Part 20 (1/2)
”Did we get up steaht or two lying loose in the stoke-hold, but, for all practical purposes, we have used nothing but the Valparaiso bunker since we left port”
”The rest of our coal was shi+pped at Coronel?”
”Yes, sir”
”You hear? It is exactly as I have told you,” said Courtenay, glancing at the others ”I must explain to you, Mr Boyle, that I wished you to state the facts in front of witnesses before I gave youyou on the , that the furnaces were blown up wilfully Now our suspicions are proved This , after a careful scrutiny, we came across a number of luether In the center of each lump was a stick of dynamite, protected by an asbestos wrapper It was undoubtedly the intent of some miscreant that a number of these lumps should be fed into the furnaces This actually occurred, as we know, but, by the mercy of Providence, the shi+p did not experience the full power of the explosion, or she runted Boyle ”Who holds the insurance?”
”The shi+ppers of the cargo, of course--Messrs Baring, Tho, ain't it?”
”Yes”
”Huh, it's a lot of rew larger, and she became rather pale As was her habit when puzzled, she placed a finger on her lips Christobal noted her action Indeed, he missed few of her characteristic habits or expressions He laughed quietly
”I think you are quite right, Miss Maxwell,” he said ”This is one of the olden”
Taken by surprise, she blushed and dropped her hand But Courtenay said promptly:
”There are some instances in which silence may be misinterpreted Let o on board the _Kansas_ will suffer a serious financial reverse if the shi+p is lost
Two thousand tons of copper may be worth a considerable fixed sum, but the lack of the metal on the Londonconsequences in a fight against the bull clique in Paris, and that is why Mr Baring made this heavy shi+pment”
”Those consequences could be foreseen and discounted,” put in Tollemache, dryly
”Exactly But by whoer on this vessel?”
Every one scouted that notion But Tolle as a party to the scheuns
”So,” he said
”The insurancetime,” Courtenay explained
”No, but the copper market will respond instantly”
”Then the process has commenced already The _Kansas_ should have been reported yesterday from Sandy Point The news that she has not arrived will soon reach the nearest cable station There will be terrific excitement at Lloyd's when that becomes known”
”It is distinctly odd that Suarez should turn up last night, and tell us how gold slipped through his fingers five years ago Let us hope the parallel will hold good for the gentleman who so amiably endeavored to send the _Kansas_ to the bottom of the Pacific,” said Christobal
”It is rather a rotten trick,” broke in Tolleuery-- Well, I'ard you as quite a Spaniard, you see”