Part 24 (2/2)
Courtenay took his binoculars, and went on to the bridge He called out the apparent distance of each landave its true bearing In the result, Elsie found she had prepared a clear and fairly accurate chart of the bay and its headlands, while the position of the distant range of mountains was marked with tolerable precision But Courtenay was far fro satisfied
”If I had a base line, or even a fresh set of points taken higher up the inlet, I could improve on my part of the survey,” he said ”Yours is admirable, Miss Maxwell Of course, I know you are an artist; butapart That is first-rate”
”Perhaps you may be able to secure fresh data when the _Kansas_ puts to sea again,” said Christobal
”If I a entirely to htly ”But I do mean to peep a little further into our estuary Before the shi+p sails I may have another spare hour to devote to it”
”In ay?” asked Elsie
”By utilizing the canoe A her up the channel I should be clear of the bluff which hides Otter Creek I iine it will be possible then to see the full extent of the bay I et you to sound Suarez as to the lie of the land”
”I hope you will do nothing of the sort,” protested Elsie, earnestly
”Why? Do you think the canoe unsafe?”
”No, no; not that But those waiting Indians They ain! I shall run no risk of that sort It would indeed be the irony of fate if the _Kansas_ slipped her cable and left the skipper behind”
”Huh! No fear! She'd follow you like Joey I was tellin' Miss Maxhat a lucky fellow you were Besides, if you went, I 'd be in coad, if all else failed, the bloomin' tub would turn turtle in the Pool”
To e, and shot several sh it
Elsie felt Christobal's critical eye on her; she was shading the outlines of the map, and trusted that her head was bent sufficiently to hide the tell-tale color which leapt to her face But Courtenay wished to hearover her shoulder at the drawing ”Nor about himself,” he added, as she was too busy to look up ”To e, he has refused the command of two shi+ps since we both joined the _Kansas_”
”Home orders!” cried Boyle, as certainly beyond hi to lack of a crew ”Myfeller-et-rich-quick sort P'raps you 'll learn froe Board of Trade inquiries' You stand on what I told you, Miss Maxwell You re ossip Elsie turned on him desperately
”How do you expect me to listen to you, and work at the sa hilanced at the chronometer
”I must be off,” he announced ”Tollemache may need so after”
Christobal, too, quitted the chart-room to visit his patients He had said very little while he sat there, and Elsie did not knohether to laugh or cry at the tragic-co--she would like to box Boyle's ears She was completely at a loss to account for his persistent efforts to drag in references to their prior conversation She dared not catechize hi up more difficulties for the future But what possessed hi details in the presence of the two norance of them?
She peeped at Boyle sideways His eyes were closed, the cigar was between his teeth, and he had a broad grin on his face She could not guess that the once taciturn chief officer of the _Kansas_ was saying to hilared! There will be trouble on this shi+p about a wo, or I'm a Dutchman An' didn't the skipper rise at the fly, too! Huh!”
He uttered the concluding monosyllable aloud
”Did you speak?” inquired Elsie, severely
”Eh? No, Miss Maxwell”
”Oh, I thought you wanted to say so makes , Mr Boyle”