
the night.

"There's a boat yonder," he said, "coming down quiet, under the lee of
the land."

They stood listening, and presently heard the sound of oars used with
great caution. A boat was crossing the river now and coming towards
them. Captain Cable went forward and took a coil of rope. He clambered
laboriously to the rail and stood there, watching the shadowy shape of
the boat, which was now within hail. It was swinging round on the tide
with perfect calculation and a most excellent skill.

"Stand by," said Captain Cable, gruffly, and the coils of his rope
uncurled against the sky, to fall in a straight line across the boat.

Cartoner could see a man catch the rope neatly and