Part 9 (1/2)
”Not grinning, old fellow; it was only a smile.”
”Now, none of your gammon. You were laughing at me.”
”Oh! Nothing!” said Murray, with the smile deepening at the corners of his mouth.
”There you go again!” cried Roberts. ”Who's to keep friends with you, Frank Murray, when you are always trying to pick a quarrel with a fellow?”
”What, by smiling?”
”No, by laughing at a fellow and then pretending you were not. Now then, what was it?”
”Oh, all right; I only smiled at you about your shaving so carefully this morning.”
”How did you know I shaved this morning?” cried the mids.h.i.+pman, flus.h.i.+ng.
”You told me so.”
”That I'll swear I didn't.”
”Not with your lips, d.i.c.ky--_d.i.c.k_--but with your fingers.”
”Oh! Bother! I never did see such a fellow as you are to spy out things,” cried Roberts petulantly.
”Not spy, old chap. I only try to put that and that together, and I want you to do the same. So you think this is all glorious about yonder planter chap piloting us to the slaver's place?”
”Of course! Don't you?”
”Well, I don't know, d.i.c.k,” said Murray, filling his forehead with wrinkles.
”Oh, I never did see such a fellow for pouring a souse of cold water down a fellow's back,” cried Roberts pa.s.sionately. ”You don't mean to say that you think he's a fraud?”
”Can't help thinking something of the kind, old man.”
”Oh!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Roberts. ”I say, here, tell us what makes you think so.”
”He's too easy and ready, d.i.c.k,” said Murray, throwing off his ordinary merry ways and speaking seriously and with his face full of thought.
”But what does Anderson say to it?”
”He seemed to be suspicious once, but it all pa.s.sed off, and then the skipper when he heard everything too talked as if he had his doubts.
But now he treats it as if it is all right, and we are to follow this American chap wherever he leads us.”
”Yes, to-morrow morning, isn't it?”
”No, d.i.c.k; to-night.”
”To-night--in the dark?”
”I suppose so.”